Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 247 The situation itself was clear. The Red Mage had been consumed by madness and went on a rampage, and Risir had subdued him. Shuon's party had witnessed the entire process right before their eyes. "Wh-what on earth happened...?" Even so, Shuon's party was confused as if they had been suddenly thrown into the situation. "Risir, you were definitely..." Shuon looked at Risir first, trying to understand the situation somehow. He was the person who had accepted that proposal first when Sodin made what amounted to a threat disguised as a proposal, risking the Hero's life. His expression when urging everyone to hand over the Magic Sword obediently had been weak, and his posture had been shrunk. Everyone who saw it thought the same thing. That what Risir was worried about was not the Hero's safety but his own safety. Even Sodin, who had been wary of him as an enemy, had thought so. Risir was a young man who perfectly fit the description of a 'greenhorn' by their standards. It was perfectly natural that he couldn't withstand the murderous aura of the Red Archmage who had undergone Assimilation with the Magic Sword. "Don't tell me, Risir, you..." Of course. There was also the possibility that Risir had been acting to deceive Sodin. Moreover, Shuon's party was clearly aware of that possibility. They were people who had experienced countless real battles. For them, acting to make an opponent let their guard down was an extremely basic and obvious deception tactic. "Was all of that acting...?" Even so, Shuon showed a reaction as if he couldn't even imagine it. At the time, Sodin, who had fallen victim to Risir's sudden surprise attack, had shown the same reaction. It was because of the impression that Risir as a person gave off. His gentle smile and extremely courteous nature. How could one connect him with such underhanded tricks? And what about that assassination sword technique! In their view, Risir was a man who suited values like honor and conviction. They would have thought he'd fall victim to tricks and assassination techniques, not that he'd be the one wielding them. 'Don't tell me... this man... has been acting all this time...?' They worried that Risir might suddenly remove his mask and reveal his true nature. "Phew." Then came Risir's sigh. "You're right about that. It actually worked. I was so nervous even while reading the situation." He patted his chest and laughed awkwardly. A gentle smile. Courteous behavior. Contrary to their worries, Risir was still the same. However, that made Shuon's party even more confused. That sincere young man had casually deployed such underhanded deception and assassination techniques? "Ah." For a moment. Shuon's party had an 'oh no' moment. 'Right, that's what it was...!' They thought that Risir had reluctantly acted despicably to save people. He was surely the sincere and honorable person he appeared to be. 'But having committed such a despicable act...' Probably, Risir was now feeling deep disillusionment with himself. "Risir. I'm proud of you." Shuon spoke in a serious tone, trying to encourage Risir. Beside him, the High Priest nodded vigorously in agreement. "I'm not the type to say things like this often, but what you just did was incredible." Then Junggeom patted Risir's forearm and spoke. "What I just did?" "Yeah. That- inducing the opponent's carelessness... creating an opening... then instantly striking through... that swift and efficient sword technique!" Junggeom carefully chose his words while watching his companions' reactions. He had toned down the expression 'Damn, he's no different from an assassin! Even a dark sword wouldn't be able to do that!' as much as possible. So that Risir would feel better hearing it! How was that? It was good! A round of eye signals passed between them. Junggeom became even more excited and rode the momentum. "Wow. That was unbelievable, wasn't it? Even I couldn't imitate such skill. Surely, your Master must have given you very broad teachings!" Then, he felt his companions' sharp glares. 'Ah!' Junggeom was startled. He realized belatedly that the direction of his words, meant to show respect for Risir's swordsmanship and the Master who taught it, was wrong! -Did you learn such assassination techniques from your Master? Your Master must be quite the exceptional assassin! Someone with the decisiveness to throw away honor for the sake of efficiency!? Junggeom's statement just now could be interpreted that way. In fact, if Junggeom had witnessed Risir's assassination techniques elsewhere, he would have spoken that way. "No, Risir- that's not what I meant...!" Junggeom fidgeted restlessly while watching Risir's reaction. "Ah, you recognize it! As expected of you, sir!" "?" Risir brightened up. It was truly the appearance of a Swordsman rejoicing at having his sword skills recognized by a Swordmaster. Junggeom couldn't help but admire his sincere character once again. Had he taken that highly questionable statement in only a positive direction!? "As you said, sir, my swordsmanship Master was indeed a master of assassination sword techniques!" "!?" He wasn't. As Junggeom had feared, his statement was conveyed with the treacherous meaning of 'your Master is totally an assassin.' For righteous swordsmen who prioritized honor and pride, it was words close to a duel challenge. But why was it? Risir was very satisfied even after hearing such words. "My swordsmanship Master always emphasized efficiency and practicality. That you felt that while looking at me means his teachings were not in vain." "..." Junggeom was experiencing severe cognitive dissonance. Assassination sword techniques. From what Junggeom had seen and felt so far, those who wielded those despicable sword techniques all had personalities that matched those techniques. But look at the man before his eyes. The sight of him boasting about his assassination sword achievements with the sincere character that perfectly fit a righteous swordsman was- "Then just now... those actions you took when deceiving Sodin... are they familiar to you?" "Hmm. Generally speaking, isn't it best to end combat as quickly as possible?" "Why do you think that way?" It was a matter of discussing the sword. Junggeom straightened his characteristically light attitude and asked seriously. "Because that way I can protect precious things completely. Not just myself, but the safety of people around me as well." "...!" Junggeom's mouth and eyes gradually opened wide. He was so shocked that he was left speechless. His actions were unmistakably those of a heretical swordsman. But his way of thinking about and belief in the sword was that of the most upright righteous swordsman. 'What kind of hybrid is this...?' Junggeom suddenly felt even fear toward the young swordsman- the greenhorn- before his eyes. That young swordsman who casually deployed assassination techniques with those purely innocent and upright eyes! 'The old man... he didn't fall victim for nothing...' He felt a small sense of sympathy for that Archmage who had once been a colleague. Who would think that such a sincere young man was a master of assassination techniques? Moreover, he wasn't just a master of assassination techniques, but a madman who enjoyed assassination techniques with pure and clear eyes. Junggeom's gaze naturally turned to his hands. Magic Sword. Sacred Sword. Those hands that casually held two swords that could never harmonize simultaneously. Junggeom nodded his head. If he's a swordsman who wields assassination techniques with clear eyes, then surely wielding those two swords simultaneously would be explained- "...No, even so, that's a bit much." It wasn't. It still couldn't be explained. He had solved the great question of 'Risir's identity,' but that was only the beginning. "What the hell are you, Risir? What have you done...?" "Yes?" "Why is the Sacred Sword, which only allows itself to be wielded by its Hero master, openly held in your hands? And in the hands of the Magic Sword's master at that!? No, wait, were you the Magic Sword's master to begin with!? You didn't break free from the Magic Sword's control-" Junggeom stopped speaking and began rubbing his forehead. A stinging headache came from the chain of questions that followed one after another. "Ugh-" "Ah. Shelloa! Are you conscious!?" At that moment, Shelloa, the Hero of Sealing, woke up. It was the result of the High Priest approaching and devoting himself to healing as soon as the situation was concluded. "..." After raising her upper body and staying dazed for a while, she began looking around. Glasses. After putting on those that had fallen to the floor, she fell into thought again. "Ah...!" Finally, as light returned to her eyes, she was startled. "Where is Sodin-" "Calm down, Shelloa. Everything has been resolved." "...!" Shelloa discovered Sodin collapsed on the floor. She asked in confusion. "How..." Shelloa recalled the situation before losing consciousness. Sodin had taken her hostage and had even secured the Magic Sword. 'How could the current result have been achieved from that situation? I would have been nothing but a hindrance rather than being helpful...' Shuon, who noticed Shelloa's confusion, explained to her. "It's thanks to Risir successfully using the Sacred Sword of Sealing to weaken Sodin's power." "Ah." I see. Shelloa nodded as if she understood. Certainly, if it was the power of sealing, it could completely fill her absence- "Hmm?" Wait. "He used the Sacred Sword of Sealing?" The Hero of Sealing notices the anomaly. She, the Hero of Sealing, had been unconscious, so how could the power of sealing have played a decisive role? "..." Shuon pointed at Risir with a complicated expression. "...?" Thus. The Hero of Sealing discovered the Sacred Sword held in another's hands. "...!?" Thus. The Hero of Sealing also discovered the Magic Sword held in another's hands. "Leroun allowed herself to someone other than me...? Even to a man dominated by a Magic Sword...?" "No, Shelloa. Risir isn't dominated by the Magic Sword. Strictly speaking-" Shuon continued speaking with great difficulty. "You could say the Magic Sword is dominated by him..." "He dominated the Magic Sword...? How...?" "The Magic Sword... seemed to be afraid of something called Magic Swordsmanship..." Ah. I see. The Magic Sword is afraid of Magic Swordsmanship. "Hehe." Shelloa burst into a bitter laugh. "I... died..." That was the conclusion the Hero of Sealing had reached. That she was now seeing sweet fantasies created by her brain before death. "A hero who simultaneously dominates both the Sacred Sword and Magic Sword appears and solves everything... I guess I was capable of such foolish imagination..." The Hero of Sealing laughed sadly. Her companions couldn't say anything while watching her like that. They couldn't think of words to correct her misunderstanding. *** "Hero. I'll return this to you now." -Ah... already...? "...Leroun?" Afterward. The situation was quickly resolved. They first recovered Sodin's corpse. The cause of death was not Risir's sword strike, but an extreme rampage of energy- Overload. "..." The High Priest held a simple funeral for Sodin. Risir's expression was troubled as he watched the Archmage's end. "Hey." Junggeom patted Risir's shoulder like that and showed a light smile. "You don't need to feel guilty. The old man's death was entirely his own doing. Self-inflicted here literally means he killed himself. The old man's cause of death was Overload, not your sword strike." "Ah. I already know that from what the Priest told me." "Really? You seemed quite troubled for that to be the case." "Ah. You see- I suddenly had this thought." "What thought?" "Somehow, people who die because of me mostly seem to die from Overload-" "..." Junggeom. And Shuon's party and Karoer, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation nearby, fell into deep confusion. 'He assassinated using Overload...? How...?' Having somewhat misinterpreted Risir's words, they tried not to become absorbed in that dangerous curiosity. After that, an investigation by Shuon's party proceeded. It was an unavoidable process since they had been companions with Sodin, who had tried to kill the Hero and take the Magic Sword. "You don't need to worry about it anymore, Risir." "Ah, Lord Karoer-" "Anyone who witnessed the incident at the scene would know that they are completely unrelated to Sodin. And fortunately, Ratsil, you, and I were all present at the scene together. Therefore, this investigation is merely a formal process. What you're worried about won't happen." Karoer's words were correct. -How dare those filthy humans in Illatdein-... -Wait! Filthy humans? You- -Oops, look at my mind. -The judgment on this matter seems suitable to leave to Risir and Karoer. Shuon's party, who had been summoned to the Teal Palace and interrogated by the Elders, were freed in just one day. Risir and Ratsil, who had been given the consideration to rest at Karoer's mansion, were able to meet with Shuon's party the very next afternoon. "Oh? Lord Lunadien?" She was the person filling the vacancy left by the Red Archmage. The elf with flowing red hair at the head of the group approached Risir and spoke. "Risir. I heard that while I was away, you solved another incident?" "Well- should this be called solving an incident- or causing an incident-" "Haha. No need to be modest. According to Lord Karoer, if you hadn't been there, serious trouble would have occurred. A Magic Sword, and a former Red Tower Master trying to steal it... Even if I, Lunadien, hadn't been absent, it absolutely wouldn't have been something easily resolved." Right. Of course. Lunadien praised Risir with her characteristic artificial manner. Risir smiled at that sight and said. "By the way, Lady Lunadien. You said you were absent for these few days, where did you go?" "Ah, that? It's nothing special, I discovered traces of that bitch somewhere in this city. I tracked them briefly." "That bitch?" "Night of the Forest." Oh. Yes. Risir felt his heart racing with thrill(?) and tried hard to manage his expression. "N-Night of the Forest is a being that was subjugated in the very distant past, isn't it? To think traces of such a being would be found in present-day Illatdein. How extraordinary. Ha.ha.ha." "You're right about that. Really, all sorts of things happen." Risir's body shuddered and trembled. Lunadien staring silently into space. It was because the aura she unconsciously emanated was terrifyingly heavy. 'Is she recalling... the battle with the Grand Master?' Risir truly felt the weight that Lunadien's name carried. The one who subjugated Night of the Forest. An Archmage who had reigned at the pinnacle of Green Mages for hundreds of years. The aura she emanated was pure and sharp beyond comparison to the fallen and corrupted Red Archmage. 'Come to think of it-' A thought that suddenly came to mind upon mentioning Lunadien. Risir recalled the 'memory' that the Magic Sword had shown him before. Star of the Garden. That memory related to Lunadien. "Lord Lunadien-" "Magic Sword." "Yes?" "You're going to ask about that, aren't you?" "Ah... yes." "Good. I'll tell you. It's a situation where I have no choice. And besides that, I have many things to tell you. Risir. Do you know about that Red Mage's possessions?" "The Red Mage's possessions? Ah-" Risir recalled the mysterious cube that had been in Sodin's hands at the time. "First Hero's Legacy..." Lunadien nodded seriously and said to him. "Do you have time now? Can you bring the Magic Sword that's sealed- no, stored in your room here?" "Ah! I understand!" Risir immediately headed to the room where he was staying. And as he looked at the place where he had set up the Magic Sword- "Child." A sultry voice tickled Risir's ear. Risir turned his head in surprise. "L-Lady Bella...!?" There, silver eyes half-opened like a crescent moon were gazing at Risir. "You were taking too long, so I got worried and came looking for you." She spoke while creating her characteristic benevolent smile. "How is it going, my child? Getting the Nature's Seed- is it going well?" "Nature's Seed? Ah." Right. I came to this city because of that. As Risir's expression became complicated, Labella nodded. "It didn't go well, I see. As expected. Just as I predicted, there's no way they would readily give Nature's Seed to a human...-" Labella proceeding with her thoughts with a serious expression. "..." Risir was perplexed about how and where to start the conversation.