Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 271 Strange. Why is the reaction like this? Alenza flailed her hands about as if to say "look at this." Flap flap. It looked as if such sound effects could be heard. Thanks to this, the dragon's appearance, which had been full of dignity when manifesting different powers in each hand, became quite comical. "Wow!!!" As if that had somehow appealed to him, Risir added even more energy to his applause and cheers. "Urgh...!" Alenza felt complex emotions. The meaning behind Risir's actions was clearly different from what she had intended, no matter who looked at it. It was a situation where she might have even felt humiliated. But why was it that she didn't feel entirely bad about it? "Risir?" At Ratsil's urging, the elves who had been halfheartedly clapping their palms together also looked closely at Risir's appearance. Huh? Risir likes it? Then I should like it too, right? Energy entered their previously lifeless applause. Enthusiastic cheers burst forth. The cheers called forth even greater cheers- The elves' camp was reborn as a heated stage. "..." The dragon girl, who was the protagonist of the stage, made a strange expression. It certainly wasn't a bad reaction. Looking back on the past days filled with criticism and resentment, this would be a situation bright enough to dazzle her with joy. The problem was that while it wasn't a bad reaction, it also wasn't born from awe. "What... is this...?" She had displayed the dragon's divine authority, but was such a reaction truly appropriate? A reaction like responding to a young nephew's antics? "Alenza!!! Amazing!!!" Having somehow interpreted Alenza's reaction, Risir sent even more enthusiastic support. "Ah, urgh!!! I get it, so stop!!!" The dragon girl couldn't endure the stage. She shouted with a face that had turned bright red. Alenza felt humiliated. How dare they treat a dragon like this! But the support from others that she was receiving for the first time in her life was certainly sweet! Before being a dragon, Alenza was a girl in her prime, and the corners of her mouth twitched. Thanks to this, the dragon's roar sounded somewhat like throwing a tantrum. "Wh-why is everyone like this!? Can't you see this!? Magic and divine power are coexisting!!! Even the Nad'ga can't do this!" "Absolutely right! Dragon! To think you possess both such pure magical power and divinity..." The Great Noble's expression was colored with wonder as if witnessing a miracle. Not only the Knight Order he led, but all those who had once followed the Nad'ga were the same. The desired objective had been achieved. They were certainly feeling greater awe toward the dragon than they had felt toward the Nad'ga. And it was awe in a very positive direction! Divine power! It was the result of that sacred power, none other, manifesting together with magical power. "I, Ares ye Dibrien!!! Never in my life have I seen such a spiritually powerful being as you!" "Well, I suppose so." Alenza nodded with satisfaction at the humans' reaction. Right. This is the natural reaction. ...But what about these guys? Alenza harbored some expectation and once again observed the elf expedition's reaction. Had the cheering time(?) ended? They were just staring blankly at Alenza. "...Ah!" Then. Alenza nodded as if she understood. 'That's right. Elves are a long-lived race that lives far longer than humans!' Knowledge as vast as their long lives. It was natural in a way that the elves' threshold for awe was higher than that of humans. "Now I understand. You all. You've already encountered a being with the same abilities as me, haven't you?" "That's right." "What!?" Karoer. That elf's calm reaction contrasted with the human group's reaction. "Unbelievable! To think another such wondrous being exists!?" Murmur murmur. A commotion arose among the human group. Among them were a wrinkled middle-aged man and an old knight with graying hair. They were respected within the group for their broad knowledge as elders. Their world was helplessly shaken. By the conversation between the dragon and the elf. The young appearances of the two races, who would have been considered much younger in human terms, intensified the confusion. "To think the phrase 'frog in a well' could fit so perfectly..." "What veteran, what elder..." The old knight was also a teacher who had assisted the Great Noble by his side and taught him about the world. Ares ye Dibrien, shocked by the old knight's reaction, spoke to the dragon and elf. "What on earth is it...? That other wondrous being you say you've seen!!!" "Why are you so flustered? Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" Alenza chuckled and exchanged glances with Karoer. Nod. The two opened their mouths simultaneously. "The dragon-" "It's Risir." "?" Alenza's expression turned serious as she exchanged glances with Karoer. The two closed their mouths simultaneously. An awkward silence flowed. *** "Impossible!!!" That was the dragon's roar just moments ago. "Impossible..." And now. It was the dragon girl's bewildered murmuring. It was the moment when Risir, as if pushed by Alenza, displayed his power. He manifested magic and divine power in each of his hands. Alenza's widened eyes grew increasingly shaken. There was no room for doubt. It was clearly pure magical power and pure divine power. "H-humans had such power...?" Alenza murmured in disbelief. It was her first time hearing of such a thing. "..." At Alenza's words, the humans looked at each other awkwardly. It was their first time hearing of such a thing. "What are you talking about, girl? Of course ordinary humans wouldn't have such power." The Archmage with splendid red hair smiled slightly as she corrected the girl's misunderstanding. "Then..." "He's not human. It's possible because he's Risir." "Risir who is not human..." "No, I am human as well." Risir, who was supporting both divine power and magical power like a bee, answered. The current situation was quite uncomfortable for him. He had responded to Alenza's threatening-like demand for now, but wasn't this just pointlessly interfering with her? "Um... if I may ask, how long do I need to keep this up?" Risir asked carefully. "...!" At such an attitude from Risir, Alenza's eyes widened with delight. "Why, Risir. Is it difficult!? Handling that power!?" The dragon's sharp eyes had caught onto a possibility. The human's gentle blue eyes also caught onto the same possibility. "Ah! Of course! It's very difficult! When I first handled this power, I nearly died from overload! Even now that I'm used to it, it's not an ability I can handle comfortably! The burden and fatigue are tremendous! On the other hand, Alenza looks very comfortable!?" While there was some exaggeration, Risir's admiration was sincere. For some unknown reason, Alenza had been continuously manifesting magic and divine power in both hands, and despite considerable time passing, there wasn't the slightest disturbance in Alenza's energy. "You nearly experienced overload? Why?" Alenza blinked her eyes as if she truly didn't understand. "Why, you ask..." Risir let out a bitter laugh. It was a situation that was both familiar and strange to him. Deception. To think he'd become the one being deceived instead! "It seems this isn't a normal power for me. To handle this power requires quite a lot of strength and effort. Moreover, it comes with tremendous costs." Alenza placed both hands on her chest with a bright expression across her face. "I don't need any of that!?" "Is that really true?" "Yes! I can do this all day long!" Risir no longer accommodated Alenza for her sake. There had been no need to from the beginning. "That's... incredible...?" Risir looked at the young dragon before him with genuine admiration. Was this what they meant by a sparrow trying hard and splitting its legs couldn't match a stork's stride? His vision, lifelong wish, and challenge - Magic Swordsmanship - was to the dragon as natural a part of existence as hands and feet from birth. "...!" Then. Stirrings finally began to arise among the elves as well. Alenza's ears perked up pleasantly at those stirrings. "She freely handles Risir's power!?" While the direction was somewhat concerning, the elves were certainly feeling awe. Even their guardian Karoer and Lunadien, the Star of the Garden, were no exception. "Oh, huh? Huh!!!" Alenza moved her arms this way and that, stamping her feet, unable to keep her body still in her excitement. The elf expedition, which possessed fundamentally higher status and power compared to the human group. Had the flow shifted to her through their awe? The dragon could feel something indescribably vast settling within her. The dragon was gradually regaining her status. Those vertically split mystical eyes emitted a golden radiance. The girl's youthful appearance was overlaid with transcendent presence. "Uh... Uh!? R-Risir!?" It was while the dragon was enjoying such immense fulfillment. A momentary companion. The dragon returned to her girlish appearance and covered her mouth. Blood was flowing from Risir's nose. And his bloodshot eyes. These were signs of overload. "Mm? Ah. You don't need to worry about it. What I just said-" "What!? No! Overload!!!" Alenza fidgeted anxiously and drew forth purely divine power. "What, overload!?" Those three words were enough. Ares's group immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and gathered around Risir. "Would you try drinking this!?" Ares took out a bottle from his chest and handed it to Risir. "Lord Ares, that's!" The old knight cried out as if startled. Tears of the River. That supreme elixir that the Great Noble house Dibrien could produce in limited quantities was known to purify a polluted river with just one drop. A treasure that Ares could carry as the legitimate heir. Ares handed it to Risir without hesitation. "Old man! He's our benefactor who freed us from that terrible being! Please, don't say it's a waste!" "...But whether the Tears of the River would be effective against overload-" "We have to try. Looking at the symptoms- it seems the overload has just begun." "Risir! Why are you like this!!! D-don't tell me it's because of me!?" Before long, tears had formed in the dragon girl's eyes. The atmosphere of the place had become tense. In the midst of it, Risir raised both hands and spoke calmly. "Alenza. Please calm down for now. Isn't this common for us?" "What? What do you mean?" "Yes? Ah. Ah! Come to think of it- since Alenza can use that power without any burden, you wouldn't experience overload." "...?" "As I said, my body isn't as good as Alenza's. When I use that power, I constantly experience overload like this. Still, I'm used to it now, so this level of overload doesn't bother me anymore. I'll be fine soon after resting a bit." Risir smiled awkwardly in embarrassment. Such a thought had suddenly occurred to him. How trivial and weak would his unstable appearance look in the eyes of the flawless dragon- "...Are you being serious?" "Yes?" It was an unfounded worry. The flawless dragon did not look down upon the unstable human's appearance as trivial. Nor did she consider him weak. She couldn't from the beginning. As Risir had worried, the dragon did feel a disconnect with the human before her. However, the type of disconnect was quite different from what Risir had thought. A disconnect in thinking. The dragon could not understand the human's attitude toward overload. "Ah." In the midst of this. Risir wiped under his nose with his fingertip. "Done." That quiet murmur lingered in their ears. "Wait. Risir, you-" "Yes? Huh, what's this now-" Risir looked down at his own body. Suddenly feeling the intangible power settling in his body. His eyes were emitting a golden radiance. "Done...?" He had unavoidably drawn out the dragon's awe. *** "No, why do things turn out like this again..." Risir checked his appearance in the mirror Ratsil had handed him. His blue eyes, as he rubbed his brow, were emitting a golden radiance. "Don't tell me that... status thing has settled in me?" "It seems- that might be the case?" Right in front of him, Lunadien observed him with interest. "These eyes are the evidence? Then that's strange. I clearly saw Alenza enter this state first just now-" "Perhaps status maintains some fluidity until it's completely settled... like a tug of war. Interesting." "Tug of war... Ah! Then the reverse should be possible too!" "Hm?" "Just like the status that had settled in Alenza transferred to me, couldn't we make this status transfer back to Alenza!?" "..." Hmm. Ahem. Lunadien made thoughtful sounds while avoiding his gaze. "Lady Lunadien?" It wasn't just her. Karoer and everyone else were looking at him with expressions that said 'read the room...' Then their gazes turned toward the young dragon. Possible? That gaze implying such meaning- "...!" The young dragon's body flinched and trembled. But that was only for a moment. "No problem!!!" Alenza shouted boldly. "As I said, what I just showed is only an extremely small part of the dragon's divine authority!!!" Whether it was mere bluster or not, her eyes were filled with firm confidence. "Oh..." Risir and several others expressed admiration at the dragon's majesty. "Huh?" Then, once again, Alenza's eyes emitted a golden radiance. "No way..." Risir was dumbfounded. That status thing. Wasn't it being too fickle? Why did it transfer so randomly? At this point, he couldn't help but wonder. Are we... doing this right? "Lady Lunadien. Lord Karoer." Risir's gaze thirsted for answers. But the two elves gave no reply. Risir couldn't press them for answers. Their expressions were also soaked in anguish. Eventually. They all reached the same conclusion simultaneously. They definitely lacked too much information. The risk might be too great to continue the situation in this state. "If only we could obtain more information from somewhere..." "Lady Lunadien? Is there perhaps somewhere we can obtain information about this?" "Well- it's such a mysterious power. To obtain information about this power, we might need to find another Nad'ga-" "Nad'ga..." Risir pondered that name for a long while. Then. Risir's eyes widened greatly. "Perhaps-" "You? Do you have some idea-" Lunadien stopped speaking. Risir had closed his eyes and entered concentration. That concentration was so deep it felt as if Risir had left his seat. Perhaps that's why. Their attention naturally turned elsewhere. "..." To the dragon girl Alenza, who had likewise been absorbed in something since just before. "What are you doing?" Lunadien approached and asked. "I'm trying to call the spiritual beings." "Spiritual beings...?" "Yes. The guardians and advisors of us dragons. Now that the Nad'ga's curse has disappeared... perhaps they might respond to my call-" Alenza's words stopped there. "Ah...!" Her body was enveloped in golden radiance. "This is-" Lunadien gazed at that radiance in bewilderment. A being with immense will was settling within the dragon girl. "It worked, it worked. It worked!!!" It was when Alenza was shouting excitedly. "Everyone!" Risir shouted with a bright expression across his face. "I think I've found a way!" Alenza was about to say it was fine. To rely on her for now. That this might be an even more certain answer. "That Nad'ga! I found Hera!" However, Risir's following words left Alenza speechless. "You-you found Hera? Where...?" "I had a hunch, and it turns out that Nad'ga's soul is still wandering the nearby Realm of Stars! So, I bound her soul and made a proposal! If she provides information about this power and cooperates, I will help her achieve nirvana as a constellation!" Were those really words spoken in the same language? They couldn't understand a single word of what Risir said. "Ah... that worked out well..." The dragon girl's eyes wavered. The human's blue eyes emitted an even clearer golden radiance. *** Recently, Bondaless had been going through a turbulent period with no peaceful days. The elves' expedition. It was because of the possibility of war that had emerged from it. This was why Fienne had meetings with the city's various power holders from early morning. The meeting was in full swing. "So this matter is with Risir-" It was the moment when Fienne spoke and mentioned that name. "!?" Fienne's expression hardened. "...!?" "...!!!" "!?!" The others who had been listening to her story were the same. "...What is this now?" Fienne murmured with a trembling voice. Risir. The moment that name was mentioned, things related to him came to mind. "Guardian of Harmony and Balance...?" An abnormally large number of things.