Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

"Risir!? What's going on?" The commotion created by the evil objects(?). Indeed, even the young dragon who had been admiring the scenery outside the window couldn't help but be drawn to it. "...Ah! Wait! Stay right there!" "Huh!? Me? Me!? Why, am I perhaps dirty!?" The young dragon, suddenly having her trauma triggered, was startled and hugged her tail with both arms to hide it. "What do you- That can't be! It's just that the situation is somewhat unusual!" "The situation is unusual? Is it perhaps an attack?" "It seems that way." Alenza was rather relieved to hear it was an attack. She hesitated and released her tail again while slowly observing the situation. "...!! Whoosh! At that moment, a sudden gale arose inside the room. Alenza was startled and flapped her wings, retreating backward. The dragon's instincts were sending her a warning. Alenza felt an ominousness like insects crawling over her skin. "What is that...?" The source of that ominousness was the book spread open in Risir's hands. Thanks to Risir adjusting the angle well, the contents of the book didn't enter Alenza's sight. However, making such consideration meaningless, Alenza's curiosity reached out. 'What kind of content could be contained in that open book?' Alenza's subconscious began to infer the book's contents. Under normal circumstances, Alenza would have checked the title written on the cover [Beloved Confections] and imagined content fitting to it. The girl would have thought of pastries crispy on the outside and moist inside, becoming lovely-faced as befitting the book's name. "Eeek!!!" But now, Alenza suddenly let out a sharp scream. What Risir was holding wasn't a book but an aquarium. Inside it, countless loaches were thrashing about, ready to pounce at any moment. That was the Mental Image injected into her head the moment Alenza accepted the book's existence. "Ri, Risir...? What is that book-" "..." Saying she saw something she couldn't bear to see, she covered her eyes with one hand and pointed at the book with the other. Seeing Alenza's reaction, Risir first closed the book. Based on his experiences so far, he noticed how the situation was unfolding. 'I don't know what, but I did something again!' He didn't know what, but the book was a dangerous object, and for some reason the maid had tried to harm him with that book, causing the situation to go awry. 'First, subdue the maid!' If the opponent wasn't trying to achieve glorious victory as a knight in fair combat, but seeking to take his life as an assassin, then regardless of their skill, the danger level would double. His swordsmanship teacher Clana called them 'bastards who could do anything unpredictable'. Risir recalled the traces of training he had felt from the maid earlier and heightened his tension to the maximum. It was futile effort. "Ee, eeek...! G, get away! You evil object!!!" Because the maid had already lost her fighting spirit. Sitting collapsed on the floor, she pushed against the ground with her arms to get away from Risir. Seeing that desperate appearance that was hard to think of as acting, Risir felt complicated emotions. 'An evil object, she says. Really, living this long I've been treated as all sorts of things.' He didn't lower his guard until the end. It absolutely wasn't because he held a grudge about being treated as an evil object. Pretending to be combat-disabled to make the opponent lower their guard, then delivering a sharp strike. It was a classic basic technique among assassins, as natural as breathing. 'Damn, isn't my understanding of assassins too high?' Risir felt complicated emotions once again as he observed the maid's condition. In the first place, Risir didn't understand why the maid had suddenly collapsed on the floor. Even acting has its own standards. The moment one takes such a defenseless posture, the choices one can actively make become extremely limited. It's like driving oneself to the edge of a cliff. She's not even an ordinary maid, but a warrior disguised as a maid - why would she choose such an option? Risir stared intently at her eyes, trying to fathom the maid's intentions. "D-don't come!!!" The maid's expression was colored with even clearer desperation. Her body stirred. The command to get up and flee spread from her head throughout her entire body. Just as that command reached the tips of her legs. "Some say that no matter how pretty desserts are, they all end up the same once they enter the stomach, so what's the meaning!" "?" Risir unconsciously stepped backward. Because the maid's attitude of suddenly discussing desserts was so alien. "Wh, what, what- what is this...!" The maid also seemed to feel something strange about her own behavior as she touched her mouth with both hands. The bewilderment fueled even more fear- A stronger escape command than before was directed to her legs. "I dare say this is terrible ignorance. Even after finishing a full meal, we feel the desire to take sweet dessert when placed before us. This proves that dessert has a different value from other foods that simply satisfy the basic need of hunger. Our desire for dessert can be said to stem from noble aspirations beyond mere animal desires. Therefore, when we take dessert, we can be reborn not as animals dominated by desire but as pure beings pursuing essential values. Animals cannot distinguish between regular food and dessert. But we are different. We can distinguish desserts by our own will and pursue them. This is like seeking knowledge. An act to pursue a better self and world. This is why our confections must be beautiful. Just as knowledge has its nobility and baseness, confections too have their hierarchy. Will you explore the crude language of barbarians? Or will you explore the Daronan Language of noble and great beings? Will you pursue ugly confections? Or will you pursue beautiful confections?" The maid's attempt to somehow move her legs and escape the place was replaced by that long speech. It was the result of 'how to move legs' being overwritten by 'Succession Book: Beloved Confections' within her. The maid, dominated by the incomprehensible, struggled desperately to regain herself. She shed tears and screamed while desperately trying to move her legs. "This is why our confections must be lovely. From now on, I wish to guide you who reads this book onto the path of lovely confections. If you are ready, please make your body pure like flour and sugar, then turn the page." And so the speech continued. The assassin maid sobbing while discussing confections. "Ah, yes." Risir was overwhelmed by that madness and answered purely. *** A moment later. Bolton and Delron visited Risir's room together with the 'real' collaborators they had selected. And so, the Gannon mansion was turned completely upside down. "Sironi brought you the Succession Book!? Claiming it was a letter I sent!?" Bolton and Delron were shocked as if they might faint at any moment. The maid Sironi. She who had attacked Risir was a servant of the Gannon Family and a member of the Sword Sheath, someone who had served the family and organization for a long time. In terms of years of service alone, she was senior enough to be considered Delron's predecessor, who was Bolton's right hand. For such a person to attack Risir!? From their perspective, it was like a bolt from the blue. A situation where they had nothing to say even if the very intentions of their family and organization were denied! "Lord Risir! N, no!" "Ri, Risir...! It may be hard to believe, but please listen to my story-" "Ah. I'm fine, so please both of you calm down." Bolton and Delron, whose faces had gone pale as they tried to explain, were bewildered. Wasn't this a situation where he had been attacked by someone from the other party at the other party's stronghold? It was natural for Risir to be flustered and frantic, and it should have been their job to calm him down. But when they came to their senses, he was instead maintaining his composure and calming them down. "Risir... you're trusting us!? How?" The question of 'how' rather than 'why' represented both their states of mind. Risir answered. "Sironi... was that her name? I got the impression that she was rather urgent. She seemed pressed for time, shall I say? She probably tried to take advantage of the gap between when you would send someone to us - if she had the support of Lord Bolton, who is both the head of the family and leader of the organization, there would have been no need for that." "...!" Bolton and Delron couldn't help but be flustered by that answer. That composure full of experience absolutely didn't match his youthful appearance. Above all, they couldn't believe he could still treat them with kindness in such a situation. Bolton and Delron, unlike Risir, were weathered individuals just like their appearance. They knew too much to simply accept the other party's incomprehensible kindness at face value, shall we say? Thus the two came to doubt Risir's true intentions. They observed him closely to gauge what ulterior motives he might have for acting that way- "Ah." At that moment, the Sacred Sword and Magic Sword hanging at both sides of his waist caught their eyes. Come to think of it, they thought that this level of incident might not be a big deal to him. They were convinced. *** "By the way, what incredibly fortunate circumstances." As the situation was sorted out, Bolton let out a sigh of relief while looking at [Beloved Confections] placed nearby. "I suppose we should call you the master of the Sacred Sword and Magic Sword. Risir. I send you my sincere praise for your intuition. You probably didn't even know what that thing was, yet you skillfully avoided reading that book." "Ah, about that. I actually read some of it." "...!" Delron and Bolton were startled once again. "Y, you read it- that Succession Book!?" "That's right." "But... you are-" They looked at the maid. The maid realized that part of her body had been completely replaced with passion for confections. Added to that, the sense of alienation that had grown during her struggles caused her to lose consciousness. Eyes rolled back. Mouth foaming. The maid's body convulsed continuously. "The most important thing here is... the ratio of sugar and butter... Butter gently refines the stimulation of sweetness... Sugar finely breaks down the rejection of oil... Dessert is sweeter and greasier food than anything else in this world. But we must feel that dessert is perfect... must feel... must feel. What determines this can be said to be the ratio of sugar and butter. That ratio more fickle and sensitive than the summer sky-..." Every time convulsions occurred and movement was about to return to her legs, confectionery praise flowed from her mouth. It was a grotesque sight that showed why the Succession Book was classified as a Type 0 Evil Object. They recalled Risir's explanation. She became like that just by catching sight of the edge of the open Succession Book? Then they looked at Risir. They nodded their heads. "You only read 'a little'... what incredibly good fortune. You must have felt something strange the moment you opened the book and immediately escaped." "Ah. Well, what should I say. I remember reading about three pages? The writing style was somehow familiar." "Three pages?" He read three pages of the Succession Book. They felt extreme alienation from that natural expression. Because usually, whether one had read a Succession Book was confirmed by the existence of an idiot who had become a living book. "That's impossible-" Their pupils shook violently. Just then. The Magic Sword and Sacred Sword came into their sight. "Ah." They nodded their heads. "Thank you, Risir. Your Sacred Sword and Magic Sword are of great help in maintaining our sanity." "?" Risir looked down at his swords. They shouldn't have such an effect, should they? "By the way, I still can't believe it. Why on earth would Sironi-" Bolton sighed with mixed feelings. He couldn't believe at all that the maid, who had been a long-time member of their household, had unknowingly committed such an act. "Could Sironi be the mastermind behind this incident?" "Well... we'll have to check that from now on." They sought Risir's consent before moving to another room. Sironi regained consciousness around the time she was restrained to a chair. "Sironi. Why did you attack my guest?" Bolton asked in a grave tone. Sironi looked at him for a moment, then twisted her expression. "Wh, what do you mean, Lord Bolton? Surely Lord Bolton told me to-" "...!!!" Bolton opened his eyes wide. The last trace of sympathy he had left turned into disillusionment. Who would have thought she'd cling to him and persist even in this situation? 'What a wicked thing...!' A vile smile seemed to be glimpsed beneath that tearful expression. Bolton knew what kind of person she was. Even if her pursued goals had changed, the firm resolve she had as a warrior and member of the Sword Sheath would still remain. "Damn it. Sironi! Are you planning to be like this until the end!?" "Kyaah! P, please don't shout... I, I only did what you two told me to do..." They knew that poison capable of immediate suicide was hidden in her mouth. How on earth should they deal with a venomous creature ready to die at any time? Bolton and Delron were disgusted. "Sironi, was it?" "...!" At that moment. The maid's body trembled with a start. Risir had been staring intently at her while calling her name. "I, I'll tell you!!! I'll tell you the truth!!! I didn't know you were there!" "?" Bolton and Delron stared at her intently. Where had that venom from just before gone? A situation that absolutely wouldn't flow according to their common sense. With frustrated hearts, they wanted to borrow Risir's help. They took in the Sacred Sword and Magic Sword hanging at his waist one by one. "Ah." A comfortable sigh leaked from their mouths. "..." What is this? Risir briefly pondered how he should accept their indiscriminate abuse(?) of the power(?) of the Sacred Sword and Magic Sword. "From now on, we will have an experience more magical than any magic. Salt. Do you know that this salt helps to create a perfect, elegant, and lovely sweetness?" The sound of unconsciously moving legs in fear captured Risir's attention again. He immediately asked the maid. "Could you tell me everything you know?" "Salt is-... Yes! I'll tell you!!! I'll tell you, so please, just kill me peacefully!!!" "..." To think that what she demanded as payment was an ordinary death. By now, he was becoming not just curious but fearful about what kind of existence he was set as in her mind. In any case, it was the moment when the maid was about to spill all the information she knew. "What's all this commotion?" A new atmosphere flowed into the place. Someone opened the door and entered the room without even knocking. Another Bolton. It was a middle-aged man who looked exactly like Bolton, an expression that fit perfectly. "Cort..." It was Cort Gannon, the eldest son of the Gannon Family. (E/N: Bolton's brother) The appearance of a third party. Risir's gaze was directed not at Cort but at the woman beside him. The golden color that dyed her short bob cut was so vivid it was flashy. Like her ears that were densely filled with all kinds of earrings. "..." The woman confirmed Risir's gaze, then smiled coldly while nodding her chin slightly. The woman was skillfully concealing her aura. On the other hand, she blatantly revealed her killing intent as if she had no intention of hiding it. Risir unconsciously recalled a certain Killer Spirit. Because the woman's first impression was very similar to that Killer Spirit's first impression. It was a kind of occupational disease. Risir mentally deployed his Assassination Sword Techniques against her. Risir clicked his tongue so quietly that no one could hear. Because he couldn't picture her falling victim to his Assassination Sword Techniques at all. He immediately realized. That when limited to swordsmanship, her level was clearly higher than his own. "Hey, Bolton. What are you doing? Tying up our family's maid in front of a guest." Cort confirmed the maid's appearance and spoke in an overbearing tone. The tone of an older brother pressing down on his younger brother, perhaps. "She's not our family's maid." "Huh?" "She's someone I took in and raised, my person." "Ha! How could that be." Risir could vaguely infer the relationship between the two from that brief conversation. Perhaps even the mastermind behind this incident. "Then this situation makes even less sense. Why are you tying up such a precious 'person of yours' like a criminal? Huh? Don't tell me you're planning to torture her?" "...If necessary, I suppose I'll have to." "Ha! What a heartless bastard." At that moment. Cort looked at the maid with a meaningful gaze. "...!" Instantly. The maid's eyes opened wide. "Cough!" She vomited dark red blood from her mouth. Then blood flowed from every opening in her face. "Sironi!?" Even in this situation, perhaps unable to completely withdraw his affection for her, Bolton lost his composure at the maid's condition. In contrast, Cort was completely calm. His lips were even slightly curled upward. "...- Come here right now!!!" Bolton opened the door and shouted toward the corridor. He was summoning someone from the Sword Sheath of Pofendal who handled the power of Divinity. "..." Cort looked at Bolton with a meaningful expression. That expression, which conveyed an unpleasant leisure, was concluding that Bolton's actions were meaningless struggles. "Calm down, Bolton. You know what condition Sironi is in, don't you? Even if a Healer comes now, it's too late." "...Cort-" "Hehehe, calm down, little brother. Anyone watching would think I killed that maid. Wasn't it your side that drove her to death? Huh?" At that moment. Cort's gaze passed Bolton and turned toward a man. Risir. He approached the maid and was about to place his hands on her. His serious expression conveyed the will to save the other person. Then, the girl who was near Risir joined in. "You there! Stop pretending to be a Priest! To begin with, she's in a state where even if a High Priest from the Religious Order came, there would be no way to help-" Cort's words were cut off. Because the condition of the maid who had swallowed deadly poison was strange. "...What is that?" It wasn't just that the bleeding stopped and she regained consciousness. The maid's body began to emit divine light. The aura of a dragon and a saint(?) dwelled within that maid. "...Huh?" The maid looked around with a dazed expression. Strange? She had surely swallowed deadly poison and lost consciousness. "Are you conscious?" A kind voice reached her ears. The maid's breathing, whose esophagus had melted from the deadly poison, was surprisingly stable. It began to become helplessly disordered once again. "Why am I... alive-" She, who had been forcibly taken from a situation where she was rushing toward death, couldn't understand the situation. How could she understand? Risir. The method he chose to resume the interrogation. It was to perform a miracle as a saint(?) and dragon.