Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 68 [Title: I'm suddenly having reality check for real] Content: How is it that most of the bosses in this game are poor victims who lived ordinary lives, got completely screwed over, and had their lives ruined'? Can't they just have simple ones like 'bastards who deserve to die', 'whores', 'thugs'? Or at least give us a way to save them, damn it -: For real, showing their backstories makes it even more cruel -: Backstories? Oh... -[OP]: If they were like that, I could kill them without feeling bad, so you should be the boss -: For real, what's the point of clearing Fate Quests when it's already happened -: But how do you get a happy ending in this game? Clear all Fate Quests? -: But when you clear Fate Quests, your route gets locked so you can't even clear them all -: So hypothetically speaking, yeah -: Roughly speaking, if they made DLC set in the past...They could put all the Fate Quests into one route and then clear them -: No no, not clearing them, but preventing them from becoming Fate Quests in the first place -[OP]: Ah, like grabbing guys like Death Knight and Progenitor by the throat before they turn dark? -: Yeah -: Doesn't sound bad? -: But wait, if you cram all those Fate Quests into one route, damn lol -: Oh shit lol -: Fate Quests would pop up as frequently as Event Quests for real -: So it's like this, right? To see a happy ending in this game, you'd have to persuade the Dark Elf, grab the Progenitor by the throat, persuade that camp bitch to send her back to the World Tree, persuade the Half-Spirit with biological hatred and... ...defeat the Necromancer, then cure the Assassin Master's illness and send her back to the guild, prevent the Dark Elf great noble from turning dark in northern Bondaless, World Tree... -: Are you typing with your breath? Why am I getting out of breath -: Why do I smell bad breath from a heaping bowl of rice... -[OP]: Even if they made a true route for a happy ending in this game, the difficulty would be so insane that no one could clear it for real ────────── The underground chamber of a mansion in Bondaless. There, a black girl and a white woman faced each other in different postures. A Dark Elf and a human. At the same time, master and slave. "Master... I have something to tell you..." The slave's voice was trembling. Like her naked body. Kneeling on the floor in prostration, her back spread out like a canvas. On her lower back, red scars were drawn. The Slave Marking. As long as those scars existed, the slave could not defy her master. Cold water splashed over that unsightly body. Her body pressed against the stone floor of the underground chamber almost jumped up, but the slave barely suppressed it. If her posture crumbled now, she would receive punishment incomparable to being doused with cold water while naked in the cold underground chamber. The only actions the slave could freely take were to let her body and breathing tremble mercilessly. Restraining those two actions would instead result in disturbing her master's mood. "Cold?" As expected. The master spoke in a pleased voice. The slave's unsightly appearance was quite satisfying. "Yes, I'm c-cold..." "Really? Then what should I do for you?" The master lifted a silver cup. Soon the empty cup was filled with water, and that water began to emit steam. It bubbled vigorously. The slave, watching this from the corner of her eye, swallowed in fear and spoke. "P-p-please allow me to finish my story... It's a story that might interest you, Master..." "Hmm... Really? Well then. Let's hear it." The master listened while swirling the silver cup like a wine glass. "Th-th-the meeting with that person has b-been arranged..." "You mean the man named Risir?" "Y-yes..." “Are you certain? If we get his help, we can take back that ‘cursed, filthy slave’?” "..." The “cursed, filthy slave” referred to the Dark Elf slave. The slave answered, her voice breaking. "I-I'm not certain, but... according to what I've heard, there's a high probability we can receive help..." "What kind of help?" "...Pardon?" "Say it with your own mouth. What kind of help can you receive." "..." The slave's mouth wouldn't open readily. The master splashed the hot water from the silver cup. Not on the slave's body, but right beside it. With just a few drops splashing, the slave gritted her teeth in pain. She knew. That this was not mercy but a final warning. If she went against her master's mood one more time? Next, the master would pour the hot water on her without hesitation. In the end, the slave had no choice but to act as the master desired. “...We might get help... in reclaiming those cursed, filthy slaves...” At the sight of the slave spitting out the words as if chewing them, her eyes tightly shut in terror, the master wore a strange smile. It was an expression where amusement, contempt, and anger coexisted. "If even the slightest damage comes to the 'merchandise', you'll pay the full price for it. You know that, right?" If the slave's arm was broken, her arm would be broken too. If the slave's toe rotted, her toe would suffer the same fate. And if the slave died- "Y-yes... I know..." The slave answered barely, paralyzed with fear. "Keiren?" The underground chamber door creaked open. A figure approached slowly with stealthy footsteps that would go unnoticed without concentration. The owner of those footsteps was a young Dark Elf with one eye covered by an eyepatch. The Dark Elf handed clothing to the master and turned away. The master undressed without hesitation right there. Her smooth black skin, without a single scar, was revealed. Then she donned new clothing for going out. It was tattered, smelly rags too embarrassing to even call clothing. "Come on. You need to get dressed too." The master carelessly threw clothing at the naked slave. The slave hurriedly released her prostrate position and put on the clothes. Then she adorned herself with elaborate accessories all over her body. Thus the Dark Elf who claimed to be master wore rags. The human woman treated as a slave completed her ornate appearance. It was a strange dynamic arising from their peculiar relationship. "Ready? Reisha." The Dark Elf asked the human. *** Reisha was originally a merchant operating from a base in Bondaless. Her main trade was slaves. Some time ago, Reisha had a stroke of luck. She was fortunate enough to acquire a Dark Elf slave. While Dark Elves were objects of fear and contempt, it was different when they became slaves. There was a superstition that Dark Elf slaves would take away their master's misfortune. Moreover, they had an appearance similar to Elves, a superior race. The hideous skin color wasn't a problem. The underworld had various drugs for those who indulged in wasteful pleasures, including ones that could temporarily make a Dark Elf's skin color look like an Elf's. If one bought and sold Elf slaves, pursuers from the Great Forest would immediately come looking. But Dark Elves? Dark Elf slaves were excellent substitutes for some vile individuals to release their twisted admiration and desires toward Elves. In other words, they were both extremely rare and luxury items. Reisha had left the Dark Elf in a warehouse in the back alleys. To put them up for auction at the upcoming black market slave auction. Until she had successfully finished preparing for the slave auction, Reisha certainly considered it good fortune. That is, until another Elf came looking for her. -You. I hear you have a Dark Elf slave? -Hehe, why, are you interested? Wait. The auction will start soon. -That story. Shall I hear the details? -... D-Dark Elf...! They made Reisha a slave. At the same time, they pretended to be slaves publicly while controlling her from beside her. All to retrieve their lost sibling from this city of humans who despised Dark Elves. *** Dark Elf Cartria couldn't understand. How had her sibling, who had suddenly vanished one day, ended up in this distant city of humans? And who was the informant who had provided information about her sibling? At first, she was so curious she couldn't stand it. But now it didn't matter anymore. In fact, Cartria had harbored considerable expectations for this journey. It was her first journey. Her first experience of the outside world after leaving her homeland, the land of Dark Elves. What new experiences awaited her? What was her younger brother doing? It didn't take long for that anticipation to be tainted with worry, and then with disgust. -A Dark Elf wearing expensive-looking clothes? Hehe, where did you pick those up from? -A D-Dark Elf!? Get out!!! Get out of my shop right now!!! The curse might spread!!! The novelty she encountered in the outside world was discrimination and hatred born from prejudice. She realized too late. Why the adults had shown such concern when she said she was going to the lands of humans. Why they had assigned the family's finest knight as her escort. The pure Young Lady gradually became tainted with hatred as her journey progressed. And at the end of that journey, she obtained one piece of information. The fact that one Dark Elf 'creature' had been traded in the black market by a slave trader named Reisha. Thus Cartria made a vow. She would definitely rescue her sibling from this terrible land of humans. And on the day when everything ended, she would return the hatred that she and her sibling had received to them. "Lead the way." Two Dark Elf slaves followed the merchant. They headed to the place where a meeting with a Mage from the Magic Tower was scheduled. *** The guild masters had rented out an entire tavern near the Magic Tower for this meeting. It was the moment Cartria's group entered that tavern. "That's...?" "Dark Elf—" Was it because the Mage from the Magic Tower hadn't arrived yet? The scattered attention of the crowd immediately focused on Cartria's group. The merchants showed various reactions. Interest. Contempt. Discomfort. Someone confronted Reisha. "Reisha, what were you thinking bringing Dark Elves to a place like this?" "..." Cartria, listening to this conversation from the side, gritted her teeth. 'Treating people like filth...' How could humans be such a vile race? The more encounters she had with them, the only things that increased were unpleasant experiences, wounds, and hatred toward them. "There are reasons for everything. Please understand." Reisha smiled bitterly while glancing at Cartria. The guild masters still showed their displeasure. Should she consider it fortunate? "Ah." "Is that him?" "That person must be the Tower Master Proxy, then the one next to him—" Just then, the Mages from the Magic Tower arrived and their attention shifted. "We'll proceed with the discussions in order." Everyone was busy. The Tower Master Proxy and the Honorary Mage named Risir immediately entered the private room. The merchants entered the private room in turn and emerged shortly after with satisfied expressions. Thus came Cartria's group's turn. "Please sit." Honorary Mage Risir gestured to them. Reisha sat in the offered seat, and the two Dark Elves stood guard beside her. "..." For a moment, Honorary Mage Risir's expression contorted. His eyes quickly swept over the two Dark Elves. 'Why? Does just being in the same place as Dark Elves make you feel bad?' Cartria sneered inwardly. She had held some expectations since he was a Mage with an excellent reputation, but as expected. He was ultimately just another human 'creature'. Cartria signaled to Reisha with her eyes. Then she began speaking with a prepared expression and prepared lines. "First, I apologize for having to share this space with filthy Dark Elves. There are reasons for this, so please understand—" Despite Reisha speaking in a humble manner, Honorary Mage Risir's expression didn't soften. "Filthy Dark Elves..." He chewed on those words with a serious face, then examined the two Dark Elves once more. A moment of tension passed- "...Let's get to the point quickly." Honorary Mage Risir brought up the topic as if shaking something off. As if he wanted to finish this meeting as quickly as possible. The more the conversation continued, the more Cartria's antipathy toward Risir grew. Because she thought the discomfort he displayed throughout the conversation was directed at her. "...—But suddenly, contact with them was cut off. They disappeared with my slave. I want to get that slave back. Please, will you help me?" "...Is it an important slave?" Risir asked with a meaningful expression. How should she interpret that? If she interpreted it as asking why she was so desperate for just one Dark Elf, that would be quite an appropriate interpretation. To persuade him, who had typical prejudices, Reisha explained from a merchant's perspective. What value terrible Dark Elves had as slaves. Quite explicitly too. It wasn't appropriate to discuss such things in front of the Dark Elves who held her lifeline, but she had no choice. If she messed up here, she didn't know what would await her afterward. "I understand. That should be enough." Just as Reisha was discussing the typical uses of Dark Elves, Risir blatantly showed his discomfort and cut off her words. Then, after having a brief conversation with the Tower Master Proxy, he said to Reisha. "I'll help you get your slave back. In return, may I propose one condition?" "Ah, if it's about payment, don't worry—" "That's not it." "Pardon?" "If possible—" Honorary Mage Risir's gaze turned toward Cartria. "I would like to purchase... your Dark Elf slaves. Both of them who are here right now." "...!" Cartria instinctively covered her body with her arms. 'This piece of trash...!' Just moments ago he was looking at them like filth. As soon as he learned about the typical uses of Dark Elf slaves, he suddenly wanted to purchase them. Cartria felt nauseous at his blatant and vile intentions. This human named Risir was surely the most vile human she had ever met. *** I looked at the two Dark Elves before me and thought. 'What would Master have done in this situation...' For now, I decided to save them. Thinking of my Master, I simply couldn't leave them alone. *** ───── ■Cartria Level: 41 Race: Dark Elf ───── ───── ■Keiren Level: 61 Race: Dark Elf ─────