Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 70 The Bondaless North Back Alleys were one enormous slave market. Every element that comprised the back alleys could be considered part of that single massive entity known as the slave market. Rescuing a specific slave from such back alleys without any complications was an exceedingly distant prospect. The market would thoroughly conceal the existence of slaves to guarantee buyers' rights, and in the meantime, the slaves would be swept along in that massive flow, accumulating filth and degradation. Cartria too was most concerned about this aspect, praying desperately. Her younger brother Drian, who had been enslaved and sold to the black market. Please, let nothing happen to him until she could rescue him. Of course, mere hopes and prayers would not make it so. She had to be as swift and precise as possible, while simultaneously being secretive. Such was the nature of a Dark Elf secretly infiltrating and operating in an uninvited human city. Therefore, Cartria's worries only deepened. Even if she were to leverage her family's power and actively overturn the entire back alleys, she could not guarantee her brother's safety. In such circumstances, to have to act as a slave and depend on slave traders. Sure enough, Cartria's concerns became reality. At the place she arrived following her first clue, Drian was not there. What the slave trader held in his hands was not a slave ownership certificate, but the payment from selling it. *** "..." A dramatic reunion achieved with great difficulty. There was not a trace of joy in it. It was one day after Cartria had been staying in Bondaless for over a month. She had finally reclaimed her lost younger brother. "Drian..." His pupils had lost their light, and no matter how desperately she called, the only response was moans from one who had lost his ego. The Dark Elf's body was covered with traces of abuse and molestation. Beyond that, his entire body's skin was grotesquely damaged beyond recognition. It was a side effect of drugs that temporarily bleached Dark Elf skin to make them appear as regular Elves. When the Dark Elf became too damaged to 'imitate an Elf,' they disposed of him without hesitation. Wouldn't this be the end of a consumable item with limited usage? Cartria could easily imagine the treatment Drian had received from humans. Not for a single moment had Drian been treated as a proper person by them. It was something she had felt painfully since coming to the human world. "..." Cartria carefully laid her brother's body on the ground. Then she looked at Reisha, who was both a slave trader and her own slave. "Ah. Ahh..." Despair settled on Reisha's expression as her eyes met Cartria's. In a way, it was an inevitable result. The discrimination and injustice surrounding them was not something an individual could do anything about. ────────── Risir's worries were deep. According to what he had heard, the Bondaless North Back Alleys were themselves one enormous slave market. Would it be possible to precisely identify and find a single slave in such a place? And before any particular problems arose? "Lord Risir! I think we've found the Dark Elf slave you mentioned!" It was possible. "Already? Kal, why are your abilities so good?" "Not at all! It's thanks to you lending us your name, Lord Risir!" "My name has that kind of function?" "These are Alstein and Keara, who helped with this matter! They said they wanted to greet you, Lord Risir, so I brought them here!" "Lord Risir! It's an honor to actually meet you like this!" "I'm Keara! I'm truly happy to be able to help you with this matter, Lord Risir!" "Ah. Back alleys, sweet back alleys. How full of good people they are." Back alley friends who multiplied just by breathing. Thanks to them, Risir was able to meet the Dark Elf slave 'Drian' without difficulty. His condition was completely intact. To borrow a metaphor from his position as a slave, he was 'brand new.' This was possible because the back alley slave market had been paralyzed for 'some reason.' *** [Target is under Word of Command.] [Target is under Word of Command.] [Target is under Word of Command.] *** "...Miss. Miss Tia?" "Yes? Ah." Tia— No, Cartria barely came to her senses. With the series of unexpected developments, her mind was in a more confused state than ever. 'Drian? How does that human know about Drian?' 'What was that question? If I had a chance to escape with my kin, what would I do?' Cartria considered all sorts of possibilities but could not find any satisfactory answer. Right now, even figuring out his intentions was overwhelming. And for good reason—he was human. He belonged to that detestable race that did not view Dark Elves as equal beings. 'I mustn't let my guard down...' That premise formed through countless experiences was thoroughly hindering Cartria's thinking. Cartria answered without lowering her guard against Risir. "Why are you asking me such a thing...?" At Cartria's reaction, Risir smiled with his characteristic gentle expression. "I thought if it was a topic this provocative, you might be interested in having a conversation with me." "What do you..." "Don't you remember? When I said I wanted to know about you yesterday, Miss Tia, you were quite averse to it." "..." 'That was meant to be an invitation to conversation?' Looking at the context alone, it made perfect sense. But the speaker of those words—he was human. A human directing pure curiosity toward a Dark Elf? Cartria could not imagine such a thing. "What are you curious about?" Nevertheless, Cartria found herself tempted by his proposal. As he had said, the topic he had just brought up was too provocative to ignore. The obedient slave was no more. Cartria displayed her wariness toward the human before her with all her might. "There's a lot. Things I'm curious about. But I'll only talk about the necessary main point. Since that seems to be what you want. Miss Tia. I will help you become a free person." "Why?" "Pardon?" "What can you gain by doing that?" All the human kindness she had encountered so far had been malice disguised as goodwill. Cartria thought he would not be much different either. "What I can gain... Well. Self-satisfaction?" After a moment's thought, Risir smiled sheepishly and began his story. "When I look at you, I'm reminded of my Master. My Master is also a Dark Elf, just like you." A human serving a Dark Elf as master? It was an absurd story. Even the humans who had tried to deceive her with malicious intent had never spun such a preposterous tale. "You expect me to believe that?" "I know. It sounds strange. That my Master is a Dark Elf, and that I would unconditionally show favor to another Dark Elf. But... well, that's true, but how should I put this. When I think of that person, I just can't bring myself to leave you alone." "..." "My Master is the benefactor who changed my life. The life I live now is one the old me could never have imagined. Everything is thanks to my Master. Thanks to that person approaching me first when I was nothing, and thanks to giving such undeserved opportunities to someone like me who was nothing. If I were to ask whether this seems similar to our current situation, would that be too forced?" "Of course..." It was forced. She had experienced too much to simply believe such forced words. But why was it? Cartria could not doubt his words. Because as he thought of some unknown Dark Elf, he was creating such a vibrantly lively smile. "..." Her mind was in complete chaos, impossible to make sense of. "Drian is..." In the midst of all this, her feelings toward her blood relative were clear. "Why did you bring up this person called Drian?" "He's the Dark Elf slave that Reisha asked me to help retrieve. Same master. Same Dark Elf. I thought perhaps you might know each other." "...Don't tell me you found that child?" That day, among the merchants who had audiences with Risir, Reisha's rank was on the lower side. Thus, there was no reason for Risir to prioritize 'finding the Dark Elf slave' over other humans' requests. But what had happened? He had prioritized finding the Dark Elf slave above all else. As if he felt impatient. As if he was worried about the Dark Elf. Cartria gasped, suddenly breathing heavily. She tried not to look at something held in Risir's hand. As if denying what had already happened. "That child... where is that child now?" Cartria squeezed out a trembling voice. Risir silently guided her. *** A bedroom in another lodging located within the Magic Tower grounds. A young man was lying on the bed, resting peacefully. "Drian!!!" Cartria ran to Drian and embraced him. Then immediately pulled away to check his condition. "They said he just lost consciousness briefly, so you don't need to worry." Risir explained the sequence of events to Cartria. Thus Cartria learned the facts: that Risir had immediately begun searching for the Dark Elf slave right after yesterday's audience ended, and that when Drian was found, he had been under Mental Domination magic and had lost his ego. The fact that Risir had cured that Mental Domination magic. The fact that he had arranged for Drian to receive a diagnosis from a priest residing at the Magic Tower and to rest in the tower's lodging. "..." When the story progressed to that point, Cartria could no longer focus on his voice. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! The sound of her fierce heartbeat. It submerged Cartria's consciousness into a deep place. It felt as if she were floating in oil. "...Miss?" A human voice penetrated through the stifling silence. Her heart beat loudly. "Miss Tia?" Thump! Her heart beat even louder. Even in this situation, the human was earnestly calling out a meaningless fake name. "Ha!" How foolish that sight was—Cartria burst into laughter without realizing it. Her laughter did not stop there. She covered her face with both hands. "Hahahahaha!!!" Her maniacal laughter flowed through the gaps between her fingers. "Miss Tia?" He was a foolish human. He didn't even know what situation he was in, and was calling out the fake name with his voice full of worry. Cartria lowered her hands to confirm that ridiculous sight. "...Are you perhaps crying?" Her expression, distorted with maniacal laughter, could indeed appear that way. "Me? Why? Is there a reason for that? In such a... such a joyful situation? Lord Risir. I'm truly grateful. The truth is, that child is my younger brother. Lord Risir, you are the benefactor who saved my brother." Benefactor. Cartria savored that word and burst into laughter once more. "Lord Risir? What should I do now?" "...Perhaps, the other man who was with Reisha—do you know him as well?" "You mean Keiren? Of course. We know each other very well! He's my guard knight. Isn't that amusing? A slave's guard knight." "So you, your brother, and Keiren. The three of you together form a party?" "Yes. That's right. The three of us are together." "I understand. Then I'll take measures to ensure that all three of you can become free together. Until then, will you trust me and wait?" "..." Cartria's boisterous mood subsided. She asked quietly with unfocused eyes. "How long? How long do I need to wait?" "As quickly as possible. I'll try to reach a conclusion within a week." "One week... one week... one week..." Finally, Cartria looked at Risir and smiled brightly. "Yes. I'll wait. Gladly." *** Deep in the night when everyone was asleep, Cartria rose from her bed and headed somewhere. To where that foolish human was sleeping. Risir. His sleeping form lying on the bed looked simply peaceful. But Cartria knew. Only she knew. The fact that 'Turbid Truth' was now flowing through his body. The fact that by tomorrow, he would lose his ego and become a shell that only responded to commands. Cartria desperately tried to deny it. But- "..." She took out a bottle from her bosom and held it up to the moonlight. Exactly half. The pale purple liquid that had filled the bottle was undoubtedly reduced. It was the proper dosage. Therefore, no matter what happened, the Turbid Truth flowing through his body would never be neutralized. He would meet his doom at the hands of the Dark Elf to whom he had shown respect and kindness. A human who had tried to pass on the kindness he received from a Dark Elf to another Dark Elf. A Dark Elf who had tried to pass on the hatred she received from humans to another human. Thanks to this, she could realize how wrong her way had been. How immature her way of dealing with their hatred had been. Now she knew clearly. But it was already too late. She collapsed. Cartria's body crumbled helplessly. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sitting down with her head bowed, she made unstable sounds like a broken music box. Soon, she rose from her spot and looked down at Risir. Moonlight entered through the window and illuminated the room. The Dark Elf's pale pink eyes were filled with moonlight. Yet those eyes were still darkly dead. The Dark Elf's fingers hovered wistfully around the man's face. "Don't worry..." A hollow voice without inflection. "Because I will take responsibility for you." The Dark Elf wore a bright smile. A smile as precarious and alien as it was bright. *** (E/N: I know this is obvious at this point, but the setting is really a dark fantasy. Good thing our lord and savior is here) ────────── [Title: What the hell is this Dark Elf;;] Content: [Photo] She's smiling and talking to a preserved corpse? Is this that necromancy thing or what? -: It's Cartria -: It's not necromancy, she's just purely insane~ -[OP]: What -: Her brother became a wreck so her mental state broke ㅇㅇ -: If you talk to her, combat starts -[OP]: What did I even do;;; -: You're human ㅇㅇ ────────── *** ───── [You have resisted] ───── *** The Dark Elf put away the bottle she had taken out to leave the room. That was when the moonlight illuminated the liquid inside the bottle. "..." It had lost its inherent properties and energy, becoming a harmless liquid. "How..." Some unknown force had purified the poison's properties. She gripped the bottle tightly. "Perhaps..." Perhaps it might still be too early to give up. Something in the human world that purifies Dark Elf poison. Something that exists in the Magic Tower. She would definitely find it and stop it. "Definitely..." Tears flowed endlessly. The Dark Elf's dead eyes regained their light.