Make Dark Fantasy Great Again
Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Chapter 71
"Are you awake?"
Risir thought he was awake, but maybe he was still dreaming? That was the first impression Risir felt upon waking up. It wasn't without reason, as an unrealistic scene was unfolding before his eyes. The curtains opened vigorously with a flourish. The morning sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the figure of the maid who had drawn them.
The subtle pink tint in her silver hair caught the sunlight and shone even more brilliantly.
And that smile.
"Good morning!"
It was a cheerful smile that seemed to want to color the surroundings with overflowing vitality.
"Ah, good morning!"
Indeed, Risir was infected by that vitality and reflexively answered. Very energetically!
"But who are you!?"
He had put aside the first question that came to mind. An energetic maid opening the morning—even Risir, who had experienced all sorts of fantastical elements since leaving his family, had not yet conquered this territory.
"Hmm?"
The maid tilted her head with a smile in her eyes.
"What kind of joke is this? Since it's a joke from Master, it must surely be a funny one— I'm sorry. I'm lacking and couldn't understand it. If it's alright with you, Master, could you please explain it?"
A friendly smile filled with goodwill.
Eyes sparkling with curiosity as if saying 'I'm totally curious!'
Risir thought.
If all the women in the world reacted to failed jokes like this, wouldn't 'wounded men' quickly be designated as an endangered species? (E/N: That one will never be endangered)
Almost disarmed by the maid's positive energy, Risir barely pulled himself together and said.
"I meant that you've changed so much I didn't recognize you for a moment, Miss Tia."
Even as he spoke, Risir was uncertain. The Dark Elf slave Tia. When he last saw her yesterday, she had been a person showing a desolate and unstable appearance, as if her personality had been worn down by long years of slavery.
"Is it strange?"
If there had been even the slightest artificial feeling revealed in her current appearance, Risir would have felt the same way. That it was strange. That she was forcing herself to repay the favor she had received from him (rescuing her brother, promising to escape slavery). But her current appearance was neither artificial nor unstable.
It was infinitely natural and therefore looked healthy.
Could that actually be her true nature? It was impossible to know. However, what was certain was that she looked much better than before. It seemed like no words or actions could ruin her vibrant smile now.
"It does seem like too sudden a change... but what's certain is that you look much better than before. In the sense that you look healthy."
"Really? What a relief... Actually, I was worried. What if Lord Risir found my changed appearance strange? But you say I look good, I'm truly happy!"
Tia giggled and grabbed Risir's hand. (E/N: Is that a yandere)
"Let's go! I've prepared breakfast!"
"...But, Miss Tia. Where did you get that maid outfit?"
"It suits me, right!? I was surprised when I looked in the mirror too!"
"That's not what I was asking..."
Well, whatever. Good things are good things. Risir concluded about Tia's transformed appearance. After that, she attended to him devotedly until the moment he left his quarters.
"Have a safe trip, Master!"
Until the very end, she never lost her vibrant smile for even a moment.
***
The Dark Elf city of Kehlin. The Sahila House that rules it has two major military groups under its command. The Red Sand Guard that operates openly for the city. The Moonlight Knight Order that operates thoroughly for the family in the shadows. Moonlight Knight Commander Keiren. He never questions those he serves.
Sahila, who had built a Dark Elf empire in the remote frontier of the continent, was a family worthy of admiration, and Cartria, the Young Lady of such a family, was a person who possessed all of Sahila's pride and nobility. However, he was worried. What would Young Lady Cartria look like at the end of this journey?
Drian, the third son of Sahila, who had suddenly disappeared from Kehlin one day.
He had expected from the beginning that this journey to find him would not be smooth. The human world that unfolds beyond the Southern Region of the continent. That place was filled with malice and hostility toward Dark Elves. But he hadn't known that the human malice Cartria would experience would be to this extent.
'Young Master Drian...'
Cartria, who had not lost herself despite repeatedly encountering human malice, completely changed upon learning that Drian had been sold into slavery. Keiren couldn't forget the sight of Cartria abusing Reisha, saying she would return exactly what Drian had suffered.
Who in Kehlin could look at that appearance and recall the Cartria of the past?
The more terrible fact was that this was merely the beginning, not the end. Cartria had approached a human Mage who harbored lust for her in order to find her brother. In that process, how much more malice would she be exposed to and tainted by? If it were up to his heart alone, he wanted to immediately use his power to act.
If only it were guaranteed that doing so would protect both Drian and Cartria.
Unfortunately, this human city was too vast. If he rashly caused a disturbance, they might face the worst situation of having to leave the city before even recovering Drian. This nightmarish situation was the best situation for them right now. In the end, Keiren had to accept all of this with a devastated heart.
His own powerlessness. And the Young Lady's change. The pure Young Lady that the Dark Elf city of Kehlin remembered and loved no longer existed.
Now she was a pitiful and hideous monster dominated by malice and the poison it creates—
"Keiren! Look at this! It's clothing that human maids wear, how is it? Doesn't it fit me perfectly?"
"?"
Who is this? Keiren almost blurted out without realizing it. Cartria, who had returned from the Magic Tower, looked completely different from what he had expected. Clear eyes that showed not even a trace of malice or poison. And a cheerful atmosphere without a single stain. Her current appearance was by no means that of someone dominated by malice. Rather, quite the opposite.
"You know, remember? Master Risir?"
"Master Risir...?"
"Oh, silly me! There’s no need to keep playing the slave here!"
Whatever was so amusing, Cartria burst into laughter. Keiren and Reisha, who was prostrating nearby, stared at her in bewilderment.
"Anyway! That's not what's important! Do you know what I experienced following that person? Keiren, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you!"
Surprisingly, Cartria's story that followed provided sufficient persuasion for her change.
"You found the Young Master already?"
"Yes! Risir, he prioritized that matter above all else!"
Him? Keiren found her occasional choice of words grating, but for now, he focused on her story.
The story of a certain human who had a Dark Elf as his Master. Cartria's completely cheerful atmosphere gradually became more serious as the story progressed.
"It suddenly hit me. I want to be someone amazing who brightens others’ worlds, just like them..."
It was a very simple yet amazing story of how a girl who had been tainted by evil people met a good person and was ultimately influenced by him.
"...So, Keiren. Will you support what I'm going to do from now on?"
Cartria spoke with a face that was both precarious and filled with determination.
"I need to correct my terrible mistake."
Cartria retrieved her belongings that Keiren had been keeping. Soon, she put on a bracelet decorated with Topaz. It was the most precious treasure possessed by the second daughter of the Sahila House, which had built the Dark Elf empire.
The Hand of Verdandes. That Artifact, which had sealed a powerful Demon of the Desert through a Contract, grants the user's wishes in the form of 'Curses'.
"Young Lady, surely you're not going to use that—...!"
The Hand of Verdandes was a great treasure containing the history and power of the Sahila House. The power contained within it was enough to move a family and a city. As a retainer of the Sahila House, Keiren had the responsibility to persuade her to reconsider using Verdandes.
"The Hand of Verdandes should only be used for Sahila!"
"That's right. This is for Sahila."
"What do you—"
"If I can't save him, Cartria of Sahila will no longer exist."
"...!"
Keiren felt a chill run down his spine for a moment. Whatever she had imagined, her eyes, which had been nothing but cheerful, temporarily lost all their light completely. In the end, Keiren failed to fulfill his responsibility.
-Say what you desire!!!
A cry flowed from the Topaz embedded in the bracelet. It was the voice of the Demon sealed by Contract, Verdandes. Cartria held a strand of golden hair against the Topaz and said.
"Can you detoxify the 'poison' that's consuming the owner of this hair?"
-Say a different wish!
"Why?"
-He is not poisoned with a poison that I can detoxify!
"..."
Cartria squeezed her eyes shut. She had hoped against hope, but to think that even the Hand of Verdandes couldn't detoxify it. But it was okay. There was another way. Something in the Magic Tower had already purified the Turbid Truth. If she could just find that something, purifying the Turbid Truth consuming Risir would only be a matter of time.
Yes. A matter of time. So she had to somehow delay the time it would take for Risir to become completely poisoned by the Turbid Truth.
"Give all your power to that man."
This request would make that possible.
-You must be quite desperate indeed! Such a foolish wish! I inform you according to the Contract! If I give all my power to him, he will eventually be dominated by my power! This can't be the result you want!?
Verdandes is a Demon with tremendous power. To save a human dominated by his power would require enduring enormous risks and hardships. In other words, it wasn't impossible. Use Verdandes' power to delay the manifestation of the Turbid Truth, find a way to detoxify it, and then remove Verdandes' power.
That was the plan Cartria had come up with.
"No. That is the result I want. How long will it take for him to be dominated by your power?"
-One week should be enough!
"Yes. That's enough. Verdandes. I command you to fulfill your duty according to the Contract."
-Kahahahahaha!!! Understood! Descendant of Sahila! The Contract has been fulfilled!
With that voice as the end, the light of the Topaz dimmed.
"...Good. Keiren. Let's go."
There was no time to delay. Verdandes' power would be actively moving right now to dominate the powerless human Mage. The remaining time had increased from two days to one week, but it was still pressing. She had to find whatever in the Magic Tower had purified the poison as quickly as possible.
***
Lord Meltas's daily lesson time. Today's lesson content was practical combat, namely sparring. To confess honestly, I was quite looking forward to it. With my current abilities, wouldn't I be able to hold my own even against Master level?
"Hagh!!! Heok!!! Heok!!!"
It was hopeless. Even though Lord Meltas held back considerably, I couldn't even touch a single strand of his braided beard.
"The barrier!!! Heok!!! Why is it so, heok!!! tough!? Heok!! Between my molars— heok!!!"
"Risir. If you're tired, catch your breath first. Are you planning to die from talking nonsense?"
I couldn't have imagined it. No matter what, I never thought I couldn't break through a single barrier deployed with one casual gesture. After giving it my absolute all, my Magical Power was completely depleted with great fanfare.
This happened less than 5 minutes after the sparring began.
It was a time to newly confirm the dignity of Lord Meltas, who was among the top-tier experts even among the Masters of the Magic Tower.
"Good work, Risir. Let's stop here for today."
"Under- heok!!! stood- heok!!! Lord Meltas— good work... huh?"
─────
[You have resisted]
[Level has increased!]
────
"..."
Feeling a sudden sense of unease, I stood up from my position and spoke to Lord Meltas.
"Lord Meltas. My Magical Power has recovered."
"?"
"I don't know why, but since it happened anyway, shall we resume sparring?"
"Are you playing games with me right now?"
***
That Dark Elf had a place to rest comfortably wherever she went. This isn't some romantic story about using the ground as a bed and the sky as a blanket. This amazingly practical method begins with finding the Mansion of a powerful person who had accumulated wealth through corrupt means in the city.
This was a very important task to eliminate pangs of conscience while also preventing the possibility of being nagged by a certain cute and precious person.
Moving on from there, she has a process of thorough consultation (Mental Interference) with the Mansion owner himself. When all that work is finished, oh how surprising. The Dark Elf who was turned away at the city gates is reborn as a precious guest of the corrupt powerful person.
The temporary transfer of ownership of the Mansion located in the city's commercial district could be said to be a token of that friendship.
That was how the Dark Elf Pamon stayed in the human city where she wasn't invited.
"Mmm~ bed. So soft and fluffy. This is what living like a human is~"
<When did you say it would be better to sleep rough in the forest than to rest in human spaces?>
"Don't be spiteful~ You know how far the forest is from here too, Duran~"
<This is serious. Suffering from amnesia in a book's body. I forgot, but who was it that gritted their teeth and marched to the city from that distant forest saying 'we must arrive before sunset'?>
"Oh my, Duran! Look at the color of this wine~"
In fact, Pamon hadn't enjoyed using this method from the beginning.
-Pamon. Instead of doing this here, why don't you go into the city and get a room?
-Rather than resting in human spaces, it's better to spend the night here listening to the sounds of grass insects~
Originally, Pamon had returned the contempt that humans directed at her to them and everything their hands touched. Everything changed after she gained a Disciple.
-But, but~ I want to create lots of conversation topics in preparation for when I reunite with Risir later~
I want to share more of the world with my Disciple. With that thought, Pamon began actively embracing human civilization. Yes. All of this was to become a Master worthy of my Disciple!
"How can wine have such depth? What did they do to the grapes? What did they do to the soil? They must have pruned the vines extensively and thoroughly extracted the soil's fertility, right? How terrible. Such terrible things should be eliminated."
<If you put that to your mouth, the act of 'enjoyable consumption' would be accomplished.>
"Would Duran like a drink too?"
<I'm a book.> It was when that Pamon was perfectly living up to her Disciple's expectations (of a hopeless Master)...
"Hmm?"
Pamon, who had been sitting on the bed savoring wine, rummaged through her belongings. Then she returned and spread a piece of parchment on the bed. <What's the matter, Pamon?>
"What's this about? A message came from the Sahila House? And from that young lady too."
<By Young Lady you mean—are you referring to the second daughter Cartria? What a strange occurrence indeed. I remember the relationship between you and that Young Lady being at its worst.>
"What are you talking about, Duran~ I like Young Lady Cartria so much~"
<Pamon. Surprisingly, human relationships have a mutual nature. Even if you like someone, if the other side dislikes you, it's all for nothing.>
"What am I to do~ I ended up getting bitter words about human relationships from a book~"
As she spoke, Pamon's eyes were following the text that was updating in real-time on the parchment.
"Aha I was wondering what business our Young Lady had to contact me for."
<What's it about?>
"Out of nowhere, she's asking me to tell her how to detoxify Turbid Truth?"
<How to detoxify Turbid Truth? Why is she asking you about that?>
"Isn't it because it's a poison made by my Master?"