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Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 76
Chapter 76

Chapter 76 "..." "..." An uncomfortable silence flowed through the underground chamber. Even the ominous aura that filled the place seemed to awkwardly read the mood. The demon follower who had cornered his mistress, Kela. The Knight Commander who sought to protect that mistress, Keiren. In a situation where these two were fiercely confronting each other, something that absolutely should not have happened had occurred. Cartria's revival. Because the Young Lady's mind had achieved a complete revival with great success, both the demon follower who had been confidently making threats and the Knight Commander who had been burning with hatred while feeling threatened by those threats found their positions awkward. The topaz forming the Eye of Verdandes shone brilliantly without reading the mood. Of course, they were not ordinary people. They quickly regained their emotional bearings and once again created a suffocating tension. Even the ominous aura that filled the place seemed to add to its presence, heightening the tension of the location. A sudden strike was unleashed like a blade cutting through air. It was like sand flowing down from a sand dune. The drawn blade pierced into the demon follower's body. The entire process was contained within a single flowing movement. Before anyone knew it, the Moonlight Knight Commander was facing her at close range. With a uniquely shaped dagger embedded in her side. It was already sufficiently lethal, and with just a bit more force, it would tear through her lungs and lead to death. Some people call the Moonlight Knights an assassination group as a derogatory term. As an expression of awe and displeasure at the unreasonable movements their techniques create. The form of death completed without sound or commotion was simply dry. The Moonlight Knights' secret technique, Sand Step, had been deployed. "...!" The demon follower had become a being mostly freed from physical constraints. Physical damage and the pain that resulted from it held little meaning for her. Nevertheless, her expression was filled with clear bewilderment. The fragments of humanity she had not yet completely cast off reminded her of the fear of death. If she had not received a share of 'that one's' power, she would not have dared to even lift her head before this man. And she would have surrendered her life to his hands all too easily. She, who had been a Dark Elf before becoming a demon follower, trembled as she felt anew, and firsthand, the reputation of the Moonlight Knight Commander. What an unreasonable strike this was. What an unreasonable power this was. And she trembled once more. At herself, who had become able to face such a Moonlight Knight Commander on equal terms, or perhaps from an even superior position. At that one who had bestowed such power upon her. This was the result of merely absorbing a portion of the power sealed within the Eye of Verdandes. But if she were to accept that very being sealed within the Hand of Verdandes itself— If she were to fully recover all the power weakened by the seal— Ah. The demon follower's expression became greatly heightened with anticipation for the future. "Feeling impatient, are we?" The Moonlight Knight Commander had intended to secure a clear positional advantage through force and proceed with the conversation in the form of an interrogation. Just as he was about to speak, the demon follower opened her mouth a beat faster, stealing his momentum. With a voice filled not with pain and fear, but with elation and ecstasy. "...!" Keiren was momentarily overwhelmed by that grotesqueness. The demon follower, Kela, did not miss that emotional opening. Kela's hand touched Keiren's hand that gripped the sword. First gently, then forcefully. Like a snake that coils around its target before strangling it, she pulled his hand with all her might. The blade sank deeper! In this way, she drove the remaining blade entirely into her own body. "Haah..." A melting sigh escaped Kela's lips. It was the excitement she felt toward herself, who could readily withstand the power of someone like Keiren and could proudly declare that fact. "I understand. You must be feeling impatient." Kela's attitude completely changed. Having completely shed the appearance of a Dark Elf who had been under the shadow of Kehlin and the Moonlight Knights, she faced the insignificant mortal before her as an agent of a great being. "After all, you still know nothing. Isn't that right?" "..." While it was quite surprising that the strike unleashed through Sand Step did not lead to death, it was insufficient to bring confusion to the Moonlight Knight Commander. From the moment Keiren arrived at the underground chamber and felt the ominous aura filling the space with his skin, he had been considering all possibilities. He could right now shake off her touch and thoroughly destroy that defenseless body. He even felt a certain curiosity. Would she truly be able to feel no pain even then? Would she be able to speak leisurely? But the reason he could not do so was— Because, as Kela said, he knew nothing. What caused ripples in the Moonlight Knight Commander's inner calm, like a peaceful lake, was not the demon follower's ominous power, but the unknown threat that menaced the Young Lady and Young Master. It was for this reason that he had broken the principles he upheld as both Moonlight Knight Commander and Cartria's guard, coming defenseless into enemy territory. Just now Keiren had tried to take the initiative, but in truth it was already far too late. The battle had begun long ago. From when Kela, that demon follower, had approached the defenseless Young Master. How many moves had she made during that time? He did not know. What was certain was that the claws of this terrible and evil demon follower would be thoroughly binding the Young Master. And perhaps even the Young Lady. Keiren's momentum was dampened as he took a more defensive stance. Kela smiled satisfactorily as she caressed his chin. "A wise decision. As a reward for that, I'll tell you one thing. About Drian. About his exact condition. Whatever method our Young Lady used, it seems he's regained consciousness for now, but you shouldn't become complacent about that fact. Right now he is, in degree only different, essentially in the same state as me." "Surely not...!" Keiren's expression lost its composure and was colored with shock. Kela created a grotesque laugh with her ecstasy. "That's right. He has become a proper part of Lord Verdandes, just like me. Right now he may be acting fine on the outside, but inside he's probably festering as he feels the presence of the demon his ancestors sealed away." *** "Hmm..." The Dark Elf sat by the window, lost in thought. His appearance, bathed in the radiance of sunlight, was that of the Young Master beloved by all who had made the hearts of many women in Kehlin flutter- He was certainly Drian of the Sahila House. "It feels like I'm forgetting something..." He carefully examined his current condition. To find out by what circumstances he had awakened in this unfamiliar yet kind place. However, in the end he could discover nothing. To deduce anything, his physical condition was far too clean. It felt as if all the filth that had been on his body had been cleanly washed away. Along with the memories of when that filth had clung to him. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway." So Drian felt completely at ease. He felt hungry and left the bedroom. The scene of the living room that came into view at a glance. And a generous meal set on the dining table. Drian immediately realized. That this meal had been freshly prepared every day for him, not knowing when he would awaken. He felt the warm consideration that filled his heart and smiled. Drian is happy. *** "..." Keiren's expression was colored with anguish as he imagined Drian's condition after hearing Kela's words. She dug more aggressively into the opening in his heart. After pressing her body close to his, she whispered in his ear. "And when she learns that fact. How do you think Young Lady Cartria will react?" "..." "True despair comes after hope. Watch carefully." She showed Keiren the Eye of Verdandes that was radiating bright light as she spoke. "You must have noticed that the Young Lady's condition hasn't been good recently, right?" Of course. Eyes that had lost their light and died. Keiren clearly remembered the Young Lady's precarious state. Truly at the cliff's edge. With just one more step forward, she would have collapsed. "In such a state, what would happen if she learned that her younger brother had become part of a demon?" "..." "If she realized that for the sake of the family, she would have to kill her brother with her own hands, what would become of the Young Lady?" The Moonlight Knight Commander's pupils wavered. The demon follower looked directly into those pupils as she spoke. "It will be difficult, but you'd better accept it. The fact that I'm the only one who can save your Young Lady." *** Cartria burst into laughter close to a hearty laugh. Her expression from just moments before, when she had resigned herself and let everything go, disappeared without a trace. She tried to hold it in. "Four White Lotus... So that's what was in the soup back then, Four White Lotus. It was so delicious, but it was a poisonous herb?" However, seeing Risir's response, she absolutely could not hold it in. His appearance, making the most serious face in the world while saying the most ridiculous things, made Cartria's resignation and resolve seem laughable. Therefore, Cartria had no choice but to laugh. And she had no choice but to doubt her own ears. "Risir. Is that reaction appropriate in this situation?" Meltas seemed to feel the same way, as he asked with an extremely complicated expression. "Actually, I'm confused too. What should I do in this situation? The Four White Lotus was too sweet to feel betrayed, but then again, it was actually a poisonous herb that I was fed." "...From the perspective of ordinary humans, it's usual to focus on intention in situations like this." "Intention— that's good." Risir's gaze turned toward Cartria. Intention. It was an indifferent look, as if asking her to spill everything. "..." Cartria was left speechless. Originally, she had absolutely no intention of telling him her intentions. It was a defense mechanism born from the anxiety that she could never be forgiven, and guilt that he might forgive her. But Risir's current attitude. It was neither an interrogation, nor reproach, nor pleading. Just pure curiosity. Cartria had assumed all situations where Risir would direct contempt and resentment toward her, and had been preparing for them. But this was a completely unexpected situation. Perhaps because of that, Cartria's mouth was moving without her knowing. "And then?" She spoke freely. "Oh. And then?" She spoke even more freely. "My goodness, such a thing. And then what?" She spoke completely openly. "...So that's what happened." "...!" Oh no. When she came to her senses, she had already confessed everything without leaving anything out. Having heard everything, Risir began muttering while moving his hands this way and that as if calculating a formula. "I understand. Tia had enough reason to misunderstand. That you couldn't think normally because your brother had been sold as a slave, well. As someone who's an older brother with a cute younger sibling, I can fully understand those feelings. Plus, you tried to correct your mistake." Eventually, he nodded his head and said. "Well, so shall we just pretend it never happened?" "I—" Cartria was dumbfounded and tried to say something. But she was so dumbfounded that the words wouldn't come out properly. "I tried to harm you...!?" What finally came out was a dazed voice. Her choked voice cracked loudly. Then, it made a sound similar to when she acted as a cheerful maid. "It's fine. From what I can see, I seem to have a constitution that doesn't get hurt by such things." "..." He wasn't boasting or bragging. It was just a calm statement of facts. Cartria was stunned and just stared blankly at Risir. "Risir... For reference, that Turbid Truth is one of the most extreme poisons on the entire continent. No cure exists, and anyone who drinks it meets a terrible end." "In what way?" "It turns the user into a shell that only responds to specific commands." "...Ah. It's kind of like that thing." "That thing?" "Actually, I had a friend who tried to do something similar to me before." "...! What happened to that person!?" "It turned out they were a good friend." "?" "We cleared up the misunderstanding and are getting along reasonably well." "...You really are, how should I put it— magnanimous. Excessively so." "Oh my. Magnanimous, you say." Risir laughed awkwardly. This man. He's genuinely embarrassed. After all those ridiculous things he's done, at just one word about being magnanimous. "..." "..." Cartria and Meltas looked at Risir with dumbfounded faces. *** Something that she thought would change everything had passed by as if it were nothing. It was when Cartria still hadn't escaped from that bewilderment. "Oh, that's right. Tia." Risir spoke to her as if something had occurred to him. "Ah." Cartria also responded to him as if something had occurred to her. "It's Cartria." "Huh?" "Actually, my name is Cartria." Though late, she had finally revealed everything about herself to him. For the first time, she had shown her true self. At this fact, Tia felt relief along with joy. At the thought that finally, she could build a truthful relationship with him. "...!" It was then that Risir was struck with shock. "Car...tria...? No, Cartria...? Have you been deceiving me all this time...?" "...?" Cartria was flustered. When she fed him Turbid Truth, Four White Lotus, and a demon, he laughed it off saying it could happen— But the part where he feels betrayed is this? "Risir...? I'm sorry..." "...Yeah, well. That could happen too." Risir smiled bitterly. Cartria tried to feel guilty but somehow her pride was hurt so she stopped. If he was going to make her feel guilty, he should have done it earlier. "Anyway, what I was trying to say was— Cartria. Shall I return it?" "Return it...?" "The Turbid Truth and Four White Lotus are already digested so that would be impossible, but Verdandes. That I think I can return." "...?" Cartria faced severe cognitive dissonance. He was talking about the possession by a powerful demon as if it were some borrowed tool. "Return it, how exactly...? No, in the first place— are you really okay?" "Again so suddenly? Oh, you're talking about Verdandes? Nothing to worry about. This Verdandes fellow is actually—" Ah. That's right. Come to think of it, didn't they say that the person who sealed this Verdandes fellow was a hero of the Dark Elves? Moreover, Cartria seems to be a descendant of that hero. Risir nodded. Truth wasn't always right. There's such a thing as a 'white lie.' He willingly told that white lie to protect the Dark Elf's pride. "Actually, it's an incredibly powerful demon. Right?" "...Right?" "Just thinking about it still gives me chills. How vicious that guy is— but I was lucky." Risir took out a black orb from his hand and handed it to Cartria. "...What is this?" "Verdandes." "?" "...That used to be?" "...?" "Anyway, Verdandes said so. That it's his core." Cartria received the black orb in bewilderment. "What's in here too, I'll return it as soon as I figure out how to return it." Risir said while pointing to his own head. "...Yes!" An energetic answer! Cartria gave up trying to understand. Meltas watched her warmly from the side. *** Looking only at the results, it couldn't have been better. All problems were solved, and Drian and Risir were safe. All that remained was to give appropriate compensation to their benefactor. "Keiren!" Cartria returned to Reisha's mansion with energetic steps. To share with her guard knight the joy of everything that had happened. "...Keiren?" He was certainly there. "Young Lady." Together with a woman named Kela. Cartria who saw her appearance fell into thought. Then, that thought became shock. It became hostility. "You are Drian's—..." Through the given clues, Cartria realized the whole story of the incident. At Cartria's reaction, Kela wore a grotesque smile. "You realize it right away? How clever. This is good. Now I won't need to tire my mouth explaining or persuading." Kela gestured to Keiren. Then, Keiren spoke. "Young Lady. Please listen to me right now. You must transfer the Hand of Verdandes to her." "...What are you talking about?" "Young Lady. Please. If things go wrong, I will take responsibility for everything—" Though the demon follower couldn't completely steal the Knight Commander's will, she had succeeded in exploiting his delusions. Her power was extremely limiting Keiren's thinking. 'I must protect the Young Lady and Young Master. I must protect the Young Lady and Young Master. I must protect the Young Lady and Young Master. I must protect the Young Lady and Young Master. I must protect the Young Lady and Young Master.' What would happen if the Hand of Verdandes fell into the demon follower's hands? Keiren's thinking, tainted by darkness, could not reach that far. What was important to him right now was protecting the Young Lady and Young Master who were in crisis. "Keiren...?" Cartria immediately realized that Keiren's condition was not normal. The ominous aura filling the place seemed to erode her mind. Despair. Those two words were clearly etched in her mind. "Young Lady!" Before Cartria could even prepare herself, Keiren approached. His respectful touch roughly searched through her belongings. "Keiren! No!" Despite Cartria's protest, he took the subspace pouch that contained most of Cartria's belongings. "All of this is for the Young Lady and Young Master!!!" He spilled the contents of the subspace pouch onto the table. The clatter revealed the topaz bracelet that the demon follower had so desired, the Hand of Verdandes. It was when Kela was about to satisfactorily reach for that bracelet. Her gaze turned to the black orb that had fallen from the pouch. "...!" Her expression was colored with shock. Then, that shock became ecstasy. What the demon follower saw before her eyes now was a crystallization of power that had completely lost its master. What could be better than liberating a demon's seal and receiving that being's favor? It was becoming that very being itself. "Amazing..." How on earth had she separated the power of a mighty demon from its ego? It was an unexpected situation and unhoped-for luck. Kela picked up the black orb as if entranced. And without hesitation, she swallowed it. Laughter bubbled up with ecstasy. The demon follower- No. The being who would soon be reborn as a demon writhed in ecstasy. "Cough...!" Then, something came up through her throat. "Uwaaaak!!!" Dark red blood poured from her mouth like a waterfall. "Why!?" Kela writhed. The extreme pain that dominated her body- "...?" No. Extreme refreshment. Light returned to Keiren's previously clouded eyes. Keiren didn't understand what had happened. ...Light also returned to Kela's eyes that had been tinted with wicked energy. She too didn't understand what had happened to her. "..." Cartria understood what had happened. She closed her eyes tightly and rubbed her brow. The face of one man came to mind. The power of the mighty demon that the great Dark Elf family, Sahila, had been unable to find a way to destroy and had kept imprisoned for hundreds of years had vanished without a trace. "Wow..." It was the Young Lady of Sahila's impression. It was an exclamation like a sigh.