Dark Fantasy Normalized

19 – Master and Disciple

A man in flamboyant attire hurriedly got off the stopped carriage.

He didn’t even receive the service of the coachman and servants he had hired. As if he was facing an opportunity he didn’t want to lose to anyone.

“Miss?”

The man helped a girl out of the carriage.

The girl’s attire, which showed no trace of wealth, seemed to speak of her ordinary status.

In stark contrast to the man.

“We have arrived.”

However, the man’s attitude towards the girl was nothing but kind.

No. It was extreme.

“Once again, thank you for your kindness.”

“No, I was just passing by. Is there anything else you need-“

“You’ve already helped me enough.”

“Please, don’t be-“

He wanted to offer more help but kept an eye on the girl’s reaction.

The man was confused by his own behavior.

Why am I acting like this?

Normally, he wasn’t particularly kind to children or those of lower status.

As a merchant, he often treated them with disdain.

But he couldn’t do that with this girl.

She possessed an indescribable specialness.

An irresistible specialness.

It wasn’t the kindness an adult shows to a child.

It was a desperate attempt to win her favor.

“Please, have a good day.”

As the girl expressed her gratitude with a bright smile, the man reluctantly had to leave.

He regretted not winning her favor, but more than that, he feared being disliked by her.

Thus, the girl, who received exceptional treatment from a stranger she met on the road, arrived at her destination-

Pien took in the sight of the house before her.

“…Hoo.”

She took a deep breath in and out.

“Ah, ah. Hmm hmm.”

She cleared her throat and took out a mirror from her bosom to carefully check her appearance.

Her clumsy yet fresh look made it hard to believe she was the same girl who had just bewitched the merchant.

Knock knock.

Having finished all her preparations, Pien knocked on the door of the house.

“Oh, Pien.”

Lishir, who opened the door, greeted her warmly.

Pien responded with a light nod.

Indifferently.

However, the tense atmosphere was far from indifferent.

“What about that perfectly fitting white dress?”

“…I see your eyes aren’t just for show. I like that dress too. But it’s too conspicuous. Not suitable for traveling.”

As expected.

Lishir’s single remark stripped away the indifference.

“By the way, what brings you here?”

“…What?”

She had promised Lishir and Pamon.

Not to harm innocent people with the power of the True Ancestor.

Therefore, she could no longer remain as the lady of Dintal.

In fact, she had lost her place of residence.

Thus, Pamon requested the two of them-

“Surely, you don’t intend to feign ignorance after finishing the conversation? You must have said it yourself? To accompany you on your journey.”

“Sigh…”

“Sigh!? What is that sigh!? Displeasing! Rude! Do you think I deserve such treatment!?”

“No, it’s not that. Just… air in my lungs… Are you sure? It won’t be a comfortable journey.”

“I’ll decide that. Let me tell you in advance, don’t get any strange ideas. I’m only accompanying you until I establish a new base.”

“What strange ideas. By the way, don’t you dare mess with people’s minds again? Next time, it won’t end with just a scolding. Oh, wait. Did I even scold you before?”

“…”

When given attention, they rejoice like a dog meeting its owner.

If given a chance, they try their best to win favor.

To Pien, humans were such beings.

Simple, foolish, insignificant-

But when dealing with this human, she felt the opposite.

Even now, look.

Despite giving him a chance, this dry reaction.

As if treating her like a child.

It was the first time she experienced such treatment since becoming a special being. It was humiliating.

Since her first encounter with Rishir, Pien’s thoughts had been consumed by him.

‘I can’t forgive… this humiliation… I’ll get my revenge for sure…’

She vowed to make this foolish man her slave, no matter what.

While she couldn’t use the power of the True Crimson, Pien’s strength wasn’t limited to that alone.

Pien knew it better than anyone.

How charming, beautiful, and special she was.

“…Well, what strange thoughts might you have? Wanna try to guess?”

Pien approached Rishir with a sudden change in attitude.

Her slender girlish form entangled itself. Pien looked up at Rishir from directly below, eyes wide.

A seductive move meant to incite a man’s desire.

-Or so Pien herself thought.

It was something she’d checked in the mirror, and even practiced.

But the way Pien saw herself in the mirror, and how Rishir saw her, were vastly different.

Hesitant body movements. An awkward gaze.

More than anything, a face flushed red with shame, unsure whether to seduce or be seduced.

Rishir, wondering what he was supposed to do, simply patted her head that was looking up at him.

“Eeeek-“

The childish treatment, as if it were natural, made the True Crimson’s expression redden even more.

“What are you?”

A sharp voice cut in at that moment.

Loera grabbed Rishir’s arm, pulling them apart.

“Why are you here? He’s not Bendel anymore.”

Pien’s demeanor shifted drastically at the gaze.

From a clumsy girl who always lost in pride battles to a girl wielding magical power.

“That’s right. He’s not Bendel anymore. So he’s no longer your brother either. Meaning, it’s none of your business?”

“And, he’s not your fiancé anymore either. So it’s even more not your business?”

“Oh my, haven’t you heard? I’m accompanying Rishir on this trip, at his request.”

“Rishir’s request?”

“Rishir’s request?”

Loera’s eyes shifted to Rishir, demanding an explanation.

Rishir added his gaze to it and passed it on to Pien.

“Am I wrong? Isn’t all of this essentially because of your request?”

Asking not to use the power of the progenitor on innocent people could be considered a request.

It was only after the scary dark elf sister put strength into her eyes that she reluctantly accepted it.

However, Rishir never bothered to point that out.

“…”

Whether he was aware of his own bravado or not, his furtive glances were quite pitiful.

“It’s not entirely wrong, but…”

“Right!?”

When Rishir donated a coin to the [Match My Words] box, the world seemed to brighten up.

Roera found their behavior suspicious.

“What’s with that ambiguous attitude? Did the people of the Dintal family agree? I doubt it.”

How could they not agree?

The progenitor commands in the name of the master.

Dintal willingly allowed Pien to leave.

And soon, they would completely forget about Pien’s existence.

“Of course they agreed. They know how special my relationship with Rishir is.”

“But it seems like he doesn’t think so? Judging by his reaction.”

“…He’s just a very shy man, you know? He’s acting like that on purpose because he’s embarrassed.”

“What do you know about him? Haven’t you spent less than a fortnight together?”

“And what do you know about Rishir? I heard that in Vendel, b*stards are treated as non-existent.”

“…”

“…”

As their gazes crossed, tension filled the place.

“Huh? Ah~ Pien, you’re here? Miss Roera? Let me introduce you. This is Pien. Actually, she’s a progenitor? Isn’t that amazing? I saw her for the first time too? Is she dangerous? Of course~ But it’s okay? Just like with the Dintal family, she tried to use her mental interference power on Rishir, but it was neutralized by Rishir’s special power – now she’s Rishir’s servant.”

Until the dark elf who was moving travel luggage with plant zombies appeared, it was certainly so.

Pamon, who discovered them while passing by, poured out a rapid-fire speech and then went on his way again.

“Progenitor…?”

“Servant…?”

“Neutralized…”

It was no easy feat to fluster all three of them, but the Dark Elf managed to do just that.

*

Contrary to Rishir’s concerns, Loera accepted Pien’s presence without much difficulty.

Oh, you’re an Ancient?

You’ve been controlling the Dintal family with the power of an Ancient?

Impressive.

Someone as remarkable as this master and disciple has arrived.

Considering the beings she had encountered recently, an Ancient was relatively reasonable.

However, Loera was not pleased with Pien.

“She tried to turn you into a puppet. And you want to bring her along?”

“Don’t worry too much. Though she’s an Ancient, she’s more harmless than a mosquito.”

“Mosquito…”

Pien muttered with lifeless eyes.

“More importantly, she promised. She promised never to harm people with that power again. Master certified it with magic, so it should be effective.”

“…Well, if that person intervened-“

Loera finally let go of her wariness.

Rishir grinned at Loera.

“Were you that worried about me?”

Loera’s face crumpled.

“What are you talking about?”

Loera, who had been sitting next to Rishir on the sofa, shifted her body.

It seemed like she was about to leave, but no.

She took off her shoes and turned, placing her legs on Rishir’s lap.

“Loera? I’m starting to worry. Do you often display such avant-garde manners in front of others?”

“Of course, I only do this in front of you.”

“Do you know? Surprisingly, there’s one more person here besides us.”

“She’s just a servant, so it doesn’t matter. Oh, whatever. My legs hurt, so I’m staying like this.”

Perhaps it was just her mood, but her voice sounded like she was whining, so her brother couldn’t stop her.

“I’m not a servant!?”

Instead, Pien, who was sitting across from them, stood up and raised her voice.

“Then what is it?”

“I, I’m—you know! I’m Lyciel’s fiancé!”

“Oh, right, sure.”

“We’re even special, Lyciel and I have kissed!”

“Oh, sure… wait, what?”

Loera’s head snapped around, her gaze fixed on Lyciel.

“What is *that* supposed to mean?”

The pressure on his thigh from the leg on top of it intensified.

“Lyciel! Y-you were happy too… weren’t you!? You’re not going to say it wasn’t true!?”

Pien moved next to Lyciel and clung to his arm.

A performance that read as sensual seduction but was actually a child throwing a tantrum.

“You’re heavy…”

Lyciel was slowly crushed under the weight of them both.

*

The preparations for departure were complete.

I may not know for sure, but my master certainly looked that way.

The plant zombies, who had been bustling about the mansion, had vanished.

It wasn’t long after that my master summoned me.

“My disciple? How are the preparations going?”

The same vivacious smile as always.

My master started talking about our future plans.

“If I had my way, I would love to travel with Lyciel, teaching him a thing or two?”

“But, as I’ve said countless times, I still have much work left to do.”

“Plus, the journey is going to be quite perilous, so I don’t think I can bring Lyciel along.”

I wasn’t surprised, not really.

As she said, this was a point my master had been considering from the start.

I listened calmly to my master’s words.

“If only I could force myself to pass on my Vision Magic to Lyciel-“

“But, that magic comes with severe restrictions and sacrifice in learning it.”

“Most of all, because it’s recognized as cursed magic of the Dark Elves, it would push him far away from a normal life.”

“My kind disciple might say it’s okay, but? I don’t wish for that.”

“It’s not too late to decide after experiencing and feeling a bit more.”

“So, my disciple?”

“My short teaching ends here.”

With the usual lively smile and voice, he puts a period to this meeting.

Though the farewell felt somewhat dry, it made me feel good, thinking that it was just like my master.

“It really is as short as art. Even if you go under the restaurant, they would teach you more than this.”

“My disciple~ I’m sorry~ I’m a useless master~ But my arms and legs are long, so isn’t it nice to look at~?”

My master’s nonsensical words.

“Useless indeed, like a work of art.”

Adding to that, Duran’s quip.

Thinking that this would be the last time hearing this, I felt a bit sad.

But-

“Will there be a day when we meet again?”

“Of course. Maybe, just maybe? Next time we meet, Rishir might have to become my master? Seeing the speed of my disciple’s growth, it seems quite possible.”

“Undoubtedly, this is the most heartwarming thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Oh really?”

“Absolutely. I will become a disciple who can bring despair to you as well.”

“Listen to you.”

“Duran~ What should I do~ My disciple is angry~ Right~?”

＜You have created a monster. Accept the coming future and prepare for destruction.＞

Suddenly, I remembered the day I first met the two of them.

One is a book, but anyway.

My master often said.

That my treating a Dark Elf normally was a very special experience.

I felt the same.

For me, who was treated normally by my master despite being an illegitimate child, it was an unparalleled special experience.

What would have happened if I hadn’t met my master?

Could I have found a new path called magic?

Could I have become independent from the Vendel family?

Could I have reconciled with Loera?

“Master.”

“Yes, my disciple.”

“It was a short time, but it changed my life. Thank you.”

“…”

For the first time, I saw it. The characteristic lively smile disappeared from my master’s face.

The dark elf with silver eyes looked at me calmly. Just for a moment.

“Waaah~ My disciple~”

My master, returning to the original expression, cried out and hugged me.

“What to do~ I tried not to cry in front of my disciple~”

My master cried in my arms for a while.

…Only cried.

*

“Finally, my disciple? Will you accept this?”

My master took out a small glass bottle and placed it on the desk.

“What is this?”

＜Yesterday, while you were asleep, I raided Vendel’s vault. Among the things I took, this seemed the most useful.＞

“Duran~ What do you mean raided, raided. What would my disciple think of me~”

“The kindest, strongest, most beautiful, and irresponsible master in the world.”

“Oh my, my disciple~ You move me so much until the end~”

＜The last adjective seems to be the key.＞

My master picked up the glass bottle and placed it directly in my hand.

It was an ordinary glass bottle, far from being the most precious treasure Vendel had.

The contents were also a transparent liquid with no distinctive features.

“It’s an elixir.”

“…!”

But the moment that word was mentioned by my master, my heart pounded.

Elixir.

A thing that can only be completed with the touch of a master and rare ingredients, the most fitting expression of a treasure in this world.

In this fantasy world, power is the most meaningful value.

Everyone was willing to burn their bodies and lives to gain that power.

The elixir either skips or shortens such a consuming process. Or transcends it.

With a single click, it brings achievements that can take from a few months to several years, sometimes even a lifetime, to attain.

It is truly a real cheat key.

People with some money and power were all desperate to taste the elixir.

However, if everyone who wanted to drink it could, it wouldn’t be an elixir.

Even a family as prestigious as Vendel couldn’t drink it and had to keep it carefully stored in a vault.

Its value is beyond imagination.

If it were the old me, I wouldn’t have been able to obtain it even if it took a lifetime.

Even if I did obtain it, I wouldn’t dare to drink it and would have exchanged it for cash to pursue a comfortable life.

“Hey, isn’t this too ordinary for an elixir…?”

“It’s proof that it’s not a cheap elixir, but a valuable one.”

“Oh… is that so?”

“From production to long-term storage. To preserve and maintain the value of the elixir, extremely meticulous refinement and processing are required. External factors are also considered and invested in the essence. It looks ordinary, but inside that bottle contains magical knowledge and skills that even I can’t fully comprehend.”

“Is it okay to give something like this to me…?”

My voice trembled involuntarily.

Even for a master, the opportunity to obtain a treasure like an elixir wouldn’t be common-

“Yes. That’s why I want to give it to my disciple.”

“… Master!!!”

“My disciple~”

＜Stop the nonsense and proceed with the conversation.＞

I carefully lifted the elixir again and examined it here and there.

“Then, what should I do…? Should I drink it here now…?”

Shaking head.

“No. This is not a suitable place to drink the elixir.”

“Is there such a thing as a suitable place to drink the elixir? What are the criteria?”

“The elixir changes your constitution. And the drastically changed constitution is directly affected by the surrounding environment. Hyern is not a bad place. Rather, it’s decent. But decent is not enough. The elixir must be consumed perfectly in the best environment and conditions.”

The master’s eyes were rarely shining.

“Could you explain it in terms of material value so that a disciple who is ignorant of magic can easily understand…?”

“It’s a value that can’t be measured with money, but- let’s see… a mansion in a big city?”

“A, a mansion in a big city…!?”

Should I understand it as something like an apartment in the center of New York?

So, if you take the elixir wrong, an officetel in the center of New York will just disappear?

“Yes. If there is a 10% loss in the elixir’s ingredients, you can think of it as a mansion in a big city disappearing.”

Even 10%?

“Craaa-!!!”

“My disciple~ Do you like it that much~?”

＜It seems to me that the mana reflux came from the pressure.＞

I barely regained my composure and continued the conversation.

“Th-then, Master. Where would be a suitable place to drink this elixir? The Imperial City?”

“The Imperial City, that’s good. But it’s too far. So, my disciple. How about Bondales as the next destination?”

Bondales.

It was a city that came out after passing through two or three villages from Hyern.

The keywords that came to mind were the Karog Magic Tower.

Numerous adventurer guilds and trade associations.

“It’s not as representative as the magical cities, but it’s not a bad city to broaden your magical knowledge.”

“Should I take the elixir here?”

“It’s not like you should gulp it down as soon as you arrive, but there are a few suitable places.”

Here.

Here.

And- here.

Master personally wrote down those suitable places on a piece of paper.

“Well then~”

Clap.

Master concluded the conversation with a clap.

“My disciple~?”

And then stood up and spread his arms.

I approached Master and shared a hug.

“Please, stay safe, Master.”

“Of course~”

“At least until I go and succeed my master…”

“It wasn’t a joke~”

＜Lisir. It can’t be a joke. From now on, my life’s purpose is to witness this guy being abandoned by the disciple who becomes his master. Even though I’m a book, anyway.＞

“Mr. Duran, please. Stay safe.”

After the greetings, my master and Mr. Duran immediately left Hyern.

I also immediately left the house to find transportation to Bondales.

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[Title: Ah, should I just skip the witch of the western forest]

Content: Is the difficulty really insane?

What’s a Mumumi, damn it

What’s a Dirongi, damn it

I keep dying to guys with such names, it’s making me feel miserable

– : Is Mumumi your friend?

– : Hang in there with grit, you have to eat

– : [Photo] The elixir option given as a reward by the witch of the western forest is insane, so it’s better to catch her if possible

– [Author] : Ah, look at the option, damn it, I can’t even skip this

– [Author] : If I kill the witch, will she drop that?

– : The witch’s reward is separate, and that comes out when you rob Vendel’s vault after killing the witch, yes, it’s practically the core farming item of Hyern

– : Just take it slow, as you can see from the reward options, it’s not a place designed to be cleared early on

-[Author] : If you’re not going to drink it, can’t you just give it to me, damn it

– : Try raising your favorability

-[Author] : Can you raise the witch’s favorability?

– : It’s impossible for the human race

-[Author] : No, damn it, I can only choose the human race

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▶Another Tale◀

This is another story.

[Stop]

[PLEASE, STOP IT!!!]

[The man was screaming]

[But they didn’t give a damn]

[“Eron, oh Eron…!!!”]

[She was the man’s comrade]

[Ready to bare her back in the face of life and death]

[She was the man’s lover]

[Holding hands, feeling her soft skin, gazing at the night sky, he had wanted for nothing at that moment]

[But now-]

[She was moaning, calling another man’s name]

[In his arms]

▶ Incident 17: A Tainted Relationship

“Alright, we’ll be departing now.”

The landscape they saw began to move.

It didn’t take long for the silence, filled with the clatter of horses’ hooves and the rumble of wheels, to be broken.

“Now then – everyone. We have a long time together, so why don’t we introduce ourselves?”

The voice was so delicate it was impossible to discern the speaker’s gender.

His neat, blonde hair shone like ripened barley.

A habitual smile revealed teeth as white as snow, contrasting with his slightly tanned skin, and lashes so thick for a man that they emphasized his clear sky-blue eyes, drawing the gaze.

A handsome youth, whose beauty inspired goodwill in all, regardless of gender, spoke warmly to those seated opposite him.

“I am Eron.”

The man sitting opposite him responded.

“Rishir.”

Eron’s gaze settled on Rishir.

It was a gentle look that usually inspired warmth in its recipient.

Which is why few would imagine it.

*‘A worthless nobody.’*

That the owner of that gaze was inwardly smirking with a sneer of superiority.

Having completed his assessment, Eron leisurely began checking on the other passengers.

“…!”

Eron’s gaze was fixed on a girl sitting next to Rishir, his companion.

Despite wearing a gray robe and a hood, the pitiful atmosphere couldn’t be completely hidden.

Eron, who alternated between looking at Rishir and the girl for a while, smiled brightly with anticipation for this journey.

“Nice to meet you, Rishir. Although it will be a short time, I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes, Eron. I also look forward to working with you.”

He laughed at the foolish figure who was smiling carefreely, not knowing what was going to happen.

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■Eron

Level: 19

Race: Demon [Succubus]

Class: Mage [Mental Magic / Black Magic]

Skill: Power of Fascination [Mental Interference (Low)]

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[There is a peculiar presence nearby]

[You are affected by the presence]

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[The influence of the presence is too strong]

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[Status Abnormality]

[The stats related to ‘Power of Fascination’ have significantly decreased]

▷Skill: Power of Fascination [Mental Interference (Lowest)]

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[The influence of the presence is too strong]

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[The influence of the subject is too strong]

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…

…

…