Dark Fantasy Normalized

24 – Lucky Charm

News of the young lady’s recovery from the carriage.

Rishir did not know who the young lady was.

However, it was clear that she was an exceptionally important person to the man in front of him.

The moment the news of the young lady’s improved condition came from the carriage, the man’s tense demeanor immediately relaxed.

The man glanced at Rishir’s group once before hastily returning to the carriage.

“Phew…”

Left behind with his companions, Rishir let out a deep sigh.

He realized that he had been holding his breath without knowing it.

It was due to the pressure exuded by the man.

His mind and body were tense, as if facing an excited beast.

Tap, tap.

Beside him, Pien touched Rishir’s arm.

“Let’s go.”

She urged him to leave quickly with a serious expression.

Pien also felt the pressure from the man just now.

Being at a higher level than Rishir, she felt it more clearly.

‘Fifth rank. At least.’

A strong power with an unstable mental state.

The worst companion for a journey.

“Wait… huff… it seemed like something good happened… huff… how about we wait and ask again…”

At that moment, Rona joined the conversation.

Rona’s tone of voice was somewhat peculiar.

It was as if a woman was forcibly imitating a man’s voice.

Her actions were the same.

Suddenly rolling up her sleeves to show off her wrists, walking with exaggerated steps, and slicking back her sweat-soaked bangs.

Since becoming a slave, Rona had been straining to act like a man.

As if to deny the fact that she was a woman.

Of course, she wasn’t as skilled as she hoped to be.

“Huff… Huff…”

“Are you okay, Rona? If it’s that hard, just let me carry it.”

Despite Fien and Lishir’s offers, Rona stubbornly took on their burdens.

And she declared.

That she could keep up, so there was no need to adjust the pace.

The result was sweat pouring down like rain and her breath heaving like a death rattle.

Her exposed wrists were thin and trembling like aspen leaves.

“I’m- I’m not tired…! Huff-“

It was obvious to anyone that Rona was bluffing.

“Not tired? Then why did you mutter ‘I’m saved…’ when you saw the carriage? And why did you look like you were about to cry when Fien said to just leave it?”

“I- I never did that!”

“Really? Was it my imagination? Then if Fien says to leave it and you say to leave it, maybe we should just leave it. But wait. Is it really okay to treat a slave’s vote the same as Fien’s vote?”

“…Y- Yes! If you, the master, insist on taking that carriage, then I, the slave, have no choice but to follow!!!”

Fien, who had been listening to their conversation, sighed.

“How did I end up with such fools? Lishir. Let’s leave playing with the slave for later and get going now. I have a bad feeling about that person.”

“Fien. I’ve learned something recently, do you know what it is? You shouldn’t judge people by their first impression. A pitiful girl… A charming young man…”

“…”

“…”

The would-be mind controllers pouted in dissatisfaction but couldn’t argue back.

“So, what? Just because someone with a good first impression turned out to be trash, someone with a bad first impression will turn out to be a good person- is that your logic?”

“What I’m saying is, don’t overreact. Why would someone riding such a fine carriage bother to harm passersby? As Rona said, let’s just ask if they can give us a ride if they come back. And why is Fien trash? The trash is Rona. Isn’t that right, Rona?”

“…Do I have to answer?”

“No matter what anyone says, I think Fien is a good person. So don’t blame yourself too much. Rona can do enough self-blaming for both of you. Right, Rona?”

“…Th-that’s right.”

“Alright, enough already.”

Pien was annoyed by the fact that he felt better because of Rishir’s nonsense.

How much time had passed since then?

The man came out of the carriage again.

This time, he approached Rishir’s party with calm steps, unlike before.

“My apologies for the late introduction. I am Dares of the Durayeg family.”

Durayeg.

Rishir chewed over the name.

As a basic etiquette, nobles memorize the names of noble families.

If the noble was of a higher rank, they would grovel, and if of a lower rank, they would ignore them.

In other words, it was a matter of great importance to the nobles.

For Rishir, who was to be equally ignored by all nobles, it was a story from another world, but nonetheless, he kept a list of the names of various noble families in his head.

Durayeg was a name recorded relatively high and prominently on that list.

It would be the same for most nobles.

Durayeg was one of the few upper-class noble families.

“I apologize for earlier. My fiancée’s condition suddenly worsened in the middle of the night, and I reacted sensitively.”

“Oh dear. My condolences. Is your fiancée alright?”

As Rishir spoke, Pien and Rona’s expressions twisted.

Who are you?

Rishir showed the utmost courtesy befitting Dares’ status.

The tone and atmosphere changed drastically.

An unadorned, natural dignity emanated from him.

“…May I ask which family you belong to?”

Dares, equally surprised, belatedly asked about Rishir’s origin.

“I apologize for the late introduction. I am Rishir, an illegitimate child of the – family. So please, feel at ease.”

“…”

Dares’ eyes widened.

He thought Rishir was from a high-ranking family, but an illegitimate child?

Dares continued the conversation with a rather surprised expression.

“Let’s get to the point, Rishir. If you have business, could you tell me again?”

“If there’s a seat left in the carriage, I was hoping to request to accompany you, but-“

Rishir trailed off, gauging Dares’ reaction.

It was a conscious move, considering Dares had just mentioned his ‘ailing fiancée.’

Perhaps, the next words from Dares would be a refusal?

Rishir didn’t show it outwardly, but he felt quite disappointed inside.

‘If I miss this chance, how much longer will it take to reach Bondales?’

The elixir left neglected in his pocket.

The magic training that had come to a halt.

He felt anxious, wondering if he was wasting time meaninglessly.

Hmm.

At that moment, Dares sighed.

“The thing is- my fiancée said that if you need help, she would like you to assist her.”

Three choices appeared before Rishir’s eyes.

Show outright joy.

Ask for the reason.

And-

“…She is a kind person.”

Complimenting the fiancée, who seemed to be a special person to Dares, no matter who looked.

Whether it was the right answer or not, Dares’ previously displeased expression softened a bit.

“That’s an accurate description. She’s a woman with too much affection. So, what do you say? Will you humor my fiancée’s whims?”

“I am grateful for the kindness.”

It was both the fiancée’s whim and Dares’ whim.

Dares, who originally intended to send Rishir’s party away, guided them to the carriage.

As they walked, Rishir introduced his companions to him.

“This is my companion, Pien. And this is my-… slave, Rona.”

“…”

The moment Dares’ gaze landed on Rona, his expression twisted.

“A slave who seems rather unsuitable for menial tasks.”

Rona, who appeared to be an ordinary, frail woman, was sweating like rain while carrying two loads.

“If it’s alright, may I ask how you ended up assigning menial tasks to that slave?”

A hint of disappointment crept across Dares’ face.

“He tried to poison and harm me and my companions. And he tried to drug and assault me.”

“…?”

“As punishment, he agreed to serve as a slave. That burden, he took it forcibly despite my strong objections.”

Dares looked at Rona with a bewildered expression.

“…”

Rona could only lower her head, trembling with shame.

“Ahem. Let’s pretend we didn’t hear that. Everyone, follow me.”

Dares led them inside the carriage.

The interior of the roofed carriage was magically enhanced, making it appear more spacious than it seemed from the outside.

It already held four people, yet it was roomy enough to accommodate four more.

At the innermost seat of the carriage sat a woman with a blanket draped over her shoulders.

“Allow me to introduce my fiancée, Todina.”

Her skin and hair were dry and brittle, and dark circles shadowed her eyes.

Nevertheless, the woman named Todina greeted Rishir and his party with a bright smile.

“Hello, everyone. You must have been quite startled because of Dares. I was so worried when he stormed out with that grim expression. I should have stopped him, but I couldn’t because of my incessant coughing at that moment.”

Ugh.

Dares groaned beside her but didn’t stop Todina from speaking.

“Miss Todina. Sir Dares has told us everything. We are truly grateful for your kindness.”

“Hehe. Please thank Dares instead of me. I’m just stubborn, and it’s always Dares who indulges me. Oh, my. Where are my manners? This is Damin. She always takes care of me.”

The brown-haired maid sitting next to Todina bowed politely.

“And this is Sir Topin, who came a long way at Dares’ request to help me.”

An elderly man with graying hair nodded lightly.

“I am Topin. I study healing magic at the Bloom School. This is my assistant, Elteni-“

“I am Rishir.”

Rishir introduced himself and his companions once again.

At that moment, Todina covered her mouth with her fist.

Her body shook as a series of dry coughs escaped her.

“Miss.”

“…Thank you.”

The maid Damin handed warm water to Todina.

“Kehoh!”

As Todina gulped down the water, her coughing worsened.

After a dozen or so coughs, Todina struggled to compose herself with dry breaths.

It was a sound that couldn’t be called pleasant, even as an empty compliment, like an old man’s dying breath.

The atmosphere in the carriage quickly sank.

Just as silence was about to settle, Topin spoke.

“Todina.”

“Yes, Mr. Topin.”

“As your attending physician who will be helping with your recovery for a while, I must say this. Coming out to greet me in your condition was absolutely not a wise decision. Aren’t you being too unaware of your own state?”

“…”

Todina’s expression twisted bitterly.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been cooped up inside for so long, I was desperate to see the outside world.”

“I was the one who insisted on bringing her out, so don’t blame Todina.”

“No, Dares. You were just fulfilling my request. I should have listened to you. If I had known it would cause such concern for others…”

As the conversation reached that point.

“Was it Rishir?”

Topin turned his gaze to Rishir.

He had openly shown discomfort when it was revealed that Rishir was an illegitimate child who couldn’t even speak the family name.

An illegitimate child in this place.

He continued in a commanding tone.

“As you can see, my patient is in absolute need of rest. This carriage cannot afford to worry about others right now. I trust you understand what I’m saying?”

Topin gestured towards the door of the carriage.

“Mr. Topin…!”

“Todina. I am your attending physician now. I expect you to follow my opinion completely here.”

“…”

Todina squeezed her eyes shut.

“I’m sorry… Mr. Rishir… for causing such an awkward situation because of me…”

Topin gestured towards the door again, more irritably than before.

“Perhaps, you see-“

Rishir finally spoke after much deliberation.

“I might be able to help you, Miss Todina.”

Tsk. Tophin clicked his tongue.

“Rishir. I would appreciate it if you refrained from making irresponsible remarks in front of my patient.”

“…”

“Or, shall we hear it then? How exactly do you intend to help? What do you know? What have you figured out in this short time? Over the past few months, numerous healers have exhausted their knowledge to find a way to help Todina. To uncover exactly what is tormenting her. They were all renowned healers. Yet, none of them could figure it out. But you, you seem to be different? What are you?”

Tophin took a breath and then spoke again in a colder tone.

“I got too excited. That’s not good. Rishir. I want to maintain the best condition for my patient. For myself, and for the surrounding environment. It’s time for you to leave.”

Rishir did not reproach Tophin for his rude attitude.

He was simply doing his best from his own perspective.

Being disregarded as a b*stard, well, that was just the best a noble could do.

In any case, Rishir’s attention was fixed elsewhere.

The sense of alienation he felt from Todina.

His intuition, honed from past experiences, urged him to examine that sense of alienation closely.

‘Just once would be enough…’

Originally, he planned to use the excuse of a diagnosis to examine Todina’s condition, claiming he had a hunch.

But from the perspective of a professional healer, it seemed that was absolutely unacceptable.

So, what could there be?

A way to get closer to Todina.

Reveal the unique color? No.

How could he confidently reveal a unique color that he himself did not fully understand to others?

Moreover, if he brought up a specialized area like unique color in the current situation, Tophin would once again feel challenged in his authority and show resistance.

“…”

After much thought, Rishir took out a coin from his pocket.

It was an ordinary coin with no special meaning.

“Miss Todina. This is my lucky charm.”

“Lucky… charm?”

“Yes. Thanks to the special power contained in this charm, I have been able to overcome several crises. Miss Todina. If it’s alright, would you accept this charm?”

As he spoke, Rishir inwardly reproached himself.

‘Was this the best we could do?’

The plan was as flimsy as it was hastily conceived.

“A lucky charm…?”

Fortunately, Todina didn’t find it strange, even if it was sudden.

She glanced at Topin.

Topin reluctantly nodded.

“Won’t this take away your luck, Mr. Rishir?”

“I’m so lucky that losing a bit won’t hurt.”

“…Mr. Rishir, you’re kind. You’ve been put in this awkward situation because of me… Normally, I should refuse here, but-“

Todina gently clasped Rishir’s hand holding the coin.

“I’m… greedy… really… How wonderful it would be if that luck found its way to me…”

At that moment, Rishir focused all his attention.

On Todina’s hand.

On the sense of unease he felt from her.

“Gasp!”

It was at that moment.

The maid Damin, sitting next to Todina, writhed in pain.

Everyone’s eyes turned to her.

Instead of the friendly maid girl, an old man in a maid’s uniform was sitting there.

It was the moment when the black magician’s plan, which had been in progress for several months, was futilely thwarted.

“How!!!”

The black magician couldn’t accept the incomprehensible phenomenon that had engulfed him.

“…”

“…”

Pien and Rona felt a disturbing sense of kinship with that repulsive old man.