Dark Fantasy Normalized – Chapter 12

“Wait? My disciple? Have you been drinking some kind of elixir?”

My Master suddenly grabbed my wrist and spoke with a rarely-seen look of confusion.

“Elixir? Well, I wouldn’t say so. What’s going on?”

“That—Ricir’s mana has increased significantly, right?”

“Isn’t it thanks to your lessons, Master? If I had to choose between your lessons and an elixir, I would pick your lessons without any hesitation.”

“Duran. What did you say about my lessons? Did you hear what Ricir just said? You heard, right?”

<That kid praises you just by looking at your face. Anyway, so Ricir's magical power has grown rapidly. Looks like your lessons are effective after all.>

“Is that so?”

My Master looked happy yet unconvinced.

“This level of growth can’t simply be explained by effective teaching, can it?”

“Could you explain it in simple terms, so someone like me can understand, Master?”

“Let’s say that today in class, Ricir could expect a growth value of 1 in magic power?”

“Did it grow to around 5?”

“No? Roughly 50?”

“…Magic really is too easy. It has become boring to the point of wanting to die.”

I gazed at the horizon with a sense of emptiness.

Perhaps this was how the great sages who realized the truth of the world viewed it.

So trivial, this world was.

“My proud disciple. But now you deserve to be so proud. Yeah.”

<The disciple is arrogant, and the master is pampering him. Choose one—I wouldn’t want to ruin the farming.>

“To be honest, the changes in Ricir are achievements hard to obtain through normal magic training, even considering Ricir’s innate talent.”

“…But I really don’t pinpoint any particular reason—Oh, could it be that using my unique color on Pamon had an effect?”

“That’s probably not it. If it were, there should have been changes when we sent Gogos back to the ground, right? My disciple?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Can you share everything that has happened up until now after today’s class?”

Looking at me, my Master began to smile broadly at some point as he looked at Pamon.

“You tried to use the power of charm on my disciple?”

“…”

“…And you kissed my disciple?”

“Eek—”

<Isn't that irrelevant? You were supposed to get engaged anyway.>

“We’re engaged, but technically we’re not officially engaged yet, right? And we didn’t get engaged with pure intentions? And, judging by the current context, it seems like the engagement is ultimately going to break off?”

<Strange. She wasn't usually this sticky like a swamp.>

“I hope my disciple’s bright future isn’t constrained by marrying a son-in-law.”

My Master thought for a long while and then shook his head.

“Yeah. I really don’t get it. If I could find the reason and apply it to my lessons, it would greatly help resolve the chronic problem that disturbs my disciple.”

The chronic problem that’s bothering me.

That statement reminded me of my Master’s evaluation of my magical qualities through the classes over the past few days.

-My disciple. How wonderful it would have been if you had touched magic a bit faster. Even if you had simply received proper swordsmanship training.

-Bendel feels quite cold-hearted.

Magical qualities are broadly divided into two categories.

The ability to absorb mana, known as magical power.

The ability to handle mana, known as sensitivity.

According to my Master, in my case, I was exceptionally gifted in sensitivity. Clearly in the realm of the extraordinary.

However, in terms of magical power, I’m clearly in the mundane realm—

My Master attributed this glory entirely to Bendel.

Sensitivity is more influenced by postnatal factors than magical power.

That magical power has been utterly neglected due to Bendel’s indifference.

Magical power is like muscles; no matter how outstanding one’s qualities are, it requires consistent training, investment, and management.

To achieve results in both magic and swordsmanship? At the latest, a foundation should have been laid by the age of ten.

In the case of nobles, through the consumption of elixirs—sustained contact with mana, starting a foundation from infancy—

-That means I’ve essentially lost nearly a lifetime. Ricir is a noble, after all.

-Duran, that’s a harsh expression, don’t you think? My disciple? It’s alright, I’m here beside my disciple, right?

-Just out of curiosity, Master, at what age did you start learning magic?

-Well, I can’t remember well.

-You’re saying you started at an age too young to remember. You even learned everything under the Master and ate all sorts of elixirs from then. Those are abundant in the forest.

-At this point, I’m not surprised at all. It’s the nature of the world to revolve around those who have. If I were surprised, I would’ve been disappointed in myself. It’s proof I still can’t face reality.

-Oh no~ My disciple has turned into a wizard who only eats liquor and smokes in a small room instead of food!

-You bring me literary expressions when I cause you pain, huh? I like that. How about we leave things as they are and see what happens?

If my Master were to go by his words, I had effectively lost between 8 to 18 years.

To catch up to those ahead, I needed to work like crazy, and even then, there was no guarantee I’d achieve good results.

Magical power is akin to muscle.

Because of that, there’s a limit to how much one can grow in a single training session.

Just because I was late, it didn’t mean I could make up for lost time by pushing myself harder than others.

-Still, still, still. You don’t have to be too disheartened, okay? My disciple. Your innate magical power is just as excellent as your sensitivity, right? At this pace, you should reach the 3rd level within two years, don’t you think?

The 1st level is the stage of initiation.

The 2nd level is the stage of apprenticeship.

The 3rd level is when one begins to be recognized as a proper capable individual.

Normally, nobles spare no effort to reach the 3rd level before adulthood.

Sometimes, there were those who attained the 4th level before their coming-of-age ceremony—but in those cases, a banner would be hung at their family mansion.

Both the eldest and youngest sons of my family fell under this category.

The bastard, needless to say, was at the 1st level.

Rather than being disappointed about this fact, I decided to take comfort in it.

Eighteen years late, but it’s still great that I’ll be standing on the same starting line as everyone else in just two years.

“Master, so you said I attained a 50-fold achievement just now? Does that mean I’ve essentially shortened the time to reach the 3rd level by 50 days?”

“Well, it’s not that simple, but hey, there’s no need to be overly meticulous about good news. I’m not Duran.”

<I’m a book.>

I gained 50 days.

Thinking that way made me curious about the phenomenon that happened to me.

Well, even if I ponder over the problem that my Master also couldn’t uncover, it wouldn’t change anything.

I just sincerely hope that this kind of fortune occurs more often.

“Alright then.”

Clap.

My Master clapped his hands to uplift the atmosphere.

“Excuse me for a moment?”

He then approached the fallen Pamon, checking her body here and there before nodding.

“Indeed. Her strength has significantly weakened, but it hasn’t completely vanished.”

“Oh. Should we try using my unique color one more time? The power of that charm. This time, let’s make sure it disappears for good.”

“Ri, Ricir…! Why are you doing this to me…?!”

“Pamon. Remember this. A wounded man becomes a beast. You never know what he might do. So, be careful when playing with men’s sincerity from now on. That’s a lesson I, your big brother, am giving you.”

“You never even succumbed to my strength!!!”

“That just makes it all the more heartbreaking. If I had merely been dominated by that strength and hadn’t known a thing, how nice would that have been? I thought of you, though just for a moment, as my one and only little sister.”

“Wuuh- Wait, little sister!? How much younger do you think I am!? This is such an insult. I can’t just let this slide anymore. Do you have any idea how special I am? How beautiful I am…”

Pamon glared at me while speaking, her pure white face flushed like a peach all of a sudden, causing her to avert her gaze midway.

“Why are you the one who’s embarrassed after saying that?”

“It’s because of you!!! It was my first time! I didn’t intend on going that far… But you keep treating me like a child… mocking me… humiliating me…”

Pamon looked up at me carefully, teary-eyed.

“Ri, Ricir, do you really see me like that…? Am I, powerless as I am, nothing at all…?”

Damn. Is this really the power of that charm? What a powerful mental interference.

With that baby bird-like expression, it was like I had become the bad guy.

Under the spell of that magical guilt, I approached Pamon, who had fallen to the ground, and extended my hand.

“…”

Pamon pouted and sniffled but obediently took my hand and rose.

I pulled out a handkerchief that I always carried around as a gentleman and dusted off the dirt from Pamon’s dress.

Then, I turned the handkerchief over and wiped away the moisture from her eyes.

Pamon, with her closed mouth and wide eyes, looked up at me.

From this angle, she certainly looked like an irresistibly cute little girl.

I couldn’t help myself from smiling like a proud father.

“…”

Pamon suddenly turned her gaze away.

“Pamon?”

When I called her again—

Wonder of wonders. She closed her eyes and pouted her lips.

What on earth is wrong with this girl?

Ignoring her, I brought the handkerchief to Pamon’s face and said.

“Now, let’s blow your nose.”

“…Huh? Blow my nose?”

“Blow!!! You know how important it is for a lady like our Pamon to keep herself tidy! Now, blow~”

“Wh-What are you saying!? I won’t do that!?! Are you crazy!? What exactly do you think I am!?”

While throwing a fit, Pamon reached out her trembling hand towards me.

“Y-You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you…? I know it! You’re just embarrassed and treating me like a child…! Hah! You men, always showing off!”

Her scornful mocking was cute, but with that trembling voice and tearful expression, it only made her look even cuter.

Who would believe she is older than I am?

…Right. You continue with that. Older sister.

Just then, my Master poked my shoulder.

“My disciple? That girl may look like that, but she’s actually quite a nice kid, so don’t be too harsh on her, okay?”

“Really? The same girl who was toying with brains earlier?”

“From what I hear, it seems she can be quite generous at heart. Even when drinking blood, she does it to not affect the other person’s life. And when using mental interference, she leaves some of their ego intact.”

<Generally, the beings known as the ‘Charmed’ treat all creatures apart from their kind like livestock or food, and considering that, it seems that girl is indeed a unique case.>

So she was such a flexible girl?

That thought made Pamon feel a little lost.

“Please don’t look at me with those eyes as if seeing a fortunate little girl. I merely found it unnecessary to go that far with those subordinates, that’s all!”

“In other words, you didn’t use your power recklessly, right?”

“I’m different from those uncouth beings who lack restraint.”

She seemed confident in that assertion.

Seeing her stand proudly in stark contrast to her earlier demeanor almost made me laugh.

“True. You are different.”

“And yet, what are you trying to say…”

Pamon seemed alarmed, but she couldn’t hide the slight rise at the corners of her mouth.

“Pamon?”

Then, when my Master called her name, she flinched slightly.

“Can you promise me one thing here? That you won’t recklessly use that power anymore?”

“…Why should I do that?”

<Because this Pamon sister is scarier than you might expect. Just try saying no. She'll seize the chance to take you away with the excuse that it serves a good cause and carry out all sorts of experiments on you.>

“Y-Yeah, okay, I promise…!”

Pamon seemed to want to hold her ground, but upon hearing Duran’s severe tone, she immediately lost her courage.

I don’t know why, but it seemed that Pamon fears my Master more than she does me.

“Isn’t that sweet?”

My Master smiled brightly, took Pamon’s hand, and gently stroked the palm of her hand with his finger.

Pamon slightly frowned at that.

By now, a thin red line was etched onto Pamon’s pale palm.

“My disciple?”

My Master pressed Pamon’s injured palm tightly against mine.

“…”

A soft whisper flowed from my Master, and a strange power enveloped Pamon and my palms.

“Pamon. Did you truly promise?”

“Y-Yes…”

The moment Pamon answered, a wave of some kind of force surged from our palms, spreading up our arms and striking our chests.

“Ah!”

“Whoa.”

Pamon and I both let out sounds as we slightly recoiled.

My Master looked at us, nodding in satisfaction.

*

[Beneficial effect detected]

[The Mage’s Pact is now bound to you]

[Target: Charmed Pamon]

*

Afterward, Pamon and I returned to Bendel Mansion, parting ways with my Master.

-Due to normalization, Lady Pamon’s strength has weakened and her control over her subordinates has become unstable—but that should only be temporary, right? After all, the control expending that much effort wasn’t a normal state of affairs.

-By the way, Lady Pamon? Can you help my disciple through that control?

-…How can I help?

-It’s simple. Please call off the engagement. Then the family will naturally lose interest in my disciple, and he’ll step out of the mansion unnoticed amid everyone’s indifference.

-What if we release the control, create chaos, and escape during the confusion?

-Duran, now that’s just miserable. Wouldn’t that put both Pamon and Ricir in a tough spot, being chased by both the Academy and the Royal Family? Oh, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to get chased just once for the sake of the junior disciples?

-I apologize. Please don’t say anything insane.

As I kept my Master’s last words in mind.

“Lady…!!!”

Just as my Master had said.

When Pamon and I returned to the mansion, it was in complete chaos.

Gallant only remembered that Pamon and I had left the mansion together.

Somehow, I had become a known bastard who dragged a poor, ill girl out with me.

“Ricir? Can you explain what happened?”

Bendel’s steward interrogated me.

The head of Dintal and the retainers stood behind, watching the scene unfold.

This was merely a showpiece that Bendel had prepared for Dintal.

“You punk—”

Just then, a handsome man with flowing hair rushed up to me and grabbed my collar.

“How could you take a sick girl out like that!?”

“Calan!!!”

Pamon’s brother—if I should say that.

The eldest son of the Dintal family.

“Everyone, please stop…!”

Pamon suddenly shouted.

*Cough! Cough!*

Followed by a fit of coughing.

The chaotic atmosphere instantly calmed.

All attention turned to Pamon.

“Ricir insisted he didn’t want to, I’m the one who stubbornly insisted. So please don’t scold Ricir.”

The little girl who had just been crying and throwing a fit was nowhere to be seen.

As the slim, pure white girl imbued with magical power earnestly pleaded, the atmosphere of the location settled down in an instant.

“…Ricir. The head wants to see you.”

Starting from Bendel’s steward, the crowd began to disperse bit by bit.

“Let’s go, Pamon.”

Calan was glaring at me as he tried to take his sister away.

“…”

However, Pamon held my hand tightly, refusing to let go.

“Pamon?”

“Brother, can I stay a little longer with Ricir? Is that okay?”

“But your health condition—”

Pamon raised both her hands and smiled brightly.

“Is it because I’m with Ricir today? I feel so much better!”

“…”

Calan looked displeased while glaring at me, and then clicked his tongue before leaving.

“What’s so good about that bastard—”

He left behind his grumbling comments that weren’t quite meant to be heard.

In no time, only the two of us were left.

“…”

I stared at Pamon in disbelief.

“…What is it now? What nonsense do you want to say?”

Pamon had reverted back to a little girl, awkwardly avoiding my gaze.

*

The steward’s words indicated that the head was calling for me.

After wasting a bit of time with Pamon, I quickly headed to the head’s office.

“As of now, I’m discussing your and Pamon’s engagement.”

As soon as I entered the office, those words hit me.

The head left me standing there, staring blankly as he cut right to the chase.

“Behave properly and prepare yourself mentally.”

That was the extent of the head’s business.

Throughout our conversation, his gaze remained fixed on the papers on his desk.

“I have something to say.”

I pointedly addressed the head, who had finally looked at me.

I thought it was the perfect timing.

“I’m considering leaving the family.”

“…”

Finally, he’s looking at me?

The head looked at me as if he misheard my words.