Dark Fantasy Normalized – Chapter 22

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[The subject’s influence is too strong]

[Stats will decrease permanently]

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■Eron

Level: 19 > 18

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[The subject’s influence is too strong]

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…

…

…

*

“Eron?”

“…Yes?”

Eron snapped back to reality at Ricir’s voice.

“Are you okay? You look-”

“Ah, I’m fine. Just felt a bit tired, that’s all. I was busy until late last night. I’ll be okay after some rest.”

What kept Eron’s mind together was his pride.

His pride that didn’t want to show weakness in front of this inferior man.

Eron, now seated again, forced a relaxed smile.

‘My power has… weakened…?’

However, the confusion he felt inside was so intense that the smile seemed contrived.

Confusion reveals a person’s true self.

This was the first instance where Eron showed his genuine self in front of them.

‘Why…? Could it be Mana Reflux?’

Mana is like muscle.

It grows through stimulation, but that process can sometimes accompany injuries.

This injury to one’s mana is called ‘Mana Reflux’.

The power of charm that Eron possessed directly and indirectly interfered with others’ minds.

That delicate and complex power had a higher chance of triggering Mana Reflux than ordinary magic.

For example.

The fact that ‘the power of charm caused Mana Reflux’ wasn’t particularly strange.

But the problem lay with the target.

Mana Reflux varies from case to case—

‘Because of these rookies?’

Eron scrutinized the faces of Marik’s group, who were the subjects of his charm.

They were all mere rookies, each below the second rank, befitting their status as equal-level adventurers.

Did Mana Reflux happen because of such rookies?

It was like getting an injury from a tussle with a child.

‘…’

Of course, if a third party intervenes in that tussle, the story might change.

Eron cast a sidelong glance at Ricir.

If he remembered correctly, Mana Reflux had occurred right when he was about to use the power of charm on that guy.

Ricir was different from Marik’s group.

He identified himself as a mage. He might possess some knowledge and resilience regarding mental magic.

His rank was also clearly higher compared to Marik’s group’s.

‘Third rank, huh…’

Eron acknowledged that Ricir had the potential to create a variable called Mana Reflux.

Of course, whether that possibility was high was a different question.

‘It’s cutting it close. He’s just barely entered the threshold of the third rank.’

‘And, for being at the third rank, he can’t even hide his power properly—’

He had a clear understanding of guys like that.

‘Nothing more to see here.’

‘Clearly, he’s been sitting idly, accepting everything handed to him by his family, and accidentally became a third rank.’

Typically, the offspring of noble families would reach the third rank before their coming-of-age ceremony, and nobles would take this for granted.

They claimed it was due to their innate qualities befitting noble blood—

Well.

There were those like Eron who thought differently.

Nobles grew up in an environment naturally exposed to mana from a young age.

On top of that, they received all sorts of education related to mana.

They grew up breathing in opportunities that those who lacked could only dream of.

So, if one with such conditions hadn’t reached the third rank before adulthood, it was indeed strange.

Conversely, if such a person barely reached the third rank after becoming an adult?

‘Manufactured uniqueness.’

Eron had seen many of these nobles up to now.

Every single one of them was an ordinary existence that couldn’t break from the mold.

Eron liked them.

They were easy prey, treated like those who had received a kind of excessive specialness, so high-quality game was rare to find.

…This was why Eron was confused now.

‘Did I just get Mana Reflux because of something so trivial?’

It was a unique and tricky power.

It required not just recognition but also a proper response to cope with it.

Yet look at that half-baked mage.

It seemed they couldn’t even recognize it, let alone respond adequately.

Just as Eron was struggling to understand and became flustered, it happened.

“…?”

Eron felt a piercing gaze and turned his attention in that direction.

A girl sitting next to Ricir. Pamon was staring at her with a significant look.

Eron couldn’t grasp the complex feelings embedded in that gaze.

– Ah.

– I know.

– That feeling.

How could he know?

That she, hiding an unimaginable identity, had faced a huge fiasco trying to do the same thing as him before.

That they were forming an unspoken bond without even realizing it.

In the end, Pamon’s sense of kinship didn’t come across—

– Foolish thing.

Eron only sensed pure contempt from Pamon’s gaze.

“…!”

At that moment.

Eron realized everything and fell into immense shock.

The discomfort he first felt from Pamon wasn’t a mere illusion.

His expectations had missed the mark.

Pamon was not a pitiful girl devoid of any power; she was a hidden capable individual.

And she was guarding Ricir.

Surely— No, she must have been the one to induce Mana Reflux.

‘Damn, why am I only realizing this now—’

Eron berated himself.

He had given the opening away simply because he realized it too late.

‘What did I do? Did she figure out my power and counter it?’

‘No. That’s not it. If that were true, she would’ve attacked me long ago.’

‘Maybe— a kind of defensive magic she cast on that rookie is working, making her wary of me.’

‘Or perhaps— she’s giving me a warning right now.’

Yeah.

Warning.

As this thought crossed his mind, Eron could regain some composure.

He had touched the guard, but instead of countering right away, why would she just issue a warning?

Because she had judged him to be awkward.

Maybe she realized that the gap in their powers wasn’t significant, or sensed the nature behind the power of charm.

‘Rational judgment.’

The guard.

Adventurers.

And even the half-baked lord.

Everyone present, except for Pamon, was prey to the power of charm.

The moment a real fight began, Pamon had to focus on battling while keeping every factor in mind.

No. She had to be focused on guarding.

The moment Ricir gets even a scratch, Pamon loses.

That was what guarding was about.

‘As long as that lump, Ricir, is here, the initiative is with me.’

At the last moment, Eron came to one conclusion.

‘I need to make the first move.’

The moment he felt relaxed, Pamon would likely hide Ricir somewhere safe first.

‘And then she would try to eliminate me, the element of danger in her guard.’

He couldn’t let that happen.

Eron set a course of action accordingly and devised a plan.

‘After I drain the adventurers of their strength, I’ll use my full power of charm on Ricir.’

He wasn’t keen on that.

Using his full charm power on some filthy man.

But—

“…”

“…”

If he could break that wicked woman’s nose, then he could endure it gladly.

‘Just sit back and enjoy, huh…?’

Eron calmed himself by envisioning Pamon, losing her guard target, screaming in frustration.

*

As darkness fell, the carriage halted near the road to prepare for camping.

It was the most crucial moment for adventurers.

The quality of their rest was the very factor that would hugely influence their condition the following day.

“You three just rest. We’ll handle things from here.”

Nevertheless, Marik’s group excluded Ricir, Pamon, and Eron from the process of dividing roles.

Typically, in such cases, it was a norm to distribute roles fairly among everyone, but that norm applied only among those of the same status.

Pamon and Eron were well aware of this fact and accepted Marik’s suggestion without any objection.

“Damn— why won’t this fire light up?!”

“Ugh… The ground’s ridiculously hard. Should we just skip the tent?”

“Even a noble’s mouth might turn the other way. Let’s just pray we don’t meet again in Bondales.”

Sweating and cursing, Marik’s group handled the chores.

“Everyone, is there anything I can help with separately?”

Ricir approached Marik’s group and asked.

“…?”

“…?”

“…?”

Marik’s group simultaneously wore faces as if they had seen a ghost.

Did I just hear what I thought I heard?

The content of the speech wasn’t anything serious.

But the tone.

A noble’s tone offering to help?

Though Marik’s group had experienced all sorts of hardships as lowly adventurers, this was one of the rarest occurrences.

“Uh, excuse me?”

Marik, with a dazed expression, asked back.

“Well, if I help, wouldn’t the work get done faster?”

Oh, my goodness.

It wasn’t a mistake.

“No, no— you don’t have to do that. That’s something we should handle ourselves. Yes, Ricir, you should just rest comfortably.”

Marik secretly smiled bitterly.

Should I call this kindness, or is it overly familiar, or is it someone who doesn’t understand the ways of the world?

Ricir.

This young and kind noble seemed completely unaware of how excessive kindness from a noble would come across to those below them in such a situation.

It wouldn’t be a lie to say he felt not so great, but more than that, he felt uncomfortable and burdened.

No matter that they were fellow carriage occupants, who would be happy to have a noble do their chores and think, “Yay! More hands on deck!”

How could he possibly rest while others are working hard?

Oh, no, how could we let Mr. Ricir do such menial work?

Oh, please don’t—

Oh, please don’t—

The continuation of their conversation was quite clear.

Just as Marik’s expression was about to contort more tiredly than when he was doing chores—

“Actually, I’d like to learn a bit for my junior’s sake.”

“…What?”

Was there anything more mysterious than a noble who wants to learn from adventurers about their chores?

Here it was.

This noble hoped to learn about the chores of adventurers.

With developments that clearly broke outside the box, Marik’s group could only blink in disbelief at Ricir.

“Um, sorry, what was that again?”

Marik asked in a daze.

“I want to help out so we can finish things quicker.”

He really wasn’t mistaken.

“No, no— you really don’t have to. This is something we should do. Yes, Mr. Ricir, you should rest.”

Marik secretly wore a bitter smile.

Was it kindness? Was it too familiar? Was it someone who failed to grasp social norms?

Ricir.

This young, amiable noble seemed completely oblivious to how excessive kindness from those of noble rank would be perceived by the lower class in such situations.

“How could I be resting while you’re all struggling?”

Oh, no, how could we let Mr. Ricir do such menial work?

Oh, please don’t—

Oh, please don’t—

The continuation of their conversation was quite clear.

Marik’s expression was becoming even more strained than when he was engaging in manual labor, just as he was about to cut in—

“Because, honestly, I wish to learn a bit for the sake of the juniors.”

“Uh, what?”

Was there anything more mysterious than a noble wanting to learn about adventurers’ chores?

Here it was.

This noble hoped to learn about chores from adventurers.

With developments that broke the mold, Marik’s group could only stare dumbfounded at Ricir.

“Could you repeat that?”

Marik asked with an empty expression.

“I wish to learn various methods of lighting a fire and the points to pay attention to when camping. There are many things, right?”

“Learning about camping? Those things are pretty trivial.”

Words aside.

Marik was unknowingly nodding his head.

‘This guy knows a thing or two.’

The campsite chosen now.

To an outsider, it might look like they just plopped down any old spot when the time was right, but it was actually the optimal place Marik’s group found after hours of searching with keen eyes.

They chose the location considering all the various points that needed attention when camping, as Ricir had said.

Knowledge about camping directly influences adventurers’ lives.

Moreover, it was invaluable knowledge that could only be gained through firsthand experience.

Marik wouldn’t have said those little bits held no value; he wasn’t foolish enough to think that noble would feel the same.

But what’s this?

This noble was making himself look foolish.

“As if such trivial knowledge could be useful.”

He donned a formal tone, recognizing that Ricir’s words didn’t match the expectations of the nobility.

Of course, Marik understood why they were baffled by Ricir’s seemingly genuine interest in their work.

“Not trivial! There’s no such thing as useless knowledge!”

He knew it was a formal and polite remark.

It was just pretending to comfort them, making the lower-class feel good.

“…Ahem. Well, why don’t you come over here for a moment? There was a time when we decided we wanted to camp here, and when, and where, and…”

But even so, he couldn’t contain himself.

Who wouldn’t get excited and spill their knowledge to a noble showing such sincere respect and interest in their work?

Marik’s group enthusiastically transferred their camping knowledge to Ricir.

They would have never revealed such precious know-how, risking giving it out for free.

“Excuse me, if you don’t mind, could you also share with me some camping knowledge?”

While Eron, who had been waiting for an opportunity to use his charm’s power on the adventurers, looked somewhat displeased and joined in after some time—

“Ah~ there’s no reason not to! Come on, Eron!”

The lively Marik’s group waved Eron over without any hesitation, but—

“…Eron? Um, well, if you’re not interested, you don’t have to force yourself to listen…”

They showed a clear atmosphere of discomfort about the whole “don’t ruin the mood and just go away” vibe.

The way they continually engaged warmly with Marik and his partner Catherine contrasted starkly with how they presented themselves to Ricir, giving a completely different impression.

“…”

The demoness, who had been charming people with her exquisite beauty, squirmed in embarrassment and humiliation.

*

“I’ll do it.”

Night has fallen and the meal has ended.

In front of the campfire, among them, the topic of “watch” came up, and Ricir raised his hand without hesitation.

“Oh please!!! Don’t do it, Mr. Ricir!!!”

A cry akin to a scream erupted from Marik’s group sitting nearby Ricir.

By this time, their fondness for Ricir had continuously risen, and now they looked at him with expressions as if they couldn’t escape the fun.

“Do you know how torturous it is to sit alone at night, staring blankly at the field shouting whether it’s time to rotate yet! Watching on duty is nothing like just tiring, it’s freaking annoying! It’s so boring and drowsy that a person can literally die from it!”

“Still, isn’t it better to do a trial run at least once? It’s better than making a mistake when you get paid for it later.”

“Uuuaaaaargh!!!”

It was almost a scream rather than laughter.

Marik grabbed Ricir’s body and laughed uncontrollably.

“Your words are right!!! They are! But—oh god, how do I explain this!? Oh I can’t! Just do it, Mr. Ricir!”

Despite the objections, Ricir procured the watch duties outright.

“I’ll do the rotations!”

Eron, who had been sneaking glances, suddenly raised his hand.

Then he looked for feedback from Marik’s group.

“Oh. Yes, will you? We’d appreciate it very much.”

Unlike the lukewarm response to Ricir, theirs was indifferent.

“…”

Snap.

The beautiful features, more beautiful than most women, crinkled in anger.

‘How absurd. Just wait and see.’

At last, night came.

The demoness had been eagerly waiting for this moment.

*

“Damn it. Did the mood get too hot? I shouldn’t have volunteered.”

As the watch began, after what felt like three thousand hours had passed by Ricir’s senses, he gazed out at the endless darkness spread across the field, relishing his past mistakes.

The early morning air has a way of making one emotional.

He suddenly recalled the face of his younger sister who was not present.

Right before they parted ways, she had displayed some sort of competitive spirit and stubbornness toward Ricir.

– When we meet next, you’ll want to call me sister, won’t you?

– …So until then, take care of yourself…

– Oh, brother…

In the past, the pride of a genius swordsman who had witnessed Ricir’s magical talent came to light.

– I had originally planned to teach you swordsmanship…

– I intended to tell you not to worry at all and to just trust me and follow along…

Along with the anger of plans gone awry.

And regret.

– How could I…

– All those times I told you to live your own life…

– So…

– I don’t want to part either, but…

– Right now, this seems to make sense…

– …I’ll miss you.

Ricir rubbed his heart, reminiscing about his cute little sister.

– …How long are you going to stay here!

Before being crushed in a fit of jealousy, his younger sister shoved her feelings into full swing.

With a face reddened to the bursting point, she utilized her inch punch.

“Still hurts…”

The clear mark of his sister remained vividly on Ricir’s heart (a bruise).

“Huh?”

Just as Ricir was battling through various thoughts to overcome the tedious night, he suddenly turned his head back.

He sensed some presence.

“How are you feeling?”

It was a strange yet familiar voice.

“Eron?”

As he got closer, the darkness lifted, revealing her silhouette.

“…?”

Ricir tilted his head.

“Eron…?”

Long eyelashes. Soft, delicate features. Sky-blue eyes clear as the summer sky.

Healthy bronze skin and fine golden bobbed hair.

He remembered Eron as looking more beautiful than most women.

He wasn’t overly surprised by the current situation because of that.

Emerging from the darkness, Eron was completely nude.

Undoubtedly, the body was unmistakably feminine.

Her flawless bronze skin shimmered in the moonlight.

A beauty that truly radiated even in darkness.

“Shall we do something fun?”

The corners of Eron’s lips turned up gently, and the darkness behind her flickered like a tail.

Her power reacted to her will.

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[The subject’s influence is too strong]

[Stats will decrease permanently]

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■Eron

Level: 18 > 16

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