Dark Fantasy Normalized – Chapter 55

The priest, an inquisitor tasked with rooting out black mages from the order, was not one to let a questioning session go without getting the answers they sought.

Gerhen didn’t know anything about their methods or secret techniques, but at that moment, he understood one thing clearly:

That Koje had no intent of seriously interrogating the wandering mage.

“Is that the truth?”

“It’s not the truth.”

“Ah, so it’s not the truth.”

Where’s the inquisitor’s interrogation in that? Even an ignorant parent scolding their child would be stricter than that.

‘What’s up with that special treatment?’

Gerhen felt quite perplexed. The inquisitors he knew were raving madmen, ready to wipe clean the concept of compromise if they detected even a whiff of black magic.

That’s why Gerhen attempted to instigate Koje to suspect Ricir and take the high ground through him.

Convincing an inquisitor who had once harbored doubt was about as easy as extinguishing a fire with oil.

If the inquisitor put pressure on Ricir, it couldn’t get any better than that.

But, lo and behold.

A mishap occurred where the inquisitor showed unconditional trust towards the black magic suspect.

Thanks to that, the situation took a turn opposite to his intentions.

“That outfit… You’re an inquisitor, right?”

“From the red cross insignia, it looks like you’re not just any inquisitor, but a high priest…”

“What on earth was that ridiculous Q&A from earlier?”

“…Could it be he sensed something from him?”

Gerhen had been waiting for Ricir, who had reported to appear at the mage tower, right at the main entrance where foot traffic was the busiest.

To draw the maximum attention.

The biggest significance of this plan was to accuse Ricir in front of as many people as possible.

It was to turn the tide of public opinion that was gradually shifting.

As many onlookers gathered, the buzz began.

“I knew he had some special ability, but for Koje to recognize him at first glance?”

“…But he’s a companion of the black mage?”

“What do you think?”

“Are you asking who I trust more, Koje or the black mage? Come on. I wouldn’t have made it past an inquisitor’s interrogation that smoothly.”

“Ha ha ha. I must’ve sounded like an idiot.”

“No, it wasn’t you who sounded foolish—”

They became interested in the unexpected favoritism that the inquisitor showed toward Ricir.

At this rate, they wouldn’t just be flipping public opinion; they’d be speeding it up.

Feeling a sense of crisis, Gerhen quickly concocted a plan.

“How bewildering. Is that all?”

“Yes. From what I perceive, he’s not lying.”

Just as Koje was about to state the basis for that judgment…

“That blatant favoritism raises suspicions about your intentions.”

Gerhen, having judged that enough maneuvering had been done, interrupted her words.

Gerhen had risen through the ranks to represent noble factions due to his innate political skills.

He wasn’t so naive as to mess up by being intimidated by Koje’s position.

Master and Koje.

Their external statuses could be seen as equivalent.

This might be a different story if it involved heresy or cult-related matters—

But this was the mage tower.

One of the few places the order couldn’t act recklessly.

Although he had secured justification to intervene in the order on Master Didoa’s request, she was still an outsider.

If Gerhen wanted to use his position to sideline her, she didn’t have much room to respond.

“Favoritism? Are you suggesting I’m defending a heretic for a specific purpose?”

Of course, she wasn’t someone who could easily be dismissed, being in a position to represent the order alone.

She immediately replied with words as thorny as his.

-So now you’re saying I’m defending a black mage?

-I never said that explicitly, but are you being overly sensitive? That’s even more suspicious.

Just as that kind of mud-slinging battle was on the brink of erupting, Gerhen stepped back with a sly smile.

“Koje. As Master Gerhen has already stated, this incident has reached a new phase.”

Immediately, some people stepped forward.

“I don’t know what you’ve heard from Master Didoa, but this matter is far from over for us.”

“As proud members of the mage tower, we wish to independently resolve this matter as much as possible, so please respect that.”

They were masters of high standing within the noble factions.

Having established a closer relationship with Gerhen, they were in a position that could be said to be in the same boat as him.

If Gerhen goes down, so do we!

With that single mindset, they entirely supported Gerhen’s statements.

“…”

Their cunning rhetoric suddenly made Koje’s appearance seem strange.

Like an outsider trying to intervene forcefully to achieve a specific goal.

A few scholars perceived Gerhen’s true intentions and felt disillusioned, but they couldn’t express it outwardly.

This was a public event with many scholars present.

If they sided with Koje here, they would be branded as academics who abandoned the mage tower to side with the order.

Gerhen’s insidious intentions may have encountered slight setbacks, but they were undeniably in motion.

On a separate note, Gerhen felt impatience.

“Damn it. How did it come to this—”

He had successfully regained control, but the situation was far worse than before.

Originally, it should have been an opportunity to press Ricir without restraint.

But thanks to Koje’s intervention, it had become a precarious situation, like walking on thin ice—

“What’s going on?”

“Master Gerhen is confronting Ricir—”

“That thing, you know? Master Didoa is outside dealing with the order’s Koje—”

Meanwhile, the crowd of onlookers continued to grow.

Gerhen’s mind was racing more than ever.

He made a rapid decision.

His sharp political instincts were sending him a warning.

To push any further, he would have to be prepared for the worst.

The determination was already in place.

Otherwise, how could he have thought to bribe a black mage into perjury?

The issue was the situation.

With the massive variable of a ‘favorable Koje for the suspect’ entering the mix, it had become too dangerous to gamble with that determination.

‘Even if I have to risk a little loss, I must retreat for now.’

Opportunities would surely arise again later.

Just as Gerhen was about to take action to smooth over the situation…

“So, what exactly is the plan here?”

The tension in the previously chaotic atmosphere suddenly thickened.

The order’s Koje.

The noble factions exerting strong influence within the mage tower.

Even they, unable to act recklessly while gauging each other’s reactions, found themselves stunned when an unexpected figure spoke up.

And very forcefully at that.

Ricir.

He firmly addressed Gerhen, saying,

“For some reason, it seems I’ve disturbed your honor, so let’s settle this once and for all during this opportunity.”

Gerhen’s expression twisted in shock and anger.

Koje of the order and the masters of the tower surrounded him, engaging in a battle of nerves.

In such a setting, it was unimaginable for a mere wandering mage and bastard to confidently voice his opinion.

“Tulan. That man is the bold black mage who dared to deceive the tower’s mages. And thanks to me, a failure who has lost his entire plan due to being exposed. If he’s speaking to me, then his words are certainly laced with deception and hatred.”

“Are you saying I’m being led by the nose by that black mage’s deception?”

Gerhen glared at Ricir, his eyes filled with a quiet menace.

Ricir simply ignored that gaze and continued.

“Lord Gerhen, you are a respected master of the Gray Mage Tower. You couldn’t possibly have pressured me based solely on the black mage’s slander.”

Gerhen clenched his fists tightly. His nails digging into the flesh.

He felt contempt for the bastard who spoke without understanding his place. However, he couldn’t express that outwardly.

Attempting to suppress him with authority in this situation would surely backfire.

Gerhen’s intention to choose a venue bustling with people for this confrontation was not lost on him.

“There must have been other grounds for suspicion, and surely another plan as well. Otherwise, it would merely be like being punished for the ‘sin of exposing the black mage.’ Therefore, I want to inquire into that with all the rights I am entitled to.”

Ricir was no stranger to the way one should conduct themselves in a situation like this after spending years in a noble family.

He spoke with proper decorum.

Words and tones just as dignified as any high-ranking noble.

Soon, everyone present began to pay attention to Ricir’s statements.

At this moment, he was no longer just a straying mage or a bastard.

He was a speaker with rightful claims.

The collective gaze followed his eyes, landing on Gerhen.

That previously planned escape route collapsed all at once.

A situation with its back against the wall.

Now, whether he wanted to or not, he had no choice but to see things through to the end.

“How bold.”

Gerhen feigned calmness as he pulled out a prepared item.

“I take that to mean you have the confidence to prove your innocence, yes?”

He didn’t feel good about using this item in front of Koje, but now wasn’t the time to worry about such things.

“That’s—”

Meltras and Pamon immediately recognized the nature of the item Gerhen drew out.

Inside the container lay two specially shaped feathers—

No, one Split Feather.

It was the feather of a magical creature known as the ‘Pure Bird’, and though the exact principles had not been unveiled, it possessed the property of darkening when reacting to a target’s ‘Karma.’

The feathers were primarily categorized into three types.

Tail Feather.

Wing Feather.

Body Feather.

The property of the Pure Feather that reacts to ‘Karma’ became stronger the closer it was to the heart of the Pure Bird.

The order had often utilized this property of Pure Feathers to assess the qualifications of a priest.

The Tail Feather was what was generally used.

Even a priest who lived a life of integrity would see the pure whiteness of the Tail Feather slightly fade upon contact.

Only someone of high priest rank could maintain its pure whiteness when in contact with the Wing Feather.

“This is a Tail Feather of a Pure Bird. If you truly are innocent, then this Pure Feather will prove it.”

Pamon and Meltras thought upon hearing Gerhen’s words.

It was absurd.

Karma wasn’t a criterion for verifying a black mage.

However, his words held a deceptive persuasive power.

Pure Feather and black magic.

The combination of those two terms stirred the curiosity of the crowd.

The focus of attention returned to Ricir.

‘…’

Soon, the two of them nodded toward Ricir, as if contemplating.

Ricir.

Of all people, he might just be able to prove his innocence through this distorted method by using the Tail Feather of the Pure Bird.

Ricir also nodded and reached for the box that Gerhen had offered.

“…”

Slowly, Ricir’s hand approached.

Gerhen inwardly smiled triumphantly.

While it seemed he had some confidence by reaching for the Pure Feather without hesitation, that was far from the case.

The Pure Feather had been crafted so that the Body Feather would appear like the Tail Feather.

Even Gerhen thought it was a shallow trick.

But that was fine.

Gerhen knew well that what played a critical role in a setting like this wasn’t reason or logic, but the intensity of the moment.

The Body Feather, which couldn’t maintain its pure whiteness even among the sacred beings, would blacken as soon as it touched Ricir’s hand, leaving an unforgettable impression on the crowd.

‘It worked.’

Gerhen silently cheered in his mind.

After Ricir’s hand touched the Pure Feather, he lifted it up.

And—

“…”

And—

…nothing happened.

After enough time had passed for everyone to feel satisfied.

A murmur spread among the crowd.

“No way!”

Gerhen unconsciously shouted.

It didn’t even need to be a strong reaction.

Even if the feather darkened just a little, Gerhen felt he could handle it.

But the feather retained its original pure whiteness without even a hint of change.

“Something, something is wrong for sure!”

In his desperation, Gerhen thought he had to do something.

He did something he would never have done under normal circumstances.

He instinctively grabbed the remaining half of the feather from the box.

With a whoosh.

The remaining half of the feather darkened to absolute blackness and disappeared without a trace.

“…”

“…”

The murmurs among the crowd suddenly ceased.

Their attention swiftly shifted from Ricir’s pristine feather to Gerhen’s empty hand.

“…”

Gerhen himself fell silent, staring blankly at his hand.

“Ha.”

Bardros, who was watching the whole scene unfold next to him, burst into laughter.

He definitely thought Gerhen had tampered with the Tail Feather beforehand.

So he was ready to immediately represent Ricir should the need arise—

What kind of ridiculous situation is this?

Anyway.

At this point, surely it would be fine for him to step forward without issue.

She approached Ricir and took the Pure Feather from his hand.

And just as she was about to speak to clarify the situation, she felt something was off and checked her hands.

Was it an illusion that the once pure Tail Feather looked somewhat faded?

──────────

[Title: What the hell is wrong with this Tail Feather?]

Content: Isn’t it enough to just raise Divine Power?

-: Grab it, grab it to prove your purity.

-: It’s not Divine Power, it’s Karma that matters, okay?

-[Original Poster]: The only Karma I know is level-up, damn it.

-: If you check your stats screen, there should be something called Karma.

-[Original Poster]: Karma?

-: Yeah, that’s your Karma.

-[Original Poster]: What the hell;;; why does this feel like a paddling contest?

-[Original Poster]: So what the hell is this?

-: Roughly, it’s a numerical representation of the good influence you’ve had on the world.

-[Original Poster]: Oh, that’s what Karma meant? No wonder that champ’s name was there.

-[Original Poster]: Is 21 a high score?

-: Wouldn’t it be?

-[Original Poster]: Damn it, how do you raise this?

-: You’ll find out as you grind through destiny quests.