Dark Fantasy Normalized – Chapter 74

After returning to the lodging with Ricir,

Katria felt as if she was endlessly swimming in the deep sea.

Suddenly, the pond she watched with Ricir came to mind.

Could it feel like this if one fell deep into that pond?

The scenery and sounds, everything around felt blurry.

As I tried to remember the final moments with him, that’s how it became.

It was paradoxical, as it was precisely because I was aware of those last moments.

At some point, I snapped back to reality and found myself huddled in a corner of the dark room.

Ah.

I see.

It’s all over.

Late regrets surged in like a tide.

Could I have done better?

Of course, I know it’s a meaningless assumption.

From the point where I led the other’s life to complete ruin, all related actions are mere deception and self-satisfaction.

It seemed I understood the meaning of the word “disappointment.”

The area around my heart felt like it had been entirely hollowed out.

I know.

I shouldn’t be ruled by this disappointment.

There were countless things still left to do.

Taking responsibility for what I’ve done, cleaning up…

Katria calmly started to plan her future.

That was what I intended to do.

“…”

But when I regained my composure, I found myself blankly staring at the wall once again, lying on the bed.

How much time had passed?

I didn’t know.

This can’t be happening.

I know.

So…

…

…

…

Chirp chirp chirp.

The sound of birds singing came through faintly.

Morning had brightened without me realizing it.

“…Ah!”

Katria sprang up reflexively.

A vibrant smile rose to her previously dazed face.

It was almost time for him to wake up.

I need to prepare breakfast and get ready to wake him—

“…Ah.”

That’s right.

The routine of being a maid.

I don’t have to do that anymore.

Katria froze, her expression and posture unchanged.

The daily routine that had governed her life recently had completely lost its meaning.

It’s okay.

Being a maid was merely a temporary status.

There were many things to do aside from her duties as a maid.

For example—

“…”

When I came to my senses, I was once again lying there blankly staring at the wall.

I could do nothing.

I couldn’t think at all.

I thought that this shouldn’t be happening.

But that was all.

Didn’t I look like a worthless shell to others?

‘…Shell?’

Katria rose and headed to the storage cabinet in one corner of the room.

Inside the depths of the cabinet was a pocket.

From that ‘pocket space storage artifact,’ she pulled out two bottles of ‘Turbid Truth.’

One bottle had become a harmless liquid for some unspecified reason that Katarina had struggled to uncover but ultimately couldn’t.

The other bottle was new and unopened.

Katria received another bottle of Turbid Truth from Keren to uncover some factor that had purified the Turbid Truth.

Thus, she stared absentmindedly at the now meaningless Turbid Truth.

‘…’

A way to apologize popped into her mind.

Had it been the usual Katria, she would have known that that way of apologizing was absolutely wrong.

She wouldn’t have even entertained such thoughts, had she spent the night in disarray.

But now, her thoughts felt like they had a gaping void, just like that emotion.

At that moment, Katria’s hand touched Turbid Truth.

Knock knock.

A voice came along with the sound of a knock on the door.

Katria smiled bitterly.

She knew her current state was anything but normal.

But never did she expect it to be this bad.

“Tia. Wake up. We’re going to see Bondales.”

“…”

His voice, which shouldn’t be heard, spoke the words she wanted to hear the most right now.

Suddenly, she thought, could it be that he came to greet her?

Thinking that way only strengthened her resolve.

Katria picked up the Turbid Truth.

“…Tia? Is something wrong? Can I come in?”

At that moment, the door opened.

Ricir stood near the door and looked at Katria, tilting his head in confusion.

“Hey, you were awake? But why—”

“…”

“Were you pretending to be asleep so you wouldn’t hear about the breakfast they missed because you overslept? Damn, what an awkward situation. What should I do? Should I just close the door and act like nothing happened? And then go back to my room and lie down again?”

Is this also an illusion?

No, she couldn’t have made such elaborate and vivid nonsense up.

Katria mumbled absentmindedly.

“Ricir…?”

“Not my lord? Did I just get deprived of my lordship? Damn. To be fired by a maid. That’s disqualifying my lordship, huh? Being disqualified from my lordship is itself a disqualification…”

Ricir muttered nonsensically with an incredibly serious face.

At that moment, his gaze fell upon the Turbid Truth in Katria’s hand.

Katria instinctively tried to hide the Turbid Truth.

But, was it just her feeling?

Did the unique violet indicating Turbid Truth’s toxicity seem to fade a little?

Katria brought the Turbid Truth closer to observe it carefully.

What she could see was, in real-time, the unique violet color of the Turbid Truth significantly fading.

And Ricir gazing at her from beyond the bottle.

“What is that?”

Ricir joined in the observation of the Turbid Truth.

So he stepped closer and peered into the Turbid Truth.

Extremely poisonous Turbid Truth.

Turning into clear water.

“?”

As Katria twisted the Turbid Truth this way and that to examine it, she shook it for good measure.

And observed again.

Extremely poisonous Turbid Truth.

Clearly turning into water.

Katria set the Turbid Truth down and stared at Ricir with a dumbfounded expression.

“What’s up? You seem unusual today. Is something wrong?”

“…No. Just, a bit, very much, greatly confused.”

“Geez. If it’s just a bit very much greatly confused, how confused is it? I think I should calculate it. Anyway, are you okay? Can you go out to see Bondales?”

“…”

Despite the confusion, Katria was unconsciously nodding her head.

*

“Oh, by the way, Tia. If you’re okay, can we stop by somewhere before heading out to see Bondales?”

The place that Katria arrived at, following Ricir, was Master Didoa’s laboratory in the Alchemy Hall.

“Ms. Didoa, you called for me?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry if you feel bad about it. I didn’t mean to bother Ricir for my personal matters, but remember when Ricir asked something back then? I seemed to have figured it out, so I ended up unintentionally summoning Ricir here. Sorry if you were busy. And I’m glad to see you. Good morning! It’s exciting to see Ricir this early! By the way, have you eaten breakfast? I recently discovered a new sandwich combo that I think you should try, Ricir, it’d be great to get your opinion. Of course, I’m not forcing you. The opinion is just an excuse to treat you to my favorite food—”

“Please, Ms. Didoa, calm down. I’m going to die here listening.”

“Oh. Sorry. I just got too excited seeing Ricir, and if you feel bad, I apologize.”

“Thanks for not feeling bad. By the way, can I try that new sandwich combo you mentioned? As it happens, our maid overslept due to a rough night at the picnic, and I haven’t had breakfast.”

“Really? That’s great. I didn’t think Ricir would really want to eat it. Here you go.”

Didoa handed a plate to Ricir.

Ricir’s head raised up.

Before him loomed the magnificent tower of sandwiches.

“Your hands are a bit big.”

“I’m sorry if you feel bad.”

“Tia, did you hear? If we leave this, Master Didoa will feel bad, so think of it like you’re visiting your grandma’s house and focus.”

“…”

Ricir and Katria sat down and began to shorten the layers of the sandwich tower.

Before them, Didoa continued speaking.

“Just listen while you eat.”

In Didoa’s gloved hand rested a rough piece of ore.

A mana stone. The mana crystal contained Ricir’s mana.

Feeling the heat energy coming from the mana, Ricir inquired Didoa about it.

“I’ll get to the point so you don’t feel bad. Back then, you mentioned, for some reason, your mana suddenly started to hold fire energy, but actually, that’s not fire energy.”

“Wh-wh-what? (But it’s burning nicely?)”

Ricir answered with a mouthful of sandwich.

“Should I call it a more fundamental force? The energy of heat. Among them, it’s the power the southern alchemists call ‘The Mirage of the Celestial Globe.’ It means the power of the sun.”

“Is that the energy of the sun?”

“It’s quite rare. To gain the energy of the sun postnatally, Ricir, have you recently refined and consumed any herbs?”

“No?”

“I’m asking because the way to obtain the energy of the sun postnatally is largely predetermined. The typical ones are the Four Hundred Year Herb, Lava Grass, and the extremely rare Mandiaryan Blossom. To properly refine those on the continent is something only a handful of people can do.”

“Then did I eat those herbs without realizing it?”

“That’s unlikely. The herbs I just mentioned bloom only once every several decades in the most concentrated spots deep in the wilderness. Most of them are tightly controlled by the rulers of those areas, so they are rarely exported. To exaggerate a bit, we might never see those herbs in our lifetime.”

“Then why did that energy of the sun suddenly move into my body? I did a bit of sunbathing recently.”

Katria’s mouth dropped open in astonishment as she busily chewed on her sandwich.

The Toxic Four Hundred Year Herb.

Refined in the stomach.

*

After leaving Didoa’s laboratory, the two headed to the Mage Hall, where Master Meltas’ research room was located.

“Ricir, was the name you mentioned back then definitely Verbandes?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Where did you hear that name?”

“I coughed.”

“?”

“Then a black orb came out.”

“?”

“That was the remnant of Verbandes.”

“Got it. I completely understand. It’s a common occurrence.”

“Really?”

“Oh, by the way, when I say common occurrence, I mean when you’re doing something outrageous.”

“Haha. So what does this friend Verbandes do?”

“He’s a powerful demon that has ruled the ancient southern desert for centuries.”

“Why is such a friend inside me?”

“I’m just as curious and nearly going crazy. What on earth have you done? Surely, Verbandes should be sealed within the Sahila family, ruling the south.”

“Oh, I have a clue.”

“What is it!? Tell me!”

“Ms. Didoa said that I have the energy of the sun, so, the desert and my body have similar climates—ah, never mind. Just forget I said anything.”

“Good thinking.”

“…”

Katria, who had been listening quietly, felt a tremble in her eyes.

The demon Verbandes.

Being digested.

She combined the information she had gained up to now.

And—

“Uh? Tia. What is it?”

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t slept through the night.

When she made eye contact with that unfathomable existence, Katria lost consciousness.

*

“Is that maid girl alright?”

“Yes. For some reason, it seems she had a rough night without sleep. I assure you that it’s not because of Lord Meltas’s stories, so don’t worry.”

“You’re reminding me of something I never thought of.”

“Huh?”

As Ricir laid the maid Tia down on a sofa in the laboratory and covered her with a blanket, he cocked his head in confusion.

“What’s up?”

“I’m trying to speak…”

“Oh, is she awake, maid lady?”

“No, I mean not this girl.”

“Huh? Then who—speak so I can understand.”

“Verbandes. That friend.”

“What?”

*

The mountain of sand that obscures the sun, Verbandes.

This grand existence raises a storm of sand with a single gesture, casting its towering body to shroud the sun of the desert and summon the night.

As the lord of the desert, he enslaved all living beings there.

The great hero Sahila liberated them from the demon’s tyranny.

In the process, corpses piled high as the mountains of sand.

A tragedy that must never be repeated.

Sahila paid a great price to seal him away.

Even as he failed to find a method to destroy his very existence, Verbandes hurled scornful words at him.

-You insignificant mortals.

-The moment I break free of this seal, night shall return to your desert.

*

“…So what does this friend Verbandes say?”

“…He wants to make a contract.”

“So what did you say?”

“…I said no. Then he wanted to talk.”

“What did he say?”

“…I said no. Then he asked me to please listen.”

The demon Verbandes.

Trapped in the human body.

“…”

Despite Meltas having mentally prepared for it, he was astonished.

“A demon, begging a human…?”

It was the first time even the vast knowledge of the Mage Tower Master encountered such a case.