Dark Fantasy Normalized – Chapter 75

Keren is dead.

Therefore, Katria should not have looked back.

She clenched her eyes shut and began to run.

That cursed city of cursed humans. Bondales.

The sight of the alley flashed past her.

For some reason, it overlapped with the scenery of her hometown, Keheulin.

It’s exhausting.

And yet, I miss it.

Suddenly, that thought struck her.

Why am I here?

How did it come to this?

Her younger brother, who disappeared one day without a trace.

And the light-hearted letter he sent.

She had certainly thought it would be the start of an exciting journey—

But now, at the end of that journey, she was left with nothing.

Her precious brother and the respected Keren.

And even her former self.

“Ah…!”

At that moment, the surrounding chaos came to a halt.

Something tripped her foot, causing her to stumble.

Whoosh.

Then, something slashed at her ankle.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

The dark elf’s piercing scream filled the filthy alley of humans.

Katria skidded on the ground and flipped over.

Thus, she confirmed the face of her attacker.

“…!”

Contrary to her expectations, it wasn’t a human standing there, but a dark elf.

They extended a sword instead of a hand towards the fallen Katria and spoke.

“Miss, please hand over the body ofverbandes.”

Katria realized.

Why she was here.

How it had come to this.

…How foolish she had been, blindly hating humans.

*

[Title: Curious About the Current Fate Quest of Katria]

Content: So why on earth did her brother leave the comfortable Keheulin to enter the human world?

He wouldn’t have done it just to realize his identity and become a slave, right?

-: His girlfriend seduced him.

– [Author]: “Hah… did he hear something like ‘I find it so sexy when you’re whipped while wearing a collar’?”

-: You bastard.

-: “Ah~ I find it so sexy when you help release a demon~” I heard that too.

-: Kella, the demon follower, approached him to release the demon sealed by the Sahila family.

– [Author]: How does making him a slave relate to releasing a demon?

Does the demon feel empowered when it sees a dark elf male slave or something?

Bastard, what nonsense.

-: To explain simply,

The demon seal needs maintenance.

Katria is the one responsible for that maintenance.

= Katria’s mind is connected to the seal.

– [Author]: Oh crap, lol.

– [Author]: No way, is that it?

– [Author]: Katria’s mind breaks = the demon seal breaks too, huh?

Did they kidnap her brother to mess with Katria?

-: Yeah, and also to retrieve the demon seal stone that her brother possesses. Part 2.

– [Author]: So is the reason Katria has been particularly oppressed by humans because of that?

-: Yeah, about half of it is due to the actions of the demon followers.

– [Author]: Half of it?

-: Kella said, “Huh? They’re not mine though?”

-: Just a huge mess.

*

[Title: This fate quest is nuts]

Content: [The person you killed was originally a good victim, lol] I’ve gotten used to that,

And then they hit you with capsicum extract three shots right after.

[The person you killed was really a good victim, lol. You’re the bastard who ruined their life, helping them. Now that bastard is going to go out and kill a lot of people with your help, lol. Good luck, lol.] Is seriously crossing the line.

If ‘I died eating katsu’ is how it sells out, then ‘I died, oh lord’ is really it.

-: I can’t believe they show Katria’s end right when she enters the Keheulin area.

-: “Thanks. Because you killed Captain Keren, I was able to capture and torture the now sole remaining Katria without loss, and then I can release the demon and rampage in Keheulin, ooooooooooooooooo.”

– [Author]: Really, is this crazy dark elf bastards attacking innocent people?

-: Innocent people = the slave dealer selling the cute girl who was just totally pining over your brother, and those bastards who fed her poison and played with her before tossing her aside.

-: Crazy dark elf bastards = all revenge on those who did wrong to their brother.

-[Author]: Kyaaaaaaaa!

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It was like clouds covering the sky.

Yellow clouds made of sandstorms engulfed Keheulin.

And a single bolt of lightning.

The thunder roared throughout the city amid the storm.

– Bow before the mountain of sand that blocks the sun, bugs.

– The true master of this desert has returned.

The storm left behind a sea of sand and chaos that enveloped the entire city.

The desert night was upon them.

[Region: Keheulin]

──────────

“Ugh.”

Ricir scowled.

Then Meltas looked at him worriedly.

“What is it, Ricir!”

“It’s a bit noisy.”

“Is it the voice of the demon!? This is bad. I warn you, never listen to their voices! They are not something a mortal body can handle. If you let your guard down, you’ll be consumed by madness! Also, they will try to deceive you no matter what! So be sure to consult with me first when talking to them! Let me know the content of that discussion, and we’ll figure out how to respond together!”

“Well, that’s serious then. Should I tell Sir Meltas everything that has been said so far?”

“Do listen!”

– Can you hear me!? Finally!? My voice!?

“Huh?”

– Good! Pathetic bug! Bow before the mountain of sand that blocks the sun, respond to your new master’s call!

“Hm…!”

– Did I not say respond!? Hurry!!!

“Hm?”

– If you do not respond to my words right now, I will have you eternally gnawed by sand!

– You will suffer the agony of your skin and insides wearing away while still alive!

“Hm…!”

– …Good! Then just listen!

“Hm?”

– Let me out of here right now!

– If you don’t, everything you love will be buried in the sand and eroded!

“Hm…!”

– No, no! I misspoke!

“Hm?”

– If you let me out, I shall grant you infinite power and glory!

– Hurry!

– Please!!!

– Kyaaaaaaaaa!!!

– You cursed bug!!!

– What the hell are you doing to me!!!

– Stop! Please stop!!!

…

“This is the conversation we just shared. That weak appearance is an attempt to deceive me, right?”

“…Poor thing.”

“Wait! Have I already been gotten by that monster!?”

“Not you, but that demon.”

“?”

“The demon’s other name is deceiver. They enjoy toying with mortals as they please, gaining the utmost pleasure from it.”

“So you mean all of that was an act?”

“At the same time, they are arrogant beings. Even in moments when their own extinction is on the line, they refuse to bow to mortals.”

“Oh? Then what of that one?”

“Hmm…”

Meltas fell into thought.

“Perhaps it’s due to your power of purification—normalizing power—that this is happening.”

“Are you saying that my power of purification is inflicting pain even to those arrogant demons—?”

“What a ridiculous thing to say.”

“Indeed, it is?”

“But you are Ricir.”

“?”

“So, I would say it’s entirely possible.”

“What exactly do you think of me?”

“I think of you as Ricir. Unfortunately, no stronger expression comes to mind.”

With those words, Meltas fell into thought.

An immensely powerful demon that has earned a name is suffering in a human body.

As previously stated, the three characters ‘Ricir’ could explain the situation adequately.

However, conversely, it was also a situation that could not be explained without those three characters.

Meltas endeavored to draw a rational conclusion as a scholar.

“Perhaps the written records have been exaggerated.”

“The written records, you say?”

“It sometimes happens, you know. To enhance the status of a clan, they exaggerate their achievements.”

“Ah! I get it. A powerful demon that has ruled the desert region for centuries. At first glance, it seems like they must have ruled an entire city, but in reality, they might have just been a little troublemaker occupying a hill and preventing people from passing.”

“Exactly. A flaw of the records, if you will.”

The two looked at each other and nodded satisfactorily.

– Ricir!

– Ricir!?

– Ricir!!!

– …Ricir!!!

As they escaped from the primitive and barbaric way of thinking like a primitive language system and pursued rational thought, they felt an intoxicating sensation of becoming intellectuals.

“Anyway, what the hell is going on here.”

At that moment, the maid Tia, who had been sleeping on the sofa, stirred.

“Why is a demon that should be way down in the south desert inside you? This is a situation that can’t even be explained with ‘Ricir.’ Don’t you have any guesses?”

“Hmm… Shall we ask the party in question?”

The party in question.

Ricir was referring to Verbandes.

However, there was another party in question reacting to that phrase—

“…I can explain it.”

“Hm?”

The voice of a third party chiming in.

The maid Tia, having regained her senses, was now looking at them.

“Oh, Tia. You’re awake. Are you feeling alright?”

“…”

*

Katria staggered towards Ricir.

As she cautiously touched Ricir’s face—

“…!”

She gasped and quickly withdrew her hand.

As though she couldn’t accept that her filth was touching the pristine treasure that was Ricir.

The expression Katria wore while gazing at Ricir was incredibly complex.

Within the narrow canvas of expression, a multitude of emotions clashed violently.

“Are you feeling okay? You should be the one—”

“Yeah?”

“You really… are okay…?”

No. She felt a bit bloated.

Perhaps she’d eaten too much of that Didoa-style sandwich earlier.

But she maintained her smile, and that was enough.

Ricir, about to say something random out of habit, became serious when he saw Katria’s expression.

After carefully gauging her intentions, he responded cautiously.

“Yeah. Whatever you’re worried about, as far as I can tell, I have no problems.”

“…”

Katria’s delicate face contorted rapidly.

On one hand, it seemed as if she was trying not to cry, and on the other, as if she were holding back laughter.

Her lips trembled and flitted about repeatedly.

Thank you.


I’m sorry.

What should she say among those two?

“…It was me.”

That was Katria’s choice.

She revealed to Ricir all the things she’d done to him.

Feeding him Turbid Truth.

Giving him four hundred years.

Possessing him with a demon.

And that was all.

How they were treated and what was done to them in the human world.

What kind of prejudice arose against them.

How that prejudice was mistakenly applied to Ricir.

What efforts she made to correct the mistakes stemming from her misunderstandings.

Katria made no mention of those intricacies that could be called backstories.

“…Why?”

“Does it matter?”

Katria responded to Ricir’s question with a brazen smile.

‘He’s safe…’


She felt no need to hope for more than that.

She didn’t want to disrupt the contempt that would come next.

“Intention, reason—what does it matter? In the end, what remains is the result. And that result is that I tried to harm you.”

“…”

“So what will you do now?”

Katria thought she’d been waiting for him to respond.

She hoped he would turn his gaze towards contempt—

Slap her face and finger-point at her—

That he would declare he’d put her in chains to pay for her sins—

She thought she would be purely satisfied that she could finally take the consequences she deserved for her actions.

However, the reality was different.

In fact, she was afraid of his gaze full of disdain.

She feared remaining in his memory as a terrible person.

In her heart, she wanted to take all measures to mend her relationship with him.

“What’s the matter? Are you going to be quiet again? Just like when I took advantage of you without you knowing?”

But on the outside, she wore a dreadful smile, leading him toward his contempt.

That was a kind of defense mechanism stemming from the thought that it was absolutely impossible for her to be forgiven by him.

And so, Katria patiently awaited the impending humiliation from Ricir.

*

In the last few days.

While Katria was busy in the Mage Tower to save Ricir, Keren, the captain of the Dalgrim Knights, was trailing through Bondales with the slave trader Leisha to unravel the truth of the incidents.

“Here we are…”

“The mansion’s courtyard?”

“Yes… This morning when I came out, Drían was here… in an unconscious state…”

The current situation.

It’s certain.

This incident didn’t simply stem from Drían, the third son of Sahila, going astray.

There was undoubtedly the involvement of a third party with ulterior motives.

Keren began to gather the clues of the incident with the cooperation of the slave trader Leisha.

Then, one day.

A letter arrived at Leisha’s mansion.

– If you want to save Drían, come to the designated location.

It was an abandoned house located in the alley.

In the basement of that abandoned house, a figure cloaked in a robe awaited Keren.

Keren recognized her.

A woman by the name of Kella. She was the noble lady of the Sahila upper nobility, often seen with Drían.

…On the surface, that is.

His instincts were sending warning signals.

‘That’s not Kella.’

A sinister energy filled the space that was beyond the complete comprehension of a 7th rank sorcerer.

Kella’s crimson lips curled into a peculiar smile.

“Congratulations. You’ve managed to retrieve Drían successfully.”

“…”

That expression was disturbing.

At this point, it was clear that she was the one behind all of this.

Keren wanted nothing more than to behead her immediately.

But that unknown force made it uncomfortable.

That unknown ease made him uneasy.

Whatever interpretation she had gotten from Keren’s atmosphere, Kella’s smile only grew.

“You’ve made a good decision. If you kill me now, you won’t be able to save the two Sahila’s you serve.”

The two Sahila.

This meant it wasn’t just Drían that was under the weight of that filthy hand.

“Do you see this?”

Kella rolled up her robe to reveal a topaz bracelet on her wrist.

That was the Sahila treasure, the Eye of Verbandes, which the third son Drían had taken out of the vault before leaving Keheulin.

If the hand of Verbandes imprisoned the demon, then the Eye of Verbandes acted as another prison, serving as the source of the seal.

“…!”

Keren’s eyes widened as he confirmed the state of the Eye of Verbandes.

The topaz was muddied. So murky that it couldn’t be seen through.

This indicated that Katria’s mental state, responsible for maintaining the seal, was nearing its limit.

“Even after retrieving Drían, with such a thing, it seems you’ve caught on. That Drían’s state is anything but normal.”

“…What have you done to my brother?”

“Who knows?”

Kella wore a sinister smile.

“I can tell you this; until I permit it, he shall never regain consciousness.”

*

In the guest room prepared for the VIPs in the Mage Tower.

A dark elf who had been asleep for several days finally awakened.

He propped himself up and stretched with all his might.

“Ugh~”

What a glorious sleep.

Drían, in this unfamiliar place, was simply in a good mood.

*

“You see, if Drían isn’t saved, the noble lady of Sahila, whom all the dark elves long for, will cross the river that cannot be returned from.”

Kella boasted as she displayed the Eye of Verbandes.

“So, Keren. As the captain of the Dalgrim Knights, I trust you’ll grant my request willingly?”

On the surface, she seemed polite, but the atmosphere clearly mocked the opponent, causing Keren’s expression to twist in frustration.

“?”

Keren’s expression changed as he gazed at the Eye of Verbandes.

Kella, sensing something, looked to see the Eye of Verbandes again.

“?”

Sparkling.

The previously murky appearance seemed like a lie, as the topaz regained its brilliant shine in the darkness.

At this very moment.

Katria’s heart regained complete tranquility.

Neither of them understood the reason.

*

At last, Ricir spoke up.

And Katria couldn’t believe her ears.

“What did you just say…”

She couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

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▷Fate 17: Despicable Race – Deactivated.

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