Dark Fantasy Normalized – Chapter 89

‘What now?’

With everything resolved smoothly, Ricir had one lingering anxiety.

It was the fact that all of this was based on a flimsy, improvised fix.

Regardless of how things turned out, the real owner of the Blue Lotus was still Rodan.

And as long as the Ego Sword was in his hands, it was uncertain when disaster would strike and the truth revealed.

‘What if Rodan realizes the truth?’

Even just pretending to draw the sword had instilled the fear of death within him—


If that human disaster fully regained his senses, death was a given.

Thus, Ricir was devising a way to completely eliminate his anxiety.

It involved fully transferring the rights to the Blue Lotus, which he had claimed for himself.

– “This sword now belongs to me!”


– “Oh, then it’s yours.”

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be that simple.

The Blue Lotus was a legendary sword imbued with magical power.

Moreover, it was the Named Sword, a symbol of the Exiled Sword, and a blade filled with memories of his Master.

Even if Rodan believed that the Master’s ego within it had vanished, it didn’t mean the sword’s value had diminished entirely.

In fact, it could be felt even more keenly as the last trace left by the Master.

‘Ah… how on earth can I…’

As Ricir contemplated the fallen Blue Lotus, he was lost in sorrow.

“…”

Rodan approached the fallen Blue Lotus and picked it up.

“Ricir.”

He carefully placed the Blue Lotus into its sheath and handed it to Ricir.

The meaning behind that action was crystal clear.

“Rodan?”

Rodan nodded in response.

“How am I supposed to…”

Ricir stammered, caught off guard.

…Outwardly at least.

‘Oh, how sweet.’

Is it really going to work out like this?

Ricir barely suppressed his curling lips.

Separately, he felt an uncomfortable question arise.

Even if the situation was trending positively, there was a limit to that.

Before celebrating, it was more important to grasp Rodan’s true intentions.

Rodan, sensing Ricir’s gaze, nodded in understanding.

Then he spoke with a bittersweet smile.

“Perhaps Master would have wished for this too.”

Creak.

Rodan’s grip tightened around the Blue Lotus but he deliberately relaxed it.

“Ah…”

Only then could Ricir comprehend Rodan’s actions.

Naturally, Rodan held an attachment to the Blue Lotus.

So much so that he wouldn’t want to hand it to anyone else.

Yet, giving up the Blue Lotus meant that the place of his Master in him was even larger.

Rodan could no longer hear the Master’s voice or feel his presence.

Thus, he was left to guess and estimate alone.

What would the Master have done?

What would have happened if the Master had been here?

In other words, transferring the Blue Lotus could be seen as the will of the Master residing within Rodan.

– “That foolish boy… What swordsman in this world would hand over such a legendary sword to another? It’s the duty of a swordsman to fight for it at the risk of bloodshed…”

“…”

Ricir thought.

He didn’t know what kind of person the Master was, but he must have been truly remarkable.

“Don’t you think the same?”

Anyways, there was no reason not to accept the favor being offered.

How could he guide the situation favorably?

After a brief consideration, Ricir opened his mouth.

“I don’t know your Master as well as you do. As for my experiences with him, they amount to just the short conversations we had. Most of those conversations were about you.”

“…”

Ricir saw it clearly.

Rodan’s mouth, which had been popping out strangely, was now retracting.

The corners of his mouth were twitching.

As expected, it seemed Rodan felt quite envious of the interest his Master had shown in him.

‘Why did the Master speak to me through that guy instead of directly?’

Ricir felt the need to ease that envy.

And for good reason—

Reflecting on the recent events and digging deeper, there were many odd corners.

Grievances often breed suspicion.

Right now, Rodan was surrendering the Named Sword in an effort to obey the Master’s will, but looking back, would the grievances not arise?

It was only a matter of time before the flames of suspicion turned into a wildfire.

So—

“What did the Master say about me?”

Ricir decided to satisfy Rodan.

No one would go digging for grievances when recalling satisfying experiences.

“About you, he said…”

Ricir chuckled.

Anyone would find it reminiscent of a silly guardian who couldn’t keep his emotions in check.

“He talked to no end about how different you are from ‘us.'”

“‘Us?'”

“Yes. Your Master used those words when referring to himself and me.”

“…”

Ricir wasn’t lying.

He merely added a flair to his tone.

As a result, the man who cursed in the absence of a disciple now appeared to be a kind, if strict, true Master in the absence of others.

This process was repeated several times—

“…”

With the progression, Rodan’s expression softened moment by moment.

No longer was there any trace of the Sword Master reluctantly surrendering his sword.

What remained was merely the face of a man who was delighted beyond measure.

‘This should be enough…’

Time to wrap things up.

Ricir delivered the words he’d been thinking.

“You know, seeing the way your Master talks about you made me ponder for a moment. I too wish to be…”

Ricir trailed off, lacking in confidence.

He had kept his promise not to lie until the very end.

What kind of idiot am I…

The murderous fiend observing this inner struggle was taken aback.

The naive fellow was no different from the corrupt priest, deceiving not only others but himself too.

“Ricir.”

Rodan clutched Ricir’s shoulder.

His face unmistakably bore the expression of someone who relished praise from his superior.

“You too can definitely be like that.”

“Really?”

“Yes. If not, why would he borrow your body?”

Rodan handed the Blue Lotus over once more.

This time, that grip was filled with cheerful emotions.

“Ricir. Please accept this sword.”

It wasn’t solely an act of adhering to the Master’s will.

That earnest attitude was imbued with a strong intention.

The Sword Master had resolved to pass on the sword to a lovely Priestess with whom he shared the same Master.

“…Understood. I will strive not to become a shameful person in front of you and your Master.”

As he received the sword and nodded solemnly, the smile on the Sword Master’s lips grew richer.

Now, there was no room for different interpretations.

It was undeniably the face of someone gazing fondly at the lovely Priestess.

With a hearty grip!

Rodan firmly gripped Ricir’s shoulders.

His one eye held a flood of affection.

“Ricir. Do you know? You may not realize it, but that Master of mine only ever showed a severe side in front of me. Perhaps he feared I might become arrogant; he never even uttered a word of acknowledgment in my presence. He never even called me a disciple. In that sense, you could argue you are a better man than I. You’ve heard him call you a disciple in person, after all.”

Rodan pulled something out from within his robes and handed it to Ricir.

A notebook overflowing with his thoughts.

“This is…?”

“It’s an account I’ve整理 on the movements and principles that form the core of my swordsmanship, approached from a superficial perspective. A trace of my struggles for enlightenment, I suppose. Now that it has served its purpose, I’ll give it to you. I can’t guarantee its usefulness, but it might be of help to you.”

“…!”

Ricir’s eyes widened.

‘He talks about it casually, but this is practically a handbook containing the teachings of a Sword Master. Moreover, there’s only one of them…’

As someone who originally came from a swordsman family, Ricir understood the value of the item being handed to him without care.

If he had shown that to his past self, he would have been blown away, for sure.

In fact, whether he was a Bastard or any other knight, the story wouldn’t change.

It was a treasure potent enough to enrapture swordsmen’s reason.

If he were to toss it at Bendel and proclaim, ‘From now on, let’s kill each other!’, likely there wouldn’t be any knight left standing!

“Thank you for this gift!”

Ricir accepted the handbook with gratitude.

‘But what happens to my lineage if I read this? I’ll be both Rodan’s disciple and Rodan’s Master since I am posing as Rodan’s Master…’

Ricir decided to put a stop to the tangle in his brain for now.

“Hahaha! A heart as big as your character! Yes! A young man like you should be like that! I like that about you! So, I’ll accept your thanks—Hey, Pfung! If you have anything that suits this guy, gather it up.”

Rodan casually tossed a small pouch onto the desk.

Before leaving the store, he spoke to Ricir again.

“Ricir. It was a pleasure. From now on, I’ll be taking time to distill the realizations I’ve had. The first step in that process will be to reflect on the path I’ve walked thus far. In that sense, I want to express my gratitude to you once more. Ricir, if you had not obstructed those nobles’ plans and persuaded me there, I would have crossed an irreversible river. I wouldn’t have been able to face my Master again. Please convey my gratitude and apology to your friends as well. I would normally visit in person, but—”

Rodan chuckled awkwardly.

“It’s not something I’m accustomed to.”

“…”

Ricir chuckled in response.

It was sensible.

If he were to barge in to apologize, they would likely be more frightened than pleased.

Of course, that would change with the current scene in mind.

“So, Ricir. If there’s another chance, let’s meet again. Under better circumstances than this.”

The Sword Master departed.

At the same time, someone was approaching Ricir with a terrifying momentum.

The Dwarf lady, Pfung.

The owner of the weapon shop moved swiftly and stood right in front of Ricir.

‘This is my chance to hand my weapons to a genius swordsman who earned the Ego Sword’s recognition!!!’

“Hey!”

She shouted energetically.

With shining eyes, she looked up at the man in front of her.

“Did you hear what the Exiled Sword said? If there’s something you want, don’t hesitate to say it! Feel free to browse around!”

“…”

Ricir, still dazed, began to roam around the shop’s interior.

‘Please, please!!!’

Pfung prayed earnestly.

That he would take an interest in the weapons she had created.

“Um, do you perhaps—”

“Oh, yes! Do you want something!?”

“Do you happen to sell Magic Wands as well?”

“?”

*

Later, Ricir hurried back to Councilor Lan’s mansion to report the situation.

“Ricir!”

Lan and the three big shots rushed out to greet him.

“Are you okay!? That crazy person didn’t do anything strange, did he!?”

Shakan and the others were looking at Ricir as if he were a ghost.

The Exiled Sword Master.

That person was supposed to be with a madman, yet here he was, returning in such a calm manner.

The sight was beyond surprising.

“Huh…?”

At that moment, their gazes fell to Ricir’s waist.

A sword that had never been there before hung from him.

They all knew that Ricir was a Mage.

So why was there suddenly a sword?

Moreover, the aura surrounding it was anything but ordinary.

The sword sheath, embossed with the design of blue flowers, could be called a work of art by itself.

“…Wait a moment.”

In that instant, they recalled the name of a certain sword.

Blue Lotus.

The name of the Named Sword symbolizing the ‘Exiled’ in Exiled Sword Master.

“Could it be that sword… Blue Lotus?”

“Do you recognize it?”

“…!”

The young Mage who had been taken by the Sword Master had returned.

Holding the Named Sword that was the lifeblood of the Sword Master.

“Everyone?”

Councilor Lan and the three big shots.

Even the butlers and servants who had remained nearby took steps back from the young Mage without realizing it.