Dark Fantasy Normalized – Chapter 9

“Master?”

The Master, who had been momentarily shocked, covered their mouth with their hand and started making a fuss.

“Can you believe it, Duran? My disciple is getting married! It feels like just yesterday when Ricir was introduced to us, and now they’re already becoming a groom!”

<Well, it was actually just yesterday, not even the day before.>

“Oh, really? I must’ve gotten confused since Ricir feels so special to me!”

“Is that really true? Just yesterday was when we met? I thought it had been 10 years?”

“See? Even Ricir is saying the same thing.”

<What a mess. Shouldn't those two just get married already? >

“Oh my. Should we do that, Ricir?”

“Unfortunately, I’m already taken…”

“Well, that settles that.”

Hmm. A political marriage, huh?

Duran had fallen into thought, listing keywords related to political marriage.

“Ricir?”

“Yes, Master.”

“What does my disciple think about it?”

“A live-in son-in-law? Honestly, as a bastard, I don’t really think I have much choice in the family affairs. But yes, it’s quite awkward for me.”

“Oh my. Do you have someone special in mind? Who? Who? Perhaps they’re not human? A bit tall for a woman? Rare silver hair? An impressively intellectual woman? Do they live in a dark forest, keeping their skin away from the sun and looking exquisite? No brag, but do they have quite a captivating body?”

<Calm down, Pamon. My face is getting hot. It’s a book, but still.>

I calmed down the approaching Master and resumed our conversation.

“Well, about that live-in son-in-law… it sounds nice in theory, but realistically, being sold off to someone else doesn’t sit well, right? Given how uncomfortable I already am in my birthplace, I can’t even imagine how much more trouble being a bastard in another area would bring.”

“Hmm~ Well, still a live-in son-in-law, so they can’t overtly mistreat you, but like Ricir said, you’d face some hardships.”

“Plus, more importantly, I was planning to leave here soon.”

“Leave?”

“I was thinking of abandoning my bastard life and starting anew. Seems the bastard role has a clear ceiling, after all.”

“…”

“…”

Both the Master and Duran were looking at me with curious expressions.

Even for a book, still.

“I always thought from the beginning that my disciple is quite unique.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Usually, people in the same situation as Ricir tend to obsess over such matters.”

<For reference, 'people in the same situation' refers to bastards.>

“Oh, Duran. I’m not even that curious, but thanks for the clarification. By the way, is it really that rare for a bastard to escape their family?”

The Master gently stroked my hair.

“Bastards are honestly just a hair’s breadth away from nobility, you know? It’s all about whether you can carry your family name or not.”

“True.”

“Generally, their goal is to gain that permission from their family.”

I was the same as well, precisely my past self.

My past self lived with the singular thought of getting my father to acknowledge me.

“Even if you get that permission, you still need to metaphorically reveal that you’re a bastard, and well. A family that acknowledges a bastard pretty much becomes a challenge for that clan. In other words, a bastard can only be looked down upon by their own kin—essentially becoming a formal noble in a way.”

As the Master spoke, they shook their head mildly.

“I’m not sure if I should say this in front of my disciple, but honestly, I don’t understand? Is the name ‘noble’ worth pursuing that much? Even if it’s just a facade?”

Right now, I share the Master’s thoughts.

In contrast, my past self—

<That's because you're special even without a noble title.>

At that moment, Duran interjected.

<There are those who think they’re nothing without it. Those who believe being a noble is everything to them. For such people, there could be no greater or once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's a world we don't comprehend. So, it’s best not to make careless statements. Pamon, you presumably understand this story.>

“…Yeah. I was careless.”

Duran’s words didn’t entirely reflect my past thoughts.

But they did represent them to a degree.

I had thought,

Even if I was a bastard, if I got permission to use the family name, everything would be alright.

It might be a bit extreme, but it must be understood.

An adult’s biases and discrimination have enough power to shape an innocent child into a monster ruled by inferiority.

“My disciple? Did I say something wrong?”

Lost in thought, I noticed the Master cautiously watching me.

“Oh. No, not at all. I think what you and Duran said all make sense.”

<What’s with that? Acting like I'm the outsider here.>

“My disciple. How could you be so open-minded?”

The Master continued to ruffle my hair as they spoke.

“Back to the point. I support Ricir.”

“You mean leaving the family?”

“Yeah. Dealtan isn’t a good place for Ricir to sharpen the value of their unique color. The same goes for Heyeren.”

“So, where would be suitable?”

“There’s no limit to learning. However, there’s really no better place to broaden your horizons than the imperial capital.”

“Then I’ll follow your advice, Master.”

“Oh my. Can you really make such a decision so easily?”

“I trust your wisdom.”

“Oh my oh my oh my. Is my disciple only thinking about how to speak beautifully all day long?”

Whack whack whack!

The Master’s hand began to get a bit rough as they patted my head.

Is the magic lesson already starting?

Is the attribute fire?

It’s getting hot though.

“But Master, after your business in Heyeren is done, are you heading to the imperial capital?”

“No. I’ll be stopping by the imperial capital for a bit, but not right away. I have many places to tend to.”

“And after you’re done with everything?”

“Well, I’ll probably have to go back to where I came from? The forest. I have unfinished business there.”

“Then can I follow you?”

“That would be nice~”

<Oh, that'd be great? Dragging Ricir's corpse around halfway through? >

“Hey, Duran. You need to watch what you say. I get it, I know. I was just joking around.”

The Master locked eyes with me.

“Ricir, you just need to live your life, okay? There’s no need to always follow me just because I’m your Master.”

“…That’s a nice sentiment, but is that your logic when planning to abandon your disciple in a week?”

“Yikes~”

The Master made a sound with their mouth and subtly distanced themselves from me.

“But don’t worry? A week for us will feel like a year.”

<Pamon. I must admit, I respect that expression artistically.>

“Oh my~ I just got my literary talent recognized by a book~”

“Wow~ A week that feels like a year~”

No matter how I think about it, I feel like I chose the wrong Master.

After walking for about 20 minutes from the library, I arrived at the residential area.

“Arrival.”

The Master casually entered a house that looked like their own.

“Oh. Master, you have a place in Heyeren? I guess you come here often?”

“Of course.”

<It’s an empty house. I found an old one while wandering yesterday that had signs of magic.>

“Duran~”

“…Master?”

“Are you disappointed? That your Master is a mere nobody who can’t have a decent house in the city?”

“No.”

“Good to hear.”

“I was disappointed that an empty house belonged to a mere nobody.”

“Not allowed~”

And with that, I silently followed the Master into the living room of the house.

This wasn’t the kind of person to be surprised or criticized by little things. Our Master is not.

“Ricir? Take this.”

The Master placed a silver orb in my palm.

“Can you imagine that silver orb as your hand and try to move it?”

“Sure.”

“For the next week, we’re going to focus on moving that silver orb. But first, I should tell you the significance of this training. As I said, we only have a week of time—”

“Master?”

“-don’t we? Huh? My disciple.”

“Is it supposed to be floating like this?”

“Exactly. That’s our ultimate goal; to have that silver orb floating in the air—…Huh?”

“Huh?”

<Huh?>

The three of us emitted a sound in unison.

Books aren’t people, but still.

“…?”

The Master gently tapped the silver orb hovering slightly above my hand.

“Master?”

The Master muttered absentmindedly.

“I guess I need to rework the curriculum~?”

In a rather heated tone.

It was surprisingly outrageous.

I never knew learning magic could demand so much physical strength.

“Ugh. I could die.”

My muscles were lively, but my whole body was screaming. Even my soul was.

How could you all be tired?

I’m suffering in 3D.

It’s as if I died three times over.

Three days had passed since the magic lessons began.

Having finished training, I staggered back to Bendel Mansion.

The Master reinforced that learning magic isn’t just about burning sheer time; rest is just as important.

As a result, even after training, the sky remained blue and clear. It was only about lunchtime, I suppose?

A short nap and reading the book the Master painstakingly transcribed would be perfect.

Thus, I was on my way back to my cozy annex.

Clatter!

I heard a sudden noise as if someone leaped from a chair somewhere.

“Miss, wait just a moment—”

A hurried voice tried to hold me back.

“Ricir!!!”

A bright voice completely ignored the call.

I felt a slight impact on my back, almost like a baby bird crashing into me.

That was about the weight I sensed behind me.

And then, delicate thin arms sprang out and embraced me.

Turning around, I found a pure white girl hugging me tightly.

“I missed you!!!”

The girl looked up at me with endlessly clear eyes.

“Ah…!”

I recognized her immediately.

‘Who are you?’

I noticed that we were meeting for the first time.

──────────

[I resisted]

[Resistance target: Mental Interference]