Dark Fantasy Normalized

"Is this good or bad?"

Having inadvertently committed what some might call the ultimate taboo, Lisir found himself at a loss.

"Damn it, I didn’t mean for this to happen."

After all, wasn’t this the very item its creator had repeatedly downplayed as a second-rate version of the original?

Lisir had vaguely assumed it would be "good but not too good," never imagining it would drive high-ranking figures like Masters and Archmages into such a frenzy.

But what could he do now?

What was done, was done.

All that remained was to feign ignorance and plead for leniency.

While the predators were too busy snarling at one another, Lisir stealthily tucked the spirit core away, watching the chaos unfold.

"So this is how far it’s come... They’re going all the way, huh."

What began as emotional shouting—“Move aside! That’s mine!”—among priests and mages eventually evolved into a "civilized debate" full of forced politeness:

"Allow me to present the reasons our group deserves to keep the spirit core."

"Oh? Very well, then. Shall we also hear the perspective of our side? Please, proceed."

A spectacle of composure and faux sophistication.

Lisir couldn’t resist interjecting.

"Excuse me, everyone. Just to clarify—this item still legally belongs to me, correct?"

“...!”

“...!”

“...!”

At his piercingly obvious observation, everyone—except the elves—looked as though they’d been struck by lightning.

Oh no!

Had they, too, fallen into the trap of behaving like elves? (Elves, known for asserting themselves as the ultimate authority on anything spirit-related.)

From their perspective, the spirit core Lisir displayed was at least that of a high-ranking spirit.

A priceless treasure among treasures, so rare it couldn’t be purchased even with mountains of gold.

If properly studied, it promised monumental advancements for the Mage Tower’s knowledge.

And now, here were the elves, attempting to "elf" their way into claiming it. Of course, the others were furious.

Looking back, though, it was mortifying.

All except the elves lowered their heads in shame.

“Lisir, I’m so sorry. We’ve shown you an embarrassing side of ourselves,” one archmage admitted, setting off a cascade of apologies.

“I... misspoke,” Rassiel finally said, bowing slightly to Lisir.

“...!”

“...!”

“...!”

An elf, apologizing?

And to a human of lower status?

Someone pinched their own thigh in disbelief. A few priests nearly accused Rassiel of secretly serving dark forces.

But upon reflection, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

The spirit core Lisir presented...

If anyone here truly grasped its worth, it would be the Green Tower mages who lived alongside spirits.

Even by the elves’ standards—practically monopolizing spirit resources—a high-ranking core was a jaw-dropping artifact.

Thus, Lisir’s small, precious "hairball" sparked a miraculous moment of mutual respect among elves and humans.

Now, everyone gazed at him like a group of puppies begging for a treat.

Lisir’s lips itched to spill the truth:

"By the way, Perrin’s cores? Mass-produced junk!"

Should he reveal this, it would:

Revealing the source of the golden goose in such a formal setting might lead to dangerous individuals taking an interest in "Baby Wolf."

"Goodbye, Baby Wolf. Want to do something fun with Uncle? (Like coughing up more hairballs.)"

"Yeah, no. Those would be some seriously dangerous bastards."

Adjusting his tone, Lisir smoothly transitioned:

"Master Rassiel, as expected, you’ve noticed something important. The truth is, this wasn’t given to me by a spirit."

Remarkably, Lisir didn’t need to lie to deceive them.

Perrin was both a spirit and not a spirit—an ideal pretext.

"She claimed she wasn’t interested in material wealth and gifted it to me before disappearing. I find myself missing her today," he added with a wistful smile.

“...!”

The gathering fell silent, heads bowed in embarrassment.

No one could meet his gaze now, having essentially fought over someone else’s sentimental keepsake.

Lisir had successfully seized control of the room, even in a high-stakes gathering of the Mage Tower and Church representatives.

"So this is why Perrin enjoyed planting flags in every faction," he mused, shaking off the dangerously addictive sensation of newfound power.

"If that friend were here, she’d probably say, ‘Do whatever the hell you want.’"

Interpreting that sentiment, Lisir said aloud:

"If she were present, she’d have told me, ‘It’s yours now, so do as you please—but don’t do anything you’ll regret.’ With that in mind, I hope this item is used for something meaningful."

For instance, elevating the reputation of my group.

Lisir gestured discreetly toward the Gray Tower Masters.

The message was clear: "The table’s set. Just bring a spoon."

The Masters of the Gray Tower moved swiftly, spurred into action.

"High Priest Barodros, you’ve heard Lisir’s wishes?"

"Yes, I have indeed."

"Huh? Why are they consulting the priests now?"

"Lisir, your intentions have been clearly understood," Barodros declared solemnly.

"My intentions? Understood? Are you sure you’re not misinterpreting this?"

Internally screaming, Lisir outwardly maintained an enigmatic smile.

The air grew thick with emotions—shock, gratitude, respect, reverence—all directed at him.

The discussion progressed rapidly:

"The Gray Tower will positively consider full cooperation with the Church on the development of the plague cure."

"The Church, likewise, will positively consider full cooperation with the Gray Tower on relief efforts."

Lisir recalled the earlier tense standoff over the cure’s development—a matter of prestige for both factions.

And yet, suddenly, both sides were setting aside political gain to focus purely on the solution.

"Wait... Is this because of me? Is the spirit core really that crucial?"

Even amidst his confusion, Lisir couldn’t help but smile, as the elder Masters regarded him as a wise young man who had enlightened their foolishness.

"Ah, yes, yes, of course. That’s exactly what I meant," Lisir mentally conceded, savoring the unexpected double boost to his reputation.

Meanwhile, Enna and Rassiel exchanged uneasy glances.

Despite their similar high standards, they couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Sure, Lisir had achieved remarkable things recently, but this level of reverence?

Could there be more to him?

Upon closer observation, what they saw made them question their own eyes.

The man they’d seen yesterday—drained, unremarkable—was gone.

Before them stood someone wholly transformed, exuding vitality and presence.

“What... is this?”

For once, even the ice-cold Enna let slip a startled whisper.

***

Even the apprentices of the Mage Tower had some discernment.

They might eagerly spread rumors, but they knew better than to reveal internal affairs to outsiders.

However, if that outsider happened to reside within the Tower, boundaries blurred.

While staying at the Mage Tower, Enna overheard countless whispers.

Stories of a mage who had wielded the power of the fourth rank's elemental transformation.

Tales of a mage who had mastered the "Blue Breath" technique on the spot.

Whispers about a genius mage under the age of twenty, rumored to have reached the fifth rank and shown interest in the Gray Tower.

And, most absurd of all, the tale of a ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ mage who supposedly ascended from the early stages of the fourth rank to the fifth in under a week.

The wise master of the Blue Tower didn’t place much stock in such fanciful tales.

After all, weren’t the apprentices busily spreading these stories precisely to coincide with the delegation’s visit?

The intent was so transparent it was almost endearing.

Indeed, the mages of the Gray Tower had tried their own little display of dominance:

"We’ve got this here—does your tower have anything like it?"

Of course not.

The imaginary figures conjured by the apprentices were so extraordinary they bordered on nonsensical.

"Climbing from the early fourth rank to the fifth in less than a week? What is this, bamboo?"

Anyone gullible enough to believe such nonsense had no business being a Master of the Mage Tower.

And yet, why had Enna persistently requested to meet the subject of these rumors through Meltas?

"Because you can’t actually show me, can you?"

It was a form of answering their show of dominance with one of her own. That was Enna’s approach to such tales.

However, now...

Enna had no choice but to revise her stance.

“What is this?”

Before her stood a being that was both a mage and a martial artist.

Why would remnants of two distinct disciplines coexist within a single individual?

As a result, she couldn’t even pinpoint Lisir’s exact rank.

"Wait a second."

A mage with martial artist traits?

"Could it be... the mage who supposedly mastered the Blue Breath...?"

Enna’s abrupt question was met with an answer—not from Lisir, but from the Gray Tower Masters standing beside him.

Their expressions radiated smug satisfaction.

"You don’t have this in your tower, do you?"

Enna, forgetting to feel annoyed by the Masters’ presumptuous attitude, was genuinely astonished.

The tale of mastering the Blue Breath on the spot was likely exaggerated, but even discounting that, it was still remarkable.

For a mage to master the Blue Breath...

Any ordinary practitioner would suffer mana backlash due to the clash between body and spirit whenever mana was channeled.

How sensitive must one’s mana control be to harmonize such forces without conflict?

Enna’s gaze toward Lisir shifted.

Now she understood why the Gray Tower held such a vested interest in a wandering mage.

"So the rumors were true... Could it be?"

Enna’s eyes lit up.

If part of the rumors proved true, then perhaps other whispers might hold truth as well.

A genius mage under twenty years old, residing in the Gray Tower, having already reached the fifth rank...

This was the rumor that had most piqued Enna’s curiosity.

Her interest moved beyond the peculiar mage before her, and with uncharacteristic disregard for her pride as a Blue Tower Master, she opened her mouth to confirm the truth of the Gray Tower rumors.

"Are the rumors true?"

"At this point, what’s left to hide? Yes, those rumors are about Lisir," the Gray Tower Masters replied, as if they’d been waiting for the question.

They answered even before the specific rumors were clarified, as if the answer to any rumor had already been predetermined: Lisir.

By the time Enna’s thoughts reached this point, her expression—and Rassiel’s beside her—had shifted to one of shock.

"That one, too? And that one...?"

All the rumors circulating within the Gray Tower...

Every single one of them was about this one man.

The two Masters turned their stunned gazes toward Lisir.

Meanwhile, the Gray Tower Masters maintained their smug expressions.

"You don’t have this in your tower, do you?"

Of course they didn’t.

The two Masters were at a loss for words.

Soon after, the Gray Tower entered an emergency state.

The Green Tower, the Blue Tower, and the Church—

All three factions formally expressed their intention to attend Lisir’s honorary mage induction ceremony.

***

[Title: When Does the Saintess Fate Quest Even Unlock?]

Content: I want to do something holy with the Saintess too.

-[Author]: Why does this game make us grind everything? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Can’t they just let us unlock things naturally through gameplay?ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-[Author]: What’s that?

-[Author]: Damn it, how do you even do the Church Reputation Grind?

Once you hit "Very Friendly" with the senior Holy Knights, you unlock the Archpriest.

Get "Very Friendly" with the Archpriest, pass the Mantle Cut, and then the Church Reputation switches to Friendly.

Once that’s done, the Fate Quest unlocks.

-[Author]: Why are you giving me a grind I didn’t ask for?

[Title: Ugh, Reputation Grinding is Seriously Awful]

Content: The reputation barely goes up by a hair every time I complete a quest.

How many centuries am I supposed to do this?

-[Author]: Green Tower.

-[Author]: What the hell do you mean, "good luck"?

You complete event quests, but the rep they give is barely anything.

▶Region: Blue Tower: Slightly Hostile → Interested

▶Region: Green Tower: Slightly Hostile → Interested

▶Region: Sacred Flame Church: Neutral → Friendly

[Reputation with Specific Factions Has Increased]

▶Faction: Bearers of Deception: Hostile → Interested

▶Faction: Knights of Dawn: Neutral → Interested

***

“Huh...?”

Late at night.

Lisir awoke from sleep, sensing a strange discomfort.

Opening his eyes, he checked his body.

Aside from his blanket, something else was draped over him.

A small figure, curled up and trembling, her breaths shallow and uneven. A woman, pure white as snow.

“Pien...?”

Flinch.

At the sound of his voice, the small silhouette quivered.

She lifted her head and looked at him.

“Lisir...”

Her silver eyes, glistening with tears, caught the moonlight streaming through the window and sparkled like a starry night.

And in her hand, a handkerchief.

The same handkerchief she had used to wipe Lisir’s blood, now stained red once more.