Dark Fantasy Normalized

The northern back alleys of Bondales were essentially one massive slave market.

It was no exaggeration to say that every element making up the backstreets contributed to this singular, sprawling enterprise.

In such a place, identifying and rescuing a single slave without any complications was an almost impossible task.

To protect the rights of buyers, the market meticulously concealed the existence of the slaves. Meanwhile, the slaves themselves were swept into the murky tide of the market, tainted and degraded at every turn.

Katria was deeply worried about this as she desperately prayed.

Her brother, Drian, sold into slavery and pushed into the black market.

She could only hope that nothing happened to him before she could save him.

But, of course, simply hoping ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) and praying wouldn’t make it so.

She needed to act swiftly and precisely, and above all, discreetly.

For a Dark Elf to secretly infiltrate and operate in a human city where her presence was unwelcome required nothing less.

Thus, Katria’s anxiety only grew heavier.

Even if she invoked her family’s influence and overturned the entire back alley, she couldn’t guarantee her brother’s safety.

And now, she found herself relying on slave traders while playing the part of a slave.

As expected, Katria’s fears became a reality.

Following the first clue they had uncovered, they arrived at a location—

But Drian was not there.

What the slave trader held wasn’t proof of ownership over Drian, but the payment from selling him instead.

***

“...”

A hard-fought and dramatic reunion.

Yet, there was not even a sliver of joy in it.

It was over a month after Katria had begun her stay in Bondales that she finally recovered her lost brother.

"Drian..."

His pupils had lost their light, and no matter how desperately she called his name, the only response was the groans of someone stripped of their sense of self.

Drian's Dark Elf body bore countless marks of abuse and mockery.

His once-pristine skin was grotesquely marred all over, to the point of being unrecognizable.

It was the side effect of a drug used to temporarily bleach Dark Elf skin, making them appear as ordinary Elves.

Once the humans deemed him incapable of “passing” as an Elf anymore, they discarded him without hesitation.

Like a disposable tool, they had no use for what was broken and used up.

Katria didn’t need to imagine what kind of treatment Drian must have endured at the hands of humans.

She already knew.

Drian had never, even for a moment, been treated as a person.

It was a truth she had come to painfully understand during her time in the human world.

“...”

Katria gently lowered her brother’s broken body to the ground.

Then, she turned her gaze to Resha, her slave and the slave trader who had facilitated this nightmare.

"Ah... ahhh..."

Resha’s face twisted into an expression of despair as her eyes met Katria’s.

In some ways, it was an inevitable outcome.

The discrimination and systemic cruelty surrounding them were beyond what any individual could change.

Lisir’s thoughts were heavy.

From what he had heard, the northern back alleys of Bondales were, in essence, one massive slave market.

Could it even be possible to locate a single slave in such a place?

And to do so before anything else went wrong?

"Sir Lisir! I think we’ve located the Dark Elf slave you mentioned!"

Apparently, it was possible.

"Already? Carl, why are you so capable?"

"It’s nothing! It’s all thanks to you lending your name to the effort, Sir Lisir!"

"My name has that kind of power?"

"Yes! And these are Alstein and Keala, who helped us with this search! They wanted to meet you in person, so I brought them along."

"Sir Lisir! It’s an honor to meet you in person!"

"I’m Keala! I’m so happy to have been able to assist you with this!"

"Ah, the back alleys. So full of kind and helpful people."

The seemingly endless network of back alley contacts had come together.

Thanks to them, Lisir was able to locate the Dark Elf slave, Drian, without much trouble.

Drian’s condition was remarkably intact.

From the perspective of his captors, he was "brand new."

It was only possible because, for "certain reasons," the back alley slave market had been paralyzed.

***

[The target is under the influence of the Oath of Subjugation.]

[The target is under the influence of the Oath of Subjugation.]

[The target is under the influence of the Oath of Subjugation.]

***

"...Miss Tia? Miss Tia?"

"Ah... yes."

Tia—

No, Katria—managed to pull herself back to her senses.

The string of unexpected developments had left her mind more jumbled than ever.

"Drian? How does that human know about Drian?"

"And that question... what kind of nonsense is ‘If you had the chance to escape with your kin, what would you do’?"

Katria considered every possibility but couldn’t arrive at a clear answer.

For now, even trying to grasp his intentions felt overwhelming.

It was only natural. After all, he was human.

A member of the vile race that refused to see Dark Elves as equals.

"I can’t let my guard down..."

The premise formed by her countless bitter experiences completely obstructed Katria’s reasoning.

Still, she answered Lisir with cautious vigilance.

"Why would you ask me something like that...?"

Lisir, in turn, responded with his characteristic easygoing smile.

"I thought a topic this provocative might spark your interest in having a conversation with me."

"What are you talking about...?"

"Don’t you remember? Yesterday, when I said I wanted to get to know you, you looked absolutely horrified."

“...”

"So that’s what he meant by wanting to talk?"

The logic made sense on the surface.

But the one saying it—

He was human.

A human showing genuine curiosity toward a Dark Elf?

Katria couldn’t fathom such a thing.

"What are you curious about?"

Even so, Katria found herself intrigued by his proposal.

As he said, the question he had just posed was far too provocative to ignore.

The obedient slave was no longer present.

Katria leveled her sharpest, most suspicious gaze at the man before her.

"Plenty of things. But I’ll keep it brief, since you seem to prefer getting straight to the point. Miss Tia, I want to help you gain your freedom."

"Why?"

"Pardon?"

"What’s in it for you if you do that?"

Every act of kindness she had encountered from humans so far had been a thinly-veiled form of malice.

Katria assumed he would be no different.

"What’s in it for me... hmm. Maybe personal satisfaction?"

After a brief moment of thought, Lisir gave an awkward smile and began to explain.

"You remind me of my mentor. My mentor is also a Dark Elf, you see."

A human apprenticing under a Dark Elf?

The idea was absurd.

Even the humans who had tried to deceive Katria with ill intent hadn’t spun a tale this far-fetched.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I know, it sounds strange. My mentor being a Dark Elf, me showing unconditional kindness to another Dark Elf—it’s all bizarre, right? But... I can’t explain it well. You remind me of her so much that I just can’t stand by and do nothing."

“...”

"She’s the one who changed my life. The life I’m living now is something the old me couldn’t even imagine. It’s all thanks to her. She was the one who reached out to someone like me and gave me an opportunity I didn’t deserve. And, well... I thought this situation might be somewhat similar. Is that too much of a stretch?"

"Of course..."

It was absurd.

Her experiences made it impossible to believe such an outlandish story.

And yet—

Why was it so hard to doubt him?

The way he smiled, reminiscing about some unknown Dark Elf, was so vividly genuine.

“...”

Katria’s mind was a chaotic storm, impossible to sort out.

"Drian..."

Amidst the confusion, one thing remained clear—her feelings for her brother.

"Why did you bring up Drian’s name?"

"He’s the Dark Elf slave Resha asked me to help recover. Same master, same race. I thought there was a chance you might know him."

"Don’t tell me... have you found him?"

That day, during Lisir’s meeting with the guild leaders, Resha had been among the lower-ranked participants.

By all logic, there was no reason for Lisir to prioritize recovering a Dark Elf slave over other requests from more influential humans.

And yet—

How had things come to this?

Lisir nodded.

He had chosen to prioritize finding the Dark Elf slave above all else.

As if he were in a rush.

As if he genuinely cared about the Dark Elf’s fate.

Huff. Huff.

Katria suddenly realized she was breathing heavily.

She tried not to look at the object Lisir held in his hand.

As if refusing to acknowledge what had already happened.

"Where is he...? Where is he now?"

Her voice trembled as she forced the words out.

Without saying a word, Lisir gestured for her to follow.

***

In a bedroom within another lodging on the Tower’s premises, a young man lay resting on the bed.

"Drian!!!"

Katria rushed to Drian and embraced him.

Then, she quickly pulled back to assess his condition.

"He’s just unconscious for the moment. There’s no need to worry," Lisir reassured her, explaining the circumstances.

And so, Katria learned.

She learned that, immediately after the meeting with the guild leaders, Lisir had begun the search for the Dark Elf slave.

She learned that, when Drian was found, he had been under the influence of mind-control magic, stripped of his sense of self.

She learned that Lisir had personally treated Drian to free him from the magic’s hold.

She learned that Drian had been examined by a priest residing in the Tower and was now staying in one of the Tower’s lodgings to recover.

“...”

As the story progressed, Katria found herself unable to focus on his voice any longer.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

The sound of her pounding heartbeat consumed her awareness.

It felt like she was floating in oil, adrift and disconnected.

"...Miss?"

Through the numbing silence, the human’s voice reached her.

Her heart leapt.

"Miss Tia?"

Thump!

Her heart pounded even harder.

Even now, the human was calling out desperately to that meaningless, fake name.

"Ha!"

Katria couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the absurdity of it all.

Her laughter didn’t stop there.

She brought both hands to her face.

"Hahahahaha!!!"

Her laughter spilled through her fingers.

"Miss Tia?"

The foolish human still didn’t understand the situation he was in.

His voice, laden with concern, called out to the false name once more.

Katria lowered her hands and looked directly at his ridiculous expression.

"...Are you crying?"

Her face, contorted by wild laughter, could indeed be mistaken for one in tears.

"Me? Cry? Why? Is there any reason for that? In such... such a joyous situation?"

She smiled bitterly.

"Sir Lisir, thank you so much. That boy... he’s my brother. You’re a savior to me, Sir Lisir. A true benefactor."

Benefactor.

Katria repeated the word, letting out another round of laughter.

"Sir Lisir? What should I do now?"

"...Another man was with you and Resha. Do you know him as well?"

"You mean Kairen? Of course! How could I not? He’s my knight, my guard. Isn’t it funny? A slave with a guard."

"So, you, your brother, and Kairen—you’re all part of the same group?"

"Yes, that’s correct. The three of us are together."

"Understood. Then I’ll do whatever I can to ensure all three of you gain your freedom. Until then, can you trust me and wait?"

“...”

The chaotic energy surrounding Katria subsided.

Her eyes, devoid of focus, stared at him as she murmured quietly.

"How long? How long do we have to wait?"

"As quickly as possible. I’ll aim to settle everything within a week."

"A week... a week... a week..."

Finally, Katria turned to Lisir with a radiant smile.

"Yes. I’ll wait. Gladly."

***

In the dead of night, while everyone else was asleep, Katria rose from her bed and made her way somewhere.

To the place where that foolish human lay sleeping.

Lisir.

The sight of him lying peacefully on the bed seemed tranquil, almost serene.

But Katria knew.

Only she knew.

She knew that Clouded Truth was coursing through his veins.

She knew that by tomorrow, he would lose his sense of self and become a mere shell, responding only to commands.

Katria tried desperately to deny it.

But—

“...”

She pulled the vial from her robes and held it up to the moonlight.

Exactly half.

The pale purple liquid that had once filled the vial was now unmistakably reduced.

The precise dose.

No matter what happened, the poison within him would not be neutralized.

He was doomed to ruin, brought down by the very Dark Elf he had shown kindness and respect.

A human who sought to repay the kindness of one Dark Elf to another.

A Dark Elf who sought to repay the hatred of humans onto yet another human.

Through this, Katria realized something.

How deeply flawed her methods were.

How immature her way of confronting their hatred had been.

She understood now.

But it was already too late.

Thud.

Katria’s body collapsed helplessly to the ground.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry.

Sitting on the floor, her head hung low, she made the sound of a broken music box, her voice trembling and unstable.

Soon, she rose to her feet and looked down at Lisir.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the room.

The pale pink of the Dark Elf’s eyes reflected the light, but they still looked lifeless and dead.

Her fingers hovered softly near the human’s face.

"Don’t worry..."

Her voice was hollow and emotionless.

"I’ll take responsibility for you."

The Dark Elf smiled—a bright, almost radiant smile.

But it was fragile and unsettling, something utterly out of place.

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[Title: What the hell is this Dark Elf doing;;]

Post:

[Photo]

Why is she talking to a preserved corpse with a smile?

Is this necromancy or something?

─────

[He resisted.]

─────

Katria placed the vial back into her robes as she prepared to leave the room.

That’s when it happened.

The moonlight caught the liquid inside the vial.

“...”

The liquid had lost its original properties and energy, becoming nothing more than a harmless substance.

"How..."

Something—something unknown—had purified the poison’s essence.

Crack.

Her hand tightened around the vial.

"Perhaps..."

Perhaps it wasn’t too late to give up.

Something in the human world had purified the poison of the Dark Elves.

Something that existed in the Tower.

She would find it.

She would ensure it.

"I must..."

Tears began to stream down her face.

The once-dead light in the Dark Elf’s eyes flickered back to life.