Dark Fantasy Normalized

53 – Mages and Clerics (2)

[Title: This F@CKING Gerhen again, that b*stard? kk]

Content: What the F, when I see criminal mages,

half of them are made by Gerhen kkk

Just in case, I checked the dialogue keyword and

[Dialogue Keyword: Gerhen Dreider]

It’s there like it’s natural, legendary legendary kkk

-: Gerhen? I’m pushing the Gray Tower side right now, and he appears as the head of the noble faction?

Is he actually a black mage or something?

-: What, a black mage? You think Gerham’s some joke?

-: LOL, fr fr, Gerham copies event quests without having to be a demon or black magic or any of that shit, you know?

-: I think I saw one too kkk, was the person who saw it Born?

-[Author]: Nope, Koraan

-: Holy shit, who the hell is this Korahn guy, lmao

-: For real, I’ve never seen any Korahn before?

-: Where’d you find him?

-[OP]: He was making drugs for money in Todilan, apparently?

-: Damn, lol, he exported from Bondales all the way to Todilan

-: The mage scene in Bondales’ criminal world is already saturated because of Gerham, tho, yeah

-: Gerham, a ray of light in the crime world, which always suffers from a shortage of mages ㅠㅠㅠ

– : So, how did that Korahn guy’s life go to shit?

-[OP]: Gerhen picked him up outside the mage tower

Apparently, one day he made a decent achievement, and when he reported it to Gerhen,

Gerhen just changed his name and submitted it to the mage tower himself ㅇㅇ

And, as a bonus, he framed him and sent him to prison so he couldn’t argue.

-: Damn, Gerham’s work is always so clean

-: That achievement stealing is just… man, bb

-: He’s so busy doing this shit inside and outside the mage tower, how is he not getting in trouble and still holding onto his master position?

-: Cause he’s just that good

-: It’s because he’s such a bully to the weak

-: He only messes with the scrubs who he figures he can get away with messing with,

and he’s got the high-ranking nobles wrapped around his little finger, ㅇㅇ

-: In the mage tower, those with weak family backgrounds

also get kicked out of the tower ‘for offending Gerhen’

-: Come to think of it, wasn’t he the one who went hardest on Dodiah too?

-[OP]: Didoh-ah?

-: Yeah, him

-: Probably, yeah, Gerhen poured a ton of investment into ‘Master’ Tulan, ㅇㅇ

To make Tulan, who was ridiculously successful without any backing, his own guy.

-: It was Gerham who assembled the subjugation force to hunt down Didoah who killed Tulan and ran, ㅇㅇ

-: Damn, Gerham really looks after his people

-: This dude, he screws up other people’s lives like it’s breathing,

but he absolutely cannot stand it if *he* loses out on anything, fr

──────────

Lishir.

It was a few days after he’d rooted out the dark mage who’d snuck into the Magic Tower.

A multitude of mages had gathered in one of the tower’s courtyards.

They were there at the request of Gerhen, who had the full backing of the Gray Tower noble faction.

Gerhen addressed them from his spot.

-Esteemed scholars,

-A mere outsider, one who can’t even boast a family name, cannot interfere in the matters of our Magic Tower.

-Especially not while disregarding our tower’s rules!

-Our wise mages of the Magic Tower resolve all problems that arise within the tower through due process, as you all know.

-That is, through trial.

-Tulan. That person should have been put on trial.

-Not for that person’s honor, but for ours!

-No one can determine guilt within our tower without due process.

-No one! Can judge another within our tower without due process.

-Esteemed scholars,

-What this outsider has done is a challenge to the authority of our Magic Tower.

-Yet, they wish to publicly acknowledge and praise his actions in the name of the tower!

-If we ourselves do not uphold our rules, who then will hold them sacred!

-It’s as if we are spitting in our own faces!

-Esteemed scholars,

-We absolutely must not treat this matter lightly.

-We must protect our authority and our rules.

-I dare to speak for you all.

-Please, lend me your strength.

The scholars applauded Gerhen’s speech.

Of course, not all the applause was genuine.

Some scholars went through the motions, exchanging words with their colleagues.

Some wore indifferent expressions. Some wore sneers.

“Are those clapping truly agreeing with his words?”

“Can’t believe that moron’s a fellow student of the same magic tower as me.”

“He sure talks the talk, but… it’s obvious if you think about it for even a second.”

“They broke a black magic spell in the field, ferreted out the black mage, and subdued him, and now they’re gonna censure him for it? Is our tower some kinda black magic haven?”

“Kya-ha! You said it.”

“Even the ones clapping probably know how ridiculous Gerhen looks right now.”

“Still gotta play nice… he’s a pain in the ass normally, so how much more of a pain will he be when he’s stewing like this?”

“The fact that there’s still power left in his neck is true, though… ik!”

“Let’s go.”

Gerhen just stared down at them from the dais.

‘Damn it, how did I…’

And he lamented his current situation, where all he could do was stare.

He was Gerhen, the head of the magic tower’s noble faction, a figure whose influence rivaled even that of the masters.

Normally, there were maybe five people in the entire tower he had to watch his back around.

But now.

He was even having to read the faces of lower noble students, people he normally didn’t even acknowledge.

It wasn’t simply because he’d been played by a black mage.

With most of the masters having been fooled by the black mage right alongside him, he shouldn’t have been singled out for blame.

That was just the trigger.

“Tulan. There was talk that one of the main sponsors from the time he was acting like a master was Master Gerhen…”

“It’s common knowledge if you just look at the papers he submitted.”

“I was curious, so I applied to see them. Master Didoa, who practically spearheaded that research, is nowhere to be found, but references to Master Gerhen are all over the place?”

“The guy himself is sitting here twiddling his thumbs, and everyone else is divvying up his accomplishments like it’s nothing…”

“Gerhen. If the papers with his name on them suddenly feel suspicious, am I being too sensitive?”

“How can we possibly pass judgment on that?”

“Looks like this calls for a trial.”

“Kyahahaha!”

The trigger that made people look back on Gerhen’s past actions.

Gerhen’s authority had visibly crumbled, and it had only just begun.

‘That b*stard…’

Gerhen immediately started trying to come up with a solution, and arrived at a single conclusion.

Rishir. No matter what, that outsider’s merits must not be acknowledged.

Furthermore, his achievements must be utterly denied.

Perhaps it’s fortunate, in a way.

Gerhen already had a history of ousting numerous rivals or prey from the Mage Tower and society.

Dragging others down.

That was one of Gerhen’s definite fortes.

“But that guy. Just what is he, really?”

“Rishir, was it?”

“To not only instantly recognize dark magic that even the Masters couldn’t detect, but to dismantle it completely…”

“Isn’t that something only the high priests of the Order or masters of white magic could do?”

“I do get the feeling that *they* might be able to…”

“But at the same time, I wonder, could even *they*?”

“Or how about this? What if, in fact, that man is of the same ilk as Tulan.”

“What?”

“Like, another dark mage, or a colleague who betrayed Tulan, knowing and using her plans—”

“You crazy b*tch…”

“Heh heh, just kidding. Kidding.”

“That’s an interesting perspective, though.”

“Anyway, just accepting it as ‘oh, so you have a unique hue’ wouldn’t be enough. Even taking that into account, his ability is still extraordinary.”

What approach should be taken in this matter?

Gerhen had already figured out his course of action.

***

A vast underground prison located beneath the gray Mage Tower.

Within one of the iron cells, a place where dangerous substances or creatures were kept for some reason by the tower, the dark mage Tulan was imprisoned.

Her blue heart, the source of her mana, destroyed, she could no longer hear the voice of her master, the ‘parasite.’

Her eyes, devoid of light, stared blankly into the void.

Then, for an instant, light returned to her pupils.

“Is that what a so-called Master of the Mage Tower does?”

An unscheduled visit, unrecorded.

Gerhen spoke to Tulan from in front of the bars.

“I guarantee it. You’re going to die. The Mage Tower will conclude their investigation and questioning soon, wrap up the case, and then hand your identity over to the Order. Not even I can interfere with that process. But. Like I said, I can find you a companion for your journey.”

“You want me to say that that guy, Rysir, that he’s the colleague who betrayed me?”

“Yes.”

Tulan dropped his head, a choked sob escaping him.

A cracked voice. Melted skin.

Not a trace remained of the Master Tulan who had once captured the hearts of the Mage Tower’s students.

“I admit it’s an interesting offer. But, would our Mage Tower students really believe that? Believing a dark mage and then executing the hero who defeated him—even the simpletons in a backwater village wouldn’t do that.”

“There are those who are foolish for knowing too little, and those who are foolish for knowing too much.”

“What?”

“I’ll lay out the kindling, you just need to spark the flame.”

Madman.

Tulan let out a hollow laugh.

That was all.

She didn’t ask Gerhen for a motive or a reason.

She was as good as dead anyway.

If she could soil that loathsome man’s name with her last act of defiance, all the better.

***

“Why aren’t you eating it?”

Freshly served, the steaming beverages (spit) and food (beads).

Perrin was sulking, thoroughly, at seeing Rysir not eating the lavish feast he’d prepared, choosing instead to store it separately.

After barely managing to placate Perrin, Rysir, along with Phien, was on his way out of the Mage Tower, escorted by Meltas and Perrin.

They were almost at the main gate, having crossed the Tower grounds, when

“You lot…?”

A group of mages was waiting for them.

Gerhen, at the front of the group, spoke.

“Master Meltas. You need to hand over that outsider’s identity immediately.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Rysir’s party exchanged panicked glances.

Lysir spoke.

“Are those guys them? The… the noble faction that’s got it in for me?”

“…That’s them.”

“Is it really okay for you nobles to ambush like this, just because you don’t like someone? Seriously?”

“It’s shameful. But it’s best to be careful. He’s a sly one, acting without any backup.”

Meltas immediately turned his guarded gaze toward Gerhen.

Meltas knew that Gerhen had been moving actively in many directions lately to protect his position.

Specifically, to deny Lysir’s accomplishments.

Even Meltas hadn’t expected this from Gerhen.

To cause such a ruckus in such a public place.

“Gerhen. What is the meaning of this?”

“To cut to the chase, we had a breakthrough in the interrogation of the dark mage Tulan.”

“What?”

At Gerhen’s signal, a mage stepped out from the group.

She was part of Gerhen’s faction and the one assigned by the Magic Tower to handle the interrogation of the dark mage Tulan.

“The dark mage Tulan has revealed new information.”

She began to read the contents of the document with a calm voice.

“…Ha!”

By the time the reading had finished, Meltas snorted, making sure everyone could hear it.

“That everything related to the dark mage Tulan was actually just part of a plan to infiltrate the Magic Tower with someone named Lysir? So, Lysir is a puppet of the dark mage group?! Are you out of your mind, Gerhen!?”

“I’m also aware that it’s not entirely without its outlandish aspects.”

“Then stop this ridiculous farce immediately!”

“No. I cannot. Now that a prisoner has confessed, we have a duty to ascertain the truth.”

“That is not within your authority!”

“Yes, it is within all of our authority.”

“…!”

Meltas looked at the group behind Gerhen.

The mages of high-ranking noble backgrounds who followed Gerhen were not people that Meltas could deal with carelessly.

“It is time to rectify the rules of the Magic Tower. On behalf of the students of the Tower, I propose the immediate commencement of a trial.”

“What in the…”

The gathering gazes, growing more intense. Interest. Curiosity.

Melthas’s face, catching a faint glimmer of Gerhen’s intentions, twisted with unease.

Is it time?

The moment Gerhen was about to reach for the object he’d prepared.

A commotion stirred at the rear of the crowd, away from the main gate.

“Master Didoa, what on earth-”

Someone in the throng murmured, dumbfounded.

Didoa, having concluded his conversation with the clergy representative, entered through the gate with a cleric.

A middle-aged woman with black eyes contrasting her pure white robes.

A distinctive emblem, setting her apart from ordinary clerics, adorned her chest.

“…!”

Gerhen’s eyes widened, comprehension dawning upon the emblem’s significance.

It was none other than the mark of the High Priest, signifying her authority to represent the entire order.

‘Why is a High Priest here!?’

Gerhen, barely managing to calm his startled heart, stepped in front of her.

“High Priest of the Order. Halt your advance and state your purpose.”

Even the Order couldn’t carelessly enter the magic tower.

Except for the rare circumstances where it was permitted.

“We have received intelligence that a black mage is hiding within the Gray Tower.”

“That alone doesn’t grant you the right to interfere with our tower.”

“Indeed. However, we are here to carry out the subsequent handling, as requested by Master Didoa, who is also a witness.”

It was a direct request from a superior.

“…!”

Gerhen’s expression was one of utter shock.

He immediately glared at Didoa.

“Master Didoa! Do you have no pride as a mage!? This is a matter that arose within our tower! It is something we should settle with our own power!”

Didoa, with his usual expressionless face, tilted his head.

“Has it not been resolved already?”

“…!”

Speechless for a moment, Gerhen struggled to regain his composure.

‘Calm down.’

The crowd of onlookers had somehow grown even larger.

His plan was still valid.

Gerhen thrust the document at them, explaining the circumstances of the incident.

‘Even better.’

The confidence the Order’s clergy had in their affiliation was no less than that of the mages of the Magic Tower.

They said they had received information that a black mage was hiding in the Grey Tower.

As such, they had left the Order on a special mission and traveled all the way to distant Bondales.

Yet, a mere wandering mage had taken over their role.

Just like some of the mages of the Tower, they couldn’t help but question the wandering mage’s abilities.

And now, a black mage’s testimony was added?

Gerhen waited with anticipation for the High Priestess’s reaction.

“…”

Her black eyes focused on the wandering mage –

Lysir.

“…!”

In an instant. Her black pupils seemed to turn white, filled with an unusual light.

The High Priestess spoke to Lysir.

“I ask you. Is the content of that document true?”

“It is not.”

Gerhen internally scoffed.

The Order’s interrogation and inquisition were notoriously vicious.

He should be pleading his innocence with all his might to avoid the clergy’s suspicion, and yet he gives such a curt answer.

Gerhen’s heart pounded even harder.

He felt a path opening up.

Then.

The High Priestess, having heard Lysir’s dismissive answer, looked at Gerhen and said,

“He says it is not true.”

“?”

Gerhen, failing to grasp the meaning behind Goze’s actions, stared at her blankly for a long while.