Dark Fantasy Normalized

chapter 61



60 – The Talk of the Town (4)

“Here. Eat.”

Perrin handed over the freshly made, warm, and moist bead.

Her expression was so self-assured, that if I hadn’t witnessed the production process right before my eyes, I might have instantly swallowed it, anticipating a heavenly taste.

I pondered for a moment, recalling the bead I had swallowed before.

What could that liquid be, glistening on the surface of the bead, dripping down so thickly?

Even though I wasn’t interested in industry rewards, I desperately wished it was saliva. Anything more was just too hardcore.

Ah, right.

This wasn’t the time to be worrying about that.

“Perrin, are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“That thing, you know, that bead. Is it okay for you to enjoy it so endlessly?”

Contrary to my concern, Perrin was merely nonchalant.

Her expression practically shouted, “What’s with the fuss?”, as if she was doing me a favor by holding back the words.

Damn it. It pisses me off.

If worrying was a real liability, I’d be bankrupt right now.

‘Is that really some sort of hairball?’

I doubted the bead’s identity, but it didn’t last long.

I’d seen and felt too much to dismiss it as mere waste.

To refocus our derailed conversation, I brought up the topic of the ‘spirit core’.

Given the situation, I had one possibility in mind.

Perrin, artificially created, abandoned by his own kind, raised by elves.

Maybe Perrin’s lacking knowledge of spirits?

That’s why, not even knowing he’s dying, he’s mass-producing cores.

“Are you stupid? You’re explaining spirit cores to *me*, a spirit? Or is it that? You figured I’m a defective product, looked down on by my own, so I wouldn’t know common sense?”

It was needless worry.

Not only that, but I’d unwittingly touched Perrin’s reverse scale.

Like a wounded baby wolf, his anger threshold was ridiculously low.

Perrin’s fury, completely misconstruing my intent, climbed a steady upward slope, soon baring teeth and revealing his rage.

I spoke in a calm tone, careful not to provoke the wounded baby wolf.

“I didn’t mean any harm. I was just worried about you.”

Perrin flinched, his anger momentarily subsiding.

But he quickly regained his momentum and pressed on.

“Worried? Who asked you to worry? Hah. Is it that? Because I keep looking pathetic in front of you, you think you’re something to me? Don’t flatter yourself. I despise humans, especially someone like you-”

Perrin slowly approached me, like a wolf cornering its prey.

The closing distance.

That seemed to be the problem.

“…”

Perrin suddenly shuddered, stopping in place.

“D, damn… Don’t get the wrong idea… This is… just because I just spewed out all of your energy…”

Perrin murmured with a villainous bravado before making his exit.

And then he charged towards me with ferocious energy.

Not like a wolf hunting prey, but like a puppy welcoming its owner.

Perrin buried his face in my chest, nuzzling wildly.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His tail thumped against me relentlessly.

“Sorry for getting angry…”

Like an extension of “Hyuuung”.

Perrin spoke in a voice thick with nasal tones.

“After hearing your story… I suddenly became worried about what you think of me… Thinking maybe you’d look down on me like my own kind… it made me suddenly anxious…”

At this very moment.

The feeling was pure guilt, a sickening weight.

‘Perin, what are we going to do when the charge runs out?’

I questioned whether this thing that was pulling Perin could even be called “pure energy.”

It felt more like some kind of hypnosis app.

If I were in Perin’s shoes, I’d be too ashamed to even show my face.

Anyway, first things first, I decided to comfort Perin, patting her back.

I made a conscious effort to ignore the way her butt was jiggling, begging for a spank.

“Perin, you’re a cool wolf. And you’re my precious friend. That’s why I was worried.”

“Worried…?”

“Yeah. The person who told me about the spirit core said it’s really important for spirits, and that a spirit who loses it can get really messed up.”

“…Isn’t it weird?”

“Huh?”

“Me, being different from the other spirits…doesn’t it feel bad…?”

“Not at all. It’s the opposite, actually.”

“Opposite?”

“I think you’re amazing, Perin. You can do things other spirits can’t.”

“Things other spirits can’t…”

“You’re not wrong, Perin. You’re special. At least, that’s how I see it.”

“…”

A short pause.

The pressure on my chest vanished.

Perin took a few quick steps back from me.

“You son of a…”

It was the gruff wolf girl, who’d unintentionally spilled her vulnerable inner thoughts.

Perin was tearful and glaring at me, shame evident.

“b*stard…”

I was wronged, but I didn’t protest.

No matter how unjustly I felt, Perin had it way worse.

A long time passed before Perin was able to act like nothing had ever happened.

Perin’s explanation for the core duplication situation was this:

“See, I’m a mutant with a body, even though I’m supposed to be a spirit. So, there’s no problem with taking the core out.”

“Oh…”

“…Don’t look at me like that. I warned you.”

Perrin’s growling lips twitched minutely.

“Besides, it feels so good to spit the core out.”

“Feels good?”

“The core reacts to you and takes on substance whenever we meet, and every time, my stomach gets all bloated.”

“No way, it’s like a real hairball.”

“What?”

“I mean, does that mean you can just go around spitting it out?”

“None of your business. It’s my core, I’ll spit it out as I please. What’s it to you?”

“I’m just worried. What if something goes wrong?”

“…”

Thump.

Perrin kicked the innocent floor.

“Actually, it’s a little painful.”

“Then-“

“But, I kind of like it.”

“What?”

“That much pain, it makes me feel like I’m alive.”

Heh.

Perrin let out a quiet laugh.

“…!”

A chuunibyou, mentally-ill half-spirit wolf girl who periodically spits out hairballs.

Isn’t that like, attribute overload?

I stared at Perrin, aghast.

Interpreting my reaction however she did, Perrin smiled contentedly.

“You normal guys wouldn’t understand. Not that I want you to understand, anyway.”

Perrin suddenly looked up at the sky and murmured.

“It’s an awesome moon. It’s like it’s brightly illuminating my filth, while embracing it all the same.”

Like rehearsed lines and poses, so contrived.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Don’t laugh.

Feel that delicate inner world. Feel the vibe and the swagger.

“Perrin… you’re surprisingly lyrical. I see you in a new light.”

“…”

Heh.

Perrin gave me a bitter smile, looking my way.

That bitter smile seemed so very satisfied, though that was probably Perrin’s little secret. So yes, it was a 100% pure bitter smile.

“It’s not anything that cool. Quite the opposite, actually.”

“Op, opposite…?”

“Ah… Only the wretched loner can become a true friend of the moon.”

“Oh, I see.”

Whether my sincerity had reached Perrin, I couldn’t be sure, but he was in a great mood when the performance was over.

“Hey.”

Perrin nonchalantly held out the core.

“Take it. It’s essentially made from your energy. Ah, just so you know, the power itself is probably lower than the last one. The last one was my first core, after all.”

First core.

I wanted to tell other spirit users and hear their reaction.

First heart.

First testicle.

Something like that, right?

“But, since it was made solely from your energy, it’ll be much purer.”

“If I eat it, will I get the same effect as before?”

“…”

Perrin stared at me intently, then shook his head.

“No. My energy is already flowing inside you. It won’t have much effect.”

“So, I don’t need it anymore then?”

“What? Elves are scrambling to get their hands on these things, are humans different?”

“Uh… it’s not that different, but -“

“What? Then just take it.”

“Will Perrin be okay?”

“I have no interest in such things as material possessions.”

Perrin handed over the core like that, then left the place without a second glance.

Damn.

That was truly awesome.

Even more so that he was giving me, someone he doesn’t care about, this item.

“See? Nothing lost by being worried, after all.”

Having gained more than I expected, I returned to the lodgings with light steps and fell asleep in a good mood.

***

The next morning.

Lishir received a summons and entered the conference room located in the main building of the Mage Tower.

Several Gray Masters, officials of the Order including Barodros, and the investigative team represented by Blue and Green Masters were keeping their places.

It was a place for the investigative team to publicly announce the results of their investigation.

“Therefore, in the name of the Blue Mage Tower, I officially declare that the investigation has been concluded.”

“Therefore, in the name of the Green Mage Tower, I officially declare that the investigation has been concluded.”

In other words, it was a formal occasion to finalize the procedural process.

The meeting that began ended in less than 10 minutes.

Lishir looked around, bewildered.

All these important people gathered just for this?

Of course, it wasn’t.

Opportunities for representatives from various mage towers and the Order to gather in one place weren’t frequent.

They stayed in their seats even after the meeting concluded, continuing their conversations in low voices.

“Is the Saintess still keeping herself locked away? That’s quite a problem.”

“Come to think of it, the Blue Tower is still without a Tower Lord-“

“Oh, right. I heard the World Tree root has been infected with an unprecedented disease. If you need help from our Order-“

“By the way, I heard the Gray Tower Lord still hasn’t shaken off his wanderlust-“

These were the kind of things Lishir, sitting there stiffly and listening, could hear with nonchalant ease.

‘Absolute EMERGENCY!!!!’

Lishir regretted not leaving immediately after the meeting, thinking, ‘Well, then, I’ll be off,’ when it ended.

The representatives of the massive factions, tangled in complex political relations, held their ‘power feast’ as naturally as they breathed.

Scratch?

Huh? No scratch. Are *you* scratching?

Totally not scratching, not at all.

For a while, under the guise of checking in, casual killings were exchanged without a second thought.

How long had it been since Lysir, trapped in that saturated atmosphere, had begun to tremble in fear?

Once they confirmed there were no weaklings present to be culled from the power feast, they finally started having constructive conversations.

‘An isolated saintess, an infected world tree root… perhaps, of the things we’ve just heard, is there anything to normalize…?’

It was then that a topic was brought up which captured Lysir’s interest, who was participating in the conversation indirectly in his own way.

“Speaking of which, Master Ratsiel, I would like to take this opportunity to inquire about a matter.”

Master Radros, who had been maintaining a consistently dignified demeanor as a representative of the Grey Magic Tower, carefully broached the subject to Master Ratsiel of the Green Tower.

“It concerns the spirit traces that arrived recently.”

Spirit traces.

A degraded product of spirit cores, these items imbued with spirit energy were used in a variety of ways across different fields of magic.

For magical research, the creation of elixirs—

They were a crucial material for the Grey Magic Tower, which researched a broad spectrum of magic.

The Grey Tower depended heavily on the Green Tower for the majority of their supply of spirit traces.

It was unavoidable since most of the spirit trace distribution was conducted by small groups in the great forest.

The Green Tower was the group with the most significant share.

“To be clear, the quality and quantity of the spirit traces that have arrived this time have noticeably decreased, causing difficulty for various affiliates of our tower. In order to come up with a solution, we would like to hear the Green Tower’s exact position on this.”

“There were unavoidable circumstances,” was all that was said, in a firm tone that contrasted with Radros’s desperation.

“Ahem…”

Radros revealed a displeased look but refrained from taking any further action.

At least when it came to matters concerning spirits, the Green Tower held absolute dominance.

He could end up in a much worse situation if he carelessly ruffled their feathers.

Lysir, having observed the series of events, carefully addressed Radros, who was seated next to him.

“Master Radros, might I ask you one question?”

“Oh! You’re asking *me* a question!? By all means, ask away.”

“Heard tell, our mage tower’s struggling for spirit traces right now. Something about a shortage. Could this even replace it?”

Lysir pulled out Perin’s spirit core from his pocket, showing it to Master Ladros.

“Hmm? This is…”

Ladros studied Perin’s spirit core intently.

“…!!!”

And then, after a moment. He took a sharp breath.

All eyes in the room instantly fixed on them.

“…!”

Green Master Lassiel.

“Good gods.”

Blue Master Enna.

“Lysir, is that, could that be-“

Elder Barodros.

Each of them expressed their shock at the spirit core in a different way.

“Wh-where did you get that!”

The elves of the Green Tower present, for the first time in front of humans, displayed raw emotion.

Lassiel leaned forward, shouting.

It was a fervent movement, as if he would have snatched the core had he been within reach.

Lysir was flustered.

He knew Perin’s spirit core was something incredible.

But he hadn’t imagined that the second core, a pale, pale imitation of the first, could be worth *this* much.

“I received it as a gift from a spirit I know, but-“

“A gift of a *core*!? Nonsense!”

“…”

Lysir felt wronged, but couldn’t find a way to argue.

*This testicle? I got it as a gift.*

That’s what his last statement must have sounded like to the elf.

When it was really just a hairball.

“It must have been obtained through unjust means. I strongly urge that this item be handed over to the Green Tower!”

It was a tactic Lysir was familiar with.

The elf cast, “A spirit? That’s our jurisdiction.”

“I object!”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t the Grey Master, but the Blue Master, Enna, who raised her voice in opposition.

“You have no right! What gives you the authority to declare it an ill-gotten gain?!“

“That’s right! Sir Rishir’s rights must be respected! Therefore, this Order formally-”

“What is all this commotion! Maintain some decorum!”

The atmosphere grew increasingly heated.

“I cannot agree!”

“Then what do you propose we do!”

“What else! Isn’t it obvious we should hear the opinion of the owner, Rishir!”

Eventually, the Masters and their disciples were engaged in a heated argument.

All over a single hairball from a spirit.


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