Dark Fantasy Normalized

36 – Parasite (2)

‘Who is this guy?’

Tulan stared at the man in front of him.

The man who disrupted the atmosphere Tulan had been leading as he pleased.

‘He’s not from the Magic Tower. He looks like a noble, but not of high rank, and judging by his attire, he’s not from a wealthy family either. His level is just at the beginning of the 4th rank.’

In an instant, Tulan assessed the man and concluded that he was not a significant figure.

Even the apprentices Tulan carefully selected and carried around were wizards of similar or higher rank than the man. Moreover, they were proud scions of prestigious families.

Tulan was someone who could be infinitely ruthless to such individuals. In fact, Tulan often ostracized those who fell out of her favor in the Magic Tower, causing their positions to plummet. It was how she solidified her status in the Magic Tower.

‘Humiliate me in front of others?’

She wanted to do the same to the man right away.

But Tulan decided to hold back for now.

It was because Master Meltas was standing behind the man.

Master Meltas was a respected wizard even within the Magic Tower. Tulan’s way was to make and use such figures as her allies.

From the beginning, Tulan thought all this stemmed from a trivial misunderstanding or misconception.

What fool would antagonize a master to defend a half-demon apprentice?

The opponent was a half-demon girl who couldn’t even speak properly in front of people.

Tulan was confident she could clear up the misunderstanding with the man and Meltas and make them her allies.

“Sorry, I was thinking about something else for a moment. Could you say that again?”

“I asked if Assistant Didoa could help with the elixir intake.”

“How kind of you. You’re concerned about Didoa’s dignity. But, you are my precious guests. I didn’t formally invite you, but?”

Tulan’s expression turned into a playful and friendly smile.

“You are the ones who need my help and came to this laboratory. As the owner and master of this laboratory, I want to give you the best help I can. So please, don’t hesitate.”

They say you can’t spit on a smiling face. The expression Tulan created was a perfect example of that. Her followers looked at Tulan with sparkling eyes.

Tulan was confident that Lishir and Meltas would react the same way.

“By the best help, you mean- based on your vast alchemical knowledge, you will perfectly analyze the elixir and give us the optimal opinion-”

“Isn’t that right?”

“In that case, may I ask you once more?”

Lishir held out the elixir to Tulan.

“What do you think of this elixir?”

“Excuse me, you.”

I can’t take it anymore!

Sophia, a follower of Tulan, raised her voice.

Sophia, who was looking forward to being promoted to a formal wizard at a young age, was a high-ranking noble with a strong presence in both the wizarding and noble societies.

Neither the official wizards of the Magic Tower nor the city nobles of Bondales could treat her carelessly.

The man’s actions were offending such a Sophia.

No matter how you looked at it, he didn’t seem like someone who could act recklessly in this place.

Sophia spoke with a subtle authority in her tone.

“You’ve been really too much since earlier. Isn’t it too rude to Master Tulan, who is kindly treating you even though you came without an appointment? Above all, how about revealing your name and origin before starting a conversation?”

“…”

Lishir observed such a Sophia with eyes full of interest.

*

‘Here we go again.’

It was the moment Sophia mentioned Tulan.

Lishir felt the sudden emergence of dark magic from her.

‘Even Sir Meltas was fine originally, but after he started mentioning Tulan, the dark magic began to be felt suddenly.’

Moreover, that energy resonated with the surrounding energies.

The dark magic felt throughout the laboratory.

The dark magic felt from Tulan.

And the dark magic felt from everyone except himself.

Lishir, who had already broken through mental interference several times with the power of normalization.

He had the confidence to call himself an expert in mental interference.

Such a Lishir concluded at this moment.

‘Tulan is using mental interference on others through the laboratory.’

Lishir immediately tried to use the power of normalization, but-

‘…No.’

Rishir had just grasped the peculiar structure of Tulan’s mental magic through Sophia’s reaction.

It only manifests when the target is conscious of Tulan.

And it only takes on the properties of black magic at the moment of reaction.

Rishir focused on the aura of black magic felt in the laboratory.

‘It’s stronger than before… but still not enough. If I destroy it now, the black magic might not be completely annihilated.’

Rishir reached a hypothesis.

To completely destroy Tulan’s black magic, he must fully draw out the properties of the black magic.

And the way to draw out those properties is-

‘More people need to become aware of Tulan.’

It was to maximize the activation of the black magic’s power.

*

“Excuse me! Are you ignoring me right now?”

“…Ah. I apologize. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

Rishir, who had been momentarily lost in thought, snapped back to reality at Sophia’s irritable voice.

“I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Rishir. I have no affiliation, and I am not permitted to reveal my family’s name.”

An illegitimate child with no affiliation or family to boast of.

The followers’ gazes towards Rishir became even more unreserved.

“I am Sophia of the Lrotin family, affiliated with the Gray Tower. Rishir, apologize to Master Tulan immediately. And, please be a bit more polite.”

“Alright. I apologize.”

At that moment, Meltas stepped in and interrupted the conversation.

“…Master Meltas?”

“I brought him here. I was the one who intended to introduce him to Master Tulan. So, the dissatisfaction you feel right now can be entirely blamed on me. How should I apologize to ease your minds?”

The followers, who had been aggressively cornering Rishir, were taken aback.

Tulan, who had been watching with a satisfied smile while pretending to be troubled, was no different.

Master Meltas was a man stingy with recognition.

Many wizards of the tower had sought to become Meltas’s disciples, but not a single one had satisfied his discerning eye.

Yet, he was defending this man at the cost of his own reputation.

An illegitimate child with no affiliation or family.

“N-no… How could I dare…”

This man named Rishir.

Not just a mere b*stard.

It was no coincidence that she was a follower of Tulan.

Having quickly calculated the situation, they took a step back and lowered their eyes.

At this point, even Tulan had to drop his friendly demeanor.

What Meltas did to preserve Lishir’s dignity was also an affront to Tulan’s honor.

‘Why is this old man acting like this all of a sudden?’

Tulan was quite taken aback by the atmosphere, which was more serious than he had anticipated.

It was neither a misunderstanding nor a mistake.

To Tulan, it was clear that Lishir and Meltas were openly hostile towards him.

‘Could it be the barrier… No, the barrier is intact. Then what on earth… Could it be-‘

Tulan glared at Didoa.

Didoa, unable to follow the situation and just staring blankly at Lishir, appeared quite different to Tulan.

‘Didoa…!’

It was clear. Didoa. That woman must have done something.

“…”

Reading Tulan’s agitation, Lishir pressed her further.

“Master Tulan. You still haven’t answered my question.”

Tulan made a decision as if pushed from behind.

“Sophia? Could you go and bring Master Farozan here?”

“Ma-Master Farozan?”

“Yes. We were supposed to meet and talk later, but it seems it might be delayed. I’ll explain the situation myself.”

Tulan was momentarily flustered but quickly regained his composure.

At this moment. Meltas might be able to suppress him with authority.

But what if others were watching?

Could they oppose him, a master, for the sake of a mere half-demon apprentice in front of other masters?

Could they convince the other masters of their reasons?

Tulan was confident he could manipulate the situation as he always had.

Watching Sophia’s back as she went to call the other masters, Tulan smiled inwardly.

Lishir, too, nodded inwardly as she watched Tulan.

Each with different thoughts and purposes.

The two people fell silent as if they had agreed to do so simultaneously.

Tension filled the laboratory.

And after a brief moment-

“Master Tulan! What’s going on!?”

Whatever Sophia had told him, Master Farozan appeared like a hero trying to save a woman in distress.

A somewhat stout middle-aged man, he panted and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

Several students followed him like a tail.

Tulan’s laboratory quickly became crowded with onlookers.

“What’s happening?”

“Who knows?”

“Isn’t that half-demon woman causing trouble again?”

“Ah…”

“Tsk. I don’t understand why Master Tulan doesn’t get rid of her.”

“Exactly.”

“He’s too kind for his own good.”

It was the ideal situation Tulan had envisioned.

She began to speak as if she had been waiting for this moment.

She explained clearly and precisely what had happened in the laboratory, as if everyone should hear it.

Soon, countless eyes were fixed on Lisir and her companions.

Farozan spoke on their behalf.

“Master Meltas. What is the meaning of this? This is Master Tulan’s laboratory. No matter how high your position, Master Meltas, this is unacceptable.”

There were not many in the tower who held a higher position than Meltas.

Farozan was certainly not one of them-

Nevertheless, he expressed his opinion clearly.

No matter how high Meltas’s position was in the tower, it could not surpass the combined presence of all the wizards in this place.

“Ahem.”

As expected, Meltas showed considerable embarrassment at the situation that had grown out of control.

He whispered cautiously into Lisir’s ear.

– Lisir. Are you sure about Tulan using black magic to deceive others?

– Do you trust me?

“Of course! I saw with my own eyes how you defeated that evil dark wizard, necromancer, and assassin!”

“I haven’t defeated the assassin, though. Anyway, that part is certain. Thank you for believing in me. I will surely repay your trust.”

“If this causes me to step down from the Magic Tower, you must take responsibility for me!”

“It sounds like you’re asking me to be your disciple, but do you have to say it in such a creepy way?”

Afterwards, Rishir explained his plan to Meltas.

“We need to make people as aware of Tulan as possible. So, Sir Meltas, you should-“

Meltas nodded and stepped in front of the crowd.

“Tulan. First, I apologize for coming to your lab and acting as I pleased.”

Master Meltas’s apology.

Tulan felt a chilling pleasure.

But only for a moment.

“However, I want to make this clear. This person here – Rishir – is someone I trust completely with special abilities. So, I hope you answer his questions sincerely.”

“Master Meltas!”

Parozan stepped forward on behalf of Tulan.

“Even at this point, do you intend to defend him?”

“Defend? That’s a strange way to put it, Master Parozan.”

“…!”

When Meltas looked at him intently, the confident Parozan flinched.

“Tell me. Was Rishir’s action so wrong?”

“How, how could it not be! He denied Master Tulan’s abilities and praised her assistant! This is an insult to Master Tulan!”

“Parozan. Where do you think we are?”

“Master Meltas, where do you think we are! This is Master Tulan’s lab. And others are watching. Shouldn’t you show her a bit more respect?”

“That was the dumbest answer you could give.”

“What-…!”

“This is the Magic Tower. A place to hone mysteries, not a place to mimic politicians shouting about the absolute authority.”

“…!”

“Here, authority is a byproduct of knowledge, it should never be the other way around. I just don’t get it. How did it become so complicated?”

Parozan couldn’t answer and just moved his lips.

The other students were looking at Meltas with sparkling eyes.

It was truly a speech befitting a wizard’s role model.

After delivering such a magnificent speech, Meltas felt a considerable sense of embarrassment inside.

‘Actually, it is our fault…!’

They call it the pursuit of knowledge.

But isn’t this practically causing havoc in someone else’s lab?

If Tulan hadn’t been a dark mage, Meltas would never have cooperated with Lisir.

At that moment, Lisir stepped forward and took over from Meltas.

Facing Tulan, he said,

“Master Tulan. If my actions have caused you any discomfort, I apologize. However, from my standpoint, it was an unavoidable choice. This elixir is extremely precious to me. I ask for your understanding in my pursuit of even slightly better options.”

“…Understanding, of course. I respect your decision to seek help from Didoa instead of me.”

Tulan gritted her teeth inwardly. Such humiliation.

She vowed to repay this humiliation to them.

“No, Master Tulan. I do not insist on receiving help from Mr. Didoa.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“I told you. I am merely pursuing the best option. The reason I sought help from Mr. Didoa was because you were reluctant to advise on this elixir. Unlike Mr. Didoa.”

“…”

“Since it has come to this, I must insist on receiving your advice, Master Tulan.”

‘That b*stard…!’

Tulan realized Lisir’s intention belatedly.

He intended to compare her with Didoa in front of others.

Not for any other reason but to belittle her and elevate Didoa.

“…”

It was none other than Tulan herself who had planned to strip Didoa of his identity as an alchemy master.

She had not neglected to accumulate knowledge of alchemy in preparation for such situations.

Thanks to borrowing the power of dark magic, her achievements were also outstanding.

Those achievements were enough to not fall short of the title of master.

The problem was, they couldn’t compare to Didoa, who had established his position despite being a half-demon.

Most of the achievements Tulan made after taking Didoa’s life were actually stolen from Didoa.

-If you don’t cooperate with me, you will never get your original life back.

It was possible because she had mentally cornered and dominated Didoa to the point where he responded to such unfair and absurd threats.

But what about now?

Tulan looked at Didoa, who was observing the situation from afar.

“…”

She was staring at Lisir with the same emotionless expression as always.

But those eyes.

Those eyes were shining more than ever before.

As much as when she had the pride of a master before she was taken and fallen.

Perhaps even more.

At this very moment.

Tulan was certain.

That the plan he had built on Didoa’s unstable mental state was cracking.

But it’s okay.

It can be sufficiently managed.

“Master Tulan, why are you not saying anything?”

“Why wouldn’t I say anything! Because it’s unpleasant! Isn’t that obvious?”

“How can I be okay when compared to that half-demon girl?”

“If Master Tulan expresses his opinion here, the one who will be humiliated is the half-demon girl…”

Authority precedes knowledge.

‘Master Tulan’ was the best alchemist in the tower.

Who would deny Tulan’s knowledge?

The moment Tulan spoke about the elixir, his words would become the definitive answer defining the elixir.

“Master Tulan…”

“Master Tulan…”

Tulan felt the consciousness of the audience focused on him, and in response, he felt the power of black magic stirring.

It was the source of Tulan’s confidence.

“If you so desire my opinion.”

Filled with confidence, Tulan confidently reached out to Lisir.

The elixir. Hand it over.

Lisir did not let go of the elixir.

“Didn’t you seek my counsel?”

“Is there a problem? Miss Didoa proceeded in this state.”

“… That’s because Didoa- No, never mind.”

Tulan carefully observed the elixir.

“…”

Her brow furrowed. It wasn’t due to concentration.

‘What the…’

It was unfamiliar. And perplexing.

Despite having accumulated various experiences as a master, she couldn’t recognize anything.

Except that it was an elixir containing strong power.

She was momentarily flustered. Soon after, Tulan thought this might actually be better.

If she couldn’t recognize it at all, others wouldn’t be much different.

It would simply make it easier to obscure knowledge with authority.

“This is an elixir of the Derdaal alchemists.”

“Derdaal?”

“Yes. Extreme practicality with no distinctive features. That’s the hallmark of Derdaal elixirs.”

“Did you just say it has no distinctive features?”

A triumphant smile appeared on Lisir’s lips.

For some reason, Tulan felt her hair stand on end and hastily spoke.

“Are you nitpicking now? If this continues, I won’t tolerate it any longer!”

“Lisir. Would you hand the elixir to Master Farozan?”

An emotionless voice cut across the room.

Following Didoa’s instruction, Lisir handed the elixir to Farozan.

“…”

Suddenly?

Farozan was bewildered but decided to follow her instruction for now.

“Master Farozan, rub the mouth of the elixir.”

“…What is this?”

“You’ll feel a slight embossing. Besides that-“

Didoa continued to point out numerous hidden details on the bottle.

It was an act that directly contradicted Tulan’s opinion that it had no distinctive features.

“…-For that reason, it is more accurate to see that cunning as the elixir of the Gossalta shamans rather than Derdal.”

The murmuring crowd.

Tulan was convinced that the crowd would lend strength to his voice and was about to shout.

“Gossalta… Gossalta… Surely, I’ve heard something about their elixir somewhere.”

However, Parozan’s muttering stopped Tulan.

It was none other than Parozan, who was completely infatuated with Tulan.

Tulan, flustered, spoke to Parozan.

“Pa, Parozan…? It’s not my opinion right now, but Didoa’s opinion is-“

“…”

For a moment, Parozan had a dazed look as if he had just woken up from sleep.

Then he spoke.

“Well, of course. You are just an apprentice, and Didoa is… huh? What is this-“

The sense of incongruity spread like an epidemic.

“What? Why is Tulan wearing the master’s robe? Where is Master Didoa?”

“Of course, Tulan is… huh?”

Tulan realized belatedly.

The power of black magic that had been surging just moments ago had vanished without a trace.

‘Why!?’

The answer to that question.

Lishir was looking at Tulan with a meaningful expression.

“You, you, you- you b*stard…!”

Tulan lost his composure.

It was the moment her mask completely came off.