Dark Fantasy Normalized

66 – Deputy Tower Master

Am I really going to be able to do this?

Would it be possible to reconsider?

Those words rose to the tip of my tongue.

But I can’t bring myself to say them out loud.

My master must have a reason for entrusting this to me.

Okay, here’s the English translation, keeping the tone you described:

So, the doll decided to act the way its master wanted.

***

Since arriving at the magic tower.

It felt like Dmia was barely living.

No matter how much she learned, administration was difficult.

No matter how much she worked, the endless tasks didn’t lessen.

In that process, her freedom and will were thoroughly restricted.

Sometimes, she even resented the master who had entrusted all this to her.

But, each time, Dmia made an effort to pull herself together.

-There’s no way Master would have given me this work without a reason.

-If there’s a problem, it must be because my efforts aren’t enough.

Dmia could only endure, persevere, and wish with all her heart.

For the day when all this would end.

When the magic tower would be stable, as her master intended, and she could enjoy some peace.

And finally.

All of it was shimmering before her eyes, as if she could grasp it with a reach of her hand.

Of course, she knew.

That she was far from perfect, and not even close to good enough.

But what could she do?

This was her limit.

She couldn’t try harder, she couldn’t do better.

If she happened to sleep soundly, she would be tormented by an unknown guilt, and when she was too tired and spaced out, the walls all around her felt like they were closing in.

There were times when tears would erupt for no reason at all.

That’s how, clumsily yet stitch by stitch, she had built to get here, to this moment, and Dmia was quite satisfied with the result.

‘Lyshir…’

But that man ruined everything.

Dmia was determined to resent him with all her strength.

But why?

“You called for me–“

As soon as she stood before him, those negative feelings melted away like snow.

A comforting something seemed to caress him.

Was it because he was currently the sole focus of the Bondales merchant guild leaders’ attention?

He didn’t know.

What was certain was that, with his help, this wretched nightmare might finally end.

‘I’m here in place of the Master… I absolutely can’t appear weak…’

After completing her usual mental pledge, Demia calmly opened her mouth.

“Yes. I summoned you. I assume you know who I am?”

Her appearance, untouched by the passage of time, still retained a youthful freshness.

However, the weariness and resignation etched on her face, along with the heavy dark circles under her eyes, forcefully added a patina of experience to her aura.

The Deputy Mage Tower Master straightened her upper body, looking down at her counterpart.

“Of course. You are the Deputy Tower Master.”

“And do you also happen to know the reason I called you here today?”

“…Is it perhaps because of the matter I resolved last time?”

“Yes. Poldah. That individual seems to have been greatly impressed by your efforts.”

Demia handed Lysir the document she had prepared.

“He has expressed his intent for long-term sponsorship. And at double the previous amount, at that.”

Lysir’s eyes widened as he checked the sum written on the document.

If it’s not too much trouble, just one ice cream-

“As expected of the head of a large guild, his generosity is quite remarkable.”

“They aren’t always like that.”

“Huh?”

“Merchants are those who clearly know when to open and close their wallets. The fact that they’ve shown this level of sincerity means that you’ve demonstrated sufficient value.”

“…”

Lysir nodded.

To Demia, his reaction seemed like he was deeply moved upon hearing her praise.

It was a moment when the teachings from the book, *How to Handle Subordinates,* shone through.

‘They must have gotten a good impression of me, right?’

Judging that enough groundwork (?) had been laid, Demia got to the main point.

“Enough preamble. The reason I’ve summoned you here today is to discuss an extension of the previous matter. It seems news of Poldah’s case has spread among merchants, and many guild leaders have also developed a good impression of you. They have requested an audience with you while pledging support for the Mage Tower. You can probably guess their intentions, can’t you?”

“Do they also… have problems with that friend of his, that sword?”

“Not only that, but it seems they think your influence spans the entire northern back alleys.”

“…”

“Do you have any idea why?”

He chuckled dryly after a moment of deep thought.

Then, he cautiously nodded.

“Really? Then-”

Demia fell into thought.

How could she make him willingly offer his aid?

-Why does the Archmage trust someone like *that*…

-This is troublesome. If only he weren’t the Archmage’s proxy.

It was always the same thought, but handling subordinates as the Archmage’s proxy was truly not an easy task.

No matter how much she tried and pondered, voices of discontent arose.

As if reminding her that she was nothing if not for being the Archmage’s proxy.

“Then…”

A sudden pang of nausea hit her.

‘Come to think of it, he’s a honorary mage -‘

He wasn’t officially part of the mage tower. That meant, he had no need to outwardly bow and obey her.

‘What if I make a slip of the tongue and he refuses to help?’

The merchants’ disappointment. The overturned patronage. The goals drifting further away.

The worst-case scenario painted itself in her mind with ease.

Her nausea intensified, and her lips felt heavy.

‘He… He probably knows that I opposed his appointment as an honorary mage, right…? Inside, he must be looking down on me…?’

This is strange. I’m usually not this on edge.

Demia felt the mask she had crafted feel thinner than usual today.

She focused all her attention on her expression, in fear of revealing her pathetic true self.

Her voice, too.

“I, I wish to give you the opportunity to help the mage tower…”

But despite her efforts, what came out of her mouth was a pathetic voice.

And the content was even more pitiful.

Oh, crap!

It was then, when Dmia, horrified, was about to immediately try to fix the situation, that Lisir smiled nonchalantly.

“Oh my, such a precious thing. In that case, by all means, I shall accept it with gratitude.”

As if just playing along with a joke.

It was an incongruous reaction, as if he had no preconceptions whatsoever about what a stand-in for the Master of the Magic Tower ‘should’ be like.

Dmia didn’t know how to handle this.

Even the difficult books she had read hadn’t covered anything like this.

“Y-yes… consider it an honor…”

And so, Dmia ended up saying what her heart told her to.

Then she watched Lisir’s expression.

What on earth did she look like to him right now?

He just laughed again, as if he found it all amusing.

Dmia also burst into laughter.

It was a pure, innocent smile that showed no trace of the dignity one would expect from a stand-in for the Master of the Magic Tower.

***

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[Today’s Diary] [Weather: Cloudy]

I hate rainy days.

I like the sound of rain tapping on the window, but I hate everything else about it.

This magic tower is pointlessly vast, so it gets incredibly eerie when it rains.

It makes you think, “Are there ghosts going to come out!?” (Actually, there’s supposedly a place inside the tower where ghosts appear [Screaming painting]).

Especially at night!

After the Master and staff leave, and the students go home, when there’s nobody around!!!

At this hour, all the lights in the tower go out, so I have to endure alone in this huge office, relying on candlelight!

Does that even make sense!?

It’s unbelievably scary!

When the wind blows and the windows rattle, I get so startled, I almost became a ghost myself.

On days like this, I particularly miss my Master.

I wonder if Master is doing alright?

Surely he’s not out in the rain, is he?

I wish you’d hurry back.

If you were here, Master, we could even visit that place where the ghost appears.

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[Today’s Diary] [Weather: Clear]

I was walking down the hall today, and I thought I must have misheard.

Apparently, the students were talking about something called a rainbow cake!

It’s a dessert they sell at a new cafe that opened,

but why a rainbow cake?

Is it huge like a rainbow? Or arched like one?

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s rainbow-colored?

Oh, I’m so curious.

If it is rainbow-colored, how did they make the colors?

Red is strawberry.

Orange is grapefruit.

Yellow is… yellow is… orange? (It’s different from a tangerine, it is!)

Anyway, let’s skip ahead. Here’s the real problem.

Green.

What did they use to make the green color?

Apple?

Surely it’s not leaves?

Ah! That’s it! Green tea!

…Then what about blue?

Indigo?

Purple?

Personally, I think we could skip those three, couldn’t we?

They don’t really look like colors that would make you hungry…

But then, if they’re missing, can you really call it a rainbow?

It’s so difficult.

Maybe it’s not rainbow-colored, but shaped like a rainbow that makes it a rainbow cake?

Wouldn’t I know if I just tried it? ＜No! This is a time to save every last bit, I need to be a model as the head of the magic tower!

Yeah, that’s right, isn’t it?

Ugh. I don’t want to.

This position is way too much for me, after all.

I still don’t get it, no matter how much I think.

Why did Master entrust this to me? ＜Because he believes in me! ★★★

That’s right.

Master believes I can do it, that’s why he gave me this task.

So don’t give up, and let’s do our best today too!

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[Things I definitely want to do later]

1. Lie in bed all day and sleep

2. Read one of those romance novels

3. Go to a place called a cafe

4. Eat a rainbow cake ★★★

5. Go ghost hunting with Master (Master’s stronger than any ghost, so I don’t need to be scared!)

6. Learn how to do makeup

7. Romance??? ＜I don’t know about this one yet

…

…

…

37. I don’t need any of it, I just wish it was over.

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[Title: Who was Demia again???]

Content: Found something called Demia’s diary at the magic tower and read it

lol; the content is so girly

I had a dad-like smile while reading it

– : Dude, is it right to have a dad-smile while peeking at a girl’s diary?

– : Fucking b*stard, should never be a dad, seriously.

-[Writer] : Aish, fuck, I didn’t drop it on purpose to make you look at it.

– : So, you can interpret lost items like that, huh.

– : We’ve agreed to call that ‘appropriation of lost property’ over here.

-[Writer] : The production team dropped it, damn it, the production team!

– : That’s Demia, isn’t it? The Tower Lord’s proxy.

-[Writer] : ?

-[Writer] : No, not that dark-circles girl.

– : There’s no other Demia, is there?

-[Writer] : ?

-[Writer] : No way, did she write that diary?

-[Writer] : Fucking hell, is she like, a split personality?

– : I think she might be, split personality.

-[Writer] : ?????

-[Writer] : Seriously?

– : Split personality (forced)

– : A doll imitating her own Tower Lord era ＜ What the original Gray Tower Lord was going to create

– : A doll imitating her at 14 years old ＜ What the Gray Tower Lord made by mistake

– : When Demia wrote that diary, her mental age was around 14, I think.

-[Writer] : So, they entrusted a 14-year-old with Tower administration?

– : Well, she’s aged since then, but

that’s how it started, yeah.

-[Writer] : That Tower Lord is a crazy b*stard!

-[Writer] : No, wait, so a 14-year-old is doing administrative work and no one noticed?

– : Tower Lord at 14 years old＜＜＜

– : Because the software is the Tower Lord, yeah. Guess she managed to hold on through sheer grit.

– : At first, she was truly awful, but as time passed she became tolerable ＜ Masters’ assessment

-[Writer] : Tower Lord cuts are seriously tough, damn.

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***

Rishir left the office after the conversation.

Master Melta, Didoa, and Marina were waiting for him at the door, their faces filled with worry.

“Rishir, are you alright!?”

“You were waiting without a word, were you upset? If so, I’m sorry. Rishir. Have you been well? Oh, right, the reason I was waiting here is-“

“You’re being too verbose, Didoa!”

Their attitude was like they were dealing with someone who had been bitten and returned from a monster.

It couldn’t be helped, the acting Tower Lord’s peculiar personality was infamous even within the Magic Tower.

She pathologically flaunted and emphasized her authority and power as the acting Tower Lord, even in front of the Master.

So, how much more would it be in front of Rishir, a mere honorary mage?

Moreover, she was the one who had persistently opposed Rishir’s appointment as an honorary mage.

It wouldn’t have been strange if Rishir had suffered any unfair treatment after being called to her.

“Huh? Ah. She was quite an interesting person? This time, while going to meet the guild leaders, we decided to tour the city together. She said there’s a place she wants me to take her.”

“?”

“?”

“Perhaps… the execution grounds?”

The three of them reacted as if they had seen a ghost.