Make Dark Fantasy Great Again-Chapter 22: Desire Demon (2)

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[The entity’s influence is too strong]

[Your stats will permanently decrease]

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■Eron

Level : 19 > 18

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[The entity’s influence is too strong]

***...

...

...

***“Mr. Eron?”

“...Yes?”

Eron snapped back to reality at the sound of Risir’s voice.

“Are you alright? Your complexion...”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine. Just felt a bit tired for a moment. I was up late last night, you see. I’ll feel better after a short rest.”

It was pride that held Eron’s frazzled mind together. Pride that refused to show weakness in front of this inferior man.

Eron sat back down, forcing a relaxed smile.

My power has...weakened?

But his usual smile seemed forced because of his inner conflict.

Confusion often reveals a person’s true nature, and this was the first moment Eron showed his true self in front of them.

Why? Could it be mana reflux?

Magical power is like a muscle. Stimulation promotes growth, but the process can sometimes lead to injury, which is called mana reflux.

Eron’s Bewitchment could directly or indirectly interfere with the target’s mind. This delicate, complex power was more likely to cause mana reflux than ordinary magic.

For instance, mana reflux resulting from his use of Bewitchment wasn’t particularly strange in itself. But the problem lay with the target. Even mana reflux had its own rules...

These pushovers caused it?

Eron scrutinized Marik’s group, the targets of his Bewitchment. Befitting their status as adventurers of the same rank, each of them were fledgelings not even reaching the 2nd Rank.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

Suffering mana reflux because of them? It was equivalent to getting injured while wrestling with a child.

...

Of course, if a third party intervened in that wrestling match, things could be different.

Eron glanced at Risir from the corner of his eye. As he recalled, the mana reflux occurred just as he was about to cast Bewitchment on him.

Different from Marik’s group, Risir had identified himself as a mage, and possibly possessed some knowledge and resistance to mind magic. His level was also clearly higher compared to Marik’s group.

Looks to be at the 3rd Rank...

Eron acknowledged that Risir might have caused the mana reflux...though the likelihood of that possibility was another question entirely.

But he’s barely just reached that level. And he can’t even properly conceal his own power...

He knew all about such individuals.

Hardly worth a second glance. He probably stumbled into the 3rd Rank by just soaking up whatever his family spoonfed him.

Typically, legitimate heirs of noble families reached the 3rd Rank before their coming-of-age ceremony, and nobles tended to take this for granted.

They’d claim it was due to the innate qualities befitting their noble bloodline, but well...There were those like Eron who thought differently.

From childhood, nobles were raised in environments naturally infused with mana, receiving extensive education on all things related to it. They grew up with what the have-nots called opportunities, handed to them like air to breathe.

Given such advantages, it would be unusual not to reach the 3rd Rank before adulthood.

But to barely reach the 3rd Rank as an adult under these conditions?

Artificial greatness, that’s what it is.

Eron had seen many such nobles, all of whom—without exception—were ordinary beings unable to break out of the mold. And he liked them for it. Easy, high-quality prey with an unwarranted sense of superiority were rarely found.

...That’s why Eron was confused now.

Am I supposed to believe that I suffered mana reflux because of this medicore man?

The power was both unique and difficult to confront. Countering it required not just recognition, but a proper response.

Yet behold that half-baked mage. Forget reacting appropriately, he didn’t even seem aware of what even occurred.

Then suddenly, amidst Eron’s confused writhing and struggle to comprehend...

“...?”

He felt an intense gaze.

Turning toward its source, he found the girl sitting next to Risir, Fienne, was staring at him meaningfully.

Eron couldn’t fully understand the complex emotions within that gaze, the empathy and understanding—Oh, I know that feeling...

How could he know? That she, hiding her unimaginable identity as a Progenitor, had previously attempted something similar to Risir and suffered greatly for it? How could he understand that they were unknowingly forming a sense of kinship?

In the end, the sense of similarity and empathy in Fienne’s gaze never reached him. Instead, Eron only felt pure contempt reflected in her eyes—What a fool...

“...!”

Eron was struck with overwhelming shock as everything clicked into place.

The strangeness he had sensed from Fienne earlier hadn’t been a mere illusion. His expectations had been completely off.

Fienne wasn’t a fragile girl with no power—she was a skilled individual concealing her strength. And she was Risir’s guard.

Most likely—no, she had to be the one responsible for the mana reflux.

Damn it, why did I only realize this now...?

Eron berated himself. Because he realized too late, he had given them an opening.

What did she do? Did she see through my power and repel it? No, that can’t be right. Otherwise she would’ve attacked me already.

It’s probably because...I activated some kind of defensive spell she placed on that cretin, and now she’s wary of me. Or maybe, she’s giving me a warning right now.

Right, a warning.

As his thoughts reached this point, Eron managed to regain some composure. Why would someone stop at a warning instead of immediately responding to a threat against their charge?

They must have judged that confrontation would be troublesome. Perhaps they sensed that the difference in power wasn’t great, or they felt the nature of his Bewitchment.

A reasonable judgment.

The coachman, the adventurers, and even the half-baked young master. Everyone here except Fienne was prey for Eron’s power.

Once a full-scale battle commenced, Fienne’s fight would necessitate considering all these factors. In fact, she would have to focus on guarding. And the moment Risir got even slightly injured, Fienne would lose.

That was the nature of a guard’s duty.

As long as that deadweight called Risir is around, I have the upper hand.

Finally, Eron reached one conclusion.

I need to act first.

The moment she got a chance, Fienne would first hide Risir in a safe place.

And then she’ll try to eliminate me, the danger element in her guard duty.

He couldn’t let that happen. Eron formulated his action plan and strategy accordingly.

First, I’ll steal the adventurers’ power, then I’ll Bewitch Risir with full force.

Eron was averse to using his full power on a filthy man, however...

“...”

“...”

If he could break that cunning woman’s pride, he was willing to endure it.

You can act all composed for now...

Eron consoled himself by imagining Fienne’s anguished face as she lost her charge right before her eyes.

***As darkness fell, the carriage stopped near the road to prepare for camping.

This was the most crucial moment for adventurers. The quality of rest was the factor that most greatly affected their condition the next day.

“You three folks, please rest. We’ll take care of this.”

Nevertheless, Marik’s group excluded Risir, Fienne, and Eron from the process of dividing camp roles. Though it was customary for everyone to share roles equally, that norm only applied among people of the same status.

Being aware of this, Fienne and Eron accepted Marik’s group’s proposal as if it were natural.

“Goddamn it, why—won’t—this—fire—light!”

“Ugh...This ground is hard as hell. Should we just skip setting up the tent?”

“Won’t hurt to have those noble folks freeze in the night. Let’s just pray we don’t run into them again in Bondalles eh.”

But as Marik’s group toiled over the menial tasks, sweating and cursing, Risir came near.

“Gentlemen, is there anything I can help with?”

“...?”

“...?”

“...?”

They all looked astonished, as though they couldn’t believe their ears. The question itself wasn’t extraordinary, but the accent accompanying it...An offer of help, spoken in a noble’s tone?

As low-ranking adventurers who had been through all kinds of lows, Marik’s group had seen their fair share of strange occurrences, but this one was among the most bizarre.

“I-I’m sorry what?”

Marik asked for clarification, looking dazed.

“I figured I could speed up the work by lending a hand.”

Good lord.

They hadn’t misheard.

“No, no...that won’t be necessary. This is our job to do, right. Lord, er, Mr. Risir, please rest at ease.”

Marik wryly laughed inside. He was unsure whether to consider the man kind, unpretentious, or simply naïve about the ways of the world.

It seemed the young and well-meaning Risir didn’t understand how excessive generosity from a noble in such situations could be perceived by those beneath them.

Marik would be lying if he said it didn’t feel good, but more than that, it was uncomfortable and burdensome. Even if they were fellow passengers, what adventurer would willingly have a noble doing menial tasks and think, “Great! More hands!”?

He could easily predict how their conversation would go.

But how can I rest while you all are working so hard?

Oh dear, but how could we possibly ask you, Mr. Risir, to do such menial tasks?

Come now, please don’t say that...

Oh no sir, please don’t be like that...

Just as Marik’s face was about to twist with even more exhaustion than it had during his camp duties...

“Actually, I’d like to learn a bit for future reference.”

“...Pardon?”

Could there be a more mysterious creature than a noble willing to help with adventurers’ menial tasks?

Well yes, there was. This noble here wished to learn menial tasks from adventurers.

Marik’s group could only dumbly stare at Risir in the face of this clearly unusual development.

“You see, I’m interested in the adventurer’s life. And even if I’m not an adventurer, wouldn’t such useful knowledge come in handy someday?”

It wasn’t just idle talk.

Risir had only one interest: to live a successful, good life in this fantasy world. The magic he was currently devoted to was just one means to that end. And the more means, the better.

After regaining his past life memories, Risir adopted the mindset of absorbing all kinds of knowledge from the library. This attitude had remained unchanged.

“...”

Marik’s group knew how to interpret the kindness of nobles. They couldn’t afford to misunderstand it.

Nobles didn’t show kindness out of any special goodwill; it was simply a way of bestowing something from a higher position to those below. It was more of a duty or formality than anything else.

Therefore, one shouldn’t take their kindness at face value, nor should one develop a sense of intimacy with them. To do so would be a mistake only an utter fool would make, as the kindness nobles offered was clearly perfunctory in nature.

This was why Marik’s group looked on the verge of losing their minds from confusion. After all, nobles were the type who wouldn’t even entertain the idea of ‘learning’ from their inferiors, not even as a formality.

“Useful knowledge, er, what do you mean by that...?”

“Well, ways to start a fire. Things to be mindful of when camping. Aren’t there there are quite a few?”

“But those are rather trivial things to call useful knowledge.”

Despite his reply, Marik was inwardly nodding.

This guy knows his stuff, huh.

To an outsider, it might seem like they had just stopped at a random place to camp when the time came, but in reality, it was the optimal location that Marik’s group had found after hours of careful searching.

As Risir said, they had chosen the spot considering various factors that needed attention when camping.

Camping knowledge was crucial for adventurers, as it directly impacted their survival. It was valuable information that could only be gained through hands-on experience in the field.

Marik had spoken dismissively of this know-how, as he was no fool who thought nobles would view it with the same importance.

Yet to his surprise, this noble was proving him to be a fool.

“Trivial? Come now. How can knowledge be both useful and trivial?”

Marik knew it to be a mere formality, an empty compliment to an inferior.

“...Ahem. Then would you mind coming over here for a moment? There was a point when we decided to camp here, and it was when—”

Yet, he couldn’t resist. What commoner wouldn’t feel excited and speak enthusiastically when a noble showed genuine respect and interest in their work?

For a while, Marik’s group excitedly passed on their camping knowledge to Risir. Even their personal know-how that they normally wouldn’t share, not even for money.

“Um, if it’s alright, could you teach me too? That...camping knowledge.”

Eron, who had been waiting for an opportunity to dominate the adventurers with his power of Bewitchment, briefly showed a hint of displeasure before belatedly attempting to join in.

“Ah~ Well why not? Come on over, Mr. Eron!”

Marik’s group were in high spirits, inviting Eron without hesitation. However...

“...Mr. Eron? Er, you don’t have to force yourself if you’re not interested.”

Before long, they openly showed their discomfort, making it clear that they just wanted him to leave and not ruin the mood.

Eron’s repeated attempts to engage warmly with Marik and his lover Catherine only highlighted the contrast with Risir, who was genuinely interested and attentively listening to Marik’s group.

“...”

The desire demon had charmed people with his unique looks and aura, using his power of Bewitchment to dominate them. Yet now, he writhed in bewilderment and humiliation.

***“I’ll do it.”

Night had deepened, and dinner was over. The topic of night watch came up among those seated around the campfire, and Risir unhesitatingly raised his hand.

“Oh lord, please no!!! Don’t do this, Mr. Risir!!!”

The adventurers seated nearby positively screamed to dissuade him.

Since the camping lecture, their fondness for Risir had only grown. Their faces now lit up in his presence, reluctant to leave his side.

“Do you know how grueling it is to stare blankly at the fields in the dead of night, waiting for dawn?! Taking the night watch, y’know?! It’s not just hard, it’s goddamn awful! You could literally die from boredom and sleepiness!”

“But wouldn’t it be better to experience it at least once beforehand? Better than making mistakes when I’m actually paid to do night watch later.”

“Arghhhhhh!!!”

Marik clung to Risir, laughing hysterically...though it sounded more like a despairing wail.

“You’re right!!! Absolutely right but...My god, how do I explain this?! Ah, whatever! Just go ahead and do it, Mr. Risir!”

Despite the group’s objections, Risir finally managed to secure the night watch duty.

“I’ll take the shift after!”

Eron, who had been watching carefully, suddenly raised his hand, eyeing Marik’s group expectantly.

“Ah, yes. You will? Well, we appreciate it.”

Unlike with Risir, their response was utterly lukewarm.

“...”

Eron possessed a beauty more stunning than most women, enchanting both men and women alike.

That beauty was marred by an angrily, bulging vein on his forehead.

Lowly halfwits. Just you wait.

Night had finally fallen. The desire demon had been eagerly awaiting this moment.

***“Jesus. Maybe I got too caught up in the mood...Shouldn’t have volunteered.”

About 3000 hours had passed—from how Risir felt—since the night watch began. He contemplated his mistake while gazing at the endless darkness spread across the fields.

The air before sunrise often evoked sentimentality, and Risir couldn’t help but think of his sister, who wasn’t there. Just before their parting, she had shown a certain competitiveness and stubbornness toward him.

-Bet you’ll wanna call me big sis next time we meet...So until then, don’t get hurt. And...take good care of yourself...B-big bro.

Her pride as a genius swordswoman had ignited after witnessing his magical talent firsthand.

-I was going to teach you the sword...I wanted you to just follow me without having to worry about anything, but...

She was angry, and regretful, to have her plans disrupted.

-But how could I when I always told you to live your own life...So...I don’t want to part either, but...this seems right for now...

-I’ll miss you.

Risir rubbed his chest, remembering his cute little sister.

-...How long are you going to cling to me!

Once she steadied herself after a sentimental moment, his sister fully expressed her discomfort—with a one-inch strike fueled by the explosive force of her flushed face.

“It still hurts...”

His chest was bruised, courtesy of Roera.

“Eh?”

As Risir was enduring the boring night with idle thoughts, he suddenly looked back, sensing a presence.

“How’s it going?”

He recognized the voice, yet it felt foreign.

“Eron?”

As someone approached, the darkness lifted, showing their outline.

“...?”

Risir tilted his head.

“Eron...?”

Long eyelashes. Soft and delicate features. Sky-blue eyes as clear as a summer sky. Healthy bronze skin, and silken golden hair, cropped short.

Risir remembered Eron as a man whose beauty surpassed that of most women, which was why he wasn’t too surprised by the current situation.

Emerging from the darkness, Eron stood bare. The lines of her body were unmistakably those of a woman. Her flawless bronze skin seemed to absorb and reflect the moonlight, glowing with an ethereal beauty even in the shadows.

“Shall we do something nice?”

Eron’s lips curved gently, the darkness behind her rippling like a tail.

Her power responded to her will.

***

[The entity's influence is too strong]

[Your stats will permanently decrease]

***

■Eron

Level: 18 > 16

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