Make Dark Fantasy Great Again-Chapter 2: Make Dark Fantasy Great Again ()

It’s better to let go of everything and start from scratch than trying to maintain a life of sitting on pins and needles, constantly watching your step.

I agonized quite a bit when I decided to leave home. It was the anguish felt by my former self, which was undeniably a part of me.

-Am I giving up?

-Is it alright to never be acknowledged by any of my family?

-Even if I can’t wash away my mother’s dishonor?

As the modern version of myself with an updated consciousness, I couldn’t understand these sentiments.

Family? Why are those people my family? Does sharing blood connect you that way? What an outdated trend. You know, we bastards interpret it a bit differently these days.

And as for my mother’s dishonor? What dishonor? The shame should be on the cock who cocked around and ruined an innocent lady’s life.

The more I thought about it, the less reason I had to cling to this place, craving love and recognition. After coming to a decision, my resolve to leave home grew even stronger.

Besides, it’s not like I’m starting completely from scratch. Despite appearances, I’m still an illegitimate child of a noble family. Don’t they say even a dog in a Confucian school can recite poetry after three years?

I spent over a decade as a bastard in a noble household. Though not loved enough to receive formal education, I’ve picked up some things just by being observant.

Magic? Isn’t my very existence, having become aware of my past life, more mysterious than any spell?

Swordsmanship? The ancients said the pen is mightier than the sword. I’ve been reading and writing for quite some time. If this isn’t swordsmanship, what is?

Looking down on bastards? Go on and sire another one, I’ll show you how it’s done. Because I know how to strike where it hurts most.

If there were grades for illegitimate offspring, I’d be a high-class B-grade bastard.

With that pride and confidence, I punched my attendance card in the annex again today. It was far from the Hayeren Public Library, which was in the city center out of the Bendel manor.

***The entry pass for the annex was much easier to obtain than the one for the main building, so it was mainly used by people like me.

By “people like me,” I don’t mean bastard, but rather shining passionate scholars pursuing knowledge despite difficult circumstances.

“...”

The old librarian sitting at the entrance desk glanced at me from the corner of his eye, then immediately returned his gaze to resume his work. Despite appearances, he’s quite kind. If I tell him what book I’m looking for, he brings it right away.

I don’t mind that he immediately stands up, smiles kindly, and politely greets other Bendel family members when they visit. Real friendship isn’t bound by status, after all.

I immediately entered the forest of bookshelves.

“Let’s see...”

The books stored in this annex were those deemed inappropriate for storage in the main building. Typically, these included books of substandard quality and content. And books dealing with knowledge considered trivial.

I took a different approach and became interested in that supposedly trivial knowledge. The basics of making a living is aiming for the blue ocean market.

If I learn knowledge that no one cares about because it’s trivial, won’t there come a day when it shines? Who knows if I’ll recreate the miracle of Bitcoin?

Equipped with a get-rich-quick mindset today as well, I headed to the very back of the library. It’s a magical space where sunlight coming through the windows takes form through dust particles.

I’ve never seen anyone else here besides myself. Even the librarian barely manages this area... Aren’t librarians supposed to love all books equally?

“?”

Oh? Unusually, there was already a visitor.

This one had rare silver hair, and also rare chocolate-colored skin.

And... pointed ears?

It was an elf. A dark elf at that, I was certain. She was a tall woman, who seemed to be around 170cm tall.

I suddenly felt an instinctive discomfort.

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This happens occasionally. It’s a perception of the world ingrained in my instincts—or should I call it prejudice? It conflicts with my reason.

I suppress it with a rational mind whenever this happens. And it was quite easy this time. The interest felt by my rationality was far greater than the discomfort felt by my instinct.

A dark elf, huh. The darker skinned of their kind.

It was the first different race I had seen directly since being transported to this fantasy world.

I’m a fan. Autograph please.

Though I felt the urge to speak to her as if I had met a celebrity, I held back. How could I disturb someone focused on reading, leaning against a bookshelf?

Step, step.

I carefully passed by the dark elf and headed to where the book I had noticed yesterday was shelved.

Where was it again? Ah. Here it is.

{The Existence of Cats}

Frankly, this book isn’t really related to my blue ocean strategy. Just curiosity.

The treatment of cats described in a book I once read was quite peculiar. It claimed that cats were spiritual creatures and evil demonic beasts.

Spiritual creatures, I can understand, but demonic beasts? What did cats do? What could they do?

I can’t always read just to figure out how to make a living. Sometimes I need to refresh my mind like this.

I immediately went to my usual spot under the window, settled down, and opened the book.

***It was about 30 minutes after I started reading.

“?”

The aforementioned dark elf was standing right in front of me, tilting her torso to the side.

I wondered what she was doing, but she was just aligning her eye level with my book.

“The Existence of... Cats? There’s a book like this?”

She wasn’t talking to me. It was a monologue. She was talking alone so naturally that I could tell straight away.

The woman smoothly sat down beside me, and started peeking. She stuck her head out to spy on what I was reading. Then she blinked, turning stare intently into my eyes.

Huh? What are you doing?

I stared back with bewilderment.

But when our eyes met—

“...!”

The woman jumped up from her seat, startled like a cat springing away.

After taking a step back, she threw a question.

“Can you see me?”

Uh, I’m a bastard, not blind. Now there’s a weirdo I don’t want to get involved with.

I turned my gaze back to my book as if nothing had happened.

“...?”

The woman tilted her head.

“Was it my imagination?”

The woman weakly sat down beside me again.

I read the book, and the woman read me reading the book. The uncomfortable reading session resumed.

The heck is this situation? Go away, please.

Before long, the dark elf lost interest in the book, directing all her attention solely to me.

“How peculiar.”

Her long fingers hovered around my face, fiddling with my hair, tapping my cheeks, rubbing my skin.

This woman is a dark elf, a mysterious race. She possesses beauty that makes it a struggle to avoid staring. Considering all that, this should be quite a mentally stimulating situation.

Yet right now, I’m surprisingly calm.

The subtle atmosphere in the woman’s actions, those gestures full of curiosity seemed as if she were observing an animal.

I imagine this is how horse breeders evaluate bloodlines?

“Jade-like skin. Glossy hair. Above all, these blue eyes. Isn’t this a noble?”

<They’re the kind who live for their own vanity.>

I heard another voice from the book hanging at the woman’s waist.

“A noble reading a book like this? My oh my, how amusing. What could this be about? Could it be that he appreciates the charm of cats? That would be rare indeed.”

<Isn’t he just interested in hunting cats?>

“So mean. How can you say such a thing?”

<If not that, why would a noble read such a book?>

“...”

Unable to come up with a rebuttal, the woman merely flapped her hands randomly with a displeased expression.

All that aside, I was perplexed.

The dark elf had flowing silver long hair. She wore a purple robe that seems transparent yet doesn’t reveal what’s inside, and her eyes were the shade of silvery mercury.

There couldn’t be a more fitting description than mysterious for this woman, but judging by her behavior—

Is she bonkers?

Her behavior, acting as if she were some kind of invisible person, left no room for other interpretations.

But what should I do about this?

This woman doesn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. Look at her staring at me so intently. It feels like she’s about to stare holes through me.

It seems I’ve come to a crossroads. Should I speak up now? Or keep playing dumb until the end?

“Excuse me...”

Yeah I should tell her. This woman needs to know that her invisible person game has gone wrong. Before she makes an even bigger mistake than playing ‘rate the bastard’.

“I can see you...”

“Huh? You can see? What? What can you see?”

The woman nearly buried her nose in the book, eyes sparkling.

“What can I see...?”

Tap tap.

I carefully touched her forearm with my fingertips.

“I can see you, miss.”

“Eek!”

The woman jumped up from her seat, hugging herself tightly in her shock.

Now that looks adorable.

***

[You have resisted]

[Resisted effect: Cognitive Decline]

***Once upon a time, there was a great hero named Radola Bendel. Hayeren is her hometown and the city where her descendants settled.

Knights from all over the continent headed to Hayeren to gain insight. Under the name of Bendel, the city prospered, and its glory seemed like it would last forever.

Until her visit.

The Bendel manor, which held a long history of glory, became ruins.

Clatter. Clatter.

In what was once the family head’s office, a black cat rolled a dull sphere back and forth.

This sphere was once a great vessel bearing the soul of a brave knight, but not anymore. It was merely the worthless skull of the Bendel family head.

The Black Witch picked up the cat and held it in her arms. Stroking the cat with a bored expression, she looked down at Hayeren through the collapsed wall.

It was as if she were looking at an ancient city that had disappeared into the annals of history. Vines that had sprouted from the ground covered everything. Even the humans, who wandered aimlessly through the streets. Where their heads should have been, large fruits imitating human faces bloomed.

Ka-ka-kak-ka-ka-kak-ka-ka-kak-

The settlement echoed with the sound of thorny vines climbing up their vocal cords.

The city in the western continent had lost its name. People now called it the Black Witch’s Garden.

▶Fate 5: The Promised Price