Make Dark Fantasy Great Again-Chapter 49: The Doomsday Wolf (3)

Feryn had always been cold and distant toward her. Never once had she shown affection.

But that was fine. She treated everyone the same way, keeping them all at arm’s length. And if anyone could claim to be closest to her, it was Lafita.

People had all kinds of personalities and relationships, so it was natural for affection to take countless forms.

Because of that, Lafita could trust Feryn. She could believe she held the most important place in the elemental’s heart. She could convince herself that Feryn’s prickly behavior was its own kind of affection.

Lafita still vividly remembered the first time Feryn had allowed her close. She had been in an unusually good mood.

If Lafita tried to reach for her, Feryn would pull away. But if she remained still, Feryn would stay. She might turn aside, feigning indifference, but her ears would be perked, listening. She might suddenly leave, but if Lafita called her name, she would always look back.

That was surely the most intimate connection possible—the closest anyone was allowed.

Beyond that, Lafita had learned so much about her. What she liked. What she disliked. What suited her best.

She loved watching Feryn lost in solitude and contemplation. In those moments, she saw Feryn’s true self...or at least, she truly believed so.

“Feryn...”

This was a side of Feryn she had never seen before, and never thought she would see.

The cold, aloof elemental was casually allowing a human’s touch. Not only that, she nuzzled against his hand with her eyes closed.

Even in her wolf form, she had never acted so wolf-like.

“No...”

Lafita tried to reject what she was seeing. She wasn’t that kind of ungraceful girl.

Something had to be wrong. Feryn, an elemental, couldn’t possibly prefer a human over her.

“Snap out of it, Feryn...!”

Lafita’s pleading cry didn’t reach her.

“Hnnah...”

To Feryn, pure auras were like warm sunlight. Just being near them brought comfort, a quiet kind of happiness.

She had always rejected that feeling. Despite physically craving it, as a plant craves the sun, self-loathing and a deep sense of inferiority toward her own kind had forced her to suppress it.

And so, the elemental had been withering...until she suddenly encountered Risir’s special aura.

Even under normal circumstances, his presence would have brought immense joy. But to Feryn, starved of warmth, it was overwhelming—instantly drowning out reason and silencing emotions.

Her mental barriers, unyielding to the point of driving herself to self-destruction, helplessly collapsed.

Wh-why am I like this...?

Feryn tried to pull away from Risir and regain control...but her body relaxed despite her strong resistance. In return, she felt pure, unadulterated happiness for the first time since gaining consciousness.

Lost in that bliss, thoughts surfaced that she would never have allowed herself to think.

No...he’ll hate me if I act like this...

It was a memory. A pain from childhood, locked away behind her mental walls.

As a child, Feryn had yearned for acceptance from her kin who rejected her. She had tried so hard to belong.

But all it had earned her was deeper rejection.

By the time she had given up, a cruel truth had taken root in her heart: Those she liked disliked her. The closer she got, the further they pushed her away.

That’s why...I need to pull away...

...But I don’t wanna. Why should I, when this makes me so happy?

...No, it’s disgusting. Because...because...

Her thoughts churned, threatening to strip away even the joy of the moment.

Just then—

“...!”

Feryn shivered.

Risir’s other hand brushed gently over her head. He had done it without thinking; the way she nuzzled against his hand was simply too much like a wolf cub.

“...”

Feryn stopped thinking and focused on the sensation. Stroke, stroke, stroke. The rhythmic motion seemed to sweep away the chaos in her mind.

Eventually, her tangled mind cleared. The crippling self-loathing, the resentment and inferiority toward her own kind, and the elves who made her like this—none of it mattered anymore.

“Hnnahh...”

She wanted nothing more than to simply bask in this newfound happiness.

Feryn pressed closer to Risir, wriggling until she found the perfect position.

The woman with the blue wolf ears and tail was now nestled vulnerably against him.

“...”

Risir’s hand stilled as he felt her weight and the sensation of her touch. The proximity finally registered—he was holding a woman, not a wolf cub.

Then, something began to hit him rhythmically. Thump, thump, thump.

It was Feryn’s tail.

“Hnnahh...Keep making me feel good...”

Feryn rubbed her face against his chest, her voice soft and breathy.

Some coughed dryly and turned away, while others watched with flushed faces. It was a rather suggestive scene....

Thump, thump, thump.

But the persistent thumping of her bushy tail stole Risir’s attention.

“...”

Is she a wolf? Human? Wolf? Human?

Wolf.

Risir ultimately shrugged and resumed petting Feryn.

Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!

Feryn’s tail thumped against him with more force, almost wrapping around him.

“Feels good...”

She sounded loose-tongued, a stark contrast to the sharp curses she had been spitting earlier.

“Really? Glad to hear it.”

“Scratch...my neck too...”

“Like this?”

“Hnn...”

Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!

“Now here...”

Feryn lifted her hips slightly.

“Pat my butt...like earlier...”

“Uh...that’s a bit...”

“Enough!!!”

Lafita couldn’t hold back from shrieking.

“Y-you...! What have you done to Feryn?! Turning my gallant, calm and noble Feryn...into a shameful hussy who acts coy to a human...!”

“Uh...I haven’t exactly done anything...”

“Nonsense! Do you think I’ll believe that?! Feryn, she would never prefer a human over me! She would never enjoy your touch! I won’t forgive you. No I shan’t! How dare you taint Feryn with your filthy aura!”

Risir suddenly felt an itch to retort. He let her talk, but she just wouldn’t stop.

He couldn’t just stand there and take it any longer.

Besides, a perfect line came to him amidst this ridiculous situation—one he might never get another chance to deliver.

Risir made his resolve and resumed petting Feryn, this time with more intensity.

“Hnnn...”

“You say that, but Feryn’s body is telling a different story. Heh. Heh.”

“...!”

Despite his terrible acting, the power behind that timeless line was devastating.

“AHHHHH!!! GONDOLA!!!”

Lafita screamed for her knight escort.

“Yes, my lady.”

“Get that filthy human away from Feryn! Now!!!”

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

“Understood. Oi, human. Release her this instant.”

Risir promptly raised his hands in surrender.

“Hnn...hnng...”

It had the opposite effect. Feryn whimpered and thrashed her tail even harder.

“No...no...I don’t wanna leave yet...”

“Rogue...! How dare you toy with my lady’s elemental with your vulgar tricks, right in front of her?!”

“I’m telling you, I haven’t done anything.”

“Silence!”

Shing! Gondola’s sword left its scabbard.

Dupona and Draffon followed suit.

Lafita shot Draffon a wide-eyed glare. She had been certain that, as a figure of authority in the human world, he would take her side.

“Draffon. You saw what he did to my elemental, and yet you’re defending him?!”

“Lady Royeth, committing an act of violence in Bondalles could lead to a political issue. You must be particularly cautious, especially since you entered the city without following proper procedures.”

“Oh I swear. Do you think I’m unaware of that?! Open your eyes, if you’ve got any! See what your kind is doing to my elemental!”

“My lady.”

Gadena interjected.

“Right! Gadena! You were with us! These humans are unreasonable! You must do something!”

“...”

He continued speaking with a heavy heart.

“My lady, he might be telling the truth.”

“Excuse me?”

“His mana...his aura has a unique quality. It holds the mysterious property of purifying corruption.”

“Wha-what are you implying?”

“He truly might not have done anything to the elemental.”

“So, this is what you’re saying? Feryn is acting like this because she just...likes that human?”

“...Furthermore, he is vouched for by Master Meltas. If the man were foolish enough to provoke pointless conflict, he wouldn’t have earned that guarantee.”

“Who is this Master Meltas? Why should I care about some human?!”

“He is a man of great insight, not to be dismissed so easily.”

“...Hahahaha!!!”

Lafita clutched at her face, bursting into laughter.

“Heavens, Gadena. What has become of you! The Gadena I knew in the Green Tower was wiser than this! Has your time among humans in their city made you consider them our equals?”

“...”

Gadena looked at Lafita with a complicated expression. He couldn’t dismiss her as simply foolish.

As a high elf, a descendant of the World Tree, Lafita was destined to be beloved by elementals. Her pride wasn’t arrogance; it was her birthright.

However, this wasn’t the Grand Forest. It was hardly unusual to encounter beings beyond elven comprehension here.

Gadena started pondering. How could he persuade this naive young lady, raised as the pampered youngest of a noble family, accustomed to every indulgence?

No, how could he enlighten her? He inwardly corrected himself with a hint of disillusionment towards his own kind.

“We are in the outside world, my lady. You must broaden your perspective and show more tolerance.”

“...”

Lafita glared at him for a moment, then smiled enigmatically.

“Broaden my perspective? Very well.”

She turned to Draffon.

“You mentioned that an elf assaulting a human in Bondalles could become a political issue.”

“...”

“Then an elemental using force against another elemental should be fine, correct?”

“What are you...?”

Lafita pulled out a necklace. An emerald pendant radiating a powerful aura of wind.

“Sylph.”

-Fwooo

At her whisper, a condensed vortex of wind swirled within the room. The emerald became the eye of a storm.

“My lady! No!”

Gadena’s shout came too late.

An unexpected commotion unfolded outside the building.

The clouds adorning the sky suddenly vanished, leaving behind an unusually clear expanse.

A great elemental of the wind answered the high elf’s call and appeared before them.

-Lafita, why have you summoned me?

“Bring me the wolf elemental that human is holding.”

Lafita glared fiercely at Risir, and the eye within the emerald followed her gaze.

Its answer came swiftly.

-I refuse.

“That’s right! Go and—”

...Huh?

The malice in Lafita’s eyes faded. She stared at her pendant, stunned.

“W-what did you just...?”

-That young elemental is with the human of her own volition. This is not my concern. And besides...

The eye within the emerald focused on Risir.

-I do not wish to incur his displeasure.

“What are you...?”

A great elemental of wind is refusing my request because it doesn’t want to offend a human? So, it prefers the human over me?!

“Sylph!”

-Is he your enemy?

“Yes! He is my enemy!!!”

-Then I must have misjudged you.

“...What?”

The light within the emerald vanished, and the vortex dissipated.

“...”

Silence filled the room.

The high elf replayed the elemental’s words in her mind, her face reddening with each passing second.

“...Ah—”

Unable to process what had just happened to her, Lafita fainted.

The young high elf’s pride had been utterly shattered.

***

▷Fate 91: ‘Doomsday Wolf’ has been deactivated.

Corresponding perks will be awarded.

***

▷Fate 65: ‘Frenzied Vortex’ has been deactivated.

Corresponding perks will be awarded.

***