Make Dark Fantasy Great Again-Chapter 24: Desire Demon (4)

Marik’s group gladly went the extra length for the likable noble, Risir.

Usually, they rarely bothered with the hassle of setting up tents, unless the weather was cold enough to freeze their face off. But they did that just for Risir!

-...Shall we set one up for you two as well?

Unlike with Risir, whom they eagerly helped without being asked, their offer of tents to Fienne and Eron was laced with obvious reluctance. This wounded the pair’s pride, leading them to decline the offer.

As a result, their current campsite had only one tent, which could still be considered a luxury.

“...”

Fienne inadvertently became the lucky recipient of this luxury thanks to Risir volunteering for night watch and giving up the tent.

When Risir offered the tent, Fienne had considerable expectations for it. This was due to the fuss Marik’s group and Risir made, as if the tent were some grand manor.

Those expectations were thoroughly betrayed.

“How annoying.”

Fienne sat up with an irritated huff. The makeshift bed—little more than a few old blankets stacked together—offered an unfiltered connection to the sacred earth. In other words, small, unremoved stones jabbed uncomfortably into her body.

The noble sleeping bag, which had valiantly volunteered as a pillow despite its humble origins, had been exiled to the corner long ago due to its rag-like stench. Fienne had to admit that was a mistake.

“My head hurts...”

Inside the cramped tent, the stench of the sleeping bag subtly but persistently lingered. She should have thrown it outside entirely instead of just shoving it into a corner.

Then again, perhaps even that wouldn’t have made much difference. While the sleeping bag was the main culprit, the unpleasant odor seemed woven into every component of the tent itself.

She shouldn’t have expected a surprise miracle from something that already looked so shabby on the outside.

So what now? Sleep on the ground like everyone else?

“Is that even possible...?”

Fienne was special. Not because she carried herself that way or sought recognition, but because others perceived and treated her as such.

From the moment she became aware of this unique status, Fienne had enjoyed a life of constant privilege.

Need long-distance travel? A single glance from her was enough. Merchants leading grand caravans would eagerly welcome her, giving over the best seat, the finest meals, and the most comfortable sleeping arrangements. They’d feel grateful and honored simply for the chance to extend kindness to her.

That had been Fienne’s reality until now. Sleeping outdoors? It was unthinkable.

But this entire journey had been a series of the unthinkable.

-Are carriages supposed to be this bumpy?

-My bottom hurts. Can’t you at least give me a cushion?

-What do you mean there’s no such thing? It’s just a cushion, what are you talking about?

-Excuse me? This is tonight’s dinner? Not feed for the horses?

-Where can I take a bath?

-Why am I asking you? Don’t you bathe?

-...You don’t? Until we reach our destination?

And to top it all off, this terrible sleeping arrangement...

“Oh, really!”

Fienne furiously ruffled her snowy long hair.

Why do I have to endure this?

It was all because of that man. Even now, the thought of him made her shudder with indignation.

She had approached that insignificant bastard child with a calculated plan—to dominate Bendel and expand her influence. Who could have predicted that he would possess an incomprehensible ability capable of nullifying a Progenitor’s power?

What nonsense!

Normally, such humiliation, such degradation, was beyond imagination. Fienne didn’t even want to conceive of it.

If only she could turn back time. If she could, she wouldn’t have gone near Risir in the first place.

No. That wasn’t enough. At this point, simply correcting the mistake wasn’t sufficient. Fienne could still recall, with painful clarity, the moment of her greatest humiliation—the moment her power was reduced to nothing.

Believing she had lost everything, she had cast aside all her pride in desperation. She willingly offered herself, her very being, the one thing everyone coveted but she had never surrendered to anyone.

Yet what she received in return was the condescension of being treated like a child.

“Wh-what did I do wrong...? Is it that strange to close my eyes and pucker my lips?! Isn’t that what everyone does?! Why do I have to be treated like a child!!!”

Fienne rolled on the floor, flailing her delicate arms and legs. This was professionally known as suffering a ‘cringe attack’.

After enthusiastically abusing her blanket for a while, Fienne grumbled aloud.

“I really hate...the likes of him...”

She meant it. She hated his terrible judgment that dismissed what made her extraordinary. She hated the unjustified way he treated her like a child.

But as Fienne stewed over Risir’s flaws, a particular memory surfaced. She recalled him reaching out a hand to help her up, then pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the dust and tears from her face.

“...”

The turmoil in Fienne’s eyes shifted, taking on a ripple of a different emotion.

Back then, he...he had the same unchanging expression as always.

Even though he knew I was a Progenitor. Even though he knew my power was gone.

It was a thought that had occasionally haunted Fienne. What if the Progenitor’s power, which she had suddenly gained one day, were to vanish just as abruptly?

She could never imagine what it would be like before. But now, when the thought crossed her mind, the first thing that surfaced was Risir’s face. And without realizing it, she would wonder: Even if I truly became someone worthless, wouldn’t he still treat me the same way he always has?

“How annoying...”

This was why Fienne couldn’t get that infuriating man out of her mind. His annoying face kept intruding on her thoughts, keeping her awake.

“...”

Suddenly, she cast a searching look outside the tent, and her demeanor changed in an instant. The lively girl vanished, replaced by the heartless Progenitor.

Fienne rose slowly and left the tent. Outside, Marik’s group and the coachman were locked in a violent struggle near the campfire.

“Aaaaargh!!! Let go!!!”

“Huff—huff—huff—“

Their frenzied desperation for physical intimacy was truly animalistic.

“So that lowly creature finally caused trouble.”

Fienne murmured to herself, thoughts turning to the person named Eron. Her aura had become so chilling that it was almost impossible to believe she was the same distracted girl from moments before.

“...”

“...”

Before she knew it, the adventurers had stopped in their tracks and were staring at her.

“White girl...”

“Guard...Risir’s guard...”

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

They began to approach Fienne, crawling on all fours, drooling and breathing heavily with lust. They truly acted like beasts.

Fienne’s face twisted with contempt as she extended her hand, ready to retaliate. Humans so weak as to be controlled by a mere Desire Demon wouldn’t be able to resist her.

But just as she was about to unleash her power...

“Ah.”

Fienne paused, her expression shifting as a thought crossed her mind.

Meanwhile, the beasts didn’t stop. Marik lunged at her.

“Woman, woman...! Snow-white wench!!!”

Marik loomed over Fienne with his bloodshot eyes, poised to tear her clothes apart. But she placed a gentle hand on his head.

“...!”

The beast’s eyes widened in shock—and light returned to them.

Fienne repeated the process several times, restoring each of the beasts to their human forms. Afterward, they returned to their beds. They wouldn’t remember their transformation or what they’d done in that state.

All of it was owed to her grace as a superior being, born with an innate talent for mind magic.

“Hehe...”

The Progenitor laughed with satisfaction, back to being a young girl again.

She made her way toward the spot where that irritating man was on night watch, curious to see his reaction when told of what had just occurred.

***

[Your actions have caused an influence]

▷An entity has acquired a new skill.

▷Entity: Fienne

▷Skill: Progenitor's Mercy [Blessing (High)]

***

[Your influence has reached a certain threshold]

[Corresponding perks will be awarded]

***

■Risir

Level: 13

***“...What’s going on here?”

Fienne arrived at the spot where Risir was keeping watch. But the moment she saw the scene before her, she forgot her original purpose.

“It may not look it, but that woman is...Well she’s Eron, I guess.”

Fienne remembered Eron as a man who wore a thin mask of deception, using his dark powers to ensnare humans.

“...That woman?”

However, the person Risir pointed to was unmistakably a woman. Her curves were visible through the lack of clothing, and her wariness and fear toward Risir were clear signs of femininity.

“Eek...!”

Their conversation was interrupted by Eron’s yelp, a reaction to the uncomfortable sensation of her exposed breast tips pressing against the arms covering her body.

“No!!!”

A cry of anguish burst from Eron’s lips as she looked down at herself.

“It’s hideous...G-give me back my body!!! Give me back my power, you monster!!!”

Fienne, seeing her past self in Eron, looked unnerved as she spoke.

“Don’t tell me you used that normalization power of yours again?”

“...I’m not really sure, but it seems that way.”

Risir explained the whole situation to Fienne, including Eron’s true identity.

“I did think it was suspicious, but who knew it’d be a Desire De—”

Fienne paused to take another look at Eron, tilting her head.

“Is she really...? A Desire Demon?”

“Was a Desire Demon. Past tense.”

“Past tense?”

“Now, as you can see, she’s like this. I don’t know why, but she appears to be in a non-Desire Demon state.”

“A non-Desire Demon state? What kind of silly expression is that?”

“Then how should I describe it?”

“...”

Fienne observed Eron carefully once more before answering.

“She just looks like...an ordinary human?”

“No!!! I, I-I’m nothing like a human!!!”

“Eron.”

Risir called out in a calm, soothing tone, and Eron instinctively paused to listen to his voice.

“Let’s get some clothes on you first. Now that you’re no longer a flawless being composed solely of your own will, but reborn as a mere beast controlled by desires...You have something to cover up.”

“...Waaaaaah!!! You madman!!! I stop to listen and you—How did I lose to someone like him!!!”

Eron wept bitterly.

Fienne was disgruntled to see her past self reflected in Eron’s figure.

***Eron reluctantly put on the coat Risir handed her.

Fienne turned her attention to Risir to ask a question.

“What will you do?”

“What is Eron? A demon? A criminal? I suppose for starters, I’ll report her to the local government office or adventurer’s guild in a nearby town.”

“You can’t!!!”

Eron cried out urgently.

“If they find out I was a Desire Demon, they’ll try to kill me...!”

“Well, you should have behaved better. Why’d you go around doing things worthy of death?”

Fienne had told Risir about what happened at the campsite. His gaze toward Eron had grown colder than before.

“Please, just let me go...Let me go, and I’ll do anything...”

“...”

Risir fell into thought as he looked at Eron. Interpreting his look for something else, Eron hugged herself, as if trying to hide her body.

“I-I’ll do anything, but nothing dirty!”

“...I’m confused. You give the impression that I’m the one who came naked in the dead of night asking for some fun. Where’d this shy act come from?”

Naked? Some fun?

Fienne stopped muttering to herself, speaking up coldly.

“Should we just kill her?”

“Oh, Fienne. Why are you suddenly angry now?”

“Angry? Me? Not at all? I’m just stating a general principle? Isn’t it obvious she’ll be executed if we hand her over to the city? So rather than going through the trouble, I’d say it’s better to kill her here.”

“According to that general principle, what would you do if a Progenitor was captured?”

“...You’re really going to be like that?”

“I’m joking. You’re certainly a different case, Fienne. You didn’t harm others, even though you had the power to do so.”

“...”

Fienne gave a humph and turned away.

“Well yes. I suppose it doesn’t suit your temperament to kill someone defenseless.”

“Why are you suddenly in a good mood again?”

“Excuse me what? Anyway, I’ll take care of this in place of your indecisiveness. Eron. You’re Rona now.”

“...What does that mean?”

Eron—correction, Rona looked up at Fienne with a terrified expression.

“Didn’t you just say it? You’d do anything if we let you go.”

“Why does that...?”

“Which is why, you’re now Risir’s slave. It’s the most common method for someone with nothing to pay off a debt.”

“I mean...”

As Rona faltered, unable to argue back, Risir interjected.

“What about my opinion?”

“What’s there to hear your opinion about? If you really don’t need her, sell her to someone else.”

“Wha—”

He was shocked to hear that, but even Rona remained silent, as if she agreed it was the most fitting outcome. Seeing her reaction, he found himself unable to speak.

As Fienne had pointed out, becoming a slave was indeed the most common way for someone with nothing to repay a debt.

“How scary...”

“What did I do?”

“No, not you Fienne. This world...”

“?”

***Risir ran a mental simulation to explain what happened to Marik’s group.

Huh? Mr. Risir? Why did Mr. Eron suddenly become a woman?

Well you see, she turned from a Desire Demon into a human. By the way, Eron’s mine now.

But he had no confidence of neatly wrapping up something like that.

In the end, Risir and his companions left the group and resumed their journey before dawn broke.

As time passed and dawn approached...

“Oh, a carriage.”

They came across a carriage parked across the road.

It wasn’t a cheap vehicle driven by a coachman, but a luxurious carriage with a roof, fine finishing, and ornate decorations. There were no visible emblems indicating a family or group.

The people around it seemed very busy, as if they were wrapping up their camp and preparing to depart.

Let’s just ask if they can give us a ride.

Risir’s group approached the carriage with a light heart. But then, a man emerged from the carriage and walked toward them with heavy, deliberate steps.

Risir and Fienne immediately froze, a chill running through them as if their very hairs were standing on end.

The man also stopped.

“...”

“...”

A standoff ensued, roughly twenty paces apart.

Risir and Fienne exchanged a brief glance, and that was enough to reach an unspoken agreement—it was too risky to approach the man any closer.

Risir was preparing to state his business, expecting to be met with rejection. But then, suddenly...

“Lord Dares!!!”

They heard a desperate cry from inside the carriage.

“The young lady’s condition has improved...!”

“...What?”

The oppressive tension in the air vanished.

***

[There is a unique entity nearby]

[You are affected by the entity]

***

[Abnormal status is weakened]

[Abnormal Status: Black Curse]

***