Make Dark Fantasy Great Again-Chapter 29: Bondalles (1)

“And here I was wondering what you’d come up with.”

Risir chuckled at Fienne’s suggestion, then paused, letting out a thoughtful exclamation.

“Actually, it might not be a bad idea?”

“...What?”

Fienne had been gauging Risir’s reaction with a shameless face, acting like she had deliberately cracked a terrible joke. She was flustered when he took it seriously instead.

“R-really? You want to share a room with me?”

“Didn’t you say we should save money?”

“...”

His obliviousness overwhelmed her shamelessness.

Though it was clearly the answer she’d been hoping for, Fienne hesitated.

Meanwhile, Risir turned to Rona.

“Then for the room...Uh, wait. What about Rona? What do people usually do with slaves in this situation? Should we leave her in the stables?”

“...The stables?”

Risir observed Rona’s reaction silently for a few seconds before clarifying.

“I’m joking of course.”

“Then what was that silence just now?”

“I was thinking about what other slave owners might do. It’s my first time raising a slave, you know.”

“Raising...? What am I, a dog or—”

“What would you have done if our positions were reversed, Rona?”

“...I-if I were the master, I think I would’ve rented a separate room!”

“Aha. And then add that fee to your debt to exploit you even more cruelly? Carrot and stick, huh? I get the idea.”

“...That seems like an idea you shouldn’t get.”

Fienne cleared her throat and interjected.

“Rona has a point to some extent. A slave and master sharing a room? Unthinkable. As Rona suggested, let’s rent a separate room for her.”

Fienne spoke as if she was merely following Rona’s opinion.

“Huh? Then what happens to the plan of sticking together to save on lodging?”

“...”

Fienne unabashedly avoided Risir’s gaze.

“Can’t be helped then. Rona, you’ll sleep in the stables tonight.”

“...”

Rona’s expression crumpled. It sounded like a joke coming from Risir, but not when Fienne said it.

“Come on, Fienne. Don’t be like that. Didn’t Rona work hard as well? Honestly, I’m impressed. I didn’t think she’d be so earnest. She deserves to sleep in a nice inn like us.”

Risir casually patted Rona’s back in praise, but the touch against her sweat-drenched shirt gave her a strange sensation.

“Eek...!”

Rona hugged herself, moved away from Risir.

“J-just telling you now! You’d better forget about expecting anything weird from me—I, I’m nothing like a girl!”

“Rona. Or rather, Mr. Eron. Who doesn’t know that? And, since you seem to forget periodically, let me remind you, Rona. Whatever you say, you can’t change the fact that you tried to seduce me naked in the middle of the night and got rejected.”

“But that’s—!”

“Anyway, let’s stop making a show out here and go in already. I know everyone’s tired. Let’s rent some rooms, wash up, and rest. I hear they even have private bathrooms in there. Whew, that’s better than my room back at the manor. This bastard here’s living the good life now.”

Risir walked lightly into the inn.

“...”

“...”

Fienne and Rona silently watched his retreating figure. They had achieved their goal, yet...what was this indescribable sense of humiliation in their hearts?

The two women eventually declared they’d take separate rooms.

“Is that so? Well, I did find it odd for three people of mixed gender to share a room. Yeah, take it easy. Relax. This bastard here’s lost his mind, ‘cause he’s footing the entire bill tonight.”

They flared up again at Risir’s immediate agreement. He showed no disappointment whatsoever.

***“Wait! Rona! Fienne! I’ve changed my mind! Spend the night in the same bed with me!”

When it was time to pay for the rooms, I nearly changed my mind and screamed for Rona and Fienne to share a bed with me for the night. I was prepared to some extent, seeing how obviously high-class the inn was, but the actual price far exceeded my expectations.

I spent over a year working odd jobs to save up for independence, but my money pouch seemed to have embraced the philosophy of non-possession—and it seemed intent on sharing that enlightenment with me. Keep your pockets light and your legs heavy.

Moreover, the room rate wasn’t the only issue.

After bathing, I had dinner with Fienne and Rona at a nearby restaurant, and that bill was no joke either. And to add insult to injury, the meal’s quality left much to be desired despite how expensive it was.

Now, two weeks into my independence, I was starting to grasp what it truly meant to fend for myself. Just not in the way I had expected.

Money disappears just by breathing...

I finally understood why illegitimate children clung so desperately to their status.

As the Bendel bastard, I had taken for granted the comfort of living in a manor in the city center and, albeit with limitations, enjoying all the perks that came with it. This urban lifestyle was an incredible privilege in itself. In a way, it almost justified enduring the stigma of being a despised bastard.

I wondered: how much money would it take to maintain the quality of life I’ve enjoyed so far here in Bondalles?

“Ugh...”

A wave of dizziness hit me, brought on by the stark reality of my dwindling funds. According to my calculations, my year’s worth of savings wouldn’t last even a week.

Was it that a bastard’s earnings were pitifully small, or was the cost of living in Bondalles—a commercially developed metropolis—unbearably high?

Probably both.

At this rate, I’d have to move to the city outskirts. My life’s genre would be demoted from Fantasy World (Hopeful Edition) to Fantasy World (Despair Edition).

In the outskirts, if you asked an innkeeper where to take a bath, they’d stare at you like you were nuts and ask why you were even asking.

If you asked about what went in their soup, they’d give you the same look and question why it mattered.

And if you complained of any bad smell in your room or the rats and bugs crawling around, they’d once again give you the are-you-retarded eye and wonder why you were telling them.

I couldn’t endure an environment like that, not with my modern, refined sensibilities. And even if I could endure it, I had no intention of living that way.

I didn’t leave the family just to escape, but to build a better life. I wouldn’t have left at all if I was going to be happy with merely avoiding the scorn directed at illegitimate children.

I wanted something more. A life better than the one I had as the Bendel bastard. Better than the lives of those Bendels who disdained me. And if possible, even better than my former life in the modern world.

Above all, I now had the means to achieve it. The power of nor...purification, and magic.

After finishing dinner and returning to the inn, I sat on the bed and steadied my breathing, clearing my mind in preparation for concentration.

Today’s indulgence—a high-class inn with a private bathroom and a quality meal—wasn’t just a celebration of my new life in a new city. It marked the end of my first long-distance journey, from Hayeren to Bondalles.

The journey had been far more exhausting than I had imagined. So much so that I couldn’t focus on practicing magic during the breaks, which I found deeply regrettable.

In other words, this indulgence was meant to make up for that regret. In a state of complete rest and peak condition, I would review the insights and lessons I’d gained from the journey.

Normally, it’d be better to do it after a good night’s sleep...But right now, even that felt like a waste of time since I had to leave the inn tomorrow morning.

You really do spend money just by breathing.

The mild sense of urgency I was feeling provided just the right motivation.

“...”

As I organized my thoughts, my breathing sufficiently steadied, and I quickly cleared away any lingering distractions.

I focused on the magical power flowing through my body, tuning in to the rhythm of that flow, the sensation of it moving within me.

What should I call this state? Priming?

In any case, I was ready.

Alright.

First, I pulled out a coin from my pocket. I wanted to recreate that lucky coin from before.

According to Fienne, this was linked to the magic technique called Enchant, where objects are imbued with specific properties.

-Though, I’m quite sure it’s not a technique that can be handled by someone at just the 3rd rank.

Fienne was incredulous when I asked about it, irritably demanding to know how I even managed to pull it off.

That, in fact, was a question I wanted to ask myself. How the hell did I do it?

Well, it was a creation of my unconscious mind.

The goal now was to move that technique from the realm of the unconscious to the conscious, to turn it into something I could master through systematization.

“Ha.”

A chuckle escaped me. Systematization, huh?

I chose the term, but it was almost laughable. Where’s the systematization in a magic novice locking himself in a room, relying only on his senses to experiment with magical sensations, with no expert guidance or reference materials?

I bet traditional mages would be enraged if they knew, furiously throwing their beards at the mere idea of calling it magic.

But what can I do? There’s no a way a bastard like me could have a guiding magic mentor, or any magic books to study.

-My disciple~

-<But I’m a book.>

The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.

“...”

I heard strange voices for a second, but it was probably my imagination.

Anyway, I rolled the coin in my hand for a while, trying to recall the sensation from the carriage. That methodical movement didn’t disappoint me.

“It’s here.”

A sudden flash of inspiration struck, and I grasped it tightly.

I held on, even as the sky outside the window shifted and I felt something flowing from my nose.

***Fienne was in a bad mood from the morning.

-Fienne. How about we go out for dinner together?

She’d hoped for a repeat of last night’s invitation, only to be disappointed.

She woke up early to perfect her ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, and then lay in bed pretending to sleep, waiting for Risir. But he never came.

But it was fine. She still had something up her sleeve.

I’m just returning the favor for yesterday’s invitation.

Humming unconsciously and stepping lightly, Fienne made her way to Risir’s room to invite him to breakfast.

Knock knock.

No answer.

Knock knock.

Still nothing.

“Risir?”

It was strange, as she could clearly sense someone inside.

“You’re there, right? I’m coming in.”

As Fienne opened the door to Risir’s room, an unsettling sight met her eyes.

“Risir?!”

Risir’s lower face, his shirt, his pants, and the bed—everything was soaked in blood.

Fienne leaped in shock, rushing to his side.

“Risir. Risir! Are you okay?!”

Risir didn’t answer. He couldn’t. He was focused entirely on capturing the fleeting inspiration that seemed just out of reach.

“...Phew.”

After taking a moment to assess Risir’s condition, a relieved sigh escaped Fienne’s lips. Then she suddenly scowled.

“Really, what an impossible person.”

Irritated, Fienne extended a hand, her power gently surrounding Risir. His complexion visibly improved.

She stayed by his side, quietly watching over him.

***A long time passed.

“Oh? Fienne?”

Emerging from his intense focus, Risir found Fienne standing over him, glaring down with her arms crossed.

“Slept well?”

She greeted him in a mocking tone, sneering coldly.

“I think I’m still dreaming? Because I see an angel.”

“You must have rested very~ well, judging by the nonsense you’re breathing out. So, care to start explaining what happened here?”

“...The original plan was to master Enchant, but a good idea came to me midway and I ended up going overboard.”

“A good idea?”

It was only then that Fienne noticed the coins scattered all around Risir. A sound of incredulous surprise slipped from her lips as she realized each and every coin wasn’t ordinary.

***High-ranking adventurer Salana was a woman whose face bore a terrible, disfiguring scar on one side.

Awakened by the sunlight streaming through the window, she started her day with a grimace. It was as if she were bracing herself for the inevitable unpleasantness the day would bring.

Rising from the bed, she retrieved a hand mirror in one hand and a soft cloth in the other. This was her first ritual of the day—wiping away the discharge that had gathered on her face overnight.

Her expression was a blend of resignation and disgust. She let out a long, weary sigh and angled the mirror to reflect her face.

But just as she raised the cloth to her skin—

“...?”

Her hand froze, and she remained that way for a long moment.

A voice sounded faintly from outside the door.

-Risir? You’re there, right? I’m coming in.

But it was nothing of her concern.