Dark Fantasy Normalized

"Goodness! You turned the wolf into a person!"

"..."

Lysir was baffled. Did they think he was some kind of magician?

Instead of correcting Kella’s misunderstanding, Lysir attempted to address the young wolf—no, the beastwoman.

"Ah—"

But before he could finish, the woman collapsed, her strength fading, and reverted back into her wolf form.

"Did... did it fail!?"

Fail? Fail at what?

Ignoring Kella’s exclamations, Lysir leaned closer to examine the wolf.

'Not that I know what I’m looking for—wait, what?'

Surprisingly, he sensed something.

'What is this?'

If the wolf's body were made of mere flesh and blood, Lysir would have discerned nothing. After all, he wasn’t a doctor or a veterinarian.

But the wolf's form was composed of mana—a core wrapped in the shell of a physical body, so to speak.

Because of that, he could intuitively assess the wolf’s state.

'Purged, but simultaneously weakened...'

Lysir placed his hand gently on the wolf’s body.

-...

The wolf’s expression visibly softened. It stirred, as if seeking his touch.

Recalling how to soothe a dog, Lysir scratched behind its ears and neck, rubbed its belly, and patted its hindquarters.

-Hiing...

The wolf let out a pleased sound.

"Oh."

In doing so, Lysir noticed the wolf’s energy steadily growing stronger.

'I don’t know how it works, but it seems my energy is benefiting it.'

After brief deliberation, he scooped the wolf into his arms.

-Hiiiing...

The wolf wriggled until it found the most comfortable position: lying on its back.

The blue wolf exposed its white belly, relaxing completely as it fell into a peaceful sleep. Cradling the wolf, Lysir mused.

'A spirit...?'

The word surfaced in his mind, unbidden. He had never encountered or studied spirits before, but if he had, he imagined they would feel like this.

"What... what did you do to the wolf!?"

Kella asked excitedly, her face alight with curiosity. To her untrained eyes, it must have seemed like a magician had transformed the wolf into a person and back again—a whirlwind of chaos.

"I’m not entirely sure, but it seems the immediate danger has passed. Perhaps it’s a spirit?"

"A spirit!"

"Of course, that’s just a guess. I’m not familiar with this field. Do you know anything, Kella?"

"S-Sorry! I’ve never had to deal with spirits before!"

"Is that so."

"I’m sorry! You even asked, but I couldn’t help!"

"There’s no need to apologize..."

Lysir averted his gaze, slightly overwhelmed by Kella’s glittering eyes.

He didn’t realize it, but her reaction was quite understandable. Most magicians treated adventurers as illiterate brutes, dismissing them out of hand.

If there was any group more arrogant and impolite than nobles, it was magicians.

In fact, Kella had been repeatedly belittled by magicians before—none of whom came close to matching Lysir’s abilities.

-It's done.

-What happened?

-Do you even understand if I explain?

-...

If it were the magicians Kella was used to, that’s how the conversation would have gone.

But Lysir? This genius magician not only explained the situation politely but even asked for her opinion.

Kella felt a twinge of anxiety. If only she had been able to give him a worthy answer. If only she could meet this genius magician’s respect with equal merit!

Hoping for another opportunity, Kella focused all her attention on Lysir. Then, a memory resurfaced.

-I came to see if there were any requests I could take on.

-You don’t seem like someone who belongs in this industry.

Kella recalled her initial encounter with Lysir and turned pale.

"I... I’m so sorry, Sir Lysir!"

"All of a sudden?"

"I was so rude when we first met! I’m deeply ashamed!"

"What? Oh. It’s fine. You were just trying to look out for me."

Kella felt a creeping sense of awe.

'What is this? How can someone be so... un-magician-like?'

It was as if he hadn’t spent his life as a genius magician but had somehow stumbled into the role by accident.

Steadying her nerves, Kella spoke up.

"First, let’s head to the guild!"

---

Behind a black eyepatch that masked the absence of her left eye, a sharp gaze burned. This was Dyphona, the second-in-command of the Drapon Guild.

Dyphona, with her neatly braided navy hair, let out a heavy sigh and undid the braid, only to tie it back again. It was the only way she could soothe her chaotic thoughts.

She muttered to herself.

"Damn it."

A low-ranking adventurer had brought in unconscious thugs along with a magician. According to the report, the thugs had attacked both the magician and the adventurer, only to be subdued and dragged in.

So far, so good. No, excellent, even.

Adventurer guilds shared partial responsibility for maintaining city security under the jurisdiction of the city council.

Rounding up suspicious, ill-dressed thugs prowling the backstreets in broad daylight? That was a clear win for the guild. If this was where the story ended, Dyphona would have handed the adventurer a gold star and a pat on the back.

But, unfortunately, the report included more.

Dyphona prayed desperately that she had misheard or that the magician had misspoken.

"Are you certain these individuals might be connected to black magic?"

"Yes. They were in possession of an object imbued with black magic."

"..."

Black magicians were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Apprehending one and reporting it to the city council would bring tremendous accolades.

It would elevate the guild’s reputation and standing significantly.

But Dyphona couldn’t celebrate. Hunting black magicians came with enormous risks.

Even the magicians of the Towers had scant knowledge of black magic. What could adventurers possibly know?

Smart adventurers avoided entanglements with black magic at all costs.

And yet, here they were.

Dyphona fixed a glare on Kella, who stood nearby like a scolded child.

"I... I’m sorry! I didn’t think it would involve black magic!"

Dyphona lit a cigar, drawing in a long puff before exhaling. Only then did her tense facial muscles begin to relax.

"Are you absolutely certain these individuals might be connected to black magic?"

"Didn’t you just ask that?"

"Humor me. Let’s hear it again. Maybe they stumbled upon the object by chance."

"That’s unlikely."

"And how can you be so sure?"

"They were fully aware of the item’s properties and its intended use. That knowledge implies familiarity with black magic. However, apart from the ring, there were no other traces of black magic on them. My assessment is this: a third party entrusted them with the item and an associated task."

"..."

Dyphona stared at the black onyx ring on her desk, thoroughly unnerved.

'He got all that from this little thing?'

Dyphona’s own observations of the ring amounted to little more than "it seems dangerous." Yet this magician had deduced a wealth of information. His understanding of black magic was far beyond what she expected—even from a Tower magician.

Despite herself, Dyphona found it hard to accept Lysir’s assessment at face value.

'Better get a second opinion before drawing conclusions.'

Moments later, a new visitor entered her office.

"You called for me?"

---

The guild leader, Drapon, received an unexpected invitation to a clandestine meeting. Arriving at the designated location, he was greeted by an even more unexpected figure.

"You are..."

Behind the woman stood a towering figure who exuded an overwhelming presence, forcing Drapon to lower his gaze.

"I greet a branch of the World Tree."

Before him stood a princess of the Elves’ sacred Great Forest, a direct descendant of the Royeth lineage.

"Drapon. I wish to request your assistance in guiding a wandering spirit within Bondalles. It won’t be easy. The child is... extremely shy."

As the top adventurer in Bondalles, Drapon felt a chilling premonition. This was going to be anything but a simple task.