Make Dark Fantasy Great Again
Chapter 73: Farewell (?)

Chapter 73: Farewell (?)

0% For a brief moment, light returned to the man’s eyes. The first thing he did upon regaining consciousness was to surrender to despair.

“This...is no good. I have one last request. Kill me—before I lose myself completely.”

He was a true warrior nearing the 7th rank. Despite countless battles and brushes with death, nothing had ever broken him. And yet, here he lay, unharmed, accepting his end.

Utterly hollow, yet undeniably clear. Such was the fate of one consumed by Clouded Truth.

***The herb used in the dark elf elixir truly lived up to its reputation. The noble felt the surge of fire within him. With this power, no obstacle would stand in his way.

A day passed. Two. A fortnight.

“It burns...burns...!”

The noble writhed, consumed by a raging inferno inside him.

The unrefined essence of fire intensified, its heat growing ever fiercer—until it consumed him entirely.

***The retainers recalled their former lord’s commanding presence.

“You want to test me? Very well. I accept your challenge, insignificant creature.”

Back then, no one had considered it arrogance. Their lord was a master mage of the Blue Tower, the ruler of a great house, while the foe was but a mere lesser devil.

A year passed, and prosperity turned to ruin. Their lord’s once wise and valiant eyes were now clouded.

All this happened because a great mage had accepted no more than a fragment of a lesser devil’s power.

***“...Master?”

“Hm?”

As breakfast ended, Katria cautiously asked Risir a question.

“Do you feel nothing at all?”

“...Wait! Now that you mention it—”

“...!”

“Your hairstyle looks kind of different!”

“?”

“Actually, scratch that. It’s your makeup!”

“?”

“What I really meant is, the bread tastes...!”

“...”

“Dammit. Is this all I can do? I’m so sorry, Tia. What am I missing?”

“It’s nothing like that. I just...wanted to make sure you weren’t feeling any discomfort.”

“Discomfort, huh. Well, if I had to say, maybe I’d be happier with a little less bread and more meat?”

Too much bread, not enough meat; that was all the discomfort Risir claimed to feel. After being afflicted by Clouded Truth, ingesting a Desert White Lotus, and being eroded by Verdandes’ power...

Katria finally realized something was off, as Risir appeared far too normal on the outside. It was almost like nothing was wrong. As if, somehow, everything had been resolved.

“More meat, right?! Understood! From tomorrow—starting tonight actually, I’ll make sure to fix that!”

Katria spoke with bright enthusiasm. Of all the times she had played the role of a cheerful maid, this was the most natural she had ever seemed.

Her heart pounded because deep down, she couldn’t help but hope—maybe a miracle had happened without her even realizing it.

“Cough...!”

But that fleeting hope was crushed in an instant. Just as Risir was about to say something, he clamped a hand over his mouth, suppressing a violent cough.

“Master?!”

He lowered his hand, and found his palm was stained a dark, bloodied crimson.

***Yesterday, after his sparring match with Meltas, Risir had barely had a moment to breathe. Due to the sudden outburst of arcane magic, he decided to assess his condition and discovered that all kinds of residual forces had accumulated within him.

Determined to consolidate everything and fully make it his own, he spent the night refining and absorbing it all—manipulating his mana over and over until he was satisfied.

As a result, mana reflux and overflux followed. But it wasn’t anything to be concerned about. Ever since the time his body was nearly torn apart from mana overflux, he had drastically lowered his threshold for what he considered dangerous.

To use a comparison, this was nothing more than a mild symptom like muscle soreness.

Then what’s this?

Risir stared at the blood staining his hand.

Mm?

At the same time, he noticed that the strange sense of foreignness lingering in his body since yesterday had completely vanished.

Now that I think about it, Blue Breath is supposed to help expel impurities from the body...

That was his best guess. Yet, surprisingly, he wasn’t far from the truth.

The remnants of the mighty devil Verdandes, who had once ruled over the desert, was reduced to waste purged from his body.

Feeling pleasantly refreshed, Risir spoke up to reassure his maid.

***“I’m alright. It’s nothing, so you don’t have to worry.”

Risir gave a gentle smile, even as blood stained the corner of his lips.

Katria found herself staring at his face. She studied his expression more closely than ever.

And that was when she noticed what she had failed to see before—the unmistakable signs of exhaustion.

“...Ah.”

It dawned on her. The reason he had seemed fine wasn’t because he actually was.

He was simply pretending to be.

“...”

It was natural, in a way. How could he be fine? Even at that moment, his body and mind were surely being eroded.

A crushing wave of self-reproach washed over Katria as she recalled how, just moments ago, she had denied such an obvious truth and tried to escape from reality.

“Tia...?!”

Her face twisted with anguish.

“How...how can you still smile like that...?”

Caught off guard, Risir glanced down at his hand.

Damn it. Why did the impurities have to come out this way? They could’ve at least made a proper exit from downstairs.

Thinking the maid was crying because she was shocked by the sight of his blood, he mustered a soothing smile.

“It’s fine, Tia. I’m sure it’s nothing, really. So, don’t worry so much.”

“...!”

As a flood of emotions crashed over her, the cheerful mask Katria had carefully maintained fell apart.

She clasped her face in both hands, as if trying to contain the overwhelming surge within her. But Risir’s consoling gesture had dug deep into her heart.

What could she possibly say to him?

-It’s fine, Tia. I’m sure it’s nothing, really.

To someone who clung to optimism despite not even realizing the true state he was in?

-So, don’t worry so much.

To someone who, even now, was more concerned about her than himself...

How she wished that she could smile and reassure him, saying, “You’re right. Everything will be fine.”

But she couldn’t. Judging by the exhaustion he could no longer fully conceal, and the blood he had coughed up, Katria could feel it.

The end she had fought so desperately to delay was now at her doorstep.

Risir would not make it through today.

She had ultimately failed to save him. She had been the one to lead him to ruin—the very man who had saved her world.

A tangled mess of emotions coiled around her throat. Pity and guilt for Risir. Hatred and disappointment toward herself.

They squeezed tighter and tighter until she could barely breathe. A suffocating urge to break down and weep threatened to consume her.

“Tia...?”

But she had to hold it in, because she had no right to cry. No right to burden him with her grief.

Then what should she do? What could she do right now?

“...Master!”

The maid Tia lifted her head.

“May I ask you for a favor?”

“A favor?”

“Yes! I’d like to spend the day with you!”

She spoke with the brightest smile she could muster.

“...Shall we?”

Risir couldn’t bring himself to refuse. Despite the radiance of her smile, he could see the tears welling in her eyes.

***It was an ordinary day, aside from the maid sticking to his side like glue.

Having taken care of most of the merchants’ requests, Risir carried on with his usual routine at the mage tower; reading books and training his body.

But just as he was about to start another lesson with Meltas...

“Master!”

The maid Tia called out, fidgeting anxiously.

Spending the ‘final moments’ of his life in a mundane routine. Risir had no idea how that looked in her eyes.

Throb!

To Tia, Risir was a man who cherished his life. It was only natural.

“If you don’t mind, may I ask you something?”

“Mhm. What is it?”

“If today were your last day in life, how would you spend it, Master?”

“...Can’t say. I’ve never really thought about it.”

“...”

Throb!

Again, it was only natural. He wasn’t prepared to face the end.

“Then let me rephrase—what’s something you want to do right now?”

“...”

What’s gotten into this girl?

Risir tried to gauge her intentions. Ever since she saw him cough up blood, she had been acting strangely. Uneasy somehow, should he say.

Is she worried that if something happens to me, she’ll be sent back into slavery?

Risir nodded to himself. He figured it was necessary to spend the day easing her troubled mind.

“Tia. How would you like a tour of the mage tower?”

“...Yes! I’d love that!”

They both smiled, pleased with each other’s reactions.

***The final stop on their tour of the Gray Tower was a pond nestled in a quiet corner of the courtyard.

Risir and Katria sat side by side on a bench, watching as the setting sun bathed the water in hues of gold and crimson.

Katria mused how pleasant the silence was. Just as he had said, it was a breathtaking sight.

How she wished time would stop here, just like this.

Then came Risir’s voice.

“Tia.”

“...!”

Time would not stop, of course. The little time he had left would continue to slip away.

“How was it? Did you...have fun?”

Meeting his gaze, Katria realized why he had spent the day with her.

He had given her his time...without even realizing it was his own.

In the end, she had been the one receiving help until the very last moment. The one burdening him.

“Master.”

“Hmm?”

“Today, I was truly happy.”

“That so? I’m glad to hear that.”

“Truly, truly, truly...I don’t think I’ll ever have a happier day than this.”

“...That much? Maybe I should start a sightseeing business for the tower.”

“And...what about you, Master?”

Risir gave her the brightest smile he could, hoping to ease her worries.

“I had fun. Enough that I wouldn’t mind dying today without regrets.”

“...!”

Throb!

Katria averted her gaze and looked back at the pond.

“If you don’t mind, would you spend time with me again tomorrow?”

“Shall we?”

“Tomorrow...Please take me outside the tower. Show me Bondalles.”

“Mhm. Alright.”

“...I’m so happy.”

Katria smiled radiantly.

Risir gently patted her back. Because even as she smiled, tears streamed from her eyes.

And so, the day came to an end.

***“Wake up, Tia. It’s time to go see Bondalles.”

“...”