Surviving in a Frozen Dark Fantasy as a Genius Mage - Chapter 88

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

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◈ Surviving the Frozen Dark Fantasy as a Genius Mage ◈

Chapter 88: Secret Society

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Leaving Hans behind as he departed for the Magic Tower, Elena, Daisy, Gimlius, and I set out as well.

First, we went to the Golden Lion Clan.

"What brings you here at this late hour? Even for you, this is a serious breach of manners."

Fortunately, Iromis was at the clan headquarters.

I spoke to the displeased-looking Iromis.

"We've identified the attacker."

"W-What?!"

"For now, only you should know about this, Iromis."

"...Is it someone beyond anything we could imagine?"

"Yes."

"Let's move somewhere else first."

Quick to understand, he lowered his voice, and I revealed the dragonkin's identity.

"That... Deep Zone explorer Dmitri was that horrible monster?!"

As expected, Iromis was deeply shocked to learn that a renowned hero had fallen and killed him and his companions.

He's alive... No, why...?

"Who else knows about this?"

"For now, only our group and you know, Senior Iromis."

"You haven't told the guild or the City Administration. Good. They wouldn't have believed you."

They might've even subjected us to a coercive investigation.

"What do you plan to do now?"

"For now... I think I should speak with the clan leader once the clan leader returns."

So that was why the clan leader hadn't been seen. The clan leader was away.

"What about you? If you'd like, you can stay here for a while."

It wasn't a bad offer, but now that I'd confirmed even their strongest force, the clan leader, was absent, we'd stick to the original plan.

"It's all right. There's somewhere else we need to go."

"Take care of yourselves."

"You too, Senior."

The next place we headed to was an old mansion on the outskirts of the city.

"Madam Cotillard! Are you there?!"

Clank, clank!

In this world, darkness did not belong to humans.

Outside, Draugr roamed freely, while the living cowered even further from the cold and fear.

But that did not apply to those who lived with darkness as their companion.

"Oh my, good morning, everyone~"

Gimlius's acquaintance and an intermediary merchant, the vampire Madam Cotillard, emerged from the mansion full of energy.

I wanted to correct her choice of words, but this wasn't the time.

I explained my plan to avoid the Secret Society's reach.

"Could you send word to Darnen? Tell her super-genius mage Ian wants to meet her."

To catch a tiger, you had to enter its den.

In other words, we'd hide in the dark elves' homeland.

'Even those Secret Society bastards are wary of dark elves!'

That was my judgment based on my knowledge as a veteran player.

"Me? You want me to contact that violent dark elf? That's..."

"Here's the commission fee!"

"What? Why are you taking my money?!"

When Cotillard hesitated, I took several silver coins from Gimlius's money pouch and held them out.

Cotillard gave a greedy smile, then immediately took out a pet bat messenger.

"I'll send it right away~ Hoho~"

Squeak!

A little while later, the messenger returned.

Cotillard removed a letter tube from the bat's cute little leg, its neck tied with a ribbon, then handed me the letter.

[Thank you for the offer of friendship, but I can't leave the mansion right now. If you still wish to meet me, come to where my family resides. I'll inform the gatekeeper...]

Good. That took care of the most urgent problem.

Cotillard, who had been reading the letter beside me, gave an intrigued hum.

"You're all going to the dark elves' autonomous district?"

"Yes."

"Looking like that?"

The humans and dwarf weren't a problem.

We had permission from one of the most powerful figures in the dark elves' territory, didn't we?

"No, no. I mean that pale pointy-ear over there. Miss Elf."

Oh. Right.

Come to think of it, elves and dark elves were at war right now, weren't they?

If we went in like this, Elena would become an elf skewer in no time.

"Cotillard, by any chance..."

Remembering an item that could be useful in this situation, I asked.

"Only ten silver coins~ It'll be completely convincing~"

Fortunately, Cotillard clapped her hands with a smile.

"Here."

After I paid, I found myself holding a bottle of murky black mysterious potion.

I stared at Elena and spoke.

"Elena."

"What? Why are you looking at me like that...? Don't tell me... No, right?"

Sensing something was off, Elena took a step back.

We didn't have time for this.

I approached Elena.

"Let's turn you black."

"Fuck off! I'm a noble elf! How could you do that to me...?!"

Gimlius and Daisy, who understood what I meant, grabbed Elena by both arms.

"Elena! It's for your own good!"

"Bear with it!"

"No! I said no! Nooooo! Eeeeeelf!"

I thoroughly smeared the mysterious potion over Elena's skin.

Aaaaaaah!

Elena became blac... no, she became a dark elf.

Hehehe.

It suited her.

* * *

Humanity's last fortress.

The Labyrinth was a prosperous, warm city.

Yet the brighter the light, the deeper the darkness.

There was no perfect paradise in the world.

Fish couldn't survive in water that was too clean.

The nobles needed people to handle their dirty work for them, while the citizens needed those beneath them to feel a cheap sense of superiority.

Robbers, beggars, thugs, thieves, pimps, and more.

The lawless western district of the Labyrinth, where criminals and lowlifes of every kind gathered, was born from those interests.

To control that cesspool, the powerful granted autonomy to the fierce and cunning dark elves.

The dark elves' autonomous district.

Unlike the eastern district, where elves, dwarves, and beastmen lived, it was filled with trees of a dull, gloomy hue.

Walls had also been erected around it, completely cutting it off from both the residences of ordinary western district residents and the outside world.

"Yaaawn."

Kardi, a mixed-blood dark elf, was on guard duty there again today.

As usual, Kardi was conducting boring inspections with a fellow guard when a group approached from the other side.

Their faces were hidden by robes, but they looked like humans and a dwarf.

"Money."

Holding a spear in one hand, Kardi held out the other palm and calmly demanded a toll.

It was absurd for guards to openly extort people, but that was how things worked in the west.

"Just a moment."

The human with silver hair peeking out from beneath the robe began rummaging through a pouch. Then another person beside the man gave him a hard smack and stepped forward.

"What are you..."

Kardi raised a weapon, then froze in surprise.

Twitch, twitch.

"What? Money? You're just a guard, and you're extorting people?"

Cruel eyes were visible beneath the robe.

Skin as pale as a corpse.

And long ears, unlike Kardi's own.

The other party was a dark elf woman.

A pure-blooded beauty striking enough to stand out.

"Get lost."

Damn it, this wasn't an ordinary visitor. A member of a dark elf clan had brought slaves.

"S-Sorry..."

Startled, Kardi tried to let them pass.

"Ptui!"

But at that moment, the beautiful dark elf spat and suddenly swung a fist.

"Forget it. Just die."

Thud!

"Ghk!"

"Die! Die! You filthy black bastard! You disgusting, plague-ridden bastard! Scum of society! Diiie!"

Aaaah!

Turns out she was a crazy bitch with a pretty face.

She was a dark elf herself, yet she viciously beat Kardi while hurling self-loathing insults.

"F-Fuck... Save me! Please, save me!"

Kardi looked to the fellow guard for help.

But the mixed-blood guard beside Kardi simply bowed their head and stepped aside.

"Money."

"Ugh... I-I'll give it to you..."

In the end, Kardi got beaten and extorted for money too.

Still, Kardi couldn't say a word.

That was the law of the strong preying on the weak.

The law of the dark elves.

* * *

Kraaaaaaah!!!

A land of death and bitter cold, where humans were not permitted to tread.

Inside a cave on a frozen snowfield.

The dragonkin sleeping within, Dmitri, shot awake with a scream.

Blood poured from his entire body, his heart was shattered, and his mind was twisted.

He had suffered injuries severe enough to require months of recovery.

"Cough! Hah, hah."

How... How...?

Even while grievously wounded, Dmitri's thoughts turned to the being who had left him in this state.

How could a single human's world of spells be so vast and profound?

Not an angel or a demon.

Not even a dragon, but some child who had only recently come of age?

'What is he? What the hell is he...? Not even the masters of the Magic Tower could do that...'

Something incomprehensible, beyond reason.

Dmitri felt fear and danger from it. Yet, as befitted a former expedition member who had clawed his way up from the bottom, that soon turned into anger meant to drive away his fear.

"How dare he..."

He hadn't originally been this impulsive, but ever since taking on the form of a dragon, it had become difficult to control his emotions.

It was a side effect of gaining great power, one he willingly endured.

'I'll kill him.'

His defeat had only been because of the spatial limitations of the Mindscape.

Reality would be different.

He had many subordinates in the city who acted as his hands and feet.

His subordinates would be more than enough to deal with a few low-floor expedition members.

Dmitri ordered his subordinates to tear apart that silver-haired bastard and his group immediately.

...

But a problem arose.

Not long afterward, the agents lurking in the city sent him this report.