Parasite (2): A Parasite's Dance
The rumor that Dante had created a magic research laboratory and was conducting experiments spread quietly, without anyone quite realizing it. Even Daina Carmilton, while reviewing the knight order roster, caught wind of it.
“Sir Dante is using death row prisoners?”
“Yes. They say he received the Duke’s permission as well.”
It was a magician’s affair. Since he had the Archduke’s approval, there was no reason to pry. But…
Maybe I should go watch?
Daina found it difficult to suppress her curiosity. Dante was a Bug Tamer—one of the rarest types of magician even in the Empire. On top of that, he had supposedly obtained otherworldly insects from ancient ruins…
With some time to spare, Daina rose from her seat.
“Bring some snacks from the kitchen. I think I’ll go see what kind of experiment Sir Dante is running.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Daina packed a few simple treats and headed for Dante’s laboratory.
Late that evening, Dante sat organizing his experiment results, lost in thought.
Akchichi’s Bugs are useful. But I still don’t know the exact limits of what I can control.
The requirement of successful parasitism was a drawback, yet once that step succeeded, the ability to forcibly manipulate another person’s body made the bugs incredibly valuable. They would prove a great asset on the road ahead.
I can simply adjust their numbers according to need.
Dante scribbled reagent formulas for the culture solution across a sheet of paper. Finding the precise ratios would be difficult, so he planned to consult the Magic Tower Master. For now, he would have to rely on the culture fluid Nameraz had left behind.
It was while he was thinking this that a voice called out.
“Sir Dante? Are you in there?”
“?”
Someone had come to his laboratory. Thanks to the circulating rumor—“The magician is performing strange experiments on death row prisoners”—not even the servants entered this place. So who would visit?
Lady Daina?
The voice belonged to Lady Daina Carmilton. When Dante opened the door, she stood there with a bright smile.
“Hello?”
“…”
It really was her. In one hand she carried a basket filled with snacks.
“I thought you might be hungry, so I brought some things. Ham, cheese, crackers, walnuts… and my favorite honey liquor too!”
Her gentle, crescent-moon smile seemed to ask whether she could come inside. Dante, raised as a noble, found it impossible to turn a ducal lady away.
“Please, come in.”
“Thank you~!”
Daina set the basket aside and immediately began exploring. “Wow… so this is a magician’s laboratory?”
She marveled at the sight. Glass tubes brimming with culture fluid, dried herbs, animal organs, and diagrams of formalized spells lay scattered everywhere.
“Most of these belonged to Nameraz. I simply brought them here.”
“You mean the magician who was hiding in those ruins?”
Dante worried she might shriek at the sight of the dead Akchichi’s Bugs piled in one corner. Yet, to his surprise, Daina remained perfectly calm.
“What are these bug corpses?”
“The ones I mentioned before. Parasites from another world that control human nerves.”
“Hmm… they look like dried meat, don’t they?”
“???”
When Dante gave her a dumbfounded look, Daina flushed and waved her hands frantically.
“I-I didn’t mean I want to eat them! You know how people slice meat thin and dry it? That’s what they remind me of…!”
“Yes, I understand. I’ve eaten that a few times in the North.”
“Right?! Stacked up like this, they really do look similar, don’t they?!”
“Well… I suppose…”
Dante became certain of one thing: Lady Daina did not find Akchichi’s Bugs repulsive. She regarded them with the casual indifference one might give a side dish. It was the same sort of sensibility as seeing a dead insect and remarking, Oh, that looks just like a pupa snack.
…Exactly what kind of sensibility that was, he still couldn’t say.
Daina cleared her throat and changed the subject.
“You said these bugs can control a person’s nerves. What exactly does that mean?”
“Just what it sounds like. They can move the body against the host’s will.”
“Against their will?”
“It’s an innate ability of the species.”
Daina stared at the corpses for a long moment before speaking.
“Show me.”
“Well… I would need a test subject first.”
“Could I volunteer?”
“…You, my lady?”
Dante was momentarily taken aback, but Daina’s voice held no hesitation.
“Yes. If I experience it myself, I’ll understand immediately.”
“But…”
“Is it dangerous? Then never mind.”
Dante shook his head. He had already perfected the magic through multiple trials. As long as the bug wasn’t killed, there would be no problem. The only awkward part was using it on a noble lady.
“Then please name an action you would absolutely never perform in front of me.”
“…An action I would never perform?”
“I’m warning you now—you will most likely end up doing it.”
“…”
Daina thought for a moment, then said, “I once practiced a certain dance. But my skill is so poor that I would never dance it in front of you, Sir Dante.”
“Perfect.”
Dante issued the command to the Akchichi’s Bug.
Parasitize Lady Daina.
Akchichi's Bug has successfully rooted inside the host's brain.
The bug crawled from the culture fluid and launched itself at Daina like a bullet.
Thud.
It was small, swift, and—most importantly—carried no detectable mana.
Daina didn’t even realize the bug had attached to her. For the briefest instant she felt only the faintest sense of something foreign.
Dante sat in his chair, legs crossed, and smiled.
“Then shall we watch that dance of yours?”
Daina smiled back, confident.
“If you think you can make me dance, I must warn you—it won’t be easy…”
“Dance.”
“…?”
The moment the command left his lips, Daina’s body began to move on its own.
“H-huh?!”
Her waist swayed like a willow. Elegant hand gestures, legs extended in deliberate display.
Why am I—?!
She was dancing before Dante, completely against her will.
“Sir Dante! Is this—!”
“Yes. My magic. The parasite is controlling your body right now, Lady Daina.”
“When did you send the bug?!”
“You really didn’t notice?”
“No!”
She continued to sway, then her eyes met Dante’s. Her face flushed crimson.
The scene was mortifying. Dante sat relaxed in his chair, watching with a leisurely smile, while she danced before him like some coquette putting on a show.
It was unbearably embarrassing.
“S-stop!” Daina cried, face burning. “Please stop!”
Dante snapped his fingers. The bug was already nearing its limit. If Daina resisted with true intent, it would exhaust itself and die in seconds. Before that happened, he withdrew the parasite from her body.
“Ha… haa…”
Daina clutched her chest and hung her head. It seemed less from exhaustion and more from sheer humiliation.
“It doesn’t appear to be a skill worth hiding. You danced beautifully.”
“That’s… enough. I’d rather you not say anything more…”
Daina fanned herself with one hand and sank into a chair. Once the brief wave of shame passed, a chill of fear washed over her.
Just now Dante had given a playful order to dance. But if he had commanded something else… what then? Could she have resisted?
After thinking that far, Daina finally spoke.
“The bugs you command, Sir Dante… they’re incredibly dangerous.”
Matching her tone, Dante answered gravely.
“Yes. I’m well aware, which is why I remain cautious.”
“…”
Daina studied him. She had thought of him as a talented young magician from the Empire—handsome and skilled. But his true worth lay in the bizarre art of bug taming he wielded.
She had glimpsed a fragment of his power and finally understood why Princess Esillia kept Dante so close.
“You command other insects as well, don’t you? Like those red bugs you showed me before.”
“I command many kinds. Any insect that answers my call is mine to use.”
“How fascinating. There aren’t many bugs in the North. This is my first time meeting a Bug Tamer.”
Dante smiled.
“Truthfully, Bug Tamers are almost nonexistent in the Empire as well.”
“Really?”
“A handful exist, but none who command truly superior insects. Good specimens are simply too difficult to find.”
“…”
Daina stared at him openly. A young, handsome noble who wielded rare and valuable magic—and who could even control parasites capable of dominating others.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t tempted.
“Sir Dante, do you currently have a lover or a fiancée?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Why not? You’re twenty years old, your family is respectable, and your magical talent is outstanding.”
Dante gave a modest shrug.
“I simply feel the time isn’t right yet.”
“…If it wouldn’t trouble you, would you consider meeting me later?”
Dante looked at her. Daina did not avert her gaze; she continued to watch him steadily.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. I’m not joking. For someone like you, Sir Dante, I truly would like to get to know you better.”
Her answer was the product of careful calculation.
“The Carmilton ducal house has always displayed its closeness to the Empire by marrying imperial nobles.”
“That is…”
“In truth, I have many options. My mother is from the Empire, so I don’t need to cling to an imperial match.”
The Duchess was an imperial citizen, while the Duke’s parents were Northerners. Since Daina’s own parents already represented the Empire-North union, she was free to choose differently.
“But if it were you, Sir Dante, I believe it would be more than sufficient.”
“…”
“The Aision county is no insignificant house. And you yourself have done much for the North already, haven’t you?”
“My lady, I…”
Before Dante could respond, Daina took his hand. Her touch was soft and warm.
“Don’t answer now. Take your time and consider it carefully. Whatever your answer, I will accept it.”
“…My lady.”
Daina gave him a crescent-moon smile—beautiful and radiant.
“As the Archduke’s daughter, I must protect the North. I made this proposal only because I believe your abilities and achievements would help me fulfill that duty. So please do not decide lightly. Think it over thoroughly before you reply.”
Dante understood. This was not a sudden confession born of infatuation. Daina was a duke’s daughter with a duty to safeguard her family and lands. She needed a man willing to share that burden.
She was also an adult noblewoman with the responsibility to build a household and raise heirs. That was simply how imperial nobility worked.
No different from the nobles at any ballroom.
Dante answered with perfect noble composure.
“Thank you for the proposal. I will consider it with all due care and give you my answer.”
“Yes! I’ll be waiting, Sir Dante!”
With an eye-crinkling smile, Daina uncorked the liquor bottle. Even in a laboratory cluttered with magical tools, she paid it no mind. She filled Dante’s glass without hesitation.
“Now, tell me about yourself.”
“About me?”
“What sort of family are the Aisions? What do your parents do? Do you have brothers or sisters?”
“My father manages a merchant fleet. As the eldest, I have several younger siblings. The one right below me is my sister Sara, who’s quite the handful…”
Dante and Daina sipped their drinks and talked late into the night. Both of them knew that once tonight ended, even these small, casual conversations would become rare.
Daina had a Monster Wave to stop. Dante had to track down Elder Lacravan.
“Wow… so you even dueled for your little sister?!”
“It just sort of happened. She’s a nuisance, but she’s still my sister.”
The conversation flowed without pause until a great moon hung high in the sky, and even then it showed no sign of ending.