Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 100

After the maid left, a strange silence fell between the two of us in the room.

“Sigh, I’ve been had.”

The Marquis slumped back into his chair.

“I heard there was a guest, but who would have thought it was a mage.”

“You didn’t know?”

That had been the biggest concern about this plan.

I thought he must have known about Maia’s existence and would have set up some magical barriers or countermeasures.

“No. Could she perhaps be the one imprisoned with you at the Heresy Inquisition Department? Even I don’t know much about their affairs. Even meeting you there was quite a stretch on my part.”

Indeed, not even Crowty, let alone Tyler who heads the Intelligence Department, knows the details of the Heresy Inquisition Department’s affairs.

But I never imagined they wouldn’t even receive real-time information about imprisoned individuals.

“If I had stayed at the Order just a bit longer, I would have known about that mage. My mistake in the end… You must be searching for evidence that I’m working with that witch now?”

“Since she’s quite capable, she may have found it already.”

“Yes. Indeed…”

The Marquis reached for something inside his clothes.

I immediately drew my gun and aimed it at his head.

Normally this level of disrespect would physically get my neck snapped, but the upper hand had already shifted to my side.

“Please stay still.”

I spoke calmly, maintaining politeness rather than making threats.

“What are you trying to do right now?”

Though phrased as a question, I had a sense of what he was attempting.

In Blue Paper Moon’s late game, when the Marquis’s betrayal is revealed, he transforms into a Beast using the power of a cursed item from Bari.

Though he became a Beast powerful enough to be called behemoth-class then, he probably isn’t quite at that level right now.

“You’re quite perceptive indeed. Or… perhaps you knew from the start? How much did that woman tell you? Could it be that even I was meant to be a sacrificial pawn?”

“Not particularly. I just thought you might attempt something dangerous, Marquis.”

“No need to maintain honorifics at this point. Now that it’s come to this, I have no future anyway. In that case… wouldn’t it be better to go out with a bang? That’s what being noble means after all. Being ready to throw away your life at any moment.”

The Marquis’s eyes showed he had given up everything.

He undoubtedly plans to become a Beast here and now using the curse’s power.

“Isn’t it a bit early to give up?”

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t?”

“Think about your son. Once you do this, true hell is all that awaits him.”

“…Jarkoff.”

The Marquis lowered his head.

“Sigh… this may be shameless, but I have a request.”

“Marquis Bluebeard, please…”

“Please burn down ‘that villa’ completely, without ever going inside. I’ve already made all the preparations.”

“Marquis!”

The Marquis pulled out a strange dagger from his chest and stabbed it toward his heart.

In that split second, I shot at the dagger in the Marquis’s hand.

But I saw the black power erupting from the dagger deflect the silver bullet.

“No!”

I threw myself at the Marquis.

But I, too, was deflected like that silver bullet and sent flying into the wall.

“Urgh…”

The Marquis hunched over and writhed.

Black vines burst forth like a fountain from the dagger embedded in him and wrapped around his entire body.

“Jeanne…. Jarkoff…”

The Marquis’s body, transformed into a mass of black vines, grew increasingly massive.

“Damn it!”

His body gradually turned blue.

Tentacles sprouted like a beard from the Marquis’s face, which was now wrapped in blue vines like a turban all over his body.

However, the Marquis, no, the Bluebeard Beast, had not fully transformed.

I drew Crowty’s mithril dagger and charged at the Bluebeard Beast, slashing away the vines covering his body.

“Not yet! Don’t go!”

The vines cut by the mithril dagger writhed like headless snake bodies before vanishing without a trace into black smoke.

But new vines sprouted far faster than I could cut them away.

Still, I didn’t give up and kept trying with all my might to extract the Marquis from the vines.

“Snap out of it! You still have a son!”

“Jar…koff…”

The Marquis’s voice came through.

At the same moment, tentacle-like vines explosively burst forth from where the dagger was embedded.

Being so close, I couldn’t dodge and was buried in them.

The vines trying to stick to my body threatened to devour me before I could even extract the Marquis.

Still I didn’t give up.

“Don’t leave so irresponsibly, you piece of trash!!”

“Eugene!”

Just then Maia’s voice rang out as the door shattered.

“Whoa!? What is this disgusting thing?!”

“Maia! Help!”

“Got it! I’ll get you out of there…”

“Both of us!”

“What?! That’s too hard! You’ll be in danger too, so hurry and…”

“Do it now!!!”

“Ah, fine!”

And though I couldn’t see clearly, the vines’ thrashing seemed to lessen somewhat, making it easier to move than before.

My vision was blocked but she must be doing something to help.

“This is all I can do! You’ll have to tear out the rest with brute force!”

“Got it…!”

I squeezed out my remaining magical power and roughly thrust in the mithril dagger.

The Marquis’s body might get a bit injured, but this was no time to worry about that.

As I practically tore away the vines, the Marquis’s body gradually became visible.

His skin was turning blue as if poison had seeped into it.

“Nngh… Arghhhh!”

Even with Maia’s help, the cursed vines kept wrapping around.

I squeezed out my last bit of strength to thrust in the dagger, then wrapped my arms around the Marquis and pulled.

The dagger embedded in his chest became visible.

Vines endlessly sprouted from the handle part, and I had to somehow pull it out but my hands weren’t free.

Almost instinctively without really thinking, I thrust my head forward and pulled it out with my teeth.

I felt some revolting fragments slide down my throat, but I paid it little mind.

With the cursed dagger removed, the Marquis was instantly freed.

But conversely, the dagger that had lost its target slid and stuck to me.

In that moment I could feel a definite will.

The curse contained in the dagger tried to transfer from the Marquis to me.

“Get away…”

I tried to shake it off, but had no strength left.

And just as I was about to be devoured by the curse…

“Heave ho!!”

Maia kicked it away.

“Ah…”

I’m indebted to her again.

I wanted to thank her, but didn’t even have the strength left to get up and look around.

What happened to the Marquis?

I managed to free him from the curse, but had to cut quite a bit to do so.

Maybe I killed him with my own hands.

That can’t be.

The Marquis can’t die yet.

He still… to his son…

But I couldn’t fight my drooping eyelids and ended up closing my eyes.

*    *    *

“What on earth happened here?!”

Jarkoff burst into the reception room leading the guards.

“Th-this…!”

The scene before his eyes was chaos itself, impossible to summarize in one word.

It was hard to find any furniture intact, from tables to statues.

Eugene, who his father had invited today, lay unconscious on the floor, with a small unfamiliar girl protectively embracing him.

And the most important person…

“Father!!”

Jarkoff discovered the Marquis and rushed over to check on him.

Various parts of his body had turned a strange blue color, and bright red blood flowed from his chest.

“Doctor! Quickly, examine Father!”

“Yes…!”

The doctor employed by the Marquis who had been standing behind the guards approached.

“How is Father’s condition? Su-surely his life isn’t in danger?”

“Well… there is a chest wound, but judging by how the blood is flowing, fortunately it seems to have missed vital organs. However…”

The doctor said while taking out bandages and hemostatic agents from his bag to treat the Marquis.

“This blue color on his body… I’m not sure. It could be poison…”

At those words, Jarkoff stood up and took the sword from the guard captain, going to Maia.

“You there! Reveal your identity! Why are you here? Could it be you’re the one who did this to Father?!”

“…Don’t be ridiculous.”

Maia spoke in an icy voice while holding Eugene tighter.

Even Jarkoff, head burning with rage, hesitated at the sheer pressure of her intimidating presence, cold enough to make one shiver.

“Are you that man’s son?”

“Y-yes! Now tell us truthfully what happened here…!”

However, Jarkoff shook off his fear and pointed his sword at Maia.

“How foolish and ignorant. No… rather, I should say pitiable.”

“What did you say?”

“It seems you know nothing… Contact the Hunting Order and tell them to come here. Then those people will sort this out.”

“Th-that’s right! Guard Captain, the Order hunters…”

“They’re right here.”

Just then, a man in Hunting Order uniform who had arrived late stepped forward.

He wore the insignia of a mid-ranked hunter on his coat and held a spear in his hand.

“I was searching for a rat that had infiltrated the mansion… And there you are. The rat.”

The mid-ranked hunter pointed his spear at Maia.

“Yes. That’s me. But the hide and seek is over now. As you can see.”

“Would you mind explaining what happened here? By the way, trying to escape wouldn’t be wise. More hunters are already on their way.”

“Perfect timing. You seem like a decent hunter – what do you make of the Marquis’s condition?”

“Answer my question first.”

Though saying this, the mid-ranked hunter glanced briefly at the Marquis who had received first aid.

“A hunter of your level should be able to tell at a glance.”

“…That’s impossible.”

The mid-ranked hunter denied it.

“What do you mean? What’s going on?”

Jarkoff who couldn’t follow the conversation asked the hunter.

“What state is Father in? What exactly…”

“…Young Master. Nothing is certain yet. So for now…”

“Tell me right now! I have the right to know. No, I must know! What exactly is Father’s condition?!”

“Young Master, please…”

“I’ll explain instead.”

Maia said.

“Wait a moment. Nothing is certain yet…!”

The hunter tried urgently to stop Maia, but Jarkoff stepped forward first.

“Explain it simply.”

“That is already half Beast.”

“…What?”

“Your father gave up being human of his own will and tried to become a Beast. That’s the result.”

“That… that can’t be… How dare you try to deceive me!!”

Jarkoff tried to raise his weapon threateningly, but the hunter behind him grabbed his sword.

“Why are you stopping me? Didn’t you clearly hear that woman insulting Father just now?!”

Jarkoff was nearly crying with rage.

In truth, he had already noticed.

He simply didn’t want to accept it himself.

“…”

And as if cutting off that mental escape, the hunter shook his head with a bitter expression.

“No, no… That can’t be…”

Jarkoff dropped his sword and staggered before collapsing.

“That… that can’t be… F-Father… would never…”

“…”

“Ugh… Uwaaaaaahhh!!!”

Jarkoff screamed while tearing at his hair before losing consciousness.