Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 101

Today again, after their work hours ended, hunters from the Order personally visited, bringing part of their salary or medicinal herbs said to be good for health.

Considering the distance between the Order and this place, they must have run at full speed to get here.

“It’s not much, but please give this to the Marquis.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure to deliver it properly.”

And Ulysses, the mid-ranked hunter guarding the Marquis’s mansion, politely accepted their gifts at the main gate.

“Thank you.”

The hunters bowed their heads to him before leaving.

“…”

After receiving them, Ulysses went into the mansion and took them not to the Marquis but to someone else.

“They came again today.”

“Yes. Put them over there.”

The Heresy Inquisition officer dispatched from the Order pointed to a corner.

There were already piles of gifts from other hunters who had visited earlier.

All gifts sent to the Marquis were being secretly checked by the Heresy Inquisition officer.

Moreover, the mansion itself was sealed off by orders of the Heresy Inquisition Department so that no one could freely come and go.

Ulysses hesitated in front of the Heresy Inquisition officer after putting down the gifts.

“What is it?”

The officer looked up at Ulysses again after carefully examining the items with a magical tool.

Dark circles had formed under the officer’s eyes from spending days meticulously investigating every item in the mansion without proper sleep.

“Well… I was wondering if you found anything.”

“I cannot tell you that.”

“Of course. Keep up the good work.”

Ulysses went out to the courtyard and leaned against the wall, looking up at the sky.

The evening glow was fading and the sky was beginning to turn purple.

Though only about two days had passed since that incident, somehow it felt like ages ago.

Not because he had become numb, but simply because he didn’t want to accept it.

“How did it come to this…”

Ulysses recalled the memories of that time.

The House of Bluebeard, responsible for this country’s Order, not only had close ties with the Order, but the current Marquis was an exceptional person beyond just that.

He had done many activities for the Order’s benefit, and even supported or provided conveniences to hunters who had retired due to disabilities.

When news came that there had been an attack on this Marquis’s mansion, hunters swarmed in like bees.

Among them, a select few elites with particularly good skills arrived before anyone else, and Ulysses carefully showed the scene only to them.

Though they were all deeply shocked, being skilled and experienced individuals, they managed to remain calm, keeping the truth confidential while controlling the follow-up forces and contacting the Heresy Inquisition Department.

That resulted in the current situation.

“Damn it.”

Ulysses was personally more loyal to the Marquis than to the Order.

When his wife and child’s village was struck by a severe plague and their lives hung in the balance, they wouldn’t have survived without the Marquis’s help.

After that incident, despite being a mid-ranked hunter, Ulysses volunteered to be the Marquis’s guard.

Of course, while the Marquis was already someone who needed protection, Offenbach was short on mid-ranked hunters and had been substituting them with lower-ranked ones, but he stepped up to do it himself.

That’s how deeply Ulysses felt gratitude and indebtedness to the Marquis.

Which made this incident all the more shocking.

Yet Ulysses didn’t sink into despair because there was someone right beside him who was having an even harder time.

“…Should I go check.”

Ulysses went back into the mansion and headed to Jarkoff’s room.

Several servants and maids were standing silently with gloomy expressions in front of Jarkoff’s room.

“Ah, Mr. Ulysses.”

One servant said.

“How is the young master doing?”

Ulysses asked.

“Well… he still won’t come out. It’s already been two days without eating or drinking anything…”

Jarkoff had locked himself in his room and wouldn’t come out.

“Still… Sigh, and still no response when you talk to him?”

“No.”

“…I’ll give it one more day, but if it’s the same tomorrow, I’ll personally go get him out. He might really die at this rate.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Just then, footsteps approached from behind.

And seeing who was behind Ulysses, the servants and maids swallowed dryly with fearful expressions.

Ulysses turned his head with a miserable face to look behind him.

Another Heresy Inquisition officer, and one whose face was covered in scars with eyes as cold as blades made of ice.

“Are you Ulysses, who was the Marquis’s guard?”

He asked.

“Yes, that’s me, but…”

“I’m from headquarters. Is Jarkoff, the Marquis’s son, in that room?”

“Yes. But he won’t come…”

“Open the door.”

“That’s…”

The Heresy Inquisition officer took out a small scroll from his chest.

Ulysses’s heart sank when he recognized what it was.

The officer unrolled the scroll and showed it to him.

And one word stood out in massive letters.

‘Heresy Suspect’.

“Jarkoff, the Marquis’s son, has been charged with suspicion of heresy. Since the Marquis has been definitively judged as a ‘heretic’, naturally his relatives are also subjects of investigation.”

“B-but… but the young master is in a terribly difficult state right now. At least until tomorrow…”

“It would be better for everyone if you cooperate well.”

Without even noticing, another man had appeared behind that Heresy Inquisition officer.

Ulysses held his breath when he saw him.

“Are you 5th-rank hunter Ulysses, the Marquis’s guard?”

Asked the man with white hair tinged with red as if bleached and ominous red eyes.

“Y-yes. I… I am… Hah.”

Black clothes with red patterns – the Order’s black blade and judge who hunts hunters.

Even Ulysses felt dizzy at the judge’s appearance.

Only after taking a deep breath could he finally calm down.

“…Yes. I am 5th-rank hunter Ulysses.”

“I am Judge Dominic. I came because I have some questions for you.”

“Could it be… am I also suspected of heresy?”

“It’s just a light investigation. No need to be so tense.”

The judge who identified himself as Dominic gave a faint smile.

But to Ulysses, it only felt creepy.

* * *

I finally opened my eyes.

My body felt heavy as if iron bars had been tied to it.

“H-hey…”

I called out to anyone with my parched mouth.

“You’re awake?”

I heard Maia’s voice but even turning my head toward her was difficult.

“You must be extremely tired right now. So just listen.”

Alright.

“First, this is the place called headquarters. You used to work here, right?”

That’s right.

So I was brought to headquarters.

…Wait, how much time has passed?

“And you were lying down for a week.”

A week?

That’s too long no matter how you look at it.

Even when I overexerted myself after taking performance enhancers, it wasn’t this bad.

What exactly happened?

“You woke up earlier than expected, considering you accepted a curse.”

“What?”

My eyes shot wide open at those words.

“Ugh…!”

When I suddenly tried to get up, overwhelming weakness made me collapse right away.

“Calm down. It’s not that serious.”

Maia placed her hand on my chest.

“Curse? Me? What exactly happened?”

“Well… it’s a bit complicated to explain…”

Don’t tell me I was afflicted by that curse that tried to devour the Marquis instead?

Then am I no longer human?

Am I becoming a Beast?

What should I do?

I should write a will first…

“You must have many questions, but rest more for now. Like I said earlier, it’s not that serious. Rather, it’s a very good thing.”

“What’s good about…”

“I said I’ll explain everything later.”

Just then, the sound of a door opening was heard.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

It was Ozwald’s voice.

“Sir Ozwald…? Why exactly?”

“First, calm down. You must be confused but there are some things I need to ask.”

“Yes…”

“First question – do you remember your name?”

“What? Uh, it’s Eugene.”

“You seem to remember your name… recite the Order’s first law.”

“The law? That would be… ‘Beware of Beasts and curses.'”

“You remember properly. That’s a good sign.”

“I told you, didn’t I? This level wouldn’t be a problem.”

Maia said to Ozwald.

“But it’s still important to confirm thoroughly, isn’t it?”

“That’s true too.”

“Excuse me…”

I carefully interrupted their conversation.

“Sir Ozwald, why exactly are you doing this?”

“The examination isn’t over yet. Tell me everything you remember about recent events. Why you went to Offenbach, and what happened at Marquis Bluebeard’s mansion.”

“Ah, yes.”

I explained everything I could remember as much as possible.

Going to Spider Castle to save Chris.

Being investigated at the Heresy Inquisition Department.

And searching for evidence of the Marquis’s betrayal at his mansion.

“…Ah! Maia!”

“What?”

“The flower?”

“I was keeping it safe, of course.”

Maia pointed to a table.

There was that black flower I had seen before, covered by a glass case.

“The Order guys kept pestering me to show it to them, but I kept guarding it saying not until you woke up.”

“…Why?”

“Well, because that’s yours now, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

“You asked me to find it. I just followed your request. That flower is yours. It’s not right to carelessly give away something that clearly belongs to someone else.”

“Uh…”

That was very fitting for an NPC meant for item exchanges.

“It’s fine. Give it to the Order. That’s why we brought it anyway.”

“Then I’ll do that.”

Maia nodded.

“There, you heard that? Now you can take it.”

“Thank you.”

Ozwald bowed politely to Maia.

“Don’t thank me, thank Eugene.”

“Right. Thank you.”

“It’s fine. I was planning to submit it as evidence anyway… But what happened with Maia?”

Ozwald had been showing courtesy to Maia since earlier.

I’ve never seen the Great Mage act like this before.

“Hmm. Including that, I have many things I want to ask you. Where on earth did you meet such an extraordinary expert? Though she looks like a child, I can see beyond that. She’s undoubtedly someone who has reached a certain level.”

“Ahem, I’m glad to finally meet someone here who properly recognizes my abilities. Ah, except for Bari.”

Maia puffed out her chest proudly.

“But earlier you mentioned an isolation room? And that I received a curse?”

“Ah, about that…”

Ozwald’s expression darkened as his words trailed off.

“You guys are really making such a fuss.”

In contrast, Maia didn’t seem to think it was a big deal.

“I’ll explain. When you tried to remove that Marquis person’s curse at that mansion, a tiny bit of it entered you too. Now you’re not human anymore, just like me.”

Ah… Come to think of it, since my hands weren’t working I had to pull out that cursed dagger with my mouth.

Maybe that’s when it entered my body…

“Then there’s nothing I can do…”

I feel dejected.

To think I would become a Beast.

Though I still look human now, I’ll probably slowly progress into Beast form.

I need to get my remaining life in order…

“Ahem, well…”

Ozwald cleared his throat.

“There’s no need to be so disappointed.”

“Why not? Ah, are you telling me to just give up now…”

“That’s not it. Maia’s expression was just a bit exaggerated. While you were certainly afflicted by a curse, you don’t need to worry about becoming a monster.”

“What?”

“You’ve only become a tiny bit not human.”