Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 127

During lunch break when the factory workers came outside to eat, a few people gathered in a corner of the backyard, speaking in hushed voices.

“So how long are you going to rot in this backwater? Winter of Salvation always accepts people, you know? We can leave this place anytime.”

A thin man whispered.

“I’m still not sure… Remember when that hunter came and warned us about suspicious Beasts?”

A chubby man tilted his head.

“That Beast also appeared looking just like a beautiful person at first.”

“Yeah, it was impossible to tell them apart from real humans!”

Others gathered around nodded at the chubby man’s words.

Not even a year had passed since the dangerous Beast appeared calling itself the Snow Princess, attempting to kill both the village chief who was also the factory owner and the hunter.

That Beast looked so completely human that no one suspected anything at first.

It wasn’t just human-like – everyone was shocked by its unprecedented beauty, unlike anything they’d ever seen before.

The residents of Lasso Village who worked at the glass factory weren’t particularly drawn to stories of ‘Winter of Salvation that will someday come’ and ‘being reborn as beings more beautiful than anyone’.

It was all thanks to that hunter named Eugene who personally hunted down the Beast within the village.

“Tsk… there’s no talking sense into you people…”

The thin man who had tried several times to preach about the amazing tales of ‘Winter of Salvation’ and the ‘Winter Queen’ clicked his tongue and walked away.

“…”

A boy was staring blankly at that man.

His striking features stood out even though they were covered in coal dust.

“What are you staring at!”

The thin man frowned at the boy’s delicate face and spat on the ground.

Those born with such good looks wouldn’t understand how he felt.

Just like the other idiots in this village.

What was so special about what some mere hunter said that they would ignore such profound teachings…

“The chief says it’s time to get back to work!”

Just then, a girl who looked identical to the boy came out to the backyard and called out.

At the girl’s words, everyone who had been outside groaned as they went back inside the factory.

“Hmph.”

The thin man also went back into the factory with them.

Every day from dawn till late at night, except for brief meal breaks, they had to work in the factory where coal dust constantly flew and sweat poured like waterfalls.

Even working like that, they barely earned enough to scrape by.

With this kind of money, they couldn’t even dream of going to Cranion and getting a proper house.

It was all because of the Hunting Order.

Since they had to sell everything produced in the factory at dirt cheap prices to those greedy thieves who did nothing, naturally the workers’ wages decreased.

It was truly no different from slavery.

The other villagers couldn’t see this reality properly and just happily handed over their leashes to the Hunting Order like dogs.

Pathetic fools.

“…”

As he walked, the thin man looked at the girl who had called them.

Gerda, the older sister of that handsome boy Kai, was the most beloved child in this village.

She was diligent, competent, and above all born beautiful.

Plus she had an equally pretty younger brother…

What’s not to like about a girl who lacks nothing?

On top of that, she does less work than adults since she’s just a child.

It couldn’t be more unfair!

“…?”

When the thin man stared intently at her, Gerda tilted her head in confusion.

“Tch.”

But the man just clicked his tongue once and went back into the factory.

“Ah, Kai!”

After checking if anyone was left in the backyard, Gerda called out to her younger brother Kai who was standing quietly in a corner.

“You need to come back and work too!”

“…Okay.”

Kai approached with somewhat downcast steps and a gloomy mood.

“Kai? Did something happen?”

“No… not really.”

“You’re lying. Tell me – I won’t tell anyone else.”

“…Hey, Sister.”

“What is it?”

“Should we… leave this village?”

“Huh? What are you suddenly talking about? Where would we even go?”

“To the Hunting Order.”

“What?”

“I heard they recently lowered the age requirement to become a hunter. Maybe we could go and become hunters too.”

“That’s ridiculous! There’s no way they’d accept us. I know you want to become a hunter but…”

“Then let’s try becoming errand runners! We can start with that first…”

“Kai, what’s going on suddenly? Did something happen?”

“I heard the adults talking earlier. They said we could leave the village anytime…”

“Kai…”

“Sister… let’s leave. Staying in this village, we’ll just end up like those men. Plus we could earn more money joining the Order.”

“But what if we can’t even become errand runners? Once we leave the village, they’ll never take us back. Then we’ll have nowhere to go.”

“We don’t know that for sure!”

“Kai!”

Gerda frowned and put her hands on her hips.

It was her usual gesture when scolding her younger brother for being stubborn or doing something wrong.

Usually that would settle things.

“But Sister!”

But this time it didn’t work.

“You really…!”

“No matter what you say, I’m going! No later than tonight…!”

“You… have you really gone crazy?! Hurry up and get to work!”

“I want to become like that hunter brother! You said it yourself! That he was really cool!”

“T-that’s…”

“I’ll definitely become like that cool hunter you like!”

Kai ran back into the factory.

Watching her brother’s retreating back, Gerda felt complicated emotions and anxiety that were difficult to put into words.

* * *

That night, a shadow quietly opened the door and came out of the shabby hut where Kai and Gerda lived together.

“I’ll definitely come back later…”

Kai left home without taking a single coin, just his bare body.

But what worried him wasn’t money but rather the night watchman guarding the village fence.

Ever since that Beast mimicking humans visited, adults had been taking turns keeping watch every night.

To leave the village, he had to avoid being caught by that person.

“…”

Kai looked at today’s watchman holding a lantern in the distance.

“Damn… they could at least let us sleep in the morning if we have to keep watch.”

The thin man grumbled while sitting in a chair in front of the village’s main gate.

The fence surrounding the village had sharp wooden stakes embedded everywhere, so you had to go through the main gate to leave.

Kai threw a prepared bundle of rocks and glass pieces tied together with string toward the outside of the fence in a different direction.

The rocks and glass made a loud noise as they hit the ground.

“What was that…?”

The thin man who was on watch got up from his chair and walked that way with his lantern.

Now’s the time…!

“…!”

Kai walked quickly through the main gate trying his best not to make any footsteps.

“…Who’s there!?”

But it was just an amateur’s clumsy attempt.

Night makes sounds travel better.

Plus he didn’t wait for the watchman to get far enough away, so those small footsteps reached his ears.

“…!”

Kai ran with all his might.

Since all he had was his body anyway, he just needed to run without looking back.

“Stop right there!”

The thin man reflexively chased after the fleeing boy.

But the thin man soon felt the urge to give up.

Someone was trying to escape the village anyway.

If so, they must think similarly to him, so there was no reason to interfere.

That’s what he thought and was about to stop.

If only Kai hadn’t tripped and fallen over something.

“…Huh?”

The boy’s delicate face dimly lit by the lantern.

Seeing that, dark emotions began seeping into the thin man’s heart.

He quickened his steps that he’d been about to stop.

Kai must have hurt his foot as his speed slowed, and he was eventually caught.

“Ah, mister…”

Kai said.

“Well, well~. Who do we have here?”

The thin man grinned.

“It’s Kai, isn’t it? Where were you trying to go so late at night?”

“Mister…! I, I’m going to leave the village. I heard what you said today. You were right that nothing good will come from staying in this backwater!”

Though trembling, Kai tried his best to persuade the other party after recognizing who it was.

“Hmm…”

The man approached Kai who had fallen due to his injured leg, with a twisted smile.

“I’m going to become a hunter! I’ll definitely come back to protect the village once I become a hunter…!”

“Ah, well… about that…”

He looked closely at Kai’s face with the lantern.

A beautiful boy who resembled his sister.

Such a boy was at his feet with tearful eyes and a desperate expression.

Plus the overwhelming power dynamic of catching him trying to escape the village.

An electrifying sense of omnipotence crawling up his spine.

“You made me come all the way out here from the village…”

The thin man looked back toward the village.

It was quite far, so if he just turned off the lantern, nothing would be visible or audible.

“Besides, you’re what, betraying the village?”

“What? B-but during the day you…”

“That was about Cranion, hunters are a different story…”

Winter of Salvation hates the Hunting Order and is hostile to hunters.

And here was this hateful boy trying to become a hunter in such a state – only a fool would let this pass.

“I never liked that pretty face of yours.”

He opened the lantern and blew out the light with a whoosh.

Darkness instantly consumed their surroundings.

“You know what I heard before… If you smash up a face real good, even the most handsome person can never go back to how they were?”

“Mister…?”

Kai dragged himself backward without being able to stand up.

“Hehe… it’s nothing much. You’ll just become like everyone else. A fitting punishment for betraying the village, don’t you think?”

“P-please spare me…”

“Hehehe…”

He deliberately walked slowly while staring intently at Kai.

He felt hot, perhaps excited by the chilling thrill.

“Hah, hah…”

Breathing that sounded unbelievably creature-like coming from himself.

As if a real Beast was making the sound…

“Grrrr…”

“Huh?”

Red eyes clearly visible in the darkness.

It wasn’t just a feeling of being hot.

Real heat was actually touching him.

A chill ran down his spine.

Not excitement.

Instinctive terror.

“S-save, s-s…”

The thin man’s legs trembled and gave out.

“Raaaargh!!”

“Aaaaaah!!”

Screams, or perhaps wails.

Things that seemed both creature-like and human made a commotion in the darkness, but vanished futilely without reaching anyone.