Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 129

A group of massive 2-meter tall figures advanced, wearing armor covered in barnacles over their shimmering scales.

In their hands, they held spears tipped with pointed conch shells and shields made of giant shells.

This was an elite unit of Deep Sea Folk who served the Little Mermaid.

Though calling them a unit might be generous given they numbered only 30, the yellow eyes gleaming from within their helmets burned with steel-like fighting spirit.

“How very rude.”

And blocking their path were twice as many women.

They were incredibly beautiful, with light blue bobbed hair and crimson eyes.

Though there were dozens of them looking exactly alike, their beauty remained undimmed.

“Only invited guests may pass through here. Filthy fish-stinking creatures like you should turn back.”

“Winter Witch!”

A warrior revealing a skull head stepped out from behind the Deep Sea Folk elite unit.

He pointed his barnacle-spiked mace at the clones, wearing full body armor in a pale blue.

“I am the Warrior of Waves, a royal guard of the great Little Mermaid!”

“…Ah, I remember. You used to be Charmol’s subordinate before betraying him, right? What was your name back then?”

Margarete clapped her hands once and tilted her head.

“Hmph! The past means nothing! Now I serve only Little Mermaid! And today, I lead the vanguard under her command to strike down the Winter Witch!”

“Hmm…”

“Even if I meet my third death here, I shall…!”

“Ah, well that’s obvious so let’s move on.”

Margarete waved her hand dismissively.

Her utterly casual attitude left even the Warrior of Waves speechless.

“This… did Blanc say something? To target this place. I really must kill that beast.”

“So what Blanc said was true! It must be behind you! Your heart!”

“Well, I figured it would be discovered eventually.”

Margarete sighed as if resigned.

“Our vanguard came here prepared to die. If we just destroy your heart, Lady Little Mermaid’s victory in the coming war will be even more certain… Now, hand over your heart!”

“…Ha, ahaha!”

“What? What’s so funny?”

“Ah, really! How could I not laugh at this? Prepared to die? What a pitiful farce!”

“Farce…?”

“Since your empty head can’t think for itself, I’ll tell you directly. Consider it an honor. You’re just a throwaway piece.”

“…”

“Leading this suicide squad to strike at my heart? With just this? Even 100 times this number wouldn’t be enough! Yet here’s a dishonorable jester who betrayed his master, leading 30 tiny fish and demanding my heart – how could I not laugh?”

“Ahahahaha!”

“Hahahaha!”

Snow White’s clones all laughed in unison.

“…That much.”

The Warrior of Waves said.

“That much I also know. We cannot defeat you.”

“Oh my? But you have more to say?”

“Still! I will not retreat! Dying when ordered is a royal guard’s resolve! The absolute oath of one who serves Lady Little Mermaid! Sometimes wars need sacrificial pieces – that’s only natural! Just being able to die fighting for her is enough! Besides, facing Snow White’s heart-guarding clones! Not a bad final opponent!”

“…Sigh.”

All laughter suddenly cut off.

An overwhelming silence instantly pressed down on this place.

“Even this farce grows tiresome.”

“Whatever you say…!”

“When did I say I would fight you?”

“…What?”

“We just came to watch.”

“Watch?”

“Yes. To see our cute servants perform.”

When she snapped her fingers, boys walked out from behind the Snow Whites.

They were all beautiful youths wearing luxurious noble-like clothes, but their eyes were lifeless and expressionless.

Six in total.

“One spot is missing, but they turned out quite decent overall. I want to see how well they fight.”

The boys held various weapons in their hands.

But those numb eyes showed no fighting spirit or tension about the coming battle.

“Are you… mocking us?!”

They were boys too young to be called warriors yet.

Of course, the Warrior of Waves could instantly tell these boys were not ordinary humans.

But even so, they were still young.

For these boys to be the final opponents of warriors prepared for death was an unbearable insult.

“I cannot endure this!”

Yellow flames erupted from the Warrior of Waves’ barnacle mace.

At the same time, the eyes of the Deep Sea Folk elite troops blazed yellow.

“You degraded witch! Face judgment!!”

The Warrior of Waves and his troops charged forward with weapons raised.

“Go on then, my cute servants.”

As Margarete lightly clapped her hands, the boys also charged toward the warriors simultaneously.

What followed was a massacre.

The stars were Snow White’s servants.

The weapons held in the boys’ delicate hands pierced through shields and armor to destroy the hearts hidden within with ridiculous ease.

While the Deep Sea Folk elite troops were being cut down in an instant, the Warrior of Waves faced a blue-eyed blonde boy before him.

“Too young! Far too young! Not old enough to be on such a battlefield! …Kuk!”

The Warrior of Waves swung his mace before dropping to one knee.

The boy’s dagger was somehow deeply embedded in his thigh.

“You… wicked witch! To repeat such acts after 500 years! Are you not ashamed before the name of Lord ■■…!”

The Warrior of Waves couldn’t finish speaking.

He was reduced to mush by ice spears fired from Snow Whites in all directions.

“…For a lowly jester to speak that one’s name, Rusalka’s eye for subordinates was terrible too. No, perhaps that’s why she sent you as a throwaway.”

“…”

The boy who had been facing the Warrior of Waves silently stared at what remained of him, now just a lump of flesh.

“Well, we’ll be heading back now so clean up this trash. We need to move bases soon so we’re quite busy. Finish quickly.”

After the massacre ended, the Snow Whites left that place.

Kai and the other boys silently cleaned up the remains of the Deep Sea Folk and Warrior of Waves.

* * *

Immediately after returning from Lasso Village, I took only Gerda to the guest lounge.

Fortunately, there was no one else in the lounge besides us.

“My name is Eugene. I’m an 8th-rank hunter, and I’ll be your cousin brother from now on.”

I told Gerda who sat across from me.

“…I’m Gerda.”

Gerda nodded.

As expected, she’s a smart child.

“As I said before, we don’t know for certain if your brother is alive or dead. If by any chance you learn your brother returned while you’re at the Order, you can go back.”

“Yes.”

“But until then, train to become a hunter at the Order. If your brother hasn’t returned by then, you’ll have to go find him yourself.”

“Yes…”

Gerda will undoubtedly be assigned as a mid-ranked hunter.

It was like that in Blue Paper Moon too, and her growth rate rivaled the protagonist.

We must ensure that talent isn’t used by the witches even by the slightest chance, so it’s better to manage dangerous sprouts here.

Originally we should have waited until protagonist Hilde came to get her, but that story has already been derailed.

“I’ll handle the admission procedures, so stay in my room until then. If anyone asks, say you’re my sister. Understood?”

“Yes.”

The sharp Gerda should manage well enough on her own.

“…”

“…”

With the main business concluded, an awkward silence fell between me and Gerda.

It must be bewildering to suddenly be told she’s my sister and to become a hunter.

Plus Gerda is still young.

In my past life on modern Earth, she would still be school age.

Of course, in this world you’ll starve to death if you don’t work at that age, but by my standards she was still someone who needed protection.

It weighed heavily on my heart to bring such a child to this blood-soaked place.

Is it right to push one child onto the battlefield for the safety of more people?

“…Are you hungry?”

“What?”

“We haven’t had dinner yet.”

“I’m fi-“

Gerda’s stomach growled.

She must not have noticed her hunger until now from being so tense.

“Well… since I’m your brother…”

Brother.

What a hypocritical word.

When I’m neither family nor anything else.

“Yes… Brother.”

Gerda also hesitated awkwardly before finally speaking.

I took Gerda to the general store.

Since outsiders can’t use the dining hall.

“Welcome… Oh? Who might this be?”

The general store clerk smiled and asked about Gerda.

“My… cousin sister.”

“What an adorable child! She’d be even prettier if she was cleaned up a bit.”

“Ah, yes…”

As she said, Gerda was quite filthy.

While cleanliness is encouraged inside the Order, just one step outside and you’ll find people who don’t even wash their faces.

The importance of hygiene hasn’t been widely known, let alone scientifically proven.

“We’ll have to give you a proper wash when we get back. Anyway, sandwiches and ham…”

I bought sandwiches and chunks of ham that I often ate from the general store, along with yogurt.

“…And this… candy too.”

Luxury items, especially sugar, are incredibly expensive.

A ridiculous price of 100 Order Silver coins for just a handful.

I bought something I thought I’d never have any connection to, like buying a cheap indulgence.

“My, you must really care for this child!”

Even the general store clerk was surprised as she wrapped up the small box containing candy.

“…?”

Gerda… seems to not even know what candy is.

Not strange for a child who worked in a factory without parents.

I bought the sandwiches, ham chunks, yogurt and a box of candy, then went to my quarters with Gerda.

“Wow…”

Gerda couldn’t hide her amazement at seeing my room.

Though it’s nothing special, just an ordinary space, perhaps it looks impressive to a child like her.

Come to think of it, where did Kai and Gerda sleep before?

“First wash up before eating. That’s the rule.”

An 8th-rank hunter’s quarters has a small tap for basic washing.

Of course, the water pressure is weak and the tap is small so it’s rarely used.

But I couldn’t take Gerda to the shower room so there was no choice.

“Do you know how to use soap?”

“What’s soap?”

“Ah…”

I had no choice but to help her wash her face at least.

Seeing soap bubbles for the first time, Gerda seemed to relax a bit as she found it fascinating.

Though she tensed up again having to wash in the same space as me with just a curtain.

Anyway, Gerda properly washed with soap and came out… incredibly beautiful.

Even when dirty her beauty was obvious at a glance, but once the smell and grime were gone it was startling.

No wonder someone with Kai’s face that resembles this caught Margarete’s eye.

After Gerda washed, we sat facing each other at the table and shared the sandwiches and ham.

“Delicious…”

Gerda looked dumbfounded even at ordinary sandwiches.

And after finishing the meal, when she put the candy in her mouth, she burst into tears.