Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 144

In the chilly dawn, Great Mage Ozwald took Oscar outside the Order.

He hadn’t planned anything grand – he simply wanted to take a walk with his disciple, going a bit farther than usual.

“It’s been a while since just the two of us went out together.”

“Yes.”

In the past, Oscar would have grumbled about why they were doing something so bothersome before the sun was even up, but now he simply agreed without any objection.

Beyond the shocking change in appearance, his personality and character had become so different that he could only be described as a completely different person.

Ozwald felt something bitter rising in the back of his throat.

“Let’s see, have you heard of the Juniper Forest? Until recently, it was full of creatures that were only slightly affected by curses, but lately they say only normal creatures appear there. It probably has something to do with that Beast that Eugene hunted… Let’s go investigate.”

“Yes.”

“…”

So he won’t even show curiosity anymore.

Ozwald forcibly lifted his head that threatened to drop under the weight of negative thoughts.

When Oscar first returned from Cheshire Village with his mind completely broken, Ozwald had only hoped that his disciple wouldn’t end up completely incapacitated. But human greed truly knows no bounds.

Would he never see the old Oscar again?

“…Oscar.”

“Yes.”

“Though you now walk the path of magecraft rather than magic.”

“Yes.”

“Even so, I haven’t given up on being your teacher.”

“…”

Meeting Oscar had been pure chance.

He received an invitation while traveling through Vale territory, and there he discovered Oscar, an uncut gem of talent.

Though it started as mere curiosity, he felt something like destiny in the boy’s pure heart, passion, and remarkable talent.

He felt this boy needed his proper guidance.

But now he had a fresh realization.

That destiny sometimes deceives people’s hearts.

Just look at the current situation.

What had become of that boy from back then?

If this old man hadn’t been greedy and forced him into that behemoth tracking business, Oscar would still be the same as he was before.

In the end, I ruined everything.

What kind of Great Mage am I?

To so easily ruin a single disciple…

But regret always comes too late.

Now all Ozwald could do was take responsibility and not give up on his transformed disciple.

“…We should visit Vale territory sometime. We can go see your parents after so long. How about it?”

Ozwald had already spoken with Oscar’s parents.

They were simply relieved their son was physically intact and hadn’t died, and they didn’t blame Ozwald.

As the youngest of four brothers, Oscar wasn’t in line to inherit the family name – he was simply expected to establish his own independence eventually.

Though they surely had parental responsibility and affection, nobles prioritized their own principles.

Even minor nobility on the outskirts were no exception.

“Yes.”

Oscar’s response carried the same tone as if agreeing to go check out bread at the market tomorrow.

He had always been a boy who wasn’t particularly bound by noble conventions, but now he seemed to have gone beyond that to not even care about blood ties.

Just what… what was going through his changed disciple’s mind?

Though they had come out for a change of pace, his heart only grew heavier.

“Ah, by the way, about that potted plant you brought from home last time…”

Ozwald persisted in talking to his disciple.

He hoped for any improvement in Oscar’s condition.

But Maia’s words came back to him.

That the old Oscar was gone.

That he should be satisfied he wasn’t completely incapacitated and shouldn’t hope for more than this.

…But he didn’t want to accept it.

Lost in walking without any sense of time passing, they had somehow arrived at Cranion.

The Juniper Forest was quite far, so they would need to hire a carriage from here.

Though the Order had carriages, he wouldn’t be shameless enough to borrow one for something like this.

“Look at that lady. Is she a noble?”

“There’s something strange about her…”

Whispers could be heard from around them.

Oscar had originally been such a pretty boy that he wouldn’t look out of place even dressed as a woman.

Moreover, most people walking the streets wore dull brown or black clothes, and even fashion-conscious women typically limited themselves to yellow or purple dresses and accessories.

But the pure white dress without any patterns and wide-brimmed hat stood out more than expected.

Yet Oscar showed no reaction to the flood of stares.

That in itself created an odd atmosphere that drew admiring gazes even from commoners.

No, beyond admiration, there were even some strange… unpleasant stares mixed in.

“…”

Ozwald felt troubled again.

He quickened his pace slightly and hired a carriage heading to the Juniper Forest.

“Is that your granddaughter?”

The driver asked along the way.

“Please don’t ask. There are circumstances.”

“Oh my, excuse my rudeness.”

Having departed at dawn, it was now late evening.

Since they had come this far, they naturally planned to stay overnight.

There would be the cabin of Thompson, the forest keeper.

Thompson had also been a hunter in the past.

But during a Beast hunt with Ozwald, he had an accident that left him with impaired magical power control, forcing him to retire.

Though Thompson hadn’t been capable of becoming a mage and personally felt hunting suited him better, his expertise in magical power control was remarkable – sometimes even Ozwald gained unexpected insights from him.

The thought of meeting an old friend gave Ozwald a touch of nostalgia and anticipation, briefly relieving his worry about Oscar.

The carriage arrived just as the sun was almost set.

“This is the Juniper Forest. There are no dangerous Beasts anymore, so no need to be tense. Let’s look around and spend the night.”

“Yes.”

The black fossil-like Beast that Eugene and Hilde had hunted.

It was said to have appeared from an ancient juniper tree deep in the forest.

Since that Beast was likely originally a behemoth, his scholarly curiosity began to stir.

Ozwald walked toward Thompson’s cabin visible ahead while carrying a lantern with Oscar.

“Hey Thompson! Are you there?”

Ozwald called out while waving.

At this hour, Thompson would usually be out moon-watching while eating his late dinner.

But there was no bonfire light visible.

Though the cabin lights were on, so perhaps he was eating inside today.

That happened sometimes.

“…”

While walking, Ozwald suddenly noticed he only heard one set of footsteps.

When he turned his head, Oscar was standing still some distance away.

“Oscar, what’s wrong?”

“He’s here.”

“What?”

“That person.”

“…”

Sensing something was off, Ozwald immediately dropped his casual attitude and tensed up.

Such quick situation assessment was proof of why he was known as a Great Mage on the battlefield.

But even this Great Mage hadn’t detected the threat – how had Oscar noticed it?

In any case, best to be cautious.

When in doubt, being cautious was far better than not.

“…Hmm.”

Ozwald first enhanced his senses with magic.

The sounds of the forest reached him first.

Rustling grass and branches, wind curling around corners…

…No sounds of insects or creatures.

That alone put Ozwald fully into combat mode.

He immediately extinguished the lantern and opened his hunter’s night vision.

Though the darkness became clearer than when lit by the lantern, nothing particularly notable was visible yet.

Then smell.

Blood scent, but too faint.

Whoever erased the traces was quite skilled.

“Oscar, step back further. Be ready to run at any moment.”

“…”

But Oscar didn’t move.

“Oscar.”

Ozwald spoke more solemnly and gravely.

“It’s too late.”

“…I see.”

Someone was standing behind Oscar, blocking their retreat path.

An elegant yet dignified and refined suit and silk hat, but the face was covered by a bird beak mask.

A bird beak mask.

“Are you Vile?”

Ozwald asked.

“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Ozwald. I’ve heard tales of your renown since long ago. If only we could have met sooner.”

Vile gave a refined noble’s greeting.

But Ozwald didn’t relax in the slightest.

“I heard you were after my disciple, but to think you would crawl all the way here…”

Cranion.

They must have been noticed there.

No matter how close to the Order the city was, if a behemoth with Vile’s intelligence deliberately infiltrated, the current level of security wouldn’t notice.

But more than anything, Ozwald blamed himself.

He had taken the threat of being targeted by a behemoth too lightly.

Perhaps he had grown careless seeing Eugene survive for months while being targeted by Blanc.

“We both know what we know. Make a wise decision.”

Vile extended his hand.

What he wanted was crystal clear.

And Ozwald’s answer was just as certain.

“Get lost, Beast.”

Without even drawing his staff, Ozwald extended his hand and a magical power blade shot out like a bullet.

But something else appeared before Vile and took the attack instead.

“Ugh…”

Ozwald let out a soft groan at the sight.

What had blocked the attack was his old friend Thompson.

No, what had been Thompson.

Though his features were barely recognizable, his body was grotesquely twisted.

His arms, legs, and even neck were stretched and coiled like twisted bread, and his face showed no trace of intelligence – he was no different from a corpse.

“Do you understand what it means that I’ve appeared in person? Sir Ozwald, you’ve fallen into a trap. There is nowhere to run.”

As he spoke, Beast-like creatures as grotesque as Thompson emerged from the forest.

It was strange.

Though they were clearly visible, they couldn’t be sensed.

Come to think of it, he had heard that even a higher-ranked hunter like Sephira couldn’t detect the Beasts from Vile’s abandoned laboratory or Cheshire Village.

Probably either a new concealment system that didn’t exist before, or something inherently undetectable.

But… how had Oscar noticed?

“You seem to have done some research on me… Then you must know well what kind of human and mage I am.”

Ozwald drew his staff and tapped it lightly on the ground.

Countless small magical power blades appeared from the staff, swirling around the Great Mage like a gust of wind.

“Hand over Alice quietly. The outcome is obvious. I told you this is a trap.”

Vile didn’t move a muscle.

Even his voice remained perfectly level.

“Everything you say is wrong. First, my disciple’s name is Oscar, not Alice.”

Ozwald tapped his staff on the ground once more.

The magical power blades linked together, transforming into a snake with blade-like scales.

“Second, you never know the result of any experiment until you see it.”

“What a pointless-“

“And third, you called this a trap? Then we just have to break through it!”