Dark Fantasy’s Extra – Chapter 170

Author: Dawn

After finishing the awkward administrative procedures with Hera, I headed back to Offenbach.

Though it was technically early morning, the endless moonlit night continued due to the magical phenomenon, with a large blue moon hanging in the sky.

With the world becoming this absurd, there’s been a massive surge in people volunteering for the Order, making training instructors desperately needed in Offenbach.

The motivation, naturally, is fear.

In this world full of ignorance, the unknown is what’s most terrifying.

And in some sense, the person right in front of me could also be called unknown…

“…Um.”

“Yes?”

“Is Lady Sephira coming along too?”

“Yes.”

“…”

“…I see.”

“Indeed.”

She’s the very embodiment of the unknown.

Usually I would walk alone, but Sephira had been waiting at the main gate.

“I’ll explain the details as we go, but let’s depart for now.”

Sephira’s expression was unusual.

She normally maintained a blank face, but after meeting frequently for various matters, I’d learned she actually had quite a range of expressions in her own way.

I nodded and started walking toward Offenbach.

Though my usual luggage now included one large metal box, it wasn’t particularly heavy.

No matter how I think about it, it’s incredible that they could miniaturize it this much in just a month.

“…”

But Sephira showed absolutely no interest in the clearly unusual rail gun.

She just walked silently beside me.

And an awkward silence continued for a while.

Though I thought we’d gotten somewhat closer through Behemoth Tracking Special Department activities, in the end we only met irregularly for work.

We’d never met privately outside of that.

“…Mr. Eugene.”

“Yes.”

“You are currently under surveillance.”

“…Yes.”

Nothing new there.

“But you’re not the target.”

“I’m not?”

That’s new.

“To be more direct, you’re a type of bait. We received intelligence that there’s something dangerous targeting you.”

“…Bait, you say?”

“Is something strange?”

“No, it’s just… with Lady Sephira guarding me like this, can it really be called bait…”

Bait needs to be exposed to work.

With the strongest force guarding right beside me, this seems more like a protected target than bait.

“…”

Sephira fell into an awkward silence.

“Was Lady Sephira supposed to be guarding me like this?”

“…”

Please answer.

Looking at it any way, this seems like disobeying orders and ruining the operation by sticking close to the bait.

“Because…”

“Yes?”

“Mr. Eugene is… a comrade.”

Comrade.

…Well, that settles it then.

I sometimes disobey orders to protect comrades too.

Though it seems quite wasteful for an incredible force like Sephira to guard someone like me like this, I have no intention of dismissing her desire to protect a comrade.

Whatever I might think of myself, to Sephira I’m a comrade.

“Then I’ll be in your care for the journey.”

“…Likewise.”

About a week to Offenbach.

It’s my first time walking such a long distance alone with Sephira.

You could call it a tremendous honor, but I wasn’t particularly nervous.

“Aren’t you curious about who’s targeting you?”

Sephira asked.

“Are you allowed to tell me?”

“Originally no, but as a special case…”

“Then there’s no need to tell me.”

I don’t want to make Sephira disobey orders any further.

“But…”

“With Lady Sephira beside me, why would I need to know?”

“…!”

Sephira flinched noticeably.

Could she be feeling embarrassed?

…No, surely not.

We’re talking about Sephira after all.

“…Yes. I’ll protect you, so you don’t need to worry about anything.”

* * *

“With this, you won’t need to worry about anything.”

Speaking through Jeanne’s corpse, Bari held out a small necklace.

It was a simple string necklace with a small wooden ornament.

“What is this?”

Jarkoff asked as he took it.

“Point the ornament part of that necklace at your target and they’ll die.”

“…?!”

Jarkoff’s shoulders twitched at the brutal capability explained so calmly.

“Don’t worry. It won’t harm the user at all.”

“…You want me to use this on Eugene?”

“Yes. Simple, isn’t it?”

“Too simple… You’re saying it can kill someone that easily?”

“He’s just a lower-ranked hunter after all. A curse of this level will definitely kill him. Plus it’s a necklace, not a knife or gun, so you can hide it well.”

“Will it evade the eyes of Heresy Inquisition officers and high-ranked hunters?”

“The curse almost disappears after one use, so if you burn it properly afterward it won’t be discovered. Ah, of course you’ll have to figure out how to meet Eugene alone yourself. Surely you’re not asking me to help with that too?”

“…”

Jarkoff put the necklace in his pocket with an uneasy expression.

“Fufu, I’ll leave it to you.”

“I’ll say it again – this is just this once. And absolutely…”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“…Good.”

“How unexpected. I thought you’d ask how you could trust me.”

“I’ve come this far already. Even if I fail and end up like Father, that’s a sin I must bear.”

“That person would be sad to hear that. He cherished you so much.”

“Hmph, weren’t you the one who tempted my father?”

“I merely helped him achieve what he wanted? The Marquis made his own choice. Just like you did.”

“Just like I did… is it.”

Jarkoff didn’t think so.

If that woman hadn’t existed in the first place, he would never have been in a situation to make such a choice.

In the end, deception.

A being that should never have been trusted from the start.

He only took the bait because she made an offer that couldn’t be refused.

“Well then, now that I’ve given you what you need, I’ll take my leave so you and your mother can spend some quality time together.”

“Hmph.”

As Bari withdrew her consciousness, Jeanne’s corpse lowered its head.

“…Jacob.”

His mother’s corpse called his pet name.

“Hmph.”

But Jarkoff turned his back and left the room.

That was merely a communication channel to speak with that witch.

Unlike his father, Jarkoff had no memories of, let alone affection for, Jeanne.

Thanks to that, he could see through one of Bari’s deceptions.

That was not his mother.

Though the corpse was surely his mother Jeanne’s, the heart that could be called a human’s essence was clearly fake.

He had felt that strange dissonance through several conversations already.

It would vaguely understand what he said and give plausible responses, occasionally making clichéd motherly statements about loving her child, but no sincerity could be felt.

It didn’t feel like having a conversation between two people.

Yet his father, blinded by lingering attachment to his mother, must have fallen for such a clumsy deception.

What a pathetic story.

To think that his amazing father was fooled by such an obvious fake.

“…No, maybe not.”

What if it had been wearing Hilde’s form – how would I have reacted?

Thinking of it that way, his father’s disgrace became somewhat understandable.

“Hilde…”

He still vividly remembered the day he first met Hilde.

Spring, when he was 7 years old.

His first visit to the neighboring country to meet someone called his father’s friend.

Count William of House Grimm.

That’s where he first met Hilde.

It was his first time meeting a noble girl his age.

Though he later met other noble girls of similar age from different houses, none gave him the same tingling feeling as when he met Hilde.

When they first met, Hilde was truly like a porcelain doll.

Skin so white and fair it inspired no thoughts but of its beauty, with sapphire blue eyes.

But it wasn’t love at first sight.

Rather, he fell for how she gradually revealed her true self as they kept meeting.

The thought that only he knew the real Hilde.

Just thinking that would fill him with indescribable satisfaction.

Of course, in the end it was just a child’s delusion.

…No, maybe he’s still deluding himself.

“I’ve come this far…”

Jarkoff took out the necklace Bari had given him from his pocket again.

To think he would hold such an ominous object and try to kill someone – if his past self saw his current self, he would surely call him a fake.

“A fake… is it.”

Jarkoff put the necklace back in his pocket.

Whatever the case, it’s too late to turn back now.

He could only do his best with what he had.

“Kill Eugene…”

For Hilde.

He must kill that cursed person who had twisted that pure girl from his memories.

* * *

“Quietly kidnap that hunter…”

One of Rusalka’s royal guards, Amcho, trailed off mid-sentence before his lord.

“What’s wrong?”

Rusalka asked.

“Ah, my apologies. Whatever your orders may be, it is my mission to carry them out.”

“Never mind that. If something’s bothering you, speak freely.”

“…Then, may I share a thought?”

Amcho asked carefully.

“By all means.”

“Well… um… I have fundamental doubts about whether this is necessary…”

From what Amcho had heard, the targeted human had survived various difficult situations and even had an excellent character.

As a subordinate of Lady Rusalka, he would surely be worthy of becoming their comrade.

Above all, since Rusalka had judged it so, Amcho had no place to judge Eugene’s qualifications.

However…

“He’s just a lower-ranked hunter, isn’t he? The Order has now entered full war footing. While snatching a single lower-ranked hunter might not have been too difficult before the moon rose, it would be quite challenging now.”

“Are you saying you lack confidence?”

“Yes? Ah, no, that’s not it…”

“Amcho. I understand your concerns. Such a difficult mission would cause no small amount of hardship. You might feel frustrated if all that effort was for just a lower-ranked hunter. However, Amcho. I’m sending you because I believe in your abilities. Among my royal guards, none are more capable than you at this type of task.”

“Ahh, I see! You’re testing my abilities? Then I, Amcho, shall stake everything on succeeding in this mission!”

“Fufu, good. I’m counting on you. Go and bring that hunter before me…”

“Yes! I shall carry out Lady Rusalka’s orders with my life!”

Amcho left the throne room having received Rusalka’s orders.

His sole objective was to kidnap that lower-ranked hunter without being discovered.

And as Rusalka had said, none of his comrades excelled more at this type of task.

This mission was his lord’s test of him.

Then he need only prove himself with all his might.

“…Amcho.”

Eric appeared before him as he was leaving Tramina Palace.

“Sir Eric? But your injuries…”

“Amcho. I have something to discuss privately.”