Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 171

The journey with Sephira felt much longer than the actual time it took.

This level of excessive care and escort brought discomfort before relief.

I walked much faster than usual, driven by an obsession not to waste too much of Sephira’s time.

Thanks to that, we were able to reduce what would normally be a week-long journey to about five days.

“Wow… we’re almost there already.”

I pointed to the border checkpoint of Offenbach visible in the distance.

When I came here before, there were lines of merchant and noble carriages, but now there weren’t even half as many.

Naturally, with eternal moonlight continuing, traveling had become more dangerous, and everyone was reluctant to make long journeys across borders due to anxiety.

Still, some merchants and nobles risked their lives for their livelihoods and duties.

Some of the carriages looked tattered, as if they had been attacked.

Meanwhile, I…

“…We arrived too quickly.”

Sephira said.

Despite walking for five straight days under the moonlight, she didn’t appear to have a single speck of dust on her.

Of course, with a high-ranked hunter and people watching me from somewhere unseen, there was no way we’d encounter attacks from minor Beasts.

No, even relatively skilled and dangerous Beasts would probably roughly gauge Sephira’s abilities and not dare to come near.

“That’s fortunate.”

“What?”

“That I haven’t taken up too much of your time, Lady Sephira.”

“…You don’t need to think that way.”

Even if you tell me not to think about it…

Originally this was supposed to be an operation using me as bait to lure out Beasts, but because Sephira stepped in, it turned into just one-sided protection.

Though she probably doesn’t care at all, it just feels a bit wrong to me.

For now, we walked toward the border checkpoint.

Last time I saw it there were only a few guards, but now it looked like they were fully at war.

There were cannons and ballistas on the walls.

Since this was an era with gunpowder, the ballistas were used to launch bombs rather than arrows or spears.

And up close, I could clearly see all kinds of damage marks on the walls.

Above all, the atmosphere.

The guards’ faces had that unique look of people who had been through chaos.

With cannons and bomb throws, they could only respond up to mid-tier Beasts.

Without using silver or fire, killing them was nearly impossible – they could only be incapacitated.

The Order would probably soon release some of their monopolized silver to allow civilians and military to better respond to Beasts.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

When we approached the checkpoint, a guard lightly swept our bodies with an odd-looking rod.

It must have magic for detecting curses, similar to a metal detector from modern Earth.

This wasn’t a procedure before – they must be quite carefully looking for dangerous individuals.

“…!!”

And that curse detector glowed faintly in front of me.

Ah, this is…

“Stop right there and put your hands up! Now!”

In an instant, guards surrounded us with guns aimed.

Even the line behind us backed away in surprise as attention focused on us.

I obediently raised my hands.

“Answer the question! Are you carrying any cursed items?”

“Wait a moment. This is a misunderstanding.”

Sephira stepped forward.

“I said put your hands up and don’t move!”

“We’re from the Hunting Order…”

“D-don’t come closer! We’ll shoot!”

“Yes, I have something! Let me explain in detail somewhere else first, please?”

I shouted loudly as the situation turned dangerous.

After some commotion, we followed a guard to a secluded spot.

Shortly after, someone who appeared to be the guard captain came and asked:

“Are you really hunters?”

“Here is my identification.”

“Mine too…”

We each showed our identification badges.

“High-ranked hunter Sephira…!”

The guard captain was startled when he saw Sephira’s.

“Well, you haven’t been stationed here long but already caught a big fish.”

The guard captain returned our badges after checking them.

“I hear this hunter next to you has something dangerous?”

“As I said before, that’s a misunderstanding.”

“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, let him explain.”

The guard captain pointed at me.

I explained my situation appropriately.

Curses had accumulated in my body during missions, but the Heresy Inquisition Department judged it safe, so there’s nothing to worry about – that should be enough.

“Mind if we check your belongings one by one just in case?”

“Of course… ah.”

I realized as I put down the rail gun’s generator I was holding.

This was made with bloodstone – could that be why it triggered the detector?

However, fortunately no curse was detected from the generator.

Zepetia must have sealed it quite carefully.

Though it’s a bit bitter that I myself emit stronger curses…

In the end, nothing except my body showed signs of curses.

The guard captain pondered for a while but eventually let us through after seeing the high-ranked hunter’s badge and hearing the Heresy Inquisition Department’s name.

“…Hah.”

I couldn’t help but sigh as we crossed the border.

Just like earlier, tools rather than people judged me as not being a normal human.

Though I had thought I was still somewhat okay, that complacency was instantly shattered.

I really am no longer human, or rather, I’ve already changed quite a bit.

Though I look fine on the outside, inside…

“…”

Even Sephira beside me seemed restless.

Or maybe that’s just my imagination.

We continued walking in an awkward silence for a while.

“…Mr. Eugene.”

“Yes?”

“I heard you already have several curses accumulated in your body.”

“…Yes.”

“If it gets worse from here… you might no longer be human at that point.”

“That’s right.”

I wonder what she wants to say.

That she’ll kill me if I become a Beast?

That might be better.

No, that would definitely be better.

I want to live as a human and die as a human.

“Why don’t you… stop fighting now?”

“…”

Well…

That would make sense.

“You could leave the Order or…”

“I have no intention of leaving.”

“Then what about switching to desk work?”

Crowty said something similar too.

That’s actually the most rational decision.

“I’m sorry.”

“…I see.”

How selfish.

Going on like this, who knows when I’ll become a Beast and harm people.

I’m just being stubborn wanting to keep fighting until death.

There couldn’t be a bigger nuisance.

In that case…

“I have one request.”

“…! Yes. Anything.”

“If I become a Beast…”

“…?”

“Please kill me then.”

“…”

“It’s a shameless request, but still…”

Suddenly my vision flipped.

Before I knew it, I was lying on the ground with Sephira pressing down on me.

“Huh?”

“…”

Sephira was looking down at me.

Blue eyes like Belle’s.

I feel like I’m about to remember something.

Belle…

No, wait… why am I thinking about Belle?

“You really must stop fighting.”

“B-but…”

“Quit being a hunter.”

“I refuse.”

“Everyone who sees you knows you’ll die if you continue like this. They can’t help but know.”

“Yes. I suppose so.”

“Then why won’t you stop?”

“…”

“…If you die.”

Sephira’s eyes narrowed.

The emotion visible through that small gap was…

“…Won’t you run away with me?”

“What?”

Words I never expected came out.

Run away?

Did Sephira just suggest running away?

“I’ll protect you. So, anywhere…”

“W-wait. What do you mean…?”

“…”

Sephira opened her eyes again.

The emotion of sadness had vanished at some point, replaced by something strange and indescribable.

“Selfish…”

Selfish?

“…”

Sephira got up.

Another strange silence descended.

We stayed like that for a moment, then without either of us taking the lead, started walking toward the Order again.

* * *

Sephira cursed herself inside.

Coward.

What exactly do I want to do?

No, what I wanted was always clear.

I want to be helpful to that person, to Eugene.

I want to repay even a little of the grace from when he saved me as a child.

That should have been all.

That’s all it should be.

But my head keeps getting clouded and my chest feels tight.

And when Eugene asked me to kill him, I exploded and somehow ended up pushing him down.

“You really must stop fighting.”

At this rate, I’ll lose Eugene.

I haven’t done anything yet – I don’t want that to happen.

“B-but…”

“Quit being a hunter.”

Please.

Please stop already.

“I refuse.”

“Everyone who sees you knows you’ll die if you continue like this. They can’t help but know.”

Not just me, but now everyone is watching Eugene.

Anxiously watching to see when he’ll die.

Anyone who knows Eugene even a little can’t help but know.

The fact that he’ll eventually seek out his death.

No matter how much anyone tries to stop him, he absolutely won’t listen.

“Yes. I suppose so.”

“Then why won’t you stop?”

“…”

“…If you die.”

What happens to me?

What happens to me, who thought I’d live only for this one person?

Is there no meaning to my life?

“…Won’t you run away with me?”

Backed into a corner, Sephira ended up speaking her true feelings.

Eugene had said it before.

That he wanted to live normally someday in a world where he didn’t have to worry about Beasts.

I still don’t have the power to make that dream come true.

But while I may not be the strongest, I am confident in my own strength.

At least enough to protect Eugene while living somehow.

And if we could live like that and die together…

“What?”

“I’ll protect you. So, anywhere…”

Let’s just run away.

Let’s take Eugene and run away anywhere.

“W-wait. What do you mean…?”

“…”

But Eugene doesn’t know.

Who Sephira is, what he did for her.

There’s no way he would know.

Not if I don’t tell him myself.

Even I find it frustrating, but I can’t help it.

Crowty would often ask.

Why don’t you tell Eugene about what happened back then?

If only I could be brave like that administration woman.

If only I could clearly express these feelings bottled up inside.

If only I could selfishly… selfishly take Eugene away.

“Selfish…”

…I can’t.

Because I’m a coward.

I hate myself like this…

If only I could receive a curse like Eugene and become different from who I am now…

…If I could?

Why not become just like him?

We could both accept the curse and run away from the Order.

We could be together forever…

“…!”

Sephira jumped up in shock at the small notion that arose in her heart.

She could hardly believe she had thought such a thing herself.

It was like a thought not of a human but of a cursed Beast.

Curses enter through gaps in the heart.

But that’s impossible.

There’s no way I could fall prey to such things…