Dark Fantasy’s Extra – Chapter 206

Author: Dawn

The elite agents who returned from Ivan Mountains brought several pieces of bad news.

The operation to lure out Blanc had failed.

It seemed the Frog Princess had finally gone berserk.

And above all, Eugene appeared to be dead.

Though they hadn’t directly confirmed the body, even a high-ranked hunter would struggle to return alive from that hell.

It wasn’t hard to guess what happened to Eugene who went there alone.

“…So there’s no point in you going either.”

Crowty said.

“Unless I confirm it with my own two eyes, I cannot accept it. Mr. Eugene isn’t someone who would die so easily.”

Sephira said.

Seeing the ominous atmosphere between the two, Hera was sweating nervously in the corner.

“You probably won’t even be able to recover the body. Especially with that Frog Princess, he must have been turned to ashes.”

“I’ll still search.”

“How do you plan to search? Did you not hear what I said? He’s probably turned to ashes. Or buried in lava, maybe both. Are you planning to dig up that entire mountain range by yourself? The Frog Princess might still be there too.”

“If that’s what it takes.”

“Know your limits. You… and we don’t have that luxury.”

Crowty sighed.

“If Eugene is dead, Blanc must be very unstable now too. On top of that, the Frog Princess, said to be the worst witch, is rampaging. According to the agents’ reports, there was even mention of a behemoth named Eric bringing an undead army of over two thousand. No one can predict when, where, or what might happen.”

“…”

“We cannot spare you for such things in this situation. Try to understand.”

“…Such things, you say?”

“…”

“Are you saying that finding Mr. Eugene’s remains is just… such a thing?”

“…The dead are dead.”

Crowty’s voice was heavier than ever before.

“Save mourning the dead for later. Right now we must focus on the living. Making sure no one else dies is my duty, and yours too.”

“…In that case.”

Sephira’s hand slowly rose up.

“Just what are you trying to do?”

Crowty’s voice, which had been unfathomably heavy until now, instantly turned sharp.

“I’m saying that is not my duty.”

Sephira grabbed the hunter’s badge on her chest.

“If you remove that, I can no longer look the other way. Don’t do anything foolish.”

“I already did something foolish. I should have followed Mr. Eugene then. Even if alone, I should have followed.”

“So you’ll follow now? He definitely wouldn’t want that.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“I cannot allow it. If it’s about finding Eugene, an investigation team will go to Ivan Mountains later anyway…”

“If by any chance Mr. Eugene is still alive, he might need my help even now.”

“We need your help too. I do as well.”

“…I’m sorry. But still, I honed my strength for that person. If I can’t do anything in this situation, what meaning did all that time have?”

“…If you’re determined to go, defeat me first.”

Crowty’s hand lightly rested on the gun at his waist.

“Does it really have to be this way?”

“For me, it must. I have duties and responsibilities that require me to do this.”

Crowty’s voice was level again.

But Sephira, who had grown up under him, could tell his words were more sincere than ever before.

Not threatening her, just handling the task at hand.

“…It’s regrettable that it’s come to this.”

Sephira also drew her holy sword Robera.

“For me as well.”

“Eek…”

Sensing the dangerous flow, Hera in the corner retreated even further.

Time passed without either hunter moving even 1mm.

Just about a minute at most.

But it was a heavy and long minute that felt like a year, an incredibly difficult minute.

And just as they were about to move, with no way to tell who would move first, the administrative office door opened.

“Excuse me…”

* * *

“…me.”

Seeing the situation in the administrative office, my spine instantly froze and I couldn’t move an inch.

Crowty and Sephira were about to fight.

And quite seriously at that.

Moreover, in the administrative office.

Come on now.

Look, Hera is even in the corner.

But well…

“Ah… hello.”

“You…”

Crowty’s expression, which had been beyond level and cold as ice, softened as he pointed at me in disbelief.

“…”

Sephira dropped her sword.

With a thud, Robera’s blade stuck straight up after plunging into the floor.

Before I could even make the idle observation of how incredibly sharp it was, Sephira approached me.

“It’s… been a while.”

“You…!”

Sephira suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Huh? What?”

What’s this?

What’s going on?

“You’re… alive…”

“Ah…”

I could feel Sephira trembling.

I reflexively hugged her back and patted her back while looking toward Crowty.

He watched us for a moment before shaking his head.

It seemed to mean he’d explain later, so just stay like this for now.

Finally after quite some time had passed, Sephira let go.

Even after she had calmed down, she only separated after extracting a promise to meet and talk again later.

After Sephira left, only myself, Crowty, and Hera, who was visibly relieved, remained in the administrative office.

“So… first about reporting my return…”

“Ah, right. Return report. Return report… sigh… hey.”

Crowty beckoned me closer with a flick of his index finger.

When I approached without thinking much of it, Crowty wrapped his arm around my neck in a headlock.

“Gack!?”

“Hey you bastard!! Looking like death warmed over after nearly dying!!”

“I’m… sorry…”

“You think a simple sorry cuts it? Return report? We already filed your death report, you idiot!!”

Ah… so that’s what happened after all.

Well, who would have thought I’d return alive from there.

“And why did you go to Ivan Mountains during the operation!? That wasn’t the original plan!”

Moreover, the original plan was to lure out Blanc to get information about Charmol and carefully approach the Frog Princess through negotiation.

But I ended up ruining everything.

“You just do whatever you want!! Do you know how complicated things have gotten because of you alone!? Quick, do something about those raggedy clothes and come back to explain everything!”

Crowty released me after smacking my head.

“Y-yes!”

Raggedy clothes, he says.

Well, can’t argue with that.

I was about to leave the administrative office right away.

“Ah! Um!”

Just before I left, Hera spoke up.

“I’m so glad you’re back!”

I smiled and gave Hera a V-sign with my fingers.

Then Crowty crumpled up a document like a ball and hit my smiling face with perfect accuracy.

I should go wash up quickly first.

* * *

“…”

Gerda hadn’t left her room for several days now.

Not only did her body smell, but she had grown thin from not eating.

But she didn’t want to eat anything.

She even thought about just starving herself to death to follow him.

“Brother…”

Eugene was dead.

Gone now.

“…”

Gerda shed tears endlessly.

Not just her pillow, but even her blanket and bed were damp from days of crying.

“Why did you die… Why did you leave me…”

However, one chilling fact that Gerda herself hadn’t noticed was that even in this situation, she wasn’t thinking of Kai.

Her mind was filled only with Eugene.

If even a little of the Gerda that Eugene remembered from Blue Paper Moon remained, she would have already gotten up to sharpen her blades for revenge while mourning her brother’s death.

But the current Gerda was just withering away from the sense of loss.

The only water that could revive this dying plant was one thing.

“…”

Suddenly the dormitory door opened.

Was it someone else from the Order coming to check on her again?

But no matter who came, Gerda wouldn’t leave here.

She had no will left to do anything anymore.

“Where…”

“…?”

It was Eugene’s voice.

Was she hearing things now?

“Huh? Why aren’t there any spare clothes?”

Somehow these hallucinations were saying strange things.

“…Ms. Zepetia took the spare clothes.”

Though she wasn’t sure what Zepetia planned to do, when she heard Eugene was dead, she came to this room and took only Eugene’s spare clothes without paying any attention to Gerda.

“Ah, really? Thanks. But Gerda, you should wash up too. You smell.”

These hallucinations were somehow too realistic in their dialogue.

Plus this subtle sense of presence is…?

Gerda lifted her head just in case.

“…Huh?”

“I said you smell. Not sure what kind of training you’ve been doing, but go wash up before lying down.”

A disheveled Eugene was looking down at Gerda.

Gerda could only stare up at him with a blank face.

“…What’s wrong?”

Rather, Eugene asked awkwardly.

“Ah… looks like you’re really tired. I’ll, uh, come back later so rest more. You mentioned Zepetia earlier, right? I’ll go there for a bit.”

Then Eugene scratched the back of his head before leaving.

Gerda quietly watched him leave before pinching her cheek.

“Owww!?!?”

* * *

I walked toward Workshop 3.

Given my current clothes and disheveled face, I wanted to wash up first, but getting a change of clothes took priority.

By the way, seems Gerda had quite a hard time while I was gone.

Just what kind of training has she been doing lately to end up not washing properly and looking so gaunt?

No, come to think of it, considering how she fully awakened after Kai was kidnapped in Blue Paper Moon, maybe she threw herself intensely into training thinking I was dead?

If so, was I being too inconsiderate?

“I should apologize later…”

For now, Zepetia comes first.

Just why did she take my spare clothes?

I can’t even imagine what she plans to do with them.

Surely she isn’t making a robot that looks like me?

…Nah, even she wouldn’t go that far.

Thinking such thoughts, I arrived at Workshop 3 and knocked on the door.

“…”

No response.

I knocked again but still no answer.

Finally I tried opening the door directly and fortunately it wasn’t locked.