Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 225

We headed to the high-ranked hunters’ quarters.

Perhaps because Hilde, who was considered the leader among mid-ranked hunters and Sephira’s successor, was supporting me while I had trouble walking, gazes often turned our way.

However, people seemed to view it just as a heartwarming story showcasing Hilde’s kindness, as no one tried to interfere.

“Hey!”

Someone shouted from behind me and instantly ran up to stand in front of us.

“What happened to your body?! Don’t tell me you’ve become disabled?!”

It was Latina, the high-ranked hunter.

She touched my body with a worried expression.

Her usually hydraulic press-like strong touch was now as gentle as handling glass marbles.

“I’m fine. I’ll get better in a few years.”

“You’re telling the truth, right?”

“Yes, it’s true.”

“Then why not go rest for those few years instead of whatever this is?”

“I have some things I need to do…”

“Think about your body first! At this rate you won’t even recover what could have recovered!”

“I don’t want to put it off.”

“Ugh… once you decide on something, you never back down. Still, it’s good that Hilde is with you at least.”

“Hehe…”

Hilde laughed awkwardly.

“By the way, who would’ve thought we’d see a day like this. That same Hilde who used to follow Eugene around like a little chick is now the opposite.”

“Ch-chick?!”

“Ahaha!”

For the first time since returning to the Order, I felt cheerful.

“Looks like raising her paid off.”

“Yeah… Anyway, I understand you must have something you can’t leave alone. But you really need to take care of yourself too. I’m being serious here. Someone like you who throws their whole body into everything needs to understand how much you worry others too.”

“That’s…”

“Not everything works out just by sacrificing yourself. I learned that too late…”

“…”

“Well, in the end it’s your life, not mine, so I can’t interfere too much. But unlike me, you have many people by your side. Think about them a little more.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. This is probably the last time we’ll meet like this at the Order anyway.”

“The last?”

“Yeah. I’ve decided to retire.”

“Ms. Latina retiring…!”

“How should I put it, I have a feeling. That there won’t be wars like before anymore. I have some savings, and from now on I want to live for myself.”

“What if the world becomes chaotic again?”

“Well, then I’ll have no choice but to return? Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”

“Then I really need to work harder.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Someone like you might understand someday. Of course, only if you don’t neglect your training.”

High-ranked hunters are also those approaching the realm of transcendence.

No, in a more classical sense, today’s high-ranked hunters are closest to the transcendent beings of the past.

Behemoths had their growth abnormally accelerated through the medium of curses, but properly speaking, starting with a pure human body is most desirable.

“I hope we can meet again someday.”

“…I’m not sure what you mean, but you must have told me something important? I’ll remember it for now. Well then, let’s definitely meet again.”

“Yes. Definitely.”

“Ah, goodbye…”

Latina waved to us and walked away into the distance.

“…Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

We continued on and arrived at Sephira’s room.

When I knocked, she opened the door as if she had been waiting.

“Welcome, Mr. Eugene. No… Eugene.”

Sephira, who had accompanied me to the sacred ground, returned saying she would monitor the Order herself.

She had thought about what she could do to help me in her own way.

I told her there was no real need, but I didn’t stop her from wanting to help somehow.

After all, some monitoring was actually necessary.

“Let’s talk inside first.”

“Sure.”

We entered Sephira’s room.

“Has everything been alright? Did Belle do anything to you?”

“No. Nothing like that. But as expected, there were suspicious movements.”

According to Sephira, even though the war had stopped, the Heresy Inquisition Department’s activities hadn’t decreased.

Rather, they were recruiting people even more extensively than before while excluding Crowty, the field overall commander, and bringing in people independently through the Heresy Inquisition Department.

“Are they creating Judges…”

The most reliable servants of Belle, absolute fanatics.

While finding people qualified to be 1st-rank hunters is difficult and takes long to train, Judges can be mass-produced like a factory as long as there are humans.

Of course, the materials required are countless other human lives.

Essentially, it’s no different from artificially creating behemoths.

However, Belle is far more technically skilled than the other children, so she maintains human form while appropriately handling the process and even brainwashing them for absolute obedience.

Though I’m not sure exactly what the success rate is, even if it takes sacrificing a thousand people to create one Judge, it’s tactically profitable.

“But how did you find this out, Lady Sephira? Sir Crowty didn’t say anything…”

Hilde asked.

That is strange indeed.

“Actually, I didn’t find this out myself.”

“I told her.”

Dominic had been standing in the corner of the room at some point.

“Dominic.”

“It’s been a while, Mr. Eugene. Or should I call you the great Creator?”

“Just Eugene is fine.”

“How humble.”

“I am still Eugene, same as before.”

“Indeed, very like you.”

“More importantly, earlier you said you told Sephira?”

“Yes. Right now the Heresy Inquisition Department is operating more urgently than when the endless night began. To ensure not even a trace is visible to Sir Crowty. Well, that won’t last forever either. He’ll probably notice something within a week.”

“So even going to such lengths, they thought I would come.”

“Yes. That was the Saintess’s judgment.”

“Then, was telling Sephira the information also Belle’s orders?”

“Of course.”

“…What are you planning?”

“To kill… a god. Probably.”

“Probably?”

“I don’t know everything either. But the preparations being made in the Heresy Inquisition Department can only be described as intending to kill a god. It’s truly the highest battle readiness in history.”

“I see.”

“…So what will you do now?”

“I’ll go see Belle soon.”

“…”

“In about… 30 minutes. I still have someone I need to meet. Please tell Belle that.”

“…Are you, are you truly a god?”

“Yes.”

“When I heard about your identity from the Saintess recently, I blasphemously couldn’t believe her words immediately. Honestly, I’m still half in doubt. Rather, it would make much more sense if this were all some kind of loyalty test given to us in the Heresy Inquisition Department and the Judges, and you were just following the Saintess’s orders for that purpose.”

“Then, is that what you think?”

“I’m… not sure. If by any chance this really is a test, I would fail.”

“Even though you’re a Judge?”

“I know well enough that I’m strange. That’s why I want to ask you even more. If you’re really a god, couldn’t you easily sort out this confusion I have…?”

There was a description that Dominic had stronger self-awareness and sense of self compared to other Judges.

“If I return your self-awareness to how it was originally, wouldn’t you still be confused?”

“That’s…”

“And even if I return your mind to how it was originally, can we really say that would be the original you?”

“…”

“Well, I could at least try telling Belle to stop brainwashing Judges.”

Of course brainwashing is bad.

Making others suffer is wrong, and being unhappy, poor, hurt, or in pain – none of those things are good.

But everything has an end, and someday there can be a new beginning where happiness is possible.

I definitely think it’s wrong for my children to torture or kill humans and make them unhappy by treating them like tools.

But it’s also certain that someday they will realize their mistakes and repent themselves, or the day will come when they pay the price.

If there is happiness after unhappiness, conversely there must be unhappiness after happiness.

Whether good or bad, you have to experience both to reach true understanding.

Those experiences are deeply engraved in the soul and gradually accumulate through repeated reincarnations until someday reaching true enlightenment.

Even I, who can create worlds, cannot escape from these determined principles.

“Dominic, you just need to be faithful to the present. Whether you obey Belle or harbor other thoughts, someday you’ll be able to find your own answer.”

“…For someone claiming to be a god, that’s not very helpful advice.”

Dominic smiled slightly.

Though it was a smile born from disbelief rather than positive emotion, this was the first time I’d seen him smile sincerely.

“Gods don’t usually grant human prayers. Gods and humans aren’t that different anyway.”

“Well, I didn’t expect everything to become clear from the start. It was just… on the off chance, maybe… that kind of thing. If anything, it’s good to know that nothing particularly changes just because you’re a god.”

“That’s enough.”

“…Well then, I’ll go relay your message to the Saintess.”

Dominic silently disappeared.

“Eugene. You really shouldn’t go. It’s clearly a trap.”

After he left, Sephira spoke.

“I’m still going. I don’t want to run away anymore. I want to properly resolve things with Belle too somehow.”

“…Senior, you said there was still someone you needed to meet? Who is it?”

Hilde asked.

“Dorothy.”

“…What?”

“Dorothy. The one who used to be Oscar.”

“…?”

“Uh…”

Hilde and Sephira both made dumbfounded expressions at the same time.

“Why? Did you not expect me to go see them at all?”

Was it that unexpected?

“Um… yeah. I really didn’t think of it at all.”

“Dorothy, mister…. miss… um… anyway, don’t you not particularly owe him anything?”

Sephira asked.

“Of course not. I’m not going because of any connection.”

“Then why?”

“Dorothy is the only magus I know.”

“Magus…?”

“Yes. I have something I want to say to a magus. That’s all it is. I’ll go see Belle right after meeting Dorothy. Now let’s go. We shouldn’t be late.”

Since I was the one who promised 30 minutes, I’d feel bad keeping Belle waiting.

“Ah, yes.”

“I’ll come too.”

We headed to the underground of the Magic Research and Development Department where Dorothy was.

Belle, please wait just a little longer.

I’ll be there soon.