Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 49

Several more days passed, and I was finally discharged from the hospital around when news came that the Grand Conference had ended.

I immediately returned all my 9th-rank hunter equipment and received 8th-rank hunter gear, organizing each piece in my quarters.

Though still mass-produced, the quality was definitely better than what I had been using before.

The best part was having a wider selection of special-purpose weapons I could borrow, like mithril glaives or incendiary rounds.

Though it took 10 years as a hunter to get promoted, I still didn’t really feel it.

Being an 8th-rank hunter was proof of being a veteran, but I still didn’t think of myself as a hunter worthy of pride.

There was much to do and my abilities fell short.

Just like until now, I would probably continue struggling to make up for those lacking abilities in the future too.

Because I absolutely lacked talent.

“Hah, hah… Ah! You’re finally here!”

Just then, Hilde opened the door to my quarters and came in.

Her face was bright red and her breathing rough, looking like she had just finished some intense training.

“Oh, you’re back too? How was the training over there?”

Hilde was discharged before me, but still being a trainee hunter meant she remained in a standby state.

But it was impossible to keep such talent idle forever, and I heard her case was discussed at the Grand Conference too.

As expected, there was fierce opposition to entrusting an exceptionally talented prospect to a mere lower-ranked hunter like me.

Especially since Runius had spread information about this agenda to high-ranking officials beforehand, creating consensus that Hilde’s training method needed to change even before the conference began, according to what Latina came to tell me.

Though she and Sephira apparently opposed it strongly, in the end there was no winning against the majority vote.

So they decided on a rotation system.

Different higher-ranked hunters would take turns being in charge of her training one week out of each month.

Crowty mediated, saying it wouldn’t be good to change a new trainee hunter’s training too quickly after joining.

“First is Ms. Latina, who tested my physical strength.”

“I see, she is known as having the strongest raw power in the Order. Her physical training must be top-notch here too… But specifically what did you do?”

I poured Hilde a glass of water and asked.

“Ah, thank you… Phew.”

Hilde took a deep drink and let out a big sigh.

Usually she would drink gracefully even if tired, but she must have been quite exhausted.

“Whew… I had to repeatedly swing an iron club with full power. Then sideways swings, and finally upward strikes. And against Ms. Latina herself…”

She shook her head with a nauseated expression.

“My hands are still tingling. My waist and shoulders hurt terribly too.”

“But it will help. Since I mostly focus on field work and practical experience, it’s good to have someone who can provide that kind of basic physical training.”

It was the same as what Sephira said when testing Hilde before.

People born with innate magical power tend to develop bad habits of trying to compensate for difficulties with magical power, making them neglect physical training.

In that sense, having the Order’s strongest powerhouse Latina help maintain balance would be fitting.

“So there are 4 days left then? Until Ms. Latina’s training ends.”

“Yes! After that it’s back to you for three weeks, Senior!”

Hilde grinned.

“Then at that time we’ll… by the way, what are you doing right now?”

“I just received the 8th-rank exclusive equipment. Was looking through it.”

“Ooh!”

Hilde approached with sparkling eyes.

“Is that 8th-rank hunter equipment? It definitely looks better than what you used before!”

“Yeah, at least among mass-produced items, these are the best.”

Items produced at the Order’s Workshop 1 are divided into two categories.

One is made by regular machine production, the other by hand crafting.

Naturally the former is used by lower-ranked hunters, while mid-ranked hunters use the latter.

Higher-ranked hunters generally borrow relics from the Great Holy War 500 years ago that the Order owns, selected by the Saintess herself.

Special equipment from that era is called artifacts, and their production methods are kept strictly secret, unknown even to the Order’s workshops.

In Blue Paper Moon, there were hints in the setting that Belle deliberately concealed artifact-making techniques, probably to solidify the Hunting Order as humanity’s strongest military force through technological monopoly.

The sword ‘Robera’ that Sephira uses was even Belle’s personal weapon – receiving an artifact touched by the Saintess herself is a tremendous honor.

It means Sephira’s talent was remarkable enough to catch even Belle’s eye.

And when Blue Paper Moon’s protagonist becomes a higher-ranked hunter, for the first time in Order history they get to personally choose one artifact rather than having the Saintess select it.

Hilde will probably reach that point someday too.

“Still, after training ends I’ll come back here every day…”

“Ah, I’m heading out tonight.”

I shook my head.

“What?”

“My body probably got stiff while in the hospital too, so I should go loosen up a bit.”

Though not explicitly stated, as long as I was in charge of Hilde’s training, I was always exempt from all other types of training or missions.

Now I’ll be away from being Hilde’s instructor for one week each month, but that doesn’t mean other missions will be assigned during that empty time.

That week is like a vacation for me.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I can just quietly rest.

Rather, I can focus on my own training that I couldn’t do while looking after Hilde.

“Where are you going? You could train here…”

“Real combat is the best training.”

“But going alone right after being discharged… Senior!”

“I’ll be fine.”

I waved it off lightly, but Hilde’s demeanor wasn’t light at all.

“Senior… I heard about it too. That there’s something dangerous following you.”

“Ah…”

I heard about this later too, but apparently Blanc had intruded at the final moment of the Deep Sea Folk invasion.

She even ended up in the extremely dangerous situation of being alone with Blanc.

Thankfully it seems Hilde wasn’t physically harmed by Blanc, but it was easy to guess that her sudden decision to quit being a hunter was probably because of something Blanc had said to her.

“Well, I figured you’d find out eventually.”

I shrugged.

“That’s why I should come too…!”

“Yap.”

I pressed my index finger into Hilde’s thigh.

“Eek!?”

Hilde flinched like she’d been shocked by electricity and collapsed sitting down.

“Not just your upper body, but your legs must be tired too. You should have been aware of that.”

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

“Going together? Where could you go together? What could you do with a body that’s already exhausted? Just rest properly.”

“B-but it’s dangerous for you, Senior!”

“When was it ever not? That monster has been following me…”

It would be awkward to say since Hilde’s carriage was attacked, but…

“…since before you became a hunter.”

It wasn’t a lie.

“I know that being better than you do. At least for now, she won’t kill me.”

“But she’ll kill you eventually!”

“Well, probably. But not today. Not tomorrow either.”

“How can you be sure of that?! That thing is completely obsessed with you… ah…”

Hilde’s expression went blank for a moment as if remembering something.

“I don’t know what you talked about with that being, but even in that short time you must have gotten some sense of what kind of existence she is, right?”

“…”

“If I handle things well there won’t be any problems. And she doesn’t always just follow me around.”

At least she’s not like some stalker or obsessed fan monitoring 24/7 year-round.

Even in Blue Paper Moon, Blanc would sometimes go negotiate or threaten other witches and behemoths.

She’s probably even busier now with the seals of witches breaking rapidly.

At this point, Blanc can only meet Princess Bari, Snow White, and Red Hood among the witches, but among behemoths there must be some connections with other specimens that survived these 500 years.

Besides Blanc, the most concerning one is the behemoth ‘Black King’ Charmol.

Like Blanc he’s good at actively running away and hiding, but while she focused solely on finding humans to her taste, Charmol focused on building up power and influence.

Though Charmol’s personal power is definitely weaker than Blanc’s, his ideology and behavior patterns are among the most dangerous of all behemoths.

“And where I’m going now, secrecy is extremely important so one is better than two.”

“Ugh… where are you going?”

Hilde asked while massaging her legs.

“North.”

“North? Where in the north?”

“I told you, right? That secrecy is important.”

“Stop joking and tell me!”

Hilde crumpled up her handkerchief and threw it at me.

Our distance has definitely shrunk a lot.

Especially after I persuaded her not to quit being a hunter.

Plus she’s lost quite a bit of that noble air I sometimes teased her about.

Of course, compared to a commoner like me, she still has an instantly recognizable noble aura.

That atmosphere from her innate environment and education probably won’t completely disappear.

“A pioneer village in the north. Vinears.”

“Vinears? …Ah, I’ve heard of it. Isn’t that the place they tried hard to pioneer long ago but failed?”

“You know it well.”

Vinears is a barren land that takes a full day traveling north from here to reach.

As Hilde said, pioneers went there 300 years ago, but for some reason it’s now just full of abandoned houses.

Historians tried to investigate the reason too, but since Beast occurrences are frequent there and few traces remain, they couldn’t determine the exact cause.

They only speculate there might have been some religious issues.

And with my knowledge of Blue Paper Moon, that speculation is close to the truth.

The force behind Vinears’ downfall was the church.

The Decra Orthodox Church, a real religious group rather than the Hunting Order, actively supported that pioneering effort – at first they truly just planned to gather people with nowhere to go and build a Decra Orthodox Church village.

But the Decra Orthodox Church was uncomfortable with the Hunting Order that was essential for maintaining security, so they kept their distance from where they lived.

And that caught Charmol’s eye – the clergy fell to his schemes and the pioneers dreaming of hope were thrown into a nightmarish reality.

“That’s where I’m going.”

Even now, Vinears is famous for endless appearances of undead Beasts, Beast-transformed creatures, and insect-like things.

And the fact that there’s a hidden item there is not well-known.