Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 63

The next morning, after returning to the Order, Hilde and I reported everything that had happened in Hameln village.

Naturally, the Order was in an uproar, and an investigation team of dozens including Heresy Inquisition officers headed to Hameln.

After one day of rest, Hilde and I quickly joined the investigation team as witnesses.

When we returned to Hameln, Julia and Donar were nowhere to be seen.

I heard that the village chief had tried to escape with his family last night, taking a considerable amount of the village’s wealth, but some villagers forcibly caught them.

The chief and his family looked severely battered, probably having been beaten badly by the villagers who were either angry or anxious.

The villagers, without exception, even the children, were dragged to the square with their hands and feet bound, being investigated one by one.

Some accepted their fate and received the investigation quietly with their heads down, while those who showed even slight resistance had their will forcibly broken.

The torture by Heresy Inquisition officers wasn’t simple violence.

Though I couldn’t see it properly, I could tell that experts were using appropriate methods precisely.

Following the guidance of other investigation team members, we climbed back up to the Mountain that Eats Young Sacrifices.

Fortunately, the scene was still intact.

Since the village chief, who had been the central figure, chose to flee with his family rather than conceal evidence, there was no one to enter the cave or organize the villagers for coordinated action.

Usually, Beast corpses are burned with holy oil, but this was a special case, so they were gathered in one place while other Heresy Inquisition officers investigated.

We explained what had happened here again to the Heresy Inquisition officer who was investigating.

“Huff… huff…!”

Shortly after, someone came running out from deep inside the cave, gasping for breath.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it… whew!”

It was Oscar, the boy with red hair and sparkling blue eyes.

But his hair was disheveled messily, and his eyes were full of confusion.

He cursed while taking deep breaths, as if trying to inhale as much outside air as possible.

“Calm yourself. You’re being disruptive.”

Following him, Ozwald, wearing a typical wizard’s pointed hat with white beard and elegant uniform and cape, came out and spoke to his apprentice.

“How can anyone stay calm after seeing that! You saw it too! That magic that can only be described as insane! Who in the world created such a thing?!”

Oscar shouted.

“That’s why we’re here.”

Ozwald was trying to calm his apprentice when he noticed us and turned his head this way, approaching.

“Are you also joining the investigation team?”

“Yes. More precisely, we were the first to discover this and report it to the Order.”

“Such a coincidence… hmm…”

Ozwald stroked his chin as if something bothered him.

“You two have quite an unusual fate. The same with the city invasion incident before, right?”

“Yes.”

“It may seem out of nowhere, but what was your initial reason for coming here?”

“An old rumor. About children continuously disappearing… We didn’t expect to discover something like this – it was for Hilde’s training. Sometimes we need to investigate and track evidence of incidents.”

“Indeed, your practical training methods are impressive. I wish you could teach my foolish apprentice too.”

“What are you saying?”

Oscar followed his master toward us.

“This is adult talk, don’t concern yourself.”

Ozwald waved his hand dismissively at him.

“Anyway, you first discovered this place? Then there are some things I’d like to ask.”

“Of course. Ask anything.”

“Wait! You were the ones who first found this place?”

Oscar tried to say something again, but Ozwald ignored him once more.

We explained to the Great Mage what the Beast had been researching.

Though we’d already explained the same thing several times, that’s just how investigations work.

“Hmm, a Beast that wanted to become human… He said he was a behemoth in the past? Then in some ways, this is fortunate.”

“Fortunate?”

Hilde asked in a sharp voice.

“Yes. Fortunate. One child every ten years to prevent the damage a behemoth could cause – that’s getting off lightly.”

“How could…!”

I stopped Hilde who was about to flare up.

“That’s not all. The fact that a behemoth tried to give up its power voluntarily can’t be ignored.”

Ozwald continued speaking, unconcerned about Hilde’s reaction.

“Wait, Master! So you’re saying it’s fortunate even though children were kidnapped and turned into Beasts?!”

Oscar said.

“We clearly saw inside how many children became repositories for curses!”

“And if the behemoth had rampaged freely, ten times that number of people – children and adults, men and women, young and old alike – would have died.”

“What…”

Oscar was left speechless at his master’s cold words.

“So… so are you saying we were wrong?! That we shouldn’t have killed that Beast?!”

Hilde couldn’t hold back and shouted.

“That’s not what I mean…. Hilde. You will probably, no, certainly become a higher-ranked hunter someday. Will you be able to say the same things then?”

“What?”

Hilde faltered at the unexpected words.

“By then, you will see many more horrific and terrible things like this. You may fight beings even more cruel and violent than what you hunted here. When that time comes, will you be confident you won’t say, like me now, that it’s fortunate only a few children were sacrificed?”

“That…!”

Hilde couldn’t answer readily.

Even she must not be confident when thinking about it herself.

“…Then someone just needs to help from beside them so that doesn’t happen.”

I spoke what Ozwald truly wanted to say.

He looked straight at me.

I met the eyes of a wise sage who had lived many years.

“Yes… that’s right.”

Ozwald smiled slightly.

“Hilde.”

He turned back to Hilde.

“You should be grateful for your fortune. Having such an excellent hunter as your first instructor is a blessing without equal.”

“You praise me too much.”

I shook my head.

An excellent hunter.

No matter how I think about it, that’s far from who I am.

I’m a lower-ranked hunter, no different from an extra in this world.

I will never climb higher than this in my lifetime.

“Yes. I’m… I’m thankful every day that Senior is my instructor.”

Hilde’s anger had disappeared, replaced by a calm demeanor as if she’d realized something.

“Hmm.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I turned my head slightly and met Oscar’s eyes.

He was staring at me so intensely it was strange.

It made me even more embarrassed.

“Well. It’s good to see such promising young people. Now then… Oscar. We’ll analyze the magic circles next, so follow me.”

Ozwald said.

“Ugh. You’re going to analyze that? It gives me the creeps.”

“A Beast using magic is a rare opportunity. We don’t get chances like this often.”

“Tch… fine.”

“Well, my apprentice and I must return to our work…. And Eugene.”

“Yes?”

“What I said about teaching this apprentice wasn’t just a joke.”

“What?”

“What?”

Oscar and I asked simultaneously.

“Of course, you’re busy teaching Hilde now so you wouldn’t have time. What a shame. And he’s far too lacking in basics to follow you around anyway.”

“Ah, well…”

“I’m not forcing or asking anything. I just felt a bit regretful is all.”

“Wait, what are you talking about? Why would I need to learn from someone like… ow!”

“Mind your manners. Anyway, good work you two.”

Ozwald struck Oscar’s head with his staff and led him away somewhere.

After that, Hilde and I continued moving around at the investigation team’s request, checking what we had seen and if there were any differences between our memories and the current scene.

Thanks to the almost excessive manpower gathered here, the investigation itself finished quickly.

Though discussion about Hameln’s treatment remained, it wasn’t our responsibility, so we were able to return to headquarters by nightfall.

We washed in the shower room, changed into fresh clothes, and returned to our quarters.

“Ah, you go to sleep first. I have something I need to do quickly.”

“What is it?”

“I need to deliver this.”

I took out the leather bag containing Hans’s head.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Alright. Take care.”

I went to Workshop 3 in the Development Department.

It wasn’t that late yet, so Zepetia should still be awake.

When I knocked on Workshop 3’s door, Zepetia opened it as expected.

“Oh! I was waiting!”

Zepetia’s dark and tired face immediately lit up with a bright smile when she saw me.

“I heard there was something incredible happening – was it related to you?”

“How did you know?”

“You always bring something unusual. Anyway, come in, come in.”

I entered the workshop and put the leather bag on the desk.

“I really brought something incredible.”

“Let’s see…”

Zepetia opened the leather bag.

And froze.

“Ah… th-this is…”

Presenting someone with a severed head is extremely rude.

But I knew well from Blue Paper Moon what kind of person Zepetia was.

“What do you think?”

“This is… this is amazing!”

As expected, Zepetia grabbed the severed head without hesitation and lifted it up.

There wasn’t a trace of displeasure or disgust on her face.

“It’s so fresh! And it’s a head!”

Rather, her smile was full of excitement and anticipation, her eyes shining.

“Hey hey, what kind of Beast’s head is this exactly? Explain in detail! Something feels extraordinary about this!”

“They say it was a behemoth long ago, one who tried to become human by peeling off his curse bit by bit and transferring it to young children.”

“Ah…”

That story was also cruel and inhuman.

Zepetia froze again after hearing the explanation, but as expected, there were no dark emotions on her face.

“What is that!? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

Zepetia got even more excited, came closer, and grabbed my hands.

“Tell me! Tell me more details!”

Though I’d already told this story several times to the investigation team, no one had listened as enthusiastically and happily as Zepetia.

It struck me anew – she really couldn’t be called normal either.

After all, she’s the granddaughter who inherited the thickest blood from that behemoth Vile.

The fact that she came all this way searching for a grandfather she’d never even met was purely due to her scholarly blood and passion.

If given the chance, she’d probably happily use even that grandfather as a research subject.

Zepetia clung to me asking questions for almost an hour, and it only ended when Hilde came looking for me since I hadn’t returned.

Just Hilde’s appearance was enough to make Zepetia, who had been like a mad scientist, immediately shrink into a corner.

And the next day, Judge Dominic from the Heresy Inquisition Department came looking for me again.