Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 64

The morning after Hameln’s investigation ended, I received orders to wait in the conference room and headed there.

After waiting for a while, someone opened the door and entered.

Reddish bleached hair, ruby-red eyes, and a large scar crossing his face.

A black uniform with the ominous emblem of the Heresy Inquisition Department drawn in red.

It was Judge Dominic of the Heresy Inquisition Department, who hunts corrupted hunters.

“It’s been a while, 8th-rank hunter Eugene.”

Dominic greeted.

“Ah, yes… Good to see you.”

Why has this person appeared again?

“I called you back regarding the additional investigation I mentioned last time.”

As if reading my thoughts, Dominic immediately stated his business.

“To get straight to the point, the investigation concerning you has been concluded for now. We’ve already conducted several curse, brainwashing, and personality tests multiple times, but nothing unusual came up.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Yes. However, just the day before yesterday… you discovered something quite important. I heard you uncovered heretics worshiping a behemoth in Hameln. You did excellent work.”

“Ah, no. That was really just a coincidence…”

“Yes. Coincidence… looking at the circumstances, we can only call it coincidence.”

There’s something off about his tone.

“But, you must know too. You’ve experienced too many of these coincidences. The more we investigate, the more it becomes impossible to simply overlook.”

Dominic placed several documents on the desk.

“These are reports from Development Department Workshop 3’s Zepetia Polendina. They’re all about the specimens you brought.”

He picked up one paper.

“First, the most recent ‘Iron Hans’. The investigation, reports, and your testimony all indicate it was originally a behemoth.”

That’s undeniably true.

He emotionlessly showed the contents of the documents one by one.

“Before that, a finger from some Beast. This was also determined to be from a behemoth. Of course, it had almost completely lost its curse and degraded to mid-tier level, but there’s no disagreement that it was a behemoth in the past.”

Fallen Kenken.

A behemoth who rebelled against Little Mermaid in the past.

In his prime, he was undisputedly the strongest Beast in the sea, and even on land he could overwhelm Blanc, who specialized in physical combat, with pure strength.

“And the Beast discovered in the juniper forest was also found to be related to behemoths upon investigation. After you and Miss Hilde visited, the curse completely disappeared and the creatures are gradually returning to normal. Only a behemoth could exert that level of influence.”

Beast of Bone Fragments.

The reason the creatures living in the juniper forest were twisted by the Beast’s curse was because of the behemoth bones buried there.

The Beast born from those bones could also be called a part of the behemoth.

“And… as you know without me saying, Blanc has chosen you. Though the Order is currently tracking her, she probably visits you periodically to check on you.”

That’s also true.

“You’ve had too much contact with behemoths. Besides that, there were many other unusual circumstances, at an unprecedented level for a lower-ranked hunter.”

I had nothing I could say.

They were all things I’d done based on information from the game in my past life.

From the start, they weren’t coincidences but things I had intended.

Except for Blanc.

“But as I said earlier, you’re innocent. Even after multiple investigations, it’s certain that you’re just an ordinary lower-ranked hunter. Your hometown, family, career – everything checked out clean.”

“Then why did you call me again?”

No matter what, it’s impossible to imagine that I had a past life and there was a game with content identical to this world.

If it were somewhere else, they might fabricate non-existent crimes based on suspicion or political purposes.

But the Heresy Inquisition Department determines black and white based on fanaticism toward the Saintess’s laws.

And Dominic wouldn’t have come back just to tell me I was innocent.

He must have come to talk about something that requires confidentiality.

“There’s something you need to do.”

“Me?”

“We need to find a behemoth.”

“…?”

“Whether it’s just a series of coincidences, or some kind of blessing or innate sense we don’t know about, or your own special know-how… that’s what we thought.”

“Um… and?”

“Do you know Vile Polendina?”

“The behemoth that appeared 20 years ago?”

“Yes. Officially the most recent behemoth to emerge. Though Vile wasn’t a hunter, he was once affiliated with the Order’s Development Department. In other words, he’s also subject to judgment.”

Dominic spoke matter-of-factly, as if reading an explanation.

It’s not wrong.

But was the Order pursuing Vile?

Of course they must be monitoring him, but actively tracking behemoths should be later…?

“Recently, Blanc’s movements and the number of Beast occurrences worldwide have been increasing rapidly.”

It’s evidence that the seals of witches are breaking quickly.

The whole world already learned through the Cranion attack that they’ve begun limited activities.

Of course, they don’t know it was done by Little Mermaid, a different witch than the commonly known Red Hood.

After all, Belle personally erased the names of other witches from history.

“Because of this, we’ve decided to resume tracking Vile as a test case for reorganizing and creating new departments on our side. This has been approved by the Saintess herself.”

“Uh, hmm….”

This is also something I don’t know about.

In Noah’s version of the story, Vile appears as the final Beast in Zepetia’s quest.

I’ve never heard about a new department for tracking behemoths either.

Is this part of Hilde’s unique story?

No, if so, this proposal should go to Hilde who will build up achievements later, not me.

What exactly is going on here?

“Of course, not right away. You’re currently focused on training the trainee hunter Hilde. But she might also be assigned to this department someday.”

“Who are you putting where?”

My voice unconsciously became a bit sharp.

Putting Hilde in makes no sense.

All the behemoths we’ve hunted so far were weakened long past their prime.

But putting a rookie hunter in behemoth hunting when they’re still at full strength – normally that’s just telling them to die.

“This too is the Saintess’s will. And we won’t directly put newcomers in dangerous situations. Perhaps she simply wants her to participate for experience?”

“Ah….”

Well, that makes sense.

Against a behemoth, even mid-ranked hunters, let alone average higher-ranked hunters, would be crushed one-on-one.

I seem to have gotten sensitive about Hilde’s safety.

“Though this department is very experimental, we don’t intend to be careless about it. And while it’s not classified, please don’t go around talking about it freely.”

A behemoth tracking department involving the protagonist – there was nothing like that in the Blue Paper Moon I knew.

Could there be something I don’t know about?

…Well of course there would be.

Just because I have some knowledge from the game doesn’t mean I can know everything about this world.

I realized that long ago.

Though feeling uneasy, I had no choice but to nod.

*    *    *

Three hunters sat around a secret conference room hidden somewhere in the Order.

“A new department – what exactly is the Saintess’s intention in directly ordering something like this?”

Crowty asked.

“2nd-rank hunter Crowty. Surely you’re not questioning the Saintess’s words? We simply follow what she commands.”

Said Viola, ranked second among the 1st-rank hunters who directly guard the Saintess.

“I know that. But understanding her intentions is also important. Has your head gotten stiff from not going out to work? Viola?”

“W-what did you say?!”

“Still quick to get excited despite your looks…. Why don’t you take off that mask? Let’s see your face after so long.”

“Hmph. And you’re still as vulgar as ever, unfitting for a duke’s son.”

“Um….”

The last person, Sephira, opened her mouth.

“Why am I becoming the department head? There are others with more experience and skill… like Sir Runius, or Sir Crowty…”

“I’ll pass. I have mountains of work to do even without that.”

Crowty waved his hands in refusal.

“Runius Millith is indeed an excellent hunter. But she personally designated you. Surely you’re not saying you’ll refuse such an honor?”

Viola said to her.

“I’m not confident I can perform well. There are better personnel choices…”

“…She has wisdom and plans beyond our understanding.”

But even Viola couldn’t shake off a sense of doubt.

Though Sephira was certainly a proper higher-ranked hunter, as she said herself, she still lacked experience.

This wasn’t just anything, but tracking behemoths.

It couldn’t simply be a position for gaining experience.

“But even so, the members… no, I should call them team members. For behemoth tracking, both the numbers are too few and the balance is a mess. Even the allocated budget is ridiculously small.”

Crowty put down documents on the desk.

They contained names and personal information of several hunters.

One name caught Sephira’s eye.

“W-wait…!”

Sephira picked up the document with that name.

“Why is Eugene’s name here?!”

She asked Viola, completely changed from her usual cold and mechanical attitude.

“Right. I’m curious about that too. I don’t understand why Eugene is included here. He’s a lower-ranked hunter, and more importantly, he’s in charge of Hilde’s training.”

Crowty supported Sephira.

“And even that Hilde will be assigned to this department after becoming a mid-ranked hunter and building achievements – this makes no sense. And there’s even a Judge involved? No matter if Vile was once a member of the Order, he’s just a Beast now. Judges are supposed to hunt hunters. I can only think there must be some other purpose.”

“…”

Viola, who had been silent, struck the desk.

“Whatever the case, this is the Saintess’s will. There’s no room for different opinions, it’s not up for debate, and the entire Order must accept it.”

Her voice was firm.

And though even that logic was a mess, it was ultimately an absolute rule they had to follow.

The Hunting Order belongs to the Saintess, and all hunters are essentially her private soldiers.

Just like Little Mermaid and the Deep Sea Folk.

“Tch.”

Even Crowty could do nothing but click his tongue and express dissatisfaction at that fact.

“…”

But Sephira silently stared down at Eugene’s documents.

Though her heart was full of anxiety and worry, a different sense of anticipation was quietly raising its head.

“Together….”