Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 66

Several weeks had passed since I entrusted the Dragon’s Breath Shotgun to the Development Department.

With no more early-game dungeons left to visit, I focused Hilde’s training on basics like fundamentals and physical conditioning.

Even with just that level of training, Hilde’s growth was rapid.

“You might be equal to me now, or even beyond.” 

I said while lightly dusting myself off after finishing hand-to-hand combat practice with Hilde.

“You were just going easy on me, Senior.” 

Hilde said.

Of course, I did go a bit easy during our hand-to-hand combat and had the upper hand, but that was only because I had more experience and was more skilled technically.

In terms of fundamental physical abilities, I could feel Hilde was slightly above me, probably due to the difference in magical power quality and quantity.

A human body with magical power naturally becomes stronger the more it’s trained.

The only exception would be mages who store magical power separately instead of circulating it through their bodies.

The difference was incomparable to when I first sparred with Hilde.

Soon even what I can teach will probably become overwhelming.

After finishing evening training and having dinner in the cafeteria, we each took time to rest.

Hilde went to take a shower, while I organized future plans one by one.

The new department Dominic mentioned before.

He said it won’t be officially established until next month due to procedural issues and not having proper staffing yet.

Though I don’t know this department’s name, significance, or even why they’re doing this in the first place, it seems the orders came from quite high up, so taking on this role is practically decided.

Then I need to finish what I can do alone before that.

Today was the last day of the training week with Hilde, and starting tomorrow another higher-ranked hunter will take charge of her again.

This will be my last week to do anything alone.

“Ahh…” 

Hilde returned to our quarters after finishing her shower.

“Senior, why don’t you try taking a nice hot shower too? It feels really good.”

I know.

“No thanks. Too expensive.”

“Come on, it’s just a few Order Silver coins.”

Even those few Order Silver coins are precious right now.

Normally I might have considered spending some leftover money on myself after saving, but other expenses have come up.

“Anyway, tomorrow’s the day.”

“Huh? Ah, yes. Starting tomorrow another hunter will be teaching me. I heard it’s Sir Runius…”

Hilde shuddered as if getting goosebumps.

Her noble mannerisms had largely faded by now.

What I said half-jokingly was also half-serious.

“Something about… how should I say it… the way he looked at me while taking me around feels unpleasant. Like he’s appraising goods.”

“Well, you’re both nobles. Come to think of it, isn’t he quite suitable as husband material? The age is right, and he’s a fellow hunter…”

“Hey!” 

Hilde covered my head with her towel.

“That joke went too far.”

“Ah, sorry. Sorry.”

A faint floral scent lingered in the slightly damp towel.

It reminded me of the body wash I used in my past life.

“You have that noble young man anyway.” 

I said while removing the towel.

“Jacob? He’s just a friend.” 

Hilde shook her head.

“I heard there’s no such thing as friendship between men and women.”

“…You’re one to talk, Senior.”

She spoke with a strangely sharp tone.

Was she that upset?

“Huh?”

“Like Ms. Zepetia from the Development Department, or Ms. Hera from Administration… or Lady Sephira…”

“Zepetia is work-related, and Lady Sephira… that’s impossible. How could there be anything between us?”

“Sigh…”

“Well, Hera wouldn’t be bad.”

“…!?”

“She’s a good person, perfectly normal without any rough edges. Someone like that would be ideal for marriage.”

“Wh-what…!”

“But in the end it won’t happen anyway, so I’m just saying meaningless things.”

“…What do you mean it won’t happen?”

“There’s no way I could marry someone and start a family before retiring.”

“Are active hunters not allowed to marry?”

“No, there’s no such rule. But in this line of work, you never know when you might die. I don’t want to make a child who’ll grow up without a father.”

“Then, if your partner was also a hunter…”

“Just thinking about it normally, I should look for someone suitable after retiring. I have decent savings, and former hunters are popular as husbands.”

Former hunters are quite popular marriage prospects among commoners.

They’re strong so others can’t easily look down on them, and with Beasts being a concrete and close threat, they’re welcomed anywhere.

Of course, since many lower-ranked hunters have at least one PTSD issue, they tend to be somewhat emotionally unstable, making happy marriages rare, so they’re not considered the absolute best choice.

But someone like me…

Ah, it still wouldn’t work.

No matter how I think about it, I’ll only retire after getting damaged somewhere and becoming disabled to the point I can’t fight anymore.

I can’t imagine retiring any other way.

In that case, forget marriage – I’d be lucky to hire one servant with my savings to help with rehabilitation and daily activities.

If it’s not that level of disability, someone like me would definitely keep trying to fight.

Even after retiring from the Order, I’d keep fighting until making some mistake due to my body not being what it used to be and dying…

“Sigh, the future is uncertain in any world.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just something like that.”

In my past life too, before getting addicted to Blue Paper Moon, I was full of worries and concerns about the future just like others.

Then I became a gaming addict and somehow got reborn in that game’s world – who would believe such a ridiculous story?

“Anyway, how did we get to this topic? Ah right, your training. Starting tomorrow it’s Sir Runius? Work hard.”

After saying that, I started packing my things one by one.

First I gathered all the Order Silver coins I had saved up besides my regular savings, and took the Giant Hunter’s Axe as well.

“Are you going somewhere? And with that axe too?”

Hilde asked with slight surprise as I picked up the axe that had just been gathering dust hanging on the wall since getting it from the giant’s temple.

“Yeah. Planning to go quite far tomorrow.”

“If you’re going to fight again, won’t you take me with you? Training outside in real combat is still better than training inside…”

“Not that kind of thing. It’s a vacation, a vacation.”

“Vacation? You, Senior? …Are you perhaps going home or…”

“No, nothing like that. Just have someone to meet. They live quite far away.”

“A friend?”

“…Ah, yeah. Might as well meet a friend. It’s been a while.”

That guy must still be alive and well, right?

* * *

The next morning, I took leave and left the Order.

Since I had no other duties assigned without being in charge of Hilde’s training, getting leave was processed right away.

Originally I planned to meet the hidden NPC, but as Hilde said, it wouldn’t be bad to meet a friend first.

I visited Cranion and went into a residential area in a corner.

It was a street lined with old 3-4 story buildings like dominoes.

Though this is where people who live somewhat decently in the city gather, the atmosphere is gloomy.

With not enough money to even paint the building walls, densely packed grey buildings stand together, and people in shabby clothes hurriedly walk somewhere on the streets.

They must all be desperately working just to barely maintain this life.

I entered one of these buildings.

Walking down a long corridor like a dormitory or boarding house, I knocked on the rightmost room on the second floor.

“…”

No response.

But I know well that he doesn’t go out.

“Hey, Chris. It’s me, Eugene.”

I knocked on his door again.

After waiting quite a while longer, the door finally opened.

“…Eugene?”

The one who opened the door was a short, thin man leaning on a cane.

His platinum blonde hair was impeccably clean, but his face was pale with dark circles under his brown eyes.

“Long time no see, friend.”

I extended my hand to Chris.

“…Why did you come here?”

He asked.

“I took some leave. Thought I’d drop by to see your face while passing through.”

“So you’re still working as a hunter.”

“Yeah. Probably will until I die.”

“…Come in.”

“Thanks.”

I entered his home.

His movements still looked uncomfortable.

“Still keeping it clean I see.”

His home was so spotless it would be hard to find even a speck of dust.

It was worlds apart from many homes that were dirty with spit and dust scattered everywhere.

He used to be the messiest one among us…

“Want something to drink?”

Chris asked.

“Just water is fine.”

I waved my hand.

“How have you been lately?”

I asked after quickly emptying the water he brought.

“Just… the same every day.”

“How’s the job search going?”

“No…”

“Well, keep your spirits up. You’ll find a good position someday.”

“Yeah…”

“…”

An awkward silence fell between us.

“…What about you.”

Chris spoke first.

“Have you thought about retiring?”

“No. Like I said earlier, I’ll probably do this until I die.”

“That’s amazing. But I…”

“It’s not like that. I just… became someone who has no choice but to continue this. It’s not because I have any particular courage.”

“I still remember that day…”

“Me too.”

That day.

The day 7 years ago that made me become who I am now.

Hundreds of colleagues died, hundreds of seniors died.

Only Chris and I, just two people, survived.

“You, you’re different from me…!”

Chris raised his voice while trembling.

“I, I, I… ran away! I’m a coward! Trash! A deserter! A coward! Urgh…!”

He suddenly fell from his chair and started banging his head on the floor.

I quickly and habitually grabbed him and sat him back down.

“What you did wasn’t wrong.”

I repeated words I had already said to him many times before.

“You’re not bad. Rather, you were lucky.”

That day 7 years ago.

Chris had sprained his ankle right before entering the mountain and stayed below.

Thanks to that, he alone was able to safely escape that hell and return to the Order to report the situation so rescue teams could come.

If not for that decision, even if I had managed to escape from that cave at the end, I would have been killed by the Beasts surrounding the mountain.

The sacrifice my seniors made to save me didn’t end up meaningless thanks to Chris running all the way to the Order on his injured leg.

To me and our dead colleagues and seniors, Chris is a benefactor.

But Chris considers himself a criminal.

Even after 7 years, the sentence he imposed on himself hasn’t ended.

The messiest one among my peers who hated washing himself became someone whose daily routine involved compulsively washing himself and cleaning his room.

Even after retiring, he hasn’t adjusted to society and barely scrapes by on the tiny pension from the Order.

While feeling self-loathing about that fact, he was also relieved.

Like me, Chris couldn’t escape the memories of that day.

The only difference was the direction it took.

“I’ll leave this here.”

I placed a basket of preserved food on the table.

Dried fruits, jerky, and hard bread that keeps well.

“Make sure to eat well.”

I stood up with regret.

“Where are you going?”

Chris asked.

“Still have things to do. It was good seeing your face.”

“…Yeah.”

Leaving Chris with his head bowed, I hurried my steps toward where I needed to go next.