Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 70

After walking and running for over two days straight, I returned to Order headquarters.

“Did you enjoy your vacation? I heard you went traveling somewhere.” 

Crowty greeted me when I visited the administration office to return my remaining vacation days, as he happened to be doing paperwork.

“Just went near the border.” 

“Why there?”

“You know how it is sometimes, right? Sometimes you just want to go somewhere far without thinking about anything.”

“Ah… I think I understand. I’d like to do that too sometime. It’s been over 10 years since I last went forest bathing or to a beach villa.”

Crowty said while rubbing his tired-looking eyes.

Since his family is a ducal house, they must own several vacation spots.

In my past life too, I remember wanting to go anywhere when year-end overtime work continued for days.

“But you brought back quite an ominous souvenir? Where did you get that from?”

He pointed at the Executioner’s Axe on my back.

“I received it as a gift.”

“A gift?”

“Yes. A souvenir from my travels.”

“…”

A strange silence fell between Crowty and me.

“Well… what weapons you use is up to you. It’s just that, how should I put it… that looks a bit ominous. Of course, I’m not worried about you, Eugene. I’m sure you know what you’re doing. But you’re not planning to use it yourself, right?”

“No. I’m going to give it to Hilde.”

“…It might be late to ask this, but does it have to be an axe? Hilde would do well with other weapons too.”

“I understand what you mean. But please trust me.”

That was all I could say from the start.

Only I, with knowledge from my past life, could understand this and couldn’t make others understand.

All I could rely on was the trust I’d built.

“I’m not particularly doubting you. I’m sure you have your reasons. I don’t plan to meddle.”

“Thank you.”

“But that’s because I’m someone who’s been watching you for a long time, going forward you’ll need more convincing logic.”

“What?”

“You know Runius was in charge of Hilde while you were on vacation, right? He brought not just himself but other higher-ranked hunters to observe Hilde. Naturally, everyone’s been commenting about Hilde’s training.”

“Ah…”

“Just like a noble, he’s good at forming factions… Anyway, in two days you’ll be in charge again, but that will probably be the last time. Soon Hilde will be officially appointed, and she’ll definitely be assigned as a mid-ranked hunter.”

I’m glad I visited Maia this time after all.

Once Hilde becomes a mid-ranked hunter, it will be difficult for me to intervene.

I need to finish establishing Hilde’s basic development plan before then.

I returned to the quarters from the administration office.

I was alone in the room since Hilde’s training time hadn’t ended yet.

Though I returned my vacation days, I still had two days until my turn to train Hilde came again.

First, I need to calmly plan what’s ahead.

Giving Hilde the Executioner’s Axe is good, but enhancement is the issue.

After all, there’s no point using this weapon without enhancing it.

‘Moonstone’ and ‘Bloodstone’, the materials needed to enhance equipment, can be obtained by defeating mid-game bosses or exchanging up to two of them through Maia.

Moreover, to enhance weapons, I first needed to bring research materials about moonstone and bloodstone written in ‘Vile’s Old Laboratory’ to Zepetia.

“I guess I have to go there…”

Of course I have to go.

But I can’t help feeling reluctant since it’s a place as unpleasant and horrific as the Mountain that Eats Young Sacrifices.

Just thinking about the cruel scenes waiting there made me nauseous already.

Vile was already a dangerous inventor even as a human, but after becoming a behemoth, he satisfied his thirst for knowledge by kidnapping and experimenting on humans without restraint.

Of course, since his research was also destructive, he’s a Beast that must be hunted down eventually.

“Vile…”

And strangely enough, a new department will be created to track down that Vile.

There was no such content in the Blue Paper Moon story I knew.

I’m even getting involved in it.

Just where is this story flowing?

Of course, I know where to find Vile.

But if they ask how I knew, I have no answer I could give.

If I talk about knowledge from my past life, being treated as insane would be the least of my worries.

Being interrogated to tell everything I know would be basic, and they might even try to open my brain thinking my past life memories are some kind of revelation or future sight.

It might be jumping to conclusions, but the Order is very sensitive about anything related to behemoths.

Of course, with Blanc around it might not go that far but…

Damn it.

Having to rely on Blanc’s influence feels bad in itself.

I lightly shook my head, drank a glass of water, then went to Workshop 3.

When I knocked on the workshop door, after a moment Zepetia opened it.

“He…llo?”

I couldn’t help but flinch when I saw Zepetia.

“Hehe… hi?”

The dark circles under her eyes were much darker than usual, her face was extremely gaunt, and even her hair was disheveled, making her look more like a ghost than a person.

“You… you… what on earth happened?”

“Come in…”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me in.

Though her grip was weak, I couldn’t resist because of the ghostly aura emanating from her.

And when I entered the workshop, I had to swallow hard at the sight before me.

“What you gave me last time was really amazing.”

Zepetia pointed at that thing in the middle of the room.

“What… is that?”

Hans’s severed head hadn’t changed much from when I first gave it to her.

But the top of the head had been removed like a lid exposing the brain, which had all sorts of wire-like needles stuck into it and was connected to some kind of machine.

“Hehe, I’ve been making this constantly lately.”

“So what exactly is it?”

Could it be… Pinocchio?

No, right?

That’s supposed to appear much later, specifically after hunting Vile…

“It’s an automaton. Iron Hans’s head was… more amazing than I expected. More precisely, the brain was incredible. I suddenly thought I might be able to make a doll that thinks and moves on its own using this. I just couldn’t help myself and ended up making it.”

“Uh, um… what about the prototype then?”

“…Huh?”

“I mean, you’re supposed to make prototypes when I give you specimens. You’re not planning to give me that thing, right?”

I remember in Blue Paper Moon you could make a magic staff using Iron Hans.

It was a special item that added slight homing capability even to straight-line attack magic.

Of course, it wasn’t very useful since I’m not a mage.

“Uh… uhhh??”

Only then did reality seem to return to Zepetia’s eyes that had been half-gone.

“Ah, aah! That’s right! So-sorry! I don’t have anything I can give you…!”

“Come here you.”

I grabbed her face with my hands and shook it like last time.

“Get your head straight now.”

“I said I’m sorry…!”

“That aside, what you’re making is strange to begin with.”

“What do you mean?”

“What you’re making now, does Sir Corsis know about it?”

“No.”

“Then what do you think he’ll say if he comes and sees this?”

“Hmm…”

Zepetia stared intently at Hans’s severed head.

“…Is it a bit strange?”

“A bit? Does that look just a bit strange to you?”

“Uh, was it really strange?”

“Yes.”

I sighed, walked to the window, pushed aside the curtain and threw it open.

Sunlight poured into the gloomy workshop.

“Kyaaak! It’s too bright!”

Zepetia covered her eyes and retreated to a corner.

“Are you a vampire? No wonder you’re going crazy staying alone doing research in a place like this.”

“W-what’s wrong with that?”

“Go out. Go out and get some fresh air to clear your head.”

“N-no way…”

“Come with me.”

I grabbed Zepetia’s hand and forcibly dragged her outside the workshop.

Earlier she had been able to drag me away when I was surprised, but now the difference in our physical strength was clear.

“I’ll die if I go out…”

“What do you mean you’ll die! Just come with me.”

Though it might seem like a joke, I was quite serious.

The state Zepetia just showed was very similar to how she was in the original after seeing all of Vile’s research materials and becoming corrupted after defeating him.

Later when Zepetia understood everything about Vile, depending on choices and branching points, she would inherit his research and will.

And after making the automaton ‘Pinocchio’ using Vile’s remains, she disappears from the Order.

When you find her later she had already half-turned herself into a Beast, and there was even a story where you had to inevitably kill her as she became hostile to the protagonist and Order.

When I thought that this small girl before me could become like that, I just couldn’t leave her alone.

“Let’s go look around outside now.”

In the end, I almost forcibly took Zepetia outside.

“Eugene has turned into a mother…”

“Don’t say weird things, let’s just see what’s in the Order at least. You have to go out to eat anyway, right?”

“…”

“Don’t tell me someone brings that to you too?”

Zepetia averted her eyes.

I dragged her out half-forcibly.

Because of her personality that made it hard to meet people, we ended up going to the library.

She seemed relieved that the library was okay at least.

“…Ah, this book.”

Zepetia stopped at a bookshelf and pulled out a book.

“What is it?”

“This was in grandfather’s study too. It was the only thing that wasn’t research materials or academic texts.”

The book she picked up was a poetry collection titled ‘Blood Moon’.

“A poetry collection, how romantic.”

“Grandfather used to research blood and the moon too. At some point he lost interest and nothing properly concluded though.”

…Huh?

“Blood and the moon?”

The materials for weapon enhancement are moonstone and bloodstone.

Giving research materials about those to Zepetia is a prerequisite for enhancement.

“…Just asking, but has anyone from the Order been coming to ask you about Vile lately?”

I asked in a lowered voice.

“Huh? I was told not to talk about that…”

“They came to me too. About a department to track Vile.”

“Ah, I see. I’d feel more confident if Eugene joined too.”

“I’m just a lower-ranked hunter. I don’t know why they made such an offer to me. Anyway, what do you think?”

“Think about what?”

“About where Vile might be.”

“Even if you ask that… honestly, I have no idea. I’ve never even met grandfather in the first place. I told that white-haired judge the same thing, but he seems to have too high expectations which makes me feel pressured.”

I might be able to guide her to Vile’s old laboratory…

If Zepetia quickly learns how to enhance equipment there and enhances the Executioner’s Axe, I could secure justification for Hilde’s growth build that I’m designing.

“Let’s think about it from small details. For example, like this.”

I found the section containing hints in the Blood Moon poetry collection and opened it.