Dark Fantasy’s Extra – Chapter 73

Author: Dawn

“Back then, when we were fighting in the city… I met them.”

“Met who?”

“Blanc, of course.”

“…!?”

She met Blanc there?

…So that’s what happened.

My memory from that day cuts off at the point when I was running towards Snow White.

I must have been caught off guard and ambushed from behind.

Later I heard that Ozwald had come looking for me, but it seems it wasn’t him who helped – Blanc had intervened.

“I see… So you finally met her.”

“Yes. And I somewhat understand why you kept hiding it from me, Senior. That thing was truly not human. Not just in appearance, but in how it thinks and acts… you can only call it a monster. That’s why you hid it from me, right? Because you were worried?”

“Yeah. There’s no point worrying about Blanc anyway. It just gives you a headache.”

“But you won’t run away from it, Senior.”

“No, I’ll avoid it when I can…”

“Someone like you will try to do something about it eventually. Using any means necessary, or even sacrificing yourself.”

I couldn’t immediately deny those words.

“So I have a request.”

“A request?”

“Yes. Please wait until I become stronger than I am now. Promise me you’ll try to survive until then.”

Back in that cave seven years ago, when I was prepared for death, my senior said the same thing to me.

In that moment of despair when I was about to give up on life, they made me promise to do my best to survive somehow.

“When that time comes, I’ll definitely protect you.”

“You…”

“I’m sorry. I know it sounds presumptuous. But when I heard you were going somewhere with such a being, I couldn’t hold back.”

“…”

At some point, her way of addressing me had changed from ‘Senior’ to ‘you’.

It’s hard to pretend not to notice anymore.

I, too, was one of Hilde’s love interests.

“Right. It’s reassuring to have such a reliable junior promising to protect me.”

I lightly patted her shoulder.

“…Yes, Senior.”

I’m sorry, but I had to draw the line.

I hated my cowardly self who couldn’t outright refuse.

But she is the protagonist of this stage, while I’m just an extra passing through behind her.

I can’t ruin this grand performance of killing the witches threatening the world and preventing the apocalypse.

The love interest that I am rejected the protagonist.

I’m sorry, but there’s no other way.

* * *

And so several more days of training passed.

I somehow managed to keep training Hilde while wearing a thick skin.

Her growth kept accelerating, and now aside from lacking experience, she had probably surpassed me in almost every ability.

Rather, I was improving my skills while training her.

To keep teaching her after she had somehow become equal or superior to me, I had to grow too.

Of course, it wasn’t as dazzling a rapid growth as hers.

A stone remains a stone no matter how much you polish it.

“But she truly is an amazing raw talent.”

A voice spoke beside me just after finishing training.

“To think she’s only been in the Order for barely 3 months, her growth rate is almost equal to Sephira’s.”

A well-built muscular man said this.

He was Tapid, another higher-ranked hunter that Runius had brought.

“Hey! Finished with training?”

Tapid waved his hand as he came over.

“Hello, Sir Tapid.”

I bowed my head to him.

“Oh, yeah. Good work.”

Though he gave me a casual greeting, his eyes stayed fixed on Hilde.

“…Who are you?”

Hilde asked.

“Huh? Don’t you remember? I came when Runius was training you before.”

“I apologize. I was so focused on training then that I didn’t notice.”

“Is that so~.”

Though Hilde’s tone was strangely cold, Tapid didn’t seem to mind much.

“Anyway, both last time and watching you train now, you’re really incredible. At this rate you could become a higher-ranked hunter within 5 years. With a better teacher than this, you could even be faster than Sephira…”

“Better teacher, you say?”

“If you’re willing, I’d like to teach you myself. Your weapon is similar to mine too.”

Tapid pulled out the massive iron flail on his back.

“Seeing how you specialize in axes, you probably should have learned from a powerhouse from the start. Or even Latina…”

“I appreciate the thought.”

“Ah, don’t be like that~. I really like you. If I teach you earnestly, you could become a higher-ranked hunter in 4 years, no, even 3 years. I’m sure of it. At least…”

He suddenly put his arm around my shoulder.

“It would be much better than learning from a lower-ranked hunter. Don’t you think so too?”

“What? Ah, well…”

I was about to nod vaguely in agreement.

“Ugh…”

“Sir Tapid.”

However, a chilling voice from behind made me freeze.

“Hmm? Is that Sephira? Did you come to see Hilde too?”

“No. I have business with Mr. Eugene.”

“Eugene? Who’s that?”

“That would be me.”

I slightly raised my hand.

“Huh? Ah, right.”

Tapid removed his arm from my shoulder.

“I don’t know what business it is, but Hilde’s training results have been really incredible so…”

“Before that.”

Sephira cut off his words.

“I personally entrusted Miss Hilde’s training and growth to Mr. Eugene.”

“Uh…?”

“If her results are that incredible, then Mr. Eugene deserves just as much credit.”

“Well… that’s not wrong I guess?”

Tapid stroked his chin.

“Therefore, any complaints about Mr. Eugene’s results are tantamount to doubting my judgment.”

“Ah, right. Well, if it came across that way, I’m sorry. But let’s look at this objectively. Hilde’s training should really be handled by a higher-ranked hunter. And since her weapon is similar to mine…”

“My weapon was chosen by Senior.”

Hilde said while holding onto my arm.

“Hmm… if you put it that way…”

Sensing the somewhat strange atmosphere, Tapid seemed to lose his initial momentum and left after some hesitation.

The problem was that I also found this atmosphere awkward and hard to bear.

Especially since after I gently rejected Hilde’s confession, she had started initiating more peculiar physical contact.

While I’m grateful yet apologetic about the kindness shown, it’s also scary feeling like a love interest being pursued. (+) ^[1]

Perhaps I’ve become sensitive to such things without realizing it because of Blanc.

It would be better if I could just clearly say it won’t work, but…

“So… you said you had business with me, Lady Sephira?”

I gently shook off Hilde’s arm.

“…Yes. It’s about the Tracking Special Unit. Please come to the department office right away.”

“Yes, I’ll head there now… Well, I’ll be going then.”

I said to Hilde.

“Yes. Have a safe trip.”

Could it just be my imagination that even choosing to say ‘have a safe trip’ feels like words chosen for pursuing a love interest?

I walked with Sephira to the Behemoth Tracking Special Unit’s office.

“…”

Silence hung between us.

Isn’t this almost the first time I’ve walked side by side with Sephira?

The last time we were alone together was when I was being escorted to the Heresy Inquisition Department, so it’s not exactly a pleasant memory.

From the start, we only occasionally met during missions, and never met privately even once.

“…Mr. Eugene.”

“Yes?”

Sephira suddenly spoke first.

“You must know that your training assignment with Miss Hilde will end soon.”

“Ah, yes. Not much time left.”

“It was originally my mission, but I trusted you and left it entirely in your hands.”

“That’s right.”

“…That trust included the assumption that there would be no impure matters between a man and woman.”

“Ah.”

So it appeared that way after all…

No, there really were issues that came up.

“Of course, I’m sure someone like you wouldn’t cross any lines… Right?”

Though her tone was bland, I could sense a sharp edge hidden within.

She must be on edge because there can’t be even the slightest possibility of something going wrong with someone who’s certain to become a future higher-ranked hunter.

“Nothing like that has happened. We’re of different social status to begin with, and will be assigned to different places. I was just teaching her for these 3 months, nothing more. You don’t need to worry, Lady Sephira.”

“…Then that’s good.”

Though I feel bad for Hilde, I need to draw clearer lines and maintain distance.

An ambiguous attitude will only hurt both of us.

I also recalled the advice that Marquis Bluebeard had given me before.

After that we fell silent again.

Then we arrived at the conference room designated as the Behemoth Tracking Special Unit’s office.

When we went in, Oscar was waiting alone.

Oscar waved his hand when he saw us.

“Where is everyone else?”

I waved back at him and asked Sephira.

“They’re not here. Today I have something to convey regarding Oscar.”

“If it’s just that, you didn’t need to come personally, Lady Sephira…”

“As department head, I should handle personnel management. And since we don’t have that many members, it’s fine.”

How very like Sephira.

She participates without complaint, or rather enthusiastically, even in work far below her level.

Though the higher-ups at headquarters don’t seem to like having their best combat force, a higher-ranked hunter, exposed outside frequently, it’s very reassuring for those of us working in the field.

Of course, she doesn’t do everything herself, and people still die sometimes.

A few months ago, when I lost all my team members at once was exactly that kind of situation.

Of course, that wasn’t Sephira’s or our fault, just that the intelligence wasn’t perfect.

If we had to blame someone it would be the Intelligence Department’s mistake, but they had no malicious reason to try to wipe us out so it should be seen as a simple accident.

Whether in the game from my past life or this reborn world, unreasonable deaths that no one expected happen multiple times a day.

In such situations, quite a few people view Sephira as something like a guardian angel or goddess of the battlefield for giving even the slightest chance of survival.

In fact, I too would have died back then if not for her.

…Come to think of it, did I ever properly repay that debt?

“Well then, to get to the main point, I’d like Mr. Eugene to take charge of Oscar’s education as well.”

“What…?”

“Of course, not right away. Sir Ozwald made a special request to you, but he knows Miss Hilde takes priority right now. And unlike Miss Hilde who needs close instruction, he said it would be enough to just bring him along on missions and help him adapt to actual combat.”

“Sir Ozwald did…?”

No, even if this is an experimental department, is that kind of thing really okay?

“In exchange, Sir Ozwald has provided quite generous funding from his personal finances.”

“Ah…”

If someone called Great Mage spent that much money, I guess it can’t be helped.

“Tch, I told him not to spend money like that.”

Oscar said.

“Even I know how hard the old man worked to get me in here. I look forward to working with you.”

“Is it really okay for me to teach you? I’m just a lower-ranked hunter after all.”

I asked him.

“The old man and that Hilde girl too, everyone sings your praises endlessly. I’m curious to learn from you myself.”

“That’s fine then… But have you met Hilde separately before?”