Dark Fantasy’s Extra – Chapter 87

Author: Dawn

After returning from the Order, our Behemoth Tracking Special Unit wrote a report under Dominic’s leadership before dispersing again.

The department wasn’t disbanded, but since it only moved when Sephira and Dominic’s schedules happened to align, activities were irregular.

And following Dominic’s request, I found myself standing before the chief officers of the Heresy Inquisition Department in Zepetia’s place.

“…”

Standing before the four chief officers of the Heresy Inquisition Department seated in a row before me, I felt a pressure that was difficult to describe even as heavy.

“Well, we’ve read the report.”

Said the officer seated on the far left.

“But the fact that you encountered Beasts as a hunter yet let them live is extremely difficult to overlook. Even considering their potential usefulness.”

“Ah, yes. But as written in the report, those Beasts won’t even last a year…”

“Even so, a Beast is still a Beast – the fact that they must be killed on sight remains unchanged.”

The pressure emanating from him was far from ordinary.

The sensation was like having my heart squeezed, and I almost unconsciously answered ‘yes’.

But I managed to swallow those words back down.

“That’s… not always the case.”

I stammered slightly, but I wanted to praise myself for at least speaking up.

“What do you mean?”

This time all four officers simultaneously released an aura close to killing intent.

Though a chill ran down my spine and my knees nearly trembled without my control, I couldn’t submit pathetically here.

For my own survival too…

“Aren’t there plenty of cases where we temporarily spare Beasts due to circumstances? Like intentionally letting subordinates escape to find their leader…”

And I could draw courage from the fact that what I was saying was perfectly sound logic.

In reality, we don’t necessarily kill Beasts immediately upon encountering them.

As I just said, sometimes we delay hunting them to find their leader, or to minimize damage from self-destructing types.

Or when encountering an enemy that’s impossible to defeat…

Blanc’s image flashed through my mind.

Strangely, I was able to become a bit calmer.

No, there’s nothing strange about it.

Comparing her and those before me, there’s no need to explain which is the more dangerous opponent.

“…”

The atmosphere changed with that single logical argument.

The fierce oppressive aura that had been swirling suddenly vanished as if it had all been an act.

Though lower intensity, was this like a pressure interview from my past life?

The officer on the right was even looking at me with apparent interest.

“Indeed.”

one of the officers said.

“Such cases do occur frequently. But can we truly trust Zepetia to conduct the research? She should have come herself rather than sending you in the first place.”

“Zepetia isn’t very good at… well… explaining things. But Judge Dominic can testify that she’s a trustworthy person.”

Dominic had seen her casually open Beast heads like lids with just a glove on, extracting brains from ones that had just died with blood and brain matter still dripping.

From the Heresy Inquisition Department’s perspective, that must seem quite reliable.

Though even that judge was taken aback.

“Hmm…”

Perhaps they had already received that report too, as the officers made no further mention of it.

“Very well. Then let me ask a somewhat different question.”

“Yes?”

“In your opinion, or judgment, what did you make of that laboratory and Vile?”

Though the question was sudden, it was within the range I had anticipated.

I smoothly delivered my prepared response.

I explained that having Zepetia investigate those Beasts was the right course of action, focusing particularly on what specific threat Vile posed.

The officers quietly listened to my explanation.

After I finished, they asked a few questions before quietly letting me leave.

Strangely reminded of interviews from my past life, I felt quite light after exiting the Heresy Inquisition Department.

“If I get used to the Heresy Inquisition Department at this rate…”

No, no matter what, that’s going too far.

Get it together.

* * *

After Eugene left, the four officers remained seated and began their discussion.

“Well… what do you think?”

One officer spoke.

“Not bad.”

Another officer said while scanning a document.

“His record over the past 15 years is clean, and his ability to handle pressure situations seemed decent.”

The report wasn’t about Vile’s old laboratory, but rather a document containing Eugene’s personal information.

While they might not be able to learn much about higher-ranked hunters like Sephira, they could easily obtain personal details about hunters below that rank.

Everything from their family, friends, and hobbies to secrets they couldn’t tell others.

The Heresy Inquisition Department had even greater authority and means than the Intelligence Department when it came to gathering such information.

“The fact that he didn’t retire even after experiencing that incident 7 years ago but rather became more dedicated – we have to acknowledge his character and mental fortitude at least.”

“Indeed, a talent recommended by the Judge…”

In truth, not a single person actually took issue with not killing the Wonderland bosses in Vile’s old laboratory.

As Eugene had said first, they well knew that sometimes they had to let Beasts go or even briefly cooperate with them depending on circumstances.

From the start, this meeting wasn’t an explanation session about the laboratory, but rather something like an interview about Eugene himself, the talent recommended by Dominic.

The Heresy Inquisition Department was suffering from personnel shortages just like other departments.

Not only was the surge in powerful Beasts a problem, but the cult called ‘Winter of Salvation’ that followed the mysterious woman who appeared in the Cranion invasion was growing at an unstoppable rate.

“When he survived encountering Blanc, even the Saintess specifically singled him out to give his opinion. Perhaps she too had perceived some talent or ability in this hunter Eugene…”

“If that’s true he’d certainly be a talent we must acquire, but as for talent…”

Eugene was already a proven lower-ranked hunter.

If he had talent, he would have been promoted to mid-ranked hunter sometime in the past 10 years.

But there were no signs of that, and even meeting him directly, nothing special was apparent.

That really seemed to be Eugene’s limit.

“Magical power isn’t the only form of talent. The weak have their own uses as well. As you all know, most of those Winter of Salvation heretics stirring up trouble now are common folk.”

“Indeed, deploying him there wouldn’t be bad. Being too strong would rather make him stand out… But it’s too early to think that far ahead. The field overall commander wouldn’t allow him to work with us in the first place.”

“But he was recommended by the Judge, and even acknowledged by the Saintess and Third-rank Hunter Sephira. In chaotic times like these, we too must make some effort to expand our personnel.”

“I agree. But the question is how to persuade them. From what we’ve gathered, it seems Sephira harbors special feelings for Eugene. She would undoubtedly try to interfere if he showed signs of joining our side.”

“Moreover, meeting him directly made it clear… he still seems to have an ordinary heart.”

An ordinary heart.

While everyone generally possessed humanity, hunters who fought Beasts and Heresy Inquisition officers eventually had such hearts worn away and lost.

Especially Judges, who frequently faced the most morally fraught situations in the Order, were mostly either inherently lacking in such empathy or had it removed.

In that sense, someone like Eugene who maintained his humanity despite experiencing all sorts of incidents might rather have difficulty adapting to Heresy Inquisition Department work.

“…We recently obtained some unusual intelligence.”

“What is it?”

“About the other survivor from that incident 7 years ago.”

The officer explained their plan regarding Chris, the survivor who retired from the Order due to psychological trauma and was living like a dead person in the city.

“Indeed… that could be an approach.”

“But isn’t that too cruel to Eugene…”

“Everything is for the Order, and for the Saintess…”

* * *

Today was the day for mid-ranked hunters’ training in human-form Beast combat simulations.

Though it took some time, all mid-ranked hunters participated in one-on-one tournament-style duels where winners advanced upward until two remained to fight at the end.

Though informal, since it was clearly combat following survival of the fittest principles, this training significantly influenced mid-ranked hunters’ hierarchy.

“Do you yield?”

Hilde asked the fallen man.

“Ugh… hahaha!”

He laughed loudly.

“Wow, you’re really something! Yes! I admit defeat!”

He accepted the outcome gracefully, dusting himself off as he stood.

But the reaction from onlookers was quite different.

“Impossible…”

Most couldn’t close their mouths at what had just happened.

A large male hunter who was always highly ranked had lost to Hilde, a rookie hunter half his size.

And after an intense slugfest no less.

“I heard you had talent on par with Lady Sephira, but this is unreal! You’re going to be an incredible powerhouse!”

The defeated hunter encouraged her while patting her shoulder.

“Thank you.”

But Hilde didn’t seem particularly moved.

As if such things were only natural.

As if she didn’t know how heavy Sephira’s name was among hunters.

“If you were this strong, wouldn’t it have been better to learn from a proper hunter from the start? I was honestly a bit careless since I heard you trained under a lower-ranked hunter during your probation period. Ah, of course that’s my fault for being careless. Not making excuses.”

“…”

Only then did Hilde grasp his hand on her shoulder.

“…!?”

He hesitated at the ominous strength and pressure he felt from the hand holding his.

“…Excuse me.”

Hilde quickly released his hand and turned to return to her position.

“Tch… did I say something wrong?”

The large male hunter scratched the back of his head as he returned to his spot.

“Not bad, right?”

Pieta approached Hilde’s side.

“But you look somewhat bored. Is this too low level for you after all?”

“No. That’s not it… I’ve done plenty of human combat before.”