Dark Fantasy’s Extra – Chapter 90

Author: Dawn

It took a full 4 days by carriage to reach Offenbach.

During that time, I often lay awake at night wondering what might have happened to Chris.

He’s my only remaining comrade who shares the nightmare of that day.

If Chris disappears too, I’ll be the only one left in this world who remembers our seniors…

“We’re almost there, sir.”

The coachman said.

I peeked outside the carriage.

I could see several lines of people waiting to enter Offenbach.

In this era, those who officially cross borders are mostly major merchants or nobles.

In this world where people struggle to survive day by day in conditions far worse than modern humans, many don’t even have the concept of travel.

The vast majority of people are born in an area, live there, marry, have children, and die for various reasons.

“Thank you for your work.”

I gave the coachman a small tip and got off the carriage.

Since I’m the only one with an entry permit and the coachman just brought me here, I have to continue alone from here.

I could hear whispers from people around as a fully armed hunter stood out among the long lines of merchant and noble carriages, but I’d just be a brief topic of conversation.

I calmly got in line for entry and waited my turn until I reached the guards managing immigration.

“A hunter? You came alone?”

The guard asked.

“Yes, alone. I’m coming from Order headquarters on Marquis Bluebeard’s orders.”

I showed him the entry permit certified by the Marquis.

“From the Marquis? Hmm…!”

After checking the entry permit, the guard’s attitude became solemn and he saluted me.

“Thank you for your service! You’re cleared to enter!”

The Marquis’s influence in Offenbach cannot be overstated.

Being both a member of the royal family and overall commander of the Hunting Order branch, the most powerful military organization in this country, his status is such that even the king wouldn’t dare treat him carelessly.

Does that make me like the king’s messenger?

Too great an honor for a mere lower-ranked hunter.

I crossed the border easily and headed toward the Hunting Order’s Offenbach branch where the Marquis would be.

Even with knowledge from my past life, I couldn’t find an Order I’d never been to before in a neighboring country.

However, thanks to the entry permit vouched for by the Marquis, the nearby guards arranged a carriage for me.

I got on the Offenbach carriage again and headed toward this country’s Hunting Order.

“How many days to the Hunting Order?”

“Well, about two days I’d say.”

“Is there no faster way?”

“No faster route exists, sir. The road from the border to the Hunting Order is the best maintained in this country.”

I’m anxious.

It already took 4 days just to get here, and it’ll take two more days.

I’m using up nearly 1/3 of my allowed 20 days, and the longer it takes, the lower Chris’s chances of survival.

Though it can’t be helped, I have no choice but to endure a bit more.

“…By any chance, are there any stories about spiders in this country?”

I asked the coachman.

“Spiders? Those eight-legged bugs?”

“Yes. I heard something in passing about spiders building a castle or something…”

“Ah, the Spider Ghost’s Castle? Was that so famous?”

“I just happened to hear about it. Anyway, do you know it?”

“Yes, I know it. It’s such a massive castle you can’t miss it just passing by. If you go straight east from here for about three days, you should find it.”

3 days… damn, too long.

If only I had more talent, if I had more magical power to easily cross the continent…

“Then I have a request – could you take me there instead?”

“What? But from what the guards said…”

“I have someone to meet there… I can go to the Order by myself later.”

I discreetly held out 5 Order Silver coins to the coachman.

“Ahem, this puts me in a difficult position…”

The coachman accepted the Order Silver coins while changing the carriage’s direction.

“Please don’t mention anywhere that I drove you.”

“Isn’t it the same both ways? If we arrive earlier than three days, I’ll give you double what I just gave.”

“…The road will be rough, is that okay? And if Beasts appear…”

“Just go as fast as possible. I’ll handle any Beasts myself.”

The coachman urged his horses and drove quickly toward Spider Castle.

As he said, the road wasn’t properly maintained and was bumpy, making it far from comfortable.

Additionally, several low-tier Beasts appeared that I had to snipe with my rifle.

But there was no time to stop and spread holy oil, so we had to leave the corpses behind.

And on the evening of the second day, we saw a massive castle on a hill in the distant sunset.

This was where Arachne, one of the highest-tier behemoths from 500 years ago, had ruled.

It was grand enough to suit a king or even emperor, but 500 years of time had clearly taken their toll.

“Thank you for your work.”

I gave the coachman more Order Silver coins than promised and ran toward the castle.

Maia must be somewhere around here.

She must surely be somewhere in that Spider Castle.

She has to be.

As I got closer, the castle’s grand yet desolate appearance came into view.

The walls, as steep as sheer cliffs, were cracked all over with moss covering the ground and vines covering the rest.

The watchtowers had broken statues that were probably originally spider-shaped.

And even after 500 years, the infamy of Arachne who ruled here lives on in legend, with people calling her the Spider Ghost or Spider God.

“…”

Arachne’s minions still remain here.

Though they lost their leader and 500 years have passed, they reportedly haven’t lost much of their former power.

If Maia has already arrived here, they would all be dead, but if she isn’t here, the minions would still be hiding.

If a single lower-ranked hunter entered alone, they wouldn’t just leave them be, even if they were hiding.

They would probably try to devour them without leaving a trace.

And now I’m trying to enter this castle alone.

“…Let’s go.”

The front gate wouldn’t open and was immune to attacks.

I don’t know if it’s actually invincible or if that was just for game progression.

If Arachne’s minions are here, testing it would just make me a target.

In Blue Paper Moon, there was a secret passage in the castle wall where Beasts unusually gathered, but there are no Beasts here now.

However, I can find where it is with knowledge from my past life.

When I pushed aside the vines and moss on the castle wall and pressed the spider pattern that appeared, a hidden door opened.

I entered that pitch dark place without even a small light.

* * *

After walking through the secret passage for a while, one certainty began to dawn on me.

Maia is here.

In the original game, even though it was a secret passage, there were at least low-tier Beasts guarding it, but now there’s nothing.

Rather, there were even unnatural traces of something disappearing from where such things should have been.

It seems Maia came here and cleared everything out.

Though there’s no proof so I shouldn’t feel relieved yet, maybe I can take this positively.

And after reaching the end of the secret passage without any problems, I carefully opened the door.

“Whew.”

Thankfully there was nothing.

Not only that, but I felt a heavy silence and strange premonition.

Arachne’s minions are not here.

There’s that distinctive disheveled feeling of a place where a storm has just passed through.

I emerged from behind the large spider statue connected to the secret passage.

“My.”

“…!?”

At that voice, I hurriedly drew my gun and aimed it in that direction.

“Wait. Please calm down.”

There stood a gloomy-looking woman with black hair and purple eyes.

My heart pounded wildly.

“Are you a hunter? Why are you in a place like this…?”

She asked.

“…”

Damn.

Damn it, damn it!

Why?

Why on earth is Princess Bari here…?

“As you can see, I have nothing.”

Princess Bari raised both hands.

“…Who are you?”

I asked while suppressing my agitation as much as possible.

“I’m Bari. I’m an archaeologist.”

Knowing she was trying to approach in disguise as an archaeologist actually helped me start thinking more calmly.

Was this encounter just now by chance?

Or did she know I was coming through the secret passage?

…Probably chance.

If she knew, she would have approached already in the secret passage.

“…An archaeologist? Why would an archaeologist be in a place like this?”

Let’s play along with her deception for now.

“Well… because I’m an archaeologist?”

Princess Bari tilted her head with a perfectly innocent, clueless expression.

She was perfectly acting like a harmless civilian like Hera.

“Of course, it might seem strange for a woman like me to explore such a place alone. But don’t worry too much – my guard is just checking another area briefly.”

“Guard?”

“Yes. I have a very strong and reliable companion.”

Who is she talking about?

The behemoths on Princess Bari’s side like Hydra or Nine-Tailed Fox?

No, there shouldn’t be behemoths yet, so high-tier Beasts like the Starfish or Lord of the Underworld?

“…If you say so.”

“But what about you? Why are you here? Have hunters started exploring ruins too? No, more importantly, did you just come out from behind that statue? I had no idea there was a secret passage there… How did you know about it?”

She has many questions.

I can’t tell if she’s genuinely curious or just acting that way.

“I can’t tell civilians. I have business here, so don’t follow me.”

I, too, act like a hunter who happened to encounter a civilian while on duty.

Princess Bari is calculating by nature, so she won’t commit meaningless murder.

If a hunter on duty went missing, there’s a chance they would send an investigation team.

“Even if you say that…”

Just then an earthquake occurred.

In the tremor that shook the entire castle, Princess Bari started to fall toward me.

The unexpected earthquake caught me off guard and I reflexively caught her in my arms.

“…!?”

She’s cold.