Dark Fantasy’s Extra Chapter 94

I carried Chris’s body on my back as I escaped Spider Castle with Maia.

The undead that filled our exit path had lost control after Bari’s avatar disappeared and were wandering around dangerously.

However, with Maia who had recovered some magical power after resting, and me knowing several secret passages from my past life knowledge, we were able to escape without much difficulty by working together.

“…”

The sun was setting in the sky.

I dug a hole in the forest a bit away from the castle and cremated Chris’s body with holy oil.

At least this way, no matter what happens, his rest won’t be disturbed.

It was the only last thing I could do for him.

And so this journey came to an end.

“…Was he someone precious to you?”

Maia asked.

“Why are you still following me?”

Instead of answering her question, I asked something else.

“Well, I remember a little bit of what happened in that castle… Wasn’t I the one who caused his death?”

“…No.”

At least I didn’t feel any one-sided resentment towards Maia.

After all, I was the one who sent her here.

If anything, she could be considered a victim too.

I understood this logically, and somewhat emotionally as well.

Still, I couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable around Maia.

And… I had vaguely sensed that Chris would give up on life someday.

“That’s a relief then. In any case, you helped me again this time too. He was someone precious to my benefactor after all.”

“Benefactor? …Me?”

“Yes. I’m deeply indebted to you.”

“I was the one who told you to come here in the first place.”

“That’s right. That was also helpful.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes. You never once lied to me, did you?”

“Even though you ended up in that state because of it?”

“That was my fault. It was the proper result of my ignorance and arrogance. Wanting to become a witch, I was foolish too.”

“What do you mean?”

“…Should I tell you? About how the witches were born, and why they’re fighting each other.”

“Don’t bother.”

I already know that anyway.

“Hmm… but I still want to repay you somehow. Ah, though it won’t be like before anymore.”

“Why?”

“I lost too much power when returning from being Thumbelina to myself. It’s not just a simple decrease in magical power. Though still much better than when I was that puppet fake witch.”

“…What about the items you had?”

Originally, Maia was an NPC who exchanged items.

It would be enough if she could just perform that original role.

“Ah, about that. It’s become a bit tricky, you could say. The items are still there, but it’s hard to take them out. I lost too much of my power. It would probably take several days just to take out one… Is there anything you want?”

“No… Nothing…”

Just then a strong wind blew and my hat flew far away.

The hat that was floating aimlessly was caught by someone’s hand.

“What are you doing in a place like this?”

She spun my hat on her finger before putting it on her head.

I flinched when I saw that.

“…What about you?”

But the tension quickly disappeared.

After all, I knew she had no intention of killing me right now.

“Eh, eh…? Wait, that’s…”

Maia was flustered.

“Of course I came to see you. My hero.”

Blanc grinned.

Hero – that’s the word that suits me least in this world.

Rather than a hero, villain would suit me better, having ruined this world’s story several times.

“I’ve been too busy lately to properly watch over you. I’m really sorry.”

“…”

If she had been watching me, would things have been different?

…No, what am I even thinking.

“But… seems you’ve had quite the adventure while I was gone? Coming to a place like this by yourself. Did you know what this place was when you came looking?”

“…”

I was too tired to explain.

“The atmosphere feels different from before. Did something happen?”

Too many things happened.

“I don’t want to deal with you right now… Just go away.”

“Hmm…”

Blanc puffed her cheeks and approached me.

“W-wait!”

Maia urgently stepped in front of me.

“Who are you?”

Blanc asked.

“I’m a sorcerer who’s indebted to Eugene! If you’re trying to harm Eugene…”

“I have no such intention… More importantly, you’re quite strange? What exactly are you?”

For the first time, she showed interest in Maia.

“You’re not human, but don’t seem like a Beast either… You feel similar to those ones? And you say you’re indebted to Eugene?”

Blanc crouched down in front of Maia to meet her eye level.

“Would you explain what happened instead? Eugene seems really off today.”

“I-if I tell you, you’ll leave Eugene alone, right?”

“That’s what I said. I had no intention of messing with him yet anyway.”

“…”

Feeling tired, I walked away from them and slumped down on the ground somewhere else.

I was too exhausted to be angry or sad anymore.

…I’m a bit sleepy.

No one would complain if I slept for a while…

*    *    *

When I opened my eyes again, it was completely dark.

A campfire was crackling brightly before my eyes, driving away the cold night air.

And I felt somewhat warm.

“Awake?”

When I turned my head, Blanc was looking down at me.

I immediately lifted my head from her lap and tried to get up.

But before I could fully pull away, she grabbed my head and pressed it back down onto her lap.

“Let go of this.”

“Don’t want to.”

“…Fine then.”

I didn’t have the ability or means to escape anyway.

“You looked like you needed some comfort.”

“What comfort?”

“The sorcerer told me everything earlier. You did quite an amazing thing today?”

“…”

“And your comrade…”

“I don’t like that either. Get lost.”

I immediately drew the mithril dagger.

But my wrist was grabbed too easily.

Damn it.

Damn it, damn it…

Why am I so weak…

“I don’t want to hear about that from you too.”

“Still though. Everyone needs someone to comfort them when they’re going through hard times, right?”

“You’re not human.”

“Heheh, I really like you. You.”

Only then did Blanc release me.

I put the mithril dagger away.

Maia was sleeping soundly across the campfire.

“What will you do from now on?”

Blanc asked.

“Don’t know.”

“Liar. You’re always thinking about something, aren’t you?”

“No such thing.”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me. After all, I’m a Beast, and you’re a hunter, so that’s right.”

“…The only reason I don’t kill you is because I’m too weak.”

I spoke to Blanc right beside me without turning my head.

I could see sparks flying as the campfire crackled.

“I know.”

“You’re looking for someone to kill you, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then find someone stronger than me.”

“I haven’t seen anyone stronger than you.”

“Don’t mock me too much…”

Suddenly Blanc grabbed my chin with her index finger and turned me toward her.

“I’m serious.”

Her eyes were impossibly honest.

They were eyes so clear it was hard to believe they belonged to a being who broke free from a witch’s control through sheer madness seeking her own death.

Rather, it made me want to look away.

“You are strong.”

“…Just what part of me is strong.”

Irritation welled up.

“What hero? What strength? I’m weak. Even after doing everything I could, I couldn’t save my friend.”

“That’s also a lie. You did save your friend.”

“Shut up…”

I gritted my teeth.

If I had the strength this crazy woman talks about, I could have saved Chris.

If I were as strong as Sephira, it wouldn’t have taken even three days to get here from the Order, and I would have cut down both the Hydra larva and Bari’s avatar in one stroke.

But I couldn’t… couldn’t do anything.

“True strength doesn’t come from here.”

Blanc made a fist in front of me.

“It comes from here.”

Then she placed that fist against her chest.

What philosophy from a Beast.

“You talk well. What would someone as strong as you know?”

“…Right. I don’t know. That’s why I want to see more.”

Blanc stood up.

“Even if I say this, it probably won’t reach you right now. Then I’ll show you.”

“What?”

I had a bad feeling.

The atmosphere was exactly like when she would put players in difficult situations in Blue Paper Moon.

“What are you trying to do…!”

I desperately tried to grab Blanc, but before my hand could reach her, she ran off and disappeared somewhere.

“Damn it, what exactly are you planning?”

Though I don’t know what it is, it’s clearly something troublesome.

But among the trials I saw Blanc give in my past life, there were none in this kind of situation.

The story of this world is already moving very differently from what I knew.

Whether then or now, knowledge from my past life isn’t so all-powerful.

“…Ah, I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore.”

With a feeling of giving up, I sat back down in front of the campfire and watched the flames quietly burning until I fell asleep at some point.

*    *    *

I woke up to commotion.

The sky was still dark, but night was gradually retreating as dawn approached.

And armed hunters filled the surroundings.

“…?”

“Are you 8th-rank hunter Eugene who came from headquarters?”

A man who looked like a mid-ranked hunter stepped forward and asked me.

Though I didn’t recognize his face, he was definitely a hunter from the Order.

“Yes, that’s right. But what…”

“Wait here for now. The Heresy Inquisition officers will arrive soon.”

“…What?”

Heresy Inquisition officers?

Why them again?

“I think there’s some misunderstanding, let’s calmly talk about…”

I tried to stand up.

“Stay still. If you don’t want to see this one get hurt.”

The mid-ranked hunter pressed my chest with the shaft of his spear to make me sit back down and pointed to the side.

“…!?”

There was Maia, still sleeping while bound.

“What the…!”

“Is this the place?”

Just then a middle-aged man wearing a white Heresy Inquisition officer uniform walked out from among the hunters.

“Yes. We’ve secured both suspects.”

The mid-ranked hunter reported to the Heresy Inquisition officer.

“Good work. Now transport them to the Order. We’ll take care of that one.”

The Heresy Inquisition officer took out black chains and approached Maia.

That’s… a special item called the ‘Beast Binding Chains’.

When bound by those, even a high-tier Beast would lose the strength to resist.

It wasn’t equipment players could use, just a quest item with that setting.

But why such a thing…?

“Now stand up. If you cooperate willingly, we won’t use violent methods.”

The mid-ranked hunter spoke to me again.

“Yes… But what exactly is going on?”

I stood up slowly without resisting.

“That’s what we want to ask. Late last night, some woman came to the Order saying strange things.”

The mid-ranked hunter started checking my equipment one by one.

“Said she saw a hunter named Eugene talking with an intelligent Beast at that old castle… So just cooperate with the investigation quietly. We’ll release you if your innocence is confirmed.”

…Blanc!!!