Dark Fantasy’s Extra

We managed to return to the Hunting Order headquarters by evening.

We went straight to Workshop 3 to hand over the Guardian Raven’s beak to Zepetia.

“Ooh! I’ve never seen a specimen like this before!”

Zepetia shouted excitedly.

Though usually subdued in demeanor, she showed great enthusiasm for things like this.

“At first glance it looks like an ordinary bird form, but I can tell! This is different! Something fundamentally different! A new discovery!”

“Right? I thought something felt different about it too.”

Hilde chimed in.

As for me, while I already knew specifically how it was different, I hadn’t particularly felt the difference when actually facing it.

At most, just that its eyes were purple.

I explained the Guardian Raven’s characteristics to Zepetia.

“Hmm, indeed. How interesting. You say it was a Beast with purple eyes? Until now, red eyes have been the defining characteristic of all Beasts. Even if it’s a minor difference, it’s clearly distinct from every Beast observed so far. I wonder what specifically makes it different…”

“And this too.”

I handed her Jack’s Giant Hunter’s Axe.

“What’s this?”

“A weapon that Beast was carrying. It looked useful so I brought it – could you repair it?”

“Repairs aren’t really my specialty, but I can manage.”

Zepetia examined the axe from various angles.

“Somehow… it gives off a similar feeling to this specimen. I wonder if there’s something about that temple? It would be nice to have detailed investigation records.”

She placed the Guardian Raven’s beak and Giant Hunter’s Axe on her workbench.

“Anyway, leave it to me. I’ll have a new prototype and the repaired axe ready by next week, so don’t forget to come back.”

“Thanks.”

“Thank you.”

Hilde and I left Workshop 3.

“Go wash up and return to your room first.”

“What? What about you, Senior?”

“I have something to take care of.”

I took Jack’s identification tag out of my pocket.

“Ah…”

“I need to deliver this to Sir Crowty.”

“Then I’ll come with you too.”

“Are you sure? You must be exhausted.”

“We should finish our duties together until the end.”

I smiled slightly at her response.

“Right. Then let’s go together.”

We went to Crowty’s office.

Handling deceased hunters’ identification tags was a task Crowty had voluntarily taken on.

He personally places them in graves for everyone from 9th to 2nd rank.

As an exception, 1st-rank hunters don’t have identification tags.

When becoming a 1st-rank hunter and directly serving the Saintess, it’s considered like being reborn, so the tradition is to place their identification tags in their graves with their own hands.

“What brings you here?”

Hans, Crowty’s assistant, opened the door and asked us.

“We found an identification tag of a hunter who died long ago.”

I showed him Jack’s identification tag.

“I see.”

Though his response was dry, a slight tone of mourning could be sensed in his voice.

He must have heard countless such news, but still hadn’t completely grown used to it.

After all, treating someone’s death as mundane news would mean something’s broken in you as a human.

Hans stepped aside and we entered Crowty’s office.

“Welcome.”

Crowty, who had been buried in paperwork, looked up at us.

There were even more documents than usual on his desk.

Though his physical stamina was likely fine, he seemed quite mentally exhausted.

“I heard you went for outdoor training again? Where was it… Ah yes, that place with the strangely large tree.”

“Yes.”

“Right. You went to quite an unusual place. Anyway, what brings you here? Something to report?”

“We found this there…”

I carefully placed Jack’s identification tag on his desk.

“…”

Crowty’s expression hardened when he saw it.

“There was a hunter’s corpse wandering around as an undead up in that tree.”

“I see… Good work.”

Crowty picked up the identification tag and examined it closely.

“Hmm… They don’t usually rust this badly. At least during my time, I don’t remember sending anyone there, so this must be quite an old hunter. Would be nice if we could make out the name.”

He took out a small wooden box and placed the identification tag inside.

“Anyway, this that you – no, that you both risked your lives to bring back, I’ll make sure it gets where it needs to be.”

“Yes.”

We left Crowty’s office and went to the shower room.

Unexpectedly, Hilde went to the communal shower room instead of the paid facility.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

After I finished first and waited, Hilde came out with a grimacing face.

“Once you become a higher-ranked hunter, you’ll stay in a room with a bathroom that has hot water, so don’t push yourself too hard.”

“…Still, I want to get used to it.”

“Well, we do sometimes have to wash outdoors after all.”

Fortunately we barely made it before the dining hall closed, so we ate dinner and returned to our quarters.

“Senior, is there training after dinner too?”

“Huh? There is, but aren’t you tired? We just got back.”

“Actually…”

Hilde paused.

“…?”

I waited for her to continue.

“…I just want to become stronger quickly.”

Is Hilde perhaps instinctively sensing future threats too?

Her skill is already at a sufficient level for a lower-ranked hunter.

But to survive the Little Mermaid Rusalka’s invasion 17 days from now, she needs to be at least at my current level.

Next week we’ll get equipment that Zepetia makes from the Guardian Raven, and I’m making my own preparations too – I calculated that the two of us could survive that invasion.

But perhaps even that calculation was too lax.

To think Hilde would push for training even more than me who knows the future.

“Alright. Then one hour from now we’ll do night training. But since you must be tired, target practice would be better than intense physical movement.”

“Ah! That’s it! I wanted to learn to shoot as well as you do, Senior!”

“Until the equipment is ready from the workshop next week, we’ll focus on shooting practice. You’ll probably reach a usable level in three days, but you shouldn’t be satisfied with just that, right?”

“Yes!”

Since Hilde was showing such enthusiasm for once, I should respond in kind.

Just then someone knocked on the door.

Lower-ranked hunters’ rooms aren’t usually locked.

Most people don’t care about privacy and just open the door.

For someone to show such courtesy, there’s only one person who comes to mind.

I quickly opened the door.

“…It’s been a while, Mr. Eugene.”

Silver long hair, eyes like the deep night sky.

And a colorless sword at her waist.

3rd-rank hunter Sephira greeted.

“Welcome, Lady Sephira. What brings you here?”

I bowed my head to her.

“Is Hilde inside?”

“Ah, yes! It’s been a while.”

Hilde stood behind me and greeted Sephira.

“I came to check how much you’ve grown. I won’t have time later, so I’d appreciate your cooperation.”

“Ah.”

Of course.

Originally Sephira was in charge of Hilde’s education, and I’m just her substitute.

“I heard you just returned from outside, but this won’t take long. I won’t push you too hard, so don’t worry.”

“I’m fine!”

Hilde said confidently.

But is her leg fully healed?

Seeing her confident demeanor, Sephira turned her head toward me.

“Indeed, her spirit is good. Even at a glance, she’s become much more promising than before.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head again.

Though Sephira is a good person, being close to a higher-ranked hunter is still somewhat intimidating.

Crowty is naturally an exception.

That person is almost too casual with lower-ranked hunters.

We followed Sephira to the training facility exclusively for higher-ranked hunters.

Inside the massive dome almost the size of a baseball stadium, several higher-ranked hunters were training.

They stopped their training to look at us.

They say strong people have power in their eyes, but facing several fighters of a different dimension watching us felt like physical pressure.

If I felt this way, I wondered how Hilde was doing, but when I looked her way, she didn’t look well either.

“Who did Sephira bring?”

“Ah, that must be the one.”

“Who?”

“The extraordinary talent from the Grimm family who joined recently.”

“Oh? That super rookie?”

We could hear the higher-ranked hunters’ conversation.

It seems Hilde’s existence was already known to them too.

“How interesting. Until now, we haven’t had anyone with extraordinary aptitude besides Ms. Sephira.”

“Still just a rookie though. Hasn’t even been a month yet. Probably just manages to handle magical power a bit.”

“Well, I heard Ms. Sephira left the rookie’s training to a lower-ranked hunter. I wonder if a lower-ranked hunter could really teach properly?”

“What? What’s that about? Wasn’t she supposed to have extraordinary aptitude?”

“That’s what I’m saying. What were they thinking…”

They would think that way of course.

Having someone who’s certain to become a higher-ranked hunter being taught by a mere lower-ranked hunter isn’t rational.

I worried Hilde might feel intimidated, but surprisingly, her tension had disappeared.

If anything, she seemed a bit angry.

“Well then, I’ll now test your abilities. Show me what you’ve learned from Mr. Eugene. Of course, you may use weapons.”

Sephira lightly stretched.

“As much as you’d like!”

Hilde took her stance holding her axe.

In contrast, Sephira was empty-handed.

Even so, she would surely be overwhelmingly stronger.

“Hey, you there, mister.”

“Ugh?!”

Suddenly someone wrapped their arm around my shoulder.

“Are you perhaps this child’s instructor?”

When I turned my head, there was a woman with short brown hair and black eyes.

She was the higher-ranked hunter who had been training with that man earlier.

Though small in stature, the firmness and pressure I felt from the arm on my shoulder was enough to make my skin crawl.

It felt like being caught in a massive hydraulic press.

“Y-yes.”

“You seem pretty wimpy.”

When she shook the arm wrapped around my shoulder, my body shook helplessly along with it.

What kind of ridiculous strength…!

But it couldn’t be helped, as my opponent was the heroine renowned as the strongest martial artist in the Hunting Order.

“Greetings, Lady Latina.”

“Huh? You know me?”

In Blue Paper Moon, when the protagonist rises to become a higher-ranked hunter, the higher-ranked hunters’ storylines unlock, and Latina was the first person you meet there.

As a pure martial artist type female hunter, she becomes interested in the protagonist who grows stronger quickly, leading to various events.

Particularly memorable was her special dialogue showing competitive spirit when meeting Blanc, who had a similar fighting style.

“How could there be anyone in the Order who doesn’t know Lady Latina.”

Even without knowledge from my previous life, she was already famous as a higher-ranked hunter.

All higher-ranked hunters are one-person armies, receiving more respect than most nobles.

“Really? I don’t think I’ve done anything particularly noticeable though.”

She’s quite noticeable actually, but she doesn’t seem to realize it herself.

As a game heroine it might be typical character traits, but meeting her in person makes her seem quite strange.

To begin with, is someone who casually puts their arm around a stranger’s shoulder really that unaware?

“…Ms. Latina.”

Sephira said.

“Hi, Sephira. Must have been tough visiting other branches.”

Latina waved at her.

“I need to check Hilde’s training progress now. Please don’t interfere with this important matter.”

“I’m not really interfering though? I’ll just watch from here. I’m curious about the rookie’s abilities too.”

“…”

Though Sephira seemed somewhat displeased, she didn’t say anything more.

“By the way, you’re really this rookie’s instructor?”

Latina asked me.

“Yes. Though I’m just Lady Sephira’s substitute.”

More importantly, please let go of my arm.

My neck feels like it’s in a compression vise and it’s making me nervous.

“Why are you doing it? Obviously another higher-ranked hunter should…”

“Then let’s begin.”

Sephira raised her voice uncharacteristically.

Everyone’s attention turned to Sephira and Hilde.

“Come at me with everything you have. You need to show the results of your training so far.”

“Yes!”

Hilde charged at Sephira with her axe raised.

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