Dark Fantasy’s Extra

Hilde had been interested in Beasts and hunters since she was young.

She begged her parents and, on the condition that it would be alongside her regular education, learned various skills from a former hunter they brought in.

The teacher praised her talent, particularly marveling at her ability to handle various weapons.

At some point, she became aware of her own strength.

She even thought she was already at the level of a proper hunter.

But that was an illusion.

When faced with a real Beast, all she could do was run away.

And now, once again, she realized her delusion.

*    *    *

I took Hilde to the training ground.

While there are many ways to assess someone, nothing is faster or more efficient than fighting them directly.

“Your movements are strange.”

I said while deflecting Hilde’s punch.

While her physical abilities were clearly on a different level compared to ordinary girls her age, she was still just a civilian who hadn’t awakened her potential.

Perhaps she had never experienced throwing a punch with all her might.

Every single one of her body movements felt awkward.

“If-if I had a weapon…”

Hilde said.

“Your body is also a weapon.”

I caught her punch coming from the other side and executed a shoulder throw on Hilde.

Since it wasn’t meant to subdue her, I set her down on the ground gently.

“What just…”

Being thrown around bodily must have been a first for her too, as Hilde looked dumbfounded.

“Shed that ingrained lady-like behavior. You’re a hunter now. Someone who fights against non-humans.”

I helped Hilde back up from her sitting position.

“We’ll continue until I say we’re done. Come at me again.”

While I couldn’t gauge the exact date, the unsealing of the witches had already entered its final countdown.

To survive, we needed to become stronger, even if just a little.

The fastest way was certainly sparring that involved moving the body, but I couldn’t just beat up a newcomer on their first day.

To begin with, there’s no guarantee that mindless hitting would make someone stronger.

To strike iron, you first need to heat it up.

But Hilde showed no signs of heating up.

I deflected her clumsy punch and swept her legs to throw her backwards.

Though it was a smooth and clean movement like flowing water, as I executed the technique, I became certain of one thing.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

“Wh-what?”

“Do you dislike fighting with me?”

I had felt something was off from the start, but just now I felt it clearly.

Hilde was hesitating to attack me.

Conversely, she wasn’t resisting when I attacked her.

“No, that’s…”

“Sigh… Hilde.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to become a hunter?”

“I-I do want to…”

“Why?”

“Well… Since I was young…”

“Don’t lie. If that were true, you would have joined the Order long ago.”

The most important thing needed to become a hunter of the Order is mentality rather than physical ability.

Of course, in a game, physical talent – that is, how powerful your specs are – would naturally be more important.

But reality is different.

No matter how strong you are, if you can’t make calm judgments when needed, it doesn’t just end with reduced capability.

Sometimes you can endanger your companions, and furthermore, you might ruin the entire situation leading to the worst outcome.

“If you’re trying to become a hunter out of pity for me or guilt, then leave the Order. You’ll only end up harming others.”

“…That’s certainly part of it.”

“Then…”

“But that’s not all. It’s hard to explain, but I’ve always thought I would become a hunter. That’s the truth. You, Senior, just… became the trigger that made it possible in reality.”

Most would dismiss it as mere nonsense, but to me it held a slightly different meaning.

Hilde’s words about feeling something like destiny sent chills down my spine with their truth.

“If that’s the case, then you shouldn’t hesitate anymore. You have talent.”

“But…”

What could be the problem?

In Blue Paper Moon, Hilde was already a prepared warrior.

Although it was the tutorial, she hunted Beasts with just weapons and no skills.

But now that kind of spirit wasn’t apparent.

What’s the difference between then and now?

Just what could…

“Senior, it’s… because you saved me…”

Ah, so that was the problem.

By surviving instead of dying, I had ruined Hilde’s awakening ritual.

Hilde still hasn’t even completed the tutorial.

“Sigh… How unfortunate.”

I picked up the clothes I had taken off before starting training.

“Let’s stop.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not really your fault.”

Rather, it’s my fault.

Back then, I should have let her fight more actively.

Thinking I had to save even the dozens of people following behind, I ended up dealing with even the one that was meant to be the tutorial boss.

It might be a bit cruel, but letting the people following behind die…

…No, that wouldn’t have been possible either.

“Let’s change the training method.”

The problem is that Hilde hasn’t properly fought with a Beast yet.

If so, the solution is simple.

“We’re going Beast hunting right now.”

“…What?”

Of course, finding a suitable battlefield to replace the tutorial right away is difficult.

Our job is to hunt Beasts, not to summon them.

However, I know an appropriate place.

There’s a location I frequently visited for early-game farming in Blue Paper Moon.

“Follow me. We’re going outside.”

“W-wait a moment?!”

Permission came immediately.

I have full authority over Hilde’s training.

Exceptional aptitude means having the talent to become a higher-ranked hunter.

And one higher-ranked hunter is a direct means of confronting a behemoth that could destroy a country.

To maximize the potential of that one person’s talent, all regular training can be ignored.

In other words, even going Beast hunting on the very first day of joining is permitted.

I took Hilde to the armory for lower-ranked hunters.

“Choose your weapons.”

Normally, this kind of thing would never be allowed for a trainee hunter.

However, before exceptional aptitude, it becomes natural.

The storehouse keeper had a somewhat disgruntled expression, but I paid no attention.

“Hmm…”

Hilde first picked up the same hand axe and pistol as last time.

For a lower-ranked hunter, moreover a newcomer, the balance isn’t bad.

But I found it a bit wasteful.

If thinking of Hilde as a player character from Blue Paper Moon, there was something much better than these.

“Could you handle this too?”

I picked up a massive battle axe hanging on the wall.

“What? Something this big… I’ve used ordinary staffs a little…”

“Then this should be fine. Take this too.”

While there’s no way to get it now, among the hidden items you could obtain around mid-game in Blue Paper Moon, there was an incredibly powerful axe.

While it had no special effects and stylish combat couldn’t be expected, its insane base stats and reinforcement efficiency made it a frequent choice.

“Hey now… Though I don’t know much about fighting, that doesn’t seem like a weapon suited for a young lady like her?”

The storehouse keeper said.

Like Hera, he’s an ordinary person from outside, but since he’s in charge of weapon logistics directly related to combat, he should have some eye for these things.

Of course, his words have merit.

No, they could even be called orthodox.

Even I used much lighter weapons in the early game of Blue Paper Moon before switching in mid-game.

But that was because it was a game.

In reality, suddenly changing weapons feels awkward and increases the chance of mistakes in the field.

“She’s not a young lady.”

That was all I could say.

My choice was made because I knew the game’s knowledge, but from the current perspective, his words were right.

There was no need to persuade him, nor any means to do so.

After that, we gathered sufficient ammunition, smoke bombs, scent-masking potions, and other supplies before heading out.

“Um, Senior…”

“What?”

“Can I really handle something like this well?”

“…Do you trust me?”

“Y-yes! I’m not saying I don’t trust you…!”

“Then that’s enough. Just follow me well.”

I understand that feeling of disbelief.

If so, the best thing is to make her realize through actual practice that she can do it herself.

We borrowed horses and left the Order.

The Hunting Order also raises horses for transportation.

Though hunters strengthened with magical power rarely need to ride since running normally is faster.

Even the guards were looking strangely at people in hunters’ uniforms riding horses.

But since Hilde hadn’t awakened her magical power yet, we had no choice.

And after riding for nearly half a day, we arrived at a dense forest with nothing around except a cabin in front of it.

“…Hmm?”

A person sunbathing in a chair in front of the cabin got up and looked at us.

“Excuse me. Are you Mr. Thompson, the forest keeper?”

I dismounted and walked toward him.

“Hunters? What brings you suddenly to a place like this?”

Thompson wore a wide-brimmed hat similar to hunters and had a luxuriant beard.

At his waist were two pistols – one ordinary, but the other similar to the Order’s silver bullet type.

“I can’t explain the details, but we’ll be entering this forest briefly. Please look after our horses during that time.”

“…Are you really hunters?”

Thompson’s gaze turned to the horses.

“We have our reasons. And we are genuine hunters.”

I took out a hunter’s token from my pocket and showed him.

It’s like a hunter’s dog tag, and anyone who tries to replicate or impersonate it faces severe punishment.

“Hmm… Looks genuine. Well, I don’t mind either way. Just a bit taken aback, that’s all. If you’re real hunters, go right ahead.”

Thompson is the keeper of this juniper forest.

This forest is dangerous, with an endless curse flowing from somewhere that affects wild animals and turns them into Beasts.

However, compared to real Beasts, they’re not monsters but just violent creatures, so it’s not serious enough for hunters to mobilize for subjugation, but they can’t let these near-Beast animals spread to civilian areas either, hence the forest keeper.

“Senior, what is this place…?”

“It’s a forest where dangerous creatures appear. Stay alert and follow me closely.”

“Could there be Beasts here…?”

“There are no real Beasts here. Just dangerous animals, as he said.”

Thompson waved his hands dismissively.

In Blue Paper Moon, the juniper forest was a good place for farming minor items in the very early game.

While defeating the hidden boss would turn it into a normal forest, since that would make even the mob creatures disappear, there was no point in doing so.

I took Hilde into the forest to deal with that hidden boss.

Of course, the boss was a real Beast.