Dark Fantasy’s Extra

Hilde’s training was progressing smoothly.

True to her role as the game’s protagonist, she quickly mastered everything I taught her.

It took her just three days to make basic marksmanship and pushing techniques her own.

In a few more days, once we receive the equipment from Zepetia, we’ll be ready to head to the next battlefield.

In about two weeks, the Little Mermaid’s large-scale raid will begin, and the Beasts that appear then will be different from what we’ve faced so far.

Particularly troublesome are the mob enemies called Drowned Ones that occasionally appear. Not only do they deal powerful damage, but they also perform suicide attacks that inflict various debuffs, so they must either be killed from a distance or pushed away if they’re already close.

Even when killed normally, they still perform a weak suicide explosion where they stand, making them enemies to be careful of.

The reason I’ve been teaching Hilde shooting and pushing techniques lately was to deal with these Drowned Ones.

“Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s focus on physical strength and magical power again starting tomorrow, like we used to.”

I told Hilde after evening training had ended.

“Is training over?”

Runius was waiting for us on our way out.

“Sir Runius? What brings you here so suddenly?”

“I came to observe Miss Hilde’s training.”

Ah… I have a bad feeling about this.

“This was my only chance since I won’t have time otherwise. However…”

He sighed while crossing his arms.

“What exactly have you been teaching?”

“Pushing techniques.”

“It looked like just simple pushing, not Bash.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t taught Bash? Miss Sephira even demonstrated it herself back then.”

“I plan to teach it later.”

“Why?”

“Is there a reason I need to teach it now?”

“How can you say that? Setting such low limits…!”

“Starting low and reaching high – that’s my training philosophy.”

“That kind of approach suits ordinary people like you… Ahem.”

Runius cleared his throat, seeming to realize his slip of the tongue.

“Anyway, what I’m saying is, considering Miss Hilde’s talent, that’s not enough. Didn’t you take her hunting a mid-tier Beast from the very beginning? So why are you now teaching such trivial techniques…?”

“Hilde’s training is my-“

“There you are!”

Just then, Latina rushed in between me and Runius.

“What is it?”

Runius asked.

“I’m Eugene’s ally.”

She put her arm around my shoulders.

Despite her small stature, her tremendous strength left me in an awkward posture.

“You’re starting missions tomorrow, right? I figured you’d definitely come to see Hilde today since it would be hard to do so later.”

“You seem well-informed. Then you must know why I’m doing this?”

“Hilde’s training belongs to this guy. That’s what old man Crowty and Sephira decided. Neither we nor anyone else should interfere.”

“That’s right.”

I carefully slipped out of her shoulder hold and said.

“This is my mission.”

“I truly cannot understand. Why a lower-ranked hunter of all people? I don’t mean to look down on you. But this makes absolutely no sense.”

“Excuse me.”

Hilde, who had been quiet behind us, stepped forward.

“You’re the third son of the Millith viscounty, correct?”

Runius is also of noble birth.

“That’s right. But before being a noble, I am a hunter. The same goes for you, I assume.”

“Indeed. I, too, abandoned my noble status to come here.”

“That’s exactly why I can’t just stand by and watch. You deserve more special treatment…”

“That’s not necessary. I’m simply following orders as a hunter. The order to receive training from Senior Eugene.”

“…”

Runius was left speechless.

“So if you have complaints about this matter, take them to Lady Sephira or Sir Crowty who gave the order.”

“Just what…”

Runius’s gaze turned to me.

“…Very well. I’ll withdraw for today.”

He turned his back and left.

“But I won’t just stand by and watch. I must find a way to resolve this irrational situation.”

“Hmm…”

Irrational, he says.

Honestly, I can understand how he feels.

No, it would seem strange to anyone really.

Having a lower-ranked hunter teach someone who’s clearly destined to be a higher-ranked hunter.

That said, it’s somewhat novel to have others step in without me needing to say anything.

“Um… thank you for coming.”

I first said to Latina.

“This much is nothing. I told you before, didn’t I? That I’m on your side. Runius won’t have time because he’s being assigned to guard duty tomorrow. I’ll be busy starting the day after too. You’ve heard about the Grand Conference, right?”

“Yes. That’s why everyone’s running around frantically.”

Even mid-ranked hunters are already in semi-wartime readiness, guarding around the Order.

Preparations were more thorough than ever because of incidents like Blanc being sighted and the large-scale raid that happened in the headquarters region, like with Hilde.

They’ve even reduced the number of lower-ranked hunters going out to the field and increased patrols instead.

Of course, I’m excluded since I’m in charge of Hilde’s training.

“No one will try to interfere while they’re busy too, but once the Grand Conference ends, something big will definitely happen. Runius likes to organize things systematically, after all.”

Latina gave a few more pieces of advice before leaving.

“Hilde.”

“Yes?”

“It just occurred to me, but you’ve really become a proper hunter. Even talking about following orders and everything.”

“A-are you teasing me?”

Hilde’s face turned red.

“No, I mean it.”

“But you’re smiling!”

“I’m smiling because I’m proud. Because I’m proud.”

I lightly ruffled Hilde’s hair.

“Now let’s go wash up and head in.”

“…Excuse me.”

Just then, another visitor came looking for us.

It was an elderly man who thoroughly concealed his emotions behind an air of dignity.

From his attire, he wasn’t affiliated with the Order but seemed like a noble’s butler, though I didn’t know him.

“Ah, Mr. Drian.”

Hilde recognized him and greeted him.

“Hello, Miss Hilde. Or should I call you Hunter now?”

“Please call me whatever is comfortable.”

“Excuse me, but who are you?”

I asked him.

“Might you be Hunter Eugene, who’s in charge of Miss Hilde’s training?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Pleased to meet you. I am Drian, butler to Marquis Bluebeard.”

Butler Drian who serves Marquis Bluebeard?

…Ah, that person.

Someone whose name remained in the original game.

Unfortunately, he was already dead during gameplay so I never saw his face.

“What brings you here?”

“The Marquis would like to meet with you both.”

“The Marquis?”

“Yes. He instructed me to ask after your training was finished, which is why I’m only mentioning it now. He also added that it’s fine to decline.”

I turned to look at Hilde.

A silent question of what she wanted to do.

“Well…”

“Well, this is your personal matter, so I won’t interfere.”

“Ahem.”

Butler Drian cleared his throat.

“The Marquis has invited you both.”

“What?”

“That is, Hunter Eugene is included as well.”

“The Marquis wants to see me?”

Why me suddenly?

“While the Marquis certainly wishes to meet Miss Hilde, he felt that to properly face the current Miss Hilde, he should also meet Hunter Eugene who is responsible for her as a hunter.”

This is quite… no, very concerning…

Marquis Bluebeard betrays the Order in the late story.

Moreover, being someone with great power and status, depending on the branch points, the entire Order branch under his control could be annihilated, or in the worst case, his country could fall.

While one of the witches, Princess Bari, was the root cause of everything, it was undeniably Marquis Bluebeard who carried out the massacre.

Meeting such a being is dangerous.

“What will you do?”

“Come with me, Senior. The Marquis is a very good person.”

That’s what makes it even more tragic.

The Marquis is a good person who shows proper respect even to commoners like me if their character and experience are without fault.

In the story, he was greatly respected for personally supporting hunters who had to retire due to serious disabilities.

Moreover, while he was indeed the main perpetrator of the massacre, the reason he committed such horrible acts was…

“What will you do? It’s fine to decline. The Marquis is someone who understands the discomfort that comes from differences in status. However, if you accept the invitation, he likely won’t send you away empty-handed.”

Butler Drian said.

“…Alright.”

I nodded.

While it’s certainly dangerous, the greater the burden, the greater the potential gain.

If I can remove the seeds of future disaster in advance, I could save countless lives and steer the story in a better direction.

“Then follow me. The Marquis is already staying in quarters within the Order.”

Hilde and I followed the butler to where Marquis Bluebeard was staying.

Being someone in a core position within the Order, security was tight around his quarters.

Mid-ranked hunters guarded the entrance, all fully armed.

Though not visible here, Sephira must be around too.

We passed through them and went inside, stopping before the Marquis’s room.

When Drian knocked, a servant inside opened the door and exchanged places with Drian.

“Now, please enter. The Marquis is waiting.”

Hilde and I went inside.

Though spacious as befitting quarters for high-ranking individuals, the furnishings were rather sparse considering the Marquis’s status.

The most striking thing was the single massive framed portrait on the wall.

Inside the frame was a portrait of a beautiful noblewoman smiling.

While it was just a passing setting detail in the game, the Marquis had apparently removed all other furniture from the room just to properly appreciate that portrait.

And the Marquis, who had been sitting in front of that portrait, stood up and turned to face us.

“Welcome.”

Marquis Bluebeard greeted us.

“It’s been a while, Marquis Bluebeard.”

Hilde gave an elegant noble’s greeting.

“Pleased to meet you.”

I gave a slight bow.

“Indeed. It has been a while, Hilde. And you must be 9th-rank hunter Eugene, who’s in charge of Hilde’s training?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, pleased to meet you. Please, sit down first. While I’d like to invite you to dinner, I can’t let my selfishness interfere with training.”

He gestured to the guest chairs.

As we walked over, a servant pulled out the chair for the Marquis, then did the same for Hilde.

Meanwhile, I just sat down on my own.

The servant seemed somewhat taken aback.

“Ah, it’s fine. A hunter has a hunter’s ways.”

The Marquis said to the servant.

“If anything, it’s rather reassuring. Acting like a proper hunter without being flustered in my presence – it inspires confidence.”

“Thank you.”

“Hilde still has more to learn. You still carry yourself too much like a noble.”

Hilde flinched.

“Hohoho, I jest. Don’t worry too much about it. Anyway, the reason I called you here…”

The Marquis was about to say something, but I momentarily failed to hear his words.

I was distracted by something next to the fireplace where he had been sitting.

There, under a glass cover, was a single black flower.

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