Dark Fantasy’s Extra

The Heresy Inquisition Department is the darkest and most radical division of the Hunting Order.

They actively track down and deal with beings who have strayed from the Order’s laws.

The most prominent example is the detection of Beasts.

Sephira and I were dragged to the Heresy Inquisition Department because we testified about encountering a behemoth.

Behemoths are the apex of Beasts, and many of the specimens recorded in the past had dangerous and troublesome abilities.

There were cases where they controlled humans or used them as conduits for powerful and dangerous abilities (like self-destruction).

In other words, we were being treated as hazardous materials and had to undergo intensive examination.

No less than five Heresy Inquisition officers were present to observe.

The Blanc I remembered wasn’t that type of enemy.

Although she did many crazy things in the story, in combat, she stubbornly stuck to pure physical fighting.

Even if you wrapped yourself completely in equipment focused on physical defense, each of her hits dealt such tremendous damage that you couldn’t survive even three consecutive hits.

Fortunately, no curse was detected in my saliva, blood, urine, or feces.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

After the physical examination, there was a one-on-one interview with each Heresy Inquisition officer.

“Eugene. 9th-rank hunter. You’ve worked at the Order for 10 years and 5 months, correct?”

Asked the Heresy Inquisition officer with a gaunt face full of scars.

“I’ve worked as a hunter for about that long. But before that, I also worked as an odd-jobs worker for about 5 years.”

“…I see.”

It must have been a bluff.

If I had simply said yes, they would have persistently questioned me about my past experience.

“Where are you from?”

“In Vanitas village…”

The Heresy Inquisition officer asked about various trivial things, from past missions I had taken to how I spent my wages.

Since it was a procedure to verify whether I was an elaborately disguised Beast or in a brainwashed state, I answered diligently.

Meeting with five Heresy Inquisition officers one by one took considerable time.

With no windows, I couldn’t gauge the time outside, but evening must have passed by now.

After the interrogation, I waited in the waiting room.

Though I was hungry and my wounds hurt, this wasn’t an environment where I could complain.

If by any chance I was judged to be a Beast, a higher-ranked hunter would come in and kill me regardless of what I said.

I thought it probably wouldn’t come to that, but the worry and tension of having my life at stake was still there.

After waiting a bit longer, a Heresy Inquisition officer entered.

“9th-rank hunter Eugene.”

“Yes.”

“Not guilty.”

I breathed an inward sigh of relief.

“Write down the details of what happened today, or rather yesterday, in this report, and you may leave.”

It seems a whole day had already passed.

“Um… what about 3rd-rank hunter Sephira…”

“She’s also not guilty. You can rest assured.”

“I see.”

I received a sheet of paper and wrote about my encounter with Blanc with appropriate modifications.

I didn’t write about being treated for my injuries by her.

It would be sufficient to say that Blanc tried to deceive me by disguising herself as human, but I noticed she was a Beast and stalled for time while evading her until Sephira arrived.

“Hmm, you may go now. Head straight to the hospital first to properly treat your wounds.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“…No need to thank us.”

The Heresy Inquisition officer said.

I understood the feeling behind those words.

While Heresy Inquisition officers sound frightening, and their actual work is indeed terrifying.

Sometimes they use methods that might seem excessively violent and cruel.

But that’s not because they have sadistic personalities.

They simply have no choice but to use such means because they’re truly necessary when dealing with Beasts.

Since they said Sephira was also not guilty, there was no need to worry further.

My wounds were still just as they were after first aid.

If anything, the treatment Blanc had initially given might have been better.

If by any chance I had been a Beast, it would have been better to leave me injured, and for everyone else’s safety except me, they wouldn’t have bothered to properly treat the wounds.

I understand.

It couldn’t be helped.

Cutting off the few to protect the many.

That’s what my respected seniors taught me with their lives.

*    *    *

After getting my wounds properly treated at headquarters hospital, I went to the general store.

Unlike the cafeteria, fortunately the hospital and general store are open 24/7.

The things sold at the general store are mostly preserved foods including snacks, or personal armaments.

Like in the game, the higher your rank, the better the variety and quality of items sold at the store.

“One ham sandwich, one yogurt, that’ll be 4 Order Silver coins in total.”

Order Silver is the currency used in Blue Paper Moon.

Silver naturally has properties that repel curses, so the whole world jointly issues it to find Beasts hiding as humans.

I’m not sure how much value it would have compared to my previous life.

The prices are too different to begin with.

A ham sandwich and a cup of yogurt are two Order Silver coins each, but a handful of candy is worth 100 Order Silver coins.

In this era where modern and medieval times are oddly mixed, even things like candy are luxury items.

For reference, a 9th-rank hunter’s monthly salary is 100 Order Silver coins.

My salary is equivalent to a handful of candy.

It might sound a bit pitiful, but it’s enough money for an average family of four to live on for over a month, or 2–3 months if they economize.

Add the allowances, and it becomes an above middle-class income.

For someone like me who was born in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts, this job is desperate.

“…”

I stared at the sandwich I had received.

“Is something wrong?”

The general store lady asked.

“No, it’s just…”

Of course, just this sandwich and yogurt had cost more than a day’s food budget.

But on a tough and tiring day like today, wouldn’t it be okay to give myself a little more of a treat?

“…I’ll take a chunk of bacon too, please.”

“Alright, that’ll be 3 Order Silver coins.”

I paid and received a bag containing a fist-sized chunk of bacon.

After leaving the general store, I took out the bacon.

In this world, bacon wasn’t sold in thin slices but in chunks.

The price was relatively cheap.

Still, meat remains a luxury item.

I used my dagger to slice the bacon chunk appropriately and put it in the sandwich.

Even in my previous life, I’d never seen such a thick sandwich stuffed with bacon.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Though there was no one to hear, it was just a habit carried over from my previous life.

After filling my stomach with the meat-packed sandwich and moistening my throat with a cup of yogurt, I cleaned up the trash and returned to my quarters.

I felt a little better, if only slightly.

The most important things you can do for yourself when injured are eating well and sleeping well.

This world has hospitals and doctors too, but they don’t have as many methods as in my previous life, and their techniques are crude.

Potions that heal wounds like magic haven’t yet been developed to the point of mass production.

After returning to my quarters, I immediately collapsed onto the bed.

Though I thought I should wash up, my body felt too heavy.

Only after lying down did I notice that one sleeve was torn, but I couldn’t fight my drooping eyelids.

The clothes could be mended later…

*    *    *

Sephira opened her eyes.

Looking at the clock, it hadn’t been long since she’d fallen asleep after returning from the interrogation.

After returning to Order headquarters with Eugene and being investigated at the Heresy Inquisition Department, she had taken a quick shower and gone to sleep.

“Behemoth…”

This was her first encounter with a behemoth.

But she knew immediately upon seeing it.

The king of Beasts, or something that transcended Beasts, the hunters’ greatest enemy.

It was exactly as other higher-ranked hunters like Crowty had said.

As that behemoth had said, she was not yet a match for her.

At best, she could only buy time.

No, the time she held out was nothing compared to ‘that person’.

“…Eugene.”

She had charged in ready to die for him.

Just like that person had saved her long ago.

But once again, she had only been saved unilaterally by him.

She still couldn’t fulfill that person’s dream.

She didn’t have the strength to create a world where they wouldn’t have to worry about Beasts.

Sephira tightly gripped the piece of his clothing she had torn off.

That’s what she was – a pathetic woman who, lacking both the strength to fulfill that person’s dream and the courage to face him properly, could only do such petty things while he wasn’t looking.

“Someday… someday.”

*    *    *

The next morning, Sephira and I were summoned to headquarters’ main conference room.

Officially, it was to testify about the behemoth that had appeared for the first time in 20 years.

The highest officials from each department were already gathered in the conference room.

I explained exactly what I had reported to the Heresy Inquisition officer.

Sephira mainly spoke about the enemy’s strength as she had felt it during combat.

“A behemoth, is it. It’s been 20 years. Though back then, it wasn’t proper combat…”

The elderly official Corsis said.

The last officially confirmed behemoth was ‘Vile’ who appeared 20 years ago.

Vile had attacked a city, killed dozens of civilians, and fled.

It happened so suddenly, and being a relatively recently emerged behemoth with no records, they couldn’t respond properly.

Though the Hunting Order was dispatched afterward to track its whereabouts, they couldn’t find Vile who had gone into hiding.

Moreover, not just Vile, but the whereabouts of most other behemoths are also unclear.

To begin with, most of the behemoths still alive today are ones that survived the large-scale subjugation efforts of the past.

Let alone killing them, even finding them is difficult.

Furthermore, if they provoke them half-heartedly, even the Order must be prepared for tremendous damage.

That’s why while behemoths remain quiet, they focus solely on defense rather than actively disturbing them.

“But I don’t understand. You’re saying a 3rd-rank hunter was completely overwhelmed by a behemoth?”

Said Tyler, a relatively young official.

“Perhaps you couldn’t display your full abilities because you were fighting while protecting the 9th-rank hunter?”

He said while pointing at me.

Though somewhat rude, thinking normally, that would probably be the case.

“That’s not it. That Beast was strong.”

Sephira said with a slightly displeased expression.

“But still, for a higher-ranked hunter, wielding the sword used by the Saintess herself, to be powerless against a Beast…”

“If it’s a behemoth, it can’t be helped.”

Said Doyle, an elderly official.

Doyle was someone who had been quite aged even when I first joined.

It wouldn’t have been strange if he had retired already like his peers, but he remained active in service.

“Rather, it’s fortunate that a 9th-rank hunter and a rookie 3rd-rank hunter survived an encounter with a behemoth.”

“Hmm, hmm. Then about that behemoth who caused the attack…”

Though Tyler seemed unconvinced, he couldn’t directly refute the words of a veteran who had seen countless battles.

“No, more than that, this report seems a bit insufficient.”

Doyle said while looking at me.

“What?”

“9th-rank hunter Eugene. I remember you. You survived that hell seven years ago.”