Dark Fantasy: Super Coward Mode

Once upon a time, there was a child.

Though not wealthy, the child lived happily enough day by day, with a heart full of abundance.

The child’s mother was absent.

They say there was an accident before the child could even form any memories.

There were two siblings above, but they often stayed away from home to study for their futures.

However, the child did not feel a sense of loss from this.

The child’s father raised them with utmost devotion and overflowing love.

“I’m back!”

“Father!”

The father’s job was that of a Hunter.

He often returned home with significant injuries, making the child worry something was terribly wrong, but the father would always brush it off, claiming hunting animals was his job.

“You’ve gotten hurt again! I told you to stay away from dangerous places!”

“Pfft! What’s so unusual about this little injury? Just put some salve on it, sleep, and it’ll heal!”

“Who was it that grumbled all day long while saying that?!”

“Ahem, isn’t it a parent’s duty to care for their child?”

“Ugh, really! Just one more time! I’ll stay locked up in my room all day!”

“Ah, that’s out of the question! Living without seeing my child’s face? I’d rather die!”

The child couldn’t help but sigh at the father’s playful demeanor.

But still, the child loved the father.

And on the days he cooked the game he brought home, it was pure bliss.

“How’s the academy?”

“Of course! Unlike you who goes alone, I have lots of friends!”

“Then that’s a relief. I don’t need friends as long as I can see my little one.”

“Geez, that three-inch tongue of yours!”

In these tender exchanges, they spent time together until bedtime, which was the child’s happiest moment.

One day, all three siblings gathered together.

The child was thrilled to hear the lively chatter in the house after such a long time.

“Today’s my lucky day! I caught a moose!”

The father entered with an excited stride, dragging a huge moose along.

A find of this size was truly marvelous for a child who usually filled their belly with weasels and rabbits.

Ah, today was indeed one of those rare, truly happy days!

The child hummed happily while watching the father prepare the moose.

Then the tragedy struck, without reason.

The child faced the horror unfolding before them.

A wrecked house, not a single trace left of their siblings.

And their father, with a dazed look, missing a whole left ribcage.

This had happened while the father was away, lost in thought during a stroll.

A passerby said it was the work of an Outsider.

An Outsider of human size had smashed their house in a fury, howling in rage.

What had the Knights been doing?

While an Outsider appeared in a place where the Giant of the Snow Mountain was, were the people within Rondan sitting idly by?

Yet the child reined in the urge to blame others, fueling their pure anger instead.

Yes.

If it weren’t for the Outsiders, our family could have lived peacefully.

It was all the Outsiders’ fault for trapping us within this narrow fence.

Just as the father became a Hunter for their sake.

They too would become a Hunter to take revenge for their father.

“Little one.”

“Cry all you want.”

*

“…Hmph.”

The Hunter woke from a jolting train ride with a disgruntled expression, gazing out the window.

Since last time, the dreams had started changing oddly.

At the end of the nightmares that had always tormented them, that man always popped up.

What was even more bothersome was how that man’s concern felt strangely warm.

“…Damn it.”

#

“Are you seriously saying that right now?! We’re with the Knights of Rondan!”

“Do you expect me to believe you when you just rode an illegal train made by Candles?”

“It was a desperate situation!”

“We also have problems without evidence.”

Agartha was fervently arguing with the Doorkeepers.

She had become a dead person, so her ID wasn’t valid, and she had even arrived on a train stolen from a Candle, making it quite a predicament for the Doorkeepers.

Why wasn’t I going out?

It’s simple.

Agartha was worried that stories about me might have spread to other domains, so she told me not to act recklessly.

How could news spread so quickly from just Rondan? But considering Agartha’s actions, there must be others like her.

So I’d decided to remain quiet.

“For now, just let me in, and I’ll prove my worth!”

“Everyone says that and tries to get in. Usually, after the interrogation, the truth about Candles comes out. If you really want, we can interrogate you to prove it.”

“Yikes! I haven’t done a thing, and you’re ready to use violence already!”

…This would take all day, wouldn’t it?

Especially since I’d likely be dragged off and undergo ‘Water knows the answer’ if I messed up!

As much as I didn’t want to, I didn’t want Asti to see such a grim scene either.

I had no choice.

Whether something happened later or not, I had to extinguish this urgent fire first.

“Ahem.”

As I cleared my throat stepping forward, two Knights who had been focused on Agartha frowned and looked at me.

Agartha seemed to be questioning why I was stepping forward, but I pushed past her and handed them something.

The Doorkeepers took it, looked surprised, and then their expressions brightened.

“Wait, who is this? Sir Leydan Tanton?”

“Ah, if you had shown that earlier, we would have let you pass right away!”

Fortunately, their response was quite favorable.

It was just a gamble, but it seemed no information related to the rebels had leaked yet.

However, if I just went in like this, I could end up with problems later, as Agartha said.

So I handed each of them a snack from the train while saying,

“If you hear any strange rumors about me, don’t believe them. They’re only slanders. The only truth is with the Knights of Rondan. Understand?”

“Yes! Understood!”

My goodwill seemed to work, and the Doorkeepers smiled and opened the door for me.

They really are simple-minded people.

I gave Agartha a glance, who looked displeased, and hurried inside the domain.

Once the door shut behind us, Agartha frowned and blocked my path.

“Have you lost your mind?! How do you plan to handle what you just did?!”

“Well, it worked out okay, didn’t it? Isn’t it better than freezing to death outside?”

Sulkily, Agartha seemed to reluctantly agree and shut her mouth.

Well, if it gets too complicated, I can always run away again, right?

“Okay, what’s next? Please show me the way.”

“Seriously! If this goes wrong, don’t expect me to help!”

I chuckled awkwardly, watching Agartha walk away with a pout.

The memory of her sulking in the Underground Prison for not listening to her came to mind, and it brought me a peculiar sense of warmth.

#

It didn’t take long to find accommodation.

Someone wearing a hood swiftly approached Agartha, handed her something, and left, which turned out to be a lodging permit.

I was quite curious where she found such things, but thanks to that, we managed to get a pretty decent room.

“It has two rooms. Just right.”

“Yeah, seems like we can split it between the guys and the girls.”

Agartha glanced around the room and chimed in.

It was a nice place with soft beds that I liked.

“The facilities are good. Asti must think so too…”

I turned to say to Asti but froze when I saw her staring at me intently.

Whenever Asti made that expression, it meant she wanted something.

Thinking back, I realized what she might not be pleased with.

“Asti, that’s a no.”

Zing…

“Even if you give me that look, the answer is still no.”

Zing…

“Agartha, do something and stop her!”

Since the last time, why was she so eager to stick with me?

I really didn’t get it.

I looked to Agartha for help, but she wore a playful grin.

“Isn’t it typical of Tanton to chase after Outsiders without discrimination?”

…Somehow, I managed to convince Asti and succeeded in having her sleep with Agartha.

The next day, after spending the night…

For some reason, the temperature in the domain felt unusually cold, making it feel chillier than usual.

Thanks to my knight outfit, I could withstand the cold to some extent, but it was particularly chilly this time.

So I headed outside the building to check the situation, and I noticed a man running around outside, shouting something attention-grabbing.

“The Hunter has failed the hunt!”

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