Chapter 4: Respite
Ten days passed since the death of Jack S. Adist and Zeta's recruitment. Since then, Shadow Garden has been abuzz with activity.
"We have six members now," Beta says while looking over some of the reports on her work pile. "One of which is a former Named Child as well. Between what we found in the research base holding Epsilon and Zeta's information, we have more than enough to form a small army." The former holy woman smiles beatifically, cheeks turning rosy red. "As always, Lord Shadow is ten steps ahead."
Alpha nods in agreement. "Everything is playing out as he expected."
It should not have been so surprising. Even from the very beginning, Alpha knew Shadow was a cut above ordinary people. No ordinary person, human and otherwise, could have found a way to cure Possession, much less possess incredible magic power. No ordinary person could have the resolve to wage a one-man war against a shadowy organization controlling the world from behind the scenes. It was not remiss to think their leader may even be omniscient.
While Shadow Garden searched fruitlessly for Karen von Herzog's location, Shadow was already putting his plan into motion. He knew from the very beginning Jack S. Adist was part of the Cult, that they were targeting him because of his mother. Truthfully, Alpha and the others did not know whether the circumstances of Shadow's birth were the reason behind his incredible strength. Beta believes Shadow was destined for great things, as ordained by the Goddess Beatrix. Alpha believes Sofia Midgar's Possession had no impact on Shadow. Regardless of the truth, the Cult of Diabolos were targeting Shadow without realizing he was Shadow Garden's leader.
After this recent attempt ended in failure, it is unlikely they will try again in the future. The incident nonetheless informs Shadow Garden that the cult's influence still persists in the palace. Beta is already making preparations to find and root out their spies with Gamma's assistance.
Alpha's thoughts return to Zeta.
Initially, Alpha had doubts about their newest member. It is her belief that the Cult of Diabolos are evil and those who associate with them are evil as well. In that regard, Shadow Garden are champions of justice. By that same logic, Alpha viewed Zeta as evil. Beta and Gamma argued she would prove an incredible asset if they could secure her loyalty, but she was unconvinced. She was a Child of the Cult, and a Named Child at that. Her loyalty was ironclad. Betrayal would likely not even occur to her. Their "rescue mission" would simply be an execution. A small part of Alpha even shamefully looked forward to killing her.
Shadow proved her wrong.
Zeta is not the person Alpha thought she was. The Cult's actions upon discovering her Possession pulled the wool from her eyes and forced her to look at the ugly truth. Between the deaths of her parents and the Cult being so quick to use her as one of their many guinea pigs, the Named Child's belief and trust in them was thoroughly destroyed. Since joining Shadow Garden, her view of the Cult of Diabolos has only fallen further to the point of outright shame and disgust. The reports hidden away in Jack S. Adist's facility contained several pieces of surprising information, including the Cult's experimentation and records of all Possessed "test subjects" in the Midgar Kingdom. Among those experiments were infants.
This peace of news horrified Shadow Garden to its core, but Zeta's reaction was arguably the worst.
"If you believe I am a traitor for even a moment, or that you believe I am turning traitor, do not hesitate to kill me," Zeta begged them with haunted eyes. "I would rather die as Zeta than become Shooting Star again."
You knew Karen von Herzog's character from the start, didn't you, Shadow?
It is the only reason Alpha can think of for Shadow to extend an invitation. He knew she had doubts, and to prove this to Shadow Garden, he put her in a position where she could side with the Cult and reaffirm her loyalties or disavow them forever. Without hesitation, she tried to protect Shadow.
Alpha still has doubts about Zeta, but many of them are quelled thanks to Shadow's efforts. In any case, Zeta's cooperation is a great boon. As Beta says, they now have the names and locations of every supposed Possessed in the Midgar Kingdom. They could theoretically create an army, which is exactly what they need to defeat the Cult. As much as it shames her to admit, Shadow Garden as it is now lacks the manpower and resources to defeat their enemy, even with the funds Shadow receives. They need to become stronger.
The time when they would spread their wings and seek out strength is fast approaching. The coming hour instills sadness in Alpha. Their absence will be temporary, but the thought of leaving Shadow for a short while leaves her heart aching in pain.
"Speaking of our new members," Beta says. "Epsilon has sufficiently recovered enough that she's begun training. I've been snuffing out rumors and any hearsay about her among the staff, but it won't be long before Claire Kagenou's reappearance makes it way outside the palace."
Due to five years worth of isolation and experimentation by the cult, Epsilon was deemed unfit for duty and remained at the palace to recuperate under Beta's watchful eye. Alpha assumed it would have been at least a month or two before she recovered enough to where she could hold a sword, but the speed of her recovery astounds her. Still, Beta's worries are legitimate. While Epsilon may be the daughter of a baron, she is still a noble who ran away from home, and gossip among the nobles of the royal court can be a frightening thing. Information always has a way of leaking out. They could suppress news of Claire's return, but not forever.
"We will need to relocate Epsilon, then," Alpha says sternly. "She mentioned an abandoned town in her family's territory, isn't that right? We could use that as a temporary base until we know more about the Abyss Woods."
Beta smiles mysteriously. Alpha has seen it enough to know her comrade knows something she doesn't. "Funny you should mention that…"
X x X x X x X x X
"Princess Iris—"
"Iris, Cid," the red-haired girl chides her cousin. "We've been over this. When it's just us, you don't have to be so formal."
Cid rolls his eyes in exasperation. "Cousin." Iris pouts. It isn't what she was hoping for, but at least he didn't call her 'esteemed cousin'. "I'm fine, really."
"Are you sure? You don't have to lie, you know. Being kidnapped is a harrowing experience, I've been told."
"Seriously, I'm alright. Besides, it's not like I was really worth anything to them."
Honestly, this boy. In spite of herself, Iris smiles.
It's been almost fourteen years since Cid arrived at the palace. Alexia had just been born and Iris was five-years-old at the time. She was playing with her little sister under the watchful eye of Alexia's wetnurse when her father suddenly came into the room and bid her to follow him. That was the day she met her newborn cousin, a small precocious little thing who looked at the world in wonder and excitement.
Sofia Midgar is something of a taboo subject in the palace. Iris knows of her aunt, but information about her is seldom revealed. Her father speaks rarely of her, and the few times he does, his face is wrought with sorrow and pain. Iris didn't even know she had an aunt until she met Cid. When she asked her father why she never met Sofia, the king wore a regretful countenance and eyes swelled with sorrow.
"I betrayed her trust. I don't think she ever forgave me, even in her dying breath."
It's the last time he speaks of her in Iris' presence.
Although it's believed Cid's father is a commoner, her father looked past that and officially recognized him as part of the royal family. While it's doubtful Cid would ever become king, he was nonetheless granted the title and privileges of princehood. Unfortunately, Iris' excitement of having a new member in her family was swiftly destroyed by the palace nobles, some of whom she once affectionally called 'uncle' and 'aunt'. It's a shocking thing to witness, seeing a person she adored suddenly turn callous and mocking. They decry and demean Cid at almost every turn for no reason except because of who his father is.
As someone who adored her family, Iris took issues with this and took it upon herself to become her cousin's shield. Whenever she saw the children of the palace nobles confront and demean him, she intervened. To her mild frustration, the nobles saw this as a reason why she was fit to the crown princess, applauding her resolve and refusal to allow any to bully the weak. They either missed or flat-out ignored the fact that the "weakling" in question was her family. Even worse is how the overall atmosphere and attitude of the palace nobles affects Cid.
He is average in every sense of the word. His studies are average, his swordplay is mediocre at best, and expresses little interest in self-improvement. That isn't to say he doesn't have potential. Alexia told her she caught Cid practicing with a sword one night, describing the scene as a waltz of steel. Iris was intrigued and paid closer attention to Cid. It's then she noticed how rough and worn-out his gloves were. She convinced her instructor Sir Adist to allow Cid to spar with her, and while she won easily, she noticed how deft Cid is with a blade.
She recalls an incident when she was starting her second year at the Spellsword Academy. A duke's son challenged Cid to a duel and lost. Contrary to Iris' expectations, Cid's victory only earns him scorn for "forgetting his place".
He holds himself back, and Iris knows it's the palace nobles' fault. They instill him with the idea that, because of his commoner blood, he will never amount to anything. It boils her blood every time she sees the mockery and taunts thrown her cousin's way.
Iris wants to prove them wrong and show them the boy they mock so ruthlessly is stronger than they could ever hope to be. She does not care about his commoner blood, and contrary to the rest of the nobility's belief, she sees nothing wrong with commoners achieving higher stations with their own merits. In fact, many soldiers she's come to call comrades and brothers-in-arms hail from ordinary families in the outer edges of the capital and in the frontiers. These same people are the ones she intends to recruit into her order when she graduates and obtains permission from her father.
Honestly speaking, Iris considers Cid more like her younger brother than a cousin. His apparent dedication and desire to become stronger, things he keeps hidden from everyone out of fear, are admirable and surprisingly adorable. If she were honest, Cid could change the minds of the palace nobles all by himself if he put in the extra effort. It was mainly why she offers invitations to her training sessions and social events in the hopes he could make connections and form alliances, things he would definitely need when he gets involved with palace politics. As someone who despises the politics herself, Iris dreads when she'll be forced to join "The Game" as some call it. She's seen what it does to her father and what it's made of him.
Worse, Iris has no doubt the court politics are responsible for the recent incident. Remembering what happened sets her heart alight with fury.
When I find that Adist bastard, I'm going to hang his head for all to see!
Cid was kidnapped—kidnapped!—right under her very nose. Even worse, the culprit was none other than Sir Jack S. Adist, her sword instructor and one of the best knights in the kingdom. There's no doubt Adist wanted to use Cid as leverage and bargaining tool. No matter what the palace nobles claim, Cid is a prince and recognized as such by King Klaus Midgar himself. Fortunately, Cid was saved by an unknown individual. He never got a good look at their face, save that they were dressed all in black and wielded a sword.
The description reminds her of someone from her past. Someone she hasn't seen in the last three years. It makes her think that person also saved her beloved cousin, but she can't be sure. The knights are still investigating and trying to find out where Adist had gone. The place where he sequestered himself is no more than a pile of rubble, and any information they could have gotten there is long gone.
Iris curses her weakness more than ever. Cid was taken under her watch. It can't happen again.
"Cousin?"
Iris realizes she hasn't spoken in a while. Cid looks at her in concern, but she manages to smile and reassure him she's fine. She worries how how gullible her cousin is.
"Your Highness, there you are! I've been looking for… Ah! P-Princess Iris! I'm sorry!"
Case in point.
A young girl with long black hair and red eyes enters the gazebo, garbed in a black training shirt and slacks. At her side is a sword, its sheathe well worn and battered while sweat drips from the girl's form.
"Hello, Claire," Iris greets the new arrival with a nod. "How are you doing?"
Claire's posture is rigid and stiff. "F-fine. Very fine. Thank you for asking!"
The mysterious Claire is an open secret among the palace staff. Maids gossip over the smallest things and lose interest in a few days, but the subject of Cid Midgar suddenly bringing an injured girl from the seediest districts of the capital is a hot topic that lasts for weeks. Iris first met her when she saw the girl in the courtyard with a sword. Her swordsmanship is lackluster, but there's a beauty to it. What really caught Iris' attention was her mana. It's potent, stronger than anything she's seen.
She was suspicious of her at first. The girl came from the seedy outskirts, a place where the knights patrol regularly to weed out criminals and hoodlums on an almost daily basis. It wasn't unheard of for street urchins to band together and cause a ruckus every now and then in those areas. There was a chance Claire could be a swindler trying to take advantage of Cid's kindness, though her suspicions were dispelled when she saw her training.
There was practiced ease in how she holds a sword. Iris knew almost instantly the girl trained with a sword, but it's been some time since she last held one. Her movements were rough, but there's potential.
Curious and perhaps interested in Cid's guest, Iris made herself known to the girl and struck up a conversation. Claire is a runaway who fell in with the wrong crowd and tried to make a break for it, only to get punished and left for dead. Cid found her by chance and brought her back to the palace. That act of kindness in turn spurned her to swear fealty to him. The idea a girl from the slums wished to become a knight is outlandish, but Iris did not mock her for it. She saw the fire in her eyes and encouraged her.
Admittedly, Iris did have another reason for welcoming Claire to the palace and giving her free pass to her private training ground.
She has the same hair and eyes as Cid does, Iris noticed.
The thought is so ridiculous and outlandish, Iris almost laughs. The only reason the idea persists is because she sees how Claire looks at Cid when she thinks no one is looking. It's a familiar look, one tinged with sadness.
"You two know each other?" Cid asks in surprise.
Iris nods. "We've met. She made quite the impression on me, so I agreed to let her use my personal training grounds. She's surprisingly natural with a sword." A thought occurs to Iris. "Claire, how old are you?"
"Fifteen, Your Highness."
"I see. In that case, would you be interested in attending the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy?" Claire stares at her in surprise. "While commoners are normally exempt from entering the academy, there are exceptions. Some commoners earn scholarships and referrals from noble families and companies, mostly on the promise the student will become a retainer. If you'd like, I can prepare a referral."
Claire swallows. "That is generous of you, Your Highness, but might I ask why?"
"Like I said, you have a talent for swordsmanship." Iris sets her cup on the saucer and squares her shoulders. "To tell you the truth, I intend to create a knight order when I graduate three months from now. When the time comes, I'd like to extend a formal invitation to join after you graduate."
After having exchanged blows with her, Iris is confident Claire will become an incredible knight. She is already skilled with a sword, and with the right training, she can become a force to be reckoned with. She knows it's awfully presumptuous to offer such a bargain to someone she's met, much less offer however indirectly to become her instructor, but Iris wants Claire at her side. They share the same goal, after all.
Claire's response surprises Iris. "I appreciate the offer, Your Highness, but I must decline. I intend to take the knightsworn exam."
Iris' eyes widen significantly. The knightsworn exam is the quickest, surest way to obtain knighthood, but the exam is equally as difficult to pass. The proctors of the exam are not only the highest-ranking knights in the kingdom, but also esteemed warriors with influence and power. At least two Iris knew of also held seats in the Royal Council. While she's confident in her abilities, Iris doubted whether she could pass the exam; not because she's worried she might fall short, but because of the ever-changing nature of the exam. The details of the exam change depending on who is the acting proctor, and the identity of the proctor is a carefully guarded secret.
"Are you sure?" Iris asks in worry. "Depending on who your proctor is, you might fall. You won't get a second chance."
"So long as there's a chance I'll succeed, I'll take it," Claire reaffirms with a strong look in her eyes. She is absolutely confident she will pass the exam.
Where do you get that confidence from, I wonder? Iris wondered. If this is what Claire chose, she won't intervene. If the girl does pass and becomes a knight, Iris will simply play the waiting game and determine where they stand in the next couple of years. If Claire fails, she'll still offer her a referral to the Spellsword Academy. Either way, she would get to see a budding knight.
X x X x X x X x X
Two weeks come and go. By now, Zeta's become a full-time part of our group of larpers. I have no idea how Alpha managed to convince her, but she's become just as gung-ho about expanding the lore and "fighting" the Cult of Diabolos. My best guess is that she's probably using the whole situation to cope with what happened to her.
Honestly, though? I can't bring myself to care about how far we've come. Why? Because as it turns out, I may very well be living the dream, baby! Twice now, from Adist's subordinate and the man himself, I've heard the mention "the cult". I have no clue who they are, but the papers everyone keeps passing around and the severity in which everyone treats them means we may not be playing around like I thought. We might actually be dealing with some shadowy organization! It's the best freaking thing ever!
I'm so glad I reincarnated. This is the best!
…well, okay, I can't exactly say that. As much as I love the idea of fighting an actual evil organization, there's still a few problems. Namely how the girls think "the cult" is the Cult of Diabolos. So far it's just been a string of coincidence, and I'm sure Alpha and a few others know the Cult doesn't actually exist and they're just humoring me. It's only a matter of time before the gullible ones like Delta find out the truth.
It's bound to happen eventually. Sooner or later the girls would leave me behind. Kids have to grow up some day, after all. I'm prepared for when that day comes…but if I'm being honest, I really don't want them to leave me. I haven't had this much fun in ages.
It's selfish, I know, but what can I say? I'm a selfish son of a bitch.
"Lord Shadow. I have a new report to make."
Alpha called us up because she has some important announcements and information to make. Epsilon is able to make the meeting since she's well enough to actually move around. She's now wearing what I can now call the official Shadow Garden uniform, though like Beta, it's slightly modified in that the slime is molded to be a bodysuit with "plates" of armor on her legs, arms, and chest, giving her a knightly aesthetic.
I slip into my Shadow persona and take a seat at the head of the table. The other members of Shadow Garden give Alpha their full attention.
"Thanks to Zeta's assistance, we're closer to routing the Cult of Diabolos' influence in Midgar," she says. "Unfortunately, that is the good news. The cult has now taken to laying low. Most of their bases have been abandoned and cleaned out."
"It's likely news of my betrayal reached their ears the same day Adist's facility went up in literal smoke," Zeta adds with a grimace. "I was not high up in the organization, sadly. The locations of their safehouses isn't known to me. Adist preferred to keep me on a tight leash."
"Was Sir Adist not high on the proverbial totem pole?" I ask out of genuine curiosity.
Zeta shakes her head. "Adist had no real power of his own. If anything, I would consider him to be like an obedient guard dog. The only real influence he had was that he reported directly to Petos."
"Fucking bastard," I hear Gamma snarl under her breath. The sheer vehemence and promise of pain I hear in her voice is both creepy and awe-inspiring. The fact Gamma recognizes the name is pretty interesting, though I have no idea if he's just improvising or if she actually knows who this Petos guy is.
Either way, I really don't want to be him once Gamma gets her claws on him. She's just as bad as Delta in "murder" manners, if you catch my drift.
"It cannot be helped if that is the case," I say. "Let us be patient. Haste makes waste."
Alpha nods. "Very well. Moving on, we have a list of potential victims of Possession. With this, we can expand Shadow Garden and bolster our numbers. I suggest we move swiftly before the cult is allowed to regain their footing."
They have such a list? Man, these guys are freaking hardcore.
"Very well," I acquiesce. "Of these victims, who shall be touched by shadows first?"
Alpha sets a document down on the table. Its written in some kind of ancient language (why am I not surprised! C'mon Alpha, throw me a bone here!). The girls understand it easily, though Zeta looks…unsettled?
"Is something wrong, Zeta?" Beta notices. "Your face is pale?"
"Lady Alpha, are you sure about this? I-I don't wish to be rude, but…"
Epsilon frowns. "What's the problem? From what I'm reading, she sounds like she'd be a perfect fit for Shadow Garden."
"Do you know something about this girl?" Gamma asks.
Zeta sighs. "Erm, how do I put this…? This girl, she is, how to say… Well, I suppose there's no point sugar-coating it. She's what you call a mad scientist."
…what.