Chapter 1 - The Birth of Shadow Garden
Cid slipped away from his etiquette classes. He managed to distract his teacher and evade his responsibilities with a theatrical act, spilling a cup of tea on his teacher's apron in a maneuver that seemed both meticulous and fortuitous.
At the other end of the castle, the echo of an old woman's grumblings resonated within the walls, as she exclaimed the name of that impertinent boy.
Cid Midgar, with only ten years under his belt, showed not the slightest desire to stand out. It was never his goal, let alone his ambition. Nor did he need etiquette classes. After all, he knew from head to toe all the etiquette rules of that world, which turned out to be not so different from those of the old European nobility.
As for how his life had taken one turn after another since his birth...
Everything had happened just as he had anticipated.
Thanks to the superhuman and extraordinary training he had undergone in his previous life, the manipulation and mastery of magic in this new world was as easy as pie. And even though his mother was a palace maid, she couldn't hide his lineage; he was a scion of the royal family, a bastard.
That word, bastard, fluttered in his mind like a sweetly dissonant melody. The vision of himself, unveiling himself as an Eminence in the Shadows before his uncle, the king, and the royal court, sent a delicious shiver down his spine.
Laughing, Cid threw his arms and head towards the sky, before hurtling through a palace window. He descended gracefully behind the shrubbery of the Royal Garden, quieting his laughter. He brought his right hand to his chin, and murmured.
"Nah... Uncle Klaus is a good man," he said before wrapping his neck with both hands and slipping out of the palace and away from the royal capital.
Klaus Midgar, the King of Midgar, had been the boy's protector since his birth. And despite widespread resistance from the court, it was thanks to him that Cid and his mother were granted permission to stay in the palace.
Furthermore, he was the one who advocated for Cid to be allowed to carry the royal family's surname and for his mother to obtain a higher position among the maids, taking direct care of the Queen's needs. He also granted them a property in the capital, a mansion that once belonged to his brother, Cid's father. However, his mother never crossed the threshold of that house, and it was Cid who ended up making frequent use of the mansion. That being said, he had to get rid of numerous objects that revealed his father's peculiar tastes.
Now he found himself in that property. The mansion was huge, the walls stripped of any adornment, although the gaps that had held the paintings were evident.
Cid advanced, ignoring the dust that had accumulated and the wood that creaked with each step he took. The echo of his steps resonated in the empty rooms, making the abandonment of the place more evident. His father's inheritance showed at every step, a vast house as empty as his memory of him.
He stopped in front of an imposing door, the entrance to what seemed to be a study. Cid placed both hands on the large double door and pushed it open decisively.
The doors were not especially heavy nor distinguished by any unique feature. However, he felt a particular attraction to this type of grand entrances, those that hinted at power and respect. The only thing missing was a couple of acolytes to greet him with a bow fitting his entrance.
"Ah... That would certainly be magnificent," he murmured to himself before choosing one of the seats surrounding the extensive mahogany table that dominated most of the study. Every detail in the room exuded an almost forgotten majesty, a pale shadow of its former glory.
His gaze rested on a vast map that occupied the entirety of the table, spread from corner to corner.
There were certain advantages to being an officially unrecognized member of the royal family. One of them was the freedom to move around places where he normally shouldn't be, and that no one questioned his intentions there.
Cid pulled several sheets of paper out of his pocket and spread them decisively on the table.
"Let's see, let's see," he murmured, drumming his fingers on the polished wood, "who will be the lucky ones to become my next guinea pigs?"
Cid closed his eyes and stopped his wandering finger. The silence in the room seemed to be the perfect introduction for a moonlight sonata. Maybe he should ask for a pianist for the mansion.
Slowly, Cid opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the paper where his finger had come to rest. A smile lit up his face. But suddenly, the wood that shielded the room from the outside came crashing down, and a gust of wind ripped the sheet from his fingers.
Cid watched as the paper he had chosen was carried by the airstream outside. The other sheets undertook the same flight, freeing themselves from the hands of the young dark-haired man.
However, one last sheet, about to be snatched by the wind, was returned to Cid by the same breeze that had almost dragged it. The young man caught it with two fingers.
"Slave traders..." he murmured before a wicked smile drew on his face and he exclaimed, "El Destino ha hablado!"
The night was dense, the clouds embracing the full moon, hiding it from view. The end of summer signaled the opportune time to transport goods to the Royal Capital.
A substantial group of men marched alongside a caravan, their precious cargo meticulously locked in cages. They were not mere products, they were slaves, or more precisely, future slave girls.
The summer had been particularly profitable. They had managed to capture several girls belonging to the elven and beastmen races, high-demand merchandise among the nobles and aristocrats of the Royal Capital.
Even though the current king had outlawed slavery, the practice hadn't completely disappeared. Nobles and merchants continued to indulge their cravings for elves and beastmen.
In the beginning, some merchandise was lost. Most of the time, this was due to 'demon possession,' a disease that deformed the body so that it was impossible to find any human features in those who suffered from it.
However, during a transaction, a nobleman, a passionate devotee of the church, came across one of these 'possessed' girls.
Immediately, the traders tried to separate the possessed girl from the nobleman, but to their surprise, it seemed that he was pleased with the idea of finding a possessed one. With a sinister smile on his face, he proclaimed: "I'll buy her."
Next, the nobleman handed them a bag containing more gold coins than a common slave would be worth.
The nobleman proclaimed himself a fervent follower of the divine doctrine, and promised to pay generously if they brought him more possessed ones alive. According to him: "It is the church's duty to mercifully end the miserable existence of these poor souls."
The slave traders didn't argue with the nobleman. They had known others with much more depraved desires who paid far less. If this nobleman was going to pay for the merchandise that they usually abandoned along the way, they weren't going to refuse his offer.
And so the last two years passed. Now they were heading towards the west entrance of the Royal Capital, where a nobleman who was part of the City Guard allowed them access in exchange for an 'immaculate' item to add to his personal collection.
However, a few kilometers from the Royal Capital, while their group was resting and warming themselves with some of the future slave girls, a small hooded figure, dressed in an outfit as black as the night, burst into their camp.
The first to meet their end were the men who were satisfying their appetite around the fire that protected them from the cold of the night.
The hooded figure emerged from the shadows like a ghost, cleanly slashing one of them into two perfectly symmetrical halves, from the head to the torso, before threatening the others with his peculiar black sword.
"Listen up, idiots, give me everything you've got!" demanded the hooded figure, his voice echoing throughout the camp.
"W- who the hell is this dwarf?!" exclaimed one of the slavers.
Cid, hiding behind the identity of Shadow, arched an eyebrow before retaliating in his mind: I'm only ten years old! Besides, you're not in a position to call me a dwarf.
The slaver, who had now drawn a sword, barely surpassed him by a few centimeters, even though he was clearly a mature adult man.
"Hey, I told you to give me everything that's worth something!" Shadow reminded them, waving his sword with the anxiety of a thief impatient to get his precious loot.
Without further ado, Shadow agilely slid between the ranks of slavers and kicked the man who had called him a dwarf in the face. The other slavers, alarmed and surprised, grabbed their weapons and furiously threw themselves at the small hooded figure.
"Don't think we're going to go easy on you because you're a damn brat-"
However, Shadow was not someone who had the patience to waste time on monotonous and dialogued exchanges like a typical A-class slaver. So with a skillful movement of his hand, his black sword extended to the slaver's throat, tracing a clean cut across his neck.
This was one of the qualities of his suit, a suit made of slime. With the ability to mold into any shape that Shadow desired, so extending was a basic function.
The sword retracted towards him, before extending like a whip, maintaining the edge it had when it was a sword. A slight concern arose in Shadow's mind. It was the first time he had transformed his sword into a whip and he didn't want to lose any limb due to a bad movement. But, as an old saying in his other life went, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
And, with a deranged smile, worthy of a true villain, he made the whip dance around him and plunged into the tumult of slavers swirling in front of him.
"Ora, ora, ora... eh?"
However, his excitement faded away when the entire camp had fallen into a deathly silence. Some slave girls fearfully peeked their faces through the tents, partially covered with worn-out rags.
"Well, it seems there's only one left" Shadow exclaimed internally as he observed the inert bodies of the slavers at his feet.
"W-who the hell are you?" murmured the last slaver, his trembling voice breaking the silence.
"Well then, I'll try the other feature" Shadow announced aloud, tracing a path through the bodies of the fallen slavers to approach the last man standing.
"What are you talking about?!" stammered the last slaver, his legs subtly trembling.
"From what I see, you're stronger than those guys", Shadow commented disdainfully, pointing to the fallen slavers—. I guess you're like the boss or something, right? Unfortunately, you have no chance of winning against me. But cheer up, "he added, giving a small clap that echoed through the camp, leaving behind a chilling wind; "you will be my sparring partner and with that, you will live two more minutes, so do your best."
The last slaver gritted his teeth, his face contorting in a display of rage.
"Damn brat, don't underestimate me! In the Royal Capital I was..."
"Hey, stop wasting time talking."
"Go to hell!"
The slaver leader lunged at Shadow, furious. His movements were clumsy and predictable. Shadow could have easily dodged him. However, he chose not to.
The sword cut right in the chest area and Shadow fell to the ground.
"Ha, ha, ha, that's what you get for underestimating me," the leader exclaimed, an incredulous smile on his face. "In the Capital, I'm a legend in the Bushin style, so... what?!"
He couldn't contain a cry of surprise when he saw Shadow rise before him.
"Well, it seems your sword has no edge," Shadow commented, dusting off his clothes with a dismissive gesture. There was no trace of the previous attack, not a single scratch. "I've heard the Bushin style is quite popular in the capital. Let's see how you handle it."
"You damn dwarf... Well, if that's what you want, I'll show you!"
The leader attacked again. However, his attack continued to be crude and pitiful in Shadow's eyes. His movements were so simple and predictable that Shadow only dodged them with swift footwork. It almost made him feel sorry for the man. Compared to Iris, it was like watching a child wield a sword.
"I guess I had high expectations for you, you wouldn't even last two minutes," a sigh escaped Shadow's lips as his gaze settled on the leader, his red eyes gleaming intensely. "Goodbye."
"Wait..." the leader tried to plead, but his words got stuck in his throat as Shadow lifted his foot, a sword formed at the tip of his toes. The sword pierced the leader's chest, and with an accurate upward movement, ended his life.
Once the small battle was over, Shadow's slime suit returned to its normal state, and he set out to collect the loot from the slavers. He could feel the gazes of several girls and women resting on him, filled with a mixture of fear and hope.
Among them, Shadow noticed a human girl who was timidly peeking out from behind a tent. She seemed to have resisted whatever the slavers had tried to do to her, as she showed fresh bruises scattered all over her face.
Shadow stopped in front of the girl, their eyes exchanging fleeting glances. A dilemma arose in his mind. How should he act now? It wasn't as if he had experience dealing with people who had just been freed from slavery. Plus, what he wanted was money to achieve his goal of becoming a Shadow Eminence.
Decided, Shadow asked: "Where did they keep the money?"
The girl didn't respond immediately, but after a moment, she pointed to a part of the camp that was partially lit. Shadow traversed the camp until he reached the place the girl had indicated.
Fortunately, he found a treasure worth his effort: a million Zeni, ready to be added to his fund as a Shadow Eminence. This certainly made up for the day's disappointments.
Bandits paid him well, but if slavers were carrying this amount of Zeni, perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to hunt them more often. How he wished he could come across such people more easily, so he could finance his goals more quickly.
Suddenly, a strange sound caught his attention. A sound coming from a relatively large cage that looked quite sturdy.
"Could it be a slave? Here, so far from the others?" Shadow murmured as he approached the cage. When he got close enough, he peered in to see what was inside.
And to his surprise, he found a piece of rotting flesh. He could make out a human silhouette, but he had no way of telling if it was a man or a woman. Considering all the slaves that were in the camp, he assumed it was a woman, or at least, it used to be.
Unexpectedly, the piece of meat began to move once Shadow opened the cage. It seemed conscious and even tried to communicate with him.
Looking at the chunk of flesh in front of him, he remembered these kinds of "monsters" were called "Possessed" who were caught and executed by the church. Apparently, they are born as ordinary humans, but without warning, their flesh and skin begin to rot. After that, they die immediately.
The church used to buy these possessed ones and then purify them through execution. Although this did nothing but disgust Shadow, they claimed to purify the possessed. But all they did was kill sick people. However, the church asserts that it's for the good of the people, and the masses applaud their acts.
"Well, at least I'll end your suffering," Shadow declared, extending his slime sword towards the cage.
However, his hand stopped when something caught his attention, he sensed something that didn't seem natural.
"Her magic... it's out of control," he murmured.
He focused his senses to perceive the aura around the lump of flesh. Her magical power was overwhelming. And then, a memory surfaced in his mind: he himself had had the same problem. If he hadn't managed to regain control, he might have ended up like this.
After all, magical power has a significant impact on the body. That day, when he noticed this reality, he also discovered a fascinating possibility. Perhaps the body could be magically altered to achieve greater affinity with magic. However, this could lead to dangerous instability.
In his case, he had pushed his limits deliberately, but in the case of this deformed being, it must have been the result of magic growth too fast for her body to handle.
And since this piece of meat is the product of magical instability, he could use it to achieve his true goal. With this, he could get closer to becoming a true Shadow Eminence.
"This piece of flesh... will be very useful to me," he said before extending his hand towards the lump of flesh and pouring magical power into it.
A month had passed.
Cid was in the old mansion that belonged to his father, it seemed that time had accelerated its decay. It certainly needed urgent restoration.
Nevertheless, the most astonishing thing was that the experiment with the lump of flesh was a resounding success, at least until everything changed that day. Cid let out a long sigh before reminiscing. It was fun. Every day he experimented, he came closer to the essence of magic, and because of this, his knowledge and magical power increased significantly.
His mastery over magical power became much more precise, more elegant and, most importantly, powerful. And when he finally reached the point where he had pushed it to the limit...
"Well, this is quite unexpected," Cid reflected, as he gazed at the naked figure of an elf before him. From her height and build, he deduced she must be a few years older than him.
The elf seemed to examine her restored body, visibly incredulous. Certainly, Cid didn't anticipate such an outcome. There was a hum of excitement in his chest at seeing what stood before him, yes, but there was also slight disappointment. He had hoped for more time with that precious test subject.
But now that said subject had transformed into a beautiful elf who was curiously looking back at him with her bluish eyes, he had no choice but to accept this unusual turn of events.
Rising from the wooden crate he had been using as a seat, Cid approached the girl, who followed his every move with her eyes, curiosity mirrored on her face.
Once in front of her, he stopped. His black eyes met the elf's blue ones.
Up close, Cid could examine the girl's face in greater detail: fine and delicate features, accentuated by the pointed ears partially covered by her blonde hair.
Cid averted his gaze, she was completely naked...
The girl, accustomed to being an unrecognizable mess, did not react to Cid's gaze, she just kept observing the face of her savior.
With a nimble movement, Cid took off his coat and placed it over the girl's shoulders, partially covering her nudity. Although this didn't help much, given that the girl was a bit taller than him.
Then, Cid returned to his seat, propping one foot on the box and the other extended towards the floor. He extended his hand towards the girl and exclaimed:
"You are free, return to your village and live a happy life," Cid declared.
However, the elf girl remained silent, showing no slightest sign of acknowledgment. Cid watched her with an artificial smile drawn on his face. Had he not spoken loud enough? Perhaps he had, but the elf girl hadn't heard him. Or, in the worst case, they didn't share the same language, in which case his attempt at communication would have been useless. However, a Shadow Eminence couldn't afford such mistakes. Before trying to speak again, he promised himself that he would research more about the elf race.
Cid cleared his throat softly, drawing even more of the elf girl's attention to him.
"Do you understand my language?" he asked, anxiously awaiting a response.
The elf girl nodded slowly before lowering her gaze cautiously.
"Thank you..." she whispered with a voice barely audible, but loud enough for the boy in front of her to hear.
A genuine smile spread across Cid's face upon hearing the girl speak his language. It would have been an unnecessary challenge to learn a new language just to be able to communicate with her.
"So as I was saying..."
"Please..." interrupted the elf girl.
Cid fell silent, taken aback. The look on the girl in front of him was full of uncertainty.
"I have nowhere to go..." the girl continued, taking advantage of Cid's silence. "My parents and my village were exterminated by humans when they found out that I had become a 'Possessed'. They didn't hesitate to massacre all the people in my village. I managed to escape, but I was wandering in the woods for weeks until I was caught by those slavers."
Cid listened attentively. Undoubtedly this world was anchored in the same perception as Medieval Europe. However, he could use that to his advantage.
He subtly surveyed his surroundings, the mansion was practically in ruins and, in the past few weeks, he had regretted having left behind all those slaves. He was sure he could have convinced some of them to work in the mansion. But then he realized something, if he did, she would know who he really is. And the idea of using the servitude crest on a human did not appeal to him enough.
Therefore, he needed to take full advantage of this opportunity. Use all the knowledge from his past life. This was a crucial part. Undoubtedly, the elf girl watching him would make a wonderful assistant for a Shadow Eminence.
He just had to construct a believable story.
"Everything that has happened to you is the fault of the Diabolos Order and their attempt to resurrect the demon Diabolos."
"The Demon Diabolos? The one from fairy tales?" asked the elf with a tone of disbelief in her voice.
Cid turned serious. The only way for this elf to believe him was to build a formidable and hidden enemy. Even if it didn't exist... But over time they could take out a large group of bandits or slavers and tell her they were the Diabolos Order. A perfect plan, if you ask him.
"You should already know. A long time ago, the world was in danger due to the demon Diabolos. But thanks to three heroes, a human, an elf, and a demihuman, they managed to defeat him and protect the world. Although the story is a bit more complicated," he said before laughing and thinking about how easy it was to intertwine stories to create a much bigger and complex one.
The elf girl looked at Cid, blinking confused and astonished. Then, her expression changed to one of fear and surprise.
"Are you saying that... that I am a victim of the Diabolos Order?" she asked, her voice barely a trembling whisper. The legends of the demon Diabolos were well known among the world's people, stories told to scare children. She never thought that she herself could end up involved in one of them.
Cid nodded, watching how the girl struggled with the information. After all, it was a lot to take in. If not, it wouldn't be one of his good stories. Maybe he should become a writer, although that would only bring him problems on his way to becoming a Shadow Eminence.
"Yes, but as I said, the story is much more complicated. After being defeated and on the brink of death, Diabolos put a curse on the three heroes: 'The Curse of Diabolos'."
"The Curse of Diabolos?" the elf girl asked, her expression full of bewilderment. "I've never heard of it."
"But it exists," affirmed Cid, his tone firmly convincing. "The Curse of Diabolos is what you carry within you... The disease that attacked you, which they now call 'Possession'."
The elf girl opened her eyes in surprise. Then Cid saw the perfect moment to continue with his lie.
"All the descendants of those heroes have suffered from this disease for generations. However, in ancient times, the Curse of Diabolos could still be cured. As I have done with you."
"So the possessed are the descendants of the three heroes?" the elf girl asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Cid nodded, a smile drawing on his face.
"In the past, they were praised and applauded, they were the living proof of the sacrifice of the three heroes. Although of course, all this was in the past."
"But now no one thanks them, none are treated with respect. Rather we...," the girl's voice faded.
"Someone changed the story," declared Cid, rising from his improvised seat with an air of finality. "They hid the truth from the heroes' children, disguising the curse as a 'demonic possession'."
"But, who would dare do such a thing?!"
Cid slowly approached the elf girl, each step echoing in the small room they were in.
"Have I not mentioned it already?" he said, his tone full of gravity. "The Diabolos Order. All people who suffer the Curse of Diabolos have inherited a huge amount of magical power from the heroes. In short, they are the shield of humanity, and an obstacle for the Order and its goals."
"So they're trying to exterminate us..."
"Exactly," Cid confirmed. "They attribute a sin you did not commit, brand you as 'possessed', and even massacre your village and your parents. Don't you hate them?"
The little girl's fists clenched, and her eyes filled with tears.
"I hate them," she declared firmly, her voice did not falter. "There's no way I can't feel repulsion towards them."
Cid tilted his head, his crimson eyes met with the elf's blue ones.
"They are the Diabolos Cult, my enemies, your enemies. They never reveal themselves in the light. Therefore, those who oppose them must also remain in the shadows. Tell me, do you want to accompany me?"
Cid extended his hand towards the girl, and he could see the resolution in her blue eyes when she accepted it. Her young and beautiful face shone with eagerness and determination.
"The journey will be tough, but our goal is within our reach."
"If that's what you want, I'll give you my very life. The fate of the guilty will be nothing more and nothing less than death."
Cid remained silent for a moment, impressed by the young elf's resolve. That was the determination he was looking for to fight against his fictional Diabolos Order. This was undoubtedly a very easy elf to convince. But the way she pronounced those last words gave him a shiver.
"Then, from today on, your name will be Alpha."
"Alright," the newly named Alpha immediately responded, not giving Cid time to continue.
"And your job will be to prevent the resurrection of the demon Diabolos from the shadows... and..." Cid paused for a moment. He hadn't considered it, but his organization that would fight against the Diabolos Order would need a good name. A name that would harmonize with his ambition to become an Eminence in the Shadows. "We will be the Shadow Garden. The Garden of Shadows that lurks in the shadows and hunts the shadows."
"Shadow Garden... what a majestic name," Alpha commented before standing up and fully revealing her body to Cid, who discreetly averted his gaze.
'I need to buy women's clothing. I definitely need to buy clothes for Alpha,' thought Cid.
"The enemy is a big fish, we will need to strengthen ourselves," Alpha continued, cutting the short distance that was between her and Cid.
"That's the spirit!" Cid pointed out, discreetly stepping away from Alpha.
"We also need to find the rest of the descendants of the heroes," Alpha declared with determination.
"Ah? Yes, yes, but for now, let's focus on getting stronger," Cid responded with a forced smile.
Being an Eminence in the Shadows would be more fun if there were more people, but he also didn't want too many people involved in this. Honestly, Cid preferred if it was just the two of them. However, he could use more hands to tend to the mansion. Just as he was contemplating this thought, the sound of a piece of wood collapsing in the distance confirmed his need for extra help.