A/N: Okay, so I'm going to do some original stuff here. After all, like I said, I wasn't done with the stuff from the past. Also, we're on page 7 of Questionable Questing now.
There's a lemon this chapter. Only on Questionable Questing and Archive of Our Own, as per usual. What's funny though is that I think I've read lemons on fanfic despite it being against the rules. Meh, I'm not going to risk it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs nor The Eminence in Shadow.
-Leon-
As the festivities start to end, I pull Cid outside. We pass by some pink girl being carried by one of the maids, but luckily it wasn't the maid I wanted to talk about.
"Cid" I say after I confirm that we're alone and had Luxion deploy another electric box that will give us privacy, "I need to talk to you about something. It's super important."
Cid folds his arms nods, "You need a discount to buy engagement rings, right? I'll talk to Luna."
I blink.
I mean I always meant to get to that at somepoint, but I guess there's no time like the present…
Wait, Leon, focus!
"Thanks, I'll definitely use that, but no this is about something else" I said.
"Oh? What is it, sounds serious." Asked Cid.
I take a deep breath, "Okay, you know that maid, Nicole? She was at the resort, remember?"
Cid nods.
"…This is going to sound crazy, but I think she's that member of Shadow Garden I mentioned before." I said.
Cid's eyes widen in surprise.
"What seriously?" asked Cid, "How can you tell?"
I shake my head, "Look, it's going to take more than some contouring to fool me, especially now that I'm in a relationship with Deirdre."
Cid quirks his brow, "Does she wear a lot of make up?"
I nod, "Don't get me wrong, she's adorable without it, but yeah, she puts a fair bit of work into her beautiful looks. …But don't tell her I told you that, she'll get embarrassed. Anyway, I wanted to warn you because we just thought we lost you today. I'm guessing that she's here either for a cover story, or to interfere with Luna's business on behalf of Shadow Garden."
Cid nodded, although hesitantly. Poor guy, he must be conflicted about how one of his employees might be a member of a secret organization, heck this Nicole lady is the only one I know of. There might be more.
"…So, are you just warning me, or…?" questioned Cid.
I shook my head, "I need a favor."
-Nu-
As I make my way under the moon to the now abandoned and rather destroyed school, the commands that Lord Shadow had given me echo through my mind.
"Our friend, the current crown prince, is going to contact you. I can tell what it probably is about, but I'd like to hear it from your point of view. Take no shame in his ability to see past your disguises, he's likely the only one able to do so. However, as I recognize that you may feel the need to prove yourself, I shall give you the chance. Find out his goals, and perhaps the reason why he has those goals. Do this, and I'll reward you."
I take a deep breath.
Lady Shade's words echo as I arrive at the crater created by Lord Shadow.
"Lord Shadow left the reward up to me… I believe I recall something I had said earlier that may have caught your interest, yes?"
Find out what his highness wants, and why. It should be easy. Do that, and I'll get something thought only possible by the shades.
I take one more deep breath and approach Sir Leon.
"Your highness?" I asked, making him look towards me. So far his expression doesn't convey any intent so I continue with the cover that Leon had told Lord Shadow of, "I am a representative from Mitsugoshi. You may refer to me as Nicole. You wanted to speak about the reconstruction of the academy, yes?"
Sir Leon quirked his eyebrow and crossed his arms, "Just you, miss Nicole?"
I shook my head. There are several numbers nearby just in case.
Though of course I can't say that so instead I say, "Apologies. My fellow employees felt too intimidated to talk to you directly. Not many can work up the nerve to speak to the crown prince."
I make sure to give the standard closed eyes customer service smile I have been, figuring that
"I understand." Affirmed Sir Leon. "Well, that just makes things easier. Miss Marquez."
I narrow my eyes.
Alright.
I suppose the man bold enough to challenge someone for the throne would be the type to just jump straight in…
Or is this part of a plan?
I'm onto your games, your highness.
"Pardon?" I say with the same smile, not wanting to give away anything just yet.
Sir Leon smiles and begins to walk around.
I briefly recall some advice that Lord Shadow and Lady Shade had given me.
"Nu, if Leon starts walking around you while talking, don't move. This is a tactic known as "predate" in which you stalk your conversation partner like a predator their prey. This can be done for two reasons: one, he knows he has you in palm of his hand, and any sudden movements will force him to crush you immediately. After all, Leon is a rather talented fighter, should he have access to armor I imagine he could rival any of the named numbers if the situation were to arise."
"Has Leon truly grown that much… No, no matter, Nu's goal is to simply talk. …And the other reason?"
"Sometimes a man just needs to predate."
"Huh? …Ah, a feint. By deploying the tactic as a habit, he can psyche out his opponents."
I stay silent as Sir Leon walks around me.
He begins to monologue, "You know, I imagine that most people in this world wouldn't be able to recognize you with your rather masterful use of makeup. Heck, there were moments that I had doubts as well."
I continue to stay silent. Where is he going with this?
"But you know, there's a few things that gave you away. I won't tell you what… but something tells me that you all already know, given what happened the night The Shadow Garden made their big debut." Said Sir Leon as he continued to predate, the low light framing him in such a way that seems… intimidating.
Were I not used to the sight of Lord Shadow and Lady Shade I reckon I would feel the need to kneel and beg for forgiveness. The rather unnerving smile that Sir Leon dons is not helping, I'd believe it belong to some kind of demon and not a trusted friend of Lord Shadow… although I suppose if anyone could befriend a demon it would be Lord Shadow…
"Where are you going with this? You seem to just be rambling, your highness." I said.
Sir Leon laughed, and I'll admit, the sound unnerved me slightly.
"Speaking of royalty, you know Princess Iris of Midgar, right?" asked Sir Leon, the crunch of the discarded glass underneath his shoes starting to become louder.
"I'm familiar." I answer.
"Hm. Well, are you familiar with her Crimson Knights," Sir Leon stops, his back turned to me, "Or to be more specific… no, let's drop it. Your past fiancé, Marco—I believe, gave me the strangest statement. That during the attack he had a dream where he had met his late fiancé again. He would go on to swear that it felt so vivid, as though she was speaking to him in real life. He believes that she saved him before moving on, but I think we both know the truth."
That son of a bitch! I should have killed him-
Sir Leon turns around.
He is highlighted by the moon in a way I have only seen the likes of Lord Shadow accomplish.
But this time…
The person before me is not necessarily an ally.
"So, let's cut to the chase shall we, Miss Marquez?" asked Sir Leon as he stared at me.
I sigh.
The slime wraps around my body as I change from helpful store clerk to a member of Shadow Garden.
"Oh," said Sir Leon as he cupped his chin, "So that's how those suits worked. Always wondered why I could never identify what kind of fabric it was."
…A rather foolish member of Shadow Garden.
No matter. Given what's at stake I can't afford to not fulfill my objectives.
I sneer at Sir Leon, "I would think that someone like you would know to let sleeping dogs lie."
Sir Leon shrugs, not feeling intimidated by any of the pressure I exude, "Sure do. But considering that this dog happens to be sleeping near the heels of my friends, well I best make sure it isn't a threat. I don't know what The Shadow Garden's plans for Mitsugoshi are, if there even are any, but I won't allow for Cid and his girls to go through anymore than they already have if I can help it."
Okay, so he doesn't know that Cid Kagenou is Lord Shadow. I can work with this.
I shake my head, "It was merely a way to make money. But I assume that's not the only reason you needed to speak with me."
Sir Leon nods, "during the day of the attack, Lady Shade said something to me."
Leon holds up the artifact that the other members are going to be looking for.
"She said that if I could either destroy or give you guys this artifact, you'd all owe me one." Said Sir Leon as he tossed the artifact up and down, taunting me. The audacity of this man. Sir Leon continued, "So, I want to cut a deal."
This would be what I'm looking for, what he wants and why.
Obviously, I must play along, "What kind of deal?"
"I want your help in securing an artifact of sorts… Well, to be honest, I want your assistance in stealing this artifact." Said Sir Leon.
Stealing an artifact? I can't help but wonder…
"To go so far as to contact us…" I say, doing my best to keep an even voice, "What on earth could you need to steal?"
"…Hm. Well, I'm not so sure I can just give that away." Said Sir Leon.
I suppose that much is fair, to give away everything is something I wouldn't do. But perhaps I can explore the why.
"Okay, if you can't answer that, perhaps you can answer me this, why? Why would you need this artifact?" I asked.
Sir Leon nods and turns to the crater that Lord Shadow had created.
"Your boss is pretty impressive, right? With a single spell he can create the destructive force of a nuke without any drawback onto himself." Said Sir Leon.
What's a 'nook'?
Sir Leon continued, "As far as I can tell he's the only one capable of such a feat. Right?"
"Of course. Lord Shadow is without equal." I brag.
However, I find the smug look wiped off my face with Sir Leon's next words.
"What if I told you I know about a being, one likely even stronger than Shadow." Said Sir Leon.
"Nothing, is stronger than Lord Shadow!" I growl.
"Yeah? Well, what if I told you that unlike Shadow who can wipe out a few blocks, this being is capable of wiping out the entire island that Holfort sits on?" Sir Leon turns to me, and shivers go down my spine as our eyes meet, "What if I told you that I needed this artifact to prevent that being's resurrection?"
A monster capable of destroying the world as we know it?
…
…
It… It can't be… can it?
"You're lying" I insist… to me or him I am unsure, "Those are just words. Even if such a being could exist it would be nothing to Lord Shadow."
Sir Leon merely stares.
"What about all of you?" he asked.
I find myself stopped in my tracks.
"Shadow might be fine, but what about everyone else? I get the feeling that Shadow is a bit of a protective figure towards you all. So, what do you think would happen if that being would be revived? Even if Shadow were to live, would he really? What would happen to him if he lost all of you?" asked Sir Leon.
I swallow my words.
Lord Shadow… he always carries such a melancholy look, staring off into the distance at any given moment, likely caring some great burden.
…To add to that with our own deaths…
"Very well," I finally manage after a few tense moments, "I shall relay the request."
Sir Leon holds up his hand, "Wait."
He then takes out a letter and hands it over to me, I look over it and see symbols that I can't recognize. From what I can tell the symbols consist of many different lines, but I can't tell if I am supposed to starting from the right, left, or top.
"What's this?" I asked.
Sir Leon shrugged, "A letter that only Shadow and I could read… well and maybe a few others."
I nodded and then left.
Well, at least I fulfilled my objectives.
What did Sir Leon want:
Help to steal an artifact.
Why did he want it?
To prevent the destruction of the world following the resurrection of a powerful being.
…
I wish I could feel the satisfaction of my future reward.
I can't imagine how Sir Leon is able to keep such a brave demeanor in the face of the knowledge he bears.
-Leon-
As soon as I managed to get back to the main lobby of Partner, my legs gave out and I fell to the ground.
[If I possessed the ability I would be laughing at you.]
"Shaddup!" I yell while throwing my boot at Luxion, "We both know that if that lady tried anything it would have been an uphill battle for me since I wasn't wearing any armor!"
[True, you do rely on me for everything.]
I roll my eyes and throw the other boot. Luxion dodges that one too and a nearby robot comes to pick them up.
"Hey Luxion, what do you think about the way she equipped her suit? Does it match anything in your records?" I asked as I did my best to sit back up.
[None in real life, but I imagine that you would be familiar with the sources of media in which I can find matches.]
I narrow my eyes, "…You're referring to Gundam stuff right? Because it's similar to our plug suits?"
[I was referring to the slime like tendrils that covered that woman's body.]
"You pervert." I accuse.
[I possess no libido, and moreover I meant the likes of the symbiotes in the superhero franchise Spider-Man. You're the pervert here.]
"You phrased it deliberately to lead me on!" I yell.
[True.]
I get up on shaky legs, but before I can put them to use by chasing Luxion I see someone enter the lobby I'm in.
"Leon-kun? Is that you?" asked the white-haired beauty. "I heard shouting, is everything alright?"
Right, I think this is Angie's friend from the palace.
"I'm fine," I say as I glare at Luxion, "Just talking to my familiar."
The woman smiles, "I see. I'm glad, you were out for so late that the others fell asleep already. Honestly, what were you doing? The girls seemed so worried."
Hm, I don't know how much that this woman is aware of, I better keep my answer safe.
"Something important, but thank you for letting me know, I'll do my best to make it up to them…" I say before I realize something, "Sorry, but I don't think I ever got your name. We didn't exactly meet under the best circumstances."
The woman giggled in a manner similar to Livia whenever she hears a funny joke.
"No, I suppose we didn't." she replied. She then opens her mouth to make her introduction, however-
"Her name's Milaine," said Angie as she emerged from the hallway. With her arms crossed, her hair in a night cap, and her body covered in a robe I get the impression of her being an angry wife greeting her husband.
Hehe.
"What are you laughing about?" demanded Angie.
I smile as I relay my previous thoughts, "I feel like my dad whenever he had to work for longer than usual and made my mom worried… Like a husband and you my wife I guess."
Angie blushes cutely. As Milaine titters Angie softly beats on my chest.
"That's not fair," grumbled Angie.
"Sorry, sorry." I said with a chuckle.
As I tease Angie, I feel someone embrace me from behind.
"Leon…" whined Livia, "What took so long? I was *Yawn* worried."
I take Livia's hands and wrap her in a hug, she seems to be falling asleep on her feet.
I turn to Milaine, "Sorry but I guess this might have to wait till later. I'd love to get to know you better since you're Angie's friend and all, but it's probably too late right now… actually, are you a student? There's a trip coming up, we might be able to find some time to actually talk then."
Milaine opened her mouth before closing it, putting her finger to her cheek as she tilted her head in consideration.
Before Milaine could say anything, else Angie spoke again, with a rather suspicious smirk, "Milaine is a visitor from Repard, so unfortunately she won't be able to meet with us during the school trip… however, I believe a second trip was planned for the students of Midgar to go to Lindwurm. I believe that Milaine's duties would allow us to meet then."
I smiled, "Hey that's great! Sound good to you Milaine?"
Milaine simply nodded.
As I walked off with Livia in my arms, I remembered something. I turn to Milaine and say, "Hey, Angie mentioned that you work overtime a lot in the palace, if you ever want some tips on how to deal with it, I know a few tricks thanks to my studies of Old Humanity. If you can't tell by the look of my lost items, they were a rather efficient group."
"Oh! That… I'll send a letter, that sounds lovely, thank you!" said Milaine happily.
I went to the bedroom with Angie and Livia, feeling myself immediately pinned down to the bed on both sides.
…
I really hope Shadow comes through, because I don't want to lose this.
I turn to Livia, seeing how she cutely chews on her own hair while asleep. I adjust her bangs, so she won't anymore.
Heh.
Yeah, I don't want her to become the Saintess either, at least not unless she really wants to.
-Cid-
In the throne room, Nu regales us—that being me, Alpha, Eta, and Gamma—with the conversation she had with Leon.
Alright, seems like she did exactly what I told her to.
Stealing an artifact… seems more Phantom thief than Eminence in Shadow, but I bet Leon has something fun planned.
"Very well." I say eventually," I shall convey to Leon that we shall assist him in this endeavor."
"As you say Lord Shadow." Said Nu.
I turn to the girls, who all seem to be in various states of distress.
I put my hand on Alpha's, "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Cid…" said Alpha as she turned to me, worried. "Do you… do you think that the being Leon was talking about was Diabolos?"
Well, no, because he doesn't exist. However, I can tell the possibility of him existing is disturbing them, so I consider it for a few seconds. Leon said that The Shadow Garden never existed in his playthrough of the game this world is based on. So, assuming that it wasn't just something that he also completely made up, I have to assume that this is something else. Probably some endgame boss.
I stop my contemplation and shake my head, "No, this likely is something else."
Everyone else in the room seems a bit more relieved, but still tense given that this figure is an unknown to us, they can't relax.
Eta turns to me, "Cid… do you know… who this new enemy is…?"
Everyone looks to me expectantly. I want to lie and say yes, but I feel like the further along I get into my relationships with everyone the less I can get away with that.
I shake my head, "This is an unknown to me as well. However, I have full confidence that we'll be able to handle the situation. For the time being we'll follow Leon's lead."
Everyone smiles at this, except for Eta.
Eta raises her brows… or at least I think she does, can't exactly see them underneath her bangs too well.
"You… don't know…?" asked Eta.
"For as much as it covers, The Shadow Wisdom isn't omnipotent." I chide.
This surprises everyone but Eta begins to giggle.
"Eh? Eta?" questioned Gamma, "You aren't upset? You're the one that cares the most about the shadow wisdom."
Eta smiles and crosses her hands over her heart, "No… I'm glad… I was worried… you see… that Shadow Wisdom equates to… no need for me…"
I can't help but smile. If I wasn't on my throne right now, I'd walk over and pat her head.
Nu reaches behind her, and then provides me a letter.
"Sir Leon also mentioned this… he said that you and him were among the very few that would be able to read this." Said Nu.
Hm. It's in Japanese.
The envelope reads: This is a request to talk about the future of this world. Send this back with what your broad plans are, and I'll share my knowledge of this world in return.
I place the letter inside my jacket and nod.
"Well," started Alpha, "I believe that covers everything."
I nod again before looking at Nu. She looks a little upset…
Oh, right.
"I believe I owe you a reward, correct?" I mention.
Nu beams, she looks to Alpha.
Alpha hums.
She stands and then beckons Nu to come closer.
A/N: This is the lemon
accidentally left this in, woops.
A/N: The Lemon's over now
As soon as we're in our Mitsugoshi room, I decide to talk to Alpha.
"Hey… what was that?" I asked.
Alpha tilts her head as she brushes her hair for the night, "What was what?"
"You know… that thing with Nu. Why did… I mean, you were okay with that?" I manage.
Alpha takes a moment to think about what I said.
Alpha turns to me, "Why… wouldn't I be?"
"I mean…" God this is so uncool… but I guess when you're in love sometimes you're going to be uncool, like Leon said, there's going to be times where I become pathetic in front of them…"I don't think I could bear to see you or any of the girls with another guy… so I don't know how you could be alright with me being with anyone else."
Alpha smiles.
No, not just smiles, she's positively beaming. I don't think I've seen her this happy. Her ears are wiggling at maximum speed as she hugs me.
"You… you're so sweet Cid. It's cute." Said Alpha as she snuggles into me.
Hey!
"I am not cute!" I insist.
Alpha shakes her head, "Positively adorable."
I glare at her which only makes her giggle.
"Cid. If I had a problem with you being with other women, I would have not allowed any of the other seven… truth be told I'm unsure of being able to handle you alone." Said Alpha.
I raise a brow, "You regularly go until I get tired."
"I've been taking stamina potions every now and then." Admitted Alpha.
Oh, that's what those things she wouldn't let me have were. I thought it was some kind of secret Elf contraception or aphrodisiac.
"But what about when you eventually get as strong as me?" I asked.
Alpha blinked.
Then she started tearing up.
"You think I'll get as strong as you?" asked Alpha.
I shrugged, "Well, I'll always be a head of you, if only thanks to time, but that's what you've always wanted, right? To get on my level eventually? I mean, you've gotten pretty close with your own power, you just lack… the shadow knowledge, I guess." I place my hands over Alpha's "But I'm willing to share that with you, when I get the chance… no that's not exactly it… I'll tell you when I'm strong enough to share that with you."
Alpha hugs me for all I'm worth.
"I'll be waiting…darling." Said Alpha.
…
"Cid. Really?" said Alpha in a teasing voice.
Due to the humiliation of my Excalibur rising once more I hug Alpha and don't allow her to look at my face.
"Your fault." I mumble.
Alpha giggles and hands me a stamina potion.
-Leon-
While on the school provided ship, I decide to recline at the bar and look around to see which of my friends joined me in my section besides Livia and Angie.
See the school trip has three different locations that you can travel to. Students are automatically divided into three different groups, if I had to guess it was likely so that there wouldn't be too many high profile people in one area. For this reason, I didn't need to worry about any of the idiots except for light blue.
However, this also meant that I wasn't going to be able to spend time with most of my friends that I'm not in a relationship. Which, don't get me wrong I love spending time with my girls, but I don't want to turn into one of those guys that just stops hanging out with his friends once he gets into a relationship.
But still, I kinda need to head to this island. Before I even start thinking about Lindwurm, there's another item I need. It's only a chance get, but I'm sure that if I pay the vendor enough he'll just give me what I want.
I have to marvel at the luxury passenger ship though, it's practically a castle on a ship compared to the more old timey-pirate looking ones I've seen everyone else use.
Angie and Livia are off playing cards with Alice. Since Livia's not into gambling their only playing for fun, but by the looks of it Alice is the only one having any.
Speaking of no fun, I glance around to see several of the other male students trying their luck.
…
After seeing one be confronted with several personal servants, I thank whatever powers that be that allowed me to be with my girls. I hear some steps come my way.
"Leon." Greeted Deirdre with a hug and a kiss to my cheek.
"Deirdre, so you're in this section too." I acknowledged as I returned the gesture.
Deirdre smiles, "Oh? And here I thought you were trying to arrange things to be like this."
I shake my head.
"Much as I want to spend time with everyone, I do think that it'd be a good idea to not use my newfound authority for frivolous things." I said.
Deirdre gives me a deadpan stare, "Dear Angie said no?"
"Dear Angie said no." I repeat.
After I had already bribed the teachers to let me, her, and Livia to be in the same place anyway. I was going to get the others (save for Raymond and Daniel at their request), but that's when she caught on.
Deirdre sighs, "I suppose that's why Claire isn't here. And here I was hoping she'd allow me to play with her again…"
I blink, "Oh. You… feel that way about her?"
Deirdre nods, "Ah, yes. I suppose I never really clarified but as I imagine Dear Angie and Livia do, I appreciate both the male and female form. Claire in particular just… does something for me."
I cross my arms with a smug smile, "Her feisty nature is rather enticing, especially in contrast to how adorable she gets during more intimate times."
Deirdre mirrors my actions, "Yes! I knew you'd understand, dear!"
Deirdre and I join hands, reminding me of a scene from some movie my dad watched, I think it had the terminator? Or just the guy who played him.
*Elsewhere, with Claire*
"Achoo!" sneezed Claire before she began to shiver.
"Claire," asked Clarice, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine… I think someone's talking about me or something." Said Claire.
Clarice giggled before hugging Claire.
"Wha-Hey! What are you doing!?" fussed Claire.
"Warming you up!" chirped Clarice happily.
Claire would then try futilely to get Clarice off of her, while Merce and Dan watched amused.
*Back with Leon*
"So, not going to play cards or anything?" I asked Deirdre.
She shook her head, making her drills sway to and fro.
"I'm more into earning money through adventures…" Deirdre trailed off before lighting up in such a way that I could practically see a chandelier light above her head, "Oh, why don't we go on one of our own?"
"On the ship?" I questioned.
Deirdre nodded, "Yes. I've always been fascinated by how these places work, and with your authority we could probably get access to the restricted areas."
Hm. Well I am kinda curious as to what the other areas of the ship look like. I look over to Luxion.
"Want to see how New Humanity engineering stacks in comparison to Old Humanity's?" I ask.
[I suppose it would be interesting to see where they got everything wrong.]
I gave Deirdre a thumbs up to show we were in.
We would make our way to talk to the staff who were quick to just let us do whatever I wanted. Most of what we saw was just about what you'd expect, though Luxion mentioned that it was as inefficient as it was gaudy, and that if this was attacked by Partner it'd sink in seconds.
Personally, I thought the rooms looked pretty similar to how most of the noble houses decorated their homes, which only solidified Luxion's opinion.
I will say that it was neat seeing the prisons. I don't think that Partner was equipped with any… then again, it was just a transport ship, so the Old Humans probably just planned on kicking people off of it if the need ever arrived.
However, when we were exploring the boiler rooms, the place with all the pipes, we happened upon some of Angie's old retainers.
"Just because we tried being polite with her, she acts all high and mighty!" complained the one with short hair, "To think she'd chew us out for being brownnosers but there she is with the new king of Holfort!"
The one with longer hair agreed with those words, "If only she wasn't the Duke's daughter…! She really gets on my nerves!"
"My family is giving up on the Duke's household." Said thing 1.
Thing 2 replied, "Same here. The prince's faction has been breaking apart and everyone who remains isn't going to back the new guy. Anyone who is, is only doing so because they're loyal to the Redgraves."
I then see thing 1 take out something that looks close to a bomb.
So I raise my arm and say "Dormina."
Both girls fall to the floor with rather satisfying thuds. And if Deirdre and I stepped on their bodies to make our way towards the object, well, that's just because the boiler room is cramped.
"Deirdre, do you know what this is?" I asked.
Deirdre nodded, "It looks like a lure of sorts. You use the smoke to attract monsters… but why would they use this? This could only cause trouble for all of us. The ship isn't really prepared for any serious engagement."
Luxion and I exchange glances. It's a really good thing that Partner is nearby.
Hm… what to do…
[Master, if I may?]
I look over to Luxion.
[Perhaps we should deploy it.]
"What!?" Shrieked Deirdre.
[If it's just some monsters, then we'll be fine. If it's more, then it's best we strike when we know it's coming rather than when we are unprepared.]
That makes some sense…
"Leon you can't seriously be thinking about this!" shouted Deirdre.
I sigh and turn to Deidre, "Hey. Let me ask you something, as one future leader of the country to another."
Deirdre nods and takes a seat on thing 2.
Lmao.
I take a seat on thing 1.
Luxion gives us some magical restraints to place on them and leaves to inform Angie and Livia of the current situation.
That leaves me to start talking, "This country was founded by adventurers, right?"
"Umu!" said Deirdre as she took out her fan and began to boast, "Ever noble house was created by a brave adventurer! My own family is that of an Earl, meaning that my ancestor was rather well known himself."
"Okay, but consider this, that was then." I said. At Deidre's curious glance I continue, "Look, I don't mean to insult you, but aside from any school sanctioned event, when have you gone to the dungeons? When have you gone on your adventure?"
Deirdre opens her mouth, then closes it.
I shake my head, "If any of you had, it was probably alongside several trusted adults that likely culled the dungeon down to a level that would be safe for you. And the thing is, that's probably the best account any student of Holfort could give."
"I… I suppose you're right." Admitted Deirdre.
"Yeah, and that's why I think that causing an incident in which the students have to finally work for something, and face real world issues, would be good for them." I said.
Deirdre puts her fan to her chin and furrows her brow.
"Look, if you can honestly tell me that these students are going to do a lot of good for their citizens when they come to power, then we'll just turn this into the proper authorities," I said while putting my hands in surrender.
[Putting this on your fiancé, scum?]
I take a few seconds.
"Huh, yeah I guess I should just do this on my own." I said. "How quickly can you get partner here?"
[Within minutes.]
I nod and take the device…
…
Hey wait if Luxion is here then-
I turn my head and immediately find my cheek being pinched.
"Seriously?" demanded Angie, "You were going to inform us of your actions but not wait for us to agree?"
Livia pinched my other cheek and pouted as angrily as she could. Which is to say she resembled an angry puppy, "Leon! We're together, you need to talk about big decisions with us! Not just tell us!"
I could only bow my head.
Angie sighs, "That being said, I do see your point. If something was planned it'd likely be better for us to face it rather than wait for a new attack. Saintess above knows what happened the last time we were caught by surprise."
"I… I guess that's right. Plus if Partner's nearby then worst case we can evacuate everyone pretty quickly." Agreed Livia.
They let go of me and allowed me to proceed as I was.
"Wait." Said Deirdre.
I look over to her.
"What do we do about these two?" she asked while pointing at thing 1 and 2.
I think about it for a second and look at Angie.
"It's a shame that we couldn't stop them in time, right?" I asked.
Angie picks up on what I meant within a fraction of a second, "Yes, it was a shame that by the time you got here they already deployed the device."
Deirdre and Livia could only laugh, although Deirdre was full on doing the dignity laugh while Livia laughed nervously.
-Alpha-
There was much about the culture of the eastern islands that I did not know or expect. For one, they seemed to have a big population of therianthropes, second, that Cid and Leon both knew quite a bit about the customs here. When they started to wear some kimonos, they seemed natural in them.
They helped us put on our own, Cid me and Leon his lovers, and I rather enjoyed the outfit. It seems much too complicated to replicate with slime, so I decided to enjoy it as is. I was wearing a special one known as a 'furisode' which I believe got the name from the fur around my collar. Cid told me no, but the shop keep said 'exactly' so I'm unsure.
After arriving at the festival proper that night we had separated into our couples. I believe I saw Deirdre pass by us, something about being tired but I found myself enjoying the way that Cid's eyes lit up at the sight of the festival too much to really care about anything. I don't know what it was about the lanterns, booths, or temple but the way he marveled at everything and just ran place to place without saying anything was like seeing him discover something new about magic again. Honestly nothing could ruin the night for me, however, I will say that I was surprised at Zeta's arrival around 10 PM.
Apparently, she had finished her mission early, the people she was tailing had apparently acted sooner than she expected and decided to meet us here. I can't blame her for wanting to go on a date with Cid, and he was really enjoying himself, so I decided to just let it be. Although we did compete on getting him the most amount of prizes.
"Cid!" said the golden panther therianthrope as she hung on his arm, "What should we do next? Just name something and I'll get it for you!"
From beneath the mountain of plushies we had won for him, Cid pondered before saying, "I could go for some Mochi."
"Mochi?" I asked.
Before Cid could explain I heard some shouting.
"Just let go already!"
Zeta and I stare at each other then Cid… or well we would have but Cid was already chasing the sound of the shouting.
"N-No! I can't let you have it! I can't give it to you just because you're a noble!"
We all go past some torii gates and find a shrine. There we see Olivia and Angelica in their own kimonos. They were both exasperated but due to the sheer number of plushies they held they couldn't do anything as Leon struggled with a man in a fox mask as they both tried to rip a box away from one another. Olivia in particular was in tears as she hopped back in forth while trying to decide if she should put down the plushie of a unicorn and the massive cotton candy in her hand or stop Leon.
The man in the fox mask turned to us, "H-Hey! Little missies..! Help me! Gah, this noble…! Is telling me to give him everything I have on me…!"
Leon shouted back after removing his teeth from the box, "That is not what I said! I told you I'd buy them all!"
The man in the fox mask looked back to Leon, "I can't do that! Many people look forward to these in the festival! I won't let you steal everyone's enjoyment!"
"What are these…?" asked Zeta.
Although the man in the fox mask was still struggling he happily explained while holding up a small envelope with a red string tied around it, "You see! These are good luck charms crafted by my grandma! They're famous for containing divine blessings! You can't see its contents because there are different kinds. What you get depends on your luck."
"That's why I'm telling you I'll buy them! Name a price and I'll pay it ten fold!" shouted Leon.
The man in the fox mask was exasperated at this point, "What's your deal!? This isn't something you can sort out with money! I'm doing this to see everyone's smiles!"
"Alright," said Leon as he continued his weird task, "How about 10 gold coins… No, 20!"
The man in the fox mask hesitates.
"Grandma made these for everybody! I won't give in!" he shouts after a brief moment.
Leon cackles, "I like your guts! I actually have a platinum coin on hand! I don't think you'd say no to that…"
Cid looks to me and under the cover of his prizes mouths 'no borrowed power' so Zeta and I help the man in the fox mask by pulling Leon off of him.
"Wait… Hold on…!" said Leon as he struggled, and admittedly I had to use more force than I expected, "WAIT MY LOVELY ITEEEEEEEMS!"
-Stephanie-
After receiving some training from someone who I thought was a total background character, I found myself being transported to this place called 'Alexandria.'
I wasn't allowed to know where it actually was, instead I was blindfolded. Well, I say blindfolded but my new boss, a brunette (although slightly tinged purple) elf woman. My main duties had consisted of caring for a lot like I would Sherry…
*Sigh*
And I was told that I would receive some training with the sword. But for the most part, I would be a first-class maid.
Heh.
From top of the world to one of the people I used to look down on. I think I've read a novel like this. I just never realized I was the villainess in them until it was too late.
Carla, or Charlie now, was supposed to guide me around but after Eta fell asleep for the tenth time, Carla left me to fend for myself. I was eventually guided to Eta's building, a place that looked like it belonged to some kind of mad scientist rather than the woman who was the face of modern architecture.
I got to the building, tucked Eta into some random couch and sat on a nearby chair. As I've been instructed I am to watch over her and take care of her.
After the sunset and the room was lit up by some weird bright and buzzing light, I find Carla appear out of nowhere.
"Gah!" I shout as she appears next to me.
She laughs and points behind me.
I slowly turn, suspicious, and find a pink hair woman who appears to be melting out of the ceiling.
"I heard what you did to my daughter"
I shrieked and probably peed myself as I was dragged into the ceiling.
I was forced to clean up after myself hours later, however, given that the crash that I technically caused her to be a part of made her lose her legs, I suppose it was fair.
Also I don't apparently have her approval to date Sherry yet.
-P2W-
"Uuu…*Sniff* UU…" cried Leon as his friends all stared at him, "G-Good luck charms… UUU… I… wanted them… UU…"
Sweat drops from everyone's heads.
"You wanted them so much that you'd bawl like that…?" asked an exasperated Angelica.
Leon nodded sadly, hurting Olivia's heart, "I was looking forward to this day so much… I couldn't even sleep yesterday…"
Olivia pats Leon on the head, having placed her plush unicorn in his lap to free her arm, "But I think what you did was wrong. Trying to buy them all up with money I mean…"
Leon pouted, "What's the problem if I'm buying them… I wouldn't have minded buying them with 100x the price…"
"Why?" asked Cid.
Leon looked over at Zeta before sighing.
"She in on everything?" asked Leon.
Cid shakes his head, "Not everything."
"Okay well, these charms are the real deal, at least as far as my… knowledge goes to say. If they had the same effects as I remember they do, it's definitely worth it." Said Leon.
As everyone considered what Leon admitted he would keep to himself that- The chances are totally random in the game as to what charm you get, with the worst thing you could get being the 'good luck charm'. The best things you could get would be the 'war fortune' charm for physical abilities being increased on all fronts, while the magic attribute 'blessing of the elements' was the real jackpot as it ups your magic output and increases all magic related statuses. They could also increase the bonuses you get when levelling too, which is why I didn't train in the dungeons, as I didn't want to screw myself over if leveling really was a thing… and now all I was looking forward to is gone…
"Leon…" fretted Olivia.
However, while everyone merely stared at the defeated man who seemed like he'd crumble to dust with one good gust of wind, the sound of wooden sandals gets their attention. Everyone turns to see the man in the fox mask again, this time accompanied by an old woman.
"Ah, so you're all still here!" said the man in the fox mask.
Cid nodded, "Yeah, after everything we were too tired to carry all of this stuff back."
The mountain of plushies that surround Cid basically create a new throne for him.
The old lady laughs, "Would I be correct in assuming that the man not surrounded by plushies is the one that tried to buy all of my charms?"
"Yes. I would like to apologize on behalf of this man." Said Angelica.
"Angie…" Leon gets up and walks over to Angelica, putting a hand on her shoulder before he bows. "I'm sorry for all of the trouble I caused."
The old woman merely laughs again, smiling, she says "It's the first time somebody said they want the charms I make for such a great sum. But there are many people that look forward to getting these in the festival. They're just some leftovers, but please, take these."
The man in the fox mask would then go around and hand everyone a charm. Everyone waved the pair off.
As soon as they were gone, Leon would cross his fingers as he opened his envelope, shouting "PLEASE BE A GOOD ONE!"
Everyone else shrugged as they opened their own.
The results were as follows:
Cid- Good luck charm
Zeta- A Dog shaped, "blessings of loyalty."
Alpha- A Charm in the shape of two conjoined hearts, "Blessings of marriage."
Angelica- A red "Blessings of elements."
Olivia- A White "Blessings of Elements."
Leon- A Charm with three swords joined by a ring with four spikes, "The War Fortune"
"…I need to go pay that shrine a visit tomorrow." Remarked Leon. His tone was even and kind, but his face was downright feral.
"Alterative motives aside," chided Angelica with a side eye directed towards her lover, "That sounds lovely. I hear it's a shrine focused on knot tying and related blessings."
All the girls smile at that, while the boys chuckle knowingly.
.
.
A/N: Okay, going to end things here for now. Oh yeah, I should mention. I had said in the first chapter that I was looking for a job. Well I got it! Unfortunately this means that chapters are going to start slowing down a bit. So, I can't say for certain what it's going to look like but either I switch to writing shorter chapters (Like each new section basically being it's own chapter) or just taking longer to post.
Also, I managed to finally unlock adult Eta! So I can get a good grasp on how to write all of the main girls in Shadow Garden now.
Now onto answering comments. As usual, there were none on SB
Fanfic:
Haseo55: thanks! Btw you remember that the first fight with fanoss is up next right?
BetweenIandGirl: I hinted towards it in the first chapter was in, as I changed her name from Sherry Barnett to Sherry Him Zenden.
Golden Nova: Iris should be coming up after Lindwurm. But Cleare is coming up during Lindwurm.
Ao3 (answering both ch.22 and the omake comments):
Soulbowl109: yeah the special friends thing was a joke I really liked writing. Cid's parents both love him, he's their son, but yeah, this was probably ooc for Pops.
The idea you pitched of super meido Alpha was as fun as the idea of people reacting to it. Also I figure that if they spent enough time together Claire would begrudgingly accept Alice as another little sister, but probably was pissed when she left.
Shadowy-guy (Guest): Man, looking forward to the next arc then, damn. The dragon thing was pretty damn badass.
Anisomeone: He wanted to help out Cid one (1) time at least.
Unfortunately Alpha had to use tricks to accomplish that, lol.
Boy4_GOW: Yeah I figure their parents have potty mouths, especially given that Pops is used to being beaten up by his wife.
Thanks! I like the omakes too. I have an idea for Claire next, namely what thins were like on her end for her budding relationship with Leon as I kinda skipped over most of the beginning.
Deathfang1920: thanks!
Wolfpaladin: Yup, Carla is going to tease the hell out of Stephanie. Toxic Yuri goes two ways (I only know the jokes about Furina/Arlecchino, it's kinda what inspired Sherry/Stephanie).
Well the first attack of Fanoss is coming up, although Sherry is probably with Julius and Marie… which Marie probably is the best to help figure out the whole 'bi-curiosity' thing now that I think about it.
Gamma got her chance this time!
Thanks for the examination on how the relationship of the crossover works! It's nice to see someone else pick up on it and put it in better words!
Sherry has some character building to go through first.
DragonBlaze10: A snippet by Iwasbored on fanfic actually was the first time I saw it, it's what inspired me to use her in the first place.
BOY4_GOW: I hinted towards it before.
The reveal of who Mylene is building up. With how Leon's relationship is now, jumping into a proposal wouldn't make sense.
I was hoping for shocked Pikachu reactions lmao!
Sherry's mom is in SG. She works with Eta, but more on that later.
SoulBow109: Nice to see you read a lot, the long comment was nice to read as well, thank you.
I think I did it first, but I feel like Cid's read them in canon… or at least the Game's canon, though an exact memory escapes me. I imagine he'd really appreciate it though.
I mean you say "we turned them into the cops" for stuff, but I can see what you mean.
Zola is many things, smart isn't one.
Fun thing though, I don't think any fic ever goes over the trauma of being abused. The canon story kinda uses it as a joke, but yeah Leon's probably so reliant on his past memories because of what his current life is like without them.
Angelica's not done with him, which I'm hinting towards with the use of 'Milaine'
I liked writing the dates, glad to see you liked them.
I mean you can't put a big titty tomboy in front of me and expect me not to like her. The brocon is a fun quirk, but since I have siblings in real life I only let it go so far.
Alpha needs a good hug. But yeah, the fake death scene was something I liked writing as contradictory to my previous statement that may sound.
I like that scene with Mylene too, but I realized it wouldn't make sense here, because if I did it, Leon would be no better than Roland.
Well, a number named by Cid. Who only follows the rule of cool. He probably felt bad for killing her dad and mom (though not too bad) and said "You get some leeway."
Rainsensei: Gracias!
QQ (only responding to the main chapter comments, did the omake's in the thread)
Zackman2k12: Thanks for reading and commenting! It wasn't till I started posting that I realized how much I appreciate the reviews.
Havefeith: I mean, I knew that but I can't remember writing something with the word 'future' so I was a little lost on what you meant. Glad to have inspired you to play what I've heard is pretty good.
28th00: Thanks for the long comment! I don't think anyone expected it, including myself. But yeah that's a pretty good summation of things, Stephanie talks big but goes down easy so her being the bottom seems fitting. She kinda still isn't used to the idea of what's going on.
I'll get into it later, but I didn't know about that nerf. Neat… but I since I didn't know about it I wouldn't say it counts. But yeah, I'll get into it a bit when Vandel shows up, because he does during this attack.
The shrine visit next chapter should be amusing to you, given the paragraph you wrote that made me laugh really hard.
Yeah, she considers Alice a sister, but one she was angry with for leaving. Canon Claire does have some abandonment issues, with how she puts Cid on a collar.
Leon treasures his friends in canon as well (until I think the author forgets about them) so yeah, he was super happy. But yeah… Alzer's hated for a reason.
The evil lord story is pretty good, introduced a drill-haired ojou-sama so I'm eating it all up.
I'll get into Rose's aspirations but yeah, she's also a character I shifted to 'probably bisexual.'
Alexia might get a running omake at some point, it's difficult for me to come up with places to have her meet everyone.
Someonani: lmao, glad you liked it.
Bladist: Yeah I thought that was a fanfic thing. Oh well, it was interesting enough that I used it as inspiration, so thanks!
Hunter81095: True, though I don't think I've seen it happen for stuff like Oregairu or other stuff I follow.
