I wake up, remembering what had happened with Master Kazoto yesterday...
I still cant believe we almost made Master Kazoto leave us...
I get up, only to realize that this isnt my room...
I see a note on the desk.
It reads... "Yo, Alpha. by this time im assuming you would have woken up, dont go to your office and take the day off, or come to your office but you cant do anything, up to you. ill handle the paperwork and choices today. if you disobey this order ill put you with both Delta and Zeta at the same time next mission, so relax today. -Kazoto"
...
Wait- if thats Master Kazoto's letter then...
Im in Master Kazoto's room.
I lay down on the bed.
I take a few seconds to figure out what im going to do.
If i cant work but i can still go to the office...
I want to accompany Master Kazoto and see how he does the work i normally do to see if i can learn anything from him...
That and i really want to spend time with Master Kazoto just as before with just the two of us...
I get up, only for a realization to hit me quite hard...
Instead of confirming what Master Kazoto meant i just passed out on his bed...
...
I-i dont think i can face Master Kazoto anymore...
I cover my face with both my hands.
Alpha! get a hold of yourself!
...
I sigh and get out of Master Kazoto's room and make my routine way to the office.
I pass by a bunch of recruits on the way there and it seems as if they dont know anything about yesterday...
Lets keep it that way.
I eventually make it to my office after zoning out on the way there.
I put my hand on the handle but i suddenly remember yesterday.
What if Master Kazoto decides to disband Shadow Garden because i disobeyed him..?
No!
I take a deep breath and then open the door.
I see Master Kazoto where i usually sit with his slime suit... doing multiple things at once?
He looks up to the door from his paperwork and then smiles at me.
"Ah, Good morning Alpha."
...Just like that?
No disbanding Shadow Garden?
Nothing..?
"...Is something wrong?"
"Huh? oh! no, excuse me Master Kazoto..."
His smile turns into a angry frown.
"Alpha, i told you that its just Kazoto when its me and you."
"Y-yes im sorry Kazoto"
He smiles again.
"Its fine, Take your seat"
He motions to the couch.
I take his invitation and lay down on the couch facing away from him while changing my slime suit into the knight academy's female uniform.
"Id switch my outfit as well to fit the mood but, im using it to work as you can see..."
"Its fine..."
Suddenly, the ceiling becomes very interesting to me.
...
It feels nice just relaxing like this...
Just the two of us again...
I feel a smile creep onto my face thanks to the good memories.
Suddenly i feel something slimey touch my shoulders...
I look to see what it is only to see That Master Kazoto has extended another bit of his slime suit to my shoulders.
"Mas- Ehm- Kazoto, What are you doing?"
He looks away from the paperwork and at me.
"Hm? oh you'll see in a second."
He starts smiling after saying that.
...Well i guess its fine then if its Master Kazoto...
I go back to resting staring at the ceiling.
...
I close my eyes, it wont hurt if its just for a bit...
Suddenly however, Master Kazoto's slime suit starts...
Massaging my shoulders?
"This isnt some cruel joke where the punchline is 'your services are no longer needed.' right?"
I heard him chuckle.
"Thats not even a good joke... I meant it when i said that this was your day off Alpha. no work, and you get attended to... sounds like a good vacation no?"
...
I smile.
"Thank you, Kazoto..."
"Dont mention it, its the least i could do after pulling a fast one on you yesterday..."
...Now or never.
"...Speaking of yesterday... did you really mean it when you said that if we didnt figure out when you meant your disbanding Shadow Garden?"
I can feel him pause for a second thanks to the extended slime suit also pausing.
After a second or so he continues what he was doing before.
"...No."
I feel a invisible burden lift off my shoulders.
"Then why did you..?"
...
"If you guys doubt how much you help me, would you still want to keep trying to help someone who you think you cant help?"
...I guess if you think about it like that, there were alot of times where i did doubt how much we helped...
"And i wont lie to you Alpha... i might have very good insight and incredible knowledge but even i, am not perfect... i will still make mistakes and when i do thats when you guys come in. ill do all the heavy lifting i just need you guys to cover for me."
"But we want to do some of the heavy lifting as well! thats the reason we started doubting if we were any help in the first place..."
Shit! my mouth moved before i could think...
...
"Alpha, can i tell you something? but you have to promise to keep the secret."
!
Does he finally trust me enough to tell me something?!
"S-sure."
Damn it! i stuttered!
"...Most of the time? im scared. not of the enemies or how grand and impossible our mission seems... its for you guys. its why i do everything alone. i know im able to make it out no matter what happens so i can spearhead the most dangerous situations and come out unscathed with only maybe a few scratches but... those few scratches for me can mean a fatal wound for you. so im scared to let you fight. scared to burden you with my own burdens. scared for your safety."
Master Kazoto's voice suddenly becomes lower.
"i also feel guilty... it hadnt come to me until lately but, i basically forced you to become mass murderers for my sake... yes its all bad people who want to ruin the world but... at the end of the day, Alpha... a killers a killer. and were all mass murderers thanks to me. these thoughts eat away at me, every. single. day."
...W-wow.
Is this... really how he feels?
I can hear him sigh.
"Its fine if you think im pathetic or selfish for this but i dont want anyone of you to die, so ill do everything myself."
I look at him only to see the distant gaze which ive seen thousands of times before...
"I dont think your pathetic..."
I smile again.
"I actually think we have more then a few things in common regarding that."
"Is that so?"
I look up to him while still laying down and respond with a small smile and a nod along with a 'mhm'.
He smiles
"Im glad to know i can at least trust one person in Shadow Garden..."
I see him using the table to tuck in a stack of papers.
"Is that all the paperwork for today?"
"Yes, im honestly impressed you finished everything so quickly compared to me even though you never done this before..."
"Hehehehehe..."
He looks to the right and puts his left hand on his face while the other one was extended all the way behind him.
"Dont you know Alpha? that i am, The paperwork master!"
I get caught so off guard i let out a chuckle.
"Is that so?"
"Why its nothing but the truth! why must you doubt me so?"
He strikes a silly pose as if he was hurt by my words and acts overly dramatic with his voice.
"Im sorry oh great paperwork master."
I get up and sit straight on the couch.
He lets go of the pose and chuckles and then asks me,
"What do you do by this time? when your done with everything?"
My smile becomes a thoughtful look.
"...I normally go and check out for conflicts or ideas on how to handle the Daibolos cult..."
"What do you do for fun?"
I look away and blush a bit embarrassed.
"...I dont do anything for fun..."
"Really?"
"Yeah..."
"Well lets change that"
After he said that he got up and started walking to the door.
He put his hand on the door and looked at me with a small smile.
"You ready to go out and have some fun?"
I smile and nod.
"Yeah, that sounds nice."
I get up as he changes his outfit to that of his school.
He extends his other hand to me.
"it will be just me and you, not as Shadow and second in command Alpha but as Kazoto and Alpha, Doesnt sound too bad does it?"
I smile and take his hand.
"Sure, that doesnt sound too bad, Kazoto"
Where is Kazoto?
I looked for him all day and i havent seen him once!
Suddenly i spot Niko.
I walk up to him and ask,
"Niko! have you seen Kazoto?"
He turns around and looks at me.
"Claire? no i havent seen Kazoto or Erika."
Wait what if he is...
"Do you think they went somewhere together?"
Niko closes his eyes and puts his hand on his chin and thinks about it for a second.
After a second or so he opens his eyes.
"I dont really think it would be him and Erika."
I look at him to signal him to elaborate.
"If you think about it he is most likely to go with you considering you likely known each other for longer."
He then shrugs.
"But hell if i know..."
I suddenly remember about the rumors which are another thing i wanted to ask of Niko...
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"Do you believe in the rumors that theres someone stalking princess Alexia?"
"You mean the guy who looks suspiciously like the latest bunshin festival winner? Zenon Gryffie..?"
"Yes, that one."
He shrugs again.
"I believe in the idea. its not far fetched to believe"
"...We'll talk more later Niko."
"Alright, stay out of trouble will you?"
He turns around and starts waving his hand goodbye while turned around.
"Sure, you as well."
I guess the princess is gonna need to be protected more heavily...
Suddenly, i hear a voice call out to me from behind.
"Claire Kagenou!"
I turn around to see the other princess of this country, Iris Midgar.
"Your highness?"
She walked up to me and suddenly said,
"Claire Kagenou, i have a heavy proposition for you.
Hm? what could Iris Midgar want from me?
"What is it that you want, your highness?"
"I propose for you to join the new knightly order led by me, you will have the ability to choose 3 people to join us as you wish and we will take care of them, but they have to pass a test of quality, so make sure you choose someone you truly believe belongs in a space like this."
!
What the hell?! Isnt this a bit TOO sudden for an offer?
"Why..?"
Iris frowns.
"Too sudden huh..?"
I nod and then immediately follow up with,
"No disrespect to you your highness but, we never met let alone as much as talked in the past, so why would you offer something like this to me..?"
Iris looks around cautiously for a second before looking back at me and saying,
"I cant tell you here, its too open. meet me at my office in the afternoon if you wish to understand more."
I nod.
Princess Iris then smiles and nods herself before saying,
"Alright, ill see you later then hopefully."
And off she goes...
What the hell was that encounter...
Well, i guess a nice weekend reunion with Kazoto can wait...
I have to figure out whatever the hell THIS is...
I hope its nothing too serious, whatever is going on behind the scenes...
