What kind of person is Shadow-sama?
That was an outrageously presumptuous question. In the past, Gamma would never even have dared to think it.
But now it did not matter.
After all, Shadow-sama did not care.
It was only after Shadow-sama declared before everyone in the Forest of the Abyss that he would be leaving Shadow Garden that Gamma truly began to think about that question for the first time.
You do not judge a person by what they say, but by what they do.
...Shadow-sama's Words
If one had to understand a person through their actions, then what exactly had Shadow-sama done?
He had pulled them back from the edge of death.
He knew they wanted to fight the Cult, so he granted them power and skill.
So why had Shadow-sama saved them?
Was it because of justice?
Or was it because he pitied them?
For a time, they had believed it was justice. They believed he wanted to save this world from the Cult's control and save the innocent people who had died because of the Cult's experiments.
It is neither justice nor evil. I am simply walking the path I wish to walk. I wanted to do it, so I did it.
That was true.
He was Shadow-sama, after all.
How ridiculous of them to try to measure the thoughts of a god with their own shallow assumptions.
Then what was it that Shadow-sama truly wanted to do?
Gamma did not understand.
Shadow-sama's way of thinking was not gray. It was more like the space between black and white.
She truly did not understand.
And because she did not understand, she began to feel afraid.
She was afraid that if she truly came to understand Shadow-sama's thought process, she might arrive at an answer she did not want to know.
For example, if things were done over again, would Shadow-sama have chosen not to save them?
Or even if he had saved them, would he have intended to send them away immediately afterward?
It was only this time, through Yukina Himeragi's experience, that Gamma caught a glimpse of Shadow-sama's true thoughts.
And that allowed her to be certain.
No matter how many times things began again, as long as Shadow-sama was still Shadow-sama, he would choose to save them.
"Shadow-sama is a very gentle person."
With a soft sigh, Gamma turned to the photo beside her of Cid and the Seven Shadows, her expression full of nostalgia.
"Nu, do you think Yukina Himeragi's fate is tragic?"
Nu began to think, but Gamma did not give her time to answer before continuing.
"Tragic? Of course it is. She is now destined to stand against the Lion King Organization that raised her. Her former friends and teachers will become her enemies. Isn't that very similar to us?"
"Shadow-sama changed her. He disrupted the fate she was originally meant to follow. So why did he do that? If it was not for justice, then why did Shadow-sama change her?"
At that point, a confident smile appeared on Gamma's face.
"Because Shadow-sama hates people who toy with the fate of others, especially when the person being toyed with still has light in their eyes."
"The Lion King Organization's greatest mistake was not raising a group of tools for arranged marriages. Their greatest mistake was being too arrogant."
Gamma lifted the cup of tea at her left.
"An organization that should never have existed in plain sight, yet what it teaches is justice. It is laughable. Have they repeated that slogan for so long that they even fooled themselves?"
"But thanks to that teaching, the people they raise all have light in their eyes. They truly believe they are fighting for justice."
"And precisely because of that, they earned Shadow-sama's disgust. After all, what Shadow-sama hates most is this kind of arrogant manipulation of other people's lives."
After saying all of that in one breath, Gamma stood up.
"Alright, Nu. One last question. Do you know why I did not reveal our identities and Shadow-sama's identity to Yukina Himeragi just now?"
Faced with that question, Nu thought for a moment before answering.
"Because... we are not the same kind of people as her."
A gratified smile appeared on Gamma's face.
"That's right. We are not walking the same path. In the end, we are different from her."
What was the greatest difference between them and Yukina Himeragi?
The greatest contradiction between Yukina Himeragi and the Lion King Organization was that the Lion King Organization spoke of justice while doing nothing but things that could not bear the light of day.
It was hypocritical.
And also normal.
The problem was that Yukina Himeragi had truly believed what the Lion King Organization told her.
That created a contradiction between her and the Lion King Organization that could never be reconciled.
If Yukina Himeragi truly came to stand against the Lion King Organization, the greatest reason would undoubtedly be the justice they had taught her.
And that was exactly why Gamma said that although they were similar, they were not the same kind of people.
Because they had never been about justice.
At their core, they were simply a group of abandoned, homeless people with nothing left, gathering together after being cast aside.
What they care about is only Shadow-sama, who took them in, the companions who were abandoned just like they were, and this new home.
Not justice.
Even setting aside who they are now, just consider who they were before they were abandoned. They were all young ladies from noble families. Is it not ridiculous to expect them to believe in justice?
"So, as long as she still clings to the justice in her heart, she can never join us.
And if she abandons the justice in her heart, then how would she be any different from the Lion King Organization?
I believe that someone valued by Shadow-sama would never be the kind of person who could easily throw away her own principles."
Even though the curtains had already been drawn, Gamma still turned her gaze toward the window.
"Shadow-sama, it may be a little late, but this time, I finally managed to touch upon your thoughts."
After saying that, Gamma fell silent and simply stared blankly out the window.
Seeing this, Nu also remained silent at her side. Ever since Shadow-sama left, Gamma had often been like this.
Only after a long while did Gamma speak again.
"Sorry, Nu. I drifted off just now."
"It's alright, Gamma-sama. Do you have any other orders?"
At Nu's question, Gamma thought of something and started to ask, only to stop herself midway.
It was not until the beautiful elf took a deep breath and looked as though she had finally made up her mind that her hesitation disappeared.
"How is Alpha... doing now?"
Nu seemed not to notice Gamma's earlier pause and replied in her usual cool tone.
"Alpha-sama is still training in the Forest of the Abyss. Her mental state is somewhat better than it was two months ago..."
"That's enough. It is enough to know that Alpha is alright."
Gamma cut her off before Nu could explain further and moved on to the next question.
"How are the other Seven Shadows? Tell me about them too. The Seven Shadows meeting is about to be held. How many people can make it?"
This time, Nu did not answer immediately. She lowered her head and secretly glanced at Gamma. Only after confirming that Gamma's emotions seemed relatively stable did she finally speak.
"Zeta-sama is currently investigating the Black Death Emperor faction. She sent word through this subordinate to inform Gamma-sama that she still will not be able to make it to the next Seven Shadows meeting."
"As for Delta-sama... yesterday, she appeared with another group of people at a Mitsugoshi restaurant and ate a huge meal. By the time this subordinate and the others received the news and arrived, Delta-sama had already left. Her current whereabouts are unknown.
That group had five people in total, led by a white-haired boy. Among them were also two youkai, and a pair of blond youths who appeared to be siblings."
"Epsilon-sama is currently in Netheril with Netheril's high-ranking witches. Regarding the Shadow meeting, Omega also came to report that Epsilon-sama is occupied with important matters right now and likewise will not be able to attend the next Seven Shadows meeting. She asks for your understanding."
"Beta-sama is currently aboard a cruise ship headed for Itogami Island and should arrive there soon. However, regarding the next Seven Shadows meeting, Beta-sama's reply was that she is currently investigating the Cult and will also be unable to travel to the Forest of the Abyss to attend."
"Eta-sama is still the same as always, remaining in the laboratory in the Forest of the Abyss conducting experiments. She should be able to attend the Seven Shadows meeting."
After delivering this intelligence about the Seven Shadows, intelligence that had left her uneasy ever since she saw it, Nu kept her head lowered so firmly that she did not dare raise it even a little.
Nu only felt that after finishing the report, her heart began pounding wildly and an unknown fear spread through her chest.
In that atmosphere where every second felt like an eternity, Gamma finally spoke.
"So this time, the Seven Shadows meeting will only be attended by me, Alpha, and Eta. That is enough. You may go now, Nu."
That calm voice entered Nu's ears.
There was not the slightest trace of the anger, sorrow, or pain that should have been there.
But Nu no longer had the luxury of worrying about that. She left as though she had been pardoned, not daring to raise her head even once to look at Gamma's condition on the way out.
Only after closing the creaking door behind her did Nu dare lift her head and stare at it. Her eyes, filled with fear that something might happen to Gamma, seemed to be looking through the door itself. She pressed herself tightly against it, ready to rush in and save Gamma the moment she showed any signs of wanting to die like Alpha had.
"Crash!"
After Nu closed the door, the cup in Gamma's hand fell to the floor with a sharp sound.
Gamma paid no attention to the cup shattered into pieces at her feet. She raised her head, and the eyes that had looked calm and gentle in front of Nu were now overflowing with despair.
"Just when I finally started to touch upon Shadow-sama's thoughts, has Shadow Garden already begun to fall apart?"
Her voice was light, almost casual, yet it carried heartbreak so deep it cut to the bone.
"Heh. What right do I have to talk about them? Am I not also thinking that once I have raised Nu properly, I will leave Shadow Garden too?"
She let out a self-mocking laugh. The words that followed were so soft that Nu outside the door could not hear them at all.
The young woman curled herself up, burying her head in her knees in the kind of posture only a child would make.
...
"Clink!"
The wine glasses touched together.