Sheets of paper covered with all kinds of diagrams were scattered across the floor. A dim lamp provided the only source of light in the dark room.
A petite purple haired elf lay face down on the table. Her peaceful sleeping face and steady breathing made it clear to Cid that the girl was fast asleep.
As time passed, her eyelids began to twitch slightly.
"Mm… ha."
The girl pushed herself up from the table and stretched her arms high above her head. The blanket draped over her shoulders slipped down as she stretched, and she let out a soft, satisfied sigh.
Almost by instinct, she grabbed a sheet of paper from a nearby cabinet and unfolded it. Only then did she notice a shadow cast on the wall by the dim light.
She stared at the shadow for several seconds before turning to look at Cid, who was blocking the lamp. As she turned, she spoke.
"Master, I'm a little hungry. Did you bring anything to eat?"
Watching Eta's series of reactions, Cid sighed with a slight headache.
"I brought two sandwiches. I originally bought them for Alpha, but since you're hungry, Eta, you can eat them first. I'll just buy another sandwich for Alpha later."
With that, Cid tossed the paper bag in his hand toward Eta.
Eta showed no hesitation. She controlled her slime suit to extend a tentacle, catching the paper bag in midair. Completely ignoring Cid's comment about the sandwiches being meant for Alpha, she tore open the bag and pulled out a sandwich, immediately taking a bite.
"Ah… mm… chew, chew."
Watching Eta take bite after bite, her cheeks puffing out like a hamster's, Cid felt his headache growing worse.
The purple haired elf in front of him was one of Cid's seven childhood friends, and also the only one among the Seven Shadows who constantly gave him a headache.
Her ability to take care of herself was terrible. She slept twelve hours a day. She spent money recklessly when conducting experiments without considering the budget at all. Her values were far from normal, and she made no effort to hide her unusual nature.
The fact that Eta had managed to live until now could only be described as a miracle.
When they were children, Cid supported her while Alpha took care of her. After they grew up and left his side, Gamma supported her financially while Beta took care of her daily needs.
Of course, as the saying goes, when one door closes another opens.
Eta's lifestyle, which looked like it could easily get her killed, came with one advantage. Her intelligence was absurdly high.
Back when Alpha and the others had not yet seen through his lie about the Cult of Diablos, Cid often spoke in order to maintain the mysterious image of an Eminence in Shadow. He would casually mention bits of scientific knowledge from his previous life, but he always phrased them like riddles.
They were the kind of riddles where even Cid himself would struggle to connect them to real scientific concepts.
And yet, under those circumstances, Eta managed to do the impossible. From those vague riddles alone, she actually deduced a series of scientific principles.
When Cid found out about that, he genuinely admired her.
If someone ever tried to make him guess things through riddles like that, he would immediately want to drop a nuclear bomb on their head and tell them to stay away from him.
"You should really fix your daily routine, Eta. I don't want to one day hear from Gamma that you died from overwork."
Even though he knew the words were probably useless, Cid still said them.
When Alpha led the Seven Shadows away back then, the one he had worried about the most was Eta standing in front of him.
Among the Seven Shadows, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Epsilon, and Zeta were all extremely intelligent. Each of them could live perfectly well on their own.
Delta might not be very smart, but with her instincts and strength, Cid was confident no one could easily deceive her.
Only Eta was different. Without someone looking after her, she truly could not manage.
If she had to live alone, even if nobody tried to harm her, she might end up accidentally ruining her own life through her own lifestyle. Although before that happened, she would probably create plenty of inventions that caused chaos for the world first.
"Mm. Don't worry, Master. I can take care of my own life."
"…Forget it."
Eta nodded in response to Cid's advice, as if reassuring him that she could handle things herself.
Seeing that reaction, Cid knew she had not taken his words seriously at all. He wanted to continue lecturing her, but instead he simply placed his hand on Eta's head.
Small blue particles of light appeared in his hand as he gently tidied her hair.
In the past, Cid could have forcefully corrected Eta's lifestyle without hesitation. But now he no longer had the right to do that.
He was someone who valued boundaries.
He and Eta were friends. Because they were friends, he could offer her advice. But precisely because they were friends, advice was the most he could do.
Besides, Eta was an elf, and her physical condition, strengthened by his training, was far from weak. The idea that she would collapse because of her daily routine was unrealistic.
The reason he worried so much about Eta was probably just because he had developed the mindset of an overprotective father.
Under the glow of the blue light, her hair, which had become slightly dry and dull due to its owner's neglect, gradually returned to being smooth and glossy.
Eta kept chewing the sandwich, but she also closed her eyes and quietly enjoyed Cid's treatment.
Time passed little by little. The two sandwiches from the paper bag had already disappeared into Eta's stomach. Cid's treatment was nearing its end, and the blue glow in his hand slowly faded away.
"Master is still the one who treats me best."
Once the light completely disappeared, Eta returned to her usual manner. Her voice sounded somewhat mechanical, yet it still carried a lazy tone.
"So… Master, why did you come here?
Did you discover some new Shadow Wisdom? Or… are you planning to return to Shadow Garden?"
Cid shook his head. After mentally translating everything Eta had just said, he replied.
"I've lost interest in the game of defeating the Cult of Diablos. This new world is so colorful and interesting. Why bind myself to the Cult of Diablos?
The reason I came here this time is…"
Cid suddenly stopped speaking.
He noticed the look in Eta's eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Eta? I thought you would understand."
He paused his impromptu performance and began to wonder if he had spoken too cryptically this time, to the point that even Eta could not properly interpret it.
"No, I just didn't expect Master to admit so directly that the Cult of Diablos is a game. I thought Master…"
Eta withdrew her surprised gaze. For the first time, her voice carried a trace of emotion.
Cid felt like he understood the situation.
Eta probably thought the Cult of Diablos was like a dark past for him. Like a former chuunibyou shouting "Be consumed by the black flames" in front of people. Something embarrassing that absolutely must never be revealed.
Hmph.
Cid sneered inwardly.
He felt it was necessary to let Eta understand that he was not some former chuunibyou.
He was simply someone with a screw loose.
"I have never changed. I have simply realized that if a person can live inside a vast mansion, why would he choose to stay inside a cramped room where he cannot even stretch his limbs?
I want to do things that are more meaningful, and more interesting.
None of this will change because of you or anyone else.
Because this is my will."
After hearing that speech, Eta suddenly laughed softly and shook her head helplessly.
"I can only say… as expected of you, Master. Truly…"
Arrogant.
But it is precisely because of that arrogance that one day I will drag you down from that throne.
I will prove that I can inherit all of your Shadow Wisdom.
And then surpass you.
Eta did not say the latter half out loud. She simply looked quietly at Cid and buried the word arrogant deep in her heart.
After all, if she said it out loud, the arrogant one would become her.
No. She did not even have the right to call him arrogant.
She would have to call herself foolish instead.
Come to think of it, Alpha-sama is actually quite pitiful.
Master directly labeled everything she is doing as meaningless.
Ah… why does my laboratory not have recording equipment?
If I had recorded that just now, the next time Alpha-sama cuts my research funding, I could use the recording to blackmail Gamma.
If Gamma does not want Alpha-sama's resolve to shatter for the third time, she would have no choice but to give me the funding.
Wait… I forgot something.
Alpha still has not recovered from the second time her resolve shattered.
Right now Gamma-sama is the one in charge of allocating funds.
Tsk. Useless Alpha.
I need to think of a way to make Alpha recover and take control again first.
...
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