Glancing back at Irina Shidou and Xenovia, who were clinging to each other and crying, Cid clicked his tongue in irritation.
Seriously… what a complete waste of time. I really got carried away over that "Child of God." The God of the Bible has never even shown up, so where would a "Child of God" come from?
"Pack your things. You're out of my house tomorrow."
Ignoring their even louder sobbing, Cid slammed the front door shut and scoffed.
As punishment for getting my hopes up and then dumping cold water all over them, you're both out tomorrow.
Still fuming, he swung his fist into the wall, carefully controlling his strength as he did so, reaffirming his decision.
If Xenovia hadn't brought up the "Child of God" in the first place, he wouldn't have gotten so mad that he kicked them out. Taking in one Asia was already the same as taking someone in. Adding two more idiots wouldn't have made much difference.
Sure, with two extra people around, he wouldn't be able to play Eminence in Shadow games with Asia, who knew his true identity, but that didn't matter. With Asia's personality and intelligence, she was not cut out for that kind of roleplay anyway.
After hearing about the Child of God, he had genuinely become interested in Xenovia and the others. He had even already decided to secretly help them.
Thinking about it carefully, after all the hardship of finally finding the legendary Child of God, the Eminence in Shadow suddenly appears, crushes the Child of God with overwhelming power, drops a line like "Not bad, Child of God," and then disappears without a trace. That is exactly how an Eminence in Shadow should act.
And then these two idiots tell him the Child of God might not even exist?
I was completely fired up, and then you tell me the Child of God might not exist… heh. You two idiots can get lost.
End up homeless after being kicked out?
What does that have to do with me? I did not take your money. If you cannot even keep track of your own belongings, do not try to pin it on me.
Still full of resentment, Cid walked inside while unbuttoning his shirt.
Then he suddenly stopped.
He refastened the buttons he had undone, swept his gaze across the room, and finally fixed it under the bed.
"Sorry, I did not notice you."
From the darkness beneath the bed, a figure slowly emerged, half her body visible. A beautiful Therianthrope with cat ears, short golden hair, and a cold, expressionless face.
"As expected… I could not hide from you, Master."
At that moment, the feline Therianthrope looked slightly dejected, clearly discouraged that Cid had discovered her so easily.
"Honestly, that was already a pretty good hiding technique. At the very least, I had to be inside the room to notice you, though part of that is because I was not sensing anything the whole time. Still, it feels like you have improved, Zeta."
The Therianthrope before him, dressed in a black bodysuit with beautiful icy purple eyes, was named Zeta. She was one of his childhood friends and a member of the Seven Shadows.
"By the way, Zeta, why don't you come out from under the bed first? The floor is cold."
Watching her carry on the conversation from under the bed, Cid could not help but say something. He had a feeling she would just stay there otherwise.
"Yes, Master."
At his command, Zeta slipped out from under the bed in an instant and immediately flopped onto his bed, her golden cat tail swaying behind her.
I told you to come out, not climb onto my bed.
Cid thought about saying it, but in the end, he let it go. It was not worth making a fuss over.
He pulled over a chair, sat beside the bed, and looked at Zeta, who tilted her head slightly as she met his gaze.
"So, Zeta, what did you come to see me for?"
At his question, Zeta's previously relaxed expression stiffened, replaced with unease.
"Master, I… made a very serious mistake. I have failed to live up to your teachings, so I came to accept punishment."
Cid raised an eyebrow.
"Did anyone find out?"
He felt like he already understood why Zeta had come. Clearly, she had caused some trouble and came to him to clean it up.
Hmm… considering their relationship, he would help her this time. Even if she were here to borrow money, he would agree.
Although his personal slush fund had been running low lately due to losing his source of income, he still had some savings left. Taking out a thousand… ten thousand… even a hundred thousand zeni would not be a problem.
Of course, unless it was absolutely necessary, he did not want to touch his slush fund. He should first check whether anyone had noticed. If no one had, then he could think of a way to cover it up.
"No."
Zeta paused, thought it over carefully, then shook her head.
"Then it's fine."
So that was it. She came to him because her conscience would not let her rest. This kind of thing was exactly what he was good at.
"Master, because of my own selfish desires, I made a mistake and let members of the Cult of Diablos escape. I even ended up helping them. This could put countless lives in danger. Master, do you really not care?"
Seeing how indifferent Cid looked, Zeta grew anxious.
Let me put it this way. Zeta, because of your mistake, you leaked some important information or item to the enemies of the Mitsugoshi Company. Losing it could cause massive losses for Mitsugoshi Company, maybe even lead to its collapse. So you are worried about being punished, which is why you came to me, hoping I would plead your case with Gamma.
Having roughly figured it out, Cid showed a gentle smile.
Sorry, I really cannot help you with this. I still owe Gamma money. Zeta, just accept your punishment. Given your relationship with Gamma, the worst that can happen is you get expelled. It is not a big deal.
"I am no longer a member of Shadow Garden. There has long been no connection between us. Good luck, I cannot help you with this.
That said, I still value the bond we share. If you ever need help, just say the word. I cannot help with this matter, but that cannot be helped. If you end up with nowhere to go after being expelled, you can come to me."
Seemingly moved, Zeta's eyes gradually grew moist, her voice turning low and unsteady.
"Master, if I choose to act on my own desires now, and what I do brings a great disaster upon the world, what would you think of me?"
"Zeta, do not think of me as some kind-hearted person. I am quite a careless man. Even if some disaster were to happen in the world right now and a million people died, it would have nothing to do with me. Remember your role. An Eminence in Shadow would not be swayed by moral pressure.
Also, people should live in the present and move forward into the future. Do not let yourself be bound by obsessions from the past. I hope you can break free from it soon. And next time, do not speak in riddles like this. It is exhausting to interpret, even if it does sound very much like something an Eminence in Shadow would say."
"Master, I understand everything you said. So… can you wait for me?"
A soft, slime-like sensation pressed against his back. At some point, Zeta had wrapped her arms around him from behind. Her voice, tinged with a faint sob, sounded by his ear.
"I need to finish what I am doing now before I can truly let go of the past and start living."
She wiped away her tears, forced herself to compose her expression, and managed a faint smile.
"I am sorry, Master. I said some strange things."
With that, Zeta turned and walked toward the window, preparing to leave.
"Go ahead and do what you want. If anything happens, I will handle it."
Just as she straddled the windowsill, about to leave, his low voice came from behind her.