"Eta, sit down first. I'll pour you some water."
Gamma welcomed Eta inside with a bright smile and pointed to the sofa in the hall. After opening the sideboard, she paused and looked back at Eta.
"I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't prepare anything in advance. Is black tea all right?"
"I don't mind."
Eta sat down without a word and watched Gamma briskly pour the black tea after getting her answer, then walk over with it.
"Hehe... This is black tea Shadow-sama gave me. I think you'll like the flavor too, Eta."
"Mm. It does taste good."
Ignoring Gamma's obvious look of pride, Eta drained the entire cup in one gulp and let out a soft "ahh."
Gamma's smug expression froze. She looked away, sat down, and quietly picked up another cup of tea from the tray for a small sip.
"Ah... as expected of my Lord. He didn't blindly choose those so-called premium goods that are all gimmick and no substance like everyone else. This soft, silky texture far surpasses those mediocre products... I'll have Nu investigate the source another day and acquire the company."
Gamma let out a low hum, pressing both hands to her cheeks in bliss as she explained its finer points.
"Mm."
Eta silently agreed, picked up another cup of black tea, drained it in one gulp, then reached for the last one.
"Smack!"
With a speed completely unlike her usual self, Gamma grabbed Eta's hand and fixed her with a stern look, while Eta stared back in confusion.
"...Leave me some. I don't have much of what Shadow-sama gave me left."
Gamma turned her head aside, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. From the moment she received the gift, she had intended never to open it and preserve it for the rest of her life. This time, she had only opened one packet because Eta had finally come out and taken action for once, and Gamma thought she had finally moved past the trauma of being abandoned.
"Fine."
Seeing Eta withdraw her hand from the tea, Gamma let out a breath and elegantly took another small sip.
"By the way, Eta, what did you come out for this time?
If you want to meet Shadow-sama, I can take you. Maybe it's because we're no longer dragging him down, but Shadow-sama has been much gentler with me lately..."
She spoke lightly, as though casually denying the entire value of the first half of her life. It seemed that, after all this time, Gamma had long since moved on from the Shadow Garden split.
"Hehe... I knew it. A useless person like me, who can't do anything except make money, only exists to cause trouble for Shadow-sama. What value do I even have in this world? I might as well just die..."
"Click!"
"Mm... When activated, it greatly amplifies the user's mental activity, forcing the target to speak their true inner thoughts uncontrollably, and it also pushes the target toward extremes..."
Eta turned off the ancient artifact in her hand. Watching Gamma, who had already manipulated the liquid Slime Suit into a blade pressed against her own neck, Eta held a pen and wrote notes in a small notebook that had appeared at some point, muttering to herself as she fiddled with the ancient artifact.
Gamma blinked at the blade against her neck, then exchanged a glance with Nu, who had rushed over after seeing her try to kill herself. Startled, Gamma threw the blade away and turned to glare at Eta.
"Eta, what are you doing?!"
"Conducting an experiment."
Eta spoke unhurriedly, as if what had just happened was only natural.
"You! You! You!"
Gamma was so angry she could not get a proper sentence out. All she could do was keep pointing at Eta, repeating "you" over and over.
"Hah... Fine. Eta, just tell me what you're trying to do."
Gamma was so furious she could barely speak. She had no idea what this youngest member of the Seven Shadows was thinking. She had gone out of her way to use the hard-earned vacation time she had finally saved up to keep Eta company, only for Eta to use her as a test subject?
Forget the fact that Gamma was currently in charge of Eta's funding. Even if Eta needed one of the Seven Shadows to help with an experiment, shouldn't she have gone to Beta?
"I came to apply for funding. Also, my new invention is finished."
Eta speared a piece of cake from the table and began eating it, looking at Gamma with a calm expression.
"...Did you say that backwards?"
The possible good news of a new invention calmed Gamma's anger, but hearing Eta call it an afterthought made her ask reflexively.
"No."
Eta answered firmly, her gaze more resolute than ever. There was no doubt that, in her eyes, the new invention she had for Gamma mattered less than her future funding.
"Show me which invention you finished. If I'm satisfied, I might consider increasing your funding a little."
Otherwise, you can wait for me to cut your funding down to nothing.
She did not say the second half out loud, but the pressure in Gamma's eyes made it clear.
"..."
After hearing Gamma's words, Eta did not take out this so-called new invention. Instead, she turned her eyes toward Nu, who stood nearby.
"Smack!"
"Hey, Eta, what is that supposed to mean? Are you doubting everyone in Shadow Garden?"
Gamma slammed her palm heavily onto the table. This time, she was truly angry. She could overlook Eta using her as a test subject earlier, since it was hardly the first or second time, but that suspicious look Eta cast at a member of Shadow Garden genuinely enraged her.
"Gamma-sama, please calm down. Eta-sama is probably just being cautious. I believe Eta-sama bears me no ill will."
Nu stopped the furious Gamma. She truly did not want Shadow Garden, already on the verge of falling apart, to split again because of her. After a long, earnest attempt at persuasion, she finally managed to calm Gamma's anger.
"Then I will withdraw outside the door for now. If Gamma-sama or Eta-sama needs anything, please call for me at any time."
Gamma watched Nu close the door, then turned back with a sour expression. Her eyes narrowed at Eta, and her voice gradually grew heavier.
"You can take out your invention now, can't you? I'm warning you, Eta. If this invention you're being so cautious about doesn't help Mitsugoshi Company or Shadow Garden in the slightest, you can forget about getting research funding for the next few months."
Faced with Gamma's threat, Eta simply kept her blank expression and continued eating cake. Then she leisurely took out a sheet of paper and handed it to Gamma.
"Hah, what is this?"
Gamma accepted the paper in confusion and focused her eyes on it.
"Eta, let me tell you right now, don't even think about this application. I will never approve it. Mitsugoshi Company has money, but not for you to spend like this."
Gamma slammed the paper onto the table in agitation, flatly rejecting Eta's funding request.
"Why?"
Eta tilted her head adorably, as if she genuinely did not understand what was wrong with her application and wanted Gamma to explain.
"You're asking me?"
Seeing Eta play dumb, Gamma laughed out of sheer anger. She picked up the funding request from the table and pointed her slender finger at line after line of text.
"Come on, explain this to me. What exactly are you planning to do with this enormous amount of Mithril? And you want it collected within the next few days? Are you really not afraid of affecting Mitsugoshi Company's cash flow? Do you want me to dismantle the pillars of the Shadow Hall I built for my Lord and give them to you?"
"That is not impossible. When I designed it, I remember deliberately leaving a few sections that could be dismantled for Mithril."
At Gamma's suggestion, Eta actually propped her chin on her hand and began considering its feasibility.
"You really dare to think about it!"
Gamma grit her teeth as she said this, forcing down the urge to call Nu back and have someone punch Eta. The reason she did not do it herself was simple. She could not beat her. Taking a deep breath, Gamma pointed to the next line.
"Although the amount of Mithril you're asking for is huge, if we spend some time investigating Mithril mines in various countries and directly acquire the raw ore, we can still gather enough.
Compared to that enormous amount of Mithril, the few shops listed on this paper may seem insignificant. But Mithril can at least be explained as experimental material. What do you need these shops for?"
"...Experimental bases?"
After thinking for a moment, Eta answered with some uncertainty.
"Hah. Eta, do you believe that yourself? Did Alexandria's laboratory collapse, or is there something wrong with the experimental sites at Mitsugoshi Company branches?"
Gamma let out a scoff, feeling that she had already seen straight through Eta. One could only say she had gained plenty of experience from cutting Eta's funding.
After pointing out several more loopholes in Eta's funding application, Gamma looked at her coldly and spoke in a solemn tone.
"Eta, I usually turn a blind eye when you use a little funding for things you're personally interested in. The amounts aren't that big anyway. But this time, you've gone too far. You actually tried to get your hands on Shadow Garden's assets and sell them off for funding!"
"So Mitsugoshi Company's assets can be sold off... Why didn't I think of that sooner?"
Seeing Eta look genuinely regretful, the corner of Gamma's mouth twitched. Her fair hand tapped Eta's funding application several times.
"In short, this application is rejected. Mitsugoshi Company's cash flow isn't so abundant that we can afford to let you fund your hobbies however you like, Eta.
Of course..."
Gamma's tone softened as she changed tack, speaking in a coaxing voice.
"I can't approve this funding request, but if the thing you show me next satisfies me, I can still increase your funding a little over the next few months."
"You really can't approve it?"
Eta looked at Gamma expectantly, as if she still wanted to plead her case.
"No!"
Gamma's refusal was immediate.
"Sigh... Fine. This is my latest invention."
With a sigh, Eta took out an iron box and placed it on the table.
"What... is this?"
"Open it and you'll know, Gamma."
Gamma looked at Eta suspiciously, but out of trust that Eta would not harm her, she still chose to open the iron box.
"Click!"
The latch came undone with a sound, and Gamma lifted the lid. What appeared before her eyes was... a nozzle.
"!!!"
"Hiss!"
The moment she realized something was wrong, the nozzle inside the iron box sprayed a burst of white mist into Gamma's face. Gamma immediately felt the world spin around her.
Darkness swallowed her vision, and her body collapsed out of her control. Just as she was about to hit the floor, a slime tentacle shot out from behind Eta and caught her falling body.
In the final second before she lost consciousness, Gamma saw Eta reach into her chest and take out a funding application identical to the one from before, except this one had a forged signature in the lower right corner.
"I gave you a chance."
Looking at the unconscious Gamma before her, Eta took Gamma's finger, pressed it into red ink, then stamped her fingerprint onto the forged application in her hand.
After checking that there were no issues with the application, Eta picked up the last cup of black tea on the table. Unlike earlier, she did not drain it in one gulp this time. Instead, she drank it one sip at a time.
"Mm... Master really does have good taste."
Muttering to herself, Eta took out a golden box and placed it beside the iron box. She set the funding application on a nearby table, then took out eye drops and applied a few drops to her eyes.
Once everything was ready, Eta withdrew the tentacle holding Gamma. As Gamma fell, Eta knelt down in front of her on the spot.
"Bang—!"
The door was pushed open. Nu had heard the noise inside and rushed in, certain something had happened, but the sight before her made her fall silent at once.
Eta was kneeling in front of Gamma, tears streaming from her eyes.
"Um... Eta-sama."
Nu nervously approached Eta, carefully trying to learn what had happened.
"Wuwu, it was an accident. Gamma accidentally got sprayed by my hypnotic mist, so she won't wake up until three days from now.
Fortunately, I remember Gamma doesn't have much business over these next three days, right?"
"Uh... y-yes."
Eta immediately sat up after receiving her stiff answer.
"Then let Gamma sleep for three days. Gamma works so hard leading Mitsugoshi Company every day. She must be exhausted.
Oh, right. This is what Gamma agreed to earlier. Nu, go prepare it."
Nu accepted the application and looked at the items listed on it. A drop of cold sweat slid down her forehead.
"What's wrong? Can't you do it, Nu?"
"With Mitsugoshi Company's current working capital, purchasing everything on this list would be a little troublesome, but it isn't difficult. It's just... I would like to wait until Gamma-sama wakes up before taking action."
Gamma, so you really were crying poor!
That thought flashed through Eta's mind, and she looked coldly at Nu.
"What? Is there a problem with my status as one of the Seven Shadows, or do you think I would betray Mitsugoshi?"
"I would not dare. I'm only worried about Gamma-sama..."
"The experiments have already reached a critical stage. How could we possibly wait? If you're dissatisfied with me, Nu, then you can go ask Alpha!"
Nu's attempt to explain was cut off.
"If Alpha thinks there is a problem with me, then you can gather everyone else right now and take me down."
Eta stood and pointed at Gamma, who had collapsed on the floor.
"Gamma will wake up in three days. If the application is fake, then Gamma will definitely stop me when the time comes. What would I gain from deceiving all of you?"
"I understand!"
Nu nodded sharply, then helped Gamma up and handed her over to another person.
Now that things had been said so plainly, and since the expense was not particularly large, with the purchase only being somewhat troublesome at most, if Eta was telling the truth, there was nothing to worry about. If it was false, then the one who needed to worry was Eta. So...
"Go quickly and summon Shadow-sama!"