"Eta, I think I need to talk to you about what Nu just said."
Pulling over a chair, Cid sat down beside the bed, his calm gaze falling on Eta, who was half-sprawled across the mattress with her face buried in a pillow.
"I think Nu's description was clear enough. With your Wisdom, Master, you should have already guessed what I'm trying to do."
Eta struggled to roll over, her voice coming a half-beat slower than usual.
"Yeah… I've got a rough idea. You're probably unhappy with the others about something. Still, I want to hear what you really think, Eta. After all… among the Seven Shadows, you're probably the one most like me."
"Interesting. Is there something even a God… doesn't know?"
Eta turned her head, a trace of confusion in her eyes.
"A God may be all-knowing, but I'm not that God."
Cid answered calmly. At that moment, his eyes were like stagnant water, deep and fathomless.
"Is it that you don't care, or that you truly don't know?"
"I don't know."
"Heh heh. That answer is interesting, Master. You don't even know which one it is yourself.
All right. Since you're asking, Master, let me think…"
Eta pushed herself up and leaned against the headboard, a faintly thoughtful look appearing on her otherwise impassive face.
"I've always liked research. The feeling of uncovering the unknown through repeated experiments, obtaining new data, new theories, new research directions, and new knowledge… it makes me feel as though my 'essence' is being raised without end.
But at some point, I started doing research I didn't even like. Research that only crosses back and forth through known fields, ending in tools that are more convenient and better at making money. Why am I doing things that only waste the time I could be spending on experiments?"
"That's what growing up is. Only children get to express their interests freely when they're young. Once you grow older and understand more, you have to learn to compromise for the sake of those interests."
Sensing the dissatisfaction in Eta's slow, drawn-out voice, Cid gave his answer based on his own experience.
Everyone had dreams, but how many people could hold on to them until the end? At least, in both his past life and this one, Cid had never seen a single person manage it.
"That's a very accurate way to put it, Master.
I remember how naive I was back then. I thought that as long as Gamma turned on the tap, money would keep flowing forever to support all the research I wanted to do. But as I grew older, I gradually understood that the funds Gamma could provide were limited.
Alpha and the others also wouldn't let me draw on funds freely for the experiments I liked. In return for providing money, they made me do experiments I had no interest in every so often, producing new results to exchange for enough research funding."
Even through Eta's almost emotionless voice, a faint sadness could be felt.
"As Shadow Garden grew larger, my workload kept increasing, and the time I had for free experiments kept shrinking. Gamma and Alpha also monitored where my funds went very strictly, afraid I would divert the money they gave me into experiments that explored the unknown… Even though that is a necessary cost of obtaining new knowledge, those beasts and animals don't understand that at all."
Even with Eta's worldview, which did not truly treat humans as humans or elves as elves, recalling those events still made her angry.
"Then, because Alpha moved directly into Alexandria (Shadow Garden's headquarters) after Shadow Garden disbanded, I couldn't even conduct my final human experiments anymore. This so-called free experiment time isn't free at all!
Recently, Gamma has completely stopped valuing my precious brain. It was something that could have been researched by grabbing a few ordinary people at random, but just to seize the advantage in timing, she actually threatened me with funding. My free experimental materials expired before I even began my experiments. I only get eleven hours and fifty-five minutes of sleep a day now. Gamma, you really deserve to die!"
Her pace was unhurried, and her voice carried no emotion from start to finish. To Cid, that was exactly what made it Eta's most emotional complaint.
"That's just how life is. Only by giving up certain things do you earn the right to pursue what you want. But in the end, will the things you gave up be the reason your pursuit fails?"
Cid could relate deeply to Eta's complaints. If it had not been for survival, why would he ever have knelt like a dog for a mere few dozen gold coins?
Aside from making an entrance, causing trouble, taking the blame, looking cool, and the other essential elements of an Eminence in Shadow, everything else was unnecessary.
"Are you the same, Master?"
"Yeah. I understand you. I was once trapped in the same difficulty as you. In theory, maximizing benefit and considering what is practically possible are things anyone on this path has to think about. All I can do is try to maintain the right balance."
Treating daily life as training, treating training as accumulation, and treating release as the self. That was the path Cid had chosen. Looking at the results now, aside from a few issues with his mob-character daily life, everything else was not bad.
"The right balance… Not everyone is as free of desire as you are, Master. Knowledge is boundless, and only talent and money can serve as the boat to cross it.
Compared to you, Master, I don't think I have much talent. But I still think I'm better than Alpha and the others, who are absorbed in worldly matters.
So the only thing I lack is money. And Shadow Garden restricts my funding. Staying there would only waste my limited life!
What do you think, Master?"
"…Ever since long ago, I've divided everything I encounter into important things and unimportant things. I did it so I could focus on reaching the goal I want to achieve without distractions."
"A goal that even Master has to discard parts of himself to pursue must be something very great, and something beyond my reach."
As Cid began to speak, Eta's half-lidded eyes, which had looked as though they might close at any moment, opened and fixed on him. They seemed to sparkle like starlight.
"Heh. Sorry to disappoint you, Eta, but that goal isn't great at all. How can a child's dream be called great?"
Cid gave an awkward laugh, as though he were talking about some embarrassing flaw of his, and shook his head.
"Mm…"
"As people live, the number of things important to them gradually increases.
Making friends, finding a lover, getting a job… little by little, those things pile up.
But I went the opposite way and cut them away. I don't need this. I don't need that.
After throwing away all kinds of things like that, what remains is something I can't give up no matter what.
And I live for those few things that remain. So I don't care what happens to anything else."
"So… Master, you're saying you support me continuing, even though you don't know what my real goal is?"
Eta blinked and furrowed her brow, barely managing to draw that conclusion from Cid's words.
"No. What I mean is, think carefully about what's important to you and what isn't. Don't cut something away only to regret it later, crying and shouting that you want to make up for it. That wouldn't be cool at all."
Cid patted Eta on the head and smoothed out her long, pale-purple hair. Then, with an indulgent smile, he stood up to leave.
"Master!"
Eta called him back.
"You said you faced the same difficulty as me. Then what did you give up to get past it, Master? Is it some knowledge I don't have?"
"When it comes to money, even I can only think of one method: save up enough to last me a lifetime, then quit and run. Let's both work hard. I'm working toward that goal right now."
"That's it?"
"Sometimes, working hard is how you find a better shortcut. But most of the time, there are no shortcuts. And sometimes, even when you're walking the path properly, some sudden disaster comes along and destroys everything."
As he said that, Cid thought of his blown-up little stash and felt his heart ache. Because of that incident, all the collectibles and red wine he had planned to order were now out of reach. He could only force down the urge to buy, buy, buy, and stare at photos of them every day to soothe himself.
"All right, all right. Since I know you're fine, I won't meddle any further. I'm leaving. Bye, Eta. Get some sleep early.
I thought it was something serious, but it really was just a fight between two sisters. Worried for nothing."
After saying goodbye to Eta, Cid muttered under his breath, annoyed that he had wasted time he could have spent getting stronger over a few words from Nu. Then he switched off the table lamp and left.
"Think carefully about what's important and what isn't… I think I can answer that now, Master."
Eta murmured to herself, the corner of her mouth curving into a faint smile.
The answer is that the life of you, Master, who possesses infinite Wisdom, is the most important. My brain and my knowledge come second. My own life comes third. Everything else… doesn't matter!
...
"Wait. What is that?"
As Eta recalled everything from last night, the corner of her eye suddenly caught several items being carried in by two Shadow Garden Numbers. She immediately called them to a stop, jumped down from her chair, and crawled toward the two staff members like an insect.
"That's right. These are things Master once mentioned. Nu, I'm taking them. Put them on the account."
Ignoring the panicked expressions of the two women delivering the items, Eta felt around for a while. Once she confirmed what they were, she turned straight to Nu and spoke.
"Um… Eta-sama, these aren't on the budget list Gamma-sama provided. If you want them…"
"Are you one of the Seven Shadows, or am I? I'm taking them. If you have a problem, tell Gamma to come find me. Or you can ask one of the other Seven Shadows to come find me.
I'm leaving. Also, don't follow me. I have some personal business to take care of."
Eta's words made Nu's pretty face stiffen on the spot. She could only watch as Eta carried off the newly delivered items.
"Mm-hm…"
Eta placed the things in her arms onto the lab table, glanced at the time, and walked out with a faint smile on her face.
Alpha was shut away in seclusion. Beta was playing house with that princess. Delta was an idiot and no threat. Epsilon had already run off. Zeta was, at least for now, on her side. As for Gamma… by the time she woke up three days later, Eta would have already escaped. Why worry about her?
Going over everything again, Eta walked outside with a light, cheerful step. Looking back on everything, Eta felt she had finally experienced the state Cid had once described, one of vigorous vitality and all things striving forward. This feeling really was…
"To put it in Master's words, woohoo, I've never had such a wonderful opening."
Although she had no idea what those words meant, since Master had said them, they had to mean something good.
Thinking back on her time at headquarters, then comparing it to her current environment, Eta only regretted not doing this sooner.
Back at headquarters, she had spent eight hours a day doing experiments for Gamma's filthy desires, one hour bathing and eating, three hours on free experiments, and twelve hours sleeping. What kind of heartless exploitation was that?
Even worse, Alpha could have shut herself away anywhere, but she had to do it at Shadow Garden headquarters, instantly making most of Eta's free experiments impossible.
It was not that Eta had never considered drugging Alpha unconscious or simply killing her outright, but when she considered Master standing behind Alpha, she tearfully stopped most of her experiments.
Unfortunately, she would only get to experience this once. Her current goal was to make money!
When she thought about what would happen if Gamma woke up and Eta had not escaped successfully, her footsteps slowed despite herself.
One thing Cid said yesterday had struck her right in the heart: "save up enough to last me a lifetime, then quit and run." What Wisdom. It was exactly the same as her own escape plan.
"Too bad Nu is watching too closely…"
Eta sighed. Thinking of how Nu refused to loosen her grip on the financial line, Eta understood that the Mitsugoshi Company was destined to be a one-time boost.
If she wanted enough funding to run experiments for the rest of her life, she needed to set her sights elsewhere. The combined funds of the two factions, plus the extra money she had earned on the side, should be enough to last more than ten years.
"Oh, we're here!"
Looking at the door in front of her, Eta felt as if she were staring at a huge pile of experimental funding. With a smile on her lips, she opened the door and greeted the pink-haired girl inside.
"Second time we've met, old friend."
Eta tossed a handgun to her and sat down in front of the girl.
"A gift for you. Don't mind that I'm late. I ran into a few materials that interested me."
"You actually made it!"
The pink-haired girl toyed with the handgun, recognized what was inside, and spoke in surprise.
"With the information you provided, that was only natural. A reminder: the first bullet only has half the amount. Unless you have no other choice, don't use the second one. Just use it to scare people."
"You're that kind?"
"My personal traits are too obvious in this thing. I don't want Master to kill me."
"I'll take it. If nothing unexpected happens, I probably won't use it either."
After putting the handgun away, the pink-haired girl looked at Eta.
"Where is it?"
"Here."
Eta shook the box in her hand and looked at the pink-haired girl.
"What about yours?"