Prologue
To Lindwurm, the Sacred Land!
It all started when Alpha sent me a letter that was only a sentence long.
“Come to the Sacred Land if you’re bored.”
End of message.
Summer vacation had started early on account of the fire damage at the academy, which meant I didn’t have all that much going on. Based on experience, I’ve found that taking Alpha up on her invitations leads to all sorts of fun times. The day after I got the letter, I set out for the destination.
Lindwurm, the Sacred Land. I’ve actually been there once before. It’s one of the holy sites in Divine Teachings, the most popular religion in the world. Their shtick is that the Goddess Beatrix blessed the heroes with strength and that she’s the one true deity.
Anyway, it takes about four days to get from the academy to the Sacred Land by carriage. They’re both in Midgar, so it’s relatively close.
I hem and haw for a little while: Should I travel there by carriage like a background character or just sprint there? I eventually settle on dutifully playing my role and using a carriage. “One must always be conscious of these things,” I tell myself, putting on an affected air of superiority.
If only I could go back in time and punch myself.
I should’ve just run. If I had just dashed there during the night, I would’ve made it in no time.
But because I didn’t, I find myself sharing a carriage with our student council president, Rose Oriana.
The carriage is classy and spacious for just the two of us. After I made my way to a rest stop in my cheap-ass carriage, I bumped into her by chance, at which point she invited me to join her.
I swiftly turned her down.
But I’m no match for royalty. When all was said and done, we ended up riding to the Sacred Land together.
According to Rose, there’s some event going on there called the Goddess’s Trial, and she’s been invited as a special guest.
As I listen to Rose’s explanation, I realize Alpha must have asked me to come so we could watch this thing together.
Somewhere along the way, though, I stop being able to make heads or tails of Rose’s monologue.
“It would have been a tragedy to lose a young man with as gallant a spirit as yours in that incident, Cid,” she says with a gentle smile.
I have a number of rebuttals to this statement: I’m just a nobody, so I’m certainly not gallant, and when exactly did she stop calling me by my full name? Well, at least this part still makes sense.
“When I found out you’d survived, I could sense it was destiny at work. We can only talk about this because the world has granted us its blessing.”
This is the part where it stops making sense. First of all, I don’t believe in “destiny,” and I have no idea what a “blessing” even is. If you ask me, I’d just as soon flip the world the bird.
“Our path together will no doubt be paved with thorns. Nobody will give us their blessing, and nobody will recognize us for who we are.”
You literally just said the world has given you its blessing.
“But it’s said that, after receiving the goddess’s power, the heroes of legend were granted wealth and renown from the people and went on to marry princesses of major kingdoms. So though the path may be harsh and trying, I believe a happy future is waiting at its end.”
Is this what they preach in the Holy Teachings or something? Bringing up the outliers of society—read: heroes—to push their agenda sounds super-churchy.
“Completing this Goddess’s Trial will mean taking one more step down that thorny road. Afterward, I’ll be able to regale my father with tales of a gallant young man.”
The young man who’s gonna clear the Goddess’s Trial sounds like a lucky guy.
“The two of us can travel down that treacherous path one step at a time. Each pace we advance will only serve to deepen our love.”
Oh, so like a three-legged race. The spirit of mutual cooperation, huh? That totally sounds like something the Holy Teachings would preach.
“We have to keep it to ourselves for now, but let’s try to make a happy future a reality.”
“Uh-huh.”
Rose offers me her hand, and I take it. I dunno much about religion or the teachings thereof, but if she says it’s to bring about a happy future, then I’m on board. Happiness is important, after all. My happiness is, at least.
As I feel Rose’s passionate gaze and slightly sweaty palms, I realize I should probably put some distance between the two of us. I certainly don’t plan on mocking her for her faith, but it’s the kind of thing where both people need to be on the same page. When all the zealots get together and go do their own thing, everyone ends up better off.
“Nice weather today, huh?” I say as I look out the carriage window toward the clear sky and pastoral plains.
When you want to steer a conversation away from a tiresome topic, talking about the weather is always a solid plan.
“Yes. The sun is out, and I imagine it’s quite warm outside,” replies Rose as she gazes out in kind.
Though the inside of the carriage is shaded, it’s still hot enough to make us sweat. The nape of Rose’s fair neck is already glistening, and her curled honey locks sway in the breeze as she narrows her pale eyes to keep out the sun.
For a little while, we shoot the shit, talking about stuff like school and the weather, occasionally lapsing into silence as we search for new topics to discuss.
There are several types of silences, which can broadly be classified into comfortable and uncomfortable ones.
Popular opinion has it that lulls in conversation are always unpleasant, but my take is they aren’t all that bad. After all, when you realize you’re both working in concert to continue to talk, it gives you kind of a warm tingle of satisfaction.
After all, there’s only two of us, and we’ve been in this carriage forever. It’s only natural for there to be pauses in the conversation. The fact that we’re working so hard to avoid that is exactly what makes it so rewarding.
After the nth pause, Rose breaks the ice.
The afternoon sun has almost sunk, and its light has begun taking on a vermilion hue.
“I suspect there were things going on behind the scenes in that incident back at the academy.”
“Hmm?”
Rose turns to gaze at the distant sunset. “Those men in black calling themselves the Shadow Garden must have been in a different organization than that man named Shadow.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Their sword-fighting techniques are completely different. All the men in black were fighting with standard styles, but Shadow and the women obeying him were wielding their swords in an usual way. I’d never seen those techniques before. They must be new.”
“Huh.”
“I told all this to the Midgar Knight Order, but even though I insisted that Shadow and the group in black were fighting, the Knight Order’s public statement revealed they view the two parties as part of the same organization. None of their reasons were convincing. I’m certain there’s more going on than meets the eye.”
“Are you sure you’re not just overthinking it?”
“I hope I am. If I’m not, though—if the Midgar Kingdom has the wrong enemy in mind…calamity could be on the horizon. The Oriana Kingdom has launched an investigation, but you can afford to be careful.”
I nod.
Rose smiles softly, nodding back.
“We should be reaching the resting town soon. I’ll have them prepare you the room next to mine.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ll just find some cheap place on my own.”
“You mustn’t. It’s dangerous out there. I’ll take care of the fee, of course, so please don’t worry about a thing.”
“Oh, no, no, no. I couldn’t impose on you.”
“There’s no need for modesty.”
And that’s how I end up staying in a top-of-the-line room, the kind that costs three hundred thousand zeni a night. We go out for dinner at a classy restaurant, pick out chic outfits as we window-shop, then partake in a little gambling at the casino before heading back to the inn. All of it’s fit for a king. The bed is fluffy, and the room is even a suite. It’s awesome.
Better yet, I don’t need to spend a single zeni. Maybe the ultimate kind of background character is one who leeches off their loaded friend. I guess there’s value to be found in overlooking a little bit of Bible-thumping.
We reach the Sacred Land, Lindwurm, around noon two days later.
Lindwurm is home to a massive church that looks like it’s been carved directly out of the mountain, and the townscape laid out below it has whitewashed buildings. The main street running through the town is swarming with tourists, and it ends in a long set of stairs leading directly to the church.
After eating lunch at one of our usual high-class establishments, we idly browse the street stalls as we walk down the main drag.
As we do, I spot a little trinket. It looks like the kind of metal key chain with a dragon wrapped around a sword that you’d find at tourist sites back in Japan. I guess some things are the same, even in other worlds. What piques my interest, though, is discovering that it’s not a dragon wrapped around the sword but some sort of sinister-looking left arm. I pick it up.
“Did that catch your eye?”
“Just a little. Why do they all have arms wrapped around them?”
Rose looks down at my hands. Excuse me, ma’am, but it’s a little hot for you to be pressing yourself up against my shoulder. The heat isn’t too bad at this altitude and all, but it is still summer, y’know.
“It’s the hero Olivier’s sword and the left arm of Diablos the demon. It’s said that the great hero cut off Diablos’s left arm and sealed it away on this very land. Up there,” says Rose, pointing up beyond the long stretch of stairs and the church at the apex. “At the top of that steep mountain are ruins called the Sanctuary, and that’s where Diablos’s left arm is sealed. Of course, it’s all just a fairy tale.” She smiles. “It’s a popular souvenir among men.”
“I’ll bet. Excuse me—could I get one of these?”
I buy one to take back as a gift for Skel. Three thousand zeni sets me back a little, but I do have the decency to pay for it myself.
As for Po, he gave me a list of junk he wants. It sounds like a pain, so I haven’t looked at it yet.
After I stuff the trinket in my pocket, we get back to wandering about. The hustle and bustle of the tourists and vendors all makes me feel kind of nostalgic.
Suddenly, Rose yanks on my hand.
“It looks like Natsume, the author, is autographing books. I’m the biggest fan!”
There’s a huge throng of people in front of us. It looks like they’re standing in front of a bookstore, but I don’t see a sign or anything.
“Would you mind if I joined the line? It might take a little while, but…” Rose looks up at me with puppy-dog eyes.
“Yeah, go for it. I’ll wait here.”
“Oh, thank you! Care to join me?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
Rose buys one of the books from the display, then goes and joins the line.
Left with nothing better to do, I grab one of the books and idly flip it open.
“I am a dragon. As yet, I have no name.”
Wait, this is bald-faced plagiarism.
No. Some literary genius must have miraculously had the exact same aesthetic sensibilities in this other world. I pull myself together and reach for another book.
Romeo and Julietta.
I take that back. Definitely theft. And it’s not the only one.
Asherella.
Little Crimson Riding Hood.
Some of the many books even have stories ripped from Hollywood movies, manga, and anime. At this point, it all finally clicks.
Someone else must have reincarnated here, too.
I buy a book, then get in line to get it signed by this so-called Natsume.
I just want to find out more about this author.
The line continues moving as I think about my approach, and before long, the author comes into view. It’s a little difficult to tell because of the hood covering her head, but it’s definitely a woman.
Her elegant silver hair comes down to her shoulders, framing her blue feline eyes and the beauty mark under one of them. Her blouse is open at the chest, letting her cleavage peek out.
“What the hell is she doing?”
It’s a face I know all too well. Massaging my temples, I shake my head and try to leave the line.
“Excuse me, sir. Where do you think you’re going?”
However, I’m unsuccessful. She must have seen me moments before I recognized her.
The line inches forward, and I eventually end up directly in front of Natsume. The fair, silver-haired elf and I face each other. Yeah, I know that elf, all right.
It’s Beta.
“The book, please?” Beta pretends not to know who I am, instead taking my copy with a broad grin on her face.
As I watch Beta sign it with clean, practiced movements, I can’t help but ask.
“So how’s business?” I quietly whisper.
“Could be better. But I’m gaining quite a reputation.”
Oh, I get it. We’ve got another one.
She’s making bank off my wisdom, too.
Back in the day, I used to tell Beta stories from my original world. Since she seemed to be into literature, I figured she could use tales from Earth as a foundation to come up with badass plots of her own, but I never imagined she’d be plagiarizing them wholesale and making a killing in the process.
Dearest Beta, I’m disappointed in you.
I look down on Beta with a frigid stare as she hands me the signed book.
“I was invited here as a special guest, so I’ve been able to get access to inside information. I wrote the specifics of the plans in the inscription,” she informs me as I stand up to leave, moving her mouth as little as possible.
We then part ways without so much as exchanging a glance. This is sweet. It feels like I’m in a spy movie.
Maybe I was too harsh on you, dear Beta.
Upon exiting the shop, I’m greeted by a strangely delighted Rose.
“I knew you were a fan of Natsume, too, Cid.”
“No, I…”
“I understand. It must be hard to bring yourself to admit it, since most of the fans are women. Nevertheless, even though almost everyone who comes to signings are women, Natsume has a fair share of male fans.”
“…Sure, I guess.”
“The stories are compelling because they’re so inventive! The plots are all so new, their worldview is so novel, and the characters have fresh and fascinating values.”
New, novel, and fresh? Yeah, I’ll bet.
“And Natsume is versed in so many genres: romance, mysteries, action, children’s stories, literary fiction… It’s almost like each story is being written by a different person. That diversity is precisely what’s allowed these pieces to capture the hearts of so many readers.”
That’s ’cause they were each written by different people.
“Oh, and look at this autograph. I even got Natsume to write my name,” says Rose gleefully as she opens up her book. Inside are Rose’s name and Natsume the Fraud’s signature.
Now that I think about it, she mentioned something about having written the specifics of some plan or other in mine. I flip my book open.
“Are those…ancient letters?” asks Rose as she takes a peek.
“Looks like it. Yeah.”
And I can’t read a lick of it.
“Can you read ’em?”
“I’m afraid not. I’ve had a difficult time learning how to read ancient texts. I can only make out a few symbols. And it seems it’s written in the modern equivalent of cursive, so I’m not sure I could make it out, even if I was fluent.”
“Ooh.”
Awesome, so it’s like a cipher or something. I gave up trying to learn how to read the ancient alphabet, so I’m super-fascinated by it.
“Why write in ancient letters?”
“’Cause it looks cool.”
“It looks cool?”
“Yup.”
“I guess that’s the kind of thing that appeals to men.”
“When you graduate, I’m ordering you to join.”
“No thanks.”
“I’ll submit the application on your behalf.”
“Please don’t do that.”
“You’re so stubborn.”
At this point, the conversation breaks off.
We sit there in silence for a little longer. This time, it isn’t nearly so unpleasant.
Then, I see Alexia move out of my periphery. Her long legs are floating on the surface, making more ripples in the warm water.
“I’d expected you to be ogling me up and down, but I suppose I was wrong.”
Alexia doesn’t mention what in particular she thought I’d be looking at.
“Someone’s confident.”
“When you’re unassailably beautiful like me, it’s annoying to constantly put up with lusty gazes.”
Big words coming from someone wearing nothing.
“I try to avoid looking at other people when I’m in hot springs. That way, we can all share it in peace.”
“How admirable.”
“And on that note, would you please stop trying to catch a glimpse of my Excalibur?”
“Pfft,” Alexia laughs. It’s like she’s looking down on me. “Excalibur, huh? Are you sure you didn’t mean Earthworm?”
“If that’s what you think, it’s no skin off my back. Earthworm, Excalibur, I’m fine with whatever, but let me give you a warning.”
I stand up, making waves across the pool.
“You shouldn’t judge things based on appearances. Sometimes, an earthworm just hasn’t left its scabbard yet.”
And with my goods all out in the open, I turn around and get out of the pool.
“Wh-what do you mean…?” stammers Alexia. Her cheeks are flushed pink.
“When the holy sword is drawn from its scabbard, its ivory blade will be unleashed, sending you on a journey to the Garden of Chaos…”
With that suggestive line, I give my wet towel a strong snap, sending it up between my legs to clap loudly against my butt.
Old geezers do it all the time when they’re getting out of the bath, and I can’t get enough of it. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, but the hot springs experience just doesn’t feel complete unless I do it, too. After a second and third time, I head over to the dressing room.
As I finish changing, I can hear the sound of snapping coming from the hot spring.
The warm lamplight illuminating the majestic cathedral makes it appear more ethereal.
Only one person stands within it: a beautiful blond elf. She’s wearing a pitch-black dress, and her blue eyes are fixated on a statue of the great hero Olivier.
She could have been the moon shining radiantly against the dark of the night. Her name is Alpha.
“All we want is to know the truth,” she prays, almost as if she were talking to the statue. “Great hero, what did you do at the Sanctuary? Each time we pull back a layer of our dark history, we find more truths and lies interwoven together.”
Her high heels click as she begins walking, resounding throughout the cathedral as Alpha walks across its marble floor toward the red mass spread across it.
“Archbishop Drake, what were you hiding? If only you could talk. I really would have liked an answer.”
The red mass is composed of blood and chunks of flesh. The corpulent man breathing his last at its center has been brutally sliced to pieces.
The high heels come to a stop atop the pool of blood. White legs extend down from beneath Alpha’s knee-length dress.
“Who was it who killed you? Who was it who could easily dispose of a man with your status?”
The dying archbishop’s eyes are filled with the sublime light of the grave. Dark rumors about him had reached as far as the royal capital, and he had been likely to come under investigation in the near future. Before that could happen, though, he had been made to disappear.
“Tomorrow, we shall wait for the door to the Sanctuary to be cast open.”
After shooting another glance at the statue of Olivier, Alpha turns around.
From the other side of the cathedral’s doors, the voices of people searching for the archbishop grow closer.
Paying them no heed, Alpha opens that same set of doors and leaves.
As the sound of high heels recedes into the distance, it’s replaced with a throng of the Church’s paladins surging into the cathedral.
Though they find the body of their archbishop, not one of them says a word about the blond elf. None of them even realizes she’s gone by…
…but the bloodstained stiletto marks continue down the marble hallway.
It’s the night before the big event, and I’m gazing down at Lindwurm from atop its clock tower.
The Goddess’s Trial is tomorrow, and everyone’s all abuzz. Stalls line the main street, and the lamps along the road make it look like a veritable river.
Rose is off at some party at the church. I wasn’t invited. Not that I would have gone.
I smile as my hair dances in the night wind.
I gotta say, I’m loving this whole series of episodes where I get to look down on people and places from on high. The fact that it’s nighttime and there’s an event going on below makes it even better.
“It begins…,” I mutter, getting swept up in the mood. “So… They’ve made their decision…”
I narrow my eyes.
“Then I shall do my part to stand against it.”
In a flash, I transform into my Shadow outfit.
“For that choice is something we cannot allow…”
With that, I leap into the night sky. My obsidian long coat flutters behind me as I make my landing.
My destination is a back alley removed from the celebrations. A masked man is standing before me.
He looks sketchy, so I’ve been tracking him with my gaze ever since he fled from the church. He’s probably a robber or something.
No, wait, I can smell blood on him.
A mugger maybe?
“Did you really think you could escape…?” I ask him.
The masked man shrinks back a step.
“At night, the world dims, transforming it into our domain…”
He draws his sword.
“…and none can escape it.”
The man squares off against me, his sword at the ready.
I leave my katana undrawn, waiting for the moment to come.
Then it happens. As soon as the masked man tries to swing his blade, his head goes flying through the air.
I watch in silence as I wait for the woman behind his corpse to approach me.
“It’s been some time, my lord.”
The woman kneeling before me is Epsilon, the fifth member of the Seven Shadows.
She uncovers her face from behind her bodysuit, then looks up at me. She’s an elf with hair the color of a clear lake, and her eyes are just a smidgen darker.
Beauty comes in many varieties, and hers is decidedly flashy. Her looks are accentuated by sharp facial features, and her figure is exaggerated, too. Her body sways with each step she takes. It’s enough to catch the eye of anyone, man or woman, whether they’re interested in her or not. I know her secret, though.
“A clean slash. Nice work.”
“I’m honored.” Epsilon’s cheeks flush a little when she smiles. Her crisp tone might come across as haughty to some, but I don’t think it sounds bad. It reminds me of a piano.
Of all the members of the Seven Shadows, she’s the best at controlling her magic with precision. Magic can be super-hard to manipulate when it leaves your body, but she has no problems striking from a distance.
Her nickname is Epsilon the Faithful.
She has buckets of pride and an intense personality, but she’s pretty mellow around me. Though she may be quick to jump to misunderstandings, she used to brew tea for me back in the day. She’s a good kid and obediently follows Alpha’s orders. I know she’s the type to respect the chain of command.
Honestly, it’s been forever since the last time I saw her, and I have a bunch of stuff to catch her up on. Based on her behavior, though, I can tell she’s in Shadow Garden mode.
Well, that works, too. If that’s the case, I’d better respond in kind.
“How is the plan proceeding?”
Epsilon scrunches up her face a bit. I bet she’s frantically trying to figure out an appropriate plot for our little game of pretend.
“The Executioner of the Cult put down our target. We dealt with the henchmen, but the Executioner in question seems to have vanished.”
“I see…”
So an Executioner is in it, huh? I dig it.
“We’re switching to our other strategy.”
Oh, so it’s one of those scenarios where we scrap plan A and place our bets on plan B.
“Very well. But you know what that means…”
“We’re ready. We’ve prepared to make enemies of the Church and for our reputation to be dragged through the mud…”
“I’ll act on my own. Don’t fail me…”
“Yes, sir.”
I cast a sidelong glance at Epsilon as she bows, then exit stage right by concealing my presence and slipping into the darkness.
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