Dating Sim is tough even for a Shadow (Trapped in a Dating Sim/Eminence in Shadow - Fusion)

A/N: Was suggested to post this story in this forum as well. Hope you enjoy


Leon Fou Bartfort ponders how things had led up to him lying down in a dungeon, after falling through a hole from the floor above. Maybe it was his sister's fault, for trying to sneak into a dungeon and dragging him along. Maybe it was the evil bitch's fault, for bringing them to the demi-human lands to buy a slave. Maybe it was his father's fault for betting money on the Bunshin Tournament and winning an amount that the bitch demanded for her use.

Or maybe it was his own fault, for telling his dad that the mysterious Masked Knight that showed in the tournament would be the winner.

Nah it was definitely his father's fault. What responsible adult believes the word of a 10-year-old on such things?

As to why Leon knew that the Masked Knight would win the tournament: it was all because of an Otome Game. Leon was what you would call a reincarnator, awakening to past memories around 5 years ago, for some reason. Prominent among his memories was an otome game called Arcane/World Impact. Strange name for a dating sim targeted to a female audience, but it had supposedly been a gaming company's attempt to expand their market reach.

Why he was playing that game in the first place wasn't relevant right now. However, it did allow him to identify certain aspects of the world he was currently in that matched the game in his memories. One of the details was the mysterious Masked Knight, a character with sporadic but often enough appearances, whose supposed initial claim to fame was winning the Bunshin Tournament he first appeared in. Normally not a detail Leon would have memorized, but whenever the character appeared to assist, he said it every. Single. Time.

Realizing he was just spending time remembering dumb memories, Leon finally decided it was time to get up and start looking for a way out. Miraculously, he hadn't broken anything due to the fall and his clothing was undamaged with just a bit of dirt. Same couldn't be said for his short sword, something standard for this world even for children. It must have tumbled out of the sheath during the fall and snapped when it hit the ground. Still, a broken sword was better than no sword so Leon placed what was left of it back into the sheathe he wore. The small pouch he carried fared better, with no tears and managed not to spill its contents.

Climbing back up the hole he fell from was a no go, considering how small he was. He hoped Claire was already on her way back to the village to get some help. Normally, someone hoping to get rescued should stay where they are to make it easier to be found, but Leon recognized the area he fell in. Thanks to the same memories of the otome game, Leon recognized them as the walls of a tunnel leading to a certain in-game cash-shop.

Why did an otome game have a cash-shop? Again, a gaming company originally known for making tactical RPG's tried salvaging an old unpublished work into an Otome Game. They may have forgotten to tweak the difficulty of the combat segments for the game's new genre. Whose demographic was less inclined to want to deal with that sort of stress. Controversy of the decision aside, it somehow worked, even if the items' themes didn't match the game's setting.

Either way, this was Leon's chance to confirm if the cash-shop even existed in the actual world based on the game. With luck he might find a better way out, or if he got really lucky, one of the cheat-items themselves.

A futuristic doorway greeted Leon after a short walk through the tunnel. Thankfully open. Almost tripping inside due to excitement, Leon was greeted to the site of a scientific laboratory. A familiar computer screen and controls filled one side of the room, as well as glass tubes filled with liquid were scattered around the room. He tried to find what constituted an on button to get access to the system. Turned out it was less of a button and more of a giant touchscreen panel.

Weirdly enough, the first thing that popped-up when the screen turned on was the language setting option. Scrolling through the options, Leon recognized some of the other languages but thankfully Japanese was select-able. The home screen came up and as expected, kanji and other Japanese alphabet filled the labels of the icons. Leon tried using the search feature to find a map of the place and hopefully a way out.

"Interesting." A voice spoke in Japanese.

The computer screen came to life. A 3D model of a DNA rotated on the screen... as well as Leon's picture? When did that happen?

"Based on your actions," a voice that sounded close to a young male teenager came from the computer. "You really do understand Japanese. Yet you're clearly a New Human-Oh? What's this?" A portion of the DNA model separated and enlarged. "Old Human DNA! How interesting!"

Leon had no idea what the new voice was talking about. "Are you- an A.I.?"

"You even know what an A.I. is!" The voice cheered. "Most would assume I'm just a dungeon spirit or magical creature. Do you know what A.I. means?"

"Artificial Intelligence?"

"Such a smart child! Did you learn that from your parents?" While true, the AI didn't have to sound so patronizing. Even if Leon was currently physically a 10-year old, he was already past 20 when he died!

"No," Leon tried to not let his annoyance show. "This might be hard to believe, but long story short: I may look like a 10 year old but my soul is Japanese. 'Rice and Miso is Justice', if those words mean anything to you."

"Soul…" the voice was silent for a few seconds, which was a lifetime for an AI. "By that, you mean the concept of reincarnation?"

Leon shrugged. "Sure I guess."

"Do you remember the war?" The voice sounded solemn.

"War? Only those in the history books," a puzzled Leon answered. "The Japan I came from wasn't in direct war with any country. I was born in a peaceful era and was your typical salaryman."

"The fact you still talk about countries at war means you come from more primitive times than I expected."

"Yeah, I still have no idea what you mean," the AI could have gone without the 'primitive' though. "I'm not even sure I'm from the same world you think I'm from. To me, this world was just an Otome Game." explained Leon.

"Otome. Game." the AI repeated with a hint of disbelief.

"A dating simulation game. Not even a good one since it needed shitty pay-to-win items to balance the game mechanics," Leon couldn't help but laugh at the memory of playing the game before his death. "Doubt it got great reviews."

"Sounds like nonsense. However," the DNA model disappeared from the screen and was replaced with a full body scan of Leon. Again, when did that happen? "The fact you understand Japanese plus your genetic information. I can only repeat myself… Interesting."

"If it helps, the existence of this place is proof itself. This is supposed to be the cash-shop of the otome game."

"I don't know whether to be amazed or disappointed as a source of those supposed 'shitty pay-to-win items'."

Okay, so maybe ranting about that was a terrible idea in hindsight.

"Of which I have none," the AI dropped the bombshell.

"WHAT?!" screeched Leon, which he blamed on his prepubescent voice. "But you're supposed to have all these sci-fi stuff! Did someone take all of them already?!"

"Negative," the AI stated plainly. "Authorization for any equipment to be brought out of the lab lies solely for Old-Humans. If you mean a list of items that can be produced, there is one."

The screen changed once more, displaying icons of various equipment that looked very, very familiar to Leon.

"Those are the shi- cash shop items!" Leon caught himself. "You said produced, right? You can make them!"

"Affirmative. Though I would require the appropriate material to do so. Here, let me display the material and amounts needed underneath each item."

Leon wanted to bang his head on the console. Listing the amounts with the icon perfectly matched the paid currency. It just made it look even more like a cash-shop!

Oblivious to Leon's internal screaming, the AI continued his explanation. "Unfortunately the resource I would need to produce these items is a very specific material. Normally a converter would allow natural resources to be used, but you would need the same material to make one in the first place," the icon of the converter was enlarged just to emphasize his point. "I doubt you would know of it as its discovery was far into the future from the time you should be from."

"That's what you think!" Leon was ready to prove this cocky AI wrong.

He brought up the pouch he kept on him and dumped its contents on the console. Nondescript blocks except for a blue tinge that emanated from its edges. Blocks that perfectly matched the icons of the cash shop. Or apparently in-universe, the material needed to construct the pay-to-win items.

"Amazing," the AI sounded genuinely impressed. "You managed to find a good amount of programmable matter. I don't recall any signs that the local population are aware of what these are. Nor do they have items made of the material. Are they common where you're from?"

"Nah, most think they're just dungeon loot you can find. Mostly worthless as they can't seem to do anything with them. Well, except maybe this," Leon took two blocks, channeled a small amount of lightning magic, and pressed the two blocks together. They eventually merged into a single piece like they were glued together. "Even then, what adventurers manage to get from a dungeon aren't enough to be used to craft anything practical. A collector's item at best." Channeling another lightning spell split the blocks apart again.

Leon got these as a bribe/reward from his dad for the betting information. Only because someone had bet on the tournament using these materials and was part of the winnings. Probably a way for his dad to ease his conscience for using his son's information to win, and not really give a child real money from gambling. There were worse parenting decisions.

"Of course those New-Humans wouldn't be able to use it properly. Without the proper technology to manipulate it, they're as good as paperweights," A panel beside the touchscreen opened revealing an empty compartment. "You can put the materials in here for processing."

"Wait a minute, bucko," Leon quickly shoved the blocks back in his pouch. "I'm not going to just give this to you. They're worthless to the 'New-Humans' you talk about but I know how much they're really worth. And it looks like I have a lot of choices to pick from."

"Truly interesting," the AI sounded amused. "Your claim to be more than just a child seems to hold true. Not only were you aware of the value of keeping those materials, but your greedy expression is not one you see on children. Only a scumbag adult can make such a face."

"Shut it you overly descriptive AI! You know what? I don't have to take this from you."

Leon manipulated the touch screen and brought up the option he was looking for. Fingers flew over the keyboard as he entered the appropriate information and hit the confirm button.

"Confirmed," declared the AI as Leon's image was once again on the screen. A profile picture of himself was blown up along with some physical data about him. Just when did the computer have time to put that together?! He only entered his name when registering!

"Leon Fou Bartfort has requested command of Research AI - 70667. Current rank and known training puts Leon Fou Bartfort in lowest priority of the command structure. No known surviving personnel above Leon Fou Bartfort. Promoting Leon Fou Bartfort to Commander. Confirmed, sufficient Old-Human DNA detected. Self-destruct sequence aborted."

Leon was about to cheer his success until the AI mentioned the last part. "Self-destruct?!" his voice once again reaching heights allowed by prepubescent age.

"Yes," the AI simply answered as if he wasn't planning on committing double-suicide. "One of my directives is to self-destruct if I were to be stolen by New-Humans. Luckily, your Old-Human DNA manages to circumvent this directive."

If it was any other time, Leon felt like he should look more into this Old-Human vs New-Human thing the AI keeps talking about.

"But this place is mine now?"

"Technically it's under ownership of the Old-Human government, but yes. This spaceship is yours to command, Master Leon."

"Yes! Wait- spaceship?!"

Normally, this world only had the concept of airships seen in most fantasy games. They were powered by float stones and used propellers and sails to fly. A futuristic spaceship certainly stood out.

"Indeed," a 3D image of a spaceship appeared on the computer screen. Leon was familiar with this one at least. It was one of the items he bought in the cash shop when the world was just a game. "Congratulations on your command, Master. At age 10 no less. You may be the youngest ever to receive such a commission."

"Yey," Leon cheered in monotone. "I'll deal with that later. This means you have to obey me now."

"Such is my directive," Finally, maybe this would improve the AI's attitude with him. "As the newly promoted commander, Master Leon, I am now obligated to report on elven personnel entering the base," footage of elves walking through the entrance of the dungeon played on screen.

A second window popped up, showing the entrance of the dungeon where Leon could see his family members arguing with the elves. By the looks of it, they wanted to enter but the elves weren't letting them.

"Finally a rescue party."

"Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case, Master," A speaker icon appeared on the screen of the elves walking through the dungeon.

<The child managed to reach as far as the labs?>

<Something tripped the alarm at the entrance. It could just be a monster or it could be the child.>

<Tch… unfortunately we can't let information about the labs leak out. Even if no one will take a child seriously.>

<Then we kill him if he did make it that far, and say he died due to the dungeon.>

The elves said more but Leon didn't need to hear any further. They were going to kill him!

"Such a disappointment from former creations of Old-Humans. Though it's not surprising some would turn feral over the years."

"You can be disappointed later! They want to kill me for finding you!" Leon frantically scrolled through the touch screen trying to find a way to protect himself. "Is there a way out of here?"

"Unfortunately the secondary exit has long collapsed. The only other exit is through the main entrance you came from. Which is most likely where the elves will be coming."

Leon swore not suitable for a child. "You said there was a spaceship?! I'll use that to escape!"

"The spaceship has long been moored and placed in maintenance mode. While the power core is still active, the rest of the system has long been rendered non-functional."

"Defenses then? You should have some!"

"Normally the point defense units could be deployed, but again, due to lack of resources, they have not been properly stocked," the AI said matter-of-factly. "Not even the amount of material you have on-hand is enough to bring them to functionality."

Leon had almost forgotten about those. He hurriedly poured the contents of his pouch into the receiving compartment. "I should be able to get something with this amount to defend myself with!"

"Calculating amount," the AI said too slowly and calmly for his taste. "Replicable item found."

The computer screen displayed… a short sword.

"Seriously that's it?!" whined Leon. "Not even a pistol?!"

"The body of one could be made, but there is neither ammo nor energy packs available. It would be better used as a bludgeon."

"They have rifles! I can't bring a sword to a gunfight!"

"Agreed, Master. Your current stature would not help either."

Okay, even Leon could admit that his current physical body of a 10 year old wouldn't help. But it was annoying if someone else pointed it out. Even if he boosted himself with magic, only trained dark knights could outspeed a gunslinger with a sword.

Leon was clutching his head in despair, trying to think of a way out when the AI decided to be helpful.

"While the material you have right now isn't enough to create a proper weapon," A panel on the console opened and a small device popped up. "There are other methods."

"I'll bite, what's this?" Leon picked up the device slightly bigger than his childish hands.

"A Standard Logistics Integrated Moldable Equipment," the words appeared on the screen.

"Why does it spell 'SLIME'?" Leon deadpanned.

"I didn't name it, Master," the AI elaborated. "A device that can convert programmable matter into a nano-suit. It also allows further shaping to provide assistance in the user's tasks."

A helpful graphic showed the outline of Leon's body slowly covered by black material until it shaped into a suit. The graphic extended its arm causing a robotic claw to form past his hand.

"It's a Slime Suit," groaned Leon. "Whatever, if it helps get out of here alive." He picked up the device and shoved it inside the compartment containing the programmable matter. The device sucked in all the materials and felt heavier than it did before. "You sure this is enough to make a slime suit?"

"For a standard infantry personnel? It wouldn't be. But for a child your size, it would be enough."

If he lived through this, Leon would have words with this AI.

"Put the device to your chest and it will do the rest.".

Leon did as instructed and he felt the device secure itself to his clothing. As the AI showed earlier, black nanomachines spread out from the device until it completely covered him from head to toe. He felt momentarily blind and suffocated, until the material around his eyes turned transparent and he found he could breath normally through the material.

"I look stupid," Leon's real-time image was projected on the screen and he was basically a black silhouette all over. Except for his visible eyes.

"As I stated earlier, the material you had on hand is barely able to create a full suit for your size," the AI's voice sounded like it came from an earpiece instead of the console's speakers. "There is not enough material for further shaping, but a full suit should be enough to supplement your physical attributes to match even a New-Human adult. Without magic though."

"My magical training should be enough to boost myself."

"An unpleasant trait inherited from New-Humans but an asset for now," the monitor once more displayed the elves walking through the dungeon. "They are approaching the last corridor towards here, Master Leon."

"Crap need to think of something quickly," Leon tried to find what other advantages he could use.

Fighting head on would still be suicide as the suit barely leveled the playing field. Well, if he couldn't fight like a knight, it was time to fight like a shadow.

---

When the elves reached the entrance of the lab, they confirmed that the trip wire alarm had indeed been set off. Entering the lab however, they didn't see anyone inside.

"Check the area," the lead elf ordered the two others. "Find the boy or whatever tripped the alarm."

He made sure his voice could be clearly heard. If it was the boy that was here, then he would believe he was being rescued and reveal himself. Then they would just escort the boy outside the lab area and execute him there. No one could know about this lab. Their chance to revive the glory of the Elvan Empire.

The lab was suddenly pitch black as all the lights turned off. "Who turned off the lights?!"

"Not us!" he heard one of the other elves shout.

The elf quickly turned on a flashlight, and saw another one light up. And no other.

"Where'd Froder go?" the other elf asked.

The lead elf waved his light around in search of the missing elf. He heard a yell and saw the flashlight the other was holding clatter to the ground.

"What in the Saintess?!" he raised his rifle. "Caron! Stand up!"

He was only greeted with silence. Realizing that they were being attacked, the elf frantically searched around for the culprit. A clang behind him caused him to turn around and blindly fire his gun.

His light showed he shot at nothing.

Lowering his gun, he tried to find the cause of the sound when a blinding pain shot through the lower half of his body. His legs gave out as his body curled in pain. He barely had time to feel the blow to head before the darkness swallowed him completely.

---

"Fantastic performance, Master!" The AI praised Leon. "Hiding in the shadows and taking them down one-by-one, such an elegant display!"

"If you're so impressed, maybe you could've helped me drag them outside the door!"

"Unfortunately I have no remote body available."

"Whatever," Leon sighed in annoyance. "They won't stay unconscious for long and I have to get out of here before they wake up. You can lead me out right?"

"Yes, I can guide you remotely through your SLIME suit. But once you leave the dungeon, you will be out of transmission range."

"Well that sucks. I just got you," it would probably be years before he could come back here. "Even if you're the only working thing here. What's the point of being a commander of a broken spaceship?"

"Correction, Master. The ship is non-functional due to lack of materials. Given enough, it could be activated to proper functionality."

Leon could only sigh. It wasn't something he could do in the near future, but at least there was still the option.

"Something to work for I guess. For now," Leon finished entering his new password. "Time to lock down this base. You sure no one will be able to get in?"

"Affirmative. With a living commander, it is possible to secure the facility until authorized. But before you do so, Master…"

A panel on the ground opened and a blocky item floated out. It looked almost like an art piece, if it wasn't constantly moving.

"What's this?"

"A long range receiver."

"I thought you didn't have materials available."

"This programmable matter has already been assigned a function. It can no longer be used for anything else. It can, however, be used to augment your suit. Simply touch the item and its functions will be added."

Leon did as instructed and watched in amazement as the whole item flowed like a liquid towards him. His suit felt just a bit thicker than before.

"With this, I will be able to maintain contact even outside this dungeon. It will also allow me to send the necessary commands to manipulate any more programmable matter you obtain."

His eyes widened as Leon realized the implications. "A portable cash shop!" he cheered.

"A crude description, but correct."

Looks like getting lost in this dungeon was worth something after all.

Once the lookdown was complete, Leon left the unconscious elves outside the entrance and followed the AI's directions out of the dungeon. Along the way, a thought occurred to him.

"Uh, hey." Leon tried to get the attention of the AI.

"Yes, Master?"

"Do you already have a name or do I need to give you one?"

"Indeed I do. The designation assigned to me is 'Cid'."

"Cid?" repeated Leon. "That mean something? Like 'Central Intelligence Device'?"

"Pfft," why did the AI- Cid have to laugh like that? "Please consult me in the future before you name anything else, Master."

"Hey!"

"I'm simply Cid. A name, nothing more."

---

A/N: Promised myself that if I managed to get the chapters a decent length that had equal elements of both settings, I would finally make a separate thread. So here it is. Aside from the combine settings, the main challenge is how a less sociopathic character can still function as an Eminence in Shadow. That doesn't mean completely sane though as instead of a chuuni-filter, this one has an otome-game-filter instead.

Life in the Bartfort Barony could be classified as peaceful most of the time. Not much different from a typical countryside in Japan, except for the fact it was all contained on one floating island. This world was weird that way.

The current peace was, however, interrupted by the clashing of steel. By a riverside, Leon was sparring with his elder sister, Claire.

"Go, Leon!" their younger brother, Colin, cheered from the sidelines. "Go, Claire!"

Sparring with Claire was a typical part of the training Leon did, coming from a lineage of magical knights. Today however, Leon could tell Claire was in a mood and was using him to vent her frustrations. Her blows were heavier than usual and her attacks lacked the usual subtlety she employed. For example, her current attack from the right had multiple openings Leon could capitalize on. He could see the counter-attacks he could perform ending with a slice to the neck.

But Leon did none of these and just blocked the attack with his sword. As expected, the blow was strong enough to send him flying into the river. It was barely deep enough for even an 11 year old, so nothing too harmful for him, except for returning back to land soaking wet.

"Jeez, still as strong as expected," Leon muttered to himself.

Speaking of which, Claire seemed to have finally calmed down after knocking him into the river. Though she might have sprained something as she was rubbing the side of her neck.

"That was amazing, Claire!" Colin ran up to her with gleaning eyes. It earned a small smile from Claire and a pat on the head. "I can't wait to fight like that." Colin performed slashing motions with an imaginary sword.

"Once you learn how to use your magic properly," Claire smiled at Colin fondly. "As for you," she turned to Leon. "You need more effort."

"Yeah, yeah," Leon responded half-heartedly as he tried to squeeze out the water from his clothes.

Leon was saved from further rebuttal by some new arrivals.

"Finally found you guys," Nicks, their eldest brother, came in tow with Finley, their younger sister.

The siblings were now complete. Five of them in order: Nicks, Claire, Leon, Finley, and Colin. An anomaly for typical noble families who liked to keep theirs small to make inheritances easier. Though maybe because their mother wasn't the official wife of their father. The 'concubine line' in crude terms. It was complicated, something that was typical for noble families.

"The Mistress is gone and we can come back now," Nicks informed them.

"You still brought Finley with you?" asked Claire.

"She was upset," Nicks frowned. "Rutart and Mercer found her and well…"

On closer look, Leon could tell Finn had recently been crying and still looked sullen.

Claire clicked her tongue in disapproval, her mood having returned. However, she went to Finley and comforted her by picking her up. Despite barely being a teenager, Claire comfortably carried a 10 year old with ease in her arms, a testament on Leon's older sister's strength.

"You want a ride back?" Leon asked Colin. While he might not be able to imitate their older sibling, he was more than strong enough to give Colin a piggyback ride.

"Ew, no you're wet!" Colin said in the innocently-not-meaning-to-insult-way only a child could do. "Nicks, I want up!" He asked the eldest sibling instead.

"Fine c'mer."

Leon could only sigh as he followed his second-life siblings back home.

---

Late at night once the rest of his family was asleep, Leon quietly got up from his bed and snuck his way on the rooftop of his mansion. With the moon gone, the only light were those coming from the stars. A far cry from the metropolitan cities of Leon's past life.

"Master, I've located the bandits," a mechanical orb with a red lens hovered beside Leon.

"Where are they tonight, Cid?"

It had been almost a year since Leon found the AI in the dungeon. Since then, Leon had managed to scrounge a good amount of programmable matter and trade them for a lot of items. One of which was a mobile terminal for Cid. Said terminal projected a holographic map of the barony and marked a location.

Leon grinned in excitement. "Time to farm."

Black particles shifted on Leon's form and solidified to his new attire. Plain black mechanical armor with an all encompassing helmet. The visor augmented his sight allowing him to see through the darkness.

---

One would think that with floating islands and flying ships, banditry would be harder to accomplish. Inter-island transportation wasn't worth attacking and any worthwhile volume of goods (or kidnappings if they wanted to go that route) came from airships. So it made sense that piracy would supplement typical banditry.

Unfortunately, whoever designed the otome game didn't take that into consideration and still included 'bandit elimination' as part of their repeatable quests. In the game, they were just exp fodder for raising new units; but in real life, they were a real concern by the local population. Concerns that the Bartfolt family had to deal with.

Strangely, while reports of bandit camps were constantly reported to the barony, whenever the authorities went to deal with them, the bandits were already unconscious. A portion of the missing goods were also unrecoverable. When interrogated for the reason the bandits were attacked, all they could describe was a 'Dark Knight'. A shadow given form.

"Give me your goods and no one gets hurt!" an electronically modified voice demanded.

Despite the demand fitting one a bandit would say, those words actually came from Leon. A group of bandits starred in bewilderment at the black armored figure in front of them. Then they started laughing.

"It's just a midget!" a bald headed bandit exclaimed. "Take care of this wannabee knight!" he ordered his men.

What followed was a one-sided beatdown, courtesy of Leon and his superior technology. His slime suit was now properly upgraded with a host of combat enhancements. He even had enough materials to create a sword to compliment his skills. Against garden variety bandits, Leon had no problem dealing with them in a group. Adding both magic and sci-fi was just cheating.

"You left the new-humans alive again, Master," Cid floated beside him once they had properly tranquilized the beaten bandits. "I would suggest tossing them off the island."

"Jeez, I'm not that cruel," doing that would mean they would be eaten by the monsters inhabiting the water. "And still no killing."

"But leaving them with life-long debilitating injuries is fine?" the AI retorted.

"Hey, they're still the bad guys," Leon turned his attention to the goods. "My consciousness is clean."

As to why Leon was willing to take care of the local bandit problem? It wasn't because of a sense of justice or a way to train himself. His family covered both already. The one thing Leon really needed was more resources. Specifically, more programmable matter to turn into more items.

In the otome game, the cash shop was released to fix a difficulty imbalance, but the developers also knew not everyone would willing fork over real world cash. So technically, the currency could be earned in-game instead. It was a small amount compared to actually buying outright, but it gave the game a defense against pay-to-win accusations. The currency usually came from farming repeatable quests. Quests that could range from dungeon clearing to procuring goods, and of course bandit clearing.

Leon was too young and lacked resources, such as personal transportation, to do any of the high rewarding quests. It was by chance that Leon overheard a bandit report being delivered to his father, the baron. Reckless and/or crazy enough to test another otome game information, Leon decided to try robbing a bandit camp. To his surprise, they did have programmable matter in their possession. Thus began Leon's crusade against bandits in the barony.

Eventually, Leon moved from stealthy robbing them to just attacking them outright. Faster and simpler sometimes. Not something one would consider doing, especially with the physical stature of a child. But even in his old-world life, Leon had fought local thugs and kidnappers without much care about safety.

"Damn, they sure stole a lot," Leon looked over the goods the bandits were guarding. "No way this came from our barony."

"That is correct, Master," Cid flew up to him after scanning the items. "Markings on the goods match those used by merchants more commonly seen in other noble territories. It would seem this group intended to use this place as a resting point before moving on."

"Bandits and smugglers? I wonder if that means more currency rewards," Leon tried to remember the reward structure of the game. "Do they have any?"

"Confirmed. Programmable matter is stored in one of the compartments," Leon cheered at the success of tonight's excursion. "They also have a rather curious specimen."

"A 'specimen'?" Leon approached part of the goods covered by a tarp. "A cage? Maybe a creature?" He lifted the cover. "Ugh gross, a dead body."

At least that was Leon's best guess. It barely looked like a body, more like a mound of rotting flesh.

"Correction, Master. The body is still very much alive. Also, a scan of it's skeletal system shows it belongs to a humanoid individual."

"Holy shit," Leon backed away from the cage in reflex. "A possessed?!"

'Possessed' were known as those afflicted with a mysterious illness that causes the body to rot and eventually die. It afflicted all beings, whether they be human, elf or therianthrope. But weirdly only afflicted women. However, the biggest issue was that there was no cure for the possessed.

Well, no known tangible cure. Supposedly, legends claimed that the 'Saintess of Holfort' could cure the illness with her divine healing magic, but there was never any concrete evidence. Modern healing magic never displayed the ability to do so.

"What shall we do with this, Master?"

"I dunno. Do we even need to do something about it?" The level of possession displayed meant that they would likely die soon anyway.

As there was no cure, the go to for the possessed was death. Usually the Church handled these matters, in the name of benevolence to save the victim's soul. But it was just covering up the fact that it was basically euthanasia.

"A shame," Cid floated closer to the cage. "I've always wanted to analyze this so-called 'Possessed'."

"Really? What's the point? Try to find a cure?" Leon sarcastically responded.

"A possibility."

The reply actually caught Leon off guard. "Wait, you really can? If there was, someone should have found out by now."

"Clearly the New-Humans haven't," the AI was delighted to point out the failings of his hated enemies. "Even with their detestable magic."

"Hey." reprimanded Leon.

"But their technology is primitive and ours is superior."

Leon had a feeling Cid just wanted to one up the New-Humans on something. Still, Cid was a research AI with a remote laboratory. Their technology could have a better chance of succeeding where everyone else failed.

"You really think you can?" Leon asked seriously.

Cid floated back to Leon, recognizing the change in his master's tone. "I was designed to develop counters against New-Human weapons, including possible bio-weapons, and even what you would refer to as 'magic'."

Leon thought hard about the ramifications of effectively allowing human experimentation for the AI. Then again whoever was in the cage was going to die anyway. At least this way, their death could mean something?

"We'll take it." he finally decided.

"Excellent choice, Master."

It didn't feel like one, but there was a reason he was interested in finding a cure.

"I'm going to have to carry this back to the base, aren't I?

"Indeed."

---

Another day, another training session with his sister. Claire seemed to love beating his bu- sparring with her younger brother ever since Leon was old enough to hold a sword. It was only thanks to his old memories of fighting styles he used to practice, that he could even keep up with her. Even Leon could tell his older sister was a prodigy with the sword. She would have no trouble making a name for herself in future tournaments.

As they both grew up, Claire got stronger. To the point she once defeated their eldest brother and almost gave their own father, an actual knight, a run for his money. Yet, even when his sister could practice with better skilled opponents, Claire still regularly dragged Leon into the training fields to kick his bu- spar with him.

At least it got him out of his chores.

In fairness, while Leon never won against his sister, even he could admit he was learning something. Even if it was just to survive against Claire.

Right now, it meant controlling his magic to strengthen himself. A common technique for spellswords, but Leon was trying to further refine his control for more efficient output. It would allow him fight longer, and help him with another matter outside of combat.

"Hmmm?" Claire let out in confusion as she locked blades with Leon.

Taking advantage of it, Leon retreated and then attacked with a swing of his training sword. His sister easily blocked the blade but didn't counterattack. Leon continued his assault while his sister stayed on the defensive. When he thought he saw an opening, Leon thrust his sword, only to be deflected by a parry from Claire. The strength from the deflection caused Leon to lose his wooden sword as the force knocked him backwards. He landed sitting on the ground, handedly defeated by his sister.

"Tsk," Claire seemed unhappy despite beating Leon as usual.

"Whew," Leon tried to catch his breath. Manipulating his magic using a new method tired him out more than he expected. "You're too strong, Sis."

Hopefully buttering her up would get her to take it easy on him.

Instead, Leon earned a flick to the forehead. Considering it was a magically augmented flick, it hurt a lot and Leon yelped in pain.

"If you put half your effort complaining to training, you'd be a better fighter," reprimanded Claire. "Your future as a knight depends on it."

"But what if I just want to be a farmer?"

This quip earned him a knuckle to the head. She grinded them for good measure.

"What are you, a commoner?" Claire scolded as Leon cried in pain. "Ours is a lineage that gave birth to many powerful magical knights. You have a duty to our family."

"I get it, I get it!" surrendered Leon.

"Then don't be so lazy!" Claire ground one harder before releasing Leon from his torture. "I swear you'll forget to breathe if I'm not here."

"At least no one will be dragging me off for make believe adventures," Leon shot back.

Claire turned red in embarrassment. "I haven't done that since the dungeon!"

Only because their parents grounded her so hard she could barely leave the estate grounds. It unfortunately left her bored and she redirected those energies to more intense training sessions.

"And our kingdom was founded by adventurers! You should be excited to explore dungeons."

"Eh… maybe when we're older. I'm sure those dungeons will still be there once we're old enough." Leon's response earning a defeated sigh from his sister

"If I'm lucky." muttered Claire.

"What?" Leon barely heard her words.

"I said you're in luck since we're stopping today," said Claire. "Dad has visitors coming and mom said we need to be not in front of the house by then."

---

<Greetings, Lord Bartfort.>

<Glen! Balcus is just fine.>

Leon was eavesdropping on his dad's meeting. It was one of the ways he gathered information on potential bandit camps, by listening to these meetings. While Cid could just sneak into his father's office and scan the reports, he might miss stuff that they didn't bother writing down.

<How's life inside the Knight Order?> Leon heard scrapping of furniture which he assumed was the two sitting down.

<Hell, ever since you left.> They both laughed. <No shortage of enemies to fight and the paperwork is just as deadly. Did you really have to sign so much when you were commander?>

<Ugh… You complain about knight paperwork. Wait till you run a territory. So what brings you all the way out here? Last I heard you were getting offers from the bigger territories>

<How? Heh, I should have known you would still be updated. I have but it's still too early for me to leave the order just yet. Maybe after a few years. Right now, I'm here to handle the transfer of bandits you caught for interrogation.>

<I didn't expect a knight from the capital to handle a backwoods problem. Also wasn't expecting a visit, not that I mind since it was you.>

<True, I wouldn't normally bothered visiting the local lord for a simple transfer, but I do need help from 'Kageno'.>

'Of the Shadow'? Leon didn't expect a japanese name here.

He heard his father sigh. <I wish people would stop using that. Getting a title from the first dungeon relic I found wasn't how I wanted.>

Ah. Probably just a word they found.

<At least it's better than ol' Pantshitter.>

<Yeah poor Pantshitter. At least he didn't have to live with it long.>

A moment of silence for the unfortunate soul.

<Back to what I need help with, some of that 'Kageno Wisdom'.> There was a sound of papers slamming the table. <I need your opinions on these.>

<List of deceased knights? Shit, these kids are barely of age. But this is nothing new, even during our time as newbies. Not all rookies make it out alive.>

<Their deaths were all unfortunate losses but that's not what caught my attention. I was working on the deceased paperwork, all that stuff needed to inform next of kin, when I noticed something.> More shuffling sounds of paper. <These ones have the same next of kin listed. So does this group, and this ones as well.>

<They died years apart so they could just be branches from the same families.>

<You're right. Same families, but not by blood. By marriage. To the same person per group.>

Leon winced in pain when the earpiece transmitted his dad's very loud expletive.

<Soldier's compensation. They're sending kids to die for money.>

<As expected of the Kageno wisdom. Pieced it faster than I did. Once I realized that, I tried to investigate further and found a group of 'noble wives' responsible for this: "Forest of Ladies">

Outside the meeting room, Leon was starting to get bored. While a possible scandal in the knight order and upper nobility might have been interesting, it was something that he didn't want to bother with. If the meeting had nothing to do with the local bandits, then it wasn't really something he needed to care about.

<If you already figured that out, then why bring this to me?>

<Because your family might be next.>

Leon found himself suddenly paying very close attention.

<All of these kids come from lower nobilities. Third sons and lower.>

<And as a Barony, I have boys that fit the bill. Shouldn't you be reporting this to the higher ups?>

<I tried but I encountered two hurdles. One, while marrying these kids and sending them to die is reprehensible, it isn't illegal. If you ask around the capital, the Forest of Ladies is simply a gathering of noble wives upholding the values of the kingdom. You know how women have higher standing there.>

Even Leon swore along with his dad at that. Otome game logic at work.

<Two, I think someone higher up is in on it. Or is at least paid off by the group. The group also give a sizeable donation to the Knight Order.>

<Wonder where they're getting all the money from.> Leon could hear the sarcasm from his dad.

<I was hoping to find something actually illegal connected to them, when I found a lead. Or rather had a lead.>

<Had?>

<One of the earlier bandits captured in your territory mentioned the Forest of Ladies by name during his interrogation. By luck, I was in charge of interrogating him at that time. I went out of the interrogation cell for a moment to get my notes, but when I came back, he was already dead. Someone higher up insisted to write it off as suicide but it definitely wasn't.>

<Which is why you're here personally, to make sure a potential lead doesn't just 'disappear' again.>

<Correct. And I was hoping I could get your help in this matter. Or at least some advice on this matter.>

Leon heard the biggest sigh his dad ever let out.

<Look, Glenn. Despite what they used to call me in the order, I'm just a poor Baron. I can barely send enough money to the capital with what we make here. I'll see if any more bandits we find here know about this Forest Ladies. But if you really want my advice? Don't investigate this while you're in the Knight Order. Find a noble who you think can support you in this and pledge yourself to them. Trying to investigate this while inside will only get you killed.>

"Cid, please record the conversation. I'll listen to it later."

"At once, Master."

Leon felt pissed. Maybe hunting down some bandits would fix that.

It was that time again when the routine life of the frontier was disturbed by its most notorious visitor. It meant vacating their home again, since the visitor didn't like seeing their faces. A sentiment shared by Leon's siblings. Currently, Leon was trying to find his missing younger sister so that they could avoid the unpleasant company. An unsuccessful attempt, as Leon located his sister due to sounds of her sobbing.

"Finley…" Leon approached his upset sister and stood between her, and the new visitors. It didn't look very impressive as he was still physically a child and the visitors were taller teenagers.

"How unsightly. I do detest these countryside bumpkins," a female blonde teenager sneered at the siblings.

A similarly blonde male teenager laughed. "I must agree. It's a miracle they even manage to survive out here in the sticks."

The two blondes were Merce and Rutart, respectively. Older half-siblings of Leon and the 'official heirs' of his father. They lived in the capital instead and was equivalent to living the city-life compared to Leon's more rural home. Their attitude stemmed from their privileged lifestyle provided by the hard work from the barony.

"Everyone looks so dreary and shabby," complained Merce. "Such an ugly sight to see."

Leon held back shouting at them, wanting to point out that it was their fault. The barony was under contract to send an extravagant allowance to the capital for their sake. With the natural disaster that struck earlier this year, compounded by the terrible harvest that followed, obviously the barony had to cut corners everywhere.

"And this weather is horrible," Merce continued her complaint while fanning herself. "Why would anyone choose to live here?"

"Maybe if you didn't wear such heavy clothes in the summer, Merce," Claire joined the gathering, glaring at her older sibling. "Or is that what passes as fashion in the capital? Pointless layers of clothing?" Venom dripping on every word.

Merce gritted her teeth at Claire. "Like a barbarian like you would know what fashion looked like. I suppose even cheap men will settle for a girl caked in dirt."

"Says the person who ate dirt the last time we sparred," Claire bared her own fangs at Merce. "With the amount of times you were knocked down on the ground, people will mistake you for livestock rolling in the mud."

A small laugh escaped Leon which caused Merce to glare at him. He remembered how the last exhibition between Merce and Claire went. Calling it a spar was generous, and was more of a one-sided beatdown. Claire, who hadn't even entered the academy yet, easily trounced the older Merce.

"Just wait till I graduate and join the 'Forest of Ladies'," Merce spat out and Leon was suddenly paying very close attention. "You'll wish you respected your betters properly."

"Forest of Ladies?" Leon slyly tried to press for more information.

"Yes, you dumb brat. They approached mother and promised us more riches and better connections than a backwater baron could ever get!"

"How? By taking you in as a maid?" Claire shot back.

"No!" Merce seethed in anger. "We just have to deliver-"

"Uh, Merce," Rutart tugged on his full blooded-sibling. "We aren't supposed to…"

Despite her anger, Merce realized her almost slip-up and halted her tirade. She still glared at Claire, who returned in kind.

"Let's get away from this riff-raff," Merce eventually turned around and stomped away, followed by Rutart.

"Good one, sis," complimented Leon once the three were alone.

"Hmph." Claire tried to play it cool but Leon saw the smirk. She ruffled his hair as she went to comfort Finley. "We should go before they come back. Merce's especially pissed off today."

"Why?"

"She was bragging about finally getting her personal servant. She didn't," Claire explained as she walked the two out of the house and towards the outdoor cabin. "The mistress is also raging harder than usual. I heard the shouting from dad's study. Someone's been raiding the demi-human archipelagoes so none of them have been offering their usual contracts."

"That why that elf hasn't been with them?"

Claire nodded. "Another reason why they're so pissed. Bunch of servants breaking their contracts to return home. Now get inside," she directed them towards the small shack. "Better to stay inside and let this storm pass."

---

Another night, another bandit farming time. Cid's drone discovered another group on an island just off the barony mainland. It would seem bandits had gotten smarter and wanted to avoid the mainland, probably due to dark knight's efforts. Prepared for this eventuality, Leon, or rather Cid, had managed to abscond a small one-person airship and refurbished it for their use. It wouldn't get them far, but it was enough to go island hopping when needed.

"Another successful haul tonight," Leon set down a package that contained the programmable matter liberated from the bandits. "Did the surveillance drones get what we needed?"

"Confirmed, Master." Cid's terminal projected a holographic screen which showed an airship hovering above the same island they had previously cleared of bandits. "Similar to previous occasions, an airship supposed to rendezvous with bandits arrived. Recording devices confirm repeated mentions of the 'Forest of Ladies' group."

Cid played a video of the new arrivals discovering the unconscious bandits. Their frustrated conversations played back as they berated each other for their failure. It was through similar incidents like this that Leon was able to piece together their operation.

Bandits, or at least people disguising themselves as bandits, were being brought to the Bartfort Barony with the help of the 'Forest of Ladies'. Their goal seemed to be smuggling goods out of the kingdom, hence another airship supposed to retrieve them. Unfortunately for them, Leon managed to intercept their last few shipments, which fortunately still came with the programmable matter he needed.

"Hand me a printout of the ship."

"At once, Master." A small printer quickly spat out a picture more detailed than any capable by this world's current technology.

Leon took the picture and approached a cork board and pinned it. It joined the ranks of other pictures and notes plastered, which contained most of the information Leon had gathered about the notorious 'Forest of Ladies'.

"I thought they were just a group of corrupt nobles… but this is full on cult-conspiracy!"

Ever since he eavesdropped on that meeting, Leon tried to see how much the Forest of Ladies could actually affect their lives. To his exasperation, a very close danger as apparently, Merce's claim at the invitation was real. Leon's half-sister wasn't a member yet, but his stepmother, very much so.

The cult was responsible for the recent proliferation of bandits and smugglers through the barony. Granted, they were a good supply of the materials Leon needed, but the fact there seemed to be never ending bandit activity was starting to leave a negative image. Someone in the capital had apparently been spinning the high number of bandit reports as an inadequacy of the barony. Especially since the only thing the bandits would divulge was a dark knight attacking them. This meant the local authority, Leon's dad, couldn't claim full responsibility for the bandits' capture.

Frustratingly, the bandits managed to remain tight-lipped about their connection to the Forest of Ladies. Granted, they would complain out loud or discuss their plans around the campfire, but they somehow never confessed their connection to the cult during interrogation. Worse yet, they were starting to leave the impression that they were collaborating with the barony itself, to explain why they were never executed. It was almost impressive.

On a more personal attack to the family, Nicks had almost been a casualty of the cult's 'soldier's compensation scam'. Their stepmother brought up marrying him to a fellow member of the cult, and then sending him to the military instead of enrolling him in the academy. Thankfully, their father had managed to argue that as the second born male, he was the 'spare' in case anything happened to Rutart, the official heir of the barony. That had settled the matter… for now.

Of course, those were the only things that Leon could gather information on. If the airships smuggling bandits were freely using sigils from other aristocrats signified anything, it meant the 'Forest of Ladies' already had a great deal of influence with numerous territories.

The why was something, unfortunately, Leon couldn't put his finger on it. Sure it was obvious the cult wanted to gather funds, but what they were using it for was still unknown. On paper, it looked like they were just spending on luxurious goods and indulging themselves. Obviously a cover for something more sinister.

"This is starting to become a pain," complained Leon. He had just wanted to farm enough materials to get a cheat weapon, and then use it to live a relaxing life. Eavesdropping on his dad's conversation unfortunately opened his eyes to the bandit's connection with the cult. "All I just wanted was a stress-free life. Stupid noble life and their aristocratic scheming. I don't remember this kind of setting in the otome game…"

Granted it was probably because it was years just before the start of the game. This time period wasn't as relevant as say, a previous war.

"Any chance we can finally send reconnaissance outside?" Leon wanted to know if the how well the other noble territories were affected.

"As stated before, to be able to send drones with sufficient intelligence for investigation would require another relay far more complex that what can be created with the current equipment we have. And more material than we can currently procure."

Leon whined in annoyance. It was a constant cycle of gathering resources, then investing those resources on better equipment, to gather more resources. Not to mention trying to save enough to reactivate the spaceship.

"Just a few more years before I can go dungeon diving…" if things kept on track, even the school dungeons would provide more than he could acquire through bandit hunting. Assuming game mechanics worked the same way. "Nothing to do but wait. Anything we missed before I head back home?"

"Nothing of note, Master. But there has been an update regarding the cure for possession."

"About the possessed? Wait, let's head there first."

In another room of their hideout, a makeshift laboratory was built in hopes of analyzing the possessed. It mostly consisted of a computer directly linked to the relay, and a large glass tube housing a body floating in liquid.

"So what's new with the possessed?"

"Currently nothing has changed regarding specimen Alpha since she was placed in suspension."

Leon sighed at the literalism. He swore Cid did it just to annoy him sometimes. "Fine. What's the update regarding the research on the possessed?"

"The final simulations from the main laboratory have determined a potential cure for specimen Alpha's magically induced necrosis."

"Woah, that's a big deal." Leon knew Cid was a cheat item, but he didn't think they would find one that easily. "So what? You make this cure and inject her with it?"

"Not exactly. The cure is not a medication but a procedure." Cid clarified. "While your claims about your otome game logic have yet to be verified, your description of this 'magical overload' and its mechanical behavior provided insight."

"You're saying 'magical overload' and 'possession' are connected?"

In-game, 'magical overload' acted as a mechanic that replaced the usual MP or magical energy needed to cast spells. Instead, every spell generated a magical cost that would fill a bar. Each character had a limit for the cost bar, and a corresponding recovery rate per turn to decrease the bar. Supposedly it was to allow even low level characters to use high level spells to get through the early stages of the game if you really needed them. Obviously, there was a trade-off as if you went over the limit, the character would be overloaded, their game sprite would be tinted black, and would permanently die at the end of the fight.

Maybe in hindsight it did match the description of the possessed, if you stretched out the in-game mechanics to real life. It did support the supposed claims that the Saint's magic could cure the possessed. Once the MC was able to unlock their saint powers, they gained a passive skill that recovered their units magical cost bar at the end of battle. Effectively negating the limit at endgame.

"Connection cannot be proven, but the description was similar in that it provide the framework for research which in turn-"

"You know what," Leon interrupted the AI. "It's probably full of techno-babble and made-up terms I have no idea about. Can we just skip to the curing part?"

"As you wish, Master," if an AI could sigh, Leon was pretty sure he heard Cid just accomplish it. "The procedure will require an ejection of the rampaging magical energies in their bodies. Through injection of foreign magical energy, one should be able to restore proper flow of their system."

"That's it? You would think someone would have tried that already."

"It is simple in concept but harder in execution. Simply injecting a large amount of magical energy will just aggravate the issue. Restoring the proper magical flow of the body requires proper knowledge of the patient's system, as it differs for each individual. Like how your blood has a proper flow of your body, so will it require precise knowledge of what I have dubbed 'magical pathways'."

The computer monitor projected an outline of the body inside the chamber and overlaid a series of lines not too different to a circulatory system as Cid described.

"Okay so I get that part, and I'm guessing that's what you've been using the science tank for?"

"Affirmative, Master. Also, the patient will require an injection of high-grade regenerative stimulant to properly restore her physiological state at the same time."

"Fine, so we just provide the tank with magical energy and stimulants, then you can start on the procedure?"

"Negative, Master. While my research has been able to develop anti-magic weaponry and defenses, delicate manipulation of magical energy is beyond what a mechanical entity such as I can accomplish. Due to how magic works, it would require an actual living organism to administer and control the magical energy. It would also require direct physical contact."

"Who's gonna be dumb enough to do that?"

Cid's terminal just adjusted its lens at Leon.

"Seriously?! I've got to?!" Leon growled at the AI. "This is why you've been teaching me those magical control exercises, isn't it?!"

"Correct." Cid managed to sound smug about it. "The update to the cure was in fact dependent when you displayed enough control to perform the procedure."

"Do I really have to touch them? Can't I just wait till I have more control so that I don't have to?"

"A possibility."

That was a relief for Leon. "Good. How long do you think that will take?" Since it had barely been months since Leon had improved his magical control.

"10 years."

Leon swore very loudly. "What?!"

"That is how long it will require you to refine your magic into thin threads that will still have the potency to direct magical flow without physical contact."

"I can't wait that long! Claire'll be…"

Silence reigned in the lab, except for the humming of the machines.

"Fine, I'll do it." Leon resolved himself.

Cid's drone wobbled in the air as if nodding. "I'll prepare specimen Alpha for the procedure."

One taxing and weirdly bright, due to the expelled magic in the air, procedure later. Cid's calculations were validated as instead of a black decaying mound of flesh, a recognizable humanoid now lay on the table. A blonde, elven girl… who was also very naked.

Thankfully for Leon's sanity, he was too mentally exhausted from the procedure and follow-up medical analysis to care about the nudity. He was carefully trying to attach an IV drip to the unconscious elf.

"Congratulations, Master," the AI's terminal chirped and beeped as it scanned the elf. "Specimen Alpha has managed a full recovery."

Leon sighed both in exhaustion and relief. "Any complications?"

"There is physical deterioration matching malnutrition and dehydration but nothing irrecoverable. Zero detected lasting physical mutations compared to known baselines from the elven island. Of note, Master, her physiological measurements place her as your age."

"Huh, interesting," by now, Leon had managed to find a blanket and draped it over the elven girl for her modesty. "If I didn't know any better, you wouldn't know she was possessed at all."

"There is one factor that deviates from known norms. Her detectable magical levels seem to be already larger than contemporary adult elves."

"And that won't cause her to relapse again?" Leon shuddered at the thought of having to do this procedure every so often.

"Negative. Now that her magical pathways have been corrected, her body can currently handle its large capacity. There might be danger as she matures but her physiology should adapt accordingly."

"That's a relief. Hopefully treating Claire should be easier since hers isn't as bad-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Master," Cid cut in. "But specimen Alpha is gaining consciousness."

True to Cid's warning, the elven girl softly moaned as she slowly opened her eyes. She groggily took in her surroundings until her blue eyes spotted Leon.

"Uh… hi?" Leon gracefully greeted her.

The elven girl slowly sat-up, causing the blanket to fall off her upper half. For Leon's sanity, her surprisingly long blonde hair managed to fall in front of her, barely giving her some decency. Her hands seemed to have caught her attention as she examined her arms, and eventually felt her face.

"But how…?" Her young voice trembled. "My body was almost completely rotten, and it… turned back…?!" She quickly turned her head back to Leon.

"A resilient mind to still be aware even as afflicted as she was." commented Cid, which only Leon could hear through the suit's earpiece.

"Yeah, so basically, we cured you so… congrats?" Leon winced at how he sounded. He didn't prepare for any post-operation explanations!

"We…?" the elven girl tilted her head.

"Oh. Uh. Sorry I meant 'I'. I cured you."

Cid had gone back to stealth mode, and technically, it was Leon who performed the procedure.

"I… I don't know how I can even express my gratitude!" It was eerie at how she looked spellbound at him. "I'll devote my entire life to repaying you!"

"Woah there," things were moving way too fast for Leon. "I wasn't expecting payment you know?" Also he couldn't say she was basically a trial for an untested medical experiment that happened to succeed on their first try. "You're free to go and have a bright future ahead of you."

The elven girl shook her head. "I have no home to go back to. Please! You don't know how much this means! I'll even be your slave…"

Her body suddenly swayed and started to fall backwards until Leon caught her.

"What happened?!" Leon was concerned a side-effect was showing.

"Not to worry, Master. It seems has just exhausted herself from her fervor. She just needs to rest."

"Thank goodness…" Leon fixed the blanket to cover her properly. "I have to go back before anyone finds out I'm missing. Can you keep an eye on her?"

"I will," a panel opened from the computer and another drone flew towards the elven girl. "This terminal will monitor specimen Alpha and keep you updated. If she regains consciousness before your return, she can be sedated."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Leon took one last look at the elf before leaving. "And I hope I get to sleep in today."

Claire woke him up at sunrise for training.

---

An exhausted Leon managed to sneak out once more back to his hideout. Sneaking out twice in a row risked getting caught, but the recently cured female elf required immediate attention. Thankfully, she had not woken-up the whole day.

"How's she doing?"

"No immediate concerns with specimen Alpha," reported Cid.

The AI and Leon were in the lab looking at the medical data. Most of it gibberish to Leon, but nothing seemed to stand out. Of course, that still left the issue of what exactly to do with the elven girl herself. She was currently in another empty room for privacy reasons.

"So good news, the cure was successful," Leon paused as the weight of their accomplishment. "The bad news, the cure was successful!"

"What's the matter, Master? This is a resounding accomplishment over the inadequacy of the New-Humans."

"This changes everything! We basically copied what the protagonist of the otome game should only be able to do once she gets her cheat Saint Powers!" While in-game it was just a job change and unlocking new skills, in this world it would be equivalent to having legendary powers. Powers that allowed the founding of a nation and created a whole religion around it. "And do you know what one of the endings are when the protagonist shows off her saint powers carelessly? A bad ending where she dies!"

"Elaborate, Master."

"It's one of the checkpoints of the game. If you weren't able to build enough affection points to unlock any of the capture targets' route, you don't get any protection from a noble house. And without any protection, the fixed event where the protagonist cures a 'possessed' in public, causes her to be taken in by the church instead. But then she gets assassinated anyway and dies!"

"A concerning outcome, but one that is not likely to occur for you, Master. The 'cure' we developed is vastly different from the supposed all-purpose healing capabilities of the legendary Saintess. And as you are not female, you are unlikely to be taken by the church as the Saintess."

"If it were only that," groused Leon. "They eventually revealed in the golden ending that the protagonist was always being targeted by assassination attempts. Someone really didn't like that Hortfolt could suddenly heal the possessed."

"Did they say who it was?"

"It was only revealed in the end so I think they were just trying to set-up a sequel hook for the game. And well, I died so I don't know if they ever followed that up."

"While hard to prove the validity of that information, there would be merit in withholding the knowledge of the cure for safety reasons. At least until we have enough firepower for your protection, Master."

"Aww, you really do care about me, Cid."

"Finding another individual with Old-human DNA to resurrect the old government would be a difficult endeavor if my registered captain is killed. It would require going into lockdown again."

"Sounds almost tsundere of you."

"Trying to project human traits that you find attractive to an inanimate object, Master? Gross."

Leon chucked a paperweight at the drone which easily dodged it.

"Banter aside, Master. If we are to keep the cure confidential, that still leaves the matter of specimen Alpha. She knows about the cure and also how you look." An oversight since they were more focused on the experiment. "Simply releasing her somewhere else would still be a security risk if she starts spreading claims of being cured."

"Anyway we can erase her memory to prevent her from spreading it?"

"Lobotomy, or simply eliminating her."

"Geez, a bit extreme there." Leon slouched back in his chair. "I really wasn't expecting to be suddenly responsible for a kid at this age."

"Didn't you claim to be over twenty years old?" Cid received a whine in response. "If I can make a suggestion, Master."

"Shoot."

"This could be a solution to your dilemma. While the current demi-humans are feral, they used to be employed by the Old-Human government as assets during the war. If she is still adamant in serving you, why not employ her for the task we haven't been able to accomplish? Such as intelligence gathering outside the barony."

Leon closed his eyes as he considered the matter. "That does sound better than having her as a slave," even though slavery in this world was more akin to 'indentured servitude', the term still left a creepy sensation for Leon. "And this 'Forest of Ladies' thing is becoming too hard to handle without some help."

"Not to worry, Master. If the 'Forest of Ladies' begins to have a direct threat to your survival, they shall be elevated to 'Diablos'-level immediately."

"'Diablos'?" repeated Leon.

"Part of the system employed by the Old-Humans in the old war. Originally an informal ranking system used by the soldiers and civilian news due the demonic-looking weapons employed by the New-Humans. Then officially adopted as the war went on."

"'Diablos' huh? Almost sounds like a cult." Leon chuckled but then suddenly turned pensive.

"Master?" Cid asked after a few minutes had passed in silence.

"I got it," Leon got up from his seat and walked out of the laboratory room towards the one containing his 'conspiracy board'. "We should have a cover."

"Cover?" repeated Cid.

"Yup. Both for us… and the 'Forest of Ladies'." Leon grabbed a piece of paper and marker. "So that if our investigations alert anyone, we can claim we're investigating something else. Something so outrageous sounding that they'll never connect it with the 'Forest of Ladies', leaving their guard down. This way, no one will take us seriously and we stay under the radar."

"An intriguing concept of information security. And what will you call this facade, Master?"

Leon placed the marker down and posted his creation above the conspiracy board. "We'll call it… 'The Cult of Diablos'! And to make it over-the-top, they're trying to resurrect the demon lord 'Diablos'. Of course our job is trying to prevent the resurrection."

"Simplistic and childish sounding. As expected from you, Master."

"Heh, thanks," Leon missed the backhandedness. "Also, saying out loud that I'm against the 'Forest of Ladies' makes me sound like a woman-hater."

Which Leon was not. Honestly.

"What about your cover, Master? An enemy as grand as this 'Cult of Diablos' requires an equivalent sounding foe." Cid sounded very into the theatrics of their plan.

"Right," Leon went back into his thoughtful mode. "Well we can't be fighting this group, both fictional and real, out in the open. It'll have to be in the shadows," basically what he was already doing now. Except maybe adding a bit of help in the future. "I'll have to change my look. The sci-fi elements aren't going to work for this. Can this switch into something more appropriate for this world?"

"How about something like this, Master?" Cid projected an image into the air.

"Perfect," Leon fiddled with the controls in his suit.

The nanomachines shifted as the angular looking sci-fi armor was replaced with a long dark cloak with a hood. Purple underlining and some golden accents broke up the darkness. The old visor was replaced with a domino mask. It technically covered less of his face but felt more thematic with his new appearance.

"I definitely look like a part of a shadowy organization," Leon was pleased with his disguise. "Now, for this disguise I need to become someone else. Something else. I need to become-"

"Batman!"

Leon stared in disbelief at Cid.

"What? No. Why would I even…? I'll use-"

"The Hood!"

"That just sounds lame!"

"Really? It seemed you were referencing it, Master."

"What reference?! You know what, no more interruptions. I'll just use 'Shadow'. No discussions."

"As plain and boring as it sounds, it does invoke an enigmatic image. I shall follow suit."

"Turning your terminal to black with gold highlights is pointless if no one can see you."

The AI completely ignored his remark. "Do you have a name for the organization you will be a part of?"

"Hmmm… Well, we're a small organization against the 'Forest of Ladies'. How about: 'Shadow Garden'?"

Cid stared at his Master before uttering one word. "Lame."

Just to spite the AI, Leon kept the name.

---

It took a bit but Leon had finished writing down the 'cult plan', or at least enough details so that he could keep his story straight in front of the elven girl. She was just a child anyway so it wasn't like he needed a thoroughly researched backstory to fool her. The set-up was at least detailed enough: wait in a dark part of the room until she woke up, then dramatically step out when she wakes up. An entrance to enhance his mysterious persona.

Leon carefully opened the door to the room the sleeping patient was in… and immediately locked eyes with the very awake elf. Inner-Leon was already screaming in panic. Thankfully, outer-Leon calmly went inside and stood at the end of her bed. He knew plans rarely survived the first few steps but he hadn't even started yet! At least he wasn't in costume yet.

"You're the person that cured me," observed the elven girl.

Unlike before, she wore a make-shift hospital gown that Leon had scrounged. Which meant it was basically a glorified sheet with sleeves, but at least she was decent. Even with the raggedy attire, she still bore the famous elven beauty that made her kind appealing to nobles. Almost hard to believe she was a rotting pile of flesh a day before.

"Ah, right. I did say that…" Leon stepped into the room and decided to just stand at her bedside. "Surprised you remembered."

"Yes. And I will keep my word. My life is yours."

Her gaze was rather intense in Leon's opinion, matched by her words. At least it would make recruiting her to his plan easier. This would have been a great time to start his script. However…

"But if I can make one request first?" Her golden locks spilling forward as she bowed her head. "I know about my previous captors, and their plans. Please tell the lord of the land; it's very important! "

The female elf's mental fortitude, in Leon's opinion, was miraculously impressive. If she was telling the truth, then not only was she still mentally stable despite her severe degree of infection, she was aware enough to eavesdrop on her captors. Not to mention the length of time she had been unconscious while Cid studied her.

"The main goal of the group that had me wasn't to deliver the treasures they had with them. They're main delivery was me." She raised her head again. "I know it's hard to believe they would want a 'possessed' but I swear on my life that it's true!"

Leon, in honesty, only had half a mind paying attention to the elf's words. The other half was trying to find the best time to insert his script. Unfortunately, this didn't seem like a good one. Maybe if he continued the conversation. How to go about it though?

"Not really, considering the bloodline of the possessed," Leon blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Bloodline?" Her blue eyes widened in shock. "The possession is not random? There's a reason for it? Please tell me!"

"Easy, easy," Leon tried to calm her down. It wouldn't do for her to tire herself into unconsciousness again. "Give me a bit to find a good place to start."

There was some more gaming knowledge he had marked down in case he needed it, but it seemed he was going to pull out this card already. Leon really wished he had more time to prepare for this. Trying to plan and outwit even a child was starting to get difficult with how little rest he had since attempting the cure.

"Do you know about the story of the Three Heroes?"

"The fairy-tale?" the elf tilted her head in confusion as to why they were suddenly talking about children's stories. "The one where a demon threatened to destroy the world but was defeated by heroes from each of the races? Heroes representing humans, elves and beastkin?"

"Correct. But the story that's not told is that when the Three Heroes fought the demon the first time, they lost. They escaped with their lives but were cursed. Their magic ate at their bodies, gnawing at their lives as their limbs turned dark. They were the first possessed. For a while, hope seemed lost."

He paused to let the words sink in before continuing.

"But the goddess sent her emissary, the Saintess, to aid the fallen heroes. Through her gift, she cured the Heroes of their possession, and together, eventually defeated the demon."

"The legendary Saintess of Holtfort?!" The female elf was even more shocked.

"The very same," confirmed Leon

"But if the Saintess cured the Heroes, why does the 'possession' still exist?"

"She could heal their illness, but the curse goes deeper. While cured, the curse would be passed down to the Heroes' descendants as well. Since 'possession' is not contagious, you can say that 'possession' is proof of being a Hero's descendant."

"The bloodline of the possessed…" The elven girl repeated his previous words. She looked down at her hands as if staring at the blood in their veins. "If this is true then why are we hunted? Why doesn't anyone know this history?" She closed her hands into fists.

"Because someone rewrote history to make it so. Erasing the truth about the Heroes' lineage and the treatment to the cure. Worse, painting the 'possessed' as sinners and persecuting them."

It wasn't a complete answer but that was the end of what Leon knew. The female elf continued to stare at her fists, while silence stretched on after Leon's tale. It seemed, if there was a time to execute his plan, it would be now while the female elf was still reeling from the revelations.

"The ones who kidnapped you? I know who they were working for," the elf finally looked up to meet his gaze. She remained silent but Leon had her attention. "The Cult of Diablos. My enemies and the reason for many other crimes in Holfort. Banditry, smuggling, corruption, these are just some of their evils, but their true goal is worse."

This was it. Leon's make or break for the masquerade.

"The revival of the Demon Diablos."

A small gasp came from the female elf as her hands covered her mouth in shock.

It seemed like it was a success! Leon was internally crying that his plan was going well.

"If successful, the cult can use it to destroy the world. Worse, the cult never operates in the open, using different organizations to move for them while they stay in the dark. I employ the same tactic and stand up to them in the shadows."

"Who-who are you?" the elven girl could barely stammer out.

Leon smirked and took a step back. He started laughing as he activated his slime suit. The everyday 'clothes' he wore started shifting until it transformed into his new disguise. Even with no wind, his coat still billowed dramatically. For now, his hood was down and the mask was gone, leaving his face still visible.

"You may call me, Shadow," Leon bowed dramatically before continuing. "Preventing the revival of the demon is no easy feat. But if no one does, the world will cease to exist. Won't you join us?"

The female elf stared at him, almost unmoving. When another bout of silence passed, Leon was starting to worry his invitation failed. He was about to open his mouth again when the elven girl suddenly moved.

To his surprise, the elven girl got off the bed to stand in front of him. "I understand. Like me, many others are left to die because they don't know the truth. That cannot continue," she got down on one knee and bowed her head. "I stand by my promise, my life is yours. We will bring upon the true sinners their punishment of death."

A bit extreme and intense again, but Leon was just relieved his plan worked!

"Then from today you'll be known as Alpha, the first of the saved." Not part of his initial script, but it just seemed right to say. It did sound cool though.

The elven girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and stood up straight. "Thank you, Master!"

That still sounded weird, especially coming from a young girl. Cid got a pass as an AI.

"Just 'Shadow' is fine," persuaded Leon.

"Yes, Master Shadow!"

Something to work on, he supposed. Moonlight started pouring into the room when Leon realized he forgot to mention one more thing.

"From now on, we are Shadow Garden. We lurk in the darkness and hunt down the shadows."

"Shadow Garden," Alpha repeated, a small smile on her lips. "That's a nice name."

Just like that, Alpha became his favorite subordinate. Who then swayed and almost fell backwards until Leon caught her.

"You're still recovering," Leon slowly led her back onto the bed. "Rest for now. Our work begins later."

"Yes, Master Shadow…" her voice trailed off in the end until she fell asleep once more.

---

"Amazing performance, Master. You somehow fabricated a believable enough story that Specimen Alpha accepted."

Cid's tone was flat but Leon could swear it sounded almost condescending. Or was that just him being paranoid?

With the deception- recruitment complete, they were once again in the 'intelligence room'. The one with the conspiracy corkboard. Technically Cid's terminal stayed here and Leon returned after checking on the newly dubbed Alpha. Leon made a mental note to ask if the female elf had an actual name. He got caught up in the moment and just went with bestowing her that title. She didn't seem to mind it at least.

"Well, they say the best lies have a bit of truth. And technically the only thing I really lied about was that there was a literal Demon Diablos."

Even then he could say he was just talking about a possible weapon with that label. Also he told two very separate and distinct stories to the girl. If they happened to have similar elements that one might mistake for connections, that wasn't his fault.

"Even the story about the heroes and the possessed? I find no information about that in any of the information we have gathered."

Cid had digitized whatever documents his drones could find inside the barony. Which include materials brought from the Capital by… their unpleasant visitors.

"I mean yeah you wouldn't. That's the whole point of rewriting history. No one would know about the real one."

"Then how do you know about it, Master?" Cid's terminal floated in front of him. "More 'game-knowledge' you claim to have?"

"Really? Still think I'm crazy?"

"I do not believe you are crazy. You have been tested," Leon could only roll his eyes at the AI. "But your claim about reincarnation and this world as an 'otome-game' has yet to be sufficiently verified. Nor is there an actual method to verify your claims."

"I knew about you didn't I? And a lot about the old-humans."

"Yet you also claim a lot of things that shouldn't be in the game as well. I also noticed that you never answered who was the one responsible for rewriting the history."

Annoyingly, the ball of AI had a point. There was only so much lore that Leon was willing to read to power through the otome-game he was playing. There were some details he was bound to have glossed over. Of course, he wasn't going to admit it to Cid. If he knew he was going to be reincarnated to this world then he would have paid attention more.

"Does it matter? That's for the Main Character and her Love Interests to worry about. Not some background character like me. Got more important stuff to deal with now."

Like his main task of acquiring more programmable matter. Leon mentally sighed as he realized he was bound to have to invest some of it into his 'Shadow Garden'. Just never enough to do everything he wanted. He just reminded himself that it was bound to pay off. Some day. In the future. Hopefully.

"Project Shadow Garden is a go but-" Leon went to the terminal and started typing. "Need some time back home to stop anyone from getting suspicious." He spotted the time on the monitor. "Crap, it's already early in the morning and I still need some sleep."

Leon printed the note he had typed up and instructed Cid to leave it by Alpha's beside. Just a message that he needed to be away for a few days and he would be back. The AI was still going to remain hidden to monitor her, but it was more than capable of attending to the girls' needs. Food could be left by the door and any restricted area was easily locked away.

As he left, Leon prayed would be able to sleep-in today.

Turns out he was lucky. Claire was unavailable to train that day. Though, Leon could have done without the red rice he had to eat during the celebration. Of all things, why would the Otome game add that specific Japanese culture in a European society?!

---

A/N: Creating the convoluted reasons that made Leon create Shadow Garden and Cult of Diablos was hilariously fun. The recruitment scene of Alpha though, was a pain to write. Toyed with skipping it but it would always bug me how Leon, a more morally upright character than canon-Cid, managed to convince Alpha to join without blatantly lying like a sociopath. This was probably the best that could be done.

There were 3 drafts for the recruitment scene and a 3 paragraphs for justification of the current one, but decided not to add them to the author's note. Maybe if someone ever gets bothered enough to necessitate a discussion. Hopefully the rest of the plot is smoother sailing now.