Setting Up The HQ

The season of summer passed, and the season of Fall has begun.

Nothing much happened, other than Cid doing mundane mob stuff that is simply interacting with his family and his Shadow Garden Members, which was... Quite mundane in number, really.

Some news spread that the prodigy of Feoh Kingdom, Princess Alicia lost in a sparring match from a mundane boy named Cid. It didn't spread like wildfire since the public thought Alicia and her sparring partner was still a beginner though.

Grave taught Cid about basic strategies while they played Chess, and although Cid had already predicted every single move his adoptive father has, he decided to keep losing for several times.

Normally he should have been shouted at by Grave, but strangely that didn't happen because Cid won for only 5 times.

Even Cid wanted to complain that he wasn't getting the complete mob treatment!

"Cid, imagine if this chessboard is a battlefield. We are commanders of each sides, and the pieces are our soldiers, except the King Piece since they represent us." Grave stated, leaning forwards while Cid did the same with some boredom.

'... Please end this already. I want to do work as Shadow...' Cid thought, trying his best not to show boredom, but he kinda failed.

And although Grave noticed, he continued like a professional.

"Though, you don't need to hear that, right?"

Grave stared at Cid, whose eyes were on the board and not on him, but sooner enough his eyes were on him, yet only for a moment.

"... Umu..."

'Why do I feel like this is useless? It's as if he's already predicting my next moves, yet he wants to do something normal people wouldn't do?' Grave inwardly sighed, deciding to just do this naturally and give him a long lecture.

Grave knew Cid would lose.

But why does he slowly realize that his own adopted son was purposely losing because he knew how to win?

And so, this match still ended in Grave's favor, this time making Grave feel quite empty.

Many chances to make a checkmate on Cid's side, yet he doesn't care about it and intentionally goes for a wrong move that puts the winning favor to his father

Wrong move, after wrong move. Win, after win for Grave. It felt like torture for him because Grave knew he wasn't truly winning anymore.

So what did he do?

He just gave up and never played Chess with Cid anymore, then rested and focused on what he needed to do.

Back to the topic, Cid and his two Shadow Garden members were wandering around forests hunting random bandits, before finding out that the Bandit Camp he established was still empty, albeit it looked pretty dirty now that it was left alone.

"How come it still doesn't have anybody living here? Still, that doesn't even matter~ this whole camp is now mine! Now, let's clean up!"

With the help of Alpha and Beta, they cleaned up the entire camp and while they did, Cid found a black haired elf laying down on the floor, dazed.

It was also noticable that her nose was bleeding, that meant she possibly tripped down to the floor.

She was groaning, and Cid took several steps towards her.

"Damn, you sure look pitiful." Cid muttered, kneeling down towards her and taking out a handkerchief to gently wipe her nose while healing it.

The girl glanced at him, and while she knew he was a stranger she was not that bad.

"Who are you?" The girl asked, and Cid simply gave her a mild smirk.

"I am Cid Levantine, but you can call me Shadow. Or... Maybe your new friend?"

"I am Luna! I have been living here for a short while now, but.... Being alone gives me nightmares.... And I'm very weak..." She replied, sounding relieved as she gave him a low sigh. "Can you stay?"

"Why not? I've got enough time to be here."

Him having enough time was true, since he created a clone that he manipulated all the time from the slime he had for the duration of a whole month.

Every once in a while, he (or his real self) would return to absorb his clone self back to him before secretly cloning himself again. Plus, it also made him have a constant, rarely ending exercise in mana control which to him was already good enough.

There's still a lot to do between this time, so Cid decided to actively search for members.

Luna was merely a new member in Cid's eyes, but he also considered the fact that there might be a betrayal episode on these new members, so extra care was required.

"Really?"

"Really. I meant it."

It's also because he desired some companionship, seeking those who have similar goals such as him was one of his current goals.

'It would also make sense that fellow LARPers would be my allies, this feels quite good, actually.'

After a long while, Luna became Gamma, the 3rd member of Shadow Garden after a brief introduction with  the other two.

Then Cid decided to begin teaching them whatever he could teach, but he knew he was just spouting whatever he wanted to speak, sometimes subconsciously because of a slight distraction through thoughts.

The former bandit camp has also become Shadow Garden's HQ, and Cid considered making this HQ into a small town while the actual HQ should be underground.

This time, he was pretty serious, so he decided to learn how to transmute objects into other objects while Beta decided to observe him and possibly emulate him. This process went on for three weeks before he decided he perfected the transmutation spell.

It was tiring, sure, but at this point, he was already ready to create a part of his HQ.

"But where should I make the secret entrance? On that thought, umu.... Let's make this whole camp look good and fully turn it into our home. In that way, we don't have to worry about our positions being discovered." Cid spoke, earning short nods from his Shades.

"Of course, even if it takes weeks, months, or years, we will succeed." Alpha stated, stepping forward and staring at the former Bandit Chief's house.

"Yeah, with your wisdom we could do all this perfectly." Beta continued, crossing her arms as she stared at the house in front of them.

She even imagined that it will become a massive, grand manor befitting Shadow! This will soon be their true home, so she needs to do her best!

Yet, even if she and her Lord Shadow were a few years younger, she still imagined it!

"I should make the blueprints now. May Lord Shadow's wisdom guide us all!"  Gamma replied, staring at what soon will be Shadow Garden's upper headquarters, even if it is fake.

A part of this town will be the main building Shadow calls "Mitsugoshi Enterprises Ltd.", the main resource maker and another cover of Shadow Garden!

She understands his intentions, now her orders are hers to follow!

"Now, let us start to create out Headquarters, and I need all our efforts into it."

Resources, check.

Materials, check.

Food and other supplies, check.

It was now time to really build their home, and underground HQ.

And so...

Time passed once again

[ ~ TO • BE • CONTINUED ~ ]