Part 7
“…And now I’m here.”
By the time Claire finishes her story, the sun has already set.
As the fireplace crackles away, Alexia takes a sip of her coffee. “I think I get the picture.”
“And you believe me?”
“I do. It sounds absurd on its face, but it all lines up.”
“It does?”
“That’s right—it’s all connected. The Shadow Garden, the Cult of Diablos, the weird things happening at the school, everything. The part about the spirit is still a little hard to believe, but still.”
“A-Aurora exists! She does! She’s sitting right there and laughing as we speak!”
Alexia steals a glance at the empty sofa. “Let’s set the whole spirit issue aside for the moment.”
“I’m telling you, she’s real!”
“However, I do recognize the name. Aurora the Calamity Witch… A member of the Cult’s leadership mentioned her.”
“Is there some connection between Aurora and the Cult?”
“I don’t know. I tried researching it myself, but there aren’t many surviving documents about the Calamity Witch. The only thing I was able to learn is that she once caused a huge disaster.”
Claire turns to the spirit. “You caused a huge disaster, Aurora?”
It really does look like she’s talking to someone.
“Ah, so that’s what happened. Aurora says that she’s the one who wiped out the Pig Orcs. She says she just couldn’t stand the look of them.”
“…I don’t think that’s the disaster they were talking about.”
“It isn’t? …Oh, I see, I see. Aurora says she’s also the one who doodled on the holy shield Aegis. Apparently, she didn’t know how famous it was when she was doing it.”
“That’s definitely not the right disaster! Besides, Aegis went missing, and no one’s been able to find it.”
“It’s not that, either? In that case—”
“Let’s table that for now, shall we? It’s high time we moved this discussion along!”
“But Aurora says she has more stuff she wants to brag about.”
“I don’t care! We need to get back on topic!” Alexia clears her throat. “The first thing we ought to figure out is what exactly is happening here at the academy.”
Claire’s expression sharpens. “Agreed.”
“Now, about that strange space you got trapped in, I went through something not unlike that myself once. It was at a place called the Sanctuary…”
Alexia goes on to explain what happened back at the Sanctuary.
“That does sound similar,” Claire says.
“So there’s a phenomenon resembling the Sanctuary that’s happening here on campus. Then we’ve got the Wicked Smile guy you fought. Odds are, he was working for the Cult of Diablos.”
“That was Viscount Jean, captain of the third Knight Order’s fourth company.”
“I was afraid this might be the case, but it looks like the Cult has personnel in the Knight Order. We can’t trust them.”
“What about Princess Iris? Surely we can trust the Crimson Order.”
“My sister is… She’s busy right now. Either way, it’s clear that the Cult is kidnapping students to carry out some diabolical plan.”
“What sort of plan, though?”
“There’s a space similar to the Sanctuary here at Midgar Academy, so it wouldn’t surprise me if there was a piece of the demon Diablos sealed here like there was there.”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve heard rumors about the right arm of Diablos being locked away somewhere in the academy… But those are just rumors, right?”
Alexia shakes her head. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
“Wait, seriously?”
“I don’t have any solid evidence, but… There’s a forbidden book in the school library that details the academy’s history. If someone sealed Diablos’s right arm here, then it would have to be recorded in that book.”
“Can you use your royal authority to get us into the forbidden book section?”
“Cutting through all the red tape would take ages.”
“What do we do, then?”
Alexia grins. “We sneak in, that’s what.”
“We’ll get in big trouble if they catch us.”
“So let’s not get caught. We can’t trust the Knight Order, we can’t trust the teachers… It’s up to us to crack the case.”
“If we get found out, I’m pretty sure I can kiss my informal offer good-bye.”
“I’ll just hire you myself. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s throwing coins at people.”
“Do you really need to throw them?”
“It’s important to let people know who’s in charge.”
“…Uh-huh.”
“Anyway, we’re doing this. The Cult of Diablos and the Shadow Garden are making moves and mobilizing as we speak. If things go on like this, the victim count is just going to rise.”
After listening to Alexia’s speech, Claire hangs her head and sinks into thought. Then she slowly makes her suggestion. “What if we just left everything to the Shadow Garden?”
Alexia is so caught off guard that she’s momentarily struck speechless. “…There’s too much we don’t know about them. We don’t even know why it is they’re fighting the Cult. I’m not willing to put that much unconditional faith in them.”
“Are you sure? From what I gather, they saved me back in the Lawless City, too.”
“Even so, the Shadow Garden is dangerous. When I imagine what would happen if they ever turned that massive strength of theirs against Midgar, it makes me think my sister might be right to be so worried about them.”
“Ah, fair. I kind of get it, you know? After all, Shadow took down Elisabeth the Blood Queen on his own. If the legends about her strength are true, then that would mean Shadow really is in a league of his own.”
“I have to believe that she was in a weakened state. If she really was as powerful as they say, then the Midgar Kingdom will have little choice but to tiptoe around Shadow for the foreseeable future.”
“One wrong move, and he’d become a bigger threat than even the Cult, huh?”
“Exactly. He has an entourage in the Shadow Garden called the Seven Shadows, and they’re forces to be reckoned with. All of them are at least as strong as my sister, and some of them might very well be stronger. It’s not just Shadow. The whole organization is a powerhouse.”
“Now that you mention it, there was that therianthrope Zeta… I’ve never seen Aurora that scared of someone. She said she couldn’t get a read on the limits of Zeta’s strength.”
Alexia bites her lip. “Look, I want to believe that they’re on our side as much as you do, but…for now, I can’t trust them. They’re too dangerous.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I guess we just have to do whatever we can. You can count me in.”
“I really appreciate that, Claire.”
Claire takes her own hand with the magic circle on it and clutches it in her other. “If all we do is sit around, nothing’s ever going to get done. Aurora, this magic circle, Shadow… There are so many questions we need answers to. Thank you for this, Alexia.”
“Huh?”
Alexia looks at her in confusion. Those weren’t the words she’d been expecting.
“For hearing me out and for really listening. It was scary, being on my own. I felt so powerless. The fact that you believed me really means a lot.”
“…Anytime.”
“And I get how you feel, too. Things seem so hopeless when you’re on your own, don’t they?”
“I never said I—” Alexia’s voice trembles.
Her sister’s been practicing her sword work like a woman possessed, and she never has time for Alexia these days.
Rose deserted Alexia and went off solo.
And Natsume…well, Alexia never trusted Natsume in the first place, so that one’s whatever.
“Let’s do this, you and me.”
Claire offers Alexia her hand, and Alexia shakes it without a moment’s consideration. She can feel its warmth envelop her.
“Thank you, Claire.”
“Of course. Besides, this’ll make it easier to keep an eye on you,” Claire says under her breath, then squeezes Alexia’s hand so hard it cracks.
“Huh?”
“If this is what it takes to protect him from your clutches, it’s a small price to pay.”
“C-Claire, that hurts.”
“Oh gosh, I’m sooo sorry. I’m looking forward to working with you, Alexia.”
“L-likewise to you, Claire.”
Alexia squeezes back just as hard, and the two of them smile.
It’s like they were cut from the same cloth, muses the spirit.
Claire and Alexia stand before a room in the women’s dorm.
Alexia gives Claire a skeptical look. “Hey, are you sure about this?”
“Of course. Nina will come through, one hundred percent. Cid says he told her that he wanted to read a book from the forbidden section once, and the next day, she brought it right to him!”
“Seriously? I’ve never heard a faker-sounding story in my life.”
“No, no, it’s cool. Cid would never lie to me.”
“Of course he would. The guy’s practically made of lies and avarice.”
“Hey, don’t go bad-mouthing my brother.”
“It’s true, though.”
Alexia ends the conversation by knocking on the door.
“Comin’!” someone replies cheerily from inside. The door swings open. “Heya, Claire. Glad you’re safe. You had me worried there.”
It’s a short girl with wine-red hair.
“Sorry about all the fuss,” Claire tells her.
“Hey, as long as you’re okay, then consider it water under the bridge. Make sure you give me a shout before you go missing next time, ’kay?”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Nina shoots a glance over to the side at Alexia. “Gotta say, though, you two sure make for an odd couple. Nice to meetcha, Princess Alexia.”
“The pleasure is mine, Ms. Nina.”
“Please, just ‘Nina’ is fine. When’d you two become friends?”
Alexia and Claire answer at pretty much the exact same time.
“Oh, we’re not friends.”
“More like enemies, if anything.”
“Hey, whatever works for you,” Nina replies, then invites them inside. “Anyways, c’mon in. You look like a couple of gals with somethin’ on your mind.”
Nina takes a seat on her bed and crosses her legs. Alexia and Claire sit down on a pair of modest chairs.
“Before we get to that, would you mind if I asked you a question?” Alexia’s gaze darts around uncomfortably.
“Go for it. I’m an open book.”
“Why are you in your underwear?”
For reasons unknown, Nina is dressed exclusively in sexy lingerie. Despite her petite build, she has curves in all the right places. Even fellow women find themselves captivated by her figure.
“’Cause it’s comfy.”
“Do you always hang out dressed like that?”
“Yeah. Mitsugoshi’s underwear feels great, and the designs are awesome, too.” Nina smiles, rolling up the sheer fabric to show it off.
“I swear…,” Alexia mutters. “I’m going to have to get those product numbers off you later.”
“Yeah, no prob. I’ve got some other models of theirs that are great, too.”
“Show me,” Alexia replies instantly. Her expression is dead serious.
“And who exactly are you ever going to get to show them off to?” Claire scoffs.
Alexia glares at her. “Shut up, you.”
“Anyhow, we need to get back on topic.”
“Oh yeah, right,” Nina agrees. “And I gotta hit the hay soon, so if you could give me the quick version, that’d be great. Late nights are murder on my beautiful skin.”
“Sure, of course. We wanted to ask you about that forbidden book. How’d you steal it?”
Nina blinks blankly at Claire’s question. “What forbidden book? You lost me.”
“You don’t have to keep it a secret. Cid told me everything. You took a book out of the forbidden book section, right?”
“The young’un said that? Well, I can assure you it didn’t happen.”
“I told you, you don’t have to keep it a secret.”
“And I told you, I’m not keeping nothing. I literally have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Really?”
“Really. I wouldn’t know the first thing about sneaking into the forbidden book section.”
“I did warn you,” Alexia says mockingly. “Fido lied to you.”
“Sh-shut up! Nina, you’re telling the truth? You’re not hiding anything?” Claire begins shaking Nina’s shoulders so hard that the hooks on Nina’s bra come undone.
“C-calm down, Claire! I promise, I’m not lying!”
“Rrrrrrrrgh!” Claire bites her lip and flushes scarlet. “Dammit, Cid!! You lied to me again! You can’t keep doing this to me!”
“See, even you know he’s a liar.”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up! Forget this! I’m going home!”
“All the way back to your parents’ place?”
“To my dorm room!”
Claire storms out of the room with her face bright red, and Alexia hurriedly chases her. “W-wait a second, hold up! We still need to talk about our plan for tomorrow…” Alexia turns back to Nina for a moment. “Thanks for having us, by the way.”
“I’m not sure I follow what just happened, but make sure you take it easy, ’kay?”
Alexia gives her an awkward smile, then closes the door behind her.
The room is quiet now, and Nina rises to her feet and walks over to the window.
“All righty.”
Her unhooked bra slips to the floor, and she sees herself reflected on the window’s surface. There’s a grim scar on her left breast.
“Time to get moving.”
She runs a slender fingertip over the scar.
Then her cold gaze drifts out toward the deep night’s boundless dark.
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