Massive fields spread out around the capital, and they’re all full of crops she’s never seen before. Women are enthusiastically harvesting the produce.
“That one there is a cocoa field. It’s the main ingredient in chocolate. We may have you working in it at some point.”
“Wait, chocolate? You mean that Mitsugoshi is part of the Shadow Garden?”
Alpha only smiles.
Currently, Mitsugoshi remains the only place that sells chocolate. Nobody knows anything about the ingredients or manufacturing process.
The two of them pass through the portcullis and enter the castle.
“Is Lambda around?”
“I’m here.”
A woman responds to Alpha’s call and kneels before her.
“We have a new recruit. Train her.”
“As you wish.”
“Start by showing us your strength. I’m sure you’ll be able to forge your path quickly…” After speaking to Rose, Alpha takes her leave.
Rose remains behind with the woman named Lambda.
She’s an elf with dark skin, gray hair, and gold eyes. She’s tall, and her muscles are evident even through her black bodysuit.
Also, her eyes are sharp and her lips are plump.
“I’m Lambda, your instructor. Come.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Rose follows Lambda, and they exit through the rear of the castle.
Many girls are fervently training here.
“Wow…”
All it takes is a single glance for Rose to realize—every single one of them is powerful.
“Number 664, number 665!”
“Present, ma’am!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Two of the women come running at Lambda’s summons.
One is an elf, the other a therianthrope.
“Instructor, you called?” asks the elf, practically shouting. The therianthrope stands at attention beside her.
“This is the new recruit. I’m putting her on your squad.”
“Understood!”
“Number 666, strip.”
“Huh?” Rose doesn’t understand what had just been said to her.
“Number 666 is you. Here, your number is your name.”
“I’m number 666…”
“If you got that, then hurry up and strip.”
“What?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself!”
Immediately, Rose finds her clothes sliced off her body.
It happens in the blink of an eye.
Now she’s buck naked.
“Wh-what are you doing?!” Rose squats down in an attempt to cover herself.
“From today on, you’re the scum of the world. You’re nobody. Discard your name! Abandon your clothes! Throw away everything so you can become the perfect soldier!”
Lambda throws a dark lump at Rose’s feet.
It’s a springy black slime.
“Number 664, teach the worm how to use it!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Hmm? What is this?”
A piece of paper flutters up from the tatters that were once Rose’s clothes.
Instructor Lambda picks it up and holds it in front of Rose.
“That’s…!”
It’s the wrapper from the Tuna King sandwich Cid gave her.
The moment she sees it, all the bottled-up feelings she has for him begin bursting out.
He was her first love.
He’d fought her in the preliminary tournament, saved her life in the terrorist attack, and gone on a journey with her.
She considers each of those memories irreplaceable.
A mere week ago, she’d dreamed of taking his hand in marriage.
But she can’t go back anymore.
Their paths will never cross again.
“What’s with that look? I told you to throw everything away!”
Lambda shreds the paper before Rose’s eyes.
The scraps catch on the wind and soar high up into the sky.
The fragments of a dream that will never come to pass…
Drops of tears begin spilling from Rose’s eyes.
Appendix
Afterword
Thank you for reading the second volume of The Eminence in Shadow.
I wouldn’t have been able to release it if it weren’t for your support! Thank you all so much.
Some of you may already know this next bit of news, but I’d like to announce it anyway.
The Eminence in Shadow is going to be getting a manga adaptation in Comp Ace with art by Anri Sakano.
The manga adaptation does an excellent job supplementing all the parts I couldn’t describe well with words. It would make me really happy if you all would check it out.
Now, this doesn’t have much to do with anything, but I’ve been thinking about laser beard removal recently.
My beard isn’t unusually thick or anything. In fact, it’s probably on the thinner side.
But while it isn’t thick enough to actually warrant laser hair removal, when I think about the two minutes spent shaving each day, I begin wondering if I should just get it removed.
Those two minutes might not seem like a lot in the context of one day, but they mean that I waste twelve hours shaving over the course of a year. And if I keep having to shave for another fifty years, that means I’ll end up spending six hundred hours shaving. What do you all make of that number?
Honestly, I think it’s pretty whatever. I honestly don’t care that much about the six hundred hours. I just think shaving is kind of a hassle.
Basically, I’m trying to say that I’m thinking about getting my beard removed soon. I might start off by just getting rid of the unnecessary bits and going for a “designer beard” look so I can cut down on shaving, since I can get away with maintaining it less. I’ll see how I feel from there.
I’m getting to the end here, so I’d like to say some words of thanks.
I’d like to thank my editor for helping me through the entire publishing process. I’d like to thank Touzai for the best illustrations I could ever hope for. I’d like to thank Araki at BALCOLONY. for the incredible designs that color this book. And I’d like to thank my readers for their support. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.
Let’s meet again in Volume 3!
Daisuke Aizawa
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The Eminence in Shadow, Vol. 2 (Light Novel) Page 21