"Puberty, huh?"
The words slipped out almost instinctively, but the more he said them, the stranger they felt.
It wasn't like Cid didn't know what puberty was.
He was a seventeen-year-old high school student.
Having a biological response to the opposite sex should've been normal.
But he wasn't normal.
Not anymore.
Cid Kagenou had spent his entire life cutting away unnecessary desires.
Trimming himself down until only the essentials remained—
The unshakable core of his identity.
"To become the Eminence in Shadow."
That was it.
His one true goal.
Everything else?
Disposable.
Money? Influence? Relationships?
Tossed aside.
Even lust—that most primal of instincts—was shoved into the category of:
"Unwanted but manageable."
The same couldn't be said for his "Holy Sword."
Even before his body modification, it had been impressive.
Afterward?
Let's just say spatial compression runes on his underwear had become a necessity.
Not for vanity.
But for survival.
There'd even been a point where he seriously considered cutting the whole thing off.
But—
"A eunuch Eminence in Shadow?"
"Not a chance."
And so, it stayed.
Much like the desires he'd worked so hard to bury.
But today…
Today, something shifted.
Watching Kanase Kanon cry—
Feeling her warm tears slip through his fingers—
He'd felt it.
A spark.
Something deeper than just biological instinct.
Something that unsettled him.
Because it wasn't just lust.
It was… human.
Cid's fingers curled, his nails pressing into his palm.
He hated it.
Not because it was wrong.
But because it was dangerous.
He couldn't afford to be distracted.
He'd spent years refining himself—
Breaking his body, reshaping his soul, merging magic, flesh, and spirit into a singular, flawless existence.
He was beyond human.
At least—
That's what he'd thought.
"So why now?"
"Why this?"
Cid's brows furrowed.
His mind raced, running through every possibility.
External interference?
Impossible.
His body was an enigma—
A puzzle that even "The Library" couldn't fully decipher.
If someone had managed to tamper with it—
They'd have to possess knowledge equal to the entire history of the First World.
And that?
Was about as likely as the Diablos Cult being real.
So then—
The problem wasn't external.
It was internal.
Cid Kagenou's fist clenched.
"It's me, then."
The one flaw in his design.
The desire he'd tried so hard to erase—
Had never actually disappeared.
He'd just ignored it.
And the worst part?
Deep down—
He didn't even regret it.
A normal person might have panicked.
Spiraled into doubt.
But Cid?
He laughed.
A sharp, almost mocking sound that echoed off the walls.
"Seriously?
I've become so powerful—so detached from humanity—
That puberty is what finally catches me off guard?"
He covered his face with his arm, grinning like an idiot.
"Ridiculous."
But fitting.
Still—
He'd need to monitor it.
If this was just his body adapting to his soul's desires, then fine.
He could control it.
But if it was something else—
Something darker—
Then he'd have to cut it out.
No hesitation.
For now, though—
Cid Kagenou, the Eminence in Shadow, would simply observe.
Analyze.
Adapt.
And plan.
Because no matter how much his body rebelled—
No matter how human he might feel—
His shadowed ambition would never waver.
….
"Maybe I should just get a girlfriend."
The thought slipped out before Cid Kagenou could stop it, and for a brief moment, he actually considered it.
A girlfriend.
Not a mission partner.
Not a co-conspirator.
Just a normal girl to help him deal with…
This.
Puberty.
To be clear, in Cid's mental hierarchy, being a side character didn't disqualify someone from dating.
Not everyone was cut out to be a protagonist.
In fact, with the ratios stacked at millions to one, most people—
"Hell, even nobles like me—"
Were destined for the background.
So in theory, getting a girlfriend wasn't the problem.
It's the reality.
Relationships?
Messy.
He'd read the posts.
Watched the dramas.
"My girlfriend is too clingy."
"Help! I'm losing arguments every day!"
Cid had no patience for that kind of thing.
Not when he was trying to forge himself into the Eminence in Shadow.
"What about prostitutes?"
No.
Absolutely not.
Using his shadow funds on that?
"Disgraceful."
In the end—
"I'll just tough it out."
Yeah.
His 'Holy Sword' wasn't going anywhere.
He'd keep it sealed.
Graduation wasn't too far off.
After that, his family would probably arrange a marriage.
Until then—
"Endure."
Reaching for the library crystal, Cid activated it and threw himself into training.
The ache in his body would pass.
His resolve wouldn't.
Deep underground…
In a dimly lit corridor, the sharp click of heels echoed against the stone.
The sound slowed as a pink-haired girl reached her destination—
A heavily reinforced door.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open.
Inside, the air was stale and claustrophobic.
Piles of papers covered the floor, scribbled with calculations and formulas.
At the center of the chaos—
A violet-haired elf slumped over her desk, rubbing her eyes.
"Ahhh… Victoria, huh?"
Her voice was lazy—almost disinterested.
Without even turning around, she added:
"Move your left foot—no, more to the right.
One more step and you'll trip the motion sensor on that bomb over there."
Victoria froze.
"…Bomb?"
Her heartbeat spiked.
In an instant, she leapt backward into the doorway—
Far away from the danger zone.
Then, quickly dropping to one knee, she bowed.
"Lady Eta.
I've delivered the test materials from Lady Zeta.
She requests that you finish processing them as soon as possible—
Before Lady Alpha catches wind of it."
Eta yawned, barely acknowledging her words.
"Got it. Tell Zeta I'll handle it."
Victoria released the breath she didn't even realize she was holding.
Eta's tone may have been casual, but her reputation was terrifying.
The brains of the Seven Shadows.
A genius whose research shaped the backbone of the Shadow Garden.
And also—
A scatterbrained disaster who regularly forgot to deactivate her death traps.
Victoria stood up, ready to bolt for the exit—
When Eta's voice called out behind her.
Victoria had barely begun to relax when Eta's voice pierced through the silence, freezing her mid-step.
"Wait."
She turned, already feeling the weight of Eta's gaze bearing down on her like a physical force.
"Did you deliver the package I asked you to bring to Master?"
Victoria swallowed.
"Yes, Lady Eta.
I delivered it personally, and—"
Her breath hitched as the pressure in the room seemed to intensify.
This wasn't the oppressive aura of magic power.
No—
It was the psychological weight of knowing exactly who she was speaking to.
Eta wasn't the strongest among the Seven Shadows.
In fact, her S- rank put her closer to the middle of the group.
But—
She was, without a doubt—
The scariest.
The others might punish mistakes.
Eta?
Eta would experiment on you.
And no one who'd been through that ever wanted to go back.
"And… did you see what was inside?"
Victoria's heartbeat spiked.
Her pulse roared in her ears as she kept her head bowed.
"I wouldn't dare."
Silence.
The kind that chilled her down to her bones.
She could feel Eta's eyes on her—
Sharp. Cold.
Even though her words lacked emotion, her presence was suffocating.
Finally—
"Leave."
Victoria didn't need to be told twice.
She bolted before Eta could change her mind, her heart racing as she disappeared down the corridor.
Inside the lab, Eta remained motionless for a moment before slowly turning back to her desk.
She reached out and picked up a photo—
A snapshot of her and Cid Kagenou.
Her slender fingers traced the edges of the frame.
"Master…"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
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