The Shadow Garden (1)

"Not a bad design."

I checked my reflection in the mirror again and again.

Obsidian-like armor in a dark violet hue, paired with a cloak that brought a crow to mind.

On the whole, it was a dignified suit of armor that suited an air of gravitas far better than gloominess. The defense looked solid, too, and it was far lighter than it appeared.

If this were classified as an item, it'd be at least A-rank.

Armor like this would be pretty hard to come by even back in the real world.

"Krrgh! It suits you perfectly!"

The woman standing beside me gave a thumbs-up.

"See? You were born for the Black Moon. I called it from the start."

Of the two recruitment offers I'd received from the knight orders days ago, I had chosen the Black Moon.

The armor I was wearing now was one given to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the knights of the Black Moon as well.

"But... why did you choose the Black Moon?"

After showering me with compliments for a good while, she suddenly lowered her voice.

"Honestly, I thought you'd pick the White Sun."

"Is that so?"

"Of course. A vice-captain's seat comes with tremendous pay and authority. They can't exactly offer that to just anyone who walks in."

As it turned out, Chadwick's 3rd Division happened to have a vacant vice-captain position.

In other words, my arrival wouldn't require pushing out anyone already holding the post. That must have been why he could dangle such a promise so freely.

"I'd like to hear why you gave up that opportunity to join the Black Moon."

"Hmm...."

I hummed low in my throat.

The reason I chose the Black Moon was simple.

Because the objective had been set.

The moment I resolved to join the Black Moon, the goal was created, and it guided me here.

There has to be a reason an objective gets generated.

Being a vice-captain, wielding authority—none of it meant a thing to the current me. Given the choice, taking the stat boost was the better deal.

"Hmm... well, you see...."

But I couldn't exactly say that out loud.

I wracked my brain and cooked up one plausible-sounding reason.

"The Black Moon was originally founded as a demon-hunting order, was it not?"

These days, with most demons sealed away or vanquished, it was hardly different from any other knight order. But at its heart, the Black Moon was an organization built by demon hunters to wage war against demons.

"And I slew the demon that appeared before me."

"That's right."

"I don't believe that was coincidence."

I put on as resolute an expression as I could muster.

"The fact that a demon fell by my hand—that was heaven itself gesturing to me, telling me to come to the Black Moon."

"...!"

"A demon hunter belongs at a demon hunter's side, after all."

"Is that really all there is to it...?"

"What other reason could there possibly be?"

It felt like a bit of a stretch, I'll admit. But without an appeal to sentiment like this, there was truly no justifiable reason to throw away a career and come to the Black Moon.

If this place had been the real world, I would have chosen the White Sun without a moment's hesitation.

That was probably exactly why Lunan couldn't wrap her head around it and had to ask.

"If I stay with the Black Moon, there may come another day when I have to fight a demon like I did back then. I judged that I could be of use when that day comes."

"Wow... you really are something else, you know that?"

The corners of Lunan's mouth curled up.

"Kids these days join the knight orders chasing nothing but promotions and money. I had no idea there was still one out there with a spine like yours!"

"I-is that so."

"Bringing you here was the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right call after all!"

That blissful look in her eyes stirred up a strangely persistent guilt. I forced myself to ignore it and cleared my throat for no good reason.

"By the end of today, your graduation and your induction into the Black Moon will both be finalized. From then on, you're an official member of our order—of the 2nd Division, my division."

After I dealt with Balrok, the rewards Etrun offered were as follows.

The first was immediate graduation to facilitate my enlistment.

Apparently, even under such special provisions for early graduation, one normally still had to sit the graduation exam. But in this case, slaying a high-tier monster substituted for the test entirely, and after a bit of paperwork, I could receive my diploma on the spot.

They've probably realized the graduation exam is meaningless anyway.

According to Lunan, the moment I soloed a high-tier monster, it was as good as proven that I was stronger than every knight in that place. Rather than dragging out the process and eating sour looks from the Black Moon the whole time, it suited everyone better to slap a diploma in my hand and send me on my way.

And the second reward.

The right to choose any artifact owned by the academy.

I hadn't expected much, and I was stunned by how many genuinely useful things there were. Some of them left me gaping, wondering why on earth such treasures had been gathering dust in a school warehouse.

Almost a shame I could only pick one.

Ahh. Even thinking about it now made my mouth water.

At any rate, after much agonizing, this is what I chose.

An honest-to-goodness S-rank artifact.

A vambrace with a special effect that could summon forth an invincible shield capable of blocking absolutely any attack—just hearing it described, the word cheat practically introduced itself.

Only once a day, sure.

But for creating a variable in a hair-trigger, kill-or-be-killed situation, nothing could touch it.

Besides, the shield's description stated it could defend against any attack.

And that means?

It meant even mental attacks, my relative weak point, would be blocked.

It earned its S-rank, all right.

"Pfft!"

A laugh burst out of me unbidden. Material rewards like this were simply the best. When I'd first heard they were handing me nothing but a diploma, I'd nearly flipped the academy on its head.

"Heh heh. Is joining the Black Moon really that exciting?"

"Ah—yes."

Sure. Let's go with that.

"Still, don't get too comfortable. Even though you're coming in as a scout recruit, you'll need to prove you meet the bare minimum qualifications."

"I thought there was no entrance exam?"

"There isn't, but... from here on, it's personal reasons rather than official ones."

Lunan pressed her fingers to her brow, claiming her head was already starting to ache.

"You know as well as I do—the Sun and the Moon hold the highest standing of all the kingdom's knight orders, and they're the hardest to get into."

"That's true."

"Every knight already there fought through brutal competition to earn their place."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Which means...."

"Right. There may be some who don't take kindly to you, and they might pull petty little cliques."

I'd expected as much. The stone already in the wall never loves the one that comes rolling in.

Worse, this rolling stone hadn't even suffered for it—came dressed in a pretty coat, too.

It'd be abnormal if their insides didn't twist.

And knight orders that live off a soldier's wage—their members' personalities can only be so gracious.

"Most people who get in through scouting either come from prestigious houses or carved out battlefield achievements impossible to ignore."

"Since I'm neither, tongues will wag even more, then."

"I'll block what I can, but... for things to run smoothly going forward, you'll have no choice but to prove yourself."

Lunan dropped her gaze and smiled awkwardly.

"I'm sorry. You just got here, and here I am starting with all this."

"Not at all. I came prepared for exactly that much."

In short: show them I'm not some parachuted-in favor. Reminds me of before the regression.

Back then, Father had bent over backward trying to make that good-for-nothing useful, thrusting his business cards into every department under Cheonseong. The endings were always the same. I'd catch the ones whispering behind my back and fight them like dogs, then carve them out—desk and all.

If the old me had been a bomb others desperately tried to hand off, then the current me would become the talent everyone fought over because no one could bear to give them up.

"How exactly would I go about proving myself?"

"Hmm... simplest way is taking on high-difficulty commissions, really."

Even knight orders aren't at war all the time. Leaving that much manpower sitting idle in their territories is a waste, so they keep operating even in peacetime by fulfilling the commissions that come in.

Doesn't sound all that different from mercenaries, hearing it described.

But unlike mercenaries, who'll take any job as long as it pays, knight orders require a minimum credential before one can even submit a commission. If a client meets the credential but the work itself would dishonor the order or violate the law, they refuse without mercy. In exchange, once they take a job, they never abandon it until it's done.

Simply put: mercenaries are cheap but risky; knight orders are picky but safe. That about sums it up.

"Land one high-tier commission, and they'll shut their mouths fast enough."

"If that happens, might I be granted an audience with Prince Leo?"

"It's possible. Completing a high-tier commission comes with the tradition of reporting directly. Normally the captain or vice-captain handles that, but... for you, I'll see about making it possible to do it in person."

"Thank you."

"Although...."

Lunan bit her lip slightly.

"There's a bit of a problem."

"Yes?"

"Our prince is... a little unusual."

She let out a long, quiet breath and slumped her shoulders.

"He doesn't spend time on anything that doesn't interest him."

"Interest in what, exactly?"

"That much isn't clear either. To date, the number of people who've exchanged more than thirty seconds of conversation with His Highness could be counted on one hand."

Aside from that, he was said to stay holed up in the territory's buildings and rarely come out at all. Official duties, royal affairs, a private office—every facility down to the training halls was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fully equipped within the grounds, so there was simply no need to leave.

"It's gotten to the point where I only see the prince's face a handful of times a year, you know?"

"...It's that bad?"

"So if you want to talk to the prince, the key is catching his interest."

So she wanted me to take on a commission even that shut-in prince couldn't help but care about.

Hmm.

It did seem like the difficulty had ratcheted up a notch. But if you asked me whether it was impossible—

"I'll give it a shot."

It wasn't.

There was still so much about this world I wanted to know.

Why would this world, in the near future, be destroyed and become the Graveyard of Knights?

Why had Gramfel told me never to trust the Monarch?

And—

What did that destruction, and the Monarch, have to do with each other?

Even if only to find out, winning the prince's interest was essential.

After finishing every last tedious bit of paperwork, I rode the carriage Lunan arranged for me for a long stretch of road.

I'd braced for rattling discomfort, but the ride turned out surprisingly smooth.

They said it had been treated with magic, didn't they.

At any rate, after half a day of uninterrupted travel lounging in the comfortable seat—

"There it is."

A magnificent vista spread itself out beyond the window. A colossal fortress wreathed in hues so strange they seemed to drip with moonlight itself.

This was the territory of the Second Prince, Leo—the heart of it, the headquarters of the Black Moon Knights.

"Welcome to the Shadow Garden!"

The Shadow Garden, it was called.

"First things first, let's get your luggage settled and I'll introduce you around—"

"No need. Let's head straight to the commissions."

"Wha—huh? Well, yes, but still—"

There was no time to be standing around admiring the view. If someone snatched the good commissions while I gawked, what then?