If Only He Had Hair...

It had been about three years since the founding of Shadow Garden. I was thirteen now, and my older sister, Claire, had just turned fifteen. While there isn't any particular significance to being thirteen, fifteen is a different story. See, in this world, nobles have to attend school in the Royal Capital for three years starting at fifteen. My sister was the "shining hope" of the Baron Kagenou Family. My mom had gone all out throwing her a farewell party and everything—it was a real "behold our glorious prodigy" vibe.

That was all well and good, but on the very day she was supposed to depart for the capital, my sister vanished. Naturally, the Baron Kagenou household was currently in a total state of panic.

"The room was already in this state when I entered," my old man said, using his best "dandy" voice. To be fair, he actually had a decent face.

"There are no signs of a struggle, but the window was pried open from the outside. Neither Claire nor I noticed a thing. This was the work of a true professional."

My dandy father rested a hand on the window frame and gazed wistfully at the distant sky. He looked like the kind of guy who should have a glass of whiskey in one hand.

If only he had hair...

"And?" a freezing voice cut through the air.

"It was the work of a professional, so it couldn't be helped—is that what you’re trying to say?"

It was Mom.

"N-no, that’s not it at all! I was just stating the facts..."

Dad’s voice cracked as cold sweat poured down his face.

An instant later:

"YOU BALDYYYYYYYYY!!!"

"Hiee! I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Me? I was basically background noise. I’m not expected to do much, but I don’t cause trouble either. I’ve worked hard to maintain that specific social standing.

Still, my sister was actually a pretty decent person, so it was a shame. Since the crime happened at night while I was out training at the abandoned village, there hadn't been anything I could do.

I watched my parents' "flirtatious" banter with a solemn expression, then took advantage of the chaos to slip back to my room. I offered a quick prayer toward the direction my sister had disappeared and flopped onto my bed.

And then...

"You can come out now."

"Yes, my lord."

The moment I spoke, the curtains swayed noiselessly. A lone girl clad in a black Slime Bodysuit stepped into the room.

"Beta, I assume?"

"Yes."

She was an elf, just like Alpha. But while Alpha was a blonde, Beta had silver hair. With her cat-like blue eyes and a cute beauty mark under one eye, she was the third member of Shadow Garden. Even though I’d told Alpha to keep things in moderation, she kept bringing girls home like she was picking up stray cats. Our numbers were growing fast.

"Where’s Alpha?"

"She is currently tracking Lady Claire's trail."

"Fast as always. Is my sister still alive?"

"Presumably."

"Can we save her?"

"It is possible... however, Shadow-sama’s assistance will be required."

Ah, I love it when they call me Shadow. I’m the master of Shadow Garden, after all. Fufufu.

"Did Alpha say that?"

"Yes. She believes that given the risk to the hostage, we should take every possible precaution."

"Hmph."

To be honest, Alpha was already incredibly strong. For her to request my help, I had to assume we were dealing with someone of considerable skill.

"My blood is beginning to boil..."

I instantaneously released a burst of compressed Magic Power into my palm, making the very air tremble.

There’s no practical reason to do that, but man, I love the special effects.

Beta looked appropriately stunned and whispered a soft, "As expected..."

Lately, I’d had Alpha, Beta, and Delta to train with, so I wasn't exactly starved for combat, but I craved some freshness. More importantly, this was the perfect opportunity to play the role of The Eminence in Shadow.

"I suppose it’s time to get serious for once..."

I was really getting the hang of projecting that "mysterious powerhouse" vibe. Plus, Alpha and Beta had been fleshing out the lore lately, which really made things exciting.

"The culprit is undoubtedly a member of the Cult of Diabolos," Beta reported. "And likely of the executive class."

"An executive, hm? And why would The Cult want my sister?"

"We believe they suspected Lady Claire of being one of the Children of the Hero."

"Hmph. Sharp-witted bastards..."

See? This is how we do it.

On top of that, they were even bringing me "evidence." They’d say stuff like, "Just as you predicted, your words were true..." or "A thousand years ago, the Children of Diabolos..." or "This stone monument bears the marks of the Cult of Diabolos..." I mean, I can't read Ancient Letters, so I have no idea what any of it actually says. I’m pretty sure Alpha doesn't really know either. They probably just find stuff that looks the part because they want to feel like they're "uncovering the truth." Yeah, that's definitely it.

"Please look at these documents," Beta continued, spreading out a massive pile of papers. "According to our latest investigation, the hideout where Lady Claire was likely taken is—"

Yeah, I have no clue what I'm looking at. More than half of it was in Ancient Letters, filled with nonsensical numbers and charts. Honestly, these girls were geniuses at making realistic-looking props. In that specific field, they had completely surpassed me.

I tuned out Beta’s explanation, plucked a throwing knife from my sleeve, and hurled it at the map on the wall.

Thwack.

The blade pierced the map at a single, random point.

"There."

"Here? But what could—"

"My sister is there."

"But there's nothing listed at this... No, wait! Could it be...!"

Beta started rummaging through her documents in a frantic panic, acting like she’d just had a massive realization.

Man, she's good. I totally just winged that throw, but she's a pro at this. I bet she’s going to 'find' a hidden hideout exactly where I pointed, isn't she?

"After cross-referencing the data... it appears there is indeed a hidden base at the exact coordinates Shadow-sama indicated!"

Called it.

"To process this mountain of data in an instant and pinpoint the hidden location... Your brilliance truly knows no bounds."

"Your training is still insufficient, Beta."

"I shall devote myself to my studies further!"

Nice. Even though I know it’s just an act, it still feels great. Beta really knows how to stroke my ego.

"I shall inform Alpha-sama immediately. We strike tonight?"

"Yeah."

Beta bowed deeply and vanished. Her eyes were sparkling with that "I totally respect you" look. I had to hand it to her—that was an Oscar-worthy performance. Cheers to that.