Creatures Lurking in the Dark

"Everyone, My name is Jenna. I'm honored to serve as Captain of the Royal Army. First of all, congratulations. You have successfully passed the six months of cadet training. From this day onward, you are a part of Lutenburg's proud army." A clear and beautiful voice addressed the crowd.

 

Without the need to introduce herself, Mina and Mino knew about this woman. How could they not? Jenna was like a hero to the people of Lutenburg. She successfully pushed off the invasion of the corrupted monsters and protected countless lives from being lost.

 

Not only did she possess great strength, but her beauty was also quite a topic of discussion. Her slender hourglass figure, her white skin without a single mar, her slim limbs, and especially her alluring face were the subjects of envy and desire for both men and women.

 

And now, being addressed by such a figure was nothing short of an honor to the twins.

 

Stealthily sending her gaze around, Mina also saw that not just her but all the people here in this hall attentively paid their attention to every single word Jenna spoke.

 

She was just that famous of a personage.

 

After finishing her greetings, Jenna introduced the people behind her and stepped back. Then, one by one, they made a roll call, and the new recruits who had their names called followed them out of the training ground.

 

As the twins waited for their names to be called, the number of people in the training ground slowly reduced.

 

Until it was just the two of them left.

 

"S-Sis. Is it just me, or are we the only ones whose names haven't been called yet?"  Mino whispered.

 

"Eeh, I don't know. Are we, perhaps, in trouble or something?"  (Mina)

 

"Uhh... That's what I want to know. Shhh! Lady Jenna is coming."  (Mino)

 

Seeing that Jenna was walking toward them, the two straightened themselves up and waited nervously.

 

"Are you Mina and Mino?"  Jenna asked.

 

""Y-Yes, ma'am!""  The two replied at the same time.

 

"Fufufu. Don't be so nervous. Follow me."  Jenna smiled and signaled the two to follow her.

 

"Uum... Is there any problem, Lady Jenna? I saw everyone's names were called and assigned to their posts, but me and my sister weren't called. Is there any trouble?"  Mina asked.

 

"Don't worry. I'll guide you to your post. You see, I have read your files. You two passed both the knight training and mage training with flying colors. So, I thought of the perfect position for you two. But first, let's go get your uniforms."  (Jenna)

 

Mina and Mino looked at each other, half anticipating, half fearful about what Jenna had just told them. Anticipating that they would be evaluated so highly, yet fearful that they wouldn't be able to meet her expectations.

 

After obtaining their uniforms and changing into them, they followed Jenna back to the training ground, but instead of entering the hall, they went to the basement.

 

After a short walk, they arrived at a place that looked like a mix of training ground and cafe.

 

"Hm? It's rare for Lady Jenna to personally visit us. How can I help you?" A woman who was making a drink behind the counter asked.

 

"I heard that you need some combat mages, so here you are. Two fresh mages out of the pot."  Jenna stepped to the side to show the woman Mina and Mino.

 

"Ooooh! Really!? Really!!??"  The woman suddenly jumped over the counter and almost knocked over the drink she had just made but managed to save it before rushing toward the twins.

 

Her outburst caused the twins to flinch and instinctively move back, but the woman was faster before she stood right in front of you.

 

"Thanks the goddess. Not only one, but I even got two of them at the same time, and they are cute too."  She hugged the twins tightly as if they were the treasure she just found.

 

"Ah, I'm sorry, my name is Lena. I'm the captain of the second shadow Unit."  (Lena)

 

"G-Good afternoon, my name is Mina"  (Mina)

 

"H-Hello, I'm Mino."  (Mino)

 

"Now now, don't be shy. Come over here, I'll make you two something to drink, Lady Jenna too."  Lena led the two to the counter, along with Jenna. She then skillfully brewed them a black drink and gave each of them a cup. "Here you go; this is a new drink that I've taken a liking to lately. It's called coffee. I'd prefer to drink it black, but it might not suit your palate, so you can add milk and sugar along with it. It's very tasty."

 

"Thank you."  (Jenna)

 

Following Jenna's lead, the twins also accepted the cup and thanked Lena.

 

"Now then, Have you explained to them what exactly is the Shadow squad, Lady Jenna?"  Lena asked.

 

"No, not yet; I figure it'd be better to have you agree to take them in first before explaining to them. But you know I can't really get into details, right? Seems like I don't have to worry about that, though. They have the skill, and the way they utilize magic in combat is intriguing. All they need is experience and specialized training."  (Jenna)

 

"As expected of Lady Jenna. Well, girls, let me officially welcome you to the second Shadow Unit."  (Lena)

 

Sensing the direction of the conversation turned toward them, the twins straightened up their backs.

 

"First of all, let me tell you what exactly is being a shadow. As the name suggests, our activities are hidden beyond the public's eyes. It's complicated to explain to you the reason. But let's put it this way. If a noble who was famous amongst the public but actually had his hand in dealing with illegal slavery and human trafficking. What do you think is the first thing we should do?"  (Lena)

 

"We should investigate and arrest that noble when we find sufficient evidence?"  Mino was the first to answer.

 

"What about you, Mina?"  Looking at the older twins, who were still thinking, Lena directed the question to her.

 

"No... If that noble was smart enough to gain public favors, then he would have all the evidence hidden or managed through a third party. So I think instead of that noble, we direct our attention to the crime syndicates to catch his tail."  (Mina)

 

"But then, it would take too long. There could be many gangs in the underworld, so we have no way of knowing which one connects with that noble. Plus, if we stir up the underworld unnecessarily, it could alarm him that someone might be onto him. If that were to happen, he would be more cautious in his future deals, and cracking down on him would become harder."  (Mino)

 

The twins had a particular habit when they had free time. They would set up a situation and take turns giving out solutions while the other found holes to shoot down that solution. It all started when their beloved non-blood-related sister-cum-guardian asked them what to cook for their meals. Despite being twins, their appetites were completely different. While Mino liked sweet things, Mina preferred her food to be on the sour side. So they would debate about what to eat in front of Luna.

 

Seeing the twins debate with each other brought a smile to Lena's face.

 

"They're good."  Lena looked at Jenna, who was enjoying her cup of coffee.

 

"I told you so. Haah, this fragrance is so good, there's a hint of butter in it."

 

"Girls, can I have your attention please?"  Lena clapped her hands and continued. "Honestly, I'm so surprised that you girls are this smart. There is no correct answer in this scenario, only wrong answers. By the way, most people would say that the best course of action is to arrest the noble, but that was wrong. Remember that he has the support of the public; if we arrest him without tangent evidence, it would cause a protest or, worse, a riot. Before we continue, give me a moment." 

 

Lena went to the back of the room and returned shortly with two rolled-up parchments.

 

She gave each of them a parchment before continuing. "To continue, first, you have to sign this magical contract. Don't worry; it's not a curse or anything. It's a type of binding contract that doesn't let you tell the information I'm about to tell you. The moment you are about to mention it, it will force you to forget about the subject. Me and Lady Jenna also had to sign it when we first learned about it. But remember this: the moment you sign the contract is when you are officially a part of the shadow unit. This is your actual final test."  Lena made sure to look at each of them in their eyes and emphasize the importance of what she was about to tell them.

 

The twins gulped as they looked at each other. They thought that they would be enlisting as a normal soldier. Never in their wildest dream would they be introduced to this secret squad and be endorsed by none other than Jenna.

 

There was nothing more honored than this. Without hesitation, the twins nodded and signed.

 

The moment they finished writing their names down, the parchments turned into light particles and disappeared.

 

"Good. Now that you have signed it let me tell you the rest. The Shadow Unit does not exist on paper. In the public's eyes, you are just a regular knight. Well, some of us choose another side job, like civilians. In fact, we have this girl who prefers to work in a lingerie store rather than be a knight, haha. Anyway, back to the topic, our missions are different than regular knights. We mostly deal with infiltrating, spying, assassinating, and stuff like that. In short, missions that knights can not carry out and require a less than conventional approach. Not to say they are more dangerous, but most of the time, you have to operate by yourself. But you don't have to worry about that just yet; there's no way I would allow recruits to solo a job, wouldn't I?"  Lena stopped to take a sip from her cup and waited for the twins to digest the information.

 

"That brings us back to the scenario I asked you. It actually happened, you know? One of our members solved it by infiltrating as a victim of human trafficking. She single-handedly defeated the involved gang and assassinated the noble after obtaining definite proof of his evil deeds. By the way, I was on vacation during that time, so Lady Jenna here had to do the follow-up for me, hahaha. Ended up owing her a favor."

 

*Sigh*

 

A sigh leaked out from Jenna, who was silently enjoying her coffee. Not because she heard Lena speak; she just decided that the coffee was more of the priority.

 

"Well, my point is, knights deal with problems, and when those problems get out of hand, we'll deal with them. But before you girls freak out, it's not every day we have stuff like that fall on our desks. As I said before, you are just regular knights until that time comes. And for you girls, that time is still long ahead. You still need your training and experience, after all."  Lena drank the rest of her coffee and stood up. "Unfortunately, you came at a bad time. The person who will train you, Itani, won't be here until evening. That's why I suggest you girls should familiarize yourself with the patrol work first. Lady Jenna will show you the patrol work; just make sure you'll be back before the eighth bell. Lady Jenna, if you would?"

 

"Alright, thank you for the coffee, Lena. It was delicious. Mina, Mino, follow me. I think I have a good unit to assign you two to."  Jenna stood up and waved goodbye to Lena. She then took the twins to the barrack just outside of the training ground.

 

"Too much to take in, I assume? Well, you don't have to think much about it. As Lena said, it is still long before you are qualified to take on those kind of missions. So for now, just focus on your training and learn from your seniors knights."  Jenna talked to the twins when she saw the girls making complicated expressions.

 

"Lady Jenna, why did you choose us? I don't think graduating top of cadet training was enough to have you endorse us. There should be others who are better than us, right?"  Mina asked.

 

"If I must say, there are two reasons. Firstly, I was there when you two took your final test. In the monster subjugation exam, despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered by the monsters caused by unforeseen circumstances, you two rallied the other cadets and fought back with only a few minor injuries and no casualties, though the people who oversaw the exam, including me, were prepared to intercept. In the end, we didn't have to move out. You girls took control of that situation beautifully."  (Jenna)

 

"Ah..hahaha."  Mino smiled bashfully while scratching the back of her head.

 

"Secondly, it was how you two view things differently from most people. Like back then, when Lena was testing you with her question, you two calmly analyzed the situation and pointed out the downside of each other's solutions. Not anyone can do that, you know? It's very admirable."  Jenna turned back and smiled at them.

 

"T-Thank you for your praise, Lady Jenna."  (Mina)

 

"Well, it is true that your case is a special one, though. Normally, we wouldn't choose new recruits for this special unit. The army was that short-handed, you see. But it is also that you girls' abilities are rated quite high. However, don't let it get into your head. From now on, it will no longer be fun and game. If you mess up, not only your lives but many other innocent people and even those you care about might be endangered."  (Jenna)

 

""Yes, ma'am.""  The twins replied at the same time.

 

"Good answer. Oh, looks like we are here. Let's see..."  Jenna looked around the barrack and scanned with her eyes until she stopped at the pair of a human woman and a dogkin woman. "Perfect timing. Sara, Elise, before you head out for patrol, come over here."  She called out.

 

"Yes!"  The two ran toward Jenna when they were called.

 

"Let me introduce you. These girls are our new recruits, Mina and Mino. I assign them to you starting from today for the first half of your shift. Show  them the basics, and be strict."  (Jenna)

 

""Yes, ma'am.""  Sara and Elise replied.

 

"Oh! Oi~ I've been looking for you, Jenna."  Suddenly, a man called out from behind them.

 

"Bano..."  Jenna shook her head and let out a deep sigh like the world had just ended for her.

 

"Oya? Who are these two beauties we have here? New face? Good afternoon, ladies. My name is Bano. If you have any trouble, feel free to call out to me. I don't mind helping beauties like you girls as long as I can have your favors."  Bano flashed a smile and introduced himself.

 

"We know you, Sir Bano. Thank you for always taking care of our sister."  (Mino)

 

"Hm? Wait, not that you mentioned it, aren't you two Luna's relatives? Hahaha, what a small world we have here."  (Bano)

 

"So? What brings you here? Don't tell me you're here just to flirt with other women?"  Jenna's eyebrows twitched as she looked at Bano.

 

"No no no. I only flirt with you. It's just a gentlemanly thing for me to greet any and all beauties like that. Well then, ladies, it looks like Jenna here is jealous of me talking to other ladies, so I'll take my leave. And sorry, but I will be borrowing her too. Have a good day~"  Bano took Jenna's hand and led her away.

 

Both Mina and Mino's eyes went wild when they saw how intimate they were. They looked at Elise and Sara, but the two just shook their heads and smiled wryly at the two.

 

They couldn't believe that everyone's heroine, Jenna, would hold hands with a man in public.

 

......

 

...

 

.