Episode 3

**Fencer Ordinaire** (凡人の剣, *Bonjin no Ken*?) is the third episode of the *The Eminence in Shadow* anime adaptation.

## Synopsis

* English
* Japanese
 The Princess is supposed to reject the background character’s confession, not accept it — since when did Cid become a rom-com protagonist?

 15歳になったシドは、王都のミドガル魔剣士学園に入学。平凡な学園生活を送っていた。が、罰ゲームで王女アレクシアに告白させられたことで、安定のモブライフが激変してしまう。

## Summary

On a train leaving his hometown, Cid recalls how it had been two years since Alpha had told him that the Cult of Diablos is supposedly a massive organization that operates on a global scale and she along with the other Seven Shadows needed to part with Cid in order to develop their organization as the seven of them spread across the world for expanding Shadow Garden into become a great force on their fight against the Cult.

Considering how people move on from dreams and play as they grow older, Cid feels that that's just a nice way of telling him that they were now grown up and wanted their freedom, and how they don't want to continue playing this "fighting the Cult" game. Understanding their feelings, Cid respects their decision as he recalls his previous life when he used to fight in solitude at one time searching for magic until an unexpected fate befell him. Feeling that nothing has changed because even though he is the only one left in the world, Cid will continue to aim to become Eminence in Shadow.

When Cid turned fifteen, he traveled to Midgar Kingdom's capital and enrolled in the same school as his sister, Midgar Academy for Dark Knights where Cid lived in a cheap apartment, in contrast to Claire who lived in a dormitory near the Academy, which is only occupied by students who have the status of princesses and upper-class nobles because his sister is a model student whose abilities have been recognized during 2 years of study. Seven months into his academy life, Cid continues to live as a background character and made friends with Skel Etal and Po Tato, other bottom-of-the-pile nobles like him from nowhere notable. While heading to school on the train, Skel and Po remind Cid that as he scored the worst in the test, his penalty is to confess to the most sought-after girl in school and suffer her rejection.

However, Cid was excited as he had wanted this to go through such a mob character scenario. Arriving at school, the girl in question was Second Princess Alexia Midgar, who sharply rejects another guy's confession. Skel and Po were worried after seeing the princess' brutal rejection, but Cid calmed them both because he had prepared a confession method last night. That afternoon in the academy grounds, Cid goes to confess to Alexia, shaking and muttering as part of his act while he feels he done a great job as a background character confession in the hope of being rejected. Yet surpisingly, Alexia accepts his confession, stating she was waiting for someone like him.

The rumors of Cid's acceptance confession quickly spread the next day and the students who heard it start to wonder who Cid is and what's so great about him. During lunch break, Cid is eating at the academy cafeteria sitting at Skel and Po's dining table, wonder why the princess accepted him and guess that they would have had a chance if she accepted Cid. Alexia then suddenly joins them at lunch, which astonishes other students as that's the lower nobility section. The cafeteria staff serve a small buffet for her but she comments she can't eat it all. The opportunistic Cid then gladly started eating her food, in an attempt to make her dump him by acting undesirable. As Alexia had heard that Cid is studying Royal Bushin fencing for afternoon physical education, she wanted to practice together in the sword training class. Cid states to the princess that he cannot as he is in Section Nine, the lowest of all the sections, but Alexia explains she put a good word for him and opened up a spot for Cid in Section One.

A moment later, Cid joins Section One class accordance with Alexia's words, where their teacher is Zenon Griffey who is the royal fencing instructor starts his opening speech to welcome new friends as Cid introducing himself to all the Section One students where there's a tenseness in the air, unlike the lower sections. In order to lighten the mood, Zenon explained to all the class that the Royal Bushin technique studied at the Academy is a new technique derived from traditional Bushin, just like Cid. Although faced a lot of criticism at first, but thanks to the contribution of Alexia's older sister, First Princess Iris Midgar, who was called a genius magic swordsman, the technique could gained enough momentum to rival traditional Bushin. Zenon ended his explanation as he stating that having strength, even skeptical glances can be deflected while looking at Cid to show how much power he has.

As the class started that accompanied by the sound of clashing swords from Section One students, Cid practices with Alexia as they both waved their swords to each other who then notices that the princess' attacks never landed and her movements were too slow, and did not use magic either. Initially thinking that Alexia was just wanted to match his level, Cid realized that the purpose of this sparring practice is to review their strokes and counterstrokes, even noticing Alexia copying his stretches before lesson until Cid thought that the princess considerably possess high awareness. Although the princess' perfectly honed technique that stays true to the basics and avoids any excess, Cid finds it good yet bland as the rest of the world sees Alexia as far inferior to her older sister who is currently lauded as the most powerful magic swordsman in the kingdom, but admits that her blandness is the result of hard work is proof that she has built her basic skills step by step.

Hearing the school bell signaling the end of class as Cid and Alexia both thrust their swords to finish their sparring, the princess remarks that Cid's fencing style is good, but hates it as it feels like she is looking at herself. Cid sees Alexia go over and tells Zenon that she is Cid's girlfriend now, as Zenon retorts that she won't change the fact that she is betrothed to him, even if it's still a public secret as Alexia argues that Zenon is just a suitor for their arranged engagement. Knowing the reasonable situation he had been put into, Cid then realizes what is going on just as he had predict the princess' hidden intentions from the start after hearing their conversation and decide to blend into the background.

After school, Cid confronts Alexia on just wanting someone to help her escape the engagement with Zenon, and chose a low-class aristocrat of whom she could easily control. As Alexia shamelessly confirms such, Cid states he doesn't want more attention and isn't interested in being mixed up in her problems. However, Alexia playfully tells him that's a bit cold when Cid said his boyfriend status was in name only with the princess revealing that she knew about his fake confession as a form of his lost bet after easily scaring his friends, who told her everything, and tells Cid that the student body will never let him have a peaceful school life ever again should they learn he "toyed with a young girl's heart." Learning this, Cid puts on a slightly annoyed expression to think about retaliation against his friend for double-crossing him while maintaining his mental composure as Alexia tries to taunt Cid when seeing his sullen face with Cid responding that his twisted look are reflects his personality, but not as bad as Alexia and did not comment on the princess' question.

Despite Alexia wants to continue the boyfriend act until Zenon gives up, Cid notes that he definitely won't give up since Zenon is clearly out of his league, but Alexia knows so yet wants Cid to buy her some time until she figures out how to deal with it somehow. While Cid wants to refuse, Alexia takes out and throws a gold coin. Staring at it, Cid asks if he looks like someone that can be brought, as Alexia affirms such, and Cid agrees as much hovering over the dropped coin. By the time the princess throws another coin, Cid jumps like a dog to fetch and catches it with his mouth as he admit that his parents' allowance isn't enough to carry his Eminence in Shadow operation, from which he can't let this chance slip by and obliges the bribe, deciding to continue being her boyfriend.

Forced to comply by the agreement he agreed to, Cid continuing his fake relationship with Alexia as he glad that the students focus on the princess having a boyfriend and not him, which lets him play the background boyfriend character and Alexia openly shows their courtship act towards Zenon, thinking that Zenon was just observing. While Alexia is prudent in public, she constantly badmouths Zenon behind the scenes. After some time, Cid decides to not argue with the princess and just agrees with everything she says. On the streets of the capital, the princess invites Cid to eat ice cream in order to announce their relationship and he tries to ask Alexia about her dislike of Zenon who looks quite good as a future husband, in terms of good looks, status, reputation, money and popularity among girls. Alexia states that everything about Zenon are just his outward appearance and understands how easy it is to pretend to be nice, so she judges people by their flaws. As Zenon presents as having none, the princess remarks that is not normal for a human and so she distrusts him, which is also why she chose a flawed and imperfect person like Cid to date.

Two weeks had passed on their ongoing "courtship" without any progress, Alexia and Cid are riding the train when the princess exclaims that his fencing felt like a mystery to her that had basics, but nothing more than that, yet can't take her eyes away from it even Alexia were still hate the said fencing style. Cid wonders what problem the princess is having today as he notices her fencing was unusually aggressive and sloppy, and Alexia reveals how she always in all her life wanted to be as good as her sister, Iris. Despite realizing that Alexia didn't have what her sister had from the start and decided to become stronger by herself in her own way, but others ended up calling her "*The Fencer Ordinaire*", which was unfortunate that his fencing is as ordinary as hers, but Cid doesn't find it that way and states he likes her fencing.

Listening his words, Alexia reveals that her sister said the same thing after she suffered a humiliating defeat at the Bushin Festival, but that Iris couldn't understand how pathetic Alexia was feeling. Cid explains that he isn't a great person and wouldn't care if someone kills a million people on the other side of the world. But there are things that people find worthless, yet to him they are the few most precious things in life, which is why he likes her fencing style. Alexia draws her sword and asks him what he means by that, so Cid states he gets pissed off when people diss the things he likes. The train stops and Alexia leaves, telling Cid goodbye as the princess walks alone, making him guess this marks the end of their unwanted relationship.

The next morning, Skel and Po apologize to Cid for telling everything to Alexia. While Cid is fine with events, the duo wonder how far he got with her while dating for two weeks. Cid states he didn't get anywhere, which annoys them as they state they would have gone all the way. Arriving at the school gate, Zenon and two other knights stop Cid and his friends. A serious Zenon states Cid should know that Alexia didn't return to her dorm last night and the Knight Order are investigating it as a potential kidnapping. Since Cid was the last person to be seen with the princess, he is their first suspect and would like his cooperation for questioning. As he sees more knights covering his possible escape, Cid surrenders with a sigh and realizes he is in big trouble.

## Characters

* Cid Kagenou
* Alpha (Flashback)
* Beta (Flashback)
* Gamma (Flashback)
* Delta (Flashback)
* Epsilon (Flashback)
* Zeta (Flashback)
* Eta (Flashback)
* Skel Etal
* Po Tato
* Claire Kagenou (Mentioned)
* Akane Nishino (Flashback)
* Alexia Midgar
* Zenon Griffey
* Sherry Barnett (Cameo)

## Promotional Videos

TVアニメ『陰の実力者になりたくて！』第３話予告≪ノーマルVer.≫「凡人の剣」TVアニメ『陰の実力者になりたくて！』第３話予告≪スペシャルVer.≫「陰の実力者はモブ生徒になりきりたい！」
## References

1. ↑ https://www.hidive.com/stream/the-eminence-in-shadow/s01e003
2. ↑ https://shadow-garden.jp/1st/story/#story3