Esmeria

Regina's eyes widened with wonder as the ship approached Acacia. The sight of the bustling city and the throngs of people gathered there was a stark contrast to her solitary existence.

Excitement brimmed in her gaze as she turned to Richard, hoping he would allow her to explore the city freely upon disembarking. However, his directive was clear and stern.

"No, you must stay close to me," he insisted firmly.

Reluctantly, Regina followed Richard as they disembarked. With a nod from him, she removed her hood, feeling the cool sea breeze play with her hair.

"We're heading to Aerimes, the Adventurer's Guild in this city," Richard explained, his grip on her hand reassuring amidst the bustling streets.

Regina's eyes were drawn to the stalls lining the streets, each offering unique and enticing wares. She couldn't resist stopping to admire them, but Richard's gentle tugs reminded her to keep moving, causing her to regret holding his hand in the first place.

They arrived at a two-story building adorned with numerous posters on a board near the entrance. Regina's eyes scanned the vibrant exterior as Richard pushed open the door, revealing a bustling interior filled with people.

Inside, the atmosphere was lively. The hall echoed with the chatter of adventurers enjoying a feast, while others queued patiently before a counter, clutching papers in hand. Servers hurried back and forth, delivering food and drinks amidst the lively ambiance.

"Oh, you're back!" exclaimed a woman with short brown hair, dressed in a charming orange outfit complete with an apron and hat. Her eyes darted between Richard and the space behind him expectantly.

"Did you find her?"

Richard stepped aside, revealing Regina standing shyly behind him. She instinctively moved to hide behind him once more, feeling overwhelmed by the attention and the bustling activity of the guild hall.

"Ah, so she doesn’t have the core."

Richard affirmed with a nod.

Noticing Regina's guarded demeanor, Milliana, the woman with short brown hair, attempted to ease her nerves.

"Hii~ I'm Milliana, but you can call me Milli! Can we be friends?" She held out her hand and offered Regina some sweets, which she accepted with a timid smile.

"Can you tell me your name?" Milli asked gently.

Regina hesitated for a moment before quietly responding,

"...Regina."

“Ohh~ That’s such a cute name!” Milliana exclaimed with a warm smile.

“Do you want to come with me to the staff room? I’ll prepare drinks for you,” she continued, extending an invitation to Regina.

Meanwhile, at a nearby table, a man sitting with his companions loudly demanded,

“Hey! Where’s my food?”

Milli, clearly amused by his impatience, retorted with exaggerated expressions,

“Get it yourself or ask somebody else! Can’t you see I’m busy here?!”

His companions joined in, laughing along with her playful jab.

She then led Regina and Richard to one of the rooms on the second floor of the guild hall. As they ascended the stairs, Milli's foot slipped slightly, but Richard quickly steadied her by holding her arm.

"...Where’s my tea?" Richard queried with a half-smile, noticing that Milli had only prepared a cup for Regina.

"Get it yourself!" Milli replied teasingly, her lips forming a playful pout as she turned towards Richard.

Her eyes sparkled with amusement, clearly enjoying the light-hearted exchange with him.

"Now, Regina, what do you know about this world or your situation?" Milliana redirected the conversation, her tone serious yet gentle.

Regina tilted her head in confusion.

"Hey! Did you not explain what was happening to her?" Milli interjected, her voice slightly scolding.

"...I’m bad at it," Richard admitted with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head.

Milli sighed and bonked Richard on the head lightly before turning to Regina.

"Sigh… Well, the Azevaria Empire is ruled by Emperor Yahweh," Milli began, her tone shifting to a more informative one.

"And there are ten generals under his command called the Ten Kabbala. Each of them rules a region with their monstrous strength. You are wanted in every region ruled by them."

"What did I do wrong…?" Regina asked timidly, confusion and concern evident in her voice.

"Well… you didn’t do anything wrong," Milli reassured gently.

"Then why…?" Regina pressed on, seeking clarity.

"Hmm… Let me put it this way," Milli started, choosing her words carefully. "The emperor hates you."

Regina looked more confused and discouraged after hearing what Milli said.

“Let’s put this aside and have you work here in the meantime, shall we? This will be a good hiding place for you too.”

Regina turned her head and looked at Richard, silently seeking his opinion.

“I won’t be staying here,” Richard replied firmly, anticipating Regina’s unspoken question.

Undeterred, Regina moved closer to Richard and gripped his sleeves tightly.

“Pft, Ahahahahaha!” Milli burst into laughter at the scene before her.

“Loner’nen actually found a companion!”

“Shut up, not like I asked for it,” Richard retorted, though his words lacked the usual bite, revealing a hint of amusement.

“Lil Regina, can you stay with Milli~?” Milli teased, looking at Regina with a playful grin.

Regina shook her head furiously, clinging closer to Richard.

“Aw, she prefers Loner’nen over me,” Milli joked, feigning disappointment.

“Have you finished procuring my supplies yet?” Richard smoothly changed the topic, maintaining his composed demeanor.

“Of course, who do you think I am?” Milli replied proudly, patting her chest with a smirk.

“Stop it, any more and they won’t grow,” Richard deadpanned.

Milli paused to decipher Richard’s cryptic comment, then blushed and became flustered.

“They are big enough, thank you for your worries!” she retorted, trying to regain her composure, before tossing a bag of supplies to Richard.

“Here’s your supplies, no more discount if you mention my chest again!”

“Yes, yes. I’ll be heading to my workshop now,” Richard replied, his expression unchanged as he accepted the supplies.

Regina glanced between Richard and Milli, bowing respectfully to Milli before following Richard out of the guild hall.

Milli sighed, clearing the table and heading downstairs to resume her duties. She gripped the railing tightly as she descended the stairs.

Meanwhile, as Regina and Richard walked through the bustling streets toward Richard’s workshop, they passed children playing and singing an eerie song:

“Awoken from the bed frozen in time,

The demon queen shall seek vengeance.

To the god sitting high up above,

she will reclaim what was taken.

The trumpet will sound to herald the end,

The trumpet of the beginning of Ragnarok.”

Regina felt a chill run down her spine as she listened to the ominous lyrics. She tightened her grip on Richard’s hand, seeking comfort and security as they navigated through the city.

As they entered Richard’s workshop, Regina was taken aback by what she saw. Contrary to her expectations of a dim, dark, and possibly eerie place, Richard’s workshop was surprisingly bright, colorful, and vibrant.

The room was adorned with numerous colorful flasks, each shimmering and reflecting light in different hues. Splashes of leftover powders adorned the floors, walls, and furniture, giving the workshop the appearance of an artist’s studio. Golden and copper tools, speckled with colorful powders, were neatly arranged around the room, and prosthetic limbs hung on the walls like pieces of art.

Regina’s mouth fell open in astonishment at the sight.

“Ouch!” Richard’s gentle bonk on her head interrupted her thoughts, reminding her not to judge a book by its cover.

“Why did you hit me?” Regina asked, puzzled.

“Just felt like it,” Richard replied casually.

After a moment in the workshop, Regina started to feel nauseous. Richard quickly grabbed a bag and held it in front of her, allowing her to vomit into it instead of on the floor.

“Sigh… wear this mask,” Richard instructed, handing Regina a breathing device that covered the lower half of her face.

“This workshop is filled with really dense mana. All these powders you see scattered about are elements in their purest form,” he explained.

“Most people would get nauseous if they breathed in too much mana at once. This mask helps regulate most of the mana out before you breathe in the air.” Regina nodded, pretending to understand how the mask worked.

Richard meticulously laid out his items on the table: vials filled with shimmering, colorful liquids, empty bullet casings, and an array of specialized golden tools. Each vial, when uncapped, seemed to alter the workshop's atmosphere in unique ways—a red vial heating the room, a blue vial chilling it, and a black vial dimming the light.

Regina watched in awe as Richard skillfully filled the bullet casings with the colorful liquids using his specialized tools. Time passed swiftly, and as night fell, a girl with purple hair and a burn mark on her left face and neck entered the workshop.

"Ah, you're back," she greeted Richard in a monotone voice.

"Regina… nice to meet you, I am Indienee," the girl greeted calmly.

Regina returned the greeting with a respectful bow of her head.

As Indienee settled into a chair, Regina gasped in surprise when she nonchalantly detached her arm, revealing it to be a sophisticated prosthetic.

"Ah, it must have startled you. I lost my left arm and right leg in the middle of a war," Indienee explained with a serene smile.

"These are specialized prosthetic limbs created by Richard."

Regina couldn't hold back her tears upon hearing Indienee's story.

Moved by Regina's empathy, Indienee's smile widened.

"Thank you for shedding tears for me," she expressed warmly.

Indienee proceeded to replace her prosthetic arm with a different one and swapped her left prosthetic leg for another, demonstrating the adaptability and functionality of Richard's creations.

"A fire model… heading somewhere cold next?" Richard remarked, noticing the prosthetic limbs Indienee was replacing.

Indienee nodded.

"I'm headed to Angurn Village, near the region under Almany Kingdom's rule. She might be there."

Richard frowned.

"Ugh… Almany's Fuhrer, Gevurah. That's not an easy place to infiltrate.”

Regina looked on curiously as Richard elaborated.

"The region under Gevurah's banner boasts the strongest military might in the Azevaria Empire," Richard explained.

"Currently, Almany Kingdom is engaged in a war in Kishu, in Bharatavarsha. I should be fine," Indienee reassured Richard.

"If she IS there… I hope she remains undetected by Gevurah. I'll be off now. Take care, both of you," she said, preparing to leave.

"Take care," Richard replied.

As Indienee departed, Richard returned to his work in the workshop.

“Hai!!! Milli’s here!” Milli’s cheerful voice greeted Regina and Richard as she swung open the workshop door.

Upon hearing Milli's voice, Richard's expression tensed momentarily. He swiftly lifted Regina up and gently placed her near the entrance.

“Go entertain Milli,” Richard instructed firmly.

“Eh?” Regina hesitated, unsure of what to do.

“Shoo, I need to concentrate on making my elemental bullets. Any slight mistake and the bullets will explode,” Richard explained with a serious tone.

Regina swallowed nervously at the warning, glancing around the workshop.

“All these splatters must be from the bullets that exploded…,” she pondered to herself.

"Now go," Richard shooed Regina away and returned to his work.

"Hey, lil Regina, looking cute with that mask," Milli greeted Regina, causing her cheeks to flush. She glanced around the workshop curiously.

"Where’s Indienee?" she asked.

"She went off to find somebody," Regina replied curtly.

"Aw, she didn’t even rest here for tonight?" Milli sighed.

"Mmm," Regina affirmed.

"Sigh, her body might break one day if she doesn’t take a breather now and then," Milli remarked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Loner'nen, are you there~~~?" Milli called out playfully, attempting to get Richard’s attention.

"...Can’t you see I’m busy right now?" Richard responded, his voice focused and intent on his task.

“How heartless of you to leave defenseless poor girls alone,” Milli teased him.

“Defenseless? Alone? You are the least qualified to say that among us.” Richard retorted.

“Why do you call him loner’nen?” Regina interjected curiously.

“Well, he is a loner,” Milli replied with a mischievous grin.

“Why ‘nen’ behind?”

“Hey, you didn’t even tell her your real name?” Milli directed the question at Richard.

“Doesn’t need to at that moment.” Richard replied nonchalantly.

“Sigh... His real name is Ilmarinen. You aren’t the only wanted one, we all are,” Milli explained, glancing at Richard knowingly.

“He uses a fake name to hide his identity.”

“Is Milliana a fake name too?” Regina asked curiously.

“Nope, that guy is the only one who uses a fake name,” Milli chuckled.

“So what did you come here for?” Richard asked reluctantly, still immersed in his work.

"Since lil’ Regina doesn’t want to be separated from you, and you are bad at caring for others, I have decided to join you on your future missions," Milli declared with a smug smile.

Richard sighed deeply.

"Just great…" he muttered under his breath, resigned to the new arrangement.

“First things first, lil Regina, let’s go take a bath together!” Milli exclaimed cheerfully.

“Eh?” Regina was taken aback by the sudden suggestion.

Milli grabbed Regina’s hand and whisked her out of the workshop, leading her to a nearby public bathhouse.

Regina's eyes widened in awe as she stepped into the vast bathhouse, filled with warmth and the soothing sounds of running water.

Once inside the women’s bath area, Milli helped Regina undress first, then undress herself, revealing her own unique features—a peculiar ear and a scar on her lower back.

“Um… that…” Regina hesitated, glancing at Milli’s scar.

Sensing Regina’s curiosity, Milli maintained her cheerful demeanor as she explained,

“Ah, you see, I’m a quarter-beast. My human dad married my mom, who’s a half-beast. When the Azevaria Empire invaded our land, I had to disguise myself as human. I had to chop off my tail and cut my ears to survive.”

Milli chuckled awkwardly, a hint of sadness underlying her smile.

“Lost my balance after cutting off my tail, couldn’t get it back even now, haha…”

Regina felt tears welling up, moved by Milli’s resilience despite her hardships. Milli gently poured warm water over Regina’s head and smiled warmly.

“It’s okay though, at least I’m alive.”

“What about your parents?”

Milli’s expression darkened briefly.

“They probably didn’t make it… They tried to help me escape.”

Seeing Regina’s eyes reddening, Milli swiftly changed the subject with a bright smile.

“Forget the sad stuff! Let’s get you all cleaned up!”

Regina managed a nervous laugh, her spirits lifted by Milli’s infectious energy. As Milli playfully tickled her while washing her, Regina couldn’t help but laugh along.