Their walk to the Kitchen was accompanied by the comforting scenery of the afternoon town. The sun cast a warm glow, and the gentle breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers. As they arrived, an unexpected scene greeted them: Kal'tsit and Ledyana were chatting in the break room.
As Lada and Anna entered, Kal'tsit and Ledyana turned their heads. Recognizing Lada, Kal'tsit started, "Ah, it's you—"
Before she could continue, Ledyana, with a composed expression, said, "These are Anna and Lada," gesturing at them respectively.
Turning to Lada, Kal'tsit said, "Ah, pardon me, I hadn't realized you were one of the Chief's daughters. Lada, was it?"
Flustered at being referred to as Henry and Ledyana's daughter, Lada tried to deny it. While Lada had always seen Henry and Ledyana as her second parents, calling herself their daughter felt too bold. "A-ah, no, I'm actually—" But she was cut off by Ledyana, who calmly placed a hand on her head. Lada's fluffy ears twitched in embarrassment.
"That's right," Ledyana said, her voice steady. "These two are my precious daughters."
Lada could only stand in embarrassment as Ledyana petted her head, her heart warm and fuzzy from being acknowledged as their daughter. Her thoughts were interrupted as Anna pinched her cheek. "Dum-dum," Anna remarked, her tone flat but affectionate.
Raising an eyebrow, Kal'tsit watched the scene with a hint of confusion. After a moment, she excused herself, "Well, Madam Morosova, I'll be taking my leave now to check on those new defenses."
Ledyana replied, "My husband should be waiting at the southern outskirts. That's where he mentioned he wanted you to start."
Nodding, Kal'tsit excused herself and left the kitchen, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.
Taking a few seconds to compose herself, Lada then asked, "You were meeting with Miss Kal'tsit?"
Sitting down on the sofa, Ledyana replied, "Yes, on some matters concerning the safety of the town." Her eyes lingered on Lada, assessing her state. "And how was your day?"
Remembering what Sonya had said about their client guaranteeing the safety of their town as part of the payment for the job, Lada nodded thoughtfully. "It was good." Lada replied simply, thinking about the revelations Kal'tsit had told them earlier.
As the conversation died down, Lada proceeded to her regular kitchen duties, the familiar routine providing a sense of normalcy. Anna, always the observant one, sat down next to Ledyana, pulling out a book she had grabbed from the library before Lada dragged her to the kitchen.
As dinnertime came and went, they returned home, this time with Ledyana joining them. They spent dinner chatting, the conversation flowing easily. Lada retold her story to Ledyana, with Anna chiming in occasionally to tease Lada.
The next day, with Sonya's axe still being repaired, the Runners didn't venture too far from town and instead went hunting for meat.
As the days passed with not much excitement, compared to her first mission with the Runners at least, life seemed calm and idyllic. The only excitement came from their hunting trips, which, while productive, lacked the intensity of her initial mission.
Meanwhile, back in the bandit camp…
Three days after the Runners had taken the gem from the camp, the bandits were still trying to rebuild and search for anything valuable left after the fire. Franz, covered in bandages under his dark coat, barked orders as he recovered from his injuries, his temper short and his frustration palpable.
"Get zose supplies organized! Ve can't afford to lose any more!" Franz shouted, his voice rough.
Suddenly, the gallop of horses could be heard in the distance. Franz and his men tensed, prepared for battle.
Then, a carriage with an intricate design came into view, bearing the symbol of Leithanien. The intricate gold detailing and the polished wood of the carriage spoke of wealth and power. As the carriage stopped, a thin, imposing figure stepped out of it. "Vell, vell, vell… Vat happened here? I thought zis vas supposed to be a bandit camp, not a smoldering pile of burnt wood," the figure spoke with humor and elegance, his voice dripping with barely hidden disdain.
A pair of curling goat horns sat on the sides of his head, under a tall dapper top hat that accentuated his elegance. His short, combed blond hair shone under the sunlight, and his crimson red eyes surveyed his surroundings with barely hidden contempt. The man wore a meticulously tailored noble outfit, a deep burgundy frock coat with black velvet lapels, adorned with intricate gold embroidery. A pristine white cravat rested at his neck, tucked into a high-collared shirt, and a black waistcoat with silver buttons complemented his attire. His trousers were a dark charcoal, and he wore polished black leather boots that clicked softly with each step. A silver pocket watch chain glinted from his waistcoat, completing his look of refined elegance.
"Ah, Herr Durchdenwald, is zat you? Vy, I barely recognize you under all zose bandages," the man said with a sly smile, his voice dripping with mock concern.
"… Duke Finsterwald," Franz spat out, his voice thick with disdain. "Vat brings you here to our… humble abode?" he continued, barely concealing his malice.
Feigning surprise, the tall man replied, "Oh, is zat anger I sense in your vords? Vy, I'm just visiting my co-vorker, of course. Nothing wrong with zat, yes?"
Franz, not in the mood for antics, growled, "Don't play with me, Hofnarr. I'm in no mood for your usual act."
Dramatically deflating, the blond man sighed theatrically. "Oh, such a shame. Is it truly a crime to visit a friendly co-vorker zese days? Oh, how ze times have changed."
His tone shifted as he continued, "Vell, ze reason I'm here is for a simple errand, you see. Die Kaiserin sensed a familiar and ominous presence in zis area, an area zat you just so coincidentally reside in."
His voice turned serious yet still held a hint of mockery. "Tell me, Herr Durchdenwald, vere is ze gem?" he asked menacingly, his aura causing some of Franz's men to collapse, their knees buckling under the oppressive atmosphere.
Franz tensed, shivering, and hesitantly replied, "It's… not currently in my possession."
"Is zat so? Vy vould zat be?" the elegant man inquired, his crimson eyes narrowing to slits.
"I… vas robbed two days ago," Franz hesitantly revealed, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Und, pray tell, who vould be bold enough to raid a large bandit camp such as yours and succeed?" The once humorous man now spoke with undisguised contempt, his voice cold as ice.
Franz couldn't answer. How could he? To admit he was robbed by a group of children and lost the item entrusted to him by the Empress herself would make him the laughingstock of the entire noble court. His pride and fear battled within him, leaving him speechless.
While Franz stood there, unable to answer, Pim, one of the bandits, blurted out in fear, "It was those cubs!"
Dropping the sinister aura, Duke Finsterwald raised an eyebrow. "Cubs?" Turning to Franz, he sneered, "You lost ze gem to children?!"
Before Franz could reply, he was grabbed by the neck, the Duke's grip surprisingly strong. "You… vill need to be punished."
But then he was thrown to the side like a ragdoll. "But zat's not for me to decide. Die Kaiserin has zat right," the elegant man remarked, feigning disappointment. His expression, however, betrayed a sadistic pleasure in Franz's humiliation.
"I shall get zat gem back. No need to vorry," he said, turning to get back into his carriage. "I'll bring my personal guard as vell," he added with a menacing grin, his eyes glinting with malice. The grin sent shivers down the spines of Franz and his men, their fear palpable in the cold evening air.
As Duke Finsterwald climbed into his carriage, he cast one last contemptuous glance at Franz. "Do try to keep things in order here, Herr Durchdenwald. I vould hate for my next visit to be even more... unpleasant."
With that, the carriage door closed with a decisive thud, and the horses galloped away, leaving Franz and his men in a state of fear and uncertainty. The air felt heavier, the threat of the Duke's return looming over them like a dark cloud.
Meanwhile, back in Peterheim…
A week had drifted by since Lada's initiation into the Runners, the days unfolding in relative tranquility, punctuated by Sonya's persistent complaints about her 'backlogged axe' during their hunting expeditions.
One bright Friday morning, Ledyana interrupted Lada's assistance with breakfast, handing her a neatly packed meal and instructing her to deliver it to Kal'tsit at the outskirts when she went out hunting later. Kal'tsit was currently working on the defenses on the western side that day, where the Runners usually go out hunting from.
After breakfast, Lada met the other Runners at the den as usual and left the town to go hunting.
Approaching the outskirts, Lada observed numerous statues resembling vaguely humanoid and beastly forms in motion. Their movements were unsettlingly fluid for what appeared to be stone, their surfaces shimmering slightly in the sunlight. She also noticed that Kal'tsit's camp had been set up nearby, looking completely identical to how it was set up before.
"Wha? Huh?" Lada murmured, taken aback by the peculiar sight.
"Ah, Lada, there you are," Kal'tsit's familiar voice rang out, drawing her attention.
"Miss Kal'tsit? What are these? How are these statues moving?" Lada queried, handing over the packaged meal.
"My golems? They're constructs of earth animated by my Arts. They'll aid in fortifying our defenses," Kal'tsit explained matter-of-factly, her tone as steady and confident as ever.
Lada watched the golems with a mix of awe and apprehension. The constructs moved with purpose, their stone limbs creaking slightly but otherwise demonstrating an eerie semblance of life.
Accepting the explanation with a nod, Lada returned to the Runners and headed out of the town, noting the newly erected defenses—a stout wall encircling the perimeter, bristling with mounted weapons. The sight of the fortifications gave her a sense of security, though she couldn't shake off a lingering unease about the moving statues.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully as Lada and the other Runners focused on their hunting tasks. The sun dipped below the horizon as they made their way back to town, carrying the fruits of their labor.
That night, as Lada lay in bed, her mind wandered back to the golems and Kal'tsit's mysterious activities. She couldn't shake the feeling that something important was happening, something that went beyond the ordinary defenses of their town. Her curiosity burned, why did Kal'tsit hire the runners when she clearly could have gotten the gem herself? Why was she willing to pay so much for their work, even building new defenses for the town. These questions filled Lada's thoughts as she slowly drifts asleep.
The next day, Lada went out for a walk after breakfast since Sonya decided to take a break. Sonya went to the blacksmith to complain about her axe, her frustration palpable even from a distance. Natalya had opted to stay at the den to groom Valkyrie, while Rosalind said she had a drinking competition to get to.
As Lada wandered near the outskirts, she spotted Kal'tsit walking into a nearly collapsed tunnel. Curious and concerned for Kal'tsit's safety, she followed her into the underground passage.
The tunnel was dark and barely structurally sound. Lada couldn't see where she was going, so she used the glow from her Arts to slightly light the way. As she walked deeper into the tunnel, she started seeing dim lights glowing from the sides of the floor. Following them, she encountered a spiraling staircase that led deeper underground.
Lada hesitated but still went down to look for Kal'tsit. As she reached the bottom, she spotted a tunnel emitting a dim white light. Entering the tunnel and reaching the end, she found Kal'tsit standing over a perfectly rectangular black object, whispering something that Lada couldn't quite hear.
"You are more trouble than you're worth," was the only thing Lada could pick up from Kal'tsit's low whisper.
As Lada tried to approach Kal'tsit, she accidentally kicked a pebble, making a sound. Suddenly, she was tackled by a large creature that seemed to be made out of black crystals, almost like Originium, with a serpent-like body and four giant blades as limbs. Lada screamed in terror, fearing the worst.
"Stop it, Mon3tr," Kal'tsit commanded. The creature halted, its limbs poised to strike.
"Lada?" Kal'tsit started, registering her presence. "Why are you here?" she questioned, her tone suspicious.
"A-ah, uh, I saw you walking into this tunnel and wanted to see if you were okay," Lada answered, shaken.
Relaxing, Kal'tsit ordered the creature to stand down. "While that's kind of you, you don't need to worry about me." She extended her hand to help Lada up.
Taking Kal'tsit's hand, Lada stood. "B-but this tunnel looked dangerous—it looked like it was ready to collapse any time!"
"I can take care of myself, Lada," Kal'tsit said. "Now let's get you out of this dreadful place." She led Lada back to the surface, with the creature trailing behind. Lada thought it must have been one of her golems, though why it looked like Originium was a question she knew she wouldn't get an answer to any time soon.
As they walked back, Lada asked why Kal'tsit was even in the tunnel.
"I was looking for someone," Kal'tsit replied mysteriously.
Sensing it was a sensitive topic, Lada decided to drop the subject, though she speculated that whoever that 'someone' was, they must have been in that rectangular black object, judging from how she had been talking to it. It might have even been a coffin.
As they finally reached the surface and exited the tunnel, they parted ways, with the monster staying behind inside, and Kal'tsit telling Lada that she needn't worry if she went down there again. The encounter left Lada with more questions than answers, her curiosity about Kal'tsit's mysterious activities and the nature of the black object gnawing at her mind.
The remainder of Lada's day unfolded quietly. She retrieved Anna from the library for dinner, encountering Sonya still disgruntled about her axe, with Natalya attempting to soothe her. They were promptly invited to join for dinner.
Seated in the dining area, conversation ebbed and flowed around their daily activities. Sonya seized the chance once more to vent about her axe's delays when Rosalind burst in with a companion.
"Hey guys!" Rosalind exclaimed, instantly garnering everyone's attention. "Mind if we join you?" she asked, already settling in before receiving a reply.
Introducing her companion, Rosalind turned to Lada and Anna with excitement. "Meet Shura, the toughest fist-fighter in all of Ursus! And Shura, these are Lada and Anna!" she declared enthusiastically.
Shura offered a peace sign and a grin. "So this is the new recruit you've been raving about, huh? You do look as adorable as a gummy bear, just like Rosalind said!" she chuckled.
Lada answered her with a small wave, while Anna only nodded in acknowledgement.
As evening deepened, the tranquil ambiance shattered abruptly with the resounding boom of an explosion.
"Huh? What's happening?" Lada exclaimed, her confusion mirrored in the faces around her.
Before anyone could respond, another blast echoed through the air, followed by a rapid succession of detonations.
"Shit," Sonya muttered, her demeanor shifting abruptly to urgency. "We need to move," she declared, rising swiftly from her seat.
"What's going on?" Lada demanded, her tone tinged with growing apprehension.
Sonya met her gaze gravely. "We're under attack."
A shorter chapter today, and from now on i guess. Writing nearly 5k words per chapter started to get overwhelming, so i think i'll limit myself to 3k at maximum from now on.