The interior of the Delta was not particularly remarkable. The concrete buildings and paved roads reminded me of an ordinary old-world metropolis, the only differences being lower buildings, a reduced number of shops and less passerbys, although they were still more common than in the Alpha.

A peculiar sight was the presence of the occasional person covered from head to toe with a simplified and stiffer version of a hazmat suit. The now awake Faye noticed me gazing at them and gave me an explanation.

“Those are normal people. They use the suits to avoid ether contamination”

I thanked her with a smile. Although the density of mana inside of a Perimeter was technically low enough to allow residence to normal humans, the presence of ether in the atmosphere would still eventually prove fatal. Living underground with highly developed atmospheric filtering systems was the only long term solution for them.

Due to the particular policies of the Delta, it was understandable why there were still some who braved the danger of the outside and intermingled with archumans. Nevertheless, their number was still meagre, as I could count them on the fingers of my hands.

It was still an interesting sight to behold. I could tell with a single glance that the archs of the Delta were more docile than those of other Perimeters. In the Alpha for example, I had felt archs were more rowdy and, for this reason, dangerous. I strongly doubted normal humans would have been left alone.

We followed the road until we reached an open plaza in front of a warehouse. A web of roads connected to this place, from where trails of wagons arrived and departed, delivering or embarking goods, before continuing their journey.

The carriage we were standing in stopped its movements when we reached a garage which stood on the side of the warehouse. We disembarked, while the rest of the entourage deposited unused goods and parked the carriages, with part of it simply dispersing, every single person going their own way.

“Now we have to go by foot. Come with me, I want you to see my little home,” Faye addressed me cheerfully.

“Allow me to escort you,” Jonah intervened.

“Thank you, but there’s no need. You can go home,” Faye replied monotonously.

His face darkened, but he didn’t say another word. Before leaving, he turned towards me.

“In a few days someone will come to you to further discuss what we talked about,” he said to me, before turning around and leaving the three of us alone.

“He should really learn how to read the room…” Faye mumbled under her breath.

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In the meantime, I turned around to face the only person who had remained with the two of us. He was a man of middle height and robust build, with a long bristly beard and no hair covering his head. A number of scars were visible on his hands and necks, although it was reasonable to expect many more to be hidden by his clothes.

His right hand was missing the final part of the little finger, while the left one was missing the entirety of the last two fingers. A deep scar ran over his right eye, who had turned opaque due to the visibly old wound.

He was the leader of the group of people instructed by Tobias to guard Faye. His battered body showed he had seen his fair share of battles. It was a rare phenomenon, but sometimes injuries inflicted by powerful opponents, in particular those who employed mana, didn’t heal completely and continued to ail the body. I didn’t know the exact mechanisms behind it as I had never delved into them, but it had probably to do with some sort of fixation of mana inside the biological tissues.

“And you are?” I inquired.

“Oh, he is Reuben. Reuben Guzman Miller, to be exact. He is a reliable friend,” Faye intervened.

I continued to stare at him. The fact he donned the Miller surname after his own meant he was an official member of the Household directly under Tobias.

“What are your orders?” I asked.

“Protecting the young Miss. Treating you how I would the Patriarch,” he answered.

I took a step towards him and spoke in a low voice, ensuring no one could eavesdrop.

“Was the situation explained to you in detail?”

“I simply follow the Patriarch’s will. Explanations or individual judgements are unnecessary and irrelevants”

I smiled broadly.

“Good good. I like you,” I simply stated.

It was clear he was deeply aware of the situation. The numerous wounds of past combats and the important role he had been entrusted with were a testament to his power as an archuman.

He must have been observing Faye for quite some time, so it was impossible he hadn’t determined her nature, especially considering how much apparently she was at ease with his presence.

He was the perfect example of a member of a Household: fiercely loyal and obedient, the perfect instrument of his Patriarch. I strongly doubted he felt positively towards genais, especially being someone from the Alpha and most likely specialised in hunting them, but in front of the orders of Tobias his personal thoughts and feelings became completely irrelevant.

He would be the perfect companion.

I walked side by side with Faye as she guided us through the metropolis, while Reuben followed us from behind, placidly scanning the horizon for every threat who could approach us.

As we walked down the road, fewer and fewer people could be seen, until no one else appeared. We were clearly in an abandoned district of the Delta, as the surrounding buildings presented signs of wear related to the passing of time.

Despite this, a freshly renovated building with white painted walls stood in the middle of the deteriorated ones. Faye approached the metal reinforced wooden door, inserted a key she took out from the simple bag she had brought with herself and opened the entrance. I followed behind her, while Reuben didn’t show any sign of movement.

“I’ve tried inviting him inside numerous times, but he never accepted,” Faye explained before I could even ask.

I closed the door behind me and Faye proceeded to lock it. I found myself in a living room, with sofas and bookcases full of volumes. Further on my right I could see a doorway leading to a small kitchen with all the amenities of the modern world, while on my left there were two sets of stairs, one going upwards probably to the living quarters and the other downwards probably to the personal workshop.

“Ah. Home sweet home. You don’t know how happy I am that we are finally together again. Anyway, come up, we have to prepare your room!”