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As Renn made her way back to Alma to share her plans with Velle, she was greeted with unexpected news: Howl had successfully tracked down a possible hideout of a cult devoted to Vulferos, one of the ancient beasts.
Inside Alma’s workshop, the air was thick with the scent of metal and alchemical concoctions. Velle, busy at her desk, paused just long enough to relay her early-morning meeting with Howl via the telecommunication device. Renn listened, her curiosity shifting to concern.
In the meeting, Howl had proposed leading an assault on the hideout with only his men, determined to strike before the cultists had a chance to scatter. Velle had argued against it, but Howl’s resolve hadn’t wavered, and the meeting had ended abruptly.
“That idiot,” Velle muttered, crossing her arms tightly, her frown deepening. “He’s too cocky for his own good. We don’t know the cult’s numbers or how strong they are. This is reckless.”
Renn offered a cautious response. “Well, he’s strong, right? And he’s absorbed Edgar’s Mana already, hasn’t he?”
Velle let out a sharp sigh, turning her attention back to her work. “That doesn’t make him invincible,” she replied, adjusting her goggles with a frustrated shove. “Anyway, you said you wanted to talk about something?”
The question jolted Renn slightly; Velle’s reaction to Howl’s defiance was not lost on her. “W-well, it’s about going east… to look for the last two descendants.”
Velle turned to face her, one eyebrow raised in faint disapproval. Renn took a steadying breath and continued, despite the look. She outlined her plan to search the eastern region, hoping to reach the last two descendants before Theodore’s forces could.
Velle’s expression shifted to something unreadable, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Did you forget what we talked about yesterday?” she asked, her tone gaining a subtle edge. “Theodore needs us to reach Neona. Assembling the remaining descendants might just give him exactly what he wants.”
“I-I know… But it’s been four months, and they haven’t made a move. Maybe they don’t know where the last two are, or—”
“Or they don’t even exist,” Velle interrupted, her voice firm.
Renn’s temper flared. “They have to! You said it yourself—Theodore needs us, and he knows some of us personally. He wouldn’t go to these lengths unless he was sure the last two were out there. If we find them first, that’s our advantage!”
For a moment, Velle’s eyes flashed, her mouth set in a hard line. She wasn’t used to people arguing back, least of all Renn. Finally, she exhaled sharply, crossing her arms again. “Fine. Do what you want. Once I’ve finished my work here, I’ll focus on hunting down the cults myself.”
Despite the halfhearted reply, Renn took it as approval. She promised to be careful and avoid causing any unnecessary trouble in the east.
Before setting off, Renn asked Velle to notify Veledot’s workshop of her plan. Velle then briefed her on the eastern region.
As she listened, Renn learned that the east was the largest and safest region in the Mainland, often hailed as “the future” due to its advancements. Not only was it home to Alchemist Corp’s headquarters, but it also housed the Mana Rail headquarters, making the area both technologically advanced and well-connected by mana trains.
“The place is huge, so you should start with the larger cities or even Pelladia. Alchemist Corp’s headquarters are there,” Velle advised, her focus shifting back to her workbench. She adjusted her goggles, already lost in another project.
Renn nodded. The capital of the east, Pelladia, was a good starting point. “Got it. I’ll get going now. Tell Mint I said hi,” she added, noting Mint’s absence; it was unusual to see Velle without her.
With her next destination set, Renn set off, stopping in Wendale for one last night to update the townsfolk on her new journey. Her excitement was mixed with a pang of loneliness—part of her wanted a companion for the trip, but she felt that this quest was hers to undertake alone. Quin and Yufi would continue defending the west, and that was enough for her.
Unbeknownst to her, someone had already anticipated her arrival in the east.
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It took Renn nearly a week to reach the eastern border. Each city she passed grew increasingly bustling, and the air buzzed with excitement and chatter. As she crossed the border, she noticed people turning their heads, whispering as they recognized her and the silver staff, Esperanza, she carried. Tales of her fight against Balehorn in Veledot had clearly spread.
She pressed on until she arrived at a bustling border city. After asking for directions, she learned that Pelladia was closer than expected; if she took a mana train, she could arrive by late evening. With her destination finally within reach, she hopped onto the train.
Inside the carriage, Renn found herself seated beside a young boy with light brown hair and darker skin, his eyes wide with curiosity. After a few minutes of silence, he turned to her.
“Um, excuse me, are you Renn Veledot?” His big blue eyes locked onto hers with an innocent wonder.
“Hm? Ah, y-yeah…” she replied, caught off guard.
“I knew it! You’re a queen!” he exclaimed, his voice carrying through the carriage. Passengers turned to look, making Renn shrink into her seat.
“Hey, can you keep it down?” she whispered urgently, her cheeks reddening.
“Oh, sorry,” the boy said, lowering his voice. “The name’s Jess. Nice to meet you, queen!” He thrust his hand out, his grin unwavering.
Renn glanced at his hand, smiling as she reached out to shake it. “N-nice to meet you, Jess.”
They spent the rest of the trip talking about simple things—hobbies, favorite foods, the small wonders in their lives. She’d briefly considered asking him about the descendants but thought better of it; he was just a kid, and she didn’t want to drag him into anything dangerous.
When they finally reached Pelladia, Jess waved her goodbye and disappeared into the crowd, off to his father’s blacksmith shop. Renn watched him go before turning her attention to the grand, sprawling city around her.
The city’s size was dizzying, the streets packed with hunters, alchemists, and locals, all wearing uniforms she’d never seen. Buildings towered over her, sleek and polished, with glowing signs marking various shops—Mana-infused lights, she realized. The architecture was different from what she’d seen in the west and north, grander and more futuristic, more like the inside of the mana trains than anything else.
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To her right, huge, dark green industrial buildings with chimneys spewing light gray smoke caught her attention. The sight reminded her of an alchemist workshop, only on a far grander scale. She figured this had to be Alchemist Corp headquarters.
Ahead, a massive palace loomed over the orange skyline. The architecture was intricate, radiating a quiet power that even Veledot’s palace couldn’t match.
The sheer size and energy of Pelladia left her feeling both thrilled and overwhelmed. She hadn’t the faintest clue where to begin but knew she needed to get a lay of the land. Taking a deep breath, she started walking, immersing herself in the city and hoping the right path would reveal itself soon.
As she walked, the sky deepened from orange to twilight as night approached. Soon enough, Renn began searching for an inn, quickly spotting a rather luxurious-looking one. She couldn’t even tell if a simpler inn existed in Pelladia or if they all shared this upscale feel.
Upon entering, she found herself surrounded by elegant decor and lively patrons moving through the space, their chatter adding to the warm ambiance.
She noticed a hall up ahead, which seemed to lead to a bar area, and a staircase to the right heading to the second floor. After checking in, she decided to unwind with a drink in the bar.
Inside, hunters and wealthy guests chatted with a familiarity born from shared experiences. The scent of fruit and spirits filled the air, pleasant and inviting.
Spotting an empty table along the wall, Renn leaned her staff, Esperanza, against it before heading to the bar to order a bottle of blueberry juice. But as she returned, a handsome young man with brown hair and sharp orange eyes had already taken the seat across from Esperanza, casually sipping his drink. Renn felt a flicker of irritation but decided to retrieve her staff first.
“That’s a nice staff,” he remarked without looking up, his eyes still on the glass he was swirling.
“Oh…uh, thanks,” she replied, a bit taken aback.
“Why don’t you take a seat? I don’t mind.”
You’re the one who took it, she thought, slightly annoyed, but still, she set her bottle down and joined him.
“Blueberry?” he asked, glancing at her drink.
“Yeah. First time trying it.” She poured a little into her glass, then eyed him with curiosity. “Are you a hunter too?”
He chuckled, finally looking up to meet her eyes. “You could say that—I use a mana weapon, after all.” A glint of recognition flickered in his gaze. “Welcome to the eastern lands, your majesty.”
Renn tensed, surprised he knew her title. “Thanks. By any chance, do you know anything about the descendants around here?”
Arthur took a slow sip, then set his glass down. “We haven’t heard much. But I might know a place you could start.”
“Really? Where?”
“Ever tried fortune-telling?” he asked, grinning.
“Fortune…telling?”
He nodded. “There’s a seer named Malikah. Famous and accurate. She lives in a city called Grandel, southeast of here.”
The name was unfamiliar, but Renn felt a spark of intrigue. “Grandel… got it. Thanks, um…”
“Arthur.”
“Thanks, Arthur.”
As he stood, Renn noticed the sword at his side and the small shield strapped to his arm. He nodded once before heading to the exit, then paused to glance back. “Good luck on your journey.”
Renn watched him leave, wondering who exactly he was, then finished her drink in silence. Thanks to Arthur, her next destination was set.
After a restful night, Renn prepared to set out for Grandel the following morning.
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The next morning, Renn checked out of the inn and gave a quick stretch as she stood in front of the establishment, ready to make her way to Grandel. Her first stop was the nearby mana rail station—but she soon learned that Pelladia had multiple stations, each serving a different route. The one for heading south was located on the far side of the city. After a brief chat with the station staff, she thanked them and set off southward through the bustling streets.
As she moved deeper into Pelladia, the landscape shifted. The neat stone-paved roads gave way to packed dirt, and the architecture changed too: buildings were built primarily with metal and processed wood, each adorned with brightly glowing signs marking various shops and warehouses.
She had entered the industrial complex of Pelladia, home to the Alchemist Corp headquarters.
Though she was still a distance away, Renn couldn’t help but marvel at the size of the headquarters; the structure dominated the skyline, its intricate metal towers and sprawling facilities stretching into the distance. She wondered if Velle had ever seen this place, given her reputation as an alchemist prodigy.
Just as her mind wandered, a commotion broke out nearby. Shouts and raised voices echoed around the corner, catching her attention. She made her way toward the sound, weaving through the gathering crowd until she spotted a familiar face.
Jess was on the ground, surrounded by scattered pieces of various ores. Looming over him was a rotund, well-dressed nobleman in a suit and hat, berating him loudly. The crowd looked on with mixed reactions, some cheering the nobleman while others muttered disapproval.
“You little brat!” the man shouted, his voice booming over the crowd. “How dare you bump into me with all that filthy scrap!”
“I-I’m sorry, sir…” Jess stammered, keeping his head low as he scrambled to collect the scattered ores, his hands shaking.
“Sorry doesn’t fix my suit!” The man took a menacing step forward, raising his hand as if to strike. Jess flinched, shielding his head instinctively.
But before he could swing, Renn stepped in between them, her silver staff held firmly at her side.
“Wha—!” The man staggered back, taken aback by her sudden presence. “Who do you think you are?”
“Name’s Renn,” she replied coolly. “Jess here is a friend of mine. Look, if he scuffed your suit, he’s already apologized. It still looks great to me.”
Jess looked up, his face a mixture of relief and surprise as he recognized her.
“Oh, so I should let him go just because he’s a kid? That’s ridiculous! People need to be punished for their actions!” The man stomped his foot in frustration, his gaze seething.
“Then take it out on me instead,” Renn said, meeting his gaze with steady defiance.
The man blinked, his anger momentarily replaced by confusion. “W-what did you just say?”
“You’re mad, right? So go ahead—take it out on me.” She adjusted her stance, holding her staff at her side, her eyes unwavering.
The man’s anger reignited, his face twisting as he raised a hand. “You…damn girl!”
With a furious slap, his hand connected with her face, the sound echoing across the street. Renn’s head turned slightly from the impact, but she remained rooted in place.
She turned back to him, unphased. “That all you got?”
Gritting his teeth, the man swung again, and again, even going so far as to kick her midsection. Renn barely flinched. Compared to the battles she’d fought, his blows were nothing.
Watching from behind her, Jess felt a pang of guilt. “Stop! Please! Why are you doing this for me? I was the one who bumped into him…”
Renn glanced back, a reassuring smile breaking through the bruises. “It’s alright. A hunter’s duty is to protect people from monsters—even if that monster is human.”
“What did you say?!” The man roared, winding up for another swing, but the crowd started murmuring.
“Wait, isn’t that…Renn from Veledot?”
“You mean the Queen Renn?”
“Yeah, I heard she carries a silver staff…”
The man’s face drained of color as realization dawned. “Q-Queen Renn?” he stammered, stumbling back.
“That’s correct.” A new voice joined, and the man turned to find Arthur approaching through the crowd.
“Y-you…” he started, only to be silenced as whispers ran through the onlookers.
“It’s Prince Arthur!”
Renn’s eyes widened slightly. He’s a prince?
Arthur’s expression hardened. “I may have missed the start of this, but I saw you assaulting her. That’s a crime, and one deserving of a proper punishment.”
At his signal, guards stepped forward, seizing the man by his arms. “You’ll be coming with me to the palace,” Arthur declared. “The king himself will decide your punishment.”
“W-wait! No, it wasn’t me—it was them!” the man protested, but his cries went ignored as the guards led him away. The crowd began to disperse, a few bystanders checking on Renn as they murmured in admiration.
When they’d finally left, Renn turned her focus back to Jess, crouching down to help gather the scattered ores into the box. “Did you actually bump into him?”
Jess hesitated, his voice small. “It was around the corner…so I couldn’t see him coming.”
Renn shrugged, giving him a reassuring smile. “It’s fine. You’re safe now. I’ll carry this box for you; just lead the way, alright?”
Jess managed a small, grateful smile. “Thank you…Queen Renn.”
“Just Renn is fine.” Her smile widened.
“Thank you, Renn.”
Side by side, they headed out of the industrial district towards Jess’s father’s blacksmith shop. Though it was in the opposite direction of where she’d planned to go, Renn didn’t mind in the slightest.
Maybe there was something else she could do to help in Pelladia before continuing her journey.
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