Train station, Backlund. Tuesday morning.
"If you ever have any problems, remember you can always send us a letter. Also, you can come back if you feel it's too much. I..." Lady Macht said somewhat breathlessly, her eyes bloodshot.
Restraining the urge to roll her eyes, Hazel Macht hugged her mother.
"I'll be fine, Mother. You don't have to worry so much."
Lady Macht wrapped trembling arms around her only daughter and hugged her tightly.
"I know. I know.... It's just that I thought this day wouldn't come until much later.... You're still so young...." She murmured, gently stroking her daughter's greenish hair.
Maury Macht looked at this and could only sigh a little.
'Why did all this have to happen?' The man couldn't help but lament a little at the world's injustice.
A daughter was only supposed to leave home once she had found a marriage and gone to live with her husband, or wife. Of course, he would never force his daughter to do such things.
If she wanted to leave home without getting married, then he wouldn't have a problem. But he and his wife would much rather that their little girl never left.
But because of the great love they had for their daughter, they would make a sacrifice.
He would have to go to parliament as soon as he sent his daughter away. The New Party and the Conservatives were clashing harder than ever; tensions would only continue to explode.
With the kingdom in such a delicate state now and the possibility of war on the horizon, he wanted to save his daughter's innocence.
In Lenburg, she would be safe.
With that desire deep in his heart, he raised a hand and gently caressed his little girl's head.
"Try to work hard and remember to write to us. All right?
"It doesn't have to be every day. But at least one letter a week is good. Your mother and I would really appreciate it."
Feeling the corners of her eyes getting a little wet, Hazel blinked hard and, puffing a little, squeezed back.
"Okay. I'll do my best." She said, rebelliously.
"Mhm. That's my girl." Lady Macht smiled softly, and after a few long seconds, she let go.
"Make us proud." Maury encouraged.
"Make lots of friends." Lady lifted a handkerchief and wiped her eyes.
Next to them, with her arm just out of the cast and now resting on an armrest, her personal maid Anabette raised a white handkerchief and bid her farewell, tears falling from her eyes.
"Please don't forget me, Miss! Come back soon!" Anabette cried, the pain in her chest making it difficult for her to form words.
The university did not allow servants, and she could not travel in her current condition. She had not yet fully recovered from her injuries.
With great regret, she would have to let go of the girl she had watched grow up and become a young lady...
"Don't cry anymore. We'll see each other again."
Raising a gloved hand while shaking her head, Hazel said goodbye with a small smile as she grabbed her suitcase and boarded the train, alone...
Choo choo!
Watching the city where she was born and raised all her life get further and further away, the young woman gazed at it all from her first-class seat.
Her expression didn't change, but her eyes had become somewhat teary.
Wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, Hazel snorted ungracefully. And her lips began to tremble a little.
She could finally fulfill her dream of becoming a powerful Beyonder. That was what she had always wanted once she discovered that hidden world.
For all these reasons, she should be happy now. Ecstatic even...
"It was supposed to be easy... Why does it hurt so much?" She mumbled, her thoughts a brewing storm she could not make heads nor tails of.
Sighing a little to calm down, Hazel put those thoughts aside for later.
Calmly, she took a notebook out of her briefcase and opened it. The university entrance exam was tomorrow, and although she wouldn't be in class most of the time, that didn't mean she didn't have to study.
After all, she was still the one who had to get in.
'Of course, it's not like I would have allowed one of Teacher's soldiers to take the exam for me. I may be a Swindler, but even we have our pride to maintain...'
With that last thought, Hazel did not look at the now distant Backlund and focused only on studying.
...
Lenburg, Azshara. Artelia District, Stokowski Street.
In a carriage rented for the day, Vivian reviewed the contract and the paperwork with a watchful eye.
Rereading the amount offered, she looked up at her boss sitting across from her—a little curiosity was dancing in them.
"Mr Wayne, isn't this a bit too much money for the job you need done? 2,000 sassem should be enough."
Harvey Wayne gently shook his head, his laurel shining softly in the dim light of the carriage.
"I want this job to be their number one priority. Besides, there's no better incentive for them to become our business partners than a few extra bills."
"A few extra bills..." Vivian muttered absently.
If 8,000 sassems were a few bills for this guy. She didn't want to know how much money was a lot for him...
Shaking those thoughts from her mind, she moved on from the legal documents to the notes she had for the day, "Once we finish the talks with the United Artists Association, we'll have to go back to Wayne Enterprises to confirm with the hired musicians the songs and pieces you'll be needing..."
The number of artists her boss needed had increased considerably, to the point that they were now on their way to an association made up of themselves to ask for more.
'I just hope this doesn't happen again with the musicians...' Sighing a little, Vivian put her notes aside and rearranged the documents so everything would be in order once they reached their destination.
Unable to help it, her eyes moved to the other passenger in the carriage, the white-haired woman who seemed not to care about anything as long as it had nothing to do with her.
Abigail Rodes was sitting next to her boss. As always, they were never apart. She was dressed for the weather, in thick robes, scarf and coat. Her clothes were of good quality and her earrings and laurel were the same.
'These two have something going on for sure...' The barbarian stared at this blankly.
The gray-eyed woman's disinterested gaze focused on the carriage window. The raindrops falling on the glass caught her attention much more than what was being said now.
'I wish I was as free as you, sister. Can't you ask your boyfriend to be a little kinder to me? Even if this face is fake, the dark circles under the eyes are not!' Complaining loudly in her mind, her expression showed no change as she packed everything she needed into a small briefcase.
She also needed a good cup of coffee...
Not wanting to think about how comfortable it would be to be in her bed right now, Vivian only let out a soft sigh as she felt the carriage stop in front of her destination.
Everyone grabbed their umbrellas.
Harvey was the first to get off, followed by Abigail, and finally, herself. Her boss, the gentleman, closed the carriage door.
Giving a quick thanks in her own way, which was to ignore the gesture as she got ahead and quickly got close to their destination.
Looking up, Vivian couldn't help but whistle appreciatively.
The United Artists Association was a colorful three-story building, even by Lenburg standards, so much so that it stood out like the sun among stormy clouds despite the rain.
The pillars had large and beautiful details painted on them, ranging from wings to animals and people in artistic positions.
The doors had a rather unique design, being a somewhat irregular figure. The same details as the pillars covered its body, but instead of being painted, they were finely carved.
The association's name was on a bronze plaque on the side of this door, which was shaped like a common rectangle.
The trio quickly entered the building to take refuge from the rain...
The negotiations were relatively quick. As it was an association with few job opportunities, the boss's idea fascinated them, and they agreed to participate and become partners.
A few hours later, they had already returned to Wayne Enterprises.
Now, the Barbarian was reviewing the documents and signatures of the hired musicians. A while ago, everything had been formalized, and all that was left was to organize the documents.
'This had better be worth it...' The woman did not attempt to hide the grimace on her face; she needed a break...
Feeling that she had already done enough for the day and deserved one after so much effort, she left her office and went down the stairs to the ground floor, heading for the break room for a good, strong coffee.
"Oh, Miss Vivian! How are you~?" A deep yet playful voice spoke, and the woman turned to see a man approaching her with a smile.
"Mr Cordis, how can I help you?" Vivian, as always, was direct and looked at the man with evident annoyance.
Cordis D. was one of the musicians in charge of the cartoon's melodies, not to mention the main head. As strange as he looked, he was by far the most skilled of them all, according to what she had researched at the time...
He was quite tall and thin, so it wouldn't be unusual to compare him to a noodle, in her words.
His eyes were a light brown that were always narrowed, as if he were flying on some special herb. His hair was a dark gray with some black streaks, making him look both old and young. He was of clear Bayam ancestry and always wore a yellow shirt with an orange vest and mustard-colored pants.
While tunics were the norm, it wasn't too unusual to wear shirts as well.
Cordis rolled his eyes and raised his hands in defense, "I just wanted to ask you a question about Mr Wayne."
"And that would be?" Vivian raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
The man put his hands down and put them back in his pockets, and said with some curiosity, "Is he okay?"
The Barbarian frowned.
When was that guy not well? Apart from last Friday, that was a unique occasion.
She hadn't noticed anything unusual on the trip. He looked healthy and seemed as energetic as ever.
"Why do you ask that? Mr Wayne looks normal as always."
Cordis looked at her for a moment before nodding and looking at the office with curious interest. "His melody is strange. I can't help but worry."
"Melody?" Her frown deepened. He was becoming stranger and stranger.
What was this guy talking about?
"It's my way of saying it feels different, that's all." Cordis half-heartedly explained, "I'll be sending a sample of the music Mr Wayne requested first thing tomorrow, if you could let him know. I have to get back to work."
Before she could refuse, the thin man turned and left the building quickly.
Dazed, Vivian could only watch as he disappeared through the doors.
"Sigh... I always have to deal with these things... Why?" Regretting a little, she could only sigh again to lighten the burden on her shoulders.
Rolling her shoulders a little and leaving the strange thoughts about that guy behind, the woman quickened her pace to the break room, just in case someone else stopped her.
'Musicians are weird...' While she thought that, she planned to tell her boss about this strange event.
If the guy turned out to be a weirdo, she'd rather a Wise Owl dealt with him.
Of course, that would be after her free hour.
She will be dammed if she worked for free!