Esteria wasn't like Valebright.
Valebright was impressive built high on hills, with towers of silver and banners fluttering from every spire. But Esteria was different. It was alive. Not with magic, but with people.
Stone streets stretched wide, polished so clean they reflected the morning sun. White buildings with red-tiled roofs lined the paths, and every alley buzzed with chatter, music, and the scent of hot food. Market stalls brimmed with glowing fruit, swords shaped like flame, crystal jewelry, and even tiny magic beasts in cages.
Rei had never seen anything like it.
Kajala practically vibrated next to him. "They have sweetbread stuffed with meat! And look at that—hey, they're selling a cat leash that glows in the dark! Rika, that's for you!"
Rika was already gone, halfway across the market, eyes locked on a weirdly shaped lockbox one merchant claimed "could only be opened by those with a wicked heart and gentle hands."
Regulus tripped over a basket of onions and immediately apologized to it.
Elrya walked behind them all calmly, hands behind her back, her navy cloak catching the breeze.
And ahead of them, standing at the entrance to a large plaza…
Reiner Cold leaned against a post, arms crossed, scarred face unreadable as ever.
Beside him, Mentil twirled a small spark of fire between her fingers with a bored expression.
"You took long enough," Reiner said, pushing off the wall.
Mentil waved. "Hey losers."
"Nice to see you too," Kajala said, waving back.
"You two live here?" Rei asked.
Reiner nodded. "Born and raised. Been keeping tabs on Maestro's little messengers from here while we waited for you."
"You mean the creepy guys in masks?" Rika asked, poking her head from behind a pile of cursed mirrors.
"Yeah," Reiner said, looking her up and down. "...You're a weird one, huh?"
"She ate chalk once," Kajala whispered.
Rika smirked. "Still tasted better than the stew back at the dorm."
They all laughed a bit even Rei cracked a small smile.
Mentil led the way through the plaza. "This city's got eyes everywhere. Guards, informants, suspicious old ladies who pretend they're selling cabbage but are definitely spies."
"You sure?" Kajala asked.
"She once reported me for standing too close to her stall. Said I gave her tomato plants anxiety."
Elrya blinked. "...Tomato plants?"
They continued deeper into Esteria, passing armored patrols and silver-armored knights, many of whom looked over at Leo with side-eyes and hushed whispers.
"That's him…" someone said. "The beast tamer."
Leo just adjusted his red cloak, chin held high, chains coiled lazily on his back. "Let them talk. I love the attention."
Lancer, chewing on his toothpick, strolled up from behind. "Don't get too cocky, prince charming."
Leo glanced back. "You jealous, old man?"
"I'm not jealous," Lancer grinned. "I just hate your face."
The guild split off into groups.
Rei stuck with Kajala and Reiner while the others wandered.
Kajala dragged Rei from stall to stall, holding up outfits that were either too shiny, too sparkly, or somehow both. "This would totally bring out your inner warrior."
"It has feathers," Rei deadpanned.
"That's flair. You need flair."
Reiner, watching the chaos, just sipped juice from a coconut-shaped cup. "You two married or what?"
"Don't give him ideas," Rei muttered.
Kajala smirked. "He wishes."
They eventually regrouped near a fountain where Mentil was poking a strange bird that was definitely made of magic and probably cursed.
"So what's the plan now?" Elrya asked, sitting on the edge of the fountain.
Reiner pulled out a rough map and pointed to a section outside the city walls. "There's an abandoned temple in the outskirts. Some people say Maestro used it for rituals. Others say it's just full of bats. Either way, we're going there tomorrow."
Vetra arrived soon after, cloaked as usual.
"You've done well," she said, glancing at the team. "Esteria's watching. But so is something else. Be careful."
Before anyone could ask what she meant, she was gone again.
Rika blinked. "Does she always vanish like that?"
Rei nodded. "Every time."
After a long day of walking around Esteria, the guild finally arrived at a tall, red-roofed mansion on a hill overlooking the glowing city. The path up was lined with lanterns that flickered warm orange, and a big fountain shaped like a lion spouted water in the middle of the courtyard.
Kajala immediately pressed his face against the glass door.
"She lives here? This place is huge! I thought nobles lived in weird drafty castles, not... this!"
Mentil opened the front door with a dramatic bow. "Welcome to the humble estate of Mentil Caredal, second daughter of House Caredal, heiress to exactly none of the fortune, but all of the attitude."
Kajala gasped. "We get to stay here?!"
"Just for a bit," Mentil said. "Don't break anything. Reiner will kill you."
"I won't kill you," Reiner muttered, pushing past everyone. "But I will throw you off the balcony."
The mansion was clean, fancy, but lived-in. Velvet couches, tall windows, paintings of flaming birds, and at least one butler statue that was definitely not a real person. Probably.
Kajala immediately flopped onto the biggest couch like it was his personal throne. Rika started picking at the lock on one of the fancy cabinets. Regulus tripped over a carpet, knocked into a table, and caught a bowl of fruit only to slip on a banana peel he just dropped.
"Classic," he said, proudly holding the fruit bowl as if nothing happened.
Elrya found a quiet chair and opened a book, sipping tea like she'd lived there all her life.
Rei just leaned against a wall, arms crossed, watching the others.
"This is... nice," he admitted.
"See?" Mentil smirked. "Nobles can be cool sometimes."
Later, after dinner (Kajala ate four plates and Leo complained that there was "no meat with claws"), the group gathered near a large stone fireplace.
The fire crackled softly.
Mentil and Reiner sat on one couch. Kajala and Rei sat nearby, with Rika curled up next to Elrya like a cat in a sunbeam.
"So..." Kajala said, "how did you two end up like... that?"
Reiner raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"You know, scarred knight bodyguard and hot-headed noble with a mansion. It's giving dramatic backstory."
Mentil snorted. "You're not wrong."
She leaned back and stretched her arms.
"I was a pain in the ass noble kid," she said. "Thought I was better than everyone else. Got into fights, ran away from home all the time, burned a school building once—"
"You what?" Elrya asked.
"It was an accident! ...Sort of."
Reiner smirked a little. "I was just a soldier back then. Ran into her by chance in a back alley. She'd gotten herself caught up in a gang mess. Thought she was tough."
"I was tough!"
"You were crying."
"Only a little!"
Reiner continued, "I fought the gang off, dragged her back to safety. She tried to punch me and missed."
Kajala clapped. "I ship it."
Rei frowned. "That's not a ship."
"It is now!"
Mentil rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "After that, I guess he just... never left. I didn't want a guard, but my parents assigned him anyway. Over time, he stopped being annoying. Mostly."
"And you stopped trying to burn everything," Reiner muttered.
They glanced at each other for a moment. Just a second.
Then both looked away.
Rika whispered, "Aw, they're cute."
Regulus nodded solemnly. "Power couple energy."
Later that night, as everyone began heading off to bed, Kajala tugged his blanket into Rei's guest room without asking.
Rei was already lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling when the door creaked open.
Kajala poked his head in. "Sooo… you mind if I crash here again?"
Rei sighed. "I do mind."
Kajala walked in anyway. "That's a yes-but-you'll-let-me-anyway kind of mind."
He plopped down on the floor next to the bed, wrapping himself up like a fox burrito.
There was a long silence.
Then Kajala peeked over the edge of the bed.
"…Hey, Rei?"
"No."
"You don't even know what I was gonna say."
"Yes, I do."
Kajala grinned, sly. "You sure you don't want to cuddle a little?"
Rei groaned and turned to face the wall. "I will throw you out the window."
Kajala chuckled. "Worth a shot."