"If we hadn't been there, would you really have charged into the Fragmentum alone?" Bronya asked Seele. "Yeah. What's so surprising about that? I'm used to it by now," Seele replied dismissively.
"That's far too reckless. According to the Silvermane Guards' regulations, patrols into the Fragmentum require groups of at least four, with a dedicated communications officer." "You said it yourself. Those are the Silvermane Guards' rules-don't apply them to us." Bronya's concern earned her not politeness from Seele, but sarcasm.
"We're here. This is Rivet Town..." After they had traveled for a while, Seele was the first to speak. "Ah, what a familiar sight..."
"Come on, watch your step. I haven't been back in a long time. There are probably plenty of monsters inside," Seele warned them. "We can't see anything from here... Let's find somewhere high and take a look."
Before long, the group reached a bridge, where they could take in the scenery below. Seele pointed at a large house in the distance. "Over there, that house on the hillside in the distance-that's Natasha's old orphanage. Uncle Oleg sent me there after he found me. I spent most of my childhood in that orphanage."
"That looks pretty nice," Caelus said, looking at the orphanage Seele was pointing to. "Natasha said the house was donated by some wealthy merchant. Whatever he did for a living, he must have been a really good person. I really miss those carefree days when I was little," Seele explained from beside him.
"Why did you go quiet... Cat got your tongue?" Seele asked, looking at Bronya, who seemed to be hesitating to speak. "No, I just... think it looks a little familiar. It's nothing," Bronya explained. "Weirdo... Look down there. See those jumbled stalls? That's Rivet Town's market square. The supplies Natasha wants are probably piled up there." Seele pointed down below.
"Watch out for monsters. Let's keep moving." With that, Seele started to circle around from the side, but some flying Fragmentum Monsters were hovering there. "Looks like I can finally stretch my muscles," Hanxing said coldly, his embroidered spring saber having appeared at some point.
In the next instant, Hanxing was already in front of the Fragmentum Monsters. He cut one monster in half with a single slash, then looked toward the Fragmentum Monsters in the distance and silently said, Dimensional Rift! Several arcs of sword qi appeared, slicing the remaining Fragmentum Monsters to pieces.
"I couldn't tell, but you're pretty good," Seele praised him. Hanxing shook his head. "Strength is a necessity among the Galaxy Rangers, too."
Just then, they passed a place with chairs and tables spread outside. "Is this... a restaurant?" Bronya asked, looking at the damaged furniture. "Yep, the best-rated one in town. Nata used to bring the well-behaved kids here for a better meal," Seele said, recalling her childhood.
"Did she ever bring you here?" Bronya asked another question. "Do I look like a well-behaved kid? Of course not," Seele said irritably. After that, the group continued forward and came to a place with a monitor and speakers.
"The equipment here has been well maintained. It doesn't look like this place has been uninhabited for long," Bronya said, looking at the scene before her. "Now that you mention it, it does seem a little... Could someone still be living in this town? That's impossible..." Seele looked around in confusion as the group turned a corner and began heading down.
There were many boxes in that area, along with a group of Fragmentum Creatures. "Looks like there's another fight." The moment Hanxing spoke, his embroidered spring saber slid half an inch out of its sheath, and several arcs of sword qi sliced the Fragmentum Monsters to pieces.
"You're making it seem like there's no point in the rest of us being here," Caelus said unwillingly. "You should at least leave something for us." "You can take the next one," Hanxing promised.
"Damn it, why are they all empty? Do monsters go through boxes too?" Seele opened several boxes, but every one of them was empty. "Fragmentum Creatures don't need human supplies. Even if they did take things, they wouldn't be so... polite about it," Bronya said from the side.
"Look, there are footprints on the ground here, too." As she spoke, Bronya pointed at the footprints on the ground nearby.
"The smell of the soil is still fresh. Whoever it was probably hasn't been gone long. Come on, even if we have to turn this whole marketplace upside down, we're going to find those supplies." Bronya followed the footprints as she spoke, and at the end of the trail was a child.
"...Eric? Hey, kid! Why did you come here alone? Don't you know how dangerous it is here?" Seele scolded the child in front of her. "S-Seele? Wh-what business is it of yours? I-I can go wherever I want. It's got nothing to do with you." Eric stammered back.
"You hid all the supplies here? Pretty resourceful. But what were you going to do if we hadn't dealt with the monsters roaming around? Hide in this corner trembling the whole time?" Seele asked, looking at Eric.
"W-who asked you to stick your noses in? I was just about to get away. I didn't need any help from adults," Eric said stubbornly, though he was only putting on a brave face.
"Kid, where are your parents?" Hanxing asked gently, only to see tears glistening in Eric's eyes. "My dad..." But Seele interrupted him. "Using your dad as a shield again... If he finds out you're always doing that, you'll be in for it." When Eric heard Seele's words, he started crying.
"Seele! That's enough. Stop it," Bronya snapped at Seele. Hanxing crouched down in front of Eric. "Then what would it take for you to give us the supplies?"
Eric shakily held up two fingers. "Two hundred Shields will do..." "That's all?" Hanxing frowned and cut open a spatial portal with his saber. A jingling sound came from it. "Here are a thousand Shields. Promise me you won't steal anymore, all right?" "I didn't expect you to have money on you," Bronya said, looking over and silently putting away her medal.
"I-I understand! I'll never steal again! You can take all this stuff." After agreeing, Eric told the group about the situation in Rivet Town, then took the money and went back.
"Next, let's sort through the supplies we have," Hanxing said with a long sigh.