Chapter 1

Sunshine pierced through the curtains as little boy with black hair lay on his bed. He was suddenly awaken by the sunlight that hit on his eyes.

As he slowly awaken we was greeted by a woman with dark brown hair and golden eyes, she had rosy and child-like cheeks making her look younger than her age.

"Good Morning." The woman said as she walked closer to the boy.

"Mom?" The boy said as he rubbed his eyes. The woman smiled at him.

"I was about to wake you up, Kaianne just returned from the expedition. She's currently turning in her reports." His mother said as she took the blacker from him. The boy stood up and help his mother fix the bed, he then opened the window curtains one by one.

"Such a helpful boy you are." She said as she pats his head.

"Breakfast is ready downstairs and Bennet just left." She said as the kid stretched his body.

"Thanks mom." He said as he walked downstairs.

Downstairs the boy went to the kitchen and took a plate and some utensils. He then sat on the dining table there he opened the basket containing bread and opened the plate that has a lid. There he saw their breakfast. The still hot Sunny-side up fried egg, a warm soup made from vegetables and lastly rice. He does not know why but his father likes rice. He remembered his father saying that 'rice is the staple food without ill die' or something close to that. He went saw his father use those things called chopsticks. He remembered a member of the Variant Expedition group uses those kind of utensils too. His name is Henzo i think.

After eating his breakfast he told his mother that he is going the workshop, after hearing his mother approval he sat and wears his boots. Golden sunlight blinded him for a bit as he takes a step outside the door. There he saw many people doing work ranging from cleaning to even woodworking. Some militia are also walking around as they greeted the towns folk. He was then seen by the militia.

"Elzer!!" One of the militia greeted him with a smile they walked closer to him.

"Ronnie? How are you?" Elzer asked the militia named Ronnie.

"Well i got accepted and they let me become a Variant look!" Ronnie then turned his nape there Elzer saw a white color spinal colon then Ronnie opened his shirt around the back of the abdomen there he saw the white colored ended where the spine ends. He also saw that veins of white white spread from his spine to his whole back.

"I know it looks a bit hideous-"

"No no no its not hideous dont worry." Elzer Interrupted him.

"Thanks Elzer." With a small smile Ronnie pats Elzer's shoulder. Ronnie then pulled something out of his small clothes bag.

"Here." he laid it on Elzer's hand there they saw it. its an iron cylinder with a small piece of metal that is round at the end.

"This is!!" With a wide eyes Elzer looked at the cylinder.

"I asked dad to give me some left over metals and asked your father for some gunpowder. Then used your design. How is it?" Ronnie asked him looking for the approval.

"This is just like what dre- i mean thought about!!" Elzer looked at it closer

"By the way what should we call it?" Ronnie asked.

"Well since its a prototype ill just call it Prototype 1." Elzer said earning a thumbs up from Ronnie.

"Good also here." Ronnie then pulled something out of his bag. He pulled a mechanism for a trigger that locks and hammers when pressed.

"Your father said that i should hand this to you. He said that thanks to that drawing of yours he was able to make this." Its a trigger mechanism.

"Great! I'm gonna start now!" Elzer excitedly said as said his goodbye to Ronnie with a wave he ran off.

"There he goes." Ronnie earning a small laugh from his companions. Running towards the center plaza Elzer then turned right, there a building named Wagner's Weapon Shop. Elzer opened the door there he saw the all weaponsmith that is learning from his father.

Wagner Faran just like his wife Wagner also looks younger than his age he has a black hair and black eyes making look-like an eastern person. He said that his mother are from the east and they met here.

Now that i think about it Dad and Mom met in this place too, if i remember correctly its when he was practicing his smithing skills with his father.

"Elzer?" Elzer was put out of his thought when he heard the voice of his father.

"Dad!! Im going to use my workshop!! I hope you didnt throw away the things in there!!!" Elzer said as he rushed to the door of his workshop.

"Sure. Just be careful in there, your mom is gonna kill me if you get hurt."

"Got it Dad! Such a worrywart..." Elzer whispered the last part.

"I heard that!!!" His father said in a loud voice. Then with a small laugh he went inside. What greeted him are failed muskets, flintlocks and even prototypes firearms that he is experimenting on.

"Lets see here since I already have the trigger i need the barrel." Elzer took the failed musket and started cutting its barrel.

"Dad really is a genius to be able to make something like this from scratch while me....I need someone's memory to make something. He even manage to make something called rifling because of that the musket became even stronger with such small adjustment." Before he could continue thinking he stopped as the barrel has been cut.

"Alright i need a lock and i need to make it so that i can make a break-open to reload." Elzer's hand moved as he thought. After a few hours of working non-stop Elzer took a breather. there sits infront of him his first ever firearm that he made, of course there's still a bit of help from his father but still he made one. Running outside hold the weapon. He ran towards his father.

"Dad!!! Dad!!!! Look" Him shouting earned the look of all weaponsmith. There they saw a musket like firearm.

"What is that?" one of the smith loudly thought. It was followed by a "I dont know." and the rest is just people whispering and murmuring.

"Lets test it." Everybody heard what Wagner said.

"But dad its sti-" Before Elzer could even talk Wagner snatch the weapon of his arms.

"I dont care, lets do this!!" Wagner rushed to the testing grounds like a child that got a new toy.

On the test ground stood Wagner with the weapon.

"Elzer get the metal plates." Wagner ordered Elzer as he opened the weapon.

"What should we call this beauty Elzer?"

"How about R1?"

"What does that stand for?"

"Rifle 1?"

"Hmm sure. By the way where is the ammunition?"

"Oh! here!" Elzer gave him the prototype 1.

"Ok then put the bullet, pull the hammer down and lock it and.... Ready." Wagner said with a serious face.

"Dad why arent you using the strings and stuff?!" Elzer said in worry.

"Well i trust your design to keep me alive then." Wagner said as he put his index finger on the trigger guard.

"Firing in five, four, three, two, one!!" With a loud bang startling everyone the R1 shot. Wagner then checked the plates. With a grin he saw the piercing power of the R1.

"Elzer. Son you did a good job." He said as he pats Elzer's head.

"Now i can finally leave the workshop in your hands!!" He said as he laugh at the end.

"Finally!!! im free!!!!" Wagner ran with the rifle.

"D-dad!! give me my Rifle!!" Elzer followed him. After seeing this many of the weaponsmith dropped a sweat.