RM Side Story 1: Ningyo's Great Plan and Nicolae's Epic!

Author notes

Yaho! I'm back with the first out of four side stories! These side stories, I hope, will be tying up a few loose ends here and there while also being enjoyable all the same. As for my future plans, I'm honestly not sure. Probably will work on Pa-treon chapters first, improving the benefits and all before jumping over to R.O.B.

With that said, it's another new month so I hope you all are fine and dandy. And maybe, just maybe, you can invest in my story with your pocket changes :D

My current Patrons sure did and they help me, ever so slowly, approaching that 300USD/month mark to make writing my full-time job. Can't thank them enough, hence working on improving the benefits, I am.

Enjoy!

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Rewinding the timeline to a few years ago, right after Nicolae was accepted into the unique family that is the Imperial Belkan family. Ningyo, being the innocent child she is, is seen dragging Nicolae and Elysia on a fun, exploration trip around the city of Berlin. After dedicating the better part of the morning to sightseeing and enjoying breakfast the Belkan's way, the trio is seen meandering about in a forestry park. When they reach the center of the part, Ningyo notices something lacking in the decorations of the place. Stopping for a bit while glomping down on her fluffy pink cotton candy, Ningyo can't help but tilt her head as she works out the incoherency of the area.

Noticing that their sister in anything but blood not following them, Elysia and Nicolae turn around to stand next to her. "Something on your mind, Ningyo?" Elysia asked as crouched down to hug Ningyo from behind, plopping her chin on the latter's grayish hair.

Chewing lightly before swallowing down the sweetened holiness, Ningyo replies, not really sure about what's wrong. "I don't know, sister Ely... I think it's because I feel like that fountain is missing something." She then points at the spot above the ivory fountain. Although you can say that the large fountainhead, alongside its decorative gold engravings, is already a worthy piece of art, Ningyo is corrected in her assumption for Elysia too can feel that something is not right.

"Huh, I wonder what's the matter here?" Elysia muttered out loud, allowing Nicolae and Ningyo to hear it. The former, after enjoying a few licks of her taro-flavored ice cream, answers with a curious gaze.

"Oh! I think I know why." Ningyo and Elysia turn toward Nicolae, not after Ningyo shared her cotton candy with Elysia, however. "It's probably because the fountain, albeit large and most probably expensive, is actually lacking a decorative top." And thus the pair is enlightened.

With eyes opening slightly in understanding, they're pulled out of their thoughts when an older male voice interjected. "You all have keened eyes."

Though the owner of the voice is unknown to Ningyo and Nicolae, Elysia can't mistake this voice for anyone else. "Father!" She turned around and greeted her father with a bright smile, one that is mirrored by Elysia's father, Wilheim.

Wilheim, after taking a good look at his daughter, is glad to see that she is still doing well. Placing a hand on Elysia's head and giving it a few fatherly pats, he says with a relaxed smile. "Look at you being all sunshine and dandy, I hope life at the palace has been treating you well. And who are your friends here?"

Nodding, Elysia replies. "The palace has offered me everything I need and more, father. You can say that it's my new home right now and I have made a new circle of family and friends. In fact, these here are Ningyo, one that I considered my little sister, and Nicolae, who is growing on me to be one of the best friends I've ever had if you discount her tendency to show too much enthusiasm on matters that pique her interest." Ningyo excitedly waves with a sunny smile while Nicolae gives Wilheim a thumbs up while enjoying her ice cream.

Performing a curtsy at them, Wilheim says with a grateful tone. "I thank you all for being the companies that my daughter needed, you have no idea how much she has been telling me about you two. Oh, right! Where are my manners? I'm Elysia's father, Wilheim, and I hope you can take care of my daughter in the future."

"We will, Mr. Wilheim!" Ningyo and Nicolae nodded while Elysia couldn't help but smile wryly. "Father, you really don't have to go out of your way to say that, you know?"

"Can't a father be worried about the daughter that is living away from home?" Wilheim said back with a smirk before continuing. "Anyway, back to the topic earlier, one that I couldn't stop myself from overhearing, there exists a matter that the fountain in this park was supposed to receive a decorative silver statue but some trouble arise and the statue never arrives."

Now that pegged the curiosity of the trio, leading Ningyo to ask." Mr. Wilheim, can you elaborate as to why the statue wasn't there?"

Hearing the polite question Ningyo posed, Wilheim can't help but be reminded of a time when Elysia was still a child, a warm smile is adorned on his face as he says. "You're a good girl, Ningyo. As to what happened to the statue, more specifically its maker, it's because the current war has permanently disabled a family member of the crafter. This forced the crafter to revoke the contract and devote their time to taking care of their brethren. It's a sad story, to be honest, one that is taken kindly by the Ministry of Construction as they didn't fine but rather help the poor crafter in getting another, but a suitable job with a good timetable. The Ministry also wanted to find a replacement but sadly, no other crafters are available due to the many projects we are undertaking."

"...I feel bad for the crafter, I think they would have liked it very much for their art to be displayed at such a high-traffic area." Ningyo said a bit dispiritedly but was soon cheered up by Nicolae conjuring a grape-flavored lollipop before giving it to her, having noticed the little sister finishing her cotton candy.

Though the lollipop sure cheered Ningyo up, Elysia can't help but direct a stink eye over to Nicolae. "You really should stop giving her sweet, not everyone has indestructible teeth."

"Alright." Nicolae accepted the reasoning.

Wilheim, seeing Elysia acting like a mother hen for Ningyo, is proud that his daughter is growing up finely. All of a sudden, Ningyo then suggests something absurd.

"Oh, I know! Why don't we just make our own then!"

"...Come again?"

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"Remind me again why we are doing this?" Wilheim couldn't stop himself from asking the same question for the third time. Watching the group of workers hauling blocks of metal and crafting materials, the elven male is confused as to how the little girl Ningyo could wrap everyone around the crazy idea of making a statue in a day. Don't get him wrong, having a statue here would be nice but that was such a fast development that left him speechless.

"Because Ningyo wants to do something interesting?" Patting her father on the shoulder, Elysia shakes her head. "You'll get used to the shenanigans we can pull soon enough, father."

"For some reason, I really don't want to..." Wilheim muttered as he watched Nicolae and Ningyo zealously discuss what to make out of all the materials. Surrounding them are also metallurgists that offer them information on the properties of the materials at hand.

Ideas are exchanged, ranging from making another monument to a miniature version of the World Tree before they finally settle down for a life-size model of the Reich Marshal herself. They then explore the idea of what pose and accessory should the statue have before Elysia interjects her thoughts that the statue should be based around the Marshall's dashing getup from the Victory Parade. The suggestion is warmly received by Ningyo for she is enamored with how cool her sister was at the time. Ningyo then proceeds to show Nicolae the holographic display of Yuki's attire, while Elysia drags Wilheim around to advertise the construction of the statue, gathering a not-so-small crowd that is excited to witness the making of one about their revered Marshal.

Nicolae seriously scans the image shown by Ningyo with her violet eyes, nodding a few times while also asking some questions about the general bearings that Yuki carried herself back in the day. When a sufficient crowd has gathered, with some even pulling their food carts around for a few hot sales, Nicolae is done gathering information and is ready to start play- I mean crafting a statue for the world to see.

Stepping forward to the fountain, Nicolae spreads out her hands, letting out a small smile in the process, before bringing them together for a clap. On cue, purplish energy spread out with her as the center before engulfing the crafting materials, morphing them with ease without any prior heating process. Then, background music, classical in nature, starts playing out of nowhere, leading Ningyo to shuffle around on her feet according to the music while Elysia can't help but hum along with the tune. Like a conductor on a solo stage, Nicolae waves her hands around with a confident smile while closing her eyes, letting the streams of gleaming metals and twinkling energy flow atop the fountain like a gentle vortex. And with each crescendo, a part of the shiny silver statue is completed, starting from the base and all the way to the top. Slowly, but surely, the shape of the statue is coming into existence.

Divided into three major parts which are the base, Yuki's figure at the forefront, and finally, the towering miniatured World Tree as the background, the lifelike silver statue garners 'Wow!' and 'Oh!' from the onlookers. Not stopping there, Nicolae then morphs a nearby crate of gold into liquid before engraving the streams of liquid onto the base of the statue, creating depictions of Yuki's victorious battles. After that, the liquid gold is used to create the medals, accessories, the C96E, and the rapier that Yuki sported in the Victory Parade. Coincidentally, the statue is depicting Yuki holding out her hands, clasping planet Earth with a confident smile. With Yuki's figure made to a perfect standard, Nicolae then uses the last of the gold to form the leaves of the World Tree, creating a vibrant crown that cast a luminous halo on Yuki's figure. When the music ends, so does Nicolae's work and the final result doesn't disappoint.

It is epic!

The spectators, Wilheim, Elysia, and Ningyo included, are enraptured by the process from the beginning to the end. When Nicolae turns around, her purple dress fluttering in the process, and bows, one person starts to clap, then another, and another, before the entire park gives Nicolae a standing ovation for mightily fine work.

Unknown to them, standing on the side while pushing a wheelchair that is carrying her younger brother, is the female crafter that was supposed to make a statue on top of the fountain. The female crafter can't help but shed a meaningful tear for she can't help but be grateful that somebody has picked up her slack, finishing a task that she failed to accomplish. It's not until her brother lays a comforting palm on the back of her hand that she is pulled out of her reverie. Directing a grateful smile at her brother, the crafter then takes one last look at the epic piece of art before turning around, and together with her brother, returning home.

She is inspired to do something, anything, the crafter thought with a smile.