"Papa, are you sure that this is alright?" Irene asked, as her father swiped her little body off the ground, and gently placed her into the large, grand carriage parked outside the Cherliann manor. "You've been really busy... Is it okay for you to be coming out with me like this?"

"Yes, it's fine, don't worry," Rudien told her with a small smile, his gloved hand stroking her hair. "I promised that I'd spend a day with you, remember? I made sure to put everything aside for today, so we'll go wherever you want."

Today, Rudien was taking his daughter out to town, for her to go shopping and exploring the main Capital of Laydel. The town square, their destination for the day, was only one of the many magnificent sites that the empire of Laydel had to offer, and Duke Cherliann was sure that it would be a good experience for his young daughter.

Albeit nervous, Irene was looking forward to today. It was her first time going out and experiencing the wonders of Laydel, despite always dreaming of walking through its streets.

However — that wasn't the only reason she had agreed to this excursion. There was something she needed to find, a very important artifact that would come to benefit her greatly over the course of her life.

The duke soon entered the carriage and took a seat at the plush cushioned seat, as a knight fixed the door of the luxurious cart shut. Irene smiled, as she wedged her tiny self into Rudien's lap.

"I'm really excited to be spending time with you, Papa!" She beamed, hugging him. And truthfully, she had been for a while. Irene missed the days her father would spend as much time with her as he could. But with the oncoming flags of war, it was difficult for him to even see his family.

Rudien sighed softly, smiling. Although he was usually aloof and emotionless, he couldn't resist the radiance of his daughter. "So have I, let's enjoy ourselves a lot today."

The carriage rolled down the cobblestone road toward the capital city with a smooth, silent pace, it's windows letting in the clear, silky rays of the Laydel sky. Irene smiled, as she tightened her little fingers around her father's thumb.

If I can get "that" on my side, I'll be able to make sure everyone I care about is safe... She thought, smiling.

When writing her story as Hanna, she remembered a rather significant aspect of her novel. In one of the chapters, Isabella was out with her mother - Duchess Einfred, browsing clothes for an important event. At that point in the novel, she was thirteen, and had taken up an interest in magical devices and tinkering.

It was while they were exploring the town square, that she had stumbled across a rather run-down antique shop, which had been there for years. People rarely went there, but the store seemed to be curiously intriguing, as if it was waiting for the right person to enter and discover something magnificent.

Isabella then walked in, after her mother had made sure a certain number of guards were nearby. And as she made her way through the shop - there - situated in a glass case, was a peculiar bracelet. It's chains were rusted and cheap, but the colourless stone embedded into it's center was completely intact, and emitting a small amount of mana.

Isabella ended up buying that bracelet, and having the stone fixed into a new bracelet, with sleek and smooth metal chains and links.

Then, as if by complete coincidence, Isabella accidentally happened to cause a reaction to happen within the stone. It started to emit a bright light, before a grand beast emerged from its core, taking on the form of a majestic bear in front of her eyes.

Isabella had nearly screamed, not being able to believe what was happening. The creature began to speak, and it's voice was so powerful that it shook the very foundation of reality around her.

Irene smiled to herself, recalling the little bracelet she had written about. The colourless gem was in actuality, a "Summoners Stone," a rare type of ore which had the power to summon an animal spirit hidden in a different realm.

Once the stone was activated, it would call forth a majestic beast that resonated with its summoner, who would act as their guardian and loyal partner. The spirit carried many perks that would benefit Irene greatly if she came into contact with it.

Sorry Isabella... I kind of need the stone a lot right now... Irene thought, as the carriage rolled into the town, the gravelly roads crunching against its wheels. It's a good thing I wrote about that antique shop as housing the stone, without knowing its importance, for over ten years.

A few minutes passed, and the carriage rolled into the town square, making its way to the parking area for noble guests. Irene hadn't realised it, but outside, many of the citizens were marvelling at the sight of the white and silver carriage, it's emblem shining brightly as people stared in recognition.

"That's Duke Cherliann's carriage! Could it be?"

"It seems they've come out to town for something."

As the doors of the carriage opened, Rudien stepped out first, carefully alighting before offering his hand to Irene, who he helped down the steps.

"Is the Duke himself here?"

"It would appear so. It's an honor to see his excellency!"

"He's still as handsome as ever! Does that man not age?"

A lot of the eyes surrounding them made Irene feel slightly anxious, but when she glanced up at her father, his expression was as unwavering and regal as ever. He called a few of his guards that they had brought, forward - instructing them to prioritise Irene's safety over everything.

"Yes, your lordship!"

"We will protect Miss Irene even if it costs our lives!"

Although it was rather embarrassing for the men to be exclaiming such things so proudly, Irene felt relieved to have caring people around her. Among the bulky and tall knights, stood a familiar young man who was short compared to the rest. His black cloak and raven hair, held up by a ribbon, opposed the silvery armour and white uniforms of the soldiers.

River sighed softly, as he glanced at Irene through the glassy lens of his spectacles. He was asked to come along as a skilled mage, who could protect Irene with magic if need be. That and Irene herself personally invited him along. But being the only escort who stood out from the rest was rather suffocating.

Well, it's fine... He thought to himself. I'm just here to browse the bookstore, which I'm sure she's going to like.

Throughout the day, Irene and her father visited a great variety of shops that caught her attention. The beautiful stores lining the roads were some of the most impressive aspects of the town square, and Irene had spent a good time entering and looking through them, while also seeking out the old antique shop.

Although many of the stores were less suited for children, her curiosity was strong. Even despite almost finding herself in tears whenever Rudien consequently bought anything she looked at for more than five seconds. It was as if he was certain that his daughter would appreciate everything and wanted to go back home with it immediately.

As they continued to browse through the shops, Irene walked alongside River, who was showing her to the bookstore he frequented.

Just then, her eyes caught a glimpse of a rather peculiar building, situated in an inconspicuous location. An old, visibly boorish shop with a simple wooden sign, reading "Jarre's Antiques" in faded black letters.

She stopped, a smile forming on her little face. This is it! That's where the soul stone is!

As she turned to River, Irene tugged the hooded cloak around his shoulders gently, to get his attention.

"What is it, Miss Irene?"

She beamed radiantly while pointing toward the shop. "Can we visit that place first?"

The mage followed her gaze, and his brows furrowed slightly when he noticed the shop she was pointing towards. It surely didn't appear to be the kind of place a five-year-old girl would visit. But River then remembered that his student was quite the unusual type, so he decided not to question it.

There's also... He thought, focusing his attention on the shop a little more. A faint trace of mana in that store... But it feels different somehow.

"Alright, Milady." River nodded, now curious as well about the weird feeling he was getting. As the knights and Rudien followed in tow, they decided to wait outside the shop to allow Irene and her teacher to peruse at their own pace. That and, a few knights patrolling the area had come across the duke by chance, and wanted to update him on the safety of the people.

As soon as Irene and River stepped through the doorway, they found themselves in a totally silent space. The shop was filled with many types of antique wares, with the majority of them appearing to be old, ancient trinkets.

This is impressive... Irene thought, examining the shop in amazement. She had never seen so many old, sundry pieces in one place. Although, it looked a lot more like heaps of junk - since the keeper didn't seem to care much for cleaning.

"Hm, customers? I don't get those everyday." The coarse voice of an old man resounded from inside, and both River and Irene turned their heads to see a bespectacled elderly figure seated at the counter.

With a gentle smile, Irene stepped forth and approached the counter, the soft clop of her low heels on the wooden boards resounding throughout the store.

The old man noticed Irene's noble appearance, as she approached. A doll-like little girl was not the kind of person who would visit his shop very often, much less a noble. So it bemused him as to what someone of her standing and age was doing here.

"How may I help you, Miss?" He asked her, although his face displayed no emotion or interest.

"I'm just here to browse," Irene smiled. "You have many wonderful things here."

The man raised his eyebrows in confusion, but didn't say anything more as Irene shifted her attention toward finding the glass case, where the soul stone was located.

After looking around for a few minutes, she caught a glimpse of something glinting in the light, and her eyes flickered toward it. The moment Irene laid her eyes upon the glass box, a smile crossed her face.

There you are...

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