Oakwood Plaza
Capital City Zurdon
Grevania Empire
June 9th
Year 2033
"How do I look?" Eleanor asked, holding a dress up against herself, her face bright with a smile as she faced Helga.
It was a flowing one-piece of deep satin, its base a soft pearl white that gradually faded into shadowy black at the edges, like twilight dissolving into night.
The contrast matched perfectly with Eleanor's split black and white hair, framing her in a way that made it seem like the outfit was made with her in mind.
Helga could clearly tell as much, too, since the Recognition Inhibition glasses Eleanor wore had no effect on her.
Sighing, Helga pressed her fingers to her temple and muttered, "It's good."
Eleanor's smile immediately brightened at the words of approval, and with a burst of energy, she spun on her heel and dashed to the nearest clothes rack, already pulling out more dresses with eager hands.
Watching her, Helga thought about how things had ended up like this.
They had come out today because she had errands to handle, a deal to finalise on behalf of one of her family's businesses. Once that was settled, she had decided to run an inspection on one of the malls in the chain that would soon be supplied with their materials.
Eleanor, who up until then had been in her serious mode, behaving more like an attendant than Helga ever thought possible, had the moment they stepped into the mall suddenly transformed into a giddy child entering one for the very first time.
'Is this actually her first time?' Helga wondered.
From the little Eleanor had let slip the day before, her life in the Crafiel Estate had been very restricted, so the possibility wasn't far-fetched.
Of course, they weren't alone. Some of Helga's guards looked displeased at the sight of this new attendant behaving so frivolously, while others, those who had been present at the earlier meeting, were quietly wondering if Eleanor had been replaced with a clone when they weren't paying attention.
The shift in her behaviour was that extreme.
'Still… she's quite thick-skinned, isn't she?' Helga thought.
She remembered how Eleanor had boldly grabbed her arm when they entered the mall, intertwining their fingers in a way that was far from professional, despite the earlier events of the morning.
Helga knew how flustered Eleanor had been after being pushed onto the bed, yet it hadn't taken long for her to bounce back into her usual handsy self, acting as though personal space were a concept that didn't apply to her at all.
Not wanting to draw attention, they moved with a small group of just twelve, Eleanor and Helga included.
The ten other guards were split between the clothing shop and the nearby restaurant, quietly scanning the surroundings for anything suspicious.
Being guards themselves, they easily recognised others in the same trade, quickly noting the group of elves who entered the shop at staggered intervals while pretending not to know one another.
One of them leaned in to whisper this to Helga, and without turning her head, she let her eyes sweep across the shop and spotted the group.
"Ele—Ellie."
"Hmm?"
Eleanor spun around, still smiling as she held up two different dresses, and at the sight of her, Helga sighed before muttering, "Time to go."
As she said it, Eleanor shifted her gaze to the casually dressed vampire walking away from them, then scanned the shop, her eyes catching the trio of elves entering the shop.
"Okay," she replied without changing her expression, setting down the two dresses in her hands and picking up the others she had chosen to take over and pay for.
Of course, the payment was made with Helga's card.
Using her own would have been as good as announcing to Zoarlyn that she was still alive and handing Razel her location on a platter.
'Why am I even indulging her this much?'
Helga found herself questioning far too many of her decisions lately. She normally wasn't like this with someone she had only met less than a day ago.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Eleanor, who had already packed her purchases into her storage pouch worn across her shoulder like a sling bag, seized her arm and pointed ahead.
"Next stop, the food court!"
"Food court?" Helga repeated, her eyes narrowing.
"Yes, the food court. According to the pamphlet we picked up at the entrance, it has an open-air outdoor seating area, but in case of rain or bad weather, shades are provided along the edges, and the roofing material is the same type the Oakwood Group ordered from you earlier."
Eleanor spoke as she tugged Helga along, while the vampire's guards quietly exited the restaurants and fell into step behind them as they moved forward.
"So your plan isn't to eat everything in sight while pretending you're accompanying me on an inspection?" Helga asked, raising an eyebrow as she watched Eleanor take a snack from a passing advertiser and hand over a few notes in exchange.
"Nope," Eleanor replied, taking a bite of the waffle-like pastry. "Definitely not."
"…"
Helga silently shook her head, but she neither called Eleanor out nor pulled her arm free from her grip.
They made their way through the mall at a steady pace, though the journey to the circular open area at the end wasn't as straightforward as Helga would have preferred.
Eleanor found reasons to stop at stalls, linger by displays, and tug Helga's arm toward corners that caught her interest, each pause stretching their walk into something far less efficient than an inspection was supposed to be.
Helga allowed herself to get pulled along with little complaint as they moved together through the bustling space, their steps slowing and quickening in rhythm with Eleanor's whims until, eventually, the wide circular food court opened up before them.
The scent of different cuisines mixed in the air, dozens of restaurants and food stalls lining the vast open space.
Helga finally pulled her phone from her pocket and began her inspection properly, her fingers moving quickly as she jotted down points of interest, her eyes narrowing in focus as she scanned the layout.
Her gaze lifted toward the retractable shades mounted on the ceiling, their segmented panels folded neatly above the open court, and she took note of their placement, their reach, and the mechanisms that supported them.
As she moved, her eyes briefly caught sight of the elves she had seen earlier, slipping into one of the restaurants that lined the edge of the court, before she looked away and headed toward the stairwell.
Ascending to the second floor, she leaned slightly over the railing, observing the shades from a different angle while recording further notes.
Beside her, Eleanor glanced around the level with furrowed brows before speaking aloud.
"Don't you think the space between the nearest shop and the restrooms is a bit small? I mean, if the shop gets crowded and a line forms outside, what happens if someone needs to get into the restroom?"
Helga paused mid-typing and turned toward her with raised brows.
"Really? That's what you take issue wi—"
Her words cut off as she felt a sudden wave of magic power from the far end of the hundred-meter-wide open area.
Before she could even turn her head toward the source, Eleanor's hand shot out, grabbing her and pulling her toward the restroom entrance, the door slamming shut the same instant a brilliant flash of light struck her senses.
A split second later, a deafening blast shook the air, a wave of hot wind crashing against the door as black smoke and burning air rose from a section of the mall, the entire area plunging into chaos.
"…"
Helga blinked, momentarily stunned as Eleanor's face filled her vision. A moment later, Eleanor, her earlier cheer completely gone, pulled away just as five of Helga's guards rushed into the restroom.
"Your Highness!"
"Here, make sure she's fine!" Eleanor said as she handed Helga off to the guards, then dashed back to the door, dropping prone and sliding to the balcony's edge as she peered through the glass at the scene below, ignoring the screams of those barricading themselves inside their shops.
A nearby restaurant had exploded, from the looks of it.
People staggered out of the thick black smoke, desperate to escape, their terrified screams echoing through the hallways.
The crowd pressed against itself as everyone fought to get out first, some clutching limp arms while others leaned heavily on another's shoulder for support.
Eleanor's eyes swept the scene, quickly locking onto the exit, but just as she did, a group of armed men in black combat gear stormed in, swords drawn, magic staves glowing, and guns raised as their masked leader bellowed.
"EVERYBODY DOWN!!!"