RM Side Story 1: Ningyo’s Great n and Nice’s Epic!


    Rewinding the timeline to a few years ago, right after Nice was epted into the unique family that is the Imperial Belkan family. Ningyo, being the innocent child she is, is seen dragging Nice 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 somethingcking in the decorations of the ce. 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 Nice 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 thetter''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 therge 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 Nice and Ningyo to hear it. The former, after enjoying a few licks of her taro-vored ice cream, answers with a curious gaze.


    "Oh! I think I know why." Ningyo and Elysia turn toward Nice, not after Ningyo shared her cotton candy with Elysia, however. "It''s probably because the fountain, albeitrge and most probably expensive, is actuallycking 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 Nice, 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 d to see that she is still doing well. cing a hand on Elysia''s head and giving it a few fatherly pats, he says with a rxed smile. "Look at you being all sunshine and dandy, I hope life at the pce has been treating you well. And who are your friends here?"


    Nodding, Elysia replies. "The pce 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 Nice, 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 Nice 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 thepanies 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 Nice 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 borate 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 recement but sadly, no other crafters are avable 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 disyed at such a high-traffic area." Ningyo said a bit dispiritedly but was soon cheered up by Nice conjuring a grape-vored 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 Nice. "You really should stop giving her sweet, not everyone has indestructible teeth."


    "Alright." Nice epted 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 Nice 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 essory 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 Nice the holographic disy 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.


    Nice 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, Nice is done gathering information and is ready to start y- I mean crafting a statue for the world to see.


    Stepping forward to the fountain, Nice spreads out her hands, letting out a small smile in the process, before bringing them together for a p. 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, ssical in nature, starts ying out of nowhere, leading Ningyo to shuffle around on her feet ording to the music while Elysia can''t help but hum along with the tune. Like a conductor on a solo stage, Nice 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 ispleted, starting from the base and all the way to the top. Slowly, but surely, the shape of the statue ising 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, Nice 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, essories, the C96E, and the rapier that Yuki sported in the Victory Parade. Coincidentally, the statue is depicting Yuki holding out her hands, sping Earth with a confident smile. With Yuki''s figure made to a perfect standard, Nice then uses thest 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 Nice''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 Nice turns around, her purple dress fluttering in the process, and bows, one person starts to p, then another, and another, before the entire park gives Nice 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 ck, finishing a task that she failed to aplish. It''s not until her brotherys aforting 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 onest 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.