Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided
Chapter 112. Cintia, Cindia, and May

In the backroom of the apothecary shop, Cindia, dressed in her maid uniform, sat at a small dining table. Her sister, Cintia, and May gently patted her back, comforting her after the recent thrill.

They finally had a moment to catch up on their lives. The two were sisters, both enslaved after their family's bankruptcy a decade ago.

Cintia’s husband had once been a noble, but he lost everything after a failed business venture. Unable to maintain his cash flow, the collapse came swiftly. Fate had been especially cruel to Cintia, she was in the late stages of pregnancy when everything fell apart.

As a grim result, May had never known a life outside of slavery. She was born into it. But when Zetius looked into her hopeful eyes, he didn’t see a slave.

He saw a scholar, a teacher, a carer. All those nights she spent teaching and playing with Cubie before bed stood as proof of that.

Despite working under the same elven entrepreneur, the sisters rarely saw each other. Tien made sure of it — separation reduced the risk of mutiny.

Seeing their warm reunion brought a smile to Zetius’s face. He lingered by the far wall, arms crossed.

“Zetius, you’re like a box full of surprises,” Cintia said, shooting him a gentle smile.

May bolted towards him, suddenly hugging his waist. “Zeta! You made Mum happy!”

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “Same as you, May. You’re a great kid.” He crouched down to her eye level, clasping her smooth cheek.

The miserable, tiny room seemed to glow with newfound delight and joy. A glimmer of hope burned brightly in their eyes.

Knock! Knock!

A soft tapping against the back door rang out, signalling a guest’s arrival.

Everyone turned towards the source, watching curiously.

“He’s the childhood friend I was talking about,” Zetius told them, striding towards the door.

He opened it to let in the elven mage, cloaked in dark brown. The sisters and May studied his face and tall, broad frame with awe.

“Wow, your friend is just as handsome as you! Are you two in a band or something?” Cintia quipped, cupping her cheeks.

Friederich froze, staring at her without blinking.

“It’s a joke, Friederich,” Zetius interjected, motioning him towards the table. He took a moment to introduce everyone, along with a brief explanation of how they had met.

Zetius concluded with a smile. “So basically, Cintia and little May here have been providing me with food and shelter since I arrived in Lilybend.”

“I see. That explains your clothes. Are you also on an undercover mission?” Friederich asked, his tone impassive.

“Kind of,” Zetius replied, grinning.

As he fidgeted with his pocket, coins jingled at his touch.

“May, Cintia, Cindia — you’ve all been so kind to a stranger like me, but this place is no longer safe. Dunkelheit may capture or even raid the city now that their deal with Magistrate Tien is off the table,” he said solemnly.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

A collective gasp echoed through the room.

Cintia protested, “But what could we possibly do? We’re slaves—”

“Not anymore,” Zetius interrupted, placing a stack of coins and a gemstone on the table.

“Whoa! Where did you get that?” May exclaimed, her eyes wide with delight. She had never seen so much money before.

“Don’t say that…” Cintia covered her mouth in disbelief.

“Yes, this is for a new life. Use it for May. A smart kid like her deserves proper education and welfare,” Zetius said matter-of-factly. Cintia squeezed his shoulder, her dark eyes turning glassy.

Cindia shook her head. “Even so, you must have forgotten about our slave circlets. We couldn’t go far,” she said, sorrow in her voice.

Zetius grinned and turned to Friederich, who stood beside him. “You know what this apparatus does, right?” He pointed to the gemstone.

“Yes, it’s the key to undo slave circlets. I’ve seen one before — very useful if you had many slaves under your name,” Friederich replied, brushing his fingers against the gemstone.

“Let’s free them, Friederich,” Zetius said firmly.

“Agreed. You’ve always had a soft spot for slaves, Zetius. You’ve never changed,” Friederich said, clasping the apparatus in his hands. “I hereby free you from your slave bonds!” he chanted, pressing the button.

“Ah!” May gasped as her cold collar unlocked and dropped to the ground. The others rubbed their bare necks for the first time, savouring their freedom.

“Ohh! Thank you so much, Zetius, Friederich!” Cintia exclaimed, her smiling eyes brimming with tears of joy.

“Zeta~bwhwhwhhwwhhw!” May cried, hugging him tightly. He brushed her hair with warmth.

“You said you were penniless when you arrived. You should take half for yourself, Zetius,” Cintia insisted.

Zetius nodded, remembering the time they shared a single piece of cornbread.

“Then this shall do for me.” He took one coin. “Not a discussion!” he said before any of them could protest.

After sweeping his eyes around the room, he said, “Mind if I talk to Friederich? Could you give us some time?”

“Of course. We’ll begin to pack up. Come, May,” Cintia replied, pulling her daughter along.

“Maybe we can go to Poranthis. We might find proper education for May there,” Cindia suggested as they headed to the front of the store.

Once alone, Friederich finally spoke. “Now, Zetius... You seem to know a lot. Have you been keeping an eye on us?”

“Believe it or not, I’ve been with you the entire time,” Zetius replied, chuckling.

“What?” Friederich looked at him, confused. The words didn’t make sense.

“Jack Squire is my vessel,” Zetius stated firmly. His red eyes pierced Friederich’s soul. He was deadly serious.

“You were Jack? The Uncle Jack?” Friederich blinked in disbelief.

“Yes… I was killed during the envoy attack. But something brought me back — my identity hidden, my past memories sealed away.”

Friederich’s expression faltered. “And now you’ve regained your memory and arcane affinity?”

Zetius shook his head. “Memory, yes. But all of my primordial essences are gone. All twelve. I’ve only developed a few lesser ones recently.”

“Unbelievable. Such a revival arcane exists without necromancy? That’s both amazing and terrifying,” Friederich muttered, covering his mouth and nose.

“Yes. We might need to speak to the Celestius about this. I plan to visit Celestius Vivian when I get the chance,” Zetius said, rubbing his knuckle. “Somehow, I’m as strong as Frain. Maybe stronger…” He thought.

“Master Ignius,” Friederich blurted out, but quickly bit his tongue.

Raising a brow, Zetius asked, “What about him? He died during the Battle of Germund, didn’t he?”

To Zetius’s surprise, Friederich shook his head, his expression grim.

“According to Ziyue, Ignius betrayed us — he sided with Dunkelheit. There was a clash between Celestius Jovian and Master Ignius. Both were left half-dead.”

“What in Gaia’s world?” Zetius gasped. His composure shattered. The idea of his master, who had fought so fiercely for the people, turning against them, was unthinkable.

It felt like everything had fallen apart during his two years in space.

Zetius slid a hand through his fringe. “There must be something deeper, something darker. Master Ignius wouldn’t just fall into corruption,” he muttered.

Friederich could only offer a shrug. “We won’t know until we confront him.”

Zetius nodded in silent agreement.

After a moment, his eyes hardened.

“Now it’s your turn. What happened to Aurelia? How exactly did you lose her?” he asked sternly, his resolve flaring anew.