Hope’s Construct.

Happy Doggie Garden.

It was early morning, a beautiful day, the light of the sun made the garden full of playing dogs like something out of a dream.

There were very few people relaxing in the garden so early in the morning, among them was a young, blonde woman.

Neru Mistlight, an initiate of the Hunter’s Guild of Hope’s Construct, was spending some of her leisure time inside The Happy Doggie Garden.

It was an excellent way to spend the morning.

She was wearing a simple sporty outfit, her long blonde hair in a messy ponytail, and she never bothered to wear much makeup.

She was a sort of effortless beauty, or so she had been told.

Neru loved coming to the garden, it was easily her favorite out of all the wonders in Hope’s Construct.

It was an idyllic place where dozens of dogs played happily, and it was one of the most loved places where the people of Hope’s Construct could go relax and relieve the stress of their daily life.

Neru was sitting cross-legged, playing with a small brown puppy that had jumped in her lap.

“Tell me your puppy secrets your cutie,” said Neru, smiling in delight as the puppy nipped at her hands.

Neru laughed as the puppy squirmed and barked cutely.

She was so focused on the puppy that Neru was not paying much attention to her surroundings.

“Good evening, Miss Neru,” said a male voice near Neru.

Neru yelped in surprise, the puppy went to lick her face.

Neru looked up and saw The Librarian of Hope, smiling kindly at her, surrounded by excited dogs that vied for his attention.

The Librarian of Hope was the founder and current leader of the Library of Hope, the guardian organization that created Hope’s Construct.

He looked like an older man in his upper forties, handsome, wearing elegant robes that would not mark him as being anyone particularly important.

Just a regular mage.

The fact he was one of the most powerful beings on the artificial planet where they all lived never really seemed to be something he wanted to show off.

Then again, it’s not like Neru was friends with him or anything of the sort.

They just shared a hobby.

Apparently, the only personal thing the Librarian has ever made was this garden for dogs.

“Good evening, Librarian,” said Neru, politely.

The Librarian smiled, nodding his head slightly at the young woman.

“So, how is the puppy interrogation going Miss Neru?” said The Librarian, in a goodhearted tease.

Neru rubbed the tummy of the puppy, still smiling.

“This little cutie is just so fun to play with I just can't help saying silly things,” said Neru “it's just the best, so fun”.

“That it is,” said The Librarian, smiling.

He sat down beside her.

The Librarian was not there looking for Neru, they sometimes coincided with their visits to the garden.

He did enjoy talking to the young woman.

“You have been in the Construct for….” said the Librarian, thinking for a moment “about two years?”

Neru thought to herself for a moment.

“Yeah, I think so,” said Neru, doing a quick mental calculation “not sure how to account for time dilation on myself but it seems about right”.

That meant she was not sure how old she was in relation to her home world; she just went with the idea she was twenty-one, to not get herself even more confused.

She had spent the last two years in somewhat constant confusion.

The Librarian seemed impressed at Neru’s answer.

“That's a long way from the young woman that thought the steak was a life-changing luxury,” said The Librarian” The Guild is teaching their initiates rather well”.

Neru sighed.

Yes, she had thought a lot of the normal things in the Construct were a life-changing luxury, her home world was so just drab in comparison.

The Librarian laughed goodheartedly.

“Have you enjoyed living here?” said The Librarian “Pardon the bluntness but I never really have a chance to ask anyone directly in a non-formal setting”.

Neru thought that for a moment.

Images of the fun she had been having with Kiyo and the new people she had met flashed in her mind.

It was so much better than her previous life in Mistgrove.

But then she thought of Nadia.

She felt bitter like she had eaten the most bitter food.

The thought of her dead sister made her soul shudder.

Neru joined the Hunter’s Guild to avenge Nadia by killing Mariiah, the monster that had killed her.

She wanted to be a hunter to achieve her vengeance.

But it kept slipping from her mind.

Why?

She was having so much fun.

After all her suffering as a noble in Mistgrove, she was finally free.

And felt damn so guilty about it.

This all happened in split seconds inside her mind, yet the orbs that had been following her since her Initiate Test began to fly around randomly, reflecting her troubled mood.

Many of the dogs around them found them amusing and began to run after them.

“Those are the complements of your dream weapon?” said The Librarian, looking at the Orbs with curiosity.

These were a sort of gift given by the Goddesses Kalinka and Malinka, she ripped them out of a wall in a moment of need.

“Yes,” said Neru, happy to have any kind of distraction from her own mounting guilt “They are useful at times, but I have to stick them in a box if I don't want them around, they just keep following me”.

The orbs danced around lazily, just out of reach of the amused dogs.

The Librarian considered this for a moment.

“They do seem like an odd gift, but there is always a logic to them,” said The Librarian.

He looked as if he had remembered something.

“Have you ever heard of the Artificer Temple?” said The Librarian.

Neru cocked her head, trying to remember.

“Sounds vaguely familiar,” said Neru “I haven't really had that much time to explore the Construct, the Guild masters have us on a very tight schedule”.

“The Artificers are a race that considers their crafting of masterpieces as a prayer to the divine darkness,” said The Librarian “Their forge-temple is in the Temple of Darkness Region”

Neru lived in that region, so it was convenient if nothing else

“They can help me with my orbs?” said Neru, making the connection.

“Most likely,” said The Librarian “I would give you a letter of recommendation, but if I remember correctly, they really don't respond well to that”.

Neru smiled.

“That's ok,” said Neru “I can't expect to get preferential treatment all the time”.

Neru did not bother asking where the Artificer Temple was, she figured Kiyo would know where it was.

If she asked, it would only get her very lost.

Her sense of direction was so lousy it was almost funny.

The Brown puppy had fallen asleep, warm and snug on Neru’s lap.

“It is a nice day today,” said Neru, feeling happy.

“Yes,” said The Librarian, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath “it is”.