 | Name | The Legends of Reed Miller, Thief Extraordinaire (II) |
| Type (Ingame) | Quest Item | |
| Family | Book, loc_fam_book_family_1067 | |
| Rarity |  | |
| Description | An anthology of pulp fiction stories based on the exploits of Reed Miller that is wildly popular throughout Nod-Krai. Collated from various works and authors, the veracity of the stories within is as dubious as the quality of the paper they are printed on. |
| Table of Content |
| Item Story |
| Obtained From |
| Gallery |
Item Story
| Just who is this person who so swiftly captured the heart of a young lady who didn't believe in love? (This is a popular piece of fiction in Nod-Krai that chronicles the romance between the master thief Reed Miller and the governor's daughter, Leonita Prokhorovna Trubetskaya, from their first encounter on. Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is purely coincidental.) The young lady Leonita Prokhorovna Trubetskaya, the apple of the governor's eye, makes her way to the dining room with her maid in tow. Though there's a current of anxiety running beneath her calm facade, her steps are poised and graceful. After all, a lady must always appear as such, no matter what. Her eyes are fixed on the morning papers, for she's almost certain today is the day the master thief Reed Miller shall publish his notice. She might be beginning to understand the mind of this elusive raven, she thinks, and the fact that her father's men haven't even caught a glimpse of him yet has sparked a flash of anger in her. "Hmph, I'll catch you for sure!" Her father seems unusually absorbed in the paper today. Leonita swallows her bite of toast and asks casually, "My dear Father, any interesting news today?" "Mmm, nothing that my dear little Leonita needs to worry her pretty little head about." Lord Trubetskoy puts down the newspaper, smiles at his daughter, and says, "Send the jeweler in." A red-haired footman standing next to the governor immediately leads someone in. The latter bows deeply, a jewelry box in hand. The governor takes but a glance at it, then gestures for the box to be presented to his daughter. As a look of surprise flickers across Leonita's face, he says, "Come now, don't tell me you thought I forgot your birthday. At the ball three days from now, my dear little Nita will be the belle of Snezhnaya — no, of the whole of Teyvat. Now, put it on so I can take a look!" Leonita obediently takes the necklace from the box and clasps it around her neck. Her father's choice is, as always, impeccable: the design and cut are unmistakably from Fontaine, and the central gemstone is so brilliant as to outshine the finest stones from Natlan. "I know it's a bit early," he says, "but as your father, I should be the first to wish you a happy birthday, my dear!" He casts a glance at the necklace and adds, "Make sure you wear it to the ball. A very important guest will be there, and I want you to meet him." Her father is speaking in a serious tone, one that makes Leonita grasp the gift's true import immediately. She will be of age to be betrothed after this birthday. As the governor's daughter, she has always been expected to be married off to the son of some powerful Snezhnayan noble. This is why she has never believed in love. It was, after all, completely meaningless. Her father has special affection for her intelligence and beauty, of course. But more importantly, her obedience and maturity are everything he expects from an adopted daughter. Of course, that's just one of the reasons. "I understand, dear Father." He ruffles her hair with a final, affectionate gesture. The fatherly smile vanishes from his face as he returns to his formidable role as governor, his full attention now back on his duties. Leonita watches her father leave with a gentle pang in her heart. She composes herself after a soft exhale, for it's time to focus. She picks up the morning paper, and there on the front page, just as she expected, is a letter adorned with black feathers. It reads: Dear Lord Trubetskoy, Three nights from now, on the dark night of the new moon, your treasure will be mine. I thank you for your kind generosity. With the greatest regard, Reed Miller. ==================== "Tell me, can you tell which of us is which?" The jeweler from Fontaine stares in surprise as two red-haired footmen emerge from the dressing room. Of course, only one of them ranks as a Footman, Second Class from the governor's palace. "Left... no, wait. Right? No, that can't be it... I mean... right! Yes, the right one is right!" "Are you just taking a guess?" The man on the right seems a tad displeased. "Are you sure about that? If you're wrong, you'll be in trouble tonight!" the footman on the left teases. "Right is right!" A firm reply, but one betrayed by a copiously sweating face. The footman on the right bursts out laughing, then shoves his double toward the jeweler. "You're wrong," he says. "This one here is your sweetheart!" "Ha! Our disguise is impeccable!" "Uh... I—I meant the one on the right is the fake!" "You...!" "Hahaha, you two!" Reed Miller, disguised as a footman, interjects, his laughter filling the room. "Don't forget, our goal is to make the fake look real! If even a lover cannot recognize their beloved, tonight's operation is bound to go off without a hitch." "But is it wise for you to do this alone? If anything goes wrong, you won't have anyone to fall back on," the real footman points out, his voice filled with concern. "I won't lose any more of my Treasure Hoarders," Reed Miller says, the mirth gone from his face. "You've already completed the most dangerous task, which is to infiltrate the governor's palace. So don't worry about me and go back to Fontaine. The people there need the Treasure Hoarders' help, too." The footman and the jeweler exchange a glance. Then, they swear solemnly to Reed Miller: "We promise to steal all the misery from this world!" Miller watches the two leave, then turns toward the governor's palace, bathed in the setting sun. Trubetskoy had been successful against the Treasure Hoarders for one simple reason: his immense wealth. Even the world's greatest thieves have been powerless before his near-limitless resources. With enough treasure, one could hire the finest warriors, acquire the best weapons, and surround oneself with the shrewdest advisors. Wealth could even silence the law and bury all resistance beneath a grave of golden sand. The true extent of Trubetskoy's wealth has been a mystery to the world. More oddly, no one has ever seriously questioned its source either. A chuckle escapes Miller's lips at the thought. But now, he holds the answer: the legendary Sampo Mill, a magical relic said to generate endless riches, is hidden within the governor's palace itself. For this discovery, he has the red-haired footman's investigation, the jeweler's keen eye, and the governor's daughter (whose birthday was fast approaching) to thank... ==================== The newspaper with Miller's letter sells out almost instantly. In the days that follow, all of Nod-Krai is abuzz with anticipation for Leonita's birthday ball... albeit not for the governor's daughter herself, but for the inevitable clash between the master thief and the governor. The governor's palace has been put on high alert, with every arriving guest subjected to intense scrutiny. This is a necessary precaution given the master thief's known skill for disguise. As Leonita scans the long list of names and titles — barons, sons of earls, rising stars in the royal court, clans favored by the Tsar, and so on — the necklace around her neck begins to feel heavy, less like a gift and more like a set of shackles. Some fresh air out in the courtyard would be good right now, she thinks. "Mama, is that the daughter of Lord Trubetskoy?" "Indeed, she is." "But why is she... human? I mean, the Honorable Lord isn't." "She's just the Lord's adoptive daughter." "How utterly strange. Why would the noble Lord Trubetskoy adopt a human...?" A poised and elegant lady, whom Leonita has never seen before, is whispering to her child in a nearby hallway. When she notices Leonita looking, she turns away and leaves without a word. That's true. Why in the world would the noble Lord Trubetskoy adopt a human being? "That's true! Why in the world would the noble Lord Trubetskoy adopt a human being?" A whisper, speaking of the unhappiness creeping into her heart, startles Leonita. She looks around the courtyard, but she is alone. Is her imagination playing tricks on her? She sighs and turns toward the palace's innermost chambers for another round of treatment. These sessions leave her utterly drained, yet she endures them without a word of complaint, so determined is she never to be a source of shame for her father. For some reason, she recalls the voice she had just heard in the courtyard. It was a voice that, like a bonfire in winter, radiated heat that could melt the snow. ==================== As night falls, guests begin to arrive one after another. Leonita feels her nervousness grow. All evening, she is approached by a stream of potential partners, each asking for a dance. But as they come and go, not a single name registers in her mind. "Ten, nine, eight..." The countdown to midnight begins, and every eye in the room turns eagerly to her. Beside her father, the ambitious upstart from the royal court stands, his gaze fixed on her — or perhaps on the massive gem gleaming at her neck. "Six, five, four..." She can't tell what everyone is anticipating: is it her birthday, or is it something else entirely...? "...Three, two—" Huh...? Since moments ago, Leonita has noticed that everyone around her seems enveloped in a silvery-white glow, and this light has only grown brighter since. From time to time, her own body would emit the same silvery-white light. Her father calls it a disease that requires constant treatment — a flaw in her very being. "...ONE!" The jewel on her neck suddenly drops with a whoosh. The world is engulfed in a silvery-white light. Around Leonita, a silence as deep as a snowy night falls. She stands frozen, her pulse beating in rhythm with the light and her heart pulled by an invisible thread. There's a part of her that is screaming to run, but a gentle restraint holds her feet. What is this? Magic? Fate? Or is it the feeling she's never believed in, flaring to life the moment it comes near? The crowd around her melts away as time seems to stop, and from the stillness, a flash of warm red bolts toward her. "Miss Leonita, you're in danger! The governor has instructed me to protect you. Please, follow me." "But Father told me to... no. No, he didn't send you. You're... Reed Miller!" "Please, Miss. This was a last-minute order by—" "Everyone calls you clever, but in my opinion, you're nothing but a shameless liar!" "...Well, well. Isn't someone a sharp young Miss?" "Hmph. Father has set a tight net. You're not getting out of here." "But that 'tight net' is centered on the Sampo Mill in the secret chamber, isn't it?" "Ugh..." "I made it clear in the notice: Tonight, the governor's most prized treasure will be mine. And while the Mill is valuable, it's hardly what I'd call a true 'treasure.'" "You... A—Are you saying that your target is... me?!" "That's right, my clever and adorable young lady." "Hah! I am the daughter of Lord Prokhor Trubetskoy. I shall not give my father's archenemy the chance to take me hostage!" "Really? Are you really the governor's daughter? Then tell me, why would the noble Lord Trubetskoy adopt a human...?" "..." The silvery-white power, the treatments, the Sampo Mill, her father's endless wealth, and the word "adopted"... It all comes together for Leonita in an instant. She is the true source of her father's fortune. The "treatments" were not for healing. They were rituals, the key to making the Mill produce an endless stream of diamonds. Though a part of her has always known, she has never allowed herself to face the truth until now. "Ah, I almost forgot." As Miller speaks, he sheds his disguise as the red-haired footman, revealing his true face. "I triggered that little contrivance inside the gemstone at the very last moment. A good thing I didn't miss it." He leans in close and whispers into Leonita's ear, "Happy birthday!" And the rest is history, yes? Reed Miller makes off with every treasure in the governor's palace, and Leonita, having fallen in love with him the moment she saw his true face, forsakes her gilded cage to wander the world with the master thief. The legend of Reed Miller is often called fiction. But like a person who has never loved and thus insists love isn't real, those who find this story implausible only do so because they have never experienced such a moment themselves. |
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lunar reaction is extremely unnecessary. Unless you have huge crit rate, it is even worse than elec...