Chapter 21: Part 4: Eisenburg

She stole a glance at the woman beside her.

Seraphina was indeed shockingly young…

That exquisitely sculpted face looked exceptionally fresh under the light, so young it was hard to believe that she had carved out a realm for herself in this chaotic world…

But the facts were right in front of her—

This woman, who looked barely in her early twenties, had already established one of the most terrifying powers in the entire wasteland.

Because she had to stay by Seraphina’s side, Mili also had to face countless gazes from all directions.

Some were curious, some reverent, and others probing…

The dense stares made her extremely uncomfortable, wishing she could just dig a hole and disappear on the spot…

The girl, somewhat scared, tried to hide behind Seraphina, but the woman grabbed her hand firmly.

“Keep your back straight.” The woman turned her head slightly and said softly to Mili, “You belong to me; you should also be someone they look up to.”

Mili could only grit her teeth and follow alongside, trying hard to appear calm.

Of course, goosebumps had already covered her whole body, and her eyes were fixed on the distance, not daring to meet anyone’s gaze.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you over there to have a look.” Seraphina held the girl’s hand and walked towards the nearby commercial district.

Clean and bustling streets stretched out beneath their feet, lined with a variety of shops, their goods abundant and dazzling.

Clothing stores, grocery shops, hardware stores, pharmacies, bookstores…

Everything one could imagine.

The display windows showed all kinds of items, from daily necessities to luxury goods, all complete.

Where was the shadow of the wasteland here?

—It was almost as prosperous as the world before the disaster.

“Where do these come from?” The girl lightly tugged her sleeve and asked in a low voice.

“Some we produce ourselves, others we acquire through trade.”

“Although Eisenberg is surrounded and besieged, it has never lost contact with the outside world.” As she spoke, Seraphina stopped in front of a clothing store.

“Want to buy some clothes?” She raised her hand, pointing at the boutique. “Your clothes seem too plain.”

“No… no need.” Mili shook her head to refuse.

“You don’t like them?” The woman’s tone was unreadable.

“It’s not that… it’s just that what I’m wearing now is enough.”

The shop owner, a middle-aged woman, was immediately excited to see Seraphina and hurried to greet her.

“Q-Queen! What an honor!” Her voice trembled slightly. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“No trouble needed, just browsing,” Seraphina responded coolly.

The shop owner quickly stepped aside and respectfully stood to one side.

The other customers in the shop, seeing this, all instinctively withdrew to the corners, holding their breath and making no sound.

Mili was forced to follow Seraphina around the shop.

The clothes here were indeed of good quality. Though practical in style, the craftsmanship was exquisite.

“Which one do you like?” Seraphina asked.

“I… I really… don’t need anything…”

“Hm—how about that blue dress?” The woman directly pointed to a pale blue dress in the corner. “Wrap it up.”

“Yes! Right away!” The shop owner hurriedly took it down and carefully packaged it.

“…”

“Why the sour face?”

“No reason…”

“You don’t like it? But I like it.”

“…???”

Seraphina watched the slight twitch on the girl’s face with pleasure. “How much is it?”

“No, no! Serving Her Majesty is our honor!” The shop owner waved her hands repeatedly, blushing with excitement.

Not insisting, she nodded and then led Mili out of the shop.

They went to a few more stores, each causing quite a stir…

Shop owners competed to flatter them; customers watched from afar with looks full of reverence.

The more Mili saw, the more she felt like she was shopping with a landlady — every time Seraphina wanted something, the shopkeepers absolutely refused to charge her…

And seemed eager to give more items.

Was this genuine admiration, or the result of intimidation?

But if it were intimidation, the smiles on these people didn’t look fake…

“Tired?” Seraphina noticed Mili’s pale face.

“A… little…”

“Then I’ll take you to sit somewhere first.”

Before long, they arrived at a café.

A guest was just leaving, politely holding the door for Seraphina. Soft music and the sound of conversation drifted out…

Through the glass window, Mili saw it was full of people.

Some were reading, some chatting, and others working on laptops…

“There’s… electricity here?” Mili couldn’t help but ask.

“Of course.” The woman answered matter-of-factly. “Eisenberg has its own power plant. Though not as abundant as before the disaster, it’s more than enough to keep the city running.”

“Let’s go inside and sit.”

The café was warmly and elegantly decorated, with various landscape paintings on the walls. The air was filled with a faint aroma of coffee.

A young man wearing an apron turned from behind the counter, freezing upon seeing Seraphina.

“Q-Queen… you came in person?! Please, have a seat!” His voice trembled.

“No need to be so nervous.” Seraphina waved her hand.

“I’m just taking her out for a walk. Just find us a quiet spot.”

His gaze fell on Mili, full of curiosity.

“And who is this…?”

“You’ll find out later.”

The owner, being astute, didn’t ask further and quickly led them upstairs.

“Right this way! Please follow me!”

They were seated by the window on the second floor, where they could overlook the entire street.

Seraphina ordered two cups of coffee, leaned back in her chair, and quietly gazed out the window.

The owner soon brought over nearly overflowing coffee and gently placed it on the table.

Mili carefully held the cup’s handle and took a small sip; the bitter taste made her frown slightly.

“Don’t like it?”

“It’s a bit bitter…”

The woman reached out and added several spoons of sugar for her. “Silly girl, you don’t even think to ask.”

“…”

“What do you think?” She asked Mili.

“It’s… very prosperous.”

The girl answered honestly.

“Much… much better than I imagined.”

“This is only a small part.” Seraphina took a sip of her coffee and pulled out the monitoring device from her pocket, staring intently at the screen:

“Besides the industrial, residential, and commercial districts, Eisenberg also has a dedicated research center.”

“Research…? Center?”

“Mainly for developing new weapons and restoring and improving old-era technology.” She put down the cup. “We can’t always rely on the past. If you fall behind, you get beaten. We have to keep innovating.”

Mili nodded, gaining a new understanding of Seraphina’s power.

To establish such a vast force in this environment was definitely not just through brute force…

Her methods and depth of mind made Mili feel she was unfathomable.

Soon, many people gathered on the sidewalk outside the café—

All wanting to catch a glimpse of the Queen.

Although they kept a respectful distance…

So many admiring eyes still made Mili feel very self-conscious.