act17mini

Dang it...

Eh? Wh-What was that?

No, I don't have time to worry about the roof...

Everyone, please listen! That accident is definitely connected to the ceremony. The Soul Furnace could restart at any moment. For your safety, please evacuate outside the cordon immediately!

Clang! Clang! Clang! The mercenary mending his weapon keeps hammering away without even looking up.

Come one, come all, come and take a look. You're blind if you don't buy anything—

You... You all really...!

Just *Ancient Sarkaz swearing* die already.

Steelskull's hammer stops mid-swing, Fatwallet's shouting stops mid-sentence, and the wandering singer's guitar string snaps mid-pluck.

Girl... What did you just say?

I said!

Are you deaf?

Wha... What?

For the sake of everyone's safety...

Heheheh...

Burn—burn—I'll burn you all into ashes—

H-Hey, calm down... What're you coming over here for? My clothes and the burdenbeasts are fla—err, what was it—flammable!

He's right, don't do anything crazy!

Get behind the cordon now, or else...

Cowards who flee from battle!

Thieves who steal from their own!

Lowlifes who indulge in pleasure!

Idlers who shirk their duties!

I'll kill you all! Kill! KILL!

Or else...

Huh? Where'd everyone go?

One by one, the plaza's crowd turned their heads, staring at Nymph in disbelief. Steelskull frantically tries to drag his burdenbeasts out of the cordon, while Fatwallet packs up her stall with surprising speed for someone her age.

Nymph feels something bump into her belly. The girl who stole her purse shoves it back into her hands, then runs off as fast as she can.

The wandering singer now stands meekly outside the cordoned area with his sheets under his arm, as if he has been there the whole time.

Wow, that's...

Nymph scratches her head, setting free the glimmering fragment that had fallen into her hair. It still retains the heat of the Furnace it was so unduly ejected from.

As it tumbles out of her hair, the strange voice in her head cuts off.

Nymph! Can you hear me?

Nymph! Nymphy! Hey!

Is that you, Ermi? How come I can't see you?

Look at the mirror in the little box I gave you.

Wow, Ermi, how'd you get inside the mirror?

Didn't I tell you when I gave it to you? You must have missed the instructions I wrote again.

Lich creations aren't so easy to understand. Besides, if I ever need to use it, you'll help me.

So, what's going on? I saw a really big explosion over by the Furnace!

Something went awry at the ceremony, and now the ancestors are throwing a fit. Get this... the revenant on the airship got into a fight with those in the Furnace!

Are you okay?

I'm fine, a little explosion like that couldn't hurt me. My master's still counting on me to run errands for him, though I have a bit more on my plate than I can handle.

As for the Furnace... It's still intact, and there haven't been any further issues. But the explosion caused another problem, and I miiiiight have to ask you for help again!

I'm just glad you're alright. Whatever you need help with, just say the word.

We need to hunt down all the bits of slag that got ejected from the Furnace and see if they have any revenant fragments in them.

Revenant... fragments? Are they dangerous? A lot of people here have been picking up shards of stuff that fell from the sky after the explosion.

They are! Which is why master wants me to find them as quickly as possible. The revenants in the Furnace are restless now that they're missing some of their kind.

As for the revenant fragments that are scattered, they're like ticking time bombs. We don't know when they're going to stir up trouble.

But don't worry too much. Judging by the number of revenants still inside the Furnace, only a handful of fragments have a revenant riding along. Fewer than ten, in fact.

*phew* Finally, some good news. I was thinking about how long it'd take to find every single bit that fell from the sky.

Well, unfortunately, that's the difficult part of all this. We have no idea where these fragments fell. They could be anywhere in Kazdel, really.

So, what do the ones with the revenants look like?

To be honest, I haven't had a proper look at one either. It shouldn't be too hard to identify something with a revenant riding inside it, though. It'll influence the emotions and senses of the people around it.

Would they happen to be surrounded by wisps of smoke? Maybe they sparkle and flash too?

Yeah! Something like that!

Then you might want to look at this and see if it's what you're looking for... Though I haven't felt it influence my emotions or anything.

Are you at home? I'll head over right now. Whatever you do, don't give that thing to anyone else. We're lucky you're a Djall!

Ah, okay! I'm by the furnace node near my house, so come as quick as you can. Hmm... This little rock sure is hot.

Ermi, you're back! What did your master say?

The good news is that it really was a revenant fragment. Master's already placed it back in the Furnace. The bad news is that we might have been too quick with retrieving it.

Why's that a bad thing? Shouldn't we be putting them back right away?

Wait, did your master... compliment you?

Even you have him figured out by now. Yeah, he did, and every time he does, he's almost always building up to bad news!

You know how I have to inspect goods going in and out of Kazdel every day, organize patrols, arrange repairs for the holes in the Furnace, and even inventory all the stuff he brought back from Leithanien, right?

He's already running me ragged, and now he wants me to...

Ermi! Did you try telling him that you're already swamped and that someone else should go gather the fragments?

I did tell him that! I even told him the only reason we found this first one so quickly was you.

And then? Did he change his mind?

Why are you looking at me like that... Wait, Ermi! Hey—!

Nymph~

Help me out again, last time I swear. I really have too much to handle and that old tool doesn't really care. Please, you're the only one I can count on now...

But...

You just need to find all the fragments and bring them back. I'll give you a nice, big reward if you do.

I know you don't really lack anything, but I guarantee it'll be something you really want. And... it's something only I can give you, not even my master could.

Well, don't keep me guessing. Just say what it is and I'll think it over.

I can't tell you too much at the moment, but don't you worry, we Liches are a generous people.

Hmph, is that really the proper attitude to ask for help? Anyone else would have walked away, but not this silly Djall. She just lets you walk all over her.

So fine, I'll help you find these fragments, but do you have a map that can show where they are, Ermi? The kind with the little black dots floating around?

Do you think Liches can just conjure things from thin air? Why would I have something so strange?

But you have a point, you'd be chasing your own tail if I just sent you off to find the fragments with no help.

Not to mention that you don't have anything that could actually contain the revenant fragments... Pass me that box thing of yours while I think for a second.

I'll need some time to give this a few upgrades. Head home and rest for now. Once I'm done, I'll come find you.

Eh? I thought this was a super urgent task.

Oh, I wouldn't go that far. And once you have the right tool, you'll save far more time than the few hours it'll take me to make it.

Fine, but I still hope you can think over the map thing a bit more. I'll put my box over here. See you later, Ermi!

A way to detect revenants... To isolate them... What if I dismantled this part...? No, that won't work...

Ermi? I'm heading back now. I'll wait for your good news!

Eh? Oh, alright, bye-bye!

Liches are always so quick to jump into thinking mode. I really hope she doesn't become like her master one day...

*yawn* I've got important things to do tomorrow, so I'd better get some rest.

I wonder how many people will dream about those fireworks tonight?

*pant* *pant* It's still so hot... like trying to hold a roast sweet potato fresh out of the oven. Can't imagine how hot it must be in the Furnace.

It's nice to meet you... ancestor sir? I don't quite know what to call you. You must have been burning in the Furnace since my grandparents were still little. You really gave it good to that crowd just now.

Nymph walks over to a quiet corner of the plaza and sits down on some steps.

I should probably put you back where you belong, but getting to meet you was something really special... I'd better tell you what I need to say quick.

I've always known you were real, ever since I was young. Everyone said you were just stories to scare little kids, but I always believed.

Back then, there was a Babel camp right by my doorstep. Mom and Dad never let me wander too far, so I was always looking for the camp's doctors to play with.

My favorite fairy tale was the future the Babel doctors told me about.

And then... My Babel friends left without warning. One day I'd go look for them as usual, and there was just the field.