act18d0

Don't make me laugh, Caster! The Sarkaz homeland? There's nothing there but a bunch of ruins! You bookworm types should know better than any of us just how much is left of Kazdel!

(Get the Casters ready. Focus your fire on that monster. You two, we'll take the bitch down the first opportunity we got.)

Too bad. Looks like negotiation's not on the table anymore.

This isn't even negotiation—Tsk, what is this even, mercy? You're the one who's surrounded right now!

Yeah, you're right... You know how to strike fear, but if we don't give the padishah an answer he's satisfied with by tomorrow, we aren't going to escape death either.

Just like I told you, we don't have a choice.

Open fire!

What's that behind the smoke...? Is that the monster?

Not even a scratch...?

You, 'Kazdel' Caster. What are you?

You didn't have to be someone else's tool.

I want to live.

Besides, this is how it's always been. A Sarkaz has no right to dream about the future.

Draw your blades! Attack!

5下

Modern Day

4:14 P.M. \ Clear

Central Sargon, Ibut Region, Warzone

I find myself looking back on those events often, during my most difficult times.

Whenever I grow tired of striking the iron, whenever I am unsatisfied with inferior materials that result in products less than satisfactory—The events I witnessed that day immediately come to mind.

—So you took care of all those mercenaries by yourself—?

No, he planted those weapons beforehand... and they self-destructed.

I'm surprised you could bring yourself to actually do it... Didn't you make all those things yourself...?

What kind of craftsman has lingering affection for their creations? The reason we pour our emotions into our work is to create an even more refined product, not to be tied down by our feelings.

So you had it all figured out beforehand, eh?

I eliminated all the factors unbeneficial to us. What is wrong about that?

—Ugh, this burnt smell stinks...

Don't tell me Rhodes Island claims to be pacifist.

Though I can certainly tell you two are not.

So... what did you see that day again...?

Ah, has either of you personally seen her in combat?

It is as though she had a birds-eye view from up in the sky. Everything was under her control.

We're close. Very close.

Sarkaz... Devils... She won. She won indeed. Old Isin knew this is exactly how it would turn out...

Ahem, do you have to follow me around?

Of course, Lady Kal'tsit asked Old Isin to. Until the moment she steps out of Sargon, her wish is Old Isin's command.

Hmm, is that her over there...?

On the other side of the hills, the smell of Originium gunpowder and blood yet lingers in the sandstorm, a phenomenon that has become all but natural to Elliot.

A gust of wind blows past, carrying away with it the dust. Under the clear sun, the strange creature's large stature appears as though it is distorting even the sunlight.

There, Kal'tsit stands solemnly.

She is as calm and quiet as one can be.

*Cough*—

You could've become a warrior, nameless mercenary. A Sarkaz Warrior.

My death... is for a greater purpose, Caster.

Not going to finish me?

Let's see—

(Angry low roar)

Tsk... This monster... I'm more than ready to die. Are a few extra scratches that much to ask for?

(Roars)

Enough, Mon3tr.

He's a dead man with those injuries.

(Dissatisfied hisses)

Hah... Looks like we saved the padishah some trouble...

Sarkaz... What's your name...?

Pfft... Which one?

Tell me, Caster. The Kazdel you were talking about... How does it look now?

Terrible still.

But the Sarkaz are rebuilding their homes.

Home...? How could us devils... us Infected possibly have one...

I've never left Sargon...

The Sarkaz have tried to rebuild 'Kazdel', their home for centuries, though they have never succeeded.

Everyone has a different idea as to what the term 'homeland' means, but as it stands right now, Kazdel is perhaps as close as you can get to the term's original meaning.

The 'Teekaz' deserve a home.

Tsk... That does...

...have a nice ring to it...

Poor devil, poor devil. He is gone, no longer with us.

You two shouldn't have come.

You made quite a ruckus here. Old Isin thinks this place could use some cleaning to avoid catching anyone's attention...

You took all of them down by yourself...?

(Shakes head in dissatisfaction)

Um, okay. You two... took down a whole mercenary squad? How many of them were there?

It was no easy task. I would've been in quite a tight spot if they weren't as afraid of Mon3tr as they were.

Let's pick up the pace. We've already found ourselves in seven skirmishes since we left Redhorn.

And now we have an entire Sarkaz mercenary squad. We'll likely face the lord ameer's guards next or the padishah's elite troops. No matter the case, the more we run, the more fierce our enemies become.

Old Isin gets the impression that you didn't want to kill them?

You're not wrong.

You seem to have special feelings for Sarkaz... Oh, pardon Old Isin. Old Isin should not have asked.

The sun is setting soon, Lady Kal'tsit. We must bury these bodies right away. It looks like their sand buggy will save us quite a bit...

We need to be quick.

Can knowledge be a means to buy over a person's heart? Elliot has never so much as thought about that. He used to be naive, but he was also gifted precisely because of this. Of course, he cannot understand why Old Isin would follow everything Kal'tsit says after that exchange of theirs.

It is as though he lives in the distant past. He merely gazes at the far end of Sargon's golden sands, waiting for someone to come give him the answer he has always sought.

Is knowing what the answer is all that he ever wanted?

This... is the entrance to the old market. This is the Reefsteep Town.

Yet another Sargon town...

Old Isin knows where the entrance is... The old market is no secret. Anyone has the right to look for that which they want here.

Come with Old Isin.

Old Isin...? I thought you died in the golden sands!

Old Isin is fortunate to survive.

Hm, are those two behind you Columbians...? Columbians on the run. That box they have gotta be worth some money, then.

Oh, relax. Why so tense? I'll give you 400 gold coins for that box.

Sorry, but it's not for sale.

Ah, that's too bad...

No worries, I'm sure we'll have more chances to do business with each other. Isn't that right, Old Isin? Haha.

Please don't let it get to you, Lady. This happens often here.

She isn't actually that curious about the box...

If she actually had her mind set on it, we well wouldn't be getting much sleep in the future.

She opened at 400 coins...?

This is the Reefsteep Black Market. The vibrant heart of Ibut.

How long are we staying here...?

This will be a long journey. It will take Old Isin time to prepare. Perhaps two weeks.