act19mini

Please don't be angry at it, sir.

The scroll-shaped entity stands before Liang and angles its upper half forward, its bamboo strips turning white at the effort.

Are you... bowing?

Indeed.

I learned that one should bow politely when making a request.

Oh?

There used to be a school on the west side of town, and I laid on the top layer of the bookshelf.

The teacher told the students, 'Manners maketh man.' He said it many times, and I remembered.

It didn't mean to disobey your orders, but it has had no other thought in its mind for so many years.

Could you, perhaps, oblige it?

The scroll-shaped entity once again bows.

I won't let you hurt it, no matter your answer!

A sword-shaped entity puts itself in front of the bottle-shaped entity and scroll-shaped entity, pointing its head, the tip of the sword, towards Liang. Its blade reflects the sunlight.

It's my... my...

Kindred? Friend?

Yeah, that.

I have a few questions for you, bottle.

Yes, sir.

When did you start thinking that way?

...I don't remember.

Have you ever doubted?

Why should I doubt?

That man from Jiangqi came back. So will Lan Ke and Bai Jin.

Liang stands in silence, as the wind blows through his hollow skull and chest mechanism, causing a soft humming sound.

He looks like he is thinking.

I thought the contamination had caused you to form basic sentience, no more than that.

You wander around this place, your words and actions limited by your attributes as objects...

Little did I imagine that you would develop human-level thoughts and emotions...

Given enough time, even objects form an attachment to a place, never mind humans.

Interesting.

You are Waregeists that have lingered after the disaster. Do you remember what the town looked like?

We do, sir.

Can you restore it?

Yes.

Are you willing to live together with humans?

What have you been doing behind my back, Liang?

What is it?

I told you to clean up the ruins, destroy the Waregeists that should be destroyed, and bring back the Waregeists that should be brought back to the Garden of Grotesqueries...

But you built a town?

You're talking like you don't know.

I'm your creation. My thoughts are your thoughts. My deeds are your deeds.

Hah. I see, I see.

Besides, this is the best solution, isn't it?

There are too many geist-touched objects around the Tomb of Sui. Simply destroying them or throwing them into the garden won't solve the problem.

People are returning to this town, long after it was turned to ruins...

Your account of the changes in the geists is interesting.

But the Sui Regulator must have complained about letting geists live together with people. What did you say to them?

I told them we'll keep an eye.

'Yi and I, just the two of us, are going to have a hard time watching over all the geists, if all we have is a single garden.'

'What if the geists get out? It would be like what happened to Mangshan Town: The Sui Regulator would take the brunt of it, then Baizao.'

Haha, good.

I never have to worry, with you in charge.

Xiexie.

Anyway, it's a good thing.

A town in the proximity of the Garden of Grotesqueries will delay those with ill intent, giving us time to welcome our guests.

Now, clean the garden, and let us welcome our visitors.