act19side

I should go.

Saria—

I don't remember everything that happened all those years ago.

I noticed that you've tweaked your Arts casting methods. The reconstitution effect your calcification has on matter particles is more complicated and intricate now.

You abandoned the formula that the two of us developed together in the early days.

Defense techniques that have been cracked have no value.

And I was the only one ever to crack calcification.

...Yes.

Goodbye, Kristen.

He hated these preparations.

After all, only losers have to resort to backup plans.

Ferdinand's laboratory has never needed so many plans. After all, he has always had a masterful control of the tides.

Many say that he is a capable businessman, but they don't understand.

He simply stays on the right path and marches on endlessly.

As long as you walk faster than anyone, money and attention will come pouring in.

And with these resources, he can walk faster and farther.

But...

Today, he has no choice but to walk this dark, narrow path. An escape route that he never seriously considered he would have to take.

There is someone waiting for him at the end of this path.

Why would anyone be waiting for him?

His coworkers, his family, Elena... None of them knew about his plan.

Aside from him, there should be no one who knows this place.

You're here at last, Ferdinand.

I've been waiting entire minutes.

Ho'olheyak.

I never expected... *cough*... that the last person to help me would be a mercenary.

Oh?

You aren't here to help me.

Then—Why not pull the trigger already?

Relax, Ferdinand. I'm not here to kill you either.

I'm not sure I believe that.

The colonel... The army wants me silenced. I'm sure of it.

And Kristen wants me locked up... I'd turn crazy like Loken Williams if I ended up in prison. Either that, or I would have to roll over and rot away as a corpse.

Mad scientists are hardly a strange sight here in Columbia, but it's not like the military or the government could shoulder the infamy that comes with sacrificing civilians in evil experiments.

I have no idea... how Kristen caught wind of what's going on in the site so easily or how she managed to convince the bureaucrats in the government in such a short amount of time...

Oh...

It's you.

You are no normal mercenary. You are a spy... Did the government send you? Who do you work for?

Shh, let's not waste our breath on all that.

In Columbia, men like you can't hide anything, not even escape routes that look so discreet on the surface.

He watches as the woman in front of him walks closer. A chill runs down his spine.

Not even the conversation he had with Kristen a few minutes ago made him despair.

Yet, right now, with the Liberi reaching her hand out toward him, an extreme pain rushes up from his stomach and claws at his throat—

He almost vomits on the spot.

Look how messy your hair is, Ferdinand.

It would ruin your image if you went out like this.

I...

Right, you might want to know that I've already torn your getaway car to pieces.

You...

But you just made a very smart choice.

You could've dragged Kristen and Rhine Lab down with you, but you didn't.

You do actually care as much about Rhine Lab as you said... You made sure that there is still hope for everyone in the future, even if that future doesn't necessarily include you.

So... Right, I'll say it how you like to say it.

I forgive you.

Walk forward about another ten yards. There's a suit of power armor in the firefighting cabinet.

—The newest kind.

You can wear it. You can control it remotely. You can even ignore it. It's your call.

Even though you can never come back to Trimounts... and it'd be in your best interest to stay away from other nomadic cities, there are still vaster lands waiting for you.

Now hop to it—

—'Pioneer.'