act21side

I suppose you haven't gone completely senile yet.

Which is why I asked you to come with me, Sicilia.

Some things, you won't see until you sit down on a park bench.

I've seen some interesting things, and figured you might want to join me.

And there are other things you won't see until you're sitting in Grey Hall.

I didn't come here to listen to this, Agenir.

Alright. I must say, we went a bit overboard this time.

I'll admit, I was in the wrong, in certain respects.

Hmph.

Now, it's your turn.

You sound awfully confident about what I'm going to do next.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here this time either.

Heh. Having a friend who understands you too well isn't always a good thing.

Signora Sicilia smiles and walks up to Agenir.

Then, the most exalted presence in Siracusa slowly kneels down.

Her expression is one of piety, like a devotee.

To whom are you praying for forgiveness?

To guns and order.

What is your sin?

I accepted the challenge of a young man.

And his goal is to destroy everything I've built.

Do you see this as a betrayal of guns and order?

I do.

Then why didn't you nip it in the bud?

Bernardo's methods went beyond the rules, and I could not tolerate them. But Leontuzzo chose to sit in front of me, risking his own life to offer his ideas.

I decided to give him a chance.

No, that's not the real reason.

...I told him, Siracusa will be resplendent while I live, but wither away after I die.

Do you not believe that the guns and order you created can live on?

I've learned one thing from the many heirs I've tried to cultivate: the next Signora Sicilia won't be born in an era of peace.

When I decided to make all the famiglie bow before me, the only things on my mind were ambition and passion.

And over all the years I've managed this country, I can't help but feel somewhat sentimental for this one word: Siracusa.

I will do everything in my power to crush him.

But, if he really does succeed in the end...

Then so be it.

On behalf of guns and order, your transgressions will be forgiven.

Signora Sicilia stands up slowly, her expression returns to normal, as if everything that just happened had nothing to do with her.

How long has it been since the last time you confessed to me like that?

I forget.

How'd it feel?

I feel even worse.

It's not easy to be honest with yourself.

Agenir... do you think you've failed?

What about you? Do you think you've succeeded?

When I think about that question, I realize we should really be asking what counts as success, and how long we have to hold up this country for it to count as a success.

Maybe we've only succeeded once we have every famiglia seated at the same table.

In other words, the Siracusa we've built is not a success?

Who knows? Sometimes, just making fewer mistakes than others already counts as a success.

If that's true, I've definitely made fewer mistakes than most.

After all, my mirror is still here, is he not?

Hah, you've got terrible taste in people.