act22side

You should have withdrawn by now.

We... *sigh* Okay, you guessed as much.

So, did they leave you behind too?

They shouldn't... they wouldn't. You can't fight. You'd get caught.

But you're a trader here—you know so many people. If they treat you unjustly, you have too many methods you could retaliate with...

No, no. I was actually... running back to bring you along, so you can flee with us.

I know, I'm a little late for that. I was feeling guilty, and scared of running into the army, and I just kept arguing with myself, and now I'm late.

It's a good thing you can fight, at least. The army can't get their hands on you.

Er, ma'am, sa... say something. You're frightening me, you really are.

I am? ...Why?

I really don't know how to apologize to you in any way that makes it better. Honestly, they're a kind bunch usually, it's just life these days has driven us mad...

You don't need to say anything... it's fine. I don't mind.

Think of me like... like reeds, growing on the roadside.

I won't poison you, or crush you. At most, you'll feel a little stinging from me.

Who would mind—such a white lie?

You say that with your hurt written all over your face.

Do... I look that hurt?

You don't need... to worry about me, but—you do need to flee, quickly.

After last night's fire, the army will be sure to transfer more people from the city, to search the wilds here.

Er, right, of course...

*sigh* There's one more thing, actually. It's a little hard for me to say.

I know you're telling us to run. But for the past dozen or so days, we've been hounded by the army this way and that like beasts in a hunting ground, just going in circles over the wastes. We can't shake them.

So if I could ask you one more favor.

Please, help us. Escort us on our journey, so we can catch the carrier truck that saves our lives.

Fischer, urgent correspondence from the Viscount...

...Fischer?

Oi. Pondering some question for the ages again?

Apologies.

While your mind has gone walkies taking in your jigsaw puzzle, that 'Harmonie' Feline has been continuing to act without pause, right here in County Trent.

I assure you, my mind has not wandered, and surveillance of her has not slackened an inch.

The way you act tells me the investigation's not made much headway.

If surveillance during this stretch proves she's still loyal to her duty to Victoria, I'll be happier than if we catch a traitor.

I've never seen you happy period.

After the failure of the last op, I thought I wouldn't see you in this office again.

Don't put it that way. The op itself wasn't a failure.

And your results from the hospital?

Acute infection, active Originium shards abundant in wounds...

Of course, my condition is under control now, I assure. The occasional headaches will not impact my activities.

That said, I haven't reported the diagnosis to the superiors yet.

I consider myself as still able to assume the investigation into Harmonie, not to mention nobody would want to take over the scraps of info on this region.

There is a true goal behind these smokebombs, and I have a duty to find it out.

And I assure, I will maintain a distance from all others during this period.

With my experience handling emergency situations, you didn't even need to add that last part.

We of the Special Forces will continue supporting your investigation, as long as the city hall still lets you in.

Not going to say thanks?

Haha, never mind that. I'm just cracking a joke. Trying to untense your muscles for once.

Find some time to read the Viscount's letter, remember.

An invitation card?

I see.

Listen to you? Where are you going to take us?

We can't keep wandering in these wastes anymore. There's no settlements along the way you're pointing us.

You can forget picking berries in a place as lifeless as this, let alone hunting wild beasts. And besides, you don't know if the rain's going to pelt us with stones one day! No Catastrophe Messenger ever heads through there!

I know exactly how many days it takes to cross the marsh. Food-wise, we plunder a Victorian caravan and job's done.

Oh, and that doctor's got enough medicine for us.

She's not a doctor... and she's headed to a town herself. We agreed she'd part ways after escorting us to one, even. What do you take her for? A personal first-aid kit?

Everyone's got to throw everything they've got in with you, lives included, all because you want to be a little bit selfish, yeah? Am I wrong?

Shut up, Fionn! If you've got a problem, why don't you go off yourself? You think you can handle that?

Cowards don't survive.

Selmon!

Oh, 'Reed'.

You know how much I hate your nickname? It's like rocks and mud, all over the ground. I don't even know if I'm talking to you or the grass we walk by, haha.

I heard you two arguing.

There's... I have to tell you something. We can't go to Tulla village.

The airwaves just said. The army suspects two factories there of secretly producing supplies for Dublinn. They drove out a bunch of people. A whole clash sparked off.

We'll keep heading that direction for now. Forget catching the carrier... we'll probably get seized the moment we approach the village.

...*sigh* It's a miracle we got someone so capable to help us. Just barely made it out here.

Hah, you say that like you'll flag down a carrier and the good days'll come.

Escape from a factory into a mine somewhere else, until one lucky day a truck takes you somewhere other than Tara... You think that'll be a cakewalk?

I know of a lot who've fled that way.

You saw them leave, that's all. Because their village went up in smoke, because they couldn't put crops in any wasteland around. THAT'S why they left. And you don't even know where they finished up, or if they did it alive or dead.

And, do you even know where Tara is, or how far you go before you've escaped? They've never shown that on a map.

Stop trying to scare me with all these big questions! Does it make you right just because I can't answer?

Forget—forget it. I'll go talk with an old acquaintance here about borrowing some dry rations. *sigh* It's like all that blabbing you do's going to conjure up enough food to feed the dozen of us tomorrow.

He's... very hurt.

No shit. He doesn't like telling lies, but he's got to come up with some porkies if he wants to borrow stuff. I'll be back, I can repay you, things like that.

I'll go and help him.

You talk too much like those Victorian officers from other parts. They won't trust you. Or are you just that good at lying?

I just—don't like having to rob others.

And—I don't... like your selfishness either. It's the greatest lie of them all.

You're sure your friend said he saw Dublinn around here?

Why else wouldn't we be passing through here? Word spread among all the caravans. Everyone's opting to go the long way around just to avoid this belt.

We wouldn't even have come here... if you hadn't vowed so solemnly we'd be fine.

Eh? But we're almost to your destination, and we haven't seen a thing yet.

Erm, it did happen some days ago. There's a chance they're further off by now.

What I heard was Dublinn were scrambling on their way, so much they never even turned to look properly at my friend's caravan.

Oh. How many heads did he count? Which direction were they off in?

That way. Off into uninhabited wastes. As for how many, he said he couldn't count properly, and didn't dare to either.

I've got no reason to lie to you, madams. We've got nothing to fear at all save those armed Dublinn bastards, and your average Taran hoodlums.

Poor places are always crawling with bandits or what have you. We have security measures in place, I can guarantee you that.

By the time we found out County Oak Grove was migrating far and us caravans'd have to alter course through here, I'd already spent a hefty sum arming and armoring my people.

Hold on a min, Chenchen... look over there.

Huh?

There's... someone dressed a lot like Dublinn there.

Fie, I tell you. That new tax ordinance they just announced, it's murder. None of us were so hard up in times before.

Fionn, foreign madam, I'd love to be able to help you... but I'm living on pennies these days too, and you can laugh if you want.

On the one hand, you want to feed a dozen or so a meal each, and that's not nothing. On the other hand, you've got all these people with working limbs and working energy. You're best off coming up with your own solution.

You know they've been sounding lights-out for years on the Scáthanna Fields exactly to hold off the starving, to stop us stealing some noble's prey, right?

Faff. Who gives a toss about rules when you're starving for real? If you're just counting purely on others to help your need, I say you were born eating your head off!

No, no, no, never... They're all law-abiders, come on, that's why I'm even asking for a bite to eat on their behalf...

—Maybe, I can do you something if you've got collateral.