act22side

To the red-haired Vouivre, the question's not one Reed needs to respond to, because she starts pulling Reed along before an answer even comes.

Reed takes a glance back at their visitor. She knows Moran has night blindness, and needs someone to guide the way when darkness falls.

With little time to hesitate, Reed extends a hand to Moran.

...Let's go.

Here you finally are, Miss Harmonie. I was beginning to think I'd never see you today.

A wine tasting courtesy of the Viscount? How could I ever miss it?

But of course, but of course. A friend of the Marquess of Trent! You're the Viscount's guest of honor.

It's all thanks to your introducing me that I closed out that bit of prior business. I've been looking for an opportunity to thank you all this time.

Oh, it was quite nothing, Mr. Hall.

I've no noble personage, or even property in my name. At most, I'm just a messenger, scampering around so the ones in charge don't have to.

(Toasts)

Who might he be...?

The council's pet. A Mr. Fischer.

Oh? Well, I've certainly never heard of him before.

He only transferred to this county a short while ago. Youngsters like him tend to have to break their backs a little if they want a quick promotion.

Heheh. A universal truth, no?

You're too modest.

Oh, yes, I hear from some friends that the Dukes' armies are very frequently on the move now. They've put every core city of their duchies under strict martial law.

You've always been on top of the news... could you lend me a sly word, whether war seems imminent?

The papers certainly forecast it, don't they? After all, the Dukes' fleets did trundle up to Londinium's walls some while ago.

I'm not much concerned with the Sarkaz. I'm referring to between the Dukes... ahem, based on hearsay, that is. Just hearsay.

There's been a lot of Originium fuel circulating into County Trent. The Marquess and the Duke of Caster have always been jolly with each other, but County Trent and the Iron Duke's duchy share a border...

My, my, Mr. Hall, all intercity fuel trade requires inspection and approval. I presume you have some <i>very</i> good friends in municipal management, no?

Ha... haha, just for business purposes.

Miss Harmonie, you might not follow the war too closely, but... you came in from another city, didn't you?

You've been fortunate not to run into any hassle when you did, but I do ask you take care on the return journey.

I hear it's hideous in the villages beyond the nomadic cities. There's rebel elements popping up now and then. Even a case of arson a few days ago.

What sort of rebel elements are these to earn your attention?

Attention is a strong word—similar things happen in spades anywhere the bumpkins live.

It's that fire that's strange... hahah. This might not be true, so pretend I'm just telling you about some country tale.

Eyewitnesses say that fire wasn't quite your ordinary one. It was ferocious as an explosion, but not a hint of Originium explosives was found where it happened. And the nightmarish effort it took to extinguish it...

Unusual fire.

All too likely to be a coincidence, but all too familiar of a description to her.

Could it be... Loughshinny?

Harmonie is stunned.

'The Brigadier's' warning has certainly roused some anxieties deep in her heart. Ever since that Rhodes Island ship had sailed into Victoria, she'd been absent any hold of information on Loughshinny.

Someone, without a doubt, had been helping Rhodes Island cover their tracks. Clearly, this pharmaceutical company was not as simple as she first assumed.

And on the same coin, a Loughshinny aboard Rhodes Island would be a Loughshinny immensely difficult for the rest of Victoria's powers to find.

So why... why would Loughshinny leave the ship?

Why would she surface somewhere so close to Eblana?

From behind Harmonie, there is a gaze.

Her every move has been closely watched since the second she stepped into the ballroom.

But it is this moment when the gaze truly focuses on her.

Miss Harmonie?

...Hm?

I'm sorry... I was just thinking about the dance tonight. Say, what color earrings would I be best off wearing?

...Sir, I assume you've seen the relevant dossier, as well as all my reports.

I suggest we commence operation immediately...

Very well done, youngster. Have you tried the whiskey-filled chocolates out on the table?

I hope you're well, Duke of Caster. I didn't expect you would grace this party, let alone be waiting here.

Who could miss such a grand soirée? Just listening to the chamber performance blows my cares away, even from behind my partition.

I do hope you're enjoying yourself too.

I'm... still on duty. I can't be complacent.

Our every effort is made so that the masses can enjoy their serene lives.

Intelligence officers may be the lookouts, forced to keep a tense nerve even in times of peace, but you'll have your serenity one day.

Lest I forget. How's your health?

My gratitude for your concern, Duke. It floors me that you note the infection of an average intelligence officer like myself.

I—

Don't be nervous. You're not hiding anything. As I say, you've done very well.

By way of a reward, would you like a promotion after your mission is over, or would you like to quit?

Guys, I see people ahead! There's army!

That way... er, seven? Seven o'clock?

Oh, no worries, we got the message.

But are you sure that's what you saw? There's not a hint of human life anywhere in these parts... Why would the army be patrollin' out here?

Hand me the binoculars.

There's very little terrain nearby that would conceal us. Everyone, please hide here for the moment.

I'll go with you. I'd know the Victorian Army more thorough than you, na?

...Mm. Thank you.

Selmon, come take a look... If I crouch under this rock, the enemy won't see me from any angle, will they?

Hah, not half bad.

Good, then. God, we go through the wastes for four days without a peep, no Catastrophe or savage beasts... and then we hit a roadblock at the very end. Just our luck, you figure.

Now stop sticking your head out, keep low with the rest of us. It's been so long, you still don't trust Reed's lot?

No, as a matter of fact. It's the bland type like her I least trust.

She only wants to do stuff that doesn't offend nobody. That way, if she ever makes a mistake, it won't really BE her fault.

You bloody... You just don't like her stopping us from going to Dublinn.

Maybe. But I don't say nothing to you neither, do I?

...Confirmed. It's a small-scale Victorian deployment, but judging by their equipment, not from a nearby barracks.

Their weapons are highest caliber. If we fought... there's very little chance we'd win.

They might not be searching for us, but just in case, we'd better hide ourselves. Based on their current advance, they won't catch sight of us.

You don't give me lip for what I say because nobody listens to what I say.

Anyhow, I'm jealous of how she's taken over my show.

...Those troops are coming closer. Budge over, give me a good position to watch 'em.

*sigh* I'm begging you, don't cause trouble now.

Wh—What's happening? Are they scuffling?

...Some group ambushed them at a pass.

S—So if we'd not stopped to hide just now, we would've been sprung too? Who was waiting there?

Hey... I can't make out too clearly, but those clothes they're wearing look a bit like Selmon's, don't they?

That's gotta be... Dublinn, right?

...Dublinn.

One dawn eight months ago, just after I'd finished work, I was eating breakfast in a cafe in County Peninsula.

A voice came from my radio.

It said, with their flames, they would cleanse Victoria of filth.

In the name of the Tarans... they would declare war on Victoria.

They called themselves 'Dublinn'.

...Just a bunch of greedy thugs trying to give themselves a title.

Thugs?

The ones common sense would identify as thugs more or less all died in County Hillock.

Someone intended on using an entire city of Tarans to test the Taran-born Duke... but didn't anticipate the leader of Dublinn conversely exploiting that.

After the conclusion of the incident, Dublinn successfully purged all unstable elements from the city, and further gained the surrounding Taran populace's support, escaping intact directly under Victoria's nose.

Dublinn's leader is undeniably well-versed in the behavior of nobility.