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Leone. It hurt when Benny said he was leaving, but even then I felt he made the right choice.

So this has been a long time coming?

Yeah. Let him go before this plate ties him down. Maybe he can go to college. Ironforge City, Trimounts... anywhere's fine as long as it ain't here.

So you're saying I should be glad he got out in time?

This land here's been squeezed dry, Leone. And those guys from the government are just gonna abandon it entirely, or scoop in new soil from elsewhere...

To them, we're just old straw refusing to rot away. Nothing but trouble.

...Wait, what's that?

Why's there a photo of your family in there—

Leone reflexively moves to stick his hand into the furnace, but the photo vanishes in a puff of blue smoke before he can even feel the heat.

Benny must've left that one in. I wasn't too careful when packing it all up, sorry.

It's fine. Don't know why I wanted to grab it in the first place. Wonder how long it'll take these blisters to heal without treatment or medicine.

The flames in the furnace blaze brightly, and a few sparks sputter from within. They cool in the air and turn into smattering specks of gray, falling onto the man's shoes.

He sighs as he rubs the corners of his eyes, only to realize that the wetness that had been there has already dried up from the high temperature.

Sir, this must be a misunderstanding. I stayed home all night yesterday!

Please cooperate with us, ma'am.

Sir, please! Can't you talk your superiors into being a little flexible? How can I leave for the frontier mid-winter with a child in tow?!

It seems you do know where we're taking you. So please, just cooperate. We don't want to have to resort to force.

Nooo—!

Hey! What are you doing?!

And which squad are you from?

Jessica, Department of Equipment and Applied Technologies. Temporarily transferred to B.P.R.S's Liskarm Squad.

Oh, so you're <i>that</i> little princess I've heard so much about. An honor to meet you.

We're under orders to trace the source of last night's unrest. Locals with heavy debt are our prime suspects, so that's where we're starting our investigation.

Does your list include a single mom with a child too?

Just following orders. Besides, even if she's innocent we still have to repossess her mortgaged property.

Repossess mortgaged property... So this is why the boss had that word with me?

Listen, I don't see what the boss has to do with this, but I do know you're hindering my work here.

Don't you realize that you're doing the exact same thing as those gangsters you arrested?!

Orders, princess. Just following orders. Don't make me repeat myself.

Reporting. I've found the woman.

Sir... Please, I'm begging you...

Let that lady go!

What?

I—I said, let her go.

We're not the same as you, princess. We need these paychecks to eat.

Paychecks... paychecks!

Is your paycheck—No, no! I mean, I'm saying...

I... I can pay you!

What's this now? Bribery? Raythean's little lady is actually trying to bribe me?

Yes, I'm just a stupid little rich girl who throws money at all her problems, okay?!

Guess there's no need for professional integrity when you've got a family like that at your back. But me? I can only trade my conscience for cash at Blacksteel.

I'm glad you're so self aware, but it really doesn't matter. Just stop making things difficult for us lowly peasants.

If you've got money to burn, why not head on over to the bank and pay off all their debts?

You—

Easy there, princess. Take your finger off the trigger, yeah? I know you lost your head for a bit there, but we still have to act according to our stations.

Wh-What?

Jessica lowers her head to find that at some point, her hand had moved to her holster.

When she sees what is probably an expression of both wariness and disdain on the mercenary's face, she ends up swallowing her apology as she turns around and runs towards the bank.

...Why is someone still outside this late?

Is that... Jessica?

What brings you here at this hour, Miss?

I... *huff*, *huff* I... have some business here!

L-Let's... talk inside, shall we?

What's going on, Sylvia? Didn't I tell you to keep the door closed at night? Recently those people from Blacksteel have been—

Ah. So it was you, Miss.

I'm not sure why you've paid us a visit at this hour, but how may I serve you?

Don't... don't chase them out!

Chase them out? Who exactly?

The residents with debt! Don't let Blacksteel drive them out!

...Who's this coming from? Mr. Cliff?

I... it's from me!

Did I hear that right? If this is a joke, I'm not sure I get it.

I'm serious! If you need someone to pay off their debts, then I-I'll pay it off for them! At least enough to let them stay through winter? Sending them to the frontier <i>now</i> is no different from a death sentence!

What holds sway in a bank are not the delusions of a mercenary, but honest-to-goodness gold certificates.

I have the certs! This isn't a crazy fantasy, I can walk the walk and pay off their debts!

I'm sorry, but the bank doesn't have time to indulge your nonsense—

I'm the daughter of Bernie Brynley... The CEO and largest shareholder of Raythean Industries!

Jessica freezes on the spot as soon as she finishes speaking. Ever since she joined Blacksteel, she has never once relied on her father or her family to handle any setbacks she's faced.

This was her one unwavering insistence—she did not want any special treatment because of her family name.

But she had just unleashed the name of her father, as well as the one that sits on their family crest.

Bernie Brynley?

You must be quite the bigshot then, Miss Jessica Brynley.

Spare me the sarcasm, ma'am. Just give me the number.

Hm... I can't give you an exact figure on the spot, but no matter. Sylvia is here, and she's always been good with numbers.

What are you standing there for, Sylvia? Tell her.

...Miss, I—

She's a child of the Brynley family. It should be a paltry sum to her.

This, this isn't a good idea...

Tell her, Sylvia!

Currently... everyone's debt in Davistown roughly totals to... 276 million certs. If we calculate the interest until spring, the amount you'll need is roughly...

How much?

28,450,000 gold certificates.

Twenty-eight... million?

A small price for three months of peace and stability on the plate, no?

At a loss for words, Miss Brynley?

I-I don't have that much on hand right now, b-but I can make the arrangements...

28,450,000... So even a trust fund heiress can't withdraw that much money in one go?

I've learned something new today.

I... I... no...

Jessica...

Sylvia, I-I...

You're... you're not from Davistown. There's really... no need to do this for our sake.

Listen to me. You should just leave... E-Even if you have enough for this time, could you afford the next one? Or the one after that?

Jessica's lips tremble as she fails to let even a single word out.

She knows Sylvia is not being wry, but just stating the facts.

The long string of numbers in her account can ensure a carefree lifetime for <i>her</i>, but isn't enough to guarantee even a month's stability for the people of this plate.

She thinks back to her father's earnest reminders—To always act within her means, and to weigh the pros and cons before doing so.

But she never learned to, and thus has no achievements to her name.

Sir? Are you in there?

Yes. What's the matter?