act9mini

You need to think of some way—

Mmm.

—Nah, maybe we oughtn'ta dump everything on your back. I'm sorry.

Yeah, chewing over stuff like this isn't my style, but you oughtn'ta run your own load too heavy, Sona. We're here for you.

Mmm!

She's an Infected, isn't she? How'd she get so many points...?

Not just that, Night of Knights had a whole spread for her interview a few days ago!

They either take underground fights for money, or uncompenasted battles just to get a title from the Association. How do Infected like her even survive?

So that's Justyna?

She looks frail as a twig. Where's the skill?

You ever hear the one about books and covers?

But the papers haven't, uh... been duly proper to her lately.

How many times have they ever been proper to Infected?

Actually, forget Infected. When have the media ever cared about being fair to anyone?

Can we believe anything that Armorless goon said?

It's something to go off. Beats having no ideas at all.

What's our plan?

That's what I'm talking about—Justyna! Get that Feather Knight!

To the left! Behind the stone bunker! Yeah! That's it—no, no! Don't peek out, you'll be clocked—nooo!

She's pretty popular, huh.

Might not wanna join us?

If she keeps doing what she's doing, she'll be titled sooner or later. Make a killing riding the wave of popularity, and maybe she can go find somewhere quiet to live out her days.

If she's that kind of Infected, can we really talk them into helping us?

We can't talk anyone over.

But this city forces Infected to make a choice in the end.

Honestly, it might just force everyone.

I hardly ever see you this pessimistic.

You're the one who asked!

I'm here hoping the Flametail Knight'll declare to me 'no problem, it's all under control.'

...haha.

No problem... it's all under control.

The Adeptus Sprawiedliwi?!

Shh—

...Still not certain.

Besides, it's still ambiguous how the Adeptus treat Infected.

How would any of those knight families give a thought for the Infected?

We're just outsiders to them. They'd never let us get away.

No matter how arrogant they are, I'd still take five hundred of them over the K.G.C.C. Dumb shameless assholes.

You've got a soft spot for campaign knights.

Ha, they're the knights who fought Ursus off the grasslands! Tops clowns on stage winning points with the audience any day!

...Ursus. All I know of them is the news I saw when I was young...

Ursus lost their war with Higashi. Of course the knights cranked up the publicity machine.

You... know about the war between Ursus and Higashi too?

Hey, they forced me to read a dead tree or two when I was young. It was all stuff on the modern history of the campaign knights.

I can't imagine it.

Iwona sitting at a table, holding a book. It's too farfetched. Inconceivable.

What?

You're from a campaign knight family, I think?

Studying's not... outta the question... for you, I guess, haha...

Keh! Is this how you all see me?!

Ten years after the Tenth Kazimierz-Ursus War, the Emperor of Ursus got seriously sick, and everything annexed from Kazimierz fell into the nobles' hands.

The crown prince picked up on the corruption inside the military even before succession, goading two Armies to rise up, as a distraction.

No way the Ursus nobles could ever agree on one plan, but they were all born and raised in this nation of chaos. They sent their own forces out against Higashi without any argument, so they could cover up their own crimes...

Which led to Higashi launching an attack of their own on Ursus far beyond what anyone expected, and in the end, the decisive battle took place inside Ursus territory.

Jeez. Didn't know you had straight history lectures in you, Iwona.

No clarification on those bits that obviously got mixed in.

At that point in Kazimierz, a good deal of the knights thought they should strike while Ursus was up to their ears in it, and in all the unrest, they'd take back the cities they lost ten years ago...

Iwona?

...and that was 1072. 25 years ago.

My grandparents were there with the scouts who resisted Ursus, only to get strangled by the Army before they could really rise up. I wish I got to know them.

Hey, don't take it so hard. That's the past. I'm not a campaign knight anymore, so I jump when you say jump, Sona.

Enough about me. Let's talk your plans now.

This morning, Jamie got three, maybe four new Infected in on his end.

Miners, infected in a small industrial accident, but the contractor declined to reimburse their medical fees, so with nowhere to go, they ended up with the police out for them.

And that's not the end... we've had over ten normal Infected join us this month already, right?

They live in the darkest, dankest corners of the Grand Knight Territory... we've got no way to settle them.

...Sona.

We've still got time. We've got power. We'll find a way.

But... I won't... let any innocent Infected end up risking themselves with us.

If the Adeptus really will let us all have legal identities again, live on in Kazimierz, then—

We have no other choice.

—Man, this is some party.

Flametail Knight, Sona.

You are suspected of illegally harboring Infected, publicly violating the Knights Association's code of conduct. Put an end to your resistance.

Hand over the illegal Infected, and we will report your case to the Knights Association.

Musta missed this. Armorless have authority to help settle biz for the police and knights now?

Let's all be honest. Don't you guys feel ashamed when you use the law as this big pompous excuse?

Your provocations will get you nowhere, Flametail Knight.

You have already overstepped the mark. Here in the Grand Knight Territory, drawing the Chamber's gaze is tantamount to death.

Death? That's some scary stuff there.

A biological death is not death's only sense, Flametail Knight.

The more chances for survival Kazimierz accords us, the more deaths it creates for us down the line.

All hands, take aim!

—Shelling from the rear?!

Sona! I'm here!

It's backup from Pinus Sylvestris Knightclub! Surround them!

Justyna!

Roger. Laying cover fire.

Sorry, Sona, I'm going in!

Do Infected cry?

What?

Infected. I don't mean the knights who had the guts to resist the Chamber. I mean all the normal Infected.

They just got Oripathy, right?

Er... yes?

They're not monsters. And they're not scum of the earth either.

I'm not all that into this assignment.

Don't ever let the Lazurites hear you say that!

But still, have you found some sort of compassion for them, Platinum?

Huh. Compassion... not really, I guess. I don't even get the time for myself, after all.

Compassion's a luxury kinda deal these days.