Глава 7

An old monster once told me... What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

I always thought it was stupid. But the guy's a monster, so maybe I do have to give this some thought.

Does a bug jump into a flame to get stronger? So stupid.

No. Let's not talk about how dumb and weak a bug is. You know, no matter how strong a bug gets, in the end, it's still just a bug.

If a bug jumps into a flame, all it proves is that the heat messed up its brain. Assuming it even had a brain, it obviously went mad.

But what if I was to leap into the flames? Besides proving that I'm crazy, what else would that prove? I'd come out a bit charred, but how would that make me any stronger?

But we're talking about death here. And what does an undying monster know about death?

Alas, such is the nature of the bitter death that none may resist.

You'll still talk to me? That's a surprise.

I thought you were totally caught up in your plan to destroy Lungmen, Talulah.

W. You haven't given anyone notice of your visit.

Hah. Oops, my bad. I've been a mercenary for too long, forgot all about that reporting-every-detail-of-my-life-to-the-boss thing. Sorry, Leader.

But you know I can't go all the way up to the top of the command tower, so I have to ask you to stoop to my level.

Your sarcasm isn't doing us any good, W. Reunion needs the might of the Sarkaz, and we should strive not to add any more personal conflicts between us.

Just call us devils. Only the bleeding hearts and self-righteous call us Sarkaz. Us mercenaries? We know exactly what we are.

Strange. Devils, the 'inferior race of the banished.' You mercenaries cannot accept this definition, nor will you take pride in it.

Duh. But your people started calling us 'devils,' not as a hate thing, or because it was catchy or whatever.

Devil is a 'fear' thing. You people called us that because we scare you.

So us mercs like being called 'devils,' because we know exactly what it really means.

And we always make good and sure anyone left alive takes the subtext straight to heart.

Oh, sorry— Me yapping on about this is like trying to show off in front of an expert, isn't it?

We're a no-name merc squad famous for brutality. But compared to you? Why, that's like a worm trying to go up against a crab.

After all, Leader, nobody scares people better than you.

'Inflict terror upon your enemies, and provide warmth for your friends.'

To strike fear into our enemies and bring hope to our comrades. That is the way Reunion has always done things.

So, driving Ursus's core city into Lungmen is also in line with a certain comrade's ardent wish?

Our warriors are still bravely fighting inside Lungmen. They need our assistance, and we will bring it to them.

The Infected inside Lungmen require hope, and our warriors here have expressed their earnest desire to be that source of hope.

Everyone's wishes find harmony here, and the responsibility to see those wishes come to fruition belongs to us, Reunion.

—This will also bring benefits to the Sarkaz. I assure you, beyond doubt.

What your kind seeks is not hope, so I will provide you with profit.

Sarkaz mercenaries like you, scattered between various city states, as well as those who pull your strings. You will drink deeply of the chaos between cities and countries, and it will nourish you.

After Lungmen, no nomadic city is safe. Your kind will find more room to expand and thrive, and your people will prosper.

Ooh, sounds like a good deal. Just going off the profits, I'm totally on board.

Tell me, W, what doubts do you still have?

None. You've made a great case. Want a standing ovation?

No need.

Then let's talk about my mission. Bad news is I failed. I didn't manage to bring back my target, and she wouldn't give me the thing.

That is not your fault. The kinship between Misha and Skullshatterer was bound to lead to uncertainties.

Why'd you send me to grab that scientist's daughter then?

It seems like you didn't even need her or her secrets for your big plan. Between the attack on Lungmen and firing up the core city, what was the point of her anyway?

The authenticity of the key still has to be verified.

I can personally verify that we've activated the core city, but Reunion still needs full control over the way it stops. That's where this key comes in.

Mephisto told me the one the old geezer found in the abandoned city was the real deal.

No, W. Mephisto would not tell you that. It would only be you spilling secrets to Mephisto while thinking about extracting the information you want from him.

So, is that bit of news true or not?

You're not interested in hearing my justifications, but you also don't plan on offering yours either.

I have my own channels, and might be a little more frank than I used to be. Oh, but I guess I could've mixed up my sources? Something like that.

W, if you want me to be more transparent, I can explain to you the details of my plan. All of them.

Skullshatterer and your first operation tested the L.G.D.'s response speed. It allowed us to adjust our strategy and improve upon our plans to take down Lungmen.

Without your cooperation, we could not succeed.

The Key did truly exist, but was lost upon Misha's death. The Key that Patriot sought was only a backup plan to deal with this situation.

I won't force you to tell me where your information came from, but my explanation should convince you.

All right, all right. But, Leader, I want to know how many Keys there are. Won't ask any more questions after that, yeah?

Two. Sergei, Royal Chernobog scientist, held one of them, and delivered it to Misha using special means.

The other was held by Marquess Boris, former mayor of Chernobog. During our attack, he broke off a city plate to flee. However, he was unable to escape the Catastrophe.

The ruined satellite city.

Our undercover agents in the city have kept everything there that we need. We can lure the L.G.D. into an ambush given the proper distance.

We have sufficient reason to capture the abandoned city, and the best use of it is to occupy it and turn it into a stronghold.

You're really good at explaining things, Leader. I'm all out of questions.

Hey, I'm not asking too many, am I? Sorry to make you waste so much time explaining it all to me.

W, if openness can resolve the misunderstanding between us, I won't be stingy with my time.

In order to ensure a relationship of long-term mutual benefit, I will continue to draw up our future plans. Hopefully this can slightly increase the trust between us.

We will need to support each other to have a chance at overcoming the troubles to come.

Really? I'm touched.

Of course.

I never liked this woman.

The Talulah they talk so nice about in private is so insanely boring. And this Talulah talking to me right now is just another lying bastard.

Oh, not to say there's anything wrong with lying.

I lie a lot. Nothing stronger than a well-placed lie, except maybe a bomb. The truth is like a cup of water. What good does it do when the whole house is on fire?

But when I lie, I know I'm lying. I chew up my thoughts up and spit them into ears. This she-dragon, though, she lies so natural it's like the words come out of someone else's mouth.

Doesn't matter who she's talking to. It's not just tweaking a couple points to cover up her plans.

—She takes on a totally differently form, turning into something they trust more, telling them what they want to hear.

Reunion's most beloved figure is, of course, the Leader, Talulah. Standing here with me, she's a businesswoman, a trader. With Patriot she turns right into a warrior woman.

She'll show her true face one day, but not everyone will live long enough to see it.

Besides, does she even... have a true face?

Is she an onion? You keep peeling off layer after layer until you realize there's nothing inside?

I mean it.

She was acting honest as an Iberian nun just a minute ago.

She lifts her hand slightly. Hah, I know that trick.

Right now she's like a cunning Savra after a lifetime of raiding and killing.

Something pulls away the air in front of me, and in a split second it'll melt away my whole body.

Don't tell me you're ready to kill me after a little bit of teasing.

Nobody has ever figured out the formless things Talulah throws around— but I know exactly what they do.

Ruins. Debris. Things lose even their most basic structure.

It's just like a fire without light.

I am her prey.

I should have known.

Kinda obvious, dragon lady. The old Talulah wouldn't have showed her cards this early.

Waiting to die, or plopping down some long-winded monologue before the end, just isn't my style.

I never thought about dying. At least, not now.

The small device I tossed out moments earlier while I was talking, falls to the ground and blooms into a ball of flame before me.

A wave of heat rushes towards me. Luckily, the comforting warmth isn't hers.

I'm no Arts expert, in my experience, ninety-nine percent of Arts are no match for this pure burst of energy.

Explosions. Heat, shrapnel, shockwaves. It's an equalizing force that tears apart any enemy, or me.

I just need to draw out the stalemate a little longer. Until all the seeds I planted finish blooming.

You're such a hard worker, Talulah. You even went through all that trouble to play out a sitcom with me. I knew it, you really would make a great actor.

This dragon lady... I don't really hate her that much, do I?

Those who don't know how to deceive cannot tell lies, and thus are not liars. And she... is a monster soaked in lies.

She doesn't need to lie.