Глава 8

You must live.

The whole point of the Chernobog rescue mission was to save lives.

The whole point of the Core City infiltration was to save lives too.

Don't ever say things like, 'There are causes worth giving your life for.' Never say that.

Life is precious, and more importantly, your life belongs to yourself.

No one... absolutely no one can let their life go to waste for us.

...There's no such thing as necessary sacrifices.

To say otherwise is just wrong.

Guard!

...Yeah, I'm listening, Amiya... Leader of Rhodes Island.

This goes for Reunion too.

Cautus!

Go ahead.

Just leave this place to us. Feline, let's go! Let's give the little rabbit the battlefield she wants.

Amiya...

You have to do this.

Okay. I will see this through.

Yeah, thanks.

Amiya Squad, follow me!

Everyone, we'll meet again! Alive!

Goodbye...

We'll see you later!

Okay, let's do our job here.

Well then, the guerrillas will take care of this one.

This place is a little too cozy to be our battlefield! Come! Let's turn these blocks into a warzone!

Rhodes Island, let's go!

Yeah!

Go over this for me again, Superintendent Ch'en.

Am I not being clear enough?

No, you're clear as day. So perfectly clear that I thought I misheard.

Superintendent Ch'en, you should know this is outside your purview.

Laws are different from one country to another, but common sense applies everywhere.

What did the Royal Guard Academy teach you anyway? Did they ever tell you to keep your feet on the ground and not bite off more than you can chew?

I graduated long ago. Now, I'm a police officer serving Lungmen.

I'll repeat again, so listen up. 'My wish is to join the L.G.D., and from there, I'll join the Special Inspection Unit.'

I will protect this city, and I'll clean this place up. There won't be another incident like that.

What incident?

Well, aren't you forgetful? Or are you just playing dumb on purpose?

Watch your mouth, Officer Ch'en.

My apologies, Chief Wei.

Sir, I am referring to the incident that took place roughly ten years ago when the city was infiltrated by foreign forces. Several Lungmen citizens were kidnapped, and they are yet to be found.

I will continue to push the city to investigate and locate the kidnapped citizens after my admission to the department.

Ch'en... You have no idea what you are talking about.

Sir, I am perfectly aware of what I am talking about.

I won't argue. How about this, then? As soon as you don't think you can keep it up, just let me know.

Tell me, Superintendent Ch'en. How long do you want to be in the department?

I didn't give him an answer.

For all these years, I've always wondered... just how much longer can I do this? How much longer do I want to do this?

And it wasn't until now that I finally realized the answer isn't for me to decide.

The Chi Xiao has gotten pretty rusty in my hand lately. I wonder just when will I finally understand? Shadowless doesn't mean to chase after shadows or let go. Instead, it's to never look back.

'As sword ere shadow's trace, cast off as cast.'

Hui-chieh:

I don't know how much further I have to go.

I can hear the winter feathers chirp every now and then. Is that supposed to mean something? Does it mean that spring will be here soon?

It's still very cold here, but it shouldn't be much longer until it starts to get warmer.

It's been three weeks. We've finally found two more villages willing to trade with the Infected.

We've set up camp at an abandoned settlement a few kilometers away from them. There's plenty of fuel here to last us a while.

You can't imagine how awful tree bark tastes. I don't ever want to listen to the old man tell me how nutritious they are anymore.

December 7th

I am very well aware where this road is taking us.

Nonetheless, we have to get to the end of the road. Even if I don't make it, Yelena, Alina, and Eno and Sasha as well... I am sure they will make it.

But the road beneath our feet is just way too murky and hard to see.

Will they reject us? We can't bring their hopes up too much.

It's a bad thing to make a promise you cannot fulfill. The Ursus Empire's promise about bread and bed was nothing more than a ruse to cover up their atrocities and lies. And lies are what lead to tyranny.

Will they come to loathe us? It's very likely. If it wasn't for how hard life is in the Northern Plains, people here would probably report the Infected to the Patrol Unit the moment they spotted them.

This kind of animosity probably came from how worried they are about their own situation.

I'm not like Buldrokkas'tee. We certainly need to be on the lookout and avoid that, but I don't believe that's in their nature.

We can't hold it against them just because they want to look out for themselves. Definitely not.

Will they try to hurt us? I have no idea. And it's probably not something I can worry about too much...

No matter the case... I think most people are only like that because of the circumstances they are in.

If they had a teacher like Alina, a team like ours, or the chance to live in harmony with Infected... I'm sure things would improve.

Most of them were simply brainwashed by Ursus's twisted ideology. We can help them. Knowledge can change the way people think.

It's just... it's a really difficult thing to do. That's even though I believe... if you always hold fast to your beliefs in your actions, getting everyone to accept the truth should be one of the simplest things to accomplish.

【The words above were crossed out. Naturally, the letter was never mailed out.】

Oh, good morning.

Wouldn't it be dangerous for you to head outside right now?

I talked to the soldiers, and they said the patrol unit all went to the village to the west. Did someone see you trading with them the other day?

It's not impossible. Anyway, you should stay away from the west.

I know. I'll go to the village to the east instead. I should still be able to barter for some things there.

Oh, you don't need to worry so much. Remember, we used to find ourselves in situations much more dangerous.

What are you trying to get this time?

Some canned fruits and dried vegetables.

...Are those things really worth heading outside for?

Our fighters will get sick if things don't improve soon. It's about time you pick up a few things about taking care of yourself...

We're having trouble just getting enough food to feed ourselves. I really don't think we should go out of our way for....

Now, Talulah, that's not right.

Uh huh, ahem—

'It's precisely because there are times we don't get enough food on the table or even clothes to keep ourselves warm that things like songs, music, fruits, and flower, and our desire for all the things that delight our taste buds, our eyesight, and our sense of smell are so important.'

'These are the things that remind us what we are fighting for: we're fighting so that everyone can lead a decent life.'

Naturally, your health is part of all that. With just some vegetables and fruits, we can help a lot of people fight off their diseases.

...Rebutting me with my own words... That's cheating.

Hey now... Cheating? That's quite a serious charge, isn't it? Here, say it after me: 'That's smart!'

Okay, okay.

Do you need someone to go with you? A bodyguard, that is.

That probably isn't a good idea. I may be Infected, but I am not that special. I wouldn't want anyone to find out about us just because of me. Besides, it isn't too hard for me to hide my infection. Easier than for some of our soldiers.

Okay, but you should still be careful. I don't think we can completely trust the villagers there... There are a lot of things that don't add up there.

Yep, okay. Oh, I'll try to get us some pears too. Or do you reckon the Yetis like apples more?

I think they are more of a fan of raspberries... but let's not worry about them. They know how to look for those themselves.

I've got a meeting now.

Okay, I'm leaving.