Глава 8

Here we are.

...You don't need to bother yourself with this, Talulah. The tractor's been missing for months. They were probably stopped by the Patrol Unit. There's not much we can do about it.

Even if all we can do is find their bodies, we'll at least be giving their families some closure.

If the intel recon gave us is correct, this should be the area where they'd gone missing.

Talulah, snap out of it! Everything they said is just a load of horseshit.

I'm fine.

They're just a bunch of heartless bastards... Don't let it get to you!

None of them had the willpower to keep going, to leave the tundra! They fought so many battles with you, and they thought you a coward?! You're the most fearless soldier among us!

Talulah, trust me. All of us follow you by will!

Captain Buldrokkas'tee used to be an Ursus soldier, but we all know he's the most steadfast man we have! All of us trust him!

Not necessarily. He's strong. Way too strong. Stubborn, too. The people who didn't trust him were just afraid to speak up.

It only takes a brief moment for trust to completely crumble. If all the people who followed Patriot died one day, would the ones who come after them be as steadfast as them?

Rumors can destroy us. Before there are rumors, those who are innocent are innocent, and those who are skeptical of others are also innocent.

But no one is innocent once rumors begin to spread.

But what does your upbringing has to do with anything?! You've done so much for all of us!

It's fine. Calm down.

Besides, I haven't really done all that much for them.

Come on, don't say that.

Are you sure you want to go by yourself? Faust has been tagging along with those crossbow guys lately, and he's really getting the hang of it. If the guerrillas aren't around, you could bring them with...

Protecting the Infected traveling with us is our top priority. We aren't fighting this war just to fight a war. Our goal is to help our fellow men survive. Don't put the cart before the horse.

Protecting them is our top priority.

Know this by heart, and make sure everyone else does as well.

Well... godspeed.

Don't worry. It's just negotiating with the locals. Everything will be fine.

At a nearby village.

Before, I probably would've just run inside and started asking questions right away.

I wonder when did I become like this.

Hiding and sneaking around... It was just being suspicious and cautious at first, but this is practically antagonizing everyone now.

I'm not even sure if it is unexpected things that I'm worried about or a repeat of those tragedies.

What a rundown place. Looks like they didn't have much of a harvest this year. Everyone looks so tired.

Weird. It should've been a while since the last time this village resettled, but there's a lot of tractor marks around the village's entrance.

There are scraps at the assembly workshop... but I don't think they're from the village's old tractors. The authentication box is gone. If the vehicle belonged to the village, there's no reason to take that out...

It's getting dark. I should take a look at the junkyard.

This is weird. There's your household garbage, but there isn't much else.

No equipment for processing spent Originium here? If it's not in the junkyard, then where?

It's winter, so there should be wheat straws and warming grass husks everywhere. Did they run into food problems?

...No... that's not right. They burned them. I need to check out their granary.

What's this? What... What happened here?

There's Originium residue all over the place... and the ground is dug up all over the place.

Claw marks... on the granary's door—

Ahh—!

Who's there?!

Talulah turns around.

She finds an Ursus farmer standing there with his guard up. The farmer notices how Talulah is dressed and sets his shovel down.

Geez... what's the matter with you, coming inside the village without saying a word?

Haven't ever seen you before... Are you from the Gendarmerie?

You aren't here for the rent, are you? We already paid our Originium tax. Hell, the taxman took our food too while he was at it. There isn't much more we can pony up.

I'm here since I'm investigating the Infected.

Oh, Infected? We don't have any here.

Has any Infected passed by?

No.

We received a message. I know there's been Infected here. If you know what's good for you, spill it.

Urgh, can't fool you, eh.

Those scumbags. They said no one knew they were passing through here.

So they were here.

Damn right they did. They had those scary weapons on them. Scared the life out of us!

We didn't have the guts to go against them, and we didn't try to.

After that, they even took all of our food, those bastards! Please, you have to get these Infected... these criminals for us!

That's not right.

That's not right...

No!

How dare you say that?

How dare you say that...

How dare you say that!

Huh?

What's the matter with you, ma'am?

You heard their cries!

You heard them crying out for help...

You heard them clawing at the door with their fingers!

W-What are you... ma'am...

You right in the head?

Hey, over here!

Any of you seen her before? Where is she from?

Right, I haven't ever heard an accent like that before!

...Yeah, that's right! She doesn't have a mask on... If she was here to investigate the Infected, she'd be all decked out in protective equipment!

Who are you?!

Answer me!

Infected.

Huh?

Just like the people you murdered, I'm an Infected.

We've done nothing wrong.

You locked them in here. You let them die here.

What are we supposed to do? We don't even have any food left for ourselves!

You could've chased them away or just never allowed them in... You could've just attacked them or outright killed them, and I wouldn't be here complaining to you right now.

But you tricked them. You lured them into your empty storehouse, locked the doors, and starved them.

They were so hungry, they couldn't even use their Arts... They were here only to panhandle. They weren't here to attack you. They didn't even have the strength to fight back. They were just normal people.

Normal? Those Infected? Don't make me laugh!

Who are you to reason with me, you Infected scumbag? You're just a freak!

You kept the storehouse locked until the Originium crystals stabilized. Then you disposed their bodies with the dried up Originium...

They had families, they had friends, they had places they wanted to be... There's not even anything left of them. Infected often die and leave no traces left of their existence behind. That happens way too often, but now there isn't even a way for us to find out where their ashes have gone.

What are we supposed to do? It's not like we've got much to feed ourselves! Life's not easy for us either!

Then why did you lie to them?

What are you talking about?

How could we have known what was going to happen to them? And what were we supposed to do?

That's just an excuse. You saw them starving... You knew they had no weapons to fend themselves with.

You did this because it was... convenient.

From the beginning, you never... No, actually... Ha.

Even if they weren't Infected, you would've done the same thing.

(Time to get rid of her. Get the sentries!)

You will come to see. These great lands you threw yourself to do not want you.