Глава 10

3:22 P.M. \ Overcast

Underground structure, Sudean Borough, Londinium

I don't think this is a very smart decision.

Rockrock, we don't have enough hands. There are many places above us where people can hide, and we still haven't checked at least a third of Sudean.

You know Harmo and the gang are getting ready for the move already. In a couple days, they will be leaving this place, and so will the commander.

When that happens, even if our team stays, our chances of rescuing anyone will be slim.

That's no reason for them to join us.

They aren't joining us... They're cooperating with us.

Didn't you hear the commander? They're friends of a friend. We accepted our friend's request and helped them enter Londinium, and they're here now.

And if they can help us look for people...

They can rest up in our hideout. That's the commander's order.

And once they're done resting up, they'll leave this place. I'll escort them to somewhere safe aboveground, and that'll be the end of it.

Why can't we ask them if they're willing to stay for a short while? It'll just be a small favor. They might not turn us down.

You know why. I told you.

Er...

The commander thinks they can be trusted. There has to be a reason for that, so I'll stop questioning their motives.

But I also don't want our men dragged into needless danger.

Why do you think what they're doing is dangerous?

What do you think they're doing here?

They sneaked into Londinium with a bunch of highly skilled Sarkaz, and they're making an enemy of those other Sarkaz... Feist, we're Victorians. We're used to this.

You're talking about the lords fighting day in and day out outside Londinium.

Ever since we were born, they've been fighting amongst themselves to no end. If it wasn't because of all their infighting, our homes wouldn't have become a Sarkaz backyard.

It's tiring enough trying to take back our homes... The Sarkaz want to fight on our lands, and not only is there nothing we can do about it, it has nothing to do with us.

But what if they can really stop the Sarkaz occupying the city?

Maybe you think they're here to snatch the crown, but the way I see it, we have a common enemy.

I'm not so confident to think that we can take control of the situation. Not like you.

The Sarkaz... they're nothing like you think. They're that good at pretending.

The day my dad was executed, I spotted a girl in the distance... The executioner called her 'Your Majesty.'

That was when I found out what the king of the devils actually looked like.

You never told me that before.

Because I never saw the need to.

I'm telling you this now because... I want you to know we can't let ourselves be deceived by looks.

Even though the Sarkaz woman had a flawless, unblemished appearance, even if she put up a look of pity for an old Londinier worker, totally unknown to her, I will never forget...

She is the one who led the Sarkaz and killed my father... and countless more Victorians...! She's the Lord of Fiends!

Uhh... Miss Amiya?

Mr. Feist, Miss Rockrock...

That's all I have to say, Captain. I will head aboveground and continue our search mission. You... You should really give what I said some thought.

Sorry, Miss Amiya, Doctor... Um, I need to help Harmo tune his equipment... so please excuse me too.

Doctor, the Sarkaz that Miss Rockrock mentioned...

We don't have enough information yet.;......;Doesn't sound like Theresis to me.

It's a white-haired woman with a compassionate look... and the Sarkaz called her 'Your Majesty.'

Doctor, you might have forgotten, but I...

I will never forget even the tiniest detail about her expression or anything she said to me.

You mean...;......;No way!

I know it's impossible.

But I...

Dr.{@nickname}, from today onwards, you have the permission to access the following files.

Some of the information in these files will be of interest to you—

Whether it's information about her, or information on the powers that Amiya has inherited.

You talked about this, and you didn't believe me.

At this point in time, trust is meaningless.

I can't deny the importance you hold to Amiya, and the thing she needs most in this Londinium operation is your assistance.

Doctor...

No matter what you two find in Londinium, you have to face it with her, together.

I know you can do it.

Not so fast, Amiya.

Right... I need to stay calm.

I was almost going to chase after Miss Rockrock, to ask her who she saw.

But... that could further fuel her misunderstanding about us.

It's okay to have feelings.;You're being very hard on yourself already.

Yeah... Doctor, I'm feeling better now.

You might've heard a little about the past from Dr. Kal'tsit before we came to Londinium.

But there are some things that I haven't had the chance to talk to you about.

Actually, for a very long time after that incident, I dreamt about you two a lot.

In my dreams, you never talked. You just watched over me in silence.

It was like that night out on the barrens. You held my hand silently, and I could sleep soundly.

I was able to feel you... I knew you were just asleep. Dr.{@nickname}, you might have been away for a little while, but you were there with me still.

Amiya...

But she's... not the same.

She told me a lot of things in my dreams. From the fate of every single Sarkaz at Rhodes Island to if I wasn't sleeping well, if it was cold...

She warned me about lots of things. It was like she was right there by my side.

The more that happened... The more that happened, the more it struck home that... she has left us.

Trust your feelings.;......;You know her better than anyone.

There is so, so much that she didn't want to leave behind and so many people and things that she kept thinking about. Us, Dr. Kal'tsit, Rhodes Island, and the Sarkaz...

If... If she was actually alive, would she not come back to us?

The one you're talking about wouldn't do that.;This must be a misunderstanding.;Did Theresis do something, maybe?

Right, she wouldn't just abandon us.

And she wasn't the kind of person who would let Theresis invade Victoria... She wouldn't be able to bear seeing the Sarkaz start this unjust war.

You mean that Rockrock might have seen another Sarkaz who looked like her?

It's true. That's possible.

It's... a very cruel method.

Death is a very serious matter to the Sarkaz, much more so than any other race. The souls of a Sarkaz who passed eventually returns to her whole tribe. It's the greatest comfort to the Sarkaz, after a lifetime of hardship.

Doctor, you witnessed the passing of Patriot. It was a matter of dignity and pride. It was the last time a man saw his own fate.

The silence of death gave him an answer, and this answer can forgive everything about him.

No Sarkaz should ever have that final peace stolen from them... Especially her, who gave everything to the Sarkaz.

Doctor, do you remember what I said at the port?

I know what emotion has taken hold of Londinium. It's anger. Sarkaz anger.

And it's not just me who can hear it, this anger is so strong that all Sarkaz can hear it.

Even a Wendigo altar can't give rise to such a strong resonance. It's like someone turned the Sarkaz's centuries-old burning anger into an actual, raging fire.

If no one puts a stop to it, sooner or later, it will burn through Londinium's skies and spread, burning everything in its path.

That's why we need to get close to it as soon as we can to find out what the source of the fire that's engulfing everything actually is.

I'm worried about you, Amiya.;Wouldn't you get hurt if you got close?

You can see it, Doctor. Right, emotionally... I'm not like I was before.

The one ready to dive into the fire isn't the leader of Rhodes Island. Probably not the successor they keep talking about, either... It's Amiya.

This is what I want. It's the answer I'm looking for, as an individual.

And it's true... I'm also a little scared.

I'm afraid of that answer. I don't want to see Dr. Kal'tsit and everyone else have their hearts shattered.

There's you too, Amiya.

Yeah, right. There's me, too. If it's really her... I don't even want to imagine what that might mean...

But this is something I must face. There is no other way forward.