Глава 13

And your sword... even I can tell it ain't some ordinary blade.

You're right... I'm what they call a zoubiao in Yan, like the Messengers here.

I'm pretty skilled, and not a stranger to traversing adverse conditions either. Surviving in the wild isn't that difficult for me.

You helped us start a fire... I'll leave it at that.

*sigh*...I'll admit what we did, even if it's the soldiers who find out. As long as the Sarkaz don't catch us.

It's not like they'll reward you with a feast.

Is that worth discussing when we don't even have a crumb to eat right now?

Those Reunion crazies... they're the reason why it's so dire for us now...

Reunion?

You haven't heard? Well, you've only been recently Infected, after all.

...Mm.

They're a band of Infected, and we were all counting on them to be our saviors.

You fought over something?

Bah.

We robbed a Sarkaz, but they were of the opinion that we killed one of their Infected 'countrymen'.

Sarkaz? Countrymen? My daughter's dead because of them!

My daughter... my girl... *sigh* Oh!

Do they have a leader...?

'Nine'.

Yeah. She's the one who chased us away.

There was another one they called Guard, but he's dead.

...Grr. I really want to roast something for dinner.

I don't know what Reunion is exactly, but the group we encountered were a bunch of hypocrites who belong in a dumpster.

What? Heh, you want me to shake hands with the Sarkaz and make peace? I'll beat the next one I see to death.

Right, remember the rumors we always heard? From the Ursus tundra?

——Talulah?

'Hero of the Infected'? She didn't seem much at all to me.

I remember she was always trailing behind Nine, and never said anything more than a few words.

The hearsay from those old Infected weren't worth shite. Nine might have been the actual decision maker all along.

...*sigh*. This is all just useless banter. It's too late for you to join them, Yanese fella.

Where did they go?

And how would I know?

Back then I left in a huff with this guy in tow. I remember there being a Messenger station in this direction about a dozen kilometers from here.

An early rest for us today then.

We have to get back on the road tomorrow.

...Nothing unusual to report.

Did you hear? The dukes seemed to have bumped into each other.

Duke Windermere sacrificed herself, and the other lords can no longer sit still either.

*sigh* The madam's legendary tale is still in my mobile terminal...

Legends are useless now.

But... do you know who was keeping watch here at Chetleigh before we took command? I thought the Sarkaz seized this place long ago.

Could they have been stragglers from some army? Maybe it's the Londinium Citizens' Self-Salvation Corps. Rumors abound that they're still active.

That's ace. They managed to stand up to the Sarkaz even though there's no decent equipment to be found here.

Yeah. They're definitely veterans roaming about the country who can take on a hundred alone.

Right? No way they're just some local thugs or worker riffraff.

The scouts sent their intel.

Basically it was pretty much what the commander predicted... which was 'impossible to predict'.

Meh. Send it to the tent, I can't make heads or tails of it either. The Sarkaz army's methods are just too unconventional.

Sure.

...Wait.

The scouts say they detected a strange squad identification code.

Want to report it together?

'The Exemplars'?

Isn't that name from the War of the Four Nations...?

What am I supposed to tell them? Our scouts saw a specter?

...'The Exemplars'.

Know anythin' about them?

No... I'm from the Duke of Fife's 4th infantry battalion...um. That's no longer important.

Aye, you're just an Infected now, and I'm basically a deserter...

Haha, we're both in a wee bit of a pickle, aren't we? Didn't think I'd have to be so overcautious here in Chetleigh.

Bagpipe... I can't find this funny at all.

Chetleigh's now under the army's jurisdiction, so are we...

...Sigh.

I'm sure you have no clue how enchantin' the hay piles are this time of year. I want to celebrate with me army chums back home too.

But I can't expose myself so easily like that. They treat deserters no better than fowlbeasts on the chopping block for dinner.

You're a good one, miss. I'm sure you can sort this misunderstanding out...

Tell me that a year back and I might have believed ye.

'The Exemplars'...

...Ain't that the Tempest Platoon's former name?

Still following me?

Uhm.

You seem strong... and we haven' eaten at all the past two days...

We're all fellow Infected, aren't we?

We'll travel together for a while more.

You might be able to see the station you mentioned after this hillside.

Or maybe it's been smashed to bits... wait.

Look, over there. People, right?

Right.

Stay calm. Their numbers are limited, at the very least.

Wait, hold on! They're Victorians! I can see them!

Are they a squad of refugees? I can see some soldier guards too!

What do we do?

This is much better than running into Sarkaz, but we're Infected... are we going to be...

The Infected already abandoned us, so we might as well ask them for food than starve to death out here.

B-besides, think about it. How many people are going to emerge from this war with Oripathy? Surely they'll let us live somehow?

Of course. Definitely. For sure, I'm sure they will.

I'll go take a look.

Hey!

Heavens! What's going to happen if the soldiers <i>do</i> turn hostile?

And, um, you're a Yanese... what if...

...I think you can ease up on the anxiety.

Look. They seem to be getting along well.

Huh?

I-it really does look like it. He's waving, I'll go over.

Ch'en watches the two Infected mingle with their compatriots.

Vigilance, talking, casual chatting.

Soon someone puts their arm on their shoulders, and their cheery chatter reaches Ch'en's ears.

Ch'en stays at her spot for a long time.

Yanese lady!

I talked with them, we can travel together—