ayer

Hm...

This way... no, that way? What did that say again...

Should be this way. There's the polluted area.

Let me double-check to be sure...

Hey, wait for me!

Oh, what a coincidence, you were headed the right way.

Like I said, you're needed later, not right now.

But I'm starting to doubt your abilities as a Catastrophe Messenger.

What? Don't talk about things you know nothing about.

The job of a Catastrophe Messenger carries a huge responsibility. Many lives hinge upon being able to accurately determine the movement of a Catastrophe. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Why do you think there are so few of us? You're lucky to have even met me. It's not like you've met any others before, right?

...Cut the crap.

Admit it. You need my help to enter the post-Catastrophe area.

I admit it.

Huh?

Can we continue now?

So, who's this guy who Cowell kidnapped and took into the disaster zone, what is he to you?

(Inhale)

Hey, don't be so quick to clam up. You know I'm looking for Cowell because I have a debt to settle with him. It'd be a problem if the one you're looking for is actually on his side.

You brought down a whole regiment of Cowell Mining guards, practically laughing while sitting in the electric chair. You're not someone I want to mess with.

So I need to know who he is. We're working together, aren't we?

...He's my employer.

Employer? Are you his bodyguard?

Yes.

We were employed by Maize Drill Inc., Cowell Mining's competitor. You may have heard of the name.

The first company to send a survey team into this disaster zone, right?

They entered from the southeast, quickly securing the ore deposit for Maize Drill.

We were employed by that survey team. The veins they discovered were just the tip of the iceberg. There are indications of more exposed veins at the former site of the central plaza.

The company was going to perform a second survey, this time entering from the north, and had set up a temporary camp on the edge.

I went into town yesterday morning for a shopping trip... edamame... and when I returned, the camp was in ruins, and there was no one to be found.

I tracked my employer's signal to the camp you were at, but found only the tracking device.

And you know the rest.

Well, I admire your professionalism, but I must remind you that Cowell is leading this band personally. Lots of heads are gonna roll on this trip, and your employer's is probably one of them.

This is Rim Billiton. No need for you to get involved.

My contract remains valid until my employer's death is confirmed.

I do the job I'm paid to.

Suit yourself.

There might be another polluted area ahead. Let me check... hey, wait up.

You walk fast.

Stop complaining, Le—

Le-what?

...Nothing.

I'm beginning to suspect that you're hiding something from me.

I'm hiding a lot of things from you.

...I guess, but there's one thing in particular that's concerning me.

You lost contact with your employer, right?

Yes.

Then how do you know the way?

Multiple times, you've moved before I said anything, but it always ends up being the right direction.

How are you doing it?

Does it matter?

Could it be that you're with Cowell...?

Look here.

At what?

On the ground.

Originium dust, sand, ash... the same mix you see everywhere after a Catastrophe.

That grey stuff is sand, not ash.

Huh?

Tiny particles of eroded limestone that would ordinarily blend into yellow sand.

That's pretty specialized knowledge... but what does it mean?

...It's normally mixed in, but now it's on the surface by itself.

Someone made it happen. On purpose.

Oh!

Separating different types of sand is a special trick of my employer's. He left this as a mark, one that the enemy is unlikely to notice.

So you were secretly following it as a trail this whole time.

Here, there... there's a lot of it.

Sounds like your employer's a pretty smart guy.

Tch.

'Tch'?!

Just a guy who's bad with money... a real jerk.

Sounds like you guys are pretty close.

As close as it takes to punch him in the face.

If that's the case, why would someone like you be working for him? Extortion? Blackmail?

He's my first employer. Changing jobs would be a pain.

Have you ever thought about doing something else? Is there anything you wish you could?

No idea.

What did you use to do?

I... I'd never left home before I started working for Leon.

Let's just say—purely hypothetically—that you're on good terms with your employer, and he's dead when you find him...

Now you're no longer bound by your contract. Would you do anything... outside the scope of it?

No. What are you implying?

Well, there's a lot you could do with your skills. Say... taking revenge for him.

That would be meaningless.

Why?

Simple. Anyone who could kill my employer is someone I couldn't deal with on my own. It would be suicide.

The logical thing would be to turn around and leave. The bodyguard contract has expired.

Regardless of whether I was at fault, there's still no reason to stay and make the situation worse.

Even if I had a mind to take revenge, I wouldn't just rush in hot-hotheadedly. I would make a plan, wait for the right opportunity.

Only fools let revenge occupy their minds.

Enough delay. We need to catch up.

Over there!

Get down!

Quick! Put on your mask!

Mm.

Looking at the particle distribution patterns, this wasn't caused by aftershocks. It's...

The disintegration of Infected.

There must be many Infected bodies nearby. But why? Did the Catastrophe Messenger in charge of this area not give any evacuation notice?

Unlikely. The situation in the east indicates that there was plenty of advance warning. There should have been enough time to give notice and evacuate.

How could this have happened? Was the Catastrophe Messenger new to the job?

There's another possibility...