bpipe

风笛

11:41 P.M. \ Overcast

Lungmen District 7, City Gateway

Inspector Hoshiguma, you're finally here!

Hey, you sent me a message to get out here right when I was taking my shoes off, kid. Had to scramble across half of Lungmen in the dead of night.

—So, what's with your perp?

Ahem, we, we apprehended her! She's in a holding cell for now.

So you got her? How many did it take?

Er, it was just me and another guy on duty...

You said she's a Victorian soldier... packing a pretty intimidating weapon too.

I don't get it either...

Before me and Ping even got close, she just dropped her weapon, stuck her hands way up and started yelling 'right here,' like she was worried we couldn't even see her.

Inspector, I've been on this gateway for a couple years now. I've never seen someone try to cross in like this.

No worries, I'll go see what her deal is.

Oh, right, you said in the message she was yelling something too?

She's out there trying to speak mandarin Yanese, and not too well at that... but it sounded like she was saying, uh, Ch'en... Ch'en?

I might've just heard it wrong.

Ah... ha.

Alright, I'm up to speed.

Uwagh, that's bright—oh, did someone finally come?

Yeah, I've got a few questions to ask.

Is this... an interrogation?

Counts as one, I guess.

*sigh* It was always me doin' the interrogatin' before. Suddenly the tables are all turned. Honestly, it's a new feelin' to me.

So you handed in your weapon all nicely... Didn't want to run?

Ought to be a fair deal simple gettin' out of here, really... even without the Fortcracker...

*cough* *cough* No, not that I mean to! Clean forgot you're interrogatin' me... um, I've got no thoughts of runnin' at all! I kept here voluntarily!

Why? Hard to meet anyone who likes squatting in prisons.

I mean, I don't really want to be shut up. Just, I heard if I barged my way in the gate, police'd come arrest me... they're called the L.G.D. in Lungmen, right?

I was lookin' for someone, so, quickest method possible.

Find who, exactly?

Chenchen... I mean, right, Ch'en. She's in the L.G.D., right? I think she's already a... superintendent?

Ugh, what a shame. I thought she'd come over herself once she got the news, see.

What relationship do you and this supposed Superintendent Ch'en have?

We're best friends. We were classmates, back when she was at school in Victoria.

Which school?

Er, the Royal Guard Academy.

In that case, you're an officer?

...I was before I left.

A retired Victorian officer, in uniform, gatecrashing a border city of another nation, with a standard weapon to boot—

Minus the bit where it fires shells! That part's removed!

But with the chambering system retained, it still has massive blast force. Am I right?

(Quietly) Goin' by the rulebook, I really should've handed it in to the brass...

Which is to say, you didn't have an ordinary retirement?

Well, that question came fast.

Ugh, if I knew this day was comin', I would've tried a little harder back in interrogation theory.

Are you that keen on covering up the details of your retirement? Miss, if you're a deserter, then I should be on the phone already.

No, please don't call anyone—

I—I really am out of the force, I can promise you that!

I'll try and explain, but—there's some info I just... am not at liberty to reveal here.

Go for it, then.

Alright, here's the thing. Three months ago, I was still in the army, and our team was trackin' this case.

Durin' our investigation... um...

I can't say anythin' but, because of this case, out of our team, the only one presently still alive... no, still able to freely operate is me, now.

I'm sorry. It must be rough to remember.

Thank you for understandin'.

That said, I'm not clear on something. You almost gave your life, so shouldn't the old Victorian Army fogies have been covering you in medals?

You mean, gettin' decorated? Forget it, the investigation's not complete. That never even crossed my mind.

But at the very least... I thought they could send a few more hands to help me stay on the trail.

And they didn't?

Really floors you, doesn't it? Officer, I make less sense of it than you do.

I started out searchin' for all kinds. Started from County Peninsula's barracks, and all of them were trippin' to placate me, havin' me wait for orders from above, pledgin' I'd have more hands ASAP.

And I heeded that. In the end, I realized I was just wastin' more and more time, and the investigation was dead in its tracks for it. So, I decided to circumvent the place's barracks, and get straight in touch with Londinium.

Wasn't too easy doin' it, but luckily I'd already built up a little experience on how to deal with barracks, and you'll always run into good people on the way forward.

Finally, I made it in one piece to the closest camp to Londinium—

And there, I made my decision to retire.

Because they still didn't help you?

Commanders, counts, the grand dukes... they probably had other concerns. They told me so, at least, and there I was swallowin' it all, right until the day...

I accidentally overheard. A lieutenant colonel with some other officer I didn't recognize, discussin' what to do with me.

Aye. I never thought—

Thirty-seven whole days past the event, and I wasn't sittin' waitin' for any reinforcements. Only an order to transfer.

This can't have been easy for you.

Mm... I feel a right mess inside. Is it hurt? Or disappointment, or anger... I can't even say.

When I learned, my brain just went pure white. Only thought I could keep was I was glad I left my spear in the trainin' room, and didn't have it to hand.

Otherwise, you would've done something?

Wouldn't have, really... probably. After all, I've always remembered my own duty.

And just the same, as a Victorian serviceman, I had to obey orders.

But... in that moment, I realized I couldn't do it.

Armies don't much care for insubordination.

Aye. And with that, I settled on it pretty quickly. I'd leave the army myself before they decided where I ought to go.

Did they agree to let you go?

Retirement procedures went smooth enough. Leader and Chenchen used to complain how stubborn I was. Of course a lieutenant colonel and his lot couldn't do a thing to stop it.

But, when I was at the camp to hand my weapons back in, I got ambushed.

A surprise attack? From who? The one you were after?

It's very likely.

I've gone over it in my head. Why would they choose to act at the barracks, when they clearly didn't care for a whole month about me...

Maybe the enemy sneaked their way into army admin, in the end? Or maybe just from the start...

Ugh, none of it matters anymore.

I fought a few off, but they had masses of people. Couldn't help but pick up my spear and hurry on my way out.

And then? That's how you fled Victoria?

Fled's... not wrong. Haha. It's been real rough and tumble comin' all this way.

I know how tall an order it is to deal with those bunch. Didn't dare go home, naturally. Didn't want the ghosts gettin' my mum and them caught up too.

Goin' back to the army's even more out of the question, and I'd just be hasslin' the police if I went to them. Kept waverin', thinkin' for an answer...

You could only turn to classmates?

Mm, that's right. Chenchen promised, if anythin' happened to me, I could go find her!

Ha ha.

Er, officer, what are you laughin' at?

It's nothing. So, you came to Lungmen.

That's where she is for certain. I haven't got it wrong, have I? Her New Year message last year came from this place and all.

Let's keep talking about why you broke past our gateway.