level_st_10-01

Londinium, Auchterigg Borough

Inside The Shard

Our project is near to its close.

I hear the sound of the storm, and so do they.

They're telling me now, how they like this sound. They're dying to become a part of the storm, to howl wantonly through the air, to go and devour this hateful city before us.

Perfect.

In ten days, our airship will be complete. From there, they'll be able to take to Londinium's skies, and serve as the storm's very pilots.

I'll be going with them.

That suits our plan. You are the optimal candidate to command our air forces, given I must be defending The Shard.

No, Theresis, that isn't what I mean.

They and I, as one, can but only go together.

Good.

Prior to their departure, you are to continue fulfilling your duty.

The Royal Court needs you, and our soldiers need their most trustworthy monarch.

Moreover, you are more proficient in building than I am, by all rights. Our construction rate has sped up by ten percent since you began attending Court meetings.

I would not forget what I am meant to do.

Also. I noticed you deposed of those... guards. The Confessarii have given you no end of grief for that, have they?

Deposing of the guards about you was the Military Commission's decision. We need more sentries, so we can answer to the greatest period of danger.

If needs be, I can enter the battlefield too.

Stay here. This tower... and the airship. Those lie at the core of our plans.

Once these two projects are through and done with, Kazdel will possess the power to fend off all nations.

Fend off all nations, you say...

I've always known of your ambitions, but it makes it no less unbelievable to hear every time.

Hasn't it always plagued you that they would not permit us to rise again?

Very soon, you will be plagued no longer.

Indeed.

—If even the bearing of the storm is ours to control, who would still be occupied by the dark clouds floating at its head?

In the past, we Sarkaz let our enemies pursue us.

Time and time again we stood up in the ruins, and time again we rebuilt our homeland, and time again we watched our home be torn to shreds by the wars they incited.

Sarkaz... Sarkaz. We are a rootless people.

Why is that? Solely because they have occupied our finest soil, and forbid our roots to take.

In the war two hundred years ago, it took all our might to drive the enemy back—yet we still could not preserve Kazdel.

After that, how much time did we have to devote, to just about reconvene our stranded remnants?

And how much more time—

To transport these bare shreds Victoria and Ursus could not see to a wasteland they were just as blind to, and rebuild Kazdel again right under their very noses?

Two hundred years?

Yes. It has taken us these two full centuries.

So what of the next time? Suppose our Kazdel is once again razed by flames of war? How much more time will we need to rebuild it?

Now five hundred years—or even longer?

Our enemies have almost gotten away with this, precisely because we've become accustomed to drifting.

Ruination after ruination may never snuff out the Sarkaz soul, but it has unarguably scattered us.

Kazdel today is merely crammed with houses. It is not home.

Still more Sarkaz wander the great land beyond, no dreams in their mind's eye further than tomorrow's bread.

Even the Royal Court... All Kazdel has is its Ten Kings' Court of tradition, and the majority of those ten have left their positions vacant.

This is why you wanted war.

It is not my want, but the Sarkaz's need.

This time, it will be beneath our feet where war's flames ignite. Victoria, Ursus, Leithanien... not one city, not one patch of soil will be fortunate enough to escape.

Within the next century, our enemies will no longer have the energy left to set their sights on Kazdel.

No, more than that. Once we have the ability to guide the storm—they'll come to fear the Sarkaz's gaze instead, just as they fear the storm descending.

The storm... gathers atop this tower we stand in.

They will see us, stood in the storm's eye. Every enemy of the Sarkaz will throw themselves at us with all they have, to stop us.

Then let them.

You... Don't you fear the inferno consuming your body too, when the first thunderbolt strikes?

When you built Babel, you too knew all opposers would point their swords at you—and did you ever once fear?

The tower you built with life has collapsed, just like another Kazdel.

And at this moment, we stand here—in a new tower, in a new opportunity.

Look at Londinium today. You only just presided over the meeting of the kings. How can you not have realized?

Not even before the useless war between us began, were the Sarkaz so close to unity.

「I'll return to the city's outer barracks soon, Your Majesty Theresa.」

「I understand, Nachzehrer King. Our meeting here will be as brief as possible.」

「You're always in such a hurry, Nachzehrer. You don't want to get together with us?」

「I haven't the time to spare, Vampire. A hundred thousand are stationed outside Londinium. Not I nor my soldiers can spare a second of complacency.」

「Then let's switch our duty. I'm already sick of the blabbering nobles inside the city.」

「And, Theresis, your little Gaulish friend is just as foolish and noisy as them.」

「I've got to warn you in advance. My patience is limited.」

「His head will have to stay on his neck for a moment longer. Don't add the city's Victorian Army to our troubles.」

「Fine enough. That said, don't you feel that some still haven't been put to use?」

「Do you speak of myself, Vampire? I have great affairs upcoming, don't I, Your Highnesses?」

「Of course. Control of Londinium is inseparable from the efforts of us all.」

「Has there been word from the Messenger you sent, Confessarius?」

「By Manfred's tireless urging, the Lich is now fast on the way to Londinium.」

「The few Wendigos left remain battling strange monsters in Ursus's north. Their hearts hold the Royal Court no more.」

「The Cyclops sends a letter. As ever, she describes a tragic scene—Londinium sundered by great fire into thirds, The Shard fallen under lightning strikes in their hundreds, and the Regent... yes, she still prophesies your end, Regent.」

「Speak.」

「She says she has seen your solitary death, on the underground throne of the Palace of Westhaleg.」

「Give her a reply, thanking her for her concern.」

「Continue searching for any sign of the Gargoyles. So long as you can find any remnant blood vessels, immediately send an invitation.」

「The Council will, together with the Royal Court, ensure victory in this war.」

If the Sarkaz can still be given a new chance, then that chance lies before our eyes, and it is one and only.

And very, very many will die.

So many... Victorians, and so many Sarkaz. The people's blood will change this grey city through and through, and their wails will cover even the thunder.

This is a war. A war between us and them, one continued for centuries, without end.

Yes, war... This has always been how we Sarkaz continue to survive.

If you have any objections, speak.

Single out the dangers of my plan, just as you have countless times before.

I have no objections.

None... you say?

If you could hear these sounds in my head, you would know, they would not allow me another choice.

Provided this war can truly free Kazdel from the cycle of destruction... Provided this storm can truly put out the Sarkaz's smoldering enmity, and return countless souls to the freedom of rest...

I will stand with you, ensuring our dream can be made reality.

A fine turn.

There is one more thing—

The Rhodes Islanders are already on their way.

6:50 A.M. \ Overcast

527km out from Londinium, operation platform of an abandoned mine

Dr. Kal'tsit, anchoring sequence will begin in T plus one hour, forty-eight minutes.

Good. Ensure the boarding region can operate normally before then.

Understood. We'll step up the cleanup.

Warfarin, have all critically ill patients been appropriately situated?

Relax, it's just the last three left, and we're operating on them tomorrow. We'll have the moving sickbeds arranged in no time...

Don't rush me, okay? You standing here with your stern look makes our Medic Operators have to keep peeking at you.

This is an emergency.

Fine, I get it, I'll quit joking.

Every day's been like a battle ever since we entered Victoria. If you hadn't transferred so many operators away beforehand...

Rhodes Island must operate as usual.

We reached this consensus at the first resolutive meeting, Warfarin.

No complaints from me. You made Mon3tr lash me to the side of the ship four years ago...

Hm?

I mean, when you invited me to join Rhodes Island. We agreed I would research Oripathy alongside you, as a doctor.

There wasn't any 'follow the new King of Sarkaz in a fight to win back Kazdel'-type clause in my contract, and switching Kazdel out for Londinium changes nothing.

This goes for a great deal of our operators. I have no intent of forcing any one operator to participate in a mission irrelevant to their long-term goals.

Moreover, no matter the other operations we are forced to take on, we cannot turn a blind eye to the Infected throughout every region.

*Sigh* If it wasn't for our work there, we'd have a few more elite operators to spare for this Londinium trip.

I wonder how Amiya's crew are doing.

Once we reach the vicinity of Londinium, we'll receive word.

Recon group, report situation on both sides!

Received. No threat, copy.

Closure, we can pass through ahead! Keep the engineering team with us!

On it!

Dr.{@nickname}, still got it in you to move? Want my drones to give you a lift?

I'm fine, let's keep going.;......;When were drones capable of that?

Lemme think... huh, I can't actually think of anything wrong with the idea.

Doctor, we just need to walk a little longer. When we're out of this danger zone, then we can ride on our crafts and recuperate a little.

We'll need to send Dr. Kal'tsit a message at some point, too... She must be extremely worried about us.

Wonder if it's going smoothly on the landship's side.;She should be sending us a message too.

That's exactly why she had to stay behind... she can only rendezvous with us once Rhodes Island is safely situated. That's our joint responsibility.

For safety, we can't use any messaging devices on our approach to Londinium.

Any signal might be intercepted by the Duke's force.

No, it might get even worse... Doctor, we can't afford to have Theresis spot us so quickly.

Doctor, just leave this to me.

Ever since we planned to drive into Victoria, Doctor Kal'tsit and you have been busy securing the safety of our route.

I will take charge for the rest of it, just like we've agreed on.

I want a chance for you to catch your breath too... even if it's just mentally.

Doctor, we have to keep going.

Ugh, there are times I think about how we got in over the past months, and it seems too smooth to even believe.

That ragtag bunch of windbags are all together in Londinium right now, and they haven't even noticed us... Kal'tsit, did you use some kind of ancient technique I'm not aware of?

If any Arts truly could render Rhodes Island invisible, believe me, I would've used them over a decade ago.

Haha, I almost forgot. 'Disused industrial mining equipment recovery organization'... is that right?

We've been using that title for passage and permission to park the whole way. Trust Dr.{@nickname} to come up with that.

Dr.{@nickname} tends to have a... unique angle of thought on certain aspects.

And luckily, Closure's personal interests has had her lead the Engineering Department over the past years to develop technologies for using scrap.

Which, in short, renders the title a fine one. With the addition of a few friends' aid, this plan has been successful in execution thus far.

As for what comes next... that lies with Amiya and Vina.

Two left, four right. Indra?

Check.

How's the right side?

Tsk. Someone who thought he was funny had me caught up for a second, but he's over with now.

And Dagda?

I heard steel claws and crossbow bolts mashing into each other.

Enemies left to the rear?

Leave 'em to her.

Hey, there's one hiding right here—!

Now there isn't.

Just missing Dagda...

Vina, listen, it's dead silence behind. I said she could sort it out.

Good. Vanguard group, mission complete.

Notify Amiya immediately: there's no more noble's patrols in the vicinity. They can pass through.

The road ahead is clear. No casualties.

Messaging devices back in operation.

Doctor... we're just about to catch sight of Londinium.

We finally made it here.;......;Now can I catch my breath too?

Hold on, Doctor... Jessica sent a message.

Ah... before we carry out the next step of the plan, we need to send a few operators to run a different mission.

We have two targets to rescue. One's a friend at Blacksteel, and the other is an informant who can help us enter Londinium.