《MiD - Teleportation》
Ch 0. Part 0. Basics
¡°Since the dawn of man, some miracles happened from time to time. But most of the then-miracles are now seen as just an odd bunch of coincidences; as the miracles have become no more than a part of everyday life. First discovered by the ancient Egyptians almost 5 thousand years ago, the manipulation of earthly materials and minerals have become a staple of everyday life everywhere in the world, even on an ordinary day as today, of the 17th of September, 1874, in the humble city of Hanover, Germany, people are using their ¡°magic¡± to do their businesses¡±, sounds a radio at the corner of a table outside the versteckter Gipfel caf¨¦.
It is the 19th century, Germany. The world is where people could use magic ¨C called mana manipulation ¨C to do almost everything. Since the ¡°Magical Revolution¡± gave us a more liberal sight into the concept of mana, having knowledge of the 5th state of matter boosted us 3 centuries into the future. With every ¡°real¡± material having the 5th state of matter ¨C mana ¨C we can create everything from everything. But to create objects using mana, one must have to keep in mind the Law of Conservation of Mass. Scientists, chemists, and physicist, like Lavoisier, Einstein, and Tesla, all have existed just on the turn of the 19th century, amidst the Magical Revolution, and made their mark quite early in history.
The conversion of material needs exact calculations to be effective and a fair bit easy. But to most people, mana manipulation come from within like an instinct and as such, the best method to master the technique is pure experience ¨C like learning how to walk. When converting mana into material, one must account for the energy that is needed to burn the material or energy released from burning it. As mana equals energy, the equation essentially is E=M(Mana)=mc^2. To the same degree, mana is within the body as a constant, and to manipulate and conjure the mana, one would, not chant or draw intricate symbols or lines, but think, imagine, and picture in their minds the thing they are trying to make. But, as people tend to think the final product, they cannot create most things. Yet still, they can create the things that they know the method of creation and the ingredients put into it.
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Produce that had been materialized can differ by the method it was created. Example being, in order to bake an authentic tasting pastry, one must have to manipulate the mana into flour, butter and sugar ¨C all could be created by imaging the molecular structure and essential elements in it ¨C and bake it using mana ovens that run on the concentrated mana as fuel that gets converted to heat. By creating the raw materials and then processing them, results in a normal product. However, by just creating the final product, the quality can vary. If a normal person thought about a quartz crystal, it would be foggy and imperfect. But a geologist thought of a quartz crystal, it would be clear and close to perfection. The world is run by such people who can create anything as they desire ¨C the people who think outside the box. And by those, people get boxed into their lives of the labor class.
Ch.0 Part 1. People
80 years since the introduction of ¡°Current Exchanger¡±, people are now using smartphones and personal computers run on mana in their everyday life. Mana, which was first discovered by the Egyptians in 2000 B.C, they used their knowledge to build the Pyramids of Giza, which was passed down to the Romans and to the east in about 2 centuries. In the 3rd Century B.C, China discovered their mana proficiency and used it to construct the Great Wall and to fight the nomads from the north. In the 4th Century A.D, Mayans in North America discovered their talent for mana, independent from the rest of the world, only to see it as a miracle for those who are fortunate.
Acquiring such knowledge only calls for danger and as such, the practice of manipulating mana to materialize banned by the Pope Urban II in 1091, persecuting anyone who has affiliation of ¡°magic¡±. In 1692, the Salem Witch trials were held, resulting in the lives innocent pupils. A riot and an unrest began in the wake of the executions, involving the real mana users, demanding the persecution to put on halt. Since then, no such atrocities were committed against those who are discovering their talent for mana.
Studies cannot prove nor deny the existence of God. Traces of mana can be found on every copy of the Bible, Torah and Quran but they can be from the devotion of the writer. As the religious material cannot be created by soulless beings, each copy of the Bible is written by hand and each copy of the Quran is printed by hand. Religion does not affect human-mana bond so the idea seems unconventional.
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In the late 18th century, at the end of the Industrial Revolution of 1712, inventive minds were born into a much freer world. Nikola Tesla, the inventor of the AC electricity, also discovered the transmission of 5th state mana by the same conduits and wires. As mana has more potency of electrostatic and behaves only with certain conditions it was given, it is a more suited energy source and state than electricity. Albert Einstein¡¯s Theory of Relativity explained why the implications of mana did not follow the laws of the material universe. But his later ¡°Theory of Irregularity¡± explained both the state of mana as the 5th state of matter and the chaos theory, in collaboration with Edward Lorenz.
During the wake of the Magical Revolution, Hugo Marques, an inventor, and a programmer, developed the Arcane Engine ¨C a 5th generation computer that utilizes pure mana charges, which are much faster than the electric charges, and a liquid-core processor that is essentially a small generator itself. Since its introduction in 1828, computing science, as well as every branch of the natural science, has greatly developed and leapt ¡°399 years into the future¡±. Yet the people of the less fortunate, do not have the luxury to experience the growth of 4 centuries, as they are still stuck with hammers and sickles, making use of manual labor and feudalism as their social cast.
Ch.0 Part 2. Motherland
¡°Nationalistic sentiments are ablaze everywhere ¨C xenophobia and racism, anyone hates everyone but their idea and reason are of those young ¨C alongside power struggles: youth wanting power and old wanting to maintain their superiority; the world has become a playground of the powerful and ambitious¡± ¨C New York Times journalist, Makki Elisia.
Since medieval times, the connection between the east and the west has never been smooth. Even in modern times, everyone is at their throats ¨C militarization and sanctions on the brink of total war. But the transport restrictions ¨C the sanctioning of travels of merchandise and personnel by the great powers ¨C do not allow such battles to happen. The Ottomans control the route to all corners of the world by land and the British, U.S, and Japanese navy control the waterways. As it stands, only viable way of travel is by air. The country with the most aerial superiority is the ¡°neutral¡± nations of Switzerland and the United States of America.
After the lift on mana sanctions, most people seek freedom, and as such, those of different race and ethnicity race to be the overlord of the other. Unfortunately, rapid development of technology and social science does not allow such. Current time¡¯s peace dove ¨C the Tsardom of Russia, or the Great Empire of Russia, has its people prosper under a single banner ¨C the one of the Romanovs¡¯. Ethnic diversity is no significance in the eyes of feudal-socialism, as the people only live to survive and pay tithes to the orthodoxy.
The Hue Dynasty ¨C the longest surviving single monarchy ¨C is at war with Japan ¨C the fastest growing global power. Since their isolationist doctrine disbanded by the U.S in 1833, Japan has leapt past the developed nations of Britain and France in only 30 years. Now, the first global Superpower, Japanese strategy and doctrine have changed to those of militarism and invasion. On the contrary, the Hue dynasty became dependent on the ¡°Family of a Hundred¡± ¨C one hundred people of aristocratic origin, with immense power and intellect ¨C although powerful, they are only a hundred and, at times of war, quantity is the salvation.
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Since the Age of Revolution, the classical sense of Feudalism cannot be seen in Europe, where the most powerful reside. Due to the Napoleonic wars and the earlier Seven Years¡¯ War, most of the continent has been organized into a few great powers, almost all of them either constitutional monarchy or a multi-party democracy. One of the younger but the most industrialized nation, Germany, or the Empire of Germania, has a constitutional monarchy and power distribution all over the country. Capital of Berlin and parliament buildings in Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig, Cologne, Hanover and Konigsberg, the power distribution of the country does not have a mean central. Following the example, Britain, Russia and even the Austria-Hungary have their power in a more regional distribution ¨C flexible and more spread out to develop their country.
From the height of their power in the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire has severed ties to the west and Europe, blocking all passage through or around their territory. Their military prowess and the extensive territory make them a force to be reckoned with. As their doctrine heavily relied on their power, mana usage in the country never fell, unlike the west, and their knowledge on the matter has greatly broadened, allowing them to make automatons with artificial intelligence and automatic engines, even before the industrial revolution. But, as their lead has fallen because of their loss in the Crimean War of 1843, the Ottomans¡¯ dominance in European politics have declined. Their superior tech is falling behind of the rapidly developing ¡°peace aligned¡± Europe, while the aggression from the east and north keep theirs¡¯ from progressing any faster.
Ch.0 Part 3. Networks
The general idea of a global spanning network of intelligence and freedom of speech does not enquire within the world of the 19th century. Despite the numerous advancements in technology and long distance, wired or wireless, data transfer has greatly improved the likes of economy and national security, the use for such services is only limited to the aforementioned ¨C only to the government. As for every governing body¡¯s concern, the people cannot be given power such as freedom or knowledge. And as such, almost every country on the map does not allow their citizens to orchestrate treason in the form of spreading information; they blacklist, interrogate, and process them to be more ¡°cooperative¡±.
Although much of the advanced technology is exclusive to the higher bodies, there are some exceptions. Almost every household has a computer which is connected to the local cloud. With cyber security as their utmost priority, national IT engineers and counterespionage agents make sure to protect the cloud of leakage. Not all the nations have such high-tech household, though, as for China, they have fully public digitalized libraries, all open to any ordinary pleb, but they do not authorize the use of personal computers in any capacity, nor they commend the news from outside country ¨C every country has their own bubble, all apart from one another.
The new age ushered in the likes of many inventors. But the number of the ones who gained fame are far less than the people who had potential. With a tragedy or a plain bad luck, people who could be someone influential does not become the people they wanted or needed to be. Instead, they make do with what they had and compromise. But unpredictable variables are not the only thing that prevents them from becoming powerful. Like playing God, higher-ups of great nations limit the growth of their people. With only one system to measure prominence, society shun the ones who have less mana than the average.
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¡°Compensation is always given to those who are unfortunate¡±. In the likes of those who are unfortunate, the underground is the best plan of action. Along with being unnoticed, they get jobs tailored for their situation; whether it is manual labor, assembly worker or plain terrorism, people at least get to get revenge on those who ridiculed them one form or another. With hefty limitations on their survivability, those without mana have more than rational compensation for their inability to make anything possible. The harsh environment they grew made them develop tactics and mind to aid their livelihood, in a sense, they are foxes hunting among wolves.
As the governments across the world do not like the weak, which makes the country look weak, they hunt, detain, and even exterminate the manaless lineages. As mana capacity correlates to one¡¯s heritage and experience, the people who have less, or no mana at all, face their end as well as their bloodline¡¯s. And in almost every part of the world there is this kind of racism, the people different cannot flee anywhere except the underground.
Although, The Human Right¡¯s existence prohibits unnecessary extermination, or extermination, the great powers does not abide by it. ¡°The right and the wrong is decided by the victorious¡±, is the only rule every single entity follow. The only thing keeping the powers from going total war is the caution of their defeat ¨C in war, numeral advantage is the salvation. As of the last global scale war, the 7 Years¡¯ War, human rights are ignored with no regards to civilian casualty and damage, the invading power does not have any restrictions. But, as almost every government demand partisan force training, most enemy advances are halted by them, rendering invasion obsolete.
Ch. 0 Part 4. Language
¡°Speech is silver, silence is golden¡± ¨C the rule that the ancients abided by. Since the conjuration of mana comes from within, the visualization and formation are linked to the senses. Tied with the learning types of an individual are the conjuration types of their mana. But, even if someone has quick learning, the expression skills bottleneck their mana conjuration ¨C the combination of sight, hearing, feel, speech, and strength.
In the earlier days of mana, one significant kingdom reigned in the middle of the world. Unfortunately, like every great kingdom, their existence was destroyed by a coalition ¨C the modern nations. Derived from the ancient, the languages of every modern kingdom are now unrecognizable to one another. Records from the ancients show the process of early mana manipulation ¨C involving speech and intricate lines. Yet, now that the languages of modern strayed away from perfection, the only way to conjure mana is through feeling ¨C the only thing that has not been changed over the years.
The closest of the modern languages, the Chants of 3, are bound to material creation and not a generalized tool. One of the most well-known, the Chinese script has its merits like being too intricate and too specific to be used as a median. But, the only one after the collapse of the great, the 3 Ring Chant, has almost no downsides other than being very unique and only bound to material creation. But, tied to its specialized use, a crime syndicate was born, named the Carnation Family, the most prominent arms dealer in the world. Due to the essence of the 3 Ring Chant, they engrave their made weapons with such seals, activating to be used as a last ditch weapons.
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The ones who have the least, tend to use their innate talents to the fullest. As such, the modern median, Picture Coding, became the norm for mana conjuration, despite being the weakest of the ways of manipulation. Although not the strongest, or the most consistent, it has the easiest learning curb of any of the styles, even being easier than the Written Engraving. Now, that the world has evolved around nonverbal means of power, the other styles have almost ceased to exist ¨C only being held alive by a select few individuals.
But it only applies to humans. As human mana proficiency expanded and will of the users strengthened, other, less intelligent, species evolved human like intelligence as well as inheriting their innate ability of manipulating mana. They are called the Mythos Sapiens, or the Legendary Intellectuals, as they manifest far beyond what humans could ever achieve. Although they are powerful, they are not almighty; they are defeated time and time again by the inferior race ¨C humans. The link between the mana and the being is closer to the Mythos Sapiens than of humans but they make up for it with the link of familiar ¨C the indomitable human spirit and camaraderie when facing other races.
Ch. 1 Part 1. Battery
On a cloudy evening, in the calm part of the city, a bakery is having its last customers. Within such a big pastry shop, a single staff is present and working. With a notable reputation, Johann is a modern gentleman who has intellect as well as a fair amount of mana, works in his bakery alone as well as being a writer in his free time. After serving the last customer, Johann closes the door of his shop and patiently waits for his experiment to finish baking.
Upon getting the scent of cinnamon, a man walks into the closed door of the pastry shop. ¡°Oh! It is locked¡±, says the man, disappointed. Upon hearing his door being bumped, Johann quickly comes to the commotion. At the door, he sees his friend frantically searching for the doorknob. William ¨C a blue-collar worker at a mine with a very inventive mind ¨C Johann¡¯s clumsy best friend. Letting out a sigh of relief, ¡°Call me before you arrive, mate. If I did not hear you frantically bumping my door with your suitcase, you would not be able to taste the experimental cinnamon rolls I am making¡±, says Johann, popping up his bakery¡¯s doorknob that was hidden away inside the door.
Seated inside the closed bakery, Will receives the cinnamon rolls his friend promised. Taking a bite out of the hot pastry, he puts it down onto his plate. ¡°How is it?¡±, Johann asks, showing a worried reaction and taking a bite himself. ¡°So, this is what people call a cinnamon roll. I have never had one like these before; it tastes oddly soft, like it has vanilla in it¡±, says William, surprised but amazed. Relieved, ¡°It is the new technique I am trying out. Proofing the dough in a contained temperature and integrating the ingredients into the dough after proofing makes the texture less bitter and translates the taste much more into the final product¡±, says Johann, proudly explaining his expertise.
¡°Here, catch! It is a fine-tuned battery I am working on. Give it a try and connect it to your furnace¡±, says Will, giving a small cylinder to Johann. Upon applying the battery to the furnace, the thing glows bright blue. ¡°It is a supposed pacemaker. The lines we use have small hiccups in the flow of mana. But that thing relieves the gaps by storing and or releasing excess mana and then using the mana when needed for a repair of the flow¡±, says to the curious Johann. As Will finishes his explanation and sees the battery once again, it has turned bright crimson and seem ready to burst. ¡°Johann, get back!¡± shouts. The battery explodes, or rather short circuits, and leaves the building powerless. ¡°You good, man?¡± asks Johann, lighting up a candle by sparking the center with a snap. ¡°See if your conduits have power to them. You use my high-performance conduits, right? They store quite a bit of power in them, even after a power surge¡± says William, more worried about the building than his well-being. Inspecting the conduit line, Johann finds none of them having any power.
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As Will explained it, after switching the launcher route, the battery was inserted the wrong way. When the cylinder was inserted into the circuit, the supposed function was funneling the flow of mana into a uniform line. But when it was inserted backwards, it gathered the mana charge from every available source to one powerful surge, until it fried the intake, and the launcher shut the flow.
¡°Well, that was a hot mess. Where were we?¡± says Will, sipping tea from a cup. ¡°I was going to ask your day. After all, yesterday¡¯s explosion at the consulate building involved mining grade explosives¡± asks Johann, putting his cup down on the table. ¡°I do not know, man. My lowly supervisors did not spill a drop of the truth. But all is good; they said it was not from our mine. Not like there were any material evidence of the explosives used anyway. The prediction was made because of the explosion radius and the power¡± says Will, quite annoyed. ¡°I hope authorities catch the culprit. If they do not get caught, the integrity of the 2nd Reich would soon fail and the thousand states will erupt into another war, just like the HRE in the last century¡± says Johann, worried. ¡°I wish so, too. But seeing from their action taken against me, I would say, they are useless. For quite a lot of years, I have evaded them. But the culprit has a huge list of atrocities on his tab and cameras exist everywhere so it will not be so long until they find them¡±, says Will. As the deep night falls on Northern Germany, the meeting between the friends near its end. Before his leave, Will raises a toast, ensuring the advancements in the search and research.
Later that night, the terrorist reveals himself as the masked figure ¡°Li¡±. Hijacking a TV broadcast, he rants about the ¡°modern racism¡± which discriminates those, not by their ethnicity, but by their magic and mana. ¡°The ruling class makes people think in their own bubble as they further their own personal gain. But sometimes they create chaos among the commoners to entertain themselves ¨C feasting on people''s sorrows and feeding their thrill deprived minds¡± he says, in a Russian accent, before the broadcast gets abruptly halted.
Ch. 1 Part 2. Pretty Woman
Up early in the morning on the day of his rest, Will goes to his friend¡¯s bakery to fix the mess that happened the day before. He grabs his case and a blueprint he was given, and heads downtown to Johann¡¯s bakery ¨C versteckter Gipfel. As the bakery opens several hours past morning, the place has not had a soul entered inside. ¡°Yo!¡± sounds Will, alerting Johann who has been busy setting up the shop without most of the stream of mana in his shop. ¡°Welcome. I was just cleaning up the yesterday¡¯s mess. What brings you here?¡± says Johann, smiling a little and dusting off flour from his apron. Grinning, ¡°You sure had it bad. I need to first fix that conduit line going into your oven, no?¡± says Will.
Almost everyone can manipulate mana inside of them to make anything. But without proper visualization of what it is, the produce will not be functional, to say the least. Following Will to the main circuit brake, Johann asks if he knows what he is doing. ¡°Just do as I say, mate. Name one time I was wrong¡± says Will. Thinking for a bit, ¡°You know what copper is like, no? With those rubber walls found on heavy duty electrical lines and a copper interior, I need you to picture an electrical cable. Now make the copper into gold ¨C 2 times the weight and density. Make the wire about 3 meters long, enough to reach the circuit brake from the transformer¡±, says Will. ¡°After you finish making that wire, line the bottom of that wall. So long since the transformer saw use, I wonder if it still works. In this day and age, using electricity as a charge for mana-fueled equipment, Tesla would not be amazed¡±, says a sad Will, moving to the transformer near the end of the room.
After Johann fixed the wire along the wall to the transformer, the two goes up to finally start baking and open the shop. ¡°So, as a payment, what do you want?¡± asks Johann, smiling to Will and wearing back his worn apron. ¡°Make me one of your new recipes, again. Last¡¯s evening¡¯s cinnamon rolls were quite the treat¡± answers Will. As soon as he got his order, he starts gathering ingredients and prepares to knead the mana for each component, carefully crafting the pastry as he goes. ¡°It is a fusion of traditional flavors with a touch of innovation. It combines hints of citrus with a subtle spice and a creamy filling. The idea is to blend familiar tastes in a new way ¨C almost like a monastery ¨C the idea has been there for centuries, but the execution has only begun later as of today¡± says Johann, proudly placing the plate into his furnace. ¡°Citrus Spice Delight ¨C that is what I call¡±. Nodding in approval, ¡°Fair enough¡±, says Will.
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¡°How much for a sourdough?¡± asks a female voice from the shop. Quickly getting up and heading out to the bread section, ¡°3 Marks, miss¡±, says Johann. Before leaving to do his work, he said to Will, ¡°Wear those gloves and take the CSD out of the oven in about 4 minutes. Make sure you cool them before you eat¡± and pointed at an almost new pair of mittens. Curiously looking around Johann¡¯s personal quarters in the back half of the shop, Will puts his case down in a hidden manner, looks up to the tabletop and finds the day¡¯s newspaper and a lot of letters titled to Johann. ¡°Mate, who is Anastasia?¡±, asks Will, carefully inspecting one of the letters. ¡°Your price does not change, huh? Wouldn¡¯t you go out of business if you do not raise the price, Johann? You are such a good guy¡±, says the lady before leaving. Sighing in disappointment, ¡°She is a friend of mine, a writer. Since about a year or so, after I entered the writer¡¯s union, she joined in on a project of mine. Then, I was writing to finish a short novel about the daily life of a perfect immortal. She thought it was too grim, so she added a shine in the form of another immortal ¨C a partner who understood the struggle. Since I finished that project and some others, I have not been able to contact her. The daily life of a normal person is not as grim or lit as of those who are immortal; some days are busy and the others, will crushingly disappointing. Most of those are of several weeks ago. I do not mind you reading some of it ¨C after all, I want to hear what she said too¡±.
Ch. 1 Part 3. Out of the blue
Not wanting to invade personal life, ¡°Yeah, nah, I do not know, mate. I never seen your friend and I do not want my first impression of her being from ink and paper¡± says Will, looking away to his work. To break the awkward silence, ¡°So, what is that you brought? Seems important ¨C is it a blueprint?¡±, asks Johann. ¡°It is a relic from the ancient times. Or that is what my boss said after tossing it my direction 3 days ago. He found it in a hideout along the mine walls, about a thousand or so years old. I do not know; maybe he just wanted to make me work or he did not want it to come into the hands of the patent bureau. Either way, this blueprint is mine now¡± says Will, tiredness prominent in his voice.
¡°Do you know why I don¡¯t have my mana anymore?¡± asks Will. ¡°No, I do not. But who you are is more important, you know? Just like that Li said yesterday, you are a person, with or without magic, you are a human. And it suits you, mate. Dictating others to use their heads and making things no other would understand. People like you are gifted in other ways and who knows, having no mana might just be a blessing¡± says Johann, thoughtfully patting Will¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You of all people follow that terrorist¡¯s preaching?¡± says Will, sarcastically laughing.
¡°I would not say I got my gift. About 12 years ago, I used to know a girl, Cassandra was her name. I liked her yet, me being me, the relationship was nothing more than small exchanges between compliments. The last time I saw her alive was right before the Berlin Explosion of ¡¯62, going in the direction of the unstable mana chamber. After the explosion, mana vacuum was made in the center; everything in the vicinity got depleted out of mana. I came over to the epicenter and saw her, lying on the ground, unable to move. She was too close to the center, even though she protected herself from the blast, the vacuum drained even the sub-mana out of her body, rendering it completely paralyzed. Then, I knew so little about mana anatomy but knew enough that if I transferred my mana into her, she would have a chance to live again. Praying to God, I gave every last drop of mana I could draw from my body to hers. But sadly, her blood had stilled before I could reignite her heart, or so I thought. I never saw her again after the ambulance got to the explosion ¨C she was declared dead. I sometimes wonder if it was my fault. Funny, right?¡± says Will, with tears in his eyes and tension on his voice.
Offering a bun, ¡°Despite everything, you still got a job, no?¡± says Johann, trying to reassure Will. ¡°Do you know what branch I work at the mines? Geological research ¨C one of the lowest rank jobs there is. Only checking sediments if it is strong enough to hold the machineries¡¯ weight. I cannot even recreate the minerals I found because of my nature¡±, says Will, letting out a frustrated sigh as he goes to the coffee machine in the kitchen. ¡°Mate, I will use your coffee machine. Do you have Arabica beans?¡± asks Will, trying to forget the grim that is his life.
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¡°Here, I made you some, too¡±, says Will, handing a cup of latte to Johann. ¡°This is quite tasty. I did not know you were a barista¡± says Johann, sipping the coffee and putting it down. As technology progressed and the lifestyle of people transitioned from laid back and relaxed to the quick city life, unable to make time to brew up a half decent coffee. ¡°I think people nowadays rely so heavily on magic. Back then, when it was prohibited, people prospered and invented so many open-minded contraptions. Now, it is glued to the concept of mana and its usage; even most coffee machines rely on making coffee from mana. Mana roasted coffee beans are too bland and tasteless¡± says Will, ranting about the dependencies of the current world on the magical element. ¡°Enough for ranting for today, for me. Your bakery is awfully silent, today¡± says Will, curious about Johann¡¯s business. ¡°It is Friday and people do not go into bakeries when they could go to bars, mate. I like these days; they are nice and relaxing. I came from a real bakery in Danzig. There, people do not just get bread or pastry from bakeries, they have meals, dates and even weddings. All day long, me and my father worked to please the customers. At the end of the day, the happiness of the people is the prize for having a nice bakery¡±, says a proud Johann, laying back a bit on his sofa, reminiscing his past. ¡°Say, why don¡¯t we have a game night? I could ask a day off at the mines if it is necessary and you should take a day off, too. I would say about 4 hours from now, if you do not have any customers, come to my place. You know the code to my condo, yes?¡± says an enthusiastic Will, trying to persuade the workaholic Johann.
As he leaves the bakery, smiling, thinks about how the modern life flooded the world. In the wake of the Magical Revolution, inventive minds popped up all over the world, inventing different means of information transfer. One man, Hugo Marques, created the modern ¡°Arcane Engines¡± that have liquid mana processors, which act as both an energy source and a medium for information processing, unlike the former, less reliable, and slow fax machines that utilized electrical signals. These engines are now optimized and mass produced in automated factories that mana-print motherboards and other components, which are much faster than the electric transfer of the previous century machines.
Ch. 1 Part 4. Plain Plan
After the last customer buys some milk and cookies and leaves, Johann swiftly closes shop and goes to Will¡¯s apartment. On the way there, he thinks about getting snacks for the night and goes into a corner store. Buying some chips and drinks, he leaves the store as a female voice says, ¡°Hello¡±.
¡°Long time, no see, Johann. Do not give me that surprised face. I am staying here for a bit. Say, did you receive my letters? I wrote one 3 days ago, saying I will be visiting you in a few days¡± says a softly smiling girl, about the same age as Will. ¡°Well, there is always work at the bakery, I have little time to tend to my personal affairs¡±, says Johann, apologetically looking at her, not making eye contact. ¡°It is okay. I am staying at a hotel nearby, care to join?¡± asks Anastasia, carrying her smile to ask for company. A blush could be seen on Johann¡¯s face, ¡°No, I am on my way to a friend¡¯s house, actually. We are having a game night tonight. Thank you for the offer, though. For compensation for not being company, how about you come to my bakery to catch up? I will even make you my signature plate¡±, he says, trying not to upset his friend. ¡°I would love to¡±, she says, enthusiasm prominent in her eyes. ¡°I have a sun allergy so I would not want to go out in the day. How about at 5? The bakery would not be as crowded and busy and the sun will be well down¡± says Anastasia, offering her number.
After the exchange, Johann¡¯s phone rings¡ ¡°Yo! Is there any store nearby? I think I am out of tuna. Care to buy some, mate?¡± says Will, frantically searching for something. ¡°Tuna? Sure, I guess. I am outside of one right now. Hope you like sour cream and onion. Oh, and also, I met Anastasia here. She said she is going to be here for some time and she will visit me tomorrow at the bakery. You could meet her there, mate¡±, says Johann.
Knocking on the apartment door, a small struggle can be heard inside. Upon opening the door, a feisty beast jumps Johann. ¡°Johann, don¡¯t let her get out!¡± yells William as a white cat lunges through the door. ¡°I got her, I got her, do not worry. Where should I put these?¡± says Johann, asking where to put the chips and drinks. ¡°There is a counter left of the hallway. There is a small bowl on it too; measure out half of it for Yuki there. You can get yourself something on the top ¨C I made some pizza and prickled chicken¡± says Will, pointing through the wall.
¡°You are more of a cook than me, mate. Where did you learn to cook like this?¡± says Johann, amazed by the taste of Will¡¯s meal. ¡°What took you so long, mate? You closed shop at 6, no?¡±, asks William, his expression indifferent. ¡°I was going to buy some drinks for the night so I went to a store and came across Anastasia. She is staying at a hotel, it seems, and so she will come to the bakery tomorrow evening¡±, says Johann, taking a plate and sitting on the sofa. ¡°So, how is she?¡±, asks Will, trying find out more about the woman. ¡°She said she is fine. Traveling the country and finding new inspirations for her to write about, everything sounded alright¡±, says Johann. Putting the empty can on the counter loudly, ¡°I am not talking about the situation ¨C how is she, what does she look like and what not?¡±, says Will, frustrated. ¡°Well, she is nice. Always wears a kind smile, mannerisms are matched with her kindness, small nose, average sized eyes, somewhat tall, kind of like you when fixated on something, pretty upbeat but somehow distant, allergic to the sun, has a small scar on her left cheek running up to her ear, wears glasses-¡± says Johann, before abruptly cut by Will, saying ¡°Did she say something about a Finnish origin?¡±. ¡°What has gone into you all of a sudden? Yes, I guess. Her accent is pretty hard, might even be from Russia¡±, says Johann, puzzled by Will¡¯s sudden question. Searching through a pile of disk boxes, ¡°I will have to find out for myself tomorrow. Your description of her almost match my childhood friend ¨C the one who got her mana depleted¡ §¯§å, §é§ä§à §Ö§ã§ä§î, §ä§à §Ö§ã§ä§î. So, Pandora or Psionic?¡± says Will asking for what console they should play. ¡°Pandora¡± answers Johann.
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The night goes by in a blink. Soon enough, the morning sun rises and the busy city bustles into life. Looking around the room, ¡°The blueprint, is it so detailed?¡±, asks a sleepy Johann. ¡°No, no, it is just a blueprint. Really well preserved, mana infused ancient technology but that is just a blueprint¡±, the cat jumps onto Will lap, ¡°Your fur is so nice. Here, hold her for a moment, I need to brew some tea or something¡±, says Will, going to the kitchen to brew up a drink. While working on the manual coffee machine, ¡°What do you think her name is?¡±, asks Will. ¡°She is really friendly towards me, a complete stranger, so, I guess her name reflect that of her nature¡± answers Johann. ¡°Shiro Li Yuki ¨C that is her name. The first and last name of hers translates to ¡°Snow White¡± in Japanese. Do you know why there is the Li in her name?¡± says Will, pouring frothed milk onto his coffee. ¡°The terrorist Li? I thought you did not like the guy¡±, says Johann, playing with Yuki. ¡°No, not that guy. I just heard of his name and remembered my old nick. Cassandra always called me Li and I called her San in return¡±, finishes making and sips from the coffee, ¡°I wonder what she would have become if she had not died. She might have just become a baker like you. And with mana, I would have become someone else, too, huh? Maybe even a gunsmith¡±, says Will, holding the cup of coffee in his hands, warming them. Lifting his head up, ¡°Firearms ¨C I do not like them. Only purpose of them is bringing misery and pain. I did not know you were into such things¡±, says Johann. Sipping once, ¡°Don''t get me wrong ¨C I just like machinery and things that explode, that is all. Even so, I still do not have any mana, it is only a distant dream¡±, says Will, staring at the wall, thinking to himself about something. ¡°Would you look at that, it is already 8. Don¡¯t you have a date to prepare? I, too, have business of my own so take care¡± says Will, asking Johann to leave.
Ch. 1 Part 5. Cookies and Cocktails
Going to the bakery from Will¡¯s place, Johann sees a kid running past him with a large suitcase, towards something while whispering ¡°I hope ¨C I only hope¡±. After coming to the bakery, he sees the same kid looking through the window. With sure signs of malnourishment, it is almost certain that the kid is an orphan. ¡°Yo! Hello there. Are you okay; need any help?¡± asks Johann. "I need
to learn how to bake", says the kid, his voice soft but dry. ¡°Baking, huh? Well, I would be happy to teach you. It is a skill that can be both enjoyable and rewarding. How about you come inside, and we can start with something simple?¡±, says Johann, wearing a kind smile, reminiscent of Anastasia¡¯s.
Appraisal from inside the store reveals that the kid does not know how to manipulate mana; the reasons unknown but the kid¡¯s mana capacity is immense yet the output is non-existent. ¡°It is alright. Baking does not always require mana manipulation, especially for learning the basics. I can show you how to make simple recipes and techniques that do not involve advanced mana skills. You will get the hang of it in no time¡±, says Johann, reassuring his young apprentice. Quickly making the front line essentials, various types of breads, Johann turns back to the kid. ¡°How can you make these so quickly? Could I ever achieve that?¡± asks the kid, amazed at the rate Johann made the first batch of bread. Seeing small bruises on his arms, ¡°Before you receive an answer, you will first get a small care from me¡±, says Johann, materializing water to tend the lighter wounds.
Bringing a stool and raising a basin from the floor of his bakery, ¡°Sit still for a moment, it might hurt a little¡±, says Johann, rinsing the wound, peppering Sulfanilamide and Pantoprazole onto the wound, and bandaging them. ¡°Does it hurt? It will not take long now. Soon enough, you will be baking bread and pastry like it is your second nature¡±, says Johann to the kid. ¡°Uh, thanks Mr.¡¡±, ¡°You can call me Johann. And it is nothing, really, I know everyone would do the same¡±, answers Johann, tying the bandage. ¡°Well then, shall we get started, mate?¡±, says an enthusiastic Johann.
As Johann creates flour and mixes it with water, ¡°Mr. Johann, why don''t you just make the finished pastries straight out of mana? Why do you have to bake the dough inside an oven? Why only use your mana to kneed and mix the ingredients?¡±, asks the kid. Creating a small brioche bun, ¡°Take a taste¡±, says Johann, encouraging the kid to see it for himself. ¡°When the natural interactions are altered and tapped, the final product will be stale and bland. Baking bread has its merits in real time; rising the dough, resting the dough, and baking in an oven, all have their inconsistencies but they make the bread have its texture and taste. Without randomness, there would not be flavor or even the final product for that matter¡±, says Johann, explaining the essence of creation and consistency of mana constructs.
¡°What¡¯s your name, mate?¡±, asks Johann. ¡°It¡¯s Li, Li San Hue¡±, says the kid. ¡°Well, that is a surprise. My geologist friend this morning told his old nickname was Li and San was his friend¡¯s. Where are you from, mate?¡± says Johann, curious about the off coincidence. ¡°I moved here with my grandparents but they passed a year ago. Now I live alone in their house. With no income, my life balances on a tightrope of begging and theft. But now, I will not have to be on that tightrope, no?¡±, says Li, enthusiastically hoping for the best. Understanding his situation and sympathizing with him, ¡°Yes, you will not have to be on it. From now, you are a full-time worker of my bakery ¨C my prodigy¡±, says Johann.
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As Johann teaches the kid how to raise the dough effectively and put the right amount of temperature to bake along with a few beginners¡¯ recipe, the sun has already begun setting. A few minutes after the two put the dough into the oven, Johann¡¯s friend comes through the door, with a bag in hand. "Mate, look what I got! Someone from the company gave me this bottle of Hennessy. Care to drink?", asks Will. Seeing an unfamiliar face, ¡°And who would this be?¡±, asks Will, quickly hanging his coat. ¡°That is Li, my newly acquired prodigy. I wonder if he drinks¡±, says Johann. ¡°Eh~ I am only 13, I cannot drink. How about, instead of drinking cognac, I make you non-alcoholic drinks? I learned some from a famous bartender back at motherland¡±, says Li, nervously. ¡°Sure. Since another would join us later this evening, I would not mind conserving this lovely bottle, and this guy does not like much alcohol. It is already 4:48 so it is about time for her to come, no?¡±, says Will, anticipating Anastasia¡¯s arrival.
¡°While we wait for your date, I will make you something non-alcoholic to sip on. Mr. Johann, there was a ginger ale somewhere in this shop, no? While you find the ginger ale, I will get something from my case there¡±, says a very joyful Li. ¡°How did you find someone so content with serving others, mate?¡±, asks Will silently from Johann. While searching the drawer, ¡°Outside the bakery. He was there and I offered him help. He does not have any mana, like you, but he demanded that he learned how to bake. And I just told him the basics and the demeanor of a cook¡±, says Johann, taking pride in his little prodigy. Panting a little, ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±, sounds Li, holding a larger-than-life suitcase. ¡°And here is the ginger ale¡±, says Johann, giving 2 bottles of cold ginger ale to Li. Pulling out a small flask and a couple of glasses, ¡°Could you make me some square ice and chill these cobblers for me, Mr. Johann. And I will need an egg white, too, are you good with that?¡± asks Li. Taking off his bracelet, extending it to reveal a shaker and rinsing it with soap and water, Li pours all the ingredients to the shaker. ¡°All of the ingredients are carbonated so be warned, it might just explode¡±, says Li, putting the ice in and pouring the ginger ale and the egg yolk. A distinct pop can be heard from the shaker as Li pours in the liquid in his flask, ¡°This is called ¡°Kvass¡± ¨C a beer-like drink that does not have alcohol. It will darken the color of the drink. Could you make 2 large ice cubes, Mr. Johann?¡±, says Li. ¡°This flask has a special property which condenses carbonation and makes it sink to the bottom. With an airy drink like Kvass, the carbonation layer is really thick so there might be some carbonation seeped into the drink, but it will be minor. I do not have a garnish, like an orange slice. Could you make it, Mr. Hennessy?¡±, says Li, straining the cocktail into the chilled cobblers with ice. ¡°Mr. Hennessy? Call me Will. And unfortunately, I do not have any mana to make such a thing possible. Mana is lacking in my body, you see¡±, says Will, sarcastically pointing to his open palm. ¡°For this day, for the future and for the past ¨C raise toast, people ¨C for today, we forget!¡±, says Li, raising toast and speaking a word of glass. ¡°Cheers to the future!¡±, says Johann and Will, ¡°Cheers!¡± says Anastasia, coming through the door of the bakery.
Ch 1. Part 6. Pieces
Seeing how nervous Li has become, ¡°Come on, mate, bring another drink for our guest¡± says Johann. ¡°Oh, how cute! I did not know you had a prodigy. And who would be this guy?¡±, says Anastasia, enthusiastically asking welcome from everyone. ¡°Nice to meet you, Anna. I have heard a lot about you from Johann here. You are as kind as he portrays it. Say, wasn¡¯t the journey here cumbersome?¡±, asks Will, trying his best to ask where she came from, nicely. ¡°Oh, quite a timid one you are. Nice to meet you. Yeah, no, the journey here from Warsaw wasn¡¯t a rough one, at least compared to the trips I took when I was a kid. I came from the east but I originate from the north¡± says Anastasia, curious about what Will would say next. ¡°Oh, from the north? Do you know the Johannes by any chance ¨C the famous arms-dealers? I used to know a girl who was from the 3rd branch of that family. Her name was Cassandra, about the same age as me¡±, says Will, trying to get an affirmation of who Anastasia is.
While the two are busy talking, Li pulls Johann to the side. ¡°Could I ask you something? I have a blueprint that was passed down from my grandparents. I could not quite make out what it was but the schematic looks like an intricate mirror or a portal. Will looks to be a person who knows how the mana flows and works so he could understand the schematic and explain it to you and make it work¡±, says Li, asking for Johann to notify Will. ¡°The Johannes family... yes, I have heard of them. I do not think I know such person. At least, I have never taken the person¡¯s name¡±, says Anastasia to Will.
Taking a neatly folded paper out of his suitcase, Li presents it to Johann. Surprised, ¡°How is this possible? This is the exact same as the one Will had¡±, says Johann, not believing in his eyes. ¡°Aye, Will! You brought your blueprint with you, no? I guess you are too afraid that Yuki would tear it¡±, says Johann, asking Will to get his blueprint over. Seeing how excited and rushed Will became after hearing the commission, ¡°What are you guys conversing about?¡±, asks Anastasia, joining in on the discussion. ¡°No, no, you see here, this is an influx inverter. My model did not have anything of sorts. The fine-tuned battery I gave you the other day, it was in place of the influx inverter. Now that I think about it, the outside ring almost looks like a barring¡±, says Will, pointing to his made explanations. ¡°Would you look at that. Those markings there, it is a symbol of an early mana channeling ritual originating in the steppes of east. And these fins are too thin to be supports, and if that is a barring, this whole thing spins on the outside ring. Who knows, maybe it floats¡±, says Anastasia, pointing to the outer ring.
¡°Levitation, eh? I guess this really is an ancient technology. Say, where did you learn all this?¡± asks Johann, not really understanding the whole ordeal. ¡°I am a writer, Johann. I need to know these things to make my novels as authentic as possible. And I just like this kind of ring chants, called the 3 Ring Chant¡±, says Anastasia, somewhat proud of her expertise. ¡°Doesn''t the Carnation family use such a system in ceremonial purposes? Their mana manipulation is only confined to their material creations and as a result, they make the best hand-made pens and anti-tank weapons. It is the closest we have ever gotten to magic wands¡±, says Will, giggling a little. Despite the whole world succeeding from feudalism, the echoes of vassalages could be heard from the Mafia families of powerful nations. ¡°Worthless warmongers ¨C their only excellence is their ability to destroy cities at a moment¡¯s notice. Not sure why they cannot be docile for once. At least the Johannes are earnest in their way of living, but them, they are psychopaths ¨C with no empathy for others at all. I heard they have beef with the Johannes family, too, ironically¡± says Anastasia, anger, and grudge in her voice prominent.
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Trying his best to calm the situation, ¡°Well, since you are well versed in such topic, could you read these?¡±, says Li, asking Anna to read the chants. Getting quiet for a moment, ¡°They read ¡°Settiremar¡± ¨C Come forth, and ¡°Setmartire¡± ¨C Sent away. And there is also ¡°Perrote¡± ¨C Remain, in middle stone of both of these¡±, says Anna, regaining her soft smile. With smaller, less comprehensible rings all over the two schematics, the chants alone are not a viable way to understand the mechanism¡¯s purpose. ¡°There are somethings here that are in another language. Anna, you said you came from the east, so you should be able to read these, too, no?¡±, asks Will, further checking if she is who she says she is. ¡°Despite it all, I cannot understand Russian, mate. I could read it, sure, but understanding a word on this is not really an option for me¡±, says Anna, rather nervous than usual. ¡°¡í.000300826 ¡°Bezuprechnyy Transportnyy Mekhanizm. ¡í.01¡±, Anastasia. P. V., Suzaku. KH., 1784.g ... Zapatentovano v Moskve¡±, says Anna, incompetently. ¡°Flawless Transportation Mechanism, No.1. Patented in Moscow, it says¡±, answers Li, confidently translating the phrase. ¡°I know the details of the paper, at least the ones written, and there seemed to be nothing of importance. Why did you ask about the writings there, Mr. Hennessy? You seemed to know much more about patenting and such¡±, says Li, confused and doubting Will¡¯s expertise.
Some people do not like to ask things out right. Instead, they would ask similar but not direct questions as a means to understand who they are dealing with. Or they just might be too shy to ask. ¡°No, no, I can also read these, too. My reason for asking is something else, you see, and I do not think you would understand, Li¡±, says Will, trying to ease the awkwardness in the group at the moment. ¡°Johann, mate, can you recreate it? These schematics are very well detailed, at least in the hardware information, so it will not be much work to understand them¡±, says Will, asking for Johann to recreate the schematics. ¡°I do not know, mate. It is all too complicated for me to just wing it. How about you tell me what to make by describing them?¡± says Johann, humbly asking the expert to do his work. Hysterically smiling, ¡°Eh~ Well, it is what I do, yes? Think of a round disk about 3 centimeters thick with helical cuts on the side, facing down. Wait, no, this is not right. The materials used in this are not listed. Judging from the formation of those components, the material is some kind of mana conductor material or an alloy of some kind. If we create such a thing from an ordinary steel, the whole thing might just explode, or not work out right¡±, says Will, halting Johann from channeling any more mana.
Ch 1. Part 7. Soft and gentle
By the time Johann had stopped, ¡°Mr. Johann, there is something here that I have not really paid attention to before¡± says Li, looking up from his blueprint. Upon the blueprint, there lies an article of text, written in a different script. ¡°This is not Cyrillic or Latin, more or less, Asian. Anastasia, could you take a look¡±, says Johann, asking for the linguist to decode the text. ¡°This¡ is the line form of the 3 Ring Chant. But this type of scripture is only found when dialogues or recipes are described¡±, says Anna, intrigued by the string of sentences.
In the heart of the desert, where the dunes softly sway,
There is a torte made with care, to brighten your day.
Start with almonds, ground so fine,
Mix them with sugar, sweet as sunshine.
Add butter, soft and rich like gold,
Cream it well, let the magic unfold.
Three eggs, whisked till light and airy,
Fold them in, your torte¡¯s not ordinary.
Vanilla for dreams, a splash of delight,
And lemon zest, to make it just right.
Now sift in flour, pure and white,
Blend it gently, not too tight.
Pour the batter in a pan, round and wide,
Smooth the top, with care and pride.
Bake it slow, at a gentle heat,
Till it is risen high, and smells so sweet.
While it bakes, make a syrup clear,
With honey, water, and a touch of cheer.
A dash of saffron, like desert gold,
Let it simmer, let the flavors unfold.
Whisk the cream, so soft and light,
Fold in sugar, pure and white.
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Vanilla bean, a fragrant kiss,
Blend it in for perfect bliss.
Add yolks of gold, smooth and warm,
Heat it gently, let it form.
Cool it down, then whip once more,
Velvet cr¨¨me, rich to the core.
Once the torte is baked, golden and true,
Brush it with syrup, let it soak through.
Spread on torte, a silky cream,
A luscious touch, a final gleam.
Top with almonds, toasted and warm,
A touch of mint, to add some charm.
Serve it with tea, under a starry sky,
Oasis Almond Torte, where dreams lie.
A bite of this, and you will find,
The desert¡¯s sweet, and peace of mind; it says here. This form is easier to read but the meanings and other small details have to be interpreted from the context. By the looks of it, this might be a recipe, mate; you can make it¡±, says Anna, enthusiastically encouraging Johann to make the pastry.
Making the flour and butter, Johann heats his oven to the Lithium''s turn and starts to mix the ingredients together. Like the bakery has a mind of its own mind, clockwork like mechanisms start their work. While he works in the back, the rest begin to search the documents once more; hoping for another piece of information ¨C of really anything. A small moment after Johann went to the backrooms, ¡°Li, mate, could you come here for a moment?¡± can be heard from there, asking for Li¡¯s arrival. ¡°Yeah, sure¡±, answers Li, quickly running backroom.
¡°Now that they are busy for, I want to ask you something, Anna: Who are you really?¡±, says Will, his tone transitioning solemn. Cheer sparking in her eyes, ¡°Just a girl who likes to dream¡±, says Anastasia, deep within her heart but not from the bottom. ¡°You come from Russia yet not Russian; you know the ancients but not a scholar; yet you still insist to hide the true you, like there is something missing. I will ask another, more specific question: Are you the 2nd daughter of the Johannes family¡¯s Trie branch ¨C the one whom I tried and, supposedly, failed to save?¡±, asks Will, hoping for a more decisively answer. Suddenly, like a stray hail struck her head, Anastasia collapses onto the ground. The memories of his childhood friend flood Will¡¯s vision and, momentarily, incapacitates him.
Regaining his conscious, Will rushes to the backroom. ¡°Catastrophe, people! Anna collapsed and resting on the ground there. Help!¡± says Will, panic and urgency overflowing his usual calmness. Already sensing the situation, Johann quickly sets aside the tray to Li and rushes to the caf¨¦ front. The shop comes to life once again as cupboards and vessels open and emerge with each having a synchronized rhythm, delivering cups, medicine and water straight to Johann. Without error, he catches and crushes the spice and herbs flown into his hands into a fine powder and dissolves it in a cup of water which emerged from the floor. ¡°Appraisal from what I could grasp, she just had a strong case of light-headedness and blacked out. The medicines will make her brain rest for a bit; they are also good for hangovers, if you ever get one¡± says Johann, relieved and glad that Anna is somewhat alright.
¡°What happened, Will?¡±, asks Johann. ¡°Nothing in particular, really. I asked her about my childhood friend and she just collapsed. I do not know, man, I feel useless. Only thing I could do was ask you. I do not know what I could have done without you, mate¡±, says Will, disappointed. In a quick disturbance to her soundly slumber, ¡°¡Sister Demitri¡¡±, says Anastasia. ¡°Her sister was named that, I think: Demetria Trie Johannes, the eldest daughter, and the next heir to the Trie branch ¨C in charge of automatic small arms development and distribution¡±, says Will, still hopeful that Anastasia is Cassandra. ¡°The torte is in the oven, chief!¡±, says Li, coming out from the backroom. Praising his effort, Johann goes backroom to check his execution. Right as they leave, Anastasia wakes up.
Confused, ¡°What happened, Li?¡±, asks Anastasia. As Li was absent from the caf¨¦ front, where the makeshift mattress emerged, Will also became confused. ¡°Why are you-¡±, starts her sentence but passes out once more. Right as she falls onto the divan, Johann comes back with a small tray of cookies. ¡°These are Li¡¯s spoils of today. I taught him not much but he made these thus far¡±, says Johann as Li asks about the tea situation. Not wanting to alarm the two, ¡°She really is like Snow White, no? Soundly asleep, graceful, and beautiful¡±, says Will with slight grin on his face.
Ch 1. Part 8. Fantasy
Since the beginning of ¡°The Era of Equity¡±, life of the common people improved significantly. But, as a result of the calm life, people and their improved life became mundane and repetitive. Sleeping became so painful ¨C enough to involve the half of the populace to get insomnia. The most agonizing part is the moment just before sleeping, disappointed and with unfulfillment eminent, pondering whether if it is even worth the struggle. But to ease the pain of acknowledging one¡¯s meaningless existence, a lullaby of someone so legendary ¨C someone who brought meaning to the world ¨C is a much-needed relief. One such tale, so legendary and epic, is the ¡°Song of Capeless Knight¡±, where a knight of steel and linen shields his lady ¨C a princess ¨C with all his might, to save her from the inevitable end of a thousand cavalry.
¡°Hush, my dear, and softly dream,
Of a knight who faced the final gleam,
Where thousands came with fire and blade,
Yet he stood tall with a capeless fa?ade.
No adorned insignia upon his figure,
Just astounding signs of countless endeavor,
For in his hand, a blade was borne,
A simple vow the knight had sworn.
¡°For love alone, this fight will be fought,
No cape, no valor ¨C for only her, I face death¡±
He chants these words ¨C his final plea,
To stand for her, to keep her free.
The cavalry advanced, a flood of flame,
Yet still he stood, without a name,
Their fury crashed, but would not bend
The knight who swore to fight till end.
Blades clashed and broke, he marked his ground,
Against the tide, making his last stand,
At the rise of dawn, only his carcass stood
As the army fled, he looked on far
Upholding the creed, he would so dream
¡°At least she could remain at ease¡±
The princess wept, seeing the field,
¡°To rid the land of hate and greed¡±,
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She found the standing hero, bid adieu
And named this song "The Capeless Knight¡¯s Dawn."
Now every night, with stars so high,
His final stand is sung to the skies,
Of how one man, with no grand fame,
Defied a thousand, for only her name.
So, sleep, my child, and hold him near
The Capeless Knight, who knew no fear,
His last stand echoes through the night,
A hero born from endless cries¡±, sings Will, his voice soft and light. ¡°I never knew you would sing so lovely¡ So, what did I miss?¡±, says Anastasia, waking up from her slumber. Visibly confused, ¡°You have been out cold for at least an hour now. And you seemingly woke up and fell asleep once in that period¡±, says Will. Not wanting to lose another person from his side, Will carefully watched and tended Anna while she was out, changing the cold towels and even noticing the smallest changes in her breath. ¡°How are you feeling? Is there anything you need?¡±, asks Will. ¡°No, no, I am completely fine. I noticed that Johann and Li are absent. Did they go somewhere?¡±, says Anna.
Right as she asked where Johann was, ¡°Since now that you are awake, I am more than happy to present to you, the almond cake ¨C Desert Oasis¡±, says Johann, coming in from the backroom with a platter with a cake on top. ¡°Care to go upstairs? It was said on the instructions ¨C serve it with tea, under a starry night¡±, says Johann. On the side of the stairwell up, portraits and illustrations can be seen: a picture of the countryside, the aerial view of the city and even an aristocrat¡¯s family portrait. Up in the mansard, a big window viewing the city west ¨C church and all ¨C gleams of moonlight and calm breath.
The building of the versteckter Gipfel bakery is quite an old 4 story rustic block, serving as Johann¡¯s living quarters as well as his jobsite. About 4 years ago, after Johann settled in Hanover as a result of a tragic string of events, he came into ownership of the place. With his father dead and homeland forsaken, he lost all means of rationality and retreat, thus becoming a baker ¨C a mundane enough profession. As the last straw of his burnout, he joined a writing circle, the Trading Jacks, which is where he came across Anastasia. Through the years, he developed pessimistic, noir-like stories which reflected parts of his life. But, like a drought ridden land receiving rainfall at last, his stories became livelier and cheerier. As his co-redactor, Anastasia made sure to make Johann¡¯s scriptures more fulfilling; rather than the main character coming to the realization of uselessness, they made their revelation of living as they pleased, having full confidence and being more useful and happier. In a sense, Anastasia inserted herself into Johann¡¯s writing, making him and his work lighter.
¡°Do not wrong me for doing this, Mr. Hennessy. Mr. Johann said you cannot be affected by caffeine, and you really liked mocha, so I made you a cup of mocha instead of tea to go with the cake. Ms. Anna, I made you a cup of Ceylon, as well as with myself, and Mr. Johann requested a cup of cacao so I made it as well¡±, says Li, setting the four cups to the right order. ¡°It is Will, mate. And, speaking of, if I know this guy well, he also told you that I liked alcohol. Why not open the bottle here?¡±, says Will, asking for a toast which he anticipated since sun fall. ¡°Let us put it off until tomorrow, shall we? We have a cake on the platter, what more could you ask for, eh?¡±, says Anna, eager to try out the cake. ¡°Aw~ But I want to at least sip a little¡±, says Will, evidently upset. Sipping from his cup and quickly cheering up, ¡°Li, mate, did you say you made these? This tastes amazing ¨C far better than the soy milk and cheap chocolate Johann has around his cupboards¡±, says Will sipping the mocha. ¡°Oh, I did not think you would notice such there. As his mana capacity is so immense, I thought it would be wise to make use of it and make the milk and cacao from it. He already knew how to make tea leaves so I only taught him to make milk, though, as the cacao recipe is a bit too intricate to make it right, the cacao is from the house, mate. Do not belittle me¡±, says Johann, evidently proud of his young apprentice but also upset at how Will thought of his shop.
Seeing the lack of cutlery and plates, ¡°Allow me to make plates of porcelain and cutlery of silver¡± says Li, spurring a kindle. Just as he channelled mana out of his palm, nothing unusual happened, but, as he made more and more constructs, his mana output increased exponentially; his constructs became heavier and heavier as well as more crude by the counting numbers. And soon enough they became more than what he could manage. Setting into a limbo state, ¡°Hochjei Setmartire. Siri litsiraso du-chirein hilbei bin-mir nout. DAVO!¡± says Li, his accent unrecognizable and ominous.
One''s attic must be quite peaceful at night. If it isn''t, then it is a room - a part of the house.
Ch 1. Part 9. Lullaby
Once the person dies, their soul and conscience escape the husk and leave it empty. But where does it go? With no explanation of how it is possible, people think the souls would go somewhere they could see the ones below. While it is only a myth, there is also an ancient tale which tells a story of a man with unfinished business to come back to life in another body to fulfill his promise ¨C the tale of Luyo Sun Hue, the founder of the Hue dynasty.
With responsibility ahead, ¡°Birdcage¡±, says Johann. Right as he says so, a massive construct resembling a birdcage closes in on Li, trapping him inside. Stood up and clasping his hands, ¡°I can control every condition in my shop. If you do not want to be hurt, go downstairs!¡±, says Johann, suggesting Will and Anastasia to go inside. Seeing how he is utilizing his property, ¡°If you carry on with this, your shop will be no more¡±, says Will, ¡°Your capacity is large but not enough to control an emperor. Instead of trying to create a suction, just disperse the excess¡±, he adds, instructing Johann to act as a funnel rather than a sponge, but with roof atop, Johann cannot shoot the excess straight up and out.
As Li¡¯s mana output increase, his constructs start to resemble, more or less, weapons. Swords, spears and shields, faintly resembling plates and cutlery, his mana output is that of a factory¡¯s. Akin to a family, in a land far east, of one such lineage with immense powers comparable to an army of a million, but within each person. Looking back at her, ¡°Anna, could you kindly bring something from my coat downstairs? And please hurry~¡± says Will, asking for his watch he forgot. Evidently scared, Anastasia goes downstairs to retrieve what Will asked for. ¡°How long can you hold him for, mate?¡±, he asks. ¡°About a minute or so. If you do not hurry, I would resort to using your body as a capacity¡±, says Johann, struggling to hold Li.
Downstairs, frantically searching for his watch, Anna comes across a small pendant in Will¡¯s pocket. Setting it aside for a moment, she also finds the watch inside. With the way upstairs slower, she resorts to deliver the watch to Will via ¡°float¡±. Upstairs, ¡°My root has been severed so I cannot be overloaded with mana. If you can no longer hold his charge, transfer it straight to me¡±, says Will, but, after getting delivered the watch, ¡°Johann, mate, shoot the stream into my left chest pocket. I configured this to transfer the CE99 into CE10, a less harmful microwave, so I would not die even if it could kill me¡±, says Will, putting watch in his chest pocket.
Turning his hands¡¯ clasp into a bowl, Johann makes his birdcage funnel and redirect all of Li¡¯s mana into Will¡¯s body. Immediately lighting up, a faint mesh-like vest can be spotted under Will¡¯s shirt¡ About 5 minutes later, ¡°Mate, the stream has subsided, now stop!¡±, yells Will, ¡°If you get any more out of his body, Li will die¡±, he adds. As he knows how a body without mana perishes, Will is cautious of the danger it could bring, even to a high-capacity body like Li¡¯s. Upon releasing the physical funnel, Li¡¯s mana is still directed at Will. ¡°Try cutting the stream¡±, says Will¡ To no avail, he tries one last thing ¨C short circuit. Removing the watch from his pocket, Will gets shocked instantly with an impulse of CE99. With an energy void inside his body, as most of it was transferred into CE10, the crude constructs of mana Li made get transferred back into his body, as well as the table and the things that were on top.
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As the situation up top finally settles, Johann brings Li and Will downstairs on stretchers, suspended in air using the same float art used by Anna. Sitting in a table, ¡°Why is Cassandra so important to Will?¡±, asks Anastasia. Tired from the commotion in the attic, ¡°I do not really know. Ask him about it¡±, says Johann, pointing to the unconscious Will. ¡°This pendant here ¨C this is what he treasured just like his lifesaver he asked me to deliver. And a picture of a girl is in this, eerily similar to me. If this is me, why do I not remember him? Why can¡¯t I remember anything?¡±, says Anna, frustrated and scared. Sighing out a large, ¡°That picture ¨C that is the last of her photos. She is 13 in that photo. About two years ago, in 1872, the remainder of the Johannes perished along with their home city ¨C Lahti. On a certain day, Will came in here, sat where you are now and just cried for 2 hours straight, clutching that pendant. ¡°I cannot have anyone, sure, but why do they have to suffer? Why are people around me suffering?¡±, he repeated. At the time, I almost died as well. The Carnations hunted down a girl to this place; she would have been about the same age as Li now. The girl did not eat or sleep for 3 days straight and came knocking on every door she came across. I was an idiot back then, too. Instead of taking them on my own turf, I came to protect the girl outside the shop. They shot through me ¨C the girl died. To them, my name sounded like Johannes and they almost sent me to heaven as well. But Will came just in time to explain the situation. That is when he heard about the Lahti incident, too. I think, if he had just a little bit of mana, he would have sent them to hell, even if he did not have enough for everyone, he would have done it no matter what¡±, says Johann, reminiscing.
¡°Do you know what he likes?¡± asks Johann, ¡°He does not have any mana, since long before I got to know him, yet he still lives on. He is not a native of this land and he never stated where he came from, either. But he likes it here: the people, culture, and the tales. His favorite is the Song of the Capeless Knight, he said it reminded of himself and often tell me to one day write a tale about him. You know I cannot write a fairytale so why don¡¯t you write it, mate? He would be thrilled to know at least one of his dreams came true¡±, he adds.
Ch 1. Part 10. Peaceful
Up on the second floor of the building, the group settled on sleeping in for the night. With Will and Li out cold and Johann tired to the bone, Anastasia decided to oversee the boys sleeping soundly. At about 6 in the morning, Johann woke up, who called Li to help with him in the kitchen, and about 5 hours later, Will woke up... ¡°No, wait, no, no!¡±, wails Will, waking up with cold sweat all over his body. Worried, ¡°You good, mate?¡± asks Anna. After hearing various myth like stories from Johann about Will, Anna became more considerate about his life and burden. With more than a decade of ridicule and abuse, Will lived and carried on the weight of people¡¯s expectations and hope. ¡°Eh, it is nothing. Just another nightmare, like of any other day. Say, what is that I smell?¡±, says Will, smelling the fresh coffee and pastry. Looking to the direction of Anna, ¡°The song of the Capeless Knight, I heard someone singing it when I was asleep. Was it you?¡±, asks Will. Giggling a little, ¡°You slept like a little kid; I did not think you would remember it. I hummed it while deciphering the schematics. Turns out, there are a lot of info about where and how it was made. In collaboration with Suzaku Haru, Anastasia Vasiliev made a faithful copy of the schematic. And the schematic had its origins in the east, about Irkutsk and so the original is there somewhere in the Russian Siberia. Li helped me translate the Cyrillic¡±, says Anna.
Standing up as if he remembered something, ¡°Speaking of, I need to give this to Li. If he cannot control how much he outputs, he would get in much trouble¡±, says Will, searching his coat and trying to find something. Reaching to her pocket, ¡°Your lifesaver is what you are searching, right? Here¡±, says Anna, handing the watch to Will. ¡°No, not that. I knew you had it, though. I had something I held so dear in here¡±, says Will, upset after not finding it in his coat. Removing the pendant from her neck and opening it, ¡°Does she look like me?¡± asks Anna. Speechless for a moment, smiling, ¡°It is you! Cassandra Trie Johannes ¨C San!¡± says Will, more than happy to meet his childhood friend again, lunging forward in for a hug. ¡°I knew you would not die. Why didn¡¯t you say sooner, San? All those nights when I woke up from the same nightmares, it has finally ended; all those times when I thought about wasting my mana ¨C I am so happy¡±, he says, tears about to burst out.
Entering in on the two, ¡°Look who has decided to wake up?¡±, says Johann. ¡°Oh, that is not a sight I thought I would see this morning¡±, says Li, bringing coffee up the stairs. As the previous night came by, Li jumped up in the middle of the night, scaring Anna. Upon waking up, he told Anna about the dreams he had all the time, about an old man. Telling this to the group, ¡°He always say he has an unfinished business back where he was born. Weirdly, he says he is my familiar, more less, my grandpa. And that incident yesterday, I think he took over my body. But due to his inexperience with my unusually high mana, he over did his entrance and made a mess¡±, says Li. Slapping Li¡¯s wrist, ¡°If you do not take this off, your dreams will no longer trouble you¡±, says Will, giving him his watch.
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¡°Now that everyone is awake, the main discussion: What will we do now?¡±, says San, turning more serious. ¡°The schematic said the original was found in the east. And with a name like Suzaku, some Japanese might have a copy as well. From what they translated out of the schematic, the ones we have now are only 2 pieces of a larger construct, resembling a floating disk with claw-like hands suspending it off the ground. The one Will had was of the inner disks, presumably, responsible for output and broadcasting. Li¡¯s one was from the primary energy resource, the outer most rings. This series of schematics have immense implications in modern science and technology, as seen from the name ¨C Flawless Transportation Mechanism¡±, says Anna, evidently stressed. Pulling up a map, ¡°If we were to say Russia had one piece and Germany another, then how many of these pieces are there and where?¡±, says Johann. ¡°One must be in China¡±, says Li, ¡°I do not know why but I just know there is something hiding in the north¡±, he adds. ¡°And Japan has at least one. I wonder who built such piece¡±, says Anna.
¡°What point is in this, anyway?¡±, asks Will, changing the topic quite a bit. ¡°Think about it. What will this have for us? Johann would have to leave his bakery behind, so will Li who just got a stable place to be. I just found San who I would never want to lose again. And if we were to go on this expedition, we do not know what danger awaits us¡±, says Will, stressed and scared, hugging San. Suddenly, ¡°Even if you are outcasted here, why are you opting to stay here, Mr. Will?¡± asks Li. ¡°As you saw yesterday, I hid my mana to protect others but they shunned me instead. In this society, you cannot be the weak ¨C it is either eat the poor or be the meal¡±, raising his voice, ¡°Why do you want to be the meal of others, Mr. Will?¡±, he adds. Standing up and moving past Li to the kitchen, ¡°Li is right. Even for me, this way of life is not something I would want. Too soul crushing and mundane, you know what happens when I get to a low point, Will. Besides, now that this kid is under my care, I would not want anything bad happening to him¡±, says Johann, his voice reflecting that he had enough. ¡°Will, I know you have a burden to bear. But now, it is not yours alone. You saved Johann more than once; I would not be here without you sacrificing your future and Li would not be here, sitting with us, without your actions yesterday. If you want to protect your familiar, I would not stop you but all we are hoping is you coming with us to be with us¡±, says San, stating that she would go on the trip.
Ch 1. Part 11. The Mask
Sipping the coffee, ¡°Well, I am not surprised about San and Li¡¯s decisions but I thought at least Johann would agree to stay, as he had been settled here for some time now... Well then, one against three is a majority, no? Let us say we go, where to and how come? If we do not have a plan of action or route, we would be no more than headless chickens¡±, says Will. Shouting from the kitchen, ¡°You do not need to worry about it. I processed a route last night¡±, says Li. Coming out from the kitchen, Li proceeds to flip the map, showing a route across Russia. ¡°It is not complete, though, as I did not have enough time yesterday. But, nonetheless, we have a route plan to at least China¡±, he adds. ¡°If my hypothesis is correct and these schematics are really important, then the people who know their potential would seek them, no? If so, then we could just ask them about it politely. And who knows, we can even ask for a copy to be made¡±, says San.
¡°It is settled then. All we need to do is booking a ticket to Irkutsk, yes?¡±, says Johann, coming out from the kitchen with a small batch of cookies. Concerned, ¡°The fastest route we could take is this, Mr. Johann. Airlines does not welcome me, you see¡±, says Li, pulling a mask out of his suitcase. With a faint hexagonal pattern embedded with silvery metal, quite a remarkable face depth and detail, and non-conductive padding inside, the mask worn by the terrorist Li can be spotted in a 13-year-old boy¡¯s hand.
¡°Why the hell do you have that, Li!¡±, asks Johann, tangling Li in a web-like bind. Lowering his clenched hands, ¡°I would advise you to release him from the binds, Johann. I think I know why he came here¡±, says Will. ¡°Your name ends in ¡°Hue¡±, right? The current dynasty ruling China, the family of a hundred strong, Hue dynasty lost their next heir to the throne about the same year as you were born, I heard. And the fact that your capacity is so vast and someone took over your body, means that you are, without a doubt, the direct descendant of Luyo Sun Hue, the man who died twice, the one-man army who defeated the late Tang dynasty alone, and the man whose ambition is immeasurable¡±, says Will as Johann loosens the web in awe.
Sitting beside the table and sipping from the cup of tea, ¡°From what babushka said, I was dropped off at their doorstep one winter night. With only a small paper with my name on it, I came to the small house in the outskirts of Novgorod. I was raised a Russian but my lineage was obvious. About 6 years ago, grandpa and grandma moved to Hanover where they thought my mana would be appreciated. But they were wrong. As mana seeped from every step I took, people became afraid of my capacity and no-one having any knowledge of how this power supposed to handled, they outright kicked me out. About a year ago, grandma and grandpa died, leaving me behind with what they had which was nothing much. That is about time when that old man started talking to me. I made this mask one night in my sleep. The next day, the news of a terrorist broke out. I did not think of it as much but through the months, I understood what had been happening. And two days ago, I woke up in the middle of an operation, dressed in all black with my face covered by the mask. The old man said, ¡°Vent out everything you have been holding back¡±. And so, I did just that. The police came in soon after, though, and I ran away along the street, in front of this shop. While running away, ¡°If this one day stops, I would live a happy life¡±, I thought. Then, I saw Johann, sitting on his window, staring at the sky, and making cookies out of nothing with very little effort. Seeing him be someone I longed for so long, I thought, ¡°That guy has it so easy, no? Maybe one day, I could ask him about it. He would know I am someone dangerous, though. But I could only hope¡±. And now, here we are. Johann welcomed me openly and you did not get afraid of my existence. The only memoir grandma and grandpa left was made clear yesterday and the mana surges I occasionally had was fixed by this watch Mr. Will gave me. And Johann, he taught me how to control my mana which everyone afraid of. I think you would understand: about my situation and about my past. I am very grateful of finding you here; I want to always be with you¡±, says Li, with tears visibly on the brink of outburst.
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Patting his head, ¡°At such a young age, you did far beyond what anyone could do. Even if you did wrong, you did well, we will not judge you. All that being said, could you switch with that old man? I need to talk with him for a bit. And do not worry about it, ok? I will just talk¡±, says Johann, smiling softly. As Li falls asleep, and after a short night sleep, he slept soundly, the old man reemerges with Li¡¯s body. With a shell of mana resembling his old self and some kind of clay armor worn under the black robe, it is clear that the old man is from the far past. As clanking of metal sound so loud, the old man in Li¡¯s body starts to say something. ¡°Marhilbei bien tod-¡±, he says before being caged in by a very angry Johann. ¡°If you want to, try all you like and waste your energy. If you are really a reincarnation, it would be draining to be in this world again for this long¡±, says Johann as Will says ¡°Hey, hey, do not tempt him. My watch can only transfer so much at a time¡±, a bit afraid. As he starts mumbling stuff in his mouth, ¡°¡°I have been here about a century ago and now, of all time, is when I get trapped?¡± he says¡±, says San, translating the things the old man said. ¡°Look, we all know why you are here. What do you want ¨C what is your incomplete ambition?¡±, asks Johann, sitting in a chair in front of the cage. ¡°Ambition? I am here to aid my grandson, that is all. I do need to commend you; of all the people I met in my long lives, only you were able to hold off my mana, even taking a direct hit¡±, says Li, with a different accent. ¡°Oh, so you do speak our language. Say, Luyo, what do you want from our Li?¡±, says Johann, with a bit of sarcasm imminent in his voice. ¡°Peak. I want the peak. He is by far the most talented of all my descendants, with the capacity to match. If I just guide him to such greatness, I would be more than proud and happy to die¡±, says the old man.
Sighing out a large, ¡°Well then. I will ask you one more question: How come you are alive now?¡±, asks Johann. ¡°The first time I died, about a millennium ago, I saw Diyu, where souls suffered an endless cycle of meaningless wandering. I asked them what were they doing but none of them even bothered to lift their head up. For a moment, I did the same as well but when I saw what their goal was, I stopped immediately. Their endless wander, their meaningless steps had one simple conclusion ¨C reincarnation. They were looking for the seed to reincarnation, only relying on pure luck to find another vessel. Once the soul leaves its host, it travels there ¨C to Diyu, where they reside for however long there needs to be. But time does not flow like here there, it speeds up. I was there for only an hour or so, before I saw my boy¡¯s husk, but by the time I gained consciousness, the body I resided in had aged 4 years. I do not really know how it is possible but I can see what the souls does not ¨C I can remember what others cannot, I am just special, in a sense where my spirit is adept for so many things¡±, says the man inside Li''s body.
Ch 1. Part 12. To you, a thousand year later
The general theory of mana conservation is as follows: Mana is both wave and matter, cannot be destroyed nor created but can be converted freely from state to state. Most sources state mana as a ¡°transitional¡± state, which is used primarily to convert one energy equivalent to another, and not an ¡°energy equivalent¡±, which is just another derivative of energy. In a sense, neural signals are a kind of mana which travels inside the body, delivering information to and from the brain. Consciousness can also be explained as mana embedded with memories and personality. Even though the primitive theories are known, science cannot explain how personality and feelings occur, at least, in terms of material science.
¡°If what you are saying is true, then there is an afterlife; there is a place where lost souls go. And, if you can see somethings people do not, then you should know there is something wrong with me. There is something that is missing, you see¡±, says San, smiling hollow-like at Li. ¡°Some part of me is missing, the memories before I arrived at Russia, the time when me and Will used to be together and even my family cannot be remembered. After all, my survival of that one explosion was a miracle in itself and nothing could be guaranteed from a miracle, yes?¡± she adds, sipping from a cup of coffee. As she lights up a smoke, ¡°Smoking is bad for you, please refrain from it. I do not believe in afterlife myself but, if there really is one and lost souls and memory alike wander there, I would really like to visit it someday; I have something to take from there¡±, says Will, moving to the cage to be visible to Li. ¡°If the thing you seek is selfishly small, then the trip will not be worth¡±, says Luyo as the outer shell surrounding Li starts to dissipate. Smiling, ¡°The cost of it would not hinder me in the slightest¡±, says Will.
Yawning, ¡°So, what did I miss?¡±, says Li, in his normal accent. Releasing the birdcage, ¡°Oh, nothing. We just talked about afterlife and such; how is it like and what not¡±, says Johann, maintaining his smile he kept before Li¡¯s slumber. With a goal clear, the group decides on the route Li made. Everyone has their reasons for making the journey and the thought of perfect teleportation is imminent in their mind, ¡°For the future and for the past, this will not be completed by anyone but us¡± they think.
¡°As the journey will take us at least a week and a half, make sure that everything you do, every business undone, is taken care of. I will stay here and Li said he took everything he needed in the suitcase of his yesterday so we will take care of the commodities we would need on the journey, here. Anna said she would take care of the tickets so we would have to thank her for that. Well then, take care and meet up here this evening¡±, says Johann.
As San and Will leave the versteckter Gipfel bakery and walk towards the east, ¡°What do you know of human transfiguration?¡±, asks San, looking down to the cobblestone walk. ¡°If they do not know what they are doing, they would end up like me ¨C with no future. When I gave my mana to rekindle yours, it seems that most of it did not hit the target. From what Johann said and the incident happened yesterday, you do not have much capacity, no?¡±, says Will. Looking up to the cloudy sky, ¡°When I woke up in Russia, a group of people wearing white robes and religious pendants and scarves welcomed me in a hospital, all white. I did not understand a word they said but they spoke a dialect of 3 Ring Chants so I knew I was in Russia. One guy, in casual clothes, came one day and spoke to me in a language I knew ¨C Finnish. He asked if I remembered anything but I could not recall any of the moments from the past. He explained how they were able to bring me back from complete paralysis and why I did not remember the past. He gave me the name of Anastasia, in memory of his late mother, and tutored me with ¡°Russian Education¡± which consisted of military doctrine, basic natural science, mechanical engineering and firearms manufacturing. He even commended the rate I learnt all of it ¨C in just 3 years. But knowing something and having competence in it are two completely different things, as such, I never made use of any. Even now, that he is dead, I do not understand why he did all of it, all just for a girl¡±, says San. ¡°Sounds like he was a good guy. Who did he say his name was, if you do not mind me asking?¡±, says Will. ¡°Anatoly Olena Gvozdika, but I used to call him Brother Tolia¡±, says San, smiling softly.
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There is no such thing as pure evil or pure righteous ¨C grey and grey only. And so, even if the person in particular did the worst, they still have a stint of humanity in them ¨C even in those who committed genocide. Stopping suddenly, Will seems to be in quite a shock. His eyes cannot be seen, ¡°Gvozdika ¨C the reason I learned Russian, meaning ¡°Cloves¡± or¡ ¡°Carnation¡±. Say, when did he die again?¡±, says Will. ¡°You¡ do not seem well. Did I say something wrong? Why are you asking me that, mate?¡±, says San, obviously scared for Will. ¡°He died on the 5th of November, two years ago¡±, she adds. Laughing hysterically, ¡°The city of Lahti, the place you were born, was destroyed by that devil. On the same day he was killed, by a gunshot from a Mosin, he burned down your entire city along with the rest of your family. The pendant I held so dear was salvaged from the ruins, amidst a pile of bodies. I assume he had taught you the ¡°Guillotine Maneuver¡± ¨C the most effective way to assert dominance and the end of an era¡±, says Will. Engulfed in disbelief, ¡°He was a religious entity, there is no way he would disobey God¡¯s teaching. Even so, why would he save and prosper me? Why would such a good person commit such atrocities? Why¡ Why would he spare the last of his enemies?¡±, asks San, over and over.
¡°Once in a thousand years, an entity known as ¡°0¡± takes form of a human and searches for his once beloved. But, every time he reincarnates, he is never able to find the thing he was searching for. Instead, he brings peace and prosperity to the race he took form of, dubbed the arrival of Pax Absolute. Devoted to his arrival, a group of people, named the Pure Zero, or the Clean Zero, formed and worshiped him as a god. His last arrival was about a century ago, in the land far east. Since his arrival, the Chinese region began to prosper, only until a few years ago. His origins are unknown but the more people suffer, the more likely he is able to find what he is searching ¨C his beloved. Nothing is known about what or who he is searching but it is believed that, once he gets what he wants, he would leave the people in chaos. It is either suffer thy self or suffer his self. It is the ever-old tale of ¡°To you, my dear, a thousand year later¡±. I like this fairy tale. It originated from my hometown, but no-one knows who wrote it¡±, tells Will, now in his apartment. After San fainted in the middle of the streets, Will brought her to the only place where he could live his life ¨C his home.
Ch 1. Part 13. Hollow
Part 13. Hollow
¡°Just who is that, Will? Telling your favorite story to and holding her dear, is she someone you ¡°love¡±?¡±, asks a female voice. Upon observing a little bit carefully, a faint outline of a feline can be seen. ¡°Now, now Yuki. If it was not for her, you would not be here. And, if I remember correctly, you two were very close back then too. Your name, too, was given in reminiscence of her ¨C not that you or her would remember such an ancient history¡±, says Will, smirking a little. Sipping from the cup, ¡°This taste awful. How come you, who have seen me brew coffee for more than a thousand times, do not know how to operate the very same automatic machine¡±, says Will, putting the cup back on its plate. Moving back and forth across the room, ¡°In Indonesia, there is one species of cat which defecate out coffee beans which is brewed out to be coffee ¨C Kopi Luwak. The stomach acid with its enzymes of said cat dissolves the bitter parts, which is why it is enjoyed as a delicacy across the whole world. *Seamlessly reforming into a human* You should not scoff at a coffee made by a cat, mate¡±, says Yuki.
Noticing the change in the pace of San¡¯s breathing, ¡°Mythos Sapiens, the incarnation of human will and mana proficiency. They evolve in the presence of human manipulation of mana and carry on as beings of intellect and immense power¡±, says Will, as Yuki brings in a bowl of soup from the kitchen. As San gets up from his side, ¡°Do you remember her, San? She is the cat who followed us around all the time, Shiro Yuki. If it was not for her, I would not have found you beside that capacity... And, as a byproduct of me not knowing what I was doing, she also took the ember of my mana along with your body. In a sense, you two have split of me inside you¡±, says Will, smiling.
Falling limp towards Will, ¡°Is it true that my family is gone? Is it really true that I am now alone, Will?¡±, asks San, on the brink of tears. Letting out a deep sigh, ¡°From what I could grasp, there still is someone left of your lineage ¨C your older sister Demitria Trie Johannes ¨C the one whom killed your savior. I do not know how you would feel but, I have thought of this for a long time, I-, the reason for this endeavor to Russia, for me, is you, mate. So please, do not be too lonely, as I will be with you, in every step of the way there¡±, says Will, comforting the lonely San. Seeing Yuki hiding in the corner, ¡°Hey, Yuki! Could you care to go down to the bakery and give notice to Johann about this?¡±, says Will. ¡°Will do!¡± answers.
After Will and San¡¯s leave, Johann came up with an interesting idea of how they would sustain themselves. Searching the drawers in the backroom, he pulls out a small black cylinder. ¡°Li, mate, you could draw out pure mana from your body, no? If so, shoot it into here, a portable capacity¡±, says Johann, twisting the battery onto Li¡¯s watch. As mana is a transitional state between matter and charge, it could be condensed into a capacity or contained in a state of current, inside a battery of sorts. The most common of which, the Nickel-Sodium battery, hold about a hundred CE, enough to power a building for half a day. The one Johann has, Osmium-Cobalt battery, made by Will, holds up to 45 million CE charges, enough to power a small city for a couple of weeks. As Li¡¯s mana is immense, and nonperishable supplies expensive and hard to come by, and Johann knows how he could create natural produce equivalent, it seemed like too good of an opportunity to just glance through.
Opening the door to the bakery, Yuki sees no-one in the store front. Hearing a little closer, someone saying ¡°This became heavy really quick, eh?¡± could be heard. Going into her cat form, she walks into the backroom, only to see Li and Johann struggling to lift up the watch stuck with the battery. ¡°I appraised a lot from you the night before, Johann, but not your lack of strength¡±, says Yuki. Visibly confused and scared, ¡°Bozhemoy! Who said that? Was that you, koshka?¡±, says Li. ¡°Name is Shiro Yuki and Will asked me to notify you, Johann¡±, says Yuki, emerging in her human form. Seeing how they cannot lift up a watch, ¡°Interesting. You seem to be having quite a lot of trouble lifting that. Allow me to ease the struggle¡±, says Yuki, leaning down onto the watch. With a gesture of a circle drawn around the watch, ¡°Anti¡±, says Yuki. Right as she says so, the watch floats up, like there is something that is holding it. ¡°I could make this device weightless for as long as you want so say when you need it to be heavy again¡±, says Yuki, smiling softly.
Putting Li to work, of hording mana whenever he is able to, Johann goes to brew up some drinks. Turning on the launcher, ¡°Say, Yuki, what beverage would you like to drink?¡±, says Johann. Making a smug face, ¡°Vodka, vodka¡±, she says before bursting into laughter. Still laughing, ¡°Coffee is nice. Could I have a mocha, mate?¡±, she says, turning away to the store front. Putting the cup on a plate on the desk beside the bread basket, ¡°So, why did Will send you here, Yuki?¡±, asks Johann. Sipping a small, ¡°He and Cassandra are at his home and will be there for some time. And so, he and Cassandra are not going to come back here any time soon. She passed out on the way there but now, they are making out, it seems¡±, she says. Picking a piece of bread and walking to the window seeing the street in front, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he text me, or something? He had his phone on him, I am sure. What is the reason for you to be here, Yuki?¡±, asks Johann, biting a piece off the bread.
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A customer walks into the store front. Black tie, white shirt, green suspenders on beige trousers and a slightly worn trench coat, the man seems to be from the army. Turning to the man, ¡°Welcome, how can I help you, Mister-¡±, says Johann, before abruptly being shot by a pistol. Walking over to Johann on the ground, ¡°Johann von Alstrom, you do not learn, do you? The last time we met, on the night of the 8th of November, you also had one of the Johannes with you. I have come with the same intention as then, to fulfill my master¡¯s will ¨C to kill off the last of the Johannes¡±, he says, lowering the barrel to the fallen Johann.
Laughing hysterically and standing up from the chair, ¡°I do not know who you are or why you did what you did but, I will not lose a friend to you, H¨¹ndin¡±, says Yuki, as she weaves fine strings from her fingertips. Another shot breaks out, ringing the ears of everyone present in the store front. The lead point falls to the ground with a distinct ping as the startled Alrick empties the magazine towards Yuki. ¡°They used to call me ¡°Lithe¡±, back when I was young and mighty. But now, they call me the bride of a ghost ¨C the Ghost of Berlin¡±, she says, before disarming the man, suspending him up in the air and restricting his movement by using her strings.
Coming from the backroom, ¡°What happened; why were there such a noise?¡±, says Li. ¡°Surgical precision is not required to retrieve a fired bullet from the wound. This might hurt a bit, mate¡±, says Yuki, before pulling the Hollow point .380 bullet from Johann¡¯s side. Visibly in agony, ¡°Li, get some alcohol!¡±, he shouts. ¡°Bandages, a buffer and a kind of antiseptic, you were hurt pretty badly before, didn¡¯t you? Allow me to aid you in mending your wounds¡±, says Yuki, sewing up Johann¡¯s wound.
Back at Will¡¯s apartment, the two are having lunch. Like a married couple, the act of theirs match perfectly and complement each other nicely. ¡°So, why do you want to go back to Russia?¡±, asks Will, spreading butter on a toast. Toasting another bread, ¡°Nothing in particular. I have got accustomed to the lifestyle of the ¡°Great Russian Empire¡±, so to speak. Besides, what is there for me here, other than you?¡±, says San, handing the toasted bread to Will. As mana can be manipulated into any energy equivalent, one could make flames out of the palm of their hands; though pretty hard to master as to not burn the bread. Handing one bread to his beloved, pouring some tea into her cup and sprinkling sugar on his buttered bread, ¡°I wish I could eat like this every day. Sitting beside someone, talking about the news and such, wandering about the essence of life¡ Yuki only needs to have some kind of energy near her to sustain herself; she would not sit by me and eat something, at least, not as frequently¡±, sipping tea, ¡°Say, what did you do back in Russia ¨C back when you were alone?¡±, says Will. Tensing up a bit, ¡°I did not do much. I lived with Brother Tolia for the most part, at least the part I know of, and he asked me to draw some schematics and translate scriptures in order to be of use to him. Even so, I was taught the almighty ¡°Russian Education¡± which gave me insight on how to survive all alone ¨C not that I was completely alone¡±, says San. Sipping tea from her cup, ¡°How about you, mate, what did you do after you sacked your future?¡±, she asks. Smiling, ¡°I could neither say nor show how I have been. If I were to tell you, you would be afraid¡±, says Will, finishing his bread.
At the bakery, Johann is sitting in a chair, drinking some vodka. After sustaining a wound from a gunshot, one would not be happy to confront the culprit behind the trigger. While Yuki adds another layer of bandage to him, ¡°Look at you, dangling from the ceiling like a damned spider. Say, what was your name again? Alexander? Albert?¡±, says Johann. ¡°Alrick Alphons Carnation, the 5th lineage of the Alphons branch¡±, the man says as, ¡°Born in Konigsberg, you must be the executioner of your house. I heard that you were the only one who was crazy enough to challenge that bloody behemoth of a person ¨C Leigh Schmidt. I suppose you bore pride in that fight 5 years ago, and to be frank you should, but, in the face of the Ghost of Berlin, you should be ashamed¡±, says Yuki, finishing the bandaging of Johann. Moving around a bit, ¡°Aye, Alrick, what do you think will happen to you, now?¡±, asks Johann. ¡°By the pity you have shown me, you do not mean harm to me or my family. And with a name like, ¡°Lithe¡±, I presume you do not kill someone, even if they inflicted serious injury to your someone¡±, says Alrick.
As society is run by men in black hats, most of the truths told by them are too light and bright. Even so, they do not show themselves as an example, as they are too dim and dark to be able to be seen by naked eye. War, famine, and corruption, they rule them all and shun those who disobey their rule. Once the ones who prevailed take action, they label them as terrorists and further diminish their delightful rebellion. But, as one of them perish, they avenge their fallen, wiping the territory which rebelled from the face of the earth. In a sense, they are all immature, they make mistakes but their mistakes become the new norm because they cry them to be one. ¡°You do not seem to understand the significance behind that name. I forsake that name in turn for the Ghost, in turn for everything that made me myself. As I am no longer the lithe girl, I have become a nightmare¡±, says Yuki, shooting a strand into the man¡¯s shoulder. As his hat fell to the ground, picking the it up, ¡°Black hats are a common symbol of ill fate from where I come. Even if it is not, in your territory, I would not tolerate the thought in mine; I presume you express hostility to this establishment, no? If so, I would not sit idly while you do harm to this place ¨C the place which he asked me to reside¡±, says Yuki, dismembering the hat in her hands, swiftly, string by string.
Ch 1. Part 14. Lithe
¡°Well, that is it then¡±, says Will, finalizing the things he would need on a long journey. Clicking in the locks of his large suitcase, ¡°Come to think of it, we would need a pass to Russia, no?¡±, he says, holding the suitcase with both of his hands in front of him. Pouring water in her cup, ¡°Usually, no, but we are going on a prolonged journey, across the whole country, so we should get one¡±, sipping from the cup, ¡°Even so, we would need a plausible reason for the pass; the embassy would not lend us a free pass across another country cheaply¡±, says San. Dialing up Johann, ¡°Artisans have a privilege which they have an annual pardon of travels to other countries. It is a tradition which held since the middle-ages and, if I remember correctly, Johann has a good tie with Danzig¡¯s Artisans¡¯ Association¡±, says Will as the other end picks up the phone. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you picked my calls? Where the hell are you? Who the hell did you send, Mr. Hennessy!¡±, says Li, panic and frustration eminent in his voice. Clearing his voice, ¡°Calm down, mate. I sent Yuki to tell that San and I were at my house so we would be late in the evening. We will now go to San¡¯s hotel to pick her stuff as I have collected all of mine. And for the phone calls¡ I have been completely deaf to it since I left the bakery¡±, says Will. A faint clatter could be heard as Li ran down the stairs, delivering the phone to Johann. Clearing his throat, ¡°Where have you been, why haven¡¯t you picked up Li¡¯s calls and who the hell did you send down to me?¡±, asks Johann, almost mirroring Li¡¯s questions. Laughing, ¡°You trained your apprentice well, my friend. Even in the span of only 2 days, he has adopted your timidness as well as your tidiness. Ask him about it, will you? Alas, why were you calling me before the supposed rendezvous?¡±, says Will, leaning on the cupboard of his kitchen.
Walking out from Will¡¯s apartment, ¡°Eh~ Well, at least you are alright. So, from what I could understand, when you and Li were collecting mana into the power banks, Yuki came into your bakery unnoticed, greeted you both and made the device weightless. Then, about when you gave Yuki some mocha to talk, some guy named Alrick Carnation came into your territory and shot you in your lower left side. And now, he is dangling from the ceiling of your storefront by string that Yuki made from her mana. And what do you mean about Yuki¡¯s intentions? She has been with me since that time ¨C since San disappeared ¨C and so, she rode alongside me for the most of her life. To my knowledge, she has never been a nuisance to me or the people around her at the time so if you will, I would like to get her along the journey¡±, says Will to Johann.
In the bakery, in her cat form, Yuki is playing with a ball of yarn, made completely out of mana. ¡°So, what you are saying is, we would have another mouth to feed on the long journey that would take us at least a couple of weeks? Even if we manage her in a logistical sense, she would hinder our ability to go covertly across a country, known for discriminating Mythos Sapiens, I remind you¡±, says Johann, as Li cuts the conversation. Tapping the table next to where Johann sat, ¡°From what I could perceive, her mana is the same as yours and mine ¨C of humans¡¯. I have hidden my mana since I gained conscience. And, given it is possible for me, who have mana exceeding those who could wipe entire armies, it should be possible for another, more so if the another in question is a Mythos Sapiens¡±, says Li, whispering to Johann. Shouting from the other end, ¡°And, even if that does not work, Yuki does not need to be logistically accounted for. She does not need sleep or food, she can morph into anything she desires, if it is bigger than the smallest cat and smaller than the biggest human, and she has experience in fighting as well as other, important matters¡±, says Will in an almost proud tone.
As Will and San go down the street with a suitcase suspended in stasis up in the air while talking to Johann on the phone, ¡°You seem to get it all wrong. I should go with you, in order to help and to monitor you, in case of other, less unfortunate incidents may occur¡±, says Yuki as a faint shattering noise can be heard in the background.
After the explosion of ¡¯62 and the subsequent desperate attempt at the revival of Cassandra, Will woke up in the hospital, surrounded by nothing but beige wallpaper. As Will did not show any sign of mana proficiency, the hospital deemed him as a lowly nobody and transferred him to the basement room. With his life force greatly reduced and exhausted, his only reaction to his situation was a soft sigh. As he had given up on life at that point, he welcomed his fate as is and waited for his end. But, as he sank into his bed, worn and dirty, ¡°Aye, person, I am here for you. You seem to be so lonely, man. They told me I was a ¡°lunatic¡±. Not sure what that means. They gave me this cloth to put on and ordered me to get out. Some loud whistlers chased after me and into here so I will now hide from them here. What is your name, man?¡± said a soft but sharp voice. Tired, even after several days¡¯ sleep, Will could not speak out his thoughts ¨C who the girl was, where did the girl he has been with gone now and where he even was. ¡°I do not know who I am either. So, we are the same, no?¡±, said the girl but, as she walked away, out to the dark hallway beyond the door frame, she reforms into a familiar shape, of the cat which followed him tirelessly. ¡°Yu-¡±, he tried to say, but the words just could not escape his mouth. As Will frantically tried to get her to come back, he fell out of his bed, head first.
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Saved just before hitting his face on the concrete floor, ¡°Oh, how good. Wai- how the hell is this¡¡±, said Will as the girl breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°What is your problem, man? I only left for a little bit. Now, stand up. You are heavy¡±, said the girl. Balancing his body on his hands and getting back up to his bed, ¡°Name is William, by the way. So, you seem to be someone I know. Say, where were you born?¡±, asked Will. Looking troubled, ¡°I do not know. I do not remember the times before a day ago. I woke up in the middle of this place, outside the door of this room. I went to sleep immediately after. I woke up in the same place today. The people in white cloths said I was a lunatic and gave me this cloth. I got chased when I got out of this place, by a loud bunch. And I am here, now¡±, said the girl. ¡°And you, your cat form, what is that all about?¡± asked Will, trying to move his legs. ¡°Cat? What is that? If you mean when I go down to the ground, like this, then I do not know. I just do that¡±, said the girl, in her cat form, perching atop the struggling Will. ¡°Let me help you with that¡±, said the girl, wrapping Will¡¯s legs in finely woven mesh and puppeteering them to mimic a walking motion. Standing, ¡°Now release the net. I can now walk on my own¡±, said Will before falling down to the floor. ¡°I guess people do not go to this room. The white cloth people said this room ¡°is an asylum¡±. Say, why do you need to walk so badly?¡± said the girl, offering her hand to the fallen Will.
Kneeling, then weakly standing, ¡°I- There is something I need to make sure of. I do not know if she is either dead or safe. Either way, I need to be at least able to walk, no? Now, tell me, where am I?¡±, said Will, checking his balance and strength. ¡°I am not able to read. The white cloths said this place was in a lower level. They said you were a good target for testing¡±, said the girl, looking out through the keyhole of the door. ¡°I cannot open this. Should I cut this with my string, Will?¡±, she asked, threading a fine wire. ¡°Also, there was this symbol outside this door. An incomplete square and a line¡±, said Yuki as, ¡°Red cross, blue seal, this beige wallpaper and a cement floor, and this wretched wooden door with a symbol on it. This¡ This cannot be. I have been escorted to ¡°Gipfel¡±. Oh~ this is bad. Oh, this is really bad. Leading medicinal occupation, unwavering hospitality and cleanliness. Worst of all, they do not show their foot ¨C the foundation erected upon the souls of the undesirable. Oh, to think I would one day find myself among the unfortunate, ironic. Well, the 51st room is the last of their dungeon, I heard. And there is a window here so it would not be hard to escape, no?¡±, said Will, stretching his limbs and staring at the air hole viewing into the open.
¡°San¡±, said the girl, ¡°You whispered that in your sleep¡±, she added. ¡°I do not think you would understand¡ say, did I get your name?¡±, said Will, heading to the door. ¡°I do not have a name, Will. I do not know whether I am human or not. Come to think of it, I do not even know who you are but I am this close to you. Do you know my name, Will?¡±, said the girl, following Will to where he was. ¡°You are just like her ¨C just like Yuki. She used to follow us tirelessly, like she was monitoring us. Even in the last moments of us, of San and I, she was there, looking after us. I owe a thank you to her, even, as she led me to her, to my beloved", said Will, reminiscing the moment right before disaster. ¡°Yuki¡ you said that name was of Japanese origin ¨C Shiro Yuki ¨C meaning White Snow or Snow White. You named me after your once beloved, no? ¡°I think, you, of everyone else, should know how to name someone, Will¡±, she said as you said the name, if I am remembering correctly¡±, said the girl, perching atop Will in her cat form.
Ch 1. Part 15. Unknown
Picking the lock of the door, using staples left on the ground, Will opened the door, only to see an empty hallway filled with parchment and plastic wrap. ¡°You said you talked to the doctors in the halls, yes? So how is this possible?¡±, asked Will, squinting down the hall. Coming out to the hallway, ¡°I said I talked to the white cloths, not doctors. They are two completely different entities, man¡±, said the girl as she stared into the darkness. Suddenly a large explosion occurred. In the light which shone from the hole the explosion left in the wall, faint, ghost-like figures could be seen. Through the hole, ¡°51 cells, 51 tests. All deemed failures. We will retrieve our fallen, the ones whose potential cannot be determined¡±, said a male voice as the steps of running men sounded so loud. Scared, Will started to run, down the hall across his cell. Hidden behind a door of an office he found, ¡°I think we are alright, Yuki¡±, said Will¡ ¡°Yuki?¡±, he hesitantly asked ¨C his tone, worried. Amidst the dust and panic, Yuki had gone down from Will''s head and onto the ground. Realizing he left the only person who knows what had happened to him, he frantically started to run back.
From the turn of the corner, where Will momentarily hid, ¡°The souls of the hateful ¨C these are the reason to not kill or do sin. Rest assured my friends, as you do not have to bear loathing to those who have killed you ¨C as I have taken the burden for you, to free you and to avenge you¡±, could be heard from a man in a light suit. Gesturing a waving motion, the man encircles the ghost-like figures in rings of light. In an instant, the ghouls dissipate, leaving nothing but smoke and vapor. ¡°Why did you do that?¡±, said Yuki, emerging in her human form. ¡°Why did you kill it? Why did you erase them from the existence which was held up by a single thread?¡±, she added. ¡°Erase¡ I never heard it described as such before. When I liberated him from the endless torment of eternal vengeance, I only rid him of his material body ¨C in between human and non. I am a saint, you see; I do not kill¡±, said the man, squatting down to Yuki. ¡°Oh, this is new. There is a lot of things that are missing from you, little miss. What is your name?¡±, said the man, placing his hand over Yuki¡¯s head and pressing his thumb against her forehead.
Walking around the corner, ¡°Her name is Yuki and she is here with me ¨C Will. Now, tell me, who are you; why are you here?¡±, said Will, pacing quickly towards Yuki. Silently annoyed, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how did I not sense you before you turned that corner?¡±, said the man, disregarding Will¡¯s question. Seeming to notice the open door in the far corner, ¡°So, you do not have mana. I presume it was from the explosion a month ago. Say, how have you been in the past 28 days?¡±, said the man as Will suddenly stops. Tapping his heel on the floor once, ¡°28 days, eh? What did you expect me to say? Fine, I guess. Do you know why you cannot sense my existence?¡±, pauses to search for words, ¡°Because you are weak; weaker than me, weaker than her. You only lie and nothing else. Did you think such a lie would work on me-¡±, said quite an angry Will, before the man quickly closes the distance. As Will gets punched mercilessly without the slightest chance for him to retaliate, Yuki cannot do anything but watch. Slowing down a bit, ¡°Left¡ up¡ left¡ short¡ up¡ right¡ Every single strike has landed and nothing from your end has connected, why is that, boy?¡±, a brightly shining rope appears around Will¡¯s neck, ¡°Even now, that you have been beat into a pulp and hung like a spider, you cannot do anything to free yourself as you lack everything I perceive as human: Prestige, power and miracle, all absent from your existence¡±, said the man, strangling Will up in the air, with the rope-like light.
A single clink could be heard below the place Will was hung ¨C while he struggled for his life, a coin fell from his pocket. Distracted by it, the man had lost focus of his surroundings. Wrapping the man in a fine mesh, ¡°I do not know who you are or what you want but, you really are weaker than me¡±, said Yuki, flinging and stappling him to a nearby wall. After he was taken care of, Yuki threaded a fine wire to cut the rope which Will hanged on. After coughing and gasping for a little while, ¡°Spare 20 kopek, you should have it, Yuki. Fitting, as we do not have a number to call nor this currency is accepted here¡±, said Will, tossing the coin to Yuki. In a swift instant the man struck the two, incapacitating both of them¡
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After regaining conscience, they find themselves in an office of some sorts. ¡°You good?¡±, asked Yuki, tied to a chair. A faint voice saying, ¡°What have you brought this time, Leo? One of them is a Mythos and the other is a Reaper; how the hell do you find people like these all the time?¡±, could be heard from the other side of the door. ¡°You can escape out of that, no?¡±, said Will, inspecting the zip. Shaking her head, ¡°I cannot. If I do not see it, then I could not do it¡±, said Yuki. Opening the door, a group of about a dozen people come through. Tossing a coin up in the air, one of them breaks the tie which held Yuki. ¡°Come, sit with us¡±, said one of them as they all sat to a table.
The one at the end of the table began. ¡°We are a part of an organization which is, by the government''s standards, an organized crime syndicate. But you, my friends, are in a particularly sound situation. As we freed you from that facility, covertly run by the government, the fates of yours lie in our hands. But, unlike those who imprisoned you, we will offer you a choice: either you stay with us and potentially rise to your peak or leave us and live a new life nothing like the previous; evading the authorities who would track you tirelessly and running away your entire life but leaving this place only as a bad dream¡±, said the headmaster. Visibly annoyed, ¡°How the hell do you expect us to believe you? You raided the facility like it was war. You blew a hole right beside the ones you were supposed to save, assaulted the confused residents of the supposed asylum and kidnapped them without their consent. Why? Why would you expect us to believe an oppressor?¡±, said Will. Calling for tea, ¡°Of the thousands of reasons why we saved you, you ask about the feasibility of us being the bad guys? Then, I will ask you, why haven¡¯t you been killed in Gipfel? We found 50 out of the 51 rooms which housed any patients were empty, all of them with some sign of struggle. Even they saw something in you ¨C something that is essential to both parties. Well, of course, we would not ¡°abduct¡± a victim of the largest capacitor explosion in the history of German Mana Industry which claimed roughly a hundred people, even 20 of which were our people. We simply liberated you from those abductors, albeit, we had to first prevent any damage which would occur if you were awake for more than you had been¡±, said the one sitting next to the headmaster.
¡°Why, of all the people unfortunately expecting a death with nothing notable happening in their life, did you save us from that place? Wasn¡¯t it efficient to look for people like us in the slums? Why did you raid that facility in the first place?¡±, asked Will, sipping from the cup. ¡°Isn''t that sour?¡±, asked one from the dozen. ¡°Well, as you would know, we gained notoriety from the raids we conduct on disguised government research facilities. Even if you were not there, we would have raided that place to disrupt the operations which could happen if we left it unattended. Even so, we did not really expect people like you to be held in a place like that. We figured it was cluttered with, what we call, ¡°Karma¡±, a form which a spiteful soul takes after their bodily death, and if untreated, would lead to disasters such as that capacity explosion or other ¡°natural¡± disasters. And so, we sent Leo, our religious expert and ¡°The Light at the Gate¡±, specialized in light manipulation to deal with them¡±, said the headmaster.
¡°From the reports he provided, you do not seem to have any mana. The reason for it is, well, we do not know. And I doubt the ones who experimented on you for the past 4 weeks would know either. This is only the second time we have faced an individual whose mana cannot be sensed, even by the Advanced Mineral Mana Observer¡ In short, we need someone like you; that is why we are here talking about your future. Our prior ¡°Reaper¡±, as we call it, was killed in that explosion about a month ago. So, if you please, consider joining us¡±, said the headmaster. ¡°If so, then, what about Yuki?¡±, said Will, emptying the cup. ¡°We have not had any field experience with a Mythos before. But we suspect that she would provide great aid to us, seeing how she effortlessly stapled a stubborn goad like Leo here¡±, said the headmaster, pointing to a white-haired kid, about 3 years older than Will. ¡°I am Paul Lipinski, Command in Office, but you can call me AMMO or Paul, friends. You already met Leo, one of our executive officers along with Blanc, Iliana and Rafael. We also have Olivia, Izuha, James, Thie, Wright, Errol and Hua, the Retrievers which you will be a part of¡±, said the headmaster, introducing the dozen.
Ch 1. Part 16. Slow
The concept of a peak originates from those who have vast knowledge in their fields and, in turn, have control and power far beyond anyone else. These people are often inventors, physicists and or other scientists who have devoted their entire lives to material science, understanding the very fabric of reality we manipulate to survive. There are also people who have innate talent in the manipulation and conjuration of mana, but never get to fully extend to their peak potential due to the lack of understanding of their situation and condition.
While the Magical Revolution paved a way to a more liberal view to the world, there still lie a slight discrimination of differences. Still, the main scale of influence and power is the capacity of mana. But this is not an accurate way to measure potential ¨C as the cup does not signify the contents, people drink poison mistaking it for an elixir. Yet, as the only major signifier of power people could sense is their capacity, it is often associated with the sheer accessibility and potential.
People without any trace of mana are far and few in between as, those who have no potential often perish before they reach adolescence. But, if they reach adulthood, they become more successful in life than those who have magic and miracle in their lives. As they need more hands-on experience to survive, they innovate, invent, and advance, often exceeding those of talent and mastery in the imaginary art of materialization and manipulation. Unfortunately, these people defect to the underground, hiding from the dangers and discrimination of today''s society and devoting their talents and skills to develop and invent things against the discrimination ¨C to abolish the harshness towards the different.
¡°And these I have mentioned are our main goal. We do not mean harm or disruption in general society. We only seek harmony among the exceptions and miracles ¨C we seek equality among the same species. The raids are uncommon but when we do them, it is for a greater cause, often to rescue others, such as yourselves, and to disrupt the operations which might be undergoing¡±, said Olivia, a blonde girl with a heavy Slavic accent, about three years older than Will. ¡°So, where are we going, exactly?¡±, asked Will, as they approached the mana capacity whose explosion prompted San¡¯s death. Turning the corner to the scene, ¡°If the one you were looking for had survived, well¡ the chances are, she is either executed by the culprits who blew up this place or deported to another country. So, this is the closest you will ever get to seeing her¡±, said Olivia, at the crater left by the capacity.
Suddenly realizing something, Will started running. Turning corner after corner, he ran; he ran as fast and as far as he could. He ran and ran until¡ he had reached the destination, but, he had not seen the sight he had hoped for; he had reached his home ¨C his once beloved home. Walking past the ruined front fence, the garden destroyed beyond recognition and finally the entrance door frame which was the only thing left standing of the house, he entered on the sanctuary only dust and debris reside. Catching up to him, ¡°As their goal is so grand, a single family is too insignificant for them to take into account. Sorry for the loss, Will. My condolences¡±, said Olivia. ¡°You say it is them who is doing all this. But why would they? For me? For me to live in misery and only to work as their test rabbit? Why would they? It is illogical. And you¡ You do not seem to be in grievance what so ever. And, why would you be? Then again, why would you say that you understand my situation? This is just a fa?ade. You only want me to join you, no? Why? What is your ultimate goal, Olivia? Why do you need me? What is my use for you? Why? Why, I ask you!¡±, said Will, sitting on the rubble that once was the walls in between the kitchen and the hallway.
¡°Please¡ amend yourself¡ It is not our fault that you are in despair, right now. It is only the consequence of you being in the wrong place at the wrong time, trying the wrong thing. After all, if we had not been there, if Leo had not been ordered to destroy Gipfel, you would not be here, grieving over the lost and blaming us for the things we had no chance of being a part of. You would prove to be useful beyond anyone that is currently in this organization, sure, but it is not a necessity for you to be with us. We gave you a choice, didn¡¯t we? And you chose us, abandoning the life you had before the explosion. Yet you are here, now, wanting to go back to the life which you shunned for one reason or another¡±, sighing out a large, ¡°If you are a man, stand up and look onward. If the men of this country, of this place we call home, were to be cowards like you, we as an ethnicity would have long been wiped out in war¡±, said Olivia, standing in front of the now broken Will. In a tone that cannot be described other than desperate ¡°what do you know of home? What do you know of ethnicity? You are a Slav in Germany ¨C you are an outcast who fled from the very same thing you are scolding me for. Aren¡¯t I right? That scar of yours, the one you are trying so hard to hide, The Branding of the Chalice; you ran from there, no? ¡°Smile to the unknown¡±, they say. Yet you did not smile. So, they marked you for death at the stake. I guess you are lucky. That foundation, that single theocracy run in the shadows of the current society, O, the things they do to please everyone¡ It must have been very hard for you, Olivia-¡±, said Will before the angry Olivia snapped back at him.
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Pinning him up in the air with crystals she grew in stasis, ¡°Why do you take pity on me, Will? Like you know how I felt then ¨C why do you say it like that? You know nothing, yet you say things like you know everything. WHY?¡±, loosens the grasp, ¡°Can you even fathom how I have been there? It was hell in place for heaven. Do you know how bad it hurts when the skies turn upside-down before your very eyes? All the teachings they enforce, all the pride and humility they share to others, every single thing they say turn out to be all false¡ Do you know how disappointing it was and how much more it hurt when they took me down to the backroom? Violence, gluttony, lust, avarice and fraudulence ¨C service to them seemed so evil yet they expected me to follow¡ You cannot and that is the truth¡±, said Olivia, at the brink of tears.
¡°It is true that I do not know a single thing you went through. But, as far as one¡¯s mind could imagine, I could only think a small fraction of it and sympathize with you. Bloody hell. And you went through a lot-¡±, said Will, before he was broken out of the crystal and pulled back. With a slight jingle to it, a rope made of crystal, presumably beryl, and some dark gray ceramic coated nylon fibers shatter the crystal lock and pulls Will away from Olivia, out of the house. As he was being pulled out, a faint net, as white as spider¡¯s silk, could be seen, cast in place of him once were. ¡°You are an annoying piece of rote, Will. And that is what I like about you. See, you even angered the bloody ¡°Fiery Envy¡±. Oh, and you will be called the ¡°Ghost¡± from now on, as Blanc said¡±, said Yuki, laying low to the ground, patting Will¡¯s head. As bright bursts of red flame rupture where the white net was cast, ¡°That web I have woven, it is made of Boron Nitrate, one of the best materials to use as a heat distributor¡±, said Yuki, scattering fine yarn on the ground.
¡°From what Blanc said, she excels in cremation and incineration of leftover evidence. And if you were to die, then it is almost certain that she will take care of your carcass so¡ do not die, man¡±, said Yuki. While the smoke and flash settle from Olivia¡¯s flames, small white crystals form around Will and Yuki. The crystals remain in stasis, like a soft snowfall frozen in time, as a small sack breaks the stillness, thrown at the confused pair. Suddenly, a large explosion occurs, blinding them and hurling the two in opposite directions. Walking towards Will, ¡°Most of the air we breathe consist of, what is known as, nitrogen which is also a major component in explosives. Those crystals you saw are RDX crystals, commonly referred by us as Salt. You should learn how to synthesize them too, Yuki¡±, said Olivia through the smoke while picking up Will. In a sudden gust of wind, the yarn placed down by Yuki tangles Olivia and neutralizes her. ¡°Check-mate!¡±, exclaimed Yuki, perched atop Olivia¡¯s head, ¡°Lithe ¨C that is the name bestowed upon me by Blanc. I would very much appreciate you call me such, Via¡±.
Coughing, ¡°Please, do not use that on me ever again, Olivia. I am merely a human with no miracle ¨C I cannot parry such attack... Well, that is that¡±, clearing his throat, ¡°Why the hell did you attempt to incinerate me? Was a broken man¡¯s nonsense too much for you? We are civilized, yes?¡±, said Will to the bound Olivia. Her face lightens, saying ¡°Aw, how sweet of you to protect little Will, Yuki¡±. ¡°Well, to be frank, I just wanted to make you feel a fraction of the thing that you say you know so much. It was to make you, an ignorant idiot, understand and sympathize with a shattered soul. Yet, you were prevented from feeling such despair; you were protected from the blaze, unlike me who was burnt to a crisp. It is a nice gesture, though, to see you two being so close. Well¡ to think I would bend a knee to someone who used such arts, how wonderful. Now, if you were to be so kind to lift such a bind from me, I would amend my mistake and offer to take our leave. I think some black-hats are on to us¡±, she added, in a very careless tone.
Sensing something, ¡°Will, move!¡±, said Yuki as shots ring throughout the street. Still bound by Yuki¡¯s ropes, ¡°How impressive!¡±, said Olivia. ¡°Should I offer my assistance, Lithe?¡±, she added as the shots fired get blocked by a large yellow nylon blanket, woven across the power-lines. ¡°Yes!¡±, shouted Yuki, behind one ruin. Released from the bind, Olivia pulled out another sack and threw it up in the air. ¡°If only I knew it would escalate to this degree¡ Ah, well~ It is what it is¡±, she said before the sack exploded in the air, scattering small particles in a large radius. The next second, synchronized explosions happen all across the street. ¡°One¡ two¡ three¡ four¡ five poor blokes were pushed to kill either you or me. My condolences for your death, the black-hats¡±, said Olivia, smiling. ¡°Well then. I take it you trust in me now. Let us go home, Lithe, Ghost¡±, she added, heading back to the office.
As the black-hats are the agents of the government, they have authority to enter each and every home without any hindrance. Fortunately, the rule only applies to the reaches where the central government take first authority as, most of the German divisions still enforce the state law which they had long before they were integrated into the 2nd Reich. Most famously, Hanover and Lower Saxony occupy a special position in the German parliament; they are autonomous with their own rule and law because they joined the union instead of being annexed. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to migrate to those regions, only those who were selected as the envoys of the government or those who are excluded from the rest could leave the authority of the government.
Ch 1. Part 17. A certain incident
From Will¡¯s apartment to Johann¡¯s bakery, about a kilometer and a half would be covered. And as Will was accustomed to walking a significant distance every day to his work, it is not difficult to walk such a long mileage, even with a person on his back.
¡°We have been walking for an hour now. And to think you carried me all the way from Johann¡¯s bakery¡ say, what do you do as your profession, Will?¡±, said San, quite tired from all the walking. ¡°Quite a tiring journey, isn¡¯t it? But even though we took a detour to get your stuff, it still is only a couple of kilometers. I walk this distance almost every day so I do not know if it is a burden for you. I work at the west mines, mate. Ironic, isn¡¯t it? Since most of the work is done with the use of CE18 behemoths, I have the job of checking if the sediment can support the machines or not. But it means I have leisure to do stuff that is usually not meant for a geologist. I heard Johann and Li are experimenting with the battery I made, at the bakery¡ Oh! When we arrive there, I would like to show you something. I think it is with Yuki. So, please, hurry¡±, says Will, pretty excited to show San the work he did.
At the bakery, the situation has finally calmed down a bit. With Alrick still dangling in the store front, Yuki watches him with Johann, sitting beside a table. Li is busy hoarding mana in the backroom and some pie is baking in the oven¡ ¡°If you value your life, do not do such a thing¡±, says Yuki as Alrick silently tries to cut the string. Smirking a little, ¡°Even if you had not noticed, it would be a long time before I break this string. What is up with it anyway?¡±, says Alrick. ¡°Did you know that the world we live in is made up of tiny little particles? It is a common knowledge among those who have advanced conversion rates but I presume you are aware of such info. But, do you know why those particles do not just float away from each other and rather stick and make something that is rigid? It is a kind of invisible bond which holds those small physical particles together. The common term for them is CE80, or electron bonds. The strongest of which, holding together diamonds and graphite, is the Carbon bond. That string you are dangling from is made with those bonds, of pure carbon, and something called Kevlar¡±, sips from a cobbler, ¡°Commercially, they are very expensive, at least those of my level of purity. But, as I do not use organic polymer to make them, it is not very difficult for me to make a ton¡±, picks up a pistol from the table, ¡°If that answers your question, let me ask you something: How are you related to the head Carnation family in Moscow?¡±, says Yuki, inspecting the gun which was used to shoot Johann.
¡°The Carnation family has a hierarchy which is akin to a royal family. The highest power is the head of the family, which will be a member who is under 60 and has at least 3 grandchildren. The family head will be determined by the branches¡¯ manufacturing capabilities and children¡¯s shown potential. While the head is usually a symbolic leader, the previous one, Brother Tolia, was more than a head ¨C he was a distortion. Since a long time ago, the Carnation family had been split into 3 main houses: Alpha, Beta and Delta. I am the 7th linage from the Alpha branch, the first child of David Alfons Carnation. Brother Tolia was from the Beta branch, 6th linage. Even though we were from the same higher heritage, most of the members, divided between the three houses, did not like each other in the slightest. The vendetta between the houses were almost as prevalent as the vendetta against the Johannes family, which was also related to us on an even higher heritage. Until, Brother Tolia was selected as the Head of Family. He unified the manufacturing facilities of all three branches, unionizing the tracked, wheeled and artillery vehicles¡¯ production. With his strategic genius and the newly created mechanized brigade, he decimated the Johannes family, first in 1855, wiping out the Mono and Di branches and lastly in 1872, killing the Trie, Kolm and Penta branches and burning their hometown of Lahti, finishing hundreds of years of resentment. Aside from his tactical brilliance, he contributed to the Chistyy Nol¡¯, developing more than a dozen healing techniques and improved the relation between the organizations. Yet, despite the significance of his, he died and I, as well as many others, seek to avenge and continue his legacy. The new head of the Carnation family, Elizabeth Beta Carnation, inherited the seat and continued to organize the family. His last order was to finish what he started and as such, the branches took on his legacy. Alpha branch, based in Minsk, took to end his last crusade, Beta branch, based in Moscow, took on the role of a mediator, Delta branch, based in St. Petersburg, took on the economical endeavors and the newly formed Zeta branch, based in Novgorod, took on the Chistyy Nol¡¯s operation¡±, says Alrick.
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Either he felt that Yuki and Johann would forgive and let go of him after giving them info or he just thought it was good to have a conversation, he did not lie on any of his statements. Expecting he would lie in at least one of his sentences, Yuki held a sharp mesh encircling his heart. Yet, Yuki did not sense any fraudulence; his heart was beating quickly but not as fast as him being scared, his body temperature was high but not too the degree of sweat breaking out and his voice swayed a little but his tone never broke from pride. ¡°Either you are crazy or you are really proud of a war criminal. Why did you tell your enemies the truth? Who even are you? Why do you work for someone who did not affiliate with you all that much? Albeit, he was your boss, why do you do what he said a long time ago? I do not know how you live¡±, says Yuki as Will knocks the door to the bakery.
Entering, ¡°Oh! I did not think he would still be dangling in the store front. Is this the best you could do, Yuki? At least staple him to a wall or something, not make a bloody pi?ata of him. So, how is he? How he been hanging~¡±, says Will before bursting into laughter. ¡°Is this the one I have been hearing about?¡±, asks San as she recognizes Alrick¡¯s face. Also recognizing San as the girl who followed Anatoly, ¡°Oh, why are you here, miss? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be back in Moscow with Liz and Cecile? Has your mana reserve been replenished already? I heard the Nol¡¯ worked tirelessly to achieve such feat again, after the first attempt of theirs raised you from dead¡±, says Alrick, quite casually. With eyes as hollow as a man¡¯s desperate plead, ¡°Did you kill my family, Alrick?¡±, says San, walking towards the dangling Carnation. Will finally stops laughing. ¡°So, you are Cassandra Trie Johannes, huh? What an ironic fate, Anna, to have your foster kill your born family. I guess that is that. I do not think you would forgive me and those guys would not let me leave here alive¡ Let me ask you one last question: Do you remember Hella ¨C your little sister Hella Trie Johannes? She was twelve when I last saw her; when I shot her in front of this establishment. And, if my memory serves me right, you should have met her before, albeit, when she was just born. Do you remember her, Anastasia Elizabeta Carnation?¡±, says Alrick as San lashes at him. Quietly sneaking to Yuki, ¡°Take care of the body as quickly as possible. I will try to subside San when things hit the fan¡±, says Will.
While people need to think and imagine in order to create, some subconscious thoughts also influence the will of creation. With rage engulfing her heart, San spots one specific artifact. Moving to the table where Johann sat, San gets hold of the pistol which was used to shoot Johann. ¡°Such familiar feeling, this is interesting; very interesting indeed. Say, where did you find this, Alrick?¡±, says San, pointing the gun at Alrick. Evidently in destress, ¡°What? Are you going to shoot me with that? On a whim of that being from your deceased lineage? That might be from a contracted manufacturer or¡ or even a stolen schematic that was seized in one of the raids. Well, the fact is¡ I do not know¡±, says Alrick, trying to talk down San from escalating. ¡°I have not seen this firearm before but I could tell it is flawed. If I were to shoot you with this, it would be a disgrace to the Johannes family¡±, putting the gun down, ¡°Hilbei-min Setbachi dol-Tali ta-Lin diti-Mar sout. tot-Setbachi Tou muyn-Betja du Lei-no moumuyn-Sasu muyn-Sohrsjan du Bihur Chacha-min myun-Hilbei muyn-Hotrut sohr-Setmartire jeiha-Hito¡±, chants San as intricate parts made of mana assemble into a similar firearm and drops to the table.
As she had no reason to rush, San makes the magazine parts one by one, spring after the case, assembles them in front of Alrick without breaking eye contact, and makes the bullets fit to the follower and capacity. Grabbing the gun off the table, she inserts the magazine, racks the slide and ejects one cartridge as a means of slide-checking the firearm. Taking the magazine out, clearing the chamber and reloading the ejected rounds, ¡°This is what the gun should be like. Specifically designed to have a low bore axis and an ergonomic grip, it should be light and comfortable. Use plastics as needed and you will have a surprisingly robust and reliable gun that is quite manageable, even for a child¡± smiles disturbingly, ¡°Now, I will shoot you¡±, she says, inserting the magazine into the mag-well and racking the slide once again.
Evidently shook with a hysteric smile on his face, ¡°If you kill me, that is fine. But someday, someone will continue where I left off. Brother Tolia said that in his last moments to Demitria, your sister. And I will say the same: If you want to kill me, go ahead. But, even if I die, I will have my r-¡±, says Alrick before being abruptly shot by San in the head. The room falls silent for a moment. With blood as crimson as the flower of one Silene chalcedonica dripping on the worn wooden floorboard resonating through the room, ¡°You were going to diminish the words of a virtue; please, die quietly and repent¡±, says San with a never-been-heard tone.
Ch 1. Part 18. A Saint and a Savant
Trying to break the stay-still, ¡°Well, that went swimmingly¡±, says Will, moving closer to San, who is now very upset. Baring the same smile Alrick had, ¡°Eh~¡ How could you say something like that in times like these? I did not think I would shoot him a minute ago but¡ I did. I shot him and he is now dead. I knew him yet I pulled the trigger¡¡±, says San, dropping the gun as she starts to sob. Suddenly, the corpse of Alrick starts to materialize a shell around itself. Appraising a familiar material replacing his heart, Yuki quickly drops the carcass onto the ground, shouting, ¡°Salt!¡±. Realizing the situation, Johann quickly transports San to the backroom and tries to move and isolate the cadaver.
Looming a fabric of boron-nitride and carbon fibers, Yuki adds the first layer of a countermeasure. ¡°Yuki, make an Au-Bs mesh!¡±, says Will as he searches his briefcase for something. Pulling out a dish like disk and a fine-tuned battery, similar to the one used as a pacemaker in the cellar, Will connects the two and puts it dish first onto the mesh Yuki weaved, adding another layer of countermeasure. ¡°Birdcage¡±, says Johann, trapping the cadaver inside a border, adding the last layer of countermeasure. Without the slightest idea of what they were doing, the three just sit there, observing the supposed explosive. ¡°Say, the Salt is made of nitrogen and some organic matter, yes? Then, if the air supplied the nitrogen, how much of his body would actually be made of Salt?¡±, asks Will. ¡°C3H6N6O6, air is about 78% nitrogen, 60*60*180cm area is about 0.65m3¡ eh~ about 1.67kg ¨C more than enough to destroy this bakery¡±, says Yuki. ¡°Is our countermeasure enough?¡±, asks a concerned Will. Heading to the backroom, ¡°Probably. My blanket is sufficient enough to absorb up to 453 MJ of energy, about 64 times the energy such explosive could output. Besides, if the explosive overcomes my blanket, it will be caught inside Johann¡¯s cage and your dish will absorb any seeping¡±, says Yuki. ¡°You¡ seem too confident for a cat, Yuki. It is a body of a serial killer and an assistant of a war criminal we are talking about. Who knows what he made his last resort be¡±, says Johann, still wary of the body. Picking the gun up from the floor and placing it beside the one the deceased had, ¡°Yeah, you should be this concerned. It is your bakery after all. But I have faith in Yuki¡¯s appraisal; unlike your appraisal, she is acquainted to something similar to a Vector-Null hyper-use scan. So, she should have quite an accurate assessment. All that being said, I should check on San¡±, says Will, also going to the kitchen.
In the backroom, Li is shooting every spare mana into the battery. With all attention on the watch, he had not the awareness to hear the gunshot in the store front. As San gets gently pushed through the backroom door, Li finally raised his head to the commotion. ¡°Oh! I did not notice your arrival, Miss Anna. Have you got everything in order? Where is Mr. Hennesy? I thought you two were coming from the same home¡±, he says as San starts to sob uncontrollably. Having not been in such situation, Li panics and starts to search for a towel. In her normal tone, ¡°Why did I do that? I did not know the child but I¡ just that¡ who the hell am I? Why can I do such a thing in a heartbeat¡Tell me, Li, who am I to you?¡±, she says, averting her eyes. Handing a paper towel to her, ¡°You¡ are Anastasia; the one who is too hospitable that people have no choice other than to like you¡ You are a Saint to me, along with Johann and Will¡±, getting the pie out of the oven, ¡°You welcomed me, even after that grandpa took over, you understood me and welcomed me with open arms. I do not know any of you but you are this close to me; there is not any way I would isolate myself from you. I like you, Anna¡±, says Li with a smile as pure as one can be.
Opening the door to the backroom, Yuki sees Li cutting the pie into 8ths. Having never eaten a pie, ¡°Care to give a slice?¡±, asks Yuki. ¡°Of course! Care to call in the others?¡±, says Li, making the plates and cutlery. With one smile that is o so familiar, ¡°Hey, Li, do not push yourself too hard this time, okay?¡±, says San. Grinning a sinister smile, ¡°They do not have to know about this, do they?¡±, says Yuki coming into the room in her cat form. With such task as to funnel as much mana as possible into a container, Li could make a corridor that the current cannot spill out of and push as much as he willed to. But, in case of some lesser constructs, he has to limit his mana in order to not spill mana that is enough to power a small building for a day at a time. Seeing the difference in Li¡¯s mana as he makes the plates, ¡°How the hell do you have so much mana?¡±, asks Yuki.
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Fearing an explosion akin to the ¡¯62, Yuki does not like any kind of person who has more mana than her. ¡°Eh? I think this is the amount that a normal person has. Or, at least what Mr. Johann had. Why asked?¡±, says Li, making the 2nd plate. ¡°That is the problem. Johann has that much because here is in his border and he will be at his maximum all the time here. Not to mention, this whole building is considered as his border and too much mana is put into this establishment that its capacity is akin to a damned artifact. But you¡ you are a 13-year-old who had about the same capacity as San¡¯s a moment ago and now, you are surpassing even Johann¡¯s. How is that possible, Li? And you said your mana was similar to Johann¡¯s like you were comparing morganite to emerald ¨C why do you think Johann has a capacity of a normal person? He has royal heritage, let alone of a high, European one. His¡¯ can rival the likes of the devastation of what that Anatoly fellow did to Lahti¡±, says Yuki. Finishes making the plates, ¡°Look, I do not know how I would explain to you but I, too, am from a royal heritage. I am the supposed heir to the Hue dynasty and a direct descendant of Luyo Sun Hue, Li San Hue¡±, makes a mask similar to the one he has in his briefcase, ¡°And, I am the terrorist Li, the one who blew up the consulate building on the 16th of September. Now, if you please, I would not like to get into a fight inside Mr. Johann¡¯s kitchen¡±, says Li, once again suppressing his mana to a level similar to San¡¯s. ¡°Do not toy with me, boy. I am not someone who you can fool. Show me your full capacity. That way, I would get an idea of who you really are¡±, says Yuki, making a net out of a lustrous blue thread akin to the visible birdcage of Johann¡¯s around Li.
As Will and Johann open the door to the backroom, Li unleashes his shackles and presents his full capacity once again. With Will¡¯s watch still on Li¡¯s wrist, the danger of possession is no longer an issue. Seeing the scattered sparkling blue string on the ground, ¡°What the hell is happening, Yuki? How much is that?¡±, asks Will. ¡°None of your business, rote. His capacity was an anomaly to me so I wanted to check. It was about the same as of your fianc¨¦¡¯s just a moment ago and it jumped above Johann¡¯s and it is now triple that of Blanc¡¯s. Who is this kid, Will?¡±, says Yuki, perched atop Will.
One¡¯s passive mana is the aura that the capacity emits as ambience. For example, Johann has an ambient body temperature of 35?C and radiates 30?C in a 1 by 1 area around himself, nothing more, nothing less. The ambient effect is determined at birth by either genetics or certain conditions. As they cannot be suppressed entirely, some people can detect these with their Analysis-type manipulation, making their presence noticeable. As people who can do these have reasons to do so, they often are those who are too wary or those who need to be on alert all the time. As so, those without any mana, by turn any ambience, cannot be sensed prior to bodily queue, making them pretty much invisible to those who can sense.
Standing up from the sofa, ¡°Li, you are scaring Yuki. I think it is time to stop. You have shown enough, Li¡± says San in a more judgemental voice. As children do, the thought of their mother being angry makes them be more docile; the same could also be said about Li and San. Slowly suppressing the aura he had unleashed, Li goes back to his normal state, at about the same level as San¡¯s. ¡°Now, I have shown you who I am. It is up to you to determine whether I am a friend or a foe¡± he says before putting the pie onto the plates.
A sudden plunk can be heard in store front. With, what looks to be, an uncooked beef wellington on the ground with the Au-Bs mesh serving as the scoring, Li do not see the corpse of Alrick Alphons Carnation. ¡°That must be the salt exploding¡± says Yuki. ¡°I did not think it would be as anticlimactic as that¡±, says Johann as he lifts the birdcage off of the bundled corpse. A quiet sigh could be heard from San¡¯s direction as she falls to the sofa. Presumably quite tired, ¡°Well then. With that situation evaded, I am quite famished. I heard some pie has been made and Li asked for us to come. I presume Johann did not hear such a cry; as whom to blame? Anyhow, let¡¯s dig in, yes?¡±, says Will as he sits down beside San with some pie on a plate.
Ch 1. Part 19. The Last Night in the City of Hanover
With the evening breeze softly humming outside of the versteckter Gipfel bakery, the owner of the establishment, Johann, as well as his friends, geologist William, scholar Cassandra, his apprentice Li and Will¡¯s accomplice Yuki calmly celebrate their last night in the city of Hanover ¨C the night of the 19th of September, 1874. On the table inside the now closed bakery¡¯s storefront, the thing that started it all, the two pieces of schematic from an ancient civilizations¡¯ transportation device prominently take its place along with the necklace Will hold so dear and a pair of pistols, 13 circles engraved into the handles of each, one of which San had made in the prior afternoon, lay meek.
Sitting along a coffee table in the backroom, the party of five converse about an assortment of topics, from the mid lands of Osman to one continent only an ocean away, while eating the treats of Li and Johann and the main course of Will. Finally getting his drink, ¡°I do not know if I said this to you guys or not but, I cannot be intoxicated, believe it or not¡±, says Will. With a toast of his own, ¡°Then, why did you repeatedly ask us to pour the Hennesy you brought?¡±, says Johann. With cheeks as red as those flowers of the dianthus she who despised the most, ¡°Why bother now, eh? We have drink and we have food, what more answers do you need from life? Besides, we would go on a journey of unease from tomorrow so let us forget our worries for the times to come, yes?¡±, says San as she stumbles onto the sofa once again.
Li is at the 2nd floor, looking out the window and gazing at the streets below. A small click could be heard from his wrist as, ¡°Hey, do not take that watch off of your wrist, mate¡±, could be heard from Will down below. With an expression as wondering how Will could hear such a small click, he stubbornly takes off the watch for a single moment. ¡°Li, my child, I only want one thing from you and that is your peak and prominence among the 100 strong. And, I will ensure such a feat, no matter the cost. But I will tell you this, Li San, the fragility of oneself could be accommodated with another¡¯s ¨C you need friends and your friends need you, swear by them to never betray or stray away from them¡±, says Luyo in a state that is best described as a hologram. A silent nod approves the grandpa as he, with his armor and robe, disappear into Li as he puts the watch back on.
¡°Cadavers are easy to dispose of, I suppose. With such things as RDX and Oxygen Bombs, it is really just a test of common knowledge until people could erase their footprint of malice¡±, says Yuki as she makes a mesh pillow for San to lay her head on. Reforming to her human form and pinching both of Will¡¯s cheeks, ¡°If you were to make me do all the dirty work again, I will make you my next and your last¡±, lets go of his cheeks, ¡°Now that Snow White is asleep, I would like to suggest something to you whom have not slept yet. With Li¡¯s route going straight through Russian territory, of which an arms dealing family is hostile towards our personnel, I would like to suggest a small risk. How about we make use of Blanc and the others? I heard they have not been very active in this region recently. And Johann does not have someone who can run this place while we are gone so, I could ask Illiana and her bunch to operate from this bakery as well as a profit share with them. And, we could get rid of the Carnation with the help of Paul, Rafael and the others as they have foreign passports. It is a win-win for both parties as well: We can have a safe travel with the Carnations gone and they would profit from a branch in Russia to go back to, as well as a front evaded in supposed times of war¡±, says Yuki.
With in almost unison, the three says, ¡°Absolutely not¡±. Putting the mug he had been holding on the table, ¡°My bakery will not be overseen by some grey-hats. Still, I have a known associate that came from the same district as I was in Danzig. I would put more faith in whom I have known since I was little rather than someone who only you and Will used to know¡±, says Johann, his tone reflecting that his resolve is final. Emptying the contents and then putting the cup on the table, ¡°My connection with the underground has been severed and I do not have a reason to mend it. Even if they say they need me, I will not let them take my aid. This is now my life and by extension, yours as well. So, do not be selfish and live independently from the past¡±, says Will, pouring water for himself. Sitting on the stairs to the 2nd floor, ¡°I do not care who the Carnations are but they mean threat to Ms. Anna. But what I am really afraid is, the fact that, they did not know who the last Johannes was, yet still, gave orders to execute them anyway. I doubt they know who the last Johannes still is but they have a way to track Ms. Anna down. While this is a problem in its own right, I do not want another force of factor to intervene in our journey. We saw what you are capable of and it is enough to apprehend a battle-hardened fighter, Yuki. And, I think, it is best to go covertly and sneak past the Carnations as to go guns blazing and lose some men. It does not benefit us, at least, to the point where we could kill people and commit a war crime. Coupled with the fact that, we do not have the opinion of Ms. Anna. She showed care for the fallen Carnation, even though his intent was to kill her. We cannot oversee her kindness over our selfish thirst for safety so, I say we go across Russia on train, stopping along some major cities and, most importantly, get the original of the schematic No.1¡±, says Li.
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¡°Oh, well, do not say I did not suggest such an idea when we inevitably encounter resistance. I am only so strong ¨C Johann and Will could have my back in the heat but I doubt they would be of much help. Ah~ who am I to predict the future, no? Let that rote be the judge and I will abide by the outcome of this endeavor. If, for any reason at all, I get captured or killed, I will ask an equal reaction from you, just to be clear; I am not expendable¡±, says Yuki as she lays beside San in her cat form, sleeping shortly after curling into a small ball.
With the battery charged to almost 1/800th capacity, Johann and Li could say their jobs had been done as 56 thousand CE is more than enough for food and commodities until Danzig. As it is with every great journey, a good night sleep before the expedition is the most important. Will had nothing better to do in the evening, as he already quit his job and informed the landlord that he will be going out for a while, so he fell asleep soundly, on the ground, aside San and Yuki. Without any more interference from Luyo, Li could sleep with absolute certainty that he will see the sunrise the next morning. After drinking about 3 shots worth of bourbon, San fell asleep, unbothered by the murky future. As she had not any plans for the next few years, as so with every other Mythos Sapiens with their considerably longer lifespan, she slept peacefully on the couch, knowing it would be a much-needed thrill for the 16-year-old Shiro Li Yuki, the embodiment of Will¡¯s love for San and the indomitable spirit of his.
The most troubled out of the five was Johann, however, his only concern prompting his unease is the person who would look after the shop which had been Johann¡¯s only asylum since he came to Hanover. Felix Elis Fyodorovski, the eldest son of the late Elis Leo Fyodorovski ¨C the most well-known Polish Jewelry maker, is one of the founding members of the Artisan¡¯s Association and a great friend of Johann. Inheriting the family business, his line of profession is similar to Will¡¯s, having to do with geology and gemology, and so, he might be the reason why Johann befriended Will some 4 years ago. But, as he is a jeweler and not a baker, Johann does not trust a ¡°Will-adjacent¡± to look after the only place he called home. Still, if he is just like Will, he might have decent enough cooking skill and, more importantly, the ability to recreate to complement such skills, it would not as bad as Johann first thought. Cleaning the storefront and reassuring himself with the thought of, ¡°A 13-year-old learned how to bake in a day so why can¡¯t he?¡±, the owner of the versteckter Gipfel bakery and caf¨¦ goes to sleep in a makeshift bed in the backroom, next to the friends who he would be traveling with for a long while.
Ch 1. Part 20. Sun That Never Set
Getting up early in the morning, Johann quickly makes the front-line essentials such as bread and pastry and gets to work on making some breakfast for the rest of the group. Brewing some coffee and tea, he wakes up Will to make the main course. With a bothered voice, ¡°You, of all people, should know how to cook an omelet, mate¡ Well then; give me 6 eggs, some cheese, some type of ham and a frying pan. Turn on the launcher and make some bread for me, would you?¡±, says Will, getting up from San¡¯s side. Sliding out of somewhere, ¡°You are accustomed to the habit, I suppose. But, make me some of that omelet, or whatever; I have become tired of your soup, lately¡±, says Yuki. Picking Yuki up from the neck, ¡°For hangovers, some spring water is quite nice. Yesuntuki, was it? Get that for me, would you?¡±, says Will as the cat Yuki escapes the grasp of Will, reforming into her human form. Walking out the front door, ¡°Your 20 kopek is still with me, mate¡±, she says as Li wakes up.
¡°We would buy the tickets from the station so we would not need to hurry for anything. Mr. Johann, where would I get a mug?¡±, says Li, searching the cupboards. ¡°The top left one. I should have a coffee mug there but you can drink tea out of it. Say, why couldn¡¯t you make some out of mana?¡±, says Johann, readying the table with an assortment of bread. Suppressing the slightest bit of seeping, ¡°In the morning, I cannot really control my capacity. Even if it is to make something as small as a mug, I could potentially overflow and drip some enough to power a building for half a day¡±, says Li, pouring tea for himself in the kitchen. Within a bit of panic, ¡°Eh? So, you cannot make rice for breakfast?¡±, says Will, almost burning the ham star. ¡°Sadly, no. And, even if I were to make some, I would not make a presentable produce. I do not eat such a thing on a daily basis, believe it or not¡±, says Li, periodically sipping from his mug. Letting out a big sigh, ¡°Okay, we can make this work, somehow. So, where do you store your pasta, Johann?¡±, says Will, searching the drawers on the island. ¡°Pasta? Is that some kind of pastry, perhaps? I do not store, or make, something like that. If you want a substitute for the rice, I have these long noodles I got from a traveling merchant. He said it was something called Udon and it is best to eat it after soaking them in thick broth¡±, says Johann, handing Will a vacuum sealed noodle packet out of the freezer.
Boiling a simple bone broth and a couple of sides as complements, Will puts the noodles in, cooking them in the hot soup. ¡°Johann, mate, do you know how to age certain things?¡±, asks Will as he starts seasoning some lettuce. ¡°Yes¡ I am a baker so I would need the dough to proof quickly. Why asked?¡±, answers Johann. Putting his seasoned lettuce in a clay pot, ¡°Age these fine specimens. As you could probably guess by the smell, this is something spicy. I found you had chili paste, just being wasted in one of your cupboards, so, I put them to good use. If you age this lettuce, you will get, what is known as, kimchi. So, do as you will and age them for 6 months¡±, says Will, going back to stirring the soup. The aging process could be replaced with a constant flow of flavorful aroma inside the container and the separation of water from the main solids. While it is not ideal, the process is almost identical to the real deal but much faster, requiring only a few minutes to do.
Euphorically, ¡°Ah-ha~ Thank God you had something as rare as these just sitting in your fridge, Johann. In the lengthy 22 years of my existence, I have only seen these 3 or 4 times. Who was the bazaar?¡±, says Will, leaning on the countertop. ¡°Laurence, was it? A white-haired fellow, about the same age as you, that traveled all across the continent, selling any and every thing that could be sold in value. I heard his nickname was ¡°Spice¡± as he was akin to the Europeans in search of spice to sell. He also traveled with a girl, about 18 or 19. He sold those noodles and some other canned goods he had lying around in his carriage for a lower price here¡±, says Johann, sitting on the couch, sipping from a cup which he had put coffee in. Tilting the lid on the broth, ¡°Oh, Spice? I thought you would know more about him than a white-haired fellow; he is a part of the Road Merchants¡¯ Guild, quite close to the Artisans¡¯. Say, when did they go by?¡±, says Will. ¡°In late July, when you were away in Berlin¡±, answers Johann.
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As the birdcage with the clay pot suspends in the air, it simulates an ideal process of aging and accelerates it with some added force. Opening the door to a very strong smell, ¡°Why are you making that, now?¡±, says Yuki, carrying a bag full of groceries. ¡°Well, you know, sauerkraut is bland and Asian cuisine is never the same without something spicy and strong. And, Johann said he could age this quickly so I made some to help with San¡¯s hangover¡±, says Will, straining the noodles and separating the broth. ¡°Hey, mate, the lettuce has been aged¡±, says Johann, suspending the lettuce bunch over the pot. Licking a drop which had landed on his wrist, ¡°Bloody hell, this is spicy. Why did you make such a thing?¡±, he says.
¡°What is that smell?¡±, says San, waking up to the ready meal. Putting the hot pot on the table, Will pours the broth into a bowl, puts the noodles in, sprinkles some sesame seeds on top and says ¡°If I had some more time, I would have made you something even more special. Ah well~ It is what it is, eh? So, this is what the Japanese call Hakodate style Udon and ¡°Omu-to-Hoshi¡±, along with a spicy lettuce side called kimchi, darkened fish sauce and some greens. Shokuyoku osei¡±. Visibly hungover, ¡°That bourbon really hit different ¨C far worse than vodka, Vittu~. Would you be kind enough to-¡±, she says as Will puts some noodles in her mouth. ¡°Eat it before it cools. If you want some meat, I will cook some in the leftover broth. So, eat up and ready for today, Rakas¡±, he says, standing up and making everyone else¡¯s meal.
¡°Hey, I was wondering, where did you get a clay pot like that, Mr. Johann?¡±, asks Li, slurping the noodles. Bringing the pot over, ¡°This was a present given to me by a friend, a long time ago, along with a jar of chili paste and some rice wine¡ Say, if we get to Japan, I would like to introduce you guys to him. Especially you, Li¡±, says Johann. Opening the sealed bottle of spring water, ¡°Well then, I hope you guys slept well¡±, starts pouring it into everyone¡¯s glass, ¡°As we have talked yesterday, we will get on a train to Berlin to get our visas and papers then we would go to Danzig where we meet up with the Artisans¡¯ Association, getting the pass to Russia. That is the first of our objectives: get the necessary paperwork and cross the border without any major issue. Do note that we have two to three convicts among us: Li, who is the actor of terror under the mask of hexagon; and Yuki, who used to be wanted for several war crimes and felonies. So, if no problems rise and we get to Berlin, we would be rid of such titles and travel without unease along the planned route. Please, be at ease, as I have contacted the necessary people needed to cleanse such atrocities, even though I did not want to¡±, finally pours some into his glass, ¡°Cheers to our future ¨C the amnesia of the past¡±, says Will, raising a toast. Conversely, ¡°Cheers!¡±, ¡°To our future!¡±, ¡°To forget the past!¡± and ¡°Aye~¡± could be heard.
Ch 1. Part 21. The Train
Report of the 19th of September, 1874, LfV agency, Hanover, Germany.
- The terrorist Li has not been seen in the last 2 days, making it evident that he has gone into hiding. With a medium stature, a mask engraved with various shapes of hexagonal symmetry, some black robe without any notable distinction and what appears to be, from an alleyway camera, charcoal black hair, the dubbed Li the Pyromancer is still a mystery to all.
- A gunshot has been heard from the Baker¡¯s Street, the only suspect of such act was a K?nigsberger who has not been seen since he had gone into the bakery of Johann Alstrom, a migrant who came from Sweden.
- Overseeing her paperwork and passport, a woman by the name of Anastasia Elizabeta Carnation, affiliated with the notorious Carnation Family of Russia, was also seen near the vicinity wearing a large sunhat and some casual dress topped with a light blouse, hiding almost all of her visible skin.
- Accompanying the Carnation, a geologist of unknown origin was seen. Apart from his 4 years of experience in the mines, not a lot could be traced back from his life.
- Near the Hanover train station, a group of unidentified culprits have placed and detonated some amount of explosive, shaking the buildings near the station. While it could be considered as an act of terrorism, the amount used was greatly insignificant compared to what Li achieved as an individual and blew up the consulate building.
Note: As the fall rush should be starting in a few days, the train stations as well as the gates into the city is progressively getting crowded. It is almost predictable that the terrorist Li and other fugitives would use this opportunity to flee out of Hanover. However, our utmost priority is to protect the populus rather than catching culprits; it is the responsibility of the state to address such case. We cannot and will not interfere with the black-hats in any situation and or any report.
While the atrocities committed by those of high status could be forgiven quite lightly, those who have no such power to defy the authority which is meant to level the commoners from rising, cannot be forgiven so easily. And the reason of this whole fiasco to jab away the strive that is to reach the higher echelon: just a simple struggle for measly power that holds the current society together. Quite simple, really; people like power and they do not want to give it away, which leads to them developing and abusing the authority to prolong the duration and age which they could be in control.
In the day and age of magic and manipulation, the only signifiers of power are potential and control ¨C control of oneself and potential to soar. Yet, the echoes of old still ring alongside the roar of Nova ¨C holding an awkward middle ground to respect the tradition as well as flourishing the new direction. It is the age of struggle, mishmash of everything and anything, fighting for a smaller but significant portion of the diverse world we live on. As so, they try to extinguish the diversity among their share, hold to the idea of one pure entity, committing war crimes behind the general populus, propagating the lie that the world is only known as it was since the beginning. All a lie to keep the people from reaching the height which is believed to be the sky ¨C a sky under the heaven.
*Female voice on stereo* ¡°The train to W¨¹rttemberg leaves at 11. Please board the train and enter the corresponding cabin on your tickets¡±, sounds an announcement across the Hanover train station, one of the oldest surviving stations on continental Eurasia. Having left the bakery half an hour ago, the group of 4 book their tickets to Berlin, getting an extra for Johann who stayed to teach Felix the ropes of baking and register. With the station being quite small and Hanover being one of the sovereign regions inside the Second Reich, the movement inward is quite lacking, to say the least. Yet, as it is in between the resource rich Rhineland and the industrial heart of the country, the connection trains run constantly and so do the people who need to travel between the two regions.
Sitting on a bench about one of the gates, ¡°Geez, I did not think this much people would be here. Oh well, we just need to sit tight and wait, yes?¡±, says Li, hugging the suitcase to his chest. ¡°I do not see anything different from my imagination¡ it could just be me, though, knowing that the stations that I am familiar with are usually much busier than here¡±, says San, onlooking the tickets she had bought. ¡°Ah~ I hope my ID does not get bricked again. That one black soot on my records kneecaps my traveling potential¡ This feels more like a family vacation than anything else; why is that. Say, Li, can you make me something to drink, please?¡±, says Will. Choking on a spit, ¡°Wait¡ Will, your last name is Mandalmerge?! Where the hell do you come from, man? That is not like any surname that I know of¡±, exclaims San. Handing a cup over, ¡°Sounds familiar. Asian, maybe? Anyhow, drink some tea, Mr. and Mrs. Mandalmerge¡±, says Li.
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Over at the bakery, Johann is teaching Felix the essential breads and pastry. Opening various cupboards, ¡°Here is flour enough for the next few days and there is the sugar and butter. While these are a lot, it runs out quite often so you need to make some weekly. If you cannot refresh the pantry yourself, you can buy some from the essentials shop, near the church next door¡±, says Johann. Pointing upward, ¡°The upstairs do not have any use?¡±, asks Felix. Picking the things he had packed, ¡°Yeah, no, it is just spare rooms. You can do whatever you want with it¡ Unless it ruins either my family¡¯s reputation or the individual pride I bear for this building, you can do anything you want to this place. Well then, I think you would know any other gimmick of how this shop works so¡ good luck, mate¡±, says Johann as he leaves the shop. Going back in, again, ¡°Do not forget to turn on and off the launcher before and after using the stoves and oven or you will get fried by the wrath of Tesla¡±, he adds before leaving to the train station.
¡°William Wilson Epsilon Mandalmerge¡ you have a long, long name, man. Anyways, where is Yuki? I have not seen her since we got here¡±, says San, organizing the paperwork she had taken from Li and Will. Staring into the distance, ¡°Well¡ she might be inside the office booths, pulling some strings to ensure our travels to Berlin. After all, she is not called Lithe for nothing. I hope she would not spill ink on my paperwork again. That happened when I first came to Hanover from Berlin¡ It will be alright, I think. She is here to oversee my travels so it should be alright¡±, spots something, ¡°Oh, here come Johann¡±, says Will.
*Female voice on stereo* ¡°The train to Berlin leaves at 11.40. Please board the train and enter the corresponding cabin on your tickets¡±, sounds a speaker. Standing up from the bench they sat at, ¡°Here is your ticket and you will be going in first¡±, says San as she hands the ticket to Johann. As Yuki appears besides him, ¡°Yuki! Pocket!¡±, whispers Will as she jumps up to his pocket and shrinks her body to fit inside.
Walking up front, Johann enters the train without any hiccup. Following him, Will walks in, unquestioned by the conductor. Li goes in afterwards, clenching his suitcase¡ *one LARGE explosion* ¡°An explosion has occurred in the western wing. Trains leaving to the Rhine and Lower-Saxony have been canceled. Please remain calm and wait until further notice¡±, sounds a speaker. Either startled by the explosion or just oversaw the name coincidence, Li clears the check. San enters afterwards as the last person to enter the Hanover-Berlin train and the locomotive steams into life.
Seated inside their cabin, ¡°Well, that was unexpected. Was it you, Yuki?¡±, asks Will. Jumping out of the pocket, ¡°No. If it was me, I would not have caused such a fuss¡±, says Yuki, in her human form. *sigh* ¡°Well, it is a 3-hour ride until Berlin. What should we do until then?¡±, asks San as Li pulls out a deck of cards from his suitcase. Gazing a little closer, the mask and the two schematics can be seen, along with the utensils and uniform of a bartender, inside the case.
As the train to the capital of Germany travel across the countryside, the passengers on board relax and enjoy the ride. Even though the journey has begun, the pacing would not be much different for another couple of days but, it would be much better to do things one at a time, step-by-step, rather than rush everything all at once, resulting in an incomprehensible mess. With the departure from the city of Hanover, at 11.45am, on the 20th of September, 1874, the journey that would discover something that could revolutionize the means of modern science begins as the ones who would unveil such development play Muushig.
Ch 2. Part 1. Leo
As it is with most other countries, Germany¡¯s capital Berlin has the most population out of every other city in the country. Even though it is the economic, industrial and commercial center for the country, it is far from the safest, the most peaceful or the most accessible place to live in. Despite these, however, people live here, trying to make enough to move away, and often, fail in making it out of here. These people are called the working class, the backbone of the country¡¯s development and prevalence. Without them, the country would have never reached the height it has reached; as the defiance to the previous norm, it has peaked through sheer will and determination, of the people and the new standard that holds the people to the jobs it needs to survive.
With the customs it had stilled into its people, the efficiency and output of the industry exceeds those of old and tradition, making the mark of a new predator, an apex of the new age and its application. While those of the past rely on tried and trusted methods for mass production, Germany introduced the idea of mechanization of miracles ¨C enabling the machines to be partially or fully operate on the newly developed CE system, which offers a plethora of new methods to meticulously assemble and make parts much to meet the demands of thousands upon thousands of people. With this new technology, Berlin bathes in the lights of Nova ¨C the ones who seep with potential, knowledge and the experience to make use of such.
One of the most important logistical accomplishments of the century is the invention of the vast railroad networks connecting allies and enemies alike. Far before the Magical Revolution, the iron engines roamed the earth, delivering supplies to places ranging from the verandas of north to the No Man¡¯s of the east. Even after such accomplishments had been made in transport engineering, most of the movement of goods go on the steel parallels, passing outposts that had been made in the prior century and finally delivering through postal. While the material transport is an issue on its own, the persons¡¯ transport is also a big logistical hurdle. As it has not changed since the past century, its age is shown through the inability to accommodate the blossoming population, often leaving those who have nothing to spare in the past, behind all the time¡¯s dust.
¡°Miksi on nain kylm?? En uskonut etta t??ll? olisi nain kylm?¡¡±, pulls out her hat, ¡°Hu-Bachbetsi Ham-Rihthamdi Di Sout¡±, says San as the sunhat she held in her hand turns into an Ushanka. With the inventions of weapons of mass destruction and mass harvesters, some parts of the world started to experience unforeseeable meteorological events and disasters, trading environmental safety for defensive capability and energy resources. Throwing on a jacket and putting his hands in his pockets, ¡°Such nostalgia~ It is this cold in Oslo almost every time of the year; and in Danzig, too. I like this kind of weather, just nice and bright¡±, says Johann.
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Sighing out a large, ¡°Those pigs have not fixed that, huh?¡±, says Will. Holding San¡¯s hand while pointing to a closed part of the station, ¡°The incident of ¡¯70: Those whom I worked with helped me escape the city by blowing up that part of the train station. Something went wrong when I was checked of my ID and the black-hats started to chase after me. I was starting running out of options when Yuki, along with 4 others, jumped in between and protected me from getting caught. It was a spectacle. You can see Yuki¡¯s strings¡¯ cutouts right at the entrance¡ One person fell. Another followed¡ I do not remember the details but someone called Leo blinded as well as blew up the ones who were still targeting me. In the end, my previous records as well as my whole identity was erased by Ammo and I was born anew¡±, he says as someone approach the group while they sat at a bench.
¡°Born from the explosion that took dozens, the Ghost of Berlin finally decided to show his forgotten face in his birthplace¡±, says the man. With an albino hair, a large scar on his right eye and a bead bracelet around his left wrist, a guy about the same age as Johann could be seen leaning on Will. Jumping on his head, ¡°Your hair is as soft as I last perched up on. How have you been Leo? Your eye good?¡± says Yuki. Picking up and nuzzling with her, ¡°You are as adorable as I last seen you, too, Yuki. Maybe a little heavier but you are still nice and small¡ I can still see your forehead scar as well as your 2nd iris, so my sight is just fine¡±, says Leo. Standing up and extending his hand, ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you Leo Wilhelm Jaeger. I am Johann von Alstrom, a friend of Will here and I have heard a lot from you. I hope we would be great friends¡±, says Johann as Li also joins in the introduction, ¡°It is nice to meet you, Mr. Jaeger. I am Li, an apprentice of Mr. Johann and a friend of Mr. Will¡±, he says, bowing to show respect.
Flicking a coin up in the air, Will swiftly maneuvers around Leo, gets him in a threatless choke-hold as he leans on him. ¡°Looks familiar?¡±, he says as he catches the coin in his hand and displays it in front of his eyes. ¡°You still have that huh ¨C that 20 kopek?¡±, says Leo. ¡°Well then, I get that as your forgiveness, Ghost¡±, slips out of the bind, ¡°Now, if you please, follow me to your residency in which you will live during your stay here¡±, he adds as he walks to the exit of the station.
¡°You meany¡¡±, says San to Will as they walk out of the West Berlin train station. Confused, ¡°Eh? Why- How- What do you mean, San?¡±, says Will. Almost choking on his spit, ¡°San? SAN?! Like Ca-San-Dra? What are you implying by that, Will? Do you still dream of her; do you, to the point where you call your friend as that, Will?¡±, says Leo. Holding his hand over his left eye and looking intensely at San, ¡°So you are her¡ How the damned hell are you still alive-¡±, he says before being bonked on the head by Will¡ After being pulled aside for a moment, ¡°Ja- I will not tell her the things you said not to tell. Alice is still waiting for her response, too. Will¡ you are a meany¡±, he adds as the group walks past the ¡¯62 explosion site.
Ch 2. Part 2. Ferne Wiese
Part 2. Ferne Wiese
Berlin has a history of fire, violence and blood. Not every city in any country could be said to have such a history but a couple of German cities¡ they have been through worse. Along with the countless wars it has been involved, and got besieged, in, terrorist attacks, civil unrests and even some genocidal rallies have destroyed the capital throughout the centuries. But, against all odds and countless rebuilds, the city of Berlin with all its glory stands proud, boasting one of the best organized civilian and commercial grids and districts and housing almost 15 million people inside an area smaller than Hanover.
In each turn of a corner, the beautiful streets of Berlin with its iconic German architecture gleams and invites more and more attraction to the city. Yet, the people are unhappy; the permanent residents of the city is oppressed by the repetition and the eerie peacefulness.
¡°If you ask a commoner ¡°when would you rather live than now?¡±, almost all of them would answer ¡°the past¡± or ¡°1843, the year where the last war happened in Europe¡±. It is bitter but it is the truth¡ All I could say from this is that we, as a specie, could not live without conflict; the powers that are thriving now, those of far east, are in an almost age-old war, killing hundreds of thousands but they are not dead and far from being defeated. It is this nature, the adaptation and evolution through the hardship, that enables our minds to work and make new discoveries. Sure, the peace brought a whole new challenge that we are still undertaking but the advances into the new frontier ¨C the new age ¨C has plateaued, leaving us behind those who are in a constant struggle for a place among the heavens¡±, sounds a radio inside the Ferne Wiese bar.
The creaking of the old wooden floor and the whistle of a kettle gives the atmosphere of a cozy wooden cabin, far up the Swiss Alps, surrounded by a thick tree line on one side and the onlook of the lower reaches on the other. One such home might exist in the mountains but, it is just a feeling of comfort and at ease as well as the emptiness that is the most prevalent in the bar Leo has taken the group into. At a side cubicle close to the back wall, ¡°This place, huh? Eh¡ Well¡ People often ask for the best place a city has to offer when they visit one¡ this is the best place I could offer¡ Ah~ I did not think it would be this hard to show-off a place. This is actually-¡±, says Will, standing beside the table where the group had settled, before abruptly being cut from his monologue by a straight strike. With Will on the ground, ¡°That is what you get when you leave without a notice¡±, says a young woman, about a palmspan shorter than Will.
Unholstering a pistol from her side, ¡°Sin? vitt-¡±, starts her sentence but gets bound by Yuki, interrupting and immobilizing San. Trying her hardest to break away from the bind, ¡°Why do you hold me back? Of all the people, why are you this composed? Why aren¡¯t you dicing this place up like you did to the train station?¡±, she says. Unfazed by the commotion and turning to a more comfortable position, still on the ground, ¡°Wow, the wood has not lost its comfort¡±, says Will. The angry onlooking girl throws a kick at him¡ *whoop* As the girl trips on a thin thread and falls beside the relaxing Will, ¡°The first one was enough, Alex. You know that Ghost cannot take a lot physical abuse¡±, says Yuki, finally releasing San from the binds also.
While San helps Will get up and reconcile with Alex and Yuki, the three potatoes, Johann, Li and Leo, were searching the menu for things to eat since the whole ordeal began.
Entrusting an order to Alex, the group converse amongst themselves about what did just happen. Over the next 20 minutes, ¡°Back when Yuki and I worked with Leo and the others, I got this place from the previous owner for, basically, free. Since, back then, this place was a part of the red-light district, a lot of fights and other illegal activities were held here. And, as I, too, was a fugitive, this place was one of the places I hanged out at the most¡±.
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The drinks arrive, ¡°On one day, the previous owner of this place, Leigh Schmidt, was so drunk that he just started attacking everyone in sight. Thankfully, I was not one of the people he attacked first but, that girl over there, Alexandria, was. He hit her with force so great that when she finally hit the wall, it shook the entire building¡±.
Sips from his cup, ¡°I did not know such had happened, though. But, after another girl, Alice, showed up to help Alex, Leigh was throwing bodies all across the floor, some hitting others and others hitting the walls. One almost hit me but missed and hit the alcohol shelf in front of me. Seeing a man bleed out but being able to do nothing more is just¡ I could not do anything; I could only stop further damages¡±.
Raising three fingers to call for a second cup, ¡°I yelled, ¡°Leigh!¡± to stop him from punching any other person. He was one hell of a boxer, hoisting more than a dozen state trophies and a style named after him, ¡°The Bear¡±; I knew I would be a leaf. But, with him intoxicated and disorientated, I knew I could do something to minimize the damages. Said to use an accelerator type materialization, he threw his punches with an added spice of CE61, multiplying his force to a tremendous amount. And, there I was, as a void to every mana materialization and manipulation. He threw his first punch and I took it; his punch without the addition of his mana was quite weak, to be fair. He then threw another, right to my head¡±.
Sips from the second cup, ¡°I blocked it without realizing I had my converter on ¨C the one that is now on Li¡¯s wrist¡ Basically, that drunken Leigh put extra into his following punch which backfired on him and killed him on sight. My watch took his inserted force, converted it all into CE16 and exerted it back into his right hand. What it did to him is that, it essentially electrocuted him and made all of his muscled contract which led to him having a cardiac arrest¡±.
Empties the second cup, ¡°After all of that, the place looked like a massacre. Blood everywhere, people laying on the ground here and there, some conscious and others not, it was a mess. I took a look at the wounded and did as much as I could, cleaning and bandaging most of those who were losing blood and treating the ones who fell unconscious to the upstairs, where a lot of rooms were in place. At dawn, most of them went home or brought to a hospital. Alice, Alex, Seraphina and I were left here, cleaning up the place. Well, Alex was still unconscious and Seraphina tended to her so Alice and I cleaned up. And, that is when I became the owner of this place, after taking the title from the previous owner in a fight to the death¡±, tells Will, quite proudly.
¡°Your meals are here¡±, says Alex as she brings two bowls of noodle soup, two plate of Carbonara and a cobbler of whiskey on a tray. Everyone at the table feels a stint of unease, putting their respective plates off for a moment. ¡°And that is why you do not leave a place as significant as this, abruptly, Ghost. In the 4 years you have been absent, we struggled every day. And, and, Alice just became a different person in general¡ You meany¡±, says Alex, teardrops at the doorsteps of her eyes. ¡°Speaking of which, where is Alice?¡± asks Will as the head chief, a pale blond girl approaches the cubicle with a single bowl of soup on a tray. Immediately sensing ill intentions, San reaches to her side, only to find the holster empty¡ Softly smiling, ¡°It is a pleasure to serve the associates of the infamous Ghost. I am the head chief and acting manager of this establishment, Alice Li Yeva. And here is the soup you ordered, Mr. Epsilon, perfected to your preference and recipe¡±, says the girl, standing beside Alex.
Quite annoyed, ¡°Why are you-¡±, Alex starts her question but gets bonked on the head by Alice, who seem to be fairly reserved for someone who Alex hauled her to be. ¡°Excuse my sister, Alexandria Li Yeva. As she has some unresolved business with Mr. Epsilon, her actions are of parallel to her anger. So, as you please, I will take my leave and take hers as well¡±, says Alice, dragging Alex back to the kitchen. Unsure of anything, Will and his friends start to eat their meals, hoping that everything was and is alright after he left them.
Ch 2. Part 3. Family
Before the explosion of ¡¯62 and the subsequent bloom of the Flower of Ipomoea alba, the city and the bureaucracy laid dormant and peaceful. Most of the day would be filled with different professions¡¯ personnel networking around one another, sustaining the economy of, not only the industry or the city but, the entire country. Amidst the corporations and industrial plants, the underground ¨C ¡°The district where no sane person would dare to approach¡± ¨C bustles with life and movement. While the norm was set around the 3rd and 4th consumer industry in the capital, the underground was centered on the 1.5, the hybrid of 1st and 2nd production industry. And, even in the part where the authority cannot reach, the redacted and prohibited knowledges are quite a rarity.
Amongst the profanity supporting its life, the underground boasts a variety of services. From cheap labor to things which fulfill a person¡¯s desire, there is not really a limit to what you can find there. Most of the district is a mishmash of new and old, the far and close, people from here and there, almost all of them spoke a common language and had a common identity ¨C of a felon in Germany. As to why they settled in the capital is still a mystery; maybe they wanted to show dominance or, even maybe, they were allowed to stay there.
Back in the kitchen, ¡°So, how has he been?¡±, asks a tall woman, about the same age as Leo. Eerily calm and happily, ¡°He seems fine; and acts like it too. No different from the Ghost we know and love¡ Ah~ I guess I will no longer be the manager of this place. Hope you like his softness more than my harshness¡±, says Alice, going back to the kitchen. ¡°Eh, how are you this calm? I thought you hated him, for all I know. Why didn¡¯t you kill him on sight? Or, did you soften just by seeing him?¡±, says Alex. Before not too long, a click could be heard from the kitchen. In a single moment, ¡°Do you know why I do not use my name, Swift? Do you know why I am Alice, instead of Switch? Because I can switch everything, Alexia, I have no medium¡±, says Alice, appeared in front of Alex, wearing a pair of peculiar safety gloves¡ Catching a knife hurled at her, ¡°Eh? You do not have anything to do with this, Seraphina¡±, says Alice, as Alex escapes her grasp and hides behind Seraphina.
¡°Why did you run away from here in the first place, Will¡±, asks San. Eating his soup, ¡°The short answer is, I needed to go to Hanover ¨C to find you and to live life a bit easier¡±, says Will. Laughing a little, ¡°And you lived life easy~ Like, your type of easy is, to most people, a hell on earth¡±, says Johann. Clearing his throat and wiping his mouth, ¡°It was easy. Here, everyday was chaotic and messy, similar to the day before yesterday. Someone bursts in and says something like ¡°the black-hats are here!¡± and everyone panics and runs away, when, in reality, it is just someone wearing a similar clothing. And, as I do not have any mana signature, some idiot would barge in and challenge me to a fight till death. On some occasions, blokes would come here and ask for service. Managing and protecting 3 people, let alone, girls is quite tiring. I taught them some tricks but I did not have the necessary talents and miracles to teach them more; I asked Yuki to teach them such and¡ I do not know how well they learned. But I guess they learned enough to protect this place, without me, for 4 years¡ Ah~ I am already missing my peace¡±, says Will.
Running out of the kitchen with a trail of faint, golden-yellow afterimage, ¡°Papa! Help!¡±, exclaims Alex. Chasing her, ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t¡±, says Alice. Clasping her hands and separating them the next moment, a knife made just then gets hurled at Alex¡ The whole room lights up in red similar to cinnabar, symbols of various spherical symmetry appear on the walls of the bar. The knife sets into stasis, stopping in its tracks, in between the kitchen and the cubicle the group sat at. Hidden behind Will, ¡°Now Sera is angry, how about that?¡±, says Alex. Turning his head to the people back at the cubicle, ¡°Alex is 4 years younger than Alice and Seraphina¡ Please, bear with me, here¡±, says Will.
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Opening his palm, ¡°Yuki, could you make some rope for me?¡±, asks Will, walking towards Alice, who was also set in stasis¡ ¡°There ¨C now you will amend your actions while sitting in a bind¡¡±, says Will as one very angry Alice sits on the ground, immobilized: her hands, and her body in general, bound by Yuki¡¯s strings. ¡°Sera~!¡±, calls Will as he pats on Alex¡¯s head.
Standing in front of the table, ¡°As the oldest of the three, Sera, you should put boundaries on what could and could not be done in here. Look at Alice ¨C almost hurt Alex with that knife¡ Ah~ Well, at least you stopped it before anything bad happened, no?¡±, says Will, lecturing Seraphina, who is older than him. Pointing to Alex who is sitting where he sat at, ¡°And you, what did you do to get in this situation, Alex? Your quick wits make people act above their cooldown, which is why I said to you to not be like that and think before saying anything¡±, he scolds. Walking to where she was placed and squatting down beside her, ¡°And you¡ please be nice to your sisters, Alice. If you do not, I might just stay here and boss everyone around instead of you. There is a reason why I put you in charge of this place, Alice. Not because you cannot cook or the fact that you cannot remember things in quick succession; you are a person of creativity, authority and power. This place is yours: your design, your name and your decision to stay here. So, please, do not act according to others and be the leader you were destined to be, Alice Li Yeva¡±, says Will. Turning back to the others, ¡°Understood?¡±, he asks. ¡°Understood!¡±, sounds the three sisters.
Untying Alice, ¡°I heard you have become quite different since I left you. How so?¡± asks Will. After his leave, much of the underground sought to fill the gap left by a ghost. Yet, they were rejected of such opportunity, kicked to the shed and forgotten. With their ego shattered, they went to destroy the lasting legacy he left ¨C his safe haven: Ferne Weise. ¡°Some crooks barged in here almost every day for the first year since you left, asked for you and, when I said you were no longer here, they started to act like they owned this place, instead of you. Not to mention this place was still quite new as a bar and as a safe space in the underground, some profanities have been committed¡ Do you see that sign at the top of the bar-stand ¨C the tally, 5 full and 1 stray, is there to count how many we had to kill¡¡±, says Alice. In quite a caring voice, ¡°I see¡±, answers Will.
Sitting in between Sera and Alex to finish the set, ¡°It might be a reach above my authority but, could you tell me why have you returned to Berlin?¡±, asks Alice. Clearing his throat, ¡°Before I answer that, I have to introduce my friends from Hanover to you¡±, says Will, standing up. Starting from the farthest right, ¡°That is Leo, who you should already know. Next to him is Johann von Alstrom, my baker friend and the group¡¯s back-line defense. Then, there is Li San Hue, Johann¡¯s young apprentice and our group¡¯s trump card; also known as Li the Pyromancer. Now, for the one sitting right of me-¡±, he says before being interrupted by Alex saying, ¡°The Pyromancer!? I thought he was just a coverup for the government¡¯s wrongdoing¡ So, you are saying, the terrorist Li, who blew up the Hanover consulate Hanover building, is a 13-year-old?¡±. Adjusting his voice, ¡°Yes¡ As I was saying, the person to my right is Cassandra Trie Johannes, my reason for leaving Berlin and our group¡¯s front-line markswoman. You already know Yuki, and most of you copy her move-set, so that is finished on my end¡±, he continues.
Standing up and walking behind the three sisters, ¡°Friends, these three are of my lineage, just like Yuki. The one on my right is Alex, also known as Swift, in charge of the register and other floor duties. The one in the middle, here, is Alice, also known as Switch, in charge of the whole establishment and its affairs. And the one on my left is Seraphina, also known as Soft, in charge of the kitchen and the pantry. These three have the last name Li Yeva meaning I am their guardian and they are my¡ children, as you will. To a limited extent, Yuki is also one my children, having that Li Yuki in her name, but it also means that she is a child of San as well¡±, says Will, grinning.
Ch 2. Part 4. Moonflower
Sitting down, ¡°To answer your question, I have to explain some things. One: I am not the one who came up with this idea and I am only here for the ride along. Two: The reason why I left Berlin is still San here so I will not return to back here. Three: My friends have decided to go on an expedition around the world to collect ancient tech which we only know because we have 2 out of the 16 schematics needed to fully understand the technology. And, finally, four: Li cannot fly, Yuki does not have an ID, I cannot conduct bureaucratic business with the German government and San needs to get her revenge from the Carnations, so we are going the slow route to China¡±.
Drinks water from his cup, ¡°I am here to get two false IDs from Leo, one for me and one for Li. I will not stay here; I will not be in touch for, at least, 2 months; and the Yeva family will move on as nothing had happened¡±, tells Will. ¡°If you do not mind me asking, how are you going to collect the rest of the 16 schematics, Epsi?¡±, asks Sera. ¡°Well, we are thinking about just asking for a copy from the bearers¡±, answers San. ¡°Wy naiwni ludzie¡ So, what you are saying is, to retrieve a piece of technology long lost and scattered all across the world, you would just ¡°ask nicely¡±? When does that logic make sense?¡±, takes a deep breath to calm down, ¡°For starters, didn¡¯t you think that there might be a reason for the ancients to scatter the technology? Even so, the original holders must be long gone by now, no? So, the current holders must be pretty persistent, or powerful, and knows what they are doing, which means you cannot just ask nicely¡±, looks at Will, disappointedly, ¡°You really do not have a hand in this, Epsi¡±, tells Sera.
Asking Alex to retrieve a map from the storage closet, ¡°If you are going to go all across the world, you at least need to have a route map for half of your journey ready. If I heard correctly, you only have it until China, yes?¡±, Alex returns, ¡°Here, trace out the route¡±, says Sera. Unbuckles his suitcase and pulling out the map, Li leaves his case open for others to peek into his suitcase. As Li starts tracing out the plan to China, ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should take the scenic route to Irkutsk?¡±, says Will. Troubled, ¡°Eh? Why? Didn¡¯t you say you will not have a hand in this?¡±, says San. Tilting his head, ¡°When? I said I did not have a hand in the primary route planning. And, besides, we would go through Russia only once so, why not, eh?¡±, says Will, trying to persuade the stressed San. ¡°This boy is gold, Ghost!¡±, exclaims Alice as Leo butts in with, ¡°I know, right?¡±. ¡°His capacity is not that much but his output is just¡ immense. With no particular action being done, his signature left behind is so big. Might be a bit of drag, though. And he does not act like a posh sap; instead, acting like Ghost¡±, he adds. As the pencil clicks onto the table, ¡°All done!¡±, says Li. ¡°Say, Li, could you show these 4four the full potential you boast?¡±, says Johann, encouraging Li to lift his suppression. much to his avail.
For just a moment, Li lifted his seal upon his capacity. With a metallic light-yellow luster, a fiery up-blaze and a hexagonal symmetry, the passive aura of Li fills the entire room, outshining the aura of Sera¡ With a knife in hand, ¡°Under the lights of the heaven, what are you?¡±, says Sera, about a meter or two away from the table. Alex is also absent from her seat with only Alice still sitting at the table. Confused, ¡°Eh? Why did you guys jump so far? He is our friend, no?¡±, she says, with a glove already worn on one of her hands. Surprised, shocked and scared, ¡°3 times as much as Blanc¡¡±, startles Leo. ¡°Eh~ it happens. Now, sit¡±, says Will.
Following the line drawn to the capital of Russia, ¡°If you follow this route, you will reach Moscow in 7 days. A little longer than the recommended route but¡ it is a scenic one. Say, Li, did you come up with this or did Cassandra or Johann make this?¡±, says Alice. ¡°Uh¡¡°Uh¡ yeah, no, I made this¡¡±, answers Li. Glancing over to San and Johann, ¡°Interesting¡±, says Sera.
Sighing out a large, ¡°Ah~ I am really missing my peace, now¡±, says Will as the door bursts open¡ At the bar-stand, with a thick Wurttemberg accent, ¡°The one dubbed The Ghost has been reported to have entered here. Who here is the Ghost of Berlin?¡±, questions one of the officers, wearing the same green trench coat and khaki pants the fallen Carnation wore.
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Instantly, unease fills the room, in turn for the comfort the cozy cabin offered. Quietly, ¡°Yuki~ Make me that one rope-dart¡±, says Will as he stands up to welcome the uninvited guests. As the owner of the bar, ¡°Welcome, inspectors. How may I help you?¡±, he says, going behind the bar-stand. Showing their identifications, ¡°We come from the High Command, hailing from the Berlin Consulate. Please, state your name and your affiliation with this place. If you can, provide any information about the individual with the title of The Ghost¡±, states the other inspector as the they start to take a look at the menu.
As the inspectors start to give out their orders, Alex and Sera goes to their jobsites, preparing. Taking their orders, of two pints of beer with a side of chips, ¡°Today is quite a slow day¡ You might be the only one drinking these today¡ So, what did the chairman order you guys to do?¡±, says Will. With Alex pouring the two pints and the potatoes being fried at the back, the bar once at a standstill sounds into full operation. Checking up their pocketbooks, ¡°Four years ago, the one who we are asking for escaped the verdict of our fair society, fleeing to the west. But, about three hours ago, a report stating the previous passport used by him was again used to enter a train to the capital. Albeit, the station also sent a distress call for their domestic terrorist, Li the Pyromancer, escaping their territory on the same train¡±, the drinks are served, ¡°I do not know why they do not just show up to the office and turn themselves in. Not like we are entirely different personalities: We work, we commit and we suffer, all to live a manageable life¡±, tells the inspector.
¡°Say, how long have you been operating this establishment, Mr. ¡¡±, trails off the other inspector. ¡°It is Will, sir, William Yeva. I have not been the manager for some time now, actually¡±, pointing to the side cubicle, ¡°The one working as the manager of this place is sitting right there, Alice Yeva. She is now sitting with my friends who happens to be working on a project not so far away¡±, says Will, with a calm and composed smile, with Alice tossing a coin at him. Pausing for a moment, ¡°Your friends¡?¡±, asks one of the inspectors. Confused about the question, ¡°Yes, they are my friends¡ Is there a problem?¡±, asks Will. With the realization hitting the inspectors, ¡°May I see your registration, please?¡±, one of them asks. Also realizing something had given away their identity, pretending to pat his pockets for the papers, ¡°Oh, it is not here. I must have left it in my coat there¡±, says Will, going to the cubicle.
All at once, the inspectors unholster their firearms, the bar-front is lit up by golden circles around the walls, Yuki gives Will the rope-dart with a blunt end and pulls a makeshift web, Leo readies his grenades, Li puts on his mask, San unholsters her backup pistol and Alice puts on her gloves. Raising his voice, ¡°Are we worth your lives, inspectors? Tell me, is Arnold¡¯s life worth one of ours, Otto?¡±, says Will, the dart dangling from his right hand. ¡°If you surrender, our lives might not be at the stakes. Will, please, just¡ lower your weapon and tell your friends to lower theirs as well. We will not convict you of anything else ¨C just the ones we are here for in the first place¡±, tells the one named Otto. Coming out of the kitchen, ¡°I suggest you holster your arms, leave this establishment and forget you have ever set into this place¡±, says Sera, making the spheres howl as if it was magnetically charged. Both parties stay at a standoff, waiting for the other to make an immediate threat¡
In a swift motion, Alice switches the position of Alex with a coin in between the inspectors. Disarming the two, Alex runs back to Sera, evading the inspectors and the onslaught Yuki and Will unleash upon the two. While targeting for the limbs, Will set a flurry upon the two men. Finessing around the strikes Will was dishing out, Yuki manages to bind the two with the strings shot from the web she pulled in the bar-front¡ Walking to the cubicle, ¡°San, give me your pistol, please¡±, says Will. Hesitantly, she gives him the pistol she held, unable to know the reason for his ask for a lethal weapon. Giving the pistol to Yuki, ¡°Now that any casualty risk is prevented, we can talk. Do you have families, Otto? Arnold?¡±, says Will, squatting down to the bound inspectors.
Ch 2. Part 5. To forgive - to forget
While the German government is a constitutional monarchy, the Kaiser has quite an authority upon the decisions the parliament makes. With Berlin as the capital and the Reichstag at the center of the city, most of the activity is foreseen by the immediate government. Surveillance, enforcement and, above all, the unfathomable amount of military personnel in the city, the residents are in a constant pressure from the High Command. Unable to be at ease, the people stare at the soles of the person in front, hoping that it is led by those who could look onward.
With its front door closed, the Ferne Wiese bar is quiet¡ The whistle of a kettle breaks the silence, boiling coffee for the Ghost of Berlin. Pouring a cup, ¡°LAG, dial-up AMMO. Ask him to bring that battery I made him a few years ago¡ You know what, forget the battery, I have one here. Just, tell him to bring TEA¡±, says Will, loudly. With Alex playing with the disassembled guns of the inspectors on the countertop and Sera cooking up meals for the inspectors, the movement inside the bar is still steaming on.
Sitting on the ground, ¡°What are you going to do with us, Ghost?¡±, asks one of the inspectors. From the barstool he sat on, turning his head to the bound inspectors, ¡°You will not remember¡±, says Will, sipping from his cup of coffee. Doubtingly, ¡°Will, you seem to be a bit full of yourself and the staff of here¡¯s. Don¡¯t you at least check up on any wires they might be wearing or something? I do not like this at all, man¡±, says San, leaning on Will. Finishing the cup, ¡°I already did. They do not have any power to retaliate against me or anyone else here. Their weapons are in the hands of Alex, they cannot transmit any signals out of this place due to Sera¡¯s border and there is nothing they can do in their current states but sit patiently¡±, says Will¡
A knock could be heard. Approaching the door, ¡°Who do you hate the most?¡±, asks Alice. From the other side, ¡°Paul Lipinsky¡±, answers. Unlocking the door and letting a hooded man and woman inside, Alice pulls her gloves off. Standing up from the stool and moving closer to the two at the doorway, ¡°To forgive ¨C to forget is what we live for. For forgiveness from the father and to forget the sins we have committed upon this earth, we only live for those two reasons. How about you, Observer, Ally?¡±, says Will with a bit of sarcasm in his tone. Unveiling the hood pulled to hide his face, a man about 30 years in age, with a very unusual eye and hair color, a melancholic smile and a mark on his forehead above his right brow could be perceived. Also pulling her hood behind, a young woman about the same age as San, with greenish brown hair could be seen.
Clearing his throat, ¡°Friends, meet the Advanced Material Mana Observer ¨C Observer in short ¨C and the Terror Eminent Ally ¨C Ally in short. These two will solve our problem of those fine chaps sitting there¡±, pronounces Will. Looking around as if he was searching for someone, ¡°Where is the 12th one?¡±, asks Observer. ¡°The¡ 12th?¡±, Will deflects the question. Seated at the bar-stand, ¡°Yeah¡ Before I came in, I saw 11 figures outlined by their passive. Including you, who does not have an outline, that means there were 12 people here¡¡±, Alex serves him a cup of tea, ¡°Let¡¯s see: Switch, Soft, Swift, Light, Ghost, Lithe, that guy with the suspenders, that girl with the Ushanka, that kid wearing your watch and these two¡ Someone is missing¡ If I remember correctly, that person had an immense capacity, similar to a certain someone I met a long time ago. Ah, well~ I cannot see them now so, it means that they must have escaped out of here¡±, says AMMO, periodically sipping from the cup of tea.
Squatting down to the officers, ¡°Standard uniform, triple lining, might be 1st rate lieutenants or 3rd rate corporals¡ No serious surface wounds, mild bruising on the joints and left side of the face¡ Well then~ Light, administer anesthetics and start the operation!¡±, says Ally. Before anyone could do or say a single thing, the inspectors fall to the ground as Leo gestures a circle with his index finger. ¡°If it is unbearable, why not forget? Your quote that recruited me¡±, he says. Smiling and standing up, moving closer to the unconscious pair of officers, ¡°To forgive ¨C to forget, do you remember that quote, Leo?¡±, asks Paul. Expanding a brightly pulsating border around the patients, Illiana mends their light injuries, preparing them for the select-amnesia procedure.
Looming thin silk between his hands, ¡°Before Yuki, before Leo, before you Illiana, before even me, this procedure was practiced by a group of Potomkowie smoka, or the Dragon Children¡±, shooting the threads into one of the inspectors¡¯ head, ¡°It was agonizing, heard from the tales of old and fairytales of the Lipinski family, with the threads entering the patient while they were still awake, sometimes, under the influence of alcohol¡±, pulling the strings up and down a little at a time, ¡°Ah, there it is¡ Only problem back then, apart from the screams, was a lack of practical use for such operation. But, now¡ you can do wonders: Run the entire country¡¯s black market, lobby and marionette the central government, and even, protect the said country from a foreign invasion, single-handedly¡±, says Leo, withdrawing the strings from Otto¡¯s head. Transferring to Arnold, ¡°So, I am now cutting the sections housing the memories of the past 3 days. It is okay with you, Will, yes?¡±, he says.
Nodding, ¡°Yep, no obligations here¡±, says Will, moving to the cubicle his friends sat at. ¡°Who the damned hell did you call here, Will?¡±, asks Johann and San in unison. Sitting down at the end of the table, ¡°TEA and AMMO are my former associates, along with Leo, or LAG¡±, answers Will. Even more confused, ¡°No, I know that, you introduced¡ I am asking about Who they are, as in, what they do¡±, says San. Butting in, ¡°Ally is our organization¡¯s medical officer and Observer is our leader.¡±, says Leo. Clearing his throat, ¡°Yeah, so, Paul, Observer, can erase and fabricate memories and Illiana, Ally, can heal almost every wound¡ perfectly¡ If you have seen my body, there is a distinct lack of large scars; that is because of her. And, if you were wondering about why Alex, Alice and Sera like me so much, it is because that they¡ asked to be brainwashed by Paul and he botched, somehow, and made me the focal point¡±, says Will, a bit embarrassed.
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While she played with the firearms, Alex accidentally reassembles a firearm and chambers a bullet¡ *click* A string pulled from her web abode the bar-front catches the hammer, ¡°Please, as a child of the Ghost, practice gun safety and discipline¡±, says Yuki, perched up on the countertop behind the bar-stand. Done his operations, ¡°Having fun, Ghost?¡±, asks Paul while Illiana heals the patients¡ Sitting beside Will, ¡°So, this rote has been busy badmouthing me, huh? That whole brainwashing thing was not my fault, by the way. Switch, Soft and Swift asked me to make them remember the happy memories of being with Will, real or not¡±, says Paul. Hammocking his head with his hands, ¡°Although, they do not remember requesting such from me, or their plagued past they asked to forget. But their affection to Will is genuine, just to be clear¡±, he adds.
¡°So, I heard you were a baker and a writer, Johann. Why not cook me up a couple of stories and scenarios for those two laying over there? And you, little miss, who may you be?¡±, asks Paul. ¡°I strongly suggest you refrain from unholstering that pistol of yours¡±, he adds as San slides her hand into her coat. Placing her pistol on the table, the 3rd one she carries on her, ¡°Paul¡ Observer, you seem to bear pride in your ability to manipulate the thoughts of people. Why did you recruit Will? What can¡¯t you do?¡±, asks San as Will stands up and takes Li to the kitchen. ¡°Jee~ I have not written a story in a long while. Say, Cass, could you write them, instead of me?¡±, says Johann, also going to the kitchen.
¡°In a pot, the water swirls and sings,
Welcoming ribs and Lavor leaves.
A cauldron''s call to mutton¡¯s might,
Begins the dance of broth¡¯s delight.
Carrots wait, diced fine and neat,
Golden jewels, the broth¡¯s heartbeat.
Potatoes quartered, sturdy and sure,
Chunky anchors, rustic and pure.
The cabbage shreds, a leafy veil,
Soft and tender, its fragrance pale.
Onions diced with a tearful grace,
Adding warmth to the soup¡¯s embrace.
The water boils, a bubbling spree,
First, the carrots, six minutes free.
Then cabbage joins, four minutes more,
Its verdant touch the broth restores.
Potatoes plunge, and mutton thin,
Thirty minutes, the flavors begin.
High to start, then medium¡¯s flame,
A simmering rhythm, the soup¡¯s refrain.
Garlic crushed, with salt and spice,
A final note to make it nice.
Kill the heat, let silence steep,
Five minutes rest, a treasure deep.
Now serve with care, the journey¡¯s end,
A bowl of warmth, your soul to mend.
Each bite a tale, each sip a song,
A symphony where we all belong¡±, sings Sera, putting the potatoes and meat in. Startled, ¡°Oh, I did not see you there¡±, she says to the sight of Li, Johann and Will patiently standing and listening to her song. Leaning on her from behind, ¡°I did not know you sang the song I taught you then. The officers are now Misremembering so you could stop cooking for them, Sera. Say, how much do you know anything about the Carnation family?¡±, says Will. Moving away to the spice shelves and turning her back to Will, ¡°I already made it to this point so, you can eat them, Ghost¡±, grabs a jar of cloves, ¡°The Carnation¡? Gozdziki? I know one of them beat Leigh at some point. Alphons was it?¡±, puts the jar back on the shelf, ¡°He had a Polish accent but not like mine, southpaw style, very quick to withdraw and, had a knack for sweet things; I heard he asked for the entire sugar reserves as his prize when he pulled a quick one on him¡±, says Sera, pouring a carton of milk to another pot.
Peeking through the open lid and looking at the soup, ¡°Since it is getting late, why don¡¯t we eat here, tonight. I can provide the desserts~¡±, says Johann. Sitting on a chair about a table ¡°What is my reason for being here, Mr. Will?¡±, asks Li. Nervous, ¡°Ah~ Well¡ As an alibi, you are here. Reason for it is¡ to show you how nice Sera is. And, develop the route we would take along the whole journey¡±, says Will as Sera gives Li a cup of tea. Pulling up the map that the traced route was on and placing it on the table, ¡°Well then, where do we start?¡±, says Sera¡
¡°The route to Russia is fine as is. My idea was to go through Minsk and straight to Moscow but I guess you have a good reason to go to Gdansk, don¡¯t you Johann? From Petrograd to Moscow, that¡¯s also fine. Then Novgorod¡ Then¡ How about, instead of Yekaterinburg, Volgograd? You know the reason why, Will? Then you go through the Caucasus and catch a ferry across the Caspian and through Kazak, Omsk, Tomsk and Irkutsk. If you go Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Novonikolatevsk, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk, you will see nothing but barren wasteland and snowy tundra. With my route, you will at least get to go to Yesuntuki-¡±, says Sera but gets cut short by Li. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that route be longer?¡±, he says. ¡°Eh- Well, it is somewhat longer¡ But you will get to see the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea¡±, says Sera, quite nervously.
Leaning on Sera, ¡°Say, how about we ask Paul about it? He traveled across Russia, at some point, and he would know what is faster¡±, says Will.
Ch 2. Part 6. Foreign
¡°What happened here?¡±, asks Will as Paul and Illiana crouch in a makeshift cover made of violet strings of mana with San holding an automatic rifle in a ready position. From the cover, muffled a little by the dome, ¡°I was just asking if-¡±, says Paul but get cut short by San, shouting, ¡°Shut your trap, perkele! He went on and on about having no empathy or what not and just started asking about my relationship with you, Will¡±. Chaffing his eyes and letting out a large sigh, ¡°Alice, what happened here, really?¡±, asks Will.
As Alice report what had happened in the prior 10 minutes, Yuki and Alex are playing behind the bar-stand. Sighing out a large, again, ¡°So, you are saying, our ace, Paul, tried to seduce my San? The damned hell does that supposed to mean? Well, I guess some misunderstanding has to be what caused it¡ Yuki, anything to add?¡±, says Will. Still playing with Alex, ¡°Yeah, no, Paul was asked how his brainwashing worked and he said ¡°I can show you¡± and then he asked about you and San just started blasting. That is all I can say¡±, says Yuki. Aligned as Absolute Good, Paul Lipinski does not know how to be a normal person. All of his work must equate to a net positive and more.
¡°Where did you find a girl who carries 4 firearms, mate?¡±, asks Paul. ¡°Berlin¡ Oh, right, you do not know yet. Ah-. Paul, that girl is Cassandra Trie Johannes, the one whom I gave the ember of my miracles to. If you see really closely, you can see a faint left stream down-blaze¡±, says Will.
The eastern part of the continent has never been in peace. Since the 12th century, the Hungarians, Swedes, Turks, Russians and other Slavs have invaded the polish plains time and time again. Yet, their ethnicity, now that their homeland no longer exists, still live on in other countries as clusters of community. Their country, the latter Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, was dissected by the Germans, Swedes and Russians in the early 18th century, split between the 3 three and their ethnicity scattered among those countries.
The redeeming factor of their survival is their ability to prolong and preserve their ethnic identity through folklore and fairytales and further spread the word of their ancestors. One such tale told by almost every Pole is the tale of the Hill Dragon. Originating in the 13th century around then-Krakov, the tale entails how there was an immortal dragon who promised every good for a hundred generations and how he died because of his unreasonable dream. He was dubbed the Dragon of the Hills after where he usually hid during visits. On his death, his flesh was burned, his bones crushed and scattered all across the country to ensure he did not rise again. They say his death was of spectacle and misery; he breathed a fray of fire in his second, engulfing the east side of the city in blaze and, his scream he let out as his last, sounded throughout the central Polish plains. Some say it was stilled in every Krakovski as those from there weep in sounds of a harmonica.
From the death of the Hill dragon ¨C from his wish to ensure the people all the good, the Potomkowie smoka were born. Having the abilities of their ancestor, they live out as the apostles of good faith and luck, making sure every Pole live their life as fully as possible. Although it is not proven that they exist or how they exist, it is said that they have an unusually cyan hair and iris matching, a mark resembling an up-blaze and an inability to feel remorse.
Sitting in a cubicle, ¡°So, these are my friends from Hanover, Johann von Alstrom, Li San Hue and Cassandra Trie Johannes. Johann is the one I wrote to you about the most and you should know almost everything by now. Li is Johann¡¯s young apprentice, the supposed heir to the throne of China and the terrorist who blew up the Hanover consulate building, Li the Pyromancer. Cassandra is¡ well¡ my wife. She is my reason for leaving Berlin in the first place and the person who I would give up my life to, literally¡±, says Will, introducing the bunch to Paul and Illiana. ¡°Likewise, these are my past associates, Paul Lipinski and Illiana Lavorovana. Paul is the group¡¯s headmaster, also known as AMMO for his ability to perceive everything. Illiana is the group¡¯s medical personnel, also known as TEA for her ability to get information out of people¡±, he adds.
¡°If you will, I recruited Will because he was captured at a place called Gipfel for a month or so, after the explosion of ¡¯62. And, by chance, we raided that place to save its residents from the government¡¯s grasp. I did not recruit him, per se; he chose us and stayed. He was as resilient as you, back then, too, San¡±, says Paul as San pouts and turns her head away. ¡°There are two more person from the group but I fear they will not be arriving here soon. Well then, our work here is done so¡ we will take our leave then. I will give them your regards, Ghost¡±, says Illiana, standing up and pulling her hood over. Turning to the cubicle from the doorway, ¡°Ey, Leo, are you coming?¡±, asks Paul. ¡°No, I think I will stay here for a bit. They are crashing at my place, too, so I have to escort any drunkards from here¡±, answers Leo¡ ¡°Take care on your way back!¡±, sounds Alice as the two dissipates in the heavy rain.
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¡°Well then, they just left. What now?¡±, asks Li, holding the map. Walking to the bar, ¡°I will just have to ask them tomorrow. Not like they are going anywhere¡±, says Will. ¡°Leo, how long does your anesthetic work?¡±, asks Johann. Right as he asks so, the two start to wake up. Marionetting the two to the bar-stand, Yuki sits on the counter top with Alex¡
Groaning, the officers wake up. Seeing the glass in his hand, ¡°How much did I drink?¡±, asks Otto. Standing behind the bar-stand, ¡°About 3 liters. You have been out for an hour now. What is the last thing you remember, inspectors?¡±, says Alex, in her usual cheery tone. ¡°Ah- Schei?e¡ An hour, you say?¡±, asks Arnold, also waking up with a glass in hand. Seemingly hungover, ¡°We were here to¡ drink after a long day¡ Where is this place, again?¡±, says Otto. ¡°It seems you have forgotten, officers. You were here asking for the Ghost, remember?¡±, asks Alex. Confused, ¡°The Ghost? Didn¡¯t he get killed back in ¡¯70? We saw the corpse, I was there. Why would we be asking for a dead man, ma¡¯am?¡±, says Arnold. ¡°Could we have some¡ water, please?¡±, asks Otto, standing up and stretching¡ ¡°Well then, we will take our leave. Here, 15 marks, keep the change¡±, says Otto, throwing on his outer coat. Patting his inner pocket, ¡°Where did I¡¡±, startles Arnold. ¡°Looking for these?¡±, asks Alex, holding the two jeiha-Hito Model 21. ¡°How did you-¡±, starts Otto. Charading how she disarmed the two on the way to the entrance, ¡°If you were not the quick-tempered dupes you were, I would not have confiscated your guns¡ Well then, I think you are sober enough to bear arms. Here you go!¡±, says Alex, handing them the two handguns and opening the doors for them¡
¡°Those guns¡ those are JH Model 21s. I saw one schematic in Moscow¡ Just how much did they steal from me?¡±, says San, disassembling her automatic rifle. Cat walking, ¡°So, do you want to get them back, don¡¯t you? You want to retrieve what is taken from you¡ just like Will¡±, says Yuki. Sitting in front of her, with his bead bracelet in hand, ¡°Defeated means taken but one cannot take what is not. As such, the foreign anomaly, the Ghost of Berlin cannot be defeated, or be taken ¨C he will always win and he will always take back. Believe in him, pray for him and be with him in every moment of his remaining life, San¡±, says Leo, almost like a coronation.
As the rainy evening of Berlin go by and the silent night falls upon the city, the district where no sane person would go blooms with lively glee. Sitting atop the building, veiled in a seamless black robe, ¡°Flower of Ipomoea alba, the Moonflower. Do you know why it is named that, Mr. Will?¡±, asks Li. ¡°Because it only blooms in the dark. There is a story, fairytale to many, To you, my dear, a thousand years later. The German transliteration has him called ¡°Brother Moon¡±, made Zero, Nil, if you will, a great force that is prominent everywhere. But he is still him ¨C he who cannot be reunited with his beloved. Why do you know that name, Li?¡±, says Will, sitting beside the black pyromancer. ¡°My grandma was a botanist and she always said it was a shame that such a beautiful name was used for this terrible tragedy. But I see why the Germans named it that, now. It is beautiful. If only I could see this everyday¡¡±, answers Li.
Suddenly, a lightning strikes Will and Li. Falling limp to the balcony below, Will is unconscious. While he was also struck down by tens of millions of joules, Li is just fine, as he had his cloak on. Down in the bar, ¡°That one sounded quite close, don¡¯t you think?¡±, says San as Yuki hides under a chair. Recollecting herself, Yuki quickly bounces over to the stairs and up to the attic. Seeing Li sitting beside an unconscious Will, ¡°When and how? Answer!¡±, says Yuki. Shooting 3 streams of string into Will as to determine his situation, sighing in relief, ¡°Spine is fine, heart and internals are fine but, his head is a bit iffy¡±, says Yuki. ¡°How is Mr. Will this resilient?¡±, asks Li, pulling off his robe. Hammocking him in the top room of the bar using her strings, ¡°He is not resilient, per se. He is hollow inside; he has a hole in him which could be filled with all sorts of stuff. My personal opt for filling it is a lot of tomato soup¡±, says Yuki, smiling.
Ch 2. Part 7. Lying
In a room on the second floor, Ghost¡¯s family and friends surround him in his bed. His breath slow but steady, his hands are warm but not warm enough and he is alive but not conscious ¨C he has blacked out from the lightning bolt¡¯s strike. Lighting up a smoke, ¡°He who needs shall receive thus praise and punishment. I guess he needed to rest for a while. Say, Yuki, what is the longest he has slept in the past?¡±, asks Leo. Sitting on the foot of the bed, ¡°3 days, in November 1872. He has just arrived from Lahti, or what was Lahti. No idea why he slept for so long. It is fine now, though. The emptiness inside him is just filled with incompatible junk. He just needs to adjust and digest that 9MJ. Even so, he would most likely take about the same time to recover¡±, says Yuki.
¡°How are you this competent in your appraisal, Yuki?¡±, asks San. ¡°It is not normal for people to get struck by lightning and survive, let alone if they go into a sleep like his. Isn¡¯t there another way to help him?¡±, she adds. Bouncing down from the bed, ¡°If you want to help him, do so bearing full responsibility. Even Illia cannot fix his situation. The best anyone could do is to leave him be and return once we get a notice from his children when he arises", says Yuki, heading to towards the door. ¡°You said you would go with us to monitor and help him in unfortunate turn of events. How is this helping?¡±, says San, picking up Yuki. Sighing out a large and reforming into a child, ¡°You were this small when I last saw you, Cassandra. I can only imagine this much of you caring and knowing Will. Even so, he is just different ¨C he is weak but the strongest at the same time¡±, transitioning into her normal body, ¡°By that look of yours, I get that you would not leave him here, even though he is in his home. I know you can carry him, and Johann can carry him if you cannot, but I suggest you to leave and focus on your purpose ¨C to get a visa for yourself and Johann¡±, tells Yuki, in her typical judgmental voice.
A single snap could be heard up in the attic. ¡°Anti!¡±, says Yuki; the exclamation resonating throughout the room. In the same tone of voice, ¡°More than once, he gave up his life for you. Now, you offer him yours¡±, she adds, leaving the room with Leo, Johann and an unconscious San suspended up in the air¡ Li meets up with them outside the door and the group goes to Leo¡¯s place to rest for the day.
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The three sisters tend to him ¨C the one who tended to them when they were in need. Alexandria periodically changes the cold towel placed upon his forehead, sometimes running to change the bucket of water. Alice opens the window, making sure he gets enough fresh air but also, making sure he is warm by lying beside him. Seraphina is absent from the room as she is in the kitchen, making tomato soup. In the past, he also did the same, showing how to treat an unconscious person. ¡°For a hot forehead, a cool towel is best suited¡±, ¡°For a cold body, a warmth by any means is the savior¡±, ¡°For any type of illness, enough nutrition and hydration are needed as an absolute¡±.
Bringing four bowls of soup on a tray up the stairs, Seraphina is in quite a good mood. She is finally going to repay her debt. On one day, about 4 years ago, Seraphina contracted a severe case of the flu. As Alice was away with Yuki and Blanc, and Alex had to manage the floor, Sera was left to Will, who was jobless despite him owning the restaurant. As she was absent from the kitchen, he took over for her and expanded the menu. One of the meals he added was the tomato soup, meant for an easier meal than those of other hardy dishes. Another was the ¡°Black soup¡±, made by boiling mutton in water. ¡°Through these two, a person is rejuvenated¡±, he said when he first brought the red and black soups to Sera¡
¡°Why the long face, Li?¡±, asks Johann, on the walk to Leo¡¯s place. Since they left the Ferne Wiese, Li has not spoken a single word. ¡°It was not your fault that Will went to sleep, Li. Even then, it was not you, was it?¡±, says Johann, trying to cheer up Li. ¡°He who needs shall receive ¨C that is his way of life. So, do not be so sad, Pyro. If it was you who made him be miserable, it was him who wanted you to do it. It is that that is just different about him¡±, says Leo, whose light enclose the unconscious San in a shape similar to a casket. Smiling a little, ¡°Wasn¡¯t there any better way to transport Ms. Anna?¡±, says Li as the casket sways up and down slightly.
Ch 2. Part 8. The root of the problem
Since the Moonflower bloomed, the country of Germany was split, or more so, unified into only two sides ¨C face and feet. On the surface, all streets adorn the admirable German architecture; 4-6 story, slope roofed buildings fitted with pipes and wires below the surface. The rent is manageable, food is also cheap and jobs are abundant ¨C it is a utopia for those who are from less fortunate countries¡ if there were people from foreign lands. Like rats forage the rubbish, it is unlikely to see the people of the underworld to show their face about the glee glimmering face of the country.
The underground is just the title given by those who write the history. Lest we forget, people willingly defect to the underground, more so if the people in question have an astonishing potential. Vector manipulators, tailors, innovators and those who are deemed undesirable by the face ¨C the foot is where the tree is grounded and the crown is the undying will to reach independence but neither of them would exist without one another. Throughout the years, through extensive research driven by the want to get back at those who shunned them, the ¡°Sunflower¡±, the most efficient nuclear energy facility, was envisioned. Outputting an excessive 5 terawatt-hours¡¯ worth of electricity a month, the reactor alone is enough to power a city 5 times larger than Berlin. While the Sunflower single-handedly powers the underground in its entirety, the above-ground, face, opt for an aesthetically pleasing Wind Turbines.
¡°Thousands upon thousands of pinwheels spin and sway throughout the streets of Berlin. Children, adults, the elderly, all pay their respects to those of the near past ¨C the ones who brought about the nation and helped Germania¡¯s name to resonate in the modern world¡±, sounds a news broadcast. Sitting around a low table in the living room of the apartment, the saint, the writer, and the cat watch the wall mounted TV broadcasting the Peace Day celebration. In the kitchen, Li is making breakfast. Cutting up the vegetables, bought fresh from the market, ¡°Solyanka ¨C a meal that makes up for the day¡ Could someone call Mr. Johann, please? I know he has been hit in the head pretty hard but, it is unreasonable for someone as important as him to be asleep for this long¡±, says Li, as the pot boil with various ingredients and emit a scent akin to a typical German breakfast.
While San was carried in the casket Leo made, when it came to carrying her into the apartment, he could not suspend her close enough and high enough for her or the apartment to not get damaged. So, as a safer option, Li was selected to transport her up the stairs and into the farthest flat on the top floor. Johann was placed at the back as an airbag, in case Li¡¯s binds slipping, and Yuki and Leo were put in the front to steer the unconscious San. Then again, Yuki slept atop Leo¡¯s head during the whole ordeal¡
First, Li pulled the skeleton of the ¡°lift¡± through the halls of the apartment building. When that was done, San was wrapped in a cloth made of mana and put in between the webs surrounding the skeleton. And off she went with the cocoon as the webs already used integrated into the track in front. A lot of mishaps happened: The neighbors questioned Leo about what it was and some liberties were taken when someone went down the only flight of stairs in the building. After they stopped to let the resident pass by them, Johann was hit by San¡¯s foot, down the stairwell. He was promptly dragged to Leo¡¯s condo after the others managed to get San in. Despite these however, despite Li apologized a lot, despite Johann was hit a lot, San did not touch the ground even once before entering into the condo. As for why they chose this particular method for carrying a person up the stairs, ¡°Ghost would have killed me if I touched you¡±, ¡°He did not have the strength to lift you¡± and ¡°Out of respect, I can do no lower than to carry you like that¡± were their explanation given.
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¡°Ah¡ this pot. Solyanka, you said it was? Will made something like this when he cooked. A bit milder, though. Say, Li, could you eat mine as well? I do not need nutrition, you see¡±, says Yuki, cat walking out to the spare room¡ Marionetting Johann out of the room and sitting him beside the table, Yuki perches atop Johann¡¯s head and purrs loudly. Soon enough, Johann wakes up, barely balances on his rear and says, ¡°Small¡±. ¡°You are smaller than usual, Yuki¡±, he adds, picking her up from his head and puts her down beside himself. ¡°Oh, today is the Peace Day, isn¡¯t it? Turn to Channel 1, there should be the parade going on¡±, he exclaims¡ Eating their bowl silently, San and Leo seem to be not amused by the parade.
As the parade reach the city center and pass in front of the apartment, Johann and Li look out through the window, seeing the colorful and cheerful people of the capital. However, right as the parade leave the neighborhood, it gets halted by a sudden explosion blowing up the Statue of Victory. The television broadcast cuts to a black screen, adorned with two simple roman numerals, fifty and one, in red, on a yellow square. ¡°While peace is appeasing, inequality will always lead to conflicts. While conflicts are cruel, in a time of war, everyone is equal, in death, belief, fear and joy. We must not choose either; we must reignite the engine, of ingenuity and of revolution¡±, sounds through the screen as the person presumably responsible for the attack reveal themselves in the square. Through the Telly, everyone could make out that the perpetrator started to chant ¡°Leaf from the branch, branch from the bark, bark from the root¡± and approaching the parade with strings materializing from their fingertips, almost clouding the scene behind them. The sky suddenly turns grey with clouds as dark as the robe the perpetrator adorned. In the next instance, lightning strikes the masked figure, instantly neutralizing them.
Peeking out the window, ¡°Blanc?¡±, asks Leo, turning to Yuki. Indifferent in her tone, ¡°Blanc¡±, answers Yuki. ¡°Say, Yuki, who is this Blanc you talk about so much?¡±, asks San. Sighing out a large, ¡°Blanc, also known as END, is one of the Dragon children. A potent one at that ¨C his nickname given by Paul is the Weather Dragon. From that, you should know what he is able to do¡±, says Yuki. Reforming into her human form and fabricating a great coat around herself, ¡°But he is still human, unlike those pure dragons. If his Cloud-to-Ground was as indiscriminate as that of mother nature¡¯s, I would be cowering in fear right now¡±, placing a pocket watch in her chest pocket, ¡°You know me when I am scared, no?¡±, she adds, tailoring and organizing her pockets. Grabbing San¡¯s Ushanka, ¡°I will be off to the turbines, Leo. And, I will introduce the Pyro to him¡±, she says, heading out the door. Popping her head back through the open door, ¡°Hey, Li! Come, come! Let us meet your uncle¡±, she says, tugging Li along.
¡°She just took your hat¡ Oh, speaking of which, San, you have some business to do with the bureaucracy, don¡¯t you?¡±, says Johann, startling San for a moment. ¡°Better show up early for the registration process, lest we want to be in Berlin for a long, long time¡±, he adds, cleaning up the low table. Taking off her jacket from the hanger, ¡°Right, yes¡ I need to get a visa for you and myself, yes? And Leo would fetch some for Li and Will¡ So, you coming?¡±, says San.
Yuki, Li and San have left the apartment. Throwing on his coat, ¡°Yo, mate, I will be going out so, you will be in charge of the house. Good? Good. So, I will be out for about¡ until 4 or 5, so 6 hours tops, and my phone number is on speed-dial #4; #1 is Illiana, #2 is Paul and #3 is Blanc. If something you cannot handle come up, call Will. His children should be able to help with it, even Alice¡±, opens door, ¡°See ya!¡±, says Leo. Sitting on the armchair against the north wall, Johann sighs out a large. ¡°When will this migraine stop?¡±
Ch 2. Part 9. Weather Dragon
With the side-effects of Mass Harvesters, meteorology and renewable energy technology has developed drastically to accommodate for the indiscriminate weather and conditions. As such, those two professions, meteorologist and energy engineer, have become two of the most sought-after occupation in the peaceful Europe. The more popular of the two is the meteorologist, often referred to as ¡°Sky Sailors¡±, as their equipment, as well as themselves, are often flown in the sky. But, due to them being so important for the modern development, their stations had to be located far from the developed area, in the direction of the most turbulence, as to foresee the uncertain catastrophe before it could reach the under-prepared towns folks.
Atop one of the hills to the east, a small wooden cabin sits quietly. There is no front yard, no fence, no storage shed, nothing of importance could be seen outside the house. Shining on top of the unsuspecting building is an antenna ¨C the only thing signifying some liveliness outside. Gazing upwards to the sky, small violet dots could be seen swaying in the wind. Upon coming close to the shed, its true shell, a transparent wall reaching the clouds, could be seen. Holding Li¡¯s hands while walking up to the house, Yuki is quite cheerful and eager to go into the house¡¯s field. Something off about the whole border vexes Li with almost all of his senses telling him to not go. May it be the violet color, the viscosity in its stream or just the culprit behind its creation, something is wrong about the place.
In a sharp voice, ¡°Venison! You inside!?¡±, shouts Yuki upon entering the border. Most of those who exhibit the ability to establish borders also have an enhanced sense of direction and position of others inside their domain. As it is with Yuki or Johann, Blanc also has the ability to sense those who have trodden upon his territory as well as complete control of certain forces inside. A sudden gust of wind sweeps Yuki up in the air. From where Li was standing outside, a herd of serpentine creatures with faint swirling outlines could be observed encircling her. As soon as Li steps foot into the encircled area, Yuki is thrown upwards. In a blink of an eye, she is set a hundred floors up, lifted about the clouds, among dragons of violet. While he was looking up at the ¡°flying cat¡±, his breath started to falter. He cannot move his head, swing his hands or even stay aground; something was forcing him to yield¡
*Ding! Ding¡ Ding¡* Getting a hold onto Li with an inch thick rope, ¡°Oh, the damned hell you don¡¯t!¡±, shouts Yuki, quickly descending down to the ground. Alike the things made by Will, the watch he depended his life on has some kind of failsafe in dire situations. ¡°Tide against¡±, says Yuki, landing aground. Weaving a web inside her palms and walking towards the shed, ¡°Oye, you scaredy stag! Release my guest I have brought you or I will cut you!¡±, she shouts, quite angrily towards whomever tried to suffocate Li¡
Inside the cabin, Li and Yuki sit at a table. Looking out the window up through the middle section of the rotary inside of the station, 16 different displays could be seen. Forest, plains, hills, all of Germany¡¯s natural diversity could be observed from the inside of a raggedy shack. ¡°Look, Li, those 15 panels are now broadcasting from all over Germany. That blue place is Rhineland. Why blue? It is because corundum is abundant there¡±, tells Yuki, sounding like a child boasting about their big brother. ¡°Sorry for earlier, Li¡ I was just scared that something bad that is beyond me could occur¡ If I know Yuki well, she should have reacted the same, no?¡±, says a guy, about the same in appearance as the home he resided in. Still watching the screens on the ceiling, ¡°Oye, stag, that one on the mid-right, there is a lot of updrafts there¡±, says Yuki. Clasping his palms together, leaving a cavity between the two, Blanc begins to whisper something. ¡°Wzbijaj sie itkaj ¨C prosze cie o to¡±, he mutters as he opens his hands to release a small serpent soaring in the air.
Finally gaining some conscience, ¡°Oh, sorry~ I do not usually get visitors, you see. And also, there is this I have to do¡ Say, where is Ghost, Yuki?¡±, says Blanc. Tilting her head, ¡°Didn¡¯t you smite him yesterday?¡±, asks Yuki. Also tilting his head the same direction, ¡°No¡ I did not even seed any cloud yesterday¡±, says Blanc. ¡°Uhm, Mr. Blanc, how far is your striking range?¡±, asks Li. ¡°Eh~ 15km at most, if I have visual information. That lunatic earlier today was the farthest I have hit someone¡ Say, Li, why didn¡¯t you break out of my defenses by overwhelming it? I am pretty sure you surpass my capacity at least two-fold¡±, says Blanc. ¡°I was just making sure what you are capable of, Mr. Dragon¡¡±, says Li. Showing a smile almost reaching his ears, ¡°You are a dragon of the east, aren¡¯t you?¡±, says Blanc.
Briefly lighting up in a shade of bright red, the shed kicks out the three. Outside, the dragons of purple fly circles around their creator. Already have put on his armor, Li, or Luyo, stand tall against the army of mana creations. ¡°Arbitrary as the wind you control, the man standing before me is as scuffed as his creations. Although they are as many as the forefathers died for your sake, they have no weight behind them, signifying you are to be lightly taken¡±, says Luyo, made and wielding a straight bladed sword. Yuki just sits there, observing the fight unfold.
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If it was an open event with sanctioned broadcasting, the fight would have been the best display of technique and personal strengths, of the entire century. With drones flying overhead, periodically switching between their perspectives, from all angles, it would have been the fight worth dying for. END opens the fight with a provoking reverse draft, budging the standing warrior of clay forward. The Pyromancer does not make a move however; still as if he is burning time, completely careless. END again takes the initiative, combining three of the swirling serpents and smiting Pyro down with their might. Succumbing to the forces of a ton, Luyo kneels down to support his own weight. A consequent updraft sweeps Luyo high up to the sky. Moved to where he has no control, he cannot do anything but reserve his breath until he reaches the ground. In all six vertices, the pyromancer clad in black is tossed around; like a piece of litter floating in the sky, but with much less grace, Luyo is powerless against the wind.
Muffled by the breeze onslaught, Pyro whispers something. Descending gracefully from the height the serpents kept him at, he makes all sorts of arrangement of weapons. Daggers, spears, blades of various sizes, all hovering around and slightly behind him. ¡°Anti, was it ¨C your technique stolen by Yuki? I will also borrow it, Mr. Dragon¡±, says Luyo, now standing a bit lower on the mound than Blanc, as the dragon blitzes him. ¡°Woah-!¡±, he exclaims as the zwerchhau about the length of Li gets deflected past him. Grappling by the handle, Luyo dispatches Blanc¡¯s grip upon the longsword as several of the blades hovering behind launches at him. In the next instance, a spear is launched at Luyo; as he tried to catch, or at least deflect, the spear, his hands did not move. Another serpent like being had wrapped around his limbs tightly¡ A ceramic plate breaks in contact with the spearhead. With a calm voice, ¡°Influence¡±, says Luyo, as both the spear and the serpent dissipate into Li¡¯s body.
Sudden gloom engulfs the battleground. The once bright sun has been covered by a thick dark cloud. Swirling around a point right above Luyo, the clouds resemble a crown of dahlia, emerging and hiding once and more. A light that could be mistaken for the rupture blinds the onlooking Luyo as he is struck by a swift lightning. One after another, a flash after a flash, about a dozen contacts have been made with Luyo. Finally, the thunder roars above the motionless black wizard. For the duration of the resonance, neither party moved¡ ¡°Tis but a scratch¡±, sounds Luyo, lifting his head up and looking straight into the eyes of the dragon. Holding his hands back-to-back, front towards his enemy, ¡°And, back you go¡±, he says, unleashing an enormous tsunami of flame.
Whispering, ¡°Please, for this once, integrate this into you¡±, quietly, Blanc pushes the wave of fire upwards and around the inside of the border. The blaze steadily gets thinned and lessened in the air, quickly disappearing altogether. But, in that small moment, Luyo has just slipped past the serpents END herded. Moving imperceivably fast, over and around the dense quantities of purple serpentine defending Blanc¡¯s flanks, the Pyro has just about caught him in his reach. In the nick of time, Blanc manages to concentrate all of his serpents to establish a wall and entangle Luyo¡¯s blade amongst them. Seeming to take a breather, the Pyro retracts his immobilized blade and takes off his mask. Having no signs of exhaustion upon his face, ¡°Say, Mr. Dragon, I could have ended your life couple dozens of times then and there. And, it seems like you do not acknowledge such threats¡¡±, sits facing towards Blanc, ¡°Let me offer you something, Mr. Dragon: As I want to see your full potential, how about you show me such? Take your time, rest a little, recollect your little lizards and come at me with all the might you can muster. If I am happy with what I deem is worthy, you may live and tell this tale to your kids¡±, says Luyo, behind the wall.
Dissolving his wall and moving back a few paces, he sends all of his serpents to circle an area up in the sky. Soon after, clouds form, rain, then snow; as if he has become Zeus, lightning also orbit the colossal tempest, thunders roar periodically to suggest what is to happen. As these happen, Luyo is still standing, mending his armor and cloak¡ ¡°Well then, Li¡ Ready when you are, mate¡±, says Blanc as the whirl of thousands of serpents¡¯ loom atop the two. ¡°Please, if you were to die, you would curse my child¡¯s name. Remember me as Luyo Sun Hue, Mr. Dragon. Now then, let us see how powerful a halfling is¡¡±, says Luyo, with his blade in hand. The storm is then set loose, towering over the man clad in black¡
¡°Birdcage¡±, says Luyo, enclosing the oncoming storm. Smiling subtly. ¡°Back when I was alive, we used to set ice among the storm clouds to ¡°cool them down¡±. I do not know the reason behind it but that practice saved millions of people from becoming one with the earth¡±, evaporates the tornado, ¡°But this time, it seems like you will be set in the ground because of this knowledge, my friend¡±, says Luyo. ¡°[LANGUAGE IN DEVELOPMENT]¡±, he says, unleashing a fiery swirl against the exhausted Blanc, sitting on the ground with his arm resting atop his right knee. The wave hits him head on¡ ¡°Would you stop, please? This is what you are hearing at the moment, right? That is Li, Luyo; the one whom you promised to never let him bow down to anyone is begging you instead¡±, says Yuki. Covered by a grey blanket, Blanc sits far back from where he was a moment ago. From her fingertips to the watch Will gave to Li, a thin bright blue string is attached. With a smile showing her fangs, ¡°I will now show you what someone who could fulfil his promise would have done, ancient¡±, says Yuki as the watch¡¯s bell rings again.
*Ding! Ding¡ Ding! Ding¡* ¡°You feel sleepy, don¡¯t you? Do I seem to be a bit larger to you? Are you scared of me, now, Luyo? Is Li coming back? I have just turned on Willy¡¯s emergency drainage system. You will feel disorientated and soon will fall asleep. Do not fight it, Luyo¡ Well then, good night, o the ancient one¡±.
Ch 2. Part 10. Bureucracy
¡°Oh, hell¡ I am not going home today, aren¡¯t I?¡±. Acquiring a visa is one hell of a chore to complete. You lack this and that and a picture of this size and some random document is missing somehow; everything will feel like they are against you. But, if you have a hand in the pot, you can stir it to your liking and season some to your preference. And, luckily, Anastasia just happens to be one of the people who has a firm grasp over the Russian military ¨C the country¡¯s greatest asset. The Russian delegation building is one very modest building, popping out from the exquisite but indifferent 5-story baroques of the central. Inside is no different. Unlike the mundane and repetitive lifestyle of the capital, there are people there, scrambling to get their work done. There are several desk-posts situated along the walls of the building, each with their own purpose. Travel consultancy, current exchange, visa application and even photographers and notary, all present inside that one building. But, as it is all situated inside that one building, even though they are planned along 3 floors, a lot of conjunction and lines form, prolonging the stay there¡
¡°Hello, miss, how may I help you?¡±, asks the secretary. San¡¯s first stop was the delegate himself ¨C Sergei Zaitsev. Putting on her smile, ¡°Hello~ I am here to meet with Sergei Zaitsev. He should have an appointment at about 12:12¡±, says San. Dialing up the table phone, she talks to the man behind the big desk. Holding, ¡°Your name was¡?¡±, she asks. ¡°Anastasia Gvozdikaya¡±, answers San¡ Inside the office, she and the delegate share a sugar lump. Drinking her cup of tea, ¡°So, you know me as the daughter of Beta, yes? Well, I am here to ask for a favor; I need two uninterrupted and unwired plans to Petrograd, one for me and one for my friend¡ Look, you just need to pass my and his application without batting an eye. These Germans are one hell of a people. So, I advise you to look over their suggestions and do your part in this envoy¡±, says San. Putting his cup down on the dish, ¡°I see¡ So, you are telling me to let a foreigner into the motherland? On the bases of you being a citizen, that rules out the invitation requirement but he is still a foreigner. Even so, I need to authenticate his papers and he needs to pass this country¡¯s regulations and examinations. Look, there is a lot of risk to your request, miss. There is not just me who determines the pass of travel. So, I would have to refuse¡±, says Sergei¡
¡°So, how did the meeting go, miss Gvozdikaya?¡±, asks the secretary. Maintaining her smile, ¡°Good¡±, she answers. ¡°Say, does he have these kinds of meeting all the time?¡±, asks San as she was about to leave. ¡°No, not at all. I think this was his first ever meeting with an individual¡±, answers the receptionist.
The phone rings inside Leo¡¯s condo. The volume resonating off of the four walls of the living room, jolting Johann off of the armchair. Looking at the clock, ¡°It is only 12:30¡ Who calls a home phone at this hour?¡±, mutters Johann and walks to the shoe drawer¡ ¡°Oye, Jo, get yourself over here at the Russian delegate. And, do not forget your paperwork¡±, says San and promptly hangs up¡ Quickly putting on his jacket and grabbing the keys, Johann heads out. Thinking for a moment, ¡°Would it be stupid to hide these somewhere rather than keep it on me? After all, someone else might need to enter this apartment like Yuki or Leo himself¡ Ah, who am I to know? If I were him, I would have one spare key on me at all times. And Yuki has something up her sleeves that she could get in quite easily. That was indeed stupid¡± and locks the door.
Outside the consulate building, Johann stands. About a pillar posted to hold the roof extension, ¡°Hey, Johann! Took you long enough. Anyways, got your citizenship permit, personal identification papers, health checkup of the last 2 months and your business permit and proof, yes? Now, listen to me very carefully; Do not lie and do not mention my name. If you do, then my pass would not come out. I have told the delegate that your request would soon arrive so do not sweat it, okay? I will wait for you here and, once this is done, let us meet up with Leo and ask for Paul to unwire the travels¡±, tells San, checking her notes.
Johann enters the building; a sudden flush of past memories flood and overwhelm him. His moments with his father, the sudden influx of unavailability and the ridicule of foreigners by the Germans, all rush in his mind¡ ¡°How may I help you?¡±, asks the receptionist at the front desk. Shivering in distress but hidden by his clothes, ¡°Uh, yes, I am here to request an admission for travels to Petrograd. Where should I start?¡±, says Johann with a bit of fluctuation in his voice. Clicking things on her screen, ¡°And, may I ask for your name and purpose of travel, please?¡±, says the receptionist. Clearing his voice for the second time, ¡°It is Johann von Alstrom and I am here to request a pardon for the annual Artisans¡¯ pilgrimage¡±, he says, as that part of the hall suddenly becomes silent. The receptionist seems to be in quite a shock as well. Couple moments later, ¡°By Artisans¡¯ Pilgrimage, you mean to go to Russia for learning their craft techniques? Oh, wow¡ Uh, start from the 4th booth, then go to the 9th, then the 5th booth on the second floor and then meet with the delegate. I will notify him¡±, says the receptionist.
At the 4th booth, titled ¡°Visa admission¡±, Johann stands in a line of about 5 people. About every 4 minutes, a person gets added to the line and the person in the chair finishes. Sitting behind the desk, ¡°How may I help you, sir?¡±, says the teller. Clearing his voice, ¡°Uh, I am here to ask for the annual Artisans¡¯ Pilgrimage pardon¡±, says Johann and opens his suitcase. The same reaction occurs; the line and the tables to the sides all become silent for a moment. ¡°May I see your papers, please¡±, says the teller, indifferent in his voice. A stack of paper, about 70 of them, are placed on the desk. The teller quickly reads through them all and types the specifications into the program. Placing 3 papers stapled at the corner, ¡°Please read through these and sign here and here¡±, says the teller. The papers read, ¡°Travel specifications¡± ¡
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Before placing the paper into the scanner, ¡°Surname: Alstrom; Name; Johann; Place of Origin: Oslo, Sweden; Place of Practice: Danzig, Germany; Spouse: None; Associates Number: 3; Associates Name(s): William Mandalmerge, Cassandra Johannes, Li Hue; Reason(s) of Travel: To learn and accompany the practice of making 30 cakes original to the Russian East and relearn the forgotten practice of Set-Place materialization; Expected duration of stay: 1 year¡ these are all?¡±, asks the teller. ¡°Yes¡±, says Johann as the papers get scanned along with his foreign passport and ID card. ¡°Now, if you please, go to the 9th booth. You will be questioned for further complications¡±, tells the teller¡
At the 9th booth: ¡°Oh~ You are Johann, yes, from the Danzig Artisans¡¯ Association?¡± ¡°Yes¡±, ¡°Let us see¡ You have been a German citizen since 1857, you moved from Oslo to Danzig then to Hanover, yes?¡± ¡°Yes¡±, ¡°You have a bakery on the 21 Baker¡¯s Street, yes?¡± ¡°Yes¡±, ¡°Who is running the shop now?¡± ¡°My friend Felix Fyodorovski¡±, ¡°Do you have a bank account with the sufficient deposit?¡± ¡°Yes, here is the notary proof¡±, ¡°Place your hand palm down on the device, please¡Do you have an invitation from a citizen of the motherland?¡± ¡°Yes, here is the letter stamped by the delegate¡±, ¡°Do you have any intention of deserting Germany?¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°That was a trick question, you did not have to answer that¡±, ¡°Have you contracted any infectious disease?¡± ¡°No, here is the health checkup proofs¡±, ¡°Are you an associate of any terrorists?¡± ¡°¡No¡±, ¡°That was an awfully long pause¡± ¡°Just thought of my apprentice. He does not mean any harm, let alone an act of terrorism¡±, ¡°Are you a part of the Moonflower?¡± ¡°No¡±, ¡°And that is all. Your background is clean your intentions are clear. Please go to the 2nd floor, 5th booth. There, you will be questioned about your travel plans. Good luck!¡±
At the 2nd floor, 5th booth, not a single person is lining up to the desk. Approaching the desk and sitting on the chair, ¡°How is this desk so void of a line?¡±, asks Johann from the receptionist. Exhibiting a smile similar to San, ¡°This desk is privileged for Artisans only, Mr. Alstrom. Let us now determine your travel routes¡±, says the receptionist¡ Dialing up San, ¡°Aye, mate, what was the route again?¡±, asks Johann. ¡°We would go to Danzig and Konigsberg. From there, Petrograd, Moscow and Novgorod. Then¡ Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk. The route so far is this. I plan to circle the whole of Russia in this session. And maybe the whole world, if the government allows it¡±, tells Johann. ¡°Might I suggest you to go to Yakutsk and Khabarovsk? From there, you could catch a ferry to Sakhalin and cross into Japan. There is even a delegate for you to negotiate. Japan still upholds the Artisans¡¯ Creed, yes? And then, you can go to mainland China from the Japanese held territory so that you could circle the east part of Asia. From there, you could figure out everything else¡±, says the receptionist. ¡°Heard that, San?¡±, says Johann on the phone. ¡°Well then, I will report your travel to Khabarovsk in the papers, Mr. Alstrom. Now, you should meet with the delegate himself and notify your intentions. He should be able to convey your request to the German bureaucracy¡±, says the receptionist.
At the 3rd floor, through the door to the side, ¡°Hello sir, how may I help you?¡±, asks the secretary. Clearing his voice, ¡°Yes, hello, I am here to meet with the delegate. The 5th booth of the 2nd floor sent me here¡±, says Johann. Pausing for a moment, ¡°You are an Artisan who want to travel to Russia, yes?¡±, dialing up the table phone, ¡°Your name is¡¡±, asks the secretary. ¡°It is Johann von Alstrom, miss¡±, he says, still standing in front of the desk¡ Inside the office, ¡°By any chance, are you an associate of the daughter of Beta?¡±, asks the delegate from Johann, who has just come in. Pausing for a moment, ¡°If you mean San, I am traveling with her, along with her spouse and my apprentice. I have not met a person dubbed the daughter of Beta. I am Johann, a registered artisan from the city of Danzig. I adorn the Gilded Branch, by which, it is sanctioned by the Elden law to allow an annual pardon of travel to any countries. But, as the current law require your decree of admission, I request your permission of travel to the Tsardom of Russia¡±, says Johann, seating himself in the armchair about the table. Making some tea, ¡°It is odd for me to have two guests on the same day, Mr. Johann. Let alone after the first one mentioning her friend would come to ask for a request. Well, it was my obligation to allow such small request but who knows who she meant by her friend, no?¡±, says the delegate.
¡°I am Sergei Zaitsev, the diplomat representing the Tsardom of Russia, as you already know, and it is an honor to talk with an Artisan¡±, he adds, sitting on the other side of the table. ¡°Have you stated your travel purposes?¡± ¡°Yes¡±, ¡°Have you got your background checked?¡± ¡°Yes¡±, ¡°Have you reported your route?¡± ¡°Yes¡±, ¡°Then congratulations, Mr. Johann. You have now been permitted to an Artisans¡¯ Visa to travel freely across Russia¡±. Finishing his cup, ¡°I also have one request: Could you notify the German bureaucracy for my travels? It is quite a hassle for me, an immigrant, to ask for a permit for traveling across an entire continent. But, with your recommendation, I would be able to go freely, no? After all, it is the Elden law that we abide by¡±, says Johann¡
¡°Well then, the visa is set, a commission for my travel across Asia proper has been made¡ Now what?¡±, says Johann seated in a table inside a diner. Pinching a pop, ¡°First, eat. Say, do you have Leo¡¯s number or something?¡±, says San. Looking through the menu, ¡°This looks nice¡ Yeah, no, Leo has his and Paul¡¯s phone number on his home phone. So, we need to go back there and call them¡±, calls the waiter, ¡°I would like to have No.8 with a side of coleslaw and some lemonade. And, do not add sugar to the drink, please¡±, says Johann. ¡°And what would you like to have, miss?¡±, asks the waiter. ¡°It is okay, thank you. I am here to feed this guy, not myself¡±, says San as she writes in her notebook about.
Ch 2. Part 11. A spitting image of their father
There is a childish want, a far-fetched dream to many, to become a firefighter. Why wouldn¡¯t we? People want to save others, preventing the casualties which might happen from others¡¯ stupidity. Adorned in red and reflective, they are immediately recognizable as the emergency force called upon in the time of crisis. They fight the salamanders, the messengers of hell, trying to exchange their souls for others¡¯. Their motto, ¡°In igne vivimus ¨C In fire, we live¡±, is one of the only chants you want to hear when you are in desperate need. In a building engulfed in inferno, out in the field of wildering swirls of flame lit atop the dry leaves, and even in a plant destined to failure by the sirens sounding so loud, the Red Knights are there to ensure your survival.
Despite being government sanctioned soldiers, they are governed by their own authority. As so, they are some of the most flexible units of immediate response troops in the German Military Hierarchy. The are not picky when it comes to conditions and terrain ¨C in the city center, out there in the fields of grain, deep inside the Moonflower and even to neighboring states, they are there where the screams of innocent resonate. But they are not pure. As they are the hounds of the herders, they also act out their dirty work. Political assassination, ethnic cleansing and even crowd control, they are not void of evil. An example could be seen on the day of Peace, where a radical tried to massacre a crowd but was shot down by a stray lightning in the middle of the Memorial Square. With the carcass of the perpetrator still lying on the ground, half burnt by the strike, a brigade of firefighters fully incinerates the corpse, on site. It would have smelled quite foul to an ordinary person but, they are not one ¨C they are an anomaly. We would never know how it smelled either way, as they erected a barrier around the site, blocking any and all information output to the outside world.
Lifting his helmet and flipping the phone he held in his chest pocket, ¡°Yo, Leo, what¡¯s up?¡±, says one of the firefighters who were disposing the body. ¡°Oh, Johann! How can I help you, mate?¡±, he says after hearing something from the other side. ¡°Ah~ I see. You know, I am quite close to Leo¡¯s condo and I presume you are calling from there. Say, let us meet up somewhere and talk this out in person, okay?¡±, says Paul, lifting up the purification mask¡ At the Ferne Wiese, the three meet up, or Johann and Paul meet up. With San quickly going upstairs to check on Will, the baker and the Observer have a conversation about pulling some strings up top.
¡°So, I have something to ask: How much would it take for you to persuade the German foreign minister and everyone who have a hand in foreign travels to pass my Artisan¡¯s Pardon?¡±, says Johann. Raising his hand previously resting on top of his lap above the table and tilting the palm a little, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the tea to come, no?¡±, says Paul, who us now in civilian clothes¡ The teas arrive. Taking a sip from his cup, ¡°She really does remember my preference. Say, do you like your tea with or without sugar?¡±, asks Paul. ¡°Without, of course. I have one very harsh condition which appears only when I eat unprocessed white sugar¡±, answers Johann, sipping from his cup as well. Smiling subtly, ¡°That girl, Alex, she oversees the entire floor. More so, she memorizes the patterns. I like my tea really sweet so she added 4 cubes now. And she also deduced that you do not like sugar so she did not add any to yours. The only time when you actually sweeten your drink is the first time you come here, like of you yesterday¡±, explains Paul.
¡°The bar-stand is the service centers; you order beer to commemorate or drown out some occasions, you can talk to the bartender to get some advice and, you can also post up some service requests there. The place where we are sitting, these are the offices ¨C this is where important discussions are held. The front door is the border crossing, you may or may not be able to enter if you are a bit iffy. The pantry is the national reserves and the kitchen is the hell we call the parliament¡±, finishes his cup, ¡°Likewise, the whole of this establishment is like the government. Only difference is in the smaller sects of the bureau ¨C they are all centered on the owner of this building. Which is really funny to me; if you can persuade that one person, this country could turn into some arbitrary state¡ Say, Johann von Alstrom, 1st rate chief from Danzig, why do you want to explore the unknown?¡±, he continues, going on to ask about some sensitive topics.
The title of 1st rate is a curse in disguise. With a cap of a couple of dozen persons, most of the titles are awarded to those who have authority to protect and embellish such high honor. But, if a poor bloke who rose from the rags came into possession of this title, then¡ you would have some people with various degree of envy and wrath hounding you. Sven von Alstrom, the former royal chief of the Swedish crown, the one who deserted the flush life he had in turn for a new start, was one of the first 1st rate chiefs to exist in Germany. Migrated from Stockholm to Danzig, the Swed with his son had not have a great time first settling. Due to the discrimination and the competitive nature of then, Sven struggled for a while. But, after the Cold Storm of ¡¯57, after his efforts in aid and moral boost, he found himself as one of the founding members of the Artisan¡¯s district of Danzig. Previously, there was the Artisans Association and its branches, scattered throughout the city and the east, operating almost independent from one another. Now, after the replan following ¡¯57, there was a head office, messenger stations and, further, 1/5th of the city center under the banner of ¡°East Needle and the Half Moon¡±.
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Johann, following his father¡¯s footsteps, became a registered baker at the age of 14 and started to contribute to the association. From his childhood, he did not find interest in anything but baking and cooking. Although his cooking was an absolute disaster, as he always overdid the salt, his baking of bread and pastry was much akin to his father¡¯s, earning him the name ¡°Egg tart¡±. Throughout his adolescence, he developed to be like his dad ¨C prideful, capable and always reliable. Not a single day he thought that the life he had was too mundane or irrelevant. But, after his death, Johann started to shift his beliefs. Not only he had caught up but, surpassed his father in legacy and prominence yet he had not the chance to show it to him. The calm, caring and compassionate son of Sven had reached his life goal. After such point, there is nothing but a slope of despair. He first lost the passion for baking, turning to more abstract means of art. Then, he stopped caring for the community he helped so much to raise, abandoning it for fleeting ecstasy. And, finally, his calmness turned to lunacy, often going on a ramble of utter nonsense day in and day out. He had completed his life.
Not a lot of people know what happened next but the prized chief of the artisans of Danzig left the city, never to be seen again in the vicinity. He was thought to have taken his life in a ditch ¨C at the age of 21, the generational 1st rate chief bloodline has ended with him being remembered as a lunatic. Then, there we are. In the capital, as an artisan, seeking to redeem an annual pardon of state sanctioned travel. Clearing his throat, ¡°I want to acquire what I lack ¨C I want to find what I had lost¡±, answers Johann. Smiling subtly, ¡°Well then¡ I hope you know exactly what that is, mate. I have to go and sort some things out now¡±, stands up, ¡°Good luck on the way to Japan¡±, says Paul, exiting through the front door¡
After the Observer left, Johann sat in the cubicle, processing what had just happened. What he had promised, what had Paul seen and, even, what his intentions meant for the group proper; everything that might be correlated to his swift decision had become an uncertainty. Suddenly, the room lights up in the same circle pattern as yesterday, the pitch of the howling becoming higher and higher. Realizing what is now happening, he quickly rushes upstairs. While he was sprinting up the stairs, Alex casually passed him. Reaching the 2nd floor, the room where Will was kept, Sera and San are having a stand-off, both ready to off each other. With a bolt-action in hand, ¡°Oye, Johann, get Will and go. Their methods are crude and contentious. Just have a taste of that soup ¨C absolute garbage. I know a man who can heal him in an instant. Even so, if he is not there, you can tend to him far better than these crepes, no?¡±, says San¡
One moment, there was a stand-off with 2 bystanders. In the next, the bystanders increased to 3. Right after, there was a stand-off no more. With the Mosin set on a wall, Alex and Sera sat at the foot of the bed and San and Johann on a chair and table about the opposite wall, Alice stands in the middle of the room. ¡°AND¡ go!¡±, she says, gesturing a sweeping motion, just like an announcement of the start of a battle. ¡°Eh~? What now? You were this close to erupting into a gun vs. knives battle. Sera, you can easily crunch San right now; San you can just manifest another gun, even an auto, no?¡±, says Alice, charading around as if the two were fighting. ¡°Are you, perhaps, scared?¡±, she adds, side half-bowing towards the two, like an adult talking to a child.
¡°Of course not!¡±, they both exclaim in almost unison. Smiling, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you continue the quarrel for him? Maybe he could be woken up by the noise¡±, says Alice, the smile becoming larger and more sinister by the count of her words ¡ ¡°Birdcage!¡±, says Johann, trapping and suspending both San and Sera. With a pistol and a knife in her hand, confiscated just before they were put inside the birdcage, ¡°Even if its force is not the first contact, any astray could become a big trouble, no?¡±, says Alice. Taking a sip from the bowl left on the bedside drawer, ¡°Huh, this is¡ weird. A bit dull and it lacks salt¡ Sera, when was this bowl made and by whom, you?¡±, says Johann. In one very high pitch, ¡°Eh?! A bit dull, you say? That is utter trash, isn¡¯t it?¡±, says San. ¡°I can ignore any recipe of my own for being called trash. his. You take those words back¡±, says Sera, from the other side of the room.
While those two argue: ¡°Ah~ Women¡¡±, ¡°Tell me about it¡¡±, ¡°Say, why are you here?¡±, the weapons were put on the drawer, ¡°Well, I should be at my office except for Seraphina to dismantle this establishment for a man¡±, ¡°That¡ is not what I was expecting to hear, to be honest¡±, ¡°Eh, why?¡±, ¡°I expected more Will could have died if I was not here and you ask me that¡±, a punch was thrown, ¡°Okay, okay, sorry~ You punch like Will, though¡±, smirkingly, ¡°Of course. I learnt it from him; who else I should have learned to fight? Yuki?¡±, ¡°I also assumed you took characteristics of Yuki¡¯s¡±, ¡°Huh, how so?¡±, ¡°Well~ That oh, no you don¡¯t attitude, mostly¡±, ¡°And who do you think she took that from?¡±, ¡°Will?¡±, ¡°Exactly. Will is our one and only parent. As so, Yuki is like our big sister, if you will¡±, ¡°So it is incest?¡±, ¡°Eh!? I can off you here and now if it was not for his patience and discipline. Don¡¯t you say something like that, heretic¡±, ¡°Yeah, no, so, I will be in the kitchen, then. Eh~ right about when they are done with this quarrel; then I will lower the border¡±.
Ch 2. Part 12. Regardless of the situation, hardships come in life
The games of Nova feature a linear progression with a lot of separate grinds. You encounter one really hard boss, perish, respawn, try again with a different tactic, perish, respawn and try again, over and over until you beat said boss. Usually, they are hard but beatable. Yet, real life is not a game; there are impossibilities which cannot be foreseen. They are just a part of the life proper. You try, fail and try again but you will give up on some. That is why you should know when and how you should approach a hard problem in vitality.
When you get a nickname, it is often the flaws that are most prominent. If you have a big nose: ¡°Pinocchio¡±; if you have a big smile: ¡°Kuchisake¡± ¨C every little flaw, good or bad, will result in some sort of insult becoming your namesake for your friends. Yet, most often than not, the nickname is spot on for your personality, which might be the reason why the nick sticks around. Pinocchio was given because of a body feature yet the person in question happens to be quite the liar; Kuchisake-onna is a malefic spirit killing those who seem to be scared of her, the one named after her is about the same with them conscience of their flaws and very aggressive towards the allegations.
¡°The true self never deviates from the only self¡±; most of the people¡¯s worn masks are almost always transparent to those who know them. It is this quality that separates the liars from manipulators. You can fake an accent and hair easily enough but a complete signature shift¡ it is difficult, if not, impossible. Yet there are people, the most powerful, that have these kinds of ability. One moment, they are a civil rights activist but in the next, a Machiavellian headmaster. ¡°Well, without sacrifice, you cannot please the gods¡±.
Swish and swirl sound about the sky, periodically, among the German short hills. The lines of blue tighten and slack once more as the clicking of clay chirp like a timid sparrow trying its best to upstand to the autumn breeze. Marionetting the Pyromancer clad in black and terracotta, ¡°Why¡ won¡¯t you¡ faint!¡±, says Yuki, having taken off her Ushanka. Dangling the pyro by a tree branch, ¡°I have shifted around the whole of your internal organs, as well as your brain, 4 TIMES! How the hell is Li¡¯s body this bloody resilient? Seriously!¡±, she says, sitting beside a raggedy man. Opening his palm to release a small batch of serpents, ¡°My reserve has been exhausted to the bone. You can see it, or should I say, hear it, can¡¯t you, that my border is shrinking?¡±, says Blanc. Springing back on her rear, ¡°Ah, Schei?e... Am I really resorting to asking Alice about this? Oye, Blanc, dial up the Ferne Wiese. Lest you want to smother your once beloved, of course¡±, says Yuki.
While the wiffers argue about the rights and wrongs of taking after a vegetative individual, Johann cook up something scrumptious. Halted just before adding salt, ¡°Should I be doing this? I need someone who actually has the ability to balance the salinity¡¡±, peaking through the kitchen door, ¡°Aye, Alice, come here for a moment, please!¡±, says Johann. In the exact next moment, Alice appears before him. Surprised, ¡°How the hell do you do that? Isn¡¯t it impossible for people to teleport?¡±, says Johann. Walking to the pot atop the stove, ¡°Yes¡ But~ I am not traveling at the limit, you see. Far slower, in fact, you do not hear a sonic boom, no? The travel is within such a small scale that the whiplash of the sudden acceleration is manageable. In fact, I only reached an acceleration of about 40m/c2 and peak speed of 30m/c, far slower than 343m/c of Mach 1¡±, says Alice. ¡°So, salt the soup¡¡±, says Johann, giving her the salt jar.
The table phone rings in the bar-stand. Swiftly coming to the call, ¡°Hello~ Ferne Wiese Bar, how can I help you?¡±, says Alex. ¡°Oh, mama, ¡Alice? ¡To where? ¡Offset? ¡Ok. I will then tell Alice to travel NE 73.05¡ã for about 37.8 km¡ eh~ within about 2 minutes¡ Ne karoi~!¡±, talks Alex. Clearing her voice, ¡°Alisa! Lithe called and wants you to be at Blanc¡¯s in 2. North East, offset 73.05, as soon as possible for her!¡±, she shouts. In the kitchen, seasoning the soup, ¡°Ah~ Well then, I will leave you the rest, Johann¡±, says Alice, vanishing just as she appeared. Far about the door, ¡°If I do not come back, burn the bloody diary of mine¡±, she says, as the doorbell jingle slightly in the breeze.
Landing about the foot of the hill, Alice hurriedly climbs to the top. Muttering in her mouth, ¡°Oh~ this is bad, really bad¡±, she periodically jumps a part of the journey uphill. Reaching the top and seeing a black mass hung by a tree branch, she relaxes a little. Seeing Yuki and quickly approaching her, ¡°So, why did you call me over?¡±, asks Alice. Solemnly, ¡°I want you to switch something out for me. Do you see that eerie mask? I want you to unmask that man and reinstall the original mind in his body. It should be somewhere around his head ¨C I can see it. It should be apparent enough, though. The legitimate owner has a Soft-Blaze but that H¨¹ndin has a heavy left stream¡±, says Yuki, pointing to Luyo. Skeptical, ¡°You should have called Illia or Paul or even Rafa for this. I neither can nor want to switch a conscience. Even so, the only time I switched someone¡¯s mind is when Ghost needed to extract an information from a dead body, and we are talking about the Ghost here, a complete anomaly to modern science and mineralogy. He even instructed the procedure from start to finish ¨C I cannot do that on my own.¡±, says Alice.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Clasping his hands, ¡°Well then, what do you need? It was the fastest option to call you, Alice, it was just that. My border, my once bellowed, is dying at the moment so, I would suggest you get to work. I can guide you through Li¡¯s head and, once you can see how to get it, you can switch the outside with the inside, no?¡±, says Blanc¡ Making a large ring and filling it with a panel alike the ones inside the cabin, Blanc makes a smaller border around Luyo and connects the display to it. Sighing out a large one more time, ¡°I am not quite comfortable with higher dimensional transactions but, if his theory of conscience is correct, I can exchange the one with the other inside a body¡ Whether I succeed or not, please call Illiana. I do not want to die like Cassandra¡¡±, says Alice, before inserting slim strands into the Pyromancer¡¯s body. ¡°While she does that, I need to up the Willage of the watch. Oye, stag, give me a minus Avtirk and a tuning fork¡±, ¡°A bloody what?¡±, ¡°An Otvyorka or something like that¡ a screwdriver! Flat head. And a tuning fork¡¡±. Withdrawing from the border, ¡°Okay, the first theory remains unproven. You cannot invert the nerve bearings using the 4th dimension. You will get short circuited when you convert your material mana to a transitional superposition¡±, says Alice, shaking her hands to relieve some stress.
Some jingles of progressing tones resonate in the background. ¡°Time to unravel, then¡±, says Alice as she detaches her strings and pulls her sleeves back. Eyeing out the pressure points of the outer layer of the nerve bearing, often referred to as CE87 strands, she puts a cuff, a ring, on them. Through the display, DU-20, DU-26, PC-6, LI-4, HT-7 and KID-1 as well as on those connecting the limbs and skeleton, could be seen with a cuff on each. ¡°Left stream¡ So, I pull clockwise to loosen the fibers. Well then¡ here we go¡¡±, says Alice as she pulls on the strings wrapped around the rings. All in a single motion, the outer bearing, the conscience of Luyo, lose its grip on Li¡¯s body and he falls limp. But, instead of dissipating completely from his body, the left-stream rapidly shrinks and embeds itself inside Li¡¯s soft blaze. ¡°Well, how lucky you are to do that. 4% chance, was it?¡±, says Alice as Li starts to wake up. Bouncing to him, in her cat form, and putting the watch on his wrist, in her human form, Yuki lowers the bind dangling Li off a branch. Blanc also does the same with his border and mirror.
Pulling back the hood of his robe, ¡°Am I¡ real?¡±, asks Li. Throwing her hands up in the air in glee, ¡°Yay~ I did it!¡±, says Alice. Ding¡ Ding¡ Ding¡ ¡°Is this good?¡±, asks Li, as the watch on his wrist ring in one very high pitch. Patting Alice¡¯s head while sitting atop it, ¡°Yeah, you did good. You did good¡ Oh, good morning, Li. Or, maybe, good afternoon? Feeling alright? You almost killed Blanc over there if it were not for your grandpa¡¯s arrogance. Got too cocky and got hung like a spider off this tree in its shadow you are sitting¡¡±, says Yuki, as if nothing eventful had happened¡
Inside the cabin, seated around a table, ¡°So, this man that you almost killed is Blanc Pierre Lipinski, or, as we call him, Elusive Na?ve Deer, because he is elusive, na?ve and behaves like a deer. This name was actually given by someone who is now materially no longer with us ¨C Rosa. In fact, her spirit is the border outside this cabin and some of the larger serpents he creates. Kinda similar situation to Willy and San but, instead of given her the ember of his, this stag holds her flame in himself. Kinky stuff that you will understand when you are a little older. And, he has by far the most control over his creations and border in the entire company¡±, says Yuki, sitting atop Blanc¡¯s head. ¡°Was I too much?¡±, asks Li, as Yuki springs back to her human form. In her normal judgmental voice, ¡°Too much? In the entirety of my 16 years of existence, I have never seen him accept defeat as easily as that, Li. And, believe me, 220 black-hats have quite a knack for unnecessary destruction. In fact, by the time we finished with them all, after seeing and searching so many of their coats, I have memorized and learned to duplicate them. In addition to what you did to the stag, you exhausted Alice and almost gave her an aneurysm. Do you know how small a nerve strand is? 20 micrometers ¨C 300 times smaller than a single grain of rice. And she had to manually find Luyo¡¯s nerve bearings and manifest a retention ring around each of them with a tolerance so high that some ¡°stable¡± isotopes break down when exerted torque. Though she had a visual on what was happening but, even so, do you know how hard it is to see the 4th dimension, let alone transport a matter through said dimension?¡±, says Yuki, almost scolding Li for being not himself¡
Shining a laser-like light point on the ground, Blanc toys with Yuki for a bit. Moving a mirror like disk in his palm erratically, ¡°First lesson; when getting scolded by a cat: Distract them. Not just a cat, everyone who wants you to feel a bit low. Distract them and have fun whilst doing so¡±, says Blanc. Laughing at the whole situation, ¡°Well, I can go now, no?¡±, says Alice. Glancing at Yuki chasing the point, ¡°I do not hear any opposition. Go home and have a hardy meal, Alice¡±, says Blanc.