Liberi Reader

Correct, Mr. Wei. Thirty-two hours from now, the core city will collide with Lungmen.

Its urban identification code has not been changed, which means that the core of Chernobog, this nomadic city, is still Ursus territory.

So attacking it would be an act of war...?

Reunion holding Ursus hostage like this is the height of absurdity.

You're unreasonably calm, Mr. Wei. Did it maybe occur to you what a peace-loving country the Empire is?

Ursus expansionism is driven by a lust for wealth, territory, and growth.

If it was profitable, the Empire would start a world war without a second thought. And they would've done it decades ago.

But to provoke a war with Yan?

The fact that Yan has not waged war for centuries does not mean they lack the capacity to fight. But I'd say a militaristic state might struggle to understand what it is that's led to Yan's prosperity.

A world war would leave both sides devastated. Yan would need a long time to recover, but Ursus, with its myriad internal conflicts, would take it even harder.

Ursus is no longer the world-devouring beast it once was. Only fools and madmen would wage a war that is costly, unprofitable, and doomed to fail.

Mr. Wei, as far as I know, fools and madmen are a dime a dozen in the nomadic cities of the world.

Weeding out such people is one of my most important duties. And it's a function of the State Council of Ursus.

......

Once the State Council responds, we'll implement measures to put a stop to the Chernobog core.

The diplomats will handle the rest.

Our only responsibility is to take control of this crisis before it gets out of hand.

You have that much faith in the Empire?

No. I have faith in mutual interest.

Fighting war after war teaches bitter lessons. And even though Ursus has won a lot of riches from its wars, it has been unable to fight the internal rot those wars have bred...

It has not been able to integrate the peoples and lands it has conquered. And no nation can handle a rebellion while choking down the poison brewed by the mutual crisscrossing hate of its own populace.

The Empire of Ursus is a rotting corpse posturing to look strong.

And that is why you believe Ursus will act in its own interests and abide by their deal with you?

I have no deal with the Chairman of the State Council, verbal or otherwise. But the two of us have about the same amount of sanity left.

Fumizuki, send the message for me. I have to make use of this time...

Um.

...Fumizuki?

There is another message here. For you.

Dr. Kal'tsit, Amiya, Ch'en... you should hear this too.

Fumizuki?

You will change your mind when you hear this.

I don't think so.

If you reject their help again, we'll truly be isolated.

'Chief Wei, you must act immediately upon receiving this message.'

What...? That's my Messenger.

'The following has been Arts encrypted.'

'Mr. Wei, Groups Three and Four are standing down. We are unable to get to the source of the matter.'

'I can't even speculate on who the mastermind might be.'

'They were whispering from the parliamentary gallery, laughing at my miserable, helpless performance. But I found no evidence to hold them accountable.'

'If something happens in Chernobog, you must do everything you can to stop it. Otherwise, who knows what will happen?'

'You have the wisdom and ability to stop it at its source. What we could not do, you must do in our stead.'

That's the end.

...I want to hear the rest.

The rest is the Messenger's soliloquy.

He's my Messenger. Let me hear it.

'I was unable to meet Chairman Witte, and the Messenger he sent to liaise with me was waylaid by unknown forces. Fortunately, that Messenger is still safe and sound.'

'The Messenger slipped out of Deity Grypherburg in the dead of night, and someone secretly aided him. I believe there are forces within Ursus vying for supremacy.'

'I was attacked many times on the road after that. And there were many others who tried to protect me.'

Witte tried to help them...

'I reached the Ural Rift and commandeered a messaging station. What happens now, even I don't know.'

'I hope to make it back to Lungmen, to enjoy the flavors of home once again.'

How is he now?

Unclear if he's alive or dead.

It sounds like the Chairman of the State Council plans to stand by and see how this plays out.

The State Council is at the heart of the Empire... But Chernobog is out on the periphery now.

The borderlands mostly belong to the Army, and some remnants of the ancient nobility.

The Army hasn't had a chance to engage in such operations since the Great Rebellion, but the Infected did.

The ancient nobility, closely watched as they were, couldn't have planned the Chernobog incident, but the Infected could.

Indeed, most of Reunion's Infected had no training, they didn't stand a chance against the Ursus Guard and the Chernobog riot police—

But a Catastrophe did. Chernobog failed to split the plates in time, and there was nothing they could do against a Catastrophe.

Reunion had to infiltrate the city early to stop the security forces from mobilizing, while the Army ignored their maneuvering.

Lungmen and Rhodes Island anticipated Reunion's actions, and the L.G.D. made a plan to annihilate them, but Chernobog...

Even to this day, Chernobog, and the Ursus Court... haven't said a word.

Now we know why.

Writing off the city and all its inhabitants, Ursus handed Chernobog over to Reunion.

And the Infected, who have lived so long on the threshold of death that they no longer fear it, would assume control of the city after the Catastrophe.

They didn't have to do anything. They just... got out of the way.

They only had to let it happen.

But after suffering a Catastrophe, Chernobog was just a dead city with nothing of value...

Which left the Infected heading for Lungmen! No matter who's running Reunion, this... all the elements were perfectly aligned...!

——

Give the order. The censors must stand down, use force if necessary. We will prepare for war. We must be absolutely certain we can disable that core before it's too late.

And no one is to know of this until the Chernobog core is stopped.

Mr. Wei?!

You're going to start the war yourself?

Fumizuki, you've seen all Lungmen has been through, you must know. My brother wouldn't stand for me starting a war with Ursus.

...I must take the initiative, we must take control of the situation, even if it costs all of Lungmen.

Starting a war means being seen as an aggressor. It makes it more difficult to forge alliances.

The first one to enter a state of war is likely to find itself isolated.

But... the worst part is, no one can know the truth until after the war is over, whatever it might be...!

Some countries don't even care about the truth. All they want is an excuse.

But, Mr. Wei, I believe we can achieve peace through diplomatic means.

Thank you for the suggestion, Madam Kal'tsit.

But I'm afraid Witte and I are the last hope for peace between our two countries.

Whether our enemy is the Empire's Third Army or the Emperor of Ursus, this war is going to happen eventually, even if we are certain to win it. Peace is no longer possible.

If Witte is too meek to use official channels to put a stop to this, it means he'll face too much resistance and criticism for it, even if it works. He's a politician. He has to look out for himself.

Having pushed him this far, the Empire's bureaucracy may be in some state of semi-paralysis.

A couple of divisions can hold Ursus hostage, but not Lungmen. This is not Ursus, you're entitled to an emergency response to another moving city.

Wouldn't it then be too late to separate the city?!

If the core is not stopped, the collision will destroy Lungmen. And the conflict that follows will cause further, unfathomable disaster.

But to stop the core...

Firing our guns or sending a spec ops team would indeed mean a declaration of war on Ursus.

Anything Witte might have been able to stop has been cut completely loose by the Chernobog core.

An isolated city, cut off from all communication, left with nothing but identification codes, needs very little explanation.

As you say, Doctor. It's up to Lungmen now. Only we can stop the Chernobog core.

Think carefully, Mr. Wei. There are serious consequences to an act of war.

War is serious business, but the other choice, as far as Lungmen is concerned, would be far worse.

......

Mr. Wei. Rhodes Island...

......

......

Huh... Miss Ch'en?

Ch'en?

I'll take care of it.

You're a Lungmenite.

I can leave Lungmen.

Superintendent Ch'en, don't play the hero. This isn't your responsibility.

If Lungmen needs a traitor, let it be me.

I'm sick of you, Wei Yenwu.

You and your precious city.

I stopped being a Lungmenite even before you dug your claws into the slums.

Now is not the time for a debate on ethics.

What did they do? Why did you have to do that to them?

'What did they do?'

Tell me, Miss Chen, what did they do?

Tell me, where was it Reunion hid themselves? Where was it they snuck into our city?

You trust the slum dwellers, but do they trust you? Where did that trust come from?

Have any of them, aside from your informants or Lin Kojui's ears, reported the Infected infiltrating their homes?

Things happened so fast! That doesn't mean anything!

Did you receive even a single tip?

......

Yes or no?

No.

Not one. Not a single person stepped up.

They don't trust you. They would rather put their faith in foreign provocateurs than the Rat King or the Superintendent of the L.G.D.

Maybe Reunion was threatening them. Reunion's Infected are known to be violent and dangerous.

Did they forget that Lungmen has never raised a hand against them?

I don't blame them for supporting each other.

In fact, if the Infected didn't support each other, if they hated each other instead, the slums would have long since destroyed themselves.

But they could have opposed Reunion. They could have come together with the Rat King's people to fight the infiltrators, they could have asked for your help——

They don't trust——

Exactly. They don't trust you. After all you've done for them. They still don't trust you.

We should have sent the L.G.D. into the slums long ago!

It was the locals who didn't want the L.G.D. in the slums. They were the ones working against my L.G.D. time and time again.

Even as Lin Kojui and I worked so hard to root out the criminals and foreign agents from the slums, it was those same locals who scoffed at the sacrifices of our soldiers.

Was it Lungmen that rejected them?

Answer me, Miss Ch'en.

......

Look me in the eyes and answer me!

It's not their fault.

Then whose, pray tell, is it?

How many times have I told you? You have the right to your own thoughts and opinions... provided you don't let them affect your work.

The L.G.D. is here to protect Lungmen. The Special Inspection Unit is here to guide the L.G.D. to protect Lungmen.

The slums you've done so much for have become a vulnerability that could lead to Lungmen's destruction.

Reunion exploited the Infected among them to distract us, letting our guard down to Chernobog.

The measures we took to fight off Reunion left us open to this maneuver by the core city.

And those Infected stood by and did nothing.

If Lungmen falls here, it is ultimately by their hand.

No...

Who should be held responsible for turning Lungmen into a flashpoint? Who is responsible for lives lost and blood spilled?

So much destruction over a few neighborhoods... just because we didn't act in time.

When you say 'act,' do you mean——

Whose fault is it?

......

Was it Lungmen that rejected them? No.

It was they who rejected Lungmen.

So you'll dispose of them?

Indifference and a lack of vision already destroyed them. I have no reason to care for these people anymore.

Ch'en. We are all tainted with our innumerable mistakes.

Everyone makes mistakes. All we can do is fix them, or cover them up for a while.

There is always someone who can do what I can't. But for now, I still have things to do.

Everyone makes mistakes?

I know what you're saying.

The Infected are a mistake, as long as they exist in the city?

...Pigheaded girl.

Superintendent Ch'en, I have told you everything. Now do what you must.

Alright then. *Inhales*...

Wei Yenwu, what I must do, what the L.G.D. must do, is name who is at fault, and correct the mistake.

It seems that, according to your definition, I am at fault.

We could also say I am the mistake.

Because I am Infected.

You—

Ch'en?!

Madam Ch'en...

There is no need to hide it anymore.

For three years, you've been hiding my infection from the world. Now that the Infected have no place in this city, neither do I.

Nonsense!

She and I are both Infected. I don't belong here. I know what I must do, and I won't be making any more mistakes.

I'm the only one who can stop her.

I am Infected, and a traitor to Lungmen. I am the only one who can do this.

We've come this far. All we can do is keep going.

No.

If you leave this office today, Ch'en Hui-chieh... you will be an enemy of Lungmen. You will never again be allowed to set foot in this city.

And all that we've worked for together for the past ten years... will come to nothing.

Lord Wei, we will act.

Get out.

Let us act!

You shouldn't have come.

Heh... haha, ahahahaha...

Wei Yenwu, that's all it took to show your true colors? Your private army just shows up here in your office?

Madam Ch'en, Lungmen is threatened!

Sounds like you have a strong sense of duty.

But I don't believe a word you say. If you have something for him, go ahead.

Lord Wei... it is within our means to infiltrate the city, kill the mastermind, and stop the collision! We shall sacrifice our lives for the city, and lift this burden from thy shoulders!

Get out!

Lord Wei!

How about it, Wei Yenwu? Will you send them, or send me? Is that a tough choice?

Why is it you're so decisive when it comes to killing people and so indecisive when it's time to save them?

That's how it is now.

That's how it was then.

I didn't expect a chance at a proper goodbye.

I've thought about it many times, Wei Yenwu, but I never expected to give anyone a proper goodbye.

Miss Fumizuki, I'm sorry my mom treated you like that. Thank you for looking after me all these years. I've always thought of you as family.

...Ch'en?!

Superintendent Ch'en!

Not anymore. This badge? You can have it back.

Seize her!

You want to fight here first? To decide who's the real traitor?

Superintendent Ch'en, the enemy is at our gates!

I'm Infected. I'm your greatest enemy.

Cease and desist! Or I will show no mercy!

Who have you ever shown mercy?!

...Hng?!

Don't sound all high-and-mighty about things you can't do!

Lord Wei, look out!

Chi Xiao - Rouse Qi!

Her Arts... are overflowing?

Doctor, get behind me! I'll block the Arts!

No... It'll just get torn apart by that kind of power.

She's not aiming for us. Get out of her range right now.

Ah, okay!

Her Arts are beginning to expand. Back up!

——Release!

The dragonslaying sword... unsheathed?!

Tsk...!

You can block it with just your wrist?

Most astute! I see your swordsmanship is sharper than ever, Superintendent!

...Tempered Originium. Chi Xiao, huh? To think that they're still making weapons like that...

Doctor, is that sword specifically forged to fight against energy-based Arts?

...At first, Madam Ch'en didn't even let me look at that sword. Was she envisioning a situation where I would be an enemy...?

Out of my way!

Lord Wei, the Superintendent has chosen her path. I may not be able to block a second blow. Shall I put my life on the line?

Through my death, I assure you that Inspector Ch'en will remain in Lungmen. Though I cannot guarantee that she'll have her limbs intact, I can ensure that she lives.

—Impermissible. You, fall back. Don't engage her directly!

I shall immediately alert my brothers.

Planning to call reinforcements? Chi Xiao—!

Cease!!

Gah..!

Hui-chieh, are you going to use the cloud-splitting sword?

......

Don't forget, who taught you your swordsmanship and your Arts?

I never once thought to strip you of your swordsmanship, but I will no longer play nice at this point.

Don't force my hand, Ch'en Hui-chieh.

Do it then, Master Wei. Chi Xiao answers to me.

The day you gave me Chi Xiao, did you think I would slay you?

I won't use it to spill your blood, Wei Yenwu.

......

You think you're protecting me, right?

My mother died to depression. Talulah was taken away. I contracted Oripathy in the course of my work.

You think everything you've done was for the sake of protecting me, don't you? Is that because of your guilty conscience, or because of your confidence in your own strategies?

I don't want to witness another tragedy ever again.

Liar!

Wei Yenwu, there are those who this sword seeks to kill... and those who it seeks to protect.

If she truly wishes to destroy Lungmen...!

No... No. You must not go.

I never thought I would beat you and your Black Cloaks here.

...But there is more than one way out of here, Wei Yenwu.

The window?!

Ch'en Hui-chieh! Stop this foolishness! We're hundreds of meters above the ground.

This wouldn't be the first time I've used the window route. Or the second.

——

Ch'en Hui-chieh, you must not go to her!

Ahhh... Ch'en...!

You mustn't repeat the same mistakes! You can't go down the same path we did!

If there's anyone who should die for this city, that person should be—

*Sigh.*

Uncle...

No... Wei Yenwu. Starting today, we are strangers.