Liberi Reader

—

Gospodin—

Gospodin Hellagur!

Hm?

*pant* *pant*

Phew.

You were walking so fast. I caught a glimpse of your sheath back at the last corner, but you were already on the next block by the time I reached it.

The Imperial Guard's physical training is far more rigorous.

...I'm out of practice.

Did you need something?

Well, I had been looking forward to a chance to talk to you.

My work is done after seeing your colleagues off. What about you? Where are you headed?

Going back to the Oripathy treatment center before nightfall.

You do not need to be so concerned. It's unlikely that anyone would make an attempt on them in broad daylight.

Just an old man with too much time on his hands offering what help he can.

There are many children there. It seems my colleagues believe that I am... good with children.

I understand that you have the time to walk with me, then.

What?

You wrote this, didn't you?

I didn't think there were any left in Ursus—

(Whisper) ...I thought every copy was destroyed in the purge.

You didn't answer me directly, although your reaction alone validates my hypothesis, to an extent—

I didn't write it.

But your name is in it, yes? You were once a glorious soldier, one whose name warranted mention in the military histories of Ursus. But now—

Whatever discovery you think you've made, your time and energy are better spent elsewhere.

As I told your father, I'm not expecting the government to restore my name or status. For my part, I no longer serve the empire.

Grypherburg abides my presence only because it has no interest in a powerless ghost.

Whoever you're looking for, he's not here.

......

Then...

What if I just wanted to walk with you?

If you're not in a hurry to get to your babysitting assignment, there is a little show I would like you to see.

It will not take up too much of your time.

This will do.

You're already taking a huge risk by coming this far with me.

Go back. Don't make your contact wait.

I got two good arms and two good legs, I'll go wherever I want to go. I'm a true Volnitsa now...

...Hah.

Maybe I'll leave Ursus and become a competition knight in Kazimierz.

If they still take Infected knights.

Don't be silly, Scioppa.

I'm Infected. This truth is firmer than any armor.

But if you want to reminisce about the past, let's end it this way. Give me your back for the last time, then go back.

Go back to your ship, to your brothers and sisters who are still healthy.

We will not meet again, not until we hear the call of Baba—of death herself.

—Wake—

He's awake!

...Mm.

Bring him to me.

What the hell does this kozyol grow up eating? He's heavier than a grown burdenbeast!

Get him up, the Marshal wants to see him—

He seems barely conscious. Did you forget I told you to take it easy with the torture?

We didn't forget, sir. All we did was waterboard him, per your instructions, in order to get him to confess to his crimes.

Did he?

No, sir...

Then I suppose I'll have to do it myself.

Pick him up.

It is unbecoming of a major to lie on the floor like this.

Wait, he's twitching—he's trying to get away! Pin him down!

Keep him pinned! Don't let go!

Argh, he's strong. Good thing we confiscated all his toys.

Good, don't move, stay right there... very good.

Look up, Scioppa Razin.

Give him a jacket.

It will not do to have someone freeze to death on my ship.

Well then, thank you for your kindness...

Your High Excellency.

Enough posturing. I know what you want to say.

My men wouldn't have caught your second-in-command, if she hadn't been so loyal that she remained near the base even after she was escorted away from the front lines.

You did a clean job. But it wasn't good enough.

......

Did she really try to kill herself—

Oh, you want to hear more? She put a dagger through her chest. Still struggles to string together a sentence.

Apparently, it wasn't the Army's standard-issue, but custom-made for your people.

You—

You recognize it?

...What do you want?

Do you remember the 'bomb' that fell near the front lines of the Third and Seventh Armies?

Sechin will retrieve this for me.

The bomb's gone boom. Everyone knows that. Do you want me to bring you the shrapnel?

......

People like you, living on the edge of death, often fail to see imminent danger, much less the full picture of the war.

I forgive you this.

Listen. The enemy of Ursus has always been the blind and stubborn State Council, not the Second Army that is simply following orders to fight me.

I have wasted too much time on rebellions, internal conflict, infiltration, and corruption. I must bring things back on track.

As the first step, the Volnov, Sechin's flagship, will sail to the First Army's satellite city where they are developing the weapon, and take it.

Are you out of your mind?!

The Second Army's Vanguard Battalion alone could easily destroy the Volnov, and that's before talking about the automated defenses that will be triggered should we somehow manage to cross into the Central Governorate.

Why do you think I'm not prepared to 'repay' their contempt? What the State Council did in December, I will pay back tenfold, a hundredfold.

You bought the Second Army off?

Watch your words. Besides, this is not your concern.

Fine. Let's say you're 'prepared', and the Second Army won't try to stop us. What happens once we reach the satellite city? We know nothing about that thing.

All you need to do is carry out my orders. You will receive further instructions when the time comes.

That's just empty words. I need a concrete plan. I have my men to think about.

My patience is limited, Major Razin.

I am not negotiating with you. I am stating my demands, which you will accept.

You and your formation will carry out my will, even if it's a suicide mission.

The alternative is for your second-in-command and the other Infected that you sent away to, let's say, 'seek the easy way out'.

I already know where most of them are.

What is Sechin to you—

Understand, Major Razin, that I have tried to deal with your unit more civilly.

Unfortunately, it has not worked.

Perhaps you have forgotten what you promised me when the Fourth Army accepted your ragtag band of outlanders.

You swore absolute loyalty to me and the Fourth Army, in exchange for the independent status of the Special Tactics Formation Sechin.

There was to be no more wavering between Armies, no more insolence and defiance. You were to be obedient as a burdenbeast, fierce as a tuskbeast.

Which part of the promise have you kept?

Oh, you want to dig up old scores like a divorce hearing? Two can play that game.

Shall we talk about all the help we provided behind the scenes? The mutiny in December that Sechin suppressed, not to mention all the other similar dirty work...

Including the decapitation operations that no one else wants to do.

Are you saying none of them count now, Your High Excellency?

Your sarcasm falls flat.

You have committed enough dereliction of duty during the campaign to be hanged ten times along with your entire unit.

In the most recent case, the operation in the Far North should have been perfect; there should have been no survivors, but for your cowardice.

But you were unresponsive and failed to clean up in time, allowing the pests to run free. And still I tolerated your negligence.

You briefly proved you were still useful in the mutiny. The members of your unit who gave their lives died for a worthy cause, I'm sure you accepted that gladly.

......

You're on your third chance now, Major Razin.

I suggest you take it.

Find your spot and line up. Do not try to get into the city through the forest!

If you're caught, you will lose your place and be sent to the eastern mines!

Next.

Me! It's me—my turn!

Finally...

Next, get in line.

Infected, miners... aren't we the kind of technical talent that Zelgrad really needs?

I'd rather keep my distance from them, even though I'm Infected now too... good thing we're not in the same queue.

Stay strong! We'll find our path once we're inside.

'Zelgrad, the Tulskaya of the new era, Ursus's largest industrial base in the future.' That's what the slogans on the barrenlands trucks all say!

Zelgrad will make every precision chip in the empire, as Tulskaya once made every shell!

If we're part of the project, that means we're needed, even as Infected—

It means Marshal Buterina understands the value of our minds.

......

Nearly everyone is Infected.

Why are you standing in our line? You... you almost look like a noble.

Only almost.

Huh?

Are you waiting to enter Zelgrad?

Yeah, did you see that miner who just went inside? He said he was from western mines. I guess the mines there have been shut down too, like the ones in the north.

But there's another checkpoint up ahead. Whether they can actually get in is probably a matter of luck.

Zelgrad never used to accept the Infected, despite the Tsar's orders.

I was wondering too, but I have a relative in the city who said the factories were hiring, and that maybe there'll be work for me.

My only skill was fixing Originium stoves, but I thought I would check things out anyway. Didn't expect to see all the Infected here.

Or maybe it was because of that thing.

(Whisper) I heard that all the Originium is gone from the mines.

As far as I know, the mines in the southeast still have reserves.

Well, I don't know about that... everywhere is a mess these days, but we can't have unemployed Infected running around the place. Someone has to take them in.

What about you? Why are you here? You're not Infected, are you?

...No, I am.

If it bothers you, I could leave and join another queue.

Oh. Well, I don't think you should be here in the first place—

Mercenary?

Veteran.

Unit number?

47800

Special unit?

By His Imperial Majesty's decree, there's no such thing as 'special'.

...But you're Kuranta, not Ursus.

Forget it. Come with me.

Why did you bring me here?

There's a special passage for nobles.

But you don't know who I am.

Veteran, lieutenant, duke, count, heir, bastard, they're all the same to me.

You're an Infected who wants to enter Zelgrad, so you'll wait here.

Someone will come and meet you once your identity is verified.

Who's talking—

Goodness, Grisha, you can't treat a noble like this!

You can deal with her then, if you know so much about dealing with nobles.

......

Erm, excuse me...

Sirka.

Gospozha Sirka!

Yes.

Ah, well, as Grisha said, you'll have to wait here.

So Zelgrad is really opening its doors to the Infected.

You have never heeded the Tsar's orders before. Why do so now?

Well, I'm not sure... but I bet it has something to do with the Generalik.

The 'General' of the First Army with nary a feat to his name.

So you know—

He has quite a reputation.

Well, we shouldn't be talking about him like this.

Nobody's listening.

How do you know?

My Arts. You could yell 'I'm gonna kill that marshal's idiot son' at the top of your lungs right now—

Shh—!

...And nobody would hear you.

(Shakes head)

Maybe they just haven't reacted yet.

You don't have to talk if you don't want to. But you can think of it as turning on the kitchen radio when you go home, chatting to the potted plant on the windowsill over a cup of water.

......

...What do you want to hear about?

Anything you're willing to talk about.

Hmm.

You could start with this Generalik.

Alright, I'll tell you about my theory.

I think Zelgrad is opening its doors to the Infected because of the Generalik.

Reason?

(Whisper) Because the Generalik got infected.

Thank you for your candor.

Maybe I just wanted someone who's not intimidated by him to know.

......

My brother was one of the Generalik's bodyguards. After the assassination attempt that got the Generalik infected, he and his fellow teammates were executed. Their arms and legs were severed, and they were left to bleed to death.

The person who brought the compensation said he was killed in action by a Kazimierzian mine, that they never found his body.

......

I wish we didn't.

You found it.

Our mother is a medic. Cleaning up bodies is her job.

You can imagine the rest.

...My condolences.

Life goes on.

May I ask where the assassination attempt occurred?

On the main street of Zelgrad in broad daylight. The assassin was killed on the spot.

Yet he came back.

Yeah, that was a surprise...

A heavy topic to discuss.

I'm sorry.

You're not the one who should apologize. Let me tell you something a little more light-hearted in exchange.

Do you know that the queues outside are a mix of Infected and non-Infected?

I would have thought that the Infected would be segregated into their own queue.

—!

Bozhe moy! I-I must check!

Please wait here for Grisha, Gospozha Sirka—

......

I'm sorry.

Your identity has been confirmed, but I'm afraid you're not getting away.

Your name is on file as a deserter. We must hand you over to the Fourth Army—

...Gospozha?