Liberi Reader

Death... awaits... at the end...

My liege... watches... death, watches... you...

Captain, the target has been neutralized! But our remaining ammunition is estimated to last only two more minutes!

We need our next set of orders!

All units, prepare for close-quarter combat!

Hold the line for the next two minutes—I'll cover your retreat!

Siege, our artillery support is running out!

The bombardment will end in three minutes! What's the situation on your side?

We can't clear this Nachzehrer fog!

These things have severed the supply routes our workers cleared for us. We can't get supplies to your position quickly enough.

Prepare to retreat from T1.

Negative! Abandoning T1 will create a gap in our encirclement, and the alliance forces will break through from our side! Captain, I can't accept that—

The battlefield isn't a place for heroics! Honor your orders!

We've sent a distress signal to our friends at Rhodes Island. Now we have to trust the Doctor and the plan.

Soldiers, we've made it home. Do everything you can to survive! Only then can we take back what we've lost!

...

Siege, we'll hold the line for the final two minutes, then retreat to regroup and assist you in clearing out the creatures in the fog!

Bagpipe, keep them safe!

Aye, Captain!

If the fog can't be dispersed, don't wait for us. Head to I12 and rendezvous with Gododdin's 106th Assault Brigade. Keep fighting.

Understood.

I'll be seein' ye soon, Captain—

(Strange howl)

Look out, Siege!

It's the Confessarius chimeras! Everyone, prepare to retreat!

(Song-like shriek)

It's lit itself up! Hannah, watch out for its flames!

Oof... It hurts... Vina, are you alright?

Everyone else, fall back! I can't allow any more needless sacrifices...

(A piercing wail)

Wait—where did this backup come from!?

Anti-witchcraft cannon has struck the target. Enemy movement disrupted. Remaining squads, continue setting up anti-witchcraft cannons.

Mission objective: eliminate threats within the fog.

Friendly forces at T1, hold your position. Emergency supplies will arrive at your location in three and a half minutes.

—!

Exemplar T1 Combat Team—message received! Please identify your unit!

Duke of Normandy's 8th Grenadier Battalion, under orders to support The Exemplars.

The Duke of Normandy? 8th Grenadier Battalion? Horn, do you know anything about this unit?

They're not under the direct command of the Duke of Normandy. They report to the Earl of March.

Lieutenant Skamandros truly has an exceptional grasp of our intelligence operations, as to be expected from someone born into a military family.

Lieutenant, keep Her Royal Highness Alexandrina safe.

As for Your Highness, please accept this small gift.

Once all these matters are resolved, I'll visit you in person, Vina.

Siege, do you know the Earl of March?

No, we've never met. But her name was mentioned in some of the information sent to me.

That doesn't matter now. With reinforcements, we should be able to reopen the supply line. Horn, we'll meet again soon!

At last, it's time to bring all of this to an end.

Finally!

Phew—

Triangle, Cello, Oboe... Tempest Platoon, everyone, watch closely.

...As we scatter the dark clouds over Londinium!

All members of the Exemplar T1 Combat Team, hear this: hold your ground. Do not give them a single inch!

Captain, Rock-18 just uploaded the scan of the last segment of our route to PRTS. Did you receive it?

Got it! Rockrock, we're already repairing the final track-shift node.

Given the current damage level, how long until the repairs are complete?

Ten minutes.

Located Granny yet? We need to retrieve that weapon as soon as possible. The Exemplars will need our support on the front line.

Still trying to pinpoint the correct location.

The signals we've found over the past few days were all decoy beacons they left behind. It might take a bit more time to re-establish contact.

At least that means Granny's team is still safe for now...

Captain, if—and I mean if—we can't get in touch with Catherine, what should we do?

We'll use this passage to transport as much of Highbury's remaining supplies as possible to—

Captain?!

*cough*—

*cough* Is everyone okay?

Where did those Sarkaz come from... and what was that artillery fire I just heard?

I keep telling you, when you're busy working, you always forget to watch your back.

Welcome home, brat.

Granny! We've been looking for you all this time!

I know. When someone told me the passage was being repaired, I figured it was you.

Hm?

That's—

Haha, remember the blueprints you left behind?

It took some effort, with the Sarkaz blockade and all, but we finally managed to build your big machine.

The Crawler...

I know you're there.

Your earring has grown... rather warm.

Those workers who came to support the Self-Salvation Corps earlier—that was your doing, wasn't it?

Shh, you'll disturb my friends.

...

Still, thank you for taking good care of Little Garnet for me, kitten.

And thank you for cleaning up those filthy rocks Duq'arael left behind.

Here. You can have this back.

I have more important things to deal with.

Off to find that hunk of sheetmetal again?

He… wouldn't want to miss this battle.

Thank you for saving me earlier. Farewell.

Where are you off to next?

To meet with him.

You're not going to go help Dame Kal'tsit?

With Amiya and Logos there, nothing will happen.

I'll wait for them beneath the Palace of Westhaleg. It's his last known location, as far as I know.

Her Highness is gone. It's time to put the past to rest.

Your wounds...

Insignificant.

You don't need to involve yourself in the frontline work anymore. Take care of yourself.

Don't you understand how powerful I am by now, runt? You learned quite a bit from us back in the day, didn't you?

...

Bringing you into the city was the most I could do. Whatever is between you and the Regent—Rose Riverside will no longer be involved.

Good.

Where will you go next?

I'll keep tracking her down. She disappeared so suddenly, abandoning Her Highness at the most critical moment. That demands an explanation.

One of our sharp-eyed sisters managed to track her as she left Londinium. She's still heading west, though her destination is unclear.

And when you catch her? Will you bring her back, or kill her?

She owes all the Riverbank Canoes an explanation.

But you, runt, should worry about yourself first. The Regent is close at hand.

...

The Riverside Canoes swore not to get involved with anything related to Babel anymore. However, helping an old acquaintance doesn't break the rules.

This smear of blood—it's a gift and a blessing, for less pain and fewer scars. Safe travels, Ascalon.

Did you really have to wipe it on my neck?

Not my fault you always hide your face so well under that hood. You look better this way.

Hmph.

Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask—what do you think of that kitten?

I don't see any more Nachzehrers. Is the battle finally over?

But this blasted fog hasn't let up one bit.

Something's not right. The Sarkaz aren't attacking under the cover of the thick fog like before. Is this a trap?

Based on our previous encounters with the Nachzehrer army, they are far more elusive than they seem.

Horn, what do you suppose we should do next?

Coordinate with the main allied forces, hold off on advancing rashly, and minimize unnecessary casualties until we get a clearer read on the situation.

Alright. Sound strategy.

Dagda, send the orders to all of our troops.

I'll pass it on to the alliance commanders, as well as Closure and the others.

Hey, heyyy, hey! Did Hood even get the frequency right?

Huh? We're already live?

Gah! Everybody, listen up! Babel's captured the Military Commission's Command Center.

The bastards don't know their heads from their asses right now, and nobody's got it in them to help out the crusty old Nachzehrer King.

So quit wasting time and get those feet moving!

I don't care if you believe me or not, just go and get this over with!

Oh, and by the way, you might wanna look up.

The old hag owes me big this time.

...?

...

...

Delphine—

We traced the transmission. It seems this communication was received on several different frequencies.

Both the allies and the Sarkaz probably heard it.

That voice... it was....

Wiš'adel. Sounds like they've been busy.

Horn, please re-assess the situation.

Vina, look at the sky! It's...

It's Charles Lynch! He's gone into the fog!

I can hear the commotion inside the clouds. He's battling the Nachzehrers.

Horn?

Although morale is currently high, the alliance has yet to make any major moves. Clearly, the dukes are still hesitating—they have reason to be cautious with intelligence from an unknown source.

If Rhodes Island trusts Wiš'adel, then so do I.

Ha. We trust you as well, Siege. I'll go tell everyone to get ready.

Huh? What's going on?

Did you hear that sound... right beneath our feet!

The Exemplars, we meet at last.

Wait a minute, Vina. Am I seeing things, or did a giant... thing just burrow out from underground?