Liberi Reader

Adele... What a wonderful name. Can I just call you Adele?

Have you heard about the thing everyone does the first time they climb a volcano?

It's roasting fowlbeast eggs in the lava.

But having climbed twenty-seven volcanoes, I can promise you that, when it comes to cooking eggs, lava and Originium stoves make no difference whatsoever.

Yeah, you're bound to burn them regardless.

Hey! You always eat them right up!

Don't worry, Adele. Just stay right behind me. Anywhere that you see me stepping is going to be safe.

If you're nervous, why don't you take my hand?

Adele, you asked us before why we love volcanoes, right?

I promise you this. Once you see a volcano erupt with your own eyes, you'll never forget the feeling.

I like to sit on the slopes and meditate. The land and us are both full of mystery, and even if we spend our lifetimes seeking answers, we may not be able to solve even a tiny fraction of them. Still, I do enjoy the puzzle solving.

Mankind may have invented nomadic cities, but we still haven't completely figured out how Catastrophes form. We may have invented many tools with Originium, but we also have no way to counter their effects when they backfire.

Humans need to admit just how insignificant they are when they come face to face with nature's mighty forces. That way, they won't spend so much energy meaninglessly slaughtering each other.

Adele, don't mind Katia's pessimism. Not everywhere is as simple as Siesta.

It's natural for him to grumble when, as a scholar, he's all wrapped up in noble bickering, but on these issues, I've always looked at things quite differently from him.

Naturally, humans are insignificant, but it's exactly because we are so insignificant that we can live on the land.

Professor Keller, here's the last two hours of data we got from Monitoring Station No. 1 before the signal was lost.

We've never seen abnormalities like this... We have no choice but to consult you...

The surface gas concentration hasn't changed. How did the temperature go up by this much so quickly?

If the data were real, then that means the energy accumulated in Mount Siesta suddenly increased tenfold... No, it's not possible, no matter how you slice it.

Ignore it as a point anomaly.

Inform the city government that the volcano has become more active and to have the citizens prepare. That's all we can do.

Professor, this may not be your usual point anomaly.

My parents mentioned similar situations in their research notes... The temperatures in the volcano's surroundings were abnormally high and didn't match the other data.

They never found the cause, but this can't just be explained as a coincidence.

Professor, shouldn't we head there to take a look at the situation ourselves?

Monitoring Station No. 1 is about midway up the volcano. It's very dangerous to go up there now.

This kind of data anomaly could just be an equipment malfunction. There's no need to take the risk and head there for on-site inspections. We can adjust the final observation results based on the other monitoring stations' data later.

Professor Keller, I don't understand...

You kept saying how important this observation was going to be, that it's an opportunity that many scholars had been waiting for. Tens of thousands of the residents could have their lives upended. Shouldn't we be as careful about this as we possibly can?

If we run away now... isn't that admitting their sacrifice was for nothing?

Right...

It doesn't look like I'm going to convince you...

If you aren't willing to go, is it okay if I go alone...?

Don't be absurd. We don't know what's going on at the volcano. I can't let you go somewhere so dangerous all by yourself—

Professor Keller... Would you return my mother's protective suit to me?

Is there anything we can do but eat? If this goes on, my stomach's gonna explode...

Listen to a few more guitar songs?

Hm... I kinda feel there's meant to be something more exciting...

How is this supposed to be as exciting as the Obsidian Festival? The crowds were massive, the streets and shops were endless, and the music never ever stopped. That was so much better!

Say what you will, but this party reminds me of the first Obsidian Festival.

The first one? How many years ago was that?

Not a whole lot of people still remember, but the first festival was actually held in the mines. It was run but a bunch of miners.

Yeah, there weren't that many people, much less decent musicians. They just strummed their guitars and played a few songs they wrote. That's how it all began...

Nobody back then could've imagined it would grow so big and attract so many guests.

Is the after party gonna come back, too?

Hahaha, now no one can say for sure!

But if you guys are moving to the city center, does that mean these shops are gonna be closed forever?

Probably. We might have to make a living some other way, but nobody lives a life without change.

That said, whenever we have free time, we might come here and set up a stall, play a few songs. If anybody comes, we'll give them a few skewers to snack on. If nobody comes, we'll just look at the sea, at what lies beyond.

I brought a can of sand from the old beach here, too!

If the volcano does end up erupting, the old place is going to be covered in ash, right?

All the paths we've taken, the shops we visited, the beaches we walked... Everything will be buried under a pile of volcanic ash.

But you'll still remember our party here tonight, won't you?

Of course... This, too, is a new memory.

Hey, you guys aren't gonna dance?

This is the time to dance, kids! If all you do is eat and chat, that's not a party!

Here, let me play something!

Care to join us, ma'am?

Of course.

Volcanic activity indicates Mount Siesta will very likely erupt within the next few hours.

The nomadic city has already departed the area that will be affected by the eruption. There is no need for alarm.

The tremors brought by eruption could lead to a tsunami. All citizens should evacuate coastal areas immediately. All citizens should evacuate coastal areas immediately.

It's happening? Today? Now? Really picked a terrible time.

Maybe it's the perfect time.

What do they mean by 'evacuate coastal areas immediately?' Is this place gonna be flooded? What about all this stuff? Are we taking anything with us? Anything we leave is gonna get washed away, right?

Don't take anything, just go!

Hmm, it's possible that after we leave, the waves will swallow all our footprints today... including my grill and your guitar.

Looks like the volcano and the sea are here to help us say goodbye to all that we had in our past.

We should head upwards. It won't get flooded there. We'll have a new life.

Over at the city center? I'm always worried that it could be too cramped there. There's not enough room for all your instruments and my grill.

But there's enough room for the two of us.

Right...! That's more than enough!

That's right, dear. That's more than enough.

Come! Let's get Tom, what with how old and frail he is. We can't just leave him here to cry over his precious ice cream.

Hey—Tom—! Time to go! If we don't leave before the waves come, you'll get sucked into the sea with all your ice cream!

Ow... Oww...

Where's the young lady who helped me bring the ice cream? We can't leave her behind...

(Found it...)

(The two missing pages. There's no doubt that this is Professor Katia's handwriting. There's also the military's wax seal.)

(Keller, what exactly are you hiding...?)

Dr. Kahn?

......

It's you... Where's Professor Keller?

The signal from the volcano's monitoring station cut off two hours ago, and the data we got in the end was really strange.

Why didn't she inform anyone?

She said the situation was critical, and she had to inspect it herself.

Did she go alone?

No, the intern from Leithanien went with her, I think.

......

We made it to the safety zone, right...?

This place is over a hundred kilometers from the volcano. I'm sure we'll be fine...

I mean, that's what city hall said...

But... don't you feel the ground shaking?

Enis! Have you seen Liv?!

Is she not home...?

She wasn't there when I got back. You mean she didn't go look for you?

Shit...

Huh? Everybody's gone... Did everyone go have fun somewhere else?

Are you the only one here...? Did you get left behind by your friends, too?

......

So this is Mount Siesta...

Adele, be careful.

This is as far as the transport will take us. We have to walk the rest of the way.

Monitoring Station No. 1 is halfway up the volcano. We still have a long walk ahead of us.

I'm fine. My energy can keep up still.

Hmm...

Professor Keller. Are you okay?

Would you like to take my hand?

......

This is where we set up the monitoring station.

This equipment... Has someone been here?

But there are no other footprints on the mountain...

The Originium energy response hasn't changed, but the temperature measurement instruments logged a high response...

How strange...

The event has most likely ended. Let's tune the instruments and head back.

Kahn, what are you doing here?

(Out of breath)

I heard... you two... climbed the volcano...

Why...?

Adele was worried because the monitoring station's indices were fluctuating, so we came here to inspect.

It was probably caused by accident. We're preparing to evacuate to a safe observation point.

......

The volcanic activity is definitely starting to pick up. The eruption might happen sooner than expected...

Yeah, we need to go.

Stay right there, Keller.

Kahn?

September 1095, on Mount Unna, why did you suddenly leave the survey team...?

And in November that year, you didn't attend the Naumanns' funeral, but someone said they saw you at a symposium with the military at Wilhelm University.

On top of that, not even Adele has seen Katia Naumann's research data. What is it doing in a letter between you and the Leithanian military?!

Keller, answer me!

Professor Keller...?

......

Adele, I told you that I'd share everything with you when this observation is done...

Kahn, it's dangerous here. We should—

Keller... Look where we're standing. The Naumanns were here, on this very volcano.

Are you still going to lie, even here?!

Hmm... I'm not really one to interfere with human affairs.

But this isn't the place for a row...