Liberi Reader

Say that again!

The Vanguards will not be retrieving Leonid's corpse. Did you get it this time?

His corpse? He's warming himself up by the fireplace right now, laughing at idiots like you!

You just want to wait here your whole life, fighting over scraps of food and firewood!

I knew you Vanguards were useless imbeciles the moment you started yelling about rescuing Lavrya by force!

Go ahead then, go kneel before those thugs. I want to see if you really can get out, or if you'll be sent back like Shorty.

We're off—

Hold it!

Where are you going? You think those assholes will listen to you?

You guys really are still stuck in the same rut, huh...

Rosalind? What are you doing here?

I came to help Sonya, and to stop you dumbasses from throwing your lives away while I'm at it!

Hmph. Why worry about what they're doing...?

Yesterday, when that guy named Fedya carried Shorty's body back, they were still making snide remarks.

...Listen, it is dangerous out there. Those thugs will not let you walk away, no matter how much you pay them.

You think it's true just because you said so? Who the hell do you think you are? You saw Shorty bribe them with your own eyes, did you?

I—

His pockets were so clean, not even lice would live in them. How could he ever come up with the idea of bribing someone? He must have been killed when trying to break out.

That's just a guess, but those guys who call themselves the 'Council of Sixteen' aren't the kind of people you can bargain with.

Sonya... When you were away, someone sent us a letter. It's from Naum, from the Symposium.

He writes: 'The leader of the Council of Sixteen, Gromov, is a reasonable man. So long as you have enough money, we can walk free.'

Where's the letter?

Here.

Is that all? Are we done? Just let us leave this damned place already.

Wait.

You've got no grounds to stop us, Sonya! Not even you!

Out of our way!

Wake up already! Don't you understand what this letter means?

You Symposium people are writing day in, day out. Would any of you have handwriting this sloppy? It's practically going off the page. The best possible outcome here is that he's trading your lives for a meal.

That's not true—

You seriously haven't figured it out? Or do you like keeping your head stuck in the sand? Still stubbornly believing in a way out of here that doesn't involve fighting back?

......

Then... What should we do?

Save lives.

This letter and Shorty should be enough proof that the Council of Sixteen is dangerous. We can't just sit by and watch as Leonid drags a bunch of people to their deaths.

If only one of them still lives, I'll bring them back. If they're all still alive, I'll bring them all back.

Do you have a death wish too, Sonya?

If they got caught, that's just proof they were stupid and weak. They deserve to die—

Shut up, Faddey.

I'm sick of you always insulting the other students. We need unity, if we want to keep everyone alive.

Unity? Hah! This empire was built by throwing weaklings like these Symposians into the river, one by one!

So, when Ursus finally got thrown into the river, you got pulled along with it, huh?

......

There's no Vanguard or Symposium here. No nobles or commoners.

There's only one thing we are in the eyes of that 'Council of Sixteen': fresh meat ready for butchering.

Yesterday, they killed Shorty. Tomorrow, they'll squish each and every one of our heads like helpless bugs. And right now, we're bickering our asses off. They don't need to split us up, we're doing it for them.

Even so, those slowing us down—

What about you, Faddey?

When have you ever contributed a damn thing? Or is your 'greatness' just an empty shell, only able to be filled by watching the weak fall apart?

Keep your stupid superiority complex, it'll keep you company while you wait to turn into a corpse!

As for everyone else... If you don't feel like dying a miserable death in a place like this, grab something you can crack a few skulls with.

I'm not asking you all to like the Symposium or anyone else, not even for a second... but right now, you gotta keep up with me if you want everyone to live!

'Pencil Stub'! 'Pencil Stub', right? Whaddya feel like saying?

I... support Sonya's idea.

Those who left are our peers, our friends. We can't abandon them.

But if possible, call me by my real name. I'm—

I support her too! Whether they're dead or alive, I just want to see how they really are!

I'm with her—

Good. Ten or so of you should be enough to make a scouting party.

I know a lot of you are still skeptical, but don't worry. I'll bring an answer back to you.

...Count me in.

Are you thinking of—

Don't overthink it. I just want to prove I'm right, so I can slap those Symposium cowards in the face.

So, what do we do? Just give us the order, Sonya.

First, we need to find a route we can use to flank the Council of Sixteen—

Err, Antosha told me to send you guys some supplies.

Have I come at a bad time?

Perfect timing, actually. I was just thinking of going to your camp to get a guide, Matvey.

If a fight breaks out, I'll make sure you're safe.

Don't underestimate me, Sonya.

Antosha wants to kill Gromov, but we were never able to find his lair.

But luckily, our attempts to scout it out have led us to several of the thugs' active bases. We've got their details down—

Trouble up ahead, Sonya!

Suka! They're getting closer!

What do we do, Nika? You always have ideas.

Don't panic, Yeremey, in just a moment—

The door bolt won't hold much longer!

What about the window, Nika? If we can't hold here, can we—

No go. There's two of them outside the window, and they've got steel pipes.

Come here and help me brace against this table. It's our last line of defense.

Hey there, honored 'guests'.

Don't bother trying to resist. We just wanna talk 'business'.

Yeah, it's below twenty out here. Let us in already, we're freezing. Is this how kids these days treat visitors?

If you don't open up, our 'service charge' is gonna go up to... say, an arm.

Get lost!

There's a ton of Originium-tipped bolts in this room pointed right at the door! Come any closer and you die!

Pfft. Originium-tipped bolts? You hear that, Pacient? She's got Originium-tipped bolts!

Oooh, I'm so scared! Hahahaha—

I'd believe you if you said you managed to rustle up some borscht in this cesspit, but Originium-tipped bolts? Pull the other one. I've already taken the Originium out of every contraption in the area.

Well, if you kids don't want to play nice, then don't blame us for what's next.

Remember, keep them alive, otherwise we can't answer to the boss. You're up first, Pacient!

(Quietly) Now.

Here's a one-way trip back to the hospital, Pacient!

Argh! My hand! That punk actually stabbed me!

Smash the door down! Skin those little bastards alive!

...Listen, Yeremey.

If they catch us, they'll take us back and torture us... so don't hesitate, whether you have to do it to me, or to yourself.

Got it.

Nika, if we live through this, I—

Save it for after we live through it! They're coming! Aim for the throat!

Who dares—ARGKH!

I do. Got that?

Y-You're...

Hey hey, General Zima's here to save you.

Finally—

Don't worry, just take your time telling us what happened. We're here to help.

Were you with Leonid?

Leonid?

He's dead...

?!

Those bastards came up with something: an 'auction'.

Their boss Gromov cheated us. He said we'd be able to buy our freedom as long as we had enough money.

But it was all a lie. It turned into a slaughterhouse.

Gromov had his people grade everyone like meatbeasts. The nobles with money were led to a building, and the commoners... I don't know what happened to them.

Thankfully, Yeremey was suspicious, and he didn't go straight in. We had to run for our lives to escape their pursuit.

As for Leonid, he was full of confidence when he tried to 'discuss' things with Gromov...

He's buried here?

Da, behind the building.

Nika and I both saw it. One of the bastards dragged him over and was looting him for his clothes and watch.

At the time, we thought we had managed to escape their base. Seeing that made me feel faint.

Nika grabbed a crowbar and gave that scumbag a surprise attack when he wasn't looking.

We hid in his house, and we made it through the night, but we never expected his friends to show up at the door on the second day.

I killed a man... but this was the only way we could avenge Leonid.

Something's off.

We're still some distance away from the gang's base. They might come here on occasion to loot things, but they'd never actually live here, but you said this was one of their houses...

But he took a spade and some rations from this house. I thought—

No need to be so tense. Where did you bury him? I want to confirm his identity.

Why... are there corpses by the door?

...What did you people do to my house?

Your house, gospozha?

Where... Where's my husband? Have you seen him? He's just an ordinary worker, wearing a gray jacket. It's the last bit of warm clothing we have...

Y-You don't mean—

...Dig him up.

I-I didn't know, I really didn't.

We thought he was with that Council of Sixteen because he was taking Leonid's clothes!

Council? Clothes?

Why can't we take things off the dead people Gromov kills?

We've been doing this for two whole months since they stopped all work here! What's wrong with making a living?! What do you know?!

You... You students, you murderers—

We're not—

We're very sorry, gospozha.

......

Forgive me, madam... Here, this watch is pure gold! And these silver coins... Take them! Please don't cry!

I'm so, so sorry! There's also these things we took from those thugs.

...Ma'am. We were locked in here not long ago and had no idea what it was really like. Those atrocities... everyone has been on edge.

But regardless... we made mistakes, and we will take responsibility for them.

We will accept whatever punishment you deem fit.

Please, take this as a token of our regret... Our camp is just nearby. We will do everything we can to help you and your child get through this.

I am truly sorry. I was the one who acted. It had nothing to do with Yeremey, Sonya, or the others. If you must punish someone, punish—

GET OUT!

Take your blood money with you! You think you can buy Ivan's life with these pieces of metal? You think it will bring back the father of my children?!

You can do anything, can't you? You dare to kill, yes? Then why didn't you dare to kill the man who did all of this? You can all go to hell!

......

If we weren't forced to live like this... Why would my husband become a robber and rob the dead of their clothes? Why would we have to become such wretched things...?

Alright then.

If it'll bring you some peace or closure, we'll do it.

Both for you, and for our friends... I swear to you, Gromov, who caused all of this, will die this winter.

Please, take care of yourself... When we smash open the gate to the quarantine zone, we will all get out of here together.

If that's the case...

Have Nika and Yeremey show you the way, Sonya. I'll head back and get help from Antosha.

Sure.

Everyone else, with me. This is our new mission.

(Sobs)...

Wh-Why are you still here? To laugh at me?!

Not long after I was born, my mother had to bury my father on her own. He was killed by bandits.

You—

Your husband was no criminal, and he never hurt anyone. He fought for you and your children, until the very end.

Don't let his sacrifice be in vain. Take everything he fought so hard for... and live.