Liberi Reader

Fifteen knights, fifteen chances to take first prize!

Who's the Knight tonight?! Who are you betting on?! And who's going to walk out of the bloodbath with a handful of gold? Who'll stride through the storm to win our admiration?!

We're ten minutes away from the official start of the match! Don't miss this chance to get filthy rich overnight! You'd only end up kicking yourself! Now let's witness the birth of a rising star!

What's your name?

Do you need something?

C'mon, drop the act for a minute. It's not every day you see a Zalak knight around here, so I'm just popping over to say hi, that's all.

......

Nervous?

Are you... Infected too?

I mean, who wouldn't be? Only Infected would fight a match like this... our lives are a goddamned game here.

......

What'cha staring at me for? Spooky.

It's just... you seem a little... familiar.

Mmm? Trying to cozy up to me?

No. Maybe you're right about Zalak knights... being pretty uncommon.

Well, since life's bundled us together, how about we team up?

Huh?

Quit playing around. I'm in this to—

To give the knight nobility a little hands-on knock-knock?

...How do you...

Got it in your eyes.

It's too obvious. There's disdain, there's anger, and they've been your bywords for a little too long—those couple of bigshot knights up in the stands, they're beginning to notice you, y'know?

This place isn't worth that.

Don't jump to conclusions, okay... take a look around. What are the different kinds of Infected knights around here?

Some bought up by the big shots as a little gambling pastime. There's a share in it for them if they make it, and if they lose, hoo boy, let's not get into that.

Of course, you've got some anonymous nobodies, thirsty for a real-ass high-riding knight or some merchant to pick them out. Thirsty to become... a tool.

They've got no other way. Infected never get any other way.

What are you getting at?

C'mon. Let's team up, okay?

Your chances in a melee, see, they're always better with a little personal alliancing, y'know?

So why do you want to win, then? For the prize money?

No. Because I can't let anyone else win.

—The hell.

There's something going on behind this match. A couple Infected... I'm not too sure yet, but my worry's they've 'settled on it,' so to speak.

They've decided to trample the others, haul themselves on up, for better odds of survival.

The only real choice, right? Too real for plenty here to not be thinking it.

—That's why I can't let them win. If someone wins, someone loses. Big whoop. But if someone's living, then... someone's dying.

A vague sense of justice isn't gonna win you much trust.

But—sure. Right now is make-or-break for Knights Association approval...

I'm in. Zalak and Zalak. Beats teaming with some rando any day.

Eh? For real?

If you just came over to screw with me, then I'm gonna start with you.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, no, I'm real. Let's take this melee together, Ashley.

Greynuty Kaliska.

...Kaliska...?

Joke of a surname. Just pretend you don't know, even if you've heard it before.

Now! Let's welcome—

You can call me Sona, Ashley.

...Sona.

Mmm? What's up?

Back then, at the end, you took my points out of nowhere, didn't you?

...Ahaha... Ashley, c'mon... that was, uh...

C'mon, are you still not over that?

Don't you think I might be a little stuck on it?

Well...

But not because you stole the crown from me.

Uh...

You said you couldn't let anyone else win... and I was just the same.

Urgh!

What are you overreacting for? We'd only just met then. It's normal not to trust.

No, well... uh... actually, yeah...

Look, weren't we going to see how the Infected ghetto was doing? Let's move.

Allow me! To come up with an excuse! To restore our bonds of Knightclub trust—!

Since when were we in a Knightclub?!

...Heh.

Since sooner or later, Ashley.

You mean... that Knightclub for Infected?

Pinus Sylvestris.

I came from around Victoria, if you're curious. Plenty of that sort of pine tree around, back when I was young. These days they're long gone, though.

...Pinus sylvestris? Pinus... sylvestris...

You were one of those Zalaks who got hit by that Catastrophe?! You got left for dead by the knights too—the Kaliskas abandoned you...

Let it go, Ashley. It's bygone stuff.

But... then your infection was... my family's fault?

Didn'tcha already break from your family? They don't count as family anymore, then.

You're not feeling any guilt for me, not on my watch. Oh, right, weren't you just talking about how I stole your championship?

We're even.

......

So you're... 'Flametail' Sona?

You know me, then.

Haha, not many Infected around who win knight titles. I know them all.

So Pinus Sylvestris is led by the one and only 'Flametail' Sona... that puts me at ease, then.

You look after those kids?

I do. Er, but I only took them in... and a couple of them aren't Infected, actually. I was gonna send them to an aid station somewhere.

So I can't come along for the ride. Sorry, Flametail.

Can I get your name, at least?

...Jamie. Call me Jamie.

Jamie, then. You said you know a couple Infected knights?

Every Infected keeping up the independent fight is an ally in waiting.

I remember one making a big splash lately... a Liberi, a sniper.

You're right, and there's a Kuranta... she's 'Leader' to a couple Infected knights, and to others, 'Wild Mane.'

...*Spit*.

Yo, Iwona. Tired?

Hey there, Sona.

You, uh... seem pretty smooth rolling, still. Strong stuff.

Not really. Just... always gotta keep up some of the lax act.

You tired too? Didn't know you felt it. Figured you were always like that, on the forward march.

Ahaha...

Hah. That proves you trust me, though. Looking that beat in front of me.

So, this, uh... Armorless Union biz. How do we deal with 'em?

Do everything we can to keep them from knowing where exactly the Infected are settled.

So long as they hide in the city, an Infected's got nowhere to go.

We'll get found sooner or later, Sona. This isn't gonna solve anything.

You need to think of some way—

Mmm.

—Nah, maybe we oughtn'ta dump everything on your back. I'm sorry.

Yeah, chewing over stuff like this isn't my style, but you oughtn'ta run your own load too heavy, Sona. We're here for you.

......

Mmm!

......

She's an Infected, isn't she? How'd she get so many points...?

Not just that, Night of Knights had a whole spread for her interview a few days ago!

They either take underground fights for money, or uncompenasted battles just to get a title from the Association. How do Infected like her even survive?

So that's Justyna?

She looks frail as a twig. Where's the skill?

You ever hear the one about books and covers?

But the papers haven't, uh... been duly proper to her lately.

How many times have they ever been proper to Infected?

Actually, forget Infected. When have the media ever cared about being fair to anyone?

Can we believe anything that Armorless goon said?

It's something to go off. Beats having no ideas at all.

What's our plan?

That's what I'm talking about—Justyna! Get that Feather Knight!

To the left! Behind the stone bunker! Yeah! That's it—no, no! Don't peek out, you'll be clocked—nooo!

She's pretty popular, huh.

Might not wanna join us?

If she keeps doing what she's doing, she'll be titled sooner or later. Make a killing riding the wave of popularity, and maybe she can go find somewhere quiet to live out her days.

If she's that kind of Infected, can we really talk them into helping us?

We can't talk anyone over.

But this city forces Infected to make a choice in the end.

Honestly, it might just force everyone.

I hardly ever see you this pessimistic.

You're the one who asked!

I'm here hoping the Flametail Knight'll declare to me 'no problem, it's all under control.'

...haha.

No problem... it's all under control.

The Adeptus Sprawiedliwi?!

Shh—

...Still not certain.

Besides, it's still ambiguous how the Adeptus treat Infected.

How would any of those knight families give a thought for the Infected?

We're just outsiders to them. They'd never let us get away.

No matter how arrogant they are, I'd still take five hundred of them over the K.G.C.C. Dumb shameless assholes.

You've got a soft spot for campaign knights.

Ha, they're the knights who fought Ursus off the grasslands! Tops clowns on stage winning points with the audience any day!

...Ursus. All I know of them is the news I saw when I was young...

Ursus lost their war with Higashi. Of course the knights cranked up the publicity machine.

You... know about the war between Ursus and Higashi too?

Hey, they forced me to read a dead tree or two when I was young. It was all stuff on the modern history of the campaign knights.

I can't imagine it.

Iwona sitting at a table, holding a book. It's too farfetched. Inconceivable.

What?

You're from a campaign knight family, I think?

Studying's not... outta the question... for you, I guess, haha...

Keh! Is this how you all see me?!

Ten years after the Tenth Kazimierz-Ursus War, the Emperor of Ursus got seriously sick, and everything annexed from Kazimierz fell into the nobles' hands.

The crown prince picked up on the corruption inside the military even before succession, goading two Armies to rise up, as a distraction.

No way the Ursus nobles could ever agree on one plan, but they were all born and raised in this nation of chaos. They sent their own forces out against Higashi without any argument, so they could cover up their own crimes...

Which led to Higashi launching an attack of their own on Ursus far beyond what anyone expected, and in the end, the decisive battle took place inside Ursus territory.

Jeez. Didn't know you had straight history lectures in you, Iwona.

No clarification on those bits that obviously got mixed in.

At that point in Kazimierz, a good deal of the knights thought they should strike while Ursus was up to their ears in it, and in all the unrest, they'd take back the cities they lost ten years ago...

Iwona?

...and that was 1072. 25 years ago.

My grandparents were there with the scouts who resisted Ursus, only to get strangled by the Army before they could really rise up. I wish I got to know them.

......

Hey, don't take it so hard. That's the past. I'm not a campaign knight anymore, so I jump when you say jump, Sona.

Enough about me. Let's talk your plans now.

This morning, Jamie got three, maybe four new Infected in on his end.

Miners, infected in a small industrial accident, but the contractor declined to reimburse their medical fees, so with nowhere to go, they ended up with the police out for them.

And that's not the end... we've had over ten normal Infected join us this month already, right?

They live in the darkest, dankest corners of the Grand Knight Territory... we've got no way to settle them.

...Sona.

We've still got time. We've got power. We'll find a way.

But... I won't... let any innocent Infected end up risking themselves with us.

If the Adeptus really will let us all have legal identities again, live on in Kazimierz, then—

—Man, this is some party.

Flametail Knight, Sona.

You are suspected of illegally harboring Infected, publicly violating the Knights Association's code of conduct. Put an end to your resistance.

Hand over the illegal Infected, and we will report your case to the Knights Association.

Musta missed this. Armorless have authority to help settle biz for the police and knights now?

......

Let's all be honest. Don't you guys feel ashamed when you use the law as this big pompous excuse?

Your provocations will get you nowhere, Flametail Knight.

You have already overstepped the mark. Here in the Grand Knight Territory, drawing the Chamber's gaze is tantamount to death.

Death? That's some scary stuff there.

A biological death is not death's only sense, Flametail Knight.

The more chances for survival Kazimierz accords us, the more deaths it creates for us down the line.

All hands, take aim!

—Shelling from the rear?!

Sona! I'm here!

It's backup from Pinus Sylvestris Knightclub! Surround them!

Justyna!

Roger. Laying cover fire.

Sorry, Sona, I'm going in!

Do Infected cry?

What?

Infected. I don't mean the knights who had the guts to resist the Chamber. I mean all the normal Infected.

They just got Oripathy, right?

Er... yes?

They're not monsters. And they're not scum of the earth either.

I'm not all that into this assignment.

Don't ever let the Lazurites hear you say that!

But still, have you found some sort of compassion for them, Platinum?

Huh. Compassion... not really, I guess. I don't even get the time for myself, after all.

Compassion's a luxury kinda deal these days.

...Ha.

I've got other assignments. Dealing with the Infected is pretty small-time. You guys have it.

It doesn't matter what tantrums Adeptus throws at the K.G.C.C., neither's gonna wanna keep Infected in the Grand Knight Territory.

The nobles aren't gonna care whether Infected live or die, are they?

...How the...

Flametail!

It's the Armorless... the Armorless suddenly attacked us!

Stay calm. What went down?

They sealed off the street nearby two hours ago. We were busted long ago. And then they... used gas to force us out of the houses...!

—

A few knights picked up on it. They used their own bodies to block the Armorless's shots, but some still...

......

Where...?

Where do we go next? If the Armorless Union got us the first time, they'll get us the second, the third... we...

Save the eulogies. First, we need to... move the rest of the Infected.

Should we get out of the Grand Knight Territory? Go somewhere in the countryside...

At least! At least get the Infected civilians out of here—

We've been leaning on our knighthood so hard to give them some kind of cover.

When there's no knighthood involved, when they're out of the Grand Knight Territory, it's only gonna get worse for them...

So we just... take it?! We give up and accept this?!

...The Adeptus.

We still have... that on the table, don't we.

Sona!

I'm back.

How was it?

I was dealing with an old knight... Definitely one of the Adeptus higher-ups, no doubt about it.

Best we don't trust the Grand Knight Territory nobles too hard, Sona.

It was Demian... vice-president of the Knights Association.

......!

Ha, there's a big guy for you. VP Demian, the renowned campaign knight.

I remember him. Huge ruckus for the news when he was discharged and came back to the Territory to do boring old civil service.

A descendant of the heroes, like that one Maria girl.

And the conditions...?

If you're back here, that means there's been actual headway, correct? What conditions did the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi set?

A separation. A Great Separation.

He wants to borrow our efforts... to put this city... to sleep.

......

......

...Uh. What's that mean?

That's how the plan goes, roughly.

We can do this... right?

Are you asking me?

Maybe. I'm not giving up until I see those dumb knight nobles bowing to me.

You guys?

Real simple plan. We fail if we're not strong enough. We get even stronger next time, we're good.

Long as we don't die, yeah?

...Relax. Uncoil, don't get nervous.

Pinus Sylvestris just needs to stay Pinus Sylvestris... and we'll be fine.

Whether or not we succeed, we only have one way open to us. There's no difference, really.

...Difference, huh.

......

Sona!

Hm?

You've been zoning out a lot lately. What's wrong?

Nah... nothing, really.

Let's go. We've gotta find a place for the Infected, still.

—!

(Did I... fall asleep? On a bench?)

Ashley'd be on my case again if she was sitting here.

Phew...

Lot of people... out on the street.

(Infected under the Knights Association's supervision aren't allowed to walk around freely.)

(If all these pedestrians... knew there was an Infected out in broad moonlight here, I wonder what they'd think?)

......

Hm? Oh, hey, it's Ashley. What's up—

Trouble! Sona, they found the underground shelter!

We're not gonna make it in time to move everyone! Whoever we save, we save! Hurry, get back—

This is an Infected...

Right here!