Liberi Reader

Come in.

Looks like your wounds have healed well.

......

Wipe that 'we're all going to die' look off your face. Keep an open mind for once.

You can stay here and rest. There's always room for someone to cause trouble in the Rathaus parlor.

What of my home?

It's bad. You don't want to know.

Tell me.

The locks were broken. Everything inside smashed. Nothing intact but your safe.

Of course, it's not that they left it alone. They just couldn't break it. High temperature heat marks all over it.

Hope they enjoyed it.

Strange. Are you very attached to your home?

How is it that I've lived in that house for years, but everyone still calls me 'outsider?'

It's not like that. We're a trade town. There's no xenophobia in Wolumonde. It's just...

I'm allergic to smoke.

Oh, okay.

But take my advice: don't show your face out there. It was just a flesh wound this time. But who knows what they have in store for you next.

You know there are no Gendarmerie stationed in Wolumonde right now. And Tatjana's men are only a militia at best. No one can control them if things really get out of hand.

You made a stupid mistake too, Severin.

I didn't know one wedding could go on for so long.

All right, get some rest. That's all.

It's not your fault. We all know that.

Catastrophes can't be accurately predicted...

Neither can man-made tragedies.

Alright, you feel better now.

Think about what comes next.

Hello? Anyone there?

I heard Wolumonde's Catastrophe Messenger is staying here? Anyone?

Dr. Atro, Biederman hasn't been seen for days.

That makes sense. After the way those people beat him like that, I wouldn't expect to see much of him either.

R- right... Say, what are you doing?

Kicking the door down?

Huh?

I may not look like much, but I can kill an Originium slug with my bare hands!

Biederman, you're in there, aren't you? I don't know the layout of the room, but do step away from the door!

If you can't avoid it, just block. Cross your arms!

Hyah!

Um...

Biederman... Thank you for helping Thor and Uncle Severin.

So many traveling merchants couldn't escape the Catastrophe and ended up trapped in Wolumonde. We really need help from someone like you, who knows about Catastrophes.

Some stupid townsfolk have done bad things, I know. But you've been here a long time, Biederman. You must understand.

Please get some rest.

Hey, Biederman. You're working hard. It's doing a lot to help us clear up those nasty rumors.

I told you I was allergic to cigarette smoke.

Your private space is upstairs. This is the common area.

Did you say you're clearing up the rumors?

To help you out.

Tangentially, I'd like you to help us too. After all, Dr. Atro is an outsider, and you're one of us.

Maybe I count for half.

Sure, fine. We'll be implementing an emergency supply rationing program soon, but...

There's a problem with the supplies in Zwölftontechnik Strasse.

We have a lot of new Infected refugees, mostly merchants and travelers who couldn't escape the Catastrophe.

They couldn't get over the Great Rift. It's full of active Originium crystals. They had no choice but to catch up to the town.

Wolumonde doesn't have enough to feed all those mouths...

We couldn't just leave them to die.

So we took them all over to Zwölftontechnik Strasse for now. For housing, they're getting by in makeshift tents, but food...

We still have to prioritize our legal residents of Wolumonde. And then, it's only humanitarian relief.

That's reasonable. They'll understand.

Will they? I hope so.

......

A letter? Who's been in my room? Severin?

It's...

Contingency Contract?

Who's there?

Don't open the door. Just listen to me.

......

What else do you need from me, after all this?

Hey now, don't be so on edge. We're just trying to salvage the situation.

Look, I didn't do so well either. I should have come to Wolumonde sooner. And I failed.

What were you trying to do?

What I should have done was dealt with that wedding problem to make sure Wolumonde had the manpower to deal with a Catastrophe.

But that's all in the past. Let's talk about the present.

Whatever. I know your plan. But you didn't need to call me.

So... you know that Infected doctor pretty well.

...

You don't mean...

Wow, your mind goes straight to the darkest place, huh? I told you, you should have agreed.

You can't drag innocent people into your plan like this! Atro's a good doctor!

I know, of course. Who hasn't been shackled by morality and conscience?

But we're out of options now. At least we can be sure that, after this, Wolumonde will get enough 'attention.'

You want to get Rhodes Island over here?

Oh no... Rhodes Island doesn't even rank, at least on the surface, among our many partners.

We can't expect them to save an entire town.

Then... you just want a riot.

I need something to bring to the Spire, and only by lighting a fire on the ground can we get those ignorant nobles to see the tragedy over here.

*Sigh*, sometimes I can't tell if they're so corrupt that they don't care about the plight of the people, or if they're just so far off the ground that they can't even see it.

B-but that will kill a lot of people...

A lot of people will die if we do nothing too. When things get a little worse for Wolumonde, there will be plenty of reasons for this already troubled town to implode.

Not to mention, there's a rather unusual group of Infected floating around Wolumonde. They're armed, they're rebels, and they're bound to bring a fight.

And so, it's up to us to carve a path that gets as few people killed as possible.

......

Don't worry. We don't have to the dirty work ourselves. Maybe a jealous youth, maybe a stubborn cobbler. Then, all it takes is a spark to light the fire...

Hey!

This is an opportunity to atone for your sins. Lead the rebellion.

Damn it... How can you just hide behind a curtain and watch innocent people suffer?!

Hey, this is an easy moral choice to make. I won't even hesitate. Not for a second.

Unless I'm killing all the good guys to save all the bad guys. But lord knows who's good and who's bad.

What's more, don't get me wrong. I'm not going to hide behind a curtain and pay lip service to sacrifice when I'm not willing to die myself. What kind of conspirator would I be?

I know the deal. I deserve to die. This will be my one, final sacrifice. I'll give myself closure.

I'm going to die in this riot. I've earned it.

Are you crazy?!

Oh, right, and if you agree to participate, you're going to die too.

But don't worry. But any objective measure, you will have helped Wolumonde. You'll have atoned for your sins, and subjectively paid for your crimes with your own death. Two for one. Pretty great deal, huh?

And like I said, you won't even have to kill the Infected yourself. Your biggest crime will be 'conspiracy' or 'aiding and abetting.' It's nothing.

Everyone sins. For some, it's a sin of omission. So many people sin that way...

They're all so nice until they realize it. That's when they turn desperate.

So I'll make it a lot easier and just kill myself.

Think about it.

It's all about saving lives. More lives.

Wait!

Oh. Right.

So you didn't leave. You're like a ghost.

If that Infected doctor were to die... What would become of your interpersonal relationships, and your work?

If you want to stir up trouble, you can do it without Atro's death.

Ooh... will you help me? You really don't want anything to happen to that doctor, do you?

.......

But I will warn you one more time.

The death of the Infected is not something I would arrange. It is just a consequence of which I am absolutely certain. Sooner or later, someone will do something about them.

Don't look at me like that. It's not like you can't save that doctor, if you really want to.

How are you so certain that things are going to go in the worst possible direction, Thor? You've always been such a nice boy.

Because it has to happen. It won't be the first time either. Before, I just watched. But now I'm in it.

You should talk to your father, and the little girl with you. You shouldn't be so...

What a humanitarian you are. I suggest you glue yourself to that doctor.

Anyway... you can underestimate me. I went to great lengths just to escape my pursuers.

Heh. Covering myself with ice Arts in the freezing snow, nearly killing myself with my own Originium Arts.

But don't underestimate the violence brewing in Wolumonde. The worst possible violence.

Oh... are you going to kill me?

No, you're not. When the time comes, in order to get one side to compromise as quickly as possible, you will offer to help the other side.

I don't need to, Thorwald. No matter who you have in mind, you're now an accomplice to a capital crime.

Well... You can watch what happens then. But not now.

And I have you to thank for that. My original idea was just to hand 'this' over to some indignant non-infected and wait for something to happen.

That's the core of an Arts unit. Where did you get it?

The Gramophone. That Gramophone. You see it?

When it's done, I'll be waiting there for you.

At my grave. Ha ha... it's so close.

You're scared.

I'm always scared.