Operation story: 10-6

Operation

Story

Previous 10-5	Next 10-7
Characters
Doctor Amiya Feist Horn Indra Kal'tsit Rockrock Siege Closure Clovisia Hoederer Londinium Citizen? Mandragora Manfred Bill Rhodes Island Operator Robben Victorian Soldier Sarkaz Warrior
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6

Before operation

“

Feist takes Amiya and the Rhodes Islanders to the Self-Salvation Corps's underground hideout. The gang is introduced to the Corps's commander, Clovisia. Mandragora apologizes to the Sarkaz and forms a renewed partnership with Manfred.

”

<Background black>
...One hundred and eighty-sixth day since making it back to Londinium. Three more men joined us today. Two of them are seriously hurt. Only Robben is still able to fight. In just this area, there are still at least seventy men in the enemy's hands. With all of Londinium fallen, there is no telling how many soldiers have been captured. I don't know whether they are still alive. And I certainly don't know whether I should hope they are still alive. Every day, someone who fought so hard to live leaves us forever. I try to remember the names of each and every one of them, but the truth is that by the time I meet these men, most of them can no longer speak. I wish even just one more pair of ears could've heard their voices, and I wish... there could be someone here to hear my voice... I hope you will one day see these records. I hope your mission outside is successful. I hope you won't be back in Londinium so soon...
<Background 1>
Victorian Soldier	Horn, we've got the new hands settled in.
Horn	Thanks, Blake. Don't give them any missions just yet. Let them rest a couple of days.
Robben	Horn, I don't need time to settle in! I can go out there and fight whenever!
Horn	Fine... Blake, assign Robben to 4th. He'll join the next shift as a scout.
Victorian Soldier	Roger that, Horn. Perfect timing. Dublinn activity has been on the rise. We needed more men.
Horn	The 3rd still isn't back. Robben, you should stay here and get some rest.
Robben	I can do something else...
Horn	I suggest you come over here and sit down. We have half an hour at most. Don't waste it.
Robben	Alright.
Horn	And I understand how you feel. You want to go out there and fight, right? The battle this morning wasn't enough to sate your hunger.
Robben	Right, my hand is still trembling! It wants me to hold my crossbow a while longer!
Horn	Robben, remember one thing. We are here not because we have to kill a few more Dublinn soldiers or Sarkaz. Our top priority is to survive. After that... it's to make sure as many of us survive as possible.
Robben	Horn... I... I understand.
Horn	Good. Now get some rest.
Robben	What is that you're holding?
Horn	A notepad. It's just some random scribblings. Pay it no mind.
Robben	You mentioned that you worked alone for a very long time. No wonder you have that kind of habit...
Horn	Haha... maybe it's because I've been a captain for too long. It felt like something was missing when I had no one to give orders to. Thankfully, Blake and the lads stole this pen from the Dublinn forces. Otherwise I'd have to carve everything out letter by letter in the sewers.
Robben	Have you really done that before?
Horn	Go take a look at the sewers all the way at the edge of the city. You might just find my magnum opus, 'Victoria, a Brief History,' personally carved by my own hand.
Robben	Uh... How long did that take you?
Horn	I'm just pulling your leg. Let's save the chit-chat for another time. Dublinn could be here any moment. I'll get some sleep. You should too.
<Background 2>
Sarkaz Warrior	General, Dublinn's Feline Caster is here. She wants to see you.
Manfred	Is she alone?
Sarkaz Warrior	Yes, she didn't bring anyone else.
Manfred	Let her through.
Sarkaz Warrior	General, her Arts are hard to defend against...
Manfred	So it's your opinion that I can't handle her Originium Arts?
Sarkaz Warrior	No, that is absolutely not what I meant! General, just like General Theresis, you have my utmost respect as a warrior!
Manfred	Then go back to where you belong.
Sarkaz Warrior	Yes, General!
[Hoederer shows up.]
Hoederer	......
Manfred	Hoederer, stay here. I'm sure you are already prepared, having met with the Confessarius's Messenger. I have a job for you.
Hoederer	You want me to find the people from the ship?
Manfred	You worked with them before.
Hoederer	I'm a mercenary. Mercenaries never remember who we work with. Not unless their heads are worth a lot.
Manfred	Surely it must be easily to deal with old friends, no?
Hoederer	Maybe...
Manfred	The Babel assassin has already made it to the city center. It's the Confessarii's job to fend her off. As for the others... Hoederer, why don't you take a guess who they have?
Hoederer	The mercenaries in the city still haven't found any traces of any one of them.
Manfred	They will make their move sooner or later. For the past six months, our eyes in Victoria have been keeping a close eye on that ship. Yet they were always one step ahead of us, to the point that they came all the way to Londinium without any of us noticing. Why do you think that's the case?
Hoederer	...... There's only one possibility. There's someone working for them in Londinium.
Manfred	Someone working for them... an agent. They must have planted this sleeper agent years ago, and this agent must be of some standing too. Otherwise, there is no way they could've escaped our watchful eyes.
Hoederer	Makes sense. My impression is that the Dame Doctor's methods can be... unorthodox.
Manfred	Hoederer, look into the backgrounds of all the rebels we captured recently.
Hoederer	You think we've already caught them?
Manfred	There must be a reason why the Rhodes Islanders are still loitering nearby.
<Background 3>
1:15 P.M. \ Overcast Underground structure, Sudean Borough, Londinium
Feist	Here we are.
Bill	Who's there?!
Feist	Old Bill, it's me. I'm back.
Bill	It's you, huh, lad? I just saw Rockrock. I thought you two left on a mission together.
Feist	Uh, she came back first since she had something to take care of.
Bill	Who are these folks you have with you... Wait, Sarkaz?!
[Bill points his sword at the Sarkaz personnel of Rhodes Island.]
Feist	D-Do-Don't!
Amiya	......
Feist	It's very likely they're the ones the commander's been waiting for!
Bill	I thought she's waiting for allies? There's no way they could be a bunch of devils!
Feist	Bill, give me a break. Where's the commander? I'll see her right now.
Bill	......
Feist	Think about it. Do you really think there's a chance I could be a traitor?
Bill	Not one bit. Everyone here treats you like you're their own baby brother.
Feist	Rockrock had you guard this place, right? Bring a few more men. You can escort us there.
Bill	Alright, if you say so. As for you lot. Don't even think about pulling any funny moves. We are watching you, Sarkaz.
Closure	Uhh... Amiya, I feel a little unwelcome. Like, I've never felt this unwelcomed.
Doctor	I get that sense. / ...... / It'll be hard for us to work together.
Feist	Sorry. They aren't usually like this. It's just, they're a little sensitive... about how some of you look. Things will be much better once our commander talks some sense into them. Come with me. They're having a meeting up ahead.
<Background 4>
[The Eartha members are having a heated discussion.]
Angry Young Male Voice	Did you not hear that? They blew the port up with the defensive cannons! We can't stay here any longer! It's too risky!
Calm Middle-aged Female Voice	But if we leave Sudean, it won't be easy for us to come back to help the people here.
Angry Young Male Voice	I want to help them too. You think I don't want to? But do you know where our people are locked up? Are our men supposed to search house by house in front of the Sarkaz?
Calm Middle-aged Female Voice	Feist and Rockrock have been searching for information.
Angry Young Male Voice	They're too slow! The situation has changed. The Sarkaz could blow this hideout to smithereens any moment! All our hard work, gone!
Calm Middle-aged Female Voice	The hideout is dead. Those people are alive.
Angry Young Male Voice	That's awfully easy for you to say! It's not like it was you business folks who built this place from scratch, bit by bit!
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	Seems like they're in a bit of a row.
Feist	Haha, just a minor squabble.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	Did we come at a bad time?
Feist	Don't worry. The commander won't mind.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Feist	Most folks here come from very different backgrounds. They may not agree with each other sometimes, but all of us stand together. Besides, no matter how out of hand their feud gets, as long as the commander is here, we'll find a solution in the end.
Doctor	Seems you really trust her. / Is she really that amazing?
Feist	Hm... She rescued most of us. If it wasn't for our commander, we would long have died by the hands of the Sarkaz or Dublinn. Just like Rockrock. Her pa was beaten to death by the mercenaries because he wasn't willing to sell the defense force out. As for me, I didn't want to work for the Sarkaz, so me and a few coworkers ran all the way here from Highbury. We almost died of hunger in the tunnels... In the end, it was the commander who found us. She was the one who pulled each of us up from our hopelessness and united us. All of us look up to her, and we trust that she will lead us through each and every hopeless situation we'll come across.
Angry Young Male Voice	Commander, help me out. We should get out of here right now, right?
Calm Middle-aged Female Voice	Commander, I suggest we start a rescue operation right away.
Some seven and eight other voices.	Commander...
Young-sounding Voice	Harmo, Tyrell. Calm down, both of you. Time is of the essence. This is no time for infighting.
Siege	That voice...
Indra	Vina, what's the matter?
Siege	No, nothing. I might just have misheard.
Amiya	Mr. Feist, is the one who last spoke your commander? She sounds... very young.
Feist	Surprising, isn't it? When I first met her, I thought the exact same thing. Do you remember how I figured out you were the leader the moment I first saw you, Cautus lady? Soon, you'll know how I knew. Come, let's meet our commander.
[Feist takes R.I.-Glasgow into a war room where the Eartha commander is having a strategy meeting.]
Young-sounding Voice	I know how you feel, everyone, but there is one point that I think requires no discussion. We will save our brothers and sisters in arms. If we let our enemies hurt our warriors, who would be willing to fight alongside us? If we let our enemies take our friends away, who would be willing to offer us a helping hand? We are the Londinium Citizens' Self-Salvation Corps. We must save Londinium, but before that, we need to save each and every one of our living friends.
Her hands are slender and delicate. Fragile, even. Yet it seems to have enough power to quell the anger and anxiety that is about to boil over. The meeting room falls into silence. Those in attendance naturally cast their eyes on their commander. It is as though none of them have ever doubted whether her narrow shoulders could bear their heavy hope. The scene is somewhat familiar. Most of the Rhodes Island Operators feel this way. They all turn their gazes toward the Cautus who stands in front of them.
<Background 4>
Rhodes Island Operator	I think I know what Feist means now.
Closure	Ehhh, they really are kinda alike, right?
Doctor	I agree. / ...... / Not really.
Amiya	...... Everyone... quiet down. Let's not interrupt their meeting.
[The Eartha commander, a young Unicorn Kuranta, noticed R.I.-Glasgow's presence.]
Young-sounding Voice	Looks like we have a few new friends to greet before we discuss a concrete rescue plan. Feist, bring them here.
Feist	Uh... Yes, Commander!
Young-sounding Voice	Well met, Rhodes Island. I've been looking forward to your arrival. I'm Clovisia, the commander of the Londinium Citizens' Self-Salvation Corps.
<Background 2>
Sarkaz Warrior	General, the commander of Dublinn is here.
Manfred	Madam Mandragora.
Mandragora	...... General... Manfred.
Manfred	I trust you are here because you have something important to discuss.
Mandragora	You... Hmph, you saw everything, and you still put up this act? Are you really a Sarkaz? They don't seem to be so... Tricky, like you.
Manfred	Madam Mandragora, your words just now could be taken as an insult to the Sarkaz.
Mandragora	Whatever you say. I'm here... to apologize anyway.
Manfred	Oh? You have an apology?
Mandragora	My men had a little misunderstanding with your people down at the port.
Manfred	Misunderstanding?
Mandragora	I... I'm here because I wanted to make sure... the cooperation between us still stands.
Manfred	Madam, let me remind you again. There are no concrete terms that we must follow for our cooperation to continue. Dublinn will not interfere with Sarkaz operations in Londinium. In exchange, we will allow you to remain in a demarcated area here. You can take that as a.. Tacit understanding, between the two of us.
Mandragora	You told me, yes... and I haven't forgotten.
Manfred	Right, and it doesn't matter if you have. We will consider the ruckus earlier a reminder.
Mandragora	...... Thank... you.
Manfred	Don't be so quick to thank me. The Sarkaz are not as forgetful as you.
Mandragora	What do you want me to do, then? Do you want my life? If that's what you really want...
Manfred	If that's what I actually wanted, you would not have made it here. Hmm... and you wouldn't have taken to the steps of Westhaleg those months ago, either.
Mandragora	Er...
Manfred	What we want to see is a bit of sincerity from Dublinn. And not the kind of "sincerity" where you snatch a few Victorian soldiers from us or kidnap a couple Londinium citizens who escaped. It's about time that... we actually cooperate.
<Background 1>
Victorian Soldier	Horn!
Horn	What's wrong?
Victorian Soldier	I didn't want to bother you, but Salley... he's not going to last much longer! His leg is so swollen that you can't even squeeze any more pus out...
Horn	...... Is the 3rd back yet?
Victorian Soldier	No, things were a mess outside this morning. It might have delayed things for them.
Horn	How many men do we have?
Victorian Soldier	Including the new blood, we have a total of seventeen who can fight.
Horn	The 2nd will stay. High alert. I'll bring five men with me and pay the Dublinn's borrowed home a little visit.
Victorian Soldier	But... if you go back, what will you do if you run into Mandragora again?
Horn	Salley can't wait much longer. He needs medicine. Without painkillers and anti-inflammatories, he won't even make it through the afternoon. Do any of you have anything that's worth money? Hm? Old Ayton's been racking his brains just to figure out how to trade for enough food each day. If we don't take it from Dublinn, who are we supposed to turn to? The Sarkaz? Or do you mean to ask the civilians for help? Have you given it any thought what the enemy will do to them if they offer us anything?
Victorian Soldier	*Sigh*...
Horn	Dejection won't buy us our friend's life. Pack it up. Bring any weapons we can use. We'll leave immediately. Robben, you said you haven't killed enough of them, right? Lucky you. Your chance is here.

After operation

“

Amiya learns of a white-haired Sarkaz who looks similar to Theresa from Self-Salvation Corps member Rockrock. Aboveground, Horn notices an unusual change in the Dublinn soldiers' routine.

”

<Background 4>
3:22 P.M. \ Overcast Underground structure, Sudean Borough, Londinium
Rockrock	I don't think this is a very smart decision.
Feist	Rockrock, we don't have enough hands. There are many places above us where people can hide, and we still haven't checked at least a third of Sudean. You know Harmo and the gang are getting ready for the move already. In a couple days, they will be leaving this place, and so will the commander. When that happens, even if our team stays, our chances of rescuing anyone will be slim.
Rockrock	That's no reason for them to join us.
Feist	They aren't joining us... They're cooperating with us. Didn't you hear the commander? They're friends of a friend. We accepted our friend's request and helped them enter Londinium, and they're here now. And if they can help us look for people...
Rockrock	They can rest up in our hideout. That's the commander's order. And once they're done resting up, they'll leave this place. I'll escort them to somewhere safe aboveground, and that'll be the end of it.
Feist	Why can't we ask them if they're willing to stay for a short while? It'll just be a small favor. They might not turn us down.
Rockrock	You know why. I told you.
Feist	Er...
Rockrock	The commander thinks they can be trusted. There has to be a reason for that, so I'll stop questioning their motives. But I also don't want our men dragged into needless danger.
Feist	Why do you think what they're doing is dangerous?
Rockrock	What do you think they're doing here? They sneaked into Londinium with a bunch of highly skilled Sarkaz, and they're making an enemy of those other Sarkaz... Feist, we're Victorians. We're used to this.
Feist	You're talking about the lords fighting day in and day out outside Londinium.
Rockrock	Ever since we were born, they've been fighting amongst themselves to no end. If it wasn't because of all their infighting, our homes wouldn't have become a Sarkaz backyard. It's tiring enough trying to take back our homes... The Sarkaz want to fight on our lands, and not only is there nothing we can do about it, it has nothing to do with us.
Feist	But what if they can really stop the Sarkaz occupying the city? Maybe you think they're here to snatch the crown, but the way I see it, we have a common enemy.
Rockrock	I'm not so confident to think that we can take control of the situation. Not like you. The Sarkaz... they're nothing like you think. They're that good at pretending. The day my dad was executed, I spotted a girl in the distance... The executioner called her "Your Majesty." That was when I found out what the king of the devils actually looked like.
Feist	You never told me that before.
Rockrock	Because I never saw the need to. I'm telling you this now because... I want you to know we can't let ourselves be deceived by looks. Even though the Sarkaz woman had a flawless, unblemished appearance, even if she put up a look of pity for an old Londinier worker, totally unknown to her, I will never forget... She is the one who led the Sarkaz and killed my father... and countless more Victorians...! She's the Lord of Fiends!
Feist	Uhh... Miss Amiya?
[Amiya overheard the talk between Feist and Rockrock.]
Amiya	...... Mr. Feist, Miss Rockrock...
Rockrock	That's all I have to say, Captain. I will head aboveground and continue our search mission. You... You should really give what I said some thought.
[Rockrock leaves.]
Feist	Sorry, Miss Amiya, Doctor... Um, I need to help Harmo tune his equipment... so please excuse me too.
[Feist leaves.]
Amiya	Doctor, the Sarkaz that Miss Rockrock mentioned...
Doctor	We don't have enough information yet. / ...... / Doesn't sound like Theresis to me.
Amiya	It's a white-haired woman with a compassionate look... and the Sarkaz called her "Your Majesty." Doctor, you might have forgotten, but I... I will never forget even the tiniest detail about her expression or anything she said to me.
Doctor	You mean... / ...... / No way!
Amiya	I know it's impossible. But I...
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 5>
Kal'tsit	Dr.{nickname}, from today onwards, you have the permission to access the following files. Some of the information in these files will be of interest to you– Whether it's information about her, or information on the powers that Amiya has inherited.
Doctor	You talked about this, and you didn't believe me.
Kal'tsit	...... At this point in time, trust is meaningless. I can't deny the importance you hold to Amiya, and the thing she needs most in this Londinium operation is your assistance. Doctor... No matter what you two find in Londinium, you have to face it with her, together. I know you can do it.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 4>
Doctor	Not so fast, Amiya.
Amiya	...... Right... I need to stay calm. I was almost going to chase after Miss Rockrock, to ask her who she saw. But... that could further fuel her misunderstanding about us.
Doctor	It's okay to have feelings. / You're being very hard on yourself already.
Amiya	Yeah... Doctor, I'm feeling better now. You might've heard a little about the past from Dr. Kal'tsit before we came to Londinium. But there are some things that I haven't had the chance to talk to you about. Actually, for a very long time after that incident, I dreamt about you two a lot. In my dreams, you never talked. You just watched over me in silence. It was like that night out on the barrens. You held my hand silently, and I could sleep soundly. I was able to feel you... I knew you were just asleep. Dr.{nickname}, you might have been away for a little while, but you were there with me still.
Doctor	Amiya...
Amiya	But she's... not the same. She told me a lot of things in my dreams. From the fate of every single Sarkaz at Rhodes Island to if I wasn't sleeping well, if it was cold... She warned me about lots of things. It was like she was right there by my side. The more that happened... The more that happened, the more it struck home that... she has left us.
Doctor	Trust your feelings. / ...... / You know her better than anyone.
Amiya	There is so, so much that she didn't want to leave behind and so many people and things that she kept thinking about. Us, Dr. Kal'tsit, Rhodes Island, and the Sarkaz... If... If she was actually alive, would she not come back to us?
<Dialogue branch starts here>
Doctor	The one you're talking about wouldn't do that.
Amiya	Right, she wouldn't just abandon us. And she wasn't the kind of person who would let Theresis invade Victoria... She wouldn't be able to bear seeing the Sarkaz start this unjust war.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	This must be a misunderstanding.
Amiya	You mean that Rockrock might have seen another Sarkaz who looked like her? It's true. That's possible.
<Dialogue branch>
Doctor	Did Theresis do something, maybe?
Amiya	It's... a very cruel method. Death is a very serious matter to the Sarkaz, much more so than any other race. The souls of a Sarkaz who passed eventually returns to her whole tribe. It's the greatest comfort to the Sarkaz, after a lifetime of hardship. Doctor, you witnessed the passing of Patriot. It was a matter of dignity and pride. It was the last time a man saw his own fate. The silence of death gave him an answer, and this answer can forgive everything about him. No Sarkaz should ever have that final peace stolen from them... Especially her, who gave everything to the Sarkaz.
<Dialogue branch ends here>
Amiya	Doctor, do you remember what I said at the port? I know what emotion has taken hold of Londinium. It's anger. Sarkaz anger. And it's not just me who can hear it, this anger is so strong that all Sarkaz can hear it. Even a Wendigo altar can't give rise to such a strong resonance. It's like someone turned the Sarkaz's centuries-old burning anger into an actual, raging fire. If no one puts a stop to it, sooner or later, it will burn through Londinium's skies and spread, burning everything in its path. That's why we need to get close to it as soon as we can to find out what the source of the fire that's engulfing everything actually is.
Doctor	I'm worried about you, Amiya. / Wouldn't you get hurt if you got close?
Amiya	You can see it, Doctor. Right, emotionally... I'm not like I was before. The one ready to dive into the fire isn't the leader of Rhodes Island. Probably not the successor they keep talking about, either... It's Amiya. This is what I want. It's the answer I'm looking for, as an individual. And it's true... I'm also a little scared. I'm afraid of that answer. I don't want to see Dr. Kal'tsit and everyone else have their hearts shattered.
Doctor	There's you too, Amiya.
Amiya	Yeah, right. There's me, too. If it's really her... I don't even want to imagine what that might mean... But this is something I must face. There is no other way forward.
Doctor	I will face it with you. / We will walk this path together.
Amiya	Thank you, Doctor... Just knowing you're here by my side gives me the courage to keep going. I'll go talk to Commander Clovisia now, to propose a partnership. Their friends were taken prisoner by the Sarkaz, and they need more manpower to rescue them. We also need their help. Going by our original plan, we should already have rendezvoused with our contact, the Messenger lady. We need to figure out whether she's safe or not. She's a friend of the Self-Salvation Corps. Maybe their commander could help us find her. That's not to mention their guidance will make our journey into Central Londinium much more likely to succeed. Rhodes Island will prove to the Londinium Citizens' Self-Salvation Corps that we are not here for the Sarkaz crown.
<Background 6>
Robben	Horn, the Dublinn forces are acting really strange!
Horn	They're going... that way.
Robben	I thought Sarkaz troops were guarding that area, though? Dublinn would never have dared to go anywhere close with them around!
Horn	They must have their reasons. I'll tail them.
Robben	Isn't that a tad risky...? They have ten times our manpower.
Horn	And that's why I'm going alone. The rest of you will continue as planned. Look for resources at their stronghold. They've just started relocating. Most likely, they haven't had the time to haul their supplies away too. Be careful out there.
Robben	You too!
[A group of Dublinn soldiers move in.]
Dublinn Soldier	Hey, get a move on. The commander doesn't want us to waste another second! I know you don't want to be doing this. Who does? Those stinking devils, treating us like a bunch of mercenaries! But don't let me see you slacking off. You better not embarrass the commander in front of the Sarkaz. Why aren't you keeping up? M-611, respond!
[Suddenly the Dublinn soldiers are attacked...]
Dublinn Soldier	W-What's going on?
[...as the attacker reveals herself to be Horn.]
Horn	Don't move.
Dublinn Soldier	I-It's you...! M-601, call for... argh!
Horn	Don't speak either.
Dublinn Soldier	Urgh...
Horn	Hand over the comms.
[Horn beats down the Dublinn soldier to force him into "cooperating".]
Horn	Alright, now you can speak.
Dublinn Soldier	*Cough*, *cough* *cough*...
Horn	Tell me, what are you helping the Sarkaz with?
Dublinn Soldier	L-Like I'd tell you, you wicked Victorian wolf...
Horn	Let me think... How did Dublinn treat the Victorians who weren't willing to talk? They were hanged on a pulley a dozen meters off the ground, right? Too bad, I don't know how to make stone columns with Arts. I don't have an easy way to send someone so high up.
Dublinn Soldier	Y-You wouldn't... {{sc|Horn|Wouldn't I? True, if I were as shameless as your commander, watching my people sacrifice themselves in County Hillock one by one wouldn't have bothered me one bit. How about this, then? I'll tie you up, and then dump you in some abandoned factory. There are lots of factories like that around here. It wouldn't take that long to look through each of them one by one. Now that's how I do things, right? It's thanks to my patience that I could rescue some of those poor soldiers from you people. I only hope that your commanding officer will find you too before you die alone, despairing in the darkness...}
Dublinn Soldier	No... No! My commander wouldn't... Please, spare me. What do you want to know? I just follow orders. I don't understand the complicated stuff!
Horn	Yes, I'm quite sure of that. That Sarkaz commander is much smarter than your commanding officer. Whatever he is scheming, Mandragora will never figure it out, and you lads will have to keep letting the Sarkaz toy with you. Fine, you just need to tell me where you are headed, then. I'll figure out the rest myself.
<Background 2>
Manfred	If you're back, why didn't you pay me a visit sooner?
[The Londinier guide from before (although this one is most likely an impostor) walks toward Manfred.]
Londinium Citizen?	You have too many guests.
Manfred	Ah, I forgot. You didn't want to see the Confessarius Messenger.
Londinium Citizen?	If he found out that I came back to Londinium, wouldn't that spell the end of my leisurely days?
Manfred	Even then, you didn't have to wait for Hoederer to leave before you show yourself. He's my man. He won't ever report your presence to the court.
Londinium Citizen?	Oh, he's your man? Don't fool yourself; you don't trust anyone. If you really trusted him, you could've just hollered my name. You're the one who decided to wait till the Dublinn Feline and your mercenary friends were gone before saying hello.
Manfred	...... Let's set this topic aside. You helped me lure the Dublinn forces into position this morning. I owe you this one.
Londinium Citizen?	Oh... It's no big deal. Besides, I got a little surprise out of it.
Manfred	A surprise...? For you, of all people, to use that word, I'm guessing you found more than a few rebels. Hm... Did you meet the Rhodes Islanders down there?
Londinium Citizen?	There's more. Not only did I run into them, they were the ones who "rescued" me from Dublinn and escorted me to the city walls. If it wasn't for how antsy you were to test your prized new toy, such that I had to be 'blown up' in front of them, perhaps I could've followed them a little longer. I actually wanted to have a good chat with her.
Manfred	...... What if I tell you there's still a chance?
Londinium Citizen?	Another job for me? Didn't you send the Dublinns and the mercenaries to guard the temporary brig? I thought you had everything in place already, and you just had to extend an invitation?
Manfred	I prefer writing myself a few insurance policies.
Londinium Citizen?	Alright, alright. You owe us one, then. Uh... Did I just say "us?"
Manfred	No matter. There's no one else here.
Londinium Citizen?	Truth be told, we don't really want to stay here for much longer... That narcissistic old man with the chalice is almost here, isn't he? Don't tell him about us.
Manfred	Of course... I have yet to repay your kindness, after all. Another note... You should stop masquerading as a dead man. Not only might you find your cover blown, it also... makes me feel uneasy.
Londinium Citizen?	Gah, we almost forgot. What an upstanding Sarkaz you are, right, pupil of Theresis? Relax. The next time we meet, I won't be "Mr. Thomas" anymore.