– Era of the Wastes, Cycle 215, Season of the Setting Sun, Day 58 –

Terry used his roped rings and imprinted boots to lower himself back to the ground. He saw the remnants of the preceding carnage and grimaced.

“Are you alright?” asked Lizzy concernedly.

“Hey, Terry!” Devon waved at him. He seemed oblivious to the fact that he was still naked and drenched in blood from top to bottom. He smiled cheerfully.

The picture did not help alleviate the queasy feeling in Terry’s stomach.

Megumi walked towards the corpse of the platoon leader. When she was only a few steps away, she suddenly jumped back.

The platoon leader’s corpse ignited in a dark grey fire. His body and all of his equipment evaporated into nothingness.

“Enchantment for destruction of evidence,” muttered Lizzy. “I wonder what kind of intel he had on him.”

Megumi kept her eyes on the flames.

A nebulous silhouette became visible in the flames. The only distinguishable features were two completely white eyes and a third eye at the forehead with a large crimson iris.

“As expected, the Captain would rather increase her blood debt than settle accounts,” sounded a hollow voice.

“If it was expected, then why go through the motions?” questioned Megumi. “Trying to get rid of unwanted soldiers?”

“On the contrary, these soldiers were far from unwanted. They were very popular among the troops. In fact, some of them were candidates for the Popular Wing of the Bloody Hall. Their families will miss them, too. I will make sure to inform them of your hand in this.”

“Fine with me as long as you do not forget to inform them of your own hand in this.” Megumi scowled and spat out: “If you did not want them to die, you should not have sent them here to kill!”

“My dear Captain, I am pleading innocent. I have warned them of your abilities and advised against immediate action. However, eliminating one of the Nine Blademasters would be a huge contribution and… Well, the soldier you have killed before was quite popular, too. I am afraid their ambition and lust for vengeance have rendered all my warnings moot. Don’t worry. I am sure the next batch of troops will take heed of this lesson.”

A hollow laughter rang through the air and the shadowy figure vanished together with the dark grey flame.

“Lovely,” grumbled Megumi.

“Seems as if that was the only one with such an enchantment,” said Lizzy.

Megumi took a deep breath and turned around again. She surveyed the traces of the preceding battle and then addressed the pale Terry: “You did bounty hunts before, right?”

“Yeah, but…” Terry did not know how to put his feelings into words.

“The average bounty hunt is a lot less vicious than this,” commented Lizzy. “It’s normal to feel nauseous when the adrenaline wears off.” She examined the area and sighed. “I don’t even remember when my stomach became numb to sights like this.”

Terry bit his lips.

“Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself,” said the Captain. “They forced this battle. In contrast to Damian’s squad, they came with the explicit intention to spill blood. They did not probe. They went all out. Hesitating after all that would cheapen the lives of our companions.”

Megumi looked Terry up and down. “Nevertheless, it definitely feels different when you have to make the first and final call yourself. You can’t always count on someone else doing a pre-assessment to classify if lethal force is warranted. It ought to feel different.”

Megumi inhaled slowly and deeply. “Just remember that sometimes the choice does not include an option that makes you feel good. Sometimes the choice forced on you is between bad and worse. Always keep in mind that you are not solely responsible for the result.”

Terry nodded and held his neck. “I thought the military had a custom about accepting surrender?”

“It does.” Megumi shrugged. “But for purely practical considerations and not due to any high-minded ideals. It mostly exists to offer a way out to a hesitant enemy commander. It is generally done out of consideration for your own troops. That should also clue you in on when violations of the custom are tacitly approved.”

A distant look entered Megumi’s eyes. “It depends on how the enemy commander reacts. If they are yielding early enough…” Megumi tilted her head to one side. “Or if they have already played all their cards and inflicted all the damage they could.” She tilted her head to the other side. “You want to incentivize the enemy to show restraint in addition to a willingness to surrender.”

Focus returned to Megumi’s gaze. “More importantly—”

“None of us are military.” Lizzy finished the thought. “We’re Guardians.”

Megumi nodded in agreement. “We may tolerate uninvited guests as long as they do not pose a danger to the citizens. On the flip side, we are also not obligated to show concern for the greater military picture.”

“I am not military anymore.” Megumi glanced at Lizzy. “My concerns are different now.”

“Devon, what did we tell you about running around naked?” demanded Lizzy.

“Not to do that,” replied Devon. He looked down at himself and then back at Lizzy. He shrugged. “There were no pants around. I noticed life signatures lying in ambush and then moving towards you all, so I started running.”

“Anyway, the Captain has my spares.” Devon held out his hand to Megumi.

Megumi blinked and waited. “If you think that I will hand you fresh clothes while you are in this state, you are mistaken.”

Devon looked down at himself again to notice all the dried blood. “Fair point.”

“I’ll prepare some buckets and attach the water collectors,” said Lizzy. “We could all use some clean up.”

“Alright, the rest of us will rummage through the corpses and look for salvageable items.” Megumi paused and turned back to Devon. “If some of their uniforms fit you, take them. You run through clothes quicker than I can handle.” Her tone turned grouchy.

“Poor Captain.” Lizzy chuckled. “The color should fit Devon well. It manages to hide all his usual blood stains.”

Megumi snorted. “Yeah, I figure that’s why Thanatos picked the color.”

“Wouldn’t it cause problems for Devon to run around in a Thanatos uniform?” asked Terry. “What if anyone believes him to be a Thanatos soldier?”

“Then they have never seen a proper soldier in their life.” Megumi blurted out.

“I figure those beliefs would be shattered as soon as Devon opens his mouth,” joked Lizzy.

Devon curiously opened his mouth. When he did not hear any shattering sounds, he went back to nonchalantly stripping the Thanatos soldiers to check if their uniforms would fit him.

Terry walked forward to help. Before he had reached the first corpse, he noticed another body further behind and gasped.

“What…” Terry was dumbfounded by what he saw.

One of the Thanatos soldiers that had been killed by the Captain’s storm of blades was a bipedal reptile with opposable thumbs and the build of a muscular human.

“What’s wrong?” asked Devon when he noticed Terry’s lack of movement. “Did you know this lizan?”

“Ah, right!” exclaimed Lizzy. “Arcana.”

“As far as I know, there are barely any newfolk in Arcana,” said Megumi and stepped up to Terry. “It makes sense that you have never seen one before.”

“Newfolk?” prompted Terry.

“Folk from realms whose permanent portals have opened only in recent memory,” explained Megumi. “Did you learn about the realm entrances to the elven and dwarven realms?”

“Yeah,” replied Terry and moved his gaze back from Megumi and to the lizan corpse. “There are supposed to be two realm entrances to the elven realm, but the location is only known for one of them.”

“In the forest right at the southernmost point of Arcana’s barrier. Sandwiched right between Tiv to the West and the Free Factions Union in the East,” said Megumi. “If it wasn’t for that weird forest, then Thanatos would have already expanded its borders up to the barrier. The forest is forcing Thanatos to either annex the surrounding area from Tiv or from the Free Factions Union.”

“There are supposed to be many realm entrances to the original realm of the dwarves…”

“True, all of them underground,” continued Megumi. “As far as we know, the portals towards these two realms have not changed for as long as our historic records go back.”

“However, some permanent portals to at least three distinct other realms have appeared.” Megumi raised her chin at the corpse. “One of them is the origin realm of the lizans.”

“Hmm…” Megumi crossed her arms. “It’s actually somewhat unusual for a lizan to appear in Thanatos uniform. The location of the lizan portal is unknown, but it is assumed to be located deep within the Wastes.”

“That sounds troublesome for the lizans,” said Terry.

“It most certainly is.” Megumi shrugged. “But the lizans are not very open about it. Either they are not able or not willing to ask for assistance.”

“‘Not able’?”

Megumi tilted her head to the left. “Could be an enchantment or geass to prevent them from revealing the location.” She tilted her head to the right. “Or it could be a simple result of a cultural and language barrier.”

Megumi caught Terry’s gaze. “The lizans are the most recent newfolk. They’re not like the dwarves or elves with whom we have cultivated a common language. In contrast to the felans and canans, there are no fundamental language impartation scrolls available yet.”

“So if you meet a lizan that talks with broken speech, take note of the effort they had to put in,” interjected Lizzy. “It should take a few minutes before enough water has been drawn.”

“Felans and canans, was it?” asked Terry.

“Terms derived from feline for cats and canine for dogs,” explained Megumi. “Bipedal and opposable thumbs, fur on their whole body, tails, heads resembling their animal counterparts, and on average more muscular than humans. Canans are generally taller and lizans are usually a head shorter than humans. Felans generally fall somewhere in between.”

“You may get a chance to meet Mal in the Chara Settlement,” said Lizzy. “Mal is a canan that works as a coordinator for the Wasteguard.”

“Where are the realm entrances for felans and canans?” inquired Terry curiously.

“The entrance to the canan realm is within Thanatos’s borders. The felan entrance is located in the territory of one of the martial sects in the Free Factions Union.”

Terry was surprised. “So this Mal had to escape from Thanatos?”

Megumi and Lizzy glanced at each other.

“Technically, yes,” said Lizzy.

“You may have a distorted idea of life in Thanatos, though,” said Megumi. “Thanatos won’t show mercy if you stand in their way, but they’ll leave you alone otherwise. They believe in strength and that belief also entails the freedom to pick your side.”

“They believe themselves strong and if you fail to side with them, then that is your own weakness.” Megumi grumbled: “And they’re doing a much better job defending against the Wastes than the Union or, well, Tiv for that matter.”

“Hmph, I hate to admit it, but yeah,” grumbled Lizzy. “What was their motto again?”

“If you are unwilling to bleed and defend the empire, then you do not deserve a say in it,” replied Megumi and then explained it for Terry’s benefit: “All political rights are tied to serving in the military. If you want to vote or to be elected, you will have to serve.”

“I meant the other one,” said Lizzy.

“Serve once, serve for eternity?”

“Yeah, that one.” Lizzy looked with reproachful eyes at the empty air in front of her. “I like that one.”

“What does it mean?” asked Terry.

“It means that the active military has the right to redraft any former military personnel,” explained Megumi.

“All representatives in the Bloody Hall are former military,” said Lizzy. “Half the seats are filled through election and the other half is drawn by random lottery from the most recent veterans. All of them can be conscripted if the active military ever deems it necessary.”

“Haaahhh…” Lizzy gave an elongated sigh. “I figure the Assembly would pass less inane resolutions if they risked suffering the consequences at the frontlines themselves.” She puckered her lips sulkingly.

Megumi snorted. “You might as well hope for the next zombie to cut off its own head. They make the rules. They won’t make them to the disfavor of themselves.”

“Grandpa said some of the older nobles want to introduce a motion to change the preselection of electable candidates. As it is now, the originalist and the restoration faction have a stranglehold on everything. No candidate that promotes liberties for mages has any chance to be put on the ballot.”

“Really?” Megumi raised her eyebrows. “Your grandfather is impressively relentless. I would not expect this motion to fare any better than the last ten. The originalist faction is too entrenched in their ways. They will never willingly let go of their lawfare on mages. In the past, the reality of the Wastes has forced them to compromise, but the Preacher has given them a new way out with his Devout Treaty.”

“This fits!” exclaimed Devon happily. He was holding a Thanatos uniform against himself. “And it only has a hole near the heart.”

Megumi chuckled. “It is fortunate that you’re easily pleased.”

“Hm?”

“Nevermind.” Megumi shook her head with a smile. “Clean yourself up and put some clothes on. We’ll continue to collect and separate the items.”

***

“That over there is the Chara Settlement,” said Megumi.

Terry could see a random assortment of small houses just in view. The whole area seemed smaller than any one of Arcana’s districts.

Miguel would get grouchy.

“I’ll first have to do a check-in with one of the local coordinators. Afterwards, we can post our messages. One to Guardian management, one to the Deathguard branch, and one to your aunt.”

“C-can you ask Aunt Sigille if the others are alright?” asked Terry anxiously. Terry’s stomach still plummeted when he thought about his siblings and companions.

“Mhmh. I suspect that your aunt will first check in with your family anyway. If you have anything else that you want to be included, tell me.”

“Just be aware that all official communication channels to Arcana are monitored by imperial censors,” interjected Lizzy.

“Sigille should be aware of what to leave unsaid,” said Megumi.

“I just want to know about the others,” said Terry. “And to let everyone know that I am fine.”

Devon sped up and walked past the others.

“RUFF RUFF!” A bob-tailed sheep-dog darted towards them from the Chara Settlement.

“It’s always nice to come home,” exclaimed Megumi.

Devon was already on the ground. The dog circled him excitedly while rubbing his head and neck against Devon.

“Greetings, Fluffy,” said Lizzy. “I see you are still playing favorites.” She chortled.

Fluffy was focused on Devon for roughly a minute before he detached himself to demand pets from the others.

When the dog was satisfied with Megumi’s and Lizzy’s affection, he finally turned to Terry and skeptically sniffed at him. After repeatedly stretching his head to sniff and then retreating with a jump, Fluffy eventually wagged his tail and walked closer to be pet.

To Terry’s disappointment, he did not receive much of an opportunity because a moment later, the dog was already back to circling Devon.

“Don’t take it too hard,” said Lizzy when she noticed the disappointed expression on Terry’s face. “You’ll get your chance. The dog barely leaves Devon’s side for about a day whenever we return after a longer absence.”

“Come on, Devon, let’s get going or the children will be worried about the dog,” said Megumi.

“Right.” Devon stood up to follow Megumi.

“Ruff.” Fluffy ran next to Devon and wagged his tail at an astonishing pace.

When they had arrived at the Chara Settlement entrance, Devon pulled Terry forward. “Let’s go visit Elvis and Poppy.”

“I’ll quickly take care of the paperwork,” said Megumi and looked at Lizzy. “Can you keep an eye on them?”

“Will do.”

Terry, Lizzy, and Fluffy followed Devon to an area with a lot of merchant booths and hawkers that placed their wares over a blanket. Devon approached one of the largest merchant booths that was in front of a small building.

“Hello, Elvis!” greeted Devon.

“Dev, old geezer, what up? Long time, no see. Poppy has missed you. I did, too.” He gestured with one hand as if he was about to pinch the air. “A wee bit. Poppy is tinkering in the back. She’ll be happy to see you. You can still tell by the ear-wiggle.”

“This is Terry,” said Devon. “Terry is nice.”

“Greetings?” Terry had to do a double-take at the pointy ears. “Elvis?”

“I know what you’re thinking,” said Elvis and raised his palms in front of his chest. “Yes, I am Elvis the elf.” He grinned. “I can assure you my parents were great aside from that minor lapse in judgment. At least as far as I can remember.”

Elvis curled all fingers except for his index fingers that pointed at the sky. “The name also has its upsides when you are selling stuff. I never have to introduce myself twice.”

Elvis lowered his arms. “Hey, Lizzy!”

Terry was mesmerized by the items out in the open. There were countless small and large mechanical toys and contraptions. Many of them whirred around or jumped up and down. None of them emitted any mana.

Terry picked up one of the toys that had a winding mechanism. After being wound up, Terry heard several clicks before a latch sprung to the side and a coil spring propelled a whittled head out of a box.

Terry looked up and saw other contraptions in which coil springs pulled or pushed on items. Subconsciously, he pulled and extended the coil spring in his hand.

Elvis took the toy from the absentminded Terry. “You break it, you buy it.” He winked. “But for friends of Dev, we can put it on his tab.”

Lizzy snorted.

“Sure,” agreed Devon readily.

Lizzy frowned at him and scolded: “What did the Captain tell you?”

Devon tilted his head with a deadpan expression. “When specifically?”

“Hehe, nevermind then. I don’t want to get in trouble with the Captain.” Elvis chuckled. “And I’m not even sure of Dev’s account balance. For all I know, we still owe him.” He furrowed his brow. “Actually, strike that. We definitely owe him.”

“I’m happy to help,” said Devon. “That reminds me, let’s visit Poppy!”

“Hold up,” said Elvis and raised his hand. “On a scale of one to perilous incense, where does our new friend land?”

Devon examined Terry with perplexed eyes.

Don’t look at me. I don’t know what the Wastes he’s talking about.

“If perilous incense floats by, then Terry and you could share a room,” said Lizzy.

“A sensible person then.” Elvis grinned. He lowered his hand and motioned towards the house entrance. He whispered: “My mana is your mana.”

Elvis opened his mouth but paused before speaking: “Just tell me if you want to buy any of the special items. I would advise against a purchase without a strictly verbal instruction manual.”

Lizzy raised an eyebrow. “And that from the person that said warning labels are instructions on how to enhance the product.”

“Well, you need to know the warnings before you can decide which to respect, which to ignore, and which to use as inspiration.” Elvis quickly raised and lowered his eyebrows twice.

***