Lyudmila Ilyinichna, a former Reunion squad leader who dealt in covert operations and assassinations, specializing in melee combat and breaking through defensive lines. She parted with Reunion in the wake of the Chernobog-Lungmen Incident, and approached Rhodes Island at the end of 1100. She is currently receiving Oripathy treatment while under supervision.
After deployment, ATK +100%, and gain 50% Physical and Arts Dodge
Mastery 3 · SP cost 0 · Initial SP 0 · Duration 10sAfter deployment, stops attacking for 8s, less likely to be attacked by enemies, Talent 1's Physical and Arts hit rate reduction effect on ground enemies increases to 2.5x; when the skill ends, deals 500% ATK as Physical damage to all ground enemies within the smoke
Mastery 3 · SP cost 0 · Initial SP 0After deployment, Talent 1's range expands; Crownslayer disappears within the smoke, gaining Invisibility and her Block becomes 0; every 2s, she will appear and deal 250% ATK as Physical damage twice to a ground enemy within the smoke and Stun them for 4s (a single target can only be targeted once every 6s)
Mastery 3 · SP cost 0 · Initial SP 0 · Duration 16sCreates a smoke cloud around herself while skill is active; ground enemies within the cloud have -20% Physical and Arts hit rate
Deals 22% more Physical damage to ground enemies that have not yet dealt damage to her
You want me at your side to see if Rhodes Island can live up to the talk. Hmm... Alright then, so long as your security doesn't give me too much trouble.
Life in the Truckers Mutual Aid Association? We drive, we deliver, we drink, we mess around and have a good time. Nobody bares their fangs in Nuova Volsinii... But as my mentor once said, the Fangs will never truly disappear.
At first, I couldn't get used to pizza and spaghetti. My mentor was the one who taught me to mix finsauce into spaghetti, and replace the salsiccia on pizza with bacon. Had to find a way to fit in with the wolfpack, she said. So, I've eaten like this through all my years in Siracusa. Why? Because it tastes alright.
Truth and Justice... That's the book my father used to read to me when I was little. He even took me to meet the author, who was later imprisoned by some duke, died in jail, and was buried in a mine. Pretty awful, no? But that's how things were, at the time.
My father said that Sergei would become the greatest of all scientists, even if he was born in Ursus. I thought they were friends, partners, and kindred spirits... Yet Sergei stabbed them all in the back. He deserved to die, but I also doubt whether the blame was his alone.
Where did I learn to fight? From my mentor. She taught me to turn hatred into power, but not to hate. She taught me to fight, but not to step onto the battlefield... What a strange 'wolf' she was. Too bad I didn't figure out her final lesson sooner.
Director Kal'tsit, Dr. Kal'tsit. No matter what hat she wears, she's still her same, cold-blooded self. Yet, I do find it believable that she didn't betray my father. Maybe she's not as ruthless as she looks, after all. Hmm, what do you think, Doctor?
In all the time I stood behind Talulah, I watched her crush dream after dream, morphing into our very own tyrant... That was my mistake, and one I will not make again... Kill her? No. What I want is to tear off the tyrant's crown.
You've united many under your banner. This is familiar to me. I've stood with such people, and also against them... But do beware, leaders like you are known to make grave errors. When you do, I'll look you dead in the eyes, and I won't hesitate—Doctor.
She learned her song by snow, she learned her blade by rain… She learned to show her courage, by fire that swept the plain… She learned to topple crowns, by all the silent pain... Oh, you're awake. No, it's nothing. Just a Siracusan nursery rhyme.
Crownslayer's arrival at Rhodes Island left a deep impression on us. She suddenly appeared in front of the landship on its course, with Operator Projekt Red held hostage by her side. Before the ship's defensive alarms even sounded, S.W.E.E.P. had already secured Red and subdued Crownslayer. We were quick to notice the changes in Projekt Red. She was unharmed, but had a blank look on her face, as though she had sunk into some sort of delirium. Our medical operators hurried to give her a comprehensive examination, and confirmed that this was the result of drastic emotional fluctuation. From her fragmented replies, we pieced together that something happened during a personal visit to Siracusa, and we determined that her odd behavior had nothing to do with Crownslayer, who had even helped her during a suicide attempt. During the course of our examination, the subdued Crownslayer was shouting Dr. Kal'tsit's name and things such as 'Come and take care of your wolf cub already,' along with an unending tirade in both Ursine and Siracusan. As Dr. Kal'tsit was not on the ship at the time, we temporarily locked her in a cell under strict supervision while we sent an urgent communique to Dr. Kal'tsit asking how to handle her. A few months later, we received her reply. Surprisingly, she suggested we lift Crownslayer's confinement and allow her some measure of monitored freedom, including but not limited to access to the low security areas of the ship and the right to participate in Rhodes Island missions. This was how a former Reunion member came aboard Rhodes Island using undisclosed means and became, in a sense, one of our members. The following is only for staff with high clearance: In light of Crownslayer's identity as a former member of Reunion, she is to be placed under observation by both S.W.E.E.P. and the HR department. This is to prevent her doing anything unnecessary, but also to ensure her personal safety. Though the conflict between Rhodes Island and Reunion is long over, many of our people still feel the pain of losing our comrades. Even if she does not have their blood on her hands, anger cannot be controlled once it boils over. We will keep her under surveillance until she truly becomes one of us. We have entrusted Operator Mudrock with this task. Considering their shared backgrounds as former Reunion members, this will hopefully help us better evaluate how Crownslayer is doing aboard Rhodes Island.
A Sargonian dancer whirls lithely, her white skirts brushing past the padishah's face, a deadly tail spike following soon after. Bolívar's Viceroy drinks a toast from a glass handed to him by a Perro waiter and soon dies amidst a lavish feast. Victoria's tyrant closes his eyes as his servant girl strangles him in his bed. Gaul's soldiers turn their artillery on the emperor's carriage and blast it to pieces. ... In the story she just finished reading, a Yanese chef grabs a fintail fresh off the stove, and thrusts the dagger hidden within into some prince's throat, fin flesh and bone included. Lyudmila closes the book, and places it back on the shelf in the reading room. Lyudmila learned to read at a very young age, but aside from 'Truth and Justice', she hasn't actually finished many books. She couldn't really explain why she was randomly flipping through a book on Sargonian history in Rhodes Island's reading room, or why she was drawn to a record detailing how a dancer assassinated a padishah. Soon after, she looked for more material, finding similar tales in the histories of every nation. A dancer, a waiter, a servant, a soldier... Most of them left behind no name, and even less of them met a happy end. But their very existence is enough to remind kings and sovereigns about one simple fact: They can play with politics, with the people, even the order of the entire nation, but even an insignificant grain of sand can become a blade hanging above their heads—a 'Crownslayer'. Crownslayer likes these stories.
Cuora4★ · Defender
Cutter4★ · Guard
Czerny5★ · Defender
Dagda5★ · Guard
Deepcolor4★ · Supporter
Degenbrecher6★ · Guard
Delphine5★ · Caster
Diamante5★ · Caster
Dobermann4★ · Guard
Doc5★ · Guard
Dorothy6★ · Specialist
Dur-nar4★ · Defender
Durin2★ · Caster
Dusk6★ · Caster
Earthspirit4★ · Supporter
Ebenholz6★ · Caster
Ela6★ · Specialist
Elysium5★ · Vanguard
Enforcer5★ · Specialist
Entelechia6★ · Guard
Erato5★ · Sniper
Estelle4★ · Guard
Ethan4★ · Specialist
Eunectes6★ · Defender
Executor5★ · Sniper
Executor the Ex Foedere6★ · Guard
Exusiai6★ · Sniper
Exusiai the New Covenant6★ · Specialist
Eyjafjalla6★ · Caster
Eyjafjalla the Hvít Aska6★ · Medic
Fang3★ · Vanguard
Fang the Fire-Sharpened5★ · Vanguard
Fartooth6★ · Sniper
FEater5★ · Specialist
Fiammetta6★ · Sniper
Figurino5★ · Specialist
Firewatch5★ · Sniper
Firewhistle5★ · Defender
Flamebringer5★ · Guard
Flametail6★ · Vanguard
Flint5★ · Guard
Folinic5★ · Medic
Franka5★ · Guard
Friston-31★ · Defender
Frost5★ · Specialist
Frostleaf4★ · Guard
Fuze5★ · Guard
GALLUS²1★ · Caster
Gavial4★ · Medic
Gavial the Invincible6★ · Guard
Gitano4★ · Caster
Gladiia6★ · Specialist
Glaucus5★ · Supporter
Gnosis6★ · Supporter
Goldenglow6★ · Caster
Gracebearer5★ · Guard
Grain Buds5★ · Supporter
Grani5★ · Vanguard
Gravel4★ · Specialist
GreyThroat5★ · Sniper
Greyy4★ · Caster
Greyy the Lightningbearer5★ · Sniper
Gummy4★ · Defender
Hadiya5★ · Guard
Harmonie5★ · Caster
Harold5★ · Medic
Haruka6★ · Supporter
Haze4★ · Caster
Heavyrain5★ · Defender
Heidi5★ · Supporter
Hellagur6★ · Guard
Hibiscus3★ · Medic
Hibiscus the Purifier5★ · Medic
Highmore5★ · Guard
Ho'olheyak6★ · Caster
Hoederer6★ · Guard
Honeyberry5★ · Medic
Horn6★ · Defender
Hoshiguma6★ · Defender
Hoshiguma the Breacher6★ · Defender
Humus4★ · Guard
Hung5★ · Defender
Iana5★ · Specialist
Ifrit6★ · Caster
Indigo4★ · Caster
Indra5★ · Guard
Ines6★ · Vanguard
Insider5★ · Sniper
Irene6★ · Guard
Iris5★ · Caster
Istina5★ · Supporter
Jackie4★ · Guard
Jaye4★ · Specialist
Jessica4★ · Sniper
Jessica the Liberated6★ · Defender
Jieyun5★ · Sniper
Ju5★ · Sniper
Kafka5★ · Specialist
Kal'tsit6★ · Medic
Kal'tsit Esperanta6★ · Medic
Kazemaru5★ · Specialist
Kestrel5★ · Vanguard
Kichisei5★ · Sniper
Kirara5★ · Specialist
Kirin R Yato6★ · Specialist
Kjera5★ · Caster
Kroos3★ · Sniper
Kroos the Keen Glint5★ · Sniper
La Pluma5★ · Guard
Laios5★ · Guard
Lancet-21★ · Medic
Lappland5★ · Guard
Lappland the Decadenza6★ · Caster
Lava3★ · Caster
Lava the Purgatory5★ · Caster
Lee6★ · Specialist
Leizi5★ · Caster
Leizi the Thunderbringer6★ · Guard
Lemuen6★ · Sniper
Leonhardt5★ · Caster
Lessing6★ · Guard
Leto5★ · Guard
Lin6★ · Caster
Ling6★ · Supporter
Liskarm5★ · Defender
Logos6★ · Caster
Lord/Sharp6★ · Guard
Lucilla5★ · Supporter
Lumen6★ · Medic
Lunacub5★ · Sniper
Luo Xiaohei4★ · Guard
Lutonada4★ · Defender
Magallan6★ · Supporter
Manticore5★ · Specialist
Mantra6★ · Caster
Marcille6★ · Caster
Matoimaru4★ · Guard
Matsukiri5★ · Vanguard
Matterhorn4★ · Defender
May4★ · Sniper
Mayer5★ · Supporter
Mechanist6★ · Defender
Melanite5★ · Sniper
Melantha3★ · Guard
Meteor4★ · Sniper
Meteorite5★ · Sniper
Midnight3★ · Guard
Minimalist5★ · Caster
Mint5★ · Caster
Misery6★ · Specialist
Miss.Christine5★ · Caster
Mitm5★ · Vanguard
Mizuki6★ · Specialist
Młynar6★ · Guard
Mon3tr6★ · Medic
Morgan5★ · Guard
Mostima6★ · Caster
Mountain6★ · Guard
Mousse4★ · Guard
Mr. Nothing5★ · Specialist
Mudrock6★ · Defender
Muelsyse6★ · Vanguard
Mulberry5★ · Medic
Mutsumi Wakaba5★ · Specialist
Myrrh4★ · Medic
Myrtle4★ · Vanguard
Narantuya6★ · Sniper
Nasti6★ · Supporter
Nearl5★ · Defender
Nearl the Radiant Knight6★ · Guard
Necrass6★ · Caster
Nian6★ · Defender
Nightingale6★ · Medic
Nightmare5★ · Caster
Nine-Colored Deer5★ · Supporter
Noir Corne2★ · Defender
Nowell5★ · Medic
Nyamu Yūtenji5★ · Guard
Nymph6★ · Caster
Odda5★ · Guard
Orchid3★ · Supporter
Pallas6★ · Guard
Paprika5★ · Medic
Papyrus5★ · Medic
Passenger6★ · Caster
Penance6★ · Defender
Pepe6★ · Guard
Perfumer4★ · Medic
Perfumer the Distilled5★ · Supporter
Phantom6★ · Specialist
Philae5★ · Defender
PhonoR-01★ · Supporter
Pinecone4★ · Sniper
Pith5★ · Caster
Pith6★ · Caster
Platinum5★ · Sniper
Plume3★ · Vanguard
Podenco4★ · Supporter
Poncirus5★ · Vanguard
Popukar3★ · Guard
Pozëmka6★ · Sniper
Pramanix5★ · Supporter
Pramanix the Prerita6★ · Caster
Projekt Red5★ · Specialist
Provence5★ · Sniper
Proviso5★ · Supporter
Ptilopsis5★ · Medic
Pudding4★ · Caster
Purestream4★ · Medic
Puzzle5★ · Vanguard
Qanipalaat5★ · Caster
Qiubai6★ · Guard
Quartz4★ · Guard
Quercus5★ · Supporter
Raidian6★ · Supporter
Raidian6★ · Supporter
Rangers2★ · Sniper
Rathalos S Noir Corne5★ · Guard
Ray6★ · Sniper
Record Keeper5★ · Medic
Reed5★ · Vanguard
Reed the Flame Shadow6★ · Medic
Reserve Operator - Caster3★ · Caster
Reserve Operator - Caster4★ · Caster
Reserve Operator - Defender3★ · Defender
Reserve Operator - Defender4★ · Defender
Reserve Operator - Guard4★ · Guard
Reserve Operator - Logistics3★ · Medic
Reserve Operator - Medic4★ · Medic
Reserve Operator - Melee3★ · Vanguard
Reserve Operator - Sniper3★ · Sniper
Reserve Operator - Sniper4★ · Sniper
Reserve Operator - Specialist4★ · Specialist
Reserve Operator - Supporter4★ · Supporter
Reserve Operator - Vanguard4★ · Vanguard
Ripresa5★ · Caster
Roberta4★ · Supporter
Robin5★ · Specialist
Rockrock5★ · Caster
Rope4★ · Specialist
Rosa6★ · Sniper
Rose Salt5★ · Medic
Rosmontis6★ · Sniper
Saga6★ · Vanguard
Saileach6★ · Vanguard
Sakiko Togawa6★ · Guard
Sand Reckoner5★ · Supporter
Sankta Miksaparato6★ · Defender
Santalla5★ · Caster
Saria6★ · Defender
Savage5★ · Guard
Scavenger4★ · Vanguard
Scene5★ · Supporter
Schwarz6★ · Sniper
Senshi5★ · Defender
Sesa5★ · Sniper
Shalem5★ · Defender
Shalem5★ · Defender
Shamare5★ · Supporter
Sharp5★ · Guard
Sharp6★ · Guard
Shaw4★ · Specialist
Shining6★ · Medic
Shirayuki4★ · Sniper
Shu6★ · Defender
Sideroca5★ · Guard
Siege6★ · Vanguard
Silence5★ · Medic
Silence the Paradigmatic6★ · Supporter
SilverAsh6★ · Guard
SilverAsh the Reignfrost6★ · Vanguard
Skadi6★ · Guard
Skadi the Corrupting Heart6★ · Supporter
Skybox5★ · Sniper
Skyfire5★ · Caster
Snegurochka4★ · Vanguard
Snow Hunter5★ · Sniper
Snowsant5★ · Specialist
Sora5★ · Supporter
Specter5★ · Guard
Specter the Unchained6★ · Specialist
Spot3★ · Defender
Spuria5★ · Specialist
Stainless6★ · Supporter
Steward3★ · Caster
Stormeye5★ · Sniper
Stormeye6★ · Sniper
Surfer5★ · Vanguard
Surtr6★ · Guard
Sussurro4★ · Medic
Suzuran6★ · Supporter
Swire5★ · Guard
Swire the Elegant Wit6★ · Specialist
Tachanka5★ · Guard
Taraxacum5★ · Medic
Tecno5★ · Caster
Tequila5★ · Guard
Terra Research Commission1★ · Sniper
Texas5★ · Vanguard
Texas the Omertosa6★ · Specialist
Thorns6★ · Guard
Thorns the Lodestar6★ · Specialist
THRM-EX1★ · Specialist
Tin Man5★ · Specialist
Tippi5★ · Specialist
Titi6★ · Medic
Toddifons5★ · Sniper
Tomimi5★ · Caster
Totter4★ · Sniper
Touch5★ · Medic
Touch6★ · Medic
Tragodia6★ · Supporter
Tsukinogi5★ · Supporter
Tulip5★ · Vanguard
Tulip6★ · Vanguard
Tuye5★ · Medic
Typhon6★ · Sniper
U-Official1★ · Supporter
Uika Misumi5★ · Supporter
Ukusik5★ · Medic
Ulpianus6★ · Guard
Umiri Yahata5★ · Specialist
Underflow5★ · Defender
Utage4★ · Guard
Valarqvin5★ · Supporter
Vanilla3★ · Vanguard
Varkáris5★ · Guard
Vendela5★ · Medic
Verdant4★ · Specialist
Vermeil4★ · Sniper
Vetochki5★ · Defender
Vigil6★ · Vanguard
Vigna4★ · Vanguard
Vina Victoria6★ · Guard
Virtuosa6★ · Supporter
Viviana6★ · Guard
Viy6★ · Caster
Vulcan5★ · Defender
Vulpisfoglia6★ · Vanguard
W6★ · Sniper
Waai Fu5★ · Specialist
Wang6★ · Specialist
Wanqing5★ · Vanguard
Warfarin5★ · Medic
Warmy5★ · Caster
Weedy6★ · Specialist
Whislash5★ · Guard
Whisperain5★ · Medic
Wild Mane5★ · Vanguard
Wind Chimes5★ · Guard
Windflit5★ · Supporter
Windscoot4★ · Guard
Wiš'adel6★ · Sniper
Wulfenite5★ · Specialist
Xingzhu5★ · Supporter
Yato2★ · Vanguard
Yu6★ · Defender
Zima5★ · Vanguard
Zima the Raging Tide6★ · Guard
Zuo Le6★ · Guard
'Justice Knight'1★ · Sniper
12F2★ · Caster
Aak6★ · Specialist
Absinthe5★ · Caster
Aciddrop4★ · Sniper
Adnachiel3★ · Sniper
Akafuyu5★ · Guard
Akkord4★ · Caster
Alanna5★ · Supporter
Alliance/Supportive Operator4★ · Supporter
Almond5★ · Specialist
Ambriel4★ · Sniper
Amiya5★ · Caster
Andreana5★ · Sniper
Angelina6★ · Supporter
Ansel3★ · Medic
Aosta5★ · Sniper
April5★ · Sniper
Archetto6★ · Sniper
Arene4★ · Guard
Aroma5★ · Caster
Asbestos5★ · Defender
Ascalon6★ · Specialist
Ash6★ · Sniper
Ashlock5★ · Defender
Astesia5★ · Guard
Astgenne5★ · Caster
Astgenne the Lightchaser6★ · Supporter
Aurora5★ · Defender
Ayerscarpe5★ · Guard
Bagpipe6★ · Vanguard
Bassline5★ · Defender
Beagle3★ · Defender
Beanstalk4★ · Vanguard
Beehunter4★ · Guard
Beeswax5★ · Caster
Bellone6★ · Guard
Bena5★ · Specialist
Bibeak5★ · Guard
Bison5★ · Defender
Blacknight5★ · Vanguard
Blaze6★ · Guard
Blaze the Igniting Spark6★ · Caster
Blemishine6★ · Defender
Blitz5★ · Defender
Blue Poison5★ · Sniper
Bobbing5★ · Supporter
Botani5★ · Supporter
Breeze5★ · Medic
Brigid5★ · Sniper
Broca5★ · Guard
Bryophyta5★ · Guard
Bubble4★ · Defender
Cairn5★ · Defender
Cantabile5★ · Vanguard
Caper4★ · Sniper
Cardigan3★ · Defender
Carnelian6★ · Caster
Castle-31★ · Guard
Catapult3★ · Sniper
Catherine5★ · Supporter
Cement5★ · Defender
Ceobe6★ · Caster
Ceylon5★ · Medic
Ch'en6★ · Guard
Ch'en the Dawnstreak6★ · Guard
Ch'en the Holungday6★ · Sniper
Chestnut4★ · Medic
Chiave5★ · Vanguard
Chilchuck5★ · Vanguard
Chongyue6★ · Guard
Civilight Eterna6★ · Supporter
Click4★ · Caster
Cliffheart5★ · Specialist
Closure6★ · Vanguard
Coldshot5★ · Sniper
CONFESS-471★ · Vanguard
Contrail4★ · Specialist
Conviction4★ · Guard
Corroserum5★ · Caster
Courier4★ · Vanguard
Crackborne5★ · Defender
Croissant5★ · DefenderCrownslayer. It's a name we both know well, so let's keep it. Maybe one day you'll come to understand its true meaning.
Old combat records? Got anything with me in it? Come on, let's give it a try. I won't lose this time.
Alright, alright. Enough with the formalities already. I couldn't care less about your little medals and ribbons. Do you take me for some general or noble? Or, would you prefer I test my blade on them?
Rhodes Island chose to trust me, so I'm willing to return that favor. Acceptance speech? Wait, you people aren't really expecting me to give one, are you?
Just give me a target. My smoke will be their grave.
Lead a squad…? Alright. I'm actually curious how you Rhodes Islanders do things.
Move out. Watch the smoke, and don't get separated.
Contact. Everyone, spread out!
My old methods still work.
My knife hasn't dulled.
I strike from the smoke.
I'll slay the crown.
Drink deep of the suffering of the deceased.
Taste the fury of the forsaken.
Hate. It's all you deserve.
Weep. Those will be your last words.
Very well. I'm honored to be part of this victory.
Sound strategies, and outstanding execution. No wonder your operations are so efficient.
The necessary lives have been taken. Mission accomplished.
Smokescreen deployed. Retreat, we'll find another chance later.
Not sending me out on a field mission today? Suit yourself.
Y-You can see me? But, I threw down a smokescreen...
Take off my mask? I'd rather not. Hehe, hard to breathe with all the smoke, right? I keep it on for a reason.
Arknights.
Never imagined I'd be welcoming the New Year on Rhodes Island. But here I am, with all of you… Looks like we've changed a lot. Happy New Year. To you, and to Rhodes Island.
Have you been on the ship all day, Doctor? Uh, me? No, I just happened to be behind you. It's pure coincidence.
That crown on your head... It's just a prop the operators made for your birthday? Happy birthday to you then. Hehe, don't worry, I won't slay this crown.
Infected or otherwise, there are so many on this land who yearn to live freely and with dignity. Some of them have failed, but so many more are still pressing on. May you continue to move forward with them, Rhodes Island.
'I just spotted Mudrock with Crownslayer—yes, I know she's our informant, let me finish—and she was standing right next to Crownslayer, nodding along to everything she said! I bet she was bought off! Man, this is becoming a headache—Dammit, they ran into the kitchen! I'll follow them, you go get some backup!' 'Knives? White masks? Didn't those thugs use those in Chernobog and Lungmen? Do they have an inside man in Logistics? That's real sly of them, hiding weapons in the cafeteria! Are they about to raise Reunion's flag again aboard Rhodes—N-No way!' 'They closed the kitchen doors and pulled down the curtains, I can't get a read on the inside. This is an emergency, no time to report to the higher-ups, and no time to look for a floor plan. Gonna head in first to keep things under control!' 'Those thugs are... having a culinary club meeting around the table? Some are busy by the stoves and ovens. There's a redhead kneading some dough who noticed me real quick. She stopped her kneading and cut me a slice of pizza, fresh out the oven, even though I'm holding a weapon. I think she knows me, but I'm pretty sure I've never seen her before.' 'The operators behind me stowed their weapons, and they all got a slice too. It was good pizza. Instead of the usual sausage, it's got Ursus-style salted meat. Since it's right out the oven, the heat's just right, and the bread's got just the right amount of chew. I gobbled up my slice real quick. The red-headed lady has been all over the kitchen: kneading, chopping the meat, pouring the sauce, keeping an eye on the pizzas in the oven and occasionally dealing with people trying to rush her. She seems really into it. People are calling her Lyudmila. Kind of a pretty name, Lyudmila... Wait, Lyudmila?!' —Excerpts from a monitor's real-time voice logs 'I asked Lyudmila why she was staying aboard Rhodes Island, and she told me she was waiting for that hag Dr. Kal'tsit to come back. Her words, not mine. She wanted to ask her if she knew about her master when she was sent to live with her uncle. If she knew about the wolf pack's game. If she did, why didn't she do anything about it? If she didn't, and things were always out of her control, then why did she always act so sure of herself? In short, she is ready to give Dr. Kal'tsit a verbal beatdown in front of everyone. 'Look past her sharp tongue for a moment. Lyudmila wants answers out of Dr. Kal'tsit, but... she's gotten used to waiting here. I've seen her buying magazines from the store, killing time in the Convalescent Garden... doodling on the bridge with charcoal. Maybe life here is a rare chance for her to relax. It's not hard to understand. When I first got here, people were saying a Reunion hammer-wielder had infiltrated the landship... but all I was thinking about was that I finally had a place I could, err, go for a light stroll.' —Excerpt from a recorded conversation between HR and Mudrock
[Field Mission Voice Log 03] 'In a few hours, I'll be meeting with the operators from the Trieste branch to help them complete negotiations with the local famiglie.' The nomadic city out at the edge of the barrens could be faintly seen in the distance. This was the third time Lyudmila was going to Siracusa. The first was when she was still seven. Kal'tsit had entrusted someone to take her there, to her uncle. It seems even the all-knowing Kal'tsit can still be blindsided by unexpected factors, no matter how well-thought-out her choices are. The second was when she split from Reunion, leading a band of brothers and sisters who didn't want to follow Nine to Victoria. Over the course of two years, Lyudmila saw them back to their hometowns, one by one. For those with no home to go back to, she found them work. Finally, she walked back to her master's house in Siracusa, as though it were all one big farewell ceremony. But what came after was hardly an ending deserving of such ceremony. Reunion, the Truckers' Union, Ursus, Siracusa... None of them were places associated with pleasant memories to her, but when the Field Operators Department was discussing who to entrust this mission to, there were eyes that fell on her. She doesn't know why she didn't refuse. [Field Mission Voice Log 05] 'This would be easy to settle if you just took out a few famiglia dons—problem solved. Fine, fine, I know that's not how you do things.' The negotiating operator was murdered in broad daylight, and so the cooperation between Rhodes Island and one of the local famiglie was all for naught. The other famiglie were very satisfied with this state of affairs, and their alliance of convenience broke down back into their usual territorial selves. About a week later, the canceled press conference went ahead as scheduled, to the surprise of many. That dead negotiating operator was on TV, declaring that Rhodes Island had managed to reach an agreement with their partner famiglia, and that the supplies included in the deal had already been transferred. Only now did the other famiglie realize that it was all a trick, and that they had been scammed. '—If they're out for blood, then we'll just have to do it ourselves before they get a chance. A killer without a target's not going to swing their knives around for no reason. Here, I'll show you. See? If I stab you with this collapsible knife, then the fake blood will—Ow, some got in my eye... Give me a sec. The bathroom's that way, yeah...?' [Field Mission Voice Log 09] '...I've run into a personal matter I gotta deal with.' A truck driver on the streets of Trieste had noticed Lyudmila and called out her, trying to drag her back to Nuova Volsinii with him. He yammered on in excitement about how the drivers didn't want to move camp, and how City Hall was preparing to build the resettlement area in their camp. Eirene had brought Sommer's daughter to the new city too. Her condition is stable, and she's about to go to school... The chance reunion only ended after he forced Lyudmila into drinking three cans of salt soda. She couldn't deny her own happiness right then. There's no doubt that Eirene, as head of the union, was able to grasp something during Carnevale that could change her fate. Change countless people's fates. The changes in her were clear, but the Truckers' Union never deviated from its original goal: to give the drivers better lives. She had a sudden recollection of the day she joined Reunion. The Infected were kicking about some nobles in the snow, gathering around the bonfires while eating meat and potato stew, even dreaming about how one day, they would demand an explanation from the Emperor himself, and let everyone on this great land breath freely for once. The Truckers' Union couldn't hold a candle to Reunion, but to her, they really were more alike than not: they both appeared along her path to vengeance, and thanks to some bitter experiences and some rather absurd changes, she chose to leave them both. It seems she has managed to make one big loop in life before learning something about herself: she is someone easily waylaid by hate. She should keep an eye on the one in the lead, while not completely denying the fact that her past comrades had, for a time, given her a reason to live, given her faith and flame. [Field Mission Voice Log 11] 'Mission complete, heading back to the landship soon.'
To the most esteemed Director Kal'tsit: Sergei hasn't shown up for several days now, and I cannot confirm if he has been arrested or not. For the sake of the institute's safety, we must be prepared. Our government contacts have begun their work, and I pray they will have good news for us. At the same time, we must send away our families, seal off the sarcophagus, copy or destroy our data... There's simply too much to do, and I may not have time to see Lyuda. If you do see her, please give her a kiss on the cheek for me. Ever since Sophina passed away, Lyuda's hate for Chernobog has grown by the day. Staying here will only cause her to suffer more. As her closest family, I should be with her right now. But I am a selfish man. Our progress at the institute has reached a rate where I do not wish to take even a single day off to go home, slice some bread, and make breakfast for her. I truly wish I was the type of person who could give up everything in the name of science, but I love my little Lyuda so. It torments me, and makes me tarry when I should be sending her off somewhere more suited for her. But now, Ursus has made my decision for me. No matter if we survive this oncoming calamity or not, Director Kal'tsit, I ask you send Lyuda to Siracusa. Sophina's elder brother has an estate in a small town there, and when she was still alive, he once offered us shelter. I believe having Lyuda live there for a while is the most suitable choice. She can complete her studies in a foreign land, open herself up to the arts and sciences, become the sort of person she wants to be—a navigator who charts the course of scientific research, or a politician striving for the well-being of all. ... I hope you can leave the city without any trouble, and that our research will see fruition soon, realizing both our plans and yours. Yours, Ilia. As the surveillance team rushed over to the landship's middle layer to turn off the alarm, Crownslayer slipped out of Dr. Kal'tsit's office. She held in her hand a letter as she waited for the team to come and subdue her. It was just like the first time she stepped aboard Rhodes Island, except she was calmer this time around. 'It's obvious that I'm not going to be a navigator or politician anymore, Papa. 'Tell Kal'tsit that when she gets back to the landship, I need to be the first to see her. She needs to tell me all the reasons why that research institute was set up, about the research itself, everything about her own history... All of Ursus's secrets. All of them.'