Zeroth Directive

Archive IV

Paprika has clearly matured after the string of events she experienced. Having come face-to-face with the cold, harsh truth, she's started to think about a lot of questions she had never considered, such as what meaning does the rebuilding of Kazdel hold for the Sarkaz, how do wars happen, and why do people choose to give their lives without a second thought? Just like how until recently she was still completely ignorant of everything. Why did so many Sarkaz participate in the war when they didn't even have a reason to fight? Why did they have to choose to either kill or be killed on the battlefield? Are death and parting really so common to mercenaries that there's nothing to be so sad about, like what Old Grimm told her? Paprika still hasn't found concrete answers to many of her questions. However, every time she stares down at the old cigarette box in her hands, she thinks back to that night in the Columbian wilderness, when the mercenary team had set up a tent and a campfire. Old Grimm sat next to the fire. The exposed areas of the old Sarkaz man's body were covered in scars, and every time his lips twitched, the look on his face would scare the pants off any normal folks in the vicinity. Nonetheless, he would always give the freshest roasted jerky to the team's youngest girl, and downplayed it like he wasn't taking care of the youngsters. When he talked about the good life awaiting the Sarkaz just around the corner, even the scars on his old face stretched as he grinned. Sadly, luck wasn't on Old Grimm's side. Soon enough, he gave his life in Victoria. When she was detained by Manfred, Paprika held onto the cigarette box she got from the old man and tried her hardest to imagine the good life that he looked forward to so much. What would that life be like? Would they never catch Oripathy again? Or would they get to pay less money each year and not be rejected for 'insufficient qualifications' when applying for school or work, simply because they're Sarkaz? 'I used to think being a mercenary was great. We put our skills to use to make a living.' That's what Operator Paprika told our other mercenary operators. 'But they said I wasn't a full-fledged mercenary. They told me I hadn't even killed. 'Then I finally figured it out and made sure of it. 'It doesn't matter what grand objectives Manfred and the men above him have, at the very least, following a bastard like him and becoming a 'full-fledged mercenary' who kills without blinking an eye is not the kind of life I want to live!'

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Paprika

Archive I

Promotion record

Archive II

Outfits

Operators

Archive III

Archive IV