The early career of former Sarkaz mercenary captain Hoederer is unclear. He participated in the transfer of Babel as part of the guard detail, leaving after Babel was dismantled. He was then spotted at Chernobog alongside Ines and W as a mercenary hired by Reunion, before disappearing after the Chernobog Incident. His next appearance was as a member of the Military Commission in Londinium. After obtaining certain key information, Hoederer left them and reestablished contact with Rhodes Island, once again signing a memorandum of strategic cooperation with us after discussions with Amiya.
The next attack deals 260% ATK as Physical damage, and restores 25% HP
Mastery 3 · SP cost 2 · Initial SP 0Passive Effect: ATK +40% Active Effect: Can switch between the default state and the following state: Attack Interval increases slightly, Block +1, attacks Stun targets for 1s
Mastery 3 · SP cost 5 · Initial SP 0Consumes 100 HP per second and deals 200 True damage per second to enemies that have either attacked or been attacked by this unit. Attack Range +1, Max HP +60%, ATK +120%, and each attack restores 5% HP and has a 25% chance to stun targets for 5 seconds
Mastery 3 · SP cost 50 · Initial SP 40 · Duration 70sATK increases to 110% when attacking an enemy; if the target is stunned or bound, ATK further increases to 140%
Provides a 21% Sanctuary effect to self and the allied unit directly behind this unit
Why is this history book only half-written? Because it is waiting to be filled with the wars yet to come. Those Sarkaz who march off to their deaths will be nothing but footnotes. Speak your mind, Doctor. You might just as well leave behind some unique commentary on this segment of history.
I was the one who killed Scout. We made a 'transaction,' then I jammed my sword through his heart. Mercenaries like us could put a price on anything. Hmph, the most unfair part of the deal was that I had to keep on living.
A pathetic soul looking to crawl up out of the quagmire? Ines is right. Still, when the mire wanted to drag me under, I realized there was no escape. For most Sarkaz, they'd find only hatred-borne victories to swallow when they're hungry for revenge. But I refuse to believe it's the way it should be, and I won't stop finding for us a true path to freedom.
When I was young, my mother taught me to read and write Sarkaz. I still remember that volume of 'Qui'lon's Expedition' she kept on her, its ink smudged with some guy's blood... She died of Oripathy. As for the book, it's gonna carry our hopes and tears, until time wears it out.
While I was in prison, I liked to kill time by debating a scholar, an old Feline in the next cell over. Our conversations usually ended with him trying to prove that Victoria was more civilized than Kazdel. Eventually, he failed to prove it before the Sarkaz guards executed him. I should say it's not something I feel happy about.
Most of the Sarkaz history books I collected have been lost. Whether burned to ash or cast aside in action like worthless scraps, their whereabouts hardly piqued anyone else's curiosity. But... for better or for worse, we have other ways to remember history.
No, it's nothing... Fine, 'Introduction to Accounting Practice,' borrowed it from the library. Ines says that all you need to know to open a shop is how to collect money and give change, and now I'm a little surprised to find out she's right. Well, I won't call this a waste of effort. At the very least...there's no harm in having some idle thoughts.
Can you guess who made these salted potatoes? W, Yeah. Hard to believe, huh? She actually cooks a lot more than Ines does. Try one, they're not bad. Mercenaries are good at taking lives, but there's a limit to one's energy. To hone our craft, we have to set aside everything else.
What were you like back then? My lips are sealed, Doctor. Oftentimes, getting to forget is a gift. Make no mistake, I'm not suggesting you were a good person or some kind of bastard. People always expect things to 'return to the way they were,' whether it's about circumstances or people. However, amnesia won't give anyone a clean restart of life.
Hoederer received a letter of invitation from the Military Commission of Kazdel. Following the conclusion of the war in Victoria, the nations of Terra have yet to organize an offensive against Kazdel. The return of the Lord of Fiends to Kazdel is hardly the only reason. But the Military Commission these days... Hoederer's brow furrows just thinking about it. He decides to spend a few more days at Rhodes Island before setting out.
For most young operators, a 'Sarkaz from Kazdel' usually means someone you should stay well away from. The behavior of some of our operators has undoubtedly contributed to this thinking. There is an impression that Kazdel is a place filled with people like W or Flamebringer, and even Mudrock can seem imposing in her thick and heavy armor. Hoederer's arrival has changed some of these preconceptions. Not to say that he isn't dangerous, as his performance in battle and his sheer muscles clearly demonstrate, but there is something different about him. Mercenaries who spend their lives on the battlefield killing for a living are often rough or cold, living in the moment and indulging in pleasures like there is no tomorrow. Hoederer, however, lives by a strictly regimented schedule while at Rhodes Island: He will show up at the training room at 5:30am every day, and do strength training for one and a half hours before having breakfast, usually boiled fowlbeast (he has also been seen asking Hibiscus to put together a healthy menu for him). He will then spend the rest of the morning reading, take a quick break around noon, and spend the entire afternoon in combat training. This is obviously very different from his lifestyle as a mercenary, but he seems to enjoy it. Perhaps he desires to feel in control of his life, compared his time on the battlefield where tomorrow is far from a given. He's out of his mind. Is he just really insecure or something? We might all be dead by tomorrow, and the last thing he'll remember are the boiled vegetables he had for his last meal. —Anonymous Interview Log 1 Would a last meal of salted potatoes be any better? —Anonymous Interview Log 2 There is a scholar in him, but unlike any of the Victorian or Columbian academics we are familiar with. He says that his studies are not for personal growth or academic curiosity. When he visits Rhodes Island's library, he is not seeking pure knowledge, but methods. His writings and records serve a single purpose: to relieve his own pain and doubt. He is currently writing a book on the history of Sarkaz wars, and operators who've had the chance to review the draft speak highly of it, calling it 'more than just a chronicle, but a unique way of studying history from a micro perspective.' Hoederer needs a publishing agent. Now, I want to be clear that I'm not trying to make money off of this. How much money could there possibly be in putting out a textbook? Written in Sarkaz, no less! But I'm Sarkaz too, and there are plenty of us on Rhodes Island who'd want to read our history in written form. I'll get his request for more books on economics approved immediately, as long as he lets me handle his publishing rights. —Closure You can come talk to me about the copyright stuff. And I suggest you reject Hoederer's request for books on economics; I just wanted him to help with bookkeeping. —Message to the Procurement Department, author unknown
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★ · Defender
Crownslayer6★ · Specialist
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★ · CasterSeems like a lifetime ago... Only that room with the swaying white curtains is long gone.
A nostalgic place, Doctor. As for this commission of yours, I trust we can both set aside its details for the moment. I do have some other ideas on the rewards, though, beyond the bounty itself.
Is this your upgraded training regimen? Hmm, it's definitely safer for the masses, but I'd do better with something more direct.
I don't need these, Doctor. But if you insist on some sort of reward... you think I could teach a class to the children here in my free time? No, not to teach military history. I just want to share with them... some Sarkaz folk songs.
Medals and titles give people an illusion of some kind of irreplaceable responsibility. Most times, though, it begets nothing but ruination. That's true for 'elite,' 'leader,' 'king'... and even 'the Lord of Fiends.'
If conflict is unavoidable, a swift end is a form of mercy.
I only hope this is temporary. It's not really my thing.
Embers will hide our footsteps.
...War never changes.
Don't doubt your own judgment.
Seize the moment.
Order acknowledged.
Same battlefield, different day.
Eyes blind by hatred.
Sense deprived by ember.
The battlefield's all around you. Where do you think you're running?
Enough. Time to end this.
One great victory isn't enough to tip the balance, but it can buy you a moment of respite. You may catch a breath now.
A single military victory means nothing in the face of what we're putting a stop to. This is just a nuisance we've cleared aside.
Why the long face, Doctor? Our heads are still sitting on our shoulders. As for them, don't worry, I'll take care of that for you.
Less guys on your case isn't such a bad thing, is it?
Ines and W? They're here too?
You… Anything else you want to know?
I don't have time for small talk. If you want fun and games, go look for W. Huh, so I'm not the only one who just got kicked out.
Arknights.
Fireworks at the New Year's party? Looks like you folks are giving W a perfect opportunity to indulge herself. I'll take care of that... and call Ines over too. She has her role to play in times like this, other than staying hidden and enjoying her peace.
Didn't see you there. I was just... thinking about the future.
Most Sarkaz... don't put much stock in the process of getting older. They may forget a lot across the span of their long lives, but if you carefully listen to the bizarre interpretations of life, you'll quickly find that the one thing never missing is the chapter in commemoration of suffering.
Babel was once the utopia of all Sarkaza, a ship sailing through the ruins. Her Highness thought she failed, but you're proof that the road hasn't reached its end. It continues to stretch on... I really hope to see what you'll show us, when all is said and done, Doctor.
Diary with yellowed pages: ...I didn't have the money. So I pulled the cart out of town and found a spot. Sobie told me everyone was buried there. There were no tombstones, but the ground was filled with Originium crystals, small ones, not the big formations that Catastrophes leave behind. Mom wasn't very tall, but it took hours to dig a hole she could lie in. The sun had risen by the time I got back. Maybe there will be crystals growing there the next time I visit. I hope I can still find it. ...... I didn't expect him to struggle. I waited for him to fall asleep. I practiced the stab so many times. I got the spot just right. Why didn't he die immediately? I still have the scratch marks he left on my wrist. It will take days for them to fade. On the whole though, it wasn't that bad. Not as scary as Madtree said. I watched him expire before my eyes. Blood everywhere. Scareye gave me a small piece of refined Pure Gold as a reward for a successful mission. Told me mercenaries don't need to ask questions. All that matters is results. Said I did well. ...... Kroche finally agreed to teach me how to drive. I still have to reach for the pedals, but I think I've got the chops. We drove on a wide open piece of the barrens. Kroche was always concerned that I'd crash the car, but there's nothing to crash into out there, and there wasn't much left of his car to crash anyway. I got tired after a while and Kroche took over. We drove aimlessly the entire day, until sundown. I thought I'd get to see a beautiful sunset, but the black smoke from Kazdel obscured everything. Kroche seems to be a decent guy, although he still won't increase my pay. Isn't he the one who said scouting was an important job? ...... Those damn angels have been after us for three days, and show no sign of being willing to let us go. I didn't even have time to change my bandages. My wound has already gone numb. Not a good sign. If you're reading this, I'm probably dead. If you're the Sankta who killed me, then abi in malam crucem. If you're just a Sarkaz passing by, pray that I return to the myriad souls. There are a few pieces of Pure Gold in my pouch. Take them, if you haven't already. (Scribbled) I have a fever. I think I'm dying. ...... I learned the name of the man who stabbed me. Cannoli. The target our squad eliminated three days ago was his father. I should thank him. The doctor who stitched up my wound gave me a quick screening. He told me I was Infected, like he was talking about the weather. I guess the burning ashes I saw that day were my Arts. What good is that? Fertilizer? I admit, I'm disappointed. I don't really care that I got Oripathy. Everyone here gets it, sooner or later. I'm one of the lucky ones. Funnel's little girl is five, and her left hand is almost entirely covered in crystals. Her sixth birthday is a few months away. Funnel's birthday present for her? A coffin. ...... Broketooth didn't want me in his group because I was too young. I'll go and find Schwab. I think he wants to form his own mercenary band. Heard that a Leithanian caravan is passing through the birch forest to the north tomorrow. They picked the worst route possible, and gave it away to boot. More than one group of bandits have them in their sights, but the mission that Scar Market gave us is to rob the bandits. Who'd make a request like that? Hope tomorrow's operation goes well. Maybe I can pick up some good Leithanian stuff. The diary ends here.
The other day, I saw Hoederer chatting in the bar with an old ship-hand dating back to the Babel days. W said Hoederer was a crazy grass-eater, but he looked normal enough to me. Later, I had the chance to talk to that ship-hand about their conversation when he came to me to get some paperwork done. —■■■ Oh, that. To tell the truth, I didn't even know his name until we drank together a couple days ago. Hey, don't blame me! It's not like he remembered my name either. So many people came and went while the Chairman was still around, you hardly had the chance to remember the name of someone you might only have seen a few times. Plus, the Sarkaz mercs changed their code names so often, I don't know who has the patience to remember them all. We didn't talk about much, just old times. I met Hoederer's band in 93. I remember that because that's the year my son died, not long before they came aboard. Times were hard at Babel back then. We were always moving, and we lost a lot of good people... never mind that. I was part of the operation to recover his squad. Only a few of them made it. I remember him and Ines mostly because they came with that nutjob, W. And the fact that they eventually left Babel... without taking her with them! I joined Babel and worked with people like the Chairman and Kal'tsit because this was my dream. I still believe in the Chairman's path, but I also understand why so many people left. It's not just Theresis we're fighting, it's all the hatred behind him as well. But Hoederer and Ines were different from the others who left. I could tell that they didn't leave because they were afraid of Theresis, because they worried about their families in Kazdel, or because they were pessimistic about how the war would go. If you ask me, I think they looked tired and sad when they left. When we drank together that day, Hoederer asked me which race I thought had killed the most Sarkaz. I gave a few answers, but they were all wrong. Finally, he told me it was the Sarkaz themselves. Be it Victoria, Leithanien, or any other country or faction, the best way to destroy a bunch of Sarkaz is not to waste their own precious troops, but to hire another group of Sarkaz to solve the problem. No need to pay restitution to the families of the fallen, after all, unlike their own soldiers. Hoederer said he used to think this was normal; that was the job of a merc, after all. But could they still remain sellswords for the highest bidder in the civil war between Theresa and Theresis to determine the ruler of Kazdel? Hoederer and Ines didn't want to pick a side. They wanted to remain free. But who can truly stay above such a conflict? I don't understand him, really. He wanted to get away from it all, but in the end we ran into each other here again. Maybe there are some things you just can't get away from, just like you can't get away from eating and drinking. Anything else? Oh, I've heard that theory too, that they left W in Babel to keep an exit route open... Whoever said that needs to use their brain. W? Keep a path open? You're lucky if she doesn't get on literally everyone's bad side... Hey, you're not going to tell her I said that, are you?
[Classified Log] It's been a while, Doctor. Our brief cooperation in the Babel days is irrelevant now. I doubt you remember it, anyway. I stood on the other side in the Chernobog Incident, and killed Scout with my own hands. I'm not going to try to justify it. I'm the direct culprit. I also served Theresis's Military Commission for a long time, answering to Manfred. I was involved in numerous purges of the Londinium council, helping Theresis establish control and forcing Londinium to kneel. Yes, we had a closer partnership in Victoria. We fought alongside Rhodes Island through fire and brimstone, with the tacit understanding not to bring up the past, either the good and the bad. Let me make this clear, Doctor: I'm not bringing this up now to casually apologize and seek forgiveness. On the contrary, I need you to remember that I did all that. And I can't and won't feel guilty about it any of it. I'm a mercenary, a killer, and I must face all the choices I made, as well as any consequences they bring about. I read the terms of the agreement, of course. It's similar to the one Ines got. It's true that we'll have use of one another for a long time to come, but I'm not W, and I have no intention of chasing after Her Highness's footsteps like her. You and I both know that no matter who we have with us now, Her Highness Theresa's Babel is no more than a footnote in history. Frankly, being part of Rhodes Island offers me many advantages, personally. Our cooperation extends beyond the realm of Oripathy and Infection. You're the experts in that field, and the Sarkaz have long been plagued by Oripathy, but it's the least of Kazdel's problems right now. It's a gentle killer, compared to war, starvation, and instigators. I need your help because you're more complex than you let on. No need to deny it. I know what kind of people this place has. Both heroes of days gone by, and children of the future. The extraordinary pretending to be ordinary, and revolutionaries who've yet to realize who they are... Far more influence than any pharmaceutical company should wield. I claim no authority in Kazdel, and perhaps it's not even my place as a humble mercenary to worry about that city's future. In the end, though, it's our home, and we all know that Kazdel's crisis has only just begun. I'm not an idealist like Her Highness Theresa, believing that sincerity begets selfless cooperation. But I'll leverage every bit of power I can, even if there are ulterior movies behind them. We're constantly walking on the edge of a cliff. Over the long course of history, many cities have been given the name Kazdel, but it's never changed the fact that the Sarkaz continue to wander. It's time we found an anchor for our people. We must consider how to find a true, lasting home, rather than being swept into the abyss once more by the tides of anger and ambition. If you're no longer that destroyer, Doctor... then I need your advice.