The Man Who Wasn't There

He ain't much of a talker. Whenever we all get together, he just stuffs his face. Like now.

*cough* *cough*... Helena, when are you gonna crack open the bottle of champagne I brought back?

Shoot, I really am getting old, huh? Nearly forgot.

Umm, about Miles... He...

Don't worry about him. Said he wanted to take a stroll, so he did.

Just pop the cork and pour him a glass. We can toast when he comes back!

Alright, without further ado—

Here, Jessica, you're the star tonight, so the first glass is for you.

Thank you...

Next up is you, Woody. Thanks for helping her talk some sense into that stubborn old burdenbeast.

Don't mention it.

This one's for Miles... This one's for me... And last and definitely least is you, Leone. For killing us with worry all this time.

Okay, I deserved that.

To be perfectly honest, I actually—

If you got something to say, better wait for Miles. You ain't gonna leave him out like that, are you?

Ah, yeah, makes sense.

Excuse me...

What is it, Benny?

Actually... there's something I wanted to announce to everyone...

Was wondering why you were so quiet today, but I guess you had something brewing. Waiting to snatch the spotlight from your dad at the dinner table?

Benny, why don't you wait for Miles too?

No... I think now's the best time.

I...

I'm leaving.

Hah, guess you finally got sick of us noisy old farts. Can't you wait for Miles to get back, so we can share one last drink before we say goodbye?

No... I meant I'm leaving Davistown.

Look at this kid, getting drunk without touching a drop of champagne.

No, I'm perfectly sober.

It's something I've been meaning to get off my chest... But I never got the chance, so I'm saying it now.

......

What's wrong? Why's everyone look like it just started raining?

Miles, I...

Benny just said... that he wants to leave Davistown.

Wh-What?

How long you been thinking about this, boy?

About a year or so...

Last month, Ms. Selena from next door came over and said that her daughter in Ironforge City managed to find a caravan willing to come through here. She said she was planning to go with it to follow her daughter.

She asked if I wanted to come. She thought it'd be a waste of my talents to stay. No matter how much I learn here, I wouldn't have a place to use any of it.

She told me... she didn't want me to become the next Sylvia.

What about your living expenses? Tuition? Where are you gonna live?

Don't worry, there are plenty of boarding schools in Ironforge City willing to provide scholarships so I can study there.

Benny... why wait so long to discuss this with us? It's a big decision... You know better than that.

...I'm sorry, Miles.

He ain't asking for our input.

Just letting us know the decision he's made.

...Have you thought this through? Weighed the pros and cons? Who knows, this place might perk up once it gets moving again. You can always decide then.

I don't want to wait that long.

The only reason you're all willing to stay put and pray things get better is because you remember the good old days.

But I don't. This place has been a dump for as long as I can remember.

...My adoptive father worked so hard for this place, throwing away everything else without hesitation. My brother took his place as a pillar of the family, and wanted to join a mercenary group when he came of age. To earn money to send back home.

But a few years later... Those people sent his belongings back, with no explanation in the attached letter except a few lines saying they're sorry.

There should've been another path for him back then. Just like... there should be one for me now.

....Am I wrong?

So when are you leaving?

...Tomorrow. I know I shouldn't have waited this long to tell you, but if I don't say it now... I'll never get another chance.

Leone...

It's fine... It'll be alright...

It's not a bad idea...

You should leave... You deserve it...

It's fine, Helena. I'll be alright... This is how it should be...

Then, I wish you a safe journey. Take care of yourself, kid.

Why's it so damn cold here?

I picked up some wood we can burn. Feel any better yet?

Judging from how you curled up into a ball, I'm guessing you've never been through anything like this? *sigh*... How could your folks think you'd make it as a mercenary?

Huh? You decided on it yourself? But why? Did you get in a fight with your family?

Oh... There are people you want to protect, and problems you want to solve, huh? Mm, sounds pretty ambitious, if you ask me. I'm a bit jealous, to be honest.

Most people you see out here in these ruins, on the battlefield, were pushed here by circumstance. Myself included.

Driven by poverty. By injustice. By darkness and violence. We often pick up our weapons and rashly open fire, without worrying about what we're aiming at.

Right up until we finally step in a puddle of mud and look down at our footprints, only to realize that what we just stepped in... was a river of blood.

When that happens, I'm sure there's some noble ideal that can keep you from collapsing in defeat. Too bad I never found out what it was... I was only in it for the money.

My family owes a lot of money. And my little brother, well, he's damn smart. If he'd been born rich, he'd be at the top of his class.

But if he stays back home... the only future he's got is as a debt collector.

......

I... I don't think that counts as being in it only for the money. You're doing it for your family... That's noble too.

Eh, who can say? But for now at least...

We're doing it just to survive.

The attack's about to begin...

Stop drinking already, Leone.

...Can I sleep at the diner tonight?

If you want.

(*whispers*) Poor fella... Just look at him... *sigh*...

(*whispers*) It's just like seven years ago...

What, you guys gonna talk about Carl now? Don't mind me. No need to tiptoe around it.

This is already the second time... The second time...

Twice now... So why're you avoiding me? You think... you think I can't handle it?

Thank you for bringing me here, Jessica. You can head back now.

I... still don't feel very good about this.

I don't think your boss would be happy with how you're always fretting over us.

I just... can't bear to stand on the sidelines when there's something I can do.

Still, you helped Dad keep the house, so thanks again.

But the reason he finally sold his shares... was because of you.

I know. He had to give up what was most precious to him just to keep a roof over my head. But with me gone, he'll finally be free to do what he really wants.

In that sense, the house was never the obstacle. It was me and my brother.

...Do you remember my brother?

You're talking about Carl? I've heard you and Helena mention him before.

Yeah, we know him as Carl... But over at Blacksteel, he went by a codename—Blackplate.

...Blackplate?

It's water under the bridge, Leone. Why dredge it up now...

No point trying to stop him, Miles. Just let him talk. He never brought it up, so we didn't say nothing. But now that he wants to look back, it's our job to let him.

...I suppose.

I didn't ask for these thoughts... But in the dead of night, do I really have any control over what pops into my head?

The more I dwelled on it, the more painful it was. The more painful it was, the less it made sense... But, Benny figured that all out a long time ago.

He was right. Every step Carl took was never really his own choice. Because I was too stubborn, too arrogant. I ended up running everything dry... our money, our lives, and our choices.

When I was little, there was a miner who'd always complain how nothing was easy anymore when you're middle-aged. You run outta energy and can only focus on a few things at a time.

So you gotta be smart, gotta keep your eyes on what really matters. Stop being greedy.

But when it was my turn to grow old, I just refused to accept it. I grabbed the wrong end of the rope, and held on for dear life. Told myself I was a brave warrior, fighting the good fight against fate itself...

And what do I have to show for it?

Fought my way into a mountain of debt. Fought for a Davistown on its last legs. Fought for my eldest to die on the battlefield. My second son saw right through me, so why wouldn't he run the hell away?!

Leone, we all know how much the mine means to you...

Then tell me, how much?! Because I haven't a damn clue at this point!

All I know is that I should've held onto those little hands back then. The hands of my children...

I was a damn fool. How could I not see the writing on the walls when I heard that complaint?

I should've etched those words into my mind...

My dad might be an old fool with the memory of a sieve, but I'm not.

I recognized you the moment I saw you. The emblem on your uniform and your gear. It's the exact same one I saw on the bag with Carl's personal affects.

He... He was your brother... I never realized...

Did he never tell you his real name? Or did you simply forget all about him?

I remember him... I didn't work with him for very long, but how could I forget?

You actually worked with Carl?

In Chernobog. We were left together to scout out the strength of the enemies hidden in the ruins... I was there when he was injured. I-I was so flustered at the time, my mind went completely blank. I-I...

You were there when he died.

Y-Yes... I was.

But you still didn't know his real name.

Actually...

...I'm sorry.

It's alright. That wasn't the point I was trying to make.

What I wanted to know is, have you ever seen a silver ring inlaid with diamonds?

It belonged to his biological mother, and he always carried it with him. But it wasn't in the bag sent back by your company.

If you watched him die... then surely you know what happened to it. Were you the one who took it? If so, give me back my brother's things.

No... I-I have no idea. I've never seen him with a ring like that... Maybe it got lost.

...How could Carl possibly lose that ring?

Finally done with the last one... Let's take a look. Oho, number 120.

With just a few strokes of the pen, a hundred and twenty people have been sent to the frontier.

Well, you better keep that pen moving or you'll be next.

Sylvia, mind getting the lights? I'm going to go lie down for a sec.

A hundred and twenty people...

......

Carl... What should I do?

What else... is there for me to do...?

Since you don't know where it is... Head back, Jessica. Thanks for sending me off.

Honestly, I'm grateful that you convinced Dad to choose the house. Now, even if I decide to leave... he won't be left with nothing.

At the end of the day, those shares did nothing but make him feel a bit better. Not a damn thing.

If... If he ultimately wasn't able to keep the house, w-would you still have chosen to leave?

...I don't know. I don't want to be an obstinate fool, but... I don't want to be an ingrate either.

Alright, this is goodbye for real, Jessica.

......

Why are you still following me? What do you hope to accomplish? What can you even do at this point?

I-I'm not sure myself... All I know is... I don't think you should leave like this.

Please, go back already. I'm begging you.

You're holding a golden nail in your hand. It's extremely valuable, but... please don't use it to repair paper houses.

In the end, no matter how hard you work at it, all you'll be left with are a few extra holes.

Paper that thin will crumble under its weight anyway.

Go back to where you belong, the house swathed in silver and gold. Find a place where you can drive that nail in. That's where it truly belongs.

......

So please, just stop following me. Alright?

......

Has Benny gone back yet?

Yes, Woodrow. I saw him home.

Then why ain't you heading back, too?

I won't be able to fall asleep even if I do. I wanted a little bit of time to myself.

What the hell did that brat say to you?

Just something... very reasonable. It reminded me of...

Oh?

It reminded me of a few things. A few things I should've already known.

...Ever since I was little, helping others was like grabbing a little yellow toy fowlbeast in a crystal-clear bathtub. All I had to do was extend my hand, and I'd be able to prevent the tub from spilling over.

But that's because the faucet built with the wealth and authority bestowed to me only dispensed the warmest, clearest water. That's why everything around me always looked so pristine.

But as soon as I stepped out from that bathtub, from my family circle, I came face-to-face with... reality.

...Reality is a murky quagmire. When you reach in, you have no idea what you'll pull out. Or what you'll touch.

There's no reason for you to agonize over this.

To be blunt, nothing you did meant a damn thing to Benny's final decision.

I watched that kid grow up. He's been full of good ideas since he was little. Great ideas. He...

He really takes after someone I once knew. When he sorts things out in his head and makes up his mind, he'll set off in a straight line and never look back. He'll clear a path forward, but no way back.

Sounds like... an extremely determined person. Almost irrationally so.

Hardly. He was the most rational person I know: the source of all our problems, as well as the solutions, can only be found on the road ahead of us.

I... I'm a bit jealous of people like that. Being that perceptive at a young age must save you a lot of unnecessary detours.

Don't ever envy people for that, Jessica.

...Why do you say that?

Because they'll end up bald. Not a single strand of hair.

...Thanks for the reassurance.