Sword Reforged in War

.....How long has it been since he's moved?

Ten minutes.

How can he still be standing with such grievous wounds from the battle with the Nachzehrer king...

It was never his body alone that kept him upright, or he would have never made it out of the Mausoleum of Kings.

Vina, don't get close to him. He's off his rocker!

I have to. I have to know for sure.

But he almost killed you back in the underground, Vina!

Let her do it.

Something's not right with the Steam Knight... Sir Charles. Siege probably sensed it too.

But—

Trust her.

...

I've never seen you like this, not even back in the Mausoleum of Kings.

The war is over. You've protected Victoria. You've completed your mission.

(Steam hissing)

What are you still searching for? The sword? Sorry. It was lost somewhere on the battlefield.

(Steam hissing)

Or perhaps you're waiting for something else?

You're looking at the Palace of Westhaleg. I understand now.

You're not the only one. Many more are looking over at the palace.

(Steam hissing)

I never believed you'd gone mad.

Sir Charles, this is our second official meeting.

I once hoped that if you found your way out of the darkness, you would find something worth protecting.

We've already made it this far. Please wait a little longer, until I return.

(Steam hissing)

Why is it taking so long? Could there be other enemies inside?

Should we go and help?

Quiet! Have faith in Her Royal Highness Alexandrina!

Can't you see that even the Steam Knight is waiting here in silence?

I've heard the crown is still inside. Do you think that when she comes out, we'll have a new King?!

Something's not right here. Based on our intelligence, there shouldn't be any more of the Military Commission's forces left.

There should be nothing left in that palace.

Are we just gonna stand here like idiots? We oughta just go in and see for ourselves!

...

I'll go.

There are better choices—

Well, we're the only ones who can drive the Crawler.

As long as we've got the Crawler, we've nothing to fear. We'll be protected, even against the Steam Knight.

There she is! She's coming out!

Where's the crown? Why isn't she wearing the crown?

Quiet, you moron! She hasn't been coronated yet. Why would she be wearing the crown already?

What's that in her hands? Is that the devils' flag?

Good people of Victoria. The Nachzehrer King is dead.

I have torn down this flag that the enemy has stabbed into the heart of our great Londinium.

We will tear down every Sarkaz banner left in our home and drive out every enemy still consumed by their bloodlust!

But please, spare the unarmed ones. Spare anyone willing to surrender.

The war is over! We must not avenge slaughter with more slaughter, nor meet hatred with more hatred!

I, Vina Victoria, wish to speak to all the heroes who have fought to defend our Victoria.

Hear me. We have liberated Londinium, liberated Victoria!

In these coming days, months, and years——

We must revive Victoria! We shall revive Victoria!

You could have killed me, back then.

The despicable meeting her end at the hands of her hero... That would have been the perfect ending to her story.

So why must the despicable be the one to bid farewell to the hero?

...

Sir Charles, you have completed your mission.

My father once taught me that every Steam Knight returning triumphantly from his mission would have a squire to remove his armor and wipe away the dust—

Allow me to remove your armor.

...It has long fused with your body.

I will keep your core. I promise that your heart will never stop burning. It will bear witness to Victoria's future.

Sir Charles, you've seen the things you hoped to protect restored to their former brilliance.

Have you any final words, good Steam Knight?

'Victoria.'

'The Oath of Sir Charles Lynch, the final words of the last Steam Knight.'

You never abandoned yourself, even when Victoria abandoned you...

Ha... 'Steam Knight', I don't deserve that title, nor this set of armor.

This war has already claimed too many lives.

I hope yours is the last. Goodbye, Sir Charles Lynch.

Listen. They're all bidding you farewell.

You made the right choice. You are standing exactly where you belong.

As am I.

Londinium does not need any more heroes, Vina.

What are you looking at, Vina?

The Steam Knight is gone. He has completed his mission.

——? That steam... I thought it was like last time—

This time is different.

Then we...

There is no need to bother him. Someone is already seeing him off.

Alright.

Vina, what should we do next?

They're waiting for you.

...

Then I will show them all, Delphine.

...is this the Speaker's answer? She sent you, her old comrades, to drive us away?

No. Guarding the Sineselde is only one of the Defense Forces' responsibilities. Justice is justice, Hoff.

Heroes shouldn't be treated this way. Diane and all The Exemplars who bled don't deserve this, do they, Commander?

I understand what you're saying, but this isn't how Parliament makes decisions.

We cannot let this become a precedent.

I do not know politics, Captain. I only know that Diane is a good person. If Parliament insists, many hearts will be lost.

And you, sir? You still will not yield?

I know Diane well. She would never act out of selfishness. Nor does she have any ties with the nobility.

Therefore, I humbly ask the Speaker to take time out of her busy schedule to reconsider Diane's verdict.

This was a decision rendered by the provisional court. Diane broke into the locked throne room in direct defiance of Parliament.

We also know Diane very well, but... I'm afraid there's nothing—

—Diane?!

Yes. She's the one who introduced us to you!

After the war, we lost our homes and nearly our lives. If it weren't for her constant encouragement, I'd probably still be passed out in a barrel of ale.

You don't think she's a bad person either, do you? It's just that Vina—

Speaker Vina, sorry. It's a force of habit. Speaker Vina must have made a mistake.

We've all gone to her office, but I feel like just having numbers on our side might not be enough... Feist, your words carry more weight—please, I'm begging you.

Sorry, but I have to assume that if Parliament put Diane on trial, they must have also allowed her to present a defense.

No matter how strange or unfair I think their decision is, having Speaker Vina force them to change it at the last minute would be even more unfair.

But Diane's case should be treated differently. We just barely survived the war, and now she's going to die over something so stupid?

Listen to the radio. Listen to the patrons in the bars. You'll hear that nobody's happy about this decision.

What do you think, Catherine? You said we could lodge our complaints with Vina anytime.

I think Diane is just a stupid girl who did a stupid thing. Nothing more.

She means well, but what she did was moronic. She defied a direct order of Parliament and left Vina with no other choice.

So, you're planning to turn down the pharma rep?

How do you expect me to convince Parliament?

...

Actually, Vina does have a chance to solve this. With her reputation, persuading Parliament to impose a lighter punishment is not impossible.

But many eyes are watching as she makes her final decision.

This is just one of the many tricky issues that the Speaker of Londinium's Parliament has to face. A hero may be able to save everyone in a war, but...

—Lady Delphine.

We spent quite a bit of time trying to find you.

Me?

In just one day, Diane's case caused quite an uproar across Londinium. We briefly investigated who was spreading the news and inciting the public.

So... Parliament wants me to shut up.

No, Eliseo. Compared to deliberate acts of sabotage, your actions have had significantly less impact.

Actually, we all admire you for fighting so hard for someone you have not known for very long.

—?

Vina understands how you feel. She wanted to come see you in person, but I stopped her.

I apologize, but Madame Speaker has more urgent matters to attend to presently.

Is there... absolutely no room for negotiation regarding Diane's case?

No. Vina could change things. We all know that.

Frankly, this is a very sad case. However, it will serve as a message from Parliament to all the citizens.

...

I saw that you requested to review Parliament's records, so you must be well aware of Diane's charges, the defense that she herself presented, and the various PMs' opinions of her.

The citizenry has collectively established Londinium's current laws, and the provisional court made its judgment of Diane in accordance with those laws. Isn't this how you do things in Columbia?

But she's a war hero—shouldn't her merits outweigh her faults?

That's a notion steeped in reason, yet brimming with arrogance.

I often come across this phrase in history books, usually said by old Victorian kings.

But if Vina crosses this line and the others allow it to happen, then what is the point of having Parliament?

How would our Parliament be any different from the one where the king himself served as Speaker?

I don't know the answer to that question, Eliseo, but none of us want to take the risk of finding out.

Parliament will not interfere with any of your endeavors. However, as far as Diane's case is concerned, I'm sorry—this is Parliament's decision, and it cannot be changed.

Diane never told me, specifically, what kind of soldier she was during the war. Most of the time, she talked to me about her hopes for Londinium's future.

Most of the people I meet in Londinium harbor high hopes and dreams for the city's future.

This is the city's great fortune. Our duty is to ensure we never let its people down.

I see.

The herbs Diane grew in the greenhouse against all odds will mature in February. I hear they can alleviate the excruciating pain of Oripathy.

I'll wait until they mature and take some samples back to Columbia.

Okay. If you need any help before then, just let us know.

Actually, when I first arrived in Londinium, I was also curious as to what kind of person Speaker Vina was...

Fuel inventory report... Comprehensive report on all city sanatoriums... Report on Oripathy suppressant distribution...

I hope this works.

...I'm sorry, Diane.