Battered and Bruised

You've finally made it. I almost got offed by that Redsteel Guard boy.

Her Grace is very dissatisfied with your indolence. Your methods are too tepid.

Or is it that you're coaxing Alexandrina? Playing on her sympathies?

That's a very grave accusation. I'm unconditionally loyal to Her Grace, that much is obvious, I'm just...

We'll review your excuses in hindsight. For now, though, there's no time.

Stay put, Rhodes Islanders.

What are you doing?

Arts in black... Just as the fresh intel described.

You've kept it very well hidden, Rhodes Island. To think this Cautus is the Sarkaz's very Lord of Fiends.

Very interesting... Perhaps this is an issue that can't be solved without you.

Poet, to not have recognized this is a further failure of your duties.

By what means does Her Grace hope for me to remedy this?

While you were chatting with Dublinn, we've had the position of the airship's dock confirmed. It's... treacherous in there.

But our fresh intel tells us the 'Lord of Fiends' will have some way to handle it.

So, little Lord of Fiends, you'll cooperate with us, won't you.

......

And what about that Windermere girl?

Forget trying to make up for things. The technology of the airship is our number one priority.

Think we've notified about everyone we could find.

And that... caps off all we can do.

Amiya isn't back yet, and neither the Doctor nor Ines have been in touch.

Looks like somewhere's caught fire outside again.

That's—where the hotel is.

We'd better go take a look.

*pant*... *pant*...

Delphine? What are you sprinting like that for?

—Where's that Rhodes Island lot?

I'll lay this out straight. Listen up, Alexandrina Vina Victoria.

Amiya and the Doctor got pushed by the 'Trilby Asher' into fulfilling that deal. They need to find the airship.

Duke Wellington's army is on this plate already. Afraid Duke Caster's reinforcements are here too.

They're all out to win the technology behind that Sarkaz airship. None of them will let their rivals have the advantage of getting it first.

Norport's become the dukes' wrestling ring.

Hah. Surprising exactly no one.

What about that broadcast? You know, pushing the dukes into officially attacking this place—

......

Miss Ines says she'll do all she can to make it happen.

To what? What are you telling us?

She says, she needs until sunrise.

Got it.

Assuming the dukes go with direct confrontation after all, how much time do we still have?

As long as Miss Ines succeeds... the Duke of Windermere's high-speed warship should be approaching not long after the sun comes up.

You've got a hell of a lot of people gathered here.

The people who aren't here probably already got the news. Anyone who does want to come with us'll keep with the procession.

So I suggest before the Duke's warship officially encroaches, we continue to wait here.

With the present circumstances... going out in the street's not a good idea.

Doesn't matter if it's Wellington or Caster, they won't hold back against anyone they think's in the way.

No. We're best off leaving now.

The Sarkaz barracks around the barricade wall got ambushed. Odds are more than likely some duke's forces did it.

We should get as close as we can to the part of the wall that's thin on defenses, while it's still night.

More importantly... we need to let them all know, everyone still peeping out from behind their windows, that what we said was true.

This evacuation isn't some scheme to nab the last of their reserves. It's not some Sarkaz trap to wipe them out.

Reestablishing trust is a challenge, and the one and only way to do it—

Is for them to see real action.

......

Here, the books you asked me for last time.

I had to spend an age searching in those Londinium libraries, not even knowing Victorian. Grabbed some poor Feline in the end to find your stuff.

Thank you.

Sometimes I see you writing and drawing in this blank book too.

You don't just read, you write your own stuff too?

I've never been to Kazdel, but I hear they've got a whole Sarkaz university underground there.

Are you a teacher there?

No, I'm just like you. Putting my life up for sale.

Are these books really that fun to read?

They all end fine enough, but similar events keep happening over and over.

All the authors can do is keep writing fine enough endings.

And I've gotten sick of it.

General Manfred made us lock you in here, but hasn't given any further orders since...

How did you offend him?

Maybe, he just thought jail would be more peaceful for me.

It's easier in here... to do whatever I'd actually like to do.

And that's reading?

You really are a boring guy, then.

I hear... us Sarkaz are going to get some real good news, real soon.

So good it'll stun the entire land!

It's just going to be another war.

Has anyone ever told you you're a drag to talk to?

Honestly, yeah.

Seriously... what a drag.

Alright, I'm changing shifts. You behave in here.

Don't forget, you promised to pay me for the books—

......

The crew are all aboard the airship now.

Understood.

Paprika.

Urk... Here!

Have you ever read a book called... A History of Wars of Sarkaz?

No.

You should. I have a copy in my drawer. You can take it.

Is it a very fancy story?

It is a history annals.

You said that already...

Then you shouldn't be asking that sort of question.

I disapprove of near to every viewpoint expressed in it. The weakness, the grief, the crushing.

But still, I recognize that it is a book whose pages are soaked in blood.

How would the writer describe the war we're seeing right now?

......

I'm as curious as you.