Snowfall, Blackening the Land

Talulah, is something wrong?

......

What?

You've been pretty gloomy the past couple months. Did something happen?

Nothing... nothing at all.

I haven't spent that much time with everyone here, but going by what I've heard from the others, I got the impression you used to be a bit more... energetic?

Hey, watch it, buddy. Talulah's not often down in the crowd like this. Why don't you try repeating what you just said to the captain and see if he appreciates it?

Yeah, can't say I have the balls.

Patriot isn't as scary as it sounds. The Shieldguards are all like this. Don't let it get to you.

He just hasn't been talking much because of his throat problems lately... and his silence can be intimidating.

As for how I'm doing... Don't worry.

Yeah... I just have a lot going on in my mind. Our team is getting closer and closer to the Ursus cities. and there's a lot we need to thrash out. I probably gave you that impression because I've been really trying to rack my brain.

Yeah, you're right. We're running low on provisions, and we don't have enough manpower. If this goes on, we aren't going to last much longer.

That's right, and that's why we need to pay extra attention to what all the outside forces are up to.

First of all, we need to make contact with the local Infected groups and diaspora as soon as we can.

And aside from that, there are bound to be people trying to track us down... If we take even one wrong step and fall into their trap, all of us will have end up in a snowy grave.

That doesn't sound good.

Of course it doesn't, but as long as we plan our route carefully, we won't find ourselves in that situation.

...So that's why, the most important task we have at hand is to minimize our losses.

Breaking up our teams might conceal our movement better, but then communications will become a problem.

Oh, right, we can't use those comms we took from the Ursus. We don't have their transmitters.

This will put our liaisons and recon units in unnecessary danger.

It's a drain on resources to train someone to use the guerrillas' code words. If we want distribute whole sets of comms to everyone, we'll need to get our hands on the prototype somehow...

Talulah... Talulah! Our recon units were ambushed!

That's nothing. Why do you need her to clean you...

Shut up! This is nothing like what we've faced! Poor bastard fell over before any of us even figured out who the enemy was!

They pinpointed our recon caster and ambushed him with exact precision! We've never seen anything like that from the patrol units...!

Whenever something concerns our teammates, we can't just brush it aside.

Yeti, take me there.

Shieldguard, we might've encountered an Ursus Army platoon. Come with me.

Yes, ma'am!

Remember, even if they are just an advance team, be extra careful. If something goes wrong, we might have a large-scale retaliation waiting for us. We need to avoid that at all costs!

Understood!

Runner, inform Patriot immediately!

Tell FrostNova right away—Ugh! Ah, *cough*...!

Kondrasha!!

You!

Hang in there, Yeti!

Aghh!!

What...? What just happened?! Quick! S-Set him down here! Take that goddamned spear out!

(...What's going on? The black spear... grew out of his body?!)

(No, it can't be... The Empire's monsters?! What are they doing here?!)

*Hiss*...

Ngh, ugh... Ungh!

What? Think you're all that?!

I'll show you what for! Let's go! Get him!

Stop...!

What are you doing? Why are you stopping me?!

You have no idea... You have no idea what you're facing! You don't even know what exactly he is, and you want to get yourself killed?!

*Hiss*...

What are you so freaked out for?! We've got this many people on our side!

(Smashes shield into the ground)

Ugh?!

Do you want to get yourself killed?!

...That's...

That's the goddamned Ursus Royal Guard!

...To think the Shieldguards have fallen this low.

Take my advice. Kill yourselves now.

All Shieldguards, back in formation! Protect the other soldiers!

Remember! Don't give him any openings!

*Hiss*...

There is fear abound in the air.

The Infected next to you isn't ready at all.

...I...

Don't be afraid! The more afraid you are, the more likely he will kill you!

He may attack at any moment! Eyes open! Don't take your eyes off of him for even one second!

......

Looks like I'm leaving empty-handed again. These three cities need to be cut off from the information net for being completely useless.

Infected.

Ugh, ugh...! What are you so smug for?! You...

Surrender to the local garrison, or I will slice all your mouths and noses off and bringing them with me.

M-Mouths and noses... Isn't that...

...The Liches... The Facerending Liches! I-I thought that was just a made up fairy tale...?!

You mean... we are looking at them right now?! The Liches that slice faces off of bodies after killing everyone, leaving behind nothing but a bunch of nameless corpses in the forest?!

How long have these guys been around...? I first heard the story... T-They could only be Liches!

No, they aren't legends, and they aren't the Demons in the fairy tales! They're murderers and executioners!

How are we even supposed to fight Liches?! We are no match for these guys! We're just people, just normal people!

The Infected... called himself normal.

*Huff*...

...You... You...

Help... Help me...

Don't run away!

All of you, stay right where you are! You'll die if you run!

He's not even human! How are we supposed—

I'll kill anyone who runs!

What?!

Like it or not, you're now in the same boat as everyone else. If the defense line falls, everyone will die!

They are nowhere as terrifying as you think. They're still made of flesh and blood! Not even the Royal Guards can take down the Shieldguards' layers of defense without a tough fight...

...But if you're scared, you will become their breakthrough. They'll start with you when the killing starts!

We're both among the strongest forces in Ursus, and yet the Shieldguards choose to oppose us and stand with the Infected. How foolish.

These are truly unfortunate times.

He's unsheathing his blade! Shieldguards, shields up!! Hold!

......

......

*Hiss*...

...He... He's not attacking?

...Something is burning. I can smell it.

Ahh... My body's starting to warm up...

—Could it be... she's here?!

She's here! She's here! Relax, everyone, she's here! Even the Liches are no match for her flames!

...Don't let your guard down! The Royal Guards aren't...

You wanted to bring whose what back with you now?!

*Huff*...

You hurt my people. If you turn to violence, then we will return the favor—

With violence—

......

I see you.

3, 7, 22, 36. 【Code words】, 【Code words】.

...What are the Ursus Royal Guards... doing here?!

*Huff*...

Talulah... You shouldn't have come. You should've waited for the Captain...!

You want to know why we are here.

We are here because we are looking for the duke's daughter. In other words, you. We need to assess the situation.

What did you just call me?

The duke's daughter, and bear this in mind. Given your social standing, surely there are more civilized vocabularies you could use to refer to us.

Huh?

...Whose daughter did you just call me?

You deny the truth, as you are wont to.

You think I'm the daughter of a snake?!

Anger... and it stems from your irritation... You want to run away from the truth.

The 'Emperors' Blade'...? *Spit*! You came all the way here today to mock me? Or are you here to kill me?!

*Hiss*.

—Protect Talulah!

(My brothers! The Royal Guards may be fierce, but there's only one of them! We have Talulah leading the charge, and we'll hold the line! With the rest of you supporting us, we'll definitely...)

(...My Infected brothers?)

......

(The duke's daughter? What is he talking about?)

*Hiss*.

You didn't tell them who you really are.

Is this part of your plan?

...Plan...? What plan?

How dare you mock her?!

You better watch who you are talking to before you try to provoke someone and turn people against her, executioner. My identity has nothing to do with the goal we are working toward here.

You can only turn one against another if there existed trust between them in the first place. I doubt there is any trust between you and the rest of them.

I can only surmise... You believe the trust they have for you will remain unscathed even after they come to know who you really are.

All that coming from a masked villain that carries out covert massacres at the Ursus Empire's behest? I'm afraid no one here needs to be criticized by your kind.

Your words are strong... and confident.

If this is as you expected... Very well, I must reassess the situation.

I bid you goodbye, then. Remember this well. There is one thing we share with the people standing around you.

We have no trust in you. You must take action to earn even the tiniest trickle of trust.

......

Stop.

*Hiss*... You have a question?

You attacked my people. You know we are here.

Am I perhaps misunderstanding you?

Who are you trying to rat our secrets out to?

*Huff*...

Which secret?

Soldiers, we can't let him give away our location!

(Talulah, are you confident... you can defeat a Royal Guard?)

(If we don't do this, we'll face even more losses down the line... We'll have the Patrol Unit and even the Ursus army hunting us down day and night!)

(It takes the Royal Guards time to respond to our actions.)

(Only if we bring the enemy in front of us under control now will we have the choice between retreating or pressing forward later. If we want to be able to pick, we have to act now!)

Besides, while we may need to raise our guards against him, we have no reason to fear him. He represents fear, but fear doesn't stand a chance against our anger for our unjust treatment.

—She's right. The guerrillas have no reason to fear the empire's murderers.

How can we still call ourselves the Aegis of the Infected if we just tremble in fear? A lone man is no match for all of us, united! He's just a lone executioner, nothing more!

You are mistaken about one thing... I am not here alone.

There is one more of us behind you.

......

There's two of them...?

So what? Just the two of you trying to cut off the dozens of us? Ridiculous!

Daughter of Kashchey, allow me to postulate that you've come to the following conclusion: Your peers will not be suspicious of you merely because of your identity.

Then let us verify the results. If your judgment proves incorrect, then the promise your father made to us shall be considered void.

What is he talking about...?

......

What are you people daydreaming about?!

Snap out of it! They're not just after Talulah!

...What?!

Do you think these murderers will just let the rest of us go once she's dead?

Protect Talulah!

No... Protect the soldiers!

First, push them back! After that, secure a way out! Finally, protect yourselves!

Don't think too hard about it all right now! Just do everything you can to stay alive!

After all... there is nothing we can do if we aren't alive. If they kill us here, it'll all be over!

Live!

What you said could not be more different than how your father would see it.

...I am afraid you may only prove to be a disappointment, leader of the Northern Tundra Infected.

I'm not a leader.

I am just... an Infected. I have no reason to impress you.