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endbook rogue 4 3 1
Unlike everything else in the city, laden upon caterpillar tracks, the great main gate of the Holy City of Kazdel—the Pilgrim Gate—is anchored firmly into the soil.
It has not moved an inch since the day it was completed. Neither ruin nor prosperity can touch it. Its coordinates, its perimeter callsign, the geographical features surrounding it, the routes leading to it from other major settlements: all is transcribed and recited by the Legati, who spread it to every corner of this great land. It sees countless visitors. Some seek revelation, some admire its orderliness, some seek a better life, some were compelled by circumstance. But the great gate treats all equally, and admits all. It has never shut its doors, even as Catastrophe approaches.
Ensuring that a situation requiring its closure never arises has been the duty of generation after generation of Holy Gun-Knights.
It is for this reason those Holy Gun-Knights charged with guarding the Gate must perform dozens of kilometers worth of perimeter patrols a day in a limited span of time, write their reports, then return to the Pilgrim Gate before the noon sun, whereupon they proceed to patrol the space between the Gate and the elevators forty-two times. After that comes the night watch, when the holy knights aid those who cannot enter the Holy City as the elevators pause for the night. There, they distribute food and other necessities to the people waiting in the Untarnished Corridor.
When automatons were not yet widespread, these arduous tasks needed many gun-knights working in unison. But nowadays, most of the monotonous, rote duties have been taken up by these machines. While a gun-knight's duties have not changed, the burden has been lightened significantly. There is no longer a need for entire squads to work in concert, and they are no longer required to reside at the foot of the Gate. Buldrokkas'tee is the sole gatekeeper of the modern age. He alone is enough.
'And then? You came back?'
—He alone is enough. Of this, the gun-knight's young daughter was certain.
'Yes. Though I know not why, it is clear they wished to follow the Astray. If I gave the order to fight, I fear there would have been casualties.'
'Casualties among the Holy Knights? Or do you mean among those Astray guys?'
'Is there a difference? We are all compatriots, in the end.'
'Father...'
Yelena sighs, glancing away as though in a sulk. Her eyes dart back and forth as they stubbornly seek gaps between the passersby, finally falling upon the clean white walls of the Untarnished Corridor.
It's named so because of the imposingly high walls flanking it on either side, and also because there was once nothing here other than people traveling to and from the Holy City.
But now, there are the benches she and her father are sitting on, alongside fountains drawing from water trucks to slake the thirst of travelers, as well as facilities such as mobile bathrooms. Lately, peddlers have even begun to sell balloons in all shapes and sizes, and desserts shaped like animals.
All with the permission of the Holy Gun-Knights, of course.
Buldrokkas'tee sits quietly, leaning against the back of the bench as though basking in the sunlight. That said, the light that shines in the Corridor is not truly sunlight. All natural light that shines in is taken and amplified by artificial light sources, all to ensure that not a single shadow blemishes this Corridor.
At the moment, his thoughts are retreating into all the trivia he knows about the Pilgrim Gate, the place he has long since become so intimately familiar with. Even if he would much rather be putting those thoughts to use in giving his daughter his full attention.
This is why he cannot be the first to speak.
Unable to share empathy with his daughter, he struggles to express his own difficulties to her.
He is a Teekaz, and Yelena is a Cautus. They do not share blood.
After several minutes of silence, Buldrokkas'tee cannot stand it any longer.
'Ye—'
'Fa—'
The two of them open their mouths at the same time, then both gesture at the other to go first. The Cautus takes her chance.
'Father, you think Grrovae'zeeal is right, don't you?'
'...'
Her directness surprises him. It is not how she usually speaks. Still, he is still able to get the intent behind her words.
'But he's left Kazdel.'
'He has.'
'You don't want to tell me what your empathy shared between you two.'
'No, I already told you, your brother is also worried you will act rashly—'
'I'm not leaving Kazdel.'
Unlike her words earlier, her steadfast bearing does not surprise the holy gun-knight. He is very familiar with the topic at hand.
'I'm not giving up on the job. I don't have Teekaz empathy, so I'm harder to sway than even the most devout holy knight. I won't be affected by the Astray.
'The Fifth and Seventh Tribunals can vouch for my skills, you know that. No, more than that, you're the one who taught me, aren't you?'
Through the stops and starts, the girl finally finishes speaking. She exhales, then immediately begins thinking of what more to add.
'I'm not scared of Oripathy either. I'm the family of an Apostolic Knight. I have the right to sanctuary.
'Mother also agrees. She says that if you're alright with it, then she is too.
'Well, most importantly, there's no Kazdelian law saying I can't have this job. If my application passes, it'll also be as His Holiness wishes...'
Buldrokkas'tee silently listens to her list reason after reason, just as he has done countless times before.
No, he is not pretending to respect his daughter while waiting for the opportunity to shut her down at the end. On the contrary, every time she does this, he tries to let himself be persuaded. Every time, Yelena's list of reasons becomes more robust, more well-structured. Even Helen has acquiesced to her this time.
If I were her, I would long for this duty, but why?
He cannot share in empathy with his daughter, so he must use the next best thing: try with all his might to 'empathize' with her.
So this time, only after long deliberation and internal struggle does he give his answer, even though he understands she might not see the difference from his past responses.
'I know. When the time is right, I will ask His Holiness what he thinks. Can you wait until then, Yelena?'
'...You see him every day.'
'But as I have said, I don't have the chance to ask his opinion every day. I won't forget.'
'You're meeting with him today, right?'
'...I am. I'll do my best to find an opportunity. I promise.'
'It's bound to happen one day.' The girl puts on a stubborn tone. 'Before then, I promise you I'll come see you while you're on duty.'
'If you do become a holy knight, we'll be meeting while I'm on duty regardless. Now go. I'll see you to the elevators, then I must go meet His Holiness.'
He picks and chooses what he will report to the Pope of Kazdel. Unfortunately, today's report doesn't seem to include Yelena's request.
There's still time, Buldrokkas'tee thinks. Still time to convince himself. Just like the time he confronted his son.
A loss on his part, yet again. His son was right about the Holy City's judgment. His daughter is right when it comes to his condition.
And surely, he thinks, some of that comes from me being their father?
—He still serves peace under the Law today, but does he also serve Its guidance?
—If peace itself is at risk, who should he defend?
Rumor has it that some Teekaz have the power of prophecy. Buldrokkas'tee does not believe he has the ability, but he can sense that change is about to come.
Yelena cannot become a member of the holy knight.
