No Less Than a Pie

(Sigh of relief) I'm so glad to hear.

Doctor, come on, you try some too—

Ah, one moment, Doctor. This portion's for you.

Specialized according to your tastes, slightly differently seasoning to suit you even better, I think.

Heheh! You like that kind of flavor, don't you? I tweaked the traditional methods a little, make your taste buds a happy camper.

Only natural I do, my memory's strong stuff. The old Doctor's most favorite pie was flavored just like...

...Ah.

S—Sorry. You don't remember it, do you, Doctor?

I'm sorry, it's my fault. The moment I get careless I just start blurting out...

Thank you, Doctor...

See, the Doctor says it's fine too, Savage. Today's pie tastes just like the one from memory! I feel like the carrot's even tastier, on top of that.

I've been practicing the whole time these last few years. Even though it was a completely solitary life, ha, haha...

I'd share my pies out for my family, my coworkers and my neighbors to try when I made them.

The part of you that loves taking care of people hasn't changed a bit, Savage.

Mmm, so sweet...

There really is something different about Rim Billiton's local specialty carrots. We might've spent a lot of energy getting them, but we didn't go wrong in the end.

Strewth, it makes me angry just thinking about it. If it wasn't for those awful merchants...

Huh? Did something unsavory happen?

I was dying to make carrot pie for all the Rhodes Islanders, and then we ended up trying for so long to buy any tinned Rim Billiton carrots...

Obviously I made a ginormous platter for my family just a month before I came, and then suddenly there's no tinned carrots on sale once I'm here? That just doesn't add up, does it?

So, I went and consulted a very particular 'business expert'...

(It's Croissant, isn't it...)

Only then did I learn, it was because of some Victorian merchants hyping up how Rim Billiton's carrots preserve your youth, keep you especially healthy, and are even surprisingly good for your skin...

Huh? Sure, everyone knows carrots keep you healthy, but, um, what exactly do they preserve...

I thought it was ridiculous as well, but the 'expert' told me all the customers believe it hook, line and sinker now, thanks to that merchant hype.

Especially once they declared Rim Billiton carrots more effective than all the rest. Tins instantly went faster than people could buy them, and prices just sailed up and up...

These carrots were a nightmare to get. I had to ask a favor of a neighbor's farm, if they could tin some carrots themselves and send them by post. It's all their own personal stock.

I mean, really. What does all this weird promotion hope to accomplish in the end, eh—

It truly is inscrutable... but merchants taking advantage of consumer mentality seems, um, like a reasonable occurrence.

Well, I was absolutely pissed off when I first heard the news!

These merchants, using rumors to drive up the price of a tin of Rim Billiton carrots, selling out a whole year's crop in advance, leaving even Rim Billitonians with not a tin themselves to eat...

My 'expert' even mentioned how if the price flies too high, some more merchants'll crawl out and trick Rim Billiton's growers into switching all their crops to carrots...

Once the prices fall back down, then the carrots'll be impossible to sell.

They've smashed up the farmers' own plans for growing self-sufficiently, and if they get hit by losses in future, they'll all be fuming with the merchants and they'll have to start resisting...

And then we'll have another 'Cage Incident'-type mess!

If rumors like these are left unchecked, things might turn very dangerous indeed.

Ah, have you heard someone else mention it before, Doctor?

It's the point at which Rim Billiton's Autonomous County of Eureka established itself. The incident took place between three Rim Billiton cities, and the locals consider it a major event.

Might be a tough job to explain it in one dinnertime.

To put it simply, it was a Victorian merchant lot who had an idea to make use of a small-scale nomadic city between two counties, so they could strike even more Rim Billiton ore.

They steered that city's people into seizing the local ore, and then snatched it to take it off to Victoria for their own gains... The peak of sickness, ugh.

So, the Incident part comes because the people lead the way, shake free of this fence the Victorian merchants set up called the 'Cage'...

After that, they jointly establish an even more self-deciding Autonomous County of Eureka, and get control of the city back over to Rim Billiton. It was an amazing operation, if you ask me!

During those times, Savage put in so much work to help the local people fight for their rights. She's a kind of minor celebrity in Rim Billiton.

*cough*, *cough* *cough*. It wasn't that big a deal. I mean, with your wisdom and ability, Doctor, sorting out a dispute like that's probably a piece of cake...

Even so, the 'Cage Incident' clearly proves how the people of Rim Billiton are able to protect the land they're proud of, so why...

That's what I'm saying! We've only had a few short years of peace, too... bloody hell, I just knew those merchants'd never follow trade conduct or any kind of standard routine.

But... Savage, your reaction says you have an idea of what to do already, don't you?

Heheh, that's my Amiya. Got me pegged down to a T.

I've already had the Messenger send a letter to my old home's people, let them know they can't be even a mite careless.

If they all change to carrot crops then they're bang in the merchants' trap. They've gotta talk it over with the farmers' union. Those lot aren't gonna just sit back and watch this situation unravel.

We can't let irrational profits booms flip the underlying people's lives upside down... long and short is, we can't ever be controlled by merchants again!

Hehe. This is just like you, Savage.

Um... I mean how you act as swift as the wind—that part of you hasn't changed one bit!

Well, of course! Who changes that easily? Just look, I dropped all my work to come sprinting over this way because I had you and the Doctor on my mind, too.

That's true...!

Essentially, customers buying Rim Billiton's tinned carrots should all be cheerily sampling the delicacies we're so proud of.

Fine food is a thing to make people feel happy, and not some kind of 'cure-all' sham!

We can't keep letting other regions' powers keep taking inches while dreaming of miles. Last it was Originium ore, now it's carrots... who knows what the next time'll be?

They want our resources, and they want our local people offering up their lives. I just...

Even though I've left Rim Billiton, I just can't stomach looking on while they snatch away everything that never belonged to them, right off Rim Billiton's own land.

Savage...

Aww, don't look like that now. You don't need to worry about me.

Of course I'm not! I just think, you really do shine so brightly now.

Oh, even if I make a show of it, I can only actually do so little... I—I'm not the sort who can put my inside ideals into words, get other people standing firm in their own beliefs.

...But, y'know, Amiya, I'm a grown-up who's experienced a hell of a lot, too.

What I know is, there's times... most times, when there's very little open for us to do. But doing something or other's always gonna beat the pants off just sitting here, watching things get worse.

When you detect a crisis, you should snap to do something, or else trying to remedy a blown situation after the fact, you'll have no way to make back what's already been lost.

Mm, that's all. It's just some personal experience of mine, doing some of what I can. It's worth bounding about all over the place.

I can understand.

Amiya...

I can understand it. After all, Rhodes Island is just the same.

Eh, Rhodes Island too?

Mmhm. I... we—have always persevered to do every little thing in our power.

It's my belief that settling any one minor conflict helps us work towards our ultimate objective.

Couldn't have put it better myself! *sniff*—ah, hearing you say that makes me really happy...

Huh? Ah, did—did I say something wrong? Savage, don't cry, please don't cry!

You didn't! You didn't, you said it just right, I'm just—just a little moved.

*sniffle*—When we parted before, you were still so little... and now you've become so... so incredible, already...

Wah! Calm down, Savage, calm down a little, don't hug me so tight... ugghh...

Truthfully, I was worried at the start too. I'd been away from you for so long. How would you react to how I've changed...

Heheh, you can relax on that front, Amiya.

In my view, the leader of Rhodes Island eating Rim Billiton pie today's the same as you of the past, clinging to me all over Babel so I'd tell you stories. You're kind, adorable, modest, considerate of others—

You're someone I'm willing to share my strength and time with. You're the one I trust in, and the friend who most trusts in me.

Savage, I've finished eating.

Perfect. Tinned carrots have a best-by of forever, so I'll store them up properly, and next we have time for a party, I'll make you all another batch then.

How's a monthly Rim Billiton Specialty Dish-Tasting Do sound?

Hehe, I'm already starting to look forward to it.

That's right, Doctor, about just now...

Um... that is, about before...

Ah, I'll go and clean up the table.

I have some quite pressing work after this, so could I count on you to help Savage put away the surplus ingredients, Doctor?

I'll be off, then. Sorry to trouble you, Doctor. At least you can have a nice chat with Savage.

Ah, Amiya, you don't need to go out of your way to—

Off she runs. Honestly, the kid still keeps minding other people as much as ever.

Sorry, Doctor, could I take up a bit of your time? I invited Ansel and Rope to come taste too, but they'll be a bit late. The pie should be going in the oven more or less now.

Mm-hm, thank you, Doctor.

There's some things I want to talk to you about. We can go over it bit by bit while we're cooking.

......

Just a very little scrap of it. The Doctor I saw...

Ah, no, no, I signed a confidentiality agreement with Kal'tsit, I can't talk about it!

Actually, I don't even know what I can talk to you about, and what I can't.

I don't understand the details, but I more or less get your situation from the chat I had with Miss Kal'tsit in advance, so I've been panicking this entire time if I'd leak something by accident.

But seeing Amiya just like she used to be, still happily going around with you... I think, I'm gonna end up chatting about that stuff with you anyway!

Fact is, thinking about it, I don't even have any secrets I can't tell you.

My memories... aside from personalities being a bit different, the way you and Amiya get along hasn't changed, and the way Amiya and me get along hasn't changed. So, should be the same as before for you and me too.

A very mighty one, I'll have you know!

Practically nothing you didn't know; you'd dispense an answer no matter what I asked you. Anything you forecast would end up happening, and when it came to commanding combat, you were even more...

Ah-ah, stop—no, can't say any more than that.

Ahem, basically... Doctor, you presented Amiya, me, and a whole lot of people who used to know you 'knowledge.'

There's a hell of a lot I couldn't teach Amiya. All I could do was be by her side for a while when she was young. But you, you were able to guide other people.

Oh, yeah! If I can't talk about the past when it has to do with you, I may as well mention what happened after you and I went our separate ways?

Brilliant. Thank you, Doctor.

Once I was back in Rim Billiton back then, I heard nothing more about you or Amiya. But I trusted Amiya was doing her best to grow big, and you'd help her all along the way.

But even if I never found Rhodes Island, found Amiya and you again, I still wouldn't have stayed at Rim Billiton PLC much longer.

Truth is, after I left Amiya and you, I returned to Rim Billiton itself.

Still ensuring workers' safety like ever, taking part in protection and rescue assignments, spending most of the time in the mines.

Rim Billiton's had its own fair share of going-ons these few years... bizarre things taking place more and more often, like the tinned carrot phenomenon.

Not only are other regions grubbing after Rim Billiton, but even in big cities who've always been peaceful, constant mining accidents have made it difficult to keep Infected numbers under control...

And there's no way to ensure how they're treated.

I can understand that whatever's pissing me off, my people off, is getting more frequent by the day. If I kept on under the PLC forever, I wouldn't have the leeway to sort out any of these changes for the unfair.

After I returned to Rim Billiton, that was all the more clear to me. No matter if I dreamed of working away in my home all my life, this world of ours'd gradually come to forbid things go on so steady.

So, I decided once and for all to change.

My only option was to leave Rim Billiton, and figure out what was happening elsewhere across the land, before I could learn what kind of fate us Rim Billitonians might have. As well as... how to protect our peace.

I suppose it was because my ability's pretty good? To tell the truth, I had a lot of other companies inviting me too.

But... once I knew Rhodes Island's leader was Amiya, I came hopping over to this job without a second thought.

Since coming to Rhodes Island, I've been able to see so much more of the changes happening across the world.

It's not just Rim Billiton. Every part of this whole grand stretch of land is gearing to change.

Maybe other places have their own people striving for change, but right now, the ones striving by my side for it... are Amiya, and you, Doctor.

This place has hope. So, I'll do my part, for all of you.

Deciding to leave Rim Billiton was miles from easy. For us born-and-bred Rim Billitonians, leaving needs some groundbreaking courage.

What supported me in leaving somewhere safe and easy was my determination, Amiya's determination—

And now, your determination, Doctor.

Right now... no matter what you've all gone through, or what you'll have to confront.

I'll be going with you.