TW-ST-1 Under the Old Oak

......

Schultz Severin... This is your third pack of the day.

Schultz?

Oh, sorry, Uncle...

I need my tobacco. You're right, of course. Alcohol and tobacco are bad habits. Don't be like me.

But your cough keeps getting worse.

We're off the clock. No need to be so formal. How many times have I told you? Never mind.

*Sigh*... They made you come all the way out here!

The bunch of old schemers. They won't even come to me themselves. They send out a little girl to get hurt——*Cough* *cough*, *cough* *cough*!

Calm down, Uncle! I volunteered. I thought it would be better to tell you myself.

*Wheeze*——*cough* *cough*, *cough* *cough*——

You really have to quit smoking and drinking. Look how bad you've gotten...

I've more or less figured it out. Damn it.

Well, there was a heated discussion back in council. The young people hid in the parlor. No one dared to speak.

No, no one helped me. I couldn't convince anyone on my own. I'm sorry.

The situation has been tense since the town went off course. We don't need to be standing on ceremony anymore. Not that anyone would listen to students and kids, even if they did speak up.

And then what happened?

The councilors agreed that because it was impossible to distinguish between Infected and the state of their infection, it's better safe than sorry...

......

The bodies need to be buried outside the town. And of course... no funerals.

*Sigh*...

I... I'm sorry...

But some of them are people of Wolumonde. Our own. We can't just abandon them.

Eckehard was the best tailor in town. He took over the shop from his father. We wouldn't have weddings without him.

And poor Biederman. He lost his job as a Catastrophe Messenger because of the Great Rift. But he's trying to atone. He is strong.

Kevin wasn't Infected. He worked hard for his wife. He was a good husband.

And Thorwald, he——*cough* *cough*, *hack* *cough*——

No more smoking, Schultz. Thor even said so.

Can you accept it, child? Honestly? Forget what the old schemers think.

I... I don't know...

I just want Thor to be buried so he can rest in peace. I don't want people treating him like he's a threat when he's already dead... to be tossed out there... to the elements.

Alright.

Why do we have to treat them like that? We never did anything like that before.

And that Oripathy doctor. She was incredible. She refused to abandon Wolumonde. All four of them have the right to a decent burial, but——

Putting them together with the Infected——

We should just be blaming the fire.

I know.

But... But let's save that for later. For now, we can't just dump their remains.

I contacted the nearest Gendarmerie, and they will have experts on the rescue team to assist with the investigation. Until then, we'll keep the bodies where I can care for them.

Once we have specialists on scene, we can treat the dead with appropriate care.

We can still get help?

They could be a month out, depending on the exact length of the rift. It could honestly be several months.

Wolumonde is getting worse and worse every day now that we're off course. Everyone is saying we'll have to head around the whole Great Rift to get back on track.

But if the Great Rift is that big, if the detour is too long...

Anyway, we have to wait.

Give me a minute with Thor. I think... I think I'm entitled to that.

If the old schemers want to leave my boy in the middle of nowhere, they'll have to shoot their own Schultz.

They'll have to shoot me.

They won't! We all know how much you've done for the town!

...No, forget I said that.

I can't say that at a time like this. The Schultz can't talk like that. We have work to do.

But Thor is still your son!

Tatjana, you go back and tell them. Tell them...

Tell them...

Tell them I agree. *Cough*. I agree with them.

*Cough* *cough* cough*, *cough* *cough*——

......

They came back.

Hm.

Thanks to the locals, we were able to slip into the nearby town and replenish our supplies.

The hunters will be back soon. Hope we get something today. I'm sick of sandworms. Two days is enough.

Hm.

How about water?

Not an issue. Gotta thank them for that too.

But seriously, I don't like talking to them. I always feel like they're looking down on me.

Hm.

It looks like Wolumonde is going to start migrating again soon. We have to see some results by then.

We have help. It will be good.

Help...? Maybe.

But I don't trust the local Infected. They're just out for revenge.

Leithanien is better to the Infected than most places are. And since everyone here uses Arts, they don't have much reason to fear or persecute them.

And isn't it enough that the Infected can have a decent life here without being sent straight to the gallows?

I think they're just a bunch of thugs, stealing our name for their own purposes—

Name?

What's in... a name?

Erm...

We don't trust them... fine. But... who do we trust? Who should we trust?

Can you stop talking so creepily? Whatever you say, captain.

...Thank you.

Oh, a leaf. It fell on your head...

Huh? What?

A few boxes of dried meat. Fresh-picked fruit. Water. It's early autumn. Still a long way to winter...

We have time.

Okay. You're still kind of confusing me with that talk.

Anyway, it's your call when to start the war.

War? No...

Huh?

Look. The hunters are back.

Seems our food will be better tonight.

I hope so. We should eat more meat while we can. Food is going to be a big problem come winter.

......

Did Bob ever write back?

Haven't heard from him since we got to Leithanien... Erm, by the way, I've been meaning to ask...

Like, was his code name 'Bob' and they started calling him 'Big Bob' because he's a big guy, or was he 'Big Bob' from the start?

...I don't remember.

Whatever. They're bounty hunters. Maybe they found the treasure.

Treasure. Hm.

It would be nice... if there was a treasure to help us too.

It's been 27 days!

How could she take so long to make contact? She's obsessed with punctuality!

......

Atro... where are you...?

Folinic?

Oh, Lisa... Err, I'm supposed to call you Operator Suzuran now, huh?

It's a good code name.

Hehe, thanks!

You've been watching the communication room for 20 hours now. Aren't you going to take a break?

Has it been that long?

Yes! So please go to the break room and get some rest. I'll take over for you.

Okay... It's really been that long...

Still no word from Atro?

None yet. I already put in an application to go to Leithanien. If Amiya approves, I'll leave right away.

Leithanien? Don't you have work to do?

She's my classmate, and my best friend. I can't... I won't abandon her.

Atro's last contact was with the office in northern Leithanien. Unless something big happened, she wouldn't go far from there.

Then I'll go too!

No.

Huh?! Harsh...

You- you just want to find Atro, right? It won't be dangerous?

Who knows what the situation could be.

That's okay! I'm a fully accredited operator now, and a student of Dr. Kal'tsit!

And I can't stand seeing my big sister Folinic's worried face all the time! I have to do something!

*Sigh*. I never imagined little Lisa would worry about me someday. Everything's all out of order lately.

Big or small, we all have worries.

Well, okay! I reported in to the local branch office anyway. If anything goes wrong, they'll send help.

Let's just wait for Amiya's approval and then we'll go together. But you'll have to stay close by me.

A message? Is it Atro?

......

No. It's a brief, sent by an operator in Leithanien who received our message.

Folinic?

Atro was spotted in a small town in Leithanien... And about one month ago...

That town suffered a Catastrophe.