NL-ST-4 Uncharted and Hereafter

Something truly unexpected has occurred at the Major! Two championship winners have gone to the Wall of Champions together, an unprecedented event!

Moreover, the Radiant Knight rejected her award from the Knights Association, and left on her own!

What a blasphemous turn of events.

Ow, ow, ow...

Old man, if you can't fight anymore, then keep your head down. Just leave the rest to Maria and Zofia!

Should we step outside? How dare you– Gaah! Ow, ow!

......

Why are you staring at your hammer like that, Marcin? Did ya start pining for the good ol' days after one night of exercise?

Maybe a bit.

I wonder how the Nearl family is doing.

Huh?

Uncle... You're leaving the Grand Knight Territory?

Are you girls even Nearls? Stop staying so much at Zofia's. It's unbecoming.

I'll be gone for a while, so during that time... Margaret.

Are you sure you want to stay in Kazimierz?

Yes.

You should already know what you'll be up against.

Nobody will understand you.

Of course. I've always known that.

......

If that's the case, then I have nothing else to say.

Why the sudden change of heart?

Toland...

Why'd you decide to leave all of a sudden, huh? For what purpose?

What do you see when you look at me now?

Why are you asking? You should know better than anyone else.

But to be completely honest, you've let us all down.

You don't have to hold rank in the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi, or be the person who changes the National Council. But you should at least have been our hero, our Nearl.

I don't know where you plan on going after you leave the city, but let me say this –– you let them all down. If they see your face again, they may well decide to take your life.

Think they can beat me?

Hmph.

I've given up a lot of things, Toland.

But I still find myself often clinging to a rather idealistic sentiment.

They should still be out there somewhere.

......

He was the eldest son of a war hero. My brother, the most powerful knight in the family.

And she... is the most beautiful woman in all of Kazimierz. Elegant and dignified, like a gemstone.

They were my pride and joy, veritable gifts from heaven. They shouldn't have disappeared without a trace like that.

It's been over a decade.

I've never stopped thinking about it.

It's already been fifteen years. After wasting all that time and effort, why are you now––

This is just... paid leave.

All by yourself?

Isn't one person enough for a hopeless vacation?

You're not the type to get swept by the emotions the Radiant Knight brought, so I won't ask why you decided to do this––

You know how to find me... 'Us.'

The one I need to find... is myself.

Rhodes Island, huh.

They're able to provide you with treatment. And they won't force you to do anything.

Since that's the team the Radiant Knight used to play for... then I guess they're trustworthy?

Yes.

Their ideals will one day illuminate this world. Even now, I still believe in them.

Will you ever head back there?

...I will, one day.

Be sure to spar a few rounds with me then.

I-Iwona!

What? Who wouldn't want to challenge the champion?

Count me in too.

A legendary lineage of knights... Really gets you going, doesn't it?

You have my word. I'll entertain you when the time comes.

Ahaha... Look at you guys, all fired up right after a tiny bit of rest..

You knew from the beginning you weren't one of us Infected, right?

Yes.

But you still chose to fight for us?

I fight for the downtrodden.

......

The Board is very upset.

Looks like we'll lose a few months of bonuses.

Bonuses, huh.

What we did cost the lives of so many Infected, so many knights, and even the Armorless Union. All that only adds up to our bonuses?

About that...

Come with me, Malkiewicz. We ought to discuss where you go from here.

What you said earlier about the telephone really made sense, after I had some time to mull it over.

Whose call are we waiting for?

A newsman's.

Hm... a newsman? Do we have to sit for an interview?

They call him that. It's just a title.

Wait a sec... Newsman? You can't mean–

McKee?

It's me. Let me first introduce you to the person on the other end of the phone. He is the chairman of the Rose Paper Union, 'The Newsman' Kain.

......!

Malkiewicz is here too.

Yes, it's an honor to speak to you.

I paid good money to buy Malkiewicz from Mieszko Industries. He will be my right-hand man.

In other words, there are no strangers among us, McKee. You can call me 'father.'

—

Yes, father.

Good, how's your mother doing?

Very well, father. She thinks of you often.

And what about you? Are you married yet?

I... Not yet, I'm afraid.

How are you, father? Where are you right now?

Columbia.

When will you come back to Kazimierz?

Haha... It's not time for that yet, McKee.

Those short-sighted idiots don't see the truth, but Columbia is the real enemy that threatens Kazimierz.

Our newspapers have yet to cover their city, and our voices have yet to reach Columbian ears.

The speed of their development is frightening, and we must move to contain them... to seize their markets.

......

The games between countries are most fascinating, McKee.

But, those... Nobles. Bah. So rigid in their ways... Victoria, Ursus. These powerful countries are so ignorant that one cannot help but feel for them

Malkiewicz.

Yes!

Are you willing to give everything for the General Chamber of Commerce?

......

You are a capable person. I can tell, just from reading a few words of your report.

Could it be that you still... harbor compassion for those knights?

......

Seems like I hit the mark.

Child, let me pose you a question.

When the number of Kazimierz's attack ships far exceeds that of Ursus, when Columbia is flooded with Kazimierzian caravans and goods, when our border strongholds more than double in number––

Will that be the end of war? Would Ursus still threaten us? Would Kazimierz still be weak?

Of course not.

The knights are the true parasites on Kazimierz. Imbeciles barking for glory. Nobles? Bah.

I heard about what happened at the Major. Does the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi think they've 'protected their honor?'

Honor and glory. Give them as much of it as they want.

The time, and the people, are on our side. After a few more tournaments, the masses will forget about the shockwaves brought by the Radiant Knight, and return to invest in the next round of consumption and entertainment.

For them, arguing over 'which knight is stronger' and 'whether knight merchandise is fairly priced' is more important than looking after the dregs we leave behind.

The country stands on our side. Kazimierz is already inextricably tied to the economic foundations laid by the K.G.C.C. Those pitiful campaign knights... Look how many have already voluntarily surrendered to us.

Malkiewicz.

This time, you have the right to choose.

Before I answer, can I first ask a question?

Please do.

Mr. Czarny... Because he failed to prevent the Radiant Knight from entering the arena, he was exiled... By my standards, this is unacceptable.

Why did it happen?

Oh, Mr. Czarny. I see, the turning point in your destiny, Malkiewicz. I ought to thank him too.

However, what if I told you Mr. Czarny's disappearance–– was not directly related to the Radiant Knight incident?

—

What if I told you that his exile was just a consequence of a longstanding series of power struggles, and an excuse finally being found to take him out of the picture?

––Czarny was exiled by political opponents over a bribery incident a few years ago.

It had nothing to do with the Radiant Knight... It had nothing to do with your destiny. More often than not, this is the truth of the world. The truth of modernity is one of supreme indifference.

......!

Come, Malkiewicz.

Let us become the voice of this world.

...Huh?

What? Not a fan of our new storefront?

Storefront? You're... opening a shop?

Are you blind?

No... But, hand sanitizer?

Origi-Cloud Daily Wares has been the most popular brand in recent years––

...and there are 'three bosses' behind the company that launched Origi-Cloud Daily Wares.

......

Soon, those three bosses will become a part of the General Chamber of Commerce.

You guys...

Yes, but it's just for the sake of joining them.

As you know, the more inside information we have, the more we'll know about the direction the winds blow in the future.

Sooner or later, mercenaries and assassins will become obsolete. There's no need for so many of them, and in the end, all they're good for is killing. Them, on the other hand, they can take over a country.

This is another crossroads of our time, Platinum.

......

By the way, why don't you come be our poster girl, since we're missing a clerk anyway? You're very good-looking. It'll be perfect.

Hmph.

During an upcoming mission for the Union, the three of us will 'vanish,' then we'll find the best plastic surgeon, swap faces, and become by-the-books businesspeople.

So... you took advantage of the blackout caused by the Infected... to kill everyone with connections between the Board and the Union.

They deserve the credit for making it so easy.

The Board can't stop fighting with itself, under the table or otherwise.

Whoever controls the Union holds an overwhelming advantage–– and no director dared to blatantly manipulate it, or let others do so.

It is precisely because of this tacitly agreed restraint that they ended up losing control of the Union.

Haha, let me tell you a joke. The people of Kazimierz no longer know the name or whereabouts of the person leading the organization they hire for their hitjobs.

Does Darksteel really exist?

Who knows?

Darksteel might be a single person, maybe two. Darksteel might even be a front, or just refer to the signals us Lazurites use during operations.

But for all you know, Darksteel might've passed you on the street, or be sitting in a board meeting, or on vacation in a Sami villa.

Nobody knows. And that's why the name strikes fear.

One last thing. Whatever the case, you should've been a damned woman. Condemned as a scapegoat.

We'll have our eyes on you. You're Armorless too. Surely you wouldn't want to make enemies of us, right?

......

(I... have to run...)

Doctor, Amiya.

Oh, Nearl.

The reason I called you here is...

Oh...

Yes.

If Rhodes Island ever calls for me, then I shall head to your side. Doctor, Amiya.

Great!

I've been a drifter for many years. It isn't until now... that I've finally had the time to look back at my old home.

Maybe I should go visit my grandfather's grave...

Nearl.

Oh, Doctor, let's give them some space.

Nearl, take care of yourself!

Of course. Godspeed.

It's time for us to part ways as well, Nearl.

...Shining.

Actually, I...

It's alright. I know what you're going to say.

We will return to Londinium. Just as you've returned here.

The past... and those sins. We'll excise them ourselves.

Shining?

Liz... You might really come to hate me at some point.

But, trust me, I will always stay by your side.

I... How could I ever hate you?

......

If that time comes, and you ever need me––

I swear to you––

––that the Radiant Knight, Margaret Nearl, will fight for you both.

This is the place?

Quaint little town, isn't it?

Do you always come stay out here?

I used to stay at a more classic den of thieves. Even if I had my eyes on other cities, I did most of my work underground and in the black market.

But then... I met some people. They changed the way I saw things.

I'll skip to the important part though. A bit after that, we fought a battle with the Rusthammers. Know those guys? A bunch of lunatics.

Many people have the wrong idea about the Rusthammers, that they're just a band of thieves. But they aren't. During that battle, I saw kids, teenagers, swinging metal pipes.

Pretty crazy, huh?

Yeah... Sounds scary.

That is what makes 'em truly scary.

The Rusthammers weren't born to fight against civilization. They were born of the development of civilization.

Don't expect them to have some end goal in mind, or some greater purpose. It's a mistake to treat them like a group of rational actors––

They're just the orphans of civilization. They were born when it moved on, but couldn't bring everyone along.

Homeless, with nowhere to go, forced to survive in the barren wilderness littered with Originium. They are the Catastrophes.

Thanks to them, we've become united, and as a result, we've also realized a few things...

That we don't want to end up like those lunatics.

So? What are we gonna do?

I want you to meet a few people.

What kind of people?

A few Infected.

Infected?

A few farmers, a few knights.

A real melting pot, huh.

A few manual laborers, a few bounty hunters.

A few village chiefs unable to make ends meet, a few worn-out nobles.

A few college students, a few illiterates.

A few people trying to change Kazimierz. A few people who were changed by Kazimierz.

......

Don't be surprised already. The real surprise has only just begun.

Sona, you've asked me before, what's the point of thwarting the General Chamber. What's the point of the knights.

I'd like to pose the same question back to you. Before the rise of the merchants, before Kazimierz was firmly in the grasp of the General Chamber of Commerce––

––who was it that exploited the poor and oppressed the masses? Who hanged the Infected, while hiding inside the massive edifices erected by and to their power?

The knights.

......

We don't prop up the reality of a villain just beacuse there isn't one now. Why bother though? We always lose out in the end.

But to be honest, though you rarely hear the words 'General Chamber of Commerce' spoken without curses attached... even a broken clock is right twice a day.

The people who've been left behind by the city should unite.

Toland, is this...?

An Infected knight from the Grand Knight Territory. We've formed a working relationship.

Are the others here?

Yes, they're all inside...

Good. Why don't you head inside as well, Clore......

It's nearly light out.