R8-3 Oatstalk, Easily Alight

During our previous routine inspection, one of our people was assaulted.

Every household must now submit to a search, both for Infected and the attacker. Should we find them, we will execute them on the spot, and the household that harbored them will be punished accordingly.

If you don't want a hard labor sentence, turn them in. No one will come to harm if you do your civic duty, and the offenders and Infected will meet their proper end.

Now, we'll start from the first household.

It looks like the day came after all. There's no chance I'll make it through this one.

Don't go out there, Talulah! Hide behind the shed... they won't look there! We'll tell them you were scared of what was coming and ran away! No one'd blame you for it!

But they might hurt you for it. I owe you better than that.

I've left you some gold coins... from Victoria. Spend them sparingly, and they'll have you warm and well fed for the rest of your lives.

Talulah, Talulah! Where are you going? My Talulah... you can't, you can't go to them! Those black-hearted patrolling bugs eat people alive!

And I can't just stand by and let them torture the men and women of this village. I have to see this through. I'll lure them away, give them a wake-up call, let them know what they've wrought.

I know what's right. I'm not letting them punish these people. I'm not letting them murder anyone else.

I still remember how the boy next door was beaten to death for chucking a stone. I'll never forget.

Talulah... Talulah! You can't... that's enough!

Who?! Who's at the door...!? Is it the patrolmen?! Go away!

Ma'am, it's me!

Alina! Come in, come in!

What's wrong? What's happened? Is there news?

...Someone told.

What? Told what?

The Patrol Unit knows there's an Infected in our village.

How could... this can't be... ahh!

I don't know who it was, but we all know what happens to those who harbor Infected.

......

Ma'am, my father passed early, and you took such good care of my mother, you and your husband both. You're like grandparents to me.

And at this point, I can't really hide anything...

—Wait.

Miss, where did the Mister go?

Bloody old fart, what are you doing here?

I committed a crime!

A confession? Ah, yeah, I remember. An old geezer got in our guy's way. Judging by your limp, you were one of the thugs who attacked him!

Yup!

...Not that you look worth the trouble. Go take a bloody hike. No point in dirtying our hands over a miserable little wretch.

Hold it. Sir, look at my skin here. What's that look like to you?

——

Infected! You're the Infected?

Are you serious?!

I realized the moment I helped you change clothes... Talulah, we've known you were Infected for a long time now.

How—

The old man worked the mines, and came back after he'd caught Oripathy himself! You've seen how he never takes off that jacket of his...

He's going to go in your place, Talulah...!

No!

But how could he have been...

You can't trust the people here like that! The villagers will say whatever they need to, for money or to save their own skins!

For the last two years, Talulah, we've been truly happy to have you! You're a good girl... a good girl!

We don't have long left to live, but Talulah, even if you're ill, you've still got years yet! You need to live, Talulah, that's what's right...

Talulah, don't go! For heaven's sakes, don't go...!

Take me.

Take me then, officer!

Look at my skin! I'm the bloody diseased one!

......

If you don't believe me, then take a look at this!

A knife? Put that down. You can't touch us, old man.

No, officer, watch my Arts!

Look, look... Officer! I'm an Infected, tried and true!

I believe you.

Thank you for your cooperation, Infected.

Nnf... nnf...!

Talulah...

Talulah! Come back! Don't!

Is that... fire?

What?! Why is the house on—

Talulah! Did you—

Don't! Talulah! They'll destroy the whole village!

Nggaaaaah!

Aahh... aaaaaahh!

......

Talulah...! You... ngh...!

Is that fire your doing!? You're the one who set them alight... guh!

Alina, I'm sorry. This will surely mean even worse to come for the village. But I just couldn't stand it.

I just couldn't stand this sort of...

...Alina?

There's a fire in your eyes.

I knew from the moment you came to this village, you'd never be willing just to stay here.

You came from somewhere. Where you came from, you'll go back to. This village can't hold you.

I won't go back. Don't look at me like that...

But within your eyes, truly, there's a fire.

You wanted to set something alight, burn it away, you thought none of this was how it should be, you bore it until you could bear it no more...

It shouldn't have been now, Talulah. Not now.

The villagers are innocent. Your one flare of anger only served to hurt them.

What happened—oh, God! What the hell is going on?! Who!? Who did this!?

Talulah! Talulah! Run, now, run! And don't look back! Don't ever come back!

Blessings, your Majesty, bless this girl like my daughter, bless her to live on, bless her so she can live on!

Talulah, we need to go!

No... those hideous patrolmen!

We're Infected, but none of the villagers are!

...What did you say?

I'm Infected too, Talulah. I'm Infected too.

*Pant*, *pant*... This is... where we'd planned to move. We had everything ready... but...

They... The old man was...

We can't let them do this again... we can't let them...

He saved you, saved me, saved the whole village.

You threw... his whole plan into disarray.

What do you even mean? The villagers were the ones who—

...Wait. You mean the one who turned him in... was...

It was his idea. That way, the Patrol wouldn't come again, and hopefully, that would've been that.

No matter how much strength you have, you can't resist the Patrol Unit.

I can.

And then? What if the Gendarmerie came? What if the city's garrisons and all the nobles' soldiers came?

We just don't have the firepower. Once we've accumulated enough strength...

Because it's not right. It's not right! We can't just look on like this!

All these wicked things right before our eyes, but we turn away, just to save ourselves?! That's not right!

...That's selfish. Heartless, even.

If righteousness can only be upheld by greater and greater violence, how can it even be considered righteous?

I can't answer these questions of yours, Talulah. You've studied more than I have, that I know.

But someone died today in the village. And no more ought to die.

You're so clever. You can understand that.

Now, go, Talulah!

...I'll be back.

Tell yourself that, Talulah. Tell yourself that.