《The Lord of the Opera house (DISCONTINUED)》
Chapter 1: I am but a humble desk worker
Clack, clack, clack.
The sounds of the typewriter echo against the acrid green walls, as my fingers strike the keys. I¡¯ve been working on this document for weeks, and it¡¯s finally nearing its completion.
Clack, clack, clack.
I do a lot of document work, writing up this and that for our esteemed Herrscher. The other members of the house look down upon this line of work, but they are simply too shortsighted and too meatheaded to see the importance of it, as well as the benefits one can easily reap.
Clack, clack, clack.
Then again, what can be expected of a government branch specifically geared towards finding the meatiest of meatheads? Not much it seems. It''s perhaps why this pigsty required the aid of more eloquent and studious types such as myself. How else are we supposed to hold up our national standard of efficiency and effectiveness if all the office workers can¡¯t even spell their name right?
Clack, clack, clack.
Honestly, sometimes I wonder what that blasted- erm, his prestigious Imperial Lordship is thinking behind that uselessly expensive desk of his. I have faith in our Herrscher, but I seriously wonder if somebody placed that idio-, I mean that magnanimous man in the seat of power when our Herrscher¡¯s back was turned.
Damn those bureaucrats.
Click.
Ah. Here we are. Now just to pop it out. The typewriter makes a jarring, whirring noise as it spits out the last page of the document, fresh with the mechanical strokes of the machine. Picking up the pile of papers on my desk, I organize them into a neat pile, anchoring them with the black stapler on my desk. I admire my fine work of art, finer than any two-bit artist leeching off of mother¡¯s hard-earned living. Glancing at the title it reads ¡°the state of affairs at the G?tzer theatre and the repurposing of the Opera House.¡±
A meritable read, if I do say so myself. I hope this will open our Herrscher¡¯s eyes to the lamentably pathetic state of the house. At best he will dispose of that useless idealist, and I will finally be taken away from this godforsaken place. Maybe I could even directly work with our Herrscher, moving up in the world from my incredible piece. Ahhh, how dreamy! Though of course, I¡¯m taking a huge risk by directly requesting for an audience with our Herrscher. In fact, I¡¯m only even able to do so due to my extensive service towards the Adlerschrank. The thought of messing up and looking like a buffoon in front of our supreme leader after my request for an audience was accepted¡
No, no, no I couldn¡¯t take it! I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself! I press the palms of my hands into my face. Nervous doesn¡¯t even begin to describe it. Taking in a deep breath, I lift my head up towards the ceiling, exhaling all at once. ¡®I suppose there isn¡¯t any point to worrying about any more than I already have¡±, I sigh to myself.
Tilting my head towards the window, I see the rabble outside training on the house¡¯s grounds. Seriously, how can they carry themselves with such misplaced pride, they already look ridiculous enough with their bodies that look like a street performer¡¯s balloon animals. Maybe I should tie a string around their necks and sell them to some children for a couple of Schvelts. It¡¯s not as if the productivity levels within the house will decrease at all, rather it would increase due to that trash of a lord being forced to hire actual competent workers.
Suddenly, I hear a couple of knocks at my door.
¡°Come in,¡± I say to the door.
¡°Well, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡± I hear a firm voice say through the door as it slowly creaks open. If I¡¯m not mistaken then this must be¡
A tall figure in military garb walks through the door, with all the air and demeanour of a soldier. He closes the door behind him, and stands up straight, saluting towards me vigorously, slightly tousling his short chestnut hair.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
¡°Klaus von Schrei?en, reporting for duty. I¡¯ve come to escort you to our Herrscher on behalf of the Adlerschrank.¡±
Ahhhhh, as expected of the Adlerschrank! To send such an important and refined-looking figure to escort me, he is truly a world apart from the common rabble of the Opera house.
This is it! The cultivation of all my hard work! Fate itself has aligned for this opportunity! Goodbye shitty desk work at a failing government branch, hello elite track working directly under our Herrscher!
Wait, wait, wait, stop celebrating a premature victory. Only an incompetent worker celebrates their victory before it comes. Incompetent, I certainly am not!
Schrei?en reaches into the pocket of his military uniform, pulling out a small leather-bound booklet. Opening it up, I see him glance at it and then glance at me. He looks at me, perplexed.
¡°Pardon my rudeness but¡ you are Mr Dietrich, right?¡±
¡°Yes, that is correct,¡± I answer curtly. He pauses. Once again, he glances at his booklet, then at me. I find myself unconsciously picking at my nails. ¡°I-is there some sort of issue?¡±
Oh god. Nevermind embarrassing myself in front of our Herrscher, I won¡¯t even get the chance to do it, for fuck¡¯s sake!
¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡ you look a lot different in your photo,¡± he says.
I breathe in a sigh of relief. So it was just that, huh? I clear my throat and begin to explain to him.
¡°You see, I have quite foolishly neglected to update my record photos and that one, in particular, is from a few years ago.¡±
I use my hand to smooth my hair, regaining the energy to straighten my back. ¡°I was in quite a rough shape, after all, I had just left my hometown of Nurn.¡± Schrei?en¡¯s dark brown eyes widened a little and his head drooped down.
¡°You¡¯re from Nurn? My¡ my apologies for my insensitivity,¡± he said quietly. I waved my hand dismissively.
¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡± He looks up at me and smiles a little.
¡°Do you mind if I can be a little honest with you?¡± he asks timidly. I raise my eyebrow.
¡°About what?¡±
¡°Well you¡¯re a lot different from what the rumours make you out to be, but in a good way of course,¡± he says. Now it¡¯s my turn to be confused.
¡°Rumours? What do you mean?¡± He pauses for a minute, then continues to speak.
¡°All the members of the Opera house always complain about you to me whenever they get the chance.¡±
I feel my eyebrow twitch. Schrei?en flinches.
¡°Go on¡¡± I say, unintentionally letting my annoyance leak out into my voice.
¡°W-well they always say how they think you¡¯re a stuck up little prude who thinks he¡¯s better than everyone. You always boss people around and like to tell them what they¡¯re doing wrong, but never want to hear anything of what they have to say. They say that if they had a chance, they would drag you into the ground and beat some sense into you¡ or so I heard,¡± he finished.
Honestly. As expected of those talentless brutes. Drag me into the ground and beat some sense into me? They¡¯re absolute neanderthals, they can¡¯t solve their problems without using their fists it seems. Of course, I think I¡¯m better than them, it¡¯s because objectively speaking, I am better than them. Can they not understand such a simple concept? Well, whatever. I won¡¯t be insulted by such worthless-
¡°They also only ever refer to you by ¡®sauerkraut¡¯. I¡¯ve never even heard them use your name once.¡±
The room froze over as if the deep winter had just rolled in. The dead silence washed over and strangled the room. I saw Schrei?en standing over there nervously, practically sweating bullets. I¡¯m sure the expression on my face wasn¡¯t a pleasant one.
Those filthy animals¡ how dare they¡!
Schrei?en laughed nervously and gave me a slight pat on the shoulder. ¡°Uh, don¡¯t pay too much attention to them, Mr Dietrich, I¡¯m sure they have their own things going on¡¡±
Ah yes, as expected of someone capable enough to be recognized by the Adlerschrank. Immediately reminding me of the place of those dogs, I am thoroughly impressed. I simply must extend my thanks.
¡°Many thanks, sir Schrei?en, it was indeed my fault for forgetting their place, I shouldn¡¯t have reacted so intensely to such lowly people, you have my gratitude,¡± I said with as much sincerity as I could possibly muster. He looked at me with bewilderment.
¡°But that¡¯s not what I-¡±
¡°Come now!¡± I announced. I quickly rose and brushed myself off. ¡°We can¡¯t keep our Herrscher waiting, this is the presentation of a lifetime! I will be counting on you.¡± He sighed a little and scratched the back of his head.
¡°...well then just follow me, Mr Dietrich¡±.
Come to think of it, his soldierly aura seems to have mysteriously disappeared.
Chapter 2: The rise of the Eagle
Beginning astride, the game is now afoot.
With Schrei?en briskly walking in front of me, my office quickly distances itself behind me. I am admittedly quite out of shape, so I have some trouble keeping up with his pace.
But it matters not.
This is all but mere pebbles in the road of glory, my glory. My chance to prove myself to our great Herrscher and claim my position in the elite, that I rightfully deserve. Who¡¯s laughing now, you dirty dogs! Desk work is truly superior to uselessly dying in battle, with only fancy pieces of metal to look forward to. Those dogs of the Opera house will regret their decisions when they see their precious house crumble around them, their useless Lord unable to save it from irrelevance and poor management. All the while, I¡¯ll be sitting in the lap of luxury!
The pinnacle of catharsis, indeed.
With the exit doors approaching us, towering goliaths of dark and lacquered wood, Schrei?en turns around to look at me.
¡°We shall be taking the airship Vandenhelm towards the Herrscher¡¯s office. We still have a bit of time, but we can¡¯t be late so we will be unable to return to the Opera house until after the meeting. Are you sure you have all your things in order?¡± he asks. A fair point to make. Untying the red string of the envelope in my hands, I open it up. Leafing through the documents, I check all the page numbers to make sure everything is present. All seems to be in order, thankfully. Closing the envelope and retying the red string, I look up to face Schrei?en.
¡°All is well sir Schrei?en, thank you for your concern,¡± I reply. He nods.
¡°Then let us be off.¡±
The airship Vandenhelm. One of our Empire¡¯s inventions, airships act as ferries of the skies, taking people to destinations all across Z¨¹rtz¨¹n. The Imperial capital of our nation, Graf Richter, acts as a centre for airships, a sort of terminal station. Although airships carry people around on a national scale, airship travel within large cities is also common. For a city as big as Graf Richter, travel by foot or by car is not always a viable option.
At first, only the elite was able to travel in airships, but as use of them became more commonplace, the cost decreased and the market opened up to the less financially stable. Now it seems like everyone and their mother travels in the airships.
But even among them, the Vandenhelm is a special case.
The Vandenhelm is the personal airship of the Adlerschrank, meant only to transport those they deem to be of importance to them. And since I am inside that very ship at this very moment, do you know what that means? Yes, yes, that is correct! I, Manfred Dietrich, am a person of importance! Already we¡¯re off to an excellent start, it seems!
Sitting across from me, Schrei?en stares out the window blankly, his head resting on his hand. In turn, I also begin to look outside the airship¡¯s window. Down below, I see the streets of Graf Richter, people strolling down its stone brick roads, the small storefronts lining the streets. Indeed, it seems we have our Herrscher to thank for pulling the Imperial capital out of its slump so quickly, the once totalled city shows practically no signs of the damage wrought by the war. With that bastard of a King disposed of, there¡¯s only one thing to do. To exact our righteous justice upon the ones who ravaged our once glorious Fatherland¡
None shall be forgotten. None shall be forgiven. Only death awaits for the infidels who rolled across our Fatherland like a wave of carnage.
Perhaps that is why I feel anger towards that useless Lord, despite my indignity to the Opera house as a whole. How can he sit around and sap all the funds from a government branch, while our people¡¯s cries for vengeance go unanswered? How can he sit around growing fatter and fatter with every passing day, knowing our enemies have yet to pay the dues of their crimes?
My purpose is mainly to liberate myself from the house, but even I would feel bad leaving that trash in charge of the house¡¯s affairs. So this my last aid of sorts towards the members of the house. If there¡¯s one thing that I can agree on with those dogs, it¡¯s that the current Lord of the Opera house is nothing but a blight in its halls. So I will drag his name as much possible in front of our Herrscher, in order to dispose of him. I''m sure those dogs will support my claims on the current Lord if questioned.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Suddenly I¡¯m dragged out of my thoughts by Schrei?en¡¯s light tapping on my knee. Turning my attention to him, I gave him a questioning look. Saying nothing, he simply points at the large observation window at the back of the airship. There seems to be some sort of commotion? Well, now I''m curious.
I start to get up and head towards the observation window, walking through the middle aisle of the passenger bay. As I get closer, I hear the joyful cries of a young boy,
¡°Mommy, mommy look! It¡¯s him, it¡¯s him! It¡¯s the Silver Eagle, the Silver Eagle!¡± The Silver Eagle? The famous flying ace? Quickening my pace, I eventually find myself standing next to the boy and his mother, staring out the observation window with them. Zipping through the air, a sleek fighter plane flies behind the airship doing all sorts of stunts. Black with a single silver stripe running down the middle, with silver-tipped wings and tail.
¡°Hey, hey, hey, isn¡¯t that kind of dangerous? Just one strike of that propellor could blow a hole in the airship, it¡¯s essentially just a giant floating airbag you know?¡±
¡°Relax Mr Dietrich, the Silver Eagle is an expert flyer, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll hit us.¡± I hear Schrei?en say behind me.
¡°For an expert flyer, he¡¯s awfully cocky with the way he flies so recklessly.¡± I retort. While I admittedly respect the Reichsmaschine¡¯s ace flyer, for his many admirable deeds on the front lines and his impressive kill-count, no one in their right mind would do a flying show right next to an airship.
¡°Well on the bright side, if we really do die a fiery death, we¡¯ll most likely be killed instantly,¡± says Schrei?en a little too enthusiastically.
¡°Euch, don¡¯t even joke about something like that.¡± He chuckles lightly.
¡°My apologies, then. However, may I ask you something?¡± he softly asks, slight trepidation painting his question. I scratch my chin, trying to probe the meaning of his question through his eyes.
¡°Go ahead.¡± His eyes drift to the armband on my right arm, bright red and printed with the symbol of the Imperial eagle. He goes quiet for a minute, seeming to contemplate what to say. Finally seeming to grasp the words, he begins to speak.
¡°I was wondering what your opinions on the Adlerschrank are. Specifically on their new policies with the assimilation of the lowland eastern countries into the Z¨¹rtz¨¹n Empire.¡±
¡°You mean the Wiedervereinigung?¡± I ask. He nods.
¡°I feel very strongly about the Adlerschrank as a whole¡± I begin, ¡°However on the topic of the Wiedervereinigung, I feel more conflicted. I believe that the lowland countries would benefit from being assimilated into the empire, strengthening our economy, and thereby increasing their standard of living by being citizens of the Empire.¡±
¡°What of the countries that weren¡¯t a part of the empire?¡± he asks. I consider him for a moment.
¡°The countries that broke apart from the Empire have every right to be forcefully assimilated in my opinion, but I feel more sympathetic towards the countries that weren¡¯t a part of the Empire to begin with. I also feel, however, that our Herrscher and the Adlerschrank are doing it all in good faith. Once they are assimilated they will see the error of their ways and will learn that being part of the empire is more beneficial than being their own sovereign state.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t believe that the lowland countries have a right to exist purely out of loyalty to their nation? And what about the military suppression of the general populace in the lowland countries by the Reichsmaschine?¡± he asks.
¡°They should be thinking in terms of what¡¯s best for their country, not following some misguided attitude towards jingoists and nationalists. The Reichsmaschine has every right to suppress those who would cause unnecessary dissonance for the sake of their own poorly thought out ideas.¡± Good riddance. I truly can¡¯t understand the thought process of those fevered nationalists. Where does that unhealthy obsession with their country come from?
Schrei?en looks at me curiously.
¡°But where do you draw the line between quelling extremists and suppressing free thought and free will?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡± Suddenly, I feel stumped. Why am I not able to answer? It should be a simple answer, after all, the Adlerschrank knows best. However, I find myself unable to come up with a suitable answer to Schrei?en¡¯s question.
Before he can see my mouth open and close like a fish anymore, I hear an announcement on the loudspeaker.
¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats as we are about to moor at the Ziegler tower. I repeat, we are about to moor at the Ziegler tower. Please show your hole-punched tickets to the ticket master on your way out.¡±
¡°We¡¯re here, it seems,¡± notes Schrei?en. He looks back at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about what I said earlier, it was more of an attempt to pick your brain. However, I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give it some thought.¡± He then motions me to go in front of him. ¡°After you.¡± Obeying, I start walking in front of him and making my way to the exit of the Vandenhelm.
Shortly after disembarking from the Vandenhelm and making our way down the Ziegler tower, Schrei?en and I find ourselves directly in front of the Adlerschrank¡¯s headquarters, the Red Queen¡¯s parliament. Named after the famous ¡°Red Queen¡± of the Z¨¹rtz¨¹n Empire, Ursula. With massive red banners hanging down emblazoned with the sign of the Imperial eagle, it is a building to behold. One of the biggest buildings in Graf Richter, if I recall correctly. I am about to enter its gates and change my entire life.
But what I don¡¯t anticipate is how exactly it would change.
Chapter 3: Subhumans
Well, the interior is just as massive as the exterior, though I don¡¯t think that in particular was a surprise to anyone. People bustled like worker ants, hurriedly making their way to whatever destination within the parliament awaited them. The high rise ceiling gave way to intricate gold patterns, spindly and frail but with an air of majesty resembling trellis vines. The sides of the enormous hallway are decorated with the same banners like the ones on the outside, albeit relatively smaller.
¡°Even in the heart of its operations, the Adlerschrank likes to remind it¡¯s guests where they are, huh?¡± I comment. Schrei?en chuckles.
¡°Well, the Imperial eagle is an important symbol of the Adlerschrank¡¯s rule. So I suppose their headquarters would be no exception to this,¡± he responded, wearing a sort of half-smile.
Looking up to the ceiling and away from Schrei?en, I started to wonder about something. Yeah, this building is amazing and all that, but how are we ever going to find our way to our Herrscher¡¯s office in this maze-like place?
¡°Get lost, you dirty Schunger!¡± I hear an agitated voice shout. Snapping quickly to attention, I whipped my head around to see the sight of a man hunched over on the stairs to the entrance. 4 or 5 enforcers are looming over him. He clings to the pant leg of one of the enforcers.
¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you, my sister is innocent! She¡¯s done nothing! She¡¯s only 9 years old, how could she commit such a crime?!¡± the hunched man cries to the indignant enforcer, tears streaming down his pale and dirtied face. The enforcer''s face curls up into a vicious snarl. Jerking his leg away, he kicks the hunched man right in the jaw, causing him to spit up blood.
¡°Don¡¯t touch me with your filthy hands, you damn subhuman! Or do you want to be shipped off like your sister?¡±
¡°Please, you have to believe me! How could that young of a child conspire against the Adlerschrank? She¡¯s innocent, I swear! Take me if you must, but she¡¯s just child! She¡¯s done nothing to deserve this!¡± he desperately begs. The enforcer smirks.
¡°Well if you want to go off to Schutzfel that badly, I¡¯ll gladly let you accompany your sister!¡± he cackled, as he grabbed the man by the collar.
What the hell? Who does this guy think he is, doing that sort of thing? In the halls of the Parliament, no less. And why¡
Why is nobody doing anything?
I hear a snicker from the encircling crowd.
¡°A dirty Schunger? Serves him right,¡± I hear one say.
¡°What is he even thinking, showing his face here?¡± I hear another say.
¡°What can be expected of his kind? Being born wrong, what a tragedy,¡± one more chimes in.
¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be shipped off for assault on an enforcer?¡± someone asks.
What is this? What is this? Assault? Didn¡¯t he just get kicked in the jaw for grabbing a pant leg? If anything it¡¯s the enforcer who should be punished for assaulting a civilian! And what¡¯s all this talk of being shipped off? Shipped to where? A model officer like Schrei?en should do something, right¡?
I look back at him. But he doesn¡¯t move a muscle. He only looks on, with a cloud drifting over his vision. Even Schrei?en?
Am I the one who¡¯s gone mad? Am I the only one who sees anything wrong with this? What am I missing here?
¡°Schrei?en, we have to do something. Look at that man, he¡¯s getting ganged up on and yet nobody is even budging,¡± I urgently say. He slowly moves his head to face me. After staring at me for a couple of seconds, his mouth slowly forms into a hollow smile.
"The members of the Opera house really are isolated huh¡?¡± I stare at him, flabbergasted. What sort of response is that?
¡°No god no, please! Don¡¯t do this, please! I only want my sister to be released!¡± I hear the man scream, as he slowly gets dragged away. The enforcer snorts.
¡°Oh trust me, I¡¯ll take extra care to make sure you¡¯re sent to Schutzfel. I¡¯m sure your sister will be simply delighted to know that her big brother will be there with her.¡±
Outrageous. I swear I¡¯m gonna put that bastard in his place. Just wait until I-
¡°Stop. Don¡¯t do something reckless, especially not before your big day.¡± I hear Schrei?en say behind me, putting his hand on my shoulder.
¡°But¡ but¡!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he says in a dangerously low voice. Why is he being like this¡?
Finally, I realize. He¡¯s right. I can¡¯t just charge in recklessly. Only an idiot would do that in this sort of situation. No, I won¡¯t charge in¡
¡°Hey, Schrei?en. How much time until my scheduled meeting with our Herrscher?¡± I ask. He tilts his head at me.
¡°About 30 minutes. Why?¡± Suddenly, his eyes begin to widen. ¡°No Dietrich, don¡¯t do it!¡± he says, stricken with visible panic. But it¡¯s too late for him to get in my way.
Walking in full stride towards the scene, the crowd practically parts before me. I approach the enforcer and tap his shoulder. ¡°Hm?¡± he huffs out as he turns around. He looks rather displeased, doesn¡¯t he? However, I hate trash and filth in any form, I simply cannot abide by its existence in my line of sight. His entire demeanour seems to shift drastically as he catches sight of my armband.
¡°Ah, hello there! A visitor perhaps? Please don¡¯t mind the scene, I was simply cleaning the halls of the Parliament. I assure you that it isn¡¯t normally like this.¡± he says with an excited grin on his face. Disgusting. I feel like I¡¯m going to vomit. He reminds of that trash that sits in the seat of the Imperial Lordship.
However, this isn¡¯t the time to show my true feelings. I must deal with this in a professional manner if I¡¯m to move up in the ranks of the Adlerschrank. I paint on my most business-like smile.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
¡°I understand that of course. Nuisances cannot be abided in the halls of the Parliament. I myself, am here to deliver a report to our Herrscher and it saddens me to see such degeneracy.¡± Murmurs ran through the crowd. The enforcer¡¯s face lit up. Good! I apologize for using your name like this, my Herrscher, but it is all for the Adlerschrank that I do this. Hopefully, I can be forgiven.
¡°As expected of someone directly requested by our Herrscher, such perceptiveness! If you understand then, please allow me to escort these two subhumans off the premises,¡± he eagerly responds.
Tch. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re the subhuman in this situation. And wait, two? What is he talking about? Glancing behind the other officers, I see a trembling little girl. Is that his little sister? I was given the impression that she had already been taken away. It¡¯s definitely more convenient this way, though. Let¡¯s not let up here.
¡°I understand that you¡¯d like to escort them off the premises. However, I believe this would be a total waste of your time and resources. After all, why waste time sending them packing, when I could just easily dispose of them right here and now?¡± The brother¡¯s eyes widened in horror.
¡°No, no, no, you can¡¯t! We haven¡¯t done anything wrong! Do you bastards hold anything sacred?!¡± he angrily yelled. The enforcer smirked.
¡°A man of action, huh? I like you. The Adlerschrank can never use enough enthusiastic followers. Alright then, I¡¯ll let you deal with it, see some Schunger blood flow. However, I ask that you do it in the back. No need to dirty our halls with the blood of filth.¡± Perfect. The idiot fell right into the trap.
¡°Of course. I will dispose of them immediately,¡± I say as smoothly as I can. The brother glares daggers at me, tears streaming down his cheeks. He looks so terribly enraged, like an angry beast about to pounce on its prey, yet so much like a terrified child unable to see it¡¯s encroaching fate. It¡¯s a harrowing sight. It¡¯ll all be over soon. It¡¯ll all be over soon. It¡¯ll definitely be over soon. I¡¯m so close, I can¡¯t mess up now.
I turn to Schrei?en. He looks at me as if I¡¯ve completely lost it.
¡°Sir Schrei?en, would you so kindly assist me?¡± I continue maintaining my unflinching business smile. All the watchful gazes of the crowd shift towards him. He trembles.
¡°I would be happy to assist, Mr Dietrich,¡± he says with unwavering conviction, but doubt and fear paint the depths of his eyes. Approaching them, his grip locks around the brother¡¯s restrained wrists. He puts up a mighty struggle, but his face goes pale as soon as I grab his sister. The brother goes completely still, but the hatred doesn¡¯t leave his eyes.
¡°Well don¡¯t just sit there, move it along!¡± I sternly yell at them. After watching us roughly drag the siblings along for a minute or two, the enforcer gives us a satisfied smirk and tells the crowd to buzz off, as he leaves to go wherever I assume the nearest trash heap is if he has any decency.
Lowering his voice, Schrei?en furiously whispers to me.
¡°What the hell are you doing?! You could¡¯ve just gotten us killed for being sympathizers!¡±
¡°Hush! You¡¯ll blow our cover. And what do you mean by sympathizer? What was weirder than me stopping them, were the others not doing anything!¡± He looks at me, flabbergasted.
¡°You¡ you really don¡¯t know anything do you?¡±
¡°Know what?¡± He shakes his head.
¡°Not now. Just forget it for now. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡±
Exiting the side door that leads into a nearby alley, I carefully close the door behind me.
¡°Hold still,¡± I command the sister. Carefully clicking in the universal code onto the number lock on her neck collar, it snaps open. She stares at me, baffled. Then Schrei?en and the brother do the same.
First, Schrei?en.
¡°H-how did you do that? When did he tell you the code?¡± I smirked.
¡°He didn¡¯t.¡±
¡°But then how..?¡± I cross my arms and puff up my chest.
¡°I did some service in the submarine corps before I started my work as a desk writer for the Opera house. Any half-decent submariner knows the Reichsmaschine¡¯s universal code,¡± I say proudly. Well even though I¡¯m being smug about it, my years as a submariner were hell. Definitely not worth the effort for some dumb code.
¡°Y-you¡¯re not going to kill us?¡± I hear a voice ask. Turning my head over towards the source, I see the brother staring right at us. Schrei?en scratches his head.
¡°Don¡¯t look at me, he was the one who dragged me into this.¡±
The brother stares at me, seemingly awaiting an answer. W-what am I supposed to say? Clearing my throat, I do my best job at explaining myself.
¡°I won¡¯t ask for much from you two. All I ask is that you disappear from here, without so much as of trace. I have no ulterior motive, I only hate the sight of trash trying to drag people down to their level. And no, I won¡¯t kill you two. But perhaps if you¡¯re ever around again, tell me about what got you into this situation in the first place.¡±
The brother gazes at me, with stars filling his eyes. Oh no, no, no, I know that look. Please don¡¯t start expecting unreasonable things from me, I beg of you.
¡°I understand! I will take my sister with me and we shall flee. However, I won''t forget this kindness you¡¯ve shown us, not in my entire life! My name is W?odek Szcz?sny and this is my little sister Kamila. Somehow I swear, I¡¯ll find some way to repay you! Please, tell me your name, kind sir.¡±
¡°U-uh it¡¯s Manfred. Manfred Dietrich. No middle name.¡± I stutter. Wait no, I¡¯m not used to this much admiration, please stop.
Scooping up Kamila into his arms, W?odek looks at me earnestly.
¡°Although I am grateful, I cannot understand why someone like you would dedicate themselves towards something as vile as the Adlerschrank. I think you are being misled, my friend. I advise you to leave while you still have the chance.¡±
¡°I understand that you¡¯ve had a bad experience with the Adlerschrank, but I can assure you, the whole organization isn¡¯t like that. Those were just a couple of bad apples that slipped through, surely,¡± I tell him. Vile? The Adlerschrank was what pulled our nation out of poverty and ruin. They couldn¡¯t possibly be.
W?odek sadly shakes his head.
¡°If that is what you believe my friend, then I won''t try and change your mind.¡±
¡°What do you think you¡¯ll do now? Those mooks don¡¯t look like they enjoy your presence all that much.¡±
He looks at me, a haunting emptiness seeping into his gaze.
¡°My homeland of Zaplecza has already fallen to the Wiedervereinigung, my sister and I hunted out of our homeland after its military was disassembled by the Adlerschrank,¡± He says, gazing downwards sadly. ¡°Truthfully, I know not where we¡¯ll go, but anywhere is better than Graf Richter, the centre of all this madness.¡± There¡¯s still something missing from all this, though. Why did this happen in the first place? From what little I could extract from that screaming match, the little sister committed some sort of conspiracy against the Adlerschrank.
However, I agree with W?odek. It seems utterly ridiculous for a 9-year old child to be able to conspire against the government.
¡°One more thing¡ why exactly did that Enforcer take your sister away?¡± I ask. He looks down, shaking his head.
¡°Don¡¯t you know? It because¡ we¡¯re Vurin¡±
Vurin? That can¡¯t be. All those Vurin they¡¯re¡ subhuman. They¡¯re not like these people. They¡¯re miserable scheming Vermin, not oppressed and pushed around like W?odek and Kamlia.
¡°But that¡¯s-¡±
¡°Hey, hey, hey! If it isn¡¯t the bigshot? How¡¯s it going?¡± I hear a booming voice exclaim from behind me.
Shit. it¡¯s Roter. W?odek nods, his tone becoming urgent.
¡°I will thank you one more time. May our paths cross again, so I may repay you. And may you free yourself from the grip of the Adlerschrank, my friend. Farewell and good luck.¡±. With these final words, W?odek and Kamila vanish into the twisting alleys of Graf Richter, as I hear Roter¡¯s thundering footsteps approaching me from behind.
Zaplecza, huh? I guess I never really bothered to learn the names of the lowland countries, now that I think about it. I wonder what that says about me.
Chapter 4: That night in 43, chasing White October
Walking down the cobbled street, the slowly rising columns of smoke both awed and suffocated me. It made me wonder of those long frozen corpses that lay below the concrete behemoths, set in the eternal prison of permafrost.
And it made me wonder, how many more will build the deceitfully white city?
Suddenly my attention is yanked towards the glittering spires of the Silver Palace, dusted with snow falling from the skies like crystal jewels for our glorious Nikola the Great. His home I will inevitably invade, but with urgent news. Today is the day I prove my mettle. This is where I prove the power of the White Army, second to none. We are the fierce protectors of our gentle Tsar and our hardy people.
We shan¡¯t bow to bloody tyrants like the Z¨¹rtz¨¹n Empire and their cronies in the Reichsmaschine. Our gentle Tsar must harden his heart, lest we fall to the feet of savages.
¡°You are in the presence of the Tsar! All those who show reverence, prostrate yourselves or be branded traitors to our motherland!¡± the guard clad in soft white fur barks out.
With no ounce of hesitation, I get down on one knee, my long braid entangled with pure white hair falls to the side, matching the threaded snowflakes that sprinkle the long purple carpet. The rest of my comrades follow suit, though they show their sincerity on both knees.
¡°We revere our great and gentle Tsar, the glory of the White Army acting as our gentle ruler¡¯s arms and legs!¡± I proclaim with fervour.
¡°We revere!¡± The rest of the hall chimes in. The middle-aged man clad in regal white and purple robes motions his hand upwards. With a brief nod, I rise but my comrades remain firmly planted to the ground. His mouth opens, a voice a gentle as the falling snow floating out.
¡°You may speak, Comrade Avrora.¡±
¡°I thank you, Tsar Nikolas.¡±. Deep breaths, deep breaths.
¡°I must apologize for the sudden meeting between the White Army and our Tsar Nikolas, but I bring urgent and¡ somewhat grim news. As my comrades in the palace and on the streets may know, Z¨¹rtz¨¹n is beginning to gather its forces once again. Our violent neighbour to the west clearly knows no bounds, lord only knows. The most worrying part of all this is the current ruling party, the Adlerschrank. If their incompetent King wasn¡¯t enough, now they have a power-hungry lunatic at the helm of their country.¡±
¡°That is indeed worrying. We¡¯ve been monitoring the Adlerschrank¡¯s actions for a while, but they have been pushing the limits of the Mefine Treaty. It¡¯s extremely troubling, to say the least, Commissioner.¡±
¡°Thankfully for us, that Kugel isn¡¯t the smartest person to exist and has made his dislike of the empire¡¯s neighbours very vocal. Meaning in his foolishness, he has given us time to prepare.¡± Tsar Nikolas¡¯s eyes become clouded and he heaves a great sigh. Massaging his temples he says with great pain in his voice,
¡°You¡¯re not possibly suggesting we have a repeat of the Dirty War, Comrade Avrora?¡±
Oh no. Oh no, no, no, I messed up. Such a sore subject, I shouldn¡¯t have even brought it up in implication!
I shake my head vigorously.
¡°No, no, no, of course not Tsar Nikolas! I know that the Dirty War was a terrible time for both Myromnmiat and it¡¯s people, but it¡¯s specifically because I don''t want a repeat of it that I bring it up!¡± I desperately counter.
We simply can¡¯t have a repeat of the revolution. It nearly tore apart our nation last time, what on earth would happen this time? I have to convince the Tsar, no matter what. ¡°I beg of you Tsar Nikolas, please increase funding for the White Army so that we may increase our capabilities! Without it, we shall be woefully unprepared for the Empire¡¯s assault against our nation!¡± I pleaded.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
He stared thoughtfully at me for a second. Scratching his chin, he looked more torn than anyone I¡¯d ever seen before. Like a clear pond basking in the pale moonlight, his eyes reflected a great sadness and pain, one that wished to forget the horrors of the Dirty War and the raging hellfire that it sparked within the motherland.
The Z¨¹ndar are foolish to think that they were the only ones to have suffered. What of the many Mynmiat lives taken during White October? What of the terrible revolution sparked that ripped us apart? What of the merciless Red wave that nearly consumed us alive? It disgusts me to think that Kugel tries to pretend as if they were the ones who suffered.
¡°...tell me, Commissioner, is there really no other way? The last thing that I wish for is another revolution,¡± he asked in a defeated tone. I shake my head sadly.
¡°I¡¯m afraid it is the only way, Tsar Nikolas. If we don¡¯t begin to prepare in advance, we will be crushed like bugs. The White Army may be the strongest in the world but without adequate preparation and organization, we will easily fall into the palms of our enemies to the west.¡± The room grows still, as the remembrance of that stain on the White Army¡¯s reputation pulses through my comrades.
¡°...We were woefully unprepared for Z¨¹rtz¨¹n¡¯s fury,¡± mumbles Yegor. I try to affirm Yegor¡¯s statement.
¡°It is indeed so, Comrade Yegor. It is indeed so¡ which is why must learn from the mistakes of our past.¡±
¡°If we were to increase the capabilities of the White Army, where would you say we should focus our efforts?¡± Tsar Nikolas asks, trepidation dripping from his voice. I briefly scan him, formulating my plan of attack.
¡°It would be most rational to withhold our spending on any specific counter-weapon for now, until our intelligence gets back to us on the Empire¡¯s plans for weapon development.¡± I begin to pace around the room, words flowing out of my mouth seemingly of their own volition.
¡°In the meantime, however, increasing and upgrading our weapons cache will be wise. I believe the rest of the budget is crucial to developing an airforce that will be up to snuff with the Luftfl¨¹gel, at the very least. Any remaining budget that hasn¡¯t already been set aside in the development of a counter-weapon to the Reichsmaschine will be diverted to armoured battalion development. We will adjust and redirect flow as needed.¡±
He nods.
¡°And tell me, Commissioner, what is your rationale behind this plan?¡±
¡°Allow me to present me and my comrade¡¯s thoughts then, Tsar Nikolas. We in the High Commission believe that one of our most plentiful resources is manpower. However, in great contrast to this, our weapons cache is small and many of the arms presents are severely outdated. This means that most of our forces won¡¯t be properly armed and will serve as nothing more than target practice for the Reichsmaschine.
¡°If we manage to properly arm at least most of our infantry, we will be able to make a huge difference in the outcome of a battle. We would have just about 5 million soldiers, armed to the teeth with state-of-the-art weaponry. Compared to the pitiful 550,000 soldiers of the Bodenarmee, our M.L.C. outnumber them nearly 10:1.¡±
The hall reverberates with the sound of my voice, echoing off the silver threaded walls. Tsar Nikola taps his finger against his chair, lending his head into his palm.
¡°If what you say is true, Comrade Avrora, the Adlerschrank will have plans to expand the Reichsmaschine as a whole. I fear they will have the ability to rapidly increase the size and capabilities of the Bodenarmee, leaving our advantage in numbers right in the gutter,¡± He says. I consider him for a moment.
¡°This is indeed true. However, our population far outnumbers theirs and our industry is rapidly expanding, we will eventually be able to outproduce them. This is also where the White Wings come into relevance. If we are able to outproduce the Empire with planes, we will be able to maintain air superiority. This is a crucial advantage. We will be able to harass their ground troops while protecting our own. The Luftfl¨¹gel will no doubt be one of the biggest threats to our men on the ground and thus, one of the biggest obstacles to our success.¡±
Tsar Nikolas once again begins to tap his finger nervously.
¡°But what of the rumours of their extensive armoured programme? I¡¯ve heard our intelligence officers say that they have massive steel behemoths being produced. How will the common soldier fight against such a menace?¡± he wonders aloud. How our gentle Tsar is so considerate, thinking about the troops even in such an impossible scenario. He¡¯s nothing like that venomous snake Kugel. I must reassure him.
¡°There is no need to fear this so-called ¡®Wunderwaffe¡¯, Tsar Nikolas. They are no more far off fantasies, incompatible with the real world. Armoured vehicles are something far off into the future and are unsustainable in a war. They are too premature and will be poorly manufactured, no doubt. A grenade or two would easily take one out.¡±
Armoured vehicles? What a joke. There¡¯s no way a concept as ridiculous as that could ever even hope to be a viable strategy. Those Z¨¹ndar really are delusional. If they think that concepts as fantastic as that would actually work, defeating them will be easy. Just to be safe though, It won¡¯t hurt to invest in such a programme ourselves. For future purposes, perhaps? Well, I''ve already mentioned it to the Tsar, so there¡¯s no need to bring it up again. He breathes a sigh of relief.
¡°Well if you insist Comrade Avrora, I have no choice but to believe you. But I need to reconfirm¡ are you sure this is the sort of path we should be taking?¡±
¡°I¡¯m positive, Tsar Nikolas. The Z¨¹rtz¨¹n empire will regret ever even thinking of provoking the White Army.¡±
Chapter 5: The fight for the everyday
In the end, I seem to have successfully made my point to the Tsar. All¡¯s well that ends well, I suppose. I¡¯m actually quite surprised that he didn¡¯t bring up the topic of the navy. Our navy is notoriously in a state of disrepair and near non-existence.
However, I believe the navy is no doubt the least of our concerns. Despite the impressiveness of the Empire¡¯s navy, it would be hard-pressed to try and naval invade in our most arctic regions which are the only direct access they have to the mainland. All the other ports situated near us are in bordering neutral countries, such as Laplaze. For now, the empire can¡¯t risk offending the sleeping giants and open up a two-front war. Thus a naval invasion is most likely not imminent.
Our strength has always lied in our army, after all, its overwhelming size has been what kept our enemies at bay. Some say it is the silent Boreal Reaper which steadfastly defends the motherland, but those who say that do not know the will of our comrades in the White Army.
¡°Yegor,¡± I call out. Yegor quickly salutes, hitting his fist against his chest.
¡°Commissioner,¡± he replies. I take a moment to collect my thoughts, as we steadily march through street 43¡¯ with the silhouette of the silver palace slowly fading in the distance.
¡°When exactly do you think the Reichsmaschine will make plans to attack?¡± I ask him. He shakes his head.
¡°I¡¯m not sure I can really say, Commissioner. With Rudel already annexed and Zaplecza in the middle of being integrated into the empire, they have made quite a considerable foothold. The only thing that¡¯s really holding them back now is the restricted size of their army. If they go any further with the development of their army, they will be violating the treaty.¡±
I sigh rather deeply, massaging my temples.
¡°It¡¯s quite clear that the Kugel and the Adlerschrank both care little for the terms of the treaty, so that isn¡¯t much of a deterrent anymore,¡± I tiredly leak out.
¡°It seems to be so, Commissioner. They are no doubt waiting for the complete integration of Zaplecza and Rudel before they begin building up the Reichsmaschine. The treaty is nothing more than a formality at this point. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re quietly lurking, awaiting the opportune moment to strike,¡± Yegor tensely answers.
Those damn foxes. Just barely skirting around the constraints of the treaty, making sure no one can point any fingers at the Adlerschrank for their clearly hostile actions. Taking Rudel with no resistance and so easily annexing the rest of the eastern lowlands, they really have their work cut out for them. At least Zaplecza put up somewhat of a fight. We desperately need to rush the development of the White Army¡¯s capabilities or we really will be steamrolled by the Reichsmaschine.
I can barely stand it. The enemy is practically at our doorstep and yet those lazy bastards in Charcourt and Faltith only ever file so-called ¡°diplomatic objections¡±. Can they not see that neither Kugel nor Z¨¹rtz¨¹n will be placated with mere words? Nevermind those isolationists in the Unity, I''ll be surprised if they so much blink at the impending wave. As per usual, the burden is left up to us to bear. I simply won¡¯t allow those Z¨¹ndar to have their way. If it were up to the Adlerschrank, we¡¯d all be working ourselves to death in camps like Schutzfel.
Suddenly, I''m nearly knocked over from the brute force of a massive slap on my back. Ilya shoots me a wide grin as he pulls back his large hand from my back.
¡°Don¡¯t worry Commissioner. You did great, I honestly think that the White Army was right to assign you as a delegation for the negotiation with Tsar Nikolas. Nobody could¡¯ve done it better. You should stop stressing about it, otherwise, my babushka might mistake you for a prune from all those wrinkles and try to throw you into a jam!¡± he heartily laughs.
I slightly smile at his antics and stifle a chuckle. Indeed, the little things like this is what I fight for. Stressing out, crying, and then laughing all in a single day, I would not hesitate to give my everything to ensure this everyday peace.
¡°Thank you, Ilya. I find it wonderful that you have so much faith in me and I am deeply grateful that I have comrades as wonderful as you two.¡± I tell Ilya and Yegor. Ilya once again heartily laughs as he scratches the back of his head, while a soft smile drifts onto Yegor¡¯s face.
¡°D¡¯aww, you¡¯re gonna make me blush, Commissioner!¡± Ilya says bashfully.
¡°Indeed, we are fortunate to have you as our Commissioner, Avrora,¡± Ilya adds in.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
H-Hey guys, now you¡¯re making me feel embarrassed. Sheesh, what¡¯s with the flood of compliments¡? I suppose I''ll gratefully accept them in full stride.
¡°Alright then, all this positive atmosphere has me in a good mood! Let¡¯s head over to Karp¡¯s! First round¡¯s on me!¡± Ilya proclaims. Yegor glances at Ilya pumping his fist in the air and slightly sighs.
¡°Just don¡¯t rush ahead and leave us in the dust again, Ilya.¡± Yegor tiredly says. Ilya shoots him a glare.
¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault that you decided to meander around in a bookshop while I was making good progress towards our destination, Yegor.¡± he flatly says. Yegor¡¯s eye twitches. Oh dear. This might just get messy¡
¡°Meander? I was looking at the prestigious collection of rare novellas and ancient literature, how is that me meandering?¡± Yegor shoots back.
¡°Just because you were looking at some fancy-schmancy books doesn¡¯t change the fact that you were lagging behind. That still has nothing to do with me, that¡¯s all on you.¡± Ilya retorts at Yegor. Yegor pauses for a moment, seeming to be at a loss on how to respond. He soon regains his spunk though, much to the dismay of Ilya.
¡°Well maybe if you weren¡¯t so obsessed with booze, then there wouldn¡¯t be any need to rush!¡± he says. Ilya looks just about done with Yegor.
¡°Please! Take a look in the mirror before you accuse someone of being obsessed. What about that time I had to dig you out of a pile of books because you nearly suffocated? That¡¯s not obsession though, is it Yegor? Because it¡¯s ¡®educational¡¯ or whatever?¡± Ilya scoffs. Yegor starts to turn bright red, and this is where I start weighing an intervention.
¡°Why I oughta¡!¡± Yegor starts, but I don''t let him finish.
¡°Aaalright then, as interesting as that is, we should probably just get going.¡± I interrupt. It seems these two can¡¯t stop bickering no matter what situation they¡¯re put into. Who knows where this will go if I don¡¯t interfere¡
After throwing one last glare at each other, they quickly chuff and move on. Or rather, they stop talking to each other, which is better than nothing. Thank goodness.
¡°Now then gentleman, shall we brighten the mood with a couple of drinks?¡±.
¡°...And then I told him, your mother¡¯s a whore! What a piece of shit, am I right?¡± Yegor proudly proclaims. The rest of the bar merrily cheers at his story, with voices of agreement floating up from the crowd. Yegor is surprisingly in his element at these types of places. A bookish and pessimistic type like him, you wouldn¡¯t really expect it. Suddenly, Ilya throws his arm around Yegor, slamming his empty glass down on the table after gulping the whole thing down in one go.
¡°You-*hic* wanna know s-something Yegor? You¡¯re so much less of a prick when you¡¯re reallll drunk.¡± he just barely manages to sputter. Yegor giggles like a schoolgirl, which is admittedly very off-putting.
¡°Haha, fuck off cunt.¡± Yegor cheerfully says. Then they both start laughing. And laughing, and laughing, and laughing and laughing, and-
Ah. There they go. Passing out like that in almost a clockwork fashion, it would be impressive if it weren¡¯t so¡ so¡ sad. As their Commissioner though, I have to take responsibility for hauling them out of here, which will certainly be painful. How to go about this¡
I feel a light tapping on my shoulder. Turning around, I see a strange green-haired girl with a short, messy cut and dark grey eyes. We make eye contact and her eyes flicker with an unknown emotion for a brief moment, only to quickly become neutral once again.
¡°Need some help?¡± she asks.
¡°Help me? How did you know I needed help? And do I even know you?¡± I ask, suspiciously. People often attempt to get close to me simply because I am a Commissioner, thinking that that will get them some sort of special benefits. Already I feel wary of this girl.
She glances down to the floor, only to look at me quizzically.
¡°Well, you looked pretty exasperated when those two blokes crumpled onto the floor. I¡¯ve had a couple of lads who¡¯ve done that on me, so I know the feeling all too well,¡± she tells me. Actually, now that I listen to her more closely, she talks with a very distinct accent.
¡°Are you possibly from¡ Faltith?¡± I ask her. She looks a little surprised.
¡°Quite. I thought my Mynmiat was fluent, but I guess even when you speak the language well, your accent still comes through.¡± I suppose I can lower my guard a little if she¡¯s from Faltith. There¡¯s no reason for her to take advantage of my position unless she was one of those dirty appeasers their government loves so much.
But I could really use the help right now, as while Yegor is quite lanky, Ilya has a very large frame. No way I can carry both of these drunkards. In the first place, why do I have to saddled with cleaning up after their antics¡?
¡°Well if you¡¯re making the offer, I would appreciate it. Just to put it out there though, don¡¯t try to sell me any of the appeasement junk. I¡¯m not interested, so quit while you¡¯re ahead.¡±. It may sound rude to put it out like this immediately, but I really don¡¯t want another appeaser talking my ear off with nonsense. I would much rather struggle to carry these two back home, rather than have this Falt help me and feed me verbal garbage. Luckily enough for me though, she shook her head.
¡°My politics are my business only. No need to worry yourself, ma¡¯am, I won¡¯t bother you with them. Just want to help.¡± she says as emotionlessly as ever. I consider her for a minute and then stick out my hand. ¡°Galiyev. Avrora Galiyev. Nice to meet you.¡± I finally greet her. She returns the gesture, slipping her hand into mine.
¡°Florence Sharpe. It¡¯s a pleasure, Ms Galiyev.¡±.
Well, whatever. It¡¯s just for one night. What¡¯s the worst that could happen?
Chapter 6: That which stains the soil
Here I am, trusting this complete stranger with the safe transport of my comrades. Maybe it would be different if it were another one of my countrymen, but this one is a Falt. They¡¯re about as trustworthy as those damn Z¨¹ndar. All those westerners come from practically the same blood, they might as well all be traitorous and scheming mongrels.
They all wish for the downfall of our motherland, the Z¨¹ndar are just honest about it. Those in Faltith and Charcourt are simply better at hiding their resentment than Z¨¹rtz¨¹n is. That¡¯s clearly why they¡¯re doing nothing about the looming threat over our motherland, despite how plainly obvious Z¨¹rtz¨¹n¡¯s aggression towards us is. Our brothers in Zaplecza and the other lowlands have been abandoned by the west. If only they allowed themselves to become part of Myromnmiat, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Z¨¹rtz¨¹n at all.
But I¡¯m getting off track here. I didn¡¯t really have much of a choice considering I couldn''t just leave them on the cold floor of the bar while all the other patrons were drunk to high heaven. The fact that they could very realistically drown in their own vomit is the way I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t want to go. Much better to do it on the battlefield, fighting for the Motherland.
As the Falt and I trudge our way silently through 67¡¯ with Ilya on my back and Yegor on hers, I begin to contemplate her. The snow gently falls around us, illuminating her slim figure in the pale moonlight. She¡¯s rather¡ lovely, isn¡¯t she? Just from an objective standpoint, obviously. Like when you see a beautiful actor on stage or something like that.
She turns her face towards me, giving me a questioning look.
¡°Is something the matter, Miss Galiyev?¡± I cough in sudden surprise.
¡°Er, nothing,¡± I stiffly say. A still silence permeates the air, thick with awkwardness. Playing ice breaker is harder then it looks, huh? ¡°So Miss Sharpe, what exactly brings you here to Myromnmiat?¡± I ask, sharply veering away from my earlier derailment. She glances at me, that strange unknown emotion once again briefly flickering.
¡°What, it¡¯s illegal for a Falt to visit Myromnmiat now, is it?¡± she says defensively.
¡°I wasn¡¯t saying that,¡± I responded coldly. What¡¯s the problem now? Rather than it being illegal for Falts to come here, is it illegal to ask questions now? She sighs deeply, going to do some sort of hand motion but then remembering she has Yegor on her back.
¡°Sorry¡ I just tend to get a little frustrated when people pester me about my circumstances. People are so ripe with distrust within Myromnmiat. I know that it¡¯s always been that way, but it¡¯s gotten really bad lately. If anyone notices even a single foreign mannerism, I¡¯m immediately bombarded with questions. That one is the most common. Can¡¯t I just visit because I like it here?¡±
I consider her for a moment. While I sympathize with her struggle in terms of distrust, she has to have some awareness for the current situation we¡¯re facing right now.
¡°I see. I guess I didn¡¯t really think about that. I can see how that kind of thing would start to get annoying.¡±
¡°Right? Sometimes I really just want to-¡±
¡°However, I don¡¯t think you really have to be particularly invested in politics to be aware of the tensions between Z¨¹rtz¨¹n and Myromnmiat. Not to mention the sorts of intervention that Charcourt and your country of Faltith are running right now.¡± I can¡¯t help but scoff. ¡°Well if you can call what they¡¯re doing an intervention. Regardless of that, it¡¯s inevitable for us to be wary of a foreigner, especially a falt. Charcourt is one thing, but the Commonwealth is acting so blatantly passive that it looks like you¡¯re siding with Z¨¹rtz¨¹n on the matter of the Wiedervereinigung. Weren¡¯t you and Charcourt the ones that established the treaty in the first place? How can you be so dismissive towards such clear violations of a treaty you enacted?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
She purses her lips. She¡¯s trembling, barely holding back the flurry on insults I¡¯m sure she wants to hurl. Go on then. Say it. Tell me all of your excuses.
¡°First of all, it wasn¡¯t a treaty the Commonwealth enacted. It was a treaty that all of the participants of the war agreed upon. We were just one of the signatories. Second of all, the Commonwealth is a neutral party towards the business of the Wiedervereinigung. If the lowlands wish to become part of the Empire by their own accord, then so be it. We have no right to tell other countries what to do. We aren¡¯t biased towards Z¨¹rtz¨¹n or Myromnmiat.¡±
¡°Yes because Zaplecza had so much of a say in their fate when the Reichsmachsine came in and crushed their military. Open your eyes, Sharpe. Zaplecza wasn¡¯t the first to fall, nor will it be the last. Do you think Kugel¡¯s ambitions will stop at the lowlands? Do you think his fervent speeches outline his restraint? His mercy? His humility? His eyes aren¡¯t set on the lowlands. They gaze upon the entirety of Ralgen,¡± I hatefully spat.
¡°We have already filed our objections towards Z¨¹rtz¨¹n¡¯s aggressive takeover of Zaplecza. Appeasement is the most sensible route here. With the scale that Z¨¹rtz¨¹n has re-established itself, I think it would be unwise to try and threaten them. Forget Ralgen, Z¨¹rtz¨¹n and its cohorts will throw the entire world into a bloody conflict,¡± she retorted.
¡°So you say it¡¯s better to watch on and do nothing?! While they continue their rampage through Ralgen, uninterrupted? While they persecute Vurin and opposers alike in their hellish ¡°containment facilities¡±? While they threaten the sanctity of our motherland?¡±
¡°I¡¯d cut your tongue if I were you, Galiyev. Don¡¯t act as if the Tsar is a saintly being free of sin. There¡¯s no one on Pelaga who doesn¡¯t know of the Tsar¡¯s handouts of ¡°vacation tickets¡± to Nitsya. I¡¯m sure all those suspected defectors simply adore slowly dying to exhaustion and exposure in the dead of winter due to suspicions of conspiracy. Yes, not even conviction. Suspicion. Not to mention the way your people treat the Giteld. In that sense, you¡¯re no better than Z¨¹rtz¨¹n.¡±
I nearly drop Ilya at that remark. To insult our country is one thing, but to insult Tsar Nikolas, the symbol of our power and wisdom¡!
¡°I¡¯m sure you Falts just love waltzing into people¡¯s homes and then telling them what to do, only just as promptly leave when you¡¯re asked for help! You¡¯re all cowards! Pathetic and spineless cowards!¡±
She bites her lip so hard that a thin stream of blood trickles down her throat. If looks could kill, I would be dead.
¡°Well then. Start throwing your men and women at Z¨¹rtz¨¹n until it goes away. When the ground runs red with the blood of fools, then I guess we can say that the War never really ended and Myromnmiat didn¡¯t learn it¡¯s lesson from the first time it nearly fell apart!¡±
A deathly silence hangs over the air. Where to continue from there? We stand motionless, unable to formulate any thoughts aside from regret. The snow falls just as gently, blissfully indifferent to the schisms of man.
¡°...I¡¯m sorry,¡± I manage to mouth. ¡°I went too far. All this business with the treaty violations and the insanity that is the Adlerschrank has made me lose my head.¡±
Florence begins to stir, her gaze averted in shame. ¡°I apologize as well. The government¡¯s been the subject of a lot of scrutiny lately due to the situation with Z¨¹rtz¨¹n. At the same time, we¡¯ve been having trouble expanding our army. After all¡¡± she trails off.
¡°Nobody wants to send another generation to die.¡±
She smiles sadly.
¡°Indeed. The horrors of the Dirty War are still fresh in everyone¡¯s minds. It¡¯s only been about 15 years since the treaty was signed. That¡¯s basically nothing. Now another war looms on the horizon¡?¡± she shakes her head. ¡°It really is the worst.¡±
We stand there motionless. No amount of alcohol or merriment can mask the terrible truth that weighs down on us both. The sobering taste of reality pours over us like a bucket of ice water.
Tell me, O Father of mine who art in heaven. Why is man so eager to send its sons and daughters to die over the dirt beneath our feet?
¡°...We should probably hurry up. Getting caught in a snowstorm won¡¯t make the mood any better.¡± I quietly suggest. Florence nods.
Two lost souls in the silent night, we depart.