"Mono/Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

Narration

[Message/communication apparatus]

Date: February 1088

Location: Lungmen, Autonomous Region of Great Yan.

POV: Narrator

“Ah, inequality and generally bad living conditions, how very lovely. Last time I was here I did not get much of a chance to look around,” Nyx said to no one in particular when she approached the less-than-viable entrance into the city. For one, it is located in one of the less affluent and forgotten parts of the mobile city. She is approaching the checkpoint, manned by soldiers, or perhaps security units, who clearly wants nothing more than to be stationed elsewhere.

“Halt! Identify your… s-self…” An officer halts her bike, but his voice gone quiet and Nyx can see through his helmet how deathly pale he is. She snicker inwardly a little from his reaction, she doesn’t hide her face because letting the slum dwellers know who enters their turf would make things sooo much easier.

“My face wasn’t enough?” She deliberately adopts a cold attitude, and the officer quickly replies.

“U-Um… Pardon me Lady Grey Serpent… I was informed by HQ that you will take the Western checkpoint… why are you here?”

“I would have taken said checkpoint if not for the sudden change of venue. You weren’t told?”

“U-um… I’m just an ordinary security officer ma’am and…”

“So can I enter yet?”

“I-I, Ahem! … I have to check your identity, and belonging before I also need to confirm with HQ fo-”

“That’s enough, PC (Police Constable). I’ll take it from here.” An officer from what appears to be a Sergeant approaches them.

“Y-yes sir!”

“Apologies for the wait Lady Grey Serpent. I had just received the update from HQ and you’re free to enter only after showing the delivery number and task documentation.”

“Sure…” Nyx hands the Sergeant with those prerequisites, and the Sergeant takes his PT out and starts comparing its eligibility. The Grey Serpent doesn’t pay any more attention to what is in front of her… she is more interested in a squad of shadowy operatives that are encircling her. She is not at the slightest inconvenienced, if anything she finds morbid delight in being taken so seriously.

‘Wei Yenwu is still very wary of me, I thought giving his niece, Ch’en, those swords without much of a fuss and teaching her knick-knacks about tactics made it easier for me to associate with him. That or it is just how he regards me… well, he can play his game of chess all he wants, but if he wants me on it, then he must pay.’

“All is in order… normally I would say welcome to Lungmen… but this is not exactly the most presentable facet of the Mobile City.”

“How truly honest…” She starts up the engine and rides past the checkpoint. The shadowy group is keeping up with her, she can even see their silhouette jumping all around the buildings. Paying them not too much attention, she takes note of her surroundings.

This place is frankly a slum. The buildings are all old and have numerous cracks and clear signs of makeshift repairs. She also spots homeless and sick people by the alleyway or walking around looking for something. Infected or not, these people are the byproduct of a city that grows too quickly, attracting too much potential for betterment, and being generally seen as an oasis… that is conveniently inhabited by snakes.

She sees people fighting over pieces of bread, she sees groups of gangs facing off against one another, and she even sees the local mafias or its equivalent watching everything unfold. Naturally, she attracts people's attention. She is more or less known to people with access to channels of information, she is one of the hottest topics to sell.

Disregarding even more prying gazes coming her way, she follows the direction toward her meeting point with someone who is already expecting her. It doesn’t take too long for her to arrive, and there are already people posted outside as sentries… they honestly look like thugs, but their bearing and the way they carry themselves suggest something deeper.

“The venue is ready, please head inside.”

“Really now? Not going to confiscate my equipment?”

“It would make little difference.”

“Gee, thanks for the praise.” Uttered smoothly with the flattest tone she could muster. Nyx heads inside and watches around the corridor, the shadowy group is tailing her and slipping past the guards. That or they are already in cahoots with one another, which made little difference in her mind.

The corridor is the typical looking downtrodden neighborhood mixed with Orientalis architecture that’s already there before turning into this hodge-podge of nightmares. Traversing her way through, she finally reaches the destination. 2 people are already there, a fellow Pythia but sporting red hair and a Zalak that truly looks like a bipedal rodent. The red-haired Pythia looks down on her watch before turning her gaze back up.

“… Not even a second late, you’re truly something else Lady Grey Serpent.”

“You must be the Superintendent, right? Then let me pay my respect to the don first, if you don’t mind.” Nyx turned her face to the Zalak who was watching silently, his hair (or furs) had been graying out and showed clear signs of age. She dip her head in a slight bow before conjoining her open palm with her closed one. The Zalak was faintly surprised but returned the respect equally.

“The rumors painted you as a rabid mongrel, but I was never one to fancy rumor. Seeing is believing isn’t it?”

“It is always a habit of mine and besides I lose nothing to show my courtesy to the owner of the house. Not to mention that it would give a better impression.”

“Honesty. An admirable trait and I suppose that would be enough. Superintendent, I shall take my leave.”

“Thank you very much for your cooperation, Lord Lin.” The Zalak nodded at the Superintendent’s gratitude and left the premises, his figure vanished into the darkened hallway. Now the two of them are facing one another face-to-face.

“Let’s cut to the chase, what do you have for us?”

“I got the updated Catastrophe Projection Reports and the usual information from across the border if you’re interested of course.”

“Dabbling on being an information broker too now huh?”

“It is just how I roll, and believe it or not, I’m not the only one.”

“I’ll put it aside, your reports take precedence.”

“Very well.” Nyx opened her bag and laid down a fairly detailed map of Lungmen’s immediate vicinity. The LGD Superintendent raises her eyebrows but decides to jot down her assessment inside her memo for later, this CM woman’s danger scale keeps on increasing.

“We are expecting seismic activity along Tien Chu valley, I had checked over the local originium vein beneath the valley and found it empty. There are oddities I had noticed however, heavy equipment and traces of well-maintained facility were found not far from the vein. I can rule out smugglers and illegal miners, so…”

“It will be our problem, and LGD will appreciate it if you stay quiet.” the red-haired Pythia gently warned her, stop delving too deep and they can work out a deal. Nyx shrugs before replying.

“Always do, just ensure that CM got its appropriate due.”

“Yours too.”

“Ha… yeah…”

“Next?”

“The Northern Wasteland had entered another state of skirmish, trade route there will be hampered and disturbance might spill out to the south. I have contacted my fellow messengers in this region on what to do, they advise me to stay put and to start organizing an appropriate venue for the upcoming parties of interest. Is Lungmen interested?”

“Lungmen had always put a great importance on the flow of goods and market stability. It is not under my jurisdiction to reply to this offer, I will forward it nonetheless.”

“Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.”

“Mm-hm, continue with your reports.”

“Then…” The discussion continues for a while, just a normal negotiation between two Pythia of differing allegiance.

The scene changes to a concealed position.

“Have you done your combat projection analysis?” An androgynous voice asks their counterpart, there is at least a whole squad of them in the surrounding area. They share one similarity; their attire. Head covered with a mask and flat paddy hat, while their bodies are fully hidden with black and grayish cloth. They had been observing her since she arrived, and they knew that she knew of their existence.

Naturally, that would have been within the grounds for elimination… but the cost is just…

“… Inconclusive at best. Both sides will suffer heavily at minimum, that woman is not normal by any stretch of the imagination. We are still trying to delve into the secrets of 72’s but failed to produce any noticeable results. A conjecture has been made, suppressions from both sides to prevent the truth from coming into light.”

“Regrettable… was she polluted by the ‘enemy’ then?”

“Negative, she is clean. Unit 8 confirmed that her body is normal, she has no hollow parts. If anything she looks way too normal, they are still in the middle of an investigation and our Originium detectors are silent. Furthermore, nothing indicates that she has a hand with forbidden knowledge. What we do find is that she is curious about learning new information through, mostly, conventional means.”

“She is curious and cautious, Lord Wei is spot on with his prediction… Then who tended her wounds?”

“A Feline Cleric from Laterano, but we lost track of her, her last sightings are all over the place. Once in Siracusa, another in Ursus, and we even got a report she was seen in Kazdel. We suspect the person in question is within the list of influential individuals, thus we are treading lightly.”

“The Feline Cleric problem shall be addressed later, we shall keep up the surveillance for now, and the deals are being worked out by the LGD. Simultaneously, you report back to Lord Wei personally.”

“Understood.” Their counterpart vanishes and the squad keeps watching quietly. She might not be falling into a potentially hostile category, but her blurry allegiance and consistently playing-all-sides attitude don’t earn her a truly positive rapport with this group.

Back to the duo

“… You might also want to dispatch some personnel to the eastern corridor. Gynvabar migration cycle is fast approaching, you surely would not want them to indict trade right?”

“On that matter, LGD can request you for it.” The Superintendent fired back. Nyx is a famous pest control expert, to the extent that a wild beast that would cause a 7/10 chance of fatality ends up as nothing more than an inconvenience. Her fee was always high, but it was miles better than pulling away some much-needed manpower for something that is technically not yet their problem.

“Outsourcing jobs much?” Nyx's blank face betrayed a hint of annoyance, the pay is nice but she wants nothing more than to just be a slob again. She still waits for an update from a certain someone, and she doesn’t lie that the research took a long time.

“Are you complaining for an easy job?” The red-haired Pythia said, bemusement and interest lacing her tone. Nyx just stared at her before deadpanned a reply.

“Easy for me, but not for us… well if the pay is right I’ll do it.”

“Or we can just wait until your social and environmental obligations are being put to good use.” She is privy to how Nyx’s organization works, CMs are obligated to ensure people are protected well to the best of their ability when the situation calls for it. Nyx has no issue with it, but having that regulation being shoved into her face just irks her a tad.

“How very logical and economical… so nothing else right? I’ll be on my way then… still weird why you redirect me here.”

“In that case, if you agree to be under our contract, I’ll be more than willing to tell you.”

“Meh, not interested.”

“Worth the try, I bid you wel- excuse me.” The Superintendent’s ear communication ring.

“Hmm?” She was about to leave the table they had been using, she looked at her fellow Pythia, tilting her head to signify her question. Excusing herself, the Superintendent steps back just enough to be out of earshot… which is useless because Nyx has a rather sharp hearing unless you’re at the next few blocks if she, seriously, tried to eavesdrop. Nyx can hear how a certain someone is asking for her presence, so she plays dumb.

“Something the matter?”

“Yes, Lord Wei is expecting you at his office.”

-

-

-

Nyx had passed through the special gateway that separates downtown Lungmen from the slums. The stark contrast between the two can be called otherworldly, judging by how many pedestrians are still active this late into the night. Her entry and arrival from the sections of the city notorious for its bad reputations exacerbate the needless attention; a part of her starts regretting her fame.

She sighs quietly before going on her way. She looked around the city and found several outstanding similarities with either Ortega IV Ecumenopolis or Hong Kong mixed with New Eden. One, high-rise buildings are the norm. She surmises that the lowest buildings are still 4-5 stories high and that the amount of advertisement is much nicer compared to the clusterfuck one on Kawalerielki.

Two, she can see a city that works 24/7 from the looks of it. Late night, overtime, workers still trudging through with their lives, eyes between half-dead but still determined to finish work. Locals, most likely the more affluent, have the time of their lives and just contributing to their excess consumerism. (Nyx conveniently forgot her monthly armament spending.)

Three, private security firms are blending in nicely with local pedestrians. She can scan the crowd with her mental synapse, singling out those with training and don’t, or the untrained but skilled, and so forth. She also spots several mafias looking her way, trying to be discreet and nonchalant. Which is useless against her, so they might as well just gawk openly.

One particular group stands out… the Schwire Group’s employees. When others are looking at her warily, they are looking at her like a piece of fresh meat… and she would be inclined to agree. Nyx abides by playing according to the local’s rules until they deliberately pissed her off. Otherwise, she is perfectly fine to play a little game.

Then just so many more reasons.

She weaves through the highway on her bike, not slowing down even a little. It will probably cause her some problems with LGD, but she can’t let the Chief Executive, or more like an Imperial Magistrate who lords over a staggeringly and highly autonomous region, wait too long. 10 minutes later, she reached the tallest building in the center of this prosperous mobile city.

She steps off from her bike, parking it on a designated lot. Then a group of security approaches her, she inspects their gear and finds it reminiscent of 21^st-century riot police gear but much more futuristic in a way.

From the edge of her vision, she can see a particularly tall Green-haired Oni woman watching her every move but pay her not too much mind but still...

'Hmm... this is the first time I ever see an Oni....'

“Lord Wei has been expecting you, Lady Nyx. I will ask for your equipment to be handed over, protocols require it.”

“Affirm…” She answered lazily before taking off her coat… showing 2 pieces of Originium carbine being strapped on either side. The guards flinch but she isn’t done yet, not even close in fact. Taking them off, they see another layer of weaponry being neatly strapped on her Kevlar, it might work as secondary armor from how dense it is.

Said Kevlar has 32 small knives without handles but have holes, perfect for throwing or combined with string. She then pulled several, non-lethal but painful, grenades from its pockets. The guards watch on in muted horror at how much she is packing, and she still pulling out different kinds of weapons. She finally finishes and takes her Kevlar off… only to show several more weapons hidden beneath it.

She takes off 2 originium pistols from her front, 4 small single-shot crossbows from her hips, and another set of axes strapped behind her back. She took off her glove and pulled a dagger and a spare magazine. Kneeling, she pulled out an anti-armor needle and spare strings. Next up is pulling out a disassembled carbine neatly tucked all over her body. Then…

…

…

…

15 minutes pass by and she is not done yet. The security units’ stony faces had faltered considerably. Shock, awe, wariness, and fear clouded their expression, and why wouldn’t they? The Grey Serpent is just a veritable walking armory of a ridiculous proportion. Like, what kind of insanely paranoid lunatic would hide parts of rapier along their elbows? Yet that was not the most mind-boggling thing this woman was doing…

At this point the guards just gave up, they could only stare seeing Nyx keep pulling out more weapons than a normal person could have. Once she finishes all that, she goes past the metal detector… only for it to detect a hidden weapon still being left in her. Immediately, she is surrounded by all of them, weapons pointed at her. Despite being clearly held at literal gunpoint, the person in question just offhandedly asked back on the security forces.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that one. Say, can you give me that dagger back?” The guards are unsure of it, but they acquiesced.

“Do not try anything funny, you hear?” She was handed her chipped but trusty dagger back… and started peeling off her right arm. To say that they’re horrified would be an understatement and it looks extremely creepy at how nonchalant Nyx is when opening up her skin and flesh. Not long after, she pulled a flat short blade without a handle that had been hidden within her flesh. Thankfully she is being careful not to stain herself.

She just handed the previous and latest entrée to the designated spot, while she took a shot of regenerative injector. Then she passed the metal detector again just fine and was guided inside by the guards. The Grey Serpent has no qualms with it, if anything she applauds them for doing so.

Once inside, she looks around the reception floor. Businessmen, merchants, journalists, and a lot of important people had been waiting patiently for an audience. As per tradition, her entrance causes an attention shift, especially when she is being flanked by an actual squad of security forces. She dismissed their attention and entered the elevator. Destination; Wei’s office.

POV: Wei Yenwu

Shuffling through documents, I’m inspecting the newest report regarding trade. Lungmen prosperity depends on how I handle requests and offers, my secretary had also confirmed that our booming economy continues to grow despite that treacherous fiend machination…

All is well and good… but Lungmen had yet to be as prosperous as what we had envisioned. A voice coming from an intercom put a halt on my mental deliberation.

[Lord Wei, Lady Nyx is waiting just outside of your office.]

“Send her in.”

[Acknowledged.]

The door is opened and I see her enter the room. My Shadow Guards immediately surround her from concealed positions, ready to defend me. I must say… she is not as strong as they had reported to me a few minutes ago… no.

‘They had been downplaying her too much…’ Standing up from my seat, I walk towards her. She bows her head slightly, a token of respect. I’m used to dealing with people who sometimes are too timid, too arrogant, too resourceful, and too cautious. But her? She is just herself, playing the rules that benefit her yet dictating and causing potential conflict by her own rule. I could use such brazenness if only I was a touch faster.

“No need to stand on ceremony, let’s talk freely and take a seat.”

“… Very well.” Sitting down, we start with small talk. She is affable, and knowledgeable but never once did she try to correct me. Even when she knows that an event is not as it seems, she keeps her mouth shut. I had offhandedly recalled the time when Terra had its whirlpool of chaos centered on Leithanien, a harrowing time for civilization, and her response was measured in the sense that she wasn’t there but barely even phased by an incident that turned the world upside down.

It was akin to a fact that she had seen so much worse, that a battle between Four Emperors is merely seen as “unfortunate”, judging by her body language. Safe to say that she is not as young as her appearance suggests, her true lineage might have been so much more.

‘Still… why does she tell me this?’ This woman is cautious in the most bizarre fashion.

‘Funding? She does not need that when rumors and facts are aplenty regarding her tenure in smoothing out K.G.C.C.'s cutthroat politics. Backing? She has a clique of interested individuals and parties looking for a chance to sway her. Favors? Last time I checked, she had impressed the Duke of Windermere with training an army. Hmm…’

Finishing our small talks, I inquired her about her tenure in Victoria, it was never a sort of information meant to be made secret.

“I had been hearing about your tenure as a temporary instructor.”

“Yep, I was requisitioned by the Victorian parliament to… teach Victoria’s prospective sons and daughter a thing or two in regards to warfare.”

“Then came the news of how you teach my niece…”

“That I did, was there anything you found unseemly?”

“No, no, no… Merely a passing curiosity of mine.”

“Please, the venerable Lor- excuse me. Lungmen’s Chief Executive interest was only due to passing curiosity? I must say you’re truly steadfast in what you believe.”

“Knowledge is power they say, but what good is knowledge when there is nothing to back it up?”

“An Erudite who has an interest in how best to utilize an iron fist? Color me surprised.”

“Was it truly worth being surprised with when even sincerity itself is scarce?”

“Maybe, doesn’t change the fact that knowing is necessary.”

“Hmm…” Taking out my trusty smoking pipe, I light it and take a brief relaxation. Nyx still says nothing and only reclined on her seat with her legs crossed. I put the pipe aside in its usual position on the table, a token from Higashi.

“As steadfast as I am.” Taking a teapot, I poured the both of us with high-grade tea leaves from Victoria, a nice mixture of blackened liquid from such crimson leaves was fascinating in itself. The Grey Serpent quirked her brows minutely but said nothing else. Taking in the fragrance, then I take a modest sip while she follows suit.

“It is not enough for merely being steadfast, don’t you think?”

“That goes without saying. You can’t move a knight piece like a rook… but what is the rule? Or the better question would be; who enforces it?”

“Rules matter because of power. Without it, everything would be nothing more than a disorganized chessboard played by clueless actors who pat themselves on the back while calling it a job well done.”

“Sure, it won’t be funny seeing Knight moving 8 steps forward, or Bishop doing L shapes an-”

“The most fascinating piece is none other than a humble pawn.”

“…”

“They’re numerous compared to their betters, with infinite potential that goes hand-in-hand provided the player knows what they’re doing. A humble pawn’s actions are limited but one wrong move and those who underestimate them shall pay dearly. Outsmarting the Bishops. Overtaking the Knights. Overwhelming the Rooks. Overpowering a Queen… and…” Putting down the pipe, I stare at her seriously.

“… Overthrowing the King.”

“…True, yet you forgot to mention what needs to be done to nurture such a pawn and… life is not a chess, my lord.”

“Heh, Verily…” I do favor her bluntness now. Song and dance can get tiring even for someone like me, but I can appreciate tacit honesty from time to time. Taking another puff of smoke, inhaling and exhaling it… I give my offer.

“… What say you?”

“Hmm… What does Catastrophe Messenger gain from this?”

“Hoh? Please… Last I recalled I was calling for an individual, not an organization or a division that barely has a central chain of command. Isn’t that right?”

“I find your idea of humor to be rather esoterically eccentric, Imperial Lord Wei Yenwu.”

“Conversely, I find your idea of comprehension to be eclectically ephemeral, Contingency Contract Chief Paramilitary Liaison, Nyx.”

“Let’s cut to the chase, how long?”

“2 years, and there will be benefits that you can expect.” Nyx closed her eyes to ponder. She sits so very still, that not even a breathing of hers can be sensed. Naturally, it is a risky venture, but the tension for conflict all around Terra is subtly, but rapidly, heating up. I can only make predictions and gather resources, not seeing what the future has to offer and that still not mentioning a dear nemesis of mine…

‘… Kaschey…’ I can feel the air filling my lungs turning fiery with rage. The memory had yet to leave me. The comrade I had killed, the nieces I had hurt, the sister I had lost… and a nemesis I had yet vanquished swirled in my mind… but those can wait; Lungmen takes priority.

‘Not for me, but for them…’ A quiet recollection of a brief peace in my life. Seeing him with my sister was beyond my wildest imagination, a dream that was shattered.

“… I find your proposal charming, but my schedule doesn’t allow me to.” Her voice pulled me back from my, admittedly, fantasy. I nodded and while it did fail, I still had formed a bridge that might interest her… just needed to find a suitable offer.

“What a shame, regardless… know that Lungmen will always welcome a capable personnel.” We stand up and I offer her a handshake. She reciprocates with a firm handshake of her own, hmm… a pretty strong grip.

“Your offer was duly noted.” A non-committal answer, her usual modus operandi of trying to stay as neutral as possible. I need to caution her once more.

“I appreciate your teaching on Ch’en, so rest assured that I shall personally commend her exploit.”

“… Farewell, Lord Wei.” Now it is time for me to turn my attention back to the present. I have yet to figure out how best to deal with upcoming Columbian’s diplomats. My deal with Leithanien is going well. There is still the matter of the Kazdelian Civil War….

 POV: Nyx

Leaving his room, I just waltz straight to the elevator, the guards who have been waiting are now escorting me back. Once inside I just leaned on my back to vent in my mind.

‘That damn Lung summoned me because I got too close to his niece. There was also that moment where he blatantly threatened me to be very, very, careful. He is not winning himself any favor if he wants me as his pawn, I need to spend some resources to deliberate further. At least I can lower my suspicion since my mental synapse only sensed brief hostility but no malicious intent…’

My musing was broken when I finally reached the reception floor. Immediately my legs move on their own towards the storage section. I must say that I might have gone too overboard with this much armament, but you can never be sure in this world. Besides, I can’t neglect my safety if I can help it.

Fetching my equipment from the flabbergasted and intimidated guards, I left the premises, mounted my bike, and sped toward the Western Checkpoint. Something about Lungmen just irks me somehow, but I can’t really put my finger on why.

‘Meh… it’s time to go back.’

Zofia would most likely be on the current prelims, heard that she won big on her own. Guess those training pays off nicely as it should, it would have been awkward if she got trounced just like nothing. It made me chuckle recalling the time when, due to her maturing beauty, rumors started to spread regarding her grace and whatnot. My dear little sister was so embarassed from striking a rather childish victory pose, then other photos showing her just running away from the media.

‘Hah… just like that time when people started getting way too weird years ago… hopefully no creeps are insane enough to get too close to her… else…’ I can’t help the dark smirk forming on my face, my mind is working rapidly to formulate a legal form of torture, and an illegal one if they’re being particularly insolent… I swear I’ll not be lenient on them, CM or not…

Then I also heard that Margaret found personal notoriety and fame as a Campaign Knight. Tales of her exploits reached my ears almost every week, thanks to Conrad who is now doing his best overseeing a project while juggling between works. If Conrad succeeds, we can get ourselves a much more reliable form of transportation.

Now where was I? Ah yes, Margaret’s exploits. A tale of how she had once protected a whole caravan of refugees by herself. Another tale of when she helped with evacuation from a sudden catastrophe that struck the northern region; a blizzard as I recalled. Or how she defused a conflict before it even happened, and so much more… The Radiant Knight, that’s what people start calling her…

‘She already achieved so much despite being a campaign knight not too long ago. It almost feels like she is a spitting mirror of Mwi but much more principled… God, how I long for the day of his reawakening… patience Nyx. It is only a matter of time…’ It is something worth noting of course, but I fear she pushes herself way too much. I’m not stupid, killing has its effects but namely it only gets easier.

“Guess, I’ll check up on her.” After paying the border toll, I left the city and straight back to Kazimierz… Scratch that, not straight back. I always take every commission for letters that need sending along the way, thus making people happy or something.

[END OF CHAPTER]

Author’s Note:

Sup there, this is me, myself, and I, the author who finally finished his thesis. Like, thank god…

So here we see Nyx making another ‘friend’ in high places. Will it do good or actually the opposite? Only time will tell.

Then, the more something is being made to be different, the more said thing stays the same one way or another.

Update as usual and this is Wei Yenwu's picture for those who don't know.

Ciao