The Unloving

Year: 984 - 01

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6 - Episode 7 - Episode 8 - Episode 9 - Episode 10 - Episode 11 - Episode 12 - Episode 13 - Episode 14 - Episode 15 - Episode 16 - Episode 17 - Episode 18 - Episode 19 - Episode 20 - Episode 21 - Episode 22 - Episode 23 - Episode 24 - Episode 25 - Episode 26 - Episode 27 - Episode 28 - Episode 29

Episode: 1
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
The bus wasn’t all that lively.
I could hear Rodya’s occasional quips, or Heathcliff starting pointless quarrels with someone—probably Don Quixote or Sinclair.
And Ryōshū’s demanding a source of heat to light her cigarette, having run out of lighter fluid.
Amidst the gripes and disorder, Gregor was pretty much the only Sinner I could rely on to willingly turn the mood around…
Gregor	……
But now, he was one of the quietest.
He was just staring out through the window, seemingly lost in deep thought.
Vergilius	……
One thing was for sure.
If anyone were to blame for trashing the mood on the bus, it’d be Vergilius.
The road to the Golden Bough was an awfully arduous one…
Putting us on the brink of death (and some past that) several times, not to mention the occasions when we almost ended up unemployed.
Yet Vergilius refused to see from our perspective.
Given the circumstances, it’s only natural for our Sinners to be palpably disgruntled.
Tired of the silent treatment, Ishmael spoke up.
Ishmael	Couldn’t you tell me where our next destination is now, at least?
Vergilius	Oh, sorry about that.
Vergilius	I was wondering whether briefing the mission to you miscreants would be worth the effort.
Rodion	Pah, you’re hurting me with your cold shoulder. Don’t you know that kids falling behind need more love?
Vergilius	And let me plead you not to embarrass me this time.
Vergilius	I sure don’t want to look like a teacher taking a bunch of gradeschoolers out for a picnic.
Vergilius	I have high hopes for you in particular, Rodion. You might just make a good guide for this tour.
Rodion	Huh? I know I’m a big deal, but I don’t think I can be a guide for a place I don’t know…
Vergilius	No worries. We’re heading to a location you should be more than familiar with.
Vergilius	A Nest of hedonism where you can drown in money or be drained of everything you have:
Vergilius	J Corp’s.
Rodion	……
Great, even Rodya has gone quiet now.
Heathcliff	Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be so bad to win big while we’re at it.
Heathcliff	Oi, someone wake me up when we’re there.
Vergilius	…Coincidentally, the bus will be unable to take you right to the branch building this time, dear passenger.
Vergilius	Charon, park it.
Charon	……
Vergilius	…? Charon?
Charon	What’s “park”?
Vergilius	It means stop.
Charon	Stops are red. Red tastes bad to Charon.
Grumbling, Charon hit the brakes without warning, sending most of the Sinners flying face-first into the seats ahead and flinging others off theirs.
I was, of course, powerless against the inertia.
A cacophony of complaints and shouts erupted.
Although I didn’t get to hear the Sinners’ ramblings in clear detail…
I’m willing to bet a good half of them were profanities, so maybe I’m better off not knowing.
Vergilius	Good to see you all full of energy. Now out.
Hong Lu	Hmm… The destination still seemed rather far… Ah! Will you call a taxi for us?
Vergilius	…As Ms. Faust will explain in detail, this mission is going to be quite different from our last, Dante.
Vergilius	This is because the location of the Golden Bough…
Vergilius	…is in the underground of a casino.
Outis	Do you mean to tell us that it’s among the brightly lit buildings standing at the center of that street?
Vergilius	That’s right, it’s one of those.
Ishmael	The Lobotomy Branch Facility we infiltrated last time was one that had been neglected for quite a while.
Sinclair	So you mean that… that was the exception?
Vergilius	See, it’s times like this that remind me our team doesn’t necessarily lack critical thinkers… It really does make me wonder how you managed to blunder your previous mission even more.
Ishmael	……
Vergilius	The Golden Bough is a potent energy source, holding the essence of many technological marvels.
Vergilius	Such founts of energy will attract flows of wealth and people, and in no time, a whole civilization is built on top of it.
Faust	Therefore, it’s likely that future destinations will have been occupied by other factions and their structures.
Faust	…Which, in turn, indicates that we should be prepared to visit a wide variety of venues in addition to this casino.
Vergilius	It also means that your first mission was a relatively easy one, yet you somehow snatched defeat from the wide-open maws of success.
Dante	<…Does he usually hold grudges that long?>
Gregor	…Ahem.
Rodion	Don’t ask me~ We haven’t known him much longer than you have.
Rodion	What’d he say again? Something like, “Welcome to Limbus Company. I’m your guide, Vergilius” and all that…
Rodion	Hah! Pretty good impression, wasn’t it?
Gregor	You got his authoritative tone down to a tee, I’ll give you that. I had to hold myself back from asking if I could resign right after joining.
Dante	<I get the feeling the rest of you thought the same.>
Don Quixote	Nonsense! ‘Twas a day to go down in history! Beckoned by the Red Gaze himself! Truly, there is no honor greater than a Color addressing your―
Gregor	Huh, I guess he does have a fan after all.
Rodion	Ufuhu, true that.
With their spirits lifted, Rodya and Gregor began to chuckle.
Vergilius	That’s more talking than necessary. I really do not wish for there to be impetus behind a third rule for this bus ride.
Rodion	C’mon, give the employees some room to badmouth their boss. You’re being totally petty.
Vergilius	Next time, do it out of earshot.
Vergilius	I’m more fragile than I look, you see.
Vergilius	Right, time to get up and at it. I sure hope you come back with a Golden Bough in your hands this time.
Heathcliff	And if we bugger it twice?
Vergilius	Who knows? Charon might suddenly forget what button to press to open the door for you.
Charon	Button, red. Yucky color.
Heathcliff	…You’re one daft bloke…
Ryoshu	UITGAAN.
Heathcliff	And that means?
Ryoshu	Shorthand for “Useless idiotic travelers go and abscond, now”.
Heathcliff glared at Ryōshū, insults welling up in his throat, only to then expel a loud sigh.
He resigned uncharacteristically, as if he came to the realization that killing her wouldn’t solve anything.

Episode: 2
Location: Pawn Avenue
Faust	Allow me to give a rundown of the plan.
Faust	Our primary objective is to infiltrate the casino unsuspected; it will be critical for the successful recovery of the Golden Bough.
Faust	According to the information we’ve acquired, the casino has three entrances.
Faust	One for ordinary visitors, one reserved for VIPs, and lastly, the backdoor used by employees.
Faust	We’ll split into three groups of four Sinners to cover each entrance… Four of us will disguise as croupiers, four will pose as guests, and four will play the role of VIPs.
Outis	Working in smaller groups will certainly draw less attention.
Yi Sang	It is wiser to divide rather than unite.
Faust	Open the envelopes I gave out to confirm the role you’ve been assigned.
Faust	Also, the higher-ups expressed concern over our performance.
Faust	They stress that the company’s future plans hinge on whether we can retrieve the Golden Bough through this operation.
Faust	Therefore, we will collaborate on a joint operation.
Dante	<Joint operation?>
Faust	Our partner is a special forces unit consisting of professionals and veterans…
Faust	I believe they are now monikered the ‘LCC’, short for the Limbus Company Clearance Department. Rest assured that they are our betters, at least in espionage operations.
Ishmael	I thought twelve people was already a crowd.
Gregor	Guess someone finally realized that more isn’t always merrier.
Hong Lu	Wowzer! I haven’t met staff from other teams before. Just where could they be?
Hong Lu looked around, expecting Faust to bring them forward for introductions any second.
…Needless to say, no one showed up like he expected.
Faust	We’ll be heading to the pawnshop.
Gregor	Is pawning still a thing these days?
Faust	We’re in the so-called pawnbroker’s avenue. Most businesses double as pawnshops here.
Faust	That place is our rendezvous. Let’s head inside.

Episode: 3
Location: A Pawnshop
Pawnbroker	Ain’t ya too many visitors at once? The shop’s cramped as is…
Pawnbroker	Y’all prefer your luck of the draw from trumps or mahjong?
As we entered the shop, we were met with the gruff greeting of an old pawnbroker.
Heathcliff	What’s that blighter on about?
Ishmael	…Am I the only one here who read up on Nest J? Vergilius gave us a pamphlet to peruse before we left.
Gregor	Well, I think I remember glancing at the cover…
Ishmael	Here, you’ll get loaned different amounts depending on your fortune for the day.
Ishmael	If you draw a great boon, you get extra cash, while misfortune means far less than what the pawn is worth.
Hong Lu	Ah~ That reminds me, our family had hired dedicated fortunetellers.
Hong Lu	They drew a greater boon for me in the divination they performed before I left. That must’ve been a sign that I would join all of you wonderful people on our journey.
Ishmael	Wow, really, so indulging in lofty leisure on your grand estate was your fated life. Maybe I should pray that I’m born that rich if there’s a next time.
Heathcliff	I’m good. It’s well-off folks like him that tend to play dirty.
Hong Lu	You might be right. I didn’t like to get along with my younger sibling in childhood. Always trying to cheat and grouch if things didn’t go as desired.
Heathcliff	No, that’s NOT what I was getting at!
Pawnbroker	So you wanna get your fortune or not?
Pawnbroker	Forget about that… Do you people even have anything to pawn? I’m not seeing any wealth on ya…
The pawnbroker glanced over each Sinner with a dubious look until his eyes landed on me.
Pawnbroker	Oho… That clockhead might be worth a good sum.
Rodion	How much do you think they sell for, old pal?
Dante	<Rodya… I’m not for sale…>
Faust	As you were likely contacted in advance, we are from Limbus Company, and…
Unfortunately, neither the Sinners nor the pawnbroker were paying any attention to Faust’s words.
Hong Lu	Oh, I did bring this handkerchief with me when I left home…
Pawnbroker	Oho… A dragon embroidered on silk. That’s some meticulous needlework, which might net… let’s see, seven million… Ahn?
Heathcliff	A crummy piece of cloth is worth that much?! Have your eyes rotted out, old geezer?!
Pawnbroker	Wha? You don’t recognize the value of this quality—­­ Beh, now I see. You’re wearing a shabby ring like it’s true treasure… Tsk-tsk.
Heathcliff	…What did you just say.
Rodion	Geez, cut it out! Dante~ Please shut them up~
Saude	You had us worried, Faust.
Amidst the chaos, a most gentle voice softly landed on my ears.
Saude	We were meant to meet each other at 4, but fifteen minutes had passed already. Surely you couldn’t have forgotten how to read a clock, right?
Faust	Certainly not. There was little I could do to alter the driver of the bus.
Effie	Aha, so you’re taking a clock-person with you to help with the time? I suppose they didn’t come with an alarm.
The gentle voice was soon followed by one that didn’t even attempt to hide their disdain.
Dante	<Come on, that’s a little harsh. Let’s try to leave better first impressions…>
I know my voice won’t be heard by anyone other than the Sinners, but I still can’t help but get upset at rude remarks.
Effie	Oh, so it was you? You guys are the team that botched the Golden Bough retrieval last time?
Effie	Folks had high expectations for your team, what with some of the smartest people in the City being on it.
Saude	No wonder… Ms. Faust wasn’t looking very pleased.
Faust	My face has remained constant.
Heathcliff	Ey, what’re you standing around for? Go on now. This fellow here is also the brainy sort. Don’t brush him off.
Heathcliff gave Yi Sang a sideways glance, but what he got in response was lukewarm.
Yi Sang	I shall not, as that would be a hollow vaunt.
Heathcliff	But you were a lot more talkative down in that basement? Who are you and what did you do with Yi Sang?
Yi Sang	I am and have always been whom I match in the mirror.
Heathcliff	You― Haah, forget it.
Faust	Our first mission was devised with failure in mind.
Faust	We needed an opportunity to see what potential our Sinners held.
Gregor	…Wait, it was?
Outis	A plan whose purpose is to fail? That could hardly qualify as a proposal.
Saude	By the way, where is Vergilius? I agreed to assist with the operation mainly for a chance to get to see him.
Effie	He must’ve been embarrassed. Imagine accompanying people like these.
Heathcliff	Tch… Is that why he dropped us so far away from the place? Because he was ashamed of us?!
Ishmael	…Doesn’t anyone have a thing to say about us being belittled?
Ishmael	And won’t all the boasting and bluffing not do much if we don’t introduce ourselves first?
Faust	These two will be our cooperators for this mission. They’re from the Limbus Company Clearance department, also known as the LCC.
Saude	The Before Team of Clearance, please. Ah, I’m Saude, and this here is Effie.
Heathcliff	What, are we supposed to clap or…
Hong Lu	Wonderful! It’s a pleasure!
Hong Lu was the only person on the team welcoming them with total sincerity. (He almost even gave a standing ovation.)
A good half of the rest stared at the two with cold eyes, and the others wary, until introductions were finished.

Episode: 4
Location: A Pawnshop
Saude	Now… For this mission, we’ll basically spoon-feed you everything. All you have to do is open wide and chew up your simple tasks.
Saude	Check the documents in this envelope, and do exactly, preciiiiisely as the papers say.
The way Saude dragged out that vowel needled me a bit, but I decided not to argue.
Even if I did, the ticking of a clock would be all she’d hear.
Gregor	There’s not a lot of joining together at all in this “joint operation”, is there? You’re just telling us to follow from behind.
Ishmael	This is insulting. Are they taking us for lubbers or what?
Ishmael	Look, Manager, we’ve got to put our foot down and…
Ishmael	And…
Ishmael	…do as they say, I guess?
Dante	<Huh?>
Ishmael	…The documents they gave us. They’re flawless.
Ishmael	Look at this. It has routes drawn out and everything. It’s been ages since I saw a plan this clear and meticulous.
Outis	Mhm, surely. This is certainly indicative of their knowledge in writing up proper plans of operation.
Outis	Ah, this isn’t to say that it holds a candle to the level of forethought you display, Manager.
Convinced by Ishmael’s commendation, I opened the envelope and carefully read the rundown of the operation.
The goal could be summarized as the following:
‘Reach the top floor of the casino.’
The main reason behind organizing this plan was the first-place prize for the table game to be held today.
According to the papers, winning the competition held on the top floor of the casino is the only way to gain access to the area with the Golden Bough.
Four Syndicates that jointly bid on the casino will be playing in this game of chance…
Of the four… We will be using the name of the infamous…
Dante	<Tingtang Gang?>
Faust	A name doesn’t necessarily reflect the nature of an organization. That’s a shallow prejudice.
Yi Sang	It is unideal for one to choose to see things through the tinted lens that is bias.
Dante	<…Right.>
…Back to the plan, we’ll disguise as the boss of the ‘Tingtang Gang’ and win that game of chance.
Afterwards, we have to go to the underground floors where the Golden Bough lies.
Leading up to the game, we’ll use the items and clothing we can find in pawnshops to disguise as our given roles, enter the casino, and wait for the team on the top floor to win the game.
That’s about it for the outline of this plan, I think…
Hey, wait a second. Won’t this entire thing fall apart if our player doesn’t win?
Saude	We’ve prepared fake identification as well. It’s just in case the casino security runs random inspections on visitors.
Gregor	Alright, that’s all fine and dandy… But how do you plan to win once you’re at the top floor?
Effie	What do you think our outfits are for?
Effie	We practiced for months to pass off as bona fide croupiers.
Effie	We’ll give you good luck. The game is in your bag, all you need is a pair of functioning eyes.
Effie mumbled the last part to himself again while casting a sidelong scowl at our group.
He’s making it painfully obvious he has no faith in us.
Gregor	And how are we gonna take the place of the Tingtang Gang’s boss?
Saude	We’ll put sedatives in the food served at the casino. We’ve already finished negotiating the details with the head chef.
Yi Sang	Sedatives…
Saude and Effie winked at each other.
It was a gesture demonstrating that the two were ideal partners, able to tell each other’s thoughts just from exchanging glances.
Saude	Hey, Dear Pawnbroker~ We’ll be taking a look at the goods on showcase from here to there~
Pawnbroker	Hyes? Oh! No yeah, sure, of course. Please take your time, ma’am.
The pawnbroker’s attitude took a sharp turn from disdainful to kowtowing.
Saude	Now then, let’s take what we need from the display.
Hong Lu	Oh my! This is a Guppcha Designer Brooch, isn’t it?
Pawnbroker	Hyah~ What discerning eyes you have there, sir. This beaut is the mainstay of our shop’s catalogue. Only 10 of those were ever made, so its worth is positively un­—
Hong Lu	My dog used to have one of these on its collar whenever we took it out for walkies. It’s so nice to see something that brings back pleasant memories!
Pawnbroker	……
Rodion	I’m down for these cowhide gloves. Whoever had ‘em must’ve been a fashionista~
Saude	Please take items that suit what’s written in the envelopes. You have roles to play.
Don Quixote	Pardon, but the envelope I have received says “janitor”, this must be an error of some sort!
Gregor	Okay, it’s good and all, but… Do you have the money to pay for all this?
Effie	Worrying about spendings? Who do you think we are, some low-rank hirelings? There’s nothing I can’t afford using this ‘Black Card’.
Rodion	Dante! What’s this about?! You told me we can’t have prime beef ‘cause we don’t have the budget!
Faust	So the rumors were true that teams with notable performance are given a company card with no spending limit.
While everyone was shocked by the proven existence of the fabled Black Card…
A loud voice came from outside.
Rustic-sounding Tingtanger	Oi, dotard! Didn’t I say ya payment was due today?
Someone who clearly belongs to a vicious Syndicate entered the pawnshop.
Pawnbroker	P-Please… give me one more chance. I swear I’ll have the money ready.
Rustic-sounding Tingtanger	One more? Can’t ya do basic math? Ya said the same thing last time! Boss won’t like me wasting precious time reteaching you kindergarten, ya hear?
Pawnbroker	I-I’m just a frail old man standing on doddery feet, there’s really nothing you’ll get out of shaking me down…!
Pleading with an overtly loud voice, the pawnbroker looked at us.
Rustic-sounding Tingtanger	Eh? Ya talking back now? Yeah, go on then, get mad! I won’t feel so guilty that way!
In a way, he looked like he was covertly begging us to help him, based on his expression.
The Sinners’ attention was naturally drawn to the ongoing row.
Rustic-sounding Tingtanger	What’re ya lookin’ at? Ya think I’m playing?!
Ishmael	Gee… That was so stereotypical, I didn’t even get an urge to reply. Can’t people be more creative about throwing taunts?
Sinclair	Shouldn’t we… help out, maybe?
Unlike Ishmael, who scoffed at the goon, Sinclair anxiously glanced over.
Saude	We have no choice, the Backstreets have their own rules and order. We aren’t the ones to disturb that complex web of their society.
Saude	Outsiders like us will only cause a bigger scene if we try to step in.
Pleased by the Sinners choosing to stay away, the goon continued with the extortion.
Rustic-sounding Tingtanger	Hmph, if y’ain’t got money, why don’t ya pay your dues in that instead? We keep telling you.
Pawnbroker	A-Anything but that… Please…
Dante	<…Is it really okay to leave them be?>
Outis	Shall I settle the dispute for them so it does not bother you, Manager?
Gregor	What does that toughster mean by “that”, anyway?
Faust	…A currency more valuable than money exists in this District.
Faust	It’s well known that J Corp’s Singularity is a powerful security technology capable of locking anything.
Faust	What is less known, however, is the extensive cultural and historical background of the Backstreets of Nest J that lead to the Singularity’s creation.
Heathcliff	H, history…? Are you seriously about to lecture us here and now…? I was never told about any mandatory education when I joined this company!
In spite of the opposition, Faust went on with her explanation.
Faust	Here, a technology exists to extract ‘wishpower’ from people.
Faust	Though it’s not widely known outside this District since it didn’t quite have the generality to be recognized as a Singularity.
Faust	In essence, it’s processing ‘luck’ into a commodity that can be traded. Like a form of money.
Faust	It brought forth the need for a way to stop others from forcibly extracting this wishpower, leading to the creation of a security technology that ultimately developed into the Singularity we know today.
Effie	Gee-wee, Faust~ Must be tiring having to teach these dunces in ways they can get it.
Faust	It’s fine, this was within my anticipated scenario.
Heathcliff	I don’t like the way you say that…
Saude	Come on now, gather the items to help with your disguises so we can leave.
Saude flapped the document full of scheduled plans to emphasize that we’d be busy.
Saude	We’re salaried workers, not “heroes” fighting for justice.
Dante	<Wait… Not that word…!>
A bad feeling rushing through my head prompted me to count the Sinners I could see.
Dante	<That… does not align with a certain someone’s… beliefs…>
And it’s one that would severely provoke her principles…!
Ishmael	…!
Ishmael seems to have noticed what I meant, and hurriedly looked around.
Don Quixote	Thou darest try to pilfer the valuables of others? This behavior can only be seen as wholehearted villainy!
Dante	<Oh no…! Don Quixote…!>
But it was a moment too late.
Don Quixote had already sprinted forward and was swinging her lance at the Tingtanger who gripped the pawnbroker by the collar.
WHACK!
Caught completely unaware, the goon was hit right on the head with the blunt side of her lance.
Knocked out on the floor in a frisky swing, the fainted goon became the center of attention for all of us inside the pawnshop for a solid minute.
Saude	……
Faust	Ah, for your information, keeping the Sinners in check is not part of my job description. That would be the job of this person here.
Dante	<Don’t give me that look. There’s nothing in my abilities to keep her under control…>
I couldn’t stop myself from defending my position even when I was aware that my voice wouldn’t reach anyone besides the Sinners.
Oh well. It’s not like my defense would’ve made them look any less baffled towards me if they could hear it.
Pawnbroker	Oooh…!
The pawnbroker was the only one chuffed by this turn of events.
Pawnbroker	Great work, ma’am. Serves that hooligan right! But I’ll say, you could’ve whopped ‘em a tad harder, maybe.
Don Quixote	Vergilius advised me that while I am free to deliver justice unto villains, I must do so without unduly involving irrevelants in our mission! Thus, I showed moderation!
Her proud expression never looked so provoking.
Dante	<Uh-huh. So you remembered his words and still leapt forward?>
Don Quixote	‘Twas a necessary action to stay true to my creed. Please understand my virtuous violence!
Pawnbroker	Not to kill the mood, but… That ruffian isn’t actually dead, right?
Gregor	I thought you wanted her to get straight to wallops, old sport?
Pawnbroker	I did, I did… But things would get fairly complicated if the Yurodiviye showed up, you know.
Rodion	The Yurodiviye? What are they doing here… No, forget that, why are you worrying about them?
Pawnbroker	Not up to date with the news, are you, ma’am? They’ve been causing trouble here for months now.
Don Quixote	Are they villains as well?!
Pawnbroker	Oh, they’re villains to us humble merchants for sure. They were going on about, what was it, roughing up greedy peddlers keeping money to themselves, and giving it to those who need it. Distributing something, they said…
Meursault	The redistribution of wealth.
Pawnbroker	Aah~ That’s it, yes. Those scoundrels are robbing us poor saps of what little wealth we have. And they don’t even do the dirty work themselves, it’s always the local brutes they send. Can you believe it?
Pawnbroker	Anyhoo, life has been hard for us because of those self-righteous bunches. Looked like they were here to find something at first, but all they do now is squeeze money outta us…
Rodion	…Ah! I-I just realized, shouldn’t we take our leave now? More toughies from the Tingtang Gang might be coming this way.
It seemed like Rodya deliberately cut off the pawnbroker in a hurry, but I had little time to think about the implications.
The gang member Don Quixote had knocked out began to flinch as though to get back up soon.
Effie	Sigh, what a hassle… You’re making the problem bigger than it had to be.
Gregor	Hey, Muffin and Sablé, was it? Don’t be so tart now. There are plenty of pawnshops around here, right? We can always find a different—
Saude	It’s Effie and Saude. Please don’t mistake our names for confections.
Saude	And your statement that there are plenty of pawnshops in the vicinity won’t mean much…
Saude	…When said pawnshops notice the trouble happening here and close…
Dante	<Don Quixote…!>
Effie	I’m getting tired of lecturing these idiots on every little thing. We should just leave.
Right as I tried to leave, someone wearing similar thuggish clothes to the one we’d just knocked out—with a face that looked just as rough—stormed into the shop.
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	Ayo, codger, have you seen our li’l—
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	Wee slimmy! Just what’s going on here?!
We did our best to pretend to be innocent customers who just happened to be in the pawnshop at the wrong time.
However, in an unfortunate concurrence of events, the goon came back to senses…
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	Who did this?! Tell me now! That bean is gonna regret the day they grew stems!
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	Gnh… O… Over there…
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	That red… timepuss…
The direction that finger was pointing was simply too unambiguous for me to pretend otherwise.
Plus, there’s no point in denying that I was meant by “red timepuss”, as I’m sure there would be literally no one else matching that description in this entire District.
Pawnbroker	Just so you don’t get the wrong idea, I have nothing to do with these people or what happened here. I was just about to bring a towel to cool this poor fellow’s head.
Heathcliff	That smarmy gaffer…
Ishmael	I had no expectations for him in the first place, but that man really has a shaky reed for his backbone.
Although the pawnbroker switching sides in a heartbeat and the finger-pointing clock slander—over something I wasn’t responsible for, too—hurt me a little, I was determined to stand firm.
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	Jah… Frijolitos over there… Stop. Freeze in your tracks.
Mostly because it was clear that we had to run right now.
If I kept letting small things bother me, I would be reduced to a pulp sooner rather than later.
Ryoshu	Bah. No need to run. Let’s just kill them all and be done with it.
Effie	What’s next? You’re going to wipe out the whole Syndicate?
Ryoshu	Heh. That doesn’t sound too bad.
Don Quixote	The forces of evil must be uprooted with haste in order to raise the banner of justice high!
Effie	Uh, so, is there seriously no one on your team who’s in their right mind?
Ishmael looked insulted by this remark and seemed to be thinking of a counterargument, but the Tingtang goons arming themselves were a more pressing matter.
Dante	<Let’s just…>
Dante	<Let’s get outta here first!>

Episode: 5
Location: Pawn Avenue
As Saude predicted, all the pawnbrokers were busy closing their street entrances to avoid trouble.
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	Ey you pricks!! Stop right where you’re standin’!
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	Ya think you can get away with messing with our family, tiny fave?
Ishmael	What’s with brutish Syndicates and their pretend families? Is that the only thing they can think of to bond with each other?
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	Look at the bump you made on our precious young’un’s head!
Ishmael	……
Effie	Good gracious… This was not part of the plan…
Effie clutches his forehead as if it were aching.
I thought about goading him to keep some headache pills at hand if this was enough to cause him pain, but I refrained.
My lack of a head would’ve made the message far less impactful, anyway.
Outis	You two, you thought we were worthless scum until now, didn’t you?
Outis	I know you’ve been seeing our group as sewage full of waste!
Gregor	I don’t think anyone spoke of us that harshly, Outis…
Outis	Have you not wondered why we have been charged with the momentous mission of claiming Golden Boughs despite that?
Effie	Wh, why is… that?
Even Effie seemed to be taken aback by Outis’s imposing attitude.
Outis	Although I won’t disagree that the others are rubbishes drenched in foul water…
Gregor	No, seriously, you’re the only one who says that…
Sinclair	O-Oh, that’s what Ms. Outis had been thinking all this time…
Outis	I have remained undefeated, and our manager is capable of resuscitating us, making us practically incapable of death.
Outis	In fact, just the two of us should be sufficient. Though that weasel Vergilius seems to disagree…
Outis	The point is, these detrites won’t be scrapped even after countless battles. They will come back as the exact same piles of trash they were before death.
Gregor	…Sigh.
Ishmael	That was a very inspiring way of reaffirming that we’re living, breathing garbage to you.
Effie	…Morons.
Outis	Enemies are approaching. Are you prepared, Manager?

Episode: 6
Location: Backstreets of District 10
Ryoshu	They made for pathetic foes. That was absolutely nothing.
Effie	The Tingtang Gang had tight control over this area. This is not going to be the end of―
Just then, more Tingtangers began showing up from the street corners.
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	Who sent ya haricots to mess with us?!
Don Quixote	We are the proud soldiers of Limbu― Hmgh…
Effie quickly covered Don Quixote’s mouth.
Effie	Have you lost it? Do you want the entire District after us?
Outis	More are coming! Give us your command, Manager!

Episode: 7
Location: Backstreets of District 10
Heathcliff	Dammit, they just won’t stop coming!
Heathcliff	We’ll all wear our lives out before we can even take a step inside the casino.
Hong Lu	Don’t fret, Heathcliff. As long as the manager is with us, we won’t die from fatigue or other things—
Heathcliff	That’s NOT the point at ALL! #@$@#$!!!
Meursault	The solution is simple: Any organization can be brought down by deposing its leader; with the head gone, the meat supporting it will break apart.
Heathcliff	You. You’re the only one speaking my tongue here.
Heathcliff	I’m proper miffed, so let’s go break some bones, head, whatever.
Don Quixote	Hence, onward we travail!
Effie	Wait! Come back here!
Effie	…This is the crowd you’re supposed to accompany, Faust?
Faust	Life is full of mysteries.
Yi Sang	That, perhaps, is what makes it an ideal reflection, no?
Heathcliff	Tell me where your gaffer is! I wanna see ‘im, now!
Heathcliff grabbed a mook by the collar and shook it about violently. To me, it looked as if anything still conscious had left already.
…And maybe even more than that.
Chest-puffing Tingtanger	The sea heart… is gonna be at the car pagoda…
Heathcliff	The what? Where the hell is that?! Make sense!
Effie	It’s probably the scrapyard nearby.
Effie	Really though, are you actually planning to take down the gang’s boss?
Effie	That won’t be reflected in your employee performance review or anything, you know?
Ishmael	He’s not sharp enough to calculate such things into his actions.
Outis	He’s waste, bearing little relation to schemes or plots. On the other hand, he flirts closely with nonsense.
Saude	No… I do think that makes sense.
Saude	Nothing to worry about, Effie. We always keep a Plan B, don’t we?
Saude spoke with a serene face.
However, I could see her consciously trying to maintain calm from time to time, giving me reason to suspect that she’s putting on a veil of kindness.
Saude	If disguising as your given roles is out of the question…
Saude	You can all get up as members of the Tingtang Gang instead.
Saude	That way, you won’t arouse much suspicion moving in a large group, and you’ll be able to reach the top floor without much trouble.
Saude	And we could siphon some wishpower from the Tingtang Gang while we’re at it.

Episode: 8
Location: Casino Entrance
Don Quixote	Ohh…? Come hither, fellows, and lend me your gazes!
Sinclair	…What is all this?
Yi Sang	Cars are heaped upon each other as if to form a tower.
Meursault	Sombre.
The structures that seemed towerlike at a distance were actually cars stacked upon each other.
Sinclair	Why are so many piled up like this…?
Don Quixote	Oho, some have scripts upon their wind-shields! It must have been their families’ writing!
Sinclair	This one says… “I miss you.” The owners… are coming back soon for them, right…?
Rodion	Not a chance.
Rodion	Even if they did return from the casino, they wouldn’t be in the right state to happily reunite with their loving families~
Outis	……
Saude	Well… To play the auxiliary role of your tour guide, this here is the hidden landmark of the street.
Effie	The bitter end of gamblers.
Saude	And this served as a stepping stone for the Tingtang Gang to amass wealth and power by dealing used cars.
Gregor	So Rodya, you’ve been to places like this pretty often, right? Got anything to add? Bet you could tell us some pretty interesting trivia.
Rodion	Gah~ Dunno, dunno. Don’t ‘member a thing. I decided to forget all about the past and focus on what’s in front.
Rodion	…And I would be able to keep to that self-promise if not for irritants like them. Heh.
Bean-hating Tingtanger	Oi, bohnen! Who do ya think you are to goof around our turf?
Bean-hating Tingtanger	Or what, ya here to sell ya car?
Don Quixote	Nay! We mount an omnibus!
Bean-hating Tingtanger	We don’t deal in organs, though? Hmm, well, I guess a pair of eyes with pupils as specially-colored as yours might sell…
Don Quixote	So we have come to the right place! We are here for your leader!
Bean-hating Tingtanger	Ya pretty bold in facing a gang. Who do ya work for?
Don Quixote	We serve under Limb—!
Don Quixote	Kehm…
An awkward silence passed.
Bean-hating Tingtanger	I asked you a question! Don’t stop midway!

Episode: 9
Location: Casino Entrance
Tingtang Boss	Hm? What’s up?
Bean-hating Tingtanger	Boss! Some fasole who haven’t even told where they’re from rolled into town all of a sudden!
Tingtang Boss	Who sent ya? The way you’re dressed tells me it ain’t Los Habaneros or the Butchers…
Tingtang Boss	I’ll give you a chance to grovel fer forgiveness. Do that and I’ll let ya leave with your limbs in tow.
Yi Sang	…We should gladly part if you were to take off your clothing for us.
Gregor	That makes it sound kinda weird.
Bean-hating Tingtanger	Boss… I think they might be the… odd pods people have been talking about… y’know, rumored to fadangle with people’s odors.
Tingtang Boss	Greh… Disgusting bunch… Lemme tell ya, that’s no way to live…
Now, our assumed big boss of the gang is looking at us with genuine disgust.
Dante	<…I have not wanted to win a fight as desperately as I do now.>

Episode: 10
Location: Casino Entrance
Tingtang Boss	Ya… tarned little roaches…
Tingtang Boss	Who the hell do ya work for…? ‘S about time… ya told us…
Gregor	We…
Gregor	…are from Limbus Company.
Gregor	Finally. One less millstone ‘round the neck.
Tingtang Boss	That…doesn’t…help at all…!
Saude	Oh, and for reference, Effie and I work in a different department. Please don’t associate us with them.
Tingtang Boss	……
The sheer frustration over our aversion to conversing sensibly must’ve played a considerable role in causing the boss to pass out.
My condolences to the poor fellow’s patience.
Rodion	Do we seriously have to wear these, though? Stuff reeks of sweat and blood and… smells grody, too.
Rodya complained, lifting the shirt she took from a Tingtang member with two fingers like she was handling trash.
Rodion	Yuck, some hair, too… This is the first time I’m jealous of Dante’s missing eyes.
Dante	<I can see, by the way…>
Effie	This looks… pretty dandy, actually? I guess their business was more successful than I thought.
Ryoshu	I want that. Bagsy.
Effie	I-I can’t, it’s been tailor-made.
Dante	<…The label here says it’s good for all girths.>
Noticing that my gaze was fixed on the label of his clothing, Effie barked.
Effie	Grr… W-We wouldn’t be doing any of this if you hadn’t caused that ruckus in the pawnshop.
Hong Lu	I don’t mind. I’ve always wanted to try on clothes like these. It’s like we’re filming a movie.
Ishmael	To be honest, I’m a little nervous. It’s been a while since I’ve worked in disguise.
Ryoshu	I don’t feel like it. This is the coward’s way.
Saude	Sorry, but can someone please keep her mouth shut?
Gregor	…You’re free to try as long as you’re good with your ribs being cut apart.
Gregor’s softly spoken riposte got the Sinners to crack up.
For a moment, Effie and Saude seemed to wonder how they should take it…
Before deciding that it’s not worth mulling over and moving on. Effie then lifted a small container that appeared to be inlaid with nacre.
Effie	…This is a wish canister we seized from the Tingtang Gang’s boss.
Effie	Manager, here’s a simple role you can play.
Dante	<What are you…?>
Saude	I guess we owe you an explanation, judging from your clueless motions.
Effie	The long and short of it is that this thing contains J Corp’s other Singularity. This is a tool that sucks up ‘wishes’ from people and stores them in some form of energy.
Saude	When the time is right, squeeze that wishpower onto a sheet of paper, and voilà! You get a one-use stick-on tattoo that boosts your luck to high heavens.
Effie	Seems the plan was to try to win the game on the top floor by scraping up others’ luck… Imagine, the boss of some lowly gang was carrying one of these.
Effie	Manager… Dante, right? I want you to hold on to this when we enter the casino.
Dante	<Am I really allowed to carry such a big responsibility?>
Effie	You don’t look like you’re oozing confidence. We do have reasons for assigning you to this task.
Effie	First off, a poker face is going to be vital when you’re gambling.
Effie	No matter how good they are at reading expressions, they won’t be able to tell what emotions to read from a clock.
Dante	<……>
Effie	Second, I trust that they’ve appointed you as manager for a reason.
Effie	Call it a hunch, but something tells me you’ll be more useful than those Sinners you’re leading.
Come to think of it, he had a point.
I was given the title of manager, but never had a chance to be the charismatic leader I’d envisioned; instead of showing respect, my Sinners would constantly berate and threaten me.
The only real role I could afford to play was bringing them back to life.
While the Sinners were engaged in fierce battle, all I would do is cower behind them, anxiously praying that their heads and hearts were unscathed.
With a heavy heart, I nodded to let him know I was ready.
Effie	Alright. Put this on your arm. You’ll become the luckiest person in the City for a short while.
Saude	Now then, you’ll act as Tingtangers, and we’ll be croupiers. Break a leg, everyone.
Vowing that we’ll see this operation to success no matter what…
We opened the door to the casino.

Episode: 11
Location: Casino 1F
The casino could be best described as “busy”.
Excessively cheery sounds blared from slot machines.
The lights were so bright that some of our Sinners had to cover their eyes.
And the security guards took note of our garish outfits to give us a customary nod.
Saude and Effie, dressed as croupiers, discreetly nodded at us as they accompanied Rodya to the casino’s cage.
I was amazed by their ability to feign expertise; from the way they carried themselves to the facial expressions they made, few would doubt that they’re long-time employees.
Don Quixote	Wha… What manner of sorcery are these dazzling contraptions?
Gregor	Try not to go saucer-eyed at everything like a fascinated kid, Don Quixote. You’ll seem fishy…
Ishmael	The guests here look dead inside with their dim eyes, and they smell worse than the Tingtang schmucks we faced. Do they even wash…
Gregor	I don’t think they’d be too happy about you holding your nose right before their faces, Ishmael…
Ishmael	But, this is the kind of bilgy stench I’d only ever caught from deckhands…
Fortunately, most of them were too focused on the machines to care about what we were doing.
Don Quixote	Manager Esquire! Hath you seen such a thing?
Don Quixote	What must I do to hear the jolly bells as the other patrons are?
Dante	<I don’t think I’ve been to one of these places before, so I wouldn’t know…>
Looking at all the flashy symbols and numbers spinning had slowly eroded my resolve to act the part of a stern manager.
Dante	<I, I guess a little peek is fine?>
Don Quixote	It says here to press the button! Is pressing it what one ought to do?
I swear upon my minute and hour hands that I had no intention to press that button, absolutely none.
The hand I’d swiftly outstretched to stop Don Quixote from touching the machine unexpectedly fumbled and landed smack on the button—
Dante	<Yikes!>
—and in an unpredictable series of coincidences, someone had left a token in it, enough for one game.
Reels started spinning under fanfare…
We could only watch as the chain of events unfolded.
Saude	By the way, I hope Dante handles the wish stickers we took from the Tingtang Gang with care.
Effie	That manager? It was the only favor we asked of them, they’d better be doing a good job.
Rodion	You can count on Dante, dear duo~ They’re one of the few sensible pals who gets what’s up.
Saude	That’s good to hear. With so many sheets attached, they should be able to win any game with ease.
Saude	We just need to be careful not to draw attention here.
JAAACKPOT!
The players next to us stared with jaws dropped so far that their chins could touch the floor…
Waves of casino chips plunged from the machine, so many that I wouldn’t dare try to gather them up.
I’m so sorry, Effie, Saude.
I came here determined to do something right, and it fell apart all so soon.
One Casinogoer	A jackpot? What machine is it?
Another Casinogoer	Just like that, no warning? Right now?
Rigid Security	A moment, please…
Rigid Security	Let me just check your ID.
Heathcliff	What’s with the aggro? Is it a crime to win big at a casino?
Faust	Chance in this place doesn’t work the way we think it usually does. You could accumulate your luck for a big payout or trickle in small amounts to break even, but winning the jackpot on your first try should be a literal impossibility here.
Don Quixote	Chips are raining down like shooting stars!
Ishmael	I’d hoped you of all people would have a sense of responsibility… Yet all it took was Don Quixote’s siren plea for you to give in.
Ishmael	I’m disappointed. You’re none other than our manager, and I expected you to show your capability and clear the disgrace of failure from us.
Ishmael’s barrage of scathing whispers was something to marvel at, as Gregor muttered in awe.
On top of that, her piercing gaze I had never felt before…
…It made me want to weasel away under a rock, if there were one.
For once, I thanked my clock for lacking eyes to meet her glare.
Gregor	…Now hold on, that might not be our only problem…
Gregor was fretfully looking in every direction, until he stopped to point at the shocking discovery he’d just made.
And where he pointed—
Gregor	How long have you been off your disguise, Ryōshū?
—was a sullen Ryōshū, wearing the same clothes she’s always worn.
Ryoshu	I don’t put on others’ discarded clothing.
Gregor	Gah… Manager Bud, today isn’t our day, huh…
Dante	<Yup… Looks like we’re screwed. Royally…>
Effie	This can’t be… All the work we did to put this plan in motion…
Effie	Faust, what were you thinking volunteering to bring these fools along for your missions? You’re supposed to have near-unparalleled brilliance, right? Then use it!
Faust	Even though I haven’t worked with them for long, I was able to realize something:
Faust	I ought to become a Faust that believes in uncertainty.
Faust	When the lack of a plan becomes the plan, all variables become constants.
Faust	That is what my ‘plan’ entails.
Effie	……
Ishmael	…Sigh.
Faust turned to me with a tranquil face.
Thanks to her, my role right now became clear.
Dante	<Alright… It’s time for our usual gig…>
Dante	<Let’s kill and be killed.>

Episode: 12
Location: Casino 1F
Ryoshu	I can’t stand watching this charade.
Ryoshu	How much time are you going to waste fighting those small fries?
Ishmael	It’s often the case that grumbling people don’t have a clear solution to contribute.
Listening to Ishmael’s disapproval, Ryōshū shook her head and assumed a confident look.
Ryoshu	…This is art.
Ryoshu	Poetaster, gimme the knife.
Yi Sang	You may forever take it from my hands.
Yi Sang	The blade will be better off parting ways to wander about the air for however long.
Ryoshu	Thank.
Ryōshū held his dagger and threw it straight into the air.
It struck an anchorage on the ceiling that kept the chandelier still, causing it to sway precariously.
Indeed… Ryōshū may be weakened from what she once was because she became a Sinner, but nevertheless…
She was still the best swordswoman we had, able to cut through steel like a proverbial hot knife.
Sure, she treats my words with less respect than she would a wad of gum, but that wasn’t a problem.
Everyone’s eyes turned to the swinging chandelier…
And eventually, flustered by all the gazes falling upon it…
Yi Sang	Thus, in a haze, it succumbs.
Rigid Security	Huh?
Security Chief	W-Watch out!
WHAAAM!
Location: Topsy-turvy Casino 1F
The chandelier crashed to the floor in full force, making a tremendous noise.
……
And… that’s just all it did.
Nothing else happened.
Both parties were left staring at the fallen light fixture in the middle of the floor.
Dante	<So, uh, what was that for? Ryōshū?>
Ryoshu	…A performance.
Gregor	You just made that up, didn’t you?
Sinclair	Still, I’m glad none of us were hurt!
Ishmael	…We’ll have to see about that.

Episode: 13
Location: Casino 1F
Saude	Just to make sure…
Saude	You all know that our goal is to win the game being held on the top floor, not reduce the ground floor of the casino to rubble, right?
I was certain that some definitely didn’t know or care, but I figured I’d rather not remind her.
Saude	Not only must we reach the top, we also have to win the game as our objective states…
Saude	Thus, we need the wishpower to make it happen.
Saude	I won’t bother reviewing in detail how the wishpower we had managed to collect went down the drain for preposterous reasons. It’ll only hurt our morale.
I had to keep my head down, feeling the pricks of conscience poking at my heart.
Outis	Where can we secure the most wishpower in this place?
Saude	That roulette next to the entrance. People who visit the casino try their daily luck using that roulette, and take or yield wishpower depending on the outcome.
Outis	Is that so? Then I’ll seek out an opportunity to snatch the container attached to it.
Dante	<Think you can pull that off?>
Outis	I have carried out countless operations much greater in scale.
Outis	Your preposterous blunder amounts to nothing in the grander scheme of things, Manager.
Outis	It has to have been the fault of the drudging dredges who obfuscated your ability to make sensible decisions! Don’t let their words deter you!
Dante	<Preposterous… I see… Wait!>
While we were busy discussing backup plans…
Heathcliff was already making a mad dash for the entrance.
Were we too focused on the conversation, or did we collectively lose our minds?
In either case, none of us had a clue what he was up to.
Dante	<Heathcliff?!>
Heathcliff	Dammit, isn’t it time we stopped chatting and moved up already?
Then he shouted at security from the top of his lungs.
Heathcliff	Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?!
Heathcliff	That blondie over there is a rookie who’s as unfledged as he gets.
Heathcliff	And that mate there we call our manager has a bad case of lost memories and can’t wield a weapon to save themself.
Heathcliff	This is what you’re struggling against? What a joke…
Security Chief	Ngh… D-Damn, you…
Sinclair	H-Heathcliff… That was too harsh…
Dante	<Hear, hear. Much too mean, Heathcliff.>
Heathcliff	And last thing, that club you’re holding deserves a better owner.
Security Chief	You cocky little…!
The infuriated security guard swung the club with a furious whish, exploding towards Heathcliff…
…and as Heathcliff swerved out of its way, the roulette behind him bore the force, being smashed to pieces.
Saude	The, the wish container…!
Spouts of what I assume was once wishpower until moments ago poured through the poor remains of the roulette.
As if in death throes, Saude let out an agonized scream before clapping her hands over her mouth… I couldn’t help but turn away from this tragic sight.
“When I grow up, I wanna be a wish sticker, giving hope to everybody!”
I could almost hear the unfulfilled dreams of those lost wishes in my imagination.
Heathcliff	Oi, listen up, you thickos.
Heathcliff	Do you want to admit to your boss ‘bout breaking this thing while fighting us and get lambasted for it?
Heathcliff	Or, do you want to make it our fault and let us through?
Rigid Security	T-This was… a month’s worth of luck…
Security Chief	……
Security Chief	It won’t be any safer for you upstairs…
Heathcliff	Eh, never been too close to safety anyway. ‘Preciate the advice.
Heathcliff came to me with one of his shoulders dislocated, likely when he was grazed by the club.
Heathcliff	What’s the look? Do your thing and fix me up.
Dante	<……>
Saude	I’ve made up my mind. Starting now, I won’t ever try to discuss plans or anything similar with these people.
Faust	Took you long enough to realize.
Effie	Faust… This is one of those times when it’s better to keep your mouth shut.
With that, we dragged ourselves up to the next floor.

Episode: 14
Location: Casino 2F
Faust	The atmosphere here seems rather different. It appears that another Syndicate has taken hold of this floor.
Mariachi Alegre	Hey, oigan! What’s with all the doom and gloom you’re wearing on that face of yours?
Mariachi Alegre	Don’t you know the rules here? Sour looks are a no-no, so put a hat over your long face!
Ryoshu	Why do you say that while looking at me? I. Will. SYNC on you.
Mariachi Alegre	What’s that mean?!
Ryoshu	Snap your neck completely, that’s what.
Dante	<Easy, Ryōshū… You shouldn’t be so prone to starting fights—>
Mariachi Alegre	Ey, never mind that. This one has an even more problematic face, no? Which hand is supposed to be your eyes?
Dante	<…Ryōshū, are you ready?>
Ryoshu	You bet, Dante.

Episode: 15
Location: Casino 2F
Bawling Casinogoer	GAAH!!! NOT AGAIN!!!
Bawling Casinogoer	I lost once again, damn! When will this end?
Mariachi Alegre	Oye, espera, time out! Our dear customer here needs a little care!
Mariachi Alegre	Dear Customer, I hope you haven’t forgotten our rule, have you?
Bawling Casinogoer	B-But… That was all the money I had…
Mariachi Alegre	If you keep dampening the mood of the table, we might throw a pañata party out of you.
Gregor	(Uh, what’s a pañata party?)
Dante	<I don’t think I want to know…>
Pressured by gentle intimidation, the weeping guest stood up from their seat.
And then, being handed a pair of maracas from the staff, they…
…Started dancing, sobbing all the way…
Heathcliff	What’s this now…?
Mariachi Vivaz	There’s a rule every visitor to this floor must follow—una tradición mariachi, if you will.
Mariachi Vivaz	Gambling is entertainment, an activity done purely for fun; thus, all the sadness and pain brought to you must be sublimated into dance.
Don Quixote	Allow this knight to demonstrate what dancing is about!
Alas, they were harsher judges than they seemed.
Mariachi Alegre	This one won’t do.
Mariachi Vivaz	Her movement is insincere.
Don Quixote	What on earth do you mean?!
Mariachi Alegre	Dance is a window to the heart.
Mariachi Vivaz	Without a clear and pure heart, it loses all meaning.
Don Quixote	……
Don Quixote	…I find thine assessment rather disgracious.
Effie	This is getting further out of hand… What are you doing, Saude?
Saude	Oh, I was writing our letter of apology in advance.

Episode: 16
Location: Casino 2F
Ishmael	As absurd as it sounds, if we want to leave this floor early…
Ishmael	We’re going to need to touch their hearts with a powerful dance.
Dante	<As you all know, my memories are hazy, so… dance, is it…? Can’t say I’m all too familiar.>
Amnesia came in handy as an excuse to opt-out of things at times like this.
Of course, I haven’t actually forgotten what dance is, but there’s no need to be too honest about it, is there?
Dante	<Say, Hong Lu, have you taken dance lessons or anything?>
Hong Lu	I learned a little bian lian, though I only had three instructors teaching me. To perform it, I’ll need a few masks, fans, makeup, and…
Dante	<…We aren’t gonna find them here. Next.>
Heathcliff	Well, I did step on a good few feet of snobbish aristocrats at balls.
Yi Sang	My inner voice expresses fear.
Ishmael	…Me? I spent half of my life on a ship.
Don Quixote	Dance is where I—! Hrrmph! Cease this relentless obstruction of my words!
Ryoshu	A sword dance for the first time in a while doesn’t sound bad. I’ll kill it on the floor.
Outis	Though the only beats I have danced to throughout my life were morning exercise programs during roll call, if the manager so demands, I will immediately see to it that—
Rodion	W-Well, Dante… I’m good at most things, buuut, my dancing is kinda… embarrassing… Hahah!
Gregor	I don’t mind, except my arm might rage out of control from the stimulation and charge for the audience’s heads.
Meursault	……
Faust	Faust doesn’t necessarily enjoy dancing for leisure, but I could gladly perform a routine if it’s for the mission’s sake.
Faust	However, it’s not technical perfection they want. They’re looking for something unstable and unpolished, rather…
Rodion	Sinclair!
Sinclair	Wha?!
Rodion	You busted a move or two as a kid, didn’t you?
Sinclair	B-Bust? I suppose I… took a basic maracas course at school as a liberal arts class…
Dante	<He came from a rich family too? How’d you figure that out, Rodya?>
Rodion	I can tell from the way he walks and talks.
Rodion	On the other hand, uncultured ones… Pfheh… It shows, y’know?
Rodya quietly giggled while looking at Heathcliff, then snuck up behind Sinclair to wrap her arms around his shoulders.
Rodion	‘Kay now~ My little Sinclair, I have a very, veeeery important task for you.
Sinclair	Huh? Hey? Rodya? Where are you…
Moments later, Sinclair solemnly walked onto the stage.
Dante	<Sinclair… You can do this.>
Ishmael	Yeah, think of all the times when Heathcliff trampled over you…
Sinclair	I, I’m…
Sinclair turned to Rodya, still looking anxious.
Sinclair	Am I… really able to do this?
Rodion	Wrong question, Sinclair.
Rodion	This is something only you can do.
He returned a determined nod.
Mariachi Alegre	The wrist-rocking… That pensive expression… Restrained rhythm… Perfection!
Mariachi Vivaz	It’s calm… Yet it’s the calmness that stirs my heart… This young man—he’s channeling something from within…
Mariachi Vivaz	How sublime…
Mariachi Vivaz	He is fighting repressed darkness and inner turmoil with the body’s motion…!
Mariachi Vivaz	Ohhh… The embers linger in glowing ash… heating the rhythm… for gestures to be struck along… This conjures an image, one of a bonfire that has burnt through the whole night! And we are witnessing the cotillion of ash dancing atop its remnant!
Dante	<Sorry, what?>
Mariachi Alegre	Young man, won’t you consider joining us? You have the potential to grow big.
Saude	That boy belongs to our company. You should know that siphoning valuable talent from their current employment without permission is a serious crime.
Just a few hours ago, Sinclair was only one moron in our band of blunderheads, but now he’s been elevated to the company’s valuable asset.
Mariachi Alegre	What a fine performance. You wish to get to the top floor, right?
Mariachi Vivaz	You may pass. You have earned the right.
Mariachi Alegre	Be warned, though, the folks upstairs won’t be as reasonable. They have no concept of festivity in their heads.
Sinclair came back to us with an invigorated look.
Sinclair	The things welling up inside me… This is what it was about.
Sinclair	It makes me wonder why I thought it would be hard. I feel much more comfortable now.
I was curious to know the inner struggle he’d expressed through dance that had touched the Syndicate to their core.
And what kind of hardship a young gentleman like him could have gone through…
But those questions could wait; for now, we headed upstairs to the third floor.

Episode: 17
Location: Casino 3F
Threatening Crewman	What d’we have ‘ere?
Flexing Crewman	D’you fellers have any idea what you’ve just walked into?
Threatening Crewman	Try mucking about and we’ll make the most acrobatic poses known to man outta you.
Flexing Crewman	Then we’ll lop off your digits joint by joint and make purdy mahjong tiles with ‘em.
Ishmael	Sheesh… Some warm welcome that was.
Heathcliff	Feh, I’m not one to let introductions like that go unanswered. Oi! Dust up!

Episode: 18
Location: Casino 3F
Flexing Crewman	You’d better keep your noggin safe and sound, ‘cause for kick the can we might need somethin’ around.
Effie	I almost forgot… These are the ones known for their coarse language…
Effie	Rumor has it they took down dozens of rival Syndicate members with just the psychological damage inflicted via their tongues…
Heathcliff	Oi! You watch your mouths while I’m—
Flexing Crewman	Who’re you gazing nitwits? Keep us out of sight, won’tcha? Them big bulgin’ doggy eyeballs are unnerving…
Threatening Crewman	Easy, bud. I took a shoutin’ crack at one o’ them’s eggs earlier, and my voice echoed like the whole noggin was cave-empty.
Flexing Crewman	Well brush me sideways, they don’t even got a string o’ egg noodle for brains? What’s the round thing on their shoulders, then? A bag o’ gas?
Heathcliff	……
Gregor	Hm, think they all take lessons in assholery from the same class?
Rodion	…Pft.
Rodion	I—I mean, it was kinda funny. N-not sure what you’re looking at me for~
Heathcliff	…Dead.
Heathcliff	…You’re all bloody dead!!

Episode: 19
Location: Casino 3F
Dante	<What should we do? We won’t get anywhere if we keep fighting…>
To my surprise, Ishmael let out a chuckle.
Ishmael	What’s to consider? We have our trump card.
Dante	<We have what now?>
Ishmael	Just the right person to teach them something “legit”.
Ryoshu	After you give it a good @#$@#$ and @$#% it up, go $#%@#$ on it.
Ryoshu	Next up, you @%$#$^ the @$%@$% and then soak it in #$#@.
Ryoshu	Lastly…
I never knew it was possible for the human tongue to give such detailed accounts of something so sickeningly gruesome.
The thugs’ eyes were uncharacteristically twinkling—some were even taking notes.
Threatening Crewman	I’ll be damned, she had me struck.
Flexing Crewman	Hoowee, that snap couldn’t be bolder… You’re what they call the wizardess o’ the tongue, eh, lady?
Heathcliff	No. That has to be the gob of a witch, yeah.
Even Heathcliff, the man who must have had a rougher life than most in the Backstreets, shuddered by the end.
Yi Sang	I cannot help but applaud the creativity. Indeed, the pen… Nay, the tongue is mightier than the sword.
Ishmael	I thought I was pretty familiar with the sailor’s mouth, being a seafarer for half my life…
Ishmael	But this made me realize my vocabulary was only the tip of the iceberg.
Saude	……
Saude	I honestly couldn’t fathom why the higher-ups would organize a team of people like you.
Faust	I don’t suppose the lineup was meant to be understood by the likes of us.
Saude	And I’m still having trouble figuring out the meaning of this personnel measure…
Saude	But, I guess… this isn’t so bad after all.
Faust	Saude, you’ve finally reached the stage of acceptance. Congratulations.

Episode: 20
Location: High Rollers Floor
Dante	<This isn’t good. We’ve reached the top floor, but we don’t have nearly enough wishpower…>
Rodion	Aah~ No worries. I’ve been itching to tell you this, and it’s finally time.
Rodion	I actually pinched a little wishpower back at the pawnshop. It’s not a lot, but it should be just enough, right?
Rodya showed us a wish sticker sheet with a few labels left on it.
Saude	Why didn’t you tell us earlier?
Rodion	Like you said, gambling is all about keeping a poker face. Wouldn’t want to see one of us slip and complicate things.
Rodion	As for the boss role~ Mind if I borrow it for a sec, Dante?
I nodded, seeing as I wasn’t really doing much in this guise anyways.
Even if I were committed to the act, it would only be right for me to forfeit it with my knees bent, since things played out the way they did.
Saude	…I would’ve been vehemently against this only hours ago. But now…
Rodion	Good thinking. I’ve never lost once in anything where money was involved.
Rodion	Alright…
Location: Private Room
Rodion	The contestant enters~
Rodion	Wait, I’m not the last? Aw, there goes my cool entry.
???	You are…?
Rodion	My name’s Rodion. I’m here to gamble for the right to access the basement.
???	Pwfhah!
???	I was looking forward to finally meeting the infamous “wishpower whisker” in person, and look who we get instead. Aren’t you a little too confident for some unidentified stranger?
Rodion	What a dull take~ It’s not who you are that matters in this world, right? It’s about who wins.
???	Well, you aren’t wrong there. The fact that you were able to get here is proof enough that you’re qualified.
Aida	A pleasure. I’m Aida.
Aida	And this is…
Crew Boss	Golly, my back’s hurtin’.
Rodion	…A robot? No, a prosthetic…?
Crew Boss	What’s that stare? Never seen a full-body prosthetic before?
Rodion	Isn’t that model… a bit too antiquated? It kinda looks like it belongs in a museum.
Crew Boss	Old is gold, as they say. Patched it up a few times, and now it’s sturdier than most new ones.
Crew Boss	Why’s that boy bein’ so sluggish about comin’ here anyway? Arrogant brat thinks he can show up late to serious business, eh?
Sonya	Pardon me. I had an urgent matter.
Rodion	?!
Aida	You think the world revolves around you, Sonya? Do you crave attention so much that you have to arrive late and be showered in glares?
Sonya	Haha, I didn’t mean to. If anything, you’d fit better as the protagonist of life, Aida.
Rodion	……
Sonya	It’s been a while, Rodya.
Aida	What’s up? You two know each other?
Sonya	Let’s say that we… share a hometown. Isn’t that right, Rodya?
Rodion	So, are you… still leading the Yurodiviye, then?
Sonya	Dunno, it might be too early to say “still”… You were the one who left on your own just like that.
Aida	Now now, that’s enough chatting. Since we have all the players, let’s go over the rules again.
Aida	The four bidders for the casino are all here: Sonya, Aida, the Tieqiu, and… representing the Tingtang Gang’s boss… a suspicious yet shameless stand-in…
Aida	No cheats or sleights of hand are allowed during the game. The moment you’re spotted in the act, you’re out.
Aida	It should go without saying that anything involving wishpower is forbidden as well.
Crew Boss	Soon as you’re caught, you’re on the choppin’ block! You’ll sorely regret it!
Rodion	……
Aida	We’ll play three games in total, and the one with the most chips wins. Simple enough?
Aida	The winner will get to take the elevator to the underground portion where the Golden Bough is.
Aida	It’s the treasure the former owner of this casino was so desperate to claim, digging a whole tunnel to unearth it.
Aida	But then they suddenly croaked for reasons unknown, making us the “lucky” bidders…
Rodion	…What an elegant way to put that they died under shady circumstances.
Sonya	Haha, oh Rodya. You’re still as cynical as ever, huh?
Rodion	…Shut it. How do you guys all know about the Golden Bough, though? Didn’t think it would be so widely known to the public.
Aida	Any Syndicate worth its name has caught wind of the stories. Those about the Golden Bough buried down here… and the riches and fame it’ll bring to the owner.
Rodion	If that’s the case, seems someone has gained an interest for worldly luxuries, huh? I thought you warned me to stay away from those things, Sonya.
Sonya	The Golden Bough can be used to achieve far greater things, Rodya. My purpose has stayed the same. To destroy the system of oppression and exploitation, preventing the concentration of wealth…
Crew Boss	Yeesh, there he goes again with the grand words. Someone stop ‘im.
Sonya	My apologies. It reminded me of the old times.
Sonya	It’s funny. I used to keep you from your obsession with gambling and money.
Sonya	Yet here we are at the same table, keeping our hands of cards from each other in a gamble with our goals on the line.
Sonya	What is your goal?
Rodion	…To win.
Sonya	…Of course.

Episode: 21
Location: Private Room
Aida	We’re at the final round. You all keeping a good eye on your chips?
Rodion	Hm, I’m all in.
Aida	…All in?
Sonya	Ooh~ Dealt a nice hand, huh, Rodya?
Crew Boss	Hah~ That swagger of yours’s been rubbin’ me the wrong way, y’know that? You’re pushin’ yourself to the edge, so what’re you counting on?
Rodion	I’m the kind of gal who bets everything she has at the end.
Rodion	……
Crew Boss	Stop right there. Pull your sleeve up. Don’t think I didn’t see you bein’ sneaky.
Rodion	Huh?!
Crew Boss	You just put one of them wish stickers you got from the Tingtang bossman on your arm.
Crew Boss	You were tryin’ to rake in all the chips this round so you can have the Golden Bough all to yourself.
Crew Boss	Look, everyone! Right ‘ere ‘neath her hand, this thing. ‘S got to be the sticker, ey?
Rodion	…Got proof?
Sonya	Sorry, Rodya, but can I take a look at your wrist for a second?
Rodion	……
Crew Boss	Nah, you aren’t! Don’t you touch ‘er. Far as I know, you two might be in cahoots.
Crew Boss	Nooow, I’ll lay ‘er arm bare, so keep your eyes peeled, aight? I knew this sly little fox would play dirty.
Aida	Hold on now… This situation… and dialogue… all feel awfully familiar. Have I seen this before somewhere?
Rodion	Small-minded for someone so big. Do you really have to be petty about this?
Crew Boss	And didn’t they teach you that with stolen wishpower comes strict responsibility?
Rodion	…You’ve watched too many movies man. What’s stolen?
Rodion	If you find nothing, will you fold and walk out?
Crew Boss	Hah, you’ve got guts. Fine, I’ll bet all my stakes that there’s a piece o’ the wishpower on your wrist. What do you say?
Rodion	Same as yours. So, one of us is about to go bust then? Scared, are you?
Crew Boss	Pahahahah! Oh that’s cute, you get that somewhere? Anyway, that means your words’re final, ey?
Aida	Oh my… This is going exactly how I remember… I’m pretty sure the conclusion was…
Crew Boss	Here goes, let us confirm then~
Crew Boss	……
Crew Boss	Wuhuh? What’s going on ‘ere?
Crew Boss	I saw it. I saw the little fox rub ‘er wrist! There’s—there’s no way…
Sonya	That means you’re out. What a pity.
Rodion	What happens to the loser, then? Lop off a hand or something?
Sonya	You’re joking, right, Rodya? There’s no point in removing a prosthetic hand.
Crew Boss	No, this is… This can’t be right…
Sonya	The defeated will be shown generosity, but false accusations need to be taken care of with more caution.
Aida	Hang on, are you…?
Rodion	……
Rodion	Gweh… What in the…!
Aida	For Wings’ sake, can you PLEASE give me a warning—just a little one!
Aida	Ugh… Look at all the grease and spinal fluid… Bwegh.
Sonya	Remember, Rodya? It’s a trash compactor we saw at the waste disposal in our Backstreets.
Rodion	……
Sonya	I told you back then.
Sonya	That we proletarians should unite to take down the ruling class and build a new society.
Sonya	So then you replied:
Sonya	“If you mean we should round up the rich and flatten ‘em under one of those compactors, then I’m all for it.”
Rodion	…Small correction: I said “crush and pop ‘em”.
Sonya	…Is that so.
Sonya	Rodya, are you still unwilling to return to the Yurodiviye?
Rodion	I…
Gregor	Didn’t you all… hear a loud slam just now?
Saude	Undoubtedly. After a quarrel about… wishpower and the like.
Heathcliff	What? Did they find out? Oi, quit gawking and turn that clock.
Ishmael	Gosh, please stop pushing. …Aaah!
Sinclair	Huh, woah—?!
Unfortunately, the door we were leaning against was a flimsy wooden frame covered with rice paper.
We all tumbled into the room as the door fell.

Episode: 22
Location: Private Room
Aida	Uh… What are you supposed to be…?
Dante	<Rodya, how did it go?!>
Sonya	Made new friends in the meantime, have you, Rodya?
Sonya laid his hand of cards open on the table.
Sonya	The game is over.
Sonya	You win, Rodion. I have no objections.
He then left through the door and didn’t return.
Instead, a deafeningly hollow clap suddenly filled the room.
Aida	Haha, caramba… I enjoyed the spectacle, but…
Aida	I’m not as cool as Sonya.
Aida	Since you brought your friends, why don’t I introduce some of mine as well?
Gregor	…Y’know, uh, I’m pretty sure I heard a member of your Syndicate say that gambling was purely entertainment for you.
Aida	Mhm. So isn’t this more entertaining than accepting defeat right away?
Rodion	You were gonna push on with force regardless of who won, weren’t you?
Aida	Pfh. Think about it. I have strength and manpower, so why would I give up on the Golden Bough ‘cause a round or three of a game said so?
Rodion	Aight, then. I’m actually glad you’re a rebel.
Rodion	I was starting to get bored of sitting around too.

Episode: 23
Location: Private Room
Trying our best not to step on the crushed remains of the Tieqiu Crew’s boss—Sinclair barely managing to hold back the urge to gag—we reached the elevator.
Location: Elevator Interior
Rodya was the first to complain about dead insects during our last expedition, but here, she got to the lift and pressed the basement button without a grumble.
And once the group quieted down…
Saude hit Rodya with a barrage of pent-up questions.
Saude	…How did you manage to win without even using any wishpower?
Saude	No, before any of that, what made you so sure that you’ll win regardless?
Rodion	Yikes, hold your horses, gal… One question at a time. Okay?
Rodya spun around talking Saude into calming down, and then slowly began to elaborate.
Rodion	The Tieqiu Crew’s boss had been keeping a wary eye on the Tingtang Gang’s all along.
Meursault	How did you know that? You couldn’t have read the tells from his mechanical body.
Rodion	He had every reason to. After all, it was a well-known fact to them that the Tingtang Gang owned a wishpower extractor.
Rodion	He must’ve been totally sure that the boss or someone representing him would make use of it for this game.
Effie	So… You deliberately made it look like you were using a sticker so that he’d call you out on it?
Rodion	Yup! Then I declared I’m going all in~ I needed to seem suspiciously ballsy in his eyes.
Rodion	A winning gambler creates her own momentum and rides it. Fuhu.
Saude	……
Rodion	I mean, look. Even you guys thought I’d popped the wish stickers, right?
Rodion	If I’m being real, wish stickers and all that stuff are just hopes and desires given important-sounding labels in the end.
Rodion	To someone with unshakable faith in themselves, it’s nothing more than a weird piece of paper.
Saude	That can’t be true… J Corp’s wishpower-related tech is an officially approved semi-Singularity with widely proven efficacy.
Saude	Thousands of people rely on wishpower for every aspect of their lives…
Rodion	I guess there’s nothing like it to give people a confidence boost in this day and age.
Rodion	But me? I’m different.
Rodion	I’ve always believed in myself.
Yi Sang	…To have faith means that the mind may avoid crashing into the depths.
Yi Sang	Pray tell, how does one go about acquiring that faith?
Rodion	Oh, that? It’s actually super simple. I’ll let you in on the secret, so listen up.
Sinclair	Ooh…
Rodion	Just think: “I’m the most awesome person in the world, so whatever anyone else says is crock shit!”
Faust	That certainly makes sense. Faust agrees as well.
Sinclair	……
Yi Sang	…Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked at all.
Dante	<Rodya… Don’t tell me that’s how you’ve been treating my words…?>
Sadly, the victor’s joy didn’t last for long.
Location: Casino Mine B1
The cavern was filled with the sounds of pickaxes struck against craggy walls, and we saw security guards keeping strict watch over a vault.
It felt as though it were sending us a note of warning that we wouldn’t reach the bottom so easily.
Rodion	Hold on a sec! There was no point in us winning the game then!
Rodion	Why do we have to be so sneaky about this? And who are those slaves picking away at rocks?
Saude	Although we’ve earned ownership… we have nothing proper to show as proof that we won, and we’re more or less intruders to them.
In all fairness, anyone would’ve thought of us as thieves if they saw us awkwardly hiding near the vault.
Ishmael	Quite the grand excavation. They even made space to insert vaults, all the while digging a tunnel.
Rodion	What a stunning sight… When I die, please bury me in a mound of cash like that. I want to fill my lungs with the scent of bills for my final breath.
Gregor	By the way, about that man who was at the table… Did you know him from somewhere?
Rodion	…A friend from back home.
Dante	<Something tells me the history between you two runs deeper than just that.>
Rodion	Greg, love, reunions are always uncomfortable. Didn’t you feel the tension that time you ran into your former comrades?
Gregor	…Can’t argue with that.
Hong Lu	Things are moving inside these cages.
Hong Lu	Are they pets they might be raising, perhaps?
Ishmael	…Does your family usually count creatures violently shaking their cages as pets?
Faust	It’s the Peccatula.
Dante	<Did they think they could tame Abnormalities?>
Gregor	Dear Yuri would’ve knocked three grown adults out cold with a scoff if she heard that.
Sinclair	Oh, Yuri…
Faust	It should be theoretically possible.
Faust	Provided that they possess a similar level of intelligence to humans and that an empirically proven method of managing them exists, that is.
Ishmael	Huh… If it did work out, I guess they could’ve made good guard dogs.
Hong Lu	Oh? I’m taking a closer look, and these people have fingers or other parts of their bodies bitten off.
Thankfully, he didn’t add “Is this in fashion?” or other obnoxious remarks this time.
Hong Lu	…Is this in fashion these days?
Dante	<……>
Almost. Almost didn’t.

Episode: 24
Location: Casino Mine B1
Gregor	Tch… We’ve got security guards and Peccatula… This is starting to be a bother…
Rodion	Got any ideas, Greg? You fought on the frontlines before. Try something.
Gregor	What does that have— Hey, don’t push!
Being shoved out of cover by Rodya, Gregor stumbled forward, separated from us…
…Then bumping into a slave who was busy digging away at rocks.
Captive Debtor	……?
Gregor	……
They seemed to pause for a moment in awkwardness.
Gregor	H… Hey there, looks like the way things are going here isn’t all too pretty for the both of us, ‘ne? How about we let this slide?
Captive Debtor	……
Gregor	We’re not after the cash stored in that vault.
Gregor	I mean, wouldn’t say no if we were offered it—but the point is, we’re just looking for a way downstairs.
Gregor	Not here to make any fuss. Why don’t we pretend this never happened and go our own ways?
Captive Debtor	F… Four…
Captive Debtor	Forty-seven million, nine hundred and twenty thousand…
Captive Debtor	Forty-seven million, nine hundred and ten thousand… Forty-seven million, nine hundred thousand…
Ryoshu	Speak some sense, or I’ll BARF on your hands.
For someone who often speaks in riddles herself, Ryōshū’s patience sure wore out quickly. She gripped the sheath of her sword as she threatened the worker.
Sinclair	I can’t say for sure, but I think she meant she’ll “break all the remaining fingers” on that person’s hands…
Dante	<…At this point, I’m more scared of how quickly you got that.>
Captive Debtor	Must repay…
Captive Debtor	Repay all the debt… before I can go back to my family…
Captive Debtor	They said they’ll take off 1 Ahn for every swing… Forty-seven… How much…was it… Aack! Don’t talk to me! I have to count…
Rigid Security	Hold on? What’s that noise over there?
Gregor	Ah, shoot…
Cornered, Gregor suddenly started shouting in a remarkably out-of-character voice.
Gregor	We… We can’t live like this anymore!
Gregor	This is… outrageous… tyranny! To tie people up and force them to dig!
Gregor	Let us all… rise up… and fight our oppressors…! Go, onwaaard!!
Dante	<……>
Captive Debtor	……
Rigid Security	……
Heathcliff	The hell was that?
Meursault	Propaganda. His effort has regrettably ended in failure.
Rodion	Greg, sweetie… Here’s the thing about those people… They ended up here by living their whole lives as scum—exploiters and exploitees.
Rodion	You weren’t expecting some half-baked speech to be enough to wake up the revolutionary inside them, were you?
Outis	…Before you attempt an instigation operation next time, be sure to train your acting skills to at least an intermediate level.
Rodion	Oh, Greg… Have you never tried acting in your whole life?
Gregor	Scheibenkleister… Look, I’m embarrassed myself…
Gregor’s terrible acting must have even agitated the security as well.
That’d explain them opening up those locked cages in a potentially risky move.

Episode: 25
Location: Casino Mine B1
Rigid Security	W—Wait… Why are they coming this way?! Stop! I said stop!
Rigid Security	G-Get them away from me! Hurry!
Captive Debtor	…Forty-seven million, nine hundred…
The debtors kept on swinging their pickaxes; forty-seven million, nine hundred thousand picks left and counting down.
We were able to find our way down using this opportunity.
Gregor	So we did get help from the debtors after all.
Rodion	Just a coincidence.
Rodya replied with an apathetic look.

Episode: 26
Location: Casino Mine B2
Meursault	It’s a freight container made of smooth and colorful plastic.
Meursault	The prevalence of peculiar materials suggests that this is not a simple manufacturing facility.
As soon as Meursault finished, the colorful yet ominously designed container activated with a cheery tune.
Sinclair	I’ve got a bad feeling…
Sinclair	Why aren’t there any security guards around now?
“Well…” was all I could mutter before the answer revealed itself to us.
The doors of the container opened as it finished operating, and inside…
You Want To Get Beat? Hurtily?	Ah. Ah.
You Want To Get Beat? Hurtily?	Highly excited!!!
You Want To Get Beat? Hurtily?	Ahh~
You Want To Get Beat? Hurtily?	Thoroughly amusing!!!
You Want To Get Beat? Hurtily?	Da GAME of DEATH!
Faust	……
You Want To Get Beat? Hurtily?	ATH.
You Want To Get Beat? Hurtily?	ATH!!
You Want To Get Beat? Hurtily?	ATH!!!! ATH!!!! ATH!!!!
Faust	Hm… It appears they redoubled excavation efforts from this point onward.
Faust	I can’t think of any other reason to augment humans on a conveyor belt…
Dante	<Yeah, yeah, I get it, now let’s move! They’re pointed right at us singing that spooky song!>

Episode: 27
Location: Casino Mine B3
Sinclair	Feels like it’s getting colder and colder.
Sinclair	What’s up with all this ice around…?
Faust	An increase in the frequency of anomalies should ideally be strong, positive reflections.
Yi Sang	Did you call?
Ishmael	…Sigh. I hope that wasn’t your attempt at a joke. Thanks to you, I’m feeling even colder.
Putting aside Ishmael’s grievance, I thought about what Faust had said.
Dante	<…Because that means we’re getting close to the Golden Bough… right?>
It was a pretty solid answer if I do say so myself.
Faust	Yeah, sure.
But Faust’s reply was discouragingly dull, or at least that’s how I heard it.

Episode: 28
Location: Ice Castle Where Neighbors Lie
Before us stood a monumental castle of ice, and frozen pillars that seemed unbreakable.
And there stood a person…
A man with hyaline hair, clear as ice, waiting for us.
Sonya	I came here often whenever I felt the need to clear my thoughts, even though there’s no rocking chairs or whisky you like…
Sonya	The chill dominating this place pierces even the thickest coat. It helps me restore a lucid mind.
While the rest of us were frozen stiff, stuck watching, Rodya made a slow step forward to face him.
Rodion	Didn’t expect you to be here first.
Sonya	My men and I knew of a shortcut leading here.
Sonya	It was something we learned through the local ruffians, all in search of the whereabouts of a buried, great power, waiting to be used for the greater good.
Sonya	Alas, this… area surrounding the Golden Bough was as far as we could go; we didn’t see any way to get closer.
Rodion	Thought you’d never leave District 25, but seeing you now—resorting to the tactics gangsters would use—maybe you should’ve stayed a country boy.
Rodion	Sonya, your lackeys have been taking from shopkeeps who weren’t even rich to begin with.
Sonya	…Did you know, Rodya? This was little more than a somewhat eccentric hollow with frosty walls.
Sonya	Yet look at this. Now there’s a giant castle and thick columns of ice.
Sonya	This change happened the instant you walked in.
Rodion	…You sound like you figured this would happen on my arrival. How’d you know?
Sonya	I have many sources… But that’s none of your business, Rodya.
Rodion	What makes you so sure that I made this happen in the first place? I’m not some kinda Backstreets witch or anything.
Sonya	It’s not hard at all to figure out. Observing those faces encased in ice says enough.
Sonya	Take a peek. They’re ones you loved yet looked down on, are they not?
Wicked Tax Collector	Two-fifty thousand Ahn.
Resident	That’s all it’s worth? It’s not possible…
Wicked Tax Collector	You said precisely why, though? Its age is showing in all the scratches and lack of polish.
Wicked Tax Collector	To be frank, others wouldn’t pay any more than two hundred thousand for this.
Wicked Tax Collector	And the rest… All worthless garbage.
Wicked Tax Collector	That makes the taxes you owe four hundred thousand Ahn in total.
Rodion	Why do the poor only grow poorer the harder they work?
Rodion	It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? While stacks of cash piled up in the pawnbroker’s vault…
Rodion	Our neighborhood was being wrung dry, heirlooms weighed for what little monetary value they had.
Rodion	Sonya rallied people, delivering speeches using big words.
Rodion	They organized a group under the name of the ‘Yurodiviye’.
Rodion	It went okay at first. Even the thickest folks were inspired by Sonya’s words to help the impoverished in the Backstreets.
Rodion	But, Sonya still had a dissatisfied expression.
Rodion	Ultimately, the Yurodiviye warped into an organization that cared more for debating about how best to change the streets and the Nest, rather than going out to help those in need.
Rodion	That’s why I left them.
Rodion	Being an armchair revolutionary wasn’t going to feed our starving neighbors!
Sonya	But I told you time and time again, Rodya. That we must wait for the right moment.
Rodion	Sonya, I’m sorry, but that “moment” you kept talking about…
Rodion	It didn’t come when the Yurodiviye’s youngest… when little Ivan had to sate his hunger with food from the garbage.
Rodion	Nor did it arrive after he suffocated to death.
Sonya	To achieve a monumental task, well-thought policies and a great power to carry them are required. All to make the redistribution of wealth happen.
Sonya	And in the process of moving towards progress, such minor troubles on a personal level are inevitable.
Rodion	That’s minor to you? The whole thing was personal, we started this to help others.
Rodion	What you and the Yurodiviye were doing wasn’t what I’d hoped for.
Sonya	Is that why you decided to take matters into your own hands?
Rodion	Absolutely. What our town needed…
Rodion	Wasn’t an empty promise telling people to sit on their hands for who knows when.
Rodion	But someone who wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the axe.
Rodion	I bet most of my neighbors had been starving for four nights straight that day.
Rodion	Yet the biting wind kept hounding without mercy, clawing at the chapped skin of the famished peasants.
Rodion	And I happened to know whose safe kept more than enough money to treat my neighbors to a feast for days and still be just as full.
Sonya	So, what did you do?
Rodion	…Gimme a sec. Can’t I pull out of this now?
Sonya	This is a confessional created for you as a result of the Golden Bough resonating with your psyche.
Sonya	Moreover, a confessional’s purpose is to lead a sinner to the path of penance.
Wicked Tax Collector	... ....... ... .... ....... .. ....
Rodion	If only that old woman had changed her mind before it came to an end…
Sonya	But Rodya…
Sonya	You must have known that a terminal leech upon her neighbors would never turn over a new leaf.
Sonya	You know she wasn’t the kind of person who’d give up that life to turn into a generous philanthropist.
Sonya	You wouldn’t have knocked on her door with an axe in hand otherwise.
Wicked Tax Collector	Poor Rodion, dear, you seem to be under the delusion that you’re some sort of savior…
Wicked Tax Collector	Demanding my money so brazenly to my face won’t change anything.
Wicked Tax Collector	You vermin are no different from the paupers in the Backstreets.
Rodion	That’s right.
Rodion	I’m the one who put an axe through her head.
Rodion	Like cutting open the belly of the goose that laid golden eggs, I chopped that hag’s skull.
Rodion	I mean, someone had to do it. Am I wrong?
Rodion	Unlike the foolish cottager in the fable who gave in to greed and lost out on becoming richer…
Rodion	We were overcome with hunger and misery, and could have gladly eaten out her brains.
Rodion	And her “belly” was full of golden eggs, unlike that of the goose.
Sonya	Yes, the old lady you killed was a tax collector wielding considerable authority in District 25.
Sonya	But what gave her so much power… was her sibling’s status as a member of the Middle.
Rodion	I… struck her down to save my dying neighbors. Is that so wrong?
Sonya	No, you held that axe for your own good.
Sonya	You couldn’t stand the fact that you weren’t anyone special.
Sonya	Did you know? The Middle… never lets anyone who touches their family go unpunished.
Sonya	They aren’t too interested in finding *who* exactly did it; rather, they like to demonstrate clearly *what* happens to the poor fools that dare disturb them.
Sonya	The Backstreets residents who’d tasted the joy of quality meat for the first time in their lives soon made towering cadaverous pillars out on the roads.
Sonya	Not much different from the car pagodas outside the casino.
Sonya	I’m well aware of how much pain and guilt you’ve been burdened with ever since then.
Sonya	Living with the realization that you really weren’t so different from the foolish cottager after all.
Rodion	Since that day… Nothing I held truly felt like it was mine.
Rodion	All because of me…
Sonya	It’s all fine, Rodya.
Sonya	For you see, Rodya.
Sonya	To change the world, I perused hundreds of books and thousands of documents…
Sonya	And I met various people all around the City.
Sonya	Picturing a world where the oppressed can escape from the exploitative dominion of the ruling class and find liberation in the truest sense.
Sonya	To make that world a reality.
Sonya	However, the answer didn’t lie in changing what was already there. Once a page of history is written, there’s no way to go back and revise it.
Sonya	Look. This is the world we can reach.
Sonya	A world… that can be created using the Golden Bough with which you resonated.
Sonya	May there be no one upon this earth suffering from starvation.
Sonya	May every individual enjoy the right to pursue psychological and intellectual delights.
Sonya	…Join hands with me, and I’ll give you that world as a gift.
Sonya	As if nothing up to this point had ever happened at all.
Rodion	Ah.
Rodion	A feeling nobody else would understand.
Rodion	Even a glimpse of that world felt so dreamlike.
Rodion	I wanted to etch that mesmerizing instant into my memory.
Rodion	If this was a dream, I’d even wish I was part of it so that I would never have to leave it.
Rodion	And yet…
Rodion	Sorry, I’m still turning down your offer.
Rodion	How to put it…
Rodion	I don’t wanna bathe in warmth just yet. I feel like I oughta be in this cold a bit longer.
Rodion	Think I’ll stay this way until I find my answer to the question of when it’ll be okay to warm myself.
Rodion	And also, Sonya…
Rodion	You knew my temper would get the best of me and get me to kill her, didn’t you?
Sonya	……
Sonya	Rodya, this will probably elude you, but you don’t have the mark.
Sonya	I came here hoping to see you possess it, but I’m seeing it on a few of your friends instead.
Rodion	The mark? What do you…
Sonya	Besides, you can’t see the mark, either. In other words… you don’t have what it takes to be a leader.
Sonya	But I’m different. So, to make a better world—
Rodion	Yepper, I think I ‘member hearing you say something like that while sat at a desk buried in books.
Rodion	…That’s why I can’t join you.
Rodion	I still believe that it’s not big words behind closed doors that feed your neighbors.
Rodion	And as I’m sure you’ve learned by now…
Rodion	There’s no way a rowdy rascal like me would fit under some dweeb’s leadership, right? Hahah!
Sonya	……
Sonya	The Golden Bough awaits inside the castle, Rodya.
Sonya	I hope you’ll be able to find what you seek.
We walked past Sonya, and then made our way into the icy castle he indicated.
Location: Within the Ice Castle
THOOM!
Dante	<What the…?>
The castle trembles intensely as frosty rubble falls around us from above.
Dante	<Wait, if this keeps up…>
A foreboding idea flashes in my head.
The ticking of my clock was like a reminder of how much time we had left.
Dante	<Out… Outside, now!>
Location: Ice Castle Where Neighbors Lie
We evacuated from it in a hurry.
Ishmael	…Am I seeing this right?
Ishmael	The castle isn’t falling apart, it’s like…
Faust	Indeed, it’s most certainly rising to its feet.
Gregor	Don’t look back! Just run!
Dante	<Hoogh… Gahh… I, we ran quite a bit, but what now…?>
Meursault	Footfalls. Not of a human. Rather slow and heavy.
Ishmael	…You could just say that something mammoth is after us!
Meursault	That may have served better.
Rodion	D—Dante! Our job here’s done, so we can just book it! Cool?
Dante	<G-Gimme a second! I never considered what to do after getting down here…>
Rodion	Oh, really! Does this look like the time for dopey plans?!
Gregor	The bus… Where’s the bus?
Heathcliff	Stop yapping useless rubbish! We’re running the hell away!
Faust	That might be the first logical statement I’ve heard leave your mouth, Heathcliff.
Heathcliff	…I’m smashing your skull to pieces later.

Episode: 29
Location: Ice Castle Where Neighbors Lie
Ishmael	I see the exit over there!
Heathcliff	Gah, persistent rotters.
Dante	<We’ll have to distract them somehow before we can get away…>
Ryoshu	Why don’t you throw one of us at ‘em? You can bring them back later anyway.
Sinclair	Why are you looking at me while you say that?!
Dante	<…Hold on, look there…>
Sonya	Leave this to me.
Rodion	Sonya?! What are you playing at?
Dante	<Rodya! What’s with your attitude? We have to take all the help we can get!>
Rodion	I’ve seen people who’d offer to help without asking for anything, and they’d usually have some ulterior motive.
Sonya	……
Sonya	It’s just like how you simply couldn’t hold yourself back from using your axe that day.
Sonya	I’m discovering that I might have a similarly… inexplicable drive pushing me.
Sonya	Dante, I take it that your organization is working to make a better world in its own right, yes?
Dante	<I… Uh-huh?>
What does a better world entail?
For the first time, I was reminded that I had never questioned the motivations of Limbus Company.
Thankfully, none of my contemplative fudging reached Sonya, and he took my lack of a response as a sign of agreement.
Sonya	Silence sometimes speaks volumes. I’ll take that as a positive.
Sonya	And one more thing… That child will soon visit you, too.
Dante	<Child?>
Sinclair	Huh?
Sinclair	Ah… Sorry. My eyes must have fooled me. I thought I saw something on his forehead for a second…
Sonya	Indeed, I mean that boy who left quite the impression on you. It’ll be a touching reunion, I imagine.
Sonya nudges his chin at something behind him.
A faint light was shining between the fallen blocks of ice, giving a distinctive glow…
Dante	<The Golden Bough…>
Sonya	Don’t expect me to act on the same impulse of kindness next we meet, though.
Sonya	If a clear path towards prosperity of the many shows itself before my eyes, I’ll take it without hesitation.
After Sonya left us with a mysterious message, the Yurodiviye began to show up one after the other.
Well… This may have been as good a time as any for touching farewells like “I won’t forget you!”
…Then I saw that Rodya was the first to sprint for the exit.
Yi Sang	Rodion. Are you not concerned?
Rodion	What’s up?
Yi Sang	Irrespective of consequential differences, he was nevertheless a friend of yours.
Rodion	Ah, that~ Eh, he’s a clever sort, so I’m sure he’ll figure out a way to live and all that jazz.
Yi Sang	…Truly, an ideal form of friendship.
Sometime later…
Though I was dead tired, Vergilius wouldn’t spare me from his fierce gaze until I gave him a brief verbal report of what we went through today.
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
Vergilius	…I see, so that’s your story. There’s just one thing that bothers me, though.
Vergilius	This man… Sonya, was it? His actions during those final moments don’t quite seem to match the beliefs he told you.
Vergilius	Which is why we should scrutinize his true intentions…
Rodion	Hey, time out, tiiime out!!!
Rodion	First Yi Sang, and now you too? Why does everyone care more about Sonya than me? The bottom line is that we got the Golden Bough.
Rodion	As a plus… Check this out, everyone~
From her pockets, Rodya pulled out a colorful bunch of gaming chips in her hands.
Rodion	We can exchange these cuties for cash at any casino, so we should drop by one.
Rodion	I nabbed ‘em while our manager dazzled the floor with their jackpot.
Dante	<I’m impressed that you thought to snatch that stuff amidst all the chaos.>
Rodion	Well, Verg? What do you say to a juicy serving of prime sirloin steak to celebrate our abounding success today?
Vergilius	…What do you think, Charon?
Charon	…Mmm.
Charon	Seems Mephi wants it too. Fresh, succulent, juicy meat.
Gregor	Gah, of all the things you could mention…
Vergilius	Alright, then. I’ll leave Rodion to pick a restaurant in District 10 for us.
Charon	Okay. Vroom-vroom.
Rodion	Now we’re talking, Verg.
Rodion	After all’s said and done…
Beneath her grin, Rodya’s eyes were shaking with distress, but she soon covers it up with a guise of joviality as if nothing ever happened.
Rodion	I’m pretty rad, aren’t I?
Location: Somewhere in the Backstreets
Hermann	Impressive, Yurodivy.
Hermann	Not only did you manage to clear out the legion of foes…
Hermann	You also burned all that cash.
Sonya	You should know, Hermann, that I’ve never been friends with money.
Hermann	I will admit, you are not like most idealists who are all theory and no action.
Hermann	You would’ve earned my praise had you secured the Golden Bough on top of everything.
Sonya	…I showed Rodya that world.
Sonya	The ideal reality that fascinated me.
Sonya	Alas…
Hermann	I suppose it didn’t win her over.
Sonya	It seems the method you suggested was wrong after all, Hermann.
Sonya	She wasn’t the kind of person to let a few words change her mind.
Hermann	So, do you find this… regrettable?
Sonya	Well…
Sonya	Part of me might’ve wished that she’d follow me like in the past.
Sonya	But no, I think I’m actually relieved to find that she’s the same as before.
Sonya	Rodya wasn’t wishing for a perfect world with no flaws whatsoever.
Sonya	Rather, she might have felt…
Sonya	That it would be boring to live in such a world, since there’d be no way to affirm that she’s special.
Sonya	That’s the impression I got.
Hermann	I thought her to be a woman of virtue, principles unshakable…
Hermann	But hearing this, she was a dreamer just like you, wasn’t she?
Sonya	She still has a long way to go, I’m sure.
Sonya	…She won’t want to admit it, though.
Hermann	I got your point. I’ll keep it in mind for future considerations on our course of action.
Sonya	You won’t scold me for this? I was unable to complete the job you gave me.
Hermann	Reprimands won’t make the Bough appear at our feet, will they?
Hermann	It’s fine. Wherever the Boughs may be right now…
Hermann	What matters more is who claims the bundle at the end.
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