Dante's Notes |
| Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 |
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Faust
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…Dante? |
| Mephistopheles doesn’t roar and grumble ahead all day long. Mephisto is an engine that needs rest from time to time, much like how Charon is still a human who needs regular breaks. | |
Dante
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<Are you still awake, Ms. Faust?> |
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Faust
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There are a few things left to check. As the engine is treated harshly during operation, it needs to be well-maintained while at rest. |
| To substantiate her words, Faust carried light tools and a small mechanical device in place of her usual zweihander. | |
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Dante
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<You’re working hard.> |
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Faust
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This barely counts as work. To witness Faust’s magnum opus cordis being overworked with no time for care takes a greater toll, rather. |
| She said this after making a light smile… | |
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Faust
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Do you like this update in particular? |
| Faust looked down at me using a handheld device. | |
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Dante
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<Oh… This thing?> |
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Faust
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Yes, I believe previously you weren’t fiddling with it as often. |
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Dante
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<It’s nothing much, I was just… making the most of this new feature I’ve needed.> |
| Whenever Faust requests a break for routine maintenance, my ‘LCB-PDA’ also receives updates. | |
| The updates occasionally come with additional functions, and this time… | |
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Faust
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…A note? The device didn’t have this functionality until now? |
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Dante
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<It didn’t, surprisingly enough.> |
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Dante
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<…You didn’t know that? I thought you were omniscient, Faust.> |
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Faust
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Faust only knows everything that Faust knows. |
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Faust
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Pardon me for a moment. |
| She took a peek at the screen of my tablet. | |
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Faust
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Are you attempting to write an encyclopaedia, Dante? |
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Dante
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<I mean… You keep using words I don’t know—stuff like “Fixers” or whatever “Wings” are…> |
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Dante
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<It might be common vocabulary for you all, but not me…> |
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Faust
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I understand. I do suppose you’ve lost all memory of the City. |
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Dante
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<Yep. So I wanna write down most stuff here.> |
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Dante
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<And copy down the things I’ve been scribbling on paper while I’m at it…> |
| This clock on my shoulders could be replaced with yet another head at any moment. There’s no guarantee the memories I have right now will stay with me. | |
| That’s why I must prepare a backup plan like this. | |
| So I don’t forget twice. | |
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Heathcliff
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?! W-What the hell?! |
| Without warning, the bus ground to a sudden halt in the Backstreets. | |
Charon
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We’ll stop here today. |
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Faust
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Charon, I fear we haven’t quite reached the destination. |
Meursault
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We’re approximately 15% short of the target location. Considering our schedule, proceeding at least 3% farther would be ideal. |
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Charon
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Charon’s sleepy. Excellent bus drivers don’t drive while sleepy. |
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Heathcliff
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Got it, just stop stomping the brakes every damn time!! D’you know how much you’ve done this?! |
DonQuixote
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Forsooth, Ser Heathcliff hath crashed his nose unto the back of the front seat for the fourth time, which must signify that this is the fourth screeching halt to occur! |
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Charon
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“Leave the wheel as soon as you start feeling sleepy”, said the radio. |
Ishmael
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That’s a good point, but… you need to be a bit more flexible about that sorta thing. |
HongLu
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Fuhu, a statement as plain as that can be quite amusing depending on who says it~ |
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Heathcliff
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Hah, the minted boy agrees with me, eh. It’s funny when the least flexible one says that kind of gabble. |
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Ishmael
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…What was that? If that’s what you’re playing at, what about that old fogey over there who still thinks she’s a wartime general— |
| Ishmael pointed to Outis, whose veins were beginning to stick out on her veteran and placid face. | |
Vergilius
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Sigh. |
| This is a prime example of the terror of learned fear. | |
| It’s happened enough to be familiar… but it’s still rather intimidating to hear Vergilius send the bus into chilling silence with a single gesture or utterance. | |
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Vergilius
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…What is it? You were all happily chattering moments ago. No reason not to continue. |
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Heathcliff
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Weren’t you sighing to go on a proper rampage after? |
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Vergilius
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I was stretching. Felt a bit stiff… |
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Heathcliff
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Load of… |
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Ishmael
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Ahem… |
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Vergilius
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It’s laughable how you behave. You’re like dogs that drool at the sound of a bell. |
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Heathcliff
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…… |
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Vergilius
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If you’ve got complaints, remember that my office in the back always has open hours. I’ll make time for consultations… Miss Faust, I leave the rest to you. |
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Faust
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Of course. |
| Vergilius nonchalantly walked past the Sinners (and their piercing stares) with Charon at his side, and both stood at the back of the bus. | |
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Charon
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Open perilla. |
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Vergilius
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It’s “sesame”, Charon. |
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Charon
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Charon knows. It’s not like magic phrases are what open doors, anyway. |
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Vergilius
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…I suppose so. |
| While they exchanged corny jokes, the door large enough to fill the backside slowly opened… | |
Rodion
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Been a few months, but still weirds me out every time I see it… |
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HongLu
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It’s bigger on the inside, right? |
| As the Backdoor opened, a splendid narrow deep spacious hallway revealed itself. | |
| An endless corridor… that looked to go on forever. | |
| Far into this hallway, classy poles demarcate the end of the area we’re allowed to traverse, standing in front of unending lines of red lights. | |
| Though the place seems comfy… something about it makes eerie feelings creep up. | |
Gregor
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Now that I think about it… Is that one of those Singularities belonging to a Wing? Frau Faust, do you know anything? |
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Faust
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Of course it is known. But I am certain that you do know that I cannot speak of them in much detail, Herr Gregor. |
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Gregor
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Could stand to be a bit nicer about it… |
Ryoshu
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This is a corridor. |
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Faust
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That’s correct. It’s a corridor. |
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Gregor
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Haah… Sure is—a long hallway with doors to rooms on the sides, of course it’s a corridor. |
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Ryoshu
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I. F. |
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Gregor
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What’re you trying to… Pfah, whatever. I’m too tired… Dante, please hurry on with it. |
| Gregor’s words snapped me out of idly staring down to the edge of the passage. | |
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Dante
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<Oh, yeah… Right.> |
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Faust
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Dante, while I understand that you may feel it to be an unnecessary repetitive act… simply put, the executive manager’s approval is a vital part of the procedure. Please understand. |
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Dante
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<No need to put it like that, Ms. Faust…> |
| With that answer, I got up from my seat and stood at the front of the bus, looking at the crew. | |
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Dante
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<I hereby confirm today’s close of business for the Sinners.> |
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Faust
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Thank you kindly. Starting now, you all will be given a maximum of 12 hours to partake in sleep and rest; the duration is subject to change. Have a good night. |
| As soon as Faust finished speaking, the Sinners walked along with groans and sighs. | |
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Gregor
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Ah, geez~ Man, I’m whipped… |
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DonQuixote
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A fine night, Young Sinclair! What say you another game of chess?! |
Sinclair
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N-No thanks, Don Quixote… You always run to Mr. Yi Sang for hints whenever you’re losing! |
YiSang
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That is untrue, Sinclair. That… was because I could not bear to watch the grievous misplacements… |
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Sinclair
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T—That’s even worse! |
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Meursault
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Bonsoir, Manager, and thank you for today’s work. As for tonight’s watch… |
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Dante
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<Oh, Meursault. Thanks for suggesting. Yeah, I wasn’t really feeling sleepy today…> |
| Then, Outis suddenly intervened. | |
Outis
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Executive Manager! Allow me to remind you that I am always willing to stand in for night watch duty if you ever feel fatigued— |
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Rodion
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Yeah, yeah, babushka-de-camp~ How’s about we get inside now~ |
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Outis
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Executive Manager! Your hard daytime work must— |
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Ishmael
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Sure~ Let’s get you to bed. |
| Ishmael gave me a small nod, and then proceeded to draggingly chaperone Outis through the back door with Rodya. | |
| Then, at last, Faust and I remained. | |
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Faust
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That was fortunate, Dante. Had they not forced Outis to retire, she would have nagged you for the duty of night watch for quite a while again. |
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Dante
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<Haha, does happen a lot…> |
| I commented back as I watched the Sinners head into the corridor, one after another. | |
| After Rodya has entered and closed the door, Ishmael opens the same to get inside. | |
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Dante
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<You said the door leads to a different space each time it opens, right?> |
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Faust
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Yes. As long as a Sinner is in the right mental condition… the door will lead to lodging appropriate for rest and personal use. |
| Lodging, is it… They looked more like jail cells last time I peeked through the window. | |
| Still, she must mean it can be used as a personal living space… for sleep, showers, self-care and all that… | |
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Faust
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…You seem to have other questions besides that. |
| My clock has no eyes, nose, or mouth, and yet… | |
| Somehow, it feels as though Faust reads something out of me. | |
| …Not that she’ll tell me how she manages it… | |
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Dante
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<…Y’know, just curious about what’s over there.> |
| I pointed down to the far end of the corridor with my finger. | |
| Right to the horizontal depths of this seemingly endless corridor. | |
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Faust
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…As I have told you repeatedly, it is best not to be curious about it, Dante. |
| As expected, Faust chose to walk into the corridor with a faint sigh instead of a real answer. | |
| And yet, just maybe… Faust knew all along. She “knows it all” as she likes to say. | |
| …Maybe she knew that I would learn about what lies beyond in the corridor soon enough. | |
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| It happened exactly a week after that fruitless exchange. | |
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Dante
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<I hereby confirm today’s close of business for the Sinners.> |
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Faust
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Thank you kindly. Starting now, you all will be given a maximum of 12 hours to partake in sleep and rest; the duration is subject to change. Have a good night. |
| Faust gives the same instructions as always. In response, Sinners groan and stretch like usual. | |
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Heathcliff
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…… |
| Except this time, one Sinner stuck out of that normalcy like a sore thumb. | |
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Ishmael
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…What now? |
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Rodion
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Leave him be, Ishy~ It’s not the first time he’s all grumpy like that, is it? |
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Rodion
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And Heath~ Make sure to simmer down before you get in your room, ‘kay? All that grumbling thunder in there keeps me awake, y’know~ |
| …The Sinners’ rooms—their lodging, personal space, and cell—reflect their state of mind, or so I’ve heard. | |
| Each room’s floors, walls, and overall ambiance are shaped after the Sinner’s personality, and the view through the window changes depending on their emotions and mental state. | |
| Though, all I’ve seen were distant glimpses through the window, so I don’t have all the details. | |
| …The room Heathcliff enters would sometimes—actually, rather frequently—emit wuthering and stormy sounds. | |
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Heathcliff
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…Tch. |
| Usually, he’d snap back with a “Why should I?” or something like that, but he only clicked his tongue. | |
| I suppose he doesn’t feel like arguing. | |
| Thanks to that, he stood in the corridor until all the other Sinners (save for Faust) went into their rooms, staring down the passage with a frown. Maybe he was relieving stress this way. | |
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Heathcliff
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…Oho? |
| And that right there is where the incident began. | |
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Heathcliff
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…Huh? Oi, what’s with all those doors down the aisle? |
| Heathcliff pointed in the same exact direction I did a week ago. | |
| Those doorways were beyond the “no trespassing” line blocking the way. | |
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Faust
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Heathcliff, I recommend against walking farther into the corridor than necessary. |
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Heathcliff
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Huh. That sure makes it sound awful suspicious. |
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Faust
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There is nothing of which to be suspicious. You are better off listening to Faust. |
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Heathcliff
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What, you keep treasures or somesuch in there? |
| Faust’s secretive attitude was enough to rouse his curiosity… | |
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Faust
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Heathcliff. Do not do it. You will regret your action. |
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Heathcliff
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…Got well emotional and gobby, eh, Ms. Cleveress? |
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Heathcliff
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It’s like… you’re actually hiding something there! |
| He sprinted into the dark before we could stop him. | |
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Faust
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…! |
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Dante
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<What’s in there—> |
| Just as I was about to ask Faust an obvious thing to be concerned over… | |
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Heathcliff
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GAAAAAAARGH?!! |
| Heathcliff’s sharp scream echoed from the unlit area far into the corridor. | |
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Faust
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Dante, now is the time to take my left hand and run with me. |
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Dante
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<Wha, huh?> |
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Faust
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I won’t be able to get him out in time on my own. I may be engulfed myself if I don’t act quickly. |
| Before I could process what she meant, Faust ran off in the direction Heathcliff disappeared. | |
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Dante
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<Ah… Shuckaroonies! W—Wait for me!> |
| As we crossed the line and proceeded deeper into the corridor, we came across a three-way crossroads. | |
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Dante
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<I think I heard screams coming from the middle…> |
| However, without a moment’s hesitation, Faust darted for the left aisle. | |
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Dante
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<F—Faust! I know you’re in a hurry, but… are you sure this is the right way? I could’ve sworn I heard his voice coming from the center path…> |
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Faust
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I know. |
| Without elaborating further, Faust continued running. | |
| At another fork we encountered, Faust chose the right path. | |
| Right afterward, she entered the fifth door on the left side of that hallway. | |
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Dante
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<What… is this?> |
| Right as I entered, another hall came into view. | |
| Its end… was like a cliff. | |
| To be more precise, I felt some kind of gravitational pull trying to get me to fall to the end of the hallway. | |
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Dante
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<Heathcliff!!> |
| Then I saw him; he crawled toward us with all his might from the middle of the hall. | |
| As if he might fall the moment he lets go… | |
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Heathcliff
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What… the hell is all this… and this place…! |
| Even though I couldn’t see much in the dark behind him, I definitely felt some presence in it. | |
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Dante
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<Faust, what’s over—> |
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Faust
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Dante, I want you to hold the knob of this open door tightly. Firmly grip my hand as well. |
| Holding my hand securely, she gradually approaches Heathcliff. | |
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Dante
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<This hallway… isn’t tilted or anything, is it? Why does it feel like we’re hanging off a cliff?> |
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Faust
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That… is because we’re in a ‘corridor’, obviously. Dante, do not let go. |
| Reminding me to hold fast, Faust extended her other arm while holding her zweihander. | |
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Faust
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Heathcliff, grab this if you would. |
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Heathcliff
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Are you mental?! My hand’ll get gashed if I try grabbing that giant blade! |
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Faust
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…You’ll much prefer deep wounds on your palms to what you can suffer down there. |
| Baffled, Heathcliff looked at the sword and then the darkness behind him… | |
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Heathcliff
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Bugger… Kgh, gaaahg…! |
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Faust
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Dante, pull him up. Might and main. |
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Dante
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<…G—Got it!> |
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Heathcliff
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Grrgh, knngh… |
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Dante
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<Huff, hoogh…> |
| Right as we pulled Heathcliff up… | |
| No, I’m not sure if it’s even right to say that we pulled him “up”, but nevertheless… Faust hoisted his unconscious body by the legs and started rushing, saying that we need to return the way we came. | |
| Following her lead, I supported his arms and trailed behind, keeping his head from dragging along the floor. | |
| After burning some time… | |
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Faust
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…Phew. Let us say that it is fortunate he wasn’t lost in a deeper area. |
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Faust
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Dante, you will have to turn the clock. |
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Dante
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<Heathcliff’s… gonna be okay, right?> |
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Faust
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The psychological damage is likely to be severe. Our work will be encumbered if he loses his mind. |
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Dante
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<Sigh…> |
| I didn’t have a choice. | |
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Faust
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Good work back there, Dante. While it is unfortunate that we have lost a portion of our limited break time to this… |
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Dante
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<Faust. Just what’s in there? Where does it lead?> |
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Dante
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<Can’t you tell me at this point? I’ve… seen that stuff now.> |
| It was only natural that I want to know. What resides there, and what was chasing Heathcliff? | |
| Moreover… | |
| Why did it never show itself to us, and why did it vanish instead of chasing him any further? | |
| These questions were driving me crazy, but alas… | |
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Faust
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…… |
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Faust
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As stated earlier, there are limits to what Faust can elaborate. |
| …Yep, I honestly didn’t expect much. | |
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Ryoshu
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The corridor, you I.F. |
| Ryōshū muttered with a cigarette in her mouth, walking past us both. She must’ve left her room while we were out on our rescue mission. | |
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Faust
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However… |
| Faust proceeded as if not a soul had just walked by, as if nothing was just said. | |
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Dante
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<Huh?> |
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Faust
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You did prevent a sudden vacancy in the bus department. |
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Faust
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Though I wouldn’t exactly call it a reward, I do suppose it isn’t a bad idea to inform you of one thing. |
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Dante
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<Ooh… L-Lemme hear it!> |
| The unexpected boon had me rubbing my hands together. Right, what will she tell me now… | |
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Faust
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…Dante, when you traverse a road you have never walked before, what do you do? |
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Dante
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<Hmm? I mean… You use a map, obviously?> |
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Faust
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That’s right. Then, even if you don’t have a map, your brain will form images to serve as one. |
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Faust
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From there, on that map… there will be a starting point and a destination clearly marked. When you return from your trip, you will trace back through that way. |
| It’s so obvious, I don’t need to verbally answer. I just nodded along. | |
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Faust
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…Hopefully that makes it clear enough. |
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Dante
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<Huh?> |
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Faust
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This is why you should remember where you’ve started in the corridor, especially when you open a door. |
| Flabbergasted by the abrupt end, I blurted. | |
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Faust
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Now then, Faust has grown tired. Do take care… |
| She walked through the door before I could say something, leaving me with a riddle. | |
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Dante
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<Of course it would go like this…> |
| I sighed out of frustration, but not a breath of air is expelled from my pitiful clock. | |
| Still, left powerless… | |
| All I can do is boot up this electronic notebook and piece together what little information I have collected. | |
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