Rooms Past the Backdoor
Episode 1 - Episode 2
Episode: 1
Dante <I hereby confirm today’s close of business for the Sinners.>
Whether we're riding the bus through a forest or navigating the busboat over a vast lake, our daily routine changes very little.
Faust 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.
The usual hubbub, followed by the usual leisurely idleness.
I guess I'm not the only one starting to enjoy these normal, routine days.
It wasn't by our choice, though. By now, I thought we'd be sailing vigorously across the waters toward the Lobotomy Corp. Branch located somewhere within U Corp.
But here we are, unable to leave the coastal side of the Great Lake, dawdling and twiddling our thumbs.
Well, it's not like there's been an accident. While Faust didn't elaborate, she explained that we had to wait for now.
If I were to hazard a guess, we were waiting here to complete some kind of an entry procedure like we did at K Corp. Either that, or we're waiting for someone(probably the Before team) to get in touch with us.
Which brings us here, surrounded by nothing but endless, endless water. The Sinners chattered about inane subjects before complaining about this immense boredom...
But deep down, we were all exhausted from the unending onslaught of physically and emotionally draining happenings. Deep down, we all knew these leisurely days would not last.
So we each elected to enjoy this brief maritime respite in our own ways.
YiSang Huff, Hurk...
DonQuixote If thou needest mine assistance...
YiSang ... As I have repeatedly made myself clear...
YiSang I am... quite... alright...
DonQuixote Thy countenance, returning the contents within thy stomach to the Lake with such vigor... sayeth otherwise...
Except for Yi Sang, who had a surprisingly low tolerance for seasickness...
... This voyage was proving to be rather uneventful.
Dante <Yi Sang, the day's over. You can go back to your room now...>
YiSang Oh... Shall I finally be freed from this suffering...?
Dante <Seriously, I told you that you could rest in your room if you wanted.>
YiSang Our fellows must also have their share of suffering... I can not, in good faith, seek comfort only for myself.
Dante <You're the one with the biggest share of suffering right now...>
While I wished that he'd be more reasonable with himself, I could see where he was coming from...
I thought better of it than to try to convince him otherwise. I instead chose to help Yi Sang to his room.
YiSang I thank you, Dante. Then... until later.
I waved at him and watched until he stumbled into his room and closed the door behind him.
DonQuixote Then I shall seek myself respite as well, Manager Esquire!
Dante <Yeah, rest well.>
Don Quixote walked into the same Door that Yi Sang had walked into. I could get a blurry glimpse into her room over her shoulder.
I couldn't get a good look at it... but it was certainly not the same room Yi Sang had walked into.
Dante <I see these doors every day... but I still don't get it.>
I should probably be used to this by now, but it's still pretty fascinating how the rooms changed based on who opened the doors.
I turned, leaving their shut door behind, ready to return to my room.
Dante <......>
There's a door immediately to the right side of that demarcation of the corridor we're not allowed to cross.
Within that door is a space somewhat different from the Sinners' rooms.
In there were the wooden door to my room and the metal door leading into the Mirror Dungeons.
The doors leading to the Luxcavation Dungeons and the recently-opened door to the Refraction Railway also come into view.
Dante <No new doors... yet.>
For no reason in particular, I creak those doors open and take a quick peek inside to see if anything changed.
Well... I've never actually managed to catch any changes myself, but... who knows?
Maybe I'll notice something worth keeping to myself...
... Which I should probably report to Faust.
Dante <...!>
Something must've caught wind of my rather mischievous thought.
An ear-splitting siren blares all the way here from the other end of the bus.
Heathcliff Blimey, what the hell is...
Gregor Oh boy, this again?
Ryoshu M.E. Kill the volume...
I spun around to face the other side of the corridor. The Sinners, alarmed by the noise, were one by one peeking out of their rooms.
They were used to this siren by now, but that didn't change the unpleasant fact that their sweet private hours were disturbed...
Faust Well met, Dante. Let us observe this disturbance together.
Dante <O-okay.>
... I accompanied Faust to the helm.
She fiddled with a few buttons, and shut off the alarm. Incomprehensible, complicated-looking letters began to fill the round screen.
Dante <... Is that a new room?>
Faust Even Faust needs a moment to decipher.
Dante <Right, right...>
The siren always comes without warning.
And with it appeared the Mirror Dungeons, the Luxcavation Dungeons, and the Refraction Railways.
Dante <I don't know if it's relevant, but... I didn't see anything that would indicate activity when I checked the Railway door earlier.>
Faust It is unlikely that anything new would appear from that entrance.
Faust I find it difficult to believe that the next Line would arrive so soon when the glow of the door leading to Line 2 has yet to go out.
Dante <I guess you're right.>
The first Railway really took me by surprise when it appeared.
A new door had appeared before us, its edges shimmering with a blue glow. And when we entered it...
A mysterious vehicle was just sitting there, waiting for us.
Its appearance somewhat resembled that of Mephistopheles... but it was also patently clear that I'd never seen anything like it before. An odd feeling.
Faust I see that your first encounter with the train has left a strong impression, Dante.
Faust Well, I recall that you had a rather violent reaction when I entered the train to observe its interiors.
Dante <Come on, I wasn't the only one that freaked out. Everyone did...>
What if that thing left the Station before the rest of us got on?
... Was what I wanted to say if Faust hadn't already turned around from the screen, to which her eyes had been metaphorically glued for a while, and walked away.
Dante <This wasn't it, then?>
Faust No. This particular volatility is not something we can utilize.
Dante <Right... I thought it was an awkward time for a new door to appear. Too soon, too soon.>
Faust The Dungeons and the Railways appeared at 'awkward times' as well, Dante. I recommend that you refrain from settling into a premature conclusion. A new variable may present itself at any moment.
Faust ... Moreover...
Faust If this volatility has triggered an alarm in Mephistopheles' engine, then it naturally follows that a new door has appeared at an indeterminate location down the corridor.
Faust This may reveal a space from which one could never return. It is best that we keep track of these incidents.
Dante <Even Heathcliff won't do anything like that again. ... Probably.>
Faust ... As per my last advice to you, a premature conclusion is...
Dante <......>
Faust Regardless, no serious issues have been detected at this moment. ... It would be most apt that we enjoy our remaining rest period.
Faust Now, if you will excuse me. Rest well, Dante.
With those as her parting words, Faust disappeared into her room in her usual manner.
Left alone again, on this bus... boat.
I looked at the numerous letters displayed on the screen.
Numbers. Unintelligible letters. Drawings and symbols depicting something.
I had to shake my clock head after staring at that dizzying sight for a while.
Dante <I wonder if this is how Yi Sang felt earlier... I'm starting to feel nauseous.>
I was barely able to hold back the vertigo from setting in. Time to saunter back to my room.
Let's turn in early tonight...
Episode: 2
Another day, another prolonged and dreary period of waiting, waiting, and some more waiting for something to happen. Of course, our busboat was still floating on the coastal Great Lake.
Voices of discontent among the Sinners started small, but they have been growing increasingly incessant as of late.
Gregor GAH! Holy CRAP!
Location: Cabins of Mephistopheles
All of a sudden, an ear-splitting siren echoes throughout the cabins.
It's that alarm again— Warning us of a volatility in Mephistopheles. But it was much louder, much more painful than the ones we've heard before.
And this time, it wasn't the only thing that assaulted our senses.
Rodion Huhh...? We've never had flashing lights like this before, right?
Heathcliff What is it this time? The hell did you feed this bloody rickety bus?
DonQuixote Ooo!! This must be a signal that the long-awaited adventure is finally nigh!!!
Sinclair I-is this... what we've been waiting for this whole time?
Vergilius ... No.
Vergilius frowned as though he sensed that something was off. He turned to Faust.
It was one of those rare occasions when I could sense the slightest hint of confusion from him.
Charon Weewoo weewoo. Mephi's blaring and crying. Mephi sick?
Vergilius What is this, Ms. Faust? I wasn't informed about a siren like this before.
Faust ……
Faust First, A correction of falsehoods is in order. Mephistopheles is not 'bloody rickety'. And 'eating' is not a part of its behaviors.
Faust It does make infrequent use of the Enkephalin supply gear installed in the engine for fuel, but that is of no negative consequence. Even if it was, whatever issues that may arise can handily be repaired after a proper total disassembly—
Heathcliff That was just a figure of speech! Tsk. So what's this now? Sounds like the bus is about to explode!
Faust To label Mephistopheles as some 'bloody rickety bus' completely disregards the amount of pain and effort Faust dedicated to designing and—
Sinclair Heathcliff, if you don't take it back... I don't think she's ever going to stop...
Heathcliff Haah, seriously...?
Rodion Yeah, Heath. Take it back... The bus might actually blow up before she explains anything!
Heathcliff Ugh...
Heathcliff ... I take back what I said earlier.
Faust I cannot comprehend what you are attempting to take back. Your rather abstract reference to this unknown concept that you supposedly mentioned 'earlier' is hardly clarifying. Anyway, allow me to list the specifications of screws used in Mephistopheles' construction that make this creation so impressive. First—
Heathcliff Fine! I take back what I said about the Bus! It's not bloody rickety, and it doesn't eat! I'm sorry, alright?!!!
The cabin briefly echoes with his cries, then... a brief silence.
Faust ……
I think... I saw Faust flash the briefest grin of satisfaction...
Faust Good.
Vergilius Is the clown show over? This juvenile, tedious exchange is testing my patience.
Dante <Yeah, it's a bit different from the usual alarms... Don't think this one's for a new door.>
Faust It is quite simple. The Night is here.
Ryoshu W.D.Y.M.
Ryoshu T.O.I.S.Y.N.C.
Sinclair Talk, Or I Snap Your—
Faust Walpurgis Night is here, it seems.
Meursault The night is not here. That is very apparent, at least in this coastal area.
Faust The... name does not refer to the time of day in which the sun moves beyond our line of sight.
Meursault Hm.
YiSang Then it appears to me that, by that designation, you are referring to a certain phenomenon?
Yi Sang seemed to be doing a little better, now that the waves had died down somewhat.
Faust I am, indeed. I am certain that all of you are most familiar with the fact that extracting Identities and E.G.O from mirror worlds is one of the many functions of Mephistopheles' Engine.
Faust But its reach is rather limited. Even as it has expanded over our journey, we have yet to reach mirror worlds that are too far from our own.
Outis Is this the Golden Boughs' doing? I noticed that it was fishing up more and more new things the longer our journey went on.
Faust Broadly speaking, yes. You could say that. Dante and our collective experiences gradually expand our range of Extractions.
Faust Normally, Extractions require a certain resource... but there were times when the Identity Cards appeared out of nowhere. Do you recall them, Dante?
Dante <Uh, yeah. Some of them just randomly popped out of the engine.>
Heathcliff Wait. Wait. Slow down.
Heathcliff The hell's an Identity Card?
HongLu Oh, you still didn't know? Hm... I'm jealous of you, Heathcliff. You have a talent for ignoring anything you don't care about~
Heathcliff You lookin' to get your head smashed in or what?
Gregor Right, right. Knock it off, you guys. Guide Bud's giving us the evil eye.
Gregor They're, you know, the... uh, the things Manager Bud pulls out of the engine from time to time.
Gregor Those little rectangular objects with our alternate world... Wait, was it mirror worlds? Anyways, it's those things with depictions of our 'other' selves on them.
HongLu Yes! The things that look like mahjong tiles.
Rodion I thought they looked a bit like wafers.
YiSang I believe their denomination comes from their appearance as cards that contain Identities. Thus, it naturally follows that they are named... Identity Cards.
Heathcliff So we're using those rectangular toys to transform into our alternate selves?
Heathcliff I never used 'em before.
Dante <That's because I'm the one using them.>
Faust On the device issued to Dante are indentations through which Identity Cards and E.G.O can be inserted. They are reflected when we participate in a battle.
Gregor Oh, so that's what they were fidgeting with before every fight...
I could tell from his flabbergasted expression that none of it had ever even occurred to Heathcliff.
DonQuixote …….
On the other hand, Don Quixote wore... a somewhat forlorn expression.
Dante <What's wrong, Don Quixote?>
DonQuixote Well, I...
DonQuixote Is this not about time when Ishmael would intrude upon this conversation and denounce Heathcliff with biting words such as 'You still didn't know? That's just like you'? This emptiness weighs heavily upon mine heart...
Rodion Ohh~ You're right. Something was missing from this whole convo. I knew it.
Heathcliff You right daft bastards...
Vergilius Enough.
Vergilius We're not getting the information we need. Ms. Faust, Please explain the present situation. What are these green lights?
Faust Understood. If we take into account the case of Identity Cards Dante received without spending any Lunacy, we can draw a conclusion that the Mephistopheles' Extraction has an element of unpredictability tied to its uncertainty.
Heathcliff The hell is she blathering about now...?
YiSang Yet this item is of your design. To say that it has an element of unpredictability would indicate that...
Faust Correct. Enkephalin fuels the Engine, yes. However, Extractions and reconstructions utilize chaos... Well, in easier terms, you could say that it uses the concept of possibilities itself as fuel.
Faust Our Extraction range grows when we are able to clearly observe specific possibilities in the infinitely branching mirror worlds. During this period, however... the borders between the mirror realities are entirely shattered.
Faust Using the present as our anchoring point, it could be said that our current Extraction range is approximately three years to the past or the future. During Walpurgis Night, however, that range grows to about 10 years or even more.
DonQuixote I-in that case! Thou meanest to say that Identities of prominent Fixers from times past may grace us with...?!
Faust Theoretically speaking, yes. But each Walpurgis Night has its own peculiarities. It will not let us reach into all potential possibilities.
DonQuixote Th-th-th-th-th-then does that mean that we may also be availed our alternate selves as the legendary Fixer, the archmagnificence, the one and only...
DonQuixote R-RED MIST...?!
Faust ... That is extremely unlikely. But I will not completely dismiss the possibility.
Faust The extended range, I suppose, could be defined by worlds affected by entities that were indispensable to the formation of this current state of the world. An example of that would be the Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters prior to 'White Nights and Dark Days' incident.
Faust In some ways... your words sometimes find a roundabout way to the truth, Don Quixote.
Vergilius ……
I didn't know who this Red Mist was, nor did I know what White Nights and Dark Days was...
But I could hazard a guess that they both must've been pretty significant, considering that Vergilius' face grew visibly tense as soon as they were mentioned. The Sinners were unsettled, too.
Vergilius We can conclude that this siren is no cause for any immediate concern, then.
Faust No, it isn't. Consider it... a festival that arrives once in a while. For now.
Charon Festival. Festive times. Charon is festive too.
Sinclair I don't know if I got all that, but... this isn't what we've been waiting for, is it?
Vergilius No. We will continue to wait.
Outis Tsk.
The Sinners sighed and groaned with disappointment as the newfound anticipation fizzled.
Well, something did happen... but it wasn't something that would get us moving. I can see what a disappointment this might be to them.
Gregor So... how do we stop that green light from flashing?
Faust It will turn itself off when Dante extracts something from the engine. Do not worry.
Vergilius Right, back to business, all. Dante, extract something and turn that alarm off.
Ryoshu W.A.D. We'll just be running more Dungeons through the Backdoor with whatever new thing they pull anyway.
HongLu Still, this leisureliness is a very rare opportunity, isn't it~?
YiSang Blessed be the patient ones, or so it is said.
Every Sinner says their piece before returning to their seats.
Some of them walk out of the cabin to gaze at the Lake. It's something they must be growing a tad tired of doing at this point. ... Maybe they're just going out for a long sigh.
... And Outis walked up to me.
Outis Are you not worried, Executive Manager?
Dante <Huh?>
Outis About what that mad scientist said. "For now"... There has to be more to that statement. Should I investigate this matter further?
Outis was right... While Faust did tell us to consider this nothing more than a festival that arrives once in a while... she definitely knew more than she was letting on.
But if Faust speaks of something in her characteristically cryptic manner... it means that she'll never tell us until she wants to.
Dante <Well, it does bother me a little... But right now, we don't have a lot of options. Let's just put a pin in it for now.>
Outis nodded affirmatively, bowed, and returned to her seat.
Well... let's get extracting like Faust said.
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