She grudgingly agreed to their request, accompanying them on what was likely a false promise at best, and a suicidal mission at worst.
But she was willing to overlook all of that for the sake of debt forgiveness. If there was even the tiniest chance of stumbling upon something of monetary value-a rare antique vase, a long forgotten section of property with potential, or even someone's hidden stash-then she could consider the job done.
Camille remembered the first time she laid eyes on him. With the description she had been given, she identified him right away, not that appearances mattered. On paper, he could have been anybody, with a number of reasons as to why he was in debt. It didn't matter. It was all about collecting the money. From their first encounter, she didn't think much of him, aside from the frustration she already felt from having chased him for two months. It was business, nothing more.
She just couldn't abandon the assignment even as they ventured into the abandoned lake castle.
...even though the promise of hidden treasure had been false after all.
Camille made the most of her situation as the promise of repayment inched further and further out of her reach. Initially a debt collector, she found herself becoming a part of something much greater. When she first joined this strange group of rebels, she couldn't imagine being with them for very long. But despite her disappointment at not settling this debt, she took some interest in their stories. Not having been completely blind to the corruption in the Scarlet Moon Empire, she understood their frustration, as well as their determination in overthrowing that Empire. Money was important, certainly...but there was a time and place for it. Doing her job was one thing. Doing her job while injustices happened all around her was something else. Camille could wait.
Besides, she came to an eventual understanding as to why the "penniless bums" were just that. Being fugitives made it difficult to keep up with bills. The man she had targeted in the beginning never used this as an excuse, but Camille knew how quickly the balance could add up. When they first met, she had made it a point to bring up the debt collector's motto- "I'll collect from your grave" -but now that she heard their situation in more detail, the words would never again pass her lips.
The reconnaissance mission into the Great Forest was the first time she took notice of him as a person. It wasn't as though she had been hostile over the unpaid debt-well, she would still bring up the question every now and then-but she had simply been as courteous with him as she would have been with anybody else.
It happened when the elf, Kirkis, was surveying the destruction of his village-the village he had tried to save to no avail. Now all alone in the world, one could imagine he felt there was little to live for. That was when Gremio stepped in to offer him words of encouragement. There was a sincerity to them, Camille could tell...a true reflection of the man inside. From that moment, even with her duty there in the back of her mind, Camille began to harbor a sort of respect for him.
Gremio seemed depressed in the days that followed the tragic news of Odessa Silverberg's death. Camille couldn't help but be curious as to why; from what she was told, he had already known and was actually there the moment the woman had perished. So what could possibly bring him to such a low point now, at least emotionally? Had he been in love with her? Had he initially been devastated by the horror, and then thrust back into this dark place once the news became public?
It wasn't that she wished to cross some inappropriate boundary with these questions; it just seemed to her the man was changing for the worse, and it was growing more obvious with each day. He was no longer that enthusiastic fellow who made the atmosphere a little more relaxed whenever he entered a room. He was still polite but hardly warm in conversation. Even his performance in battle suffered; while others found rejuvenation in a victory, Gremio only seemed worn down, and worse, resigned to this situation. The man who often swore to protect the new leader of the Liberation Army was quickly becoming the last person qualified to do such a thing.
The two had a heart-to-heart some time before rumors of the location of Liukan's hermitage surfaced. It wasn't intentional; Camille just happened to be near when the young master had gone off to seek guidance from the strategist, Mathiu Silverberg. Gremio had made some comment about being disappointed in himself for simply growing weaker, and how he had betrayed even the axe he wielded. It was such a strange thing to say that Camille had to ask for clarification. Unguarded, Gremio went into some tale about how he had come to be in the McDohl household, how he had played surrogate parent to a little boy, the same little boy who would eventually become the Liberation Army's leader. He also revealed the mystery of the unusual scar on his face, that it had been an odd sort of memento of the time he rescued the boy from kidnappers. It was then, upon his axe, that he had sworn an oath.
When he finished, Camille wasn't certain she understood everything but knew that her respect for him had grown. So much, in fact, that she was finding it difficult to think of him as just another debtor.
Not that he wasn't...it was just that, to her, he was something much more.
They had taken too long to return from Soniere Prison. Camille knew it would be a risky mission, and she stayed out of it. Not that her reasons were fear-related; there were many things to be done at headquarters while the Liberation Army's leader, Tir McDohl, was busy breaking Dr. Liukan out of prison.
Gremio's death had to have been, without a doubt, the most shocking news she had experienced since her time with the Liberation Army, on two levels. Though he seemed to be fading from his past role, it was truly sudden, and a blow to the Liberation Army. Not to mention the manner of his death was unspeakably cruel. She could only wonder what excruciating pain he must have been in, despite his resolve.
Both Viktor and Tir were hit hard by the death of the man who sacrificed himself for their sake. Pahn and Cleo held it together for Tir's sake, but it was evident they were suffering inside as well. Camille didn't need to ask to know the questions plaguing their minds. Why? Why did it come to that? Was there anything that ultimately could have been done, or was it true that there had been no other way out?
Camille came along when it was time to fully conquer Milich Oppenheimer's domain. She didn't know if it was because she was angered or saddened by the death. She just felt a lot of confusion and shock, and a sudden drive to do something about it. She had prepared herself, or at least numbed herself, for the task of being the one to take Milich's life.
That didn't happen, thanks to the compassion of Tir.
Camille wandered the castle of Toran as she reflected upon the events of the past few days. There was something inside her that was still screaming to get out, and she was wracking her brain to figure out what that was. Gremio's death was a loss in multiple ways, true, but it seemed horrible to approach it from any kind of financial angle. Her reason for being in the Liberation Army was to stay by the man's side until he was able to repay what he owed...at least, in the beginning.
But even that reason lost its meaning for her some time ago...
The rooftop of Toran castle was home to a handful of residents, and also to a makeshift memorial site for those fallen in battle. Zen and Blackman, along with several others, had constructed a bed of dirt whose section spanned nearly two-thirds of one of the corners, and it was bordered on three sides by a thick wooden fence of medium height. Loved ones of dead soldiers came by with wreaths and flowers to lay upon wooden markers crudely etched with names of the deceased. No actual bodies were kept at the castle due to lack of space; they were typically returned to their villages, or in rare cases, cast into the lake. There was one marker in particular that bore no flowers; instead, there was a long green cloak tied around it.
Staring at it, Camille felt her purpose slipping further away. "I'll collect from your grave" was the debt collector's motto, or so she had told the man.
But Gremio had no grave.
As this simple fact presented itself to her, the emotions continued to rise, until she realized why she could not accept what had happened. Every tear running down her face betrayed previous declarations that her time spent there was only business related. Because it just wasn't true.
Gremio had been a good man and a friend, and had deserved a far better fate. It hurt to know this was how he met his end, unable to find another purpose in life, even if it had stopped short of being just as fulfilling as his time spent as his master's protector. He did his duty, only to be rewarded with an agonizing death and likely some regrets.
He had deserved better.
Months went by, and though time helped to dull the pain, there wasn't a day his absence wasn't felt. Whenever Camille saw Tir, there was a lingering hurt in his eyes. No matter how much he tried to hide it, it was there.
Once in a while, she would get a story out of him. It was true that being leader of the Liberation Army left him little leisure time, but when he was free, she would find him in the same place she often came to in order to get away. Obviously, he was there to visit the memorial, paying respects to the one who had helped raise him.
The stories were nothing extraordinary, but served to cement Camille's opinion of the man who had called himself Tir's protector. Kind, self-sacrificing...
A good man...and friend...
Camille refused to burden the boy with her own feelings of loss, so she would simply offer a few words of comfort, or even a gentle pat on the shoulder before excusing herself.
She was losing count. Had it been two years, or had it been three? The first few days she spent with that group of "bums" had turned into months, and all too quickly. She had left Gregminster on business, chasing someone who had skipped out on a tab.
Now she was about to return, with tens of thousands of soldiers all around her.
The leaders and strongest warriors were called into the Great Hall just before the final battle. All were weary but eager to bring the long war to an end.
Camille looked around to the other hundred or so soldiers taking in the inspiring words of former generals and ex-supporters of the Empire. She, too, had the drive to march into the capital to defeat Emperor Barbarossa and the Court Magician, Windy. Beyond that, she wasn't certain of the future. Could she simply go back to debt collecting? Did she even have that desire now?
While she was pondering this, a miracle occurred. Lady Leknaat, the blind seer who resided in Magician's Isle, and had offered some guidance to the Liberation Army, appeared with one final gift.
She was there to congratulate the Liberation Army leader, as well as those who had fought alongside him. Her words, seemingly tactless at first, would soon have the true meaning behind them revealed. As she asked the others to lend her their thoughts...
Camille could not believe her eyes when the man she knew to be dead suddenly appeared before them. He was in a sort of half-sitting, half-kneeling position, looking as broken as a man could look. He seemed to be uttering a list of life's regrets, completely oblivious to the fact that he was alive and well. Once he realized where he was, he was swarmed by friends and family, all expressing joy at his return.
Camille didn't budge from where she was standing, but she found herself sharing in that joy. Tears had flooded her eyes, and her smile never waned, even after his gaze fell upon her and retreated.
Tragedy continued despite Gremio's return. The Emperor had been defeated, and the Empire destroyed, but countless more had died for it, including the strategist, Mathiu Silverberg. One positive point was everyone's willingness to cooperate in establishing a new country.
As plans were drawn and meetings held, Camille had received an unexpected proposal.
It was one that she was seriously considering.
The palace of Gregminster was active well into the evening hours. Soldiers, messengers, carpenters, housekeeping and various civilians were hard at work. In the battle with Barbarossa, the sheer force of runic energy had caused part of the palace to crumble, so many had pitched in to help with repairs. Former members of the Liberation Army had been the first to volunteer.
Gremio, Lester, Antonio, Marie and Sarah, along with a handful of others, stopped early in order to focus their duties on feeding the workers. Several large tents had been set up outside in front of the palace in order to accommodate the people. Gremio himself was in the center tent, and was partly visible due to the open flap. No one had said a word, but Camille saw that the man was happy to do the task. It was a strange but warm feeling, catching the occasional glimpse of the man at work, seeing him take joy in something he was born to do.
She caught him toward the end of the meal, when many were standing around socializing, or helping with the clean-up. He was-or rather, his skills were-being complimented by a few of the hungrier workers.
"Hi, Gremio."
Gremio's smile briefly deepened as the group of men and women walked off, and he started to go back to cleaning up when he noticed the young woman. "Oh...hello there, Camille. I hope you enjoyed yourself. Did you get enough to eat?"
Camille nodded. "Yes, thank you. It was delicious." Her eyes fell on the small stack of plates he had picked up from the table, where more were scattered. "Let me help you with that."
"Huh? Oh, certainly. I appreciate that." He led the way toward a section on the other side of the tent, where already overwhelming numbers of dirty dishes were stacked in uneven columns. "I must admit all this help is a welcome change. Not that people don't pitch in every now and then, but we can sometimes get overwhelmed with a big crowd." He set the plates down beside the big pile, and then returned to one of the tables.
"No big deal," Camille told him, and followed suit. "You guys do so much for us. We really appreciate it, even if we don't always show it."
"That's good to hear." They started to return to the table when Camille noticed several people heading toward them, hands full of dishes.
"Hey, Gremio!" called Pahn, who was leading the group. "Great job on the fried fish. I must've had three or four filets. And the stew was amazing as usual."
"He knows that," said the woman following behind him. "Well, him and everyone else, from the way you gobbled down that second bowl...and the dumplings...and the grilled chicken...and then the two bowls of rice-"
"Aw, shut up, Cleo," the man retorted, though the words were delivered in a lighthearted, playful manner.
A smirk appeared on Cleo's face as she stepped around him and approached Gremio. "Anyway, we'll clean up here. Why don't you guys go relax somewhere?"
Something about the woman's suggestion made Camille a bit uncomfortable. "Oh, no, but I-"
"It's all right," Cleo insisted. "It looks like you two weren't done with your conversation. Don't worry about the dishes. They'll get done."
Pahn scoffed as he headed toward the giant dish pile. "Yeah, but who's gonna do them?"
"Well, seeing as how you ate the most..." Cleo's words faded out as she and the others passed Camille and Gremio.
Camille then turned to Gremio, noticing the light, bittersweet smile on his face. "What? What is it?"
"Honestly, between Pahn and Viktor, I'm not sure how we managed to keep the entire army fed." He let out a chuckle.
Camille briefly laughed along with him. "Yeah, no kidding." After a solemn pause, she added, "Um, I'm sure they're fine, those two. Viktor and Flik, I mean. We didn't find their bodies, so..."
"I know," Gremio said, his smile having faded. "I just look back and think...it wasn't so bad...having such delinquents around. Ha ha. At least, that's what I thought of Viktor, at first. I feared he would corrupt the young master with his worst habits, but...even in my absence, he had more of a positive influence on Master Tir than I could have imagined. I was...I am proud...to call him my friend."
"Yeah," Camille said, nodding. "He really is a good guy. But honestly...the reason he stepped up like that...I think it's because he felt the same about you. You were his friend, too. That's why he tried to make sure Master Tir was getting all the support he needed, since you couldn't be there. Because when that horrible thing happened-" Camille couldn't help it; her voice cracked and her eyes welled up with tears as the memory returned to her. "I'm sorry," she said as she looked away, knowing her face was red. "I'm sorry. I know it was a million times worse for you. I shouldn't be..."
"Camille."
"Y-yes?"
"Please don't feel ashamed for being upset. It's...you're right, 'horrible' doesn't even begin to describe it. And I won't lie. It hurt like a thousand hells. But either I passed on before the worst of it, or the blood loss got to me first-oh." He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be discussing such gruesome topics so casually. But listen. It's true I suffered from that...but from what I'm told, others suffered as well because of the decision I made that day. My suffering...shouldn't automatically negate the suffering of others. Still, I'm happy to know you were thinking of me back then...and even now."
"Really?"
Gremio nodded. "Really."
"Th...thanks...Gremio..." Camille said, blushing slightly, but feeling a sense of calmness.
"Oh, before I forget," he said, reaching into one of the pockets of his apron. "This is for you." He pulled out a small, thin bundle wrapped in a white cloth and string, and held it out to her.
"What is it?" she asked as she retrieved it.
"It's...something long overdue. I was close to having the full amount some time ago, but...well...you know."
Camille studied the mysterious package before carefully opening it. As the string fell away, she folded back the cloth flaps to reveal a stack of paper bills. Somehow stunned, she looked up at him. "Gremio...I..." She shook her head. "I can't accept this."
"What? But it's all there, including interest...or at least, what I was able to figure."
"I know, but...being a tax collector...that was my old job...for a country that no longer exists." She re-wrapped the money and handed it back to him. "You can consider this debt forgiven."
Gremio accepted the item reluctantly. "I...see. Still, I don't feel right about not paying it back."
Camille stood there, thinking for a moment. "Well...how about this? Put that money toward the palace repairs, or even to someone who takes in children orphaned by the war. By the time everything is done, I'm sure...I'll..." She trailed off.
"You're sure you'll what?"
"Well, you should probably know...I was offered a position here. They asked me to be a general in the new army. One of six, actually. I haven't accepted yet, but I think I will."
Gremio's smile returned. "Is that so? That's wonderful, Camille! Congratulations. I know you've earned it."
"Thanks. I...I just hope I can keep up with the others. I'm told some of the former Imperial Generals have also been approached..."
"Well, I think you can do it. If nothing else, you're an extremely determined young woman. But you're also a fine leader and I've yet to see anyone best you in combat."
Camille chuckled at that. "And just when did you start paying attention? Did that young man finally give you a break from following him around all the time?"
"What? Oh, it's not that. It's just that I've...seen you. At times. Really. You're quite skilled with the spear."
Something about the way he was insisting only added to Camille's amusement. "Gremio, I'm just teasing. I know you don't spend every waking hour making sure he's got a bib, or something."
That seemed to calm him down. "R-right, I knew that," he said sheepishly. "But I stand by my comment. I believe you have what it takes."
"I know you mean that. I appreciate it. So, anyway...enough about me. How will you be spending your time once things get back into order? Are you thinking about working in the palace?"
"Oh, goodness no. Not that it wouldn't be an honor, but I'm afraid I'm just not suited to a desk job. Should they have need for for a cook, I would be happy to help, but in the meantime, I'll be helping Pahn and Cleo restore the McDohl mansion...at least, when Master Tir has no need for me."
"Well, that's good. At least you'll be busy." He truly is fond of that young man. To Gremio, he is still that little boy he took care of, and saved from bandits all those years ago. "Um...when we have some down time, maybe...maybe I could come visit you guys."
"Absolutely. Anytime. You'll probably see more of Young Master than I will, but I'm sure he'd appreciate it. We all would." He showed her another smile. "Anyway, I had better get back to the cleanup. I'm grateful for Cleo's efforts, but I'm afraid that Pahn is a better customer than dishwasher. You take care, now."
"You, too," Camille responded, but as the man passed her on her right, an impulse took hold of her. "Gremio," she said as she reached out.
"Huh?" Gremio stopped, looking down at the hand that was resting on his forearm. "What is it?"
Camille studied his face and then stood on her tiptoes, moving closer until her lips brushed against the skin of his non-blemished cheek. She lingered there a moment, then withdrew. "Take care of Master Tir for me."
Gremio was stunned, and both cheeks reddened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
"You can count on it...General Camille."
Sometime before the repairs on the castle were finished, Tir McDohl had disappeared, along with his faithful servant, Gremio. Some were shocked or disappointed at the news, but somehow, Camille didn't find it at all surprising. The amount of stress and grief that boy had endured, the trials that had turned him into a man, were not for anyone to dismiss or even judge. Besides his emotional suffering, he had certainly paid his dues to the country.
Camille stayed busy as one of the Six Generals in the new Toran Republic Army, but once in a while, she found herself thinking of Tir and Gremio...and feeling content. Tir had experienced much pain and loss, but at least now, he would not be bound to so many reminders of that time. And he most certainly had a traveling companion in Gremio, a man who had once struggled to redefine his own purpose in life. Perhaps their sudden departure from Gregminster was a good thing; she had seen the both of them worn down by the long war.
On this new journey, Camille only hoped that they would find their peace.