Dark, moist, depressing: these are the words that usually leave people's mouths when they are first presented with this place. Those people aren't usually around for long. They come to see their loved ones, who are usually prisoners, but guards are occasionally targeted as well. Once they're done with whatever they came here to do, they leave and, with themselves, carry these thoughts. For the people who live here permanently, however, all of this is simply reality. Some of them would start to call this place home, although those are usually the people who have spent quite some time here. They had spent so much time here that they either forgot or couldn't recall clearly their time outside. It is hard to believe that the moist stone walls that seem to stretch forever, creating an endless maze, or the rusty steel bars that keep them in their place, could arouse such feelings in people. But they somehow do, and even the screams and cries of people being tortured can't seem to extinguish such feelings.

That is why, for a young guard, it was impossible not to notice something in the recently emptied cell. A snow-white scarf of some kind. It resembles a fox, but white for some reason. That bright scarf lay in the corner of the prison cell, almost like it was trying to distinguish itself from the rest of the place. While this article of clothing looked strange to an average person, it was rather complementary to its owner. After all, the enemy of the revolution, Anastasia Hoshin, wore almost exclusively white, so the scarf fit in. She must have forgotten it when Citizen Natsuki took her out of her cell this morning. Truthfully, the events that transpired then left the guard quite puzzled. It all started fine enough; reporting for duty, checking the cells out, and getting heckled by prisoners; all normal. That normalcy was interrupted out of nowhere when the head of the country suddenly burst in all alone without any of his friends or guards. Ignoring everyone who came to greet him and violently pushing those who stood in his way, he went straight for the ex-candidate's cell. He had spent around an hour arguing with her before he ordered the young guard to open the cell. The youth complied immediately, mostly out of fear but also out of respect for the leader, and Anastasia was, almost literally, in citizen Natsuki's hands. It honestly looked like the revolutionary was seriously contemplating just picking her up and carrying her. Had the woman refused to go with him one more time, he would have almost certainly done that. Instead, she complied and he dragged her by the arm out of the prison. Those two looked more like a dysfunctional couple than two bitter enemies.

But that leaves us with the scarf. Anastasia did try to take it with her, but the rose revolutionary was too impatient, hence the dragging part. The white object's position in the cell makes it look like Anastasia talked to it, and the guard could swear he heard her do exactly that. But he didn't give much thought to it. As far as he understood, it was simply a woman trying to cope with the fact that she would, or was supposed to, die soon. After today's events, he wouldn't be surprised if her sentence was revoked and Anastasia started living with Citizen Natsuki. After all, the revolution's leader was extremely keen on getting her out of the cell so she could join him. The guard would have been worried for her, but the combination of the fact that it was an ex-throne candidate being taken. And it is common knowledge that citizen Natsuki is not a womanizer; actually, it is a public secret that the rose revolutionary is rather "inexperienced with women."

But the young guard wasn't. He was married, and he had just found the perfect gift for his wife. " Yes, that thing will look lovely on her." He said them with a smile on his face, thinking of his wife's happy reaction to his gift. He could already imagine the scene. It is evening, and he is returning home. He chats with his neighbors for a couple of minutes before entering their humble abode. There, his wife, expecting his arrival, is preparing a meal. Like always, he will kiss her, tell her something from his work, and sit down to eat. A little bit after he has finished the meal, when his wife is completely off guard, he will present her with this beautiful white scarf. He is sure of that. She will be ecstatic.

" I hate this world," a woman's voice, with the emotional state expected of her statement, could be heard in the prison halls.

This unexpected sound stopped the guard's thoughts in their track. He violently turned around, but he couldn't see anyone. He spent a solid minute looking around for the source of the voice, but he couldn't find anything. So in the end, he concluded that he was just hearing things due to his tired state, and continued with his duties.

Two and a half weeks, It's been two and a half weeks since she's been stuck here. The wife was indeed ecstatic, for a couple of hours, until she realized that she couldn't actually wear her, since everybody would ask where she had gotten her and, most importantly, because "needle opulence" is strictly forbidden.

"That foolish young man didn't seem to think about that when he took me." Echidna's voice was emotionless; after all, she'd had enough of people treating her like she was a piece of clothing. She was with Ana, and it was alright. She had to keep herself a secret, and she really looked nice on Anastasia. But this was too much, and unfortunately, she couldn't change her form since they had entered the city. " Just great, first Ana gets dragged out by that monster, and now I am stuck here in this closet unable to help her." She considered telling the residents of this house that she could speak, but she decided against it. After all, those people are at risk just for having me here. If I further complicate things, they may just throw me in a fire in order to get an easy solution to this situation. " No, my best option is to bide my time." She sighed and continued her monolog.

Naturally, she hoped it wouldn't be necessary, not only for Anastasia's sake but also, in part, because she couldn't think of anyone who could help. That monster saw to it that all the people who could help were either dead or arrested. At least he is dead now. She had overheard a discussion where this pleasant fact was mentioned. At first she was happy, but soon she realized that Ana might be in additional danger. While she did shutter at just thinking of what that man wanted with Anastasia, whatever it was, it's obvious that he needed her alive. Whoever tries to replace him will probably try to kill Ana in order to achieve legitimacy. She might be in danger, but Echidna is powerless. The fact that she can't do anything but bid her time is tearing her insides apart. Her contractor, in all but name, is Od knows where, doing Od knows what, and all she can do is hang from a coat hanger. Simply put, she felt absolutely useless, and that feeling didn't seem like it would go away anytime soon.

"I think I should wear it today." The person's voice was somewhat unsure, but ultimately very eager. She does have a really nice scarf that she can't wear. "Forbidden fruit is the sweetest," was her thinking. So she took the prized clothing article and put it around her neck. "It's just a few hours at the market buying what we need. What can go wrong? "

Echidna could think of a few things that might go wrong for the woman, but she kept them to herself. Ultimately, what might happen to this airheaded woman wasn't her problem. If she gets taken from this woman, she'll end up in another one's closet. So her situation won't change, at least not too much. At least it can't get worse.

The day was sunny, or at least as sunny as it gets in the capital. When the revolutionaries came to power, they had already started a process of what they called industrialization. Citizen Natsuki promised that this would give them an advantage over their enemies, and he didn't lie. Because of the newly constructed factories, some of which started using steam-powered machines, so they are now only called factories, Lagunica was able to outproduce the rest of the world by a wide margin. Two-thirds of the world's steel, copper, lead, and coal production came from Lagunica. The same goes for clothing, furniture, and other necessities. Yes, because of industrialization, Lagunica was able to challenge the rest of the world's combined forces, and it is because of them and the freedoms granted that Laginica will prevail. After all, an army of free men fighting for ideals of liberty and equality will always outperform the slave armies led by corrupt lords. This is at least what the state newspapers say about the war.

But for an average person, the sky was darker, coal dust was common in the streets and more or less everywhere, and previously expensive goods were now affordable to most people. So for them, all of this was a mixed bag, but one thing is certain: none of them wanted the old ways to return. While manufactured goods were cheaper, the same could not be said for food. While agrarian reforms were implemented, the increase that they provided wasn't enough to cover the amount that the war required. All of this made it so that the convent was forced to issue a law that regulated food rationing. This meant that Echidna's new wearer didn't have many options for today's trip.

In addition to rationing, the recent death of the Republic's leader had caused a great deal of instability. Across the city, rioting mobs demanded that their hero's death be avenged. The mobs calmed down only after citizen Halibel delivered a speech in which he explained that the Rose revolutionary died not as a result of murder, but as a result of disease exacerbated by his tireless work ethic. This speech turned the crowds' moods around, from anger to sadness, and ultimately settled down as a quiet realization that their leader is no longer there to guide them. But everything wasn't so sad. Upon seeing the crowds' state, Halibel informed them that citizen Natsuki had entrusted a Pearson worthy of succeeding him with the duty of evolving the revolution. He also told them that a person would appear when the time was right and that until that day, the convent and the Public Safety Committee would lead the nation.

This was a week ago, and while one could still see the physical damage caused by the riots, the emotional damage has more or less healed. There was no tension or insecurity in the air, and her new scarf was accepted with praise and slight envy. She naturally liked all of this. After all, such things could never have happened before. Simply put, it made her feel special, and special she was, although not in the way that she had taught.

A cheerful voice could be heard speaking these words: "That is quite a pretty scarf, citizen." The tone and her desire for conversation made her turn to greatness. And when she did, her heart almost stopped. Behind her stood a demi-human, wolf-like man. His dark fur contrasted with lighter-colored clothes gave, like his voice, a sense of casualty. After all, his clothing didn't look any different from his normal, committee-approved clothes. He wore a light blue carmagnole jacket with long white pants and a black tricorne hat with a red cockade. The only thing different about him was his kiseru, which he always kept to himself. That was citizen Halibel, member of the Public Safety Committee, head of the secret service, and as a citizen Natsuki liked to call him the Archangel of Death.

" Thank you for the compliment, but this is not my scarf." Her shaky voice struggled to say these words, but luckily for her, Halbel cut in.

" Of course it isn't; we know to whom it belongs. I was just complimenting the way it looks on you. " His words were calm and, for lack of a better word, casual. His speaking partner didn't really know how to respond, but she didn't really have to respond. " You know, the community has put a bounty on this thing."

Really, I didn't know that. Weakly, the woman tried to defend herself. She truly didn't know about the bounty, but there was no guarantee that Halibel would believe her.

Of course you didn't. The reward is twenty gold coins. Had you known, I am certain you would have handed it over a long time ago. After all, who wouldn't? " Although his demeanor didn't change It was obvious that he wanted something.

"That is a lot of money." And it was true that with that amount, they could drastically improve their living conditions. Unfortunately, due to fear, the woman was unable to say anything more.

Sensing that his speaking partner was frightened and that this conversation was leading nowhere, Halibel gave her an offer. " You see, I just so happen to have enough money on myself to pay for the bounty." Realizing the implication of his words, he quickly corrected himself. " I was given the funds necessary to complete an important mission for the Republic. Getting that scarf would help me a lot in fulfilling my task. So if you don't mind, citizen, I'd like to take that thing off of you. " With a smile and an outstretched hand with a coin bag, he said those words to the woman.

"Of course, thank you very much." When she had composed herself well enough to speak, she gave him the scarf.

"No, thank you." He took Echidna and gave her the money. After that, he wordlessly left. The streets in the capital were rather dense, so the crowding didn't really help. But that wasn't a problem for him. People would simply move out of his way, either due to respect or fear.

What was a problem was the current political situation. When the news of Su-san's death reached the capital, there were many, in his opinion, too many, who wanted to use it to gain power. These sly people only pay lip service to the Revolution; their words support it, but their actions are the same as the actions of lords and kings. It is unnecessary to say that he had to kill a lot of people in order to calm things down. But it was all according to Su-san's plan for the Revolution and the world. Truthfully, Halibel didn't really like the sound of the Subaru's plan. It was all very convoluted and, honestly, kind of contradictory. But Subaru used lots of big words and theories that Halibel didn't follow, so it was alright. Not really. While Halibel couldn't understand the reasoning, he knew how to understand Subaru. He could sense if Subaru thought that he had a great idea on his hand, and that was enough since Halibel fully trusted Subaru. All of Subaru's achievements prove his brilliance, so who was he to criticize him? But carrying out Subaru's plan was much harder than writing it on a piece of paper. He had to kill many and had ordered his best men to kill many more in his absence. He needed to make sure that nobody had enough power to get in the way of the plan.

"Well, at least the plan is on." Until a few days ago, he wasn't even sure of that. He could only hope that Su-san had accomplished his part of the struggle. That hope was confirmed when he received that letter. Su-san had told him that the arrival of a particular letter would be the prof that she had agreed to participate in. The latter itself didn't contain any important information; at best one could call it cryptic, and even that was stretching it. The only way she would know what to do with it would be if Su-san had told her, and he would never do that until she had agreed.

So things are looking up for the revolution. There are many battles to fight, but at least he knows that the fight is still on. He did fully trust Subaru, no matter how insane his plans could sometimes be, so he would follow them through. " I was quite lucky to find it." He was, and Echidna could help him achieve his objectives more easily. He didn't know what their relationship was, but returning it to Anastasia would probably make her more open to working with him. She already is, hence the letter, but one more reason wouldn't hurt. He finally arrived at the main road, where his carriage was waiting for him.

The already large road was further expanded in order to make it easier for men and supplies to be carried across the country and from there to the front. Unlike the road, his carriage was rather plain, brown, made of wood, and strong enough to withstand anything, within reason, that it might encounter, or as Halibel liked to say, his carriage was perfect. He opened the carriage door, threw Echidna on one of the seats, took his place, and asked his driver to get going. The man wordlessly complied, and they were all set for their destination. The only problem was that Halibel didn't know exactly where that was, and that information was left out of the letter. "She is probably testing me." That was his take on the situation, but he wasn't particularly upset. He had complete confidence in his abilities, and his newly acquired friend could probably help.

Well, it got worse. Somehow, it got worse. And to top it all off, they had exited the city two hours ago, so they were far enough that she could transform. If only she wasn't stuck with one of the strongest warriors in the world. If she transformed now, he'd almost immediately catch or kill her. Her best option is to continue to pretend that she is a clothing article and wait for a good opportunity to escape. After all, Halibel wasn't expecting anything, so she could take

"You know, this is pretty dull." We are far enough from any industrialized area, so you should be, at very least, able to speak now."

His words had left her stunned. She didn't know what to say, so Halibel continued.

" I know you're a spirit, quite a strange one, but still a spirit."

"How did you know?" Now fully transformed and really confused, Echidna decided to pry the information out.

" I could sense the mana in you." He made a short pause and then continued. " You see, industry and mana don't mix well." "Factories, after all, destroy mana." His words could be described as almost sad, but he quickly became more cheerful. "Honestly, it is surprising that you are still alive." Spirits, in general, can't survive in industrialized areas.

At least now she knew the reason for her condition, and to be honest, she wasn't surprised that that monster was behind it. She is kind of impressed by the amount of evil that man has been able to bring to the world.

"What are you doing now? Your master is dead, and soon your beloved revolution will die with him. Why don't you simply quit? "

"Firstly, Su-san wasn't anybody's master. Secondly, the successor was already determined by Su-san, and as for your last question, I won't quit because the revolution won't ever die. "

" A successor, and who would that be?" She asked sarcastically, because that monster never showed any interest in anyone. The only time he had shown concern for somebody's life was when he was getting Ana out of her cell. And then, when the answer hit her, " That man thought Ana would carry his revolution!" She had tried very hard, but she couldn't stiffen her laughter at this absurd idea.

"You're quite smart, aren't you?" He was genuinely impressed when he gave her this compliment. But your lack of faith in your contractor is rather saddening. " Chuckling a little, he continued, "Even if you don't believe that she can see right from wrong, Su-san clearly did. And he was right. After all, she accepted her new role. "

His last sentence was an emotional rollercoaster for her, but at the end of it, only confusion was left. " What do you mean?"

"This letter is the proof. She wouldn't have known to send it unless Su-san told her. And he wouldn't have told her unless she had previously agreed. " He was rather confident in his mentor, so the spirit's reply didn't phase him.

" She must have tricked him then and is now tricking you. If you truly believe she will go with you, then you are a fool. "

I know I'm not the smartest guy around here, but Su-san was quite sure of it. He frequently stated that it was the responsibility of that woman to "stabilize the pendulum," whatever that meant.

" So even though you admit that his ideas are illogical, you still follow him, even from the grave."

"I never sad It was illogical, just hard to understand. But it doesn't matter; Su-san was always correct in the past. There is no reason he would be incorrect now. "

"She is tricking you." Tired of this conversation, Echidna repeated her statement and lied down. It is obvious that he won't harm her, so there is no need for caution, at least not yet.

" I doubt that."

Their conversation had ended with these words. All that was left was to enjoy the rather pleasant scenery. Images of thick forests would, periodically, give way to blooming fields. Such scenes inspired confidence in the Archangel of Death, both confidence in the revolution and the ability of the Lagunica's people to carry that revolution. His mentor's plan was sure to work, and when this is all over, the world will finally be free. No more slavery, no more opulence for the sake of opulence. He could almost imagine such a world, and the knowledge that, with every passing day, Lagunica and Volacha were closer to achieving it made him elated. Even the fact that such a world would be brought about by a former throne candidate didn't phase him much. If it didn't bother Su-san, why would it bother him? All that he and the rest of the people need to do is to continue their fight against their enemies, until Lagunica and Volachia are all of one mind, and then, and only then, will they be strong enough to defeat the foreign powers that are trying to destroy them. At least that's what Subaru said. He also told him that he might be forced to tolerate monarchists for a short period of time. That bothered him a little, but ultimately, he didn't care that much, because in the end, there was freedom for all, and that idea is almost intoxicating.

While Halibel was lost in his thoughts, Echidna was peacefully resting. There wasn't much she could, or for that matter, should, do now. She could only rest while the carriage, and its occupants, followed the road. The road that all of them, except her, took all these years ago.