Rin was holding the reins while I struggled to hold onto consciousness. Finally giving in, I slumped against her back and we rode like that. Projecting the Finnish monster took a lot of me and my burning circuits were making me dizzy.

We turned around a dune, following the road and came face to face with an Armored Brigade, French Foreign Legion from the looks of it. One of the soldiers broke formation while the resto groaned.
-"Merde, Jacques!"

The now identified as Jacques fingered his rifle and stood in front of us, a sardonic smile adorning his face.
-"Hello mon amie, don't you know there is a toll to pass?"
He extended his hand and got a hold of our horse.
"I like this horsie, I take it."

A fresh officer with binoculars hanging from his neck shouted in crisp french.
-"We heard heavy detonations over here, what do you know about it?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but Rin covered my mouth with a caress, silencing me while taking the lead. She whispered to my ear.
-"Project the most expensive sword you know."
Then she added in a normal voice, using Italian.
-"Husband, how long to reach the palace?"

Outside of their view, I squeezed my last dregs of juice to bid forward a hollow ceremonial sabre, an ugly thing that was bling incarnate but would snap the second you so much looked at it sideways. It rested inside our loose clothes, but I wasn't sure I could hold it for long.
Dumb, Shiriou, DUMB! That's the last time I burn all my mojo on enemy territory.

The Officer's jaw clenched, Jacques smiled like a moron and one unarmed woman marked with plastic tags raised her head.
She pursed her lips and not a moment later, she jumped off the tank. There wasn't a single weapon on her, but a satchel full of notes.
-"Greetings, my name is Elisa, an interpreter."
Her Italian was stilted but clear enough.
"With whom we have the honour to speak?"

Rin's eyes zeroed on her satchel and smiled. My spine tensed even when that wasn't directed at me. It was her gotcha smile and it meant you were about to be schooled.
-"My my, The Clocktower's Monthly? Then a single title should be enough: Second Owner."

The interpreter's face became ashen, which made me remember when Taiga tripped over the matt and poured hot chocolate over Gramp's golden kimono. Gramps loves that kimono.

Binoculars spoke.
-"Who are they? Can we requisition their possessions?"

An older Sargeant, with plenty silver on his hair, gave him a wary glance.
-"Only poor sods and filthy rich use horses around here. Tread carefully...Ser."

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and walked back to the tank. She came close to Binos and said something in low voice. Binos' neck snapped at once.
-"...tu cretin JACQUES! ATTEEEEEN HUUUUUT!"

Jacques' hand removed his hand as if scalded, wincing about the incoming downpour of expletives that slowly but surely would come his way.
-"Ser?"

Elsa replied in French, so all the troops could hear.
-"You threatened to steal the horse of an Oil Prince."

Instead of talking, I opened my clothes, allowing them to see the jewel-encrusted abomination and then covered it again. The effect was instant, any remaining doubt leaving their minds to be replaced with the soul-wrenching guilt of knowing deep down that a court-martial was the best they could ask for.

Binos grabbed the radio with a shaking hand.
-"Base command, base command here the 7th, please copy. Over."
"Base Command Actual speaking, we copy. Over."
He rubbed his neck and licked his lips, unseen but also happening in real time was his Officer Career packing and taking for Devil's Island Prison complex.
"We may have threatened to steal the horses from an oil prince...Ov..Over."
"WHAT?"