Apologies for the delay, but this chapter is heavy on exposition and debating, and trying to make it come alive is a challenge. There are also some nuances which I want to come across. It will be moving back to more family orientated discussions in the next chapter. I also am thinking through the next arc of my Jaune the Wild Card story and setting up an equivalent of the docks incident involving Jaune and the other students.
They walked back from the hotel carrying desserts to go including one for Lavender. Debo showed her social skills by ordering them as soon as the main course arrived. This meant that they could leave as soon as they finished the main course. She also convincingly reassured the waiter and manager that they had no problem with the food or the staff while Jasper brushed away offers to comp them the desserts. "Not your fault that Fuchsia is a jerk" was true enough and at least Amber delayed her comment that if the Antelope banned jerks they would soon go out of business until they started the walk home.
They got back to find that the young children were sleeping, and Lavender was doing her homework in the kitchen. She looked surprised to see them back so early but was distracted by the piece of Forever Forest Gateau handed to her by Debo. She was also given a sliver of the daily special dessert chosen by Jasper and one of the chocolates in the chocolate selection.
Debo opened a bottle of dessert wine which she commandeered from the fridge and Jaune told Debo and Jasper the story about Amber unlocking his aura. Debo gave him a hug while Jasper looked thoughtful.
Jasper asked Amber if he could have a word in private and they went into the sitting room.
Debo turned to them both and said, "Perhaps don't repeat the exact words from the headmaster Brown to your mother, Jaune. It was curiously precise wording, and your mother may read things into it."
Lavender said, "And she would be right to do so. He dislikes telling direct lies. However, if he is warning dad, it is for the best. After all he also was unable to release your aura and may need the time to be ready to be glad for you."
Lavender of all of them had spent most time with dad and knew him best. They spent lots of time together in the kitchen learning how to cook and discussing being a huntress.
Jaune said, "Brown did look rather shocked tonight. I'll take your advice."
Debo looked at Lavender who decided that she would finish her homework upstairs and listen to her new album wearing her headphones and left them to it.
Debo said, "Jaune, I hope you don't mind listening while Amber, Jasper and I get serious for a bit. We would welcome your insights as well as hers. I promise you that we will not repeat anything you tell us in a way which could result for comeback against you, mother, or the Ansel LGDF."
"That's fine by me." He decided that this was a sign he was being treated as an adult and he was not going to reject any of those even if he found it boring. He was not certain that he would stay awake that long. The training had been exhausting and yesterday had also been tiring.
They heard a muffled expression of what sounded like irritation from Amber and five minutes after that she and Jasper both returned. Perhaps it had not been irritation as they did not seem annoyed with each other when they returned to the kitchen.
Amber looked at Jaune and said, "Jasper tells me that he and Debo are worried about what will happen in Mistral over the next two years between humans and Faunus. They are especially concerned about what will happen in Ansel province. They want to talk honestly with both of us. You about conditions in rural Ansel, me about what I make of it all."
Debo said, "Amber, what we want is your analysis as a Mistralian citizen who grew up here, spends enough weeks a year here to notice the differences and is not afraid to tell the truth as you see it about what needs to change. Me and Jasper spend too much time with people who believe that things can't be done and cross their fingers and hope that it will be all right on the night."
"Ok, I'll bite. There are too many major problems which no one is dealing with. The Faunus problem, the Argus problem, the Branwen problem, the White Fang problem, the corruption and crime problem, an ineffectual military, a failing economy, and a dysfunctional government. These all increase the Grimm problem."
Jasper said, "I agree that Faunus problem is different to the White Fang problem."
Debo nodded at Jaune who must have looked puzzled, "They overlap but are not identical. Problem is that too many conflate the two. The truth is that the government's failure to address Faunus concerns have resulted in the White Fang sincerely believing that violence is the only language which will make the government take them seriously while the White Fang's increased militancy is making all the other problems worse."
Amber said, "Jaune, tell us about what has changed in the rural areas since you started with the LGDF. My take is that what integration there was between Faunus and humans is disappearing and that people are becoming poorer."
Jaune swallowed, "That's right. Humans are selling the farms in predominantly Faunus areas to their Faunus neighbours and moving to the towns. Those who stay are swapping land with Faunus farmers in human areas. In the villages every time the White Fang kill – murder – civilians, we have more humans wanting to move into areas which are predominantly human and Faunus moving going in the other direction."
"You told me that mother has had to establish an estate agency business in the LGDF to allow humans and Faunus to swap homes."
Jaune nodded. "She hates it, but it's the least bad option. We were having rumours of arson attacks on the homes of the minority community and people believed them. Not certain that the initial reports were true, but it unnerved people and they then started happening for real. This way fewer houses are burnt down."
Amber said, "The villages we stopped at today did not look that poorer than I remember. Red Rock actually looked more prosperous."
Jaune hesitated to answer the question truthfully. "Well in the house swaps the Faunus generally get paid the equalisation money so they have more money to spend. It's probably true that the human villages and market towns have more boarded up shops, but it may be that they have declined, and the Faunus ones have stayed the same."
Jasper raised an eyebrow and Debo said, "I was telling the truth about not dumping you in it. Me and Jasper have a theory about what's happening which might help us make things better in a couple of years' time."
Amber said, "I think he's telling the truth, Jaune. He's promised to say things tonight which will mean he has as much to lose from the conversation being repeated as we and mother do."
Jaune said, "The predominantly Faunus villages are if anything more prosperous than when I started."
Jasper said, "Amber, the tax revenues in rural Ansel have collapsed especially in the Faunus areas."
Amber replied, "Smuggling is a proud Mistralian tradition."
"Yes, but it's not been that blatant for thirty years. All the villages, shops, and farms in the Faunus areas should be in dire straits or at most barely ticking over according to the tax receipts."
Debo said, "It only makes sense if the smugglers are deliberately undercutting the legal wholesalers before tax and are selling predominantly to the Faunus."
Jaune said, "Why would they do that?"
"That's the sixty-four thousand lien question."
Amber stared at Debo. "Let's park that one for the moment. So, you both accept that things are getting worse and agree with my list?"
"Broadly, yes."
"Does you or your party have any solutions?"
"None which we think can be easily implemented. There's an old Mistral joke to the effect that I know the way to Patch, but I wouldn't start from here. That's what we feel like now."
"That sounds rather a counsel of despair. Still, you must have something beyond saying that we are all doomed to say to me."
Debo said, "Amber, Jaune. There is an analysis which that the White Fang's tactics are working, but their strategy isn't."
Amber said, "Their strategy is to use targeted violence to bring Mistral to the negotiating table and to solidify Faunus support behind them. Tactics have been to damage the infrastructure and the economy with targets chosen that most deaths are among security guards, military, and police. They also force the government and every major company to spend more on security. They have established secure bases which the government has been unable to attack. They also kill people who most Faunus and many neutral observers believe should have been prosecuted for alleged crimes committed against Faunus."
"Correct. A wrinkle is that their attacks in northern Argus have been less destructive. They have raided trains and trucks, but not blown-up bridges and tracks. We talked about what is happening in Kulsa earlier, but the multi-Kingdoms are moving their head office functions in Mistral to Argus and to Vale. Inflation is up, the economy is in recession other than in Argus, tax revenues are plummeting, interest rates are up, and public expenditure is being cut back. That tactic is working in its own terms."
Amber nodded.
Jasper said, "In relation to the targeted killings I don't know what the Faunus think, but I know that if the Mistral military were that effective in targeting the tribe which does not exist, I would be cheering them on."
"I won't argue the point. And the strategic failure?"
"Multiple. The economic consequences are hurting the Faunus more than the humans as cuts are being made to government programs designed to benefit the poor which disproportionately includes the Faunus. Faunus are more likely to be sacked or demoted from decently paid jobs than their human counterparts. Human and Faunus segregation is increasing in most of Mistral and not just Ansel."
Amber said, "That's no surprise to me. Still the White Fang would have known that would happen from day one and counted on it increasing support among the Faunus for them. Also is it a failure? It may be that the Faunus of Mistral are thinking that nothing has really changed since before the Faunus wars and that the White Fang is the only game in town. Besides which the government know that was a risk when they refused to talk to Sienna Khan or the Belladonnas."
"Yes. Admittedly the government did not expect the White Fang to be as effective as they have proved to be. In the thirty months or so since they escalated the violence the government has not caught or killed a single important operative. A few foot soldiers were killed during raids, but fewer than we would have hoped. It's almost as though they know where the security services have been waiting for them to attack. Arrested lots of people and imprisoned some, but no one who was really self-evidently a White Fang member."
"Is it really that bad?"
Jasper said, "Honestly yes. The White Fang's effectiveness means that many humans now fear Faunus whereas before they simply looked down on them. They see a Faunus and think of he or she as a potential terrorist. Strangers are suspected of being Faunus, especially if they wear a hat or a loose skirt which can hide a tail. Some restaurants are requiring customers to take off their shoes to protect the carpet and floor and incidentally to reveal if they have hooves. The police and security guards are heavier handed than before. The new police officers and security guards are overwhelmingly humans and often have lost better paid jobs before accepting the role. They are frightened and angry and are increasing resentments amongst the Faunus."
Debo said, "The next problem is the fact that their bases are in the Badlands have associated them with Raven Branwen in people's eyes. Certainly, she has more obviously benefitted from their campaign more than they have. We'll explain later."
Jaune asked, "Why doesn't the army go in after the bandits and the terrorists?"
Debo answered, "Because previous attempts to tackle the Branwen Tribe have failed miserably. Raven Branwen famously is always on the move, so we don't know where to send military forces. The Branwen Tribe has a store of surface to air missiles and launchers which they stole or bought from the army stores so airborne attacks are too risky. The last few times we tried a ground attack the Branwen Tribe retreated and then cut off supplies and ambushed smaller groups. They have an annoying habit of appearing out of seemingly nowhere in the place where they can cause the most damage. Last time they planted a bomb which killed the general in charge of the expedition and his staff in his HQ. No one in the army is prepared to promise a big enough chance of success to justify it unless we go all in and that would require a major tax hike or borrowing from Atlas or Vale."
Jasper said, "There is a widespread belief that Raven Branwen has told the White Fang not to escalate their attacks if they want to keep their refuge. Even if she started the rumour herself or paid off someone else to go with it, when combined with the expense of a military operation and the suspicion that it will fail, it gives enough excuses not to take the risk."
Amber said, "So Mistral won't negotiate, can't attack, and has failed to intercept the terrorists so far."
Jasper said, "On the other hand the White Fang have gained little either. All the major factions in Mistral City still refuse to talk to the Albains and the Belladonnas told the current regime to take a hike when they tried to negotiate with them."
"The who?" said Jaune.
"The Albains are Faunus Rights intellectuals who everybody "knows" lead the political wing of the White Fang but are not "officially" White Fang members. The Belladonnas were the leaders of the old White Fang who tried jaw-jaw without fighting and got roundly ignored and humiliated. They are refusing to be used to try and split the Faunus Rights movement in Mistral." This was Amber who included the air quotes. Jasper and Debo nodded along.
Jasper continued, "No one with clout in Mistral City wants to negotiate. There is no consensus between any of the main factions on what would be offered in such negotiations and no belief that what they would offer would be accepted. Even if they did talk to the White Fang and reached an agreement acceptable to the White Fang, no one believes that they could bring enough human support with them to get it enacted and implemented. Even if they could they know they would be punished for it by the electorate for negotiating with terrorists even if they welcomed the results of peace. No one powerful enough wants to trade being remembered well by history in exchange for political oblivion now."
Amber laughed bitterly. "Yes, a lot of opportunities were missed when the Belladonnas were in charge."
"I hear what you say. Not disagreeing with you, but we are where we are."
"So, what is the current government strategy?"
"Do nothing and hope that something turns up. After all, one day the White Fang may attack somewhere the army is waiting for them and suffer major casualties. Some hope that the White Fang will call a cease fire because controlled violence has not worked or decide that the unintended consequences are too big a cost. Others that an argument over tactics will cause the White Fang to implode."
"Delusional. It is more likely that Sienna Khan goes the way of the Belladonnas without the chiefdom of Menagerie to fall back on and a hardliner takes over."
"There is an argument that the hardliners taking over will work in Mistral's favour. Adam Taurus will not hold out olive branches and they are counting on the moderate Faunus splitting from them."
"Just as likely that enough will continue to support them to be effective and that the dissenters will not betray them."
"Agreed. The main hope is that if that happens, Atlas and Vale will stop bleating about Faunus Rights and that Atlas will lend military support."
"Ok, I can see that analysis, but don't believe it. I know enough about Atlas to know that the price which they would demand for military intervention would be to grant Argus self-governing status. At the very least more devolution of government and reducing the taxes sent to the rest of Mistral would be insisted on."
Jaune knew that there was a movement in Argus (which was supported by the Atlas multi-Kingdoms) for it to become self-governing and to ringfence the tax revenues so that only a small percentage of them were redistributed to the rest of Mistral.
Jasper said, "Yes, the Argus problem. The leading citizens in Argus City and the neighbouring areas believe that they have worked out a sweet spot combining the best of Atlas with the best of Mistral. The fundamental lack of corruption, the work ethic and technical expertise of Atlas mixed in with the ingenuity of Mistral and in both cases a greater chance of making their fortune. Argus is where the ambitious from Mantle and the honest and hard working Mistralians go to try and live the dream."
"As well as the dissenters from the city in the clouds and those Mistralian who don't conform." This was Amber referring to Terra and Saffy.
Jasper replied "Indeed. Whether it is from belief or cynicism, Argus has refused to agree to an increase in the burden of taxation to deal with the White Fang unless there is a real attempt at negotiations with Sienna Khan and real action taken to reduce the influence of the criminal gangs. Also, they are so far removed from the Branwen Tribe's activities, they are not interested in dealing with her."
Debo said, "Until yesterday the White Fang had not killed anyone in northern Argus. They have sent a message to the Argus city council that this was a one-off operation aimed at the individuals from Kulsa concerned and pointing out that they took care not to harm any Argus citizens. The council are likely to accept this message at face value. Certainly, the local press has published the allegations about the victims yesterday in full and stressed that the evidence about the alleged crimes came from the sources other than the White Fang."
"Does the rest of Argus think the same way?"
"Maybe not, but they share the disdain for the corruption and pork belly politics in the rest of Mistral. It doesn't help that only Mistral City and Argus province are net contributors to government revenues."
"OK, I can see that the threat of an Argus split from the rest of Mistral has encouraged central government to do nothing. Any other reasons to be cheerful they have found in the capital?"
"Another faction believes that the Vytal Festival tournament winner who must not be named will deal with the White Fang if they escalate. There is an analysis that while she is happy to act as their fence and protect their bases in her territory, she would not be happy if they escalated so as to get Atlas interested in intervening directly."
"A little more plausible, but we come back to the Argus problem. She may be making the same bet as you that Atlas won't do so for free, and that Mistral won't pay the price. All I can say that her brother treats Faunus as equals and says that he learnt that in the Tribe rather than Vale. She may moderate escalation, but I would not bet on her dealing with Mistral's problems."
Debo and Jasper exchanged looks and Debo said, "That's interesting. Our analysis is that she's using the White Fang to expand the territory she controls and to encourage humans to flee earlier than before. The White Fang masks they started using three years back are in some ways a knock off of the masks used by the Branwen tribe."
Jasper hesitated and said, "Yesterday two towns in the north of Kurohari Province fell to the Branwen Tribe. There will be no official announcement, but the refugees have been arriving in the south of the province for two weeks. Many of them say they have left because they fear that the White Fang will come into town with the Branwen Tribe or that there will be a repeat of Kuroyuri. Grimm activity has gone up exponentially and the local LGDF is unable to cope. The Branwen Tribe has offered to deal with the Grimm in return for the cities paying taxes to them rather than the Mistral government. Curiously the taxes demanded are set lower than they currently are."
Kurohari was the province of Mistral immediately north of Ansel.
Amber said, "I'll take your word for it. Not surprised if true. The few of my friends at Haven who stay in contact said the LGDF in north Kurohari was notoriously corrupt."
"Hold that last thought. I believe that within a year the rest of Kurohari will fall and Mistral will not do anything serious to stop it. They will tell each other that the province was a drain on the rest of Mistral and that it was not worth fighting for. That the resources which would have been needed to defend it would have increased the threat of secession by Argus. They'll also tell themselves that this time Raven Branwen has over expanded."
"I can see that having the Branwen Tribe as neighbours will worry people, but it's not as though there is easy to get to Kurohari province from here. There are only two roads over the mountains and only one is any good. All the trade goes east not south."
"Since Kuroyuri the Branwen Tribe have always left an escape route for refugees to flee, preferably one which forces them to be selective about what they take with them. The roads going east will be blockaded for weeks in advance so as to prevent supplies reaching Kurohari by road and train. My prediction is that there will be a stream of refugees coming south over those two mountain roads and for those who are bringing their belongings out in cars only one road is usable. Kulsa will be the first stop. They will be humans spreading stories about the bandits and their Faunus allies. If you thought yesterday was bad, that will be a horror show."
"Why aren't you telling mother this?"
"Because I'm leaving tomorrow with Debo and the kids to be in Mistral City for a month. I'm being promoted and will possibly be up for a safe parliamentary seat in Argus next year. By the way, a fifth of Argus province is uninhabitable because of the Grimm now. Would you be interested in a deputy chief's job there – you can fire dust Grimm filled forests to your heart's delight?"
"No or at least not yet. I've heard about the paperwork mother deals with, and I am not suited to the politics. Wouldn't object to a short-term contract. It would be good to spend time with Saffy and her family."
Debo said, "I'm interested in what you said about northern Kurohari. One of the common denominators in why districts surrender to the Branwen Tribe is that the local LGDF leadership is corrupt. The Branwen Tribe has a reputation for taking on Grimm."
"I told you that was a problem two years ago."
Jasper replied, "I acted on it. My boss arranged for the audit department to do spot checks eight months ago."
"We all know how those work. The details of the sites to be visited are leaked a week in advance and the shortfalls are made up."
"Of course. However, someone in the audit section leaked the details to my boss three weeks in advance. He called in the Pinkertons from Mantle to watch the dust depots being inspected for a week before and a week after the inspection date. In most venues they saw fully laden lorries being driven in before the inspection and followed them when they were driven out afterwards."
"No proof but suggestive."
"We bribed the retiring head of audit to arrange some unannounced inspections reflecting the evidence in his last week. Three chiefs have taken early retirement, another four are leaving at the end of their current term and another three are on probation. There was no desire for a public scandal, and it was accepted that it was standard practice."
"Mother does not treat the dust budget as her personal slush fund."
"The fact she's honest is one of the reasons some of the Mistral factions made certain your mother was re-appointed at the end of last year."
"Does not surprise me."
Debo at this point went over and took another bottle from the fridge and got out four clean glasses as Jasper continued.
"Your mother and the chief in Argus survived. We know the Argus LGDF has better funding and the chief has pursued a policy of charging supplements to communities which he considers are in unviable areas to persuade them to move out. His shortfalls were within the acceptable levels. It may have been that he just got lucky on the depots chosen for inspection."
"Go on."
"In Ansel your mother passed with flying colours. The Pinkertons did not question the fact that the vans which they followed after the inspections were over returned to the garage rather than to another dust depot and did not appear to be full. After all the dust levels were at the level they were meant to be."
Jaune thought he knew what Jasper was hinting at but kept quiet.
Amber said, "No surprise. We all know mother is honest."
Debo said, "They also did not comment on the fact that the vans which were leaving before the inspection were fully laden and the ones arriving after the inspection were fully laden. After all the audit team wasn't expecting to find more dust than there should be."
Jasper said, "I have not and will not point this out to anyone, although I would suggest that your mother establishes a secret depot for her surplus."
"There is a but lurking there."
Jasper said, "I've only dared raise this with Debo so far, but I have a dream for peace. I just want to run it past you two. Jaune, do not repeat this as it is probably just a drunken fantasy."
Amber grunted, "OK, what is your fantasy?"
"As I said earlier, no one in Mistral is up for negotiating properly with the White Fang at the moment. The White Fang campaign is only intensifying the separation between humans and Faunus and the economy is tanking."
Amber looked at Jasper. "I'm on the record as saying that the government needs to speak to Faunus organisations and accept that one of them at least has close ties to the White Fang. I'm also in favour of integration and equality being real. Your party believes in equal but separate."
"I'll be blunt, Amber. You are right that for most of my faction, equal but separate means unequal and separate. I accept that spending on Faunus secondary schools is half that of human schools per pupil and the number of university places for every 10,000 Faunus are a quarter of that for humans and are less prestigious."
"I'll grant that you think that things should be fairer, but why stick with equal and separate if you know it doesn't work."
"If I was a Faunus in Mistral I could not forgive or trust us humans."
Amber looked at him and said, "Seriously…"
"I majored in history at university, and I know all the important people in this province and regularly am in Mistral city. Most of them, while accepting that slavery for Faunus was wrong, believe that Faunus are inferior and don't want them living next door or being amongst their children's friends at school. The Sam Raven laws have been rewritten, but the application of the law is still one sided. Imagine what would have happened if Fuchsia had been a Faunus tonight."
Debo said, "If it wasn't for the internal walls in Kulsa separating the Faunus quarter from the main city, what would have happened yesterday? Can you honestly say that there would not have been an attempt to re-enact the riots of forty years ago?"
Amber looked at Jaune who shrugged. She said, "That may be true there, but not in Ansel itself."
"Getting that way. Unintended consequences. Economic recessions tend to make people think that life is a zero-sum game and anything which improves the lot of Faunus means that humans have lost out. The assassinations have really upset people. You and I may be able to say to each other that justice has been done, but then we didn't shut our eyes and ears to what was happening."
"But they are not being indiscriminate. Why should the innocent fear them?"
"For some it's because they don't believe the men they'd known all their life got their kicks from throwing striking Faunus out of bullheads or branding them and say that the accusations are unproven lies. It's easier to think of the White Fang as murderers and the people in Argus and Vale as irrational do-gooders. Others think that the logic of terror is to move to killing government and police officials. They are starting to run out of senior officials from the Vacuoan mines. My sources tell me there were at least five Faunus killed in Kulsa yesterday. If I were this Sandman Chief Scarlett would now be on the list."
Debo said, "Another problem is that the murders are done with panache and finesse. Umber Raddock who was about to become a main board director of the SDC was taken without a shot being fired from his security detail by a squad dressed and sounding like the Atlas Diplomatic Protection Service. People fear the White Fang more now because at least some of them are clever rather than just brute force."
Jasper said, "You know I come from Argus originally and it was a shock to me moving first to the capital and then here. I can believe that in twenty years' time if not equality then Faunus may be treated decently in Argus. In the rest of Mistral, no."
Jaune said, "Professor Lionheart…."
Amber said, "Appointed by Ozpin when the faculty could not agree. Deputy headmaster Aqua and his faction sabotages any initiatives, and the governing body has limited his power."
"Deputy chief Reynard is well respected in the LGDF."
Debo said, "Because he deals with the Faunus, is polite, pretends to know his place, and is good at his job. If he was promoted to mother's job, then the knives would be out from the politicians and the press. Besides which he only really deals with humans in the LGDF. You know mother keeps him away from those who would call him boy."
Amber said, "So how do you think we can reach separate but meaningfully equal?"
"I think that in Argus it is achievable in twenty years, but that Argus will need to have government devolved to it in exchange for an agreement that some redistribution continues. Might even be funded directly by Atlas. The Mistralians more inclined to meaningful equality are already concentrating there."
"Go on." Jaune could tell Amber was getting interested despite herself.
"Something is going on in the Badlands. Raven Branwen has given the White Fang a safe haven and as far as anyone can tell the Faunus in the Badlands are staying put. My best judgement is that in provinces which have fallen in the last five years the population is close to being equal Faunus and human there."
"I can believe that they are more likely to stay than the humans. Whether that is because it is easier for the humans to flee or because they have less to lose by staying put is another question. No idea on the numbers."
"Fair point. Perhaps you can talk to Dr. Oobleck about it."
"Might do so. He would find it interesting."
Debo said, "As Jasper said earlier, there are highly qualified Faunus disappearing off the radar and we actually have shortages of Faunus assistant geologists, miners, and construction supervisors. We suspect that they are in the Badlands and that Raven Branwen is opening dust mines in the conquered territories. The disappearance of geologists suggests that she is taking advantage of the scientific developments in the last ten years. The disappearance of miners suggests that she is reopening the closed mines and opening new ones."
"You were always better at that stuff than I was, Debo. All I can say is that the people I know who knew Raven Branwen respect and detest her. They say she does think ahead and in a perverse way can be trusted to keep her word."
Jasper said, "The Ansel LGDF has more dust in store than they have documented buying. I know your family can not afford to fund the LGDF out of its own resources. The only explanation which makes sense to me is that she is buying it cheap somewhere. The only likely source is the Badlands."
Jaune desperately tried to avoid giving the game away. He took a gulp of wine and tried to avoid catching Jasper's eye.
Amber said, "All your research proves is that she is not stealing it."
"Ok, but we know the truth. After the Faunus wars Menagerie was established as a home for Faunus. Fine, Kuo Kuano is now habitable, but the rest of the island is by all accounts almost as bad as Vacuo for trying to kill you from natural causes. It was never a fair offer as a homeland for Faunus."
"Carry on."
"I would like to be able to offer an option to my faction and to the White Fang in a couple of years. In reality by next year between twenty to twenty-five per cent of Mistral will belong to Raven Branwen. She appears to have no problem with Faunus and what you said about her brother suggests that it may be a natural rather than a political reaction. The Badlands could be the area where the Faunus can go for more equal treatment."
Amber burst into laughter. "Telling the Faunus to be ruled by a bandit queen."
"It's close to being the only game in town. Raven Branwen is making it a losing proposition for Mistral City."
"What do you want from me?"
"You know the people in Vale who taught her and studied with her. Maybe someone still has an in with her. I want to start a dialogue with a view to a settlement."
"Why should I do that?"
"Because what is happening in the west of Ansel is what was happening in northern Kurohari two years ago. While your mother will do her best to prevent the Branwen Tribe being welcomed to deal with the Grimm, she won't be able to stop a re-run of the massacre forty years ago if it Chief Scarlet decides that Kulsa is next on the list of towns to be taken over by Raven Branwen and she will be bringing the White Fang with her. Because despite it all you don't want Mistral to totally collapse."
