The Dustbin

Day 16: Evaluation

4th of Harpstring Moon, Afternoon

"... Professor Karna, your reputation as Fodlan's Black Cat precedes you," Rhea commented as he and the entirety of the Dustbine stood before her covered in bandages in various parts of their bodies, with Vidar being an exception of the virtue of being already covered in bandages prior since, "you clearly have a death wish."

"To be fair, I assumed the bandits were all there to it after I stepped on a branch beneath my notice," Karna replied, "for me, all that matters is that no one actually died save for the bandits, and I think that of itself counts for something."

"It doesn't," Seteth pointed out, "those bandits were meant for Professor Eisner's class and you and your class of delinquents robbed her of her claim."

"I find the idea of you treating lives that need to be slain akin to some surprise birthday present rather disturbing," Karna pointed out.

"There are already more than enough bandits crawling about Fodlan as we speak," Byron interjected, "what made those band of ne'er-do-wells so special to warrant such reservation? Or at the very least, send her class to any corner of Fodlan crawling with those marauders?"

"Zanado is hallowed ground," Rhea explained, "and those bandits who dare to defile the place with their presence were the very ones who've attacked the Professor and the students last month. It is only just that they're the ones who brought about reprisal unto them."

"What, and we don't bloody count?" Sorcha remarked.

"You lot weren't even there for the attack," Seteth replied.

"Objection, I was there," Karna retorted, "some cutthroat named Doug the 'Bloodhound' was with Kostas for his gold, and I assumed he was dead after he and I fell off the same cliff."

"... And if he was alive, then you're saying that you technically had claim to the group of bandits at Zanado out of technicality, and to a lesser extent, so does your students?" Seteth questioned, to which Karna nodded, "then prove it."

"Even better," Karna boasted as he reached into his coat, "I'll show you all who was behind all of this mess."

He then takes out the sketch of the masked knight-like figure and the two bandits that he was conversing with. What was odd about the picture was the the armored man himself was standing at a slightly-above-average height compared to the other two, despite Karna and the Dustbin remembering him looking a bit taller than what the picture would suggest.

"I even wrote that what they were saying," Karna remarked as he handed in the papers with the words spoken being written on there, "pretty incriminating stuff."

As Seteth and Rhea reads through the papers presented by the professor, the Dustbin began conversing amongst themselves.

"You know, I wonder what's going to happen to us," Cyrus remarked, "if I'm to die, I demand to have my body returned to Almyra and be given a sky burial."

"Let's not get hasty," Selene replied, "worry about dying after yer already dead."

"Wouldn't being dead prevent you from thinking at all?" Topaz pointed out, "I'm pretty sure if decapitated heads were able to think, then they would also talk. But they don't."

"Exactly," Sorcha remarked, "why worry when we've already been through worse?"

"Valid, but it's more punctual to avoid needless troubles in the future," Byron pointed out, "granted, knowing our Professor, troubles are inevitable, but better to prepare for uncertainty than simply letting luck decide our fates."

"... Fight... live... for... life," Vidar grunted out as a dew of drool slipped from the corner of his lips, causing one of the standing Soldiers to wipe it off of his mouth before it hits the floor with his handkerchief, "... sorry... I... can't... see from... below."

"Whatever," the ceremonial Soldier dismissively remarked as he returned to his post.

After both Seteth and Rhea finished reading Karna's papers, the two face the Dustbin and their professor.

"... It seems that your incursion wasn't for complete naught after all, Professor Karna Yuga," Rhea stated dispassionately, "however in the future, I advise against overstepping your boundaries, for the sake of your students, should you claim to care for their well-being."

"And sending youngsters to kill bandits as 'life experience' isn't endangering them already?" Karna pointed out, "look Archbishop, let me make one thing clear, I have intention to let any of my students die before me. I won't use my own misfortune as an excuse that I put them in danger, nor myself from association. As long as I'm there for them, I will get them out alive, no one left behind, all's well ends well, end of story."

"And what of the surroundings caught in the crossfire?" Seteth asked, "what if civilians and noncombatants were to die because of this superstition related to you? Are you willing to divert your attention away from your students in order to save them? Can you ensure that you don't end up endangering them more than they already are?"

Karna then lets out a sigh before answering.

"Realistically, no, I can't save everyone by myself nor guarantee them to not put them in further danger," Karna stated, "it is ideal for an army's commander to walk away victoriously with no casualties of his or her own, but when going into the thick of battle, the last thing I can guarantee is safety of lives because that's what conflict is all about; someone is going to get maimed."

"So you're saying that you can only protect either your students or the innocents at either's expense?" Rhea asked.

Karna goes silent, knowing that he only has one answer.

"... I'm only human, dammit," Karna muttered to himself, "it's just that my mistakes are usually the epicenters of catastrophe."

"Regardless, it's still clear that you're a security risk," Seteth pointed out.

"Then why did you hire him initially before he met us?" asked Byron to everyone's surprise.

"That's not important-"

"His reputation as Fodlan's Black Cat would be known far and wide, as you've claimed," Byron pointed out, "and yet, you accepted his registration prior to him being late last month for the application," he explained, "tell us yourselves, why did you not only accept him despite being late, but also entrusted the worst class in Garreg Mach's Officer's Academy to such a volatile character in the first place?"

"... That," Seteth pointed out, "that's not important-"

"Now, I would claim that you'd tried to have us all killed without soiling your own hands, after all, a institutional head killing their own subscribers would be beyond scandalous," Byron remarked, "but since, like all things revolving around both us and our professor, all of the evidences are circumstantial, claiming that you two have arranged all of this in this roundabout attempt to kill us while preserving your PR would be considered libel."

Karna looks at Byron in utter surprise at the latter's deduction.

"What? You're a great teacher and all, but no one wants to stay as student forever," Byron pointed out, "I only disregarded your reputation at our first meeting to throw you and everyone else off as an insurance for this kind of very moment."

"Ya bloody played us?" Sorcha remarked.

"All in time to expose the contradiction of our current circumstances," Byron pointed out, much to everyone else's surprise, "so be honest, do you hate us enough to want us all dead, circumstances be damned?" he asked in a whimsical tone, "don't worry, what is said here, will stay here, and that includes the guards."

"Okay, fine, the truth then," Seteth remarked, "the truth is, I don't like any of you, at all," he confessed, "the twins are dumped onto us by the Empire as a pair of problem children who refuse to behave compared to their liege, the two ex-Blue Lions are impossible to understand, and no one but the Leister Alliance knows where these two Almyrans came here at all or who they really are, and to top it all off, we have a professor who is clearly cursed by the Goddess herself to warrant such calamities befalling onto him on a daily basis," the adherent pointe out with his tone increasing with rage seething out from his words becoming more and more louder as he further tried to suppress himself from emotionally exploding, "so, excuse me for being a little skeptical of you all, but this is an Officer's Academy, not a daycare! Start acting like proper students or give us all a reason to keep you around and waste our gold on you lot!"

"However, the truth is, we'd hoped that you'd fit in, so we hired Professor Yuga Karna, as a fallback," Rhea confessed, much to Karna's shock as he begun to connect the dots that were laid before him for the past month.

"... You only accepted my letter of application," Karna shuttered out, "just to try and get me killed during that bandit attack?!"

"... We were hoping that you would've at least fled, given how self-aware you are of your reputation as a herald of disaster," Rhea pointed out as she pulled out Karna's letter from a year prior, "but the letter stated that you only wished for a stable job as an academic instructor, so I didn't take you as a fighter in my first impression."

"Bloody ell'," Selene gaffed out, "this whole rubbish fire is built on a pile of lies..."

"Please, everyone please, just stop talking for a moment," Cyrus begged as he clutched his head in pain, "all of this stuff said all at once right now is making my head hurt."

"... He's right," Karna sighed out as his head was also slightly aching, "forget who's to blame and what's going on for a moment, just calm down, take a few breaths, and reconvene in a few minutes?" he suggested, "... I may be a thorn on everyone's side with my presence alone, but even I get sick of my own impatience and temper."

"... Fair enough," Seteth remarked as he signaled the guards to open the door, "we're calling for a recess for an hour. Lady Rhea, this way."

As everyone got out of the Archbishop's audience hall, she then shoots a look towards Karna similar to how one would see a rat crawling back into its hole.

Huh, only a look of utter contempt rather than me flying out of the door, Karna thought to himself as he headed back towards Manuela's office along with rest of the Dustbin headed back in for their checkup, improvement, yay.

The group then found themselves back at the academy's infirmary, all of whom laying about the cots placed around the room.

"You know, when I heard that you were meeting the Archbishop again, I assumed that there were going to be a whole lot of yelling involved, so I bought myself earplugs," Manuela remarked as she sat next to where Karna was laid at, "... surprisingly, there weren't any barkings echoing about the halls. Good for you."

"For me not yelling or me not getting punched out of the audience chamber like the last two times?" deadpanned Karna.

"You're hilarious, I can tell," Manuela deadpanned back, "at least you're making some progress, your students getting hurt notwithstanding."

"We ain't fragile," Sorcha remarked, "I can take a few licks and keep going."

"It's true," Byron remarked as he flipped through the pages of a borrowed medical book, "she took on a whole battalion and won. Scars aside, Sorcha is the most capable fighter of the Dustbin."

"I thought it was Vidar who was the most capable fighter out of all of us," Cyrus pointed out.

"... Can't... move... like her," Vidar grunts out in a struggling tone, "... she's... someone... special... I... can only... kill..."

"Not much difference between fighting and killing," Topaz pointed out.

"Actually, there is," Manuela replied, "the former is the process, the latter being a probable outcome that should be avoided if able."

"Illogical," Topaz retorted, "if you don't kill your targets, then they'll come for you sooner or later. People hold grudges for a reason, or so I was always taught to make my first engagements my last prior to coming here. But clearly, it's painfully clear that standards are different here, yet no less perplexing for me."

"As much as I'd love to know what's goes on at Almyra, I'd prefer not to pry for the sake of everyone's well being," Manuela sighed out, "... booze cannot come soon enough."

"Fair enough," Topaz remarked before she turned her back towards the head nurse.

As the rest of the Dustbin and their professor laid about in silence, it only took about a few minutes before it was broken with one statement.

"Hey," Karna asked Manuela, "... do you believe in the idea of there being a higher power?"

"You mean the Goddess?" she replied, "I do, but I'm also trying to keep my feet on the ground as well. Reality can be ignored for so long before it comes back like a bad hangover."

"So faith itself acts as your sole light in the uncertainty of reality," Karna remarked, "... better than what keeps me going."

"Oh please, as long as people keep going, don't judge them how they do so," Manuela pointed out, "in my opinion, giving up on living itself is the ultimate sacrilege that you can commit to the goddess, at least, in my opinion."

"Or just drive them into the ground," Byron murmured out, "motivation is good and all, but there are times that faith alone won't be enough."

"How so?" asked Karna.

"Before I took up blood money, I was taken in by a Western Church abbey," he explained, "they constantly preached that the Archbishop is the heretic that defiles the name of the Goddess, but in all honesty, I really didn't listen only for the fact that they were too loud."

"What made you leave?" asked Manuela.

"They drove me out," Byron answered, "but as soon as smelled smoke from behind, I knew that sticking around would result in me dying, so they might've done so for my own good. Even snuck in a small Church relic for me to sell off to help me out a little."

"... What happened after?" Manuela asked.

"I was late to the Tragedy of Duscur, looting around the burnt down settlement, but everything there were throughly destroyed," Byron remarked as he shifted his body up from his cot, "... that is, save for one."

The three looked at Vidar.

"... That explains the burn scars," Manuela remarked in a terrified tone followed up by a loud gulp.

"... For me, faith as a whole is mostly useless," Byron remarked, "but if it was the thing that helped me find my greatest partner in the world, then I have no right to complain."

"... Partner... forever..." Vidar grumbled out.

"... Life can't be simple, can it?" Byron grumbled out, "one minute, I was making rapid progress with my academics so I can have more time to keep an eye out on Vidar and keep ourselves out of trouble, and then the next minute, my own source of stability turns out to be the exact opposite..." he pointed out, "... and yet somehow, I never felt more secure in my entire life."

"As long as we adapt in time, everything will be fine," Karna remarked, "... probably."

A Soldier then walks into the infirmary.

"We're reconvening in five minutes," the armored man stated, "I suggest all of you to freshen up."

"Excuse me," asked Cyrus, "where's Darius? Is he okay?"

"... Turns out you were right," the Soldier sighed out, "the horse was way more easygoing upon being released onto the open field than a stable. Not a single fence broken, yet."

"If you need him elsewhere, just call me," Cyrus remarked, "don't bother calling others, he only listens to me ever since he was a foal."

Back at the Audience Chambers...

"We now have a referendum," Rhea stated as she handed a scroll to Seteth, the latter whom unfurls it before reading it out loud.

"We, the Church of Seiros, representing Garreg Mach Monestary's Officers Academy," Seteth read out loud, "have concluded based on the Dustbin's performance during the prior engagement, that they, along with Professor Karna Yuga, have been proven acceptable of their conduct and ergo, will be allowed to resume activities within grounds until further notice."

"Hell yah!" Sorcha cheered.

"However, due to breaking protocol established before the mission, yet retrieving quintessential information unearthing a conspiracy plotted against the monastery, the following addendums will be in effect," Seteth continued, "one, the initial reward of 3000 gold will be reduced to 2000 due to the prior violation of orders given, and from here on, they will be supervised by one of the Knights of Seiros every time should they wish to proceed beyond monastery grounds, effective immediately," the adherent finished off the statement before closing the scroll, "any questions?"

"... Actually, I have one," Karna remarked, "regarding our chaperone, do have the right to choose whom, or are they going to be given to us, disregarding the former?"

"The latter is the case," Seteth answered, "you've proven yourselves, but not to the point where we can trust you lot to make your own choices that holds any sway over us."

"Fair enough," Karna replied, "then from here on, I hope to wish that we form a strong rapport with our watch person."

"For yours and everyone else's sake," Rhea remarked, "I pray to the Goddess that may be the case."

Vidar then walks up towards the Archbishop with his bandaged hand extended out towards her.

"... Friend?" asked Vidar.

Seteth then walks between her and Vidar.

"Please, do not address the Archbishop so casually-WHY ARE YOU BLEEDING?!" Seteth remarked as everyone saw Vidar's bandaged face suddenly spooling blood through the wrappings running down to where his cheeks are.

"HE'S CRYING BLOOD AGAIN!" Byron pointed out as he dragged him away from the two, "IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN HE GETS OVERWORKED WITH EMOTIONS!"

The Archbishop palms her face in utter confusion at what was happening before her as the Dustbin and her ceremonial guards frantically escort Vidar back to the infirmary.

"... I wonder," Rhea spoke to Seteth, "do you think that the whims of the Goddess has chosen him to lead them as a trial of humility?"

"I am nary the one to question such things, Archbishop," Seteth replied, "I can only hope that from here on that they don't cause too much trouble for us to handle."

"... Have faith," she stated, "for no matter what they do, it'll be of no consequence as long as we have the Professor at our side."

Zanado, at night...

"... Burn marks," Shamir spoke to herself as she and her brigade investigated the incursion zone where the Dustbin were engaged earlier today, "I clearly remember there being bodies around the Giant Bird," she recalled the scene where the Demonic Beast came to feed, "... someone has been disposing the bodies. They clearly want to keep all of what happened under wraps."

"Captain," an Archer reported with a salute, "I've received word that there are no bodies around the area, only char marks in their place."

"As I thought," Shamir replied as she scanned the area again, "any eyewitnesses?"

"None whatsoever," he replied, "evidence collection has been scant at best, but there's one constant."

"Name it," Shamir ordered.

The Archer then shows her a piece of cloth with a few glitters on it.

"Earlier I noticed that where you were standing on sort of shimmered a bit, so I took a closer look before you told me back off," the Archer stated, "I passed down my findings to the unit down below, and evidently they found the same thing near a patch of ground that was burnt black."

"... Any more?" asked Shamir.

"No, only the pair," he replied, "shall we get an analyst to take a closer look at it back at monastery?"

"Let's," she answered before she left the area, "all units, finish up sweeping the area for any evidence indicating post-Dustbin activity."

Elsewhere...

"Whoa!" Doug exclaimed as he and the Flame Emperor were warped elsewhere by the masked cloaked man before them, their feet skidding across the ground upon landing, "guess that answers me question."

"Save your breath if you know what's good for you," the Flame Emperor stated, "consider yourself fortunate that my subordinate was around to cover our tracks."

"You are too considerate, milord," the Black Mage gestured with a bow before extending his [Fire]-covered hand towards the Bloodhound, "now, give us a reason why we shouldn't silence you for your impudence."

"... I got a family that I need to feed?" Doug remarked, "oh come on, I only took up being a sellsword because the bloody Empire's tariffs have been killing us! I need me money for me mum!"

"So you're another byproduct of this world's injustice," the Flame Emperor remarked, "tell me, what do you know of us and our objectives?"

"I never questioned me bosses's thoughts as long as I'm getting paid," Doug answered.

"We're here to correct this world's injustices and falsehoods, starting with the accursed Church that stands upon the mountain of lies built around itself," the Flame Emperor declared, "the people suffer as those in power prosper. We will abolish the old order and in its place will be a new order of equity for all."

"Yeaaaahh, bout' that," Doug remarked, "pretty words and all, but you sure wearing that fancy armor that stinks of money will do the job of convincing people that yer a man of the commoners?"

"You doubt milord's plans?" the Black Mage pointed out before the Flame Emperor intervened.

"It is not just the commoners that suffered," pointed out the Flame Emperor, "everyone from the top to bottom are being fed with nothing but lies spoused by the Church," he explained, "individual lives, talents, aspirations, dreams. All are naught before the power placed before the Crests of the Goddess. Something must be done, regardless whom may be, as long as they're willing to object and fight this setting rot within our lands."

"But will that change anything that happens to Brigid?" Doug pointed out, "as long as the Empire's standing and their flags waving in me lands, it's going to be a case of 'meet the new boss, same as the first', as in, can your little idea can change anything that goes around Brigid? Will you make sure that the Empire ain't going to come back to our lands and gobble us up like boneless meat, assuming that they, the Empire folk, ever leave Brigid in the first place?"

Both the Flame Emperor and the Black Mage look at each other in silence.

"... I thought that'd be the case," Doug smirked, "you two stink of liars, because for me nose can smell the waft of your sweat underneath."

"This only matters Fodlan and milord," the Black Mage rebuked, "your country and others have no relation to our goals as long as they're not complicit with the Church."

"... Am I getting paid for me troubles, then?" asked Doug, knowing that he's an outsider in a bigger plan before him.

"Then are you willing to bleed for a better Fodlan?" asked the Flame Emperor.

Doug knew, that dying now would mean all fo his efforts would for naught, and no life means no pay.

"... Fine, I can spare a pint of me blood or two," Doug replied with a shrug, "so when's me next job?"

A crunching sound hitting the compacted dirt behind Doug was heard. As he looked behind, all he was was the bloody Dullahann placing his horned skull-head as it raised its massive sickle over his head before the point came down towards him.

"... Bloody ell'."

The true Death Knight then rips his scythe across the sellsword's head and chest in twain from atop horseback.

"He's no use to any of us," the Death Knight remarked, "let alone, whet my appetite for bloodshed, especially after you sent one of my own pawns under my visage as a decoy back then."

"An experiment, and also a way to throw the enemy off of your true strength," the Black Mage remarked, "better for them to underestimate you and pay for it later."

"I have naught need for cheap parlor tricks in the thick of battle," the armored reaper declared, "I charge into the fray and kill everything in my path, no exceptions or interruptions."

"Either way, we're short of one possible eyewitness," the Flame Emperor remarked before he turned to the Black Mage, "if you will."

"Of course."

With a snap of a finger, the mutilated body of the sword-for-hire was then set ablaze before all that remained was a burnt patch of black on the ground. Another snap, the three figures then disappear with a flash of light.

To Be Continued...

Author's Notes: Holy crap, I'm exhausted. Arknights kicking my ass on top of being midway into Summer Break.

I think my bi-weekly upload dates might start to burn me out in the near future, but I really don't want to laze about yet and waste my whole summer doing nothing productive.

So anyway, this chapter, basically laying out the next chapters, possible foreshadowing, the Dustbin sort of gaining renown, and next arc will be mostly academical with a few bandit-suppression missions to help the Dustbin earn more money. Outside of that, some statements made in previous chapters are sort of being answered, like why Vidar occasionally cries blood (he only does when he gets overemotional) and who was responsible for the Death Knight Decoy and the two previous Demonic Beasts sicced onto the Dustbin (the Black Mage).

I was going to add a gag of Rhea having "truckersaurous-hands" from Archer (she is a [Brawling] instructor in-game after all), but couldn't find a place to do it now, so might as well put it away for later. And well, Doug is dead at the hands of the real Death Knight.

References:

- Doug's "smell of a liar" statement to the Flame Emperor and the Black Mage is a reference to Bruno Buccarati's "taste of a liar" quote from JoJo Part 5.