Seven of the eighteen requested Investigations are done! Feel free to take a look at them on the Investigations page.

Part Seven

Evarr left the group with the bottle the moment they arrived back at HQ ("I wonder if my old room is available?" He had mused when he walked away) but before Daunte could say anything Mihr was standing in front of him pushing Nariek back into his hands. "I'm giving this back to you for now," he said.

"Mihr—" Keiran said.

"There is nothing to discuss," Mihr responded, and stormed up the stairs towards the elevator.

"W—Wait a minute!" Keiran snapped, running after him.

"This is amazing," Templeton gushed, looking over his notes. "I can't wait to update my map!" he ran down the stairs.

Yuber teleported away without another word, and Pesmerga departed as well. "A-Ah, is there anything else Lord Daunte?" Viki asked him.

"No," Daunte said, looking down at the sword in his arms. "Thank you, Viki," he added hastily, looking up at her.

"Lord Daunte?"

"Ah!" Daunte brightened and turned to see La'Ahad standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Hello, La'Ahad! How can I help you?"

"May I speak to you in private?" La'Ahad asked as he ascended the stairs. Even from Daunte's angle he couldn't see his face under his hood.

"Oh absolutely," Daunte said, nodding to the stairs. "Let's go up to my room. I'll send a message to Yasaka to send up a pot of tea for us."

La'Ahad smiled. "You are generous, Lord Daunte. Thank you."

A few minutes later they were sitting at Daunte's table in his room and Daunte was pouring them both a cup of tea. Daunte smiled a the scent. White tea. I'll need to thank Yasaka later.

"Can I stay?" Arin asked, tugging on Daunte's arm. Kibbeh was sniffing La'Ahad's leg and his tail was wagging wildly. "Please please please?"

"No, Arin," Daunte told him, sliding the cup and saucer over to La'Ahad. "La'Ahad wanted to speak to me in private, so please go back to your room with Kibbeh."

"But—"

"Arin." Daunte kept his tone gentle but allowed himself to sound a little stern. "Little to your big brother, okay?"

Arin's shoulders drooped in disappointment but after a moment he nodded. "Okay, Big Brother. C'mon, Kibbeh." he scooped up the puppy and headed towards his door. Kibbeh struggled in his arms and nearly jumped out them before Arin managed to close the door behind them.

"How are you?" Daunte asked as he sat down. "I'm sorry that I haven't been by to personally check up on you—"

"It's fine," La'Ahad interjected. "You are the Commander and have many responsibilities. I don't expect you to check on my daily."

"I was there," Daunte said. "When you…died. I'm sorry that I didn't—"

"I remember, and I'm grateful that you brought me back." La'Ahad patted the back of his head. "It was…strange. I had thought that in death you gain all of the answers, but when I came back I still had amnesia. I would have liked to have learned something from that experience…"

"Maybe it's because it was the World of Emptiness," Daunte said. "Maybe in the beyond you would have learned the truth about yourself…"

La'Ahad smiled sadly. "If retaining my amnesia allowed me to come back, then I'm not so bothered by it. But that's not why I asked to speak with you."

"Of course. What is it?"

"Moving forward, I request to be a permanent member of your active party."

"W-What?!" Daunte gaped at him in.

"The poor woman who has just arrived," La'Ahad. "Parvati? She has suffered a tremendous trauma but yet went straight to work cleaning not only the Infirmary, but the entire first floor. She has been here for a single day and already she has done more than I have done."

"La'Ahad, don't compare you two," Daunte said. "You both serve different purposes in this Army—"

"I have wasted your resources and have given very little to you in return," La'Ahad interrupted. "I failed you in battled. I died in battle—"

"If that was a fireable offense, then almost the entire Army would be gone!" Daunte protested, standing up. "La'Ahad, it's fine really! You haven't done anything wrong! Believe me, I would tell you so if you were!"

"Nevertheless, I must insist on being a required member in your active party for the foreseeable future," La'Ahad said, slowly standing up. "I may not have my memories, and my head may give me problems, but I won't fail you in battle. My spear is at your disposal."

"I…" Daunte's breath caught in his throat as he stared at La'Ahad. He still couldn't see La'Ahad's face but he saw that the older man was frowning and his jaw was locked. He was resolute in his decision. He wanted to do this.

He wants to prove himself and I want to help him, but…but is it worth the risk? His head injury is so severe that he still has blackouts. Dr. Yulin and Clara are constantly monitoring him. And his amnesia…not even death could help him regain his memories. What is the right decision for me to make?

Daunte thought about it for a long moment before deciding. "I…will speak with Dr. Yulin again," he decided. "If he clears you for battle, then I will gladly accept your help."

"Thank you, Lord Daunte," La'Ahad said. Before Daunte could stop him though, he reached out and clasped Daunte's right hand. The Rune of Restoration started to glow, but Daunte wrenched his hand free and hugged it to his chest. "No!"

"I-I'm sorry," La'Ahad said, raising his hands. "I didn't mean to upset y—"

"That wasn't what I meant, I'm sorry," Daunte said, shaking his head. "The Rune, it—I might be able to see your memories. I might be fully submerged with your subconscious. I-It happened when I saved Sloan Faakhir from the Black Rune and we witnessed his memories together. I didn't…" He shook his head. "I don't know how that happened, so I-I don't know if I could replicate it if I use the Rune of Restoration on you. I don't…" he looked at La'Ahad again. "If I find your lost memories, it would be unfair of me to experience those memories at the risk of you not experiencing them. And I—I didn't want to risk triggering that without your knowledge o-or if you even wanted me to try and trigger your memories in such a way…"

"…I understand," La'Ahad said. "And I appreciate you for thinking of me. It would be easy to ask you to use the Rune of Restoration on me, but I suppose there is a real risk of all of the memories surging back at once. That would…overwhelm me, I think. I think I—would consider you using the Rune at some point. But not at this time, perhaps."

"I thought so," Daunte said. I was lucky to yank my hand loose before I saw any memories.

La'Ahad finished his tea and took his leave. Arin knocked on the door. "Can I come in now?"

"Sure, Arin," Daunte said wearily, rubbing at his eyes.

"What did Mr. La'Ahad want?" Arin said. He deposited Kibbeh onto Daunte's bed.

"He wants to travel in my active party from now on," Daunte said, finishing his tea. "I'm going to talk to Dr. Yulin about it tomorrow. Arin, would you like a cup of tea?"

Arin looked towards the table and made a face. "Yasaka didn't send up any sugar!"

Daunte choked on a laugh as he began cleaning up. "I'll take you down to get some ice cream in a little bit. How does that sound?"

Arin cheered and ran over to give Daunte a hug. "You're the best, Big Brother!" Then he noticed Nairek propped against the table. "You still have Mihr's sword?"

"Yes. He won't take it back not even after both Keiran and I told him to take it back."

"But why?"

"Here, it's because of this." Daunte picked up the sword and held it vertical. He slowly slid off the scabbard and set it on the table. "Do you see the name on the blade?"

"N-A-R-I-E-K," Arin read aloud. He blinked in confusion. "Is that the sword's name?"

"More than that, Arin. Nariek is a person. Mihr named this sword in honor of that person, but he feels he dishonored that person. Because of that, Mihr refuses to use this sword. He says he'll fight with his bare hands until he's earned the right to wield it again."

"Wow," Arin breathed, his eyes wide. "Mihr must love Nariek very much, huh?"

"I can't speak for Mihr. I don't even know who—"

Daunte's hands began to tremble again, and his heart dropped into his stomach. "Arin, back up!" He shouted. The boy scrambled back in alarm and Kibbeh began barking from the bed. Daunte flung the sword away before it slipped from his fingers. The blade flipped behind him and the tip stabbed into a crack in the floor. It wobbled briefly, but then didn't move further.

Daunte sighed heavily in relief and rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. "Are you all right, Arin?"

"Y-Yeah," Arin said shakily, hugging his arms. "Is Nariek okay?"

"I'll check it," Daunte said, turning around. He reached for the sword's hilt as he sighed heavily, "And this is why I don't use swo…"

His voice trailed off as he caught his reflection. A long mirror was hanging on the wall in front of him, candle-lights reflecting on the surface. Nariek had fallen in such a way that the side where the name was engraved on the blade was facing the mirror. The name was displayed vertical, starting up the blade and with the 'k' ending at the hilt. Daunte's eyes went wide and his fell away from the hilt and fell to his side. He gaped in silent shock at what he saw in the reflection.

That name—!

Daunte grabbed for the sword this time and carefully pulled it out of the floor. He quickly grabbed the scabbard from the table and slammed the sword into it. "I'll be right back," he told Arin, and then he ran from the room.

"But what about ice cream?!" Arin shouted after him.

Daunte didn't bother with the elevator; he ran straight down the stairs to the third floor. The hallway was empty except for one person, and it was the person Daunte was looking for. "Mihr!"

Mihr was leaning against the hall in the entryway in front of the elevator, his arms folded over his broad chest. He snapped to attention when Daunte approached him, though he frowned when he saw the sword in Daunte's arms. "Lord Daunte," he said calmly. "I will not—"

"Mihr," Daunte interjected, stopping in front of him. He unsheathed Nariek enough so that the name was visible to Mihr. "This name. I saw it. Backwards, it's—"

Mihr lunged forward and grabbed the sword from Daunte, slamming it back into its sheath. "Pardon me," he said, grabbing Daunte by the arm and pulling him down the short hallway. He pushed open the door to his room and pulled Daunte inside. "My lord—"

"Mihr?!" Keiran was sitting on his bed polishing what looked like the breastplate of his armor. He had an expression of outrage as Mihr slammed the door shut behind Daunte and himself. "Mihr, that's our Lord Commander you're manhandling!" He admonished harshly. He set aside his breastplate and removed his gloves as he stood up. "What—"

"He knows," Mihr cut in, releasing Daunte in the center of the room. "Lord Daunte knows, Keiran!"

Keiran stiffened, and he looked at Daunte in shock for a long moment of silence. After a moment he closed his eyes and sighed heavily, rubbing a hand through his dark hair. "…How much do you know, Lord Daunte?" He asked. His tone was dull but unconcerned.

"I-It was an accident, I swear," Daunte said. "I was holding Nariek but then I dropped it in front of a mirror. When I looked at its reflection in the mirror I saw it. Nariek." He pointed to Keiran. "It's you. Nariek is Keiran spelled backwards!"

There was another long moment of silence in the room. Keiran dropped his hand away from his hand and looked towards Mihr. "It's fine. I will handle this, Mihr."

"…I am sorry," Mihr said quietly.

"There's nothing for you to apologize for. You were careful enough for my sake, but Lord Daunte…" Keiran gestured to Daunte with a smile. "Well. You're a smart young man, Lord Daunte."

"Then you two are…" Daunte felt awkward asking the question but he couldn't help himself.

"Yes," Keiran responded. Mihr moved past him and sat on his bed. "We have been discreet, of course. It's no one's business but given our Theocracy we obviously didn't want to draw attention to ourselves. I created enough of a scandal when I broke my arranged marriage, but…" Kerian shook his head and rubbed a hand over his chin. "I couldn't marry my intended," he said. "Not when I loved someone else."

"B-But," Daunte protested. "The Scriptures. I don't remember seeing anything negative about—"

"That is true," Keiran said. "Nagar never cared about who His believers loved, so long as we put Him first and that we killed in His name. But the problem was is that I was a Sheikh, from old money and old blood, and I am an only son. Moreover, Mihr is a foreigner." he reached out and placed a hand on Mihr's shoulder. "I am the last of the Umed family. If the Theocracy knew that I forsook an arranged marriage for a sake of a man, especially a foreigner…"

"Then they would kill you both," Daunte said.

"Not entirely," Keiran said. "I would have been spared. Mihr would have been the one who suffered. The Theocracy would have killed him, and not mercifully. I wasn't going to cause unnecessary suffering by entering a farce of a marriage, but at the same time I didn't want to risk anything bad happening to either of us, mostly Mihr. So…" he shrugged stiffly. "We kept it to ourselves. Successfully for the most part. Lord Caesar I believe figured it out, and Priscilla seems to have some idea, but we would prefer to keep our personal lives to ourselves."

"Why didn't you tell me, though?" Daunte asked softly.

"Well truthfully, we didn't know how you would react," Keiran sighed, taking a seat beside Mihr and rubbing both hands over his face. "I did trust that you wouldn't have treated us the same as the Theocracy would have, but—I suppose I didn't want you to look at us differently, Lord Daunte." He paused for a moment and looked up at Daunte. "Do you see us differently?"

Daunte knew the answer right away. "Why would I see either of you differently? You are Keiran and you are Mihr." He pointed each men in kind. "You two are amongst the greatest and most noble warriors I have ever met. Even when you were a Sheikh I heard nothing but good things about you both. A-And when you captured me when we were enemies, you treated me with respect and did what you could to avoid sending me to Mlkwt Alsmwat until you had no choice BUT to try and send me away. And! And you both betrayed the Theocracy to prevent the massacre on Uaminifu! Why would the fact that the two of you are together suddenly change anything? I still respect and trust you both as amongst my closest allies! That will never change!"

Both Keiran and Mihr looked at him again in silence. Daunte suddenly felt awkward standing there and he rubbed at his head in embarrassment. "I-If I gave you the impression that you couldn't trust me with this, I'm so—"

Keiran launched himself from the bed and knelt before Daunte. Mihr quickly followed suit beside him. "I—" Daunte began.

"My lord," Keiran said. "Forgive me for not trusting you. Know that you can trust me, and my life is yours. I will do anything to ensure the victory of this Army. You have my oath."

"Mine as well," Mihr said. "My life is yours."

"I don't want either of you dying…again," Daunte said with a wince. "But I appreciate your loyalty. As you both want to be discreet I will respect your discretion. It's no one's business what's going on in your personal lives and I will respect your privacy."

"Thank you, Lord Daunte," Keiran said, standing up. Mihr stood up as well.

"I'm actually quite ignorant of what's going on in everyone's personal lives," Daunte admitted with a short laugh. "I mean, I had no idea about Priscilla and Gusoku's engagement, or the fact that they were even dating until Priscilla told me!"

"I was also quite unaware of that," Keiran agreed dully. "Not until Mihr told me."

Daunte laughed again, but sobered when he saw Mihr was still holding Nariek in his hands. "I understand now at least," Daunte said quietly. "Why you insist that you're not worthy of wielding Nariek."

"I. Saw. You. Die. You were slain right before my eyes and I sat there gaping like a fool while your killer escaped. What part of that was brave? What part of that was honorable? What part of that made me anything other than a failure?"

"But Keiran—the person who shares the name of that sword—and I both believe that you are punishing yourself unnecessarily," Daunte said. "All of us were put into a situation that we shouldn't have been in, but we somehow made it out with the Liberation Army intact because of the Rune of Restoration." He pressed his hand over the back of his right one again. "I don't—enjoy, seeing you punish yourself like this," he admitted feelingly. "Because as the Commander I was responsible for what happened at Winter Hill. I know that if circumstances had been different I should have resigned my post again, but the lot of you insisted that I should keep my position and insist on absolving me of responsibility for what happened. So why must you be punished for anything when I'm not?"

Mihr was silent, but Daunte could see sadness in his usually calm eyes. "What happened wasn't your fault," Daunte said. "I don't blame you."

"Neither do I," Keiran said. "We are soldiers. Death on the battlefield is inevitable, but I died from my own carelessness and because of an awful drug. I don't blame you in any way, Mihr. I've never blamed you in any way for what happened. So when you insist on not wielding Nariek despite my telling you that it wasn't your fault makes me feel like you're calling me a liar." He folded his arms over his chest and get Mihr a hard look. "So, am I then? Am I a liar?"

Mihr shook his head but he looked between both Daunte and Keiran. "Do you know the feeling?"

"'Feeling'?" Daunte asked.

"Watching someone you love die right before your eyes," Mihr said. He was gripping Nariek so tight that his knuckles were turning white. "Be slain, murdered. When you see the exact moment they are dealt the blow that will kill them, and you see the exact moment they die. You are close enough to touch them, but yet you—you couldn't stop it," he stammered. "Then it's over and they're there and you can touch them, but it doesn't matter because their soul has already left their body. Nothing is left but their bleeding corpse. You can touch them, but you don't feel their warmth. You can say their name, but they can't hear you. The feeling, it's—"

Keiran reached out and grabbed one of Mihr's wrists. He pulled his hand forward and pressed it over his heart. "Do you feel this?" Keiran snapped at him. "This is my heart beating inside of my body. I am alive, Mihr. I am not a corpse. You are talking to me and I am responding to you. But even if I had remained dead, I wouldn't have blamed you for what happened. Let me make this clear to you: I—don't—blame—you. What happened to me is—not—your—fault. I will say this a million times until you understand it. So please stop doubting me and please stop doubting our Lord Commander. Please trust us. You have done nothing wrong, and you are worthy of wielding Nariek."

Mihr looked towards the floor for a long moment again. Then he closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. "…All right," he conceded. "I will not force you to hold onto Nariek for me anymore."

"Thank you—" Daunte said.

"But," Mihr said. "I will still fight with my fists. The first time I will wield Nariek again, it will be when I bury it in the body of the fiend who killed you," he said to Keiran. "Allow me to have this vengeance, Keiran. Nariek will want to avenge you, too."

Keiran sighed heavily and let go of his hand. "That will be a problem, Mihr."

"How so?"

"Because I want to kill the bastard who killed me."

"But—"

"Brooooooother!" Arin called from down the hallway. "Brother, where are you? You promised me ice cream!"

"You obviously have a lot to do, Lord Daunte," Keiran said amusedly, directing Daunte towards the door. "Thank you for all of your support. If we need anything else, we'll let you know."

"O-Okay," Daunte said as Keiran pushed him out the door.

"There you are, Brother!" Arin exclaimed, running towards him. "Can we have ice cream now?!"

"Of course," Daunte said, taking his hand. He looked towards Keiran and Mihr's door for a moment before leading his brother towards the elevators. Sometimes I feel really clueless about the people who serve in this Army. But so long as they're healthy and happy, I'll support them.

"Comment #103," Gertrude droned overhead. "Ah, the mysterious B.L. strikes again! 'You are a stupid, thieving, ungrateful bas'—Yeah that's enough of THAT." There was the sound of paper being torn immediately following her words.

"Wait, we need to save those notes!" Bax protested. "Those are threats coming from the same person!"

"It's fine, Bax. Lord Daunte can kill this coward easily."

"But m-maybe we should—"

"Bax, this B.L., whoever they are, is a coward with a capital C. If they were so brave they would make these threats to Lord Daunte's face! But they don't because you know why? They're a COWARD!"

"I'm surprised to hear a broadcast so early," Clara said, looking towards the ceiling. "Usually Gertrude is down here getting a tonic for a hangover!"

"Dr. Clara, where should I put this?" Parvati asked. She was holding a pile of clean linens in one arm while the other guided herself by feeling the end of the bed frames."

"The cabinet over there," Clara said, pointing. She quickly flushed and took Parvati gently by the arm. "Which I will direct you to right now," she added hastily.

"To answer your question Lord Daunte," Dr. Yulin said. "I do have some concerns about La'Ahad, but he's been doing better. I have confidence that there shouldn't be an issue with him joining your active party. But you do run into any issues, come back here immediately and we'll take care of him."

"That's all I needed to know, thank you," Daunte said, standing up.

"Don't forget to rest up too," Dr. Yulin gently warned him. "You may be young but if you overwork yourself then you'll make yourself sick."

"I'll be okay. We have another war campaign coming up but before then I have one more recruitment quest to undertake. Once I'm done with that I'll relax before the campaign."

"Good."

He headed over to see the detectives next and Oboro waved him in. "Hello, Lord Daunte! We'll still working on the Investigations but we do have some completed!"

"What you see in mine is all you're getting," Shou said bluntly, not looking up from his paperwork.

"We're still looking for your father," Masaru said apologetically. "I'm sorry that we don't have any updates to give to you about that."

"It's okay," Daunte said sincerely. "I was actually looking for—"

"More recruits?" Oboro finished for him with a smile. "We're ahead of you, Lord Daunte. Umeko found two for you—"

"There's a gentleman in Žiak in that big school who's been looking really sullen," Umeko said.

"In Žiak University?" Daunte's brow rose. "I-I…Are we able to get into the school? Usually security is very tight, almost as tight as in the Grand Citadel."

"Oh, there's almost no security there now," Shou confirmed. "A lot of the students and faculty were either killed in the Battle of Winter Hill, or they joined us. Those that are still there don't give a damn anymore if non-students or faculty walk in and out of the building. They're all walking around or sitting in classes like listless zombies."

"I…see," Daunte said slowly. "And the second person?"

"Oh, it's a gambler from that city that begins with 'U'," Umeko said cheerfully.

"Another gambler from Uaminifu?!" Daunte groaned, rubbing a hands over his eyes. "Yaman gives us enough trouble as it is!"

"Oh, but this one's different. He has a card game and not a dice game."

"I—okay," Daunte sighed, shaking his head. "Getting the gambler sounds like less trouble, so I'll go to Uaminifu first and then Žiak next. Would you recommend I take Yaman and Chinmaya with me?"

"Yes," Oboro said automatically. "Anything else, Lord Daunte?"

"Would you like us to find out who's been sending you those threatening messages Gertrude and Bax have been reading?" Masaru asked. "I've tried to get to the comment box before broadcasts but have been unable to. Then Gertrude shreds the notes the threats came from so I can't study the handwriting!"

Daunte pinched the bridge of his nose before shaking his head. "I've got other things to worry about than this. We'll leave it be for now."

"Good morning, Lord Daunte!" Caesar greeted him in the war room. "We are almost ready for the next campaign!"

"Good," Daunte said, nodding to Caesar and Chinmaya. "We'll discuss the war parties later. In the meantime there's two people I'm looking to recruit."

"Great!" Chinmaya exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Who would you like to take with you?"

"In the support party, Yaman and you," Daunte said. Chinmaya stopped clapping and her eyes widened. "There's a gambler in Uaminifu Yaman may know, and there's someone at Žiak University who may be open for recruitment. Umeko described him as a "sullen-faced man". Does that sound like anyone you know, Chinmaya?"

"No," Chinmaya answered honestly. "B-But if it's a teacher I may know him. I'll be happy to go with you."

"All right," Caesar said. "That's your support party. What about the active party?"

"La'Ahad," Daunte said. "I'd like to make a note that he should be automatically added to my active party for each of my outings for the foreseeable future."

"Okay. Who else, Lord Daunte?"

Daunte thought about it for a moment before deciding. "Gunther, Allise, Fred, and Rico."

"I'll call them so you can be on your way," Caesar said with a smile.

"I haven't been back to Žiak since the protests," Chinmaya said softly, wringing her hands slightly. "I hope…everything is okay. But the things I've heard, I…"

"It will be okay," Daunte reassured her.

The group came upon Caesar's summons.

"Really, again?!" Yaman complained loudly. "Last time you put me in a group I died!"

"This is very different," Daunte told him. "We're meeting with another gambler in Uaminifu."

Yaman stiffened upon hearing that. "Wait. Another? …No. It couldn't be."

He said nothing more so Daunte turned to the rest of the party. "We're going to Uaminifu and Žiak today. Once we get our recruits we're coming straight back."

"Oh man, not Uaminifu again!" Gunther groaned. "I still have warrants there that Eamon never lifted!"

"Hmm," Allise said. She didn't have a sarcastic or biting quip to give him like she usually did.

"We will make the Maximillian Knights proud!" Fred declared with a fist pump.

"R-Right!" Rico squeaked.

Daunte stifled a laugh. "Let's go."

Like with Kõrkus, there were no guards at the gates of Uaminifu to check for identification books or test religious knowledge. Daunte saw a couple of soldiers in the city proper, but they merely waved to him as he walked past as though he were an old friend.

I DID save this city from a massacre, and a lot of people died at Winter Hill. No wonder morale is so low here…

They walked up the street towards the restaurant, and La'Ahad chuckled softly. "I remember being here before. This was the second time you saved me, Lord Daunte."

"All I did was pay for your meal," Daunte said defensively. "I didn't do anything extraordinary."

"And this is why you're a good leader," Allise said. "Though you're a little too modest for your own good!"

"I'm not—" Daunte began.

"YOU!" Yaman shouted, breaking away from the group and running forward. "You owe me money, you bastard!"

"Yaman?!" An unfamiliar voice called ahead of them. "Weren't you arrested?! And last I checked, YOU owe ME money!"

Daunte and the group hurried after Yaman. The gambler had stopped at a table sandwiched between the restaurant and another shop, where a man in his forties stood. Isn't he cold, having a stall outside in the snow? Daunte wondered.

The man's hair was dark blue, almost black, and it was cut in a dapper style with a white and red stiped headband around his head. Though he was partially hidden behind the table Daunte saw that he was wearing a slate gray thobe.

"Give me the 50,000 bits you owe me!" Yaman demanded.

"Excuse me, but YOU'RE the one who owes money!" The other gambler shot back at him. "YOU owe ME 50,000 bits! Remember?! From before you were arrested?!"

"You—"

"I beat you at Chinchirorin, you moron!" The man hollered. "Remember?! I got four, five, six on my first try!"

Yaman stiffened violently, and his whole face turned red. "…Uhhhhhhhhh," he said for a prolonged period of time.

"Who are you?" The man demanded of Daunte. "You his friends?!"

"Ah, sort of," Daunte said. "I'm with the Liberation Army."

"Liberation Army?"

Daunte quickly explained and the man sighed heavily. "Oh. Right. Yeah, I ran and hid when they were conscripting people for that horrible battle. They dragged kids out of their houses! Can you believe that?!"

"Will you join us, Mister…?"

" Vien," the man responded. "And while I'm interested, I'm afraid I can't."

Daunte rubbed a hand over his face and sighed loudly. "…Not unless I win 50,000 bits playing Chinchirorin, right?"

"No," Vien scuffed rudely. "Why would I demand money of YOU?! HE owes me the money!" He jabbed his thumb at Yaman.

"I don't have 50,000 bits," Yaman admitted sheepishly.

"You won 930,000 bits in the Lottery!" Allise snapped. "How do you not have 50,000 bits?!"

Yaman laughed brokenly. "Ah…you see…"

"Fine," Vien gruffed, shaking his head. "He's a total loser so I know I want get my money back from him. We'll gamble, but not with Chinchirorin. It'll be with this." He gestured to the cards on the table before him.

"Oh, not that stupid card game!" Yaman complained.

"Kabu isn't stupid!" Vien shot back.

"Okay, fine, I'll do it," Daunte quickly interjected. "We'll go until one of us wins 50,000 bits, okay? Now, what are the rules of Kabu?"

"Lord Daunte's taking charge," Gunther murmured.

"It's sad that the teenager is acting more like an adult than the two adult gamblers," Allise mused.

"Should we be gambling out here in the open like this?" Chinmaya asked.

"Well it doesn't look like anyone's around," Fred said, looking around them.

"So, here are the rules," Vien said, shuffling the cards. "You need to get a total of 9 points with a maximum of three cards. I will deal three cards like this." He set out three cards facing up. One was a 3 of hearts, the second was a 8 of spades, and the third was a 6 of clubs. "Then you take one of the cards and I will then take a card."

Daunte took the 8 of spades. Vien took the 6 of clubs. "Now, you can make a bet between 100 bits and 9,000 bits—"

"I can't bet 50,000 straight away?" Daunte asked.

"No," Vien said bluntly.

"Then I'll just bet 9,000," Daunte sighed.

"After you place the bet, you can decide to stay or draw up to two more cards until you are close to 9. I will also draw and whoever has a total closest to 9 wins. If you get right on 9, you get Kabu. If you go over, your score is reset. So, say you get a 6 and a 7. That will equal 13, right? But your score will be 3. Winners can choose to take all of their winnings or move the bet forward to the next round."

"I see," Daunte said uncomfortably.

"But, there are special circumstances that can get you an automatic win even if the other person is close to 9," Vien said. "These are Kuppin, Shippin, Jun-shuntsu, Shuntsu, Arashi, and O'arashi. Kuppin is when you get an ace and a 9 of any two suits, in any order, however only I the dealer can get this. Shippin is when you get an ace and a 4 of any two suits and win double, in any order, but only you the player can get it. Jun-shuntsu is a three-card role we both can get made of three consecutive cards, like 2,3,4. 4,3,2 will not work. You will get your winnings tripled if you get this. Shuntsu is like Jun-shuntsu, except that the three consecutive cards must also be from the same set. So like 2,3,4 of the diamonds for example. You will get fives times your winnings if you get this. With Arashi you will get triple your winnings if you get three of the same number, like three 7's. O'arashi is similar to Arashi but only if you get triple ace, 3, 5 or 10. Doing this will also earn you five times your winnings."

Daunte and the rest of his group stared at Vien blankly. "I have a headache," Gunther said after a moment.

"Are you ready?" Vien asked Daunte, holding out the deck to him.

"Uh, yes," Daunte said. He set the 8 of clubs down. "No more draws."

"All right, then," Vien said, setting the deck down. "My turn." He drew one card, then another, and then another. His expression didn't change as he laid them out. It was an ace of hearts and a 9 of clubs. "You win," he said with a smile.

"I did?" Daunte exclaimed as his allies cheered.

"Do you want to collect your winning or apply them to the next game?" Vien asked.

"Next game," Daunte said, handing back his card.

"Okay." Vien shuffled the cards and laid them out. It was an ace of clubs, a 7 of spades, and 4 of diamonds. "I lost the last round so I select first." He quickly snatched up the 7 of spades.

"Okay," Daunte said, taking the 4 of diamonds. "I'll add 9,000 bits total a bet of 18,000," Daunte said, adding money on the table. Then he drew the next card. It was a 6 of diamonds. Damn! I went over 9! Daunte gritted his teeth. …My score is zero. I'll need a high card for the third draw to get close to 9.

"Will you stop or draw your last card?" Vien asked.

"I'll draw one more card," Daunte said, quickly drawing the next card. It was a 5 of diamonds. So…five points, then. His shoulders drooped in disappointment. Well, we'll be here for awhile.

"My turn," Vien said. He obviously didn't miss Daunte's disappointment and he looked almost gleeful. He drew the next card, and quickly laid his cards out on the table. He had a 3 of clubs. "Kabu."

"Congratulations," Daunte said in strained voice. He rested his cards on the table. "My total is 5–"

"NO!" Vien hollered, his eyes going wide. He jabbed his fingers at Daunte's cards. "That's—That's—!"

Yaman looked over Daunte's shoulder and shrieked with laughter. "Oh NAGAR! Lord Daunte, you got Shuntsu!" He threw his arms around Daunte's shoulders as he laughed hysterically. He pointed and laughed at Vien. "Het got you! He got you GOOD!"

"I sort of zoned out during your explanation earlier," Allise said as she looked at the cards. "What is Shuntsu?"

"Consecutive numbers from the same set," Vien said painfully. "That means he—Lord Daunte—"

"You won fives times your bet!" Yamen howled with laughter.

"Five times 18,000 is 90,000 bits!" Fred exclaimed, slapping a hand to his forehead.

"Yeah," Vien said grimly. "Fair is fair. I will give you what you owe."

"I-I exceeded 50,000 bits," Daunte said as Viewn counted the money in his hand. "Does that mean you—"

"I will join you," Vien said stiffly. "You didn't understand the game but won soundly. I'm certain I can win easy money from people in your Army anyway." He rubbed at his forehead. "I need to clean up here, but I will see you back at your HQ."

Daunte gave him the directions to HQ and then searched his pockets for the Blinking Mirror. As he did so though, a peculiar thought entered his head.

Why was Vien hounding Yaman for 50,000 bits when he had 90,000 bits in his pocket?

When they got back to HQ Yaman left their party to go searching for Vien (suddenly insisting again that Vien owed him money). Daunte decided then to go up to see Caesar and add Tamara to the support party. "Žiak?" the former Sheikh said. "I haven't been there in awhile. Not since before my dad died."

Viki then teleported the party straight to Žiak. Chinmaya looked nervous as they entered the scholarly town, as did Tamara, but again no one seemed to pay them any attention. Daunte felt a squirm of discomfort in his stomach when he walked past people openly weeping in the streets as they steered themselves towards the school building. Did…Did they lose family that were not revived by my Rune of Restoration? A hard lump formed in his throat. The High Clerics are just letting these people suffer in grief! Do they not care anymore?!

"Chinmaya," he said discreetly to his Secondary Strategist. "When we get back, I want to discuss giving out raises again."

"O-Oh, absolutely," Chinmaya said, nodding. Her expression was pale.

"Žiak," La'Ahad mused aloud. "This…city feels familiar to me somehow."

"Maybe this is your hometown?" Daunte offered. "We could go through the residential district if you like to see if any of the houses trigger a memory for you."

"…I would like that."

"Everyone looks so sad," Rico said quietly. "I feel bad for them."

"Yes, this is awful," Tamara said, looking at her surroundings. "What on earth is Imbuka doing?! A Sheikh shouldn't let the people they protect become this despondent!"

"Imbuka doesn't care about them, that's why," Allise said. "Neither of the southern Sheikh care about their people."

"We're nearing the school," Chinmaya said, grabbing Daunte's arm. "Be on your guard. Security wouldn't even allow citizens of Žiak to enter the school freely!"

But when they crossed the gate and entered the front gardens, Daunte saw that the area was deserted. He remembered his mother telling him of how beautiful the gardens looked even in winter, but the gardens now looked overgrown and most of the plants were wilted. He craned his head back to look up at the tall building before glancing towards the entrance. The doors were wide open, uncaring if the cold wind blew inside.

"This is so strange," Chinmaya said, her tone sad. "I-I've never seen this place so empty before!"

"Neither have I," Tamara said.

"Let's check around inside," Daunte said, nodding towards the door. "We can look for the man Umeko mentioned and get out of the cold."

The party entered the building to see a large reception desk in front of them, long corridors on either side of them, and a large staircase behind the desk. Daunte didn't have to look far for a sullen-faced man; he saw a man in his later thirties wearing a gray trench coat buttoned to his collar and black pants leaning against one of the bannisters. He was tall but lanky, and his had his arms folded over his chest. His had was silver-blue, short in the back but long enough in the back that his bangs were touching his chin on either side of his face. Daunte could not see his eyes.

"I-Is that—" Chinmaya said.

"Professor Peader!" Tamara exclaimed, her voice echoing in the otherwise empty entrance hall.

"Yes, Professor Peader!" Chinmaya shouted. The man in question turned his head in their direction as both Tamara and Chinmaya ran towards him.

Daunte hurried after them as both girls stood on either side of the man, Peader. "…So," the man said in a low, stoic tone. "My top student and my thirteenth placed student are still alive."

Tamara gave a huge wince but Chinmaya nodded eagerly. "Yes, Professor Peader. All thanks to Lord Daunte."

Peader looked towards Daunte. Even closer Daunte could not see his eyes but he saw his expression and saw that Peader was sullen. Peader then suddenly pointed at Daunte. "You."

"Me?" Daunte asked, pointing at himself.

"You are Phoebe Amirmoez's son," Peader said bluntly.

Someone gasped sharply behind Daunte, but he didn't turn around. He contemplated if he should lie or tell the truth, but he sensed that if he lied then he would offend Peader and he might miss out on recruiting him. So he settled for honesty. "I am," he said, nodding. "How did you know?"

"You have her eyes," Peader said. "I would know those eyes from anywhere. Your features otherwise are unfamiliar to me. They must have come from your father."

"D-Did you know my mom?"

"I attended this university around the same time she did," Peader said. "She was my upperclassman. She was the smartest person I ever met. I did not surprise me in the slightest when she was made a High Cleric at the age of seventeen."

"I see," Daunte said. "So…you became a professor here?"

"I was a vassal so my prospects were never good despite my enrollment here," Peader said bluntly. "And I wanted to broaden the horizons of the next generation. Instead I was peddling propaganda, aiding and abetting in the brainwashing of youth, and then sent several students to their deaths."

"Professor Peader, it wasn't like that!" Tamara insisted. "You are the most open-minded teacher I've ever had!"

"Yes, and you encouraged us when we decided to protest!" Chinmaya added.

"And I sat back and did nothing when students were dragged kicking and screaming out of their dorms to be forced to return to class," Peader said. "I sat back and did nothing when soldiers from the Holy Army came here to conscript students who had not successfully gotten deferments from the draft. My deferment was granted, but deferments from children were denied. I am a vile, spineless man and many are dead because of my inaction."

"If you did something, then you would be dead to," Allise pointed out.

"I would have preferred to die over my students," Peader said. "So here I am, in this once thriving building with three-quarters of the student body gone. And those who returned to class don't even want to be here. I was supposed to protect these children and I failed in this task. I cannot even stand to look at them from my own shame."

"How about this then," Daunte said shakily. "Join the Liberation Army. I-I think some of the students who died at Winter Hill may have joined my Army."

"…You say they died but joined your Army," Peader said. "How is that possible?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Daunte offered. "Come and join us and make a difference to make this country better. If both Chinmaya and Tamara are this complimentary of you, then you must be incredible. The Liberation Army welcomes you, Professor Peader." He offered him his hand.

"Yes, please come with us," Tamara said.

"I would love to have your expertise with the Strategists," Chinmaya said, nodding to Daunte. "I learned so much about strategy from Professor Peader."

"…Yes," Peader said. "I am helping no one standing here whining like an immature child. If I am to make a difference I must take action." He shook Daunte's hand. "I accept."

"Aww, are we done without combat?!" Fred complained. La'Ahad's head was turned towards the floor and trembling.

"L-Let's just go back," Rico said.

"Hey, are the rooms on this floor empty?" Gunther spoke up. "We should loot them before we leave!"

"'Loot'?!" Chinmaya and Tamara exclaimed.

Peader shrugged stiffly. "No one will care."