Part 4 Epilogue: Early Inheritance
May 20th Unified Year 1925 12:30
Kaiserkircenplatz, Near the Imperial War College, Berlun
Tanya wore a wide smile as she strolled through the green and peaceful park by the parade ground in front of the Imperial War College. The day was bright and warm, with clear skies and a light springtime breeze keeping the temperature comfortable as she casually made her way along the path. The brightly blooming flowers surrounding her filling the air with a calming, refreshing scent that perfectly punctuated the peaceful atmosphere.
She let out a content sigh as the sounds of songbirds touched her ears, completing the pleasant experience of her lazy constitutional. The hustle and bustle of the city seemed so distant here, the war even more so; almost all noise from outside muffled by the oasis of natural beauty created in the heart of the city.
All save for the not-so-distant sounds of bells echoing around the trees that is, the proximity of the church at the perimeter of the park made it impossible for the natural beauty to drown it out completely. However, for once she did not mind melodic chimes in the air, it seemed almost appropriate considering the nature of her visit.
There had been a time, in her past life, when she would have barely taken any notice of a place like this. Although he had been aware of the function of a public park, the only uses the Salaryman had seen in vast public spaces like this was to show the prestige of the local province and perhaps offer a place for professionals like himself to eat his lunch when weather permitted. Neither of which seemed worth the tax burden required for maintenance, nor the effort needed to keep the undesirables at bay.
However, since she'd been dragged across the ugly reality of the battlefield, Tanya had gained a new respect for places like this. There was a sense of peace and freedom here that aligned perfectly with her views of the world, it needed to be cherished and protected.
It was odd that it had taken a war for her to realise it.
She slowed her pace, determined to enjoy as much of the peaceful atmosphere as possible as the park opened out into a large plaza, the natural feel of the trees and flowers giving way to immaculate topiary and manmade sculptures and monuments. Before long, she came upon a large stone pedestal in the centre of the garden with a bronze statue of the Empire's first Kaiser atop it and she found herself pausing to regard the long-dead ruler as he stared down from horseback.
Her lips tugged into a smirk as she noted the proud expression on the statue's face, matching the resplendent depiction of what would have been ornamental armour, even at the time of its construction. Although the elderly man on horseback had few characteristics that matched her own troublesome little royal, the prideful expression certainly marked them as related. Was a look of insufferable self-assurance a genetic trait common to his entire dynasty? Or was it just an odd trick of fate that Wilhelm had inherited a physical trait from his forbear that suited him so perfectly?
Regardless, she could hardly hold a resemblance to the annoying little captain against the man, the creation of a nation such as the Empire was something to be proud of, especially considering how rational and scientific it had remained despite the chaotic interference of Being X. She should be thankful to this man, after all, he had laid the foundation for her victory over the faux deity. Who knows what fate might have befallen her if she had been born in one of the Empire's less enlightened neighbours?
She tossed a smart salute to the statue, a grin still pulling at her face. She felt a little silly saluting an inanimate object but her jubilant mood made it difficult to resist expressing her appreciation. In truth, it was all she could do to stop herself from breaking into a cheerful skip as she continued her journey through the park and towards the time-worn stone tower at the far side of the plaza.
By now the bells had fallen silent and she felt her lips pull her smile even wider as she closed on the familiar building, feeling her heart flutter with uncharacteristic trepidation as she approached. Usually visiting this place was nothing but an inconvenience, a way to keep up appearances and manage the societal expectations expected of an Imperial soldier. However, today she was here of her own volition and for once, she was very much looking forward to it.
She paused as she reached a pair of large dark wooden doors that marked the entrance of the building, taking a moment to regard the architecture. There were far more impressive churches dotted around the city, including the hideous domed cathedral visible from the General staff offices. This church was one of the older and simpler ones she'd been forced to frequent in the past. Rather than the ornate arches or intricately carved buttresses and facades she'd seen on some, this building was relatively plain, with little decoration marking the ageing stone. In truth, it almost looked less impressive than the ruins she had fought that lunatic in a few weeks before.
However, it had become habitual to visit this smaller, more secluded chapel whenever she was forced to maintain the appearance of piety expected of an Imperial citizen. It was embarrassing enough having to participate in the nonsensical rituals and tedious chanting Being X's followers indulged in, the least she could do was see to it that there weren't too many witnesses to her reluctant compliance.
During her time at the war college, she had also heard rumours that it was the favoured place of worship for some of the senior officers who taught there and had hoped at the time she could utilise it for networking. That had turned out to be nothing more than a rumour, a joke at the expense of the church's favoured saint, but she still found it useful to have a quiet place where she could goad Being X if she felt the need, especially if her faux piety painted her in a positive light.
She may not have been sure when Being X was watching, but at least she knew where she could find Him.
She turned her gaze from the building and made her way through the dark wood portal, cheerful grin still pulling at her features. Usually, she might be filled with dread entering the domain of her most hated enemy, ready to escape at the first possible opportunity, but today she was ready to savour every moment.
"Miss Degurechaff? Is that you?" An elderly voice called as she entered the vestibule leading into the main hall, causing a whispered curse as she marshalled her expression to greet the speaker. "It's been some time since we last saw you."
"It's Major now, Father Calvin." She replied, turning toward the voice and greeting the man with a nod, hoping she had hidden her annoyance. She had hoped to avoid the priest during this visit. The old man was not nearly as troublesome as the fanatics Being X deployed on the battlefield but he was a nuisance nonetheless. Especially since he always neglected to refer to her by her proper rank, a gesture she knew she couldn't return without appearing disrespectful. She could still feel the sting of the lash from the nuns as lessons on that topic. Hopefully, she could get the man out of the way for the duration of her visit. "I've been away from the capital, first on the southern continent and then over on the Eastern front. There hasn't been time for a visit up until now."
Tanya had to suppress her returning smile as she saw the old man frown at her words. He had never liked the idea of her joining the military, a sign she took as evidence that Being X would also disapprove, and Tanya took great pleasure in anything that could earn his dissatisfaction. The feeling only lasted a moment, however, and he quickly rallied, his irritatingly serene smile returning.
"Such a patriotic and dutiful girl, I'm glad the Lord delivered you back to us safely." He returned, causing her face to redden and another inward curse as he placed a hand on her head and messed up her hair. This was another thing that annoyed her about the old priest, even the nuns had never treated her in such a childish and familiar way; it was humiliating. She didn't much like the sentiment either, he couldn't have been more wrong if he tried. The only thing He had to do with my safety was the attempt to rob me of it!
"But as usual you're sense of timing is terrible." He chuckled as Tanya tried to tidy her hair, wishing she had a mirror as she adjusted her silver hair clip. "We've just concluded services, somehow you always seem to just miss them."
"A pity, but my duties keep me quite busy, I'm rarely allowed any time for myself." She replied, again doing her best not to let any trace of triumph reach her face. She had purposely dithered in the park for this very reason, if she could just persuade this foolish priest to hurry up and leave everything would be perfect.
She had always done her very best to avoid as many church functions as possible wherever possible, especially those where direct participation was necessary. Societal norms and her career might require her to pay lip service but she wasn't going to give Being X a moment more of her precious time than necessary. A sip of wine and a wafer wasn't nearly enough to encourage her to prostrate herself to that thing in one of those absurd ceremonies, although the nuns had forced her to on several occasions before she'd joined the army.
"Such diligence is commendable in one so young. I'm sure the absences of a dutiful young lady like yourself will be forgiven, but do try to pop in and see us from time to time." Tanya forced herself not to roll her eyes as Father Calvin smiled at her in a way she was sure would have been reassuring if she had any care about what he was saying. She was getting increasingly impatient with him. "Come, since you're here, I can take confession for you if you like?" He continued, gesturing for her to follow him inside.
Hell no! Tanya thought instantly, although she managed to keep the sentiment from her face. The last thing she wanted to do was feign repentance to humour some old fool, she had much better things to do. Besides, what had she ever done wrong that she might need to confess? The only sin she had ever committed was suffering fools like him too lightly.
"Thank you, Father, but no." She replied quickly, trying her best to look contrite. "I've only just returned from the front and I wanted a quiet place to reflect on everything that has happened before I share my experiences…"
She allowed her voice to trail off and watched as the priest's smile soured and his expression turned sorrowful. I've been hanging around Wilhelm too long, she mused as she now began to struggle to keep the smile from breaking out on her face once again. I'm picking up his penchant for overacting.
"Of course. It must have been very difficult for you, take as much time as you need." He continued with a pained expression; the man clearly didn't have the stomach for war. "We'll be here when you're ready."
She nodded a thanks, not trusting her voice to maintain the deception as she began to move away however she was again stopped as the priest cleared his throat to get her attention. "Miss Degurechaff, I know the recent months have been difficult for you, but you are safe here. The weapons won't be necessary."
She paused mid-stride, cursing inwardly; this was the other reason she had hoped to avoid the priest during her visit. She would prefer to keep hold of her weapons while inside Being X's domain. She didn't expect an attack from him, not at the moment at least, to do so would be as good as an admission of defeat, something she was certain a poor excuse of a deity could never stomach. Besides, she doubted even Being X was stupid enough to accost her in sight of His own followers, however, she'd never liked the idea of being too far away from a way to defend herself.
That said, she was painfully aware that it was socially unacceptable to carry weaponry in certain places. Although she'd managed to persuade the owners of a few of her favourite cafes to allow her to carry a gun, she'd only ever gotten away with it here when there had been no one else around.
"My apologies Father Calvin." She replied, turning back towards the irritating priest, feigning concern as she gestured her submachine gun and pistol. "But I can hardly leave these unattended."
She watched the man's face again as it contorted into another pained-looking frown as he wrestled with her words. Even she would concede it was unlikely that any of his parishioners would take her weapons if she were to leave them at the door, only the most fanatical of Being X's followers were that insane. However, even he must realise that leaving them in sight of a park frequented by young children was hardly the act of a supposed responsible pillar of the local community.
"I can store them safely in the back for you if you like." He said eventually, clearly disliking the idea of handling the weapons at all. She could respect that at least. His faith may be irrational nonsense but he at least had the good sense to know that any civilised person should be wary of firearms. She looked forward to the day when she would not need to carry them anymore.
"Thank you, Father." She replied, reluctantly handing over her weapons before politely disengaging and leaving the priest to worry over her weapons. At least she wouldn't need to be concerned about him interrupting her again, he'd probably not dare let the weapons out of his sight. Finally, I'm rid of him!
The church felt cool in comparison to the park outside, the ancient stonework blocking all the warmth from the early afternoon sun. However, it remained bright; the great stained-glass windows still allowing the light into the temple, painting rays of colour in the air. She ignored both as she strode purposefully towards the altar, grin returning as she approached the gilded cross that sat in pride of place upon it.
She halted, ignoring the golden trinket and stared at the statue behind, a rendering of the woman holding a baby. Not for the first time, she marvelled at the audacity Being X had to depict Himself in such a way. Although neither of her lifetimes had furnished her with a stereotypical example of one, she was aware that a mother was supposed to be a loving, caring and protective figure, qualities Being X had never shown towards anyone in either of the worlds He had claimed as His domain.
Still, it was better than the image of self-sacrifice on the altar she supposed. She knew Being X was more than willing to sacrifice His pawns but she'd seen no evidence He was willing to risk his own existence. The rarity of his time-halting visits was proof enough of that. Besides, her own reincarnation had proven that a regular death was no threat to Him, his so-called sacrifice was nothing but a con.
She took a careful look around, making sure there was no one else around who might overhear her before returning her gaze to the statue in front of her, grin pulling even wider.
"It must be humiliating to lose so completely." She began, her goading voice echoing softly around the hall. "I'm still alive, I've secured a safe and comfortable job in the rear, far from any danger. I'll have my own office in the General Staff, my loyal adjutant will be by my side and I'll even retain command of my battalion, at least until I've prepared Captain Weiss to take over for me."
She paused for a moment, staring at the statue and willing it to reply but it remained stubbornly silent. It seemed Being X was too much of a coward to face her in her moment of triumph.
"I've achieved the safe and comfortable job I wanted, the one you believed I couldn't have without begging for your help! I didn't need to grovel in prayer! I didn't need your so-called faith!" She spat with cheerful venom at the unmoving effigy. "I did it myself and proved once again that a rational mind and human perseverance far exceeds the divine providence of a so-called God like you!"
She felt her elation build with every syllable as she was finally able to share the feelings she'd been bottling up since the trial. It had been risky to provoke Generals Ruddersdorf and Zettour, going against the wishes of a superior was always a nuclear option for even the most mistreated of employees. However, since the High Command was willing to charge her with any number of wrongdoings for simply following orders, she had felt there was no other option but to confront the issue.
The risk had been worth it though and she'd gotten precisely what she'd always wanted.
"I've won!"
She threw up her head in laughter, spreading her arms out wide and spinning happily; knocking over the golden cross on the altar as she finally let loose her barely contained delight. She'd done it! There was no way for Being X to harm her now! All that was left was a long, healthy and happy life! Even if the war went poorly for the Empire, her new position in the rear meant she could easily arrange to stay out of harm's way and prepare herself for a successful career post-military service. Even further interference from Being X was barely a threat; it would only be a pointless gesture of spite on his part that only further proved her right! She was victorious.
"I've won! I've won! I've won!" She continued happily feeling her body move on its own as the desire to express her joy took over, more fits of laughter leaving her lips with every step and twirl.
She froze mid-rotation as she heard a quiet snickering from somewhere behind her, feeling the colour drain from her face as she realised there had been a witness to her immature behaviour.
"Someone's in a good mood." A familiar voice chuckled and she felt her heart hit her stomach.
If only it had been Being X she found herself groaning inwardly as she slowly brought her hands down, she would have relished the chance to mock the faux deity. She would even have preferred the priest or another passer-by, although she would still have been embarrassed beyond belief at being caught in such a compromising position. But of all the people she absolutely didn't want to walk in on her at this moment, he was at the top of the list. Suddenly all the joy of her victory was stripped away from her, only to be replaced with the sort of humiliation that only that troublesome little wretch could deliver.
"I thought you said you weren't very good at dancing?" He continued, his cheerful, melodious voice twisting like a knife in her gut as it echoed around the drafty church. "Care for a waltz? Maybe you won't kick me so much this time."
She hastily rounded on the voice and quickly found its owner leaning casually on one of the worn stone columns nearby, wearing a smirk that made him look like one of the gargoyles standing vigil outside. She wasn't sure how long he had been watching her but judging by the amusement on his face, it had been far longer than she was comfortable with.
"Wh…What are you doing here?" She questioned struggling to keep the panic from her voice, feeling her face redden with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. How had he known she was here? It wasn't as though this were a particularly well-known haunt of hers. Had he decided to follow her here? But Why? Hadn't that embarrassing display at the hearing been enough for him?
"You left so quickly. I didn't have a chance to properly congratulate you." Wilhelm replied breezily, smirk never fading as he injected a mocking faux innocence into his explanation.
Rallying slightly at his irritating display of overconfidence, she replied with nothing more than a snort of derision and a roll of the eyes. The boy had spent the entire trial watching her with that irritating fake smile of his. Then, during his tenure as a witness, he presented such an exaggerated account of events in the Federation capital, that it almost made a joke of the entire proceeding. If not for the fact she was sure he didn't want to go through a similar ordeal with the charges she might bring against him, she might have thought he was purposely trying to undermine her defence. It was fortunate that he ended up making a fool of the prosecution instead.
"And before you ask, you aren't terribly difficult to find. You always make sure Visha can reach you in an emergency." He continued, bowing and extending a hand to dance, just as he had so long ago in Letzenbourg. This time however, he wore a cast on his wrist and a slight, almost imperceivable, wince on his face showed the pain he felt as he bowed; something that only served to make her frown deepen.
His injuries should have mostly healed now, just as hers had. A good medical mage could speed up the healing of broken bones to a mere week or so with a few visits, she now only wore a few bandages to keep her remaining wounds free from the elements and possible infection. Wilhelm wouldn't struggle to gain access to a decent doctor; the fool had obviously been avoiding treatment and was suffering as a result.
"You should be visiting a medic instead of bothering me." She replied irritably, batting his hand away; for once taking care not to use too much force with her rejection. As annoying as the brattish Iatrophobe could be, she didn't want to aggravate his wounds. "And congratulate me? Don't make me laugh. Why are you really here?"
Tanya felt another twinge of irritation as the boy made a show of looking offended by her rejection. Talking to him could be so frustratingly tiresome at times, why he continued to play these games when he knew she could see right through him was beyond her. She could only conclude that the aim was to annoy her but why he continued to take such pleasure in that she would never know.
"Like I said, to congratulate you on finally being transferred to the rear!" He declared, smirk still staining his lips despite the pretence of being hurt by her tone. "It may only be temporary, but I'm sure we can make sure it becomes more permanent."
Tanya narrowed her eyes at him. His words, his tone; he sounded as though he believed he had something to do with her recent success. But that was impossible, wasn't it?
He'd been making a nuisance of himself during the trial, a fact that even his warped perception couldn't confuse, and aside from a bout of uncharacteristic silence when she had confronted Generals Ruddersdorf and Zettour he hadn't contributed anything to the conversation that had won her prized position in the rear. However, Wilhelm wasn't one to take credit unduly, especially when being underhanded. Had he and his agent Captain Zerbist been up to something behind the scenes?
"And to say goodbye of course." He finished, causing Tanya's thoughts to halt in their tracks as she stared at his frustratingly smug face. "I won't see you for a few months after all and I don't know if I'll get to see you again before I leave."
"What are you talking about?" She asked quickly, blinking at him in confusion. The General staff couldn't have made a decision on what to do with the 203rd yet! The transfer hadn't even gone through! She hadn't even had time to tell Weiss she was recommending him for promotion. "You aren't going anywhere, the Battalion has been stood down for now, you're on standby until further notice."
His smile widened in a way she had learned to dread as he returned to his place leaning up against the column, the coloured lights of the stained glass illuminating him in a way that made her stomach feel strangely uneasy. Has he gotten taller? She found herself wondering automatically for a moment before pushing the unbidden thought aside.
"That may be true for you, but the Letzenbourg Close Combat Volunteer Mage Company is no longer part of the 203rd." He replied cheerfully, delivering the news as casually as if he were talking about the weather. "I'll be heading back to the front soon."
"What?!" She snapped, her words echoing around the hall as she felt an odd rush of anger and panic at the boy's words. "I didn't approve that!"
"No but General Zettour did." Wilhelm replied casually, his ever-self-satisfied smirk not wavering in the slightest despite her outburst. "He quite liked the idea of imitating the Francois 'Named killers' you faced on the Rhine. I hear they were quite effective before you came along."
It was true that she expected to part ways with her battalion sometime in the near future, it didn't make sense for the General Staff to keep a group of elites guarding her in the rear after all, but she had been determined to keep them together. However, she hadn't really thought about what would happen to Wilhelm and his troops.
She had wanted to keep him close so she could keep an eye on him. In truth, she'd assumed that he would remain with her, no doubt causing a minor irritation in her otherwise peaceful life, however, in hindsight that was likely impossible. His troublesome nature and desire to stay at the front would always drive him to disobey her; not to mention the ever-present need for skilled mages for the war effort. Still, she had hoped to have a little longer before he tried something, especially something like this.
How dare you go over my head like this! You promised not to undermine me! She growled internally, gritting her teeth as a flash of anger and betrayal ripped through her chest.
"I will appeal this! You aren't going anywhere without my say-so!" She retorted darkly, fixing him with a hateful glare and for the first time since he'd arrived, his smile began to waver, his eyes showing growing concern as he began to realise he had crossed a line.
"You wouldn't risk your new position over me, would you?" He replied, shrugging theatrically as he tried to maintain his conceited attitude, despite the hint of uncertainty shining through his emerald orbs. "Not after I gave you the credit for the idea."
"What exactly did you say to him?" She growled closing on him, feeling a slight moment of triumph as the fear spiked in his eyes once he realised he'd left himself pinned against the pillar, unable to easily escape from her gaze.
"I just reminded him of your report about them on the Rhine." He replied hastily, holding his hands up in surrender. "I simply volunteered for the job."
"Why? So you could try to cause trouble again? Prolong the war? I told you I had no intention of letting you out of my sight!" She snarled, angry that he had used her name to forward his schemes. She wasn't about to be dragged from her happiness by his carelessness with her name.
"I was against being too aggressive towards the Russy remember?" He bit back, his own frustration bubbling up at her challenge. "Are you really going to accuse me of making things worse?"
How do you always manage to provoke me like this? She groaned inwardly, forcing herself to take a step back from the boy and a deep breath to calm herself down. For once, she had to admit he was right. He had been pushing for restraint against the Federation from the moment they were redeployed to the East. Even before that, he had kept his promise of not doing anything to further drag out the war. In truth, since the events of the south, she had come to believe that if not for his so-called debt to Being X, he wouldn't be on the front lines at all. What she used to think was pleasure at the violence he caused had started to look more like desperation and fatigue.
Still, she wasn't willing to give up on this without a fight.
"You're injured, you can't be deployed anywhere. I will not have it said I send unfit officers to war." She continued, this time managing to keep her voice level as she fixed him with another cold stare, her tone telling him there was little room for argument. However, Wilhelm pushed on regardless.
"Fine! I'll visit a quack before I leave!" He threw his arms up in exasperation, causing an almost indiscernible wince, before adding quietly to himself. "It's not as if I don't hear enough of that from Sophia."
A moment of silence fell between them as Tanya continued to bore her gaze into the boy, unwilling to give an inch on her argument. She could tell he was lying about seeing a doctor, she could see it in his eyes. Or rather, in the way he turned his eyes away from her when he spoke about it.
"Why are you so against me leaving anyway?" He continued sulkily, still not turning to look at her. "I thought you'd be happy! This way we both get what we want."
Why am I against it? She wondered to herself, pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts as a few strands of hair fell loose, partially covering one of her eyes.
Again he was right; they would both be getting what they wanted. She, her comfortable and safe life in the rear, he, his chance to pay his blood debt. She'd already established he wasn't lying about not exacerbating the war and although he was still as underhanded and untrustworthy as he'd ever been she didn't believe that would change any time soon. So why did she need to keep him close at all anymore? Why did he need to continue being her problem?
True, she was angry with him using her name to get himself transferred out, not to mention the audacity of going over her head and failing to consult her first but it would be irrational for her to use that as a reason to stop him from leaving. It would be unprofessional to be so petty.
So why do I feel so hesitant about this? She mused with a frown, bringing up her hands up the clip once again to fix her hair. The clip he gave me, a smaller voice added as her fingers brushed the silvery trinket.
"Fine, you can go." She said eventually, hoping she wouldn't live to regret her decision as she pushed aside her misgivings. "But you will see the medic before you do, I'll drag you there myself if I have to."
Wilhelm raised his head to look at her, studying her for a moment as though he were looking through the fine print of a contract. Eventually, a smile returned to his face, however, rather than the usual smug smirk, it was one full of genuine appreciation and relief. Somehow though, it did not help soothe her disquiet about the decision.
"I'd better get to that right away then." He replied, a slight quiver in his tone telling her he was far from happy about the prospect. For a moment, she wondered if she should take pity on him, say something reassuring since he was following an order she knew he wasn't especially thrilled about, and without much fuss for once. However, her thoughts of encouraging him quickly evaporated as a small mischievous smirk began to return to his lips.
"Are you sure you're ok with me leaving? I might have beaten your score by the time we see each other again. Could you live with being second place to me?" He grinned, the confident, bombastic brat returning in full force now the tension between them had eased. For once it didn't bother her however, part of her even wanted to laugh at the little captain's quick return to form.
"Second to you? We'd both have to overtake the Minstrel first and you have a long way to go before you're even close." She snorted dismissively at the boy's idle boasts. True he was considered one of the great Aces, arguably third in the rankings amongst the Empire's mages. However, he still lagged behind her by a reasonable margin, let alone the top spot. She doubted he was serious though, it had always been a joke amongst the ranks that every mage wanted to attain the same achievements as the Minstrel, even her prodigious kill count was dwarfed by his. "As for my count? Why should a dutiful desk worker care about one of those? All I need to worry about is keeping up with my paperwork."
Tanya felt a measure of her earlier elation begin to return as they shared a grin. Wilhelm was right, this was for the best; now they could both truly get what they wanted. Silence returned to the temple once more, but this time it was a comfortable one as they shared the moment of happiness together.
"Well, as much as I'd love to hear your long tearful farewell. I had better be going." Wilhelm said eventually, breaking the tranquil quiet as he turned and began making his way towards the door. "If all goes well, I may even have a gift for you when I return."
Tanya snorted, suppressing a chuckle as she shook her head and wondered if the boy truly thought she was the sort to burst into tears over a simple goodbye. "What could I possibly want with a gift from you?"
"You still wear the hair clip." He reminded her, pausing for a moment to look back at her, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "And the pin on your lapel"
Tanya turned away, feeling her face redden once again as she realised the boy was right. Come to think of it, she also habitually used the leather satchel and canteen he had given her too, not to mention the coffee and grinder. Now it came to it, she also was finally in a position to wear the civilian clothes he had gifted her too, at least on her day off. Damnit! Why did he have to buy gifts that were so damned useful! They're too well made to simply discard.
"Get out Wilhelm!" She called, cursing inwardly as the boy chucked to himself.
"I'll miss you too, Tanya." He laughed as he exited the church, leaving her alone with her thoughts once again.
"Miss you, huh?" She murmured to herself, letting out a sigh of relief as she collapsed onto a nearby pew. She took a moment to regard the statue of Being X once again, absently reaching into her pocket for the Type 95 and holding it up to the coloured light of the stained-glass window. "This thing must have corrupted me more than I thought."
Author's notes
Hello everyone, as always thank you for reading, reviewing, favouriting and following. Sorry, it has been a little while since I updated. I wanted to get this part of the story wrapped up as best as I could and move on to the next arc but unfortunately, there ended up being a lot more than I thought so I had to separate it into two chapters (this was even after some pretty vigorous cutting). I suppose I could have cut the Sophia at the hospital scene if I really wanted to but I didn't and it's my story so I get to make as many dumb decisions as I want!
I also ended up writing these chapters completely out of order, with the church scene first (my favourite of the lot if I'm honest). This was another reason I couldn't upload before now, I couldn't put the epilogue before the actual chapter!
That said, aside from the church I don't think it's my best work, despite the time I've put in. I don't know if it's partially because it's an end of part/section and it's all a bit of a come down after the action of previous chapters or whether I just tried to cram too much in but I can't say I'm 100% happy. I do however think I couldn't do more to fix it without going back.
I also am aware that some may have preferred if I'd written Tanya's hearing however I was almost certain that would have involved another chapter and I really didn't want that. I want to get into the next part of the story as I can see the end in sight now (still pretty distant tbf) and as I've said before I really want to finish this story.
Despite all this, I hope you still enjoyed the chapters. As a reminder, I am now using Twitter/X and Bluesky to keep people up to date with the Saint and other writing projects (although I haven't been doing an especially good job so far but will try harder. So please feel free to follow Lord_Solus (no underscore on Bluesky) if you wish. I will also be adding the art that I have from the Saint once I've gotten permission from the artists.
Thank you again for reading.
Xanen (Aka Lord Solus)
