“Kill her? For what possible cause should Etervia deem her time over?”
“Tax evasion.”
“...Are you serious.”
“Well, that and the mafia she runs. Poison her, shoot her, whatever it takes, simply eliminate her from the town.”
“...Very well, Bibliotheca.”
“Oh, and Miexue? The police will follow you as soon as the deed is done. Nevertheless, make your way out before the cameras arrive.”
“Very well.”
Miexue quickly found the illegal red light district, the lanterns emitting a dim scarlet across the wall. The bouncer kept peeking inside from time to time, slowing down the small queue outside.
He dodged into the alleyway behind the building, where he spotted the guards smoking and making small talk.
Creeping closer, he did not eavesdrop. He lunged forward and stabbed both in the face in rapid succession, dashing not into the building, but up the gutter.
He stopped outside the second-story window, where he saw Frau Yu giving her men orders.
He made sure there were no prisoners inside, then kicked the window in and threw a satchel inside. His body met the floor in a roll, then unfurled as he got up and began running. A few shots flew past him before a resounding explosion sounded, filling the entire alley with smoke.
He ducked, debris flying past him, then turned and ran back to the site.
To his surprise, he saw Frau Yu managing to crawl out from behind her desk.
She was bleeding, and tried to call out, before a throwing knife imbedded itself in her chest.
Miexue shot the body a few more times to make sure, then turned and left.
The sound of wailing sirens followed him.
Atheneum Echter-Heiss, Altreich Provinz, SICR
...It is my opinion that Mundus is slowly unraveling. One of these days Rokkenjima, or some other world power will snap and attempt to conquer us all. SANE only makes us a bigger target.
So you think that SANE is counterintuitive to the interests of the Imperial Republic?
That is correct. By all means, the Imperial Republic should-
-click-
“How tiresome. The Self-Defense Party never seem to shut up.”
Miexue nodded, continuing to clean his rifle. The Biblitheca leaned towards him.
“You know, the BIS was here earlier. They wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh? I thought I was protected by the Three Writs? Besides, did they not-“
“Not to arrest you. To recruit you.”
“...What?”
“They obtained a Writ from the Nest-Haven. They’ve seen your records. They want you as a military asset.”
“Military Asset?”
Miexue placed the rifle’s parts on the table, kicking back his chair as he rose.
“A Writ from the Curatoria Assembly? After thirty-nine years in the service of Klaniau’s Talons?! This is my thanks?”
His voice had risen to a shout.
The Biblitheca looked stunned.
“Don’t you want a more comfortable position? You’ll get paid and-“
Miexue slammed his fists on the table.
“I don’t give a shit about pay! Being a servant of the Dragons- being a Drachenwachter of Klaniau’s Talons- is already the highest I could ask for! But as a soldier, I serve without honor, simply being entitled to murder. Eventually when Etervia seems my time is at end, Klaniau will make me pay my debts. And knowing myself, I’ll have sooner moved a mountain than finish repaying.”
His voice softened.
“The Librarius means everything to me. The knowledge that I fulfill the fate of those who sin drives me. Go to a Talon of Faneris, and they will execute based on chance. A Talon of Etervia will kill them on a date, a single day on the calendar. But me, a Talon of Klaniau? I pick my targets based on their actions. And being a soldier only forces me to kill a person I know nothing about.”
Gently, the Biblitheca replied, “Would you prefer it if we made you a MP? Or would you rather stay?”
Miexue’s shoulders sagged, and he sighed, admitting, “No. If Klaniau deems that I should find every war criminal and execute them, then I will scour every battlefield and do so.”
“...You would be a Scalehunter?”
“If I must.”
“Very well. I will inform the BIS.”
“...Thank you, Biblitheca. It was an honor to serve the Librarius.”
“Make them pay their debts, Drachenwachter. Dragons watch over you.”
“And you.”
