NL-ST-4: Uncharted and Hereafter

NL-ST-4 Uncharted and Hereafter	Near Light: Kawalerielki Previous NL-10 (Story) Next Epilogue 1
The sun rises, the veil of night parts. Perhaps nothing has changed, but perhaps the future has already sealed its victory in this moment.

Characters

Doctor Amiya Greynuty Iwona Justyna Margaret Maria Młynar Nightingale Platinum Sona Shining A Haggard Girl Bald Marcin Old Craftsman Old Knight Spokesman Malkiewicz Spokesman McKee Toland Monique Roy

Backgrounds

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

“

A night of legends passes into history, and the variables brought forth during the Major slowly make their mark on all of Kazimierz. However, things are far from over. Margaret's light illuminates the way forward, and certain individuals prepare to set off.

”

"Let all peoples rise up." "Let all things return to silence." "If you deem the waves too raucous, then command the ocean to be still." "Civilization flourishes, the city roars forth. The only things capable of destroying them, are they themselves." "Do not entrust that battle to time, for they will defeat even time. Grasp that duty, for you must entrust it to yourself." "Entrust it to all peoples."
<Background 1>
A Voice on the Television	Something truly unexpected has occurred at the Major! Two championship winners have gone to the Wall of Champions together, an unprecedented event! Moreover, the Radiant Knight rejected her award from the Knights Association, and left on her own! What a blasphemous turn of events.
Old Knight	Ow, ow, ow...
Old Craftsman	Old man, if you can't fight anymore, then keep your head down. Just leave the rest to Maria and Zofia!
Old Knight	Should we step outside? How dare you– Gaah! Ow, ow!
[Marcin looked at his old warhammer.]
Bald Marcin	......
Old Craftsman	Why are you staring at your hammer like that, Marcin? Did ya start pining for the good ol' days after one night of exercise?
Bald Marcin	Maybe a bit. I wonder how the Nearl family is doing.
<Background 2>
Maria	Huh? Uncle... You're leaving the Grand Knight Territory?
Młynar	Are you girls even Nearls? Stop staying so much at Zofia's. It's unbecoming. I'll be gone for a while, so during that time... Margaret. Are you sure you want to stay in Kazimierz?
Margaret	Yes.
Młynar	You should already know what you'll be up against. Nobody will understand you.
Margaret	Of course. I've always known that.
Młynar	...... If that's the case, then I have nothing else to say.
[Młynar leaves.]
<Background 3>
Toland	Why the sudden change of heart?
Młynar	Toland...
Toland	Why'd you decide to leave all of a sudden, huh? For what purpose?
Młynar	What do you see when you look at me now?
Toland	Why are you asking? You should know better than anyone else. But to be completely honest, you've let us all down. You don't have to hold rank in the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi, or be the person who changes the National Council. But you should at least have been our hero, our Nearl. I don't know where you plan on going after you leave the city, but let me say this –– you let them all down the same as me. If they see your face again, they may well decide to take your life.
Młynar	Think they can beat me?
Toland	Hmph.
Młynar	I've given up a lot of things, Toland. But I still find myself often clinging to a rather idealistic sentiment. They should still be out there somewhere.
Toland	......
Młynar	He was the eldest son of a war hero. My brother, the most powerful knight in the family. And she... is the most beautiful woman in all of Kazimierz. Elegant and dignified, like a gemstone. They were my pride and joy, veritable gifts from heaven. They shouldn't have disappeared without a trace like that. It's been over a decade. I've never stopped thinking about it.
Toland	It's already been fifteen years. After wasting all that time and effort, why are you now––
Młynar	This is just... paid leave.
Toland	All by yourself?
Młynar	Isn't one person enough for a hopeless vacation?
Toland	You're not the type to get swept by the emotions the Radiant Knight brought, so I won't ask why you decided to do this–– You know how to find me... "Us."
Młynar	The one I need to find... is myself.
<Background 5>
Sona	Rhodes Island, huh.
Margaret	They're able to provide you with treatment. And they won't force you to do anything.
Sona	Since that's the team the Radiant Knight used to play for... then I guess they're trustworthy?
Margaret	Yes. Their ideals will one day illuminate this world. Even now, I still believe in them.
Sona	Will you ever head back there?
Margaret	...I will, one day.
Iwona	Be sure to spar a few rounds with me then.
Justyna	I-Iwona!
Iwona	What? Who wouldn't want to challenge the champion?
Greynuty	Count me in too. A legendary lineage of knights... Really gets you going, doesn't it?
Margaret	You have my word. I'll entertain you when the time comes.
Sona	Ahaha... Look at you guys, all fired up right after a tiny bit of rest.. You knew from the beginning you weren't one of us Infected, right?
Margaret	Yes.
Sona	But you still chose to fight for us?
Margaret	I fight for the downtrodden.
<Background 5>
Spokesman Malkiewicz	......
Spokesman McKee	The Board is very upset. Looks like we'll lose a few months of bonuses.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	Bonuses, huh. What we did cost the lives of so many Infected, so many knights, and even the Armorless Union. All that only adds up to our bonuses?
Spokesman McKee	About that... Come with me, Malkiewicz. We ought to discuss where you go from here.
Spokesman McKee	What you said earlier about the telephone really made sense, after I had some time to mull it over.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	Whose call are we waiting for?
Spokesman McKee	A newsman's.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	Hm... a newsman? Do we have to sit for an interview?
Spokesman McKee	They call him that. It's just a title.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	Wait a sec... Newsman? You can't mean–
[The phone rings.]
A Voice from the Phone	McKee?
Spokesman McKee	It's me. Let me first introduce you to the person on the other end of the phone. He is the chairman of the Rose Paper Union, "The Newsman" Kain.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	......!
A Voice from the Phone	Malkiewicz is here too.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	Yes, it's an honor to speak to you.
A Voice from the Phone	I paid good money to buy Malkiewicz from Mieszko Industries. He will be my right-hand man. In other words, there are no strangers among us, McKee. You can call me "father."
Spokesman Malkiewicz	—
Spokesman McKee	Yes, father.
<Background 5>
A Voice from the Phone	Good, how's your mother doing?
Spokesman McKee	Very well, father. She thinks of you often.
A Voice from the Phone	And what about you? Are you married yet?
Spokesman McKee	I... Not yet, I'm afraid. How are you, father? Where are you right now?
A Voice from the Phone	Columbia.
Spokesman McKee	When will you come back to Kazimierz?
A Voice from the Phone	Haha... It's not time for that yet, McKee. Those short-sighted idiots don't see the truth, but Columbia is the real enemy that threatens Kazimierz. Our newspapers have yet to cover their city, and our voices have yet to reach Columbian ears. The speed of their development is frightening, and we must move to contain them... to seize their markets.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	......
A Voice from the Phone	The games between countries are most fascinating, McKee. But, those... Nobles. Bah. So rigid in their ways... Victoria, Ursus. These powerful countries are so ignorant that one cannot help but feel for them Malkiewicz.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	Yes!
A Voice from the Phone	Are you willing to give everything for the General Chamber of Commerce?
Spokesman Malkiewicz	......
A Voice from the Phone	You are a capable person. I can tell, just from reading a few words of your report. Could it be that you still... harbor compassion for those knights?
Spokesman Malkiewicz	......
A Voice from the Phone	Seems like I hit the mark. Child, let me pose you a question. When the number of Kazimierz's attack ships far exceeds that of Ursus, when Columbia is flooded with Kazimierzian caravans and goods, when our border strongholds more than double in number–– Will that be the end of war? Would Ursus still threaten us? Would Kazimierz still be weak? Of course not. The knights are the true parasites on Kazimierz. Imbeciles barking for glory. Nobles? Bah. I heard about what happened at the Major. Does the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi think they've "protected their honor?" Honor and glory. Give them as much of it as they want. The time, and the people, are on our side. After a few more tournaments, the masses will forget about the shockwaves brought by the Radiant Knight, and return to invest in the next round of consumption and entertainment. For them, arguing over "which knight is stronger" and 'whether knight merchandise is fairly priced' is more important than looking after the dregs we leave behind. The country stands on our side. Kazimierz is already inextricably tied to the economic foundations laid by the K.G.C.C. Those pitiful campaign knights... Look how many have already voluntarily surrendered to us. Malkiewicz. This time, you have the right to choose.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	Before I answer, can I first ask a question?
A Voice from the Phone	Please do.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	Mr. Czarny... Because he failed to prevent the Radiant Knight from entering the arena, he was exiled... By my standards, this is unacceptable. Why did it happen?
A Voice from the Phone	Oh, Mr. Czarny. I see, the turning point in your destiny, Malkiewicz. I ought to thank him too. However, what if I told you Mr. Czarny's disappearance–– was not directly related to the Radiant Knight incident?
Spokesman Malkiewicz	—
A Voice from the Phone	What if I told you that his exile was just a consequence of a longstanding series of power struggles, and an excuse finally being found to take him out of the picture? ––Czarny was exiled by political opponents over a bribery incident a few years ago. It had nothing to do with the Radiant Knight... It had nothing to do with your destiny. More often than not, this is the truth of the world. The truth of modernity is one of supreme indifference.
Spokesman Malkiewicz	......!
A Voice from the Phone	Come, Malkiewicz. Let us become the voice of this world.
<Background 6>
[Centaurea walks in front of a seemingly unassuming hygiene products store attended by Monique and Roy, of all people.]
Platinum	...Huh?
Roy	What? Not a fan of our new storefront?
Platinum	Storefront? You're... opening a shop?
Monique	Are you blind?
Platinum	No... But, hand sanitizer?
Roy	Origi-Cloud Daily Wares has been the most popular brand in recent years–– ...and there are "three bosses" behind the company that launched Origi-Cloud Daily Wares.
Platinum	......
Roy	Soon, those three bosses will become a part of the General Chamber of Commerce.
Platinum	You guys...
Roy	Yes, but it's just for the sake of joining them. As you know, the more inside information we have, the more we'll know about the direction the winds blow in the future. Sooner or later, mercenaries and assassins will become obsolete. There's no need for so many of them, and in the end, all they're good for is killing. Them, on the other hand, they can take over a country. This is another crossroads of our time, Platinum.
Platinum	......
Roy	By the way, why don't you come be our poster girl, since we're missing a clerk anyway? You're very good-looking. It'll be perfect.
Monique	Hmph.
Roy	During an upcoming mission for the Union, the three of us will "vanish," then we'll find the best plastic surgeon, swap faces, and become by-the-books businesspeople.
Platinum	So... you took advantage of the blackout caused by the Infected... to kill everyone with connections between the Board and the Union.
Roy	They deserve the credit for making it so easy. The Board can't stop fighting with itself, under the table or otherwise. Whoever controls the Union holds an overwhelming advantage–– and no director dared to blatantly manipulate it, or let others do so. It is precisely because of this tacitly agreed restraint that they ended up losing control of the Union. Haha, let me tell you a joke. The people of Kazimierz no longer know the name or whereabouts of the person leading the organization they hire for their hitjobs.
Platinum	Does Darksteel really exist?
Roy	Who knows? Darksteel might be a single person, maybe two. Darksteel might even be a front, or just refer to the signals us Lazurites use during operations. But for all you know, Darksteel might've passed you on the street, or be sitting in a board meeting, or on vacation in a Sami villa. Nobody knows. And that's why the name strikes fear. One last thing. Whatever the case, you should've been a damned woman. Condemned as a scapegoat. We'll have our eyes on you. You're Armorless too. Surely you wouldn't want to make enemies of us, right?
Platinum	...... (I... have to run...)
<Background 2>
Margaret	Doctor, Amiya.
Amiya	Oh, Nearl.
Margaret	The reason I called you here is...
Doctor	This isn't goodbye. / We'll meet again, right?
Margaret	Oh... Yes. If Rhodes Island ever calls for me, then I shall head to your side. Doctor, Amiya.
Amiya	Great!
Margaret	I've been a drifter for many years. It isn't until now... that I've finally had the time to look back at my old home. Maybe I should go visit my grandfather's grave...
[Shining and Nightingale joins in.]
Shining	Nearl.
Amiya	Oh, Doctor, let's give them some space. Nearl, take care of yourself!
Doctor	Until next time. / Be safe. / We'll meet again.
[Amiya and the Doctor leaves.]
Margaret	Of course. Godspeed.
Shining	It's time for us to part ways as well, Nearl.
Margaret	...Shining. Actually, I...
Shining	It's alright. I know what you're going to say. We will return to Londinium. Just as you've returned here. The past... and those sins. We'll excise them ourselves.
Nightingale	Shining?
Shining	Liz... You might really come to hate me at some point. But, trust me, I will always stay by your side.
Nightingale	I... How could I ever hate you?
Shining	......
Margaret	If that time comes, and you ever need me–– I swear to you–– ––that the Radiant Knight, Margaret Nearl, will fight for you both.
The lights of Kawalerielki shine brightly once more, as do the lights throughout the General Chamber. Like the answer smeared across the city by humankind. The curtains of night slowly begin to lift. That is how civilization continues to flourish.
<Background 7>
Three days later, in a certain village outside the Grand Knight Territory...
Sona	This is the place?
Toland	Quaint little town, isn't it?
Sona	Do you always come stay out here?
Toland	I used to stay at a more classic den of thieves. Even if I had my eyes on other cities, I did most of my work underground and in the black market. But then... I met some people. They changed the way I saw things. I'll skip to the important part though. A bit after that, we fought a battle with the Rusthammers. Know those guys? A bunch of lunatics. Many people have the wrong idea about the Rusthammers, that they're just a band of thieves. But they aren't. During that battle, I saw kids, teenagers, swinging metal pipes. Pretty crazy, huh?
Sona	Yeah... Sounds scary.
Toland	That is what makes 'em truly scary. The Rusthammers weren't born to fight against civilization. They were born of the development of civilization. Don't expect them to have some end goal in mind, or some greater purpose. It's a mistake to treat them like a group of rational actors–– They're just the orphans of civilization. They were born when it moved on, but couldn't bring everyone along. Homeless, with nowhere to go, forced to survive in the barren wilderness littered with Originium. They are the Catastrophes. Thanks to them, we've become united, and as a result, we've also realized a few things... That we don't want to end up like those lunatics.
Sona	So? What are we gonna do?
Toland	I want you to meet a few people.
Sona	What kind of people?
Toland	A few Infected.
Sona	Infected?
Toland	A few farmers, a few knights.
Sona	A real melting pot, huh.
Toland	A few manual laborers, a few bounty hunters. A few village chiefs unable to make ends meet, a few worn-out nobles. A few college students, a few illiterates. A few people trying to change Kazimierz. A few people who were changed by Kazimierz.
Sona	......
Toland	Don't be surprised already. The real surprise has only just begun. Sona, you've asked me before, what's the point of thwarting the General Chamber. What's the point of the knights. I'd like to pose the same question back to you. Before the rise of the merchants, before Kazimierz was firmly in the grasp of the General Chamber of Commerce–– ––who was it that exploited the poor and oppressed the masses? Who hanged the Infected, while hiding inside the massive edifices erected by and to their power? The knights.
Sona	......
Toland	We don't prop up the reality of a villain just beacuse there isn't one now. Why bother though? We always lose out in the end. But to be honest, though you rarely hear the words "General Chamber of Commerce" spoken without curses attached... even a broken clock is right twice a day. The people who've been left behind by the city should unite.
[A familiar village girl walks out from the house where Toland and Sona are.]
A Haggard Girl	Toland, is this...?
Toland	An Infected knight from the Grand Knight Territory. We've formed a working relationship. Are the others here?
A Haggard Girl	Yes, they're all inside...
Toland	Good. Why don't you head inside as well, Clore...... It's nearly light out.