Near Light: Hibiscus' Diary

Near Light Information Port
Souvenir of Knight	Sound of Alley	Hibiscus' Diary	Voice of Rosebud

A list of Hibiscus' Diary entries in Near Light.

These entries are quoted verbatim from the game and should be kept pristine. Edits and updates should be placed on other pages related to the same subject.

#1: Hibiscus' Diary, Day 4! [Raise the player's Prestige with the Kazimierz General Chamber of Commerce to Friendly]
1097.10.27 Phew... We're finally in Kazimierz. We raced through the wilderness to get Nearl to the Grand Knight Territory as quickly as possible. We got buffeted around every night, and even almost got tossed out of bed once... But, I heard Nearl managed to make it in time for the competition and was even able to save her sister. Incredible, huh? I wonder if someday I'll get to make a grand entrance and bail out Lava? If only Lava was here... While Rhodes Island was docked with the Grand Knight Territory, Amiya gave the Medic Team a mission on behalf of the Doctor. It seemed like we'd be helping a large number of Infected this time, and if necessary, we'd need to accommodate some of them in Rhodes Island for treatment. Judging from the look on Amiya's face, this mission wasn't going to be easy. Some operators had to leave Rhodes Island and hold up in a special Infected quarter of the Grand Knight Territory to provide medical services. I'm one of those operators. When our operators from Kazimierz were introducing the Grand Knight Territory, they said they would link up four major nomadic cities during the Major. Pretty crazy, huh? But it can't be bigger than Londinium, can it? Maybe next time, I'll ask an operator who's familiar with both places. While I'm writing this, I've already boarded the special shuttle prepared by the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi Kazimierz. Right now, it seems like this shuttle's the only way to get between Rhodes Island and the Infected stationing area. Because of some policy or other, we aren't able to freely go where we want. That's a shame, because I wanted to have a look around the tower in the middle of the city... However, I can already tell that the Grand Knight Territory is incredibly prosperous, just from the sights I've seen along the way. There are huge electronic billboards and high-rises everywhere, and the entire city looks really vibrant. There are entire districts for the Infected to live as well as reception centers for the Infected, and overall, this place doesn't seem to have as much hostility towards the Infected as many other countries. I heard that the Infected are able to become knights here, and famous Infected knights can even gain considerable renown and status. For example, just look at the last Major champion, the Blood Knight. I wonder if he's stronger than Nearl? Speaking of Nearl, everyone's selling merchandise of her – from small stalls to huge malls. Earlier, I bought a keychain of her head and crest from a roadside store, and the shop owner immediately started chatting with me. I guess he was one of Nearl's loyal fans – once he got started about her, there was no shutting him up. After we talked, he insisted on giving me an extra keychain. He wouldn't take no for an answer and wouldn't let me pay either, so I just took it in the end. The people here really are way too passionate...

#2: Hibiscus' Diary, Day 10! [Raise the player's Prestige with the Kazimierz General Chamber of Commerce to Admired]
1097.11.02 It's been four or five days since I was stationed in the Grand Knight Territory. The situation is, well, how should I say this... not looking very good. The environment aside, this place is both luxurious and run-down, as if the construction crew packed up their bags halfway through the job, leaving only crumbling buildings and neighborhoods for the Infected to inhabit. The Infected here, and particularly the Infected knights, seem to have little concern for overly tapping their Originium Arts at the cost of their lives. I heard that there's a knight competition for the Infected, and... it's terribly cruel. So, the Infected knights have to fight for their lives – with their lives. That being the case, aren't the only two paths available to them either dying in the arena or dying to high Originium cell assimilation? After all, there aren't many who will survive to become champions of the Major like the Blood Knight. Perhaps he's not in very good health either? Hmm... I can't tell from videos of his matches, but if he's also had to make his way from the underground arena, then... The way the Medic Team has divided up its duties is, I'm primarily responsible for assisting Shining and Nightingale here. Their Arts will greatly alleviate the pain of Oripathy patients. I am in charge of administering infusions, changing gauze, and monitoring the patients' vitals. If anyone has an acute Oripathy attack, I have to immediately report the situation to Shining and the others in charge of this area. Ahh... I'm so tired. This feels even harder than field medic duty... Patients are always screaming and moaning into my ears. There are so many people here, it feels like I can't get to them all... Ugh, my head hurts. Let's try to take care of a few patients before my shift ends... I slept for a little bit. My head's still groggy, but at least I can continue my work. Shining doesn't seem to have slept at all, while Nightingale was resting in a wheelchair, hugging her staff. Bless them. Ugh, after seeing how hard they're working, I really can't afford to fall behind... Well, I'm not trying to compete with them or anything. I just want to do my part, as well as I possibly can. That's all. After all, the more work I put in, the greater the chance the patients have to survive. I still remember the little Kuranta who didn't dare look at the needle, his head buried in his mother's arms; I still remember the knight who danced while playing a traditional tune on the harmonica; I also remember the old man who'd always sit on the roof, comfortably napping underneath the sun. They're still laughing. They can still enjoy life. They haven't given up... ...... And I won't give up either.

#3: Hibiscus' Diary, Day 14! [Raise the player's Prestige with the Armorless Union to Friendly]
1097.11.06 The Medic squad that left earlier for field work returned to Rhodes Island, and joined up with our relief efforts after resting and getting situated. Finally, we have enough manpower, and combined with the fact that not as many people need medical attention as before, I've slowly been able to get more time for myself. Coincidentally, Gravel told us the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi approved the application for Rhodes Island's operators to travel freely, so yeah, I can now go sightseeing around the city! Before I left, an old Infected man gave me two tickets. "Oh, Hibiscus, I heard you were heading into the city. Look, I bought these two tickets betting on Lady Nearl's victory. I'm old now, and it's hard to get around, so could you swap these in for me if she wins?" I couldn't just refuse the old man's request, so I told him, "Don't worry, Nearl will definitely win," and held on to the tickets. The number written on it was huge, and might've even been the old man's entire life savings. Was it really a good idea to spend all that money on these? Of course, I have a lot of confidence in Nearl, but... it's hard to say if she'll be sure to win... She won? She won!! She really did it! This is amazing!! I should go turn in these tickets now! But I don't really know my way around Kazimierz, so what should I do? Oh, that's right! I'll ask Gravel! Umm... She's not here right now, so maybe I'll look for Amiya instead. I explained the situation to Amiya, and though she still looked confused, she knows more about the Grand Knight Territory than I do. After looking at the visitor's guide map for a while, we finally found the ticket exchange window at the arena. Hopefully, this large sum of money will allow the old man to spend the rest of his days in peace and comfort. Hmm... So, what are Mieszko Sports Securities? Do they really have such a different face value exchange rate from Kazimierz's currency? I thought the old man was going to make a ton of money, but in the end, he only got enough to afford a few meals... When we handed the winnings to the old man, he seemed especially happy and was thanking us profusely. After that, he took the tickets and solemnly placed them into a little metal box. Amiya and I chatted with him for a while, helped him change his drip bottle, and then quietly left after we helped him fall asleep. Even though I don't think gambling is particularly healthy, the old man's support for Nearl is remarkable. I think I'll tell Nearl about him, if I get the chance. I know she'll be very happy knowing that people are quietly supporting her.

#4: Hibiscus' Diary, Day 19! [Raise the player's Prestige with the Armorless Union to Admired]
1097.11.11 After providing over ten days of medical services and on-board treatment for the Infected peoples of the Grand Knight Territory, the Medic Team completed its mission and returned to Rhodes Island, ready to roll out to the next job. Unfortunately, the Grand Knight Territory is way too big and there's no way to fit all the Infected on board, but after Nearl won the championship, she chose to stay behind to help Rhodes Island establish a Kazimierz branch office, and at the same time, promised to the Doctor that she'd do her best to provide a sanctuary for the Infected of the Grand Knight Territory. Nearl said that if Rhodes Island ever called upon her, she'd return, no matter what. But since we're going to be separated for the time being, I can't help but feel a little sad... When we said our goodbyes, I gave her the healthy meal recipe I had spent so long researching and developing. Hopefully, this little gift will be able to help her ever so slightly, and I sincerely wish Nearl luck in her work in Kazimierz. Oh, right, I told Nearl about the old man. She said she'll go visit him, if she gets the chance. I wonder how he'll react when he sees his idol in person? The Grand Knight Territory... How should I put it? Even up until I left, I still didn't fully understand this city. It's very different from any place I've ever been to before. Every three years, it merges with three other cities to form the supermassive "Kawalerielki Alliance," and the primary purpose of this merger is to hold the knight competitions. After the merger, the three cities combine seamlessly with the capital. Communications, business transactions, and transportation all flow together without obstruction, a feat that would be completely impossible in Victoria. If anyone tried to merge a remote city such as the Toron or Lyndon with Londinium for even a second, the aristocrats would be furious. In that respect, Kazimierz is truly remarkable. Unfortunately, nothing is fundamentally different about the way the Infected are treated... I snuck off to watch the Infected knight competitions. It's a life-or-death battle with no escape. The audience seemed really happy, but the bloodlust in their eyes... was a bit scary. When will the Infected knights, just like the normal knights, be able to fight fair and square in the arena under the protection of the law? If only one day, the Infected and the non-Infected could join hands and play together in the park. When that happens, this whole world will be a much more beautiful place. Alas... This is Rhodes Island's vision, and probably Nearl's conviction as well. So that's why she chose to stay behind in the Grand Knight Territory – to help and protect the Infected. "If you have a conviction, work to bring it to life."