Inside of a beef noodle store, the employee was enjoying her lunch alone at a table. Though she didn't necessarily have an aversion to spending time with others, it didn't mean she enjoyed it much, either. While the people within the Liu Association normally dine in large, boisterous groups, something about this employee felt different.
She could easily belong in such a group if she truly tried, yet she seemed more comfortable eating alone.
"… Ow… hot. Err, yes, this is Ishmael speaking. … Right now? But I'm in the middle of a meal, couldn't it-… got it."
One of the reasons could be because her work was keeping her busy. Just like now, where she needed to leave the noodle store without finishing her meal properly.
"Poor girl, do you need to leave without finishing your meal again?"
"Uhm… yeah. Sorry. The usual treatment, please."
"Of course. Pack it up and keep it until you're back, right?"
It certainly wasn't the first time the employee needed to leave her food behind. Luckily for her, the restaurant owner was kind enough to trust she'd return to pay for her food, as well as finish it. That said, the employee quickly left the restaurant.
"Okay, I'm outside. Which way was it again? … Haah.. and one more thing. I know I asked for this since I mostly have trouble getting along with others, but I'd appreciate it if I could have my meals in peace at least."
It didn't take long for her to frown in displeasure.
"… No! I mean, my noodles get all mushy by the time I'm finished! What, are you telling me I should exclusively be living on dumplings? What!? I should just use U Corp's stasis preservation packaging? Do you even know how expensive that is? Forget it then! I'm hanging up now."
Irritated, the employee quickly ended the call, managing to not break her device during the process.
"Haah…. You gotta be kidding me. I ordered a double portion because I'd be free today… but they keep telling me I'm the only one they can entrust such jobs with, so what else can I do?"
It wasn't difficult to tell that this employee was a specifically skilled one among her coworkers in Section 4 of the Liu's southern branch. Her specialty of quickly closing the distance for a melee fight made her excellent at dealing with groups of foes on her own.
In other words, her talent doesn't fit well with the Liu Association's main expertise of coordinated offense. If she was a sociable person, she wouldn't need to desert her meals to catch up on a mission they were supposed to take on simultaneously in the first place.
There are often people at work who one just cannot get along with. Disliking someone sometimes stems from different reasons for everyone. However, many would deem it something natural.
It explained the sight of the ongoing battle, where she stood alone.
"Kurgh-!"
"Next."
As she takes down one enemy after the other, there was a visible trace anger on her face.
"Ghh! I can't stab through her clothes!"
"Hah. It takes far more than that meek weapon to penetrate an Association's attire."
As always, her speed was overwhelming as she dashed around with the same motivation one would have when chopping down bamboo. A flustering sight for the few colleagues surrounding the place.
"You… You piece of-"
As the remaining foe stumbled before the employee, she waved her hand while taunting:
"Come at me all at once. I'm pissed off 'cause my noodles are getting all soggy."
I myself had people I disliked working with, whether it be from near or afar. Though what once was dislike can quickly turn into hatred.
Sometimes, sociable people are more useful, sometimes less sociable ones. However, with a group such as yours, they should at least tolerate each other. Inner conflicts can only delve into problematic situations, Manager.
…
What nice advice that was. And it was one Dante would certainly think about for some time, if there wasn't the panic of a threat approaching. Whoever that laugh belonged to, they knew it wouldn't end without a fight.
Perhaps this was more of a stress uptying, there was nothing wrong in it.
And the Manager was right to be concerned, for only seconds after, they were able to see a figure approaching with a terrifying force in their movements, almost like a wild beast.
"… 'Ey. What the… what's that thing running at us?"
"ETA is around three seconds. Manager, your judgement?"
<… I- I dunno.. I'm not really sure what…>
Heathcliff and Meursault were seemingly the first ones to be a bit concerned about the figure. However, Vergilius didn't seem to be surprised at all. If all, the Manager could swear that he seemed more displeased than unsurprised, as if he had expected this arrival.
"Ah, there you are. K Corp's superstar."
A jolly-looking man appeared amidst the chaos, giving an obnoxious laugh.
"Greetings everyone! You are more than free to share stories of the heroic deeds that you will witness, but photographs and all must require permission from K Corp!"
The man took a quick look at the time before continuing to talk to the people standing nearby.
"Alas, I must attend a magazine interview in half an hour, so I shan't overlinger. I pray you understand!"
"Was wondering when you would appear. Heard you became a wagie serving a Wing, Siegfried."
"Ahahaha! I see your tongue is as sharp as ever, dear fellow!"
To the Manager's surprise, both of them seem to know each other. And while Vergilius didn't seem exactly pleased with that Siegfried, they still acted weirdly… friendly?
"I quickly rushed here in response to code purple, and methinks your dear friends may be the perpetrators!"
"Not exactly friends. I hope you understand that I have nothing to do with this commotion."
"… In that case…"
"Yep, I'm counting on you to give them a spicy lesson."
Dante didn't exactly like the way Vergilius was talking to Siegfried, and neither were the other Sinners. Obviously, the Guide wasn't exactly known to be the kindest person. So, if he counted on that man to give them a lesson, then it would be anything but comfortable. Outis gave an obvious scowl at the implication.
"He's treating us like worshipers on the street. How dare yo-"
"OOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
<… Don Quixote, what's wrong?>
It wasn't often that Don Quixote seemed so massively excited and speechless upon seeing someone. The only thing Dante could compare it to is the excitement she showed when talking about Fixers, so perhaps that had something to do with this.
"Th, the, tha, th, tha-the, th, tha, th, th, that, TH, THE, HH, THE, TH, THAT MAN, HE HIM, HE, THE MAN HIMSELF!!!!!!!!!"
That seemed like a solid answer to Dante. Vergilius only sighed at the sight.
"We're in a hurry, so get this done within one minute, if you see it possible. And keep that clockhead out of this."
"Hmm… A prosthetic, is it? Well then! Make it 50 seconds!"
The sight that followed left Dante in awe. Certainly, that Siegfried proved himself nothing short of a 'hero'. One after another, he made quick work of the Sinners. They didn't even have much time to move before they were hit with what Dante could only compare to lightning or electricity. Vergilius, meanwhile, simply stood beside the Manager, looking pleased at the sight in front of them.
<…>
"Was about time they learned not to cause a big ruckus in a Nest thinking they could get away with it."
The pair stood silently beside each other for a few seconds before Vergilius began talking to them again. Much to their surprise.
"… Dante, you might not remember it, but at one point, you were something of a bigwig… sort of."
<… I- I was..?"
They couldn't picture it.
Right now, they felt like nothing but a powerless leader who fumbled every mission. Someone who constantly got chewed out, spat out and left in the trash by their Sinners.
It didn't take long before the Sinners started to treat their manager like their field medic. It seemed impossible to them that they could have been a respected leader of many in the past.
And yet, it stirred a desire in them. To ask Faust for another way to recover their memories.
"However, your memory loss does not excuse your faults in your performance as the manager. If you grasp what I mean."
<...>
It made the Manager think about the staff at the K Corp. checkpoint. There had been not a sign of pity in their faces for the family they'd been about to tear apart, as if it was nothing more but a part of the procedure.
Even if Don Quixote had got them in trouble by interfering to bring justice, they know it would've haunted their sleep if they hadn't done anything about that.
And seeing how Heathcliff had grippes his bat a bit tighter upon seeing the disturbance… there was no doubt that if it hadn't been Don Quixote, then at least someone else would have interfered.
In truth, the Dante hadn't even done everything they could to stop her. Vergilius wasn't wrong by saying that the fault lies on them for not stopping it.
What was said afterwards didn't matter much to Dante. It wasn't as if he could know what exactly they had said. He only knew, or assumed, that he had gotten his point across.
The beating of the Sinners ended a few seconds later, and it was time for the Manager to rewind.
The massacre must've been rather humbling, for Dante rarely had seen the Sinners this quiet. In any way, Siegfried still seemed to be in a good mood, for he turned to Vergilius (completely disregarding the Manager, which they couldn't blame him for).
"So, how's life been, Red Gaze? We barely had time to see each other lately. You didn't even show up to the 'League of Excellent Nest-Dwelling Fixers' either… Were you unable to read the dozens of invitations I sent you?"
"Changed address. And I don't have the time to lick the boots of top-notch people like you're doing."
<… I'm not sure what happened between these two, but… Vergilius seems rather hostile towards him, no?>
Whatever conversation Siegfried was trying to start Vergilius shut down with brash and short sentences. They've seen him talk better than that to some of the Sinners, and that was saying something. They were sure Faust had an answer to that. And indeed, she did.
"The difference in disposition is rather clear, is it not, Dante?"
"Simply put, Mr. Siegfried can be considered a pro-Wing Fixer based on the views he expressed. On the other hand, Vergilius sought independence as a Fixer. In his view, a Fixer loses their core principle the moment they become subordinate to an influential entity. After all, he is someone who is strict towards people with power."
While Dante concentrated on Faust's words, they could see Don Quixote approaching Siegfried with clear excitement on her face. Even if she'd been quite literally mutilated by him mere minutes ago, she seemed to admire him regardless. However, he only had a short moment before he had to go for that magazine interview. At least she'd gotten an autograph from him.
And just as the Manager considered giving Don Quixote an earful while they all walked out of the border checkpoint, an armoured vehicle stopped before them.
It took Faust only seconds to recognize that the vehicle belonged to the LCC clearance department.
"Ah, geez. What took you so long? We had to cycle three laps waiting for it to be over."
The Sinners were greeted by the familiar faces of Effie and Saude. Even with different outfits, they still had an air of confidence and poise. Gregor was the first one to greet them.
"Oh, people from the Before Team, eh? Gotta say, something about you seems different."
"That was a disguise we used to infiltrate the casino. Although it was ultimately useless."
<…>
"… Still got a sharp tongue, hm?"
Even with Saude's teasing words, they didn't waste much time before telling the group about the new mission and some important intel.
They weren't new to foes being drawn to the Golden Bough. First it had been the G Corp. soldiers, then a few gangs in the casino.
It didn't prepare the Manager for the mention of another Wing: N Corp.
They were pretty sure that Vergilius had said something about not getting in too much trouble with Wings or Nests. Gregor seemed to share that sentiment.
"In the long run, it's unavoidable for us to get into conflicts with other Wings in the process. Judging from the fact that N Corp. has not made it officially known, it could end as a simple conflict of interest. Furthermore… there lies the possibility that it is not the Golden Bough they are after."
"Doesn't change the fact that we're convenient paws for the higher-up to throw around either way…"
Even with Faust's reassuring words (if they were even meant to be reassuring), the Manager still had their concerns. And, in all honesty, perhaps they could sympathize with Gregor in particular. Despite not being quite seen as a Manager by the Sinners (or at least not like a respectable leader), there were sentiments and things that they could relate to with Gregor. And perhaps that was a bit of comfort.
Well, that was before they got ashamed by the mentions of what had happened inside of the border checkup.
Quickly, they all left to join Vergilius and Charon.C'mon, Ishy! This way, this way!"
"Whew… Director, we've been running from one restaurant to the other for the last four hours."
"It's not 'Director', it's 'Rodya'. RODYA. Got it? No need to still give me the cold shoulder!"
"R-Rody….. Rodion."
"… Haah… well, that's an improvement, I guess. I'll take it!"
The two employees walked through the bustling streets, various paper bags in both their hands. It was evidence for the endless hours they'd spent running around for food. And while it was true that her companion was not the most social of all, she believed that she had the possibility to warm up to her. With that thought in mind, she sighed with a pleasant smile while snatching a snack from one of her paper bags.
"Woo eeen-"
"Rodion, please chew first before you start speaking."
"Oh- hmhm…. So, then!"
"So, how much longer are we going to do this?"
The other employee suddenly stopped in her tracks, her hands deep in her pockets. It was a telling sign of what was bound to happen, of what cycle would continue. It made the other sigh in irritation before fixing her with a glare.
"Rodion, you stopped by this HamHamPangPang already for their time-limited dumplings. You picked up a bag of twenty or so of their freshly made menbosha. And-"
"Green grapes, tangerines or strawberries?"
Very quietly, the employee had muttered those words to the other. It was said nonchalantly, but it nearly made the other employee go on a rant.
"… I'm sorry, what now?"
"Pick one, Ishy. Green grapes, tangerines or strawberries?"
To give her words more confidence and meaning, she lightly lifted one of the white paper bags. The look she gave the other employee was full of conviction.
"Are you seriously trying to bribe me with food? If you think tha-"
"I've known all along, Ishy. That you've been watching this bag with tanghulu all along."
"Hrg….!"
The employee was quickly shut up by the other's words. Even after working with her for quite a while, it still surprised her how good she was at reading people. It was unsettling as much as it was annoying for her.
"C'mon, I'll even let you have the first dibs. And later, we'll go to a beef bowl place. How's that sound?"
"… I'll take the tangerine."
"Well then, here ya go~ Enjoy!"
This employee was always good at appeasing her colleagues. Not only in situations like these, where it was more so done for her own wishes. Whenever a fight would break out under a less than capable Director, she'd always manage to calm things down between members of Section 4. It was for such reasons that the Liu Association was consider very family-like. Because they employed people like her as Directors. However, it meant that some Directors lacked a certain amount of combat skill in comparison to other Associations. Even so, this employee wasn't only good in socialising.
It's fairly easy to place responsibility onto a leader and instead only follow their decision. If a leader is kind and energetic, many people feel comfortable around them, therefore not minding much any order for them, given they aren't strange orders.
"Hup!"
Here she stands alone, facing the leader of an enemy Syndicate. Her intentions were to impale him with the tip of her open hand. The situation at hand therefore indicates two things.
One: the enemy's lackey won't stand in her way.
Two: her subordinates were successfully shaping the battlefield as per her orders so she could have a one-on-one against the enemy leader.
"T.A.D."
"Director! No need to worry about the lackeys, we're handling them as always!"
"Haah… didn't I tell you to call me by my name? Girl, seriously… Well, if you're going to call me Director, might as well play the part, hm?"
Without wasting much more words, the employee quickly struck the leader's solar plexus, effectively piercing right through his torso. She had weakened that body part before with a series of strikes.
"… Well, seems like your boss is dead. Now what? Wanna keep going?"
"Gh- Dammit!"
In battle against a large group of enemies, the death of the leader often means the death of morale. And as suspected, the remnant members of the Syndicate slowly backed away before making a run for it and fleeing through the streets.
"Whew~ Another job well done!"
This is precisely how the Liu Association handles their large-scale tasks. The members hold back the enemy grunts while the Director, or a Director equivalent, takes their leader on one-on-one. However, it means that they do not posses a plan B when their Director is defeated. But we shouldn't go into that yet.
We will find out once we look into a world with such tale.
It takes only the fall of a leader to bring the whole team down.
You may not be a Director, but you're in a similar position, if not more important. In your case, however, you cannot fight on your own or you will undeniably be defeated. As such, there are other ways to bring a sense of security for your employees, Manager.
…
Well, that seemed like solid advice. Too bad the Manager was a bit distracted by another thing right now.
As expected by practically every Sinner, Charon and Vergilius were waiting on board of Mephistopheles. While Charon seemed more pouty and annoyed, Vergilius only stared at the Sinners with a cold glare. The room was filled with the sense of oppression, leaving little to no room for light-hearted jokes.
"You're late. Charon counted to one hundred and you still didn't come."
"Charon."
Charon seemed ready to throw in a few more icy words, but once Vergilius placed a hand on her shoulder, she seemed to reconsider.
"Verg, Charon will remember this."
"I'm sorry. I'll buy you something sweet later."
Not having any more words to discuss, Charon silently sat back on the driver's seat, not sparing the Sinners or Vergilius another glance. He, in turn, slowly turned to them.
If there was one thing that all of them were good in, then it was sensing imminent danger and immediately taking action. As such, the group quickly dispersed, every Sinner quietly scuttling back to their respective seats.
Only Don Quixote remained anxiously standing in the bus aisle.
"Let's hear your excuse, Don Quixote." Vergilius voice was even colder than Dante could remember. Given the fact how he usually was, the Manager knew this wasn't going to end well.
"I- I could not turn a blind eye to the weak being persecuted like-"
"No, wrong."
The Manager's vision couldn't keep up with what happened in that instant. They had no eyelids to blink with, so it shouldn't be possible for them to miss anything. And yet, when they caught up with the moment, the first thing that came into their sight was Don Quixote brought to the ground, her shoulder being trampled under Vergilius' shoe.
"I asked for an excuse, not for a justification of your views."
"Gaahh-!"
His shoe pressed her shoulder harder to the ground, and her pained groans only became more strained with time. Dante disliked that sight, even if they were used to seeing the Sinners getting constantly hurt.
"This isn't the first time this happened, Don Quixote. You're already responsible for three separate incidents. Three occasions where you've jeopardized our work with your deranged behaviour. What do you think about that? Speak."
"Wh- While I admit that mine own actions did inconvenience my fellow colleagues- ngk- GAAHH!"
She wasn't even able to finish her sentence before another pained groan escaped her. And yet, as they grew louder, no one stepped in. It was obvious to everyone that she was being punished for what she had done, and stepping in would not help the situation. If all, it would worsen it, and the Sinners were aware of that.
"I was asking for your thoughts. Why can't you seem to understand that?"
"I was speaking my thoughts only to be interrupted!!"
"What you should've told me on the get-go was an apology, Don Quixote." His words almost sounded like disappointment, yet the Manager wasn't sure if it was really so or if he was only feigning such sentiment.
"What unjust- Ghk! Thou art demanding a specific answer out of me…!"
"Don't you know? A company always has the 'correct' answers for their employees. The questions are only asked to see if you can get them right. You're sorely mistaken if you really believe that the company cares about your inputs."
"Kagh…. If the company insists, then so-!"
"I'm sick of this." His words cut her off again as he wasted no time to kick Don Quixote, tossing her to the floor. However, he made sure to grip her by the collar while doing so.
"I'm sure you remember what went down when you joined. I sure hope you haven't forgotten the deal we made that day… Miss. Don. Quixote."
That made her silent. Vergilius' eyes glowed a brighter red than Dante had ever witnessed, and they both stayed in that position for what felt like an eternity. Finally, she nodded slowly before he released her from his grip.
"… That's all. Go back to your seat."
To see someone who usually was so confident and prideful shift to such a crestfallen, discouraged state didn't really make for a pleasant sight. It was something the Manager disliked seeing. However, to see Don Quixote grow so silent after having mentioned a deal between her and Vergilius… It made the Manager curious.
"The same goes for the rest of you." It was no surprise to see the Sinners perk up in caution once Vergilius turned around to address them all.
"A company isn't the place to fulfil egocentric dreams or preach big ideas. If you still consider going against the terms of the employment contract, consider first the consequences before doing so. You'll spend a grueling period of being unable to escape; not through death, nor through struggle."
"… I guess getting help from that guy – what was his name again, Mister… Zack Friture or something like that – must've ruffled his feathers." Gregor's voice was the first one of the Sinners to be heard after that whole ordeal was done with. It didn't really surprise the Manager. And though Don Quixote corrected Gregor with a quieter voice than usual, the Sinners seemed to calm down from the tense atmosphere. As such, the bus was able to depart.
It wasn't really bad. The scenery outside was completely different from the one Dante was used to. It made them curious about what other places there were outside the Backstreets and the Nests. Not long after that thought, Vergilius' voice announced the next destination.
"Attention, all. Our destination here is the town of Calw, situated in Nest K. Investigations have revealed that a passage to a Lobotomy Corp. branch exists somewhere in that town."
Sinclair's reaction was almost immediate. He flinched in fear before starting to tremble, as if something were coming after him. However, for now, the Manager only focused on the information they were given.
It wasn't long before the bus reached a quiet woodland path leading to a village. The sight of this seemingly bright and lush green forest would've been pretty, if there wasn't something odd amidst all of it. To be more precise, an ominous billow of smoke in the distance. Sinclair was the first to react.
"Why… is there smoke… coming from…"
"Charon, turn."
Not even a few seconds after Vergilius gave the command and Charon complied, a giant nail flew in and noisily embedded itself in the back window. It's unnecessary to say that everyone quickly got off the bus per Vergilius' demands. And the Sinners were almost immediately met with a strange figure.
"Halt. You may not use this road."
"You should've said so before in the first place, 'cause what about our windshield? Ah, bugger…"
Gregor's complaints were only half-hearted at best. But seeing how the stranger didn't exactly attack them (as opposed to before), they began to talk for a bit. It was then that the Sinners learned that this was an 'Inquisitor' from N Corp, or also called 'Nagel und Hammer'. It was also then that Gregor decided to play theatre for a bit and give the excuse that they were doing a bus tour.
"… Greg, I've been thinking 'bout it since the job at the mine… do you have something for these types of bits?"
"That's not exactly it…"
Nonetheless, the Inquisitor continued.
"If that is the case, then you shall prove that you are untainted."
"Fine, go ahead. Tell us how we can do that."
The Inquisitor quickly pointed to the Manager. It was the first time they were really acknowledged in these situations.
"Behead the blasphemous traveller."
If only it would've been for a kind reason.
"And kneel before our hammer as you consecrate their head to us. Such motion will prove you are untainted ones, thus shall continue your journey without hindrance. You will, of course, have to depart with the defiled vehicle as well."
"Love to spew on, don't you blokes? Oi, I don't know who you think we are, but do we look that daft enough to you to do as you say?"
Heathcliff's words were more because he didn't want to kneel than to refrain from beheading the Manager, which they could respect. Not really, but who really cared anyway. In the end, it still started a fight with the Inquisitor and his nearby comrades.
Translations for SANGRIA (I honestly have no clue what she's saying here but this is what I believe could, more or less, be her words).
T.A.D. = Task all done.