Following the aftermath of Overthrax and the war that would later be remembered as the Grand Warstorm.
A barrage of questions was directed at the organization Ghost Hounds and the Iron Hound, Kurian. Yet the Ghost Hounds answered only by presenting the following historical facts.
> "First, Kurian helped bring the war to an end, regardless of the methodology used."
> "Second, certainly, the Special Guest and the General may have been left with trauma, but... It's not something Ghost Hound bothers with, for Ghost Hound has operated this way from the very beginning.
There were records of a similar incident occurring in the past, in the New Federation specifically, when the leader of the mercenary group, Calcharo, finished a task, whilst he was strapped in a bomb vest."
> "Third, Ghost Hound will overlook only the matter of not being paid for their assistance. Beyond that, if pushed, Ghost Hound does not mind inciting another war."
> "Fourth, Kurian has officially resigned, as he personally came and terminated his contract, but he remains a brother-in-arms of the Hound family."
These were the four ultimatums Ghost Hound issued. It was neither an act of arrogance nor simply an attempt to deflect the backlash, for it was a mercenary organization filled with exceptionally capable individuals.
Such matters meant little to them, as they had always been home to the extraordinary and the eccentric alike.
However, when the Black Shores also became slightly entangled in the affair, the Ghost Hounds decided to release a note regarding Kurian.
The note contained two distinct diagnostic reports that had existed since Kurain's childhood, confirmed by the founding members of the Ghost Hound.
> "First, Kurian had Dissociative Identity Disorder. He possessed two distinct personalities, coupled with Savant Syndrome."
> "Second, the defining difference between these two personalities was that Kurian was emotionally intelligent, while the other personality was mechanically intelligent."
That was all the Ghost Hounds chose to reveal to the world in the wake of the fallout. Of course, they knew what this meant, for this would make them untrustworthy, but then again, the mercenaries are all notorious for being untrustworthy.
And, as long as the Ghost Hounds can retain their image of being a capable mercenary group, that's all that matters.
The founding members of Ghost Hound knew exactly who Freddie was, for Kurian had revealed the truth about his past to them long ago, during his childhood. So when Freddie told them, "Kurian is dead," they were certainly taken aback, uncertain how to respond.
Because... Freddie was Kurian, and it made it a deeply confusing tribulation for many. Some felt their eyes sting with tears, yet none of them could truly make sense of it.
However, Freddie proposed one thing that drew a clear distinction: a proper burial ritual.
For half a day, Ghost Hound suspended all of its activities as a coffin containing Kurian's most treasured belongings, including his mother's cracked bracelet, was laid to rest.
When the leader of Ghost Hound, Calcharo, asked Freddie, "If you are not Kurian in actuality, then what are you to us? A ghost who took his body?"
Freddie's answer was poetic, yet unmistakably clear. "Like wetness in water, Kurian and I are no different. However, the wetness of water and the water itself are different, for wetness is the quality, and water is the object."
"But it is still a trait of the water. If Kurian is the water, then I am the wetness, a trait of his. And even if I may not be 'exactly' him, am I not still your brother-in-arms?" Freddie asked Calcharo and the others, drawing quiet tears from a few.
Yet it was not true mourning, for to them it was more like watching a childhood friend grow into someone else.
However, that mattered little because in the end, whether he was Kurian or Freddie, he was family all the same. After their elegy and their period of mourning had passed, Freddie suggested becoming a lone wolf.
When asked if he was afraid, Freddie let out a soft chuckle, one that sounded much like Kurian's, before saying, "Fear is only for those who lack the courage to do anything."
"That is why..." As those words left his lips, the voices of Kurian and Freddie seemed to overlap, and the Ghost Hounds caught the fleeting image of Kurian within Freddie as he finished, "... the ignorant, cowardly fools wait for an opportunity to strike."
At those words, even Clacahor's stern demeanor cracked ever so slightly, the corners of his lips curling upward despite himself.
"Well said, pookie."
The contract was terminated, but the bond of brotherhood remained.
"Does this mean I am jobless now?" Freddie muttered in amused bewilderment as he lay upon a grassy field, watching the clouds drift overhead, his blade, the remains of Kurian, resting quietly by his side.
"Hmm." He shifted slightly, turning onto his side as he embraced his other self, just before his Terminal began to beep.
"Hm?" Freddie glanced at the Terminal, genuine bewilderment flickering across his face.
"So... he accepted it, huh?" Freddie murmured in quiet surprise as he looked at the contents sent by a sender named "The Bizzaro Savant," which read: "You have my attention."
Project R.E.M.E.M.B.R.A.N.C.E.
> Recalling Eroding Memory via Engram-Mapped Biological Reconstruction and Neural Cognitive Echoes.
Freddie reviewed the overview that he, or rather Kurian, had provided.
Problem:
> Quantum memory imprints, similar to the Schrödinger problem, that is, uncertainty over whether the memories are real or not, were detected within Subject Kurian.
Objective:
> To unveil the mystery behind the memories and study this dissonant frequency aligning with the frequency of Subject Kurian.
These were the primary problems and objectives. There was also additional prose in the project's procedures, but it mostly consisted of technical material intended for the Bizzaro Savant to examine.
After reading the confirmation message, Freddie rose to his feet before invoking Cloud Passage: Crossing Mountains and Rivers.
In an instant, he soared into the sky. With measured grace and flawless technique, he crossed mountains and rivers in a single bound, covering countless miles until he arrived at Lahai-Roi.
"Hmm, perhaps I should meet Dr. Herssen before going to that eccentric fellow," he murmured before making his way toward Startorch Academy.
As Freddie made his way toward the grand building, on the other side of the map, another figure as encoraching the building situated within Jinzhou, Huanglong.
Rover, having recovered enough from her injuries, also made her way to the City Hall, where she encountered Sanhua.
"Greetings, Rover," Sanhua greeted before politely asking, "What can I help you with today?"
"I'm here for Jinhsi," Rover replied. She had waited long enough, and now she was ready to ask the questions weighing on her mind. "I have questions about the Sentinel."
Regretfully, Sanhua had to inform her, "I regret to tell you that Madam Magistrate is not in the City Hall. She departed for Mt. Firmament."
"In fact..." A trace of worry crept into her voice as she continued. "We haven't heard back from her for days."
"So you don't know what she's up to?" Rover tilted her head.
Sanhua shook her head apologetically. "Unfortunately, no... Please..." she requested softly, "...keep this confidential."
"The situation in Jinzhou remains unstable after our battle with the Threnodian," Sanhua added with grim acceptance. "We must limit knowledge of the Magistrate's whereabouts to only a select few."
She then looked at Rover and asked, "Are you doing well?"
Rover nodded. "I wasn't injured too badly. How is the General?"
"General Jiyan seems to have moved beyond the trauma of that day, but..." Sanhua paused before continuing, "...he has been trying to get in contact with Sir Kurian(Freddie). However, it seems Sir Kurian has truly isolated himself."
"Perhaps..." Sanhua's gaze drifted toward the northeast as she murmured, "Perhaps only the Ghost Hounds know where he might be."
"Although... it seems they are keeping equally silent about Sir Kurian," Sanhua concluded.
Rover gently steered the conversation back. "About Magistrate Jinhsi and the Sentinel..."
"Ah, right. My apologies. I got sidetracked."
Sanhua then informed Rover that, following Scar's capture and the information they extracted, the Fractsidus might have imprisoned the Sentinel. If that information proved to be true, the consequences could be as catastrophic as a Threnodian invasion.
"Please keep this a secret," Sanhua requested, stressing that the information must remain strictly confidential to prevent further destabilizing Jinzhou. "Her Magistrate appeared weak during her last communication."
Worried for Jinhsi's safety, especially after hearing how frail she had looked in her last video message, Rover decided to travel to Mt. Firmament and offer her aid.
"I need to go to Mt. Firmament to meet with the Sentinel," Rover declared. "Jinhsi might be in trouble, and I want to help."
Sanhua looked at her. There was no objection to Rover making the journey; however, since Mt. Firmament was notoriously difficult to navigate, she suggested that Rover seek out a special Wayfinder at the Whining Aix's Mire ferry terminal.
Sanhua sent her the coordinates, and Rover set off at once.
"Have a safe journey." Sanhua offered a deep bow before whispering in a quiet voice, "And please... find Madam Magistrate."
To be continued...