Chapter 10: Past Memories

Chapter 10:
Past Memories

 

“HE WENT OFF with his dead wife. That’s all I know.”

There was a venom to Kleyna’s words when Flum stopped by to ask about Gadhio. Hallom peered out at Flum from behind her mother, a look of worry on her face.

“He wouldn’t say anything to me about it. All he did was leave a letter saying that he was going to be with Tia. What is that, some kind of last will and testament?”

“So, Tia was here yesterday, too. Did you meet her?”

“Yeah, it was Tia, all right. I knew her for a long time; I can vouch for that. Gadhio believes it’s her, too. I think we can say that much is true.”

According to Eterna, there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary with the people brought back with Origin cores using Necromancy’s techniques.

“Gadhio’s spent the past six years mourning Tia and blaming himself for what happened,” Kleyna continued. “I guess I should be happy something good finally came of it.”

“Hey, lady…”

Flum knelt down to look Hallom in the eyes. “What is it, Hallom?”

Tears threatened to pour out of the young girl’s pleading eyes. “I-Is Daddy not coming back? Ever? Did he just forget about me n’ Mommy?”

Flum reached out and stroked the young girl’s hair. “No, honey, he didn’t forget about you at all. He’ll come back soon, I know it.”

“Come now, Hallom. Don’t bother Flum like that.”

“But…but…Daddy’s gone! He’s my daddy, so why’s he with that lady??”

“Oh, Hallom…”

Tears cascaded down Hallom’s cheeks. Her father had died before she was old enough to remember him; calling Gadhio her “father figure” would be an understatement. He was the only father she’d ever known.

“Gadhio is a sweet man, Hallom. I know he thinks the world of you.”

“…I know.”

“So it’ll all be okay. I promise he’ll be back.”

“If you see Daddy and he says he won’t come back, you’ll tell him he’s gonna make me cry and yell at him, right?”

Flum chuckled. “You’ve got it, kid. I’ll be sure to give him a stern talking to and drag him back home if that happens.”

Those words seemed to have a soothing effect on Hallom, whose tears began to dry.

 

***

 

After saying goodbye to Kleyna, Flum and Milkit left the mansion behind.

“I’m glad to see Hallom cheered back up.”

“She really gets attached to people fast.” Even though Milkit hardly knew her, Hallom had waved cheerfully and said goodbye to “the bandage lady” as they left.

“I take it you’ll come play with her the next time we’re over, Milkit?”

“Of course, though we’ll need to find Gadhio first. What do you think we should do now? It’s still a bit early, but maybe we should meet back up with Eterna?”

“Nah, there’s still one other place I want to check out.”

Flum and Milkit made their way to the Central District and turned to the barracks. The guard standing watch bowed his head at the sight of Flum.

“I’m here to see Ottilie. May I come in?”

“Of course, Miss Flum. You can find Miss Ottilie in her chambers.”

Flum laughed, despite herself, at just how different the man’s reaction was from the other day as they stepped inside. Immediately after crossing the threshold, she nearly ran into a slender man. He was dressed in a uniform similar to Ottilie’s—the uniform of the top brass.

“Well, I’ll be, if it isn’t Flum Apricot. I’ve heard all about you from Ottilie.”

“And you are…?”

“Huh, you mean you don’t know who I am? I’m Lieutenant General Werner of the royal army.”

“Sorry. I’m not well informed on these matters.”

“No worries, no worries. I guess I’m not quite as unmissable as Ottilie and Herrmann, so my name doesn’t really get around.” Lieutenant General Werner Apeirun preferred to resolve his duties quickly and discreetly. He allowed himself a single indulgence of martial theater—a set of custom-built steel claws. “I guess you’re here to see Ottilie? I can show you the way. There’s actually something quite interesting that you might want to see.”

“Something interesting?” Flum had no idea what he was talking about but decided to follow him all the same. Much to her surprise, he stopped not at Ottilie’s chambers but in front of a linen room.

Werner spoke in a hushed voice and gestured for them to look inside. “Here.”

Flum and Milkit peeked inside, only to spy Ottilie with her face buried in the sheets.

“Aaaaah, this smells just like Sis. How glorious it is to be completely surrounded in her scent! I just love this smell! It’s so sweet, like the scent of love. Why, why do you smell so wonderful, Sis, and why can I just not get enough of it?? Why must you taunt me?!”

“W-wow…”

Even Milkit was at a complete loss.

“Pretty amazing, huh?”

“I mean, I knew that Ottilie was really smitten with Henriette, but this is something else. Is she always like this?”

Werner shot Flum a thumbs up. “Yup.”

She felt her cheek twitch.

“Mmmmph! You’re nothing short of absolute perfection, Sis! Aaaah, being wrapped up in her sheets feels just like being tied up in her warm embrace, but better, because now I’m the one deep within her now. Like a child! Like I’m her child. Ugyaaah! Gyah!”

“This is…definitely not the image I had of Ottilie.”

Milkit reached over and patted Flum’s shoulder to cheer her up.

“I guess you didn’t know? Well, this is who she really is, so I recommend you get used to it.” Werner’s cackling laugh finally tipped Ottilie off to their presence.

“Oh, uh, why if it isn’t Flum and Milkit. You, uh, look to be doing well…” Ottilie stood up, sheets still in her arms, and walked over.

“You’re…you’re not even going to try and hide it?”

“You already saw me, so what’s there to hide? Besides, my love for my sister is wholly pure. There’s no need to hide something as beautiful as that!”

“Huh…” Flum had no response to that. She decided to bury what she’d just seen in a deep, dark hole in her memory and quickly changed the subject. “Actually, I had some things to discuss with you about the church.”

“Oh?”

“You brought them all the way here for that, Werner??”

“Well, I heard you were close with them, so I figured they were here to enjoy your company.”

Judging by their attitudes, it was clear to Flum that Ottilie and Werner knew nothing of what the Necromancy group was up to.

“In that case, I guess it’d be better to send them along to Henriette?”

“Perhaps, but she’s in a meeting with Satuhkie right now.”

“Satuhkie, the cardinal?”

“Right, Satuhkie Ranagalki. Apparently he’s been meeting with high-up officials in the royal army to improve relations with the church knights of late.”

Now why would a cardinal be trying to ally themselves with the royal army? Flum felt a sense of foreboding creep up on her. If they didn’t have any information about the Necromancy effort, then she should probably make an early exit.

“Well, look at that—Sis’s door is open. I guess they must be done talking, then. Let’s head on in.”

Ottilie practically jogged over, eager to see her sister’s face.

 

***

 

A man and woman were deep in conversation in front of Henriette’s office. One of the figures was obviously Henriette; the other was a large, powerfully built man sporting a well-groomed mustache.

“So that’s Cardinal Satuhkie Ranagalki…”

Satuhkie turned toward Flum, evidently overhearing her approach, and shot a confident smile her way. Flum felt a chill run up her spine.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the famous hero. I heard you’d given up on the great journey, but I never would have expected to run into you here.”

“P-pleased to meet you.”

Though he was of roughly equivalent rank to Henriette, his hulking frame made him much more intimidating.

“No need to be so scared of me. We have a lot of expectations resting on you, you know.”

“Expectations?”

Satuhkie stepped forward and rested a heavy hand on Flum’s shoulder. “It may seem like nothing special to you, but that changes nothing about how future generations will look back on your actions. History is written by results, not intentions.”

“Umm…”

“My apologies; you probably have no idea what I’m going on about. This is just something I want to get off my chest, but I hope you’ll agree with me. You see, I was also among the saved.”

“I’m sorry, what is this about?” Flum’s confusion was written clearly across her face.

It seemed Satuhkie was being intentionally vague. He went on.

“It’s thanks to you that Project Reversion was a complete success. You’re proof of that. That’s why I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to meet you. I’ll need to tell Chatani the good news.”

“Project? Chata…ni?”

Shaaaaaaaaaaaa…

Suddenly, all Flum could hear was a loud hiss in her head. It felt like her memories were being forcefully torn from her, leaving her grasping at nothing. Somewhere in the depths of her mind, she saw an unfamiliar face.

“Project Reversion…research…created…”

Shaaaaaaaaaaaa…

The tendrils of an awful migraine spread through her brain as the noise intensified. This was necessary for reversion, but it was also quite volatile. Caution was of the utmost importance. The agony was simply a growing pain.

“What…what is this?”

Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…

She felt like she was in the middle of a sandstorm, robbed of her sight and hearing and other senses. Who was this Flum Apricot person standing here? She no longer knew the answer. She knew she was “Flum” but couldn’t say who—or what—a “Flum” was.

“Well, it looks like my life is about to come to an end.”

SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…

The pain was almost too much to bear. It felt like a typhoon was blasting through her skull, like she was trying and failing to desperately claw her way back from an irreversible change. The fact that she could still fight at all was proof of what made her special.

In a sense, the world needed this person known as Flum Apricot, but she was still a work in progress. Once she was complete, there was no guarantee she would be allowed to keep the happiness she’d found for herself so far.

“Haaauh…nng…!”

Words, phrases, images, and voices of unknown origin bounced around the inside of her skull, filling it to the brim. They tried to force themselves to the forefront all at once, destroying any possibility of extracting meaning from the cacophony.

“Master?!”

Even with the enchantment working to dull her pain, it was still so excruciating Flum could no longer stand. If it wasn’t for Milkit holding her up, she would likely have collapsed long ago.

“Hmm, are you having a flashback? I guess some of it still remains with you. Now that’s quite a surprise! Gwahaha!” Satuhkie laughed. With that, he turned and left.

There were so many things she wanted to ask about what just happened to her and what he knew, but Flum’s mind still couldn’t form words. She was barely conscious.

Ottilie looked over at Flum with concern and wrapped an arm around her to help her stand. “What did Satuhkie say to you? Listen, if you’re not feeling well, you’d better go to the infirmary to rest.”

Flum was white as a ghost. A rivulet of sweat ran down her face, collecting at her chin and dripping to the floor.

“N-no, I’m fine. I’m just a bit lightheaded, is all. I guess I’ve just been through a lot lately. Haven’t quite recovered from it all.” She offered up a weak smile, but her voice was still shaky and her expression deathly pale. It was hardly convincing.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Henriette gazed straight into Flum’s face.

There was force behind her words, almost like she was asking about something else entirely. Flum had no clue what that question was supposed to be.

She shook her head. “I…I don’t know. None of this makes any sense.”

“What the hell? A girl collapses right in front of you, and you just walk away like it’s no big deal? Those cardinals really do look down on the common people, don’t they?” Werner groused.

“Come now, Werner. Just because he isn’t here anymore doesn’t mean you can just speak your mind.”

“I mean, give me a break! Having to work with the church knights is a hassle nobody wants.”

He wasn’t exactly right. Satuhkie hadn’t been looking down on her. He hadn’t been laughing out of ridicule or derision.

That had been a mirthful laugh.

What the hell was that? As soon as he brought up Project Reversion and the Chatani, all these images flashed right before my eyes. Seeing isn’t even the right word, I felt them.

Flum put a hand to her forehead and glanced over at Milkit.

Milkit was in there, too…or at least I think she was? I…I don’t know anymore. It’s all gone blank. Screw it all, I just want to forget about the whole ordeal. Right now, I need to talk to Henriette.

Flum took a deep breath, refocused herself, and pushed any wayward thoughts from her mind. She stepped into the office with Henriette to get down to the subject at hand.

Just as she had before, Henriette sat on a sofa across from Flum and Milkit. Ottilie sat next to Henriette, pressing her cheek against her shoulder.

“I understand that you would like to ask me something about the church, but unfortunately there’s not much on the subject I can discuss with you right now,” Henriette said.

“I figured as much. Did something happen?”

“Well, there are talks of the church knights absorbing the royal army.”

“What?? But in that case, the royal family would no longer hold any power. The Pope would effectively be in charge of the entire kingdom!”

“That seems to be the plan. The King is already a dedicated follower of Origin, so in truth, this changes little.”

“So the church is just giving up on all pretense to openly seize power?! Once that happens, everyone will suffer as the cost of healing shoots up!”

Henriette wore a pained look on her face. “Pretty much. Unfortunately, I’m fully occupied stalling for time with the church knights. I can’t be of much help to you right now.”

“Not at all, pushing back against the church is help enough as it is.”

“Now, would you mind telling me what’s been going on within the capital? I might know something that could be of some help.”

Flum figured she could trust Henriette. She decided to tell her everything she knew about the Necromancy project.

Once Flum was finished, Henriette nodded and fixed her with a grim look. “Tia Lathcutt… Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in some time.”

“You knew her?”

“We worked together several times in joint operations with the guild. I’d heard that all of her crew but Gadhio had died, but I had no idea the church was behind it.”

“Do you know anything about Satils?”

“Just that she’s a disturbed woman who makes her money through illicit means. She loans out money to other nobles at incredibly high interest rates. If they can’t pay it back, she repossesses their holdings to pay off their debts.”

“That sounds like her.”

“The fact that she could build Shoppe Francois to its current extent speaks to her skill.”

Flum tried asking Henriette several more questions on the subject, but ultimately, they came up empty-handed with regard to the Necromancy project. They could only hope Eterna had better success with Welcy.

She and Milkit said their goodbyes and left the barracks.

Henriette watched the two slowly disappear into the distance from her window. Once they were out of sight, she issued orders to her subordinates.

“Ottilie, Werner, I want you to keep an eye on them. If you see them in danger, give them a hand. I’ll assign a group of ten soldiers to each of you; that should be small enough to avoid suspicion.”

This was all the assistance she could spare Flum in her battle against the church. Thanks to Satuhkie’s efforts, there was a temporary lull in conflict with the church knights, and she could afford to spare the manpower.

“Yes ma’am! I will do my best to not betray my sister’s love!”

“Y’know, I’m not really interested, so I think I’ll pass…but you’re not gonna let me, are you? Can’t you assign Herrmann to this?”

“He’s not the best at covert action. You, on the other hand, are perfectly suited for the job.”

“Henriette’s word is final. Now hurry up and get ready, Werner.”

“Fine, fine, I got it…”

Ottilie dashed out of the room with renewed purpose. Werner shuffled after her.

When she could no longer hear their footsteps in the distance, Henriette spoke aloud to no one in particular.

“Ancient legacies, copies of people, counter-spirals…and something about an ark capital? This is all well and truly beyond me.”

She still struggled to believe all the things Satuhkie discussed with her, but she also knew that unbelievable happenings were everyday reality in the capital now. Henriette hadn’t join the military out of a lust for power or money. She wanted to protect the kingdom and all the people she loved who lived within it. That motivation now seemed sadly at odds with the position she found herself in.

“And yet, I still need to resist. There are still people I need to protect.”

She slipped her coat on and stepped out of her office. She had a meeting with the fanatics who inhabited that demonic cathedral of theirs.

 

***

 

When Flum and Milkit arrived at the predetermined meeting spot in the East District park, they found Eterna, Ink, and Welcy already there waiting for them.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“No worries. We only just got here ourselves.”

“That’s good, then. You came along too, Welcy?”

Welcy flashed a charming grin in response to Milkit’s question before handing a sheaf of papers to Flum. “Do you know what this is?”

“It’s a list of nobles who borrowed money from Satils!” Ink piped up.

“Hey, don’t spoil the surprise, Ink!!” Welcy tugged playfully on Ink’s ear, and the two burst into a fit of giggles. It seemed the two had hit it off in the time they were waiting. “Anyway, one of our employees got hold of this ledger earlier today.”

The employee in question had brought it in while Eterna was talking to Welcy at the newspaper’s office, actually. The timing couldn’t have been any better.

“We just got back from speaking with Henriette at the barracks,” Flum said.

“Wow, you know the general?”

“You could say that. Anyway, according to her, Satils used to seize goods and property in payment for unsatisfied debts. Is this related to that?”

“Yep. In fact, Satils had obtained land rights to the section of forest north of the capital from one of her debtors.”

“That dense thicket of trees? Now that’s definitely suspicious.”

“She often sent carts laden with goods sold to the church up to the north. Do you think…?”

“Exactly. There’s a good chance we’ll find the Necromancy group’s research lab up in the forest.”

Dafydd had stopped by the capital just one day ago, and returned to his lab that night, only to return to the capital again the next morning. To make the round trip so soon, the lab had to be just a few hours out from the capital.

“I can arrange for a carriage. What do you think?” Welcy queried.

“That’d be greatly appreciated.”

“Gotcha. But today’s probably a no-go, yeah? Even if I get to work on it right now, I don’t think I can get a carriage ready before nightfall.”

“Hmm, I think night would be pushing it, especially coming up on a research lab.”

If they didn’t approach this with caution, they were done for. Flum would have loved nothing more than to go immediately, but she knew that wouldn’t be wise.

“All right then, we’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. Could you make the arrangements?” she asked Welcy.

“Sure thing. Obviously, I’m going with. No objections, right?”

“As long as you understand that we can’t ensure your safety, of course.”

“No need to worry. I’m good at running away.” Welcy winked at Flum, which did little to alleviate her anxiety.