22 February 2024
North Roofpost, Katalysis, 43rd Floor
We sneaked off into the barren area once more, this time from the northern part of the main city area. Without so much of a choice in the blinding darkness, we simply walked in a straight line, to the surrounding canyon walls ahead.
To prevent separation, I offered to hold onto Rakuno's shoulder to avoid losing each other. I figured hand-holding, or even holding her arm would seem like the kind of scenario that would earn me accusations of sexual harassment from her, so I'd rather not do any of those.
By the time we found the entrance to the stairs and climbed it, I started to wonder about Krieg's whereabouts.
For him to send me a message as if he was free from the Council, it would seem odd at first glance. Of course, if he were really free from the Council, he would have already reported to me in person.
Which means he was still stuck in whatever prison in Katalysis, though I couldn't find out the location of such a place. Perhaps it's a heavily kept secret within the Council, but even if I had tried hard to investigate the location, I would need to know the rest of the Council members themselves.
It was impossible to identify them in a sea of orange cursors. After all, I'd assume that they were also orange players. It can also be assumed that they patrol the streets of Katalysis regularly, but it's not as if I knew their patrol routes. For all I knew, their routes could totally be at random every day.
Knowing more Council members brings me a step ahead in the investigation. I might have to ask Kira about it when I see her later.
Rakuno was reading Krieg's message as we climbed up the dimly lit stairs. Actually, it was me who sent her the text as it was.
"Greetings, and rest assured that I am doing pretty well in this cell, despite the multiple inconveniences that I am currently facing for the time being.
I have come into proper contact with Kira, and through our discreet discussions I have generally understood the situation. My detainment concludes in a week's time, though if the situation allows I would try to escape from this dungeon earlier than expected. Of course, this carries immense risk, but if I succeed, I will let you know.
Kira has also asked me to inform you on your next meeting spot, the North Roofpost. An amusing name for such a place, it seems, but she refuses to elaborate on it further, claiming that you know where to find it."
"Are you sure it's really from him?" Rakuno's eyebrows twitched. "He could've been forced to write this."
"That's both his speech and writing style," I simply replied. "Or do you know anyone else who speaks like him?"
"Um.....Fair point....." Rakuno started to think of something. The way she was thinking suggested that she was trying to argue against my claim, which was pretty accurate, to be honest.
If anyone could speak in the most cringeworthy way possible, it would be Krieg. Not that I would tell that right in front of his face, of course.
The North Roofpost looked much like the South Roofpost in any way possible. The only difference was the bird's eye view of the city, which felt like it was rotated 180 degrees from the time I was at the South Roofpost. After all, it did make sense.
Kira was enjoying the view, her back facing us for a while, before turning at us, even though we never really gave any signs of arriving here.
For us to seemingly not make a sound from the stairs to the ledge metres apart, Kira's ears seem to be sharp enough to expect our arrival so accurately. That, or her timing to turn around was just a coincidence.
To be fair, the Roofpost itself presented a silent environment, except for the blowing winds, for one to listen to even a decibel of sound traveling through the cool, nightly air. It honestly wasn't hard to pick up on anything, especially when any sound around you seems to be amplified by a loudspeaker anyway.
Including the voice of Kira, as she went to welcome us again.
"Let's just continue where we left off."
"Then I'll start off with something that you might really want to hear," I gestured Kira back to the ledge. "Particularly, Kyozo's message for you."
Kira's back stopped as she paused her stroll back to the ledge.
"I'm listening."
"It's a simple message, really," I walked past her to treat myself to the view from the ledge. "He's worried about you. Thinks you can't take this burden of taking down Katalysis yourself."
Kira, without a tinge of hesitation, walked up beside me on the ledge and stared straight at me.
"Do I look like the type to give up on this mission at all? How long did you think I have lasted in this city until now?"
It wasn't a question of how long one can survive being in a city full of orange players. That felt like taking a leisure stroll in a park.
The tightrope walking begins the moment you join the Council itself. Falling off that tightrope results in devastating consequences. I could really imagine how such a domino effect would play out.
"Long enough," I gave my reply. "I'm simply passing on Kyozo's concern to you. But to be honest, I have my worries as well."
The usually bright-faced Rakuno sat down by the ledge on my right side, seemingly without anything to say to Kira.
"Someone has to take down this place from the inside, Xana," Kira faced herself to the view of the city. "And that will be me. When this infiltration succeeds, Kyozo will thank me when I return to him."
"......'When', huh......"
The keyword that caught my ear left my lips carelessly into the winds.
"I wonder about the success rate of your infiltration, though. You're confident about it."
It felt like I was giving her an interview, but I don't think any amount of interviewing could put me at ease, despite her optimistic attitude.
Kira's stare continued its sight onto me. "Are you not convinced of my capability to make this success a reality?"
"No, I'm not, actually."
The owner of those words stood up and walked passed me. In fact, before I could even decide to reply, Rakuno was already staring Kira eye-to-eye.
My desicion swiftly changed to letting Rakuno take the reins in the conversation. The amount of concern I had for Kira's undercover mission seemed to be at a considerable level, but I bet Rakuno had more than just that.
"I'll be honest. I think you'll be busted by the Council before KoB's invasion starts."
She couldn't be any more direct than this. Of course, I did agree with her claim, but shoving that pessimistic possibility into Kira's face never seemed to be a good idea to me in the first place.
As I leaned over slightly across the ledge to see Kira face Rakuno without ever so much of changing faces, I turned back to the view of the city discreetly while refraining to say another word.
I knew better than to interrupt a debate between individuals with talkative tendencies. As long as they can settle stuff out peacefully, I'm all in on the waiting-for-the-conclusion game.
Since Kira was outright determined to see through her undercover mission in the Council until her betrayal no matter what, I didn't bother to listen to the debate that much. Instead, I took in the sights of the bird's eye view of the canyon walls, which still fascinated me.
And by tilting my view a little higher, was the sky. Not the giant circular ceiling right above us, no. The space outside of the floating castle, which was akin to the sky ever so looked upon at in the real world.
But for us players, that could only be viewed at a certain angle, and only if you went far enough to the edges of the Floors. For that reason, I gave such kinds of views a simple name: Horizons.
To be honest, it was probably the namesake of my guild as well.
Right now at night, the horizons ahead were spanned with the darkest shades of blue. Spotting a cloud accurately at this timing could be called a talent.
But I didn't need sharp eyes to spot something in the horizons. In fact, it was simply a matter of colour contrast. A bright, white speck standing out in the dark, blue canvas.
It was such a sight, though intriguing, that had caught my attention instantly.
Was that, a star?
I couldn't help but simply wonder, but my ears picked up Rakuno's words again, as I turned to look at how the debate was going on. Apparently, it had shifted the topic to another one, which Rakuno was strongly advocating an opinion of.
".....That's what I said! Katalysis will become a wasteland, there and then! Is there really no one who cares about what happens after the invasion?"
"It's true that we haven't really thought of that yet, but of course, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. It's hard to imagine how the aftermath of the invasion will affect the city." The crimson-haired girl replied with what I thought was still an unsatisfactory answer.
" 'We'? As in who? The KoB? Isn't it really focused on prepping for the invasion right now? Where has it got any more effort to spare for even giving a shit about restoring a city that it plans to ravage?"
My interference had Rakuno turning back at me, as if she had forgotten I was behind her. Or maybe she did, but I wouldn't point that out to her on such a trivial matter.
"I don't think you understand how extremely difficult it will be to restore a city run solely by players." Kira remarked. "It may be a good idea, but only worth dreaming of."
Rakuno faced the view of the city with a tinge of sorrow. "I just.....wanted the city to change for the better."
She seemed to have forgotten a fact about the city, and it was that the city, including the surrounding wasteland, were never considered by the system to be safe zones. If the entire city's security collapses overnight, enemy mobs would have already ravaged this whole area in that same night.
"This city was founded just because those players down there couldn't change for the better," Kira leaned slightly over the ledge to treat herself to the city view. "I wouldn't rebuild it if I were you, and neither would the KoB, Xana."
She shot me a brief but sharp glance, wanting to get back at me for my statement.
"But as much as I detest at what they do on a regular basis, I'm still committed to saving every player, and to return to the real world as soon as possible. That's my goal, and that's why I'm willing to cooperate with you."
I watched as Kira left the ledge to return to the stairs leading down the canyon wall stopping just before the first flight.
"By the way, the Council's patrols are becoming more aggressive. You should be more careful if you're planning to snoop around."
As if I wasn't any more cautious moving around in the city.
"You mind if I add you in my friend list?" I almost let that chance slip, as I brought down my system menu swiftly. "I'd rather you not use Krieg to contact me again."
The crimson girl started down the stairs without even a sign of turning back.
"Just do as you like. I'll accept the friend request later."
As her footsteps echoed, I noticed Rakuno's system menu already in front of her. One of the system windows showed a friend request already sent to Kira.
"Can we trust her?" She swiped her system windows away and stared at the stairs.
"What do you think?" I made my friend request to her before swiping away mine as well.
"I want to, but....."
"Then there's your answer."
"Eh?"
"If you're harbouring even a single tinge of doubt about trusting her, then you might as well don't in the first place."
I turned back to bask myself in the view of Katalysis a bit longer, as Rakuno turned at me with a mixture of reluctance and confusion.
"But if you want to trust her, just make sure to not regret that desicion."
My eyes rolled down to the foot of the North Roofpost, and locked on intently at a faint silhouette in the darkness heading back to the city area of Katalysis.
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