The Sorbonne Youth Liberation Alliance.
As the ruling party wielding absolute control over the current Union government, they were beginning to fracture.
Their internal landscape was a labyrinthine mess of factions: the Louisists, named after their leader; the Sorbonne camp, named after their home district; the Gallian nationalists; and the 'Centralists.' Depending on their ideological drift, they were branded as Status-quoists, Revisionists, or even Reactionaries.
These sub-cliques ranged from those advocating for passive internationalism to isolationists, Gallian ethno-nationalists, and even opportunistic 'unaffiliated' members who had merely hitched a ride on the prevailing political tide.
Yet, there was one singular pillar that maintained their cohesion.
"Who are the ones who achieved a six-percent economic growth rate!?"
""Long live the Centralists!""
It was the economy.
By securing parliamentary seats for economists, renowned state-run enterprise directors, and seasoned economic technocrats, they had ensured that the Union's prosperity continued its meteoric ascent.
The citizenry was content.
"What on Terra is going on?"
"The International Brigades are already in Kazdel, so why won't the Union Army deploy!? Why!?"
"I called dibs on Kazdel first, and now the Centralists are blocking the deployment. Doesn't this feel like some twisted cuckoldry plot?"
"Get the hell out of here."
...At least, they were content until the outbreak of the Kazdel Civil War and the subsequent 'rejection incident' in the legislature.
A single legislative vote.
That decision had decimated public opinion within the Union.
As part of the Union's peculiar 'traditional pastime,' party offices in various districts were set ablaze. Officers of the People's Militia, clubs in hand, scrambled to apprehend the adolescent arsonists responsible for the chaos.
Large-scale demonstrations erupted. To maintain even a semblance of control, the Union government was forced to mobilize front-line military units—disarmed for the purpose—to police the masses.
The Sorbonne faction was in a state of emergency.
"How do we counter this?" a Sorbonne deputy asked Chairman Louis.
"Gallian public opinion is wavering. Frankly, in the next election, our seat count might shrink to less than half."
The election specialists—who always seemed to become exceptionally vocal during such cycles—expressed their grim concerns.
Despite their recent landslide victory, they were essentially a ragtag assembly of technocrats brought together solely for the sake of triumph. If they lost the next election, the Sorbonne faction would be torn asunder, reduced to unrecognizable, ragged scraps.
Thus, Edward Louis, the head of the Alliance, had to make a choice.
"...I have made my decision," he declared with finality.
He had reached a resolve.
"Liberate the whole of Ursus!"
"Turn the sword of the revolution toward the Tundra!"
He would extinguish the fire by lighting an even greater one.
*******************************
Beep— Beep— Beep—
The medical ward of the landship, Rhodes Island.
"Ch-Chairman?"
"The Comrade Chairman is awake! Doctor! Call the doctor!"
My vision had faded to black, and for a moment, I thought I was dead. But once again, I have returned to the waking world.
An unfamiliar ceiling met my eyes.
"...An unfamiliar ceiling."
"Pardon?"
"What time is it?"
I'd heard that Far Eastern light novels and animation were trending lately, so I tried a bit of a gag, but it clearly didn't land. How awkward.
"It is two o'clock, Comrade. You have been unconscious for roughly twenty minutes."
Hmm... twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes isn't exactly a breach of etiquette. It's not enough of a slight for Theresia to hold over me.
As long as I can find a way to smooth things over with Theresia or Kal'tsit...
Wait.
Didn't Theresia collapse as well?
I grabbed Litvinov's hand and asked, "What happened to Comrade Theresia?"
He remained silent. It wasn't that he couldn't speak; he seemed burdened by the gravity of the answer. Neurath, standing beside him, opened his mouth in Litvinov's stead.
"Comrade Chairman. Regarding Comrade Theresia..."
It was then.
"Theresia has yet to regain consciousness."
Kal'tsit pulled back the medical curtains with a sharp snap. Her expression made it quite clear that I was not her favorite person at the moment.
Looking at her as she made her blunt entrance, I remarked, "Wow... is that supposed to be a doctor's coat or a raincoat?"
"...."
Grind.
Kal'tsit's face contorted. As the scowl on her visage deepened, I had no choice but to dismiss Litvinov and Neurath from the room. Only the two of us remained in the ward.
*****************************
"...So, to summarize: because you've developed a severe case of pathological suspicion, you infected Theresia with your paranoia. Worried about my true identity, she tried to read my mind, suffered an Arts overload, and blacked out?"
After hearing Kal'tsit's explanation, I understood the situation to some degree. So, Theresia is currently in a state similar to Mutsumi-chan from the Arknights-original band Ave Mujica? I understand perfectly!
Apologies. I just used that setup for the sake of the joke. Is a BanG Dream! Ave Mujica and Arknights collaboration really happening? Truly a clash of the world's titans. That once-gloomy character who... well, never mind.
"I see from your eyes that you're thinking of some bizarre joke... No, let's move on. The claim that I planted the seeds of suspicion is a delusion that would make even a passing Paulbeast laugh, but the rest of your assessment is correct."
Ahem. Jokes aside, Kal'tsit's explanation boiled down to this:
Kal'tsit claimed she knew my identity. (Since I came from Korea to Ursus, I suspect Kal'tsit is simply mistaken. Or perhaps that 'certain someone' brought me into this world?)
Because of this, she had given Theresia a heads-up, leading Theresia to be somewhat wary even as she accepted the Union's support. No wonder she rejected a few shipments before.
In any case, the Kazdel Civil War had broken out, and Theresia's fatigue and stress levels had skyrocketed like the stock prices of Six-Star Electronics. Just as she reached her breaking point, grappling with the treachery and paranoia inherent to civil war, I arrived.
Naturally, she trusted me more than anyone—at least more than the Communists she had under her command. However...
"Um, was it a mistake to bring the fighters—no, the aircraft?"
"That is part of it, but why in the name of Terra did you bring a full suite of state-of-the-art weaponry while traveling through friendly territory?"
"...Those were obsolete models from ten years ago."
My intention had been to mobilize them all to showcase the International Communist Party's capacity for war, thereby instilling confidence in Theresia. I expected a positive reaction.
Evidently, it backfired. Seeing all that 'state-of-the-art' (by Kazdel's standards) weaponry approaching, Theresia naturally assumed I was a threat. To those outside our borders, I was synonymous with the Union itself.
She must have thought I intended to coerce Babel for the Union's gain. That's why she tried to peek into my mind—to discover my ulterior motives and counter them.
"...That's the gist of it, right, Kal'tsit?"
I compressed my many assumptions into a few sentences and addressed her. Considering I was Terra's greatest theorist—one who put the doctoral students of Leithanien to shame—I was likely correct.
"Hmm... the underlying reason is slightly different... but yes, essentially."
Her answer was somewhat unsatisfactory, but if Kal'tsit said yes, then it was yes.
"By the way, why do you insist on calling me Kal'tsit? The last time we met must have been decades ago. Why do you address me as if we were close friends?"
"Ah, don't mind that. It's better if you don't think about it too deeply."
Why? Because it's harder to find a fan-video in the Arknights community without you in it than one that has you. And when I was clearing the main story, I could never understand your way of speaking: 'I see. So that's how it is... it has come to this...' You became an Operator I couldn't forget if I tried.
Kal'tsit muttered something to herself that only she could understand. "As I suspected, that reaction could only come from someone who has observed me frequently since long ago..."
There she goes again, talking to herself.
"Does threatening someone you just met during the Revolutionary War make sense to you?"
Kal'tsit fell silent at that. It wasn't so much that I'd hit the nail on the head as much as she found my words absurd, but did that really matter?
"Anyway, that's not the important part. Let's go see Theresia."
"Listen here. Why do you use an honorific for the Lord of Fiends but treat me like this?"
"Tut-tut, quiet now."
Since I dismissed her words so curtly, Kal'tsit seemed to lose her voice. She simply opened and closed her eyes while staring at me before letting out a long sigh.
"Follow me. I will guide you to the Lord of Fiends."
She folded her hands behind her back and, with a vacant expression, gestured with her hand for me to follow.
"Thank you."
So, I took her hand. Walking with a hand offered behind one's back—isn't that practically an invitation for someone to hold it? That was my logic for grabbing Kal'tsit's hand. It felt soft and warm.
"..."
A silence followed. Hmm, this feels ominous. I squinted and looked up at her.
"YOUUUUUUUU!!"
Kal'tsit was glaring at me with murderous intent. Ah. Farewell, my life.
******************************
After five minutes of being lectured by Kal'tsit, I finally walked down the corridor. Damn, it was just a joke, but she really can't take one. It's definitely that green-haired woman's fault.
"...If you're following me while thinking of more nonsense, I will truly strike you this time."
"Ahem."
At any rate, the corridor had a distinctively sci-fi aesthetic. It felt like walking through the interior of a spaceship. Like something out of Dead Space or Half-Life... wait, phrased like that, it feels like we're about to be invaded. But you get the idea.
After about two minutes of walking, we reached our destination.
"We are here. Enter quietly."
We had arrived at Theresia's room. Kal'tsit opened the door, and I followed her inside. A white curtain hung before us.
"Theresia, you have a visitor," Kal'tsit said.
Oh? Is she awake? I felt a spark of anticipation. I barely remembered her face from when she fainted earlier. My memories of my time on Earth were beginning to grow hazy.
If so, this would be my first real meeting with Theresia—at least, as far as my conscious memory was concerned.
"Not yet, it seems."
Kal'tsit's subsequent words dampened my spirits. I had woken up quickly, but she apparently had not. I found myself wondering what kind of burden she was carrying that kept her in such a fitful slumber.
"Just what is going on that she still hasn't woken up? Did you slip and let her hit her head on the floor when you caught her?"
"Sihun! No, Vladimir! Wait!"
I let Kal'tsit's voice trail off as I pulled back the white curtain. As the fabric fluttered aside, I saw someone lying there. I saw hair the color of pink blossoms, and then her skin slowly came into view.
As the curtain settled and the full image took hold, only one thought occupied my mind.
'Wow... she's beautiful.'
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