In the city of Sant Seutbel, which is located on the border between the Kingdom of Villicia and the Baskenreich, a catastrophe occurred... And Lilly Mond sets out to address the matter.
Sophie: "Hmm... there we are. Thank you very much, sir."
Carriage Driver: "You're welcome."
Sophie: "Hmm."
They got out.
Sophie: "Rosika... Siegfried hehe, there you are."
Rosika: "Mhm."
Siegfried: "Where is... this Rio?"
Rio: "I'm here..."
Sophie: "Huh?"
He emerged from the canal station.
Sophie: "Aaaaarghhhhhh…. Since when have you been here?"
Rio: "About two minutes….. Long time no see…. You two."
Sophie: "Yeah..."
Fiona: "Hey.. Rio."
Rio: "Hey, Fiona…"
Sophie: "Hmm?"
Fiona: "Uhm... Sophie... be careful. He greets people differently.."
He held her cheek and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
(Smooch)
Sophie: "Dude... what?!"
(Smooch!)
Sophie: "Ughhh…. ugh.. what?... What the hell?"
Rio: "...Sorry... That's how we did it in our family."
Sophie: "Ugh.. (Turns red)…"
Fiona: "Hahhh..."
Rio: "Oh.. who do we have here…. You're the nice blind lady... Rosika, right?"
Rosika: "Yes... Hello.. Nice to me…"
He held her cheek and did the same thing.
(Smooch)
Rosika: "Huh?…. Mmm.. (Turns red)…"
Siegfried: "Hey….. I hope you don't greet... men like that too."
Rio: "No... with them you just do this... with a finger."
Sophie: "Huh?"
He held out his finger.
Rio: "Come on, take it."
Siegfried: "Okay."
He did it... They started playing.
Rio: "Mmm. Got you."
Siegfried: "Damn!…. He's good."
Sophie: "(Sweating).. I think he pulled this greeting style out of his ass."
Fiona: "Indeed. That wouldn't be a surprise... Where is Colletta?"
Rio: "Colletta?…"
Colletta: "I'm here…"
She appeared behind them.
Sophie: "Woow... ohh…... wow."
Colletta: "Wow, long time no see, Sophie…"
Sophie: "Have we actually met before? Rio, I know a little.. but you.. (...She's incredibly pretty..)…"
She had gray hair and purple eyes, a beret, a scarf, and a dark jacket. Underneath, she wore a long skirt with a small pair of shorts.
Colletta: "My name is Colletta Cupelle... Very nice to meet you... Sophie... Valeria."
Sophie: "Nice to meet you too."
She slightly extended her hand for a handshake, but just as she was about to do it, Colletta gave her a kiss on the nose.
Sophie: "Huh?!"
Colletta: "Oh... hehe... Hello, Fiona."
Fiona: "Hello, Colletta."
Colletta: "Hehe."
She did the same thing to Fiona.
Sophie: "..is.. that also a greeting?... Mmm... I have to say... that was actually cute."
Siegfried: "Hey.. hello, my name is Siegfried…."
He closed his eyes... hoping that she would do the same thing to him.
Colletta: "Hey."
She waved.
Siegfried: "Mmm.. man."
Sophie: "Hehehe.. Not even in your dreams…"
Siegfried: "Mmm... man... I want a kiss too."
Rio: "Oh.. on the forehead."
Siegfried: "No, I take it back. I didn't mean you."
(Smooch)
Sophie: "Ighhhhh.."
Siegfried: "….I want to go home."
Sophie: "(Sweating).. Even I feel sorry for you."
Colletta: "Hmmm... Who is this woman here?…"
Viola: "Hmm, I'm Viola."
Colletta: "And... ugh."
She looked at Rosika…
Colletta: "Hahh."
Rosika: "Hmm?"
Colletta: "….How cute!!!!"
Rosika: "Huh?!"
(Wusshh!!)
Sophie: "Huh."
Fiona: "Uhm."
Rosika: "Huh?"
Colletta held her cheeks.
Colletta: "You're so cute…. What's your name?"
Rosika: "..Ro... Rosika.."
Colletta: "Rosika…. Hmmm…."
Rosika: "Hmm... uh…"
Colletta: "Hm?... You look a little confused."
Sophie: "Oh... Don't take it personally.. she's blind."
Colletta: "Ugh... oh…. My goodness, forgive me, my sweetie..."
Rosika: "..It's okay."
Colletta: "..Hmmm.. Let me cuddle you for a moment."
She said it in a calm manner... She cuddled her and rubbed her cheek against hers.
Colletta: "How cute….. mmm."
Rosika: "Hmmm.. Sophie... Fiona... is... this normal?"
Sophie: "Huh?"
Fiona: "Honestly... For you, this is normal.."
Sophie: "Yeah…. Come on, I've often bitten your cheeks too. You're just cuddly."
Fiona: "Yeah….. Your husband is really going to have fun with those cheeks."
Siegfried: "Mmm.... I wonder if my future wife will like something like that?"
Rio: "Alright, people... Back to the topic now.. Don't forget why we're here."
Sophie: "...Yeah... coming from the guy who forgot to wear his pants…. What the hell, where did your pants go?"
Rio: "Hmm?…. Oh... I've been wearing my pajama pants this whole time.. That explains why the people on the train were looking at me so strangely.. Oops."
Sophie: "(Sweating)... You and your loss of dignity are unbelievable.. But he's right, everyone.. We need to get started...."
Colletta: "Yeah... You're right."
Rosika: "..Mmm... I can't breathe."
Colletta: "Oh.. sorry, my dear."
Rosika: "It's okay."
Rio: "First, we need to examine the... bodies."
Sophie: "Mhm."
Rio: "Is anyone here good at examining bodies?"
Sophie: "Oh.. Viola and Fiona are good."
Rio: "Good... The Dark Umbrella managed to convince the government to give us some of the bodies…"
The bodies were brought over. Viola and Fiona approached them.
Viola: "What about the ash?"
Rio: "Don't worry…. As long as they're dead... it's gone."
Viola: "I understand.."
Rio: "Mhm."
Fiona: "Let's see."
Rio: "We'll wait here…"
Viola looked at one of the bodies.
Viola: "(Strange…. The organs are almost completely unharmed…. Only one part is affected.... The... kidney... I wonder if it's the same with the others)... ugh."
Fiona: "Hmmm.."
Fiona opened the victim's mouth and smelled it.
Viola: "...(Wow... She even had to learn that?).."
Fiona: "This smell?…. Definitely…. this isn't ash.."
Viola: "Hmm?.."
She smelled it.
Viola: "Hmm... and I thought I was imagining it…. This is gas."
Rio: "Gas?"
Viola: "Yes."
Fiona: "Poisonous gas... This gas actually…"
Viola: "But.. that's not what killed them."
Fiona: "Mhm…."
Rio: "Then what?"
Viola: "The kidneys... were severely damaged…. Gas doesn't do that."
Fiona: "That means... the gas... came first.."
Viola: "And then the ash.."
Rio: "Ughh... Wait... Does that mean someone did this intentionally?"
Sophie: "Hmm?"
Viola: "That reminds me.. There is a gas station nearby…. For the military…. I suspect the ash arrived there first. The people died there.. and somehow the gas then reached here... together with the ash."
Rio: "Oh…"
Viola: "Hmm."
Sophie: "...And... what now? What does that mean?"
Fiona: "That means.. whoever didn't die from the gas.. died from the ash.."
Viola: "And whoever didn't die from the ash... died from the gas.. That's why some of the bodies are different…. The ones whose kidneys weren't affected... that means they died from the gas…."
Rio: "I understand."
Colletta: "That's a truly horrifying way to die..."
Viola: "Mhm."
Fiona: "It's possible that some suffered from both the ash and the gas…. The problem is.. gas and ash together. The gas entered their lungs, and because the ash was swallowed... it reached their stomachs and kidneys....."
Sophie: "Was the death painful?"
Viola: "...Hmmm... You could imagine it as something extremely painful, as if your lungs and kidneys were being severely harmed at the same time... It's….. a very.. very... very terrible thing….."
Sophie: "Ugh."
Fiona: "And a slow death…. Full of suffering…."
Sophie: "Hmmm."
Fiona opened the eyes of one of the victims.
Viola: "What are you doing?"
Fiona: "Hmm.. Something is wrong with this woman's eyes."
Viola: "Hmm?"
She approached.
Viola: "Ugh.. strange."
Sophie: "What?"
Fiona: "Her eyes are…. shocked... as if she saw something... before she died."
Viola: "Something that caused her to die with her hand over her mouth... She must have seen something that... frightened her."
Rio: "What does that mean now?.. What are we supposed to tell the government?"
Viola: "They need to immediately close every gas station..."
Fiona: "And no one should enter this city... Maybe we should even leave..."
Viola: "It's possible that it could affect us too."
Sophie: "Now that you mention it... It's... really stuffy here.."
Rio: "Put on your gas masks.. We have to continue."
Viola: "That's too dangerous."
Rio: "We don't have enough information. We still need to find this liquid."
Viola: "Hmm. True."
Sophie: "Hah."
Fiona: "Well then."
Sophie: "Okay."
They put on their masks.
Sophie: "Hmmm."
Rosika: "Great…. Not only can I not see, now I can barely breathe….."
Siegfried: "(Sweating)... Hey.. It's only for a while."
Rio: "We should split into groups of three... Rosika.. Colletta and I…. will go there. Sophie, Viola, and Fiona go there."
Siegfried: "And ...what about me?"
Rio: "(Sweating).. I forgot about you."
Siegfried: "How mean!"
Sophie: "Come on, Siegfried. Come with us…"
Fiona: "Yeah, just come... We also need a boy in our group."
Sophie: "Yeah... even if you're not as good-looking as Rio."
Siegfried: "Huh?"
Rio: "Honestly, he looks better than me.. I thought he was a woman."
Colletta: "Me too.. He has long hair, and even his face is somewhat feminine…"
Rosika: "Huh?…"
Siegfried: "(Sweating)... Don't just say it like that ...as if that's not cool…. My eyes are just like this... I like having long hair."
Sophie: "Tie it up sometime…"
Siegfried: "Hmmm... yeah.. that's a good idea."
Sophie: "Here, take this. Parzival used to wear it... I'll give it to you."
Siegfried: "Huh.. really?"
Sophie: "I don't think he needs it anymore.. he's dead."
Siegfried: "Oh.. okay."
He took it.
Siegfried: "Does it look better?"
Sophie: "Ighhh.. damn, now you look like a wonderful woman."
Fiona: "Take it off... Otherwise you'll fall in love with yourself every time you look in the mirror."
Siegfried: "It can't be that bad…"
He looked in the mirror.
Siegfried: "Whoa... Okay... actually... I could almost become my own mother…"
He removed the hair accessory.
Sophie: "By the way.. do me a favor and never say that 'become my own mother' thing again... Otherwise I'll make sure you get a woman's voice…"
Siegfried: "Okay."
Rio: "Well, look at that... Let's continue now.. See you later. Take care."
They headed off.
Sophie: "Sure, you too."
They continued walking..
Sophie: "Mmm…. I don't like this mask…"
Siegfried: "Yeah... why does it smell like someone farted into it?"
Sophie: "(Sweating)... Mine doesn't smell like that…. The mask you're wearing came from Rio... right? One of the masks probably ended up on his butt."
Siegfried: "What?!"
Sophie: "Just kidding…."
Siegfried: "Hahhh.."
Fiona: "...Hmm."
Sophie: "...What, Fiona... I'm just joking to calm the situation down a little..."
Fiona: "Yeah, I know.. I wasn't looking at you…."
Sophie: "Then what?"
Fiona: "That over there... The houses.."
Sophie: "Hmm?"
She looked at the houses.
Sophie: "..Cracks?"
Siegfried: "Is that old?"
Fiona: "Maybe."
Sophie: "Hmm."
She touched it.
Sophie: "..Hmm.. No... they're new. Must have happened today…. Why would they get cracks?... Can ash do that too?"
Viola: "Maybe something else is the cause?"
Siegfried: "Hmm…"
Fiona: "Could be."
Siegfried: "Oh no, look... Is that a school over there?"
Sophie: "….Can we make one thing clear.. I'm not going in there... I don't want nightmares."
Fiona: "Yeah."
Siegfried: "What if there's something important inside..?"
Sophie: "Hmmm.."
Fiona: "Stay here.. I'll go inside."
Sophie: "Ugh... Wait, I'll come with you.. Siegfried, you stay here."
Siegfried: "Okay."
They went inside.
Sophie: "Hmmm.. Please no bodies, please no bodies…. Huh….. Oh no."
Fiona: "That's not a child.. that's the body of one of the teachers."
Sophie: "Hmmm…."
Sophie looked at her..
Sophie: "She looks more.. like an instructor."
Fiona: "Mhm.. She looks young.. probably early twenties."
Sophie: "Or mid-twenties…"
She closed her eyes.
Sophie: "Hmmm.."
They continued.
Sophie: "Hmmm…... No bodies.. Was the school evacuated or something?"
Fiona: "...Well.. maybe.. I hope they managed to escape…. Hmm?.."
Sophie: "Hmm.."
They noticed something... it was... a scarf.
Sophie: "A scarf the size of a child."
Fiona: "Yeah."
Sophie: "Hmm."
She picked it up, and as soon as she did... a lot of ash fell to the ground.
Sophie: "Hahh.. ash...… Hahhh….. Oh no.. This is horrible..."
Fiona: "...Were they... turned into ash?"
Sophie: "Hahhh.. Their bodies couldn't withstand the amount of ash.. It completely overwhelmed them.. hmm."
Fiona: "Hahhh..."
Sophie: "I…. hope... at least it wasn't painful."
Fiona: "Mhm.. I hope so too."
Sophie: "Hmm... Let's keep going."
Viola: "Mhm."
(Meanwhile)
Rio: "That's the gas station."
Colletta: "Mhm…... Looks okay so far."
Rio: "...As I can see.... something went wrong here."
The bodies were lying in front of the machine.
Rio: "That's the cause... the ash got inside it... someone died and pressed the button... Or somehow an explosion occurred."
Colletta: "Could be."
They looked around. It was empty and quiet... The people at the station... had been in danger.
Rosika: "Why was there no alarm?"
Rio: "Indeed. Important question. So why was there no alarm? I have no idea."
Colletta: "Maybe we should investigate further."
Rio: "Good... We'll investigate the entire station. Be careful. There could be some bodies there…"
(Meanwhile)
Sophie: "Hmmm.. Nothing... nothing, nothing."
Viola: "Mhm."
Fiona: "Hmm... Always with the calm…"
Sophie: "I have no idea what this is supposed to be and how this could even happen. So many innocent people had to die, and all because they had problems at the gas station."
Viola: "Hmm."
Fiona: "So far, nothing else looks suspicious."
Viola: "Maybe we should go to the others and see what they have found, perhaps."
Sophie: "Good idea, but we should still stay here for a while. It would be better if we also found something that could help us. A document, for example."