Chapter 08 - Scorched Earth Lklein Manni: Ah...! Man: The town is on fire... How could they do this...! Man: The Federation army attacked us. A traveler said they saw Euro, the leader of the Federation, right here in this capital! Lklein Manni: (...Euro...) Lklein Manni: (...Euro, the man who killed my father, is here in this capital…!?) Man: They said he was proudly striding through the capital while showing off his muscular build and his great sword! Man: He must’ve been scouting out the place to strike tonight! HOW CAN WE LET THIS SLIDE…! Lklein Manni: (A muscular, imposing man with a great sword...) Lklein Manni: (...Could it be...) [Flashback.] Euro Gallu: You there, sorry about this. And thank you. Lklein Manni: Not at all. I apologize in his stead. [Back to the present.] Lklein Manni: (Could that man have been...!) Woman: Sir Lklein! My mother’s trapped further down that road! Lklein Manni: Ah...! Y-yes, understood. Let’s hurry. Lklein Manni: (If the Federation army... if Euro himself is truly here, this is the greatest chance I could ask for.) Lklein Manni: (Thank you, God, for granting me such good fortune.) Lklein Manni: (At last, I can fulfill my long-held wish... I don’t care what happens to me after this.) Lklein Manni: (My father... The royal family of Manni are not cowards!) [Outskirts of the Capital.] Eleu Coge: What a dreadful sight... What in the world happened here? Balaeno: Shall I go scout it out? Eleu Coge: Please do. Balaeno: Aye aye, sir! Nelpha Maxi: It’s gonna be okay, Thecto... Thecto Sis: ...I’m sorry, for causing so much trouble... Fail Urus: You’re not causing any trouble. You worked hard enough, more than enough. Fail Urus: The fatigue’s catching up to you... Don’t worry about it for now. Just get some rest. Eleu Coge: I sent Balaeno out to scout ahead. How’s Thecto doing? Nelpha Maxi: You’re right, I believe it’s anemia. Fail, would you keep an eye on Thecto for me? Fail Urus: Got it. Nelpha Maxi: If anything happens make sure to yell as loud as you can. Hey you, come over here for a second. Eleu Coge: …… Nelpha Maxi: Hey. Eleu Coge: Are you speaking to me? Nelpha Maxi: I am. You don’t have to be defensive about every little thing. Eleu Coge: I am not being defensive. It is simply that you never try to say my name, which makes it difficult to know when you’re addressing me. Eleu Coge: Proper names are the minimum procedure necessary to keep a chain of command clear, and to prevent misunderstandings. Eleu Coge: Avoiding the use of someone's name only makes communication unstable. If you wish to speak to someone, you should say their name. Eleu Coge: That’s the standard. And if the act of being defensive is, in fact, an expression of some inner discomfort on your part, then logically speaking, you are the one who adopted that attitude first. Would you not agree? Nelpha Maxi: You’re so fucking annoying... Nelpha Maxi: Hey you, former Federation military investigator! Come over here. Eleu Coge: ...What a stubborn man... To be continued...