“Lady Cashera… Are you well?”

Waves can be faintly heard in the background while light seeps through the closed windows. The young woman tries to respond, but nothing. It felt as if the comfortable bed was dragging her to stay immobile, not to mention the soothing sound that creeps into her ears.

“Lady Cashera! She’s awake! Praise be to you, mistress!”

How long has she been out? Who is this boisterous person? Is this Sweet Mask?

Her mind works into overdrive, only to realize that it was not the voice of a male. Also, she came to know that her eyes were already open, but she cannot see a thing… So she repeatedly blinked, and still nothing. She opened her mouth, but again no words came out.

“What’s the matter, Lady Cashera?! Wo… Wonton? Wait… Wallet? Waiter? Ah, water!”

Footsteps faded away from her. She began to think if it was really what she needed, but too much thinking seemed to tire her only access to consciousness. If this is the afterlife, it sure did not sit too well for her taste.

A few moments later, she felt water gushing in her mouth, but only its suddenness took her by surprise. The amount did not feel like it was water cure.

“Lady Cashera…?”

And at last, her pupils rolled downwards. She can now see. Holding a metal cup is another masked person in a red hood, but the voice surely sounded like that of a female. She coughed a bit, and then attempted to speak once more.

“Who…?”

The masked woman cut her by introducing herself right off the bat.

“It is an honor to serve you, mistress” the masked woman said, “I’m Number 214. The Great Priest has assigned me for your care.”

“Well, that’s odd…,” she replied, “Last time I remembered, your priest tried to kill me…”

“R-really, mistress? I wasn’t briefed about that incident! I should’ve been there…”

“Shh! I’m sure he has his reasons, but being assigned by him, how can I trust you?”

The masked woman whispered loudly, “My family are all devotees of you, Lady Cashera! It never crossed me that I’d even live to see you in the flesh! Aiyieee! I’m so excited!”

“Heh… Is that right?”

“Yes, mistress. Oh, would you be needing anything else, Lady Cashera?”

“Hmm…,” she asked as she wriggled to sit on the bed, “Would you happen to know Sweet Mask?”

“Who is it, mistress?”

“I forgot. You only use numbers… I mean, 72.”

“Ah, 72! He’s assigned to a mission in the mainland. Why do you ask, mistress?”

She bit her lip, and went off the bed. The masked person was closely behind her as she slowly walked to open the windows.

From there, she can see the town spread all the way to the sea. Gazing at the expanse, it was definitely a calming sight, but her nerves beg to disagree.

She can only say to herself, “What should I do now…?”

However, she is quite mistaken when she thought Sweet Mask is in the Dalreida capital. He was sent to nearby Kamui to reorganize Cashera’s followers there, who are more numerous than in the Dalreida Proper.

Most of the days are still cold, and during one of these days, he bumped into a rather obscure soldier of low rank. The bump revealed scale armor under the soldier’s tunic, signifying that he may be in active duty.

“Oh, forgive me,” Sweet Mask opened with a bow.

“No worries,” the soldier replied, “Aren’t you a Hoodie?”

Hoodies are what the common people call members of the Order of Cashera, especially because they ought to be seen wearing hoods every time. While it usually sounds condescending, Sweet Mask let it slide. It only proved the basic education which the soldier received.

With a tight smile, he was about to excuse himself, but the soldier grabbed his shoulder. Sweet Mask attempts not to show his fear, but for a moment, thoughts of his clandestine activities as the Secret Ops flushed through his memory.

“Yes… What else would you want?”

“Well, let’s say I do need some help just now.”

Help? What kind of help? Betraying his comrades in the Secret Ops? Has his cover been blown already?

“Go on… I don’t have all day.”

“Of course, I understand. I don’t, too.”

Are they going to round up the Secret Ops as soon as possible? Is his designation in the military a disguise to cover his sleuthing? Slowly, he clutched a dagger with his hidden hand. When worse comes to worst, an incident in public is the least of his concerns.

“Do tell…”

“How should I say this…,” the soldier said while scratching his head with his free hand, “maybe you could lend me some money?”

“Wait, what?! Is Piso not giving you enough wages already?”

“N-no, that’s not it! It’s just that I didn’t expect repair charges to be so high here in Kotan.”

“Is that so…,” Sweet Mask said while relaxing his hidden hand, “Are we talking about carriages?”

“A chariot, actually.”

“Very well, I’d introduce you to someone cheaper… If you remove your hand on my shoulder.”

“Ah! I forgot,” the soldier bawled, “Yeah, because most of the people I just talked to ran away before even hearing me out. The insignia kind of gives it away, huh?”

“You don’t say… Now then, where’s your chariot?”

It turns out the repair shop was for luxury vehicles. Looking at the chariots and carriages in the queue, Sweet Mask can only keep his snickering. Some of them even bear shining metals and jewels that are more aesthetic than useful. The soldier’s chariot did not seem as special. In fact, it looks just like any normal fast chariot which the military uses in its daily operations.

“Hey, Hoodie! Don’t stay too far from me,” the soldier said as he quickly paced to the counter.

“How’d you end up…?”

Without finishing his sentence, Sweet Mask caught eye of the soldier’s transaction. His collateral was not an ordinary one.

It definitely looked like Piso’s official seal! He stopped walking towards the soldier to get a better look, but the soldier immediately hid the collateral.

“By Celesiastes! I thought you bringing a nice looking seal here meant you’re some big shot officer,” the repairman turned cashier complained, “I’ve got tons of work to worry about!”

“Shh! I’m sorry,” the soldier replied with a smile, “Kotan sure is where the money flows!”

“You could say that again. Wait, is that Hoodie over there your friend?”

“Not really. Just bumped into him, so you know, better watch the guy, right?”

The repairman leaned and whispered, “You bet. Don’t trust them Hoodies. I heard they’re increasing activity here in Kamui recently, and it’s not even time for their conference…”

While listening, the soldier noticed Sweet Mask glaring at them. Sensing some discontent, the soldier put an arm around the repairman, winked at him, and laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry about that! Xie xie ni hao.”

The soldier then went for Sweet Mask, who was still standing in the midst of people who also wanted repairs, grabbing his cloak to drag him out of the shop.

“Hey,” the soldier turned to his hooded guide, “snap out of it! I know there’s a lot of vehicles to marvel at, but where’s the cheap one you’ve been telling me?”

As if taken out of a trance, Sweet Mask replies without looking at him, “Oh, right this way.”

The soldier looked around like a tourist as Sweet Mask brought him to Kotan’s less affluent areas. Despite being the financial center of Dalreida, Kotan still combats poverty in the peripheries, many of which are inhabited by dislocated natives of Kamui and provincials from outside Kamui who seeks to make it in the big city. Since the peripheries get smaller due to Kotan’s continuing progress, the slums only get denser in population and unsafe for business. Despite heavy traffic due to pedestrians, the two reached the repair shop within the day.

“Sister,” Sweet Mask said to the silver haired repairwoman as they joined hands, “Here’s a lucrative customer for you.”

Clothed in a tank top and ripped skirt, the repairwoman did not seem to bother much about the cold climate, nor Dalreida’s conservative fashion preferences. As for the shop itself, it does not have most of the amenities a typical repair shop would have, and it looks as awful as most establishments in the area, but only in the outside.

Entering the relatively small shop gives an atmosphere of being at home, like a break from the consumerist standard usually offered to customers. Instead of a gallery of beautiful vehicles and satisfied clients, it has an array of hanging tools that may not be exactly usable in her work, but she may have used once in her life to have some sentimental value, or at least that is how the soldier thought of them.

“Yo, welcome to the best shop in all of Kotan,” she cheeringly said while waving to the soldier, “Let’s have a look at your chariot. And the steeds, too.”

“Hey! I heard that,” the soldier shouted, “I thought this shop’s going to be cheap?!”

Despite his apparent protest, the repairwoman already took the chariot in her workplace.

Sweet Mask walked to him and replied, “Yes, I’m confident her services would be cheaper… At least when you compare it with the repairman who almost robbed you.”

“Hmm, alright. And she is Miss…?”

“Yes, this is Cortica the berserker.”

From out of nowhere, Cortica whacked Sweet Mask at the back, causing him to fall on his hands. She then laughed loudly as the soldier looked at them with surprise.

“Oh, don’t listen to him! Your vehicle is in gentle hands,” Cortica assured.

Her muscular form seems to suggest otherwise, but owing to his limited resources, the soldier did not have much of a choice.

She continued, “The berserker thing is way off the scales now, is it not?”

Sweet Mask can only conjure a few coughs while trying to stand up.

The soldier said with a courteous bow, “Y-yes, Miss Cortica… I guess that’s not really applicable for a lady like you.”

With that remark, her facial expression changed. She left the two without another word. Meanwhile, the soldier helped Sweet Mask up. They both seated in the shop’s lounge.

“You should’ve not said that…,” Sweet Mask softly reminded.

“Why?”, the soldier asked with a puzzling look, “I mean, you’re the one who offended her first.”

“You see, Cortica’s not fond of being treated like a lady.”

“I understand, of course. Thank you for your help, my good man.”

“Not so fast,” Sweet Mask said while fixing his cloak, “Her services may be cheap, but there has to be a finder’s fee…”

“Oh, no. Here we go,” the soldier threw his hands in the air, “Name your price then.”

Sweet Mask reclined further on the chair, lacing his hands together, before speaking.

“It’s not much about money than anything else,” he said with a smile beneath his mask, “Have you heard of the saying, ‘Knowledge is power’?”

“Okay… What about it?”

Ignoring the question, Sweet Mask asked, “Why did the repairman back there think you’re worth his time when you’re so poor?”

“I… I’ve got the right against self-discrimination!”

“It’s self-incrimination, and I don’t care if you’re discriminated. Besides, you’ve got some big favor in your hands now, am I correct?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Sweet Mask’s eyes narrowed.

“Piso’s seal.”

The soldier was taken aback, almost falling from his seat. If this man is trying to eke out information from him now, he must be confident that the trap set up has no escape. Then again, what alternatives does the soldier have?

“Surely you must be mistaken. I’m just a lieutenant in the Cavalry…”

Cortica entered the conversation, “Oh, really? Then why does your chariot show signs of strain from long distance travel? In my estimation, you haven’t stopped since you began.”

“Et tu, Miss Cortica?!”

“What do you expect? You just accepted help from a stranger.”

“Point taken.”

Sweet Mask then said, “Long travels. Piso’s seal. What are you really up to?”

The soldier closed his eyes, made a deep sigh, and then opened his eyes again to look at them.

“I… I’m actually a deserter… I stole one of Piso’s seals, and hopped on any fast chariot I can get. My plan is to use the seal as long as I can to slip through border controls, and then when I’m out of Dalreida for good, I’d start a brand new life! Like, make a family, bring us joy, for always.”

With a sound of skepticism in his voice, Sweet Mask responded, “Sounds like a song to me. What do you think, sister?”

Cortica flipped her hammer before saying, “He sure looked like someone on the run, or just plain clumsy. If he were Piso’s spy, I’m sure he’d have unlimited credit, and a more judicious choice in his equipment, but… Why leave Piso’s service?”

The soldier remained silent as memories of Piso’s goodwill flashed in his mind. His excuse was quite plausible to a degree, until one considers that Piso’s command rarely suffers any deserters. Loyalty of his forces is unrivalled anywhere in Dalreida.

It requires a heavy back story to get them believe him, but for a while, he struggled to find a compromise between slandering his master and defending his interest. Then, he reached the decision he believes he has to take.

With trembling legs, he answered with rage, “I… I can’t take it anymore! Look at me, 25 and still a lieutenant! But then, there’s Arton who’s already a general at 19! I figured, I’ve no future here in Dalreida. Why not enjoy life outside the system? The system that has kept me from rising? Maybe there, just maybe, I can be the very best, like no one ever was…”

Cortica looked at the soldier, and then to Sweet Mask. Sensing that she is passing the interrogation back to him, Sweet Mask nodded, straightened up, and patted the soldier’s back.

“If you’re so discontented,” Sweet Mask said with an assuring tone, “Why not help us change the system?”

While facing down, the soldier winced, but he figured he should give an acknowledgement.

“What… How can I help?”

“I’m tasked to organized Cashera’s followers in the mainland, but recently, I’m having difficulty crossing borders. Here’s the deal. We’d fix your chariot, for free, and give you a shortcut, in exchange for helping us with your possession of Piso’s seal. What do you say?”

The soldier raised his head up with eyes gleaming with excitement. Besides, who would not want something to be free of charge?

He asked, “What exactly do you have in mind?”

“Let’s just say… my next destination is Aramathi. When you take the main road, you would have to go through Kandara first, but we can save time taking a shortcut north of Kamui. From there, we can each take our own separate ways.”

The soldier thought it must have something to do with religion. The so-called Hoodies are associated with Cashera worship, which is regarded as a minority religion in Dalreida as a whole.

While Piso is personally tolerant of other religions, the local governments do not share the same sentiment, especially those who are devoted to the three gods of Dalreida.

“And… I don’t have to hear about you again?”

“Well, only Cashera knows when our paths would cross again, but as far as I’m concerned, I am bound by my duty and I should do so with utmost efficiency.”

The soldier touched his chin, and then said, “Fair enough. It’s a deal.”

“It is good to know, noble deserter. If you don’t mind me asking, may I know your name?”

“W-why should I tell you that?!”

“In case something happens along the way, I can at least hail my driver. Is that enough reason?”

“Driver, eh? I guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

He stretched out his hand before saying, “My name is Alus.”

Sweet Mask returned the gesture and shook his hands.

“Your aid would be invaluable to our cause, Alus the deserter.”

“But wait, what’s your name?”

“Do I look like someone who wants to be known? Let’s just leave it at that.”

It took only a whole day to have the chariot fixed and replaced with fresh horses. Besides the regular need to change horses, the chariot itself was customized to last beyond Aramathi under normal conditions.

At dawn the following day, the two prepared to depart from Kotan. However, before handing over the chariot, Cortica pulled Sweet Mask away from Alus.

She whispered, “Brother, it’s not like you to ask names before. What’s happening?”

“Cashera has ordered me so,” he said, “I’m bound to my oath as the Secret Ops.”

“You’re contradicting yourself. Tell me, what happened?”

“Nothing, sister. Indeed, none. Now, if I may take my leave. Please keep Cashera’s conference together for me until the promised time. The world shall be reborn within our era.”

“Look who’s giving the orders. I’m your senior officer, 72.”

“Of course.”

They joined hands once more before Sweet Mask returns to Alus, and then heads for Aramathi with the reluctant soldier.

What is the Order of Cashera planning in Kamui and Aramathi? With the prospect of speeding up his journey, how does Alus plan to proceed from here on? Why do they call Cortica the berserker anyway?