With the evening breeze softly humming outside of the versteckter Gipfel bakery, the owner of the establishment, Johann, as well as his friends, geologist William, scholar Cassandra, his apprentice Li and Will’s accomplice Yuki calmly celebrate their last night in the city of Hanover – the night of the 19th of September, 1874. On the table inside the now closed bakery’s storefront, the thing that started it all, the two pieces of schematic from an ancient civilizations’ transportation device prominently take its place along with the necklace Will hold so dear and a pair of pistols, 13 circles engraved into the handles of each, one of which San had made in the prior afternoon, lay meek.
Sitting along a coffee table in the backroom, the party of five converse about an assortment of topics, from the mid lands of Osman to one continent only an ocean away, while eating the treats of Li and Johann and the main course of Will. Finally getting his drink, “I do not know if I said this to you guys or not but, I cannot be intoxicated, believe it or not”, says Will. With a toast of his own, “Then, why did you repeatedly ask us to pour the Hennesy you brought?”, says Johann. With cheeks as red as those flowers of the dianthus she who despised the most, “Why bother now, eh? We have drink and we have food, what more answers do you need from life? Besides, we would go on a journey of unease from tomorrow so let us forget our worries for the times to come, yes?”, says San as she stumbles onto the sofa once again.
Li is at the 2nd floor, looking out the window and gazing at the streets below. A small click could be heard from his wrist as, “Hey, do not take that watch off of your wrist, mate”, could be heard from Will down below. With an expression as wondering how Will could hear such a small click, he stubbornly takes off the watch for a single moment. “Li, my child, I only want one thing from you and that is your peak and prominence among the 100 strong. And, I will ensure such a feat, no matter the cost. But I will tell you this, Li San, the fragility of oneself could be accommodated with another’s – you need friends and your friends need you, swear by them to never betray or stray away from them”, says Luyo in a state that is best described as a hologram. A silent nod approves the grandpa as he, with his armor and robe, disappear into Li as he puts the watch back on.
“Cadavers are easy to dispose of, I suppose. With such things as RDX and Oxygen Bombs, it is really just a test of common knowledge until people could erase their footprint of malice”, says Yuki as she makes a mesh pillow for San to lay her head on. Reforming to her human form and pinching both of Will’s cheeks, “If you were to make me do all the dirty work again, I will make you my next and your last”, lets go of his cheeks, “Now that Snow White is asleep, I would like to suggest something to you whom have not slept yet. With Li’s route going straight through Russian territory, of which an arms dealing family is hostile towards our personnel, I would like to suggest a small risk. How about we make use of Blanc and the others? I heard they have not been very active in this region recently. And Johann does not have someone who can run this place while we are gone so, I could ask Illiana and her bunch to operate from this bakery as well as a profit share with them. And, we could get rid of the Carnation with the help of Paul, Rafael and the others as they have foreign passports. It is a win-win for both parties as well: We can have a safe travel with the Carnations gone and they would profit from a branch in Russia to go back to, as well as a front evaded in supposed times of war”, says Yuki.
With in almost unison, the three says, “Absolutely not”. Putting the mug he had been holding on the table, “My bakery will not be overseen by some grey-hats. Still, I have a known associate that came from the same district as I was in Danzig. I would put more faith in whom I have known since I was little rather than someone who only you and Will used to know”, says Johann, his tone reflecting that his resolve is final. Emptying the contents and then putting the cup on the table, “My connection with the underground has been severed and I do not have a reason to mend it. Even if they say they need me, I will not let them take my aid. This is now my life and by extension, yours as well. So, do not be selfish and live independently from the past”, says Will, pouring water for himself. Sitting on the stairs to the 2nd floor, “I do not care who the Carnations are but they mean threat to Ms. Anna. But what I am really afraid is, the fact that, they did not know who the last Johannes was, yet still, gave orders to execute them anyway. I doubt they know who the last Johannes still is but they have a way to track Ms. Anna down. While this is a problem in its own right, I do not want another force of factor to intervene in our journey. We saw what you are capable of and it is enough to apprehend a battle-hardened fighter, Yuki. And, I think, it is best to go covertly and sneak past the Carnations as to go guns blazing and lose some men. It does not benefit us, at least, to the point where we could kill people and commit a war crime. Coupled with the fact that, we do not have the opinion of Ms. Anna. She showed care for the fallen Carnation, even though his intent was to kill her. We cannot oversee her kindness over our selfish thirst for safety so, I say we go across Russia on train, stopping along some major cities and, most importantly, get the original of the schematic No.1”, says Li.
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“Oh, well, do not say I did not suggest such an idea when we inevitably encounter resistance. I am only so strong – Johann and Will could have my back in the heat but I doubt they would be of much help. Ah~ who am I to predict the future, no? Let that rote be the judge and I will abide by the outcome of this endeavor. If, for any reason at all, I get captured or killed, I will ask an equal reaction from you, just to be clear; I am not expendable”, says Yuki as she lays beside San in her cat form, sleeping shortly after curling into a small ball.
With the battery charged to almost 1/800th capacity, Johann and Li could say their jobs had been done as 56 thousand CE is more than enough for food and commodities until Danzig. As it is with every great journey, a good night sleep before the expedition is the most important. Will had nothing better to do in the evening, as he already quit his job and informed the landlord that he will be going out for a while, so he fell asleep soundly, on the ground, aside San and Yuki. Without any more interference from Luyo, Li could sleep with absolute certainty that he will see the sunrise the next morning. After drinking about 3 shots worth of bourbon, San fell asleep, unbothered by the murky future. As she had not any plans for the next few years, as so with every other Mythos Sapiens with their considerably longer lifespan, she slept peacefully on the couch, knowing it would be a much-needed thrill for the 16-year-old Shiro Li Yuki, the embodiment of Will’s love for San and the indomitable spirit of his.
The most troubled out of the five was Johann, however, his only concern prompting his unease is the person who would look after the shop which had been Johann’s only asylum since he came to Hanover. Felix Elis Fyodorovski, the eldest son of the late Elis Leo Fyodorovski – the most well-known Polish Jewelry maker, is one of the founding members of the Artisan’s Association and a great friend of Johann. Inheriting the family business, his line of profession is similar to Will’s, having to do with geology and gemology, and so, he might be the reason why Johann befriended Will some 4 years ago. But, as he is a jeweler and not a baker, Johann does not trust a “Will-adjacent” to look after the only place he called home. Still, if he is just like Will, he might have decent enough cooking skill and, more importantly, the ability to recreate to complement such skills, it would not as bad as Johann first thought. Cleaning the storefront and reassuring himself with the thought of, “A 13-year-old learned how to bake in a day so why can’t he?”, the owner of the versteckter Gipfel bakery and café goes to sleep in a makeshift bed in the backroom, next to the friends who he would be traveling with for a long while.