While the German government is a constitutional monarchy, the Kaiser has quite an authority upon the decisions the parliament makes. With Berlin as the capital and the Reichstag at the center of the city, most of the activity is foreseen by the immediate government. Surveillance, enforcement and, above all, the unfathomable amount of military personnel in the city, the residents are in a constant pressure from the High Command. Unable to be at ease, the people stare at the soles of the person in front, hoping that it is led by those who could look onward.

With its front door closed, the Ferne Wiese bar is quiet… The whistle of a kettle breaks the silence, boiling coffee for the Ghost of Berlin. Pouring a cup, “LAG, dial-up AMMO. Ask him to bring that battery I made him a few years ago… You know what, forget the battery, I have one here. Just, tell him to bring TEA”, says Will, loudly. With Alex playing with the disassembled guns of the inspectors on the countertop and Sera cooking up meals for the inspectors, the movement inside the bar is still steaming on.

Sitting on the ground, “What are you going to do with us, Ghost?”, asks one of the inspectors. From the barstool he sat on, turning his head to the bound inspectors, “You will not remember”, says Will, sipping from his cup of coffee. Doubtingly, “Will, you seem to be a bit full of yourself and the staff of here’s. Don’t you at least check up on any wires they might be wearing or something? I do not like this at all, man”, says San, leaning on Will. Finishing the cup, “I already did. They do not have any power to retaliate against me or anyone else here. Their weapons are in the hands of Alex, they cannot transmit any signals out of this place due to Sera’s border and there is nothing they can do in their current states but sit patiently”, says Will…

A knock could be heard. Approaching the door, “Who do you hate the most?”, asks Alice. From the other side, “Paul Lipinsky”, answers. Unlocking the door and letting a hooded man and woman inside, Alice pulls her gloves off. Standing up from the stool and moving closer to the two at the doorway, “To forgive – to forget is what we live for. For forgiveness from the father and to forget the sins we have committed upon this earth, we only live for those two reasons. How about you, Observer, Ally?”, says Will with a bit of sarcasm in his tone. Unveiling the hood pulled to hide his face, a man about 30 years in age, with a very unusual eye and hair color, a melancholic smile and a mark on his forehead above his right brow could be perceived. Also pulling her hood behind, a young woman about the same age as San, with greenish brown hair could be seen.

Clearing his throat, “Friends, meet the Advanced Material Mana Observer – Observer in short – and the Terror Eminent Ally – Ally in short. These two will solve our problem of those fine chaps sitting there”, pronounces Will. Looking around as if he was searching for someone, “Where is the 12th one?”, asks Observer. “The… 12th?”, Will deflects the question. Seated at the bar-stand, “Yeah… Before I came in, I saw 11 figures outlined by their passive. Including you, who does not have an outline, that means there were 12 people here…”, Alex serves him a cup of tea, “Let’s see: Switch, Soft, Swift, Light, Ghost, Lithe, that guy with the suspenders, that girl with the Ushanka, that kid wearing your watch and these two… Someone is missing… If I remember correctly, that person had an immense capacity, similar to a certain someone I met a long time ago. Ah, well~ I cannot see them now so, it means that they must have escaped out of here”, says AMMO, periodically sipping from the cup of tea.

Squatting down to the officers, “Standard uniform, triple lining, might be 1st rate lieutenants or 3rd rate corporals… No serious surface wounds, mild bruising on the joints and left side of the face… Well then~ Light, administer anesthetics and start the operation!”, says Ally. Before anyone could do or say a single thing, the inspectors fall to the ground as Leo gestures a circle with his index finger. “If it is unbearable, why not forget? Your quote that recruited me”, he says. Smiling and standing up, moving closer to the unconscious pair of officers, “To forgive – to forget, do you remember that quote, Leo?”, asks Paul. Expanding a brightly pulsating border around the patients, Illiana mends their light injuries, preparing them for the select-amnesia procedure.

Looming thin silk between his hands, “Before Yuki, before Leo, before you Illiana, before even me, this procedure was practiced by a group of Potomkowie smoka, or the Dragon Children”, shooting the threads into one of the inspectors’ head, “It was agonizing, heard from the tales of old and fairytales of the Lipinski family, with the threads entering the patient while they were still awake, sometimes, under the influence of alcohol”, pulling the strings up and down a little at a time, “Ah, there it is… Only problem back then, apart from the screams, was a lack of practical use for such operation. But, now… you can do wonders: Run the entire country’s black market, lobby and marionette the central government, and even, protect the said country from a foreign invasion, single-handedly”, says Leo, withdrawing the strings from Otto’s head. Transferring to Arnold, “So, I am now cutting the sections housing the memories of the past 3 days. It is okay with you, Will, yes?”, he says.

Nodding, “Yep, no obligations here”, says Will, moving to the cubicle his friends sat at. “Who the damned hell did you call here, Will?”, asks Johann and San in unison. Sitting down at the end of the table, “TEA and AMMO are my former associates, along with Leo, or LAG”, answers Will. Even more confused, “No, I know that, you introduced… I am asking about Who they are, as in, what they do”, says San. Butting in, “Ally is our organization’s medical officer and Observer is our leader.”, says Leo. Clearing his throat, “Yeah, so, Paul, Observer, can erase and fabricate memories and Illiana, Ally, can heal almost every wound… perfectly… If you have seen my body, there is a distinct lack of large scars; that is because of her. And, if you were wondering about why Alex, Alice and Sera like me so much, it is because that they… asked to be brainwashed by Paul and he botched, somehow, and made me the focal point”, says Will, a bit embarrassed.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

While she played with the firearms, Alex accidentally reassembles a firearm and chambers a bullet… *click* A string pulled from her web abode the bar-front catches the hammer, “Please, as a child of the Ghost, practice gun safety and discipline”, says Yuki, perched up on the countertop behind the bar-stand. Done his operations, “Having fun, Ghost?”, asks Paul while Illiana heals the patients… Sitting beside Will, “So, this rote has been busy badmouthing me, huh? That whole brainwashing thing was not my fault, by the way. Switch, Soft and Swift asked me to make them remember the happy memories of being with Will, real or not”, says Paul. Hammocking his head with his hands, “Although, they do not remember requesting such from me, or their plagued past they asked to forget. But their affection to Will is genuine, just to be clear”, he adds.

“So, I heard you were a baker and a writer, Johann. Why not cook me up a couple of stories and scenarios for those two laying over there? And you, little miss, who may you be?”, asks Paul. “I strongly suggest you refrain from unholstering that pistol of yours”, he adds as San slides her hand into her coat. Placing her pistol on the table, the 3rd one she carries on her, “Paul… Observer, you seem to bear pride in your ability to manipulate the thoughts of people. Why did you recruit Will? What can’t you do?”, asks San as Will stands up and takes Li to the kitchen. “Jee~ I have not written a story in a long while. Say, Cass, could you write them, instead of me?”, says Johann, also going to the kitchen.

“In a pot, the water swirls and sings,

Welcoming ribs and Lavor leaves.

A cauldron's call to mutton’s might,

Begins the dance of broth’s delight.

Carrots wait, diced fine and neat,

Golden jewels, the broth’s heartbeat.

Potatoes quartered, sturdy and sure,

Chunky anchors, rustic and pure.

The cabbage shreds, a leafy veil,

Soft and tender, its fragrance pale.

Onions diced with a tearful grace,

Adding warmth to the soup’s embrace.

The water boils, a bubbling spree,

First, the carrots, six minutes free.

Then cabbage joins, four minutes more,

Its verdant touch the broth restores.

Potatoes plunge, and mutton thin,

Thirty minutes, the flavors begin.

High to start, then medium’s flame,

A simmering rhythm, the soup’s refrain.

Garlic crushed, with salt and spice,

A final note to make it nice.

Kill the heat, let silence steep,

Five minutes rest, a treasure deep.

Now serve with care, the journey’s end,

A bowl of warmth, your soul to mend.

Each bite a tale, each sip a song,

A symphony where we all belong”, sings Sera, putting the potatoes and meat in. Startled, “Oh, I did not see you there”, she says to the sight of Li, Johann and Will patiently standing and listening to her song. Leaning on her from behind, “I did not know you sang the song I taught you then. The officers are now Misremembering so you could stop cooking for them, Sera. Say, how much do you know anything about the Carnation family?”, says Will. Moving away to the spice shelves and turning her back to Will, “I already made it to this point so, you can eat them, Ghost”, grabs a jar of cloves, “The Carnation…? Gozdziki? I know one of them beat Leigh at some point. Alphons was it?”, puts the jar back on the shelf, “He had a Polish accent but not like mine, southpaw style, very quick to withdraw and, had a knack for sweet things; I heard he asked for the entire sugar reserves as his prize when he pulled a quick one on him”, says Sera, pouring a carton of milk to another pot.

Peeking through the open lid and looking at the soup, “Since it is getting late, why don’t we eat here, tonight. I can provide the desserts~”, says Johann. Sitting on a chair about a table “What is my reason for being here, Mr. Will?”, asks Li. Nervous, “Ah~ Well… As an alibi, you are here. Reason for it is… to show you how nice Sera is. And, develop the route we would take along the whole journey”, says Will as Sera gives Li a cup of tea. Pulling up the map that the traced route was on and placing it on the table, “Well then, where do we start?”, says Sera…

“The route to Russia is fine as is. My idea was to go through Minsk and straight to Moscow but I guess you have a good reason to go to Gdansk, don’t you Johann? From Petrograd to Moscow, that’s also fine. Then Novgorod… Then… How about, instead of Yekaterinburg, Volgograd? You know the reason why, Will? Then you go through the Caucasus and catch a ferry across the Caspian and through Kazak, Omsk, Tomsk and Irkutsk. If you go Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Novonikolatevsk, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk, you will see nothing but barren wasteland and snowy tundra. With my route, you will at least get to go to Yesuntuki-”, says Sera but gets cut short by Li. “Wouldn’t that route be longer?”, he says. “Eh- Well, it is somewhat longer… But you will get to see the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea”, says Sera, quite nervously.

Leaning on Sera, “Say, how about we ask Paul about it? He traveled across Russia, at some point, and he would know what is faster”, says Will.