2018-09-09: Siegfried's Truth
- Log: Siegfried's Truth
- Cast: Siegfried, Seraph Ragnell, K.K.
- Where: The Photosphere
- Date: 9/9/2018
- Summary: Ragnell, accompanied by K.K., asks Siegfried about what Lombardia said.
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
Siegfried, ever since the Battle of Adlehyde, has withdrawn to the Photosphere. Mother has awakened, though few Metal Demons know of the details; she has yet to address most of her children. Even Siegfried spoke with her only briefly. She required her rest. Something about her seemed... different, he thought.
As if she were waking from a thousand year sleep.
At the moment, the Quarter Knight is in the Domicile level of the Photosphere. His arms are folded behind his back; his crimson eyes are looking down, with their metal sheen, on a display of low-ranking Metal Demon troops. The soldiers are walking, shoulder to shoulder, in formation.
Mother has arisen, and that means the next step is simple: the war must be intensified and, finally, won. To that end, the Hyadean cause requires an army -- and they work, now, to prepare theirs for the task at hand. Other Demons handle their training. Siegfried watches from a balcony. His expression is tempered and thoughtful.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Ragnell, like many Drifters, ended up in the midst of the second battle of Adlehyde. However, she landed on a parapet well away from either side, and decided to take the opportunity to watch the battle go down. Of particular interest had been Siegfried and the fight he'd fought against Cecilia, Riesenlied, and others. He'd ultimately smashed the Statue of Zeldukes and been smashed in turn, but what's the loss of a fight when you're winning the war?
During that fight, though, people had brought up Lombardia and what she'd told them. Ragnell remembers that; she'd been there, after all. Fei had said some odd things on top of it. It had done absolutely nothing to assuage Siegfried's rage. She's been wondering about what Lombardia said for a long time, so now that they're all on Filgaia again, Ragnell has contacted K.K. about this matter, which they'd discussed previously, and come to the Photosphere to speak with Siegfried about it.
Also, there's the whole Mother-has-awakened thing. But one thing at a time.
Bringing K.K. isn't just a matter of protection in case the leader of the Hyadeans goes belselk; K.K. is just better known amongst this part of the Metal Demons. It's always best to bring along what insurance you can when you're outnumbered and easily mistakable as an enemy, not to mention someone who'll get you not just in the front door but all the way to the master bedroom, so to speak. Ragnell nods to them as the two approach the balcony where Siegfried overlooks his troops. She stops a healthy, respectful distance away, then raps her knuckles on the wall to both signal her and K.K.'s presence and get Siegfried's attention.
"Busy?" she asks him, short and sweet.
<Pose Tracker> K.K. has posed.
"'Tis a tempered expression you wear, for so auspicious a day as this."
The words come, warped around metal and anonymity, on the heels of Ragnell's simple, single-word question. It has been months -- nearly half a year, if not moreso -- since the Trial Knight has been on the blue star, even longer since they have dwelt within the heart of the Metal Demons' territory. And yet the confidence and stoic grace with which they carry themselves would make one think they had not been gone a day.
Azado had burned. Trouble was abound on Lunar. The knight had finished setting up the pieces they needed to arrange, however. And Filgaia...
... Filgaia has much in the way of unfinished business.
And so here they stand, to the right-hand side of the Lightning Seraph, gauntleted hands clasped behind their back on the cusp of their observation. They occupy a space that Ragnell might normally occupy, as if to indicate that they are not the frontrunner of this conversation today.
They are here to support Ragnell, a thing they agreed to without a second thought. There are few things they would not put on hold to do so. And besides...
Curiosity has brought them here in equal parts, too.
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
Siegfried turns, slowly, when he hears Ragnell's voice. The Quarter Knight is able to see Seraphim, after all, and he turns on a foot to regard her for a moment. His eyes narrow -- he recognizes her, though he does not know her. There is a slight curve to his lips; a downward turn that isn't quite a frown.
But, the decision to come with K.K. was a wise one. Siegfried relaxes, visibly, as he sees the Trial Knight. His head inclines, for a moment, to the knight. "K.K. You have been gone for a long time," he says. "It is an auspicious day... but is a reminder of the great task set out before us--to end a war that has lasted for a thousand years." His fingers curl; the metal armor on them curves with them, and then he looks back wards Ragnell.
He considers the Seraph, for a moment. The eerie lighting of the Photosphere gives his eyes a glint of red; a shine that turns them from a slate grey to too-bright crimson. "Ragnell. It has also been some time -- and I would be interested to know what you have learned, since. Both of the humans and of the Metal Demons who have shamed all of Hyades by turning their coats."
His head lifts, slowly. "I am busy," he concludes. "But I will spare some time. What would you ask of me?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Half a year, yet naught but the blink of an eye for those such as these. Ragnell, a Seraph; Siegfried, a Metal Demon; and K.K., a... who knows? Either way, it makes Ragnell smile slightly when Siegfried notes how long it's been. She does not, however, comment on it. He *has* been warring with humans, and to humans, this blink-of-an-eye time is an eternity, and they have a tendency to drag the longer-lived into that eternity with them.
"Likewise, Lord Siegfried," she says with as much politeness as the Seraph ever musters (which is actually a pretty considerable amount? Ragnell can be polite and polished; she just actively chooses not to be). Her smile widens when he continues, ultimately concluding that he's not so busy that he can't give her a moment. "I was watching the battle over at Adlehyde the other day," she begins. "Didn't figure you would need my help, and you certainly didn't." He smashed the Statue just fine on his own. "I did overhear some of what Princess Cecilia and the traitor Riesenlied said, though..." Her smile fades. "In truth, I was also there when the latter sought out the Metal Dragon Lombardia. She had much to say about your war against humanity, along with what incited your wrath to burn at yet greater heights... yet even as I listened to her, I couldn't help wondering what you would have to say about it. About those human 'friends' of yours, whose deaths supposedly scarred you so."
Her eyelids droop. "Would it be untoward of me to ask what *actually* happened with them? I'd really rather not rely solely on the word of someone who decided the best course of action was to wash her claws of all conflict and run away--but I understand if it's a matter you won't want to discuss."
<Pose Tracker> K.K. has posed.
"Some things cannot be controlled, simply adapted to. The Silver Star beckoned. I could not but answer the call."
It is a simple enough response for what was ultimately a calamitous and chaotic series of events that saw both the Seraph and the knight shuttled back to Lunar with so many others. That they say it so matter-of-factly perhaps is simply a testament to their tenacity.
Either way, K.K. does not see fit to dwell on the matter overlong; instead, they listen to Siegfrieds words that preface his and Ragnell's exchange as that faceless helm turns slightly towards the left, to give attention towards the sounds of so many soldiers from a doomed world training to inherit their new one. A moment of silence passes by.
"'Never let your guard down, even when victorious,'" utters the knight, as if reciting something. "A wise commander you make. Such soldiers would be lucky to have you to lead them." They say nothing, however, of Mother, and whether she leads now. After all. It is not their place.
"Should you require another hand in their training, however, you need but ask."
After that, the knight falls silent, to allow Ragnell to get to the heart of what has brought her here. That horned helm turns back towards Siegfried, reflecting azure armor against white as they remain within their comfortable silence. Ready to speak if necessary. But for now... content to let Ragnell make her case. They have all lived long lives, after all. Patience is so often a necessity learned well by the long-lived in moments like these.
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
Siegfried's expression hardens, slightly, at the name 'Riesenlied.' It may be a subtle change, the way that his gaze grows more distance, but still waters hide depths. In this case, there is something more than mere anger, though. His jaw tenses for a moment.
"Your help would not be turned away... but I know, too, that it might snuff your mission short," Siegfried says. And, unlike certain other figures that the two Crucible agents have negotiated with recently, the Quarter Knight would not presume to command Ragnell. He looks, briefly, towards K.K. Then, he nods.
"They would do well to learn of the styles of Lunar," he says. "The people of your world have seen fit to involve themselves in our war. We should be prepared to meet them."
Then, however, he looks back at Ragnell. "Lombardia..." He trails off. "Yes. To think that she still lives. I thought she fled--and died. What did she tell you? Allow me to hear how she described the events... and I will provide you with my own view."
Within reason, he thinks.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
K.K. weighs in on various matters. Ragnell nods to them when they speak of the Silver Star's calls, and fails to do the same when they offer to train the soldiers below. For one, training troops is not her thing; for another, it's unlikely any of them can see her, anyway. That lends itself great to pranks; not so much to regimented and disciplined training.
"At the very least, Princess Cecilia wouldn't ever forgive me for it," she says, nodding to Siegfried, "an' right now, I have her trust." She smiles faintly. "There are better things to break that on than a mission you ended up succeedin' on anyway." Whether that's on defending 'Mother' or not is another matter, but Ragnell doesn't indicate she WOULDN'T do that, anyway. Ultimately, it's up to K.K.'s orders, which Ragnell *does* implicate by bowing her head to them.
Siegfried indicates that he's willing to give his perspective. Ragnell isn't so naive as to think he'll share every little thing, but this still ought to be important information. She nods to him, then rests a hand on her chin. She noted the way his expression had hardened at the mention of Riese's name, but she won't point that out, much less question him on the nuanced emotion therein. Instead...
"She wasn't exactly in peak condition--she had a long injury along her body that she indicated was from five hundred years ago. She was otherwise in good health, though. Flew an' everything. She'd taken to the cave outside Duras Drum's shrine in 'penance,' though, or so she said. Which, by the way, it turns out some o' th' Guardians had their Statues up on Lunar. As for what she said...
"She said that you Metal Demons began your incursion on this world in war. It was after Mother fell that you retreated, then attempted to reach out to humans in disguise, to learn more about them even as you tried to find a way t' save Mother. You in particular befriended a human named Lacan, an' through your friendship with him, began to consider peace with humans and coexistence on Filgaia." She pauses a beat. "But then the humans had a war o' their own, during which Lacan fell, an' you supposedly went mad with grief. You joined with a human named Grahf, the Seeker o' Power, which is interestin' because I remember hearin' of someone by that name interferin' with the Lacour Tournament of Arms even though this matter with you was hundreds o' years ago.
"Anyway, the two o' you used Diabolos to bring about the Day o' Collapse. Lombardia attacked the Diabolos, which is when she got that wound I mentioned--after all that time, she hasn't been able to heal it--and she said you came to her and said that your grief was not for who you lost, but because Lacan had betrayed your trust. That he was 'no different than those who killed Mother.'" Ragnell shrugs. "She said she had no idea what you meant. After that, you went on to try to raze humanity to nothin', and in desperation, the Elw and humans came together an' used the Guardians to strike the Diabolos down--an' in exchange for stavin' off instant death, they brought on the slow death of the planet."
She shrugs again. "An' that's it. She blamed the war, the desertifaction of Filgaia, on hope for a better future, an' that she would have nothing more to do with either side as a result. So she didn't stop any of us from goin' in to see Duras Drum's Statue, but she didn't help anyone, either." She frowns and regards Siegfried. "Lombardia breathes, sure. But based on what I know of you Metal Demons... she may as well be dead, the way she is now. But that's not what I wanted to discuss." It's time for him to give his side of the story.
<Pose Tracker> K.K. has posed.
Betrayal of trust is a complicated thing. A thing referenced in Ragnell's words on her cover and position with Cecilia... and echoed all too perfectly in the myriad emotions that run through Siegfried's tightening expression at the mention of a single name.
Even for Metal Demons, the heart remains a most vulnerable and perplexing thing. Especially when it has been wounded.
It is these things that the Trial Knight sees fit to observe in the comforts of their silence, the merest tilt of their head alone offered in response to Siegfried's talk of Lunar's involvement on Filgaia. Quiet agreement.
Otherwise, they let Ragnell spin her tale -- or someone else's, told through her own lens -- without interruption. The knight, mute as they are, so utterly consumed by that all-concealing armor as they are, is a difficult read in these moments especially. They are still as a statue during that tale of betrayal, with only the softest spasm of clawed fingers behind their back to bely that statuesque stance. 'Diabolos,' Ragnell mentions, in the same breath of Filgaia's slow yet interminable decay. Their head dips just slightly, as if in thought.
But for now, they remain quiet, as if simply waiting to hear Siegfried's own perspective to weigh those thoughts properly.
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
"Even upon Lunar... troubling," Siegfried says. "But not too troubling. Enough were shattered to awaken her." There is still hesitation -- something deeper, which the Quarter Knight is hesitant to share.
And besides, he has promised to share something more.
Still, his eyes narrow for a moment. It would be easy to deny it, except that -- in his calmer moments, when ancient anger doesn't drive Siegfried too far and close his ears and heart, he has to admit that a categorial denial would sound hollow. Finally, he nods. "I have not waged a war for a thousand years without considering, however briefly, peace. I am not Berserk or Alhazred."
His jaw sets, though, as he considers it.
"Lombardia, however, had a flawed view of these events. It is true, that I befriended the human Lacan. I sought to learn more of my enemy. For a time... I began to hope that humans and my kind could find peace. When war erupted, I thought to aid them," Siegfried says. "But... I saw what humans are capable of."
He looks up. "I did not, however, go mad with grief. Lombardia was not there when Lacan fell--but I witnessed his fall. It..." His jaw sets, and he looks pained; he also holds something back.
Something, he knows, that could call down Grahf upon their heads. He would not risk his allies like that.
"...Before he died, I saw the truth. His hopes dashed--everything he loved, lost--and he turned on any who were once his friends. It was not grief," Siegfried concludes, quietly, "But rage that drove me."
He turns his head, looking between Ragnell and K.K.
"Rage born from the fact that our hopes did not matter. That whether we cooperated or fought, we would still destroy each other," he concluded. "It is the nature of humanity that meant no peace could last. Metal Demons are better off without their ilk--we may be brutal, but we are honest in our brutality."
The Quarter Knight sighs. "As to the rest... yes. Lombardia spoke true. The Elw and the humans caused -- or, at least, hastened -- Filgaia's decay, all to stop the Diabolos."
His fingers tighten. "...And now they dare to accuse us of killing this world, when we fight its murderers."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
The conversation proceeds with... a lot less violence than Ragnell had prepared herself for. Siegfried is no Berserk, sure, but he has that eternal rage that fuels him. Perhaps it's K.K.'s charms that keep him so calm. Ragnell smothers a smile at the thought, instead nodding at the Metal Demon leader when he admits he has not waged a thousand years of war without once ever considering peace.
"I had a feelin'," she remarks when he adds that Lombardia's interpretation was flawed. "Her story didn't quite add up. But go on." And go on he does. While it's clear that there are things he's leaving out, and Ragnell does consider asking after them out of sheer curiosity... in the end, she doesn't. She has a hunch it's the sort of thing he won't or perhaps can't discuss casually, even with allies. Riesenlied knew and adored him for four hundred-some years, and she knew nothing of any of this. And besides:
"What humans are capable of..." she echoes, eyes lidding. There is a note of understanding, even commisseration, there. She's seen it well herself, time and time again. She folds her arms over her chest, and her grip tightens on her arms when he speaks of dashed hopes, love lost, of humanity's nature meaning that no peace will ever last. That Metal Demons may be monsters, but they are at least *honest* monsters. She nods slowly. "I see the sense in that."
The corner of one mouth twists ambiguously when he continues on about Diabolos and makes his anger clear that Filgaia's murderers, or at least poisoners, accuse him and his kind of being the ones to kill the planet. Here, Ragnell can actually see both sides of the argument--after all, Siegfried admitted to attempting to exterminate humanity like vermin, and humans are nothing if not boundlessly tenacious, not to mention that the Guardians have made it clear who they see as being at fault in this exchange--but it would be foolish to point this out.
Instead, she nods again. "I see. That makes a lot more sense. I thank you for your side of the story, Lord Siegfried--or as much as you were willing to afford us, at least," she adds, because while she's willing not to press on sensitive matters, she's not about to let him think that she's in any way fooled. Honest monsters deserve honesty in turn. "May I ask something else tangentially related? How did Grahf figure in with all of this? An' do you know what he actually is?"
<Pose Tracker> K.K. has posed.
For what might as well be an implacable suit of armor, K.K. certainly rolled a high CHA score.
It's just cold hard fact.
But today, the Trial Knight does not take center stage in this conversation, and said charms seem primarily resigned, for a time, to the unflappable dignity of their stance. Until Siegfried speaks of humans. That they were the murderers of this world, and yet pinned blame upon the Hyadeans.
Killed a planet, to save themselves. A profound contradiction. Their head tilts slightly towards the right.
"'Tis the root of their nature."
And finally they speak.
"Within the limited time they have upon this world, humans' perspectives define their existence. And their perspectives are multitude, and their loudest ever-fluctuating. Lasting peace could never be a possibility. Were you to make an oath consecrated in the most sacred of bonds with the most noble of men, their sons and daughters are ill-beholden to that geas. Perchance it would survive through their line. But what of the next? And the next after that?" They look towards the soldiers training once more, considerate, if that unseen knight could ever be accurately described as anything.
"Most have already long lost the past you speak of, and yet many are willing to fight just as fervently as those who came before. And just as many might well stand for a cause entirely different. The capacity of humans are boundless."
In that last statement, their meaning is endlessly vague. But context of Siegfried's tale, and the perspective that colors it, could well serve as the answer.
They fall silent again, when Ragnell asks her question. And only when she's done, and Siegfried has well and answered either way, do they look up at the azure knight to pose their own:
"When this deed is done, when you have achieved your victory, Siegfried. When your debts are accounted for, and costs reaped. When you have laid claim to your vengeance, and this dying star is yours to call your own...
"What shall you do then?"
You. Not Mother. Not the Metal Demons all.
What will he do, then?
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
"Grahf..."
Siegfried's expression is distant. He is, despite appearances, a masterful liar. He looks at Ragnell with a straight face, as cold and stony as ever, and then shakes his head. "I know little, save for his power--and that he is not to be trusted. He would use that power to his own ends, and it could spell the doom of those that stand in his way. But... I saw that power during the Day of Collapse."
His jaw tightens. "Despite his alliance with us--and with others... Grahf was able to wreak much of the havoc that he did singlehandedly. The Day of Collapse may rightfully be blamed upon many," he says. "But the lion's share of that devastation was at Grahf's hands."
He looks at the Trial Knight, then. He nods to their conclusion; to say that he agrees is an understatement. The Trial Knight's question, though... that is a different one.
"We will have our homeworld, then," Siegfried says. "My duty will not end--there will be a world to lead. A new generation of Metal Demons to train. Mark my words, Trial Knight. The hard part begins when victory is in hand. We owe nothing less to Mother and to ourselves than to recreate the glory and might that we lost on Hyades. It is what I live for."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
It's that charm that allowed them to suck up t--errrr, negotiate with Heldalf, after all. K.K.: the true charismatic knight of Lunar.
Ragnell falls silent when they speak up to weigh in on the matter of humanity, though she does sigh faintly. She knows their true feelings, after all, and that's... really all the more reason to let Siegfried come to the obvious and convenient conclusion.
Siegfriend answers in regards to Grahf. In this respect, he *does* fool her; she has plenty of reason to believe that he's not saying everything when it comes to Lacan, but no reason to believe that Grahf is just as much a mystery to him as he is to everyone else. People with secrets guard them jealously. Ragnell knows this well. She nods at what he *does* share, murmuring a low hum of contemplation when he speaks of Grahf's power. "I see," is all she has to say by the end. Perhaps that's just as well.
The hard part is when victory is in hand. Ragnell smiles faintly and nods at this. "The words of a true leader," she remarks. The rest, though... "How goes Mother's reawakening, on that note? That is, I know you said she *has* awakened, but I figure she must be... groggy, so to speak." Otherwise she would have already smashed the humans and Guardians to bits by now.
Ragnell's also curious about exactly what happened on Hyades, a point no Metal Demon has been able to explain to her with clarity--probably because it happened well before they were created--but the matter of Mother is... somewhat more pressing, all around.
<Pose Tracker> K.K. has posed.
We owe nothing less to Mother and to ourselves than to recreate the glory and might that we lost on Hyades. It is what I live for.
"Mm."
The sound issues, thoughtful and succinct from the tinny depths of that faceless helm. Their left index finger spasms mildly at their back.
"'Tis a noble end you seek, then. There are sparse few in this wold who could earnestly stake a like claim. You have my gratitude, for your answer."
And once more do they lapse into that easy silence as Ragnell speaks about Mother's progress just on the tail end of their own observation. It leaves the Trial Knight time to think, to mull on Siegfried's words, both for them and for Ragnell. Their own curiosity, it seems, is slaked for now -- and Ragnell has brought up the one question that they would wonder of, at this moment. So for now, they linger anew at Ragnell's side, attention turning back toward the Quarter Knight for his answer.
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
"It is nothing less than the truth," Siegfried answers them. "Your gratitude is not required."
But accepted, nonetheless.
The Quarter Knight turns his head to look back at Ragnell; an eyebrow lifts (describing his god as 'groggy' is strange to the ear), before he nods. "It would not be my choice of words, but yes," Siegfried says. "I think, given time, she will be her old self. Mother requires..."
He hesitates, as if trying to find the words -- or maybe bury his concerns a little more deeply.
"...the time necessary to overcome the difficulties of a sleep longer than many have lived," he concludes.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
'Your gratitude is not required.' Ragnell chokes back a laugh, instead shooting a look K.K.'s way. That laugh's not at Siegfried, per se, just... His type is always like that, aren't they? So uptight.
Instead, she straightens her shoulders and looks back at Siegfried. "It's the word that came to mind," she says by way of explanation, before nodding at his response. "Hmmm... Yeah, I figured that might be the case." In which case, her 'grogginess' could extend... what, years? She's been sleeping for a thousand of them, after all. Even with Mother awakened, the humans could still turn things around--strike her down before she can shake off her sleep. It doesn't sound like Siegfried knows how long it'll take before she's fully herself, anyway.
(Though even Ragnell doesn't have an inkling of just how true that observation is.)
"Guess there's nothin' for it but to move forward, then," she concludes. "Thank you for your time. That's all I had to ask about." Well, all she'll ask about for now. "As for information that'd be relevant to you beyond what I already said, hmm... Your favorite turncoat--well, she's as suicidally righteous as always, as you've already seen. On top o' that, she found the Fereshte again an' has a pretty full crew for it now. However, it took significant damage during a fight against an enormous whale-like creature that leveled a town with just the tsunami that preceded its arrival. I don't know its current status, but I'm sure it's here on Filgaia.
"Your *other* favorite turncoat made contact with Duras Drum an' is stronger for it. You can expect them both to continue to be major annoyances. And, hmm, unless there's somethin' specific you want to know, I'd say that's everything that's important, as far as those two are concerned?"
<Pose Tracker> K.K. has posed.
It is nothing less than the truth.
They are words that stay with the Trial Knight, well after the exchange is said and done. The weight of their stare can be felt, briefly, on Ragnell, as if to wordlessly share that look -- but it is Siegfried's words they linger on. When he speaks...
... and when he fails to.
There is much to be said about the stories that can be spun in what goes unsaid. In that brief hesitation in the Quarter Knight as he looks for the right words to convey, there is much that could potentially be gleaned, especially in a man who so rarely hesitates. The Trial Knight watches with all their seemingly cool dispassion, until slowly their gauntleted hands ease from their position behind their back. Her old self.
A soft sound of thought exhales from that horned helm. But for now, those words, that hesitation, goes unremarked upon.
For now. But there is always the future.
"... She yet seeks that bridge you once sought," they say instead, in lieu of anything else, as the subject turns towards Riesenlied. As the conversation starts to round towards its conclusion. "What she lacks in force of arms, Riesenlied compensates for with force of will. She will not stop, nor yield, nor compromise in this. Ever will you both stand on opposite ends of a gulf neither can traverse. And such as it is, there is but one outcome that may come from it.
"I would but bid you remember this, as you go forward."
And with that frank if roundabout advice, they give a final tilt of their head toward the Quarter Knight. A single step backward, towards the exit the pair arrived from. "My word remains unyielding, and weapons remain yours to call upon, 'til this conflict is resolved.
"You need but seek it, towards whatever end you would use it for."
"Oh, actually, there's one more question I had," Ragnell adds suddenly, popping a fist in her palm. She tilts her head at Siegfried. "I don't suppose you've ever heard o' someone named Ganondorf Dragmire before?"
<Pose Tracker> Siegfried has posed.
"As always," Siegfried says to Ragnell. Then, he nods -- and his eyebrows knit. Yes, he thinks, that sounds like Riesenlied. But why does the thought that she risks her life that way bother him? He pushes that down, and then his eyes widen for a moment. "Contact with a Guardian... I see. That is useful information."
The Quarter Knight nods his head. Then, he blinks, and looks at Ragnell. He shakes his head. "No," he says. "Never. A name that I would remember, I should think."
He looks down, his eyes thoughtful -- and then K.K. speaks. He looks up at them, and their words are not something he did not know: he knew what Riesenlied sought. She always pursued peace, even before she turned. He should have known better. Hearing it from another, though... it reinforces that.
"So be it," he says. "We will have need of your weapons, K.K. I shall call upon you in the future. And... I shall not forget who and what she is."
His fingers curl into a fist at his side. Riesenlied...