🍁Nine Ancient Obelisks

- Quite so. A good mind is a valuable thing, but even it has its limits. No matter how you look at it, life can't always be outsmarted. Alright, let's hear the plan and see what comes of it," he said, nodding to his acquaintance, and moved aside, sitting down not far from the "non-Dlan" and the "commander," so he could hear their communication.

And while that's happening, he takes out a cigarette and a lighter, lights it, rolls the cigarette between his fingers, and surveys the horizon. Which way would be closer to the Shrine of the Ancients – probably towards Shin, not Rusik?

He sends a prayerful thought to her:
"So, how are you doing, adept? Didn't expect this, did you? Neither did I. No one knows me, and so much has happened. If I were a journalist, I'd write an article in the newspaper, '1001 – the worst year?' This year really is something else, it didn't start well. I'm wondering if it's because I was cursed, or if it's my own mistakes? There are some, but it's definitely not all. For example, this whole mess with the black father and the blonde daughter. But looking at all these guys huddled under the wall, I'm wondering if it's my doing or just circumstances? Even if I come up with a hundred excuses why it had to happen, I have a feeling they're true, but my heart isn't at peace. So, am I a war criminal? I'm wondering, if I live to a ripe old age, what will I look like? Maybe something like this:



Haha! And the fact that I was roped into this whole mess with the others is clearly an unhealthy situation. I also remember that weirdo with the rings, his "theory of balance," and I'm thinking, does it apply to luck, or to life in general? Because all year I've been flipping a coin. Look: the war started, bad. I met Kerry, good, but then it was bad again. I forged a blade, good, met a Judas, bad. Kusa drunkenly gave me a ring, good, but it actually screwed me over. Haha, and remember when I said, "Everyone in Shin will know my name"? I wasn't really expecting it to turn out that way. I wanted to win a tournament, tell everyone it was in your honor, but I failed. What's next? Oh, I lost in the casino, bad, but then it's a plus, because I donated to you, so it's neither here nor there. We went out, and I immediately found a woman, good, lost the tournament, bad. "I got lucky" with the "sponsor," good, but then it was super bad. Eri got herself a mysterious-looking man, as if she knows something, but she didn't betray us, let's assume that's good. And what about being thrown into the pit and everything else, that's bad. But then they let us out, good. And so on, you've seen it all. So, I'm thinking, maybe there's some kind of complex principle at play here? Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I just had some time to think about things. I probably have no one to talk to, it would just depress our people, and I'll never tell the other "one of us" anything, even if you cut me into pieces. I already blurted it out once, and I paid a hefty price, and I wasn't the only one. That's enough of that. Or maybe there's another story – you try to do the right thing, and you get screwed. For example, Asmidul – what did he do wrong, did he drown dogs, put meters on shops? He's not capable of that, even though I don't know him, I can sense his nature. But he cut half the city or whoever, he definitely didn't do it himself. And look at Judas or Ginza – they're real scumbags, and everything is going well for them. So, should I go wild? Here's another one of our gambits, probably the hardest one, and should I just start attacking civilians, then everything will be fine? I don't know, it sounds dubious. Do you think I'll be able to get out of this, find those damn obelisks, and finish off the devil? It would be a great story, one in a million, I should write it all down in my diary to the last detail. Alright, thanks for listening. I'll try to make up for my mistakes, and whatever happens, happens" – a cloud of tobacco, full of unspoken mystery, dissipated in the wind.