RENDEZVOUS

18th of Johannar, 1197 SA

Eisehafen

"So, we're taking the 04 to Audemeer, then the ferry across Lake Lüden-"

"No, wait," Lydia interrupted, leaning over Marie's map of the PanFeldan Rail Network as they entered the enormous front atrium of the Eisenbahnhof. "I thought we were taking the 06 around the Lake. If we stay out of the water, we'll save a good ten hours of travel time."

Marie shook her head, pointing towards the lake on the map. "The ferry goes straight to Buerrenstadt, Lydia. If we take the 06, we'll have to stop at Wellentor and every other backwater lake town on the way."

"Lydia? Marie?"

"Not now, Tom," the two said in unison, marching forward with their eyes locked on the map.

"I understand that," Lydia continued, "but it's a ferry, dear sister. We'd have to spend another day on the water, which I'm not very keen to do."

"If I could just-"

"Tom!" the two yelled once more. They were deep in thought now, Lydia engaging in all manner of mental gymnastics to calculate the quickest and most comfortable route while Marie attempted to sell the idea of the 04.

It feels a little ironic, advocating for more boats in my life while Tom is right behind me. And only a day after rejecting his offer of a rigorous boat education-

"LOOK UP, YOU TWO!" he yelled from behind, loud enough for the twins to take their eyes off the map. But it was too late.

In an instant, Marie and Lydia found themselves swept up in a current of commuters, pulled to and fro by hundreds of suits and top hats.

The twins had been to the Eisenbahnhof before, if only a few times. But it took only one trip to fill the two with a false sense of confidence; a quaint notion that they would be able to survive this place as deftly as the daily commuters they now struggled against. And struggle they did, for this was no normal day. It was Kalada, the end of the Halrinan week, during which all the business dealings of the past six days were finalised. As busy as the Eisenbahnhof usually was, the commuter numbers nearly doubled every Kalada, making this concrete jungle that much more dangerous to the uninitiated.

Tom, with his general self-consciousness, did quite well in places like this, much too aware of his body to get in the way of others. He was also a very big fan of boats. "I'll purchase the tickets!" he shouted. "Meet me at the 04 platform!"

Marie's feet were barely touching the ground at that point, her body completely pinned against the commuters around her. It was difficult to breathe, to think, to find even a half-second of respite to readjust herself. And yet, as Tom's words reached her ears, she had to smile. For that, I'll give him... let's say... half an hour to teach me whatever he wants.

- \\//\\//\\// -

Lydia was intelligent, that much was clear. In moments of calm clarity, she could be relied upon to deliver masterful works of poetry. Even when grappling with subjects outside her purview, she could achieve an immense understanding if given the time. Strip time and clarity away, however...

"MARIE! TOM- Oh stop pushing, would you!?"

"Madame, please get out of the-"

"Well, I would if you'd let me! Can't you see what little space you've given me to work with, you great buffoon!"

"There's really no need for the name-calling-""You think that's name-calling, do you? Would you like to see what soul-crushing depths I'm capable of, you weak-willed, slack-witted cur of a- STOP PUSHING ME!"

The next ten minutes went on about the same, though it was possible that Lydia completely disassociated about halfway through and left her mouth to run on its own. Eventually, the current was able to forcibly eject her into some random annexe of the transit hub, leaving her dazed and stranded.

Immediately, Lydia realised that she had no idea where she was. The interior architecture followed the same design language as the rest of the Eisenbahnhof, but at a much smaller scale. The arches lining the walls were about half the height of their older and bolder siblings in the main atrium, resulting in a much less striking image of luxury. Gone, too, were the vaulted ceilings and black arched girders, replaced by cracked glass and half-strung banners for every manner of miracle balm, each of which could (supposedly) cure every ailment suffered by the common Buerrenan.

Instinctively, Lydia reached for her inner pant pocket. It took a few pats to find it in her staggered state, but eventually, she felt the bulge of her coin purse and the artefact next to it. Thank Meris we made Tom carry the luggage trolley, she thought, shuddering at the thought of getting lost in the crowd with all her baggage still on her.

With her immediate worries subsided, Lydia refocused on the annexe around her, looking intently for any indication of direction towards the main atrium. What she saw instead was a vaguely familiar face, one which met her gaze for just a moment too long before looking back down and briskly walking away.

"I- I know you!" Lydia called out, jogging towards the man.

He lowered the brim of his fedora and quickened his pace, avoiding eye contact.

"What are you running away for!?" she yelled, speeding up enough to close the distance between them.

"Would you quiet down!" he hissed, his face still locked forward.

"I don't appreciate your attitude, sir," she retorted, a hint of teasing in her voice. "You're a Member of Parliament, aren't you? Do you mind helping me find the platform for the 06 to Buerrenstadt? I'm assuming you're headed there too, yes?"

"I have no idea who you think I am, but I'm certainly not a Member of Parliament! And you're thinking of the 04-"

"No, no, you are an MP! You're... oh, what's your name... Eigner?"

Bennet sighed, lowering his fedora further. This certainly complicates things. Best to deal with her now, as quickly as I can. He continued to walk, eyeing the strangers around him. The two were still in an emptier part of the Eisenbahnhof, and the few that were loitering around them had their attentions focused elsewhere. Bennet's gaze wandered to the wall next to him, looking for a side door, a hallway, anything to get them to seclusion. Ten seconds later it came, at which point he grabbed Lydia by the sleeve and dragged her in.

"This is a restroom, Herr Eigner, not the 06-"

"Yes, I know this a restroom- excuse us, sorry." Bennet shuffled past a very confused older man, leading Lydia to a niche in the back corner where a stack of janitorial equipment was stashed.

"Well, I'd very much like to know what's going on," Lydia said, the playfulness in her voice quickly fading away.

"Has your sister mentioned me at all in the last six-or-so hours?" Bennet asked, his eyes flashing anxiously from stall to stall.

"No... was she supposed to- wait, you know my sister?"

"Yes, I met her last night," he replied absentmindedly.

Lydia gasped. "I knew she snuck out, the rascal! Did you woo her, then? Or... no! Did she woo you!? Do- do you think I'm her?"

"I'm well aware of who you are, and neither I nor her wooed the other! Actually, I'm starting to get the impression that she was planning on avoiding me completely, seeing as you were heading to the 06."

"Oh, well she was quite intent on taking us on that blasted ferry... if that makes you feel any better."

Bennet paused, then let out a short sigh of relief. "It does, actually. It seems we're simply ahead of schedule, then. In a restroom too, of all places."

Lydia furrowed her brows. "Ahead of schedule? Did she intend for us to meet?"

"Yes, though not so soon." Bennet reached for a small pocket watch tucked into his outer coat pocket, then grabbed a small 'OUT OF ORDER' sign from the niche. "Since we're both here, I see no reason to delay," he said, dashing to the outer restroom door to hang the sign before rushing back. "We have forty-five minutes before the last call for the 04. Since you seem to know my credentials better than your sister, can I skip straight to the meat and potatoes?"

"Just the potatoes, thanks. I'm a vegetarian."

Bennet froze, dumbfounded.

"What?" she asked.

"'I'm... a vegetarian?'"

"I'm trying to tell more jokes in casual conversation... for the youth."

"I- I'm... I think... seven years older than you."

"I know. Sorry, I was unclear. I wasn't implying that you were the youth, only that I'm implementing more jokes across the board, but specifically to communicate better with the youth."

"You didn't have to explain- look, can we move on?"

"I really need to get better at this," Lydia muttered to herself. "Go ahead."

"Thank you," Bennet replied, shaking of any residual shock as he readied himself for another round of spieling and dealing.

- \\//\\//\\// -

It took some time, and a sprinkle of roughhousing, but eventually Marie managed to reach the 04 platform. Like the atrium, the platforms themselves were gorgeous, dotted with ornate pillars that stretched up to meet the glass canopy. Between each pillar was a set of decorative benches, each inlaid with a more elaborate version of the double-compass symbol on the Buerrenan flag. As Marie walked down the length of the platform, she spotted Tom sitting on one such bench, keeping guard over the luggage trolley.

"How much were the tickets?" she yelled, jogging to meet him.

"76.98 between the three of us," he replied, fixing his posture to face her.

Marie nodded, taking out her coin purse and grabbing 77 halia as she took a seat beside him.

"Just 25 is fine-"

"Relax, Tom. I'm feeling generous," she said, handing the bills to him.

"Oh? What did I miss?"

Marie grinned, pulling up the left sleeve of her blouse to reveal the beginnings of a nasty bruise snaking across her outer bicep.

"And... you're happy about that?" Tom asked, trying his best not to wince.

"This?" she said, flexing her arm. "This is nothing. You should see what I gave the other guy."

"I think I'm alright," he said, smiling weakly.

"You know, if I'm going to let you teach me about boats, you should-"

"You're going to let me teach you about boats!?" he exclaimed, his voice nearly cracking as he eked the final word out.

"Would you quiet down!" she retorted, almost exactly as Bennet said the same words on the other side of the Eisenbahnhof. "I'll give you thirty minutes to teach me whatever you want about your precious boats, if you let me teach you how to fight."

"Oh, Marie, I don't know about that-"

"What were your words, Tom? 'Treat learning about the well as a preventative measure, in case you get pushed into it later and need to know how to get out?' That sounds like pretty good advice."

"You... you understood the metaphor?" he said, utterly surprised.

"I pay attention, especially when I can turn the words against you. Lydia hates when I do it to her. It's very funny," she said, chuckling a little. "If it makes you feel any better, you can approach my glorious teachings through... I don't know... a thespian lens? Is that a thing?"

Tom nodded as the logic hit him. "In case I have to play the part of a fighter. Very smart, Marie!"

"I have my moments," she replied with a smile. "That said, I do feel my vast intelligence failing me right now."

"How's that?"

Marie looked around, peaking behind pillars and out through the far arches that led into the atrium. "Well, Tom, I can't figure out what's taking Lydia so long...

- \\//\\//\\// -

"And you told all this to Marie last night?" Lydia asked, now sitting on an upturned janitor's bucket.

"Early this morning, if I'm being pedantic," Bennet replied.

"What did she think?"

"Uhm... well, I don't quite know how to answer that question."

"It's not a difficult one, Bennet. I'm sure you've been asked worse in the Oberhaus."

"Naturally," he replied, shrugging off two years of parliamentary trauma. "It's just, she didn't really tell me anything. She didn't believe me at first, so I showed her the transcript. She read it, told me to meet you on the 04, then left quite abruptly."

Lydia absorbed the words, then cross-referenced them with the twenty-eight years of history she had with her sister. "That means... she believed you, but barely. I'm the second opinion she trusts to verify your claims."

Bennet nodded. "Alright. So... what do you think?"

"Oh, I believe you completely. I just needed to make sure Marie was on board."

At that, Bennet narrowed his eyes again. "You keep surprising me, Lydia Terell. Surely you're not so quick to trust."

"I'm not. But the idea of an immortal chairman makes sense against Senheisen's corporate history."

That drew Bennet's intrigue immediately. "How do you mean?" he asked, leaning in.

"If I had to pick a defining characteristic of the company, it would be their focus on research and development. They make and make and make, often disregarding their profit motive entirely. It's just hard to see because so many of those novel products find demand to meet their supply. I don't know... to me, that indicates some guiding philosophy that's more focused on pushing the envelope than maintaining any rate of capital accumulation. Not that a philosophy like that is impossible under a mortal, but Senheisen's been doing it for over two centuries. You wouldn't see that if you were dealing with the instinct of self-preservation that comes as a mortal approaches death. No amount of idealism can survive that."

"There... there it is," Bennet said slowly, "the Lydia Terell I expected to meet. Bloody fucking brilliant. Then you'll work with me?"

"To topple Senheisen? No."

Bennet's face fell immediately. "But-"

"Let me finish," Lydia interjected, raising a finger. "Not yet. I want to know who I'd be working with first. Senheisen is easy for me. They make; that's their drive. I want to know your drive, Bennet Eigner."

He stared at her for a few seconds before nodding slowly. "Be careful with the paper," he said, pulling out a folded note from his inner pocket and passing it to her.

Dear Chancellor Eigner,

The date is the 29th of Lauthir, 1182 SA. We've been running around attending classes for around two weeks now and I have to say, this school is damn impressive. We held onto that fear of going abroad for months, but it all feels undone. I guess you're pretty happy with yourself in hindsight. Right? Don't tell me tragedy befalls us halfway through the semester. I don't think we could deal with that, not after we've just met our favourite professor. Is that also too premature of a call? I guess only you would know.

Anyway, I'm writing this note because of that professor. Fumiaki Yagai, in case you've forgotten. He's teaching the morning section of our Ajuran Political History class (the only time I'll ever be glad an evening section filled up too quickly). So, he caught our attention immediately with that introductory topic on Cross-Precipice Trading, but we were too nervous to approach him straight away. Then, this morning, he gave one of the most nuanced lectures I've ever seen, and on Rift Theory of all things (the reason we bothered crossing oceans to study here, I'll remind you). After that, we just had to approach him and pick his brain. Obviously, we would've preferred to talk about Rift Theory some more, but he got a bit distracted by the fact that we're from Buerren. By a bit, I mean he spent the next thirty minutes on a tirade about our politics. I say 'tirade' because it felt very heated, but trust me when I say it was the most eye-opening thirty minutes of our life thus far. It's also the more specific reason why I'm writing to you. Because if you so much as forget a word of what you're about to read, I'll travel to the future and kill you (and you wouldn't even be able to stop me because you'd kill yourself in the process, stupid). Alright? Here goes:

The way we think of the Königsfälle Revolution is a lie. The modern Republic follows this perverse narrative that the current state of things is what was always intended by Johann Emile Löwe after he tore down the Von Silberne monarchy and penned the Buerrenstadt Papers. As the current state of things changes, so does the initial intention. That way, the new issues and their favoured solutions can be attached to Löwe's persona and be made immortal. He's effectively being used by our structures of power as a tool to bolster optics. But the truth is so wildly different because of course it is! This is what happens when 250 years pass. We forget, then accept any reminder of the truth if the person saying it sounds smart enough or the promises they carry are lucrative enough. History says something else. History says that Löwe wasn't anti-government. He was anti-royalty. Neo-Löweists would have us believe that those are the same, but of course they aren't! So what does it mean to be anti-royalty?

We know Löwe hated the kings of old. The lavish castles, the excessive fashion. That's what our education fixates on. The optics. What royalty feels like, not what it is. But Löwe wasn't a shallow revolutionary, if such a thing exists. He hated royalty fundamentally. The separation without proper cause. The elevation of a class for no reason beyond their bloodline, leaving the rest to starve. If one was to succeed, he said, it needed to be of their own merit. That's how the Republic began. It was a fresh start, an even playing field. And then it fell apart. Every organisation of the early free market became its own monarchy, every chairman a king. Separation without proper cause returned, bloodlines returned, but the names changed. The optics are different now, and we can no longer see the enemy unless they plainly wear a crown. That's what the Professor said, the line that got to me: 'Buerren, in forgetting what the crown stood for, traded one for many.'

I'm still reeling, to be honest. There's a part of me that's terrified of the revelation, but another that's excited to do something about it. We have a long semester left, but it'll give us time to think. Time to plan. There's work to be done once we get home because one thing's for certain. This is not the future that Löwe died for.

Signing off,

Ben Eigner

"You could call that my manifesto," Bennet said, having grown anxious watching Lydia silently read through it.

"Manifesto is a fitting word... you were quite the little revolutionary," she eventually replied. "And this Professor Yagai sounds like a very interesting person. Do you still keep in touch with him?"

Bennet shook his head. "I haven't heard from him in... how long has it been? Eight years, I think."

Lydia nodded. "The Nawthi Rebellion started that year. I doubt any correspondences could've made it past their blockade around Kiyokawa Bay."

"That makes sense," he said solemnly. "I- I give my party a lot of grief, Lydia. They're too easy on the majority, and it bothers me... to no end. But the Kiyokawan Aid Package that Anika Velhaas helmed two years ago... It's one of the crowning achievements of this last term, and I like to think it helped Professor Yagai in some way, however small. My aide recently told me that it was you who write Velhaas' speech. Thank you for doing that. Truly."

"Of course," she replied. The words flowed through Bennet like fresh water from a spring. It was the first sincere thing she'd said since he'd met her.

"I'm glad I read your manifesto," Lydia continued, folding the paper gently and handing it back to him. "But when I tell you I'd be happy to work with you, don't think it had everything to do with that."

"What convinced you, then?" he asked.

"The same thing that caught your intrigue early this morning: 'A Century of Peace.' The whole premise breaks Senheisen's pattern of operations in more ways than one. It's completely nonsensical, unless there's something I'm missing; something that joining your investigation will get me closer to. It's also nice to see Marie get some work. She could use it."

Bennet smiled widely, reaching out his hand for the last time in a while. Lydia stood from her bucket and shook it, grinning in equal measure as she stifled the pain.

"I'll leave first," she said. "Wait five minutes before you follow. That should give us enough time to reach the train before the last call."

With a last firm shake of the hand, she ducked out of the room.

- \\//\\//\\// -

"What took you so long!?" Marie shouted, waving to Lydia as she approached from the atrium. "I was just about to come and find you!"

"I got lost!" Lydia replied, joining her sister and Tom as they carried their luggage onto the 04. "What have you two been up to?"

Tom flashed Marie an expectant look. She nodded and cleared her throat, straightening her posture.

"The hull, Lydia, is the main body of the boat. It can have various shapes depending on the boat's purpose. The bow and the stern are the front and rear of the boat respectively. The port is the... shit... the left side?"

Tom nodded proudly. "Keep going, keep going!"

"And the starboard is the right side!" Marie shouted, drawing the ire of some of the older passengers. "And if you think that's impressive, Tom here is going to learn how to roundhouse kick once we get to Audemeer!"

"For acting purposes, Lydia, acting purposes."

The three paused, then broke down laughing, stowing the last of their luggage away and taking their places within one of the second-class booths.

As Marie bent down to sit, Lydia grabbed her shoulder and leaned in towards her ear.

"I've met your late-night lover, dear sister," she whispered.

Marie whipped her head to face Lydia, her eyes wide. "And?"

Her sister smiled, a soft twinkle in her eyes. No words were spoken, nor did they need to be.

The twins sat, sinking into the faux-velvet cushions of the booth as they peered out the window. With a slow rumble, the train began to creep forward, chugging out of the Eisenbahnhof as it entered the Republic proper. Far in the distance, the southernmost trees of the Arborous waved in the midday wind, as if to say 'farewell.' Marie waved back, grinning softly as her eyes began to take on the same puckishness they'd seen just hours before. And to think it's only been nine days since I looked down on poor Filip of Hranost. Here I am, about to do the exact same thing as the lot of them: Say 'no' beyond words...