Day 1: 09:41AM

"Oh dear, that escalated quickly…" Mabel couldn't help but swallow her saliva as they walked.

Dimitri laughed as he stretched his arms to the side so he could caress the cold glass-like walls of the white hall around them. "Well, I got a file for a divorce that got me to surrender eighty percent of my salary to her, and then the next day, I tripped on a sidewalk and broke my neck… you should've seen her face when she saw me the day after!"

"And it gets even sadder!" Mabel clapped her hands and pointed both her fingers at him along with an awkward laugh.

"His boyfriend was actually nice, he just stood there, with his ripped and oily body as my ex-wife screamed in terror." Dimitri scoffed. "So I walked in there and told them I was going to get my daughter, yeah, and nobody said a thing, Grandma Mabel. Showed them who's the alpha, huh?"

"I see, so this is happening," Mabel commented with a distant tone, stealing a glance at his back before she looked at her feet as she moved it after the other. "again."

"My late wife followed me there and there, I said it to them, I said then and there, with this serious gaze in my eyes that I would be taking my daughter. None of them could stop me, Grandma Mabel, none of them even dared to move from the door as I opened mine!" Dimitri let out a victorious laugh. "And now, and now-and now, my-my daughter is safe from them at least, I've been taking care of her since then. I've placed her inside this basement since those policemen were getting hot on our trail… she… she's been begging me to let her go for a while now, but I do believe that keeping her there would be for the best…"

"Now that's something new… at least." Mabel smiled as she clasped her palms together. "Well, I do have to agree and tell you that you did a good job, keeping the child safe should be everyone's top priority so I have no problems with that… however, my feet are getting tired, are we there yet?"

"Oh," Dimitri stopped and smiled. He let out a sigh as he looked around and after a moment, he moved on without a word until they met a wall that forced them to face a path that diverged to their sides. They turned right and there, he muttered, "We're about a few more minutes away from arriving at the Carmy-Michael Farms. If you want, Grandma Mabel, I could lend you my back and carry you there."

Mabel covered her lips as she giggled. "Do not do that to an old lady, young man! It would be better off if the Boss would be so kind enough to offer us a better mode of transportation."

"Perhaps, Grandma Mabel, perhaps we could make a train for the kids too when time is on our side," Dimitri said and after a few more steps, they found themselves stopping in front of the same dark blue door.

Mabel stepped back. "Are we…"

"Yes, Grandma Mabel, we're here… are you quite alright? Do you need a moment to breathe?" Dimitri continued with a concerned tone as he placed his hands on the metallic doorknob. "We could spare a few minutes if you want."

"No, no, the less time of my kids out of my view the better, let's get a move on, Dimitri," Mabel replied, urging him to open the door, which he did a moment later. "Also, take this…"

"Okay," Dimitri replied as he watched her take out a ball of dirt from the pocket at the side of her dress.

"This is for you, Dimitri," she continued as she placed it on his open palm. "You'll know what it's for later."

Dimitri tilted his head and frowned. "Okay… thanks, I guess?"

They found themselves stepping onto a field of well-trimmed grass, facing three gigantic barns with the faint smell of citrus and the sound of metal hitting metal in the distance. There were a few other souls around them, who glanced at their figures as they moved away while cradling a box of weapons in silence. Noticing indifferent gaze, Mabel and Dimitri held their breaths as they proceeded towards the third barn on their far left as the line of orange trees obscured the outside world from their view. Soon enough, as the sound of the hammer striking a slab of iron became clearer and clearer, the sight of a thin old man inspecting a set of swords and spears lined up on a wooden table came into full view.

"Hello, Uncle Arnel…" Dimitri started, stepping into the barn with his shoes moving the dried and charred grass beneath his feet but then, his eyes were pulled to the gigantic ashen forge sitting behind him at the far back of the room. He swallowed at the sight of charred human hands sticking out of the oven's bright yellow flames and after that, he crossed his arms and continued.

The old man, who wore a ragged maroon long-sleeved shirt and a pair of pants and sandals, clicked his tongue as though he pretended not to notice his words. He took a moment to trace the edge of the sword in front of him with his thick and calloused fingers, making Dimitri and Mabel pause for an odd second. "We're preparing for war, Dimitri, and also, nice turd you got there."

Dimitri replied and let out a fearful laugh as his lips trembled. "Thanks?"

"I've heard about what happened to my boy," Arnel continued, grabbing the same sword by the hilt and tossing them onto a nearby wooden box after. With a tone as if he had clenched his throat and about to cry, he added, "I know what happened to Felix, I know that those sons-of-bitches did to my boy, I didn't even get to look at what happened to him… I didn't even get to look 'how they massacred my boy."

Seeing the old man whimper made Dimitri sigh and look away. He saw the heap of the same boxes, almost looking like a mountain of swords, shields, and weapons at his side and astonished, he bit his lip and turned his gaze back at him. "I'm very sorry for your loss, Uncle Arnel, but—"

"I still remember his face…" Arnel continued as though he wasn't there. One of his men then came with a bin full of newly made swords, still smoking and wet as he laid them up one by one on the same table. They exchanged a nod with each other as they both shared a pained and dreaded face. At the moment the other man walked away, he continued, "I still remember his idiotic face full of hickies when he told me that he would be away with Valencia to pursue her passion with just the two of them alone. We all know how much he liked her and so, we were very happy. The boys here and I got himself an early present and moved on to make him some armor but then… what the hell did we all hear about this morning… that has to be a joke, both of them can't die just like that."

"Uh… I…" Dimitri faltered and looked at Mabel who seemed to be still.

"We've been doing our job religiously, boy, what is the convent doing?" Arnel asked while clenching both of his fists. "Are they just going to let this pass, have they pussied out?" He took a deep and heavy breath as he knitted his brows. "Tell me, boy, did they pussy out, because I swear, If they are going to let this pass, I would walk out there by myself and get some fresh blood on my hands until I know who did it!"

"I…"

"Did you know who did it?" He gave him a pained smile. "Tell me, Dimitri, tell me who killed my boy… his brothers and I are ready to move out at a moment's notice. We would go shoot down that goddang boat of that little hag if that needs to be done… we don't… we don't even know if we could do that yet but we would sure as hell try if it meant bringing justice to those who dared to hurt our family… So, do you know who did it?"

Dimitri fell silent once more and looked at Mabel once more who just shook her head in silence.

"Speak, dammit!" Arnel shouted, flipping the table in front of them and grabbing one sword by its hilt in midair before pointing it to his throat.

As though his body was frozen, he had no choice but to part his trembling lips. "It's… all points are shown…"

"Tell me it to me straight. I ain't afraid of walking towards the capital, boy, I know where it is. I'm not afraid of killing you here either and I don't want no assumptions, tell me who it is," Arnel commanded as he tightened his grip and twisted his blade.

Dimitri stepped back to take his throat away from its edge and looked at his own feet. He heaved a breath through his chest that felt heavier than ever and after taking a moment to swallow his fears, he replied, "Mr. Walter and Mr. Masaoka told me that it was done by the Milkman."

"That fucking sexy-ass whore," Arnel widened his eyes and smiled.

"There was some evidence that the Vendor was in it too… there were a few traces that we could not recognize but they believed that he was fighting four people while being shot down from above," Dimitri continued.

Arnel's face crumpled and a white tear fell down from the corner of his eyes. "Those bastards…" He walked away with a pale whimper but after a few steps, he stopped and looked back at him with his quivering lips. "Is that all you have to say to me, boy, then if so, leave, I'm busy and afraid that we cannot just let this go. If…" He cleared his throat, heaving another breath as he clenched his shaking hands into a fist. "If… I don't know if we have the power to beat… that accursed Milkman but… we cannot let this pass like its nothing… It's out of the convent's hands now, I believe that—"

"Well, that's why we are here, Arnel." Mabel stepped forward with a gentle smile that calmed the man down. "Trust me, I know how it feels to lose a part of your family and I have to agree, we should not let this go, and that's precisely the reason why we need you right now." She tilted her head and with an endearing tone, she followed, "The boss is a kind-hearted man, and I believe that you should present what you feel in the upcoming council as well. This way, all of us could properly help you fulfill your desire with the best of our abilities."

All of them fell silent.

"Do… do you really think so?" Arnel looked down and whispered before he pursed his lips.

"Yes," Mabel replied with a warm smile almost immediately as he stretched her right hand towards him. "and that's why we're here."