Mini Episodes/Season 1

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Dante's Notes

These Mini Episodes were added and played upon game startup every Thursday during the period between May 11th to May 25th, 2023, when the first portion of Dante's Notes were released.

Speaker	Dialogue
Faust	...Dante?
	Mephistopheles doesn’t roar and grumble ahead all day long. Mephisto is an engine that needs rest from time to time, much like how Charon is still a human who needs regular breaks.
Dante	Are you still awake, Ms. Faust?
Faust	There are a few things left to check. As the engine is tretaed harshly during operation, it needs to be well-maintained while at rest.
	To substantiate her words, Faust carried light tools and a small mechanical device in place of her usual zweihander.
Dante	You’re working hard.
Faust	This barely counts as work. To witness Faust’s magnum opus cordis being overworked with no time for care takes a greater toll, rather.
	She said this after making a light smile.
Faust	Do you like this update in particular?
	Faust looked down at me using a handheld device.
Dante	Oh… This thing?
Faust	Yes, I believe previously you werent’ fiddling with it as often.
Dante	It’s nothing much, I as just… making the most of this new feature I’ve needed.
	Whenever Faust requests a break for routine maintenace, my ‘LCB-PDA’ also receives updates.
	Whilst engaging in the rhythmed exchange, the child with dark bags under his eyes stopped to recall something, then added:
	The update occasionally come [sic] with additional functions, and this time…
Faust	…A note? The device didn’t have this functionality until now?
Dante	It didn’t, surprisingly enough.
Dante	You didn’t know that, I thought you were omniscient, Faust.
Faust	Faust only knows everything that Faust knows.
Faust	Pardon me for a moment.
	She took a peek at the screen of my tablet.
Faust	Are you attempting to write an encyclopaedia, Dante?
Dante	I mean… You keep using words I don’t know-stuff like “Fixers” or whatever “Wings” are…
Dante	It might be common vocabulary for you all, but not me…
Faust	I understand. I do suppose you’ve lost all memory of the City.
Dante	Yep. So I wanna write down must stuff here.
Dante	And copy down the things I’ve been scribbling on paper while I’m at it…
	This clock on my shoulders could be replaced with yet another head at any moment. There’s no guarantee the memories I have right now will stay with me.
	That’s why I must prepare a backup plan like this.
	So I don’t forget twice.

Speaker	Dialogue
Heathcliff	?! W-What the hell?!
	Without warning, the bus ground to a sudden halt in the Backstreets.
Charon	We'll stop here today.
Faust	Charon, I fear we haven't quite reached the destination.
Meursault	We're approximately 15% short of the target location. Considering our schedule, proceeding at least 3% farther would be ideal.
Charon	Charon's sleepy. Excellent bus driver don't drive while sleepy.
Heathcliff	Got it, just stop stomping the brakes every damn time!! D'you know how much you've done this?!
Don Quixote	Forsooth, Ser Heathcliff hath crashed his nose unto the back of the front seat for the fourth time, which must signify that this is the fourth screeching halt to occur!
Charon	"Leave the wheel as soon as you start sleepy", said the radio.
Ishmael	That's a good point, but... you need to be a bit more flexible about that sorta thing.
Hong Lu	Fuhu, a statement as plain as that can be quite amusing depending on who says it~
Heathcliff	Hah, the minted boy agrees with me, eh. It's funny when the least flexible one says that kind of gabble.
Ishmael	...What was that? If that's what you're playing at, what about that old fogey over that who still thinks she's a wartime general-
	Ishmael pointed to Outis, whose veins were beginning to stick out on her veteran and placid face.
Vergilius	Sigh.
	This is a prime example of the terror that learned fear.
	It's happened enough to be familiar... but it's still rather intimidating to hear Vergilius send the bus into chilling silence with a single gesture or utterance.
Vergilius	... What is it? You were all happy chatting moments ago. No reason not to continue.
Heathcliff	Weren't you sighing to go on a proper rampage after?
Vergilius	I was stretching. Felt a bit stiff...
Heathcliff	Load of...
Ishmael	Ahem...
Vergilius	It's laughable how you behave. You're like dogs that drool at the sound of a bell.
Heathcliff	...
Vergilius	If you've got complaints, remember that my office in the back always has open hours. I'll make time for consultations... Miss Faust, I leave the rest to you.
Faust	Of course.
	Vergilius nonchalantly walked past the Sinners (and their piercing stares) with Charon at his side, and both stood at the back of the bus.
Charon	Open perilla.
Vergilius	It's "sesame", Charon.
Charon	Charon knows. It's not like magic phrases are what open doors, anyway.
Vergilius	...I suppose so.
	While they exchanged corny jokes, the door large enough to fill the backside slowly opened...
Rodion	Been a few months, but still weirds me out everytime I see it...
Hong Lu	It's bigger on the inside, right?
	As the back door opened, a splendid narrow deep spacious hallway revealed itself.
	An endless corridor... that looked to go on forever.
	Far into the hallway, classy poles demarcate the end of the area we're allowed to traverse, standing in front of unending lines of red light.
	Though the place seems comfy... something about it makes eerie feelings creep up.
Gregor	Now that I think about it... Is that one of those Singularities belonging to a Wing? Frau Faust, do you know anything?
Faust	Of course it is known. But I am certain that you do know that I cannot speak of them in much details, Herr Gregor.
Gregor	Could stand to be a bit nicer about it...
Ryōshū	This is a corridor.
Faust	That's correct. It's a corridor
Gregor	Haah... Sure is- a long hallway with doors to rooms on the sides, of course its a corridor.
Ryōshū	I. F.
Gregor	What're you trying to... Pfah, whatever. I'm too tired... Dante, please hurry on with it.
	Gregor's word snapped me out of idly staring down to the edge of the passage.
Dante	Oh yeah... Right.
Faust	Dante, while I understand that you may feel it to be an unnecessary repetitive act... simply put, the executive manager's approval is a vital part of the procedure. Please understand.
Dante	No need to put it like that, Ms. Faust...
	With that, I got up from my seat and stood at the front of the bus, looking at the crew.
Dante	I hereby confirm today's close of the business for the Sinners.
Faust	Thank you kindly. Starting now, you all will be given a maximum of 12 hours to partake in sleep and rest; the duration is subject to change. Have a good night.
	As soon as Faust finished speaking, the Sinners walked along with groans and sighs.
Gregor	Ah geez~ Man, I'm whipped...
Don Quixote	A fine night, Young Sinclair! What says you another game of chess?
Sinclair	N-No thanks, Don Quixote... You always run to Mr. Yi Sang for hints whenever you are losing!
Yi Sang	That is untrue, Sinclair. That... was because I could not bear to watch the grievous misplacement...
Sinclair	T-That's even worse!
Meursault	Bonsoir, Manager, and thank you for today's work. As for tonight's watch...
Dante	Oh, Meursault. Thanks for suggesting. Yeah, I wasn't feeling sleepy today...
	Then, Outis suddenly intervened.
Outis	Executive Manager! Allow me to remind you that I am always willing to stand in for night watch duty if you ever feel fatigued-
Rodion	Yeah, yeah, babushka-de-camp~ How's about we get inside now~
Outis	Executive Manager! Your hard daytime work must-
Ishmael	Sure~ Let's get you to bed.
	Ishamel gave me a small nod, and then proceeded to draggingly chaperone Outis through the back door with Rodya
	Then, at least, Faust and I remained.
Faust	That was fortunate, Dante. Had they not forced Outis to retire, she would have nagged you for the duty of night watch for quite a while again.
Dante	Haha, does happens a lot...
	I commented back as I watched the Sinners head into the corridor, one after another.
	After Rodya has entered and closed the door, Ishmael opens the same to get inside.
Dante	You said the door leads to a different space each time it opens, right?
Faust	Yes. As long as a Sinner is in the right mental condition... the door will lead to lodging appropriate for rest and personal use.
	Lodging, is it... They looked more like jail cells last time I peeked through the window.
	Still... she must mean it can be used as a personal living space... for sleep, showers, self-care and all that...
Faust	...You seem you have other questions beside that.
	My clock has no eyes, nose, or mouth, and yet...
	Somehow, it feels as though Faust reads something out of me.
	...Not that she'll tell me how she manages it...
Dante	...Y'know, just curious about what's over there.
	I pointed down to the far end of the corridor with my finger.
	Right to the horizontal depths of this seemingly endless corridor.
Faust	As I have told you repeatedly, it is best not to be curious about it, Dante.
	As expected, Faust choose to walk into the corridor with a faint sigh instead of a real answer.
	And yet, just maybe... Faust knew all along. She "knows it all" as she likes to say.
	...Maybe she knew that I would learn about what lies beyond in the corridor soon enough.

Speaker	Dialogue
	It happened exactly a week after that fruitless exchange.
Dante	I hereby confirm today's close of the business for the Sinners.
Faust	Thank you kindly. Starting now, you all will be given a maximum of 12 hours to partake in sleep and rest; the duration is subject to change. Have a good night.
	Faust gives the same instruction as always. In response, Sinners groan and stretch like usual.
Heathcliff	...
	Except this time, one Sinner stuck out that normalcy like a sore thumb.
Ishmael	What now?
Rodion	Leave him be, Ishy~ It's not the first time he's all grumpy like that, is it?
Rodion	And Heath~ Make sure to simmer down before you get in your room, 'kay? All that grumbling thunder in there keeps me awake, y'know~
	...The Sinner's room- their lodging, personal space, and cell-reflect their state of mind or so I've heard.
	Each room's floors, walls, and overall ambience are shaped after the Sinner's personality, and the view through the windows changes depending on their emotions and mental state.
	Though, all I've seen were distant glimpse through the window, so I don't have all the details.
	The room Heathcliff enters would sometimes-actually rather frequently-emit wuthering and stormy sounds.
Heathcliff	...Tch.
	Usually, he'd snap back with a "Why should I?" or something like that, but he only clicked his tongue.
	I suppose he doesn't feel like arguing.
	Thanks to that, he stood in a corridor until all the other Sinners (save for Faust) went into their rooms, staring down the passage with a frown. Maybe he was relieving stress this way.
Heathcliff	Oho?
	And that right there is when the incident began.
Heathcliff	...Huh? Oi, what's with all those doors down the aisle?
	Heathcliff pointed in the same exact direction I did a week ago.
	Those doors were beyond the "no trespassing" line blocking the way.
Faust	Heathcliff, I recommend against walking farther into the corridor than necessary.
Heathcliff	Huh. That sure makes it sound awfully suspicious.
Faust	There is nothing which to be suspicious. You are better off listening to Faust.
Heathcliff	What, you keep treasures or something in there?
	Faust's secretive attitude was enough to rouse his curiosity.
Faust	Heathcliff, do not do it. You will regret your action.
Heathcliff	Got well emotional and gobby, en, Ms. Cleverness?
Heathcliff	It's like... you're actually hiding something there!
	He sprinted into the dark before we could stop him.
Faust	...!
Dante	What's in there-
	Just as I was about to ask Faust an obvious thing to be concerned over...
Heathcliff	GAAAAAAARGH?!!
	Heathcliff's sharp scream echoed from the unlit area far into the corridors.
Faust	Dante, now is the time to take my left hand and run with me.
Dante	Wha, huh?
Faust	I won't be able to get him out in time on my own. I may be engulfed myself if I don't act quickly.
	Before I could process what she meant, Faust ran off in the direction Heathcliff disappeared.
Dante	Ah... Shuckaroonies! W-Wait for me!
	As we crossed the line and proceeded deeper into the corridors, we came across a three-way crossroads.
Dante	I think I heard screams coming from the middle...
	However, without a moment's hesitation, Faust darted for the left aisle.
Dante	F-Faust! I know you are in a hurry, but... are you sure this is the right way? I could've sworn I heard his voice coming from the center path...
Faust	I know.
	Without celebrating further, Faust continued running.
	At another fork we encountered, Faust chose the right path.
	Right afterwards, she entered the fifth door on the left side of that hallway.
Dante	What... is this?
	Right as I entered, another hall came into view.
	It's end... was like a cliff.
	To be more precise, I felt some kind of gravitational pull trying to get me to fall to the end of the hallway.
Dante	Heathcliff!
	Then I saw him; he crawled towards us with all his might from the middle of the hall.
	As if he might fall the moment he lets go...
Heathcliff	What... the hell is all this... and this place...!
	Even though I couldn't see much in the dark behind him, I definitely felt some presence in it.
Dante	Faust, what's over-
Faust	Dante, I want you to hold the knob of this open door tightly. Firmly grip my hands as well.
	Holding my hands securely, she gradually approach Heathcliff.
Dante	This hallway... isn't tilted or anything, is it? Why does it feel like we're hanging off a cliff?
Faust	That.. is because we're in a 'corridor', obviously. Dante, do not let go.
	Reminding me to hold fast, Faust extended her other arm while holding her zweihander.
Faust	Heathcliff, grab this if you would.
Heathcliff	Are you mental?! My hand'll get gashed if I try grabbing that giant blade!
Faust	...You'll much prefer deep wounds on your palms to what you can suffer down there.
	Baffled, Heathcliff looked at the sword and then the darkness behind him...
Heathcliff	Bugger... Kgh, gaaahg...!
Faust	Dante, pull him up, Might and main.
Dante	...G-Got it!
Heathcliff	Grrgh, knngh...
Dante	Huff, hoogh...
	Right as we pulled Heathcliff up...
	No, I'm not even sure if it's even right to say we pulled him "up", but nevertheless... Faust hoisted his unconscious body by the legs and started rushing, saying that we need to return the way we came.
	Following her lead, I supported his arms and trailed behind, keeping his head from dragging along the floor.
After burning some time...
Faust	...Phew. Let's us say this is fortunate he wasn't lost in a deeper area.
Faust	Dante, you will have to turn the clock.
Dante	Heathcliff's... gonna be okay, right?
Faust	The psychological damage is likely to be severe. Our work will be encumbered if he loses his mind.
Dante	Sigh...
	I didn't have a choice.
Dante	Good work back there, Dante. While it is unfortunate that we have lost a portion of our limited break to this...
Dante	Faust, just what's in there? Where does it lead?
Dante	Can't you tell me at this point? I've... seen that stuff now.
	It was only natural that I want to know. What resides there, and what was chasing Heathcliff?
	Moreover...
	Why did it never show itself to us, and why did it vanish instead of chasing him any further?
	These questions were driving me crazy, but alas...
Faust	......
Faust	As stated earlier, there are limits to what Faust can elaborate.
	...Yep, I honestly didn't expect much.
Ryōshū	The corridor, you I. F.
	Ryōshū muttered with a cigarette in her mouth, walking past us both. She must've left her room while we were out on our rescue mission.
Faust	However...
	Faust proceeded as if not a soul had just walked by, as if nothing was just said.
Dante	Huh?
Faust	You did prevent a sudden vacancy in the bus department.
Faust	Though I wouldn't exactly call it a reward, I do suppose it isn't a bad time to inform you of one thing.
Dante	Ooh... L-Lemme hear it!
	The unexpected boon had me rubbing my hands together. Right, what will she tell me now...
Faust	Dante, when you traverse a road you have never walked before, what do you do?
Dante	Hmm? I mean... You use a map, obviously?
Faust	That's right. Then, even if you don't have a map, your brain will form images to serve as one.
Faust	From there, on that map... there will be a starting point and a destination clearly marked. When you return from your trip, you will trace back through that way.
	It's so obvious, I don't need to verbally answer. I just nodded along.
Faust	...Hopefully that makes it clear enough.
Dante	Huh?
Faust	This is why you should remember where you've started in the corridor, especially when you open a door.
	Flabbergasted by the abrupt end, I blurted.
Faust	Now then, Faust has grown tired. Do take care...
	She walked through the door before I could say anything, leaving me with a riddle.
Dante	Of course it would go like this...
	I sighed out of frustration, but not a breath of air is expelled from my pitiful clock.
	Still, left powerless...
	All I can do is boot up this electronic notebook and piece together what little information I have collected.

A Midspring Night's Dream

Main Article: A Midspring Night's Dream
This "Mini Episode" was played upon startup on April 1st, 2023, and constitutes part of the April Fool's Day event of the year. It has become unavailable with the closure of the event.

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