Mini Episodes/Season 3

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A Notable Change

This Mini Episode occurs after the events of Canto V: The Evil Defining, being added and playing on game startup on December 14th, 2023 and showing the release of the Mirror of the Lake.

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Dante’s Room
It’s been a long while since I was able to relax like this, all alone in my room with not a concern in my mind.
Maybe it’s because a heavy burden had been lifted from my heart.
I told the Sinners that we should take a day off or so in our respective rooms. After what happened… we deserved a good rest.
… A big part of that decision was also to relieve Yi Sang of his seasickness at least for a day. (I don’t think the Sinners’ rooms sway with the waves.)
We’re still a ways away from getting out of the Great Lake. I thought it would be a good idea to have a day like this where we could just sit and relax.
Of course, this wasn’t like a real vacation or anything. If anything were to happen, this little time off would be over just like that.
… Like that eardrum-tearing siren of Mephistopheles that always finds the worst time to go off, for example.
	Manager DANTE	<… Oh.>
… Yeah.
I had a feeling that something like this was going to happen.
I’m not even upset at this point.
Location: Cabins of Mephistopheles
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	This siren better be worth getting off our bums for…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	There was naught to do in our respective chambers anyways, Heathcliff! I imagine that the time spent alone in thy room must have been quite dreary, indeed!
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Tsk, I can be a contemplative man from time to time, alright?
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	GASP! For truth?!
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	… Oi, Clockhead. One clock-turnin’ coming right up. This’ll be the last one in a while, so just take one for the team, alright?
	Manager DANTE	<… Aren’t you going to ask Vergilius for permission, too?>
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	… Agh, bollocks.
… I think I’m starting to get a handle on how to manage Heathcliff.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Good news, Heathcliff.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	This volatility alarm seems to be something we can make use of.
	Manager DANTE	<Then…>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Indeed. A notable change has occurred in one of the Mirror Dungeon doors.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Dante, the short downtime you suggested…
	Manager DANTE	<Yeah, I know… I knew something like this was going to happen anyway.>
	Guide Vergilius	……
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… I see. Then, let us investigate the area where the volatility was detected.
There was something odd about the way Faust and Vergilius were looking at me, but…
… I was too busy to worry about the two of them. I had to somehow convince the Sinners, who had their long-awaited proper break taken away from them as soon as it started, to get to work.
Location: Bus’s Backdoor
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Hm. Another locked door has opened… The ‘Keep Out’ tapes have also disappeared.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	The door looks a bit… blueish this time, doesn’t it?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Where did the other doors go…? I don’t think they were blue like this.
The door did look a bit blue this time. Looks like every new Mirror Dungeon door will have a different design.
… And disappear from time to time, I guess…
	Manager DANTE	<I can hear… rolling waves from the other side, I think.>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	According to the information relayed to us via the device, it appears that the official designation for this new area summoned by the Backdoor volatility will be 'Mirror of the Lake'.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… Hm.
Ishmael’s eyebrows twitched.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	This is exactly what happened after we wrapped up Yi Sang’s business…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… It seems too convenient to call it a coincidence, doesn’t it? It’s like these areas are tailor-made for each Sinners. Faust?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… Mephistopheles’ engine is designed to change and adapt every time a Golden Bough is retrieved.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	And the Backdoor is also a product of the engine.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It would not be a reach to theorize that the 'incidents' with each Sinner would affect the engine, which in turn influences the contents of the Backdoor.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	In other words, it’s pretty much a guarantee that with each Golden Bough retrieval, we’ll be getting a new ‘zone’, from now on.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Quite likely, yes.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Okay… Yeah, thanks for the explanation.
Ishmael’s willingness to sharply and boldly question all things suspicious did not change at all, but… (Or maybe she just didn’t like the fact that the word ‘lake’ was even brought up.)
… after the events of the Great Lake, maybe she was starting to take care not to be as blunt and scathing toward her fellow Sinners. Not more than necessary, anyway.
… That’s good. I’m relieved.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Wait. That raises another question.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Do ask.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Are the Golden Boughs not immediately shipped to the headquarters by the After Team as soon as we retrieve them? How can they affect the engines if they’re not here?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… The answer to that question requires a rather lengthy explanation.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	I care not.
	Manager DANTE	<W-wait. Outis. How about we try to wrap this up as quickly as we can?>
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	… Hurk.
	Manager DANTE	<We better get to someplace that’s not constantly swaying. Yi Sang’s really not having a good time out here…>
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	I did not take my medicine… for I assumed that we would be having a brief respite… I beg your forgiveness…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… I’ll hear just the summary, then.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	In summary… once the Golden Bough is retrieved, and when Limbus Company headquarters goes through a certain tuning process…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… Mephistopheles’ Engine and the Golden Bough’s wavelengths will overlap, causing a resonance effect.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… Which is a process that involves resonating with the Golden Bough in your head as well, Manager.
	Manager DANTE	<T-that’s how it works?>
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Does that process not harm the Executive Manager?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	No. As you have witnessed it yourself.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Hm. So once it is retrieved… the Golden Bough continues to affect those it resonated with. I see.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Guys~ Are we done with the boring lectures?
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	E.W.T.L.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	’Enough with the lecture’…
	Manager DANTE	<……>
	Manager DANTE	<Faust, this Dungeon… we have to enter it now, don’t we?>
It felt like I was going back on my promise, after telling everyone that we could relax. I didn’t like this one bit.
But… I think I already knew what Faust was going to say.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Faust suggests that we explore the new zone as soon as we are able.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Mephistopheles is still at a significant distance from the shores, and there are not many activities to do before reaching our next destination. This will be an appropriate exercise for us during this empty period.
	Manager DANTE	<Ugh…>
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Executive Manager. I understand that you may feel uncomfortable going against your earlier orders.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	But consider the fact that this journey will continue on for quite some time. I believe that the resources and the combat experience that can be gained from this new area would be quite considerable.
I nodded affirmatively. The Sinners each began grumbling and aired their woes… but they still prepared to head into the Dungeons once again.
Thus we entered the newly formed door.

The 2nd Walpurgis Night

These 2 Mini Episodes were added on January 11th, 2024 along with the 2nd Walpurgis Night and the The Dawn of Green mini-event and Combat Encounters. The 'The Dawn of Green' story episode is played upon startup, while the 'Ordeal' story episode is played after clearing the Dawn of Green - Doubt Combat Encounter. The story episodes take place after the events of Intervallo III: Miracle in District 20.

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Cabins of Mephistopheles
	Manager DANTE	<This is…>
Green lights blinding our eyes and loud alarms rupturing our eardrums. I’ve gotten used to it by now.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Aough!
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Ah… I have been wrested from my refuge of sleep once again…
Thanks to the alarm, the Sinners begin waking up one by one from their naps.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Walpurgis Night has descended once again.
Even amidst that chaos, Faust remained as calm as ever. She walked up to the helm and shut off the alarm.
	Manager DANTE	<Already…? I thought it was supposed to be a really rare occurrence.>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes, it is a rare occurrence. But its frequency is not something we can reliably predict.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Oww… Guess going back to sleep’s out of the question now. So there’s a chance that it goes off next week, too?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	The possibility is there, yes. Yet I don’t believe that it would happen so soon; it takes some time for Mephistopheles’ engine to resonate.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Ah…
Faust, who was busily interfacing with the device while answering Rodya’s question, came to a sudden stop.
	Manager DANTE	<… What’s up? Is there something wrong?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… No, everything is under control. This is within the predictable range of variables for one such volatility.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	I merely paused to contemplate how I should explain this to you and the rest of the Sinners, Dante. Considering that this will be a new environment for all of you, that is.
New environment…?
I looked at her curiously… but I did not voice my concerns.
She was already walking toward the Backdoor. Faust was not going to answer my question anyway.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case… a first-hand experience.
	Manager DANTE	<Yep, knew it…>
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Ooh! Thus, our humdrum daily lives are spruced up once again!
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	You know, it wasn’t that long ago that you were scurrying all over the cabin and placing weird decorations everywhere. Don’t tell me you’re already tired of it…?
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Forsooth, I believe that we’ve had more than enough celebration for that occasion!
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Dante, please lead the way.
The bored Sinners seemed to find this new possibility of an adventure somewhat exciting. They slowly got up from their seats with enthusiasm.
… We again made our way to the Backdoor.
Location: Bus’s Backdoor
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Dante, the door on which this volatility occurred is in the direction of the dungeons.
	Manager DANTE	<Oh, so we gotta head toward my room…>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes. Please open the door.
She did say something about the corridor changing depending on who opened the door…
I walked across the corridor, trying to recall what Faust once told me.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Nice, we’re not going into the restricted zone this time.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Unlike the other time we had to, while off-duty, jump to the rescue of some dumbasses who decided to saunter in there despite the repeated warnings…
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Argh… I won’t do it again, all right?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	You’ve gone against the warning twice already. You are far from the most trustworthy Sinner among us.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Heh, agreed.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Haaaah…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	I have done it only once, in case thou wren’t aware…
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Shut it, you!
I’m starting to enjoy this raucousness among the Sinners.
Hoping that this camaraderie would last for a long, long time, I turned the handle and opened the door.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Oho…?
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	That… door…
Right, the door had transformed…
… into an oddly familiar shape.
	Manager DANTE	<This looks like one of those doors we saw back at one of the… Lobotomy Corp. branches.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	It is identical.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	It appears that different shapes are overlapping over the door, but all of them are of the same design.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Correct. The overlapping shapes are more clear evidence that Walpurgis Night has returned.
	Manager DANTE	<… Opening now.>
The door creaks open, and another corridor appears before us.
Location: L Corp. Branch?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	So this is another Lobotomy Corp. branch, innit?
The longer I look at it, the more familiar it becomes. This place definitely looks a lot like those Lobotomy Corp. branches we’ve been to.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oi, smartarse. If we could just pop open a door leading straight into one of ‘em branches, why are we doing any of this tour bus business? Ain’t we wasting time and effort out here?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… There are numerous inaccuracies in your statement that must be corrected. I will tackle them in reverse order of your presentation.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	First. Walpurgis Night is an unpredictable event that not even I could predict.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	To base our entire operation on such an unstable element would be a plan most foolish.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Tsk… I suppose that’s true.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Heath, let’s try to think a little before we speak, ‘kay~?
Heathcliff scowled at Rodya’s remark, but soon grew dejected once he noticed that the other Sinners were nodding in agreement.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Hm. Well. I won’t completely deny the possibility of pursuing that method.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	However, I must clarify that this is not a real Lobotomy Corp. branch of the City. Merely a result of Walpurgis Night’s mutation of the corridor.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Therefore, I can say with quite the certainty that this does not align with our current mission, which is to retrieve the Golden Boughs from the branches existing in our current reality.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Right, right… Will you stop it with your lecture when I apologize for speaking without thinking?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	As I have said previously, I won’t completely deny the possibility of pursuing that method. Besides…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	There are more inaccuracies to be addressed.
	Manager DANTE	<… More?>
I didn’t think there was anything more for her to correct. But Faust clearly seemed to think that there was another critical error in Heathcliff’s statement.
And without even flinching, and wearing that serious expression, she looked into the distance.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	This is not one of the Lobotomy Corp. branches.
Faust muttered.
	Manager DANTE	<Not… one of them? So this isn’t a Lobotomy Corp. facility?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	This is not a branch. We are at a Lobotomy Corp. Headquarters of the past—its point in time and the branch of possibility uncertain.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	…!
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	So this is…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	The broken Wing…!
L Corp. HQ Control Team Hallway
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Indeed. We find ourselves at a 'Control Team' hallway of the former L Corp. Headquarters.
I can sense the rising apprehension among the Sinners.
So this is where it happened. I don’t remember it since it happened before my amnesia… but everyone in the City knows about that incident.
The source of the blinding light that enveloped the City for days, which then sunk everyone into utter darkness for the next.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	……
But Faust appears unaffected by the general air of anxiety of those around her. Instead, she continues to look off into the distance, away from the Sinners.
Maybe it’s because she doesn’t care… or maybe what she already knows doesn’t faze her.
	Manager DANTE	<… Are you waiting for something, Faust?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	I am. There is more to this volatility than the volatility phenomena we have experienced in the past.
	Manager DANTE	Soon, it will…
Before Faust finished, the lights of the corridor suddenly switched colors.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It has begun.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	W-what treachery is this? Is this… is this what they call 'Site Burial'…?!
	Sinner #2 FAUST	A different siren would play if an event of a magnitude requiring that level of response had occurred.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	T-then what the hell is this…? I’m really not liking the look of that red light…!
	Sinner #2 FAUST	They’re here. Ahead.
I followed the tip of Faust’s finger, which pointed toward the same direction she’d been looking at this entire time.
Steam of unknown origin began to coalesce there…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	… Is that a machine…?
… and a bizarre machine of sorts appeared there.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	This is an Ordeal. Color: Green. Time: Dawn.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… All units!
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Don’t need ya to spell it out for us! That menacing pile of scrap’s coming this way…!
Everyone seemed to know that something like this was going to happen. They prepared for battle, warily eyeing the mysterious machine.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	That an Abnormality, too…?
	Manager DANTE	<No, wait… It feels more like a… peccatulum?>
I instinctively blurted out the immediate sense they gave off, and looked to Faust. She’ll know what to say.
Instead of giving me an answer, however, Faust brandished her Zweihander and stepped forward.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… We must first suppress the entities. Dante, prepare the Identity Cards.

Speaker		Dialogue
L Corp. HQ Control Team Hallway
Eventually, we managed to reduce the machines to a pile of scrap metal.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	… Whew. Frau Faust, there’s gotta be a reason we decided to stand our ground and fight instead of shutting the door on ‘em, right?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes. We stand to gain more reward by defeating them than by fleeing.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	… Reward?
Gregor repeated, clearly expecting her to elaborate. But Faust ignored his gesture and instead began to observe the walls and items around her.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	… What were the nature of these… entities?
Yi Sang stood next to Faust be began to muse alongside her.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	They are entities that used to appear in Lobotomy Corp. Headquarters. Entities… similar to yet different from the Abnormalities. Lobotomy Corp. Headquarters used to call them 'Ordeals'.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	'Ordeals'. I see. Then was this corridor, which is evidently not a containment unit, also utilized to contain certain entities as well?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	These monsters have a tendency to spontaneously appear during certain periods.
	Manager DANTE	<Monsters? Like… monsters of the Outskirts?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	I suppose that is one way of looking at it… However, that comparison may grow increasingly inaccurate as we delve further into the technicalities. All I can share with you is that you will eventually come to know more of it, Dante.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Like the Nocturnal March of a Hundred Demons. Heh, I like it.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Oh, Dante. There is something I must inform you.
	Manager DANTE	<Yeah?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	There is a high chance of these 'Ordeals' or encounters of similar intensity appearing from these volatilities.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	I recommend challenging every occurrence of these encounters.
	Manager DANTE	<… So she says, guys.>
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Haah… I really don’t like this lighting…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Aha! I welcome thy preposition! ’Tis two birds with one stone, indeed; we may find entertainment as we train ourselves to be better!
Except for Faust and Yi Sang, who were quietly exchanging their observations, each Sinner began rowdily sharing their impressions.
Well… I guess that’s a more reasonable preposition than 'let’s just doze off in the bus until we find land'.
Hopefully Faust or Yi Sang will one day find the time to explain their findings to me…
Right, we had to get moving. I approached the Sinners to get us going.

Back to the Bus.

This Mini Episode was added on February 1st, 2024 along with Line 3: MirrorClock OrangeRoad, playing upon game startup. Its events take place after that of the 2nd Walpurgis Night.

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Cabins of Mephistopheles
	Bus Driver Charon	Warning, warning. Land ahoy.
Charon, who had been quietly holding the helm for a while, suddenly spoke up. As if on cue, everyone in the cabin simultaneously jumped up from their seats. The crew's joy at the end of this long journey was palpable.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Finally! Is it over?
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	My eyes well with tears of relief...
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Haah... If they ever let us go on a vacation, remind me to preclude any seafaring options. I think I've had enough of the Great Lake for one lifetime...
Some Sinners began to visibly relax with the realization that the long Lake voyage had finally come to an end. Others rushed to the windows as if they were expecting anything to have changed while we were away from the shores.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	You guys are being so overdramatic. Back in my sailor days, setting sail in the Great Lake meant that you'd have to spend—
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	—at least three years at the treacherous sea, out of any landsmen's sight. Right. I think I've heard that exact sentence a few dozen times by now. So...
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	... Agreed. You have made your point, Ishmael. I found it difficult to tolerate when you began sharing that story for the fourth time.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Khm... Y-you guys were the ones who complained that no one had any fun stories to tell.
Just as we were exchanging a few meaningless jabs at each other...
BOOM!
... Mephistopheles suddenly jerked violently as though something had exploded.
Of course, we were all promptly thrown about the busboat like ragdolls.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Augh...
	Manager DANTE	<I-is everyone okay?!>
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oww... Can this bloody bus come to a smooth stop for once...?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Wait, bus?
Heathcliff was right. I took a quick look around...
... and realized that the cabins had transformed back to the shape of the bus we'd grown so used to.
	Bus Driver Charon	Charon hit the transform button. Click clack.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Charon... can you give us a warning for once? At least a turn signal or something? Please!
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Yeah, Charon. Please...
	Bus Driver Charon	Busboat don't have turn signals. Too bad, Bug Guy.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Haaaaah...
	Manager DANTE	<I thought there was going to be some complicated procedure to transform it back to a bus... I guess it just happens with the click of a button, huh.>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I thought we'd have to stop by a workshop or a boatworks office again...
	Sinner #2 FAUST	One of many functions of Mephistopheles is that it can remember every form or property it once possessed.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Therefore, it follows that once it takes a certain form, it can revert to it or any of its previous forms at any time.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I-I see...
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Anyways~ We're finally back on land! Aren't you glad, Heathcliff? You've been so looking forward to this!
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Huh? OH! Ohh...
Heathcliff's face lit up for a brief second before a vortex of complicated feelings overcame him.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Then... Oi, vroom-vroom lass. Are we at... T Corp.?
Heathcliff was talking to Charon, but she did not reply. Maybe it was because he didn't call her by her name—or maybe it was that she didn't really know where she was either. She always drives wherever her whims take her, after all.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	This monochromatic, grey hue is reminiscent of that place, indeed. Yet... there is a disparity.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Hm... Yeah? I suppose it was a different monochromatic hue than whatever this is.
T Corp... District 20... I've never been there myself, but I've tangentially experienced it via Yi Sang's Fathoms of Ego.
Yeah... that place was supposed to take our colors away, wasn't it?
	Guide Vergilius	Have some patience, Heathcliff. We are still in the Backstreets.
	Guide Vergilius	We are getting quite close to the place you know so well... aren't we?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	......
	Manager DANTE	<Vergilius, you had no reason to provoke him like that...>
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Is there a reason we're going through the Backstreets instead of heading straight to the Nest?
	Manager DANTE	<Huh, you're right. Why are we going through the Backstreets anyway?>
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	I am curious as well. The Backstreets roads are rife with danger and winding, roundabout paths. This carries an unnecessary risk, does it not?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	I would also like to highlight that the immigration process is significantly more lenient when one is migrating from a Nest to a Nest than it is when migrating from the Backstreets to a Nest territory.
Ishmael's question to Vergilius had opened a whole new floodgate of questions from other Sinners.
	Guide Vergilius	Hm... Looks like you have all grown rather chatty since we first met.
	Guide Vergilius	You must know that it won't change how I choose to answer your questions. Ask me all you want, but I will not spare the time to give you a comprehensible explanation for your convenience.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	What's wrong with asking for some explanations if we're being led through a questionable path?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Is it your job as our guide to tell us where to go, isn't it?
	Guide Vergilius	... Hm.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Don't tell me that we haven't been authorized to enter T Corp.'s Nest yet? And here I thought Limbus Company was a proper business.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Sure, it's relatively new. But I thought we had a rather 'substantial backing'?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	We can receive proper authorization to enter most Nests should we request it.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Then why—
	Guide Vergilius	It's the company's will.
Vergilius silenced the entire hubbub on the bus with a short but low growl.
	Guide Vergilius	My job as your guide is to plan a path toward the destination as requested by the company.
	Guide Vergilius	Selecting this path was also a part of accommodating that request. So... please, know your place and shut your mouth.
Perhaps the commotion was getting to him. I could tell that Vergilius was rubbing his ear out of frustration.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Well, if that's the case...
While doubt was still apparent on Ishmael's face, she nodded affirmatively. She was acknowledging that there was little we could do about the orders from the company itself.
	Manager DANTE	<...! Alarms...?>
	Sinner #9 RODION	... Huh. That alarm again... Is someone listening in on us or something? That was one conveniently timed alarm, don'tcha think?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	That is unlikely.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Dante.
Like always, Faust looked into the bus' terminal before giving me a look that I've come to recognize.
	Manager DANTE	<Yep... another volatility to take care of, huh?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes, it is.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Another one? Didn't we JUST wrap up a Backdoor volatility?
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Oh... I think I know what this is.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	First were the Mirror Dungeons and the Luxcavation Dungeons.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	So it's gotta be...
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Faust considers Herr Gregor's growing aptitude for deductions to be a positive development.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Haah... it's the Refraction Railway, isn't it?
The bus soon fills with the Sinners' exasperated sighs.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Sod it... it's that bloody subway tracks again.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Aww... Railways really wear me out every time we enter.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Well, since the last one was called 'Line 2'... Is this going to be 'Line 3'?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	That is likely, yes. Though we cannot say for certain before observing it for ourselves.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Dante.
	Manager DANTE	<I know, I know...>
Going through the Refraction Railways takes a lot out of me, too.
So far, each Refraction Railway has had new and different patterns, and enemies we faced in there were all much more powerful than any other enemies we'd faced before.
... But...
... it's also true that I see a noticeable improvement in most Sinners' combat prowess once we've had a run through the Railway.
Not to mention the copious amount of rewards.
I don't remember exactly when it was, but Faust once took the time to explain the Railways' Abnormalities to me.
That the Abnormalities we battle in the Railways are probably not the same ones that exist in the world that we live in.
So... it's not like we'll be able to capture them and bring them back, but they're perfect for practice just in case we run into their real versions.
Well, whichever is the case... going through the Railway will be a net positive for us.
So...
	Manager DANTE	<Let's get going, then.>
I took a quick glance at the Sinners...
... then opened the door to the Backdoor.

Risk Levels & Classifications

This Mini Episode was added on March 14th, 2024 along with the release of the third portion of Dante's Notes, playing upon game startup. It takes place after the events of Intervallo III: Yield My Flesh to Claim Their Bones.

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
	Sinner #9 RODION	I guess the traffic sucks no matter which Nest we go to…
We've been traveling at a snail's pace through the extreme congestion of the Nest for several days now. Rodya, clearly affected by this boredom, sighed and muttered.
We've been through similar long periods of inactivity before, but boredom isn't something one could easily get used to. I suppose it became a part of my job to listen to the Sinners complain about the slow pace of our travel.
	Manager DANTE	<How much longer until the T Corp. immigration checkpoint?>
My only option is to give them a reminder of how far we are from our destination.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Considering that we will be on standby for approximately a day at our next stop, and taking into account various other stops we will be making en route… our estimated time of arrival is in three days.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Aww…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	It's not like we're traveling very far, but with this awful traffic… it feels way further than it really is.
Gregor's right… it didn't seem like the City was *that* big.
Maybe there's something to these inevitable, overly long travel times. Something I'm yet to understand.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	I guess driving around in a large bus through the narrow Backstreets is what's taking us such a long time.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	I believe that it would have been faster to march on foot.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Yet what of our room and board?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Are you unaware that camping out in the open is a natural part of any long march?
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	… Hey, officer Outis. Not everyone's been a soldier here.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	A-and! If we're unlucky, we might even run into those terrifying Sw-Sweepers… before the break of dawn…
Even a partial mention their name drains all color from Sinclair's face… I remember what the Sinners once told me about them.
That, before the break of dawn, there are these things called 'Sweepers' that sweeps up every 'trash' in the Backstreets.
It's kinda terrifying how broad their definition of 'trash' can be. They call that hour 'the Night in the Backstreets'… or something like that.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	This bus is one of the few vehicles recognized by the city as a residential vehicle, which means that we remain safe from the hands of Sweepers.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Attempting to sleep outside the bus in the Backstreets would not permit a restful sleep. Instead, one would be forced to survive the onslaught of Sweepers for an hour in the early hours of dawn.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Makes sense. Those Sweepers do steer clear of the residential areas, after all~
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	A slow yet safe travel by vehicle... or a fast yet high-risk march on foot... this is quite the strategic dilemma.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	I do not believe that the latter option is up for consideration of any fellow…
The bus is once again consumed by commotion…
	Guide Vergilius	Haah.
And into that commotion barged in the creak of an opening door and a familiar sigh.
	Guide Vergilius	I understand that you all must be quite impatient. But we are precisely on schedule, so save your breaths and stop complaining.
	Guide Vergilius	By the looks on your faces, I would've been worrying about a mutiny if I didn't know better.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Those papers in your hand… new orders from the higher-ups?
Vergilius was holding what appeared to be a bundle of freshly-printed paper.
This wasn't the first time something like this happened. Sometimes, after communicating in his room with the higher-ups of the company, he'd bring out few sheets of paper to bring us up to speed.
	Guide Vergilius	Yes. A new update.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Don't tell me we're going on another detour.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	I'll say that I'm quite done cleaning up these Distorted messes. Look, we have to get to—
	Guide Vergilius	Stop whining like a petulant child.
	Guide Vergilius	… There won't be more detours until we reach our current destination.
Vergilius furrowed his brows, walked up to the front of the bus, and leaned against one of the first-row chairs. He began leisurely shuffling through the documents.
	Guide Vergilius	This is just an announcement. It says here that there will be changes to how your records of Abnormalities, Distortions, and Peccatula are categorized.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Huh…? Wait, so we gotta do a bunch of paperwork?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	No. Once completed, your Observation Logs are all digitized and shared with the upper echelons of the company.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Of course, if the Observation Logs themselves need to be edited, there may be orders to make direct adjustments by hand. … However, the categorization for each entity will be updated automatically. They are merely informing the Sinners of the upcoming changes.
	Guide Vergilius	… It is nice to have someone else do the explaining for once. She is right.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	I presume that this has aught to do with the new types of Peccatula that we have encountered afore.
	Guide Vergilius	Yes, but that isn't all.
Vergilius closed his eyes wearily and lightly folded the papers in his hands. He called out to the two Sinners.
	Guide Vergilius	Yi Sang. Ishmael.
He was pointing at Ishmael and Yi Sang.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… Yeah?
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	You have called upon my name?
	Guide Vergilius	I'll leave it to you two model students to explain the contents of these documents.
	Guide Vergilius	I don't feel like… I'm up to the task of explaining what's on this paper to all of you. Haah.
With that, Vergilius pretty much shoved the paper in Ishmael's hands before taking a seat in the front row of the bus.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Did he just dump his responsibility onto us?
Ishmael didn't seem too happy about this sudden turn of events. Still, she opened the documents and began reading.
	Sinner #9 RODION	I can never tell if he actually doesn't care about us or if he just naturally comes off as a cold person… sigh. So what does the thing say, Ishy?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Gimme a sec. So—
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Does it say anything new about the Abnormalities?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… Looks like these documents are from the LCD. The Sender address says—
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Ooh!! LCD is the department that contacted Manager Esquire, is it not?
Ezra… was it? I still vividly remember her chaotic, bubbly voice coming through the radio.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	The former L Corp—
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	B.A.H.
The bus begins to fill with the familiar hectic buzz once again.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Well, if you would allow me to—
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	… Miss Ishmael?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	…….
Yi Sang chimed in to help with Ishmael's explanations of the documents, but…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	This is… exactly why… I'm the only one who ever reads the guides…
… I can see veins starting to pop in Ishmael's fingers. At this rate, she's going to drop the documents in favor of her mace…
	Manager DANTE	<W-wait, Ishmael! I got this, calm down!>
I hurried over to Ishmael and practically hung onto the documents in her hands.
… We nearly tore the bundle of documents in half, but she quickly gave up and loosened her grip.
	Manager DANTE	<Ryōshū, Outis? Please keep Don Quixote and Heathcliff quiet while I take care of this.>
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Oh yes. This'll be fun.
	Manager DANTE	<… Without killing them or beating them up, please.>
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	… B.A.H.
Ryōshū slowly lowered Don Quixote's lance she'd picked up.
	Manager DANTE	<Alright, then. If you have any questions while Ishmael reads from the document, raise your hands to be recognized. Yi Sang, Faust, you guys don't need to raise your hands to speak, so please chime in if there are any details you can elaborate on.>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Understood.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Very well.
	Manager DANTE	<Rodya, if anyone tries to speak out of turn, please smack them lightly in the head. If you do good, I'll make sure to order you extra desserts during our team dinner.>
	Sinner #9 RODION	*Whistle* You sure know how to motivate people, Dante!
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	What… what an impressive growth of leadership capabilities, Executive Manager…!
	Sinner #9 RODION	Alrighty then! First bonk goes to~
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Wait, wait! This wasn't—
A few minutes later…
After a quick commotion, I found the situation settled enough to return the documents to Ishmael's hands.
	Manager DANTE	<Then… I'll leave it to you.>
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Ahm, hm. So the former L Corp., also known as the Lobotomy Corporation, used to contain and manage the Abnormalities that we've faced in their branches.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Even taking into account that their strengths were suppressed by the Golden Boughs, there was a pretty significant difference between their Risk Level categorizations and the actual risk involved in facing them.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Other employees and the higher-ups of Limbus Company also apparently felt that something was familiar yet off. And that's why they investigated this issue through the LCD department.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	So far, there have been five categories of Risk Levels—
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Five? Aren't there only four of 'em?
Bonk!
Rodya punched Heathcliff in the crown of his head, and… he promptly slumped to the ground, out cold. Maybe it was the suddenness of the attack that did it…?
	Manager DANTE	<… Y-you didn't kill him, did you?>
	Sinner #9 RODION	Nah, he'll be fiiine. It's Heath! It's not like I smacked him that hard.
Sinclair quietly raised his hand.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	All right, you can go ahead.
Ishmael nodded at Sinclair.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	W-well, I thought there were only four Risk Levels… ZAYIN, TETH, HE, and WAW… just like Heathcliff said.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	They're the only ones we've seen so far, yeah.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	But according to these documents… the highest Risk Level category is labeled ALEPH.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Like I said earlier, there's a pretty significant disparity between their categorization standards and our experience with them in the field.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Which is why they're apparently planning to make overhauls to those standards. By Limbus Company's standards.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	…….
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Go ahead, Meursault.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	I must inquire what exactly this 'overhaul' entails. Does this mean that the Abnormalities will be re-categorized within the preexisting framework of categorization? Or will additional Risk Level categories be created?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	It… doesn't elaborate that far. But it says here that Lobotomy Corporation used each Abnormality's enkephalin production capability to categorize them into different Risk Levels.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Abnormalities with more complicated, difficult management conditions apparently produced more enkephalin. I guess the more complicated an Abnormality is, the harder they are to fight… that does line up with our own experiences. Sort of.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	But it can hardly be said that it was flawless. Looks to me that they're trying to make these Risk Levels better reflect our own field experiences, which doesn't rule out the possibility of them adding more tiers to the preexisting ones.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Mm, for we conduct not management but combat against these foes, it is sensible that the standards for Risk Levels be adjusted in accordance to—hup?!
	Manager DANTE	<R-Rodya, wait! Yi Sang can speak without raising his hand!>
	Sinner #9 RODION	Ohh~ Right! My bad~
I managed to stop Rodya just before her fist connected with Yi Sang's crown. It was almost as if she was moving based on pure instinct…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Ahem. So… that's why they're overhauling the Risk Levels based on the actual risk each Abnormality poses in battle. So we'd do well to be wary of the possible changes to the Risk Levels written in the Observation Logs. … Oh, and they'll let us know again once the precise details are decided. The next section is about Distortions, which…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	…!
Don Quixote raised her hand.
… But Ishmael continued to explain without coming to a stop. She probably just ignored her.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	So far, we've been using the same subject classification codes as Abnormalities for Distortions. But it's gotten pretty clear that there is a big difference between them, enough to give these two groups distinct classification codes. That difference being…
Hong Lu raised his hand, and Ishmael nodded.
Don Quixote appeared a bit… crestfallen.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	The difference is that, when defeated, Abnormalities transform into their egg-like forms, but Distortions don't. Am I right?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Correct. Distortions can be completely subdued simply by defeating them in battle, but any method of fully slaying an Abnormality is yet to be discovered, even in theory.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… So she says. Well, we've all had first-hand experience against them, so it shouldn't be too hard to understand.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Whew, here comes the last subject.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	This one's about the Peccatula… They're going to give them a classification code scheme different from the Abnormalities as well, including the new type of Peccatula we recently encountered.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Let's see… Classification basis… Abnormalities and Distortions both have elements of uniqueness that is missing in each individual Peccatula; considering this, it has been deemed… Okay, I don't really get what this is talking about.
Faust walked up next to Ishmael and began to explain.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Uniqueness, in this context, refers to the fact that no same entity exhibits the same location.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It would be helpful to recall that our encounters with the Peccatula have always been against multiple duplicates of the same category of Peccatulum.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	However, no such encounters have been made against Distortions and Abnormalities. Hopefully, this has been a sufficient explanation for all.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Right, so simply put… we can just toss them Peccatula all into the same bin, but each and every one of them Abnormalities and Distortions is special and unique, eh? They could've explained it much easier if they just—
Bonk!
Heathcliff seemed to have woken up from his coma, but…
	Sinner #9 RODION	I'll be looking forward to that extra dessert… fuhu.
… his moment of lucidity barely lasted a moment.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	And that's all there is to it. Phew… this is pretty great, huh? It's refreshing, doing something like this once in a while.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	…!
Don Quixote has not lowered her hand since Ishmael ignored her the first time, not even for a brief moment.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… Fine. Ask away.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Dost thou! Know the name! Of the LCD employee who hath composed that report?!!!
Ishmael seemed a bit taken aback that Don Quixote actually managed to ask a rather sensible question. Even though it was asked with that very same enthusiasm she has when talking about Fixers, that is.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Oh, sure… Give me a sec…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Sender… LCD On-site Investigative Reasoning Team Leader, Moses.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Well, we might as well keep that name in mind since we'll probably run into them sooner or later. I'm sorry for ignoring you, Don Quixote.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Hmmmmm…
Though Don Quixote was finally given the answer she so passionately craved, she did not appear happy or excited about it. Instead, she seemed to be absorbed in deep thought.
	Manager DANTE	<Something wrong, Don Quixote?>
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	I… recall hearing that name in the past. Yet I cannot quite recall as to who that name may have belonged to…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Okay, now we're actually done.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Darn~ Thought I'd be able to collect a bit more dessert.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	This was more time consuming than it was initially expected. Dante, now…
Oh, right. It's about time.
	Manager DANTE	<Alright, then. I hereby confirm today’s close of business for the Sinners.>
This could've dragged on for much longer… But the Sinners were thankfully pretty cooperative, so we managed to finish our day early.
I followed the Sinners to the Backdoor of the bus, my heart a little lighter than it was at the start of the day.
… Huh.
I feel like I'm forgetting something.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	…….
It took me about 30 minutes to realize that we left Heathcliff out cold on the bus floor.

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