Story: Ace and Elle wake up in a woodshed, hearing from a guard about the public's pent-up grievances against the policy. Facing this crisis, the sisters are not going to sit idly by.
Dialogue[]
- (Ace and Elle wake up on a messy straw mat and look around. They seem to be in a dilapidated woodshed.)
- (Luckily, a thread of light emerges from the wall vent, but there is no way to get out of such a small vent.)
- (There seems to be the sound of impatient footsteps outside the door. Ace gets up and knocks at the door hard.)
- Ace: Hello? Is anybody out there?
- Gatekeeper: Shut up! Be quiet.
- Elle: Who are you? Do you know the consequences of kidnapping the Queen and princess?
- Gatekeeper: Consequence? Anyway, we can't even make it through, and that won't make it any worse.
- Elle: Don't try to make excuses for your crimes. Pigeon Kingdom is prosperous. If you work hard, you will get the reward you deserve.
- Gatekeeper: Reward? You high nobles never know what kind of horrible life we are living for that little reward.
- Gatekeeper: Taxes has taken away most of our income. We work around the clock to earn more money to scrape along.
- Elle: Taxation is for the development of the country. In this cutthroat world, don't you want your country to be stronger?
- Gatekeeper: Humph, civilians are the first to die of hunger in a poor country and the people to suffer in a strong one.
- Gatekeeper: Why do I care about Pigeon Kingdom? The only Lord Acheson who cared for us was locked up by you, but you're still talking to me about prosperity? Haha, we don't care at all!
- Ace: But have you ever thought that the Queen's disappearance will cause turmoil in a country? Who gives you the right to make decisions for those who fight for a better life?
- (The gatekeeper doesn't reply any more, and seems disinclined to continue the meaningless quarrel with them.)
- (Elle looks at the door silently, as if it is a distorted mirror. The reflection looks familiar and strange. The answer seems to exist in her mind, but she still can't capture it.)
- (Elle almost slumps, and Ace hurriedly steps up to support her.)
- Ace: Sister?
- Elle: I'm alright.
- Ace: I think they were just carried away by what happened to Acheson.
- Elle: But they have kidnapped us, the Queen and Princess of Pigeon Kingdom.
- Ace: Isn't it more dangerous to keep us in the woodshed? It means they haven't decided what to do after the kidnap.
- (Elle helps Ace dust her down. Then they sit down on the clean side of the straw mat to save strength.)
- Elle: I know what you mean. The warrant for arresting Acheson explains a lot. There must be someone manipulating the whole incident.
- Ace: He wanna incite people to riot, and then blame the whole thing on the people so that he can take advantage of that!
- Elle: So we are still in danger now.
- Ace: Yes, we can't sit this one out. And we shall never let him get his way. I'm gonna find out if there is anything we can use.