The next morning, Theresis and Theresa once again set foot on The City’s soil. This land was not one that stirred nostalgia.
After stepping onto it, as Theresis was still searching for the way forward, Theresa was already walking step by step, without hesitation.
She knew where to go. From the moment she stepped into this land, she knew who they were here to see.
Neither X, nor Heal. They had long since returned to The City, and there would be plenty of opportunities to meet them in the future. This was not the time.
Now, it was time to meet the Head.
The true victor of this war.
“Let’s go…”
Theresa slowly closed her eyes, speaking softly to Theresis. Behind her, Theresis gave a slight nod, and simply followed, step by step.
Half an hour later, the familiar small wooden hut appeared before them. Theresis stared at the modest cabin, its appearance betraying no secrets, and asked:
“Inside here… lives the Head?”
“At least, as far as I know, yes.”
Theresa, saying this, raised her hand and knocked gently, unease rippling faintly in her heart.
Five seconds later, the door opened automatically. Theresa entered without the slightest hesitation.
The Head wished to see her. The meaning could not be clearer.
Theresis followed after, stepping into the cabin—and truthfully, in that instant, he felt a faint disappointment. He had imagined that the one who ruled The City must dwell in a place filled with secrets.
But perhaps the absence of mystery was the more normal state.
He exhaled, following Theresa’s steps, moving into a side room. And when the door opened, there appeared a blue-eyed boy, lounging lazily against [The Well].
Seeing them arrive, the boy straightened, sat cross-legged, arms around his shins, and smiled:
“Ah, so you’ve come. Earlier, I was wondering when you would make it to The City…”
“The spoils of war from Kazdel must not have been small, right?”
Obsidian’s gaze drifted to [The Well] at his side as he asked casually.
“Mhm. Simply being able to move forward again is already a blessing for Kazdel. For that, we must thank you…”
“I only pointed out the path. If you mean what the Wings have done—then that’s nothing more than merchants reacting instinctively, once they smell profit.”
Obsidian waved a hand dismissively, then suddenly looked at them with a smile.
“Speaking of Wings… would you like to witness the birth of a new one?”
“A new… Wing?”
Theresis frowned. His expression was one of puzzlement.
As far as he knew, there was only one Wing—the mighty K Corp. But now…
“Yes. With this war’s end, Lobotomy Corporation has profited greatly.”
Obsidian rose to his feet with an offhanded air.
“They’ve opened new branches, their [Singularity Technology] patents have been approved. Now they’re building a new Backstreets district. Once construction is complete, the title of Wing of the World will be formally granted to Lobotomy Corporation.”
Theresa and Theresis exchanged a look, and both fell silent.
Lobotomy Corporation… had already grown to the level of a Wing?
“Please take us to see it.”
At last, Theresa spoke.
And so, the three walked together toward the new Backstreets—Alley Twelve. The name of L Corp was already known by all within The City.
On the streets of Alley Twelve, lights blazed bright. Though construction was unfinished, people had already begun to move in. The bustling scene seemed wholly unlike a city of such small population.
Walking these streets, on the cusp of hatching into a Wing, both Theresa and Theresis felt a haze of unreality. Especially Theresa. The memory of her interview with Lobotomy Corporation still felt as though it had happened only yesterday.
Yet in such a short time, Kazdel had ended its civil war, achieved true independence. Lobotomy Corporation had ascended to Wing status. And The City, for the first time in war, had bared its fangs…
Since The City’s arrival, it seemed as though everything had changed in the blink of an eye.
But no matter what changed, the victor was always The City. It would always be The City.
Theresis lifted his gaze to the buildings around him, exhaled slowly, and looked at Obsidian. The Head was smiling calmly, his eyes filled with quiet contentment as he gazed upon The City.
Given time, what would The City grow into?
Thinking this, Theresis drew another long breath, then spoke to Obsidian:
“What will happen to Lobotomy Corporation, once it becomes a Wing?”
“You should ask X and Da’at. As for what will happen to The City—that much is clear.”
Obsidian spoke faintly. Theresis said nothing, his silence heavy.
The City… would never stop moving forward. That was already an absolute certainty.
“Head,” Theresis said at last, turning his face forward as they walked. “Sometimes I’m glad. Glad that we and The City are not enemies, but allies.”
Obsidian only shrugged at his words, offering no response.
“Then you’d better pray it stays that way…”
He said this softly, then strode on ahead.
The battles waiting for The City’s future would be far greater than this simple war.
But—victory would inevitably belong to The City. I, as we, as The City itself, would always be the last victor.
Murmuring this to himself, Obsidian raised his eyes to the distance, then waved casually back to the two behind him.
“Head—one more question,” Theresa stepped forward quickly, speaking cautiously.
“What is The City’s next step?”
Obsidian’s steps paused. After a moment, he answered:
“To Kazimierz. Someone is already waiting ahead.”
…
After parting with Theresa and Theresis, Obsidian returned to his little wooden hut, while the two of them hurried back to Kazdel to handle its affairs.
Kazdel was now in a time of rebuilding. There was much to be done.
The Index had already withdrawn most of its members back into The City. Even Suo Bismar himself had returned, to continue developing the Index further. Only a small handful remained in Kazdel, continuing to spread its directives.
So far, those directives had yet to bare their fangs. Perhaps because Kazdel was only just beginning anew, and the Sarkaz had not yet fallen too deeply into despair.
At the same time, Don Quixote said his final farewells to Duq’arael, departing Kazdel. His last words to him were:
“I will use my eyes to watch along the journey—until I find the answer you seek.”
Leaving behind those words, Don Quixote took Nearl and journeyed far toward Kazimierz. Kazdel’s path of change had begun in earnest…
But for The City, change was only just beginning.
On the third day after Theresa and Theresis left, Lobotomy Corporation officially received the title of Wing of the World, becoming The City’s second Wing.
And it was under this banner that Lobotomy Corporation and K Corp formally established their branches.
—
This is a fan translation of 方舟，我成了移动城市，但月计都市 by 仲夏夜. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
Reader discussion
0 Comments
Be the first reader to share a thought about this chapter.