Memory of Chaos: Zero

Memory of Chaos: Zero was a character scenario released in Mass for the Dead, featuring the character Zero.

Episode 1: Clean Up
Zero, the leader of Six Arms, is walking in the silent streets of Re-Estize escorted by his subordinate Malmvist. Malmvist comments that the night to be peaceful, only to be told by Zero to keep quiet, making the former see that latter is upset due to the current state of affairs. When they arrive at the meeting place, Zero tells Malmvist to come with him rather than wait outside as there will probably be a lot of empty seats.

Sure enough, the only one person in meeting area for the Executives of Eight Fingers is just Cocco Doll, the head of the slave trade department. The Executive is surprised that Zero came to the meeting as he felt he would be the only one to come alone to the meeting. Likewise, Cocco Doll's presence is surprising to Zero considering the slaver department was the first to be dissolved among them, but is glad to see a fellow loyal Executive still sticking around. The head of Six Arms cannot say the same for the rest of the Executives and even the Chairman who are absent despite their being a policy that attendance is mandatory. Both make light on their organization's situation, as Eight Fingers having once been a powerful criminal organization within the Re-Estize Kingdom was now on the brink of collapse, ever since the strange Crack phenomena appeared bringing forth new monsters like Chaos Beasts and Contaminated Beasts that now ravage the lands. With an unprecedented disaster now affecting the world and the need for reconstruction projects to rebuild homes, fields, roads, and to protect refugees who have lost food and shelter, the criminal syndicate was cut off from their aristocratic backers, among being the Six Great Nobles, who supplied them with a steady flow of funds for their operations as they began to focus on shoring up their nation's stability.

The last two remaining Executives share their stories of how they remain free from the law. Cocco Doll comments that he had to bribe his way out from being arrested by annulling a debt to one of his former allies, which Zero relates as he had to do the same by offering high quality iron products to avoid being in shackles. The criminals' noble associates even turned on them, leading the two to suspect that their compatriots have either been arrested, retired or were force to run away from the authorities. Some like Hilma Cygnaeus seemed to have reformed and sold out a few of them. Now that there is only two of them left, Cocco Doll states that this will be the last meeting for Eight Fingers which will be officially disbanded. Zero gruffly agrees but maintains that neither will expose the other on their past. Cocco Doll promises as he plans to work at a brothel to put his past behind. The former head of the slave trade departs from the meeting, hoping never to see Zero and wishing him the best of luck. Malmvist who was watching the discussion asks his boss what will they do now. Zero states that its regrettable that the organization is gone, but thinks the organization was holding him back. He promises his subordinate that he is not like the others who gave up, swearing he will be the one on top.

Episode 2: Invitation
A day later after Eight Fingers disbanded, Zero is at a crowded bar with Succulent and Malmvist. Malmvist comments that they stand out in this place with normal people. Zero tells them to act like normal citizens, but in Succulent's opinion he feels they appear more as adventurers. Malmvist complains about the food being terrible unlike how it was in the old days, as the amount of goods coming into the Kingdom is decreasing leading to a rise in prices.

The men are soon joined by their former compatriot, Hilma Cygnaeus, the former head of the drug trade of Eight Fingers. The woman is glad to see Zero, but the same cannot be said about Zero, as he calls her a traitor. Hilma tells him off and asks him to wait until he hears what she has to say not as an Executive of the Eight Fingers, as she refuses to cling to her past and only view as a friend. Taking a seat, Hilma states that she heard rumors that Zero was building up his own connections for his own organization. Hence, why he is at a bar trying to relax. Hilma asks Zero if he happened to hear about what is going on in E-Rantel. Succulent knows about it and that it's just some city in the south near the Great Forest of Tob, which borders the Empire and the Theocracy. Hilma informs the group that a great number of refugees have started gathering there due to the appearances of Chaos Beasts and Contaminated Beasts. Malmvist asks how her news relates to them, which Hilma gets to next, as the city of E-Rantel was more damaged compared to the Royal Capital so there is a demand for people like herself with her knowledge of drugs. Right now, she is using her talents to produce medicine as a researcher at the Pharmacist's Guild of E-Rantel. Though she is a member of a guild, Hilma claims her career hasn't worked out for the better as her background is a stigma. Most members in Eight Fingers lost their value when their organization fell, but a few like Zero and his comrades have talents that is always in high demand. The city of E-Rantel city has urgent appointment that they want to keep secret and resolved as soon as possible. They need strong fighters and that is the reason why Hilma came to invite Zero and his comrades. The guilds of the city are now cooperating more openly with the officials so it is now easier for newcomers like her to interact with them. The city is seeking warriors, and that is a specialty Zero and his Six Arms could provide as they are all considered to be closely comparable to adamantite ranked adventurers.

Right now, adventurers and even the Kingdom soldiers are gathering at the city, fighting alongside the famed Gazef Stronoff against the encroaching monsters. She recommends that they apply to join the Adventurer's Guild. Though their past will be no doubt be under scrutiny by the officials like she was, there is a good chance that they will be registered as official adamantite adventurers without a promotion exam. The treatment of adamantite adventures is used as enticement, but Zero rejects the offer, refusing to become a "dog" to the Kingdom and tells her to leave. Having said her part, Hilma wishes him the best of luck in becoming the boss of the capital and leaves, after which Zero's two companions ask if that was a wise idea to snub her offer. Zero merely states that their cause may be broken but it can still cut. At an abandon warehouse, Zero gathers all the members of Six Arms to start their plan to re-establish ties with a few of Eight Fingers remaining noble backers so that Six Arms can take their place as the new leaders of the criminal underworld in the Kingdom.

Episode 3: Worker
In the countryside, Zero and Peshurian fight alongside several warriors of the Kingdom against a group of Chaos Beasts. Zero successfully slays his twenty-eighth kill which Peshurian praises to be a new record for his boss. The other warriors marvel at the monk's strength, comparing him to be just as strong as the Warrior Captain. The warriors don't recognize Zero or Peshurian and ask if the two are adventurers. Zero corrects them stating that they do not belong to a guild as they are workers who have been hired by a noble. Before they leave, one of the soldiers ask who they were and are given the team name of "Zero."

Back at the warehouse, Malmvist returns from a job with a client who attempted to grant him an extra reward money to which Malmvist declined as it was not part of the contract. This is of course to build up the benevolent reputation of "Zero" of being a team of honest workers as per Zero's orders as he want to eliminate the bad reputation of workers and marginalize the adventurers of the Adventurer's Guild by outdoing them in terms of ability and trust.

Zero asks what the next job is which Peshurian reports to be an eradication mission, as some monster has gotten into the storage area of the city in the suburbs. Looking at the content, Zero muses that its not a Contaminated Beast and just a regular monster. Due to its size, the request was never sent to the guild, which Zero decides to use to his advantage and take the job.

Whilst Zero and Peshurian are walking in the city, a pair of adventurers: Tia and Gagaran, are dining at a local bar. Gagaran spots the pair outside the establishment, and asks her companion Tia who they could be. Tia tells Gagaran that they are the rumored workers that have recently been gaining a prominent reputation. She also tells Gagaran of the leader, Zero was a former member of Eight Fingers. As shady as his past is, some of the soldiers and adventurers have praised his team's work, and Tia believes it is not impossible for the former criminal to have reformed after the fall of the Eight Fingers era. Gagaran teases Tia that she personally can related which annoys the assassin who counters back by calling Gagaran a muscled monster. Peshurian spots the members of Blue Roses from afar, which Zero tell him to ignore them as they are just competition, but also to remain focused on their job as they are greeted warmly by several soldiers in accompanying them on their next job.

Outside the city and after they successfully slay the monster, Zero and Peshurian are personally thanked by a soldier nearby. Zero notices that the soldier's leg is injured and attends to it himself. The soldiers once again thanks him, but he nervously inquires Zero about his past, having heard the rumors. Zero admits that they are probably true, claiming that he became a criminal because the former did not know any other way to live by and he sought "power". Zero confesses that he has no excuse for his past crimes, but still wants to be valued. If people think he is guilty, Zero will just accept it and move on. He calls the disaster that destroyed his former organization to be fate. His words alone are enough to convince the soldier of Zero's good intentions, believing he maybe a good person after all. After he leaves, Peshurian comments of how well Zero acted, which Zero rebukes stating his tirade was that of a third rate one pointing out how gullible people can be.

Episode 4: Secret Maneuvers
Zero organizes the first meeting of his nascent criminal organization, making it under his rule to have all department heads attend on a mandatory basis. He lets Peshurian have the floor as he is now the head of the security department. The armored warrior reports that their organization is steadily joining affiliated groups and is growing. Most of the people they have under their control were formerly members of Eight Fingers, however more workers and bases might be needed if their growth continues. In addition to that, their reputation as "Zero" have caused new rumors to surface, and the vigilance of the aristocrats are lax. It would be possible in the future they will start receiving requests from them to be their escorts. After Peshurian finishes, Zero orders security head to avoid under the table deals and try to keep using people that operate in the open.

Davernoch, now the head of the slave department, reports that there is a problem in his section. He starts with the good news, that his new hunting ground near the Katze Plains on the border of the three countries has made it easier to capture refugees as slaves thanks to the fog in the area hiding his activities. The bad news is that his activities are going too well as he does not have enough space to store the merchandise as demand is still low. So far, he is selling them to the few clients in the city, but it's still not enough to get rid of the surplus. He apologizes for his lack of commercial ability, which Zero understands, but makes it clear that this organization that they are building is not Eight Fingers and cooperation with one another is how they will solve this issue together. Zero directs Edström, the head of the smuggling department, to see if she can find new regular customers for them. Davernoch suggests that if possible, she locate weapon dealers and magic casters as dealing with aristocrats are often met with one-off deals, except for some. Edström states that she will have to avoid the big cities and start somewhere small, which is fine by Zero as he has high expectations. The news for her department is not good, as Edström reports that there seems to be a lack of armaments and materials in the city. Peshurian comments that they should try to expand their operations for the smuggling department. Zero considers it as their activities as workers have been overlooked, so maybe it was time to take a risk and orders Malmvist to cooperate with Edström to pave a way for smuggling armor in the city. Malmvist being the head of the finance and gambling department reports that operations are untouched from the start, however questions his other duties like being head of the assassination department being necessary as he feels finances make good enough money. Zero agrees that being a moneylender is vital, but Malmvist complains on the lack of request for assassinations. Zero tells him to be patient as it is inevitable for the nobles to contract such services as it it part of their nature and necessary for political dealings. Hearing that, Malmvist states he will wait for that day to come. Zero tells his comrades to rejoice as even though there are some problem, they've already taken the first steps to building the foundations of their own criminal underworld. Adjourning the meeting, Zero and Peshurian head to their next client.

Once the two leave, Edström inquires to her companions on the absence of Succulent at the meeting. None of the others said anything about it as they took his absence in stride. Davernoch states that Succulent to be acting as a peddler to E-Pespel. Edström wonders why Zero did not notice Succulent was not at the mandatory meeting which Davernoch believes perhaps Succulent was on a secret mission. Though he considers another option, that Zero forgot about him which Edström believes is a likely possibility.

Elsewhere outside of E-Pespel, Succulent sneezes causing his subordinate to ask if he is alright. Succulent tells him its nothing, blaming a cold draft, and declines the latter's suggestion to return to E-Pespel for a carriage. Succulent, now taking over Hilma's former role as the leader of the drug trade department, states the two of them still have a job to do in a nearby village if they want to spread drugs to E-Pespel.

Episode 5: Glory, And
At a manor, Davernoch thanks Edström for getting him a good customer. The two have succeeded in acquiring an agreeable customer, which there is hope for regular purchases to reduce the amount of returns to the Royal Capital after making a contract. Edström sees that the economy for their services are booming, thanks to Peshurian's efforts. More so, she was even able to secure a good deal for smuggling weapons with a noble as well as acquiring an unmonitored area to transport the goods.

The two hurry to a meeting called by Peshurian as they chat on the dream of ruling the underworld is no longer a concept. The two wonder on the whereabouts of Malmvist and Succulent. Davernoch finds it odd that Succulent has yet to return, as he himself had just returned from E-Rantel in time for the meeting. It appears that Succulent is present and he apologizes for his absence in the last meeting. Zero tells them to cut the chatter as he gives the group a report that Six Arms have been steadily infiltrating the underworld of the kingdom. The next step would be a full-scale approach to aristocratic society. Succulent thinks otherwise, believing their group should keep things going as they are. Thinking Succulent knows something he doesn't, Zero asks his comrade to share what he has heard. Succulent tells his comrades that while he was in E-Rantel, he found that more goods were being brought into the city than usual, with the quantity is strangely larger compared to other cities. Malmvist thinks it due to the number of refugees inhabiting the city, but Succulent states that to be not the case. Davernoch also has something to share with Zero on E-Rantel.

Once he gives his private report, Zero commands Edström and Peshurian to send surveillance agents and messengers to E-Rantel. Edström already deduces Zero's intent to expand their operations in E-Rantel. Apparently, the mayor of E-Rantel seemed to be hailed as a good man who was willing to do whatever he can to save his people even if it means swallowing poison to do so. Zero wants to capitalize on that as he can acquire supplies from behind the scenes, and since E-Rantel is the second most important city after the Royal Capital it would be best to lay down some operations there.

Later in a storeroom, Malmvist is seen rushing calling out to Zero. There he finds the rest of his comrades, as they have suffered what he was just about to report. The worst case has happened to the budding criminal organization, as all of their achievements were wiped cleaned. Succulent who had just started setting up operations to cultivate drugs at a village at the permission from a noble, but then the said noble cut ties with him. The same instances happened to all their departments as well. It is all due to the Tripartite Agreement, in which the three nations: the Re-Estize Kingdom, Baharuth Empire, and Slane Theocracy formed a cooperative alliance in response to a major incident. Succulent after thinking about the number of goods coming into E-Rantel was in preparation for this pact as all the supplies are being sent there. With the countries now in peace, international trade will have no barriers, causing operations like the smuggling department to be unnecessary. Not only that, but military forces from the Empire and the Theocracy will also cut off jobs to workers too. This agreement now threatens to destroy their organization, as the Kingdom's nobility are trying to distance themselves from Six Arms and the criminal element in the face of their new allies.

Now in a new political environment, the members of Six Arms lament on the inevitability that some departments will have to fold, however Zero states that though they are amateurs in politics, human nature is always rotten. This agreement was created out of necessity for the nations to join hands in a critical situation. This does however open some opportunities for them to take, like assassination jobs. Zero states that Six Arms needs to change the way they operate and shift their operations from the capital to the new political center: E-Rantel.

Next day the same warrior that Zero helped, heard the news that his worker team was relocating to E-Rantel. The soldier wonders if the workers were hired, but Zero states that it was a decision by his team as they felt that the fortress city now has become the new center of the world. He also adds of the greater danger there at the city and is eager for new challenges. The soldier is disappointed that Zero is leaving, but Zero states that the Royal Capital will be fine as there are plenty of workers besides him. After the two say their farewells, Peshurian comes over commenting that their past reputation has been dispelled from the Royal Capital thanks to their efforts. Zero states that leaving Re-Eztize might be lukewarm, but he is eager to go to E-Rantel for the opportunity to fight powerful Chaos Beasts and prove that he is the strongest in not just the Kingdom but in the neighboring countries.

Trivia

 * This character scenario was released shortly after the special collaboration event: Death Ruler and Berserker.