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That's your problem to solve, Enciodes.

No, Ratatos. Maybe you have incredible trust in my problem-solving ability, but at base, this is not a problem I alone must face.

You wouldn't suggest that the Browntails' subjects have never profited any from these years Karlan Trade has done business?

How many people have the Originium stoves kept going through the coldest winters, procured from Columbia by Karlan Trade? There are no Catastrophes in our mountains, but the ice and snow still claim lives.

What is so disgraceful about the herders' prods, or the fertilizer that comes from Victoria?

You brought about this situation today—including your constant embellishment of yourself—and now you're using that same situation to menace us, shamelessly.

Get it out. Say this is all your accomplishment. Say you're powerless to give those of Kjerag self-sufficiency, and that you're not afraid to have them mocking you. You, head of the Silverashes.

Wrong, Ratatos.

To menace is the bluff of one who lacks confidence, while I—am only recounting the truth.

You deem Karlan Trade as a menace to Kjerag. That, in itself, is a mockery beyond the heavens.

Keh...

You've got some gall by the sound of it, Enciodes. I remember. You've been good at talking this sort of talk ever since you were young.

Don't waste your breath, Enciodes.

Today, you will...

Would I not hand it over today, General Gulo would have directly 'assumed' control of the valleys, having been stationed close by long ago.

You...

Don't be so quick to resort to force, Arctosz.

I can make commitments and decisions, accordingly, to your proposals.

Conflict has been far from my intent up to now. As the head, I will not put up with any losses either.

But if it's for putting this grievous state of affairs in check, for the alliance of the three clans of the snow mountains, then in the capacity of Kjeragandr's people, the Silverashes can make concessions.

—I am fully able to offer the valleys and mines, with both hands.

You're serious?

You can say a fine line! Enciodes, there's no one here who'll be taken in by your drivel!

Hence why I say, Arctosz, don't rush.

Impetuousness will be your weakness, guardian axe of Kjeragandr, most pious soldier of Kjerag.

I can accept these conditions you two have devised. But it will not be handed to the Paleroches, nor the Browntails.

Then to whom do you give it? What, Kjeragandr?!

Completely correct, Arctosz, most faithful of the people of Kjeragandr.

Every inch of territory of the Silverashes, and of you all too, is fundamentally accorded to us by Kjeragandr's trust. We merely supervise it in Kjeragandr's place.

...Hold on, you can't be...

It is as you imagine, Ratatos.

I've decided I will hear your demands, and give the Silverashes' valleys and mines in whole to the Vine-Bead Court, for the Saintess to handle its factories and pits.

What?!

So as to avert conflict between the three clans, Kjerag ought to have a leader who can hold the faith of both the three clans, and the Snow Realm's citizens, at once.

Though we've managed, I believe that having the vicar of Kjeragandr take control of Kjerag once again, as in times past, is a fair and reasonable thing.

I imagine that peacefully settling this issue, peacefully partitioning the Silverashes' assets, and peacefully avoiding a direct clash of the three families, is what we hope for by all rights.

Ratatos, Arctosz—I can give up my valley and mines on this one condition. What do you think?

A spell of silence. The attending nobles look amongst each other, trying to comprehend what purpose lies within the words.

The only sound, the scratching of the transcriber's pen, but that freezes too a few short seconds later, hung in the atmosphere.

The first to break the silence is a pencil as it carelessly clatters to the ground, alongside a stunned gasp from an unknown someone.

Immediately, consciously, low murmurs of discussion arise one after another, as if a pan of rösti in lowly heated oil.

Look! Is that the man from the Edelweisses...

That Gnosis cur has the nerve to show his face here. I spit on him.

Good word, he's turned this way!

Pah. See the look in his eyes. Heaven knows why Mr. Enciodes ever gave him such great responsibility, when his parents clearly plotted...

Tut-tut-tut, shush it, now! You'll anger Kjeragandr if you speak of these things atop Karlan!

Though you have to admit, his happy days are at an end. Mr. Enciodes obviously couldn't tolerate his conduct one second longer.

Really? Did Mr. Enciodes finally pull him from his post?

Yes! Didn't you know? At the Council last month, he removed him from his office on the spot...

He's already out, then? That's wonderful! His number was long up!

Sir Gnosis.

I've warned that we should not converse on these occasions.

Yes, my apologies.

Only... I received an urgent message. The train carrying Rhodes Island's delegation is almost at Karlan's foot already.

You had some interest in this company. Do you want to go and meet them?

The Snow Realm has reached a major juncture. If they're external forces that have been drawn in, then I'll naturally meet them when the time comes. No need to go out of my way.

Besides... I'm merely an employee on probation now. What position do I have as pretext to meet them?

...Sir...

It really was disappointing to see how Enciodes acted, ejecting you as a figurehead just to appease the other two clans.

Appease? Enciodes's thoughts are by no means as simple as that.

I've heard Rhodes Island really did succeed in slowing the exacerbation of Ensia's Oripathy?

Yes...

Hm. Then they do, in fact, have the resources to win the Silverashes' favor.

But the attention of Enciodes is both a blessing and curse. No easy judgments yet.

You mean...

There is no extraneous meaning to what I said.

Anyhow, presumably those in the company must have applauded and cheered, the same way those two dilettantes did just now, hearing I was gone.

None of them understand your worth, Sir Gnosis.

Using the word 'worth' to describe a person implies that person can be weighed.

Sir...

By now, Enciodes should have proposed his idea for the Saintess to lead the Tri-Clan Council.

The meeting hall, at this moment, should be utter chaos.

Enciodes, in the end, this is the step you took after all.

You're the one who understands Enciodes the most. Only you can stand in the way of his ambitions.

The wind's picked up. It's going to snow.

A massive snowflake sticks against Gnosis's shoulder, only for the frigid wind to pitilessly, immediately blow it off.

Kjerag's snowstorms are far from rare. They only need the clouds to gather thick enough, waiting just for a turning point.

And once the equilibrium of the air that supported those clouds is smashed, and loses its bracing power—

Does Enciodes seriously mean for the Saintess to become Kjerag's queen?

Impossible! This is Enciodes we're talking about!

But he seemed serious about those ideas he spouted just now...

No matter how you put it, think how incredible it'd be if Kjerag could unite under the Saintess's leadership! Kjeragandr's land really should return to Kjeragandr!

The whispers amongst the bystanders come together, and momentarily, the roar of the wind outside the window is covered by the voices.

...Enciodes, do you have any idea what you're saying?

I'm clear as could be.

Let us lay everything out in the open.

I originally held that, so long as results were had and the Silverashes' sincerity was clear to you all, you would discard your prejudices, and hand in hand with me, lead Kjerag forward.

If the three clans could act together, then regardless of any difference in earnings—

A country's stance upon foreign trade versus a company's stance upon foreign trade are completely divorced concepts, and the results obtained will be a world apart.

Maybe my pace was too fast, and led you to believe instead I was planning to submissively hand Kjerag to outsiders?

As if you weren't? Enciodes, Karlan IS NOT your theater to act in! Kjeragandr will punish you for every lie you've spewed!

In that case, that Karlan still permits me to stand here is my greatest proof.

Leave it at that. I know full well I can't change your thinking, but I don't plan to alter Karlan Trade policy because of your shortsightedness either.

Karlan Trade values Kjerag's mines and factories, but they aren't the totality of the company. Letting them bring the company into stasis is far less worth it to me.

If we let an eye for an eye go any further, then in the long run, we'll have spent excessive energy on uniting our views, and it'll have given outside threats a chance to hijack.

Like you, this is in no way what I want.

Therefore—

I ultimately resolve to hand over all executive power to the Saintess.

It will be for the Saintess to determine. I can accept this arrangement, and I believe all present can too.

A heap of nonsense!