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The reason why you think the people of Kjerag crave stagnation is precisely because Kjeragandr's faith has been stagnant for thousands of years in the hands of the Vine-Bead Court!

We've drawn up this land as a prison to preserve the rules of some ancient agreement, surviving in these snow-capped mountains for millennia without exploring or even making contact with the outside world.

And you mean to tell me this agreement has anything to do with our faith?

Is it not just the arrogance of the Vine-Bead Court?

Arrogance? No, no, this is how things were meant to be!

Nothing is inherently meant to be.

If it seems that way, it's only because it's never been changed.

It's time to change, Great Elder.

No, Saintess, you cannot change anything.

Faith... *cough* *cough*... is the fundamental reason why Kjerag is Kjerag.

I will go and face Enciodes, but not in the way you want.

I don't know if I'll succeed.

But, since the Saintess has always been used by the Vine-Bead Court as a tool to guide the peoples' faith...

I shall put this tool to good use.

I am the Saintess, but I am not the Saintess of the Vine-Bead Court. I am the Saintess of Kjerag.

I will use my own methods to guide the people to freedom. The freedom to progress, to explore, to take risks.

And as for you, Great Elder, it is time to rest.

Attendants, come help the Great Elder away.

Enya stands up and walks to the door of the great hall, her eyes fixed forward.

Behind her, the Great Elder occupies his same seat, watching her back grow ever smaller in the distance. He stretches out his hand as to grasp something, but finally, powerlessly, it drops.

He grasps nothing at all.

He remains there evermore, motionless, just like the snow of Kjerag blanketing his dreams.

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Sir, I've searched the woodlands around the perimeter of the Paleroche clan and found no signs of mobilization.

Keep looking.

Yessir.

Gnosis, we've got an issue.

Gulo split from the Doctor's forces and led a team around Mount Karlan, breaking through the pass and occupying the station there!

What?!

Right now, Gulo is driving everyone out of the station, and another team is heading for Klin.

That's where Yucatan is being held... Is this a rescue operation?

Impossible. They're being far too inefficient for that. There must be another motive.

Monch, based on the route you saw them taking, where do you think the Doctor is headed?

...They chose a route that could lead either to Mount Karlan or to the pass.

Oh... Could the Doctor intend to bypass Mount Karlan to directly attack our territory?

I should've warned you about this possibility.

No, I was caught off guard myself. I should've stationed more troops at the pass.

The Doctor...

But, Arctosz still hasn't shown himself, and we cannot say for sure what their true objective is...

Grr, I'll have Valais head to the station to deal with Gulo, then Weiss will go to Klin.

Have a portion of the troops stationed at the base of the mountain go defend the pass and prevent the Doctor's forces from breaking through to our territory.

Understood.

General, we've already taken control of the station. Why are we still waiting here?

The Doctor told us to avoid hurting anyone, but I didn't hear anything about not smashing the place up. This station is a symbol of Silverash treachery.

Calm down. We'll see when the next train arrives––

Grr... When's the thing supposed to arrive anyway? Let me see the note the Doctor left me...

Okay, that sounds about right.

Huh?! What's going on here?!

This station now belongs to Gulo of the Paleroche clan! Get out of here, if you value your life!

Why is the Paleroche clan here?!

And it's none other than the terrible Gulo! Did the Paleroches declare war?!

Ugh... I'm too young to die! Run!

That's right! Run, faster!

Umm... General Gulo, thanks for bringing me along.

Hmph. I would want nothing to do with a Silverash daughter, if not for the fact that the Doctor told me you were helping.

You really aren't in cahoots with that brother of yours?

I'm here to stop him.

...I don't trust you, but I do trust the Doctor. The one called Sharp told me to trust in the victory the Doctor would bring.

Alright. Didn't you say you had to make your way up the mountain? Off with you.

After you go, I'll have to halt the railroad... to do what again? Oh, right, gotta stop things from running so that Silverash reinforcements don't show up too quickly.

Well, thanks anyway, General Gulo!

These people make no sense to me at all.

Whatever. I have my own things to do anyway.

Hmph, that musclehead might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he certainly does know how to fight.

He should be fine holding down the station.

Next up is... Dammit, my ass..

Madame, why don't you get off the burdenbeast and rest for a bit? The rest of us can handle things.

Hmph. I don't have the luxury for that right now.

Our task is much more difficult than Gulo's.

In addition to rescuing Yucatan, we also have to take as much of Klin as we can.

Until the Doctor wins over on the other end, we have to draw the Silverashes' attention.

Madame, can we really hold out against those numbers with the forces we have here? Are you sure this Doctor isn't just using us as fodder?

That's right, the Matriarch...

Shut it.

Listen, Ratatos is sick and tired of carrying this clan on her back, so she's trusting this to me.

We're at a do or die moment for the house of Browntail. If we succeed, the Browntail clan might just have a future. If we fail, we're all changing our names to Silverash.

I don't care what Enciodes is trying to do or what he wants Kjerag to be, but us Browntails will never be anyone's fodder.

If you're that eager to get a new name, then you can leave now. But if being a Browntail means anything to you, then come with me!

(I've never seen Sciurus so charismatic before...)

(I didn't know Sciurus had such a talent for speeches...)

(I think she really is speaking her mind. She's just never been given a chance before.)

What are you mumbling about over there?!

(Even though I heard that the Matriarch herself was planning on surrendering, if Sciurus isn't willing to give up, then...)

(It would be really shameful for us to raise the white flag.)

(That's right. And to be honest, I find it hard to believe that the Matriarch would do something like that...)

You're still not done? If you don't like it here, then beat it!

We fight for the house of Browntail!

Hmph, that's more like it.

Alright, I'll handle the rest.

Are you serious about this?

Don't worry. I'm a bona-fide pro.

You'd better not die on us.

I'll be waiting for the good news.

As much as I've trained, it's been a long time since I've done any real mountaineering. Not since I came to Rhodes Island for treatment.

This sure is getting my blood pumping, haha...

Wait for me, sis. I'm coming for you.

Ensia remembers how when she was a child, she always loved bringing her sister along to her climbs.

Though she was physically fit, she'd always give up halfway through.

Her favorite thing to do was to curl up on the sofa by the fire, knitting something for herself or her brother, or just napping.

'My sister probably doesn't like the mountains.' That's what Ensia thought.