act46side

You've been tampering with the locks again. You just won't give up, will you?

Unfortunately, the area that the search parties are looking is at least five kilometers from here. Don't expect them to hear your distress signal.

Hmph...

At least eat something.

Malnutrition during the recovery process will increase the time needed for bones to mend by twenty percent, and the chance of complications by thirty-five percent.

It's not my intention to hurt you, or leave an outstanding warrior with a permanent disability.

Cut the crap!

I warn you, you'd better kill me now...

I suppose that's an option...

As I said, however, I have no intention of bringing harm to Kjerag, and I certainly feel no need to take innocent Kjerag lives.

Besides, it was a miracle that we survived that avalanche at all...

It was, in your people's words, 'Kjeragandr's protection'. Right?

Shouldn't that be a sign to a faithful follower of Kjeragandr to value her own life?

No intention of bringing harm to Kjerag? You've been spying for the Victorians and stealing Kjerag's military secrets!

Such an unfair accusation.

Do you really think a few battleships constitute Kjerag's most important secret?

You speak of your god's blessings all the time, but have you really thought about what your god is?

What are you talking about... Kjeragandr is not to be questioned or doubted—

That didn't resonate? Well... I guess the only reason I'm talking to you about this is because there's nothing to do here to pass the time.

Ah well, doesn't matter anyway.

If you want to pass the time, I've got something to ask you.

How did a Victorian spy work for Rhine Lab for so long?

Why are you so sure that I'm a Victorian spy, when I've been working at Rhine Lab for so long?

Well... if you really want to hear it, I could tell you a little story—

There was once a girl in Victoria, who was incredibly fascinated to know how everything worked, and she wanted to spend her whole life studying.

A dozen years later, she went to Columbia as visiting scholar from the Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences...

It was not the research foundations of Victoria that found her, but an intelligence agency.

From that day forth, the only thing she was allowed to be curious about was the secret documents of the Columbian government.

But her curiosity was not so easily stated. As she dug through Columbia's secrets, she found an opportunity to satisfy the very depths of her curiosity...

At the end of the day, though, there is little that separates Columbia and Victoria.

People fight over the slightest morsel of profit, the order that took so much hard work to build is now teetering on the brink of ruinous war...

Who has the time to gaze up at the heavens... or even down at the ground we stand on, of which we know so little about?

...I find it all a tedious bore.

Early morning, Hall of Writings, Vine-Bead Court.

Good thing the window isn't too high.

The clerics have gone to their morning prayers... the observation station is a sensitive topic right now. I need to avoid them.

Maps, geographical records... anything that can help...

The morning sun shines through the window, and falls gently on the aged books.

Elena dusts off the books in front of her, but finds the writing of the clerics difficult to decipher. She begins to regret not bringing a dictionary of the Kjeragi language.

How do they categorize this stuff? This one's... a collection of quotes?

'Kjeragandr, showed Herself, to me, and said—'

'Seek not my temple, but my heart.'

Whoa—!

Elena lets go in panic, and the heavy book hits the floor.

Through the bookshelves, she sees a surprised face under a hood, and a crossbow pointed at her face.

I think she's surrendering, Enya. What do we do?

Who's saying anything about surrendering?!

Wait a moment... Enya? Enya Silverash?

Y-You're the Saintess?

Shh—

Elena nods in realization.

Keep quiet, and we can talk. Alright?

Elena nods carefully.

Put away your crossbow, Joanna. Let's not scare our friend here.

But she sneaked into the Vine-Bead Court. Doesn't seem like something a good person would do.

Well, we sneaked in too...

Your attire... are you from Rhine Lab?

Yes! I'm Elena, a researcher in the Energy Section.

I'm sorry. I was just looking for a map of Kjerag, preferably recording the locations of mountains and Originium veins...

If I find that special vein, maybe I could—

...You could what?

Elena glances at the young woman before her, who looks about the same age as her, while being the undisputed sovereign of this country.

Elena is unsure if what she is about to say might offend her, but when she sees the pure curiosity on her face...

Maybe... I can explain how this Catastrophe happened!

You mean that Kjerag has been safe from Catastrophe for a thousand years because of a hidden Originium vein?

Yes! There is an undiscovered Originium vein in the mountains surrounding Kjerag, which created an energy field that prevented Catastrophes from forming.

Impossible! It's Kjeragandr that protects Kjerag!

Has anyone ever seen Kjeragandr with their own eyes?

I—

Many people have witnessed the miracles of Kjeragandr with their own eyes!

I respect your culture and traditions, but that doesn't prove anything.

Just because you see something that can't be explained right now doesn't prove the existence of some supernatural being behind it.

And how do you prove the veins have anything to do with it?

The interactions between Originium is extremely complex, and what we know is only the tip of the iceberg.

Rhine Lab has conducted a number of experiments in recent years.

Under certain conditions, Originium can form energy fields that cause atmospheric Originium particles to disperse rather than converge, preventing the formation of Catastrophes.

This is something that we have not yet been able to recreate under controlled conditions...

But if an Originium vein with the right conditions exists... then preventing Catastrophe may be a real possibility.

I've made detailed calculations—

Excuse me, can I borrow this map?

Elena takes out her notebook and show it to the other two. She goes on a long explanation about the formulas as she draws on the page, not paying attention to whether her listeners are able to keep up.

Finally, Elena confidently draws a circle at a location in the foothills on the map.

...Therefore, the Originium Vein Theory is the most likely explanation for Kjerag's lack of Catastrophes!

I'm quite sure that my calculations are accurate, and if we find an Originium vein at this location, it would explain everything!

Joanna is in a daze. She glances at Enya, hoping the Saintess will rebuke this blasphemy.

But the Saintess is quiet, biting her lower lip lightly.

(Whispers) Say something! I don't know what the hell she's writing!

How do you explain the recent Catastrophe, then?

Based on the data, I suspect something from beyond the Starpod fell on Mount Karlan the day before the Catastrophe.

Look! These are the data that the station observed the day before the Catastrophe. These are infrasound waves created by the impact of the extraterrestrial object.

Elena turns on her portable terminal, displaying a sharp break on the line graph.

This object must be massive in size and scale. I think the Catastrophe was caused by it falling onto the central area of the vein, causing a shift in the energy field!

There are reasons for all these things! It's not magic, or the work of a god!

Enya cannot comprehend what she is hearing. Her memory begins to blur, and she feels a sort of link being torn apart.

'Kjarr.'

A familiar voice, belonging to a friend, a miracle, or... a hallucination?

She can't believe it. She must not. Fear and loneliness comes over her, and it is all she could do to keep her arms from trembling.

Say something, Enya...

I... I can understand Elena's position.

However, I recall a section of the <i>Kjeragandr...</i>