level_act30side_07_end

How long do you plan on sitting there?

He already knows of this place. He will turn up sooner or later.

And what will you do once he turns up?

Kill him.

Murdering a foreign dignitary is a serious crime, you know.

We shall see.

Why do you go so far for Kjerag's sake, when you're not from Kjerag yourself?

Is it still considered 'for Kjerag's sake' if it's Enciodes's ambition?

Who can deny that up till now, despite him having his own lofty goals, that there is a part of them that is 'for Kjerag's sake'?

That sort of praise is probably what he would least like to hear.

You still haven't answered my question, you know.

When Enciodes once mentioned to me that perhaps Kjeragandr truly existed, I thought to myself that maybe one day, I could fight those so-called 'gods' with my own two hands.

Now I see that was simply wishful thinking.

And why is that?

Enciodes had already dropped that particular plan, for one.

If he had stuck to it, do you think that you could face down a goddess who just might really exist?

Perhaps?

Here, I can only find that sort of excitement during avalanches. If I ever had the opportunity, I would definitely give it a try.

Do you think you will win?

No. I have stood against the avalanche, but I have never once triumphed.

I understand. You are simply in it for the challenge.

And you consider the matters that are happening in this land to be suitable for that purpose.

It's hardly as lofty as you think. This is just who I have grown to be, nothing more.

Very well said.

You may head back now, Degenbrecher.

You will not find your battlefield here.

If that is what the Saintess wills, then forgive me for being unable to comply.

I will decide my own battlefield.

And what if I said that is what Kjeragandr wills?

I will then wonder, why are you the one conveying Kjeragandr's will?

I am the Saintess's maid, after all.

So what you are saying is that the will of the Saintess is the will of Kjeragandr?

Rather, that Kjeragandr supports the Great Saintess's opinion on the matter.

At least, that is my guess.

Hmph.

The Black Knight is no fool. Rather than searching all over for me, she will instead be watching over here.

She knows that I will return, and return I must.

*sigh* If only I could return home alive.

If I had only guessed that this place would be the center of my worries—

No, how could I have guessed? How could anyone have thought that Enciodes had the brass courage to use an entire nation's faith as a pretense for his own schemes?

He truly is someone that the Duke was wise to invest in.

And that Saintess. Is she really not aware of a single matter going on behind the scenes?

And Degenbrecher?

She couldn't possibly be quite so single-minded as to have missed the forest for the tree.

This is... a rock?

Why have you come, traveler from afar?

I am but a man of steadfast faith, here to admire Her visage.

She tires, and wishes to rest for today.

Come back tomorrow.

I had heard that Kjeragandr welcomes believers from afar. Do you mean to say that this is no longer the case?

The pious need not prove themselves, while the insincere need not waste their words.

You are not to take a step further today, says She.

And if I insist?

Wha—

The Trilby Asher looks all about him. The main path by Lake Silberneherze is bustling with activity most days, and today is no exception, which is why it causes no small amount of turned heads when he suddenly appears out of nowhere.

Suddenly, he smacked himself in the face hard.

Hey, when did that guy pop up there?

Look, he's slapping himself for some reason.

Think he's some kinda lunatic?

Haha.

The Trilby Asher takes no note of the people around him, simply turning his body in the direction of the statue of Kjeragandr. In imitation of those devout followers, he performs a quick gesture of prayer.

Kjeragandr's blessings be upon you.

This was the first time he had done such an act since stepping into this land.

After doing so, he turns to leave without a moment's hesitation.

He had not yet noticed that, from not too far away, there was a pair of eyes watching his every move.

Degenbrecher isn't a very talkative woman, so she probably won't tell Enya about this, would she?

I don't think I went too far either, did I?

*sigh* I've said this before, but staying a spectator is harder than it looks.

She sighs once more then turns, looking every bit like a woman grumbling about the troublesome requests of her younger sister, before blending into the throng of people like she was never there.

Stop right there.

Ah, hello, captain.

Who're you?

Well, it's like this, see. There's going to be a banquet held by Lake Silberneherze tonight, right?

I'm here to deliver the wine.

Wine?

I had heard the news about that earlier.

Come with me, I'll need to verify this.

Alright, sure.

Stand over here. Don't move. Pat him down.

Alright.

Boys, I'm just trying to drop off some drinks. Do we really need to do this whole song and dance?

These are special circumstances. I appreciate your cooperation.

If you really are who you are, we will offer our deepest apologies later.

Ah, I'm afraid that you two won't have the chance to do that.

Wha—

The vintner presses down on a device hanging at his waist, and the security cameras in the room began to rotate wildly as if possessed.

Guh...

There's an ene—

Nice try.

Ghaah—

After the two Tschäggättä fall over, the vintner swiftly begins to operate the terminal.

As he meddles with the terminal, the cameras in the corners of the room briefly halt, before returning to their normal activity.

From my earlier investigations, I knew that Kjerag managed to get a previous-gen OS, but it's got two fatal flaws.

I recommend you upgrade to the latest generation when you can.

Naturally, if Kjerag were to become a part of Victoria, we would provide one free of charge.

The vintner breathes a sigh of relief, but then immediately doubles over.

Hfff— Looks like my wounds are about to reopen.

The destructive power of the Black Knight is no joke.

But she can hardly be everywhere all at once.

As for Kjeragandr...

I'll worry about that later. At least She didn't prevent me finding this place.

He stands up again, ambling towards the nearby barrel of wine.

The barrel is heavy, but as he draws close, it is immediately obvious that there is a distinct lack of the scent of wine in the air.

...Haha.

What was stored inside the barrel was not wine, but metal.

I had investigated the amount of metal Kjerag was procuring, and at the time nobody had any issue with the numbers.

But if, say, the metal that was to be used in the construction of the statue, was not all put towards that purpose...

Where, then, did all that remaining metal go?

And where is this metal in the barrels slated to go next?

Haha, I said that while the Black Knight's fearsome, she's not so strong as to cut through steel like butter. And I was right.

He turns back to operate the terminal once more.

As his fingers unceasingly type away at the keyboard, various charts and diagrams continuously pop up on the screen above him.

After a long, long while, he finally stands up.

Anyways...

There's still a few hours to go to the banquet—

So allow me to give a quick inspection, Enciodes.

Are you really so much a fool that you would dare to stand against Victoria?

So let me get this straight. You saw your father, and then you gave him a kick?

Yep, felt real good!

I wasn't that angry to begin with. But once I saw that he looked like what I assumed my papa would look like, I had the sudden urge to give him a real big kick.

Haha, atta girl!

Speaking of which, I had the pleasure of meeting Patriarch Arctosz once when I had just arrived to Kjerag, but I haven't seen him since.

If I had remembered how he had looked, you wouldn't have had to wander around willy-nilly to find him.

Hey, are you trying to say that I actually do look a lot like him?

Hmm, well now that I think about it more, thanks to that beard of his... Even if I had been drinking with him yesterday, I don't think it would have been that easy to notice.

I told him already, that bearded look just isn't in these days.

What if... he shaved it off?

Eh?

Oh, nothing. Don't mind me.

Hey, look over there! That's a whole lotta burdenbeasts.

Oh, the villagers from nearby are here too.

I'm thinking that this will be a mighty fine night.

Eh?

There's a burdenbeast bumping its head against you.

Oh!

If it isn't my lovely Lily!

Haha, that girl ran over the moment she spotted you.

Good girl, good girl.

Hey, dedushka, this is the Lily you were talking about?

Indeed. She was the first burdenbeast I met when I arrived in Kjerag.

And she has become, dare I say, my dearest friend ever since I arrived.

Oh, aren't you a little cutie-pie!

(Rough braying)

Ooo, can I pet her?

But of course. Lily's an affectionate girl.

(Affectionate humming)

I think she likes you.

Haha! Rosalind, it seems you really do have Kjerag blood in you!

Whoa! She's licking me!

Do you want to ride her?

Can I?

It should be alright, right, Leones?

Hahaha, it's alright, kid.

Alright! Help me up a bit, dedushka!

Okay, grab on to my hand, and a one, two, three—!

(Excited rumbling)

Wow, Lily's real steady!

I think I'll go on a stroll with her!

Go on ahead, now.

Heh, she sure is a lively little kid, now, isn't she?

You don't need to tell me. My daughter was the same at her age.

Here, for you.

This is—

Some of our best cheese. Just finished ripening today.

I remembered that you were going back home pretty soon, so I whipped up this block just for you. I'd hoped I would see you tonight, so I brought it along just in case.

I appreciate the gesture, but are you sure it's alright? Doesn't your family need this cheese to sell?

Oh, think nothing of it. You've helped my family and our burdenbeasts plenty.

I'd say that I owe you for medical expenses.

So here, consider this cheese your veterinary fee.

Haha, alright, if you insist.

Couldn't ask for a better parting gift, if you ask me.

Truth be told, when you first showed up, we were pretty wary of you.

But after a whole month with you, I feel like we're the best of friends.

So I'm not going to get too mushy with you. Just remember that the next time you're in Kjerag, we'll always have space at the table for you at my farm.

I will. I really will.

Ah, Leone, are you acquainted with the Lord Viscount as well?

Ah, Saintess! Yes, Harold here's become a right celebrity here in our little village.

I see. I hope that you and your burdenbeasts continue to enjoy yourselves.

Oh, please, getting to meet the Saintess is plenty of joy for me already!

This banquet sure is festive, Holy Saintess.

Indeed.

Though there will be plenty of pomp and circumstance at the ceremony tomorrow, the populace at large will only be able to watch it via the news cameras.

Which is why I arranged for this banquet, to allow all of Kjerag to enjoy the holiday cheer.

You truly are a great Saintess.

May I ask where the Trilby Asher might be?

He's a bit of a somber fellow, not a great lover of festivities.

I would hardly say that, My Lord.

While it's true that I'm not a fan of festive crowds, that has hardly anything to do with my personality.

You...

I'm afraid that I was observing Kjerag's magnificent scenery and lost track of time. Do forgive me, Holy Saintess.

I am glad to hear that you appreciate Kjerag's natural beauty.

I hope that you enjoy tonight's banquet just as much.

Indeed I will.

Ah! That's right, Harold, I have some wine here. Does your friend here drink? Come, let's have a cup or two together!

I—

The 'Trilby Asher' surreptitiously shares a hand signal with Harold.

It is a military hand signal, indicating withdrawal.

Terribly sorry, Leones.

I'm afraid the drink will have to wait.

(High-pitched braying)

I'm back, dedushka.

Huh? Where'd he go?

He got pulled away by his friend in black.

'John'?

...No way.

I do hope that you managed to enjoy yourself at tonight's banquet, My Lord.

I sure was, up until you called me away.

Good, because I do not think you will enjoy this next step.

Out with it.

There is a secret underneath the Kjeragandr statue at the heart of Lake Silberneherze.

Soldiers really hate the word 'secret', Mr. 'John Smith'. Isn't this your lot's job to figure out these sort of things, rather than ours?

Unfortunately, I have no way of solving this particular issue myself.

Not words I expected to hear out of a Trilby Asher.

I have run into a few obstructions.

Wait, am I hearing you right? You've failed?

No.

Though I am unable to ascertain what exactly is down there, the very fact that I am encountering resistance is proof that I am on the right track.

The Trilby Asher takes out a stack of loose papers from the inner recesses of his coat. Within that stack are photographs, assorted documents and some handwritten notes.

Harold takes a few to look at himself, and immediately, the smile on his face freezes.

Goods loaded onto the wine transport carriages.

The true flow of the oriron supply chain.

Transport route itineraries.

All this intelligence points towards a single fact—

Under the island at the heart of the lake lies Enciodes's secret... No, not just his, but the greatest secret of this entire nation.

...She's gone.

I know.

Allowing the daughter of a Kjerag politician to hear that was not good.

I'm a soldier, I only care about real battles. This is something that you intelligence agents should be handling.

She barely even knows whose daughter she is. What can she possibly do?

If this makes her recognize what is brewing in this nation and make her cut her visit early, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

She is, in the end, merely a citizen of Ursus. I am not one to make an enemy of that empire.

Perhaps I misjudged you during our earlier meet-ups, my good Trilby Asher.

You and me both, My Lord.

Perhaps it is a good thing that people like you and I are wary of one another.

Some real words of wisdom you got there.

My next words might not be those words of wisdom you so adore.

You cannot go home empty-handed, My Lord.

I know.

I hope you truly understand that this is the price Enciodes must pay Her Grace.

He has crossed a line.

Is that what you tell yourself to make it feel better?

You're far better at that sort of thing than I am.

O Great Hero.

The banquet continues.

People gathered around the bonfire singing merry tunes and dancing, welcoming the arrival of tomorrow.

In their minds, tomorrow will certainly be a bright, jubilant, festive day, one that would compel anyone to break out into ecstatic dance and vibrant song.

'I'm probably the only one in the room who doesn't feel that way', thought Harold.

He suddenly feels a little chilly.

The last time he felt such a chill was the very first time he set foot in this land.

He felt like what he really needed was a bottle of wine. Perhaps a whole barrel.

Harold! I've been waiting ages for you, *hic*!

If you were any later, I would have finished the entire bottle myself!

Hahaha, look at me! Do I look like the sort of person to miss out on fine drink?

Come! Tonight, we drink till we drop!

He's forgotten some of the finer details of what he did that night.

Perhaps he danced a merry jig from his hometown by the bonfire? Or perhaps he grabbed some unlucky fellow to sing some folk songs of Kjerag with?

Ah, that's right. He seemed to have spent a good amount of time discussing the finer points of Kjerag veterinary techniques with a guard rail.

How did he get to this point?

Alas, nobody knows.

At the very least, he remembered the way back to his bed.

However, the distance between the banquet and the barracks is no short stroll.

First, he had to follow along the lakeside path until it joined with the main street at the center of town. Along the road, he would run into many elderly folk taking a post-meal walk, and see children playing atop the ice.

From here, he could see the distant statue of Kjeragandr, and all along the road there were viewing stations set up just for gazing upon it. They were bustling places filled with people at all times. Some prayed towards Kjeragandr, while others took selfies.

There are times when two diametrically opposed ways of life will clash, but most times they will coexist in some sort of harmony. Such was the way of many things in this land.

Continuing on, he passed through the main street, which got busier by the day. He distinctly remembered noticing that some of the stores that were there when he first arrived in Kjerag had changed ownership.

In a small alley close to the center of the road, there was the latest restaurant that he had fallen in love with.

This restaurant had managed to meld together the flavors of Victoria and Kjerag together into their dishes, and suffice it to say that he was a big fan.

The restaurant was run by a young couple, the wife a Kjerag native who had learnt the culinary arts in Victoria, meeting her spouse in the process.

The two of them started a family, returning to Kjerag to set up their restaurant, hoping that they would be able to have a better life in this flourishing land.

After the alley, he had to cross a highway still under construction, then a patch of woods, before arriving at the hillside where he could look out over the whole land, where a roaring fireplace awaited him.

At the moment when he stepped over the edge of the road onto the soft soil, he became quite aware of just how much further this nation had to go to be considered 'well-developed'.

But walking through the tranquil woods immediately put a stop to that line of thinking.

Though he often jabbers away with other old men whenever they meet, lately he finds himself thinking back to the time of his youth.

The golden wheat fields rustling in the evening breeze, his younger self running about within as though he were without a care in the world—

Yes, without a single care in the world.

As he walked across the icy ground, as he found himself cloaked in snowy silence, one thought came to the forefront of his mind. He was no longer young.

Whew, you reek of booze.

Boss, if you're going out to get roaring drunk, can't you at least bring some back for your boys?

Boss, look here!

These damned burdenbeast blind boxes! We've gotten three full sets now <i>except</i> for the mystery variant! This has got to be some kinda scam by Karlan Trade!

He pulls out a remote control from the deepest recesses of his room, constantly flicking through the various slides on a projector.

Every single one has information regarding Kjerag. Possible marching routes, the locations of military bases, the distribution of sentry posts, investigations into the Tschäggättä—

Within a week of him arriving in Kjerag, all this intelligence was already neatly organized before him, and yet again and again he forced himself to stop thinking about these matters.

To the point that he has managed to memorize most of it.

He throws aside the remote control and grabs a collapsible chair close at hand, throwing himself deep into its embrace as he closes his eyes.

Rather than looking at maps and military sand tables, he much prefers listening to the subtle sounds of snow falling on branches, making them rustle and creak under its weight. It reminds him of the sound of waves of wheat—

Rustling under the moonlit breeze—

Boss? What's the matter?

Don't mind him, he's probably just drunk off his gourd. Let's get back to what we were talking about just now.

I heard that the Leithanians want to build a new city, mostly to get foreign trade going. Check out these preferential policies. The calculated returns for investments are unreal...

But reality never goes the way he wishes it to.

Just like how his father always yelled at him to get out of the wheat field and to continue his training at home.

Just like when his pipe stem loses a piece without him knowing.

Just like how his lost leg would never return.

...*sigh*

The hubbub of the barracks fades away, as his men all look towards him.

His men. His lads. His soldiers.

Everyone, change to live ammunition, then be on standby.

At the break of dawn tomorrow, we begin our operation. Our target is—

The statue of Kjeragandr.

His voice is somewhat hoarse.

The rustling of wheat in the wind has stopped.