level_act46side_04_end

Back already, Gulo? You still have the gauze on your head.

I told you to think before you act! You get back to the hospital right now and stay in bed.

Master... I heard that you're going to meet with Ratatos again, at the Browntails' invitation.

You can't go...

What, you think I'm afraid of her?

That witch says she's going to tell me the truth. I'm eager to see what she spews from that mouth of hers.

But master... the meeting is on Browntail turf. This is clearly a trap.

Hmph, you think I don't know?

A Paleroche never runs from a fight!

Just because it's her turf doesn't mean a Paleroche is helpless there!

You know what? Seeing that gauze on your head is making me doubly-mad!

I don't care how mad you are, master! I'm sitting right here at the door and not budging an inch until you change your mind!

And what does any of that have to do with you?

It's my own fault I got hurt and couldn't protect you. All I can do is stop you from putting yourself in danger.

Uh... I'm not angry at you! I'm angry at those bloody Browntails.

Don't worry, I'll settle the score for you. I'll show them nobody messes with Clan Paleroche.

Get out of the way, brother.

Master...

Warriors, take General Gulo back to his room.

Several warriors help Gulo up and help him walk back to his room.

Hmph.

I'm not afraid of them. But I won't go unprepared.

<i>Fy faen</i>. Prepare a few more cars, boys.

Dinner is ready, Madam Sciurus.

What about the matriarch? Will she not join us?

Matriarch Ratatos just left. She says not to worry about her.

I remember the matriarch saying she had a meeting with Clan Paleroche today. But it's so early...

Did she go alone?

We're not sure...

Something doesn't feel right, Yucatan.

Go after her.

Alright...

One moment, please, Madam Sciurus and Master Yucatan...

What is it this time?

The matriarch left orders before she left...

We are not to allow the two of you to leave home tonight.

Under any circumstances.

Saintess! Get down!

Drat... Who are these people?

How dare they attempt to murder the Saintess on Kjerag soil?!

Maybe they're not from Kjerag...

They're dangerous...

Don't worry, Saintess! I'll protect you with my life!

They won't get in so easily... Don't underestimate the hunters of Kjerag!

The young huntress locks and loads her heavy crossbow, barely taking any time to aim it through the broken window before pulling the trigger.

It is immediately followed by multiple screams.

Hit.

Careful, there are a lot of them!

We can't just stay here. We need to get out...

What do we do—

Calm down. Listen to me...

Lying prone on the snow, the attacker gestures to those behind him to remain hidden. They learned their lesson the hard way.

They slowly close in on the house, on guard against the crossbow bolts that can be fired from the window at any time with uncanny accuracy.

They could see a shadow move behind the curtain, and the edges of the curtain sway...

The attacker raises his crossbow.

The poisoned bolt strikes the figure behind the curtain. He hears the sound of the body hitting the floor, then silence.

Hit. Not sure if she's down.

Units Two, Three and Four, hold position. Unit One, with me. Approach with care. The intel says there are two of them.

Several figures sneak up to the house, breaking in once they have determined no sound coming from inside.

What...? This... It's...

...A wooden sculpture?

A sculpture of Kjeragandr lies on the ground, a crossbow bolt sticking out of its head.

The assailants did not notice the delicate sound of machinery operating as they entered the room.

They hear the ringing of a bell, while their arms and legs go weak.

Five loaded crossbows and a massive net take aim at the invaders.

They fell for it! Just like you said!

You'd better repent for damaging a sculpture of Kjeragandr!

Now! Run!

Alpha, report.

The Paleroche convoy has cleared the third checkpoint.

Confirm target position—back seat of the lead car.

Shall we engage?

Affirmative.

Wait, there's a change in the situation!

The target's stopped moving. No direct line-of-sight. I can't see what's going on.

Browntail warriors? What are they doing here?

Stand by. I'm calling Number One.

What's the meaning of this?

Your matriarch told us to come to meet her, then sent you to stop us?

The location of the meeting is just ahead, Sir Arctosz. This will only take a minute of your time.

Please allow us to search your vehicles, in the interest of safety.

What a joke. You're afraid of a handful of boys when your people picked the location? You people are cowards.

The orders came from Matriarch Ratatos. We request your cooperation.

Hmph. Do what you want. I've got nothing to hide.

No issues. You may proceed now, Sir Arctosz.

Not so fast.

You searched us. Now, we search you.

Search every nook and cranny from here to the Browntail manor, the road and everything around it.

You find anybody suspicious, take them in!

Yes, sir!

Report on the target's location, Alpha.

Come in, Alpha.

Alpha, can you hear me? Report!

What's going on...?

Command, the target car has entered our surveillance zone and is approaching the final point of action. Should we move?

When did he... is there any movement from the target?

No, the target hasn't exited the vehicle. I can't see inside from here.

Stand by. Engage once you have visual on the target.

Bravo reporting.

We have visual on what we believe to be an armed Kjerag patrol.

Have you identified them?

Unclear, possibly Paleroche guards.

Charlie reporting! We've spotted Kjerag warriors too. They're searching nearby buildings.

Our position may be compromised. Should we make a move now?

Negative, stand by.

We've been compromised! Engaging!

They found us! We've been exposed, repeat, we've been exposed!

Permission for final action!

Bloody hell...

Affirmative—

The north winds blow, over the mountain road...

The tuskbeast hides, among the rocks he bides...

Take your bow, swing it low...

...By the little wood window.

Hit.

The forest is the domain of the hunter.

The young huntress takes Enya into the forest, the mysterious assailants in hot pursuit.

Their numbers are soon thinned by crossbow bolts that seem to come out of nowhere.

There's at least one more... where are you...?

The huntress knows that her last shot has revealed her position, while the enemy has withdrawn into the shadows.

She hides behind a large tree, zeroing in on one little sound.

Lock, load, loose—

Missed?!

The young huntress is pushed to the ground as her shot misses.

The attacker picks up a bolt from the ground and aims it at her throat.

But he never gets the chance to bring his raised hand down. It is frozen.

A blurred silhouette appears from above the assailant, bringing the weight of a thousand mountains down upon his head.

The ground trembles, and the snow on the tree branches is scattered...

...Degenbrecher?

Degenbrecher catches the bolt flying towards her with one hand.

Who are you?! What do you want with the Saintess?!

Stop, Joanna! Degenbrecher is a friend.

Degenbrecher...?

Joanna hesitantly removes the bolt from her crossbow as she looks up and down at Degenbrecher.

I've heard your name before... they say you're a strong warrior.

But I've never seen... a man beaten into permafrost like that...

What are you doing here, Degenbrecher?

Enciodes sent me.

I apologize, but now is not the time to stick to the rules.

How did he know I was in danger...?

This is not the only attack in recent days.

There were attempts on the lives of the members of Clans Silverash and Paleroche, soon after you left the Vine-Bead Court. The three clans are on the brink of civil war.

How could this be...?

These people...

Only now do the trio have the time to take a long look at the assailants—late assailants, more precisely.

They are wearing Paleroche armor, and they are carrying standard-issue Kjerag weapons.

Clan Paleroche...?

That's impossible!

Clan Paleroche has always been loyal. They would never think of murdering the Saintess!

But there has to be an explanation for these people.

Th-They must be in disguise! Someone is trying to frame the Paleroches!

Let me see... There must be some gap in their disguise...

Yes! Look at this bolt!

Hmph! These people thought they could fool us wearing Paleroche clothes, but they got a very important thing wrong.

Look, the bolts they're carrying are two-fletched, but the ones used by Paleroche warriors are three-fletched, which are more suitable for battle than hunting.

Dad told me that our family was the best, most loyal warriors of the Paleroches before we split from the clan.

Our shooting skills were passed down from our ancestors, who used them in war, mostly against—

...against the Silverashes.

A logical explanation.

All ancient history now.

The wars between the three clans, Paleroche, Browntail, and Silverash, have long since come to an end, and your family became hunters under Kjeragandr's kind guidance.

Yes... by Kjeragandr...

It's not hard to guess who is impersonating Clan Paleroche.

The Victorians...

Degenbrecher pulls a bolt from one of the Victorian's necks and examines it.

Hm...?

Did you make this yourself?

Yes, my dad taught me when I was little. The craftsmanship has been passed down my family from one generation to the next.

From one generation to the next?

The cut of the fletching, the shape of the point, even the etching on the shaft, these are all unique to Ursus.

How's that possible? Dad said it's a mark of Kjeragandr's faithful.

I've seen arrows like these in the arenas of Kazimierz many times, used by those who claimed to master the most authentic Ursine martial arts.

A gimmick, no doubt, but the GCC also sponsors legitimate historians. I've read their papers and seen the artifacts they dug up.

But... but we're all indigenous to Kjerag. We used to be part of Clan Paleroche!

What does Ursus have to do with Kjerag?

...Enya?

'...Some brought flags, some brought drums, and some brought swords.'

'The three outsiders fought constantly, and their blood turned the rivers red, and She grieved.'

'She went to the place of battle and said—'

'Sheathe your weapons and let your hearts be joined, and I will bestow upon you the blessings of prosperity, and protect you from ill.'

'But the three were foolish, and continued to fight even after they heard Her words.'

'So She cracked the heavens and split the clouds, and She brought forth a miracle, and the fighting was stopped.'

'One of them wept: But how could we forget the hatred, the blood that was shed?'

'And She wept as well, and Her tears froze the enemy, becoming three eternally frozen peaks.'

...What was that?

A passage from the <i>Kjeragandr</i> that is often overlooked... now, I think I understand.

Joanna, I believe that your family... indeed, all of Clan Paleroche, originally came from Ursus.

You think so too?

Yes. But it's not just you. The Silverashes and Browntails came from elsewhere as well.

As the scriptures say, our three clans were outsiders who fought incessantly over resources, until Kjeragandr intervened.

The 'three frozen peaks' seem to refer literally to the three mountains surrounding Kjerag, but it in fact refers to the domains of the three clans, which She had demarcated.

'She will come again, if the swords are not laid down.'

Several years ago, She manifested through me, averting what would have been the first civil war between the three clans in centuries.

The hearts of the three clans must be joined in order to receive Her protection...

The first virtue that Kjeragandr taught us was... forgiveness...

We got them, master!

The tall guards bring over several prisoners, bound with ropes.

These guys were hiding in some abandoned houses, clearly up to no good. They had binoculars and communications equipment on them. Victorians, by the looks of it.

Ha. Just as I thought.

Ratatos is plotting with the Victorians to kill me. We'll take these men to her—

No, we'll do it in front of the Vine-Bead Court with all three clans present, and we'll see what she has to say for herself!

Who's there—

We caught the remaining Victorian spies, Sir Arctosz. We are glad to see that you are unharmed.

What? What do you mean?

Matriarch Ratatos's orders were to protect you, Sir Arctosz.

We had been following you, and stopped these men when they attempted to make a move against you.

The warriors put their bound prisoners down.

What in the name of Kjeragandr...?

...Where is Ratatos?

We do not know.

She said she would try to draw out the spies that Victoria has deployed around here. When they reveal themselves, we can—

The old Browntail manor explodes, its walls torn apart like cardboard.

Glass and wood fragments fly in all directions, as flames consume the traces of a once sumptuous history. The boiling smoke distorts the night air.

The Paleroche warriors stand transfixed, eyes wide. Behind the brown car, some warriors caught by the blast now stagger as they try to help each other up.

The echoes of the explosion gradually disperse, leaving the crackle of wood and distant sirens ever clearer in the night.

A charred jacket drifts down in front of Arctosz.

This is...

...Ratatos?

What the hell have you done?!