level_act46side_10_beg

The rock wall collapses with the first blast, revealing a deep cavern to the spelunkers.

Just like I thought. Looks like you really can go deeper.

Can't see much further than the tunnel entrance... We'll need to go down if we want to explore.

Enya?

Her question echoes through the cave. The Saintess does not answer, for she is watching the babbling old man purse his lips tight.

'Seek not my temple, but my heart.'

...I await you, Elder Adso.

His legs are like wizened tree roots, his dried-out throat like a shallow pool in the dry season.

There he stands, unmoving.

...I shall stay here and keep watch, while you enter to do what you must do.

But didn't you make a vow with Enya that you'd prove whatever's inside isn't Kjeragandr?

If you don't come with us—

I have already made myself clear. I shall keep watch outside.

If She truly does exist, then She should come out Herself to greet me.

Elder...

It seems as though, rather than learning the truth, you would much rather be blind to evidence of Her.

...I... no, I would not... I would never...

There are no answers here...

Then why did you bring us here, yet refuse to bear witness?

No, She does <i>not</i> exist.

Daughter of Silverash, and you, and you too, do not pretend you have not seen.

The hunters who tan furs with frozen fingers, the gleaners who choke upon dust, and the Oripathy-haunted with their torn skin.

Have you not seen them, they who kneel upon the dirt until their knees bleed, all to beg and plead to Kjeragandr for salvation...

No, to end their miserable lives early, even...

While you huddled together in your warm houses making merry, it was I, and the Vine-Bead Court, who would go where you were unwilling to even look at, to the homes of the impoverished and destitute.

It was I who soothed them, I who kept preaching to them that 'none shall be abandoned'... 'Even if you were born into a lifetime of suffering, there is still a god who loves you'...

It was we who built the nation where people can greet their ends with a smile, but you, but Kjeragandr—

This arbitrary liege lord, this king who sees all as Her cattle! She can, should, save these people, save all of Kjerag.

Yet She is aloof, magicking up some 'miracle' every once in a while to show her power...

Why is it only ever barely a handful of people saved?!

Now, you even wish to go see this monster, this tyrant, to ask Her to deny me, to deny the order we have so painstakingly built.

I... I cannot—

What more is left that could support this old man? He collapses into the dirt, crying out in anguish, as if his frail body were struck by some invisible hammer.

...Speak, tell me.

Why does She not know? Why does She not understand?

Why do you stay silent...?

Um...

Great Elder... Why is he so upset?

Elder Adso... I understand where you are coming from.

We are not allowed to witness the true face of God. Only through Her admonishments, Her creations can we describe Her.

But I still wish to believe...

That no matter what I see at the other end of this cave, my faith shall not be swayed. The virtues and commandments, the knowledge and wisdom She has conferred upon us. They have meaning.

I merely wish to see clearly...

what road the children of Kjerag have followed.

Enya turns and walks into the deep cavern without the slightest hesitation, towards where her faith lies.

<p=2>Deck of the Gloriana</>

...How long has it been now?

It has been five hours and fifty-seven minutes since we sent our ultimatum, Your Grace.

Hmm...

I must say, I did not expect Enciodes to choose to respond this way.

'Tis a pity things had to end like this.

Relay the order, all men are to—

That...

Your Grace! We've sighted one of Kjerag's high-speed battleships!

You don't mean... How many?

Just... the one, Your Grace.

Even without the aid of binoculars, those standing atop the deck can see it.

In the distance, a battleship slowly emerges from a snow-draped valley, its hue that of silver ash.

Perhaps everyone is thinking the same thing at this moment: This ship, no matter if you compare it to the fleet it is facing, or the mountains behind it, is rather on the small side...

Silverash...?

Your Grace, the ship is hailing us on a public frequency.

Their message states that this is Kjerag's high-speed battleship, and her captain is Enciodes Silverash.

He sends his greetings to the Victorian Duke of Caster...

Oh...?

But does this stunt of his mean he is here to negotiate, or to start a war?

He says he hopes he can have a pleasant discussion with Your Grace... and he hopes that discussion can take place aboard Your Grace's <i>Gloriana</i>.

...Very well.

Welcome our guest aboard.

It has been a while, Most Esteemed Duke of Caster.

I trust you have been well, Enciodes... It truly has been quite a while.

Whenever a youth such as you stands before me, it reminds me that time is fleeting. Oh, how is one meant to endure such a thing?

Though much time has passed, I shall never dare forget the aid you gave me at the time, alongside your kindness towards Karlan Trade.

Haha... You were far too hasty when leaving Victoria. You only remembered to bring along Caster's aid with you, while leaving our friendship behind.

I had even hoped that, one day, you would invite me to Kjerag as your guest.

But since you <i>are</i> here, then I should extend you a host's courtesy.

'A host's courtesy', you say?

I find myself rather curious. Since you have been expelled from Karlan Trade, and the Silverash clan is branded as traitors in bed with Victoria...

Then who have you come to me as?

It is simple.

I am here as the sole authority of Kjerag.

I shall speak for this nation as we discuss matters.

By Kjeragandr, this place is huge...

It's beyond imagination... Was this place really an artificial refuge?

At the very least, it was hidden by human hands.

Do you see any ruins the Court may have hidden here, Enya?

No, I don't—

Wait, did you hear that?

The sound like rocks falling onto snow?

No, it's more like... Based on these readings, it's rhythmic, like...

...A heartbeat.

Even this stone here...

These veins on it are like actual blood vessels, fluorescing to the pulse of the sound...

How would you explain it?

...My instruments are picking up biosignals.

It's going to be hard to believe, but there's only one answer.

We are inside the body of a living being.

...But how can that be?

Whoa!

What is this? Nearly tripped over it.

Seems like there's some sort of statue here, I nearly bumped into it too...

Let me turn my emergency light on.

The shimmering light dispels the darkness, revealing the thing that is blocking their path.

Huh? An ice sculpture? Why's it crawling across the ground?

It's not the only one.

Look, there's another one there... Hmm, seems like there's even more of them this way...

They're clothed the same way the ancient peoples of Kjerag are described in historical records, but did those people have the technique to sculpt like this?

Craft and sculpture of the time were cruder. Enya, what do you....?

Enya?

I am afraid that these are not statues.

They're not?

They are... past Saintesses.

They are from the last time Kjeragandr vanished. They who offered themselves up as sacrifices to beg Her to return to Kjerag.

Enya brushes her fingers against a 'sculpture's' face. Her wrinkles. Her flesh. Her cheeks puffed up by gritted teeth. Her eyelashes. Her tears staining her cheeks, unevaporated.

A girl dead from hypothermia, her delusional relief and trembling from the cold merged into a single expression.

They were encased in ice after their deaths, preserving their faces and postures. They were... all looking in the same direction.

They were all looking for Her... answer.

The women follow the gazes of the 'sculptures', turning to look behind them.

...What is that? I've never seen anything shaped like that in Kjerag...

It is Kjeragandr.

It is what the people of the past saw... and also—

Its height and scale are far beyond ancient techniques. It couldn't possibly be a relic of the past...

But this cave has been sealed off for ages. Who did this, and why...?

A frigid wind from nowhere, laden with fine snow, slams into them.

Enya, look out!

The statue is... calling me.

The sound of a beating heart gradually becomes an ear-splitting din. She cannot hear the shouts of her companions, not even her own breathing.

The only thing her senses take in is the statue's icy radiance, alongside an irresistible urge—

The moment the Saintess's hand strokes the base of the statue, a great shock envelops all present. A vibrant scene rushes into the Saintess's mind...

...Gah, where'd it go hiding now?

I <i>just</i> saw it—its shadow darted through the grass and vanished. Did I lose track of it again?

Past experience advises her to stoop down. She was still a child the first time she set foot into the forest. What was it her father taught her then?

'Listen up, Joanna.'

'Hunting isn't easy. You need to be careful, you need to be brave, you need to be determined, and you need to be merciful.'

'You need to pay attention to the tracks left by every animal.'

'Footprints in the snow, scratches on bark, fallen hairs, spoor and traces of buried food...'

She walks by an expanse of snow, trees and bare soil. Still no sign of her prey.

Her gigantic prey, nearly the size of a small mountain, seems to have disappeared into thin air.

'Don't rush, even if you can't find anything. Don't rush... Joanna.'

'You're a hunter. You'll find your game.'

'For She has promised you that you may enter the forest with bow and crossbow, and the forest shall give you the meat and fat you require. You—'

I see it, over there!

The shadow fleeing out from the underbrush is swift, shooting out over the trail towards the depths of the forest on the other side.

The girl waves her arm behind her as she shouts.

Dad, head into the forest from the side, let's pincer it!

A voice replies from the empty forest.

Go, Joanna! You and me, we'll catch it!

'Go, you'll catch it.'

'You're such a faithful girl, never missing prayers or ceremonies, always concentrating when you carve statues of Her, even telling Her your thoughts every night.'

'She will grant you a full belly, happiness, and a tomorrow to wake up to. Because of your piety, and the time you have given Her.'

If... Hah, if I can actually hunt that thing down....

We won't have to go hungry this winter!

It'll be enough to feed my brothers and sisters, and I can even... I can even give some to the old lady next door, and the lady who just had a baby across the road...

The horns can be carved into figures of Kjeragandr, and the skin can be made into a new set of clothes for my sister.

There is a warmth in her chest to go with her joy, as if something were swelling within, fit to burst.

Her legs are faster than ever. Her hands do not tremble. She closes in on her prey.

Nearly... Nearly got it!

Please, bless my hand, Kjeragandr...

Her crossbow bolt flies through the air, its scream shattering the serenity of the snowfield.

The girl sprints after her quarry into a bush. She can almost reach its thick fur—

Ah...

There is nothing in her grasp.

Only a chunk of Originium crystal in her arm, growing like wildfire.

What use is your faith?

Kjeragandr will not protect you. The land shall have its fill, and you are but its prey.

This room is very familiar to me. Though I have never seen it, I am well aware of what this is.

The cramped, gloomy room is filled with the scent of pine oil, thick to the point you can barely walk through it. It is joined with a dry heat that resists description.

This is one of my thoughts.

The old man gets up from his chair. He steps forward, as if he were about to measure the size of the room with his feet.

One step, two steps, five steps, ten.

Ten steps. Ten is enough.

A narrow compartment. Soundproofed, insulated, unknown to others. Suited for clandestine discussions.

If I had put it that way, if I had extended the invitation that way, then the Silverashes...

What did I say when Luca came to meet with me?

Did I advise him to not commit this unpardonable sin, or did I not? Did I advise him to return to the righteous path, or did I not?

Did I agree with him, or did I not? Did I believe the new things that couple brought with them would destroy the soul of Kjerag, or did I not?

Did I tell him how to build a hidden room within the parlor of the Browntail manor, or did I not...?

...Did I tell him how to store pine resin, flammable materials, dry wood and firestarters, or did I not?

The fragrance intensifies, to the point that it stings the nose.

You forgot our deal.

Brother...

You were supposed to take control of the Vine-Bead Court and work with me, so that all of Kjerag would serve under the Browntail name.

Why are you always such a do-nothing coward?!

No... It wasn't supposed to be like this...

You know how much blood is on our hands just getting us to this point.

Look at these two girls, Ratatos and Sciurus. They're your own flesh and blood.

You're not going to close your eyes as the Silverashes and Paleroches put them to the sword when they grow up, are you?

All my life, I have told many lies, cheated many people.

Including those I love, and those who love me. Those I trusted, and those who trusted me...

I once sincerely believed that great power was the answer to everything.

But I was wrong.

My decades in the Hall of Writings washed my heart clean of my arrogance and stupidity. I understood that the only thing left in my life was a mission.

A mission to serve the truth, the very virtue that Kjeragandr carved upon each and every one of our souls.

And so, to repent deeply...

For the injurious plots against my neighbors. For my despicable tearing away of parent from child. For my lust for power. For the lies that poured from my deceitful tongue.

If... If Kjeragandr truly existed, how could She ignore all I did?

Fire. A fire from out of nowhere.

Or rather, it is a fire lit decades ago. A well-crafted trap that has finally found its prey.

A fire that has burned for thousands of days finally sweeps in furiously, engulfing all that Adso sees.

...Get out of here. It was us who found this unfreezing lake first!

Nonsense, we were the ones who found it first. Our brains and agility let us look out from atop the tallest branches, so we're the real masters of the lake!

Sure, you've got good eyes, lets you spot water and fruit, but you've got weak limbs. You can barely do anything without wobbling like a baby.

If it wasn't for our strong arms smashing those rocks to open up the mountain pass, nobody would be able to get here!

And what about us?

It was us who crossed the streams, us who led the way for you, and us who guard the lake day in and day out. We're the ones who make sure parasites don't dirty the water, so we're the ones who should own the heart-lake!

Why must you fight among yourselves again...?

There is enough water here for all to drink, and enough forest for all to build homes.

My word... These fruits and crops... How are they growing out of nothing?

Is this one of your miracles? We should make you our leader.

From now on, we wish to hear your will, to follow your teachings.

It was all of you together who awakened me.

I have seen all the hardships you endured as you came here from every corner of the land... Your instincts tell you to slay one another, and your instincts tell you to aid one another.

But what can be achieved through strife can also be achieved through sharing and communication. It is already so difficult to survive upon this land. Must you add harming each other to the mix?

From here on, you need not regard each other as enemies. Enjoy what this land has to offer as equals.

It was the beginning of it all.

She appeared amidst the people, worked Her miracles, resolved their disputes.

The three clans began to live together. From then on, this land had a name.

Your Majesty... This book recording the history of Kjerag is complete. Pray, look over it the once.

We do not dare forget a single line of Your teachings. We shall abide by Your every commandment.

No... No need.

You must remember my words, and the road you have followed here, but most importantly, remember the first kindness you felt in your hearts.

You must reflect upon yourselves, see clear your own hearts, and make them clean. So long as you hold goodness within your hearts, you shall not walk down false paths.

I have nothing more to teach you. The road ahead is yours alone to walk.

I believe... It is time for me to rest.

Her Majesty has left...

She told us to live as we have, but if there is nobody to command the Three Great Clans, how can we have faith in others?

No... We must hurry back to our lands and warn our people. We must beware invasion from the other clans!

Kjeragandr left, and as She did, She returned authority to Her people.

The wheel of history turned back to the beginning, and it seemed that the peaceful days of the past were but a fleeting dream...

Humanity returned to where it started.

What? I...?

Indeed. You are the next Saintess. Please prepare your luggage.

My family still needs me. It's sowing season, after all. They won't be able to till the soil without me, and if that happens, they'll starve come winter.

What about the lady from before? Where did she go after she came back from the mountains? Didn't you say that only she needed to climb?

We need an answer, and need someone to bring that answer back to us. She was unable to fulfill her duty, and so the task falls to another.

It is a great duty. The weight of the lives of all Kjerag rests upon your shoulders. Please come with me, Saintess.

Rubbish! Complete nonsense! I can't believe you would lie to a little girl like that!

Don't listen to him! Go tell your family that you shouldn't throw your life away like that!

O watcher above the clouds, god of Kjerag, Kjeragandr...

I ask... Hah... I ask that You, return to us...

I beseech you... Respond to my voice...

...Cold... Mama... So cold...

What must we do, Kjeragandr... Mmf...

Seriously... I keep shivering so much... If the bells bother Kjeragandr, if She gets mad... What do I do...?

No matter... No matter the wrongs we have done, I beg You, do not abandon us...

O Great Kjeragandr...

Enough... Enough.

Don't come any further! You'll die!

Why... Why all this for a lie...?

Kjeragandr... has never—

So you saw.

You're...

Kjarr...?

Did you really only just figure it out?

Enya... You're more muddle-headed than I thought at times.