Bourse |
"It's really all dead trees. What on earth happened to this forest?" |
Rennes |
"From what I can see, this seems to be the only area where the trees have withered. It's hard to imagine a local climate change when the area is so small." |
Bourse |
"I'm also concerned about the concentration of star leaves where the trees are dying." |
Rennes |
"Mademoiselle Freiburg, what do you think?" |
Freiburg |
"......" |
Rennes |
"......" |
Rennes |
"Um, Mademoiselle Freiburg?" |
Freiburg |
"Heh?" |
Freiburg |
"Oh, s-sorry. What, Frau Rennes?" |
Rennes |
"If it's something you don't feel comfortable talking about, you don't have to talk about it, but I'd like to hear about it if you don't mind?" |
Rennes |
"...About what happened when the sacred tree in the Black Forest died." |
Freiburg |
"Rennes, you know about that incident?" |
Rennes |
"I'm a Forestier protecting dangerous forests after all. I've been educated in all aspects of forest knowledge." |
Bourse |
"The sacred tree of the Black Forest..." |
Bourse |
"As I recall, it's famous as material for bows, non? It is said that only a few top rangers possess one..." |
Rennes |
"It is famous as a material not for bows, rather weapons. It's a tree with the strange property of absorbing the magic power of its owner and becoming stronger. It is said to be more effective when used for spears and shields than for bows." |
Rennes |
"In the past, it was mainly supplied from Eisengrad to the Gendarmerie for the rangers fighting on the northern front, but nowadays it is rarely seen." |
Freiburg |
"There was, until recently. Just a few left, but they're still there. Not as material for weapons, but as material for furniture and toys." |
Bourse |
"But does the sacred tree grow in such large numbers? Le Bourse assumed it's one big tree." |
Freiburg |
"There is more than one sacred tree. All the trees that grow in a certain place are called sacred trees. The locals call the place the sacred tree forest..." |
Rennes |
"And in that sacred tree forest lives a family called the Sacred Tree Guardians." |
Rennes |
"'Woe befalls you if you offend the Sacred Tree Guardians. The tears of the Sacred Tree Guardians fall as the rain of curse and take all life.'" |
Rennes |
"This is just a story my maman and grand-maman told me, so I don't necessarily know everything about it. Also it's not the kind of story one casually chats outside." |
Rennes |
"But when I came to this dead forest, I thought, 'Maybe Mademoiselle Freiburg can save this forest?'" |
Freiburg |
"I didn't expect to hear the legend of the 'Holy Tree Guardians' outside the town. I see, so Frau Rennes knew that much." |
Bourse |
"Um, both of you? It's fine that you're communicating pleasant, but can you not leave le Bourse and le Conductor out of the loop?" |
Freiburg |
"Oh, ah sorry sorry. I'll have to explain it properly." |
Freiburg |
"I mean, Herr Conductor should know most of it too, don't you? The incident that happened inside the Black Forest." |
Conductor |
I am aware of it, but limited to the information on records, of course. It was the worst natural disaster to hit an Eisengradian military facility. |
Conductor |
A few years ago, the Eisengrad Army was planning to build more weapons factories, so there was a decision to construct a hybrid factory facility and fortress in an area of the Black Forest. The location is said to have been treated as holy grounds by the local inhabitants because, strangely enough, there was no occurrence of Phantom Mist at all. |
Conductor |
The upper echelons of the Eisengrad Army had their eyes on these holy grounds. The location is secluded on top of the mountain, where it was safe without having to rely on barrier setups, thus made it the perfect place to build a secret military facility. |
Conductor |
--But as soon as the Eisengrad military facility was constructed, tragedy rained down on the Black Forest. |
Freiburg |
"That's the Rain of Curse Rennes was talking about. It's a very scary rain that melts everything it touches." |
Bourse |
"What happened to the trees in the forest?" |
Freiburg |
"They all melted and fell to pieces. The leaves, the trunks, everything. The sacred trees, of which there were many, all look terrible." |
Conductor |
It was not only the trees in the forest that were melted by the Rain of Curse. All the Eisengrad military facilities that had been built also melted. In addition, the soldiers who worked there... were also victims of that rain. |
Freiburg |
"There was a Phantom Mist outbreak at the same time as the Rain of Curse poured. That's why the Eisengrad soldiers who were at the factory fought the Mist Monsters in the sacred tree forest instead of evacuating." |
Bourse |
"They are brave. It must have been terrifying to fight while being hit by the Rain of Curse." |
Freiburg |
"Yes, they were very brave. I was very moved, even though something very sad was happening right in front of me." |
Freiburg |
"I was... the daughter of one such amazing person." |
Bourse |
"Eh?" |
Freiburg |
"Heheeh, the captain who led that battle was my mama. That's when I first found out about it." |
Freiburg |
"Mama joined the army when I was little and never came home. Then, when I was older, I met her again! I thought I would never see her again, so I was very happy." |
Rennes |
"So you were actually there. My apologies, I didn't know that much about it..." |
Freiburg |
"Please don't make that long face. I wouldn't have told you if I didn't want to. Besides, all my friends in town know about this." |
Bourse |
"What really could have caused such rain? Did the Phantom Mist make it rain?" |
Freiburg |
"I don't know. The Phantom Mist disappeared when the rain stopped, and it never rained like that again." |
Bourse |
"Is that what they meant by angering the Sacred Tree Guardians?" |
Freiburg |
"Ahaha, I don't think so. It's just a legend. Opa said that 'the forest got angry' though..." |
??? |
"Save us..." |
??? |
"Don't destroy our dreams. Return our prayers. Don't let the starry forest cry rain..." |
Bourse |
"Rennes, did you heard that just now?" |
Rennes |
"Yes. It was very loud, and very clear." |
Freiburg |
"You two have heard it too, then? They's been saying the same thing for a while now. Ever since I touched this star leaf..." |
Bourse |
"How did it come about that le Bourse and us could hear it too?" |
Rennes |
"Dohyuhhyuh, mystery is a mystery, non? I don't mind this kind of thing." |
Freiburg |
"It means I'm not the only one who is called. We can save this forest, together♪" |