|
Father Krampus |
"Ho, ho, ho..." |
Father Krampus |
"We-wish-you-a..." |
Father Krampus |
"Ho-e!" |
Rennes |
"The Mist is clearing. It seems that the uncle we don't know was the source of the Phantom Mist after all." |
Bourse |
"Rennes, stick to calling it a demon or a monster." |
Freiburg |
"Now we can go back to our peaceful forest then? We can all have a happy Christmas together, can't we?" |
Freiburg |
"Yes, that's right. Herr Oak Tree?" |
Freiburg touched the withered fallen oak tree and prayed for the holy night and the dead forest. Both Bourse and Rennes imitated Freiburg and prayed to the withered oak tree. |
How did this forest come to look like this? Who was that voice calling us? There must have been so many things we wanted to know, but strangely it doesn't matter now. |
Freiburg |
"This oak tree is a sacred tree that used to protect this forest. I guess a lot of bad people hurt it, knocked it down and all it could do was watch its friend wither and die." |
Bourse |
"Is that what this child said?" |
Freiburg |
"Nuh-uh, I don't know as well. I just kind of thought so." |
Freiburg |
"This oak tree looks just like the sacred trees in the Black Forest. I feel its power is very strong. A special power to protect the forest and the sky. I think this kind of power is called sacred power." |
Freiburg |
"'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.'" |
Bourse |
"That's a legend from your hometown, petite Freiburg. Rennes mentioned it earlier." |
Freiburg |
"Yes. For the people living near the Black Forest, the Sacred Tree Guardians were like scary monsters. Small children would run away crying." |
Rennes |
"But that changed when the Rain of Curse actually fell. Because it was the Sacred Tree Guardians who saved the people of the town from the Rain of Curse." |
Bourse |
"Did the Sacred Tree Guardians actually exist?" |
Rennes |
"Yes. Like us Forestiers, there was a family that lived deep in the dark forest. However, the townspeople were creeped out by them, so the Sacred Tree Guardians lived in secret." |
Rennes |
"But when the Rain of Curse fell, the Sacred Tree Guardians revealed themselves, to tell people what was happening in the forest, and went around the town shouting that the rain was dangerous." |
Bourse |
"Because if you reveal that you are of the Sacred Tree Guardians, people will believe you about the Rain of Curse..." |
Freiburg |
"Frau Rennes, these... Who told you that story?" |
Rennes |
"The head of the Brocéliande Forestiers - my grand-maman. The spear my grand-maman uses is made from the sacred tree of the Black Forest. So I've heard a lot about the Black Forest since I was a little girl." |
Rennes |
"They say that the little guardian who ran around in the Rain of Curse and saved people's lives wore a star-shaped pendant made from the sacred tree. When I saw that pendant on you, I didn't think it was possible..." |
Freiburg |
"You are right, Rennes. My family are the Sacred Tree Guardians. I am the last of them." |
Rennes |
"Ah, I knew it..." |
Rennes faced Freiburg and kneeled in place. This doesn't look like a military salute, but likely a ceremonial one for the Forestiers? |
Rennes |
"I have always wanted to meet you. As we are fellows of the forest, I pay my utmost respect to you." |
Freiburg |
"S-stop that! I should have been the one saying that! I heard about the Verfolet Forest from my Opa and I've always wanted to meet the Brocéliande Forestiers." |
Freiburg |
"And... I'd love to be friends with them..." |
Bourse |
"Then that wish has come true." |
Freiburg |
"Frau Bourse..." |
Bourse |
"I mean, you, petit Freiburg was the first one to say that, you know? You didn't need a reason to go to your friend's house. Which means, Rennes and Freiburg are already friends, non?" |
Freiburg |
"...Yeah, that's right! We are already friends! And of course, Frau Bourse too♪" |
Rennes |
"U-ugh, suddenly I think Bourse looks kind of dazzling. How can you say something so sparkling? I wish you would share your vocabulary with me." |
Freiburg |
"Wait no, isn't she really glowing?" |
Bourse |
"Ooh, it's finally the moment for le Bourse to transform. Blessed by the forest and wrapped in sacred light, to become a pure maiden." |
Rennes |
"Umm, probably not. It is not you who's glowing, Bourse, but the star leaf." |
All the star leaves in the withered forest, including the one Freiburg had attached to the oak tree, gave off an intense light. |
The intense light illuminated the whole forest in white, then immediately bursted into fine white grains, and danced in the air and fell like snow. |
|
Freiburg |
"How pretty..." |
Bourse |
"The star leaves all popped at once. It's like diamond dust." |
Rennes |
"No, it's neither snow nor diamond dust." |
Rennes |
"They're stars. The star leaves are noctulicent plants that makes stars fall, and Mademoiselle Freiburg's power made them fall on the holy night. Oh, what a wonderful Christmas..." |
Bourse |
"Rennes said something poetic. Quite nice, I'll borrow that for ma petite Vivi later." |
Freiburg |
"Hey, can we carry this Herr Oak Tree to the party? I'd like to decorate it with ornaments and turn it into a Christmas tree." |
Rennes |
"That's a pretty good idea." |
Bourse |
"But isn't it hard for the three of us to carry this?" |
Rennes |
"Dohyuhyuh... not just us three people you know? There are some rangers who are good at hide-and-seek hiding behind us." |
Rennes |
"So, anyway, we need your assistance, Vivienne?" |
Vivienne |
"Houp-là, I knew Rennes would notice me~" |
Bourse |
"Ma petite Vivi!? That's ridiculous! How can le Bourse not notice ma petite Vivi's presence and scent!" |
Vivienne |
"Ohoho, don't underestimate a hardcore outdoorsman, Bourse you need to learn to walk in the woods a bit more♪" |
Vivienne |
"But you did a great job this time, Bourse." |
Bourse |
"No, le Bourse didn't do anything special. But if you're going to give me a reward, I'd like to jump into ma petite Vivi's chest right now!" |
Freiburg |
"Hyahai, then let's go back to the village and continue the party!" |
Rennes |
"Right. Let's make this oak tree a great Christmas tree." |
Thanks to Freiburg and her team's efforts, the Mist has disappeared and peace has returned to the forest. |
Yet that withered forest was not restored. It was not because of the Phantom Mist this time, but because it had always looked like that. |
Freiburg |
"Haaaaai! Everyone pay attention~! We've added another Christmas tree to make tonight's party more exciting~♪" |
Boys |
"Wow! Wow!" |
Freiburg |
"Choose any ornament you like from the table and put it on this oak tree~♪" |
Freiburg |
"For every child who helps with the decorations, Brocéliande Forestier Frau Rennes will give them a galette! You should also try the stollen I made, they are delicious♪" |
Rennes |
"B-Bonsior, name's Rennes. We have t-taken every precaution to ensure your safety, but j-just to be safe, please don't touch my buttocks or do anything n-naughty. It is possible that m-my hand or spear could r-react out in an e-emergency." |
Boys |
"Woah! Forestier's scary!" |
Vivienne |
"Conductor, may I have a word?" |
Vivienne |
"I did some research on that withered forest. Apparently there used to be a settlement there. But it was a long time ago..." |
Vivienne handed me some documents, which revealed some unexpected truths. |
'The guardians of the Starry Forest have not left the forest even after it was taken by arms dealers. They prayed to the sacred tree, but it finally lost its power. The Starry Forest is shrouded in Mist and becomes an uninhabitable forest.' |
Vivienne |
"They say that every single merchant and craftsman who came to the forest to make weapons disappeared, a bit like the Black Forest where Freiburg was." |
Vivienne |
"Tell Freiburg and the others on my behalf, Conductor. As soon as the party is over, I'm going to the forest to place barriers there with the Gendarmerie, but them three don't have to come." |
Vivienne |
"Both Rennes and Bourse look very happy. I hope they all enjoy a nice Christmas." |
Vivienne wants me to 'tell them', but that shouldn't be necessary. |
Because Freiburg probably knows this fact. She must have realised the moment she touched that oak tree. What happened in the dead forest, what that oak tree was. |
All of this would have been told to her by that oak tree and the star leaves. |
Rennes |
"Mademoiselle Freiburg, why is there such a legend passed down in the town of the Black Forest about the Sacred Tree Guardians, when Freiburg you have no power to make it rain?" |
Freiburg |
"Aaaah, it's a lesson. Just my guess, but I think my ancestors made it up." |
Freiburg |
"Defiling the forest is the same as defiling the town. You can take a life to save a life, but you can't take a life to save a life. That's the kind of lesson they said." |
Bourse |
"Can't take a life for the sake of saving a life..." |
Freiburg |
"Yep. Cutting down trees to make weapons is just like that." |
Rennes |
"They don't want more people to see the sacred trees in the Black Forest used as material for weapons. Maybe that's what they were hoping for." |
Freiburg |
"My mama also said something like this." |
Freiburg |
"The tears of the Guardians make it rain. So, even if you're sad, you have to smile and live. You must never cry♪" |
Bourse |
"Freiburg, you have a beautiful smile for a reason. Perhaps le Bourse and everyone else should make a conscious effort to smile too." |
Rennes |
"That's right. Just, like this? Dohyuhhyuh." |
Bourse |
"Non, of course not." |
Freiburg |
"Then we can all laugh together♪ Here, have a glass. Let's have a toast!" |
Freiburg |
"To the holy night and the starry forest." |
Rennes |
"To the holy night and the starry forest." |
Bourse |
"And then to the friendship of us three?" |
Freiburg |
"Well said!" |
Three people, born in different countries and raised in different forests, pledge their friendship in front of two Christmas trees - A fir tree and an oak tree. |
All Three |
"Merry Christmas!" |
The shining ornaments adorning the dead tree were as beautiful as the starlight of the holy night. |