Main Scenario/Traces of Light

The Steel Tree of St. Iris Episode
31-1	Lack of Cooperation
31-2	Sniper in the Darkness
31-3	Separate Action
31-4	Large Army
31-5	Overcoming Numerical Disadvantage
31-6	Enemy General
31-7	Rain of Light
31-8	Happy to See Youko
31-9	Steel Thorns
31-10	Steel Tree of St. Iris

The Giant Trees. They are massive trees that tower over the borders of the Iris Cloud.
All of the Giant Trees in the five countries are covered by a thick Phantom Mist, known as the Sea of Fog, and have long been considered inaccessible. However, the Giant Tree Railroad was conquered by the Train Knights riding on the Mist Train.
This succeeded in freeing Ricardo Trevithick, the poisoned Guardian of St. Iris, and the Giant Tree seemed to have regained its original power to maintain harmory of St. Iris...
However, the Giant Tree of St. Iris has undergone its appearance drastically.
It closed off the nearby railways with huge steel thorns and exhaled deep darkness and Mist on the ground. At the centre of the disastrous thing known as the Steel Tree was a huge Phantom Mist core, from which a spear of light tore... through the skies of St. Iris.
How did the people who were looking up at the sky at that time perceive the scene reflected in their eyes? They must have been speechless, and they must have envisioned an ominous future.
The fearful torrent of light from the Steel Tree of St. Iris instantly obliterated parts of the distant mountains clean.
Fayette	"No survivors. No injuries. There are traces that this was a village, but I don't see any people."
Yakutsk	"Half the village, the whole ground has been gutted completely. The sorcery Youko used was amazing, but this is something else."
Fayette	"Depending on the situation, we should consider withdrawing. It might be difficult to get to the industrials, let alone the residential areas."
We have now just arrived at the village that was in the line of the light. The village was not on the map, but Detroit had told us of its existence.
It seems like a long time ago that the Special Steel Squad was desperately trying to bring peace to the subterranean universe. In such a short time, St. Iris has changed.
The Giant Tree was shrouded in thick Mist and darkness, transforming itself into the Steel Tree. A huge Phantom Mist core was lodged in the trunk - and a ray of light was emitted from within, leading to this disastrous situation.
The situation there was so bad that it was tempting to pretend that there used to be a village here.
However, there were traces of human habitation in the areas that had escaped the direct impact of the light, and the factories that probably supported the village's economy remained intact.
Yakutsk	"That factory must have been the heart and soul of the village. I wonder if the villagers worked there."
Fayette	"Maybe not in the residential area. The quality and quantity of the Phantom Mist is different from here. It's not just Phantom Mist. It's almost certainly the effect of that light."
Queensway	"Don't say that.... Don't say that without even looking into it."
Fayette	"Without even looking into it?"
Queensway	"That's right. We haven't even set foot in the industrial zone or the residential zone. This is an inhabited village, remember? It's too early to give up."
Fayette	"I'm not giving up, and I'm not making any wild guesses. I'm just saying what I think is the right decision based on the information we have at the moment. I've even gone as far as to say, 'We'll consider pulling out'."
Queensway	"......"
Fayette	"You don't sound happy."
Queensway	"I'm not disgruntled."
Fayette	"But not appeased."
Queensway	"......"
Fayette	"I understand. That feeling of yours. I understand it and I can relate to it."
Fayette	"But those feelings you have are not 'facts'. They won't do you much good when things get tough. You want to cover your eyes from the devastation. Especially if it's the first time you've encountered such a situation."
Vivienne	"Wait, Fayette..."
Yakutsk	"Vivienne."
Yakutsk	"...Don't."
Vivienne	"......"
Fayette	"Queensway, what have you done since you got here? Were you waiting for me or Conductor to tell you what to do next?"
Queensway	"No, sir. I was looking for survivors."
Fayette	"Yes, you were. You worked really hard. You worked the hardest of all people, all the way through without a break."
Fayette	"And what did you find out as a result?"
Queensway	"Mist Monsters and a very thick Phantom Mist..."
Fayette	"We've cleared it up and sent out another task force. Of course, depending on the results of that investigation, we may march on. But two things are already clear at this stage."
Fayette	"That there are no survivors in sight and that the Mist in this village is worse than we thought. If we continue with the rescue mission, we might suffer secondary casualities, and if this becomes an assault mission, we could all die here in a dog fight."
Fayette	"You see that particularly bad-looking Mist in the residential area? That's the area beyond the factory, where that light hit. Did you see that and decide to rush towards the residential area?"
Queensway	"That's..."
Fayette	"You decided we couldn't do that. All of us here. We'll send Detroit in for the time being to find out what's going on with the Mist. We'll see if there's any sign of the source of the outbreak, because that will determine our future moves. I told you of my intention, and Conductor was of the same opinion as I was."
Fayette	"Queensway, did I give up 'without even looking into it'?"
Queensway	"......No."
Fayette	"Do you want to run into that Mist and die before it's safe? Do you want to take Sir Conductor there?"
Queensway	"No."
Fayette	"Take a good look. We don't want to miss the slightest information."
Fayette	"I'll listen to your opinions and suggestions. But don't let your emotions be replaced by facts. It's not about holding back or being calm. You know what I mean?"
Queensway	"I understand. Use my head and think about what I have to do."
Fayette	"That's what I'm asking you to do. I understand that you're a bit pissed off, but always use your head when you're on operations. Think of it as advice from your senior officer."
Queensway	"......"
Queensway	"If the Order had been stationed there, the outcome would have been different..."
Queensway	"The factory was safe. Immediately after the damage, the Phantom Mist might not have occurred yet. If we had been able to evacuate the area immediately, we might have been able to escape from here."
Yakutsk	"There might have been a village here precisely because the Knights were not stationed here."
Queensway	"Miss Yakutsk..."
Yakutsk	"If the Knights had been here, they could have done nothing important and it's a waste of important military resources. If the garrison was conveniently located away from the village, that could have been avoided."
Yakutsk	"There's no end to it. There's no pointing reciting all the 'mights' after a bad day."
Queensway	"Miss Yakutsk, I..."
Yakutsk	"Yer much more patient, yer more mature than Detroit. I feel like she's a bit ahead of her temper today."
Queensway	"Miss Yakutsk, tell me if you know. What is the difference between a soldier and a knight?"
Yakutsk	"The policies of the organisation, the way it is, I'm not too sure. At least I don't think the difference is only in name."
Yakutsk	"But I think it depends a lot on the individual - even the Out-Siders are knights of St. Iris, aren't they?"
Queensway	"But Fayette is too strong. Why doesn't she feel exasperated in this situation? Is it because she is a well-trained warrior?"
Yakutsk	"That's likely the difference in experience - Fayette has a lot of real combat experience with the Out-Siders. She's a Knight of St. Iris, but she's been in combats in Loren Citadel and Baikal. She's used to the facing deep levels of Hell straight on."
Queensway	"But I'm sure that even we in the SSS have had our fair share of experience. We have been through many tough battles."
Yakutsk	"Yes, we have. We've seen some terrible things, We've seen the M. Flamarine's navy perished into the sea with our own eyes."
Queensway	"......"
Yakutsk	"Queensway, have you ever sent someone else to their deaths because of your orders? Have you ever had a fellow member of the Order or the SSS die in front of your eyes?"
Queensway	"No. I have never."
Yakutsk	"I have. Do you know that?"
Queensway	"...Yes."
Yakutsk	"Instructor Finchley has had that experience as well. So does Mary and Yuuzen. They are all very strict."
Yakutsk	"I think they say harsh things because they have that experience. That is, compared to instructors, Fayette is not that strict, however..."
Yakutsk	"...I think she's a bit different today."
Queensway	"Yes, she is. If you ask me, it's true, she's a bit different."
Yakutsk	"I'm sure Fayette has had a lot of hard times in her past. She has already went into danger zones without the Mist Train and without the support of the Allied Forces, because that's what the Out-Siders is all about."
Yakutsk	"Of course, not everything she said is right. But, you know, it's probably what we need to do to win. What you need to do to live and succeed in your mission, together with your friends."
Queensway	"It's difficult."
Yakutsk	"Yes, it's really hard."
Queensway	"Do you think so too, Miss Yakutsk?"
Yakutsk	"Yes, of course. If we were in Eisengrad, I don't think I would be able to talk like this. I'd admittedly get emotional and run straight for the enemy camp."
Yakutsk	"But you know, even though this isn't my home, I'm so pissed off that I'd like to smash whoever's the bastard who fired that light right in front of us right now."
Queensway	"Miss Yakutsk..."
Yakutsk	"I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way, I'm sure Fayette feels the same way as ya do. Don't ya think?"
Queensway	"Yes, I do."
Yakutsk	"Then why do you think Fayette is so calm?"
Queensway	"Because it's a fight we absolutely have to win."
Yakutsk	"That's right. Now you know that. We don't have time to be sad because we've been badly beaten. We absolutely have to win. For the sake of this village."
Vivienne	"Yakutsk, Detroit's team's back."
Yakutsk	"Roger. On my way."
Yakutsk	"...Now, let's get to work. Let's hope for some good news."
Queensway	"Yes!"

Northern St. Iris Episode
32-1	Traces of Light
32-2	Unsearchable Objects
32-3	The Army of Machine Soldiers
32-4	Second Defeat
32-5	Distance To Target
32-6	Wreckage
32-7	The Brutal Truth
32-8	For the Sake of Peace
32-9	Hero of the North
32-10	Man-Made