﻿\setgamedatatitle("Empire of Ice Kiros")

\text
Luct=Lusario isn't as far north as Muumoon, but it's still
relatively northern within the country.
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\text
Additionally, from the height where the royal palace was
built, you could see the peaks of the Balka Mountains on a
clear day.
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But now, the Balka Mountains are shrouded in thick clouds.
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Truly, how infuriating.
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\text("Caym")
Honestly, it's terrible.
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With clear displeasure, Caym glances at the Balka Mountains
from the throne room.
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Spread out below is the great Arda Forest, lush with
greenery and towering trees.
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\text
...However, the forest north of Luct=Lusario is submerged
underwater.
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The trees are snapped in half, sunk in muddy water, and
there isn't a trace left of the vibrant Brightleaf that once
lived there.
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\text("Tiela")
According to reports, the forest north of Luct was hit by
the recent 'Great Flood'...
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\text("Caym")
Don't let it trouble you. What's done is done. Besides,
thanks to it, Hados is safe. We should be grateful.
\endtext

\text
―It was just half a day ago. The great flood struck Kiros.
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\text
By chance, Caym was visiting Lusario and witnessed the whole
thing together with Tiela.
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\text
As for the underground labyrinth, Risbell has ordered them
not to return until the post-incident cleanup is finished.
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In other words, they're safe.
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The real issue is how much human damage Lusario suffered.
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\text("Caym")
More importantly, what about casualties?
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\text("Tiela")
Everyone is safe. Thanks to the spirits, we were able to
evacuate to the underground labyrinth before any harm came
to us.
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\text("Tiela")
As for the forest, I believe it will return to normal soon
with the spirits' blessing.
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\text("Caym")
I see. That's good, then. At any rate, it's a relief the
people are safe.
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\text("Tiela")
...Yes.
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\text
As she's pulled into an embrace, she feels her sadness and
anxiety ease just a little.
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\text
Though he was the one who violated her, she feels like she's
come to understand what kind of person he is in the short
time since then.
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\text("Tiela")
(...Surprisingly, he does have a gentle side.)
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\text("Caym")
You seem down. If you want, I could cheer you up right here
and now?
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\text("Tiela")
Eh...? Here... again?
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\text("Caym")
Oh, 'again,' huh? Well, that's fine by me. This time, I'll
make sure to knock you up―
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\text("El")
Caym-sama~
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\text("Tiela")
Eek!?
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\text("Caym")
Tch... Came back at just the wrong time.
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\text
Behind Caym, who was grinding his teeth, stood El with a
vein bulging on her forehead and Spacchio with a wry smile.
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\text
The two of them had been sent out to gather information on
Kiros.
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\text("El")
What do you mean 'just missed it'! There's no time for lewd
stuff right now!
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\text("Caym")
Heh... You make time for it, El. So, how was Kiros?
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\text("Spacchio")
All good. Not a scratch on the place.
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\text("Caym")
Really... but, huh? Wasn't the flood supposed to hit Kiros?
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\text("Spacchio")
Yeah. Weird, right?
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\text("El")
I'm telling you, it's not weird at all. According to the
snow and wind spirits, it was thanks to Lady Winga's
protection that everything was fine.
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\text("Caym")
Ahh... So thanks to this Winga, Kiros didn't get swallowed
by the flood.
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\text("El")
That's right! Hehe, I'm more useful than Spacchio-san!
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Yeah, let me pat your head.
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\text("El")
Ehehe~
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\text("Spacchio")
So, this Winga, does Tiela-san know anything about her?
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\text("Tiela")
...It might be the Spirit King.
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\text
Tiela added a hesitant 'maybe' as she continued.
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\text("Tiela")
I've heard there's a powerful spirit in the Valka Mountains
that controls ice and violent winds.
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\text("Tiela")
They say the reason that land is hit by blizzards all year
round is because Lady Winga causes them.
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\text("El")
Sounds suspicious, doesn't it?
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\text("Spacchio")
Well, actually, not only was there no flood, but the rivers
were frozen solid. There wasn't even a chance for the water
to rise.
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\text("El")
The spirits are angry at Caym-sama's lustfulness. Like, 'I
won't let you lay a hand on the girls of our country!' or
something.
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\text("Caym")
If only it were that simple...
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\text
Caym glanced at the Valka Mountains, hidden behind the
clouds.
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\text
There's too little information. Like this, there's nothing
he can do.
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\text("Caym")
...Send the monsters out to gather intel. I want to know
what's going on in the nearby villages and cities too.
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\text("Spacchio")
Roger that.
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\text("Caym")
El, Tiela, you're coming with me. We're heading back to the
labyrinth for now.
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\text("Tiela")
Understood.
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\text("El")
Roger~
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\text
There's no time left to play around.
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\text
It's not quite a bad premonition. But with a strange sense
of unease, Caym quickened his pace.
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\text
................
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\text
............
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\text
......
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\text
――Kiros, where that great flood is said to have occurred.
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But nothing has changed in Kiros.
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No villages or cities have sunk beneath the water. No
citizens have been swept away, not even a single injury.
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It's the same everyday life as always.
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If anything has changed, it's not in our own country.
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It's in other countries.
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\text("Günther")
Regarding the recent great flood, Kiros suffered no damage.
There were no casualties, and not a single building was
harmed.
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\text("Glace")
...What about the other countries?
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\text("Günther")
...Shuka has been destroyed. Eighty percent of its land is
submerged by the flood, and Lusario has also lost forty
percent of its great forest.
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\text("High Priest")
...And Hados?
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\text("Günther")
The Arda Great Forest must have blocked the water. There was
no damage.
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\text("High Priest")
Hmph... Seems their luck is the only thing that's strong.
\endtext

\text("Glace")
...Even after causing so much damage, the weather still
hasn't improved?
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\text("Günther")
There's no sign of it.
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\text("Glace")
............
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\text
Why, Glace wondered.
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\text
They performed the ritual to restore the weather... They
offered tributes to Lord Winga, didn't they?
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\text("Glace")
...You performed the ritual and offered up a hundred
daughters, correct?
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\text("High Priest")
Yes.
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\text
The priest's reply was unwavering.
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\text("High Priest")
That's why Kiros escaped unscathed.
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\text("Günther")
But Shuka was destroyed. If not for that forest, Lusario and
Hados would have been too. Why would Winga do something like
this?
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\text("Günther")
Nothing like this has ever happened before, right?
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\text
This isn't the first time there's been a great flood.
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\text
In the past, when Winga's wrath was incurred, it happened
several times.
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\text
But even if Kiros suffered damage, Winga's fangs never
turned on other countries...
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\text
Let alone wiping out an entire nation―something like that
has never happened before.
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\text("High Priest")
...I'm afraid I can't answer that. Everything is as
Winga-sama wills...
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\text("High Priest")
I do not possess the answer you seek.
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\text("Günther")
...That's not an excuse. It's your job to urgently
investigate the cause.
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\text("High Priest")
Please leave matters concerning Winga-sama to us.
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\text("High Priest")
You soldiers should focus on how to win the battle against
the Demon Lord's army before you. That is your duty―to think
and act.
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\text
Without so much as a bow, the High Priest turned on his heel
and left the throne room.
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\text
Günther glared at his retreating back, while Glace lowered
her gaze.
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\text("Glace")
............
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\text("Günther")
Lady Glace.
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\text("Glace")
...Is this really Winga-sama's will?
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\text
Glace murmured those words quietly.
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\text("Glace")
Isn't it strange? Even after offering up the daughters,
nothing has changed...
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\text("Glace")
On the contrary, even those unrelated to this country have
been caught up in it...
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\text("Günther")
............
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\text("Glace")
...At this rate, even if I offer up my own life, I don't
know if it will truly save this country.
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\text("Glace")
In the end, my existence is meaningless...
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\text
With a hint of resignation, Glace muttered, and Günther
couldn't say a word in response.
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\text("Günther")
(…I can't just stand by and watch any longer, can I?)
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\text
The Winga faith is the spiritual support of the people. To
suppress or take it away would be to drive those we should
protect into a corner.
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Even so, Günther could no longer remain a mere bystander.
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\text
No, he should have steeled himself much sooner.
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....................
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............
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......
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\text("Caym")
Shuka has been destroyed...!?
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\text("Risbell")
They've lost 80% of their land, and the queen's fate is
unknown. So it's not wrong to say so.
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\text
At the same time, Caym had sunk to his knees in despair. So
this was the source of his unease.
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\text
Risbell had apparently sent a rescue team to Shuka and
received this information from them.
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\text("Caym")
Her fate is unknown... What happened to Magahime? What about
my ambitions...?
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\text("Risbell")
We still don't know. But according to reports, there was a
coup by the civil officials just before the flood.
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\text("Risbell")
And the rescued Shuka soldiers testified that they managed
to escape with the help of the military officers...
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\text("Caym")
Tch... Either way, my ambitions have been crushed! Damn you,
Winga...!!
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\text("Tiela")
I feel like that's not quite right, but... it's better to
keep quiet, isn't it?
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\text("Risbell")
Yes, it's much less trouble that way.
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\text
Tiela gave a wry smile, and Risbell responded with a sigh.
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\text
No matter what happens, for this Demon Lord, women always
come first.
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\text("Caym")
If it comes to this, then it's all-out war... I won't be
satisfied until Winga is wiped from this world...
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\text("Caym")
Risbell, give me a damage report on the labyrinth!
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\text("Risbell")
I'm glad to see you're motivated. ...The damage to the
labyrinth is miraculously minimal.
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\text("Risbell")
There was flooding, but it seems the water flowed even
deeper underground through the maze of complex passages.
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\text("Risbell")
Most likely, the people who built this labyrinth designed it
to handle floods as well.
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\text("Agri")
Thanks to that, cleanup was a breeze.
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\text("Caym")
Good, no problems with the troops either. In that case,
let's crush Winga right now.
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\text("Margaretta")
Calm down. If they cause another flood, we'll be in real
trouble.
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\text("Caym")
Ngh...
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\text
Remembering the great flood that struck Lusario, Caym
slumped weakly onto his throne.
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\text("Beatrice")
Well, first we need to gather information.
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\text("Caym")
Oh, right. Spacchio, what happened after that?
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\text("Spacchio")
Yeah. Kiros didn't take any damage at all. The nearby
villages and the central city are totally peaceful. It's
almost creepy.
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\text("Risbell")
...No damage?
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\text
Risbell caught those words and questioned them.
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\text("Noro")
Is something wrong?
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\text("Risbell")
Yes... The flood happened in the great river between the
mountains... Were any of the neighboring villages affected?
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\text("Spacchio")
Nope. Actually, the river's frozen solid, so there's no way
a flood could've happened.
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\text("Risbell")
...I see. And do you think there's any connection to Winga?
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\text
Prompted by the question, Tiela thought for a moment... then
tilted her head slightly.
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\text("Tiela")
If it's the Spirit King, then yes, they could melt the ice
and cause a flood. Of course, they could freeze it again
too...
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\text("Tiela")
Even so, I'm not convinced it was really the Spirit King's
doing. If we did anger them...
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\text("Risbell")
As with Shuka, we only sent spies to Kiros―we didn't do any
sabotage.
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\text("El")
So maybe someone prayed and borrowed the Spirit King's
power...
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\text("Tiela")
I'm not sure... If it were just a regular spirit, maybe, but
I've never heard of a human being able to commune with the
Spirit King.
\endtext

\text("El")
And outside the forest, there's no way it could be
Brightleaf, right?
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Maybe even spirits can get senile?
\endtext

\text("Tiela")
I've never heard of such a thing... but if you say so,
Caym-sama, I suppose it's possible.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...You can just deny it outright, you know.
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\text
In short, the cause remains unknown.
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\text
Or maybe it really was just a natural disaster... and Kiros
was simply lucky to avoid any damage.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
...So, is there a chance that flood could happen again?
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
If that's the case, and it could, then worst case, we could
all be wiped out the very day we attack.
\endtext

\text("Tiela")
I don't think that's likely. To use the spirit's power,
you'd need to prepare a suitable offering.
\endtext

\text("Agri")
An offering big enough to cause a flood, huh... Isn't Kiros
poor? Where would they even get something like that?
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Well, at least we know there won't be another flood for a
while. That's all we really needed to know.
\endtext

\text
In any case, Caym's objective hasn't changed.
\endtext

\text
If there's no danger, then just like with Lusario, we'll
simply attack from our side.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
They're trying to destroy us by borrowing Winga's power. In
that case... let's fight them to the bitter end.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
That's right... We can't just leave Winga alone, either.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Alright, then tell me about the Queen of Kiros.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...Unfortunately, all the records were washed away in the
flood.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
..................
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Come on, cheer up! You're going to meet her anyway, right?
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...However, it seems that Her Majesty Glace is considered
almost like a child of God to the followers of Winga.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
...Huh?
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\text("Agri")
What's that supposed to mean?
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\text("Risbell")
Originally, Winga is the spirit believed in by the people of
Kiros.
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\text
Since ancient times, Winga―the Spirit King of ice and raging
winds said to rule that land―was believed to bring peace to
the country if worshipped.
\endtext

\text
The blizzards of the Valka Mountains are also said to be
Winga's doing.
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\text
Those blizzards have always kept out outsiders. Even during
Kiros's founding, settlers suffered from cold damage and
heavy snow.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
So, back then... the first emperor of Kiros's daughter
offered herself to Winga and gained their forgiveness.
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\text("Risbell")
Since then, young girls and imperial daughters have prayed
to Winga for good weather and, by extension, for bountiful
harvests.
\endtext

\text("Agri")
Huh... so that's why she's called a child of God. And the
ones who worship Winga are the Winga faith, right?
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
Oh, well done. That's impressive.
\endtext

\text("Agri")
...Are you making fun of me?
\endtext

\text
Kiros is, by nature, a harsh land.
\endtext

\text
It was none other than the Raspha faith that took advantage
of the people living there.
\endtext

\text
They use the name of Winga and call themselves the Winga
faith, but in reality, what they're spreading is Raspha's
biased, self-righteous teachings.
\endtext

\text
But as a result, they've now gained enough influence to
meddle even in national politics.
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\text("Risbell")
Honestly, in that sense, they're even more troublesome than
Lusario.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
No need to worry. If we just spread the Caym Demon Lord
faith, it'll all work out.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...Even as a joke, please don't create such a stupid
religion.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
I'm saying that's the least we should do. Looks like they're
the ones we need to defeat.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
I'm saying that's a terrible example... geez.
\endtext

\text
But, Caym is right.
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\text
Just occupying them won't be enough to win. We'll have to
come up with a plan...
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Hmm... but a flood, huh. They're really going that far.
\endtext

\text
Collapsing onto the bed, Beatrice muttered to herself.
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\text
It was more than she expected, but not entirely unexpected.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
This might be... I guess I'll have to step up too, nee-san.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
...I won't let anyone destroy Caym's country.
\endtext

\text
Thinking of her beloved little brother, Beatrice quietly
spoke her words of resolve.


























































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