Sir, I've searched the woodlands around the perimeter of the Paleroche clan and found no signs of mobilization.
Gnosis
Keep looking.
Monch
Yessir.
Weiss
Gnosis, we've got an issue.
Weiss
Gulo split from the Doctor's forces and led a team around Mount Karlan, breaking through the pass and occupying the station there!
Gnosis
What?!
Weiss
Right now, Gulo is driving everyone out of the station, and another team is heading for Klin.
Monch
That's where Yucatan is being held... Is this a rescue operation?
Gnosis
Impossible. They're being far too inefficient for that. There must be another motive.
Gnosis
Monch, based on the route you saw them taking, where do you think the Doctor is headed?
Monch
...They chose a route that could lead either to Mount Karlan or to the pass.
Weiss
Oh... Could the Doctor intend to bypass Mount Karlan to directly attack our territory?
Gnosis
I should've warned you about this possibility.
Gnosis
No, I was caught off guard myself. I should've stationed more troops at the pass.
Weiss
The Doctor...
Gnosis
But, Arctosz still hasn't shown himself, and we cannot say for sure what their true objective is...
Gnosis
Grr, I'll have Valais head to the station to deal with Gulo, then Weiss will go to Klin.
Gnosis
Have a portion of the troops stationed at the base of the mountain go defend the pass and prevent the Doctor's forces from breaking through to our territory.
General, we've already taken control of the station. Why are we still waiting here?
Paleroche Clan Warrior
The Doctor told us to avoid hurting anyone, but I didn't hear anything about not smashing the place up. This station is a symbol of Silverash treachery.
Gulo
Calm down. We'll see when the next train arrives––
Gulo
Grr... When's the thing supposed to arrive anyway? Let me see the note the Doctor left me...
Gulo
Okay, that sounds about right.
Kjerag Merchant A
Huh?! What's going on here?!
Gulo
This station now belongs to Gulo of the Paleroche clan! Get out of here, if you value your life!
Kjerag Merchant B
Why is the Paleroche clan here?!
Kjerag Merchant A
And it's none other than the terrible Gulo! Did the Paleroches declare war?!
Kjerag Merchant B
Ugh... I'm too young to die! Run!
Gulo
That's right! Run, faster!
Ensia
......
Ensia
Umm... General Gulo, thanks for bringing me along.
Gulo
Hmph. I would want nothing to do with a Silverash daughter, if not for the fact that the Doctor told me you were helping.
Gulo
You really aren't in cahoots with that brother of yours?
Ensia
I'm here to stop him.
Gulo
...I don't trust you, but I do trust the Doctor. The one called Sharp told me to trust in the victory the Doctor would bring.
Gulo
Alright. Didn't you say you had to make your way up the mountain? Off with you.
Gulo
After you go, I'll have to halt the railroad... to do what again? Oh, right, gotta stop things from running so that Silverash reinforcements don't show up too quickly.
Hmph, that musclehead might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he certainly does know how to fight.
Sciurus
He should be fine holding down the station.
Sciurus
Next up is... Dammit, my ass..
Browntail Clan Warrior A
Madame, why don't you get off the burdenbeast and rest for a bit? The rest of us can handle things.
Sciurus
Hmph. I don't have the luxury for that right now.
Sciurus
Our task is much more difficult than Gulo's.
Sciurus
In addition to rescuing Yucatan, we also have to take as much of Klin as we can.
Sciurus
Until the Doctor wins over on the other end, we have to draw the Silverashes' attention.
Browntail Clan Warrior A
Madame, can we really hold out against those numbers with the forces we have here? Are you sure this Doctor isn't just using us as fodder?
Browntail Clan Warrior B
That's right, the Matriarch...
Sciurus
Shut it.
Sciurus
Listen, Ratatos is sick and tired of carrying this clan on her back, so she's trusting this to me.
Sciurus
We're at a do or die moment for the house of Browntail. If we succeed, the Browntail clan might just have a future. If we fail, we're all changing our names to Silverash.
Sciurus
I don't care what Enciodes is trying to do or what he wants Kjerag to be, but us Browntails will never be anyone's fodder.
Sciurus
If you're that eager to get a new name, then you can leave now. But if being a Browntail means anything to you, then come with me!
Browntail Clan Warrior A
(I've never seen Sciurus so charismatic before...)
Browntail Clan Warrior B
(I didn't know Sciurus had such a talent for speeches...)
Browntail Clan Warrior C
(I think she really is speaking her mind. She's just never been given a chance before.)
Sciurus
What are you mumbling about over there?!
Browntail Clan Warrior A
(Even though I heard that the Matriarch herself was planning on surrendering, if Sciurus isn't willing to give up, then...)
Browntail Clan Warrior B
(It would be really shameful for us to raise the white flag.)
Browntail Clan Warrior C
(That's right. And to be honest, I find it hard to believe that the Matriarch would do something like that...)
Sciurus
You're still not done? If you don't like it here, then beat it!
Phew... That should be it for the first checkpoint.
Ensia
Ah... If I remember right, this trail was part of the trial to become a Saintess.
Ensia remembers, the night before the selection of the Saintess, her sister had some kind of fight with her brother.
That night, she sat alone on the sofa in the living room until the sun came up.
She still remembered telling her sister that if not for the fact that she was too young, she would've joined the Saintess selection process herself. Her sister smacked her upside the head.
Her sister was quite strong.
But never did she expect that this would be the last time her sister would smack her around.
Sir, troops led by Arctosz suddenly appeared at the foot of the mountain and broke through the defensive line!
Gnosis
Grr... Where'd they come from?
Monch
I'm afraid they entered the site of the Holy Hunt, so our men were unable to track them down...
Gnosis
And our forces stationed there couldn't stop them?
Monch
A portion of the forces were split off to defend the pass, plus it suddenly started snowing, and morale was low to begin with. Since their goal was to break through the line...
Gnosis
......
Enciodes
You've been outplayed, Gnosis.
Gnosis
......
Enciodes
You made the right call. They care only about Mount Karlan and the Saintess. Everything else is secondary to that.
Gnosis
Did you come back only to mock me?
Enciodes
No, I would've hesitated too, in your position.
Enciodes
Just as you used your longstanding reputation within Karlan Trade to put on a play of half-truths...
Enciodes
Our lack of familiarity with the Doctor worked to that one's advantage – no shortage of tricks up those mysterious sleeves.
Enciodes
You may believe that the Doctor has designs on Kjerag, but from my perspective, I don't necessarily think that the Saintess is the only objective.
Enciodes
Of course, the Doctor could not be sure that we would see things this way, and that was the wager.
Enciodes
That you'd see the Doctor's actions around the pass as a move against Kjerag.
Enciodes
The Doctor only required that you be sufficiently concerned about this possibility to send your troops to assuage those concerns.
Enciodes
As such, the Doctor won the bet.
Gnosis
Enciodes, your arrogance is truly loathsome. To wax admiringly about the actions of your enemy at a time like this.
Gnosis
This is not a game, and we cannot afford to fail.
Enciodes
I am not a fan of failure, Gnosis.
Enciodes
I've already sent Degenbrecher.
Gnosis
To intercept Arctosz?
Enciodes
No... Why do you think the Doctor chose a route that could lead either to Mount Karlan or the pass?
Gnosis
You're saying that Arctosz's forces are a ruse.
Gnosis
From the very beginning, the Doctor's forces were both the bait and the main force.
Gnosis
No wonder why they were moving so slowly. They were waiting.
Enciodes
That's right. And, if I'm not mistaken, this is when they will start making their move.
Enciodes
If the Doctor is allowed to group with Arctosz, then there would be real trouble.
