Conspiracy in the Black Snowfield

Ugh... Oww... That hurts.

Ngh... Trish, are you all right?

Yeah... I hurt all over, but I don't think I'm seriously injured.

...I'm not sure how, but it seems we've survived.

But... where are we?

It looks like... a cave.

We must have been swept all the way here by the avalanche.

Tch... Of all things, an avalanche had to happen? Talk about terrible luck...

...I wouldn't call it bad luck. You brought this upon yourself, Trish.

M-me? You're saying this is all my fault?

If we're assigning blame, then yes.

Your attack sent the Wendigo tumbling off the cliff...

And the impact disturbed all the accumulated snow.

Why did you have to use such a flashy attack?

I warned you that even the slightest movement can be dangerous when fighting around freshly fallen snow...

Was there some reason I failed to account for?

O-of course there was!

And what was that reason?

W-well...

Because... it looked cool!

...

What?! Why are you looking at me like that?! What's wrong with wanting to look cool?!

That's all? How utterly inefficient.

Losing a battle can happen...

But putting your entire team in danger with a stunt like that is the mark of an amateur!

Especially charging straight in while that bear was swinging its paw. That was reckless beyond belief.

You only managed to dodge because your right leg was behind you, shifting your center of gravity backward...

But if your footing had slipped even once, you would have suffered a fatal injury.

Tch...! A-all right, I get it. It's not like I knew that thing would go flying that way...

Of course you didn't. But that's no excuse.

You must always take the state of the battlefield into account and turn the flow of combat to your advantage.

That's a basic skill for any competent fighter.

If I were you, I would've used the tree at the edge of the cliff.

Judging from its condition, its roots were probably buried deep.

Using the net in your bag, along with the tree and the gap between the rocks on the right, like this...

If you'd turned the enemy's movement against it, you could have captured it easily and safely—

...Emily.

Yes? What is it?

...You're remembering things in surprisingly great detail, aren't you? Didn't you say you'd been getting really forgetful?

...Huh? Now that you mention it, you're right.

It feels like... the fog in my mind has completely cleared.

Anyway! Fine, I get it. Let's figure out how to get back first.

Ugh... I'm pretty sure I had a compass in my bag...

The snowfield we were in was northwest of Kalaid, so...

Trish.

Hmm? What? Did you find the compass?

No...

You don't seem very happy.

Didn't you want to catch a Wendigo?

Oh... that?

Hmm... I mean, we did catch it...

But the evidence that we actually caught a Wendigo was probably swept away in the avalanche...

And the more I think about it... things are looking stranger.

Stranger?

Yeah. Take a look at this.

Isn't this just... a black pebble? What is this...?

It came loose from the back of the Wendigo's neck when I landed the finishing blow.

That stone was embedded in the back of its neck?

Yeah. And... when we first found it, I thought, "That's definitely a Wendigo!"...

But now that I think about it, something feels off.

I'm starting to think that maybe it wasn't the real Wendigo after all...

...What?

But... that monster looked exactly the way you described it.

Huge horns, glowing eyes, a ground-shaking roar...

Yeah, I know. But my instincts as a top-tier hunter keep sounding the alarm.

They're telling me something's wrong.

I didn't notice while we were fighting, but after we brought it down, it looked weirdly similar to a bear...

Hmm! But calling it some unusually shaped bear doesn't quite make sense either.

Kalaid bears are surprisingly docile despite how they look.

They won't attack first unless you intrude on their cave territory.

But that thing charged us the moment it saw us, remember?

...Could it have been because of that black stone?

Just... because of this little pebble?

Are you feeling a little more awake?

You must be freezing after getting soaked in the snow. Warm yourselves up.

...?!

Who... are you?

Me? Hmm...

To put it simply... I'm the one who pulled you out after the avalanche swept you away.

That avalanche was extremely dangerous. You're lucky you made it out.

If I'd been a little late, you both would've gone over the cliff... and we might never have found your bodies.

You pulled us out...?

You mean you didn't get swept down here with us? You actually rescued us while we were being carried away?

An ordinary person wouldn't even have been able to get close.

...

...Haha. I suppose I shouldn't have let my guard down, even for a moment, in front of a Candle Square maid.

You, especially... are remarkably sharp.

...Who are you?

There's no need to be so wary.

I'm simply... a maid passing through. Just like you.

You were... passing through a place like this alone...? Is that normal for maids...?

Hmm... I'm not entirely sure, but maybe that's not so unusual for maids in Kalaid.

The qualities required of a maid vary depending on the environment.

Just as tactical doctrine must adapt flexibly to different conditions.

Ooh... Being a maid might be a cooler job than I thought...!

...I'm glad that explanation satisfied you.

In any case, the weather has already delayed my schedule considerably.

I could put it off no longer, so I set out, and happened to come across the two of you along the way.

...You were lucky.

...I see. In any case, thank you for your help.

There's no particular need to thank me. I simply...

Couldn't stand by and watch innocent lives lose their light.

Life is precious, after all. Isn't it?

Hmm...? Y-yeah? Of course... it is, right?

Well, anyway, thanks! You saved our lives.

Oh, right! By the way, do you know anything about this stone—

Ah! I dropped it...!

Hmm... It doesn't seem to react much to impact.

Strange... I'm sure it flashed when I pulled it out.

If it's a stone, Ms. Bell might know something about it...

But we have no way to contact her right now. What a shame.

Bell... Does she know a great deal about stones?

Yes. She's one of the senior maids at Candle Square's NOA branch.

...Haha. I see. Senior Maid Bell...

Yes. Whenever I forget something or lose track of what I'm doing, she has a rather harsh way of snapping me back to my senses.

She's also very knowledgeable about stones...

And sometimes tells me about rocks that come in handy in all sorts of situations.

It's been very helpful during my secret missions...

A-ahem. I mean, during my duties as a Candle Square maid.

Why do you ask? Do you know Ms. Bell?

Of course not. It's just... I happen to know a little about that stone.

If I were you, I wouldn't keep it close.

Huh...? Is it dangerous or something?

...Haha. Who knows? I don't know all the details myself.

All the strange things that have happened in Kalaid so far.

And all the terrible things that are yet to come.

Perhaps that black stone is behind all of it.

All the strange things happening in Kalaid...

You mean there are other things besides the Wendigo?

My, you didn't notice?

The strange air hanging over all of Kalaid?

Come to think of it... the people did seem a little strange.

They'd get angry over practically nothing.

And if you're a maid from Candle Square... you would've visited the Kalaid branch.

Didn't anything there strike you as strange?

Like they were hiding something?

Hiding something...

...Huh? Ah...!

A little late, but I just remembered.

Trish, I've seen this stone before.

Huh...? When...?

But... what are those stones?

Ah, those are materials for the restoration work.

All the accumulated snow damaged a number of areas that need repairing.

That shimmering surface, those sharp edges, and even the murky aura you can feel just by looking at it...

It's definitely the same stone I saw at Candle Square.

Huh...?! But didn't they say those were materials for repairing the damage from the heavy snow?

Repairing the damage. Haha... That's what the maid told you?

I heard the black stones were first discovered by an expedition exploring the snowfields.

A strange stone they stumbled across while carrying out a survey mission in the Great Snowfield to the northwest.

And alongside it, they found a strange boulder shaped like a giant egg.

At first, everyone thought it was just another ancient ruin...

But that was a grave mistake.

One member carried a stone around in their pocket because they admired its beautiful sheen, and soon began behaving strangely.

Behaving strangely?

They threw off their coat in the middle of the Great Snowfield, complaining that their clothes felt heavy...

Scooped up handfuls of snow and ate it because they were thirsty...

And even flew into a rage over the smallest things.

Even the dogs traveling with them became vicious and attacked the other members.

The expedition hurried back to Kalaid and shared what they'd learned with the city government and Candle Square.

Because going through Candle Square would allow them to warn the other Saviors quickly.

It was a logical thing to do. But... no one knew that would turn out to be a mistake.

A mistake? Why?

After Candle Square collected the boulder and stones under the pretext of warning the Saviors about the danger...

Their attitude changed completely.

Candle Square began gathering the stones under the pretext of collecting hazardous materials.

Saviors active in Kalaid were also mobilized to search for them under the guise of requests.

And of course, the expedition members who knew the Kalaid snowfields best were no exception.

Some realized something was wrong and tried to escape...

But before long, every one of them was caught by maids sent by Candle Square.

None of them... were ever seen again after that.

S-something like that happened...?

How... do you know all of this?

I happen to know a maid at Candle Square.

We spoke from time to time while I was staying in Kalaid... and she told me.

Yes... With everything going on, I had no choice but to hurry out here on my own.

I see...

What in the world... is happening in Kalaid?

Who knows? That's all I can tell you.

If you want, you could always return to Kalaid and find out for yourselves...

But... I wouldn't particularly recommend it.

They won't leave anyone alone who knows about the black stones or tries to uncover the truth behind them.

Hmm... But...

Who gave you the information about the bear you dealt with?

Was it... perhaps someone from Candle Square?

The two of you coming here wasn't a coincidence. It was all part of their plan.

...!

If you go back... you probably won't make it out safely.

So why not set aside your pointless curiosity and return to NOA?

I know a route where some of the snow has melted.

After all, life is precious, isn't it?

If you want to live, I suggest you turn back now.

...

...Emily. What are you going to do?

I think... I need a little more time to think.

It has been quite some time since the black stones began spreading throughout Kalaid.

As time passed, more and more people must have fallen under the influence of the black stones.

Just imagine how many people may already have been enthralled by the power of the black stones.

By now, there may be far too many for the two of you to handle...

Do you really intend to fight them?

Hmm... But...

If we don't, everyone in Kalaid could turn into that monster, right?

...They could.