TW-5 Winterwisp's Elegy

Singing...?

How...

Wow, it's echoing through the whole town...

What is this... what am I seeing? Are these Originium Arts?

A folk song...? Or a poem? At sunset?

Is this a Wolumonde tradition?

Um... Miss Folinic, do you understand the lyrics?

No... is that the Leithanian tongue? It doesn't sound like modern Leithanian pronunciation...

But... it sounds nice.

It reminds me of looking out over the plains from the bridge of Rhodes Island for the very first time. It's melodious... ancient...

This is... also Arts... but the same kind as the ancient Arts of Higashi!

Find them.

Sure, but then what? Arrest them?

Yes.

That'll just stir up even more resentment.

We're doing this to keep them from fomenting animosity between Infected and non-infected. The Winterwisps may well have been behind all this.

Mr. Severin?! Wh-what is this?

It's a Winterwisp ballad, for rituals and funerals.

The Winterwisps are responsible for agitating Infected conflicts and leading the partisans to destroy our power plant.

Now is not the time for leniency. They're trying to tell us something.

They wouldn't tip their hand for no reason. There must be others out there in the shadows. Probably casters. Keep an eye out.

What exactly is a Winterwisp?

Local Caprinae. They were the people of these mountains, centuries ago.

What happened to them?

Wolumonde clashed with the Winterwisp. Nothing more.

No. There's more to it than that.

Columbia and Rim Billiton, pretty much every country has some kind of history of settler colonialism. There's another force at work here.

You're just looking for a simple answer to dodge the question, aren't you? You'll just leave it as 'conflicts' and 'clashes?'

I'm not sure I should be talking about this with you. It goes beyond what Rhodes Island has a need to know...

A Gendarmerie telling these things to a foreign enterprise will make certain aristocrats very unhappy.

You're... worried about unhappy aristocrats...?!

Atro sacrificed herself for you! And you're talking about saving face?!

M-Miss Folinic! Her sacrifice... shouldn't be ammunition for an argument.

Mr. Severin...! Can you please stop this manhunt? It's only agitating people. It's only going to make things worse!

...

No... We're following our only lead. We can't afford to lose it.

Huh...?

Severin, with as many nomadic cities as there are in Leithanien, do you really think any of those nobles give a shit about you from atop their ivory towers?

Even considering the Great Rift, if a nearby city were to offer support, would there really be a famine?

Severin, look at the situation. See for yourself who is really here to help you!

I know... Miss Folinic. I know better than anyone.

But I also know Rhodes Island can't help us forever. Once we're safe again and Wolumonde is back on course, I don't want to be getting letters from those ivory towers.

You have to understand that.

But Miss Folinic, we—

—An explosion?! Another attack?

Schultz! Help! We need help!

Slow down. What happened?

They, they activated those town defense things! They exploded, and everything's burning, they—!

Calm down!

Schultz! The Infected... they've captured all of the Gendarmerie patrolling Zwölftontechnik Strasse! We lost contact with them!

They're using the Gramophones to push us back. The whole district is out of control!

They shouldn't be so well-organized. Who's leading them?

We don't know. But a lot of the non-infected have joined the protest. Wolumonde is completely divided!

Ugh. Damn you, Winterwisps...

Surround the district. Control the crowd. We have to take the town back.

*Cough* *cough*, *hack* *cough*!

Schultz!

Damn it... You get back to the Rathaus and sound the alarm. This has devolved into something far worse than just a dispute between the Infected.

I'm putting Wolumonde under martial law. Raise the entire militia.

But if we start killing each other now, Wolumonde won't survive the winter!

I gave you an order!

Y-yes sir!

......

As for you Rhodes Islanders... Do what you feel is right.

To be frank, I don't have time to keep an eye on you.

I still need more information.

B-but we should do what we can to help people first... A lot of innocent civilians are getting caught up in this mess...

We'll find the killer. That takes priority.

...I promise, Wolumonde will provide Rhodes Island with a satisfactory answer.

I hope you'll keep that promise.

If I'm still alive by then.

...Miss Folinic, we should have stopped Mr. Severin.

No use. You saw them. The pressure's gotten to them.

Oh... is that so?

But if a famine really is as imminent as the officer says, we'll still have to...

...The only way to calm everyone down is to find the murderer as soon as possible. And letting our one lead go cold isn't an option.

That's not what I meant...

......

Miss Folinic, do you really think finding the killer will solve all our problems?

I...

Try to stay calm, Miss Folinic.

...Suzuran?

You know... everyone is burning with rage right now. Nobody has a clear head.

I think... it's just my gut feeling, but my intuition is usually pretty accurate!

I think maybe... something even worse is starting to happen. The kind of thing that you can't be sure if it's right or wrong...

What we have to do is try to help as many innocent people as we can.

Miss Folinic... If we don't stop Mr. Severin, things are going to get really, really bad.

...Maybe you're right.

I...

...Mm.

Hurry! This way!

Thanks!

Folinic!

Lisa! Take the civilians and get out of here!

Gah—!

Are the rioters... just attacking at random?

Hey! It wasn't easy to get that gizmo. You better shoot straight!

Shut it! This thing isn't easy to use! Luckily I studied at the conservatory!

Which one?! Hey, Gendarmerie! Don't do anything stupid. We got hostages!

What hostages?!

Arschgeige! The ones running down the street!

Hmph!

Miss Folinic! You have to stop them!

Everything here is made of wood. This whole block will go up in flames!

Fire! Put it out! Everyone else, get out of here!

So many innocent people won't make it out in time. We must save them!

How are we supposed to get over there?!

Gah! The fire!

Folinic! Please tend to the wounded!

Hey!

Winterwisps! Infected! Vermin!

Why did you burn my home?! Why?! We did so much for you!

Watch your head.

Huh?

Hmm... Oh. Tatjana? A-are you okay?!

Ugh... I'm fine. But they can't control those automatic Arts units. We're in danger here!

We'll fight back together! Push them out!

Now... isn't the time...! Gah...!

Your foot...! F-fine, I'll listen to you!

Get out of here!

(This terrible pain in my ankle... is my bone broken? Damn it...)

(I have to get back to the others...)

You! Noble puppet!

Huh?!

They all routed?

Y- yes!

Mr. Severin, we have a lot of wounded. We need help...!

Medics, you are to obey this young Vulpo's every word. Able-bodied youth will help as well.

Yes, sir!

If only Miss Folinic was here...

Wait... she isn't back yet?

Oi! Where are Folinic and Tatjana?

They, I think they're still at Zwölftontechnik Strasse...

Did I not just ask if they all routed?!

Er! S- sorry, sir! But Folinic and Tatjana should be alright. They've saved many lives!

What do you mean they'll be alright? The insurgents have control of our town's defenses, we have no regular troops, and——*cough* *cough* *cough*!

——*cough*, get some heavies and come with me.

But they have firepower, and maybe hostages. We shouldn't provoke them any more. Let's wait for a chance to parley.

A chance? You're going to wait for the enemy to give you a chance? Have you ever fought a battle?!

S-sorry!

But his concerns are reasonable. The active Originium left behind by the Great Rift are likely still in the foundation of Wolumonde. The consequences of letting them destroy it would be unthinkable.

Where did you come from? You shouldn't be here!

No.

With no Gendarmerie, we're the ones who shouldn't be here... I've seen you before, Rhodes Island Operators.

Thank you for understanding. Ayerscarpe?

A quick, on-the-spot assessment: if they continue to bombard the area with that device, we have ten to thirty minutes before Wolumonde comes to a halt.

The best way to handle this would be to sever the link between this district and the rest of the city, but Wolumonde is no nomadic city. Individual districts do not have the power to move autonomously.

Actually, a tractor could do it... But not when the streets are full of rebels.

Is there an application procedure for an armed intervention?

...Go nuts.

And please... Be sure to save Tatjana and Folinic.

Mr. Severin, we need— Ah!

...Lisa?

Is... is that Operator GreyThroat? And who's this?

Operator Ayerscarpe, bodyguard of Catastrophe Messenger Leonhardt. He is out on another mission, so I got dragged over here.

Lisa, where are Atro and Folinic?

Miss Folinic is still in there! But Miss Atro... she's... um...

It's okay. I understand. I just had to be sure... We'll talk about it later.

Mmm... It's, it's nice to have some senior operators coming to help...

B-but I still need to stay focused!

I'll take care of the wounded. Whatever you do, please bring Miss Folinic back safely!

Right. I will.

Such a young child... she's an operator?

Amiya isn't much older than Lisa, you know.

Yeah...

We did not plan for this rescue, nor do we have the protective equipment. Are you going to be okay?

Yes.

What a surprise. They always said you couldn't handle working around Originium. I was worried.

I've had enough of tragedy is all. Saving lives is what matters. Cut the chatter.

What the? More people coming in?

And they're fast! G-get rid of them!

So many locals. You fine with that?

Avoid the vitals. Engage.