Silvery Sideburns

First, I must verify Yan's identity.

For verification... could we consult the old Joint Council archives?

Based on my investigative experience, the Joint Council records in the Grand Archives are likely quite fragmented, due to the circumstances of that era.

This veteran hailed from Thousand Ruins Mountain. We might find useful leads in her ancestral home.

Indeed... we might cross-reference Yan's identity against records at the local hospitals and Public Security Bureau.

Or perhaps someone who knew her is still alive?

...I don't believe this approach will be any simpler.

Indeed. I advise you not to get your hopes up.

After several wars, her hometown has likely changed beyond all recognition.

A birth certificate from before the Calamity?

I'm sorry, our hospital has been rebuilt twice since then. I'm afraid such records are unlikely to have survived.

Alright... Thank you for your help!

No problem at all. Wish I could've been more help.

Please take a look at this photo. Can you tell where this was taken in the Thousand Ruins Mountain?

Let me see... *Hmm... These are all old-style buildings. You definitely won't find this kind of architecture in the new town.

But the shape of the mountain in the background...

I've got it! This is from the other side of the mountain, the Dragon Town at the eastern foot!

Dragon Town?

Correct. The new town you're in now lies west of Mount Dragon. The old town, what we call Dragon Town, is on the other side.

Mount Dragon? This mountain doesn't look much like a dragon, does it?

Here. Look at this photo and use your imagination. If you're standing on the mountain's eastern side, looking north, these rolling ridges layered together, don't they form a dragon's profile?

...?

I think my imagination might be failing me...

Seeing is believing. Thanks for your help. We'll head over there right away!

See? The locals were right. This mountain in the photo is Mount Dragon.

That's true, but...

What's wrong? Why are you flying back and forth like that?

I'm trying to find the right angle, but...

On which side does this mountain look like a dragon?

Don't get caught up in the details. Even two towns separated by a mountain can have different customs and knowledge.

Let alone Bifrost and Eastrise, two nations torn apart.

Hello, Mount Dragon Public Security Bureau. How may I assist you?

Hello, I'm with the Legal Department of Eastrise. I'm here to access the file of a former Joint Council citizen.

Understood. Please provide the citizen information you wish to query...

I'm sorry, but we are unable to locate the historical records.

That's about what I expected...

But I do recognize this street. Let me mark it for you...

So the Public Security Bureau here has no records either...

It seems this lead is also a dead end.

Still, we've at least confirmed that Yan did live in Eastrise.

Will it be useful to ask passersby?

I'm not hopeful, but we're out of other options.

I think we should focus our inquiries on the elderly.

Excuse me! Do you recognize the person in this photo?

A Joint Council uniform? I miss it so much...

Wait, I've seen the person in this photo.

This was when I was very young. I saw people from my hometown leaving for the war in Bifrost.

Back then, to liberate the Bifrost region from the Nebu people, the Council called upon us to enlist voluntarily...

I remember thinking that when I grew up, I too must fight for humanity and freedom, just like those heroes!

Haha, how naive I was back then... Nobody promotes such ideals anymore.

Then, do you recognize this person on the left side of the photo? Her name is Yan.

I'm sorry, I was too young then. To my eyes, they were all dashing warriors for justice.

However, there is a veteran living here in town. You might try asking her!

Hello! Is anyone home?

No response.

Seems no one's home. Or an elderly person might just be hard of hearing.

Is, any, one, home, ?

What are you doing! Who are you people? Why are you pounding on my door?

Ah, our apologies. This is Lady Nue from the Legal Department in Mo Capital. We are here to inquire about matters from the Joint Council era...

The Legal Department? The Legal Department! Why are you harassing me! I served Eastrise! I bled for the Joint Council!

We're not here to cause trouble... Could you look at this photo? Was this person your comrade?

This is... this is...

Do you know her?

I would never betray a comrade!

Scum... I'll never surrender!

Ma'am, we mean you no harm. We are simply carrying out a friend's commission.

What a headache... She's unbelievably tough and stubborn.

Explanations are useless. She seems to be exhibiting signs of bipolar disorder... For her safety, we should take her to see a doctor.

A doctor? Mental illnesses like this can't be cured quickly.

I know someone who can use sorcery to ease one's troubles.

I see... this veteran's memory has faded.

If it's something important... I believe there's still a chance we can help her recover it.

Give me the photo. Let me try!

Is this dreamwalker reliable? All this mysticism... Is she trying to scam us?

Though she uses Eastrise's traditional sorcery, her resonant energy is potent. I believe it will work.

Besides, who would be foolish enough to scam the Minister of Justice?

Mission complete!

I remember now... Yan, she was my comrade-in-arms! How is she doing?

Yan was my friend. We both lost our families to the Calamity. I was forced to join Mahiru's United Army for survival.

And Yan... She truly believed in Mahiru's words and in that ideal for humanity and freedom.

So she always led us in tasks beyond our duty, aiding civilians, clearing rubble...

Back then, I thought even though I was lost, simply by following in her footsteps, my life would have meaning.

What happened after that?

It was just after we had driven out the Nebu. We were all looking forward to a peaceful life.

Rallied by the Council's propaganda, the spirited young people decided to march north and join the war.

Yan... She actually bought into the Joint Council's lies...

If not for my failed Case operation, I would have gone north with them...

In the end, none of them who went to fight in the north ever came back.

Mahiru sought to rebuild the northern industrial base, so those soldiers remained in the frigid north...

Then Mahiru herself perished, the Joint Council crumbled, and the ideals we once championed were lost.

Who knows what became of our comrades? Some may have settled down in Bifrost, while others might still be working for the Bifrostians.

They could have fallen on a civil war battlefield, or perished on a border under martial law...

Such is our lot in life. Under the Calamity, nothing we do matters.

No, ma'am. In our eyes, you are heroes.

After being stranded in Bifrost, Miss Yan refused to take part in the civil war and was discharged from the military.

She lived her entire life in the slums of Bifrost, yet she helped countless homeless children. The orphanage she founded is still in operation today.

Even in a world devoid of hope, human endeavor still leaves behind a legacy of light.

If it weren't for your efforts, the Thousand Ruins Mountain area wouldn't enjoy the peace it does today.

...

So, Yan has passed away, right?

Yes. And our task is to fulfill her final wish: to return her to her homeland.