Operation story: SL-7

Operation

Story

Trivia

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Characters
Adele Bison Ceylon Enis Snowsant Swire Eurill Girl Harley Herman Keller Pelipper Cold Drinks Shop Owner Discouraged Worker Dispirited Worker Female Instrument Shop Owner Lost Creature Male Instrument Shop Owner Bewildered Youth Gentle Scholar
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Before operation

“

Facing a Little Black Sheep that's seemingly lost, Eyjafjalla decides to help it find its way home. Following the workers' guidance, Ceylon manages to track down Pelipper, and the lost little sheep finds who it's looking for.

”

<Flashback starts here>
<Background 1>
Bewildered Youth	I still don't get it. Why would a lady like you choose to spend your days in a hole like this? Aren't you afraid of the Infected?
Gentle Scholar	Are the Infected not but normal people saddled with misfortune? Just like this child of mine, yet unborn. Maybe she'll become Infected herself, or remain a lucky one who just makes friends with them. Either way, I wish for her to live in a city full of love and goodness.
Bewildered Youth	If continuing to mine here will harm the environment, shouldn't we stop?
Gentle Scholar	For now, this city can only rely on nature's bounty. Even so, our descendants will definitely carve out a home with their own hands. I hope then that you and I, and all of them—that all of us will find our own place in Siesta. The elderly unhindered by age, the sickly unburdened by despair, that is the Siesta of my dreams... That is the Siesta I wish for my child to see.
Bewildered Youth	Could that really ever happen?
Gentle Scholar	Well, let's start with the mines!
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 2>
Adele	Little Black Sheep, why are you all alone? Do you know where the rest went? Also, you keep eating these old signposts and addresses on letters. Is it because you're lost? You... can you understand me...?
Lost Creature	......
The fluffy creature remains silent as it sniffs about, picking the next signpost to be devoured.
Adele	Did you get lost when Siesta moved? Or is your home on the undeveloped plate instead of the mines?
The fluffy creature paws the ground urgently as Adele stands, silently looking at it.
Adele	Where does it want to go?
Hesitantly, it approaches Adele, pressing its head to Adele's chest as if listening to her heartbeat. Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump...
Lost Creature	......
Not this sound, not this sound. The fluffy creature lowers its head and continues following the path ahead.
Adele	Are you looking for your home, or your friends and family? Do you know where to find them?
The fluffy creature turns its head, staring inquisitively at Adele.
[Prof. Keller contacts Adele.]
Keller	Adele, where are you? I need to you help me with some data, can you come to the museum now?
Adele looks at the expectant creature in front of her.
Adele	Ah... Professor Keller, I-I... I'm sick today! I feel dizzy, and I have a headache too. Also my legs hurt... I feel terrible...!
Keller	Terrible? Adele, what's wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital? Do you need my help? Do you have medicine on hand? I... How's your body temperature, are you feverish?
Adele	No, Professor Keller, I'll be fine... I'm at the hospital right now!
With no reply forthcoming, the fluffy creature stomps the ground impatiently and turns to leave. Adele rushes to keep up with it— A car speeds by, frantically honking at Adele who's just taken a step forward. Honk~~ Honk~~!
Keller	Ugh, my ears... Adele? What are you doing here? Weren't you...?
Adele	P-Professor Keller... I-I...
Keller	...... (I must have been pushing her too hard, if a girl like Adele feels the need to fake an illness to rest...) Adele... If you're feeling overwhelmed, you could take a day off to rest.
Turning its head to confirm that Adele is no longer following, the fluffy creature skips off and leaves the street.
Adele	Professor Keller, I want to take some time to relax here...!
<Background 3>
Ceylon	What if I told you that I want to offer you a job with stable pay that isn't detrimental to your health? I'll even provide special lodgings for you. Don't worry, I can guarantee the working environment and conditions, as well as medical services. You just need to pay a portion of the rent to the government...
Discouraged Worker	Heh, even you can't go on, can you? I don't know what those government people are on about, but I know this much at least. These things take a lot of money, not a mere hundred or thousand gold certificates. With this money, I might be able to buy a decently comfortable bed, eat a nice meal, and it may even save my life if it comes to it. But it can't build what you're promising.
Ceylon	...I can do it.
Dispirited Worker	Doctor, if you were to say you'd build us a cheaper hospital. Frankly, I'd be really grateful, and I'd actually believe you could do it. But saying that you'll provide jobs, homes and healthcare... Just look around you. It's been so long and this place is still undeveloped.
Ceylon	I beg you to place your trust in me. I'll stand by my words. So, if there really was a place like that, would you be willing to move there? Would you be happy with it?
Discouraged Worker	......
Frustrated, Ceylon feels her heart hammering in her chest, its beat pounding in her ears.
Ceylon	What was that? Sorry, I missed what you said...
Discouraged Worker	I said, even Mr. Pelipper, our boss back at the old mines, only got us so far with all of his wealth and power. Doctor, we don't know you, and you don't owe us anything. We'll be grateful even if you just come to treat us once in a while.
<Background 4>
The fluffy creature trots ahead, Adele following closely behind while Keller walks apologetically beside her. After hesitating several times, she slowly opens her mouth.
Keller	Did you know, Adele, Siesta's layout remained the same even after it moved... There's a coffee shop down this street.
Adele continues hurrying along the path without stopping, as if chasing after something.
Keller	...Katia, Magna and I met at that coffee shop.
Adele stops moving and squints into the distance, trying to spot the shop.
Adele	Is it... that one over there? I can't see the sign clearly, Mock...?
Keller	Mockingbird Café.
Keller sighs in relief and changes her tone.
Keller	I was just a student back then, knowing little about the world besides what I read in books. Katia and Magna burned... Two young flames, with eyes even brighter than obsidian.
Adele	My parents... What were they like back then?
Keller	Brilliant... Interesting, and very attractive. Of course, some people thought they were weird. Not professors or scholars, they were more like two vagrants chasing after volcanoes. They liked bright clothes and accessories, believing that they granted courage. They would sometimes camp beside lava flows just to feel the movement.
Adele	Eh? Pfft, I thought they'd have banned that kind of thing!
Keller	They did. They banned me from doing it. Because I once followed them to collect some liquid from a sulfuric acid pool and accidentally stepped in a pit of boiling water. Katia managed to drag me out. I hadn't even felt the pain yet but my shoes had already split like garlic cloves... I gave Magna quite a fright. Even though it was an accident, she kept trailing after me from then on, fearing that I'd just fall into another hole somewhere when she wasn't looking.
The fluffy creature seems to realize something, turning its head to look Keller up and down. As if worrying for her, it butts her ankles and even tries to eat her shoe heels, so that she can walk more comfortably.
Adele	Just like Mutti worrying about me getting hurt.
Keller	Magna? You couldn't compare her care for me to what she felt for you.
Adele	Sorry... I was lost in thought.
Keller	After you were born, I came to visit you occasionally. I thought you looked so much like your parents... You doing the same work as them now feels like... It feels like a part of them has never left, that they still remain here.
Adele	...If only they were still here.
Following the salty scent of the sea carried on the breeze, the fluffy creature begins scampering away. The towering cranes of the undeveloped plate peak over the horizon as Keller hurries forward and turns her head.
Keller	Adele! Magna once said we are like tiny little ants standing on this vast landscape, talking big about how we plan to conquer it. Look at the both of us now, Adele. Two little ants standing here, facing this building dozens of times bigger than us. I used to think I would be just like before, feeling infinitesimally small and amounting to nothing. (Whisper) But it's only now do I realize some things are too hard to say aloud.
Adele	Professor Keller, what do you—?
Keller	Nothing... Adele, how can I tell you...?
<Background 3>
Keller	You can still see a little bit of the old Siesta from here. Mount Siesta is over that side.
Adele	Who knows when it will really erupt?
The creature carrying a miner's lamp slows down and stares blankly in the direction of Old Siesta. The waves wash over the distant gravel, the surface sparkling like brilliant gems.
Keller	Once it erupts, once the museum is ready, my work will finally be done. I'm sorry, I've taken up so much of your time, Adele...
Adele	It's alright, Professor Keller. There's no one else who can tell me about my parents anyway. I'm really happy to know these things...
Keller stands and brushes the dirt off herself.
Adele	Are you leaving now?
Keller	Maybe I need to buy some courage, like in that dream you mentioned. Goodbye, Adele. See you tomorrow. Rest well and don't tire yourself.
Adele glances at the creature still staring blankly at old Siesta.
Adele	Bye, Professor Keller!
[Prof. Keller leaves.]
Adele	......
The fluffy creature stands motionless on the beach.
Adele	Did you find the place you were looking for?
Adele sits down next to the motionless creature.
Adele	Let me guess... You're a miner who wanted to return here?
The creature shakes its head from side to side, pulling its gaze from the ocean to Adele opposite itself. Its clear eyes look up at her. It chews on an old signpost as it steadily paws at the ground. Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump... Slowly, it turns to leave the area.
Adele	No...?
<Background 5>
Pelipper	No no no! I'm just an old man who likes collecting pretty rocks. I can't do what you want or help you at all!
Ceylon	Mr. Brown, those workers said that your father owned the mine, and that they all worked for you for many years. Even after the move, you still helped make their lives better, under the table—
Pelipper	Yes, that's right. My father's mine made them into Infected, while I decorate my house with rocks they risked their lives to dig out. Am I helping them? As if. They're barely surviving as it is, at most they're not jobless.
Ceylon	So you admit it?
Pelipper	No! My god, calm down, woman! Don't you go breaking my collection!
Ceylon	Well then, let's talk about your collection. Before Siesta moved, this obsidian was an extremely precious ore. However, only obsidian that was pure enough or which reflected the colors of the rainbow could fetch a good price. I'm sure you're aware.
Ceylon bends down and drags out two boxes of ore from behind the cabinet.
Ceylon	So, what are these? Why would a collector like you have crude, impure obsidian like this? Exactly like the obsidian the workers squirreled away?
Pelipper	Hmph, what would you know? All obsidian is precious to me!
Ceylon	Then why did you stop the workers from mining? What stopped you from working them to death, instead arranging gainful employment for them as drivers, ticket sellers, and security guards?
Pelipper	Those are lifelines they found for themselves!
Ceylon	Oh? So you just helped them along while indirectly earning money off them?
Pelipper	Yes, that's absolutely right!
Ceylon	Why do you refuse to admit it? They're not living well right now. The obsidian that they mined propped up Siesta, but now—
Pelipper	......
Pelipper heaves a great sigh and sinks back onto his seat.
Pelipper	Missy, do you think it's that easy changing the policies of an entire city? Look at them now, look at me. You've heard them call me "Mr. Brown." Brown Mines, the entire company is in my hands, but even I can't build a factory for them to make a living in. The government will harass me, my peers will plot against me, and that's not even considering Columbia and Victoria. Just keeping to ourselves here in Siesta isn't that bad. You do know... Columbia has Infected pay sky-high insurance premiums and then sends them to mine in the wastelands?
Ceylon	I know that! That's why I came to you for help! You have far more knowledge and experience with the situation than me. If Columbia uses the Infected question to attack us, we can just build our own place for Infected first. If your peers begin plotting, we can try to negotiate with them. There must be something we can do. You can't just hide away in this hot spring hotel forever. What would that accomplish?
Getting increasingly agitated, Ceylon feels as if her heart is about to leap out of her chest.
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 1>
Gentle Scholar	This is the best leverage for Siesta to negotiate with Columbia right now...
Bewildered Youth	But, you seem...
Gentle Scholar	Yes, I'm five months along now. The doctor says it's a girl.
Bewildered Youth	Congratulations! But, then you...?
Gentle Scholar	Siesta needs to develop, it can't wait any longer. That's why I want to help these workers, I want to teach them... I want them to learn how to avoid danger, how to observe the environment, how best to protect themselves after a Catastrophe. They have only gotten by with experience so far, but I can give them knowledge.
Bewildered Youth	Will that work? The mine is huge and there's so many illiterate people who only know how to earn money. Father says things like that are very common, and that there are always many workers so we don't need to care too much...
Gentle Scholar	That's different. Tom cares, Hank cares, Bill cares, many workers will care. I also want to push a new policy regarding the current state of these workers. These workers who've contracted Oripathy due to Obsidian mining should be taken better care of.
Bewildered Youth	But Father tells me that the government will never have time for this. They only want to earn more and more money to develop Siesta.
Gentle Scholar	Then I will bring their attention here. I can't just sit in an office all day with the knowledge that they're getting hurt and sick. What would that do?
The lady gently caresses her pregnant belly, feeling the little heartbeat of the life growing peacefully inside. Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump...
Bewildered Youth	Miss... May I have your name?
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 5>
Pelipper	Young lady, what's your name? ...Who knows, I might see you again in the future. If you really manage to do something, I'll lend you my help.
<Background 1>
<Flashback starts here>
Gentle Scholar	Barbara Doykos. You can call me Barbara.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 5>
Ceylon	Ceylon. Ceylon Doykos.
Pelipper	Alright, I'll remember. Wait, Doykos?
<Background 6>
Adele	We're near Fashion Street already, where are you actually going? Little Black Sheep, what does the mining lamp on your back really mean...?
The fluffy creature continues forward leisurely, searching and chewing. Sounds pass by its twitching ears, the sound of wind, people, and in the far distance, the rumblings of volcanic activity. Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump...! Sounds like sparking thunder resound in its ears, overwhelming the sounds of geologic activity and flowing magma. Ba-dump...! Ba-dump...! Ba-dump...! It stops in the middle of the street, blankly looking from side to side before it breaks into a sudden run, sprinting away on all fours.
Adele	Wait... Where are you going? Did you find it? It's here?
<Background 5>
Pelipper	Barbara was your mother? —Hold on!
[Pelipper gets on top of a chair next to a cabinet.]
Pelipper	Wait, this... this...
Standing on a chair, Pelipper retrieves a delicate box from the top of the cabinet. Behind the glass cover, a large, uncut geode lays there, obsidian crystals sparkling.
Pelipper	No, wait, I should call them over. They were the ones who left me with this... Tom, Hank, and Bill, I need to get them all here...!
Ceylon	Yes, Barbara was my mother... Mr. Brown, what is this? Who are Tom, Hank, and Bill?
Pelipper	Ceylon Doykos... This is a gift that those workers prepared for your mother, a long time ago. To celebrate your birth and express their gratitude.
Ceylon	A gift for mother? My mother...?
Pelipper	In the end, she wasn't able to receive the gift... I'll explain to the old men when they get here. I want them to see me hand this over to you—Your mother...!
Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump...! Ba-dump...! Ba-dump...! Ba-dump...!
Adele	Little Black Sheep—!
A fluffy creature steps into the hotel, as if guided by a sound. Ba-dump...! Ba-dump...! Ba-dump...! This sound is coming from a lady, her chest heaving from agitation. The heart is beating. With each beat, it transports blood across all four limbs, it carries nutrition from the mother's body, all the way to the slumbering little infant. That tiny little heartbeat has grown up. Ba-dump...! Ba-dump...! Ba-dump...! The fluffy creature rests its head on Ceylon's chest. Ceylon doesn't see anything, but she feels a sudden warmth. It's heavy, as if something has fallen into her lap.
Adele	Ceylon?
Ceylon	...Eyjafjalla?
Ceylon suddenly feels as if she can see something, something growing heavier in her lap. A little sheep gradually appears before her—It's head leaning against her chest, as if listening to something. Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ceylon's heart is beating violently, making thundering sounds that only she and the little sheep can hear. She sees the little sheep lightly nose the geode, before bumping her forehead with its own.
Ceylon	This is...?
Adele	...The Little Black Sheep... She's no longer lost. She seems to have found what she's looking for.
Ceylon	Lost...?
Pelipper	Argh—Don't drop that geode—If it shatters I'll be done for—
The little sheep nimbly leaps from Ceylon's lap and disappears into the mist.
Ceylon	Eyjafjalla... what was that?
Adele	You saw it, didn't you? It's a farewell, I guess. A farewell... and a reunion!

After operation

“

Ceylon finds that her mother's wish was actually the same as her own today, and the rancor towards her father is finally resolved. Bison and Swire make their unwavering determination clear to the obstacles hindering their plans. At the same time, Enis also prepares to formally tell his mother about his thoughts of leaving Siesta.

”

<Background 3>
Herman	......
Ceylon	I recall this place being industrial land, not suitable for a casual visit.
Herman	This spot is the closest we have to Old Siesta, so just let me sit here quietly.
Ceylon	Is that so? Can you even see anything from here, when we're so far from there?
Herman	Rhodes Island's office should be pretty close to city hall. It's been two months since you've returned, and you haven't paid me a single visit.
Ceylon	Shouldn't the Mayor be swamped with work this time of year? How would you have time for family? When you're free, you should go stroll around the streets, listen to the people grumbling about you. Then you'll understand how you've been doing.
Herman	There are many things that I could have done a better job with.
Ceylon	As a Siestan, I want to ask the Mayor a question: Why have all the volcanoes, coasts, culture, and music that we're so proud of completely vanished? Why are there so many people struggling to integrate into their new lives, why doesn't city hall do anything to help them? I want to pin the blame on city hall too, they should have prepared for the move sooner. But as Herman Doykos's daughter, I still have to say this—it's been hard for you, Dad.
Herman	......
Ceylon	When I came back this time, I had planned to help Rhodes Island establish a branch office here, but I understand the Infected in Siesta are facing some extra challenges right now.
Herman	Columbia's pedantic word game with their laws is just another card for them to play. They don't care about the lives of these few Infected. They only want a slice of Siesta's future large-scale international trade pie.
Ceylon	8,573. I looked at the info. That is the number of registered Infected who settled in Siesta last month. You can either impose a ban to prevent any more Infected from settling on Siesta's nomadic plates, or hand them a larger sum of money for their health insurance. From a bystander's point of view, the latter is not an option for city hall.
Herman	There is no way I could have forgotten that my other daughter is Infected herself.
Ceylon	......
Herman	In our short decades of history, Siesta has faced many difficulties, but the path Siesta takes is always in the hands of us Siestans. I will think of something... there is always a way.
Ceylon	Then allow me help you out a little. To square-off against Columbia's word games, you can likewise designate an area outside the nomadic city, and declare it for development, which will be done by the Infected. And as for what kind of work—my two friends, recently arrived, are also interested in helping. A budding logistics company should manage to provide many jobs. In addition, I will use Rhodes Island's resources to establish a treatment center for the Infected. This is something I've always wanted to do. For Schwarz's sake, and for many more innocents besides. I'm not just someone who needs your care, I'll find my own way to protect Siesta too.
Herman	I seem to remember my daughter not having a degree in politics?
Ceylon	I guess I've been unwillingly influenced, that's all.
Herman	Politics is no simple thing, but I'm happy to hear that you have such thoughts. I'll earnestly consider the Infected treatment center you mentioned. And I'll continue cooperating with MountainDash Logistics.
Ceylon	Ever since you became mayor, Siesta has been relatively relaxed towards the Infected. Some people say you're just putting on a show to win the miners' support; others say you're just trying to make more money from tourism. And now, I'm more inclined to believe that the things you've been doing are related to Mom.
Herman	You... When did you find out...?
Ceylon	Just earlier. I heard a little story about her. You've never taken the initiative to tell me those stories, and rarely ever actively bring up Mom with me.
Herman	...... Barbara was a Victorian. To the Siestans of the time, Victoria, who wanted to annex us, was our greatest enemy. I was busy with Columbian and Victoria diplomacy, but I never dared to let anyone know that my wife just happened to be from Victoria. But Barbara never took it to heart, she had her own things to do. She said she was protecting the city in her own way, and you too.
Ceylon	"Protecting the city in her own way..."
Herman	You never lived a day of your life with her, but what you said just now is exactly the sort of thing she'd say.
Ceylon	She was a great woman.
Herman	And she had a great daughter. Thank you, Ceylon.
<Background black>
[Sounds of a camcorder being turned on is heard.]
Swire	Uh, could you lower the camera a little, angle it upwards a bit, so I look a little more imposing... wait, too low. Alright, that's good. Check the recorder too. Everything I say has to be crystal clear.
Hello, Mr. Adams Schwire. As always, I first wish you good health. By the time this disc reaches you, I should have completed both my Siesta trip, and all the business objectives I sought to accomplish. Perhaps you may still take this as a child's folly—no, your insight must have recognized the value of this city, the value of a free and independent entrepot. I've known from my first day here in Siesta that I've been tailed by some of our people watching my every move, perhaps at your behest, or perhaps at that of your other heirs trying to obstruct me. But that no longer matters. I've long since realized that trying to read your mind is a laborious and pointless endeavor. But if you are the one standing opposite me, then I've won this time.
<Background 7>
Eurill	What did you call me here for, exactly?
Bison	To give you a report on the project. Mountaincomm Trade has signed an agreement with Siesta. If everything goes smoothly, construction will begin around autumn. When the logistics center's construction is complete, we'll open trade with three countries: Sargon, Victoria, and Columbia. As the supply chain matures, we'll increase our scope. The natural trading advantages that comes with the independent state of New Siesta and the locals' eagerness for foreign goods will give us confidence in any future developments here at Mountaincomm Trade. You've always told me about the future you envision and want to realize in MountainDash Logistics, and now we've taken the actual first step.
Eurill	I've already seen the report on this project. Well done. You didn't let me down. No, I should say that your growth makes me proud. Give yourself a proper vacation for the rest of the summer.
Bison	Thank you for your approval, but there's another report you haven't seen yet. It's regarding the progress of "Mountaincomm Trade" splitting from "MountainDash Logistics".
Eurill	......
Bison	From now on, "Mountaincomm Trade" will cease to be a subsidiary of "MountainDash Logistics", and the series of projects we'll do for New Siesta's core development will have no connection to MountainDash Logistics.
Eurill	Do you understand what you're implying?
Bison	As President and CEO of MountainDash Logistics, you will no longer have any right to interfere in Mountaincomm Trade's affairs. MountainDash Logistics will need not bear any of Mountaincomm Trade's liabilities or responsibilities. Of course, making such a decision without you in the loop has its uncertainties in the process. If you don't agree with my decision and follow up with legal action, I'm afraid I'll be in a lot of trouble.
Eurill	What I want to know is, why do it this way?
Bison	Isn't this a step you've always wanted to take? Not having to care about the constraints of the Federation of Enterprises, letting MountainDash Logistics make an actual change across the land?
Eurill	You really have surprised me... It seems like you've mustered the strength to do this.
Bison	Of course. I found a reliable business partner.
Swire	The last few days of this Siestan holiday have shown me what a young, and yet vibrant city it is. Its youth carry with it plenty of problems though. But it is precisely because of its youth that it holds unlimited possibilities. In fact, there's a question I've been thinking about for a long while. Just how is it that you, an old man on his way out, are able to keep an iron grip on the many faces in the family with their own clandestine agendas? I thought and thought before I finally came to a conclusion: you've allowed yourself to become a symbol. No one knows your true intentions, nor do they know whom amongst them has your confidence. This fear of the unknown leaves them with only one option: to acquiesce to you. This is how you've manipulated the Federation of Enterprises and even Lungmen's economic lifelines for so many decades. I may not ever manage to learn this trick of yours, but... Such a style of control always meets an end. How will the Federation of Enterprises cope without their leader when you're gone? How many of them will take advantage of the chaos to recklessly reap personal profit? I think that's something you wouldn't want to happen either. Perhaps you still have faith in your personal physician, but as the soon-to-be Commissioner of the Lungmen Guard Department, and also as part of the younger generation, I must make plans for a Lungmen future without you. The Lungmen order can't rest in the hands of just one person.
Bison	If I hadn't become a Messenger, I wouldn't have known about the various differences between the many countries and regions on this great land. The vast distances in between make communication difficult and cause the different cultures to grow into their own distinct styles. So when someone builds a bridge between these countries and regions, it's bound to trigger drastic change. Many people instinctively fear this sort of change. Some prefer to stay passively conservative, and others look to take advantage of the turmoil for personal gain. But the act of changing the landscape itself surely has a positive significance to it. This is MountainDash's ambition, and also my own as a Messenger.
Swire	I've never regretted becoming an L.G.D. superintendent. But in this past few years, I've realized that I can do more than just maintain Lungmen's security. I also have the power to help build it. The cooperation with Mountaincomm Trade is my bargaining chip. I believe international trade will be an indispensable part of Lungmen's future economic market. And at that moment when they're all staring emptily at the legacy you've left behind, I will use my own means to secure a seat in Lungmen's Chamber of Commerce, and lead a new order. No matter how brilliant a sunset is, a new sun will always rise.
<Background 8>
Swire	Got all that, Snowsant?
Snowsant	Yes! Miss Swire, that whole speech...
Swire	Send this recording to Lungmen. I wish I could see the old man fuming with my own eyes, but I can probably imagine what it would look like. I wouldn't be surprised if all my cards were frozen after a while.
Snowsant	R-Really? Then, will we be stuck here...?
Swire	Won't you lend me some money?
Snowsant	I... I... If you really need my help, Miss Swire...!
Swire	Just kidding. I brought enough cash for the both of us to fully enjoy our vacation. Any further annoyances will have to wait until we return to Lungmen. Alright, now that we're all done here for real, let's officially begin our holiday!
<Background 3>
Male Instrument Shop Owner	You should just give up on straightening that parasol. The sky started turning dark by the time you got it up, there's no more sun to block anymore. We gotta get the grill we used in our old shop up and running. It's almost been a year since we've set up a booth, but it's definitely going to be popular today!
Female Instrument Shop Owner	Sandworm legs? But no one supplies that nowadays.
Male Instrument Shop Owner	I found a seller at the fair earlier. I kept some for you, in the fridge behind the guitar!
Female Instrument Shop Owner	Really? —Awesome!
[Snowsant brought a case of cold drinks to a cold drinks shop owner.]
Snowsant	Phew—Mr. Tom, I've got your cold drinks here! Anything else I can help you with?
Cold Drinks Shop Owner	Thank you so much, sweetheart. You've been so busy helping me with so many things. Here, this cone is for you!
Snowsant	Thank you~
Passerby A	Are you guys going to sell barbecue again?
Passerby B	It's for a party tonight.
Passerby A	A party? Why haven't I heard of it?
Female Instrument Shop Owner	Let's all meet up before everyone from the shopping district moves! We won't know when we'll see each other next, or when we'll open another shop.
Ceylon	Be careful with the fire, everyone! And stay safe! Don't go too close to the beach at night!
Snowsant	I'll do my best with anything else that needs doing!
Ceylon	Didn't you come here for a vacation with Swire?
Snowsant	Ah, after spending a few days here, I think it's more fun this way!
Adele	Hello... May I know how much this harmonica costs?
Male Instrument Shop Owner	You can have it, if you like. But if you want an instruction book or something, then I'll take some of your money. Haha, that's how I make sure the people who buy instruments learn to play them!
Adele	Do you know how to play the harmonica, sir? What's it like?
Male Instrument Shop Owner	Course I do! The feeling of playing the harmonica, huh...? It feels like the wind. When it blows through the leaves and they make that rustling sound, it feels like stepping on a beach with the seawater slapping the sand around. That's what it feels like. You'll know it too when the smoke from my grill rises and the strings on my guitar move.
Female Instrument Shop Owner	Come, eat anything you want. Feel free to bring your own meat too, I can help you grill it!
Passerby A	Hold on, I have some leftover streamers from the time I moved out, just wait a sec while I bring them here!
Passerby B	Wait, I'll come too!
<Background 9>
[Enis is helping out.]
Harley	Enis, help me bring these over to the party.
Enis	Woah. Aren't these wine bottles from your collection? Feeling generous today?
Harley	Just treat it as a goodbye to the shopping district, and Old Siesta too.
Enis	When I was a kid, the adults used to say that the volcano would erupt one day. And now, we're really leaving this beach and moving to a new home in the nomadic city.
Harley	All homes end up demolished someday. Even this magnificent, sturdy nomadic city has no way to "live" longer than that volcano. Now that the volcano's waking up, Siesta can't sleep in anymore, we should just move along with the nomadic city.
Enis	That's pretty transparent of you. So are you still sad to leave the shop...?
Harley	What difference does it make? Even if I know there's no choice, I still have to prepare my goodbyes.
Enis	I think about that a lot, and still can't figure it out... I don't know where's the most meaningful place to be. If I go, then does that mean...?
[The sound of fireworks and happy chatter are heard outside.]
Harley	When I was your age, I wasn't thinking so much about such things. My head was full of places I wanted to run off to, I wanted to get to know all kinds of people, play all kinds of rock music, learn local languages and figure out how to fit them into a song. You know yourself, it was those days that I met Chuck in Siesta. We wanted to see the beautiful "White Volcano" people kept talking about, but we spent months wandering the beach and volcanoes with no luck. And just as we were about to leave Siesta to continue chasing the legend, we found in a corner of the Fashion Street, a baby sleeping soundly. So we stayed in Siesta, opened a bar, Chuck continued his travels while I decided to hang back and see what this kid would grow up into. And here we are.
Enis	......
Harley	If we hadn't found you, the "White Volcano" would have been just a name on a legend. Later, we adopted Lut, and then Liv... you've all been growing up, and you've also stopped laughing as much as you used to. But on that day of the trade fair, all the surfboards from the shop disappeared, and the three of you looked so flustered, drenched in hot spring water, but you looked so, so happy. Tell you the truth, I was happy too. In that moment, I was thinking it'd be nice if some of these changes let our family stay as happy we've ever been. After all, I care more about you kids than the White Volcano.
Enis	...... I also want to wait until the White Volcano's done renovating, then I'll...
[More fireworks and happy chatter are heard outside.]
Harley	Leave it for now. Our old friends can't wait any longer, so go bring the booze over, Enis. It's fine, kiddo. No need to worry about me. Whether you want to stay here, or go see what's beyond Siesta—whatever your plans, just go for it, like I did when I was your age. If you wait till the strings are loose, you won't get to play the songs you want to sing!
Girl	...... Enis...
<Background 3>
Ceylon	Eyjafjalla, why aren't you joining them?
Adele	I'm not good at dancing... and it's still a bit difficult for me to keep up with the rhythm...
Ceylon	Hmm... Well, then I'll keep you company for a bit. We can chat. The last time you came to see me, you said you were experiencing hallucinations and seeing sheep. I thought the hallucinations were some kind symptom of Oripathy, but back then... I saw it too. It was small and warm, leaning on my chest, listening to my heartbeat... I'm sure I saw it, and even felt it too. It's so strange... I don't know why, but it makes me suddenly think about my mom... even though I've never met her. Eyjafjalla, just what was the sheep from that day...?
Adele	...... ...I had a dream where I was wearing Mutti's protective gear, played with two little sheep for a whole night, and they spoke to me a lot. That dream felt so familiar... it was just like when I was a little girl, together with my parents...
Some fireworks suddenly explode a little distance away. The sky is not yet dark, and the smoke leaves a long trail. The children who sneakily set off the fireworks run away laughing, followed by their parents, laughing as they scold their children.
Adele	When I was little, I didn't have much chance to play like that with my parents. They spent all their time on volcanoes, so I fell in love with volcanoes too. But since that day I've been thinking, they're still climbing, even now, aren't they?
Ceylon	Perhaps my mother is still doing what she liked to do... But Eyjafjalla, isn't it strange for me to be thinking like this...? I keep thinking these last few days, it would be great if I could see that sheep again. Or if I could dream about it, like you were talking about. Have you... seen that sheep again since?
Adele	No, it was the last one I saw...
Female Instrument Shop Owner	Hey—Ladies! Enough sitting over there, come on over and have some barbecue!
Snowsant	Her barbecue is really tasty! Eyjafjalla, did you try it the last time you were here?
Adele	I don't remember... The last time I visited, Ceylon was still all huffy and puffy.
Ceylon	Hey, that's ancient history! Let's not bring it up. Eyjafjalla, what are your thoughts on Siesta on this trip?
Adele	Compared to last time, it's... much more relaxed, and more romantic too.
Ceylon	You should visit more often, as long as your health permits. You'll be able to see it then, a better and better Siesta, thanks to the joint efforts of so many.
The two of them stand on the barrens, looking toward the sea. They can vaguely make out the shadows of some volcanoes.
Ceylon	When do you think they'll erupt? When it happens, there'll be so much more work to do.
Adele	Yes. And when that time comes, we'll do a great job ourselves. Or maybe, we'll get to see the little sheep again?
[Adele's phone rings; Prof. Keller calls her. She picks it up.]
Adele	Hello, Professor Keller...? ...Alright, I'll heading back now!
Ceylon	What's the matter?
Adele	There's a little problem with the volcano observation data...
Ceylon	Is it going to erupt sooner?
Adele	The data fluctuates a lot, so maybe it's just an anomaly, but... If there's really a problem, we'll make a broadcast. I'll be counting on you if it comes to that, Ceylon.