Laura

[Laura]

Hm? What are you doing

here? Ashe, Ashe! Get

this person out of here!

Hm? Oh, you must be

here in response to our

recruitment notice, yes?

Let me take a look at you...

Oh, you're all skin and bone!

I can't use someone like you.

I'm Laura Laurence, the

Rune-Midgarts Kingdom rep

for the Odin Shrine Expedition.

My assistant, Ashe

Milton, is right over

there. Say, 'Hello,' Ashe.

[Ashe]

Hello!

As you may already know,

we're here to uncover relics

from the Odin Shrine. However,

the shrine is infested with

powerful creatures that a weak

woman like me can never defeat.

Would you let a poor

fragile woman like me go

in there alone? Someone like

you must go in there for me.

Hence, the recruitment notice.

Now, we can't actually pay

you for your work. In fact,

we have absolutely nothing to

give you. But you'd be doing

a great service your country,

the Rune-Midgarts' Kingdom.

Think about it!

You'd be making a great

contribution, helping us

learn more about the age

when the gods showed

themselves to humans!

W-Wait! Think about

the importance of learning

about the age of gods! If you

don't help us, then who will?

We need to work together to

build a better future, right?

You're right.

It's like I said

before. I don't have

anything to pay you.

...............................

Curses! If this project had

more funding, we'd have more

than a cheesy recruitment ad,

and some professional staff

like those rich Schwarzwald

Republic boys in the next room!

Fine, it's your choice

whether you want to work

for us. I'm just disappointed

that someone like you won't

help us. I mean, don't you

have any patriotism at all?

Perfect! Now, you first

you need to go to the shrine

and survey the area for your

own benefit. Talk to the Boatman, and he'll take you there, okay?

Hurry up and come back soon!

[

Excuse me, but

what are you guys

doing over here?

What are we doing...?

This is the shrine expedition

office. You know, we're doing

research on the artifacts found

in the Odin Shrine on behalf

of the Rune-Midgarts Kingdom.

These people in the other

room, Alex and Julian, are

they also working in this same

expedition in the Odin Shrine?

...Oh. You must be working

for those rich Schwaltvalt

Republic kids. I can't work

with that impudent girl, at

all, so we're actually working

in separate offices.

Sorry, let me introduce

myself. I'm Laura Laurence,

the leader of the Odin Shrine

expedition for the Rune-Midgarts Kingdom. Ashe Milton is my

assistant for this excavation.

If you'd rather do

a service for your

country and quit working

for those wealthy snobs, then

come back here and let me know.

......

.........

............

Hey, I know you...

You're a volunteer for the

other office's expedition,

right? Your timing couldn't

be more perfect. Why don't

you help us for a while?

Basically, I want you

to spy on that snobby girl,

Alex of the Schwarzwald

Republic office, and report

what she's actually doing to me.

I have to know...

I need to know whether

they discovered ''that thing''

already. They can't have found

it before us. It's impossible!

Anyway, just eavesdrop

on the Schwaltvalt Office

by putting your ear really

close to the door, and listen

to them talk. Will you do that?

Of course, you're

going to do it. Right?

RIGHT?!

Good.

Now do it!

Ask the Boatman to take

you to the Odin Shrine so

that you can actually see it

for yourself. If you don't think you can handle the expedition,

then you can just let me know.

Have you been to the

Odin Shrine already?

I know it's scary, but we

need to finish our research

for the good of mankind.

Well, then.

Did you happen to

find anything while

you were there?

You can freakin' find

Jellopy anywhere! I meant,

did you find anything special

while you were at the shrine!

Well, that's fine.

I did tell you to just

take a look around, so

I didn't expect you to

bring me anything.

Anyway, are you still willing

to help us? I know that I said

that we can't pay you, but to

be fair, I can offer you something from my special collection.

How does that sound?

Oh, those are the

Schwarzwald Republic

representatives for this

Odin Shrine expedition.

Personally, I think they're

just a bunch of rich phonies.

And that Alex girl...

She may seem polite,

but she's always giving

these dirty looks, and

greets me with a fake

smile. I hate her!

Ms. Laurence...!

Stop it, please!

It's embarassing to

hear you talk about

a colleague like that.

C-colleague?! No way!

I despise that spoiled brat,

and she doesn't deserve the

position that her rich daddy

probably bought for her! Grrr!

Come back later, I'm too mad!

If you're having second

thoughts, it might not be

the best idea to work for me.

I mean, I believe in following

your gut instincts, you know?

That's what I've been

waiting to hear! Alright,

please fetch me 5 Runes of

the Darkness from the Odin

Shrine. Go now, adventurer~

Hm? You've got a job

to do, don't you? What

are you still doing here?

You're supposed

to bring me 5 Runes

of the Darkness. Now,

don't forget this time!

Well, try to hurry up

if you can. I'm already

behind schedule because

we have to work with those

snobby rich kids in the

other office. *Sigh...*

Oh, you've come back.

So where are the Runes

of the Darkness you brought?

This isn't really one

of those jobs where you

can take your time. Sure, I didn't give you a deadline, but

we can't make progress on our research until you make progress.

Oooh, nice job. It's good

that we have more of these

to study. Though, it seems

that the more we research,

the quicker it seems that

we're not getting anywhere...

Hey...

Ashe. Why aren't we

making any progress?

What exactly have you

been doing? None of those

runes have any writing?

Well, I think there's

supposed to be writing,

but these runes are pretty

old. I've got to polish this

gunk off without damaging

any writing that's there...

By the way, what have the other guys been doing?

What, they don't do anything but wasting their time?

Ah~ I see. They are thinking that this is the perfect excuse

for them to relax and rest.

Well, somehow they are the citizens of this country, you know.

What do you think those

Schwarzwald snobs are doing?

They must think this project

is an excuse for them to relax

and slack off! They can afford to, obviously. Hmpf! Rich people!

They've got things so easy,

while we're barely covering

our research expenses!

In fact, we've had to cut

so many corners, skip

meals and amenities...

I know! How can we

carry on professional

research in a shack?

We're literally living at

poverty standards here...

Are we still researchers?

I know that!

I know that already!

S-stop bringing it up!

This is pathetic.

I can't even afford the

energy to continue this

conversation. You too,

why don't you take a rest?

..................

What is this?!

You're supposed to

bring me 5 of them!

Is this your way of

saying that you don't

want to work for us?

Why don't you say it

to my face, eh?

Ms. Laurence, please,

calm down! We're in no

position to yell at anyone,

especially volunteers! You

of all people should know

that they're doing us a favor!

Okay, Ashe, I get it!

And as for you, I'll give

you another chance. Next

time you see me, bring

5 Runes of the Darkness!

...Only one?

Look at me. I asked

you for five. I know that

one is better than nothing...

But it's pretty darn close. Go

get me 4 more this instant!

One, two...

Huh? Th-that's all?!

When I ask for 5 Runes

of the Darkness, I mean

5, not 2. Now hurry up

and just do what I asked!

One, two, three...

That's it? Don't you

know how to count to 5?

Go and get me more of those

Runes of the Darkness now!

I wonder how much progress

those pampered Schwarzwald

snobs actually made. They've

got the funds, so they could

actually be further ahead

than we are right now...

...Hey, you.

Hey, hey!

Hey hey hey!

...Me?

What are you standing

around here for? Go and

eavesdrop on those snobs

next door! I must know

what they're really up to!

Frankly, I know I'm paying

you nothing to be spy, but

please tell me what you

learned about the Schwarzwald

Republic Research Team.

I'm guessing that you're

already familiar with the

creature known as Giantes

since you're an archaeologist.

Of course! It's an

ancient beast on which

the Guardians were inspired.

N-no way...! Are they here to

finish their guardian research?

What else did you learn?

Well, have you

ever heard of Ymir's...

...Heart?

Ymir's Heart, right?

Ashe, you know about

this? What exactly

is Ymir's Heart?

It's this...

Um, really...

Er, you see...

A lot of people know

about Ymir's Heart...

You know the expression,

''Home is where the heart

is?'' Er, well, Ymir's Heart...

The truth is,

Ymir was this giant...

Ymir's Heart?

That's a clothing

brand, isn't it? Yeah,

it's popular amongst

the trendy crowd in the

Schwarzwald Republic.

Clothing brand?

You mean those snobs

are just spending their

time talking about fashion

in there? Huh. Don't they

have better things to do?

In the meantime, would

you do one more favor for

me? I'd like you to go to

the shrine one last time.

I hear that it's built on

two connected islands...

I want you to check the

inner island, and see

what you can find while

I investigate the Schwarzwald

Research Team. I'm sorry, but

you're the only one I can ask.

Nothing...?

Are you sure that's

all you learned?

I wonder...

What could be going on?

Hopefully I'll be able

to find the answers...