And Strauss kept crawling through the forest, lost in his own thoughts...
In "The Young Drowned Woman," after everyone had gathered, the Mole Queen took the floor:
-- Dear gentlemen and beautiful ladies of Carneol, and our dear comrade... I am glad to see you all here. I have only recently met you all, but I am glad for this acquaintance. You are all examples of perseverance and determination, and a willingness to become better by overcoming difficulties. You all know how to assess risks, how to act in concert, how to be brave when necessary... And in general, to work in our field, you simply can't do without courage.
-- Know that I value you all. Both the fighters on the invisible front and the fighters on the visible front; without each of you, Carneol would not be what it is. It's a pity that one of our fighters is not present here.
"I hope that the investment in Miss Beata and Mr. Gion will pay off for us later, but what can we do, they also got into trouble in a foolish way. That's life... If their morale is high next time, and without any prisons, we'll fight again."
-- I hope that you also value me, your humble, unassuming Mole Queen, -- she blinked her eyes after finishing this thought. -- As well as our extraordinary guest, -- a nod. -- There are others, with whose good names on our lips and in our minds, we carry out our great and small tasks, and in this beautiful Name we are all gathered.
-- Peace and prosperity to the Welfern Empire, glory to His Majesty Purian es Diesra Arual, to his majestic family and to the heir Naria es Diesra Arual, honor and respect, and to all of us, many long and happy years of life. Enjoy your meal.