A Side-Quest that Ends the World

I know well that Radiant Historia is a game that involves time travel, but I never expected a side-quest to have world-ending implications.

Giving the botanist in Alistel the information about conut cultivation leads to the mass production of thaumachines. With Alistel's ranks swollen by these mechanical soldiers, they handily win the war, but the world desertification speeds up. What's stranger than this happening because of a side-quest is the item that the two children of the White Chronicle give you after you turn the botanist onto fighting the desertification. For your troubles you'll get the "Pandur," a pistol for Eruca that boosts stats significantly.

But why does the completion of this side quest get you something for Eruca?

The children note that their father was a thaumatech engineer, which suggests they're from Alistel. Yet, their dress is much more elaborate and in the style of Granorg. That they have a powerful pistol to give away also suggests that they're from Granorg, since that's where pistols first appear in the game.

Undoubtedly, the identity of the children of the White Chronicle will remain a mystery until the end of the game, but as long as its remainder is peppered with clues, I'm fine with that.