♪ No music ♪
...
... ...Mmmmmaagh.
Marlin stretches his arms in front of him, before shifting from sitting to laying down on the couch. You holdin' up alright, lad? Eine looks up from the book he's reading. Not particularly. Fair. Even with less on the line this time, the wait's still agonizing. Mm. What's that you're readin', anyhow? A play. The Yggdrasil Project. Hah. You really can't escape these trees no matter where you go. Why do we call each of 'em "Yggdrasil," anyway? I know some were made by people in the old world, but not all. Convenience and passing similarities, mostly. The trees created as part of the Yggdrasil Project were named for a sacred tree in a religion of the old world. As long-distance communication has become simpler in the modern era, people have begun to refer to the other mystical trees across our world as Yggdrasils. Learn something new every day. With that itch scratched... Are you a fan of the theater, lad? I've attended some performances with my fathers. I wouldn't call myself a dedicated fan, but a good stage show is a very pleasant way to spend an evening. Aye, aye. Good to count at least three of us here that appreciate the stage. Three? Harper, lad. Her family runs a theater, remember? Ah. Have you ever performed in a show, Marlin? You'd think, and I've definitely considered auditioning sometimes, hoho. But nah, I've got enough on my plate. Plus, well... Call me a bit egotistic, but my footwork, combined with this body, and this face... I deserve nothing less than leading roles, hohoho! Bit of a hard sell for a complete newbie. If that's what you think you're worth, then I see no reason to compromise on it.
Not much to go over with skill builds this time, actually. I reskilled Naijou to take out all the points in his Novice skills, and I reallocated them primarily to Ice Slash.Waylon and Xiaohu spent most of the SP they'd built up on maxing out Freeze Drive and Glacier Rune, respectively.
I didn't take screenshots of Merula or Eine's builds since they're functionaly the same as when we last saw them.
Sweetfish skewers.
Hm! We'd been eating lapin meat throughout our entire time in the Sacred Mountains. Is there a reason for the sudden change? I heard some types of fish help with body temperature regulation. Maybe that'll help make fire hurt less. ...Well, if nothing else, these fish are very delicious! As I mentioned in the boss overview update, I've chosen to go with sweetfish as the food I'll be eating before fighting the Boiling Lizard. The party will be missing an unfortunate amount of STR and LUC compared to normal, but taking 30% less damage from elemental attacks will help a lot.
You will need, at minimum, 8 ice stakes before fighting the Boiling Lizard. This assumes you can finish the fight before it takes its action on turn 4. If you cannot do that, you will need more. I'd say getting 11 ice stakes before beginning the fight is a safe amount for most parties.
Getting to the large scale pile is a matter of destroying one scale, running outside the room to reset the Boiling Lizard's aggro, and then moving onto the next one. In rough order, destroy the scales in the lower left, then the lower right, then the upper left, and finally the upper right one.Unless you have Tame Ground, this will probably drain a lot of HP from your party! Have healing skills, Tame Ground, Bracing Walk, or some mixture of the three, as necessary.
Huh, so this thing doesn't just dislike the cold. Looks like it's having trouble even standing after we've cooled things off.
Normally I would be ecstatic at the chance to take on such a fiercesome beast... But, alas, time is of the essence, and I will take every advantage we can get, no matter how unsporting.
I will keep watch for any smaller monsters. Please be careful, everyone.
The beast that rules the Golden Lair, the Boiling Lizard, is no small threat. The scales on its back allow it to capture and magnify the heat within the cave, letting loose superheated strikes and wild flames to incinerate its prey.I can only presume that a creature of such raw power is quite an old specimen, having evolved over eons of natural selection. In truth, I have a theory—while its scales serve as heat generators, they also seem to have some life of their own (piercing them with the ice stakes located in the area can destroy them). It seems to me that the scales might serve as part of its reproductive cycle—the Boiling Lizard reproducing by launching out incubated young within its scales.
Since the majority are destroyed by those living in the caves, some may slither off into the distance. Could it be that the re-appearance of the Boiling Lizard is in fact a new adult each time, having grown from the depths after the original adult was slain?
...At any rate, if you wish to battle the Boiling Lizard, ensure the room is cool, and bring something to bind its ability to breathe fire. You'll be in for a long, painful battle either way, but both will help greatly.
There's no reason not to take the completely free preemptive attack, unless you like taking damage from Scorching Fire.
Ah, finally, a chance to let loose my true power! This overgrown salamander shall regret standing in our way. Remember, the second any of your incantations hit us, I'm knocking you out cold. You're certainly welcome to try!
... Please, I am merely jesting.
So that's what you were talking about the other night, Ace. A lot more full of herself than usual, huh?
As much as I hate to admit it, Merula is going to have exactly zero luck with inflicting ailments this fight. This fight is a pretty poor demonstration of just how powerful she's becoming.Naijou and Waylon both are building up to charging their actual attacks. Waylon, of course, will need an extra turn to do so, since Charge Edge is dependent on Sharp Edge being used before it.
Ace has nothing to do this turn. The Boiling Lizard can't attack us.
Xiaohu, having activated Auto-Surge, is free to start spamming Glacier Rune.
Kibagami also does not have much to do right now. Might as well use Nerve Strike on the off-chance it inflicts paralysis.
Ugh.
Well, that was mortifying. ...Bad start.
α❄️🧊🧊🧊Ω! Those solid clumps of ice are new. I also did not realize you could manifest objects from thin air. I've found that this incantation is much more effective when you add blunt force trauma on top of subjecting a monster to below freezing temperatures! You certainly seem more violent than usual. I see no reason for you to complain so long as I get results. Three hits, around 450 total damage.
... I swear I just saw sparks fly off him.
Thing's finally noticed us. You all know the drill, be ready to get behind me.
...No need to get frustrated yet.
Interestingly, while Upward Thrust pierces rows, Ace only took one instance of damage there, redirected from Waylon. I'm not actually sure where the second instance of damage went. My suspicion is that something weird happened because Ace is also in the back row, but I'm not certain about that.Still, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Having to deal with only half the intended total damage of Upward Thrust is nice.
That ominous rattling is much more pleasant when it's a sign of the enemy's impending doom, rather than my own. Ah, finally, someone else that appreciates the sound of a properly-tuned cartridge.
...A clean hit. That's more than a "clean hit," I could see the Boiling Lizard struggling to stand after that. Finally, Naijou's damage moves beyond "pretty good" into "very good." Charge into Ice Slash puts him at roughly equivalent DPT to Xiaohu.
Unfortunately, he's also already below half of his max TP, and further attempts at managing his TP while he's under the effect of Blood Surge will just be frustrating. Thus, I decided to have him end Blood Surge only 3 turns into the battle.This was, in retrospect, a poor decision on my part. I could've ended the battle at least a turn earlier if I'd kept Blood Surge active and just dealt with the TP problems. Kibagami doesn't have much useful to do, I could've had him toss Naijou an amrita or two.
... Everyone's got their off days, especially when you're dealing with monsters as big as this. This is the worst possible time for me to have an "off day."
...No sense in exhausting myself early.
...Ugh... I'm alright, just keep hit...hitting the damn lizard...
Hm! Finally, I've actually managed to find the correct cluster of nerves to attack. ... That was extremely lucky on my part, given how poorly Kibagami's DS matches up against the Boiling Lizard's.
One strike, and the lizard is reeling. I'll need to compliment Wynne on the design of this "Terminator" once we're finished here.
Happy birthday! NOW MAKE A WISH!
N...nice...job... Ace! The Boiling Lizard's tails must secrete poison... How underhanded!
It may seem like I've all but won the battle. Don't worry, bad luck is going to keep this interesting.
Revive is a significant portion of Kibagami's TP, but it's preferable to burning a nectar II, which is...the only nectar I brought with me.
...I hope that hurt.
Hm. I should have expected this, frankly. It's...definitely scared...
...That was foolish of me. I do not enjoy looking foolish. This lizard will pay.
Ace, can you stand? Here, take my shoulder. Tha...nks... Ugh, I still feel like shit...
On top of everything that's suddenly going wrong, the paralysis wore off just now. Everything loves to go pear-shaped just when I'm at the finish line.
...Okay, there. I'm better now. You still have quite serious wounds that need treatment. Eh, yeah. But I'm standing steady now, and that's the important bit.
I can see that thing's throat sacs swelling up. Get behind me, Meri. Just me? Zero chance I can take hits for more than one person right now. Let's call it special privileges and move on.
I do not want to find out what these scales can do if the Boiling Lizard begins spewing fire at us.
Oh, how I wish I could make this lowly lizard's death slow and painful. Only one hit of that Glacier Rune cast actually went to the Boiling Lizard. The scales make it very difficult for Xiaohu to do her job.
My apologies for not being quicker with that, Xiaohu. ...Apology accepted.
Ggh...! I'm not going down again! Ah, you took to enduring mortal blows quickly. I can manage when I don't have poison where most of my blood should be. Hah... Not...enough...
The Boiling Lizard is...generating some sort of heat field around itself, I believe. It's not strong enough to harm us, but certainly enough to speed up its natural recuperation. This accursed beast is very insistent on dragging out this battle.
That dealt about 450 damage again, which is good, but I made a very bad mistake...
Ngh... What is this strange rush of adrenaline? You overexerted yourself. A blood surge drains your vital energy, remember. Your body likely reacted to that loss of vitality in the same way Ace's did to taking a mortal blow. Carelessness on my part, then. I believe so. ...
Some proper medicine is called for, it seems.
The Boiling Lizard is recovering about one Glacier Rune's worth of HP every turn. That's bad, I need to purge it ASAP.
Good thing Roar is right there.
Why are none of my toxins working?!
Hm. Lighting the ground on fire certainly makes it difficult for those of us with weapons to do...well, much of anything.
Glacier Rune finally rolled for and managed to connect 4 hits, dealing around 600 damage—enough to offset the tick of Fire Regen at the end of last turn, and then some.
GAAAARRRAAAAAAGH! Good, the lizard's heat field has stopped. Fire on the floor's out too.
...I've had enough of this.
DIE!
Sorry. For, um, my toxins being ineffective. Fighting these larger monsters is so frustrating... Sorry nothin'. We killed the lizard, and that's the important bit. I guess. Look at it this way, you really laid the hurt on while that thing was smarting from Kibagami's hit. Indeed. I've never seen a monster's face contort in pain like the Boiling Lizard's did when you struck it. I don't know if I'll ever be able to take compliments on that without feeling weird, but...thank you, nonetheless. How are you feeling, Xiaohu? Very lightheaded. I am glad I managed to not run rampant during that blood surge, at least. Indeed, that's a promising sign. Still, unnecessarily bringing yourself to the brink of death is worrying. More training is necessary. Very much agreed. Later, though... Here, take my shoulder. You look like you're about to collapse.
That altar covered in vines is where the Titan's Heart is, I assume. Yes. The vines should clear out of the way when Naijou and I get near—only Sentinels may take the Titan's Heart.
What the— When did you get here? Around when the Boiling Lizard lit the floor on fire. Wait, what happened to keeping watch for smaller monsters? Mm... After a certain point, I realized none were coming, and... Well, watching everyone fight a large monsters is very exciting. I apologize for— No, no, no. No more apologies. Everyone says sorry too much around here, and that includes me. Ah. Very well, then.
The little missy's got a point, though. You guys put on a damn good show. No wonder you've quickly become Tharsis's premier guild. Kibagami's no slouch, either. Your praise is appreciated, Sir Whirlwind. However, we've no time for encouraging our egos. The Titan's Heart awaits. Oop. Yeah, go get that thing. As Kibagami stated, once he and Naijou approach the altar, the vines encircling it retract into the ceiling. With the vines out of the way, the altar is fully revealed—a large mass of entwined roots, atop which a fist-sized red gem is embedded: the Titan's Heart. What's with all of the plant stuff here? First the vines, now this big lump of roots. Presumably, these roots are part of the Titan's body. I doubt its heart could be cleanly severed from within. ...This gem is the most rune-dense object I have ever laid eyes on. The amount of energy—of power—contained within is staggering. That is to be expected from the core of an entity born from the demon tree. I will handle the Titan's Heart, if that is okay. Such a holy object must be treated with the utmost care. Fine by me. Xiuan walks up towards the altar, and carefully disentangles the Titan's Heart from the surrounding roots. After a few minutes, she pulls the Titan's Heart from its resting place.
Shall we return to the Sentinel village, then? The shortcuts we've found should let us get back there quickly. Thank the gods caves are the way they are. Before we return, shouldn't we retrieve this maze's stone tablet, as well? I'd nearly forgotten, but yes, there's probably one behind this altar.
Wait, what?! Where the hell is the tablet?! I'm lost, what tablet are you guys talking about? The tablets at the end of the mazes, dumbass! They're the things that get rid of the air currents that make travelling to new lands impossible! Someone couldn't have stolen it, could they? Doubtful. I certainly haven't seen any other guilds nearby, and even if others were able to maintain our pace, they wouldn't know where our shortcuts are. No unknown humans have come through our village, either. ... Hey, what's that look for? Well, when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth, correct? None of us have taken the tablet, and from how Kibagami has told it, the Sentinels have not been down here in a very long time, either. Not to be rude— Whirlwind uncharacteristically scowls at Xiaohu. Actually, no, full rudeness, I don't appreciate being falsely accused. You haven't actually "eliminated the impossible" yet. How can you be sure the tablet wasn't taken a long time ago? What possible reason for anyone have for removing the stone tablet, especially since the air currents to the north are still in effect? Xiaohu, please. I know everything about this man scans as untrustworthy— You wound me. ...But, as much as I personally dislike him, I doubt he'd have stolen this maze's stone tablet. Why it's missing, I don't know, but I know he didn't steal it. I will defer to your judgment. My deepest apologies, Whirlwind. No worries, just be more careful next time you accuse someone of theft. I'll help you track it down after the Medium helps the Sentinels, that sound good? That would be appreciated, thank you! With that matter sorted, may we please return to my village now?
Every time I come here, I'm even more impressed by the architecture. It's quite amazing how much limitations can foster creativity.
Little ones, I bring wonderful news. While this must be tested, I believe we finally have a cure for your sickness! The Sentinel children's eyes all go wide. Some of them gasp.
I believe that, with the Titan's Heart, I may be able to cure you all of the Titan's Curse. I know it may be scary, but would anyone like to volunteer to be treated first? All of the Sentinel children eagerly raise their hands. O-Oh, I had assumed there would be more hesitancy with an unknown treatment... Xiuan points towards one of the smaller children, with a head reminiscent of a fox. Please, come forward. The fox-like child slowly gets up and walks towards Xiuan. Bothof them kneel down. Don't be scared. All will be well. Just leave it in my hands...
When its warm glow reaches the child, the vines and resin covering them begin to fall off!
I... I cannot believe this... Nothing short of a miracle. I have long worried that the Titan's Curse would lead to our extinction, but now... The now-healthy child suddenly stands up and begins to run around the sick ward, joyously shouting the entire time. The other children all begin to move towards Xiuan, eager to be cured. Getting to the Boiling Lizard was so very, very trying... But I'm glad that we were able to assist in a miracle, in the end. Didn't exactly expect to end up finding a cure for a bunch of sick kids to be a part of being an explorer, but... Ace sheepishly rubs the back of her head. Hell, I'd take a hundred fatal hits for something like this. Xiaohu and Waylon both silently watch as the Sentinel children are cured—exhausted, but satisfied. Whirlwind, too, wears a softer, more genuine smile than usual as the children are, one by one, cured of the Titan's Curse. After Xiuan has managed to cure all of the children, Kibagami speaks up.
I am happy to have been of assistance. Kibagami then turns to the party and bows deeply. And you, members of Guild Daffodil. I know not all of you are here, but you have my everlasting gratitude. Through you, I now understand the generosity and power of both humankind, and the Vessels. As leader of the Sentinels, I promise that nothing shall ever come between us, humans, and Vessels! Finally, Kibagami turns to Whirlwind. My thanks to you as well, traveller. Without the knowledge you obtained from deep within the Vessels' domain, none of this would have been possible. With his gratitude to all involved parties expressed, Kibagami addresses everyone within the village. Sentinels! Our guests—our saviors—deserve a grand feast! Find as much fresh meat and fish as you can, and prepare it in as many ways as possible! Tonight shall be a celebration to remember! The village's population all roar in agreement, and then disperse to do their part in preparing the feast. Oh dear, I'm not sure just us seven can make much of a dent in a grand feast. Why should it be limited to only you? Bring your other comrades! Everyone in Guild Daffodil has a seat at this feast. Harper's probably still got that linkpearl I gave her, I'll let her know about this. It's late, but everyone on the ship's probably drowning in anxiety. I'm gonna bet they're all still awake.♪ No music ♪
Some time later... Good job.
Even on the third time around, it's always nerve-wracking to have to wait for everyone to get back from a big fight. Glad to see everything worked out alright. As silly as it is to admit, I'm quite looking forward to this feast. My appetite has been suppressed all day... Good to see Ace wasn't burned to cinders. Hey, what do you take me for? You're a lot of things, mate—chief among them, "damn good at your job"—but not inflammable. Hohoho!
Oi! Ray stares at Xiuan. M-Me? Yeah, you! You didn't run yourself ragged curin' all the Sents with vines on 'em, yeah? Ray, please, I assure you I am fine. ...Right, if you say so. Can't blame a chick for worryin'.
You and the Sentinels were not the only ones participating in the search for the heart. Explorers from Tharsis, and even a few Vessels, had come to the Golden Lair to do their part. Word about this sure spread fast... Food gets better the more people you share it with. Everyone who helped the Sentinels deserves to be thanked, too. Oh, trust me, I'm not complaining, it's been forever since I had a grand feast like this. Reminds me of better days with my mates... The walls between races break down as you all eat from the same pot, chatting and laughing with each other. Around two hours into the celebration... Hey, Medium? Yes? One of the Vessels that came stumbled out into the main parts of the cave and got real sick. I don't know the first thing about helping a sick Vessel—think you could help? Of course. Can you lead me to where they are? Gladly. Thanks, I know this came outta nowhere. Whirlwind and Xiuan leave the Sentinel village through one of the passages into the rest of the first floor. ...Huh? Is something the matter, Ray? Couldn't hear what Xiuan and Whirlwind were talkin' about, but they both went out to the cave. Gonna go see what's up. Mind if I accompany you, then? Nah, no need. If some big beastie's attackin' then you'll know about it anyway. Bloke's probably just curious about Yggdrasil. Very well.
Near the Golden Lair's main exit... Oi oi, there you two...are... Ray! Nngh— Help! Through taking the upper path, Ray had managed to catch up to Whirlwind and Xiuan. What she sees shocks her: Whirlwind dragging Xiuan by the arm towards an unknown skyship. Whirlwind stops in his tracks as his eyes meet Ray's—clearly, he had not considered that this would occur. ... ... A-Aaah... sigh Of course things weren't going to be simple. Ray, realizing that there isn't enough time for her to gamble on a circle being able to immobilize Whirlwind, begins to run back towards the Sentinel village to warn everyone.
Unfortunately, in front of the shortcut to the village... ... ... Whirlwind blocks Ray's way, the both of them out of breath from sprinting as fast as they could. Wha...what'd you do with Xiuan, y'tosser...? Hah...hah... She's safe on my ship... I just...hah...need to borrow her for something... Y'think I'm...gonna buy that...? Not...hah...really... And do you think I buy...that you won't tell everyone what just happened...? Tcheh. We both...know the answer to that, y'bleedin'... ...Fine. If you want things to be complicated...I'll make them complicated... —!
Back at the feast, about 10 minutes later... ...The fates can be interesting sometimes. How do you mean? Well, never in a million years—or, to be more accurate, over 500 years—did I think I would ever meet you again, old friend, even if your memories had degraded. Even more unbelievably, you ended up bringing so many other types of people to our village. Humans, Vessels, Sentinels... Only through our combined effort did the hunt for the Titan's Heart— A Sentinel suddenly bursts into the main hall of the village, rushing towards Kibagami's side.
T-Terrible news, Kibagami! The traveller stole the Titan's Heart!
One of our guards, h-he was patrolling near the entrance, and... He happened to run into the traveller, the Titan's Heart in one of his hands, a-and...the purple-skinned girl slumped over his shoulder! The guard tried to engage the traveller, but...he drew a large sword, and struck him down in one blow. But the guard is okay, yes? He must've relayed this story to you. He's badly injured, but he was able to tell me this before passing out. ...I'm sorry, Kibagami, but we have no time to waste. Take the geomagnetic pole to Tharsis, and ask for directions to the Mark Grand Court. We'll meet you there. I— Yes, of course. Naijou sprints towards where the rest of Guild Daffodil are sitting. EVERYONE! TO THE SKYSHIP, NOW! What the— What happened?! Whirlwind, he... He has absconded with the Titan's Heart, Xiuan, and Ray! Everyone's eyes go wide, with multiple gasps. Almost immediately after, Harper speaks up. We're going! Now!
That's... No doubt about it, that's Whirlwind's skyship. I'm giving chase! You maneuver the Air B'n'B on an approach vector, but just then, something happens in the ravine...
He— He did steal the stone tablet! Damn it!
Oh no you don't, you rat bastard!
...No...
The cannons equipped on those black skyships would seem to mark them as vessels of war... ...Shit. We're, ah, not in any condition to fight these ships, are we, Shelly? I took the cannons out of the Air B'n'B forever ago. Really regretting it now. ... A man clad in armor appears on the nearest skyship and hails you.
...Though I assume your friend in the green armor already knows that. ... You— Hold on, Waylon, you— Later. I'll explain later. Where are our teammates?! Harper's voice wavers as she shouts at the armored man. ... Don't ignore me! ...We were told of you, and that you would be coming to this land. An explanation for our esteemed knight's actions and a proposal for a peaceful resolution are being prepared. Peaceful resolution?! Give us our fucking friends back, or I swear to the gods I'LL SMASH ALL OF YOUR HEADS— The man interrupts Ace, almost as if he didn't hear them. We would invite your lord, the Outland Count of Tharsis, to attend a parley in person.
In three days, our emperor and esteemed knight will be waiting at the South Sanctuary—the building closest to us, to the east. We're not doing anything until you tell us what's happened to our comrades, aye? You are hardly in a position to make demands here. ...Tch. This is the most obvious trap I've ever seen. Give us one reason why we should believe a parley is your actual intent. What did I just say? Go fuck yourself. You can take what you just said and shove it up your ass. If the emperor's attending this parley, then I bet he'd be real pissed off if nothing happens. And I'd bet everyone aboard these three ships, including you, would get blamed for it. You're the only ones that have talked to us, after all. ... Alright, dude, it's your funeral. We're going home. Look forward to— We offer the presence of your comrade at the parley. We will not return her to you, but that should at least prove she's still alive. ...Tomorrow. The parley will be tomorrow. You are trying my patience. How do you think we feel? We are plenty capable of calling off— Shelly silently calls the soldier's bluff by walking towards the ship's controls. Stop! The soldier, realizing he's losing control of the situation, sounds slightly panicked. Tomorrow. Fine. Fine! Tomorrow. We'll bring the Outland Count tomorrow. There'll be hell to pay if any of this goes sour. Don't underestimate what sort of damage we can do. We made it out here, after all. ... The soldier heads below deck. However, the three black airships remain in position. It seems the blockade will not clear until tomorrow's meeting. ...We're returning to Tharsis, everyone. Once we're back in town, we need to go talk to the Count. Immediately.
The entire ride back to the Sacred Mountains' geomagnetic pole, save for the sounds of the Air B'n'B's engine, was silent.
...I've heard the news. Some of our soldiers were at the Sentinels' feast. Ah, you already get why we're all looking glum. I had hoped to hold a small celebration of my own once you returned, but 'twas not meant to be.
I know that Whirlwind stole the Titan's Heart, and kidnapped both Ray and the Medium. Has anything else transpired? We gave chase to Whirlwind's skyship, only to end up in front of a blockade at the entrance to a new land. Three skyships, clad in black, with cannons all over, barred our way. One soldier talked to us—he said something about the land being "Imperial territory." You know of any empires around here? No. I was not even aware there were other human settlements near Yggdrasil besides ours. ...sigh We're dealing with the Eikthyrnir Empire. Ah, they identified themselves to you, then. Nooooooooooo they didn't. Waylon, do you have something you need to tell us? ...No, man, c'mon, today's been hard enough, don't tell me you're— I'm not a double agent. Whirlwind's actions surprised me just as much as they did the rest of you. Ah. I'd nearly forgotten, you two did arrive at Tharsis around the same time, didn't you? Whirlwind— No, I'm done using that idiotic name. Logre and I are the only survivors of a catastrophic skyship crash ten years ago. This, everyone already knows. Never in my headiest flights of fancy would I have imagined you two were from so nearby, let alone part of some sort of empire. So what brought you out to Tharsis, then, lad? Tharsis wasn't our destination. We were headed further southwest, to the Maginian Yggdrasil. But...a sudden storm changed everything. In what I can only call a true act of the gods, lightning struck our skyship while we were flying over the Sacred Mountains. The strike caused several components of the skyship to explode. How the hell...? Assuming those explosions blew holes in your ship, which I don't think is unreasonable, how did you make it all the way from there to Tharsis? Redundant systems. We were, obviously, losing airworthiness, and several people went overboard...but we were still flying. We kept the ship afloat over the Scarlet Pillars, but it wasn't enough. The redundancies eventually gave out, never having been tested adequately, and we completely lost control over the Windy Plains. ...The fact that both Logre and I were able to survive that crash confounds me to this day. Now, what does any of that have to do with the Eikthyrnir Empire's current antagonization of us? I'm getting to that. The empire's been in decline for a very, very long time. I won't bore you with the details, but with every passing year, we've been able to keep less and less of our population alive. This crisis is not only older than I am, it was older than Emperor Alfodr's grandfather. That's a name I haven't thought about in a long time. Kibagami, who had been standing in the corner of the room, speaks up.
...So, it's true, then. The village's gravekeeper told Logre and I you administered last rites to His Majesty, ten years ago. I did, yes. He wished to die next to someone who knew his name. I, of course, obliged. You were unaware of your own emperor's death, Waylon? I had no idea up until a few weeks ago, when we first came to the Sentinel village. His Majesty was, evidently, aboard our skyship in secret. As for why, my assumption after the fact was to keep the public thinking he was performing his usual duties in the palace during what was supposed to be no more than two weeks' absence. But... Well, he was clearly one of the people that went overboard shortly after lightning struck. The emperor's death couldn't have been good for a declining empire... I have no idea what the situation back home is like, but it's clearly very dire. For context, His Majesty had only one heir: his son, Baldur. Ten years ago, Baldur was only seven years old. ...No. No, your empire can't be that stupid. Please tell me it isn't. Officially, no. But given that His Majesty's absence was a secret, I imagine his death has been kept a secret as well. Baldur has likely taken over as the official imperial representative. Great. Great great great. So we're up against a technologically-advanced declining empire, and it's got a 17-year old as its acting leader. That's the sum of it, yes. Uuuuuuugggggghhhhhhhhhhh why did you never tell any of us this before, man? Was me introducing myself as an "engineer in service to His Majesty, Emperor Alfodr" not enough of a clue that I come from an empire somewhere? Besides, I had no reason to believe my homeland's government would be relevant to our explorations. Waylon... ...I've made you all very suspicious of me, I take it. A bit. This is...a lot to take in. I'm sorry, but you do have to admit that the circumstances look really bad here. I hate to cry foul on someone I've known for a decade, but... The Count, Kibagami, Merula, Eine, Xiaohu, and Naijou all cast their gazes elsewhere within the room. None of them wish to say anything. I see. Waylon takes a very long pause. I'm sorry. I don't know how to prove that my allegiance lies with Guild Daffodil and Tharsis, not the Eikthyrnir Empire. ... Harper stands up, tears welling in her eyes. Did none of this matter to everyone? "This?" Our...our time exploring together. Aren't we friends? Harper's voice, once again, wavers. She seems to be choking back a sob. ...I mean, I'd like to think so. We risk death every time we go into a labyrinth, and we have to trust each other to stay alive. But... This— "This?" What's "this?" Why...why is now... Why is now any different than before? Does Waylon being everyone's friend for the past four months, every day, not matter any more? No-one responds to her. Every time he's talked to us, every time he's done something with us when we're not exploring, every time he's been the one to kill an FOE, or a small monster... None of that matters? No-one responds to her. That...that time he and Ace kept getting hit by the sheep to keep everyone alive? Eine, he... He saved you, Ray and I from dying, didn't he? Eine's expression turns pained as Harper addresses him. Still, he does not respond to her. ...Aaa...aaaaauuuhh... Harper begins to wobble—she's having trouble standing. Oddly, she quickly looks downwards at both of her arms before looking back at everyone else. ...Harper... Speaking...purely pragmatically... That's all irrelevant. Building trust like that, only to betray it, is what any good double agent would— In the middle of Xiaohu's sentence, the dam breaks. Harper falls to her knees and begins sobbing. Everyone inside the Count's office is caught off-guard. ...Please, Harper, I understand that this is a very difficult matter for your guild, but there are important... Harper continues sobbing the entire way through Kibagami's attempt to refocus her. Realizing the futility of his effort, he lets his sentence trail off. For what only lasts 30 seconds, but feels like an eternity, no-one is sure what to do. No-one is even sure there will still be a Guild Daffodil come tomorrow. Waylon, in the end, is the one who breaks the silence. I'll take Harper back to the ship. I don't think she's able to think straight any more. Shelly, if you wouldn't mind, please accompany us. ...Why? I've lost everyone's trust. Surely you want to make sure I don't harm Harper on the way back. ...Alright. Waylon helps Harper to her feet. As the three of them are about to leave, Waylon speaks up one last time. I wish everyone the best of luck in fighting the Eikthyrnir Empire and rescuing the Medium and Ray. My countrymen may have advanced technology, but you all are stronger than even the full force of the army. Far stronger. ...And, once again, I'm sorry. With that, Shelly, Harper, and Waylon disappear down the hallway. Harper's despondent sobs continue to echo into the Outland Count's office. ... I, um... I'm sorry that you...had to see that.
What's done is done. For now, tell me what the next steps are, and then go rest. It's clearly been a long day for your guild. Okay. We were told that the emperor wishes to meet with you in a building near the entrance to the new land. We were initially told three days, but Harper and Shelly argued it down to tomorrow. To, um, make sure Ray is alright. They also got the imperials to agree to have Ray be present, to confirm she's safe. Not much time to prepare, then. I'm sorry... Ray and the Medium's safety are paramount. Those two were correct to argue the imperials down to tomorrow. Were you given any further details about this meeting? Only that the emperor seeks a "peaceful resolution." Hmph. I doubt that, coming from someone who's already resorted to such horrific measures...but I digress. Thank you, everyone. I'll be needing your protection once the day of the meeting arrives—to be frank, I'd feel much safer in your care than with our town's soldiers. Kibagami, I will arrange lodgings for you for the night. You must be exhausted as well. I'm more than happy to discuss the future of the relationship between Tharsis and the Sentinels later today. Thank you, Outland Count. Good night, everyone. The remaining members of Guild Daffodil rise from their seats and silently make for the door. Actually... Let me say one more thing. Everyone turns to listen to the Outland Count. I've known Waylon for ten years now. As has Marlin. ... Obviously, many worrying things have been revealed tonight. Like Shelly said, the circumstances could not look worse for my good man. But they are nothing more than that. Circumstances. I would trust Waylon with my life, were it to come to that. You certainly have, for the past few months. Even now, knowing his history with the empire and Logre, my opinion has not changed. Waylon is an honest man. ...You are free to consider my thoughts however you will. That is all. The five members exchange uncertain glances at each other before silently leaving the Count's office. ... whimper Ah, don't worry, Margherita. I trust they will do the right thing, come daybreak.Next Update
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