Update 62: Jelly! Fruit Preserves! Jelly! Fruit Preserves! Fruit Preserves! Jell— There It Is!

♪ Life at Garreg Mach Monastery ♪


Did you know my mother?
I did indeed. I was acquainted with your parents. I've been wanting to speak with you for a while now.
I am nothing more than a common monk. I knew your parents...once upon a time.
I've been gone from the monastery for some time now because... Well, it matters not.
Might I...ask a favor of you? Do you mind terribly picking up some fresh flowers to place upon your mother's grave? I am certain she'd be deeply moved to receive a gift from you.




Thank you so much. This is just the type of flower she once loved so dearly.
I can rest easy now. I must be off. Take especially good care of yourself, won't you? Please, look after Jeralt. She'd have wanted that.







Going all the way to the Empire for a mock battle? This is serious business. And there's a reward to be had as well. I'd really like to win this thing. Everyone else seems to be raring to go too. We're all looking to you to guide us, Teach.


♪ Respite and Sunlight ♪


I'm happy to help. Tell me, is there anything I can do to lighten your load a bit?
Nothing comes to mind.
Oh, surely there must be something! Don't be shy about asking for help. We're practically siblings, after all. Cut from the same cloth.
I was raised by Jeralt, just as you were. So we should have no trouble getting along.
You were raised by Jeralt?
Huh? Did I not mention that? How thoughtless! What an embarrassing gaffe.
My parents died when I was small, and I came to live in the monastery. It was an aimless existence. But sometimes, a knight would pass by, wearing magnificent armor. That knight was Jeralt. And the first time he laid eyes on me, he made me his squire! What was he thinking, eh?
Sounds like Jeralt.
No kidding! I don't think I'll ever fully understand his logic.
Later, I heard that the squire preceding me had died of a terrible plague. I looked a bit like him, and was about the same age, so Jeralt thought me a suitable replacement.
A little nutty, old Jeralt, there's no doubt about that. Quite a character.
All that was more than 30 years ago. How time flies.
30 years?
That's right. I wasn't even 15 years old. Well, Jeralt hardly seems to have aged since then.
In fact, over drinks he once told me... Ah, perhaps that's a story for another day.
At any rate, that's Jeralt for you. One of a kind. I don't think there's anyone else quite like him.
Yeah, probably not.
Right. Well, now you've heard my whole story. I hope that you understand now why I feel such a strong sense of attachment to you.
If you're ever in a bind, just give me a holler. I'll help however I can.
Thanks for offering, but I can handle myself.
Indeed, indeed. Well, I'll let you get back to it.
But truly, if I can take anything off your plate, don't hesitate to let me know.



♪ Life at Garreg Mach Monastery ♪


♪ The Forgotten ♪


You're wondering where Mr. Backup is, aren't you? Figured you'd want an update. Or report, if you will. He's gone. Other duties or some such nonsense. But he'll be back, right? I bet so... I think he liked this place? Especially the company... We really had something... Hm, he'll miss it. Just you wait and see.

We're not acquainted, but I have heard tell that the baron has a daughter roughly her age.
Despite my current circumstances, I was born into House Nuvelle, one of the preeminent houses of the Empire. Didn't you know?
There isn't much of my house left to speak of, but mark my words, someday it shall return in glory!










I hear I'm free to join in. My heart's full to bursting! My muscles too, but that's pretty normal for me. This is big, pal. The Legendary King of Grappling's triumphant return. The other houses won't know what hit 'em!

Gotcha. Well, I hope we win. You won't like what happens if I'm on the losing team.

All this really has me feeling nostalgic. Back when I was in the academy, I took part in the battle too.
Did your class win?
We won the battle by a mile. But how we came to that victory is my little secret.
Lady Rhea still watches the battle, yeah? Best of luck to you, friend.

♪ Life at Garreg Mach Monastery ♪


♪ A Gentle Breeze ♪


I wonder if anyone is around...


Oh, my... Such...awful noises! Who—or rather—what is making those sounds?


Eep!



You startled me—appearing out of nowhere and making such sounds! What is it you are doing here, anyway?
I'm just out here using logs to train!
Wow! Are you really capable of lifting something so massive, Raphael?
Of course! Wanna see?
Hrrnnggh! Yrrraaah!
See? Told you I could do it.
That was magnificent! Do you suppose I could give it a try as well?
Hmm. It might be a bit too much for your tiny arms.
Tiny or no, I want to be stronger. Do you have any tips for someone both willing and eager to grow?
It's probably best to start by practicing your battle cry. If you let out a good shout, you'll feel even more powerful!
Ah, you are a font of knowledge! Can you apply your wisdom and show me by example?
No problem. Just follow my lead!
Yaaah! Hrrraaagh!
Yah! Hragh!
Ooorraaah! Nggghaaarh!
Oorah! Ngharh!
...
How did I fare? Do I look stronger now?
Umm. Heh...
It's working! I knew this would help!



♪ Life at Garreg Mach Monastery ♪



♪ Respite and Sunlight ♪


Um. Well, I don't dislike them.
I've happened upon a spot that's just teeming with splendid blossoms. Would you like me to show you?
I think I would rather stay. It would be for the best if you kept your distance from me.
Well, perhaps I could pick a few of the nicest and present them to you? With a beautiful bouquet in your arms, your magnificence would rival even that of the goddess.
I would never compare myself to the beauty of the goddess.
I see. Well, I don't mind. Oh, that is a lovely handkerchief you've got there. Did you know that a handkerchief reflects the sensitivity of its owner? Yours tells me you have quite a refined sensibility. If you only applied yourself a little more to the rest of your ensemble, there is no doubt in my mind...
If you admire my handkerchief so much, you may have it.
Ah! No, please. That is not what I meant.
It was a gift from my adoptive father. I didn't choose it for myself. I'm sure I don't share his refined sensibilities though, considering how little he and I have in common.
I have to go.


Such beauty, and yet... With just a little polish, she'd be a marvel. If only she'd put in some effort...
Hm... I wonder. Indeed! I shall make it my mission to awaken her beauty! There is nothing that I, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, cannot do!



♪ Life at Garreg Mach Monastery ♪



♪ A Gentle Breeze ♪






Hey! Are you studying? I thought you'd given up on it. Nice to see you're...


What the?!
Oh! Leonie!
What's wrong? Why are you crying?
I-I just got a thank you letter from my little sister!
OK, maybe start from the beginning.
My little sister lives with my grandpa now. She's had to deal with so much since I decided not to take over the family business.
You might have to back up a bit more before this starts to make sense to me.
Our parents were merchants, but they died in an accident. We had some money saved at first, but... But Grandpa isn't healthy enough to work, and I'm not smart enough to work a job that requires...much thinking.
That's really tough. Hard to make a fortune with just your strength, I'm sure.
I had to sell all our valuables just to pay my way here so I could become a knight!
Wow. That's a lot of pressure.
My sister wants the best for me, but— She's the smart one in the family! She's the one that should be here! When I ask if she needs anything, she always says she's fine. She doesn't want to ask me for anything 'cause she knows I'm having such a hard time here!
She sounds like a great kid. So, what did the letter say?
It said she's happy and thankful for all the study materials I sent her.
That's good, right? Wait...where did you find extras?
I couldn't find any, so I just sent her mine. It's like you said, right? It's better to give them to someone who will use them instead of letting them go to waste!
Um, don't take this the wrong way, but don't you still kind of need those?
Well, I guess if it makes her happy, it's worth it. Maybe I can scrounge something up for her too.



♪ Life at Garreg Mach Monastery ♪



♪ Respite and Sunlight ♪


No, I'm on cooking duty today, and I have to head into town for some groceries.
All on your own? Hm, I'd better go with you. I'd be worried if you went by yourself.
No, please! I can manage on my own.
But won't you have a hard time carrying everything back?
Not at all. I'll be fine. I'm just replacing a few ingredients. Also, I may not look it, but I'm actually quite strong. I've been exercising every day!
You're right—you don't look it. Your biceps are a fraction of the size of Raphael's. If you start fumbling around under the weight of all the groceries, and then you trip and spill everything everywhere... Look, I'm just saying, that could be your future. It could happen. It doesn't look pretty.
That's what you think of me, huh?
Yep. You're honestly a bit of a mess.
I see. If that's how you feel...
Oh, knock it off with the wounded puppy-dog eyes!
As though I'm some sort of villain in your story...
I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention. I'm just a bit sensitive, that's all. You're talking like you don't respect me.
I see. So now it's my fault? No matter how grown you seem to think you are, there's so much you're incapable of. You can play at being a mature adult, but it only ever complicates things. And that's exactly what makes you look like a child.


Maybe I...went a bit far that time...
But he's so stubborn despite his ineptitude. I can't just leave it be. He's so foolish—constantly making a mess of things. Wait... But then...




To everyone else, do I seem just like Ignatz?



♪ Life at Garreg Mach Monastery ♪




♪ Respite and Sunlight ♪






Cry...beating... Are you wanting to battle me?
As in a battle of wills? Trust me, kid, you don't want to waste your life trying to beat me at... Huh?
Sword or bow... Which are you fighting with? You have skill with both, I am thinking.


I was asked to be coming here and do the shopping, but then this merchant gave me her challenge!
Huh? This has to be a misunderstanding.
Look, I'll help you. What were you trying to buy?
We are needing vulneraries. Many people make use of them and our stock is lowly.
Got it. Just leave this to me.




Are you kidding? This is even lower than my usual bargain rate.
Really? Because the shop over by the gates is selling the same item for a little more than half that. Guess I'll have to head back there, after all.
Hey! Let's all take a deep breath. Here's the deal. I'll give you...another 10 percent off. How's that?
Make it 20 percent and you've got a deal.
Hmph. You drive a hard bargain. Fine, 20 percent. But you better be grateful!




Not a problem. I'm used to this sort of thing.
Bargaining for prices in Fódlan is...complicated.
I am thankful for this bargain. Now the extra can be given back to our professor. I had learnings about the customs of Fódlan. I have gratitude for that too.
Ah, I wouldn't call it a custom, exactly.
It's just a trick we commoners use to save money.
Efficiency with money is a wonderful culture.
I promise you, it's really nothing special.



♪ Life at Garreg Mach Monastery ♪




♪ Somewhere to Belong ♪




I wouldn't say you've fully earned my trust, but...you've earned something, for sure. I owe you.
Don't worry about it.
I can't not worry about it. I don't like owing people.
Guess I'll just have to surprise you someday.
Weren't you in the middle of something just now?
I was just rummaging through what we recovered from the Scorpions, and I stumbled across something pretty special to me.
What's with the notebook?
It was under lock and key, so those thugs probably thought it was something of high value. The elder gave it to me when I was small. Losing it really got me where it hurts...
Who is this elder?
I guess it couldn't hurt to tell you about it. Can't quite remember how old I was, but my mother had taken in an elderly man wandering the town. He was worse for wear—could barely even walk. She nursed him back to health under our humble roof. In return for her kindly gesture, he taught me to read and write. This notebook is a relic of those times. Not too long after that, I came down with a terrible illness. We had no money to speak of, so a doctor's visit was out of the question. My mother went everywhere asking for help, to no avail. And then the elder stepped in and saved me. I don't know how he did it...or what it was he did.
Maybe he was a doctor.
Could've been. I never knew much about him, honestly. He could've been a mage, a scholar... I haven't the foggiest. And I'll never know. Shortly after curing me of my illness, he passed on. My illness, it turns out, was part of a larger plague that swept through our village. So many died... And there I was, having escaped death by some strange luck. I felt grateful...and helpless. So little Yuri figured it would be his mission to help anyone he could as he grew up.
Help them how?
However I could. Not necessarily by making gold rain from the sky, but in smaller ways. The streets are filled with kids who have no homes, no food... So many dying of disease, where some cheap medicine would've saved them. I figure, if I can save even one unlucky soul, well...then I'm doing my part, you know?
It's a small dream, but it's one I hold in my heart—to help those who need it. It's what my gang's about.
When I recruit my people, it's to that end—to give them a home. The turf wars, the gang, all of it...to honor that dream.
That's truly admirable.
Yeah? Well, thanks. Despite what you now know about me, I'm still the lord of the underground.
I do what I have to, whether people view it as fair or foul. The way I see things, the goddess gave me two gifts: my life and my charm.
That's been gift enough to get in with slimy nobles so I can pull their strings as I see fit.
So you've been able to get into their good graces?
Of course. It wasn't always easy, but in the end, it's all the same little game. Once, I used a clever name—and my charms—to become the attendant to the head slug of a noble house.
Yet another time, I took a name befitting the Kingdom. That landed me in the academy as a noble's adopted son.
That's how I've gotten this far and earned my fortune. In doing so, I've spread my wings of protection further, to help those who need it most.
So your current name is also fake?
Heh! As though I'd tell you, friend. But perhaps you can share what it is you think, hmm?



♪ Life at Garreg Mach Monastery ♪



♪ No music ♪


Yup. We're on a big round thing that's always spinning, and that's why the stars seem to move through the sky. Hard to believe, isn't it? But it's true.
I admit I'm having a difficult time wrapping my head around it. How is it you know these things, anyway? If you were a noble, it would make sense that you'd have a formal education on all of this.

♪ Recollection and Regret ♪


A village of stargazing folk, huh? Do tell. I've never heard of such a place.
It's a...very well-hidden village. It was a small settlement deep in the forest where no one ever bothered us. I was born there, grew up there... But when I got older, I felt like I needed to see the world. I couldn't live my whole life in one place, y'know? So I struck out on my own.
I always knew you were an odd little bird, but your birthplace makes you a rare little bird.
Yeah, well, pretty soon after leaving her nest, this rare little bird was put in a cage. I thought it might be some kind of punishment for leaving the forest.
What the hell? You think that because you wanted to live your life, you'd be punished? That's ridiculous.
Look at this objectively—was it punishment, or was it just plain bad luck? There's nothing wrong with wanting to see the world and expand your horizons.
Take me... Had I never left that gutter I call home, I'd have gone my whole life never learning how to look at the stars.
Yeah... I left my village because I thought I'd find a better life beyond the forest. Now I'm not so sure.
Regret is pointless. What matters is how we live right here, right now. You know?
Yeah...
Do you ever want to return back home?
I could say no, but I'd be lying. I've been feeling homesick lately. Nothing happened there, for better or worse. There wasn't much to be scared of. Everyone said the outside world was dangerous, that beyond the forest, all we'd find was an early grave. That wasn't exactly true, but my life was for sure easier when I lived there. I used to spend my days fishing, hunting for pretty flowers, running around for no reason...
A rare occurrence indeed.
What is?
Seeing you smile in that way. You're always so... I don't know...neutral?
That's not true. I smile when there's something to smile about.
It's strange, though. When I'm talking to you, I can't help but let my guard down. I don't like to discuss where I came from. But with you, I feel like I can open up.
You know, I've been thinking a lot about my mom and dad lately. I wonder...are they even alive?
...



♪ Life at Garreg Mach Monastery ♪



♪ A Guide for the Future ♪


♪ Respite and Sunlight ♪




Hello, Cyril. Lured here by the exquisite aroma, were you?
Uh...no? I've got a thing for ya. It's a letter. Alright. Well, don't say I didn't deliver it.
A letter for me, is it? Curious. Let's see what we have here...
Is that a love letter?

♪ Calm Winds Over Gentle Waters ♪


Alas, Professor, nothing so whimsical as that. This correspondence comes from my father. Some difficulty with Acheron, apparently. My father wishes me to return home and settle it.
Acheron?
A young lord whose domain borders my father's. Do you know of the Great Bridge of Myrddin? It is an old bridge across the Airmid River. A key crossing between Alliance and Empire territory. Acheron controls the land on the northern side. Controlling such an essential location gives him quite a bit of clout, which he is ever so eager to deploy toward the purpose of stirring up trouble. This time, he is dredging up an old border dispute that was supposed to be settled some time ago. He has even begun to dispatch military force.
It is best we rout his troops before they cause any damage to the surrounding villages.
Why does this fall to you, Lorenz?
To my father, Acheron is insignificant in the face of far more pressing political matters. Other houses wield far greater power and influence: Goneril, Ordelia, Edmund, and of course, Riegan. To make his voice heard at the roundtable conferences, my father must keep up relations with them. That is simply the way the Leicester Alliance works. It was, after all, founded with the goal of freedom from Faerghus. We prize that independence highly, even if it occasionally hinders cooperation. There is often talk of mutual aid, but the truth is that each noble acts to maximize personal benefit. At the moment, the Riegan Dukedom is in no state to keep those conflicting motivations in check. So while the Alliance may appear to be at peace, the reality is that internal conflict is a routine matter.
Of course, this leaves me precious little time to sit back and enjoy a cup of tea. Alas, I must be off.
Sounds tough.
Since you're here, perhaps you would care to accompany me on this little errand?
I have no fear of Acheron, but it could be valuable for you to experience these political nuances firsthand.
The fate of the Alliance will someday rest upon my shoulders, so it is important to me that those I deal with understand its workings. It is important to me that those I deal with understand its workings.
What say you to broadening your horizons?
Let's go.
Excellent! Let us be away at once. I shall leave the finer details of preparation in your capable hands.



♪ As Swift as Wind ♪




♪ Dark Clouds Gather ♪




Ah, well, it doesn't matter. I'll just have to deal with you little meddlers swiftly and decisively!

♪ Tempest of Seasons ♪




We need not actually kill him. So long as we cut his escape off convincingly enough, that should suffice.


































I'm on a roll!
































An offensive sight!


















Thieves! Do not allow them to escape!






























































































♪ Wrath Strike ♪

















♪ No music ♪


...You have my thanks, Professor. Please go on ahead. I will clean up here and then report to my father. See you back at the monastery.




♪ A Gentle Breeze ♪


Thanks to you, the Alliance was able to nip this internal conflict in the bud.
What will become of Acheron?
He has written a pledge to my father, swearing never to cause trouble about the border again.
Of course, he is hardly the type to bind himself in good faith to anything written on paper.
But Acheron has many connections, both in the Alliance and in the Empire. To remove him entirely would cause more conflict. We will just have to watch him closely for now.
That is a prudent decision.
Indeed. I do plan to eliminate him eventually, however. He is nothing but trouble.
Incidentally, there was one other benefit to embarking upon this errand. Have a look at this.


It seems my father has finally recognized my ability.
Apparently he had been considering entrusting this Relic to me for some time. He has had precious few opportunities to take to the field of battle personally, of late. Doubtless by giving this to me, he intends to send the message that I must work even harder. I will certainly continue to do my utmost. But I am by no means completely subservient to his will.
Is all not well between you two?
I would not go so far as that. But my father seldom thinks beyond the immediate benefit of our house. While that is important, I prefer to consider the greater good when I make decisions. I believe that is a noble's duty. Now, for the time being, may I trust you to decide how we may best make use of Thyrsus? For the moment, I think you are in the best position to apply it to the betterment of all Fódlan.
Are you sure?
To be quite honest, I am not certain I feel ready to decide the fate of a Relic on my own just yet.
Do me this favor, Professor, and I will be grateful. Now, to celebrate! Allow me to treat you to tea.

♪ No music ♪




Next Update
Previous Update
Table of Contents