Part 69: Chapter 17- Trek

Chapter 17- Trek

AR_TONELICO_PHANTASM_RESUME

Excerpt from personal records, Harmonica alias 'Jack'-

We'd heard there was a hidden path into the Tower at Silvaplate, and decided to investigate. On the way there we ran into a bit of trouble. Lyner managed to defuse the situation, although I can't say it was the way I expected.



That's...
Man: Please. I'll lose my business if I can't get back to Firefly Alley soon.
You have to let me through the Tower.
Priestess: I can't let you through. It's forbidden for you people to enter the Tower.
Knight: You don't belong down here, either!
Warrior: Yes, this is not our territory. But, it is our duty to guard the Tower. We can't let you through.
Guard: You bastard! You have no right to stop us!
We won't let you stop us today!
Stop!
Lyner!?
Everyone, just stop it!
Knight: Who do you think you are?
I don't know what's going on, but I can't let you fight!
Guard: Get out of here!
What are you doing?
Warrior: If you want to fight, then let's do it. We are the Teru Tribe. We will fight anyone who wants us to.
Everyone, stop!
Warrior: Get out of the way!



......



We can't solve our problems through fighting.
The fighting never ends. Even if you win this fight, you'll have to fight someone else later on.
Knight: What the hell are you talking about!?
I'm talking about stopping this fight.
I'm sure we can work it all out if we talk about it.
[g]Guard:[/b] Enough of this baby talk! We've been suffering a long time because of these guys!
Knight: That's right! It's too late to solve anything peacefully.
Guard: If you try to stop us again, I'll beat you up, too.
If it'll satisfy you, go ahead and do it.
[g]Guard:[/b] !!
......
Don't worry, I won't fight back!
Warrior: Then you're an idiot! Get out of the way!
If you really want to fight, hit me all you want! Just don't hurt anyone else!
Lyner! That's enough!



Warrior: You let him beat you up and you wouldn't fight back... Why!?
People shouldn't just fight with one another. I won't fight unless I have a reason to.
Guard: You make me sick. I'm just going to wait until the storm is over.
Knight: Yeah, I don't really want to be here anymore. I'll come back some other time.
Lyner, why did you do that!?
This time, I didn't beat them up.
This is all my fault... I shouldn't have said that stuff in the park...
You coulda beat 'em up with both hands tied behind your back if you wanted to.
Yeah. But, what good would that have done?
Misha and Miss Claire taught me that fighting doesn't solve anything.
But, you could've been hurt!
I know. I'm sorry. I won't try that again.
I made you worry about me, again...



...Nobody wants to fight.
It doesn't matter if you're a Human or a Teru.
Warrior: You are a strange Human.
By the way, I heard there's a secret path to the inside of the Tower. Do you know anything about that?
Warrior: Sorry. I've never heard of it...
We might have to walk a little to find it.

I didn't expect Lyner to solve things without fighting. I might have underestimated him a bit. Anyway, it seemed like we were walking for ages before we found one of the Dividing Walls into the Tower.




Yeah.
This is the A4 Dividing Gate. Please present your authorization code.
What!? It's working!?
FFT Spectrum authorization confirmed, Lyner Barsett. Awaiting commands.
Open the A4 Dividing Wall.



In 2 seconds, the Dividing Gate will open. You are authorized to proceed.


This is the worst part of the entire game. You have to slog through a huge portion of the Tower, from above the Plasma Bell all the way to Firefly Alley. And unlike the long walk when the Tower is shut down, there's enemies. It's horrible.

I'd never been inside the Tower before. Very unsettling place.



What? You've never been here before?
I've never seen anything like this before. We must be really close to the center.
Wow... I'm getting valuable experience on this trip.

The first of many lifts took us part of the way through the Tower.



The walk was unbearable. We had to take a break partway through.



Let's take a break here!
The storm ruined our plan.
Yeah, but we found a way to walk there.
Misha!? What's wrong?
...I'm scared. I'm afraid of the dark.
What!? You're afraid of the dark!?
Shut up! Leave me alone...
So, let's see. You're afraid of heights and the dark... and you're a klutz.
...Agh.
Nothing's wrong with that. I think it just makes you more interesting.



A pureblooded Beta-type? What's that?
Huh!? You've never heard of it?
It's a classification for Reyvateils. Aurica and Claire are both third generation, but I'm a pureblooded Beta-type.
Is that another one of those class rankings?
No, it's not! How can I put this...? Beta-types are really smart, and...
Wow, you really sound conceited. So, the one who's a wimp and a klutz is a Beta-type?
Shut up!
Beta-types are Reyvateils without parents...
In other words, they're artificially made Reyvateils.
Artificially!?
Yes. Lady Shurelia is the Clone Master.
Aurica and Claire were born from a human and a Reyvateil.
Beta-types can sing stronger Song Magic, because our blood is so pure.
But... I'm the only pureblooded Beta-type left in this world.
Really!?



Oh man! I wish I coulda been around to see all those... uh, Reyvateils.
Harm! You're a dirty, dirty man.
We should get going.

We got stuck near another Dividing Wall, and needed to power up a lift. Luckily, they'd run into something like this before.



This sure brings back memories!
Huh?
Lyner, it's the control room for the shuttle!
It's the place where we fought over Dokkoi Sets!
Hey, that's right!
Which reminds me, you still owe me 84 Dokkoi Sets, 57 Shaved Ice, 7 Dried Fish, and 1 Megamilk.
And, you still owe me 56 Dokkoi Sets, 116 Kitty Candies, and 20 Megamilks!
You're still fighting over that...
Lyner, we might be able to activate the shuttle with a Thunder Shot.



Soon we were back to the Floating Wharf. From here it's a straight shot to Firefly Alley.



Let's go back inside...

We're taking a break before the final assault in the Terraced Fields. We have no idea what we might run into inside Tenba, and we have to be ready.

AR_TONELICO_PHANTASM_SUSPEND

This update ended up shorter than I would have liked because it took way too long to slog through the Tower, even running from most of the fights. The next update will have a lot of story to make up for it.