Part 7: Chapter VI: To Understand The Threat

Like Victoria said, just circle around the nearby mountains and head west to the coast. Stay out of the forest areas on the way to the castle, though, as there's a very good chance you'll run into a horrible enemy called a Cockatrice. If you do run into one, you can't be mashing Escape fast enough. You are in no position to be fighting those enemies right now. Otherwise, just a straight shot to the castle. A king's responsibility



However, the king greatly desired to see you as soon as possible...

Don't worry about it. But more importantly...

Is it all right appearing before him like this?

Please do not be concerned with that, as I look the same.

You can say that again. I do have to say that this place doesn't seem like a royal palace.

Yes, it seems as if this place was constructed as a fort rather than a castle.

Princess, why must you appear so while in public... At least make it a point to be in uniform when guests are here. Even if they are riffraff such as this.

Do not show such disrespect. Everyone here is an honored guest. Be mindful that you do not let your manners slip again.

I would remind you to do the same, Princess. We are in the royal palace now, not on a battlefield. It would be an advantage if a potential queen of this nation were to maintain a proper appearance.

That is...

What's wrong with how Victoria is now? She's so pretty!

Thank you very much, Fiona. It is a great honor to be told that by you.

...



Sirus insists on doing. A king is merely a shiny decoration and symbol of his nation.

Your Majesty, I believe that is going too far...

And what value do formality and majesty truly have? Will they protect people from harm?

That is...

With that being said, we do not intend to entirely do away with such niceties and royal obligations. But considering that the throne we sit in is newly founded, we will not try to mimic the ways of true kings. And we do not believe the role of a king is to pass on baseless traditions and convoluted etiquette.

I take it that this country was recently established, then?

Yes. We...err...I have yet to become accustomed to being called king. Even now I am more inclined to find strength in the sword rather than the pen. However, that does not excuse one from taking reckless action, either by myself or others.

Yes...

Well, as long as it's understood. It has been a long time since we've had guests from the outside. And as warriors of great renown, we cannot let it be said that we stint with our hospitality. However, before we plunge into ceremony, there is something I wish to ask you.

Wh-What is it?

I heard that you have come from Lucrellia. By what means did you travel to our continent? Our country is quite a distance from any port. That, and to my knowledge, there haven't been any ships that have arrived from Lucrellia recently.

We used a -transfer portal-.

So that transfer portal is operational after all... So it's safe to assume that you didn't come to Aegisthus by design.



Of the -gods- you say?

Some would say that our arrival here via the transfer portal was coincidence. I'd be one of them. However, it was inevitable that we would cross paths with this girl.

What do you mean by that?

We will be taking the girl with us as she now belongs to Weiss, who stands before you now.

Diplomacy: not one of Eva's strong suits.

Huh...?

How dare you speak with such insolence! To refer to the princess as a mere possession! Do not presume to equate the princess with gutter trash such as yourself!

Sirus, I believe they were speaking to me, not you. You do understand this, yes?

I-I understand...

Your words are...interesting. Victoria, about this Weiss boy, what is your opinion of him?

Why would you ask something like that all of a sudden? I mean...we've just met...

As she spends all of her time fighting, there are no men who would dare approach her. When she was little, she'd practice martial arts over playing house, and preferred swords over dolls. I had intended to prepare her to become queen, but her stubbornness makes that task all but impossible. And my time is growing short. Just like one of the proletariat, I have thoughts of grandchildren. But... If you intend to make her yours, I have no objections to offering her hand to you.

Do you mean you want us to stay put here?

If you wish.

I have no intention of doing so.

I thought as much. Fair enough. Let us return to my previous question. Why did you come here?

To fulfill the responsibilities forced upon me. One of which is to kill demons.

I see... So you have no other purpose but to fulfill your obligations. This nation was created to fight against the demon hordes. This country was originally little more than garrison consisting of a Gruut supression force.

I see, so that's it...

What do you mean by -that's it-?

Forget I said anything.

Before you knew it, it became a town, then a country. Sirus, I know what you wish to say. But perhaps you've forgotten one of fundamental laws of this country? The king doesn't decide who is king, the people decide on it. The one willing to sacrifice all, the one who proves themselves the strongest, is chosen to be king.

So you mean that the monarchy here is not based on hereditary succession? That is truly interesting.

You're obviously not much of a father, seeing as you're willing to give your daughter to a total stranger.



Weiss, if you truly meant what you said about slaying demons, then our paths are the same. I care nothing of your reasons and methods, I care only about results. However, the path you have chosen is not for the weak. I will see that your abilities are tested to my satisfaction.

Enough with the pompous declamations. Where is the demon?

You can find it at the base of the Zole Mountain, which is to the southeast of here.

No... Your Majesty, please send me instead!

I intend to. However, you will be under this person's command. Is that understood?

If that is the will of my king, then I have no objections.

I will await reports of your success.

Yes.

I'd advise you to decide upon your successor before we return.

That probably would be for the best. But before all of that, please enjoy today's banquet. Eat, drink, and be merry; for tomorrow you may die.

*Grumble*

Peachy bunch. Well, Victoria's cool, at least. We've got another scene at the castle right after that one.



Please forgive my tardiness. It took longer to prepare than I anticipated.

No worries. But why did you insist that we meet outside of town?

Because...

Because the princess feels she can ignore the obligations of her position outside the public eye.

Sirus, why are you here?

I cannot allow you to travel alone with these people.

And I assume you've received permission from the king?

I have sworn to protect you.

I am no longer a child! Leave me be!

I would like nothing more than to leave you to your own devices. But I will not sit idly by while you sneak out of the castle alone without permission. And I will not stand by when you are assaulted by demons while pretending to be -on patrol-.

That is...

That explains your attitude. You're the princess' watchdog.

The princess is to become the next ruler of this nation. And regardless of what the king has decreed, I will not just hand her over to the likes of you. In addition, the people will not stand for it.



In fact the thoughts of the people, much like your own, are irrelevant and inconsequential to me.

What?!

She may be abrasive and borderline psychotic, but anything to shut preppy boy down sounds good to me.

Enough, Sirus! If you wish to come with us, then you are free to do so. However, I'd like to remind you for your own words. You said that I wasn't a -thing-, correct? I will decide what is in my best interests. Not the king, not the people; me.

Princess...

Are you done talking?

Yes.

Then please lead the way. I don't want to waste any more time.

I must apologize for that shameful display of emotion. The place we need to go is southeast of here.

It'll take more than a day to get there. Perhaps we can use the time to get to know each other better.

Although the next event takes place at the castle, let's say it happened on the way to the southernmost point of the continent. I like this scene, so it gets its own video.



I'm so jealous.

You shouldn't be so envious of me.

Why not?

Because I'm a tomboy.

-Tomboy-?

It's a term used to describe young girls who are high-spirited. Maybe -flighty- is a better word.

You mean energetic and outgoing?

Well, you COULD say that.

I used to get scolded a lot for sneaking out of the castle to patrol the town and its surrounding area. Actually I still do, even now.

Hmm... I want to be beautiful and mature like you when I get bigger!

It makes me happy that you think of me so. But if you become like me, Weiss might not like you anymore.

Eh, really?!

No, not really...

Um, what kind of girls do you like, Weiss?



Seems this is a popular choice. Aina's, Eva's, Victoria's, and Jainus' affection goes up from this choice. I prefer the casual, easygoing girl, too. Although I won't say I strictly have a "type", I seem to attract those kinds of girls as friends. Maybe it's because I come across that way to people all the time.

-Girl next door-? Aren't you being a little too...vague?

Oh... Um, I just sort of blurted that out, so please don't take it too seriously. I thought I'd answer your question because I know how tight-lipped Weiss is about such things. And anyway, Weiss isn't one to concern himself with such trivialities. Right?

...

So...yeah... That's that.



I know that I am naive in many ways, but I am definitely looking forward to our future journeys.

Now, before you head to the Zole Mountain, it'd be a good idea to head back to Frensberge and upgrade Victoria's weapon. Her Corseca upgrades to a Poleaxe upon conversion, and you can upgrade that a couple times before running into a brick wall (final two levels need Platinum Bullions, which you can't get right now). You can buy the Poleaxe from the Item Shop, but it costs 4000, and the cost of upgrading and converting the Corseca is like 2500. That's not good business for buying, friends.



Zole Mountain is nestled deep in southern Aegisthus' mountain range. As you can see from the continent map, the continent's north and south is dominated by mountains (with a massive volcano overlooking the northern mountains), the center by a desert, and the west by a wasteland. Cheery place. Prepare well for this upcoming fight. Joining me is wdarkk for this upcoming fight, as well as the resulting scene and second boss battle of this update. The rising tide of evil

Wh-What kind of demon is this?!

To think such a demon would appear on this continent...!



This opponent might take a little more effort to take down than most.

Weiss that demon has been staring at me this whole time...

I saw that. Stay behind me, Fiona.

Yeah...

Now, it is time for you to show me if that power of yours is actually that of the gods.



This fight is a real piece of work. Although we've fought two real bosses so far, this guy is much more of a pain than either of those two, and he's bringing in two buddies for backup. Indeed, I lost both Weiss and Eva within a single salvo of enemy attacks broken up by Felenne resurrecting the God Slayer, but at least Weiss' turn was next and he was able to use Foresight.

I would highly suggest taking out the Lamia and Specter with an Ultimate Strike, even if you sacrifice turns to the big guy to do so. You just cannot have those guys contributing AP and Original Skills to an already uphill struggle.



And here you can plainly see how powerful boss Original Skills are. Fiona and Jainus were KO'd instantly, but Weiss was able to hold on a little longer before he got KO'd, leaving Victoria alone. The one good thing about bosses using their most powerful abilities is that their Wait will go up tremendously, which will leave you time to recover your team.



Obviously, something is not right here. That's because he used an EX Skill called Obscuring Fog, which makes all magic attacks do 0 damage. But, no such restrictions on physical strikes. Shame it took me a little attacking to realize that Moon Shine hadn't actually done any damage.



Hardly a great outcome, but what's done is done. The Specter has a Cuprum as a rare steal. A very valuable item, it's well worth it to nab if you can fit it in somewhere. The Luca has a powerful attachment called Kaegetsu's Light if you can manage to Overkill it. Its rare drops are a Stone Ring and a Platinum Bullion.



...

It appears as if that demon had its sights on Fiona from the start...

I'm guessing that there's something about high elves that make them stand out from the rest of us.

I did not know demons like this existed in the world... We have grossly underestimated the powers of the demons around us. I can see why the suppression corps did not return after engaging such a creature as this.

...

We were like ignorant children: claiming to be superior while in fact we knew nothing. I'm truly ashamed...

There's no need to be so worked up over it. A demon like this isn't something you see very day. Actually, you'd have a lot more to worry about than a little embarrassment if you did.

You peons... Ah, I mean... You mean to say that you have been fighting against demons like that? I...uh... I have never seen a demon like that before. I'm afraid I don't know what to just now...

If it's about you being a jerk before, don't sweat it. You were only doing what you thought was right at the time.

The world is far larger than I had originally thought...

Yeah... It's far larger than you could possibly imagine.

...



That's a good idea. We should start looking for a good place to set up camp for the night.

Well then, forget about the comfort and joy a bed would bring tonight and pull up a patch of dirt.

And back to the castle. This wraps up Victoria's events at this point in the game, and if you don't have Felenne you'll have to head back to the Great Forest to continue on with the game. Otherwise, we're going be spending a short spell in Lucrellia before heading back to Aegisthus. For the Future



It seems I've taken the demons too lightly. I was so focused on fighting I ignored the basics of battle. For example, I forgot the most basic tenet of warfare: know thy enemy. I foolishly sent soldiers to their deaths against enemies we knew nothing about. As king, it is my duty to take responsibility for such a gross error in judgment. My supposed genius has deserted me to the point that I put outsiders at risk due to my ignorance.

Humans are the most foolish of creatures, but fortunately they also have wisdom enough to learn. And they have the capacity to learn from their mistakes...provided they survive the consequences.

If what you say can be believed, then Victoria is vital to the survival of the world. Victoria, I wish to hear your thoughts on the matter.

I... With yesterday's fight, I have now experienced firsthand the true extent of the demon menace. It is obvious to me that, after seeing such a powerful demon, the demon plague not only threatens us, but also threatens the people of all continents. ... Your Majesty, I ask you to strip me of my rank and title.

Princess, what are you doing?!

Do you mean to bear the responsibility for my failure?

The loss of our troops is the direct result of my actions. If I had not acted on my own and left the castle, you would not have sent those soldiers off to die. Considering my repeated rash actions, I believe that I am unfit to hold my current position.



Your Majesty, please reconsider! There is no point in punishing the princess so! Princess, think about what you're doing! Neither the troops nor the people want such a thing!

The military will need more training to be able to face the stronger demons that are sure to appear. The people must also be informed that the demon menace is more dangerous than ever before. For those who've neglected their training, scoffed at authority and think demons are of no consequence, the events of the present will strip away their complacency and false sense of superiority.

That's... However... Do you know of anyone more capable of ruling this nation than the princess?

IF that's your only concern, worry not. I think I can safely leave everything in your hands.

You must be joking! I am not worthy to succeed you!

If it weren't for my presence, you would have been promoted to the rank of general long ago. Despite that, you volunteered to be my aid thought I was the king's daughter. Everything that my father and I have done was for the purpose of unifying the nation. Now is the time to demonstrate to me your loyalty to the people you've sworn to protect.

Princess...

Your Majesty, I trust you to make the right decision.

Sirus, from this time forward I decree that you are to devote yourself to the wellbeing of the people. Can I count on you?

You do me too much honor! I, Sirus, vow to sacrifice all that I have and all that I am for the good of the nation and its people.

I'm counting on you. Victoria, from this day on, you are neither general nor future queen. I believe it would do you well to live your life as a normal woman.

I thank you for your benevolence and mercy in your judgment.

Please take care of my daughter. Though ill-mannered and ignorant of the world, she's all I have left.



The demon menace that threatens to overrun the world cannot be eradicated immediately, but the actions that you take today will ensure that there will be a future for humanity, and those who come after you will recognize and honor you for your sacrifices.

I shall pray that will be the case. The country will remain though its king may change. Please do not hesitate to return here should you need anything. You will be greeted with open arms.

We'll be sure to take every advantage of your generous offer. Only when necessary, of course.

You, who calls yourself Jainus. Your resolve goes beyond the imaginable for you to take up firearms.

My dedication and resolve is nothing compared to that of you and your people.

Taboos are difficult things to overcome, even for a righteous cause. Someday, people's eyes will open to the truth and your courage and resolve will be acknowledged.

Fath...err...Your Majesty, I thank you for all you have done for me. I will never forget the kindness you have shown. Using the experience I have gained up until now, I will endeavor to fulfill my new responsibilities.

Remember that the actions you take for the benefit of others will also benefit yourself.

I understand. Now if you'll excuse me, I will take my leave of this place.

Sirus, things will soon be in an upheaval, but I trust you'll be able to handle what is to come.

Yes, of course!



Goodness. We'll just have to hope nothing comes of that. Regardless, we must return for the moment. There's an event with Priscilla in the town square of Frensberge, where she talks about a demon sighting near the town. There are four events like this per generation. They summon a miniboss somewhere on the world map, on one of the continents (the event will always tell you which continent), and the point of hunting them down, aside from the EXP, Gold, TP, and PP, is that by defeating them, LP increases less from events. This particular boss is located in the area directly behind Frensberge on the world map.

The MasterLL guide advises you fight and defeat these minibosses as soon as they're available to fight to make his guide work. The fights against these guys can get pretty hairy, so, of course, it's worthy of a video.



You have three enemies here: another Lamia, a Lycanthrope, and the boss, the Neo Garuda. Once again, your objective is to wipe out the mooks before you get to the big man. I was pretty happy to kill the Lamia without needing an Ultimate Strike. I wasn't as lucky in finishing up the Lycanthrope, but at least we took care of his allies relatively quickly.



It is VERY important you rare steal this guy's Cuprum. You'll see why next update. As for attacking him, I'd highly advise bringing in Eva, since this guy is weak to Darkness, which her Avilight Scythe Original Skill is.



Even spread out as much as my team was, the tremendous blast radius of Impulse Wave wasted Janius, Fiona, and Victoria. Ouch.



Two E's in a single update. Shameful, but I smoked him, and got both rare drops. Both are extremely valuable in their own way. The Lamia drops Calcite as a rare drop, the Lycanthrope rare drops Hashemite, and the Neo Garuda drops AGI Up as an Overkill. Where to next?



We've managed to bring together the -vessel-, the -key-, and the -pillars- you mentioned.

Indeed you have. It seems that I grossly underestimated your abilities. Even the -gods- would not have been able to foresee how quickly you've gathered everything. However, do not expect me to congratulate you and say what you've accomplished is sufficient.

What more do you expect me to do?

There is still time yet left to you. You must use that time effectively and to your profit. That is, you want to free your descendants from the cursed future you've damned them to.

Do you mean to tell me to fight demons?

That's not the whole of it, but for the time being that is definitely the course of wisdom.

I agree, but doing things haphazardly like we've been is not only inefficient, but counterproductive.

Yeah. While the Hunter's Guild is good about gathering information, even that will help only so much.

Um... If that's so, why don't we try to get in contact with the guardians? After all, Felenne and her people seemed to know a lot about what's happening in the world.

I'm not trying to badmouth her or anything, but I wouldn't get your hopes up about the guardians. Despite the name, guardians only care about themselves. They'd let a person die rather than help them. That is their -custom-. And if they did have any useful information, they'd sooner immolate themselves than tell us anything.

Oh, you know everything there is to know about guardians, do you?

No, I'm just echoing the prevailing view of your people. You'd know more about it than me, right?

Yes, I would. But I can't say the general view of guardians is wrong, though. I know my people will cooperate with you. After all, you helped us out before, and also I'm with you now. As for the other guardians clans.... I can't say much about them as we don't really interact anymore. And like I said, the prevailing view of guardians is all too true. I would expect less than nothing, honestly.

Is that so...



But if the Alister are anything to go by, the guardians must still have an extensive information network.

That might be true. I can't say for sure whether the other clans have the same methods, though. There's a transfer portal in my town which will take us to Enhambre. You're on your own after that.

If we were to travel to Aegisthus, we would be able to make contact with my people, the Gruut. I myself have not visited their village, but from what my father told me, it can be reached by heading past the Groza Mountain Range and continuing to the northwest. As for a transfer portal... I discovered one while passing through the south edge of the Groza Mountain Range. I dared not ot use it so I have no idea where it will take us. However...

You actually went all that way by yourself? You must've been a serious pain in the ass for everyone.

When I think about it now, it was truly a shameful and selfish thing to do.

Which way should we go?

We could also stay put and see what we can find out around here.

Weiss, the decision is yours.



Aina's and Fiona's affection goes down, but Jainus' and Felenne's goes up.

To be honest, I believe you've chosen...poorly. However, I will bow to your decision.

(Find the Maidens of the Pillar, defeat demons, and fulfill the role as the vessel. All of that is great and all, but it doesn't answer the question of who I am.) Why do I...

Weiss, is everything all right? Is something troubling you...?

Um... No, it's nothing. Let's head to the store and get our provisions together. Do you want to come along?

Is that all right?

I wanna come too!

May Fiona come along as well?

Yeah.

Yaaay! I can't wait to go shopping with everyone.