Part 12: Chapter Twelve: The Assassin

With the Dynasty Horn repaired, Felt and the Simsilt were ready to sail.

Video- “The Sea”

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We’re finally on our way to Altena Church.

Fortunately, the seas were more calm than last time the Horn tried to sail.



Oh yeah! This is your first time out to sea.
There’s nothing like this in Eden.
All I can see is blue!
Ha, Viese’ll never believe this…
Oh yeah… I’ve been meaning to ask you…
Huh?
Tell me about this Viese.
I mean, was she your girlfriend back in Eden?
No, no. It’s not like that.
Viese and I… We grew up together, you know…
We were… Inseparable.
Uh huh…
But, I’ve been thinking about her a lot, lately.
I wonder what she’s doing nowadays…
I… I wonder what she’s doing right now.
Heh, all I can see is the sea.
Sure is big…
……



They landed near the Simsilt’s camp, their eastern headquarters.



It was amazing!
I’m glad you liked it…
Well, let’s head to our base camp.
Are you coming along, pal?
Don’t worry, it’s on the way to Altena Church.
Sure, okay.
Great. Our camp is just east of the coast.

Felt had managed to find a Star Piece, so Viese gave Melona the good news.



Yes, I did, actually! Here you go.
System Message: Handed over [Star Piece]!
Wow! This is a great Star Piece. Thank you!
…Oops, I almost forgot. Is this an even trade?
System Message: Received [Glowing Mana]!
I might need your help again.

In the meantime, Felt and company reached the camp.



It’s good to be back…
We have a lot of work to do. First, we need updates on the Empire.
Fred, I truly cannot thank you enough.
I doubt I would have been able to return here without your help.
Thank you. How can I ever repay you?
My name is Felt…
Right, well, I’ll be in my tent if you need me.
Good evening, Felt.

After checking around the camp, Felt headed over to confer with Max on the best way to reach Altena Church.

Video- “Max and the Cave”

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We should monitor this situation closely.
…What does that mean?
As I said before, Galahad is moving to guard another district.
!
Is that good or bad news for the Simsiltians?
That’s a good question.
Max, I must be on my way.
I understand.
You can go north and pass through the Onuki Cave to reach Altena Church.
To the south is Sessier Plain and an Imperial fortress beyond that.
It’d be best to avoid that place for now.
Mind if I tag along a little longer?
Sure, that’d be great.
Gray, Noin, and… You, good luck to all of you.
Thanks.

Unfortunately, luck was not on their sides and the safer path through the Onuki Cave was blocked by a cave-in.



Yes.
Bully: That’s too bad. There’s just been a cave in. The exit’s sealed off.
Not even our bombs could blast through it.
…Hmm.
Bully: It’s out of the way, but I suppose you could go through Sessier Forest.
Sessier Forest?
Bully: It’s the forest just east of the Sessier Plain.

Feinne’s Fourth Wall Lectures: Camp, Cave, Plains
I’ll condense all of the important notes for this region together. So, there is a thing not to be missed in Max’s Camp, the recipe for Eite Liquer. This item gives a skill that increases experience gain by 10%, which I don’t think I have to say is awesome. There’s also a merchant in the camp that sells the recipe for the Belk Blackbelt, which gives Felt and Gray the Block skill which can randomly Block incoming attacks. We can’t advance in the cave until we have Bombs, which require a recipe we don’t have and a Fire Mana, which we don’t have. Sessier Plains is most notable at the moment for having sprouts that grow Glowgrass, which is part of some recipes like the aforementioned Eite Liquer.

The forest was a much longer and more threatening path.



Expert: There’s a mushroom monster in the Sessier Forest.
If it starts dancing strangely, that means it’s going to attack.
The effects of the monster linger for a while, so be careful.
If you see a giant mushroom king, run away as fast as you can.
There’s no way you can beat it with your current fighting skills.

Feinne’s Fourth Wall Lectures: Time Effects
Some abilities, as noted, have a lingering effect on the battlefield. After they’re used, they’ll leave a marker on the Time Gauge that will then unleash the effect again when it reaches the front. These effects can do damage or heal, and can be pretty powerful. The main thing to remember about them is that each side can only have one up at a time, and a new ability will overwrite it. We’ll see a lot of them as the game goes on. Oh, and that Mushroom King?



While it won’t be this time you will see his ruin wrought across the Sessier Forest soon enough.

And it was filled with unexpected encounters.

Video- “To Save an Assassin”

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???: You have no right to exist.
…The Azoth must be destroyed!

And not just for Felt.



???: I can’t be defeated in a place like this!
My body… Failing…?
Forgive me… Eizlen…

As I’ve mentioned before, Felt is not the sort of person to allow someone to die in front of him. Even IF that person tried to kill him earlier in the week.



Hmph!

The same fungal creatures that had attacked the girl in white burst from the forest, but were quickly dispatched by Felt and his allies.



We can’t help her out here. We need to take her back to Max.
We better hurry.

They rushed back to the camp.



I doubt our medicinal herbs are strong enough to help…
But, at least she’ll get some rest.
She needs a stronger antidote.
… Felt, do you know that girl?
Me?
No, well, she helped me out once after I left Eden.
Right, I bet a lot of girls have helped you out since you got here.
I didn’t hear you complaining. Hahaha.
Look, we need a strong antidote to save her.
……

Felt checked on the girl, who was resting in Max’s tent.



Azure Azoth: Felt…
Stab her and walk away.
!
Azure Azoth: Remember, she is trying to stop us.
If you will not harm her, please do not help her.
Our cause is difficult enough without aiding those who would destroy us.
I must help her.
Azure Azoth: ……
Very well, her fate now lies with you.

Unfortunately, they could only keep her stable with what they had on-hand in the camp.



We’ll need a more powerful antidote to save her.

But fortunately, luck had not totally abandoned them.



The truth is…

After they explained the situation to Hagel, he had a potential solution.



About what?
Oh, just some peddler who was trying to sell some scrap of paper he found in the mountains.
Said it was something about making a jar or something.
He made a big fuss about a magic potion that cures anything…
You must be talking about the Cure Jar…
Hey, that’s it. That’s what he called it.
You know about it?
I know of it. It’s an alchemic item.
But, I bet Viese will be able to make it…
Where is this peddler?
He’s long gone by now. He was heading south to Zeyung.
If he gets past the fort, we’ll never catch him.
We have to hurry, Felt.

And so they set out towards Fort Zeyung, hoping to catch the peddler in time. Would they succeed? Well, that’s a story for another day…