Part 13: Nightmares and Regrets

Update 11: Nightmares and Regrets


The problem crystal is by the portal to the Snowy Corridor; it blocked us from going further south earlier.


The Bomb Hammer

Whoa … This thing sure is somethin’. Breakin’ it up’s gonna be a real chore.

And it is worse because it is inside a cave. One false move and we may find ourselves buried.

Sophie, are we really gonna be okay? I don’t want to get crushed flat by falling rocks …

Ahaha … We’ll be fine. I don’t really want to be turned into a pancake, either.

Well, if the moment comes, I guess we’ll just have to make a run for it.




Ahem. Faith very well placed



Alright … From here on, we’ll be heading into areas even I haven’t been to before. There’s no way of knowing what could be waiting for us, so keep your wits about you.


Out of the ice caves and into the crystal caves!


The Bomb Hammer’s yield has a lot of overlap with that of the pickaxe, but given what you bonk with it, you’ll be getting more jewels generally.


If there’s anything you can say about Sophie 2, it’s that it goes all in on the themes with its fields. Once we emerge on the other side…


Music: Far Ridges
We barely even make it up this mountain trail when…


Zmei

Huh?! That roar!



Zmei!!

Damn, that’s a heck of a lot more trouble than a big ol’ crystal.

But at least we are out of the caves.



Hah … How are you staring down the Zmei like it’s no big deal?

Alette, you appear to be rather calm yourself …

Haha … Guess I’ve had to get used to a lot in a short time. Plus … I’m still pretty ticked off about getting almost grilled earlier.






Whatever Diebold’s history with Zmei is, it’s his demon to face. And the rest of the party has his back.

Yes … Everyone, to arms!


Music: Donning the Blue Sky




Boss stunned, rear guard buffed, let’s go!




I shaved off a third of his HP before he got a move in. And while all the debuffs from the first Ennui Mirror use are still active, that also means each successive use will have declining ROI when it comes to destroying the next Aura he puts up.






And he very nearly KO’d Sophie, in which case I’d have been up a creek without a paddle. Still, she survives to heal and buff herself. Next time Zmei gets stunned…


Time for a Dual Trigger! Normally, Zmei wouldn’t be weak to Whiteout. That he is now is because Curse was among the debuffs he got hit with from the last few Ennui Mirror uses. Now…




Alette tosses a giant snowman into the air for Olias to chop up. She kicks the pieces at Zmei one by one…





Gotta save the best for last.






As flashy as that was, Olias and Alette missed the kill by inches, so I had to have Ramizel deliver the coup de grace.




The last duo to unleash a Duo Trigger will strike a pose after the battle’s over.



Alas, Olias gets bonked by one of his stray icicles from Whiteout, much to Alette’s amusement. As for the loot…


Believe me, I’ll be making very good use of Dragon God Blessing this update.



And now, the finishing blow!



What?!





Damn you …!

Diebold …



It’s one of the materials needed to make a tool to control the weather.

It appears the Zmei dropped it … To think it was carrying such an important item.

Diebold … umm, could I ask you a question?



… It was so long ago. I was a knight of a certain kingdom … when my fate became tied with that of the Zmei.

You mean, before you came to Erde Wiege?

Indeed … That beast terrorized our kingdom, claiming the lives of many citizens and my companions …

And you guys couldn’t bring him down …?

Eventually, we were able to drive him back … After that, the Zmei never appeared in the kingdom again …

I dare say it learned its lesson. It does seem to be a rather intelligent beast, after all.

While there can be no bringing back the lives that were lost … it is my duty to avenge the fallen.




My apologies. It is a rather depressing tale. Let us hurry onward.




Maybe I shouldn’t have asked …

Hey, don’t beat yourself up over it. I’m glad ya asked. Cause now we can all step up and help him out.




What makes you say that?

I sensed … some indecisiveness within him. I wondered if he had, perhaps, lost sight of his true goal … his dream.

Hm, that’s pretty observant of you. I’m a little surprised.



I hope … the both of you will be able to re-discover your true paths.

We will … I am certain of it …


We don’t make it far before…




The path has been destroyed …

Do you think the Zmei did this?

It’s possible. But the real question is how we’re going to get past this.

Damnation … Zmei must be just ahead …



I have not forgotten. It is simply that …

Diebold, do you still have the stone we collected earlier?

Yes, I still have it here …
Zmei dropped a green stone and there’s a green Dreamspace Stone right here where the path ends. Ergo…

We might be able to use it to create a tool that would allow us to continue ahead. So, could you please entrust that stone to me?

… If it will be of use, of course. I will leave it in your capable hands, Plachta.

Thank you …



Ramizel, I will need you to teach me in meticulous detail how to craft a tool to alter the weather.

Sure, no problem.

Well then, I guess we’d better head back to Roytale for now.

Yes, we should.



… Oh, right.



You say definitively that your goal is to defeat the Zmei …







Before going back to the atelier…



One step closer to the next round of weapon upgrades!


Dream Vessel

First of all, things like Sunlight Heliodor take their form from Dream Vessels.

Dream Vessels?

Right. When infused with Ellie’s power, they transform into items that can control the weather.

So, using a Dream Vessel on its own won’t have any effect on the weather?

Exactly. That said, it’s how the Dream Vessel is made that decides what kind of weather it can produce.

I see. Hm, where to begin …



Why did you say that?

Well, I …

Yeah?



Wait, what?!


I don’t know how one wouldn’t have collected 5 different Gas items by this point in the game. As for the Snowy Bridge…



Done! Now let’s go home before Sophie catches a cold.

Um, excuse me … Sophie, are you busy right now?



I’m terribly sorry to bother you, but … I have a favor to ask of you.

And what’s that?



… Excuse me?

I know it’s a rather sudden request …

No, that’s alright. It’s just, um … why me?

Well, I’ve been sketching in my spare time … but I don’t seem to be improving much. I was hoping that you might be able to offer some instruction, since you have more experience.

I’m flattered, but … I only draw when I’m recording an alchemy recipe. I’m really not experienced enough to be teaching someone else …



Excuse me, but … I could teach you, if you don’t mind?

Would you really?!

Well, I would have to observe your work first, to gauge your level of ability.

Oh! Of course! I brought last night’s sketches with me, just in case.



Whaaaaat?!
I don’t know how good Gnome’s sketches were or what specific input Plachta gave him, because I didn’t get to see it and the cutscene abruptly ends here!



Yep, it looks good. That should make for a perfectly crafted Dream Vessel.

So we can start synthesizing right away, yeah? I’ll see if we have all the ingredients.

If we’re missing anything, let’s head right out and get it. I’m itching to see the finished product too.
We’ll be waiting on that for a bit. First, let’s make some new stuff.



There’s no way we won’t be facing Zmei again in the near future, right? And Zmei has an innate Fire weakness. So let’s make use of the increased breathing room and higher effect thresholds of our Limitia for some bigger and better -ing for Round 2.

I’ll note here that when it comes to -ing bigger and better, the upper-tier bombs are, alchemists aside, exclusive to party members they have elemental affinities with. This means that Olias can equip and use the Wirbel Ice Bomb where Alette and Diebold can’t. Same with Diebold and the Kreich Lightning Bomb and Alette with the Eisen Luft. Since Ramizel’s the one with the Fire affinity and Gust didn’t want to have the Draco Bomb be alchemists-only, they let Alette have it too.


for the Super Synthesis! This is a massive upgrade from my current Draco Bomb in every way possible–quality, traits, and effects! Now on to the Dragon God Blessing that Zmei so kindly provided me. Like Awakening, it upgrades other top-end traits.



I’ll start by putting Dragon God Blessing into a neutralizer, being very careful so it doesn’t prematurely merge with another trait. Now that I have several White Neutralizers with the trait, I want to merge it with two others: Speed of Light and All Stats Supercharge.


The stat boosts for Dragon God Wrath are second-best to those for All Stat Power, but the second effect is what really makes it indispensable for accessories and talismans. “makes it 25% easier to deal higher damage when attacking” is an incorrect description. True, every attack, skill, medicine and bomb takes off or restores HP from a range of values; what this effect actually does is increase the damage of any given regular attack, skill or bomb by 25% per hit in succession, up to 100%. Since this effect stacks if you put Dragon God Wrath on both an accessory and talisman, you can up that to +50% per hit. Let’s take Olias’ Avant-Garde skill, for instance. It hits four times. The first hit will get a 50% boost to its damage output and the second, third and fourth hits will each have twice the power.

That sounds way more busted than simply upping the odds of hitting damage values on the upper end of a range, right? Now for merging Dragon God Blessing and Speed of Light:


Even though the speed boost from Dragon God Limb is worse than that of its Awakening counterpart, its second effect is enough of a perk that I’ll pick it over said counterpart for my accessories.



The goal is to get these two traits plus All-Stat Power on these two. Even aside from the massive stat boosts, having two Dragon God Wraths active will give a much bigger boost to everyone’s damage output than the ATK boosts alone indicate.

Now let’s go do some character events, starting in Sophie and Plachta’s backyard.


Crafting Dreams

Looks like remains of some sort of ruins … I wonder what it was before?

I’m not sure. Whatever it was, it was gone before I arrived to this world. Do you know anything about it, Ramizel?

Huh? I think these ruins were already here when I came, but …

Oh, that’s what’s left of the town I tried creating before Roytale.



Wait, before Roytale …? You mean it wasn’t the first town you’ve created?

Yup! The whole point was to make a place that’d be easy for Rami to live in. I didn’t want it to be the least bit inconvenient, so I remade it a whole bunch of times!



If it wasn’t something like volcanoes or snowy mountains, I wouldn’t really care where I lived …

Hm, I see … So, places such as these are proof of Elvira’s quest to create a truly perfect world.

Teehee! You’re making me blush! Still, you’re not wrong. Ruins like these are mostly all failed attempts …

I see … But that means they’re what helped make Roytale into the wonderful town it is today!
Indeed, Erde Wiege is a wonderful place. Everyone Elvira’s invited here can pursue their dream with no downsides. No one here ages, so everyone has all the time in the world to hone their skills and chase their dreams. Resources are limitless and to be used to that end.

Maybe it’s TOO wonderful, and recent and coming events are the game’s way of communicating that to us.



I had no choice. We opened hours ago, and Gnome is nowhere to be seen. This is the first time he’s ever been late. I wonder if something came up?

If he’s not here, then … Oh! I think I might know!

Hmm? Is there something you’re not telling me, Sophie?
Well, yeah, he crashed at the atelier just the other night to draw.

So, Gnome’s gotten into art. I had no idea he had a hobby like that.

Ever since Plachta started teaching him the basics, he’s been over the moon. There’s something he absolutely wants to paint, so he’s been drawing every night after work.

Hmm … So you’re saying he was up too late and overslept?

Don’t be TOO upset with him, okay?


Kati is the last boss in the world who’d begrudge an employee showing up late to work. And for Gnome, there’s more:

With his family situation, he’s never had a chance to think about what he wanted for himself. But now, he’s finally found something he’s passionate about … I think I might cry.

It sounds like you’ve been really worried about him.

As both his employer and his guardian, there’s no way I wouldn’t have been.



Hm?

Sophie, could I ask you for a favor? Could you make Gnome a set of paintbrushes? Something that just glides across the canvas. Really high-quality stuff.

Hehehe, of course! You just leave it to me!



Hrrmm … Maybe I should tidy this place up. But I can still see the floor, so it can’t be that bad …

Yo! I was nearby so I thought I’d drop–




Ahh! I-I’m gonna clean up! I swear I was about to start right now!




Oof, you ended up cleaning for me again … I’m really, really sorry …

D’ya even actually feel bad? Tch … What would you do without me, kid!

… But, why are you cleaning up for me? Do you really hate mess that much?

Ah … Well, I don’t enjoy lookin’ at messy rooms. But, umm …



Your sister?
Same one that suddenly came up at the end of last update. Wistfully, from a guy who’s been noted to be especially evasive about how long he’s spent in Erde Wiege.

Yeah … Not that you two look alike or anythin’. It’s more ya personality and how you two act. You’re both serious ‘bout the stuff you care about, but you suck at everythin’ else, and you’re sloppy. Her room was always messy, too. That’s how I managed to get so good at cleanin’!

Oh, I see … Wait a minute!



Ya only just figured that out?! Took ya long enough!



Fun fact: the Artisan Paintbrushes use the same artifact as Dream Paintbrushes from L&S. The ones used to create worlds within paintings, though the ones Sophie just made aren’t imbued with that sort of power.

Goodness, these are some splendid brushes.

I thought I’d add a little extra flair. I wanted them to be worthy of a master artist. You know, for when he becomes one in the future.

You are getting much too far ahead of yourself, Sophie. Still … I appreciate the sentiment.

Ehehe … Let’s hurry up and take them to Gnome!



Um, Miss Kati, I … Here! This is for you!

Hm? Alright, but what … Huh?!



Um, well, that is … It’s a portrait of you, Miss Kati. By me.

No, I get that! What I’d really like to know is … why is it so good?!

Oh, wow! Gnome, that’s amazing! It’s even better than the last piece you showed us!

Why, thank you. Really, it was all thanks to Plachta’s reinforcement of the fundamentals.

Ahaha … Honestly, I wasn’t sure if you even had anything left to learn …



Sure, go ahead. I’m listening.

Not long after I arrived here, I met you, and that led to all kinds of new experiences …
… and I’ve finally learned to enjoy things for their own sake. I’ve even found my true passion. Someday, in the future … I hope to become a professional artist.

That’s a splendid goal. I’m happy for you, Gnome.

Thank you, Miss Kati. From here on out, I’ll be putting even more of myself into my art …
… and into this tavern. I hope that our relationship will continue to eternity and beyond!

Mm, that’s a sha– Hm?



Of course! I love working with you every bit as much as I love painting. I wouldn’t want to give either one of them up.

Huh … I thought I’d be able to tell you to quit and focus on your art.

What was that, Miss Kati?

Hm? No! It’s nothing! I … Oh, right! Sophie, did you bring the you-know-whats with you?

Oh! Um, I did!



Really?! They are?! Thank you so much! A present from Miss Kati … I couldn’t be happier! I swear, I’ll never put them down!

Looks like you picked the perfect gift, Kati. He’s absolutely thrilled by them.

Mhm. Then again … Seeing him look this giddy only makes me want to coddle him even more.





Ehehe, maybe! Actually, one of my regular customers went back to their original world!

Okay … But how is that a good thing?

I’m a little sad, but if they’re going back, it means they’re ready to make their dreams come true. It’s also good because they promised to visit my clan’s village!



What kind of plan is that? This is the first time you’ve mentioned it …

Oh yeah … I guess I haven’t explained my clan to you yet. Ahem. So, my clan’s a bit funny. We live deep in the mountains, far away from civilization. But the clan’s shrinking year by year because we’re so small and remote … So, to help resolve that, I’m planning to enliven the village by inviting outsiders to join!

But will that really work? It doesn’t sound like they’d be very welcoming to outsiders …

My clan might live far from civilization, but it’s not because we dislike outsiders. It’s just that most of us care about our homeland so much that no one really wants to leave. Meaning, I’m actually a rare exception!
Anyways, because of our lifestyle, a lot of people don’t even know that my clan exists. So, my theory is that if more folk learn about my clan, then there’ll be more cultural exchange. And then some people will settle down in the village, which will bring prosperity for all! And more clan members means there might even be more kids with duplication power like me!
Sounds like a plan, but how well is it gonna work in practice? IRL, one can see the steady of depopulation of places like Pirka’s village.

I see … I had no idea that your clan was in such a tough situation. But wouldn’t it be better to invite people in the real world instead of in Erde Wiege?

Tsk tsk tsk! Think again!



That’s a good point … I’d never thought about Erde Wiege that way!

If I can’t pull my weight, I don’t think the future’s looking very good for my clan. ‘Cause of all the people I’ve met here, you’re the only one who seemed to know anything about us. That shows how small we are. So, I wanna do everything I can to make sure my clan survives!
That’s my dream! To help my clan thrive!





Hello, Sophie … Yes, it is worthwhile work, but there are far more problems than I initially imagined.

That bad, huh?

The problems are all relatively minor, but the sheer number makes clearing them all up almost impossible. That is to say, I am yet to run into anything too significant. I must thank Ramizel for her efforts. She may not realize it, but she truly does have a knack for unifying people.



She doesn’t like that kind of thing, though …

No, she does not … And now that I have given it a try, I realize this job is a lot harder than I imagined. Overseeing the town and its citizens can only be done if you fully commit yourself to it.

Wow. It must be a really tough job to be a challenge even for you … I know! I’ll bring some soil potato stew with me next time I visit you!



Yeah. I’ll make the tastiest stew ever as my way of supporting you!

Thank you, Sophie. I am certain your stew will provide me with a great boost of energy.

Heh. You really love soil potatoes, don’t you?

I do … Oh, if possible, could I make one request?



Hehe, guess I’ll have to make twice as much then.

I am sorry for asking so much of you when you are also very busy …

No, it’s totally fine! Anyway, I’ll have the stew ready for you soon!




Pirka, I cannot accept this. I am not worthy.

What are you talking about, silly? It’s like this recipe was left just for you!

But …

What’s wrong, you two? I think I heard something about a recipe?

Good timing, Sophie. Feast your eyes on this!



Ding ding ding! A knight from afar and their alchemist partner used to live right here. The knight spent all their time training, and training, and training to protect their homeland. This is a recipe for a pair of special swords, designed by the alchemist for that very knight.

It does look like it would make some amazing swords. The alchemist that wrote it really is something!

If you say so, then it must be true! Anyways, Diebold should be the man to swing this steel!

But these swords were intended for a knight, were they not? I am not fit to wield them.

What do you mean? ‘Cause you got rid of your commander’s shield?


Between Zmei and his old title, Diebold is a man with regrets abound.

But you still act oh-so-knightly. Deep down, you really wanna go back to being one, right?

…

I know this recipe won’t replace your shield, and it wasn’t written for you, but … it was still created to help a knight protect others. Who says you can’t be the knight who–





Ah …

Diebold …

Ahaha … Maybe that was a little pushy. I really shouldn’t have said that, huh …

…





Yeah, I was … Why do you ask?

Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you had someone special waiting for you back home.

Wh–?! N-no! I don’t! No one’s, um, waiting for me or anything! That’s not really my kind of thing …
her special someone is already traveling with her

That’s not your “thing “...? But you’re so young and cute! You’re missing out on so much. I’m sure there are people lining up just to be your special someone.

Right now I just want to focus on getting certified as an alchemist, though …

What about after? You’re not going to say you want to study even more alchemy, do you?

W-well, what about you, then? You don’t … seem like you have a special someone right now either.



So, you read a lot of lovey-dovey novels? I can’t say I’ve ever even opened one …

N-never?! We have to change that right away! How else are you meant to learn all about desire, yearning, and butterflies in your stomach?! Here, I’ll let you borrow one.



You’ll be fine! It’s like eating delicious snacks. Once you start, you can’t stop! Plus, you need to expand your horizons. All kinds of knowledge will help you on your alchemist’s journey, don’t you think?
I will say up front that Ramizel’s otome novel won’t be yielding us any new recipes

You’re just saying that to convince me, aren’t you? … I guess it couldn’t hurt to read, though.



Though it does yield her a new passive!



Hmm-hm-hm-hmmmm ♪

You sure are in a good mod, Alette! You … didn’t buy another one of those old letters, did you?

Nah, I gave up on those. Too risky.



Fine art? You mean like paintings and pottery?

That’s the stuff! And I just got my hands on a really valuable piece of pottery! Well, it was a regular pot to the person who sold it to me, but … In my era, it’s a priceless, ancient artifact! The finest of fine art!

Right, with people coming here from different eras, you can get your hands on those kinds of things …

Erde Wiege is such a great place … Back where I’m from, this would’ve cost an arm and a leg, you know? But here, you can pop into just about any general store and get quality product for dirt cheap! It’s just so … sooo … I don’t even have the words for it!

Th-that’s good … It’s incredible the difference a few generations can make to a thing’s value. Anyway, I’d like to see this amazing piece of pottery. What’s it like?

Ah, sorry, no can do. I already packed it up and put it in the storehouse.


No, don’t jinx it!

Aw, that’s a shame … I would’ve liked to get a look at it.

Well, I probably should take it out one more time just to confirm the condition. I’ll need a couple of days to work up the nerve, but I’ll let you know when I do!




Yep! And I haven’t frightened anyone or nothing!

What have you been talking with them about?

Dreams, mostly. That’s what I’ve always wanted to chat about with everyone! But, everyone knows a whole bunch of other interesting stuff too! Like about things we don’t have in Erde Wiege, and what they’ve been studying here …



Getting to talk with all kinds of people is so much fun!

Well, I guess you didn’t have too many options before now.

Oh! It’s not that I don’t like talking to you, Rami. I just, um …

Ahaha, don’t worry. I get it. It’s nice to be able to talk to a lot of different people. Everyone’s different. And that gives you so much more to talk about! And the more you know about everyone, the better a goddess you’ll be, right?

Yeah … In that case, I’d better go chat with even more people! Because there’s nothing to be afraid of anymore!



Very. I didn’t think I’d ever hear Ellie say anything like that. It hardly seems real …




Ahaha, what’s gotten into you?

I was just thinking that we could really fight in sync if we wanted to. So why don’t we try thinking up a special attack that we can use in battle?

The two of us? Together?

That’s right. Well, if that’s okay with you, obviously.

Of course it is! Knowing you, I’m sure it’ll be something amazing!

Ahaha! Glad to have you on board! Let’s see, what I had in mind was …




And it protects everyone around us, too … That’s so like you, Ramizel.

It’s not all about me, Sophie. Remember, we’ll be using it together.

Oh! That’s right.

Ahaha, sorry. That totally slipped my mind …


A Dual Trigger for Sophie and Ramizel? Who didn’t see this one coming?




You really mean it?

Sure do. It feels like you two have gone and made it your own.

I think it feels far more like Sophie’s atelier than mine.

Really? Why is that?

Because she hardly ever picks up after herself.

I do too! It’s clean now, isn’t it?!



Urgh … You surely sound scary …

Ahaha! Well, I’m just glad to hear you’re getting good use out of it.

I did inherit it from you, after all. I could hardly go and waste such a kind gesture.

Huh? So you mean this place used to be Ramizel’s …?

That’s right. This used to be my atelier. But I knew Plachta was a truly great alchemist so I decided to give it to her.

I couldn’t have been more surprised. People don’t usually gift entire ateliers out of the blue.

Ahaha! Wouldn’t you say that’s rather like me?

Ah … Now I get it.



Mhm, that would explain it. Makes perfect sense.

What are you muttering about, Sophie?

Hm? Oh, nothing! I was just thinking about how nice this atelier is!

Now, let’s make the Dream Vessel.


Adventures to Come





… It is complete.

Nice job, Plachta! It looks really well made!

I … actually did it …



…

Alright! Let’s hurry and get Elvira to add her power to it!

Oh … Um, Sophie!

Hm? What is it?

I, um … Thank you.

Err, b-but … I didn’t really do anything …

No … This is not something I would have been able to make in the past. However, since meeting you … and traveling all across Erde Wiege … Visiting different places, gaining new experiences … and meeting so many different people … I am certain that every last bit of it has contributed to my own personal improvement.



As long as we are together, I believe that I will be able to re-discover what I have lost sight of …



Of course! That goes without saying! I’m always much happier when you’re around, Plachta!

Thank you … I look forward to our continued adventures.