Part 63: The Real Deal: Part 8: Filler Up

THE REAL DEAL: PART 8


Finally I can show you this without revealing the biggest event in the game before it happens.

I know it's vague, but "The book will be lost" is a big enough spoiler to begin with, and you can probably guess that "The Ancient" is Kullervo. Who else would it be talking about? Not Olly, because that might be a funny joke.



Yumil! How did you--? Did you get back from the desert? Ah ha ha ha ha! Incredible! Then you must've outsmarted the desert witch Olly!
Yumil, I must apologise to you. Olly ordered me to watch over you. She said she'd kill my grandma if I disobeyed her.
So it's her fault we were dragged off to the desert?!
I thought I'd abandoned my past, but I'm still a prisoner of it. I've hated this life. That is, until I met you. You defy all my readings. My traps, Olly's plot...you defeated them all! Like I said, I just can't beat you.
Hmph! Of course not!
To be honest, I don't quite know what to do. But I want to tell you the truth.



Huh? This is...my grandmother's! What? Grandma's going to stop Olly?


No, but that's what she told us to tell you, so let's just go with it.


Oh, Yumil. Thank you. I'm going to think more about what I must do. Until we meet again, Yumil. At the tournament.


---



Whoa! What's going on? Lotta earthquakes lately...
And earlier, I saw a swarm of giant locusts flying overhead!
A bad omen, indeed.



I should point out that these locusts are aggressive. As in, they become enemies in Chapter 3 and attack you. Still, nobody's concerned for their safety or their food. It's just a "bad omen."

Speaking of which...



What a bad omen so close to the tournament.


...again, earthquakes kill people and cause widespread destruction. Nobody's worried about the here and now? Are we really that hung up on omens?

"Shit, this guy's coming at me with a knife. What a bad omen. Now he's asking for my wallet, that's an even worse omen. Now he's stabbing me in the gut! That's the worst omen yet! Something terrible must be about to happen!"



Right! This is your first time!


i do not want to hear that out of your toothless fucking mouth ever you creepy old bastard


The tournament is a test of skills held once every 10 years! Athletes from all over the world come here for the event! There are six days left! If you're interested, go talk to Mayor Georg in the arena! A quick nap in your house and time will fly right by! But there's only six days left! Spend your time talking and giving gifts to people in town! Try getting along with them! Just remember, before giving a gift, check to see what they like and don't like!
Now's your chance to make a good impression on everyone! If you're lucky, you could have a lover before the tournament! That oughta get you pumped!


You know, guys! If you use exclamation marks! More often than full stops! They start losing their impact! Pretty quickly! Or! It makes your character! Sound like a crazy dude! Who is shouting all his lines! For no reason!



Oh yeah, and Anwar shows up.

I realise it's because he's a love interest and they didn't want players having to run back to Samiad just to talk to him, but they could have given him some narrative justification for following us here.



You can't even blame it on hormones, since we're not a girl. This is all he has to say to us. If you don't like crowds, don't hang out in a capital city! Go home!


---



Ah, Yumil. You came at a perfect time! Today marks the passing away of Fana's mother Lena. We planned on visiting her grave, but with Fana stuck in bed, I thought I'd go alone.



She says this like it's some unforeseen setback. Who would have thought that your granddaughter, who is bedridden every single day, would continue being bedridden on this particular day? Oh cruel fate!



No! I'll come too, grandma! I'm feeling better today!
No, dear. You must rest in bed. I'm sorry, Yumil, but would you come in her place? I'd like you to place flowers on the gravestone for Fana. You go on ahead while I put Fana to bed.


---



This is where her mother Lena lies. I thought I'd finally tell you the real reason she lost her parents.
I'd heard of a healing medicine. A miracle flower said to cure any illness! He went out in search of that flower, costing him his life...



After that, his remains were brought to town. I told Fana he'd simply gone missing, but that's not true. That man lost his life to save his daughter. I never told her that. If she knew...
No!



I love this. They're both facing in the direction she arrives from, and yet they don't notice her standing right in front of them until she talks.



Why did you come out here?!
Why...? Why, grandma?! Koff! Koff!
Fana! Careful now!
I'm so sorry, Yumil. I must get Fana back home. Please come again later.



But she found out the wrong way. The poor child blames herself for her parents' deaths. Do me a favour and try talking to her.


Shouldn't you be doing that, granny?

Come to think of it, we never saw Helen talk to Fana before this, nor will we ever see it again. Some relationship they have. Even after you cure her, Helen just stays downstairs and says her usual lines. No reaction at all. It really does feel like Yumil is Fana's caretaker.



My parents gave up their lives trying to save me. It's because of me that my family is in shambles. If only I were never...



Thank you, Yumil. You're sweet.


Or, if you choose to stay silent...


I'm sorry. Could I be alone?



Remember back at the cemetery? I heard the medicine can be found deep in the forest. My son Byron, Fana's father, went out to look for it.


Is anyone else getting deja vu?


Her mother Lena was very much against the idea. Only now I realise that she was right.



We know. You just told us this two scenes ago, and Fana heard it. Why would she need to hear it again from us?

This is where Yumil decides to look sad, by the way. Right up until this line, he had his usual wide-eyed smile, and I include the whole graveyard scene in that.


Despite having lost her husband, Lena was a strong woman. She raised Fana very well and worked late into the night for her. It eventually became too much, and she soon passed away. It's my fault Fana's all alone.


...yeah, actually, that raises a question. Where were you during all this? 'Cause it seems like you were all sharing this house. You knew what was going on as it took place. Did you not think to lend your fatally overworked daughter a hand?

Hell, you seem happy to let Yumil do your job these days. Maybe it is your fault. Maybe you are a terrible grandmother.



...I swear to stay by Fana's side for good. I just...don't want to lose Fana too.
Listen. Don't you dare think about going to the forest to retrieve that flower! The Forest Guardian may know something about it...but I won't stand to lose you too, Yumil!


"I don't want to lose you. Please don't go after that flower, which you can find in the forest somewhere, there's this guy named Rudrud, he probably knows. Not that you should ask him. It's called a Hope Pod. Five red petals. Just so you know what to avoid looking for."


---





I'm surprised.



Tee hee! Good question. Next is the last one. I'd better hurry.



The Witch of the Mist! She's gonna get me!



Aw, you're curious about me? I was just putting up a barrier. The barrier keeps weak monsters from entering town.


Oh. Ohhh. This is why the locusts never invade Rhoan! I just put that together! Fair enough, then. I withdraw my criticism of that issue.

_{Not convinced they planned it that way, though. Could have been a lucky coincidence, grumble grumble.}


I have to do this every day, so it can get exhausting. Hm? Why don't I tell the townspeople? Aha ha ha ha. That's because I do it on my own! It has nothing to do with them. And I don't need their expectations. It goes without saying, this stays a secret from everyone. I don't care what they say. I simply want to protect this town.
See you later, then.


Nope. See you now.



Hee hee! Do you still not trust me?
*nod*
I guess I can't blame you. After all, I did such horrible things to you.
I can sense an incomparable power from you. It's a power strong enough to control one's fate. Even the fate of the world. It's such a great power...if you're not careful, your own fate may be swallowed up by it.
...I don't know what you're trying to do, but that power is dangerous. That's why I let the castle guards catch you that time. After some time had passed, and you'd given up hope, I planned on freeing you.
Can I ask you something else?



I don't quite...understand. But I see that you're doing it for something other than yourself. Anyway, I appreciate you listening to me today. T-h-a-n-k y-o-u!


I c-a-n s-p-e-l-l, d-o-n'-t p-a-t-r-o-n-i-s-e m-e

So...this is kind of what I had in the narrative? I think? Honestly, her reasons are clear as mud despite her explanation. Our power is dangerous so she had us imprisoned, except she was going to let us out later so it wouldn't have made a difference anyway...

Screw it, it's badly written and difficult to make sense of, IS ANYONE SURPRISED



No we don't you fucking cradle robber

Nursery pillager

Wombsacker

HE'S TWELVE


---



The tournament is soon upon us! Won't you be participating, Yumil?
C'mon. You've come this far. Why not participate?
Please, just think about it. Talk it over with your new friends.


...what new friends.

If he's talking about the spirits, I'm going to reach into my monitor and punch the fucking emulator. I'll find a way. Don't think I won't.

So yeah, you can't sign up yourself. You have to go back to the alley and find out that Rex did it for you. I suppose it's to foreshadow his betrayal, but why make us come here first? Just have him run into us right away. Then you needn't bother pretending we have a choice in the matter.



Even if you try to sleep your way through it without talking to Georg or Rex, Rempo stops you from resting after day three and demands you participate.

Essentially, we only join the tournament because the story won't progress unless we do. There's no crucial macguffin to be won. Nothing is at stake. Nothing spectacular or unexpected happens during it, and once it's over, it's never mentioned again.

If you straight up deleted the tournament from the game, without any rewriting or restructuring, we'd be very slightly confused when Rex shows up later with congratulatory Rohypnol. That's it. Nothing else would be affected.



Of course you're in the tournament! I pulled some strings, and already got you registered! Heh heh. Pretty clever, eh? You'll totally win! After all, you're the Kaleilan Hero!
...



In the sense that we've given up trying to fight it, yes.


Your good friend Rex just handed in your form! Your participation is welcome, and I'm sure it'll excite the crowds!



Hnnnngh! It's been 10 long years! Rudrud is finally here!
Hm-hmph! I've perfected my craft! Victory will be mine!
Not so fast, Northern Hammer, Western Bomb.



Eastern Sword.

I'll assume he's deliberately getting it wrong to mock him. Tame smack talk, but still a step up from "Not so fast."


Rudrud has trained more! Behold my secret techniques!
Why hasn't that old prune of the Southern Flight school shown up?
I suppose only our three schools will be participating!
I wouldn't be so sure about that.



Aha...the witch shows herself. You the new Southern Flight master?
Indeed, I am. Are you disappointed?
Bwa ha ha ha! 50 points! You're not intimidating enough!
Nothing like that old hag!
Perhaps, but I make up for it with good looks.
Those are big words, witch.
Whoa, what's up with them?
Oooh! This is too cool! All the Great Schools are together!
Yumil, after this I'll be completely free. It's what grandma Ellie taught me.


I think this is meant to be her motive for representing Southern Flight. Because then she'll be "free." From something. For some reason.

Maybe she means the plot. Lord knows I'd want out.



Either way, my School will stand victorious in this tournament! Because my trusted pupil is here.
No way! Rudrud's pupil is here too!
Hm-hmph! Mine, too!
Oh? Well I have a wonderful supporter with me as well.
Looks like it'll be fun!



You learned Rudrud's deadly attack!
I've taught my strongest attack!



See, if this game did things right, this is where everyone would pause and stare at Nanai, and Georg would say "What exactly do you mean by that, miss?" and then she'd get jailed for diddling.



Use the stylus to show them where she touched you!



Yumil, which school will you represent? If you can't choose one, then you must leave!



Beg to differ. Lone wolf, freestyle 4 lyfe, etc.


That's right! You'll still do well even if you're not in a school!



And they all wish you luck and go on their way.

ADDENDUM: Remember when I talked about Judgment Link tournaments? Remember how it was possible to lose even if you played perfectly? Remember how once you're in a tournament, you can't leave without forfeiting altogether, depriving you of the reward?



Well, these tournaments take place in the arena, which is where you need to go for the other tournament. And if you enter the arena when a JL tournament is running, you're immediately asked if you want to participate. You can't avoid it or come back later. And if you decline, it's the same as forfeiting. And during your time in the desert, you probably triggered a tournament event. Two, in fact. And if you ignored or forgot about the prior tournaments, that would mean having to either play or turn down four tournaments in a row before you can finally talk to Georg about the real tournament.



I pity the obsessive gamer who plays Avalon Code.