Part 35: Post 31: In which we spend our time dealing with old men, to our eventual profit.

Post 31: In which we spend our time dealing with old men, to our eventual profit.

Let's return to the present and get us a flying carpet!

Yeah, I got something for you right here... This shiny Merm Moon!
The Merm Moon! Just like it was drawn in the books! It's so beautiful. I must be dreaming that I get to touch the real Merm Moon! You've proven your bravery, so the Carpet is yours. I'm sure Nicola's dear, departed father would be delighted to see you take it. The Carpet is hidden in a secret place known only to Nicola's father and myself. Meet me behind the temple, and I'll tell you all about it.

somewhere. I'll look around here. Everybody, you look behind the temple. The real Carpet is stored in a basement storeroom. But I've forgotten where the stairs are! How could I have done that?

They're over here!
Oh, you found it! Thanks. Now, then, please follow me down.

Please take it.

*AWESOME*. (Then, Nicola bursts in!)
(Nicola) I can't believe it! What on earth is this place doing here?
Nicola! How'd you find this?
(Nicola) Huh? You're the... Hey! What's going on here? Why do they have the carpet? I thought I took it from them!
... They have the real Carpet. The one you have is a fake. I switched the carpet with a fake one and hid the real thing here. Your father ordered me to hide the real carpet to prevent you from killing yourself in search of the Hero.
(Nicola) It was fake! I didn't know my father worried about me that much. I could never make myself break my father's promise. Instead, I had others take up the quest for me.
Well, let's leave it to them. They found the Merm Moon after all.
(Nicola) So you have the legendary treasure that I read about as a child! You're amazing! Well, I'm going to leave everything in your hands. I think you will find the Carpet very useful in reviving the old warrior. Please, take it! (He turns to the maid) I'm sorry I put you through all that trouble.
No. That's all right. It doesn't matter anymore.
(Nicola) Shall we go back home, then?
Let's go to that nearby temple, then!


Are you a Soldier of God? Regardless, you possess the spirit of one. I am also a Soldier of God, doomed to be defeated by the Demon Lord. I have been waiting for warriors like you for an eternity. Let me tell you the word of God. Long ago, I sealed the Great Hero, Melvin, into a stone. When he is needed again, the stone will radiate a great heat, and begin to shake. At that time, the chosen ones will climb the staircase into the sky, bearing the stone before them. Those are the words that were entrusted to me. I know no more about the seal. And now, dispel our pain and revive the great Melvin! (The ghost disappears)
First, I'm gonna grab this chest, though.

Now, back to business. The legendary hero, the preeminent Soldier of God, the greatest warrior of all time is named Melvin? You know what, it was a different time, and now we have to figure out where we can find a signifiantly Hot Stone...oh. Why is it that every time we need a holy relic...

We need to talk to our promiscuous, drunken Uncle Hondara.
(Hondara) I can pay for it! You don't need to worry about money! So come on, let's go on a little trip together -- Hic! Hey, Link! Help me talk this young lady into a drink, will you? Hmm? The HotStone? Oh, I finally managed to sell the thing. Who? Someone came in and bought it from me. I think his name was Bru... something. You know, that rich guy with the houses all over the world. You really missed out!
YOU SON OF A BITCH I NEEDED THAT AND I COULD HAVE AT LEAST DOUBLED THAT PRICE. Fuck it - let's start hitting up his houses until we find him, then see what we have to do to get it from him. Let's see where else we can go on our sweet new carpet first!

I wondered if this was still around. Let's check it out.

Here we pray for peace and tranquility throughout the desert.
And that's basically what everyone's doing here - praying and hoping for a better world. That's not likely to happen until God returns, so we'd better find all the shards and return Melvin to life.

(Scholar) of the Nilan Fish. Oh! Hello there, travelers! Are you interested in my work? Well then, let me introduce you to the world of fossils!
I think I knew your ancestor, and he was helpful. So let's hear about the fossils.
(Scholar) Right then! Do you see that giant fossil over there? I discovered it just a little while ago. A fossil is an animal or plant that's buried in the earth. They turn into stone after enough time has passed! Fossils are very fascinating things! If you study them, you can learn about creatures of the past! That's why I'm studying this fossil right here.
You keep doing that. I'll just grab that shard and keep moving along.

For the next stop, I've got a good feeling about that river on the island south of Krage.

(Medal King) the world. I'll give wonderful rewards to anyone who brings me TinyMedals! Aha! You've brought me medals! Let me see them! Yes, yes, I see you have 39 medals on hand. If you bring me 45 you've got the PoisonSword coming your way!
The Medal King gives progressively greater items based on the number of TinyMedals you've given him. We're going to need to get at least 100 to get everything done, so this is likely going to be a pain later. But we can worry about this when there isn't a world to save. Moving along, let's go and find this Brugeo guy before we do anything really heavy. First, let's check that home across the lake, near Orph.

come back. I want to go have some fun at his houses in Litorud and Krage.
He's not here? Well, this would be inconvenient if I couldn't teleport, but first, I'm taking all his stuff.

Nifty! Now on to Krage!

dish! Master Brugeo even gave me a compliment! My cup runneth over.
Brugeo briefly stopped here on a recent trip. I heard that he's traveling the world buying unique items. Master Brugeo showed us the items he got during his latest trip. One of them was very strange. It was some kind of stone... the HotStone, maybe? I couldn't figure it out. It felt warm, but other than that, it was just a stone. Master Brugeo seemed very happy with it, though. He had a big smile on his face.
Huh? Where did you say Master Brugeo is going? He said that he would return home for the time being. I don't know where his main house is located, either, but I heard it is far from town.
Fuck! Back to where we just came from it seems.

Now I just have to decide which of his houses to kick back at.
Brugeo's finally back, but now he spends all day in his room. All he does is stare at the HotStone, or whatever he calls it.
So he's actually here? Sweet? Let's go see a man about a stone!

shabby outfit? Well, I've got my reasons... heh heh heh. I'm the son of the richest man in the world. I have to dress like this to stay out of the public eye.
I don't care about you, I need to talk to Brugeo!

And what kind of business might you have with me?
We need that HotStone for important, world saving business, if you would be so kind. It's for resurrecting the Great Hero.
(Brugeo) Hah! The great Hero? I know more about him than you do. According to the legends, if you offer the Hero Stone to the heavens from the tallest tower in the world, the Hero will awaken, and return to this world. I'm too old to be taken in by that silly story. What? This HotStone is the Hero Stone of legend? Hah! I'd love to believe that, but I won't give this Stone to anyone! It's a precious artifact! I wonder what kind of person the great Hero was? He must have been a handsome man... or even a beautiful woman! I'd love to be able to hire someone like that as a servant. I could brag about that forever.
Okay, we're out of here. Well just have to formulate some sort of wacky scheme to steal the HotStone later tonight.

(Brugeo) I've decided to give you a chance. I can't just give you the HotStone based on your story, but instead I'll journey with you. If your story is true, and you need to use the Stone, I'll give it to you then. Is that all right with you?
We don't really have a choice, but we'll bring you along.
(Brugeo) Wonderful, wonderful. I've been thinking about nothing but the Hero lately. I can't wait to see him reborn before my eyes!
Well, then it's time to find the World's Tallest Tower... Now if I were a tower, where would I be... Southwest of the Medal Castle!

The HotStone suddenly releases a blinding light, and the door to the tower opens!
(Brugeo) The HotStone has never felt so hot or glowed like that before! It looks like we're getting close.
Let's get to the top!

Flying frogs! I've never seen such a thing before. I wish that they did something interesting. This place is just a boring maze with lots of stairs going up.

Okay, the Chargon is understandable. It's a Dragon, it breathes fire, gores us with its horns, and bites us. But in which ecological niche lies the SheepBird?

Fuck, I don't know where I am and I can just fall off the tower here, since there are no walls. Time to tread cautiously.

(Brugeo) Link? It's filled with monsters?
Bah, this is nothing. These are flying frogs and sheepbirds - barely monsters at all.
(Brugeo) All right, I'll believe you. I'm counting on you to get us up there!
Don't worry, mister. We'll protect you!

Aaaah! Yellow imps! Their color scheme is hideous!

Zombie soldiers. See how their eye oozes out? So gruesome.

(Brugeo) Do you think this is the place to use the HotStone, Link?
Yeah, up on that platform over there.
(Brugeo) All right, here you go. See what you can do with it. (He hands Link the HotStone)

It is slowly drawn away from Link's hand.

God sent me to sleep before He entered the final battle. What has transpired in the world? What of the battle against the Demon Lord? Was it you who brought me back into this world?
Indeed, it was us who have brought you back into the world, Great Hero.
Ah, indeed. Thank you, warriors! I am called Melvin. Warriors, there is something I must know immediately. What has transpired? Was the hateful Demon Lord slain?
Sadly no, elder warrior.
Surely you must know... Please tell me what happened to the Demon Lord.
God sealed him away, then disappeared. We're currently trying to resurrect the world, return God to the realm, and defeat the Demon Lord.
What? Impossible! God could not have been defeated! But you have no reason to lie... God sealed me away before the final battle. He was worried as to the safety of the world, so He kept me alive, hoping that I could preserve peace in the future. Perhaps God already knew His fate... I must find out more about what has happened. I am still unfamiliar with this day and age. I am perplexed by the peacefulness of this world. Would you allow me to join you in your journeys, Link, so that I may seek out the truth of what happened?
Sure! We've been needing a fourth for quite some time.
Thank you. From this day forward, I will fight at your side!
On that note, let's grab the shard at *your* side.

(Brugeo) Is that man the Great Hero?
Big as life and mustachioed to boot.
(Brugeo) Then I suppose it must be true... What a shame. I was expecting someone a bit well, younger. Well, I suppose I'll be heading back to my mansion, Link. The loss of the HotStone saddens me, but I am still happy. I saw something that all the money in the world couldn't buy! My only regret is that old man Melvin. I was really hoping it'd be a stunningly handsome man, or a beautiful woman. Then, perhaps, I could have made them my servant!
Lord Brugeo, I am afraid I offer my services only to the warriors I choose to.
(Brugeo) Well, no matter. You may continue your journey. I think I'll take a nice, restful trip for a while. Farewell.
Well, Melvin, now that your with us, we'll have to bring you up to speed... time for some monster genocide!



New Items: TinyMedals 40-41, AglSeed,


Level: 25-26
Class Titles: ArchMage, Master, Admiral, BigBoss, General, TruTalent, Smuggler
Skill: StrongD


Level: 23-24
Class Titles: KingSlime, WyvernNite, HellShell, SheepLord, Novice(Thief), Marcolara, Phoenix, Armageddon, Carcass
Mastered Classes: BombCrag


Level: 25-26
Class Titles: Master, TruTalent, HiPriest, Novice (Thief) Martyr, Minstrel, Goof-Off
Mastered Classes: Bard
New Skills: PuffPuff, Silliness