Part 33: Chapter 9 Part 3: Kapathogia-Grutia

Chapter 9 Part 3: Kapathogia-Grutia

We got another short update this time. Previously we killed Trabant and found out that Altenna was alive and that she wants to join us.



I also kinda fucked up and had Celice unnecessarily backtrack. This next castle can actually be extremely easy to take if you don't have Celice return to Kapathogia, and send him straight to Grutia while Corple recruits Hanibal. This is because the only enemies at Grutia are some ballistae that don't get in the way of actually reaching the castle, and of course the boss who can be killed in one round at this point. So you can pretty easily take Grutia the turn after it turns against you.



I, however, didn't do that.





General, for you, a warrior revered as 'The Shield of Thracia', to be forced into battle the way you were... I just can't believe how low that King Trabant will go!

His deceitful ways are contemptible, indeed. He has basically lost everyone's trust. How he ever hoped to sustain the will of the people is beyond me...

General, please guide us. We are still young and there's much you can teach us.

Well, if an old timer like myself will do, then you have my loyal devotion, Sir Celice.







So you're an orphan, too, huh... Do you remember any of your childhood?

No, none of it. I guess I was just a baby when my father found me in Darna.

You were also in Darna!?

You know Darna?

Yeah, I grew up at the convent in Darna. I must've been about two when a young lady, a dancer I think, left me at the convent. And that sort of explains why I became a dancer. I thought I might be able to find my mother someday if I did. I'm not all that good yet, but I'm completely self-taught.

Wow, Leen, that's great. I guess I've had it wrong about you.

Corple, you don't like dancers, do you...

Well, I didn't before, but I like you, Leen.

Heehee... Thanks, Corple.



So Corple and Leen are the only kids that don't realize they're siblings (well, and Celice and Julia). Though this doesn't mean that you can make them fall in love, thankfully.







Here I was all excited to meet the son of General Hanibal, but you're nothing but a kid...

Yeah, but what about you? You're just a kid, too, aren't you?

Excuse me! You tellin' me I look like a child!?

Yeah, I am.

You... you've got a lotta nerve!



Corple and Patty gain 100 love points with each other from this conversation. This is actually Corple's only love related conversation, so I guess that makes Patty his only predestined lover. They don't have an endgame conversation though.





If you recall, last time Grandbell's army came to reinforce Thracia. Fortunately they sent a very small force, but it's still more than Fee can handle on her own.





Musar's pretty strong, but the kicker is that he actually has Pursuit and decent Attack Speed. He'll drop Torando, the A rank wind tome, though only Sety (or more accurately, only Levin's son) and Leaf can use it, and neither really want it since the former has Holsety and the latter has great Strength and terrible Magic.



So these guys will chase Fee into the mountains while backup comes for her.



And Altenna continues moving toward Celice.









Fee does more hit and runs, and the army arrives at Luthecia. Here a select few go north to fight Grandbell, while the rest head towards Grutia.











The select few being Aless, Leaf, and Delmud. At this point, Fee's at 1 HP I believe, so she needs to retreat for healing.





Leaf will tank for a bit and take out the few enemies that can reach him on this turn. I have him tank because he's still holding the Elite Ring, and I figure it's best to maximize its use before the end of the chapter.



Meanwhile, Altenna catches up to Celice.





Altenna's introduction here actually parallels her introduction to Leaf earlier in the chapter, "Well, I'm Altenna… Trabant's daughter, if you haven't figured it out yet."

Prince Leaf told me everything. I can no longer oppose you... Please, let me join your army.

Princess Altenna!? Ahh... so you're Prince Leaf's older sister! The prince and I both hoped that you'd come... He'll be so happy you're here. You've made the right decision, Your Highness.

This is still happening so fast. But one look into Prince Leaf's eyes... And there before me I saw the gentle gaze of my father... And memories of my mother's embrace suddenly felt just like yesterday.

I still don't understand what motivated King Trabant in the first place. Why would he murder your parents and bring you back here? You were just a kid.

He told Arion once that all he was after was control of the Gae Bolg. And that's why he needed me...

So he just used you for that?

I... I'm not sure myself. I know he did some terrible things, but he was a father to me...

Hmm... Well, it's all beyond me, that's for sure.

Sir Celice, I have one favor to ask of you. Arion... We must save Prince Arion!

Sure, I don't want to fight him. I've heard too many good things about him anyway. But will he listen to us?

I'll give it one more shot.... Just give me a little more time!


So let's finally get a look at Altenna's full stats.







Ok so it's nothing you couldn't have guessed from the stats I showed previously. But maybe you didn't know she could use A Swords (though she never will use swords). Overall she's a pretty great unit, being one of two flying units, and having a holy weapon. She's unpromoted with great Strength, Speed, and Defense, and good Skill and Luck. As a side note, the enemy dragons we fought thus far have been Dragon Riders, which is totally separate from Dragon Knights. Altenna will actually promote into something separate, but we'll get to that later.







Leaf takes an unlucky blow and has to retreat, leaving Aless to defend in his stead.







I forgot to take a screen cap of what Tornado looks like, but I'll be sure to show it off when Sety gets it. The boss did double Aless, but both attacks missed.



Around this point, Celice approaches Grutia and its ballistae. This should be no problem, but the ballistae will prevent Altenna from flying in and helping.



Juda himself isn't a huge threat since he has relatively low hit with Fenrir, but if he manages to get a hit in, it'll hurt quite a bit.













Up north our units take out the last remaining threats, and I decide to have Patty grab some petty cash from the healers.



And Celice leads a solo charge to take Grutia.











Everything misses him.











So Patty will be taking all of these villages and probably giving the money to Corple to fund his Reserve spamming.





I should also point out that one of these guys is a Killer Ballistae, I think the only one of its kind in the game. Its slightly more accurate and can get crits.









A crit easily takes care of Juda, though if Celice had failed to crit, I was willing to bet he could survive another round where only two enemies can hit him with 30-40 hit.





And of course, seizing gets rid of all the ballistae (and any Grandbell knights). Kind of a shame to waste that EXP, but it would've taken too long and/or been too risky to kill them all.





I guess the pride of being a Dragon Knight leaves no allowances for conceding in battle. I truly believed Arion of Thracia would have been a more reasonable man... Celice, you know we can't turn around now. We MUST engage this final battle.

Grr... Why!? Why must Arion be so stubborn about this? Arion! Don't you understand what you're causing Altenna to go through?







And we're pretty much done here. Just one castle to go.







Alright, we'll employ the 'Three-Headed Dragon' assault. All reserve battalions to the battlefront! This is our last chance. This battle shall decide the fate of Thracia!









The Three-Headed Dragon assault is actually quite dangerous. But more on that next time.