Part 25: Chapter 19x

As I said, the requirement for this chapter is for Rex to be alive. If you play like a normal FE player, you're going to see this gaiden, no problem.



: ...Ah! Kelik! It's you! So you saw me! Hahah!

: What are you doing walking about? It looks suspicious.

: Oh, you're quite rude, aren't you. I was simply going to check on the weapon inventory. I wouldn't want anyone tampering with it, mind you.

: I see. I really hope that's what you are doing.

: Of course it is! I said it myself!

: Well then, I'll be off.



: Just when I had thought the coast was clear to the treasure chamber...

Some extra characterization for Liuke, but it really doesn't go much of anywhere.



: I'm going to go nuts just trying to remember where I'm going...

One thing that's fascinating about this little bit is that Kelik actually walks around while he's talking on the map itself. As a fellow who's dabbled in romhacking, I know how that requires a bit of manipulation. Rather fancy.



: Thank goodness I found you so quickly!

But disaster strikes! Of course it does. What, did you think this chapter would be us guiding Kelik to the bathroom?

: Has something happened? Is it Liuke?

: No sir! It's Cid, the Gold Halberdier! He's come to take Aegis back!

: Crap... our soldiers are all tired. We don't have the stamina for this. And I'm surprised Magnus could bring reinforcements so fast... Was this planned as well, like Howard and Yulia?

Kelik, my man, if they'd actually planned this out properly, Cid would have attacked while you were still trying to breach the gate. As always, it's just a case of Cid being really slow to arrive.

: Sir, your orders?

: Call Siegfried and the others. Rally anyone who's able for battle. We can't let Fort Darner get taken back.

: Yes, sir!

And just outside...



: I suppose you would be the infamous leader of the Legend Mercenaries?

: What a funny coincidence that you would spot me out by my clothing, as I recognize you by your armor, Cid, the Gold Halberdier.

: Hmph! Weakling Kelik! I challenge you to a duel!

: Hahahahah.... Oh, you've excited me, Gold Halberdier.

Do it! Blow each other up in a giant jerksplosion!



: ...However, despite how tempting your offer is, I have other commitments.

Aww...

: I insist! You would decline?

: I wouldn't call it declining. It's more of an "if I get to it" sort of situation, really.

: ...Wooh. For a second I thought you were going to accept.

: Damn! And I thought you'd be lured into my trap... It doesn't matter. I'll spill your blood either way. Prepare yourself, rebels! Just try and protect Aegis!

Okay.

The map for this chapter is the absolute same one as in Chapter 18, so let's just skip right to the action.



: Duke Paul! Why are you here? A battle's about to happen. You have to go back inside!

: I can't. I'm going to fight alongside you. Don't try and stop me. No matter what you say, I am independent of the rebellion. That means I don't have any obligation to follow your orders. Don't worry though. I'll stay here, at the gate. As the Duke of Aegis, I will protect it with my life.

: I can't say I condone this, but I don't have a choice, do I? It's an honor to fight alongside you, Duke Paul.

: I may not be a strong leader, but I'm a strong fighter. I won't hold you back, General Siegfried.


: Our goal is to defend Castle Aegis and Fort Darner! Should either of their guardians fall, they would fall as well! Still, if we can take out Cid, we can defeat them more easily. Don't forget--protect the fortresses at all costs!



This may sound like a defense mission, but it's actually more like a shooting gallery.

Player Phase:





Duke Paul and an unnamed general are guarding the gates to Aegis and Darner, respectively, and they're both going to be perfectly fine. It'd take a lot of focused damage from the enemy team to take them down.



Cid is an intriguing goalpost for our party's progress. Remember how we couldn't even dream of hurting him before? Now, our cheerful mage is slightly better than him, and a number of other party members can go toe-to-toe. The Adamant Lance he carries is unique because it targets resistance, so he'll be a hard nut to crack. Still, it's doable.



I wish that his underlings were nearly as good as he is. Most of my team can take them down in a single round.



Though some of them have to take special measures to do so.



All of our lord characters are forced to participate, so Siegfried's making with the mage whacking.



Itsuke's fighting too, though I wonder if I should just cut him loose. Cia can do anything he can do, so much better.



Still, I'll take him over Shon.



Lots of cavaliers up top, so Mark's taking advantage of effective damage. He's quite the accurate little pirate.



Not that it helps when the game hates you.



The only promoted unit on this map is a sniper, and he's...



Well, pathetic.



This too.



As if Zach will be worth this.



Can I just say that I despise Nosferatu? Because I despise Nosferatu.



Kevin's creeping closer to his destiny.



Gotta say, that was a disappointing amount of enemies. How is Blazer going to fill in the remaining ten turns?



Like that! Every turn! Until the end of the chapter!



And that's the chapter in a nutshell. Enemies pop up, we knock them down...



Effectively, this chapter is just grinding until it either ends or we got bored and kill Cid.



The sheer amount of reinforcements popping out of the top right is a little bit different, mostly because you won't be able to stop them from building up unless you head straight there right from the start of the map.



There are also some cavaliers here at the bottom of the map, along with an open village, but that village doesn't give us anything, so no reason to visit it.

: Oh, the rebels. We're so thankful to you. If we had any food or money to spare, we would give it... Unfortunately Magnus drained our supplies and hardly left enough food for us to survive on. They only kept us alive because they say they need some people to work in the new society they are creating... We're no help to you... I'm truly sorry...

Blazer, why leave a village gate open if you're just going to waste the player's time? Obviously, you don't have to go by established norms, but when someone visits a red village, they expect to receive something.



Anakin is invincible against mages. You may have seen him get hurt here, but I assure you, he is impervious to their assault.



Especially with levels like this.



See, the reason why I make that assertion of his invincibility is because his promoted class has innate Renewal. Every turn, he will recover health like he's on a fort. With his speed and luck, combined with his healing power, the kid is going to be a terror for the enemy team, and I haven't even gotten him his supports yet.



Here's another amusing thing about Anakin: if you notice, his crit actually has little letters pop up above his head. I guess that becoming a noble hasn't changed him that much.



It seems that Zach realizes his tenuous position.



How many attack-skewed swordfighters are in this army?



Getting pretty crowded up there, especially since the jerk fighters all have hand axes.



Quite the defensive healer I have.



Why are all the flying units in this game so terrible?



You don't seem very fond of the idea of being useful.



I love Hero's Flare. Of all the new weapons Blazer added, it's one of the cooler ones.



No pun intended.



Yes! Become even harder to hit!



Can you even imagine what he'd be like without stat boosters?



Not you too, Shuuda!



Ooh! He hit his luck growth!



Unlike the impoverished folks down south, this one has something for us.



: Thank you so much for liberating Aegis. The local villages were devastated by the invasion. More than half the population was wiped out. But now that you've rid of the Magnians, we can try and live our lives again. We can never repay you enough, but please, take this. Perhaps it will help you on your journey.



Darn right it will!



Speed's a popular stat today. No objections here.



All my mounted units are so bad...



Three turns to go, and I'm already tired of the monotony.



I felt like this was appropriate.



Now, I do forget something important when I engage him at range, which I'll see in the enemy phase.



Both of my soldiers are mediocre...



You know what, I'm okay with Tekun pumping up defense.



See, when I had Kelik match up against Cid, I forgot about the fact that the Adamant Lance is magical. Almost cost me the entire run.



Still, it opened the way for a bombshell of a character revelation.



: ......

: Father! Answer me!

: You are no son of mine. Do not call me such a name! You are only a descipable(sic) traitor that must be punished!

: You wouldn't hold back against me, would you? Just like how you struck down my mother!

: Your mother was a traitor as well! And you have followed in her footsteps!

: Then anyone who does something good is a traitor, right? Father, I may not be as strong as you, but... I'll show you what it means to fight for something good! Unlike you, I don't fight to kill. I fight to live!

: Do your worst, Rex! There is nothing left for you to do but perish!



Before I realized that Cid had a special conversation with Rex, I always thought that he was just kind of odd, but now I know better. The guy's a despicable bastard, and I won't mourn his passing.



Before I finish him off, it's time to kill as much as I can, starting with this horrible level from Ace.



And some much-needed defensive levels for Mark and Zach.



Get out of here, goldie. You smell.



Inconceivable!



I didn't have any preference for either weapon, but the Adamant Lance may have had more utility.



: And now I have even more to thank you for. Twice has Aegis been saved by your rebellion. If Magnus had not killed our own knights...

: It's nothing to think about it. We came to liberate Aegis, and if we didn't protect it, what liberators would we be?

: As much as you say that... Well, anyway, you're free to stay as many nights as you need. We can discuss the war after some rest tonight.

: Indeed. Yue still hasn't had the chance to fill us in. Magnus has had so much control over society that even rumors and gossip have become scarce...

: Yes... How did Magnus come to this...?

Perhaps the answer will come to us...

Next Time: What could be better than navigating through a thin tree-riddled mountain pass while being harassed by wyverns? Pretty much anything.