Part 38: Chapter 10B: Turning Traitor

Chapter 10B: Turning Traitor



Grado's General Duessel often came to Renais as an emissary of his empire. Despite their stations, the two men share similar dispositions and a warm relationship.

Why has Grado Started this war? What is the miasma of evil emanating from the country? Ephraim believes that Duessel can answer these questions.

It is this belief that propels Ephraim forward into Grado territory.



Well, this can only mean good things.



: There's been an uprising in Carcino. Pablo is leading a force of renegade Grado supporters in rebellion.

: In Carcino... Any word of Eirika? Is my sister safe?

: The last word we received had Princess Eirika heading to assist Prince Innes. We've not heard from her since.

: ...Blast. I sent Eirika to Rausten thinking it would be the safest mission. If I could, I'd pull out of here now and go look for her but...



: ...I know, I know. I mustn't let my emotions dictate my actions. If Carcino has allied itself with Grado, then defeating Grado is out best bet. We proceed as planned. Tell them that.

: Understood.

: Be careful, Eirika.



Suddenly, the screen shakes.

: ...What?! Was that an earthquake? I think it's passed.

: Prince Ephraim.

: I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about. I was surprised, that's all. You're not shaken in the slightest, are you?

: Actually, it surprised me as well. I've heard that tremors such as those were commonplace in Grado. Apparently, they are usually weak and cause little, if any, damage.

: Now that you mention it, I remember a while back, when I was first in Grado. Eirika and I were startled by a tremor just like that one. Lyon said he had grown used to them, and he just laughed.

: ...

: We don't have any time to tend to injuries just now. We must press forward. We must see to the capital.

What injuries? It was only a slight tremor, remember? I don't get this game sometimes.



But enough of that. We've got plot to unravel.



: What is the emperor thinking...

: General Duessel.



: Are you to be assisting me in this...duty?

: Yes... Frelia's army will be coming soon from the north. We're just waiting for the order to engage them.

: Hm... Prince Ephraim leads the enemy forces, doesn't he?

: That is correct. Prince Ephraim of Renais.

: Bah...

: Renais is our enemy. General, please give the order to attack.

: No. Order all units to hold. Do not initiate the attack. I want to speak with Ephraim first.



: You plan to betray the empire and ally yourself with the enemy.

: What?!

: General Duessel, you stand accused of treason of the highest order. Lay down your weapons, and follow my commands. If you fail to do so, if you resist in any way, I will execute you on the spot.

: This is nonsense! Who is behind this madness!

: These are His Majesty's orders. The emperor has anticipated your treachery. Prepare yourself.

: Impossible... His Majesty?



I do love how they color-code factions. Fits in nicely with the story.



: Go around that fort to the southeast and drive into them from the sea.

: We're fighting General Duessel? But he's one of the cornerstones of the empire. How could-- He's been like a father to you and to my brother. Do you truly mean to kill him?

: ... If that is what my emperor commands, then yes. Without hesitation. Cormag, if you are a true knight of Grado, you will do the same.

: ...

There's that plot theme again. Selena's not blind, by any means, but she's unwilling to disobey her emperor. This sort of character shows up every now and then in the series, and much as we'd like to, there is no way to get that sort of character on our side.



That's where we come in.



: Prince Ephraim, the Imperial Grado army is before us.

: I know, but something's odd. They're chasing someone down. Is that a deserter? Wait! That's... Duessel?

: Prince Ephraim, your orders.

: We rescue Duessel! Ride!!!

As usual, Ephraim's approach to every situation is to charge right in. No objections here.



The objective of this map is to keep Duessel alive for 10 turns, but as usual, we can kill the boss to end it early.



If we had to fight Selena directly right now, we'd be in a lot of trouble. She's powerful, she's fast, she's sturdy, and she has the ability to nuke anyone from a long distance. She is most assuredly not someone you want to trifle with right now.



The generic cavaliers supporting Duessel are our secret objective for this fight. If we keep all three of them alive, we get something at the end. We can't fully depend on them to keep themselves alive, but they'll stay put and drink their vulneraries if they're in trouble, so that's a help.



Unique to this map are the two boats in the water, essentially mobile ballistae. That 3 move might seem a little scary, but they're affected by water like a pirate, so they actually can only move a space at a time.



And as you may have noticed, Cormag's also on the field. He's a little lower level this time, since he arrives a lot earlier than in Eirika's route. Unlike in Eirika's route, we can't recruit him with the main character. It's going to have to be Duessel or Tana, and the former can only do it if we recruit him first.



We've got a lot to do and not much time to do it in, so let's get started.



Oh, by the way, the two cavaliers next to Selena both have unique weapons that they drop, assuming you don't engage them up close. They won't move, nor, it turns out, does the archer between them. Good thing too, since these weapons would be very bad to have thrown against us.



Since the first round is just setup and fighting two cannon fodder soldiers, let's just immedately cut to the enemy's turn.



: I so wanted to witness the comedy of two generals hacking away at each other.



: Ah, Selena. You're to return to the capital immediately. Duessel is no longer your concern. His Majesty has declared you untrustworthy. I've been sent here to relieve you of command.

: What?

: You've proven yourself incapable of dealing with a single old man... I tell you, having to clean up your mess makes things difficult for me, Selena. Now then, Beran.



: I'm leaving. I can't leave poor Eirika sad and lonely in Carcino. You're in command here for the duration of this conflict.

: I'll take care of things.

: What do you think you're doing?! I am here at His Majesty's bidding, and...

: Did you not hear me? His Majesty's bidding has CHANGED. You, Selena, are not to be trusted. These are His Majesty's words. You share the same sentiments as Duessel. You could turn traitor, just as he has. You should feel honored. He could have ordered me to kill you where you stand.

: Th-that's absurd! His Majesty, he... He knows I am trustworthy.

: Then return to the capital and sort it out. Go and ask your beloved master whether I speak the truth.

: I...

: What are you going to do, Selena?

: I will return to the capital. I know better than to trust your word. I will speak with the emperor myself.



Yup. Selena doesn't even get to fire off Bolting once before she's whisked away. It's for the better. Taking her down with this setup would have been extremely difficult.

: Heh heh... Stupid woman. If Grado wins too easily, there'll be no more bloodshed. We must do what we can to extend the fun... I believe it's time for me to return to my darling Eirika. It wouldn't do for Glen to arrive before me, would it? Take care of things here before I return to you. Understood?

: Of course.



And the guy who replaces her, Beran, is the most throwaway of throwaway bosses. The only notable thing about him is that, true to being a Survival boss, he's armed to the teeth. He's even come prepared for Ephraim with that Lancereaver. He's not as tough as Selena, but he's still not going to be easy to deal with.



Now then, back to the fighting. The four fighters charge in our direction, fortunately, meaning that Duessel's bunch doesn't have to worry about them.



It also means that I can have Tana and Vanessa sneak around the enemy lines and come to Duessel's aid. They're just barely out of the bottom boat's range right now.

Also, note this myrmidon's weapon. If we kill him, we get that. Pretty nice...



I'd normally not charge Seth right into the enemy lines, but we're in a hurry.



Cormag's mulling over his job openings right now, so we don't have to worry about him right away. Thank goodness for that.



Meanwhile, for reasons I cannot fathom, almost the entire group of enemies breaks itself on Seth's hide.



The fools...they only made him stronger.



While drawing close, I make sure to stay clear of this Killer Bow archer. However, I've come to the conclusion that the archer doesn't actually move, much like the cavaliers, since he had multiple opportunities to join in the fighting and didn't do it over the course of the chapter.

Also, the only reinforcements we'll get for a while is two mercenaries from the forts there every turn. That's not chicken feed, by any means, but it's still decently simple to manage.



Tana attacks the one nearest to the group.



For minimal success.



Meanwhile, in order to make room for Seth, Garcia takes advantage of the reversed situation. That Lancereaver is ours now.



This opens the space for Seth to swoop in, and our protection job is half done.



After all, we've still got those guys to concern ourselves with. There'll be one running up the ramp next turn.



: I know what I must do. I'm a sworn knight of Grado, and I have a duty to fulfill. Let's start by putting an end to that Frelian army. Move out!

And Cormag's going to be on the move next turn too. This chapter really does not let up.



We'd best not forget to visit the villages while we're in the area.

(If you visit the higher village)

: This area of the ocean is often blanketed in a thick fog. I toiled under it myself for many hard years when I was still sailing. We always made sure we had torches and the like ready... Oh, yes... And there's this. This torch staff shines just as bright as any normal torch. Of course, if nobody you know can use it, it's just so much extra baggage. Will you take it? Oh, go ahead. I'm planning on resting my old bones here for good. My sailing days are done.

And we got a torch staff. A foggy ocean, huh? I'm sure that's not a hint about anything.



Looking back on it, I probably should have just parked Tana or Vanessa in this merc's path and had Seth deal with the pirates, but things are a lot clearer in retrospect.



Besides, it frees up Vanessa to do what she does best.



: What?

: ...This.

: Huh?

: I found it. I can't use it yet. Good-bye.

: Uh...



Good old Marisa.



While moving everyone else in, I mistakenly left a hole open for Lute.



But there's no need to worry. She's a tough girl. She can take a hit or three.



Meanwhile, messing up my strategy with Seth means that Tana has to protect the cavaliers instead. Not the wisest decision.



With Ephraim subbing in for Seth, the big man himself takes a stand against piracy.



Unfortunately, Cormag and his silly friends are now upon us.



Plus a decent-sized detachment in the north, but we won't have to worry about them for a turn or two.



First order of business: recruiting Cormag.



...Why is there no Talk option?



...Ah, crap.



Right, damage control. Neimi critically wounds one of Cormag's buddies so we only have to worry about one wyvern.



Or tries to, at any rate.



Lute shows her how it's done.



And if we're all going to die, Artur might as well get some shopping in first. Not much to see here, just the second-level weapons and magic.



Then a number of fortuitous things occur. First, the near-dead merc runs, instead of suiciding on Lute.



And a replacement immediately fills the void, preventing her from being a prime target for Cormag. The two mercs together wouldn't have killed Lute, but it would have left her weak enough for the boat to take a shot at her.



Neimi dodges a figurative bullet...



And Vanessa dodges a literal one. So many things that could have gone wrong that turn. When you have to hope for the best, it's a sign that your strategy went wrong somewhere.



And wouldn't you know it, but a cavalier who got hit by a hand axe decided to back out of range and heal back the damage too. That's just gravy.



On the wave of this stroke of fortune, we press our advantage.



: I'm sure we can reach an agreement if we just talk.

: You are...?

: My name is Tana. You're from Grado, aren't you? Why are you fighting against General Duessel?

: That's none of your--

: Do you hate him?

: ...Do I hate him? This isn't some petty schoolyard squabble, girl. I'm a soldier of the empire, and I have my orders. I've been sent to punish a traitor, and that's what I aim to do.

: Are you telling me that General Duessel's a traitor? Don't you know him? Do you think that's really true?

: What I think isn't at question. Faith does not dictate my actions. I have my orders.

: Ephraim trusts your General Duessel. He's given him the benefit of the doubt. Have you chosen not to believe the reasons for his actions?

: Get out of my way! I'll waste no more time with this duel of words!

: Wait! Please... Protect General Duessel. It would be tragic if he died before his motives became clear.

: ... Move, please. If you won't get out of the way, I'll have to move you by force.

: Very well. If you must. But in exchange, I'm asking you to believe General Duessel.



: To think I'd lose a fight not to a man's sword but to a woman's words...

: What?

: You win. I will protect General Duessel. But I plan on sorting this whole mess out with the general himself.

: Do you mean that?

: I don't know if this is the right think to do or not. But I think this is what my brother would have done.

And just like that, we have another flier.



One that we send immediately against the boat, demolishing it in two hits. How big are these ships, anyway?



Artur didn't get much love this map, nor did Neimi. They're both so weak right now that you have to go through some serious calisthenics just to give them a fight that they can win. And then they disappoint you anyway.



Not so with Vanessa. She's fairly decent right now.



And with that quality of level, fairly decent is how she'll remain.



Helping Seth with the pirates gives Garcia a bit more strength. To think that this is what we have to work with for axes.



Now that we've taken care of the hard part of the chapter, it's time to begin our assault.



Why...



Oh well, she's continuing to charge up, so it's all good. And we got a Killer Edge out of it. I accidentally left the last one in Eirika's inventory, so Joshua's been having to do without.



The one circumstance in which Luna magicians might have been a threat. Good thing she dodged this time.



: Two incredible trophies. Who could ask for more?

That's all we know about Beran. He uses a bow, so he likes to talk about trophies. Everything else is just, "Yes sir, Mr. Valter, sir." Kind of a boring guy, really.



Can't fault his power though. If I don't get Franz some luck quickly, I won't be able to bring him anywhere near the front lines.



Three turns left, and these guys finally arrive. That's a Seth matter.



Meanwhile, we've got folks to clear out.



I worry about what's going to happen to Lute when and if she caps magic early.



I'd be thankful for more crit, but he'd need to get one more point of skill for that to be sure.



Despite some difficulties, we've now got the Horseslayer too.



And a flaw in my positioning nearly has disastrous results.



Okay, so here's my plan for getting the Secret Book from that boat and killing Beran in the last two turns. First, Cormag is going to go here. If the boat continues to advance, he'll be just close enough to wreck it next turn. He'll probably get shot, but his defense is good enough that he might survive.



Second, Ephraim's going to take advantage of Beran's bow use to sneak in a hit. After that-



Oops.



Yeah, I did not expect that to happen. Hmm...guess I'm not getting the Secret Book.

: Gwaa... Too... strong...

He even dies boringly.



Given how much skill I got this chapter, do I even need that Secret Book?



: You've grown to be quite the impressive commander. I remember what a stubborn young lad you were when I taught you.

: Any skill I have, I owe to you, Duessel. I'm curious, why are you being pursued by your own troops?

: ...

: Speak to me, Duessel. I want to put an end to this war. I'm sure you feel the same way.

: ...As you know, the emperor was once a man of compassion. He loathed war, and he worked to build peace across all nations. Then...one day that all changed.

: ...But why? Why did he change? What happened?

: I wish I knew. But if you're looking for a likely cause, I have one. This all seems to have begun when Prince Lyon and the mages created a strange gemstone they referred to as the Dark Stone.

: The Dark Stone?

They created it?

: That's what the clerics and the prince called it, at any rate. Now, I'm just a soldier. I don't know anything about these magic things. But they said the Dark Stone is more powerful even than the Sacred Stones.

: And the Sacred Stones had the power to defeat the Demon King. If the Dark Stone is stronger than they are...



: What is it, Myrrh?

: The wave of evil I felt surging from the capital... It hungers... It consumes. It envelops and transforms. This power can tarnish the purest of souls with its corruption.

: Are you saying this Dark Stone is responsible for the change in Vigarde? The timing fits, doesn't it? The stone is created, and then-- Duessel, where is the Dark Stone now?

: It's in the capital, with Prince Lyon. He's been carrying it with him ever since the day it was created.

: Understood. Duessel, I'm going to the capital. I must talk to Lyon. Maybe we can restore the emperor together.

: ...I'm going with you.

: But we'll be fighting Grado's army--your own men.

: I appreciate your concern, but I've already been branded a traitor. Prince Ephraim, if you mean to save my lord the emperor... If you hope to restore him to his former self... then I will pledge my loyalty to you until your cause is won.

And for saving all three of Duessel's soldiers, we get:



: Men, I owe each of you an apology. You've served me well, and I have betrayed you.

: You speak nonsense, General! We are your men, no matter what happens! If you must leave Grado to fight with Frelia's men, then our place is at your side. Your road is our road!

: My brave men... Sniff... Bah, I'm getting old. I'm a sentimental old fool.

: We ask to be allowed to join the Frelian army. Prince Ephraim has many soldiers. He doesn’t need us with him. Please, send us older soldiers off to fight with Frelia. And may the gods of war smile upon you, General Duessel.



So many promotion items. Not complaining, mind you. Just the opposite, in fact.



: The Frelian army is readying a ship for us now. We have some time to rest until it's ready to set sail.

: Right. We'll take a break, then. Tell the men. The road ahead is bound or be a rough one.



Especially with these three nuts involved.



: Tell me, are you all waiting to board a ship?

: Er, yes, we are...

: I recommend that you abandon your plans, my friends. The locals are too frightened to set sail upon these seas.

: Is there a storm coming in?

: No, no storm--demons. Some sort of phantom ship commands these seas now.

: A phantom ship?

: Yes. But you needn't worry for long, my friends. I plan on purging the seas of that pesky ghost ship.



: Gwah ha ha! Well said, Princess L’Arachel!

: I, L’Arachel, am destined to become the protector of the seas! Fare thee well, strangers. Come, Dozla, we must find a ship.

: Gwah ha ha! Sounds fun! Come on, Rennac!

: Honestly, L’Arachel, do you even think before you set these plans? Oh, please... Someone end my misery!

: ...What was all that about?

Bear in mind that Ephraim hasn't had the opportunity to meet L'Arachel for the first time. This meeting here is the first time he's seen the trio, so he's understandably weirded out.



: Prince Ephraim, our ship has arrived. Let us prepare to board. ...Something troubling you?

: No... It's nothing. All right. Here we go!

I just hope we don't run into any g-g-ghosts!

Next Time: Not ghosts, per se, but it's Chapter 11: Phantom Ship.

Total Resets: 23

Extra Conversations:

While we neglected to recruit Duessel in all the confusion of last chapter, the encounter would have gone something like this:

: Duessel!

: Is that you, Prince Ephraim?

: Why were those Grado men after you? What's going on? Wait, we can talk later. Let's get you to safety first. Come with us, Duessel.

: ...

: Duessel!

: I am General Duessel, the Obsidian, of the Imperial Three... This name and my service to His Majesty have been my life's blood. As of this moment it is all gone. I've no reason to continue...

: Duessel... Enough of this rubbish! You are my mentor! I will not let you die!

: ...Prince Ephraim.

: I know about the emperor's madness. How will your death serve Grado? Who will it help? What of your country? Its people? Its future!?

: ...

: You will live, Duessel. As a traitor... In disgrace... I know that for a man such as you this is more agonizing than death. But you will live nonetheless. You will live for something more important.

: ...I understand. This old fool's life is yours.

And from there, we could have had Duessel talk to Cormag.

: Is that you, Cormag?

: Sir Duessel... You have abandoned your country and your lord. I must take your life.

: I know. I'm ready now. I have no duty anymore. But you, Cormag. You're a soldier of the empire. Follow your orders and fulfill your mission. I'm ready.

: ...

: Cormag!

: To be honest, I'm confused. Must you truly die? Is your crime really deserving of death? I know my brother could have settled this, but... I've come here to stop you, and yet I find that I cannot.

: ...

: You see, I couldn't believe you would ever truly turn traitor. And now I stand here, looking at you, Duessel of the Imperial Three. And you do not have the eyes of a traitor.

: ...

: No. I cannot turn my lance on you, the empire's faithful son. General Duessel... Until this matter is sorted, you travel under my protection.

: Cormag... Forgive me...

And of course, we could have just held on for the full ten turns. In that case:

: Grrr... They're held on for too long. If this continues, General Valter will have me-- ...Prepare a ship. We must flee. Quickly!

: B-but General Valter... He'll be so angry...

: We're doomed either way. General Valter will never forgive our failure here... And if we stay, we'll be devoured like those other fools... Our best bet is to give up and escape with our lives.

: Commander Beran! Wait!

: Prince Ephraim. The remaining enemy troops have fled.

: I see. And what of Duessel? Is he unharmed?

: Yes. This way.

Beran would go on to become a mercenary, traveling the world and lending his sword and bow to many conflicts. His generic manner would leave people lethargic in his presence, and few tales speak of him, because they cannot remember his name. Eventually, he would marry and have three unremarkable children, who would carry on his legacy of generic archery.