Part 16: Infiltration

Part 14: Infiltration


(West leads to the ruins which are full of magic, so that's why the reading is so high. The mercenaries must be in the south.)


: I see. Thank you very much.
: They don't seem to have infiltrated the city.
: Yes...but I'm certain they went toward the south. Perhaps they're heading from the capital, detouring around Starkberg to Schwarzfals?
: The device says they're around here, but we just can't tell exactly where.


: Huh?
Citizen 2: Yes, it's definitely you! What's happened to you? We haven't seen you at any of the social functions.
: Yes, it has been some time. I've been very busy. My career as a soldier in Burnstein's army has consumed all my time.
Citizen 2: Oh my! You've become a soldier? Isn't that unbecoming of a lady? Aren't you frightened?
Citizen: No, silly! She joined the armor to be near all the eligible men! Isn't that right, Charlone?
: N...no! That's not it at all! I joined to keep a promise to my little brother...so he could get better!
Citizen 2: Well, it's a shame because this man here is as fine as specimen as I've ever seen.
Citizen: I wouldn't mind having a go at him myself. Don't forget to invite him to the next social function, Charlone. Ta-ta!
: Um...Sorry about that, Captain.


: They were just acquaintances of mine that I met at all the social functions my father arranged.
: It's not a side of you that I can easily imagine. Tea parties, social functions...they don't seem like you. But then again, I've only known you since you became a soldier.
: Well, I can live in both worlds. I fact, I'll show you! I'd be honored if you'd attend the next social tea with me, Captain.
: I'd be honored to be your guest! But there'll be time to arrange that later...we should get back to the task at hand.
: Right.


(This is the upgraded version of the Lv5 Muscular Growth that's on Hans right now. Sure, to use this I have to take off his Lv8 Hyper Attack, but the extra STR boost will help.)




(The guy ran off and dropped this very nice gem. This is the highest leveled gem that speeds up Aria chant time, meaning that magic is charged faster.)



: This is probably their command post. We must proceed cautiously.
: There doesn't seem to be a safe way to do this. I believe we simply need to rush the main gate.
: The element of surprise may work...but the more likely outcome is that it will get us killed!
: I believe that stealth will give us a better chance of surprising Wolfgang.
: Yes, engaging them all will give him time to escape. We need to be selective.
: If only we could disrupt their activity temporarily...
: You mean, like they did to us by turning Burnstein against Rolandia?
: Exactly. When they invaded our kingdoms covertly and caused distrust, it kept us occupied for weeks! If we can infiltrate their ranks here and cause confusing, I believe we can overtake them all.


: Just doing my job.
: That sounds like the best plan of action. I'll infiltrate their ranks and disrupt their communications and command order while you sneak in.
: No! You're not trained to do that, it's too dangerous!
: Someone has to go, and I'm willing.
: We can try to make his job easier by attracting attention away from him.
: How?
: By drawing the guards out and keeping them busy. In the meantime, Wein can infiltrate their hideout. Once he's in, we'll retreat.



: Good plan. I'll do my best to mix things up once I'm inside. Afterwards, we'll rendezvous in the Lost Forest.
: We'll see you soon.



Dailymotion | Viddler



Squad Leader: It's an ambush! Send up the signal flares!
: (Oh, no! They're sending up signal flares to summon reinforcements!)

(This is one of the few battles where you can't kill everything in sight. The goal is to get Wein over to that invasion point without being seen, and then have the party escape. This is why I line them up at the edge of the map before anything else so when the escape condition is available, they automatically run. The archers and mage will never move, so that's why they're taken out. When the others are far enough out, Wein jumps the fence and runs away.
And no, you can't use the Invisibility spell here. The enemies will notice Wein casting it and you'll get a game over.)



Squad Leader: We've turned back the attackers. Return alert status to normal.




: (...unfortunately it's built out of stone, so I can't use fire arrows to burn it down from a distance. I'll have to force my way in and set a fire. In order to cause enough confusion, I better set a fire in at least two areas. I'm going to have to do this quickly and quietly.)


Dailymotion | Gamevee
(Welcome to my least favorite mission in the game! If you fail, you get to do Diversion again, too! Mission Complete is to set fires to all four rooms and then either escape or kill all the enemies.
For such a short mission, it's really annoying. It's impossible without Invisibility to be completely unseen, and even that wears off. Though, the enemies might also detect Wein's chanting or casting and notice him, but not be able to hit him with anything until he's visible, but I'm not 100% on this. I do plan to test it when I do this mission on my other file.
Anyway, speed is key here. Stopping to charge Cure will make you lose more HP than you'd gain back. Unless you have an Uber Wein, I wouldn't think of defeating every enemy. It's much easier to escape, and with Dash and Lv6 Quickness, Wein zooms around like crazy.
We also get some nice items from setting the fires: Lv8 All Attrib Def, Lv9 Double Rings, 25000 Elm, Lv7 Teriaka)




Supply Commander: So, he's running away, eh? After him!



Karl: Here...take this and go, Riviera. We can't let them lay their hands on it, regardless of the cost! Go...now!
: Are you ordering me to abandon you?! No! I won't do it!
Karl: I'm not ordering you to abandon me. We have to split up. It's our best chance to lose them. Haha! Do you think I'm going to die on you? Once I shake them, I'll meet up with you...simple as that.
: Are you sure?
Karl: Have I ever been wrong? Once this is all done, we can meet up with Olivia, okay? But there's no time to talk more now. GO!


Karl: Take care of Olivia...


Olivia: Riviera...we can't wait any longer...Riviera...
: But he promised...Karl promised that he would rejoin us...
Olivia: Riviera...we have to go.
: But Olivia, aren't you sad? The man you love isn't coming back!
Olivia: Riviera, you and I both know the risks of our work. I am heartbroken, but not unprepared for this eventuality. But I don't intend on becoming a casualty myself. Come! We have to depart before we are caught, too!
: Olivia...where does your strength come from?


: Riviera? Can't sleep, eh?
: No.
: Worry serves no end but to destroy purpose. He will come back.
: I...I can't help but to worry about friends.
: Mmm...friends...
: I bet he's never even considered the feelings of those that wait on him, not knowing if he's dead or alive. I've tried to keep him at a distance...to protect myself, but...
: Protect yourself?
: Isn't it better to receive bad news regarding a stranger than of a friend?
: Indeed it is.
: This is a difficult profession, and...well...I decided not to allow myself to get involved too deeply with acquaintances...it's just too much to bear. If we were fighting with him at our side in the bloodiest of battles, it would still be easier than this.
: Waiting is hard...
: Yes! Haven't you ever been distressed waiting for a good friend to return from battle?
: I'm usually the one my friends are waiting on.



: ...


: I'm up because I can't sleep!
: Then sit down and at least relax a little.
: Ohhhh...I can't...I'm just too nervous.
: Yes, I see that.


: No...
: Are you upset because you're worried about a friend, or...is it more than that?
: I...I... ...
: I see...
: No...
: It's not like Wein to be late like this. Considering the distance he needed to travel and his task, he should have been her yesterday noon. This smells like trouble to me...
: ...


: What kept you?! You're very, very late!
: I know. The enemy pursuit was intense, and I didn't want to lead them here. It took me until now to lose them.
: We're just glad you're all right...



(The mercenaries here all praise Wolfgang until they're told that some soldiers from Burnstein have invaded. They suit up in their Neural Armor and leave)



(Talking to the man, and then the woman, gives you a Lv7 Miracle Trainee gem. This gem lowers the users' level by 10 at the start of battle, but doesn't drop your stats. Lower level = less exp to level up = more level up bonuses = higher stats. We give this to Hans, of course.)



: The Rolandia-Burnstein allied army is advancing from the north, so they're probably moving to engage them.
: Yeah, they're running out of troops, so this is probably a desperate effort to turn the tide.
: We must capitalize on it.



: What the hell is so important that you come banging in here like a stuttering fool?! Spill it!
Mercenary: They're here! The...the squad from Burnstein is right outside our base!
: So, they're come to play a game of chicken, eh?


: Fair...or circus? You and I both know it's do or die for me. Surrender will only make it easy on you. Your king wants me dead.
Mercenary: Boss! Escape! We'll cover you!
: What the hell are you blabbering about, idiot? We're only days away from accomplishing our goal of a new sovereign kingdom for us all. This is just an inconvenience.
Mercenary: We fight, then.
: I suspected as much. They're not going to back down. Stand ready.



: Bigger, Stronger, Better than before, and you get the honor of being the first to fall before it.
: How will we defeat that...that...thing?!
: Simple--you won't. Now that I have committed myself full to winning this war, I will not allow for defeat! Our time is now! Your presence is merely a trivial detail to be dealt with before our ultimate victory. Keep them busy while I charge the cannon.
Armored Soldier: Yes, sir!


Dailymotion Part 1 Part 2 | Viddler likes to give encoding errors

(Mission Complete is to defeat every enemy and all three parts of the giant armor. This is the only boss with multiple parts in the game, and this is mission is as long and tedious as Black Reign was. Wolfgang has a beam that goes straight down the hallway poisoning everyone. Thankfully, Refine is a cheap spell, even if it takes a while to cast. Also thankfully, the small armors are weak to Thunder and Thunder Storm. Overall, it's just another mission where you have to kill everything.
When Wein gets close to Wolfgang and you've talked to the injured man at the Schwarzfals inn all three times, you get this conversation)



: After he abandoned me, I swore I would get him back some day.
: The father I knew was a great man.
: So you already knew we were half-brothers, eh?
: Yes, but that still doesn't answer the question. Why did you do it?
: While you grew up, cherished by the father I never knew, I was cursed to fight for my life on a battlefield. I don't blame you, brother. I blame him. I blame his cowardice. I blame his fear...If he had just been the man he should have been...
: But he wasn't...so you killed him.
: You have every right to despise me.
: I really don't know how to feel, except sad for the loss of a father, and now, a brother.




: How can the son of a coward have grown so strong...?
: It's over, Wolfgang. Come quietly and I won't have to do anything you'll regret.
: Regret? Regret? Heh, heh, heh...I am consumed by...regret, and my...end is near. I have only...one favor to ask of...of you.
: What?
: Tell the world...I am the leader of this rebellion. It was my plan, the others were just following my lead. Do not punish them for my folly. These are good men that followed me. Leave the blame with me, and treat them leniently.
: Wolfgang, I...I...I'll tell King Eliotte.
: I...I'm counting on you...


(The boy refers to the armor guy we sent to Starkberg a while back.
Glad that mission is over. Doesn't seem like there's much left for Wein and crew to do, so maybe we'll get a little break when we get back to the capital?)

Next update: A date, and then...

Current Relationship Status
Everyone: As happy as they can be.