Part 23: Episode XIX: I’ll Beetle You

Music: Shrouded Fate



You weren’t brought here after we left the village, were you?
Oh, dear! I’m so sorry for leaving you alone... You must have been so frightened... Are you all right? You’re not hurt, are you?
You saved... everyone...
I don’t know about “everyone”... Are there more people in here?
Were there only... like three people in your village?
......
What’s wrong, kid?
*looks down* There are more people further inside. Please help them...
Where should we go? *approaches the boy*
Oh for f—
Stay away from that boy!



What are you talking about? Come on, we need to hurry up and save the others! What’s the matter, Endir? You’re acting strange...
Is something bothering you?
Are you people for real right now?
Something’s not right.
Not right...? When Endir says things like that, he’s usually spot on...
Well, other than when he insisted I was a gremlin. Repeatedly. For several days.
Tch. You had to take a compliment and mangle it before you finished speaking, huh?
...You of all people are honestly not playing that card.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this...
Endir... Whatever’s the matter?
Do I really have to spell this out?
*quizzical stare*
Fiiiiine... I’ll break it down here. Yo, weird kid.
Why weren’t you captured, too?
*shakes head* I was just lucky...
Yeah, I’m sure that’s all there is to it. He’s only a li’l kid... The monsters could easily have overlooked him. What is it you’re suspicious of, Endir? I mean... what exactly is it you’re suggestin’ about this kid?
Oh c’mon, really? You’re being this dense too? Setsuna and Kir I can see. And I think Aeterna is just high or something with how spaced out she has been.
What?! I’m no—
But you ought to have seen this kind of garbage before... Village is empty, save one random villager who points us towards a monster lair. Now that same villager is suddenly at the very back of the monster lair he sent us to acting all weird? Really? Nothing? It’s literally just two dots to connect.
He’s a monster.



Monsterboysayswhat?
What?
Aha!
......
Endir, was it...? You sure are sharp... I can’t believe you saw through this form...
Ain’t my first adventuring rodeo. C’mon. The jig is up. Turn into a giant bipedal teethed vagina or whatever you’re gonna do, Yakra.



You don’t mean... You really are...
Sorry...





And thus Skinny Boy transmogrifies into the feared Man-Dung Beetle. Sure... why not?



This can’t be... How is it possible for a monster like this to exist...?
Have you not been paying attention to the whole “hmm monsters are getting smart that’s weird” thread we’ve been hitting the last handful of areas? You’re actually surprised there are gonna be some that can actually talk?
I’m more surprised about the human transformation part.
Don’t those wolf-woman monsters we fought before supposedly do that too?
...Ehh. I’m pretty sure that’s just a bunch of nonsense for lonely men that are attacked by them to save face.
That’s fair. Whatever. Let’s beat its ass.


Music: Relentless Advance



Time to take on the Carboceros Beetle. This is actually the end of chapter boss. This is a real short one. As you can see, Beetle Boy has a rather small pool of HP compared to the last few bosses (or hell Spritnite-Eaten Monsters) we’ve run up against. It’s actually a pretty easy fight.



Its primary attack is Sticky Thread, which potentially locks down Momentum buffs and causes Paralysis. It doesn’t cause any actual damage, it’s just a big fat nuisance more than anything.



To compliment the sticky white stuff shooting out of the beetle boy, it also has Poison Needle which... just looks like it’s blasting a dank fart all over one of our party members. This can potentially inflict Sap and Momentum Lock or lock down Techs as well. As a side note, man the name Sap for the poison status is a dumb decision. Especially when almost literally every enemy that can inflict it just uses an attack that says Poison <Needle/Strike/Dickslap>.

Sap... honestly...



The only particularly bothersome offensive attack we have to worry about is Tackle, which will strike everything in a line from Carboceros Beetle’s position. This does 80-100 HP of damage, but most of the time the Big Bad Beetleborg is more concerned with creaming and shitting all over our party than going on the attack.





Carboceros Beetle has pretty good defense against the usual Paralysis/Stun inflicting attacks like Blunt Blow or Blowbeat and it doesn’t help that we’ve probably got any combo attacks nerfed by Momentum Locks or outright Tech disabling. But heavy hitting singular techs like Aeterna’s Dreamshatter or Flawless Blow, Nidr’s Aerial Strike or Blunt Blow, or Endir’s Cyclone can all do the job well enough hitting around the ballpark of 100 HP of damage.

I said that casters are usually a liability in major fights, but that’s extremely true here. Boomer Kuwanger is extremely resistant to magic, particularly Fire magic. Nice of ‘em to give us Fire II just a short jog before we fought a boss that is nearly immune to fire elemental attacks. Good design.



Setsuna chimes in mid-battle about how she doesn’t want to continue being the shit out of boy beetle. Hey, maybe if you participated in battle, or had any remote use here even if you did, you’d get a say in this matter. But you don’t on either point, so stuff it!





Upon its defeat, the Carboceros Beetle curls up in a ball and starts mumbling something about its mother. Little late for that, chief.





We get a meager reward for taking out this rather unimpressive dungeon end boss. Oh well, we’ve got more than enough of a payday already stashed from our trek across the mountains earlier. I hope the Magic Consortium stalker catches up soon.


New Music: Loss (This technically plays during the opening credits, but I just linked that as a video. It’s one of the main music themes. You should probably listen to it.)



*limps towards door* We need to escape... quickly...
*limps further* Wait there, Mama... I’ll save you...

Beetle Boy hurriedly limps into the back of the cave...



Follow him.
Yeah, looks like we better... If we let him get away and then the villagers get captured again, this will all’ve been a waste of time!
I’ve made my stance on not giving the slightest damn about that known. That beetle dude sprayed sticky white stuff all over me and farted on you and Aeterna. It’s just a matter of principle that we wax that thing now...
*sniffs self and cringes* Agreed...
*nods* All right... We better hurry, then. We don’t want him getting away.



So we gather our party and venture forth to the back of the cave, where we find...



...the beetle has turned back into a boy and he’s hanging out with a gigantic frozen monster corpse. Well, this is going to be happy times.



What the... You don’t mean this is his mother...
But this is a corpse... and one that’s been dead for a while.
Does he not understand that she’s dead...?
I see... I guess he thought that if he brought her humans, she’d recover... That’s why he kidnapped the whole damn village...
*turns to Endir* Endir... Can I try speaking to him?
I wouldn’t if I were you.
Please, Endir... If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility. It didn’t seem like the villagers came to any harm...
Maybe no physical harm. But being magically sedated and cocooned by monsters, waiting to be eaten alive for who knows how long...? Way to pretend mental harm is not a factor here, Setsuna. Deplorable.
Perhaps... but...
This boy is different from the other monsters... I’m sure of it.
Yeah... you know what... you do you... I’m pulling an Aeterna and mentally checking out for this one.
*glares*
Tap me on the shoulder if I need to chop it in half or something. Man... I wish I brought a sandwich.

Setsuna approaches the boy...



Your mama is dead...
*nods* I know that... That’s why I brought her food... To try and make her better again...
*shakes head* No, that’s not what death is.
...Huh?
*turns to corpse* When living things die, time stops for them. They can’t talk to you anymore... They can’t do anything anymore...
Well, normally they do begin to smell terribly, but we don’t need to explore that...
What...? What are you talking about?
*shakes head* I don’t get it... I DON’T GET IT!! Mama was fine until that man attacked her! If only he never came, she woulda been fine!
Who’s “that man”?
I know I said I was checked out, but I’m not doing a vague “that man” character here. That’s always incredibly stupid. I need a name or description, kid.
The man who came! He attacked us out of nowhere... Mama tried to protect me... and... and... It’s all his fault... That man... He was so terrifying... with his huge scythe...



Oh dammit. Not that loser! Ugh. That guy is the WORST.
Say... what happened to him in the last fight?
*shrug* I dunno.
I lost track of him after the engine exploded.
Same here.
I was busy getting shards of magic stone embedded in my chest.
Maybe he got vaporized?
As funny as it would be if that goth idiot got vaporized and nobody noticed until like a week later, sadly I doubt that’ll be the case.
So he’s not only attacking us, he’s attacking monsters, too?
Why am I not surprised Reaper is team killing.


Music: Path of Redemption



*looks at corpse* But... Mama is...
You know, my mom died when I was little, too... So I know how it feels. I know exactly how it feels...
*side-eyes decaying corpse* I mean... this is a bit worse. But the feeling is still there.
......
In fact, I even envy you...
Envy me? Why?
Well, I don’t really remember my mom...
Really? I remember Mama...
*points to corpse* See. It’s her!
Yes, but... Hmm... I mean you remember her when she was still alive and moving, before she died, you see...
Yes, that’s why I envy you. You have all those memories together with her inside of you.
Memories...?
*nods* That’s right. You’ll always have those memories, and she’ll always be there... As long as you live...
As long as I... live...
*stands up and turns to corpse* So live on... That way, you’ll never lose those memories, and your mama will always be with you.
......
*turns to corpse* Mama... I...
*turns to boy* Come on... Come with me. Let’s leave this cave, together.
*nods*
*vanish into Cleft Between Cutscenes*



Alright, that’s a wrap on our time exploring this second ice cavern of the game. Let’s just backtrack out (utilizing the helpful cliff drops that let us bypass 3/4ths of the dungeon on the way out.) Until we reach the entrance where...




New Music: March to Rebirth



Who are you?
You’re way too overdressed to just be named "Female Knight"...
What impudence! When asking someone’s name, etiquette dictates that one must first state one’s own! However... in light of your having captured the monster, I shall overlook this indignity.
Wait... you’ve got a character portrait...? Don’t tell me you’re...
My name is...



Spoilers: Meet our final proper future party member.



...Why are you facing the other direction to tell us this?



Head of the knighthood...? That villager did mention something about that, didn’t he...
That was an enthusiastic lady.
No, I mean the one with the researcher hat.
Oh... right.
*frustrated sigh* This is why humans have proper names!
Then I need explain no further. Come, hand over the monster!
Please, wait! I know this boy kidnapped the villagers... But he isn’t an evil monster by any means... We can understand each other... All you need to do is talk to him...
*shakes head* What absurdity... Whether he is evil or virtuous is not the issue!
Kidnapping is still a hanging offense in this village. There is nothing to talk about.

Julienne draws her sword... lance...?



Wait! Please!
He doesn’t pose any threat.
He only has three digits worth of HP. A lucky shot to the nuts by one of those snowball squirrels would take him out completely.
Once it has inflicted harm, it shall already be too late... You understand this, I am sure. If the creature is vanquished now, needless damage can be avoided.
*yells* You’re... you’re working together with that man, aren’t you? I’m right, aren’t I!? You can’t fool me!
Hey, sweetie. Calm down before you accidentally turn back int—



...Well, I tried.



Finally you reveal your true form! Now that you have bared your fangs, I shall consider you a foe... and to my foes, I show no mercy!
No! Stop it!
Setsuna! Watch out!
Oh for f—do I have to do EVERYTHING?!

Endir runs up and prepares to draw on Julienne...



I wouldn’t do that if I were you.
So you dare oppose me, masked man!
Lady, Setsuna is with me until she dies. ...Long story. Point is, I will cutscene end you right here and now, character portrait or not.
Very well. Then I shall bring death unto you!





You will have an eternity to regret your foolishness in the afterlife... You shall rue the day that you ever laid hands on my people!
Maybe if you were doing your goddamn job we wouldn’t be here in the first place.

You know nothing of the knighthood.
Tch. Who the hell calls it a “knighthood”?! Just say “knights” like everyone else, ya backwards bitch!





No, I die at the end of my journey.
Our lives aren’t all the same... Some are shorter, some are longer... But one person’s will to live is just as valuable as another’s!
Setsuna...
Ludicrous! The monster must be killed.
It is a monster. It is in the very definition. A large, ugly, dangerous creature.
If left alive, it shall only pose a threat to the lives of my people. The seeds of disaster must be cut down the moment they begin to sprout!
This boy has lived in this cavern without disturbing your community up until now for at least a decade.
We... had been scouting the area. The monsters have grown cunning.
This cave is a five minute walk from the village. But that’s beside the point...
Sometimes you can solve things by talking...
*turns to Beetle Boy* That’s why I won’t let you harm this boy.
*sweats* Thanks...



Carboceros Beetle Child is fuckin’ OUT!



But placing trust into the likes of monsters will only lead to regret! Humans and monsters cannot coexist... They are incompatible beings.
That’s sounds a *little* racist...
Mhm.
A bit.
...You called me a gremlin for days.
......

Julienne puts away her lance...



My fervor has suddenly diminished. It seems that my people are in your debt... I must thank you. If there is anything I can do to help you, I shall do it.
Moody.
I beg your pardon?!
Nothin’
We need to cross the ice.
I see. A somewhat troublesome task indeed... Each year there are those who try to cross it, ignorant to its perils, and lose their lives.
*rubs neck* You don’t say...?
Very well. I shall assist you. In any case, preparations must be made. First, return to my village, Royburg, and rest yourselves.



And that concludes Chapter 6: The Village of Knights. Which featured a village devoid of knights... Sure. Tune in next time when the saga of... Royburg... continues.







Julienne Official Art – Well, she could definitely use a tailor to patch up her outfit. And maybe a good night's sleep... But it’s weird to see a female knight who is mostly armored up like a knight.