Part 67: Episode LXVII: Margarete's Confession

Episode LXVII: Margarete's Confession


Music: But-Dad-Dead-Bed



We never have to talk to Meiyuan again for any plot-relevant reasons. Shame about the literally everything else in that last session. Anyway, we do have one more article of interest before we depart from Rouen forever.



The only points in all of France that ever have anything going on in the Shadow Hearts universe is that nameless hotel and this church across the street. Thankfully, thanks to the multiple break-ins the party has committed to the back door, the church caretakers have just given up on locking the place down and we're free to waltz right in. If we have Margarete in our active party, which we do, we're immediately greeted with...

Zhuzhen (or whoever else we took as the third wheel) walks up to the church altar with Margarete and Yuri following close behind.



I don't know if that's entirely accurate.
Yah. What about like creepy cults worshipping weird tentacle face giant green dudes or guys out the in desert praising the sun or junk?
<sigh> I'm not getting into a theology debate with you numbskulls.
Maybe I'll chant a few nembutsus myself.
<nods and starts praying>
<turns to Yuri> Hey sonny boy. Mind if we talk? Over there.


Margarete and Yuri shuffle into the confessional back room.



Go in there, like that other time. I know all about it. Right, Father Yuri?

Don't worry, I don't need any marriage advice.
Oh... that...
You have some weird hobbies, sonny boy.
...How'd you find out about that?
Did you forget the part where I was literally a spy for my day job?
Yeah... kinda...

<rubs neck> Does anyone else know about that... whole thing?
Of course not. What kinda spy would I be if I spilled EVERYONE's secrets?
OK.
Don't worry, sonny boy. I won't tell anyone you and Alice were getting all lovey-dovey either.
......
<motions to confessional> Hurry up!

Yuri enters the confessional.



?
Umm...


Click here for video! (It's Margarete's only voice acted scene.)


Music: Trip or Treat



Father, would you listen to me for just a few minutes?



The world today seems to be heading toward disaster. No. No... I’m not talking about Albert. The countries known as "The Powers" are pouring massive sums of
money into building up their militaries, like children vying for the biggest collection of toys. Hmph...



And you know, at first I thought I would just use Yuri and the others. I thought I could use their remarkable powers to benefit our nation. Yes... just like the Japanese army was trying to do.



But the more I watched that... reckless Yuri in action, the more ashamed I started to feel. I mean, Yuri really isn’t thinking about anything. He’s not thinking of a
national interest or of politics or of money or of... anything he has to gain or lose.



He just sees that girl... And he sees all the forces lined up against her and so... he protects her, nothing more. Just like some comic book hero, you know? But I’m a little jealous... I mean, the really important things in life aren’t about profit and gain, right?



I think... maybe I’ll start searching for those things too. The truth is, I’d really like to search for them together with him, but… Oh, forget I said that! Thanks for listening to all my silly talk!


Music: But-Dad-Dead-Bed



It makes me so excited...
Did I jump the gun going with Alice...? Shoot.
All better now! Here, this is for you.

A tiny box was slid into the small window.

Bye-bye now!




Yeah, not sure you needed to get that intent to use Yuri and his collection of arcane weirdoes for your own ends off your chest when you acted on it literally ZERO times, Margarete. You're the least backstabby spy character I can think of, to be honest. But you do you, lady. For listening to Margarete's confession we receive an accessory that halves Water elemental damage. Well, I suppose if we ever encounter another major Water elemental enemy in the game we'll have to slip that on someone. Checking notes here, other than a few nasty random battle enemies in bonus dungeons... we don't actually face any significant Water elemental threats. Oh well, it's the thought that counts.

Yuri and Margarete return to the central room of the church.



<big shit-eating grin> Oh, don't worry about it. We just had a friendly chat in a small, dark room.
<points to Yuri> Hey, what's the matter? Your face is red.
<shakes head>It's n-nothing!
Ahha ha ha...
<looks at Margarete>
So... that's it? Let's go already!!
I've had enough of Sunday school.
How do you know what Sunday school is? You weren't familiar with one of the largest religions in the world a month ago.
Alice taught me about it.
<laughs> Yeah, I bet she did! Private session and everything.

Am I missing something...?
Yeah! I gotta pee! BYE!



Yuri is OUT!




That boy ain't right...
He's fine.

Zhuzhen runs out after Yuri.



<laughs> Ha! Oh well!



Now that all that mess in the church has concluded and we've seen Margarete's confession, there is one final point of interest before we leave Rouen forever. Remember this guy in the alley -- Hook-nose Robin/Lottery Member No. 06? Well if we talk to him now...



I told you last time, guy. I'm not big on noses.
...Can I touch it? O-of course not... like! He... hehehehe.
Yeah... I VERY MUCH did not ask to touch the fake nose of some weirdo in a back alley. Gonna go now, champ...
Hehe... like not so fast!
<becomes Lottery Member No. 02> Tee hee hee! Like, you got a Lottery Ticket...? You, like, wanna play?
How are you, like, two Lottery Member ranks?
I like dunno... I like don't make the rules. Hee hee. So you like wanna play?
Sure, I'll, like, play.



There's a new Lottery Wheel available with a fresh suite of prizes. It's a very fast wheel with mostly tiny Hit Areas. There's nothing special beyond that. We've seen most of the items available here. But the Yellow prize is unique. We can blow a Lottery Ticket on one of those to take a gander.



I didn't know Caesars had their bones ground into playing dice. That's a historical fact that eluded me. As for this item, this is a consumable item (that can only be used in battle) which has a chance of tripling the strength of one to three allies (aka the whole active party.) It also has a chance to just completely fail to do anything. We will never use item. I feel like a full two-thirds of the consumable item inventory in Shadow Hearts is shit nobody would ever use unless out of curiosity.



Anyway, we can grab any of the bottom three prizes in this Lottery. But what we actually want is the 10 Gauge. Obtaining that results in one final scene in Rouen.



Tee hee hee! I'm, like, giving you a prize. <hands Yuri the 10 Gauge>
...

Fake-nose Man starts walking away as Margarete wanders over.



Glad to see you're doing so well, Margarete...



He's... your father...? He has a fake nose on...
Like a really bad fake nose. And he kept asking if I want to feel it up...
Yeah, he does that...
<turns to Yuri> Cute, isn't he? Thinks he's in disguise wearing that thing.
<shakes head disapprovingly>
Is he... a spy too?
Oh God no! He's in accounting. He just likes to pretend he's part of my spy network.
...
...Maybe I should think about shuffling the party again.
<turns down the alley> ...Thanks, Dad.



Our prize to trigger that scene was the 10 Gauge -- the ultimate weapon for Margarete. It's a sawed-off barrel Winchester Model 1887 aka that sick swing-cock shotgun from Terminator 2. This weapon provides +79 Physical and +75 Special Attack and solidifies Margarete as the second strongest physical fighter via the power of Gun. In any event, that concludes any reason we have to visit Rouen, France. Tune in next time as our Apocalypse Tour of Europe takes us back to Prague for Alice Elliot to play with some dolls as Shadow Hearts continues!






Video: Margarete's Confession (You should probably watch this. It's 95% of Margarete's spoken dialog. Just ignore the part where's it's clearly Alice's VA just not doing a British accent.)