Part 30: Sidetracked (VIII) - Knights can't do anything right

Objective: Meet with the Commander and Vice-Commander of the Knights of Razril.

Oh boy, those jokers again. Is anyone honestly surprised they need our help? Anyone?

...



Anyway, let's get the party started. Like I said before, SP costs vary between characters...



...and skills, and it's very obvious looking at these two. Nalleo needs 2400 SP (a ludicrous amount) to get Battle Lust up to B rank, while Kika needs 1530 to get it up to A rank (once we unlock that).



On with the mission, then. I think this is the last battle we'll have at El-Eal, which I'm not going to complain about because I'm getting pretty tired of it.



Sadly, we're not exactly going out with a bang, because it's one of those missions.



Lookin' good. I'm in a bit of a hurry (wouldn't want Katarina to die or anything... I guess) so we'll just go right at it.



And guess who our opponents are?







Lazlo can't RoP these guys before they move, but that's okay. He can do other things.





I guess it runs in the family.



Oh, you're going to talk.

This will not be permitted!

well I guess

they did pay me to drag your arses out of the fire, so...



I like this guy slightly more.



Maybe you should take a look at the reason it pays so well.

Hint: it's me.

You'll tarnish our name no more!

(I like how she's implying they had a name to tarnish after all the shit that went down in IV)

Ready, Keneth? Their days are numbered!

So she says.



Keneth decides not to be a suicidal idiot and runs away from the enemies instead.



The first level Shrike tech is identical to the first level Lion tech, but Mizuki is too weak to kill dudes with it either way.



Katarina runs after Keneth. Maybe she found a brain somewhere and started using it.



...I forgot to put armour on Rita. Oh well, at least the enemy went after her instead of the idiot NPCs who'll lose the game for us if they get killed.



Rita is a bit behind, but still good enough to one-shot the bandit, and she gets the first level of the map for it.



Axel does useless things.



Katarina tries to be clever and casts a fire spell at the red merc, who proceeds to regenerate most of the damage from the nice new fire terrain she created under him.



Also, it puts her within range of the bandits.



God fucking damn it Katarina.



At least the NPCs have decently high levels so tossing meds at them gives a lot of EXP.



Of course, killing people works too.



Snowe decides to show off the armoured kangacorn.




Photographic evidence that the RNG can work in your favour, too!



And that armour seems to be working quite well.



Mizuki juggles some water beads. Low level + doing support stuff = profit.



Rita and Axel head down here because of reasons.



Flare is doing quite well for herself.



Suddenly, reinforcements! I was waiting for you dickbags.



But don't mind them right now. It's time to show off Double Sword Attack!



As always, it is goddamn awesome.



Oh, that damage wasn't enough? How about we have it turn the terrain wind elemental so in the case something survives, Lazlo and Kika can beat on them even harder? Perfect! Make it so.



Rita hammers a dude and doesn't kill him.



Snowe medicates Katarina and doesn't kill her, either.



Axel finishes the enemy Rita failed to kill...



...fuck you Axel.



We don't have Wendel around to smack the elf this time, so the merc manages to throw a Breath of Ice at us. It is... moderately painful. Still, she only had one of those, so now she's harmless.



Of course all the bandits are picking on the stupid NPCs. I want to punch them myself, but I'm not allowed.



Lazlo takes out the red merc, who was very pointless up on that ledge.



Yes, you certainly did! Those numbers, man.



Nalleo axes a dude...



uh



Well, anyway, he levels up.



Katarina doesn't help.



The merc can't hurt us, but the second level spell from the water rune is a full heal.

Sigh.



Rita and Axel take out the last generic, and Axel somehow manages to get speed. Gasp.



The only thing remaining is a bunch of running back and forth hitting the merc and then watching her heal up. However she won't get to use that last spell...



...because Lazlo.



wait

fuck



goddammit



That's the sad thing about being an optional bonus character. People don't acknowledge your existence.

Oh, sorry, I should thank you first. I am Katarina, Commander of the Knights of Razril.
Thank you very much. We owe much of our victory to you.

Try all of it, bitch.

I'm Kyril. I've heard a lot of rumors going around about you guys.

"Something about how you put the hero of the island nations on a raft in the middle of the ocean like a bunch of retarded people."

You must mean the lies about us pretending to protect people, only to rob them...

Mm-hmm. We believed them at first, but we eventually realized that they must be imposters.

"I mean, they were actually succeeding at this. No way real knights would be able to pull that off."

(Also this is kind of weird because we did the previous quest, so... why would we have believed the rumours to begin with?)

They won't be doing that anymore...
Well, Keneth, I guess our work's done here.

Shall we join up with them now?



Hey, no one told me anything about that. I don't know if I want any rumoured bandits hanging around my group of badass pirates and former heroes.

You see, King Lino En Kuldes of Obel has requested we lend you our support.

...damn it Lino, couldn't you have sent more awesome people instead?

We planned to join you as soon as we finished dealing with the imposters.

So not at all because you were going to fail miserably at dealing with those guys.

Oh, really? We could definitely use your help.

Well, in that case, let us proceed together.

Sorry... I haven't introduced myself. I'm Vice-Commander Keneth. Nice to meet you.

Likewise!

And we're done.

Katarina is... supposedly the caster who's tied with Pablo for worst MAG, but she's got 24 naturally at level 16, which is just two points behind Maxine at level 15, so she's looking pretty good for the moment. It might not be getting all that much better as she levels up, though. She has extra move, so she's technically a Good Mage, but Maxine is probably the better fire mage.

Keneth is a lightning elemental 1H swordsman with pretty decent stats. He gets Extra Move but has 5 MOV and no Godspeed. Nothing much to say here.



We get 5000 Potch and 1000 SP for this.



After recruiting Keneth and Katarina, we can also drop in on Tal in the rumours section in Razril.

Oh, Tal! Long time no see.

Don't you live in the same town?

The same tiny town?

So, what's been goin' on? How's the Order going, Mr. Vice-Commander?

Actually... I'm moonlighting right now.



Hey, why don't you come with me? I'm heading to Kooluk right now in pursuit of some Rune Cannons.

You're doin' what??

I'll tell you about it on the way. Well? You coming?

Hmm...
Sure, sounds like fun! Besides, I was a member of the Order once. You could use my help!

That is debatable, but anything that gets me closer to A-ranking skills.

Everything I said about Keneth pretty much applies to Tal as well, although he's earth elemental and has more STR but less SKL.


Objective: Send someone who uses a spear.

Also now that we've recruited the "best and brightest" (_hahaha) the knights have to offer, of course they're doing even worse and are advertising for help. This requires a spear user, as the ad tells us, but it doesn't mention that they also need 25 STR and 20 SKL. Neither of our spear people can pull this off without help, but Rachel borrows Edgar's cape from Kika (who is, naturally, otherwise wearing it at all times) and slaps on a berserker belt...

See you later!

... and she's good to go.

Umm...



3000p, 800sp, and that's our last quest for the time being. Next up, for real this time, Caleron.

However, it's going to be pretty cramped, so we can only bring three extra characters this time.