Part 63: Pro Prince Propaganda

With Nelis and Yahr properly recruited, we now have the means to recruit our final uh... well, recruit, for this part.



Remember this guy? In order to pick him up, we need sex appeal.

No, seriously. The requirement to recruit Gavaya is to have the people involved in one of the four (!) Hot Chicks unites in your party.

(If it's any consolation, we also get the familiar old Pretty Boy and Fancy Lad attacks. ...I never said the game is perfect, okay.)



Recruiting Nelis is the soonest we can do this, as it gives us access to Kiss Goodbye, a unite with her, Sialeeds, and Jeane.



I'd have preferred the Double Aunt Power unite, but maybe that's just me.


Who's this knave, walking around with so many beautiful ladies?!

Anyway. Bringing the three of them changes Gavaya's dialogue.

Let me join you, too, knave! With this many ladies, I'll definitely find someone to marry me! How about it?! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease?
What? The Iodine in Hell Army?

I'll join! No problem! I'll do anything! Just let me join up!

Please let me join you! I'm begging you!
Even if you say "no," I'll still join you!

Holy fuck, get in here and shut up!



Woo-hoo!!! I'll go anywhere you want!

...oy.

Gavaya comes in at level 10 and is appropriately terrible, but he is one of the few people to get the skill Freeze, which may unbalance enemies when he attacks. We may be able to find some use for him.



But I'm pretty sure I don't want him anywhere near where we're going next.



...no, not here.



Window Set 8 isn't bad, but I find the yellow borders a little too loud. I'm switching back to the original skin instead. For old times' sake.



And then I'm going to pick out a nice book.


It's a lot shorter than the last one, and thank fuck for that! This is not terribly important, but rather interesting, especially given Zerase's grumbling about the Night Rune and the fact that she carries a spawn of it.



All right then, time to wash off the Gavaya germs before we finally move on back to the plot.

But I'm sure some would object to calling that a mere "bath."

Lyon: Hmm... Lady Sialeeds?

Yes?



Sialeeds: Oh, would you like to know?

Well... I didn't get to see it, so...

Sialeeds: Hmmm... Well, let's see... Ah, of course! I'll show you. Come here.

What...? O-Okay...



Sialeeds: Now, now, be still. Don't move!

Lyon: B-But... Whoa! H-Hey, I get it now! You don't have to...

Sialeeds: C'mon, don't be such a baby. You should try everything at least once, as they say.

Lyon: Aghhh... N-No, stop!

Sialeeds: And the rite begins!

Lyon: Eeeeeeek!!
*moaning*

Sialeeds: Well, how do you feel?

Lyon: C-C-C-Cold...

Sialeeds: Well, of course it's cold! The purification rite means purifying the body with cold water, after all!

Lyon: Brrrrr... I said "stop"... Y-You're awful...

Sialeeds: Ha ha ha ha! Well, you said you wanted to know... and what better way to learn?
C'mon, get in the hot water, quick. You don't want to catch cold, do you?



I'm thinking you enjoyed that just a little too much, auntie.

Anyway, once everyone's dried off, it's time we faced the music.


That young swordsman was the Lindwurm Mercenary Brigade's blademaster? That's surprising.

...but since The Box is on the way...


We've both been treated badly by the Barows family, so we get along well. I'd like to go buy him a drink sometime.

You... don't need my approval for that?


See? I told you!

What did you tell me again?

No wait, I don't care.



And then, finally, it's time to get back to the War Room, and a real, live cutscene! Haven't seen one of those in a while. (music)



Yes, well...

Up until now, Godwin has been our main adversary. But now our enemy will be the new Queen, Lymsleia, and the Queendom of Falena itself.
Of course, this will just be for outward appearance, and our real enemy won't change at all. But sometimes "outward appearance" can take on important significance...

Prince, if you had to raise a sword against your sister, would you be able to do it?



What kind of question is that to ask a guy?



(music)



Yes, it is a terrible question, I know. That's why I asked when there wasn't anybody else around.

Huh?

Prince. I know this is difficult.







...



(music)

The installation of Lymsleia as the new Queen has surely raised morale among the Godwin ranks. I say we dampen their enthusiasm by taking Doraat.

Doraat? But isn't there a huge fortress there?

Yes. Next to Stormfist, it's the Godwins biggest stronghold. We must take it if we hope to extend our influence further west than Lelcar. And now is the perfect time.
...Well, maybe it's not the perfect time just yet. We're actually not quite ready to make our move, Your Highness. The plan needs a bit more work.

---



I could have brought this up back when it first happened, but it didn't seem like the right time. Remember the bad ending we got in Rainwall? Both Lym and Gizel had changed outfits when that happened.

We talked a bit about how Barows murdering Frey seemed a bit premature, but if you think about how long it took between the part where we saw that and the coronation (some 25 updates), it's safe to say that even if that scene does take place right after the coronation (which we don't know), we skipped ahead quite a while, and any number of things could have happened that we didn't see.

Anyway, back to the present, and Gizel looking ever so smug in his new outfit, which seriously doesn't fit him at all. Boo this man. (music)

I imagine that they'll simply continue with their western advance and try to take Doraat.
Alenia, I'm entrusting you with our midland forces. Shift them to the defense of Doraat.

Yes, Your Commandership! You can count on me! I do not fear the Dawn Rune!

Ah, fine spirit, Alenia.
Now, then. Miakis.



I'd like you to accompany Alenia to Doraat as her... assistant.

"Assistant," huh?

Miakis is going with... me?

Absolutely not! My duty is to protect the Princess! I'm no "assistant"!

You seem to be forgetting that I'm the new Commander of the Queen's Knights.

...Hmph!

And one more thing: Lymsleia is no longer the Princess. She's the Queen. Protecting the Queen is not your duty.



---



Here's another instance of me not liking Lucretia much, but being unable to fault her tactics. (music)

This is a hot seller! Better get it while you can! Don't be the only one on your block who doesn't know "the truth"!

It's not as if this takes a genius to come up with; you have people who deal with information on a daily basis, so you use them. But it's still not every game that would care to bother with it.


The Queen's Knights and Lord Godwin ain't got nothin' to do with that fire in Lelcar!

I'm not sure what happens if you haven't recruited Taylor or Oboro at this point.

I understand your skepticism, good man! Were I not an intrepid reporter myself, I would doubt the story as well! But I saw it with my own two eyes! I saw it as I was bravely embedded on the front lines, scrawling in my trusty notebook all the while!

This reporter tells no lie! I saw it with my own two eyes as well! The western islet of Lelcar is in ruins! It was the Queen's Knights! It was the Godwins! It was on PURPOSE! Come, there must be other refugees from Lelcar here! Who else wishes to speak the truth? I know you're out there!

Townsman: They... burned my house down! And they did it on purpose!



Townsman: I AM serious! I believed that the Queen's Knights and Lord Godwin's troops would protect our town... But they did nothing of the sort! They destroyed what my family had taken years to build! They set the town on fire as a diversion in order to escape! ...And they destroyed so many lives in the process!

Townswoman: How selfish! How inhuman! They would cut the throats of their own people in order to save themselves?!

Townsman: The Prince's troops saved us! If not for them, we surely would have died!

Townsman (2): I know someone from Lelcar!


How dare the Godwins use their own people as human shields! How dare they kill women and children!

Read all about the tyranny of the Godwins right here! Hear what my sources have to say about their next move! Read about it! Think about it! Is Doraat next? This is the only place where you can read the truth, raw and uncooked!

Townsman (3): Lemme see that! We have to know what dirty tactics those damn Godwins are gonna use next!



Okay, okay! No need to push! There are plenty of issues for everyone!



Yes. The southern road's covered.

Just got done with the northern road myself. Man, it was easy! Guess the rumors are already spreading from Lelcar!

...What's the point of all this, anyhow?

Aw, how the hell am I supposed to know? The whole damn thing's a pain! It's all that lady's idea, and the boss is just goin' along with it!
Whatever. We'll let them figure it out.

Sounds to me like they already have.

---



We're back in Salzburg, and we have no further cause to delay.



Let's do it! (music)



Load the burning oil and spider bombs!

Very well, Your Highness. Let's begin.
Our scouts have informed us that the Queen's Knight Alenia has arrived in Doraat. The Godwins are showing their desperation. Be prepared for anything. We need everyone to give their all.



Victory! Next time.

...don't look at me like that. The Doraat part's gonna be long enough as it is.


Bonus content:



The other answer...



...actually doesn't make much sense, given that's not what the text says.



But the difference is enough that it's worth showing off.




I already posted part of this back in the beginning, but here's the whole thing with knight uniform and everything.