Part 5: Leaving the Castle

Going down a bit from Flynn's room, we reach another cutscene.

Watch the cutscene!



It better not try to pin this on me too.
I hope no one was hurt.
Don't worry about the Knights. They'll make sure to protect themselves.
Yes... I guess so...
Leblanc: Yuri Lowell! Where are you hiding?
That must be Leblanc. I'd recognize those dulcet tones anywhere.
Do the two of you know each other?
We have a bit of a history. ...Come on, let's hurry.



Estellise trips.

We should do something about your clothes. You'll stick out like a sore thumb.
My room is just up ahead. I have a change of clothes there...
Okay, that'll work.


Just a few steps further, we find Estellise's room.

Watch the cutscene!



I'll go get changed, just give me a minute.
Got it. Try to be quick about it.




Just in case.
...It's not like I was going to peek.
Flynn did tell me to be careful if I ever met you.
Thanks, Flynn.




There, all finished.



What...? Do...do I look strange?
...It's nothing, I was just thinking this doesn't suit you either.
Really?



A handshake. It means, "nice to meet you."



All right. Let's get going.
Thanks!


Skit: On the Run
Yuri, you were a knight once, right?
Didn't you already say you heard about me from Flynn?
...Well, it's just...you don't seem to know your way around the castle well...
*Gasp*... Are you an impostor?!
That's some imagination you've got.
Why would I want to impersonate a regular guy from the lower quarter?
I-I guess you're right...
Come on, let's go before we're caught by the castle guards.


In one of the battles against the knights here, Yuri learns a new arte.




Artes can be learned in various ways. The one we just learned is the most simple: Reach a certain level and attack a few times in a battle. Others require you to additionally use another arte a certain number of times, usually 50 or 100 uses, while even others can only be obtained from sidequests.

Note that you can't actually learn Artes when you're not in a battle, so if you neglect a party member for a while and put him back in after a couple levels, it's not uncommon to learn several new Artes in a single fight.

Cerberus Strike is a three-hit punch combo. It's decent, but not one of my favorites.


Skit: Extra Baggage
I just wanted to check on the lower quarter and come back. I didn't expect the extra baggage.
Baggage? I could take it to the castle's lost and found for you.
You're the one person I couldn't really ask to take care of it.
Huh?
...Nevermind. I'm good.
Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.
Estellise walks off.
Guess she's the textbook "little, naive noble." But why were those knights chasing her...?




Some of the siderooms here contain openable gates that give you shortcuts back to earlier corridors. It's fairly useless, to be honest, unless you somehow forgot a treasure chest or something.


Skit: The Intruder, Zagi
Are there many people outside the castle like that man Zagi we met earlier?
Nah, he's one of a kind. It's pretty hard to find anyone that nuts.
I see. Well that's a relief. I don't know what I'd do if everyone behaved like that...
Yeah, life would be pretty rough if the world were full of guys like him.


A few rooms further, we reach the statue we're looking for.

Watch the cutscene!



Is there something special about this statue?
It's supposed to have some sort of secret.
It doesn't look like there's anything particularly secretive about it...
Maybe if we moved it, there'd be a hidden passage or something.
You don't think...
Well, we won't know unless we give it a try.

We can push and pull certain objects by standing next to them and holding A. Pull this statue to the left, and...



...! It really worked!
What do we have here? Looks like the old man was right...
Do you think this will lead outside?
I can't guarantee it.
Well, I'm going down. How about you?



That's pretty brave of you.
Who was that guy, anyway? There was something shady about him.



What is it? Did you change your mind?
No, your hand--it's injured. Let me take a look at it.

Estellise casts a healing spell on Yuri's hand.






Hey, I'm sorry... I'd never seen a blastia like that. I-I wasn't thinking.
That's really all it was?
That's really all it was. My hand feels better... Thanks.
...No, it's the least I could do.
Okay, let's go.


Down the hidden passage, we find some kind of waterway or sewer.

Watch the cutscene and battle!



...Monsters... That's what these things are...?
You've never seen one before...?
Uh, umm...
...Well, let's hurry up and take care of this, shall we?



Yuri, they're coming from the front, too...!
Ugh...this is annoying.




When you encounter two or more enemy groups that are close together, all of them join the battle. The battle system can only handle eight or so enemies at the same time, so when the total's more, new enemies will spawn into the battle after you've killed some. It's a pretty neat mechanic, although apart from the additional challenge there's no positive aspect to it as far as I can tell.



I didn't know what to do when they all attack at once...
You generally have to defeat each monster one by one, butsometimes they come in groups.
Really? We should be careful when we go ahead.
You can take on a monster one at a time, or take them on in a group. Your choice.
Yuri, which way do you think we should go?
Whichever. Let's just get out of here.
Ah, wait... Wait for me.


Skit: Flynn - Part 1
Have you and Flynn known each other a long time?
Umm... Two, maybe three years...? Something like that...
Huh... So he's been getting along all right at the castle?
Flynn is a very hard-working and honest knight. It seems like everyone trusts him.
The other day, he told me that they've been giving him more responsibility lately, too.
Hard-working and honest. Right. In other words, hard-headed and obsessive.
Hmm??



This waterway or whatever is fairly short and features some box moving to get to some treasure chests containing more basic items like a Magic Lens, a Life Bottle and some money.

Skit: Be Thankful to Strangers
I need to thank whoever told you about this underground passage.
Why would you need to be thankful for something like that?
I'm trying to get out of the castle, just like you.
That's all well and good...but there's no need to be all thankful because of it.
Oh no. We must show courtesy to those who show us kindness.
Sort of weird to be polite to somebody you've never met, don't you think?
Manners are never so important as when dealing with those with whom we have yet to be acquainted.
You really think so, huh?
I know so.



Going up this ladder, we reach the outside of the castle again. But that's for next time!