Tales of Xillia Part #19 - CH15: Sympathy for the Teepo

Part 19: CH15: Sympathy for the Teepo

CH15: Sympathy for the Teepo

: They came across a location within the hunting grounds that stood out as artificial.

: These small ones must be Elize's!

: Let's look around. But be careful.

Dungeon Video
This is another meh dungeon, it's just a pit and some tunnels. If you watch the video, you'll notice a point where I was trying to get an Aifreed's Treasure for a few minutes. That's because the guide said you got it from the lower bridge, rather than the upper one. Those treasures tend to be really fiddly with their stupid detection area, so it took me quite a while to realize that maybe I should try the upper bridge instead.

So uh, this gives Elize (and whoever she's linked with) a bonus to XP that scales up based on how much healing she does. It has a maximum of 300%. Elize will rapidly become my highest-level character.

: In one of the storage tunnels, they found what they were looking for.

: Urgh.

: Alvin! Pull yourself together, Alvin!

: Hmph. The gang's all here. I thought this was up to me.

: I'll heal you right away.

: Elize?

: What should I do?

: What's wrong?
You appear unhurt.

: Glad you're okay.

: Hey! Let's play! But first, give me a name!

: Huh?

: Hey! Let's play! But first, give me a name!

: What's going on?

: Hey! Let's play! But first, give me a name!

: One of the Exodus agents ripped something out of Teepo, and that's all he's been saying since.

: So he really was just a machine all along. A toy.

: A toy?

: Yeah, a stuffed animal designed to move and talk by itself.

: H-He wasn't a toy.
He was my friend.

: Alvin, what happened to the Exodus agents?

: I killed one of them. The other gave me the slip.

: Good work.

: Milla promptly let go of Elize to go stomp on some spyrix.

: What about Teepo?

: If we can get back whatever they pulled out of him, maybe he'll go back to normal?

: When did the Exodus agent leave?

: Ages ago.

: Then the trail is cold. Trying to retrieve whatever they took will be a waste of time.
We need to get moving.

: But, couldn't you do both? Can't you help?

: If you wish to search for Exodus, I won't stop you.
But that means we'll have to part ways.

: Hmph.

: Very well, let's get back to the city.

: On the way out, Elize was so lost in her problems she couldn't hear what people were saying.

: Elize. Elize! Get back!

: Heel, you dogs! Heel!
My apologies if my pets frightened you. I had to sic them on some poachers.

: Jiao?

: Hm? What brings you lot here?
I see you've finally returned to this place, child.
You remember it, do you?

: What's he talking about?

: This is the lab where the little lady was raised.

: I take it that intruder was you, Alvin?

: Women's intuition, huh? I was investigating the boosters they were making here.

: What? So it was you.

: What's a booster?

: A gadget developed by Auj Oule to ramp up the mana generated by the mana lobe.
Elize is actually holding one right now: Teepo. The spud's apparently a third-generation booster.

: So, you're just a gadget, Teepo?

: You have named me Teepo. Pleased to meet you!

: A booster reads the mind of its owner and speaks aloud his or her thoughts.

: So all this time, Teepo was just saying what's on Elize's mind?

: That's not true! Teepo was talking on his own!

: Teepo... You might be a machine, but you're still my friend, right?

: Nope. I'm just a machine, Elize.

: No! You're my friend!

: Nope. You are mistaken.
I'm just a device that verbalizes your thoughts!

: Elize, I'm sorry.

: Tell us, big guy.
Where are lonely little Elize's Mommy and Daddy?

: They...
They are no longer with us.

: What?

: When you were just four years old, your parents were attacked by a bandit and murdered.

: I'll never see them again. Not Mother, not Father, not even Teepo.

: Hey.

: I know how bad this must--

: You still have your parents and friends!

: As if these people could ever understand how you feel.

: Ugh, damn poachers again!

: Hold on. Why was Elize at this laboratory?

: Well, she was brought here. Sold, really.
There was this woman who would gather up orphans and take them to the laboratory. What was her name?

: I don't suppose it was Isla?

: Yes. That's it. Isla.

: A poacher of children, you might say.

: I have no right telling you this, but please...
Never let that child be alone again.

Skit Video: Alvin's Wound

: Well, I failed at the job I was sent to do, and now you guys are here.
The wound to my pride might be mortal.

: And now you've betrayed Exodus, too.

: Yeah, well, don't worry about that.

: For all you know, I might've even staged all that.

: You're just the traitor type, aren't you?

: Yep. That's just who I am.

: Well, regardless, thanks for risking your life for us.

: My my. You really are the honors-student type.

: Yeah. That's just who I am.

Skit Video: The Mercenary-Client Privilege

: Alvin?

: Answering that would violate the mercenary-client privilege, but... whatever.

: I imagine they swiped his data memory. Basically, boosters need a compatible partner.
And they said they'd never seen a more compatible match than Elize and Teepo.

: So I bet the data Teepo recorded is gonna be a big deal in the world of booster development.

: But what does Exodus want with boosters when they already have spyrix?

: Sorry. I don't know the answer to that. But, we do know one thing.

: Indeed. It certainly can't be anything good.

: She's fine.

: ......

: Well, as fine as can be expected, given what she's learned.
Anyway, this place is dangerous. Let's get back to the city.

Skit Video: Elize's Stalker

: Is that her stalker or something?

: What's a stalker?

: It's like when someone's super obsessed with everything you do, and follows you around.

: I see. So you would be Jude's stalker, for example.

: What?! Milla, how could you?

: Doesn't it seem like that man knows the truth about Elize's past?

: Jiao seemed very concerned about Elize's well being, but I don't know why.

: Jiao, you say? I've heard that name before.

: He might be a warrior of some renown. He has a remarkable talent for controlling monsters.

: Interesting.

: They arrived back at Xian Du.

: Something on your mind?

: Huh?

: You haven't been yourself since we spoke to Jiao.

: Yeah.

: I heard you followed the bad guys into the hunting grounds. I was worried.

: Well, it was an eventful manhunt, but we made it back in one piece.

: I'm so sorry you all got dragged into this. What a horrible coincidence.

: Isla, you can drop the act.

: Wh-What do you mean? I really was worried about you. Why would I lie about that?

: Jude, what are you saying?

: I'm saying it was no coincidence we met Isla.
Remember what those locals told us when the bell rang for the finals?
At tournament time, any outsiders are either combatants or spectators.

: Ah...

: Right. I recall what she said when she came to help us.

: [flashback]You folks don't look like you're from around here. What brings you to town?[/flashback]

: No one here would need to ask that, not at tournament time.
You were ordered to make contact with us. By Exodus.

: Isla, that's not true, is it?

: They said you'd never find out. They promised.
But I had no choice in the matter.

: They blackmailed you, didn't they? They know your secret.

: Your former occupation.

: They asked, "Wouldn't it be a shame if Yurgen found out?"
What happened to the girl breaks my heart, but I had no choice back then, either.

: Please, don't tell Yurgen!

: He doesn't know?

: How could I tell him?! He's a good man.

: But it's all in the past, isn't it? Your fiancé should know these things.

: You're a woman. How can you not understand this? I'm damaged goods.
If he found out about my past, he'd leave me.

: Hmph. I doubt I'll ever understand human love. It has so many rules and conditions.
What should we do, Elize? You decide.

: Me? Why do I have to?

: This woman's actions affected you far more than us.

: There's nothing I can do now to make it up to you. But please, forgive me.

: I just don't care anymore.

: Elize is all alone now, no matter what you do.

: *Sob*

: We better try to find Yurgen. We need to talk to him about the wyverns.

: What's wrong, kid?

: Isla said there was nothing she could do to make it up to Elize.
But did she actually try? Is there really nothing she can do?

: Isla is the only one who can answer that question.

Skit Video: Gambling Troubles

: Wanna give it a shot?

: Leia really loves to gamble.

: Count me out.

: That's surprising. You seem like the type who would enjoy that sort of thing.

: Gambling's a big thing in my hometown. I've seen it go wrong time and time again.

: Aw, come on! We'd just be doing it for fun.

: The folks who lose their shirts all start out saying that.

: It's the first rule of betting. If you're just goofing around, don't gamble. If you wanna gamble, don't goof around.

: So in other words...

: Only gamble when you're willing to stake everything.

: Exactly.

: Little dramatic, don't you think?

: If you really wanna play, I'm not gonna stop you. Just some friendly advice.

: Alvin sure got serious all of a sudden.

: Maybe we should take his advice.

: Yeah, let's skip the gambling.

Skit Video: Alvin's Acquaintance

: A visit to where?

: Oh, did you overhear that?

: It's nothing. Just an acquaintance who lives here, is all.

Skit Video: (Introductions in Xian Du)

: Karla? What about her?

: How odd that you never bothered to introduce me.

: ......

: Do you want to meet her?

: What's this? There's someone you want me to meet? Oh my. Well, I suppose it would be rude to refuse.

Skit Video: (A Hotel fo the Night)

: Are you okay? We should stop and rest.

: No, no. I'm fine.

: You shouldn't push yourself.

: Since it was near the wyverns, Milla lead them over to the place she'd seen Alvin before.

: Who's this?

: My mother.
She's not doing too well.
I don't have a father or any siblings, so I have Isla look after her when I'm not around.

: Well, hello.

: H-Hi...

: It's nice to see you, Balan. Slipped out of your house to come play, did you?
What a shame that Alfred isn't here to play with you now. Where did that boy go off to?

: What is she talking about?

: Leticia, Alfred's away at boarding school, remember?

: Oh, yes, that's right.
That poor boy must be crying his eyes out. He's so shy, and he always gets so lonely.

: Don't worry. He sent a letter saying he's fine.

: Oh, yes! And that he'll come home for his next break. I promised we'd take a trip on the big boat when he does.

: I know. Alfred said he can't wait to go.

: Ha ha ha... You know what he said in his letter? He said he hoped that I wasn't crying!
Isn't that funny? He's such a kind, thoughtful boy.

: After that she went back to sleep for a bit.

: Being away from our hometown has been tough on her. And my dad dying didn't help.

: ...

: All she talked about was how she wanted to go back home to the house we all lived in.
Maybe she's happier now that she's forgotten all about that life.

: Oh.

: You've been doing all this for your mother?

: Yup. All these dirty jobs... It was all for Mommy. Touching tale, isn't it?

: Alvin, you don't have to be like this.

: Spare me your sympathy. It's all rotten in the end.
It's enough to drive me crazy, myself.

: As they left...

: Excuse me.

: Got something to say?

: Listen... You know that I was an orphan too, right?
If I hadn't gotten involved in that line of work, I never would have survived my childhood.

: In other words, don't say anything to Yurgen?

: Also, I don't want to look after Leticia anymore.
And I want you to tell Exodus to leave me alone.

: I'm afraid I can't do that. Only Exodus can make the medicine my mother needs.
And you're the only doctor shady enough to prescribe it.

: I don't want to do this anymore! I want to go straight!

: Sorry. But I think it's a fair price for keeping my mouth shut.

: How could you?! All I want is to live happily with Yurgen!

: And you can. As long as he doesn't find out about your past.

: ......

: All done.

: But, she's crying.

: Yeah, she's a big old crybaby.

: We're just gonna leave her like that?

: If you're so worried, go console her. Comfort the poor, tragic princess.

: ......

Naturally because of TALES OF SIDEQUEST SCHEDULING we immediately go back in.

: Mom, I'm home.

: Oh no... I dozed off again.
I have to make a peach pie before Alfred gets back from boarding school. He'll be home any minute.
That boy just loves it, you know. Every time I make it, he eats himself sick.

: Is that right?

: Of course, he's always been such a sensitive boy. It doesn't take much to upset his stomach.
Honestly, it makes me worry for his future. Thinking about it gives me an upset stomach.

: Sounds like he takes after you.

: Oh! And he told me in his last letter that he started keeping kitty cats as pets.
I believe he said their names were "Jude" and "Milla".

: That poor boy. He must be so lonely. But cats are a big responsibility.

: Don't worry. I hear he's taking good care of them.

: Oh, good.
It's hard not being able to see him, but what can you do? This was Alfred's decision, after all.
As long as he's well, that's all that matters.
I mean that, okay?

: Yes. I know.

: ......

: After that detour, they got around to looking for Yurgen some. He wasn't by the wyverns, so they looked through the rest of the city.

: I hope Elize is okay.

: Something has been troubling me about these booster devices.
Do you remember the experiment Nachtigal was conducting at Fort Gandala?
Might that have been a test of the booster's capabilities?

: You're suggesting Rashugal already has booster technology as well?

: That would be a logical conclusion.

: That's not good. Even kids like Elize are strong if they have boosters.

: If both countries were to wage war with booster-equipped soldiers, it would be a catastrophe unlike any the world has ever seen.

: Would they really risk having such a destructive war?

: Nachtigal might. He seems convinced that he could actually win.

: Especially since he has the Lance of Kresnik.

: Oh, here you are!
Isla told me you were back in town. I'm so relieved to find you safe.

: Th-Thanks.

: Are the wyverns you promised us ready to ride yet?

: Yes, but there's a hitch. Now that we're on the brink of war, we can't fly the wyverns without royal permission.
For that I'll need to head to the capital, Kanbalar.

: Hey, maybe we should warn the King of Auj Oule how ugly things will get if war breaks out.

: The king does seem pretty popular. Do you think maybe he'd fight alongside us?

: Oh... YEEEARRGGGGH

: Dude, spoilers.

: Whoa, hold on. This is a war we're talking about here, not a tavern brawl.

: I'd like a face-to-face chat with the king myself, but for a different reason. I want to ask him for the truth behind the laboratory.

: It's crucial that we meet the King of Auj Oule. We'll head for Kanbalar right away.

: Er, okay. I'll get my things together.

: What does Milla mean by the truth behind the laboratory?

: Apparently, Elize wasn't the only kid they kept at that place. Lots of other children were brought there, too.

: Did Jiao tell you that?

: If the king truly wishes to protect his people, he'll give me the answer I seek.
If he gives me the wrong answer, I'll remind him of his duty. I'll make him swear to never resort to such methods again, by any means necessary.

: Good idea! Let's go pick the king's brain!
Oh, I just remembered. All our luggage is back at the inn.

: Let us go fetch it.

: I'll catch up with you in a bit.

: Alvin.
You did well back there. I knew I could trust you to protect Elize for us.

: Well, I was prepared to honor my promise. Keep the faith, O Hallowed Spirit!

: Never a dull moment with that guy.

: Soon enough, I'll have to prepare myself, too.

: Huh?

: I am strong enough to destroy the Lance of Kresnik as I am now, without the Four's power.

: Wait, you sure it's a good idea to destroy it with the Four Great Spirits still trapped inside?

: They would likely not survive. They would lose their forms and disintegrate.

: But I thought the Four Great Spirits couldn't die?

: Eventually, new Great Spirits will appear to take their place.
But they will be a different Four, with different wills.

: So that means the Four Great Spirits that you know, the ones that were always with you... They would just disappear?

: A spirit's personality and memories are unimportant. What matters is the spirit's existence itself.

: ......

: Still, I doubt the Four will forgive me for this.

: You really care about all spirits, don't you? Not just the Great Four, but the lesser spirits, too.

: Not just spirits.
Humans, as well. To me, all lives, human and spirit, are equal and precious.

: Whoops, I think I may have got the order on that last bit wrong.

: Ha! You think yourself equal to the great lady Milla, but you–URK!

: Hey, you got him before I could!

: He shouted in my ear! My hearing is pretty sensitive.

Skit Video: Exodus' Shadow

: There's nothing we can do about that now. They must be as desperate as we are, given their behavior.

: And what do you intend to do about Alvin?

: If we send him away, he'll only follow us, and we can't neutralize him by force without risking our own lives.
Therefore, the safest solution is to keep him where we can see him.

: Besides...

: For good or for ill, that man has the power to change the circumstances of any situation.
That is not a power to be dismissed lightly.

: Nor is the wisdom of the Lord of Spirits.

Skit Video: (Nostalgia for Nia Khera)

: Ivar will protect it in my absence. There's no need to worry about the village's safety.

: Oh, I wasn't asking about that. What I meant is, do you ever get homesick?

: Oh... Sometimes I do miss the purity of Nia Khera air.

: Well, if you ever want to go back, just say the word.

: Anyway, I've got some more stuff that happened around in there.

: No. we can't afford to do that.

: Ah... Ooh... Ow... Such agony! I think I just threw out my back again.

: Hic! Oh... Oh no!
My, uh... Acute hiccup disorder! It's totally flaring up! Hic!

: That sounds pretty serious. You two need to get some rest.

: Please... Hic!

: Yes, please... Ow ow ow!

: Very well. I had hoped to get an early start tomorrow, but I guess we can push our departure back a bit.

: ......

: Does your aspyrixis still hurt?

: No... Not as much as before.

: Before? Before it was so bad that you passed out from the pain.

: Without the aspyrixis, I wouldn't be able to stand, let alone walk and fight.
To me, there is no greater pain than having something to do and being unable to do it.
Thanks to this, I can do what I have to. The pain is a small price to pay.

: ......

: How's Milla doing?

: She's pushing herself too hard.

: Milla's so composed that it's easy to forget sometimes.
But the fact is, she's making a difficult journey after suffering a terribly debilitating injury.

: And "taking it easy" doesn't seem to be in her vocabulary.

: If only there were some way to alleviate her pain, even just a little.

: If only we had a Heart Herb.

: Oh, of course! Heart Herbs are renowned for their ability to relieve pain.

: Yeah, I learned about them in my pharmacology class.
When used in aromatherapy, they're supposed to ease the tension in both body and mind.

: They're also rare, bordering on extinction.
I wanted to get a Heart Herb for a special lady once, but I couldn't find one anywhere.

: I'm sure it won't be easy to find, but I want to try, for Milla's sake.

: I'm Milla.

: Rowen. A pleasure to meet you.

: Karla's a historian and a teacher.

: That's very admirable of you.

: Not at all. And how about you? You won the tournament, right?
That makes Elize one of the youngest winners ever.

: Really?!

: Remember what I told you about Master Heming? He won his first tournament when he was fourteen.
And until Elize showed up, his record was never officially broken.

: And what about unofficially?

: An astute question. Unofficially, the youngest person to win the tournament did so at twelve, the same age as Elize.
He was a young boy who fought his way to the final match alone, without even using a Lilium Orb.

: Are you sure he wasn't a spirit?

: No, no. Of course he wasn't. His name was Erston Outway.

: Erston... Outway? Is he related to you?

: My brother. This happened twenty years ago.

: But why wasn't his victory officially recognized?

: Our father was the chief of the Outway tribe.
But we were a small tribe, and the other tribes used their influence to change things the way they saw fit.
That's just how it was back then.

: So you're saying his win was taken away?

: Yes, it was his opponent's doing. He belonged to a tribe that was very close to the king.

: Twenty years ago. That would place it before the Dawn of Auj Oule.
Before the current king took the throne, the chiefs of several large tribes ruled alongside his predecessor.

: Many people were killed back then, but our current king put a stop to that.

: I see.

: Anyway, I have an important errand to run. See you all again soon!

: Imagine having a hard-fought victory erased like that. I wonder how Karla's brother felt.

: I used to be quite a martial artist myself. I defended my position as the army's second strongest fighter throughout my military career.
If it were me who was robbed like that, I'd have hunted down my opponent and thrashed him again when no one was looking.

: R-Rowen... You play pretty dirty.

: So what would you do in that situation?

: Me? I... I can't even imagine.

: How do you like them peaches?!
Girl: You're good. With this, you've proven yourself as an intermediate pinkist.
But, that cute pink thing can only be shown to pro pinkists. It's the law.

: There's a law for that?!
Other Girl: There super is!

: You can't let them beat you!

: Calm down, Jude.

: How can I become a pro pinkist?
Girl: You have to bring us something every pinkist dreams of: A Pink Emerald.
If you can do that, we'll accept you as one of us.
Other Girl: We'll super accept you!

: Okay.

: Let's do this!

: Oh Ivar, you should remember this one pretty well.

: If you'll excuse me, I think nature's calling.

: Yeesh. Thanks for the heads-up. No need to keep us posted.

: Lady Milla! Welcome home! Your timing is impeccable.
Man: Oh wow, it really is Lord Maxwell!
Woman: I knew it the second I laid eyes on her!

: Who are these people?

: They came here looking for you. They claim to be acquaintances of yours.
Man: Don't you remember us? We all played together when we were children!

: Oh, of course I remember!

: Are they the ones that gave you the glass bead?
Woman: That's right. We heard rumors of a village that worshipped Maxwell, and we came to see ourselves.
Man: We really wanted to see you again.

: Now that I think about it, I do recognize your faces. It was so good of you to come.

: I'm pleased as well. Lady Milla doesn't get nearly as many worshippers as she deserves.

: You guys should catch up. We can entertain ourselves for a while.

: But...
Man: That would be great!
Woman: Maybe we could chat about the old days for old time's sake.

: Go for it.

: Very well then. Come, let us talk at my shrine.

: I guess we'll just hang out at Ivar's house then.

: Good idea.

: Hey! You can't just invite yourself over like that!
Although naturally, my house is always ready to receive visitors.
Here, I'll prove it to you!

Milla Side posted:

Feinne got this video of the Milla-side version.
: I never thought I would get to see you two again.
Woman: I know. We didn't realize that you were actually the real Maxwell.
Man: Who would have thought that the little girl we played with that day would become our sworn enemy?
: Exodus! So you two were--
Woman: Yes. The children of Exodus members.
Man: The only survivors from the Exodus Primary Base that you so viciously destroyed that day.
Woman: If our parents hadn't sent us out on an errand, we'd have been killed too.
: Is that right. Yes, I suppose it was while I had the Four hunting down survivors that I met the two of you.
Woman: To think that we were playing with the monster that murdered our families.
Man: Maxwell! You're going to pay dearly for what you did to our brethren that day!
Soldier: Guh!
: Allow me, Lord Maxwell.
: Alvin!
Woman: What?! Why are you helping her?
: What kind of bodyguard fails to protect his client?
Man: Ergh, kill them all! Set your spyrixes to full power!
: Ergh!
There's a brief fight, not worth mentioning. The two Exodus kids don't even get represented in the battle.
: Thank you.
: Hey, I've gotta do something to earn my keep.
: How did I fail to realize until now?
The members of Exodus are humans too.
: Of course they are. What, did you think they were monsters or something?
: No... Deep down, I knew.
But I cannot spare any who would use a spyrix, no matter what, or who, they may be.
: Come on, let's get outta here. Everyone's waiting for you in Nia Khera.

: Wow, you really do keep this place tidy. What would you charge to clean my room?

: Ha ha ha. It's all part of a handmaid's duties.
And now I'll show you how a handmaid makes tea! It'll just be a moment. Don't go anywhere!

: Thanks, but you really don't need to.

: Oh, hi Milla. Back so soon?

: Yes. We said all we had to say.

: Don't tell me they confessed their true feelings for you? Hehe.

: In fact, they did.

: Really?!

: Wait, hold on.

: Don't worry. My path has not changed.

: Yeah, I trust you.

: All right. Back to it, then.

: All right, twerps, soon you'll be feasting your lips on the greatest tea you've ever tasted.
And you'd better appreciate it, because--
Huh? Where'd they go?

: Grr, all that premium tea, wasted! This is going on your list of crimes, phony!

: I've had your tea. It's just OK.

: GRRRRRRRRR...

For some reason there's a scene you can only see if you go to the bottom of the ex-laboratory after trudging back to Xian Du.

: This is where the old booster research lab was located.

: There used to be several buildings here, but they've all been torn down.
That was probably my fault. They abandoned this place after I infiltrated it.

: Is that all you did?

: Hey, this is me you're talking to. The client got way more than their money's worth.

: So, you managed to smuggle out information about the boosters.

: Not just information. An actual prototype.
Couldn't get my hands on one of those third-gen models though.

: You mean Teepo.

: I'd say it was a dirty trick. Who'd have thought they'd hide their top-secret device in some children's toy?
When I found its blueprints, I threw them away. They looked like someone's scribbled gibberish.
You can imagine my surprise when I first saw Elize and Teepo in Hamil!

: So you knew who they were all along.

: Come on, don't get upset. My booster job was long done by then. No conflict there.

: That's not the issue here.

: Apparently not. What is the issue here?

: ......

: Let's change the subject. What exactly was your job at the time?

: Kinda feel like I'm being interrogated.

: We'd just like to know you better.

: Fine, fine.
At the time I was working as your escort. You're the one who hired me, remember?

: ......

: Come on, don't look at me like that.
Hey, I'm a professional here! I take the work, I do a good job, and I move on!
How did that become a strike against me?

Skit Video: Teepo and the Four Great Spirits