Part 32: CH26: Was She Carrying Our Budget?

CH26: Was She Carrying Our Budget?



: So uh Jude didn't take Milla's death very well. I wasn't helping.
: (Milla, why did you have to die?)
(What am I supposed to do now?)
(My mission was to help Milla.)
(How did it end up like this?)


Incidentally, they seem to be hiding out in Elize's old shed. Hamil's a great place to hide since it's like 80% abandoned houses.
: But nobody seems to be able to get ahold of Alvin.
: ......


: Don't. Just stop.
: Again? Jude, you gotta stop doing this. If you keep this up, we're going to run out of food.
I'll make you some more. Be right back.
: ......
: Damn it.


: A deal I made with Muzét.
: Oh.


: So uh I might have done a few things to make them afraid of me.
: (Muzét.)
(Milla's big sister.)


: (She attacked us.)
: After all...
Anyone who learns about the schism...
Will have to die.
It is my mission.
: Yeah. A bunch of old men and women aren't exactly something I can be proud of. Anyway, end flashback.
: Go ahead.
Do whatever you want.


: You always try to go with the flow. You really piss me off, you know!


: Alvin was having a lot of trouble actually doing it.
: Stop!


: Ergh!
: Urgh!


: Not to criticize, but Leia really should have grabbed the gun when she took off.
: Come on!
: Hey!






: Jude's will to live had stopped working, along with most everything else.
: You've got to listen to me, Jude! Remember Milla's mission! She sacrificed her life for it! Now get up!


: Milla's... mission...





So based on this scene, the party (minus Milla) survived by swimming to port.
: (She gave it her all. She sacrificed her life...)
(...for the people of Rieze Maxia.)




: (was to protect...)
(everyone.)
: What do you mean her mission?
How absurd!
She was just the bait, created to lure out Gilland and people like him.
None else mattered to her. Understand? Certainly not a sense of duty or justice. None that mattered to her whatosever.
: And yet she worked so hard, didn't she?


: In my defense Jude was really annoying to try to kill. Stupid life bottles.
: (Her mission meant nothing.)





: Up here!
: And this is why Milla was normally the party leader. Who'd try to get away from the man with the best ranged weapon around by hiding on a exposed catwalk with one exit?


: Stop right there.
: I won't let you hurt him. I can't let you do this!
: It's over. You've got nowhere left to run!
: No, it's not over! Open your eyes already!
Damn you, Alvin!


: Every damn thing we did was pointless!


: Pointless?





: (It wasn't pointless.)
(I met Milla.)
(I traveled with her.)
(She made me think.)
(She taught me many things.)


: (However...)


: But why damn it?
The sky is as red as it's ever been. I still can't see Elympios.
If the schism wasn't dispelled--
Then why'd I let her die? What was the point?
She died for nothing.
: (Milla died for nothing?)



: That's not true!


: Listen! Everybody is still here! Elize is, and so is Rowen!
I'm sure Gaius and the others are too! She saved our lives!
: Saved our lives? For what?
She's gone now, isn't she?!




: We're just plain old human beings. We can't be like her!





: (We kept going because of her.)
(But, in the end...)
(We could never be like her.)
: Jude, did you not realize how conflicted Milla was?
She was torn between her mission to protect the schism and the actions that could eventually lead to her own death.
: (Milla.)
: Hehe. It's no wonder that she never found her answer. Her existence and her mission were just lies that were given to her.
: (Humans and spirits alike were precious to her.)
(So precious that she valued them over her own life.)


: Incidentally I cannot recall how Jude escaped that.
: Milla finally gave you something to live for, and I suppose that made you very happy.
Too bad it was all for nothing. All that time you spent with her, all those feelings you have... Time to set them aside.
: (Set them aside?)






: Milla saved your life. You can't throw it away! Don't you understand, Jude?
: Milla saved my life. She saved me.
: Thank you so much, Leia.




: Huh?


: I just love his expression here.
: Leia!


: Alvin!
: Jude, this is your fault!




: Honestly this fight was determined by who was more together mentally.


So, uh. This fight sucks for three reasons. The first is that it's a solo fight with Jude, who I'm totally out of practice with (and don't like that much), the second is that there's no opportunity to change the difficulty between when you fight Gilland and this, and the third, and most important, is that it's optional-win, so you can't retry until you get it right. So fuck trying to deal with 35k.


I'm going to say I'm totally not ashamed of this. I am ashamed that I'm so damn out of practice, though.


This fight is probably a lot easier if you do Jude's gimmick correctly and just constantly teleport behind him, but


Honestly I was so surprised I'd pulled it off correctly I kind of sat there for a second. It could have gotten really, really embarrassing if I'd died.


Alvin can overlimit, and might be able to Mystic Arte you at higher difficulties. It occurs to me that I've only showed off Jude's and Milla's. I should rectify that.


He's worth a fair chunk.





: Leia was hit in the shoulder, so she didn't die.


: Not that Jude was bothering to help.


: Damn it.
Hey, just go ahead and kill me already.
: ......!
Kill you? How can you even say that to me?!
Milla saved your rotten life! Don't be so eager to just throw it away!
Don't you get it?! Milla died because she wanted us to live!
She didn't die so we would-- So we'd end up like this.
: Well then, what the hell should we be doing?!
I'm not Milla! I can't live like her!
I don't have a mission to fulfill!
: She's not here to hold our hands anymore. We have to think for ourselves now.
: Think for ourselves how?!
: No one is gonna make our decisions for us anymore!
And no one... No one will take responsibility for our actions ever again!
: ......
: Even if Milla's mission was all a lie…
: The truth is, she was still willing to put her life on the line to fulfill it.
It's not a matter of if you can or can't. It's a matter of whether you do or don't.
: Jude, you...
: Why'd it take me this long to figure out what Milla was trying to tell us?
: Let's get moving, Alvin.


: He's still not checking on Leia. Terrible doctoring.






: Thank goodness.
: Jude, are you okay?
: I'm fine. Just fine. Don't worry about me.
: Okay.
Where's Alvin?
: I don't know. He took off.
: Leia. Thank you.
: Huh? For what?
: For watching over me for so long. Thanks.
: Jude, did something happen I don't know about?
: I just realized something. No, you helped me realize something.
And for that I thank you.
: You're welcome.
: I'm going to search for Maxwell.
: But Milla is...
: No, Maxwell is somewhere else.
Remember what Muzét said? Milla was just the bait to protect the schism.
That would mean someone else was using Milla as a decoy.
: It wasn't Muzét?
: No, it couldn't have been. If it was, why would she appear before us?
There'd be no point in a decoy.
: So that's why you think Maxwell is somewhere else out there?
: Yeah.
You haven't tossed the food on the floor yet. You're a much nicer patient than I was.
: You can say that again!
: So, when are you leaving?
: As soon as you're better.
: I'm fine. I'm a tough girl, remember?
: Leia... Am I the reason you've pushed yourself so hard?
: What do you mean?
: I know I always stick my nose into other people's business. I'm wondering now if that ended up hurting you.
Please, you can be honest.


: I had... I had to grow strong 'cause I couldn't stand the thought of seeing you sad again.
: Then I'll be stronger, so you won't have to.



: All better?
: Yup, perfect.
So, where should we go?
: I want to talk to Muzét, but we're no match for her right now.
I was thinking of searching for Ivar.
: Yeah, I guess a handmaid might know about this stuff.
That is, if he survived.
Oh, who am I kidding? That guy's like a cockroach!
: Hahaha.



: Jude!
: Huh?


: Easy, Teepo! Easy! Good to see you!
: You came all the way out here for us?
: Of course!
: We heard that Muzét began attacking the fleeing Exodus and Elympios soldiers.
We grew concerned for your safety.
: She never tracked you down?
: We've been on the run. So far, we've managed to elude her.
What about you?
: Alvin found us.
: You saw that big fat liar?
: Yes, we sure did.
: I see. I'm sad to hear that.
What will you two do now?
: We're going to look for Maxwell.
: We can see Milla again?!
: No. Jude believes there's a real Maxwell out there.
: I see. That thought never occurred to me, although it would explain much.
: If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
: Hohoho! The honors student is now the teacher. You've certainly come a long way, young man.
: Anyway, we're planning to find Ivar first.
We'll deal with Muzét later. Just thinking about her scares me.
: Jude, have you heard about Gaius?
: No, nothing.
: For whatever reason, he's begun a large-scale operation in Fennmont.
It caught Muzét's attention. She's attacked the city relentlessly, but he's driven her off each time.
: Leia, this'll be a dangerous journey. You still okay with coming along?
: Of course!
: I'm coming too!
: I'd like that, but are you sure?
: We want to know if Milla was a phony or not!
: Although, that doesn't change the fact that she's still our friend.
: I have my own reasons for wishing to meet with Gaius.
: Thanks, guys.










Since that fight earlier is optional-win, there's a different cutscene if you lose.


: ......
: Urgh.


: Typical kid. How can you be so eager to just roll over and give up?! Sometimes you make me wanna puke, you know that?!
: What else do you expect?! Now that Milla's gone!
Tell me. What am I supposed to do?
: You think you're the only one who's lost?!
We let her sacrifice her life for us.
: She died because she wanted us to live.
She didn't die so we would... end up doing this.
: Well then, what the hell should we be doing?!
I'm not Milla! I can't live like her!
And I don't have a mission to fulfill!
: Milla's not here to hold our hands anymore. We have to think for ourselves.
: How do we do that?!
: No one will make our decisions for us!
And no one... No one will take responsibility for our actions anymore.
: ......
: Even if Milla's mission was all just a big lie...
The truth is she still put her life on the line to fulfill it.
It's not a matter of if you can or can't. It's a matter of whether you do or don't.
: Why?
: Tell me, damn it! Why?! Why do you always have the answer?!


: Urgh!
There's a gunshot as it cuts away, but since everything after this is the same, he must have shot the ground or something.