Part 34: Intermission 10 – Second Route Split

Intermission 10 – Second Route Split


Welcome back. Today we’ll tackle the plot before the second route split.



First off we have one last encounter to tackle.



To recruit another person Shigen has to die at this point. He can die earlier and will be saved by the recruit in question but it will delay said recruitment till Map 31.



We’ll never forget you



: That’s ridiculous! He wouldn’t die, just like that! Shigen, tell me it’s a lie... You can’t be dead... c’mon...







Our mysterious witch saves Shigen and teleports him away with her.







After that bit of work is done, we dispatch the gargoyles as usual. Rishel shows of his personal tome (did I mention it’s effective against monster and that the AI doesn’t register his +10 defence of the tome?) and Lionheart and Vega get bad levels



Anyway, time for plot. Strap in.





: N-No way... Elder is that true?

: Yes. They will come here soon.





: You don’t suprise easily, if at all. The royal castle was sacked by Ahab’s revolt, many of us were killed. Those of us that survived thought that we would die in that underground prison but with General Zachariah’s help, we managed to survive, barely until today.

I’m not even going to question this part of the story any longer. It will just give me headaches...

: Your majesty. There is nothing more joyous to those who respect the royal family as we do. I heard that your company includes little Maria as well.

: Yes, dear Maria returned to us.



: Is that so. Your majesty, could you, the Queen and Lady Maria stay in the village, at least for a while? If the people knew that your majesty was still alive, they would surely return. Please lead the revival fo the Salian Kingdom together with them.

: Of course, I’d be honored. We may have endured many hardships, but I’m glad to be able to do this.

: Yes, the revival of Salia was also my husbands dying wish. If there is anything at all that I can do to help, please ask without hesitation.





: Why so surprised? I just had something nearby to take care off, so I dropped by. As promised, I brought a lot of new weapons and items for you.

: Holmes... Forget the stupid weapons... I’m just glad to see you again, you jerk...

: Tsk, and people call me blunt. Well it’s alright. When two friends who haven’t seen each other in ages meet, they gotta go and drink all night till morning.

Welcome back Holmes






: I became worried when I didn’t hear from you, so I thought I’d pay you a visit. Zieg, I know you would never do this, but you haven’t forgotten your mission, have you?

: Of course not... His Grace ordered me to keep an eye on the Priestress of Water. I have not forgotten. I will complete my mission without fail.

: Whatever you say, brother... Zieg you’re finished here. I have another mission I’d like you to accompany me on.

: Very well. I shall do as you ask, sister.

Curse you sudden but inevitable betrayal





Escaped from what? It’s notlike he was your prisoner…

: ....

: You don’t appear surprised, Young Master. Do you know something, I do not?

: I had a bad feeling about that man. There was something about him that I didn’t trust.

Then why did you take him along in the first place! It’s like someone replaced the brains of the cast with something else... but then again



: Kate... Yes, apparently it is.

: I-Impossible! How did he escape…?

: ….

: No doubt he was captured by the Gazel Church. Please, Master Runan! You must help him escape! I would be ever grateful!

: Kate...

Poor Kate






: As I thought, it was you. When I saw you from behind, I was sure.

: Rishel... You are safe... I’m glad. After that day, I haven’t heard from you. I was so worried.

: That day, I was chased by Gazel sorcerer and cornered on the cliff above the Lieve River. They got my right leg with one of their dark spells, and I fell down the cliff. In that condition, I fainted. As I regained conciousness, I found myself in a small private hut in the vicinity of Salia’s old castle. My wounds were treated. I know it’s hard to believe but the flow of the Lieve River carried my body all the way to Salia.

: but why didn’t you inform us at all? We were so worried about you.

: I smashed my head while falling and lsot my memory. Only recently was I capable of remembering everything that transpired and went to Braad.

: Meriah was worried about you, so she began to travel in order to find you. Ah, wait a moment... I called her earlier.



: I was sick daily, worrying about you.

: Meriah...

: Never... never... never do something like that again. For my sake....

: I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you worry. Meriah, please stop crying... Come on... Ah, there’s your smile.

: Yeesh, Rishel...

: I’m glad that you’re safe too, princess. I was worried that you’d been captured by Gwenchaos...

: Uhm... actually he did capture me...

: Eh? Then why...?

: Rishel, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do. For instance Lady Meeve, no wait, Lady Enteh, oh well it’s a long story , I’ll tell you everything later.

: Understood. Many things sure changed since that day, two years ago…





: I heard about the invasion of the Holy Temple of Water. Sage Octobas was very worried, because you are an important person to the family of the Fire Priest.

: I understand that. The sage choose me as the successor of the family, and entrusted to me the grimoire of the Sunflame. I understand that in my heart.

: Yes, of the four children of the sage... The eldest son, priest Andre, died due to an illness. The next child was Sister Renee. She was the only daugther but I heard she didn’t want to become a sorceress.

: It’s understandable. No matter how just you say the purpose is, Renee simply can’t kill a person...

Hasn’t stopped Raquel from being awesome though

: The third child, Naris, the Sorceror of Light, married the eldest and only daugther of the water Priests, Lady Rose. Between them, two children were born.

: That’s right, me and my little sister Meriah. Mother died soon afterwards, so I was in line to succeed as the Fire Sorceror.

: Yes, and Meriah received the power of the Light Sorceror from her father.

: I didn’t get along with my father when I was small. I disagreed with father following the king’s order and becoming a royal court sorceror of the Lieve Kingdom.

: Is that because of the matter with Lady Meeve?

: Father has clung to the desire of power. During the absense of Sage Maios, when he knew that a girl with the stigma was born to his little sister and the king... H eimmediately locked the kid away in the holy temple without anyone’s knowledge. The Queen died due to her grief for the lost child. My mother killed herself after that, too.



But didn’t Claris tell us that the king himself knew about the whole thing

: 8 years ago, Sage Maios returned to the kingdom and released the princess from the temple. Back then I didn’t know about any of that. When I saw Meeve for the first time, she was so weak that she couldn’t walk, even though she was already ten years old. It was so painful to watch. I was still a child at that time, but my body trembled with the weigth of my father’s crime. However I couldn’t do anything, other than cry. I embraced her and we cried together...

: You and Meriah lived inside the Holy Temple as well, how could you not have known?

: We lived in a pavillion in the town of Rimne. Father wouldn’t allow us to go into the Holy Temple when we were little. When the sage helped Meeve out of that temple, she let us live together with her and some of the sister, because we were her cousins. After that we were watched over by the kind Sisters. It was as if we were true siblings in that little Pavillion in Rimne.

: Your father.... What happened with High Priest Naris?

: Father was expelled by Sage Maios and banished from the Holy Temple of Water. After that he served the king and joined the hunt for the Zoa people. I heard he found his end on the blade of a Zoan swordsman.

: You say like it’s none of your business...

: Meeve said the same thing. When she heard about my father’s death, tears flowed down her cheeks as she wept. It was morbibly amusing. It was just unbelievable. A man like my father, why did Meeve... why did she mourn for him...

: Did Meriah hate your father as much as you did?

: No. Since Meriah was still young, she wasn’t capable of understanding father’s true nature. “Father died in that fight for justice and the sake of the people...” It was spun in a beautiful manner like that...

: ...

: Should I let her know the truth now? Should I wait a little more? I don’t really know the right choice, myself.

: It’s certainly hard for Meriah at her age...

She regulary incinerates people.. I think she can handle it...but then again this is a Japanese RPG...

: I’m sorry. I think I went off on a tangent. Let’s return to the matter of the lineage of the Fire Priest, the children of the second daugther of the sage, Lady Claris and her daugthers, in short Verna, Frau and you.

: We are out of the question. We three sister already apologized to our mother. Aunt Liza was the captain of the Salian Pegasus Knights and we admired our father who was a saints knight so we swore to ourselves to become knights of Salia. We went against mother’s will so she had to succeed the position as head priest of the Fire. It was said that it was only tempory but on top of all things the sages’ third daugther, Aunt Liza married King Loffaru. I heard their only child, Sasha wanted to become a knight as well, so she can’t inherit the position as head priest either. Therefore we would like you, Rishel, to succeed our mother. Please let us help our mother together.

: In the end, you unload all problems on me, Mahter. You are still the ame as always, totally unreliable...

: tsk, tsk... of course I won’t leave all the responsibilites to you, Rishel. We will also work hard. Especially Me. I will be cheering you on, Rishel.


Thank god this totally pointless amalgant of is over. Just one little scene left and we’re done for the day.





: It’s none of your old man business, anyway… so let the kids have some fun.

: What the... are you drunk Holmes? Honestly... with you I can never tell. Prince Runan is an important person to this company. Please stop tempting him down the road of evil.

: What? You wanna say that again? Some junk about me tempting him down some evil road? Yah old man... just say that to my face...

: I’ll gladly repeat it as many times as need be to get through your thick skull.

: Holmes, Eugen, break it up you two! Holmes, buddy, listen. The time we travelled together was fun, really... But right now I’ve got work to do. I can’t stop, so... *crash* Uhm... Holmes?

: And he’s down. Don’t worry, Lord Runan. I’m sure he really just wanted to joke around.

: Excuse me... I’ll see you all again later but right of I have to take care of this.

: If I’m not mistaken you are Lady...

: Katri.

: Katri, yes.. Please watch over Holmes.

: Of course, Lord Runan.



With that we are done and it’s time to split up the party again. See the next post for details.