Part 121: I hope you will continue to be the kingdom's hands, bracers.

-A Cat Relaxing in the Sun-



Apple: So...I guess the orbments have stopped even in Ravennue, huh? I, um, didn't notice, since I don't leave the shop much...Limon wouldn't let me hear the end of my 'obliviousness' when she came in earlier. Mrrrr...We've always used oil lamps in this store! And the clock over there is real, pre-orbal clockwork! I mean, really, how was I supposed to know?!



Figaro: I thought we could rest...but then the latest craziness happened! I wonder how Lore's family is doing. They run a store in the Bose Market. If I recall rightly, it's a hardware store he runs with his wife. With the orbments out, the Air Force, the pride of the Liberlian army, is now one big joke. I don't want to be too loud about it, but I'm really worried about what the Erebonians might do.



Limon: Here on work?
Nah, not work, exactly. Just came by to see how everyone's doin'.
Limon: Ah, I see...Well, with the orbments stopped, everyone's in a bit of a rough spot. It would make us all breathe easier if you bracers came to check in on us every now and then! I know you're busy, but do drop by every now and again, won't you?
Yeah, don't worry. If we're ever in the area, we'll stop by.
Someone's got a giiiiiiirrrrl friend



Melony: The bad times just won't end...*sigh* Will we ever know peace again?



Gray: I've always said we should never rely on them too much! It's not bad to use their power for some things, but these days we're completely enthralled by them. I think we need to value the blessings of nature a bit more!



Heya, Lewey.
I haven't seen you in a while. Have you been doing all right?
Lewey: Uh-huh! I'm okay. We're all just helping out in the orchards. Dad and everybody are having trouble because the stuff isn't working. So I'm helping!
Yeah, you're working super hard, kiddo. You keep it up and help the village get back on its feet, okay?
Lewey: Yeah! I will!



Pesca: I'm just glad this happened AFTER we were done with the tractor. If it had stopped dead in the middle of the field? Gray would NEVER, EVER let me hear the end of it.
Vince: Even if orbments don't work, we can still totally take care of the saplings! We gotta, so they can give us fruit even quicker!
Fran: Vince is so motivated, for once! I just worry about how long it will last.



Birnette: I was just praying for Mischa and everyone else.
I see...Sorry I always leave you to be the one to take care of her.
Birnette: No, not at all. She's a wonderful listener, and I know she wouldn't want you sitting around for her in any event! Besides, I have quite a lot to pray for. I was just praying for our village, actually. There's been so much strangeness in the world lately...



Elder Reisen: Did you come by to check on us?
Yeah, wanted to make sure you guys were all right in this mess. Sorta figured we wouldn't have as big a problem, though.
Elder Reisen: Hmm...Well, we're fine, for the moment. We weren't very orbal-dependent in the first place. For once, that seems to have been to our benefit.
I'll say!
Yeah, the cities are in rougher shape than here, that's for sure.
As much as they make life more convenient, they also create more points of failure...Orbments can't be the solution to everything.
Elder Reisen: Even a lit fireplace can burn a house down. Any technology can have dangers you never realized when it was first conceived. We'll be just fine. Don't you fret.





-Obstructive Existence-



There's something strangely familiar about all this.











These Fangs are quite a bit faster than their little cousins, though.



And their normal attack has a chance to Faint.











EEEX for short.



8 points of Earth, and 20% chance to Mute.



-Border Patrol Isn't Easy-



Private Cutinger: Usher's even abandoned his post to look at the damn thing. Hmph!...Though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about it myself...If only Colonel Richard and the Intelligence Division were still in service! I'm sure he'd have answers for all our questions.



Private Egel: You bracers are free to pass whenever you want, though. Word came down from the brass--we're cooperating with the guild during this mess, so you guys have free access.

The rest points are all kaput. If I want healing, I'll have to *shudder* pay for a hotel.



Huh?...OH! You're from the Central Factory, right? What are you doing way up in the mountains?
Ray: I was heading back to Zeiss after working on the Arseille a bit. I finished helping the old man, so it's time to get back to my own experiments.
Which means you have to walk. Right.
Unfortunately, it's the only way to travel right now.
Are you sure you'll be safe traveling alone? We could escort you, if you like.
Ray: Heh, don't worry. I'm not exactly alone, as it were.
Antoine: Nya-o.
Ahaha! Antoine's with you, huh.
Ray: Pretty loyal for a cat, right? I've also got...you might call 'em 'hazardous materials' on hand. Here, let me share some with you, show you what I mean.


Ray: It's an attack food I invented! You can make it with the tools from any old kitchen, so if you have the time and materials, give it a try.

Uh...Thanks!
So...yeah. I kinda think they'll make it just fine, guys.
Just as long as the garrison doesn't confiscate Ray's danger candy.
Qu-Quite so...
Still, be careful on your way, Ray. The Kaldia Tunnel is likely to be especially dangerous right now.
Ray: Yeah, don't worry, I'm keeping both eyes open. Anyway, see you guys back in Zeiss!
Antoine: Nya~on.



Warrant Officer Serose: We don't know who they are, but they're extremely strong. If they hit us again, I'm not sure we could hold, to be honest. I wish we could get another of those generators somehow.



Private Mikey: Really feels like Liberl's in a heck of a pinch. If Erebonia tried to invade us in the middle of all this...I-I'd rather not think about that, to be honest!
CWO Zelste: Thanks to that generator, we managed to at least restore our communications. The army can finally act as a unified whole again. We're still neck-deep in problems, but at least we can rely on General Bright's leadership.





Private Usher: No matter how I look at it, it has to be man-made. Can we really just ignore it?





Royal Army Officer: Having the gate jammed wide open is certainly a problem, but it's not the end of the world. That gate is pure steel and designed to withstand large projectiles. There's no way we can move it by hand. Until orbments start working again, it's stuck like that. All we can do is be as alert as possible.
Royal Army Soldiers: I was prepared for this to happen from the beginning. No way I'm not going to stand up now! Having enlisted as a soldier in Her Majesty's army, it's time to do my duty.
So just ahead of us is Imperial territory...J-Just looking at it makes me feel uneasy...
Heheheheh! At last, the time has come! Come on, Imperial Army! I'll send you packing!
I think the guy next to me's lost it. He keeps mumbling stuff about his rifle and how it's his best friend...I'm trying to stay away from him in case he actually starts a war!
Of course the gate just HAD to stop working in the middle of a caravan coming through. I gotta admit, the timing seems almost too perfect. Isn't it just a little bit suspicious...?
This whole thing is completely crazy! Dammit! Today was supposed to be my day off, too!



Normally, I'd congratulate you on your work at the towers.
You'll forgive me if I'm not feeling up to flattery in the current situation, however. I know it's not your fault, but congratulations will have to wait.
Aww, cut us some slack, General!
It is true that the situation has gotten rather...dire.
That's one way of puttin' it.
Thanks to the generator Professor Russel provided, we've regained communications, at least. But now it's become clear that the Orbal Shutdown Phenomenon really is affecting the entire kingdom, from here to Air-Letten. I suspect you saw on your way in. Our defense here is badly compromised. The best I can do here as a leader of the military is show no weakness to the men. I hope you will continue to be the kingdom's hands, bracers.
You bet, sir!
We will do our best to live up to your expectations.



-A Cat Relaxing in the Sun-



Whemler: I've actually got some company for once. He says he's a 'dragon researcher,' here to investigate the ancient dragon's nest. By Aidios...Out and about at a time like this. Always curious about every little thing, that guy.
Lyndon: Hello there! I'm just your run-of-the-mill archaeobiologist. A little birdie told me there's a dragon's nest nearby, and so, out the door I went! Unfortunately, it looks to be a rather dangerous place. That's why I'm here instead of there. I'm just, um, biding my time here for the moment, I suppose.

I went to say hi to Ragnard, but he's not home.

That about does it for the Bose region...for now. Let's wrap it up here and make way for Rolent.



-Town Where The Lights Went Out-



Remember, one each to the Rolent, Ruan, and Zeiss branches. Be careful, you lot.

Good work! Always nice to see some progress. If you complete any more jobs, be sure to come back and report.







Schera will definitely want a ZFG to be at her best.





Joshua can borrow Agate's attack boosts...



...and Schera gets Diamond Dust, Aero Storm, and Death Scream. That ought to be plenty.





-Border Patrol Isn't Easy-



Private Antose: Not being able to use my orbal gun makes this a pretty scary assignment. If those crimson soldiers were to attack now, we'd be in some serious trouble...
Private Lacos: For all the airships out of service, there sure aren't many travelers on foot. Guess not many people want to risk wandering around in an emergency situation.



Warrant Officer Dyne: Right now all the street lights are out, so it's pretty dangerous on the highways. Be careful in your travels.



I haven't played First Chapter in forever, so actually passing through the border posts feels all crazy and new now.



Private Scott: Hearing reports come in from other regions is just depressing, though...Ugh...Between that and the whole fog thing, things have just been gettin' worse and worse. What the heck's going on in this country...?



CWO Ashton: Thanks for your help during the fog incident. Seriously, you were a huge help. You in the middle of some kind of mission today too?
Yeah, we are.
How are things here? From the looks of it, the guard post gate's been left open...
CWO Ashton: Well, the gate's orbal-driven, so opening and closing it's kind of difficult at the moment. So in the interest of keeping traffic flowing, we're leaving it open.
I see...Not much of a choice, huh?
Circumstances certainly don't make this easy, but I hope you're able to keep the place secure until this blows over. I could definitely see some less scrupulous people taking advantage of the situation to sneak through.
CWO Ashton: Yeah, we got orders along those lines from up above too. It'll be a backbreaker of a job, but nothing comes before the safety of the region. We'll do our best to make sure everybody here's as safe as they've ever been.
Please do. We'll be counting on it. And in the meantime, we'll do what we can to get this case closed and your gate up and running.
CWO Ashton: Without your help, I fear we won't be able to put an end to this mess. So thank you for looking into the matter.






-Looking Up at the Sky-





Royal Army Officer: Oh, Aidios, it's embarrassing being seen in a place like this. Our engines failed while we were pulling back to base, you see. We had to make an emergency landing. Hopefully we'll get rescued soon, but given the situation, that could take a while...We're lucky this farm was right here. They even let my whole squad dine with them!
Royal Guardsman: There's nothing wrong with the damn engine on the ship...It just won't START! Guess we're stuck till a rescue squad arrives.

On the northeast side of this area:



-Obstructive Existence-



The description mentions deathblows, but I didn't notice any. Maybe I was just lucky.







I've been using Evil Eye and Thunder God Kick constantly, because they kick ass.





I didn't see any deathblows here, but I did see a whooole lot of poison.



And this, which I wish I could have fully .giffed but the animation is way too long. Sorry.



The Devil Spears will burrow all around the field and careen into all four party members.











I actually didn't get a quartz for this fight--I had to reload and do it again. Watch out for that.

These monsters give you Confuse 2: 8 Mirage, 20% chance to Confuse on hit.



-A Cat Relaxing in the Sun-



Royal Guardsman: We're patrolling around here as our way of saying thanks to the farm for taking care of us. The highway lights are off, after all, so the roads are pretty dangerous. This is about all we can do TO show our thanks, though.



Royal Guardsman: All the tools and such that make use of orbal energy have stopped working, from the looks of it. I guess it's thanks to that same phenomenon that our airship dropped out of the sky...



Hey, it's been a while.
Tio: Estelle? And Joshua?!
Ahaha, sorry to keep you waiting.
Were you...worried, Tio?
Tio: No, it's okay. I heard all about what happened. Besides, I'm pretty sure Estelle was more worried than anyone. Apparently she cried quite a lot, and a maiden's tears carry a high price, you know...
H-Hey, whoa, Tio...
Haha...Don't worry. I'm ready to accept the punishment for my crimes.
Tio: And you will. It's going to take a lot to make it up to her...Incidentally, you two. Since Schera's with you, I assume you're doing guild work again today, right?
Yeah, we're about to head to Rolent.
We've got a delivery for the guild.
Tio: I see...Being a bracer sounds rough. But, you did come all the way back home. You guys should come see me again once your work's all done.
We will. You have my word.
I'm sure it's hard right now, but hang in there, Tio.
Tio: Still, though, that patrol ship's emergency landing sure was a surprise! The soldiers said they already requested a rescue, but...well, does their rescue squad even have any way of getting to them? Hmmm, seems like it'll be a while before they're able to leave.



Hey, Chere. Have you been well?
Chere: Y-Yeah. I'm doing okay. I'm helping Mom right now. Lots of stuff isn't working, so she's got it pretty rough.
Sounds like it. Sorry to hear that.
Chere: Um, Joshua, are you workin'?
Yeah, a bit...But I'll come play again soon.
Chere: O-Okay! I can't wait to see you again.



Hey, Will. Good to see you! I'm afraid I can't play right now, though. I'm still on the job.
Will: Aww, that's boring...You can play a little! C'mon!
Haha. Maybe later.
Will: Joshua, come play again real soon, okay? And make sure you don't have any work when you do!



Yeah. We're here on a bit of guild work.
It's been a while.
Franz: Yeah, it has, but you both seem to be doing well. Rolent may just have a bright future ahead of it after all!
That would be nice.
Haha. I guess there's a lot of hometown pride in you two.
Franz: Well, we're all in a bit of a fix here. It's only natural to put our hopes on the bracers from our own backyard. At least our situation is manageable. Farming was always classically done by hand, so we just have to relearn the old ways. Might be good for us!
That's true. There weren't really machines back then to help like we have now.
Franz: Of course, with the scheduled liners not running, I can't really move anything I do farm, but I'll still do what I can. We're all hoping the darn things get restored soon.
Yeah...It's definitely a big problem, but we're doing what we can, too, to get it sorted as quickly as possible.
It's nice to see you so dedicated to your work, and to Rolent.
Franz: Yeah, well. You know how it is. We can keep the farm running by hand for the moment. Still, if the scheduled liners don't resume service soon, we won't be able to ship our vegetables anywhere. Look. Just look at this pile of produce here! If the liners stay out of service, these'll all just rot and go to waste.



Hello, ma'am.
How is everything?
Hannah: Well, I'm fine, but my family is having a hard time of it. Everything powered by orbments has shut down, so none of my cooking equipment is working. This morning's breakfast was cold sandwiches, of all things! All those poor guardsmen are here, too, and I've no way to make them something hot. I feel so bad...
Hmm, I dunno...If you ask me, your sandwiches are pretty darn good!
I have to agree.
Hannah: Haha, oh, stop! All right, drop on by again when you get some free time. I'll make sure I've got plenty of sandwiches for you, on the house!
Okay! We've totally got a deal.
We'll come back for sure. Thank you!

Next up: Rolent proper.