Part 127: What we must focus on now is putting what we know to use for the future.

-Border Patrol Isn't Easy-



Private Samuel: Leiston Fortress is currently under military alert. Unless your business is critical, I'll have to ask you to leave.
Um, excuse me...Is General Bright in the fortress?
Private Samuel: Of course General Bright is here, but...as a result of EVERYTHING not working, the army's in chaos. The General's been working without rest, sending orders out to all regions via courier, rebuilding the chain of command. Even if you are bracers, I'm afraid I can't let you see him.
Okay...
Could you potentially make an exception this once?
This is actually General Bright's daughter.
Private Samuel: W-Wait, really?! You're Ms. Estelle Bright?! I'd heard she was in the guild, but...Hells, then, of course you can come in! I'll show you right to the general's--
Ah, no, it's okay, really.
I wouldn't want to get in the way of his job if he's that busy.
Estelle...
I think buzzing the old man a little is okay, don't you?
Dad has his way, I have mine.
I'm sure that Dad doing well in his job will make mine easier, and...I think if I do the same, his job will get easier, too.
So it's enough just knowing he's okay.
Estelle...
I see...Fair enough.
We'll be going, then. Please, give our best to the general and let him know we stopped by if you get a chance.
Private Samuel: Of course. I'll do what I can. I'll see if I can catch him during mess or something.
Thanks again!
Private Samuel: General Bright is personally working to reconstruct the Royal Army. The image of General Bright, giving orders without a moment's rest, even in our darkest hour...It's an inspiration for any soldier.





-Obstructive Existence-



These cats are tougher and stronger than the Steel Cougars Walter had with him...



...but they can still be delayed...



...or sealed...



...or blinded, or instakilled, so they're nothing to worry about.





-Town Where The Lights Went Out-



Oh, come on, Kilika...



That floating city is the source of our current troubles, no? If you cannot reach it directly, the most logical course of action is to ensure the various guild branches are all right.
I, uh...Yeah, that's logical.
She does have a point.
Heehee...That's Kilika!
Small talk aside, you can imagine how things have been here.
Zeiss is practically built on a culture of orbment worship at this point. Losing them is a shock, to say the least. Chief Murdock has been trying his best, but the citizens remain as panicked as ever.
I was afraid of that. I hope he's okay.
It'd be nice if we could help Mr. Murdock out, but I dunno if we can...
I'm sure he'd appreciate the company for a moment, if nothing else.
The other major problem facing the city is the Kaldia Tunnel. With orbal lighting non-functional, passage through it has become much harder.
Oh. Yeah. You kinda need lights down there, don't you...
If the lights aren't working, I can only imagine how dangerous it is down there.
There's more.
The water pump at Elmo is non-functional and their hot springs are closed.
This time the society has gone TOO FAR.
Aw, nuts.
Mrs. Mao must be really sad...
...That should be everything.
Now, it's my turn for questions, if you don't mind. What happened after I left the Carnelia Tower?
A heck of a lot.

I see. So it IS the Aureole.
It seems this was guaranteed to happen the moment they took the towers.
Yes...most likely.
This probably could have all been prevented, if only Celeste Auslese had left her notes in the right dimension.
When you think about it, heading to the towers was probably a waste of time...
It's kinda depressing...
We have little time for regrets now.
If nothing else, it sounds as though you obtained a far greater understanding of their plans in your visits to the towers. What we must focus on now is putting what we know to use for the future.
Kilika...
Would you mind fixing my phone, by the way? Guiding you to a better future will be hard if I can't get in touch, after all.
Hahaha...Okay, okay.
Well, then, Tita, you have the honors!
Okay!






Thank you, everyone. This will help tremendously.
Aww, nothing to it!
I'm glad we could be of assistance.
Well, we gotta get a move on and get the rest of the guild going, but...Need anything else?
This city lies in the shadow of Leiston Fortress, so keeping order will not be difficult. Still, if you could, check the board. And as I intimated earlier, checking on the Central Factory and Elmo may be wise. Their problems seem to be compounding themselves.
Will do, then!
We'll keep that in mind.



Uh oh.



Oh, it's Wong. What are you doing here?
Wong: Well, the vehicle I was escorting broke down. I'm a bit at a loss for what to do.
Ugh...Of all the places to break down...It just HAD to be the middle.
It's definitely going to block the road like this.
Y-Yeah...
Wong: Y-You think so too, huh...? *sigh* It'll be a pain, but I guess I've gotta get it to the side of the road...
What's the hurry? It's not like anyone else is driving right now.

Come to think of it, why is this thing even here? It's positioned like it was heading south from the Central Factory or the landing port, but there are no actual streets in that direction--just the escalators. Are those rated for freight trucks?



Cosimo: I doubt the orbal factory is working at all, either. If we can't make any orbments, what will happen to Zeiss?



Ben: We've always cooked over an open flame, after all, so we're used to the heat! Even with orbments not working, it's not really affecting us much.



Elwyn: Everyone seems pretty disturbed by all this. I've had customers in and out of here all morning. Apparently the Kaldia Tunnel is pretty much impassable in the dark, but with the goggles here, no problem. If you're going towards Ruan, make sure you buy some.



You'll probably want four of these.



Father Vixen: Fortunately, it seems the city has mostly calmed itself now. To these good people, however, orbments are more than just machines, so it's no surprise they were more distraught than most. After all, this city was built on their trust in technology.
Sister Kiera: Citizens unnerved by the failure of the orbments pushed their way into the Central Factory. For a while, the whole city was in an uproar. Yet, there wasn't much we could do...I feel as if I have once again learned of my own powerlessness.



Gerald: I think you could paint a picture of that moment and put it in the dictionary under 'panic.' Well, I guess I can't talk. I was freaking out same as everyone else.



Hey, Gustav, it's been a while.
I hope you've been doing well.
Oh, it's Joshua. Haven't seen you in a long time.
Well, a lot happened...
Anyway, it seems like things are pretty tough here even now, huh?
I-It seems like there was some kinda trouble...
When the shutdown first hit, yeah. It was real rough. Well, the city's finally calmed down now.
I see...For now, at least, it seems things are in hand.
Yeah, but at this rate, who knows what might happen.
I'm sure we'll need your help, so we're counting on you.
Sure thing.
Looking forward to being of help.



Bartholomew: Now it's stuck in that halfway spot. We've got no way to get down, and no way to go to fix it. Geez, NOW what?



Well, this is...darker than I figured it'd be. Looks like they got some lamps goin' at least.
I hope everyone here is okay...
Speaking of which...the elevator will be dead, won't it?
Definitely.
We'll have to make use of the stairs if we want to go to other floors.
I can't believe it's come to this.



You okay, Hazel? Seems pretty dark in here...
Hazel: Well, I have a lamp so I'm okay, but...Most research activity has been completely suspended. Without orbal energy there's not much we can do, really.
Aww...
Seems the situation is more serious than we'd thought.
Hazel: But, right now is when the Central Factory's power is most needed. The entire staff is working together to resume research as soon as possible.
Yeah, if there's anything we can do just say.
Hazel: Everyone, thank you. I hope we can count on you when that time comes.



Erick: None of the equipment we use for machining is working.
Oh, right, of course. Don't worry, though! I THINK we have a little something to help with that.
Erick: Huh, what's that?
Um, you see...


Erick: Ohh, so it's a generator that Professor Russell made! I'd love to give it a spin. Can I try it out?
Sure, no problem.
Um, would you help me, then, Erick?
Erick: Haha, I'm not much of an assistant compared to you, so go easy on me.


Erick: Yep, looks like we're back in business. For the moment, anyway. Considering the base theory, this is only a temporary fix, huh?
Yeah, it won't last long.
It'll go back to how it was before soon.
Erick: Gotcha. Anyway, let's get your stuff tuned now while we can, then. If we use that method, you should be able to use the factory like normal. Since you've got the professor's invention, use it as best you can.



Rudi: Apparently it was a request from the Royal Army, but it seemed kind of urgent. To be honest, I feel a bit nervous without Faye around.



And Tita, too...
Heehee, we're back.
Hello, sir. It's been a while.
I'm glad to see you're well.
Hm, and I'm glad to see you're back safely. Was the professor's invention of any use?
The generator?
You bet. It's been a huge help.
If anything, the Royal Army's probably more thankful than anyone. Until communications were restored, a lot of bases were cut off.
Hm, I see. So for now at least it's having the intended effect.
Yeah, which is good, but...
Chief, is the Central Factory okay?
I-I bet you guys can't really do any research when it's dark like this, huh...
Yes...It's a terrible situation all around. I'm absolutely inundated with requests for help right now. Actually, I'm working on that right now.
Dang, sounds really rough...
If there's anything we can do, we'd be happy to help. Just contact the guild, and we'll come right over.
Yes, thank you. You all take care too.
I'd love to resume research immediately, but we have a mountain of problems to get through first.
*phew* Anyway, for now I need to clear up some paperwork...



Muriel: Really, how do they even expect me to work? My boss's gone off somewhere. Maybe I should just leave...



Karl: Hey, long time no see. Glad to see you're well.
You too, Karl. Sure seems like things are pretty rough around here.
Karl: Yeah, everything from the lights to the experiment equipment is dead. By the way...What happened to that gunner?
You mean Olivier?
He went back to his home country.
Karl: ...Home country? So Olivier, was he...
Yes, he was from another nation.
Karl: Huh, that so...? Hmmm, what a shame. I would've loved to have him take a look at the new model gun. Of course, I know now's not the time for that. If this phenomenon continues as it is, my research is going to need to be completely redone. Haha, hahahahaha...Ah...Ahahahaha...
K-Karl...
(Seems like this situation's really pushing him to the edge...)



Prometheus: A case like this happened before, so I tried a logical deduction, but...I still don't have a clue. *sigh* Professor Russell might know something, but...To us, this phenomenon still has far too little understood about it. I'm not sure this situation can even be explained by logical deduction.
Hugo: I never thought something like this would, or heck, COULD happen. I'm just glad this happened after the Arseille's upgrade evaluation was finished. After all, we can study the data even without orbments. Of course, right now the priority is on comprehending and researching the current phenomenon.
Louise: From what I've heard, the Arseille made a safe splashdown. One way or another, that's a relief. I'm thankful from the depths of my heart to the crew who protected that ship.



Terry: So I'm stuck managing the greenhouse. But, with the orbments not working, the temperature in the greenhouse just keeps dropping...A-Anyway, I hope Ray comes back soon.
I guess we might as well tell you...We saw Ray at the Krone Pass.
Terry: The K-Krone Pass?
Yeah. With the airliners grounded, there's no way to get around except to walk, really. It might take some time, but I'm sure he'll be back.
Terry: I-I see...Well, I just want him to get back safe.



Dr. Miriam: And, Tita, too.
Hi, Dr. Miriam.
Ahaha, it's been a while.
Dr. Miriam: I'm glad to see you all look well.
You too, Dr. Miriam.
Well, I mean, aside from all the craziness going on right now, anyway. I imagine work's pretty tough.
Dr. Miriam: Yes, for now I'm checking over our stocks of medical supplies. We'll be in deep trouble if we don't have medicine when it's needed.
Yeah...At the moment, it's not exactly easy to restock with transportation so limited.
Dr. Miriam: Indeed. We'll just have to be very conservative in our use of the supplies we do have. So, you all be careful too. If you get hurt really badly and dragged in here, I will give you an absolute earful.
Ahaha...We'll be careful...Right, Agate?
What're you looking at me for?



Supervisor Travis: It's like the Factory Chief said. None of the machines are working at all. If only Professor Russell was here for us at a time like this...



Wilmont: It's that thing that Professor Russell caused a while back...isn't it? In other words, anything we do while this is going on is basically pointless. *sigh* Maybe I'll go home early today.



Vince: That floating object is so big it's mind-blowing. If I knew the distance, I'd be able to estimate its size, but...I'll just have to wait for the Royal Army's investigation.



Stain: I came because I heard you could see that object, but...I didn't think it would be that big. What is happening in this kingdom?
Constance: Working while something like that is hanging over our heads seems ridiculous. I'm sure the world will end before long. To spend my last hours at my workplace is absolutely something I refuse to do. Those still hunched over their desks at a time like this have no perspective on what really matters.



-Looking Up at the Sky-



Captain Hoffman: We barely managed to land without incident here on the plains. From what we can tell, all orbal devices have stopped working. Hmm...I wonder what happened.
Private Reno: *phew* We managed to land safely...Of all the places in Liberl to land, of course we end up in the middle of the Tratt Plains. Doubt the rescue team will find US any time soon.



-Strepitoso Fight-



Slug bug red. No backsies.

















-Obstructive Existence-



You know what? No.























-Border Patrol Isn't Easy-



Gundolf: Must be hard having to come all the way out here.
Hey, Gundolf.
It's been a while.
On patrol?
Gundolf: Yeah, more or less. Thought I'd put my legs to work and keep an eye on things around here. Well, you guys can focus on your own mission. Leave the general upkeep to me.
Oh you mean like monster bounties?
Yeah, understood.
Much appreciated. Well, then, pardon us.
Gundolf: Yeah, best of luck to you.



Private Brahm: I admit, this kills any desire to sleep. I-I hope the gate goes back to normal soon. With it stuck open like this I really can't relax and snooze on the job.
Private Henning: The Republic's on the other side over there, so I doubt they'll do anything, but...B-Being this defenseless makes me REALLY nervous. *phew* Haven't been this on edge in a long time.



Private Henning: Please don't do such careless things in an emergency like this.



CWO Pace: Thanks to that generator of yours, communications are back up again. It's not much, but we've had some reinforcements sent from the fortress. I've directed them over to Elmo Village for patrols. That place is kind of far from Zeiss, so the citizens must be pretty nervous. If they see us Royal Army soldiers, they should be able to relax a bit.

We'll look in on Elmo Village ourselves next time.