Part 53: I have a feeling some serious stuff is goin' down.

-Border Patrol Isn't Easy-







Okay, calm down...Above the Ahnenburg...In other words, on top of the wall.
I've gotta hurry!



Private Stoll: You seem awfully worked up. Everything all right? If you're here to have a look around, you can stay for a bit longer.



Warrant Officer Graves: ...Understood. I'll dispatch immediately.



Emily: I wonder if something happened. Even I'm getting nervous now.






-Royal Capital of Grancel-



Curse that Phillip and his inshessant scholding...Who dosh he think I am?! I'm...I'm Dunan von Aushlese! I'm the rightful heeeir to thish country! *HIC*!
Euaughahgh...Think I drank t'much beer...That...'curry' shtuff was quite tashty, though...I shuppose lowering m'august shelf to th' level of the peasantsh can be enjoyable shometimes...*HIC*!
Peasantsh...Thoshe brats...Klaudia...'n that bracer girl...Why...How could little girlsh like them...Why d'they confuse me sho...with their words! And their...
Woman's Voice: Your suffering is great indeed, Your Highness.

-Silence-



Yer Richard's...

-Engaged People in Secret Maneuvers-

Captain Kanone Amalthea, Your Highness. It is good to see you well.
Though...I suspect I may have caught you at a bad time.
Whaddya want w'me...? You're a wanted woman, y'know...



Don't be so tense, Your Highness. You might get hurt. I simply...need your help, that's all.
If you would come with me...





What? Estelle? That you?
...Kevin? Wh...Why are YOU here?



Well, heeeeey! Been a while, hasn't it?
How's this for chances! You don't think there might be a destiny 'thing' between us, do--
Kevin, listen! Did you meet anyone else on your way here?!
Uh, someone else? Wait...you're here to meet someone too?
Yeah...Joshu--
Er, hold on. You too?
Yeah...I got called out here by a letter.
Really? Me too!
Haha! What a crazy coincidence!
Haha. I know, right...?
Or not! No way this is just coincidence.
Yeah, that's kind of what I figured. So, then, Joshua called you out here too? Huh...
Er, Joshua? Ain't that...that boyfriend you were talkin' about?
U-Um...
Oh, um, I had no idea...Didn't think Joshua would be quite that, ah, well-seasoned.
I mean, hey, don't get me wrong, love can fill in any gap in age...You'd think that'd mean I'd have a shot, though. *sigh*
Ummmmm. I kinda get the sense we're having two different conversations, here.
You said you got called here by a letter from someone? Who?
Yeah, a letter delivered, addressed to me, at Grancel Cathedral. The man who delivered it was a fairly handsome middle-aged guy.
But Joshua's the same age I am! Why would you ever think he's some old dude!
Really?
Uh, haha! Of course! I was, uh, wondering what was up with that...
That's my line...
But then, what the heck is going on? Wait, this is...



Huh?

-Fight With Assailant-





Here they come!



















-Engaged People in Secret Maneuvers-



Gah!





And those things...They were less like monsters and more like...
Yeah, they were kind of like the archaisms in Grancel Castle's sealed ruins. Puppet weapons of some sort.
Trick is, they looked like they were built recently.
What do you mean?
Well, archaisms are ancient, and you can tell by the wear, right? But looking at them, the way the orbments were made...Those things were modern. They're just about as good as the ones from down below, too.
Oh, I see...
Wait. A. Second. How do YOU know what's beneath Grancel Castle?
ERK!
Man's Voice: Hey! Who goes there?!



Warrant Officer Graves: Thought I heard something...You two! What are you doing here?!
W-Wait a moment, please! We were just attacked by strange machines...
Warrant Officer Graves: Strange what...?
Sorry t'have caused such a disturbance, sir. Actually, the little lady here's a member of the Bracer Guild, you see? We're in the middle of investigatin' something.
Er?
Warrant Officer Graves: A bracer? Really?
Estelle, make with the notebook and badge, why don'tcha? Let the nice man know he doesn't need to shoot us in the face.
Oh, uh, sure.


Warrant Officer Graves: Hmm...They look real, at least. So what's this 'something' you're investigating?
A terrorist group who call themselves the Society of Ouroboros. They've been conducting 'experiments' and causing trouble all over the country recently.
We were pursuing a lead on them when we got attacked by these machines.
...
Warrant Officer Graves: Wait, come to think of it...HQ did tell us to keep an ear open for things relating to a 'society'...So are those guys out on the roads also with this group, then?
Wait, hold on! Someone showed up on the roads? What do you mean?
Warrant Officer Graves: We just got word from the squad guarding the Erbe Royal Villa. They were attacked by an armed group.
WHAT?!
Warrant Officer Graves: Good news is, Lieutenant Colonel Cid and company managed to send 'em packing with no trouble! At the moment, they've got the roads closed and they're hunting the attackers.
Ohhhh, great. Things really are getting serious. We should probably book it back to the guildhouse, then.
Er, but...
Warrant Officer Graves: Yeah, those guys might be the same ones you're after. All right! We'll keep an eye on this area. You two get back to the capital guildhouse, go on.
Thanks, sir!
C'mon, Estelle. Let's get back.
Wait, hold on a...



Ah...haha. Guess you won't just let it slide, huh?
Cheeky winks aren't helping your case, buster.
Look, who in the hell ARE you?! You know what we're doing, you know about Grancel Castle, you know about Ouroboros...Don't tell me you're just some wandering priest!
I promise I've never lied to you. I AM a full priest of the church. Though it's true that I'm not...just a priest, you could say.
Yeah, that's super reassuring and not sinister at all!
I'll...explain everything later. And I do mean everything.
I was serious when I said we should get back to the guildhouse, though. I have a feeling some serious stuff is goin' down.
Huh? 'Serious stuff'?
Aaargh...Now I'm totally confused!
Why...I was going to see Joshua again...Why did all this...
Mmm, 'bout that. That letter from your boyfriend...You're sure it's from him?
Huh?
Y-Yeah. From what the girl who gave me the letter said, I can't imagine it's anyone else...
But this girl doesn't actually know your Joshua by sight, right? In that case, it'd be easy enough to get someone who looks close enough.
B-But even the handwriting is like Joshua's...
It's easier to spoof handwriting than you think, especially if you know how a person writes. It's definitely easy enough to fool someone who...ah, already wants to believe.
Here's the letter I got at the cathedral, for the record.




Thought so. We both got the same envelope. The letter I got promised me a juicy lead on what I've been investigating.
So both letters were done by the same group? But...who? Why?!
No idea. Maybe the society, maybe someone else.
All I can say is...they got us both hook, line, and sinker.
...
...Don't...with me...
Eh?
I don't know who these jerks are, but they don't get to screw with me...Pretending to be Joshua...and trying to lure me here to my death?
I won't let them get away with this...
YOU HEAR ME?! I AM BEATING YOUR FACES IN, YOU JERKS!
Nghaaaa, my ears...Calm down, Estelle.
Getting worked up and losing our focus is EXACTLY what the people behind this want to have happen.
Let's head back and go over what we know, okay?
Yeah...Okay...
Though, Kevin? Just to be clear, I still don't trust you. If you, like, do a big dramatic reveal as an Ouroboros agent or something...I WILL brain you. Got it?
Haha! Don't worry. Heck, I'd love to get hit by you!
I'm always willing to sacrifice my body for the woman I love! ♪
Wh-What're you...
Oh, come on...Stop trying to distract me from my burning distrust, here.
It's what I do best!
So, like I said, back to the guildhouse.
Let's go.



-Under the Moonlight-











I hope things are okay at the villa.
Well, they might've contacted the guild. C'mon, let's go check in.
Right...
Erm. Kevin? Sorry about some of the things I said back there. I was kinda out of it.
Heeey, it's cool. You were a bit messed up because you were thinkin' of your boyfriend. I get it.
I'm not worried about it, so relax.
Thanks...
But...I'm sorry. I still can't fully trust you.
Ka-zing. Can't win, can I?
Well, I should be able to convince you that I'm not an Ouroboros death merchant or whatever at your guildhouse. Y'see--
Man's Voice: Miss Estelle!



H-Hello. Pardon me for imposing upon you. But, Miss Estelle, I must ask...Have you seen the duke?
Duke Dunan? Uh, we met him this morning...
Has something happened?
I would like to know! He left at around noon and has yet to return or even contact us. I've searched all the places His Highness might have gone, but...
Oh, for...What's he doing? We're busy enough as it is!
Y'know what? Phillip, come with us. We're going back to the guildhouse. If the duke's in trouble, someone might've contacted the guild.
That is true...Allow me to accompany you, then.
And...who are you, sir?
Kevin Graham, traveling priest of the Septian Church.
A pleasure, sir!
How very polite. I am the butler to Duke Dunan von Auslese, Phillip.
C'mon, we can do big introductions later.
Let's get back to the guildhouse!



-Silence-