Part 98: This is going to be the most dangerous thing we've ever done. By a lot.

-Under the Moonlight-





He'll have to stay bed-bound for a while.
Poor Kurt...
Never thought I'd see the day where KURT gets thrashed like this. The hell happened...?
Kurt and his team were really close to finding the society's base, from what Lugran told us. Which means Anelace and Carna and Grant should have been wi--
Oh, no!
This is bad.
I called Lugran on the inn's phone. He's contacting the other branches and the Royal Army now.
But, but...! If things've gone wrong, Anelace and the others'll...!
We know, we know. Don't panic.
We need to get out there and do what we can.
Problem is, where the hell did Kurt's boat float in from?
Hmm. It is curious. Valleria Lake has no islands or reefs, correct?
That's right. It's tremendously deep, so...
So it must have floated in from another shore. It could be very hard to divine precisely which shore, though.
Yeah...The lake is huge.
I guess we could ask the army patrol ships to help, but...
Nnngh...
Kurt?!



Ah...This is...Estelle...Ah, and Agate...everyone.
This is the Kingfisher Inn, on the lakeshore in Bose. You drifted here on the waves, you tough old goat.
The Kingfisher...Yes, I see...
I remember my teammates and I infiltrating the society's base...And then...then I...I...?
Kurt?
Don't tell me...
Kh...DAMN it all! To have my memory stolen not once, but TWICE! Agh...
I knew it.
The society has intruded upon your mind once again...
Zane, please! Use your chi on me as you did last time! Otherwise, everyone else will...
Last time was...a desperate improvisation. It won't be able to restore memories locked away by hypnosis.
Besides, with your injuries...No. We cannot risk it.
But...!
In that case, let ME try somethin'.
Bwuh?
...And you are?
Kevin Graham, Grail Knight of the church. Think Anelace might've told you about me.
Ah...Yes...
H-Hang on a sec, Kevin. You can undo hypnosis?
Well...dunno what I could do about any nasty stuff that's wormed its way into the subconscious. Buuuuuut...I think I can manage a little somethin' if it's just some kind of block on his short-term memory.
Doesn't seem like it's been that long since he was hit, so!
Oh, neat!
Hm. Is this an example of Thaumaturgy, the secret arts of the church?
You might call it that.
This, uh, might feel like your head's gettin' kicked by a mule. Repeatedly. I'm guessing you don't care much, though.
Not at all. Please, do what you can.
All right.

-Silence-



In the name of She Who Dwells Above do I hold this consecrated septium.

-Tetracyclic Tower-





(So pretty!)
Silver reflection of the conscious will, black luminance of time's flow...By your opposing natures, I divest this mortal man of the ties which bind his mind!



NNNGH!
KURT! You okay?!
Yes, I...think. I think so...So much is returning. As though a mist is clearing from my mind...



Just let the fog clear, and remain calm and relaxed. Whatever you do, don't try to look into the darkness that lies beyond.
Yes, I understand. Hah...I see what you meant when you warned me this would be unpleasant. That is...my ego, isn't it?
You can tell? I'm surprised!
I am proficient in meditation, remember...
...I'm fine. I think I remember enough now.
Really? Great!
Hmmm. An impressive technique.
Heh, you really are more than just a skirt-chasin' priest.
Hmmhmm. Well done, Kevin.
Hahaha! C'mon, don't inflate my ego TOO much, here! I mean, a little, sure, but not too much.
Anyhow...Kurt! What do you remember, exactly?
Yes. Well...
The society has a base on the northwestern shore of the lake. They've built some kind of research facility in secret...
A RESEARCH FACILITY?!
When did they...? How did they...?
The northwestern parts of the lakeshore are sparsely populated at best...Even so, guard airships do patrol over the area. I don't...
The facility is cleverly hidden. They project a dummy image into the sky to prevent aerial scouting.
WHAAAT?!
Well, that is...an impressive feat.
It-it's theoretically POSSIBLE, but, but, how would you...
And if you approach by land...A deep fog springs up around you as you draw near.
A fog!
Sounds just like Rolent.
We broke through the fog and entered the facility. But then...we were ambushed by a team of people calling themselves 'Enforcers.'
They caught us completely off guard and crushed us almost immediately. I lost consciousness not long after reaching the boat...
...DAMN my cowardice! Abandoning Grant and Carna and Anelace like that...
Kurt, don't worry about it, okay? We're going to save Anelace and all the rest!
Estelle...?
Heh, don't worry, Kurt. You told us everything we need to know to go kick some fools around.
Yes. On top of that, I suspect we'll have some help from the Royal Army.
Leave the rest to us.
Thank you.
Forgive me...I leave it in your...hands...



K-KURT?!
Don't worry, he's just unconscious.
Anyway, sounds like we don't have time to stand around.
Right! We need to get going before the army does!
Estelle, I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but...
Yeah...I know. This is going to be the most dangerous thing we've ever done. By a lot.
But you know what? I was prepared to settle things with the society one way or another. It'll just happen sooner than I thought.
Estelle...
Hmmhmm...I think that was the shortest vacation in history.
Nah, we got plenty of rest. Now it's time to gear up for the real fight.
There is a problem...A small army of us going together would stand out too much.
It would be best to send a smaller group, I think.
Still doesn't make any sense.
Yeah, good idea.
Hey, everyone? Do you mind if I pick a team like I did back in the ruins?
As you did beneath Grancel? I think that's for the best. I'll be happy to come along.
Sure, I don't mind.
I won't hold any grudges if you don't pick me...though I do wanna bust some heads.
Of course! Though you will, naturally, ask me to come along.
If you need someone who can heal injuries, I will be happy to come along.
I, um, I can help with machines and stuff, I think!
Thanks, guys...
Er, sorry to spoil the fun, buuuuut...
D'you mind picking me first?
Huh?
From the sounds of it, Anelace and your friends are in the society's claws. If they've been given the same treatment Kurt was, or worse, what'll you guys do, exactly?
Oh...uh.
I see. A good idea.
Yeah, good point. Looks like you're in no matter what, Mister Priest.
Heheh, thank ya!
We should be thanking you, Kevin.
Okay. Let me pick the rest of the team.

Let's change things up here.



We'll take Zane and Kloe instead of Kloe and Zane.





Those shiny new casting quartz give Father Kevin access to Death Scream...





...and Kloe has Aerial, Diamond Dust, Blue Ascension, and Titanic Roar, along with all the ATS boosts she can carry. Everything's gonna die.

-Under the Moonlight-





You're kicking holes in the boat again, Zane. Watch that.
You'd think we'd be able to see the beach soon or something.
Mm. We should be moving in the right direction, I think.
There is little need to worry. We will get there.
Ahhhh, besides, check out that moon!
This is the sort of night you'd want to take a girlfriend out on a date, really.
And SOMEONE'S as mellowed out as ever...
But, do you actually have a girlfriend, Kevin?
Heh! Despite what you might think, I have at least one candidate in each town on the continent, and--
Candidate. Meaning you don't actually have one.
C'mon...at least let me FINISH braggin'!
Hahaha...
Though...Kevin, why ARE you out here on your own still? This is becoming kind of a big deal and you have no backup, aside from us. Are the Grail Knights kind of understaffed?
Well, the situation's kinda...complicated.
I got dispatched out here on my own at first, yeah.
If stuff REALLY hits the Rotating Thingamajigger, though, some of my buddies might fly out here.
Oh, okay.
Er, so, the Grail Knights' job is the retrieval of artifacts, right?
More accurately, investigation, management AND retrieval. And 'retrieval' usually means recovering it from someone.
The church has forbidden the average citizen from owning working artifacts, and most nations agree and let us work.
But what's with all the locking down? Seems like a lot of effort for old machines.
Okay, so, thing is, there's lots and lots of different types of artifacts, right? And nobody really knows how or why they work yet.
Despite that, they DO work, and depending on how you use 'em, they can have absolutely crazy abilities.
What do you think tends to happen when you put infinite cosmic power in the hands of your average citizen?
I, uh, can guess...but what?
The biggest thing is actually obsession. They can't resist the seduction of power and inevitably use the artifact for...nothing good.
Seriously? Always?
We've seen it happen time and again throughout history, sadly enough.
Estelle, you remember Mayor Dalmore well enough to know what I'm talkin' about, right?
Er...
It's true, Mayor Dalmore did seem terribly cruel when he showed his true face to us. He seemed like a man who had cast aside anything we would consider moral restraint...
Holding absolute power gives people a warped sort of confidence, erases their ability to control themselves...
It's the mission of the Gralsritter to stop that before it happens.
Ain't always the prettiest job in the world, but...
R-Really?
Hey, even the Bracer Guild has stuff they can't talk about publicly, right? It's not any different than that.
Oh, uh, well...You've got me there.

-Silence-



Hey...!
I suspect we're close to their base...

-Visions-



Now we really got no choice but to plow on ahead.
Yeah...Stay alert, everyone. They might try to ambush us.







Looks like we made it through.





I don't see anyone around, but, well...
Yeah, nobody let your guard down. First order of business, I think, is giving that building ahead a scouting out.
Let us not forget who our enemies are.
If we feel we are in danger, we should not hesitate to retreat.
Yeah...Good point!





No good...
We'll need to find another entrance.