Part 135: You seemed quite eager for a fight. Are we still desirous of violence?

-Those Who Guard What Matters Most-



No, no...
Not even the Royal Guard can stop 'em, huh...
Man's Voice: M-Miss...Estelle...



Did you try to stop them?
To my shame, I could not...I suppose age has...caught up to me. I could not hold them for long...
Is...the duke...?
He's fine. I believe he was just knocked down.
That is...a relief...Her Majesty has...retreated to the royal chambers...Please...hurry...!



PHILLIP!
He's just unconscious.
Let's hurry...Kloe is in danger!
R-Right!





Our destination, then.



The only one who didn't just fall over was the old timer!
Yes, he was quite an expert.
He was still silly, though. There was no way he could beat all of us.
Stupid old man.
Heh, come now, don't say that. He proved his worth through his loyalty. Few men can claim as much.
And I must admit, Duke Dunan was a little different than rumor led me to believe.
True. He did not seem like the absolute debauchee from the reports.
I was still amused by how quickly he passed out, of course.
Royal Guardsman: They're here!





Royal Guardsman: Damn it all...If only Captain Schwarz was here!
Other Royal Guardsman: Stop sniveling! We are the Royal Guard! Show them what that means!



This IS getting rather tedious.
Heehee! Told you.
Ooh, I know. To make it fun, let's see who can capture the queen first!
Oho, an interesting sport!
I'm game.
Well, then...let's play.









-The Enforcers-



Estelle...Joshua...
Everyone...thank you for coming.
Dammit...
We're too late.
You sons of...What do you think you're doing?! Let go of Kloe and Her Majesty!
Heehee! Sorry, but no.
The professor asked us to do this as a personal favor, so no can do.
The professor?!
Wait, a personal...? So this has nothing to do with the Gospel Plan, then?
Nope! Don't think so.
He said he wanted to slow you down a little since you were doing more than we thought you could.
Oh, I'm so very sorry for trying to reverse all the damage you guys are doing and being a decent human being, then.
It HAS been problematic, you realize. You restored the guild phones across Liberl.
The professor hadn't expected you to do it so quickly. I gather he wanted to see you suffer a little more.
...What...in...? He had you attack Grancel for THAT?!
That's...very like him.
You got it. I thought it was a bit lame myself.
Thing is, Loewe got sent off to secure that flyin' city alone. We had nothin' better to do, so we said, sure, we'll throw you a bone.
Walter...Damn you!
...I believe we understand now.
Given that, am I not enough of a prize by myself? Can I ask you to release Princess Klaudia?
Grandmother, no! I'm the one who should...
Hmmmmm. It is true that the good professor asked for one or the other...My, what a quandary we have on our hands!
Weren't you looking to take the princess anyway?
Heh, well. A pet bird in a cage somehow lacks charm. It may also be nice to see her elegance shining even through captivity, but...
...
You, you...Don't even start...
You're REALLY out of your minds if you think we'll let you do that!
Ha! Don't make me laugh. Even if we didn't have hostages, are you seriously gonna take on ALL of us?
Heehee! That's right, I promised to kill you all the next time we met.
You know what? This is a good chance. Maybe I should just gut you all right here.
Ngh...



(They're right. There's no way we can fight all of them at once by ourselves. We need to wait for our chance.)
(But...)
But they're such total dicks! Just LOOK at them!
Ah, alas, Joshua, it is fruitless. Perhaps had you been in the shadows, you could have found an opening. But as it stands...
Out in the open like this, your options are limited. There's little you can do, Black Fang.
...So it seems.
It also seems like I'm not the one who needs to strike that opening.
What?

-Challenger Invited-



Whaaa...?!



Your Majesty, Your Highness. Forgive my tardiness.
Cid!
Thank you for coming.
Ah. One of the Divine Blade's lieutenants.
Heehee, that wasn't too bad! Just a bit more and you really would've had us.
Yes, I'll admit I was surprised.
I didn't expect you to be able to turn away such a blow so easily.
All right! This is turnin' into my kinda party. So you want to play, too?
I'll pass, for the moment.
Really, I'm just bait, anyway.
What...?!
*gasp*!
Falcon's Voice: SCREEE









What in...?



THAT'S unexpected.
R-R-R...
RICHARD?! Colonel Richard?!
Colonel Richard



You shouldn't call me 'colonel,' however. I have been stripped of my rank, and am little more than a criminal performing his penal service.
Boy, that explains every question I'd have about this. 'Don't call me colonel,' okay.
Col...Mr. Richard. It's been some time.
I am glad to see you and the princess are well, Your Majesty.
I believe General Bright has already briefed you on my circumstances...so, please, allow me to shield you from these criminals.
Oh Alan, I'm falling for you all over again
By all means.
Thank you very much, Mr. Richard.
The pleasure is mine.
I sooo don't even know what's going on anymore.
I think it's safe to say this story is bigger than we are, as it were.
A pair of the Divine Blade's students...our wayward Black Fang, and a group of...better than average bracers.
I think we may have tarried for too long.
Heh. I appreciate the time, personally.
Incidentally, we've already handled things in the city.
Huh?



Video: Battle for Grancel



When did the Special Ops guys show up?! And they're going after the society's goons, too!
Maybe this is, you know, heavy penance for awwwwful deeds! And stuff! Or maybe they're trying to remind everyone how awesome they are!
Who the hell would...? They're trying to clear their name, Dorothy.
Ah, the hell with it! Dorothy! Make with the camera! Shoot and shoot until we can't stuff film in there anymore!
Aye, aye, sir!





Very impressive!
Heh...Not too bad, really.



Now then, servants of Ouroboros. What do you intend? You seemed quite eager for a fight. Are we still desirous of violence?
Tch...
...You think you're funny?
If it's gonna be like this, I AM gonna call Pater-Ma--
Stop, Renne. Our chance has already slipped by. Trying to force the issue now would only end in an ugly fashion.
The capture of the royals was ultimately an optional objective.
Come, let us pull back.
Hmph. Well, if we gotta.
...





It should be just about time for your next trial, however...I suggest you keep your wits about you.
...'Next trial'?
What are you on about NOW?!
You'll see soon enough.
Good day, then, everyone.

*RINGGG*

-Silence-





-Dancing With The Wind-



A shame we cannot pursue them, but I suppose we can't be selfish.
Yeah...Er, wait! WAY more importantly!
So just what in the heck is COLONEL RICHARD doing here?! I thought you were in prison for the seriously grievous crime of being a huge jerk!
I said, I'm not a...Well, regardless.
Before any of that, we have to secure the city. Would you help us?
Er, well...sure, of course.
We'll help tend to the wounded and with firefighting.








He had a suspicion that Ouroboros might try something like this.
However, most regular army troops aren't very well trained to fight without their orbal firearms...
So he decided to use a handful of troops with experience in hand-to-hand combat.
Of course, he needed an excuse to get me and my subordinates involved, seeing as we are supposed to be in prison.
As a result, we were to be transported to Grancel, where we conveniently ended up caught in the chaos and repelled the attack.
Oooookay...
That's about as subtle as a brick to the forehead, Dad.
I take it you had some idea about this, Your Majesty?
Yes, Cassius and I discussed the idea earlier. We will, I suspect, face some criticism for doing this, but the safety of the citizenry must come before everything else.
And I knew, from the bottom of my heart, that Mr. Richard would do what was best for the country he loves so.
I do not deserve such praise, Your Majesty.
I get it. So then...
Oh, uh, right. Does this have to do with the reason you wanted to see us?
In part, yes.
What I wanted to discuss was what Klaudia has done.
Huh?
What Kloe's done?
Yes...
It was a short ceremony, but as of this morning, I've been formally invested with the inheritance. I am now, officially, the crown princess of Liberl, next in line to be queen.
Whoa!
Wow!
Congratulations. I think you made a good decision.
I...really think some of it is simply selfishness on my part.
Estelle, everyone...I understand you're the ones who saved everyone at the academy? Thank you so much.
Oh! Uh, yeah.
We can't really take all the credit, though. Anelace's group was there, and Sieg helped out too!
Screee. ♪
Haha! Yes, so I gathered.
When I learned about what happened...I spent a lot of time thinking about what I could do. What role I could serve to help protect those dear to me...
And that's inheriting the throne?
Yes.
I am an inexperienced teenager who lacks the ability or confidence to lead an entire kingdom. Still, if I can use such a position to protect those dear to me...and if that in turn helps me to protect the home I love...
...then it is all worth it.
Kloe...You silly...



Well, congratulations!
Looks like you finally found that path you were looking for, huh?
Estelle...thank you.
I really am desperately new at this, though, and I am not quite sure what I can do. Will you...lend me your aid when I need it?
What kinda question is that? Duh!
I mean, heck, I'm not exactly a grizzled veteran over here, you know.
Just as you've lent us your aid, time and time again...
Whenever you need us, we'll be there for you.
Estelle, Joshua...
Thank you...Thank you so much!
(What a complete and utter fool I've been.)
(All the things I did without realizing the potential of the young people who will carry our future...)
(Alan...)
(Hmhm! What's this, Alan?)
(You'll be carrying a good deal of 'future' yourself, still, I think.)
(Quite so!)
(You jest, Your Majesty...)
Man's Voice: Colonel! I have a report!

-Silence-



Royal Guardsman: N-No, sir, everything is quiet here. The jaegers withdrew rapidly from the city and faded back out into the countryside.
Then what is it, man? Speak up.

-Hollow Light of the Sealed Land-

Royal Guardsman: We, we've received a report from Haken Gate. An Erebonian army is gathering on the border!
What?!
So they've come at last...!
How large an army are they fielding?
Royal Guardsman: So far, it appears to only be a single standard division. But they...they have tanks with them!
WHAT?!
Now just a damn second! How the hell are they runnin' TANKS in the middle of all this?!
Are they using the same technology as the society?! I thought they might...
Royal Guardsman: No, it's...strange. They don't appear to be using orbments at all. The scout reports say they run using steam engines.
Steam what now?
Um, it's an engine that uses steam to move the pistons. It's even more primitive than a gasoline engine...Everyone stopped using them as soon as orbments were invented.
No sane army would bother keeping such museum pieces maintained. They're a joke compared to even the most basic orbal tank.
Which can only mean one thing.
They prepared these in secret.
Hang on. You mean...
It means the Erebonian leadership knew this was going to happen.
So, the next trial Ouroboros spoke of...
Yes, it must be this.
And now, they're effectively holding Grancel hostage.
They can storm in and take the capital again whenever they please. It's one way of sending a message, I suppose.
There's another problem.
I suspect Dad was keeping you as an ace in the hole. A special joker card he could play, someone he could dispatch anywhere an emergency occurred where he couldn't be. But now he's played that card, and you'll have to remain here.
Blast it...
Ouroboros certainly plays a hard game...
...Grandmother. Allow me to go to Haken Gate.
Say WHAT?!
Kloe?
I couldn't bear sending Uncle...He risked his life once already for our sakes.
_{(also he's still a bit of a fuckup...just a bit)}
Let me go. I will negotiate with the Erebonians as your agent.
...Very well.
Though we may have signed a non-aggression pact with them, remember that the scales on which Erebonia and Liberl balance are still unstable. These events could spiral into chaos that would engulf the continent.
I am counting on you...to balance those scales.
I will!



So, uh...In that case, mind if we go with you?
I'm sorry?
We shall see the heiress to Haken Gate safely.
And if things get really crazy and turn into a shooting war, we'll do what we can to help.
Now mind, we can't actually HELP with a shooting war, as per guild protocol...
...But there's a few things we could do from a neutral position, I think.
Everyone...
Hmm-hmm...I couldn't ask for more.
Thank you. Please, keep her safe.
Yes, Your Majesty!
Leave everything to us.
Estelle, Joshua. On that note.
I and my men will keep an eye on any movements the society may try to make.
Even if they attempt to assault us with that massive puppet of theirs, we will be ready to respond.
Guys...
We'll be counting on you.