Part 16: After all, he IS the kind of man who would be willing to leap off a moving airship...

-Dancing With The Wind-







The tourists gotta be flooding the streets in Ruan if the weather's like this there!
Maybe. They got bigger things heatin' the place up than tourism, though.
Other than tourists? What do you mean?
The election for the new mayor. Apparently, there's two popular candidates to replace old Dalmore.
So it's, like, an actual fight of an election? Neat.
And, thinking about it, I guess it's about time, huh? They can't just let the mayor's office sit empty.
Yeah, whole thing's been a bit of a mess ever since you guys blew that case wide open. I heard about what you guys did from Jean.
Ah, haha...
Yeah, after you left, me, Joshua, and Kloe worked on that. Well, we had some help from a reporter too, and the actual arrest was done by Lt. Schwarz of the Royal Guard.
Heh, even better! You're smart enough to see it wasn't all just you.
By 'Kloe,' though, you mean the girl in the uniform, right? A.K.A....Princess Klaudia? Man, that blew my friggin' mind when I heard that in the castle.
Haha, yeah, I know what you mean.
Y'know, I haven't seen Kloe since the birthday festival...or Olivier, I guess. For better or worse.
And not just them...Tita, too...and Zane...
I told Tita and her old fogey about what was up with you. I figured they'd worry too much if they were kept in the dark.
Oh...Thanks, Agate.
Yeah, well, you'd better send 'em a letter soon, or meet 'em in person, or whatever. They miss you.
Oh, and Zane went back to Calvard after the festival. He said to give you his best.
I see...I wish I could've said goodbye...
As for the princess, I think I heard she was back at the Jenis Academy. We'll be in Ruan for a while, so I think we can find some time to drop in and say hi, at least.
Yeah...You're right.
Heheh...
What? Did I say something funny?
Oh, no, not really.
I was just thinking...You're a lot more thoughtful than you look, Agate. You even offered to let me do some shopping before we left the capital.
Thoughtful?! I'm not...I mean, I am, but...Aww, forget it!
Whatever. I'm gonna go take a nap in my seat till we arrive. Don't get so absorbed in wandering around that you forget to get off at Ruan!



Anyway, think I'll take his advice! Time for a bit of looking around before we arrive...



Passenger: What'll happen if you fall, eh? Haha, kids are always so fearless. My knees are shaking just from being out here!
Young Passenger: Wooow, this is so cool! Heeey, look, look! That tree is so tiny! Heeey, Papa, c'mere! The mountains and rivers all look so small!



Santos: Thanks to the clouds, you can't even see the Sapphirl Tower from here. I'm a researcher with the History Museum. You know the towers, right? I'm here to inspect those. After Her Majesty's birthday celebrations, there were sightings of odd phenomena around the Tetracyclic Towers. A little late, but better to investigate now than never, right?



Passenger: No...They wouldn't attack us, would they? It seems likely the Sky Bandits've fled the country, but...Even so, I'm a wee bit worried.
Other Passenger: Oh, really, Grandpa is such a worrywart! I dunno what to do with him! Sure there WERE bandits, but according to the news, they don't even have a ship anymore! What're they gonna do? Flap their arms real hard and run us down with wishes?



Passenger: We really have it easy these days. And it's all thanks to Her Majesty!



Passenger: The candidates, I believe, are the harbor manager and the owner of a local hotel. I wonder which will win?



Crew Mem. Parker: Regrettably, it is cloudy at the moment, but you should be able to see the outline of the lake. Ahem! In a moment, we will be seeing a large river. That is the Roubine River, the largest in the kingdom.



Sister Rosa: I must confess, though, all the time I've been away, I've been so worried I thought I'd go crazy! This ship isn't even going the right way, but I jumped on without thinking about it. Ohhh, did Sunday School end safely, at least? Oh, dear, oh, dear...



Phelio: Sometimes you just need to kick back and chill out, you know?
Lakeisha: Hah! 'Sometimes,' he says. 'Sometimes,' my foot! You've only JUST managed to find a job! Phelio HAS been working hard lately, granted...I guess it's all right so long as he's doing his job...Wait, no, I keep spoiling him like this!



Crew Mem. Clare: Um, excuse me, are you from the Bracer Guild, miss?
I am, yeah.
Crew Mem. Clare: I thought so! I'm glad we could meet again. Do you remember me? I was one of the people you saved when the Sky Bandits held us hostage.
Oh! You were with the captain, right?
Crew Mem. Clare: That's right. I'm Clare. I manage the passenger cabin. Our entire crew owes you our lives and more. We're still here at our posts because you managed to save us.
Heehee, you're welcome!
Is the entire crew of the Linde back at work?
Crew Mem. Clare: Yes, everyone is working even harder than before.
That's great! I'm glad everyone was able to get back to their lives.
Crew Mem. Clare: Forgive me for asking, Miss Bracer, but are you traveling for pleasure today? Or...work?
Haha, unfortunately it's always work. I'll probably end up riding airships a lot from now on. I hope you'll treat me well if I end up on the Linde again. ♪
Crew Mem. Clare: Absolutely! I hope we get to serve you again. Bracers like yourself always seem so busy, miss. It must be so rough...Still, it's because of your efforts that our lives are peaceful. Thank you!



(This guy...Oh, no way.)
Orvid: I absolutely must make this next deal happen...I should look over the local foodstuffs again. Hmm, that's a good idea. I should return to my roots and do some plain old investigating. Hmmmmm, looking over the foodstuffs of Manoria...If I'm to get anything from this, I'll need to make a list and investigate with a careful plan.



Simon: If that non-aggression pact with the Empire happens, our trade in orbments is going to explode, after all. The plan is to get to Zeiss now and secure some product in advance. Mirano's schedule is always so tight. If nothing else, I guess it means we don't waste time...



Duncan: Watch that you don't hit your head wanderin' around. Our cargo this time is almost entirely orbments we loaded on at Zeiss. I dunno why, but lately there's been a lot of stuff gettin' shipped around.



Captain Grandt: Wait a moment...You're that girl from before!
Hi, sir! I haven't seen you in a while. I saved you at the bandit hideout, right?
Captain Grandt: Yes, I thought so! You must forgive me. I never had a chance to properly thank you. Allow me to offer my thanks on behalf of the entire crew.
Haha, you're welcome! I was really just doing my job, though.
Still, it is kind of funny, though. Taking a trip on the same airship I once helped to rescue...
Captain Grandt: Repairing the damage those thugs did took some time, but the Linde's as good as new now. I'm sure she's doing her best with you on board.

*HONK* *HONK* *HONK*

Ah!
Captain Grandt: Haha! Looks like she heard us talking. With conditions like today's, we should arrive in Ruan in no time. Please, enjoy the rest of your journey. Let us know if you need anything.
I will. Thanks, sir.
Captain Grandt: Incidentally, miss...Did you ever find your father?
Ah, yeah. He did come back eventually.
He waited until the very last second to show up, though.
Captain Grandt: I see! I'm glad to hear it. Just between you and I, I was a bit worried. After all, he IS the kind of man who would be willing to leap off a moving airship...
Ahaha...yeah, I...guess?



Crew Mem. Timon: Maintain heading until we reach the Roubine River. I'm glad the winds aren't too strong today. It'd be best to not stress the engine too much.
Crew Mem. Colton: Altitude okay. Setting throttle at 60%. Maintaining current heading until we cross the Roubine River. Confirming throttle at 60%. Orbal driver set. Okay! We should make touchdown in Ruan on schedule at this rate.



Lloyd: Somewhere in that wide open lake...the legendary king of the Valleria waters lives.
(Someone hasn't changed a bit...)
Lloyd: Hm? Oh, I was wondering who it was! Hello, Estelle.
Hi, Lloyd. I haven't seen you in forever. Looking to challenge the lord-king-mugwump fish of Valleria Lake again?
Lloyd: For now, no. I'm off to Ruan. I've heard there's a nice, convenient spot right in the city limits.
Wow, you sure are dedicated! It sounds fun, but I guess I'm just not that into fishing.
Lloyd: Oh, really? That's a pity. You've got quite a talent for it, from what I saw at the Kingfisher Inn...I know! Let me give you this.
Huh?

This is, uh...?
Lloyd: It's a rod for beginners and a notebook for recording your fishing records. We, the members of the Fisherman's Guild, are devoted to the expansion of the culture of fishing! We're always happy to provide promising rookies with the tools of the trade. Incidentally...are you bound for Ruan?
Yeah, I am, actually.
Lloyd: Oh, well, then. You'll have a chance to swing that rod right away. There are all sorts of fishing spots in Ruan.
Huh, I guess it would be a good chance. Now that you mention it, Ruan as a region IS kind of full of waterside areas!
Lloyd: As I mentioned, there's a point within the city itself, too. You should go there first to practice. For now, so long as you enjoy it, that's enough.
Yeah, thanks. I'll definitely give it a shot.
Lloyd: I pray that you'll join our ranks someday. Well, then! Safe journey to you. Normally, when you think Ruan, you think of sea fishing. But there's other good fishing spots, too. The Roubine River, the one that flows through town, and the ever-famous Air-Letten waterfall are also great fishing spots. If you get the chance to visit them, you should definitely bring your rod.



Passenger: Speaking of Ruan, that whole thing with Mayor Dalmore being arrested was a real shocker. Seems like the whole town's still in an uproar over it, but that's not too surprising. Even to an outsider, the whole Mayor Dalmore thing is shocking.



Burrell: The first time I rode one...we got attacked by bandits! P-Please let nothing happen this time, almighty Aidios...



Passenger: Back home in Calvard, airships are still very rare. It was kind of a shock when I found out normal citizens use them so casually like this!



(He's...already completely passed out.)
(I guess I've gotta respect being able to sleep like this.)

*BING BONG*

Whoops, I'd better get to my seat!