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Part XXIII: The Enigmatic Place and Voice  The Elixir is almost done! ... I did it! I made an Elixir! ... Logy! Huh? Oh, sorry...yeah, that looks great. You've been really quiet lately Logy. Is anything wrong? No, there's nothing really wrong, I'm just thinking about the team from Central. Oh... What about them? Remember when I said that Central likes to decide things first and plan for them later? I'm thinking this may be one of those situations. You mean, the people from Central might not come? Well, between the dreadnaught, the ruins we've surveyed, and the advances in alchemy we've accomplished since I came here, they will eventually come. But for a team from Central to come this far out on such short notice, maybe they won't have enough time to make it. Hm... Anyway, it's not really worth worrying about. We'll know soon enough. I'm going to go to Duke's to get something to eat. Want to join me? Music: Working People Ragtime  Hold your horses, missy! I'll be just a second! Duke's tavern seems a little more lively than usual. Hey, wasn't that Linca's voice...? Huh? Was it? I didn't notice... No, that was definitely Linca. Let's go take a look. If she's drinking, it could be trouble for the entire town. Logyyyyyyy! Wait for me! Hey, you only just noticed this now? My bar's the best in the entire region. Yeah, I totally agree. This is just fantastic! Well, I'd be fine anywhere, s'long as there's somethin' to drink. Hahahaha! Are you actually giving some thought to the flavor? Take your time with this one. ...You certainly seem to be in a good mood, Linca. No, and I can't drink... Wait. Linca, didn't you say that you don't drink? Pft! In this rough world, sometimes the bottle's your only friend. It's a shame not to enjoy it. It's always there if you need it. Good ol' Al would never betray me. I've never heard you talk like this, Linca. You're like an entirely different person. That's because I'm Linca, but I'm not Linca. Hahaha! It's no use, she's not making any sense. Ugh, she reeks of alcohol. Exactly how much have you had to drink? Huh? I don't know, I lost count. Linca, you've got to stop. If you drink too much, you'll cause trouble for the other people here. I guess I can't help it... I'll hold off for today, and drink again another time. Please do. And don't push yourself. All right, miss. You go home and get some sleep! I don't have a home. Guess I'll just wander around for a while. Are you all right? I could escort you. Nah, nah nah nah nah. You're in the Development Division, right? Good luck with your work. ...That was a side of Linca I wasn't expecting to see. Yeah. She didn't seem like Linca at all... Well, it was a good meal, but I just couldn't stop thinking about Linca. Why would she drink? Um...maybe she's sad about Marion? And she must have been drinking a lot, her eyes were really bloodshot. I hope it won't be a problem for Marion. Speaking of Marion, do you want to tell her about Linca while we're here? Hmm...I don't think so. I'm sure Marion will scold Linca when she sees her again. Hmm... Anyway, we're all done with this assignment, and we've got two weeks to go until it's over. Well, as long as we're outside, we might as well gather as many materials as we can. I'm still surprised how much stuff we can find in the dragon's nest. How long has it been building this nest? Dragons can be really weird. A metal-eating dragons, dragons that breathe fire and poision, and all kinds of colors... How much do we really know about them? Well, they're pretty rare, and not very often seen... Oh, Logy! I was reading about the Dunkelheit, and I wanted to try something in the Southern Ruins. Can we head there after we go back to Colseit? Sure. I don't have anything i need to do before the next assignment starts. I knew it! Knew what? How did you find a Dunkelheit here? Well, since we found the last Dunkelheit in ancient ruins, I was thinking maybe we could find more in other ruins. The only ruins with nature around Colseit other than the Lab of Eternity is the Southern Ruins. Thinking like, I used the Plant Nutrients to increase the potency of the soil, and thought if we got lucky we could find a Dunkelheit! That's...amazing, Escha. I'm curious, though, why did you think that the Dunkelheit only grow near ruins? Ehehe... Well, it was kind of a lucky guess. Nio has been doing some exploring with Wilbell, and apparently that's where she found her Dunkelheit, so the only connection between where she found her Dunkelheit and where we found ours was ruins. Still, though, that's impressive. Maybe the Dunkelheit were a lot more common in the past, but the weakening soil caused them to become much rarer. If that's the case, then they could have done cultivation experiments near the ruins... Anyway, I don't think we'll find anymore Dunkelheit around here for a while, so I think we should probably turn in our final report to Marion.  I've been wondering... I know this is an official meeting, but we always end up chatting randomly... You're right. I think there's more chit-chat and less official reporting going on here, don't you? Th-That's not true! I'm always holding serious meetings here. Are you sure? Why don't we make this one really quick so we can get back to work? I think he has a point. Let's take care of business first, this time. ...You're right. I do suppose that there is a bit of idle talk every now and then. B-But these meetings are the only time I get to talk to you! It's one of the highlights of my day! O-Oh, is that what it is? I thought we were slacking off when we talked like that. Never mind, then. No, I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to. Once I get back to my desk, it's like I'm handcuffed! Let me strech my wings while I'm out here! So these meetings are you free time...? Ahaha... You should find another way of getting some fresh air every once in a while, Miss Marion. Well, all right... Let's see how you did last period. What do you think those ruins really were... They felt really strange... With the area being as dangerous as it is, I'm not certain when the real investigation can start... But what you provided is a fine preliminary look. It's possible they might name the ruins after us! That would be amazing. That kind of recognition makes investigating places like that worthwhile. Let's keep this up and go search for other ruins that no one's seen before! Well, I'm going to give you your assignment for this period now. After this one, the people from Central City are finally going to come here... (I wonder...) We'll need to make a lot of preparations for them here... I'm afraid we'll be kept busy with it. know we're doing their dirty work, so I got approval for us to focus only on preparations for now. I see... So our main task won't be extremely difficult. Let's take this opportunity to do things we normally wouldn't be able to! That's fine by me, as long as you remember your primary assignment. My job's on the line, got it? I listed everything you'd need in the memo here. Please gather and make all of these items. We've also arranged for a homunculus to be kept on standby for your needs. Okay! Let's get this period's assignment over with really quick! I guess this is going to be our last assignment, Logy... Yeah, looks like it... But look how much we've accomplished while we've worked together, Escha. I don't know how things are going to change when the team from Central gets here, if it does, but it's been a lot of fun working with you and everyone from Colseit. Hehe...even Reyfer? Hah, yeah, even Reyfer. Logy, thank you so much! It's been great working with you, too! So the other two assignments we need to complete are using our Double Draw more and bringing...50 items out into the field!? Are they out of their minds? Can we even do that? Well, we have enough room in our portable container to do it...but only if we bring the smallest alchemy items we have...and even then we'll have to use all of our space. (Central is such a pain...) Escha, while you're getting the materials needed for the synthesis, I'm going to go change into my normal clothes. I get the feeling Marion doesn't like me wearing silly animal parts to official meetings... Oh, too bad... Clone should have your clothes back at the house. Oh, no, I brought them here. Oh, okay then. I'll step out for a few minutes. C'mon, we'll go get some things from Katla.  Hah, I wonder if you and I are looking at the same sunset right now... Harry, you look a little down. Oh, you two... No, I was just thinking of something from some time ago. Would you care to hear about it? If that's all you want, we'll happily listen. Thank you. You see, I was a company manager back in my homeland. In a town full of travelers and shops, I knew that people wished to see rare and exciting things. In order to satisfy their wishes, I used my own funds to hold a tournament to show off new things. That sounds like a lot of fun. Almost like a festival. I passed myself off as a rare item collector, and I would win the contest every year. ...Even though it was your own tournament? Yes, that's why I had to hide my identity. However, a challenger to my title appeared a few years ago. She bested all my rarest and most prized items, and became the new champion. So she was able to beat you... Was she some famous scholar? I could have accepted it if she was! No. The infuriating thing was that she was a simple herbalist. She beat me, badly and repeatedly. Then she left for a far-off land before I could challenge her again. Is that so... I can see why that would leave you with some regrets. Regrets, yes... Now that she's gone, winning the tournament feels empty, not a thing to be proud of. That's why I decided to leave my company to a successor, and wander the world. So that's why you became an adventurer... Those are some very strange circumstances. Heh. You'll understand my words some day, when you yourself hit a wall in this world. Anyway, I can't stand around like this. I need to prepare for my next adventure! ...He's a wealthy man, right? He could make a lot more money in the business world. But that's so romantic! He's thinking about that girl, even now. Was that really the point of his story? It's go to be something different... Looks like Lucille is making more and more friends among the homunculi... She's amazing! Huh? What's going on here? Wait a sec, you didn't see the fliers? "Duke's 4th Chowdown Showdown!" I'm trying to get participants. Whaddya say? Ooooh, an eating competition? That sounds really fun. Right!? I got a great bargain on a lot of food, so I can finally hold another contest! ..If you keep having events like this, you'll never turn this bar into a place women will want to go. (I'm surprised Logy remembers that... That was years ago...) Well, what's done is done. I guess I'll just have to live with owning a hangout for burly men. *Sigh* So, what exactly do we need to do to win? Free food... That would really come in handy. And, of course, only the winner gets the prize. Not only that, but the loser has to wash the dishes on a full stomach. It's gonna be rough! I really don't want to think about what'll happen if I lose... I don't think I'll participate, anyway. What are you talking about!? You made me explain all that, and you're not even gonna take part!? No, well... I'm not that good at eating fast, anyway. Huuuuh!? But we won't get another chance like this... Why don't we give it a shot!? Hahahaha, that's ad, man. You kids are still young, so why not live it up!? I'll have the regulars take care of your cover charge, so don't worry about that. C'mon, take the shot! It's amazing that there's no cover charge... Aren't the regulars going to participate? Yeaaaaaaah, welllllll... All of thse guys already tried in one of the previous Chowdown Showdowns. They're willing to cover anyone's entry fees out of respect and awe for the challengers' courage. That sounds even worse...! How much do we have to eat? M-Maybe I'll give it a shot, Mr. Duke... Can I join the competition? Whoa, that's flattering, but...I think it would be really difficult for you, Escha. I-I see... I really wanted to try... ...Okay, okay, I get it. I just have to participate, right? Fine. That's the spirit! I'll holler when I have enough people competing. Don't you dare run away on me! Logy... Please do your best in my stead! We're gonna get those free meal tickets! ...I'll do what I can. Hmm...all this talk of food is making me hungry. Do you want anything to eat, Logy? No...I'm going to step out for a bit. Have something to eat, and I'll meet you outside, Escha.  Ugh, that's horrendous. I need something... Something much more appropriate! Hm? What's up? You're a man capable of putting sentences together, yes? Would you say that is a correct statement? ...What...? I don't know who told you that, but I'm probably better at it than Escha. I actually have a huge favor, which I must ask you... Don't tell me you need my help with your work? I don't think there's much I can do for you there. You must pardon me. But there is no one else upon whom I can rely. I'm not going to take responsibility for what happens, but I'll certainly hear you out. The truth is... I want to write a love letter! A love letter!? You mean... To an actual person? I have an idea of what I want to say, but when I put pen to paper, I cannot find the proper words. I've never written anything of this nature, so I'm having something of a difficult time... Does the phrase "I am witnessing" sound too cheap? Perhaps a flower comparison would be more admirable? W-Wait a second... What are you going on about? Besides, who's the girl, anyway? Eh!? I-I can't answer that! If you don't tell me, I can't help you as effectively. I won't tell a soul; you have my word. (Oh brother...) ...Her, of all people. Of course. Well, if we're talking about Katla, I think you're better off giving her a present. I've considered that, but I just don't know what women like in the way of gifts. You don't know what women like in the way of love letters, either. At any rate, I think comparing her to a flower and all that...is really not necessary. Are you certain? I don't want the letter to be disappointing, either... I think it might be better to tell her straight out. Katla probably only reads the first three lines anyway. Why don't you just write "I really like you"? However, this i something that I must overcome myself. So, perhaps it was for the better. ...I was being serious. Was I that far off? Boy, that kid's hard to read. Why does everyone keep asking me things like this? Oh, looks like Escha isn't done yet. Oh! Nio! I sent those documents about the Unexplored Ruins to her. Maybe she's found out something. I saw it mentioned in a lot of the documents I was issued before I came here. It's a priority site. Hmm... I'd like to take a look at those documents. Don't get your hopes up. Pretty much all they said is that the ruins exist. I really didn't think they were good materials. I'm sure the people who wrote them didn't care at all. Really... That's a shame. I thought Central City was where people kept all the information in one place. I think this town is likely to have more details about the ruins than Central City. I know they gather information from a lot of regions, but there isn't much about ruins nobody's gone to. Yes, that's the difficult part. I've been doing lots of research, but there's just nothing useful... Although, I have started to find a few things... Oh, did you discover something new? Yes. I found some ancient texts, and tried deciphering them. So you can read the ancient language as well. What was written in them? There was extremely important research going on at this facility. But one day, it left... ..."Left"? The facility just took off? That doesn't make any sense. Exactly. But there aren't any ruins that large in this area. A large, round facility... No, I can't think of anything. I thought not... But I've seen that name in records before, as well. Perhaps it's referring to the Unexplored Ruins. I see... Well, it's better than having no leads whatsoever. I'll check if Central City has any records of this "Geosis" facility. There might be a connection. That would be a big help! All right, time to decipher more of this ancient text! Haha, that's the spirit. I need to get to work, too... Even Escha should be done by now. Oh, hello Logy! Where were you? Oh, first I ran into Micie outside the bar, and then went to Nio's house to talk a little bit about the Unexplored Ruins... Escha, have you ever heard the name "Geosis" before? "Geosis"? What's that? I don't know, but Nio was telling me about some ancient documents she found that mentioned a facility called "Geosis" that was performing very important research until it "took off" a long time ago. The description of the facility matched the description of the Unexplored Ruins, so I thought there might be a connection. Hm...I've never heard the name, but that sounds really interesting. That means that... Someone had to have made the facility fly into the sky. How did they do that?  Ugh... You remember that? You sure are tenacious when it comes to food... Hey, what are you talking about? You told us to look forward to it! Well, I did make a promise, so I tested it until I came up with something... Which means... You did make it! W-Well, yeah... But there's a small problem, so I shouldn't use it. What... Why's that? After so much boasting, you really shouldn't be holding back. Oh... Maybe it just didn't turn out very well? If that's true, then you can always... Never! Fine, I'll show you. Once you taste a magician's sweets, you'll never let anything else into your mouth! Is it really that good? Well, please make some, then! A-All right. Here I go...   You really did it. How's that!? ...These are magic sweets... You should try them... Since you offered... Thank you! Oh... Oh my gosh! It's so delicious! I've never tasted anything like this! Logy, try some! Hmm... I'm surprised. I've never tasted this mysterious flavor before. This is great! O-Of course it is...so, what do you think? Each magician has her own unique flavor, after all... Um, why do you seem so out of breath? Well... Magic takes...a lot of energy... I had to make two at once... Whew! I feel weak, and I'm really hungry... Is there anything you can do anything about that? There really isn't. It's not difficult this way, but... Making them normally would be much easier. I thought making sweets with magic ought to be easy, but this really isn't any use... Ahaha... So you should just make them normally, then. They're so delicious, though. I'm sure anyone would be happy with this. Yeah, but I want to be a great magician, not a snack-maker. I'm just wasting my time with this. Really? It seems like a waste not to... ...I can hear that voice again.  (Who are you? ...Where are you?) Nio, why do you look so serious? Are you looking for someone? Oh... You didn't hear a voice? No... What kind of voice was it? Um, I don't really know... It sounded like a girl talking in her sleep... I haven't heard anything like that. What about you, Logy? I haven't heard it, either. Wait... Maybe I did a little earlier. Really!? Did you understand what she was saying? It was hard to hear. S-Sorry. I definitely think I wasn't hearing the same thing you were, Nio. Never mind. If you heard anything, tell me, please! Even the littlest thing! If it means that much to her, Logy, we should probably help her out. No, it's just, if you really insist... Whaaaaat!? No, don't talk about that! It's so embarrassing! I said it wasn't the same thing! I thought she was asking about girls sleep-talking, and I let it slip! O-Oh... I thought someone besides me could have heard it. Ugh...so you heard a girl's voice in the apple orchard, Nio? Yes. I've been hearing her since I first came here. I've been hearing her more often lately... She seems to be in pan, like she's calling out for someone, always... I really don't know. Have you tried talking to anyone about it before? No, this is the first time I've mentioned it to someone. I thought I was just hearing things. But, lately I've started to believe that there's definitely someone talking to me! This isn't the first time I've heard something like this. I can't explain it, but please believe me! It's okay, Nio, we aren't doubting you. I don't know what's going on, but if you say you hear something, then it must be true. Really? You believe me? You're not someone who tells strange lies like that, Nio. We trust you. Thank you so much! I'm glad I could finally tell someone about it. To be honest, part of the reason I stayed in Colseit is because I want to know why I'm hearing this voice. I've been searching this whole time, but I still don't know where it's coming from... Ahaha. If you were that worried, you should ahve talked to us about it sooner. A voice that only Nio can hear... I wonder if it's because she grew up in a different country?   I was reviewing some old records. They were very old, so it took me a long time to access them. Does that mean you were able to remember something about the past? Yes. Perhaps reading that nostalgic book caused it, but I suddenly became curious about the past. Nostalgic? Do you mean that picture book? Yes, that was definitely the trigger. I see. So who was that friend? I do not know. However, a very long time has passed since then. I am sure my friend has long forgotten our promise. There's no way! If she was so important to you, she never would have forgotten! Thank you, Escha. However, that is enough. Since the promise was not fulfilled, I could not continue the story past that point. ...You could always start now. Just write an ending. Anything, just give it a happy end. I am an automaton. I am capable of storing and reproducing information but cannot create new things. The fact that humans are able to start and end their own stories is a wonderful thing indeed! ...Is that really true? We automata are happiest when helping humans accomplish this. ...Okay. Thank you, Clone.  I wonder. Was I really able to create something by myself? ...I am sure she would have known the answer. Clone can say some pretty mysterious things every now and then. Hm...you're right. I wonder who her friend is...she's never said anything about a friend from long ago to me. I guess we'll never know... Well, this should be enough for the team coming from Central. The Item Clone trait, though is really powerful. It can turn a normal item into a recurring item, but it takes a little longer to prepare it. Maybe I should make more so we can use that trait later... That should be enough.  It okay... We have lots. I call Solle. Wait here. Whew... That was actually a little exhausting. Well, in terms of sheer numbers, it was rough. Good work, Escha. Thank you for your hard work. I heard your preparations are done. We'll take over from here. Yes! Thank you very much. Well, I'm sure the R&D Division will be very busy next year, but please keep up the good work. Really busy...? Is there something else coming up? Oh, Marion didn't tell you? You're going to be babysitting the people from Central City. Or so I heard... The R&D Division here has been taking on their own missions, but you'll be more limited next year. Oh no... Do we have to do that? Well, regardless, someone's going to have to do it. Though, I suppose Marion is most displeased by this. We need to make the appropriate preparations on our end too, so it's going to get really busy here. Looks like we're all in the same boat, then. Now, if you'll excuse me. Please give Miss Marion my regards, as well. Yeah, we'd better do everything we can while we still have the time. Still, though...I can't say I'm too happy about this. I know...I joined R&D so I could use my alchemy knowledge to help people. If people from Central will be doing everything... I'm sure we'll still have use, but it won't be like before... This will let us work together a lot better! And a lot of really powerful traits, too! She sure bounces back fast... Well, we still have plenty of time until the homunculi finish making all the items we need to complete the 50 item request. I can't understand the 50 items, but the Double Draw is incredible. If we master this, Escha, we could completely change how to fight with alchemy in the future. Music: Alchemist Escha's Case File  Hm. Did anything stand out to you? Anything at all...? No, not really... I see. You may leave. Excuse me. Huh!? Y-You mean YOU were actually nervous? Huh!? How long have you been standing there!? Sorry, I didn't notice you. We've been here for a little while. But I'm surprised that even you get nervous in front of the manager. He's always been very intimidating. I worry that he'll yell at me over the slightest transgression. That's why I always try to get in and out of his office as quickly as possible. Hmm, so you guys go way back, then? Since before I was born. I mean, he is my father, after all. Wha--! You mean the two of you are related? Didn't I mention that? No, that's the first time I've heard that. You two don't look anything alike, though. Really...? Wow, that actually makes a lot of sense. No wonder the two of you look so similar. How do the two of us look similar, exactly? Well, certain facial features... And both of you work really really hard. Is that so...? I cannot seem to agree with that. He's been very strict with me since I was a child, so I'm always thinking about working efficiently. Make a mistake, and the lightning never fails to strike. That is truly a life of terror... So that's why you're really strict when it comes to work, too? To be honest, he's an amazing person. Sure, he's a little strict, but his title speaks for itself. I feel like he's a kind of wall that I'll never overcome. To have your father also be your superior... That would make it difficult to get work done. B-But, you could be the next Branch Manager, too, Mr. Solle. Please do your best! I'll be cheering you on! That's exactly what I dont' want. My achievements would constantly be compared to his. Ah... It's so stressful. I"ve been trying not to think of this for quite some time. Ooh... I'm sorry. I didn't know you were bothered by it. If you have time to apologize, then please get back to work. Didn't you need to speak with me? O-Oh, right... Yeah, we had something wanted to ask you... I guess it's really difficult to have a very high-up dad...   Can I help you? For some reason, I don't think there's much I can do to help in your work, Miss Threia. I don't need that kind of help. There's just something I've been meaning to ask you. You've worked with Marion in the past, right? Do you happen to know of any weaknesses of hers? I've got a really tough proposal I want to get through, but I doubt she'll listen to me. I see... Well, if such a thing exists, I'd love to know about it myself. Marion is scary when she's angry, very strict, and is actually very adept in combat. So, I would be hard-pressed to come up with any weaknesses she might have... True, she may seem out of it at times, but she's capable of just about anything she puts her mind to. I'm telling you, as long as you're organized and can explain yourself clearly, Solle's not that hard to work with. Hm? What are you two talking about? You look so serious. Ah, might as well ask... Do you two happen to know if Marion has any weaknesses? Huh? Well, this is really sudden... Come now, this helps you, too. If we all know her weak point, then there's nothing to fear from her. If we succeed, then the R&D Division can do as they please! Are you interested? U-Umm, there really isn't anything I would go that far to do... I don't think she's the kind of person who would easily let us get away with that. Linca just told me as much. She may look a little unreliable, but she doesn't have any openings. F-From behind...? What the heck were you trying to do? Maybe there are certain foods or animals that she can't stand...like bugs! Marion, weak against bugs? No, that's too stereotypical for her. What else... Oh, yeah, whenever she gets more work, she screams bloody murder. I think that's just harassment. Besides, if we increase her workload, she'll just dump it on us, since we're her underlings. Okay, maybe that's not such a good idea. When I try to picture Miss Marion, the only thing I can see her doing is paperwork... Uh, I'd say that the moment you start looking for a way to manipulate her, you're being cruel. Hmm... Marion, you are a formidable foe after all... How many people can it take to find a crack in Marion's armor? Heh...what the heck is going on here?
Sylphid fucked around with this message at 17:26 on Dec 1, 2014 |
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Dec 1, 2014 17:18
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Sylphid posted:
... Logy, are you as terrified beyond rational thought as I am right now? ... quiet, quiet, let's not get her angry ...Sylphid posted:
... what? ... what?
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Dec 2, 2014 03:35
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So the Bumblebee Princess is Ygrdrassil 2.0  And apparently Ayesha beating Harry in his tournament was canon!
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Dec 2, 2014 03:59
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I think I remember seeing Linca's eyes going red before, in one of her attacks. Makes me wonder if her drunk personality is better at fighting?
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Dec 3, 2014 01:37
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I think this is the same thing as that thing that happened in Ayesha. That there are many Lincas.
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Dec 3, 2014 08:33
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Yeah, but this one is awesome. 
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Dec 3, 2014 08:40
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Part XXIV: The Incompetent Decision and Command  Oh man, I completely forgot. Sorry, boss. I'll get it ready right away, so just wait for me... Oh, I don't mind, of course. We all want to bring our best, don't we? I will once again win a swift victory at our next showdown. I'm always ready for you to challenge. Do your best... Hahaha! Kind of strange to see Harry here. What are you doing with Mr. Harry? Oh, just a little gamble. How did I get into this? I hope you're not about to do something crazy...or dangerous. No no no, it's nothing dangerous. I don't want you misunderstanding anything. Me an' Harry have a bet to see who can bring the rarest find to the table. Oh! That sounds really interesting...! Can we join the competition, too? I hate to disappoint you, girl, but we're wagering our passion for discovery on this. Buuuut, since you asked nicely, you want to back me up a little bit on this one? Back you up? What, you want our help? Yeah... I've been on somethin' of a losing streak, so I really need to knock him dead with this next one. Hmm... That's unfortunate. Okay, we can give you some help! Haha, that's what I'm talkin' about. Truth is, I haven't found an artifact I want to show him yet. I could go digging in ruins, of course, but then I thought of makin' something rare with alchemy. Alchemy, huh...? Well, I don't mind, but what exactly are you looking to create? I haven't decided. It doesn't necessarily have to be something from the old era. As long as it's rare and interesting, it'll do. I'll let you know when I think of it. Are you sure you can win like that? Shouldn't we come up with a plan, or something? I mean, we're both treasure hunters. It sucks to lose in a battle of who's better at it. Sooooo, once I decide what we're gonna make, I"ll be droppin' in on you two later. Yes, please let us help! We're going to take Harry down for sure! He wants something rare... What do we have? Escha, do you want to head back to the Lab of Eternity now or later? We have to take care of that rampaging beast that we seen in the lower areas of the lab. I'm still really interested in Mr. Reyfer's contest, but we should probably do it now. Shut down Let's go! We need to be really careful with this monster... If this monster wasn't so fast... We can do it! Let's work together to defeat it!   We're all so much stronger when we work together! That's for sure... We sure are bringing in a lot of money lately... Anyway, let's go tell Solle we took care of that monster. Maybe he's out buying ingredients for snacks. Did you need Solle for something? Ah! Mr. Grumman... Has Solle gone somewhere? Actually, I myself just found out he was absent. I see, so he's out buying ingredients for sweets, eh? I suppose that's the one thing I didn't take from him. But to think he would like them this much... That's right... The two of you are father and son. Y-Yeah... Is it obvious? Huh? No, actually. Solle told us the other day. I was surprised. I never would've guessed. I-I see... So you couldn't tell... During business hours, we try not to mix business and family. I suppose it's understandable. Has Solle ever said anything about me to the two of you? Um... He did say that he gets nervous when he speaks to you? ...I see. I was afraid that was the case. I simply wanted to mold him into a hard worker... That's why I was so strict with them. S-So I heard... As you can see, he's become a man of few words. Now, I barely speak with him outside of the office. Few words... I'm not sure if that's exactly the case. That's how he behaves around me, anyway. Hah, so he actually talks to the two of you? Not just the two of us. He actually talks to a lot of people besides us. He's pretty strict when it comes to work. At the same time, he makes it easy for us to do our jobs. Hm. I'm pleased to see him grown into a capable young man, but I'm afraid it's more complex than that. Did I raise him the wrong way...? Was there a chance for Solle to have lived the life he wanted...? I can't say anything, evne if Solle hates me for it. No--! There's no way Solle hates you, Mr. Grumman! H-Hey, maybe you shouldn't be cheering him on without any evidence... Haha, you don't need to worry about my feelings. Besides, Solle said that you felt like a wall to him. One that he couldn't overcome. He said that...about me? It might be a little too late, but, I'm sure he respects you, Mr. Grumman! He's probably nervous when he talks to you because he has so much respect for you! I-I see... So, it's not that he hates me, then? Perhaps I'll try speaking with Solle the next time I have the chance. Thank you for your insight. I guess you say something nice every once in a while... Yeah, that would be nice. Anyway, I'm going to wait here until Solle comes back. Why don't you grab something to eat? Logy, I don't eat that much! Ergh--! I mean, you just always look hungry to me... Well...I am hungry... Yes? How can I help you...? You remember that little gamble I told you about last time? The one with Harry? The one about rare items? Did you decide what you're going to do? I've given it some thought... And I want to challenge him with something cooking-related. Are you sure that's going to be good enough? I mean, we can use alchemy to make it, but... If it'll just shut him up and kill his winning streak, I don't care what it is. We already know he's gonna bring something really obscure, so we have to catch him off-guard. Okay... But how did you decide on cooking? You're not going to find a rare item to challenge him with? Well, that's why I brought this. It's a note I found on my travels. It looks like a seasoning recipe. If this is rare enough, we can turn any dish into a masterpiece, right? What do you say? I know! Now, I don't mean to brag or nothin', but I'm actually really bad at cooking things. Shootin' 'em, yes, but not dressin' em up for eatin' afterwards. Even a cup of tea isn't my cup of tea... Ahaha... It's pretty fun, when you get used to it. I'll pass. If we tried until I started having fun, I'd be an old man. That's why I was hoping you'd be able to make this seasoning for me, see? I'll get you the ingredients, and with your skill, I'm sure we can wipe that grin off Harry's face. Sure. If that's the case, I'd be happy to help you. Not to mention that I'd love to try making some dishes using that spice myself. That's what I'm talking about, Escha. You're a role model for alchemists everywhere. If you can bring me that spice, I'll give it the finishing touches. Got it! I'll bring it over as soon as I'm done. I'm counting on you! Red Devil, Blue Devil... Escha, what on earth is that recipe? Oh, Mr. Reyfer wanted me to make a super hot spice for his treasure duel with Harry. He likes his spices really strong. Clearly... Be careful with that recipe, Escha... I know, but it was just too exciting not to do! Looks like it's done... Yeah! My mouth is starting to burn just looking at this spice... I'm going to go give it to Mr. Reyfer. Ah, thank you so much, Escha. Let's see here... Yes! This is it! This scent is like it's just trying to pick a fight with you. ...And that bite! Whoo! I tasted this once up in the frozen north! I think I got it pretty close to the original recipe. But are you sure this is correct? I feel like if you used this in a dish, it would be so spicy and strong it'd be unbearable. Well, of course it'd be really spicy. But that's what makes it great! When I eat normal cooking, I just feel like the flavor is lacking somehow... So, if I just sprinkle a bit of this on top of anything, it'll be perfect. You see!? A-Are you sure about that...? I didn't know you liked so much spiciness in your food... Hmm, I guess you could say that. But without it, it's like I'm not eating anything. I mix jam into all my drinks, and if I throw a bit of this on top of my meat, it'll be amazing! Eeek! It's not good to add all those ingredients into one dish! It's unfair to the food! Haha, who cares about what food thinks? You say some interesting stuff sometimes. When you want to make something even more delicious, it's important to improvise with what you have. If you're working with subpar ingredients, just sprinkle a bit of this in and it'll be a masterpiece! I think I know what you're trying to say, but... I just can't agree to this! I don't think I've ever seen you so impassioned. As long as I have this seasoning, I could make anything. You should cook for yourself one day. You'll finally have an appreciation for your ingredients. All right, it's on, then. How about you be my first taster? H-Huh? You want me to taste....whatever you make using...THIS!? Of course! You said you wanted me to cook something, right? To understand how cooks feel... Right? U-Um... I think it would just be wasting the spice on me. Y-Yeah! I'm sure Harry would appreciate it. Hahahaha. Good point. I should give it to Harry to try during our showdown. Ahh... You're making fun of me now, aren't you, Mr. Reyfer? No no no, really, I appreciate what you've done for me. Thanks for the seasoning AND the advice. Heh heh, I'm pretty sure I'll blow Harry's socks off with this baby! I think it'll blow off more than this socks... Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry. Hey Escha. How did it go with Reyfer? I think Mr. Harry might be in trouble. That spice is dangerous. Reyfer says he's going to use that spice in his cooking showdown to impress Mr. Harry, but... I have to see how this turns out... It's okay, Escha. Just get to synthesizing and you'll forget all about it. I'm just finishing up some really nice new armor for us on adventures. Wow, you were right... Alright, that should be the final required assignment for this period. I still can't believe the homunculi can exactly replicate items, but I'm happy about it. Let's just get this stuff off. It's killing me. Yeah, me, too... Alright, what have we got...Gather 20 documents. Escha, this one is to raise your alchemy proficiency all the way... Use 60 different items in battle... Synthesize 200 different items. But there's still four assignments that haven't been decided yet... I wonder what they could be? No idea. Oh, there's something attached to the assignment sheet... Looks like it's where to find the documents we haven't found yet. I guess the other teams have been doing exploring, too. That'll be a big help. Let's just make as many items as we can before we head back out into the field. Oh yeah, Logy! Today's the day of Mr. Reyfer's and Mr. Harry's duel! I can't miss this.  Well, then, time to begin our noble competition! We're finally doing this... I wonder what's going to happen! Are they really just going to play show-and-tell after all this buildup? Heh heh, I wanted to rent out a large venue suitable to our event, but the timing didn't work out. Now, let me start by showing you my amazing piece! Look on, and be stunned! Ancient literature may have a hefty price tag... HOWEVER, we are living right NOW. Would you not agree? I've compiled a book of everything we know of the world TODAY, and I leave it to the future! I submit to you, Harry Olson's autobiography and personal history, the story of my upbringing... I call it "The Legend of Harry"! A masterpiece overflowing with scholarship and nobility. A book about Harry...? I suppose there's only one like it in the world... ...That's not bad. I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this match already. Huh? You can't beat that, Reyfer? I don't know how you two even determine who wins or loses here. You've left me no choice but to use my trump card. I know it might have been childish, but victory is mine! Now, Reyfer, show me what you've brought! Heh... Don't think your little diary there is gonna beat me! THIS is my rare find! THIS is your spice, Escha? Yeah... It's a special pancake, that I've made especially for you. Pancakes aren't normally red. O-Oh no... I had just a taste... And he put that much in it! I can't watch... My rare find is a spicy seasoning from the northern climes! I've put plenty of that stuff in this dish. Now, Harry! Feast on this, and give in to its uniqueness! H-Hm... I suppose it's my first time ever seeing a dish this...red. The scent pierces my sinuses...sears my throat...the sheer impact makes my eyes stream with tears... If I may ask... This IS food, yes? Um, you don't have to force yourself to eat it... My goodness! This is astonishing! Why, I see I stand no chance in this battle... Wha---!? You didn't even taste it, man! It's delicious! It's like a punch in the gut, then your guts feel like they're on fire. I can't get enough of it. U-Ugh... Just listening to that makes my stomach hurt. No, no, there's no need. It's clear who the victor is in this battle. You have brought something quite amazing to our sight. I'm glad to have witnessed such a discovery. Nonetheless, I will not be defeated so easily in our next battle. Until then! Does... Does this feel like cheating to anyone else? Oh, Reyfer... You shouldn't waste food like that! Who said I'm wasting it? This is gonna be my victory meal! You want a bite, Escha? You helped! I-I think I'll pass... We should probably let this place air out a little before we come back... Let's start finding those documents. The first batch was around the well in the abandoned village.   Hey...wasn't this written by Mr. Grumman? Yeah, it was... Two more are in the Twilight Forest, near the village.  Another document written by the branch manager. The next two... Are in the homunculus village! Yay!  Escha, why did you give the homunculi 50 of our Melting Jewels? Well, they were saying something good could happen if we did. What? I don't know...but maybe we'll get lucky! Let's just start looking for those documents... That's all of them! Looks like it. Now it's finally time to head back. Music: Marion is Scary That's what all drunks say. If you don't pay up, I'm going to be a tad upset. Please believe her, Duke! She really can't drink at all! Wh-What's going on!? What happened? Oh, perfect timing, you two! You'll be a lot of help. You saw this woman drinking at my bar, and she put the bill on her tab. Back me up here. Oh, something like that did happen. We were really surprised... Yeah! She was so drunk, her personality completely changed. N-Not you, too! You're sure it was Linca? There's no way it was someone else? Now, we were right there. There's no way we could have mistaken someone else for her. I mean, she sounded like a completely different person, but it was definitely Linca. Sorry, Duke. I'll pay that bill. Please don't blame Linca anymore. Well, all right. As long as it's paid... I'm not one to keep bringing up stuff like this. You should really stop drinking before you black out, miss. Please send the money along soon. Music: Glass Key Yes, I know... Linca's here. What! No wonder. So that's what it was... That coward! Um, sorry? I don't understand what's going on here. It's a long story. Basically, Linca has something of an identical twin. A twin? Now that you mention it, she did seem like a completely different person. It's not that simple. There are literally several Lincas. What does that mean? That sounds like some kind of riddle. Anyway, that's how it is. Linca here, our Linca, can't drink at all. If there was a Linca drinking alcohol, then it was definitely a different Linca than me. We don't know what cowardly means she could take to ambush us. Stay vigilant at all times. Is she really that dangerous? So that was a different person...? She really did look the same. So when she said to put the bill on her tab... She was going to pin the whole thing on Linca. A dangerous person indeed... Yeesh, that's our entire budget for this month. Why did this have to happen...? To think that she'd attack us financially rather than challenge us directly... We can't sit here and take it. If we don't capture Linca soon, our wallets will be even worse off! ...So Linca and Marion share the same savings? Yeah. Well, if we see that Linca again, we should ask her to stop. Why don't we check out the bar now? Maybe we'll catch her. Linca's drinking alcohol, which means... It's the other Linca. We should go question her. Oh, hi! Would you two care for a drink? You're not going to trick us this time! We already know you're not the real Linca! Whaaaaaat, how boring. But you're wrong! I'm just as much Linca as that other girl. In other words, I'm not *not* the real Linca. Get it? You look the same, but... You're a different pereson than the Linca we know, right? Also, Linca told us that you're dangerous. So if you intend to... Hey, hey, calm down there. I don't intend to cause trouble like my older sister. So stop making that scary face and let's get along...Linca. Eek! There's two of them! It really is surprising when you see them side by side. Don't get so heated up. You get weak when you're angry. Want a drink? From the way you talk... You must be number three. Correctamundo! As expected from the youngest. Why don't you come here? We've got lots to catch up on. I have no intention of getting along with you. The moment my back is turned, I'm sure you plan to-- You aren't very good at listening. I said sit down! S-Stop it! I can't handle alcohol... Really? What a bore. Hey, old man! Bring me a juice! One juice, coming up--Wait! Why are there two of you!? You're a little slow on the uptake, Duke... Ch-Cheers... *gulp gulp* Ahhh! Hey, you seem to be doing all right, though! I mean, our older sister set out, saying she was going to make you cry, after all. I was pretty sure she'd have killed you by now. I didn't expect to find you alive. ...I met her, too. We chased her off, but I don't know when she might come back. You did? I'm impressed! ...They look the same, but it's incredible how different their personalities are. I feel like I'm having a weird dream... Yeah, can you do anything about your fashion sense? These colors are just so plain. Marion chose these for me. And you're wearing the same clothes as I am! Well, obviously I had to wear this if I wanted to dress up like you to get all this free booze! I really want you to stop. You're causing trouble for Marion. That small fry... What, you're still with her? Just forget about that. Why don't you come with me? ...I'm going home. Don't you ever come back here! Do you understand!? Oooh, I made her mad. I guess I'll be going as well. ...Oh, and you two. Y-Yes! What is it? I don't want the same thing to happen to her... Wait, what do you...? Seeya. Maybe we'll meet again. That was strange. She seems warm and caring, like an older sister... Hey! That girl hasn't paid her bill yet! ...She's also very troublesome. Is this going on Marion's tab, too? I guess without a really hard assignment, we just don't have that much to do. I know how you feel... I really wanted to visit the Unexplored Ruins, but the team from Central is going to be here soon... We should just go make our final report... Three tasks we still have to do, and we still don't know what those four other tasks are... I can't believe it's been three years since we've started working here... I was really worried at first, but I guess if you keep at something, everything just falls into place. Hey! This is no time for feeling nostalgic! We're all going to have a lot of work ahead of us, m'kay? The branch manager's going to call on us today, too, so let's wrap this up as soon as we can. Aw... But you said in the last meeting that we should have longer conversations in these meetings. It depends on the time and place! Now, let's see how you two did last period... Well, I have no complaints, and no surprises here... You two are fine workers. I'd say we had a tougher time with the other tasks we tried to slip in. Well... I think we needed to plan ahead a little more on those ones. Nonetheless, I'm impressed you were able to complete this much. You've done a really good job. Now, that'll do for last period's report. Let's head over to the manager's office. Escha, Logy, and myself will represent the entire group. Linca and Lucille, you can wait here. Fine. We'll be on standby. All right... We'll hold down the fort! I wonder what kind of people are going to be coming... I'm actually a little excited to see them! ...Are they really going to come? I guess we'll have to go and find out. Unfinished business ...Come in. I'm glad you made it. You have my thanks. Huh? Your...thanks? Your kids have done an excellent job. Frankly, one could argue this branch no longer even needs R&D. But, with Marion at the top, and the major staff restructuring, R&D has been truly transformed. You've done a truly excellent job. Thank you very much. R-Right... Thank you for your kind words. Um... Sir, we humbly accept your thanks, but... Isn't the investigation team arriving today? ...R-Right. I actually have a little bad news for you. ...Huh!? I thought as much. Wait, so...the team that's supposed to be dispatched to Colseit is... ...They're not coming. Th-That can't be! At the meeting the other day, they said they were... The message arrived this morning. Apparently, the situation has changed a little bit. I heard there had been problems with their preparations, but I was not expecting it to be this bad. So, everything we've done to prepare up to now is going to waste!? Oh, no...! What're we going to do, Sir!? We set aside the entire year to support Central Command's team. If they're not coming, we need to draft an entirely new schedule right now... ...What's done is done. Let's start making plans for the next year. Planning for a whole year isn't that easy! Until I have something, I can't send you on our missions! Then, what should we do until you're done...? No, this is my responsibility. I'm making an executive decision, and will dispatch you as I see fit. D-Does that mean...? Music: Fly in the Blue Sky Th-That's insane! Are you serious, Sir? It's official! That's what we were supposed to do when the team from Central City made it here, anyway. I'm aware we may not complete this task, but for now, I want you two to give it your best shot. Then, do you want us to accept that as our official assignment...? If we can't complete this assignment, will our rating go down? I'll see to it it doesn't happen. Considering your contributions over the past three years... I assign this task to you with full consideration of your history. I'll ensure your expense accounts stay. ...So, will you be processing all the necessary documentation? Yes. I'll get Solle on the same page as soon as I can. As for you, you may begin immediately. I apologize. These affairs will only continue for the next year. For now, you have free reign. I understand... Well, I'll set this as this year's goal, and we can commence the operation. Please do. Ugh, this is exactly why you can't trust anyone in Central CIty. Central just wanted all the credit for exploring the Ruins, and none of the work. We should be happy they were in way over their heads with this. Honestly, they-- Now, now, Logy... We should consider this our huge chance! We got the go-ahead to investigate the Unexplored Ruins! It's amazing that they're leaving this to us! That... That may be true, but I never expected this would happen... Besides, we have the dreadnaught! We should go investigate right away! ...You're right. It'll be a good opportunity to test out the machine's specs.
Sylphid fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Dec 5, 2014 |
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Dec 5, 2014 02:14
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Out of curiosity, why haven't you been using Logy in battle? Also, I think Escha & Logy + was announced for the Vita, or something.
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Dec 5, 2014 02:29
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While it's certainly in-character for Escha to do it, I don't think anyone knows what giving the homunculi in the village a number of your treats exactly does. At least, it doesn't seem to do anything that affects anything else in the game. Very strange.BearDrivingTruck posted:Out of curiosity, why haven't you been using Logy in battle? The problem is mainly with getting character events. All of the characters gain affection just by being in the back row or on the front lines, except for Logy / Escha (if you're playing Logy's story). The reason I'm not using Logy is because there's really no point to using him after a certain point (around the middle of the game), because Escha alone can handle all of your item needs, and I need to raise affections. By this point, I'm pretty far behind as is, but I start catching up pretty soon. Now that I've seen Linca's CG event, next update I'll be switching her out for Logy, since her events are just about done. This is the same reason why I'm not using the DLC characters much recently. But, once you reach the end game and the super bosses, Logy is going right back to the front lines. Sylphid fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Dec 5, 2014 |
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Dec 5, 2014 02:29
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So will Central's Team try again in a year, only to find you standing on a giant pile of loot marked "Formerly Unexplored Ruins"?
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Dec 5, 2014 02:38
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The bureaucracy in this place is really, really weird. There's like simultaneously too much pressure and none at all.
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Dec 5, 2014 04:36
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Part XXV: The Crimson Bow and Arrow What the--? Where did you get that book, Escha? Oh...I found it in my mother's house. Clone always said the recipes in it were too hard for me, but I think I can do it now. There's some incredible things in here! Let's try making the Demon Crucible! Let's see here... It warps the space around the user and creates a field where time goes much slower than in the outside world. How on earth do you make something like this? That's why Clone said it was really hard, but...let's see! Escha, I can see a really tight Water effect there...you need to be really careful during the synthesis if you want to see what it does. It says it will only accept a Water value of around 8-9 to make that effect. Wow, that's really... Well, we need to add that Cup of Life, but that makes the Water value go way too high... What if you used too much space in the final synthesis to add the Water value? That might work. But we still need to have SOME Water value! Let me see... Maybe we should change the Moon Tablet for a Medical Solution. I got it! We add the Medical Solution, then we Absorb Attributes using the WInd power of the ingredients! Then, that will draw enough power from Water to unlock that effect! Then we follow your suggestion and use too much space to add the Cup of Life! Yeah, that will do it. Now you don't have enough space to add the Cup of Life, but you can finish the synthesis. Yes! That's amazing, but be very careful with this one, Escha. It looks really dangerous. What happened, Duke? You seem a bit more serious than usual. ...Have I ever told you kids why I left the branch's Strike Team? Huh? Now that you mention it, I don't think you have. I see. Well, this is gonna be an old man's story. Bear with me... I was the strongest guy in town... I did lead the Strike Team, after all. We even took down dragons. Yeah, I've heard that. One day, we started a campaign to drive away a certain dragon. We did everything we could... ...But we didn't stand a chance. I stayed to let my comrades escape, but was gravely wounded. Is that why you retired? When I was able to move again, the dragon was long gone. I hear the dragon's gone back to its nest, staying deep within...not even attacking our animals. So, it doesn't even go out to get food? That's a really strange dragon... "Strange doesn't even begin to describe it. It's clearly not like any other dragon we've faced. I know you kids have grown a lot, but whatever you do... Don't go near that monster, you hear me? As long as it's no threat to us, I suppose it's all right to leave it alone. Should we go look, anyway? I am really interested! Well...as long as we're well-prepared, I don't think there's any huge problem with that. All those apples... It's delicious! And good for you! The Unexplored Ruins are far to the north of the Lab of Eternity. There's a huge debris field surrounding the ruins, but we made this dreadnaught to reach the Ruins. After we investigate the dragon, we can... Head to the Ruins! Exactly. I can feel it... There's something on the other side! Eeek! Let's run away... It's time to back off! This is awful! D-Don't get so scared, Lucille. We'll lose our momentum. We could back off if we have to... L-Let's go, Logy! We need to avenge Mr. Duke! Huh!? We really shouldn't be doing this! I guess we'd better prepare for the worst.   ...It's not attacking us. What do you think's going on? I-It spoke-!? You would still challenge me, knowing what we have done? I-I'm so sorry! When you're here, it makes things really hard for everybody! You're hurting the lives of a great many of our people. I'm sorry, but we can't let you stay. I only follow the laws of nature. ...What are you trying to say? I say no more than absolutely necessary. There is one language that transcends all others. Let us speak in that language now: battle. Dragon King  The most powerful dragon...  Alright, let's go! How can it use so much power!? Owww.... Escha, get ready!  Escha, are you alright!? Don't worry, Logy! I can do it! Escha, if you combine Awin and Threia's attacks, we can defeat the dragon before it unleashes its power again. Let's finish this!  This must be fate as well. I go to join the Dusk! It was clearly different from any other dragon. Who knows? But I don't really feel like it's gone for good. Are you sure we defeated it? Why do you think it came down...? I don't know... Did we do the wrong thing by defeating it, Logy? I don't know, but I don't think the dragon would think we did. It was talking about the rules of nature... Maybe by fighting it, we were making it happy. Hm... Alright, if there's no other problems, Escha, I think we can go to the Unexplored Ruins now. I'm ready... I'm ready! Alright, this is where it gets fun! Into the breach  Music: Exiting the Mad Cloud Logy, the clouds! It's fine! We're going in! Just hold onto something! Aaaaahh! Are we doing okay!? Awin! This is reckless!  The controls aren't responding! Huh!? What!? Brother! Are you okay!? No! (I thought I saw something... But we've got bigger things to worry about right now!) Aaah! What the hell was that...? Huh? Huh? It's clearing up ahead... Did we really make it? Unbelievable... These are...the Unexplored Ruins!  Top of the world Music: In the Nest Without a Worker Bee Did you get everything, Escha? Yeah, I have everything... I'm still a little nervous. I know exactly how you feel... We're at the Unexplored Ruins... We're really here! Wow! How does it feel to have your dreams come true? Hmm... It's hard to describe. I don't really feel different, but my legs won't stop shaking. Whoooooa! We're so high up! If we fall off of here, we're goners! Huh? What's the matter, Linca? Let's go! U-Um... I'm going to stay and watch the ship. D-Don't mind me. Is it possible that you're afraid of heights? Ahaha, everyone's got things they're good at, an things they're not so good at. The ground's a little unstable here. I think it'd actually be better if you came inside. R-Really!? V-Very well, let us go inside, posthaste! W-Wait, Linca! Let's stick together! It could be dangerous... What's the matter, Logy? You've been pretty quiet. There's no wind here... It's completely different from when we were going through the storm. I was wondering if the climate was being controlled somehow... Perhaps to keep anyone from making it here. *Sigh* I suppose you're right... That is a little strange. You don't seem too interested in it, though... Doesn't it bother you? Hmmm... I'd rather go take a look inside! Heh... That's very like you, Escha. I guess we'll keep on moving. Standing here all day won't help our investigation. Besides, Linca keeps rushing forward. ...Hm, I guess I'll think about it more later. Let's move. There is absolutely no telling what we'll find here. We have to be very careful and move slowly. I've never seen materials like this before... That's not surprising. If these ruins have been in the air for hundreds of years, it's no wonder why there's super rare ingredients here. We should collect as many samples as we can. This view is amazing... This is an...Elixir Base! It's the source material Elixirs are refined from... I never thought I'd see something like this in my life! Sentinel of the skies drat, more slags. Let's take care of this one fast.   We have this. Must be a new model of slag. We did it! Alright, we should be entering the ruins soon. Ancient alchemy These facilities are amazing... But something seems strange. There are still some working facilities here. I wasn't expecting to find this in a ruin... It's not unknown, but they are few and far between. Locals have reported seeing something floating. But these aren't "ruins" at all... They're sitll operational. What could they have been researching? Hey... *sniff sniff* Does anyone else smell something really good? I wonder what it is...? It smells like...flowers? How is that even possible...? Hah, in any case, we're looking for other things...like this! It's probably worth a bundle! Wait! The equipment here is still in working order! No one make any hasty moves. Yeah... I'm actually a little scared at the moment. Thanks for the tip. No, really. Hmm... I'm only guessing here, but I think they were raising plants in this facility. Now that you mention it... There were plants all over the place. Did they come from the facility here? The evidence sure seems to suggest that. The bigger question is, why would such a facility exist? I mean, if they wanted to research plants, they could do it on the ground. Why do it way up here? Perhaps the earth was decarying at the time, and soil lacked the nutrients to raise plants? If that's true, shouldn't we find more ruins like this one all over the place? You're right... We find ruins with plants every now and then, but nothing like the Unexplored Ruins. That confuses me, too. What sets these ruins here apart from the others that seem so similar? They must've been doing something else here besides researching plants. Still, if they were doing research here, then I guess there won't be much I can exchange for gold. I wonder... The facilities and discoveries here may still be put to use to improve our farms. Oh! An excellent point! But how am I supposed to bring this back home? Hey...isn't this...? What is it, Escha? Did you notice something? It couldn't be... But I suppose it's possible. Looks like we still have lots of areas to investigate. Let's keep moving. Agreed. Come on, let's see some treasure! Treasure treasure treasure... There's a slag up ahead. Let's take care of it quickly. I'm still amazed by all of the ruins... That settles it.  Wow, this is an amazing recipe book. Let's make sure to take it! Ghostly girl Who knows? I'd at least like to find out how this place floats... Who are you? Where are you...? ...Did you just hear something? Wh-Wh-Wh-Why are we hearing voices? Are there ghosts...? Who's there? Come out!  Music: Lonely Queen Bee It's a ghost! GHOST! Calm down, Escha. It's not a ghost. We find devices like these in ruins from time to time. And why does she look so familiar...? It has been a long time since I've seen humans. It seems you have not changed much... On the inside, or out. ...This child can see into our bodies. She's still alive. Y-You see, we came to investigate these ruins. Um... Do you understand that? What kind of facility is this...? Do you know why it exists? Why it...? Yes. There was something that needed to be done. The world...needed to be saved. Promise. Yes, I made a promise... Everyone's dreams, everyone's hopes... A promise? What's she going on about? They're starting to shake! Come, Gullveig. You must not let the humans get close. They are no good for the seeds. Just a little longer... Just once more, please, lend me your strength. Wh-What could have have been...? And why does that child feel so...familiar? ...Let's go. I think we'll find the center up ahead. And what's...Gullveig? I hope I'm not right about what it is... C'mon, Logy, the center of the ruins is just ahead! Right!  Linked Horizon Is this...the center of the ruins? So it appears. What is that thing? Is that what's making this entire island float? You've already come... Yes... You were always fast. Too, too fast... Hey, what's going on in this place? Are you protecting these ruins? It has been so long...so painful. But now it will come to an end. Finally, I can make Spring bloom! Summer has ended, and Fall is gone. The Winter has died away. That is why we must start anew. We will plant the seeds! What could she mean, about Spring and blooming...? Who knows...? But, I can't shake the feeling that if we jus tlet her do it, it'll be bad... Can you tell us what happened a long time ago? Why are you in these ruins? Why? Why, why... I wonder why. I do not know anything. Logy, something's coming this way! Everything they have waited for... Everything they have wished for... I cannot stop here! I will not let humans interefere. I will not let humans have this! "Alive..." Tch! She's broken, just like i thought. Please, Gullveig, take me to the SKY! (I knew it...) ...Good boy. Let's do it! Music: Sky of Twilight                Nothing is beyond our abilities! There's nothing we can't do together. Colony Collapse It looks like we've defeated it. Good night, Gullveig. Thank you for all that you've done. All staff, please evacuate immediiately. This is the final warning. Final warning... I-I have no idea what's happening, but I've got a very bad feeling about this...! Don't tell me... Those battles were just to buy her time! Final confirmation approved. Now commencing Geosys. I'm sorry it took so long... Let us make Spring bloom, together! Eeeeeeeek! This isn't good... The ruins are coming down! Huh!? You mean we're going to fall out of the sky!? Crap, let's get out of here! What happened...!? Why is this happening!? Why are you doing this!? We can ask questions later! Escha, HURRY!  drat...I wasn't expecting this! We need to get back to the dock! *huff huff* Where's Logy!? Escha's not here yet. What the hell is she doing!? Music: Wings of Wax  Aaaaah!  There she is! Escha! Awin, bring the ship in closer! I'm going to use the tether to grab Escha! Hold on! I'm coming!        
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Dec 6, 2014 18:33
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Had a genuine moment of confusion at the end, haha! Is escha_1559 supposed to be white? I tried reloading it but it didn't do anything. And I guess we've met the bumblebee princess!
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Dec 6, 2014 20:23
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Oooh, restoring the soil back to normal. So there are a bunch of these in the sky then?
SystemLogoff fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Dec 6, 2014 |
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Dec 6, 2014 20:59
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Roro posted:Had a genuine moment of confusion at the end, haha!
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Dec 6, 2014 21:21
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While the CGIs up to this point were pretty unimpressive, that animation was pretty nice.
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Dec 7, 2014 00:54
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Man I hope Central doesn't try and incarcerate our heroes or something.
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Dec 7, 2014 01:19
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Bonus Update 5 Artwork: Flameu artwork Let's Get Along Lab of Eternity Ruins - Exterior Ruins - Interior Lucille concept art 1 Lucille concept art 2 Lucille concept art 3 Linca concept art 1 Linca concept art 2 Wilbell concept art 1 Wilbell concept art 2 Altegewalt concept art 1 Altegewalt concept art 2 Gullveig concept art 1 Gullveig concept art 2 Music: In the Nest Without a Worker Bee The theme for the Unexplored Ruins. I aimed to make this sound like a straightforward final dungeon theme. Since it borrows parts from the movie track before it, I think this track sounds much better during gameplay than by itself. (Yanagawa) Writhing The guitar and bass were played by Dani. How many times have I said this (lol) This is a map theme but with a bit of a technological feel. Since Alchemy is closer to chemistry and science than magic, the imagery matches well. (Achiwa) Both Wings This track was used in the announcement trailer for this game. I composed this track at the beginning of the project to create the world image in my mind. I tried to vary it up from the previous game with some new flavor. (Yanagawa) Marion is Scary This is another arrangement of The Pen and the Sword. I used the image of Marion's stressful administrative work, along with her strict attitude, to compose this jazzy track. If you want to hear Marion scold you, try ignoring her assignments for a playthrough. (Shimoda) Fly in the Blue Sky The image of looking down towards the earth from high in the skies. I like traveling abroad, so I composed this theme while recalling looking down from an airplane window at the towns, mountains, and islands below. (Shimoda) Chai Full of Sugar in the Afternoon Part of the daily tea BGM series. Chai is the Indian version of milk tea, and we ended up drinking quite a bit of masala chai during development of this game. It is very refreshing when you are tired. (Shimoda) Roost While this game might be "A-Girl-and-Boy-Chase-Their-Dreams-While-Bogged-Down-by-Work Hard Life RPG" (not really), doing nothing but work work will wear out both body and mind. The image for this track is taking a simple stroll through town to relax. (Yanagawa) Alchemist Escha's Case File The BGM whenever an incident occurs. I wrote this track with the feeling of a detective drama in mind. Recently it seems the daly mystery genre is popular among light novels. The ones I personally read and enjoyed were the ones about the used book shop and the armchair detective. (Shimoda) Lonely Queen Bee Flameu's theme. The image of a sleepy-eyed young girl mumbling. I think this track sounds better alongside her voice than by itself. (Yanagawa) This song actually played over the last part of the Bumblebee Princess story that Clone read to Escha, but I didn't want to link it there for lack of any real context to it. But, it's just as well. Working People Ragtime I meant to write a bluesy ragtime piece, but due to some mishap it ended up as a bright ragtime tune meant for a party. How did this happen? The idea for this piece is the deliciousness of a meal and a drink after a hard day's work. (Kinoshita) Glass Key Glass is usually seen as a very fragile material, but glass made with recent technology can be surprisingly strong... Or so I thought. Because of that I trated glassware rather carelessly, and ended up breaking my favorite one... (Yanagawa) Exiting the Mad Cloud The track played during the movie when reaching the Sky Garden. An exciting piece conveying a strenuous journey. Since it's made for a movie, there was no need to loop it like a normal BGM, so the track is full of development and flair. (Yanagawa) Wings of Wax Do you enjoy rollercoasters? I don't lke rides without firm footing. On the other hand, I'm fine if there's somewhere to put my feet. When I'm uneasy on a ride with no footing, I realize we humans are truly meant to live on solid ground. (Yanagawa) Sky of Twilight Hello, I'm the composer, Shade. While this may seem like a standard sounding song, I tried to change up some parts as well. I wanted to make sure there were interesting developments in the song to keep you entertained until the very end. (Shade) Sky of Twilight -Instrumental- I think the instrumental version of this song has a distinctly different feel to it from the vocal version. I put quite a lot of effort into creating mellow tones, but I think it still sounds very much like my personal style. I hope you enjoy it. (Shade) Although Sky of Twilight -Instrumental- DOES play elsewhere in the game, I felt it most appropriate to link it here. But hey, both versions of this song kick a lot of rear end, so there is that. Gullveig is a very easy boss, but I didn't want to kill him quickly because the song is just so good. In fact, I was really, really close to finishing the fight before the song looped, but I was about 20-30 seconds too soon. Bummer. Documents: Colseit A town founded far from Central City as a waypoint for explorers. It was formerly a small farming village. Frontier Research Intended as a staging ground for exploration, it also acts as the local government. Homunculus Strange lifeforms that can speak. Despite their cute appearances, they are very skilled in technical arts. Slag A mysterious group of powerful creatures that dwells within nature. Most view humans as enemies. Wellspring Beast Enormous beasts not seen around Colseit until now. Their recent appearance is a sign of drought. Graveyard Giant Gigantic humanoid Slags are rarely seen. Destroying them is the only known way to stop their functions. Dragon The strongest known creatures. However, they rarely reproduce, and dragons have specialized traits. New Lifeform There are likely unimaginable lifeforms still hiding in ruins, yet to be discovered. Ruins A general term for structures left behind by the lost civilizations of a previous era. Ends of the Earth An ancient legend claims a lush, green paradise awaits far away, but there is no evidence of this. Unexplored Ruins A floating island with man-made ruins, visible for Colseit. No one has been able to approach it. Relics Tools, devices, and other items excavated from ruins. Perhaps their use can help humanity survive. Sylphid fucked around with this message at 04:42 on Dec 21, 2014 |
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Dec 7, 2014 06:39
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Oh yeah, do the townspeople acknowledge that you killed those dragons, or are battle spoils supposed to be their own rewards?
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Dec 7, 2014 06:49
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SSNeoman posted:Oh yeah, do the townspeople acknowledge that you killed those dragons, or are battle spoils supposed to be their own rewards? Aside from a follow-up scene with Duke and Colland after killing Altegewalt, all of the dragon killing is supposed to be its own reward. The rewards are considerable, to be fair.
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Dec 7, 2014 06:54
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"Did those kids kill the Dragon King?" "Yeah." "Oh well, pass the bread."
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Dec 8, 2014 20:33
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Wentley posted:"Did those kids kill the Dragon King?" To be fair, this is a pretty apt summary of the Atelier series in general when it comes to doing exceptional things like killing dragons.
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Dec 9, 2014 02:00
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Part XXVI: The Enduring Promise and Friendship Field of white Music: A Promise   That was... Too close. Thank goodness I got there in time. I know, I should have been faster, but... It's all right, Escha. Don't worry about it. Let's just get back to Colseit and report on what happened. I'm sure they've felt the aftershocks of the fall of the ruins by now. Home sweet home  Oh, Escha... Are you all right? I-I'm fine, Marion... I just scraped my knee a little bit. Sheesh... I was terrified when I heard you fell from the ruins. I thought my heart was going to stop! I think mine actually did, for a second. Ahaha, sorry to make you guys so worried! Logy, thank you very much for saving Escha. Oh, no... I just did what I should have. Now, I know you have a lot to catch up on, so I was hoping you would let me join in. Whoa, I'm sorry, sir! ...I overheard most of it, but did the ruins really fall from the sky? U-Um... I think we've caused a lot of... Sir, I am responsible for what happened. Whatever disciplinary action you have in mind, please leave these children out of it. No, that's not my concern. Rather, now that it's on the ground, it'll be even easier to investigate it. I doubt anyone expected this to happen... I'm just glad that you've all come back safely. Mr. Colland... ...Th-Thank you very much! Your reports of that strange girl concern me more. It almost sounds like she caused the ruins to fall. For the previous era to be capable of wielding so much power... We need to reevaluate our policies. Sir, please let us continue investigating the ruins now that they're on the ground! After years of floating int he air, they've come crashing down... There has to be some meaning to this. Hm. We're now looking into finding out where the ruins landed. Once we know, I'll tell you their location. Thank you. I'll have the R&D team continue investigating the ruins.  Well, at least we were able to accomplish our goal of investigating the ruins... In the end, we couldn't get all the data we wanted from them, but there is value in building the airship. Yes, I would've liked to investigate the ruins a little more...but we've learned a lot. I'm going to summarize everything we learned in my next report. I'm sure that'll come in handy. Yeah, I'll help out, too. If there is anything you don't understand, you can always ask me for a hand. But... Where do you suppose the ruins fell? Who knows? It's a big place, so I'm sure we'll find it someday. ...Then again, I can't say for sure. It fell from so high up, it might be in several pieces right now, or destroyed entirely. Hmm... Maybe they'll never be found... Either way, it'll take a while. Let's just go about our normal routine until we hear about them. I guess you're right...but I really wish I could investigate them a little more. Well, we might as well focus on what we can do now. More importantly, these books are recipes for incredible weapons and armor... I'm sure they'll be a lot of help. Yeah, they look amazing! Hey, Logy, how should I get started on the report? Well, you want to start out with what we brought on the adventure, and where we went. Solle gets really annoyed if those details aren't in the final report. As for the information in the report, you should include the nature of the facilities we found, the young girl in the ruins, the monster we fought, and what happened as the facility fell. I'm sure this will be useful information for any researchers who come after us. That sounds...really tricky. Why don't we take a little break? Good idea. I couldn't get much sleep on the airship, either. Hm? Was that a knock on the door? The unknown land What's wrong, Harry? You look like you're in a hurry. W-Well, you see, I happened upon a strange area, and...I noticed that it isn't on any of my maps... What? There's a place like that near here? I suppose I did stray a bit from my usual path. In any case, I ended up in a place I'd never seen before. It was very...different...in a way that's extremely difficult to put into words... You've got to start making sense with us here, Harry. What exactly happened? I see. That sounds dangerous. You made the right decision in running away. Oh, ah, n-no, I would've been fine. I decided that it would be better if I told you about the place ASAP. Is that so... I'm sorry you were concerned about us. Oh, no, don't worry about it. I'm happy to convey such important information to you young explorers. I'm quite sure something valuable must be hidden in such a place. I'll be better prepared next time! A location not recorded on any map... Now that sounds like something worth investigating. Yes, I thought you'd say that, so I prepared a simple map of the location for you. If you're interested, definitely do explore it. If you find anything, please let me know. However, it's a place far more dangerous than you can imagine. Please go with utmost caution. Got it. Hmm, I wonder what a place like that could be like... The Palace of Paupers? I've never heard of it. Neither have I, but...it just makes me want to go even more! It's just south of the mountain atelier.  Oh... You're the other Linca, aren't you? Yup! You're catching on. I'm number three. You can just call me Sister Three if you want. That's what Linca called me when we were younger. She's not cute like that anymore, though. I don't think I could call you that... And you're Linca, too. So, I hear Linca's working here now? How's she doing? Is she getting along well with others? I don't think you have anything to worry about. She's a fine role model. Is that right? She's all grown up. She's a little awkward and not too smart, so she's always been bad at dealing with other people. She's also kind of dull, unlike me. It's good to hear that she's doing well. Thanks. You're welcome... Oh, if it isn't Linca! How about joining me for a drink tonight? Don't dodge the question. I've been looking for you. You were always the leader-type, unlike the other Lincas. I'm sure you know more about them. No, you're wrong. I'm looking for everyone else, too. I heard Linca was in this region, so I dropped by for a look. I'm glad you're well. You're even blessed with a couple of cute little friends. I'm jealous. ...I really don't know how to respond to a compliment like that. So what are you planning to do now? If you aren't an enemy, you should talk to Marion and stay with us... I'll pass. I have no intention of helping anyone working for Central City. And there's still something I need to find. How and why I was born,who did it, and who I really am. So you don't know your parents? Mother... I wonder if I have one... How about you, Linca? Want to come with me? ...I can't go with you. I've found my own place to be. I'm sorry. It was good to be able to see you again. I'm happy we could talk. Thank you. Sister Three... Seeya 'round, everyone. Maybe we will meet again. That was nice, wasn't it, Linca? Maybe you should go with your sister... No, Escha. I can't follow her anymore. If she asked me again, I might not be able to refuse... She really was a strange person. I wonder if we really will meet her again some day. I hope Linca and her sisters can all find each other one day.  Ah, it's you. Do you two have a moment? What's up, Micie? I'm going to be quite blunt with this question: Do you think I've been more masculine lately? ...Masculine? Yes. I've been training quite a bit since I've begun going outside of town with you. I've realized... I do believe that I've gained quite a lot of strength. I-I see. I'm sure that could happen. I'm sorry. I didn't notice. Oh... Well, I'm certain it will become visible soon. Why are you suddenly so concerned about this? I've thought about it before, but I don't believe that I'm properly intimidating as an auditor. In truth, some people judge me by my appearance, and treat me as a child... or dismiss me entirely. I have considered it, and I feel that my position is better served if I were to improve my physique. I suppose I can understand, but I think you're fine the way you are now, too. I agree. You shouldn't push yourself to bulk up or anything. Maybe you're overthinking this? However, as an auditor, sometimes it becomes necessary to take a stern attitude with others. If I can forge my body to increase my presence during said times, I believe my influence will grow. Well, that's true... But it also sounds pretty difficult. Yes. I'm not very tall, either. However, if I continue to train, I'm sure my height will improve. My goal is... Let's say I would like to have a physique like that of Branch Chief Grumman. I-I can't imagine your head on Colland's body... That might be overdoing it a little. Well, isn't it good to set your goals high? I'll support you. Thank you very much. I'll report any further developments in my bodybuilding attempts to you. Looks that way. This is going to be trouble, but i really didn't know how to respond to that. Micie really doesn't need to push himself to change... Brother... Did something happen? Y-Yeah... This is something I wanted to ask Heizman about... Heh, well, this goes way back to when I was just a punk. Have you heard of the Expedition Corps? Umm... I can't say that I have... The Corps was a sanctioned group from Central City, and they would undertake exploration projects. Remote towns on the frontier, like Colseit, were originally founded as resting places for the Corps. Wow, you know a lot... I learned about it in Central City. What about them? That group was dispatched from this town on a mission...but it ended up a failure. The people who made it back claimed they'd gone "to the edge of the world" and upset people. Yes, that's what I wanted to ask you about! ...If the world has an edge after all. Brother... Are you still talking about going to the edge of the world? Yeah. It's been my dream for a long time now. Uh, what are you talking about again? From that point, the land is a deep green, covered in flowers. There's a place for homunculi, too. Brother heard that story when he was little, and he's been obsessed with it ever since. Huh... That's the first I've heard of it. Maybe it's a local legend? I've done some research, but there's no news of it in even ancient literature. Weren't you listening? The Expedition Corps failed miserably. It's just a fairy tale. What? I thought you said they found it...? That's a huge discovery! Why would anyone call that a failure? Right. If their report was official, the next step would be to corroborate what they'd found. Hm... I think the kid has a point. I don't remember the details, 'cuz I was so young at the time... If there are reports from them, maybe we can figure out how THIS world got so twisted to begin with. Wait, I'm confused. Did they or did they not find the edge of the world? Who knows? If it's just a rumor going around, maybe there's some left over information. We can look for records from that time, and see if they mention anything about that! I'll go now! Besides, even if that place did exist... How do you even intend to get there? drat, the airship got more scratched up than I thought. Escha, why don't you take a break at the bar? Awin's run off, but I can still survey the damage. This might take a while, though... Hm, I can't think of anything besides a ring. But one could argue that it's still quite premature... Hm? Micie...? What is it? I ask simply for reference, but what do women like to receive as gifts? I confess that I've never really put much thought into it, so I am ignorant on the subject. (Hm...Micie sure has a lot on his mind lately...) Hm... I think every girl has her own tastes. But why are you asking me this all of a sudden? I, um... It's for work! Yes! I need to give a woman a present as part of my work. Oh-kay... If it's just for work, then you should go with something safe, like candy. That's not exactly what I was going for. Um, I want something that'll last a little longer than that. Ahem... Do you think a ring would be appropriate in this situation? A ring...!? I think that would come as a huge surprise to her...! Yes, I was afraid of that... But I simply have no idea what to give her. Well... Who are you giving this to, by the way? I don't think I understand that... Do you mean she's happy and energetic? Yes, if one were to paraphrase it, I suppose that would be accurate. Then, how about alcohol? I'm sure Duke could give you some good advice on that... H-How could you even suggest such a thing! She's way too young to be drinking! I-I'm sorry... Why are you yelling at me? Miss Escha... I'm noticing a distinctly epicurean trend in your suggestions. Don't tell me that's all your interested in! I think that's the bigger issue here! Huh!? I-It's just a coincidence! You're misunderstanding me! Why, the apple tart of cour--!! Food again. I see. N-No, that's because you said it was "apple"! No, I think I understand very well. Thank you for your contribution. Now, if you'll excuse me. W-Wait, I'm sorry... I was just a little hungry, that's all! Listen to me! Awww.... Maybe I should follow Micie. He sounded really worried... Y-Yes. This store has, um...a panoply of items for sale, so... Hahaha, you think so? You do like interesting things, Micie. Y-Yes, I do I-like them...! Aww, you're making me blush. You go on and stare at them for as long as you like. (Now's my chance! This is the perfect opportunity! No, I can't rush into it... I must save the present for the very end!) Ah! Oh, I get it now...! Hee hee. Hello, Micie. Have you decided on a present? Wha--!? M-Miss Escha!? H-How did you...? Present? What are you talking about? Umm, Micie was looking for a pres-- NOT ANOTHER WORD! Huh!? R-Really...? Why don't you just tell her? O-Obviously I can't do that! Do you have any idea how much I've struggled...? What? You said you need a present for work, right? I thought you were here looking for one. ...What. O-Or...was I wrong? Oh... Ah, yes, I misunderstood you. It's just...that discussion was something of a secret, so... Oh, I see now. That's why you seem so flustered. Well, now that that's settled, leave the rest to me! I'll show you my super-secret item... Out of these? Eh... Nothing, really. None of them? That's pretty amazing. Hahaha, sorry. I guess my tastes don't really help you guys, huh? What about this mysterious yet beautiful stone? It may bless you with good fortune... S-Stone...? Y-Yes, I'll take that... Thank you very much! Ahh, thank goodness I sold that. W-Well, then, if you'll excuse me... Oh, right! Hopefully she likes it. That might be a little difficult, with this gift. Buying gifts can be hard... Oh! I should be getting back now. Escha! There you are. What were you doing? Oh, I was talking with Micie about buying a gift for someone. He said I was really bad at it, that I always want things like food or drinks, so I didn't help him very much. Then I saw him at Katla's, also trying to buy a present. I think he found something! Really...? Hm. What's wrong Logy? Oh, nothing. Anyway, let's get back to the atelier. I think I can make your staff even better now with that recipe book. Alright, that looks perfect. Escha, what do you think? *mumble mumble* Escha? Girl from the past What's the matter, Escha? You've been mumbling to yourself for a while now. Um, I might be mistaken, but... Have we seen Flameu somewhere before we met her in the ruins? You think so, too? I was actually thinking the same thing. I just remembered, but... Do you remember that lithograph we found during our investigation? Yeah, I do... What about it? Give me a moment. I want to go over our translation again. I see... That's right! No wonder I thought I recognized her from somewhere. I thnk you're onto something. This lithograph probably belonged to her...or was referring to her. So, if the one in the sky is Flameu, and the ones on the ground are humans... ...Hey, do you think Clone is the person "in between"? Huh!? I...I don't think that's possible! This thing was written so long ago! This is Clone we're talking about. I think it's entirely possible. Maybe she knows something about Flameu. ...A-Anyway, let's go talk to Clone![/i] An eternal promise We met a person in the ruins who called herself Flameu, and she looked like the spirit child on the lithograph we found during our investigations. There was another figure who looked just like you, Clone. My, oh my... You still have one of those? I thought they were were all long lost. So it WAS talking about Clone and Flameu... What does this mean? How are you and her...? Flameu and I were born in the same era. What you refer to as the Ruins is actually a management facility. ...So, you do know about Flameu, then. Yes, but... I had assumed that system had long since stopped. But, like me, as long as the power source is working, it will never cease functioning. What were the two of you doing there? Please, tell me in detail! The "Ruins" were designed to turn a deserted wasteland back into a lush environment. Flameu and I, and lots of our peers, were conducting research in order to save the world. But, Flameu thought that as long as humans exist, the results she desired could never be enacted... What does that mean? I thought you were working on this research together. Yes, but in our plans, she determined that human beings were too much of a variable to handle. As a result, she decided to move her facility to a place where humans could never reach her. But, there was no evidence that the facility was operational for the past few centuries... And then she woke up when we arrived? Was she alone for that entire time? That's so... Maybe it would've been better for her to remain asleep up there... Oh, Clone! Could you tell us a little more...? Let's leave her alone for now, Logy. I've never seen her so sad... I-I guess you're right. Still, I can't believe she knew somuch, and she's been here this entire time. I'm as surprised as you are! Clone never talks about herself, so... I mean, I've been with her since I was very little, but I really don't know anything about her. ...Honestly, I'd always thought that what happened long ago never really mattered to us now. Investigating the ruins was my job, but I was more interested in the lost or forgotten technology. ...But now i want to know the truth. Flameu brought her facility down, but what does she plan to do? You're right... Clone wouldn't tell us anything about that. I'm more curious about Clone and Flameu themselves. They're supposed to be friends, but they haven't seen seach other for hundreds of years. That's awful. You have a point. There must be something we can do for them. At any rate, we must take action. Yes! I know there's something we can do for them! Hm... I'm going to try to talk to Clone more. Maybe I can find out more. Logy... I know. If she says no again, I'll stop asking about it. Another ending  Also, it seems like you haven't submitted your budget report, so we've come to collect it. A-Ahh... I'm so sorry, I forgot. Umm... What's on your mind? Huh? O-Oh, umm... Saying "Um" doesn't answer the question. S-Sorry... It's just, I'm not really sure what to say, I... Sometimes, when I'm not sure what problem I'm struggling with, it helps to say what's on my mind. That's right! It doesn't matter what's wrong, just tell us! We want to be able to help you, too! Th-Thank you... Well, I might not be able to phrase it very well, but... Will you still listen? Of course! Wait... I don't understand. I thought the first time any of us saw her was in those ruins. Yes, but... When I was really little, Clone started drawing a picture-book for me... It was "The Bumblebee Princess". And though Clone never mentioned it, I think that character was her! That would mean Clone never forgot about that little girl... Yeah, that's what I thought, but... Huh? Is something the matter? Clone said she couldn't finish drawing the book...but I don't think the ending is depressing. Are you certain about that? Yeah... If I recall, that story had a happy ending. Clone doesn't appear to know anything, though. Could this all just be my imagination? Hmm... A strange story, indeed. Is it? Perhaps the rest of the story exists, but simply remains to be told. What rest? Clone said that that was the end of the story. It's different from the story you remember, though. Maybe she's hiding a different ending... Another ending...? I never really thought of it that way. We should continue the search. If your memory is correct, the truth is likely out there somewhere. Thank you for hearing me out! No, please... Don't mention it. It's good to be able to help you. You can come to us with your worries. We don't mind helping you out at all. When you find it, you have to tell us about it, okay? I want a look at this picture-book, too! Right... I think I'd better look around the house, then. End of the story Logy's not here... He must have left earlier and I missed him. Hmm... I could've sworn it would be around here somewhere... What are you doing, Escha? Are you looking for something? Oh, Brother, Nio... I was looking for a picture-book that was around here somewhere. Have you seen it? I haven't seen one...but is it really that important? Yeah, it's got to be here...but I just can't find it. It's about a person named Flameu that my mother or Clone may have wrote a long time ago. If you see a story book with a girl in a blue dress and green hair, that's her. Flameu's story, huh...? All right, we'll help you search for it! I'll pitch in, too. If we all look together, we're bound to find it sooner, right? Thank you! Let's split up and search for it, then! I can't think of anywhere else it could be... Oh...! Hey, there's something tucked away back here. Could this be what we're looking for? Yes! You found it! I knew there was more to the story! That's strange... Clone never told me about this part... ...Hmm. Now I wonder if maybe Milia was the one who actually drew those. Huh? My mom...? I was small, too, so I don't remember much about your mother. But she was such a warm person. She might do something like that. Now that you mention it, the drawings are in a different style. Maybe Clone didn't draw this. ...Then, maybe Mom drew this picture book for me. Hey, how does that version end? It's from so long ago, honestly, I don't remember... Let's read it. "The Adventures of the Bumblebee Princess, Part X" "It was her friend...the girl with the hat. The girl with the hat squeezed the princess' hand." "I'm sorry, Princess... We just didn't know." "What did you not know?" "You've been working so hard, Princess...and all I could do was support you from far away. But leave it to me! Now it's my turn to save you, Princess!" "So the girl with the hat and the Bumblebee Princess went to the town to convince the people there. Then, the people in town slowly opened up to them, and became their new friends... Before she knew it, the Bumblebee Princess had made friends with everyone in town." "Now, Bumblebee Princess, let's build a new watering can. If we work together, we can build an amazing watering can that we couldn't build alone." "The Bumblebee Princess used to be alone, but now she had friends." "Yeah! Let's build a watering can together, and fill the world with beautiful flowers." "And so, they built a new watering can and the town flourished, and they all lived happily ever after." Ahaha... Oh, Mom... She was never good at telling stories. The pacing feels so forced. And the heroine changed from the Bumblebee Princess to the girl in the hat. ...Still, it's a good story. To make friends and grow flowers all over the city. How wonderful... The storytelling doesn't have to be perfect. It's a good memory for you, no matter what. Mom... I finally remember. I cried because I didn't like the ending, and she tried so hard to change it. Everyone became friends, and the Bumblebee Princess smiled, and...I like this ending so much more. It's more than just Clone. Everyone, even that little girl, deserves to be happy. There has to be something that we can do, too... Escha!  Oh, Logy. What's the matter, Escha? Where have you been? Oh, I've been thinking a lot about Flameu, and what we should do. Well...what do you think we should do? We need to do something to make her happy. If Flameu has been living in the Unexplored Ruins for hundreds of years, she has to be really sad about that... Yeah... We should do something for her, after all this time. She went up to the sky to try to find a way to save the world. We need to do something for her, now. I heard from Escha. Everyone wants Flameu to be happy...and I think you're no exception. Am I right? That's... I heard Flameu's voice in this town. Right now, I can say that with certainty. I can hear her... It's nostalgic, yet somehow very sad. I've been meaning to ask you about that, Nio... Is that really possible? ...This is only conjecture, but I've heard of management interfaces that can sense each others' minds. Huh? So people like Flameu can feel each other? But Nio's just a normal person, right? That child, too, is one such alchemist. She is a Geosys interface. ...Most likely, against their will, however. (I see... No wonder she was talking like a robot...) So...Flameu is an alchemist from long ago? She "is" the interface? Does that mean her entire body was absorbed into the machine itself? Yes, but only alchemists from the bloodlines directly involved in the research have that privilege. It's possible that Nio's family was somehow involved in the development of Geosys. (Nio's family is involved in alchemy? That's...) I see... That's why I was able to hear her. But unlike me, that girl's been trapped in there... Hey, Clone. Is there a way we can free Flameu from that place? Her mental state is completely unstable... There has to be something we can do for her. Flameu has a very strong will, and has bound herself to that device. I doubt she will leave it on her own. Besides... She has lived too long as an interface. I doubt her mind is that of a human anymore. Then, there's no way to save her...? If we can extract it from the system, it may be possible to free her mind as well. Then, we need to do something right away! I'm sure Flameu is in a lot of pain right now! Is there any way you can convince her to leave, Clone? After so long in the system, I very much doubt that Flameu's mind is intact... I doubt she remembers anything of her past life. ...Besides, I'm afraid I'd only get in your way. Clone, it doesn't matter... You need to go see her. C'mon, let's go together! ...Even if I were to go, I'm sure she's forgotten that promise we made. We won't force you, but are you sure you're okay with her story ending this way? No... I... I want to save that girl, too. But do I really have that right? That's not something you should ask us. You need to decide for yourself, and take action.  Since I was able to hear her voice, I might just be able to make her hear mine... Yeah, let's all work together to save Flameu.
Sylphid fucked around with this message at 03:24 on Dec 21, 2014 |
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Dec 9, 2014 02:48
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Aww, Clone.  This game has some great happy-feel-ness to it.
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Dec 9, 2014 03:10
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Escha commenting on her mom's ending was great too I noticed the alchemist's personal skills are pretty powerful this time around. Usually they're afterthoughts since they're supposed to use alchemist items to destroy the enemy. Wonder what brought on that change?
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Dec 9, 2014 05:14
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A biological interface, huh? Well, that explains something from the previous game.
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Dec 9, 2014 05:18
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Interesting fact about the port of this game on the Vita: like the other Atelier ports, the port adds some new features, the most important makes Nio a playable character. I have no idea if this scene is supposed to be the "Nio joins the party" scene, but unfortunately the two aren't going to be playable characters this time around. It just means when we finally go to Flameu, they'll be tagging along. Oh, and the Palace of Paupers is the DLC dungeon. It's actually a two-parter. The first part was released first and is just the upper part. You eventually come to a dead end after a couple big boss battles and can go no further. I'm assuming that Palace Depths, part two of the dungeon, you can only access from the first area.
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Dec 9, 2014 15:59
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I also thought the comment about her Mom's bad pacing was cute. Forced biological integration of an unwilling person as an AI and power source is super dark though. They don't dwell on the implications, but the foreshadowing that past Alchemists went real bad pays off with that reveal. drat.
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Dec 9, 2014 16:54
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Sylphid posted:Interesting fact about the port of this game on the Vita: like the other Atelier ports, the port adds some new features, the most important makes Nio a playable character. I have no idea if this scene is supposed to be the "Nio joins the party" scene, but unfortunately the two aren't going to be playable characters this time around. It just means when we finally go to Flameu, they'll be tagging along. Nio is also getting two different costumes because ??? (a different dress and cosplaying as Flameu) Nio seems a lot more popular than Ayesha. It's kinda weird how Ayesha basically just vanished from the franchise immediately after her game. Keith and Odelia are apparently back in Shallie, but the site doesn't show her with them either. On the other hand, I just found out that Shallie has a homunculus party member quote:Oh, and the Palace of Paupers is the DLC dungeon. It's actually a two-parter. The first part was released first and is just the upper part. You eventually come to a dead end after a couple big boss battles and can go no further. I'm assuming that Palace Depths, part two of the dungeon, you can only access from the first area. I'm almost sure I've entered the Palace Depths from the world map. You might need to beat the bosses outside first, though. How thoroughly will you be going through the gather/relic stuff there? There doesn't really seem to be any English catalogue of what you can find there. I was kind of burned out when I did it on my second playthrough, so I didn't take a very good look either. Is it basically just the final dungeon's item list? Also, as a general comment to the thread: it's probably worth taking another look at Escha and Logy's intro videos now.
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Dec 9, 2014 17:15
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Fetucine posted:Nio is also getting two different costumes because ??? (a different dress and cosplaying as Flameu) Well, keep in mind Nio also joined Ayesha's playable cast about 80% of the way through the game, so I suppose Gust wanted to make it up to her with the next game she was in. Also, not just a homunculus. A homunculus samurai. Big difference. As far as the relic / gathering stuff goes, it's mostly just unmemorable high-tier stuff. The one thing I do know is that Elixir Bases, which you need for one of the game's final assignments, you can only get in the Unexplored Ruins. Then again, I didn't really do a thorough survey of the area last time I was playing the game, and I'll probably have the DLC dungeons be their own update, like the two DLC dungeons were in the Ayesha thread.
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Dec 9, 2014 17:28
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Part XXVII: The Distant Reaches and Sunset What's wrong, Micie? Do you have a problem with work? No, it's just... I was growing taller, little by little, but I seem to have stopped. Oh, is that all? What do you mean, "is that all"? You really lack consideration for others, Escha. ...It is actually a little scary. What? R-Really? Escha, you should show some respect for others' feelings. This is a serious problem for a kid his age. There was a period when I stopped growing for a while, and I remember being extremely worried about it... So this is something you experienced as well, Logy? That is unexpected... Hmm... But you're way taller than me, Logy. I don't know why it happened, but I did start growing again. I was very anxious about it until then. I see... I do wonder what the cause of it is, though. I've been training my body, and eating more to match, so why is my height...? Oh, yeah, you did say you were trying to be more manly. But you should be getting taller normally. Exactly! What could I possibly be doing wrong...? What do you mean? I don't know much about anatomy, but isn't all this training something of a sudden train on your body? Hmm... So if you suddenly grow too much muscle, your height might not grow as much? That's basically what I'm getting at. What!? So you're saying that by working to gain muscle mass, I may have been sacrificing my height!? W-Well, Logy did say he was just guessing here... No... That is a convincing hypothesis. I have made some radical lifestyle changes lately, and that's the only reason I can think of... I-It'll be okay, Micie. I'm sure it's only temporary. You'll start growing again. I'd like to believe that, but I shall still cut any unnecessary training. I suppose everythng needs to be done in moderation. I recall my teacher saying something similar... Hmm... Are boys really that worried about their height? I don't get it. Well, it's just... Boys think they look better the taller they get. You kind of have to be a boy to understand it. Really? That's kind of strange... What about girls? Hm, well, I don't know many girls my age, so I don't really know. I don't worry about my height very much, though I guess I'd like to get taller. I just don't think about it very much. How could you...? Wait... What is it? I don't see Micie anywhere... I guess he wandered off. Anyway, you said you wanted to make that Knowledge Book? Yeah, and I need to pick up some ingredients from Duke. You know, while we're in the bar, we might as well tell Duke about defeating that dragon. Oh yeah! With everything that happened with Flameu and Clone, I almost forgot about that. We all worked together, and that's how we were able to defeat it. It's not that amazing... Don't be modest, now! You've done something that everyone's going to know about. It's fantastic! You've just created a great legacy for yourselves. If I were to drop dead now, your names would live on. Um... I think you're a little young to die, Duke. Please keep doing what you're doing. Hahaha! Yeah, you've gotta keep living just to see how good the future's gonna get, right? You just wait here, then. This one's on the house for our big drat heroes. Yeah, I guess this isn't too bad, either. Sheesh, I was sweating back there... Really. I heard an ancient dragon had been defeated, but I honestly never suspected it was your doing. Honestly, I was a little worried about you kids at first, but you've truly grown. Th-Thank you very much. I think that's the first time you've praised us like that... You see, I was in Duke's group years ago. He was injured helping me escape from the dragon. I could never forget the sight of him, drenched in blood, as I dragged him back to town. Ever since then, we've been having trouble with that dragon. I didn't want history to repeat itself. I never knew that happened... No wonder nothing's been done about it. I'll be damned. You build airships and defeat ancient dragons... You youngins are always surprising me. I think it's time I put all my trust in you now. ...Sir, would you like something to eat? I would love to hear more of your stories. Yeah... What's the harm? Join us.  Logy, this is really interesting, but I have to help Lucille with writing a budget report. Can you make up some excuse for me? He went into the back with Duke. I think this is your best time to get out. I'll keep him entertained. He's starting to get a little drunk, too, so I think he won't recognize that you're gone. Thanks! What's the matter, Lucille? Is something wrong? Miss Escha... What should I do!? J-Just calm down, and tell me what happened... I'm sorry, it's, um... Miss Marion asked me to organize some of the R&D Division's records. I was supposed to throw away stuff that we don't need anymore. I was still going through the items... Okay. Having stuff that you don't need is just a waste of time. That makes sense. So... I finally finally finished sorting them into documents to keep and documents to toss out. Wow, that's a good job. I'm impressed. ...But wait, if you already finished, what's the matter? Ohhh... All that's left is to give them to Miss Marion. I put some in a folder and wandered around a bit. And the next thing I knew, they were gone... What am I going to do!? I-I swear I had them, but I don't know what happened! Where could they have gone... Oh, why didn't you go straight to Marion? Please, don't yell at me... I'm already so sorry about it... *Sigh* Why am I always losing things like this... Don't worry. I'll help you look for them! Miss Escha...! Thank you very much! Ahahaha, don't worry about it, don't worry about it. Let's go ask around, okay? (Maybe she left them in the bar?) Right. Lucille left them somewhere... Is there anything in your Lost & Found lately? Now, I wonder... I don't recall anything like that. Hey, you guys see anything that looks like a stack of papers or an envelope over there? Nope, nothing over here...! Not that I can recall! Ugh, you guys are useless. Anyway, I don't think you left it here, young lady. Maybe it's somewhere else...? Okay... Thank you very much for looking! Don't mention it. This sorta thing happens all the time, right? Hmm... I was pretty sure I brought it here... Hmm? Oh, I'm not forcing myself to do anything. C'mon, now. Every time I see you, you're straining to finish your plate. You could just ask for less. Really!? Aw... If I knew that, I would've asked sooner... Hahaha, why do you try so har to eat it all? B-Because, I think I'm so small because I can't eat that much... And I really like the food here, so I thought I'd try to eat more than normally would. Hahahaaaa! How about you keep coming here and we'll do something about your vertical challenge. Ha! V-V-Vertical...challenge...? Awww... Um, I still wonder what happened to your documents... We've looked all over. Do you think someone might've accidentally taken them? Ahh, but wouldn't they notice once they opened the envelope? Hmm, I suppose you have a point... If you dropped it somewhere along the road, then I could see you having to spend a while searching. Hey, you guys! When you're walking around, if you happen to find a big envelope, bring 'em back here! You got it, Duke! I'll wander the city streets until they're found! I'll never rest! Uh, you don't have to try so hard just for me... Th-That sounds like overkill... But it's not here, either... This is proving more difficult to find than I'd thought. Don't worry. It might take us a little while, but I'm sure we'll find them. That's the spirit! Umm... Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Duke! Sure thing. Hope you find those documents soon. Hm...let's go talk to Katla next. Maybe she saw Lucille. I-I did! At the very least, I know I had them when I came here...! Now, I wonder about that, Katla. Yes! Did you see it around here somewhere? Not at all. Because if I saw an envelope, I'd make sure to read everything in it already. And, since I can't recall going through any new papers lately, I'm sure I didn't find anything here. Wh-WHy is it I can totally picture Katla going through other people's stuff with no shame whatsoever... Uuu... Then, where could I have possibly dropped it? ...What's this stick? This legendary artifact is said to have been used by people of old to find missing items! I call it, the "Lost and Finder"! Are you sure about that...? I think that sounds like a stretch... This is amazing! How much are you asking for it? Huuuuuuuuh!? Y-You're gonna buy it? Hmm... Normally, I'd charge you the sticker price, but since you're Escha's friend... I don't care how much it is! I have to have it! R-Really, now! In that case, thank you for your business! Wow, I made a lot more than I was expecting... I can't believe you really paid for that... All right, time to try this out...! Hmm... Oh! I think it's reacting to something over here! Wait... Or over there, too! We've got to run all over the village and use this to look! Maybe we should just stick with asking people around town instead...? I guess I should just follow her... I know you paid for this thing, but... I'm not sure how effective it's going to be. It's been reacting for a while now. I'm sure it's having some kind of effect! We should find it pretty soon... Huh? What are you two doing here? Ah, Miss Wilbell. Lucille lost some papers, so... We're looking for them. Aw, man. That sucks. Want me to find them for you? You're going to help us search for them? Oh, that would be a great help, Wilbell... No, I'm not going to help you look. I'm going to FIND them. Leave it to me and it'll be over in a second. But, I will have to take a small fee for my trouble, you know. What do you say? Wow... You mean magic can do that sort of thing, too? I-I'll do anything! As long as you can find it for me, I'll pay you fairly! H-H-Here you go! All right, thanks for your business. Now focus your mental energies... Y-Yes... Umm... Now, are you ready? Here it goes... Documents... Very valuable documents... Hmm... Not here. Is it over there? No...or over here? Hmmmmmm.... Hooooooh... It must be...this...right here...!   How did she do that!? I don't know where it was. I just pulled it out of where it had been. But are you sure this is yours? It has Escha's name on it. Huh? What's that mean...? That's probably because of what's inside. See? ...Hey! These are reports I made when I first joined. Aw, that brings back memories. These are things Miss Marion said I should throw away, but I wanted to keep them for my own reference... I see... Thank you for hanging on to them, but I doubt something this old would be much use to you. It's okay. Please, tell me all kinds of things from before I joined the R&D Division! Sure! How about we go through these later? Heh, I was wondering what you were trying so hard to find, and that was it...? (Hmm...a couple?) Whew...that was exhausting. Mr. Grumman can talk a lot outside the office... Anyway, if Escha is anywhere right now, it's probably... Oh, Logy, there you are! What did Mr. Grumman have to say about his days working? Oh, lots of stories, like how he and Duke used to go out causing trouble, fighting dragons, all kinds of things. Nothing really interesting, but it's nice to know he was like us early in his career. I guess you're working on the Knowledge Book right now? Yeah, I think I got some great ingredients! Well, at least it's easy getting the best effects! This is the most powerful attack item I can make! It's amazing! Those traits... This should be incredibly helpful in the future. I can't wait to see what you can do with it, Escha. Sure! The last travel Excuse me, are the two of you both here? We've found where the ruins fell from the sky. Really, sir!? Where are they? It would appear that the crash site is somewhere due north of town. Wow... This really will be easier to reach than when they were in the air! Well, you'll have to cross over several high mountains, so they are still difficult to reach. I see... So it's going to be a while until we can actually go there again...? Don't forget that mysterious girl you mentioned in your report. She could still be lurking about. There are too many unknowns right now. We have no idea what to expect. Your safety is more important than the investigation itself. Please, promise me you'll be careful. I understand! We'll make extra sure we're prepared! This is it. If we can separate Flameu from the Geosys system, then we can end this. Whatever she's planning, I don't like the sound of it. Still... We have to remember to do everything we can to help her. Right. I'm just saying we have to be prepared for anything when we decide to go. Alright, I think that's the best sword I can make with my skills. That's amazing, Logy! Yeah, it's not bad... Anyway, we need to go talk to Awin about the damage to the airship. It's still bothering me... Wow, that's amazing... What do they say? Most of them have been tossed out already, and there's only a little information left... But records indicate that the team went far far to the west of here. (The airship looks nice. I guess Awin and Heizman have been fixing it up while Escha was making the Knowledge Book...) The Edge of the World, huh...? I wonder what kind of place it is... I don't know, but it's got to be someplace special. There's no doubt about that. ...Sorry to rain on your parade, but are you sure they went to the Edge of the World at all? Hmm... Well, I won't go so far as to say it's a myth, but it does sound pretty far-fetched. We can't deny that there's a possibility it exists. And these documents are just the proposals. The final report isn't with the rest of this file. Do you think that...? But even then, maybe they did make it there! I think this is worth doing more digging! It might be a waste of time, sure, but there has to be meaning behind it...! And if we don't do it now, someday we'll regret never taking the chance! "We should've gone..." But, it's really far away, right? I wonder how long it would take us to get there? The report says it's far to the west of the wild fields... Back then, the only way to travel was by foot. Just getting past the fields was a challenge in itself. But today, with airships, I think is a distance we could potentially cover. N-Now hold on... We have to verify these claims! How could this "legendary land" be so close? Hahaha! Yeah, I can see why you'd want to go slow, but this is my childhood dream! The Edge of the World could be a place of great prosperity. If we can start migrating people over there, we won't have to worry about running out of food. It sounds like it's not just a walk in the park, either. There's no doubt that it's a great distance. And... This is just my own personal hobby. I won't force you guys to help me, but I would appreciate it. Hm, if this place really does exist, I'd like to see it. I know, right? I'll make all the preparations on my end. Man, this is getting exciting! B-But we haven't decided if we're even going...! Oh, he's not listening... Are you sure we could even make it there? Maybe we should tell Miss Marion about this, just in case. There he goes again... What do you think, Logy? Well, the airship can probably make it there, it's just... I'm not sure we'll find anything like what he's looking for. I agree, but... It sounds pretty interesting. I guess we could take a quick look. We'd better prepare well, then. This is where the Fallen Ruins are... When we're ready to head there, we'd better keep this location in mind. 12 days!? At least we don't have to walk there... What the... Logy, are you finding it a lot harder to move around here...? I just feel really...tired. This is going to be a difficult journey. Music: Backlight This place is nothing but wilderness. It's pretty depressing to look at. There are some interesting materials, though. Maybe we should gather a lot while we're here. It's a good thing we brought those bombs. If we had to leave the path we might never find our way back to the airship. Why would Awin think they went this way? I guess this is the only path, but what people would come this far out? Reyfer really doesn't like this place. This kind of place just makes me feel sad. Let's keep moving. At least Awin was right about this place, but are we going to find anything out here? Maybe the Expedition Corps left more clues. Well, at least there's some sign of civilization was here at one point. If we're following the Expedition Corps, then they probably came through here. Why do you say that, Logy? Look at it. It's the only building around here. It would be the safest option to come through here. Oh, that makes sense. There are a lot of dangerous animals around here, too, so it would be a good idea to stay out of the wilds as much as possible. Exactly. Let's keep going. Well, we're still on the right track, but this is a really old building. Yeah. I wonder how long ago people actually lived here? Wow, that monster looks really scary... Is there any way we can sneak around it? Maybe, but... With your Knowledge Book, Escha, I think we can win this. Do you want to try? Sure! I kind of want to see how powerful it is. And this monster could hunt us if we try to avoid it. Monster of the steppe     Wow, that was amazingly powerful... Escha, let's try a Double Draw. Use your Knowledge Book and let's see how powerful it really is.     How was that, Logy!? That was incredible... Your alchemy has come a long way. Oh, hehe, it wasn't that special... Anyway, we should keep moving. This building is pretty big.  The sunset is still going outside... (...Is this the future of our world...?) Logy, I'm going to check over here. I think I see some rare materials! Wait, be caref-- Titan of the wastes    Oh brother... Let's go! Escha, you okay!? Yeah, don't worry. I'm fine! I'll take over. Here I go!    Heh... Too easy. That was incredible, Logy! How do you do that with your catalysts? It's tricky, but it involves amplifying the output and controlling it in bursts. It's not something I can do all the time, but with practice I've gotten fairly good at it. The path just keeps going... Logy, do you have any idea where we are now? I have some idea, but only because of the map. I'd be totally lost without it. That's it. What? This place is as far as our map goes. There's...just nothing beyond this. It's going to be a difficult road, moving forward... Awin, I think we should turn around soon. The roads are bad, and we don't know where we're going. You're right... I'm starting to feel queasy just thinking about the return trip. I know, I know... And, I think we should still push forward just a little more. It has to be close! I can feel it! We're at the cusp of the Edge of the World... It was my dream... I became an engineer for this sole purpose. That's right. Actually, I'm starting to agree with Brother. We came this far; we can't turn back! It might be just over the horizon, so let's do our best! I know we can reach it! ...We need to make sure we don't get too greedy, or Awin, you might be the one who's most disappointed. I've done that in the past, and regretted it...so take it from me. Just remember that. Thanks, you two. Let's keep on going! It's just a little more!  Music: Promise (Dusk Hill) You mean to tell me...this is the Edge of the World? We came this far and... Um, what is this, Logy...? ...In Central City, we called these regions the "Lands of Oblivion". There's nothing beyond here. Just deserted wasteland. That can't be true...! There has to be more on the other side! There has to be! When we cross this wasteland, we'll find those prosperous lands! Brother... There's no more path to walk on. We can't go any further. No! The exploration team went further! I know it! And there, they saw the Edge... ...They must have! Otherwise, this is...it's just... It's not fair! Logy, is there really nothing else? No. This is as far as we can go. No living creature could survive out there. There's no point in trying. ...Wait! I think I see something over there! Ah! W-Wait, Brother! So, they did make it this far... Then what's the "major failure" supposed to be...? Hey, what does it say? Um, this is... Some sort of progress report. And, the last page here... "It was a long and strenuous journey. Surviving countless perils, we made great sacrifices, yet we continued onwards." Did they lose people...? Then this must be... "We believed that there was a new world. For the sake of the fallen, we wanted to find something worth their sacrifice. But, even we have reached our limits. I intend to give the order to return. Perhaps the promised land we believed in lies beyond this barren land. But not knowing how far it may be, how many more would die trying... I couldn't bear the thought of it. Please forgive me for failing to return you to your families. I intend to leave this final report here. People will call us failures, but I no longer care. There is simply no way we can tell the rest of the world, waiting for us, what we saw here today. At the very least, I want those of us who died to be remembered as heroes. That's the least I can do." The Lands of Oblivion weren't known about when the Corps was formed. This news would cause chaos... He couldn't turn in this final report, because the hopes and dreams of so many rested on him... So when they returned, they claimed to have failed to find the Edge, and not tell what they truly found. Let's leave the note here. This isn't about concealing information. I feel this message belongs here. Brother... The explorers really did make it to the Edge of the World... Maybe, it wasn't the Edge you were hoping for, but... Even then, they left something behind for us. Something important. At least, that's what I think. Yeah... Let's go back. Thanks for following me this far. I suppose I inherited their dreams... That much is true. 
Sylphid fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Dec 13, 2014 |
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Dec 11, 2014 18:16
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Once more in the wonderful position of having four updates on a single page, along with a bonus update (that admittedly isn't taking up anyone's bandwidth by having a ton of images). As with last page, no more updates until we move on to page 8.
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Dec 11, 2014 18:19
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I guess too many people are wrapped up in the story to post. I'm really glad this game is not fanwanky, and stays cute and sad through the whole thing.
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Dec 11, 2014 19:43
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Heh, yeah, sorry about not chipping in as much; we were getting pretty burned out on the game by the time we Platinumed the silly thing.  They really didn't handle NG+ well.We coasted on a Perpetual Motion Knowledge Book (that otherwise had Jumbo Blessing and Cost Bonus), and it actually did about the same damage as yours. Partly that's because those two have the highest PP costs that are possible and Cost Bonus gives an item multiplier based on how much PP it uses, but also I'm wondering if Godkiller Power just applies to "Effect" and thus is basically useless. I tried it on Logy's unique item and it was pretty whelming. Good job on the Demon Crucible.  It's really obnoxious how the game gives you tons of ingredients that can be used for those narrow bands of element requirements, and then you never get to apply them because they're almost always plant/natural and nothing uses those. I had high hopes for the Oblivion Clover and I don't think I ever used one. Just keep an eye on Escha's turns (you get 6 bonus turns, up to 2 after her regular turns, and the first one may or may not count depending on her WT); I lost a fight to the last DLC boss by thinking I had more actions than I actually did, and there's no way to check.Fetucine posted:I'm almost sure I've entered the Palace Depths from the world map. You might need to beat the bosses outside first, though. Exactly. You have to go to the first part, beat the bosses there, and then you can go straight to the second part from the map. The second area also has Elixir Bases as a Relic Find option, entirely to make up for the bizarre design decision of having them be an Assignment and also missable in the main game.
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Dec 11, 2014 19:46
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Lands of Oblivion? I wonder if in the past the world was somehow used up by Alchemy.
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Dec 11, 2014 20:19
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I like it when games give you an understanding of how insular your world view is. For us the world didn't look too bad off, but apparently it's in really, really big trouble.
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Dec 11, 2014 20:25
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Why didn't they take the airship? Were they not allowed? I think that the airship would be an excellent way to traverse the Lands of Oblivion.wdarkk posted:Lands of Oblivion? I wonder if in the past the world was somehow used up by Alchemy. That does seem to be the case.
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Dec 11, 2014 20:38
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Going by the [non mom version of the] book it seems so-- Alchemy was used to force the land to create beyond it's means until it turned to dust.
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Dec 11, 2014 21:02
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Wentley posted:Why didn't they take the airship? They do. Pretty much everywhere on the western side of the map requires the blimp, and the Floating Ruins requires the Hindenburg specifically. As you upgrade the airship, it shortens travel time (same as the research options that improve your marching speed). If you were looking at the pic of Escha walking on the map, that's because once it zooms in to the "area map," your characters explore it on foot. And yeah, I think we're supposed to assume most of the world is wasteland at this point, and the areas that aren't have some reason for it (and even then are gradually getting there; remember the Plant Nutrients assignment to stave off the inevitable?). Oh, that reminds me-- any of the longer-term Atelier fans know if Hat Girl is a reference? She looks like an Atelier heroine, but I don't know if it's a specific callback or if it's just a character design gag.
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Dec 11, 2014 21:14
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Then they should load up the airship with alchemy ingredients, a cauldron and make pies/sandwiches/whatever they need for a trip to find other cool places!
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Dec 11, 2014 21:24
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