Last time, I was on my way to the Holy Congress. Why? I honestly don’t remember. I’m not sure it was mentioned.
Before I get there, though, I have to go through an unimportant battle. Like last time, I’ll just sort of skip over it.
I bring everyone in, obviously. My opponents are two Hob Gobs, a Cerberus, and two Sauroids. I wipe the floor with them. Heath is level 7. So is Alph. Leon is level 6, and has learned a new skill. Theo is level 5. My spoils are 800 Rico, a Catseye, and a VitaMint. I intermission with Leon.
He says, “Did you get a good look at that!? Tough like algebra when I do my thing. That’s the power of the Young Lion King!” Um, wow. My options are “Young Lion King?” “Yeah, we all rocked,” or “Eh, you weren’t bad.” I pick the first for exposition purposes. He says “My father was called the ‘Lion King.’ That’s a pretty cool nickname, right? The ladies love a cool nickname.” Then he says I have to call him that from now on. And, it looks like that was the right answer, because I get a box. It’s…a VitaMint. Very underwhelming.
I save and enter the new area.
The scene is in a church, with two soldiers. One of them is injured, but he looks so ridiculous that it’s hard to take seriously. Especially when he says “The pain, oh, the pain!” The other soldier calls for a doctor. Leon says this is horrible. Cecille decides to go help out.
Alph and Heath start talking, and it sounds like the Eurus Knights were experimenting on the Wind Lapistier, to see how powerful it was. They were also trying to find a way to use it against the Witches. But it sounds like Vanessa showed up, attacked them, and stole the Lapistier.
Theo wants to help out somehow, and Alph agrees. Heath wants to come along as well.
Looks like things are pretty bad. Another injured soldier with the same sprite as the other one is seeing things. Alph says he’ll never forgive Vanessa for this. I always did find it strange how easily she’s eventually forgiven. All of a sudden, we hear Andre, proclaiming that Kingston is coming through. Once we talk to him, he says that he’s forming a group of the best of both groups of knights, and calling them the Crow Knights. Andre is their leader. Great. Also, it turns out that Heath is now one of them, and has to go. Andre boasts that now Heath is under his command. Poor guy.
It also turns out that the Garden Children have a mission. We’re supposed to take out the Witch of Immolation, as well as find and secure all the Lapistier. This order is repeated by Leon and Theo. Heath is a bit worried, but Kingston assures him that we’ll be OK. He says we’re now called the…Witch Busters? -funny sound effect plays- Leon and Andre are not impressed. Kingston is surprised that they don’t like the name. Heath suggests God’s Lapdogs “Fatal Hounds,” instead. So that’s our name now.
The menu comes up, as usual. There’s a shop, so I go there first. New weapons are available for Alph, Leon, and Theo, but I’m going to focus on armor this time. So I buy everyone hats and clothes, and equip them. The Toy Ring I got earlier increases magic, so I give it to Cecille. Selling my old equips gives me just enough money to buy one person a weapon. I buy a bow for Theo.
I leave the shop, and check out my conversation options. I can talk to Cecille, talk to Theo, or go to the library. For a change of pace, I think I’ll do the library first…but I hit the wrong option, and end up talking to Cecille. It’s not just Cecille, though, it’s her and Theo and Leon. They’re all worried about fighting Witches, and are confused about why Vanessa didn’t just kill them all last time. When I try to go to the library again, it puts me in the other conversation, where everyone’s excited and nervous about the new mission. Ugh, just take me to the library!
OK, finally. So we’ve got “The Book of Nil,” “Monsters and the Dark Era,” and “Intelligence Report.” The first of these says something about the Taboo, whatever that is. I don’t remember this before, actually. The second one says that there are two types of monsters: those who have always been around, and those who appeared after the cataclysm 1,000 years ago. The third is a report from Saki. Her report says that Vanessa has the Wind Lapistier and controls monsters. Also, there were reports from other people about non-fire spells being used, and other strange people being seen.
Anyway, I save, and….WHAT? It continued the story for me? What the heck? That’s not what I wanted! Must be the crappy touchscreen controls. Well, I guess I’ll go along with it. It’s not like the battles are hard or anything, at least not yet.
Anyway, Heath is telling us that the mission will be difficult, but that I can do it. Then Heath tells me to come over…and then tells me to fight him. Oh, man. I should probably save at the beginning of the battle, then.
Obviously, Alph is the only one I can bring in. Here goes…
Heath moves first, but he’s too far away to hit me yet. I move just far enough away that he won’t be able to attack unless he uses magic. Which he doesn’t. I use the Rifle skill and move away. I sneak up from behind and attack. Wait a minute…Heath is suddenly level 10. Was he off leveling while I was talking to people?
Anyway, I attack and move away. He attacks back. I’m kinda low on HP right now, so I use a VitaMint to heal. He attacks me, I attack back, I win, I level. And I get a new skill. Sweet.
My spoils are 1400 Rico, an FP-Fizzy, Mittens, and Greaves.
Heath says Alph did a good job, and Alph is appointed leader of the Fatal Hounds. Level-up music plays, and he accepts. So now I need to get information about Vanessa from…Nicolai. Oh God, not him. He’s really annoying, but I’ll talk more about that when I find him.
Cecille knows where he’s at, because she apparently gets letters from him once a week. Leon remarks that she was his favorite. And that he keeps writing her letters, even though she’s never written back. Creeper much?
Anyway, Kopin says that he left his fertilizing shampoo out of the bucket. The picture is of him bathing in a bucket. Um, OK then.
I have two areas to pass through before I reach the next destination, both of which will involve battles. Wonderful. -_-
