Time to change gears yet again, as another sidequest comes up that's a bit too hot to handle for the team at the moment:
World's Labyrinth F. 2
Client: Labyrinth Researcher
One of our research members was atacked by a monster during our investigation. That giant creature... It must be the ruler of that floor. Please, avenge our comrade!
Recommended Level: 25
The girls make brief stopovers in Planeptune to figure out what to do next, before returning to Leanbox
IF, The Mentor (5pb skit)
Lyrica, known as 5pb onstage, is naturally shy and reserved. IF offers to help her overcome her anxiety. The songstress says she's more focused when she's either performing on stage or on the radio, and IF think it may have more to do with her not liking herself as Lyrica. She suggests that 5pb should try gradually to reconcile the two facets of her life...or imagining the audience in their underwear...
The Archbishop of Leanbox
The search for a Key Fragment screeches to a halt once again. The crew hreads to Leanbox's Basilicom again to obtain some more information. Neptune examines the surrounding area in her Purple Heart form, but IF asks her to transform back because she stands out too much.
Archbishop Yvoire is still unimpressed by the girls, but concedes that Evangelist Conversation was right to believe in them, and thus gives them a map used by the military to locate boss-type monsters. After they leave, Conversation tells him that Neptune's party is here because of the "Console War" brewing in Celestia. Overlord Momus destroyed most of Celestia, forcing the CPUs to escape to the human world. With the other goddesses returning to their respective landmasses, Yvoire finds it troubling that there's no goddess in the Basilicom of Planeptune. Conversation suggests snuffing out Neptune to force Planeptune's followers to migrate to other lands, and to try to gain a foothold in the war between the three remaining goddesses.
The Basilicom's Request
Another bounty job has been offered by the Basilicom. The Sanctified gives them a different map from the one Yvoire showed them, on orders from the Archbishop, supposedly a tough-but-fair ruler (except if you're a non-believer).
A couple of new entries show up in Green Heart's blog, followed by another request on the quest board:
Accepting Applicants
Client: Leanbox Knights
Witnesses say a Baby Shadow has been reported near a ruin's entrance. We need to take care of it before any damage is caused. Anyone care to volunteer?
Recommended Level: 8
The girls are familiar with Baby Shadows, so they happily accept the request, which takes them to the lower level of a sealed ruin. The dungeon is quite large for something so low-level. It takes IF a little while to find the Blast Legs treasure, but they have no trouble taking down the Vile Dragon.
- Enemies: Gorbash, Weeping Grass
- Treasures: Green Pins, Gelatin x6, Reflex x5, Blast Legs (hidden)
The Sanctified's map takes them to a suspicious old castle called Hirool. It's a very majestic-looking castle, with background music to match - a far cry from the caverns they'd explored before. Their target is a headless Titan, who drops a Space Harrier disc (magic for Neptune) and a Leafy Stamp when defeated. Its only major attack is one that paralyzes its enemies, but it doesn't provide any more than a casual nuisance for Neptune's team.
- Enemies: Gyuki, Bat, Titan (boss)
- Treasures: Detoxin x3, Reflex x2, Leather Bracelet (hidden)
When they return, they find Yvoire waiting for them with an invitation from Lady Green Heart to a banquet at the Red Ring Table, to recognize their hard work on their quest to save the world.
The banquet table is filled with commoners from Leanbox, but no sign of the goddess. IF goes off to investigate, while Nep and Compa sample all of the delicious food. Yvoire confronts IF, and is somehow aware of her status as a Guild member, and they have an argument outside of the Basilicom over the "purging" of heretics. [note: There's a bit of a headscratcher/plot hole in this conversation: Yvoire first mentions that IF was born on Leanbox and doesn't worship Lady Green Heart, yet only a few text boxes later, he says that she's not from Leanbox, yet worships the goddess anyway; only the latter part of this is correct]. He then asks IF to kill Neptune so that Lady Green Heart doesn't have to, promising her with full Leanbox citizenship if she succeeds. She refuses to do the deed unless she gets the OK from the goddess herself, so Yvoire arranges a meeting between them.
Green Heart arrives as scheduled, but she's all tired out from playing video games and can barely stand up straight. IF takes the goddess to her chamber [totally innocent-like, trust me], waiting for her to come to her senses and ruminate about her passion for the Holy Triforce of video games, anime and manga. Greenie shows IF a few of her single-player games, including a zombie mall-survival blood fest. She gets embarrassed with IF being so formal with her, but an attempt to get IF to relax only serves to fluster her even more...
