Last time, we’d just gotten to the Western Continent. Our objective is to find Nicolai, an expert on Witches. Hopefully we've gone to the right place this time.
There are no battles in the way – I’m able to go directly to “Port Town Adwest.”
The first thing the group notices in town is that an argument is going on. A feminine-looking man with long red hair and glasses is trying to get to the Holy Capital, saying that he has information for Cardinal Kingston. The sailor he’s arguing with says he’s not allowed to, but the man keeps persisting. The sailor asks him who he thinks he is, and the man says he cannot divulge his identity. But Cecille recognizes him as Nicolai.
Nicolai looks surprised, asking who it is. He has a REALLY annoying voice. When he sees that it’s Cecille, he calls her “my love,” and is thrilled that she’s come all this way just to see him. Yeah, that’s Nicolai for you. When they say “expert on Witches,” what they really mean is “Witch fanboy.”
Saki gets right to the point and asks where the Witches are. Cecille says that they ought to explain first, and Alph takes her up on that. He says that they’ve been formed into a group called the Fatal Hounds, and that they’re hunting Witches. Theo says that they’re looking for Lapistier and the Witch of Immolation. Cecille says that they’ve been told to ask him about Witches. Turns out that he was looking for his “beloved” Witch of Immolation as well. He says something about a “Witch’s Secret” on the Western Continent. The rest of the group comments that he’s still obsessed with Witches. Cecille says that it’d probably be better to talk about this somewhere else. Turns out that Leon and Theo are hungry, so we go and find a place to eat.
The menu pops up. As usual, I go and check out the shop first. They’ve got new equips, both weapons and armor. I buy weapons first this time, and that’s really all I can buy. Since I’ve been having issues with the game choosing the wrong option, I decide to save before I talk to the rest of the group.
After doing that, I select “Action.” I can talk to Nicolai or Leon, or go to the library. So I decide to go to the library first. I can read “The Wings of God,” “The Land of Shtraberl,” or “The Book of Goone.” The first one is about the Knight groups, the Eurus and Zephyroth Knights. I was right – the Eurus Knights are to the east, and the Zephyroth Knights to the west. They are apparently nicknamed the Wings of God. Their duties are to subdue rebels, protect the people, and be ever vigilant against evil. The second book is about geography. This world has two large continents. Most of the land is in the continents of East and West Glabber. (What kind of name is Glabber?) There are other land masses as well, including the Holy Capital and the Kursegrad subcontinent. There are also small islands and other lesser places. The last book is apparently the prophecy that foretells the future of the world. It says that a thousand years after the Aldheld disaster, the world will descend into darkness again. God will descend to the world to free the world from the darkness, and the people will live in peace. That must have been what they were talking about in the beginning of the game, about the rebirth of God.
I talk to Nicolai, and he’s saying some creepy stuff about his passion for Witches. Leon is talking about how good the food is. Also, it seems like Leon and Nicolai are fighting over Cecille to some degree. Anyway, let’s advance the story.
So now we’re in a restaurant…but Nicolai says there’s a Witch nearby. Apparently, he can tell when that’s the case. Somehow. Leon makes an amusing comment about how if Nicolai was a normal citizen, he’d probably have been executed by now. Nicolai says that we can probably find the Witch of Immolation in the Lethe Forest. Apparently it’s sealed off, and no one can enter it. He says that in that forest, there’s a town of Witches. It also has something called the Mother Lapis, a spirit that is the source of the Lapistier. It might even be the Witches’ source of magic.
Cecille says that if this place exists, why hasn’t the Church done anything about it? Nicolai actually doesn’t know either. All of a sudden, Vanessa shows up. Nicolai goes over to her (his sprite has heart eyes), and says his senses are off the scale. She says that it’s pretty impressive that he figured all this out. Too bad he’s just a human. Nicolai, on the other hand, is just thrilled that she’s real. She knocks him off her.
Sounds like Vanessa was just here for a drink. But now it looks like she wants a fight.
Nicolai is now in my party, and he’s level 14. I have to use him in this battle. I take everyone in, and begin.
Looks like we’re actually fighting in the bar. Isn’t someone going to complain if she sets the place on fire? Ah, well. My opponents are her, her Behemoths, and three Hikopins. Saki goes first, attacking one of the Hikopins. Vanessa uses an attack buff on one of the Behemoths, and moves closer. Leon attack buffs himself. OK, so it appears that Nicolai is a “Savant.” He uses a crossbow. He has an attack buff and a defense buff, as well as a skill with a chance to blind an enemy. He buffs himself and Cecille for defense.
Saki is killed. Theo is level 12. Leon kills one Hikopin, and Nicolai kills another. Leon is level 11, and learns a new skill. Nicolai levels to 15. Leon is level 12.
OK, so now it’s just Vanessa left. I am REALLY wishing someone had a speed buff, so I could make Cecille move faster. Her slowness is probably why she’s so underleveled. I’ll try to have her kill off Vanessa. Well, actually, she just leveled to 9. But still. And she does kill her off, gaining 84 exp in the process.
My spoils are 1900 Rico, a RuneCharm, a RubyBand, a RubyRing, and an FP-Fizzy.
I will intermission with Saki.
Vanessa says something about Alph being Lucia’s Rym. Again. And she says she won’t let Lucia have him – she’s taking him for herself. She casts some kind of spell, but Theo gets in her way and it hits him instead. He collapses, saying that he feels like he’s burning up. Alph says he’ll never forgive Vanessa for this. She says that casting that Rune used up all her power, so she’ll have to leave…this time. She warps away.
Leon and Saki go after Vanessa, but quickly come back, saying they lost her. Meanwhile, Theo has fallen asleep. They go to an inn, as Cecille wants Theo to get some rest.
Later that night, Theo wakes up. He figures that he fell asleep, but comments that his arm hurts. Then he notices something wrong. The game won’t let me see what it is, but judging from his reaction, it’s probably not good. Saki comes in and notices as well. She says she’ll get Cecille, but Theo insists that she not tell anyone. He doesn’t want them to know, because he doesn’t want them to worry about him.
The next day, the group is deciding what to do. They have to find Vanessa, but they don’t know where she is. So they decide to look for Lapistier instead. After all, Vanessa is looking for those as well. If they go after the Lapistier, they’ll probably run into her as well. Apparently, there’s rumors about a mysterious stone in the town to the west. Saki says it’s probably the Fire Lapistier. Since Vanessa has power over fire, she’s probably going to want that one. So we decide to go tomorrow.
My intermission begins. Saki says “Do not worry, Alph. I am quite skilled in combat.” My options are “Just leave it to me,” “I’m counting on you, Saki,” and “You are pretty strong.” I choose the middle option. She says she won’t disappoint the team, and gives me something. It’s a VitaTonic.
Kopin says he’s taken a job as a waiter in the pub we were just at. By making customers happy, he feels he is a step closer to becoming the ultimate monster. Um…good for you, Kopin.
Looking at the map, I see I have one battle to go through before I reach the next town. But for now, I think this is enough.
