Quesada's Swan | Tales of Berseria - Part 103: Meeting Melchior

I check the graves of the Shepherd and Celica's son: "This little life will spread its wings and soar through the skies."

Could this epitaph hint at an answer to the Shepherd's question that he asked Velvet and Eleanor? It also implies his words about Seres being "a mother bird." She spread her wings and flew...

The shelf's empty.

Velvet: "No surprise there. The Shepherd is too thorough to overlook something like that."

Phi's having regrets again. Velvet tells him not to worry.

Velvet: "It was just a dream. All of it."

I see some rolls of yarn in Velvet's room. She was learning how to knit...Niko would've taught her knitting in exchange for Velvet's quiche recipe.

Rokurou notices Laphi's library. Phi sees Laphi's unfinished world map. He compliments its beauty. Eizen, for its detail.

Velvet mentions how her brother would "stare at that map for hours" if he got too sick...

Phi: "Laphicet, he...wanted to travel the world?"
Velvet: "Yes. It was his dream. I never understood what made him want to do something so dangerous." She's now living his dream. She knows that, calling it "ironic."

Now to the gravestone of sister Celica and Velvet's unborn nephew...oh my god...

Phi thinks they should leave some flowers. Velvet don't care.

Melchior: "A keen insight. Eating one would be cruel enough, but plucking an innocent flower just to offer it as decoration for some memorial...That's not even a sacrifice. Just a cruelty devoid of all purpose."

Magilou mutters under her breath. She does know this guy.

Velvet asks if he's the one doing all the illusions. He is. He tells her "she did well to break free."

Melchior: "If you weren't a therion, I'd be tempted to take you under my wing..."

Melchior has the original copy of Innominat's tome! Oh my god! So it was real, but we were a bit too late...

Melchior: "This [...] was complied by my dear friend who was also the Shepherd's mentor, and predecessor as head of the exorcists." Claudin!? How long did he live?!

Melchior: "It contains the hopes and dreams left by a noble soul who gave his life for the world that grieved him." He refuses, in his elegant way, to give Velvet the book.

Eizen and Velvet charge at him!

Oh my god! He transformed! No, it's another daemon that's guarding him!

Eizen: "Is that... you didn't!" It's Aifread as a therion! Oh my god!

Melchior: "What we seek is the realization of a perfect order, as tranquil and beautiful as a wildflower in bloom."

They warp away.

Eleanor didn't get what Melchior meant by his "perfect order" line.

They want to destroy the world and create it anew, I'm thinking...

Phi sees a book from the empty general store booth...

Velvet gets a flashback...from the beginning of the game. It's Laphi's copy of Innominat's tome!

Velvet: "He transcribed it by hand and then he sold it. Just to buy me that comb."

Phi hands her the tome. She closes her eyes...

I hope it's a complete copy...

Magilou: "Pulling one over the old man are you? Never a dull moment with Lady Calamity around."

Thank you, Laphi! I did not see that coming!

Velvet: "Alright, time to drop off the pups and get Grim to translate this book."

I do some level grinding...

Eizen: "That horned monster..."
Rokurou: "He was with Melchior. There was something different about him."

Rokurou asks Eizen if the daemon's a malak. I don't think so.

Phi asks why the Abbey's colluding with daemons, or maybe they have therions...Eleanor thinks the same thing I am too, the bodyguard's probably a therion.

Velvet's not too sure.

Magilou: "In any case, now we know Melchior has a mean-looking bodyguard in addition to his illusions. It'll take quite a lot to stop him."

I'm guessing it's Aifread turned into a daemon...poor Aifread...

Across the way in Lake Perinya, Eizen asks Eleanor if she's a spy.

Phi sticks up for her.

Eizen then asks why Melchior had an illusion waiting for them in the village.

Eleanor: "I'm not up to any tricks. It's far too late for that now."

Rokurou assumes Magilou's the spy. I think so too...she denies "[knowing] what a trick is."

Velvet thinks if Eleanor was a spy, then the hideout would have been surrounded by the Abbey at this moment.

Eizen mentions one question: Why was Melchior waiting for them in the village?

Velvet knows that the Abbey knows of the crew's plans. Eleanor's not off the hook just yet.

Magilou: "Oho, such a brave determined soul!"

Next skit: Eizen asks Eleanor about an "arte that can control daemons." She doesn't know most of the Abbey's secrets. Plus, why revive Innominat for when they can do that? World domination?

Rokurou mentions the daemon Melchior has.

Magilou knocks down all of the possibilities here, assuming manipulation.

Melchior's on par with Dumbledore on that.

Phi: "If you can create an illusion of something someone really wants, you can control them."

Magilou's acting very serious here. She probably knows some of Melchior's tricks.

Then she gets back to mentioning "eeny teeny spiny crow..."

Eizen's raising eyebrows about Magilou's sudden knowledge of suggestion. So's Eleanor.

Another skit before we go back to Taliesin: Phi denies Eleanor being a spy, and sticks up for her, saying that's he's watched her, along with Velvet.

Rokurou understands, knowing the guilt would be too much for her, and that she would turn into a daemon just from the guilt alone.

Phi's happy he hasn't become a dragon...

Eleanor: "Thank you, both of you."

Eizen, however, says they have to be more careful, since people like Melchior might be "recording her thoughts."

That's close. And Magilou jumps in!

Rokurou, smiling, asks why Magilou told them off to Teresa. Magilou realizes that just now.

Rokurou smiles, confirming that Magilou's not spying on the party. Phi laughs. So does Eleanor.

Magilou, if you weren't such a troll...