Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Fberl jbhyq unir n svryq qnl jura ur frrf gurfr ehvaf...

Noticing a barrier from afar, I jump to the ruins, also seeing a switch to turn it off.

The new enemies here are a Red Mist Watcher, a Faerie Bounty, and Scatterers!

The area around here's winding...

It seems there's a green barrier here as well...now to find the switch to lower that, since that's where the next area is...

I have Rokurou kick out the boulder in the way and see the green crystal switch from afar.

A new Treant cousin monster called the Hallowed Tree's also here!

I change the crystal switch from green to yellow and proceed.

Into the next area, where a yellow barrier's blocking one side of the landmass, but the west part is barrier free...

Another skit: Teresa's still thinking about Phi's power that made him break free at the Empyreans Throne. She also mentions the other malak having that same power...

Phi's still scared of her...poor Phi...

Teresa points out her anger came from her carelessness, and still thinks of Phi as a tool...she's more concerned about Oscar.

Velvet steps in.

Velvet: "I'm the one that hurt your precious brother. And you're still asking for my help now?"

Teresa points out all the things Velvet did to Oscar way back in Titania.

Teresa: "With no malakhim, I'm an ordinary woman. How could I threaten the Lord of Calamity?" Seems like Velvet's moniker is catching on.

Phi tries to mention Velvet's younger brother to her (probably as a way to slowly tell Teresa the truth about the Shepherd?). She doesn't care, save for Oscar.

Teresa: "As powerless as I am now, this is the only path for me."

---

Checking the map, Oscar's way to the northwest of the marsh...

After collecting more spirits and treasures, I leap over the ruins west...

There's lots of ruins to leap over...

And it seems we're already close to where Oscar and the therion is...

Unfortunately, the way further is blocked by a cracked brick wall...

I leap back and switch the crystal from yellow to green this time.

Now in the third area of the marsh, where I circle around the green barrier, and break the boulder there...

Further north, Laphicet's still very sad...Eleanor asks him what's wrong. Magilou also comes in, getting to the heart of his matter in her own way.

Magilou considers herself as the "kindest" older sister. In her dreams...

Bienfu agrees with me.

Laphicet wants to stand up to her. And Teresa still calls him by a number. Be quiet, Teresa.

Laphicet: "That's just it. I'm not Number Two. I'm...I'm Laphicet." Yes! Yes!!!

Teresa is still wrapping her head around the idea of malakhim as people.

Phi: (smiles) "Yes, I have feelings. You see...malakhim are not tools."
Teresa: "Very well. I shall call you Laphicet from now on." That sounded...too easy.

Magilou and Eleanor thank her. I am not too fond of Teresa giving in so easily like this.

Teresa: "You misunderstand. With so much at stake, I dont want to rock the boat." *smh*...she's just playing along just so she can get to Oscar.

Skit: Eizen asks Velvet what she knows about Oscar and Teresa.

Then Bienfu steps in. He calls that duo "the best of the best" praetors out of a 100. Eleanor explains further about what a consul does. In short, consuls lead in combat and in city management.

So Eleanor's full rank is an exorcist praetor primus. She mentions that she can't overcome Teresa or Oscar.

From Bienfu, those two "wiped out dozens of daemons in a single night."

Bienfu: "After that, Lord Melchior kept a close eye on them."

Velvet and Eizen are relieved, but Bienfu warns us about Oscar's new powers.

Rokurou, Velvet, and Eleanor are getting suspicious on where Bienfu's getting his info...

Rokurou: "Why don't you call him 'Lord Oscar'?"

Bienfu sees Oscar as a "rival" in looks.

---

There's a crystal switch ahead, along with a wide gap that's geoboard-crossable.

Unfortunately, we haven't activated the geotree in the marsh yet...

This marsh is so complex...

I deactivate the red barrier via the crystal switch here, and jump to the ruins north. There's a Katz Box at the end of the route.

I switch the crystal from red to blue and head eastward, avoiding more enemies.

The crew's still walking...

Phi notices something! It's another beetle climbing on the tree!

Phi tries to climb the tree, but he can't reach it...

Teresa comes closer to the tree. Phi mentions it's a "Lionel giant thunderstag." Teresa asks about the "awkward" naming of the beetles.

Phi: "I...I think...it's a cool name..."

Teresa, a bit exhausted, goes to pick up the beetle for him. He's surprised by her gesture, and he takes it. He thanks her.

Teresa mentions more backstory about Oscar.

Teresa: "When he was little, Oscar was always running around the woods collecting bugs. He'd get so into it, it was never long before he'd trip and hurt himself."

So Teresa picked up bugs for Oscar too.

Teresa: (smiles) "Once he gave me a whole pile of cicada shells as his way of thanking me. I just screamed."
Phi: "I'm sure he just wanted to let you know how he felt." If I were her, I'd be the same way.

Teresa's eyes widen. Phi looks a bit frightened.

And she goes back to condescending Phi, calling it "unusual" for malakhim to relate to other people. Boo!

She touches her earring.

Teresa: "It's hard for people too...Sometimes it feels insurmountable, and yet we can't give up...Sometimes you just have to say what you believe in your heart, even if you're not good at saying it." This is so surprising, seeing a contemplative Teresa...

Velvet asks Phi about his and Teresa's conversation.

---

We head further east and north, breaking another boulder in the way.

I switch the crystal at the edge of the area from red to blue.

Rokurou asks Phi about the new Lionel thunderstag he found. Rokurou and Eizen are fascinated by the beetle's pincers...and here they go again with another species dispute. Phi declares if they fight again over the species, he'll declare this to be a drone beetle.

Teresa asks Eleanor if she fed words into Phi. No!

Teresa: "A malak...acting so human..."

Even Eleanor thought that malakhim had no free will of their own, thinking theidea as "inconceivable" at first. Then she met Phi and Eizen, and character development happened.

Eleanor's now more welcoming of other species in this game. Character development yay!

Teresa is trying to process all of what Eleanor's explained to her about daemons, therions, and malakhim having free will.

Eleanor mentions Teresa's childhood with Oscar when seeing Phi. She stops the conversation immediately.

Next area now...

Eleanor: "Teresa, be honest. Isn't there somthing wrong with the Abbey using a dangerous experimental arte out in the field?"
Teresa: "...Oscar's the one who decided to go through with it. Don't presume to know anything about who he is."

I turn the nearby crystal switch here from red to blue.

No turning back now...

I also notice there's a geotree and a code red daemon in this area.

---

Teresa's concern for Oscar grows even more. Phi asks her what's wrong. He tells her "she's too hard on herself." She's well aware of that.

So Teresa knew Phi went off to read by himself, didn't he? But she didn't stop him...she asks Phi how he's different from her (formerly) other malak. She let him go do his adventuring around Northgand?

But she was going to "punish" him if he snuck off more...

She smiles so calmly at him. Poor Phi...

She laughs cheerfully.

Magilou, Velvet, and Eizen look on.

Eizen knows Teresa might be lying by omission. Velvet will immediately waste no time if Teresa does something "funny."

The area where the code red's located is blocked by a red barrier.

Turning south and forward, I see the crystal switch to lower that barrier...

I skip it for now, and move ahead, activating the geotree, and lowering the green barrier through another nearby crystal switch.

Now we've made it around full circle.

Heading north, we're finally back at the last area before meeting with Oscar...

Velvet and Teresa talk about their plan to capture Oscar and the therion.

Velvet decides to let them go if Oscar complies. The plan sounds very simple, but I know Oscar won't go down without a fight...

Teresa tells Velvet not to harm Oscar, but as Velvet says, it all "depends on him."

Eleanor and Phi also want Velvet not to hurt Oscar either.

Velvet: "You're his sister. Do whatever you have to to protect him."
Teresa: "I will. Even if it means my death."