Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

After wandering around into Zamahl Grotto, where the exorcists there are still blocking the road, we head back into Reneed.

The soldiers now spread rumors about the Lord of Calamity, about how Her Lordship put a "cursed parasite" in a former exorcist to control her. Eleanor's in shock at the idea! They also mention a girl with a cowlick who looks "innocent," but with a "heart like a stone made of pure evil." Laphicet realizes that cowlicked person is him!

Laphicet: "Nooooo!"

Rokurou: "Gravely injuring an exorcist praetor and her malak! That's one hell of a soldier!"

We collect our reward for taking care of the Dryad in Davahl Forest.

We talk to the Pioneers. They're worried about what'll happen next now that exorcists have lost their malakhim.

Eleanor exaggerates (or openly lies?) about how the other cities are faring, saying daemon attacks are increasing. The son decides to farm for more food! The pioneer father wants to find him a wife!

He now asks Eleanor, who's "married" to her job, Velvet (who he calls "scary", and gets yelled at by her for saying so), and Magilou gets ignored by the son.

Magilou: "He chose a tree over me..."

Outside the village gate, two citizens mention Meirchio, and the Lord of Calamity yet again. They exaggerate her appearance by mentioning a cloak, a hat, and a broomstick?

One of them's mentioning Magilou, I think.

Eleanor: "What happened in Meirchio really got [messed up] in the telling."

Magilou thinks it's "unforgivable" that people are describing her with a broom and cloak, saying "it'd go against [her] superb fashion sense!"

Two fisherman now talk about the Lord of Calamity and Titania, and how an exorcist turned into a daemon after losing his malak, screaming about the Lord of Calamity after attacking his fellow exorcists in the woods.

Eizen: "Looks like we really did a number on the Abbey."

It seems the fisherman are now realizing that the Abbey isn't all holy and pure as they come off to be...

Exorcists and soldiers huddled around are realizing that malakhim are people.

A Bloodwing agent before the save point tells us about a man named Wanjin, a collector of antiques, who passed away. He also had books on dragon research that are being shipped to Pt. Cadnix.

---

Off to Port Cadnix. I have Eizen take the lead.

An elderly man mentions the malakhim, and their sudden appearance and disappearance.

Some youths are trying to fish out a Rank 8 Oscar and Teresa card!

More exaggerated rumors about the Lord of Calamity are spreading, such as the thought of "[breeding] swarms of daemons like [...] a queen" or the one who has the "head of a dragon and a mouth with gnashing teeth in each hand." The imagination of the sailor is running wild...even more "the mouths [puff]...clouds of toxic gas," which transforms one instantly into a daemon...then he brings up the Lord of Calamity's "familiar...that uses a huge bird to create winds that spread the [gas]."

The familiar is probably mentioning Bienfu. And now more exaggerations about the Lord of Calamity being a "short, phony magician," according to Velvet.

Magilou: (overacting) "Woe is me! My cover's been blown! Go...! Devour those meddlesome humans!"

Then the sailor says he was joking about the "short, phony" label.

The swordsmith points out Rokurou, bringing up that "a sword's spirit is much weaker than its owner's..." or way too strong.

The swordsmith "sometimes" has a good eye for who's a good swordsman and who isn't, pointing out Kurogane and Rokurou are on the same wavelength.

Laphicet wishes him luck.

Inside the warehouse, we speak to a docksman named Donera, who knows Eizen!

Donera's also the guy who gave Eizen the Fujibayashi Rod. Eizen calls him "excitable."

But everyone's taken Wanjin's collectables...but Donera's kept an Avarostian book for us since the Abbey's trying to take them...

It's ours, "free gratis." Yes!!!

Laphicet thinks they might need Grim's help. Lucky Magilou took her along! How did she know and how did Grim get here?

Laphicet and Grim translate the book!

Laphicet translates one word in the book as "Kresnik." Hmmm...

Kresnik means to "dig out something intact."

Rokurou asks for the simple translation.

Grimoirh: "It's research about dragons and malakhim...written long ago by someone trying to change a dragon back into a malak."

---

Eleanor's amazed!

But the book's shown so far that it's not possible, but there's a slight hint of hope...

Laphicet: "'Unless the intact heart of a white horned dragon is consumed, a malak's blessing shall be everlasting."

Velvet thinks that by slaying the white horned dragon, it could break Eizen's Reaper's Curse...

Magilou: (typo?) "That's a little goose I'm even by my standards."

Laphicet cites that "some malakhim...have lost their blessings" but the books not sure about that too.

And Zaveid jumps in the picture! Where did he come from!? He mentioned a "little old lady at the market" told him about them.

Velvet: "I guess you know about the Bloodwings too then."

Oh, Zaveid...

Zaveid: "Well, some things aren't a joking matter. You gonna try and kill her?"
Eizen: "And what if I do?"
Zaveid: "You won't. I'll stop you."

Eizen's not backing down. He'd have to take care of Zaveid if he's willing to stop him.

Zaveid: "What is it with you and killing everything!? Maybe you've been a little too receptive to the whole Reaper thing, huh?"

Eizen mulls his question over before answering.

Eizen: "Sometimes, death can be the release someone desperately needs...I will kill that white-horned dragon."

Laphicet jumps in surprise!

Zaveid: "Don't call her a dragon, dammit!...She has a name. Theodora."

Eizen considers this discussion over.

Zaveid: "This is your final warning."

He walks off. Eizen looks down...

---

Outside the warehouse, Rokurou's still amazed at how eating a dragon's heart can cure the Curse...

Magilou compares the Curse to a fly that's hard to shoo away.

Eleanor wonders to Velvet if Eizen's planning to slay Theodora, or Shenlong...she's not bothering to ask Magilou or Rokurou.

Laphicet asks Eizen if he's going to take care of the dragon...he is.

Aside: Vs bar'f cynlrq Mrfgvevn, gura jr nyy xabj jung Rvmra'f tbvat gb raq hc nf...

This is getting sadder...

I make my way around the Class 4 Zones before going to Hellawes.

Two soldiers mention exorcists going after a "Whitehorn". Theodora. From them, the dragon's in Gaiburk...

Rokurou mentions that we might end up meeting with Zaveid again and fighting him this time...

Laphicet's deep in thought, trying to process Eizen's decision...

Where to next? The dragon? Or the Goldipen?