Quesada's Swan

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

I repeat the spoken conversations in the port, and continue talking with the Aifread pirates.

Aifread picked the Van Eltia because he thought "she looked interesting." The Van Eltia's cursed, then Eizen came aboard three years ago. Could the Advent have something to do with his arrival?

Velvet's annoyed at the pirates blaming their captain and number one for anything bad on the ship, and assumed they were there by force. Wrong. They stayed because they chose to.

Now Velvet and Eizen have a talk on whether bad stuff happened to the ship because of Eizen's curse. Yes, it did.

Eizen used the Van Eltia as his vessel before he found that coin!?

Velvet: "Then Aifread stole the ship."

Eizen points out that the captain has very "solid resonance." Interesting...

So Aifread's crew was the first to go to the far continent! But Eizen got tired of finding a way to beat the curse, and got satisfied with being with his crew whom he considers friends...

I decide to set sail for Reneed to tell Videl about the Long Dau Dust we found.

I open a skit where Eleanor talks about the Bloodwings. It seems after all of what's happened, she's still spying for them, I think...

She asks if the crew is connected with the Bloodwings. Magilou gets poetic mentioning darkness and "paper-thin masks".

Rokurou openly admits the Bloodwings wanted the high priest out of the picture. Velvet tells her why, which she calls "not a bad deal." Velvet, you are so super bad!

Laphicet then makes his case about the high priest and the priest's Nectar smuggling actions.

Eleanor: (thinking) "...it seems the Bloodwing Butterfly network goes further and deeper than we had thought."

Rokurou mentions their knowledge of the barrier, and Magilou brings up Velvet's "dove mimicry."

Magilou: "Coo, coo..."

Eleanor asks what Magilou's talking about. Laphicet blushes in denial. Velvet goes to her face and says "there was only a dove at the docks."

Magilou pushes the envelope again. Eleanor thinks the dove cooing's code. It's not.

---

Inside the warehouse, a soldier was trying to sneak some food for himself...

Outside, rumors spread about a daemon in Laban Tunnel. The victims were "searching for Count Capalus." Maybe the count's a daemon now...

Every one of his guards couldn't finish the daemon off...

Eleanor explains about the Capalus family, which is as wealthy as Oscar's.

The Capalus according to rumors, are "the royal family's hidden dagger."

How the royal family got its power was because of every act of "business" made by the Capaluses.

I also learn Count Capalus was against Abbey domination. Uh oh...

Rokurou thinks of that daemon as a "worthy opponent."

The daemon is called the "Beast of Blades..."

While scavenging for Katz spirits and materials, I play Character Cards...

I win Eizen's Glasses for beating the Intermediate round!

Now to talk with Videl. He's amazed!

He gives us the second ingredient, but he's about to come down with a fever...

Velvet tells him to get some rest.

Videl whispers to Laphicet that "she's scary." He asks him if Velvet's his sister. Laphicet puts up the "it's a long story" handwave.

Skit: Laphicet asks about how constant Videl's condition is. Magilou points out that she was also as ill as he was when she was young. Velvet points out the meaning of Videl's name: "To live."

Velvet points out the meaning of Laphicet's name: "One who lives."

Eleanor pities Videl. Laphicet decides to get the Omega Elixir just for him.

---

Eizen "decides to cut a deal" if Videl goes aboard the Van Eltia someday. Laphicet's surprised by that!

Eizen: "I'm a pirate. But I promise you I won't charge him too much."

Rokurou and Velvet have the final say.

Velvet: "Hope...hmm...what a waste...What else am I supposed to think? It won't bring him back."

The next ingredient on the list is a unicorn's horn. A unicorn could be found on Figahl Icecaps, which we can't get to yet.

I decide to head off to Burnack Plateau and go into the Laban Tunnel where that Beast of Blades daemon is...

Back to the gold chest under the bridge before the tunnel's entrance, where I get a Simple Ribbon!

We return to the dead end, where there's a huge daemon in that area!

It's a bit intimidating looking. It's a large scorpion with its tail forming into a snake's head! Its other head has the face of a skull...eeee...and it has an aura of malevolence around it...

The fight begins! Its name is a Serket...

Magilou: "Check out the height on that one!"
Rokurou: "I bet I can take it down in three swipes!"
Magilou: "Three? More like a 1000, I'd bet!"
Laphicet: "This isn't the time to be kidding around, you guys."
Rokurou: "I'm not kidding here!"

It tries to cast a spell, but either me or one of my allies prevent it from doing so!

It tries to put a status ailment on us, but lucky we ate some food to prevent that from happening!

We finally beat it!

---

Laphicet sighs in relief, but Rokurou's not satisfied...he feels he's not good enough yet. He points out that Shigure would have finished the daemon off instantly!

Eleanor points out that he's using a different weapon than he is. Shigure would have still beat the daemon immediately!

Velvet agrees.

Rokurou: "He's done it before."

Eizen asks Rokurou something: more about his family's history. So Shigure is the oldest son, not the fifth son, but the first one. I'm guessing Shigure's in his thirties at this point.

Therefore, that makes him the head of the clan.

But Shigure started "planning an insurrection" according to rumors, and their lord wanted him taken care of.

Shigure didn't care about the master he served but other people's strength. The lord ordered Rokurou to call for his execution. He wasn't strong enough.

The worst part is: Shigure had a short sword and Rokurou had the greatsword.

Rokurou: "All the training I'd done... I couldn't land a hit on him."
Velvet: "A rude awakening if there ever was one."
Rokurou: "Damn straight. I couldn't deny it. Shigure cast aside my greatsword and just laughed. 'Train harder', he told me. I was so frustrated... by my weakness. My inexperience...So much so that I turned into a daemon...In the end, Shigure escaped, and I was arrested for failing to perform my duty, and sent to the prison island." Wow...

Velvet points out he's just here with the crew for her revenge, not for judgment.

Velvet: "As long as you fight my enemies, that's all that matters."
Rokurou: "That's the plan. That's what I do best as a daemon."

Aside: I'm guessing the reason why Rokurou is usually such a happy person on the surface is because he might've had depression during that time after he lost to his brother and during his time in Titania. Plus, on top of his frustrations at not being able to beat his brother, that might have led to his transformation into a daemon...

---

I return to the Plateau, where our expedition found a new recipe for us!

Back to Midgand now, where I do business with the weapon shop before going on the south road...

Laphicet and Rokurou have more talk about their return to Loegres.

Rokurou: "[The first trip’s] more 'funny' than 'tough' if you ask me."
Magilou: "Oh, you mean Velvet's little dove act?"

Laphicet warns Magilou about teasing Velvet. It would be like picking on a dragon.

Well, we did enjoy it, Magilou. But not now...go away, Magilou. Don't prod Laphicet.

She now tells him to "say" that he lied "like a dove!"

Another skit: Velvet asks about the tome Grim translated. It's a tough read, but a lucky find. Laphicet explains about impressionist script, which is "based on emotions." The writing, in a way, is a puzzle to read. It's not just grammar and words, but tone as well.

Magilou mentions the Temperance of Avarost.

Eizen: "The Avarost civilization grew too far..."

Looks like there's new monsters here too! Instead of a Gibbon, there's a Bush Ape! Peacocks and Hawks as well!

After tons of battles, I save here.