Special Quests/The Queen's Ascension/1-5: The Village in the Dark

Part 1/4  Phoena  [ It’s getting dark. ]

 [Hero]  [Let’s call it a day.]  Phoena  [ Are you okay with stopping now, Lady Louise? ]

 Louise  [ Y...Yes... In fact, I...would rather...prefer it... *Pant...* ]

[Let’s keep going for now.]  Juliana  [ I know we’re short on time, but please wait. ]

 Juliana  [ Louise can’t go on much longer like this. ]

 Louise  [ *Gasp...* *gasp...* Oogh...  ]

 Louise  [ I’m sorry, everyone. I hate to be slowing you all down... ]

 Juliana  [ Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. You haven’t trained like we have. ]

 Pirika </b> [ Yeah. If anything, you’re more Queen-like than Juliana herself. ]

 Juliana </b> [ It’s true. It suits you much better. ]

 Louise </b> [ Are you trying to build me up to replace you as Queen again? ]

 Juliana </b> [ Heh heh. That obvious, huh? ]

 Louise </b> [ I haven’t been serving you all this time for nothing. ]

 Juliana </b> [ Aw, come on. You’re way better at it than I’d ever be. ]

 Louise </b> [ Please don’t say such things, Your Highness. I’m just an ordinary citizen. ]

 Juliana </b> [ That doesn't matter! The only thing you need to be Queen is the Shrine’s approval. ]

 Louise </b> [ These things are still in place for a reason. I'm your body double, not you. ]

 Louise </b> [ I could never hope to be your replacement. ]

 Juliana </b> [ Why couldn't I get a more ambitious double? Anyway, let’s go rest in that village. ]

 Maurice </b> [ Hey, I know that village! ]

 Thomas </b> [ It’s Mendel. Boy, this place brings back memories. ]

 Pirika </b> [ Wow, so that’s the famous Mendel, huh? That’s some coincidence, ending up here. ]

 Pirika </b> [ When we get there, I want to hear all about that kidnapping you solved! ]

 Atone </b> [ ... ]

<b> Villager </b> [ Hello there. Are you all travellers? ]

<b> Phoena </b> [ We are. We were hoping to pass the night in that village. ]

<b> Villager </b> [ Are you kidding? You need to get out of here before the monsters get you too. ]

<b> Juliana </b> [ So it’s true? The patrol knights are gone? ]

<b> Villager </b> [ Yup. They all got called back to the Holy Capital. ]

<b> Juliana </b> [ The nerve! Knights are supposed to protect the people! What were they thinking?! ]

<b> Juliana </b> [ Anyway, not to worry. We’ll get rid of those monsters. ]

<b> Villager </b> [ You? Aren't you just travellers? ]

<b> Juliana </b> [ Not just any travellers. We’re...the Volunteer Army! ]

Part 2/4 <b> Juliana </b> [ Did I introduce ourselves right? ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ ...! This village... ]

<b> Juliana </b> [ What about it? ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ Huh? Oh, uh, it’s nothing. Just my mind playing tricks on me. ]

<b> Juliana </b> [ I think you’re a little young to be going senile just yet. ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ Hey, you can’t talk to me like that, you little ruffian! ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ Okay, that’s enough, you two. ...Man, I never thought I’d see this place again. ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Mendel Village, huh...? It almost feels like we’re inextricably tied to this place. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Grandfather, I... ]

Part 3/4 <b> Atone </b> [ ... ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ Atone? Is that you? ]

<b> Atone </b> [ M-Miss Rowendia? What are you doing up this late? ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ I just felt like taking a walk and seeing this place again. What about you? ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Me? I’m just, uh, out patrolling to keep an eye out for more monster attacks. ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ Spoken like a true knight. I still remember how hard you worked to help this place. ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ As a young lad you swung a sword you could barely hold to fight off those thieves. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ I’ll never forget how you saved me, then. If I’d known better, I never would have-- ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ And if you hadn't, we couldn't have mobilized. We helped one another. ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ Granted things didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped, but everyone returned safely. ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ Isn’t that all that matters? ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Y-You’re too kind... ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ One thing I don’t get, though: why did you come here? You never lived here, right? ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ I remember something about being driven by righteous indignation, but that’s all. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ My grandfather died here. He was branded a coward for running away from a monster. ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ Oh, my apologies if I've said too much. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ No one will even consider the possibility that he didn't run away. Which he didn't. ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ Are you sure? ]

<b> Atone </b> [ I heard that he let himself be branded a coward in order to save this village. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ That’s why I couldn't just stand by when it was in trouble again... ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ I knew it! ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ Cervantes? ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Where did you come from...? ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ Never mind that now! Atone, don’t tell me that this village... ]

[ *Gong!* *Gong!* *Gong!* ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ ...Hm? ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ That sounds like the alarm. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Look, over there! Smoke! ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ You think it’s a fire? ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Let’s go. We need to help put it out before... ]

 -- An arrow flew past them and struck the ground -- 

<b> Cervantes </b> [ What do you want?! ]

<b> Assassin </b> [ Get out of here, old man. This doesn’t concern you. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ The assassin from earlier... ]

<b> Assassin </b> [ Time for you to die! ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ Oh no you don’t! ]

Part 4/4 <b> Assassin </b> [ Retreat! ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ Dang it, they got away... ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ Do you think they set the fire too? ]

<b> Atone </b> [ I guess they really are after me. ]

<b> Rowendia </b> [ Looks that way. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Then, it’s my fault the village was set on fire... ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ Snap out of it! ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Hey! What was that for? ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ Atonio would be ashamed of you if he saw you acting like that! ]

<b> Atone </b> [ You knew my grandfather?! ]

<b> Cervantes </b> [ ...All too well. I was the one who left him to die. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Wha...?! ]