Special Quests/The Queen's Ascension/1-1: The Marked Knight

Part 1/4  Atone  [ Are you ready, Maurice? ]

 Maurice  [ I was born ready! ]

 -- Atone dashes towards Maurice -- 

 Atone  [ Haaaaaaaa! ]

 Pirika  [ Hey, Thomas, what are those two up to? ]

 Thomas  [ They’re having a training bout. We do them regularly. ]

 Phoena  [ Why aren't you joining them? ]

 Thomas  [ And ruin this great relaxing time when we’re not being attacked? No, thanks. ]

 Maurice  [ Your brother’s not going to like it if you keep slacking off like that. ]

 Thomas </b> [ Done already? ]

 Maurice </b> [ Yup. Managed to get a good hit in as a counter. ]

 Atone </b> [ Oof... ]

 Thomas </b> [ That doesn't look good. He might have a concussion. ]

 Phoena </b> [ Are you okay, Atone? ]

 Atone </b> [ Me? Sure, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be...? Oogh... ]

 Thomas </b> [ Hey, are you all right? Here, what do you see? ]

 Atone </b> [ ...Some kind of grotesque beast. ]

 Pirika </b> [ Hey, who’re you calling a beast?! ]

 Maurice </b> [ Are you sure you’re okay? ]

 Atone </b> [ Phew. Okay, I’m better now. Guess I lost again, huh? ]

 Maurice </b> [ It’s okay. It’s not your fault you don’t have as much experience as Thomas or me. ]

 Thomas </b> [ Besides, it wasn't that long ago that you didn't even know how to hold a sword. ]

 Pirika </b> [ Really? I'm amazed you were able to become a knight, then. ]

 Maurice </b> [ He may have not become one if it wasn't for that incident where he proved himself. ]

 Atone </b> [ Before then, I, uh... Well, I wasn't allowed to hold a sword. ]

<b> Pirika </b> [ Really? Why not? And what incident was this? I want to hear more. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ It’s not the kind of thing I like to talk about much. Let me go get some water. ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ Well, thanks to that incident, we got on the fast track to knighthood. ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ You don’t sound very happy about it. ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ Of course not. Unlike you, I wanted to kick back and enjoy academy life some more! ]

[ Aaah! ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ Hey, that sounded like Atone. ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Let’s go check it out. ]

<b> Assassin </b> [ ... ]

<b> Atone </b> [ What’s going on? Why are you picking on me? ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Are you okay, Atone?! ]

<b> Assassin </b> [ Ugh, more witnesses. Guess I’d better get going. ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ You think we’re gonna let you just leave? You’re not going anywhere. ]

<b> Assassin </b> [ Don’t play with fire, rookie, or you might get burned. ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ Well, well, sounds like someone did his homework. Who sent you? ]

<b> Assassin </b> [ ...Out of my way! ]

Part 2/4 <b> Assassin </b> [ It wasn't supposed to be like this! But I’ll get you if it kills me! ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Why is this happening to me...? ]

 [Hero]  [What did you do?] <b> Atone </b> [ Nothing! I've never done anything to hurt anyone. ]

[Who would do this to you?] <b> Maurice </b> [ I can’t believe Atone of all people would have enemies who wanted him dead... ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ I may have an idea. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Really? What did I do? ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ I have my ideas, but it’d be better to ask this one directly. ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ You’re right. That’s got to be much more accurate than any of our guesses. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Good point. Okay, villain! Prepare yourself! ]

Part 3/4 <b> Atone </b> [ Th-There... We...*gasp*...won... G-Give yourself...up... ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ Keep it together, Atone. You’re about to keel over. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ But... ]

<b> Assassin </b> [ You can’t hold me! ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Hah! Too slow! ]

 -- Maurice blocks the assassin's attack -- 

<b> Assassin </b> [ If only you hadn't interfered... ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Now, give yourself up. ]

<b> Assassin </b> [ You have no idea how coddled you are... ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Yes? ]

<b> Assassin </b> [ Now that it’s come to this, I’ll settle for just taking out my target. ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ Oh no you don’t! ]

Part 4/4

<b> Assassin </b> [ Can’t believe I failed... ]

 -- The assassin retreated -- 

<b> Atone </b> [ Ack! Get back here! ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ It’s okay. Let him go. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ But... ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ If they’re after your life, they’ll come after you again. We’ll get ‘em next time. ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Ah, but we’ll have to use you as bait. Sorry about that. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ But why are they coming after me in the first place? ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ I think I know why now. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ ...Okay, why? ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ Remember the kidnapping incident we handled in Mendel? ]

<b> Atone </b> [ That? But I didn't do anything there that would lead to someone wanting me dead. ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Well, when we caught the culprit, we found evidence that someone else was behind it. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Really? But...then why didn't you go after them? ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ There were rumors that pointed to the Holy family. We couldn't just arrest them. ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ Now they must think you know too much, which explains our guest. ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ That’s my guess, anyway. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ But you can’t really think that Sir Einslotte would let a noble get away with this? ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Yeah, there’s no way he would... Hmm. Then again... No, you’re right. I'm sorry. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Oh, no, you don’t have to... I mean, I'm the one who should be sorry. ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ The Holy King’s death, keeping the Holy Kingdom together, and now a corrupt noble... ]

<b> Pirika </b> [ What’s this about a kidnapping incident? ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ There was an abduction in a village called Mendel not too long ago. ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ The Holy Capital was in disarray then, so there weren't any knights to handle it. ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Atone here let his righteous indignation get the better of him, and so... ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ He ran off to solve it himself, and we ended up getting involved too. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ I already said I was sorry about that... ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ Once we solved it, Atone earned back the honor his family had lost. ]

<b> Thomas </b> [ He ended up being the first knight never to go through the academy. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ That’s not a good thing, by the way, since I never learned how to fight. ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ You’ve got the talent. You just need more experience. ]

<b> Pirika </b> [ Wow, I had no idea. But why did you get your knighthood taken away at all? ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Not me, my family. It’s complicated, and happened a long time ago. ]

<b> Maurice </b> [ ... ]

<b> Phoena </b> [ Well, it’s amazing that the three of you managed to solve it all on your own. ]

<b> Atone </b> [ We weren't alone. We had help. ]

<b> Pirika </b> [ Really? Who? ]

<b> Atone </b> [ Someone you and the Captain know well. One of the Volunteer Army’s Holy Knights. ]