01x04 - Standby Order: Mureed Fortress

[bunniefuu]

My knight.

This is not the road we initially took.

We got new orders.

There's no one road for heroes.

There are more people

on the road with us now.

The place we're going

is holding a bit of a festival.

By the way, Xylo.

Yeah?

Can we take a break already?

We just had one.

Can't go on

Is that our destination?

Yes. That fortress is an important part

of the Second Capital's defenses.

A natural stronghold protected

by a river and sheer cliffs

Mureed Fortress. Also known

as the Wayfarer's Nest.

Low prices here!

Everything's fresh, but only for today!

Why, you have excellent taste, sir!

Whoops. You'll need more military scrip.

Could I have five of these?

Anyone want to send letters?

We can take 'em anywhere

in the Federated Kingdom!

Take this to my mother.

Fresh out of the repair shop

and indulging already?

You're incorrigible, Dotta.

Hey, it's no biggie. They won't get mad

over a little stealing. It's a festival.

I know we haven't attended the Great Exchange

in a while, but make sure you don't get caught.

Verkle Corp merchants are very tight-fisted.

Aw, c'mon. Loosen up. We don't get

vacations often, so let's enjoy this one.

Heroes like us don't get vacations.

Even now, we're "on standby."

Of course, that's not to say we're not

allowed the occasional rest period.

You sure love to sound smart, Venetim.

Now if only we could get some girls

Stop now.

Even if there were such an establishment

nearby, we'd never be allowed to use it.

You got that right.

Commander-in-chief! Where are you?

Commander Xylo!

Yeah?

Commander Xylo.

The traveling merchants have arrived.

Go buy me wine.

Sorry, but our treasury's bare.

Did you forget spending all of our scrip?

If you want booze, you'll need

someone to take out a loan.

I'm sure Venetim's got time to k*ll.

The chancellor is keeping an eye

on that sticky-fingered Dotta.

He's always got some excuse, huh?

What about Tsav?

He's not back from his mission yet?

Yeah, he's still out on loan

to another unit.

This is insubordination.

Does no one have respect for their king?

Tch. Can't I get a moment's peace

to do some reading?

My knight! I have been looking

for you everywhere.

Not a single quiet moment.

The door was unlocked.

Does that not seem incautious?

Dotta unlocked it and left.

He took the key with him.

My knight, are you not attending

the Great Exchange?

I don't wanna talk to any Holy Knights.

Then come make merry with me!

Why should I?

Just go to the Great Exchange yourself.

I-I am a goddess, and therefore

have no interest in such things.

You don't want a Holy Knight escort, is that it?

Let us speak no more of it.

Instead

I shall grant you the honor

of playing with me.

Does that not make you happy?

Zigg?

Venetim taught me the rules.

I shall prove a formidable opponent.

By employing the venerable

"hidden spear" strategy

used by the royal family

in the Kingdom of Meht

Don't do that.

If Venetim taught you that,

he was probably messing with you.

Anyway, I'm busy right now.

What? Reading?

Can you not save that for later?

I even made you a bookmark.

Don't care. Use it yourself.

Although I must say, it is a surprise

to see that you love reading.

What manner of boo—

It's poetry.

Poetry?!

Xylo Y-You

What's the big surprise?

What manner of poetry is it?

I shall grant you the honor

of reading it to me.

Rejected.

Then, at least allow me to read

over your shoulder.

That is surely permissible?

I can't see what a goddess

would get out of this.

It's a book of old poems

called Dragon-Drunk.

It was written by a drunken poet

by the name of Altoyard Comette.

In his later years, he began

dreaming of becoming a dragon,

and practiced flying every night

until it was the death of him.

What a curious story.

There were a lot of poets

like him back then.

I might've been a poet, too,

if I hadn't joined the military.

A poet?!

What's the problem? Why is that so—

Xylo Forbartz.

So this is where you were.

I didn't expect Goddess Teoritta

to be with you.

Kivia. I did not expect

to see you here, either.

Funny seeing the noble captain of the

Holy Knights demean herself by coming here.

Has our punishment been decided?

Or do we have our next mission?

Both are true.

But that's not why I'm here.

I want to talk to you.

To me?

Follow me. I'll unlock—

I shall accompany you.

It appears the Great Exchange has begun.

Let us talk as we shop.

If Kivia is in attendance, then I, as a goddess,

will surely be allowed to go.

Yes, it surely must be so.

Now, let us proceed, my knight.

For heaven's sake.

Xylo, behold!

Is that some kind of food?

Or a decoration, perhaps?

It's candy. You've never seen it before?

"Can-dy"?

This did not exist in the time I was created.

They look very much like jewels.

What is that long, thin food?

Fried noodles.

A western dish. Cut wheat dough into strips,

then fry 'em in butter and fermented sauce.

Yes, I see.

And that?

Look. The one with the bear sign.

That's

The hell? I've never seen that before.

Miwoolies Creams.

An iced treat popular in the First Capital.

Shaved ice is placed atop whipped cream,

then sprinkled with honey and nuts.

The flavor is exquisite.

That bear is their mascot.

They're currently holding a contest to name it.

Magnificent. The constant advancement

in culture is on full display!

Never heard of it.

Surprised you have.

Why wouldn't I know it?

I enjoy iced treats as much as anyone.

What exactly is going through

your head right now?

My knight.

It looks delicious, does it not, Xylo?

Truly delicious indeed.

Well? Do you not wish to try it?

If you insist.

Pick out two you think look good.

Wait, three?

I'll pass. I'm saving my scrip.

You heard her. Just the two.

Go ahead.

Of course.

Leave it to me!

Xylo. You've given me reason

to reevaluate you.

You saved my men at Couveunge.

At Zewan Gan, you saved the people

we were ready to abandon.

And the people you saved were all grateful.

Yeah?

Guess it wasn't for nothing, then.

I see you're capable of smiling, at least.

There's just too many things that piss me off.

Regardless, you've proven

yourself quite capable.

And by forming that pact

with Goddess Teoritta,

I believe you may have saved her, too.

What's that mean?

Goddess Teoritta was discovered

in the northern ruins.

After her excavation, we of the Thirteenth Order

of Holy Knights, assigned to pact with her,

were dispatched to handle

oversight and operations.

But conflict soon arose between

the military and the Temple.

Sorry to hear it.

How dare you! It's because of you!

Because you k*lled Goddess Senerva!

What?

That incident gave the military an idea.

"If goddesses can be k*lled,

maybe we can make more goddesses."

So the military wanted us

to analyze Teoritta.

Analyze her, huh?

Dissect her, you mean.

Of course, the Temple opposed it,

but the military won out.

However, that situation

is now beginning to change.

In a very short time,

your unit has taken out two Demon Lords,

and proved the usefulness

of Goddess Teoritta.

Her usefulness?

You're saying they thought

she was useless before?

They'd just found her. How would they know?

We knew her power was to summon swords.

That was written in the ruins

where she was found.

It's said the goddesses first came to us

during the First w*r of Subjugation,

in what is known as the Great Civilized Era.

The goddesses act as a kind of "gate,"

with each one having a different nature.

One produces various poisons.

One calls down lightning and raging storms.

One sees the future.

They awaken in response to Demon Blights,

and when their task is finished,

they return to sleep in their coffins.

I know about the goddesses' powers.

They say one of the goddesses brought

Tatsuya here from another world, too.

It was judged that the ability

to summon swords

was far weaker than the abilities

of the twelve other goddesses.

And despite knowing what was to become

of Goddess Teoritta, we still

Yeah, that explains it.

So your suicidal plan in Couveunge

was an attempt at atonement.

Disgusting. Just because

she's not useful as a goddess

Here you are, dear.

Thank you very much.

Xylo! I have made the purchase!

I bought one for Kivia, too.

Come, you two, let us—

Tell me about our next mission.

What?

If we do good there,

she won't get dissected, right?

I don't know what kind of

"usefulness" they're after,

but I'll make those Galtuile

b*stards choke on it.

It's defense.

This fortress will be defended

by your hero unit.

To the death.

To the death?

Yes.

You'll defend that fortress from the Demon

Blight by yourselves and to the bitter end.

So it's a literal suicide mission?

Stay calm, Xylo. Don't snap

and beat anyone to death—

Who the hell do you think I am?

Excuse me. Could you perhaps enlighten us

on the details of this particular plan?

You'll stay here at the fortress. That's all.

A w*r of attrition, then.

How long do you want us to hold out?

Until you die.

The Ninth and Thirteenth Orders will be

at the rear, conserving their strength.

Once you're all dead and the fortress is taken,

they'll execute a special attack.

And what might this "special attack" be?

Poison.

The ninth goddess will perform

a miracle for all to see.

And you think that'll k*ll the Demon Lord?

I hear you've been throwing

all kinds of stuff at that thing

without ever managing to take it down.

That's right.

Our last plan was to use a sn*per to deliver

the goddess's deadly poison directly,

but that just put it into a torpor

it soon recovered from.

So not even Tsav could put it down?

Between that result and

the third goddess's future-sight powers,

Galtuile decided to revise the plan.

We'll set a massive poison trap here

in Mureed Fortress,

and k*ll the Demon Lord continuously.

So you plan to overwhelm

its incredible regenerative abilities.

And we're just there

to buy some time, then die?

Yes.

Let Mureed Fortress become the eternal resting

place for Demon Blight Number Fifteen, "Iblis."

Excuse me, Commander?

Why can't we simply leave after luring

the Demon Lord into the trap?

Because those were Galtuile's orders.

If any of you leave the fortress,

the sacred seals on your necks

will k*ll the whole unit instantly.

The whole unit, you say?

Why is that necessary?

Is there some reason you'd prefer us dead?

They hate us that much?

Understood. We'll carry out the plan.

But I'd like to discuss

a few revisions, if I may.

Revisions?

The rule that we all die if even one of us

leaves the fortress, for instance.

That seems highly counterproductive.

Why?

We're antisocial criminal

miscreants, remember?

We can expect at least one of our number

to try to save his own skin,

making it impossible to carry out the plan.

I propose a change.

You should k*ll us if we all leave the

fortress at once, rather than just one of us.

That would substantially increase

our chances of success.

Oh, and regarding Goddess Teoritta

Our goddess is a kind, compassionate soul.

Even if we order her away,

she will surely wish to remain with us.

I request permission for her to stay.

I'm not authorized to make that call.

Th-The goddess is under the jurisdiction

of the Thirteenth Or—

Xylo.

Contact Captain Kivia at once.

Right.

What else do you want me to get?

Soldiers. We don't have enough.

Understood. What else?

Weapons and provisions.

Understood. What else?

A pardon.

Understood. What else?

Forget the pardon.

I want cavalry and a*tillery if possible.

Can you call Jayce and Rhyno back?

They're still on the western front.

We might get Tsav back, though.

Tsav, huh?

Hey, what are you two muttering about?

R-Really, Xylo. That's not

where Captain Kivia's room is.

R-Right.

I'll get it all handled.

You can trust me.

I don't trust you one bit.

Can you really get this done?

Well, let's just say

All of you might not believe me,

but despite how I look,

I was on the verge

of saving the world once.

What a dreary place.

I won't be taken for a proper trial, then?

A thousand pardons, Venetim Leopool.

I would have preferred to talk

in a slightly nicer room.

I've honestly been wanting to meet you.

I actually respect you.

Respect me? You want to make

a living as a con man as well?

You really shouldn't respect me, then.

I got caught, after all.

That's right. You're totally right.

And as far as my crime goes,

I suppose trying to sell the palace off

to the circus was a bridge too far.

Yes. You really elevated fraud

to a whole new level, didn't you?

In order to sell the land to

a circus performing in the area,

you fabricated a story about

the whole capital being relocated.

Very impressive.

I was going to take the advance payment

and split, but it got out of hand.

Investment fraud. Forgery. Counterfeiting.

I have at least a hundred complaints

from the Verkle Development Corporation.

I'm sorry. Truly, I am.

I don't want your apologies.

More importantly, what inspired you

to become a con man?

Well, I've always hated

seeing people look disappointed.

I'd make up whatever lie

would get me through a situation,

and even try to make it all consistent.

That must have taken a lot of effort.

I'm impressed you managed to keep

a plan of this scale consistent, too.

Right.

So, uh, should I be expecting

the death penalty?

No, I'm afraid not.

You aren't actually going

to be punished for the fraud.

Not for the fraud? Then, why—

The real problem is right here.

That third-rate paper I worked for?

What about it?

It's an article you wrote.

It says spies under the influence of

the Demon Blight, pretending to be human,

have infiltrated the Temple, Galtuile,

and even the royal family.

Yes, I do believe I wrote that. They'd run out

of scandals about Holy Knights and goddesses,

as well as stuff the royal family had done.

They told me they wanted an article

that would inspire fear in the populace.

Well, to be honest

Fraud isn't a problem. Nor are forgery,

inflated scandals, or conspiracy theories.

Those are all fine by us.

But

We can't have you telling the truth.

You, in particular, are capable of convincing

people of the most outrageous things.

At least, you're skilled enough

to make us think you are.

W-Wait a minute.

Hold on just a second. I—

To keep you from ever speaking

the truth in the future,

we'll include a special feature

in your sacred seal.

What? W-Wait—

I'm afraid the death penalty

is too good for you.

Wait just a minute!

Y-You can't.

I don't I don't know anything.

I just didn't want to disappoint them.

Venetim Leopool.

I am sentencing you to be a hero.

I can't believe he got us everything

I asked for except the pardon.

If the goddess is in danger,

Venetim'll be the one to get her out, right?

He's one clever dude.

That guy will get himself k*lled

"in the chaos of the b*ttlefield" someday.

And I suppose Tsav has already arrived?

Yeah, probably.

I think that guy might

be worse than Venetim.

That Tsav He's just so volatile.

He did it again!

The man's unstoppable!

That's the seventh in a row!

Another winning roll!

Looks like the pot's mine.

Come on. Pony up the scrip.

Oh, is this what you're doin'?

Got a problem?

Well, ya see

As it happens, I've got good eyes and ears.

I'm also a total good guy, see? The kind who

can't stand to see wrongdoers go unpunished.

Now, if you'll just drop the scrip

and scram, I won't hafta—

You b*stard.

Shut your mouth right now!

Take back those damn lies or I'll—

No one wants this, right?

The naughty hand of a fraudster.

Look, I warned ya, man.

Anyway

I'm hungry.