Lostbelt 1 Summary: Section 5

Section 5: Quest - Manifesto



You are sitting outside in the snow, eating magical beast meat shared by the Yaga. Having followed Gordolf's advice on how to detoxify the meat, Mashu asks you how it tastes.



Guda:
It's not bad.

Avicebron:
My master is quite the tough one.

Patsy:
Hmph, you're too delicate. As long as it fills my belly, I'm fine with anything.



A little Yaga is staring at you. Patsy asks him what he wants.



Yaga (Child):
Who is this Yaga with such smooth skin?

Guda:
...Me?

Yaga (Child):
Yeah! Are you a ghost? Since your face is so smooth, doesn't the cold hurt?

Guda:
I'm~ a~ monster~!



Growling, you pretend to be one, and the child squeals in delight. Patsy shoos the kid away, remarking on how a part of the rebel army is all kids and women and the elderly. He thinks this looks more like a refugee camp than a rebel base. Avicebron agrees, estimating that perhaps only 60% of the Yaga here are capable of being combatants. The rest can only be relegated to support roles, although Avicebron does not have high hopes of them being able to do even that.



Atlante Alter:
...Ah, you're here, Guda. The volunteer too. Firstly, I'd like to talk about our goal. Defeating Ivan the Terrible... we're in agreement on that. But even so, I'd be bothered if you think that means we're serving under your command.



You assure Atlante that you had no such intentions. She says that personal strength isn't enough to fight against the Oprichniki, comparing them to a calamity that is like a violent storm. As an army your strength is insufficient. So, in order to prove your usefulness, she will use you as a reserve corps. There has been a mission which requires small but elite numbers to complete, that has been set aside until now. Although Atalante could have handled it herself, she is the leader of this army. She doesn't fear death but she is considering the movement of the army as a whole. Atalante asks if you will accept this mission.



Holmes:
Excuse me. My apologies for conducting this conversation over the comms, Miss Atalante. Though you may have heard about me on the way, let me introduce myself once more. I am Sherlock Holmes. A Servant, as you are. And I would also like to introduce-

Da Vinci:
Hi~ I'm Leonardo da Vinci. I am currently in a low energy-consumption Saint Graph for a certain reason, but let us not speak of that for now. Atalante. I am a Servant of the Pan-Human History, just like you. Also, a genius. Please consult with me if there's anything bothering you.



Though since your party has just arrived in this land, there isn't really have much information to work with. Da Vinci would like to ask Atalante a question.



Atalante Alter:
A child hero? Are you Altered too? ...Oh well. I can't turn down a child's request. What is it?



Da Vinci wants to ask about that large tree. It's something that shouldn't exist in Russia, or even the world at large. Atalante says that it seems like a tree that supports the world, and that her mythology should have something similar too, though it's probably unconnected to that tree. But ultimately she doesn't know what it is. She did however hear of something from her spies in Yaga Moskva. It is not a lot; only a name. The "Fantasy Tree". The court mage who looked like an old breed was overheard saying this: "The Fantasy Tree has yet to spread its roots."



Holmes:
Hm. A tree of fantasy. You could call it a Cloud Tree, I suppose.



For the time being, Holmes will search the database for references to this tree, though he doesn't seem confident he will find anything useful. Atalante tells him to do as she wishes; she wants to know if you are accepting the mission.



Guda:
Roger!



Atalante smiles and thanks you. She tells Patsy to go along with you, as you are not familiar with the lay of the land. Patsy is a hunter and should be good enough with a gun. Patsy's fine with accompanying you - he has some grudges against the Oprichniki too.



Atalante Alter:
Grudges... huh. It's hard to fight till the end on grudges alone. If you think that, then cling on to its conclusion. Be prepared to lay your life down for it. If not, a single misstep will see you swallowed up by the blizzards of Russia.



Patsy grumbles that he understands. With that settled, Atalante gives you your mission: to convey an appeal to each village. It is a simple one: the rebel army exists in order to defeat Ivan and destroy the Oprichniki. And as much as can be given, they seek donations of food and medication. Patsy says that the risks are high - if the villagers tell on you, you're done for.



Atalante Alter:
Just improvise on the spot.



Avicebron:
That's very unspecific. With that said, you cannot travel around vast Russia without support from the villages at each location.



In return, Holmes makes a request from Chaldea's end. They want magical beast fangs and golem cores from Atalante, which she says she'll prepare immediately. As an advance on your reward, she'll hand over the materials harvested from the magical beast earlier.



Gordolf:
Is that all!?

Atalante Alter:
Who do you think we are? We're the rebels. It's normal for us to be short of supplies. We can hand over the fangs and cores only because they aren't that necessary to us... Well, there's a few cities who've sworn complete obedience to Ivan, and which I want to take down. At that time, I'll think about it again if you've proven yourself useful. How about that?



Guda:
Got it, then we'll be off.

Gordolf:
I'm the one with the authority to determine that! Anyway, you should first refer here. Don't decide on-site!



Atalante asks again what the decision is.



Gordolf:
Hm. Well then, first, let's proceed this way. You'll be doing it, Guda.

Patsy:
The decision didn't change...



Atalante marks the locations on your map. The team in the Shadow Border will handle the search for the shortest route to those villages. Mashu thanks Holmes for his help. Quietly, Holmes is pleased that you've finally gotten a foothold here and made a step forward. He suggests to meet up so that you can transfer the food you have received from the rebels. There are also other things to be done before repairing the Shadow Border.

The next day, you set off on Avicebron's golems.



Patsy:
It's fast!?

Avicebron:
I have transformed them into high-mobility models. This is how their speed should be.

Patsy:
So this is real magecraft... ah, dammit. If only I were a mage too!

Mashu:
No, Patsy-san. Avicebron-san is a famed Kabbalist who has made his mark in history.... an average mage could only begin to hope to reach such heights even after ten generations of inheritance...

Avicebron:
But on my part, I am merely casting my golems as experiments to lead me to what I seek...

Guda:
What you seek?



Avicebron explains that his final objective is to complete the golem called the [Primordial Human]. It is a golem that will guide his suffering people and build a true paradise for them. In life, however, he was unable to fulfil this wish.



Avicebron:
...Well, it is good that I am able to use the skills I have refined in that process to serve in protection of the Human Order.



Patsy reports that you are nearing the village, and that you should get down from the golems lest they cause a panic. Agreeing, Avicebron dispels them.