The small port town is booming with people and cargo compared to their reasonable size.
Quest Acceptance Dialogue
Vera:There was a reason why it took so long. It's so busy compared to how small the village is. Was it always like this?
Mathi:No. The port with the largest capacity used to be the capital, Hamel, but it's closed right now.
Mathi:I think the confusion is coming from the sudden influx of people when Denice was temporarily designated as the main port.
Lithia:Ugh, I hate needlessly slow and complicated bureaucracy. It's not even efficient! It's so frustrating.
Mathi:Don't be like that. Senace is one of the first places that suffered from the Demon Invasion. It's understandable why they might want stricter policies.
Vera:Senace was invaded first? But...
Mathi:YOu heard that Velder's Feita was the first place that was invaded? That's what everyone thought as well...
Mathi:But there was an incident with beasts in Senace, couple of years back.
Mathi:And it's a widely accepted theory that the incident could have been the start of the Demon Invasion.
Vera:Oh, I see. I wonder if that's true.
Lithia:Hm.
Lithia:(Felix! Tell me about the time when you first arrived here again, please?)
Felix:(Ah! It is pretty epic. You see, I was determined to make a name for myself here and return with my head held high!)
Felix:(So my plan was to intimidate those in Elrios with a frightening aura!)
Felix:(Hark, you foolish mortals from the blessed land! Beware! I, Felix, will be your enemy! ... But wait, am I falling?)
Felix:(That's right! We arrived above the sea, instead of on land! Splash! Gurgle gurgle... and the bubbles go tickle, tickle!)
Lithia:(Kyahaha, that tickles!)
Felix:(Now, swim away! Or you're going to get drowned!)
Lithia:(Hahaha! Swim! Swim away!)
Lithia:(... I heard directly from the source, so it must be true.)
Quest Completion Dialogue
(Rumble Rumble)
Lithia:... Hm? Apparently they've been fishing deep-sea creatures near the shore lately.
Mathi:That's not good. Do you think there might be a hurricane soon?
Vera:What is wrong?
Mathi:There's an old saying, when fish that live deep in the ocean are caught close to land, a disaster will appear.
Lithia:Come to think of it, I think I heard something similar from Joy...?
Joy:Lithia, it's late. It's bed time for you.
Lithia:But I'm not sleepy!
Lithia:... Maybe I'll be a little bit sleepy if Joy read me a book...?
Lithia:(Kind Joy. Joy smiled and indulged me.)
Lithia:(There weren't many fairytales, but there were still a lot of reading material in the house.)
Lithia:(Joy pulled out a thick book called [Marine History and Ecology Based on True Events.].)
Lithia:(It was a difficult book, but Joy made it easier for me, and read it like a story book.)
Joy:... One day, the sea creatures swam to the shore. The villagers were happy, and decided to celebrate.
Joy:Lobsters, clams, fish... Everyone ate and ate until they were full, and happily fell asleep.
Joy:That was the final night. The night, a wave as high as a building swept the village away, and the village disappeared overnight.
Joy:The end!
Lithia:(Uh... Hold on. I thought it was a happy memory. The story is a lot more gruesome than I remember...?)
The ship is about to depart, but the crew checking the tickets deny Lithia on board for not following the procedures.
Quest Completion Dialogue
Lithia:What? What do you mean, I'm not on the list? Check again!
Sailor:I checked multiple times, and you're not on the list.
Lithia:The people in my party are on the list, are you sure you didn't leave me out?
Vera:All three of us registered... I wonder what went wrong?
Mathi:Lithia, calm down. Let's go to the front again and see if this is all a mistake.
Sailor:Wait, what's this here?
Lithia:They're my stuff. Why?
Sailor:Unverified magical items. They're forbidden on ship.
Sailor:Get this checked at the front as well.
Lithia:What? I didn't hear anything about that last time. And these are all safe!
Sailor:How do we know that? Where did you get it inspected?
Lithia:Well... I didn't get it inspected... But I made them, and I checked them for safety.
Crew:Hahahaha!
Sailor:Oh, is that so, baby magician? I'm sure your skills are extraordinary, but there's protocol that must be followed.
Sailor:Go get an official inspection. If you're not sure what to do... where is your guardian?
Mathi:Ah... Here we go again...
Lithia:Don't treat me like a kid! And protocol? Did you even check the cargo that are being loaded on the ship?!
Lithia:Did you open every single bag? You didn't even check the people that were right in front of me!
Mathi:I apologize, we'll go back and check. Sorry! Excuse us!
Mathi:Sigh... It's one thing after another.
Vera:Do you think the people that were at the front of the line when we entered the village experienced something similar?
Lithia:I bet they're receiving bribes on the side. They chase away actual customers to sell the vacated spots at a premium or they're signaling that you should pay up to ride without a problem.
Mathi:Ah... I'd rather not sympathize to your lack of faith in humanity, but something's definitely going on here.
Mathi:But we shouldn't be too pessimistic about it. This is a small village.
Mathi:I'm sure they're just having difficulty from the sudden influx of people and goods.
Lithia:Wow, what a saint. And why should we care?
Mathi:It's only human. You have to be forgiving to other people's mistakes.
Mathi:So stop trying to make enemies wherever you go.
Lithia:... Tsk! I guess I have no excuse. When did you become all mature?
Mathi:You're probably irritated from the lack of sleep. We really need to find you a place to rest.
Vera:What do we do now? I believe I can find another ship to take us...
Lithia:Since I'm the only one missing from the list, you could always go without me.
Lithia:Unlike you, I'm not in a hurry to go, so I'll go look for another ship.
Vera:But then...
Lithia:It's earlier than planned, but I guess this is where we part. What can you do.
Mathi:No. I'll go check the passenger list again.
Lithia:Alone? If they're going to check, we should all go together.
Mathi:We don't need all three of us to check the list. You two rest for now.
Mathi:Thanks to someone, I got a good night's sleep. Though I still ache all over.
Lithia:Hehe... No need to thank me.
Mathi:Alright, wise guy.
Vera:I'll leave that to you, then. I'll go see if there's another ship.
Before Senace Guardians arrive, Lithia and Vera do their best as they can to help the people of Denice.
Quest Completion Dialogue
Monster:KEW!
Lithia:You rascals! I wouldn't have had to beat you if you didn't cause trouble! Now go back home! Shoo!
Vera:Everyone! Please be calm! You might get hurt if you keep pushing each other!
Vera:Those inside the building stay inside and lock the doors! The Guardians will come soon and handle the creatures!
Vera:Lithia, do you think this is enough?
Lithia:Yeah, you're doing good!
Vera:If we had come in with the people outside, it would have been hard to figure out what's going on.
Vera:How did you know it would be so chaotic in here, Lithia?
Lithia:It's pretty obvious. This isn't the first time something like this happened since the Invasion.
Lithia:With the monsters coming from the sea, everyone will be trying to escape out of here. If you go in trying to help, you'll only end up causing more mess.
Lithia:That's why I said we should leave it to the Guardians, but since they're in trouble, I suppose we have no other choice but to help.
Vera:Wow....
Lithia:(I'm glad Vera also gained back her cool.)
Lithia:(I did act all confident to reassure her... but I thought it would be difficult with how exhausted I am.)
Lithia:(But it was pretty easy. Good thing I was cursed back then!)
Vera:Everyone! Calm down and slowly move towards the exit!
Lithia:(But why are sea monsters coming out of the water?)
Lithia:(Oh, I remember. Joy told me that time....)
Lithia:Fish were scared of the waves, too?
Joy:I believe there was something much scarier than the waves. Like earthquake, or a volcano explosion in the sea.
Joy:When something scary happens deep in the ocean, the creatures living there might escape to shallow waters.
Lithia:(Is something really big going to happen?)
Lithia:Is it earthquakes, or a volcanic explosion? Oh, maybe it's demons.
Vera:Why would you say something s scary all of a sudden!
The officer of Senace Guardians make an offer that is hard to refuse.
Quest Completion Dialogue
Lithia:[Just like Mathi said, the guardians came and handled the situation.]
Lithia:[There was even someone who looked like a high-ranking officer from a big village. That officer introduced herself to us and praised us for our actions.]
Lithia:[It wasn't great, because in the end, it was something along the lines of 'Thanks for helping, but we'd appreciate it if you can help some more'...]
Lithia:... We're busy.
Guardian Officer:We can provide a ship on our end.
Lithia:When?
Guardian Officer:You can leave today.
Lithia:... You drive a hard bargain. Alright. We are tired, but I suppose we can help out.
Lithia:[So we helped healing the injured.]
Lithia:No, you're injured, Mathi! You should take a rest! Leave the rest to me.
Mathi:You're taking over? I've got a bad feeling about this...
(CRACK!)
Injured Guardian:GAAAHH!!
Lithia:It sounds terrible because I had to set the bones! No need to cry over it!
Injured Guardian:Ah, my injuries are not actually serious, so I can wait. It would be best if other people are...
Lithia:Don't be silly. Close your eyes, don't bite your tongue, and everything will be peachy daisy!
Lithia:Now! Who's next!
Injured Guardian:Eeek!
Mathi:Ah... I can't bear to watch. I'll give you some pointers, so just do as I say.
Mathi:If you mix the method utilizing self-recovery and the caster's mana, yo can lessen the pain.
Lithia:Aha... ...... Like this?
Mathi:Yeah. That's good. You probably ended up using more mana than necessary with that one, so let's try again.
Lithia:Ah... It's not easy having to think about multiple variables at once.
Mathi:You're doing fine, so we can slowly adjust the ratio. Be careful not to do it too fast, though.
Vera:Huhuhu... I'll go grab more salves and bandages.
Lithia:Oof... Finally, I have some time to rest now that the sun is setting.
Vera:Phew... Good work everyone. I wish I could use magic as well...
Mathi:You actually helped us a lot, Vera. When doing relief work, there's more work needed other than healing people, and every work is equally important.
Lithia:I'm pleasantly surprised how well-organized Senace is during it all. Maybe they're more experienced because it's the first place that was invaded?
Lithia:If it were Velder or Northern Empire, it would have taken forever for them to come to a remote village like this for aid.
Vera:Is it that bad? I can't believe Velder would be even worse than this...
Vera:Then again, if Velder was doing fine, I wouldn't have been summoned.
Vera:Ah... Now that I'm close, I'm terrified.
Vera:What if it's a situation in which I cannot refuse? What can a country bumpkin like me possibly do?
Vera:Both of you would be so much better at it than me.
Mathi:But it's something only you can do, Vera.
Lithia:Yeah, we're a bunch of lowly commoners.
Mathi:That's not what I... or actually, maybe it is. We're not royalty, after all.
Lithia:You're agreeing with me? I thought you would tell me to play nice.
Lithia:Anyway, there's nothing to worry about, Vera. A kingdom isn't built in a day, surely it won't collapse in one.
Lithia:Even if you do end up taking the throne without any knowledge, I'm sure the nobles beneath you would love to take care of everything for you. Though, that may be worse, all in all.
Vera:Haha... That hit a little too close to home, I think.
Vera:... I feel conflicted. Why am I even worried? I'm only going back to refuse the position.
Vera:I don't know what I'm supposed to feel.
Lithia:.......
Lithia:... It's because you have a sense of responsibility.
Lithia:Whether you accept or refuse, you're in a position to choose. That is a right we do not have.
Lithia:We can give you advice, but that's it. You have to be the one to tie the knot in the end.
The three think about how they got on the ship bound to Velder after calming the confusion in Denice.
Quest Completion Dialogue
Rift:And I believe it was close to midnight when the ship promised by the Guardian officer arrived.
Lithia:Yeah. It look so long, I thought she forgot about us, but it had rooms prepared for us and everything.
Lithia:I said something like, 'even if you report that, they're not going to take care of it', but that officer seemed like someone you could trust.
Rift:Oh, is that why you gave the officer the ornament you found at the lake? I was surprised when you did that.
Lithia:Since the Guardians would already know about what happened at the mountains, I don't have to explain too much, and suggesting that today's incident might have also been set up by someone....
Lithia:Honestly, I was a bit nervous that I wouldn't be taken seriously.
Rift:And might think you're suspicious for knowing so much about Nasods.
Lithia:Oh, I didn't think about that.
Rift:Please think about what you are doing....
Lithia:Anyway, at least that officer seemed reasonable. She understood exactly what I was getting at.
Guardian Officer:We'll need to investigate further on this issue.
Guardian Officer:Thank you for your advice. I will make sure that this incident doesn't lead to any false rumors spreading.
Lithia:Well, that's all I could ask for. I'm glad I told her everything.
Lithia:The proud look that Mathi gave me while I was talking to the officer did annoy me a bit.
Rift:Hehe... I mean, you don't like having serious conversations with someone you don't know.
Rift:You can haggle like your life depended on it, but the moment someone asks you how your day has been, or ask anything personal, you start to struggle.
Rift:That's why I could tell how hard you were trying.
Lithia:Ugh, you embarrass me. Let's change the topic.
Rift:Haha. Come to think of it, I don't think the officer just took your words at face value. It seemed like she already had her own suspicions.
Guardian Officer:... We were also concerned about rumors of unknown origin spreading about the Water El.
Vera:Is Senace in trouble because of the disappearance of the Water El?
Guardian Officer:I cannot give you all the details, but I can tell you that is not the case.
Guardian Officer:It seems the ancient city that appeared right after the Invasion gave many people fear and suspicion.
Guardian Officer:But if someone is behind all of this, we will need to take action beyond worrying about the situation.
Vera:That sounds difficult...
Guardian Officer:It has already been several years since the pillars that supported Senace disappeared.
Guardian Officer:We know now, that the age we could hide peacefully under the colossal shadow has passed.
Guardian Officer:Senace has already suffered, but we refuse to let it suffer again.
Guardian Officer:... Thank you again for the advice. I regret the only thing we can pay in return for all your help is the ship I have promised.
Vera:It's fine. You are giving us what we need the most. We thank you for your generosity.
Vera:May Denice shake off the shock of this incident and return to normalcy.
Lithia:Vera says she's an ordinary girl, but whenever she shows etiquette, she really does seem like royalty.
Rift:By the time we were almost done with our conversation, the ship finished loading its cargo, so we were able to board the ship.
Lithia:Yeah. I was surprised. The Guardians and the people we helped all came out to see us off.
Lithia:Saying things like, thanks for helping out, have a safe journey, haha.
Lithia:Mathi and Vera waved, so I followed suit... It felt kind of weird when people recognized me and waved back.
Rift:.......
Lithia:It felt good. I guess...
Lithia:Mathi always nagged I should hang out with other people more, and I always thought that wasn't necessary.
Lithia:I would give reasons... Since I'd never see them again, or because they're idiots...
Lithia:But if I'm being honest, I think I was afraid of forgetting Joy and Felix.
Lithia:What if they invade the most precious part in my heart? What if Joy and Felix are lost again, this time in my heart, after I lost them due to my own mistakes.
Lithia:I was afraid the new people I meet will push back the memories I have with Joy and Felix, and change me.
Rift:.......
Lithia:I don't know why I thought that. People don't change that easily.
Lithia:If I knew, I wouldn't have lost you both, too...
Rift:... You didn't lose us.
Rift:Trust me. You didn't lose us. We can meet again.