Herico

[Herico]

Why don't you go take some load off your shoulder first, and come back?

The weather is beautiful today. *Sigh* But my body aches too badly to go out...

[

Hello!

Shede?

Oh, hello. Ms. Shede asked me to drop you by. Nice to meet you, I am

Ah, hello. I heard that recently an airport was built in this town. So, are you from a different city?

I like to see new things...although I don't like this chilly wind.

How do you like Hugel?

It is a peaceful and beautiful village, although I can tell that it is experiencing a change.

Everyone looks happy, and they feel very different than people in the other areas.

So I feel like that I am in a different land.

Everyone has worries and happyness at the same time.

You must have travelled many cities of this country,

and have figured out many things on your own.

Am I right?

I think that my senses are still working fine.

People's eyes tell many things to me.

Your eyes are telling me your admiration and astonishment

toward what you have seen in Hugel,

which is a totally different experience for you.

People of Hugel don't question anyone.

It is an unwritten law of this village.

That is why I could have been resting in this village without worries.

However, as I see you, I suddenly have an urge to ruminate on my past

that I have never spoken to anyone.

May I have a moment of your time, if you don't mind?

Perhaps we will learn something from each other's story.

Then I guess that you have not been deeply impressed by this country.

Haha, alright, that's fine.

Oh, am I not?

Haha, I am sorry for hazarding a conjecture.

Hmm...can you tell me your name once again?

Yes, my name is

However, before I tell you my stories, I would like to ask you something. Do you mind?

As you see, ever since an airport was built in this Hugel, many strangers are coming in and going out this village.

It may be a good change for Hugel, so that more people will know about its existence.

However, I have this bad feeling about the airport and airships.

I do not think that this country is not extending their airlines only for the transportation purposes.

Did you know that more and more people are using the ferry after the airport was built?

Can't you see the reason of my doubt?

Please find out the secret about the airship and the island.

Then I will tell you my stories.

I hope that you will do your best to find out the secret.

Welcome back. I have been waiting for you with eager anticipation to hear about the secret.

Now, please tell me what you have found out.

- You told him what you have seen and heard from the Odin Shirine, -

- such as Giantes, Ymir's Heart and Rekenber. -

Rekenber...So, they have expanded

their power even to this small village, Hugel.

Do you know about them?

Of course, I know them too well.

............

Thank you so much for your effort.

I am afraid that your dangerous journey has not been ended.

Well, this is time for me to tell you my story.

I hope that you will enjoy it.

Hmm...I don't know where to start.

As you know, we have bionic machines called

Guardians.

We are using Guardians to protect important facilities

or to avoid meaningless murders.

Have you ever thought about how the people in old times

would protect their important facilities without guardians?

Perhaps, they hired many men to do that?

Yes, you are right.

For the longest time, Schwarzwald Republic had had

Mercenary Soldiers who exchanged their lives

with the good money, and they used to take care of

all the dirty jobs in the past.

They lost their jobs when Rekenber successfully invented and publicized guardians.

Guardians were made for humans, but sadly it was the worst thing that could happen to them.

As they lost their jobs to guardians, they rose in rebellion called Mercenary Rebellion.

This Mercenary Rebellion was greatly responded to by the public.

However, they lost people's trust by choosing a violent method

to fight, instead of appealing to the public in a convincible way.

In other words, they lost their game by making a critical mistake.

Ever since their rebellion was failed,

survivors of the rebellion have disappeared beyond history.

Not only that, they held a fight with guardians in

the Sage Varmunt's birthplace

which was our proud national treasure!

So the house was completely destroyed by the battle, and

since then, no one knows where Sage Varmunt is.

Sage Varmunt.....!

Oh...I must have been really upset about it.

To be honest with you,

Sage Varmunt is partially responsible on guardians.

You know that he was the one

who created their motive power.

It is riduculous that the mercenary soldiers were trying to

make their revenge on Sage Varmunt

for inventing guardians, you know.

But, it is understandable because they lost their jobs to guardians.

I heard about the Mercenary Rebellion after everything was ended,

so there was nothing that I could do about Sage Varmunt.

He disappeared, and I couldn't figure out more

than what I found from his birth place...so...

I came to Hugel and settled down here.

I tried to find at least a little bit of his documents from his laboratory...

but everything was gone...huh?

Hold on, I just remember something very important!

Where are all of his research documents?

No...did mercenary soldiers took them or...possibly dispose them?

Damn it! I am so stupid! Grrr...

How couldn't I think about this earlier?

I have to take a long time to remember everything

about the incident, but you must understand

that this is an extremely important matter.

Mercenary Rebellion was a huge issue back then.

Hopefully, there will be at least one news reporter

who remembers about the rebellion.

Please go to Lighthalzen and find a news reporter

who still remembers about the rebellion.

If you find him, please ask him if he knows whereabouts of the rebellion survivors,

so that you can find out what happened to Sage Varmunt and his research documents.

How have you been doing?

Did you find Sage Varmunt's research documents?

Well, about the documents...

I ate them.

Hahaha! That's funny!

No, it is not funny.

.................

Then...SPIT THEM OUT!

SPIT THEM OUT!

I SAID, SPIT THEM OUUUUUT!

Err...I was just kidding...

Haha, the first part was funny,

but the second part was kind of scary, you know?

So, tell me, where are all of his research documents?

Rekenber has taken them into their possession.

...........................

It was expected.

What do you have in mind?

First, I think that I should inform you about my true identity.

I may now be an old man whose days are numbered,

but I used to work at the Ymir's Heart imitation research department

in Regenschirm laboratory under Sage Varmunt's supervision.

You look very surprised.

Does it mean that you are the one

who created the Ymir's Heart imitation?

Well, I was a mere assistant of Sage Varmunt,

so I can't say that I created it.

Rekenber has been secretly gathering Ymir's Heart Pieces.

They are very obsessed with Ymir's Heart Pieces,

and I guess that it is because of the enormous power that the heart pieces possess within..

However, the power of the original heart pieces

are too strong for humans to control.

Thus, it is not fiseable to manipulate the power

as energy sources.

That is why the imitations of Ymir's Heart

Pieces have been created.

We, researchers including Sage Varmunt, endeavoured

our effort in studying and analyzing the revolutionary energy source

for a long time.

And our effort has gained a fruitful result; the Imitations of Ymir's Heart Piece.

With the invention, we could create guardians.

We were so happy for the fact that we

finally made our dream come true.

But, Sage Varmunt was against the idea of using guardians

for militant purposes, and I heard that he also participated

in the Mercenary Rebellion.

- You told him what you knew about the Mercenary Rebellion. -

Hmm...now I see.

After we succeeded in creating the imitations of Ymir's Heart Piece,

Sage Varmunt looked pretty depressed for some reason.

After all, he left the laboratory and said that by him

staying with Regenschirm laboratory

will make everyone miserable.

I still don't figure out why he said that.

He was a really great scholar.

He always tried to use his knowledge in science for humankind.

As expected, after Sage Varmunt left Regenschirm,

almost every research process started stagnating.

Even many projects were canceled or postponed.

The upper management were threatened by the phenomenon,

so they yelled at people to continue

with their research by all means.

They even allowed people to experiment

on anything that is alive.

......................

That gave me a reason to leave Regenschirm.

Rekenber will do anything to achieve their goals.

They have become too powerful to just be considered a big corporation.

That was why they founded the "Bio Lab"

in order to continue with their research without Sage Varmunt.

What? "Bio Lab"? I didn't image that they could

even think of that! I can't express enough of my resentment toward them!

Science is to benefit humankinds,

not to harm them. I think that something must be done.

Can you bring me a glass of water?

Can you guess what I am thinking right now?

I am thinking about destroying Regenschirm.

Rekenber has become as powerful as this Schwarzwald Republic.

I don't think that I could destroy the entire corporation.

But even if I could, it could also lead to the fall of my country,

because that's who big Rekenber means to this country.

So, instead, I am thinking to destroy "Regenschirm".

Because the laboratory may not be as big as the corporation,

but at the same time, it has a great meaning to them.

I want to stop their inhumane and dangerous practice in research.

...*Sigh*...Unfortunately, I do not possess any power to

proceed with my plan. Thus, I need your help, desperately.

Let me hear your opinion.

Will you join me in destroying Regenschirm?

I respect your decision since this is not something

that is okay for you to make a quick judgement.

I appreciate everything that you have done for me so far.

And if you change your mind, feel free to come back any time.

I knew that you are too righteous to

neglect lies and injustice.

I have seen that through your eyes.

I don't know how much we can achieve with this mission,

but it is very meaningful for us to at least try.

Let's discuss further what we should do.

We must find out how we can stop them

from doing more evil things, at least for a while.

Regenschirm is a historic laboratory, and thus

an enormous amount of accumulated research data

has been saved within the laboratory.

Without the research data,

all the researching activity within Regenschirm

will not be progressed.

Regenschirm is located at the underground level

of Rekenber's Lighthalzen headquarters.

It is where their filthy ambitions are reflected on.

Please sneak into the laboratory

and bring their research data to me.

of Rekenber's Laighthalzen headquarters.

Can you sneak into the place and bring me their research data?

Ah, you are back.

I had a little bit of trouble because I was caught by a guard.

But I took care of it.

Thank you so much for your trouble.

Haha, since they lost their research data,

they wouldn't be able to continue with their research

at least for a while, I hope.

Now, let's get into the next step, shall we?

I know that you have gone through many difficulties so far,

but this might be the most difficult thing that you've ever done.

In my opinion, the bio lab is the most important facility in Regenschirm.

We must not let that kind of inhumane place exist in this world any longer.

I am so horrified by the thought that they have been doing all sorts of evil things

under an excuse of scientific research.

As I analyzed the research data which you have brought to me,

the bio lab is consisted of 3 levels,

and I suspect that the 2nd level is used to

perform experimental research on living bodies.

I am pretty sure that we can find

a miner who knows how to make

Marine Sphere Bottles in Einbech,

since the Marine Sphere Bottles are needed to

blast tunnels inside mines.

Haha...you know what I am going to ask you now, don't you?

Please go meet with the Marine Sphere Bottle manufacturer,

and purchase some Marine Sphere Bottles.

And explode the bio experiment equipment in the 2nd level of bio lab!

I know that this is a difficult task. But, please understand

that you are the only hope that I have.

Please stop them from performing experimental research on living bodies!

And explode the bio experiment equipment in the 2nd level of bio lab.

You are the only hope that I have.

Let's hope that it will work out well.

If you know anyone

who can create Marine Sphere Bottles for you,

you may use his instead.

The machine was blown up.

Excellent! Excellent!

Now, I am relieved that they won't be able to

proceed with their bio research at least for a while.

You did a great job, and I am so proud of you.

I assume that there are

some failed experimental objects remaining within the laboratory.

According to the research document,

those experimental objects are identified with Handcuffs.

From now on, I will reward you every time when you bring me

a certain amount of the Handcuffs.

And...even though we succeeded in stopping them for now,

it will not last that long.

We need someone who has a power to stop them permanently.

Sadly, I am not the one.

By any chance, do you know a man who can aid his power in stopping them?

I think that I know one...

Okay, tell me who he is.

Mr. President.....!

Mr. President must be the one who can help us.

You mean Karl...something something?

I may well say that Rekenber owns this country.

I don't think that he has not been influenced by them.

No, Mr. President, who I know,

has been trying to free this country from Rekenber.

Even if he was frustrated by a ridiculous reason at the last time,

I believe that he has not given up in his hope.

Hmm...I see. Then I must count on your word.

I am giving the research data back to you,

so please bring it to Mr. President.

Let's see how well he can handle it.

I appreciate you for doing everything for me so far,

I really appreciate it.

Umm...no, I don't think that I know anyone.

Oh...okay. Hmm...we certainly need someone

with a power who can stop them permanently.

Why don't you go to different cities and find the one

who can help us? I am pretty sure that

you will find one.

Why are you still here?

That research data will aid a great help to Mr. President.

Please deliver it to him as soon as you can.

Hey, welcome back.

I am willing to exchange 1 of level 4 food with 100 Handcuffs.

There you go, thank you for your trouble.

I don't think that you have brought me 100 Handcuffs.

When I checked the research data that you have brought to me,

it seemed that Sage Varmunt wrote his documents in cipher,

so they could not decode them.

That explains why they have been obsessed

with bionic researches to figure out on their own.