We pick off from last time with Barguest and Echo watching Snow and Gyumao in bafflement. Gyumao starts testing a mic before asking Snow if everything is ready. Snow questions if he’s sure about this since it’s a product not yet available for release. Gyumao says it’s an emergency, and since they’ll be needing it anyways they might as well present it as if it were the true unveiling.
Gyumao and Snow then pop up as Gyumao tells everyone to feast their eyes on the ultimate chocolate making machine. You either point out the obvious that something is happening, be surprised that there’s a presentation being held here, or compare it to a guerrilla fashion show.
Gyumao goes on to say that he’ll be presenting a joint developed product made between his company and Claude’s business. He names it something like Amber Clean Tube Chocolate Maker, though I’m honestly not sure what he’s going for. It doesn’t seem to be LW’s fondness for four kanji expressions from what I can tell. But anyways, you ask if it’s a machine that makes chocolate.
Snow picks up on the presentation to describe how the machine can handle all the difficult parts of making chocolate like heating by Bain-marie, stirring, and tempering with just a push of a single button. That way, even someone making sweets for the first time can make some world class chocolate. Snow also mentions it was modeled after a certain mysterious water jug in Hourai believed to be able to melt anything. (Probably something from Journey to the West?)
It’s the industry’s first machine that can make chocolate just by putting in cacao beans. It’s got a special heating mechanism, which he then demonstrates somehow. Snow also assures that professional chocolatiers can put their trust in it and asks you guys to try it out. Echo just stares. You either say you’ll buy it, express shock that it can make chocolate out of cacao, or be amazed at Snow’s presentation.
Gyumao says that if you have problems getting cacao into the machine, then that’s already been taken care of. A little craziness is nothing the Kamata Crafters can’t handle. Snow then offers some chocolate made by the machine, though he tells you it’s something that was made earlier. Echo takes a bite sized piece, which is described as being aromatic and having a comforting smell. Echo comments on how sweet it smells and how she wants to eat it right away.
Echo looks at Snow, who smiles back at her, so she decides to eat the piece. She says it has a gentle sweetness that melted in her mouth in an instant. She says it’s great. Snow notes that she loosened up with the feelings they just threw in, then says if she liked it it’s an honor. Gyumao asks what Echo thinks about giving chocolate for Valentines then. She thinks aloud on that, so you say you think it’s a good idea but ask her opinion, nod along with the suggestion, or ask if she wants to try giving her feelings.
Echo shyly says she’ll try, and that she wants to give Narcissus chocolate. Gyumao points out to you guys that Echo is slowly bringing out her feelings. He may not really know what happened to her, but he guesses she had considerable feelings. While this is for solving the overworld shift, Gyumao says that as CEO, he wants Echo to try monitoring the new product. He then offers to use all his experiences to help Echo make her second life.
Barguest says he doesn’t know about any curses or stuff, but he figures it must be lonely to be distanced from someone. He admits he wants to return, but he agrees to help make Echo’s wish come true. He also warns Echo to not get too close to him or else his luck will affect her. But yeah he’ll be there for her until Narcissus accepts her.
Gyumao sidles up to him and laughs about how he’ll be judging how Barguest’s work behavior is and says he has high expectations. Barguest is baffled that people keep walking up to him despite all his warnings.
Snow cuts in on the excitement and apologizes for that but mentions that there is one thing he forgot to mention about the chocolate maker. Gyumao asks what, so Snow says they have no ingredients. Gyumao and Barguest are shocked by this, and Gyumao remembers that this is true and beats himself for forgetting.
Snow also points out that there’s no way to charge the machine even if they have batteries. Gyumao reacts like he’s been physically struck as he calls it a critical incident before facefaulting like a 90s anime character, which Echo points out. Barguest asks if there’s any sort of workaround to these problems.
Snow says that if they conserve the battery, then they have some leeway on that front. The ingredients is going to be a much bigger issue though. They have the starter kit for the machine, but ingredients were planned to be sold separately. Barguest figures that means they’ll have to look in the overworld shift for them and asks if cacao is even a thing in Olympus. Snow says that while the temperature is right, the humidity level is not. Cacao is a tropical plant after all. Barguest groans at being deadlocked.
You remember that you have cacao on you and tell everyone so. Gyumao quickly gets up and desperately asks if that’s true. You start to dig them out, which then leads to Barguest asking when you started carrying around some huge tree branch around. You express puzzlement and try to deny it’s some tree branch and point out in shock that there’s cacao growing from it.
Narration says that the cacao you got from Volos tore through the packages they came in and are growing into branches. Snow asks to take a closer look, then is surprised that the branches are growing new cacao pods. You wonder what the hell is going on before you remember the pamphlet Volos included.
The pamphlet reads more like a letter Volos wrote to you, complete with a start of Dear MC and asking if you’re okay and taking in your veggies. Parts are actually skipped as Volos says the cacao was picked from some especially well raised cacao for research. He describes that tree as naughty, and [SKIPPED] he thinks they’ll be really strong and robust. If you have any interest in cultivating them, he says they’ll grow quick in the right temperatures.
You look up from this letter you read out to everyone, comment that you can just see Volos’s smile in your head, and/or wonder if it’ll grow into a tree if you plant the thing. Snow says he understands and thanks you, commenting on the cacao being raised with love and care. Barguest is baffled that Snow can just roll with it like that.
Snow says that he understands that the cacao was originally standard cacao, and that it became the way it is now due to some external factor. Gyumao recognizes Volos and says that his company has a deal for that college research lab’s harvests since they’re good stuff. Barguest says the only remaining possibilities would an effect due to the overworld shift or something else completely. You wonder what’s happening, wonder if the overworld shift has something to do with it, or compare it to a growth process on fast forward. But whatever, you turn to Echo and say you guys can probably make chocolate now.
Echo asks if the cacao you have can be used for making chocolate. Snow says it was one of your friends who gave you that cacao. Even if the reason it’s growing so fast is because of something else, the fruit itself is normal. Barguest says you guys don’t have any alternatives anyways, so you may as well use it. Echo agrees to the point and says she’ll do it. She also is about to say she wants to return everyone to Tokyo, but she chokes on that and leaves it hanging. She thinks it hard at least, and everyone smiles.
Anyways Gyumao hands Echo the machine, and Echo psyches herself up as she stands in front of the kitchen table. She stammers to Snow about working together with him, though Snow asks her to slow down first. She’s confused, and Snow says that while you thankfully have cacao, you guys are still low on ingredients. Echo asks about cacao not being enough to make chocolate.
Snow says the sweet meltiness and the scent is from cacao, but throwing them as is will make it bitter. To adjust the essential taste, milk and sugar are added. That way you can make something that suits your intended’s tastes. Echo admits to not knowing what Narcissus likes. Snow suggests getting an assorted collection of flavors then, which Echo is surprised to hear about.
Gyumao says you guys will need a lot more ingredients in that case, so he suggests searching the forest for fruits and berries or nuts. Barguest questions whether there’s any at all since he thinks the dragons would have eaten them all already. Echo thinks on that, and no one seems to notice the flash that happens so I’m not sure it means anything. But anyways you ask if Echo will come with you guys to look or wait in the base.
Echo says she’ll come with and work hard so that she can’t be left behind. Gyumao has something on his mind as he looks at her, and he starts to talk to her about the change in emotion he saw when there’s a sudden shift in the atmosphere that Snow notices. He says it’s danger and asks everyone to step back. Echo isn’t fast enough to process that quickly, and Snow throws out his chakrams. A figure who comes out from the shadow of a pillar by the entrance repels the attack instantly, and a heavy pressure sets in.
Heracles reveals himself as he asks who everyone is and what they’re plotting. Narration describes him as dressed up in rags like a slave that does nothing to hide the scent of a hero he’s giving off all over. His words are described as calm before being corrected to tired. Snow is surprised, but he quickly focuses back on things as the episode battle starts. More story after that.
The story picks up midway through the battle as Snow says Heracles is strong to sweep away his chakram. Both continue to go at it, and Echo is surprised into dropping the chocolate maker. She gets upset over that, and you call out to her to get away from there since you can pick it up later. You can also wonder who Heracles is. Gyumao calls out to you both as he drops his work persona speech patterns and personal pronoun, telling you guys to hide behind him. He also instantly enlargens himself.
As Snow and Heracles continue to fight it out, the air around them starts trembling. Barguest thinks about how Heracles is fending off Snow easily, but he also notes he’s only fighting defensively and wonders if there’s a reason. Snow notes that Heracles isn’t a normal person, or at least not some sort of reckless fighter. And since Heracles hasn’t really been thrown off his guard the whole time, Snow figures him to be strong but wonders what’s going on.
Heracles says he thought you guys might have called the dragons in, but he’s surprised by Snow’s skills. He says it’s still possible to put the weapons away since he Doesn’t Want to Fight. Echo is surprised as she hears that. You try to explain it’s a misunderstanding when you process what Heracles said too, at which point you try to talk Snow down.
Echo rushes out, and Gyumao tries to call her back. Echo ignores him as she gets in between Snow and Heracles, then activates her power to repeat what Heracles said and adds that she doesn’t want to fight either. The words reverberate around the pair trying to appeal to them. Snow asks if this is Echo’s artifact’s power. Heracles calls it strange.
Echo steps forward resolutely as Heracles watches. She is expressionless at first as if tired of putting up a face, but then steels herself a little bit. Heracles then puts his weapon down and asks Snow to let things stop there since he doesn’t want to cause a fuss. Snow says he’ll believe him and apologizes for attacking him earlier. You are relieved and say you thought the base would get destroyed, then ask Echo if she’s okay. She says she is.
Echo touches her artifact, which gets described as a collar or necklace that looks like a scar. Her finger slightly shakes. Gyumao says it looks like things have calmed down now and starts calling you by name before remembering to act like a CEO and calling you his business partner. He asks if you and Echo are alright.
Echo says she’s alright and fails to articulate ‘thank you,’ though she still mouths it out as she nods at him. Gyumao waves off the thanks and says it’d be an honor if his body acted as a shield for you guys. You either say he was cool, thank him for protecting you, or point out that he slipped up on his speech patterns.
In A, Gyumao talks about how after becoming a manager he often compliments people but doesn’t get complimented much, so he gets a little shy about that. He also decides to take your praise as an incentive to do his best. In B, he mentions that it’s natural for his Role since it hurts him more to see you hurt than be hurt himself. He makes a point of saying that as a superior, protecting his group is equal to protecting himself.
In C, Gyumao needs a moment to realize what you’re talking about before saying it might have come out since things were so sudden. He goes back to his public speaking style as he says that as someone who stands as a leader he tries to talk appropriately. Gyumao also comments that it isn’t a bad thing that you know he has that side of him.
Heracles speaks up after waiting for a lull in the conversation. He may have put his weapon down, but he says he doesn’t trust you guys yet. He introduces himself and says he’s a slave at the moment. His voice gets described as solemn, dignified, and tired. You either introduce yourself, say you’ve read his name in a book before, or comment on how beefy he is.
In B, Snow says the same thing. Heracles doesn’t seem surprised as he says the name gets around, strangely. He insists he’s just a slave and not some hero. In C, you look all over at Heracles. He says it’s probably not going to live up to whatever expectations you have. When he hears you’re okay with just looking, he says you can look as much as you want. He also asks you to step back.
Anyways, the game glosses over the party explaining to Heracles what’s going on. He says he gets it mostly and brings up that he vaguely knows what’s happening with his body now. Barguest mentions his surprise at hearing the dragons in the forest attacked Heracles as well. Heracles says that he has certain business that led him to come here to talk to the Spring’s Fairy. He was in the middle of talking to them when this light flared up. Next thing he knew all the faeries were gone. When he tried leaving, he noticed that the place looked like a hazy recollection of things. It looks like Olympus but it isn’t, and that’s when he found you guys.
Snow says he was on guard for any movements from the presence he felt earlier and asks if it happened because he attacked. You ask about Heracles being caught in the shift since he’s apparently still in Olympus. Snow suggests Heracles might have been brought in from there, and Barguest is surprised Heracles didn’t come in from Tokyo like the rest of the party.
Snow says he’s just guessing, but he thinks that maybe the Olympus that Echo remembers, the Spring of Narcissus, and the forest it’s in happened to be in brought Heracles in because he was already around when it formed on that side. Echo is shocked by this, and Heracles thanks him for the explanation as he refers to what’s happening as a trial. He offers to work with you guys to solve things as soon as possible.
Barguest is taken aback and thanks him for the offer but can’t help but comment on how quick Heracles is to accept things. Heracles says he has a mountain of work to get back to so he can’t idle around here. Gyumao, Snow, and Barguest all sigh at the thought of work. You either ask if they’re tired, say their facial expressions are dead, or ask if it is that much work there is to do.
Heracles says you don’t need to be concerned about him since he’s used to being given unreasonable orders. All he can do is deal with what’s in front of him because that’s what the role He Was Stuck With entails. Gyumao speaks up to thank Heracles for helping and turns to talk to Echo about the machine when he notices her expression.
Echo is teary eyed as she holds up the machine and apologizes, since now there’s a huge crack on it. You ask if it’s broken, try to tell her it’s okay because things happened, or be worried. Gyumao tries reassuring her that his company products aren’t that fragile, then declares they’ll fulfill their customer’s needs no matter what is going on. That’s what an ideal prototype is!
Gyumao tries to turn the machine on, and while it sounds kind of busted Gyumao points out that power is still running through it. It’s just damaged on the outside. Echo agrees that it still runs but is worried about the noise she heard. Gyumao says it’s only a trivial concern and that the end result is what matters. Echo tries to get resolved in response.
Barguest sighs about what’s happening and says he’ll go look for ingredients in the forest like they were discussing earlier. He feels if he touches the machine it’ll break, then heads off. Snow says he’ll try growing the cacao and asks Heracles to stand guard for the base. Heracles agreed saying if that’s what he wants, that’ll be his work. He also asks Snow to not call him Master since he’s a slave. Snow says he’s a servant too, then adds that he should show appropriate respect for everyone. You try to get Echo excited about making chocolate and thank Heracles for helping.
Echo says yes, and Snow thinks about how polite and humble Heracles is, yet brave and self-knowledgeable too. He thinks it’s how heroes should be, but he also notes that he felt some sort of terrible danger coming from him. And that’s where the episode part ends.
Gosh! That was long and great.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your hard work.