Heracles brings up that time when the chocolate shoggoths attacked and you attempted to protect him. He starts stepping closer and says you ordered him to cherish his life. He says that the only person who can order him around is the one who can become his master. And since you had earlier told him to be with you, he made his decision. He says he’ll be your slave, and that he’ll obey any order unrelated to battle. Echo is off to the side scandalized at how close Heracles is to you by this point. You either freak out at how close he’s standing, be taken aback about him being your slave, or ask if he really meant anything.
In B, he says he means that and that he’ll happily serve you. Just leave manual labor or the like to him. He also mentions liking cleaning, laundry, and needlework, before trying to deny being particular about work. In C, Heracles does ask that you not ask him to do anything crazy if possible. He mentions that Gyumao already taught him about the concept of power harassment.
Anyways, Barguest focuses on Heracles asking you to not send him to fight and asks if there’s a reason for that. Heracles says he’s talked about being a slave due to an oracle he was given as a way to atone for his crimes, and he describes being a slave as being someone who has to work as their master commands. His oracle also said that he couldn’t work for his own sake. If he does, he’ll be given agony enough to die from. That aside, Heracles doesn’t actually want to fight, so he thinks being a slave is preferable to being thrown into battle.
Barguest says he can understand Heracles’ thoughts. He says it’s that state where you might get pitied, but it’s better the way it is now instead of a situation that you don’t want. Echo asks what he means as she thinks it over. Barguest sighs since he thinks it’s not really something to tell someone who’s trying hard, but he doesn’t think it’s a bad idea for her to know either.
Barguest takes a moment to check if the area is safe before sitting down on some rock. He then starts talking about how life doesn’t always go the way you want it to. The results that you don’t want happening probably make up the bulk of what happens. But among those unwanted results, Barguest says there’s a bit of good luck amongst the bad luck.
Heracles asks what he means, so Barguest says that even if something you didn’t want happens, it’s fine if it’s not the worst possible outcome. Rather than regretting what happened all the time, you should put it down as an ending point and move on. Echo repeats the idea to herself as she thinks on it.
Barguest says that the past, present, and future come together at a three road junction and split into different paths, which is a thing his old master used to say a lot. The past cannot return, so you have move in the present. Even if you want to go back to the past, the road to the past and the road to the present have already split off. No matter how much people may regret it, they can only live in the present. Rather than stop and die, or whatever the worst outcome is, it’s better to be determined and walk forward.
You either say things can’t change that easily, think on the idea about
things being better than the worst outcome, or say you don’t get it for
now. Going A, Barguest agrees and says there’s no way anyone would be
happy with not achieving what they wanted. But if you want things to
improve even a little bit, then you have to keep going even if you don’t
accept it. In B, Barguest says he’s not tied to misfortune because he
wants to be, but he’ll take comfort in the idea it’ll draw it away from
someone else.
Anyways Barguest figures it’s time to stop with the philosophy lecture as he gets up and checks if anything came by. The Analyst kicks in as Barguest starts addressing Echo and talks about how the overworld is essentially her memory world. Echo says it seems to be that way, though she doesn’t really understand it that well. Barguest suggests that means that Narcissus is a memory cognition and not the actual person, which Echo doesn’t bring herself to respond to.
Heracles agrees with the point, saying it’s the same as how this Olympus isn’t the real thing either. He prompts you guys to look over, way past some trees. After you look, you compare it to a vaguely remembered picture, say it’s like some stage backdrop, or say it looks really unclear. Heracles suggests that it’s Scenery Echo Doesn’t Remember, and Echo says that the forest nymphs normally don’t leave the forest.
Barguest builds on the point to say that’s why Narcissus’s Spring looks so clear. He tells her that he ended up seeing Narcissus falling into the spring. She’s shocked by that, and he asks about it being something she couldn’t forget. Echo presses her hands on her chest as the memories she doesn’t want to remember start gripping at her, but she still finds it in her to speak.
Echo confirms that she saw the last of Narcissus like that. She also says that due to the punishment given by the patron of wrath/righteous fury, Narcissus fell in love with his reflection in the water. When he moved to kiss it, Echo was unable to stop him.
Echo says that when she saw that happened, she grieved and grieved until she was reduced to just a voice. She had no body to make gestures with, and she was unable to say anything on her own. Then, the spring fairies stole Narcissus away to the world at the bottom of the spring.
Heracles is shocked at Echo’s mentioning of something within the spring
as he starts bringing up some Rumor he’s heard. He stops himself before
he mentions any details though, saying it’s about something unrelated to
Narcissus and asking Echo to continue.
Echo is a bit surprised at Heracles, but she does as he asks. When
Narcissus disappeared, she says pure white flowers bloomed. They were
the same flowers she saw at the gardens, the Narcissus flowers she says
that seemed to look sadly at the spring. She learned the flower’s name
when she came to Tokyo and remarks it being Narcissus’s name as well.
You either say that was the cause for the overworld shift and/or thank
Echo for telling you guys this. Echo says nothing would have changed if
she kept quiet because this is a memory world. Even if she confessed to
Narcissus at the spring, it wouldn’t reach the real one. She knows that
in her head, but she trails off as she starts tearing up.
You start to ask if Narcissus is dead, but Heracles says that it’s possible Narcissus is alive in the world at the bottom of the spring. Echo is surprised, and you ask if that’s true and press him for details. Heracles says the renowned pretty boy Narcissus might have been taken by the spring fairies and kept like a caged bird. The bottom of the spring however is the domain of the water fairies, so if they don’t invite you then you can’t just waltz in.
Echo says that might be true, but either way it means she can’t see him anymore. Barguest says this means it’s also possible that the worst outcome was avoided. Even if she can’t see him, he could still be okay, and Barguest says she could settle for that. Echo has to think on that and says it doesn’t feel real to her yet.
Barguest says that there are times when things can’t be changed and you just have to live with it. If anything like that happens, he hopes that what he told her will help Echo feel a little better. You either comment that he’s good at taking care of other people, comment on how kind he is, or say you’ll keep those words in mind.
Going B, Barguest gets flustered by your remark and claims he’s just busy dealing with his own problems so he can’t carry anyone else’s baggage. In the end, he says he can only settle his own things.
In any case, Barguest suggests heading back to base before something happens from sticking around too long. As he gets up to look, a choco shoggoth wanders by, which aggros upon meeting his eyes. Everyone is surprised at their presence, and the things start the episode battle. More story comes afterwards.
Things pick up with the party making it back to base more or less okay having managed to shake off the mobs. You say you guys made it or say that it’s thanks to Barguest that you guys managed to not get surrounded. In the latter, there’s some extra lines where Barguest is surprised and says he thought he had gotten you guys into a seriously bad situation. He’s glad everyone is okay though and decides to call it the silver lining in an awful cloud.
Anyways, Snow runs back in and is relieved that you guys are okay too. Heracles tells him you guys were attacked by the choco shoggoths, though you managed to get away. Barguest picks up that Snow had said “too” and asks if that means Gyumao was attacked too. Snow confirms that’s true, which worries Echo.
Gyumao runs in next and says it was such a hassle to be attacked without an appointment. Heracles is glad he’s alright, and Gyumao starts wondering aloud if this means the choco mobs are unrelated to the time rewind. You either wonder if they’re hiding around, express surprise they showed up without having made any chocolate, or say you guys need to be careful.
Snow figures that the memory corrective force is getting stronger in response to Echo’s conflict. Echo starts blaming herself again, but Snow says she doesn’t need to look so sad as he shows her something. He turns out to have confectionary tools and different wrapping papers now. You either ask where he got them from or compare them to store stuff.
Snow says that when some of the mobs appeared at the base and were
chased off, they dropped the things behind. He suggests that maybe they
manifested from a new memory in response to Echo’s mental state changing
and the mobs were trying to dispose of them. The way the cacao is
growing so fast might be due to her wish to change the results too.
Barguest says that’s really convenient and feels that it is possible if
this place is Echo’s mental world.
Echo is surprised that her thoughts of wanting to give Narcissus chocolate may have caused this. Gyumao wonders if the world is nudging Echo forward because she’s been thinking really strongly about wanting to give chocolate. Since the corrective force wants to stop that, the mobs may have been trying to dispose of the tools. You think in on the corrective force and Echo’s feelings of wanting to change things, then ask if that means her feelings are clashing with the curse of repetition.
Barguest asks why a curse that’s supposed to make Echo repeat words is having so many manifestations if all that is true. Gyumao says Echo’s efforts are genuine. He also says that if the past is wiped away, it should lead to the world going forward. Snow then theorizes that the corrective force isn’t only rooted in Echo’s curse. Echo doesn’t follow along.
Snow talks about how this world is a recreation of Echo’s past memories, but it shouldn’t be easily possible to sweep away the past. This would apply even a memory such as what would look to her like a final chance encounter with Narcissus. That last connection would be seared into her memories, so forgetting it would be the same as cutting the connection.
Heracles phrases that as a memory where both sides could have made contact even if the facts don’t change. Gyumao agrees that it wouldn’t be fixed if that were broken, then wonders if the corrective force is pushing Echo’s hesitation. Heracles says that if Echo’s lingering attachment isn’t cut, they might not be able to leave though. You decide to ask Echo directly what she wants to do.
Echo grabs the edges of her clothes as she struggles to get her words out. She says she wants to bring everyone back to Tokyo, but she didn’t want to destroy her memories with Narcissus. She wants to keep her love, though she’s still unsure of what to do. You say there has to be a way, offer to think of one together, and say you guys will come up with something.
Barguest agrees and points out that Echo has decided upon giving Valentines chocolate for now. If that’s what she wants, then he’ll help her with it. And if that doesn’t work, he says they can think of something else. She nods and agrees.
Anyways, Barguest says he’ll be outside for a while and to call him if you need him for anything. You however ask him to help make chocolate with you guys since he’s here and all and said he’d help. He’s surprised, though he admits he did figure this would be coming. He tries to make excuses by asking what you’d guys do if his misfortune gets mixed into the chocolate. Snow says it’s noble of him to be apprehensive of his nature, but he asks him to join in the chocolate making too.
Barguest protests that it’s different and that he’d prefer to avoid letting his bad luck affect things as much as possible. Snow points out that the nimono he shared with everyone hasn’t actually done anything to anyone so far. You either be shocked and wonder if Barguest cooked it himself, point out that Kenta was fine when he had some, or think about the salt content in the food.
Going B, Barguest tries to argue before admitting that Kenta did like it. Gyumao says there is an order to things but asks Barguest to help with the basics since it’s good stimulation to work with younger people. Barguest calls him pushy and wonders why everyone around him is so forceful. Snow says it’s not an everyday sort of opportunity as he invites Barguest to make chocolate with everyone. He gives him some milk he can use, then asks Gyumao to come with him. Gyumao tells Barguest to enjoy the chocolate maker and asks for a report on as much as he can write later.
Barguest sighs and holds his head as Snow and Gyumao walk off. He
changes into an apron and complains about there somehow being one in a
perfect size for him, which he’s thought about several times already.
But back to the main thing, he asks if the machine really can make
chocolate without any work on anyone else’s part.
Echo says yes and that she’s okay with putting milk and sugar into it.
She might be that persuasive on it, but she says the chocolate Snow made
was nice. Heracles says it looks like you guys can make some decent
genuine chocolate this time and is excited to taste test things.
Barguest sighs at his lack of a filter, and the episode section ends.
Barguest is such a good person >w<
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