Excuse me, Senpai! I'm back on temporary reprieve from chocolate duty!
[k]
＠Mash
But this chocolate battle is very heated,[sr]so I can't stay long!
[k]
？1：G-got it.
？2：Heated, huh... (I think I can guess how things are going.)
？！
[charaFace A 2]
＠Mash
Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to answer a question for me!
[k]
＠Mash
What shape do you think would be best for chocolate!?
[k]
[messageOff]
[wt 0.4]
？1：(Hmm. There're a lot to choose from, but...)
？2：(Well, taking that Altria is a beginner into consideration...)
？！
？1：I think I'd have to say something...standard.
？！
[charaFace A 23]
＠Mash
I knew it![sr]Thank you, Senpai. This was very helpful.
[k]
[charaFace A 2]
＠Mash
Okay, I'd better get back to the battlefield![sr]Sleep well, Senpai!
[k]
[messageOff]
[bgmStop BGM_EVENT_77 1.0]
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？1：(Now who is it?) Come in.
？！
[se ad533]
[charaScale B 1.4]
[charaTalk B]
[charaFace B 0]
[charaFadein B 0.1 0,-40]
[fowardEffect bit_talk_41_fs]
[bgm BGM_EVENT_80 0.1]
＠B：Faerie
Woooooohoooooooooooo!!!
[k]
[messageOff]
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[charaTalk B]
[charaFace B 0]
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＠B：Faerie
It's okay, human. There's nothing to be afraid of.[sr]I'm Aiken, Lady Cnoc na Riabh's faithful soldier.
[k]
＠Aiken Drum
Lady Cnoc na Riabh has just finished the eighth step of her chocolate recipe, and is currently taking a break.
[k]
＠Aiken Drum
Once she's finished, she'll be up all night working on steps nine through nineteen...
[k]
＠Aiken Drum
But for now, she'd like someone to talk to while she takes her break.
[k]
＠Aiken Drum
Yes, of course I mean you. There's no one else in this room.
[k]
[charaMoveScale B 1.1 0.3]
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＠Aiken Drum
Just accept that there's no getting out of this and come with me. And don't even think about trying to escape by jumping out the window.
[k]
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＠Aiken Drum
Needless to say, a faerie in Lady Cnoc na Riabh's position has many things to consider at all times, so this break she's taking is on a strictly need-to-know basis.
[k]
＠Aiken Drum
There won't be any guards keeping watch.[sr]This is as far as I go, too.
[k]
＠Aiken Drum
Don't worry. Lady Cnoc na Riabh's hatred of humans may be famous, but she's still not as unreasonable as a Nightcall.
[k]
＠Aiken Drum
As long as you hold your breath, keep quiet, stay perfectly still, and never speak except to agree with her, you might just make it out of there alive.
[k]
＠Aiken Drum
All right then, good night, and good luck!
[k]
[messageOff]
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[wait fade]
[scene 21920]
[charaFadeout B 0.1]
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[charaTalk C]
[charaFace C 7]
[charaFadein C 0.4 1]
[wt 0.4]
[bgm BGM_EVENT_5 0.1]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
There you are. I didn't expect you to come alone.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Have you been enjoying the Edinburgh nightscape?
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
We may not be as fancy as Gloucester, but I like to think our main street is still a pretty sight.
[k]
？1：I was just waiting in my room so I'd be ready for tomorrow.
[charaFace C 12]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Really? You couldn't relax by yourself, even though the chocolate battle has nothing to do with you?
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Hmm. I see. You're more considerate than I thought. Faeries don't generally show that kind of solidarity.
[k]
？2：Just a little bit, on the way here.
[charaFace C 13]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Oh, what am I saying? Of course you did. I can tell from that sparkle in your eyes.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
That's the look of someone who picked up a beautiful insect-thread scarf before stopping by a café for a chocolate-infused cocktail.
[k]
[charaFace C 3]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
My Edinburgh really is the best, isn't it? Just look at how it's even entranced the foreign mage with its charms.
[k]
？！
[charaFace C 8]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...[sr]...But I digress.
[k]
[charaFace C 7]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I invited you here for a very specific reason.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Tell me about the outside world[line 2]what Morgan called “Proper Human History.”
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I don't care about it, of course, but as the queen of the northern faeries, I need to at least be familiar with it.
[k]
[charaFace C 6]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Or are you so scared to be here without your companions that you can't even speak?
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Foreign mage or not, you're still just a weak little human, after all.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
You could never be the one to make a call about whether to leak classified info to an enemy on your ow[line 2]
[k]
[messageOff]
[wt 0.2]
[bgmStop BGM_EVENT_5 1.0]
？1：Okay, let me start with Chaldea.
[charaFace C 12]
[wt 1.5]
？！
[fadeout black 1.0]
[wait fade]
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[fadein black 1.5]
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？1：...And that's about the long and short of it.
？2：(Whoa, I didn't realize I'd been talking for almost an hour...)
？！
[bgm BGM_EVENT_25 0.1]
[charaFace C 11]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Hang on. You covered all that stuff so eloquently that it was easy to follow along...
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I need you to stop here for a moment though; I need to process all of that.
[k]
[charaFace C 7]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Okay, there's Chaldea, Heroic Spirits, Lostbelts, Proper Human History...
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...Okay. I've basically got it.
[k]
[charaFace C 13]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Looks like there's not much point in thinking about this stuff now, is there? This is the kind of thing I can worry about after Morgan's been defeated, right?
[k]
？1：(Nod)
？2：Exactly. There's no need to get into it now.
？！
[charaFace C 0]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
That's fine then. Thanks for the valuable info. You have my gratitude[line 2]the gratitude of a queen.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
A good ruler does more than just wage war with their enemies, you know. They also need a plan to rule their nation after they've won.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I know Britain isn't really surrounded by a sea of nothingness. There's actually a much larger world out there beyond the water.
[k]
[charaFace C 4]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...Of course, faeries typically hide in the woods, and don't mesh well with the human world...
[k]
[charaFace C 1]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...but with the right motivation, there are a lot of ways to get around that!
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I can't believe there's still so much to do even after things are wrapped up here! I can't wait to get started!
[k]
？1：Are you talking about...invading other countries?
？2：Are you talking about...expanding your chocolate factory?
？！
[charaFace C 6]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
That's right. If there's another world that rich in resources, I'll have to make another western island...
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...and pay this[line 2]you called it North America, right?[line 2]a little visit.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I guess that means you and I will be enemies again when that happens. That should be fun.
[k]
？1：(I should tell her that won't work...but I can't bring myself to.)
？2：(She really is just like Medb.)
？！
[charaFace C 8]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...There. You just made that face again, just like the one you did when you made that weird comment about my chocolate fields.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Why is that? Is there a version of me[sr]in your world too or something?
[k]
[charaFace C 10]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Wait. On second thought, don't answer that!
[k]
[charaFace C 2]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I really, really want to know about this other me, but if I find out now, it's going to make me throw a tantrum!
[k]
[messageOff]
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？1：Oh wow. She really is throwing a tantrum...
？2：(Oh crap. Now I really want to tell her!)
？！
[charaTalk C]
[charaFace C 13]
[charaFadein C 0.4 1]
[wt 0.4]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...Phew. That was close, but I managed to preserve my queenly dignity.
[k]
？1：Um, I don't think that's[line 2]
？！
[charaFace C 10]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Dignity! Preserved! Because if anyone saw that, I'd have them executed before they could tell anyone!
[k]
？1：I saw nothing, Your Majesty.
？！
[charaFace C 0]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Very good. A perfect response!
[k]
[charaFace C 8]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...Still, maybe I should at least ask you this.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Let's say another version of me did exist in your world. In her final moments...
[k]
[charaFace C 4]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...was she not betrayed by her lover? Did she remain a cold-blooded queen to the end?
[k]
？1：...Of course.
？2：The cause you were fighting for aside, you were awesome.
？！
[charaFace C 0]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...I see.[sr]Heh... Hehe. Hehehehe!
[k]
[charaFace C 14]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Well of course I was! There's no way I of all people would ever die of a broken heart!
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
So, what kind of valiant warrior defeated me? They must've been a really strong faerie, right?
Huh. So there's a cheese faerie in your world.[sr]Maybe they're related to Aiken Drum.
[k]
？1：The cheese was just the method. A human slung it.
？！
[bgmStop BGM_EVENT_25 1.0]
[charaFace C 2]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
!
[k]
[charaFace C 8]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...So, that other me was killed by a human? That's what you're telling me?
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Did you just take all that trouble to tell me such a ridiculous story, even knowing how much I hate humans?
[k]
[messageOff]
[wt 0.4]
？1：It's not ridiculous at all.
？2：It's how that particular queen met her end.
？！
[charaFace C 12]
[wt 1.4]
[charaFace C 3]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Are you kidding me?
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
You can't say that kind of thing with a straight face. It's a total mood killer.
[k]
[bgm BGM_EVENT_98 0.1]
[charaFace C 0]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Then again, it was a human that was responsible for the last queen's downfall, too. I guess when you're big enough, even a little pebble can trip you up.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Thinking about it that way, I could see my other self getting killed by a human. And hey, at least she wouldn't have to put up with any weird curses afterwards.
[k]
？1：...Would the last queen's downfall have anything to do with[line 2]
？2：...If you don't mind my asking about the last queen[line 2]
？！
＠Cnoc na Riabh
That's right. Losing her lover hurt her so badly that she couldn't fight anymore, which led to Aesc beating her.
[k]
[charaFace C 7]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Mab put too much trust in humans. She thought they were the same as her, and so she loved them too much.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
She charged onto the battlefield with her most beloved soldier by her side. He did his best to keep up with her.
[k]
[charaFace C 4]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
But he couldn't quite make it to the end.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Just when they'd won their final battle against the clans, Mab turned, intending to celebrate with him...
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...only to see her beloved draw his final breath.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
It's no surprise, really. Of course a mere human could never keep up with a faerie, let alone an A-ray like Mab.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
But he still promised to stay with her, and he broke that promise. That was his betrayal.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
That was when Mab lost the will to fight.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
The moment she realized how foolish she had been, and how much that soldier had really loved her...
[k]
[charaFace C 6]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Still, her broken heart was all healed up by the time the Era of the High Queen came around, and she soon set her sights on ruling all of Britain.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
Mab then retired after she built Edinburgh, and no new King Clan faeries were born for a long time.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
She left a hole for about fifteen hundred years until I came along and filled it.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I'm the second King Clan faerie ever. I inherited Mab's power and am truly worthy of being queen; I am a truly great faerie.
[k]
[charaFace C 14]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I hate humans because they're useless in war.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I'm not going to make the same mistake Mab did.[sr]I'm going to defeat Morgan with my clan alone.
[k]
[charaFace C 7]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
...That's why I don't need Altria's Round Table Army getting in my way. It's an eyesore at best.
[k]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
I'd make your peace soon if I were you. Once I win tomorrow's duel, all humans will be mine to do with as I please.
[k]
[bgmStop BGM_EVENT_98 2.0]
＠Cnoc na Riabh
And I'm going to put you all to work in my nice, safe chocolate factory with full benefits until the day you die.
[k]
？1：I'm not worried. Altria's going to win.
？！
？1：Besides, humans aren't as fragile as you think, Cnoc na Riabh.
Once Morgan has been defeated, if you still want to save Britain[line 2]No. If you still want to help Altria...
[k]
＠Oberon
...I'll support you however I can, even if it means going well out of our way before helping Proper Human History.
[k]
？1：...Do you think it's okay to say how I really feel?
？！
[charaFace D 1]
＠Oberon
Of course it is. When you get right down to it, the only ones who can do really big things are those who work hard for what it is they want.
[k]
[charaFace D 3]
＠Oberon
Trust me, I've come this far on my own too, so I have some idea of what that feels like.
[k]
＠Oberon
I mean, you've been working so hard for so long. I think you're entitled to put at least a tenth of that effort into indulging yourself.
[k]
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[charaSet A 1098231510 1 Mash]
[charaSet B 1098210300 1 "Aiken Drum"]
[charaSet C 1098212340 1 "Cnoc na Riabh"]
[charaSet D 1098209610 1 "Oberon 2"]
[scene 117801]
[charaTalk D]
[charaFace D 3]
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？1,1040,saveMaterial：...Thanks.
？2,2040,saveMaterial：...(But, if I do that...)
？！
[charaFace D 7]
＠Oberon
Altria is another matter, though. I have no intention of indulging her.
[k]
＠Oberon
You know how she's incredibly competitive but has almost no self-esteem? Not a great combination.
[k]
＠Oberon
If we don't keep her in line with her sense of duty, she's liable to go completely off the rails.
[k]
？1：You really are hard on Altria, aren't you, Oberon?
？！
[charaFace D 2]
＠Oberon
Of course I am! You would be too if you spent as much time worrying about her as I do, only to have her go and do something you never expected!
[k]
＠Oberon
I don't even know how many times I've had to pull strings from behind the scenes anymore! Ugh, if only she'd grown up more like a docile princess and less like a wild boar!
[k]
[charaFace D 3]
＠Oberon
Uh, I mean... I'm sorry. That's more a personal preference thing than anything else.
[k]
＠Oberon
Honestly, well, I think Altria's just fine the way she is. There's certainly never a dull moment when she's around.
[k]
？1：(Well, now I know he really does like her.)
？！
[charaFace D 7]
＠Oberon
...Anyway, that's enough chatter for today.
[k]
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＠Oberon
In fact... Crap, I've been talking too long!
[k]
＠Oberon
I need to be back in Londinium by morning, or they'll know I skived off! Bye!
[k]
[messageOff]
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[charaMoveFSL D -50,0 0.4]
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？1：Are you sure Altria isn't your Titania?
？！
[charaFace D 3]
＠Oberon
...
[k]
[bgm BGM_EVENT_123 1.5 1.0]
[charaFace D 2]
＠Oberon
Oh, I don't know about that. I mean, I'm always on the lookout for her, even now.
[k]
＠Oberon
But even in a story with a guaranteed happy ending, she's only the very smallest of bit players.
[k]
＠Oberon
She's a convenient plot device, forgotten as soon as it's no longer needed. No one ever gave a thought to her happiness when all was said and done.
[k]
[charaFace D 0]
＠Oberon
But that's the life of a side character. You can't stop to worry about every little thing, or the whole world will fall apart.
[k]
＠Oberon
You can't expect that kind of imagination from a reader, or even from the playwright writing their script.
[k]
＠Oberon
Besides, it's all just a fairy tale. She was born to be forgotten with the turn of a page.
[k]
＠Oberon
So it's okay. My queen is the sort of woman who shouldn't ever actually exist.
