＄91-40-39-01-1-1 [enableFullScreen] [soundStopAll] [charaSet A 4039002 1 Mandricardo] [charaSet B 2030001 1 Chiron] [imageSet E back10000 1] [charaScale E 1.01] [scene 84700] [fadein black 1.0] [wait fade] [bgm BGM_EVENT_77 0.1] [branch INPUT_SELECT_BRANCH_2 INPUT_SELECT_BRANCH 1] [label INPUT_SELECT_BRANCH_1] [charaTalk B] [charaFace B 0] [charaFadein B 0.1 1] ＠Chiron Excellent work. You've aptly demonstrated why a good offense is considered the best defense. [k] ＠Chiron That said, the consequences of failure with this strategy are dire, so I would encourage you to think one or two steps ahead next time. [k] [branch INPUT_SELECT_BRANCH_3] [label INPUT_SELECT_BRANCH_2] [charaTalk B] [charaFace B 0] [charaFadein B 0.1 1] ＠Chiron That was quite a tricky strategy, but also a very solid one. [k] ＠Chiron Perhaps most crucially, it would never have worked without complete faith in Mandricardo to serve as your shield. [k] [branch INPUT_SELECT_BRANCH_3] [label INPUT_SELECT_BRANCH_3] [charaFadeout B 0.1] [wt 0.1] [charaTalk A] [charaFace A 0] [charaFadein A 0.1 1] ＠Mandricardo Phew... [k] ？1：Nice work out there. ？！ ＠Mandricardo Thanks. [k] ＠Mandricardo ...[sr]... [k] ＠Mandricardo Hey, uh, you got a minute? [k] ？1：What's up? ？！ [bgmStop BGM_EVENT_77 1.0] [charaFace A 6] ＠Mandricardo I, uh...wanted to ask you about Atlantis. [k] ？1：...! ？！ [messageOff] [charaFadeout A 0.1] [wt 0.5] [bgm BGM_EVENT_11 0.1] ＠ [lr]I've been wondering about this for a long time. [k] ＠ I don't care about what I did. I'm just honored I could help at all. [k] ＠ Hell, the fact that I actually got to use Durendal is the kind of miracle that only happens once in a thousand summonings. [k] ＠ But none of that matters. [k] ＠ Well, no, it does... But it's not what matters the most. [k] ＠ No, what I've been wondering about is something way more important. [k] [wt 0.1] [charaTalk A] [charaFace A 0] [charaFadein A 0.1 1] ＠Mandricardo ...Isn't it hard for you? [k] [messageOff] [charaFace A 4] [wt 1.5] ＠Mandricardo Sorry. I know this is real presumptuous of me, but... [k] ＠Mandricardo You had to say a whole lot of goodbyes in Atlantis and Olympus, right? [k] ＠Mandricardo And the fact that I was one of them's been nagging at me. [k] [charaFace A 0] ＠Mandricardo You know, maybe I shouldn't be saying this... [k] [charaFace A 4] ＠Mandricardo But there's a part of me that feels kind of, maybe, a tiiiny bit jealous of...well, myself... [k] [charaFace A 0] ＠Mandricardo Which is why I didn't feel like[sr]I could say anything sooner. [k] [charaFadeout A 0.1] [wt 0.1] ＠ [lr]Master smiled at me, but I could tell[sr][&he:she] was conflicted. [k] ＠ Aha, I thought. It isn't hard for [&him:her] after all. [k] ＠ I mean, it probably was. Maybe [&he:she] grieved.[sr]Maybe [&he:she] even cried. [k] ＠ But the thing is, that wound definitely healed. [k] ＠ Hell, if anything, there's a part of Master that leans on that experience for support. [k] ＠ And in that case, it's our job as [&his:her] Servants to[sr]hold [&him:her] up when [&he's:she's] about to collapse... [k] ＠ ...or to reach out a hand and pull [&him:her] up when [&he's:she's][sr]on the verge of despair. [k] ＠ That's what that other Mandricardo did. And he did a damn good job of it. [k] [wt 0.1] [charaTalk A] [charaFace A 0] [charaFadein A 0.1 1] ＠Mandricardo ...But it looks like you're doing okay now. [k] ？1：I don't know... ？！ ＠Mandricardo Sure you are. Or you will be, anyway. [k] ＠Mandricardo But hey, I probably shouldn't be bringing this up. I'm just your Servant, not your friend. I don't think I could ever be that. [k] ？1：...Why not? ？！ ＠Mandricardo Well, you know... I'm not qualified to be your friend, and I'm not brave enough for it, either. [k] ？1：You don't need qualifications or courage to be my friend. ？！ [charaFace A 4] ＠Mandricardo Oh[line 2] [k] ＠Mandricardo ...[sr]... [k] [charaFace A 0] ＠Mandricardo Crap. I'm sorry. [k] [messageOff] [fadeout black 1.0] [bgm BGM_EVENT_11 1.0 0.5] [wait fade] [charaFadeout A 0.1] [wt 0.5] [scene 10000] [fadein black 0.1] [wait fade] ＠ [lr]And that was the end of the conversation. Things stayed pretty awkward until I left the simulator. [k] [messageOff] [fadeout black 0.1] [wait fade] [scene 105800] [pictureFrame cut063_cinema] [wt 0.5] [fadein black 1.0] [bgm BGM_EVENT_11 1.0 0.8] [wait fade] ＠ I went back to my room by myself, and spent some time just staring into empty space. [k] ＠ Dammit... I really screwed up. I just... Ugh, I said everything wrong and just...screwed up. [k] ＠ But I can't help it. There's just no way I could be friends with [&him:her]. [k] ＠ After all...I'm not the same Mandricardo from Atlantis. [k] ＠ And I don't want to do anything that seems like it might rob Master of [&his:her] memories of him. [k] ＠ Just like how the memories of battles I've fought alongside Master are mine alone... [k] ＠ ...the memories Master has of that Mandricardo belong to Master and that Mandricardo alone. [k] ＠ Still...saying that's the reason I wasn't qualified to be [&his:her] friend... [k] ＠ ...would've been arrogant, warped, and offensive as hell. [k] [messageOff] [wt 0.5] [charaTalk A] [charaFace A 4] [charaFadein A 0.1 0,-50] ＠Mandricardo ...Life's nothing if not full of regrets. [k] [messageOff] [charaFadeout A 0.1] [wt 0.5] ＠ [lr]I took a deep breath and tried to clear my mind. [k] ＠ What kind of relationship DO I want with Master, anyway? [k] [messageOff] [fadeout black 2.0] [bgmStop BGM_EVENT_11 2.0] [wait fade] [wt 0.5] [soundStopAll] [end]