Introduction
Who: Jade, Anise, possibly Asch and Jay...and anyone else who wishes to engage in early morning (or whatever time of the day it is) glee!
Where: Blessenwood Inn
Why: Jade said he'd treat Anise to something at the inn...that and he wants to familiarize her with her surroundings and possibly some members of Ad Libitum.
( Good morning, all you sleepyheads~ )
Where: Blessenwood Inn
Why: Jade said he'd treat Anise to something at the inn...that and he wants to familiarize her with her surroundings and possibly some members of Ad Libitum.
( Good morning, all you sleepyheads~ )
[Jade paused, a troubled expression on his face as he recalled his previous encounter with another from Auldrant. It only served to remind him of all of the unanswered questions that had begun to nag at his mind, knowing that he would not receive any useful information soon. At least, not from Tear. While it was a relief to see Anise, he could not say with certainty the same about Tear and definitely not about the resident God-General.]
Of course, given some inconsistencies between summons, it's sometimes dangerous and lures one into a false sense of security. In some cases, it might be easier to begin with total strangers.
(For example, for all I know, Tear could have sided with the God-Generals under the Grand Maestro faction before coming here. Without the information of what happened prior to her arrival, I might as well treat her the way I would a stranger. )
[Despite the mention of food poisoning, the colonel maintained his trademark cheer, completely unaffected by the rather unfortunate implications.]
Oh? Food poisoning? How lovely. Please elaborate--without going into the unwanted details, of course.
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[Jay gave Asch another long stare in the distance. He turned back to the colonel, puzzled at his request.]
You're more interested in that incident? Well...I ate a cheesecake that Arche made, and...I got sick from it. And then....Asch helped me. So...don't ever eat Arche's cooking. In fact, I don't think I'll ever eat another cheesecake, regardless of who makes it...
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(With a title such as "the Bloody," one would expect a villain.)
Asch helped you? I might have guessed anyone but him. Well, thank you for the warning. I shall avoid anything of Arche's creation...I hope she shall have more success in the art of spellcasting.
[The colonel looked once again at Asch and Anise. The two appeared to be in the midst of an engaging conversation.]
(It would seem they are busy...I suppose now is an opportune moment to speak with Jay.)
[Pushing up his glasses, he returned his gaze to Jay.]
So, then. You wished to speak with me?
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[Jay decided to neglect of detail of the God-General carrying him to his room. He knew it was an embarrassing experience for Asch, and it was somewhat embarrassing for Jay as well, even though it was also a bit comforting.
Once Jade was ready to get to business, Jay faced him again, clearing his throat.]
Yes. I've been investigating the situation as I promised, and I have some information that I'd like to share with you. I've learned some general information about mana and the World Tree, I've learned some....interesting....things about Yuan....and I've witnessed something that may help us move forward...or at the very least, would serve as a good sign.
I don't know if you already know the general information about mana and the World Tree. Do you need me to go over that?
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[Jade made no comment but instead quirked a brow at the first part.]
(He never struck me as the compassionate type.)
[He listened quietly with a faint glimmer of curiosity in his eyes behind his calm facade.]
Yes, I'm aware of the general information concerning mana and the World Tree, but please, summarize what you've learned.
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This is how I understand it: Mana is the source of all living things. The type of mana in every living being is completely different. The World Tree is the source of all mana, so the world cannot survive without it. It's a relatively certain thing that something is draining the mana from the tree as well as the world, although we still have no leads on who or what it is. So it's imperative that we keep this World Tree alive, or we'll all be lost.
However, there may be an alternative. According to Genis, the World Tree in his world had died, but its seed had been preserved. That seed was able to produce enough mana to allow the world to survive. So I'd say that might be something to consider in case we fail to save the tree itself.
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Now, this Genis fellow...I might have heard of him from Lloyd once. If he is in fact the same person, this would explain why he and Yuan appear to be well-versed in some of the alien concepts of this world. I have never heard of the World Tree producing or reverting into a seed. Assuming we know how to replace the tree with its seed, it would be a nice alternative, as seeds presumably germinate.
[He was thankful to hear something new, but he had one other question about the World Tree.
Did you discover anything concerning Martel herself?
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[Jay's heartbeat began to accelerate upon the question about Martel.]
Well...I...I...saw Martel.... She appeared within the World Tree...but only for a brief moment. I suspect she was too weak to maintain her visible form. I wasn't able to learn anything else from it, though. Martel...she seemed to be speaking, but I couldn't make out her words, as there was no sound coming from her. And then she was gone.
But the fact that she appeared...that was the "good sign," that I mentioned. Yuan's World Tree visits aren't entirely fruitless after all. I went to...observe him as he made his routine visit to the World Tree. It was much shorter than I had expected, but...it sure was interesting. He appeared to be transferring mana from his body to the tree. The surprising part was, during the process...he grew...wings. Of course I wondered what he really is. I'd heard that he was a half-elf, but his wings indicate that his other half isn't human. That was when I saw Martel...after Yuan left.
Another thing I learned about him is that he and Martel were...engaged. But Martel died before their wedding and thus became the spirit inside the World Tree. Of course, that has nothing to do with this situation, but it does explain a lot about Yuan's behavior.
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[Jade's eyes widened a fraction as he listened to Jay's account. After a few beats, his gaze hardened. His agreement with Jay was already rewarding him. He maintained his calm front, but he had to restrain himself from bombarding his accomplice with questions.]
You say she appeared? It would seem that Yuan's recent gardening project paid off...along with his secret visits. Given his knowledge of the World Tree and its spirit, it seems only natural that he makes more contact with it than he indicates, especially if it contains the spirit of his defunct fiancé. While the transferal of mana does not come as an entire surprise, the wings certainly do. Perhaps Lloyd and his friend know of a winged race that frequents their world?
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I only regret not being able to hear what she was saying...we could go even farther with it. I've been thinking about how we could help her... During the visit, Yuan did mention the idea of having all of us giving our mana, but also realized that it may not be a good idea. And I have to agree, especially if Martel is only going to use that mana to summon even more people to this world. But neither of us can think of any better ideas right now. So I don't know if this means that Yuan will have all of us transfer mana to the World Tree in the near future. Even if he did, I wouldn't know how to do it. But...what else can we do?
Yes...there may be a winged race in Yuan's world...but it's not really important, is it? Seeing the wings was a surprise, but it really has nothing to do with our situation, so it is rather pointless to pursue it.
I apologize, Colonel...that's all the information I have right now. Part of me questioned whether it was worth sharing, but I also thought that perhaps it may help you with your own investigation.
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If it took this much mana to awaken her, I believe it may be a while before she is able to communicate with anyone--with the possible exception of Yuan. For now, I would recommend researching sources other than the tree itself--perhaps there are records of it falling into decline in the past, in which case, we may be able to find some solutions. If mana is as similar to fonons as I believe, then it is not in our best interest to recklessly transfer it to the tree. I myself am more concerned with the decline in mana.
(Perhaps this is why I moved to Ouin and Yuan remained in Blessenwood.)
No need to apologize. Thank you for telling me what you know. I cannot say for certain how helpful it is, but at the very least, it has provided me with some ideas on what to research next.
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On the other hand, if the people here believe that the World Tree is the cause of these natural disasters, I can't help but wonder how accurate these records would be.
Well...I'm glad you have ideas on what to research next, but I'm fresh out. Do you have any suggestions? Would there be anything left to research in Blessenwood? I remember you said that it might be dangerous to wander too far from the town, but we may have to venture into the unknown just to get anywhere.
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This is why I would like to find older records from previous civilizations of the area. Assuming this hatred is not a result of the recent events revolving around Martel, there must be some other reason as to why they dislike it so. Perhaps the pattern of disasters and decline occurred earlier in history. And if the hatred is new, then there will be fewer biases to twist records that predate it.
[Jade pushed up his glasses before continuing.]
I would like to confirm my hypothesis on my own before I mislead Ad Libitum with a mere suspicion. However, if I do find anything interesting, I would like to invite you to join me, given your talent with information...Oh, and perhaps bringing along Yuan would be a good idea too, seeing as he is the leader of Blessenwood's Ad Libitum Yunit.
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No, I don't suppose he does. Still, as the leader, he will need to behave maturely and professionally, placing all personal feelings aside for the sake of the guild. Besides, I would expect his cooperation with something that could answer questions involving Martel, if he was in fact engaged to her. Then again, he might refuse and return later demanding answers.
In any case, I will contact you if I find anything that you might need to know.
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[Jay gave the colonel his smile now.]
Well, thank you for your time, Colonel. I hope your investigation works well for you. I'll be waiting to work with you again. ^_^
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