Chapter 430
This might apply to FBO in general, or perhaps to games overall, but isn't it rare for them to thoroughly explain every detail of a story's truth?
I mean, I think the main story—the core narrative—is mostly told, but with side stories, the foundational events that triggered them often go unspoken.
Take playing a side story, for example.
They're narratives you enjoy stepping away from the main plot, or that complement it. But sometimes you wish they'd delve deeper into the past events that led to the side story. You think, "This character is my favorite!" and want to know more about them, but they're just a side character from a side story not connected to the main plot, so they can't be explored.
I've experienced this often.
And I've had that experience with FBO too.
"Hmm, so 'Trades' is the kind of person who looks serious but changes his tone when surprised?"
"That's right! The bishop with the little mustache and glasses!"
Was my encounter with Mimosa in this hall a coincidence, or was it intended by someone?
I don't know a Named character called Mimosa.
She might have been a character kept hidden until FBO's service ended, but it's hard to believe she slipped through the obsessive search nets of game addicts for whom being called "变态" is just a passing point in their careers. If that's the case, then this girl Mimosa wasn't depicted in the original story.
A straightforward girl who responds energetically.
There were plenty of characters like that in FBO's main story and side stories, but Mimosa wasn't among them.
"Is Mimosa, who gets taught by that bishop, a pretty amazing kid?"
Several reasons come to mind.
One: simply a discrepancy between the game FBO and the reality of this world.
The possibility that she exists firmly in reality but didn't exist in the game.
"Hmm, I wonder? I can use barrier techniques, but I'm not as good as my big sisters yet."
Two: the possibility of being an unnamed mob character like Ingrid, Amina, and Nell.
What I learned by developing them is that Ingrid, Amina, and Nell—even as mobs—had terrifying specs in terms of talent. They're equal or superior to many talented Named characters.
And among the barrier priestesses, who hold an important position on the divine mountain, there might be mob characters with such hidden talents. She could be one of them.
"By the way, how old are you, Mimosa?"
"I turned five the other day!"
"If you can use barrier techniques at five, you're amazing, Mimosa."
Three: the possibility she died during the original storyline.
Honestly, this is the most plausible in my mind.
In FBO's story, there are several quests related to the temple.
Among them is the story of a former priest Named man who vows revenge on the Heretic Church.
"Hehe, but I'm going to work even harder! And then I'll repay everyone who raised me!"
"Good girl, she's such a good girl."
That man served at the divine mountain.
A devout priest who lived earnestly, humbly, and prayed to the gods daily.
Serving at the divine mountain—an honorable place for a priest—was pure happiness for him.
But that peaceful, cherished space was once stained with blood.
A bloody tragedy created by the Heretic Church.
Using a diversionary assault on the Grand Temple at the mountain's foot, they attempted to capture this mountaintop temple—the heart of the divine mountain's barrier. A strike team of elite Heretic Church members, with chimera tattoos carved on their faces, attacked, and many barrier priestesses lost their lives.
The story goes that a priest who survived the tragedy abandoned his position to journey for revenge, to appease the spirits of the fallen priestesses. But the main focus of this story is the priest's revenge drama.
Who led the attack on the temple? Who planned it?
The investigation into the targets of revenge and the motives were discussed, but the actual method of the attack was barely touched upon. Regarding the barrier priestesses who perished, at the story's beginning, the protagonist Named character prays at their graves and murmurs a few names, but afterward, the narrative merely states that many priestesses lost their lives.
Moreover, by the time you interact with this ex-priest Named character, most of the information is already gathered, and he simply explains the situation and asks for your cooperation.
The story ends with the protagonist Named character and the player cooperating to avenge the priestesses, leaving the truth of the incident shrouded in mystery... that kind of development.
Various speculations flew around about this story, reaching a word count that could fill a mystery novel, and it became a fan-made publication.
I bought that fan book too.
So, what I know is only the information about the tragedy on the divine mountain speculated upon based on this side story.
"Is barrier technique training fun?"
"Yeah!"
I had no core information, so my realization was delayed. But could that prank-like diversion have been the trigger for the tragedy?
No, if that were the case, I think it would have been mentioned in the side story.
With them rampaging so flashily, an introduction like, "It all started with that graffiti," would have been fine.
Or was it omitted due to story progression constraints?
Game data容量 has limits, so parts of the story might have been cut.
"I practiced a lot, and now I can do this!"
"An animal made from a barrier? That's skillful."
"A bunny, a monkey, and a bird!"
Watching Mimosa skillfully变形 the barrier's shape to form animals, I searched my memory, trying to recall information.
Past story timelines are模糊. It's rare for them to be detailed with exact years, months, and days.
In extreme cases, stories start with phrases like, "It was a hot summer day," and then flashbacks begin.
It's really impossible to pinpoint when past storyline events occurred.
The same was true with Esmeralda.
A series of coincidences allowed me to save her, but the story never clearly stated when she was supposed to die.
"A snake!"
"Huh?"
That's why I don't take action to change the past.
More accurately, it's better to say I can't.
There are many stories I'd like to change, but even if I know where they happen, not knowing when makes it impossible to deal with.
If I were to try, I'd have to stake out the place constantly, starting with a人物 search.
I'm not hardcore enough to do that, and since I managed to save my favorite character's older sister by chance, I'm somewhat satisfied with that.
So, my stance is generally that I'll help if I can intervene, but...
"...A snake?"
"Yeah, a snake!"
"Where did you see this?"
"Umm, three days ago!"
"Was it at the foot of the mountain?"
"Nope. It was outside my window."
Looks like, based on my stance, I've ended up in a situation where I have to intervene.
A snake made of barriers—it's somewhat deformed, but it still captures the characteristics. Yes, the tail part is particularly well-made, I think.
A jagged tail reminiscent of lightning, and a strangely spiky head.
Yep, that's a familiar of the Heretic Church used for reconnaissance.
It's specialized for stealth; normally, it shouldn't be found.
But she happened to spot it.
"By the way, did you make eye contact with that snake?"
"Yeah!"
"Ahh, yeah, you made eye contact."
"It was pitch black and cute!"
"You might need to work on your aesthetic sense a bit there."
If it's a familiar, that means, of course, there's someone who controls it, obtaining information.
There's a Named individual in the Heretic Church who favors snakes and uses them as familiars.
I have a very good idea who that person is.
Normally, the great barrier covering the divine mountain should keep all monsters out.
Even if they get in, their abilities should be drastically reduced.
But they can be moved.
They can probably be sent in for reconnaissance.
If the familiar specializes in stealth over combat ability, sending it in is possible.
Still, due to the barrier, its performance plummets; its stealth capabilities decrease, and this space is undoubtedly hell for a familiar.
Furthermore, if it stays too long, its contract might be canceled, and it could become a wild monster.
Only a monster with commensurate ability and training can survive this environment.
I know one bastard who tames such familiars.
The unsung supporter of the Heretic Church, infamous for stopping at nothing:
Gilgin Ardagón.
It can only be him.
"By the way, did you tell anyone about this snake?"
"I did. I told the big sister who cleans this temple."
"What did that big sister say?"
"She didn't believe me. She said I shouldn't say strange things. That there can't be monsters on the divine mountain. But it's true."
And it's confirmed that his subordinate has infiltrated the divine mountain.
Reporting and communication are important, you know?
Why is she being silenced? No, that's not it.
In this pattern, is she being引导 not to believe?
I can't say for sure without actually meeting that big sister, but personally, I feel like declaring her guilty.
An ordinary priest would have no reason not to believe the words of a barrier priestess.
She holds such a important position.
Entering this temple where the priestess resides should require a contract with the gods.
That's how it was described in the story, and I was made to perform a contract in a cutscene.
The environment for training barrier priestesses is top secret within the temple.
Even players couldn't easily enter.
Security should be多层, and temple knights should be stationed there.
Unless it's someone special like me who cleared the trial... Wait, hold on?
"That big sister, has she been around for a long time?"
"Yeah, Trades said she's been cleaning the temple since a long time ago."
"Is that so? Since a long time ago, huh."
Ardagón's patience is the strongest in the Heretic Church.
Would they send in infiltrators on a decade-long scale to penetrate the警戒网 and have them blend in as temple相关人员?
There was actually a story about someone infiltrating a noble family hostile to the Heretic Church by remaining潜伏d for twenty years.
I see, I see. I'm starting to get a glimpse of that tragedy.
At the same time, I realize this situation is pretty damn dangerous.
"By the way, does that big sister pray properly and stuff?"
"She does! Together with everyone, in the morning, at noon, and in the evening!"
"Ah, right, right, right."
That cleaning big sister is probably a devout believer.
So why is such a person dangerous?
I know several of the Heretic Church's methods.
Among them are types of operatives who are, shall we say, unconsciously引导d.
She herself probably harbors no hostility towards the temple.
In fact, she might even feel disgust towards the Heretic Church.
So even if bound by a contract, it's fine.
She's serious, faithful to her duties, and devout.
And she's served diligently for many years.
There's no way anyone could suspect such a person.
So why has such a person become a pawn of the Heretic Church? Because she's been subconsciously植入d with suggestions through education.
During what appears to be normal schooling, normal learning, she's been subliminally植入d to unconsciously do certain things.
The Heretic Church is well-versed in methods to turn善良 civilians into潜伏d poison.
For her, it's only natural to be convinced as common sense that "there can't possibly be monsters on the divine mountain." The mastermind could easily have her ingrained with that.
Searching for something that shouldn't exist—that's fundamentally impossible given human cognitive abilities.
And that cognitive blind spot becomes a very useful opening for the Heretic Church.
Over-reliance on the divine mountain's barrier, and that over-reliance, seamlessly融入s the consciousness of everyone связан with the temple.
Did they intentionally increase such personnel to create openings for reconnaissance?
"...I hope I'm overthinking this."
Wishing such speculation to be wrong.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just talking to myself."
But I had a feeling it wasn't wrong.