Alex wakes up late and, after eating from his food stash, leaves his temporary residence, leaving the still-snoring Jack behind.
“I’d better not be late... This feels like job hunting back in the day. I even feel a bit nervous. At least I can always fall back on the most obvious choice and join the temp workers preparing the castle for the play.”
Standing in front of the castle gate, Alex tells the soldiers he’s waiting for Jaine. They eye him curiously but let him stay.
After a short wait, Jaine, the soldier he met a few days ago, appears, greeting him with a curious look. “There you are. Come on in,” she says.
The guards at the castle entrance smirk at her. “Sneaking your boyfriend in right through the front gate? You’ve grown bold, Jaine,” one jokes.
Jaine just laughs. “He’s not here for a date with me but for a meeting with our boss.”
The two soldiers look somewhat shocked. “Really?”
Jaine replies, “Apparently, the queen spoke to our general personally about him. This man has piqued their interest with some unique abilities they think might be useful for the secret project everyone’s heard rumors about but that none of us really know anything about.”
Alex looks confused, thinking, “So the common soldiers don’t know about the black mages yet… or they wouldn’t be joking about this right out in the open where I and anyone else can overhear.”
Jaine leads Alex through the castle, introducing him to key areas like the guard house, the training hall, and several other locations. After a short walk, he asks why she’s showing him around.
She just laughs and replies, “The general and the queen want to meet you, but they may need a few more minutes. I’m just showing you around to pass the time… or, to be more honest, they’re interested in your special kind of black magic. The queen has recently taken an interest in black magic overall, and when she heard about your new spell, unlike anything in the usual arsenal, she was immediately intrigued. Apparently, she has something planned for the next few months. We don’t know exactly what, but we’re preparing as if war is on the horizon… Anyway, after that, she intends to conduct detailed research on black magic.”
Alex gulps, but thankfully realizes that, for now, Queen Brahne, the female Jabba the Hutt of this world, wants to complete her takeover of the entire Mist Continent, including Lindblum, Burmecia, and Cleyra first, otherwise he would be screwed!
"Any advice on what I should do to get hired as a knight?" Alex asks.
Jaine replies, “Not really. Brahne isn’t interested in you, only in your unique magic. You’ll need to show her what it can do, or she’ll not only be disinterested but probably annoyed that you wasted her time.”
"And what about General Beatrix? I don’t stand a chance against her… I probably can’t even see her moves."
“Beatrix values her soldiers’ skills and attitude,” Jaine explains. “Recklessly using black magic for maximum destruction is the last thing she’d want you to do.”
Alex sighs. "One of them only cares about my magic. The other couldn’t care less about my powers and instead wants to assess my character and skill as a soldier. What can I even do? I guess I can only cater to one of them."
Jaine leads him toward a small training hall. “We’re nearly there. Ready?”
Alex shakes his head. “Not really... Why am I being assessed by the General and the Queen anyway? Shouldn’t Captain Steiner decide if I can join the knights?”
But as he speaks, they enter the hall, and he spots them: Queen Brahne and General Beatrix, surrounded by a handful of high-ranking soldiers.
Alex gulps.
The queen laughs, "You ask about my dear Captain? Steiner, while an honorable captain, has blinded me! He defeated Beatrix, the strongest sword user on the planet. She may have been young at that time, but still, I saw something truly special in him. What a disappointment that turned out to be! Even after the Knights of Pluto were disbanded, I allowed him to rebuild them after he managed that feat. Sadly, I’ve seen nothing but incompetence and mediocrity since. His soldiers are lazy, incompetent guards at best. Surely you've heard the rumors? They are a joke. Men have completely abandoned the idea of joining the military! So when I heard about a promising man with a unique black magic wanting to join the Knights of Pluto, I decided to see for myself if you’re different from the… 'knights' Steiner has recruited. Steiner has no say in this decision."
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Alex kneels. "Your presence graces me, my queen. I am just a self-taught soldier with a unique kind of black magic. While I am honored by your interest in my ability, I fear I am not worthy of such attention."
Brahne snickers, "We shall see! Beatrix! Step forward and assess our young friend. I want to see if he has at least some basic skills, the rest can be trained. Of course, I want to see this magic as well. You’d better not disappoint me."
In a single step, Beatrix appears in the middle of the room, her expression blank, focused solely on obeying her orders. Alex stares, taking in her imposing presence. She’s a tall woman, about Alex’s height, with striking chestnut-brown hair that flows around her silver eye patch, worn over her right eye. Her left eye, a deep scarlet, seems to pierce through him, as if she can already see every move he might make.
Beatrix’s armored boots and gloves gleam in the light, and she wears a sleeveless white duster with a rose embroidered on the back, her iconic symbol.
"The Rose of Alexandria… no wonder she’s called that," Alex thinks, glancing at her legendary sword as she draws it. "And that sword..."
She unsheathes her blade, Save the Queen, its steel glinting with both power and precision.
Hidden Quest updated:
Mission: Pass the assessment of General Beatrix and Queen Brahne
Reward: Employment as a Knight of Pluto
Failure: Loss of reputation with Alexandria's soldiers, Jaine, Neira, Queen Brahne, and General Beatrix
Alex, who initially planned to use only his [Solid Marine Saber], quickly reconsiders and also draws his true weapon: [Mr. 5’s .44 Caliber 6-Shot Revolver]. Taking on a stance he practiced in his spare time before the Fantasy Realm mission and fine-tuned over the past few days, he holds his saber in his right hand and the revolver in his left, reminiscent of a pirate from Pirates of the Caribbean or Gangplank from League of Legends before his rework. Alex doesn’t care how he looks, he knows this stance is without a doubt his most effective.
With his skills in Pistol Proficiency lvl 1, Basic Long-Range Combat Prowess lvl 1, Basic Footwork lvl 1, and Basic Close Combat Prowess lvl 1, this stance allows him to combine his proficiency in both pistol and ranged combat, while still enabling him to fight up close and dodge attacks.
“Ready, General?” he asks, slightly nervous but prepared for anything.
Beatrix’s calm, silent response is chilling: “The question is, are you ready? Do you know who you’re standing in front of? Fight like you've never fought before, and don’t disappoint me, whelp.”
Angry at the taunt, Alex wants to snap back, "Shut up! You’re as old as I am; who are you calling whelp?” But instead, he maintains his composure, bowing like a proper gentleman before raising his saber, pretending to cast a spell by waving it in a circular motion.
As he does so, he can’t help but focus on her cold, unyielding expression, and in his mind, he hears the haunting tune of “The Wavering Blade,” feeling the daunting weight of his task. “SHUT UP! YOU CAN DO IT,” he tells himself, brushing aside his self-doubt. Determined, he commits to combining his cunning, ruthlessness, and skill into a single, decisive move, hoping it’s what the queen will truly appreciate.
With Beatrix’s attention still focused on his saber, Alex decides to throw chivalry out the window and attempt a bold ambush. He feigns casting a spell with his sword while secretly aiming his revolver, firing a shot straight at Beatrix’s face. Despite her surprise, she blocks in time, using her sword and the armor on her right arm to deflect the shot.
[Mr. 5’s .44 Caliber 6-Shot Revolver] effect activates: Explosive ammunition!
You have dealt 26 damage to Beatrix
You have dealt 18 damage to Beatrix
Alex quickly sheaths his saber and activates his skill, Annihilation Grenade lvl 1, conjuring a grenade in his right hand while cocking the trigger of his revolver with his left, preparing to fire again.
After the explosion, an angry Beatrix storms forward, her face and right arm showing a few drops of blood. As she charges, Alex fires his gun again, aiming slightly to her right, and hurls the grenade with a tiny fuse ignited just milliseconds before it leaves his hand.
Beatrix, dodging to her left, instantly spots the grenade and senses the danger radiating from its ominous purple flame. Realizing that a reflect spell likely won’t work against a physical object, she braces herself, deciding to confront the round, metallic object head-on.
“THUNDER SLASH!” she shouts, charging toward it.
Alex can’t believe his luck. "Stupid arrogant fool, eat grenade!” he thinks, a surge of excitement coursing through him as the grenade detonates right in front of her, just as she’s about to strike.
You have dealt 37 damage to Beatrix
You have dealt 11 damage to Beatrix
You have dealt 4 damage to Beatrix
You have dealt 6 damage to Beatrix
You have dealt 3 damage to Beatrix
You have dealt 5 damage to Beatrix
You have dealt 4 damage to Beatrix
You have dealt 3 damage to Beatrix
The grenade explodes just as Beatrix strikes, her sword slicing through empty air as she’s blasted backward by the impact, taking not only the initial blast but also the residual fire and shrapnel damage. Feeling the thrill of battle and his own potential for destruction, Alex steadies himself, his eyes narrowed and fierce, aiming his revolver once more at Beatrix and firing with a determined, vicious look on his face….