#echos of shadow and light | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

four-loose-screws · 6 months ago

Text

FE2 Novelization Translation - Book 2 Chapter 2 Part 6

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

Chapter 2: Battle at the Border

Part 6: Crux of Fate

“Please let me make it in time!!” Zeke urged his sacred horse to gallop as quickly as he could.

The pieces of his horse’s golden chest armor violently hit each other, clanging loudly.

His five Paladins were not far behind.

Finally, he saw piles of Witch corpses strewn all around him, confirming to him that Alm had indeed gone to Nuibaba’s mansion. Their horses’ hooves crushed the bodies beneath them as they continued on.

Zeke had no idea how long ago Alm left the village, as he had passed out on the floor of the hut.

When he came to, he saw the familiar faces of five of his Paladins, all inside the hut with him. “Emperor Rudolf chose the five of us himself, and ordered that we do as you say, Sir Zeke.”

Their words made him cry as hard as he ever had in his entire life, moved by their kindness and friendship. Them being here also confirmed that Emperor Rudolf had known all along that the person with the Brand was Alm, and his order meant that Zeke was to serve Alm.

Zeke thought, ‘Emperor Rudolf, as an extraordinary talent in politics and leadership, must have decided that Alm is the one person who can unify Valentia. He intends to hand Rigel over to Alm. It is most likely that Valentia would become a republic, but regardless of the final form of the new government, the monarchy would be abolished. Emperor Rudolf is probably expecting Alm to become a great leader, both in the best and worst of times. Just as I have always thought, he values Valentia being at peace.

‘And this war is likely a sacrificial operation carried out on purpose to remove the small armies that have come to power across each region of Rigel, and purge Rigel of its corruption. Jerome is the perfect example of one such army. Like a surgeon performing a surgery, Emperor Rudolf has chosen Alm as the best candidate for a successful operation.

‘If all of this is right, then I have no reason to have any doubts. There is nothing more for me to think about. It is my duty to protect Alm until all of this is over. That is what it means to be loyal to Emperor Rudolf!’ This explanation for everything also cleared his mind of the fear that he was living a cruel paradox. He would even be able to hold Tatiana in his arms once more when they one day reunited.

“We march to Fear Mountain!” Zeke ordered his Paladins. He wrapped several layers of cloth bandages around his abdomen to stop his bleeding, then immediately left the village.

The decision to call Nuibaba’s mansion as such must have been a bad joke by someone with a terrible sense of humor. Or perhaps it came to be because the people envied him a bit, living a lifestyle free of society’s worldly trappings. Regardless, even if it was meant to be sarcastic, it was still not a good joke in the slightest.

Nuibaba’s abode was not a mansion at all, but a stronghold in every meaning of the word. The summit of Fear Mountain was a very steep cliff, and walls characteristic of a stronghold stood all around it. The passageway built to make it up and down the mountain was made of stone, and looked just like a castle wall. It was so narrow it would be difficult for two horses to pass by each other, and it was built into a very steep incline that led straight to the front gate.

They traveled with Alm as their vanguard; followed by Clive, Mathilda, and Gray atop their horses; and Clair flying high in the sky on her falcon. Behind them, Lukas and Forsyth formed a wall around Tobin, Python, and Delthea. Before them, Nuibaba’s subordinates did not stand a chance. Cutting them down was easy, and defeating them took no effort, but when everyone thought of Nuibaba waiting for them and how much his Medusa spell was to be feared, no matter how simple it was to make their way through the waves of small fry, it was all meaningless.

No one knew what kind of spell Medusa truly was, though that was to be expected. It was said to be such a lethal spell that no one who witnessed it had ever survived to describe it. With its true form unknown, they had even more reason to be afraid.

The prominent theory proposed that it is a mind reversal spell. It reverses all of the target’s values, senses, instincts, and psychology to its polar opposite. Those trying to live will die, and those seeking help will be killed. The spellcaster would then instantly turn to stone, protecting themself from the screams of agony and hell on earth now surrounding them. If world peace could be achieved and maintained, then the Medusa spell would reverse it all, and summon an absolute hell from which none could escape.

‘Absolute hell? Does such a thing even exist? Having control over absolute hell would make Nuibaba akin to a god. Just what kind of Arcanist is he?’ Once they finally tore down the stronghold’s gate and invaded the hall of Nuibaba’s mansion, Alm finally learned the truth.

There were no pillars supporting the high ceiling, making the inner hall a completely wide open space. It was so empty that it would not feel strange if stars started to shine within the darkness of the ceiling. Beneath it was an equally endless floor made of stone tiles. And sitting atop the stone floor on his knees, without even a chair to help support him, was an old man. He looked like a scrap of paper fallen on a desolate road.

“Are you Nuibaba?” Alm asked, more to convince himself than anything.

The old man did not look at all like an Archanist, much less the Nuibaba of legend. He did not even wear a holy man’s robes, but a simple white, long cloth. The only outwardly trait he had of a religious figure was his bald head, without even a single hair upon it.

However, Alm should have known that a weak appearance does not indicate that a person is also weak on the inside.

“Wind, sweep away my enemies!” Nuibaba suddenly cast an Excalibur spell, without drawing its sigil, nor even moving an inch from his place on the floor.

The spell sliced open both Gray and Python’s dominant arms; and because none of Alm’s army had any warning of what was coming, none of them could hold their ground.

“Curse you!” Shouted Delthea as she lept out in front.

Nuibaba immediately noticed that she was a magic Unit, and first tested out the basic Fire and Thunder spells on her. But Delthea was a prodigy so talented she had already mastered Aura, even at her young age.

He knew exactly how she was aiming her spell, and stayed completely still to judge the distance between them. It was the distance needed for him to be within the target range of an Aura spell.

The sigil Delthea drew was indeed that of Aura. However, she was unable to complete its chant because the words Nuibaba spoke when he opened his mouth for the first time were so unexpected.

“Cast it! Cast the light that killed your brother!” He said, and every single one of the Knights of Zofia heard him.

His heightened magical abilities allowed him to sense that no one had told her, and she did not yet know the truth - that she was her own brother’s killer.

Everyone looked at Delthea as she became ghostly pale.

“Wind, sweep away my enemies!”

The moment she faltered and failed to properly draw Aura’s sigil, Nuibaba cast another Excalibur spell. This time, she was unable to dodge, and it sliced open her shoulder before she collapsed to the ground. Just as he was about to attack a third time, Clair’s falcon glided through the hall and scooped her up.

Clair wrapped her arm around Delthea’s tiny body, while Delthea grabbed ahold of her falcon’s mane. And Delthea stared straight at Clair as the thunderous sounds of Excaliber’s winds blew around them.

“What did he say? What did he say?” Delthea mumbled multiple times to herself before she finally screamed, “He said I killed my brother!”

All Clair could do was hug her. Huger tight, and tell her to forget what she’d heard. “Just forget he ever said anything!”

It was a cruel order. Telling her to forget was certain proof that the thing she was supposed to forget about was undeniably true.

Then, from beneath the falcon’s wings, they heard Nuibaba chant another spell. “Light, shine down upon my enemies!”

He was casting Aura. Its shards of light were so scorching hot that they could even burn a falcon’s wings, causing Clair’s mount to crash head-first against the stone floor.

“So this is the power of Medusa?!” Zeke thought as he rushed into the mansion.

Such a statement was far from unbelievable.

In the middle of the room sat an old man who looked as if he was meditating, and scattered around him as if they were garbage he had tossed aside, was every member of the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia. Even Alm was dyed crimson with his own blood.

“He’s breathing!” One of Zeke’s Paladins immediately jumped off his horse to examine the person nearest to him. It was Forsyth. Both his dominant arm and his back were sliced open, and his shoulders were heaving heavily. But he was alive, meaning that Nuibaba had yet to cast Medusa.

“You never see it coming… You move, and his magic will already be waiting for you…” Forsyth said. His face contorted in fear as he passed out, still gripping the Paladin’s arm.

“I will distract Nuibaba!” Zeke said. “All five of you will carry the Knights of Zofia out of here!” He gave his orders, then galloped his horse forward to stand right in front of Nuibaba.

If Nuibaba had acknowledged Zeke’s determination to fight him, he would have at least been the slightest bit shaken. Instead, he simply watched the Paladins carry off the Knights of Zofia as they desperately clung to their lives.

“I have come to confirm with my own body just what kind of spell Medusa is!” Zeke said as his sacred horse, fully adorned in the suit of armor bestowed upon the mount of a Gold Knight, snorted and smashed the stone tiles beneath them with his front hooves. I will survive your magic, so that none will be afraid of you ever again. I will prove once and for all whether or not absolute fear exists in this world. Prepare yourself!” Zeke gripped his horse’s reins.

Nuibaba did not move even an inch. He thought that Zeke was being quite honorable.

Nuibaba had plotted together with Jerome. Based on that, Zeke knew exactly what kind of person he probably was. However, Nuibaba did not ask a single question about why Zeke had switched sides; and now that they were facing off as enemies, he simply stared back, proving his reputation as the proud Arcanist general.

The moment Zeke’s horse took a single step forward, wind blew past them. His cheek was cut for the first time ever in his life. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a spurt of blood fly past him. His horse flinched. Zeke pulled his reins to reprimand him for doing so.

“Do not insult me with a spell like Exaclibur!” Zeke shouted, and took another step forward.

A ball of light exploded, signaling that Nuibaba had cast an Aura spell. It was a direct hit against his horse’s armor. The grating sound of thousands of light shards scraping against metal echoed through the air. He felt the back of his neck become hot. Half of his uniform’s collar blew away.

“Why won’t you cast Medusa?!”

By the time he spoke those words, Nuibaba was already directly beneath him. Nuibaba raised his head just enough to look at Zeke from the side. His eyes were mocking the Gold Knight.

The sight of them made Zeke’s blood boil, and so he aimed and stabbed his lance at Nuibaba’s chest.

The tip of his lance felt dull. The moment he had extended it, he realized how reckless his action was. Knowing that he was cornered, Nuibaba must have cast a lethal Medusa spell that would hit him any second now. The reason why his spearhead felt dull was because Zeke feared that premonition.

Nuibaba moved.

‘Finally!’ Zeke thought. ‘Should I keep my eyes open, or shut them as tight as I can? If I am going to die, then I want to see my final moments.’ He made up his mind, and kept his eyes wide open.

But he saw no sign that Nuibaba had cast a spell, rather, he saw Nuibaba standing up in the air, as if he was flying.

What he thought was not what had happened at all. His lance had stabbed through Nuibaba’s body.

It pierced his chest as easily as it would rotting hunks of fat and flesh, and slid through so far that it went past his waist. The spearhead had even stabbed into a stone floor tile.

“Zeke,” Nuibaba gripped the lance with both hands and stared straight at Zeke, his elderly face not even wincing in pain. “I have only attained the first few steps of enlightenment. The difference between Rudolf and me is like that of the sun and a grain of sand. I was never able to make much progress.”

Nuibaba paused to cough up blood. “Anything other than full enlightenment is meaningless. When I learned that you had switched to Alm’s side, I realized that Rudolf had attained full enlightenment. If he is closer to full enlightenment than I, then I am worldly trash.”

“Why didn’t you cast Medusa?” Zeke asked him again.

“Medusa? I cannot cast such a spell. I am worldly trash. Duma would never bestow Medusa upon trash such as I. I am trash, and I will die like trash. To prove to you how wordly of a person I am, Zeke, I will teach you one thing about life. Never attempt to cast away your love for a woman. Do not abandon in vain the love in front of you to chase your past. After I close my eyes and summon them, turn around. Tatiana and the Zofian Saint will both be behind you.” Those were Nuibaba’s final words before his chin fell. The proud Arcanist army general crumpled around Zeke’s lance like a piece of scrap cloth.

“Sir Zeke!” It was obvious who had called his name from behind him.

Silque was standing next to him, but he cared not about what she might be thinking as he stared at her. He simply held Tatiana in his arms as tightly as he could.

Jerome’s soldiers had Nuibaba’s mansion surrounded. So this was indeed Jerome’s goal all along. If Nuibaba defeated the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia, that would be ideal, but even if he did not, they were certain to be near death when Jerome appeared before them.

Zeke ordered Tatiana and Silque to heal the Knights, then took only his five Paladins with him to the mansion’s front gate, his gold armor glittering as he openly revealed himself and awaited Jerome’s arrival.

“Do any of you have any friends among his army?” Zeke asked his Paladins.

All of them gave the same answer - that they felt nothing but hatred for every single one of Jerome’s knights.

But it mattered not that none could be swayed to his side. The Golden General Zeke was accompanied by his five fiercely loyal Paladins Rudolf himself had personally selected. Though they were no match in numbers, Jerome’s knights were already no match for them

“So there’s no such thing as Medusa.” Forsyth said as he lifted his wine glass.

Rigel’s border guard had been defeated, and the Rigel Plains were now under Zofian occupation. It was a major accomplishment, one mostly achieved thanks to Zeke’s efforts, but the Knights were relieved that this battle was over all the same. The villagers had been awaiting their return with a huge banquet prepared just for them, and were now showering them with their kindness.

Once the Knights scaled the Dragon’s Maw, known as a natural stronghold characteristic of Rigel’s rugged landscape, Rigel Castle would be awaiting them right before their very eyes, and all they would have left to do is take Rudolf’s head.

“We turned a fear that did not even exist into a taboo. Perhaps most, if not all, taboos are the same.” Forsyth said.

Python continued, “Medusa was nothing more than Nuibaba’s bluff, and a secret he could not share with even a single soul, or else he would lose all of his power. Maybe Jerome knew that, and used it to blackmail Nuibaba into helping him, knowing that he was still very powerful.”

“I do not think that to be the case.” Zeke said as he cut into the conversation. Zeke was a full-fledged Knight of Zofia now, or at the very least, a heroic general who had declared himself one of Alm’s knights, and vowed his loyalty to his new lord. “I did say very confidently that Nuibaba was unable to cast Medusa. But now I am convinced that he could, and chose not to cast it.”

“Why not?” It was no surprise that question was on everyone’s mind.

“I think he knew Emperor Rudolf’s master plan. Alm,” Zeke said, and shifted his conversation to speak directly to Alm. “Emperor Rudolf is planning to surrender his country over to you, so that you two can restore peace to Zofia and Rigel together. I think that is why he ordered me to serve you.”

‘That’s impossible.’ Was Silque’s immediate thought, but Alm spoke up faster.

“Then why did Rudolf try to destroy Zofia? We can never forget his wicked plot to abuse the sluice. He used it to attempt to destroy the entirety of Zofia’s land. Zeke, your idea is too optimistic.”

If Alm was right, then he had once again lost his reason to serve Alm. But regardless, the moment the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia entered Rigel Castle, they would learn everything. ‘Rudolf will probably embrace Alm when they meet. It is enough for me to just serve Alm for now.’ Zeke thought, and spoke not another word.

As the conversation shifted from Nuibaba to the sluice, Delthea looked down at her feet as the color slowly drained from her face. Even as everyone continued to empty their glasses, the party could not become entirely carefree so long as they were worried about how she was feeling. Nuibaba had told her the one secret they were trying to keep from her, that she cast the spell that killed her brother.

“Cheer up, Delthea!” Clive said, and clapped a hand on her shoulder.

That was the trigger that made everything bottled up within her heart come spilling out.

“Please tell me the truth.” She said, starting out as a mumble that crescendoed with each word until she was nearly shrieking. “Was it me who killed my brother?! Did he die by my hand?! His body had scars on it that could only be caused by Aura. And I don’t remember anything that happened. I felt it, but I couldn’t believe it. Why did I kill my brother?!”

With each word that came out of her mouth, she felt more and more certain in her heart that she had done it. The more she became certain, the more she became aware of just how grave a sin she had committed, and the greater her grief became that he was gone. She started crying as hard as she would have bled if her tiny body was literally tearing apart.

No one could say anything. It would be meaningless to try to comfort her, because what could possibly comfort her? Nothing could bring her brother back. The only option left was to push her to accept the truth faster than she would on her own, but that was also the cruelest option of all.

“Delthea,” Alm stood up and hugged her. “You did not kill Luthier.” He said with full conviction. “The person who killed your brother was the Arcanist at the sluice. A Rigelian we have already killed. Please think of it this way. Even if the sun was to burn up or if rain were to wash away all the forests, nothing would make it any less tragic for those who share the same blood to kill each other. Please find your peace in the certainty that you would have never killed your brother.

“Nuibaba’s Medusa spell was not absolute hell. True hell is family killing one another. So long as Mila’s Blessing is bestowed upon Valentia, there should be no true hell in this world, and no members of the same family should be capable of killing each other.”

Delthea didn’t know what to think of Alm’s words, but they made Silque tremble in utter fear.

Alm was about to become the harbinger of this impossible, true hell he spoke of himself. The moment he cheered with joy that he had brought an end to everything, would also be the moment he killed his own father, realized his fate is to suffer in absolute hell, and learned that he himself would prove true hell had become possible in this world.

Silque could not hold back her tears. Everyone else thought that she was crying because she was so touched at Alm’s gesture to do whatever little he could to reach out and help Delthea.

The days before the Knights’ invasion of Rigel Castle passed by quietly. Delthea did not speak to anyone and was silent for a few days, until finally, she told Alm that she had decided to stay in the village and dedicate her life to rebuilding it.

“You will grow up to become a godmother to all of Valentia.” He said, and hugged her tiny body as hard as he could.

Silque went every day to see Tatiana, who returned to her hut in the village. Because Tatiana had decided not to participate in the final battle, Silque asked if she could teach her Physic, a high-level healing spell able to heal allies from afar; and Warp, a spell able to instantly teleport Units within the middle of an enemy’s formation. Part of the reason why the Knights decided to spend several long days stationed in the village was to give Silque the time she needed to master those spells.

Zeke was also always in Tatiana’s hut. To the two of them, these last few days before the Knights deployed was a fleeting moment of peace.

Sometimes, he would step out for a bit, and Tatiana would tell Silque stories of her memories with him.

“It was all part of the gods’ will for Sir Zeke to wash up in the village where I live, and for him to save me. I want to dedicate my entire body and soul to him.”

Silque immediately stared down at her feet. Hearing such a candid expression of love made her face turn bright red, proving that she was still a young woman who had yet to experience her own first romance.

“But, there is something that always worries me. And this worry may only deepen my love for him.” Tatiana said. “Sir Zeke lost all memories of his past, but he was probably a high-ranking vassal of another nation. As I nursed him back to health, he often cried out in agony. More times than I can count. But I remember the words he spoke very well. They were often an apology to a queen. Her name is Nyna…”

The moment she said that name, her face clouded over with sadness. “‘I am sorry, but I will not betray my homeland…’ He would say as he became drenched with sweat. When his memory returns, he will also return to his country. Sir Zeke is going to leave me on that day. I am certain of it.”

Silque held Tatiana’s hands to console her.

Tatiana smiled, touched by Silque’s kindness. Then, she said, “I will stay in the village. As your army marches, even if Sir Zeke’s memories return to him, please do not tell me the truth. Allow me to believe that he left only because he fell out of love with me. Otherwise, I will not be able to completely give up on him.”

#fire emblem #fe #fire emblem 2 #fe2 #gaiden #fe gaiden #fire emblem gaiden #fe15 #fire emblem 15 #shadows of valentia #fire emblem echoes #alm #celica #japan #japanese #translation #novel #light novel #fe2 novelization translation

8 notes · View notes