The journey to Igros castle was difficult without any mobile support like chocobos and I damned every minute I had available to think of the recent events playing in my head. I was still shocked over the fact that I was a descendent of one of the most honored and disgraced names known to Ivalice, the Beoulves. Even more, was the fact that my half-brother Ramza was still alive. Not long ago, he was lost and written off dead by the Galbados church and forgotten to most commoners.
I had appeared at the front castle gates with a squad of Samurai guards at the door, cursing, spouting and babbling questions. Then I fainted, causing a commotion throughout the ranks of the soldiers. "Mueller Shulen! You've come back!" were the last words I heard before I succumbed to the darkness.
I awoke to the relaxing melody of birds singing and banter around at the lower parts of the castle. I saw the silhouette of a man standing near the window of my room. It was King Delita. "Sire!" I yelled in complete surprise as I knelt down. "Dispense with the formalities Mage Mueller. I have come to talk to you about the recent events played out." the king sharply imposed. So I told him what he asked for.
The ruler of thousands was shocked beyond his years, even injured I could feel and see his face blanch and loose all color. Not much was known about what went on between King Delita and Ramza Beoulve during the years of the Lion War. "Brother..." was the only thing the king could say.
"Brother? Are you another half-brother of mine that I should know about?" I asked with great gravity while being shocked about my own rude manners.
That comment had seemed to snap Delita out of his reverie, "Yes, but not in the sense you are thinking Mueller. Balbanes was my adoptive father near the end of the 50 years war. My parents were commoners, treated like dirt and tossed aside. Then when my parents died of plague near the end of the war, Balbanes adopted me and my sister Teta into his family. But still I was shunned for my common blood. The church hid most of my past so I could be proclaimed a 'honorable' king. But I know that I have betrayed my family, both noble and commoner." He was in tears as he explained his life to me.
"You see, I betrayed Ramza by using him as a pawn to end the war. I used my wife; Queen Olevia to grab power and I even killed her myself. Though the church reports say a 'ninja' killed her, I stabbed her with the knife that she had turned on me. You see brother," using the title for the first time, "after that happened, I started to wonder what did Ramza get in the end of this. Did he still live, hating me? Or trying to find me to forgive me?" "Why would he want to forgive you after all that you put him through? Shouldn't he hate you?" I asked, filled with even more confusion. He sighed, "If only such a thing was true, then I would have been dead for many years and more. I've been with him at many battles where he had a great opportunity to slay me and be rid of my foul presence. We were together at the Zirke Falls to save the then Princess Oliveia and a Zeltennia Castle to kill the Hershey inspector Zalmo."
"But there is one thing about our brother that you should know about." he began, "He's basically incapable of hating anyone, evil incarnate or not even Lucavi. He has too much of Balbanes in him. If he really did hate anyone, then the whole of Ivalice would be in devastation. Another thing the church conveniently left out was the fact that he was in the company of almost all of the zodiac stones. Only his pure heart kept him from unleashing the evil in the stones and destroying our land. So try hard to find him so we can reward him for doing what I didn't do. Tomorrow, you shall become what is worthy of your bravery and talent, Brother Summoner." His sudden promotion didn't hit me till long after he left the room. He not only proclaimed me Summoner, but also called me his brother, which was equally wonderful. So I set off to get some sleep from the big day at hand.
I had appeared at the front castle gates with a squad of Samurai guards at the door, cursing, spouting and babbling questions. Then I fainted, causing a commotion throughout the ranks of the soldiers. "Mueller Shulen! You've come back!" were the last words I heard before I succumbed to the darkness.
I awoke to the relaxing melody of birds singing and banter around at the lower parts of the castle. I saw the silhouette of a man standing near the window of my room. It was King Delita. "Sire!" I yelled in complete surprise as I knelt down. "Dispense with the formalities Mage Mueller. I have come to talk to you about the recent events played out." the king sharply imposed. So I told him what he asked for.
The ruler of thousands was shocked beyond his years, even injured I could feel and see his face blanch and loose all color. Not much was known about what went on between King Delita and Ramza Beoulve during the years of the Lion War. "Brother..." was the only thing the king could say.
"Brother? Are you another half-brother of mine that I should know about?" I asked with great gravity while being shocked about my own rude manners.
That comment had seemed to snap Delita out of his reverie, "Yes, but not in the sense you are thinking Mueller. Balbanes was my adoptive father near the end of the 50 years war. My parents were commoners, treated like dirt and tossed aside. Then when my parents died of plague near the end of the war, Balbanes adopted me and my sister Teta into his family. But still I was shunned for my common blood. The church hid most of my past so I could be proclaimed a 'honorable' king. But I know that I have betrayed my family, both noble and commoner." He was in tears as he explained his life to me.
"You see, I betrayed Ramza by using him as a pawn to end the war. I used my wife; Queen Olevia to grab power and I even killed her myself. Though the church reports say a 'ninja' killed her, I stabbed her with the knife that she had turned on me. You see brother," using the title for the first time, "after that happened, I started to wonder what did Ramza get in the end of this. Did he still live, hating me? Or trying to find me to forgive me?" "Why would he want to forgive you after all that you put him through? Shouldn't he hate you?" I asked, filled with even more confusion. He sighed, "If only such a thing was true, then I would have been dead for many years and more. I've been with him at many battles where he had a great opportunity to slay me and be rid of my foul presence. We were together at the Zirke Falls to save the then Princess Oliveia and a Zeltennia Castle to kill the Hershey inspector Zalmo."
"But there is one thing about our brother that you should know about." he began, "He's basically incapable of hating anyone, evil incarnate or not even Lucavi. He has too much of Balbanes in him. If he really did hate anyone, then the whole of Ivalice would be in devastation. Another thing the church conveniently left out was the fact that he was in the company of almost all of the zodiac stones. Only his pure heart kept him from unleashing the evil in the stones and destroying our land. So try hard to find him so we can reward him for doing what I didn't do. Tomorrow, you shall become what is worthy of your bravery and talent, Brother Summoner." His sudden promotion didn't hit me till long after he left the room. He not only proclaimed me Summoner, but also called me his brother, which was equally wonderful. So I set off to get some sleep from the big day at hand.