***Nota Bene: I do not own Suikoden


Chapter 9

Last time, Thomas learned more about the history of Budehuc Castle. He also received messages from Chisha, warning him of impending war and entrusting upon him the duty to reunite Zexen with the grasslands. Meanwhile, Thomas has been very patient with Eike. It's been months now, and Eike still hasn't told him about either the caves or himself.....the curiosity is unbearable. Finally, last time Thomas pulled down Arthur's latest paper from the wall and tossed it out of the window when he noticed his name next to Cecile's.......

- Jitterrue

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Day 152

Hello again Diary. I don't quite know how to describe today....... fairly uneventful but ..... stressful. This morning I spilt my tea all over my desk. Luckily I'd had no papers on it but the sound of the crashing glass sent Sebastian running into my room. He would not allow me to clean up my own mess, claiming that I may be coming down some sort of muscular deficiency or other.

As I was walking down the stairs, I looked at the wall where Arthur's paper should have been........ It was still not there. Another one had not yet filled the empty frame. And in such thought, I tumbled down the rest of the stairs and sat there, ashamed, until Juan came around the corner, smirking at me.

Perhaps I do have a sort of...... Muscular Deficiency. Sigh. I exited my castle on my way to collected my dollars from the cook..... I saw Eike, standing outside, in the Daylight no less, gazing up at the sky. Such peculiar behavior I have never seen from Eike. And he hates the sun. What odd people I live with.

My whole day consisted as thus. Very boring, nothing happened. But Cecile was away at the Brass Castle..... Arthur had not even noticed the missing paper.... And these drove me mad, knawing at the back of my mind. And for some reason, I wished for nothing more than to crawl through the tunnels that I'd promised Eike I would not enter.

- Thomas

Eike's Page:

There was a period of three weak rulers, during the next war. The Harmonians were fighting the Grasslanders. (At this time, Zexen was still technically a part of the Grasslands.) Our Castle was the meeting point of the Grassland forces. As time went on during the skirmishes of war, three men rose up in the ranks. Their names were Wyatt Lightfellow, Geddoe commander of the Malitia Army, and Hugo. Geddoe had brought his armies up from Caleria and was already a highly ranked admiral. Wyatt was a Zexen senator, training for combat in Budehuc, and Hugo was young boy from Chisha, with no parents and nothing particularly special about him. At this time Budehuc did have a ruler, but he was sickly and unable to rule properly and Commander Acado lead a military based government for as long as two years.

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Day 153,

Soon, Diary, I will sleep, for I am very tired and it is quite late. Cecile returned from her duties today. I ignored the fact that I was feeling quite elated upon her arrival. But I did not greet her, I did not speak to her, no I ignored her fully and completely except for business purposes. Arthur set up an appointment with me for the afternoon and he wanted to discuss exactly what I had expected him to.

Good day, Master Thomas, he said politely.

And good day to you, Arthur. Ehr.... may I ask what troubles you? I acted completely ignorant as to what he was going to say next.

Oh yes, if you haven't noticed, my paper has disappeared from the wall.

Uh.. Oh my! How dreadful. I haven't noticed, no, I haven't paid any attention to the wall since my last message from Chisha.

Hmm. Is that so, Master Thomas? Arthur pried, chewing a pen and looking quite shrewd. Perhaps you should like to know where I found my paper?

My heart began to speed, like a guilty man expecting to be caught, Yes, yes, of course. Do tell.

Arthur smiled, that reporter smile he assumes when he believes he's got a scoop. Well, Master Thomas, I discovered my paper lying in ruins outside the castle walls, just beneath a window.

Oh did you?

I did. Fascinating, is it not?







The evidence shows me that the paper was not simply blown by the wind or lost, oh no. According to our expert detective Kidd, it was ripped most hastily from the wall and tossed out of the window.

I swallowed hard. How accurate Kidd had been. Oh, is that what Kidd said...

Arthur grinned excitedly, his glasses giving him a most..... boyish countenance, That's right! It's the best scoop I've had in a while!

Better than the rumors of the Fire Bringer?

Oh that's way old news! This is fresh and new!

So..... what am I needed for? I smiled shakily, my hands shook. Why should I be so uncertain? Was it so bad that I'd been found out? Of course it was..... Forgive me Arthur, I said after noticing his keen look on my shaking hands, Sebastian tells me I have a Muscular Deficiency.

The keen look dulled and Arthur grinned again, Oh yes! Sebastian has told me all about it.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank you Sebastian.

But to answer your question, I just need to ask you a few questions. We have no idea who the culprit was and Kidd says you might be able to give us a few clues.

I sighed again. I was not suspected. How delightful. Oh, why didn't you say so!

The both of us laughed. Me, a bit uneasy.

Did you per chance, see the deed done?

No, I can't say that I did.

mhmm, mhmm, Arthur scribbled notes on a pad furiously. Have you seen any suspicious characters walking back and forth from the stairs to the Library?

I wanted to say Eike, but I already knew he was innocent, Oh no, everyone takes the elevator these days.

Do they

They do.

Have you any idea what the article was about?

No, I haven't

It was about Cecile and.....



Well..... Juan.



I'm sorry.......?

Oh no, forgive me. But why Juan?

Haha! Cecile has had this light way of walking and talking lately.

She seems normal to me.

Well, she is not. She smiles constantly and talks much faster when she speaks and is much quieter when she doesn't speak.

What does she speak about?

Usually about the orders you give her. Most people complain about orders, but not Cecile. No she does them happily and without complaining.

Oh but she's always been like that.



And Juan? I thought for sure I'd seen my name in the paper. Perhaps I was merely mentioned, as usual in these stories. But Juan?

Well, Juan has been particularly lazy lately.

But he is always lazy

Not this lazy. I think he daydreams all the day long.

About Cecile?

Maybe. And, get this! Last Tuesday, both of them were in the old broken boat, at twilight!

Th- They were?



My throat tightened and my eyes began to sting, just slightly.



Oh, its my muscular deficiency. It is quite painful.

That is awful.



Well then, I will be on my way. Good day to you Master Thomas! Thank you very much! Arthur said with a bow and left the room.


I was alone with my thoughts. I returned to my room, set my jaw, clenched my fists and I slept. I woke up again a few hours ago. Why was I so upset Diary? Surely Arthur is simply mislead..... haha, Juan. But perhaps...... No. This is why the master of a castle never gets romantically involved with his tenants.

Such is my luck with women. I was a fool to think Cecile would even be interested. Besides. I have never fallen in love in all my life anyway! I never said I was! It's true isn't it Diary! It is my Muscular Deficiency. Yes. Perhaps I'm experiencing heart failure. I will call for the nurse first thing in the morning.

- Thomas

Eike's Page:

To make a long story short, the war raged on for ten years. Eventually, Hugo became the bearer of the True Fire Rune and was named the Flame Champion. He and the Fire Bringer (Geddoe and Wyatt) reigned destruction upon Harmonia and the Grasslands were victorious. Then, he disappeared, back into the obscurity from which he had come.
After the war, Budehuc Castle remained Master-less for fifty years. Victory had come at a costly price, and the castle was nearly destroyed. It was cut off from the maps and memory. Zexen took it into its territory and more or less forgot about it.

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Day 154,

I received another message from Chisha. The Flame Champion has resurfaced! The messenger was not informed on the identity of the man. But he told me that he must be old and wise to live so long. However, Eike has told me that the True Runes bring about immortality. We shall see about this. Also, captain Geddoe is coming back to Budehuc to set up base. Harmonia has declared war on the Grasslands, as you must already know, Diary. Tomorrow I go to Zexen to attempt to create allies in them. But I am afraid it will be in vain. The council has resented me since I sold the estate to the Karayan chief.

A group of Lizards has come to the castle to help in the reparations. My castle feels overrun with them, though they stay inside and underground. They seem so fierce and stern.... Perhaps Eike is some sort of cross between a man and a Lizard....... no, of course not how silly of me.

Eike's page:

Eventually, Zexen began to send young men to Budehuc Castle to rule it. This was an effective method to keep ambitious men and useless sons out of the way. The castle had lost its ways of trade and was used as a border between them and what they considered to be rudimentary, barbarous Grasslanders, until it all but disappeared from the map.

History began to repeat itself as it usually does, and the rulers, one by one, began to go insane. A few of them even attempted to dig in the underground tunnels, but most of them were apprehended by a man barring the way. One by one, each master left, and the castle fell deeper and deeper into poverty and obscurity. The number of tenants fell and fell, until it reached even below the bare minimum needed to keep up a castle of this size. The Bat Creature reappeared after nearly 80 years and began to walk the woods behind the castle (The very same that Jun had conversed with). It is said that he sniffs for True Runes.........
Perhaps Hugo will tell you of him....

Oh Diary! Again with all the mystery! It does not help my insatiable curiosity! I must get into those tunnels.

........ And I will. Cecile........ forgive me.

- Thomas.

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And this concludes Chapter 9 of Master of Budehuc Castle:

Next time, will Thomas really go into the tunnels, even though Eike asked him not to? And the Flame Champion has resurfaced! Who is it?! Will he be old or young? And who holds the other Runes? Will Budehuc be able to hold off Harmonia and will Thomas be able to convince Zexen to join his cause tomorrow? And are Cecile and Juan really an item?

Find out next time!