Managed to update this story before the end of the month. Call it a birthday gift to myself. Normally, I would thank everyone for reading this story, but I honestly don't know if anyone read the last chapter because there is currently a glitched on this site. According to my traffic information, no one had read any of my stories in over two weeks. Which I know isn't true, but it is what it is. So I will just thank you regardless on the assumption that someone read the previous chapter.
Anyway, to the chapter.
Chapter 63: Toize Valley Mine
The mine was dimly lit with several lights embedded into the stone walls. From the look of things, this mine hadn't been really used in years. There were mine carts scattered everywhere and giant holes were in the ground.
From what Lloyd could see there was no exspheres in sight. Maybe they mined them all. Although if that was the case, what was up with that security door? If the mine was emptied, there should be no need to keep the mine closed. Not to mention that the security door was damaged because someone wanted in. It was all very strange.
Stranger still, why were there even exspheres in a mine? Kvar said that exspheres were dormant until they feed on a host. So were the exspheres here in their dormant state? If so, how were they process? So many questions.
Raine was practically drooling as she looked around. She could tell that the mine was old. Perhaps thousands of years. The machines themselves also looked ancient.
"The machines in this mine are built quite sturdily," Raine noted.
"This was a mine from the ancient times. These machines are also from that time," Regal spoke as his mind drifted.
The machinery in this mine were older than him, his father, his grandfather, and even his grandfather's father. For centuries his company had exploited this mine since the day exspheres were discovered, building the company into the empire it was today. It was a major find since all the exspheres here were already process. Although, it was noted that the exspheres weren't as powerful as some of the newer exspheres. The reason why was never discovered.
"What!?" Raine shouted in shock, startling Regal. "Rather than preserving ancient relics, they're still actively using them here!?"
Regal blinked. "Well, I suppose you could look at it that way but..."
"Blasphemy!" Raine screamed, catching the others' attention. "This cannot be allowed! Bring me the one responsible, now!"
Regal shrunk back. "I...I'm sorry..."
Genis chuckled. "I see you met my sister's Ruin Mode."
"Ruin Mode?" Regal repeated.
"Raine...kinda has a split personality," Sheena explained. "She really loves ruins and everything to do with ancient times and stuff. So she tends to go nuts around this kind of stuff."
Regal shook his head. "I never knew."
Genis sighed. "I actually managed to hide it for years, but this journey has put it into obit. Guess it can't be helped."
"I think it good that the Professor is so happy," Colette said.
"I guess if you see being an obsessive lunatic as happy," Genis deadpanned.
"I'm sure Raine has her reasons for her actions. Most obsessive behavior can be traced back to past trauma," Regal said.
Lloyd hummed. Didn't Kratos said something similar once?
They left the opened area of the mine and came to a narrow tunnel. They had to stopped halfway down the tunnel when they saw that a giant rock was blocking their path.
"Whoa, that's one huge boulder!" Lloyd exclaimed. Where did this thing even come from?
"We can't keep going with that in the way," Genis said in annoyance.
Zelos glanced at Regal. "What now, Mr. Regal?"
"In case something like this happens a special item has been prepared in this mine," Regal answered, ignoring the smug look Zelos was giving him. "I'm sorry, but please go back to the previous tunnel. It should be there somewhere."
Zelos folded him arms. "What do you me 'it'?"
"Come on, let's go," Regal said, ignoring Zelos once again.
Zelos wasn't pleased as the group turned around. "Is it just me or has his personality changed since we got here?" he asked more to himself.
They returned down the path they took before and went down another passage. As they moved, the whirls of machines could be heard. Despite no one being here to operate them, the machines were still functioning.
"Why are the machines running?" Lloyd asked. "I mean, there're no people around."
"This is an automated mine, so it runs by itself," Regal answered.
Lloyd's eyes widened. That would explain why everything seemed so unused. "Wow, I don't really understand, but it sounds convenient."
Raine was practically jumping up and down. "Oh, I simply must disassemble and analyze this!"
"So, anyway, ignoring her for a minute, where's this inhibitor ore?" Lloyd asked.
"The tunnel with the inhibitor ore is up ahead. If we get on that elevator platform, it should take us there," Regal replied.
Lloyd nodded before pausing in thought. "I've been wondering. Where are the exspheres? I haven't seen any since arriving."
"Exspheres wouldn't be found this closed to the entrance since they had been mined out long ago. You'll have to go far deeper into the mine to find them," Regal explained.
"The exspheres here, are they in their dormant state?" Lloyd continued to ask.
Regal blinked. "Dormant?"
Lloyd chewed his lips. "I...I don't know how much you know about exspheres, but they're not active at first. Exspheres need to feed on a human host before they awakened."
Regal closed his eyes. "I know of the evils of exspheres. And the exspheres found here are all fully process. They don't need to feed on a human life."
"How is that possible?" Lloyd asked in awe.
"Maybe Kvar was lying when he said exspheres are dormant until a host is introduced," Genis guessed.
Lloyd shook his head. "I don't think so... I wish dad was here. He would know."
"You were raised by a dwarf, correct?" Regal asked.
"Yeah, he found me after my mom was killed by Desians," Lloyd said.
"Desians, the force that has ravage your world," Regal said somberly.
"Yeah..." Lloyd trailed off.
He wondered how Sylvarant was doing. How much time past since they went to the Tower of Salvation? Was it a week? Maybe two? How many people were still dying and suffering from the Desians? Was Chocolat alright?
Chocolat...he hoped she was still alive. And Clara... They still needed to save her.
"Lloyd, are you alright?" Regal asked in concern.
"Huh?" Lloyd asked.
"You suddenly became very sad," Regal said.
Lloyd shook his head. "It's nothing."
"You're worried about your home world," Regal surmised, he took Lloyd's silence as a yes.
"I think we're all worried," Genis said, becoming somber as well. "I mean...we're here safe from the Desians while so many people are suffering back home."
Sheena sighed. "Yeah, it's really bad over there. I mean, I heard that world was dying but to actually witness it...it would take a heart of stone not to want to save those people."
"It is sad that we in Tethe'alla flourish because of the suffering of another world," Regal spoke in deep shame. "To think such a twisted system exist."
Lloyd looked at Regal. "You don't seem that disturb about learning the truth about Cruxis. Didn't you believe in Martel?"
Regal was silent for several seconds. "I haven't believed in Martel in a long time."
Colette frowned. "So, you've lost your faith."
"You could say that," Regal replied softly.
"Even though the Goddess Martel isn't real, I still believe in the teachings of the Church," Colette said. "Casting out one's faith because of hardship doesn't eased the burden. It only makes it heavier."
"Words I would expect from the Chosen," Regal said in an even tone.
"Man, you guys are just so gloomy," Zelos interrupted. "Sitting here and feeling sorry for Sylvarant won't change anything. If you wanted to save it so badly, you should have let Cruxis take Colette."
Lloyd glared at Zelos. "You..."
"As harsh as it is, Zelos is correct," Raine spoke up. "Because you wish to save both worlds, it will take much longer than it would have if we had regenerated the world. It is unfortunate, but that is the path we all chose."
Lloyd lowered his head. "I don't want Sylvarant to suffer anymore. But sacrificing Colette and Tethe'alla doesn't really solve anything. We just create new victims."
Raine nodded somberly. "I know."
"And the mood dumps once again. Maybe you guys like being depress," Zelos said.
Sheena growled and slapped Zelos. "Shut up or I'll smack you!"
"You just slapped me," Zelos whined.
They took an elevator shelf down to the bottom level, avoiding any monsters they came across. Thankfully, most of the monsters were passive. After a few minutes of walking they found 'it'. Namely, a giant box of dynamite.
"Yeah, this will definitely get rid of that rock!" Lloyd exclaimed with a huge smile on his face.
"Be careful with that," Regal warned.
Lloyd nodded "It's okay. I dealt with explosives before." He turned towards Colette. "I hate to ask, but can you carry this?"
"Of course," Colette said as she easily lifted the box.
"We have to make sure Colette isn't attacked. Even a small hit from a monster could set the box off," Raine stated.
"And blow us all to kingdom come," Zelos finished.
"I'll guard the front," Lloyd said before looking at Zelos. "You got the rear."
Zelos waved his hand. "Sure. No problem."
They carefully returned to the previous passageway, making sure that nothing even so much as nicked Colette. Regal and Genis were also closed by to make sure she didn't trip. It took several minutes to return to the tunnel with the giant rock.
"So, how are you going ignite this thing?" Zelos asked. "I doubt you want the brat throwing a Fireball at it."
"I can use the Sorcerer's Ring," Lloyd answered.
Zelos blinked. "Sorcerer's...what?"
Lloyd showed him the ring in question. "I can used this to shot fire."
"I think you're mistaken. I know what a Sorcerer's Ring is," Zelos said. "But I've been told that no has ever been able touch one. Not even the Chosens in Tethe'alla could."
"It's the same for Sylvarant except for the first Chosen," Genis said. "The Sorcerer's Ring sat on a shine for centuries and no one was able to grab it until Lloyd."
"Really?" Zelos asked in interest.
"Mind telling me what this Sorcerer's Ring is?" Regal asked.
Colette turned towards Regal. "It's an ancient treasure passed on to generations. No one actually knows much about it. But before I was giving the Oracle, Lloyd was able to grab it."
Lloyd shrugged. "I still don't see what's the big deal is. The Sorcerer's Ring can do some interesting stuff, but it's hardly that special."
Sheena put her hand on her chin in thought. "Even in Mizuho, we have stories about the Sorcerer's Ring. It said to be created by the planet and seeks out those with great potential. Or, something like that."
Raine hummed. She'd heard similar stories. According to legend, the Sorcerer's Ring was the essence of the planet itself choosing those who could changed the world. Given what Lloyd was trying to do, there maybe some truth to those stories.
"Anyway, let's get rid of this boulder," Lloyd said as he walked ahead of the group and set the dynamic down next to the giant rock. With one shot from the Sorcerer's Ring, the fused was lit and Lloyd got the heck out of there.
Within a few seconds, the boulder was completely blown apart, leaving only large chucks behind.
"Whoa, that stuff is powerful," Zelos said in awe.
"We should keep the dynamite around. Just in case we run into anymore roadblocks," Raine advised.
Lloyd looked at Colette. "Will you be okay holding that a little longer?"
Colette nodded. "I'll be fine. The box isn't heavy at all."
They moved again and blow up every boulder that got in their way. Given all the debris, no one cleaned this area in a long time. Almost every passage was blocked or filled with monsters.
Lloyd was growing bored of this mine. It was stuffy and there were no exsphere or inhibitor ore in sight.
"Hey, watch it!" something yelled.
Everyone jumped and looked around.
"Who was that?" Sheena asked.
"It was me, losers!" a squeaky voice yelled.
They all looked down to see a tiny gnome standing closed to Lloyd's feet. He was only about the size as Genis' palm.
"What's this thing?" Lloyd asked. He never seen a creature like it.
The gnome growled at him. "Hey, you losers!"
"Whoa, it talk!" Genis exclaimed in shock.
The gnome snorted. "Of course I talk! You'd better watch you mouth!"
"He's not very civilized," Lloyd noted dryly.
Now that he thought about it, he had heard of these things. His dad called them gnomelettes. A small, rude, bigmouthed race that were widely disliked by the dwarves. Seeing how this guy was acting, he could see why.
"I'm on a journey to find and eat some potion," the gnomelette stated.
Colette tilted her head. "Eat? Are you sure you're talking about potion?"
"It's something that only for adults that make them feel good," the gnomelette explained.
Raine rubbed her chin. "It seems he really does mean potion."
"Do you losers have any?" the gnomelette asked, although it sounded like a command.
Lloyd rubbed his head. "I don't think so."
"I have some Mizuho Potion," Sheena suddenly spoke up. "I always keep a bottle or two just in case."
"You're really going to feed this thing?" Zelos asked in disbelief.
Sheena shrugged. "Why not. I have what he wants and it cost me nothing."
"Well, if you want," Lloyd said as Sheena reached into her pack.
She took out a bottle of a red liquid substance and gave it to the gnomelette.
"Is this it!?" the gnomelette asked excitedly. "Is this the potion!? You loser did a good job!" Without another word he actually ate the potion, leaving the group speechless for several seconds.
"He even ate the bottle," Genis muttered.
"It doesn't taste like anything. Is this what I've been traveling for all this time!? This is lame," the gnomelette complained.
Everyone just stared at him.
"I'm going home, later," the gnomelette said before it ran off.
There was another silence.
"What the heck was that all about?" Lloyd asked for everyone.
Sheena rubbed her forehead. "Maybe I did waste a potion."
"Perhaps it's best to never speak of this again," Regal said.
Genis nodded. "I'll second that."
Lloyd sighed. Yeah, he could see why dwarves didn't like gnomelettes.
They walked again down the mine, trying to forget what just happened. It was hard not to get lost since everything looked the same.
Lloyd was so spaced out that he stopped sensing his surroundings. How much longer were they going to be in here?
A loud clicked got his attention. He looked down to see that he stepped on some type of switch. The next thing he realized, there was a giant boulder rolling right towards them.
"RUN!" Lloyd shouted he ran from the boulder.
The others screamed and followed right behind him. Regal grabbed Genis and carried him like a ball as he boulder caught up with them.
Just when it looked like they were going to be crushed, there was a turn ahead. They quickly turned the corner and let the boulder rolled off the edge and fell to the bottom of the mine.
"Whoa, that was closed!" Zelos yelled, completely out of breath. "What was that?"
"I'm sorry, I had forgotten. That's a trap to stop intruders," Regal explained.
"Stop!? I think you mean crush intruders," Sheena gasped.
"Pay attention to what you're doing!" Zelos scolded the older man.
"There's a switch on the wall ahead. If you press it, the boulders should stop coming," Regal said.
"Are there anymore traps we should know about?" Genis asked, attempting to make his heart stop beating so fast.
"The boulder trap was the most dangerous," Regal answered.
"Oh, that's so comforting," Zelos said sarcastically.
"We just have to be more careful," Lloyd said, kicking himself for being so careless.
He couldn't let his mind wonder like that again. Unlike all those other times, Kratos wasn't here to bail him out when he screwed up.
"What's that spinning thing?" Colette asked, pointing ahead.
In front of the group was a spinning gray block. It was big, almost as big as Regal.
"That's a Naploosa Bacura," Regal answered.
Raine's eyes widened. "Y...you can't mean the great Professor Naploosa's..."
Regal nodded. "Yes. It's a device made of concentrated mana in physical form."
"Wow, I didn't know mana could become a solid," Genis spoke in awe.
"Normal attacks cannot harm it," Regal finished.
"What about mana?" Lloyd asked. "Maybe Genis' magic can break it."
Regal shook his head. "Since it is concentrated mana, it will absorb magic."
"Then we can't get past!" Lloyd yelled in frustration.
"I'm sorry," Regal said in shame. "But if we could strike it with a powerful impact..."
"A powerful impact, huh?" Lloyd asked to himself.
He wondered if Regal could do it. The man could smash steel, after all. But...Regal didn't seem too confident. Maybe Colette, she got enough raw power. Although, he wasn't sure. They needed something stronger.
He looked down the passage that led to the boulder trap and an idea popped in his head.
"I need you guys to move out of the way. I'm going to try to lure that Naploo-whatever down that passageway," Lloyd said.
"You mean you're going to set off that trap?" Genis asked.
Lloyd nodded. "The force of the rock hitting it should be enough to break it or least least push it off the edge."
Regal thought about the plan. "It could work."
"But to break such a precious article is sacrilege!" Raine yelled.
Lloyd folded his arms. "We have no choice. We need to get past that thing."
"Lloyd speaks the truth," Regal said.
"Really, saving Presea is far more important than a spinning block," Genis scolded.
Raine sighed. "Of course. You're right. But I want to collect the samples!"
Lloyd rubbed his forehead. "Fine, fine." He turned towards Colette. "You can put that box down. Just in case."
"Okay," Colette said as she gently put the box of dynamite down.
Everyone moved to the side as Lloyd approached the Naploosa Bacura. As soon as Lloyd got within feet of it, it went after him. It wasn't fast at all. It moved like a slug. Lloyd had to walk slow to keep from outrunning it.
It took some time, but eventually Lloyd was able to get the Naploosa Bacura in range of the rolling rock. He then stepped on the switched and ran to the side before he got crush. The Naploosa Bacura wasn't as lucky.
The rock hit it and ran it off the edge before promptly smashing it to bits.
"Well, that did it," Lloyd said as he dusted himself off.
Colette ran up to him. "Are you okay?"
Lloyd smiled. "Fine. And with that gone, we can go down that passage."
Raine looked at Regal. "Where can we go to get to the Naploosa Bacura?"
"There is a shaft back the way we came that can take us to the lower level," Regal said.
"Then, we must go," Raine insisted.
"What about the inhibitor ore?" Genis asked in annoyance.
Raine waved her hand. "We can get it after we get the samples of the Naploosa Bacura."
Genis growled. "You and your Ruin Mania."
"Before we go back, let's turn off that rock trap," Zelos advised.
"The switch should be about here," Regal said as he felt along the wall, he soon found the button and pressed it. "There. It should be safe now."
Sheena sighed. "Well, that's one less thing to worry about."
They backtracked to the elevator shaft and went down to the lower level of the mine. After avoiding some monsters and falling debris they found the Naploosa Bacura. At least what was left of it.
"Wow, that boulder really did a number on it," Lloyd said in awe.
"The force was far greater than I expected if it broke it into this many pieces," Regal said.
Raine was practically in tears. "Oh my precious samples..." She got on her knees and began to pick up the fragments. During her collections, she found something in the debris.
"What is it, Professor?" Lloyd asked, realizing she stopped.
"I wonder what this is?" Raine asked as she picked up a pair of black chakrams. They had what looked like a red eye in the middle.
"They looks like chakrams," Lloyd said.
"Why would chakrams be here?" Genis asked.
Zelos hummed. "Must have been in that Naploosa-thing."
"Was it hidden away in it?" Sheena asked.
Raine rubbed her chin. "Could be an ancient treasure."
"Well, maybe we should take it with us," Lloyd suggested. "I mean, no point just leaving it here."
"Maybe I can use them," Colette offered.
Raine shook her head. "Until we know exactly what these are, I don't want anyone using them."
Lloyd opened his bag and stuffed the two chakrams in it. He felt something strange just by touching them. He wasn't quite sure what it was.
"Well, if we're done here, let's get back so we can finally get the inhibitor ore," Genis insisted, getting quite impatient.
"I'm incline to agree," Regal said. He also sounded anxious.
Lloyd closed his bag. "Okay, let's go."
They returned to the elevator and retraced their steps back to where the Naploosa Bacura was. Colette picked up the box of dynamic and they went down a flight of stairs that took them deeper into the mine. The area they were in was much darker, making it hard to see even a couple feet ahead of them. There was also a large waterfall falling behind an old bridge they were forced to cross.
"This is the inhibitor ore mining area," Regal said as they reached an area filled with wooden boxes.
"So which one is inhibitor ore?" Lloyd asked.
Regal scanned at the boxes. "Hmm…let's search the area. There may be some left over in the wooden boxes."
"Oh, please, I'm not going to go through all those boxes!" Zelos exclaimed. "Let's just blow them all up!"
"I agree. The inhibitor ore is strong enough to take the blast," Lloyd said. He turned towards his childhood friend. "Colette, hand me a stick of dynamic."
Colette put the box down and handed Lloyd a stick.
Regal sighed. They really were violent.
Lloyd put down the dynamic in front of one stacks of boxes and lit the fused. He quickly moved away as the entire section was blown up. Amazingly, the reckless plan worked and Lloyd was able to find an inhibitor ore in the rubble.
"This is it," Lloyd said, holding up the gold-like metal.
Colette clapped her hands. "We did it, Lloyd! Now we can save Presea."
Lloyd carefully looked over the ore. "Yeah. All I need to do now is prepare this."
"How long will it take?" Regal asked.
"To be honest, only a dwarf could do it right and my dad never taught me how," Lloyd said with a hint of annoyance. "Never was allowed to work the furnace. But if I carve the charm directly into this, I think it'll serve in place of a key crest. If that's all right, I can make it right away." He looked around. "Although, I need more light then this."
"There should be a workstation nearby," Regal said. "Follow me."
He led Lloyd to one of the workstations on the far corner where several dim lights lit an area where several desks sat.
Lloyd took a seat and took out the proper tools from his wrist. He then began to work, carefully craving the charm into the ore. Much like with Colette's key chest it was tedious, but he had to make sure to do it right, otherwise their trip would had been in vain.
Colette watched him. She always enjoyed watching Lloyd worked with his hands. It surprised her how Lloyd could be so fierce in battle, yet so nimble and gentle when carving.
She knew Lloyd wanted to make weapons, but she always believed that line of work was too harsh for Lloyd. He was too gentle and kind to make something that would harm people. She wanted him to use his skills to make art like his sculptures and her necklace. She truly believed that was his calling.
Zelos leaned against a nearby wall and looked at Regal, who stared absently into nothing. "You sure know a lot about this mine."
Regal glanced at Zelos. "I've worked in this mine before."
Zelos smirked. "Hmm. You worked in a mine? Yeah, right…"
Regal continued to stare into nothing.
"This mine is automatic, per your own words. What kind of work did you do?" Zelos questioned.
"Mostly manual labor. The machines do the actually mining, but humans are still needed to keep things operating and clean up the debris," Regal stated.
Zelos smirk got wider. "And someone who just did labor knows exactly where inhibitor ores are. Why do I find that hard to believe?"
"What are you trying to say?" Regal asked bluntly.
He laughed. "Nothing. Nothing at all."
Regal had enough of the Chosen and walked away.
After about an hour, Lloyd was finished carving the charm. He blew on it to get rid of the extra dust. "I think this will do." He stood up from the workstation. "Later, once Presea has returned to her normal self, let's have dad or Altessa make a real one."
Genis snorted. "I doubt that Altessa guy will do anything given how he acted."
Sheena folded her arms. "I agree. We may just have to have your dad do it."
"Yeah...maybe so," Lloyd murmured as he pocked the key crest.
Regal stepped forward. "Then, let's return. It is unbearable to leave Presea in that house steeped with the stench of death."
Lloyd nodded in agreement. He didn't want Presea to spend another moment in that house.
They made the long journey back to the entrance. Without boulders to blow up, the trip went much faster and smoother, although there were still monsters to deal with.
"It's no good, there're no exspheres around here, either…" a familiar gruff voice said.
Regal's eyes widened when he heard it. From the darkness, they could see a fat man with hair only on the top of his head and a beard. "...Vharley!"
The man in questioned turned around. He looked shocked. "Regal! So you're the one who destroyed the guard system outside."
Behind him stood two soldiers wearing grey and gold armor with red highlights. Their faces were completely covered by their helmets.
"Who's that?" Lloyd asked, although he was certain he'd seen the man before.
"That's Vharley, the exsphere broker," Zelos answered. "What's he doing here?"
"Well, he is an exsphere broker, so I would guess he's looking for exspheres," Sheena surmised.
"Why are you here!?" Regal yelled with such intensity and hate that it startled all of them. This was the first time any of them had ever heard Regal raise his voice. "Why has the Pope let you stay free? That's not what I agreed to!"
Vharley laughed at him. "Did you think the Pope would really keep a promise to a murderer?"
Lloyd was surprised to hear this.
Murderer? Regal? Those two words didn't go together. Granted, he didn't know the man long and he attacked them twice, but he didn't strike him as a killer. In fact, he could honestly say that Regal was one of the most gentle men he had ever met.
Colette was also shocked. That couldn't be right. Not Regal.
"And you forgotten your promise to bring us Colette! You joined with them instead!" Vharley accused.
"Silence!" Regal shouted. His voice echoed across the mine.
Colette felt it. Regal was radiating a powerful killing intent.
"If the Pope will not fulfill his promise, then I will punish you myself!" Regal yelled, charging the broker.
All of Vharley's smugness disappeared when he saw the enraged man charging him like a rampaging bull. "No way! I'm getting' out of here!" He ran with a speed that one wouldn't expect from someone his size.
Before Regal could reached the exsphere broker, he was cut off by the two soldiers. They had their swords out and attacked.
They stood no chance. Regal viciously beat them up without even needing the helped of the others. However, by the time he was done with them, Vharley was long gone.
Regal huffed as the last solider fell unconscious. His anger was completely spent.
"Regal?" Colette asked gently as she approached the man.
Regal looked at her.
"Regal, who is that man?" Colette asked.
"He called you a murderer..." Genis added, not sure if he should approached Regal.
Regal looked down in shame. "I am a prisoner serving time for the crime of murder. I won't blame you if you look down on me."
"What happened?" Lloyd asked. He couldn't bring himself to believe that Regal killed anyone on purpose. Well, except Vharley apparently.
"Explaining would be an excuse," Regal answered in a cold voice. "I committed a crime. That's all that needs to be said."
Lloyd stared at him for several seconds before sighing. "My stupid actions have killed many people. I don't know what you did, and your crime won't go away, but when you're suffering, it's alright at least say so."
Colette clapped her hands together. "Um, I don't know how to explain it very well, but I think we have the Goddess inside all our hearts. So I think the Goddess also bears the burden of your sins with you. Um…that's all."
Regal looked between the two, taking their words into his heart. "Perhaps someday I will have the opportunity to tell the story. I apologize…"
Lloyd gave a sad smile. "No need. It's something you shouldn't be forced to tell." He turned to led them out of the mine.
Just when he thought he was starting to understand Regal, he learned this. He still couldn't believe Regal killed on purpose. Perhaps like him he did something stupid that caused the death of another. Or, he was forced to kill...
He didn't want to think of this anymore. For now, he needed to give this key crest to Presea. Once that was done, he would worry about the mystery that was Regal.
Toize Valley Mine, done. Man this part of the game is boring, but it makes the good stuff all the more sweeter and we did get some nice devlopment for Regal. We also officially started the Devil's Arms side quest. Warning you now, some of the Devil's Arms will be in different places compared to the game for story reasons.
Until next chapter, take care.