Oh, Alfred! Welcome back!
Father! Alfred is back!
Alfred, welcome back. We're done cleaning up your house. You can take care of the rest now.
Are you going to stay in the village today? You can take your time...
(What should I do, Alfred?)
Matthew and Arthur are already heading for Elgnand... It wouldn't do to keep them waiting, so let's leave as soon as possible!
(Actually, you just don't want to stay for long because then you'd be even more reluctant to leave, right?)
Shut up! Just go to my house and get my stuff!
You see, there are some people waiting for me, so I'll just get my stuff and leave right away.
I see. You'd better hurry up, then.
I wish you'd stay a while longer... I'm going to miss you.
There are people waiting for you, right? You'd better get ready quickly.
Whoa! It's wonderfully neat!
... Is that your stuff? It's a pretty large sack.
That's definitely it! It's chock-full of memories from Aricema!
You want me to carry this all the way to Elgnand?
That's right! If you're the hero of the world, it's a piece of cake, right?
Don't you think you've been pushing it lately?!
Obtained Alfred's Luggage!
Ugh, it's really heavy... What did you put in here that makes it so heavy?
Well, a lot happened since I came here three years ago. I got a lot of stuff from the villagers.
But was there really that much? Take a look inside.
Hey, there's ten gallons of milk here! Is that really necessary?
My neighbors must have put it there! Okay, let's take it home now!
"Let's"? I'm the one who has to carry it...
HAHAHA! Good luck with that!
Listen, America...
What is it?
Remember when I told you why I became independent here?
Yeah, it's because you wanted to live your own life freely, without Arthur's interference, right?
There's that, too, but...
What, was there something else?
We went to live with Arthur when my sister married him. Even after my sister died giving birth to Peter, that didn't change.
And then Arthur got too busy with work and the women in the village had to take care of Peter, but I still didn't see him as a bad father.
Four years ago, the research institute in Cenarf was built and Arthur got even busier. Sometimes he'd come back only once a week, or not at all...
But when he did come home, he'd get worried about me, since I had trouble learning magic, and he'd come to see me. That made me so happy.
Hey, he sounds like a pretty nice guy. So, what does that have to do with your independence?
Peter started acting kind of weird. He started insulting Arthur all the time and didn't take his studies seriously any more...
Eventually, thinking he was hated, Arthur grew distant from Peter, and their relationship just kept getting worse.
Even when Peter learned a new spell, Arthur only paid attention to me. He must have felt so lonely.
But I still never told Arthur to pay more attention to Peter, because I wanted to be the center of his attention.
I've always wanted to be a hero, but I could never be one that way.
I thought that couldn't go on any longer, so I tried to get out of the forest, but...
Arthur had cast that spell on the forest, right?
Yeah, I wasn't free to leave Elgnand.
I was astonished and at the same time scared of Arthur... I mean, isn't it weird that he'd do such a thing to his own brother-in-law?
That's when you began to loathe him, right?
... Yes.
That was right when Francis had come to Elgnand, so I cried to him about how badly I wanted to get out of there...
Arthur is kind, but now he's gone too far! If I stay with him forever, I'll never be anything but a spoiled child! I'll be insensitive and think ill of Peter again!
Peter will start hating Arthur more and more! Someone who wrecks a bond between father and son can never be a hero!
Arthur is strong and even intelligent. I unconsciously want to depend on him. That must mean I'm weak.
I want to be so strong that I won't need to depend on him. I... I want to be a hero...!
But I can't do that if I stay in Elgnand...
So that's why you want to leave Elgnand.
But what do you expect me to do? An amateur like me can't break Arthur's spell.
I know. I just wanted to talk to someone about it. Thanks for listening.
I don't think I can get through this forest so easily. But if I'm not free to leave, I'll just fight. Even if it's Arthur's spell, it can't be perfect.
*sigh* That's my weakness, you know.
Francis?
Can you just promise me one thing? That you will give up Arthur's care and the name Williams.
Also, you want to leave without saying your true reasons so that you'll be hated, right?
Many ill-intentioned people await you in the outside world. Even so, can you keep your goal to become a hero in sight?
If you cause any trouble around you and run back home without doing anything about it, you'll be nothing but a child.
I can do it. I'll show you.
I see. I'll help you, then. But we have to keep it a secret from Arthur.
Okay! Thank you, Francis! You'll see, even as the King you'll hear stories about me. If I can do that, I'll tell the truth to Arthur and the others.
I'll become a hero no matter what!
I said I became independent from Arthur just to be cool, but maybe I was just running away, after all.
I just didn't understand Arthur and I couldn't bear the thought of his relationship with Peter getting any worse...
That's why I absolutely had to become a hero after I got out of the forest. But...
In the end, I couldn't be a hero and I'm too ashamed to look them in the face and tell them I'm dead.
Why are you telling me this now? You should have said it the first time around.
Thinking about what's to come, I decided I couldn't lie to you any more. I'm really sorry, America...
It's also Arthur's fault for being so insensitive to his son's feelings, and you were a little immature.
Well, I think the way he clings to you guys is weird, too. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just his son, but confining even his brother-in-law to the village...
I know he cared for me because of my sister, but I never thought he wouldn't even let me out of the forest.
So many complications... If only it could be all solved at once like in a movie...
Movie?
Don't ask; it's hard to explain.
Anyway, we've been talking for too long. We have to leave for Elgnand before it gets dark.
That'd be bad. Let's just get your stuff and leave.
[Alfred's Luggage] It's full of memories from Aricema. It's extremely heavy.
What's the matter, guys? Why are you gathered here?
You don't really think we'd let the hero of Aricema leave without saying goodbye, do you? I gathered everyone here while you were packing.
He gathered everyone even though they were busy with work...
This is my farewell gift to you. Please never forget this village.
Obtained Memory Stone Bracelet!
It's a special item that my grandfather brought from the Empire of Vyek.
Whoa! It's a high-quality Memory Stone!
Thank you! I'll take good care of it!
Well, you may go now, Alfred. We look forward to the day when you'll become the hero of the world and come back.
Please come visit us any time.
Thank you for everything you've done to help us!
Good luck in the next city!
If you ever come back to Aricema, come see me. I'll get some nice items for you!
Take care, Alfred. I'll be waiting for you!
What a nice village. Everyone came to say goodbye... Hm?
Hey, c'mon! Don't cry! The hero of Aricema can't be that pathetic!
I'm not... crying at all!
You don't sound very convincing when your nose is running like that! Here, you can blow your nose with this... Or not.
*sniff* (Thanks, guys...)
[Memory Stone Bracelet] A bracelet given by the village headman of Aricema as a farewell gift.
Disable random encounters? - Yes - No
America reads the engraved stone!
"Cleanse all evil and make way for the chosen one."
America looks behind the engraved stone!
There is something engraved in it.
"Follow the names."
Equip Alfred's Glasses? - Yes - No
I don't think we can get through this!
Equip Alfred's Glasses? - Yes - No
You're finally here. I didn't think it'd take you this long.
Sorry. It took me a while to pack.
What's with that sack?! It's so full... Come on, go drop this at home.
Arthur is home, looking for clues about Peter. I'll go ahead to help him.
OK! I'll be there in a minute.
That looks heavy.
Phew! That was so heavy!
You can sort it out later; just put the milk in the kitchen!
Found any clues yet?
No, we haven't found anything relevant. Why don't you give us a hand?
Okay!
I gave Peter this stuffed bear for his birthday this year.
A stuffed bear for a ten-year-old boy? You should've given him something cooler.
I know. But I really wanted to give him this.
I got a stuffed bear from Arthur when I was little, remember? It made me really happy, so I wanted to give Peter one, too.
Though I couldn't make it look as nice as Arthur's.
Oh, okay. (How do I tell him I don't care?)
It's a poorly made stuffed bear.
It's a magic textbook. It doesn't seem to have been used much.
Nothing here...
You're awfully calm. Shouldn't a parent be more panicked in this kind of situation?
He ran away because he wanted to try living on his own. He must have prepared for it calmly, even if only intended to be away for a short while.
He's ten years old. Maybe he just ran away impulsively. How come you have that much confidence in him?
Have you forgotten whose son he is?
What?
Well, why don't you help look for clues, then?
(He was just bragging!)
There are embroidered handkerchiefs neatly arranged.
He's so good at these things, so why can't he cook?
Of course, he must have hidden something under the bed!
You'll probably just find something irrelevant!
We're not actually looking for things he might have hidden.
Hey, I found something!
I said no! We have to respect Peter's privacy!
What did you find?
It's a box. Should I open it?
Ughh! I can't open it! It's pretty solid...
Hm, let me see that.
Ah, what a prodigy. He sealed it with magic. You have to break the seal to open it.
No wonder I couldn't open it.
Do you think you can do it?
Compared to other children his age, he did a good job, but this is still far from perfect. I'll give it 30 points.
Oh! It opened!
There's... a book inside.
"Traveling around the World: Ära Edition (published in Spina)"
... These check marks are new. So this is what he was hiding.
Where is Ära?
You still haven't got a map that doesn't show only the north of Avenir? How many times have I told you to learn more about the world?
The Empire of Ära is the country that controls Leben, the continent in the south. You know, the country that has never got along with ours?
Oh, so it's an evil country?
I wouldn't say they're evil, but our history is complicated.
Hmm. So, you think Peter's gone to that Empire of Ära?
What if he has? We can't go that far to look for him.
We could get there via Spina, but we don't have enough time for that.
Can't you ask Francis to give you more time off?
I'd rather not have to ask him for any favours...
Then I guess we'll just have to wait for him to come back to this continent.
Yes. If he comes to any town on this continent, the local headman will let us know.
I'll send a letter around. I'll tell them that if they see a boy who looks like him, they are to keep him there.
*sigh* Now that we've finally found a clue, we'll just have to wait?
Yes. You may go home now.
I hope you'll get news of him soon.
Since you're here, would you like to stay for dinner?
Uh...
I have to put away the milk back home, so I really have to go now!
There's so much milk in the kitchen. Make sure you drink all of it, okay?
Aww, c'mon, Matthew, why don't you help me?
I think it's going to rain today...
It's milk. Do you want to take it? - Yes - No
Obtained Milk!