First Tower (Hard)

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*If you can break Laphlaes’s mind free and stop Titan, victory will be yours. The battles ahead will not be easy, but you have faith in your knights.*

## Summary

The Knights finally confront Laphlaes and manage to save him from his mind-control, only to run into Cesaire.

## Character List

### Major

* Lucilicca La'elaya (Fire)
* Laphlaes Selkena (Earth)
* Cesaire

### Minor

* Lord of Avillon
* Taneli
* Mikhail Blake (Dark)
* Schneider (Fire)
* Charlotte Grace (Earth)
* Zaira (Fire)
* Mei Ling Qiao (Light)
* Fram Berge (Water)
* Johan Talede (Light)

## Content

Lucilicca: Here we are… The First Tower…

"Lord": Don’t be nervous. We can take care of whatever comes our way.

Lucilicca: I believe you, but that still means we’ll have to fight.

"Lord": It’s unavoidable. Lucilicca, you’re going to have to think of what to do with the pure-blood later. Once everyone’s minds have been freed, there’s going to be a lot of social disorder.

Lucilicca: \*sigh…\* I hope at least the brainwashing really does go away in an instant like you said. Even social disorder would be better than what we’re going through right now.

Taneli: Archmage Lucilicca, I will do all in my power to help you. You needn’t worry.

Lucilicca: Thank you. Let us both do all we can…

MIkhail: The First Archmage is here.

Laphlaes: So, you’ve made it all this way.

Lucilicca: Laphlaes…

Laphlaes: Listen, everyone! That group of intruders have defiled the honor of all elves! The values we hold dear are under attack! We cannot let these invaders trample all over our land any longer! Let them meet an end appropriate for such heinous criminals!

Hostile Elven Guard: For Lumisade!

Randall: May the protection of the Grand Elvenus be upon us!

Lucilicca: You’ve lost your mind!

"Lord": Knights! Break their curse, and make them take a close look at themselves!

...

Lucilicca: Laphlaes! When did elves start to ostracize others?

Laphlaes: Why don’t you understand, Lucilicca? Elves will lose their identity if we continue in the direction we’ve been going!

Lucilicca: I know what values you’re trying to protect. But the things you’re saying now… they’re not the same as those values. Don’t confuse our self-respect with our entire race’s identity!

Laphlaes: I… I saw a vision, Lucilicca.

Lucilicca: What…?!

Laphlaes: I saw a future where the other races we accept and live in harmony with slowly encroach upon us… We come together, mix ourselves with them, and begin to fade away until… we disappear. It’s the end of elves… That is the calamity that awaits us.

Lucilicca: …

Laphlaes: The path we were trying to walk was going to lead us to our destruction. We have to stop it. It’s still not too late. It’s not too late, Lucilicca. Please help me preserve the elves’ existence.

Lucilicca: …

"Lord": Now we know what you’re trying to protect. I’d be lying if I said I understand the pressure you must feel as someone who’s led the elves for centuries.

Laphlaes: If you’re going to say what I think, I’d prefer you to stop speaking, human.

"Lord": I understand you’re worried. There’s a good chance that what you said could happen. But the way you’re going about all of this… Is it really coming from you?

Laphlaes: What are you trying to say?

"Lord": Why did you choose to handle this so hastily and violently? Is this really how your normal self would have gone about protecting the elves’ future?

Laphlaes: What’re you…

"Lord": What made you so impatient? Who convinced you to do all of this? Think! Who played on your anxiety and made you think the elves’ extinction was just around the corner?!

Laphlaes: Agh… Ngh…!

Lucilicca: Laphlaes!

Laphlaes: M-my prophecies… are never wrong! It will happen!

"Lord": Get ready, Lucilicca.

Lucilicca: …

...

Laphlaes: Can’t let… the elves… go extinct…

Lucilicca: Laphlaes, you fool!

Laphlaes: You’re right… I am a fool. I’m no archmage. I couldn’t protect the elves…

Lucilicca: No, I’m saying you trying to protect them like this is what makes you a fool!

Laphlaes: What do you mean…?

Lucilicca: You think we’ll fade away if we mingle with others? You think accepting others means they’ll infiltrate us? That’s how we change and grow! YOU said that to me!

Laphlaes: I…

Lucilicca: You think we can just close our borders and reject everyone on the outside, living by ourselves for a thousand years, or even ten thousand? THAT’S what will destroy us. We’d stop changing and become stagnant, and a stagnant lake eventually dries up. That’s what you said. That’s what you taught me. You sad we have to acknowledge and accept difference.

Laphlaes: …

Lucilicca: Why did you change your mind? Someone must have done something to your mind. There’s no way you would be thinking like this on your own. I know you.

Laphlaes: Lucilicca… You… know me…

Lucilicca: I do. I know you very well. I know you’re not the type of person to act so irrationally.

Laphlaes: …

Lucilicca: Whenever you were having a hard time, you used to ask people for help. You didn’t try to do everything by yourself. Why didn’t you tell me about this? Why are you trying to bear this burden alone?

Laphaes: I… Er…

"Lord": Cesaire Alteon.

Laphlaes: What…?!

"Lord": She came to the arcane tower as your guest, didn’t she?

Laphlaes: Ngh… Aaghh! Wh-what is…

"Lord": She’s the one who planted this seed in your heart… Try to remember! Fight it! You’re Laphlaes Selkana, the Archmage of the First Tower!

Laphlaes: …!

Lucilicca: Laphlaes!

Laphlaes: Lucilicca…

Laphlaes: You’re Laphlaes… right?

Laphlaes: Y-yes… I am. Also known as “the fool”…

Lucilicca: Whew…

"Lord": Get ready, everyone Titan will be here soon.

Laphlaes: What? What do you mean?

"Lord": The curse that was cast on you is related to the tower’s core. It’s going to activate and try to destroy everything here.

Laphlaes: What?!

Lucilicca: Laphlaes, just get ready. It’s best to believe [them].

Laphlaes: I just felt a wave of magic…!

"Lord": It’s coming! Knights, prepare for combat!

Fram: H-Highness, we’re gonna be okay, right…?

"Lord": As long as you make that thing not okay!

Laphlaes: Why isn’t this… The override code isn’t working!

Zaira: Get back, Your Highness! I will stop it!

Schneider: Eek! Sch-Schneider from Avillon will take care of it!

Lucilicca: Laphlaes, help us! If we don’t stop it here, a lot of people will get hurt!

Laphlaes: This is my responsibility! I will put my life on the line!

...

Charlotte: That big metal thing stopped moving!

Zaira: We won…!

"Lord": Good work, knights. That was our last hurdle here.

Laphlaes: Titan…

Lucilicca: We survived, Laphlaes.

Laphlaes: … What have I been doing..?

Lucilicca: You already know the answer to that question. Are you ready to face what you’ve done?

Laphlaes: Yes, I… Yes.

Lucilicca: You were such a fool. They say you were brainwashed, but still.

Laphlaes: I’m sorry…

Lucilicca: Take some time to reflect on yourself, but before you start thinking of how to clean up your mess, you should thank these people from Avillon.

Laphlaes: I… cannot begin to apologize. [Lord], monarch of Avillon… Knights of Avillon…

"Lord": No need to—

Cesaire: Oh my, what a travesty.

"Lord": Get back, everyone!

Laphlaes: You’re…!

Cesaire: I put so much effort into my plans here… You did quite the job ruining them, didn’t you?

"Lord": Cesaire Alteon…

Cesaire: Hm? You… Do you know how suspicious you are right now? There’s no one in the West who would know me. Much less the person who blew a hole in my plans.

"Lord": Why is she here? Is it related to why she didn’t show up in Rhodon…? This is dangerous… The knights haven’t become strong enough yet. If she chooses to use her power now, it might be the end for all of us… A weakness… I have to think of her weakness…!

Laphlaes: You planned all of this? Did you take control of my mind?

Cesaire: Control your mind? I would never do something in such poor taste. I only helped you do what you wanted.

Lucilicca: That’s ridiculous!

Cesaire: You wanted to protect the elves, so I helped you come up with a way to do that. Everything after that was your choice, and your responsibility. If you’d like to blame me, feel free to, heh heh. Such cowardice suits you.

Laphlaes: Ngh…

Cesaire: I suppose I’ve already gotten about all I wanted from you, but I must admit, I’m still sad. I was having just SO much fun watching your spineless hypocrisy and dreadful anguish. And you… You said you’re the monarch of Avillon? I applaud you for your unpredictability, but how do you plan to repay me for breaking my toy?

Mei Ling: My liege, the aura I feel from her is… It’s the most malevolent aura I’ve ever felt. She is… evil itself. I will protect you! It is my privilege to do so!

Cesaire: Oh, how cute. Who will you protect, and from whom?

Mei Ling: Aagghh!

"Lord": Mei Ling, are you okay?!

Cesaire: How boring. Crushing insects is truly uninteresting. … Perhaps I should stop you all out of existence…? You’ve no use to me anyway…

Laphlaes: Ngh… Her magic is…!

"Lord": Cesaire! Are you trying to disobey the emperor?

Cesaire: What?!

"Lord": You’ve not been authorized to do this. Stick to your duties as an observer!

Cesaire: How do you know about that…?

"Lord": And tell Kartis that his rival is coming for him!

Cesaire: … Ha…! Ha ha ha! Who ARE you, and what else do you know?

"Lord": I’m the one who’s going to destroy the world you’ve built.

Cesaire: For a common human with absolutely no power to speak of… you withstood my magic with little difficulty, and know things you shouldn’t. It has been a long, long time since I last saw a human as interesting as you.

"Lord": …

Cesaire: Heh heh… I would never in my wildest dreams have thought such a person would rise up from some tiny country in the West that I wasn’t even watching. I have a feeling you’ll be entertaining me for some time to come.

"Lord": We’ll make sure to cause all sorts of trouble, so just wait. Wait until it’s no longer fun.

Cesaire: … Heh heh heh… Ha ha ha…! I better take my leave. If I hear much more from you, I really might want to make you mine… I’ll be waiting for you.

Lucilicca: …

Zaira: …

Schneider: …

Fram: Highness… What the heck was that?

"Lord": That… was Gallus’s imperial mage.

Fram: She’s not human!

"Lord": And she’s not someone we can defeat yet.

Johan: Do you think we’ll really have to fight her some day?

"Lord": … I can guarantee it.

Johan: … In that case, I’ll have to become stronger.

"Lord": Johan…

Mei Ling: My liege…

"Lord": Are you okay, Mei Ling?

Charlotte: I healed her from that arcane shock, but she’ll have to take it slow for a little while.

Mei Ling: Thank you, Lady Charlotte.

Charlotte: Thank you for protecting Highness, Miss Mei Ling.

"Lord": Mei Ling…

Mei Ling: My liege… There is a connection between you and that mage. More specifically, you are connected to the star that person orbits. That star is like a nova… Large and bright.

"Lord": …

Mei Ling: You are going to have an encounter with that star one day.

"Lord": …I know. And we’re going to win.

Laphlaes: Monarch of Avillon.

"Lord": First Archmage, how are you feeling?

Laphlaes: Please, call me Laphlaes. I’d like to ask how you know that mage, but first there is something else I need to say. Thanks to you, the curse that was on me was lifted. I cannot express my gratitude enough.

"Lord": The one you should be thinking is Lucilicca.

Laphlaes: I will… But I won’t ever forget the help you gave me. Thank you so much for stopping me before… before I did something much worse.

"Lord": You’re welcome.

Laphlaes: Lucilicca…

Lucilicca: … I said I was going to beat an apology out of you, didn’t I?

Laphlaes: Yes. I’m sor—

Lucilicca: I didn’t mean for me. You need to apologize to all the people you harmed. All the people who joined the pure-bloods against their will… All the people who were ostracized by them… You hurt people not only from Lumisade, but from other countries as well.

Laphlaes: You’re right. How can I even begin to apologize for everything I did?

Lucilicca: I don’t know. There is a lot that needs to be cleaned up, and a lot that a simple apology won’t fix. But… I’m in it together with you.

Laphlaes: What…?

Lucilicca: Do you think the fault is yours alone? It’s not. The amount of fault we all have may be different, but it’s something we need to bear together.

Laphlaes: that doesn’t change the fact that I played the main role in all of this, even if I wasn’t in my right mind. I have no intention of trying to place the blame on others.

Lucilicca: Ugh… Sometimes you can be so frustrating…

"Lord": It’s going to be a while before those two are done talking.

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