Memory of Chaos: Gazef Stronoff

**Memory of Chaos: Gazef Stronoff** was a character scenario released in Mass for the Dead, featuring the character Gazef Stronoff.

## Episode 1: Labor Shortage

Gazef Stronoff, Warrior Captain of the Warrior Troop was acting as an escort to King Ramposa III when his liege asks his loyal soldier if he wishes to take a break. Already knowing that the king is looking for a reason to rest himself, Gazef asks Ramposa whether he is alright. The king admits that he has been feeling weary as of late, but there is still so much work to be done from dealing with the Chaos Beasts to the domestic aristocrats in the Tripartite Alliance. The king wonders maybe if he is overworking himself and should be aware of his age, but Gazef jokes a bit state that his majesty is still pretty vigor regardless. However, Ramposa knows that he is getting old, but the more work he puts in now will be worth it, if he can leave a country that is easy to govern for the next generation to succeed him.

Still, the work could be less if there weren't those wretched Chaos Beasts. Besides investigating the cause of the monsters, there are many problems such as the Alliance with the Slane Theocracy and the Baharuth Empire and the reconstruction of the affected areas. The work is progressing but the situation is likely to continue for some time. Ramposa states he will be relying on Gazef during this trial, to which the latter states he will do so to the best of his ability. There is one thing that the king would like to discuss concerning the city of E-Rantel. It seems that Chaos Beasts are lurking around the periphery of the city, and while the current situation is manageable, in the future, the situation is likely going to become quite severe. Gazef says that his subordinate reported the same thing and its due to the lack of manpower. The king wishes to take action now, but even he is unsure of how they can solve the labor shortage, but still wants to hear some frank opinions from Gazef. According to Gazef, it would be possible to break the current situation by sending reinforcements to the Chaos Beast subjugation unit stationed at E-Rantel. However, the Kingdom still has to maintain security within the Kingdom in the Tripartite Alliance and they cannot afford to devote more troops to E-Rantel. If they were to do something such as that, the country itself may end up in a crisis before long. So that leaves them with counting on the adventurers the Kingdom is working with.

Ramposa states that number of Contaminated Beasts around E-Rantel is increasing day by day nonstop. If this situation continues to escalate unchecked by them, the people of E-Rantel will be at greater risk. Using adventurers should be when only necessary, as E-Rantel is the center of the Tripartite Alliance for the Kingdom, Theocracy and Empires. If it falls, the foundation of their international alliance could collapse. The problem cannot be left untouched in order to meet the wishes of the people who wish for peace and the king asks for more options, but Gazef has no answer of yet but promises to manage it. Rampossa laments at his own inability to not just save E-Rantel but the rest of the kingdom. His liege's love for his people is enough for Gazef to be determined to find a solution to this problem.

## Episode 2: A Clue To The Solution

After Gazef consulted with Ramposa III on how to deal with the Chaos Beasts near E-Rantel. Gazef worries about the order of the king who was determine to solve the problem even if he is in danger. Gazef's mind grates on how to protect the country and eliminate the anxiety of the king, when his thoughts are interrupted by Climb. The young warrior seeing the disconcerted face on Gazef asks if he is alright. Gazef tries to state it was nothing and asks what the princess's bodyguard is doing walking about in the palace. Climb explains that he had some free time and was thinking of training, now that the new threat of Chaos Beasts has emerged, so he feels like more training will help him become stronger to protect Renner. Gazef cannot argue the logic in that, but when Climb asks once more why he looks disheartened, Gazef is initially silent refusing to admit he is at a dead end, but decides to talk to the boy in private.

Gazef then asks Climb if the latter had heard of the reports near E-Rantel, which Climb states he has from the princess which also has her worried. Gazef tells him that he was thinking that maybe he should go there and manage it himself as part of the domestic defense force as reinforcements. However Climb sees that if he leaves the capital, then the capital would be left vulnerable without him around for protection. The Warrior Captain states that he should be protecting the people of the Kingdom, not just the country alone. Though many argue that there is no difference, Gazef feels stuck at what to do even though he has the title of Warrior Captain of the Kingdom, feeling powerless to even be of use to helping out his own people. The shortage of manpower is the real culprit of this issue. So Climb makes a suggestion on hiring more adventurers as while they have certain rules, most of them are being flexible given the current state of affairs. Gazef points out it will not be as simple, since there are not so many adventurers with the ability to defeat Chaos Beasts and already their guild is being flooded with requests. There is no certainty that they will prioritize a national request.

Climb thinks that they should call for relief from both the Theocracy and Empire since E-Rantel is the cornerstone of the Tripartite Alliance. But that too would be difficult to secure their help as they are facing damages just as serious as the Kingdom. In addition, there is a shortage of manpower in their countries.

Climb muses that the Alliance is still in the phases of exchanging various opinions, not to solutions of the problem and re-affirmations of the severity of the current situation. He apologizes to Gazef for being unable to help him. The Warrior Captain is fine with that as he really needed someone to talk to. For a situation like this there is no easy answer, for when you want to protect something and tells Climb not to worry about it. Hearing Gazef's willingness to protect what he cares about, the young man tells Gazef of a rumor going around of a terrifyingly skilled swordsman entering and leaving the Kingdom. He was once Stronoff's opponent in the Royal Tournament, which led to solidify Gazef in becoming Warrior Captain. Climb states the name of the person: Brain Unglaus, which Gazef recognizes immediately. Knowing the swordsman's strength, Gazef states if it is indeed him, then a man of his abilities could handle Chaos Beasts easily.

The young man states that a request has gone through to the Adventurer's Guild to help subjugate Chaos Beasts around E-Rantel, but it may take several days for someone to pick it up. That is all Gazef needs and then hurries to find Brain to ask him for help. Seeing his mentor being serious, Climb gives Gazef the location of the bar where Brain was last seen earning him Gazef's thanks.

## Episode 3: Reconnect

At a bar where Brain was last seen, Gazef checks with the owner to know if the swordsman is here. He was told that Brain Unglaus is a frequent customer but has yet to arrive and is offered a drink while he waits. The Warrior Captain instead decides to go out and look for Brain. On the streets of Re-Estize, Gazef hears a commotion nearby. Heading to the source, he spots three arms men approaching a lone pedestrian. They are thieves and were aiming to rob the fellow. Gazef watches the scene but declines to get involved as its a security problem for the city. The trio continue pummeling the man, when suddenly Brain Unglaus steps in and intervenes. The bandits don't think much of Brain, but after a clash of blades with the swordsman, they find themselves disarmed in mere seconds. Now left at a disadvantage, the tree ruffian makes their escape by running away but swear to get back at him someday.

Gazef the decides to make himself known and greets his old acquaintance. He also gives his credit forgetting rid of the thieves. The two catch up surprised by each other's presence in the city. Brain is in the capital looking to earn some money as a mercenary since there are so many requests for him to choose from. Rather than continuing on with the small talk between the two of them, Brain senses that Gazef was seeking him and had something important to tell him. The Warrior Captain states that to be the case as he wants Brain to accept a request to subjugate Chaos Beasts and gives him the details on the matter affecting the Kingdom and E-Rantel.

Brain finds the news of Chaos Beast attacks increasing around E-Rantel disturbing, though Gazef tries to entice him with a large reward, as they are short on people. He emphasize there is no one who is more qualified to handle the job other than Brain himself. The mercenary understanding the situation, will accept the request but on one condition in return for helping his rival out.

## Episode 4: Conditions Of Request

Back at the bar, both Gazef and Brain sit together at a table to discuss the condition Brain is about to request from him. Brain sees that Gazef is worried about what he will have to do to get his cooperation, but tells his old rival that it's a simple matter. A one on one duel with each other again. Ever since he lost the first duel against Gazef on that day, he has been refining his skills until now to beat Gazef in a fair match. While he doesn't care about fighting for the nation, if he can cross blades with the Warrior Captain once more then he is willing to accept Gazef's request to eliminate the Chaos Beasts at E-Rantel.

The request is not an impossible one, but Gazef warns Brain it may take a while before they could find the right time and place to duel properly. The mercenary asks what could be the problem, to which Gazef explains that a match between the two of them where he himself who serves the king and Brain may end up causing a ruckus that might hurt the king's reputation. As of now, the Kingdom is in a state of turmoil like never before even in its past. In that situation, if he were to arrange a duel with a mercenary, the voice of blame would surely be directed towards his king.

In other words, their duel can only happen until the matter of Chaos Beasts is finally cleared up once and for all. Having received an honest answer from his rival Gazef, Brain decided to accept the Warrior Captain's request and work to contain the damage of the Chaos Beasts. For that, Gazef can't help but thanks him for his help, though Brain states that he just wants to resolve the matter and fight the Warrior Captain as soon as possible. Gazef still thinks he is in Brain's debt but he warns the latter not to be too arrogant as the Chaos Beasts are strong, which Brain is aware of. In addition to his acceptance for taking Gazef's request, Brain teasingly asks if drinks at the bar are included as well. The two then enjoy themselves in getting drinks, eagerly looking forward to the day when they cross swords.

## Episode 5: Rival

At the palace, Gazef reports to Ramposa on finding a reliable person to send to E-Rantel to handle the Chaos Beast problem. The king is grateful for Gazef in taking the time to find a solution to their problem and asks who is this trustworthy person he recruited to their cause. When he learns that it is none other than Brain Unglaus, the king recalls him to be a man of ability who can match the Warrior Captain.

While they found a short-term fix for the Chaos Beasts problem at E-Rantel, Gazef believes that they will still need more strength, and plans to join the front lines at E-Rantel once things are stable in the capital. Ramposa had already expected this from Gazef, and agrees with him on the assessment, giving him his permission to do so once the defense of the capital are secure.

Now that the people of E-Rantel will be safe for a little while longer, Gazef pledges to continue to do his best to meet the expectations of his king. Once he finishes his audience with the king, Gazef encounters Climb again. The bodyguard notes Gazef's brighten mood, which the latter accredits to Climb's role for helping him find Brain. Climb states that he was just remembering what the Warrior Captain said about it, how hard it is to protect what you want to protect.

When asked if Climb has any plan, the young man states that he just finished his shift in protecting the princess so he is free for the time being. So Gazef invites Climb to train, which the latter accepts. And though their duel will be criticized by the nobles, the two did so anyway. There at the training field, Gazef tested his blade and thought about the time during the Royal Tournament when he matched his skills with a worthy opponent.

## Trivia

* This character scenario was released before the release of Nazarick Revitalization Plan -Mock Battle-.
* This character scenario was released alongside the Memory of Chaos: Brain Unglaus, Memory of Chaos: Climb and Memory of Chaos: Neuronist Painkill.