Monsters called Nemesis bring disaster.
The only ones who can fight these dangerous foes are the sorcerers.
However, the sorcerers are considered tainted beings and feared by most.
In the midst of training under Yaga so that he can go to Radiant someday,
Seth encountered the Bravery Quartet again, and while fighting them,
he learned what true strength is.
Wearing his mended gloves,
Seth was ready to begin his training anew.
You never change, Seth. You eat so much after your training.
Food tastes best when you eat with everyone!
Rumble Town, eh?
Nothing new about that town's Inquisitors, I see.
You mean those Inquisition guys?
Indeed.
I don't know much about them,
but they're bad guys who see us sorcerers as enemies, right?
You're dumber than a hippo out of water, aren't you?
Huh?!
Now, listen. Those guys are human, too.
They're not like a school of fish that all swim in the same direction.
Um... Do you mean that each one of them is a bit different?
Yes. Just as we're all different from each other.
You need to understand that before you fight them, or they'll trip you up.
Can't catch a thing...
Those Who Hunt Heretics -Inquisition-
"Those Who Hunt Heretics."
Today just might not be my day.
So this is where you've been, Captain Dragunov!
Ah, it got away.
F-Forgive me!
No dinner for you tonight, Vice Captain.
I'm kidding.
Captain...
Is it not the captain's job to procure our food and supplies?
Yeah, it sure is.
I didn't expect us to be kept on standby duty for this long.
So you've been engaged in your customary pastime
that serves to both kill time and procure food?
You don't dislike fish, do you?
Correct, sir! Fish is my favorite!
Oh, I've got a big one.
D-Do you really, sir?!
It really is big!
What's going on over there?
What's up, rookie?
Nothing, just...
Pardon my asking, but is Captain Dragunov always like that?
Does he seem unreliable?
Frankly, yes...
Well, one day you'll see
just how amazing he is.
Hey, enough of that! You should be working!
If we don't finish this by dinnertime, we won't get to eat!
R-Right!
They said he was a remarkable captain, feared as the "Lynx Eye,"
so I had high hopes when I was assigned here, but...
When I see him like that...
Dinner is served, boys.
On the menu today is...
jumping fish salad,
armored lobster bisque,
and pasta with bladefish and fresh tomatoes.
Now, let us emulate the Father of Inquisitors
and give thanks as we partake of this bounty.
Thank you for this feast!
So good!
Too good!
You weren't like this when you were on duty.
Well, neither were you!
Hey, your portion looks bigger!
I've never heard of a captain who cooks for his men himself.
What's wrong? Aren't you gonna eat?
Oh, no, I...
You're missing out.
They say even the wounded jump out of bed when the captain's in the kitchen.
Well, then...
We'll have yours!
So good!
This is why I just can't quit working for the captain!
Hey, mind your manners!
I'll take yours, too!
Wasn't the Inquisition supposed to be a noble line of work
in which we fight dangerous sorcerers to maintain order in the world?
Cooking can't be the thing that makes this captain so great!
The Inquisitor I wanted to become is more...
The wind's picking up.
E-Excuse me, sir!
Whoops.
I-I'm sorry, Captain!
In charge of laundry?
Yes, sir.
The wind was picking up, so I was trying to bring them in.
And it got away from you?
Yes, sir.
Um... What were you doing here, Captain?
Hm? Just reading.
I-I see...
You look as if I've disappointed you.
Huh?! No, that's not...
I suppose you've heard the baseless rumors about how Dragunov the Lynx Eye
sees everything that goes on, haven't you?
W-Well...
I'm sorry to say it's just a rumor.
Only Thaumaturges chosen by our great Father's divine protection—
such as General Torque—can do that.
As I'm sure you can tell,
I'm just another guy who strayed from the road to success.
Seems like it's going to rain.
So long as I'm here, this ship will not fall!
Vice Captain!
All of you, don't let go!
We'll probably regret it if we don't stop on some island somewhere.
Was I imagining things?
We ended up spending all night repairing the ship.
I thought this would be a more glamorous job involving
taking out evil sorcerers and winning the people's gratitude.
By the way, did you hear the rumor about Rumble Town?
Yeah, about the Inquisitors stationed there
starting up a large-scale heretic hunt, right?
That's where Captain Konrad is. Bet he'll be promoted again.
Captain Konrad? The champion of Rumble Town?
Such a vast difference from our captain...
Captain Dragunov, I'm truly sorry you have to help with this.
It's fine, really.
Let's just get this over with so we can have lunch.
Yes, sir.
Captain Dragunov!
We've received an emergency signal from another squad in the area.
Their ship is wrecked on a nearby island and cannot fly,
so they request immediate aid.
In addition, it says the damage was caused by a Nemesis.
What?!
[Fish Which Swims in the Sky] Fish with wings that swim in the cloud sea. Even among scholars, there is some debate over why they went out to the sky.
What do you mean, Yaga?
Are you saying even the Inquisition has some good guys in it?
Correct.
And it doesn't apply only to the Inquisition.
Among sorcerers and normal folk as well, there are both good and bad people.
It's not about what group you're part of.
Everything depends on who you are as a person.
As a person...
If you slap a label on the whole group,
you're no different from those who fear and discriminate against sorcerers.
That's a good point.
Of course, I've never met a friendly Inquisitor, myself.
Why'd you say that, then?
There might be a nice Inquisitor out there somewhere, though.
Ah, I'm so glad you've come.
You must be Captain Dragunov.
And you are Captain Edmund.
I heard you were attacked by a Nemesis.
I'm glad to see that you're safe.
Oh, yes... We were returning from a mission when a flying Nemesis attacked us.
And it was quite a powerful one.
Our ship took rather serious damage.
But of course, under my leadership, we managed to repel the beast.
I see... And what became of the Nemesis?
Why should I care about that?
I need to deliver the fruits of our mission to Headquarters at once.
Deliver? Do you mean some kind of cargo?
Well, since you're here, I might as well show you.
This is...
What do you think? They're all sorcerers captured by yours truly!
All of them?
But of course!
I rounded them up for harassing citizens with their evil magic!
Amazing! You captured this many sorcerers?
That's only to be expected of an Inquisitor.
I do this sort of thing every day.
Wow...
And what is it you'd like us to do?
Isn't that obvious?
Now we're fixing someone else's ship?
I know his own men can't work because of their injuries, but still...
That Captain Edmund is a real tyrant.
You can't blame him.
He's earned a bit of a name
for himself around here from all the sorcerers he's subjugated.
He did capture a lot of sorcerers on this mission.
I heard he used to be one of Captain Konrad's men.
Really? The champion of Rumble Town?
Well, our own captain used to be Captain Konrad's superior, you know.
Isn't that just because he lost in the race to the top?
Hey, you boys!
Quit yammering and get to work!
Y-Yes, sir!
Still, this isn't the work I wanted to do.
When we finish this, I'll ask to be reassigned.
I want to fight like a real Inquisitor!
Captain Dragunov.
We've finished repairing the hole.
Got it. Sorry you've been doing nothing but repairing ships.
Oh... No, that's...
Hey!
How are the repairs coming along?
They're nearly finished.
You should be airborne by tonight.
Ah, very good!
Wh-What is that?
Th-That's it!
That's the Nemesis that attacked my ship!
A Nemesis?!
It's enormous!
I-It chased us here!
That doesn't seem to be the case.
It has no interest in us at all.
W-We've been spared?!
I believe there's a town in that direction.
So it's heading for the town?!
Well, that's perfect!
They do have a habit of attacking places with lots of people.
This means we'll be safe!
Safe? Um... Are you saying you're just letting the Nemesis go?
Well, of course.
What idiot would fight that thing when there's really no need to?
B-But if you do that, the town will be—
That is not my concern!
Our only enemies are the sorcerers.
I don't have time to waste on monsters like that.
B-But—
You have the nerve to question me, you little minion?
Now, that didn't sound like something the great Captain Edmund would say.
What?
The reason we crack down on sorcerers is that
there's a chance they could threaten the lives of powerless people.
In that sense, that Nemesis is the same as a heinous sorcerer.
We can't just ignore it.
Yes, but our weapons aren't enhanced with Fantasia,
so unlike the sorcerers, we can't finish off a Nemesis—
Even if we can't, we still have our own way of fighting.
Captain Dragunov, our men are all armed and assembled.
Okay, men, you're probably out of shape after all that standby duty and carpentry.
I know that's not your style, but we've got a more glamorous job to do now.
The enemy is a Nemesis.
For ordinary people like us, who aren't Thaumaturges, it's a fearsome foe.
To be honest, I don't really want to fight it myself,
so I have no right to order you all to risk your lives.
But the first meal you eat after protecting those townsfolk will taste like heaven.
Much better than it would taste had you ignored the issue.
Yeah!
All right, let's go on a Nemesis hunt!
Yes, sir!
You...
Would you bring me my bow and arrows?
Yes, Captain Dragunov!
Damn him! What was all that about a meal tasting better after protecting people?!
They haven't returned yet.
The Nemesis probably killed them all.
That's even better for me.
He made a fool of me. It'll be a relief to have him gone.
Pardon me, sir! Captain Dragunov and his men have returned!
What?!
Well, well!
I would expect no less of Captain Dragunov the Lynx Eye!
You drove off the Nemesis with no casualties!
All we could do was render it flightless and sink it into the cloud sea.
Yes, yes!
I will report your victory to Headquarters!
And my ship is all fixed up now,
so I'll just be...
Wh-What are you doing?
Sorry, but this ship no longer belongs to you.
Captain Dragunov!
It was just as you suspected.
H-Hey! Why did you let them out of the cages?!
Because they don't need to be in black silver cages.
After all, not a single one of them is a sorcerer.
Wh-What are you—
I'm sure it was easy work for you,
capturing a bunch of normal people and falsely claiming they were sorcerers.
You attained your rank through a series of false achievements.
I knew with just a glance that something wasn't right.
None of them had anything that resembled a curse on their bodies.
W-W-Wait, Captain Dragunov!
I know! Let's work together!
I hear you're an old acquaintance of Captain Konrad himself! Right?
You are another being that harms and threatens the lives of powerless people.
You disgrace the Inquisition. You are beneath even the Nemesis.
I will have you judged by General Torque at Headquarters.
None can escape the Lynx Eye.
Y-You mean... the rumors were true?
You really have won General Torque's favor?
Restrain them all.
Yes, sir!
Good grief.
Judging by all this, I'd say nothing's changed with Konrad.
Men, you all did fine work today.
Let us give thanks for the bounty of the earth as we partake.
Thank you for this feast!
What's this?
Not eating again?
You can't have it!
Boo.
Exquisite, as usual!
I made lots, so eat your fill.
I certainly will!
Still, that Nemesis...
It already had a huge wound before we even attacked it.
As if it had been sliced by a massive blade...
Even if my attack had already weakened it,
I'm impressed he drove that Nemesis away.
Well, onward to the next destination.
The town around here with the most people is...
Rumble Town...
You really saved me, Melie!
I thought I was gonna be blown sky-high!
Honestly, Seth...
You climbed in through the window soaking wet.
It scared the life out of me.
Sorry about that.
By the way, I saw Doc at Kettle Coffee on my way back here.
When you're still open even in this weather,
as a regular, I can't miss out on my daily visit!
To Be Continued
Next Time
On the day of a grand festival,
a boy who knows Alma makes false accusations to Seth.
Seth isn't normally the type to respond to provocation,
but he just can't allow anyone to call Alma a phony.
Enraged, Seth challenges the boy
to a race on their brooms.
Next time on Radiant, "Broom of Memories."
Broom of Memories -Memory-
End