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.
Monster...
A dream?
Omen -Sign-
"Omen."
You already know all about the uprising in Rumble Town.
That idiot Konrad used
his position as an Inquisitor to try to get rid of the immigrants.
He even tried to collude with a Domitor girl to do it.
Oh, what a shameful thing to do!
He didn't even know he was the one being used.
His misdeeds from fifteen years ago were exposed,
and now Rumble Town's champion is a laughingstock all over the world.
This has caused public trust in the Inquisition to plummet.
That musclebound idiot!
He just created more work for us!
Don't worry. People's minds are easily changed.
We only need to regain their trust over time.
How can you be so dismissive about this?!
What are your thoughts, General Torque?
We will dispatch our forces to Cyfandir.
You don't say!
Oh! So we're finally going to get rid of those nasty Sorcerer Knights?
There are other groups going after that place.
If we're going to butt in, there'll be a huge war.
A war! But that would be absolutely grand!
We're short on troops right now!
All because that moron Teppes was defeated...
He let his emotions get the better of him
and acted rashly, something an Inquisitor should never do.
One who cannot control his emotions
is unworthy to call himself a Thaumaturge.
Konrad and Teppes both proved to be so troublesome.
Speaking of troublesome, how shall we deal with Captain Dragunov?
Wait, he helped us bring the chaos in Rumble Town under control!
And he so merrily did so without consulting any of us!
Is that not unforgivable for someone who is not a Thaumaturge,
but a mere captain?
But...
His punishment
has already been decided.
No matter how tough things are for Rumble Town's people,
I can't believe we had to give them nearly all our provisions.
What choice did we have?
The town won't be able to function at all for a while.
If not for the captain's decision, they'd be in real trouble.
I know, but...
Eating nothing but dried and smoked meats would mess up anyone's sense of taste!
Enough complaining.
Besides, it may be that the captain feels responsible for what happened.
As a fellow Inquisition officer, you mean?
There is that, but Captain Konrad was once his subordinate.
He may be regretting that he couldn't stop his rampage.
But in the end, our captain's decision saved many people's lives!
So it turned out okay!
I do hope so.
Collect anything that can be used as food, no matter what it is!
Yes, sir...
I was wondering what he meant by "conventional means of gathering supplies."
He was talking about this?
Captain, it appears that a creature called a "mountain rabbit" live around here.
Rabbit, huh? That sounds pretty good.
I bet you could snag some easily with your bow, Captain!
How is that thing a rabbit?!
So it's called a "mountain rabbit" because it's the size of a mountain?!
Now's not a good time to be proud of yourself for noticing!
W-We're safe.
That one's gonna be a bit of a headache to catch.
C-Can't we go after something else, Vice Captain?
Then how about this one called a "gigant boar"?
I'm pretty sure that's gonna be enormous, too!
Well, I'm sure we can figure something out before it gets dark.
So what is this Dragunov guy like?
An idealist.
He believes that in this world, there is justice and order that must be upheld.
Yeah? So he's just like you, then.
He and I are not the same.
He does not believe he can change the world with his own strength.
That's why he has never climbed any further up the ladder.
So you believe you can do that.
Correct.
What I desire is a world in which all people
practice as much self-discipline as I do.
This is all we managed to bring back.
Sometimes luck just isn't on your side.
This won't be nearly enough for everyone.
What should we do, Captain?
Oh, well. You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs.
Um... What is the captain doing?
He's contacting local towns.
He wants to ask them to supply us with some food.
I see! That will solve our problem!
But, wait... Why didn't he do that to begin with?
Captain, how did it go?
Honestly, I had expected this.
but we are in a bit of a predicament, gentlemen.
Unfortunately, not a single town was willing to share food with us.
What?!
But why?
Because of what happened in Rumble Town?
Yes.
It seems the damage it did to public trust in the Inquisition
was far greater than I realized.
But... the one to blame is Captain Konrad!
We were trying to stop what was happening!
It makes no difference to them.
If anyone in the Inquisition screws up,
they turn their backs on all of us.
But that's unfair!
Indeed. It is unfair.
Just as how all sorcerers are treated as a danger
when just one of them goes out of control.
Well, there's no helping it.
We'll just have to think of another way.
What's gonna happen to us?
If this keeps up...
Keep your heads, all of you!
If you've got guts, you can get through this!
Huh?!
What's the matter?
Well...
Is something troubling you?
Yes...
I was just wondering what it is we're all doing.
That's very philosophical.
I know that we were fighting to help people, unlike Captain Konrad.
And yet, we're being treated like this?
I was just thinking, no matter how hard we try,
the world will never get any better with things going like this.
It just means that just because you do the right thing
doesn't mean you're guaranteed good results.
But... doesn't it bother you at all?!
I don't believe a single person can change the world alone.
I'm not that horned kid who insists he's going to find the fairy-tale land, Radiant.
Anyway, in the end,
our only option is to do our best at whatever is within our reach.
Within our reach...
Captain!
I have an idea that I'd like you to try for getting food!
Pardon me.
How did it go, Captain?
Oh, yes... They agreed to supply us with some food.
You did it, Captain!
Your advice proved to be correct.
That town... Of course.
Yes, the town that we saved from a Nemesis during the matter with Captain Edmund
did owe us a favor, after all.
That's exactly why I wasn't sure I should try it.
Even if they're indebted to us, I didn't think we should use that as an excuse.
Captain...
But they actually thanked me.
They said they wanted nothing more than to repay that debt to us.
"Whatever is within our reach"...
We made it back from there because you protected that town with your life,
Captain Dragunov.
I see. Well, you taught me something.
So what we did wasn't a waste after all!
Okay, Vice Captain, time to change course.
Let's head straight to that town to accept our favor.
Yes, sir!
[Pharenos Rare Animal Pictorial Book] A pictorial book about various rare animals in this world. It has numerous regular readers, but for some reason, the sizes of animals are not described.
Allow me to formally welcome you to Artemis, Alma!
I hear you've really done a lot for this fool.
Oh, yeah! Melie's constantly helping me out!
Oh, no... I should be saying that.
Seth is a dear friend to me.
I still can't deal with this old lady.
Excuse me?! Who are you calling old?!
Doc's helped me out a lot, too.
Hey! It's not as if I help you because I want to!
I'm drowing in debt because of that, you know!
Hasn't it been fun, though?
Sorry for the wait!
Here's your coffee.
Ah, there it is!
Boy, the coffee in Artemis looks so... thin.
Just like my hair.
Is this another of your new recipes, Miss Melba?
I'm sorry. The truth is...
What?! You're out of coffee beans?!
This one little coffee bean is worth 10,000 dimes?!
That's right. This means our café...
...could go out of business!
Is it because of what happened in Rumble Town?
Why would that make coffee beans more expensive?
To explain it in terms your dumb brain can understand...
That town is located along a key route
connecting the northern and southern continents.
In other words, wheat and coffee beans have to pass through there
to be delivered to Artemis Academy and everywhere else.
Then, since the entire area is out of commission after that riot,
that crucial halfway point is now...
I get it! So it's harder to get that stuff now.
And just when I had an idea for a new coffee made with fish...
Ah, my daughter, that sounds great!
N-No, that can wait until much, much later.
Well, no one's going to die or anything from a lack of coffee—
Wh-What in the world is wrong?
Th-This is awful! If there's no coffee, then...
Devi! Get a hold of yourself, Devi!
What the heck is that?
It's Devi, the Devil Fish Kraken that lives down here.
Just look at you!
Devi will be in danger if we don't do something!
My... My friend!
When a precious friend is in trouble, you can't just leave them!
Right, Seth?
It looks... kinda tasty.
What the heck are you saying?!
You can't eat our friend!
We just need to find some coffee beans, right?
Leave it to us!
We might all be eaten one day, too.
They're such good friends. I'm so jealous.
I swear. This town never changes.
Is Devi really gonna be okay?
They're taking so long. What are they doing?
We're back!
We found some!
Oh!
You actually found some!
I always believed in you!
This deep black liquid... It's definitely...
This is squid ink!
It's not coffee?
We need beans! Beans!
Go get the beans!
It's so good, though.
We got it this time!
Yes, this is it! These are the b—
Wrong! These are fava beans!
Ow! They're beans, aren't they?!
These are eaten with booze!
They're so good, though.
How about this?!
Ah! Now this is...
Wrong!
Do you know how many years it'll take before that's ready to drink?!
Hurry and grow big!
We'll get 'em this time!
Coffee beans! Coffee beans!
Fight! Fight!
Coffee beans!
Fight, Seth!
What the hell is he doing?
Devi... Hang in there, Devi!
I don't know how far they went to look,
but I guess they just couldn't do it.
Seth?
Doc... This time, I've got it!
Huh... Are you sure you didn't get the wrong thing again?
These really are coffee beans!
Where did you find these?
Let's just hurry up and have Devi drink some.
Y-You're simply unbelievable!
Careful, it's hot. Take your time.
How's that?
We did it!
I'm so glad!
What? You're giving me some, too?
By the way, Seth, what is that?
Oh, it's the bill for the coffee beans.
It was too expensive for me, but Majesty said I could pay later.
Majesty?
How much did they cost?
One, ten, hundred, thousand...
A hundred million dimes!
Huh?! Doc?!
Oh, dear!
This is terrible! Now Doc is the one on death's door!
A cup worth a hundred million dimes...
Hi, Grandpa...
Doc!
I've had enough of this life.
We haven't had the captain's cooking in ages! It's still the best!
You said it! I feel like I'm alive again!
Hey, by the way, where is the captain?
Is it...
a summons from headquarters?
From General Torque himself, in fact.
What?!
Sorry, but I'll be leaving things here to you.
Just tell everyone the actions I took in Rumble Town
were what I was ordered to do.
You don't mean... you're taking punishment alone?
Don't make that face.
No one has said that I'll never come back alive.
If anything, the reason I was hesitating
was that I wasn't sure whether I should leave those guys behind.
But it seems I was worried for nothing.
They've proven they'll be just fine without me.
Captain...
Well, I have to protect those who are within my reach.
Your men will always await your return.
That includes myself and all of them.
Drop the formalities, would you?
There are times when you must leave a place to protect it.
What became of you,
horned boy?
Today was a very busy day, wasn't it, Seth?
Yeah... It was.
Seth?
O-Oh, yeah!
Well, goodnight, Melie.
Yes, goodnight! See you tomorrow!
Well, running in place and getting nowhere is nothing new for you...
but today was even worse than usual.
Alma...
The times when you just have to keep moving
are when you're thinking about things that don't suit you.
Am I wrong?
That's...
I admit that this really does seem to be the right place for you.
That's exactly why you're having doubts.
You're afraid of something. Am I wrong?
Am I... a monster?
I...
To Be Continued
Next Time
In search of the secrets of Radiant,
Seth makes up his mind to depart on a new journey.
But on that very day, numerous Nemesis attack Artemis Academy.
When Seth tries to save Melie,
his immense power activates once again.
What has happened to Seth?
What lies ahead of him on his journey?
Next time on Radiant, "In Search of the Future."
In Search of the Future -Utopia-
Size Comparison
Nemesis
Mountain Rabbit
Gigant Boar
End