Epic of Remnant II: The Woman of Agartha - Section 3 Summary
Section 3: In The Town of the Amazonesses
Astolfo urges you to keep your head down, as you would be discovered. In the Amazoness town, you see a sight of men being whipped and abused, mired in slavery. One slave is beaten to death in the streets, but it does not matter to his owner as she can always get another from the cages. Perhaps a sturdier one this time.
Everyone walking freely in this town is an Amazoness warrior. The men are all collared and dragged along by chains. Almost like pets.
Fergus: ...Women, to think they were so strong and fearsome... and that they have even taken over this town. It's unbelievable...
With this, the meaning of the phrase "stray man" that you heard from the Amazoness warriors earlier becomes clear. It refers to men who have not been collared, running about freely. It is something that is unthinkable to the Amazonesses. Seeing a boy like Fergus going about without an owner, they must have attacked hastily. Perhaps it was out of a sense of seeing a wild beast free from its cage, or perhaps, Da Vinci suggests, it was in order to claim him before others could. After all, he would make for a high-class pet to show off to the others.
Fergus: I'm not a fierce beast at all. It may sound pathetic, but I don't think I could do any harm to those ladies.
Astolfo: The Fergus I know wouldn't fear those Amazonesses at all, I mean, he'd probably retort with something like, "All ladies are beautiful, so what's the problem?"
Fergus: I, I see... being unable to act in this situation means that I am still lacking... in both mental and physical strength. I want to become like that too. What do I have to do to become that strong? Do I have to train every day after all? Maybe a doubling of the number of Celtic push-ups I do... mumble, mumble...
D'Eon says that in this situation, your identities as intruders is clear with just a glance. Although your team may be used to battling Amazonesses, their numbers might still pose a threat. It would be wiser to retreat for now, but before you can do so, you are spotted.
An Amazoness raises up a cry, shouting that there is an uncollared man around. As they corner you, they wonder if you are a stray man or a scout of 'those guys'. More and more Amazonesses begin gathering around, and d'Eon judges that for a spying operation this is the worst outcome imaginable.
D'Eon: If, at that time, my subordinates and colleagues ask what should be done, I would reply: "Shout out, 'Vive la France!', and commit suicide by drinking poison".
Astolfo: But well, right now we aren't spies, but proud Servants of Guda. It's merely a town's worth of Amazonesses, we will just battle them head-on whilst humming a song!
D'Eon agrees with Astolfo, ordering Fergus to be your main guard. Fergus accepts, with a slight lack of confidence in his voice as he apologizes. Astolfo exhorts Fergus to do his best, since if they lose, everyone will be put in collars.
Astolfo: Though, well, I think it'd be perfectly fitting for my fashion sense!
You beat down the Amazonesses attempting to capture you, though a good number of their forces still remain.
Suddenly, there's a Servant's reaction. A white-haired woman arrives, asking what all this fuss is about. She appears to be the queen of the Amazonesses. As one of the Amazonesses tries to explain, the woman silences her.
???: It is fine. I am not a fool. It is clear to the eye that once more, someone who seeks to defile our valiance and our pride has appeared.
She asks your name, and you give it. This causes the queen to smile, saying you are a surprisingly obedient rebel. Then, she begins her questions, asking who sent you, and where you came from. Could you have come from the Decadent City on the Water? The Dazzling City of Trash? Or perhaps you run with those wild dogs that have recently been making a fuss of themselves?
You have no idea what she is talking about, and quite swiftly, the queen gets angered at your slowness to answer. She shouts at you, demanding you give her a reply. Definitely a person used to command, she is someone d'Eon thinks is the opposite of Marie. The queen emanates a dominating posture and an aura of authority which Fergus says does not match her looks at all, and she responds that it is only natural, for that is why she is in this form. Fergus doesn't quite get it.
???: ---Very well. No matter whose orders you follow, what I am about to bestow upon you does not change. The humiliation given must be cleansed. Our shame must be purified! It must, it must, it certainly must! You are profane and fortunate. And at the same time, you are rare, and unfortunate.
???: ---Rejoice. I will give you your purpose and role in life with my own hands. Die, and tell of my brave deeds to Hades in the underworld!
With that, the queen gets ready to lead her Amazonesses into battle.
As the battle continues, with the queen swinging around her iron ball wildly, Mashu determines that her class is Berserker. Astolfo shouts that it's not fair that she's the type of Berserker that can speak normally, before remembering that there are plenty of those in Chaldea after all.
Berserker: ...I thought it was some half-baked being with an unidentifiable gender, but be proud that you have lasted in battle against me this long. You are an excellent hero, perhaps. ...hm. Perhaps we can talk, if the weakling over there is removed.
Those words seem to be directed at Fergus. D'Eon asks him not to mind it, as the queen is correct. It may be rough words, but as he is right now, Fergus does not have the strength to contend with that Berserker by force. He'd only get crushed.
Turning their attention back to the Amazoness queen, d'Eon asks if that was supposed to be a compliment. Though they may be half-baked, this is the proud way of life that they have kept to. Astolfo agrees, saying that he doesn't care much whether people can't tell if he's a boy or a girl, but he's certainly a hero. After all, he's one of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne. That should more than qualify him.
The queen replies that she likes strong people. She has changed her mind - she will not kill you all, but instead find another way to wash away their shame. You'll become their pets instead.
You ask if collars are involved.
Berserker: Of course. And the role of the man is a given--- you will spit out strong seed for us.
Mashu: .....!
D'Eon says that it sounds like she plans to treat you just like a stud horse.
Berserker: ---Are you stupid? It's not 'just like'. That is exactly what it is. Of course, you will have no right to choose your partner. After one finishes the next will come. After one finishes, the next will come. You are merely things to sow your seed in the empty wombs of our women.
Truly the proper Amazoness way of life. Da Vinci suggests that you retreat. If you are captured here, you are as good as dead. Still, that is easier than spoken. The number of enemies is continuing to increase...
Just as the queen tells you to give up, she receives a report that "he" has been spotted in a nearby town. This instantly drives her into a murderous rage, as she howls for her target's blood, swearing to kill and murder and crush and strangle and carve and cut and chew them to pieces. She immediately rushes off. Her adjutant calls for half of the Amazonesses to follow after the queen, and the other half to capture you and your team.
Of course, this makes things easier for you now, as the enemy numbers have been reduced and the enemy Servant absent. But just because things are easier doesn't mean they are easy, as the Amazoness numbers are still considerable.
Fergus: Ugh... I can't slash a woman after all. But...! I am a man who may one day become the King of Ulster! I cannot let it end here while being treated as a weakling! I must train, I must grow, and without giving up, advance even if just for a little!
Fergus's outburst of resolve is met with approval from a newcomer. A man in a greatcoat and a hat leads a troop of men to attack the Amazonesses - apparently, they are the 'Resistance'. Astolfo is relieved at the arrival of reinforcements. There is no time to hesitate - with the Resistance's aid, you mop up the remaining Amazonesses. Mashu reports on your success in driving the warrior women from the town.
The mysterious men take over in their place, with their leader wondering where that cute girl's voice is coming from. Figuring out that it is part of your comms, he is quite impressed at its convenience. You thank the genial man for saving you.
???: Why, think nothing of it. It was only convenient for us to do so. You guys got what you wanted because you guys didn't give up and continued fighting hard. It'd be a shame to dismiss that. If it were me, I'd be greedy enough to praise myself loudly whenever I could.
It seems that this Resistance is fighting against the Amazonesses. They are currently freeing all of the men that have been enslaved in the town. The man explains that it isn't just the Amazonesses that they're battling. This land is becoming harder and harder to live in for men, and what they are resisting may be the state of the land itself.
At any rate, you have finally found a local that you can converse with for intel, and Mashu encourages you to find out about Agartha from him. The man suggests that you change locations if you want to talk. This place is still Amazoness territory, and their fearsome queen might return at any time. The men are planning to withdraw to their secret hideout and you are invited along.
Introducing himself as a Rider Servant, the man says that he will not tell you his True Name - in fact, he cannot, as he says he has lost his memories.So, he can't use his Noble Phantasm, and knows only his class. That is why it would be simpler to just call him Rider. Rider of the Resistance. That is sufficient to serve as his name.
Posted Jun 30, 2017, 1:07 PM UTC · edited