It's me again! To those following these detailed summary releases, I am here to bring you Part 3 of 8 in this series.
Find Act 1 Here Find Act 2 Here
Act Three, Part 1
We rejoin Act 3 back where we left Wilhelm and Pivot Arnancy. For this section there will be a lot of dialogue which I've given a rough translation for.
The first thing Wilhelm notes is that the valley looked a lot different than a second ago. Shamrock Valley was near wetlands, so the terrain is the type you'd find in marshes. But the scenery right now is painted in bright green and it feels quite unusual to him. Also, none of the members of the Zelgeff corps or Roswaal are there with him. Besides that, Wilhelm had seen Pivot die with his own eyes. Naturally, his first thought is that Pivot is a zombie reanimated by Sphinx's magic.
Pivot: [That’s quite rash. In the Civil War, the Witch’s secret arts could cause corpses of people who were killed in action to move about. Isn’t the situation I am placed in related to that?]
Wilhelm: [That Witch did not make people come back to life, she just used their corpses as puppets. It seems that now you’ve become the Witch’s puppet. ...That’s why you are]
Pivot: [...]
(Narrowing his eyes from behind his monocle)
Pivot: [That’s why I am?]
Wilhelm: [--. You definitely died and you won’t come back to life. You’re merely a fake.]
Pivot: [What cruel remarks. If my heart were frail, it would have surely been killed by the sharpness of those words.]
Being treated like this Pivot says: [Although,]
Pivot: [It wasn’t words that killed me in fact, I was definitely killed by a blade.]
Wilhelm: [....]
Pivot: [Your expression never changes. As expected of Wilhelm Trias.]
Wilhelm asks him if he came here to settle a grudge, but Pivot denies that. So Wilhelm asks why he showed his face here, but Pivot doesn't really answer that directly. It's almost as if he's ridiculing/bantering with him. Wilhelm starts to think about the relationship he had with Pivot back in the Demi-human war, before he had died, but almost as if "Pivot" can read his thoughts, he speaks out with a:
Pivot: [Do you and I have such a close friendship that we can go as far as talking about our impressions of each other?]
Wilhelm: [...]
Pivot: [We spent two years as part of the same squad… but our relationship was as associates to the last. The connection between us should have been friendly enough to the extent that it should have been possible to call it friendship.]
Wilhelm: [...That’s correct. That’s why it’s strange that you’re here.]
Wilhelm by now realises this is an illusion (whoops, seems both I and Wilhelm were initially fooled in jumping to conclusions that this was a zombie reanimated by Sphinx). Wilhelm realises that his own body must still be wandering about in the fog. As soon as he realises that, that the true Pivot would not have met him like this, we have this exchange,
Pivot: [Well, don’t get so flustered. Why are you trying to speak with your back turned?]
Wilhelm: [Sorry, but I give priority to the living. I have no time to care about the dead… about you. Once you understand that, you can get me back to the place I came from]
Pivot: [Those unscrupulous remarks concerning the dead, that too is just like the old Wilhelm Trias. Well, for me it’s more accurate to say the Wilhelm I knew rather than referring to the old you.]
Wilhelm: [PIVOT--]
(That triggers Wilhelm who reaches for his sword)
Wilhelm: [If you don’t stop, I am going to-]
Pivot: [Cut me down, and move on. (TL Note: Might be a double meaning, move on both in his heart or move on back to whence he came in the fog). That too, is like Wilhelm Trias. If he can do it.]
Wilhelm: [You think I can’t?]
Pivot: [Yeah, I do. That is why I am here.]
(Wilhelm tries to unsheathe his sword, but isn't able to.)
Pivot: [--You didn’t pull it out, Wilhelm?]
Wilhelm: [...It should have]
(And the reason why is because he doesn't have the will to do it. He can't bring himself to unsheathe his sword)
Wilhelm: [Wha….]
Pivot: [If you wanted to say “What did you do to me?” then that’s a pointless suspicion. I did nothing to you. I can swear that on the Young Lord, on Grimm, on each of the dead of our squad.]
Wilhelm: [--hk]
(Now Wilhelm is really angry, he manages to draw out his sword, but it feels heavy in his hands.)
Pivot: [You managed to draw it out. How splendid. And now what will do you?]
Wilhelm: [Now… I will…]
Pivot: [Mymy, that attitude doesn’t seem like the “Sword Demon”. I will make it easy as best as I can for you.]
(Pivot closes the distance between them and attacks him with his own sword. Wilhelm parries the strike)
Pivot: [--Well done]
(After some more roundabout conversation, Pivot is still trying to get Wilhelm to cut him down here)
Pivot: [In any case, you need not worry yourself with this, you ought to be able to achieve your goal.]
Wilhelm: [My goal? What’s that! It would be good if I could return back from where I came! I don’t have time time to fight you here. This is meaningless!]
Pivot: [Calling it meaningless is such a cruel remark. Certainly, if we compare our aptitude with the sword, then perhaps you’d think of it as childs play, but I am also a true knight, I have not thrown that much away.]
Wilhelm: [--hk! Don’t speak like that!]
(Pivot seems to be enjoying this, he's attacking Wilhelm, and as he said his way with the sword is pretty bad compared to Wilhelm's. Wilhelm sees many opportunities to cut him down. But still he doesn't take them)
Pivot: [--Look out, the next one’s coming]
Wilhelm: [--hk]
(And now, Pivot's attacks are getting better. Certainly he felt as if he had improved with the sword than what Wilhelm recalled. He says the reason Wilhelm is not cutting him down is due to a mental block. That he's not counterattacking. That annoys Wilhelm and he lets out a war cry. But suddenly he hears a voice inside his head)
???: "Wilhelm! Don't die!
(A scream that echo'd right in his mind. Which robs him of his awareness. It's not said who the voice is. Sensing that was death was coming near him, Wilhelm finally counterattacks and cuts down Pivot. The way he stabbed him was described to be remarkably similar to the way Pivot had died in EX2)
Wilhelm: [--Ah]
Pivot: [Very good, Wilhelm.]
...
Pivot: [Congratulations. --Once again, you survived.]
Wilhelm: [...]
Pivot: [Twice you’ve killed your comrade in arms, and once again you survived, Sword Demon.]
...
Pivot: [--Wilhelm Trias. Next time, it will be your turn.]
Act Three, Part 2
And that is how Part 1 ends. No we move to Part 2, in which Wilhelm comes back to reality out of the illusion he had been subject to. He's met with Julia who was trying to snap him back to attention. Wilhelm is a bit befuddled by what's happened, and just as he's about to tell Julia about it,
Wilhelm: [Roswaal, Something strange is-]
???: [-- Wilhelm! Miss Mathers!]
(Conwood suddenly approaches them with news)
Conwood: [Come to the front! Grimm found something]
Julia: [--! Is that something that thing's refuge?]
Conwood: [I fear that it’s quite likely]
They move to the front, Grimm is holding the pyroxene stone containing Sphinx's Od, and it's shining. A stagnant, white building is in front of them, covered by the fog. It is the Witch's Refuge. The building is only visible if they have the pyroxene stone, their proof of passage, otherwise it doesn't appear.
Wilhelm: [In other words, if the stone doesn’t light up, then the refuge can’t be found?]
Julia: [This pyroxene crystal serves as proof of passage in this valley. It acts as a map, as well as a key. Cragrel-Dono concealed it with great endeavours]
(She takes the Pyroxene from Grimm and hands it to Conwood)
Julia: [Myself and Wilhelm-kun, as well as Grimm-kun will go in at first. I think we’ll most likely be fine, but you will continue shining the light to the building from the outside.]
Conwood: [Very well, understood, but… won’t it be dangerous inside?]
Julia: [You needn’t worry about traps. As in the first place, there’s no need to lay down any traps here. Unless you possess this stone, you wouldn’t be able to even see this hideout. For sure, even if you were to touch the building when invisible, you wouldn’t be able to feel it.]
Wilhelm: [That sounds like quite the frightening tale…]
They enter the building. Which is covered in dust, though with some footprints in it that appear recent. Likely of Stride, or one of his henchmen. Julia comments how the fact that someone's been inside here means that they also likely either hold a similar pyroxene crystal as proof of passage, or know some incredibly complex magic. Julia contemplates whether Stride et al. were at some point working with Sphinx or some other members of the Demi-human alliance,
Julia: [I don’t know how many of these Pyroxene crystals Sphinx prepaaaaared. I wonder if I hold one that was mass produced, or…]
Once again she cut off her words.
Julia: [--Or, the one who made the Pyroxene crystal was cooperating with those guys.]
Wilhelm: [Would that be… someone who survived the Demi-Human War?]
Julia: [There are only three names that really stand out, Sphinx, Libre and of course, Valga. But, there were also hidden individuals of note like Cragrel-Dono. It’s something to be considered.]
They look around the refuge a bit more looking for clues. But everything is damaged. No deep Sphinx lore. Suddenly, Wilhelm hears a mysterious voice coming from the corner of the room. We will touch on what that voice is at the end of the summary. But for now, suffice to say it's like it's coming from the corner of the room.
???: “--Wilhelm, this way”
Wilhelm: [...]
A voice called out, slowly he turns his head back. The voice came from the corner of the room. He heard it from the side of the wall. The dirty wall.
???: “That’s right, the wall is dirty. But, why did the wall get dirty? The floor isn’t. Even if someone did a botched job of cleaning up, the wall would not have have such an uneven pattern to its dirtiness”
Wilhelm: [Now that you mention it, that definitely seems right]
 
Wilhelm calls Grimm and Julia over, he suspects there's something secret hidden behind the part of the wall that's less dirty than the rest. He slashes at it with its sword, and his speculation is correct. Behind the wall is... a large, Magic Circle. Like the sorts in EX2.
Act Three, Part 3
We return back to the Royal Capital for this part, in which the Zellgef corps brought back the news. It seems the Magic Circle was the only thing they found there in Shamrock Valley. It was quite an unsatisfying result. They give their report, and Julia mentions that she'll dig into what the Magic Circle's purpose is.
However, as Wilhelm and Grimm exit the Royal Castle after giving his report, he's met by some unexpected visitors. It's Theresia and Carol! It seems the last part of Act 2 may have been metaphorical in meaning, not too sure about that one, but suffice to say they haven't encountered Stride whilst Wilhelm was away.
Wilhelm: [Hey…. Carol, you woke up?]
Carol: [What the hell is that remark…. Hmph, no, I am sorry. It was wrong of me to say that. I was also worried about you. As you see, I am safe.]
(Carol snaps at him reflexively, but they're just two big tsunderes.)
The scene continues with Wilhelm asking why they are holding hands, in which Theresia replies that she's clinging onto Carol, as if depending on her. There's even a dialogue in which Theresia teases Carol by suggesting they make out with each other when they get back to the mansion, or something like that. Basically, a lot of teasing between the two you can tell Theresia really cares a lot about Carol to the point of obsessiveness, imo. They'd make a cute couple, though that's just my headcanon.
In any case, Theresia relinquishes Carol to Grimm. Theresia starts to tell Wilhelm what happened with Carol waking up from her coma, but suddenly Wilhelm notices something strange. Carol has collpased to her knees, and Grimm is rasping something:
Grimm: [Arror? Arrrrroor!] (TL Note: That's like him saying Carol with his fucked up voice)
Theresia: [Carol!? What’s wrong, keep her steady!]
(Carol is clawing at her throat in great distress)
Carol: [A...Ah, Ukh!]
Wilhelm: [What the.. Her throat…]
(And once again Wilhelm hears that mysterious voice this time the provenance is not described in the narrative so when I first read it I just assumed it was his own subconscious)
???: “--No, it’s different to that. It’s not her throat.”
Wilhelm: [--Her breathing?]
(It almost looks like she's being strangled).
Theresia: [Wilhelm! Carol’s neck!]
A dark red pattern, described as if it was a birthmark was rising up her neck. The birthmark was in the shape of a palm. She was being strangled by an unseen arm.
...
Wilhelm: [...to the healing ward.]
???: “That choice is not wise. Does this look like a wound or a disease?”
Wilhelm: [--No, to Roswaal who should still be in the castle.]
Wilhelm asks Theresia to rush off to find Roswaal, but suddenly Carol's breathing comes back to her. Everyone is relieved but wondering what the hell happened, Grimm goes to hug her again, but
Wilhelm: [--Wait, Grimm, don’t touch her]
Wilhelm seizes Grimm's wrist before he can.
Theresia: [Wilhelm? What are you…]
Wilhelm: [It’s the neck.]
It seems like Grimm touching her causes the palm to appear.
...
Wilhelm: [--We need to go to Roswaal at once.]
Act Three, Part 4
We are inside Roswaal's private quarters in the castle (the quarters they bestow to the Court Mage). The five of them, Roswaal J. Mathers, Wilhelm, Theresia, Carol and Grimm have just had Carol inspected by Roswaal. Immediately we are greeted by an explanation of what the curse does (so far),
Julia: [If she touches someone shes loves, she won’t be able to breathe. --I have no doubt that’s the basis of the curse which Stride put on Carol-kun.]
Meaning. Grimm and Carol can't touch each other or get too close to each other in fear of that. Yikes. They ask Julia if she can do anything, but she says she can't. Grimm is in a very bad mood, he's usually described as having a pleasant face, but this news has made him quite depressed. Carol though puts a brave face saying it won't hamper her duty as Theresia's guard. The group think Stride will in any case come back for them for his own personal entertainments.
In any case, Carol and Grimm steel themselves and make up some of their resolve, and Carol, whose left hand was held by Theresia reaches out her right hand to Grimm, who with a bit of hesitation takes it. Obviously this results in her getting strangled a bit,
Carol: [.....hk, hah]
Julia: [Good grief, you and Grimm-kun act so absurdly. Perhaps I can’t say that I didn’t secretly miss it.]
With this heartwarming scene out of the way, their ritual so to speak to share their resolve in fixing stuff, and trying to get rid of Carol's curse, we get Theresia interjecting with something heavy,
Theresia: [--Wilhelm, if I]
...
Theresia: [If I broke that important promise with you, my dear,… would you hate me?]
Wilhelm: [You are not the "Sword Saint" anymore.]
Wilhelm immediately realises what she's referring to. He absolutely does not want her to take up the sword again.
Theresia: [I know Wilhelm said that. But, even if I let go of that, the Divine Protection still won’t disappear. ...So, now I]
Carol: [Absolutely not… Theresia-sama, you musn’t. I cannot let you do such a thing.]
Even Carol does not want her to. Grimm tries to interject too, but Wilhelm kinda snubs him off a bit. Not that we'd really understand what he's saying unless he felt like writing it down. Finally, Julia also protests,
Julia: [--I am sorry to ask this when things are getting so heated, buuuuuut]
Theresia: [Roswaal-san?]
...
Julia: [I want to buy that disposition, but I have to say that’s quite difficult. Theresia-kun...No, I should say, Theresia Van Astrea-Dono.]
...
Julia: [--In order to examine the connection between the birthmark that is born from the cruse, and when Carol-kun awoke from her coma, I was allowed to examine the girl who nursed her, Theresia-Dono]
Carol: [Wh- what on earth… Mathers-sama, what’s happen-]
Carol is quite perturbed.
Wilhelm: [No way, did she get sick too?]
Julia: [There’s no doubt there was a serious change in her body. Theresia-Dono, have you recently felt anything out of the ordinary in your everyday life?]
Theresia: [Out of the ordinary?]
Julia: [Indeed, something out of the ordinary. For example… have you felt your head getting heavier, or something different about the smell and taste of food.]
Hearing these examples, Theresia’s let out an [Eh], her voice caught in her throat. There’s surprise in her eyes because Julia had more or less hit the nail on the head on what she had been experiencing. In other words, what Julia pointed out was right. But, what was the significance of it?
Theresia: [My enjoyment of the taste of black tea definitely changed, and though my head has gotten heavier…]
Wilhelm: [Hey, stop beating about the bush. If something’s happened to Theresia, then speak clearly…]
Julia: [--It’s good news, you know.]
She spoke quite gently, in a voice that wasn’t quite like her.
Wilhelm: [...huh?]
…
Theresia: [H-huh… Roswaal-san… by saying that…]
Julia: [Please don’t misunderstand it as being some ridiculous diseaaaaase. To put it in other words, you’re pregnant. You are a woman, and a wife. But now, you’re also a mother.]
...
Julia: [From now on you’re a mother, it’s no place to be on the battlefield. That's whyyyyyyy, though her determination is precious, I will now allow it.]
And this is the reason Roswaal J. Mathers has for not wanting Theresia to take up her sword again. Looks like she's pregnant with Wilhelm's baby (Or at least we hope it's Wilhelm's baby and she didn't end up sleeping with someone else). The two of them, Wilhelm and Theresia, are quite shocked. But another person who reacts quite strongly is Carol. She punches Wilhelm in the nose. I think I missed the actual reason she did it, but I think it was something petty like she wanted to be the first to congratulate her, but I think it's more likely that it may be because of her feeling cranky because well... she's been cursed or that she may have thought Wilhelm fucked Theresia before they were married. Not sure on this one I am afraid, I don't really want to reread this section again.
In the end anyways, Carol apologises for her conduct and congratulates Theresia on her baby, the both of them smiling at each other.
Act Three, Part 5
We now move to our final part of Act 3. An extremely short section that features Wilhelm and Grimm. Having been told to leave by Julia as they discussed "pregnancy stuff with the girls" Grimm is still in a foul mood at Wilhelm, because of everything that's happened. Wilhelm tries to converse with Grimm, trying to say something that looks like an apology, but Grimm is pissed off and like grabs the scruff of his neck and slammed him against a wall. Wilhelm doesn't have the heart to do anything about this and just lets it happen. Grimm eventually lets go, looking even more melancholic than before.
And in the last few lines of the Act, here comes the cliffhanger roughly translated.
???: “You are weak in matters which don’t require the use of a sword. That is your weak point. Don’t you think so, Wilhelm?]
Wilhelm: [...]
Resting against the wall as if ridiculing Wilhelm’s troubles was Pivot.
Closing Remarks
Looks like that mysterious voice that Wilhelm was hearing after Part 1 was the illusion of Pivot himself! Or so I think, can't imagine it being anyone else with the way it's presented in the source. Oh damn, I am excited to see how this turns out. I did spoil myself a little bit with a general summary, but, this gave me chills when I read it.
I'll be reading Act 4 next, which when done will mark the halfway point of these summary posts. I hope y'all are enjoying them, lurkers included. As always translations are rough.
Submitted January 13, 2019 at 08:11PM by Ice_Occultism http://bit.ly/2D8a5pt
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