NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41: Dodging Responsibilities and Poor Captain Steiner!
Alex wakes up feeling slightly nervous, yet ready. Armed with powerful equipment, a stock of healing items, and his newly-acquired gold-quality swordsmanship skill, he feels as prepared as possible for whatever the day may bring.
Captain Steiner may not be the most effective leader, but he at least makes an effort by gathering the Knights of Pluto in their cramped dressing room to issue special orders for the big event. As the knights clumsily assemble and don their armor, they attempt to line up in a 3x3 formation. The whole affair looks more like a group of kids fumbling through their first dance class than a proper knightly formation.
Alex cringes at the sight and even shoves a few of the knights into their correct positions. “Good call on avoiding this dirty, crowded dressing room and keeping my gear in my own room,” he thinks, grateful for his high luck stat that seems to have afforded him this small luxury.
Steiner, already looking weary, sighs and gets straight to business: “As you all know, today we celebrate the sixteenth birthday of Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII. Tonight, we will ensure nothing disrupts the special performance by the Tantalus Theater Troupe on their famous airship, the M.S. Prima Vista!”
He proceeds to assign each knight their role, pairing them up with their usual partners. When he finally reaches Alex, he pauses, mumbling to himself, “Now, where can I place you? Perhaps guarding the Queen and Princess... assisting the guests...”
Alex interrupts, “Captain, I would like to investigate the Tantalus Troupe and their airship.”
Steiner stares at him, clearly puzzled. “Huh? And why would we do that?”
Alex looks around the room, his gaze landing on Steiner and the rest of the knights as he challenges, "Do any of you know a single thing about the Prima Vista? Its weight? Guest capacity? It's practically a giant air fortress. This ship can carry 300 guests easily! Add in the performers, crew, and staff, and we're talking about 400 people aboard! Doesn’t it seem like a huge security risk allowing a foreign airship to land directly within the castle grounds, especially with all the nobles, not to mention the Princess and the Queen? Just one of those ‘actors’ could hold a grudge or, worse, smuggle something dangerous aboard… or even an assassin.”
“Assassin?!” Steiner practically explodes, his face reddening. “Who would ever want to harm our Queen and Princess?”
Alex briefly regrets the ominous tone he took, but he presses on, shifting his approach. “Captain, where is this theater troupe based? Where was the airship even built?”
Steiner rubs his chin and mutters, “A big ship like that... wouldn't it be Lindblum? Ah, of course! Lindblum!”
Alex nods at Steiner’s sudden realization. “Exactly, Captain. Sure, the war ended years ago, but not everyone in Lindblum feels as warmly toward us as you’d hope.”
Steiner’s expression turns grave. “I see your point,” he says, looking at Alex with a hint of admiration. “It’s clear you’ve done your research, and your thoroughness does me proud as Captain of the Knights of Pluto! Very well, I’m assigning you to inspect the airship and make sure no threats lurk on board.”
“Yes!” Alex thinks, barely containing his grin. His plan had worked flawlessly. Sure, he could try to thwart Tantalus’s plot right here and now, but his mission dictates he maintain the canon timeline, even if that means letting certain events unfold. For him, the best strategy? “Stay far out of sight and hide where no one will notice,” he thinks with a smirk.
“Sorry, Captain, I’ll back you up later. But for now, things have to go exactly as planned.” He can’t help but smile, thinking of the chaos that will soon ensue for Steiner as he gets pulled right onto the stage himself, all while trying to protect the princess.
Alex takes one last stroll through Alexandria, casting his gaze up to the sky as the giant airship, the Prima Vista, soars over the town. With its castle-like structure towering above, the grand luxury liner is every bit as impressive as he remembers. "How can this thing even fly?" he wonders, marveling at the sheer scale of it. The Mist must truly be a powerful energy source to keep something so massive airborne. And no wonder the whole city is clamoring for tickets to I Want to Be Your Canary; this place is part ship, part theater, and all spectacle.
Returning to the castle, Alex glances at the stage prepared for the event, thankful he dodged the job as a stage helper. Instead, he makes his way toward the theater ship itself, where crew and performers are bustling in and out, caught up in the frenzy of final preparations.
Once aboard, Alex strolls through the Prima Vista’s winding corridors, recognizing much of the layout from the game but still impressed by the intricate woodwork and luxurious decor. Finding a small, quiet room with a perfect view near the main stage, he settles down, ready to watch the performance unfold from his unofficial VIP seat. He even nods off for a moment, lulled by the faint hum of activity, until the orchestral swell of music announces the beginning of the play.
Relaxed, Alex enjoys the show as any other spectator might, relishing the fact that, for once, he has no real task here. He has little intention of returning to the castle after this anyway. Occasionally, his gaze drifts from the performance to where Queen Brahne and Beatrix are seated, watching them with mild disdain. "These two deserve a serious reality check," he thinks. "They’re not even the real villains in this story and yet somehow manage to cause so much misery."
As the play begins, he watches events from the game spring to life on stage. The music swells, lights dim, and he catches glimpses of familiar faces: Zidane and Blank in their mock duel, Marcus and Ruby delivering surprisingly solid performances, and even Marcus managing to sound somewhat dignified for once. It’s surreal, seeing the scenes he knows so well brought to life in such vibrant detail.
Soon after, the wooden stage lift on the Prima Vista brings Steiner, Zidane, and Garnet up onto the stage. Garnet’s disguise as a White Mage quickly crumbles when Vivi, who is being chased by two bumbling Knights of Pluto, accidentally hits her with a fire spell. This mishap plunges the performance into delightful chaos, sparking a whirlwind battle. Marcus, Zidane, Garnet, and Vivi, all now on stage, face off against Steiner and the two pursuing knights, Haagen, the lazy navigator, and Weimar, the self-proclaimed ladies' man. Steiner, already on stage, dives into the fray with his usual determination, while the less capable Haagen and Weimar struggle to keep up.
"Steiner and his two knights against Marcus, Zidane, Garnet, and Vivi should, in theory, be an even battle, possibly even in Steiner's favor, but of course, that only applies to real knights," Alex analyzes.
Predictably, Haagen and Weimar flee after taking a few minor hits. Watching Steiner, loyal to a fault, left alone to defend the stage stirs something in Alex. Here is a man who’s sacrificed everything for these so-called knights: his future, his reputation, and even some of his combat potential, all for this troop. And what loyalty does he get in return? The two knights abandon him at the first sign of real danger.
"This is my cue," Alex thinks. Without a second thought, he dashes toward an open window, swings himself through it, and clambers up the airship. In a matter of moments, he leaps down onto the stage and lands at Steiner’s side, poised and ready for whatever may come.
"Ready to back you up, Captain!" Alex shouts, his voice full of energy.
"Alex! Thank the gods you’re here. IMMEDIATELY ARREST THESE KIDNAPPING SCOUNDRELS AND RESCUE THE PRINCESS!" Steiner yells, furiously pointing his sword at Zidane and Marcus, practically bouncing with rage.
Alex salutes sharply. "YES, CAPTAIN!" He draws his [Sword of Pluto] from its sheath on his back and readies the [Shield of Pluto] strapped alongside it.
Seeing the reinforcements, Marcus growls in frustration, turning to Zidane, "I'll take care of this newcomer."
But Zidane, noticing Alex’s poised stance, tries to stop him, "Marcus, wait! That one looks different!" His warning comes too late.
Marcus charges recklessly, leaping in for an attack. Alex sidesteps the clumsy move with ease and slams his shield into Marcus’s face and chest, sending him crashing back against the wall of the open-air theater.
You have dealt 21 damage to Marcus
Alex hears the chaotic crowd erupt in wild excitement after his move. “Damn, that looked so real! Is that actor really alright?”
Alex is momentarily taken aback. That much damage from a simple shield slam? A full sword strike could’ve seriously injured or even killed the poor guy. "This shield, combined with Alexandrian Royal Swordsmanship, which boosts my shield skills as much as my swordsmanship, is a game-changer," he thinks. "My defense is through the roof. Normal weapons won’t even scratch me unless the opponent is significantly faster."
"MARCUS!" Zidane shouts, rushing to his comrade, who slumps dazed against the wall.
The battle resumes in chaotic earnest. Alex and Steiner hold their positions defensively, especially with the little black mage Vivi firing off one spell after another, casting a steady stream of fire across the stage.
Alex and Steiner exchange a glance and quickly split up, attempting to flank the remaining three fighters. At that moment, the airship suddenly lifts off!
Chaos erupts as the massive vessel strikes part of the castle, collides with rooftops, and skims dangerously low over city buildings, far too large to be taking off in such a hasty, reckless fashion.
The castle guards scramble, firing heavy chains toward the airship in an attempt to ground it. A massive, living bomb is launched right behind them, barreling toward the ship. Alex holds his defensive stance, urging Steiner, “Captain, this is dangerous. We’re airborne, and the princess could fall!”
Zidane, desperate, shouts at Steiner, “He’s right! Stop this madness, Rusty. There’s a bomb right behind you!”
Steiner laughs, undeterred. “Hahaha, Alex, my student, don’t be swayed by these lowly kidnappers. Believe in the princess, she won’t fall!”
Garnet, pleading, steps forward, “Captain Steiner, there really is a bomb! Please, stop this!”
Alex scans the scene, eyes wide, as he spots the bomb, now about the size of an elephant and rapidly growing. “Captain...I can see it too,” Alex mumbles, swallowing hard.
Steiner finally whirls around, eyes bulging. “WHAT IS THIS?!” he yells. The group bolts to the side, seeking cover near the stage props away from the outer edge. The bomb hurtles toward the center of the airship, and with a deafening roar, it explodes, sending shockwaves through the ship.