Scene 54

What is going on...?

It appears to be connected to that brooch... Are you under any status effects?

Let me check...

Oh, its name changed. It's now called the Sacred Tree Brooch! Everything else is the same, though...

Wait, did you get the Swordsman of Salvation quest too, {HeroName}?

Zash

I have no idea what you're talking about...

I'm in the same boat... What quest are you referring to?

It just appeared—I don't know the details...

Zash

It must be related to that cutscene from before...

Ah...

Then maybe what that rabbit said was connected to the quest...

Then maybe what that rabbit said was connected to the quest...

Something about the resurrection of the God of Death, and a Sanctuary housing a legendary weapon...

Zash

So this Swordsman of Salvation is Aincrad's savior, or something?

Guess so... And if they screw up, everyone's gonna get attacked by some monster.

Sounds rather odd for a quest... Something about it puts me on edge...

Yeah, for a starting quest, it's a bit much...

A bug, then. Maybe a late-game cutscene played by accident and started the quest.

Zash

Could be. Hard to tell with this game.

All things considered, it seems like bad news. I recommend we abandon it.

It won't let me do that...

What do you mea—B-but why? That makes no sense!

Wish I could tell you... I'm just as confused as you.

What on earth is going on?

Zash

I wanna know why only those two got the quest. You've been with them the whole time, right?

We don't even know what the unlock conditions are.

Well then, I wonder if Saayu and Clark got it... Maybe we should contact them.

Good idea. I'll ask Clark.

Huh?

Strange... My messages aren't going through.

Ah, here's a message from Saayu...

What?! Wait...

What's up?

I'm forwarding it to you now.

"Clark's dead... What do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do? I can't deal with this... I can't deal, I can't deal, I can't deal!"

Haha... Surely this is some kind of prank...

We need to get to Saayu now!

Zash

If she's on your friends list then you'll know where she is, right? Come on!

R-right... Map...

She's in the hills to the northeast of town...

Let's split up and find her!