The Calamity Waiting in the Ruins

Ah, Master Guildna! And everyone else, too!

Hey there! We're just droppin' by to check on Resttin.

Perfect timing. There's something I've been meaning to ask all of you.

Have any of you ever heard the term... "Mul An"?

"Mul An"?

Or perhaps...Mul Ki-something, or... Mul-something-zu?

Are you casting a spell or something?

No, I came across the terms while rereading some texts in our family records. They caught my attention.

Mel-an... Mel-kee... Moo-lab-zoo... Regretfully, I cannot say they sound familiar.

Vares, I think your pronunciation's a little off...

Can't say I've heard of them either.

Mul An-kun... An ancient name tied to the stars...

Wait, you know of it?!

I don't. But I may have seen something similar in the archives back at the Beast King's Castle.

I believe the names are somehow connected to the ruins. I can't say for sure, but... I've got a bad feeling about them.

Hm... Very well. I'll investigate.

You will?! Then I'll take another look through the old texts, see if I can dig up anything else!

Very good. Come, let us head for the castle archives.

So we're looking for Mul An, Mul Ki-something, and... Uh...

Mul blah-blah-blah-zu!

Right. We need to find a book that mentions those stars.

Mul An. Its full name is Mul An-kun. If my memory serves... It was a black book, with illustrations that looked like the starry sky. Let's split up and search.

I've found it, Your Majesty!

Yes...this is the passage.

Mul An-kun. Mul Ki-ka. Mul Nab-zu. Those appear to be the proper names.

The phrasing's so strange... I can't make heads or tails of it.

Even I can decipher but those few words, and a few fragments beyond them. I'd assumed they were simply the names of stars... But that's not quite what the text says.

It refers to them as "names of the ancient stellar alignments".

Stellar alignments... You mean like constellations?

Wait, could this be connected to the astral maps?!

We're heading back to Resttin. Brasah will help us decipher the rest.

Fascinating. So the words I found were actually... Mul An-kun. Mul Ki-ka. Mul Nab-zu... Each of them names a different constellation.

This is the text. You'll be able to make far more sense of it than I could.

Constellations... Wait! If I cross-reference this with the other manuscripts, perhaps...

Give me a moment! I'll have an answer for you right away!

Hey! You forgot the book!

Brasah... That guy really needs to get out more.

Master Guildna, this is terrible!!

That constellation...it's a harbinger of disaster! An omen of darkness! If we do not mobilize, there's no telling what kind of calamity it could unleash!

Calm yourself, boy. We've yet to even confirm whether that constellation has appeared in the sky.

No, but if we wait until it's observed, it may already be too late. Listen to this: "They stirred before the stars aligned. Only by rousing them from slumber and subduing them could balance be preserved." Whatever's coming...we have to strike first.

But how're we supposed to even do that?

There's one constellation I've managed to match fully with my manuscript.

Mul An-kun. This seems to be the creature tied to the star. As you'll notice, the illustration is old, VERY old...

(Hm? That looks a lot like the one we fought before...)

(Yikes. That thing looks seriously tough...)

The name "Mul An-kun" appears to be a very old term for this creature. It's also referred to as the Rotte Rivel, or so the texts claim.

And this page shows the alignment of the stars in the constellation...

In other words, a star map. If we align the Astrolabos to this pattern, we can initiate the encounter with the creature ourselves.

That black circle... That's an orb too, isn't it?

I believe that black asterorb I gave Guildna during the festival is the very same. We should be able to use it.

Then we're ready. Let's get the Astrolabos moving, now.

That black circle... That's an orb too, isn't it? So first we'll need to find that black asterorb.

Yes. And once we do, we move the Astrolabos into place.

There might be some clues hidden in the texts... But I will need some time before I can check more closely.

Why is that?

The village is still in need of people to help with repairs. I'm researching the old texts and ruins when I'm not otherwise busy helping out.

So we just gotta make sure restoring the village is top priority! You'll have plenty of time for research once the village is back on its feet!

That sounded like a door opening...

Whatever lies within... It holds tremendous power. Stay sharp, every one of you.

I won't be of much use in there, so...I'll remain out here, if it's all the same.

We'll be right back!

What awaits us beyond that door is formidable. But so are we. Let's move.

Incredible. Just as the illustrations depicted...

Here it comes!

What's this?

Whoa! Just looking at it makes me feel like I could sprint up a mountain!

...Pretty sure that's just you, Myrus.

You don't feel anything, Aldo?

Maybe it only works on beastfolk or something?

If that's truly the case... Your Highness, I believe you should wear it. It would be most fitting for the king who leads our kind.

Yeah! I agree!

If you both feel that strongly... I'll hold onto it.

That encounter just now... Did it not strike you as strange?

Yeah. It doesn't really feel like we beat it. For now, let's at least report back to Brasah.

Actually, there was a passage in the manuscript that hinted at repeated clashes with this power.

So it may yet return.

Then we should keep an eye on this place.

Even if it does come back, we'll just beat it again. No problem!

Naturally. Twice, thrice... However many times it takes.

To think a threat like this slept on the island all this time... Master Guildna, everyone... Thank you for standing up against it. I feel safer already.

Of course! It's what we do.

Two constellations left. Time to start searching for more leads.

Yes, though perhaps we should head back and rest first.

I let Zestah know what was going on. She said she'd prepare a meal and have it waiting for us. She was confident you'd all succeed and come back safely.

In that case, we had best not keep her waiting.

Haha. I hope you're ready.

My sister doesn't skimp when it comes to cooking... We're in for the full course!