#sf zylo

[claire-starsword]

Shining Force World Book translation - part 3

Previous part here

Man of hidden fangs

Arthur Class: Knight Species: Centaur Gender: Male Age: 25 years old Height: 228 cm Weight: 192 kg Place of Origin: Asgard Mountain Range Starting Level: 4 Starting Weapon: Bronze Lance

The mysterious foreigner with unfathomable hidden strength

He is originally from another continent. He has shown incredible strength from a young age, and became Knight Captain without real battle experience. When he set out for monster extermination, many of his subordinates died due to his mistakes in command, and he left the country. He meets the protagonist while working on the laundry in Manarina.

While he doesn't show his full power from the start, he hides immeasurable strength.

A slow starter who unleashes his full power in the late game

A unique character who can use magic while being a knight. If you raise him, he learns basic offensive spells. The tradeoff is that his endurance and attack are not reliable. In the beginning he is half baked and might be useless, but if trained he becomes effective for both melee and ranged attacks. His stat growth later on is mindblowing.

_____

A birdman warrior crossing through the skies

Balbaroy Class: Birdmen Species: Birdmen Gender: Male Age: 32 years old Height: 183 cm Weight: 105 kg Place of Origin: The forests of Chronos Mountain Starting Level: 5 Starting Weapon: Middle Sword

A man from the guardian tribe of the skies, attacked by Runefaust!

A birdman with an outstanding sense for battling. Pushing to the limit the skills of his flying race, he fights with superior power.

He is a victim of the Runefaust army, having sustained injuries from their assault. Turned into stone, he was rescued by the force. He's a typical fighter who doesn't talk much and is relentless in combat. Holds a great hatred of Darksol.

A support fighter with great movement!

He excels in defense and agility due to being from a flying race. His stat growth is the kind where everything goes up at once, so he's immediately ready to be used in battle. His endurance and attack are not great, so he can't fight in the front lines.

As a character who can equip most of the swords the protagonist also uses, use him to cover the other attackers.

She casts away her life for the sake of those she loves

Amon Class: Birdwomen Species: Birdwomen Gender: Female Age: 28 years old Height: 186 cm Weight: 83 kg Place of Origin: The forests of Chronos Mountain Starting Level: 5 Starting Weapon: Middle Sword

A strong and kind birdwoman who protects Balbaroy with devotion!

Another birdwoman from the same flying race as Balbaroy, she's his wife. As a woman of few words who speaks just the necessary, she's much like him. She selflessly fights for his sake. She's a nimble expert fighter.

She set out to find Balbaroy when he was missing, and upon learning of the danger he was in, sought the force for help in saving him.

You'll be in trouble if you look down on her for being a woman!

Her agility and defense are as good as her husband's. However she surpasses him, having both nimbleness and attack power. If you're careful with her health, she can create openings in the battle with her movement. When it comes to growth speed, her HP grows steadily as well, so she can become a reliable member to stay on the team for a long time.

_____

A headstrong archer lady!

Diane Class: Archer Species: Elf Gender: Female Age: 115 years old Height: 185 cm Weight: 57 kg Place of Origin: Bustoke Starting Level: 6 Starting Weapon: Steel Arrow

She hates losing, and is refreshingly frank!

She is intense and hates crooked things! An energetic woman who grew wild and free in the mountain's forests. Given her fierce temperament, she put all of herself into training her skills with the bow, which are very respectable. In particular, Bustoke has no military force, so she became a valuable fighting power for them.

Feeling indebted after the men of her country were rescued, she joined the Shining Force.

Depending on your strategy, she can be an immediate asset or a waste

An archer whose attack, defense, agility and movement are all average. Wielding only a bow, she's better at long distance attacks than close combat. She should attack from behind a character who's good at melee. Compared to the fellow archer Hans, only her defense is a little better, she doesn't surpass him in anything else.

If you protect her from the enemy's attacks, she can be a main fighting power.

His body is that of a beast, but his heart is bigger than anyone else's!

Zylo Class: Wolf Species: Wolfling Gender: Male Age: 47 years old Height: 212 cm Weight: 107 kg Place of Origin: Bustoke Starting Level: 9 Starting Weapon: None

The straightforward type who takes everything seriously

A proud wolfling leader who would protect his people even at the cost of his own life. King of the mountain people, he's respected as a spirit of the forest. An atypical king, he is in the frontlines at the first sign of battle, and fights with all his might. A typical fighter.

He has a charm that draws others to him, and is adored by his people.

You can count on him for power! A battle expert

As a wolfling carrying the blood of experienced beasts, his attack is outstanding. His other stats are not bad either, making him a powerful warrior.

Like Balbaroy, he gets sudden increases on level up. His HP is low, so he'll be done for if rushing recklessly at the enemies. Have him advance alongside his allies.

____

The great old man who conquered the skies

Kokichi Class: Wing Knight Species: Human Gender: Male Age: 65 years old Height: 154 cm Weight: 45 kg Place of Origin: Bustoke Starting Level: 7 Starting Weapon: Bronze Lance

Currently an inventor, but used to be an exemplar knight!

A hardworking inventor who wished with all his heart to be able to fly, and finally made that wish come true after 50 years. The people nearby regard him as a weird old man, but he's actually nice. Before building his flying machine, he worked as a knight for a kingdom. Because of that, he's skilled with a sword. That skill has been fading with age, but he can compensate on his moves by piloting well his flying machine.

[Note: I assume he was a knight somewhere other than Bustoke since Diane's entry says they don't have much of an army there, but the text is vague enough that it could be.]

Those who continue to chase their dreams don't lose their vitality

He's average all around. Defense is a low point, and might be the deciding factor in sending him to battle or not. He's weak due to being human, and pretty old, so it's hard to use him immediately.

His HP growth is a slow curve. However contrary to what you'd expect of his age, his other stats grow quite fast.

[starswordartblog]

“I’ll show them that I can fight as well as Lord Zylo!“

Shininginktober late Day 29: Zylo + Diane! Another big case of Do Not Separate Them in this series.

[tisbore]

This year I'm doing inktober digitally to practice on procreate. I'm drawing characters from the Shining Force franchise. Zylo from SF.

[claire-starsword]

Shining Force - Bloodline of the Sacred Dragons chapter 2-7

[claire-starsword]

Bleu [Sacred Dragon] Class: Dragon -> Great Dragon

The flames of a wrathful Dragon God lay waste to evil!

*** A descendant of the Sacred Dragons who protect the treasure of the Ancients known as the "Book of Secrets".

While Sacred Dragons are incredibly powerful, their fertility is extremely low, and Bleu is now the last of them. Encouraged by the children of Rudo, he joins the Shining Force. ***

Many creatures known as "dragons" live in the continent of Rune. The Blue Dragons seen on the enemy's side, the Red Dragons that aren't seen in game but live in the magma underground, the Hydra with its many heads, extremely rare small dragons used as mounts by knights, and so on.

Sacred Dragons are the strongest among those, the ultimate dragons... at least that's how it's supposed to be, but our boy Bleu here isn't all there yet. He still needs more time before he can show his real power.

______

Zylo [Wolfing] Class: Werewolf -> Wolf Baron

The king of beasts dashing through the forest!

*** Ruler of Bustoke, the people of the mountains. He's respected as a forest spirit.

He was prepared to join the Shining Force at Otrant's request. However, due to Runefaust's plotting he went feral, and had to be tossed in his own jail... ***

The Shining Force has a lot of people of noble birth, but none can compare to Zylo. For he is the king of Bustoke.

Politics in Bustoke are a bit complicated. The country's government system is (a rudimentary) parliamentary democracy. Zylo is merely an overseer. As a "forest spirit", his role is to make sure that people aren't taking from the forest any more than what they need.

That is the uniqueness of Bustoke's political system, to manage all of their lifestyle relying on the resources of the forest and mountains (such as lumber, stone, and animals to hunt).

_______

Notes on Bleu:

I feel that Bleu's species, 神竜, would be better translated as "divine dragon" than Dragon God, given the kanji order, but it's a small nitpick so I went with the official translation everyone's familiar with. Nevermind, I’m a dummy that had forgotten the original localization for Bleu’s species was “Sacred Dragon”, and “Dragon God” was a GBA only thing. Sacred Dragon is more accurate so I’ve updated the translation accordingly.

On the other hand, as I've mentioned before, 秘伝の書 was translated as "manual of the ancients" in game, but "Book of Secrets" (from the GBA version) is more accurate.

Part of the reason I care so much about the above is that there is a novel starring Bleu, where supposedly the book is an important part of the plot despite not involving Dark Dragon's seal this time. The novel also might delve deeper the Sacred Dragons' lack of fertility thing, but sadly I have not found scans of it and I lament this daily. Update: all of this is outdated just go read the novel and the notes on it instead.

Notes on Zylo:

My grammar is a little shaky on that last line, sorry. It feels weird to say that it's unique for a country to manage itself according to its resources because that's very normal. But I guess the point is that they never aim for unsustainable growth, as the rest of the text implies.

Once again, him knowing Otrant is a fact in the japanese version.

"I received a letter from Otrant of Manarina requesting I assisted you as I could. To repay for your great help, let me join you in battle."

The GBA version expanded upon that.

[claire-starsword]

[claire-starsword]

Shining Force Country Guide Translation - Part 3

The usual pie chart legend:

Shade

Population: 20 inhabitants GNP: Unknown

Species ratio:

Shade is more of a village than a country. It consists of only a church and associated buildings. So its population is only 20 people. Besides the humans who work at the church, the other species there are elves. They work as guides in the mountain paths. ____

The decline of royalty casts a shadow in the holy land?

A small region at the Sarastone peninsula northeast of Rindo. Back when Guardiana was founded, the Order of the Knights would be frequently sent in expeditions to expand their territory, and this peninsula was the northernmost point they reached, and thus Shade became a holy land directly under the royal family's control. After the wyvern raid from the time of Arissort von Guardiana II's rule, a church was built in this region to appease the souls of the knights fallen in that battle, and the third prince at the time entered priesthood and became its priest. After that it became a place which disseminated Guardiana's ways to all of the western continent, and little by little a town grew around it, thus around 500 years ago it was recognized as a holy city with the priest as sovereign, under the protection of Guardiana's royal family.

Shade's population, including the priest, is a mere twenty people. They are all clergyman who work on proselytizing and studying ancient texts. When it comes to politics, the executive power is Guardiana's, while the judiciary and legislative powers are under the priest's authority. It is generally a neutral state, but takes measures to protect the church against oppressive forces.

Throughout history, the priests have gathered previously lost records about the Castle of the Ancients, decoded ancient texts from all over the continent, thus getting closer to the truth on the Ancients and their civilization with their research. The current priest, Kahn, is in the middle of editing a compilation of this research of the past, named "Prehistory of Rune", and it has gathered attention all across Rune as it might shine a light on the mysteries surrounding the Castle of the Ancients. Unfortunately he's already very old, and many lament that there's aren't enough people to continue his research.

-The church is the highlight of Shade, but behind it is a small village, with some cabins offering guidance to travelers in exchange for payment. People heading to Bustoke should pay for the guides here, or they'll get lost in their way.

-Shade's bell rings once in the morning and once in the evening. The morning time is at 6am, and the evening at 6pm. This bell announcing the start and end of the days is of course heard from Rindo, but some claim to hear it all the way back in Alterone some days.

Priest Kern versus Darksol

Darksol disguises himself as the priest, and appear to the protagonist for the first time. Why did he kill the real priest? The current priest, Kahn, knew a man named Darksol was planning to revive Dark Dragon. He intended to tell Guardiana along with all the information the priests had gathered through the ages, but Darksol became aware of this as well.

Around the time the protagonist got the Orb of Light in the Cave of Darkness, Darksol arrived at the church of Shade, and attacked the priest. Kern might have lost, but inflicted deep wounds on Darksol. That's why he fled from the protagonist that time.

Romanization of the priest's name is my own, as Arthur decides to be unhelpful for this one.

also, I`m sure you’ll be shocked to hear that Darksol fighting the priest and getting wounded, plus the priest’s connection to Guardiana’s royal family, are mentioned in the original game and poofed in the translation, only brought back in the GBA version. I have never pointed out such things before.

Bustoke

Population: 800 inhabitants GNP: 2900 gold

Species Ratio:

The territory isn't big, yet the population is bigger than you would imagine. As for the species distribution, since the terrain is all forest, there's a lot of elves. Among the 18% percent of humans, many have mixed blood. ____

A critical point of modernization arrives to the people in the heights

A diverse country at the north of West Rune. Hunters settled mostly in the forest region among the mountains. As the territory was split between many different tribes, small scale conflicts happened time and time again. In the past, many magical beasts lived in the area, making it an extremely dangerous place, but around 500 years ago, a wolfling hero knows as the Young Wolf King (Zylo's ancestor) suppressed the beasts, and founded the country, unifying the tribes.

As the country has many different races, is crucial to have a strong leadership, and the current king Zylo Dunn Munster (meaning "Zylo, king of the mountains" in the region's dialect) rules fiercely, despite allowing his people many freedoms.

Self-suficient hunting is their main economic activity, so there's not much trading, but the marble and obsidian extracted from the southwest are highly valued as construction materials. However their mining skills are low and haven't been very efficient with these extractions, and thus there's a joint venture with the merchant guild of Rindo to develop modern excavation tools. Also, Bustoke strawberries, which were once eaten even by the magical beasts, and are said to taste great in juice, had their numbers dropped drastically due to overconsumption, and nowadays can only be harvested by the royal family, the exportation to other countries being forbidden as well.

The most distinct point of their livelihood is definitely the unique habitations built in the mountain walls. The natives' faith worship the forest, thus it is forbidden to cut tree for lumber, and on top of that there's little plain terrain, so this kind of dwelling naturally came to be. Since they are on great heights, the temperatures are low. Their designs work well for keeping them cool during the summer and warm through the winter, but in other countries some will still badmouth them as "hole people" or "primitives".

-Bustoke is built among the towering cliffs. It is surrounded by forest and quarries, but that environment doesn't seem to bother them at all. From the tallest point of the country, seeing the Pao bridge is a given, but on clear days with no clouds one can see all the way to the Pao plains.

-The famous bungee jumping of Bustoke. When coming of age, one must jump off a precipice held by nothing but a single rope. Is it a ritual done since long ago for boys born in Bustoke. In recent years, tourists have come to enjoy it as well.

Zylo's full name romanization is from the GBA version. Dunn seems to be a real Irish surname, while Munster is a province in Ireland.

Also, the part about Zylo's leadership seems to be describing his as an enlightened despot, which contradicts his bio describing him as merely as overseer. The bio makes more sense to me given how he is free to leave the country for a good while to fight.

Given this series’ obsession with young heroes I figured the title for Zylo’s ancestor is young wolf hero, however! 青 can also mean blue/green, so technically there’s nothing stopping you from picturing a technicolor furry family for Zylo. Do what you will with this information.

[claire-starsword]

Max’s Diary - Chapter 3

[eyerolling warning for a quick mention of sexual harassment, thankfully we only have to deal with this once.]

___

(9) Month of the Blue Deer, Day 19

I need to decide already who I'll leave resting at headquarters. I asked Nova but all he said was "it is you as the leader who should decide". There are three new members, the archer Diane, and the birdpeople Balbaroy and Amon. I decided to leave three people to rest. First is Hans who doesn't like fighting anyway. Diane looks stronger... Then Lowe, accused of touching princess butt, and Arthur of the laundry. The quarry's passages are narrow, so having people who can fly opens up space for fighting. Let Balbaroy and Amon do their best. Though, since it will be a married couple fighting, it would be fun if they had a special attack only married couples can do. Ultimate Marital Attack or something. I wanna try it out.

___

(10) Month of the Blue Deer, Day 25

Zylo, the ruler of Bustoke, has joined us. Seems that's because Otrant of Manarina talked to him. Nice one, Otrant. So I replaced Amon with him. I want to see the true power of a werewolf.

The way from Bustoke to the bridge is mostly forest terrain. Runefaust is here to stop us as usual. This time they came with strong enemies known as Pegasus Knights. But, we have Zylo. Zylo who runs through the forest like it's his backyard. He's so fast it's kind of a problem, as no one can follow. Of course, I also have no clue where Zylo is. I'm an embarrassment as a leader. Can't he come back just for a bit...

___

(11) Month of the Blue Deer, Day 29

A eyeball machine installed at the bridge. That's Runefaust's secret weapon, the Laser Eye. Who knows how they carried it there from the quarry. Before thinking about that stuff let's destroy it. I heard from somewhere that the Laser Eye is fair, and can only attack after counting to ten. Alright, let's charge.

It looked like we could defeat it before the countdown, but we met fierce resistance from the Lizardmen and Pegasus Knights. We can't proceed like this. Just as I thought it was going bad, Laser Eye shot the laser from its eyeball. Everyone over the bridge gets hit. My allies were a given, but even the enemy Silver Knight took damage. It seems the Laser Eye is a weapon that does not discriminate. Man, am I glad there's only one of it.

___

Notes:

No I don't really get the joke on the last doodle, it might just be a sarcastic comment on getting hit often by the Laser Eye, but I might have also missed something.

[claire-starsword]

Bloodline of the Sacred Dragons - Chapter 2-8 & 2-9

A small twig cracked in the campfire.

The sun had already set, and the dark of the night spread around them.

"This is the Manual…"

Bleu had opened the ebony box, and stared at the Manual inside. It was a bunch of semi-transparent slabs, set atop the felt covering the box.

He furrowed his brows slightly at the dread he felt coming from the artifact. It seemed he was the only one feeling such pressure from those crystals, due to being a Sacred Dragon.

The moment he extended his fingers towards it, he felt a shock, as if his soul had been gripped tight, so he pulled away in panic. He shuddered, feeling like his soul could be crushed if he did touch it like that.

He felt that it was not meant to be held. But it felt different from something sacred.

"What's wrong," Karin asked, getting the wrong idea from how he acted, "if you can't take it out, I'll do it."

"Right, thanks," he gave the box to her.

As their hands touched, Karin instinctively noticed his fear. She gave a suspicious glance to the Manual. Its crystal sheets shined beautifully, and she couldn't see anything else to it. She took it out of the box with ease, and held it against the light of the fire.

"How is this called a book?" Zylo asked, tilting his head at the object.

It was more comparable to stone slates than a book. The three rectangular crystal slabs shone in all the colors of the rainbow as they reflected the light in a diffuse way. Maybe that was due to an irregular composition, or due to some unseen pattern carved in them. No one could figure out the exact reason. The only thing clear to all of them was that it was in no way a regular book.

"It looks like my crystals, but the shape and size aren't the same," Randolf said, taking a crystal piece from his pocket for comparison. The Manual was larger than a person's two hands placed together, while his piece was slightly bigger than a nail. It was absurd trying to compare them at all.

"Maybe the crystals and the Manual are pieces of the same material. Even if not, I think they were both created by the ancient gods in similar ways."

Krin had her face almost glued to the Manual, inspecting its surface, clear of any writings, as if about to lick the thing.

"If that's the case, then the Manual might be a key to activate something. Yes. That's likely. Very likely."

Pushing against Krin, Tyrin glued his nose on the Manual.

"Wait, don't put your face all over it. Krin, you too, stop that already."

Looking at how they were troubling Karin, Randolf took the two shameless researchers by the collar and dragged them away from her.

"It is a key, of course. The Manual was one of the keys used to wake Dark Dragon. That said, I wonder if the three sheets are all the same. Or if they're meant for different things," Diane mumbled, as she recalled the times where she fought alongside Bleu and Zylo. Her younger sister, the mage Wendy, was sat by her side.

"They might be different. In Parmecia, there's nothing like Dark Dragon. The Sacred Dragons only need the Manual to stabilize the Power of the Earth going out of control," Camallia answered the elf girl after a while.

"As a key, any door it can close, it can also open. Isn't that true, Krin of Rudo Village?"

"Yes, it's as you say, king of Bustoke. As I've told you in the past, the Manual is a double edged sword with the magical power to both seal and release," she gave everyone the same description she had once found within old records.

"A thing this dangerous must be resealed by us, mages of Manarina, as fast as possible, in the temple of Dragonia."

Camallia turned with a harsh glare to Tyrin at his words.

"Then, what about the Sacred Dragons of Parmecia? What about me and the mission I've come to the land for?"

"No matter the case, you don't have the right to take something of Rune to another land."

"…How close-minded. As a mage seeking the golden rule of this world, is this how you deal with such matters?"

"I like to believe we act with wisdom," Tyrin frowned, offended.

"Being wise by yourself in your own little world, is there any meaning to that?" Camallia retorted, not taking a single step back.

Sitting next to Karin, Randolf made a face as if saying "what a big mess this is".

"I'm in agreement with Camallia on this matter. We shouldn't abandon people in need."

Karna joined the conversation with an unusually serious face. No matter what anyone said, she was an exemplary priest.

"In the end, priests are too focused on their doctrine. They should look upon matters objectively like us, mages."

Tyrin gave a look to Krin and Wendy, seeking agreement from them.

"That's right. So speaking objectively, we should let Bleu decide what to do next with this Manual."

Krin's suggestion was not at all what Tyrin expected.

Everyone stared at Bleu, who had been quiet with a troubled face, and at the Manual in Karin's hands.

"You're unlucky, huh, Bleu? To get this troublesome thing pushed on you," Diane said without any sympathy or attempt to comfort him.

"That's not it, Diane," Zylo corrected her. "It is not being pushed on him. He's being trusted to deal with it. As a Sacred Dragon, the Manual is his heritage."

Bleu raised his head to look at Zylo.

'What should I do?' This plea for help was on the tip of his tongue.

Zylo saw through him, and stopped him before the words could come out.

"You have to decide it by yourself. It is your responsibility. No one can push their will onto you."

Bleu was troubled. But, no matter how much he fretted about it, he couldn't find an answer, a light on the end of that deep tunnel.

As a Sacred Dragon, should he seal to Manual to protect it, as per their ancient duty? Or should he risk it in the journey to Parmecia to save his kind? Or maybe destroying it right there was the correct choice.

After all, what did it mean to be a Sacred Dragon? Bleu couldn't even figure that out. Should a Sacred Dragon be someone capable of making these heavy choices? Of standing above the people and deciding everything?

The determination he had found before to cross to Parmecia had crumbled once he got here.

He felt that deciding things by himself was very risky.

If the Manual was stolen by monsters, destruction would befall the world. The only way to perfectly avoid that was to abandon his kind.

The truth is, it was possible to save the Sacred Dragons and then seal the Manual after that. However, that would require something from him. He would have to protect the Manual from all the devils…

Bleu had not found enough confidence in himself to do so.

Without help from the others, he hadn't even been able to protect Karin.

"Bleu…"

Karin understood his pain so much it hurt.

"Don't decide this as what a Sacred Dragon should do, but as yourself. Because before being a dragon, you are Bleu. I believe in you."

Zylo nodded deeply at Karin's words.

"I also trust you, that's why I'm leaving it all in your hands. You should trust your allies more as well. The reason one hero was able to seal Dark Dragon in the past is because he had many people by his side. By himself, he wouldn't have been able to do anything. When many people join forces, their power shine brighter. That is why we became known as the Shining Force."

Diane agreed with him.

Bleu looked back fondly at the times he fought alongside those two. Besides them there was Gort, and Alef, and so many other companions. And now too, he found himself surrounded by many allies. Finally, he thought back on the Silver Dragon's deep blue eyes. More people had been waiting for him far too long, beyond the ocean.

"That's right, if you put your faith in people, you can also ask them for help. You should rely on others, us, more often."

Krin's words hit the mark. Yes, to not rely on others was the same as not trusting them.

"Let's go to Uranbatol…" he declared, "we'll defeat the beasts in the coast, and cross the ocean to Parmecia."

Some breathed in relief, some nodded in silence, some made troubled faces, there were all kinds of conflicted reactions. But no one objected. The way ahead had been decided.

Tyrin still raised another small issue, but was reassured once Zylo told him he'd send a messenger to Otrant to communicate the situation.

"We'll return to Bustoke tomorrow. We came here pursuing the devils that had suddenly invaded, and ended up too far from our country. We cannot leave it empty like in the past. We also have to escort back the injured party from Manarina that we rescued."

Hearing that from Zylo, Krin knocked her hands together in realization.

"Being pursued by the forces of Bustoke, the devils hastened their pace. That's why we encountered them sooner than we expected."

"In the end, it turned out well for us. But, we can't let our guard down yet. We will search the region for monsters before heading back, but it might be difficult to get them out of hiding. Until you reach the Pao Plains, take Wendy with you for more protection."

The lively elf girl introduced herself to the group.

"Let's place a simple seal on the Manual to protect it along the way."

By her suggestion, the three mages prepared to seal the ebony box with the Manual.

The seal of Coeurl van Coeur.

It was classified as a simple seal. However, its strength could be increased depending on the materials used. The greatest one was dragon blood. In that case, it could also be called the Dragon Blood Crystal seal.

With Camallia and everyone else watching, the sealing ritual began.

Wendy took several drops of blood from Bleu, and inscribed the seal on the ebony box. She, Krin and Tyrin created enchanted chains with the Sacred Dragon blood, wrapping them around the box.

"With this, this box cannot be opened until it receives your blood again. Someone could still get to the Manual by destroying the box, but they'd be risking destroying the Manual itself with an attack like that."

Three blood stains marked the box, shining like small garnets. Wendy picked the box up and gave it to Bleu.

Feeding more twigs to the bonfire, the group heading to Pao Plains went to sleep.

"Will it be okay, letting just them go ahead?" Diane asked Zylo when switch night-watch turns with him. "I'm wondering about that devil, the one the priest called Ziduur."

"He was wounded, so he shouldn't strike again too soon. In the off chance he does, Wendy will be with them so there isn't much need to worry. Or, maybe you're itching to go with them too?" Zylo laughed knowingly.

"Oh, who knows?" She played dumb.

"We left Stetra and old Kokichi taking care of Bustoke, but we can't leave the country for any longer than this. Besides, if they didn't ask for our help, we shouldn't interfere. They have made their own decisions and will see them through by themselves. This is Bleu's journey, not ours. It's frustrating, but we don't have a reason to be in this new Shining Force this time. Besides, you still have a lot of things to do back in Bustoke."

"Please go a little easy on me, Lord Zylo."

Excusing herself gently, she left back to her own spot.

***9***

Bleu woke up in the middle of the night, and looked over all his companions sleeping around him.

They all had very different views, yet had placed their trust in him. He had to protect them.

Camallia had said it once. Sacred Dragons are the ultimate guardians.

In that case, what should he protect? It shouldn't be just the Manual, like his race had done so far.

But the Manual was back now.

Bleu took a look at Karin's face, sound asleep under his wing.

It should be his responsibility to protect her. But, if one day he had to choose between the two…

As a Sacred Dragon, and as Bleu, which one would he pick?

The black of the box in Karin's hands was as frightening to him as the darkness of the night.

>To Chapter 3

Translation notes:

As far as I can tell, "Golden Rule" as it's written in Camallia's line refers to the ethical principle of treating others as one wishes to be treated. But the way she says mages seek this rule of the world makes it feel more like some natural principle. I feel like I might be missing something in that conversation, but after days mulling it over I couldn't figure anything out, so i stuck as close as possible to the literal wording.

Karna uses the very formal pronoun "watakushi" when supporting Camallia, something she didn't even in the last time she got serious and formal about her convictions (before entering the dwarves' passage). She's really putting as much weight as she can on her decision here.

Again, the novel avoids using Max's name. I felt it didn't flow too bad here though since he's used as kind of an example only, so i kept the wording this time.

Would a japanese translation truly be complete without discussing the word 仲間 (nakama)? Of course not. If you have never read a shonen manga before, first of all good for you, and second, nakama is a very loose word that can refer to people in the same group, activity, or even just some category, like family or such. This means Bleu uses the same word to refer to his old allies, his current ones, and the dragons of Parmecia, since they are fellows of the same race. I could not find a way to keep the same wording so that paragraph is not as fun, but hopefully the meaning still came across.

I don't know why the author highlights Alef and Gort of all people. Alef and Torasu are some of the first members to join the force after Bleu, so that might be it, but I see no connection between him and Gort. I legit wonder if the author meant Torasu instead. But that's just speculation on a very short line.

The seal name. Boy was this a headache. "Couer" is "heart" in french, which makes sense for a blood based seal. Meanwhile, Couerl is... the name of a cat-like SF species, also used in Final Fantasy and the inspiration for D&D's Displacer Beasts. That, doesn't sound like it should be here, but I could not find another reading for that katakana, and maybe it's just meant to be similar words?? god knows what the "van" is doing here too, i'm been wrestling this name for two days, i'm just tired at this point, it's phoneme soup.

Stetra is the medicine expert that makes Lunar Dew for Zylo in the game. I think the english version doesn't name him, so now you know.

Kokichi being mentioned here contradicts the guide book epilogue where he went to live in Rindo instead. Between this and Earnest it's clear the novel did not consider that guide book for anything.

[claire-starsword]

Bloodline of the Sacred Dragons - Chapter 3-1

Chapter 3: Wind and Light crossing the plains

The Pao Plains were wide plains in the northeast of West Rune.

In this land lived tribes of nomads scattered about with no fixed settlement. The name "Pao" was a word for their tents, shaped like upside-down spinning tops. They lived moving around with the seasons, much like the cream-colored flowers blooming through the plains.

But there was a big difference between the largest tribe in Pao Plains and the other, smaller tribes.

That tribe moved through the plains from west to east periodically with a giant machine, the Pao Train. It carved deep wheel tracks with its overwhelming size while serving as a merchant caravan, crossing the ocean of grass. That was a scenario only possible in those wide plains.

Bleu's group had arrived at the Pao Train. It was stopped at the western edge of the plains, full of shops lined up, selling ornaments and food and more from the east. While having their attention constantly grabbed by the tents of the foreign bazaar they weren't used to, the group headed to the car spearheading the train, where the queen was.

Armed soldiers stood guard by the entrance of the car.

Bleu and Wendy presented to them letters addressed to the queen. The two letters carried the signatures of Otrant of Manarina and Zylo of Bustoke.

After waiting for a while, an aide of the queen welcomed them in.

The soldiers who came accompanying Wendy waited outside. Of the people following Bleu though, not a single one stood outside quietly. They all followed him inside as if it was the natural thing to do.

The inside of the train had an atmosphere much like that of the dwarves' secret passage. The walls and floor were made of metal, and a light with no warmth shone from the ceiling. Two long tubes of different widths ran through the car's sides, connecting with the other cars.

The group walked with composure through the wide corridor, where doors to compartments of all sizes were spread out neatly.

Guided by the aide, they arrived at the doors to the room where Queen Koron awaited.

"I've brought the people of the Shining Force."

As if answering to their words, the doors slid to the sides on their own.

Though it was due to Bleu being there, all the others felt strange about being referred to as the Shining Force.

With her back turned to two mysterious shining pillars, Queen Koron sat quietly at her throne. Her young face was both calm and grave, and her voice was clear.

After a couple of questions about the content of the letters, she gladly allowed them to stay.

"Why would I deny a request from the Shining Force? We will be departing tomorrow, and taking you along to Uranbatol."

Bleu expressed his gratitude to her. Looking at his face, she seemed confused all of a sudden.

"Sir Bleu, is anything troubling you perhaps?"

He took a while to answer. "No. It's nothing…"

"If anything is making you anxious, I can give some small counsel."

"Bleu, Her Majesty is also a prophet. It wouldn't hurt to take up on her offer," Krin suggested.

"Though I don't know how much my words will help you. It's best if I am frank about this. Because my predictions do not decide the future, they merely point out a path to be taken."

She smiled humbly. It was a warm smile that melted away Bleu's tension.

"Then, I'd be honored," he asked while bowing his head to her.

Nodding slowly, Koron got up. Her skirt rolled out in waves from how it stood over the throne. Her arms spread out to the sides. The light shining behind her made shadows dance over her lavender dress as if it was a screen.

She raised both hands to her head. Her pale arms became exposed up to the shoulders. Her hair, scarlet like fire, waved slightly over her shoulders, back and chest. Finally, as if grasping something, she slowly brought her arms down. Still as if holding something, she placed both hands gently over her heart.

"Young Sacred Dragon…" With closed eyes, she began to speak, "if your heart is lost in the east, turn your eyes to the north. Your bonds are not to be severed. One of closed eyes and open mind might be of great help to you. At the end, you will find the true form of what binds down your heart. Something ancient will be lost, and at last you shall find your true manual. A new bloodline will start from there."

With her eyes still closed, Koron turned her head to Karin.

"Maiden with a noble heart, your determination will save many things, and then might save one more."

She then slowly turned to everyone else.

"You who follow the Sacred Dragon in his journey, time will save you from the flames, and in one time flames left unextinguished will save you. Within the flames, you'll find the book that should be burned. Unbreakable harmony will call forth the Shining Dragon."

Koron finished her speech, and opened her eyes again. But, she squinted at if facing a bright light. Her eyes suddenly stopped at Camallia. As the priest somewhat met her gaze in response, Koron said nothing.

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I'll take these words to heart."

Feeling that Koron was tired, Bleu decided to leave for now. He was struggling a lot to understand the meaning of her predictions, but figured he could take his time to unravel them.

He and the others excused themselves, and the queen asked an aide to give them a tour of the Pao Train.

As they bowed to her and left in order, Camallia felt eyes on her and stopped.

She turned around and questioned Koron, who didn't answer at first.

Saying that they would go on ahead, Karin closed the door.

"Do you need anything of me, Your Majesty?" Camallia asked courteously.

"Maiden of a foreign land, there is something I want to ask you," Koron said with a grave voice. The tubes of light behind her grew brighter, and Camallia narrowed her eyes, dazzled by them.

"Proud maiden, this pride of yours, who is it for?"

Her question rang through the room.

"My pride is for my own sake, and also, for those I love and respect."

Camallia answered with unwavering confidence.

"Then, swear on that pride, that you won't follow through with things you don't believe are right."

"…I swear."

While answering, Camallia wondered how far had this prophet seen through her.

"To them, you are someone very important. I hope that they too become important to you. Until the day you take back your true form, learn what you must learn, maiden of a distant world."

"Is that all?" Camallia asked in return.

She showed with her gaze how there were only the two of them currently in the room.

"Will that be all?" She asked again, and Koron gently nodded.

"How will you answer to the trust placed upon you?"

Koron threw the honest question at the girl in front of her. Camallia was forced to recognize who was included or not in those words. Her gaze went to the queen. Suddenly, she understood. Koron was using that person's eyes to look into that person's own mind.

"…I'll trust him."

Camallia bowed deeply to Koron.

"Please excuse me, Your Majesty."

With that bow, she left the room.

>To next part

Translation notes:

Yes, "pao" (包) is tent/yurt in japanese. Somehow I hadn't learned this one yet.

The color of the flowers in the plains is actually given as "bisque", which i did not know was a color, and at least six people agree with me that it isn't very well known. Japanese readers have the advantage of looking at the kanji and getting hints that it is a light orange/brown, so i changed to a more well known "cream" to allow english readers to also get by without stuffing their noses on a dictionary. That delight is mine only.

In case you didn't know or remember, because I always forget, there's art of Koron in the game's manual:

As you can see she was already good with the lightworks. The game says that she sees the future by reading the minds of the Pao Pigs they raise. I'm not sure that's what the novel was going for since it seemed something she did by herself, but who is to say. Also, the novel apparently extrapolated her psychic abilities, as she read the mind of someone else related to Camallia.

She's also brown-haired in the illustration as opposed to a redhead, but her sprite in game (shared with Karin and Krin) does have red hair.

Curiously, she would also get scarlet hair in the GBA version:

[claire-starsword]

this took seven conversations but you know what, worth it. go you beautiful edgy wolfman

[claire-starsword]

Shining Force RoDD wallpapers from a backup of the Shining World website.