Morning Star Banquet/Story

Main Story

Morning Star Banquet

Gob contacted the Adversary and asked them to meet him inside Tirnog, explaining that the Primacy had important information to share with them before they headed out for their next mission. The Adversary traveled to Gob's hideout, where the Primacy greeted them and noted that it had been a while. Iker then skipped to the point and asked the Adversary whether they wanted to infiltrate Gerand Darmoor's villa with the Primacy. At the Adversary's confusion, Khafdi explained that the High Flora capital of Aboris held the Morning Star Banquet at the God-King's villa to celebrate the new year. He added that though Darmoor himself disliked the banquets and never attended, many of his subordinates did. As the Apostles would be attending the upcoming banquet, Khafdi believed that it was a good opportunity to gather information about Darmoor and his Apostles. He explained that the Primacy had already managed to steal several invitations to the banquet and offered one to the Adversary so that they could infiltrate the event as well. The Adversary noted that infiltrating the banquet sounded quite dangerous, to which Khafdi replied that it wasn't as dangerous as they were thinking, as the sheer scale of the event meant that there would be more holes in security. He also added that the High Flora's arrogance meant that they would never expect anyone to dare move against them in their own capital, especially since the banquet would also be attended by other races under High Flora subjugation.

The Adversary asked whether the Primacy was also planning to infiltrate the banquet, which Khafdi confirmed, explaining that many of its members had faces unknown to the High Flora, and that the Adversary might be able to rendezvous with them at the event. The Adversary then asked Khafdi why they were making such an offer, to which he explained that the Primacy had decided that working with the Alliance was in their best interest, adding that after having seen their skills for himself, he was certain that they would be able to fight their way out on their own in the worst case. He also noted that even if the mission were to fail, the success of even one person would make the outcome worthwhile. Though the Adversary thought to themselves that it sounded like a good opportunity to learn more about the Apostles, they nevertheless pointed out that their own face was highly recognizable to the enemy, which would make infiltration difficult. Gob then reassured the Adversary that the special illusionary device which he had made would create the perfect disguise for them, explaining that the illusion would fit over them like clothing, making it so that anyone who saw them would instead see a completely different person. As he had built the device in a completely unique way, he assured them that not even the best mages or engineers would be able to detect it. Though he admitted that a Transcendent like Darmoor might be able to see through it, he added that it wouldn't make a difference, as Darmoor wouldn't be attending the banquet anyway. However, he warned the Adversary that the disguise only hid their appearance, and that using their abilities would instantly get them caught.

Gob then asked the Adversary whether they would help the Primacy out on the mission, adding that he would install the device right away if they agreed. As the Adversary paused to consider it, Iker told them that he didn't care if they refused as long as they made a decision quickly, as the banquet would begin very soon. Thinking it over, the Adversary realized that agreeing to join the mission would give them a chance to infiltrate Aboris, a place which they had never been to before. The Adversary also realized that they had a chance to get close to the Apostles, which was too great an opportunity to miss. They noted to themselves that Gob's illusory device had been created with Ancient God technology, and with Gob's engineering skills earning him the nickname “Hand of God”, the Adversary decided to trust in the mission and agreed to work with the Primacy. Ailene nodded approvingly at their decision and noted that even though they were enemies, she wouldn't expect them to simply back down like a coward. As Gob set to work on installing the device, Khafdi asked him to provide the Adversary with a communicator so that they could stay in touch during the mission.

The Apostle Meeting

Soon after, the Apostles began arriving at the banquet in Aboris. Reina began climbing up the steps to the villa, where she encountered the other Apostles attending – Havoc, Limbo, Ypsilon, Baldrix, and Ressa. Ressa greeted Reina and noted that it had been a while, adding that her arrival meant that everyone was now here. Limbo snidely remarked on Reina's tardiness, noting that she seemed quite arrogant just for having successfully completed a single mission. Reina coolly retorted that it was better than failing a mission, causing Limbo to fume in embarrassment. Ypsilon then asked whether none of the other Apostles were coming, to which Ressa explained that the others regrettably couldn't attend, as they were busy with their own missions. Havoc demanded to know why Asha and Darmoor weren't coming, noting how ridiculous the situation was. At Havoc's insolent outburst, Ypsilon immediately gave him an austere look as Baldrix warned him to speak about the God-King with respect. Havoc grinned and noted that he had always wanted to fight Baldrix and wondered whether he should do it now before laughing and claiming that it had just been a joke, though he warned Baldrix to be careful.

Ressa then defused the situation by explaining that since the God-King didn't attend such banquets, he – as the God-King's messenger – had come in Darmoor's stead. At Ressa's words, Havoc asked why the God-King had summoned the Apostles to a New Year's banquet that he himself wasn't even attending, noting that Darmoor must have something important to convey. Upon seeing Limbo's discomfort at Darmoor's absence, Ressa laughed and assured him that he didn't think that Darmoor would blame him for his failure at Carcion. Limbo laughed sheepishly and noted that the God-King was merciful as expected, to which Ypsilon cut in and replied that he had no time for useless discussion before demanding to know what Darmoor wished to convey. Baldrix then revealed that it was time to accelerate the great plan, to which a surprised Reina and Ypsilon asked whether Darmoor intended to begin the great culling even sooner. Ressa replied that since the Vessel was being completed faster than anticipated, there was no need to delay any further. He added that it was all Darmoor's will, and that he had come to convey the God-King's next orders.

Infiltrating the Banquet

Meanwhile, the Adversary arrived at the God-King's villa in Aboris, having enabled Gob's illusory device. The Adversary then began wondering whether Gob's device was working properly, as they hadn't noticed any change in their appearance. Just then, Gob spoke to them through the communicator and assured them that the device was working fine, explaining that he had configured it so that they wouldn't be able to see their disguised appearance, as it would make things difficult if the device prevented them from checking on their condition in the event that they got hurt. Just as he offered to explain in more detail, Khafdi told him that now wasn't the time for him to be spouting off his theories, to which Gob told the Adversary that he would be more than interested in discussing it later inside Tirnog. Nevertheless, he reassured them once again that the device was working just fine. Gob explained that to others, they would appear as a High Flora commoner, and that their low status in the High Flora caste system meant that they would be able to pull off their cover as a servant in the banquet hall. However, he warned them that he hadn't changed their voice, for which he cautioned them to change the way they spoke as much possible in order to maintain their cover.

Khafdi added that to the high-ranking High Flora, servants were little more than objects, which would afford them mobility to watch the Apostles as long as nobody suspected them. He explained that there were currently six Apostles at the banquet – Havoc, Reina, Ypsilon, Limbo, Baldrix, and Ressa. The Adversary asked in confusion who Ressa was, to which Khafdi explained that Ressa was a prestigious human who had risen through the ranks to become an Apostle. However, he then reminded the Adversary that they had no more time to waste, for which he tasked them with entering the central garden where the banquet was being held. The Adversary entered the enormous banquet hall, where they immediately spotted the six Apostles, noting that the brown-haired human must be Ressa. Just as they prepared to approach the Apostles, however, the Head Servant called them over, causing the Adversary to fear that their cover had been blown. The Head Servant asked them whether they were a new attendant, as he had never seen their face before. As the Adversary began wondering whether he had seen their true face, the Head Servant merely laughed and noted approvingly that their appearance would elevate the class of the banquet.

The Adversary was relieved that they hadn't gotten caught, to which the Head Servant decided to give them a special mission. He pointed out the Apostles, noting their strength and aura, and asked the Adversary whether they seemed upset. He explained that since they were new, they likely wouldn't know, and so he told them that it was imperative that they keep an eye on the Apostles' moods, revealing that the entire villa could be destroyed if the Apostles were to get upset. At the Adversary's confusion, the Head Servant told them that according to rumor, some of the Apostles weren't on good terms with each other. He then confirmed that not only was the rumor true, but that it was also a severe understatement, as the Apostles weren't just on bad terms, but outright aggressive with each other. The Head Servant explained that at the last Morning Star Banquet, the palace's rear garden had been completely destroyed, and that a statue had been broken the year before. As he trailed off thinking about the many years' worth of damage, the alarmed Adversary asked the Head Servant whether such a thing was okay. The Head Servant explained that normally, not even the Apostles themselves would dare to behave in such a way in front of the God-King, though he added that since the God-King rarely attended the banquets, they couldn't count on the Apostles' good behavior. He revealed that they couldn't afford to destroy such a beautiful villa this time, and that they especially couldn't risk destroying the garden, which had been tended to by "her". Because of this, he told the Adversary that they needed to keep an eye on the Apostles and do whatever they could in the event that a fight broke out.

The Adversary asked whether they should break up the fight, to which a shocked Head Servant retorted that common people like them could never hope to break up a fight between the Apostles. He explained that their main focus needed to be on saving the expensive items in the villa first, and to minimize the damage wherever possible. He then told the Adversary that in order to do so, the most important thing was to check on the Apostles' moods regularly. The Adversary asked the Head Servant what the special mission he had mentioned was, to which he revealed that he was tasking them with monitoring the Apostles, as their good looks would help tremendously in that regard. Though the Adversary wondered how their appearance mattered for such a thing, the Head Servant told them to check on the Apostles and report back to him on whether any of them were upset. Realizing that it was a good opportunity to get information on the Apostles, the Adversary agreed to the Head Servant's request before heading over to check on Reina.

Checking On the Apostles

Reina

The Adversary noted that Reina had no expression on her face, meaning that it would be difficult to know how she was feeling. Just then, they observed Reina wincing in great pain before she turned and noticed the Adversary. Reina approached them and asked them whether they were a servant of the villa before ordering them to pass on a message to her adjutant, Lystor. She instructed them to inform him that she had received her orders, and that she would go in first, while he was to stay and observe the situation further. After she walked away, the Adversary began wondering what she meant by ‘going in first', though they realized that it likely didn't matter, as Darmoor wasn't present anyway. However, they noted that Reina had winced and wondered whether she was in some sort of pain.

Limbo

After observing Reina, the Adversary decided to observe Limbo. They noticed that Limbo was sweating and appeared to be quite anxious, causing them to wonder whether something was going on. Just then, Limbo called them over and noted that since they were a servant, they would know whether Darmoor would be attending the banquet or not. He ordered them to tell him quickly, to which the Adversary hesitantly confirmed that they knew. An impatient Limbo anxiously snapped at them to give them a straight answer as to whether he would be attending the banquet at all, even for a short while. When the Adversary was unable to give him a direct answer, however, Limbo sent them away, seething that a servant wouldn't know such a thing. As the Adversary walked off, Limbo began speaking aloud to himself, noting that while there was no reason to stay if Darmoor wouldn't be attending, he would also be standing out unnecessarily if he were to leave and Darmoor arrived later. He fretted over what to do, as he needed to quietly get through his next mission, praying that his failure at Carcion would be forgotten if he performed well. As he continued muttering anxiously, the Adversary noted to themselves that Limbo seemed quite worried about being held accountable for his colossal failure.

Ypsilon

As there was no further information that they could get out of overhearing him, the Adversary decided to check on Ypsilon's mood next. As they observed Ypsilon from a distance, the Adversary was surprised to see him turn and approach them. Ypsilon asked them whether they were the servant who had spoken to Reina earlier before demanding to know where she had gone. The Adversary explained that Reina had gone ahead first, to which Ypsilon asked whether she had gone alone. The Adversary explained that she had ordered Lystor to stay, causing an intrigued Ypsilon to note that it was quite interesting, adding that even if the God-King wasn't attending, it was still quite rude to leave the banquet early. He then began wondering with amusement whether Reina had left early because of the "side effects" before dismissing the Adversary. After Ypsilon walked away, the Adversary noted to themselves that Ypsilon had noticed Reina's conditions, though he hadn't appeared particularly friendly to her, which seemed to confirm the Head Servant's belief that the Apostles weren't getting along with each other.

Havoc

They then decided to check up on Havoc's condition, watching him speak with his adjutant Avril. Avril asked Havoc whether the meeting had gone well, to which Havoc scoffed and retorted that it could hardly be called a meeting so much as an order being passed down as usual. Avril noted that he seemed rather pleased about it regardless, to which he admitted that the order wasn't bad, and that it was actually quite fun. He explained that as someone who hailed from a world on the precipice of annihilation, he couldn't understand Darmoor's reasoning behind his orders, though he added that since Grandis wasn't his world, he couldn't care less about it. At Havoc's word, Avril admitted that she was worried about what kind of mission it was, to which Havoc promised her that he would give her the results that they deserved. The Adversary immediately had a terrible feeling upon hearing about Havoc's mission, though they realized that they wouldn't get any more information now that Havoc and Avril had stopped talking. Instead, they decided to take a step back and look around the banquet hall.

Ressa

They soon came across Ressa and realized that he was the Apostle that Khafdi had been talking about. Ressa noticed the Adversary staring at him and approached them before staring at them intently. The Adversary began wondering why he was looking at them when Ressa asked them whether they were a servant of the villa, noting that he was surprised to see a face which he couldn't recognize. He asked them whether they had been newly-hired for the banquet, adding that it wasn't that strange, as they often hired short-term employees for such large events. He then noted that he didn't know the faces of all the palace servants to begin with, to which the Adversary began laughing awkwardly. Ressa then pointed out that he had been watching them going around and speaking with the Apostles for some time before asking whether it was his turn now. The Adversary hesitantly began explaining the task which the Head Servant had given them, to which Ressa replied that he had been thinking that they had been trying to do research on the Apostles.

At the Adversary's surprised expression, Ressa added that he didn't mind doing some research of his own. He then began wondering aloud to the nervous Adversary, listing off the Primacy, the Alliance, adding that perhaps there was some other party to consider as well. He remarked that none of them were worth Darmoor's attention except for perhaps the Adversary themselves, though he added that not even they would be able to interfere with the next plan before laughing and asking the Adversary whether they agreed. Upon seeing the Adversary's nervous expression, Ressa apologized and explained that a common servant wouldn't have any idea what he was talking about. He then asked them to continue with their work, noting that since they were checking up on the Apostles, Baldrix was in the outer garden. After Ressa walked away, the Adversary though to themselves that Ressa was very hard to read, causing them to hope that he hadn't discovered their true identity and simply left them alone.

Baldrix

Though they wondered whether they ought to retreat, they quickly realized that running away would make them look even more suspicious, for which they decided to check up on Baldrix like Ressa had said. Baldrix noticed the Adversary approaching and told them to do as they pleased if they wished to look around the garden. He explained that he had left the villa because he wasn't interested in banquets, adding that it was also quite rare to find such a beautiful garden. However, he warned them not to pick any of the flowers, explaining that the gardener who tended to the garden hated seeing her flowers ruined. After he turned away, the Adversary realized that Baldrix had gone completely silent, for which they decided that they wouldn't be able to get any information out of him. Instead, they mentally summarized everything they had learned, recalling how Reina had appeared injured, Limbo had been anxious about being reprimanded for failing his mission, Ypsilon hadn't been on good terms with Reina, Havoc had been given new orders, Ressa had been suspicious of them, and Baldrix hadn't given them any useful information. Having gained much to go on, the Adversary decided to continue watching the banquet.

Meeting Khafdi

Soon after they returned back to the villa, a handsome High Flora servant came up them and softly spoke that they seemed quite busy before asking whether they had gotten any information on the Apostles so far. At the Adversary's shocked expression, the servant warned them to remain discreet, explaining that just as he had said, the Primacy had been planning to sneak into the banquet as well. Realizing that the servant was Khafdi, the Adversary asked him whether he was also using Gob's device, to which Khafdi explained that he was actually presenting himself in his real form. Upon seeing the Adversary's surprise, Khafdi revealed that not all High Flora followed Darmoor, and that there were definitely others like him. The Adversary asked Khafdi how he had recognized them, to which he explained that he was the one who had kidnapped the servant whom they were disguised as in the first place. He revealed that the Primacy's original plan had been for Ailene to use the disguise if they had refused the mission, though he admitted that it was fortunate that they had agreed, as Ailene had no talent for acting. He explained that he had been planning to infiltrate the banquet in his true form from the beginning, adding that being a High Flora came in handy during such situations. Khafdi told the Adversary approvingly that they seemed to have adapted well, as he had been worried that the servant's good-looking appearance would have stood out too much. He then asked them to share the information which they had obtained on the Apostles later on.

Rising Tensions

As the banquet continued, the Head Servant called the Adversary over urgently and asked them what the Apostles' moods were. He was relieved when the Adversary reported that everything was going smoothly, noting that some of the Apostles had already left. Just then, however, he noticed that the atmosphere had gotten extremely tense and began worrying that a fight had broken out. The pair rushed over to find Veronica confronting Ressa, laughing disparagingly that she had thought she had smelled something foul, adding that it was because of the ‘lowly human' in the banquet hall. However, Ressa ignored her jibes and instead greeted her respectfully. He noted that she was the Vice Captain of the Knights of the Einherjar and added that it had been a while since he had seen her. He explained that he had heard about the hard time she'd had in Tallahart and asked her whether she was feeling okay. Veronica snapped at him to save his words, declaring that she wasn't weak enough that she needed a human to be concerned about her. She then demanded to know why he had come this time, to which Ressa replied that it would be difficult for him to talk about it to someone who wasn't an Apostle, as his mission was to only convey the God-King's will to the Apostles alone. However, he added that he was certain that Baldrix would relay Darmoor's message to her whenever he deemed it appropriate.

As he turned to leave, Veronica reminded him about Kaling's fate, noting how Kaling had been arrogant enough to become an Apostle, despite not being a High Flora, and that she had met a fool's fate after being cast aside by the God-King once she was no longer useful. She warned Ressa to be careful, claiming that he'd fall straight to the bottom if he insisted on seating himself in a position that a human like him didn't deserve. At Veronica's words, Ressa – whose eyes were normally closed in a bright smile – opened them as he thanked her pleasantly for her advice. He then asked her whether he could give her some advice of his own in return. He told Veronica that he knew that she believed that Kaling's empty seat would be hers, adding that becoming an Apostle wouldn't be so easy, as she wasn't as useful as she believed herself to be. A furious Veronica opened her wings and floated in the air before declaring that even if she were to kill him at the God-King's banquet, Darmoor wouldn't mind at all if it resulted in the death of a lowly human. Suddenly, Ressa began radiating bright blue energy as he noted that he wouldn't die so easily. As tensions continued to rise, the Head Servant began panicking over the idea of the villa being destroyed, while the Adversary wondered whether it would be best for them to retreat if a fight were to break out.

The Head Servant then noticed Avril watching from a distance and begged her to stop Veronica and Ressa's fight. A surprised Avril asked him why he was asking her, to which the Head Servant pointed out that she had once been part of the Knights of the Einherjar, and that she knew Veronica personally as well. At Avril's hesitation, the Head Servant promised not to charge her for the railing that Havoc had destroyed if she were to help him. Reluctantly, Avril agreed and approached Veronica before calling at her to stand down. Veronica noticed Avril and angrily noted that she had first become an adjutant to a demon, and that she was now taking the side of a human. Avril quickly told Veronica that she wasn't taking Ressa's side, and that she had only come to tell her that fighting with humans wasn't befitting of a Vice Captain of the glorious Knights of the Einherjar. She noted that Veronica wasn't fighting in a Syaman duel, and that there was no need to fight humans in such a public place, adding that she would handle things. After considering Avril's words, Veronica stood down before telling Ressa that he was lucky, and that things wouldn't turn out the same way next time. Ressa then dissipated his blue magic before Veronica turned and stormed off.

As Veronica left, Avril apologized to Ressa for cutting in, explaining that she hadn't thought that it was a good idea for things to escalate further. Ressa replied that he was the one who should be sorry, as he had made a scene for nothing. He then told Avril to continue enjoying the banquet before heading off, with the Head Servant expressing his relief that Avril had resolved the situation peacefully. He then admitted that he never wanted to hold a banquet again, claiming that his heart couldn't take any more. However, he told the Adversary that they couldn't let their guards down, as the banquet wasn't over yet, and that there were other dangers besides the Apostles. He explained that the Apostles had come early for the banquet because of the meeting, and that their adjutants had come late, with the exception of Lystor, who had come in with Reina. As he believed that Lystor wouldn't cause any trouble, he told the Adversary to check on the only other attending adjutants – Veronica, Avril, and Albaire – adding that he trusted them to see it through.

Checking on the Adjutants

Lystor

As the Adversary continued working undercover at the banquet, they were soon approached by Lystor. Lystor asked them whether they were a servant of the villa before asking where Reina was. The Adversary noted that Lystor appeared to be looking for Reina with haste, for which they passed on Reina's message to him, explaining that she had gone ahead to carry out her mission first. A worried Lystor asked them whether Reina had appeared healthy before dismissing his question upon realizing that he would see for himself once he met her. As he prepared to go after her, the Adversary told him that Reina had ordered for him to stay behind and monitor the situation. Though Lystor was uncomfortable with his orders, he nevertheless thanked the Adversary for telling him before turning away. The Adversary noted to themselves that Lystor seemed worried about Reina, and that it was clear that she wasn't feeling well. Though they couldn't know for certain why it was, they realized that if an Apostle could be weakened, even by a small amount, it was something worth keeping in mind.

Veronica

Though the Adversary noted to themselves that they had gained the Head Servant's trust without even meaning to, they believed that it was a good opportunity to get information from the adjutants on top of the Apostles, for which they decided to learn more by observing Veronica. The Adversary began overhearing Veronica seething aloud why Darmoor brought in lower races like humans and demons, granting them higher positions over the High Flora on top of everything. Looking to a nervous Limbo in the distance, Veronica wondered whether losers like Limbo, who were High Flora but still failed their missions, had lowered Darmoor's standards in his own race. She then declared that it would be better to purge those who brought dishonor to the High Flora alongside the other races, noting that she would deliver much better results than them before storming off. Her words caused the Adversary to wonder whether Veronica was hoping to attain the position of Apostle.

Avril

Having gotten some information by watching her, the Adversary traveled to the outdoor garden, where they found Avril sitting quietly. Avril noticed the Adversary and called them over before asking what the atmosphere of the banquet was now. After learning that Veronica had already left, Avril breathed a sigh of relief. She explained that she could barely handle dealing with Havoc, and that she had no desire to take on any more. She then explained that even if she had once been a Knight of the Einherjar, she hadn't been particularly close with Veronica, which made her wonder why she had intervened.

Albaire

After Avril walked away, the Adversary noted that she seemed tired from breaking up the fight, for which they decided to instead move on and meet with Albaire. From a distance, the Adversary overheard Albaire noting how they had just received new orders at such a time, and that the sheer number of Apostles gathered together meant that it had to be major. He then began wondering aloud where the High Flora were going, causing the Adversary to realize that Albaire was questioning the current situation. With even the High Flora themselves doubting Darmoor's orders, they began wondering what Darmoor was planning.

End of the Mission

Having met with all the adjutants, the Adversary combed through the information they had gotten, recalling how Veronica had appeared dissatisfied with her position, Avril had been quite tired, and Albaire had been concerned about the new mission. Just then, the Head Servant asked the Adversary whether they had checked up on the adjutants. He was also relieved that Veronica had left, as the most dangerous person amongst them was now gone. As there were no more new attendees, he told the Adversary that they could rest easy now and focus on the other matters within the banquet. Upon learning that there would be no more attendees, the Adversary decided to share what they had learned with Khafdi. Khafdi and the Adversary met in a quiet corner, where he was impressed to learn that they had gotten information from both the Apostles and the adjutants, as it would be helpful to know about the Apostles' relationships with their second-in-command. With the banquet half over and no more people attending, Khafdi believed that now was a good time to finish the mission. However, he warned them to be careful about leaving without drawing suspicion, adding that he himself would stay behind until the banquet was finished in the event that he could glean any other information. He thanked the Adversary for their hard work and promised to share everything he learned with the Alliance, adding that the two of them had been able to work quite well together.

The Suspicious Gardener

On their way out, the Adversary began walking through the outdoor garden when he noticed a girl tending to the flowers, despite the hour being quite late. Believing that something suspicious was going on, the Adversary approached the gardener, Asha, who asked them whether they had gotten lost, as she hadn't expected anyone to be taking a walk so late at night. The Adversary quickly made an excuse before asking Asha who she was. Asha merely introduced herself as the gardener, rather than by name, explaining that she had come to check on the flowers, believing that they may have been damaged by the banquet. The Adversary was surprised that she was tending the garden alone at such a late hour, to which Asha explained that she hated having many people around. To their shock, Asha began radiating dark energy as she began explaining how people carelessly destroyed the flowers and made a mess of her garden without a second thought, adding that she had no desire to encounter such people.

The Adversary noted the ominous and realized that she wasn't an ordinary gardener. In order to calm her down, they complimented how well-kept and beautiful the garden was, to which a placated Asha explained that it was because she took good care of it, with the dark energy around her dissipating. Recalling how the Adversary had said that they were lost, Asha explained that the central garden where the banquet was being held was to the west. She asked them to go on ahead, adding that she would continue taking care of the flowers. After a pause, Asha told them that they were free to continue seeing more of the garden, as she didn't believe that they would harm the flowers. The Adversary then began heading away, noting that Asha had appeared quite suspicious. As they recalled Baldrix's warning to them about how the gardener hated to see her flowers ruined, the Adversary realized that Asha clearly wasn't an ordinary gardener if she was worthy of being remembered by the Apostles themselves, noting to themselves that it would be good information to keep in mind.

Servant's Story

Helping Kieran

While working undercover at the banquet, the Adversary met with a servant named Kieran, who greeted them and asked them to come to him with work-related issues first, rather than the Head Servant, as he had been working for a long time as a servant and knew what to do in most cases. He explained that while it seemed like he was nagging, he was doing his best to keep things going smoothly for everyone's safety, as this year's banquet in particular was especially sensitive. In order to do so, he asked the Adversary to help out with preparing the banquet dinner, as well as helping another servant named Breumi with cleaning. As the Adversary kept working, Kieran pointed out a tree and asked them whether they thought that there was something hanging from it. The Adversary decided to climb the tree and find out for themselves, to which Kieran noted that unless they could jump very high, there was no way to check. He admitted that commoners wouldn't have to worry about such things if they had wings, though he quickly went silent and asked them not to tell anyone he had said that. The Adversary then began climbing the tree and obtained a fuel crystal, which was used to maintain the jewels in the villa. Kieran was shocked that the fuel crystal was all the way up there and thanked the Adversary for finding it, as they would get in grave trouble if the banquet guests were to find it lying around. At Kieran's request, the Adversary placed the crystal back in the villa garden before anyone noticed.

The Servants' Surprise

Soon after, Kieran asked the Adversary whether they were doing anything urgent, as Breumi was looking for them. The Adversary met with Breumi, who covered their eyes and brought them to a room with the other servants. Kieran explained that it was one of the spare rooms in the banquet hall, and that it was out of the way enough that none of the Apostles would enter. He explained that the servants used it as a break room so that they could rest without being reprimanded. The Adversary asked whether it was okay for them to do so, to which the servants told them that it was important to take breaks, as working while fatigued would only lead to more mistakes. Breumi explained that they had been working hard enough that she had prepared the room for them, as she didn't believe that the Adversary would have even thought about taking a break if she hadn't done so. At their surprised expression, Breumi noted that she had seen them working hard, even without them realizing it, and that she appreciated them helping her clean up. One of the servants, Tia, agreed and explained that it had been a long time since they'd had such a quiet banquet, adding that one of the Apostles usually always destroyed the hall, making it extremely hard to clean up afterwards.

Primacy Infiltration

Just then, another servant named Angelo appeared and asked them what they were all doing, causing the servants to jump in shock and stammer out an excuse. However, Angelo reassured them that he had also come to rest, to which the servants breathed a sigh of relief before sharing stories with each other. Soon after, however, they heard the Head Servant loudly calling out in panic as he wondered why there were no servants in the hall, as an Apostle was angry and the villa was on the verge of destruction. Kieran, Tia, and Breumi decided to return back to work and told the Adversary and Angelo to keep resting for a little longer. With everyone else gone, Angelo noted that they finally had privacy to talk and revealed that he was a member of the Primacy who had been asked by Gob to bring them something that Cledd had made after having seen them blending in better than expected. Angelo noted that while it was strange to be handing the package over at such a time, he pointed out that Gob was an Ancient God with a strange sense of humor. Soon after, Angelo told the Adversary that he had devised a way to enhance Gob's illusory device with the power of magical morning starlight, granting it special abilities to help the Adversary hide their identity even better.

Trivia

• The golden flowers tended to by Asha, which can be found in the gardens throughout the banquet, are identical to the flowers found in Sefirot, which are filled with mana.
• Melange appears in the banquet hall during the second half of the event. Although Melange does not play any role in the event story, exclusive dialogue can be triggered by interacting with him:
  • If the player has not completed the Esfera storyline, they don't recognize Melange and note that he's dozing off, causing them to wonder if he's just tired.
  • If the player has completed anywhere from Esfera to Limina, they're surprised to see Melange and recall how he was from Grandis, though they note that they hadn't expected to see him at the banquet.
  • If the player has completed Convergence, they're surprised to see Melange after his betrayal and note that though there's a lot that they want to say to him, they can't risk revealing their identity, for which they decided to move on.
• Melange's presence at the banquet brings into question his position within Darmoor's ranks:
  • Melange's absence at the Apostle meeting implies that he either isn't an Apostle, or that he is an Apostle who was away on a mission at the time.
  • Melange's attendance at the banquet when the absent Apostles did not attend once again suggests either that he isn't an Apostle, or that he is the only one of the missing Apostles who attended the banquet, arriving late after finishing his mission.
  • Although Melange arrived alongside the other adjutants, the Head Servant's statement that the only attending adjutants were Lystor, Veronica, Avril, and Albaire seemingly confirms that Melange is not an adjutant.