Ow...
You have a hangover.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
Th-This time, I'm really never going to drink again.
Hey, it's the girl who walked across the river.
Look, it's the girl who crossed the river.
It's the lady from the river? Hi, lady!
Well, well, if it isn't the famed Lady Cayna, who parted the great river.
E-Even you heard about that...
I'm sorry. I'm just kidding.
So, what's the matter?
If you want to become a mercenary and join us Flame Spears,
we'll welcome you with open arms.
Our caravan will be happy to welcome you in, as well.
Though, I must say...
That doesn't seem to be the case.
Ah, well... You know of the Silver Tower, right?
Have you seen towers like that anywhere before?
Let's see...
I have heard that there's a beautiful castle in the middle of a lake
in the Kingdom of Helshper up north that no one can enter.
A kingdom up north...
I think there was a huge war there before.
Is the goal of your journey to find this place?
Well... I don't have much else to do.
If you find anything else out, please let me know.
Sure, leave it to us.
But of course.
Ah, if it isn't Miss Cayna, who swallowed up the great river!
Can we just stop with that?
You have a summons from the Royal Academy.
A summons?
I wonder what that's all about. Well, whatever.
I might actually be able to see Mai-Mai.
A Daughter, a Colosseum, Losing Control, and an Uppercut
You did mention that you were a student here, didn't you?
Y-Yes, and I help out the headmaster.
Oh, and thank you for yesterday. The Knight Corps were quite surprised
because you captured him so quickly.
Primo's such a handful.
Do you just want me to catch him
without permission if I see him wandering around again?
Please do. And, um...
Wh-What did you do to get a summons?
I'd like to know that myself.
This is the headmaster's office.
Mai-Mai's just beyond this door.
Come in.
P-Please excuse us.
So that's...
H-Headmaster.
I've brought... her?
Oh, it's been too long, Mother!
What?!
There, there, Mai-Mai.
What?!
She's so tall now. Oh, right.
Ow! That hurt, Mother.
You're the headmaster, remember? What are you doing?
But we haven't seen each other in 200 years.
Lonti, are you okay?
U-U-U-U-Um! You're the headmaster's mother?!
Yes, I am.
Yay, Mother!
Thank you, Miss Arbalest. You may go now.
U-Um, okay. P-Please excuse me.
Say, Mai-Mai.
Y-Yes, Mother?
Why did you summon me here? So you could glomp me?
No. Th-There is something I need to discuss with you.
I'm not saying you can't ask to be babied at all,
but you're in a respected position as headmaster, aren't you?
Yes...
So what did you want to talk about?
Come on, I wasn't expecting a little missy like her to show up.
Why is it everyone keeps calling me "missy" wherever I go?
Come on, Lopus. Don't talk to her like that.
She's my mother.
What?
This is the professor of alchemy here at the Royal Academy, Lopus Harvey.
He's my husband.
Wha?
She's your mother?
Husband?
Oh, no! I finally said it! I just blurted it out!
I'm sorry. I clearly should've taken better care of her.
She must be a handful.
Nah. Her airheadedness has actually helped me out at times, so I can't complain.
You seem like a nice guy.
Please continue to take care of her, Lopus.
My name is Cayna.
Missy... I mean, Lady Cayna, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.
Hey! Why are you passionately shaking hands without me?!
Why are you staring me down like that?
So this is what we wanted to talk to you about.
Wait, isn't that my...
I knew it.
I gave my students an assignment to create a potion, and one of them brought me this.
Ah, so that's what that quest was for.
This is basically an artifact-class potion that no one knows how to make anymore.
I see. So they're not even made the same way anymore.
If too many people know about this,
it'll turn our established basics of preparation on their head.
Please be careful not to let too many people know.
Sure thing. Got it.
Now then, Lady Cayna,
I have a request for you.
Boo, boo... Boo, boo...
This mage is Lady Cayna. She's the headmaster's mother.
What?!
Pipe down!
Lady Cayna is going to demonstrate how to make a high potion.
Watch carefully.
Yes, sir!
Didn't he just say to not let too many people know?
That was then. This is now.
Okay, let's get started.
Item Box
Okay, so, you take these ingredients and use this thing,
and go like this and this, and this...
And there you go, a high potion.
Splendid work, Mother!
Okay, well, bye.
I have a question.
And me answering will depend on the question.
Where did the vial come from?
How the hell would I know?
Ask Leadale's admins.
Mother, are you leaving already?
I'll come by again.
Okay...
"Please take care of a ghost for us. From colosseum staff. Reward: 8 silvers."
Why, yes.
There's been some panic because a ghost has apparently been
showing up at the colosseum.
Are you sure about this, though? Many adventurers have failed this quest.
Is ghostbusting that hard?
They go in all confident, proclaiming that ghosts don't exist,
then come running back after seeing that they actually do.
Huh...
But I mean... ghosts actually don't exist.
I wonder what it could be. Maybe it's some undead monster or something.
Then it's probably manageable... I think.
What would you like to do, Cayna?
I'll go ahead and take it.
Okay, accepted.
Hello?
Yes, I absolutely love my mother!
Mother Dearest! M-Mother Dearest!
Mother Dearest!
Um, are you really sure about this?
The other day, we had a group of five adventurers come by,
and they immediately ran away.
Well, I'll spend two or three nights here to find out what's going on.
Thank you very much. Please take care of this!
Kee, apparently this colosseum's been here
since before the royal capital of Felskeilo was even established.
So it's a historical site.
And no one has any idea who built this thing.
I'm surprised they used such a shady venue for their entertainment.
Yeah, that alone is giving me the creeps.
Well, I guess I'll get ready, then.
Eternal Flame. A rare weapon.
Yup. It has a salamander inside.
I'm pretty sure this'll take out any enemy with one blow.
And...
Summoning Magic: Cerberus!
I'll need you to patrol the area, Cerberwoof.
That should do it. I guess I'll get something to eat before it gets too dark.
I think it's about ready.
It smells so good!
S-Stop that! Let go of me! Hey!
Hey, you! What the heck is this thing?
It's a summoning spell.
I used it to summon an ordinary little cerberus.
I've never heard of magic like that.
I guess you don't know much, then.
You can let him go now.
Ow! Damn it, that's cold.
Want some?
Like I'd ev—
...ever say no to that!
Hot! Yum. Hot!
This is good.
He's so crude. Is he really royalty?
So, why'd you follow me all the way here from the city?
I wanted to find out who you really are.
You walked on water, caught me easily...
Then you said you were the mother of
Master Craftsman Kartatz and Headmaster Mai-Mai of the Royal Academy, too!
And you used some weird spell... B-But most of all...
When I saw Lonti earlier, she said she looked up to you, so...
Aha, so that's it.
A-Anyway! I'm gonna find out who you really are!
Honestly, I'm not that interesting.
Want some more?
Yes!
Thanks for babysitting the kid, Cerberwoof.
Anything unusual? Guess not.
He looks so comfy.
I was told I could capture him without permission,
but it's not like I can leave this place right now.
Actually, I hope no one thinks that I kidnapped this kid.
But you know...
I looked through every inch of this place,
but couldn't find any sign of anything hiding anywhere.
I wonder what's going on.
Blanket time.
I think I had another one...
Wow, it really showed up.
If Cerberwoof isn't reacting, I guess it's not an evil spirit.
The Guardian Ring...
Wait, no way!
This is the place?
Cerberwoof, look after Primo.
One who protects in times of trouble!
I beseech you to rescue this depraved world from chaos!
I'll give you some MP.
Welcome, honored guest.
What a chivalrous guardian.
Guess you've finally gone senile, you old hag.
Nothing like the good ol' guardian at my tower.
This is the Guardian Tower managed by Skill Master Number Nine, Lord Kyotaro.
Kyotaro? You mean the dragoid?
Yes. May I ask for your name, honored guest?
I'm Skill Master Number Three, Cayna.
Your master, Kyotaro... What happened to him?
He is currently not here.
Actually, he will probably never return to this land.
Huh?
The last time he was here, he said,
"Our dream will be over soon. Thank you for everything you've done.
It was a lot of fun."
"Our dream will be over soon"?
"It might be a little sad that we only got twelve Skill Masters in the end,
but we might see each other again somewhere else," were his final words,
and then he left.
Twelve? There should be thirteen Skill Masters. So why...
I was gone, so they ended up with twelve.
Everyone's dream was over? Meaning Leadale came to an end?
Th-This world isn't Leadale in the future.
Leadale's online service ended, so this is the future after all the players left.
Yeah... this isn't good.
It's been 200 years since, and I had been in sleep mode,
but I did detect a signal from a Guardian Ring a few days ago,
so I wanted to at least relay this message.
But I was out of MP,
so the best I could do was cause a commotion by making them
think there was a ghost here.
Lady Cayna,
I officially recognize you as the master of this tower.
Please take this.
I await your orders, my master.
All right, but I don't really have any orders to give you.
Just try not to bother anyone if they use the colosseum up above.
All right, as you wish.
Okay, I'm going to head back up. I'll stop by again sometime.
Yes, I will be waiting for you.
Come on... Get off me, Lonti.
You know, you're really warm.
You're so forward, Lonti.
That's cold!
Wait, it's morning?
Hey, where'd she go?
There he is!
He's safe!
Gah! They found me!
What in the world is that beast?!
I feel totally drained.
Even if I revive all the towers, all the players are gone now, right?
Oh, you haven't heard?
What are you talking about, Sir Agaido?
Well, Lady Cayna...
Mother Dearest?!
She's apparently been holed up in her room at the inn for two days.
I wonder if she's sic—
Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What?!
I guess Lord Skargo loves his mother very much.
It's Lord Skargo.
Ah, he's always so lively.
Wow, the rain is actually avoiding him.
Mother Dearest!
She's still not up from her catnap.
I'm getting worried.
She looked like she was in a hairy situation.
Mother Dearest!
L-Lord Skargo? And did he say "Mother Dearest"?
Bam!
Oh!
Mother Dearest!
It has been far too long.
Forgive my tardiness,
but I, your eldest son, Skargo,
have come to repay all of your motherly love and kindness,
as I have heard you are not feeling well.
I am here for you now.
Please, come to my humble abode.
Let us get you proper care for your exhausted body and soul.
You...
You?
Y-Y-You absolute weirdo!
Boeh!
Isolation Barrier.
Listen here, Brother!
What do you think you're doing, running through the city?
You're the high priest! Think of your position...
And I was too late.
An Isolation Barrier?! Er, M-Mother?
Oh, honestly...
Mother, I'll stop by again.