And Linna Is Sad That Belca Is Sad - Tumblr Posts
Chapter 18
Belca bemoans that he should have sent Linna and Eco away first thing in the morning...then more people wouldn't have had to get hurt on his account.
He blames himself for depending too much on Linna. The guards are keeping an eye on his door and the irregular from the last chapter asks the sniper why he didn't shoot the coachman, saying it's not like him. The sniper answers that he doesn't know that.
With Orcelito and Kiliko, Lord Taine thanks them for a wonderful time. Orcelito waves him off and, when he leaves, tells Kiliko it's time to write that letter to Lobnec. Kiliko tells Orcelito that he needs to go over the Amontel concentration camp finances, as you do...before he asks if he's worried about Belca. He answers "No duh" and asks Kiliko about the "poison master" who infiltrated the castle. Kiliko explains that Linna is a former guard captain who Belca rescued from the Amontel back at Dietrich's place. Linna feels indebted to him so he was trying to protect him. Orcelito asks him if he thinks Linna is telling the truth and Kiliko says they haven't confirmed it yet so they sent a message to Dietrich's place but it'll take some time with the birds and all that. But here's the sticky-wicky of it all: Kiliko wants to use Linna as Belca's "shackles". Orcelito doesn't want Linna causing trouble in the palace but Kiliko says that during his interrogation, Linna kept calling for Belca to be protected. The poor boy is down bad. And considering how Linna acts towards him, Belca is warm towards him, almost as if he sees him as an older brother, like how he saw Hector. Then Orcelito says he's concerned about the coachman (Eco), the "crows" (sniper guards) having overheard him talking about a "she" he was supposed to be delivering a message to. Kiliko advises him to focus on the coachman, not Sir Linna or this "she". Orcelito asks why and Kiliko answers by revealing that the "she" is most likely none other than Musca.
Belca, waking up in his tower room, remembers he still has his Cordiola Crystal from the Fox's Cave on him. He uses it to read a random book in the room with him and finds a certain page...
The next morning, Seamrog is awoken by someone banging loudly on the door, asking frantically for a companion they were separated from. He's looking for a man with curly blonde hair...which causes Seamrog to dash off in a panic, recognizing that while the man is dressed as a merchant, he has a knight's stance. He's not looking for a man...he's looking for the princess! He goes to her room and finds her missing.
Anyway, our crossdressing hero Eco is out and complaining about how screwed he and his friends are...but hey! Tragedies make great songs, right? He wonders out loud if he should use Princess Musca...and Musca asks him what he's talking about.
She asks the "random lady" to fix her hair while denying unprompted that she is the missing princess Musca. But she does have something to do at the castle. And she needs her hair fixed because she's going to the castle. Totally not the princess though. Eco, already feeling bad for her, reveals himself to her, blowing her mind.
She freaks out about the "meanie bard" doing that until he tells her that Belca and Linna are in trouble. After hearing the story, she points pretty much the whole thing is his fault but Eco defends that he has his weaknesses and one of them happen to be dancers. Anyway, Musca is all set to rescue them and Eco is coming along. But first! He has to fix her hair...
Linna is being interrogated by a guard, being asked the questions we already got the answers to earlier. Then Kiliko comes in, bringing Belca with him. Belca hugs him, asking if he's hurt and demands him to be released from his chains. Kiliko says he wants to do that but first, he needs to get Princess Musca because she's supposed to be in recovery. Shocked that Kiliko even knows that they're in contact with her, they are promptly released back to the castle so that they can get ready for Investiture Ceremony. Linna and Belca discuss how Eco hasn't been found yet but Belca leaves ahead, despondently telling Linna to forget about it...
In the forest, Izayoi and Shingetsu find tracks leading to the kingdom, knowing Belca and the others are at the castle. They decide it's time to help them because Belca is prone to arrow death and all.
Meanwhile, at Neue Favrille's First Level Cathedral, the elders are all the time is nigh...except that Kiliko has the prince in his pocket so he's widened his power considerably. One of the elders want to eliminate him but another wants him to kneel, saying he should be easier to control than his father...
End of chapter.