Gotcha!
We're going home, Alicia.
Okay, Daddy!
Um, Daddy, why is everything around Edthea on this map black?
You're old enough to start asking that question, huh?
Tell me! Why?
We don't know what's there.
Why?
We know there's something beyond the continent of Edthea.
But dangerous dark beasts live in the dark places.
Dark beasts?
And the Four Lords of Dark Beasts which protect the east, west, north, and south
have destroyed every expedition we've sent out.
Destroyed? They all died?
The Four Lords of Dark Beasts have stopped us
from venturing to the ends of Edthea and beyond for years.
We know that the world is so much bigger, but...
So we have to live in Edthea for forever...
Maybe.
But if the legend is true...
Legend?
Yes, an ancient Edthean legend.
The hero among heroes shall use a weapon granted to him by the king of Hiden
and defeat the Four Lords.
And people shall learn the true size of the world.
That's more or less how it goes.
Are the Lords of Dark Beasts strong?
They sure are.
They're said to be able to split heaven and earth.
We could never beat that!
That's why the hero needs to get a special weapon from the king of Hiden.
That weapon, granted only to heroes,
is said to make its wielder many times more powerful.
I want that weapon!
You have to be recognized as a hero.
And that is difficult.
I'll do it!
I'll become a hero!
I'll become a hero and make the world much, much bigger!
It's finally time, Father...
Time to find the answer to my dream.
Seeing all these Regalia in one place makes for quite a sight.
Katz Regalia: Water Slasher
Indeed.
Legendary weapons given to those with the title of "hero".
Horgus Regalia: Muscle Cutter
Be careful. Our weapons are Regalia.
We could easily destroy this carriage.
Mirlo Regalia: Fathomless
Mudo Regalia: Great Ox Horns
I don't want to lose our ride home.
So we're all from different countries, right?
I see Dunns, Hideneans...
Nobody from Boelate.
What about you?
Minarch Regalia: Golden Utopia
A mix of a lot of things.
I'm not sure.
Sounds complicated.
Still, a female hero is a surprise.
Where are you from?
I didn't get your name yet, either.
Everyone, we're already in dark beast territory.
We could be attacked at any moment.
Steffan Regalia: Pegasus
Why's he acting like our leader?
It can't be helped.
He's the strongest of the chosen heroes this time.
I-I'm sorry, heroes...
The path's getting rough. The horses can't go any further.
Okay, thanks.
Everyone, we'll be walking on foot.
Dark beasts!
Dark beasts are here!
This whole place will be swarming with them!
Archers, open a path! Spearmen, lead the charge!
She and I will deal with any stragglers!
Alicia Glenfall Regalia: Rock Swallow
We'll make it to the summit! Every last one of us.
Right!
If the world was born from chaos, as they say,
then surely so was I.
Slash Wave!
So this is the Lord of Dark Beasts' lair, huh?
We're almost there...
We'll soon be the first heroes to make the legend come true!
He's coming!
The master of Luna Mountain!
One of the Four Lords of Dark Beasts...
The ruler of the far south end of Edthea,
Clevatess of the Moonlight!
His aura is incredible...
Yes. Far stronger than any beast we've faced so far...
But...!
We are the 13 Heroes chosen by the King of Hiden!
I swear by the Sublime Red Steel, and my pride...
I will defeat him!
Let us go!
Steffan!
Damn you!
Wait!
Everyone! Follow me!
Crushing Wave!
That tail's bad news!
We need to fall back...
Impossible!
It should be too far away!
The shadow!
Those attacks came from the shadows!
The shadows?!
Everyone! Get away from the shadows!
But how?
Jump!
Jump and your shadow will leave your body!
Air Dash!
Clever.
So this is humanity...
No, "humanoids".
Earthstone Dragon!
Even my power can't control it!
This is—
One-Point Breakthrough!
It's been so long since I've seen one up close.
A thousand years, perhaps?
They should be as weak as insects.
So how did they make it all the way out here?
What happened over the past thousand years?
And what is it that brings them here, even?
If they will continue to threaten my lands...
I must find the answers for myself.
Dad, I'm sorry...
I failed.
I couldn't get an answer to my dream...
CLEVATESS
Episode 1 The Lord of Dark Beasts
Hiden Kingdom Capital City Hiderat
Hmm?
What's wrong?
A black wolf?
A dark beast!
A dark beast is here!
The "heroes" that invaded my land said they were chosen by the King of Hiden.
So the king here is behind this.
I know what I must do.
Royal archer company, advance!
I will kill all who get in my way, just as they did...
Ready... fire!
and find the king.
Prepare a second round!
Hurry!
Strengthen the castle's defenses!
Target: the advancing dark beast!
Distance: 2500 merte!
It continues to advance!
Prepare to fire the catapults! Hurry!
Aimed!
Fire!
Firing!
Hurry and load the next round!
Don't let it get close to the castle!
Fire!
As I thought. No stronger than insects.
Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
What is it?
A dark beast...
A dark beast has appeared near the castle!
We think it's—
Enough.
I can guess what it is.
So, the heroes failed.
The strength of Hiden's blades...
of the Mana Hiderite...
was not yet strong enough in my generation.
The dark beast's reached the castle.
Please flee, my king!
We cannot stop it!
If we cannot stop it, there's no sense in fleeing.
We shall seal the forge.
The Fire of Hiden must not be extinguished!
Open eastern gates 1 through 6!
Bring out linked ballistae 1 through 6!
Second Linked Ballista Company, in position!
Linked ballistae 1 through 6 in position!
Linked ballistae 8 through 10, turn 90 degrees to the left!
Target the monster clinging to the castle!
Hurry and aim!
But we'll hit the castle!
We can't hit the royal castle with royal ballistae!
All we need to protect is His Majesty and the royal forge!
Was there something different about the heroes?
Fire!
It was the weapons, as I thought.
Those red blades injured my horns.
Even an insect can be a threat with those in hand.
Second volley!
Fire!
If that's what makes the human race special...
Then I must be sure for myself... before they get even stronger...
I've found you.
That unnecessary finery...
You must be the King of Hiden.
Clevatess, Lord of Dark Beasts.
A beast such as you has no right to use human speech!
Watch your words carefully, King of Hiden.
If I dislike your answer, I may destroy the entirety of humankind.
The entirety of humankind...?
Indeed.
Not just Hideneans, but Dunns, Orggites, Sladans, Benti...
All the nations and peoples of Edthea.
Even if I take your life and destroy your nation,
if the others are the same at heart, then more will come to disturb my lands.
Thus, I wish to know the true nature of you humans.
You, who dress yourselves in finery and walk on two legs,
what kind of creature are you?
Answer me.
Why did you desire my death?
A beast could never understand.
Very well.
First, I shall make an army.
An army to eradicate the humanoids.
A Hiden baby?
Wait...
Save this child...
Please... save the child.
Can this creature not see who I am?
I am Clevatess.
I have decided to destroy all humanoids.
If you want to hate something,
hate the fact that you were born a humanoid of Hiden.
Wait...
A child... can't pick where and when it's born!
No matter what awful things adults have done to you...
that can't be a reason for this child to die.
It's still too young to stand...
From my perspective, a humanoid is a humanoid.
Child or adult, it matters not.
When it grows, it will take up the sword,
and come to harm us dark beasts.
It will not be satisfied with its current lands, and invade ours.
And more than anything, it is dangerous and troublesome.
Thus, I will eliminate it.
If you still think it is worthy of life, then prove it.
I can't...
Because I'm going to... die... now...
But... this child will prove it on its own...
So...
I am still unpersuaded,
but the life of a human is but a moment from my perspective.
So, prove it to me.
In this land, "Edthea," there are five humanoid races.
Edthea
The first of these are the Dunns.
They are the greatest in number,
Eslinn / Dunns
and are skilled in architecture and tactics.
They built two great nations that split the Dunn Plain
Boelate / Dunns
at the continent's center, "Eslinn" and "Boelate."
The second of these races are the Orggites.
Orggites
Brave people of the forest, they excel in hunting and medicine.
The third are the Sladans,
Sladans
an aquatic people who are skilled in the arts of swimming and seafaring,
and dislike interaction with the other races.
The fourth race are the Benti,
Benti
a barbarian race that lives in the wastelands.
They are powerful individually but lack cohesion.
And the fifth are the Hideneans.
Hideneans
They are the oldest and most mysterious race,
and theirs were the arts of refining and forging metal.
Hiden is a small nation nestled within the mountains.
They are the only ones who can make weapons from arcanacite,
and the only ones who know the techniques required are the royal family,
who live in the capital city of Hiderat.
They have a long history of selling weapons to the Dunn,
and these days, mixed-blood "Half-Hideneans" are the most common.
Pure-blooded Hideneans are rare.
The world stretches beyond the lands of Edthea,
but these five races know nothing of it.
Because outside the lands of Edthea live the dark beasts,
and their Four Lords block the way.
Luna Mountain
Hmph. It won't last long at this rate.
What to do?
I can restore its strength, but that only delays the inevitable.
It won't solve the real problem.
Why is it wrapped in this thin fur, anyway?
To protect its frail body, I assume,
but it will soon be covered in its own excrement.
Is that okay?
Of course not.
Curse that human. What a nuisance.
They won't eat human flesh.
Only excrement.
Stay still and you'll soon be clean.
Stop crying.
I thought that it only took a few nights for a human child to grow up...
But I'm not even through the first night, am I?
A child... can't pick where and when it's born!
But... this child will prove it on its own...
Why did I listen to her?
Regardless...
it would disgrace me as a Lord of Dark Beasts to rescind a decision I've made.
I promise to watch over you until you grow.
If I'm to decide the fate of all humanoids who live in the land of Edthea,
what this child needs now is...
Father! Father!
Stand up!
Father!
Alicia...
Father!
Father...
I'm... going to defeat the Lord of Dark Beasts...
and become a hero you can be proud of...
What? Where am I?
Am I dead?
You're awake, I see.
Clevatess!
My sword?
I've thrown your comrades' corpses and your weapons down to the bottom of the crevasse.
You threw them away?
You were useful, so I revived you.
Revived me?
Right now, you're a walking corpse, empowered by the dark ichor I've given you.
Walking... what?
What's he talking about?
How can he speak human language?
Dark ichor?
I'm the only survivor?
What happened to my leg?
Didn't it get torn off...?
So did I die?
What?
What's going on here?
Now get to work, woman.
Show me your breasts.
What?
What did he say?
Clevatess of the Moonlight, one of the Four Lords of Dark Beasts,
wants to see my breasts?
Did I hear that wrong?
The baby is hungry.
Shut up and bare your breasts.
I c-can't control my body...
My hands are moving on their own...
Hurry up.
Show your breasts.
Where's the milk?
Of course there's no milk!
I'm a virgin!
Virgins can't give milk?
Only a mother who's given birth can give milk!
Did you not know that?
Useless woman.
How humiliating...
I'm a hero, and now I'm baring my breasts and being insulted?
Kill me!
Just kill me again!
You can wish for death, but you won't find it.
Not as long as my dark ichor flows through your veins.
Damn it!
Look. It's crying.
I can use my power to restore its strength, but I can do nothing for its hunger.
But why?
Why do you have a human—a Hidenean baby?
There's no need for you to know the reason.
But I need it to grow up into a human adult.
If you can't give milk, you're going to have to be useful in another way.
Another way?
I lack the knowledge needed to raise a human child.
You will fill that gap.
I've never raised a baby myself!
The knowledge is all I need.
First, I need a way to fill its stomach.
What do I do?
It's no use... I can't disobey its commands.
If it has no mother, you'll have to find a wet nurse.
A wet nurse?
A replacement for the mother.
A wet nurse gives milk if the mother can't.
If you don't know any, you have to hire one with money.
Money?
And if you don't have this "money"?
You trade something else.
Yes, for example...
Stones.
This mountain has a great deal of arcanacite.
Even a single stone would be more than enough to hire a wet nurse.
My sword...
If I had my sword, I could attack him...
No.
I know all too well that I can't hurt this monster.
Let us go, then.
We must hire a wet nurse.
Wait, wait!
You can't possibly expect to hire someone!
Is there a problem?
Of course there is!
Even a small dark beast is enough to cause an uproar!
Think about what will happen if you show up in that huge body!
The whole town will panic and you'll never find your wet nurse!
True.
Give me that baby.
I'll go instead.
I can't let this monster near a human village...
I'll find a wet nurse and give the child to her.
I don't know what's going on,
but I'm sure that child is better off away from it.
Hurry up! Give me the baby!
No.
I don't want it dying out of my sight.
But it's true that if I carry it around like this,
it might not grow up into a proper human.
And then I won't be able to decide.
Very well.
This will do.
Wh-What happened to your body?
I control the shadows.
This is the form of the one who carried this baby.
I hid the rest of me.
You missed a bunch!
This will do.
Now, I need names.
He's not hiding the horn?
Both the child and I will need a name to walk in the world of men.
I am Klen.
You are Luna.
Female hero... no, servant...
What is your name?
M-My name is Alicia.
Alicia of Sogo Village.
Let us go, Alicia.
To the city.
There we go...
What a mess...
Are you done, servant?
I'm asking if you were able to wash away Luna's feces.
I-I just finished...
Sorry! I'll wipe you dry!
That's what you get for taking too long.
Bastard...
You missed a spot.
Be more careful.
You're wiping too hard.
It's turned red.
Clean between the fingers as well.
He knows I can't disobey him...
Now you're wiping too gently.
Look behind the ears, too.
He's so particular, even despite what he really is...
There might be dirt in the folds of the neck, too.
Is that cloth really clean?
Is he my mother-in-law?
Clumsy woman.
The bugs did a better job.
Useless woman.
So, you said this was your camp?
There's nothing useful here.
We left anything we didn't need for combat at the inn at the base of the mountain.
So that's why?
I'm sure you have a change of clothes at least.
Take off all the rest of your armor, too.
It's covered in blood and not fit for raising a child.
Afterwards, wash yourself in the river.
You're filthier than any dark beast right now.
And this, which Luna was wearing.
So I'm no better than shit, huh?
I'm so pathetic...
This is...
The crest of the Hidenean Royal Family?
Don't tell me...
Impossible...
A single dark beast did all this?
I knew we were reckless to try and fight one of the Lords of Dark Beasts...
Why did the king decide to make the legend come true now?
That legend's just a dream...
We all knew it was impossible...
Did something make him go mad?
The Crown Princess's fears were right...
The plan was that today, on the day of naming,
she would escape the castle with her son...
Anyone! If you're alive, answer me!
So the legend was just a legend, then.
What shall we do, General Drel?
Send a messenger to report to the Emperor.
Say that the legend has fallen.
With Hiderat Castle destroyed,
and its king most likely dead,
a void now exists in Hiden.
We must act, as Eslinn surely will.
There's a chance the dark beasts will swarm
from the south, too, now that it's undefended.
But what's most important is the secrets of arcanacite-smithing
known only to the Hidenean royal family.
We must not let another country steal them before we do.
I will return to the border and restructure our armies.
Meynard, you stay here and search for survivors of the royal family and its relatives.
Capture them alive if you find any.
Understood.
What's going on here?
With what?
Only members of the royal family may wear this crest!
So that child has royal blood!
Did you know that when you kidnapped it?
Royal blood?
I don't know anything about that.
And it wasn't kidnapped, it was entrusted to me.
By a child who looked like this.
Entrusted? Liar!
I'm telling the truth, fool.
Thinking back, I found it beneath the rubble of the shattered castle.
I see. So, you have royal blood, then.
The castle?
I destroyed the castle while I was killing the king of Hiden.
Don't act so surprised.
You killed the king?
You attacked us first.
If the king is dead and this child is a royal, everyone will be looking for it!
Why?
The art of arcanacite-smithing!
Only Hidenean royals are said to be able to do it!
The weapons you had?
That's right!
I was curious as to why I decided to raise this child, but...
I see...
It has a destiny of blood that it cannot disobey as well.
Interesting. Then I shall make it king.
And then I shall support its rule from the shadows.
What?
I had no interest in invasion,
but if I'm to observe humanoids, I'd rather do so from a high place.
It would be fun to put my own servants into power, too...
So I could destroy them any time I wanted to.
Oh no...
I said something I shouldn't have, and now things are getting even worse...
Now that that's decided, we must hurry.
First we must fill its... fill Luna's belly.
There's a limit to what water and recovery with my power can do.
I hope we can find a good wet nurse.
Don't forget the arcanacite.
Right.
Calm down, Alicia. Everything's fine.
Even if he does take Luna back,
nobody's going to accept some weirdo with a horn as an advisor.
The Orggites, the forest people, have horns, so it's not that rare,
but it won't happen unless someone can vouch for who he is.
And it doesn't matter if he takes another form.
I'm certain he can't hide that horn.
The question is whether he'll notice that or not.
And what he'll do when he does.
For some reason, he seems obsessed with Luna.
If Luna's taken or killed, he'll probably try to kill every last human.
And I have to stop that.
This is my last task as a hero.
Hurry up, Alicia.
Behind you, Clev—Klen!
That was brutal!
That's what you get for just standing there, kid!
Oh, bandits?
They're as good as dead.
Whaaat?!
Shut up!
What?
I thought even I couldn't die now...
Oh... it was all a dream...
It was all just a horrible dream...
Hey.
We 13 Heroes are on our way to defeat Clevatess...
Hey, fool.
Look at me.
What's this?
You're finally awake, Alicia.
Klen!
It seems we've been captured.
Next Time
Episode 2 The Beast Lord in Captivity