Let's Rock Some Manly Eye Shadow in Animamundi: Dark Alchemist

Well, it is supposed to be gothic horror after all, haha. There'll be more gory stuff later in the game as well, but rest assured that I'll spoiler the creepier CGs. :D

Chapter 7: Part 1 [Video]







As far as his eyes could see, it was flat country. There seemed to be no place to rest.

Damn... I should be stronger than this...!

Georik gripped the reins again.

It was two days ago that I was feasting with Mikhail and St. Germant in Kamazene.
So I haven’t eaten for two entire days. At the very least, I should moisten my mouth with dew from the wild grass...

Seriously, dude? Eating and drinking's kinda important, especially since you been, uh, donating blood. I'm surprised you haven't passed out already.

Georik glanced at the tubes against his chest.



Poor Lilith, she's nothing but a head now. And for some reason roses are sprouting from her hair. A tad strange, that.

Aye, there is nothing wrong. All is fine.

My sister is a talking head and I'm about to pass out from not having eaten for two full days. Everything's fine. Yep.

Lilith’s voice helped bring Georik back to reality.

Until they were able to find a place to settle down, he did not intend to ask Lilith about what had happened in the village.

Georik’s father had been a doctor, a wizard, and an alchemist.

It made a certain kind of sense that his daughter would be suspected of being a witch.

But he never would have imagined that a group of robed witch hunters would appear in an out-of-the-way hamlet just to come after one young girl.

If this is the result of the decree against magic and alchemy...
There must be other victims. Lilith can’t be the sole target...
Tragedies just like this may be occurring all across the nation...
And as I have followed in the footsteps of my father, my turn may well come.
An invitation to join the ranks of palace doctors...
On the surface, I should welcome the offer... But it could be a cover for an evil conspiracy...

Well, it was Bruno Glening who invited you there after all. Surely he couldn't be planning anything of the sort.

Georik saw a small village on the horizon before them.

He suddenly realized how empty his belly was and called out to Lilith.

We might be able to get a light meal in that village – maybe even rest a little.
...I wonder if I can eat?

Eww. I can just imagine the food dripping out of her neck.

...No, that’s impossible, but...

After I eat, I will share my blood with you.



Lilith. That’s what I said...
Be as quiet as possible so that your presence is not discovered.
If the villagers find us out, our lives will be in jeopardy.
Can I at least smell some wine?

Geez, thirteen years old and already an alcoholic.

No!
That’s no fun...
Promise me that you’ll be quiet.
I want you silent until we are out of the village and I tell you otherwise, understood?
Oh, allll right.
What am I going to do with you...?
After everything that’s happened... I can’t believe you.
You’re still the same old Lilith. I don’t know whether I should even be surprised.
Lilith!
So... I’m to do exactly as you say until we are out of the village, right?
Right.
So no more talking from this point on.

Lilith looked at Georik and nodded.

How the hell is she nodding if he's holding her head?!

Georik hid Lilith firmly inside his cape and headed into the village in before them.

Emphasis on had been.

It was located northwest of Kamazene, but had the poor soil quality of the inland areas, and had recently been plagued by bandits.

Unkempt, vacant houses dotted the village. Bean plants wilted in the dry fields.



Just torch these houses too, Georik; you'd be doing them a favour from the looks of it.

The wild grasses that grow here are more attractive than the fields.

Oooh, so Georik prefers his men wild, eh? ;)

Despite Georik’s comment, Lilith kept her silence as she had agreed.

What a good head girl.

Satisfied that she was keeping her end of the bargain, Georik stopped to talk with an old woman sitting in front of an older house.

Madam. Excuse me...
Could you tell me if you know of an inn hereabouts?

[ Old Woman ]
Be you a traveller then? Your first time to Zaitenburg, perhaps?

[ Old Woman ]
If it is a pub you be lookin’ for, ‘tis over there...

Saying that, the old woman pointed to a small, decrepit wooden structure.

[ Old Woman ]
But you best not go.
The village is crawling with bad men...

[ Old Woman ]
Why, the inn’s been taken over by a dreadful lot of thieves.

[ Old Woman ]
The poor master. He ain’t even able to escape. He works like a slave for ‘em, he does.

...Excuse me for asking, but would I be able to receive a meal at your home?

[ Old Woman ]
Good traveler, ‘tis a dreadful shame, but we’ve not got enough food to spare.

[ Old Woman ]
The rogues took it all, you see.

Rogues, you say?

[ Old Woman ]
If me boy in Geutrink would only come back...

Oh, snap.

[ Old Woman ]
If me boy’d come back, he’d get rid of the lot of these scoundrels, sure as rain...

BUT HE'S NOT COMING BACK AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU GEORIK YOU SCUM

[ Old Woman ]
But Geutrink’s a good place.
Good soil. The water’s good, too.

Geutrink was a GOOD place, you hear!? SO GOOD. AND YOU BURNED IT DOWN.

[ Old Woman ]
I was hopin’ that he’d come back with a little money for the village...

DO YOU FEEL GUILTY YET, GEORIK?! DO YOU, YOU COLD-HEARTED BASTARD?!

I see...

[ Old Woman ]
From the looks of you, you be from Geutrink, yerself.

Uh oh.

...Why do you say that?

[ Old Woman ]
It’s clear as day.
The mimosa petals on your shoulder’re a dead giveaway.

Saying that, the old lady plucked a single yellow petal from Georik’s shoulder and blew it away.



Oh god she knows that we came from Geutrink at the perfect time to have lit it on fire!

For a moment, Georik was stunned, but he said nothing.

Kill her? Don't kill her? Kill her? Don't kill her? WHAT A TOUGH DECISION DESPITE HAVING ALREADY BURNT THE COUNTLESS OLD WOMEN OF GEUTRINK TO DEATH

Instead, he bowed slowly to the old woman and made for the pub.

We're not a complete monster. Don't kill her wins the day. We'll just have to hope nobody asks her if anybody managed to flee from Geutrink.

[ Pub Owner ]
A meal, sir?
How about some ham sauté with cheese?

Sounds a poor menu. That’ll do though. Please be quick with it.

Really, Georik? You really should've asked for something with more carbs.

[ Pub Owner ]
Aye, Milord...

The innkeeper moved behind the counter and started preparing the food.

Georik sat himself down at a table in the far corner of the room, and took in his surroundings.



(I pity the owner of this inn.)
(If I weren’t hiding Lilith, I’d make an example of these crooks...)

All of the other tables were filled with uncouth, rough-looking men.

They were drinking in the middle of the day, gambling, and shouting obscenities at one another...

Really? The background looks like night to me.



[ Pub Owner ]
...ah.

The owner looked up helplessly from behind the counter.

[ Pub Owner ]
There is no more gin left.

[ Pub Owner ]
I’ve got a little vodka lime, but...

Blast... All right then...
Lessee if Mr. Cape over there’s up to treatin’ us.

[ Pub Owner ]
...Uh...I don’t think...

Scared, the owner set a plate in front of Georik.

...



Yes, Georik, we all know you're a badass.

(But today, I’ve got Lilith with me. I want to eat and get out of here without drawing attention to myself.)

Our protag-kun seems to be quite fond of repeating himself.

Georik tried to stay as low-key as possible, eagerly setting into the food in front of him.

While the food was simple, he hadn’t eaten for two full days, and his body needed the nourishment.



(I should leave before the situation worsens.)

Georik reached for the cheese and saw that a cup of wine had been left on his table.

He hadn’t ordered it, but thinking it would help wash down the cheese, he took it in hand and had a sip.

Eww, Georik, you don't know where that's been.

Seeing this, the owner timidly approached.

[ Pub Owner ]
I apologize for interrupting your meal, good sir.

[ Pub Owner ]
The tab for your meal...
It comes to 300,000 Zech.



[ Pub Owner ]
Yes, that was a vintage roset you drank.
Why, it is more than twenty years old.



You think to take advantage of me with this pitiful excuse for wine?
Well, well. Looks like this customer’s getting out of hand, eh.
Eats until he’s got a full belly, then plans to run away, does he?
...This is ridiculous. This is far more than enough.

Georik took 2,000 Zech from under his cape and set it on the table.

Now, I must be going.

As Georik went to stand...

The other men in the shop hurried to block his way.

Hey, hey. Don’t you go ignorin’ us now.
I think it best you leave me be.
Not today, pal.
Looking at your dirty faces just about makes me sick.
What’re ya, some kind of nobility?

Bingo!

I don’t give a damn what you think of my face...
This is about money, see...
Really? Seems to me this shop charges on a sliding scale, by the customer’s looks.

Oooh, burn.



It’s our job to educate those inconsiderate sorts.
Sorry. I’m short on funds as is.
Hey, hey. Tryin’ to trick us won’t do you no good.
Mister, seems like you been trying to hide something under your cape.

OH SHIT

Sure looks suspicious to me. Kinda makes me curious...
Bet it’s valuable, whatever it is. Let’s have a look!

The men suddenly grabbed Georik’s arms, and he couldn’t move.

He jerked to slip his arm free, and as he did, his cape flew open.

You dog! What are you doing?

[ Male Customer ]
A head! It’s a girl’s head!

[ Male Customer ]
He’s a murderer...? You killed her...!?

A tense atmosphere instantly descended on the shop, and the customers started fidgeting fearfully.

Well, these guys may be horrible bandits and thieves, but they're at least don't stoop to murder.

Let me go, you ruffian!

[ Male Customer ]
You killed a girl!
You crazy son of a...!

Morals, ladies and gentlemen.

It’s got nothing to do with you.
But too bad for you it wasn’t something valuable.

Oniichan, you're saying your imouto is not valuable? So cruel~

[ Pub Owner ]
Aaaiieee...!
Sir... please, just go!
Forget about your tab!

Poor pub owner. And to think Georik was planning to just leave him in the lurch.

[ Male Customer ]
Are you dumb?
This is the kinda fella that we can make the most on!

[ Male Customer ]
Mister, you best just pay up!
This time we’re not talking small change!



[ Male Customer ]
Do it quick-like, or yer family name will be ruined.

[ Male Customer ]
You'll lose more than just yer standin'.
You'll be found guilty fer sure, and sent straight to prison.

...

[ Male Customer ]
Leave your horse, too!







(Well, it’s too late now, anyway...)

Lilith opened her eyes slightly and looked at Georik.

Her cheeks looked slightly flushed, as if she might be afraid.

(Well, with it come to this I’ve got no choice... I’ll have to...)

I love how he gets a choice immediately after he says he has no choice.



Remember to bold your votes!

Kill everyone. That doesn't sound like an overreaction at all.

Threaten them.

We already murdered a bunch of old fellas and kids back at our hometown. What's a bunch of small-time con artists after that? Kill 'em all like the reasonable and heroic nobleman that you are.

So, um, hi from page 8.

HOW DOES THIS EVEN WORK

I MEAN I GUESS HER BRAIN STEM MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN CUT LIKE THAT HEADLESS CHICKEN

BUT NO HEART

AND HOW DOES THIS BLOOD CIRCULATION SHARING EVEN WORK

WHERE ARE YOU PUTTING THIS TUBE

I'M SO CONFUSED

GOD I HATE THOSE VILLAGERS

Maybe I should stop shouting now.

Also, this is from awhile ago but the part where Georik was trying to grasp Lilith reminded me of Faust trying to keep Helena. Just saying.

Threaten them. Because trying to stab people and hold a head at the same time can't be easy.

Oh goddamnit, Georik, that's why you should go always prepared in these long trips. You could've just hidden the chatty head in the bushes, but nooooo! You had to take her to the bar.

Er. If we're shooting for Germant, the option that would make sense is to threaten them I guess. Killing everyone would be overkill, as redundant as it sounds.

... Speaking of Germant... since his fiancee is now a head... does that make him free? :D

Oh, and threaten them. Hey, if they don't take it, we can make it a promise.

Threaten them.
I feel guilty for killing an old lady's son.

DEVIL MAGIC

KILL THEM ALL.

(And really, Georik. There's a reason why on the airline safety procedure they always talk about securing your own mask before helping any dependents around you. How do you expect to take care of Lilith if you don't have an occasional sandwich? If you'd ever taken a commercial flight, you'd know this!)

Kill em all

Threatening them isn't really helpful to keep his secrets. There bandits after all.

Threaten them

Threaten them.
Geo-chan is not Goku. I mean, he can't possibly kill'em all, desho?

Kill them all. Everyone in this game is terrible and deserve to die.

Except you, St Germant. You're all right, baby.

So... uh Georik's family really is cursed. I mean, if Mephi-chan haunted the house...
I was just thinking that Sebastian had suspicious shifty eyes in the scene where poor Lilith is pouting because her big brother still hadn't write her. I was right!
... Still didn't expect all that to happen, though. uh. I'm not sure if this mean Georik basically ruined Lilith's life? Then again, she is alive... and she is cursed either way... uh.
Well, there is something cute, in a creepy crazy way, about the way Georik and Lilith care about each other.


if Lilith was older I would totally be shipping them now. So what, if it's incest he just slaughtered a lot of people and she is a talking head now incest really is nothing compared to that heck, in all this craziness it doesn't seem that weird and they are both going down the slippery road now to protect the secret and seem more and more codependent towards each other (and Lilith was already very dependent on Georik but now due to what happened she is even more) the more the time passes due to this traumatic experience.
Seriously though, poor Lilith what kind of life is she going to have now? Her existence will have to be kept a secret, she can't even eat or do anything, she has no idea why she is still alive or about what is happening to her. This is going to make her depend on Georik completely. It's not going to healthy for her at all. She likely won't be able to stay sane living her whole life this way. And how is Georik going to explain her absence? Will he have to lie and pretend that she died like the rest of the village? He is probably going to lie about to his friends too. I doubt he is going to trust to keep it secret.
St Germant can't certainly marry her now. ... Unless, he is that open minded and Georik would have to trust him a lot to tell him. Poor St Germant is going to think she is dead and mourn her, isn't he?

This game is breaking my heart. So much sadness and pain.