Chapter 24: All We Need to Do Is Rob a Bank

Gimmimunee is… huge. This is a completely different type of scale than how it appeared in The Tears of Nephelai. In the game, the area was fairly spacious, with a trademark lake in the center of the city. There were a fair number of buildings to explore, and a good portion of NPCs to speak with. I always looked forward to arriving here because of that.

But this…

This is overwhelming! Why the heck is this place so populated? I’ve never seen a lake so big! Is this the power of a game free from its limitations? If Gimmimunee is this lively, I’m really curious about how a couple of other locations were adapted.

In this version of Namida, Gimmimunee’s lake is vast, and presents itself proudly with clear, shining water. Couples are enjoying their time together on leisurely boat rides, and I even see a few people fishing near the middle of the lake. The town itself is built around the lake and is circling around it in every direction. All manner of restaurants and high-end businesses anchor down on the lake’s shoreline, while more pedestrian buildings are within the midst of the city, farther away from the shore. In fact, after walking around for a bit, I’m noticing a trend.

Gimmimunee’s entire economy and social hierarchy seems to be based around the lake itself. The more expensive businesses and housing are all close by the lake, and the quality decreases as you get farther from the center. Once you start to skim the city walls, you’re practically in the slums. I didn’t notice this strange hierarchy when we entered the city, but thinking back on it, the city must have wanted to conceal low-end areas from tourists. It’s very possible that the leaders spruced up the entrances to hide the reality from tourists. It seems cruel realities exist in places like this too…

I’ll actually have to do some exploring myself, outside of Reuby’s sight, so maybe when that time comes, I’ll be able to better understand the situation and history behind all that. In fact, something tells me knowing the layout of the city will be important for my upcoming missions. The situation in Gimmimunee is a bit different from usual. Rather than an obvious evil, the lore in this place presents various corrupted forces against each other.

While I would usually be intrigued about all of these forces, their numbers are far too great for me to worry about deeply. For my upcoming objectives, I need to focus on a select few, and manipulate them to my whims. Unfortunately, I’m not some ultra intelligent mastermind, which means I need to seriously consider what I should do about my next target. Throughout everything Gimmimunee has to offer, he’s a bit of a complicated case. He happens to be the fifth boss, so I guess that makes sense.

The fifth boss is… quite the important character. Mahdnus Amunkst Kayaus, the son of Abb Saluut Kayaus, is the heir to the Demon King’s throne. He’s a sleek figure who acts incredibly self-centered and tends to get annoyed at anything. He is the son of Demon King of Wrath, so I suppose he would inherit such a violent attitude. In The Tears of Nephelai, Mahdnus ends up acting as a rival to the Hero, and encounters the Hero Party a total of seven times. He’s a bitter young man who has a grudge against his circumstances. He also claims he’ll be the one to defeat the Demon King. Him and his father must truly have some bad blood.

There’s one thing that no one in Namida knows about though. Mahdnus is, to put it bluntly, a fraud. His shining black coat is purposely stylish and loose to hide the fact that he’s built like a twig. The huge longsword he carries is actually lifted by cleverly concealed magic rather than his own strength. He just moves his arms in a way so that it looks like he’s actually swinging a sword. He has a complex about being the half-blooded son of the Demon King, he’s arrogant and crass despite being weaker than he states he is, and funnily enough, Mahdnus is broke. He left his father in a fit of anger, and only took what was on him.

In the game, Mahdnus is a thief that steals treasures all across Gimmimunee. Because Mahdnus has no money, and because his social and work skills are in the gutter, he can’t get hired as even a part-timer. Eventually, his desperation leads him to make drastic decisions. Actually, considering he’s half-demon, perhaps such acts aren’t seen as drastic in his eyes.

Anyways, I’ll have to thoroughly devise a plan to catch this slippery fellow. I’ll need brain food first. Luckily, I have someone smarter than me by my side! My trusty companion Reuby will surely be able to navigate us to a fine eatery.

“Reuby, this place is pretty huge, huh?”

“Tell me about it. I never imagined seeing a city this big in my life.”

“Dang, did you never have aspirations as a child?”

“I wanted to become a healer. Exploring big cities wasn’t really a priority. Speaking of, you should drink this.”

“Blehh, I’m not gonna drink it, Reuby! Why would I have that suspicious thing when the smells of local cuisine are singing serenades to my nose? Let’s have a tasty lunch instead! There’s a lot of different foods here I want to try.”

“We shouldn’t spend frivolously, Talon. I don’t even know how long we’ll be traveling. Even though the General provided some funds, we can’t recklessly spend it all away. We should focus on finding an inn to stay at. Most of them provide meals, so we can just make do with that.”

“Geez, what a buzzkill. We’re in a new place that’s bright and shiny, and you’re just gonna skip all the fun stuff? I’m not worrying about my objective until a little while later, so you should take it easy too. We just spent a week traveling while fighting monsters along the way. A tasty meal is the perfect reward!”

“Talon, are you aware that most of Gimmimunee’s cuisines are available to eat during the Frying Festival?”

“Eh?”

“You could’ve had much of this food for free if you had let me guide you around that day.”

“Reuby, I’m sensing some bitterness within those words.”

All he does is give me “the look.”

“Well, don’t be too mad about it Reuby! For now, we can tour around Gimmimunee! We’ll both experience something new. It’s just a different flavor of what was originally supposed to happen.”

“And the money?”

“Ah, no need to worry Reuby! My plan for what’s next will have us more than covered. All I need to do is rob the Weituriche Bank!”

“...I’m sorry?”

In the face of Reuby’s incredulous expression, I give him a bright smile. There’s a lot of calculations going into my statement there, but of course, I can’t reveal my whole plan to him just yet.

“Talon, what’s with the smile?! You just attacked Fort Forth! What do you mean you’re going to rob a bank! Are you trying to get executed?!”

“Relax, relax. With all that shouting, you’ll get dehydrated. If you keep getting flustered so easily, your body is gonna croak in just a couple years. You might need the dubious concoction more than me at this rate.”

“What am I going to do with this girl, may Nephelai guide me to peace…”

“You’re too dramatic Reuby. I’m gonna die of starvation at this rate, let’s go get some good food!”

“Talon, w-wait! Don’t drag me by the hand! Stop trying to change the subject!”

This guy, he truly doesn’t know how to relax. I’ll follow my nose and lead him to a tasty restaurant. Some good food in a new city is something I can’t miss!