Granblue Story Archives

Shortly before meeting up with Gran and the crew, the Black Knight, who had volunteered to act as decoy along with Drang and Sturm, instructed the pair to leave Agastia and head for a certain location. Despite their misgivings over the unusual directions, they leave Agastia.

Sturm

Haaaaah!

Imperial Soldier

Guh...

Drang

Nice one! Is that the last of 'em?

Sturm

Lame. Wasn't even a decent warm up. Come on, let's get moving.

Drang

Yes sir! You're unusually gung-ho today, Sturm!

Black Knight

I'm sorry to interrupt all the excitement, but there's another place I need you two—on the double.

Sturm

...?

Shortly before Gran and crew met up with everyone back on the Grandcypher...

The Black Knight, who had been leading Drang and Sturm in creating a diversion, addresses the two on a street corner in Agastia.

Sturm

You want us to go somewhere? You need us to get you more armor?

Black Knight

No, that's not it. I can do that myself.

Sturm

Then you want more decoys? But if we split up any more...

Black Knight

I shall act as decoy alone. I need you two to leave Agastia immediately.

Sturm

What?

Drang

Can't believe I'm even suggesting this, but you're not actually worried about our safety, are you?

Black Knight

Of course I am. Besides, if you don't head out soon...

As the Black Knight instructed, Drang and Sturm leave Agastia in an airship.

Sturm

...

Drang

Hm? Something wrong, Sturm? You look angry.

Drang

Oh, never mind! You always look angry.

Drang

Ouch! That hurt more than usual...

Sturm

Drang... Do you think we'll make it?

Drang

Hmm? Well, I'd say it's a long shot.

Drang

Hard to say if we'll make it in time when we don't even know how much time we've got.

Sturm

Yep. That's a long shot.

Sturm

You asked if she sent us away out of concern for our safety.

Sturm

Do you really believe her? No matter how I look at it, the odds aren't exactly in our favor.

Sturm

It's got me thinking... Maybe the Black Knight is trying—

Drang

Sturm, Sturm, Sturm... You're not much of a gambler, are you?

Sturm

What does that have to do with anything?

Drang

Gambling is not about winning or losing. There's no fun in that.

Drang

You can't make bets based on cold, hard facts—you've got to make 'em based on what your gut tells you!

Sturm

Wait a minute... That's a load of crap coming from someone who lost everything at the Jewel Resort.

Drang

Well, I learn from experience and use that knowledge to make better bets. See—I'm the rational type!

Sturm

Uh-huh...

Drang

But the Black Knight, well... She's the type who makes decisions based on instinct.

Drang

That includes teaming up with people we've done nothing but cross swords with. She's got guts for sure.

Sturm

I dunno. I just hope we can rely on them.

Drang

We'll be fine. Their strength is the real deal. And besides... Look.

Drang points to a wall of gigantic clouds.

Piercing through the fluffy, white membrane is a fleet of airships bearing a familiar coat of arms.

Gran regroups with friends back on the Grandcypher. After sharing information, it becomes clear that Adam is not all that he seems. Adam asks Gran and crew to finish the Erste Empire. To avert a worldwide crisis, the party agrees.

The Grandcypher cruises through calm skies after leaving the Agastia Empire.

On the deck, Vyrn and Eugen both yelp in surprise.

Vyrn

It's you! Wait a minute... It is you, right?

Eugen

It can't be... Thought you stayed back to fend them off...

Adam

I'm glad to see you escaped the empire's grasp.

Um... How are you here? Did you run away from the empire right after we left?

Lecia

Gran, do you know this person?

Black Knight

Know him? He's the one who told us the truth about everything that's happening in Agastia.

Black Knight

He even acted as a decoy for us so that we could escape the empire. Or so we thought...

The group that infiltrated Agastia and the group that waited back on the Grandcypher share with each other what happened while they were apart.

But the clear contradiction in one man's story causes everyone confusion.

Adam

...

Katalina

The more I hear, the more confused I am...

Katalina

I was sure he came to the Grandcypher around the same time I met Gran and the others in Agastia...

Rackam

I hate to say it, but you don't think he's up to no good, do you?

No! He helped us back in Agastia...

Lecia

And the only reason we got to Gran and the others in the first place was because he told us about the secret port.

Vyrn

So... At least we know he's not our enemy?

Adam

...

Black Knight

Well? Care to tell us what's going on?

Adam

There's really nothing for me to explain.

Adam

Let me just say that I haven't lied about anything. Make of that what you will.

Eugen

Don't tell me you're a primal beast?

Rosetta

That's not possible. I would know for certain if he were.
However...

Rosetta steps in front of Adam and peers deep into his eyes.

Rosetta

Earlier you asked us to help you on behalf of the history and pride of Erste, did you not?

Adam

That's right. I meant every word of it.

Rosetta

Hah. That's a lie.

Adam

...

Rosetta

Forget asking on behalf of your country... You are the history and pride of Erste. Aren't you?

Adam

I... cannot say.

Adam

I was not one of the ones who created Erste. Rather, it was Erste that created me.

Adam

That is why I must protect Erste at all costs. I must defend its pride and its people.

Adam

I cannot say too much about myself.

Adam

Nonetheless, I would like to entrust the final days of Erste to you.

Adam

Please... Please deal the final blow to the Erste Empire.

The crew falls silent after hearing Adam's words.

The first to speak is the knight donning black armor.

Black Knight

We won't ask you anymore about who—or what—you are. For now.

Black Knight

But we don't need you to ask us to do something about that woman. We will do whatever it takes to stop her.

Black Knight

If left unchecked, her plot could destroy not only the people of the empire, but the world itself.

Katalina

You're right. We can't just sit around and watch.

Katalina

What Prime Minister Freesia is trying to do will ultimately affect all of the skies.

Katalina

This is a problem for everyone who makes the sky their home.

Rackam

Yeah. And if we're all in this anyway, there's no reason for us not to go stop her.

If she keeps it up, it's only a matter of time before the whole world is put in jeopardy.

Eugen

And who knows how much time we've got left...

Rosetta

Well, we know it isn't much. In fact, she may have sped things up after General Adam's rebellion.

Lecia

If the world is in danger and we know how to stop it, we can't just turn a blind eye.

Vyrn

Gran... What do we do?

Dialogue Option

We fight.

Vyrn

Right. That's the only thing we can do...

Vyrn

Leave her alone now, and we can kiss the skies goodbye.

Dialogue Option

She must be stopped.

Vyrn

Yeah. We need to stop her before she sets her plan in motion.

Vyrn

That or everybody in the empire's gonna be a goner...

As the party gets ready for action, Lyria whispers something softly to the Black Knight.

Lyria

Black Knight... What will you do after we stop Freesia?

Black Knight

What do you mean?

Lyria

I mean... What will happen to Orchis?

Orchis

Lyria...

O-oh yeah... That primal beast you're looking for is with the prime minister.

Lyria

Black Knight... What are you going to do with Orchis?

Black Knight

I...

Orchis

Apollo...

Feeling Orchis's gaze, the Black Knight clenches a fist.

Black Knight

I want... I want to revive her.

Black Knight

Her smile... I want to see that smile on her face again. That's all.

Orchis

...

Black Knight

If we must part ways because of it, then I will gladly take up arms against you.

Lyria

Black Knight...

What! But you said that Orchis was important to you.

Black Knight

She is. I cannot achieve my dearest wish without her.

Is that what you meant by important?

Orchis was so happy with you... How could you!

Orchis

Io...

Black Knight

...

Katalina

So we'll have to cross swords with you sooner or later, whether we like it or not.

Lecia

Whoa, um... Why don't we just focus on figuring out how to defeat Prime Minister Freesia for now?

Lecia

If we run out of time fighting each other, we won't have anything left to fight for.

Rackam

Yeah. You know what they say: gotta cut the ugliest head off the hydra first.

Rackam

And that means... we're heading for Agastia, right? Funny—we just ran away from there.

Lecia

The empire may be patrolling a wider area than before.

Lecia

We'll have to be on the lookout for monsters and battleships. Stay vigilant.

Black Knight

...

Orchis

...

Gran and party head once again to the Agastia Empire to stop Freesia's plan. Instead of taking on the entire imperial force, the party decides to infiltrate the empire's central Tower and take out the Reactor—a device vital to the prime minister's plot. They decrease their altitude and head for Agastia in lower skies in order to evade detection by imperial battleships.

Gran and the crew turn back toward the empire's capital, Agastia, to stop Freesia's plan.

The Grandcypher flies at a steady pace while its crew stays alert, but soon enough Rackam gets nervous and breaks the silence.

Rackam

Ya know... I know we talked about stopping the prime minister and all...

Rackam

But we can't just take 'em head on with our little crew.

Lecia

The empire has soldiers in the thousands stationed in Agastia.

Lecia

The ones that Gran fought were probably just a tiny fraction of their troops.

Vyrn

Gulp... If you ladies didn't come to help, we would've been goners.

Eugen

If that was a tiny fraction... I'm gettin' even less excited about this. Not that I expected a walk in the park.

Rosetta

Oh my... Surely you don't think we'll need to take them all on?

Rosetta

If we just focus on the main objective, that should make things easier, don't you think?

Rackam

Main objective?

Black Knight

The device she's building.

Black Knight

If we can destroy it, she won't be able to activate Akasha.

Adam

It's an energy-conversion device that uses Dark Essence and the primal beast Deus Ex Machina.

Adam

They call it the Reactor. You'll find it in the imperial palace, located in the center of Agastia.

Black Knight

So in the Tower then...

Orchis

The Tower?

Katalina

The imperial palace of Agastia. They call it the Tower because of its shape.

Black Knight

If that's where this Reactor is, then nothing could be simpler.

Black Knight

But if you're aware of its location, then your treachery may have inspired them to relocate it.

Adam

No. That's not possible.

Black Knight

Why not?

Adam

The Reactor wasn't built such that anyone could just move it at a moment's notice.

Adam

Furthermore, if it were transported to any other location, it wouldn't affect the entire empire.

Eugen

That settles it. We just have to make our way into the city—

Katalina

And head straight for the Tower.

Rackam

So the only problem now is how to make it into Agastia in the first place.

Lyria

What if we disguise ourselves?

Black Knight

That won't work. We've already infiltrated the city once. They'll be on the lookout for us.

Black Knight

This may be a passenger airship, but I'm sure they're prepared to check the identity of everyone on board.

Adam

Don't worry about that. I can show you a secret route into the city.

Adam

First, before we get in range of the battleships' cannons, bring the ship down to the lowest altitude she can handle.

Rackam

You mean... get as low as we can before losing buoyancy?

Adam

Precisely. Any higher than that, and we risk being caught by the small patrol ships.

Lose buoyancy? You mean, like, the Grandcypher could fall out of the sky?

Rackam

Heh. So the tiniest mistake and we'll go plunging to the bottom of the skies. Sounds like fun.

Rackam

Well, I'm not your helmsman for nothin'! Leave it to me! I'll take us lower than we've ever been before!

Thanks to Rackam's skillful piloting Gran and the rest of the crew arrive beneath Agastia in order to sneak into the empire from below. At the lowest level is a hidden port, once used as a supply bay when the city was being built—a perfect infiltration point.

Rackam

...

I've never seen Rackam this focused before.

Rosetta

Neither have I. He looks quite dashing.

Eugen

We're countin' on you, Rackam. The success of this mission all depends on you.

The Grandcypher flies steadily through the air, as if it was tip-toeing into the empire's airspace.

Suddenly, Orchis points overhead.

Orchis

Is that... an imperial ship?

Katalina

Hm? Yeah, it probably is...

Vyrn

W-we're actually flyin' right under a b-battleship...

Adam

Agastia is a tall island that extends over an unusual range of vertical space.

Adam

The secret port we're headed to is in the city's lowest quadrant. It's an area largely devoid of people.

Adam

In fact, it isn't even mentioned in official military records. You should be able to dock there without any problems.

Lecia

Not in the records? Then how do you know it's even there?

Adam

It was used as a supply bay when Agastia was being built.

Adam

It was supposed to be destroyed once construction was finished, but it was left untouched by mistake.

Vyrn

And thank the primals it was! How do you know so much about it anyhow?

Adam

It was my appointed duty to oversee Agastia and defend the imperial capital.

Adam

Construction work has been done on Agastia several times, so there are a few ports like this one.

Rosetta

Heh. Quite clever of you to keep this to yourself, without destroying them or adding them to the records.

Adam

Prime Minister Freesia selected me to supervise the internal military affairs of the imperial capital.

Adam

However, my life's purpose has always been to protect Erste and its people.

Adam

And I decided that such secret ports would be necessary for that purpose.

Rackam

Heh. That decision turned out to be a real lifesaver for us.

Rackam

There, I see it. And those battleships haven't noticed us yet, either.

Rackam

We may be close to the island, but there are still monsters lurking around. Let's do this quietly and carefully.

Guided by Adam, Gran and crew approach the secret port. Meanwhile, Lyria, Io, and Orchis start to harbor doubts about the Black Knight. Orchis expresses the indebtedness she feels to the Black Knight, and says she would do anything to help recover what her benefactor has lost. Happening to hear this through the door, the Black Knight is dumbstruck by Orchis's love.

With their airship barely afloat, the crew slip undetected through the imperial armada's defenses to finally arrive at the bottom of the island.

Rackam

Mm? I think I see something. Is that the secret port you were talking about?

Adam

The very one. There are no other ships anchored here, so go ahead and dock.

Rackam

You got it.

The Grandcypher has infiltrated the imperial capital at last.

This prompts Lyria and Io to stick closer than usual to Orchis.

Lyria

Orchis... Aren't you afraid of the Black Knight?

Orchis

Why would I be?

Lyria

Well, because the Black Knight wants to use you to...

When we left the ship, that idiot said you were important. I thought maybe things had changed, but—

We even fought together! I started to think the jerk wasn't so bad after all... Ugh! This is all so stupid!

Orchis

Don't say bad things about Apollo.

Orchis...

Orchis

Apollo... didn't do anything wrong. And besides, Apollo is important to me too.

Orchis

If I can make Apollo's wish come true... then that's what I want to do. I want to help.

But... you know what that means for you, right?

Orchis

I do. And I'm okay with that. I am unnatural, after all.

Orchis

I don't think anyone... would be any worse off... if I had never been born.

Lyria

That's not true at all! I'm very happy to have met you, Orchis.

Orchis

But if I hadn't been born... If the accident that created me had never happened...

Orchis

I would just... Apollo wouldn't be so sad... And the empire wouldn't exist.

Orchis

I'm sure... my mother and father would have kept Erste a peaceful kingdom.

That may be true, but... But that accident wasn't your fault!

Orchis

And yet... I'm only here because of it...

Orchis

If there's something I can do to recover anything lost in that accident—anything at all... then I want to at least try.

Orchis...

Hearing how Orchis feels, Lyria and Io are at a loss for words. The room falls silent.

A figure in black armor has been standing just outside their door. She quietly makes her way back toward the deck.

Black Knight

Orchis... I...

Black Knight

I...

Unable to find answers to her most painful questions, the Black Knight looks up into the sky.

There looming over the knight is Agastia, capital of the empire.