PP/KE - F10 To Take A Life, Or Spare One? (Baldur)

[Calrex 0]

If he was honest with himself, or thought a little bit more about what he was doing, he probably wouldn't have thought he'd end up where he was sitting right now. As Calrex moved some of the bangs out of his face he gave a small sigh. Looking across the room from the table he was at were many groups of people, each of them seemingly showing different group characteristics. Some were having a grand old time, clanking their drinks together before guzzling them down and ordering more. Others preferred to be a bit more humble with their excitement, merely content with having conversations with one another.

The bluenette, on the other hand, sat alone as he took a gulp from the saucer of clear liquid in his hand. He sat cross-legged, legs tucked underneath the low table upon which rested the bottle of sake, or at least SAO's equivalent of it. Scratching the back of his head he gave a small sigh once again, "Am I really just sitting here having a nice bottle of sake amidst a bunch of undead NPCs? Some screw really must have gotten loose in my head..."

As he scanned his surroundings he felt a small smile come across his face as he recalled many of the stories he had read as a child, about famous samurai and the weapons they wielded. "Speaking of which...there was that one story about two swords from two famous swordsmiths. In fact I think Teayre's in-game title is named after one of them. Muramasa and..."

[Baldur 0]

"... and Masamune." Baldur interjected his kohei thinking out loud, a small smile crossing his face at what his friend had been ruminating. It was a great story, and an old legend. Baldur took off his new katana so that he could sit at the table with his friend, laying the blade down beside him in such a way that he could quickly draw the blade should he need to.

"This is an odd place to find you." Baldur gave his kohei a friendly smile, "and an odder place still to reflect... or perhaps not." He looked around at the floors undead NPC denizens. It was unsettling to him, this entire floor, but there were quests he needed to do here, and experiences he needed to gain if he was ever going to fully catch up with the frontline.

"I do love that legend though. The two greatest katana-smiths of legend competing before the Emperor for whoever had the greatest sword. So he took both blades and drove them into the sand of the river bed and released two leaves. The first leaf met it's fate against the cursed Muramasa, and was cut in half, while the other found the blessed Masamune, and was not."

After a moment's regard, Baldur lifted up his new sword, forged by the master smith Oikawa, and drew <<Susano'o>> and place it, and the saya on the table to Calrex to admire. The katana had a durable yet deadly blade. The tsuba was made from black onyx infused steel, with a black-colored hand guard covering the handle. The blade itself has a crimson color to it, while the spine is embellished with black for contrast.

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a small smile as he set down his saucer, his eyes looking up to see the man named Baldur, giving a small laugh to himself as he gently rested the drinking carrier on the table, "Heh, that's the exactly story. It's been quite some time Baldur. Good to see you're still doing well."

Gesturing over to the caretaker of the drinking area the person brought over a fresh bottle and another saucer as the bluenette gave a small bow in thanks, "Honestly I believe that I've got a screw loose or something, finding some form of comfort drinking game-generated sake amongst undead NPCs, heh. I guess maybe I've gotten too used to being in this game."

With a calm smile he continued to listen to the man that he to some extent or another looked up to. Baldur was someone that had come and gone in and out of his travels, but in some way or another was there for many milestones. He was the merchant the Ultramarine Knight first purchased potions from, and indirectly may have saved his life as a result. It he didn't have those potions in his inventory it was more than likely he would have lost his life during the <<Breaking the Unbreakable>> quest.

"In some versions of that story it was more than just leaves. Muramasa cut everything in its path, fish, leaves, stones, anything that passed down the stream. Masamune, on the other hand, let them pass or even healed those that were damaged by Muramasa. What's interesting is that some stories leave the final decision ambiguous, as if to leave it up to the reader which sword was better."

Reaching over he poured a reasonable amount into the katana wielder's saucer, refilling his own afterwards, "Personally I believe that if both were to be judged merely by their physical qualities, the two would be of equal strength. Muramasa and Masamune were both fine swordsmiths, meaning that their blades would have been the peak of their craftsmanship. So what would be the deciding factor would be moreso what else went into their forging..."

"Muramasa may have been a fine swordsmith, but he was also know for the bloodlust and violent inhibitions that seemed to be present in his blades. Masamune seemed to be the polar opposite, and in some traditions his blades' qualities were the embodiment of Zen."

As he began to ponder more about the qualities of Muramasa his mind began to trace back to his wife, as well as his recently deceased comrade Ssendom. The last time he saw the young man he remembered that there was something off about him, as if he was holding back something inside that wanted to get out, "He was also the bearer of the Berserker skill. I wonder...if the unique skills themselves may have some influence over the wielder. Teayre's had the Battojutsu skill for so long..."

Giving a small sigh he returned his attention back over to Baldur, "In any case, what brings you to this floor?"

[Baldur 0]

Baldur smiled and gave a nod of thanks as Cal poured him some sake. Lifting the small saucer to his lips, he took an appreciative sip as he leaned on his left arm, lounging next to the table and across from his blue haired friend. It was a rare, and nice occasion when he could sit and chat with someone like this. As the bluenette continued the story, and his appraisal, Baldur offered his own reflections on the words.

"I like the Emperor's evaluation of the blades: Which blade is better? The one that takes a life, or the one that spares it?"

He pictured the situation in his mind and wondered just what the blades themselves might have looked like.

"It's a philosophically interesting question, and could change person to person. In here, which would be the better sword? Masamune may spare lives, but by taking them with Muramasa, could you save more lives?"

He took another sip from the saucer, and finished off the sake, reaching for the bottle to refill it.

"But there's also the troubling mention of the curse placed on all of Muramasa's blades. It is said that the blades themselves are bloodthirsty, seeking out death and violence to such an extent, that Muramasa vowed to stop making weapons. A troubling idea."

Baldur picked up the black and red katana and held it up to the light, admiring the craftsmanship for a moment, before returning it to the saya and replacing it on the ground by his side.

"I've been searching for a banshee on this floor for a while now for a quest that should give me a ton of Col. Enough to buy a <<Dimensional Backpack>> which I could really use for the upcoming boss fight. I need more buffs than I currently have inventory slots. The group I was with fell apart, however, and I haven't been able to venture deep enough into Tartarus to find her on my own." He let out a bit of an exasperated sigh, "Energy problems with the Katana at my level are a bit frustrating."

[Calrex 0]

"Heh, a Dimensional Backpack would certainly prove to be useful, especially if you don't want to invest in the Extended Weight Limit skill. I don't think I've seen anyone decide to take that up, especially since we're limited to nine actual skill slots. I'm surprised you didn't get one already, heh."

Taking another sip of sake Calrex felt the warm liquid rush down his throat as he gave a small sigh of relief, releasing the heated air that had filled his esophagus, "But yeah, I've certainly heard that argument more than enough times: The idea of taking a single life to spare many more. Interestingly enough a lot of people support and condone such a way of thinking, especially if they look towards the long run. Those for it follow the idea that doing so would bring an end to any more innocent lives being taken. On the other hand, those against such a philosophy believe that if you continue to do so, then eventually the lives lost will outnumber those saved. An example is this, where there are two boats with about sixty people in one and forty in another. Should both of the ships start malfunctioning, and you weigh the needs of the many over the few, then the sixty person boat is saved. Later on, the sixty people remaining decide to spread out into two boats once again, with forty in one and twenty in another, and yet again both start malfunctioning. Should you choose to save the many again, then in fact the number of people saved are less than those sacrificed."

Gently resting his saucer back down on the table he reached over and offered to refill Baldur's cup with a calm smile on his face, "It's always interesting how these types of philosophies come about, as there is no supposedly ethical way of testing any of them. As well in some way giving a person the power to make that kind of decision causes the idea of making one person's life more valuable than another's."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur smirked, "Every time I've had enough money to afford a dimensional backpack, I've had more important things to spend it on. Money always seems to go out faster than it comes in, and being a merchant has never been a lucrative profession."

Baldur listened to Calrex tell his story of the ships. It was a story he had heard before, and one that he always loathed because people loved to trot out false dichotomy when they were trying to force someone into making an impossible choice. There were never just two options, though often there were none as well. People who could find that third option were worth their weight in gold, and Baldur always regretted that he was never the type of person who could discover the third option, even though he knew it should be there.

"Well in this case, we're in a giant hour glass. We're killing computer programs, and pitting our wits against a mad scientist, but our time will eventually run out. I figure in the real world we're hooked up to machines designed to keep us alive, but our bodies will eventually atrophy. So in this case, the idea that a blade that will allow us to escape faster by killing, rather than by healing is a valid point." Finishing off his sake, he held it out for Cal to refill for him again.

"I was speaking with Lessa about this not too long ago." he mentioned her like the bluenette would know who she was. She was famous among the people of their generation for always helping out the new players. "She had seen so much loss she was closing herself off to others, even though she helped keep me from doing the same." He looked down into the dish of sake for a moment as if he saw something in the reflection.

"I told her that it's not enough that we escape this hell hole, but we had to do it by remaining who we are. If we sacrifice our morals, who we are as people, and give in to the quick and easy path, then we're not really surviving Aincrad, and Kayaba wins. We won't be able to return and look our families in the eye. We need to be true to what we believe in, and come out of here with our heart and souls, not just our minds."

[Calrex 0]

"Yeah, this in some ways is a nice break from the harshness of reality, but it is a fever dream if we were to try and make this a new home. We're players, not NPCs, as such we're only visitors here, and I'm sure our welcome is running stale."

After refilling Baldur's saucer Calrex gave a nod as the katana-wielder began to speak about Lessa, and the ideas he exchanged with her. Giving his casual smile the bluenette chimed in after he finished, "Personally I have met Lessa a couple of times, but the interactions between us were brief, as such I never really got a chance to understand her better. The most I remember is that she was formerly the guildmaster of the Guardians of Aincrad, a group that seems to have carried a lot of credibility, especially with Ariel, you, and her. Nonetheless you're right. I could never come to think that just making it out of this game will be enough. We need to preserve the selves we were before entering the game, and not let our psyches deteriorate as a result of being trapped here."

Refilling his own saucer after downing the previous contents the bluenette was half expecting a buzz to come on before remembering that inebriation was disabled in the game. He was sure that many players wished that they could drink their worries away in SAO, but such a thing was nothing more than a wasted attempt here. It was something he used to take advantage of tasting the replicated flavors of many go-to drinks for many outside of the game.

"In any case, I'm sure as you've seen already from the past couple of raids, the frontlines seems to be barely holding together to get through the floors. At this point, I'm not really sure if we should continue our pace, or possibly take a breather and reform our ranks first. Trying to barrel through the floors is unwise, and could result in even more unnecessary lives being lost.

[Baldur 0]

Baldur sipped slowly on his sake as he thought about Lessa. She was a unique person in the tower so far as he had found. Someone who was so willing to give so much of herself, and yet someone who had been so deeply hurt. Perhaps the two were related - she had always seemed to be so incredibly empathetic, but that is what was leading her astray as well. She had been hurt too many times... lost too many friends. The system was cold and uncaring and was depriving her of everyone that she cared for.

Baldur felt a twinge of guilt himself, but mentally forced it aside into that dark recess of his mind so that he wouldn't have to face it.

"The Guardians of Aincrad were special. Many people have tried to start guilds that help people, but they were one of the few to touch so many. Square One, with Azide, was another." Baldur paused a moment in silence, then wordlessly held up his dish of sake to Calrex in a salute, and then drained the whole thing. "That's how we ended up meeting Oikawa and Ariel, back when the 7th floor was one of the 'upper' floors."

Baldur chuckled softly. They were so much higher now he hadn't even visited all the new floors yet - and here he would be part of the progression team.

"Yea. First Oikawa and Opal killing Zelrius and Dom, and then someone named Teayre killing someone named Manta and Ebony." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Egos and life and death situations just don't work together - and from what I can tell the Knights are the only ones even remotely acting like a single unit. What we really need are leaders. I had thought Opal was one such figure with the Knights, but I appear to have been horribly mistaken. I hope this Mack is capable of filling those shoes, but we haven't yet found anyone who can really unite people."

Baldur held out the saucer for Calrex to pour more.

"Why haven't you done it yet?"

[Calrex 0]

As Baldur asked his question Calrex was on the middle of drinking his own saucer of sake, but it caught him by surprise as he accidentally spat a little out, quickly tiling up his saucer to hide it while quickly downing the contents. "Geezes, don't go asking such a question while I'm drinking, heh."

With a small sigh to catch his breath the bluenette began to speak, "Honestly I've never really thought of myself as a leader. Even in real life I always preferred to get my own hands dirty, working alongside people to accomplish a goal, than to command others to do my work for me. That type of idea for a leader always made me think of cowardice, that a person wasn't willing to get their own hands dirty was more expectant to be a leader than the honest worker. On the opposite hand, an ideal commander is one that can unite his followers and possess a charisma that would maintain their faith in him. It is true that I've met more than a handful of players in this game, and I tend to think of them as acquaintances or comrades in arms, I've never once thought of myself as having the confidence and appeal to embody such a thing."

Setting his own saucer down Calrex gave a small sigh, refilling both of their containers before setting the empty bottle aside for the NPC waitress to replenish, "As for the recent events, I actually managed to catch up with Oikawa after Zelrius and Ssendom's deaths. I believe that Opal may have had a hand in his attack. Supposedly a potion that was supposed to calm his nerves against the Dual Blade user actually amplified his anger. I believe you're already familiar with Mari's manipulation of people's emotions through her concoctions. I can only suspect Opal's begun to experiment with the same. Teayre however..."

He gave a exhaling breath, preparing himself to speak, "Teayre...actually my wife here. We first met at the beginning of our adventures, and got married within the game. With her attack on Manta and Ebony...It's something that fills me with worry, anger, and disappointment. She's already been through too much for me to explain, but the unprecedented attack...seemed to have been triggered by something. I heard her mention her father's name, a man who had damaged her from a very young age, that she killed in here."

Bringing his hands together the bluenette could feel the swelling of emotions inside him, wanting to do...something. But that "something" was not something he could take action on. It was more of a concept or idea than a concrete set of steps.

"Baldur, let me ask you something. When, if ever, would you feel that taking another person's life should be an option? I feel that the outlook of many players in this game is vastly different from ours. For me, I've never seen things as cut and dry or black and white. The removal of a person from the world is an option, but one that should be only considered at the most extreme, when all other options fail. It should never be a secondary or tertiary backup..."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur was stunned. His kohei Calrex was married to the infamous Teayre, who had murdered two front liners in the last raid? Baldur wasn't sure how to take the news, and just sat there dumbfounded as the obviously hurt and confused Calrex continued to try and explain some of the situation. It didn't make a lot of sense to Baldur, other than perhaps that she had an obviously traumatic life. Baldur had known people with PTSD, and they did not react in a rational way when confronted with triggers. For a moment, Baldur remembered a veteran soldier he helped hide from view so he wouldn't be embarrassed when sound of distant fireworks went off. Baldur had barely been able to hear them, and they couldn't see them, but it had set the poor man on edge of the rest of the day.

"Your wife... wow..."

There seemed to be an internal war going on within his kohei and Baldur felt he could relate to it. Not in the same situation, his girlfriend had never murdered people, but Baldur remembered well the feeling of powerlessness. It had been a long and hard lesson for Baldur to learn: You can't save those who won't save themselves. You couldn't make people get along. You couldn't change people, or make them suddenly see reason. The unfortunate truth was that so few people were prepared to listen, prepared to open their minds, and brave enough to change. Calrex seemed to be struggling with the contradiction that here within the game he had so much power, perhaps even the most powerful player on Aincrad if what he heard was true; and yet he was powerless to help his wife in the way she truly needed it.

"When can you take a life? whew... let's just skip the easy ones." Baldur leaned back on his hand and picked up the saucer with the other to sip from it as he considered what he would say. What would he say?

"I've given this a little thought lately with all these deaths, and after what that player said to Oikawa the other day."

He paused as he remembered that situation, as well as thought about his friend Oikawa.

"It may make me a bit of a hypocrite, but if I saw the woman I loved in danger of death, I don't know that reason would come into it. I like to think it would, but I am pretty sure I have it in me to kill in order to protect what's precious to me." He finished off his sake as if he was looking at somewhere that wasn't in the room.

"In the military they say that you can't critique field decisions made in combat from an office. When you're in the middle of something, you only have instinct and snap decisions to make life or death calls. You don't have the luxury to philosophically weigh the moral praiseworthiness of a situation - that's something you can only do in hindsight."

Again, he filled the room with a laborious pause as his mouth quirked half open, as if to signal that a word was on the tip of his tongue.

"Esoterically, I refuse to allow arithmetic to determine questions like that; you know full well the perils of that line of thought. I am more a follower of the classic German philosopher Kant and his categorical imperative. It basically the tragedy of the commons but for morality. If something is good, it should be universally good. Get rid of all the things that make something a 'special exception.' You approach the thought with the mindset of 'If I'm going to say this is okay, that means I'm saying it's okay for everyone else to always decide things this way.'"

Letting out a small sigh, Baldur looked over at Calrex, his steel blue eyes heavy with the weight of the topic.

"If you think taking someone's life is acceptable in one situation, you have to comfortable with the idea that everyone who follows your action would be justified doing the same. If you can't accept that kind of world, then you've found your answer."

[Calrex 0]

The words that left the man's mouth rang true to Calrex, as if attempting to clear his clouded thoughts. He knew exactly what Baldur was saying, and it all made logical sense to him. The fact that it was so simple, yet had eluded him for the past few weeks made the bluenette give a laugh before refilling both of their saucers once again, "I guess this mean's the problem is more myself than anything. With all that's happened in this world, it seems my main flaw, what I thought was my strength, is that I'm willing to accept whatever comes at me. Should this world become one where killing is the name of the game, I can survive. If it becomes one where tossing innocents out into the wild, I can survive."

With a small sigh he downed his drink once again, "Maybe I'm just too accepting of whatever changes to the status quo seem to happen, whether by my will or someone elses."

Setting his saucer down the bluenette gave a casual smile to Baldur. The samurai-themed warrior was definitely someone he looked up to, even though their ages were not far from each other. The only other person he had seen as some form of a role model was Lindow, whom he had only spent a short period of time with, but managed to make a large impression on the Ultramarine Knight's ideals. "Thanks Baldur, I needed that. I think things are starting to fall a little bit more into place in my head. I think maybe now I can start to take more action."

Calming his nerves Calrex recalled all of the recent events as he placed his hands calmly on the table, palms down, "You were there with Oikawa and I when he spoke about Zel's death. It also seems that we've gained some insight on how Opal's new guild, Laughing Coffin, works. Saboteurs, espionage, basically wetwork. Well...Oikawa's last tidbit, about the Spectrum Coalition. That is true as well. It is something that him, myself, and Teayre had formed unofficially from many months ago, a representation of how a guild should function. I think it's about time that it stopped lurking in the background. You asked me before, about why I haven't stepped forward. My response is still true, I am no leader, and I believe that such a large community united under a single person alone will never survive. It has to be built on trust, and the bonds that hold us all together."

Refilling his saucer once more the bluenette glanced at the clear liquid, "It may or may not get us out of here, but at the last I hope it will push this world in the right direction."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur smiled slightly into the sake as he held it up to drink. He could feel his kohei's spirit reaching a crescendo as he spoke about his Spectrum Coalition. A secret guild, hmmm? It didn't surprise Baldur... well perhaps the secret part did. When he put together a full 6 man team for a long series of adventures together, they might as well have built a guild. Even once the mission was over, those that had been a part of it had an invisible bond together.

it is amazing to me to sit here across from the young man who came to thank me for healing potions that saved his life.

The journey between that fresh young man, to the seasoned veteran of life and death that sat before Baldur was almost heart-breaking. He was proud of his friend and his accomplishments, but it was a terrible path to have to walk.

"George Bernard Shaw was an playwright from a long, long time ago. One of his famous quotes you've probably heard is: 'The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.'"

Baldur sipped his sake and then set the half empty sauce down in front of him and shifted.

"We have in all of us the capacity to be both. There are some things I will budge on, and some things I won't. The problem is, the more we acquiesce, the more comfortable it is. It is much easier to get along with someone than to initiate conflict; we always innately wonder if we're out of touch when we do. We're a pack animal, which is why we often seek to find groups to make 'us' and other groups 'them.' We have to consciously keep in mind what we're saying is okay, and where we're saying we're going to draw the line. If we are good at one thing as a species, it's being able to convince ourselves that our own cause is Righteous."

Shifting, so that the blue and white samurai was lounging the other direction, Baldur took up his saucer and finished the drink.

"We have a moral and ethical imperative to make sure that our beliefs hold up to logic, and if they do not, to cast them aside. But we are also all hypocrites, we all contain within us contradictions. Little justifications that say why it's okay this time, but not there. Why it's okay for our pack, but not the other. That's why truly walking the moral high ground is very tricky. Meditate on your actions, Cal. Find the river of truth you can plant yourself beside and then no matter what the world says, you stand there and you make the world move instead. Very few of us have the strength to do that."

[Calrex 0]

"The reasonable and unreasonable person within ourselves? Certainly an interesting take, and one that probably has a deeper meaning that the statement can give. You're right, that everyone prefers to get along and avoid conflict, even if to some level it compromises what they believe in. We would rather be inclusive than exclusive, but in order for change to happen, that conflict is likely unavoidable. There will always be those that want to improve and change the way things are, which others would be more for upholding the status quo, as it is the only thing they know. That is why we need to be careful, and we aware of what the potential consequences of our actions may be."

Calrex finished his own saucer as he checked the bottle, seeing that it was just about empty once again, "The same can be said for such things like freedom. Many only focus on the positive aspects of being free, but at the same time they unknowingly turn a blind eye to the fact that freedom also brings it's own perils. You're right, I'll be sure to think about what I should do next, and to be sure that I keep myself on the path that I believe and hope will change this world for the better."

As he refilled both of the saucers he set the bottle side, asking for one more, which would be likely the last one for the day. While it didn't cost him anything, and drunkenness wasn't an issue, the taste of the sake was beginning to overwhelm his palate, something that he was sure no one in the real world could say without being taken for being a lightweight drinker.

"You've been an ally and a friend since the first time we met Baldur, and I'm grateful that you're still around. Many people I know are starting to lose themselves to the madness that seems ever present in this world, and at times I fear that those closest to me may also fall victim. I'm glad that you seem to have remained unchanged in your ideals, and remain true to yourself. It's something that I'll be sure to try and embody in myself as well, and hopefully the future actions I take may inspire the same. However..."

As the final bottle came he raised his saucer, extending it outwards, "...there is always that chance that even with my mental conditioning may crumble, and that I will stray from the path I have chosen to set for myself. While I trust many people to have my back in combat, there are probably even fewer that I would suspect would try their best to see the flaws of my actions. As someone that I see as a strong and righteous individual, I've got a request..."

He gave a small breath, as if to prepare himself for the next works to leave is mouth, "I love Teayre, but should I stray from this path I know she is more likely to accommodate than condone. That's just how she is. She would prefer to have me safe, potentially locked up like some kind of pretty bird on a cage, than to put me at risk. Oikawa I would suspect would be more shocked, but I know may also be willing to fulfill this request. But...I need no hesitation. Baldur is someone I can see who is more willing to fight for the good of many, than the benefit of a questionable few."

"It is a simple one, but also probably the hardest choice I've made. Should I stray from this path, and become someone that is a threat to the community here that cannot be deterred, I want you to strike me down. There is already too much sadness and tragedy in this world, and I won't let myself become another addition to that."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur's eyes widened in surprise once again.

Strike him down?

The two of them were very similar in many ways, and Baldur had always assumed that Cal, like himself, had an extraordinarily long fuse. That fuse, however, was linked to a terrible time bomb. Baldur could count on one hand how many times in his life he had been truly enraged, and it was probably a similar situation with Cal. In that framework, Baldur could understand his friend's request, even if the logistics of it were not quite feasible. Baldur wasn't even sure that he was capable of dealing damage to Cal - such was their level difference.

The question of could he aside, the next was would he. Baldur didn't want to address the questions because of what it might reveal about himself, but he forced himself to address it. Could he, ever, think of a situation when he could strike down his kohei? Even were he to know that Anikin would become Darth Vader, could Baldur (obviously Obi-Wan) strike down Calrex? His mind immediately went to the bright eyed, optimistic man that came to his shop in the beginning, so ready to make a change, to save lives. Would Baldur be capable of ending the life of that man... forever?

He didn't want to face that answer that he knew. But Baldur imagined that should his friend turn in such a way, he would do everything he could to stop Cal, but only if the situation truly turned desperate would he try to end his friend. He tried to ignore imagining what kind of horrible situation it would take to convince Baldur that there was no other way, but he knew that that line existed within himself. The how would have to be something he didn't want to even begin to comprehend.

"I don't even want to think about that, but I will honor your request - just know that it would probably mean my death as well."

Baldur let the thought hang in the air so Calrex had a moment to grasp what he was truly asking, and then he picked up the last of his sake and finished it off.

"It might be better if we had a secret phrase or something. Something that I'd only say if you were really off your rocker, and something that you would know meant that no matter how much you believed in something, you needed to back down and re-evaluate."

Edited June 30, 2016 by Baldur

[Calrex 0]

As the man gave his response Calrex gave a nod as a small breath escaped his lips, his mind already understanding that Baldur meant. Even if he wanted the samurai-themed swordsman to be the one that kills him, the sheer level difference, let alone the Achilles skill, would be more than sufficient to keep him alive. The other fact would be even worse: Should Baldur successfully strike him down, there would be retaliation from those that still saw him in a better light.

"Secret phrase huh? Heh, not a bad idea. It has to be something that can be said without people calling it into question, while at the same time giving clear meaning."

Crossing his arms on the table the bluenette gave it a quick thought, drawing from the previous topics of their conversation, giving a small smirk to himself as he settled on one, "Let's have it be this then: To take or spare."

As the final bottle of sake was placed next to them Calrex gave his thanks before refilling the saucers, giving a sip, "I understand that it is a heavy request, but I'm glad that you accepted it. I know that some may be content with changing themselves, but as you've said, I need a compass to keep myself on track. I will of course do my best to be aware of how things have changed as a result of my actions, but as I said, I won't let myself become another person contributing to the madness of this world."

Downing the rest of the contents of his saucer he gave a small exhale of relief, "So, enough about me and my own personal battles. What do you plan to do next Baldur?"

[Baldur 0]

Setting down the empty saucer, Baldur leaned back on both of his hands as he considered Calrex's question for a long moment. What will I do next? What have I been doing? Baldur and Lessa had decided to pursue the frontlines again, to get out of this castle and to set free all the people trapped in, and all of the people who had become trapped in their own lives on the outside because of this tragedy. People always seemed to forget that as well. The people on the outside had to put up with the feeling and knowledge that they were powerless to help their loved ones - but he, Baldur, could. That would be his sword.

"I guess I'm going to have to step up my game. I thought I had already, but I'm so far behind I can't even see the difference."

Baldur softly touched the blade that Oikawa had made for him. He had retired the blade Tyger had made, and perhaps that had been for the best. He had a hard time drawing that sword without regret. It had been a powerful blade, but had come to symbolize his failures. This blade, Susano'o, on the other hand had come to be a blade of re-connection, and redemption. With this sword, he would push ahead back into the frontlines, force his way back onto his part. The katana was the heart of the Samurai, the blade was the heart of the Jedi, and the sword was the symbol of the knight. All were powerful weapons, but there was always something more, something about that bond, and that was why the symbolism of the weapon was so powerful to Baldur. Oikawa had come in with 4 blades named for the four great gods of the Japanese pantheon - but it had been Susano'o that had come away as his. Susano'o was a god who sought redemption for wrong-doings, and so Baldur would seek redemption in his own eyes.

"I need to catch up with you guys, so I can stop being pulled along and start pushing forward, and then I'm going to help get everyone out of this freaking tower."

Baldur paused a moment after his glorious declaration.

"So that means I'm probably gonna find a quest, some dungeons, and build up my supply of Col and material. There's a lot of gear and consumables I still need to get to be prepared, and to survive what's coming for me." 

[Calrex 0]

After contemplating it seemed Baldur came back with his own answer as Calrex gave a nod. When he had first started out as an adventurer Baldur was one of the more powerful players when they first met, albeit not exactly the strongest. Back then the strongest, as well as the most feared, player was Mari, the pink-haired alchemist who had killed a slew of players. But from the interactions the bluenette had with the dagger user, he also to some level understood that it was possible those were not always done in cold blood. From rumors he had heard the woman had accidentally killed her own daughter, as well as others. "Those weigh in a person's mind, even if they choose to believe they've come to terms with it..."

That fear that the strongest player was one that could bring harm to him, or those that he loved, in some way propelled him through the levels, to not only match, but surpass those that would possibly be a threat. But now, as one of the strongest players, he needed a new motivation to keep moving forward. That motivation lacked any sense of ear, and was driven by the courage and resolve to get everyone out of the death game, rather than fear for survival.

"Sounds like the thing everyone and their mother needs to do in order to reach the frontlines, heh. Well, I'm sure that road is going to be a long and rigorous one, But the results will be satisfactory in the end with the strength and skills you receive."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur smiled slightly when Calrex said that his goals were similar to everyone else's.

"I told Lessa I would get as many people out of here, and I would remain true to myself while doing it. In order for those words to mean anything, I need to have the strength to back them up."

Looking up at the ceiling of the restaurant he continued in a bit more of a somber tone.

"There are people that I want to save, who can't be if we stay here forever; and some people are only going to be saved by completing this tower."

Looking back over at Calrex, Baldur eyed the blue haired blader.

"We're in the wild west, and the only thing we can do to save people is to bring civilization. How many people are still too scared to even leave the safe zones, or even the city of beginnings itself." Baldur said the words, but he didn't directly address the meaning that was behind them. "Can you imagine the psychological condition of those people? Living in mortal fear every day? And worse yet is the fact that those boars in the Crossing Field probably have a higher kill count than any monster in the entire castle. It's almost like we have a hostage situation inside of a hostage situation - but at least we have taken back our agency."

Baldur couldn't imagine living in fear every day like that. He lifted up his sword hand from where he head been leaning on it to examine the 3D rendering. It was not his real hand, not even close, but he had come to know it just as well. While many people were terrified to leave the starting city, many had contented themselves to pretending this was real life and had settled into a kind of complacency. Which one was the worse of the two?

Complacency was certainly the more dangerous, since everyone was at risk of falling to it.

[Calrex 0]

As Baldur spoke Calrex gave nods of agreement to his statements, as each of them were accurate observations of the way things were. In the world they were in, the only real "laws" were the rules and mechanics that were set into the game. However, just like the laws and regulations of the real world, these could be manipulated, twisted, and taken advantage of. It was exactly like the wild west, where the only thing that seemed to keep you alive was a bad reputation, or strength.

"No wonder Teayre feels like having an orange crystal over her head seems better. Still, I find it to be a flawed way of thinking. Lower levels fear you, but higher ranked players see you as a thread that needs to be eliminated. It's a double-edged sword."

As he took a sip from his saucer the bluenette gave a small mutter to himself, "You can be feared or loved, never both...huh..."

Refilling Baldur's own container he gave a nod, "We can have all of the ideals and morals in the world, but without the muscle to back up our words they can be passed off as mere complaints. We need to be strong in order to enact true change in this world. I guess...maybe somewhere in the back of my mind, that might have been part of why I worked so hard to get to the level I am now, because now my words have weight, and my own strength is enough to have sway. Maybe we should start seeing if we can help remedy some of the problems in the world. We may not be able to completely eliminate the boars, but at least maybe we can do enough to get people out of that hostage situation, heh."

Swiping on his menu he produced a single Lamb Haunch, the item and plate appearing on the table, "Might as well have a snack to go with our sake right?"

Gives Lamb Haunch

[Baldur 0]

"One of my favorite quotes of all time is by the American President Abraham Lincoln. He said "Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the Government nor of dungeons to ourselves. Let us have faith that RIGHT makes MIGHT, and in that FAITH, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."

The words brought a faint smile to the face of the gaijin samurai. They are such wonderful words of bravery.

He sat up for a moment, and filled his little saucer with more sake before holding it aloft in salute to Calrex. "The power of good, my friend, is not shown by triumphantly conquering evil, but by continuing to resist even when facing certain defeat." And then he took a sip of his sake and a bite ouch of his <<Lamb Haunch>>. It was delicious.

When he was finished, he licked his fingers out of habit. It had been a while since he had had something that wasn't the basic cheap food. It was at this moment, that he noticed some players leaving what looked like the cellar door to the basement of the restaurant.

"Hey, there are some players coming out of there. You don't think there's a... sub-dungeon here... do you? Under a place like this?"

 

---

[ID: 63763 LD: 13+3S&D+2(+S&D item)+1 (+S&D skill) +2 (+LD food) = 21 = Intermediate Dungeon]

Edited July 20, 2016 by Baldur