Mercenary Pride
Eager to prove their worth, Sahli Lao and Milleore ask that they alone be allowed to deal with a bandit threat. After receiving consent, they immediately launch an attack on enemy territory. The bandit leader, however, isn't fazed at their assault.
The crew accepts an assignment from a village to eliminate a band of former mercenaries-turned-bandits.
Milleore and Sahli Lao, after hearing the details of the assignment, have a proposal for the captain.
Milleore: Hey, (Captain). Do you think you can leave the next mission to me and Lao?
Milleore is a skilled mercenary who appears cold and reserved, but is actually quite passionate at heart.After working with her for a security assignment and seeing her capabilities firsthand, the crew decided to hire her full-time.
Vyrn: Hm? You two look really gung ho about this. What's the deal?
Sahli Lao: You know how we helped Sturm and Drang transport that merchant's cargo the other day?
Sahli Lao is a former soldier who was raised in the same hometown as Milleore.When she failed a promotion exam due to a mistake stemming from timidity, she went on an adventure to toughen herself up and met the crew along the way.
Sahli Lao: We had our hands full with holding the monsters off and couldn't do much else... The job fell apart after that too.
Sahli Lao: After talking it out between me and Milly, we decided this upcoming mission would be the perfect chance to test our skills and see what we can really do for the crew!
Milleore: They don't need to know that, Lao.
Lyria: Oh, but you two are already a huge help to the crew! We couldn't have gotten past that situation without your help!
Milleore: I appreciate the sentiment, but this is a problem that affects our pride.
Milleore: If we can't perform up to standard, then we don't deserve to be in this crew.
Milleore: That's why we'd like you to evaluate our abilities and see if we're really worth keeping on, (Captain).
Sahli Lao: Considering it's been a while since we first joined up, this is as good a time as ever for a performance review.
Milleore: In other words, we'd like you to decide on our contract renewal based on the results of this mission.
Vyrn: If you two are that determined, then I don't see any problem leavin' it to ya. Whaddya say, (Captain)?
- I expect great things from you.
- Don't push yourselves too hard.
Choose: I expect great things from you.Milleore: We'll earn our keep. Nothing more, nothing less.
Sahli Lao: We'll do our best to make you proud, (Captain)!
Choose: Don't push yourselves too hard.Milleore: No worries there. We mercenaries value staying alive above all else. You can count on us to come back in one piece.
Sahli Lao: Truth is, Milly wants to continue traveling with you guys—
Milleore: Lao...
Sahli Lao: Haha. Anyway, we'll be sure to stay safe.
Continue 1Faced with their fiery determination, (Captain) decides to leave the bandit cleanup mission to them.
The crew arrives at the designated village.
Milleore and Sahli Lao venture forth into bandit territory, where a battle ensues.
Bandit 1: Blast it! Shifty little rascals!
Milleore: Pay attention.
Bandit 1: ...!
Milleore makes use of the tricky terrain, getting the drop on a bandit and rendering him immobile with a few well-placed arrows around his footing.
Bandit 1: Tch, had me worried for nothing! Do you even know how to aim that thi—
Sahli Lao: My turn!
Bandit 1: Urgh!
Peeking out from behind a boulder to shoot an extra-large arrow is Sahli Lao. It lands firmly in the bandit's chest, who passes out.
Sahli Lao runs over to her companion.
Sahli Lao: We did it, Milly!
Milleore: Nice work, Lao. You're sharper than ever.
Sahli Lao: Haha, my hands are a bit shaky with anxiety though.
Sahli Lao: You stop our enemies from moving with a flurry of arrows, giving me the chance to land a clean hit...
Sahli Lao: This strategy works so well because of our trust in each other. There's no way this mission can go wrong!
Milleore: Don't you think you're speaking of trust too lightly?
Sahli Lao: Not at all. For comrades in arms, trust is everything.
Milleore: Comrades in arms, eh?
Sahli Lao: Haha, there's no need to be bashful about it. It's not like anyone is listening in.
Milleore: Lao... If you're done teasing me, then we need to continue the assault while the enemy is dazed.
Sahli Lao: Right!
Employing their highly effective tactic, the two continue to take out the opposition.
The bandits grow irritated at seeing their numbers dwindle.
Bandit Leader: Damn it! Someone finish 'em off already!
Bandit 2: Boss! We've lost half our members, and nothing we do seems to be working!
Bandit 2: It won't be long before we're wiped out...
Bandit Leader: Punks in the village must've hired some top dog mercs!
Bandit Leader: Who are they exactly!
Bandit 2: A unit of two bow-wielding pipsqueaks!
Bandit Leader: What the... Tell me more.
Bandit 2: One of them dual wields crossbows, while the other one uses a single giant crossbow.
A spark of recognition shines in the bandit leader's eyes as he takes in this description.
Bandit Leader: Heheh... I think I know this pair. Ooh, this is gonna be fun.
Bandit Leader: We'll teach them not to push their luck! It's time to fight back, boys!
The bandit leader speaks those foreboding words with a triumphant grin.
Special Comrades in Arms
When Sahli Lao finds herself surrounded by bandits during the battle, Milleore breaks her out of the entrapment. As they run off, Milleore notices something about the bandit leader.
Bandit 2: Raaagh!
Sahli Lao: Milleore! I need to reload!
Milleore: Okay, I'll cover you.
Bandit 2: Ack!
Milleore: Their screams tell us exactly where they are. This is too easy.
The archer duo continues to take out bandit after bandit.
Bandit 3: Waaargh!
Milleore: Reloading.
Sahli Lao: I've got this!
Bandit 3: Urgh!
Milleore: Now this is odd. Why are they yelling when they get behind me...
Bandit 4: Hraaah!
Bandit 5: Aaaargh!
Sahli Lao: It's a pincer attack!
Milleore: We'll have to split up. Lao, maybe you can find a treetop to snipe from.
As the battle drags on, Milleore begins to feel uneasy.
Milleore: (Something's not right... If they really wanted to ambush us, they'd be more careful about keeping quiet.)
Milleore: (Could they be leading us on?)
Milleore: (Ugh, how careless of me! I have to let Lao know!)
Sensing encroaching danger for her companion, Milleore fires two arrows into the air.
Sahli Lao: ...!
Sahli Lao stiffens at the sight of the arrows shooting upward.
Sahli Lao: That's a warning sign! What's happening?
Sahli Lao: Either way, it's better if I get down and regroup with Milly.
As Sahli Lao comes out of the shrubbery...
Multiple figures close in on her position.
Bandit 6: Heheh! You're not gettin' away!
Sahli Lao: ...!
When did you...
Finding herself surrounded, Sahli Lao begins to panic.
Bandit Leader: Get up close and personal, boys!
Sahli Lao: (Crud! I won't be able to reload in time!)
Sahli Lao: (There must be something I can do!)
Bandit 6: Hehe, feeling flustered, are ya? Serves you right!
Bandit 6: You're gonna pay for taking out my buddies!
Sahli Lao: Rgh!
Bandit 6: Wha!
An arrow strikes his sword the moment he lifts it, knocking him off balance.
Milleore: Get away from Lao. Don't expect me to stay calm if anything happens to her.
Milleore: I make it a point not to hit any vitals, but once I lose my calm, who knows where my arrows might land.
Bandit 6: Damn you...
Sahli Lao: Milly!
Milleore: Get over here! Now!
With Milleore's support, Sahli Lao manages to break free of her entrapment.
Sahli Lao: Thanks, Milly. But how did they—
Milleore: Questions later. For now, we have to retreat and rethink our strategy.
The duo slips through a narrow path that the bulky bandits will not be able to pass through.
Bandit Leader: Some of you circle to the other side so we can trap them in there!
Milleore: (That's their boss... How do we get to him?)
Bandit Leader: Leave the sniper for now! Focus on the rapid-firing one!
Milleore: (They know about us?)
Milleore: (Where have I seen that man before...)
Milleore mutters to herself as she takes another glance at the bandit leader.
Special Comrades in Arms: Scene 2
After shaking off their pursuers, the Harvin duo decide on their next plan of action. Realizing that the bandit leader is a mercenary that they had previously worked with in the army and so likely knows their tactics, the two use that as the premise of their counteroffensive.
After shaking off their pursuers, Milleore and Sahli Leo find a large boulder to hide behind and discuss their next plan of action.
Sahli Lao: I didn't think they'd figure out my location...
Sahli Lao: I'm sorry. It's my fault... I should've paid more attention to my surroundings...
Milleore: You can apologize later. Figuring out a way to rout them comes first.
Milleore: Besides, I was at fault too for exposing you to danger.
Milleore: Sigh... I didn't expect that man to show up though.
Sahli Lao: Huh? What do you mean?
Milleore: That bandit leader knows how we operate.
Sahli Lao: Impossible! It's supposed to be a military secret...
Milleore: That'd normally be the case, but our army once hired him as a mercenary.
Milleore: Though we fired him as soon as we figured out he was the type to immediately turn tail and leave his allies to be slaughtered as soon as an op was going south.
Milleore: Rumors of his misconduct persisted for some time after that. I thought the gossip had simply died down; turns out he simply went on to be a bandit.
Sahli Lao: That explains why he knows our tactics so well!
Milleore: Right. We have to act under the assumption that he knows everything we're capable of.
Sahli Lao: So we basically always have to be two steps ahead of him...
Milleore: If we understand our enemy, then there's a way. We just have to figure out what that is.
They rack their brains trying to formulate a plan B, but nothing worthwhile comes to mind.
Sahli Lao: How about this: we split up and each try to take a shot at their boss.
Milleore: I wouldn't be surprised if they already have a countermeasure in place for that tactic. The moment they realize we're separated, we'll be in danger.
Sahli Lao: Hm, you're right... They're a pretty crafty bunch after all.
Stroking her chin in contemplation, Sahli Lao falls silent.
Sahli Lao: Hehe.
Milleore: Hey, snap back to reality.
Sahli Lao: Oh, I'm here all right.
Sahli Lao: You might think I'm being a little too lighthearted about this, but I had a sudden flashback of the good old days.
Sahli Lao: Remember how we used to huddle together like this for strat meets back in the army?
Milleore: Sure do. It took a lot of trial and error before we figured out how to fight effectively as a team.
Milleore: I still remember how you almost killed me one time during a mock battle.
Sahli Lao: Aw, c'mon, Milly! I was so tense that my hand slipped, and the arrow only slightly brushed your head anyway!
Sahli Lao: What a strange thing for you to recall...
Milleore: Hehe, right back at you.
Milleore uses the chance to throw her companion a mischievous smirk.
Sahli Lao: But things have changed. I'm no longer the fraidy-cat I used to be!
Milleore: Yeah, we've definitely gotten better. And we'll get through this hurdle just the same.
Milleore: Anyone seeing you in action today wouldn't dare say that you might as well just attach your bow to a Lignoid.
Sahli Lao: Ergh... How about we quit bringing up the bad memories...
Milleore & Sahli Lao: ...!
Epiphanies come to the pair at the same time. They trade glances.
Sahli Lao: You too, Milly?
Milleore: Let's see what we have...
It turns they each came up with the very same plan.
Sahli Lao: Haha, talk about a coinkydink. We're not comrades-in-arms for nothing.
Milleore: Hold it. This could end up being a suicide run. It's too risky.
Sahli Lao: Which is why the enemy won't be seeing us coming. Our chances should be pretty good.
Sahli Lao: I say we go through with this, as dangerous as it might be!
Sahli Lao: Just like I place my trust in you, Milly, I want you to place your trust in me!
Milleore: Lao...
Milleore: Your hands are shaking.
Sahli Lao: N-no... Well, I mean—They'll stop shaking when the time comes!
Sahli Lao: Let me prove that I'm no longer the gutless wonder I used to be!
Milleore: Okay...
As Sahli Lao is about to withdraw her hands, Milleore affectionately grips them.
Milleore: I'm with you all the way.
Sahli Lao: ...!
Thanks!
Seeing her companion finally ease up, Milleore lets go.
Milleore: Lao, it's time for our counteroffensive. Let's show them what we're made of.
Sahli Lao: We can do this!
The duo go over their strategy one last time before setting out.
Special Comrades in Arms: Scene 3
The bandits pay no heed to Milleore as she tries to distract them and surround what they surmise to be Sahli Lao’s location. However, they stand dumbfounded when they find only her crossbow attached to a tree. Milleore uses this opportunity to take them all out at once. Sahli Lao comes out of hiding so that the pair can take on the bandit leader together.
The two Harvin archers each move to their respective positions.
With a prayer in her heart, Sahli Lao steadies her breath as if to buoy herself.
Sahli Lao: (Stay calm, Lao... You can do this...)
Sahli Lao: (There won't be a second shot at this... If I mess up, Milly and I will...)
Sahli Lao: (No, I have to stay positive! Milly's counting on me!)
Sahli Lao: (Most importantly... this isn't going to work if I can't even believe in myself!)
Sahli Lao: It's time to overcome my fears and be the brave sniper I know I can be!
On the frontlines, Milleore clashes with the bandits.
Bandit Leader: Heh heh, how nice of you to pop out and say hello. Saves us the trouble of hunting you down!
Milleore: Yah!
The rapid fire from Milleore's crossbows does little to divert the bandits' attention, as they simply go around her.
Bandit Leader: Are you some kinda one-trick pony? I already know your methods inside out!
Bandit Leader: Charge right through, boys! They ain't gettin' away this time!
Milleore: ...!
Stop right there!
The bandits dash right past her, as if making a mockery of the fleet-footed archer.
Bandit Leader: Go on! Keep pushing—
Bandit Leader: ...!
The bandits stop in their tracks when an arrow from straight ahead comes flying toward them.
However, it loses wind and lands on the ground behind them.
Bandit Leader: Psh, didn't even graze a single one of us. She must be quakin' in her boots.
Bandit Leader: It's time we ended this hunt!
Preparing to surround the area that the arrow came from...
The emboldened bandits quicken their pace.
However, in place of Sahli Lao, they find a large crossbow strapped to a tree.
Bandit Leader: What the hell? Where's that brat hid—
Milleore: I'd hate to be in your shoes right now.
With a series of swift maneuvers, Milleore manages to incapacitate the lesser bandits from behind.
Their boss, now standing alone, grinds his teeth at the sight of Sahli Lao behind Milleore.
Bandit Leader: Damn... You got me good!
Milleore: We figured you already knew our usual strategy, so we turned that against you.
Milleore: After leading you all on with that bow as a decoy, taking your men out was easier than target practice.
Bandit Leader: Tch... I walked right into your trap.
Bandit Leader: Only thing I don't get is you havin' the guts to prance around the battlegrounds without your weapon. Not exactly somethin' a sane person would do.
Sahli Lao: I had faith.
Bandit Leader: Wha?
Sahli Lao: I had faith that Milly would be able to pull it off. I was willing to bet my life on her, just as she trusted me to do my part.
Sahli Lao: It's something that a perpetual traitor like you would never understand.
Bandit Leader: Heh... You talk a big game!
Enraged by the insult, the bandit leader charges at Milleore.
Bandit Leader: Take this!
Milleore: Too slow.
Sensing imminent danger, Milleore leaps backward and readies her bow.
But before she can get a shot off, the bandit leader whips out a gun and trains it on the nimble archer.
Bandit Leader: Heheh, your mistake for thinking I can only fight up close!
Milleore: Rgh!
Bandit Leader: Boy does it feel good to have you former aces of the military wrapped around my finger.
Bandit Leader: You know, I always did take note of you two back in the day. Realized that even little squirts like yourselves could be strong.
Bandit Leader: That's why it'd be a real shame to kill you off.
Milleore: ...
What are you getting at?
Bandit Leader: Agree to work for me, and I'll spare your lives.
Bandit Leader: You can start by plunderin' as many valuables as you can from your crew. We'll make a fortune sellin' it all.
Bandit Leader: It'll be a give-and-take relationship. 'Sides, you were ready to jump ship from that crew anyway.
Milleore: You're right in that we work for cash. And contracts are temporary by nature.
Bandit Leader: Exactly. All the more reason for you to join—
Milleore: The answer is no.
Bandit Leader: Care to elaborate?
Milleore: You could give me a hundred times more than I earn now, and the answer would still be no.
Milleore: (Captain)'s crew might not be the most stable place to be, but something about it just feels right for us.
Bandit Leader: You do realize your lives are on the line, right?
Milleore: Doesn't matter. A lowlife like you who's made a living out of betraying people left and right?
Milleore: There'd no way you'd ever understand our commitment to loyalty.
Bandit Leader: Grr...
Bandit Leader: Go to hell already!
Moments before he can pull the trigger, the shrill sound of clashing metal resonates.
Milleore had kept the bandit leader distracted just long enough for Sahli Lao to grab her bow and fire off a bolt.
Sahli Lao: Not on my watch!
Milleore: Nice one, Lao.
The duo is united once more, ready to face off against the bandit leader.
Milleore: This is the end of the road for you. You can't beat us.
Sahli Lao: Prepare yourself!
Bandit Leader: Yaaargh!
Special Comrades in Arms: Scene 4
Having successfully routed the bandits, Milleore and Sahli Lao reaffirm both the progress they've made and the special bond they share. The two return to the Grandcypher to report the mission's completion, confident that they've shown (Captain) their worth and once more eager to continue journeying through the skies together.
Milleore: Lao, let's finish this! Follow my lead!
Sahli Lao: Roger!
The Two: Bullseye!
Bandit Leader: Ungh!
The arrows unleashed by the pair meet their mark on the bandit leader's chest. He staggers.
Milleore: Now you see what we're capable of.
Milleore: Traveling with (Captain) has helped us hone our skills, unlike a certain reprobate who's fallen to the level of a lowly bandit.
Bandit Leader: Damn it all...
Scrunching his face in pain, he loses consciousness and collapses onto the ground.
Milleore: Phew... Mission complete.
Sahli Lao: We did it, Milly!
Milleore: Thanks to you, Lao. It's because you were willing to risk it all for the operation that we were able to fool them.
Milleore: Think you've got a handle on your willies now?
Sahli Lao: Yeah, all the adventuring with (Captain) and crew has done wonders for me. Even if I was sweating throughout this entire battle...
Sahli Lao: But you being around made the biggest difference, Milly! We're undefeatable when we're a pair!
Milleore: I suppose we are.
Milleore reciprocates Sahli Lao's smile with one of her own.
Having reaffirmed the special bond they share, the duo returns to (Captain) and company.
The crew greets the Harvin archers on their return with smiles all around.
Vyrn: Heyo! Looks like you guys pulled it off!
Lyria: I'm so glad you two are safe!
Milleore: Well, we weren't exactly safe the whole way through...
Milleore: But we ended up getting through it okay. Tell us what you think, (Captain).
- You pass with flying colors!
- Looking forward to more work with you.
Choose: You pass with flying colors!Sahli Lao: Hooray! This means we get to continue traveling with (Captain)!
Milleore: So that settles it. Our contract's getting renewed.
Milleore: You can expect us to exceed expectations from here on out.
Sahli Lao: I'll give it my all too, (Captain)!
Choose: Looking forward to more work with you.Milleore: Likewise.
Milleore: So that settles it. Our contract's getting renewed.
Milleore: You can expect me to be pulling more than my own weight from here on out.
Sahli Lao: I'll give it my all too, (Captain)!
Continue 1Having successfully completed the mission, the two further establish their credence with (Captain).
Their efforts as the famed Harvin archer duo of the crew will surely come to garner much attention.
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