*Spoilers for the game Brave Fencer Musashi*

Entry the Thirteenth:

I remember Steward Ribson suggesting I ask the castle’s three mercenaries on the whereabouts of the Thieves’ Hideout last time, so the logical thing to do is to talk to them. Apparently they each have a piece of a letter:

“Meandering Forest. Four Way Path: Gold, Knight, Knight, Knight, Bishop.” – From Mercenary Potrowst

He also suggests that this might have something to do with the game Shogi.

“Left, Right, Right, Left, Straight ahead.” – From Mercenary Stue

“Duh… About the Knight… D, don’t worry about which way y, you’re facing. Go straight ahead (up).” – From Mercenary Meitlofe

Geez, even their speech abnormalities are carried over to the letters they write… Unless this is some kind of TRICK!

First thing I should do is to see how Shogi works, and I recall that the castle library contains a book on it… But then that would mean I would have to visit… him…

No! NO! Have you been waiting for me for 40 days straight!? Let’s just get this over with… tell me all you know about Shogi.

So Shogi is basically chess… the Gold can be moved one space in any direction, except diagonally. The Knight can be moved two spaces up and one space right or left. And the Lance can be moved any number of spaces up.

So I guess there will be some kind of puzzle waiting for me at Meandering Forest. I make haste and head over there with my weeks-old cheese as backup sustenance. Mmm… Cheese…

At the Meandering Forest, I am greeted by this awesome song... And a sign.

Ugh… this is some kind of maze, I will have to use the clues gotten from the mercs to reach the hideout.

Left once… Knight (Up Up Right)… Uhh Knight (Same as last one I think)… Oh crap it’s snowing… Knight (this time it’s Up Up Left I think)… Then it’s “Bishop/Straight ahead.”

Oh hell yeah! I cannot believe that I got that one right my first time through! Straight ahead is the thieves’ hideout! Some kind of ice palace.

Inside, I am greeted by Gingerelle… one of those Thirstquencher gals. Too bad Musashi doesn’t know that. She tells him that the thieves are gone, and calls him darling like 7 times.

Oh well, she doesn’t seem that dangerous… yet. Let’s explore this place.

This place is populated with robo-penguins! Ones that shoot bullets once you smack off their heads! And to make things worse, I don’t think you can assimilated them. Also… There are karate wolves. And annoying mime bots that mirror your moves.

After a bit of puzzle solving and key finding, I get the L-Shoes, allowing Musashi to walk up slippery surfaces!

Oh god, in the process of finding a way deeper into the palace I got myself poisoned! After getting all the keys, I find my way into this area:

There is a dragon statue at the far end of this room, I wonder what will happen if I touch it…

…

Oh god I am dropped into this chamber with the next Crest Guardian: Frost Dragon! I have to fight this thing poisoned!

Get away from me! It chases me to a wide open arena and there the real battle begins! Like the other Crest Guardians, beating it is a matter of finding a way for it to reveal its weak spot, and then smashing that spot with Lumina. After a couple of hits on that weak spot…

Meanwhile at the Thirstquencher Empire…

Cappricola is pretty pissed off at the two thieves… Plus, something about Topo’s plans.

Chapter 5 START: The One That Nests Underground

I get back to the village and the mayor seems pretty depressed, he tells Musashi to ask the stores about it… “Huh?”