Trails to Azure Drama CD - Road to the Future

After we had our fill of fishing, we headed back to Armorica to return the general goods store's rod.

Sure. Just leave the rod over there.

Thank you once again.

Man, what the hell? Why was I the only one who didn't catch anything...? *sob*

Are you feeling better, Tio?

*sigh* I am fine.

I did not mean to cause alarm.

Hey, Lloyd. What's this stuff?

That? It's honey. The village's specialty.

It has a reputation for being very sweet and delicious.

Oh... Wow!

Why don't we pick up a jar to have with our lunch?

Yeah, great idea. Let's do that.

Cool. I'd say we earned it.

Next, we settled on a campsite just off Old Armorica Road and divvied up the lunchboxes.

Is everyone ready?

Let's dig in!

Let's eat!

Mmm. It's so good!

Morges' bread is peerless as always.

Uh-huh! So yummy!

The honey is really good, too!

We have plenty of fried chicken and sandwiches, KeA. Eat as much as you'd like.

Okie dokie!

Mind pourin' me a drink, Mademois-Elie?

Sure.

All right. Here you go.

Hah, thanks.

Phew! That hits the spot.

There's something about bein' under the sun that makes tea that much better, huh?

You said it.

Mind giving me a refill, too?

Not at all.

Hmm... I think the chicken is my favorite.

It is very good. You made it, right, Lloyd?

Yeah, but Elie was the one who taught me the recipe. The herbs add a lot of flavor.

Don't sell yourself short. You're a pretty good cook.

Talk about scorin' hubby points. Like you need any more advantages to get the girls' attention.

E-Excuse me?

Haha, don't joke about that.

Lloyd... You haven't actually been thinking about getting married, have you?

Wh-What?! No, Randy was only joking.

See, this is what I'm talkin' about. How'd you fall backasswards into bein' such a chick magnet, anyway?

Grade-A certified hottie Cecile... Crossbell's cutest and cheeriest receptionist Fran...

The continent-renowned Arc en Ciel superstar, Ilya...

Not to mention a bombshell like Rixia.

Even Wendy from Genten was your childhood friend...

This is bullshit! How does one normie get so lucky?!

Would you knock it off already? You know there's nothing going on between me and any of them.

And Cecile's practically family. What does she have to do with this?

'Any of them.' That's the kind of thing you say when there are too many to count.

Not you, too, Elie...

T-Tio? Why are you looking at me like that?

I was thinking...

...these are truly terrifying times we live in. How does someone so ignorant and oblivious rise to the rank of police detective?

What?!

I was thinking the same thing. Lloyd is a clear and present danger to himself and others.

E-Elie. You know I'm sitting right here...

You're gonna get married, Lloyd?

Can I be your wife?

Haha! No can do, KeDo.

'Fraid I'm gonna have to whip my own dad card out and shoot that idea down.

Um, KeA. Marriage isn't the kind of thing you bring up so suddenly.

Much less to someone like Lloyd, KeA.

You could do much better.

Why am I getting singled out?

What did I do to deserve this?

That was delicious!

Ah... I'm so full!

I may have eaten too fast...

You sure you don't want more dessert, KeDo?

Nope! I'm good!

Tio, your fruit punch was super yummy!

I am glad you liked it. That makes waking up early to prepare it worth the effort.

We still have the whole day to ourselves. Does everyone want to relax for a while?

I could go for a little snooze.

Wait, do you all mind if I say something before that?

Huh? Why you actin' so formal all of a sudden?

It's just...there's something I need to tell you all.

Something to tell us?

It's about the mayor's proposal to have me train with the First Division.

...I think I'm going to accept.

Lloyd...

Train?

Think of it like Sunday School, but for a detective.

Lloyd would go to police headquarters every day to learn under the First Division.

But you're a grown-up, Lloyd. You still have to go to school?

That's right. A detective never stops learning, even after they've grown up.

May I ask what your reasoning is?

The more I thought about it, the more I agreed with what Mayor Crois said.

Crossbell is going to be in a tough spot for the rest of the year.

The orbal network will likely play a bigger role in the future of crime, too. There's a lot for me to learn.

Not to mention there bein' new threats around the corner now that the mafia's bit the dust.

Erebonia and Calvard aren't goin' anywhere. We'll probably be crossin' paths with 'em sooner or later.

I wouldn't doubt it.

The SSS isn't equipped for something like that as we are.

Even taking the cult incident into account.

Mayor Crois said we led the charge to solve that case...

...but I don't think it's that cut and dry.

We were there, and no one knows better than us what happened that night.

You got a point. We never would have made it to the end if not for Noel bailin' us out.

Let alone Dudley and Chief Sergei covering for us in the city.

It was only thanks to them that we managed to see it through to the end.

To say nothing of our greatest allies that night: the Bracer Guild.

There is no telling how things would have ended up without the help of Arios, Estelle, and Joshua.

Exactly...

We weren't acting alone. It was the combined efforts of several people that allowed us to come out on top.

But what if we had to do it all over again?

What if we were in a situation where the CGF couldn't mobilize and we didn't have the guild to provide backup?

Well...

Unfortunately, there would not be much we could do.

Not as we are...

Can't argue with that.

Neither can I, and I know I need to change that.

I'm not saying the SSS should always be able to solve anything and everything by itself...

...but we can't ignore that in a worst-case scenario, that's what it could come down to.

If that were to happen, I would want us to be prepared enough to protect our friends and loved ones.

To protect our home...Crossbell.

Lloyd...

Well said, Lloyd.

Training with the First Division would do more than just help me grow as a detective.

It would teach me just what kind of threats Crossbell is up against and the power we'd need to protect everyone from them.

Still, it wouldn't be very leader-like of me to abandon the SSS now. Selfish is more like it...

You don't gotta worry about that, dumbass.

Hey! Not so rough, Randy!

How is that selfish? You wanna go through with this journey to help make the SSS better, don'tcha?

I don't know if 'journey' is how I'd put it...

...but I suppose so, yeah. That's the end goal.

Then why would any of us ever hold it against you?

I agree with Randy for once.

Tio...

Needless to say, I echo all of those sentiments. Let's do our best for the sake of the SSS, Lloyd.

Elie...

Lloyd... You're leaving just like Elie is?

So I'm not going to be able to see you anymore...?

It's not like that, KeA. I'll still be commuting to police headquarters from the SSS building.

So we'll still be living together just like we have been.

Really?! Phew, you had me worried there.

What'cha sweatin' about, KeDo? There's no way Lloyd would ever leave you behind.

It would be difficult for any of us to survive without our dose of vitamin KeA.

I was thinking the same thing, Tio. Heehee...

Speaking of which, I am feeling a little faint...

I think I will be taking my dose via hug right now, KeA.

You got it!

Man, why don't you ever hug me like that, Tio Tot? I'm cuddly, too!

Like a cactus.

Sheesh, and you're callin' ME prickly.

Hahaha...

Thanks, guys.

I'm going to give training with the First Division everything I've got.

That might mean the SSS has to put things on hold for a little while...

So until we're back, I hope you two refine what it is that you're best at so we can hit the ground running again.

What we're best at, eh...?

Hmm...