Loading User Commands:
[X] Watch her puppet show, greet her normally when she notices you.

---

... after fighting through the Cursed Sea of Trees, the heroes finally reached the Red Tower.

"Your greatest obstacle will lie in the Red Tower. Neither strength nor wit will help you. In that place, one of you must make a choice."

Lead by the young knight-errant, they climbed the spiraling steps of the tower. The woodland ranger readied his bow. The blue magician prepared her most destructive spells. The elder priest muttered prayers and protective blessings. The young stable girl held tightly to the old blade her father left her.

However, they reached the top of the tower without a single battle. Instead, they found the princess sitting in a chair by the window.

"We have come to rescue you from this tower," the knight said. "Your kingdom needs you."

"From far lands we have travelled to restore balance," the ranger said.

"Your guidance is needed, if the people are to have hope," the priest said.

"To protect the spirits and magic of the land, you must return," the magician said.

The young stable girl said nothing.

The princess turned to the heroes and sighed.

"I cannot leave this place. The Dark One told me that if the Red Tower is left empty for even a moment, the land will be torn asunder by fire and lightning. He killed the previous Guardian of this place, so I must stay here to keep the land safe. Unless, one of you is willing to take my place."

For the longest time, the heroes stood in silence.

"I shall take your place," said the young stable girl.

She turns to the knight.

"I am not strong like you. She will need someone to protect her."

She turns to the ranger.

"I am not quick like you. She will need someone to watch her side."

She turns to the magician.

"I am not powerful like you. She will need someone to give her strength."

She turns to the priest.

"I am not wise like you. She will need someone to advise her."

She turns to the princess.

"I am only a simple stable girl who has joined them for her own selfish reasons."

... the stable girl watched from the window as the heroes rode away with the princess. The land is now safe, and the kingdom will prosper once more. The four of them would make sure of it. She waved cheerfully at them until they were out of sight.

She has only one regret. She turned away from the window and let go of the tears she was holding back.

She loved him.

[ ] "T-that was an excellent show."
[ ] "..."
[ ] "The knight was a fool."
[ ] "Such a brave girl..."
[ ] "B-but the story doesn't end there, does it?"
[ ] A single tear rolls down his cheek.
[ ] Custom

Grey said that he was meeting someone at the center of town. Seems like he might be a good person, since he was concerned about the incidents. However, he acted like he was hiding something.

After thanking Keine, Grimnír wanders aimlessly around the village. He doesn't have anything specific in mind, but a walk is fine too.

"..."

He finds himself walking along the market district. A familiar voice draws his attention. Alice seems to be conducting a puppet show for some kids.

[ ] Greet her normally.
[ ] Surprise her from behind.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Ask about the Hakurei Shrine meeting.
[X] Ask about the attacks around the Forest of Magic.

---

Grimnír takes a moment to prioritize his questions. Grey clears his throat.

"If I may go first," Grey says. "I'd like to know more about other outsiders who stayed at the Scarlet Devil Mansion."

"Hmm," Keine says. "As far as I know, Remilia and the others welcome outsiders who end up near the mansion. She often sends them here to the village after a while."

She pauses, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Now that you mention it, there was that one guy who stayed with them for a pretty long time. He used to come here to the village together with Sakuya and Remilia. I heard that he isn't at the mansion anymore."

"Do you know what happened?" Grey asks.

"I'm not exactly sure. Sakuya came here after a while, asking if anyone has seen him. Looks like he went missing, but neither Remilia, nor any of the others said anything else. I think it might be a sensitive subject for them."

"I see," Grey says.

Marisa mentioned something about vampires living in a large mansion across the lake. They caused an incident in the past; it was something that involved red mist, if he recalls correctly. There is a large library in the mansion that Marisa visits. Maybe he should visit it sometime.

"How about you?" Keine asks Grimnír.

"Alice and Marisa mentioned something about a meeting today at the Hakurei Shrine. I'm curious to why the shrine maiden would call a meeting. Would you know?" he asks.

"I have to admit that I was surprised when she called for it. She invited some of the most influential youkai and humans in Gensokyo. Kaguya, Remilia, Kanako, Yuyuko, Yukari, Sikieiki and several others were sent invitations."

Keine sighs.

"Unfortunately, I'm too busy to go to Reimu's little gathering. Mokou went in my place. I can't really afford to leave the village right now."

Yukari? So that woman is among the powerful influences of Gensokyo. He knew that she was dangerous, but this was far worse than he imagined. He definitely doesn't want to make her an enemy, but he can't just give in to her either.

He rubs his temple as he thinks. Grey gives Keine a nod.

"May I ask if you know anything about the attacks on the mansion?" he asks.

He looks up at Grey. He gives him a slight nod before turning to Keine.

"I want to know more about the attacks around the Forest of Magic," he says. "Are these attacks all related somehow?"

Keine looks at them both thoughtfully.

"From what I know, the attacks on those two places are unrelated. Various beast-type youkai have been attacking the Scarlet Devil Mansion and the lake around it. I heard some youkai merchants have gone missing around that area. Around the Forest of Magic, a human carrying a trident has been attacking travellers. I heard that some fairies have been unusually aggressive, as well."

Suddenly, Keine bangs her hand hard on the desk.

"And that doesn't even count the incidents around the village. Several of the villagers have gone missing, some of them youkai. I've been patrolling every night, but I've found nothing!"

She composes herself before continuing.

"There are incidents in other places, as well. Reimu thinks that they might all be related, but she hasn't found any proof. Hopefully, they decided to do something in that meeting of hers."

"A-ahem!"

Both men jump at the sound. Keine is standing at the doorway with an exasperated look on her face.

"If you have a conflict to resolve, then I would appreciate it if you would take your danmaku duel somewhere else. A school is no place for violence," she says as she takes her seat behind the desk.

"Danmaku?" Grimnír asks. Is this what Marisa was talking about?

Keine opens her desk and takes a couple of sheets of paper. She gives them each a copy.

"Spell Card Rules," she says. "Just read through this when you have time. The shrine maiden asked Akyu and I distribute these to outsiders."

"Thank you very much," Grey says.

"Unfortunately, I don't have much time for you two," Keine says. "I have several errands to run after this. So, may I ask you to limit yourselves to two questions each?"

The two nod slowly.

Grimnír pauses to think.

[ ] Ask about the attacks around the Forest of Magic.
[ ] Ask about the Trident Lunatic.
[ ] Ask about Yukari.
[ ] Ask about Rinnosuke.
[ ] Ask about magicians.
[ ] Ask about the Hakurei Shrine meeting.
[ ] Ask about the attacks around the village.
[ ] Custom

For a moment, the two men watch each other in silence.

Grimnír looks at the stranger. Looking closer, he can see that he is wearing a traveller's coat and pants in the style of the early 18th century Europe. The design isn't fancy, but it shows simple elegance.

The man is smiling lightly at him, but his eyes betray a sense of surprise. He was probably waiting here to meet with Keine.

"My name is Grey, are you here to see the Village Guardian?" the man asks.

Grimnír pauses.

"Village Guardian?" he asks in return.

"Yes, I heard that Keine protects the Human Village from youkai attacks and other threats. She acts as a school teacher for the children during the rest of the time, if I'm not mistaken," Grey says.

"I see," he says. "My name is Grimnír, and I just recently arrived here in the village."

"Pleased to meet you. If I could, I'd offer you a cup of tea," Grey says. He shifts his legs to more comfortable position.

Grimnír pauses uneasily. It was just for a moment, but he is sure that he saw a gun holstered under his coat. This man is armed. He tightens his grip on his staff as he struggles to stay calm.

"Perhaps you don't like tea? We can probably find a tavern somewhere if you like," Grey says. "We Outsiders should stick together. Gensokyo is a dangerous place, after all."

Grimnír smirks. So this man is an Outsider as well. But even so, carrying a gun to a school isn't right. He doesn't know what this man is here for, or what he wants from Keine. Maybe a straightforward approach would be best.

"So, why carry a gun when meeting a schoolteacher?" he asks.

"Self-defense," Grey answers. He answered quickly and calmly. This man is good with words.

The two men stare at each other in silence. Neither of them is smiling.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Head to the school and look for the man. Something is off.

---

Grimnír isn't exactly sure, but something about the man seems out of place. He is too well-dressed to meet a village school teacher, and he walked inside with confidence that didn't fit someone who lived in a village.

He takes his things and hurries after the man. As he walks toward the entrance, he pauses outside the classroom. He gives Keine a smile and a wave. She returns the smile to acknowledge him, then she turns back to her class.

"At least she knows I'm heading inside," he mutters to himself.

As he walks inside, he recalls the spell he used. It must have drained him completely for him to fall unconscious. If it weren't for Keine's friend, he would probably be dead by now.

That spell must have been really powerful to attract the attention of a being like Yukari. He isn't really sure who she is, but to break into one's mind is no simple feat. That woman is dangerous.

As he walks, a sign on one of the doors catches his attention. It reads "Principal's Office". He hasn't seen any other teachers in the school, but he feels that the position of principal fits Keine somehow. As he looks closer, he notices that the door is slightly ajar. Someone is inside.

He heads straight for the office. He is sure that it isn't Keine.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Look for the dining room and eat. Can't let Keine's cooking go to waste.
[X] Crack open your spellbook and start studying. A nimble mind takes every chance to gain more knowledge.

---

Grimnír heads out of the room and is enraptured by a delicious aroma. Using his nose, he quickly finds his way to the dining room. He sees on the table a glass of water, a bowl of rice and a portion of meat stew. The presentation of the food is simple, but he has little doubt about its taste. He immediately takes a seat and starts eating. Despite his hunger, he can't help but notice how well the food was prepared. The most delicate hint of herbs and honey stimulate his taste buds. And if these are only leftovers, her freshly cooked dishes must be absolutely exquisite.

Halfway through the meal, he remembers his magical studies. He opens the beginner's magic book and starts studying as he eats. After all, a nimble mind takes every chance to gain more knowledge. His experience with the fairies only prove that he must improve his skills if he wants to survive in Gensokyo.

Recalling the final spell he used in the battle, he quickly browses through the book and searches for any references to it. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to fall under the standard elemental or spiritual categories. He sighs as he takes another mouthful of meat. Yukari mentioned that it was a unique ability, so he isn't really surprised that it isn't mentioned in a standard spellbook. He wonders idly if there are any magicians who are familiar with a larger variety of magic. He doesn't feel like he can trust Yukari, especially after what she did. And he has a really bad feeling about randomly experimenting with the spell.

After finishing the meal, he takes a peek out of a window. From here, he can see Keine teaching her class, though he can't hear much. He needs to thank her for her help, and perhaps he get the name of the person who brought him safely to the village. As a school teacher, she must be knowledgeable about the village, so he can probably ask more about this place as well.

From the window, something suddenly catches his attention. There is a well-dressed man standing outside of the school. He seems to be watching Keine closely, though Keine is too busy with her class to notice. He paces back and forth in front of the school for a few minutes, as if in deep thought. Finally, the man nods to himself and walks into the school.

Grimnír can't help but feel that the situation looks out of place.

[ ] Head to the school and look for Keine. You need to talk to her.
[ ] Head to the school and look for the man. Something is off.
[ ] Stay in the house and continue studying. Stay focused on learning magic.
[ ] Go back to sleep. Maybe that will help clear your head.
[ ] Wander aimlessly outside. Might bump into something interesting.
[ ] Custom