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My newest masterpiece, the 'Invincible Cool Thing' will be fully operational. As long as I don't run into another accident!

Oh, I should get rid of all these explosives first.

Safety first! Avoid open flames...

(Knocks here and there)

*cough* *cough* That thing over there keeps blowing up...!

*cough* *cough*...!

You alright, Marcille?

I-I'm fine! Just a little dizzy...

(Low roar)

There's more...! Careful!

A golem? Maybe a gargoyle?!

Taste my magic—

BOOM—!!!

High Priest, High Priest? You there?

...What was that?

—Wagh!

A crocodile?! Or a beast-man with a crocodile head?!

Huh? What's a beast-man?

He can speak too!

Why wouldn't I be able to? Hey, you there, Durins, did you crawl up from the underground?

'Durins'?

Is he talking about us?

See any other short ones around here?

Are you saying me and Chilchuck look like the same race to you?

Don't you guys have 'Half-foot' here?

...What are you talking about? Is something wrong with you all?

Right, have you seen our High Priest here?

High Priest?

Old guy, shorter than me, wears glasses.

What's he doing in such a dangerous place?

Dunno. He thinks in mysterious ways.

Well, we haven't run into any old men.

He also moves in mysterious ways.

Guess I should just give up and get back to the tribe, then. Like all the times I went out and looked for him before.

Goodbye, strange tourists!

Wait! Could I ask if you've heard of Rhodes Island?

Heh. Lucky for you, but also unlucky. Because I feel like I have, but also not.

There's someone else in the tribe who I'm sure knows where this Whatever Island is though.

But that person happens to be...

That High Priest you're looking for?

Bingo.

How's this? Come back with me. We hardly ever find him when we go looking, but he always comes back sooner or later.

So basically, you guys were on an island with a huge dungeon, and somehow ended up here?

More or less. Do you know anything about it?

Uh... What's an island?

Huh? It's... a landmass completely surrounded by sea.

What's a sea?

Um... a large body of water?

You mean a lake? You really like to use strange words.

Well, is it because we're inland right now and you haven't heard of...

It's because your questions are so strange! I've never heard of a sea, an island, or a Merini Village. Were you swept here from the other side of Terra by someone's tail or something?

'Terra'?

It's what we're standing on right now.

Marcille tries to read the crocodile man's face for any sign he was pranking her.

Unfortunately, the only message she gets from his eyes is 'Am I talking to a fool?'

So in short, the one who calls the shots in this tribe of crocodiles—er, Archosauria—is the High Priest. The one Marcille blew up earlier was his...

His mech.

The 'Invincible Cool Thing.'

But if we blew up his 'mech'... would he still be willing to help us find Rhodes Island?

It's fine. It would've exploded with or without you.

Always manages to blow up somehow.

The High Priest is a friendly man. I'm sure he won't blame you if you just explain everything.

He's also a righteous man. He wouldn't leave a group of lost visitors stranded.

That's our High Priest!

Still, we should come up with a way to make amends.

Don't worry about it—wait, what's that good smell? Who's cooking today?

The Durin with the huge beard.

Terra, Acahualla, living paintings, the dungeon...

Ugh... I can't wrap my head around it all.

I can use magic here, so at the very least some of the laws of reality are shared...

Falin... I bet I'd be as excited as Laios if you were here.

*sigh* I miss our days back at the academy.

Back then...

Wait, the berries that those little birds are eating...

They look like that fruit Falin offered me back then...

Smells great. Are Durins good at cooking too?

For the last time, I'm not a Durin... *sigh* Never mind, suit yourself.

Quick, round everyone up to try out this bearded Durin's cooking!

Right, you guys were looking for the High Priest?

Yeah. We want to ask him some questions.

It's true he knows much, but it's hard to meet him. It's easy if he wants to see you; but impossible if he doesn't.

Sounds like your classic sage type... So how do we get him to want to see us?

Hmm... Zumama said that if we wanted the High Priest to share his wisdom, we should make some noise to attract him!

Noise... would a big feast count?

Yeah. Something like that.

No objections here. Let's ask Marcille what she thinks.

Speaking of which, where is she?

She hasn't returned yet?

Damn you, Red Dragon! GIVE FALIN BACK TO ME!!!

My fin-drying rack! My bed!

Laios!

Since when was Marcille this quick?!

I think she's seeing us as the Red Dragon now!

Then what do we do?

Seeing how she only has Falin on her mind now, I should try...

Marcille! It's me, Laios! Falin's brother!

No way! You're way too normal! Laios is the guy who'd intimidate a Basilisk with just a strange pose!

I mean, she's right.

Fine, if that's how it's gonna be!

RAAAH—!