Lost Gold Marius Investigation 02-05
Overview
- "You don't think I'm being petty and paranoid, do you?"
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards:
Astral Memory x20
- Unlock Condition:
Emergency Medicine x140, 
Lumber x210, 
MRE x70, 
Drinking Water x280 - Note - During its initial limited run, this stage's first clear reward was:
Hunter's Badge x50 - Note - During its initial limited run, this stage's unlock condition was: Emergency Medicine x160, Lumber x240, MRE x80, Drinking Water x320
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Script
Ruin Karst Cave
An hour ago, Bryce had sneaked into your tent and searched your belongings. Soon afterwards, he left the camp.
Although nothing's missing, Marius replaces all the supplies before you follow Bryce's GPS signal.
On the way, you find the terminal that Bryce had abandoned on a riverbank.
Luckily you have Luke's tracker, so you haven't lost Bryce.
You: Marius, you...
Just now at camp, Marius had insisted on throwing away all the food and water from your backpacks and replacing them with new supplies.
He also thoroughly checked each piece of survival equipment.
Marius: What's wrong? You've been wanting to say something this whole time.
You're now at a historical site by the river. There are huge stone statues scattered about.
Bryce is searching for something among the statues. He takes out and checks the notebook from time to time, looking anxious.
You and Marius are hiding in a nearby karst cave. Marius is focused on Bryce while chatting with you absentmindedly.
You: It's really nothing. I just feel that this must be hard for you.
Marius: Why are you saying this all of a sudden?
You: To outsiders, Pax, or rather the von Hagen family, has fame and fortune. But in reality...
You: All that glory comes with a price.
You: The interpersonal relationships in your environment are a lot more complicated than the average person's.
You: The dangers are also... beyond an average person's imagination.
That’s why the first thing he thought of was to change all the water and food.
Someone who was a loving friend can turn into an enemy you need to watch out for overnight.
Marius: ...
Marius: You don't think I'm being petty and paranoid, do you?
Marius obviously knows where your concerns are coming from.
You: You often do things that surprise others, but you have your reasons.
You: At least from our interactions, I don't think you're being overly sensitive or unreasonable.
Marius quietly looks at you. The rising moon reflects in his eyes, bringing rise to gentle waves.
You: Why are you staring at me like—
Suddenly, he lowers himself and holds you in a gentle and loose embrace.
You: ...
Marius: Thank you.
These two, simple words contain so much... You're at a loss for words and can only gently pat his back in response.
Bryce Thatcher: That's it! That's it!
Outside the cave, Bryce suddenly shouts out in excitement. You look out and see him running towards the site exit.
You: Did he find something? Is it related to the gold? Let's catch up with him.
You dash out in a hurry, but aren't expecting the karst cave to be so slippery and lose your balance.
You: !!!
Marius: Careful!
In your panic, you instinctively try to regain your balance by pushing against a wall, but you miss.
Luckily, Marius immediately grabs onto you.
Marius: Are you okay?
You: I'm fine...
You: Oh? Look, what's this?
The wall you pushed turns out to be a movable stone slab.
Like a revolving door in a hotel, the stone slab is fixed onto the wall by a shaft.
The side facing out is very smooth with no traces of man-made markings, but the other side is full of text.
You: These are two different languages... The one on top is very similar to the Nosta language in the notebook.
You: The one on the bottom... It looks like English, but it isn't.
Marius: It's Latin. We found treasure.
Marius squats down. He first looks at Bryce's location on his phone, and then uses a flashlight to illuminate the slab.
Marius: Have you heard of the Rosetta Stone?
You: Yes. It's a treasure in the British Museum!
The Rosetta Stone was found in 1799 by a French captain in the Egyptian coastal city of Rosetta.
On the Rosetta Stone, an edit of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh was written in Greek, ancient Egyptian, and demotic script.
Archaeologists deciphered the Egyptian hieroglyphics by comparing the different languages on the stele.
Marius: That's right. Give me the photo of the notebook. Maybe we can decipher the text inside.
You enlarge the photos on your tablet and show them to Marius.
You: Both languages look unfamiliar. Should we connect to the Big Data Lab to translate the Latin first?
Marius: No need.
Marius: You have your resident Latin expert right here. Why would you need the Big Data Lab?
You: You're proficient in Latin!? Why would you learn a dead language?
You: Don't tell me it was to get into university or find a job.
Marius: To understand ancient European art history, you have to read literature in Latin.
Marius: I felt that rather than consulting a dictionary every time I translated something, it'd be more efficient to just learn the language myself.
You: (I suddenly realize that the biggest difference between me and the others in the NXX is that I'm not a genius...)
Marius: So now, let me decode Nosta's secrets.
Fortunately, you're able to find corresponding Latin on the stone slab for all the key elements in the notes.
But the translated text is beyond both of your imaginations.
