Mirage of Blooming Swords 4-3: The Return of Blooming Swords
Overview
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards:
Stellin x2500
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Script
Celebration Plaza
What did Darius Morgan mean? What's going on with Sky Gladiolus? Go to the Celebration Plaza to find out more.
You: (When did Captain Morgan learn to act all mysterious too? What does he mean by we'll understand once we reach the Celebration Plaza...?)
Luke: [Player], look over there! Are those blue gladiolus... the Sky Gladiolus?
Vyn: As far as I know, Sky Gladiolus is the hybrid of gladiolus multiflora and purple spotted gladiolus. It can only be cultivated through a complicated process.
Vyn: The characteristics of the Sky Gladiolus are abundant flower spikes, beautiful flower shapes, and that gorgeous sky blue color.
Vyn: These gladiolus are exactly what the description says... I believe they must be Sky Gladiolus.
Marius: But there was nothing in the news. How did they appear out of nowhere?
Artem: I think... that's what Captain Morgan wants us to find out.
You: Well, let's ask the people around here.
The Sky Gladiolus that was thought to be stolen suddenly appeared at the Celebration Plaza. Learn more from the people at the plaza.
Volunteer: Thank goodness that the Sky Gladiolus arrived before the ceremony. Phew! What a relief.
You: Excuse me... When did these flowers arrive?
Volunteer: Just a little while ago... About an hour or two?
Volunteer: The police specially escorted them here.
Volunteer: If you ask me, the police in Stellis are the best. They said they would find them on time and they did!
Luke: That means the Sky Gladiolus were delivered shortly after Captain Morgan's operation started.
Luke: It feels like Captain Morgan already knew where these flowers were...
You: Maybe Anne told Captain Morgan in advance?
Luke: That's a question only Captain Morgan and Anne Croft can answer.
You: I wonder when the meeting permit will be approved. I have so many questions to ask Anne Croft...
Young Man: It says on the Internet that the police have caught Anne Croft.
Young Girl: That is totally not true! I heard what really happened. Anne Croft gave herself up and returned the Sky Gladiolus.
Young Man: She gave herself up? Huh, weird. So what's the point of her stealing the Sky Gladiolus in the first place?
Young Girl: I heard that her boyfriend was a police officer and he was murdered by criminals when he was investigating some case.
Young Girl: She did it all to avenge him and to lure out the criminal who has been in hiding for years!
Young Man: Was all that really worth it? She became a criminal herself in order to find a criminal. I don't get it.
Young Girl: It's the power of love! If it were me, I wouldn't have the courage to do all of that.
You: Did she really just want to uncover the black market website to avenge Daron Rowe?
Marius: I feel... people can become obsessed sometimes. Her motives might be as simple as that.
Marius: When we meet with Anne Croft in person, everything will be answered. So don't overthink it.
You: Look at the gladiolus... They are as pristine as the sky. They're so beautiful.
Vyn: When they bloom, they are as brilliant and beautiful as a perfect blue sky. That is the charm of the Sky Gladiolus.
You: To be able to cultivate such beautiful flowers... Anne must be an amazing botanist.
You: With the beautiful gladiolus and all the City Anniversary decorations, the square finally looks festive!
Vyn: Such beautiful flowers certainly create an ambiance of elegance for this lively celebration.
Male Citizen: Are those blue gladiolus you've just displayed the Sky Gladiolus? They have been found!?
Volunteer: Yes, you're right! I thought the Sky Gladiolus wouldn't be found in time for this year's celebration...
Male Citizen: So... did the police catch Anne Croft? Where did she hide the flowers?
Volunteer: You wouldn't believe it! They were hidden in the same greenhouse where the Sky Gladiolus were originally planted.
Male Citizen: No way! Why didn't the police notice them at all?
Volunteer: I heard that these Sky Gladiolus turn light pink and look like ordinary gladiolus when watered with a special nutrient solution...
Volunteer: She then moved them to the other side of the greenhouse and mixed them in the normal ones. No one could tell the difference!
You: ... I see, so that's what Captain Morgan meant by changing their color.
Artem: True. Only Anne Croft, who is the expert on the Sky Gladiolus, could figure out something like that.
You: Mr. Wing, why do I feel like I got tricked?
Artem: It's probably because what Croft did was unexpected.
Artem: I'm sure this whole incident will clear up once we meet her.
It is unknown when the police will approve the meeting. Wait patiently at the Celebration Plaza.
You: (I wonder how long it will take for the meeting permit to be approved...)
Police Officer: Hi, Anne Croft's meeting permit has been approved. Captain Morgan wants to know if you want to meet with her right now.
You: Of course. We can head to the police station right away.
Police Officer: Anne Croft is in poor health, so she has been transferred to a special ward at the Central Hospital. Captain Morgan asked me to take you there.
You: Thank you. Please lead the way.
Central Hospital Special Patient Room
The police finally approved our meeting with Anne Croft. Go with the police to Central Hospital and talk to Anne Croft.
The car arrives and takes all of you to the central hospital.
As you enter the special ward, you see Captain Morgan sitting at Anne Croft's bedside with his head down. He is extremely quiet.
Seeing all arrive, he gets up to make space for you.
Anne Croft is no longer wearing the baseball cap. Her face looks extremely pale against the blue and white striped hospital gown.
Anne Croft: The Sky Gladiolus should be at the Celebration Plaza by now, right? The plaza must be gorgeous now.
You: It is. I just came from Celebration Plaza. The Sky Gladiolus have made the plaza look completely breathtaking.
Anne Croft: Sadly, I won't be able to see it in person...
You: ... Ms. Croft, can we talk for a minute?
Anne Croft: Sure... I know you have a lot of questions to ask.
You: Well, let's talk about the Sky Gladiolus incident. I think the reason why you chose to do this during the City Anniversary isn't so simple.
Anne Croft: No, my goal is actually very simple. I only wanted you... I wanted everyone to pay attention to me.
You: Are you trying to attract the public's attention?
It seems that our previous analysis was in the right direction. Anne Croft wanted to pressure the police to solve this case as soon as possible.
Artem: Miss Croft, it seems that you don't trust the police at all.
Anne Croft: It's not that I don't trust the police. It's just that the people I'm dealing with are right next to me, so I have to be cautious.
Artem: Are you talking about Wayne Posek?
Anne Croft: Yes. He's very cunning. He successfully evaded the police three years ago.
Anne Croft: If he didn't tell his underlings to cause an accident, Daron wouldn't have died! If Daron was still alive, I... I would...
Luke: After that incident three years ago, you knew that Wayne Posek was the person in charge of the underground trading website?
Anne Croft: No, I knew about it a long time ago, as early as when I was first put in charge of the rare plant research project... I knew all about it even back then.
You: What!?
Anne Croft: I knew that Wayne Posek was abusing his position to do illegal things. But back then, I didn't think of prosecuting him.
Anne Croft: Even though those people were breaking the law, why should I care? I was just an ordinary person, so what could I even do about it?
Anne Croft: Maybe it's because there are too many people like me in the world that caused Wayne Posek to get too full of himself!
Anne Croft: After Daron's accident, I thought about it. If only I had collected evidence to prosecute him earlier...
Anne Croft: If I explained things to the police earlier. If I was willing to testify against him. Then Daron... he might have lived...
Anne Croft: And he might be still by my side. Like how it was before...
You: (So that's why during her consultation session, Anne Croft said to Dr. Richter that "I'm guilty as well"...)
You: (After Daron's passing... she must've been suffering from remorse, unable to move on.)
You: You used the special nutrient solution to change the color of the Sky Galdiolus and created an illusion of theft. Was it all for the sake of exposing Wayne Posek?
Anne Croft: Who even cares about Wayne Posek. I did it for Daron.
Anne Croft: Daron wanted to resolve the underground trading network once and for all. He wanted to shut down the website and its supply chain...
Anne Croft: It was his wish and the goal that he never got to complete.
Anne Croft: Even though he's no longer here, I'm still alive... The purpose for my existence is to fulfill his wish.
You: Can you tell me more about Mr. Rowe?
Anne Croft: Actually, Daron and I are both orphans. We both didn't have anyone to depend on... Our childhoods were equally difficult.
Anne Croft: Maybe it was because we experienced similar things in our youth... After we met, we fell in love almost immediately.
Anne Croft: This feeling of mutual love gave me a sense of security that I had never felt before.
Anne Croft: Before Daron's accident, we were planning to get married. But he was always so busy...
Anne Croft: We didn't have the time to arrange for a marriage license, a marriage ceremony or a wedding dress... We even had to arrange a time to go on dates.
Anne Croft: We'd always meet at lunchtime on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and we had to choose the most accessible restaurant for the two of us...
You: So you two always met at Penny's Comfort Foods for this reason...
Marius: You ordered a dress from Jen Mendoza. Was it also for Daron's sake?
Anne Croft: That's right. Three years ago, we were already thinking of getting married... Back then, I said I wanted a custom wedding dress that's for me and me alone.
Anne Croft: I'm not sure how long I have to live, and I don't know what's going to happen to me after the Sky Gladiolus case is over.
Anne Croft: I just wanted to... fulfill that part of my desires.
Marius: That's not all, right?
Marius: You intentionally drew strange patterns on your wedding dress design and intentionally set up a puzzle on your blog beckoning us to investigate...
Marius: You wanted the investigators to remember Daron Rowe.
Anne Croft: There's no hiding it from you all. Yes... I wanted you all to remember him. That's because... he was a good policeman who deserves to be remembered.
You: You look a little pale. Is it because of your illness...
Anne Croft: Chronic aplastic anemia... After I got this disease, I wasn't meant to live too long.
Vyn: Miss Croft, your disease is not incurable. As long as you actively cooperate with the treatment, your disease will stabilize.
Anne Croft: Dr. Richter, I remember you. Three years ago... you helped me with my mental condition. You're a good doctor.
Vyn: I am honored to hear such complements from my patient.
Anne Croft: But I know my own condition. I'm a person who shouldn't be alive.
Anne Croft: If it wasn't for this case, I probably would've passed on... three years ago.
She then buries her face deep into the crook of her arm.
She seems to be absorbed deeply in her emotions and doesn't want to face any of you. The ward is silent.
Darius Morgan: Could you guys go get something from the police at Amity Heights for me? I can't leave this place just yet.
Finally, Captain Morgan, who has been silent up till now, speaks.
You: What is it?
Darius Morgan: You will know when you get there. Tell them you are there for my stuff, and they will give it to you.
Why is he making it sound so mysterious...? What is it? You withhold your curiosity and agree to Captain Morgan's request.
Summary
Character(s)
