Finding the Gods

With the Imperial Army's movements slowed, Lacid sees his opening: Gishne tells him the Divine Weapon lies far out in the sea southeast of Pandragon. Lacid's party heads to Port Bryde hoping for Largo's help — only to find the navigator already gone, off pioneering the Eastern Sea Route himself. Undeterred, they set sail with Captain Varick to search the southeastern seas on their own.

Pirates block their path, and then the Polar Kraken itself appears — enough to stop even Captain Varick cold. He persuades Lacid to make for Notesi Island instead and ask the Merfolk there for help. It's on Notesi that Lacid's party meets Arcion of the Kashmir Mercenaries, his ship already wrecked by the same Kraken — and where a panicked sailor begs them to save his friend Clotho, about to be offered as a sacrifice to Lady Karola.

At the mouth of Karola's cave, Clotho pleads with her not to let any more Merfolk be sacrificed — but Karola charges anyway, and only Ashram's intervention buys Lacid and Arcion the time to reach the fight. Together they bring Karola down; as the dark energy around her dissipates, Clotho's Word reaches what's left of her, revealing she'd been controlled by that darkness all along. Freed, Karola is finally able to rest, and a grateful Clotho wants to repay Lacid however she can.

Wanting to press on to Blueseed Island for clues about the Divine Weapon, Lacid asks Clotho to come with him and use her power to calm the Kraken still blocking the way. She agrees, promising Ashram and her sailor friend she'll return, and the party sets out — only for the Kraken to attack anyway before its fury finally breaks. Through Clotho's Word, they learn the real cause: pirates have been slaughtering sea creatures wholesale. Furious, Lacid's party heads for Blueseed Island to put a stop to it.

Landing safely, they clear the startled pirates on Blueseed Island one group at a time before finally reaching the Pirate King's lair itself. Defeating him closes out the island's threat — but leaves them with nothing on the Divine Weapon, and Arcion confirms there's no trace of Kaja here either. Coming up empty on both fronts, Lacid and Arcion agree to keep searching together.

In a brief cutaway to the Empire's side, Karls reports to Beradin about the Asura Machina in preparation to move against Silver Arrow. Pleased, Beradin orders the Four Imperial Guardians summoned — but as Karls moves to carry out the command, an unexplained voice taunts him.

This is where Kashmir commits fully to the Alliance's cause: the mercenary company's full strength — Arcion, the Arbalest, and senior members Sakiski, Al, Rian Aldo, and Gawell Hadiss — is secured through these southern-sea operations, with the rescue of Clotho as the turning point. This chapter also confirms Chapter 24's Arcion/Kashmir strand and Lacid's own search converge directly at Notesi Island, as suspected.