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Episodes 0-50

51.
Victory, a woman with long blue-black hair and pale skin, is holding a map and scowling at it. Valor, a man with dark brown hair and even paler skin, is looking over her shoulder at the map. They’re both wearing robes of navy, blue and white. Both are young and conventionally attractive. Victory: *holding map* “Ugh. None of this looks right. Are we even in the Endless Forest?” Valor: “We’re certainly not in any forest in Sungland. Look at the trees.” Victory: “Mph. It’d help if we knew whether it’s your compass or mine that’s broken.” Valor: “It’s possible for it to be both.” Victory: “Ughhhhhh.”

52.
Victory and Valor stand on a path in the forest on the right side of the image. On the far left, Moon, a white cat with a black blaze on her chest, lies curled atop a boulder. Valor: “Look, there’s someone. I’ll ask for directions.” Victory: “...Val, that’s a cat.” Valor: “It’s the Endless Forest. You’re supposed to be polite to everyone.” Victory: “‘Be polite’ is one thing, but asking a cat for directions? Seriously?” Valor: “... ‘Everyone’ includes me, Victory.”

53.
Valor: *bowing to Moon* “Good individual, could you tell us where we are?” Moon: *tilts head, stares* Victory: “Even the cat can’t believe you’re asking a cat.”

54.
Valor, still bowing to Moon: “Are we in the Endless Forest?” Moon: *nods* Valor turns to look back at Vicotory: “See? The good feline answered.” Victory bends to address Moon while Valor straightens next to her: “Was that an answer to his question? Really?” Moon: *nods* Victory: “Oh. Well. Thank you, then.”

55.
Valor, bent to address Moon: “We’re looking for his royal highness, Zhenshay, prince of Ashland. Do you know of him?” Moon: *rolls her only eye* Moon: *turns around and walks away* Valor, bemused: “Was that a yes?” Victory, from off-panel: “We might as follow the cat. It’s not as if we can get more lost.”

56.
Valor and Victory, following Moon, approach Moon and Zhenshay’s enormous rambling house. Victory: “A house! Maybe there’ll be a person who’ll talk to us.” Valor: “Remember, we must be polite.” Victory: “I’ll save all my rudeness for you, don’t worry.” Victory, quieter, to Moon: “Thank you for your help, kind feline.” Valor: “I’m still part of the ‘everyone’ group, Victory.”

57.
Zhenshay sits at a table, a brush poised in one hand. Victory, from off-panel: “Hello?” Zhenshay: “Ah, hello, come in. Did you come for a potion?” Victory: “Um. No? We asked a cat for directions, and the cat led us here, then the door to the house opened so...” Victory: “...this isn’t going to get more plausible the longer I explain, is it.” Zhenshay: “Ah, it’s fine. Welcome to the Endless Forest. You must be new here.”

58.
Zhenshay sits at a table, a brush poised in one hand. Victory has entered the room and is staring at Zhenshay, who’s still seated. Valor stands beside and a little behind her. Victory: “Yes, we ... are.” Valor: “Good sir, we’re looking for his royal highness, Zhenshay, prince of Ashland. Do you know of him?” Zhenshay: “...ugh.” Zhenshay: “Can we not.” Victory and Valor: “??”

59.
Panel 1: Zhenshay slumped back in his chair, facing the ceiling, eyes closed: “There is no Prince Zhenshay of Ashland. I renounced my title. I’m just Zhenshay now.” Panel 2: Valor kneels: “Your highness!” Victory is starting to kneel, partly out of frame. Zhenshay, off-panel: “What did I just say”

60.
Valor and Victory are both kneeling now. Valor: “Your highness, his majesty the King of Ashland reinstated your title.” Zhenshay, off-panel: “Then I’m renouncing it again. Please stop with the kneeling and the ‘your highness’ ugggh.”

61.
Victory and Valor are still kneeling. Zhenshay has moved to stand before the desk, leaning against it and glowering at them. Victory, sneaking a glance: “Is ... is your highness unwell? Under a curse? We thought your highness was ... human?” Zhenshay: “Yes, I am human. No, I am not cursed. Yes, I will be fine as long as the two of you drop the kneeling and the royalty nonsense right now.” Valor: “Your --” Zhenshay: “RIGHT NOW.”

62.
Victory and Valor have moved to stand, but they’re bowing, hands clasped before them and eyes down. Valor: “As your -- as you request.” Zhenshay: “Please just call me Zhenshay. There’s no need for the bowing, either. I’m a commoner.” Victory: “But -- your -- we could not presume --” Zhenshay: “Alternatively, you can leave now. I’m good with that too.”

63.
Victory and Valor stand before the viewer, their heads bowed and hands clasped before their chests, hands hidden inside their extremely wide sleeves. Valor: “We can’t--” Victory: “Sir, please--” Zhenshay: “My name is Zhenshay. Just Zhenshay.” Valor: “Zhenshay.” Zhenshay: “Was that so hard?” Valor: “...”

64.
Zhenshay is in the foreground on the right, back to the viewer, facing Valor and Victory, who are finally standing like normal people. Zhenshay: “Who are you two, anyway? You’re not from Ashland. Sunglanders?” Valor, indicating Victory with one hand: “Yes, your -- uh. Yes. We’re royal knights of Sungland. I am Sir Valor and this is Dame Victory.” Zhenshay: “Lovely. Whatever Sungland wants with me, I don’t care. Feel free to leave now.”

65.
Zhenshay strides away. Victory takes a few steps after him, holding out a rolled message tied by a ribbon, while Valor hangs back. Victory: “But we’ve a message from his majesty--” Zhenshay: “Still don’t care.” Valor: “We can’t leave without delivering it.” Zhenshay: “Are you under a geas?” Valor: “Well, no--” Zhenshay: “Pretty sure you’re perfectly capable of leaving with it undelivered, then.”

66.
Closeup of Victory’s outstretched hand, dropping the rolled message into Zhenshay’s hand. Victory: “Please, Zhenshay.” Zhenshay: “Ugggh.” Valor: “His majesty asks your hand in marriage. If you consent, we’re to escort you to Sungland.” Zhenshay: “I don’t consent. Have a nice trip back.”

67.
Victory and Valor start piling packages on Zhenshay’s desk. Zhenshay: “Look, I took your message, what’s all this?” Victory: “Proposal gifts.” Zhenshay: “I’m not marrying anyone. Take them back.” Valor: “They’re yours whether you accept or not.” Zhenshy: “Where were you even keeping all this??” Victory *holds up sleeve*: “These things are amazing.”

68.
Zhenshay, flopped back into the chair, looking at the scroll: “You said his majesty is proposing? Wait -- Kelezhi is the king of Sungland now?” Valor: “Yes.” Victory: “Does that change your high -- your answer?” Zhenshay: “Absolutely not.”

69.
Zhenshay drops the scroll back to the package-laden desk: “How did Kelezhi end up as king? Never mind, don’t tell me, I don’t care.” Zhenshay: “I had fifteen other siblings last time I checked. (It’s been a few years, I’m sure the number’s changed, but still). If Sungland and Ashland want a marital alliance, Kelezhi can marry one of them. Leave me out of it.”

70.
Victory and Valor stand with their backs to the viewer, while Zhenshay sits before them, his head dipped and eyes downcast. Valor: “His majesty only wants you, Zhenshay.” Zhenshay: “It’s not as if the love potion was my idea. I’ll make an antidote for him. Again.” Victory: “It’s no use. He still wants your -- you.” Zhenshay: “And I want to be left in peace. He can get used to not getting what he wants. I have.”

71.
Zhenshay leaning back in his chair, looking down. Valor stands with her back to the viewer, looking between Valor and Zhenshay. Valor bows towards Zhenshay. Zhenshay: “Is that all? Because I have a life to get back to.” Valor bows: “We shall take our leave, Zhenshay.” Victory: “But--” Valor: “Good day.” Zhenshay: “You can pick up the antidote tomorrow. Kelezhi can consider that my answer. Even if he still won’t drink it.” Zhenshay: “Pleasure meeting you. Apart from the proposal and the gifts and the kneeling and the royalty nonsense.”

72.
Close-up of Victory, smirking: “Then what were the pleasant parts, exactly?” Zhenshay: “I can’t think of anything, to be fair, but that’s not your fault. You’re just doing your jobs.” Valor: “We appreciate the sentiment.”

73.
Valor and Victory, side by side, walking through the woods, facing the viewer. The sky behind them is a deepening blue. Victory: “Don’t you think we should have told his highness that we’re not leaving?” Valor: “He already dislikes us. It won’t aid our mission to alienate him further.” Valor: “Speaking of which, you should break the habit of calling him ‘his highness’ even if it’s just with me.” Victory: “Right. Of course. Zhenshay. Gah. I can’t get used to it.”

74.
Victory and Valor in profile, from the shoulders up, against a twilight sky and forest backdrop. Victory: “I don’t know what I was expecting, but not that.” Valor: “His majesty warned us that Zhenshay would be unwelcoming.” Victory: “I know! I know. I just wasn’t picturing this particular lack of welcome.” Valor: “Me either.”

75.
Victory and Valor walk side-by-side away from the viewer. The sky above is dark and the forest ill-lit; Victory, with a white outer robe, is easier to make out than Valor, who’s wearing dark blues. Victory: “I thought we’d have to, I don’t know. Fight our way past his army of ogres or somesuch to deliver the king’s message.” Valor: “Haha, you did not.” Victory: “Maybe not ogres. Or an army. But something we have experience and training in.” Victory: “Not a beautiful demon telling us to stop kneeling at once or he’d rip us to shreds.” Valor: “Come now, at no point did he threaten us with violence.” Victory: “See that’s the problem! I was ready for violence. I’m not ready for ... whatever this is.” Valor: “...me either.”