Now that we had almost caught up with the anime timeline, heavy weight of uncertainty was lifted off my back.

Instead of estimating out of sequence flashbacks in months, I could count chronological main action in weeks. Big improvement.

In the original timeline, in this time window, Rain and Mirim would still be traveling to Rukhkh Mountain with the monorail, the twins would still be lost deep in the Winter Forest, and Crys and Kimono would be strolling around the Stray Dog City area, completely unaware of the major events lining up in the north.

This time, we are all in the Starfish Mansion already.

Rukhkh-bird arrives at the nest about three weeks from now, after heavy snowfall turns the nest soft enough for the immortality egg to drop without breaking.

Two weeks before that, Caliph Tze climbs through the mountain dungeon and meditates in the ancient cave temple below the nest until the egg lands. His plan is to break the egg and bathe in the egg white to obtain his skin-tight invincibility membrane.

But before that, we'll be in the onsen temple waiting for Caliph Tze.

Eggman will take a bath in dynamite and lead.

In the game, meeting the twins happened in the first fifth of the campaign. But in this world, I started the run from flashbacks and rearranged everything in advance, so I skipped over four fifths of the campaign and met the twins here and now – before Rainwoman's first fight against Caliph would have happened.

In other words, the first boss fight would be the final boss fight.

I'd call this world record pace.

When the twins came back to visit Starfish Mansion, I wasn't brave enough to ask them to run backwards in the hallway for me, so I just took them for a brief house tour.

I showed them the normal early rooms, then showed them some of the later strange rooms, and then we had a nice chat about Suleiman while drinking tea and eating snacks in the kitchen.

It was just like old times; the first season times.

Crys joined us for a moment when the tea was ready, so Kimono had to join as well, but they didn't talk with the twin much.

Dancer came in to greet the twins briefly, but then he went back to packing and double-checking the airship.

Rain and Mirim didn't join us, they stayed in the Petrified Garden.

In the anime, Rain was the closest contact person with the twins. They didn't get along in the beginning, but during the second season they were already talking like old friends.

It's alright to take it slowly.

Reavertooth asked me if Sarafina af Maripol was in the house. He asked the same question from Crys in the anime, thinking that Mirim and Sarafina looked alike. Sarafina was one of Caliph Tze's concubines in the Golden Cage, the one who was ordered to spend time with Reavertooth.

I had to explain to the twins that not all people who look alike are twins, and not all twins always come as a set, and Mirim will not spend time with them like Sarafina.

As expected, these boys suffered from critical lack of common sense.

They didn't even sit at the table like normal people, they just perched over in their chairs like crows on a wire. I had to teach them that dipping dried meat in their teacup and then to sugar bowl was considered bad manners.

They had lived free-range lives without supervision in the dungeon and then jumped straight to luxurious palace life where very few people dared to correct their behavior, so normal middle-class life was still alien to them.

I decided to take a direct dialogue route with them to avoid silly misunderstandings.

“Our tribe has a great mission that our elder shamans have passed down to young hunters: we must hunt down chief Caliph Tze and lesser chief Suleiman Onion Hat, and all those who worship slavers and Strangers, including monsters like Lucranah and Thiefmaster, and all stratarks and arkonts, and all their numerous apprentices. These are the great prey we hunt.”

“I understand. Our grandfather wished death to Suleiman. We will take part.” (Reavertooth)

“But chief Caliph Tze, chief without honour. We do not take part.” (Ivorythief)

“Brother speaks truth. Chief Caliph Tze powerful hunter, we took part, yet he does not hunt, digs dirt and moves slowly like insect. Great shame to his tribe.” (Reavertooth)

The brothers got indignant when remembering their frustration with Caliph's way of doing things, but there was no point in pressing the issue of attacking Caliph together. The skills and motivations of the twins were more suited to dealing with Suleiman and Lucranah; killing Caliph was not their jam.

“I understand. Caliph is a shameful display, he should commit sudoku. Yet our tribe must honor our ancestors wishes and hunt Caliph.”

“Honoring grandfather's wishes. It is inevitable.” (Reavertooth)

“Caliph's footsteps, do not follow.” (Ivorythief)

“Yes, of course not. Our tribe walks its own path, a path of righteousness and honor.”

This should be fine. What they don't understand doesn't matter and what they understand... should be vague enough that I can put a positive spin on it later, if necessary.

“Your tribe powerful. Good women, no successors?” (Ivorythief)

“Brother speaks truth. House of your tribe, many rooms for many children.” (Reavertooth)

“You make a good point. However, hunting is more important now, that's what our tribe has decided. And we do have a plan how to give a substantial population boost for our tribe later–”

After a nice chat consisting of meandering truths mixed with half-understood half-lies, we left the Starfish Mansion to visit the Spyglass Tower.

I went alone with the twins.

My tribe mates weren't interested in coming along – for reasons – but that was fine.

Even if something unexpected happens, the twins can surely take care of it.

Spyglass Tower was the name of a hidden sub-area where Reavertooth and Ivorythief lived after they joined the Revolution Movement.

It was also the name of a tower defense minigame in Mu-Ur Quincunx, where waves of bounty hunters spawned randomly at the borders of the map and player had to locate them with a telescope, attack them before they got too close to the tower, place traps, or just snipe them from the tower.

It was a non-essential side quest, so I only played it during my first casual playthrough.

Black Forest was a large area with six sub-areas in total: Spyglass Tower at southeast side, Path Forest and Ambush Valley at northern side, Flagpole Hill on south side, Flower Path in the east, and the biggest sub-area was the Cursed Forest in the west, which included the Haunted House aka Inside Out School aka Secret Inner School – the place where I glitched into this world.

I kept talking all the time while we were walking, but the twins didn't seem to mind. They were good listeners.

They had already explored the Black Forest on their own a bit, but the path to Spyglass Tower wasn't easy to find. There was a certain invisible threshold you had to cross, or you couldn't see the tower.

It was almost like a single small roomworld had been separated from Starfish Mansion and anyone could step in because there was no door, just a desire path.

“You came here through the area called Winter Forest from northeast, right? It's a large and confusing area. It's easy to get lost there for a long time, so you shouldn't go back there.”

“Your advice is good, shaman hunter Speedrun.” (Reavertooth)

“Long time, we see only snow and ice, then see you in the trees.” (Ivorythief)

That warning should be enough that they don't get caught in the strange nonstop drama of the Staff & Source episode.

Speaking of getting caught in unnecessary drama, Ivorythief was taken into the private prison after Thiefmaster's betrayal at the east coast of Ur. I should warn them about that possibility in a roundabout way too.

But first, the bounty hunter minigame.

“I have more advice for the future. If you meet a group of bounty hunters lead by man named Loksen Rosth in the valley along this route, there's twelve of them. Not ten, not eleven, but twelve bounty hunters. Remember to count them, okay? Don't let the last one get away, he's gonna cause trouble later if he runs.”

“Twelve hunters. We understand.” (Reavertooth)

That's how the infoleak happened in the anime. Caliph's wanted posters for Ivorythief and Reavertooth attracted a large group of bounty hunters and they managed to track the twins around this area.

When the twelfth bounty hunter got away and sold his info forward, soon Thiefmaster sent an invitation for the twins to meet him, which eventually led to Ivorythief traveling to east coast and taking part in a pretty good caper arc, but that led to Thiefmaster betraying Ivorythief and rest of the gang, and Ivorythief was taken to a private prison, where he was re-educated aka brainwashed.

The brainwashing episode named Gentes was famous one-shot that played like a short independent movie – you could watch it as a singular story without knowing anything about the rest of the Mu-Ur series.

Well, all wanted posters will go down in value when Caliph dies, so it's not going to become a big problem probably. But advice is free.

“If a person called Thiefmaster or a noble named Arnaud Kizaha sends you an invitation, just ignore it. He's not a hunter, he's a stool pigeon, a worthless decoy. He might also appear as a man with a burned face and use the fake name Khunrath. Don't believe his lies.”

“Your advice, we will remember.” (Reavertooth)

“You are a skilled shaman hunter.” (Ivorythief)

“Aww, thanks, Bodhi.”

Killing Caliph Tze: worth it. Getting compliments from your favorite characters: priceless.

Suddenly, the twins stopped and took a battle stance.

Someone behind us? I couldn't see anyone. Did Kimono follow us or something? It can't be the bounty hunters yet...

“...What is it?”

“Prey, smell, cannot tell.” (Reavertooth)

I finally saw someone else walking in the Path Forest and coming straight at us –

– a lively-looking old man wearing tattered gray cape and gray-orange gambeson.

I recognized him immediately and raised my hands in the air.

“He's not prey, do not hunt!”

Wintersmith, the guide of the Winter Forest. His clothes were different, but his face was the same as in the game.

Why was this guy hiking in the Black Forest? Please don't tell me he has turned into a surprise mid-boss or something in this world.

“Greetings, elder. We come in peace.”

“Greetings, hunters. I am Agam Vark the Wintersmith. I come from the White Woods and I come in peace.”

Agam Vark, huh. Wintersmith's true name was never mentioned in the source material. He was always called Wintersmith or Shaman of the Winter Forest in fan art as well.

A neutral guide-type NPC that only existed in the game.

He didn't seem afraid of the brothers at all.

“I am Speedrun from... around here. My companions here are Krajannar and Bodhicoirn from south. May I ask why are you in the Black Forest?”

“The trees talked to me.” (Wintersmith)

“Ah, you saw the glyphs...”

No wonder.

I didn't take this possibility into account.

I've changed the original storyline quite a lot at this point, so I should reorient myself for more unexpected encounters like this.

Ivorythief and Reavertooth stayed silent. Shaman hunter must continue to do the talking, eh?

“I traveled in the White Woods. I was returning to my home, but the trees told me to come in this forest of black trees.” (Wintersmith)

“Sorry about that. I actually carved the glyphs for these two gentlemen, not for anyone else. You said you were returning home; may I ask where were you coming from?”

In the game, Wintersmith wandered around the southern edges of the map and gave some random background info depending on when and how you entered the forest and initiated dialogue. He never took any actions beyond that.

However, if you attacked him and missed, he threw Confusion Powder at you, disappeared in the forest like a ghost, and you never saw him again. And if you managed to kill him with first attack, his body immediately turned into a skeleton for some reason... but that was just regular Winter Forest weirdness.

He sure lived up to his reputation as a rare, random encounter.

For speedrunners, Wintersmith didn't mean anything because all the random snippets of info he gave to a player had been already put into a compilation video.

“I wasn't coming from anywhere particularly. I spend my time simply peacefully walking in the White Woods. If nothing else, it teaches me the familiar things that have always been there.” (Wintersmith)

“I see. Sorry for asking.”

Wintersmith either didn't want to tell us, or– wait, isn't this a rare chance to get some exclusive info about Winter Forest, if I get acquainted with him?

“We welcome you to walk peacefully in this forest as well. The paths here are tricky, so do not hesitate to ask guidance from me.”

“Ah. I welcome you to walk in the White Woods as well.” (Wintersmith)

Maybe we can navigate the strange geometries of White Forest safely with Wintersmith's help in the future – that is, if we are ever forced to visit that wretched hive of Gainax Ending madness.

...Please don't be a flag.

Now then, I just have to somehow explain to the twins why they should allow this lackadaisical oldboy to roam freely in their new home area.

All in a day's work for a shaman hunter.