There are some things that I want to nitpick (text codes showing on character names, player sprite overlapping the cutscene sprite, overuse of "...") but overall this intro managed to pack a lot of emotion in and I loved the custom art.

I appreciated the effort you put into the battle events and dialog, and the second act shift was a cool surprise! Nice style, is the tile/face/sprite work your own? 

One adjustment to consider would be to turn down the battle SEs so they balance better with the BGM. I liked your music selection.

Very pretty mapping. I really liked the slower pace.
The characters all had substance even if they were there only for a short while.

Awwww, I was so ready for the tournament! Totally unique portrayal of "Roald." Loved the art and thought the faces were really expressive and communicated a lot. I want to see more of this story explored! Will we get a fuller version?

It's a shame your game got cut short. It looked really sweet.

I went from Harold's Quest, where an RPG Maker hero gets stuck in an 8-bit world, to a game where you lose the first battle and the graphic style completely changes. Suddenly I don't feel so big and cool and original anymore.

Funnies aside, what sticks out to me is your art style, especially the face sprites. Roald is adorable! The story sounds nice so far, and I was looking forward to more of it. I also like the way you introduce saving to the player with the journal. It feels very natural and doesn't sound like it breaks the boundaries of the game to remind you to save every now and them. It's a real shame you ran out of time, this was a really nice entry.

I didn’t know it would end like this. But I actually like the intro and expecting what’s next. Maybe make a chapter 2 next year.