Legend of Mana Part #2 - Niccolo's Business Unusual

Part 2: Niccolo's Business Unusual

My overeagerness got me roped up in this guy's shady dealings. Wonderful.

Might as well see how my companion can do in a fight if we're going to deal with bandits.

He's certainly stronger than I expected. It seems my furry little friend here specializes in hand-to-hand combat, able to leap into or away from combat to deliver some serious punches. His Synchro could help me gather a bit more money in combat situations.

I encounter a fortune teller in the corner of the square. Maybe she can help me figure out where this Teapo is.

Sure.

10 Lucre. I'm saving for my retirement, so no less!

Sounds fair.

Hmmm... It says...

I certainly hope she doesn't mean the Sproutling.

Speaking of which, I wonder what this one has to say.

We don't have souls, so we always stay. The poet Pokiehl said so.

I'm always fidgety.

I like the wind.

Pay no attention to the Sproutlings. They're a waste of time.

I like it when moss grows.

There are too many worthless creatures in the world.

I like drinking water.

I wish I was born in a world with just kittens and bunnies.

I like stepping on leaves.

I hate that line. Stop saying it.

Everyone with a soul always disappears. We don't have souls, so we always stay. The poet Pokiehl said so.

I can't stand it anymore. I'm gonna explode.

You know, we don't have souls.

Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I just have to. I hate Sproutlings. Just seeing them drives me crazy. People say they're the spirits of plants, but that's a lie.

Huh, so the merchant has an intense dislike for the Sproutlings. I can't see how anybody could hate these guys.

I sure like the sound of crickets.

...... That kind of line I hate the most.

I can't do that.

You can't? Neither can I.

Just thinking about it grosses me out. I was just saying that. You understand.

...I should probably avoid the Sproutlings while Niccolo's around.

Take me with you.

All of a sudden, the rather rude fellow wants to tag along. The more the merrier, I say.

Sure, we've got room for one more.

Sorry. I made a promise to this guy to help him out.

So much for that. Now, where have I heard about this Teapo person... Was it in the park?

I'm Capella, a wanderin' juggler!

What skills you have!! I'm Niccolo, the salesman who brings happiness to your life! Just ask me if there is anything you need!

I'm just a wanderer! Wanderers don't need anythin'!

Well, I can show you what might be useful!

Oh, the passion burnin' in my heart! That's all I need!

Oh, look! A great pair of shoes I have here! These're almost too good to sell! But they'll look great on you! You can't find them anywhere else!

Heeey, my heart's burnin' hot! No need for shoes!

I always find it interesting watching others interact. There's no need to include myself in these conversations all the time, after all. I've certainly learned a lot more about the two ideologies of this monkey and rabbit.

Watch this!

Juggling won't make him a Lucre richer. He's wasting his time.

Oh wait, now I remember. The onion guy mentioned a Teapo.

I assume Teapo is the large teapot. I wonder who the guy in the rocking chair is.

But now I hardly get to see her anymore!

Look it over in your study. And feel free to check out our shop!

Excellent. And it's pre-written, too! Speaking of which...

Now let's talk to the teapot.

'Ave yer got anything good for me today?

Actually... I have a splendid item today, but I just can't let it go.

Oi, Niccolo, yore just tryin' to rile me up!

This is it. It's a wheel I picked up on the highway.

Hmmm... It looks like a regular ol' wheel to me...

'Ang on then, guv! Even I can tell it ain't no regular wheel! I'll take it! How much do you want for it?

Niccolo, you're a wee too proud for yore own good. Nothing costs that much! S'truth!

Until then...... I'll let Talamond use it.

...This wheel seems to hold the same power that those blocks did. I wonder if this will unlock another land...?

Niccolo, you're the bleedin' worst! I'll cop the money, so please, let me 'ave it.

I'll be back.

Well, after maybe thirty minutes of spending time with Niccolo, I feel I've learned everything I need to know about the guy.

Don't you 'ave anything I could buy right now?

You have to spend money to make money. Remember that.

Poor teapot.

And don't forget to equip them! Hit the START button to make your preparations.

Even if I'm just an onion warrior, I'm still a warrior!

I like to talk to people for as long as possible. It's amazing how much a person can have to say until they run out of material.

Hahaha. Very good. It's important to keep asking questions like that...

Mark is always doting over Rachel...

Hey, don't judge a book by its cover!

...... But inside you're hollow! Certainly sounds like an onion to me!

I've never thought about my insides...

Who wants to talk about fighting inside a house? Let's head to a dungeon!

Shortly. I just want to check out a few things first.

Nobody up here. I assume this is where Rachel sleeps. So where do her parents sleep?

Talk about a cluttered mess. Lots of various knick-knacks, including some sort of toy Mushboom, the head of some sort of foreign dragon, and an eerily-lifelike statue of a young mage.

I take the onion's advice to pick up some bronze gloves. I also take a shield, an advantage of wielding a sword. Shields are cheap, yet they're powerful. You just never see people using them because you need a one-handed sword or axe to use them, and the warriors I see prefer using more ridiculous weapons.

What rubbish.

I'm sure there's more to see here, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities to return here. Might as well go to this highway and take care of this bandit problem.

Now, I don't know where the highway is, but I have a feeling this wheel I have will lead me there.

It'd be nice to have a highway next to my home. Maybe I'll place it there.

Excellent. I'm starting to get the hang of these artifacts. Let's do this!

Pretty barren area. Little green around here. Looks well traveled. And hey, there's the onion!

Your name's... uh...Chumpy, right?

Nope.

Okay, well, that doesn't matter, but let me tell you some things to help in your battles.

I think I know a thing or two about battles, thanks.

I'm good, thanks.

Well then!

Heh, like I know nothing about battles. Watch me.

Looks like we're up against a Rabite and two Stinger Bugs.

Nothing difficult. I'm always ready with a quick swipe of my blade. It doesn't deal much damage, but I can connect several of them in a row to do a combo. I could also use a heavier attack to deal more damage, but it leaves me open to attack while I regain composure. The best tactic is of course to combine the two, leading with some quick swipes before landing a heavy blow on an enemy.

This lets me kill these guys with ease. Looks like that Stinger Bug dropped something, though I'll have to wait until I finish this Rabite off to find out what.

The other Stinger Bug dropped a little bit of money and these crystals, which are said to make you stronger. It has the battle experience of the enemy in them or something. The Mana Goddess works in mysterious ways.

The loot's usually not that hot. I'm not sure what use I have for meat or feathers. But then I'll carry most anything, as you never know when you'll need an item. Hell, the animal meat could turn into some exotic land for all I know.

Another run brings us to two Rabites. I take advantage of the synchronicity I have with Niccolo to use his ability to wring extra Lucre out of an enemy's corpse. I bet Duelle doesn't even know about the inherit Syncho ability every person is born with! I'd like to see him explain how fighting close to an ally will let you share your abilities, such as my ability to recover health more rapidly. If anything, I should be teaching him these things!

Anyway, I take inventory of my spoils and venture further on.

Further on down, I meet another new creature.

I slay the creature, and the resulting crystals gives me an increase in strength. Maybe these crystals do work after all. Better make sure I pick them up before Niccolo, then.

Ah, a sprite statue! A place for travelers to pray to the Mana Goddess and to relax away from feral creatures when they're in a dangerous area.

I never really prayed much before, but considering the circumstances, perhaps I should be opening my heart to the Mana Goddess a bit more.

Let's go talk to that other traveler.

Did you come to see one of the Seven Wisdoms?

What cute ears!! We were meant to be together!!

Heh.

Who are the Wisdoms?

Gaeus the Earth is what he is called, and he should be near here. But I feel as though I shouldn't ask him the truth...

Might as well ask her whatever other questions I can. This wisdom stuff has me intrigued.

Sure, I've come to see the Wisdom.

You must be very brave... I am afraid to see him. I fear that the truth will make me suffer more...

So where is Gato?

I come from the Gato Grottoes. There is an ancient temple there, which is very famous.

Interesting. I'll have to check out Gato sometime.

This wisdom business interests me. I'd sure like to know more about these artifacts I've been collecting. I think I'll take a detour to visit this Wisdom.

You ever wonder about places that are named after people? I'd love a place named after myself.

So what the hell, I'm naming this area after myself. From now on, this road shall be known as the Talamond Canyon Side.

You know, it has a nice ring to it.

Of course, there's more monsters. Nothing I can't handle, though. They are crowded together, so this looks like a good time to unleash my special technique.

I'm sure Duelle doesn't know about how you need to whack enemies around to build up the necessary power to unleash your technique. I'm sure he also doesn't know that there are a huge number of techniques out there for each of the various weapon types popular in Fa'Diel.

Or that learning them comes down to sticking with certain abilities. By sticking with my Jump and Lunge attacks, I've picked up a new sword technique to use on monsters in future battles.

Huh, a flying snail.

It looks stupid, so I'll give it a stupid name.

Another fork in the road. Let's see where the right path takes us.

There's all sorts of weird creatures around here.

I'm clearly getting bored naming these things.

The rabbit's not as shabby as he looks. In fact, I dare say he doesn't really need my help at all.

Huh. A Chocobo.

I needed to make that distinction for my simple readers.

I'm so paranoid about every possible item being an artifact that I'm now picking up Odd Meat off the ground. I don't know what I'm going to do with this stuff.

Wow! This giant creature must be the Wisdom Gaeus.

Alright.

But you brought us closer to you. Saves me a few steps, I guess.

A boulder with a face? This'll be a good show.

Hello, rabbit-eared person.

I agree. The less opportunity Niccolo has to make horrible rock-puns, the better.

I've certainly never seen a tree during my walks around the homestead. Maybe I've spent more time in my study than I thought.

The other section of the fork has this... What is this?

...Welp.

Guess I have to make my way back through the highway.

By perfecting my Jump and Lunge techniques, I've managed to combine them into a Somersault move. Perhaps I could do something similar with my Jump and Retreat abilities.

I have a problem.

The northern route brings us up against a demi-human, a sort of monster that has similarities with the more-advanced races.

The Chobin Hood drops his bow, which is actually well-built enough to be used by human hands. That said, it's still a primitive weapon and pales to the power of my blade.