Part 86: Update LXXXII: An Apprentice and the Ghostly Encounter

Too obvious an update name? Ah well. We can start this update off with a little conversation with Rufus.



Hmm? What's up, Rufus?

I was reorganizing the castle's storehouse, and I found a document that seems to be related to alchemy...

Oh really? Can I see? ...Wow, you're right! It's some sort of recipe!

I thought as much. Well then, please take it.

Huh? Can I really have it?



Thank you, Rufus. I'll start reading through it right away!

Naturally, you get another few recipes from it, but nothing too terribly valuable.



Right on 9/15, another newspaper. I can neither confirm nor deny I was responsible for what this newspaper claims.



While making the materials for our first delivery at Hart Outpost, this came up. Basically, if you combine certain traits, such as HP+20 and HP+30, those traits combine into a single one, but the Cost of including that trait also goes up. This is basically only used for ingots / cloths, to combine traits on items, as, like before, they can only hold five traits at one time.



Also, we have a new job at the Mine. This request is asking you for some B-quality Bombs. Unfortunately, the Phlogiston from Hagel doesn't quite cut it, so we'll need to find some place that naturally has Phlogiston if we want to make them.



After wasting way too much time, mainly because I had no ingredients, I finally completed the syntheses for the first Hart Outpost delivery. That, among other things, will be the objective this update.

But first, a scene with Filly.





...That's it for my explanation. Did you understand everything?

Yes. Umm...no. Not at all. One more time, please...

Once again...for the third time. Though I do believe I've been very thorough and orderly in my explanation.

I-I'm really sorry... B-But I'm just so n-nervous...



You really have it tough, Ms. Filly.

When he stares at me with those ice-cold eyes, my mind goes blank and my knees start to shake... I'm really not good with someone like him...not that I don't still like him...

Huh? Not good, but you still like him? How come?





Oooh...yeah. I guess so. I don't really get it, personally. Why can't you just talk to him directly?



But before we head east, we've got a band of lizards hanging out in the Old Plateau. Berserker and a couple pals, evidently.



Go get them, Bahsahkah!



All three of these guys are plenty dangerous at our current levels, but once again, our foes are all bunched together, making Salutes once again more than a viable option.



As expected from a Berserker, he can up his parameters when he starts to feel the pain. Thankfully, though, this didn't work out too well for him.



How embarrassing.



That attack was a bit more successful, though. Props to Totori for tanking it, though.



You're strong, Bahsahkah

However, I am more inclined to say, you are no Berserker. THIS is a Berserker.



An unstoppable wall of flesh, as fast on his feet as he is deadly with his sword. Anything near him gets cut down like a blade of grass, as if it was never there. You, only making one successful attack, cannot possibly measure up.

At least I didn't have to kill him 12 times, though Anyway, after this I headed back, and got another scene. Video goes until Meruru says "I'm getting really fired up now"



All done! Great, it came out just like the recipe said!

You're so great, Miss Totori. You make these complicated recipes look so simple. I still have so much to learn.

Oh, don't worry. Keep on practicing your synthesizing and everything will just keep on getting easier. So stay motivated! Without putting in the actual effort, nothing will ever change.

Nng. I hope so. Even with you, there wer ea few times where things got a little choppy. If that was me, I would have freaked out and ruined the whole thing.



Mmm...I still have a long way to go, though.

Don't rush it - just concentrate on what you can do day by day. That's how I learned alchemy.

Okay! Miss Totori, you're such an amazing alchemist even though you're still so young. I really admire you.



Huh? What do you mean?

...It's nothing, never mind. All right, Meruru. Keep working hard to become a full-fledged alchemist!

Yes, ma'am! I'm getting really fired up now!

Another scene, which happened just about immediately afterward. Video goes until Meruru says "I'm really jealous of that..."





Excuuuse me! Hey, is Totori here?

Wah! M-Ms. Mimi, you startled me! Miss Totori went out to gather materials today.

Oh, really? It seems like she's always gone whenever I stop by.

She said she wouldn't be gone long, so you can wait here if you want. Let me get you some tea.

Oh, it's okay. I was just in the area. I'll stop by again later. But...don't tell Totori I was here, okay?





Oh, that's not true. You and her are friends, so it's perfectly normal.

So since it's normally normal, are you saying I'm not normal? Don't you think that's kind of rude?

Huh? No, I didn't mean it that way...



*Mimi leaves*

Hrmm...why'd she get so angry? I still think it's perfectly natural to come say hi to your friends. Or...maybe they have some kind of secret relationship! Like...an undying rivalry!?

Something like that...

*fade to black*



I'm back! Sorry I'm late, Meruru. It took longer than I expected to gather all my ingredients.

Welcome back, Miss Totori. Ms. Mimi was here a second ago. You just missed her.

Oh, was she? What'd she have to say?





But...isn't that a weird thing to say if you're friends with someone?

Hmhm. Not everyone's like you, Meruru. Some people just can't be so open about things.

Some things will stay secret until you spend a lot of time with them. I'm sure there's a lot I don't know about you.

Hmm...I still don't really understand. But I can tell Ms. Mimi is really important to you.



A friend like that...but the only friends I have near my age are Keina and Lias. And I don't think it's the same as what you and Ms. Mimi have together. I'm really jealous of that...



Now we're off. I already have the second area on the road to the Outpost opened, because I've been to this first area before off-screen. Oh, I should also mention that if you have a request open, and you highlight an area that has either the monster or material you're looking for, you'll get that little icon next to it that lets you know it's there. It's little things like that that really make things simpler.



All that's here is a bunch of nice gathering points and Nohorns. Nothing really remarkable.



Next area has a bunch of Wolves, and Phlogiston and Bounce Stones as gatherable materials. The Phlogistons here are a few notches above the ones Hagel sells, so it's a good idea to gather them if you want to work on that Mine request.



Now on to the Hart Outpost, our major waypoint between Arls and about 60% of the world map.



Music: Fort Preview





Whoooa...it's so open. Monsters could attack from anywhere out here! Oh, there's an abandoned building. That might be a good place to begin. Okay, time to start exploring!



This place has probably seen better days, but it'll start looking up pretty soon. The guy we deliver the stuff to isn't that gold guy up the stairs, but a guy slightly off-screen from this screenshot. Other than that, there's some ore materials around here, including Quake Crystals, which you really should be picking up while you're in the area.



Well, I said Hart was a waypoint for a large chunk of the remainder of the world map. We'll be back here soon enough, so you can head in any direction you want, except the eastern location has some rather hard enemies for this early in the game. There's nothing especially pressing right now, so you might as well return.



Another bounty, this time in the woods from last time. Pitifully easy, but we can do a little upgrading first.



Hagel is selling the starter crafting books. It's more than worth it right now, as, like he said, he can't do any harder crafting until we upgrade the furnace again. It's just as well, since we don't have any ingredients he can't work with.



I was more than lucky to have a Pendelook with a Quality Lv2 on it. This should be more than worth it to get those Bombs up to B-rank. After making this Supplement, another scene. Video goes until Meruru says "Nice to meet you, too!"



*knock on door*

Ah, hello! Come on in!



Well, hello there.



Hey, Totori! I knew something was familiar about this place. This must be your new workshop.

Do you know him, Miss Totori?

Oh, sorry! This is Gino. We've been friends since we were kids.



Music: Let's Play ~for Meruru~

Yeah. I'm Gino Knab. I was sent by the Adventurer Guild. I just arrived in Peter's carriage. So I guess I'll be staying here for a while.

So what brings you here all of a sudden?

Haven't you heard? The guild sent Mimi here to help develop this place.



Before I knew it, they'd sent me out. All the strongest monsters in Arland are gone, so I thought I'd try my hand here.

Thanks to Totori, of course. She defeated every legendary beast across a wide expanse of the planet. What have YOU been doing?

Hahaha. It seems like you and Cordelia haven't changed at all.

So, how are you doing? You've been here for quite a while, huh?

*fade for explanation*

I see. So you're the princess that's developing this land...not to mention, Totori's apprentice. Anyway, I'll ask you all about it later. Just come find me if you need an escort or whatever else.



Oh, sure. I'll take you on a tour of the town later.

Okay, thanks. Although it seems a little strange to have the princess show me around.

Haha. Well, I'm not much of a princess to begin with, so don't worry about that.

Sure, if you say so. Nice to meet you, Meruru.

Nice to meet you, too!

As a combatant, Gino is pretty good, just unremarkable. His one interesting attack is a move that inflicts some physical damage, and draws the enemy's attention toward him. Other than that, he's not terribly interesting on the battlefield. He will get to have one exciting fight in this game, but that's in the future.

Let's go talk to Peter, now that someone else from Arland has arrived.



Music: From the Heavens ~for Meruru~

Just out taking a stroll. What about you?

Nothing really. Just trying to keep my min doff of having to drive that carriage again... I'm glad I'm done with my work, but that trip back to Arland is gonna be a real pain. Gotta make sure my body's ready.

Won't everyone from the Guild be upset that you're delaying?



I'll head back to Arland just as soon as I give my body the rest it requires.

So...sightseeing again? Didn't you see everything there is to see last time?



Right about what?

Huh? Oh, don't worry about it. Just talking to myself. Well, I should get going!

*Peter leaves*

Hmm. he still seems so carefree. Is he gonna be able to keep his job?

Definitely up to something. Can't be anything good...



Our first ingot. Nothing special, but for now it'll work.



Now then, let's craft our first item. The whole weapon / armor synthesis thing here works about the same, but there's a few changes. First, the [Onset Effect] thing. Basically, if you make a weapon / armor at a certain quality, you'll get the bonus attached to it. An average quality ?Gauntlet? will get an Attack +5, whereas a ?Gauntlet? made with high quality ingots gets you a better effect (Attack +7, I believe).



Now then, you need two ingots this time to make an item, but that's to your benefit. Select two ingots that can make the item, then you combine the traits into a single weapon. Easy, huh? The price of Hagel doing all this depends on the quality of the ingots and the item itself.



Finally, if you have more than five traits on an item, the final stage is to select the traits you want. This part is Costless, so just choose what you want. Since I only have three, I'm picking these three.





This time Gino and Lias are coming along with me. We're going to be heading back to that forest and killing the Bunny Puni there.



Thanks to that Quality Lv2, we got to B-rank and can turn those Bombs in. But we won't, since we can use them against the Bunnies.

But since Lias and Gino is our team, a scene upon leaving.



W-Wait! There should be one more person coming as an escort today. ...Oh, there he is!

Sorry I'm late! I woke up a little late today. Thanks for waiting.

Sleeping in, huh? You sure this is the kind of guy you want coming with us? ...This is gonna be a long trip.

Huh? I feel bad for sleeping in, but I don't need any attitude from you. I'm good at what I do.

Lias, this is Mr. Gino. He came here from Arland to help.

Mr. Gino, this is-



How did you know that?

I ran into that butler guy. He told me, "He's still young, so please look after my little brother". And he told me a little about you. So nice to meet ya, Lias. Now, let me have a look at this luggage-

Hey! You better not open it!



What are you doing? What if there's an emergency and we need that stuff!?

On the contrary, if there's an emergency, you won't be able to do squat with all this weighing us down.

I see...the wisdom of an accomplished adventurer. So educational, right Lias?

An accomplished adventurer? Him!? I'm not even convinced he's any older than I am!

No, he is. He's a childhood friend of Miss Totori. He's got quite a reputation in Arland.

A-Are you serious?



S-Stop acting so cocky! You're the one who showed up late!

Jeez, that's some attitude you've got there. Is he always like this, Meruru?

Sorry about that...Lias can be a bit short-tempered at times.

That's not good, ya know. No matter the situation, at true adventurer needs to be able to make calm, rational decisions.



*Lias leaves*

Ah-! Lias, wait up!

*Meruru leaves*

Hey, wait. You're not just gonna leave all this extra stuff here, are you? ...Gh, what a pain.



Let's hope the Bunny Puni tries a little harder.



Short answer is, he didn't. Oh well.



Most excellent. Time to head back. Unfortunately, this came up after I went to the castle. Video goes until Meruru says "I should take her out next time"



Oww! Hey, watch it - Keina?





That's weird. I've never seen Keina so flustered and panicked. I wonder what happened...

*fade to black*



Welcome back, Princess.

Hi, Rufus. Can I ask you something? Keina seemed kind of agitated. Do you...?

I'm sure even she gets overwhelmed sometimes. Not like our princess, who just runs around the castle constantly.



*slipping noise*

Uwahwah! Owww...what the heck? Why's it all wet right here?

It's nothing major. Keina just happened to knock over a bucket of water while she was cleaning.

Really? That's not like her at all. Maybe that's why she was so upset.

She's been making other mistakes like that lately, and acting rather dispirited. But I think I know why.

I see...well, I just hope she's okay. But if you know what's wrong, why don't you talk to her?



Ah, here she comes now. I'll be going, then.

*fade to black*



I'm so sorry. I'm a failure as a maid.

Not at all. Everyone makes mistakes. I can't even count the number of times I've failed at synthesizing. My main concern is you, Keina. Have you not been feeling well?

N-No, I'm fine! The same as always. And I trust you're doing well?



Oh no, I'm totally fine. Miss Totori treats me well. It's a lot of work, sure, but every day is a new adventure.



Right in the back, game. Right in the back.

K-Keina!? Oh my gosh, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

N-No...I was just thinking how we haven't gone out in a while. Maybe you've forgotten about me...

Of course not! I've just been so busy. I haven't had much time to come back to the castle.



Just...please stop by and let me know how you're doing more often. Otherwise I'll worry myself to death.

Yeah, of course, you got it! We'll hang out again real soon. I promise!

*Keina leaves*

*sigh* I had no idea Keina worried so much. I feel bad for not visiting more. I should take her out next time.

Why do you do this to me, game?



On a more positive note, another rank up. Again, we're not exactly memorable if we're a "Tiny Earl's Town". Along with the upgrade, you get another recipe book that's good for synthesis items for the next two big locations we'll be visiting, but that won't be for some time.



You get a few more facilities, but I opted to expand the marketplace again.



But it's still not enough. Our kingdom has only just caught up to the smaller nations, abundant as stars in the sky. I must ask you not to get careless. Stay on your guard as you continue development.

Naturally. We've still got about 80% of the game ahead of us!

But after leaving, another scene. Video goes until Meruru says "But I have Keina by my side, so I'm pretty lucky myself!"



Oh, Lias. Here to see Rufus?

Yeah. I need to ask him about my next task.

Oh yeah, since you're a soldier you get your orders directly from the castle, huh?

But being your escort has been top priority, so I've lucked out of having to do all those other menial duties. I only have to do stuff for the castle when you're back at the workshop. Rufus is in charge of scheduling that for me.



He's been like that since he was a teenager.When he was your age, he was already helping manage political issues.

Yeah, my dad said the same thing, that Rufus has been working since he was a student. Dad says Rufus is a genius!



Hey, so what was Rufus like when he was a kid? I wanna know!

Well, there's not really that much to tell, but okay.



But he was always the smartest, whether it was a math equation or a chess problem. He was faster than most adults. Which is why those adults came to depend on him for managing things..and sometimes even relationship advice.

Relationship advice!? I had no idea Rufus had that much experience...

Well...he says he tests each situation against different theories, then gives the results. Or something like that. And also...he was really strong, too. Physicall, I mean. I've never won a fight against him.

Rufus can fight? Wow, I never imagined...



I see. You're really proud of your big brother Rufus, huh?

I dunno...it can be pretty tough having a perfect brother.

Oh? What do you mean?

It's...nothing. Never mind. I'm gonna get going. See ya.



Lias looked so happy talking about Rufus. It was practically like he was talking about himself or something. But I wonder what he meant by that last comment. I would think having a brother who can do anything would be great. It even made me a little jealous. But I have Keina by my side, so I'm pretty lucky myself!

And since we're on a roll, yet another scene. Video goes until the screenshot of the new store officially opening.



Ah, thanks Keina. I wonder what it's about. Let's see here...



Ooh, a wholesale store...I wonder what kind of stuff they sell there. I should go check it out!

*fade to black*



...So that's the basic outline. Do you have any questions. Ms. Pamela?

Hmm...nope! The Chims will be doing all the work, anyway.

Chim.

Chim!

If you need anything else, feel free to come see me again. Now, if you'll excuse me...

*Rufus leaves*



W-Well then, Ms. Pamela...I should be going.

I find it kinda strange Peter's name is "???" for this scene. There's no way to avoid that scene where Hagel opens up shop, and you've gotten a few opportunities to talk to him since then..

Oh, Peter, are you still afraid of me? Hmhm. Well, thank you for bringing me. Have a safe trip back.

Well, it'd be a waste to just head straight back to Arland. I should take in the sights first.



Chim.

But before we begin, let's take a little break. Life is too short to rush through.

Pamela Ibis: defined.



Chim?



Chimim.

Music: Errands from 10 Years Old

Whoa! Who are you, little one? So cute!

Chim!

Welcome to Pamela's Wholesale Store. I'm Pamela! Nice to meet you.



Music: Ghost Girl ~for Meruru~

And you too! ...Wait, huh? Ms. Pamela, are you...floating!? And you seem a bit...transparent.

Well yes, of course. I mean, I AM a ghost. Oh, is this your first supernatural encounter?

Of course she's a ghost... Boy, people from the city sure are amazing. Also...

Chim?

Ah, these are my Chims. They'll be helping me out here.

Well, they're still the Chims Totori made. She made at least four of them. No word on the fifth. It's actually a bit of a plothole that Totori can use Chim Bomb while the Chims are with Pamela, since unless they can travel across the entire continent in seconds, doesn't make sense how they'd be in Arls.

Chiim.

Chiim.



They're adorable! Nice to meet you, Chims.

So - you must be Meruru. Your butler told me about you.

Huh? How did you know it was me?



So, what does an apprenticeship entail? You do chores for the master? Or just suffer through her training?

Huh? Umm, no, nothing like that. If anything, Miss Totori looks after me.

Ah, I see. It sounds like you really enjoy it. I want an apprentice, too. Oh, I know! Meruru, why don't you become my apprentice?

Whaaat? But I don't really know that much about ghosts...



That does sound fun, but...I don't think I'd be able to keep up. And, I mean, I have to keep training as an alchemist! Anyway, Ms. Pamela...can you tell me more about your store?

Okay, sure. Let me give you a quick overview. So...

Alrighty, well, wholesale should be pretty easy. Pamela can register near anything in the game, other than Development items. That means attack items, healing items, support items, ingots, cloths, etc. Very little she can't cover, and she's the only shopkeep who handles wholesaling. And it works because she has the Chims doing the grunt work for her. Her entire inventory is of your choosing, actually.



I see. So if I register items I have trouble with, I won't have to make them myself anymore! Once they're registered, I can buy items that I use often, or that I need a lot of. It'll cost me money, but save me time. Yeah, that definitely sounds convenient.

Right? The Chims do all the work, so I just have to keep an eye on things. Come see us for things you use a lot, or stuff that's a pain to make. Of course, it all comes at a price.

Okay. I'm sure I'll be coming by a lot!





This request from Handel is something we won't be able to accomplish for quite some time, mainly because the items can't be made until we get a recipes from an interesting source.

Another arrival from Arland, another Peter scene.



Oh, Mr. Coachman. All that equipment... Did you get a new job?

You again? No, but I'm on the verge of confirming my hunch. I need to go investigate further. Oh, but...don't tell anyone you saw me here. Okay, see ya.

*Peter leaves*



But let's check in on Pamela.





Hurgh!

Huh? Why are you so tense?

W-Well...I'm still not totally used to the fact that you're a ghost. It's kinda nerve-racking.

Oh, dear. Hmhmhm...how amazing. I'm a ghost, and you're scared of me.



Yup. I'm a real ghost, but nobody's scared of me anymore. So your reactions are really refreshing.

R-Really...? I've never seen a ghost in Arls before, so it's still a new experience for me...

Everyone in Arls is scared of ghosts, it seems. How lucky am I? Oh, check this out!



Aww...you're not scared now? Hmm... I guess you don't have any trouble accepting what you see.

Umm...I guess? Rufus might have a harder time believe it, since it's "unscientific" or whatever.

Ooh, the butler, right? The face he made when he saw I was a ghost was terrific! I wish you could have seen it. Hmhmhm...



You're really not like a ghost at all. You're just like any other normal girl.

Naturally. I'm a beautiful lady first, spooky-scary ghost second.

Calling yourself beautiful... And if you were really a lady, I don't think you'd get so much joy from scaring people.

Whaaat? You're so mean...I'm gonna possess you!



And I've never had a princess friend before. I'm so glad I came to Arls!

Haha. I hope we have even more fun together! Oh, but no more scaring me...

Okay, okay. Please come visit me again and again!

This is certainly something that will be happening.



I decided to register one of those B-quality Bombs, then immidiately re-buy it so I could clear that Arls Mine request. I also dropped off my spare Dry Metal, so I can rebuy that later and upgrade Keina's weapon.



Now then, let's see what dropping off the Bombs does...



A new gathering point! Unfortunately, it's full of super low-quality Wispstones. Oh well.



Aww. Well, this request takes a little time, so unfortunately we won't have time for that this time.



Another bulletin, after a few more days of synthesizing. Lies and slander.



Keina's second weapon, and a resulting scene. Unfortunately, weapon scenes aren't voiced this time around.



S-Sorry, Mr. Hagel...but Keina just kept insisting.

The request sheet I got from the maid girly was packed with details. It was quite the challenge, lemme tell ya! But i rose to the occasion, and it turned out spectacularly! I call it...the Almighty Bag!

It's just like you said...

There's simply no way to describe it other than almighty. Here, let me show you.



Right? No bag shop in Arland has anything like this. See? Here's the secret pocket.

And the shoulder straps! The lining is super cute, too!

The best part is the metal fittings. Just like girly asked. I crafted each one of them by hand.



Naturally. Once I've accepted a request, absolutely everything is made by my hand. From a stroll across town to a trek across the kingdom, you can take it anywhere. And it goes with any outfit!

Th-That's so amazing...I have a new-found respect for you!

Are you saying you had no respect for me until just now? Anyway, just make sure that maid girly takes good care of it!

Of course, I'm taking Keina out on our next adventure. I had to gather some ingredients for the next Hart request, so a video for bringing her out. Video goes until Keina says "Shall we?"





Sorry to keep you waiting, Meruru. I'm ready to go whenever you are.

Have you seen this weather? I think we should probably cancel our trip for today.

The weather...? Well, I guess it was kind of cloudy until just a moment ago.

Exactly! Just look at - wait, what? It's getting - no, it IS sunny!



What the heck? It looked like it was gonna rain any second.

So what do you want to do? I don't mind not going if you really don't want to.

No no no, we should go! The weather cleared up as soon as you got here.

I...don't think I had anything to do with that.





All right. I'm getting pumped! We're gonna find some awesome stuff today, I can feel it. Let's go go go!

Okay, then. Shall we?

Let's have one last scene with Meruru and Keina this udpate. This next event doesn't happen everywhere, which is a nice touch. I think it's only in forest areas.



Kyaah! Was that...lightning!?

It sounded pretty far away. I'm sure we'll be fine.

Are you sure? I was always told to be super careful with lightning. Big tree, big tree...we need to find a big tree quick and hide under it!





Ohh...wow, Keina. You're so so smart! Okay, then what should we do?

Well...let's just try going in the opposite direction of where the lightning's coming from.

*lightning strike*

Waah! It's getting closer! W-We need to run away right now! ...I know!



You're my lucky charm, so I'll be safe if I'm right next to you. Now let's go!

Huh? Um...sorry, but it's too hard to walk. You have to let go.

No no no! Part of your job as my caretaker is to protect me, right?



Haha, it's kinda funny to hear you say stuff like that...wait, what?



Wow...it really did go away! I didn't know Keina could do stuff like that...

Meruru...how long are you planning on holding onto me?

S-Sorry! Everything's back to normal now, I guess...

Hm, not sure how far we'll be able to get next update, but I ended my save just after the new year, and there's a big event coming up in three months where I left off on my save. Hopefully we can make it that far!





Gino artwork


Fort Preview
This is for the planned construction site of the fort. In order to create a dramatic different in the before-and-after, this one is sort of like a cute picnic sound.

Errands from 10 Years Old
For the shop. Whenever I see a small store surrounded by shopping malls and department stores, I want to cheer for it. But I'm too much of a chicken to actually do it out loud. So I'll just cheer right here for today. You go, guys!

Let's Play ~for Meruru~
What's with this hunk? Who is it? Gino? Really!? He's not at that "let's have some fun" age. "Hehe, let's go have some fun" would get him arrested now!

Ghost Girl ~for Meruru~
Pamela, as you know. This Ghost Girl has had a different arrangement every time since Judie, but this time I used the piano to make something simple and straightforward.

From the Heavens ~for Meruru~
Oh, he's in here? Cool. And how about his song? From the Heavens from the last game is good enough? Damn, haha.