Part 4: Part IV: Hear the Start of a Friendship

Part IV: Hear the Start of a Friendship



Music: North Wind Musette

When I said the Dusk Trilogy is a completely new storyline, I meant it. Pamela's bear on the shelf there is, as far as I know, the only nudging reference to the Arland Trilogy in this game (there's not even a ghost girl named Pamela). Not even any "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" deals. There's just nothing.

Regardless, welcome to Harry's Room. This is the hub of the hub, so to speak. From Vierzberg, you can reach nearly any area on the map quickly enough, and tons of important events will happen in this very room. However, it's time we started moving on to the game proper. The mischevious girl



I'm sure I'll need medicine, one way or another, from now on. But, I don't have that much money... Hmm, maybe I need to look for jobs around here, too. Let's see, I currently have... Huh? I-I don't have it! Where's my wallet!? Hrgh, I must've dropped it! Wh-Wh-Wh-What should I do!? What am I supposed to do at a time like this?

Hmhm, miss, are you in trouble?

Oh! Aren't you that weird girl from before?

Don't call me weird! You're in trouble, right? I'll help you, so just tell me what's wrong.

I know I shouldn't have said that, but I'm just so scared! We all need money to get by, and if I don't have any, I certainly can't buy anything from Marietta...

W-Well...



So I went to check how much I had, and I couldn't find it anywhere!

Okay, that totally didn't make any sense. Just calm down a bit.

Oh, okay...I'll calm down. I think I dropped my wallet...

Your wallet? Hmm, I see... So, you're clumsy... From how you looked before, you were probably spacing out, and dropped it.

Ergh, yeah... Maybe you're right... What should I do now? Who should I talk to?

Hmhmhm, you're in luck!

Huh? Even though I dropped my wallet?

Yup, cuz searching for lost items is my forte. I'll find it in no time with my magic!

M-Magic? Well, whatever the case, please find it!

Leave it to me! Okay then, hmm!

What? Your hand...?

What do you mean, "What?" Payment! Jeez, you're slow on the uptake. Pay in advance. 50 Cole!

Huh, you're charging me?

Of course. This is how I support myself.



That's not all. In a town this big, a lot of people have problems... And i just use my magic on the down-low to solve them easily.

I see. That's great!

She mentioned magic again...it really does seem like she's a witch. Still, I wonder how magic works...

I end up making good money. If you need money, why don't you try it? E-Enough of this talk, my payment!

Oh, right. About that, everything I have is in my lost wallet... So, I have...zero money on me right now.

You're so clumsy. You should carry at least two wallets... And that's a minimum precaution.

*sigh* I don't know anything about these things. I'll do that from now on...

Fiiine, it's your first time, so I'll do this one for free!

Really? *sigh* Thank you very much. Then if you would, please.

Okay, okay, leave it to me... Umm, where did I put it? Hmm... Huh? Was it here? Or here...? Oh, here it is! Here you go!

...Huh?

What do you mean, "Huh"? This is yours, right?

Y-Yes, it is. But why...?

It was on the ground over there a few moments ago. It's freshly picked up. Awww, I was gonna look for the owner of that lost wallet and get money out of them. But, this time is a special case. Make sure you thank me a lot!



(She's only a child, but she's already working. How admirable... Maybe I should look for something that I can do...)

Thank goodness someone honest like her picked up my wallet. I'd be so sad if I never saw it again. She's definitely a good person, but she seems a bit...childish. She still didn't give me her name, but now that I know she's living here, too, I'll definitely see her again.

After this scene, you get the jobs tutorial. Basically, in Riesengang, Vierzberg, and the as-of-now unknown town, a handful of citizens in each will have job icons over them. Complete the person's job, and you'll get a reward of some Cole, and usually, some other item, ranging from common crap to incredibly valuable stuff mid-to-late in the game. Jobs are extremely important, because they are your primary source of funding and memory points.

In fact, they're so critical, that two endings revolve involve you completing all of them. After completing a person's first request, the next...three, I believe, are timed. The last request you get from a single person runs until the end of the game. The only punishment for not completing a request on time is less money. Not a big deal at all, but you need to go to every location in the game, and acquire just about every recipe book, to complete every request. It's a lot of work, but well worth it.



Getting to this point in the story means you can write down A Reliable Big Sister. Let's check it out.


Ayesha has a way with words, yes? You know, I've often heard it said one of the hardest things for male writers is writing with an authentic female voice. I'm probably writing Ayesha a bit more eloquently than is really, I dunno, intended, for lack of a better word. But it's hard for me to not write eloquently, because that's just the way my mind works, and to write as a girl, especially with no formal training writing. Hopefully by the end of the thread, or perferably before that, I really start getting the hang of it.

Regardless, for writing down this entry, you gain access to making the Artisan's Whetstone. This is a very unique item, but for several reasons we can't really do anything with it right now. I'll get back to it in due time. We've got a few more scenes in town before we can push off for the gathering areas near Vierzberg. The genius merchant

Hm? Are these all the stall applications?



Hmm, they've certainly increased, just as I had planned. I dont' mean to praise my own success, bit it's certainly proof of my innovative spirit. Hmm?



Oh jeez, I've been so busy with all the preparations! Huh? Oh, well if it isn't Ayesha...! As you can see, I'm rushing around like there's no tomorrow with all these preparations. My goodness.

Umm...why is Mr. Harry acting so strangely? Well...I guess he's always like that, actually.

U-Umm, is something about to start?

Oh, it's a good thing you asked. We're in the process of preparing the bazaar!

Bazaar? Never heard of it... It sounds bizarre.

It's like a flea market that's held every month. And to be quite frank with you, it was my idea. Every month, for a few days, we open a market where anyone is welcome to sell their goods. Various items are gathered from all four cardinal points. There'll be sellers from distant places that you've probably never been too, with participation continuing to grow. It has certainly reached great prosperity and popularity. It's a victory for my planning ability!

Wow, that sounds fun...! It's almost like a festival!

That's right, it certainly is a festival. I flatter myself with my own overflowing business talent! The bazaar starts on the tenth day of every month. By all means, drop by. You may even encounter some unexpected lucky finds.

Okay, I'd love to join in!

Like Harry said, the bazaar starts on the 10th of every month, and runs until the 19th. The HUD in the top right will let you know when it's going on. This scene also unlocks the shortcut option, for quickly getting around town. Always handy.

Wow, a bazaar...I've never even heard of it. But, it seems like people from all over will bring the stuff they want to sell to Vierzberg. That could be really helpful! Someone might even know about Nio and the glowing flowers...

Before then, though, I should probably start exploring the areas around Vierzberg for any clues of my own. A new friend



I still can't get over Ayesha's platform shoes. I mean, I like them, don't get me wrong, but those things are enormous.



Oh, it's that girl again! Maybe I'm wrong, but...it seemed like she was waiting for me to show up.

Wh-What!? Y-You're...! Who are you again?

What!? Who do you think you are, forgetting who I am? I found your wallet!

That's not what I meant. We haven't exchanged names yet.

I guess you're right... I'm Wilbell, a witch! But you can call me Bell. And you are?

Umm, I'm Ayesha. Ayesha Altugle.

Ayesha... Okay, I'll remember that. You seem pretty interesting. If you need anything, I give you permission to come and ask me. I'm usually in town. I can use super magic, so you definitely wanna be my friend.

I see... Well, nice to meet you then.

See ya! Come to me when you need me, okay?

And with that, she just left, like she always does. Well, having her around, along with Regina, means I'll be extra safe. Before we left town, though, she wanted to talk about something.



Hold it right there! Before we leave town, there's one thing I need to tell you! Okay? It's important, so listen carefully. We, witches, can't reveal our existence to the world... Because our magical powers are so strong. It's a really serious matter if we abuse our power. We can control the weather, produce something from nothing, and can even shoot down stars in the night sky. If abused, it's even possible for us to...destroy the world.

A-A-Amaaaazing! Bell, I didn't know you could use that kind of magic...!

Huh? O-Of course I can...or maybe I should say that I'll be able to, over the course of time... In any case, we live modestly, hiding from the world.

I didn't know. I guess being a witch is pretty hard. Huh? But...

What!? Is my outfit weird?

It's not weird, but, how can I say it...? (I wonder if I'm the only one who thing she's not trying to hide it all that much...?)

Huh? What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?

No, no, it's nothing!



Hyah! I don't like frogs, so can't you turn me into a cat or cow...

Cats and cows are outside my forte!

Oh, then I'd prefer something with fluffy fur, like a dog.

Jeez, it'll be fine as long as you don't tell anyone!

Right. I won't tell anyone that you're a witch.

Shhh! Not so loud! What if someone heard you!

Ahhh, sorry!

Be more careful. Okay, let's get going!

Hmm...I guess being a witch is really important to her. Well, I definitely wasn't going to tell anyone, but using magic is not something everyone can do, so I wonder how much she'll be able to hide it.



To actually advance the story, head to that location just east of Veirzberg, but there's a few you can go to before then. Let's start by heading north.



Music: At My Pace

Ummm, for trips like this, I always bring my travel journel. It's a log of everywhere I've been to, and all the materials and monsters I can find near it. To fully complete the log, and make sure I always know where to find the best materials, it would be good to get rid of all the monsters hanging around, and find everywhere in a location I can find good materials.

It's really important I know all of this. That way, whenever I need something, I can quickly look it up! It's really important to be organized. That's what Nio always told me.



Music: Sylpheed

I sure hope you like female playable characters in this game. Of the nine playable characters in this game (which includes the two DLC characters), only two are male, and we won't be having the first one in our party for quite a while.

Regardless, our first official battles in Pasture Way and the next location are painfully simple with a full party. In fact, in my entire recorded run of these two locations, only one enemy managed to get an attack off before dying. You really have nothing to worry about.

In addition to several world map themes, Ayesha also has several regular battle themes. Five, in fact. You have Sylpheed, Undine, Salamander, and Gnome for the vast majority of fights, and a song called Artemis for late-game regular battles. Sagittarius, Yesterday's Opponents are Today's Ingredients, and Confrontation play under special circumstances, and there's special battle themes...Ayesha has quite a few battle themes, which is always good. The first four, though, play in specific areas of the world map. Not exactly analagous to world map theme locations, but you get the idea.

Well, like I said as Ayesha, when you get to a gathering point, what you want to do before leaving is to accomplish (Travel) x before leaving, which involves hunting down enemy monster groups and finding all the gathering points and harvest from them. We really need materials to get started with jobs, and this is a good place to begin.



Of course, it goes without saying you do the same at the Old Coal Mine, which opens up if you complete (Hunt) Pasture Way, I believe.



Although a third location does open up if you finish up the Coal Mine, you're really not prepared to fight the enemies there. Instead, return to Riverside Way to continue moving the story forward. The duo



Hmm, the pattern seems slightly different than the ones back home. And the scale... I can't tell anything from the outside. I need to get inside to investigation. Umm, where's the entrance...?



It is nowhere to be found. Should I secure a passage by destroying a wall?

Linca, it's a bad habit to try to settle everything with force. Besides, why would you destroy what we're investigating?

That is true. I apologize...

Oh, it seems like someone's over there. I feel like I've seen her somewhere before...

Oh, it's you...



Marion, she seems to be staring at you with suspicion in her eyes.

...Then, I geuss it's time to reveal ourselves. My name is Marion Quinn. I'm here for...well, because I have a mission to conduct an investigation. And this is Linca, my bodyguard.

Oh no, do I look suspicious? I definitely recognize Marion, but I've never met this other girl... She seems even bigger and stronger than Regina. I've never known anyone stronger than Regina.

I am Linca. It is nice to meet you.

Sorry you had to see that disgraceful moment earlier. It hasn't been that long since we got here, so...the negotiations with the locals are going pretty rough.

That sounds like a tough job. Where are you originally from?

From a town you've probably never heard of. It seems like no one knows about it around here. Well, but this place isn't known back there either, so I guess it's even...

Certainly. This region was a "non-existent land" for us.

A non-existent land...

Well, no, like she said, it was just non-existent for us. And you? If we're meeting you here, you don't seem to be a resident of that village.

Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ayesha Altugle. I make medicine at a workshop to the east of here. Because of certain circumstances, I've come out here to search for my sister.

I see. East of here, as in near Reisengang?

Just a little further east of there. There's a ruin with a medicinal herb garden nearby.

That ruin that you can see from Reisengang... Are you familiar with it?

I don't know if I'm really familiar with it, but it's near my place, so I could probably show you around...



Hey, if it's not too much trouble, could you guide us there? We still don't know our way around very well.

Oh, that's no problem. I'd be happy to help.

Thank you, that would be great! Well, we're in luck today. We'll be on-site, so let us know when it's convenient for you to go. Okay? I'm counting on you!

And then those two went on their way. Marion seems really nice, just like I thought, but I can't help but feel she's a bit anxious about something. Linca didn't talk much, but if Marion likes having her around, there shouldn't be any problem. I'll be sure to return to the herb garden as soon as possible.



Just as a note, smacking an enemy with your staff means things are set up differently at the start of a fight. Pre-emptive attacks mean you can initiate Pursuits or Back Attacks at the start, and everyone has one Assist ready. If you get into a normal fight, your team is arranged like a triangle around the enemy, and you have no Assists charged up.



I headed back toward the herb garden after finishing up Riverside Way, and this is just another screenshot to illustrate my point about this game. Just look at it. The ruin in the background, the fog indicative of the early morning, the sky, the flowers and trees and grass. Ayesha's workshop is definitely one of the more detailed in the game, but the point remains.

Ayesha's graphical quality is only increased in comparison to the Arland games, which, while they looked nice for the most part, pale in comparison to this game. It's just a joy to look at. Well, I'm back at the workshop for a reason.



I'm sorry! I had to do several things, and it took me a while to come here.

Don't worry. We were the ones who asked you in the first place. I guess this place doesn't have a boss like in Riesengang, so the investigation was much easier.

My family has always been in charge of this place. although, as you can see, it's untouched.

Oh, I'm sorry for entering without permission. Well then, we're counting on you for a tour of the ruin.

Okay, I'll do my best!

Hahaha, you don't have to put too much effort into it. Just take it easy. Although, this ruin is much more mysterious than the others... It's full of vegetation and rich with nature. I've never seen anyplace like this.

My grandfather said that it might've been a place that grew plants to begin with. I'm not sure about the details, but you can still gather various kinds of medicinal herbs.

Hmm, I guess it's just like the other ruins, in a way, since it's full of unknowns... Well, if we knew everything, we wouldn't need an official like me.

Okay, I'll take you farther in.

Hmm, an official? We don't really have those kinds of people around here. Marion must live in a really different place.

Along the way, I told Marion and Linca everything I knew about the herb garden. I don't think they were very interested in the types of herbs that grow here, but Marion was very interested in all of the corridors in the ruin. Looking at it now, it really is amazing. Plants grow everywhere around here, and it's just so big. Like Marion said, it's so big you can see it from Reisengang on a clear day.

I wonder my grandfather chose to build the workshop so close to the ruin, but I guess he must have really liked this place.



Bell's first offensive magic attack is in the spirit of Halloween, and it's such a cute animation that plays. She puts her hat on the ground, does a little dance, then the pumpkin emerges from under it, the hat flies into the air, Bell grabs it and puts it back on real fast, then tosses the pumpkin bomb.

When I took them to the corridor that led to the center of the ruins, I stopped to talk about some of the other plants that grow here.



I see. It's really full of plants, but it doesn't look like the soil is all that fertile... I mean, it's growing directly out of the rocky surface of the ruin. It's amazing. These are...medicinal herbs that are often used for alchemy...

I've heard that somewhere deep under the ruin, there's a crystal that gives plants power... The medicine made from the medicinal herbs here is very popular.

I see, so you're not just an ordinary apothecary?

Hehehe...um, but I am just an ordinary apothecary.



Kyah! Wh-What is that!?

Oh, that's a Fruit Hamster. There are a lot of them around here. They're pretty mischevious, so I have a hard time dealing with them.

I-It's...so cute! I want one!

Huh? But they're so mischevious, if you have one as a pet, it'll cause so much trouble. They come all the way to my workshop to scavenge for trash, or come in through the window at night and bite my ear...

I'd be fine if they nibble on my ear.

Marion has a weakness for cute things.

I-I see...

I guess they are pretty cute, but they're pretty quick to anger and attack me constantly. I wonder if Marion could really handle one of them.



Umm, have I told you before that I'm searching for my sister?

That's right, I remember. Have you found any clues?

No, not yet. My sister...her name is Nio, but she was spirited away in this ruin. So this is presently Nio's grave.

I've heard about people being spirited away at ruins in other areas, as well.

I guess it's only happened a few times for as far back as the stories go...

There are different theories, like people being captured by the ruin, or being possessed by a spirit, but... No one has uncovered the truth yet. Part of my assignment is to investigate that, too.

Huh? Do you actually know something?

Well, if there's one thing I can tell you...it's that I have no clue what's going on.

I-I see...

I'm sorry. I'm still groping my way through the ruins. I'm not an expert or anything. If they sent an investigation team with me, we might find something out. Since you have your circumstances to deal with, I'll let you know if I find anything out, as well.

Yes, please do...!



Music: Suddenly Refreshing

Of course. There were a lot of things that Linca and I wouldn't have known about. Linca, do you have anything to say?

...I felt that the monsters around this ruin were not very challenging. Living around here will make me weaker.

Hehe, I guess she's pretty focused. Still, she's really dependable, and Marion really trusts her. They make a good pair.

Linca...that's not what I was asking for. But still, that Fruit Hamster we saw was really cute. I might really want one... Linca, let's go catch it!

It did not seem to have very many edible parts...

Why'd you think we're gonna eat them? I want one as a pet. You should take your mind off of fighting and eating. Fine then, we'll come back some other time. Ayesha, thank you. It was very different to have someone who actually knows about the ruin. Now, Linca, shall we withdraw?

Certainly. Leave the rear-guard to me.

Not that! I meant go back home. Goodness... Oh, that's right. We rented an office in Vierzeberg. I'd like to ask you to do a job, so stop by wen you get the chance.

Oh, okay. Thank you.

Here, this is the map. Thank you for today. See ya!





This is another gorgeous area of the game. I'll just leave this here to end this update. See you all next time.