Part 10: Part IX: Hear the Distance of a Sister

Part IX: Hear the Distance of a Sister

Happy Halloween, Something Awful



Music: Earth, Wind, and Sentiments Sonnet

It's such a lovely song... I've never heard anything like this. I wonder what kind of person is playing this...



It's like he's a completely different Ranun from the one I met. I always thought of him as being mysterious, but I feel like I have a better impression of him now. People say that musicians are eccentric, so maybe Ranun is, too. I don't want to interrupt him now, so I'll just hi to him next time.

I guess out on the road I'll encounter all sorts of people. Nanaca, Ranun, Ernie... I'm getting to know a lot of people lately. But, I need to go back to Vierzberg to get ready for my trip to the glass ruin.



Oh, Marion, sure.

Thank you for investigating Hallos Village. You helped me out a lot.

No, no, it was no trouble at all. Plus, I learned a lot from the job you gave me.

Hmhmhm, if you feel that way, then it'll make it easier for me to talk about today's topic.

Oh, you have a mysterious smirk...

Hey now, you don't have to be that scared. It's not an unreasonable demand or anything. It's just that I'd be happy if you could keep being friendly to Linca. Of course, only to the extent that it won't affect your work.

With Linca? Ohhh, that's no problem at all.

Thanks. She needs a friend that's a girl. That'll be a great help. It'd be best if I could take care of her, but I don't have that much time on my hands...

Hm, in spite of what she told me last time, she is always thinking about her job. I guess that's because she has so many responsibilities.

Marion, you always seem to be busy...

Even now, our workload is way too much for Linca and me to finish. The center should send more people over here, but that's hard with our current labor shortage.

The center... Marion, where exactly are you from?



If you travel west for three months, that's where you'll find my hometown.

Three months...? That's...really far.

Up to a certain point, the trip was easy to make, but after that...we were risking our lives. Crossing the desert by balloon, carriage, balloon, going through Ghost Valley and the Cliffs of Despair... We were somehow able to make it here. I really thought we were gonna die.

Th-That's quite an adventure...

I'm sure we'll have to go back someday, but thinking about the trip again makes me shudder. It makes me think tha tmaybe I should just become a citizen of this town. This is a nice place with good food and drink, and it's peaceful. Well, an absurd amount of work in a nice environment... I guess it all balances out.

(Marion's hometown... I wonder what it's like. There are a ton of places in the world that I don't even know about...)

Marion is so cultured and professional, I can only imagine what her hometown is like... I hope I can see it one day. I also decided to stop in by Marietta's to see if she had any more alchemy recipe books.



Oh, this? It's invigorating medicine, so I'm sure it differs from person to person... But its major effects treat headaches, chills, blurred vision, stiff shoulders and declining appetite due to aging.

Isn't that a bit too good to be true? I'm sure it can't be effective for everything.

But it is. Isn't that amazing? In any case, a skilled apothecary combines secret ingredients to make this medicine.

Hmm...if that's really true, then it is amazing. However, I just can't believe it.

(That's the medicine I synthesized...)

If you can, I'd like you to describe its effects to me in detail.

Sure thing, just wait here. Ayesha, switch! Can you explain the effects of this medicine to this customer?

Oh, okay. Well, this medicine uses nourishment from roots to improve your blood circulation... And it includes a component that cleanses the toxins in your blood. By cleaning your blood, it can reduce body pains and prevent chills.

Mmhm, I see. So that's how it works... Sounds good! I'll take one bottle of this medicine!

Okay, thank you for your patronage!



Hehehe, that was medicine that I made.

But it's so disappointing that that was the last of your medicine! Your medicine was such a great seller at our stroe, that the owner is sad, too.

I see. I feel kinda bad now...


Well, don't worry about it. You have something else to do, so it can't be helped. In exchange, if you start up your day job again, let me know, okay?

Yes, definitely.

If you want, we can skip Ernie, and you can sell it directly to us...

I-I wonder if I can do that... I need to talk to Ernie first.

Hmhmhm, you're so cute when you're flustered. That was just a joke. Not only our customers, but I use your medicine, as well. I'll be waiting for the day you return! Like, totally waiting!

Wh-When you exaggerate that much, I don't know what to say... But, I'll do my best. So please wait!

I feel bad for Marietta, but I can't put off looking for Nio. I really like knowing my medicine is helping people, though.



For the Glass Factory, to completely cheese it, make some nice Bomb Ices. They have a pretty good blast radius, and are slightly stronger than regular Bombs. There's a job in town that requires Bomb Ices, too, so you should register them at Marietta's.






Now that I've checked in with everyone, I should get going to the glass ruins. I promised Harry, and there's a chance I could see Nio again. Regina did call it a ruin...



Music: Glass Cotton Flower

Wow...this is an amazing ruin! There's glass everywhere, it's huge, and there's gems everywhere. I wonder what the people of the past could have used this place for. Having Regina along should be a real help. She definitely likes exploring the ruins, since she lives on top of one.



As an aside, if Regina isn't in the active party, she still tags along for this series of events. That's a neat feature with some areas in this game: sometimes party members will trigger different events. You remember that scene where Ayesha got scared walking into that abandoned house in Hallos Village? If Wilbell is in the party, that scene is quite different, and she's in it.



Also, the promised short little Marion battle video.

This underground space...I wonder if it was dug with human power... I wonder who built this, and for what purpose...

Who knows? This place was only recently discovered, so basically nothing is known about this place. If it was built on the surface, it would've made our jobs easier.

I see, so it's more difficult if it's underground?

Of course. There's the constant danger of a cave-in, and we don't want sewage or a hot spring to spout up, either. Well, I guess a hot spring wouldn't be that bad... Anyway, this place is hot, dark, and cramped. There's nothing good about it.

Just listening to you talk about it...makes it seem like a lot of trouble.

Well, if it was easy, I'd be out of a job.

Prospecting... When I think about it, it's a tough occupation.



Whenever something happened, some guys would always touch my butt in the midst of the confusion.

Whaaat!? Th-Things like that happened?

Yup, yup. Well, I've given those goons a good piece of my mind. But then, they stopped treating me like a girl... I mean, isn't there something weird about me being the first girl to be taken out on a slag hunt? It is true that I have the most physical strength out of all of them, but still.

Huh, you have the most...?

Yeah. Jeez, those guys are so unreliable...

Whoa... Regina, you're amazing! I could never be like you...

Hmhm. I think you're better off not trying to be like me. Although, it is a fun occupation once you try it.

(Regina works with men, and she's so cool...)



For a note about equipment (I'll explain things in greater detail toward the end of this update), only slag enemies drop equipment 90% of the time. Non-slag bosses do exist, but you won't see them for a while. The vast majority of this game's boss fights are against slag enemies.

On the third floor of the factory, me and Regina came across something amazing... A field of glass



Oh, what are those? They're sparkling. Glass flowers...? They're so pretty...!

So, are these the glowing flowers that you were talking about? The ones that bloom in ruins? They are pretty... I've been to different ruins, but I've never seen anything like this.

These glass flowers are a first for me, too.

Look at them...they're not fake, they're actually alive!

Whoa, you're right! They smell nice, too. Hmhmhm, I'm glad I'm a prospector. Otherwise, I never woulda seen such a mysterious flowers.

Yeah. There were some mysterious glowing flowers where Nio disappeared as well... Nio... I miss her...

I've been thinking about her more often lately, especially at night. It feels like forever since I last heard her voice...but my memories of her will never go away.





Nio, wake up! It's me, your sister, Ayesha! Come home with me. Everyone's waiting for you!



Oh...

She disappeared...

...

H-Hey! I know i don't know anything about this kinda thing, but... I really think Nio is still alive! Like with what just happened. It felt totally different than just some kinda illusion. So, I'm sure there's a way to help her!

I...think so, too. There's gotta be a way to help her... I'll just pick one of these flowers. It might lead me to Nio in the future...

I really didn't want Regina to see me like that... Nio's always on my mind, but even more lately. The first time I saw her, I know I heard her voice, but in Hallos Village and now, I didn't hear her at all. She didn't even seem to know I was there this time. Does that mean she's getting even further from me...? In spite of what happened with Nio, Regina wanted to go even further in. I think she was trying to cheer me up.

Oh, Ayesha, get over here!

Okay. Did you find something?

Hmhmhm, you'll know once you see it. See that!? Isn't it amazing!?



Seeing that, doesn't it make you feel that this ruin is still alive?

This ruin...alive?

Yeah. Generally speaking, there are ruins that are dead, and ruins that are alive. So this is one of the live ones.

A forge in a ruin made of glass... And the glass flowers...

It's not something I know for a fact, but I feel like it's gotta be related to Nio.

Okay, I'm sure I'll be able to see Nio someday if I continue to search ruins like this one!

Yup, I'll help you, too. If it's about the ruins, leave it to me!

Yeah, and I need to learn more about the ruins, too! So, what is...this?

Beats me. I only know that it's something that was made a looong time ago. Whether this was a temple to worship the gods or a factory to make something... I'm sure Harry will be satisfied after reporting to him what we saw here. Oh, and if you're going back, you should take a souvenir for Harry.

A souvenir? I wonder what I should take back...

Anything will do for Harry. Let's see...maybe this stick thingy.



It has interesting patterns on it...but it's still just a stick...

It'll be enough. And just tell him what you found at the ruin, and he'll be happy. It's okay, Harry's extremely fond of things like this anyway.

Then, I'll take this stick as a souvenir. Regina, thank you so much.

Hehe, it worked. Regina is such a great friend. When I get back to town, I should let Harry know about the Glass Factory.



Hmm, a ruin where everything was made of glass... That is very interesting. I would've loved to see it with my own eyes. Oh, how regrettable it is that I couldn't join you... The key to unlocking the mysteries of the ancient civilization probably lies with there somewhere. The glass forge still burns, and the glass flowers still bloom... This discovery is beyond amazing! We have witnessed a historical moment!

I-I'm glad you're happy. And here, this is a souvenir for you.

Stop! Ayesha, that won't do. That just won't do.

Wh-What won't do? Don't you like this souvenir?

That's not it. That glasswork is a historically and academically important item. Referring to it as a souvenir... As one who pursues the truth, that is simply a thoughtless remark. By no means is that a souvenir. Yes...it is a discovery.

I-I'm sorry. I didn't know.

Now let's have a do-over, starting from when you finished your report and were about to give me your discovery.

Oh, okay. This stick is a precious discovery. Please accept it.

...

Uhhh...

How splendid! I'd like to praise you highly for your additional use of the term precious. I'll teach you more academically technical terms as we go along.

(I wonder if discovery is a technical term...)



Umm, it looks like an ordinary glass stick to me. It's nothing out of the ordinary...

Unacceptable. From this single artifact, I was able to understand 80% of their lifestyle.

Huh, really!? (Maybe he'll know the reason why Nio disappeared, too...)

I'd like you to focus on the pointy end of this stick. Doesn't it remind you of something? Yes. This is, without a doubt, a toothpick. That's something that ancient people used.

You know, it's nothing related to this game specifically, but the remainder of this scene, and this line, remind me way too much of a joke in Chip Cheezum's Uncharted 1 LP. In it, Chip comes across a treasure called a toothpick that looks more like a small dagger than a toothpick.

Chip and Ironicus then bounce jokes off each other about Nathan Drake saying that this discovery meant that the civilization he was stealing treasures from was full of giants with giant teeth. Tell me the rest of this scene doesn't make that exact same joke.

A t-toothpick? Even though it's this big?

That's one of the keys. According to my theory, the ancient had very large bodies. I was never able to concretely nail down their size, but today, it has all become clear. Judging by this toothpick, the ancients were 10 meters tall. That is my conclusion. That is the hypothesis that I have derived from this landmark discovery. Do you have any comments?

I-I wonder... I kinda feel like it might be something completely different.

No, that has to be it. With this shape, it can be nothing else but a toothpick! Yes, this is an epoch of a discovery. It'll be the key to revealing their ancient civilization!



Hehe, I don't think Mr. Harry knows what he's talking about at all. But now I'm stuck when it comes to Nio. I don't know what to do next, really. The baker



(Whoa, he's such a tall man...)

From now on, I can bake whatever I want to my heart's content inside this castle...!

Castle? Bake...? Umm, excuse me. What are you gonna be doing here?

Here? This is going to be a bakery.

Oh, a bakery? How exciting! Freshly baked bread is sooo tasty!

That's right. Bread is delicious! It brings harmony to various dishes, and gives us the vitality for life! That...is the power of bread! Flour and rye. Butter and egg. This weaving harmony of fascinating ingredients is a melody of the angels.

I-I see. I can tell that you probably really love bread...



After all my training, I'm finally ready to open my own shop. This is a deeply emotional moment for me... Now I can bake my ideal bread, which has long been my dream...

Your ideal bread? Does that mean you're aiming to make delicious bread?

It's a little different. My ideal is to get many people to eat my bread. And through my bread, I want to make people smile. I hope I can accomplish that with this bakery.

Wow, that's a great goal! Please do your best.

Thank you. It's still be some time until the grand opening, but I would greatly appreciate your patronage.

Yes! I'll be looking forward to it! (A bakery! I can't wait to eat freshly baked bread!)

After that, the man left to go work on something in his store, when I saw something adorable! The homunculus

That's...



Hmm, I wonder what it is... I don't know, but...it's so cute! Oh, it went inside Marietta's store...



Pretty sparkles...? I wonder what those are...

Sparkles. They look pretty like stars and melt. Sparkles.

Pretty like stars...? Are they like jewels? They're gonna be pretty pricy then.

I have money. Lots of it. I buy them all. Don't worry.

Whoa, this much...? I can see you're looking for considerably high-priced items.

Can I buy sparkles with this?

It might be hard for me to procure them right away, but with this much money... I'm sure I'll be able to provide you with items that'll measure up to your wishes.

Not measure. Sparkles!

That little creature is...just so cute!

Oh, right, right. Umm, about the deadline...

Deadline? What's that?

Umm, a deadline is, well, basically... Wait 30 days. Lovely sparkles, delivered to you!

Okay. Wait 30 days. I count on you.



He was cute, but dealing with him made me nervous. Non-human customers are very rare... And it's also rare for a Homunculus to come to town. Well, whoever the customer is doesn't matter. He paid a lot in advance, so I need to get items that meet his demand!

Oh, a homunculus is a living thing that was created, instead of being born and having a mom and dad. I've never seen one before, but I've read a lot about them in some of the books in the workshop.

But just having "sparkles" as a hint is hard...

This where I show off what a merchant can do. Hmhm, I've been itching to put my skills to good use.

Hmm, I feel a slight tinge of uneasiness for some reason... It seemed like he wanted jewels, but I wonder if Homunculi know the value of them.

That's not the problem here... Wait, I mean...! Mr. Owner, if you were watching, you should've helped me!

N-No, I feel like I'm not very good at dealing with them. It's hard to grasp what someone wants when I can't understand how their minds work. Anyway, it might not be necessary to take everything they say seriously...

Whoever the customer is, they're still a customer. It's my duty as a merchant to respond to them sincerely.

Y-Yup, that's correct. It's just as you say. With that being said, I leave this case entirely to you. Good luck.



Hmhm, it's the biggest job we've had in a while. All right, I need to do this!



So before I close this update, let's talk about equipment in this game. First off, Dyes are for armor, and Whetstones are for weapons.



Every Dye / Whetstone has the property See All Props. Do you see the ??? in the top right of the menu here? That means there's a hidden trait to this Cotton Shirt, but I can't take advantage of it because the effect is hidden. If I were to use the Polish Dye on a Cotton Shirt, the trait that emerges is PH RES +5.

Now, of course, there are bonuses that can go directly onto Dyes / Whetstones and then onto equipment, but for the first tier of these items, you can't really do that. There's an alchemy skill down the line that, of course, will allow you to heavily customize equipment, but our equipment is also holding us back, since they only have one property on them. Weapons / armor can hold up to five traits, like in the Arland games, but as we proceed in the game we'll come across equipment that will allow us more customization.

It sounds complicated, but it's really not. I'll of course revisit equipment when customization becomes more of an option. Just be aware that new equipment comes almost entirely from drops, and only from slag enemies for the most part. But, let's wrap this update up with a nice scene. Memories of Nio



The first time, she definitely looked at me. I wonder what was different this time... I need to calm down and think. I'm sure there's some kind of clue... It seems like the type of flower differs greatly depending on where I find them, but... They all seem to be fundamentally different from the medicinal herbs that I usually use. Just like Mr. Keith said, the flowers and Nio...maybe they are connected somehow... But, I wonder what I'm supposed to do with these flowers... There's nothing about them in the books... Even when I synthesize with them, they turn into things I've never seen before... *sigh* I guess I have a long way to go... Hmm, I need to figure out how to investigate these flowers in more detail. Right now, I don't know a single thing about them.

... I wonder if I'll know allll about these flowers when I'm an alchemist... Maybe I just need to work way harder on synthesizing for now... Well, anyway, these flowers...are so pretty. I've never seen anything like them before. Nio, you'd be so happy to see them. You really liked flowers, didn't you...?



I was looking for materials to make medicine, and I found a pretty flower! Do you think you can use it for medicine? I'm sure it'll make great medicine!



You shouldn't work till you collapse, you know... Hold on, I'll make you something. Golly, Sis, you really can't do anything without me!



I'll do my best for you...