Part 114: Exquisite and Deadly Cuisines

Update 23: Exquisite and Deadly Cuisines



Here's the end of floor 14.



And now that we got to floor 15, let's see what the people in town have to say now.



Except the only one with new dialogue in Story Mode is this bar patron.

I-I'm sorry... Someone, please... help... *sob*
Oh no--what are you doing here all by yourself? Did you come here with your daddy?
...N-No... My mom sent me here to find my dad. But there's... so many people here... I-I just can't... find my daddy...
Aw, I'm sorry. Don't worry, I'll help you out, okay?
R-Really...?
Yeah, of course. Here, lemme carry you on my shoulders. Up you go--
There. I'm pretty tall, you know. I bet you'll find your daddy a lot easier from up there!
O-Okay...! Thanks, Mister!
...It just comes naturally to that kid, huh? Nice guy.
Trand. You're tall too. Are you gonna help?
Nah. Don't feel like it.

Well, why don't we go take a nap?



As you sit there, you hear a knock at your door. Who could it be at this hour...?



Uhhh, Flavio?





She was supposed to teach me how to sew, but she never showed up.



...How to sew?
Yep. That damn button came off again. I've never been good at sewing buttons… It looks fine from the front, but the back side is this mangled mess. Arianna said she's pretty good at it, so I thought I'd learn how to do it right from her.
I mean, I don't want to be bad at this my whole life!
But I'm not going to get anywhere without a good teacher. I guess I'll try looking for her downstairs again.
If you happen to see her, can you tell her I'm waiting for her there? Later, Knight.

Now I've been sitting on a bunch of food ingredients, so let's get to cooking.



I've finished it... I think.
My, what an oddly shaped dish. ...I would think that a tad smaller portion would be easier to eat.
Er, is this a matter of size!?
I melted it and molded it into bite-size pieces, of course...
But when I cooled it, it reverted to this size and shape for some reason.



Is it okay to eat?
The taste is fine, but...
Well, I trust the flavor... buuuut, that's not what he meant...
I-I know what you're getting at.

How's it taste?
It tastes great, of course. It goes down smoothly, and the apple flavoring mixes well.
I say mixes well, but...

Dialogue merges here.

After chewing, swallowing, and putting it in your stomach, if you let your belly get cold... will it revert?
It would be quite heavy on the stomach...
Is that all that it'd be...?
Well, since she's all right, I figure we should be okay...
Oh? This does taste good.
Whoa, old man!? Y-You have guts...
...I shall also challenge this because I have faith in Dame Regina and Sir Apicius!
Me too. Tasty food is not to blame.
I thank you for your consideration. Please enjoy it slowly.



Theriaca As and Bs affect a row instead of a single target. Which is interesting, except that effect isn't something worth using up your food buff for.



I just finished it. Eat up while it's hot.
I don't like the green on top. Trand, trade me for meat.
Yeah, yeah, go ahead and take 'em. And go ahead and leave 'em.
Directly onto his plate... That's bad manners!
That's true, but before that... Chloe, I won't allow for fussiness with food.
Oh, let her go. It's more of a pain to try and get her to eat them.
Greens are bitter. I don't understand why you would eat anything bitter outside of medicine.
You understand, right, Knight?



It can't be helped.
Yep, it can't be helped.
And how can it not be helped?
...Anyway, I'll add it to the menu. If you order it, you're eating it. All of it.

That's not good.
...Knight betrayed me.
That's your fault for believing in him.
...Anyway, I'll add it to the menu. If you order it, you're eating it. All of it.

That's that. Manners are manners.
Manners...?
Sir Knight is correct. Touching someone else's plate, handing food over directly from silverware to silverware... Those are all no-nos!
...O-Okay.
Whoa... Chloe lost to pressure.
Sir Bertrand, you too! You are the senior here, so you must serve as an example!
...O-Okay.
She doesn't get angry often, but she's really scary when she does...
I'll make sure not to upset her...
...Anyway, I'll add it to the menu. If you order it, you're eating it. All of it.



You recover 25% of your max HP at the end of the turn if you're inflicted with an ailment or a bind. Not too great.



And I've cooked enough food to unlock the next restaurant scene.

It's rather rare to see you sighing with such melancholy, Dame Regina... Perhaps some rest would help?
There's a lot of recipes now. She worked too hard. Now she's tired. No, I never get worn out by cooking.
To be honest, I'm more satisfied than I've been in a while, thanks to your efforts. But even still... hm.



Did something happen?
It's nothing serious...

Do you want to talk about it?
...Maybe you're right.

Dialogue merges here.

It's just... the other day, a customer told me they love the food from this cafe... But they said it's not the kind of place you'd go every day. Just... once in a while...
Oh, uh...
So, someone actually said it...
If that's your response... you must have thought the same thing, then?



Yeah, we did.
I-I had no idea...
Well, uh, you do glare at people that stay after eating... and you give people menus without a word... You can be kinda scary.

That's what we've been saying.
You... have?
Yep. Flavio's been saying this cafe feels pretty dead most of the time.
Sh-Shut up, old man! You make it sound like I'm the only one that's been saying it!
I see... So that's what you meant by it.

Dialogue merges here.

...This city has a lot of travelers, but a cafe without regulars isn't going to succeed. At this rate, my dream of proving my own success to my family is just going to be that--a dream.
I thought that all customers wanted from a restaurant was delicious food... Was I wrong? ...What do the customers want from me?



Be more friendly to the customers.
Friendly with the customers...? What does that have to do with the food I serve?

Be more sincere with the customers.
Sincere...? I don't know what you mean. I always put everything into the food I make for the customers. That would be true sincerity when it comes to cooking, wouldn't it?

The food should be made with love.
...What are you even talking about?

Dialogue merges here.

I believe Sir Knight has the right idea. When you serve someone food, it's not simply the food that's important... the atmosphere is significant too.
...Is that... so?
Yes, it is!
Hmmm... I still don't quite understand. What exactly do I have to do?



Try smiling.
S-Smile, huh... I've never been great at that...

Try talking to them.
What, talk to the customers...? What would I talk to them about?

Dialogue merges here.

Simple. Just talk about your cooking.
That's a splendid idea! You smile so brightly whenever you talk about your cooking, Dame Regina.
D-Do I...? I'm not quite sure about all this...



I'm sure it'll work.
You really... think so...?
'Course it will. Your cooking's already top-notch.
Long as you get a little friendlier with the folks who like it, I'm sure you'll get regular customers.
Yes, that's right!

If you fail, we can try another way.
...You'll help me think of more strategies?
Of course. We'll help you so we can keep eating tasty food.
Yeah, we're on your side! We'll do everything we can to help!

Dialogue merges here.

...I see. This is for the sake of this cafe... and to bring me closer to my goal. I'll try doing as you say.

And doing that causes the townspeople to have new dialogue. Though most of it is the same as in Classic.



Oh, are you familiar with Dame Regina?
Ain't met her in person. I mean, she's rich and I'm... old Cass. Just heard about her from rumors, that's all. But she's a noble, ain't she? Why's she puttin' herself through all that trouble? Bah. Nobles. Can't understand 'em.

And that's it for new town dialogue. Time to get back to the kitchen.



I just finished it. Eat up while it's hot.
Ooh, this is big! And tasty-looking!
Full of meat juice.
Hey! Don't you start biting!
But you need to eat it while it's hot, or else it's disrespectful to the bun, right?
Er, well, that's true, but...
*giggle* They are stuffing themselves in such a delicious manner... Let us eat for ourselves, too!
...That was it.
Huh?
I only made two of them.
Huh!?
I was going to cut them into pieces. I figured you'd be fine since you guys don't eat all that much...
You guys...
......
S-Sorry... I already ate it all...



I won't forgive you.
I--I said--I said I was sorry!

I won't ever forgive you.
Y-You're THAT mad...!?

Dialogue merges here.

The grudge of food... Scary. I should know best...
Don't forget you're being grudged right now, too!
...That is unfortunate.
Sorry, that's my error. I'll be sure to make one for each of you.



Increases Sleep resistance by 80%. Handy for the upcoming boss, but I prefer to make use of a different food when fighting her.



I just finished it. Eat up while it's hot.
Th-This is...!
...I-I feel sorry for it. The poor thing is crying...
Before that, we didn't bring the entire carcass... Kid, where'd you find this?
Ha, if it can fool the people who fight it all the time, then it's a success. This is all an imitation. The eye is a cooked egg, see?
...It is. The body is... mashed potatoes?
Correct. The fish taste is a bit strong, so it matches well.



That's amazing.
I simply made it according to the recipe, but... it's not a bad feeling to hear that.

I'd prefer it normal...
Well, I only made it according to the recipe. Like I mentioned before, Apicius's recipes entertain by looks as well.
...Hrmmm, it was fun to make, but is it really THAT disgusting?

Dialogue merges here.

Hey, putting looks aside, this guy doesn't look very easy to eat. What're we supposed to do with the wings?
Oh that? You cut them off with a knife before you start eating. Like... this!
Th-That looks painful...!
Hm? Y-You think so? It's just an imitation, though...



We're going to eat it either way...
...Right?
That's true, but because of the way it looks, I feel sorry for it.

Choosing the first option just skips to this next part.

Poor thing.
I-I see... Even if it's fake, there are people who feel that way, huh? I made it teary-eyed to go with the ingredients, but... should I arrange it to smile?
...Can you eat something that is smiling?
That kinda has its own problems...
Hrmmm... I see. It really was fun to make, though...
Well, I'll see how the other customers think of it. It'll be on the menu, so order it any time you want.



This increases experience gain by 20%. Though if you paid to win have access to a steady supply of Yggdrasil Clovers, this is redundant.



I just finished it. Eat up while it's hot.
...Hm? What's wrong, Chloe? It's rare for you to not come running in even though it's meat.
But there's fruits on the meat. It's that tasty...?



It's delicious.
...Really?

It must be horrible.
Yeah, sweet and salty. It's something to eat separately, not together.

Then I'll eat all of it.
Huh... That's a little... no, very...
...No.

Dialogue merges here.

What are you yapping about, Chloe. You eat meat at the pub with cranberry jam and orange sauce all the time.
...Oh, yeah. I was too busy thinking about meat to notice that.
That's so like you.
But I've never had meat with fruit sauce before either until coming to High Lagaard. There might have been some at Midgard... but it definitely wasn't as major.
It probably has to do with the region. Still, meat and fruit go well together. This glitter apple especially. Grating it increases the taste, making it perfect for sauce.
But...
Dame Chloe, has there ever been a time when Dame Regina's cooking hasn't been delicious?
...No.
Then it's okay!
...Alright, I'll take on this new flavor!
Arianna's gotten used to how to handle Chloe, huh?



I'm glad they're getting along.
Yeah, me too. She was a bit bad-tempered in the beginning, but it's nice now.

I'm better at controlling Chloe.
...Why are you trying to compete there?
Alright, alright. Both you and Arianna are good at it. We all are.

Dialogue merges here.

Alright, I'll add this to the menu, so order it again whenever you feel like it. I'll be waiting.



This disables random preemptives and blindsides. Blindsides can absolutely wreck your party depending on the encounter while preemptives don't do too much for your party. If you don't mind giving up preemptive strikes, this can be a nice food to make use of.



I just finished it. Eat up while it's hot.
Croquettes, huh? Looks tasty to me.
Yeah... I'll eat a bunch.
*chomp* *chomp* ...!?
Mmmmmm! Mmmmmmmm!



Both of these choices lead to the same lines of dialogue.

Nnnng! *huf* *huf*... *huf*...!
Chloe, don't rush it! Hot bechamel sauce is a lethal weapon!
*gulp*
You're right... It was very hot.
*sigh* You're supposed to eat meals calmly.
I'm... sorry.
Well, let's just say it was so good-looking, she couldn't help herself.
It should have cooled off by now, so let's all eat.
You're right. Then let's...
Thank you for this meal!
Ooh! The sauce is creamy, and the crab flavor really sticks out… This is really good, Regina!
I agree. I've never had such a wonderful taste, even back at home!
This old man's usually a small eater, but this is pretty good.
I-I see. Those words make it worth working hard making it.
...Where's mine?
You just ate yours, right?
But it was so hot I couldn't tell what it tasted like...
...Oh, Knight!?
You haven't eaten yours yet. Will you share some of yours with me?



Give her all of it:

Knight! You're awesome, Knight! I'm so touched!

Give her half:

Knight, thank you!
*giggle* You're so kind, Sir Knight.

Don't give her anything:

Knight... Meanie.
Hey, you ate first. Knight isn't to blame here.

Dialogue merges here.

Well, I'm glad you're all enjoying it. That makes me satisfied. I'll add this to the menu, so if you really are in the mood for it, you can order it. I'll be waiting.



Self-explanatory. It's a nice food if you're trying to make use of ailment classes.



I just finished it. Eat up while it's hot.
My, what an exciting dish, being served in its pot...!
Yeah. This is Apicius's arrangement of a foreign dish called paella.
From here to here is mine.
Hey, that's too much! Make it even!
No. There's more meat from here to here.
......



Cut it evenly.
...I see you get it, Knight.
Look, I've made plenty of it. The meat and vegetables are evenly distributed. So don't go hoarding everything, and eat properly.
...Ugh.
She is right. We should all be nice to each other and eat together!
It would be great if you did. I'll add this to the menu, so order it whenever you want.

Give me more meat, too!
Knight! You too!?
That was asking for trouble...
Knight got yelled at.
Chloe, you're the one that started this in the first place. You two don't get any of the food!
...Huh!?
I'll add this to the menu, but if you cause trouble like this again, I'll throw both of you out.
Next time, you'll sit and eat properly.
Awww...



The party will recover 2% of their max TP per turn while this is in effect. If you're expecting a battle to last over 15 turns, take this over the Rye Bread.



I just finished preparing it. Could you eat it right now?
Oh my...! All you did was shave off some ice, yet it's so soft and glittery...! It's like magic!
Wow... I've never had such a cold dessert before! This is amazing!
Cold things are expensive. This is the first time I've had it.
Ice that doesn't melt is something that only the forest can give ya.
Yeah. There are alchemists that sell ice, but because it's hard to make, there aren't many. It's hard to find in bulk.
Ooh...! Apples are popping out here and there...!
...!?
Sir Flavio!?



You feel like your head is being squeezed with immense power!







You slowly drink the tea Regina prepared. Eventually, your headache recedes...



If you eat cold foods too quickly, your body becomes cold. It causes a headache for some.

In other words, brain freeze.

...Is that so? I see. I've never really handled really cold food, so I didn't know about that.



Thanks, Chloe./You're knowledgeable, Chloe.
Mm-hm!
...I thought you were just a meat-lover, but you really are a healer.
Mm-hm again!
Hey Chloe, she wasn't praising you there.

More tea please.
...I'm not a waitress, but I'll do it since you're still aching.
Girl, get me some, too.
...I guess it can't be helped since you're eating the shaved ice too. Hold on, I'll bring tea for all of you.

Dialogue merges here.

But why is it that Dame Chloe has eaten so much shaved ice, and yet hasn't gotten a headache?
Varies from person to person?
That's not fair... Ugh, my head...
...I'll serve hot tea with this dish. You don't need to worry the next time you order it.



Oh yes! Behold, one of the best food effects in the game! You might not think that this food would do much since the description is pretty vague. But what this does is that blinded enemies have their hit rate reduced by 2000. Whatever that means. Look, I don't know what the formulas are in the 3DS EOs that aren't EO4, okay?

Anyways, what this means in practice is that attacks with an accuracy check will always miss! Not only that, the Blind status got a pretty big buff in this game. In the past EO games, if a target had their evasion disabled, blinded attackers could still hit the target. (So a blind person would never miss an attack on hitting another blind person.) That got changed in EO2U. Blinded units can still miss their attacks on units who are supposed to have their evasion disabled. So this food essentially buys you a lot of free turns in the big fights. It helps that Blind is one of the easiest status effects to land in this game. This food and another food that we can unlock later pretty much catapults Survivalists into a top tier support. And you better believe that I will abuse this one heavily.