Part 100: Cooking by the Book

Update 9: Cooking by the Book



So now that we've gotten to the 4th floor, let's see what the townsfolk have to say now.





It seems that there is something he wishes to discuss with you regarding Cafe... I haven't been informed of the details, but we would appreciate it if you would come by when time permits.
It seems the Minister may have a request for us. Why don't we head to the Duke's Palace, Sir Knight?

May as well.





I heard of your work from Regina. I also heard you found some new recipes, and provided the name for Cafe.



Everything's going well.
Ah, splendid! I believe the store's preparations are now complete. Next, I'd like you to spread Apicius's dishes among the people...
Uh... what exactly do you mean, spread among the people?
Oh, nothing overly complicated. All I ask is for you to advertise the cafe. It may be a government-run cafe, but it's still fairly unknown among the citizens. I would like it to attract more customers.
Yes, of course! If they don't know it exists, we can hardly expect the citizens to bring their business there.
But would it not be better for Lady Regina to head the efforts? Why would you ask for our assistance?
Hrm... well... Let's just say each of us are suited to different roles, hm?
...Right.
Well, we can give it a shot, but keep in mind we've still got that Labyrinth to take care of. Lots to do, you know?
Hm, a valid point. Which is why I have arranged it so that you will receive a portion of the profits as an incentive.

This is one of the best ways to make money in this game.

Cash? Well, hey, when you put it like that, we can spare some time for this.
...Still kind of a pain, though.



Yeah, it is a pain.
Yeah, you get it.
...Great, I'm seeing double of the old man.
Come on, the minister is right there! The least you could do is act like you're doing it 'cause it's a noble cause!
Hoho, no need to worry. I always ask a great deal of you anyway. I've already told Regina the details. I'll be counting on you.

And now let's see what he has to say normally.



...The Labyrinth is a beautiful place, isn't it? I once entered it alongside the guards... For all its danger, it was lush and beautiful. Certainly, there are forests outside the city, and rich green fields of crops... but the Labyrinth feels different. Ethereal, yes? In some respects, it feels as though the Labyrinth has been watching over us. There is something mystical about it, isn't there? ...Perhaps a god really does reside at the top... Ho ho, it would appear I've been rambling again. Now, I wish the best of luck to you on your adventure.

Speaking of the Labyrinth's looks, I have the opinion that for all its faults, the original EO2 easily had the best looking Strata of the bunch. ...Well, for the most part. And I think the 3DS remake easily did the aesthetics justice. They just look really great. But it might be better if you saw them for yourself.

Now let's head to Cafe and see what we have to do there.





You've already heard about the advertising plan from Grandpa, right?
Indeed, we did. We need to advertise this cafe, correct?
Advertising, huh... So should we try, I dunno, calling customers in and passing out flyers? That kind of thing?
Then again, this city's pretty big. I don't know if that's going to be enough.
Probably best if we concentrate on a specific ward or clientele. That way, we can advertise what they're more likely to go for.
...Huh. I hadn't thought of that.
Do you have information on the people's preferences? Organized by which ward they live in?
Yes, it should be in the information that Grandpa gave me. ...You mind taking a look with me?



The game then gives us a tutorial on advertising. Regina's talk dialogue is the same as in Classic.



Now let's get to cooking!

Sorry to keep you waiting. It's done.
Hmmm... Looks normal to me.
...Don't judge Apicius' recipes just by looks alone. It's hard to make such springy texture with just rye.
Springy rye bread!? Isn't rye bread supposed to be hard?
I ate it a lot when traveling with Trand.
Because it's hard and not tasty, it gets thrown in the bottom of the sack... and becomes even harder.



But rye bread is so good.
Then, you eat a bunch. I'll eat a bunch of meat for you.
You plan on eating even more meat than now?

That's a waste.
...We ate it in the end.
My jaw hurt.
It was good for me. Because the quiet you became even quieter.

You should've used it as a weapon.
...? What are you saying? You can't make food into weapons.
Exactly. It's not a forgivable thing to handle food in such a disrespectful manner.



And then the conversation goes on from here.

I wish I had something like that!
...Was this touching at all?
Putting memories aside... I'll add this to the menu, so order it again when you feel like it.



And this food increases your max TP pool by 30%. We will be using this a lot.



Sorry to keep you waiting. It's done.
...Bone in. Superb!
Oh... How wonderful. I absolutely love venison!



Is it that good?
Yes! It is tender and lean... It is very easy to eat, wouldn't you agree?
Hmmm...? I've had deer one time before, but was it THAT good?

You mentioned that before, too.
Oh... You remembered.
How could we forget? The first thing you say after seeing that giant, mean-looking monster is, "It looks delicious!"
Haha, really? Sounds like she's as gluttonous as Chloe.
B-but... deer IS quite delicious.

And the dialogue branches merge after that.

Arianna's right. If you prepare it properly, venison is a very flavorful meat. But well... You can taste that for yourself.
I'll add it to the menu so order it again if you like it.



Deer Steak recovers 5% of your party's max HP at the end of the turn. Not useful, eat something better.



Sorry to keep you waiting. It's done.
This is... quite an aggressive look.
Yes. Apicius' ideas never cease to amaze me.



...How did it end up like this?
Hm? I simply followed the recipe.
...Er, I think what Knight is trying to say isn't that...

I'm surprised for sure.
Right? Preparing the roller like this was shocking for me, too.
Er, isn't there something to be more surprised about...?

And the dialogue merges here.

Umm... Is it edible like this? Our eyes just met...
Just don't mind it.
...I-I do mind it.
Fine. I'll hide the eyes with leaves.
The rice stuffed in the stomach is delicious too, so be sure to have it.
The... The stomach...?



Are you okay?
I... don't think so. I feel a bit sorry for it...
I feel more sorry if it's not eaten after being prepared. Heck, we were the ones who hunted it.
Y-you're right, but...

You can do it, Arianna!
I-I'll do my best. Dame Regina's cooking is delicious, so I must eat it...!
...You're right. Her food is good, plus the effects are useful... If we think about it that way...
You guys think too much.

And both dialogue branches merge at this point.

...Hrm, there are problems with the presentation, huh? But this is Apicius' will.
I'll add this to the menu so order it again.



Could be useful, I guess. Though I have no idea what the exact numbers on that are.



Sorry to keep you waiting. It's done.
Thick cut. Thick cut meat. That is... very good.



What a splendid cut!/Meat should always be thick!/A carnival!

Doesn't matter what you say here.



Yep... It really gets me pumped up seeing such a thick cut!
...You're all too excited.
But still, this color... Is this not raw?
Don't worry, it's been cooked. The beautiful coloration is created by slowly broiling it.
And the taste is exquisite.
A rare, thick-cut venison steak...! It is truly delicious...!
...Even you're excited, huh? Young'uns sure like meat...
I-I mean, it's venison! It's so delicious.
Sir Bertrand, perhaps you simply have yet to taste true venison!
Yeah, yeah, I never had it.
Arianna, there's no need for words. We'll have him taste true venison right now.
Yes, Dame Regina! Please do!
Ugh, what a pain...



This is so ridiculously situational, that I don't recommend eating this. Anyways, all that cooking was exhausting. Let's take another nap.







...Still sleeping.





Knight, I meant to ask you this before, but where exactly are you from?



I don't know.
Huh? What do you mean you don't know...?
Oh... right. I heard the Library takes in orphans.
So you and Flavio are both... Sorry, I'm being a little insensitive.



I'm used to it by now.
That so... But that means you don't have any direct connection to Caledonia, then.
Well, the question's been in the back of my mind ever since I met you guys. I thought it was kind of weird that a couple of kids from the Library were picked as Arianna's escorts. You'd think they would choose knights from their own country to do the job, right? That's why I was curious if you had any ties to Caledonia.



Sorta, I guess?

Caledonia's prime minister chose us.

The prime minister chose you personally?
So the princess studied at the Library when she was little...?
And when a monster attacked, it was you who saved her...
...... ......
...All right. I think I get it now. Thanks.



Your lack of subtlety is showing.

...Do you know something?
About what? I was just impressed that the Library accepted exchange students.
Not only do they have nobles studying there, they even get royalty to send their kids.
Welp... I think it's about time this old man got to bed. You should rest well, too. We still have a long road ahead of us...

No dream sequence this time. We just head back to the inn lobby right afterwards. Hanna and Quona don't have any dialogue exclusive to Story on 4F.





Do you have a new product?

And then she gives us a tutorial on Flash Grenades.

Oh, so you do understand! I'll have to keep up with my studies so I know what all this stuff is good for...



I'll test you next time.
H-Huh? A t-test? Then... I'll have to make sure to study... Weapon types... item effects... No, there's so much more... I'll have to research monsters, and about the Labyrinth... and, and...



No rush.
R-Right... Well, I'll try to learn it all little by little, so... could you wait a while before you test me...? Oh, um, I almost forgot. Here's the free sample of the Flash Grenade for you!



Let's talk to her now.



You've already gotten up to the fourth floor, right? All the other customers say nobody's ever climbed that quickly. Hee hee... I told them you got all your equipment from this shop! Oh, sorry... I should probably ask you before I start giving away things like that. I didn't cause you trouble, did I?



Yeah, you did.
O-Oh... um... I-I think I'll go wipe the shelves over there! Um, please take as much time you want to look around!

None of the other NPCs have anything new to say. Let's just head to the 4th floor.





Over there... Something's flying.



It shows no interest in you for now, but there's no knowing when it may change its mind.

This one's new to me, but it looks like it can fly over low obstacles to reach us. Some things that would stop us cold won't matter at all to it, so let's be careful of it as we go.



When the guard notices your presence, he salutes and speaks to you.





You're thinking of some other guild.
Knight... Why do you lie like that? You really should stop that sort of thing.

Sorry, our guild name is just really confusing.

Er... So you ARE Guild? I was actually looking for you.
For us...?
Well, I'd heard you took the mission to slay the king of beasts. And something about that mission worries me. Do you know the guild called Beowulf?
Beowulf...? Yes, we are acquainted. Did something happen to them?
Nothing as yet... but I heard a rumor that they've headed for the 5th floor as well. They might be trying to take on the Chimaera... just the two of them.



Well we're not gonna let them steal our kill!

They won't beat us to it!
Haha... They're strong, it's true. But the problem is, this isn't any ordinary enemy. They're going to try and face the king of beasts...

The guard stops there for a moment before continuing, a hint of longing in his voice.

You're relatively new here, so you may not know, but Beowulf was once a five-member guild. They got along so well... everyone loved them.
......
But Beowulf challenged the king of beasts... and lost. Hrothgar dragged his comrades back to the city, but only Wulfgar survived.
He... lost his guildmates?
That's right. He was a sorry sight, I can tell you. Ever since, those two stopped going deep into the forest, and started helping young explorers in the early Stratum. So when I heard that those two were headed for the 5th floor... I got an uneasy feeling. This is Hrothgar we're talking about, so I don't think they'd go if they didn't believe they could win. All the same... If you happen to come across them, could you help them however you can? Please... We all want to see them come back alive.



Uhhh, something tells me that we might not be able to do that.

I can't promise anything.
No... just trying is more than enough. You're good people.
Thing is, I don't think those two want us involved.
Huh!?
If they were really out to win, wouldn't they have recruited some new members before heading out? Yet they went in with just the two of them... You ask me, I don't think they want outsiders butting in on this.
...You may be right about that. But Hrothgar, Beowulf's leader... He's such an amazing guy. He really is... And that's why I just couldn't...

Upon speaking thus far, the guard bows his head and apologizes for bring such a topic up before returning to his duties.

What Sir Hrothgar said, about needing to do something... This must have been what he alluded to. He wished to avenge his fallen guildmates...



I'm sure they'll be fine.
...True, Sir Hrothgar and Wulfgar are powerful, after all.
But if the worse were to happen... We should aid them in whatever way that we can!
Then let's hurry on ahead. We might still be able to catch up to them.

The young man is right. To challenge the king of beasts will naturally mean pursuing Beowulf. You decide to hurry to the 5th floor in search of them.

We can actually talk with the guard again.





The guard's voice is small and plaintive, and his gaze does not waver from the forest sky. You must hurry and pursue Beowulf to the 5th floor.