Part 14: Goodbye, Parm
Welcome back! We've gotten the Steamer Pass from Java, and are all set to head out for the new continent, Elencia!
Note that Marna Road is grayed out here. Grandia does lock out areas as you go, meaning that, for a lot of areas, you only get one shot to clear them out. Anything in the Sult Ruins or Leck Mines that you miss before the boss are lost forever.
Speaking of, there was another 30G in the Orc King's room that I had missed.
Anyway, we head back to Parm.
Where a cutscene begins.
: What's wrong, Justin? You were so excited on the way there, but didn't say a word on the way back.
: Is that right? It's nothing....
: Say! What's the New Continent like? I can't wait. ♪
: ......
: We have to say good-bye to everyone. They're gonna be surprised!
: But you know, if both of us go away, Aunt Lilly is gonna be lonely.
Hang on, do we have an anime JRPG where the fourteen-year-old protagonist is acting like he's fourteen years old?! Also, the music cuts out here.
: Huh?: What do you mean by that? I don't understand, Justin.Sue, meanwhile, continues to ping-pong between acting older and younger than her actual age. Which is eight.
: Java said it, too. From now on, the adventure is no game. Sue, you stay here.
: What's this, all of a sudden! We go everywhere together, we do everything together! I thought we'd be together.
: The Steamer leaves at dawn tomorrow. You don't need to come see me off so early in the morning.
: ......
: I'm not a little kid! I'm NOT! Without me, you'd never even have gotten the Steamer pass. Don't you realize that...?
: Sue...And sad music stops here.
: Well forget YOU!! I hate you!
: And... on my next adventure, I promise to take you along.
: Huh?
Because this update needed to meet its slapstick quota. And yes, that was the only voiced line in the entire cutscene.
We're given control back after that. Without Sue, most of the Parmians have something new to say, so look forward to that in the talking update. We will stop to visit one NPC this time, though.
: What!? How did you know!?
: Ye are so naive. Anyone can see right through ye. Have one o' these. Ye'll feel better. This is me original masterpiece. The essence o' all me inventions!
Ignore the defense seed still sitting in Justin's inventory. He'll eat it by the time we get to the next dungeon.
: If I give Sue the Coal Candy the inventor gave me, will it put her in a better mood?: Naaaw, it won't work! Then I don't think she'd ever talk to me again!
Hey, is that Gantz hanging out in front of the Seagull?
: Oh, it's you, Gantz. ... It's nothing.... Nothing at all.
: Oh? You have a lover's quarrel!? Keep that up and Sue's gonna be my bride!: Aaa... c-can I ask you to take care of Sue...?
: Huh? What's wrong with you, Justin? Anyway, since I got wiped out last time, I'll think of another challenge.: Remember that!
: OK. Let's eat. I love your cooking.
: What's wrong? You always say, "Really, STEW!? All right!" and get so excited. It's not the same without Sue around. Did you do something to make her mad? I don't know what started it, but you ought to apologize, being older.
: You understand? Well, eat then.
: But you know, it's sort of lonely without Sue around.: Ask her to come over tomorrow.: It'll be OK, Mom. Sue will be coming over tomorrow. She'll be coming over all the time.Jesus, Justin, you're making it sound like she's dead or something.
Anyway, this dinner. Every other dinner in the game has Justin act as the cancel button, ending the dinner unless there's a plot-critical conversation you haven't seen yet. Here, it acts just like selecting anyone else. Meaning it's possible to miss a full half of this conversation just by trying to see the whole thing.
Yeah.
: Don't you want any more to eat?: You don't look so good. Is something bothering you?: N-no nothing like that! Mom, it must be your imagination!: I hope so.
: You've got to eat a lot to become a first-class adventurer.
: The stew today is really delicious! I've never had such delicious stew ever before in my life!
: Ah, ha, ha, ha! Such a fuss! I make this all the time. This is one of my best dishes!: Um, well, it's just....: Anyway, today it's extra special delicious! Extra special!: OK, OK. I see. You're such a strange kid. It's just the same as always.: Hang on, Justin. Aren't you eating too much?: It's OK! Today I want to eat my fill of Mom's home cooking! I'm just stuffed!
: Anyway, Mom. Where do we keep our photo album?: Photo album? I think it's in the chest of drawers over there.: You think my birthday picture's there? The one with me swinging the sword around, so cool!: I think so, but what's the matter all of a sudden? The picture I took on your birthday last year is in that drawer I think. What do you want with it?: Aw, it's nothing really! I just wanted to know!: Come to think of it, the Steamer to the New Continent leaves tomorrow morning. You want to see it off?: Wh-wh-wh... (GULP) What's wrong, Mom!? Why do you say that, suddenly?: Right now you're still a kid, but in a few years, Justin, you might leave on an adventure, too, So I....
: If you leave on an adventure, Justin, Sue and Gantz are sure gonna be sad, though.
: Say, Justin, why don't you sleep with me tonight?Phrasing!
: C'mon, like you did as a baby!: What are you talking about!? I'm not a baby any more! But no matter what, not today!: Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha! Justin, don't take it so serious! I'm just joking around with you.
: You're just too funny. You made me laugh so hard I have tears in my eyes.As far as I'm aware, this is the only time this portrait of Lilly is used.
: That's the spirit. The way you get so passionate is just like your late Father.: That's right, your Dad left on his first adventure when he was just about your age.At the age of fourteen, Justin's Dad was just starting off on his first adventure. At the age of fourteen, Lilly was already a feared pirate queen, and was about to retire.
Then again, Sue committed regicide at eight, so I guess a preteen scourge of the seven seas isn't unheard of.
... Y'know what? I'm just gonna pretend everyone is 2-4 years older than the
: M-mom.... Actually... tomorrow I'm... I'm, well....
: I'm going to turn in now. Tell me about it tomorrow. Good night.: Um, right.... Good night, Mom.
Yes, I will screenshot every ellipsis-only text box instead of transcribing it.
: Justin, you get to sleep, too.
: Guess it's good-bye to this room, too.
: All right!
Oh, and would you look at that? A voiced cutscene! (Polsy link)
As usual, skip down to "cutscene ends" if you watch the video. This is the first scene where the voice work is... kinda off, in my opinion.
: Father... and Grandfather, too. I'm going to the New Continent. I'm going to travel the world just like you did.: Thanks to your Spirit Stone, Father!
: Now I know. You must have felt like this on the morning of your first adventure, too.
: Everyone that Mom tells me about was much stronger, and much braver than me.: She also said something about "a few Axe levels will straighten that out".: Much, much more like an adventurer.
: You're right! This is nothing like me at all!: Right, Father?
: I promise that I'll become an adventurer greater than you.
: I'm going!
And the cutscene ends with Justin dashing down the stairs after hitting the wall with a hammer. At, like, four in the goddamn morning.
Just pointing out that Lilly should not have slept through any of that shit.
For best effect, stare at this screenshot until the song finishes looping.
I'll wait.
: I AM a passenger. I even have a PASS! It's a real one. R-E-A-L!
: Hmm. It does look real. But it's so old and it reeks of something. Well, no matter. Passengers can't go back out once past the gate. Understand?
: Of course! C'mon, open the gate!: All right. Take care, boy. Don't drink unboiled water. You'll get sick.
: Hee hee. Thanks, sir!: But I'm not so frail! I'm an adventurer!Once we wander deep enough into the fenced-in area, the music changes.
Let's get on that boat!
Justin is hidden behind the sailor here.
: Yes! I'm going! To the New World!
: Yikes! I guess Java's pass was too old after all.
: Look, hanging out of your pocket! That's almost like a signal to thieves saying "steal me".: Huh? Oh, thank you.: Whew. What a relief. I can't go back now.
: A letter...? How'd it get in my pocket?
: Geez! Fine. I just have to move, right?
: From "Lilly the Skull" to Mr. Gauss, President of the Adventurers Society.
: NOT TO BE READ BY JUSTIN!
I kinda wish this would be the type of game to let us get away with not reading the letter. But, alas, we can tell it's an important letter because the string ensemble hiding just off-frame begins playing.
: He doesn't help his parents at all, spends all day playing "Adventure", comes home covered in bruises... gets scolded for his mischief, brings home big bumps on his head. This hopeless naughty little boy used to live at our house.: One day this naughty boy cried. It was the day he found out he'd never see his beloved father again.: Since that day, the naughty boy has become a greenhorn adventurer.: That adventurer named Justin is friendly, simple and scatterbrained. I can't say he's anywhere near full-fledged, but he's begun to walk on his own.: On his own....: When I see his single-minded figure in my dreams, I can proudly say,: "This boy is my son".: Please, Mr. Gauss, please help this red-haired greenhorn adventurer - my son.... Help him follow his dreams!
: Huh? There's more....: Naughty, naughty JUSTIN!: Knowing you, I thought you'd open this letter and read it!: I thought you'd grown a little, but I guess you are still my naughty little boy. Listen! Take care of your health. Your Dad used to say, 
: ... Mom, thank you. Good... bye...: I'll be back SOON!
Next time: Boat! Sailors! More talking!