Part 19: ARC II: Part 10: Behind The Music.

ARC II: Part 10: Behind The Music.


Ah, you've arrived. Mr. Kovak has been waiting for you.

... He has?

Indeed. He anticipated that you might try this after what Daydream said earlier today. He has nothing to hide. Search whatever you like.

Well... this is unexpected. I suppose that solves the ethics problem. We're not sneaking in... we're invited.

I should give you one warning. Mr. Kovak is a very wealthy man, and his mansion has been equipped with a highly advanced security system.
It is very difficult to disarm. If you still feel like you want to try and navigate the place... feel free.





Of course. Those two miscreants will never be able to get near my files.
That's a big gamble to make, Kovak.



So, here's a dungeon without any battles. The path straight up leads to where the party was held.


I ignore the basement stairs a moment and head north.


Shroud tries to blow the door in with his magic but it doesn't work. We'll have to find another way. I go back to the previous room and down the stairs.



Yeah.

But maybe if I use my wind magic, I can pick up that vase and set it on the switch.

Maybe.

I'm gonna give it a shot. I'll have to be extra careful, but it's our best bet for the moment.

Sure.



The vase moves right a tile.


Yeah...

What's with you, anyway? I thought you loved doing this kind of thing.

Well, today I don't.

I'm not an idiot. I know it's about Rana. What happened with her today? Did she tell you she was pregnant or something?

*chuckle* No. I would have preferred that.



Well... she's a... a...

She's a what?

She's a necromancer.


Shroud drops the vase and it shatters.

Ah, crap!

It's true.

That girl... that quiet girl who lives in our building... is a necromancer?

An apprentice necromancer. She wanted me to be her minion.

Ha! You? A minion? Sounds like that one soldier from the church. I bet you gave her a good talking to.

If anyone else pulled that, I would have. Thing is, though... I thought she really liked me. I thought it didn't matter what I was. Now I know I was just a target.

Ugh...

Well, now you know. Hurry up and move that other vase so we can get past here.



So here's another minigame. You just have to move the vase to the switch. It wont stop moving in a particular direction until you press another direction key, but it moves at a steady pace so it's beyond easy.







Then we do it a second time...





And a third time. Don't ask me how Shroud can see that switch.



This is the room beyond the door we couldn't open.

What's interesting about these walls is that... is that...

Is what?
Pause.

Well?

*sigh* I just can't believe she would do that.

Ah, come on. Forget it. It doesn't really matter.

What are you, nuts? Of course it matters! Damn, that was a rotten thing to do. She and I are gonna have words.

She's left town by now.

Great. A liar and a coward. Maybe Kovak should hire her.



Do what? Go after bad guys?



Stoic, she doesn't speak for everyone in town. In fact, hardly anyone in Port Arianna thinks that. That's why we have to do this.
If we let these Equipment King thugs take over, then we're going to lose what makes this place special.
Pause.
And our jobs are on the line.



Seriously, though... We can't let these disappointments keep us from doing what we have to do. For my part, I can't believe Barry has betrayed what he used to believe in so much. He and I knew each other before we came here, and now I feel like he's a different person.

That's not exactly the same.

I know it's not, but it was the best I could do. The real point is that we can't give up, no matter what we have to deal with.



Yeah... I suppose that's true.
So what were you saying about these walls?

Shroud points out a couple places seem suspicious and Stoic says he may be able to help.












So to use Bull Rush on the map, you have to match five arrows in a limited amount of time as Stoic backs up to prepare a charge. More than that will appear and you have plenty of time so it's not hard. You can also just opt to use dynamite.







What?

You heard me. Fork it over.

All of your compatriots we met in other places offered to help us free of charge.

Well, they haven't seen the economic benefits of a fee yet. It's simple. You take something people need. Something that is usually free. Then you start charging them for it. A little at first, but then more over time. People still need it, so they'll pay.
And I thought save points lecturing me on Arc the Lad was bad enough.

You've been hanging around these guys way too long.

I thought Kovak didn't hire non-humans at all.

He doesn't, and don't say anything or we'll all be in trouble.

With The Hand, right?

I'm not saying anymore.

It is The Hand. You better help us for free or we'll find them and tell them.

Urrgh... fine. 1000 GP.

Not enough.

Opportunists! Fine, 250 GP. That's as low as I go.


Fine. Here. Use it to buy yourself some brains.

Pleasure doing business with you. Now what do you need?
I ask for boss hints.

I have some information on that subject. But it's going to cost you... 100 GP each.

How bout you tell us and I don't rip your greedy little wings off!

Yikes! Fine. Big bully...
There happens to be someone in Kovak's employment gifted with the rare ability to summon monsters. The thing about summoners is that even if you defeat them their summons will still fight on. If you happen to encounter this person I would recommend taking out his summons first as they are more powerful than the caster.
Aha. I see... Anyway, I move back to the previous and break the far left side of the wall.






As Stoic backs up and you hit more arrows for the bull rush, Stoic begins to turn purple.



What? What are you two doing here?

You look like you took a beating.

Yeah... you could say that. Although the "official" reason is that I'm sick.

No concert for you, eh?

Nope. Someone will replace me. And I'm glad.

Why are you so willing to tell us all this? We're not exactly fans of Kovak.

Why shouldn't I? I'm disgusted with what Daydream has become.
I didn't get into music just to sell my soul to the first rich creep who asks.

I knew it. Kovak had you come here to try and ruin our reputations.

That's only our most recent assignment. We performed in Rellenia back when he was having trouble there.
It's always the same. I got tired of it, and I told Ercello that. Now I'm here.

He hit you?

To tell you the truth... I'm not even sure how it happened. I told him I was through and then I turned my back.
All of a sudden this bright light comes out of nowhere. Then I wake up here.

Interesting. Sounds like magic. I'm not sure which kind, though.

Yeah. I know he was some kind of criminal before Kovak found him.

How did you all start working for Equipment King?

We had a band for a long time before we met either of them, but no singer. The deal sounded great at first. He would donate a lot of money to Daydream, and we'd have our singer. I remember thinking it was too good to be true. I was right.

So, is the concert still on?

Oh, of course. I'll be replaced. I don't even care. I'm tired of all this.
There has to be something around here you can use to prove how crooked Kovak and Ercello are.

That's what we're hoping.

Good luck with that. I have to try and relax now. I still feel like crap.

Thanks for the information. Maybe if we put Kovak away, your band will have a chance to start over.

Wouldn't that be something...
Then I talk to her again.





The witching hour...

Something definitely moved.
I'm not even 100% what this does. I think it reveals a specific door.





That's some strange syntax. Shouldn't the "h" be capitalized instead of the "e?"

You'd think there would be some reason why it was written that way...






I think Shroud explains all of the coming puzzles after you solve them, which is pretty funny. Is Stoic the one solving these puzzles?



What the hell does that mean?

Anyway, just to the right is the party room, so we head in there.




This room isn't even a puzzle. you just run around looking for the four objects with numbers on them.



This makes a chest appear.
















This was old as hell even in 2006, Volrath!!!!







It says on the cover that these books were best-sellers. That's just sad.



"It was also designed to be light and very easy to transport."



"Though others thought it was an insane idea, Kovak was determined to open a store in Rellenia, capital of the elven lands."



"A short time afterward, they recruited their lead singer, Ercello Arja."

We move on from the library.


"However, there was some confusion over what Room 217 would be used for. A guest room, perhaps?"

Going in the door just there...



We find Auburn practicing her bass guitar.

Huh?

Kovak said you'd be here. Find anything yet?

It was nice to at least pretend that what we were doing was a secret.

Ha ha! Sorry. Bad luck, I guess. I thought I would be sleeping by now, but I have to practice!

You need to practice?

Yep! I'm filling in for one of the band members! This is the only time I have to practice.

As long as you're here, why don't you tell us where we can find what we're looking for?

Don't ask me. I don't know how this system works. I do remember one thing, though.
There's one number lock where multiplication is involved to get the right answer. I saw them work on it.

... Thanks.

No problem. I still owe you two for getting my back at the party.





I'm not completely sure why Shroud says this. I think maybe you're meant to come here before speaking to Caipen and solving the Witching Hour clock puzzle which probably reveals this door?


Anyway this is the multiplication door. As that one chest told us, we had to multiply the room number by the number of band members.

What do you know? I guess math was good for something.







Stoic brings up what the chef said.


And Shroud explains the crystal to Stoic. And we take it with us.




This unlocks the door. Was Auburn practicing with the right song to help us? Or did she find the composition lying around...

Isn't technology amazing?



After some searching...


What did you find?

I think that guy Vec is too efficient for his own good. He's got an entire folder here on Daydream.

What's in there?

Hmm... seems like... a whole bunch of transactions. The date is ten years ago. Looks like Kovak was giving money all over Solest.
Let's see... Flail's Weapons of Guardia, The Drances School of Advanced Ninja Technique, Donner Range Weapons. About ten others.
Flail had a small role in Clean Slate, as the son of the Guardia weapon shop owner and helping out here and there...

Donner? Isn't that one run by Finley's family?

Yeah... I wonder what the connection is.

What else is there?

Hmm... This is a court document. Well, I'll be damned.
You ready for this? The defendant was Ercello Arja.

Looks like Caipen was right.

He's charged with about fifteen counts of assault and robbery. He stole from Flail's Weapons of Guardia... Donner Ranged Weapons... wait a minute!

Aren't those all the places Kovak gave money to?

Yeah... Let me look at this court thing again.
Ultimately the owners of all these places dropped the charges.

Kovak paid them off.

That's what it looks like. What else is here...
Uh... I think we know what happened to Caipen.

Huh?

This guy's a summoner.

No way.

Yeah... that's how he was able to rob places alone. It's like being able to make your own Touten Corps anytime.

I knew a summoner. Fought with him in the wars against Gallia. It takes years to master, and this Ercello ingrate uses it to steal from others.

So now we know why Kovak wanted him... and here's the final piece of the puzzle.

What now?

Here's the contract he and the rest of Daydream signed with Kovak. It says that in return for financial assistance the band is required to play in specific areas that Kovak selects, as well as help with "publicity."

So Kovak heard about this guy who was on trial for stealing, found out he was a summoner... and then threw money around to get him released?
But why put him in a band?

I hear he's a good singer. Maybe the whole reason he was stealing was to support himself while he tried to make a career that way.

This is some pretty devious stuff you've unearthed...

It's worse than devious. He completely subverted the entire justice system. Makes me sick.
Come on, let's get the hell out of here. We got what we needed.

And that's that. The big confrontation will come next update, as Cade lets his anger get to his head.

the end