Part 25: ARC III: Part 3: Pearlton.

ARC III: Part 3: Pearlton.




Thank you, miss. It was quite comfortable.

DRIVER: Aren't you precious! Hope to see you again soon!



"Yeah! I have been here! The weapons shop is right across that bridge over there! I gotta check it out!"



Let him go. I'm begging you. We've been trapped in that carriage with him for hours!

Now what have we here?



I think I'll have a chat with the owner. See if I can operate my business out of his shop.

I'm a little surprised, Gino. Don't you prefer to work outdoors?

Most of the time. I can tell that this is a nice old building, though. Come on, let's take a look inside.





You're back already?

You're not gonna believe this! Get over here!
Surprisingly, Bones heads over without question or complaint. Maybe he can tell Finley's serious?







"... Vec. That's the guy. I knew I recognized that voice."

She's with Vec now?!

Makes sense to me. He's like the most reliable guy I know. Total opposite of you, Cade.

I'd like to knock all their heads together right now! Let's get in costume and teach them a lesson!

Guys, be quiet! Let's hear what they're talking about...



No need to remind me. I don't understand these simpletons. Don't they want to move forward with their careers?

They were so self-righteous! They should be happy that we offered to buy their shops. How much business can they really get out here in the boonies?

They want to keep that whole backwoods atmosphere. It's kind of charming, I think.

I don't pay you for commentary, Auburn.

This is quite unexpected. It may pose a minor problem when we return to Port Arianna.

Hmm? Why is that?

Forgive me, Mr. Kovak. I forgot to mention it to you. Soon the taxes will be collected there. Given the income we have made since we arrived, we stand to get hit quite hard. The opening of a new shop would have offset that deduction, but now...

So that's how they handle their taxes in Port Arianna? Punishing the most productive citizens? Hmmph. Gallia never fleeced me in this manner.

Oh, stop whining. It's not like you can't afford it. You'll make that back in a month!
Check this woman out. She's got guts.

Proposterous! It's class warfare! They should be thanking me for opening Equipment King there in the first place!
This is the second time a main character has used the term 'class warfare' when its usually something relegated to a comment by a silly nameless npc in RPGs that would even mention it.

Regardless, we will have to comply for as long as we own property there.

I think not! When we return, set up a meeting with Mayor Rowan. Maybe we can make some kind of deal.

I'm hungry. Let's go grab some food.

I concur. Tomorrow we'll take a break from business. I would like a chance to get some exercise myself.

Why are you suddenly worried about that?

I realized recently that I am not quite as strong as I once was.

Vec, will you show me more earth magic later?

Of course, my dear.



Sounds like they got turned down flat!

Knowing what happened in both Rellenia and Port Arianna, we can be sure they won't give up that easy. Everyone better lock up their children.

What the hell is wrong with her? Doesn't she realize what kind of people she's getting involved with?

Forget about her. We have to worry about what the others are doing here... Where are they staying?

The inn? That's where we'll have to stay, at least. That could be very awkward.

Somehow I don't think Kovak would deign to sleep under the same roof as the common folk.

Let's just take a walk around town and see what we can find out.
So our first real bit of gameplay for Arc III is finally here. Let's head into the item shop.



These are my friends that I mentioned. Cade Mistral, Bones and Finley Donner. Guys, this is Bordell.

Gino's a top-notch craftsman. You'll be happy to have him here.

BORDELL: As soon as he walked in here, I recognized him. There was no way I was gonna say no to Gino Toro!
Everybody loves Gino...

He and I used to do a lot of business together years ago. That was when I was in Rutul.
Rutul was Turnus' hometown which was visited in Clean Slate. Unlike a few other Clean Slate towns, we won't be visiting Rutul in MOTW, though.

Rutul? No kidding! I'm surprised you left! Everyone wants to do business there!

Why is that?

Rutul was instrumental in helping the world economy recover after all the damage Gallia had done.

It was mostly cause of Drances Agran. He was a genius when it came to salesmanship. Drew in tons of business.
Where we're up to in Clean Slate, Drances is very much pro-Gallia and is currently accompanying Lysander.

That's the main reason I left. It was just so competitive. I wanted greener pastures, and it looks like you did too... right, Bordell?

BORDELL: Certainly did. I found them here in Pearlton. You can really make a difference in a place like this.

Boys, how long do you think we'll be staying down here?

Hard to say. We're pretty much making up the plan as we go.
And with that, we take our leave to exlore Pearlton.



Seems like there's already troubles.



"A license to pill!!! Get it?!?!"

Must... not... kill...

Must... not... laugh...
There's a fortune tellers wagon you can visit and pay 100GP per reading. I pay all three of our heroes.


CADE: You seek knowledge. You also desire things that have been denied you in the past. You will have a chance... to find what you have always wanted. But beware. It is a siren's song.

BONES: Your aura is unusually strong. You often choose to confront your inner demons alone. One you remember fondly... has passed on. Look back on what this person taught you... It will guide you.

FINLEY: I can see clearly now. Your own personal path has opened wide. You have the chance to reinvent yourself. Use it well. Embrace the virtue in your heart. It shall not steer you wrong.



The inn is just past the wagon, and theres also a path headed to the south.



HM.



Anyway, we book a room and continue looking around some more. The path that leads south of the inn leads to...



Cade suggests this is probably where Kovak and co. are staying.



The tabloids are at it again.



This jerk on the local farm insults one of the worlds greatest creatures. Anyway, you can buy vegies here that have different, powerful (for this point of the game) restorative effects. Except for tomatoes. They're attack items.

I head to the local armour store next.



"Toxic boots
Phoenix ring."


Next, we speak to the store owner.



DWARF: Word travels fast, I see! Yeah, they tried to get me to buy into their nonsense, but no dice!
I've been around way too long to fall for one of those scams!

I take it you know about their "policy."

DWARF: Darn tootin! They played to downplay that, but I saw through that in a Gallian minute!

What was their plan? To buy his store and then kick him out?
... Don't you mean 'you'? Or are you asking Finley or Bones?

DWARF: Wouldn't be the first time, lad! I know others in this business who hadn't heard of them... and then lost their shops!

That's truly despicable.

DWARF: Aye! But this old dwarf was havin' none of it! But enough of that! Can I interest you in some armor?
He doesn't have much we don't have already, unfortunately, nor any new craft materials. We have to get the next lot from random encounters.



"The vegetable, you pervert!"

Then you get the option of handing a carrot over, which I do.



That building right there is the weapons store...



Ah well. We'll just have to let Gino steal business from these small-town folk for a little while.



And the guard station caught fire, recently, huh. Anyway, there's two paths leading north to the Sacred River Monastery that we can't take just yet, cos the gang is exhausted from the trip here. So we head back to rest.






Moving on to more important matters... what's our plan for tomorrow?

We're pretty sure that The Hand of Arcadius is a religious cult, right?

Indeed. There doesn't appear to be any doubt.

Any monastery has bookcases full of information relating to religions. We need to go there and find definite proof of The Hand's link to Equipment King.

You guys really think that Equipment King would do business with a nutcase group like that?

Fool! They were willing to have children kidnapped and they tried to have us both killed! What do you think?
Well, -you- don't know that for sure in the case of the kidnapping...

Yeah, but...

This is our objective, Finley. If you don't feel comfortable with it, then you shouldn't have come along.

Yeah! The last thing we need is someone on our team looking out for Kovak's interests!

Huh? You guys don't really think I'd sell you out, do you?

I know you wouldn't. However, we intend to expose them. You gotta accept that.

... Okay, Cade.

Well, it's been a long day. Time to rest these tired bones. Let's get some sleep.
Yep, yep. And next time, we'll begin the journey to Sacred River Monastery and also hopefully find 'The Old Lady' on the way.

the end.