Part 161: Side Story: City of Gold

Music: Atlasdam, Seat of Learning



Today we're heading back to Atlasdam to complete the one final side story available in Chapter 1. It took so long because both options require access to Chapter 4 cities. So...



Look! Do you see? An entire city where everything is made of gold! I wish there were more details about it, but it's only the briefest mention...



Impassioned literature nerds are a dime a dozen in Orsterra, it seems.



She only has a cheap soulstone for sale, but that's fine with her.



And of course her attack involves tomes.

She wants more information about this City of Gold, and we have two options before us.

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METHOD ONE



Though I don't suppose you would care...



This man is also quite the reader, and it seems he's read a thing or two about this City of Gold...



So let's share our findings!





A voice spoke to him and said, "I will grant you one wish." The lord thought it was the voice of a god. So the lord answered without thinking--



His wish was heard and overnight the entire city was turned to gold.





Though it still sounds more like fantasy than truth... It has the romantic appeal of a legend, to be sure.



Thank you for helping me learn more about the city of gold. I feel so much better now for knowing more!



And so we've helped this woman learn more about the city of gold.



It's such fun to be able to visit in your mind places that you have never been to.



That's why I read any kind of book that I can get my hands on!

That said, books don't always tell the whole story...

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METHOD TWO



This time, we have to go outside Grandport, where this man is gazing upon the sea.



I just put out a new volume, in fact. Perhaps you heard of it? The Ancient Capitals, I called it. It's done rather well for itself. And even after I had to cut so much material from it! Oh, the things I know could fill several volumes, not just that paltry one.



That's the same book that woman was reading. If he had to cut much from his book, perhaps he has more information about the City of Gold he mentioned.





Let's unite the two and see what he knows.





Please! Can you tell me anything more about the city of gold!?
The city of gold, eh? Well, it is a tale I first heard from my own grandfather.



Amazing! So there really is such a utopia in this world!





My grandfather shared the same questions. But there were no people in that city. A place where none go hungry or get old or grow sick... That's easy enough to promise, when no one lives there at all.



My grandfather came to the conclusion that such was the natural end of human avarice.
Human...avarice?
Yes. It seems like it turned even their food and water to gold. Nothing survived their avarice.



And so the people were forced to abandon their city of gold, and it fell into ruin. That is what my grandfather thought, anyway. But it was no more than a theory, so I did not include it in my book.



Now I find myself wanting to know more about why the city of gold fell into ruin as well.



Yes, certainly.



You didn't have to bring this man to me, but I do appreciate it greatly.

So by bringing the author, we learned a whole new perspective onto the City of Gold. Perhaps it's the Orsterra version of the King Midas myth. Or maybe the author is wrong, and the City of Gold really is a utopia that exists and still thrives.



Someday I would like to write my own book about the city of gold and have everyone read it!



I quite like seeing a reader inspired to find out more after reading something that I wrote.

We will probably never know, as that will be up to others to discover the truth.

Next time, one final side story before we finally get back to the character finales.