Part 35: More sidequests

Our next quest begins at Suiten Inari, in the southwestern corner.



There's a particularly sparkly red book lying in front of the shrine.

(Hm? There's something here. A red book? Maybe if I ask around I can find out who it belongs to.)

Picked up [Red Book].

>X month, X day
>The shop was packed today.
>Everyone in Gion seems to be doing a lot of business these days.
>Even the other pleasure houses are always full.

(It's someone's diary. It must belong to a yuujo, but which one? I guess I could ask around at the shops.)

Let's do that. First we'll visit one of our own haunts, the Yumejiya.



Well, if it isn't the Master of the Tatsuya. It's been such a long time.

It has. You wouldn't happen to know whose diary this is, would you?

What a pretty little book. It's not yours, is it? Hee hee.

No. I found it on the street. Probably dropped by a yuujo.

Hmm... It actually does look kind of familiar.

Do you remember where you saw it?

Yes. A girl at another shop had it. I think she was at the Yoshidaya, but I'm not sure. I wish I could be more help.

Alright, thanks.

Now to go running along over there as well.



The girl sitting on the right is actually blowing bubbles. It's a nice touch.

Hey.

Oh, Master Kiryuu. How have you been?

Fine, but I have a favor to ask.

Oh? You mean from one of the girls?

Much as I'd like to, I'm actually checking up on this little book. I found it lying on the street over there and I thought it might belong to somebody here.

I see. Wait just a moment and I'll ask around.

Time passes.

Sorry to have kept you.

Any luck?

It seems like it doesn't belong to anyone here.

Oh.

But one of the girls said she saw a girl from the Waseya carrying it around.

The Waseya?

Yes. She seemed pretty sure about it. If you just go straight down this road you'll see it. It's near the Jizo statue. Good luck.

(I should go check it out.)

Down the road we go.



There's no shop we can enter, but there is a little girl with a prompt over her head who wasn't here before.



Are you a kamuro at this shop? I found this book on the street nearby. Does it look familiar?

Yes! That's the Madam's diary! She's been worried sick ever since it went missing.

I see. Well, go ahead and give it back to her.

Handed over the [Red Book].

Thank you. Um, mister? Did you look inside it?

No! Uh, well.... just a little. I needed to find out whose it was.

In that case, would you read a little to me? I haven't learned how yet.

You shouldn't go reading other people's diaries.

Please! I love the Madam, and she's seemed a little down lately. I can't tell what happened to her or if I did something wrong. That's why I need to know what she really thinks of me. Please?

We can refuse, but we need to do it to continue the quest.

Alright, I'll do it.

Thank you! My name is Ohana. Is there anything in there about me?

Hmm.... Let's see.... Ah, found something.

>Practice Day
>Ohana wasn't working very hard, which was a little disappointing.
>She still needs more training.
>How long is it going to take before she can master these skills?
>Thinking about this is giving me a headache.

I knew it, I'm no good....

>But I think she may be the only one who has what it takes
>to run this shop once I'm gone.
>I think she was just having an off day today.
>Usually she's a natural.

Sounds like she really likes you. So keep working hard.

I will! I promise I will!

Oh, there's more.

>Thinking of Ohana growing up reminds me.
>It's my birthday soon.

Yep. That's today.

Huh. Did you get her anything?

Well, I really wanted to give her a [Red Hairpin]. A heard there's a popular craftsman who makes them and they're really popular, plus the Madam likes red. I'm sure she'd be happy to get one. But the only place that sells them is the Arigataya Market in Rakugai.

And a kamuro like you can't go and get one, I imagine.

That's right. I've been saving up and I think I have enough money, but....

I'll get it for you.

Really? Oh, thank you! Here's everything I've saved.

Received [3000 mon].

Please bring back a [Red Hairpin] for me. Oh, I'm so excited! I'll be waiting right here.

In case it's not clear, kamuro and yuujo, being sold to, and thus owned by, the brothels, were not allowed to leave the licensed pleasure quarters without permission. Doing so would be seen as running away and could carry a harsh punishment enforced by law.



Here we are in front of the market.



And here we are buying the pin. It costs exactly what she gave us and is only for sale during this sidequest.



But Kiryuu is accosted as soon as he steps outside.

Hold it right there, buddy. You just bought the last [Red Hairpin], didn'tcha? You mind handing it over? My old lady's been hounding me for one.

I want it! I want it! Hurry up and take it from him, Yasu-kun!

I hear ya already! C'mon, buddy. Give it here.

Sorry, but you can't have it.

Huh? Didja hear what I said?

What!? Yasu-kuuuun! Beat him up!

Fine, fine, enough already! You heard the lady. Let's go!





I'm really loving these new counters.



W'ahhh!

Where are you going, Yasu-kun?

(Time to get this back to the Waseya.)



I got it. This is it, right?

Handed over [Red Hairpin].

Yes! That's perfect! Thank you so much. I'm sure the Madam will be really happy to get it.



Ohana? What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be practicing?

Oh, Madam! Happy birthday! This is for you.

For me? You remembered? Thank you so much. Oh, how lovely! I haven't felt this happy in such a long time.

Yay!

I'm glad she liked it.

Who is this, Ohana?

He went to Rakugai and got the gift for me.

You did that? I'm so sorry Ohana put you to so much trouble.

No, it was my pleasure.

You've done such a wonderful thing for her, and for me. Let me give you something in return. Here.

Received [Gold Plate].

Just like in the other games, you can pawn this for big cash.

Thank you so much. Ohana, be sure to thank the nice man.

Thank you so much for getting the hairpin, mister. And thanks for reading her diary to me too!

.....my diary? What was that, Ohana?

Ah! Oh, um... sorry!

Ohana? Come back here!

Got 1500 Experience Points

Now that that quest is out of the way, another one opens up in Gion.



A group of men is hanging around outside one of the pleasure houses, so Kiryuu naturally needs to see what's up.



Angry shouting is coming from within.

(That voice sounds like the yuujo who asked me to find her parents. Did something happen to her? I should go in and see.)



Ah! I'm sorry! I never thought you'd end up here.

Father! What are you doing spending the money you sold me for in a place like this?

It wasn't my idea! That guy asked me to come with him, so....

Huh? Don't try to pin this on me! You said you wanted to come!

Well, maybe I did say that.... But only because you kept pushing me!

You're full of it! Come over here so I can smack you!

Oh, Kiryuu-san! Stop these two!

Stay outta our way! I'll take care of you first!



We get to beat the crap out of her father too.





Dammit!

Ugh....

Well? Have you learned your lesson?

....yes.

Your daughter asked me to check on you and make sure you were alright. That's how worried she's been about her parents.

Really?

Can you even look her in the eye?

I want to believe in you, father. Be the kind man who raised me again. And come back and buy my contract someday!

*sobbing* I'm so sorry. I was wrong. From now on I'm going to work hard and save up enough money to bring you back home.

Father....

Kiryuu-san, wasn't it? Your severe pummeling really opened my eyes. Thank you so much.



Thank you, Kiryuu-san. My father says he expects the fields to be full of crops soon.

I see. That's good news.

This really isn't much, but I'd like you to have it.

Received [3 ryou].

I'll be working hard too. Thank you again.

Got 1500 Experience Points

Seems like a pretty nice haul to me.

Okay, just one mission left to go. And for that we head back to Rakugai.



Right in the center of town there's a distressed woman.

My father is very ill. We consulted a doctor, but he told us there was nothing he could do and that my father was on his last legs. He advised me to stop struggling against the inevitable and just try to make him comfortable. When I asked him what he wanted, he said there was a special food called a [cattle-ra] that he ate a long, long time ago and that he wanted to taste it one more time. Have you ever heard of this [castle-ra]?

Can't say I have. Maybe it's some kind of beef dish?

That's what I thought too, so I asked the butcher. But he'd never heard of anything like it. My father was once a foot soldier under Oda Nobunaga, and he said during those days a foreigner visited the men and brought them this [cattle-ra].

So it's a foreign dish then?

But I don't know any foreigners to ask about it. Do you know any?

Absolutely, we do. Kiryuu's a wordly guy.

I met one not too long ago. I'm not sure if he's still around, but I can take a look and ask him about this food for your father.

(The last time I met him was on the Forest Road. Maybe he's still there.)

Thank you, sir. If he knows what [cattle-ra] is, please bring him back here.

It's probably common knowledge, but at this point in history no foreigners were allowed on Japanese soil as part of the Tokugawa regime's isolationist policies. That had been the rule, albeit less strictly enforced, for quite some time before Sekigahara as well. Trade was limited to an artificial island off the coast of Nagasaki, with the Portugese as Japan's most prominent trading partners. This lasted until American Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in 1853 with steam-powered warships and set in motion the chain of events leading to the end of the Tokugawas and the Edo Period, and the opening of the country.

Of course, this is a video game, so our Portugese friend is just happily wandering about Kyoto and soaking in the sights.



I guess he got tired of Kiyomizudera.



I com form vary far kantori, but no I gettung uzed to yowa langidge. Do yow wan sumting?

I'm not sure he's better than before. In the original, he actually said he's a chimpanzee from a distant land.

Do you know a food called [cattle-ra]? There's a man in town who'd like to taste it before he dies.

[costel-ya] fuhd? custelya... cahssela... castella! I zink iz castella! Is form mi kantori. I now it.

Castella is a cake that originated in Portugal, but now is primarily a Japanese dessert. The modern version has various flavors like green tea, peach, etc.



You know [cattle-ra]? The please, come with me. I want to introduce you to someone.

Okka! I fullow!



I found him and he says he knows that food.

Really? Oh, thank you! What kind of food is it? My father really wants to taste it once more.

Iz form mi kantori! Vary suite ,vary delisus! Cahled [castella].

Oh, so not [cattle-ra], [castella]! It's a foreign dessert. But how do you make it?

Need [sooger], [horny joose], [aggu], [flower]. I cahn meek it.

[sooger], [horny joose], [aggu], and [flower]? What on earth are those? Sir, do you understand what this man is saying?

We can say no, but I think I figured it out.

I got it.

Really? Then, if you wouldn't mind, could you go and collect the ingredients he needs? There's a candy vendor on Higashiyama, so I'm sure he'll have some of what you need.

Now we're on our own to run around and find the four ingredients. If you couldn't figure them out (and I don't blame you), we need SUGAR, SYRUP ("honey juice"), EGG and FLOUR. I'll spare you the fetch-quest, but we can get the first from the Master of the Amamidou, who we helped out in that sidequest in Bonus Video 3. He's here in Rakugai now. The syrup comes from the candy vendor, who reappears only for this sidequest. The egg comes from the Country Road, the same place we got one in the previous sidequest. Finally, the flour comes from White Snake Udon.

I'm also an idiot and screwed up the recording for the next scene. Kiryuu brings the ingredients, the Portugese guy makes castella, and the daughter feeds it to the old man.

Ah, at last I could taste it once more.

He closes his eyes and his head drops.

Father!

That's an abridged version, but it's pretty much what happens. However, if we leave Rakugai and come back....



We can find the lady and her father in the center of town.



Thank you so much, sir! Once he ate that [cattle-ra] my father has completely recovered! Look how healthy he is.

I owe you a great debt. Thank you. Not only do I not feel sick anymore, I feel better than I have in years. I can even go back to work.

This is for you, as thanks for what you did for us. It's my own homemade [castella].

Received [Castella].

It's time we were going home. Come along, father.

Goodbye, sir. Thank you again.

Got 10000 Experience Points

That's it for sidequests, but one more thing happened this chapter. We finished a completion list!





Kiryuu has finally eaten everything there is to eat in the greater Kyoto area and has ascended to a Level 10 Gourmand. As a result, the next time we come near the Tatsuya we get stopped by a mailman.



It just says that we've stuffed our face enough to get a reward, and it's signed by the Kyoto Restaurateurs Union.



The prize is the [Lucky Binding]. This makes an appearance in most Yakuza games and grants you money as you walk. Don't get too excited. The defense sucks and you only get 1 mon per step, so it's really not worth it. Still, it's nice to have finally completed something.