Part 13: Nanami is Julia Roberts

Jowy tells him that there might have never been a treasure, and Nanami pipes in that Hilda's waiting at home, so we head back.



If you don't have an escape talisman, you gotta walk all the way back through the ruins to get out. As we leave, Alex punts the healing herb to the side.





Upon our return, we find out Hilda's come down with sickness.





Nanami is, on Thursdays and Saturdays, a medical practitioner.



: There are no doctors around here. We usually go to Toto, but... damn... why...

I know!



Go back and get the healing herb he discarded.





By the power of family values, Hilda comes back. That's the real treasure of the Sindar. Isn't that nice? Can we get back to the actual game now?



: Wow, it seems it really worked. Her fever is totally gone.



: But it's nice to just have you back safe and sound. Please... please don't do anything dangerous ever again.

: Hilda...

: Oh, please don't cry. A grown man shouldn't cry.

Fuck that machismo garbage.



You wasted your time, dude. The answer was here all along, in FAMILY VALUES LAND.



You're damn right that's what's happened so far, Pilika!



To the plot! To the plot!!



No, Nanami. Don't do this again. Please. No.



Let's just excuse the self-righteous kobold, the ridiculously powerful wolf, and the flying squirrel.

: Wait a minute, Nanami. Pete is Alex and Hilda's son, right? How am I supposed to... why doesn't Pilika do it?

: Pilika is a girl. Kinda hard to believe, don't you think?

: Okay, yeah. And it's real believable that I'm your son. Right.







Oh jesus fucking christ Nanami

Hmm... which one of you is Alex?

>>> Who's who?





Goddammit Nanami. This is totally blowing up in our faces.



She elbows Jowy so he'll get his lines right, too.





Well, I mean. We got into Muse, right?



: That's weird, huh. I thought we were perfect.

: Perfectly horrible, maybe.

: What?! Maybe we could have fooled them if you tried a little harder.

: … you're the one who overreacted.



: Which part was a 28 year old woman?

: All of it!!

: Okay, let's ask Azure. Who was more realistic, me, or Nanami?





I wouldn't, if you stopped using so many damn exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!





: Take a look, Azure. You can see the moon through the window... it's a full moon.

Suikoden 2 Tunes - Moonlit Night Theme



: That vision... the one we saw in the cave in Toto Village... back then I was... jealous of you... in my house... we had everything... everything we ever wanted, we got. But... Azure, you and Nanami and Grandpa Genkaku may not have been related by blood... but even so, you had a real connection.



: Azure... do you remember the day you and I met? I didn't know what I should say to you, so I just watched you and Nanami. You talked to me first... so Azure, do you think we'll ever go back to Kyaro?



Someday.



: But the important thing is that we could live and go on. As long as I don't ever have to join the army again. Azure, I... during the long days I spent with Pilika, Marx, and Joanna after I was saved near Toto Village. That's when I first realized... what was most important to me. You see, even though Pilika called me 'Uncle Jowy'... I still, I still couldn't protect her.



: So that children like Pilika can grow up surrounded by the warmth of people that love them... I want to go back to a time like that. For that, I'd fight with every last strength in my body.





The next day...



: Hey, old man!! Get us out of here!! Hurry, hurry!!

: You know who they are. Let them out.



we also got some sick Runes bro let me show you them



: Oh, Azure Jowy, meet me in the city hall later. There's someone I want to introduce you to.

Nanami, of course, complains that she's not invited.



Now we're free to explore Muse for a bit. But first, a little backstory on Muse.

Muse is a city of 13,000 people. General Jowston fought back the forces of Maroux Blight 200 years prior, and thus why the area is called the Jowston City-States along with the famous Jowston Hill that we will see in a bit. It is a huge center for commerce and trade.



The city gaol is like, right next to the entrance. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.



Leona offers to take care of Pilika while we go about important bizness

(we can't rearrange our party just yet)



But first, let's head down the alleyway past the runemaster's shop.

>>> Yeah, sure





Ohhh... kay?



Just then, a familiar face.



It's trash-bag man! Looking extra trash-baggy!

>>> I, err...



Well, let's head back to the entrance.



For our efforts, she gives us the Sound Set #1. Same thing as last game – allows us to eventually change the sounds made in menus.



: Finally... I've caught up with you. As an officer of the Howling Voice Guild, I'll see that you pay for your crimes.

: Can you shoot, gunner!





Clive then runs off after her. Viewing these scenes in Muse opens up Clive's sidequest. It's a sidequest that forces you to run through Suikoden II at a faster clip than normal. While it has been suggested that this is the way the game tells you that getting the 108 Stars of Destiny your first playthrough is not the right way to play your first time through, it is entirely possible to get all 108 Stars and all the rare items in the game and still complete his time-limit sidequest. More on that in TWD's playthrough, for I will not be exploring the sidequest aside from acquiring Clive as a party member, because honestly the conclusion is bizarre.

For what it's worth, though, the time to complete the sidequest is 20 hours, reaching an almost endgame city that's hidden away. The next event, if you're playing along, requires you to reach the town of Lakewest around 11 hours in game time. Acquiring Clive as a party member is tangential to the quest, by the way, but you need to view this scene to recruit him later on.



Re... union... Seph... iroth...



Very, VERY rarely does a Rune called the Fury Rune appear in Muse's Rare Finds. The Fury Rune bestows an automatic Berserk status on a character in every battle. Berserk status basically doubles your attack power (but does not leave you uncontrollable like in the Final Fantasy games). This combined with Double-Beat and Killer and make a character into a walking goddamn tank. And you can do it this early on.

I'm going to spend 30 minutes savescumming this shit to get it, and if I don't, you will not see a screenshot of it after this small sentence.





I have no idea why you wear a bandanna.

Artwork:



Elza

There's simply a gigantic amount of backstory for a character you only see in an entirely optional sidequest. I'll fill you guys in about it when we reach the point where the sidequest is supposed to end (in the small, optional town of Sajah Village at the end of the game). Look forward to that in the future.