Part 26: Capua Torim

Let's have a nice chat with Flynn, shall we?




Watch the cutscene!



You...!
Yes? Have we met somewhere?
Convenient time for amnesia. I know somebody who can fix that for you.



Are you crazy?!
Magistrate, your crimes are undeniable. These people have seen everything.
As I've just been explaining, someone had assumed my identity and was trying to ruin my reputation. It was most upsetting.
Liar! I saw those people you fed to the monsters with my own two eyes!
Well, Sir Flynn? Who are you to believe, these young ruffians or me, a member of the Council?
Flynn...



It's settled then. I bid you all good day.



Ragou leaves the Inn.

Who does that guy think he is?



Settle down.
This is...
This is His Royal Highness Ioder, candidate for the imperial throne.
Huh? Hah hah, yeah right, Estelle, good one... Hah hah hah... ...What?
I am only one of the candidates.



R-really?!
Yes.
An alleged imperial heir captured by a so-called magistrate. That's interesting.
...I see. Then this incident means that I...
A little too juicy for public consumption, huh?
I...I just...
It's got something to do with your decision to leave the castle, doesn't it?
...
Do whatever you want.



Yuri...
And what have you changed by turning your back on such an empire? We need just laws laid down by the government to ensure that people can live lives of stability and peace.
Those same laws just let Ragou walk out that door.



If we couldn't make it happen by yelling about it from below, then we said we'd gain honor and trust, and fix the empire from within. Remember?



You want me to look the other way when our people in the lower quarter are being bled dry by taxes? It's because I can't do those things that I quit being a knight.
I know. But has anything changed because you quit?
...
How is anything different than it was before you joined the Knights?

Yuri turns around and leaves.



W-wait, I'm coming too...



I only want for him to move on with his life. To quit sitting around.
Flynn, I...
...My apologies for such an embarrassing scene.
What do you intend to do next?



Why?
...I feel like so much has changed during my travels with Yuri. The empire, the world... I've changed as well...
Lady Estellise... Understood. You there, young man.
Who...m-me?!
Tell Yuri to take good care of this young lady.
O-okay...!
Is it really all right...?
I would rather do the job myself, but I'm afraid my current duties won't allow it. And as long as you're with him, I can be certain you'll be safe.
You believe in him, don't you.
I do.
If you guys are finished, can we get going? We'll lose him if we don't hurry.

Meanwhile, outside.




Damn, he knows how to get to me... I know better than anyone that nothing's changed.
...
Guess I should look for clues about the blastia core...


Skit: Raven and Getting Information
The way he looks, Barbos should stick out like a sore thumb walking around in town. It'd sure help if anyone saw where he and his gang were headed.
...Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to Raven back in Ragou's palace.
I guess he panicked and ran when the dragon rider and the knights showed up...


Coincidentally, we can find Raven a couple steps away from the inn.





Hmm...? H-hey there, long time no see.
Isn't there something else you should be saying?
Something else? Hmm, can't think of anything.



I'm just terribly misunderstood, honest!
You need to see a doctor for your tendency to unconsciously cause trouble to others.
Ya might see if ya can get that foul mouth of yours checked out, too.
Got a comeback for everything, huh? If you don't stop putzing around, the Knights are gonna throw you back in jail!
Heh, the Knights are a bit too busy to bother with me.



The Knights can't just turn a blind eye to them, can they?
...Rough-looking, you say? Was it the Blood Alliance?
Beats me.
By the way, what was your business back there?
Nothing special. I was looking for an "apatheia".
What is an "apatheia?"
Supposed to be like a really strong core. Heard that it was there but I guess I had the wrong information.
I see... an "apatheia..."







Yep. The Amazoness has emerged.



Raven runs away with Rita on his tail.

Wait, damn it! I'm gonna beat you senseless!
*Huff* *huff* Why'd you let him get away?
He said he's terribly misunderstood.
What? What does that mean...?



You should leave him be. Going up against that kind of guy is just a waste of energy.



...Just let me...take a...little break.
Sure, you can have a little one. Then we've gotta go.
Go? Go where?
We need to follow the Blood Alliance to get back the lower quarter's blastia.
Did you get a lead on where to go next?
I heard that a shady group from a guild was headed to the northwest. It might be them.



What could they want to do in a place like that?
Hmm, good question.
And yet you still want to go?
I'm just saying we should go and check it out.


Skit: Destroyed by an Earthquake
Hey Karol, do you know anything else about that city you said was destroyed in an earthquake?
Just rumors. Supposedly, it was some guild's headquarters about ten years ago.
Which guild was that?
Sorry, I can't help you there.
I've never heard of an earthquake that destroyed an entire city.
Well, Aspio is across the ocean... Maybe the information just never made it that far?
Hmm, I wonder...

Before heading leaving the town, I pay a visit to the shop and get a few more things.


Taunt: Click the left stick to taunt the enemy. Increases the Over Limit gauge a bit in exchange for a few seconds of not being able to attack/defend.
EXP Share: Gain Bonus EXP when not in the battle party.


Item Thrower: Allows usage of single-target items on party members other than yourself. Essential.
Spirits: Increases Max TP by 20.
We got this in the PS3 version of Ragou's basement, here it is for 360 players.


Recover: Guard when thrown to jump back onto your feet.
Roll: Decreases damage taken by half while staggering. This is very useful, as you will be staggered most of the time during an enemy's combo or multi-hit attack.
Endure: Decreases time needed to recover from stagger. Useful, but may be counter-intuitive when used together with Roll.


Also, Attachments start showing up here.



Attachments are small accessories that can be put on the character model of a character, they're just for fun and have no gameplay impact. They show up during cutscenes, battles, and when walking around; basically anywhere except during pre-rendered stuff. This is the only Attachment in shops right now, and I don't even have enough materials to synth it, but feel free to make suggestions on what to put on. Although I think anyone who played this has already decided on Yuri's attachment, at the very least.

Note that in the PS3 version, Attachments become a lot more versatile. Not only are there a lot more options to choose from, but many of them can be equipped by mutltiple characters. In addition to that, some attachments can be combined (although the combinations are pre-made, no custom mix-and-matching) to put multiple on at the same time.


I also decide to rest at the inn, which leads to this:




Man: As the gateway to all of Tolbyccia, Capua Torim sees its fair share of interesting folks. A motley crew like theirs isn't too uncommon among all of the guilds that pass through here.
Woman: But I could swear that I've seen that young man somewhere before...
Man: You too, ma'am? To tell the truth, he looks familiar to me, too. I wonder where I've seen his face...
Innkeeper: Your room is the last one down, on the right. Have a pleasant stay.
Sure, thanks.

In the middle of the night...

???: Is the wanted man really hiding in here?
???: I'm sure. I thought I'd seen him somewhere before. And then I spotted the wanted poster, I immediately knew it was him.
???: That room up ahead, hmm... All right. You stand back.
???: Yes, of course.



Mmm...what do you want? It's the middle of the night!
Not too much milk on my cereal...no, it'll get soggy...
I said wake up, Karol! We have to get out of here!
???: The wanted man has three friends with him. They've also got a dog, so be careful.
???: An Imperial Knight won't be beaten by the likes of a common criminal!
Estellise! Kid! Wake up, you two!




Man: They got away!!




It looks like somebody snitched on us.
Snitched?
You're too well-known for your own good, Yuri.
Isn't guild influence really strong in Torim? Maybe that knight was overcompensating for how impotent he must feel.
Yuri, that knight was just trying to do his job! I'd appreciate it if you kept your insults to yourself.
Ugh... I'm never gonna be able to get a good night's sleep at this rate...
Well, at least we got away without getting caught, right? We can be happy about that.
Happy? This is annoying as all hell! The next time we stay at an inn, you can sleep outside with the dog!




Next time, we'll be getting over to that destroyed towns and gain access to a new (and awesome!) gameplay mechanic.