Part 46: Getting a Boat

Last time we were about to go to the harbor.





On the way there, we run into Ioder.

Watch the cutscene!

Oh, Ioder...



So what's a successor to the imperial throne doing in a place like this?



Is it going well?
Well...I wish I could say it were going better.
I can imagine. That Heracles monstrosity kinda made the Union really not like the empire.
Yes, and now, prominent members of the empire are voicing their doubts regarding the friendship treaty.
The conditions the Don gave the empire were for a treaty of equality, after all.
And they are certainly not on equal footing with something like that.



You didn't know about that thing? You're in line to be emperor!
I know. But I have no authority over the Imperial Knights.
"The Imperial Knights act on orders from the emperor alone. They do not report to anyone else."
Well, then, it's easy. Just become emperor.
...You mean...
Becoming emperor isn't as simple as that.
Why not?



But Dein Nomos went missing around the time of the Great War, ten years ago...
Hmm, so that's the real story why we still don't have an emperor...



What was that, Yuri?
Forget it. It's nothing.
Anyway, is it really okay for an imperial candidate to be wandering the streets like this?
I was just on my way to Heliord.
Ah, that is closer to Dahngrest than this place is. Negotiations would probably go smoother there.
I believe so, too.



If you'll please excuse me...
...


Interesting, but not particularly relevant to our current objective. I'm sure we'll get back to that though.



Down at the harbor, we can see and hear some people running way.

Watch the cutscene!



2nd Guild Member: I wouldn't do that even if I had nine lives!
What's going on?



Add the Indigo Beasts to the blacklisted guilds!
Kaufman's Bodyguard: Yes, Madam President.



Yeah, that's her all right...
Wh-why do you guys know her?
We just met her once a while back. She a friend of yours?
I wouldn't say I know her. She's the president of Fortune's Market, one of the five master guilds.
In other words, she's one of the top dogs of the Union.
Humph...
Hey, I just got an idea...!
What's up, Karol?
Maybe she could get a boat for us to take across to Desier.

Well let's just ask her I suppose.



Huh, I guess those wanted posters really do work.
Listen, I've got a job that would be just perfect for you.
Hard labor, huh?
I like a man who can cut to the chase. As you may have heard, schools of mermen often attack cargo ships at this time of year.
Huh? But I thought there was another guild that always served as your escort...



The other guardian guild simply has no backbone. I don't know what to do.
What was the name of that guardian guild you mentioned?
The Blood Alliance.
Gee, I wonder what could have happened to them.
You're all as guilty as I am...



Wait, Yuri! What about the boat?
Hm? Did you say "boat"?
We've made a guild of our own.
We're called Brave Vesperia!



Mutual gain is one of the basics of all business, you know. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.
Sorry, but like I said, we're in the middle of a job. We can't take on anything else right now.
We won't call it business, then. Let's just say we'll cooperate as two guilds helping each other out. That way we won't be going against any guild principles.



Um, well...
All right, we can talk, but we need to go to Nordopolica. We can't afford any detours.
Fine with me. The mermen are only a problem in the waters near here. As long as I get to another port, I'm good. Once we arrive, I won't have any trouble making arrangements with another ship.
Wow, she means business...literally.
So, do we have a deal?



Fortune's Market isn't known as the best group of salesmen under the sun for nothin'.
This isn't so bad. Now we have a way to cross over to Desier.
I'll even throw in a bonus for all of you.
Bonus? What do you mean?



R-really?!
The boat looks pretty beat up, but it's still a good deal.
Right?
So the these mermen must be pretty tough customers if you're willing to part with a boat.
I'll leave that to your imagination.
I figured as much.
Marvelous! We have a contract then. Now that we've settled the details, I'd like you to get to work right away. Just let me know when you've made your preparations.


Well seeing as I used my last money to rest at the inn this is as prepared as we're going to get. Let's depart!






And this man is Tokunaga of Gull's Song, a maritime guild affiliated with Fortune's Market. Tokunaga is an expert in piloting the Fiertia.
I'm Tokunaga. Very nice to meet you.
We're not in a hurry, but these are important negotiations, so we really appreciate your help.
What is the ship's cargo?
That is confidential information.
It's nothing we should be worried about, is it?
Relax. We've got it covered. All right, head towards Nordopolica. Go directly southwest from Torim Harbor and you'll see the Desier continent. Nordopolica is at the eastern edge.
I hope you won't mind if I go over the Fiertia's controls for you. You can only disembark from the ship where you see a dock, a port, or a beach. You won't be able to get onto land where there are cliffs. Of course, the ship can't pass over rocks, but you'll also have to keep her out of the shallows around islands. You might be able to take her into some rivers, if they're deep enough. However, if there's a bridge spanning the river, you won't be able to take her under. We wouldn't want to clip off our mast! There are other places you can disembark from. Beware that there are monsters on other continents much stronger than you can handle right now. And that's about it.




Skit: This Is Soooooo Bad
We just started out, and we're already working with one of the five master guilds. This is good.
Yeah. You're one step closer to making your dream a reality, Karol. Aren't you happy?
You talking to the kid? He's over there mumbling about something.
Mermen...the first thing had to be mermen. Brave Vesperia has some bad luck...
What's the president of Fortune's Market gonna think of us if we fail?!
This is bad. This is soooo bad.
I don't think he's very happy.
He's just being careful, that's all.
That's not being careful. That's running and hiding.


And we've got our first world map vehicle!



Right now our options are fairly limited though, since as soon as we get a couple meters away from town we'll run into a cutscene. We could enter Capua Nor and backtrack to other areas from there, but that's easier to do from the Zaphias side, so I'm postponing that until we actually get some free reign with the boat.


Watch the cutscene! (PS3, Japanese; 360 version is unvoiced)



Hmph, that's pretty wishful thinking.
You're quite the pessimist for your age, girlie.
I'm just a realist.
Anyway, thanks for your help. It looks like we're going to make it there on time.
Kaufman's Bodyguard: Yeah, Leviathan's Claw was going to beat us there if we hadn't found an escort for the ship.
Leviathan's Claw, huh? That's a name I seem to be hearing a lot lately.



Oh, that explains the situation in Heliord...
Lately they've been trying to steal our clients from us. If we weren't able to cross the sea, they would've swiped up another one of our major customers.
Kaufman's Bodyguard: Still, I can't help but wonder where those slimeballs are getting their product from.
Indeed. Hoplon blastia isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to get one's hands on.



No, that couldn't be...it's mages that are supervising the blastia distribution...

A sound of something hitting the boat.

Ah, right on time.
Everyone, be careful!

Starting around here this scene plays out differently in the 360 and PS3 versions.





In the 360 version, the mermen just jump onto the boat and you have a battle with them, however in the PS3 version this happens first:



The monster... spoke...!?
Could it be the same as that monster...?
If you keep talking, you'll bite your tongue!



The battle isn't particularly noteworthy in either version. (Although do note my accessories I equipped in the PS3 version, they give you so many more options there.)





The following couple lines are identical in both versions, until...



I tell ya, Brave Vesperia doesn't have any shame in working an old man down to the bone! Even while I'm looking for apatheia and doing all sorts of other things...
Apatheia? Isn't that what you were looking for back in Nor Harbor?
That's right.
That's nothing but a fairy tale. I researched it a while back, but eventually I realized that there's simply no way it can theoretically exist.
I'm well aware people think it's a fairy tale.
Why are you looking for it?
Well... Because the Don told me to.



Right here. In the PS3 version,



It's still alive!

one of the enemies gets back up, acts very weird,







and spews out Patty. Yeah, I dunno either.

Patty!

Fade out and back in to Patty standing.

It was smooth sailing.



What were you doing in a place like this?
I was walking along searching for treasure when I fell into the sea. And then I started playing with a monster!
Well, isn't that great? You were about to turn into fish food.
So sorry for interrupting, but do you think we could set sail?
Yeah, sure.
(offscreen) Waaah!



Damn...! There's still one left!







Ooh...
I've treated him with healing artes, but it would be best if he rested for now.
That's a problem... None of you... can pilot a ship, can you?
I can do it.



Really?
A world traveller had best know how to handle a ship if they don't want to be a laughing stock!
Okay then, I'll leave operating the ship to you.
Are you serious?
Also, since it looks like we'll get there sooner than expected, you can make a side trip if you'd like. As long as we're on course to a certain extent, it's up to you.



And back to the 360 content. Here we did not run into Patty and Tokunaga's fine.

Well then, we've got some business to talk about. I'll leave the navigation to you, Tokunaga.
Actually, Madam President, would you mind if I handed over the navigation to them for a while?



With a ship, we can go practically anywhere we want.
Estelle, I know you want to look for Phaeroh... But don't you think we have more important things to do for the moment?
Do you think...?
I'll do what I want. Don't worry about me.
We just started our guild...we should err on the safe side. Don't you think, Karol?
Y-yeah.







You might think that Patty joins our party now in the PS3 version, but she actually doesn't.

Now we can sail around the world a bit, right?



...Nope, sorry to disappoint. Going forwards a bit, we run into fog. As far as I know there's no way to get to land before triggering this event.



Watch the cutscene!



Yeah, it's creeping me out...
Fog like this's usually a sign somethin' bad's about to happen.
Kn-knock it off!
Talk like that long enough and something bad will happen.
Hey! Front! I mean bow!









That's an old ship. I've never seen that type before...
I think it says... The Atherum.









It's kind of hard to tell since footbridge isn't animated (you can see it already extended in the "The Ghost Ship Atherum" shot), but I think the intention here is that it drops onto our boat suddenly without anyone or anything actually triggering that.

That's weird. There's no sign of people...
It-it's like...it's calling to us.



The ceres blastia's not responding!
What do you mean? What the hell is wrong with it?
You think...this thing's the problem?
Oooh, maybe it's a cursed ghost ship.
Y-you don't really think so, do you?
Why don't we go take a look? It'll be fun. I love this sort of thing.
What?!



Are you planning on just leaving the Fiertia like this?
All right, why don't four of us go investigate while the rest stay here and keep watch?
That should be fine.
Okay. So Repede and I'll go.
Woof!
...And who's the third person?
I'm not going. No way!
Yuri, why don't you decide?
Gotcha.


Next time, we'll investigate the ship and get a fuckton of skits in the process.

----

Sidenote, would you rather prefer PS3 scenes to be added like this, in the middle of the scene pointing out differences and showing the new content, or do you think it'd be easier to follow if I did the whole 360 scene first and then the differences from the PS3 version after? I think this approach works better, but it might be confusing especially for those who haven't played either version before.