Part 58: The Heartland Town

Watch the cutscene!







And this can't be heaven...






The first thing you might notice here is the wonder chef to the right.





After that, we can check to the left for two pretty rare and neat items




To the very right of the inn you can also spot a nice Tales of the Abyss reference:




Anyway, let's get outside and figure out where we are.


Watch the cutscene!





Oh, Yuri. Are you feeling better now?



Yes, it would seem that way.
We all collapsed in the desert, right? So what are we doing in this town?
Seems like someone came to our aid.
Though we're not sure who.
What about the couple who was with us?
They appear to have been brought here as well.
So they didn't get a look at our rescuers either?
Apparently they lost consciousness like the rest of us. I believe the two of them are having a look around town.



What do you mean?
Oh...just before I blacked out, I saw that dragon that got the aer under control back at Cados.
Really?
Yeah. Didn't you see it, Estelle?
No, I didn't see anything.
Was it just a mirage, then...?

So...what's the story? Where exactly are we?
A kindly gentleman is looking into that very matter for us.
Kindly gent--?
Oh, you mean the old man.






I thought the mountains in the east were supposed to be uninhabited.



What's that?



I didn't see any feathers on that thing...



But why would that monster have one of Phaeroh's feathers...?
Hmm...
Man, there's so much we don't know...



And just why was it up ta me ta go trompin' off on a recon mission?



Unsafe? You can't possibly mean me?
Oh... I don't know... Maybe...
...I think I'm gonna gag.
S'pose I don't mind people thinkin' I'm "dangerous." Adds ta my mysterious charm...





The town that needed the clear ciel crystal to protect itself from monsters?
It makes sense. They don't have a barrier here. That's reason enough to be looking for a way to keep out monsters.
But that was 1,000 years ago.
Yeah. And I find it strange that they were getting by at all without a barrier.
You're right.
What if we were to show this case to one of the locals, and ask them?
Yes. We might learn something about Phaeroh that way as well.
I agree.






Ah, Yormgen. I love this town, it's so nice and peaceful, with a perfect music to go along with it.


Before we check around if anyone recognizes our box, I check the store because at this point in the game you can synthesize this if you got Flare and Frost Stones from the enemies in the desert:



The Limit Trio gives us a third Over Limit bar and allows us to enter Over Limit Level 3 by pressing left on the D-Pad. In addition to the usual effects, Over Limit Level 3 reduces TP cost for all Artes to zero, which is pretty damn useful. It also allows us to do something else, but that's later in the game.


Skit: Not a Normal Monster
What was the deal with that weird monster we ran into in the Sands of Kogorh.
Just the thought of it still sends chills down my spine...
Was that thing even alive...?
Huh? What do you mean?
Well, it wasn't anything like other creatures that make their home in the desert...
Huh. Another astute observation from Captain Karol.
Whatever it was, I hope we never see it again.
Me too.







Skit: Missing Phaeroh
So after all we went through to cross the desert, we can't meet Phaeroh.
And after you've all risked your lives to help me...
Maybe it's better that we didn't find him after all...
Yeah. If we had to fight him now, we probably wouldn't make it out.
Think about it though, Phaeroh can fly. He's free to be pretty much anywhere at anytime. Tracking him down will be a tall order unless he's got a lair somewhere in the area.
...
No one's saying that meeting him will be impossible.
We might get some information if we ask around in the town.
You're right. Thank you, both of you.


To progress the plot, we need to talk to this girl here:



Watch the cutscene!





Longchi had it... Where did you get it?
On a ship called the Atherum, my lovely lady. Have you heard of it?
Of course...! You know about the Atherum too?!
Y-yes. We happened to come across it on the ocean...
Did you see Longchi?
And Longchi would be...?



Your love...damn it... Hey, Karol. Your turn.



Oh, I see...
Could I ask your name?
Oh, my name is Yuefan.
That's the name that was in the diary we found on the Atherum.
Do you know about the clear ciel crystal?
They say it has the power to drive back monsters.
The sage said it was necessary to make a barrier around the town. I-is that what's in the box?



I-I see...





Could I have the box?


She opens the box.




Looks like it...



The sage is a great Krityan who came to our town from across the desert.
A Krityan...?
Well, creating a barrier is basically creating a blastia.



But we can't make blastia with current technology, right?
There are people who do. You saw the blastia at Ehmead Hill and Caer Bocram. But I don't think that sage guy is the one who made those blastia with messed up formulas...
I'm...I'm sorry. I don't really understand... But the sage said that the clear ciel crystal was needed to create the barrier.



...Three years, huh. You must be worried.
Wait, this sounds weird.



You think she could've miscounted by a thousand years?
How old is she, anyway?
Is that sage in this town? Where does he live?
Oh, yes, he lives in the house farthest into the town.
I think it might be faster if we went to talk to the sage.
Y-yes, maybe so.
Ummm... If you're going there, could you take the clear ciel crystal to the sage for me?
Yes, of course.
Thank you very much.






Skit: Yormgen is Weird
This town's weird. It's in the middle of the desert, but look at all the plants...
It sort of reminds me of Mantaic.
...Yeah but, there is something...different.
Really?
There may be more here than meets the eye. Maybe the truth is hidden away...
Leave it ta Judith ta put things inta perspective.
The better the intuition, the more you see.
I have good intuition! Hey, I have intuition!


The sage's house is the big one at the very back of town.






Watch the cutscene!



Huh...? Hey, that's...!
You're...



What do you mean, how? We walked. As in, across the desert.
...I see... And yet, how did you...?
...?
No matter... For what reason have you come?





Actually...it just sort of landed in our lap.
Hm...That was quite a miracle.



You're free to go pretending you're a sage, but forget about making any blastia. Who'd even consider building a barrier blastia with something that's so obviously not a core?



Lacks an inscribed formula...?! What do you mean?!
They are most commonly known as apatheia, of which the clear ciel crystal is one example.



Also, I am not the sage.
Huh...?



No such being exists any longer.



Neither I nor humanity have a need for such a thing.



Whoa, what're you doin'?! Hold on a sec!





It's the same phenomenon we saw at Keiv Moc!
Aww, man. Just when I'd found one.



Returned to aer...? Is that really all you did just now...?
That's still no reason to go smashing other people's things.
Wasn't the clear ciel crystal--the apatheia--needed to save this town from the monsters?



This place has been granted everlasting calm.
Come to mention it, it is pretty quiet here.
But still, there are monsters like Phaeroh nearby.
How do you know of Phaeroh?
I'd ask you the same thing. You seem to know about him yourself.
Please. Tell us what you know.



...I see.
You know something, don't you?



You mean...me?



...Child of the Full Moon, like in the legend... By Entelexeia, you mean Phaeroh...?
That is correct.
But what would these Entelexeia have against me...against the Child of the Full Moon? What is this power the Child of the Full Moon possesses that they despise?
That answer lies only within the hearts of the Entelexeia themselves.
Which means I've got no choice but to find Phaeroh and ask him myself.



But...!
Estelle, give it a rest.
Hey, Regaey...er, Yeager from Ruins' Gate talked about the Entelexeia earlier, didn't he?



So Phaeroh built Nordopolica? That doesn't seem possible.



Wait! There's something I want to ask you, too! What were you doing at that aer krene? Just who are you?! What is that sword of yours?!
Those matters exceed your comprehension. Do not ask of them again. Go. I have nothing more to say.
Where do you get off?!
Rita.









Hmmm, maybe.



Hold up. He doesn't seem the type to do something like that.
You don't think so?
Just a hunch. You said that Child of the Full Moon he mentioned was the sister of Brave Vesperia, right?
Yeah...



"Your brother, Brave Vesperia, watches over us from the skies. You remain bound to your mother, the earth, and will shelter her with your unceasing protection."
Is there, like, a hidden meaning in there?
I'm not sure. But maybe it's more than just an old legend.
Remaining to protect the earth, huh?
Could "protecting the earth" have anything to do with ruling over this world?
You mean, like becoming the emperor? If Estelle is the Child of the Full Moon, that would add up.
Which means all the previous emperors would've been on Phaeroh's hit list.
I've never heard of anything like that.
Hmm...



I'm gonna stay here. There are things I've got to investigate.
Investigate?
Clear ciel crystals, apatheia... All kinds of things. Honestly, I have a few bones to pick with Mr. Warm-and-Fuzzy over there. If you're all going back, we'll have to say our goodbyes here.
But!



Ugh...that's right... I can't go anywhere without crossing that desert.
We can afford ta take a load off while she's checkin' things out, can't we? I'm pretty interested in apatheia myself.
Yeah. Besides, we should make sure we're ready before heading back into the desert. Why don't we head back tomorrow? Rita, think you can tie up your loose ends in a day?
Shouldn't be a problem. Th-thanks... I appreciate it.



Right. See you then.

This probably created more questions than it answered, but we'll figure them out in time. Next time, we'll have another talk with all our party members like in Mantaic, and then we'll start our way back to Nordopolica.