Part 18: The Woman Who Learns

Part XVIII: The Woman Who Learns



So we've got a lot to do still, and starting here is this cat in the Rusalle Highroad. We're on the road to defeating the Elite Monster at the Dimensional Breach (which I haven't yet explored in the prime dimension), so that's why I'm here.



And here we are. Hopefully no Great Spirits will be coming 'round to interrupt this fight. Veywind Stinger



This guy is *very* easy. Mostly because, while he is resistant to all elements, he's weak to all base elements (Slash, Strike, and Gun), so he'll constantly be in a state of getting Power Combo'd. That's not to say he doesn't have some powerful attacks, but because he's getting staggered so much, he just won't get much chance *to* attack.



When he begins to fly around, take out your guns and shoot him out of the sky. That's your chance to heavy stun him, but honestly, it doesn't make that much of a difference if you don't. Just pound on him, and he'll be mulch before you know it.



And that's how it's done.



But what's not done is all our business here. This easy-to-find cat is further down the path from where we fought the bug. Our next order of business brings us to Marksburg to continue Elize's story. Very briefly, mind, but still. You'll see why.


Racing culture

"Race" is a generous word to describe what will come to pass.

Ludger... Um...

Elle, Jude seems to be looking for you.

Jude? Why?

Apparently they're handing out samples of Rollo's beloved Kitty Krisps in front of the station. There's a limited supply, so he suggests you don't dawdle.

Eeek! I'll be right over!

They're having a speed-quest competition today. Have you heard of it?

Ah, an event in which players race to complete a designated job first? I believe it's a common competition here in Marksburg. People even wager on the results, or so I have heard.

The prizes are boss!

I heard today's winner will get a Bunnykins!

Oh my. That trendy toy is sure to bring out stiff competition. But from what I gather, Rieze Maxians can't compete unless they have at least one Elympion on their team.

Yeah. They're afraid Rieze Maxians will use spirit artes to cheat if they're not supervised.



Little hint-hint, there, but the affection-raising choice should be obvious.

Hey! We didn't even have to ask!

Thank you!

Oh, it is on!

Then speed is what we need! Let us make haste to the reception area!

Yes, let's!

Just after that last scene, I got Elize's second affection skit. Speaking of which, also included is Rowen's second affection skit. Forgot to include it in an update many moons ago, but here it is.

Alas, your next destination is Marksburg's bridge. Oh yeah, and I picked up a cat named Kittypants from the Lakutam Highroad via Dispatch, thanks to the Royal Feast. I'm pretty sure Royal Feast gives you much better odds of getting cats, too. Guess the game considers them "items".


The Bunnykins Job

Then consider yourself registered! Godspeed! All you gotta do is clear the job selected by the agent, grab your prize ticket, and bring it back to me. The first one to bring me that ticket wins the grand prize! This year's hottest toy: A premium, limited-edition Bunniekins!

....

Miss Elize?

Sorry, I was just lost in thought. This is our big chance! We have to win this for Elle!

Don't carry it all on your shoulders. You have our full support, you know.

So let's head back to the job board, and...



How could I forget? Just outside the accessory job is this adorable Kitty.



In non-feline related news, this is the job you have to take for this Character Chapter. Here's the thing, though, if you're on a New Game+ and have carried over Library data...



You instantly complete the job (provided you did it normally on your first playthrough, of course). Normally, you're supposed to go to the Rusalle Highroad and take out the required enemies like normal. There's really nothing special about them, except they only appear for this chapter (and disappear after you're done), so yeah. I had to do absolutely no work for this chapter. Oh well, at least we'll make sure we won't lose.


So close, yet so far

Let's just tally your completion time. Oh-ho! Looks like we have our winner! Congratulations on trouncing the competition!

Yes!

And now the moment you've been waiting for. Lemme grab your grand prize!





Elize is a kind soul, and is willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt. Still though, I sense some chicanery is afoot. We'll choose R1, but only because I'm in a generous mood.

Yes, that has to be it.

It's gotta be!

I was under the impression the grand prize was a Bunnykins?

Exactly! A Bunniekins! And not just any Bunniekins! This is an ultra-premium, signature-series, deluxe-plus-plus, handmade limited-edition Bunniekins! Any resemblence to any other Bunnykins is purely coincidental. Warranty not valid in Elympios or Rieze Maxia. Enjoy your Bunniekins responsibly.

Oh? So it is! Look, the logo's slightly different.

Cut the crap, creep!

Anybody would think the prize was a real Bunnykins!

Oh, no, no, no! Don't be absurd! The real Bunnykins was a limited production run. You're outta luck if you want one now! Which is all the more reason to cherish your brand new Bunniekins!

The guy peaces out...

This is terrible.



Is that a text from Luna?

Yeah. I told her what we were up to today. She was worried about me. I replied that we won, but that the Bunnykins was a phony.



Again, Elize is really easy to raise affection for.

Well said. You have nothing to be ashamed of, young miss.

Luna just said the same thing you did. "Don't give up. I know Elle will be touched by what you tried to do for her. I'll see if I can find a Bunnykins for you."

Sounds like you've made a true friend.

Yeah. She's probably trying to repay me for that little thing I did. I made her a custom GHS ringtone as a symbol of our friendship. Her phone rings in my voice. Isn't that cool?

Ah, like what you have. I wouldn't mind acquiring such a ringtone for my device.

Sorry, Rowen. I can't give it to you. It's just for me and Luna.

A limited edition?!

I'm not giving up! I'm going to find a Bunnykins! I'd be a lousy big sister to Elle if I couldn't!

It's the grown-up thing to do!



Did you get any Kitty Krisps?

Yeah, loads of it! Rollo's gonna get fatter than ever!

And that's that. Still, we have one more character chapter to do. It happens to be in Leronde, one of the last towns we have yet to visit in this title. Since Leronde is an island, we'll have to take a boat from Marksburg or one of the seahavens we HAVE visited to get there. Luckily, we are in Marksburg.





Skit choice gives you a choice of raising Jude or Leia's affection. Choose wisely. I went with Leia, for the sake of balance. There is a job posting called Relaxing Leronde Lodge, which just requires you going to the inn with a party of Jude, Leia, Ludger, and Gaius. Also, upon returning, my cat horde retrieved another cat from the Mon Highlands, the creatively named Tom, making 55 cats currently in my employ. Those Royal Feasts really are doing a bang-up job.



Welcome to the Mathis Clinic. Unless you feel like talking with Jude's dad or disturbing the sick and afflicted, not much to do here other than getting a couple of stat-increasing herbs in the main room of the clinic, where the elder Dr. Mathis is. Let's move on.



Oh sure, rub it in, why don't ya... Anyway, only one more stop in Leronde: Leronde Inn.



Dad, is it true Mom's mad at me?

Well... Uh...



Ah!

Well, look what the cat dragged in.

Oh, uh... Hi, Mom! I'm happy to see you too!

When'd she get here?! How'd she slip by undetected?

Master Sonia is a martial artes expert. She was me and Leia's instructor.

Rrgh! I could just THROTTLE you right now! I sent you more letters than I can count, and you couldn't take one second otu of your day to respond to a single one!

Because it was all just a bunch of mom-questions! Do I have clothes? Do I have food? Am I safe? Is everybody being nice to me? You worry too much! Also, uh... Yeah, it IS kind a pain writing by hand sometimes...

A pain? Is that what we are to you? A PAIN?! Your father and I were worried sick! You wanna make your poor father cry?! Is that it?!



Dad and I talk all the time over GHS!

Great. I was hoping that'd come up.

What?! And how long has THIS been going on?!

Mom, why can'at you just get a GHS too? Then we can talk whenever you want! It's super easy!

I bet all you big-shot reporters use those things, huh? And neglect your mothers, while you're at it?

I-I'm sorry!

Leia, you should be sensitive to your mother's feelings. Love and family aren't about convenience. The fact that your mother went through such trouble to contact you should warrant your time to reply.

Honey, I know you're at that age where you have more important things to worry about than your parents... But I can't send you cookies or laundry detergent over a text message, can I?

Oh, Mom. I'm sorry you were worried about me... I've just been so busy with work!

Well, THAT's not something I was worried about. I knew my daughter's a hard worker.

You can say that again.

Hahaha, that's my girl! No time for boys, huh?

What?! Dad!

By the way, you! The one with all black! Well said, back there. I sensed something special about you, just by looking. I like to size people up when I meet them for the first time...

Oh? You don't say...



That's, uh, good to know...

Oh! Before I forget, I have something I think you'd enjoy! Here you go, dumpling!

Aw, thanks, Mom!

Leia, I'm adding your mother to the list of people I hope I don't have to fight one day. She's currently...the only one on that list.

Sonia is clearly the Batman of this universe. Not Gaius.

Oh, and the thing Sonia gave was the accessory item Mr. Frog. Which...I already have. Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right? While it won't be apparent for a while, Leronde's lodge will allow you to buy / synthesize the best recipes in the game. But, they won't unlock for a while, but trust me, they'll be worth it, once we hit the bonus dungeon.

Anyway, more recent business requires we head upstairs.



Rocky currently has this guy backed into a corner, waiting for a (hopefully) merciful death. Let's be a good citizen and save him.



In another room, a well-concealed chicken. Why did we pick this up, again? I cannot recall any use for this. Anyway, our final business in this quaint burg is Leia's third Character Chapter, over by the item shops at the port, which is...an odd beast.


Leia's epiphany

Hmm...



Well, Leia's touchy about people making fun of her intelligence (even if not entirely unwarranted sometimes... Just sayin'), so L1 will please her.

Oh, hey Ludger. I got a text from my editor. He asked if I'd figured out the answer to his question yet.

The question was something about what it takes to write an article, right? So do you have an answer yet?

When we Agria in that fractured dimension, remember what she said about Elympions? How'd that make you feel?



Hm, another interesting non-affection raising choice. I think Ludger is self-reflective enough, especially with that whole Skylark incident in Alvin's chapter, that Elympions aren't all that and a bag of chips. You hardly ever heard that expression anymore, huh?

When you know people on both sides of the fence like we do, it's hard to take one side.

I feel like this directly relates to my editor's question. And how I felt interacting with the station attendant. Elympions and Rieze Maxians have a different perspective. That much I now is true. But if I go beyond that simple thought...and I think about what's really important...



I'm tired of thinking! I'll just do it. If it'll put this thing to rest, I'll write an article about what that station agent said!

Now you're sounding like the Leia we know and love. So what's next? Go interview the guy in the station again?

No. If I interview him, it'll be at the end. He's my inspiration for the piece. I need to interview a wider range of people, or the article will end up just being my own opinion.



Gotta love the easy choices.

Thanks. But where to start? I want to know what real people have to say. What they're really thinking. And then I'll put those thoughts together piece by piece.

Sounds good.

All right, now I'm fired up! I'm gonna go tell my editor! Later!



Or not.

After that scene, you'll get a series of three jobs from the job board (as suggested in the skit following that last scene), that involve bringing things or finding things for Leia. The jobs themselves are really straight-forward, so let's take care of them now. First one involves bringing...



A cat to her? Nah, she wants a Minestrone (Small) delivered to her, and she's waiting in front of the Spirius Building. If you don't have that recipe, you can buy it from the lodge.



Thanks a bunch! Now, I'll definitely get a real interview with that politician!

So this whole thing's a bribe, huh?

N-No! What kinda person do you take me for?! I already scheduled an appointment, fair and square!

Oh yeah? Then why'd you need the soup?

Well, it's like this... When I went to his office to make the appointment, he looked just totally gaunt! I mean, he's probably so busy with the Rieze Maxia negotiations he couldn't find the time for a decent meal.

And that's where you come in, huh?

You betcha! I need to get some juicy information from him. And what better way to butter him up than some good ol' home cooking? And hey... There's no harm making a good first impression, right? Say, Ludger! How 'bout you work some of your culinary voodoo on this soup before I hand it over?

What...

Ha! Looks like our little lady's got a knack for this stuff after all!

And that's Job the First. Completing all three will affect, in some way, what happens in Leia's next character chapter. But, we might as well do them all, for completion's sake, and to make sure Leia doesn't screw up at this critical juncture.

Next job is to find a sailor at Marksburg's Rieze Harbor. Allegedly the first merchant from Rieze to begin working in Elympios. Oh, also, got another cat from Dispatch named Winnie to my arsenal. The pieces are falling into place.



Hey, it's him! This guy's the first merchant from Rieze Maxia to open a shop in Marksburg!

Oh yeah? Who's asking?

I'm Leia Rolando, from the Daily Trigleph newspaper! I was hoping for a moment of your time for an interview, actually.

Oh, an "interview", huh? Sorry, I ain't got time to play make-believe, kid.

Make-believe?! Do you have any clue how many subscribers our paper has?

Save it, kid. Even if this newspaper-thing's real, I can't waste my day chit-chatting with you.

Hey, pops, there's no need to be rude to the girl, is there?

Whoa-- Easy, cowboy! It's odd you mention "waste", because that's exactly what I wanna talk to you about! Specifically, in regards to the economic situation on Elympios. What I'd like to ask, sir, is if you think the Rieze Maxians will employ fair trade practicies vis-a-vis the Elympion economy, or if these negotiations are just wasted effort.

Huh. Say, maybe ya know what you're talking about after all. All right, kid, ya got ten minutes. Ask away.

Requisite fade to black...

Oh, thank you so much! This is gonna make a great story.

It'd better! We went way over time.

Eh... Hehe... Sorry about that!

Kid, ya only need to apologize if this whole interview was just a waste of my time... But I have a feeling it wasn't.

No way! THis is all going to be part of a huge article I'm writing on the subject! The people need to know about this!

Well, that's reassuring. Remember, kid, your actions are the only thing that determine if what ya do is a waste or not. Fair trade with Elympios is gonna be a struggle, but we all hafta do our part if we wanna see it come true one day.

Leia's second job down. Next one is the only combat-oriented one, where we have to head to the Nala Lava Tubes to rescue some soldier from Kanbalar who went missing. What he was doing there is probably above our pay grade, so let's not bother with such matters and just do our job.

...But first, we have a minor thing to take care of, a job called The Father's Gift. It involves bringing Ludger and Jude to Duval Station with 10 Crown Feathers in tow.x



Hey, it's that kid!

Huh?! Hey, it's you...with the feathers!

Oh? Did you help her find all those feathers she used to make my muffler? Well, looks like both of us are in your debt!

It's our pleasure!

I made Daddy a feather muffler, and he made me a down jacket because he loves me. These are the fluffiest, warmiest jackets ever! Don't you wish you had one?

I'm not jealous! I outgrew that kinda stuff a long time ago.

Wow, so you're like a grownup, huh?

Yep! I even got a partner to watch my back!

A partner?! Wow, that's SUPER grown-up! Hey, who's that partner of yours, anyway?

Why, my pal Ludger here, of course!



Really?!

Him? He doesn't look like much.

Well, pretending not to look like much is part of his job!

Oh wow, that's so cool! I want a weirdo-partner too when I grow up!

*sigh*

I'm sorry. Sometimes she doesn't realize what she's saying.

It's all right. We've seen worse.

Train stations and Ludger just don't mix, huh? Now, we have that errant sentry.



Along the way, and this is going to become a common theme shortly, Leia's going to be getting a TON of new skills, arte level increases, and artes themselves. It's pretty amazing, but only because her current Extractor is awesome.

Oh, and Leia's costume theme is she's trying to usurp the title of Pinkist Princess from Elize, hence all the pink. Ludger's is, of course, he's a gambler and ready to put his life on the line, Jude's is a battle-ready swordsman with his dragon familiar, Alvin has gotten in touch with feminine side, Rowen's the evil sorcerer (purple being the new "evil" color, of course), Muzet's theme is "My eyes are up here", Elize is now a cat person, Milla is the angel to Rowen's devil, and Gaius is the fashionable swordsman.



Once your characters start hitting Level 42, they'll earn the Special skill, which allows you to activate that character's Mystic Arte during Over Limit. I'll demonstrate next update.



Once again, Gentlefreets are a REALLY good enemy for grinding at this point in the game, especially with Gaius in tow. Miracle Gels drop like flies with 2x item drop increases, or if you have the Monocle (+15% drop chance if the wearer defeats a particular enemy). To be fair, this was a Dangerous Gentlefreet encounter, which increased my EXP gain, but hey.



Boy did this guy get himself into a spat of trouble (this particular area is closest to the Xialen Woods Nala Lava Tubes entrance, which you should take to get here, but I did not.



Slaughter ensued.



But of course, we have to follow up.



We're glad you're safe! I'm Leia Rolando, the reporter who asked to speak with you.

Oh, is that you? It must take a lotta guts for a Rieze Maxian reporter to work way out on Elympios!

Our acquaintance here was a soldier in the battle against Exodus and in the Elympion invasion.

Hmph. So you two're from Elympios?

Maybe.

On top of that, I used to work for Exodus, actually.

What?!

Well, no sense beating around the bush! I'd like to ask you a blunt question... Do you harbor any resentment towards Elympions?

I guess I'd be lying if I said I didn't. A lot of my comrades were killed 'cause of the Otherworld Reactor Plan... And my family suffered.

That was the name of the plan that the invaders from Elympios used in the first game. Basically the plan was to harvest Rieze Maxia and its resources to solve Elympios' resource problems. Obviously things didn't turn out particularly well, either for the Plan or Elympios, but hey, people are trying.

I see.

But then again, I guess the Elympions would say the same stuff about us. I should know... I took down plenty of their soldiers myself.

And do you think the two worlds will ever be able to set aside their differences?

Hm... Not anytime soon, that's for sure. But I guess one day, it's possible. They say what makes us human is our ability to be rational and not just reactionary.

Yes, that does sound like a cheery little outlook, doesn't it? But I guess I have to agree somewhat, being an ex-mercenary myself and all...

Exactly how I feel. As a soldier, I'm the one who has to actually take lives out on the battlefield. I have to believe that peace will exist, someday. I get no joy from killing, but there are those who do. And they'll do it. Not for self-defense or to protect someone...but because they want to. That's not human! Those people are the lowest forms of life there is. I never want to be like that. Ever.

Thank you. You've given me some good stuff for my report, but...you also gave me a lot to think about! I won't forget what you said.



Update 18 alternate choice compilation