Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

The next morn, we get a travel permit and a recipe for the very famous Mabo Curry.

Outside the room, there's now a bunch of people downstairs.

I talk to the head cook, arms crossed. She mentions "Bloodwings" in her complaint about serving customers. Who are the Bloodwings? Is that the name of the shadow guild?

We're now introduced to another minigame the Tales series is notable for: serving and waiting tables! I pass, knowing how tough that job is irl.

Skit again: Rokurou compliments the woman in black's "kind face." Eizen points out the "fake" documents are actually real. Rokurou knows that this shadow guild is not one to mess with, since even without Baskerville, who Eizen calls a "monument against authority," they're still operational.

The official name for the bar, according to a banjo player, is the Bloodwing Butterflies Bar.

The tavern keeper's devoted to keeping the place open, even pressure from the Abbey's not stopping him.

The woman in black points out Mendi's aptitude as a "scholar of geology and chemistry." He might be useful in trying to sneak us into the villa...that's probably why they need him. But why ask strangers to take on the job for?

The woman next to her complains about her husband, who talks about his work in the Abbey all the time.

Another skit: Laphicet asks my question: If they know where Mendi is, why not look for him themselves? Rokurou also asks another: Why resort to a shadow guild to file a "missing persons case"? My guess it's meant to not raise any suspicions from the Abbey.

---

Outside at the plaza, one dog owner thinks they should have guard dogs.

One girl asks for a dog and her dad says okay. She promises to walk it everyday...

Guards nearby are talking about weapon upgrades...

A man watching the banjo player play is marveled at the ceremony yesterday...Rokurou says the Prince "is a wimp" if he's giving that power away to a stranger easily.

The man doesn't get angry, but tells us the Prince was well-studied, with his hobby falconry, which he doesn't have time for anymore. He even has two younger brothers who aren't within his caliber, and who, according to the man, "hang out with a bad crowd."

Without the Prince, Velvet points out, Midgand's good as vulnerable.

Plus, the Royal Villa is now HQ for the Abbey. The man admits they needed them after all that's happened after the Opening ten years ago in-game...

There's another musician playing across the square...

Near the cathedral grounds, from a granddaughter, we get the names of the Empyreans: Musiphe of Flame, Amenoch of Water, Hyanoa of Wind, Eumacia of Earth, and Innominat.

---

The high priest, I'm told, has fully backed the Abbey.

Velvet: (quipping) "A man of principles."

The high priest is so principled to the point where he donated to charities and the like. The priest calls the party "dubious" while praising the high priest. Rokurou and Velvet snark rightfully at the condescending label given to them. Hee...their sarcasm's a breath of air...

Inside the cathedral, one noble youth wants the Abbey to crack down on taverns. Yikes...

Rokurou says that they've got the best drinks in town. Wow, this noble guy doesn't want to be happy, even for a little while. Laphicet adds that "their mabo curry's delicious." The noble youth thinks that eating "mabo and curry together is heresy." Is this the Tales series poking fun at itself?

Youth: "Abstinence! Austerity! Restraint!"

Velvet brings up a sobering line that sums up as: Don't force beliefs onto others.

Velvet: "People eat to live. Some people live to eat. That's part of being human." Dang...

That's a perfect example of a fundamentalist right there. Not since Alundra's Giles have I seen one that devoted, I think...

No one's seen Artorius sleep, and he works thrice as hard as an ordinary person, He's never in one place for long either...that's devotion...

There's a girl who's not fond of praying. She's warned that she'll catch daemonblight if she doesn't pray...poor girl... :(

Seeing a group of worshippers before the empty throne, I get a little history about Empyreans here.

Thanks to the daemonblight scare, the people are now going back to praying to the Empyreans again. Then, Velvet brings up a good point.

Velvet: "Maybe Artorius is using religion to manipulate the people into following him...If that's the case, he's done a damn fine job of it."

---

We get more info about the Aldina Plains, which used to be as beautiful as the rest of the region. Then the land shifted...

One little girl mentions how "handsome" the prince and that man are. Velvet knows he's anything but virtuous after what happened in the beginning of the game...

More people to speak to now.

One asks about where daemonblight came from.

From a guard, I find out Galles Lake Road's a marshland, and leads to the Aldina Plains.

Up near the castle plaza, a guard mentions that man's super busy. Audiences to see him are booked up for a month!

I save here.