Toggle Background Color
Update 18: Love Hunting II
We’re gonna start off this update by doing this sidequest first, because it’s something you really want to complete as soon as possible- wait, didn’t the notification say...?
Yeah. For the record, it is Soft Wool we’re supposed to be going after.
Yoba Flats, Gopher Desert, Mt. Jomaron, Devo Desert: all four are 3000 G.
Next time, don't bug me for no reason.
Sheesh. Fine. Jerk.
If you want to buy all those maps, this is a convenient place and time to get them. But if you’re patient, you can get those maps a little later for free.
I want to make a warm scarf for my little one. Two Soft Furs... Can you bring them? I'd be so grateful.
And yeah, the reason I pointed out that discrepancy in the item names in the quest was because of this line. Soft Furs don’t actually exist. Again, the item we’re supposed to be going after are Soft Wools. Those are dropped from Roundhorns, which you can find on the world map around Mt. Todowa.
I can make a scarf to keep my child warm. Here... Let me teach you this to say thanks, eh?
Спасибо! I mean, thank you!
And with that, no language barrier shall stand in our way! There is nothing our party won’t be able to understand!
I want to hurry and make my child happy!
The actual reward is meager, but the language skill was the real reward.
Uhhh, bit of pronoun trouble there? Since you were referring to your kid as a girl before?
Anyways, now that we know Rushean, let’s check in with the people who were speaking that language.
...Enlightening.
I dunno, it is a bit chilly here.
Ha! How feeble.
Hey!
Oh, the cold isn’t a problem for me.
Toughing it out, eh?
And so our ancestors suffered for nothing...
I... see... I’m very sorry to hear that. Let’s leave before this gets even more awkward.
Well most of that was fairly irrelevant to us.
So now that we did everything in town, let’s enter the palace.
You know the drill, let’s do some looking around before we progress the plot.
If you’re asking, I suppose we are.
You're talking to him. I made these myself. Come and inspect them. But, be careful!
Hmm, I’ll admit that this is rather impressive craftsmanship.
Wow, just look at how sharp these swords are!
H-hey, didn’t you hear what he said!? Don’t cut yourself on those!
We're shorthanded and need some fresh troops.
To avoid insufficient energy being available, we must move quickly.
If there's some way to avoid it...
Any idea what they’re going on about about?
I don’t think what they’re talking about is any of our business.
Diligently heal with items after battle!
Interesting for the game to talk to us about this a good way into the game. Also 7th Dragon only has one save file, so you can only try these on replays. Though do note that 7th Dragon is a very big game, but hey, if you’ve never played it before, it could be something to consider when you try the game yourself.
This party is pretty good. Very offense heavy, but it does have some defensive support in the Knight. So sticking with healing items here for your healing stings less than a lot of other party compositions.
Handles anything!
A very well rounded jack-of-all trades party. It would definitely be hard to go wrong with this composition!
For her Highness!!!
Knights actually have a few skills that revolve around a Princess, and a Princess has a skill that relates to Knights. A bit gimmicky, but this party does have a lot of defensive potential, and Princesses do have healing capabilities so this isn’t quite as insane as it sounds.
Master your Skills!
Oof, this party definitely has a less than stellar early-game. But once you get past that point and get more skill points for them, they’ll really come into their own later. The Mage will take a bit of sting out of the early game at least.
No thanks. I’ve already got a working pair.
You shouldn't plunge in recklessly, though.
That should actually be “Hustle”, not “Replace First.” (Replace First is the literal translation of that skill’s name.)
This skill lets another ally borrow the Rogue's speed for a turn. It's a major boost for the slower classes. They'll move quickly, right after the Rogue. You can use it for a strong heal when you're in a bind. Do you understand?
Huh, that does sound pretty handy. Maybe we should see if Ark is willing to learn how to do that.
Yes. Then maybe you’ll actually be fast enough to heal our wounds in battle for once.
Hey! I’m not that slow!
Hustle is a very handy support skill, and it even has priority over EX-boosted skills.
They make a great combo, but nonetheless...
...It's song lyrics.
...The book continues.
When King Nagrand declared independence, 13,000 troops remained. Half had died. To keep the loyalty of those left, he bestowed 3 treasures. The armor Kingfortress, the shield Hellspike, and the Mask of Toto.
This book is in Rushean, so if you haven’t learned that language yet, you won’t be able to read this.
Secrets of the unarmed Samurai arts lie within.
If you haven’t learned the Aizo language, you won’t be able to read this. But we do, and so with that, we’ve learned the final EX skill for the Samurai!
Asura only has one prerequisite, and that requires maxing out Unarmed Arts, which only costs 11 SP to do so. So this skill costs 14 SP to acquire.
If you’re wielding a weapon, any skills in the Unarmed skill branch won’t show up until you activate Unarmed Arts. And even then, you still need to activate Unarmed Arts to make use of it.
If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay down!
Asura deals 200% Blunt damage to the target, and has a 100% chance to inflict Stun. Out of all the unconditional damage skills the Samurai has in the Unarmed skill branch, Asura is actually the strongest one. The strongest non-EX unconditional damage skill is Myouou, which deals 180% Fire damage to the target at max level. And that skill needs 17 SP to max out. There are skills in the Unarmed skill branch that do deal more damage, 300% at max level in fact. But they’re counter skills, and those require a specific damage type to be thrown at the Samurai to be countered with. So they’re a lot more unreliable than Asura.
As for Asura, while Stun isn’t really a great ailment to inflict on its own, it’s a very helpful side effect when attached to a skill you’re actually going to use. Nothing resists Stun, so ensuring that everyone moves before your target is something that will benefit your party.
The only downside to this EX skill is that it’s tied to the Unarmed skill branch. Past a certain point, the damage just won’t compare to using a Katana, and the Katana skill branches will easily outdamage this skill branch and this skill. Still, it’s a great pickup if you’re intending on using an Oblivion Pearl later, or are planning on sticking with that skill branch to the very end.
But, I'm worried, he hasn't had time lately...
Hmm, nothing interesting in here, too.
Nila, I really don’t think you should be doing that. That maid has been glaring at you for a while.
Even if we can buy these now, these are still very welcome finds.
This quest is one we can do now. But if you don’t know the Rushean language, you won’t be able to understand him, and you won’t be able to complete the quest.
It looks so hearty!
I'll try to make something delicious to keep us going.
That’s all there is to see in the castle, so let’s go finally meet up with the King.
You are the warriors who saved the East. Nevan is pleased.
Yep, that’s us! News travels fast, huh?
Now, before we talk of agreements, let me introduce our leaders.
I'm Jake. Anyone in Nevan can tell you I'm our strongest warrior!
I just upgraded my charms. I'm saving up for armor now.
?! Man, I'll just pretend I didn't hear that. Anyway, I'm looking forward to fighting side-by-side with you! Eh, Sierra?
.........
...Sigh.
Uhh, pleasure to meet you too...
What an odd pair.
These two command the Nevan military. You may rely on them. But at the moment... Let me try your strength.
Huh? But I thought you said you heard of us?
I don't mean to be rude. But if you want a full alliance with the Rushe, I must know your power.
Ohhhh, wanna see us in action first hand, huh? Sure, I’d be happy to show off for a bit! Sooo, what do you want us to do?
Minutes ago, Devo Desert was found to be the location of the Dragon. I want you to go subdue Flame Eater, the Dragon, and prove your strength. Devo Desert is south and east of here. A short distance from here is an army camp. Go there for assistance. I hope your bravery is not just a story.
And so the 3rd Imperial Dragon shows up. We’ll have to go take it down. After some sidequesting, of course.
Try anything sneaky with the King and he'll swat you like a fly.
I'll be there later. Don't let me beat you there!
Um, not that I know of. The shops didn’t have anything new last we checked.
They might after we offload some new monster parts on them!
I hope your bravery is not just a story.
They're perfect!
Hmm, maybe I should spruce up my ears a bit. What do you think, Edward?
M-me!? U-um, I think they’re fine as they are. Don’t worry too much about what that sentry is saying.
Speaking of which, can we just get away from this imbecile already?
Take stock before you go after it. It's very dangerous!
These are the sidequests we’re going to be tackling. We’ll tackle Collecting Violet Manes first. Also 20 of them? Really, game? At least it isn’t 100, I guess...
If you meant the post at the quest office, then yes. We did.
What I want are Violet Manes. I'm going to use them to make new rope. Thickly braided mane should make for a stronger kind of rope. 20 of them should do. That's all.
I preemptively stuffed those into my inventory, so let’s turn them in. You can get these as drops from Mustangs.
These should make for a great rope. I can't wait!
It's coarse, though... You can go get your reward at the Office now.
We don’t need the rope, but thanks for the offer.
This is a good upgrade for a Dagger Rogue. Kind of funny how less tedious quests are giving out better rewards than the Bird Feathers quest.
There’s nothing more we can do in Nevanplace at the moment, so let’s take a look around.
I wouldn't take on this monster right now, if I were you.
There’s a sidequest in this dungeon, but we aren’t ready to take it on yet. So let’s go elsewhere.
There are a few more places we can go to north of Nevanplace.
The Melluride Mines is another side dungeon that can be tackled at this point. But we won’t be going through it yet.
Instead, let’s check this place out.
But the Bloom has shut down all the mines and forges.
These guys seriously know their stuff. I always sell right out!
Lots of items to find in this place.
If any of you value your lives even the tiniest bit, I suggest keeping Nila away from that.
...What can we even do with these?
Hmm, we could make fake mustaches out of them and put them on the monsters.
...How about something far less asinine? Such as just leaving these where we found them?
Hee hee, you really gotta stop being such a grump, other me! Learn to have some fun for once!
We’ll keep that in mind.
Whoa, that looks pretty sharp! Maybe Stella or Haru could get some use outta this!
But how are they even going to hold that? It doesn’t have a hilt yet!
Oh. Good point.
One day, he showed up and begged the master. "Please accept me!" He's a funny guy... I always look forward to seeing him around.
What the heck?! How many blacksmiths are they putting on ice? Gah, I'm aching to use my hammer already! This dang stupid Bloom!
I didn't know anything about this workshop! It's worth remembering! But now, I need a warm coat more than iron mail...
--Rita
There are certainly better accessories to be using at this point, but a speed boost like that can be nice for someone to have.
This NPC basically hosts an inn for no cost at all.
We don’t need to for the moment, but thanks!
It'll be here in case.
What good is having a teacher to copy with no raw materials to use? The mine is where we get our best stuff, but there're too many demons. The military is occupied down south, so it could be a while. We need help.
Too bad we're closed. No ore, no smithing.
Hmm...
Maybe we should think about helping them out after we’re done dealing with this Flame Eater thing!
That’s just what I was thinking!
While this isn’t a quest, clearing out the mine is just a side thing you can do. You’ll have to do it to unlock more some side stuff later though. Yeah, there is quite a bit of optional content in this game, and you’ll be seeing the true scale of that eventually.
Incidentally, Gaion is a candidate for the Santa quest, and probably the easiest one to go for since he’s close by.
That’s all for this place, so let’s take a look around the world map some more.
West of the workshop is this thing. Let’s do a quick little investigation.
What in the world is this place?
I dunno, but I’m kinda feeling uncomfortable just being around here.
Yeah, that thing does look a bit intimidating.
Doesn’t look like we can go in.
I feel as this place serves no purpose for us. We should leave.
Well that’s a big mysterious structure that’s completely irrelevant to us now. There’s nothing left to look at on this part of the world map, so onto more important things.
Such as helping out Hanoi. Again.
Oh great.
Now, here's the plan.
But then, she greeted me with a smile. And with that same gentle smile, she told me of her country! I realized it then, you know. That I must have been born in order to meet her.
...She was just welcoming you to the town, you dolt.
This time, I'm taking the orthodox approach. The present I want is a Precious Scarf, if you can bring me one. If you, my bosom friends, can find me that, I'll be ready to roll!
We have one of those already, so let’s hand it in. They’re drops from Laughing Shadows, if you forgot.
With this present, I'll show her a volcanic eruption of love! Such a fiery death would be my heart's desire!
Oh reeeeeaaaally, now?
...Well, if it's mutual!
The woman looks around for the source of the comment.
...Stones? People aren't stones.
And here comes the fall!
Ah, such an honest heart! Such a healthy soul can only dwell in a beautiful form! I knew it from the moment a beautiful woman told me the name of this town. I know it now! Didn't you feel it too? That unspoken bond! You spoke to me! But, you were ashamed... You cloaked your love for me in the guise of love for your town... no?
...No... I just tell everyone who comes the town's name...
I told him, but he wouldn’t listen.
Now, now! Don't hide your feelings! Please accept my words from a soul full of love!
A flash of pink.
That's... It's really not like that.
My! I get it! You're still so shy ♪
The woman slowly backs away.
Th, th, that... Nooo...
BAHAHAHAHA!
Still just as highly amusing as the last few times!
Her soul was simply too pure to admit mine own within. But I won't give up! I will find true love!
Yeeeaaaahh, good luck with that.
The level up jingle plays.
I'll try the next town. Love isn't going to be waiting around here!
An alright reward, I suppose.
Whatever Hanoi’s doing next, he doesn’t have a quest for us yet.
Oh thank goodness, he doesn’t have another posting here.
Yet.
Edward. Just let me have this moment of peace. Please.
Instead, we’ll take on this quest since we have access to Yoba Sand Flats now.
It's in the Yoba Sand Flats on the Western Continent. Hurry and gooo!!
The cactus located in this section, in the room where the Armanos used to reside.
Huh, that was simple.
Awww, I was expecting a fight to the death with something, considering what you told us about the last time you fetched an ingredient for him.
And I’m just thankful that we don’t have to do anything like that!
Yeah that’s it. It’s just a simple fetch quest this time. No boss battle or anything. Probably because there already was one in this room with the Armanos.
Before I go deliver this to the gourmet, I head back to Kazan, since there are a few things we can do there, and that’s the starting point for another quest we can take on at the moment.
She's a little shy, but I don't mind. She's wonderful. Ahh... Life is perfect. Mostly.
Awww. I hope you two have a good life together!
It must be nice having a special someone to spend the rest of your life with. That would be nice, wouldn’t it?
Yeah, I wouldn’t mind having someone like that too...
Eh, something like that isn’t a huge priority for me. I got a lot of other things on my mind I want to deal with first, you know? Like obliterating every single dragon in existence!
Heh, I can’t even think about that sort of thing while this grump is still living in my body! But it would be kinda funny to think about. I bet other me would scare soooo many cute girls away! Hee hee!
Mock me while you still can. You won’t be incorporeal forever. Besides, such choices on that front are not to be made lightly. I have seen many mortal relationships fail due to incompatible personali- wait, forget you heard anything. We have far more important things to be doing.
Lucky's is the guild my brother belongs to. If you meet one of them, can you pass my letter on? Thanks a bunch!
Just picking this up now to save some time for later when we actually tackle this quest. We won’t be doing this just quite yet.
Oh, if you're busy, don't look specially for him... I'm sure Hunters run into each other anyway.
Eradicate the Flame Eater from the Devo Desert!
Just giving Menas a quick status report on the situation. Now that we’re done with this quick pit stop, let’s go deliver that cactus.
Cook, see here! The cactus has arrived! Prepare the curry at once!
Y-yes! Right away!
Fade to black.
Yes, finally, my long wait has come to a fine fruition! I can't wait!
The screen switches from the house to a black screen a few times.
...but, wait...?! S-sweet too?! Sweet and sour... Is this Mormon Cactus magical, this flavor?! Ahhh... the contrast of thorns with flesh, so soft, so subtle!
The screen starts shaking.
The gourmet proceeds to have a hallucination of being trapped inside a volcano and spins around in pain.
Yeah there really is a blank textbox here. I’m not sure why.
Well done, travelers. You've earned your reward from the Office.
The third delicacy is finally in my reach. I eagerly await it!
The reward is kind of mediocre compared to his last quest, but that one did contain a boss fight and this one didn’t.
I am expecting you, Odyseey!
The third quest isn’t available yet, so let’s tackle another sidequest instead.
Just keep walking.
Damn it!
Oh. Um. We didn’t see you there. Hello. Yes.
Oh no no no no no! You don’t need to do anything like that!
Hee hee, your eyes... I can see you know exactly what I mean. We're like... THIS. Now, onward to my request, if you will!
Uggghhh...
So, Stella. About “helping people in need...”
Oh, I already gave up on him. Blame the Dias for this!
Wait, “Dias?” ...Oh no.
It’s exactly what it sounds like.
What can I say? It’s hilarious seeing that guy fall flat on his face!
Oh Dia, I’m afraid there’s just no convincing them. It seems that they lack the capacity to enjoy some proper schadenfreude. A real shame, I must say.
Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.
Oh, you can thank her for that.
Hee hee hee!
Well, shall we get right to it this time? You guys must know, this is Pleroma... Capitol of knowledge. Members of the intelligentry like myself naturally gravitate here, of course.
PAH! Sure, whatever you say.
Although this time, it was my love antennae...
I'm truly confident in my love. But, I've been polishing my technique... Let me show you how I charm the ladies now.
You what.
Let's head out to Rorakka Cavern and take a walk through! Well then, let me know when you're ready!
Let’s get going.
My training resumes!
In a rare moment of convenience, the game immediately takes us to Rorakka Cavern.
But don't try to enter the cave from the Miross side.
So we just need to exit through the Miross exit to complete this quest. Oh and we can’t just take the shortcut close by, or it doesn’t count. We have to take the long way here, though at this point in the game, that really shouldn’t be any trouble.
What did you expect? It’s just a cave.
This isn't a drill. Let's go deeper in.
Pfffft. I don’t think it’s us you should be worried about.
Oh please, feel free to not express it at all.
Fade to black.
...We never ran into a single monster during that entire trip.
For the record, Hanoi doesn’t help out or even participate in any battles you get into.
Eh? What's the spell? Perfect! I was able to master a new spell!
Let's go! Now, yes?
Urrrggghh...
Eeheeheehee!
Don't say something so callous... you're breaking my heart here!
Harassing me is strictly against regulations.
A flash of pink.
I call it Stardust Love! A heart-shaped burst of light in the night sky!
Harassing me is strictly against regulations.
Ha, ha... no need to be shy! How about we weave our own spell, here, tonight...
If it didn’t work the last few times, what makes you think it’s going to work this time!?
Hahaha, you're strict... But that makes it even sweeter to bend the rules....
Harassing me is strictly against regulations.
You're an obstinate lady....
Harassing me is strictly against regulations.
You're... a tough one...
...
BAHAHAHAHAAAA!
Ohhhh, that never gets old!
Oh, I am so going to have to remember that trick!
Yes, those were all separate text boxes.
But I won't give up! I will find true love!
The level up jingle plays.
I'll try the next town. Love isn't going to be waiting around here! You did a good job. I'll ask you first next time. Adios for now!
Hanoi leaves.
And the reward is not that great, but we didn’t have to do much for this quest in the first place. But let’s move on.
...
Why.
...Riiiiight. I can already think of a few other people I’d rather have as one instead.
Oh, what's wrong? Did you eat something bad? Don't frown like that... I found myself a new chickadee while you've been acting gloomy!
...I’m so glad that you’ve been able to get over that ever so tragic rejection so quickly. Like the last three times.
I'll be waiting here. Don't delay!
We’ll uhh, get back to you as soon as we can on that. Maybe. I don’t make any promises.
Ehh, I’d say we had enough laughs for a good while, wouldn’t you say, other me?
Yes, as much as I’d love to see him flounder some more, perhaps that would be best saved for another time.
Phew!
This quest can theoretically be taken on now, except it involves several fights with a bunch of strong dragons that are a bit out of our league for the moment. So I’ll put it off until later.