Dragon Warrior IV/Chapter 1: The Royal Soldiers

"This is a story about royal soldiers of a small country called Burland. One of the royal soldiers is you, Ragnar. One morning, the King summons all the soldiers to the Castle court..."

Burland
Our story begins in the castle town of Burland. After a small village has been cursed with the disappearance of many children, the King decides to send Burland's finest out to find the kids. You play as Ragnar, one of the soldiers. Before going out to find the missing children, spend some time wandering around the castle to speak with some of the people here. You might get some valuable information. Before you leave the castle, head into the southeast room on the first floor. Search the fourth drawer from the left-hand wall to find a Medical Herb. There are other treasures to collect, but they are inaccessible...for now. Time to leave the castle.

In the castle town, there are plenty of people to talk to. One man suggests traveling to Izmit, a village across the river. One young woman, named Flora, says her husband Alex left town and never came back. Keep her tale in mind. All of the shops sell some good equipment and items, but Ragnar is fairly well equipped to begin with. If you need to buy anything, you should at least purchase a couple of Medical Herbs. They're inexpensive and restore 30 HP, so stock up!

Time to head to Izmit! Leave town and head northeast until you reach the Cave of Izmit.

Cave of Izmit
One thing to keep in mind is that the enemies in the Cave of Izmit are slightly harder than the enemies you encountered around Burland, but they can be easily taken down. The one enemy to definitely watch out for is the Healer. These slimes can heal themselves and their allies, making them very annoying pests. Make them your first target if you fight them alongside other enemies.

From your starting position, follow the path until you reach a fork in the road. The north fork leads to a dead-end, so go east and follow the path. When you get to the second fork, go right again. Follow this new path to find a treasure chest containing a Medical Herb. Return to the fork. Head north and you'll arrive at a small pond. Speak with the soldier here if you want. At this pond there are two paths: one to the north and one to the west. Both lead to the exit, but the western path also has a chest containing 40 gold pieces. The choice is pretty obvious here.

After emerging from the stairs, head east and a bit north to find the village of Izmit.