Introduction[edit]
The opening cinematic shows Emperor Siegwald forging a contract with a demon in exchange for power. From here, he proceeds to wage war against all major nations. Shortly after, the player gains control of the protagonist, Jay Claude (ジェイ クロード).
Player actions are displayed in bold for those who aren't interested in the story details and only wish to progress.
It is strongly recommended that the first thing you do is go into the menu and change the walking speed. Feel free to use the Menu Translation Guide if needed. The maps in this game can be huge and the quantity of them is quite high, so a slow-moving protagonist is the last thing you need.
Port City Jerez (へレス)[edit]
The sailors will caution Jay, as some members of the Imperial Army are in the city. Head upwards a little ways and Jay will be stopped by some of them. Jay mentions that he is just a treasure hunter passing through, however, the blonde man quickly realizes that he has seen his face somewhere before. They allow Jay into the city, but forbid him from leaving due to their suspicion. Two youngsters, Emmy and Carl, overhear the word treasure hunter and decide that Jay will be their target tonight. The random townspeople recognize Jay as a new face, with one mentioning a small village to the west called Pearlside.
Enter the Inn (the doors to all other buildings are locked) and book a room. In the middle of the night, Emmy and Carl will sneak inside to steal Jay's belongings. Though he catches them in the act, our hero shows mercy and allows them to go free. Make sure to save your game in the morning. Other guests at the inn will mention that the Imperial soldiers outside are riled up about something. Exit the Inn.
A group of soldiers will identify the hero as "Jay the Deserter" who abandoned the Imperial Army and state that intend to execute him on the spot. Jay defends the accusations by saying he has no idea what they are talking about. The soldiers believe that he is simply playing dumb however, and immediately attack.
Battle against soldiers.
All of the city's buildings are now open, though random encounters with soldiers will still occur until Jay exits the town entirely. Most of the town's inhabitants detest the Empire, with one mentioning that the guard who previously blocked the town exit is now gone. Finish any preparations (stocking up supplies, gaining experience, etc.) and then exit the town. From the overworld map, head west a little ways to find the village of Pearlside.
Pearlside (パールサイド)[edit]
The villagers here will mention that a monster lives in the forest to the west, and that several who have entered have not returned. They also mention that a monastery at the north end of the village is home to children who lost their parents due to the war. Talk to Tony - the young lad standing at the entrance to the monastary. Jay will ask about Emmy and Carl, and will be informed that they were spotted in the village just a little while ago. Walk back into the village main and Jay will once again be ambushed by the Imperial soldiers.
Three separate battles against soldiers.
Finally, Emmy will appear and usher Jay over to her location. She and Carl then sneak him into the monastery. The soldiers outside interrogate Tony, but the boy insists that the only person inside is a young girl. One of the soldiers states that if he is lying, it will end very badly for him, but ultimately exits the village along with the others. Inside, Jay thanks the young duo for their help. Carl counters that it is in fact his help that they are in need of. Carol, the child asleep in bed, contracted a disease and Sister Cindy - the caretaker of the monastery - went into Rektor Forest in search of some medicinal herbs, but has not returned. Emmy and Carl beg Jay to go look for Cindy, and he accepts. Exit the building and the village itself and head west to Rektor Forest.
Rektor Forest (リークトールの森)[edit]
Head right at fork A, then right at fork B for a treasure chest with an HP-restoring Heal Tonic (ヒールトニック). Backtrack to fork B and go north. At fork C, head left for two chests: a TP-restoring Sage's Sand (賢者の砂) and Steel Knife (スチールナイフ). Back at fork C, take the middle path for another couple chests: Heal Tonic and Sage's Sand. Finally take the right path at fork C, followed by the right path at fork D, and north at fork E. Chest: Chainmail (鎖かたびら). Jay discovers Cindy in the clutches of a large plant-based monster.
Boss Battle: Rektor (リークトール)
After the battle, Cindy collects the much needed Heal Leaf (ヒールリーフ) and joins the party. Grab the final chest: Bible (バイブル) and backtrack out of the forest to Pearlside.
Pearlside (second trip)[edit]
The party is horrified to discover that numerous villagers have been slaughtered. Head for the monastery. Tony is found dying on the grass. He states that the Vector Dark Knights (ベクター暗黒騎士団) are the ones who attacked the village, and that they also kidnapped Emmy and Carl because of the help they gave to Jay. The only saving grace was that Johnny (ジョニー), one of the children, escaped to the village of Calburn.
Jay and Cindy bury Tony and the rest of the dead, and then vow to rescue the abducted children, regardless of the danger. Head south from Pearlside to the city of Calburn.