After defeating the Erste Empire and the Black Knight, the crew returns to Gran's hometown of Zinkenstill where they are treated to a hearty welcome. They settle in for the night and listen to Rosetta's explanation on Sky Map pieces. A slight misunderstanding causes an irritated Io to storm off to her room. The crew members spend the night thinking about what they'll do from here forward.
Io
Humph.
Rackam
Hoo...
Lyria
Ah, heh heh... Heh...
Villager 1
Come now! How 'bout some more? We've got plenty of food!
Lyria
Sure! I'll have some more! How about you, Io?
Io
Humph!
Lyria
Oh boy...
Eugen
Look now... This is gettin' to be a real pain.
Katalina
Goodness... This isn't going away anytime soon, either.
Rosetta
But I do understand what's going on. And it's very important, after all.
Lecia
Sooner or later, it must be dealt with.
Vyrn
Good grief... What are we gonna do?
Welcomed into the home of a villager, Gran and company sit surrounded by a smorgasbord of food.
Despite the feast laid out before them, Io is pouting and clearly unhappy.
Rackam
Look, Io... I didn't mean anything by it. So could you just... let it go?
Io
Humph!
It seems the problem can be traced back to a few hours ago...
Gran and company had foiled Prime Minister Freesia's plans in Agastia.
And in Mephorash, they had settled the score with the Black Knight once and for all.
Then, the crew went to visit Gran's hometown of Zinkenstill in order to assure everyone that Gran is doing okay.
Upon their arrival, a crowd of villagers gathered to welcome Gran and company.
Villager 1
I heard all about it! You took down the empire, right?
Villager 2
I'm just glad you're alright. We're so happy to have you back, Gran!
Villager 3
You leaving the village caused a huge ruckus, but it's good to see you so doing so well.
Villager 4
Well, considering who your father is, it's no surprise you made it through.
Villager 5
Come! Let's have a celebration today!
Villager 5
There's not much to look at, but please enjoy yourselves in our village.
In celebrating Gran's return, the villagers treated the crew to heaps of wonderful dishes.
Lyria
Mmm mmm! This is delicious!
Lyria
I guess you'd call this a taste of home, Gran!
Vyrn
To us, this is the best tasting food we've ever known! Right, Gran?
Eugen
This'll go well with some wine, I bet. Should've brought myself a few good bottles from Auguste.
Io
The food here's different from anything I've had. On Valtz or anywhere else.
Villager 2
Isn't it, though? The island's small, but we grow some rare veggies here.
Villager 6
Anyways, to think you've gone off and captained a crew of fine skyfarers...
Villager 6
Gran has really grown up!
Rackam
Haha! You're makin' us blush with all that flattery.
Katalina
Indeed, looking back to when I first met him, the captain has surely grown since then.
Rosetta
That can only mean the journey was quite an arduous one.
Rosetta
And even so, you saw it through to the end. As I suspected, Gran is no ordinary skydweller.
Everyone enjoyed the party well into the night.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Lecia posed a question to the crew.
Lecia
Now that I think about it... What do Gran and you all plan to do after this?
Eugen
Of course we're gonna drink till the sun comes up! Amiright? Hey!
Villager 1
Ha ha ha ha! We've got lots to talk about through the night!
Io
Guess those two are hitting it off pretty well.
Lecia
Well... that's not exactly what I meant.
Lecia
Gran, are you headed somewhere else on your journey after this?
Lecia
Or are you going to set up a post somewhere and respond to calls for crews?
Dialogue Option
We're going to Estalucia.
Lecia
You're going to Estalucia?
Vyrn
Wait, didn't we tell you? A long time ago, we got a letter from Gran's father.
Vyrn
And it said, "I'll be waiting for you in Estalucia, the island of the Astrals."
Vyrn
Ever since then, it's been Gran's dream to go to Estalucia!
Dialogue Option
We're going to find my father.
Lecia
I see... Didn't Gran's father go off to Estalucia?
Vyrn
Yep! That's why we're headed there to meet him!
Lecia
I understand. So that's the reasoning behind Gran's journey, huh?
Lecia
But going to the island of the Astrals is not so easy, you know.
Vyrn
Heh heh heh! But we've got a bunch of map pieces to guide us there!
Lyria
That's right! It's... these things, right?
Lyria carefully pulls the precious pieces from her bag and spreads them onto the table.
Lecia
So these are map pieces... I've never seen them in person before.
Rackam
But, these map pieces are pretty mysterious, you know.
Rackam
I was sure they'd be some scraps of paper from a map torn apart.
Io
Now that you mention it... How do you use these, exactly?
Io takes a piece and holds it up to the light, staring curiously.
Io
Doesn't look like anything's written inside.
Vyrn
But I've seen your father use the map pieces before!
Vyrn
He had even more pieces than we have now.
Vyrn
When you put them together, there's like a "pow" and the shapes magically unfold!
Lecia
A "pow"?
Io
What's that even mean? Now I'm even more confused.
Katalina
Well alright. We all know that the Astrals left behind more questions than answers.
Katalina
But what are map pieces in the first place? And why do primal beasts possess them?
Katalina
The more you think on it, the more mysterious it all becomes. If only we had a sliver of information... Wait, hold on a second!
Lyria
What's wrong, Katalina?
Katalina
That's it! Primal beasts! Rosetta, don't you know something about map pieces?
Katalina
Don't tell me... You actually possess one as a primal beast?
Rosetta
...
Everyone looks to Rosetta, eager for her answer, but she shakes her head.
Rosetta
The pieces of the Sky Map... One of the legacies left behind by the Astrals.
Rosetta
Although their primary purpose and even their true name have been lost...
Rosetta
It's widely known that primal beasts, who were abandoned just the same, possess these pieces.
Rosetta
Unfortunately, I don't have one.
Rosetta
Not all primal beasts have a map piece, you see.
Eugen
So what you're sayin' is we'll have to go around to every primal beast till we get all the pieces?
Rosetta
Don't worry. Of course there's no need for that.
Rosetta
Primal beasts with map pieces all have one thing in common.
Io
Something in common? Like, they're big and strong?
Rosetta
Unfortunately, you're wrong. The correct answer is that the primal beast has formed a pact with the island.
Lecia
A pact with the island... Now that you mention it, we'd heard something like that back on Lumacie.
Rosetta
Right. You have a pretty good memory!
Rosetta
Just like her... Like Yggdrasil, primal beasts can form pacts with their islands.
Rosetta
Those who form pacts become the divine protector of the island and can bring out its true power.
Rosetta
Not only that, but its power as a guardian can greatly affect the island.
Rackam
I gotcha. So Tiamat's protection accounts for the wind in Port Breeze, huh?
Eugen
And the seas of Auguste are tied to Leviathan... Well, it makes sense!
Katalina
But, what about Luminiera's power on Albion?
Rosetta
Of course, there are a few exceptions.
Rosetta
Nevertheless, each primal beast with a map piece has a powerful connection to its island.
Rosetta
I once settled down in Lumacie for a while...
Rosetta
But my time was too short. I wasn't allowed to have a map piece for myself.
Vyrn
So that means, we just gotta look for islands under the influence of a primal beast aura!
Rosetta
But at the same time, it means we must come face-to-face with primal beasts to collect map pieces.
Rosetta
Even without the empire on our tails, there's surely danger in reaching for the ends of the skies.
Rosetta
I'd appreciate if you keep that in mind as we go forward.
Everyone seems to gulp at hearing Rosetta's firm warning.
The situation seems pretty tense, but then Rackam decides to try to lighten the mood.
Rackam
But... I mean, you know...
Rackam
Now that you mention danger, maybe it's about time the kiddies take a step back, eh?
Io
!
Io
Are you saying I should go back to Valtz?
Rackam
Huh? No, I mean...
Io
Humph!
Io
Rackam, you're saying you just want me to leave the crew?
Rackam
No, that's not it. After all, the empire's fallen, right?
Rackam
Don't you think they got what they deserved for what happened in Valtz?
Io
Well yeah, but...
Rackam
Then why keep pushing yourself down a dangerous journey?
Io
!
Io
Why would you say that! You blockhead!
Rackam
Hey! Oy!
Lyria
Io...
Io runs away, but no one goes to stop her. An awkward silence falls over the group.
Katalina
...
Lecia
I suppose it's all true... The Erste Empire really is gone...
Lecia
Prime Minister Freesia, the one who had been pulling the strings, probably won't be showing her face again.
Lecia
And Loki, that self-proclaimed emperor, has gone off somewhere and disappeared.
Rosetta
You're right... That's why now's the time to reaffirm our commitment to this journey.
Dialogue Option
I won't force you to go.
Eugen
Ho ho! By golly... If you'd just ask us, you know what we'd say!
Eugen
But, each of us might need some time to think about it, eh?
Dialogue Option
It's up to you to decide.
Rackam
You're right... Just because we're not on the run anymore doesn't mean it's easy sailing from here.
Rackam
We've gotta steel ourselves for the monsters and primal beasts we'll come across in our travels.
With that, Gran and company part ways and go to the rooms that the villagers have prepared for them.
And on this quiet night, they look within themselves for the resolve and the will to move forward.