Music: Gazing Over the Great Plain



So Barham and Orlick from Therion's Chapter 2 are back and apparently getting along again, so that's nice.

Also I probably should've had Tressa as the lead for this one instead of Therion, but eh, I'm too lazy to redo it so we're rolling with this.



We be here on official business. Got a delivery for you from the cap'n.



Took you long enough, didn't it?
Ain't no controlling the tides, now is there?



Research is a battlefield. And in it, we scholars are constantly fighting to conquer more territory. I requested the materials that I need for my research from you, to aid me in this war. But it seems you fail to realize the urgency of the matter.



What!? Yer yankin' me chain, ain't ye, matey!?
If it had only been a matter of punctuality, that would have been one thing...



...Ye got a problem with the cap'n now?
Indeed. That brute Leon... We know all about him.



Quit yer filthy lies!
And if you dare deny him, he runs you right through with his great poleaxe! To think we were doing business with such a villain...



Everyone's heard the news by now. How Captain Leon gave up on merchantry and returned to his old pirating ways.
The cap'n would never!
That's right! He told us he'd changed his ways!
Make all the excuses you want! It doesn't change the fact that we won't be asking your company for so much as another pebble!
We don't have to take that kin'a abuse from the likes of you!



What was that!?



Our pebbles're too good for ye anyway!





...Well, that got out of hand quickly.



Let's talk to all involved parties and see if we can get to the root of this big misunderstanding.



This is why I never trust others...



Orlick does have another Sorcerer's Robe, which I truly appreciate.



Unless my eyes were deceiving me, that man was surely the infamous Captain Leon.



Barham is convinced he saw Leon committing acts of piracy, but that doesn't seem like the Leon we know...



The cap'n would never do a thing like that... Grrr! Just wonderin' about it won't get us nowhere!



Here we come outta our way to bring 'em the things they wanted, and that's how they treat us! We don't need the custom of crud buckets like that!

And you better believe Mikk and Makk would know their own cap'n better than anyone! So if they don't think Leon is capable of such things, then who could it be...?



Fortunately, Captain Leon happens to be right in Noblecourt, so who better to clear all this up than the source?



I'm the great pirate, Leon Bastralle! Bahahaha!





...Um.





Leon certainly looks...less impressive than the last time we've seen him.







Somehow he doesn't fight in the manner that a fearsome pirate captain would.

SILENCE



Yes, that's him all right. The filthy thief!
C-Cap'n...? Say it ain't so...
B-but we all swore... We all swore we'd gone over to the straight an' narrow...
.........



.........



What do you mean by that!?
He does look an awful lot like the cap'n, I give ye that... But ye can't fool us that easy!



What...do you mean? I am the one, the only... The pirate captain Leon Bastralle...
Ye don't know, do ye? Cap'n Leon's piratin' days are over!
If yer gonna impersonate someone, at least do yer damn research!



You know, it's funny watching Mikk and Makk chastise someone for following Leon's footsteps while being ignorant of his new calling, when the same exact thing happened with them...

Music: Gazing Over the Great Plain



Got that right! It makes me blood boil, seein' someone sullyin' the cap'n's good name like that!



Yes, quite thoroughly...



That's right. It's that sorry sea snake who's to blame here!





Fortunately, Barham's wise enough to swallow his pride when he's wrong, and Mikk and Makk are laid back enough to let it all slide. Looks like business is back on!



Yeah, ye were a true aid to us. Trusty as the north star!





The defenses are nothing special, but this is one of three shields that actually increases Evasion, and it's a massive one at that! If you're eyeing an evasion build, you definitely want this shield.



I only started acting and dressing like Captain Leon because he was my hero... I don't know where I went wrong...



It seems the wannabe pirate has learned his lesson through the educational act of violence, so all is well. Probably. Let's just assume it is.





Mikk and Makk are happy, of course.



You're curious about my studies? I'm afraid they're not for the likes of you...



I should be able to make some good progress. After all, I know just who I can count on to get me all the materials I should ever need to order in.

Orlick and Barham are also happy, even if they don't really show it. They are stuffy scholars, after all!



We're not quite done yet, though. After doing this side story, the real Leon Bastralle now shows up in Rippletide.





He's pretty much the same as he's always been.







But he has the Battle-tested Spear, which of course has the highest PhysAtk of any polearm and a hefty Crit stat as well as a chance to inflict Blind. Yet another fantastic grab.

Next time, we keep on doing what we've been doing.