Unforeseen Circumstances

Unforeseen Circumstances is a quest in .
==Steps==
# Ask the Yashiro Commission member questions
#* Ask Kiyoe
# Tell Thoma of the Yashiro Commission emergency
# Negotiate with the merchants in the city
# Go with Thoma to meet "a friend"
# Go to Konda Village and help with a delivery
#* 
#* 
# Talk to the cargo merchant
# Deliver the cargo out of the city
#* Escort the Transport Balloon to its destination within 5 minutes
#* Wave 1:
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#* Wave 2:
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#* Wave 3:
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# Talk to the cargo merchant
# Report back to Yasutake
# Go with Thoma to see Sakai
# Report back to Sakai
# Go to the Yashiro Commission to witness the denouement of the emergency
==Dialogue==
===To Change the Winds===
;(Talk to Thoma again)
: Thoma: So, have you had any ideas?
----
;(Ask Takashi)
: Takashi: ...You're asking me what I think Thoma could do better?
: Takashi: He's busy enough as it is, don't you think? I barely see him around here at the Commission.
: Takashi: And when I do, more often than not, he's busy with the housework.
: Takashi: I think he should carry on doing what he's doing. Everyone's got their own way of living, and Thoma's no different.
;(Ask Masanobu)
: Masanobu: Greetings, welcome to the Yashiro Commission.
: About Thoma...
: Masanobu: People have been talking about him behind his back? Surely not.
: Masanobu: He does a wonderful job and always remains modest about it. Why would anyone single him out?
: Masanobu: Huh, I can't figure it out. Try asking someone else.
----
;(Ask Kiyoe)
: Kiyoe: Oh... Ugh, this is going to be a problem...
: What's the matter?
: Kiyoe: Oh... you're Miss Kamisato's friend, aren't you?
: Kiyoe: Basically, something downright awful's happened, and we're discussing what on earth we should do about it...
: Kiyoe: In preparation for the festival next month, we procured some very precious ceremonial implements from another island.
: Kiyoe: But as luck would have it, our ship got hit by strong winds out at sea. The entire shipment is now sitting at the bottom of the ocean.
: Do you have a backup plan?
: Kiyoe: Well, certainly there's no time to go all the way back out there and buy another batch... Our only option is a gentleman based on Narukami Island by the name of Yuusaku.
: Kiyoe: But he's a shrewd one. He caught on to the fact that we needed the goods urgently and raised prices sky-high.
: Kiyoe: Clearly he wants to take us for every Mora we're worth — it's a real dilemma.
: Can't you barter him down?
: Use the Yashiro name to put pressure on him.
: Kiyoe: We've tried, but he just won't budge. It doesn't help that he has something of a feud with the Yashiro Commision...
: Kiyoe: He once sold us some ceremonial implements of exceptionally poor quality. We returned the items and exposed his malpractice in the process.
: Kiyoe: He's resented us ever since. Now that he actually has the chance to get back at us, there's no way he'll back down.
: Kiyoe: The Yashiro Commission doesn't have any direct authority over merchants. We could file a formal complaint, but the process is long and drawn out, and the festival is drawing nearer every day.
: (This seems like a job for Thoma...)
: (It can't hurt to discuss this with Thoma...)
: Kiyoe: Kazumasa and Furusawa have marched off to see him, but I don't know whether they'll be able to resolve it.
: Kiyoe: I really hope the festival goes smoothly...
;(Talk to Kiyoe again)
: Kiyoe: I really hope the festival goes smoothly...
----
;(Tell Thoma of the Yashiro Commission emergency)
: Thoma: ...Oh, that whole situation, huh.
: Thoma: I heard a thing or two about it. I was planning on finding some time to sort it out after entertaining you.
: So you know a solution?
: Thoma: It's hard to say for sure. I'd need to talk with the guy first.
: Thoma: Since this has piqued your interest — how about we head over there together?
: Thoma: Still... the original plan here was to focus on your enjoyment, not rope you into the trials and tribulations of the Yashiro Commission
: I want people to give you the respect you deserve.
:: Thoma: Ah, so that's your goal here.
:: Thoma: Well, if that is what you really want, I'd better give this my best shot.
: Trials and tribulations with Thoma are bound to be fun!
:: Thoma: Oh? You think so?
:: Thoma: Well, in that case, I guess I'd better look alive!
: Thoma: C'mon then, let's get ourselves over to Yuusaku and see what's what.
: Thoma: I got some intel on him once before. At this time of day, he should be downtown in Inazuma City.
----
;(Talk to Yuusaku)
: Kazumasa: Your asking price just isn't realistic. What point are you trying to make here, huh?
: Furusawa: If the festival gets delayed, don't say we didn't warn you!
: Yuusaku: *clears throat*...
: Yuusaku: Help!!! I'm being attacked by Yashiro samurai!
: Kazumasa: What!? Hey, cut that out!
: Furusawa: You little... Ahem, t—take it easy, would you? Look, we're not going to harm you, alright?
: Yuusaku: The Yashiro Commission is forcing me to sell against my will! Doushin! I need a Doushin!
: Kazumasa: Tsk, looks like there's no negotiation to be had here. Come on, let's get out of here!
: Furusawa: Wait up...
:;(Furusawa and Kazumasa leave)
: Yuusaku: Hmph, is that all they got? Amateurs. The nerve... Oh, hello... you're...
: Thoma: Hello again.
: Yuusaku: Wait, I know you! Well, if it isn't the Yashiro Commission's errand boy — Thoma!
: Yuusaku: Do you know how long the Tenryou Commission locked me up for? And all thanks to you, going on about my goods being cheap fakes!
: Thoma: You almost make it sound like I planted something and framed you. Those goods were defective, you know that, right?
: Yuusaku: Ugh, you're so pedantic! Think how many festivals there are in a given year. Now take candles, for example — do you have any idea how many they go through? I could switch half of them out for duds without a single person noticing, and make a small fortune in the process...
: Yuusaku: I was happily providing you with some much-needed supplies. Not only were you ungrateful, you had the audacity to report me.
: Yuusaku: Well, now the tables have finally turned and you're begging for my help. Can you really blame me for charging a little extra?
: This is more than a "little" extra...
: This price is bankruptcy, even for the Yashiro Commission...
: Yuusaku: Look, I found out what happened. The Commission's shipment ran into a storm and is now lying at the bottom of the ocean.
: Yuusaku: The festival's right around the corner, so postponing it isn't an option. Right now, I'm the only one selling what you need...
: Yuusaku: If the festival goes pear-shaped and Guuji Yae or the Almighty Shogun hears about it, they are not going to be happy... and then you'll have a real problem on your hands.
: Yuusaku: So you might want to consider your position here!
: Thoma: C'mon boss, this is all a little heartless. Besides, aside from the Yashiro Commission, no one else buys ceremonial items. Surely resolving this dispute swiftly is in your interest too?
: Yuusaku: Don't give me that. The fact is, you're desperate to buy, and I ain't desperate to sell.
: Yuusaku: The batch I have here can go to waste for all I care — it'd be no great loss.
: Thoma: Looks like we can't come to an agreement, then...
: Yuusaku: Well, I'm glad it's dawning on you. You can either pay up, or look like a bunch of idiots when the festival comes around. Your choice!
: Yuusaku: *sigh* Time's precious, and I've given you a fair slice of mine today. When you're ready to pay, I'll be ready to talk.
:
: Thoma: *sigh*
: He already left...
: Thoma: Yeah, I think it's pretty clear that he doesn't intend to discuss this any further.
: Thoma: I guess his time in the Police Station didn't make for happy memories.
: Do you want me to mention this to Guuji Yae?
: Do you want me to mention this to the Raiden Shogun?
: Thoma: No need.
: Thoma: I can't say I think much of the way Yuusaku is acting... but ultimately, the issue here lies with the Yashiro Commission.
: Thoma: We were the ones who lost the goods, so the responsibility is on us to find a solution. Otherwise, even if we ride this out, the Yashiro Commission's reputation will take a huge hit.
: Thoma: Let's go. There are a few people I want to introduce you to.
===A Friend===
;(Talk to Yasutake)
: Yasutake: Ah, if it isn't Thoma!
: Yasutake: I must say I'm surprised to see you. Last I heard you were in Ritou... then you just vanished into thin air.
: Yasutake: Who's the new face?
: Thoma: , a friend.
: Yasutake: "Friend"? What, uh, line of work is this in, then?
: Thoma: They're not a connection, if that's what you're thinking. Just a regular friend.
: Thoma: No vested interests here. I originally wanted to take out for some down time, but we've ended up mired in Commission-related complications.
: Yasutake: Hahaha... Okay, I see, my mistake.
: Yasutake: So, what's the situation today, then? I only ever see you when you need something.
: Thoma: I remember last time we spoke, you were grumbling about a lack of Iron Ore. Have you made any progress on that front?
: Yasutake: Why? You got any supplier recommendations?
: Yasutake: You're a little out of the loop, my friend — we increased our bid price a while back. Soon after, we found plenty of sellers were pulling out all the stops to import stock from wherever they could get ahold of it.
: Yasutake: I heard some people were so eager to get in on the action that they even took out loans to get ahead of the competition. If you were hoping to enter the bidding now... I'm afraid you're a little late to the party.
: Thoma: Sounds like now you have the opposite problem — more Iron Ore than you know what to do with.
: Yasutake: That's right, we're going to have to select a few sellers from the pool. There are certain candidates under consideration already, but we're still on the fence.
: Thoma: I see. Well, would you mind if I gave you a couple of tips?
: Thoma: As it happens, I'd noticed that shipments of Iron Ore had recently picked up. I looked into it a little, and managed to get a sense of which sellers had the quality stock, which offered competitive prices, and so on.
: Yasutake: You don't say? Alright then, here's the list of sellers. Give me your thoughts.
: Thoma: These two are veterans of the business. Regular sales, quality stock, but their price is a little steep. I think you could talk them down, though — I'd say to around 80% of what they've quoted you.
: Thoma: This one sprung up out of nowhere recently in Ritou. Their approach is high volume, small profit margins. The quality's not too bad, but there's always a few duds, so you'd need to inspect the goods thoroughly upon receipt.
: Thoma: This one grabbed a loan and leapt straight onto the bandwagon. In their haste, I fear they may have ended up with a mixed bag as far as quality is concerned. Given that their price isn't particularly competitive, either... I wouldn't consider them if I were you.
: Yasutake: Wait, I know this name... Ah, yes. I believe we're on the same page here.
: Thoma: Haha... To be completely up front, this is really quite important to me, so your help in this regard would be greatly appreciated.
: Yasutake: Don't mention it, it's no skin off my back.
: Yasutake: There is something I hope you could do for me in return, though. Recently, several of our deliveries of Iron Ore have been getting stolen. Is there anything you can do to help?
: Yasutake: It's the worst on the road between Konda Village and Inazuma City... something always seems to happen along that stretch.
: Thoma: No problem. We'll be back before you know it.
: What is going on here...?
: Thoma: I guess you have a few questions, ... I'll explain everything later — but it looks like we'll need to get to work pretty soon.
;(Talk to Yasutake again)
: Yasutake: Thank you for helping look into the situation with our deliveries.
----
;(Talk to Hironori)
: Hironori: Argh, man this hurts... those monsters came out of nowhere..
: Hironori: Thank you both for your help. Who are you...?
: Thoma: Hi there. Yasutake commissioned us to come and assist with the delivery.
: Hironori: Wonderful. I was starting to think I'd never get this Iron Ore to its destination.
: Hironori: Um... so, do I owe you anything for this?
: Thoma: Nope, this is between us and Yasutake.
: Thoma: He's the one you should be thanking, if anyone.
: Thoma: Alright , let's do this!
----
;(If time ran out, cargo HP bar is empty, or deliberately abandon the challenge)
:
:;(Return to the previous step)
;(After clearing first wave)
: Thoma: Careful, there could be more monsters to come.
;(After clearing second wave)
: Thoma: Almost there now... one final push...
----
;(After clearing third wave)
: Thoma: Alright, I think we can leave the goods here.
: Hironori: Many thanks.
: Hironori: There were so many monsters, I didn't even see where they came from... It was a dicey situation...
: Thoma: The route should be safe from here on out. We'll be heading off now.
: Hironori: Sure thing. Again, my thanks to both of you.
: Thoma: All in a day's work. Come on, let's go, .
----
;(Report back to Yasutake)
: Thoma: Worry no more, good sir, your goods have been safely delivered.
: Yasutake: Good to know. As for the issue you needed my help with, I have someone on the case — you can expect a resolution very shortly.
: Yasutake: You always seem to be cleaning up for other people behind the scenes, it must keep you pretty busy. Seems to eat up all of your personal time, too.
: Yasutake: Speaking of... I'm going to need your help again in a few days time. There's a meeting coming up, and several trade associations will be fighting tooth and nail over the chance to make a profit. You'll have to mediate on this one.
: Thoma: Ah, that rings a bell. Not a problem, I'll be there.
: Yasutake: One other thing... I heard Sakai gave our guy a loan a while back. Just thought you might be interested to know.
: Thoma: Is that so? Sounds like I should go talk to him, then. Thanks again for all your help, much obliged.
: Yasutake: Think nothing of it. Goodbye for now, I'll see you in a few days' time.
:
: Thoma: Okay, this problem is halfway solved.
: So, who was that?
: What were you talking about?
: Thoma: That was the quartermaster of the Tenryou Commission. He's in charge of all their procurement, and also responsible for keeping their weapon supplies intact.
: Thoma: Making weapons involves purchasing raw materials, so he's the key decision-maker in all the related trade in Iron Ore.
: Thoma: The Iron Ore trade is actually what I was discussing with him just now.
: But what does that have to do with ceremonial affairs...?
: Thoma: On the surface, not a whole lot, I'll admit. But you'll see. Very shortly.
: Thoma: But before that, time to go visit another old friend of mine.
===A Comeback's Always on the Cards===
;(Talk to Sakai)
: Sakai: Ah, Thoma. You too?
: Sakai: Yasutake sent someone over already. But I'm telling you, Thoma, I just don't know if it's feasible.
: Thoma: Really? Why, is there a problem?
: Sakai: You betcha. The guy owes me Mora, for sure, but there's a long repayment period on that loan. If I go hounding him for Mora now, that makes me the bad guy.
: Thoma: But as I recall, the only reason he was entitled to such a long period was because at the outset, he had a business relationship with the Yashiro Commission.
: Thoma: So, if we sever ties with him, surely he'd have to pay you back right away.
: Sakai: In principle, that's how it works. But I'd still be the one who has to take all the flak.
: Sakai: I'm just a small-timer, you know? People like me need stability and security, not to go rocking the boat...
: Thoma: C'mon now, let's work something out. Weren't you after some Noctilucous Jade last time we spoke? We can put our heads together and get hold of some for you.
: Sakai: Hmm... Well, Noctilucous Jade would be good for starters, but...
: Thoma: For starters? I'd say that's plenty for now... You don't want to go biting off more than you can chew, right?
: Sakai: You... okay, fine.
: Sakai: If you bring me some Noctilucous Jade, I'll get my hands dirty for you!
: Thoma: Great. Alright, let's go and find some, .
----
;(Report back to Sakai)
: Thoma: Okay, is this enough?
: Sakai: Plenty. Leave the rest to me, I promise you'll be satisfied customers.
: Sakai: You know Thoma, you haven't changed one bit. Same mindset, same style of working.
: Sakai: I sure hope the two of us never get into a conflict. Fingers crossed our cooperation will stay happy and healthy for a long time to come.
: Thoma: Don't you worry, unless you've got plans to cause trouble for the Yashiro Commission, the future looks bright for all our future dealings.
: Sakai: Phew, that's good to hear. Okay, I'll be seeing you, folks.
: Can we really trust this guy?
: It felt like there was a subtext to your whole conversation...
: Thoma: Don't worry.
: Thoma: People whose attention is always focused on other people's weaknesses tend to expose their own weaknesses pretty easily.
: Thoma: Let's head back to the Yashiro Commission headquarters.
----
;(Return to the Yashiro Commission)
: Kazumasa: *sigh*... What do we do now?
: Furusawa: We could try... asking him nicely? Maybe he'd have a change of heart?
: Kazumasa: I highly doubt that would work...
: Kazumasa: Then again, since we don't have any other options, we might as well give it a try.
: Furusawa: But the samurai spirit...
: Kazumasa: We serve the head of the clan. If the clan is in trouble, we must bear whatever humiliation comes our way to resolve the situation. This, too, is the samurai spirit!
:;(Yuusaku runs in)
: Yuusaku: Phew... Uh, i—is anyone there?
: Kazumasa: Huh, what's he doing here?
: Furusawa: He must be here to make fun of us.
: Kazumasa: There's nothin' we can do about it. Brace yourself...
: Kazumasa: I apologize!Even though this is Yuusaku's line, the camera pans to Kazumasa, who is silently expecting Yuusaku's mocking.
: Yuusaku: I apologize!
: Kazumasa: ...Huh?
: Yuusaku: I apologize! Forgive me, I'll sell to you at the original price... no, what am I saying, make that half price!
: Kazumasa: What's going on here?
: Yuusaku: Thoma? Thoma, are you here?
: Yuusaku: I was completely in the wrong. However much you need, I'll sell it to you. I've got a warehouse full of stock, too, if you need more. Please, you'll have everything you could need!
: Thoma: ...And without any duds this time, I assume?
: Yuusaku: None, none whatsoever! I'll stake my whole reputation on it — no fakes, no defects! I give you my word!
: Yuusaku: P—Please, this is my whole livelihood... don't cut me off...
: Thoma: Since you've promised not to sneak in any fakes this time around, go ahead with the shipment. Once we've inspected the goods, and if all's in order, I'm sure whatever problems you're presently facing will quickly disappear.
: Yuusaku: Okay, I'll deliver the goods right away! Right away, I promise...
: Thoma: You see what I mean? Getting things settled as soon as possible is in everyone's best interests.
: Thoma: *sigh*... Alright, with that taken care of, let's get out of here.
:;(Thoma swiftly disappears)
: Kazumasa: Why was he apologizing... to Thoma?
: Furusawa: What's going on here? Hey, Thoma...
: Furusawa: That's strange, where'd he go? He was right here a second ago...
:
: Thoma: Okay, the floors are done.
: Thoma: Next, I need to dust down the railings...
: Thoma: I only took one day off, but look how much dust has gathered. This is what I mean when I say cleaning is a daily chore.
: Just now...
: What happened?
: Thoma: You remember what he said, don't you? His goods could go unsold, and it wouldn't bother him.
: Thoma: So the solution in this case was to cut off his main line of business, and make him really feel the heat.
: Thoma: The Yashiro Commission doesn't have the authority to meddle in the business world. But, as it happened, I knew a few of his major customers, so I sorted it out privately.
: Thoma: When he realized he couldn't shift his product, had no source of revenue, and wouldn't be able to pay off his loan... he suddenly felt the pressure.
: Thoma: Then, I just had to make sure he caught wind of what the cause of his problems was, so he'd seek us out to make an apology.
: Sounds like you gave him the full Thoma treatment.
: Thoma: It's no big deal. I've dealt with plenty of situations like this in the past.
: Thoma: I know you'd like people to look up to me more, but... it doesn't bother me all that much.
: Thoma: I'm just the housekeeper of the Kamisato Clan — reputation isn't all that important to me. On the contrary, having too good of a reputation can be restrictive.
: Thoma: You feel indignant for my sake when you hear people spreading gossip about me, don't you? That says that in your mind, I'm not the kind of person they say I am.
: Thoma: For me, that's enough. All I need is for the people I'm close with to know the real me.
: Thoma: Thanks for your help in averting a potential crisis for the Yashiro Commission. I owe you one! I'll have to entertain you again some time.
: Thoma: Ah, plus I didn't get very far with entertaining you this time around... so, I guess I owe the both you!
===Ending: The Housekeeper's Other Side===
==Notes==
==Other Languages==
==Change History==