A Gifted Rose: Ballad of Days Gone By

A Gifted Rose: Ballad of Days Gone By is the fourth part of the World Quest Series A Gifted Rose.
==Start Location==
To start this quest, talk to Affan after the daily reset, then talk to Sabbah. Return to Affan and the World Quest icon will appear above his head. Approach Affan and Sabbah to start the quest.
NPC Location Affan.png|Starting Location
NPC Location Affan Context.png|Additional context
==Steps==
# "Awaken" the seeds
==Dialogue==
;(Talk to Sabbah)
:Sabbah: Here for a chat? I've been wanting to talk to somebody.
: About Affan...
:Sabbah: Hmm? Did something happen?
:
:Sabbah: I see, so that's why you have come to me for help.
:Sabbah: I'm honored that I am the one you thought of when something like this came up.
:Sabbah: That said, I did not specialize in plant cultivation, and my experience is limited. I'm not sure that I'll be of much help.
:Sabbah: Still, I will try my best. The gentleman you mentioned who cultivated a new species of rose also interests me.
:Sabbah: I will visit Mr. Affan's nursery when I have some time. You can look for me there later.
;(Approach Affan and Sabbah)
:Affan: You're here.
:Affan: This must be the person you found to help me, right? I said something harsh to her just a few days ago...
:Affan: I'm really... *sigh* I'm old and useless.
:Sabbah: Aren't we having a friendly chat right now? Don't take it to heart, sir.
: Have the seeds germinated?
:Sabbah: Mr. Affan and I went to take a look, and they haven't, unfortunately.
:Sabbah: Based on my observations, these seeds appear to have gone through petrifaction. There are two possible reasons for this:
:Sabbah: The first possibility is that they lost all possibility of growth after a long period of natural weathering and have thus transformed into a petrified state.
:Sabbah: If this is the case, the seeds will be unable to germinate. However, the probability of this hypothesis proving true is low.
:Sabbah: It takes a very long time for petrifaction to take place, and these seeds do not meet that time requirement.
:Sabbah: The second possibility is that this breed has a strong affinity for Geo.
:Sabbah: That is to say that they can gather enough Geo elements while in seed form to form a stony shell over their exteriors.
:Sabbah: If the above hypothesis is true, this means that these seeds can be preserved for a long time.
:Paimon: Paimon... Paimon doesn't really get it. Are you saying that the seeds have turned to stone?
:Affan: So they're stones, huh? Then I suppose all hope is lost. Golden Roses can't grow from stones.
:Sabbah: Golden Rose? Do you refer to the Golden Rose that the folk song sings of?
:Affan: Oh, you probably don't know about this. The village has a rose folk song that has been passed down, and it was originally composed by Uncle Shafaqat.
:Affan: He taught the folk song he composed to the generation before me, and they taught it to their own children.
:Affan: There are already people in my generation who have never heard of this song, and when our generation is gone, no one will remember him anymore.
:Affan: "Rose, oh roses, grant me my wish."
:Affan: "Blooming from the stone, the Golden Rose sang to me."
:Sabbah: That's right... We can make the stones bloom!
: Did you think of something, Sabbah?
:Sabbah: As the song hinted, perhaps breaking the stone shell will let the seeds sprout from the stones.
:Sabbah: Normally, an ideal planting environment needs to be created to awaken the seeds and let them break through the seed casing on their own.
:Sabbah: But this rose breed has a seed casing that is too hard for the sprout to break through. So we can try lending them a hand instead.
:Sabbah: Is this fine with you, Mr. Affan?
:Affan: Do you mean to break the seeds open by force?
:Sabbah: Obviously, we're not going to completely smash the seeds. We have to get someone nimble to do this.
:Sabbah: , can you do it?
: Doing the dirty work again...
: I'm on it.
:Sabbah: You must be careful. Use to break the seed casings first, then use the power of to awaken the seeds.
;(Talk to Sabbah again, optional)
:Sabbah: Try using to break the petrified seed casings, then use the power of to awaken the seeds.
;(Use Nahida's All Schemes to Know on Sabbah, optional)
:Sabbah: (They can cultivate a new species? Well, I have to say I still have a long way to go.)
;(Talk to Affan again, optional)
:Affan: "Rose, oh roses, grant me my wish."
:Affan: "Blooming from the stone, the Golden Rose sang to me."
:Affan: "She sang:"
:Affan: "No land but folk songs bore my spirit."
:Affan: "Songs shall defy my fate, and overcome my destiny."
:Affan: "They will surpass me, surpass time. They will surpass the ever-lasting withering of life."
:Affan: This is the song Uncle Shafaqat taught us.
;(After awakening the seeds)
:
:Paimon: Wow, Sabbah's method really worked!
:Affan: They're finally sprouting! Finally...
:Sabbah: Looks like Mr. Shafaqat's wish can finally be fulfilled after all.
:Sabbah: Mr. Affan, you told me before that this breed of rose is something that he cultivated.
:Sabbah: To be able to cultivate a new species, he must have been a researcher who was exiled here, just like me, right?
:Affan: Yes... He was exiled to this village, and he lived in the house behind us his whole life.
:Sabbah: I see. That's probably how all of us exiles will end up.
:Sabbah: Speaking of which, cultivating new species is something only the top researchers can do.
:Sabbah: It's a great pity that a person like him faded into nameless obscurity so far away from the Akademiya.
:Paimon: Are you thinking about your own future as well...
: Keep your chin up.
::Affan: Yes, child. You still have a long way to go, and lots of things to do.
::Affan: Don't be trapped in melancholy. I don't want to see a second old ghost.
: (I'm not sure how we can console Sabbah...)
::Affan: Don't be sad. Look, in the end, he still managed to leave us the Golden Rose.
::Affan: They are the proof that Uncle Shafaqat once existed in this world.
:Sabbah: You're right. I shouldn't be getting all melancholic at a happy time like this. Let's get back on topic.
:Sabbah: These Golden Roses have only just sprouted. They have yet to bloom. I want to keep watching over them until they bloom. How about you all?
: Same here.
:Sabbah: Let's give them more time to absorb more nutrients. We'll reconvene later and watch them bloom.
;(Quest ends)
;(Talk again to Sabbah or Affan again, optional)
:Affan: I was about to lose hope. Didn't expect this flower to actually grow. I guess as long as we're alive, wonderful things can still happen to us.
:Affan: Little one, are you still sad about Uncle Shafaqat? Don't worry. The living have to carry on ith the wishes of those who passed away. We can't let them down.
:Sabbah: Mr. Affan... I'm not so young anymore. Those friends I grew up with... their kids must be old enough now to go buy spices at the store.
:Sabbah: But I agree. Since we're alive, we may as well try our best to live a happy life.
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
es:Una rosa a modo de obsequio: baladas de momentos pasados