Chain of Interests is the second part of Cyno's Story Quest, Lupus Aureus Chapter: Act I - Sands of Solitude.
Steps[]
- Go to the desert auction site
- Defeat the ambushing monsters
Scorpion ×4
- Talk to Cyno
- Continue heading to the desert auction
- Defeat the ambushing monsters
- Scorpion ×3
- Continue heading to the desert auction
- Investigate the auction site (0/4)
- Leave the auction with the tracker
- Meet up with Cyno
- Follow Bahari to Aaru Village
Gameplay Notes[]
- At the start of the quest, multiple Four-Leaf Sigils will spawn to allow the player to quickly reach the first marked area.
Dialogue[]
Quest DescriptionYou repelled the chasing mercenaries and now it is time to leave for the desert.
- (Approach the marked location)
- Paimon: So... hot... If only there was some shade for us to cool off under...
- Maybe we should take a break.
- Cyno: We still have a long way to go, so you'll need to hang in there for a while longer. This is not a good place to rest, anyway.
- Paimon: *pant* Okay... But don't you feel hot too, Cyno?
- Cyno: Of course, but I'm accustomed to these conditions.
- Paimon: Care to share any tips? Paimon's about to melt away...
- Cyno: Just try to stay focused — use your willpower to support your mind. The moment you start to give in is when you'll feel more tired.
- Cyno: Take one step after another. Don't let your mind perceive your body's limitations. We must get somewhere safe before we can relax.
- Paimon: Uh okay, if you say so. But where would be a more safe place to rest? Paimon thinks this is a perfectly safe place to stop.
- Paimon: Just look around, it's just sand and desert. There aren't any monsters for miles around... Whoa! Where did these scorpions come from!?
- Cyno: Watch out, something's not right about them...
Maybe we should take a break.
Step DescriptionYou are attacked by scorpions in the desert. Defeat them quickly!
- (After defeating the scorpions)
- Paimon: Phew... Well, Paimon really didn't expect to see those here.
- Cyno: Those weren't just normal scorpions.
- Cyno: See, there are marked numbers on their pincers. They were raised by someone.
- So, you mean...
- Cyno: Someone doesn't want us to show up at the auction. These scorpions were sent to keep us away.
- Cyno: We are surrounded by desert as far as the eye can see. If we were killed out here, nobody would ever know.
- Paimon: This place is super dangerous! Good thing we didn't let our guard down.
- Cyno: Something's not right... There are no roads in the desert, so how could they know where we are?
- Cyno: Stay still, (TravelerTraveler).
- Cyno: Here's the answer... They must have planted this on you.
- Paimon: Huh? What is it?
- Cyno: A miniature tracking device made by the Kshahrewar. They can use this to discern your approximate location.
- Cyno: But this device wasn't licensed for mass production. Where did they get it... Could someone from the Kshahrewar also be involved? Hmm, but that doesn't seem right...
- Paimon: Whoa, Paimon never knew that kind of thing even existed! Why would it be on (TravelerTraveler)?
- Cyno: They probably planted it on the Traveler during our fight with the mercenaries earlier.
- I'm sorry.
- I didn't even notice...
- Cyno: It was a frantic fight. It's only natural you didn't notice the device.
- Paimon: Well, good thing you were able to find it, Cyno! Now let's get rid of it!
- Cyno: Hmm, no... Hold on to it for now. It might still be useful for us.
- Cyno: Let's keep heading to the auction. It would be dangerous to linger here any longer.
Step DescriptionThe scorpions lying in ambush here have all been defeated. That said, there seem to be more and more forces involved...
- (Approach the marked location)
- Paimon: They're back again! How many of them are there!?
- (Approach the auction site)
- Paimon: Weird... Is this where the auction is?
- There's nobody here.
- Paimon: Yeah, not a single soul... Maybe they're on break right now or something?
- Cyno: We didn't waste any time getting here after we defeated those mercenaries. They shouldn't have been able to give any warning of our arrival.
- Cyno: But even so, they still knew we were coming. Someone here must have been watching the tracker, and warned everyone to clear out.
- Paimon: Aw, what should we do now?
- Cyno: We search the area. They couldn't have moved all the Knowledge Capsules so quickly. There might still be something left for us to find.
- Paimon: Alright, let's take a good look around the area!
- (Investigate the Canned Knowledge on the mat)
- Investigate: (Ordinary Canned Knowledge, seems to have nothing to do with the Court of Desolation.)
- (Investigate the Canned Knowledge on the box)
- Investigate: (A large amount of Canned Knowledge has been piled here, enough to fetch an extremely large amount of Mora at market price.)
- (Investigate the footprints)
- Investigate: (The scattered footprints have not been completely buried by the wind and sand, but it is impossible to speculate on the direction of the merchants' escape from the footprints.)
- (Investigate the Sumpter Beast)
- Investigate: (The Sumpter Beast is drinking water leisurely and seems to be completely unaffected.)
- (After investigating the four spots)
- Cyno: Did you find anything?
- Paimon: No, nothing in particular...
- Only some average-looking Knowledge Capsules.
- Cyno: It's possible there weren't many Knowledge Capsules containing info about the Court of Desolation, so they carried those off.
- Cyno: But don't worry, I have another idea. (TravelerTraveler), you two start heading back the way we came. I will remain hidden here.
- Cyno: Come back and meet me here after some time has passed. I'm sure something will come up by then.
- So that's why you wanted me to carry the tracking device...
- Cyno: They packed up in a hurry and didn't have time to carry off all their goods. They won't just leave them here.
- Cyno: Once they think we've left the premises, they'll be back to pick up their belongings. We just need to make sure the tracker goes far enough from here to make them assume that it's safe to come back.
- Paimon: Oh, Paimon gets it! We'll lure them out because they'll think we've left!
- Paimon: Okay, we'll start heading away and leave this place to you.
- Cyno: Yes, and don't worry, if they dare to return, I'll make sure they stay.
- (Talk to Cyno again, optional)
- Cyno: There's no time to lose. Leave as soon as you're ready.
Step DescriptionThe auction site is already empty, and Cyno decides to let you leave with the tracker to lure them back...
- (Approach the marked location)
- Paimon: Ugh... So tired... We've probably gone far enough now, right?
- Yeah, this is far enough.
- Paimon: Yay! Let's rest for a little while before we go back to find Cyno!
- We should go a little further.
- Paimon: Further? But Paimon can't go another step... How about we rest here for a while.
- You sit and rest for a while nearby.
- Paimon: Hmm, it's probably about time for us to head back to the auction.
- Paimon: Let's go, maybe Cyno's finally found some leads.
Step DescriptionIt is almost time. Go check if Cyno has got anything.
- (Approach the auction site)
- Paimon: Oh! Looks like Cyno caught someone!
- Paimon: So you're the bad guy behind all this, aren't ya? Alright, tell Paimon everything you know!
- Does he know anything about the smuggling?
- Does he have an important role in the auction?
- Cyno: I didn't act immediately when he showed up. Rather, I laid low and observed for a while instead.
- Cyno: He is not the primary instigator, but he is most likely one of the more important dealers here. Am I right?
- Bahari: Yes, impressive... You certainly live up to your reputation, Cyno. If I had any idea you were still around, I wouldn't have gotten so greedy.
- Paimon: Huh? Greedy? What do you mean by that?
- Bahari: Once everyone knew you were coming, all the Canned Knowledge dealers abandoned their goods and fled at once. Obviously, there wasn't time to pack up everything.
- Bahari: Since all the goods were just left here unsupervised, I thought I'd use the opportunity to come back and take what I could. You know, free merchandise is good business, but... *sigh* I suppose there's no use explaining it now.
- Cyno: You must know who's manufacturing and selling the Canned Knowledge, correct? Will you tell us willingly, or do I need to make you talk?
- Bahari: No, no, I'll talk. But before that, perhaps we can take the conversation elsewhere?
- Bahari: If we stay here, chances are that someone will see me with you. That would put both me and my family in danger.
- Cyno: Alright. Where do you suggest we go?
- Bahari: How about my home in Aaru Village? It should be safe there.
- Cyno: Fine, let's head out. You can throw away the tracker now, (TravelerTraveler).
- (After the cutscene)
- Paimon: Listen buddy, you'd better not try to trick us!
- Bahari: C'mon now, do you really think I'd try to pull anything under Cyno's watch? Seriously, what can I even do?
Step DescriptionYou caught a man who returned to the auction, and he invited you to Aaru Village to have a talk.
- (Approach Bahari's house)
- Simin: Dad, you're back!
- Simin: Oh, we have guests? Uh, hi there...
- Bahari: This is my daughter, Simin. She can be a little shy of strangers.
- Bahari: Why don't you run along now, dear? Dad needs to talk with our guests.
- Simin: Oh... okay.
- Bahari: Everyone knows Cyno in our business, but let me ask, who are you two?
- Paimon: Paimon is Paimon, and this is (TravelerTraveler)!
- Bahari: To be honest, I really didn't expect to see Cyno the lone operator working with any partners. When I saw the tracker start moving away, I assumed you had decided to just go back empty-handed.
- Bahari: But even though you caught me, I'd still urge you to stop while you still can. You should abandon this investigation.
- Cyno: Why's that?
- Bahari: Everything from the manufacturing of Canned Knowledge, to the sales and even splitting the profits... every step of the process involves dozens, if not hundreds of people. Massive profits have brought everyone together in this business.
- Bahari: Everyone will try their best to defend this industry that we've worked to build. It will be a long and difficult fight, even for you, Cyno.
- Bahari: And even if you manage to win in the end, no one will thank you. If anything, you yourself might even feel remorse... Why are you so bent on putting us out of business?
- Cyno: Everyone has their own reasons for what they do. I don't have to explain mine.
- Bahari: *sigh*...
- Simin: Here's some tea, Dad... and for the guests, too.
- Bahari: Ah, right. I forgot to offer tea to our guests. Thank you.
- Simin: Don't mention it... And, uh...
- Simin: I should tell you that our tea tastes kinda bitter, but I put some sugar in to make it a little tastier.
- Bahari: That's my girl. Do we still have any sugar left? If not, I'll buy some more next time.
- Simin: Yes, we do... Okay, I'm gonna go have a rest now.
- Cyno: Didn't you say that everyone's in it for the massive profits? That sure doesn't seem to be the case for you.
- Bahari: Ahem, actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I was hoping to ask you for a favor.
- Bahari: My daughter was born with a chronic disease, so she has a relatively weak heart and lungs. Even slightly strenuous exercise can cause her to faint and prove to be a life-threatening risk.
- Bahari: That's why she's never really had any friends to play with, and why she locks herself up in her room most of the time. She has to take lots of medicine, and it doesn't come cheap.
- Bahari: As for me, I was just an average merchant. I would wake up early and travel all around to make a profit, but the Mora was still nowhere near enough. I could only watch my daughter's health deteriorate day by day.
- Bahari: Until one day, someone reached out and showed me a way to really make a profit...
- Cyno: Selling Canned Knowledge?
- Bahari: That's right. With all the Mora I made, I could finally afford medical treatment for my daughter. Nothing made me happier than seeing her get better.
- Bahari: There are many others like me. Smuggling Canned Knowledge might seem like an unforgivable crime to you, but to us, it's a means of survival.
- Bahari: I wanted to tell you all this so that maybe you could understand and change your mind. Please stay out of this, Cyno. Give us a way to survive.
- Paimon: Oh no... That means that if we prevent the sale of Canned Knowledge, his daughter will...
- ...
- Cyno: ...
- Cyno: I must get to the truth.
- Cyno: I can find someone to help treat your child, but I cannot turn a blind eye to the smuggling. These are two completely different issues.
- Bahari: *sigh* I somehow knew you would say that, but having your word to help my daughter is enough for me. Since you insist on continuing the investigation, you should have a look around the back of my home.
- Bahari: You'll find some goods I received just recently. I think everything will become clear to you once you see them.
- You go to the back of the house with Cyno.
- Paimon: Whoa! Look at all of this!
- Cyno: Yes, all neatly packed away and organized in boxes. To think that this is only one dealer's worth...
- Cyno: Small producers couldn't possibly support such a large quantity of goods. Hmm, could the Akademiya have a hand in this? But such a volume of goods wouldn't be able to slip through inspection...
- Paimon: Hey, look! These seem different from the other Knowledge Capsules we've seen. Maybe they contain knowledge about the Court of Desolation?
- Cyno: Yes, that would make sense. Wait, what's this...?
- Some sort of marking we've never seen before.
- Do you know what it is, Cyno?
- Cyno: Yes, it's a matra seal, indicating that the goods have passed matra inspection.
- Cyno: I started to suspect that someone in the Akademiya might be involved when I found the tracker earlier, but how they could ship so much Canned Knowledge out of the Akademiya was still a mystery.
- Cyno: The pieces have now all fallen into place. With this matra seal, goods can leave the Akademiya without undergoing a second inspection.
- Cyno: Hmph, no wonder they don't want me to investigate. It turns out that a matra is behind this. Even I find it hard to believe.
- It could be a misunderstanding.
- Cyno: Could I ask you for a favor, (TravelerTraveler)?
- Cyno: Since all this Canned Knowledge came from the Akademiya, then it's highly likely that the knowledge regarding the Court of Desolation originated from research files stored within the Akademiya.
- Cyno: If we can enter the repository, we can find out who accessed these files.
- Cyno: But considering my current status, if I suddenly show up at the Akademiya now, it will only draw unnecessary attention.
- Cyno: You'll need to be the one who checks the records. I'll write a letter to Nabil and he'll take you there.
- Paimon: Sure thing, leave it to us!
- Cyno: I'll also keep working here in the meantime. Although our leads all are currently pointing to someone within the Akademiya, it's obvious that they also have power outside of it.
- Cyno: We can get more information on other dealers from Bahari. I'll stay here and make some preparations. You can come find me anytime if you uncover more info.
- (Obtain Cyno's Introduction Letter)
- (Obtain
- (Talk to Simin, optional)
- Simin: I just want to get better... I don't want to be stuck at home by myself anymore.
- (Talk to Cyno or Bahari, optional)
- Bahari: If you start sniffing around the Akademiya, it won't be long before people catch on to you.
- Bahari: And once word gets out, they'll soon be after my daughter and I.
- Cyno: Don't worry. I'll find them before things escalate that far.
- Cyno: But if you still feel uneasy, then why don't you tell me about anyone else you know who was involved. The more information I have, the safer you will be.
- Bahari: *sigh* Alright...
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Chain of Interests | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 利益链条 Lìyì Liàntiáo | Interest Chain |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 利益鎖鏈 Lìyì Suǒliàn | |
| Japanese | 利益チェーン Rieki Cheen | Interests Chain |
| Korean | 이익의 먹이사슬 Iigui Meogisaseul | Food Chain of Profit |
| Spanish | Cadena de intereses | Chain of Interests |
| French | Chaîne d'intérêt | Chain of Interest |
| Russian | Цепочка интересов Tsepochka interesov | Chain of Interests |
| Thai | ห่วงโซ่ผลประโยชน์ | |
| Vietnamese | Liên Kết Lợi Ích | |
| German | Interessenkette | Interest Chain |
| Indonesian | Rantai Bunga | Chain of Interests[• 1] |
| Portuguese | Corrente de Juros | |
| Turkish | İlgi Zinciri | |
| Italian | Catena di interessi | Chain of Interests |
- ↑ Indonesian: Bunga is commonly known as "flower." In this quest context, bunga means "interest/profit."
Change History[]
Released in Version 3.1