Good Swords, Good Dogs

Good Swords, Good Dogs

Quest giver

Hildibrand

Location

Kugane (X:12.1, Y:5.9)

Quest line

Even Further Hildibrand Adventures Quests

Level

70

Experience

 0

Gil

 1,043

Previous quest

The Black Heart Beneath

Next quest

The Past Is Never Past

Patch

4.45

Links

EDB GT

“

Truly, there is no rest for the righteous─or whatever term one might use to describe Hildibrand Helidor Maximilian Manderville.

— In-game description

Steps

• Speak with Hildibrand in the Ruby Sea.
• Question the pirates of Sakazuki.
• Speak with Hildibrand.
• Speak with Hildibrand in Kugane.

Journal

• Truly, there is no rest for the righteous─or whatever term one might use to describe Hildibrand Helidor Maximilian Manderville.

• The hunt for the Soboro Sukehiro and its second thief is to continue in the Ruby Sea. Per Shigure's instructions, you and the others are to go on ahead and wait for him to join you at the Ruby Price, the gateway to that watery expanse.

• After sparing a moment to take in the garish garments Shigure has opted to wear, Hildibrand bids the Wolf Burglar explain why he first sought to claim the Soboro Sukehiro in the first place, prompting the thief to divulge a surprisingly moving backstory filled with tragedy and pathos, in which he explains that the sword once belonged to his adoptive father, a humble samurai, who was deceived by and became indebted to Akebono. Having no recourse, he pledged his blade as collateral and began slaving day and night to repay the vast sum of money he owed. Alas, having grown weaker over the years, he was in no condition to do so, and so died. Deprived once more of a family, his Lupin charge vowed to revenge himself upon the diabolical merchant, traveling to his native Yanxia for several years to learn the arts of the shinobi before returning to Kugane and becoming a notorious thief...but such stories of past wrongs have little bearing on the here and now. To Sakazuki the party will first go, and there question the resident Confederates in the hopes that one will have seen Yojimbo.

• Yojimbo's distinct appearance makes him rather easy to describe to others. Alas, the scout with whom you first speak has no recollection of a traveler matching his description. Onwards and upwards.

• The second scout you question has indeed seen a man matching Yojimbo's description─one in the company of a canine, in fact, prompting Hildibrand to summon the others and make haste for the beach where last they were spotted. Sure enough, you are soon reunited with Daigoro, whose initial reluctance to approach is quickly dispelled by the sight of a shiny koban. The good dog soon leads you to his master a short distance away, currently deliberating how best to breach the Red Kojin sanctuary and seize the Ame-no-Murakumo. When confronted by you and your entourage, he grows belligerent and refuses to hand over the Soboro Sukehiro, but before violence erupts, Hildibrand somehow manages to peacefully resolve the conflict by giving Daigoro a furious belly rub. A beaten Yojimbo surrenders the blade to the inspector, who in turn surrenders it to the Wolf Burglar, albeit unintentionally, after stepping on the dog's tail and paying dearly for his carelessness. The chaotic situation further deteriorates when the sudden appearance of the Sekiseigumi drives both Yojimbo and the Wolf Burglar to flee─the latter still clutching the Soboro Sukehiro. His deception laid bare, Shigure struggles to defend his reasons for freeing the thief from his prison, but alas, has no choice but to return to Kugane and answer for his own crimes...

• Inspector Hildibrand knows that something must be done to save Shigure from his current predicament. However, he also knows that a beach in the Ruby Sea is no place to deliberate your next course of action, and so he bids you all return to Kugane forthwith.

• The inspector's keen inspector's sense tells him plainly that matters are coming to a head. If the Wolf Burglar is to be believed, then the merchant Akebono is the true villain at the heart of these troubles who is most deserving of a comeuppance. Should his crimes be exposed, then Shigure, as well as the Wolf Burglar, are sure to be exonerated. To that end, the inspector charges off into the streets, presumably about a new investigation. Whether or not it will be even remotely successful, only time will tell...

Dialogue

Optional

Nashu Mhakaracca: Gosh, a costume change for Shigure? I can't wait to see what he shows up in next!

The Wolf Burglar: I do wonder, though, how much that blade would actually fetch on the market if sold... Hm? Don't give me that look! It's an honest question! 

Sazanami: Piss on those Sekiseigumi clowns. They started out the same as the rest of us, grubbin' in the dirt, but now look at 'em actin' all high an' mighty. Makes me want to puke.

Accepting the Quest

Hildibrand: All set for another trip into the glittering westward expanse? I know I am!

The Wolf Burglar: Let us hop aboard the next ferry to the Ruby Price and wait for Shigure there, as he requested. Come along! 

Optional

Nashu Mhakaracca: He ought to be here any minute now. I can't wait!

The Wolf Burglar: If you had the sword and sold it, what would you do with the money? Just out of curiosity. I won't tell anyone.

Speaking with Hildibrand in the Ruby Sea

Hildibrand: Oh, it's Shigure! Over here! Over here!

The Wolf Burglar: B-By the kami! I thought you were someone else at first!

Shigure: Well, since it was suggested that I should wear something other than the garments of a Sekiseigumi for a time, I paid a visit to Kogane Dori and purchased something completely unlike my usual attire...

Hildibrand: It's quite the change, but very much for the better, if I do say so myself!

Nashu Mhakaracca: I didn't realize you could be so fashionable!

Shigure: F-Fashionable? Please, Nashu! You give me too much credit!

The Wolf Burglar: I'll say. That getup with those zori? I don't see that becoming a trend...
The Wolf Burglar: Not that it matters. We didn't come here to mess about, eh? We've got a collector to catch. Assuming he's after the Ame-no-Murakumo, then we've got to get to the Isle of Zekki. Any ideas?
The Wolf Burglar: By air or by underwater passage, eh? Bit more tricky than I thought...

Shigure: Without the blessing of the Kojin, the latter seems almost impossible. What about that bird of yours? Montaro, was it?

The Wolf Burglar: After what the inspector did to him? Hah! He'll be keeping a wide berth, I reckon─assuming he's even fit to fly.

Shigure: It was a somewhat traumatic experience for all involved, aye...

Hildibrand: Forgive me my bluntness, my wolfish compatriot, but it occurs to me that we have yet to hear your motives for attempting to steal the Soboro Sukehiro from Master Akebono. Did not Koju say that selling such a blade would be extraordinarily difficult?

The Wolf Burglar: ...It's not stealing to take back what was stolen. That black-hearted bastard Akebono prised it from the hands of its rightful owner.
The Wolf Burglar: He was a humble samurai who lived a humble life devoid of most luxuries. A righteous man who'd never turn his back on those in need─certainly not a young Lupin boy who'd fled Doma during the occupation. The two lived as father and son, with few comforts save each other's company...
The Wolf Burglar: And then one day a merchant came calling, asking after the samurai's sword. Asking him to part with his one prized possession. But a sword is a samurai's soul, and he'd sooner die than sell it, even for a fortune.
The Wolf Burglar: But the merchant, he's not the sort to go quietly into the night. He changes tack and worms his way into the samurai's affairs. Small sums at first, but bigger, then bigger... Before he knows it, the samurai owes the merchant a veritable mountain of coin! And so he pledges his blade as collateral...
The Wolf Burglar: The samurai worked day and night to reclaim his honor. But while strong in spirit, he was weak in body. He fell sick, and soon after passed away, leaving his Lupin charge alone in this unjust world...

Shigure: All this time, you...you were only...

The Wolf Burglar: He left Kugane for a time and returned years later from Yanxia, having learned the ways of the shinobi that he might honor his adoptive father by helping others as he had helped him as a child... 
The Wolf Burglar: A chivalrous guise for a personal vendetta, perhaps. More than anything, he yearned to reclaim the samurai's sword, the last surviving memento of their time together, that he might wear it with pride...

Shigure: All this time, Master Akebono was your main objective. When you broke into his shop in the Rakuza District, you were searching for the Soboro Sukehiro... 
Shigure: You kept a close eye on him, even as you continued to target other disreputable merchants, that you might drive him to take additional measures to protect the sword, knowing that in so doing, he would eventually reveal its location...

Hildibrand: Then it is settled! The Soboro Sukehiro must be returned to its rightful owner!

Nashu Mhakaracca: Hey, um... If it's so hard for people to reach the Isle of Zekki, how was Yojimbo planning to get there?

Shigure: That I do not know, but regardless, if he was headed there, someone must have noted his passing... 
Shigure: I say we question the pirates of Sakazuki and see if any have observed a traveler resembling Yojimbo of late.

Hildibrand: We are of the same mind, Shigure! To Sakazuki, posthaste!

Optional

Hildibrand: Come, let us commence the questioning! After you! 

Nashu Mhakaracca: Honestly, I think he looks better in his new outfit than the Sekiseigumi one!

Shigure: Who could've guessed that the Wolf Burglar would have such a tragic backstory. Maybe I misjudged him...

The Wolf Burglar: ...If it's about what I said earlier, forget it. Finding Yojimbo and the sword is all that matters now. 

Questioning the pirates of Sakazuki

Ihaki: Oh, I remember you. Looking for more dead men?
Ihaki: A rail-thin samurai with a wide-brimmed hat and oversized geta? Hmm...
Ihaki: A traveler like that would not escape my notice...which is to say I'm confident I haven't seen him. Sorry to disappoint you.

Hildibrand: Not at all, my friend. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us! 
Hildibrand: As I said before, my good [woman/man]: when at first you don't succeed, make inquiries again! Let us away!

Optional

Ihaki: That, uh, gentleman from earlier...something about him was disturbingly familiar. Reminiscent of that dead fellow I spied on the boat a while back...

Hildibrand: Onward and to the next potential witness, I say! 

Questioning the pirates of Sakazuki

Confederate Shipwatch: What was that? Lanky samurai with a large hat? As it happens, I spoke with a traveler like that. Had a dog with him, too.
Confederate Shipwatch: Sure enough, he had a mind to head to the Isle of Zekki. Couldn't imagine why, what with the Red being as unwelcoming as they are, and there being no place to dock a boat. I told him as much, but he shrugged it off and went on his merry way.
Confederate Shipwatch: Come to think of it, did I see that dog of his not long ago? On the beach below, wandering about, aye. I hope he didn't abandon him...

Hildibrand: You have been tremendously helpful! A thousand thanks to you! 
Hildibrand: Surely the canine in question is Daigoro! We must gather the others and search for Jim's beloved companion at once! 

Cutscene

Hildibrand: Daigoro! Here, Daigoro!

Nashu Mhakaracca: Oh, I think I see him over there! 
Nashu Mhakaracca: Huh... Maybe he doesn't like us anymore?

The Wolf Burglar: Now, now. You've just got to give the pup the right incentive, is all.

Shigure: Incentive...? 
Shigure: Surely it can't be that simple.

The Wolf Burglar: See for yourself.

Daigoro: Woof, woof! 
Daigoro: <sniff> <sniff> Woof! Woof, woof!

Shigure: So that's all it takes to win him over, eh? A few koban? Greedy little thing...

Hildibrand: Hush, Shigure! Daigoro is a good dog! And now he will lead us to his master!

Daigoro: Woof, woof!

Cutscene

Yojimbo: Hmm... This is quite a fix indeed...

Daigoro: Woof, woof!

Yojimbo: Daigoro? What are you doing here? I thought I told you to wait for me... 
Yojimbo: >> Hildy!? <<

Hildibrand: Jim, my good man! I mean, you rapscallion! You've nowhere to run! 
Hildibrand: Cease your shenanigans and relinquish the Soboro Sukehiro at once!

Yojimbo: I will do no such things! 

(If fought Yojimbo)
Yojimbo: Ever since I was bested by your tight-lipped associate over yonder, I yearned for an opportunity to redeem myself! And so I set about searching for stronger swords with which I might bring my everything to bear!
Yojimbo: I thought to claim victory with the Ame-no-Murakumo in hand, but if circumstances demand we settle this here and now, then so be it!

(If not fought Yojimbo)
Yojimbo: Ever since I was bested by a certain laconic warrior, I yearned for an opportunity to redeem myself! And so I set about searching for stronger swords with which I might bring my everything to bear!
Yojimbo: Mark me─the Ame-no-Murakumo will be mine, for it is the key to my victory! And if you dare to bar my path, I will show you no mercy! 

(Both)
Shigure: Stay your hand, my friend! Though I know you only mean well, securing the sword is a grave responsibility which falls to─

Hildibrand: I, Hildibrand, agent of enquiry, inspector extraordinaire, will resolve this conflict and reclaim the sword!
Hildibrand: Prepare to be amazed as the Soboro Sukehiro is delivered into my waiting arms!
Hildibrand: Daigoro, O Daigoro! Come here and let Hildy give you a great big belly rub!

Yojimbo: Daigoro, you will do no such thing! 
Yojimbo: >> What!? Betrayed! <<

Nashu Mhakaracca: The inspector does come from a wealthy family, so maybe he smells of money?

Hildibrand: Until you surrender the Soboro Sukehiro, I will give Daigoro the most furious of belly rubs, thereby depriving you of the pleasure! Such is my ultimatum!

Yojimbo: >> Daigoro! Daigoro! Return to me this instant! << 
Yojimbo: Oh, fie on it. You win! The sword is yours!

Shigure: By the kami, I can't believe that actually worked! Inspector Hildibrand's powers of negotiation are most impressive!

Hildibrand: >> Mummyyyyyy! <<

Yojimbo: Wait─where is the Soboro Sukehiro?

The Wolf Burglar: Right where it belongs!

Yojimbo: >> You...you fiend! Return it at once! <<

Solemn Sekiseigumi: >> That's far enough, all of you! <<

The Wolf Burglar: >> Bugger me, where did they come from!? <<

Yojimbo: Bah! This isn't over!

Solemn Sekiseigumi: Shigure! What is this I hear about you setting free a notorious fugitive!? Explain yourself at once!

Shigure: Well, er, you see... Inspector Hildibrand and I, we... 
Shigure: In order to track down Yojimbo and the Soboro Sukehiro, we needed to enlist the assistance of the Wolf Burglar. To that end, we removed him from the gaol─temporarily, of course. We have every intention of returning him to his cell!

Solemn Sekiseigumi: And how do you intend to do so when your prisoner has taken flight!? 
Solemn Sekiseigumi: Shigure, I charge you with aiding and abetting a criminal in their escape!

Hildibrand: Be reasonable! You know full well that everything Shigure did was to achieve a greater good! To uphold the law of the land! 
Hildibrand: We will return with the Soboro Sukehiro and the Wolf Burglar, I swear to you!

Solemn Sekiseigumi: Your actions in service to the Sekiseigumi are not unknown to me. 
Nevertheless, Shigure must be held to account for his. 
Solemn Sekiseigumi: To make an exception at your request would only compound the offense. No man is above the law, not even our own... 

(Optional)
Nashu Mhakaracca: First Yojimbo, then the Wolf Burglar, and now Shigure. It's so much quieter when it's just the three of us... 

Speaking with Hildibrand

Hildibrand: What a miscarriage of justice to see our Shigure spirited away like a common criminal, in complete disregard for the extenuating circumstances!
Hildibrand: It falls to us to find a way to right this wrong. But this is no place to devise a plan. To Kugane, my friends!

(Optional)
Nashu Mhakaracca: It's so lonely without everyone else around. I hope they're doing all right...

Speaking with Hildibrand in Kugane (Cutscene)

Hildibrand: Oh, my good [woman/man]! I hardly know where to begin!
Hildibrand: Ever since our return I have been wracking my brain trying to conceive of a means by which we might free Shigure from his predicament, but to no avail.
Hildibrand: By absconding with the sword, the Wolf Burglar has done us no favors. And yet, I do not think his tale of the samurai and Akebono was a lie...
Hildibrand: My keen inspector's sense tells me that the many threads of this tale are converging upon a single point not far from now, in which all truths shall be laid bare for all to see!

Nashu Mhakaracca: Cor! That's what I like to hear! And I agree─I don't think the Wolf Burglar's bad at all. Once the Sekiseigumi realize that, they're sure to let Shigure off the hook, don't you think?

Hildibrand: I most certainly do, Nashu! Furthermore, I say that to hasten this most desirous of resolutions, I must begin investigating Master Akebono at once. Hold the fort while I'm gone, my stalwart assistant!

Nashu Mhakaracca: Yes sir, Inspector! 
Nashu Mhakaracca: I don't know what he's about, but I'm sure it'll be brilliant!

Cutscene

Akebono: ...Hmph. I suppose this day was bound to come. No matter. Soon there will be nothing in this world beyond my grasp. Heh heh heh...