131
Nouveau Riche
Main story quest #57, level 23. 131st of 173 in play order.
Quest giver: Buscarron, South Shroud (X 18.1, Y 19.8).
Steps
- Speak with Laurentius
. - Speak with Laurentius again.
- Speak with Laurentius yet again.
- Speak with Laurentius...again.
- Report to Buscarron.
Journal
- Buscarron has more work for a willing adventurer.
- Suspicion surrounds the recent good fortune of a man named Laurentius. Seek him out in the South Shroud and inquire as to the source of his newfound wealth.
- Laurentius leaves you abruptly without providing any answers. Follow him and accost him again.
- You have defeated the Garlean soldier summoned by Laurentius. Confront him and ascertain the nature of his relationship with the Empire.
- Now clearly agitated, Laurentius takes his leave of you once more. Chase him down and find out what he is hiding.
- You vanquish a squad of imperial troops, prompting Laurentius to admit defeat at long last. Shamed by your devotion to the cause, he repents his decision to sell information and supplies to the Garleans, and resolves to give himself up to the Order of the Twin Adder. Return to the Druthers and tell Buscarron all that has transpired.
- After listening to the tale of Laurentius's betrayal and subsequent repentance, Buscarron expresses hope that the Order of the Twin Adder will take pity on the disgraced Wood Wailer. He then shares some exciting news: the missing sylph elder has been found.
Hidden
Characters 2
Buscarron thinks he has found the traitor: a Wood Wailer, one of the forest patrols, who suddenly orders his best wines and finest meats.
What you know from earlier quests 5
- #123 Spirited Away: Buscarron has heard talk of a sylph nearby, but cannot say if it is the elder. He says most folk cannot tell sylphs apart. He agrees to listen for news among his customers and invites you to stay.
- #124 Druthers House Rules: Buscarron gives you a tub of cold water to cool the drunk down without violence. He allows loud drinking but no fighting at the Druthers. He welcomes all who pay and behave, even Duskwight Elezen, whom many treat as brigands.
- #125 Never Forget: Buscarron found Teteroon
, a Qiqirn, near death in the Shroud after the Calamity and nursed him back to health. Teteroon worked at the Druthers, then left for La Noscea. Buscarron wants his forgotten 
scarlet earring returned to him. - #129 Like Fine Wine: Buscarron is moved to tears by Teteroon's firewater and hides it by blaming someone cutting onions. He agrees to keep it a year, though he hates to wait. He invites you back then to share the bottle.
- #130 Sylphish Concerns: When you report Garleans in the Twelveswood, Buscarron is shocked. He says imperials could never slip past the Wailers' spires alone. He suspects a Gridanian traitor guided them through.
Laurentius is a Wood Wailer on patrol in the South Shroud. He was once poor, but lately he spends a lot of coin.
What happens in this quest spoilers for this quest
- Buscarron hears that Laurentius gave himself up to the Twin Adder. He tells you of Laurentius's hard past and hopes he gets a chance to make amends. Then he shares news: the sylph elder has been found.
- Laurentius sold patrol routes and rations to the Garleans and called imperial soldiers against you. Beaten, he repents and gives himself up. His mother was killed by a brigand, and he lost hope of making a difference as a Wailer.
Dialogue 19 lines
Accepting the quest
Buscarron
I'm glad you've come, friend. There's something I want to talk to you about. You know I said I thought we might have a traitor in our midst─someone as was aiding the Garleans? Well, I'm thinking I may have identified our suspect.
There's a regular of mine who used to dine on thin soup, and sip his pint on account of not being able to afford another. But of late, he's taken to ordering my best wines and the finest cuts of meat I can lay my hands on.
Were he a merchant, I'd prob'ly think nothing of it, but this lad's a Wood Wailer.
...And Wood Wailers don't earn that kind of coin. By chance, I was musing on where the money was coming from when you first told me about the Garleans in the forest, and I couldn't help putting two and two together.
- FR Au début, j'ai pensé que c'était passager, qu'il avait besoin d'oublier un souci, mais quand on m'a parlé de ces Impériaux infiltrés, j'ai fait le rapprochement ! ‘At first, I thought it was temporary, that he needed to forget a worry, but when I was told about those infiltrated Imperials, I made the connection!’ English says Buscarron was wondering where the money came from; French says he first thought Laurentius was drowning a worry.
- JA 最初は、やけ酒か何かとも思っていたんだがな。 ‘At first, I thought it might be drowning his sorrows or something.’ English says Buscarron was wondering where the money came from; Japanese says he first thought it was drowning sorrows.
Suffice it to say, if a Wailer's working for the Empire, none of us is safe.
The lad I'm talking about goes by the name of Laurentius. Last I heard, he was in the South Shroud. Find him, [name], and if he is up to no good, put an end to it─and him, if it comes to that.
- FR Je compte sur vous pour le pincer, s'il est vraiment coupable ! ‘I'm counting on you to nab him, if he's really guilty!’ English allows putting an end to Laurentius himself if need be; French only asks the player to nab him.
- JA そして、悪事を働いているようなら、とっちめてやんな！ ‘And if he seems to be up to no good, give him a good thrashing!’ English allows putting an end to Laurentius himself if need be; Japanese only asks for a good thrashing.
Speak with Laurentius.
Laurentius
Can you not see I am on patrol? Be gone. If you have business with the Wailers, take it to the Barracks.
Speak with Laurentius again.
Laurentius
Not long now... Hmph. To think patrol routes and rations would fetch such a price...
No more than I deserve, though. 'Tis little wonder the Empire has risen to such heights. If only the Wailers paid men their worth...
Y-You! What did you─? How long have you─? Help. Help! Heeelp!
Please! Come quick, my friends! It is I, Laurentius! I am under attack!
Speak with Laurentius yet again.
Laurentius
You should have buggered off when you had the chance. Now die, you interfering little swine!
- FR Faites-vous rosser un bon coup ! ‘Go get yourself thrashed good and proper!’ English has Laurentius threaten death; French has him merely wish the player a good thrashing.
- JA ボッコボコにされてしまえー！ ‘Get yourself beaten to a pulp!’ English has Laurentius threaten death; Japanese has him comically wish the player a beating.
Speak with Laurentius...again.
Laurentius
How...? How did you...? You just... I-I know nothing! I was on patrol. He just appeared! I...I thought you were working for the Garleans!
- FR Et puis d'abord, laissez-moi ! ‘And anyway, leave me alone!’ English has Laurentius claim he thought the player worked for the Garleans; French has him say leave me alone.
- JA く、くそ……ほっといてくれ！ ‘D-damn... leave me alone!’ English has Laurentius claim he thought the player worked for the Garleans; Japanese has him say leave me alone.
Report to Buscarron.
Buscarron
Aye, Laurentius confessed to his crimes. I just had word from the Twin Adder. Seems he marched straight into the Nest and gave himself up.
The lad's had quite a life, you know... His mother was killed by a brigand when he was only small. As a young man, he joined the Wailers, hoping to spare his fellow Gridanians the misery he'd known growing up.
Trouble is, protecting Gridania's too big a job for one man, and he came to believe that he couldn't make a difference─that it was hopeless.
There are few things more dangerous than desperation, and a man lost in the dark is easily drawn to the glimmer of coin. I reckon he thought that if he couldn't change the lot of his fellow man, he might as well change his own. Thing is, he was making a difference─just not on his own. Somehow, he'd failed to grasp one simple truth─that those things we cannot do alone, we must do together.
- FR C'est humain... ‘It's human...’ English ends on the moral that what we cannot do alone we must do together; French simply says it's human.
- DE Er hoffte wohl, durch Gil Macht und Einfluss zu gewinnen. ‘He probably hoped to gain power and influence through gil.’ English says he settled for changing his own lot; German says he hoped to gain power and influence through gil.
...Eh? He asked you to thank me, did he? Then there's good in him yet. I just hope them at the Adders' Nest are able to see it... What he's done ain't easy to forgive, but I'd like to think he'd be afforded a chance to make amends.
- DE Ich trage ihm nichts nach. ‘I hold nothing against him.’ English says his deed is not easy to forgive; German says Buscarron holds nothing against him.
But let us leave fates to the Twelve. I have other news for you, [name]. The sylph elder has been found!