Crisis at the Aisa Bathhouse is the second quest in Yumemizuki Mizuki's Story Quest, Tapirus Somniator Chapter: Act I - Dream Eater's Melancholia.
Steps[]
- Go to the Aisa Bathhouse
- Meet Mizuki
- Follow Mizuki's instructions
- Undergo treatment
- Exit the nightmare
- Talk to Mizuki
- Experience the other services
- Go to the address Miko mentioned
- Ask around for information on Emura Ichigensai
- Look around
- Talk to Paimon
- Meet with Emura Ichigensai
- Return to the Aisa Bathhouse
- Go to where you first met Mizuki
Dialogue[]
Quest DescriptionYou and Paimon follow the address on Mizuki's invitation and find your way to the Aisa Bathhouse. However, before you take the chance to enjoy a pleasant soak, it strikes you that business at the bathhouse isn't going so well...
- (Approach Aisa Bathhouse)
- Paimon: Aisa Bathhouse... Well, based on the letter, this should be the place.
- Paimon: It looks familiar... Hm, we've walked past here several times before, right? Just never gone inside.
- Aikawa Susumu: Are you here to visit the Aisa Bathhouse?
- Paimon: Whoa! Where'd you come from!?
- Aikawa Susumu: Oh, sorry... Forgive me, I didn't mean to intrude. We've been struggling to attract customers recently, so I got a little over-excited when I heard you discussing my bathhouse...
- Paimon: "Your" bathhouse? So you run the place, huh? And business isn't going so great, you say?
- Aikawa Susumu: Oops... please, forget I said that, it just slipped out. Now, do you have an appointment?
- Paimon: Uhh... we have a VIP pass. Can we use it now?
- Aikawa Susumu: What? ...Ugh, I've told them before, a promotional gimmick isn't gonna magically fix our business. Who issued this thing... Wait, is that Miss Yumemizuki's signature?
- Aikawa Susumu: I'm so sorry, I had no idea you were invited here by Miss Yumemizuki... Please, feel free to redeem your VIP pass now if you'd like. Just give your names at reception.
- Paimon: Sounds like she has a lot of clout... But aren't you supposed to be the boss?
- Aikawa Susumu: I am, yes, but Miss Yumemizuki is a major shareholder. The business never would've gotten off the ground without her investment...
- Paimon: What?
- Aikawa Susumu: It's no cause for alarm though — she's a very responsible person. In addition to being a shareholder, she's also personally involved in our day-to-day business.
- Aikawa Susumu: She only returned to Inazuma recently — otherwise, I'm sure you'd have heard of her by now. She's a highly renowned clinical psychologist.
- Aikawa Susumu: Please, head on in.
- (Talk to Aikawa Susumu, optional)
- Aikawa Susumu: Aren't you going to head inside? Believe me, Miss Yumemizuki will not disappoint!
- (Enter Aisa Bathouse)
- Paimon: An indoor hot spring? Paimon's gotta give that a try!
- Flustered Attendant: Hello! I'll be right with you— Aah!
- Paimon: Oh, you okay?
- Flustered Attendant: *grimace* ...Sorry! I'm so clumsy sometimes... But don't worry about me! Putting customers in a bad mood is the last thing I want.
- Flustered Attendant: I promise I'll provide an excellent service! P—Please don't leave...
- Paimon: Uhh...
- Lazy Attendant: How many times do I have to tell you? You breaking a few plates isn't the reason we've been losing business. Stop apologizing for yourself all the time — all it does is make you look like an easy target.
- Paimon: It's all good, we're not out to target anyone... You didn't hurt yourself, did you?
- Flustered Attendant: ...Nope, don't worry! As long as it didn't ruin your experience, that's all that matters! Now, um... looks like you'll be my first customers today, so, so... according to our standards of service, I need to, um, umm...
- Paimon: Why is she so panicky...
- Lazy Attendant: *sigh*...
- Paimon: Actually, we're—
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Shion, let me see to these two. They're my guests.
- Paimon: Aha, there she is! Baku lady is back!
- Shion: So Mizuki invited you here? As VIPs? ...Does this mean you're gonna save the Bathhouse!?
- Paimon: Uhhh...
- Lazy Attendant: She means, you must be very wealthy. Not everyone can afford our VIP service, after all.
- Lazy Attendant: But a couple of customers with cash to splash doesn't solve anything in the long run. You should focus on what to do about our new competitor.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Aw, Murasaki, was that you showing some concern for our business? I'm touched.
- Murasaki: Did not...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Since you're so eager to find solutions, you can work on our most pressing task — bringing our accounts up to date. With your smarts, I'm sure you'll fly through it.
- Murasaki: ...Subtext being, you can't give it to Shion, because she's a moron and she'd screw it up?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Shion, I'll take things from here. What I'd like you to do is head to the kitchen and prepare some of your very best snacks for our VIPs.
- Shion: Will do! That's my specialty...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Sorry to keep you waiting. I have to keep our staff calm to ensure you have the best experience.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: The panicky little girl is Hyakujitsuhaku Shion, and the lazy lady is Shiba Murasaki. They're both baku, just like me.
- Paimon: Wait... so the older-looking one is actually younger? And the younger-looking one is older?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: That's right. How we choose to appear is just a matter of personal preference. It's more reflective of our personality than our age.
Come on, Paimon. We've seen weirder stuff than this.- Wow! I never would have guessed!
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Anyway, enough about them — back to you two. Per the terms of the VIP pass, you're entitled to free use of all our services: so the spa, the fine dining, and psychological consultancy.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: I would recommend starting with the psychological consultancy. Between me and you, one of the steps involves getting your bad dreams eaten.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Since I ate one of (TravelerTraveler)'s good dreams by accident, this seemed like the best way to make amends.
- Paimon: Ooh, we get to have our bad dreams eaten by a yumekui-baku? That sounds fun!
But is this a wise decision, given the current state of the business?- Paimon: That's a good point. You've been having some difficulties recently, right? It wouldn't feel right to get all this free service while you're struggling... Is there anything we can do to help out?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: ...I take it you overheard Mr. Aikawa complaining about our current situation?
- Paimon: Yeah...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: I am sorry to cause you concern. Mr. Aikawa is a smart businessman, but he tends to worry too much about short-term profits and lose sight of the big picture.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Our financial situation is nowhere near as dire as you're imagining. And in any case, passing our business woes onto our customers is hardly the solution.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Please enjoy the services we have to offer. Once you've experienced our hospitality for yourselves, I'm quite sure your confidence in our future prospects will be restored.
- Paimon: Can't argue with that! Let's get started!
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Of course. The only thing is, psychological consultancy is a one-on-one service that takes quite a long time. But I can't just make one of you wait around while the other one is in therapy.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: So... Perhaps I can treat (TravelerTraveler) while Shion treats Paimon? Would that work?
- Paimon: Fine by Paimon! But uh... is she up for it?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: She'll be fine. I noticed how gentle and encouraging you were towards her earlier. You're the perfect client for her.
- Paimon: Oh, uh... hehe...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Secondly, Shion's therapeutic approach is a little different from mine... it often involves food. So she might be a better fit for you.
- Paimon: Food therapy? Oh, that sounds perfect!
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Alright then, (TravelerTraveler), please follow me.
- Was all that just so you could be paired with me?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Don't get me wrong, Paimon is genuinely better suited to Shion. But in all honesty — yes, I had my own reasons for wanting to treat you myself.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Your psychology is so unique. I just had to investigate further to satisfy my own curiosity.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Please, come with me.
- (Talk to Mizuki, optional)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Before we begin, please take a seat on this chair.
- (Sit on the chair)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: There's a theory which suggests that we bury our most powerful emotions deep within our dreams. That's the territory I would like to explore.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Before I start, I'm going to ask you a few questions. I want you to nod your head for yes and shake your head for no. Alright?
- (If the player didn't respond for some time)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: ...(TravelerTraveler)? Hellooo? It's not time to fall asleep just yet.
- (If the player shakes their head for the first time)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: What's the problem? Are you expecting me to bribe you with candy like a little child?
- (If the player shakes their head again)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Are we going to keep testing my patience?
- (If the player moves their head in a diagonal direction)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Are you... trying to relax your neck muscles? Remind me to teach you the proper technique some time.
- (If the player nods their head)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Very good. Now, I am going to plant a few thoughts in your subconscious, but it's nothing to get nervous about. Just a way to improve your sleep quality so the treatment will be more effective.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: This is an incense from Sumeru that soothes the mind. The fragrance is said to be the "scent of dreams."
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Now, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and concentrate on the scent.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: The next step requires some visual preparation. So don't open your eyes until I say so.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Aw, where did it go?
- What is Mizuki looking for? Surely it can't hurt to take a quick peek?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: *sigh* I need to have a stern talk with Murasaki. How hard is it to just put things back where they came from...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Hmm... This needs another dab here.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Ahh, that's better.
- (If the player chooses to peek, optional)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: I said no peeping... I'm still not ready yet.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Hey, don't run off now, darlings.
- "Darlings"? Now I'm curious... Maybe just a sneaky little peek?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Come here.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: For goodness' sake, your butt's showing...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Alright, alright! Shh!
- (If the player chooses to peek, optional)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: *sigh* Let me do that for you.
- (Mizuki closes the Traveler's eyes)
- (If the player chose to peek before)
-
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: I can see that you don't like being kept waiting. Go on, open your eyes. Everything's ready.
- (If the player didn't peek at all)
-
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Ready. You can open your eyes now.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: You kept your eyes closed the entire time! If only every patient was as compliant as you, it'd make our lives much easier... Here, you deserve a treat.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Take a good look at this painting — there are some very special little darlings hidden within it, and I'd like you to find them.
- (If the player looks up at Mizuki, optional)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Careful. When you look a psychologist directly in the eyes, they can see every little thing you are thinking.
- (If the player is idle for some time)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Oh, are your eyes feeling sore? If so, please feel free to take a break.
- (Upon finding the first baku)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Do you see her? Isn't she just adorable?
- (After finding the first baku)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Now, you just need to find the others.
- (After finding all three baku)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: She's a baku as well. Whenever someone starts dozing off, she's there waiting for their dream to begin.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Your journey into dreamland began as you were looking for them. Feeling sleepy?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Now, I want you to take my hand.
- (If the player didn't hold Mizuki's hand after some time)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: What's the matter? Feeling shy? Relax, this is just a part of the psychotherapeutic technique.
- (Hold Mizuki's hand)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Very good. Now, close your eyes again for me.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: I want you to completely relax, and focus your attention on the feeling of my palm touching yours. Notice how all other sensations in your body are slowly fading away...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Now, imagine you're holding not my hand, but your favorite things in all of the world.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: You run your hand through the sakura blossoms gently falling through the air, then through a squirrel's fur... Then you grab a fistful of sand on the beach...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: You are once again in the wilderness, running with the wind at your back. But slowly, your palm loses sensation. You lose your way and find yourself surrounded by darkness.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: You can't see anything. But you hear someone calling you... and now, a light is shining from the same direction as their voice...
- (TravelerTraveler): (What is this place...?)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: (TravelerTraveler), come over here...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Longing, caused by separation... It tastes so bitter. Please, don't stop moving.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Despair, caused by failure... Icy-cold on the lips. Please, keep going.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Regret, caused by missed opportunity... A sharp aftertaste. Please, don't look back.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Go to where the sakura petals fall, go to where the squirrels play, go to where you can hear the sound of the waves...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: That is where I am.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Holding my hand tight, those lost sensations come back to you...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: The feeling of running your hand through falling sakura blossoms, or through a squirrel's fur, or of grabbing a fistful of sand on the beach...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: And as you return from the wilderness, you gradually recover your other senses as well.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: We've reached the end of today's session. Don't get up yet, though — you were just in a very deep sleep, so you're probably still feeling a little groggy. I've switched to a different incense that'll help get rid of your drowsiness.
- Paimon: Yawn... How you getting along, (TravelerTraveler)?
- Just finished.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: How are you feeling after your session, Paimon?
- Paimon: Hmm... Kinda... fresher and more relaxed? It feels... cozy, somehow.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Good — that's exactly how you should feel after having a nightmare eaten. It sounds like the session was quite effective.
- Paimon: Oh, for sure! Paimon especially liked how she used the sense of taste to help guide the process.
- Paimon: But Paimon was asleep for most of it, so she's not really sure how it all works. Do the yumekui-baku just, like... sneak into your brain and gulp down your bad dreams in one go?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: It's quite a bit more complicated than that. It deals with people's most visceral emotions, which have to be handled with the utmost care and attention...
- Paimon: That sounds super mysterious...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: ...Sorry, that probably made no sense at all. Anyway, don't worry about the details. For your purposes, Paimon, just think of it as Shion gulped your dreams away.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: How are you feeling, (TravelerTraveler)?
- Just like Paimon described.
- Cozy.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Really? Hmm... I still think there's more work to be done...
- Paimon: What do you mean?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: You have quite a reputation for resilience and positivity. So, I expected to find very few negative emotions in you at all.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: But when I was deep in your subconscious earlier, the sheer weight of the emotions hidden there was overwhelming...
- Eh, I'm sure it's fine...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Well, even if you've buried those feelings deep enough to hide them from yourself, you can't hide them from a trained psychologist.
- I... do have quite a lot of baggage from my past...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Yes. You certainly do.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: But that's not what concerns me the most. Despite all your negative emotions, I couldn't find a single bad dream. So I just gave your mood a boost for now.
- Paimon: Huh. Well... maybe (he'she's/
she'sshe's) just an eternal optimist at heart? - Yumemizuki Mizuki: Optimist or not, everyone has bad dreams. Maybe they're just hidden even deeper in your mind... You're a unique case, as I suspected.
- Paimon: But (ss)he said (ss)he feels cozy, just like Paimon. So whatever you did, the treatment worked!
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: True, but as a clinician, I would have hoped to reach a better understanding of my patient.
- Sounds like you want to keep researching me?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Fine by me, as long as you can put up with a daily nap while holding my hand.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Anyway, all jokes aside, it's time for you to try out the hot springs. Your mind has had the chance to de-stress, now it's time to do the same for your body.
- Paimon: Ooh, that sounds good... Paimon's feeling relaxed already.
- Paimon: You know, this place provides a really great service. It's such a shame that you can't find more customers.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Don't start worrying about our bottom line again, or my work so far will count for nothing... Look — as long as we keep providing a great customer experience, we're sure to attract more business eventually.
- Paimon: Hmm... If you say so.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: I think (TravelerTraveler)'s recovered from the therapy session now. Let's head to the hot springs.
- (Leave the room)
- Yae Miko: Hmm... Most impressive, I must say...
- Paimon: Miko, what brings you here?
- Yae Miko: Ah, there you are... I heard a rumor that you were about to be kidnapped. Naturally, I had to come and see it for myself.
- Paimon: ...She's joking, right? Paimon can never quite tell with her.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: ...Miko. It's been a while.
- You know each other?
- Yae Miko: She never mentioned? Interesting... We've known each other since before I became the Guuji. I've told her all about you... but it sounds like she's forgotten all about me.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: You'll have to forgive me. I just didn't want to scare (TravelerTraveler) off... and "Hi, I'm Miko's friend" seemed like a sure-fire way to do that.
- Paimon: Pff...
- Truth...
- I wouldn't go that far...
- Yae Miko: Ah, I've missed your way with words.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: So, Lady Guuji. To what do we owe the honor?
- Yae Miko: Why, I simply came to see the business that my dear friend has invested in... Oh, and also to urge you to sell your shares before their value plummets to nothing.
- Yae Miko: You could always invest in the Yae Publishing House, you know... Business is always booming. You only need to ask.
- Paimon: Sounds serious... But what's wrong? Are the shares really gonna plummet to nothing?
- Yae Miko: Hasn't she told you? ...Tsk, of course. She's your therapist — she has the perfect excuse to never open up.
- Yae Miko: The Aisa Bathhouse used to be very popular — although not because of the hot springs, despite the name. Their main selling point has always been the psychotherapy services offered by the baku.
- Yae Miko: But recently, a competitor cropped up... His name is Emura Ichigensai. He operates right here on Narukami Island, and his methods are said to be quite revolutionary.
- Yae Miko: Since he provides a similar service to the bathhouse and boasts even better results, he was able to poach their entire clientele in just a matter of days.
- Yae Miko: *sigh* It's such a pity to see how empty this place is now.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Miko, my job is to relieve my clients of their burdens — not to share mine with them.
- Yae Miko: Of course you'd say that — you're a professional. But no amount of professionalism is going to fix this situation, is it?
- Yae Miko: I heard people have been lining up since the early morning for Emura Ichigensai's clinic today — he's seeing patients just west of Inazuma City. And how many patients have you seen today?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: ...Surely you know I'm not going to quit?
- Yae Miko: *sigh* ...True, very true.
- Paimon: ...So that's it? You're just gonna leave?
- Aren't you two friends?
- Aren't you going to help?
- Yae Miko: Oh, I'd love to help, little one. But I don't want to upset my old friend.
- Paimon: Miko's acting all mysterious again...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: I understand why she doesn't want to help. The two of us are technically competitors, after all.
- Paimon: Huh?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Light novels are one way for people to pursue happiness in their free time. So are hot springs, and so is therapy.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Miko and I disagree quite significantly over the question of how to make people happy.
- Paimon: Paimon is so confused by your friendship...
- It's definitely a quirky relationship.
- It's definitely a complicated relationship.
- Paimon: Paimon's curious though. After today, it's hard to believe that anyone could offer a better therapy service than the yumekui-baku. Which begs the question...
- Paimon: Who is this Emura Ichigensai guy, anyway?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: ...Something of a mystery. I tried to look into his background when he first started poaching my customers, but I couldn't find anything.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: I suspect he's avoiding me on purpose, since I'm a competitor. In all this time, I haven't even figured out basic things like where he sees his patients.
- Paimon: Well, we at least know where he is today though, right? Miko happened to mention it in passing...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: That's true... But I'm sure he'll find a way to avoid me again if I go looking for him...
- Paimon: Then... why don't we go instead? We can pose as potential customers to get information out of him!
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: As I keep reminding you, this is my problem, not yours...
- Unless the Aisa Bathhouse ends up having to close...
- ...In which case, it becomes our problem too.
- Paimon: Exactly. You provide an amazing service here, and we want all our friends to experience it as well.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Huh. Well, now it just seems rude if I reject your help... In return, all I can offer is an even better service on your next visit.
- Paimon: Sure thing! Just leave this to us!
Step DescriptionFrom Miko's sudden visit, you discover that the financial crisis at the Aisa Bathhouse is somehow related to a competitor. Seeing the trouble that Mizuki is in, you and Paimon agree to investigate this rival in business...
- (Approach the marked location)
- Paimon: This should be the place... That guy looks official. Let's go ask him.
- Paimon: Hi there! We're looking for Emura Ichigensai, are we in the right—
- Kanai: Pay first, take a ticket, then wait your turn.
- Paimon: Oh, okay...
- Paimon: Ninety-seven... What number are you up to so far?
- Kanai: Fifty-three. Be patient. I'll call your number when it's your turn.
- Paimon: Geez, what a charmer... Looks like we're in for a long wait, huh?
- Shall I knock him out, so we can barge straight in?
- Paimon: Sounds kinda therapeutic in its own way... But we don't really have a good excuse to resort to violence here. And we definitely don't wanna scare off our target.
- Paimon: Why don't we pass the time by talking to some of his other patients? It looks like there's a few of them standing over there.
- Shall we talk to the other patients while we wait?
- Paimon: Hey, good idea! Hmm, it looks like there's a few of them over there. Let's go see what we can find out.
- (Talk to Kanai, optional)
- Kanai: Pay first, take a ticket, then wait your turn.
- (Talk to Susukida or Umihiko)
- Paimon: Sorry to interrupt...
- Susukida: Do I know you?
- (Show Ticket)
- Susukida: ...Ah, so you're here for counselling too.
- Paimon: Yep! Fellow clients of Emura Ichigensai here. Although, this'll be our first time using his service, so—
- Susukida: "Service"? How crass. We're talking about spiritual guidance here, not some business transaction!
- Umihiko: In fairness to them, they haven't experienced it yet. Ignorance among the uninitiated is only to be expected.
- Paimon: Okay... Well anyway, Aisa Bathhouse calls it a service...
- Umihiko: Ah, more defectors from the bathhouse, huh? "Service" might have a veneer of professionalism, but all it really means is inadequate treatment that costs a fortune.
- Paimon: ...Why do you say that?
- Susukida: I'll tell you why. After just a few sessions with Emura Ichigensai, you'll completely forget about all your troubles. From then on, it's happy thoughts only!
- Susukida: Today's supposed to be my last counselling session. He says that after we're done, nothing will ever trouble me again!
- Umihiko: Meanwhile, Aisa Bathhouse boasts about their strange and mysterious methods, but it's a total scam. They only treat the symptoms, not the root cause, meaning you have to go back time after time — all so they can keep charging you, of course.
- Susukida: Exactly. Overpriced and ineffective. But counselling from Emura Ichigensai? I can't get enough! I know I'm done after today, but I'd take any excuse to keep coming back!
- Umihiko: Me too... Probably see you tomorrow, then.
- Paimon: Whatever the truth of the matter is, Paimon is starting to seriously dislike these guys!
- Stay calm, Paimon.
- Remember, we're here to gather information.
- Paimon: Fine... Yeah, so we're mostly here to see what all the fuss is about. You guys seem to be experts by now — is there anything we need to do to prepare for our session?
- Susukida: No, you don't need to do anything.
- Susukida: Just show up, take a seat, and he takes care of the rest. I remember he lit some incense... it smelled wonderful, and instantly relaxed me...
- (Flashback begins)
- Emura Ichigensai: I already know of the troubles that bring you to me.
- Susukida: I don't know why I lose my temper so easily... I'm pretty messed up, right?
- Emura Ichigensai: Yes, in the sense that all negative emotions are defects of the mind. But I can remove these defective feelings, leaving your mind healthy, whole, and free of distressing thoughts.
- Emura Ichigensai: Now, receive my guidance...
- (Flashback ends)
- Susukida: I don't actually remember the guidance... But anyway, it clearly worked. I guess whatever he said disappeared from my mind and took my problems along with it.
- Sounds a little unbelievable.
- How can we be sure it works?
- Susukida: So rude! Your counselling session will change your mind — in more ways than one!
- Paimon: We're only being cautious. What's wrong with that? You said it yourselves, the whole reason everyone's coming to this guy is because they're worried about getting scammed out of their Mora.
- Umihiko: That's a fair point. You just need some reassurance, right? In that case... I can let you in on a little secret.
- Paimon: Go on...?
- Umihiko: Well... someone in my family actually knew Emura Ichigensai before he made a name for himself. Apparently, he had a terrible temper. Pretty much everyone in the neighborhood had issues with him.
- Umihiko: But he must've had some sort of epiphany, because he did a complete one-eighty. Went from having the most rotten temper you can imagine to one of the most cheerful people around.
- Umihiko: Even more amazingly, all the people who used to despise him ended up becoming his best friends. His neighborhood's more peaceful and pleasant than it's ever been.
- Umihiko: So you can rest assured that whatever treatment you get from Emura Ichigensai, he tried and tested it on himself first.
- Paimon: Huh... What a ridiculous story...
- Umihiko: Doubt it all you want! I heard it straight from my relative, who knows him personally.
- Paimon: What should we do now? We may have burned our bridges with these two...
- At least we got some information.
- Now to meet the man himself.
- Paimon: Yeah! There's still a lot of people ahead of us, though... Why don't you take a rest while Paimon keeps watch? Just like how we do it out on the road.
- The long wait makes you sleepy. Before you know it, you've fallen asleep...
- You detect a faint fragrance, and begin following it to its source...
- (TravelerTraveler): (Where am I?)
- ???: Let go of your pain...
- ???: Let go of your pain...
- (TravelerTraveler): (An eye!?)
- ???: ...Who are you?
- (The Traveler reflects the projectile back at the eye)
- ???: Argh... It burns...
- ???: Leave this place! NOW!!!
- (The time turns to evening)
- Paimon: (TravelerTraveler), it's almost time!
- (TravelerTraveler): (...Oh, it was just a dream.)
- Paimon: Yawn... that was a long wait. Paimon's gonna need a nap after this, too.
- No problem. It's my turn to keep watch anyway.
- Paimon: Alright! Now, time for us to go meet Mr. Emura Ichigensai!
- (Talk to Kanai)
- Paimon: Oh, hello! We're number 97. It should be our turn now, right?
- Kanai: Uhhh... Yeah, sorry, the clinic's closed for the day.
- Paimon: What? Why?
- Kanai: Because Emura Ichigensai doesn't have limitless energy, that's why. He's gone home to rest. You'll have to try again tomorrow.
- Paimon: But we've been waiting sooooo long!
- Kanai: Not as long as some people. Try getting here earlier next time.
- Do you know where he lives, by any chance?
- Kanai: Hah, save yourself the trouble. Spiritual masters like Emura Ichigensai cultivate their powers with peace and solitude. Someone like you ain't gonna find him.
- Paimon: Drat. We shoulda barged in after all...
- Let's report back to Mizuki for now.
- Paimon: Yeah, nothing else we can do for today.
- (The time turns to night)
- (Talk to Kanai again, optional)
- Kanai: Uhhh... Yeah, sorry, the clinic's closed for the day.
- (Enter Aisa Bathouse)
- You tell Mizuki everything you saw and heard today.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: So he gives spiritual guidance... And it takes all your troubles away and leaves only happy thoughts?
- Paimon: Yup. At least, that's what his clients say.
- Hyakujitsuhaku Shion: How is that possible? Not even Mizuki could do that, and she's an incredible psychologist.
- Paimon: Is that right? Paimon was gonna say, it all sounds too good to be true...
- Shiba Murasaki: It certainly is. Humans are... how to put this... they're a moody race — always upset about something. Show me a human without a care in the world, and I'll show you what "messed up" really looks like.
- Paimon: You think? 'Cause honestly, they sounded pretty convincing. And they said they only left the Aisa Bathhouse because they found it didn't deal with the root cause of their issues.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: But the idea he is spreading is categorically wrong...
- Shiba Murasaki: That settles it, then. Emura Ichigensai is a quack, making false claims to steal all our customers.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Is that why he's doing this? To steal... steal our customers? Or is there more to it?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: ...It's unfortunate that you didn't get to meet him in person. I need some idea of the kind of person he is. Otherwise, I have no hope of figuring out his motivations and goals.
- Paimon: Yeah, it's too bad... Although if it's any help, we did hear a bit about his backstory from someone else. Apparently, he used to have a really rotten temper, but then one day he suddenly reached enlightenment and became a spiritual master, or something...
- Shiba Murasaki: Emura Ichigensai... rotten temper... Now wait just a minute...
- Shiba Murasaki: Filing patient records is normally the most tedious job in the world. But once in a while, something mildly amusing grabs my attention. Take a look at this.
- Paimon: Emura Chuuya?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: ...It's him. I remember him.
- Hyakujitsuhaku Shion: Wait... That guy? Oh no...
- Paimon: What is it? What about him?
- Shiba Murasaki: Where to start? ...Imagine a big ball of negative emotion took on human form and started walking around. That's pretty much Emura Chuuya.
- Shiba Murasaki: His patient record mentions that he loved nothing more than a heated argument. No matter how trivial it was, he could never agree to disagree — he always had to be right. The happiest part of his day would be winning an argument and proving the other person wrong.
- Shiba Murasaki: If he lost, he'd sulk, and if anyone called him out, he'd throw a huge tantrum. Before long, he'd turned everyone against him.
- Paimon: Sounds like he had issues...
- Shiba Murasaki: Oh yeah. Serious issues.
- Shiba Murasaki: Anyway, since no one would talk to him in real life anymore, he turned to the readers' letters column of a magazine by the Yae Publishing House, where he would attack writers and trade insults with other contributors.
- Shiba Murasaki: Naturally, this ruined the column for everyone, and the editor soon started rejecting his letters.
- Shiba Murasaki: Next thing you know, he's written a complaint letter to the Tenryou Commission, demanding that Inazuma pass a law to make it illegal for the Yae Publishing House to reject letters from readers...
- Paimon: Gee whizz... Where would you even start with a client like that?
- Shiba Murasaki: In my case — by giving them a wide berth. Mizuki dealt with this guy.
- Shiba Murasaki: I'm pretty sure he only came here to try and start something. But Mizuki managed to get him into a session, and after some treatment, his mood improved by a lot.
- Wow. Great work, Mizuki!
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Murasaki makes him sound like a rabid animal... He wasn't THAT out of control. Sure, his personality was very abrasive, but it wasn't hard to see why.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Once I understood his situation, I was able to diagnose him very quickly...
- (Flashback begins)
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: You have very high expectations for yourself, but you've faced a lot of rejection in the past and haven't achieved much in your life.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: You've never had any real close friends, so you don't know what healthy connections with other people look like. This puts you and your ego in the center of your world.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: In short, you long to feel a sense of accomplishment and to receive attention from other people. But both of these are lacking in your life.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: You have no idea how to properly deal with these emotions. So you've been taking it out on other people, partly to seek attention, and partly because you get a shallow sense of accomplishment whenever you win a war of words with another person.
- Emura Chuuya: Tsk... You promise the world with your adverts, and that's seriously the best you can come up with? I'm not even going to bother explaining all the reasons you're wrong...
- Emura Chuuya: I mean, you completely misunderstood why I even sent that complaint letter. The Yae Publishing House practically has a monopoly on Inazuma's publishing industry. How can they ignore what their readers have to say?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: In the magazine column you wrote to, your strongly worded letter appeared alongside dozens of others which praised the writer for their work. You can't talk about what their readers have to say without including them, too.
- Emura Chuuya: No one with half a brain would praise a festering pile of garbage like that. Those are not opinions worth listening to.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: So, when I touched on the idea of you having an egocentric worldview — this is the kind of thing I was talking about.
- Emura Chuuya: I... You...
- (Flashback ends)
- Paimon: Wow... How the heck did you get him to stay for treatment after dropping all of that on him?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Simple. The more he realized the truth of my diagnosis, the more he compulsively searched for evidence to refute it with.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: He'd lost the ability to communicate like a normal human being. So, I kept him here by using his preferred mode of interaction: argumentation.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: The Tenryou Commission had ignored his complaint letter, so he had no outlets left for his emotional outbursts.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Eventually, with the help of some incendiary words, I got him to agree to try some basic therapy. Finally, I was able to tweak his mood and stabilize his condition.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: It's a shame, really — if I'd only been able to see him a few more times, I know I could've helped him work through his personality issues. But unfortunately...
- Hyakujitsuhaku Shion: It was all my fault...
- Shiba Murasaki: For the last time, it was his fault for being a nutjob.
- Paimon: What? What happened?
- Shiba Murasaki: Well, one day, he comes in as usual for therapy, but Mizuki isn't here. So, Shion sees him instead.
- Shiba Murasaki: I don't know what got into him that day, but he suddenly announced that he wished to be free of his troubles for good — and demanded that Shion make that happen.
- Shiba Murasaki: Obviously, she didn't manage it, and then he pulled out a complaint letter to try and intimidate her. That was the last straw for me. I kicked him out and blacklisted him.
- Shiba Murasaki: He hasn't shown his face here since.
- Paimon: Whoa...
- Shiba Murasaki: Anyway, now everyone's had a look at his record — do we think there's any chance that this guy and Emura Ichigensai are the same person?
- Shiba Murasaki: Because it sounds to me like after he didn't get what he wanted, he decided to have his revenge by lying to our customers and getting them to leave.
- That makes sense!
- Is it really that simple?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Bad dreams are formed from a buildup of negative emotions in the subconscious. You can't simply trick people into not having them anymore. If Murasaki was right, then surely they'd have seen his lies for what they are by now...
- Shiba Murasaki: There's no point hemming and hawing! Let's report this guy to the Tenryou Commission for fraudulent business practices. If he can complain, so can we!
- Susukida: Is anyone there?
- Umihiko: We'd like to book a therapy session... Can we start now?
- Hyakujitsuhaku Shion: Hello! Please come with me, I'll get you registered.
- Paimon: Wait, those are the two guys Paimon mentioned earlier! Just this morning, they were calling the bathhouse a scam and a rip-off. How are they back here already?
- Shiba Murasaki: Oh really? Well, that proves it doesn't it? I was right. Now that they've realized they were lied to, they've come back.
- Shiba Murasaki: So chin up, Mizuki. I bet you business will start picking up again from tomorrow morning.
- Paimon: Yeah! You yumekui-baku provide an unbeatable service, no scammer's gonna run you girls out of business!
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Interesting... Well, good. Murasaki, go help Shion please.
- Shiba Murasaki: Tch... Shoulda kept my mouth shut. I jinxed it, and now I have to work again.
- Paimon: Now we just need to report this guy as a fraud to the Tenryou Commission, like Murasaki suggested. Problem solved!
- Paimon: It looks like the Aisa Bathhouse will be back in business in no time. No idea if our investigation actually helped, though...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Of course it did. You were a huge help, and I owe you big time for it.
- Paimon: Hehe...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Now then. You only got part way through the VIP experience last time, didn't you? You still have to try the hot springs and snacks. Both are top tier.
- Paimon: Oh, true! How could Paimon forget about that? Especially the snacks!
- After a dip in the hot springs and some delicious snacks, you and Paimon feel wonderfully relaxed.
- Paimon: Wow, Paimon feels incredible now. Nothing beats the complete service package!
- We should go talk to Mizuki about booking our next appointment.
- Definitely coming back again.
- Paimon: Agreed! Although, Paimon didn't notice her inside just now. What could she be doing out at this hour? Hmm... Let's ask around.
- Paimon: Hey there, Mr. Aikawa. Do you have any idea where Mizuki went?
- Aikawa Susumu: Oh, you're looking for Mizuki? She actually tends to disappear for a while around this time every evening. It's the one part of the day where she gets to relax herself.
- Aikawa Susumu: As for where she goes and what she does during that time, I'm afraid I have no idea.
- Paimon: She takes the evenings to "relax," huh...
- Like the first time we met her...
- Paimon: She probably tells people she's relaxing, but actually she's digesting the bad dreams, right? Hope she's not having any digestive trouble...
- Paimon: Remember the place from last time? Let's head there and check on her.
- (Approach the marked location)
- Paimon: This should be the place...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: *crying*... *sigh*...
- Paimon: What? Why's Mizuki crying? Unless... Oh, maybe we got pulled into one of her bizarre dreams again?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: (TravelerTraveler)? Paimon? What are you doing here?
- Paimon: Well firstly, we were hoping to get our next appointment booked in...
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: ...Ah, I see. I was planning on making it back before you finished in the hot springs, but I ended up spending longer here than I intended.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Don't worry, this isn't a dream. I was just... feeling a little sad.
- Paimon: Aw, what's up? Indigestion getting you down again?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: No, my digestion was fine this time. What you saw just now was the aftermath of the digestion process.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Like I said, bad dreams are basically bundles of all kinds of negative emotions. When I digest them, I feel them all for myself.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: So when I'm processing these emotions, I tend to get quite... well, emotional.
- Paimon: Does that happen to all yumekui-baku?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Oh, don't worry about the others. To feel these emotions, you first have to understand them.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Most baku have a very poor understanding of humanity, so to them, a human bad dream just tastes like a slice of bland white bread. They can basically wolf it down and barely notice the flavor.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: I'm the odd one out in that sense. When I was studying abroad, I made a serious effort to learn as much about human psychology as possible.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Now, I understand human emotions much better. I can empathize with them, and I can now discern many complex emotions when I turn my attention to digesting bad dreams.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: But still, that's no reason for you to be concerned about me. I wouldn't be much of a psychologist if I didn't have the mental fortitude to handle this stuff.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Letting your emotions out is one of the most effective ways to process them. Now that I've done that, my mental state is back to normal.
- Paimon: Paimon thought maybe seeing those customers had upset you somehow.
- Paimon: It even makes Paimon mad! You work so hard for them, and then they turn around and accuse the bathhouse of being a money-making scam.
- Paimon: Yes, they were led astray by some swindler... but it's not like they took much persuading.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: I can't blame them. The idea that you can forget all of your troubles and never have a bad dream again is a very alluring one. Who wouldn't want to believe that?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: (TravelerTraveler), if I really could make you forget all of your troubles for good, would you want me to try?
- ...
- As you imagine forgetting your pain and longing, the joy of reunion that you are looking forward to one day disappears along with it.
- As you imagine letting go of your hopelessness, you also feel your fighting spirit slip through your fingers.
- As you imagine being free from your painful regrets, the formative experiences of your journey lose their roots.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: (TravelerTraveler), if I really could make you forget all of your troubles for good, would you want me to try?
- But... if I forget all of that...
- Would I even still be me?
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: ...You really are different from other people.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Discovering what troubles people is easy for me — even in your case. But although I see your troubles clearly, I still don't completely understand you.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: *sigh*... Thanks for checking in on me. As a psychologist, I know how to take care of myself, but you showing that you care is still appreciated.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Anyway, it's much too late to book another appointment now... You should head home, get some sleep, have a wonderful dream, and come see me again tomorrow.
- Paimon: Alright. Goodnight!
- Goodnight.
- Yumemizuki Mizuki: Bye for now. If you still want to book another appointment tomorrow, make sure to come see me early.
Soundtracks[]
| No. | Soundtrack Name | Album | Played In |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Entwined in Thought | Radiance Aflame | Crisis at the Aisa Bathhouse, Descendant of Nightmares, As Though Beholding Illusions |
| 28 | Drifting Into Dream | Radiance Aflame | Encounter in the Realm of Dreams, Crisis at the Aisa Bathhouse, Descendant of Nightmares |
| 09 | Dream of Scattered Petals | Realm of Tranquil Eternity | New Shoots from Old Branches, Crisis at the Aisa Bathhouse Locations, Event Gameplay, Serenitea Pot |
| 54 | Whispering Tatarigami | Realm of Tranquil Eternity | Proof of Guilt, Crisis at the Aisa Bathhouse, As Though Beholding Illusions Locations, Domains |
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Crisis at the Aisa Bathhouse | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 秋沙钱汤的经营危机 | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 秋沙錢湯的經營危機 | |
| Japanese | 秋沙銭湯の経営危機 | |
| Korean | 아이사 대중탕의 경영난 Aisa Daejungtang'ui Gyeong'yeongnan | |
| Spanish | Crisis financiera del Balneario Aisa | Asia Bathhouse's Financial Crisis |
| French | Crise aux Bains Aisa | Crisis at the Aisa Bathhouse |
| Russian | Бани «Аиса» на грани разорения Bani "Aisa" na grani razoreniya | |
| Thai | วิกฤติการบริหารโรงอาบน้ำ Aisa | |
| Vietnamese | Khủng Hoảng Kinh Doanh Của Phòng Tắm Hơi Aisa | |
| German | Krise im Badehaus Aisa | Crisis at Bathhouse Aisa |
| Indonesian | Krisis Aisa Bathhouse | Asia Bathhouse's Crisis |
| Portuguese | Crise na Banhos de Aisa | |
| Turkish | Aisa Hamamında Kriz | |
| Italian | La crisi delle Terme Aisa |
Change History[]
Released in Version 5.4