Beginniberry: Problems in Pinzton

Chapter 1 | Beginniberry: Problems in Pinzton is a story segment in Echoes of Mana.

Storyline
The protagonist is being sent to the town of Pinzton along with Baashear after harvesting their first fruit from the Mana Tree. Their fluffy companion explains that the land is a memory stored within the Mana fruit, also called Echoes. Their conversation is cut short by a trio of Knitwits who start attacking them. As the monsters approach the party, they are intercepted by a mysterious boy and girl who take care of the threat. They are introduced as Duffle and Honeycomb, aspiring knights in charge of protecting the place.

The newly formed party head on the road and quickly encounter some more enemies. With the power of teamwork, the trio quickly defeat the baddies and head further down the road.

Having beaten the monsters roaming in town, Duffle enthusiastically congratulates the team while Honeycomb seems unsure about the protagonist's performance. Baashear remarks about what Honeycomb said about enemies only recently showing up around here, hinting at a unique quirk with echoes, just as any other anomalies such as the protagonist and him being there. His comment catches the knights by surprise, and the pair is stunned by his ability to speak and hover in mid air. The duo asks the main character where they are from, but they seem hard-pressed to give any concrete answer. Duffle takes the opportunity to show the protagonist around Pinzton.

The party first visit Lady Moti's shop. with Duffle touting the huge selection of wares for sale. The young knight expresses her surprise as to why Honeycomb has been silent upon entering the premises, hinting at him being attracted to the lightly clad peddler. The young magician denies the accusations, and the whole party head toward their second destination. There, they meet Watts the blacksmith, who does not waste a second messing with the young soldiers by commenting on Duffle and Honeycomb being on a "pretend" patrol. This remark angers Duffle, but Honeycomb tries to calm her down, stating that she should show more respect since Watts is way older than us, since dwarfs age slower than humans. The conversation switches to the protagonist's weapon, which the party cannot decide on its name and use. The blacksmith tries to make them try some better equipment, but it proves to be too cumbersome for their frail body. The party head outside to the center plaza as they end the tour. Duffle starts talking about the tale of the Mana Knights and how she and Honeycomb train to become knights. Baashear replies that this story is in fact true and he is able to prove it by revealing the protagonist's true identity. Before the magical sheep is able to do so, two Knitwits pop out of nowhere and kidnap the fluff ball. The trio chase after the baddies only to find Baashear surrounded by a horde of Knitwits.

While searching for Baashear, Duffle and Honeycomb have a friendly banter trying to outperform each other in battle. Duffle assists the players into finding treasure chests and praying at a Mana Statue.

After defeating the last foe in the vicinity, Duffle invites her teammates to do a victory pose. The incentive proves to be of little effect, as she is criticized by Honeycomb for being overly enthusiastic. They find the poor mana sheep glued to a pile of rubble, successfully rescuing it. Baashear happily cries that the protagonist is the one who can truly find the Mana Sword, with Duffle realizing that they are the Mana Swordsman. Honeycomb is still doubting that fact, which makes Baashear claims that the Mana Goddess sent them in this world in search of the fabled sword. With that in mind, Duffle insists for the duo to join the part. Before Honeycomb can object to it, a mysterious breach appears before them, with a mysterious black knight emerging out of it. The dark clad knight immediately hurls his weapon at the main character, prompting Duffle to fend off the assault.

The mysterious fighter proves himself to be a formidable opponent, as the party is barely able to make a dent in his armor. The Ebon Knight then casts a powerful dark spell on the protagonist, sending them quickly on the ground.

The main character seems relatively unscathered by the dark knight attack, much to their allies' suprise. Duffle is puzzled by the fact that their opponent seems to be only targeting the protagonist. She recalls the legend speaking of a villainous Ebon Knight standing in the way of the the Mana Swordsman. Honeycomb interrupts her pondering by telling the party to run, but the shadowy figure teleports himself in front of them each time they try to escape. A familiar voice echoes from within the protagonist, urging them to go back to the Sanctuary of Mana for safety. Baashear then makes a portal appear in front of the party and pushes the main character inside, leaving Duffle and Honeycomb astonished by the whole spectacle. The Ebon Knight scoffs at them vanishing before doing the same. While teleporting in from of the Mana Tree, the protagonist meets with a gender-swapped version of them, asking them to tell them all about their adventure.

The doppelganger seems excited about the protagonist adventure and their new friends they've met. They lament at the fact that this world was destroyed, but is also intrigued by the Mana Sword's ability to restore it. As they utter those words, the fruit the protagonist harvested in the beginning surges in power, making one with the main character's mind, effectively bringing it back to life. The Mana Goddess reappears in front of them, commenting on the Ebon Knight's motive to gain the Mana Sword for personal gains or to sabotage the work of the protagonist. The deity then makes another fruit appears onto the sacred tree's branches and entrust them to venture into a new world. The doppelganger wishes the main character safe travel, but Baashear asks them who they are. They respond that they were tasked by the goddess to remain here while the protagonist search for the Mana Sword. The little fluff ball understands and explains to the protagonist who to return to a previous world. The harvester holds the previous fruit, immediately sending them both back to Pinzton. They reunite with Duffle and Honeycomb for a short while, with Baashear relieved to hear that the Ebon Knight is gone. The harvester must return to the Sanctuary of Mana to pick the new fruit and travel to a new world in search of the legendary sword.

Objectives
Note: All stats are under normal difficulty.

Trivia

 * Beginniberry could be coined from beginning and raspberry, given the shape of the harvested echo.
 * The Shop and Blacksmith options in Pinzton are unlocked after clearing 1-4 story segment Perusing Pinzton.