Go and meet the Paladin master, Mustang¶

Your first call of duty is to meet the Paladin master, Mustang. He can be found stationed in the Paladin’s Hold in Castele Square. If you came from Castele Castle, simply jog south a few paces then turn left after passing Prospero the Paladin.

Otherwise, if you came from the Guild Office, head north past the water fountain–the same path that leads to Castele Castle. The Paladin’s Hold is located directly to the left immediately after passing the stairs. Summon your courage and go inside.

There are a few Paladins inside the hold, but one Paladin stands out from the rest, with his superior stature and… unique mustache. He is, of course, Mustang , Castele’s number one Paladin and your soon-to-be Paladin tutor. Speak to him and he’ll lecture you about the duty of a Paladin.

Once the formalities are over, he’ll hand you a Squire’s Sword and Squire’s Shield , before throwing you towards another new recruit so you can learn the basics.

Go and speak with Roslyn outside the Hold¶

Exit the Hold the way you came and you’ll find Roslyn, a golden-haired Paladin girl standing right outside. Talk to her and she’ll suggest visiting another Paladin, Isobel, to learn how to use that sword of yours.

Go and see Isobel in South Castele¶

With Roslyn in tow, run all the way south, leaving Castele Square and towards South Castele . Continue south until you’re beyond the bridge, then turn left into the horse stables.

Standing just past the horses is a purple-haired Paladin, Isobel. She will teach you the Longsword Skill so you can equip your Squire’s Sword and eventually stronger Longswords.

Equip your Squires Sword¶

If you haven’t already, go to the Gear section and equip your Squire’s Sword. You can’t learn much about swordplay without a sword in hand! Then speak to Isobel once more.

Fell the Training Dummy!¶

Finally, a bit of field practice! You will be tasked with defeating a harmless and totally defenceless Training Dummy.

Press the A button to draw your sword, then press A while close to the Training Dummy to attack it.

You can perform a chain of attacks (otherwise known as a combo) by standing still and pressing the A button consecutively or a dash attack by moving and pressing the A button.

If this is your first time in a combat Life, just take your time and get used to the controls.

Speak to Porthos in the Shopping District¶

Well, how about that? You’ve shown off your attacking capabilities, but the Life of a Paladin goes beyond mere offence. That’s right, there’s also that Squire’s Shield you’ve got, but don’t know how to use.

Luckily there’s another Paladin who can teach you about shields. Run all the way back up to Castele Square, then exit it to the west, towards the Castele Shopping District . A few paces away, you should spot a rather portly Paladin, Porthos.

After a bit of beating around the bush, Porthos will teach you your second Paladin skill, the Shield Skill . Now you can equip a shield alongside your longsword and use it defend yourself against enemy attacks!

Which brings us to the next point: remember to actually equip your Squire’s Shield when you’ve got the chance!

Speak to Mr Apfel in the Artisans District¶

So you’ve learned all the basic Paladin skills, but there’s one important skill you’ve yet to try and that’s helping people in need (although depending on the order you’re playing the game, you may have already done this!).

Return back to Castele Square and this time exit east towards the Castele Artisans’ District . Continue east towards the open-air cafe, the Appleseed Cafe, where a certain Mr Apfel requires some assistance.

Apparently poor Mr Apfel is suffering from a shortage of apples due to an unforeseen problem with the shipment. This sounds like a mystery waiting to be solved, but who would know about the apple shipment?

Speak to the Paladins around Castele¶

Don’t forget: Paladins are never alone! As it happens, there are a good number of Paladins around Castele; you may have noticed their presence earlier. If anybody knows something about suspicious activities in Castele, it has to be the Paladins patrolling the streets.

That said, it may take some time speaking to every Paladin, so just follow the red arrow, which leads you back to South Castele . As soon as you step in South Castele, stop at the entrance and waltz in front of the two Paladin guards standing there.

According to the Paladins, there’s been some dubious goings-on near the giant apple tree in the eastern part of South Castele. That sounds like our next target then!

Before you can leave though, Mustang appears out of nowhere and teaches you the Spinning Attack skill. Why do we have a feeling this might come in handy soon?

Go to the apple tree in South Castele¶

Run south, past the bridge once more, but this time turn right where there’s a crossroad (there’s a Save crystal here). Follow the path east, through Giles’s Farm until you see two wooden bridges–one leading east to the next area and one leading to a small island, north-east.

Head over to the small island and you should catch a glimpse of the apple tree… and some dubious-looking characters.

Defeat the Bandits!¶

Violence is totally OK at this point, so get ready to practice your Paladin skills in the best way possible: with a good old fashioned brawl!

There are three Bandits, but you’ve got Roslyn to help you. If you want, use your Spinning Attack, performed by holding the A button (with your weapon drawn), then releasing when you hear the chime. With good timing, you can damage multiple Bandits in one go.

However be careful of getting mobbed and try not to get cornered. To avoid these sticky situations, use the Circle Pad to move around until you’re in a good position or use your shield by holding the X button if you can’t avoid attacks.

This battle can be a little tough if it’s your first quest, but just be patient and don’t hesitate to use your shield. With luck, the Bandits will be disposed of before you know it! You’ll also get a Castele Apple for your efforts.

Go and see Mr Apfel in the Artisans District¶

Return to Mr Apfel at the Appleseed Cafe and you’ll hand over the Castele Apple gotten from the Bandits. As a reward, you’ll receive 500 Dosh .

Well, that’s one good deed done!

Report back to Mustang¶

Head back to the Paladin’s Hold and speak to Mustang once more. Following your valiant efforts, you will rank up from a Novice Paladin to a Fledgling Paladin ! Now to start planning that celebration…