There are sometimes more than one way to solve side stories in Octopath Traveler 2, but the sidequest “The Sword in the Stone” has one fairly simple solution. Especially if you have Throne around and are going through her storyline. The key is to stop by Oresrush to “borrow” a critical miner’s tool before heading to Winterbloom.
This is a great side story for Throne, due to the fact that her chapter two story quests involving Mother and Father take part in both places. Chasing down Mother in Oresrush is a level 7 recommended quest. After first entering town, head to the building in the northeast corner in town. There, you’ll find a Retired Miner with a Sturdy Pickaxe in his inventory. When I stopped by with a level 20 Throne, it had a 15% chance of being stolen successfully. This meant I did fail a few times, but heading next door to the Inn lets you restore your reputation so you can try again.
Once you have the Sturdy Pickaxe, head to Winterbloom to finish the Octopath Traveler 2 “The Sword in the Stone” quest. Head as far east as possible, and you’ll happen upon a townsperson in front of a sword trapped in a stone. Offer her the pickaxe. She’ll then use it to free the sword. Since it is “useless,” you’ll get 7,000 leaves, a Revitalizing Jam, and a Rusty Sword.
Octopath Traveler 2 is available for the Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC. A demo is available.
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