Before you start your next Free Time session, head to Central Command and report to Kurasame. He’ll give you permission to continue using Eidolons and the Triad Maneuver.
Triad Maneuver
The Triad Maneuver allows you to perform a triple-attack if all three of your squad members are alive and you have a full AG bar. It is performed during battles in the same way you summon an Eidolon, but this move doesn’t take the life of anyone except the enemy you’ve targeted. Each of your squadmates will perform a move specific to them alone to deal massive damage, and standing close to the enemy while activating the Triad Maneuver will freeze any enemy in place for a brief amount of time to allow you to get off a few additional attacks.
This attack is the one we suggest you use whenever you’re trying to obtain S-Rank in a past Mission.
With that out of the way, let’s get started with your first Free Time session for Chapter 3.
Events, Tasks, and Expert Trials (First Break—4 Days)
Moogle Classes
| FGHT-101: Survey of Battle Basics | 10,000 EXP |
| MAGC-101: Survey of Basic Magic | Magic Power +1 |
| DFMG-101: Elementary Defense Magic I | Defense Magic +2 |
| HPUP-100: Introduction to Health | Max HP +20 |
Events
| Location | Who | Reward | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Gate | Class Sixth Moogle | Hi-Potion | — |
| Fountain Courtyard | Orderly | Glass Pendant | Allows you to get an Accessory later. |
| Airship Landing | Class Fourth Moogle | Hi-Potion | — |
| Crystarium | Quon | Cutscene, Turbo Ether | — |
| Crystarium | Tachibana | Hi-Potion | — |
| Central Command | Trey | Mega-Potion | — |
| Central Command | Dominion Legionary | Hi-Potion | — |
| Back Garden | Bench | Cutscene, Elixir | You need to be playing as Ace to start this Event. |
| Back Garden | Cater | Ether | — |
| Armory | Mutsuki | Cutscene, Mega-Remedy | — |
| Sorcery | Dr. Al-Rashia | Cutscene, X-Ether | You need to be playing as Rem to start this Event. |
| Armory /Kazusa’s Lab | Kazusa | Cutscene, Etc. | There must be 6 or less hours left in the day in order to talk to Kazusa. Refer to the Side Quests Section of this guide for details. |
| Lounge | Carla | N/A | Give her 1000 Gil. |
| Lounge | Akagi | Hi-Potion | — |
| Terrace/Sorcery | Emina/Sorcery Researcher | Cutscene, Etc. | There must be 6 or less hours left in the day in order to do Emina events. Refer to the Side Quests Section of this guide for details. |
Tasks
| Location | Who | Task | Reward | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Gate | Logistics Officer | Give the Logistics Officer three Ethers. | 5 X-Potions | — |
| Crystarium | Class Ninth Cadet | Take one prisoner by defeating Imperial COs in the North Togoreth Region forests. | Ballistic Shield | You must accept the Expert Trial “United Front” to get access to North Togoreth and complete this Task. |
| Crystarium | Provost | Recover Akademeia’s entire history. | Wizard’s Hat | Open the treasure in the first room in Corsi Cave. |
| Hallway | Dr. Al-Rashia | Defeat three enemies with Fire RF. | Magic Power +3 | Can be done in the Arena in a Simulated Battle. |
| Central Command | Dominion Legionary | Defeat six Perkunas. | Copy of Aegis Veritas | You need to accept the United Front Expert Trial to get access to the North Togoreth Region at this point. |
| Central Command | Kurasame | Land ten Killsight/Breaksight strikes and report back to Kurasame. | 10,000 EXP | — |
| Armory | Guildsman | Give three jugs of Tree Sap to the Guildsman. | Shock Shield | Defeat Capparwires in Togoreth Region. |
| Sorcery | Sorcery Researcher | Give three Green Phantoma to the Sorcery Researcher. | Argentic Ring | — |
| Lounge | Administration Official | Give 300 SPP to the Administration Official. | Fulgur Secundus, Vol. II | — |
Outside of Akademeia
| Location | Who | Task | Reward | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mi-Go | Moto | Defeat ten Hundlegs. | Aegis Tertia, Vol. II | Plains in Togoreth Region. South of the bridge is Keziah. |
| Keziah | Nenji | Defeat four Bombs. | Three Blaze Armlets | Northern Corridor |
Expert Trials
| Name | Level Requirement | Instructions | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Keziah Diversion | Level 35 | Send a squad of four to Keziah as a diversion. | Second playthrough |
| United Front | Level 36 | Reclaim Mi-Go. | Second playthrough |
Expert Trials
This is the first chapter you’ll have access to Expert Trials in the game. Expert Trials are formatted exactly the same way as the story Missions, but Expert Trials are typically far more challenging than story Missions, and most require you to be on your second or third playthrough. Expert Trials also take twelve hours off of your Free Time to complete.
Expert Trials are serious business and require a lot of preparation. If you’re not at least within five levels of an Expert Trial’s level requirement, you shouldn’t bother even trying during this playthrough; attempting it is almost a guarantee of failure.
The NPCs that offer Expert Trials can always be found at the Main Gate of Akademeia.
Mission Time!
When you’ve finished with your Free Time, head to Classroom Zero and speak with Kurasame to begin the next Mission. To help you prepare for your Mission, Kurasame will give you the Protect spell and three Magicite. The Magicite is to be used for the Mission’s objectives, so don’t worry about them. The Protect spell, on the other hand, is a spell that boosts the defense of whoever it is cast on, but it takes the place of your Cure spell or your Defensive Ability. It’s not bad to have at least one of your three-man team equipped with Protect for added support.
Akademeia Airlines
The end of your Free Time will also mark the reopening of the Airship Landing. You could visit the Airship Landing before, but the actual airships were out of commission due to the Militesi attack at the start of the game. You can now allow a pilot to ferry you to specific locations around Orience, instead of having to get there on foot.
To start, the only location you can reach is Mi-Go, which is in the North Togoreth Region, directly north of (you guessed it) the Togoreth Region. More locations for the airship to land will open up as you capture more regions for Rubrum.
Your destination is in the Iscah Region west of Togoreth. Use an airship to fly to Mi-Go.
Last Minute Preparation
Mi-Go Gift Merchant
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Compact Mirror | 2000 Gil |
| Tea Set | 2000 Gil |
| Picture Frame | 3000 Gil |
| Makeup Kit | 3000 Gil |
| Perfume Set | 3000 Gil |
Mi-Go Accessories and Greens Merchant
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Gold Bracelet | 3000 Gil |
| Amulet | 2200 Gil |
| Ignis Secundus, Vol. I | 2500 Gil |
| Glacies Secunda, Vol. I | 2500 Gil |
| Fulgur Secundus, Vol. I | 2500 Gil |
| Aegis Secunda, Vol. I | 2500 Gil |
| Flame Armlet | 2000 Gil |
| Frost Armlet | 2000 Gil |
| Blitz Armlet | 2000 Gil |
| Teleport Stone | 2000 Gil |
| Tantal Greens | 100 Gil |
| Pahsana Greens | 100 Gil |
You can enter Mi-Go to do some last-minute shopping and even grab a Task (if you didn’t complete it during your Free Time). You can also earn yourself another l’Cie Crystal here (take a look at the Side Quests section of the guide for more details).
Once you’ve finished preparing, head south to reach the Togoreth Region. From there, head west to reach the Iscah Region. Follow the arrow on your minimap to reach your destination and begin the Mission.