How to complete the Books Overdue quest in Octopath Traveler 0

Octopath Traveler 0 is full of quests, but most of them have some sort of marker that shows you where to go or who to talk to. But some side quests, like Books Overdue, don’t offer any sort of guidance, meaning you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and figure it out for yourself.

A librarian named Mercedes gives you this quest in the Atlasdam library, and she’s looking for three overdue books: Healing Hot Springs, The King and the Golden Dust, and Adrift in the Vast River. Apparently, these three tomes have been loaned out to people from all around Orsterra, so you’re going to need to put in a bit of legwork to collect them all. There’s a bit of a problem, however: The game won’t tell you who borrowed these books or where to find them. Luckily, though, there are a few clues as to these NPCs’ whereabouts in the books’ titles.

If you’re struggling finding them, we’ve got you covered. Here’s where to find the three books in the Books Overdue side quest in Octopath Traveler 0.

Healing Hot Springs

The person who borrowed this book apparently likes the heat, and what’s hotter than Berecain, the town that’s built inside a volcano? To find Healing Hot Springs, you’re going to need to make the trek down to this southern town and head towards the save point. Nearby will be a man wearing a suit standing dangerously on an overhang.

Unlike all the other NPCs in the town, you can actually talk to this one. Use your Path Actions on him, and you’ll be able to view his inventory and take Healing Hot Springs from him using Entreat.

The King and the Golden Dust

For the second book, The King and the Golden Dust, you’ll need to head south to Sulfrataljah. Like the first book, all you’ll need to do is speak to an NPC to receive the item. Head to the stairs to the right of the tavern and look for a man immediately to the right at the top of the stairs.

This NPC, named Kindly Millionaire, has the book in his inventory, and you’ll be able to “purchase” it from him for 0 Leaves. Don’t you just love free things?

Adrift in the Vast River

Last but not least: Adrift in the Vast River. Unfortunately, this one isn’t as simple to find as the other two.

You can find the man who borrowed this book in Donescu, in the first house closest to the gate, just down the two stone staircases below the pub. The man inside the house tells you he borrowed the book a while ago but lost it when he was attacked by lizardmen somewhere near Misty Falls. So, of course, that means you now have to go recover it.

Luckily, Misty Falls isn’t far. Head out the gate to the Donescu Traverse and then travel to the closest cave. Open your local map and you’ll see an exclamation mark to the left of the southeastern chest. I’ve marked the location on the map below to help you find it. Make your way to this location and look for a sparkling Collection Point on the ground. Interact with the spot on the ground, and Adrift in the Vast River will automatically appear in your inventory.

Reward for completing Books Overdue

Now that you have all three books, it’s time to head back to Mercedes at Atlasdam and pick up your reward. She’ll give you a whopping 16,000 Leaves—a surprising amount for a librarian who seemingly doesn’t collect overdue fees.