Octopath Traveler 2 Scent of Commerce side quests appear on the world map as important story objectives, and while two of them aren’t really that important, you can earn some nice bonuses for little effort. However, the third one is one of the most important quests in the game and you have to complete it to have full access to the map and all its secrets.
This guide explains how to complete each Scent of Commerce quest in Octopath Traveler 2.
What is Partitio Trade Fragrance?
Scent of Commerce is a set of three side quests that unlock after completing the first chapter of Partitio. Despite appearing on the world map with a Partitio icon, they are completely optional and not required to complete its story or reach the true final chapter.
That said, we’re definitely fulfilling the Scent of Commerce quest in Toto’haha, as you get your own boat and are free to travel, find optional dungeons, and even unlock a secret job.
The other two are nice bonuses and fit Partitio’s mission as a merchant, but if you don’t care about lore and music player, you can skip them.
Winterbloom Smell of Trade
The Winterbloom chapter is the cheapest to complete as it only requires you to use Path Actions to recruit NPCs. Visit Winterbloom – located in the center of the Winterlands, east of Cape Cold – and head to the big house in the east of the city with the Partitio on your party. He hears a cry for help and rushes inside.
The scream turns out to be recorded on a gramophone record, and the man inside tries to figure out what to do with the device as no one seems to want it. Partitio recommends recording music and takes it upon itself to search for musicians.
The people you are looking for are:
- Cleric playing the piano: Flamechurch, inside the church during the day and outside the door at night
- Fiddler: West bank of the Canalbrine near the caravan at night, in the tavern during the day
- Guitarist: West entrance to Crackridge during the day
You can use the Hire Partitio action to recruit them, but using Temenos’ Guide or Agnea’s Charm is a better, cheaper alternative.
After collecting all three musicians, you can listen to a few tunes on the turntable at any time. You can also purchase new tracks from the item shops in each starting city.

The smell of Sai trade
The Scent of Commerce chapter in Sai takes less time, although it is a bit costly. It starts when you arrive in the city with the Partitio in your party. He notices the insignia of a famous merchant named Masoud and wants to meet him. Masoud is not so eager and tells the Partitio that he must restore the merchant’s greatest treasure.
Change time to night, go outside and hire Masouda’s daughter (1000 leaves). Talk to Masoud again and leave the house. The Partitio eventually discovers the answer to Masoud’s test. Go back inside and spend 5000 leaves to hire Masoud.
The result of all this is the Mercantile Manuscript Archive Key, which you can use to unlock the building behind Masoud’s house. Inside is the Mercantile Manuscript, which is essentially a combination of a glossary and a book of knowledge. It has info on armor, locations, items, and more – irrelevant to the story, but a nice bit of background if you’re looking for it.
Tropu’hopu Scent of Commerce – How to get a boat
If you’re only doing one Scent of Commerce or even one side quest in Octopath Traveler 2, let that be it. The premise is simple: go to Tropu’hop, east of the Beast Village, and enter the harbor from the Partitio. Talk to the woman on the dock. He tries to sell the boat and no one seems to want it – except Partitio.
The problem is that she set a price of 100,000 leaves. That’s a steep sum, especially early in the game when you need to equip your team. Make sure you steal and beg for valuables such as coin pouches and jewelry. Refrain from selling old weapons unless you have something to replace them with. Your active character may not need it, but if you swap jobs for another character, they’ll need something to fight with.
When you have money, visit the port again and buy a ship. Now you are free to sail the seas as you wish. First, check out the vortex to the east. There is a dungeon, an optional boss, and a secret job.
Check out our tips and recommendations for beginners on where to start if you’re still new to Octopath 2.
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