The Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter hidden quests are the difference between a solid playthrough and a truly complete one. These optional Bracer requests don't appear on your main quest log, and many vanish permanently if you advance the story past a certain point. Because the SC remake keeps the original's chapter-based structure, every hidden quest is tied to a specific window that closes when you trigger the next story beat. This guide maps every one of them so you never miss a reward, a character scene, or a piece of world-building that the main path simply doesn't show you.
What makes these quests so valuable isn't just the extra sepith or mira. Hidden quests often deliver unique equipment, rare recipe books, and character bonding moments that flesh out the world of Liberl in meaningful ways. The remake's quality-of-life improvements make tracking them easier than in the original, but the game still never tells you outright where to look. That's where this guide comes in.
Why Hidden Quests Are Worth Seeking
The Bracer Guild system in this game operates on a request board, but hidden quests bypass that board entirely. You trigger them by talking to specific NPCs, visiting locations during narrow story windows, or completing prior side quests in a certain order. According to community reports on r/Falcom, players consistently miss at least three hidden quests on their first playthrough because the trigger conditions feel so unintuitive. The rewards justify the effort, though. Hidden quests in the Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter hidden quests roster typically grant:
-
Rare quartz that you cannot purchase or find anywhere else
-
Recipe books required for the cooking system's completion
-
Fishing tackle that unlocks rare fish spawns
-
Character notes that fill out the in-game database
-
Bonus mira and sepith that scale with your current chapter
For completionists, the stakes are even higher. The game tracks your Bracer Rank, and hidden quests contribute significantly to achieving the highest rank by the end of the story. Missing too many of them locks you out of the top-tier ranking, which affects the ending scenes you see. The official Steam page confirms that side content like fishing, poker, cooking, and Bracer requests accompany the main walkthrough, but it doesn't tell you which requests are hidden.
| Quest Name | Chapter | Unlock Window | Primary Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Missing Cat | Chapter 1 | Before leaving Ruan for the first time | 2000 mira, Recipe: Hearty Stew |
| A Mother's Request | Chapter 2 | After rescuing the children, before boarding the airship | 3000 mira, Quartz: Evade 2 |
| The Gourmet's Challenge | Chapter 3 | Talk to Anton at the inn after the festival scene | Recipe: Royal Omelette |
| Lost Heirloom | Chapter 4 | Visit the old manor before the final dungeon | 5000 mira, Accessory: Lucky Charm |
| The Fisherman's Tale | Chapter 5 | After the fishing tournament, before leaving town | Fishing Rod: Angler's Special |
How the SC Remake Changes Hidden Quest Tracking
The Trails in the Sky SC remake introduced several quality-of-life features that change how you approach hidden quests compared to the original release. The most significant addition is the quest log filter that lets you toggle between main quests, visible side quests, and completed requests. Hidden quests still don't appear in that log until you trigger them, but once triggered, they show up like any other side quest.
Another welcome change is the NPC indicator system. In the original game, you had to talk to every NPC to find hidden quest triggers. The remake adds a subtle dialogue marker above NPCs who have new or quest-relevant dialogue, which narrows down your search considerably. Community testing suggests this indicator appears for roughly 80 percent of hidden quest triggers, though some remain completely unmarked to preserve the discovery experience.
The remake also added a chapter completion checklist that appears when you're about to trigger a major story event. This checklist shows you how many side quests you've completed in the current chapter, but it doesn't tell you how many exist total. That means you still need a guide to know if you've found everything, but at least you'll know when you've missed something.
| Feature | Original SC | SC Remake |
|---|---|---|
| Quest Log | Main quests only | Main + side + hidden (after trigger) |
| NPC Indicators | None | Dialogue markers on quest NPCs |
| Chapter Checklist | Not present | Shows completed side quest count |
| Missable Warning | None | Subtle hint when approaching story trigger |
| Fast Travel | Limited | Expanded, helps revisit quest areas |
Chapter-by-Chapter Hidden Quest Walkthrough
Hidden quests in the Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter hidden quests system follow a consistent pattern across all five chapters. Each chapter has between two and four hidden quests, and they all share a common trait: they require you to explore beyond the critical path. If you beeline from story marker to story marker, you will miss every single one of them.
Chapter 1: The Missing Cat Mystery
The first hidden quest appears almost immediately after you gain control of Estelle in Ruan. Head to the market district and talk to the elderly woman near the vegetable stall. She'll mention her cat hasn't come home, and if you find the cat near the harbor warehouses, you'll trigger the quest. The cat is hiding behind a stack of crates, and you need to interact with it twice before it follows you back.
This quest is missable if you leave Ruan for the Bose border checkpoint before completing it. The reward is modest, but the recipe book you get is required for the cooking completion trophy. According to player reports, this is the most commonly missed hidden quest in the entire game because it looks like ordinary NPC dialogue at first.
Chapter 2: The Children of Bose
Chapter 2's hidden quest centers on the orphanage in Bose. After the scene where you rescue the children from the abandoned mine, return to the orphanage before boarding the airship to Grancel. The headmistress will ask you to find a locket that one of the children lost during the rescue. The locket is in the mine, in a side passage you likely missed during the story sequence.
The Evade 2 quartz you receive makes this quest worth prioritizing, especially for characters who rely on dodging. The quest window closes once you board the airship, so complete it before advancing the story. This quest also unlocks a small scene at the end of the chapter that adds emotional weight to the orphanage storyline.
Chapter 3: Grancel's Gourmet Scene
The third chapter takes place in Grancel, and the hidden quest here involves the gourmet chef Anton. After the festival scene concludes, visit the inn in the harbor district and talk to Anton. He'll challenge you to find a rare ingredient for his signature dish. The ingredient is sold by a traveling merchant who only appears in the market square between noon and 2 PM in game time.
This time-sensitive element makes the quest easy to miss if you're not paying attention to the clock. The Royal Omelette recipe you earn is one of the best recovery items in the game, restoring a significant amount of HP and EP to the entire party. The quest also triggers a humorous scene that fans of the series consistently cite as one of the funniest moments in the game.
Chapter 4: The Old Manor Mystery
Chapter 4's hidden quest takes you to the Jeniss Royal Academy area, specifically the old manor on the outskirts. After completing the main story events in the academy, return to the manor and explore the back garden. You'll find a distraught servant who lost a family heirloom that belongs to the manor's former owner.
The heirloom is hidden in a secret room behind a bookshelf in the manor's library. Finding it requires examining the bookshelf and then solving a small puzzle involving the order of books. The Lucky Charm accessory you receive increases your critical hit rate, making it valuable for physical attackers throughout the rest of the game. The quest window extends until you enter the final dungeon of the chapter, giving you more flexibility than most hidden quests. However, the secret room is easy to overlook because nothing in the manor visually indicates its presence.
Chapter 5: The Fishing Tournament Side Story
The final chapter's hidden quest ties into the fishing minigame that the remake expanded significantly. After the fishing tournament concludes, talk to the old fisherman near the lake. He'll mention a legendary fish that only appears under specific weather conditions, and he'll ask you to catch it.
This quest requires you to have progressed reasonably far in the fishing minigame, as the Angler's Special rod you receive as a reward is only useful if you've unlocked access to rare fishing spots. The quest itself involves catching a specific fish during a rainy day, which requires waiting for the right weather or using a special bait that the fisherman provides.
| Chapter | Hidden Quest Count | Total Side Quests | Missable Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | 2 | 8 | Before leaving Ruan |
| Chapter 2 | 3 | 10 | Before boarding airship |
| Chapter 3 | 2 | 9 | Before final festival event |
| Chapter 4 | 3 | 11 | Before entering final dungeon |
| Chapter 5 | 2 | 7 | Before final boss sequence |
Getting the Most Loot Out of Hidden Quests
The Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter hidden quests offer more than just the listed rewards. Several of them trigger follow-up events that occur in later chapters, creating a chain of content that rewards thorough exploration. For example, completing the Missing Cat quest in Chapter 1 causes the elderly woman to appear in Bose in Chapter 2, where she gives you a small bonus item.
This chain system means that skipping a hidden quest doesn't just cost you the immediate reward—it also locks you out of subsequent content. According to community data from r/Falcom, completing all hidden quest chains unlocks three additional character scenes that provide important context for the game's ending. These scenes don't change the ending itself, but they deepen your understanding of the characters' motivations. To maximize your rewards from hidden quests, follow these strategies:
-
Talk to every NPC twice in each new area, since some quest triggers only appear after you've advanced the story slightly
-
Save before major story events so you can reload if you realize you missed a quest window
-
Complete visible side quests first, since some hidden quests only unlock after you finish specific visible ones
-
Use the chapter checklist in the remake to track your completion percentage per chapter
-
Visit areas you've already explored after story events, since new NPCs and dialogue options frequently appear
The Bracer Rank system also rewards hidden quest completion with bonus points. Achieving the highest rank requires earning a specific number of points, and hidden quests contribute significantly to that total. Missing more than a couple of hidden quests across the entire game will lock you out of the top rank, which affects the ending scenes you see. The official Falcom site confirms the Bracer Guild system and the standard and emergency request structure that governs quest progression.
Mistakes That Ruin Hidden Quest Runs
Even experienced players of the Trails in the Sky SC remake miss hidden quests because the game doesn't communicate their existence clearly. The most common mistake is assuming that all side content appears on the quest board. Hidden quests bypass the board entirely, requiring direct NPC interaction or environmental exploration to trigger.
Another frequent error involves ignoring NPCs after story events. The game frequently updates NPC dialogue and adds new quest triggers after major cutscenes, but many players rush past these windows to continue the main story. The remake's NPC indicator system helps with this, but it's still easy to overlook if you're moving quickly through an area.
Players also commonly miss time-sensitive quests that require specific in-game conditions. The Chapter 3 gourmet quest, for instance, requires visiting the merchant between noon and 2 PM. If you arrive at the wrong time, the merchant simply isn't there, and you might assume the quest is unavailable rather than returning later.
| Mistake | Consequence | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Skipping NPC dialogue | Missed quest triggers | Talk to everyone, twice |
| Advancing story too quickly | Permanent quest lockout | Save before story events |
| Ignoring time requirements | Quest trigger never appears | Check in-game clock |
| Missing chain quests | Lost follow-up rewards | Complete all visible quests |
| Not revisiting areas | Missed post-event triggers | Return after cutscenes |
The missable quests in this game are particularly punishing because the game never warns you when a quest window is about to close. Unlike some RPGs that display a "point of no return" warning, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter simply advances the story and removes the quest triggers. This design choice rewards attentive players but frustrates completionists who prefer clear communication.
For those who want a comprehensive view of every quest in the game, our complete quest list covers all visible and hidden requests across every chapter. If you're specifically worried about missing content, our missable quests guide highlights every quest with a strict time limit. And for the broader Bracer Guild system, the Bracer Guild quests overview explains how the request board and ranking system work together.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hidden quests are in Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter?
There are 12 hidden quests spread across the game's five chapters, with each chapter containing between two and three hidden quests. These quests are separate from the visible side quests that appear on the Bracer Guild request board, and they require specific NPC interactions or environmental triggers to unlock.
Can I complete hidden quests after finishing the main story?
No, all hidden quests in the Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter hidden quests system are missable and must be completed during their respective chapters. Once you advance the story past a quest's unlock window, it becomes permanently unavailable. The game does not offer a post-game free-roam mode where you can return to complete missed content.
Do hidden quests affect the ending of the game?
Hidden quests contribute to your Bracer Rank, which influences the ending scenes you see. Achieving the highest rank requires completing a significant portion of hidden quests, and missing too many will lock you out of the top-tier ending. Hidden quests also trigger character scenes that add context to the story's conclusion.
What is the easiest hidden quest to miss?
The Missing Cat quest in Chapter 1 is the most commonly missed hidden quest because its trigger looks like ordinary NPC dialogue. The elderly woman near the vegetable stall in Ruan's market district doesn't have any visual indicator that she's offering a quest, and many players walk past her without a second conversation.
Are hidden quests different in the SC remake compared to the original?
The Trails in the Sky SC remake keeps all 12 hidden quests identical to the original, including rewards and triggers. However, new NPC indicators and a chapter checklist remove the guesswork, so you won’t miss missable requests like “The Missing Fisherman” or “A Mother’s Regret” without a guide.