Time for some octopus traveling
“Will Research for Money” is a quest available early in Octopath Traveler 2. In front of the inn in Montwise, you’ll find an Octopus Researcher who really wants to research some octopi. The problem is, he can’t find any funding for his work. This quest seems obtuse at first, as no one in Montwise appears to fit the criteria the Researcher is looking for. Furthermore, even if you recruit the Researcher, you’ll never encounter an NPC who will trigger the resolution to this quest.
Fortunately, once you know where to go, this quest is a breeze to resolve. The Researcher gives a hint about this, but we’re here to give you the solution outright. All you need to complete this objective is a party member who can recruit NPCs. This includes Agnea, Temenos, Partitio, or Ochette. Here’s what you need to do.
Look for the Octopus Enthusiast
Once you’ve accepted this request, you want to go to Conning Creak. This waterside village is located on the Western continent to the south of Ryu. You’ll need to traverse a few areas with a danger level of 34 to get here. That said, if you made it to Montwise, this shouldn’t be an issue.
After you arrive, make your way to the town tavern. Inside, you’ll see a man with a fancy hat. Talk to him and you’ll note he is referred to as an “Octopus Enthusiast.” As you might expect, this is who you’re looking for. Use your Path Action of choice to recruit the Enthusiast, and make your way back to Montville. Talk to the Octopus Researcher and a short scene will play out. Your reward for clearing this quest is an Octopuff Pot, which increases the appearance rate of Octopuffs.
Do Octopuff Pots stack?
The quest reward is interesting in that it seems like a unique item, but it actually isn’t. In fact, right in Conning Creak, there is a Fisherman who carries an Octopuff Pot for you to either purchase or steal. I personally have three of the item in my inventory. Naturally, you may wonder if the effects of multiple Octopuff Pots stack with each other. To this I can say… I don’t know.
Because of the nature of the item, it’s really hard to test whether multiple equipped Pots tangibly increase the appearance rate. I’ve found comments online saying they do, but I haven’t seen any proof to this claim. That said, even if stacking is possible, it may not be the best use of accessory slots. To farm from EXP and JP, consider using items like the Augmentors or the Brooch of Joy to maximize your gains. If you specifically want to find an Octopuff, then equipping multiple can’t hurt. Just don’t necessarily expect to see them appear every battle.