While playing through Ni no Kuni II, you may come across special items called Songbooks. They are located under the important/key items tab, and can be obtained through various means throughout the game. Songbook pages can be found in chests, earned as rewards for side quests, in addition to a number of other places. The description for each simply says that it teaches a song to your bard, whether it’s Songbook No. 1 or Songbook No. 23. A bard isn’t one of the characters Evan gets in his party, so what exactly do you do with the Ni no Kuni II Songbook pages?
There are two prerequisites before we can actually use the Songbook pages. First, you must build the kingdom of Evermore up to level 2. At that point you can build the Symphonium. The lot is located directly below the general store, just across the river. Building the Symphonium will give your kingdom a significant influence boost, but it has another hidden purpose.
Next, you’ll need to complete the side quest titled “A Career Cut Short” to recruit Nereus to your kingdom. The quest can be found in Hydropolis off to the right side of the city (along the pathway to the inn). If it’s not there, keep checking back throughout the game until it appears. Nereus is a musician who has lost his voice. It was stolen by a sea witch (hmm, sounds like a familiar story), and it’s your responsibility to get it back. Set the quest as your main and travel to the cave it directs you to. Once you introduce the witch to your sword, return to Nereus and he’ll join your kingdom. Now it’s time to put those Songbooks to use.
Back in Evermore, assign Nereus to the Symphonium, return to the town, and run over to talk to him. You’ll hand Nereus any Songbooks you have in your possession and can listen to the corresponding music from the Ni no Kuni II soundtrack. There’s just one catch; you’ll have to listen to the tracks while in the Symphonium menu. Once you leave the menu back to your kingdom, you’ll be listening to the Evermore theme again.
If you want to find all 31 of the Songbook Pages (and get the Music Buff trophy), don’t miss our Ni no Kuni II Songbook Locations Guide.
Are you disappointed in the secret behind the Ni no Kuni II songbook pages? Will you be collecting every one and listening to different tracks while you wait for your Kingsguilders to accrue? If you want to some tips on how to build your kingdom, don’t miss our Ni no Kuni II kingdom builder guide. You can also read our review, where we called Ni no Kuni II a near-perfect RPG.
