It's said Cena is the manager of the valley resort, but it's really hard to tell if what he said is the truth or just a lie, especially when he mentioned where I'm from, the Illumina Federation... Cena once shared his experiences after leaving Denuo Valley with me and %s. He claimed to have traveled to various places, even visiting Gannon City, where he made many acquaintances. He even said he had collaborated with Illumina? But I doubt what Illumina would need such an unreliable guy for... information exchange? Hiring for exploration missions? Going undercover? Could he actually have some skills in certain areas? But looking at his somewhat frivolous smile, I have reasons to doubt that most of his recounted experiences are probably made up. I'll need to go back and ask around in Illumina if any of this is true...
—Vice

I was born in a village in Denuo Valley, a backward little place where I got a lot of grief from the villagers simply for how I looked. My dad was a drinker, and my mom was always in a bad mood, though I can't really blame her—I had so many brothers and sisters, she hardly had a moment's rest, so of course, that meant I rarely got any attention from either of my parents. The concept of parents loving their kids didn't even exist in my mind when I was growing up, but in retrospect, I guess none of that really mattered in the end. I mean, if they hadn't been such crappy parents, how would you have gotten the chance to meet this charming man you see before you now?
I remember I wasn't even ten years old back then, but I was full of curiosity about anything and everything... Anyway, my parents constantly ragged on me just because I didn't wanna take care of my little brothers and sisters. Man, they were mad at me all day, every day... Alright, you got me, it's true that I was already something of a rebel back then and never did what my mom and dad told me. The couple next door, though, was like a breath of fresh air. They didn't rag on me, and one time, after my parents kicked me out onto the street, the nice lady from next door came up to me and said there was a seat at their dinner table with my name on it. I'll never forget her name—it was Coco. Coco would lay out a comfy blanket for me, like I was part of the family. I didn't have any ambitions back then, and spent most of my time just daydreaming about Coco adopting me... because when I was at their place, I finally understood what home was supposed to feel like.

Coco's husband sadly passed away, so she had no choice but to go on taking care of her daughter, Lorelei, all by herself. In a backward village like that, to say life wasn't easy for a widow raising a kid alone would be a gross understatement, so I'd head over there all the time to help out. That led to my parents giving me even more grief, accusing me of acting like I'd forgotten who my real family was... Hah. Coco was like a warm ray of afternoon sunshine, beaming down into Denuo Valley, so kind and so pure, and despite the fact that she was the tiniest little thing, she managed to raise Lorelei to be a healthy, adorable little girl. On the rare occasion she had a moment to spare, she'd take the time to tell us stories, and the three of us even planned to go to Lumopolis together to watch the fireworks... But that was until a freak sandstorm suddenly destroyed everything. No, it was because the villagers of Denuo defiled the oasis—the very lifeblood of the village. They turned their backs on the Denuo Goddess and were punished as a result... There was no way they could've escaped their fate. Coco sacrificed herself in the sandstorm to save Lorelei and me. I had no choice but to roam aimlessly through the valley with Lorelei... But two little children wandering all alone in the wilderness... We didn't get very far. As for what came next...
Hey, what's that look for?! Yeah, people always say it's weird how I never get teary-eyed talking about what happened back then, but you have to understand that I'm not that weak little kid anymore, see? When I left all those years ago, I certainly never thought I'd return one day as the manager of some high-end resort... I guess life just moves in cycles like that.

Where was I? Oh yeah, so I'd lost Denuo Village, I'd lost Coco, and eventually, I even lost Lorelei... I drifted around, completely alone in the world, not knowing where I was going. Sounds like a real free-wheeling life, huh? I'm kidding—there was nothing in the slightest bit fun about those times. The only thing I could think about was the fact that I was one of the guilty—one of the village's sinful transgressors, but somehow I had escaped the Goddess's punishment. After that, my entire existence basically became a quest for atonement. I journeyed to every Denuo industrial extraction site and destroyed each and every one of those dens of corruption—those abominations where the oasis had been sucked dry and the Denuo Goddess had fallen victim to our sins. When I wasn't busy doing that, I meandered around like the walking dead, coming to life only when I got to enjoy chance encounters with charming older women who could alleviate my sorrow. Haha... Perhaps I was simply trying to recapture what I had felt with Coco by seeking solace in the arms of all those lovely ladies.
I traversed every corner of the continent, but it was only when I saw the floating city of Lumopolis from Umbraton that I recalled the pledge the three of us had made. I came into some luck when I met an elderly gentleman who used to be a butler for the nobility. He provided me with somewhere to live in Lumopolis and taught me all about etiquette, and all he asked from me in return was to handle his daily needs. As the years passed by, the culture and social customs of Lumopolis gradually rubbed off on me. Having lived a long and full life, the old butler eventually passed away, and having no other family to speak of, he left his entire estate to me. So, once again... I found myself all alone in the world.

What do you think? Now that you've heard my tale, do you still see me as just some smooth-talking poser? No, I know you're someone who can tell the difference between the honest truth and a tall tale, %s. I suppose you could call this chapter the first half of my life, and you might even be inclined to say it was fascinating. On the other hand, you might be inclined to call it the sad tale of a lonely soul. You know, there are times when I look at you and how people are drawn to you so effortlessly... I really envy you sometimes. So, you wanna know why I came back here? I guess I just got bored after traveling across almost the entire continent of Astra, living a life without purpose—just drifting along with the tide.
Upon returning to the Rediesel Desert, I finally found some peace, and my heart felt as still as the valley after a raging sandstorm. When I first met Sinsa, he seemed quite amazed by my ability, and with regard to my experiences, he chose to trust me wholeheartedly instead of doubting me the way everyone else did. I could tell right away that the boss of the Rediesel Wrench was no ordinary man—I mean, there must be something special about him for the two of us to click the way we did. Haha, confidence is a big part of one's charm, my friend. But fond of him as I may be, I'm gonna need to think for a little while longer before I take off this suit of mine and go drag racing with those wild Rediesel Wrenchers...