The Payback side quest in Final Fantasy 16 can be acquired once you reach the Out of the Shadows main quest. To start it, you need to interact with the Reading Table in Clive’s living quarters at 
The Hideaway. It will be listed as a message from 
Gaute under the heading “Off the record”. Once started, you can easily be locked out of this quest if you advance the main story, so we’ll show you how to avoid that on this page.
Payback side quest in Final Fantasy 16, featuring !Gaute’s clumsy ledger accounts.
How to Start the Payback (Off the Record) Side Quest in FFXVI¶
As mentioned above, to start this quest you’ll need to wait until you reach the Out of the Shadows main quest. You can then visit the Reading Table in Clive’s living quarters, which should have a green icon hovering over it on the map, indicating that a side quest is available from it. Once there, select the “Off the record” note to read the following:
“I was thumbing through the hideaway ledgers at Otto’s behest, and might have come across something that might need your attention. Maybe. And by that I mean immediately. You know where I’ll be.”
Speak with Gaute at The Hideaway¶
The message is from Gaute, and all you need to do at this point is answer his summons. You can then find him behind the bar near the Hunt Board in The Hideaway. When you speak with him you’ll soon learn that he’s messed up some of the ledgers, and now The Hideaway is in serious debt to some of its most trusted friends, namely 
Martha, 
Isabelle, and 
Charon. In total, there’s five million 
Gil owed to each.
(1 of 2) Accept the summons from !Gaute at the Reading Table in Clive’s living quarters.
Accept the summons from !Gaute at the Reading Table in Clive’s living quarters. (left), You’ll find !Gaute at the bar in !The Hideaway. (right)
Otto isn’t too pleased upon hearing this, but he holds himself responsible since he was the one who entrusted the ledgers to Gaute. Otto suggests offering a Star Ruby to all three of the lenders. These are highly valued items which should sell well and help to tide them over for now. Gaute will give one to Charon, while Clive is tasked with delivering the others to Martha and Isabelle.
Deliver the Star Ruby to Martha at Martha’s Rest¶
As soon as you’re able to, you should head to 
Martha’s Rest in the northwestern part of the main map, and speak with Martha at the bar there. Clive will offer her the Star Ruby, but she’ll claim that she can’t accept something so valuable. She then trails off about how Clive has been such a good replacement for Cid, but we don’t actually see her offer the Star Ruby back… hmm.
In any case, once you’ve spoken to Martha, it’s Isabelle next.
(1 of 2) Travel to !Martha’s Rest in the northwest of the main map.
Travel to !Martha’s Rest in the northwest of the main map. (left), Speak with !Martha at the bar to offer her the Star Ruby. (right)
Deliver the Star Ruby to Isabelle at The Veil in Northreach¶
You will find Isabelle at her usual location outside the 
The Veil in 
Northreach, which itself is located in the northeastern part of the main map. During the conversation, Isabelle lets slip that Otto once had a son. This is news to Clive, and he’s eager to ask Otto about what happened to him. Isabelle accepts the Star Ruby after feigning a bit of protest.
(1 of 2) You’ll find !Isabelle at !The Veil in !Northreach.
You’ll find !Isabelle at !The Veil in !Northreach. (left), Speak with !Isabelle just outside !The Veil brothel. (right)
Return to Gaute and Otto at The Hideaway¶
Now that you’ve offered both Martha and Isabelle a Star Ruby, it’s time to return to The Hideaway to inform Gaute and Otto. After speaking with Gaute you learn that Charon declined her Star Ruby from him, so it falls to Clive to convince her to take it. She’s as stubborn as ever, but she eventually accepts on the condition that Clive receives half of the price that she ends up selling it for.
After the conversation with Charon, a rather long cutscene will play during which Otto tells the story of what happened to his son. It’s a sad tale which ends with the telling of how Cid was the only one who was able to comfort him, which is what led Otto to joining The Hideaway all those years ago. After the scene you’ll earn 149 Level XP and 20 Renown, alongside a 
Meteorite, 50 
Sharp Fangs, and 25 
Wyrrite. You’ll also get 
Cid’s Goblet, which is a decorative item that will appear in Clive’s living quarters from here on.
Other Side Quests in The Hideaway¶
There will be more quests that can be started from The Hideaway as you advance the main story, so be sure to check for green icons from NPCs or at the Reading Table regularly. We’ve listed a few in the table below that you might have missed.
| Name | Location |
|---|---|
| A Bone to Pick | The Reading Table |
| Weird Science | The Hunt Board |
| The Weight of Command | The Boarding Deck |
| The Root of the Problem | The Back Yard |
| A Culinary Pilgrimage | The Ale Hall |
| Do No Harm | The Infirmary |
More Final Fantasy XVI Guides¶
There’s a lot to learn about the basics of gameplay mechanics in Final Fantasy XVI, which is why we’ve covered all the details both in and out of combat. Be sure to check the links below for some examples!
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