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While playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, players may notice a few NPCs around Hyrule donned in mushroom-themed apparel. Following the fashion trend to Hateno Village will drop players into the middle of a clash of ideals: the hip fashion-forward Cece against the reserved traditionalist Reede. Players will have a lot of work to do in order to bring balance to the village, but the reward for doing so is well worth the effort.
How to Start The Mayoral Election Quest in TotK
Players visiting Hateno Village in Tears of the Kingdom may note a few differences since their last visit in Breath of the Wild. Half the town is wearing mushroom-inspired clothing, and mushrooms decorate large parts of the main street. Townsfolk will point Link in the direction of Cece, the famous fashion designer who has returned home and set up shop.
Players will find three super fans dressed to the nines outside Cece's shop near the town entrance, who are turned away as only one more spot for admission remains. Link subsequently becomes the lucky last visitor of the day to enter the store and meet the fabulous Cece.
Cece's grand introduction of herself and her masterpiece is cut short as Mayor Reede storms into the shop to confront her about the change she has brought to Hateno Village.
After a short argument, Cece declares a mayoral election to determine what the townspeople truly want. Reede storms off, and players are able to follow up with Cece to begin the first of the election-based quests.
Team Cece or Team Reede?
Speaking with Cece again will have her ask Link which side he supports in this election. The choice doesn't matter as eventually Link is enlisted to help sway Reede voters over to Cece's side by giving them each a Hylian Shroom.
She hands Link eight shrooms and instructs him that children, Sheikah, and mushroom-clothed people are excluded from the delivery, as are members of Reede's family. If players accidentally consume the mushrooms or use them in a recipe, a Hylian Shroom from any source will work just as well.
There are eight townspeople that fit Cece's criteria for mushroom delivery. The map above is marked with the usual locations of these villagers during the day, but be advised that they may shift position throughout the day, during rain, or at night.
After handing out all eight Hylian shrooms, players can return and speak with Cece. She will be very satisfied with Link's work and reward him with a Big Hearty Truffle.
Cece's Secret
During the day, players can speak with Sophie outside the shop to start this quest and learn that her sister has been sneaking off at night. Sophie doesn't believe it to be anything nefarious but asks Link to follow her anyway to avoid any complications with the election. Players should wait until night and follow Cece to the silo across the main road, being as sneaky and stealthy as possible.
After she locks herself inside, players can climb up the wall of the silo and enter the crawlspace above. There, players can watch as Cece relishes in her guilty pleasure: eating vegetables. Returning to Sophie with the less-than-exciting news will earn a sigh of relief from her and ten Ironshrooms for Link.
A Letter to Koyin
As players deliver shrooms around town for Cece, they will eventually come across Koyin at the southern tip of Lake Sumac at around 3634, -2048, 0175. After finally finding a message from her great-grandpa, she accidentally dropped it in the pond without knowing how to get it out.
The bottle is a bit out of reach for players to use Ultrahand from the shore, so it's recommended players first build a raft from the nearby trees or use ice to create platforms in the water to get close enough for the ability to reach.
After returning the bottle to Koyin, she excitedly opens the bottle to find a forgotten recipe. Link is invited to her house, where she uses her great-grandpa's recipe to create Hateno Cheese which Link receives as a reward for his help.
A New Signature Food
If players speak with incumbent Mayor Reede after the confrontation with Cece, he will share with them his plan to help Hateno Village without her fancy new ways. He speaks of a recipe his grandfather worked on with a cheese maker in town but can't remember the name.
If players have already completed "A Letter to Koyin," they should have just the thing he needs as the cheese maker was none other than Kuyin's great-grandpa.
Reede will smell the unique aroma of the cheese and request Link give it to him as he believes this new food will sway the election in his favor. He pays Link a silver rupee for the cheese, and afterward, the cheese will start being sold in Hateno Village's general store.
Reede's Secret
Players can also speak with Reede's wife, Clavia, to start another election-based quest. She's concerned with him sneaking off to the shed at night and how it might affect the election. The only entrance to the shed is the locked door, so Link must be a bit more crafty to break in.
By jumping down into any of the town's wells, players can navigate the small caves under the town until they are right underneath the shed at around coordinates of 3414, -2083, 0104. Players should be warned that they may have to fight a few TotK enemies on the way.
Once directly below the shed, players can use Ascend to enter the shed from below. Reading Reede's notebook on the table reveals that he has been experimenting with a new type of pumpkin based on Cece's designs. Annoyed yet relieved with the information, Clavia will reward Link with ten Hylian Tomatoes for his work.
How to Complete the Mayoral Election Quest
After completing all five of the Zelda side quests above, the player's adventure log for "The Mayoral Election" will update with a new task. At this point, if it is daytime and the weather is clear, players are able to speak with Sophie to begin the election.
All the townspeople are gathered together as the two candidates state their cases. The scene unfolds, and secrets are revealed, and all sides realize they want what is best for the town, resulting in a mutual compromise between Cece and Reede.
After the fanfare dies down, players can return to Cece's store and speak with the designer. She thanks Link for everything and concludes that he should model her masterpiece. Players will receive the extravagant Cece Hat, and the quest will finally come to an end.
From this point on, players are able to re-buy exceptionally rare clothing and armor directly from Cece that they may have sold or lost.
Though the hat does not offer much in the way of buffs, it is still quite stylish and may earn some comments from fashion-forward NPCs in Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for the Nintendo Switch.