Balsamico

"I, wandering bus driver Balsaaamicccooo, have the pleasure of being your guide today!"

Balsamico (バルサミコ, Barusamiko, Balsamic) is the Magic Bus driver of Will-o'-Wisp Academy in Magical Vacation.

Personality
Balsamico is very loud and outgoing, but gets along well with the students of Will-o'-Wisp.

Appearance
Balsamico is a large bipedal amphibian with light green skin. He has red lips, fins on the sides of his face, and a round gut with a protruding belly button. His hands and feet are webbed. The only clothes he wears is a pilot's hat, denim jacket, and a red tie with yellow polka dots.

Prologue
Balsamico is seen briefly in the game's prologue as the students board his Magic Bus. He excitedly introduces himself (to Cassis's annoyance), then abruptly crashes into the school's front gates before driving to Valencia Beach.

Light Realm
After the students are abducted by Enigmas on the beach, Balsamico is not seen again until the protagonist, Kirsche, Pistachio, and Arancia arrive at Ricebird Fields. The Enigmas mistook the Magic Bus for their own kind, so they brought it to the Light Realm with Balsamico still inside. He tells the students that Peche, Blueberry, and Lemon went out to look for Latte in order to fix the Magic Bus, which stopped functioning after falling into the Light Realm.

Once Latte is rescued from the souris of Tour de la Roche, all Balsamico needs to get the bus working is a Magic Power Generator. Another quest ensues, in which Latte and the students venture to Iko Domnag to have Grenadine install a Magic Power Generator in the ancient robot. They succeed in their task as Latte manages to get the bus running, meaning they can warp to any realm; however, they will only be able to warp once. Everyone agrees that going back to Will-o'-Wisp will allow Balsamico to fully repair the Magic Bus, so they rev up the Magic Power Generator and safely shift back into the Material Realm.

Now in the academy's courtyard, the students begin to fear for their academic futures. This is because Principal Biscotti forbode their return to Will-o'-Wisp at all costs, with the punishment of doing so being instant expulsion. Their discussion leads Balsamico to reveal that it was not Enigmas, but rather Biscotti who sent the Magic Bus to the Light Realm. Even more weight is added to the students' shoulders when he tells them about how they are Biscotti's last hope, as war is inevitable and protectors are scarce.

With limited time left to find Ganache and the other students, who were taken to the Dark Realm earlier, Balsamico says that it is possible to warp to the Dark Realm by entering Will-o'-Wisp's summoning machine. Its normal purpose is to bring entities from other realms into the academy, but by having Latte enter it, the Magic Power Generator would reverse the flow of energy; that way, he and two other people can walk inside and shift into the Dark Realm.

Name origin
Balsamic vinegar is an intensely flavored grape vinegar from Italy.

Trivia

 * He has a wife and child, though they are never seen in-game.
 * His salary is 20 pinecones a day.
 * He crashes the Magic Bus into the academy's front gates every year, and Biscotti always repairs it by hand.
 * Nobuyuki Inoue has jokingly stated that Balamico shares a similar appearance and mannerisms with Shinichi Kameoka.