I'm having a hard time avoiding getting hit lmao. It never gets to the point where I need potions, but I'm not good enough to clear most story quests without a beating. Or at least not in a timely manner. Although maybe that might slightly change, now that I have the Whore Outfit set, which raises walking speed.
P.S. If anyone's having trouble finding Griou, he's in the tile outside the eastern gates of Noer. It's the same place Lona takes Cecily to at some point if you sided with Cecily in her questline. Should be talking to a couple of dudes to the southwest. No idea where the kid wanders off to if you try to talk him out of revenge yet.
If anyone is looking up the kid's name to find the box for the whore set, you need to enter the house with its doors bordering a river. A dude should be guarding the entrance if you didn't go in guns blazing. You'll also need like 15+ big copper pieces to buy all the pieces from the Happy Merchant.