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>>5051145
You find Edelgard sitting in the Black Eagles Assembly Hall with Hubert. The two of them are deep in conversation, but upon spotting you, her face brightens up and she calls you forward.

“Blair! I never got a chance to speak with you after the battle. You were remarkable out there! I’m so glad that Lord Rex had a chance to see you in action.”

Hubert nods. “I must concur with Lady Edelgard. A job well-done. I knew you’d find a way to deal with Ingrid. I was quite impressed by your method.” Hubert smirks, as if privy to the insult that you threw towards Ingrid to bait her into Bernadetta’s trap.

>“Thank you.” You bow. “I appreciate your kind words. Edelgard, if I could have a moment of your time, I wanted to speak with you about Monica?”

If Edelgard has a reaction, it doesn’t show on her face, though Hubert’s trademark scowl quickly returns. “Of course.” Edelgard says. “I trust this is about my request that she join your squad?”

You nod. “Yes. I…don’t know much about Monica, and was hoping you could fill me in.” You figure it best not to mention Corrine’s warning. You’d rather not have your friend get in any potential hot water with the Adrestian Princess if possible.

Edelgard sighs. “Correct. Truth be told, you weren’t my first choice. I wanted the girl to join Hubert’s Squad, but she profusely refused. Seeing as you had some vacancies open, I figured it couldn’t hurt to give you some additional manpower.”

Well, you can certainly relate to that! You served in Hubert’s Squad yourself once, and once was certainly more than enough. Fortunately, you’re smart enough not to vocalize that thought.

“That being said, I understand that some of the other students feel that Monica is a bit…eccentric.”

>“Well, I certainly can’t fault her for that. I understand she spent a year as a prisoner of the Death Knight. I imagine such a burden would take a toll on anyone’s sanity, let alone that of a young girl.”

“That’s right.” Says Edelgard. “For that reason, I’d like you to keep an eye on her.”

>“An eye?”

Edelgard nods. “Correct. If Monica does anything…strange. Or out of the ordinary, more so than usual that is, I’d like you to let either Hubert or I know, immediately.”

Hubert joins in. “We’d like to make sure the girl is truly adjusting to life back at the Academy, and not just saying so. That’s why it is imperative you let us know if you see anything concerning from her.”

>You nod. “I…believe I understand.”

“I won’t force Monica on you, Blair. But know that you would be doing Hubert and I a huge favor. What do you say?” Edelgard asks.

Doing a favor for the future Emperor of Adrestia, along with the future head of House Vestra seems like a no-brainer to you. Monica may be a little weird, but she at least deserves a chance. Corrine’s warning still echoes in your head though.

>A): Accept Monica
>B): Politely reject

>>5051149
>B): Politely reject

>>5051149
>>B): Politely reject
Welcome back qm

>>5051149
>A): Accept Monica

>>5051149
>A): Accept Monica
I have no idea what's going on, or what the worst that could happen because of this is.

>>5051149
>A): Accept Monica

>>5051149
>B): Politely reject

>>5051149
>B): Politely reject
Yeah fuck right off you slitherer cow

>>5051149
>>B): Politely reject
There is a catch isn't there

>>5051149
>>A): Accept Monica

>>5051149
>A): Accept Monica

Connecting to the wider plot sounds like fun, It's always a good thing to know about the snakes earlier than not

>>5051149
>>>A): Accept Monica
As Blair says, she has no real reason to refuse. Other than metagaming, she just has Corrine's word against her

And it'll be fun and interesting for Blair to be involved with the plot.

>>5051711
Considering the literal axe-murderer warned us, I think that right there is grounds for suspicion IC.

>>5051149
>B): Politely reject

>>5051149
>B): Politely reject
Yeah if Corrine of all people is freaked out by her there's more than meets the eye.

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Accept: 6
Reject: 7

Writing. I can't believe Blair wouldn't give this cute, eccentric but seemingly harmless girl a chance.

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I am nonplussed and disappointed in you anons. How boring!

>>5052012
We're already buddy buddy with a literal axe murderer, that's enough excitement for me.

>>5051945
I'm disappointed in you anons. Monica just needed someone to help her reintegrate into academy life. Our head of state asked us personally to help her with this difficult task and you shot her down!

Not to mention having done a personal favour for Edelgard and Hubert. Think about how valuable something like that could have been for our future!

>>5051945
If only I was here sooner, I could have tied it!

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>>5051149
>Chapter 8: White Clouds, Red Wolf Moon, The Flame in the Darkness

>“Forgive me, but I wish to decline this responsibility. Monica has clearly suffered heavily at the hands of the Death Knight, and given the circumstances, I do not feel confident that I would be able to adequately keep an eye on her during an ongoing battle.”

Hubert makes an exasperated noise before speaking. “Blair, are you truly denying a request from your House Leader? What do you expect Count Rusalka would say if he heard you doing such a thing!?”

“Hubert, it’s fine.” Edelgard says. She sighs before continuing, giving you a weak smile. “I can’t say I’m not disappointed, Blair. You’d have been doing me a huge service. But, as I said, I won’t force the matter upon you. We’ll figure out something else to do with Monica. Now if that will be all, pray excuse us.”

Edelgard and Hubert exit the assembly hall, leaving you to your own devices. You wonder if you made the right decision. After all, the letter you received from the Count had told you to assist Edelgard with anything she required. You hope this doesn’t come back to bite you.

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>>5052117
As you exit the Assembly Hall and start making your way back to the dorm, you bump into Ashe, who appears out of breath.

>“A-Ashe! Are you okay?”

The boy looks up at you, and after regaining his exposure, begins speaking excitedly. “Blair! I was looking for you! Did you hear the news?”

>You shake your head. “What’s going on?”

“The Knights of Seiros finished interrogating that Dark Mage from the Western Church that you captured! They’ve learned the location of his leader, Bishop Santiago. Supposedly he’s the one that’s been behind this entire conflict, and Archbishop Rhea herself is going to be leading a force to execute him!”

>In the excitement of the Battle of the Eagle and the Lion, you partially forgot all about Fritz and the ongoing war with the Western Church. “That’s great news! If Lady Rhea can take him out, the hostilities between both churches should hopefully cease.”

Ashe nods. “Because the Black Eagles have a mission that they’ll be preparing for at the end of the month, the Blue Lions have been chosen to accompany Lady Rhea and the Knights of Seiros for this upcoming conflict. I’m putting together a unit, and well, I wanted to ask if you’d join me? We’re set to leave in a few days, but you should definitely be back in time before your House’s mission!”

This month’s mission is light on details. Supposedly some illness has overtaken a nearby village known as Remire, and your house is being sent to investigate. Supposedly, your group is not expected to see much combat.

“For me, this is a chance to avenge Lonato. The Western Church manipulated him for their own purposes. But, I know that you’ve also seen first-hand the havoc that they’ve caused. So, what do you say?”

Part of you knows that you’d love to be there to see the villain behind the Western Church’s recent actions put to the sword. However, accepting does carry some complications. You’d likely be gone for the entire month, returning only just in-time for your mission. Additionally, is accepting to assist another House really the wisest move you could make right now after denying a request from your own House Leader?

Rex’s warning also flashes across your mind.

>A): Agree to accompany Ashe. (Paralogue Chapter will begin, you will be unable to take further actions this month.)
>B): Politely decline Ashe’s request.

>>5052118
>>A): Agree to accompany Ashe. (Paralogue Chapter will begin, you will be unable to take further actions this month.)

Welp, in for a penny on Ashetrain I suppose.

Political consequences likely unpleasant. But I dont think Blair would refuse this.

>>5052118
>A): Agree to accompany Ashe. (Paralogue Chapter will begin, you will be unable to take further actions this month.)
Anything for best boy, after all we're just a student. What's the worst thing that could happen?

>>5051945
damn, If only I knew to check the board earlier I would have tried to Accept the offer, would have been neat if dramatic later on
>>5052118
>B): Politely decline Ashe’s request.
As much as I want to join him I don't want Blair to seem too chummy with BL then she already is, especially after rejecting Edel's offer

>>5052118

>A): Agree to accompany Ashe. (Paralogue Chapter will begin, you will be unable to take further actions this month.)
We can't say we like him and then not do this. Blair gotta put her money where her mouth is

>>5052118
>>A): Agree to accompany Ashe. (Paralogue Chapter will begin, you will be unable to take further actions this month.)
Even if I am disappointed in anons! Even if being able to finish Leopold's training would be nice...! For Ashe...!

>>5052118
>>A): Agree to accompany Ashe. (Paralogue Chapter will begin, you will be unable to take further actions this month.)
Will the paralogue chapter still be available if we refuse though?

>>5052118
>B): Politely decline Ashe’s request.
Sorry best boy, we're in hot water right now.

>>5052118
>A): Agree to accompany Ashe. (Paralogue Chapter will begin, you will be unable to take further actions this month.)

>>5052118
>A): Agree to accompany Ashe. (Paralogue Chapter will begin, you will be unable to take further actions this month.)

I refuse to miss the paralogue

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>>5052118
>You sigh. You’ve never been one for going on a rebellious streak, but lately any outside observer looing in would assume you’re trying your best to disregard your liege lord and your House Leader. Still, you feel as though you can manage to deal with the repercussions later. For now, your friend and someone dear to you has requested your help, and you’re not about to turn them away.

>“Very well, Ashe. I’d be happy to accompany you this month.”

Ashe’s face lights up upon hearing your acceptance. “Thank you, Blair! This means a lot to me. You were there with me back in Gaspard when all of this trouble first started. And now we can finish it, together.”

>You nod. “Let’s make them regret ever messing with us!”

Ashe fills you in on some of the details of the upcoming mission. In just two days, the Blue Lions will accompany the Knights of Seiros, led by Lady Catherine, Profesosr Byleth and Archbishop Rhea, to the Brionac Plateau. Ashe warns you that much like Gaspard, Brionac is mostly dense forest, covered in part by a thick fog. In such conditions, flying Beathan will prove to be a difficult task, and you may want to consider rolling on foot instead.

Additionally, you’ll need to rely on a Torch for true visibility. Fortunately, the purchase you made all the way back in your second month has proven to be a worthwhile investment.

That night, you head back to your dorm room, where Dorothea is already resting inside, and fill her in on your latest ongoings.

“Heading to the Brionac Plateau to execute a Bishop from the Western Church, huh?” Dorothea whistles. “I’ve gotta say, Blair, that’s not exactly my idea of a romantic date.”

>“It’s not a date! At least, I think it’s not. No…I’m sure it’s not!”

“Well, have fun I suppose. I went on one of these extracurricular school trips myself last month. I helped Ingrid out with some…issues she was facing from a potential suitor. By the way, she’s really not a big fan of yours. You sure you’re gonna be okay working with her?”

Crap. In your haste to accept Ashe’s proposal, you forgot that you’d likely be working with what seems to be your new arch-nemesis here at the Academy. Though, perhaps that’s not a fair thing to say. Maybe if you explain to Ingrid the situation, she’ll come around and understand.

“So, what do you think you’re gonna do?” Asks Dorothea.

>A): Try and explain to Ingrid that you didn’t mean any harm in tricking her.
>B): Double down on the comments you previously made
>C): Don’t do anything. You don’t have anything to apologize for. You did what was required of you.
>D): Write-in

>>5052987
>>C): Don’t do anything. You don’t have anything to apologize for. You did what was required of you.

>>5052987
>C): Don’t do anything. You don’t have anything to apologize for. You did what was required of you.
Even if the plan was kind of dropped in our lap, and in no way or shape our idea, I'm not sure that she is the kind of person that would get that.

If she latter pushes up on it maybe bring it up but I don't think taking it to her would work out to well.

>>5052987
>B): Double down on the comments you previously made
What about this Hubert? Do I get brownie points from this?

>>5052987
>C): Don’t do anything. You don’t have anything to apologize for. You did what was required of you.
>Missed Dorothea's paralogue
Makes sense since Ingrid hates us, but if we want to grind EXP now the only two maybe available to us are Felix and Sylvain's assuming we get them to B? Maybe? I forgot when they trigger

>>5052987
>D) Don't apologize, but explain why you acted the way you did. After all, it's a testament to her strength.

We are not in the wrong in acting in the interests of our house, but for the sake of collaboration it's a good idea to smother any more conflict.
She may not butter up, but she may just understand why we resorted to taunts and trickery. (Lucky her that it was a mock battle rather than a real one.)

>>5052987
>C): Don’t do anything. You don’t have anything to apologize for. You did what was required of you.

>>5052987
>>A): Try and explain to Ingrid that you didn’t mean any harm in tricking her.

>>5052987
>D): Write-in
>Do not mention the Battle, instead curteously express your delight to work together with and learn from a Pegasus Knight of her caliber
There's no reason to fan the flames here, attempting to explain away why we acted like we did isn't going to unmake our actions, and not saying anything at all to her could maybe make us seem aloof and self-righteous in her eyes.

Simple, professional curtesy and respect for someone who's more skilled than us as a Pegasus Knight will absolutely hit Ingrid out of the left field and shake some of her conviction that we're a massive dishonorable bag of dicks.

>>5053124
>>5052987
Support this.

>>5052987
>C): Don’t do anything. You don’t have anything to apologize for. You did what was required of you.

>>5053124
Support! Nice write in.

>>5052987
>D) Don't apologize, but explain why you acted the way you did. After all, it's a testament to her strength.
>Offer an actual duel later

>>5052987
>>5053071

Yeah switching my vote to >>5053124

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>>5052987
You decide that you have nothing to apologize for. You did what your House required of you, and if you hadn’t, it’s likely that Ingrid would have cut apart many of your friends. It may have just been a mock battle, but were it real life, adhering to the tenants of “honor” would have resulted in a sizeable loss of life for your comrades. This is something that you find completely unconscionable. You’ll play nice with Ingrid if it comes to working together, and you’ll even acknowledge her superiority as a Pegasus Knight, but you won’t apologize for doing whatever it took to ensure your friends were safe, and that your House won.

The day your group is set to march to the Brionac Plateau arrives. Double checking your gear and stashing away this month’s gold that you received from the Count (+500 Gold, Current: 800g), you say goodbye to Dorothea and head towards the gates of Garreg Mach, where you’re to meet the Blue Lions and Knights of Seiros that will be accompanying Lady Rhea. You think to yourself how fortunate it is that Professor Byleth will be accompanying the group this month, as you won’t feel too bad about missing out on class. This month, you’ve decided to focus on your Flying and Authority skills and place an emphasis on your Reasoning abilities.

You arrive to the meeting area, full of students and knights who are running around and making final preparations before departure. Ashe spots you before you spot him and runs over to greet you.

“Blair! Thanks again for agreeing to come along. I hope I’m not causing you too much trouble.”

In reality, the boy may very well be causing you a great deal of trouble given the reputation you’ve seemed to earn. You’ve overheard more than one Black Eagle cadet refer to you as a Faergus sympathizer. Still, you have no intention of saying no to someone so dear to you.

>“Don’t mention it! Like you said, I’m here to finish this fight, no matter what.”

Ashe nods, giving you a sign of approval. “Great to hear it! My unit will be serving as forward scouts, not too different from the role we played back in Gaspard. I guess that’s fitting. Our team will consist of myself, Felix, Annette, Mercedes, and you. Our goal is to locate the enemy commander through the dense forest and take him out if possible. If not, we’ll at least alert the Knights of Seiros as to his location.”

You breathe an internal sigh of relief that Ashe’s group consists of cadets that you already have friendly relations with, and not-

“Blair.” You hear from behind you. Turning around, you spot Ingrid, staring at you. From the look on her face, she seems less than pleased.

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>>5053651
>“Oh! Ingrid, a pleasure to see you again.” You bow. “I look forward to working alongside and learning from you on this mission.”

Ingrid snarls. “You have a lot of nerve. I haven’t forgotten what you said to me during the mock battle. I’m a weakling, am I? How about we replay that exchange here, and see just how accurate your assessment is?”

Well, that went about as you expected. As you’re about to retort, someone cuts you off.

“Lay off it, Ingrid. What did I tell you about all that chivalry crap? If you take it too seriously on the battlefield, you’re bound to end up as worm food. You’ve got no one to blame but yourself.” Says Felix, entering the conversation.

“Felix!” Ingrid shouts. “Stay out of this! This is between me and-“

“Blair, right. I get it.” The boy continues. “In case you’ve forgotten, she pulled a similar stunt on me during the first mock battle this year. But you didn’t hear me complaining. All’s fair on the battlefield. Don’t take it so personally.”

Ingrid looks at Felix, then towards you, then back at Felix, before leaving with a snarl.

“Uhh…is everything okay?” Asks Ashe.

“Don’t worry about it, kid.” Says Felix. “Focus more on how we’re going to take out this bishop this month.”

>“Thank you, Felix.” You nod towards the boy.

“Don’t sweat it, you did nothing wrong. Just know though, that trick won’t work a second time. On Ingrid, or me.”

The march to the Brionac Plateau is expected to take about a week. During your stay with the Blue Lions, you can’t help but notice how…dysfunctional they all seem. Felix seems to be always at odds with Dimitri. Sylvain is constantly being reprimanded by Ingrid. Dedue keeps to himself, never really interacting with the other cadets. Of the main officer core, the only normal ones seem to be Ashe, Mercedes and Annette. They’re all a far cry from how the Black Eagles operate, and you wonder if it’s because they don’t have a strong unifying force like Professor Byleth leading them.

One day after setting up camp, you have the opportunity to chat with a few students that don’t seem to be absorbed in any particular tasks.

>A): Chat with Ashe
>B): Chat with Mercedes and Annette
>C): Chat with Felix
>D): Chat with Sylvain
>E:): Chat with Professor Byleth

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A few quick announcements.

As far as Paralogue chapters are concerned, I'd like to not get bogged down with doing multiple ones. I felt that Ashe's paralogue made the most sense to do given Blair's relationship with him and the fact that she's had multiple run-ins with the Western Church. Plus it fits into some other areas I'd like to eventually explore lore-wise. But ultimately, I'd rather not have her getting involved with every one of her supports side-adventures each month, nor do I think it would make much sense realistically given the travel time. I have one other Paralogue chapter in mind that would take place though, and it would actually be Blair's.

I likely won't be able to make an update until sometime Saturday as I'll be away tomorrow.

Lastly, would anyone be interested if I began adding supplementary information for some of the OC characters? This wouldn't effect update times as I'd mostly do these when I have some spare time and they wouldn't necessarily be on a consistent schedule. The purpose of these would be to just flesh out the personalities of some OC characters that have been introduced. I'd be happy to leave it to a vote every few weeks where anons pick a character they'd want to see have a brief blurb or moment to themselves. My main reservation would be that 1. This takes focus away from Blair, 2. It's not necessarily interactive and 3. It may lead to metagaming where you know something about a particular character that Blair wouldn't necessarily know. But definitely open to suggestions on this.

As always, thank you reading and participating!

>>5053653
>E:): Chat with Professor Byleth

>>5053662
Yes. It would be fun and revealing for other characters.

>>5053653
>D): Chat with Sylvain
Yeah beating up Ingrid was part of the plan, but being way too rough with him because we lost our head due to our bloodlust was all on us. We gotta own up to that one.

>>5053653
>>E:): Chat with Professor Byleth
Blair should know Byleth, at least a little, by this point. Though I am tempted to chat more with Ashe, as Blair's reason to be here, but probably we want to tread between him being present vs. overrepresented
>>5053662
I think as long as the supplemental info is wellchosen, it would work out well. And for characters that aren't necessarily central to the story and info that isn't secret, we can just assume that Blair chatted offscreen

>>5053653
>D): Chat with Sylvain

>>5053653
>>E:): Chat with Professor Byleth

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>>5053653
>C): Chat with Felix
It's been a while since the last time we interacted with sword-autist edgelord, we could catch up a bit.

>>5053662
I wouldn't mind additional content. If you feel it to be more appropriate you could delay it to the time-skip, so that we wouldn't be able to meta-game either way.
More importantly
>Blair paralogue
>mfw

>>5053653
>C): Chat with Felix

>>5053653
>E:): Chat with Professor Byleth
Would be nice to interact with her a bit more, see what your interpretation of her is.
>>5053662
I would love to know more about Corrine, and uh, the other fucks as well, if you are afraid of metagaming then you can limit the amount of info you give, so if they have some really important stuff you can hint at it and not out right say it.

>>5053653
>E:): Chat with Professor Byleth

>>5053653
>>D): Chat with Sylvain

>>5053653
>E:): Chat with Professor Byleth
Strange that Byleth would lead another House, you'd figure it'd be Professor Hanneman since he's the house leader of the Blue Lions.

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>>5053653
You spot Professor Byleth sitting by herself on a nearby log. Much like you, she’s a guest on this operation as well. Under usual circumstances, a Professor from another House would normally not be here, Byleth’s status as the wielder of the Sword of the Creator takes precedence. She’s seen as an arbiter of the Church’s justice, and it’s only right that she be here to see one of its major enemies cut down. As you approach the Professor, she looks up and smiles.

“Hello, Blair. It’s good to see another Black Eagle here.” Byleth says. The Professor is calm and composed as always, not giving too much away.

>“I feel the same way Professor.”

“You’ve been keeping up with your studies, Blair, and it shows. Your ability to follow Hubert’s plan to the letter was critical in our victory. Once you graduate, you’re going to make a fine Officer for the Empire.”

>“I owe it to your continued instruction, Professor.”

The Professor smiles, seemingly taking pride in her student. “Well, best not to slack off then, right?” The Professor pulls out a large, dusty looking tome that was sitting her in her satchel and flips to a specific page. “Tell me, Blair, how were the Leicester forces able to turn back the numerically superior tide of Almyran invaders during the Battle of Fodlan’s Throat in 961.”

>You blink. “A-are you giving me…homework?”

The Professor nods. “You mustn’t neglect your studies just because you’re on the road. You have to utilize every single second and make them count, Blair.”

You sigh. So much for a relaxing late-night chat with your Professor.

>Authority Rank Up!: Rank A
>You learned a new skill, Rally Spectrum, Level 1: At the cost of initiating an attack, grant +2 to all stats to any nearby ally.)

>Paralogue Chapter: Falling Short of Heaven

As you arrive to the Brionac Plateau, everything you heard about the place proves to be correct. The area is completely covered in wood, and a dense fog has rolled in, similar to when you were in Gaspard. Only this time, there doesn’t appear to be any magic afoot. This fog is very real.

“We’re receiving word that some of our scouts have engaged in skirmishes with troops believed to be belonging to the Western Church.” Says Byleth. “Looks like the enemy is directly ahead.”

Ashe looks stone-faced, staring directly ahead. You put a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder, who smiles in turn. “Are we ready?” He asks.

The boy receives affirmative nods from Mercedes and Annette.

“Let’s get this over with.” Says Felix.

“Blair.” The Professor interrupts. “In this fog, I’d suggest leaving Beathan behind here. Even with a Torch, we won’t have complete visibility. A stray arrow from the forest could spell doom.”

>A): Embark on this mission on foot.
>B): Attempt to take flight on the back of your Pegasus

>>5055636
That's a spicy, and unexpected, rank up.

>A): Embark on this mission on foot.
Would our class revert, by leaving Beathan behind? Or do we just lose flier status (and possibly movement)?

>>5055700
Your class wouldn't revert, it would just be a cut to your movement and mobility while eliminating your weakness to arrows.

>>5055636
>B): Attempt to take flight on the back of your Pegasus
It may be important to be able to have someone capable of running down someone that is fleeing, or cross larger distances / terrain quickly.

>>5055636
>A): Embark on this mission on foot.

>>5055636
>A): Embark on this mission on foot.

>>5055636
>A): Embark on this mission on foot.

>>5055636
>>B): Attempt to take flight on the back of your Pegasus

>>5055636
>>A): Embark on this mission on foot.
stay put Beathan, we'll be back
also
>You learned a new skill, Rally Spectrum, Level 1: At the cost of initiating an attack, grant +2 to all stats to any nearby ally.)
Hell yeah

>>5055636
>A): Embark on this mission on foot.

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>>5055636
Just as you decide to leave Beathan behind, you receive some troubling news in the form of a scout from the Knights of Seiros.

“Bad news, ma’am!” The scout relays to the Professor. “We appear to be surrounded! The Western Church soldiers used the fog to lay an ambush!”

As if on cue, an amplified voice begins echoing through the forest.

“Followers of that foul apostate!” The voice commands. “You and your comrades are surrounded by the true believers of the Goddess Seiros! Abandon this endeavor of yours and renounce your false prophet, or this forest will serve as your resting place!”

>“That must be our target.” You deduce.

“He clearly thinks quite highly of himself.” Felix remarks.

“Catherine should stay behind and ensure that no harm comes to the Archbishop.” The Professor states. “Myself and Ashe’s squad will advance forward and attempt to eliminate Bishop Santiago. If we take him out, the enemy forces should route.”

“Let’s go then!” Ashe says. “We’ll stick close to the wooded areas to avoid most of the enemies coming north. If we can slip by them, we should be able to get to Santiago quicker.”

“How do we know where the enemy Bishop is located?” Asks Mercedes.

“We don’t, but best to get started somewhere!” Ashe replies.

You shudder. Not exactly a sound strategy, but the boy has a point. Besides, it beats waiting around to get ambushed. You and your group head into the nearby woods, moving towards a small lake in the vicinity. Along the way, you hear shouting and clamor from the direction you just came from. It sounds like the battle has started, and it appears to be a big one as well. You’re not sure how many men the enemy has out here, but you know you need to take out their leader quickly before they take out yours.

As you continue moving forward, you hear the woods rustling both behind and in-front of you. Brandishing your spear, you find yourself suddenly surrounded by soldiers from the Western Church.

“Enemy scouts spotted!” One of them yells. “Surround and eliminate them!”

>A): Keep charging forward and try and take out those Archers
>B): Turn North and attempt to tangle with the Armored Knight, keeping Annette and Mercedes safe
>C): Spin around and cover your backline
>D): Tangle with the lone Myrmidon to your south

>>5056960
>B): Turn North and attempt to tangle with the Armored Knight, keeping Annette and Mercedes safe
Our squishy Priest and Mage cannot handle an Armor Knight and a Myrm alone. Acting as a meatshield should give them the time to cast, and then we can rush the archers.
We can trust Felix and the prof to take care of the backline, and Ashe can support whatever side needs it. Or he can tangle with the enemy archers himself I guess.

>>5055636
>>You learned a new skill, Rally Spectrum, Level 1: At the cost of initiating an attack, grant +2 to all stats to any nearby ally.)
Hm...I think it's a pretty great rally skill, just for the combination of speed and strength/magic. I don't think rallybotting is in Blair's future very much, though, a lot of her success has rested on her personal equipment and damage output.
>>5056960
>>A): Keep charging forward and try and take out those Archers
even if Blair has the Flame Lance, she's still less well equipped to deal with armor knights than Annette, and taking out the Archers will still spell less need for healing from Mercedes in the long run of the fight.
I wouldn't object to B very much, though. Blair's got a protective streak

>>5056960
>B): Turn North and attempt to tangle with the Armored Knight, keeping Annette and Mercedes safe
We're the only Frontliner on this flank, Felix is 100% going to piss off and fight those two enemy units to the west while Byleth will probably engage the lone Myrmidon and then turn to aid us. We need to block for Mercedes and Annette so they can do their thing, we can easily dance around the Myrmidon due to Swordbreaker and the Armored Knight is slow enough that we could probably dual him, even if our damage will be low.

>>5056960
>>B): Turn North and attempt to tangle with the Armored Knight, keeping Annette and Mercedes safe
protect the mages

>>5056960
>>B): Turn North and attempt to tangle with the Armored Knight, keeping Annette and Mercedes safe

>>5056960
>A): Keep charging forward and try and take out those Archers

>>5056960
>B): Turn North and attempt to tangle with the Armored Knight, keeping Annette and Mercedes safe

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>>5056960
You move to stand in front of Mercedes and face towards the two enemies north of you that threaten her, an Armored Knight and a Myrmidon. It wasn’t too long ago that an Armored Knight’s defenses would pose some difficulty for you to break through. However, thanks to the gift you recently received from Lord Rex, you’re feeling much more confident in your ability to dispatch such a nuisance.

Brandishing your newly acquired Flame Lance, you channel the magic walled deep inside the shaft, and point the blade towards your heavily armored foe. A torrent of flame erupts from the tip and launches itself at the knight, engulfing him in flame. The man makes a horrible noise at the top of his now charred lungs as he’s boiled alive in his plate, dropping his axe and shield and flailing madly. You grimace as you call forth the magic of the lance one more, summoning another torrent of flames that cut off the man’s screams and put an end to his suffering.

>30xp gained! Flame Lance 23/25

The enemy Myrmidon has a look of horror on his face as he watches his sturdy comrade be dispatched with seemingly trivial ease. He’s shaking, but presses his attack, running at you with his sword drawn. The man is a professionally trained soldier and may ordinarily be skilled with a sword, though you wouldn’t know it. In the last eight months, you’ve seen more combat against fearsome foes than most professional soldiers see in a lifetime of guard duty and patrols.

Using the Swordbreaker skill you recently adapted, you’re able to easily chamber the foe’s sword swipe and thrust with your Flame Lance. You catch the man in his shoulder, and instantly the limb bursts into flames, the smell of charred flesh intensely wafting through your nostrils. As the soldier flails around, dropping his sword to try and pat out the flames, you switch to your Silver Lance and pierce through his throat, ending his life.

>30xp gained! Flame Lance 22/25

In front of you, the two Archers take aim and fire their arrows. Both looked to have been aiming at Mercedes but settle on you as their target as you’re in the way. One of the arrows catches you in the arm, forcing a sharp hiss from you. Before the other enemy archer can fire though, an arrow from Ashe lodges itself in her throat, killing her.

“Blair! Hang on!” Cries Mercedes. Summoning her healing magic, the wound you took to your arm rapidly closes, with the arrow falling out harmlessly.

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>>5057677
Annette tears apart the foe that shot you with a tornado of wind. The magic is so potent, that the poor man is flayed alive by the gusts.

Behind you, the Professor and Felix have easily dispatched the foes on your flank, the Professor’s Sword of the Creator already sheathed in blood.

“The sounds of battle behind us appear to be growing more intense!” The Professor remarks. “We have to hurry!”

>“These men appeared to be lying in ambush for any of our soldiers that may have happened to pass through.” You remark. “Perhaps this may mean we’re on the right track to finding their leader?”

“If that’s the case, that means their leader is likely on the other side of this lake, or further down south, through the forest.” Says Annette.

As if once again on cue, Bishop Santiago’s voice is magically amplified throughout the forest once again.

“Why do you throw your lives away for an Apostate that commits blasphemy in the name of our Goddess?! All that woman cares about is ensuring her power over you remains standing! If you had any love for the Goddess Seiros, you’d turn your blades against her and strike her down!”

“This guy really is one annoying bastard.” Growls Felix.

“It sounds like he’s coming from every direction!” Says Mercedes.

“No use sitting around talking about it.” Says Ashe. “We’ll just have to pick a direction and stick with it.”

>A): Suggest the group move to get to the other side of the lake
>B): Suggest the group continue heading down south through the forest
>C): Suggest the group split-up, covering both directions
>D): Write-in

>>5057678
>A): Suggest the group move to get to the other side of the lake

Seems the most likely to me, he'd consider it a good buffer from the battle proper and I bet hes a coward.

>>5057678
>>B): Suggest the group continue heading down south through the forest
I think he might be far away.
Also I gotta say that the way you describe how magic effects people is pretty brutal, I love it, oh and I kinda forgot the Flame lance has 'ammo' so i think it should be obvious we save it for armored foes and bosses so we don't run out juice quickly

>>5057678
>C): Suggest the group split-up, covering both directions

>>5057678
>>C): Suggest the group split-up, covering both directions
It's almost too simple a mission...I feel like something will go wrong soon.
does splitting up address that concern? not at all! but it would make for exciting reading.
actually it does somewhat address that concern, if we feel like we need to hurry.

>>5057678
>A): Suggest the group move to get to the other side of the lake

>>5057678
>C): Suggest the group split-up, covering both directions

>>5057678
>>A): Suggest the group move to get to the other side of the lake
I think splitting up is a perfectly fine option, but I can't help thinking that we'll spring some trap by doing so.

>>5057678
>A): Suggest the group move to get to the other side of the lake
This isn't Scooby Doo, splitting up seems like it'll end in disaster. The lake seems like the obvious obstacle an enemy general would put between himself and the enemy army.

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>>5057678
>“Perhaps we should move to the other side of this lake?” You suggest. “This body of water seems like an obvious obstacle that Santiago would want to put between himself and our army.”

“Well, it’s as good of an idea as any other we have right now.” The Professor says. “Let’s move out and hurry.”

Your group enters through the forest and runs alongside the river. You all run for what seems like several minutes until you finally find where the lake ends, allowing you to safely traverse to the other side. You have your torch lit for visibility, but so far, you’ve yet to encounter any enemies, and the sounds of fighting behind you are growing dimmer as you move further south. Unfortunately, you find that you don’t appear to be getting closer to your intended destination.

“This sucks.” Felix growls. “Even with these Torches, we’re completely blind if we don’t know where we’re going.”

“What if we went the wrong direction?” Mercedes asks. “Maybe we should turn around and-“

“Quiet!” Ashe hisses. “I think I hear something.”

The group ceases their chatter and quits walking, standing perfectly still. As you strain your ears, you hear the familiar flapping of what sounds to be the wings of a pegasus, coming from the direction you’re walking towards. There seems to be quite a few of them up in the air. The pegasi sound as though they’re flying closer towards you, and with a quick hand gesture, the Professor motions for all of you to put out your torches. An order with which you happily comply.

The flapping continues to get closer and closer, becoming audibly louder as it passes right over your head, before finally you hear the beasts landing on the ground.

“This is hopeless!” You hear a feminine voice complain from a little further up. “How are we supposed to join the battle if we can’t see where we’re going?! Just what Is Bishop Santiago thinking?!”

“Quiet!” Another, more stern feminine voice silences the first one. “It is not our place to question the Bishop. We are loyal knights in service to the Church and the Goddess Seiros. We shall not let them down!”

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>>5059286
“I could have sworn I saw a light up ahead.” Another voice speaks up.

“Could the enemy be here!? All of our forces should be making contact with the Apostate and her forces as we speak!” A fourth female voice.

It becomes apparent to you that there seems to be a decently sized contingent of Pegasus Knights from the Western Church up ahead. It seems that unlike you, they chose to take flight on their steeds today and ended up lost in the fog. A foolish decision, given the current lack of visibility. You can’t help but silently pat yourself on the back for not stubbornly taking flight.

“Are you truly sure you saw a light, Vanessa?” The stern voice asks.

“Yes, Captain. I’m sure of it.”

“Then spread out! They couldn’t have gone too far. We’ll search briefly, and then head back into the skies.” The enemy captain orders.

You hear some grumbling from the women, followed by the sounds of hooves spreading out in every direction, including some coming closer to you.

“They’re coming closer!” Ashe whispers.

These knights sound like they received their orders directly from Santiago himself. Which likely means, judging by where they flew in from, that the enemy commander may be further south. In this fog, the enemy can’t see you just yet.

>A): Suggest an attack. Utilize the fog to ambush the Pegasus Knights.
>B): Suggest moving away. These idiots are flying blind. Continue heading south towards your goal and let the numerically superior enemy wander around lost.
>C): Write-In

>>5059288
>B): Suggest moving away. These idiots are flying blind. Continue heading south towards your goal and let the numerically superior enemy wander around lost.

DECAPITATION

>>5059288
>B): Suggest moving away. These idiots are flying blind. Continue heading south towards your goal and let the numerically superior enemy wander around lost.

>>5059288
>B): Suggest moving away. These idiots are flying blind. Continue heading south towards your goal and let the numerically superior enemy wander around lost.

>>5059288
>>B): Suggest moving away. These idiots are flying blind. Continue heading south towards your goal and let the numerically superior enemy wander around lost.

>>5059288
>B): Suggest moving away. These idiots are flying blind. Continue heading south towards your goal and let the numerically superior enemy wander around lost.

>>5059288
>>B): Suggest moving away. These idiots are flying blind. Continue heading south towards your goal and let the

>>5059288
>>B): Suggest moving away. These idiots are flying blind. Continue heading south towards your goal and let the numerically superior enemy wander around lost.

>>5059288
>>B): Suggest moving away. These idiots are flying blind. Continue heading south towards your goal and let the numerically superior enemy wander around lost.

>>5059288
>B): Suggest moving away. These idiots are flying blind. Continue heading south towards your goal and let the numerically superior enemy wander around lost.

All things considered, Santiago probably assumed that if he saturated the region enough he'd either surround the Archbishop's forces or cut off everyone who dared split off. Heading back either to the other hiding place or back towards Rhea is the superior option.

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>>5059288
You motion to the group that you should all leave. You have a very specific goal and getting entangled with a large group of unrelated enemies won’t help you to achieve that. The Professor nods in agreement, and soon after, the six of you are walking at a brisk pace forward under the cover of the fog, away from the enemy Pegasus Knights. Eventually, their chatter fades behind you, and you make it a safe distance ahead. There’s just one problem.

“Perhaps we should have stopped and asked those knights for directions?” Felix muses.

By the Goddess! This boy is a complainer. Still, he certainly has a point. You’ve been wandering for quite a while now and still, there’s no sign of where the enemy commander is located. Judging by the fact that Santiago is still shouting his inane ramblings, he must be feeling rather comfortable right now.

“It’s not as though we have the luxury of turning around right now.” The Professor states. “We’ll have to keep moving forward and reassess our strategy.”

“Look!” Ashe cries. “There an opening in the woods ahead!”

Sure enough, the boy is correct. Up ahead lies a small clearing in the forest, and if you squint your eyes just hard enough, you’re able to make out some figures moving further within.

“This is around the direction those Pegasus Knights flew in from.” The Professor says. “It looks like we may have finally spotted our targets.”

“How we can be sure that’s the enemy commander up ahead?” Asks Mercedes.

As if right on cue: “The Archbishop wishes to control you all, mind, body and soul! Why does she alone, command the power that she wields? What gives this woman the right to place herself above all else in Fodlan? Have you ever thought to yourselves who this woman really is?!” You hear Santiago’s voice cry out. Something about it is different this time though. While previously, the voice sounded as if it was coming from every direction around you, this time, the voice sounds much closer, as if the enemy Bishop is just a short distance away.

“Is that good enough for you?” Asks Felix. “Come on, let’s get this over with. I’m tired of listening to this windbag prattle on.”

You brandish your Silver Lance and affirm your readiness to the group. The time to put an end to this pointless religious feud is finally here. You rush forward right behind the Professor and Ashe, out of the fog and into the forest clearing, and right away, you don’t like what you see.

You’ve found the enemy’s camp, but unfortunately, it looks as though they haven’t thrown everything they have towards the Archbishop just yet. In front of you are about a dozen Western Church soldiers who have stayed behind. From further back, you make out the appearance of several older men, clad in religious garb denoting them as clergy. The fog in this area is light, and unfortunately, they quickly notice your sudden appearance.

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>>5060834
“L-Lord Santiago!” One of the clergymen cries. “You said they’d never find us here!”

“That woman has the Sword of the Creator! We’re doomed!” Another one cries out.

“Cease your prattling!” An older man commands. Judging by his garb and the authority he wields, this much be Santiago. “Well, look at what we have here. The Apostate’s loyal dog of war, here alone with no one to help her but some sniveling children. The Goddess truly smiles upon the righteous this day.”

“Bishop Santiago!” Byleth cries out. “In the name of Archbishop Rhea and the Church of Seiros, I demand that you cease these hostilities and surrender yourself over to face justice!”

“On the contrary, I believe you and those little rats of yours are the ones who should be surrendering.” Santiago replies. “You and your ilk are the ones that started this conflict, and you won’t back out of it so easily!”

>“Started this conflict? Is he out of his mind?!”

Ashe walks to the front of the group, hands clenched tight around his bow. “You…this is all your fault! Lonato’s blood is on your hands!”

The bishop stares at the boy for a short moment. “Lord Lonato died a martyr. A fate more honorable than a dog like you could ever hope to aspire to. But enough prattling, let us see who the Goddess truly smiles upon this day. Attack!”

With a wave of his hand, the first line of Western Soldiers charges in your direction.

>A): Stand your ground and defend yourself against the soldier and myrmidon that are charging towards you in combat
>B): Attempt to maneuver behind the frontline of the enemy towards their Archers and Mages
>C): Suggest that your group run back into the fog
>D): Write-in

>>5060835
>D): Write-in

We have the Professor here, with an incredibly powerful relic. They and Catherine are the only people who can probably take on Santiago head-on, and Catherine's busy with the Archbishop. We form up around Byleth and do everything to protect their approach.

>>5060835
>Axe Warrior Lvl 20
>Swordmaster Lvl 20
That's not cool at all, any attempt at maneuvering past the frontline will cause immediate death. Only Byleth's overleveled ass can effectively fight them 1v1. Clear out the trash and maybe we can 2v6 them with us and Felix blocking the Swordmaster and Byleth taking on the Axe Warrior.

>>5060845
+1, I was just going to defer to Byleth's direction on this one but this works too

>>5060835
>>B): Attempt to maneuver behind the frontline of the enemy towards their Archers and Mages

I did have another idea, but it's pretty bad unless we can either bluff like motherfuckers or get particularly fortunate. Annette is a Mage and thus has access to Fire even though it's not on her normal list. We could throw a fireball into the sky like a flare, or try to start a fire in the forest near Santiago to scatter his more cowardly mooks. The problem is, either could get the attention of Rhea's group but also the pegasi, which could get us pincered real damn fast.

>>5060900
Yeah, that's no good. We'd definetely get the short stick of that since they Pegasi are more mobile than Rhea's troops, it's almost guaranteed we'd die in that scenario.

Rhea's been losing 5 HP per round...
>>5060835
>B): Attempt to maneuver behind the frontline of the enemy towards their Archers and Mages
I'm not too keen on being overly defensive.

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>>5060835
>>A): Stand your ground and defend yourself against the soldier and myrmidon that are charging towards you in combat
We need to keep a wall with Byleth and Felix so our mages and Ashe aren't bothered, Byleth is strong enough that the first wave should be a no problem, and like it was mentioned they got some strong fucks waiting for us near the bishop.
also the fuck is this captcha?

>>5060835
>A): Stand your ground and defend yourself against the soldier and myrmidon that are charging towards you in combat

>>5060835
>B): Attempt to maneuver behind the frontline of the enemy towards their Archers and Mages

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>>5060858
>>5060835
Since the write-in isn't getting any traction, I'll swap to:
>A): Stand your ground and defend yourself against the soldier and myrmidon that are charging towards you in combat

We're Sword Crushers, both of these units use Swords. It should be easy enough to end them, also I think we count as being next to Ashe so we can use the Support Bonus of +2 damage we both get due to A-rank support, which would make this easy to clean up.

Again, attempting to circumvent the frontline here is literally asking for death. We'll be focused down by the backline and the big guys holding the rear, we don't have nearly enough defensive stats to make stupid plays like that.

>Captcha: YP8NY
Because Pegasus Knights are cool, shut up don't question me like this you stupid algorithm!

>>5060835
>A): Stand your ground and defend yourself against the soldier and myrmidon that are charging towards you in combat

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>>5060835
Professor Byleth stands resolute in the face of the enemy, and you’re not about to turn tail in front of her. You stand right beside her with your spear brandished and prepare to meet the enemy head-on. In front of you, a soldier charges towards you with his own spear outstretched ready to impale you. Before he can make impact, a gust of wind magic arcs over his head and collides with you. The razor-sharp winds cut you up somewhat, but fortunately you’re able to brush off most of the attack. (-9 HP 27/36)

The enemy soldier in front of you thrusts his spear forward, catching you in the breastplate. The blow is not as painful as the wind magic, but certainly not welcome (-5 HP 22/36).

You decide to respond to the blow appropriately. You almost surprise even yourself when the man’s head comes clean off from a single swipe of your Silver Lance, splattering you and Mercedes behind you with gore.

>Critical Hit! 30 XP Gained! (90/100)

The Mage behind the Soldier has a stupefied look on his face that is quickly wiped off when the Sword of the Creator cuts the poor man into two neat pieces.

Your head turns to find that the Professor has not only just killed that Mage, but she recently finished off the Myrmidon that ran after her as well. Felix and Ashe are also in the process of neatly eliminating their respective enemies, with Annette’s help.

“Crusaders! Rally to my aid! Do not let the Apostate’s loyal war hounds harm me and my brethren!” Santiago’s voice cries out, echoing throughout the entirety of the forest. As if right on cue, two hulking armored men appear to flank Santiago. These aren’t your standard Armor Knights, and in fact seem to be a tier above them.

This is bad. These enemies look much tougher than the regular foes you’ve faced thus far. What’s worse, the entire forest heard Santiago put out the call for reinforcements. Timing has just gotten even more tight.

“Blair! Hold on, I’ll patch you up!” Mercedes cries out. You feel the familiar sensation of the girl’s healing magic washing over you as the wounds you previously suffered close. (36/36 HP).

“Hey! They’re rushing forward again!” Felix yells.

Sure enough, while the remaining enemy Mage and Archer fall back, another group of soldiers is rushing towards your position, and unlike the men you just fought, these certainly won’t go down in one hit.

“Don’t face these foes alone!” The Professor cries out, moving forward to engage the foe.

>A): Defend Annette and Mercedes from the incoming Swordmaster
>B): Backup Ashe against the Axe Warrior
>C): Attempt to take out the enemy Mage and Archer
>D): Write-in

>>5062534
>A): Defend Annette and Mercedes from the incoming Swordmaster

Felix hopefully has Axebreaker at this point, as long as he keeps the Warrior occupied, he and Ashe can chip him down. The archer and mage sting, but if we take out their heavies, they'll probably fall back.

>>5062534
>A): Defend Annette and Mercedes from the incoming Swordmaster

>>5062534
>>A): Defend Annette and Mercedes from the incoming Swordmaster

>>5062534
>B): Backup Ashe against the Axe Warrior

>>5062534
>>A): Defend Annette and Mercedes from the incoming Swordmaster

>>5062534
>A): Defend Annette and Mercedes from the incoming Swordmaster
Haha, time for Swordbreaker.

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>>5062534
The Swordsman charging towards you does so without any hesitation. His blade in his hand gleams an ominous looking silver, and the look in his eyes convey that he’s very clearly a veteran at dispatching foes much like yourself. A flash behind you signifies that Annette has activated her Crest, and she launches several blades of wind at the Swordmaster. Your jaw drops though, when you see the man adeptly dodge each gust of magic that Annette fired at him.

As he nears you, you seek to employ your Swordbreaker technique, and fortunately, the ability pays off. You’re able to bat aside the man’s first swing, and then counter with your own. You launch a sharp jab that catches the man in his chest, earning you a spray of blood that lands on your face. (Swordmaster: -18 HP, 20/38 HP). The man staggers back, but he’s not done yet. Unfortunately, he’s much faster than you are, and your Swordbreaker technique, while powerful, isn’t infallible. He swings his blade again, this time chopping you in your clavicle. You scream aloud as you stagger back, the pain almost overwhelming you. (Blair -15 HP, 21/36)

>10xp gained! Level Up!
>Blair d'Rusalka
>Level 17 Pegasus Knight (0/100)
HP: 36 (85%) + 1 = 37
STR: 18 (40%)
MAG: 13 (45%) + 1 = 14
DEX: 13 (45%)
SPD: 18 (65%) + 1 = 19
LCK: 10 (30%)
DEF: 14 (50%) + 1 = 15
RES: 10 (35%) + 1 = 11
CHARM: 11 (45%)

The gut feeling you had about this man certainly wasn’t off. Not since your encounter with Miklan Gautier have you felt such a sure chance that you’ll die if you don’t play your cards right here. You feel the warm sensation of healing magic enveloping you again, Mercedes swooping in like a guardian angel to ensure you don’t bleed out on the forest floor. (Blair: +15 HP 36/36). However, things quickly take a turn.

Not only is the Swordmaster not backing down, but you notice that the wound you inflicted on his chest is closing! The man is being healed from far off! (Swordmaster: +18 HP, 38/38).

“That’s a Physic spell!” Mercedes cries out. “Santiago and those Priests must have the ability to call upon long distance healing magic!”

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>>5064038
“I’m a Crusader of the Goddess Seiros, I won’t back down to some punk kids!” The Swordmaster declares. An arrow from behind him is fired, catching you in the arm before you can raise your spear. (Blair: -6 HP, 30/36). He charges towards you again, but before he can finish you off, the Professor puts herself directly in your path, blocking the man’s sword swing with her own.

“Not on my watch!” Byleth yells. “You three! Go with Ashe and take out Santiago and those Priests before we’ve overrun!”

“Over here!” A voice from behind you cries out. “Bishop Santiago really is in trouble! Save him!”

“Go now!” Byleth yells, still locked in combat with the Swordmaster. “Leave these foes to Felix and I!”

>“Understood, be safe!”

Professor Byleth has just granted you control of the situation before you. Now, how best to proceed? While those Priests look experienced and obviously have mastery over healing magic, they likely shouldn’t be able to put up much resistance. Those hulking armored men though are another matter.

>A): Charge forward with Ashe, Mercedes, and Annette behind you. Take out those ranged units, before turning your blades on Santiago
>B): Focus on the Generals first. They’re going to try and defend Santiago. With your Flame Lance and Annette’s magic though, you may be able to take them out before they can receive healing.
>C): Split your forces up (Describe how you split up yourself, Ashe, Mercedes and Annette and for what purpose)
>D): Write-in

>>5064041
>A): Charge forward with Ashe, Mercedes, and Annette behind you. Take out those ranged units, before turning your blades on Santiago

>>5064041
>B): Focus on the Generals first. They’re going to try and defend Santiago. With your Flame Lance and Annette’s magic though, you may be able to take them out before they can receive healing.

>>5064041

>B): Focus on the Generals first. They’re going to try and defend Santiago. With your Flame Lance and Annette’s magic though, you may be able to take them out before they can receive healing.

>>5064041
>>B): Focus on the Generals first. They’re going to try and defend Santiago. With your Flame Lance and Annette’s magic though, you may be able to take them out before they can receive healing.
I do feel like this is the right tactical choice, but Rhea's at half HP. We only have 5 more turns, and I doubt Santiago will go down in one or two, so I feel kind of stretched if we keep taking the slow-but-safe options. We're going to have to risk it at some point to speed things up

>>5064041
>A): Charge forward with Ashe, Mercedes, and Annette behind you. Take out those ranged units, before turning your blades on Santiago
Have the whole crew focus down one target at a time, Archer first then Mage. Kill them before they get healed.

They're basically free experience at this point and if we leave them alive the enemy will just have free damage that'll harass our backline as we engage the enemy Generals. We can focus fire with the Flame Lance next turn and then dive for Santiago afterwards.

>>5064041
>>A): Charge forward with Ashe, Mercedes, and Annette behind you. Take out those ranged units, before turning your blades on Santiago

>>5064041
>A): Charge forward with Ashe, Mercedes, and Annette behind you. Take out those ranged units, before turning your blades on Santiago

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>>5064041
>“On me!” You cry, raising your spear and charging towards the enemy. Ashe, Annette and Mercedes all fall in line behind you as the Professor and Felix try to hold off the oncoming tide of enemies.

The Archer that shot you before is fumbling to knock an arrow to his bow, but his hands are shaking too hard to concentrate properly. You gore right through his stomach and keep on heading towards Santiago, with the man still lodged on the tip of your spear.

>30xp gained! (30/100)

The mage next to him doesn’t fare much better under the combined assault of Ashe and Annette, and he falls with several arrows jutting out of his body. Both enemies are killed before Santiago and his Priests can even attempt to bring them back to health with their healing magic.

“L-Lord Santiago! They’re getting closer! Oh Goddess, please have mercy!” One of the Priests cries.

“That woman leaves mere children to do her killing for her?” Santiago spits. “Does she truly have no shame?”

>“We’re not children!” You shout back. “I took down your man Fritz before he could cause any more trouble, and I intend to do the same to you!”

Santiago turns his attention to you, bewilderment evident on his face. “Fritz? Who the devil is Fritz?! Babbling nonsense won’t save you from the Goddess’ wrath, nor will it stay our blades! Men, attack!”

The two hulking Generals leave Santiago’s side, one heading straight towards you, brandishing a large steel blade, while the other heads towards Ashe, axe in hand.

The man raises his sword to strike you down, but after facing off against the much faster Swordmaster from earlier, you find it a trivial matter to dance out of the way of his attack. The blade comes down, flattening the earth with a loud, dull thud. Swapping to your Flame Lance, you quickly jab the man twice. The lance only scratches the man’s durable armor, but that’s all it takes for the magic to take effect and for him to burst into flames. You can see the man being cooked alive in his armor, but he stands upright as Santiago’s Physic spell takes effect, saving him from the brink of death.

>Flame Lance: 20/25

“Your attacks are meaningless! Without purpose!” Santiago declares. “Blasphemers such as yourselves could never hope to break through the bulwark of faith we-“ An arrow suddenly catches Santiago in the chest, launching him back several feet to the ground.

“Shut up! I’ve had enough of you!” Ashe yells, running forward towards the downed bishop.

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>>5065003
The General in front of you is still standing, however, Santiago was unable to fully heal his wounds. He slashes his blade towards you and this time, you’re unable to parry or dodge the blow, taking a full on hit that miraculously finds you not cut in half. (Blair: -20 HP, 10/30). Pushing the pain behind you, you again strike out with your Flame Lance, setting the General ablaze. This time though, with Santiago occupied, the man slumps pitifully to the ground.
>60xp gained! (90/100)
>Flame Lance: 18/25

You find that Annette and Mercedes were able to combine their magic to flatten the Axe General, though Annette looks as though she’s seen better days. The girl is bleeding profusely and is being cared for by Mercedes.

“Blair! Catch up with Ashe! I’ll stay with Annette!” Mercedes cries, frantically tending to her friend.

Ashe is standing over Santiago, who is clutching the arrow in his chest. The three Priests behind him are paralyzed with fear, and none of them seem as though they’re capable of making a move. Ashe is staring down at the wounded Bishop with a dagger in his hand. The boy has a look of complete hatred in his eyes that you’ve never seen before, and that startles you somewhat. Your mission was to eliminate Santiago with extreme prejudice, but Ashe appears as though he may be on the brink of a personal turning point.

>A): Let Ashe kill Santiago
>B): Kill Santiago yourself
>C): Ask Ashe to spare the Bishop for further questioning
>D): Write-in

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Happy Thanksgiving /thq/. I'm thankful for all the anons that have been reading and participating in all these threads!

>>5065004
>C): Ask Ashe to spare the Bishop for further questioning
Okay, im choosing this for two reasons, one: I dont want Ashe to go over the edge, 2: Snatiago didn't recognize Fritz so something fucky is going on.

>>5065004
surprised that swordmaster is still alive against Byleth
>>B): Kill Santiago yourself
Ashe will never be satisfied if Santiago or other representatives of the Western Church are allowed to live, at least not until some kind of 'the truth' of the conflict comes out. At the same time, if he's allowed to execute Santiago by his own hand, I don't think he'll be the fluffy boy Blair likes for a lot longer.
>>5065006
going by how everyone except Sylvain is irritated or concerned, I gotta assume the PoV has hit on Edelgard inappropriately...
Happy turkey day Tree! This is one of my favorite running quests these days, so I'm thankful you started it.

>>5065004
>C): Ask Ashe to spare the Bishop for further questioning

Rhea probably wants to personally execute, or be witness to executing, Santiago. Ideally we can convey that something's up to Catherine before they just cleave him in half with Thunderbrand. We might also be able to try to convey to Santiago that one of the Western Church or the Central Church are being deceived, because we have proof someone was flying Western Church colors while murdering priests indiscriminately.

>>5065004
> Kill Santiago yourself

We all know he won't be "questioned" and won't give any answers anyway. Save Ashe from this, let us be the ones to bear this burden. I think Blair can do it better than him.

>>5065006
Here from thread 1 friend, it's been a ride and I'm here till the bitter end. No matter how many IDs my nomadic job chews through.

>>5065004
>>B): Kill Santiago yourself

>>5065004
>A): Let Ashe kill Santiago

>>5065004
>C): Ask Ashe to spare the Bishop for further questioning

>>5065006
Happy turkey massacre day!

>>5065004
>B): Kill Santiago yourself

>>5065004
>C): Ask Ashe to spare the Bishop for further questioning
We are not the ones who are to judge Santiago, that's the duty of the Arch Bishop. Simple as.

>>5065653
>Supposedly he’s the one that’s been behind this entire conflict, and Archbishop Rhea herself is going to be leading a force to execute him!”
Anon...he's already been judged.

>>5065004
>B): Kill Santiago yourself

>>5065004
>C): Ask Ashe to spare the Bishop for further questioning

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>>5066633
Pardon the delay, I've had a cold the last few days..

We're currently tied 5-5 between killing Santiago ourselves or attempting to question him. Let's say next vote wins.

>>5066772
Back from the holidays!

I say kill him

>B): Kill Santiago yourself

>>5066776
Kill it is. Writing now.

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>>5065004
Ashe is standing over Santiago, dagger quivering in his hand as he looks down on the man with a look of utter scorn in his eyes. Several thoughts run through your head lightning fast. There was something Santiago said during the fighting that caught your attention. Something that could potentially lead to an important revelation regarding this entire conflict with the Western Church. But as you stare at Ashe who is struggling with the severity of the situation, the thought vanishes. In the battlefield’s current condition, it may be impossible to bring Santiago back for questioning unharmed anyway. You steel your resolve for what you must do and walk up next to Ashe.

“Do you think killing me here will spare you from the judgment of the Goddess?!” Santiago spits at the boy, still laying on the ground clutching the arrow shaft embedded in his chest. “Just like Lord Lonato, I go to meet my creator as a martyr!”

Ashe’s eyes open wide at the Bishop’s final insult, but before he can do anything, you thrust your spear forward into Santiago’s heart. The man gurgles and stares at you with wide-eye surprise, before falling dead shortly thereafter.

>100xp gained! (90/100) Level Up!
>Blair d'Rusalka
>Level 18 Pegasus Knight (90/100)
HP: 37 (85%) + 1 = 38
STR: 18 (40%) + 1 = 19
MAG: 14 (45%)
DEX: 13 (45%)
SPD: 19 (65%) + 1 = 20
LCK: 10 (30%)
DEF: 15 (50%)
RES: 11 (35%) +1 = 12
CHARM: 11 (45%) + 1 = 12

“Blair?!” Asks Ashe, shocked to see that you took the liberty of killing Santiago. “What are you-?”

>“You shouldn’t have to bare this burden all by yourself. I was there when you killed Lonato, and I saw what it did to you. I can’t say I knew the man, but I don’t think he’d want to see you end up consumed by hatred and a desire to avenge him.”

The edges around the boy’s eyes fade, and that soft gaze of his that you happened to grow fond of this past year returns. “Thank you, Blair. I don’t know what came over me, but I’m truly glad you were here at my side.”

The tender moment is interrupted by the bleating of the Western Church Priests, who watched the entire scene unfold and are now prostrating themselves at your feet.

“Please! We surrender!”

“Don’t kill us!”

“Blair! Ashe! Are you okay?!” You hear Professor Byleth call from behind you. The woman is running over to you. Behind her, you can see a trail of corpses from the Western Church, as well as Felix helping Annette get back up to her feet.

>“We’re fine, Professor.” You gesture towards Santiago’s body. “We were able to defeat the Bishop, and these men appear to have lost the will to fight.”

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>>5066913
Byleth walks over towards one of the priests, grabbing him by his collar and hoisting him up.

“Hey! Are you able to broadcast a message through the forest just like he was? If so, you had better call off your allies and tell them the Bishop has fallen. Otherwise, you’ll be joining him shortly.”

“Y-yes! I can do that! J-just please spare me!” The man cries. Once released by the Professor, he proceeds to do her bidding. Using the same type of magic that Santiago employed to broadcast across the forest that the fighting need come to an end.

After seeing how zealously these men fought, you’re unsure that the Professor’s gambit will work, but sure enough, the sounds of the fighting from far away die off, and after a short while, several mounted knights burst through the fog, their armor emblazoned with the symbol of the Knights of Seiros. Their leader is familiar.

“Blair!” Leopold yells, spotting you first. “Professor! You’re all in good health?”

The Professor nods. “Has the fighting ceased.”

Leopold surveys the scene, his eyes falling on the corpse of Santiago, before answering. “Indeed, it has. Shortly after that announcement was made. These men were fierce fighters, made even more deadly by their employment of the fog to aid their ambush, as well as Santiago’s continued encouragement. However, once his consistent announcements ceased, followed by word of his death spreading quickly, most of the Western Church soldiers lost the will to fight.”

“Is the Archbishop okay?” The Professor asks.

“She’s fine. A few bumps and scratches sustained during the battle, but thanks to Thunderbrand Catherine, the enemy wasn’t able to seriously harm her. Though, we did lose quite a few good men, and some cadets as well.” Leopold adds grimly.

The Professor sighs. “Well, at the very least, I hope this is the end of this sordid affair with the Western Church.”

“Who knows?” Leopold shrugs, looking back towards Santiago again. “In any event, the Archbishop sent me here personally. I’m to escort you back for an audience with her.”

“Blair and Ashe should come as well.” Byleth says. “They were the ones that put Santiago to the sword, after all.”

Your ears prick up at that. An audience with Archbishop Rhea?! You suddenly feel very self-conscious of all the blood, dirt and grime covering your person right now.

Leopold whistles, staring at you with some amusement. “Is that so? I’m impressed, Blair! Tell us, now that both of your teachers are present, who do you owe your impressively quick development to?”

>A): Professor Byleth has been an excellent instructor. I’m grateful for her continued guidance
>B): I owe it to you, Lord Leopold. Our training sessions have been an important experience
>C): I owe it to no one but myself.
>D): Write-in

>>5066915
>>D): Write-in
>''Making me pick favorites all of a sudden? That seems a bit rude... But if I would have to choose the one who helped me a bit more, then it would be you Leopold, your training sessions have been a great improvement to me.''

>>5066915
>D): Write-in
>"Isn't it obvious? All of us. While I took the initiative and effort to improve, without guidance from teachers like you two, I'd be a killer, not a soldier."

>>5067093
I like this one, support.

>>5066915
>>5067093
Support

>>5066915
Blair continues to be strong and fast and low-dex. clumsy girl!
cute ashe!
uhhhhhh
not sure what to vote though...
>>5066915
>>A): Professor Byleth has been an excellent instructor. I’m grateful for her continued guidance
>>D): Write-in
>>"Isn't it obvious? All of us. While I took the initiative and effort to improve, without guidance from teachers like you two, I'd be a killer, not a soldier."
I think I'll approval vote this way.

>>5066915
>>B): I owe it to you, Lord Leopold. Our training sessions have been an important experience

>>5067093
supporting

>>5066915
>>5067093
Suppport

>>5067093
>>5066915
Supporting weaseling out of commitment

>>5066915
>A): Professor Byleth has been an excellent instructor. I’m grateful for her continued guidance

>>5067093
+1

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>>5066915
Sensing yourself placed in a somewhat awkward predicament, you decide to be as diplomatic as possible when answering Leopold’s question.

>“Isn't it obvious? All of us. While I took the initiative and effort to improve, without guidance from teachers like you two, I'd be a killer, not a soldier."

Your two teachers stare at you, as if briefly absorbing your answer, before they both settle on it as acceptable.

“That’s kind of you to say, Blair.” Professor Byleth smiles. “You’ve shown remarkable improvement since day one. I consider myself lucky to have you in my class.”

“Not the answer I was hoping for, but a fine one nonetheless.” Says Leopold. “I agree with the Professor, you’re not nearly as much of a boar as I initially thought you’d be.”

Leopold escorts your group through the forest, while Felix takes the girls to the medical tent. The remaining Western Church Soldiers that have surrendered have all relinquished their weapons and are now being taken prisoner by the Knights of Seiros. Many of them sport looks of utter defeat or despair on their faces. Others look as though they’ve completely lost any will to carry on. It’s a look that you have never really seen before. Granted, you’ve never really had the privilege of taking many prisoners. Everyone you’ve been involved in killing have either been bandits or other sorts of folk that didn’t leave much room for showing any mercy too. But these men look as though they truly believed in what they were fighting for.

Eventually, you make it back to base, where Leopold waves aside some Knights to allow you and your group through. The only time you’ve seen Archbishop Rhea up close was when she was executing the assassins sent from the Western Church a few months ago. Not exactly the warmest of circumstances, and these don’t seem to be much better. The Archbishop’s usually white and pristine garb is covered in blood, dirt and mud, and her hair is a tangled sweaty mess. Despite it all though, she still manages to give off a captivating and otherworldly aura. Upon noticing your group’s arrival, she ceases speaking with Catherine to address you.

“Professor! Excellent work. Thanks to your efforts, we were able to end the battle before any further damage could be done.” Rhea says.

“I’m glad we made it out, but I can’t take all the credit.” Byleth says. “These cadets here were the ones that took down the Bishop.”

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>>5068481
Rhea looks towards you and Ashe. You never once dreamed that you would ever have the attention of the most important figure in all Fodlan on you, let alone for these circumstances. The woman looks upon you and smiles.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you both. I’ve met Ashe before, but who might you be?” Rhea asks.

>“B-Blair d’Rusalka, your grace, at your service. I’m the adopted ward of Count Charles d’Rusalka, of the Empire.”

If Rhea recognizes the name, she doesn’t show it on her face. “And what brings you to the academy, Blair?”

>“I wish to become a knight, Your Grace.”

“A noble goal, Blair. The Knights of Seiros are always in desperate need of courageous and valiant heroes such as yourself. If you were to join after your graduation, we’d be most honored to have you.” Rhea says. The woman can maintain a seemingly impossible level of refinement, even given the circumstances.

>“Your Grace, you are most kind to say so.” You somehow manage to stammer out.

“Tell me, Blair. Did Santiago reveal anything during his final moments?” Rhea asks.

“Nothing too different from what he was shouting during the fighting. Although, he had mentioned one thing of note. It sounded as if he didn’t know who Fritz was. The Dark Mage that Sir Leopold and I captured back at Marche Village, and that was responsible for the incident back at Tauros.”

“He didn’t know him?” Rhea asks puzzled.

“That may not be too unusual.” Catherine chimes in. “Santiago was the top dog of the council that ruled over the Western Church. Maybe he just didn’t associate himself personally with his subordinates?”

“It’s odd.” Leopold adds in. “That fiend Fritz spent a good many months terrorizing the countryside. Not to mention the assassination attempt on Lady Rhea during the Rite of Rebirth. And yet many of these soldiers from the Western Church have been acting as though we were the ones that threw the first punch.”

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>>5068483
Rhea sighs. “In any event, a thorough investigation will have to take place, and the Western Church will have to find a new leader in the meantime. I imagine your cousin will have to step up and take the reins, Sir Leopold.”

Leopold snarls. “Indeed, Your Grace. That craven cur Bennett will likely be the last one left standing.”

Bennett. You recall Leopold mentioning that name to you once, from what seems like forever ago. From what you can remember, the man is a High Priest of the Western Church, and not a big fan of Lady Rhea either from your understanding. You had no idea that he was related to your mentor though.

“I understand the two of you have your differences.” Rhea says. “That man is no fan of mine either. But I won’t dismantle the Western faith and be called a tyrant for it. Bennett will have to put aside old hatreds if he wishes to rebuild his church. Now then, let’s conclude our business here.”

Before departing, Rhea turns to you and Ashe once more.

“Thank you again for all that you’ve done. I do hope you’ll consider my offer, Blair. I know that you’ll make a fine Knight one day. I’ll be sending Catherine over with a token of my appreciation later.” Rhea says, smiling.

You find yourself standing there with the others, still taking in your meeting with the Archbishop. The day’s events seem like such a blur, you’re not sure what to do next.

>A): Speak with Leopold. You’d like to know more about his history, and you have questions about potentially joining the Knights of Seiros after graduation
>B): Speak with Ashe. The boy seems to be lost in thought, and have wandered off somewhere
>C): Go check in on Annette. Mercedes and Felix both carried her off to be healed

>>5068485
>>B): Speak with Ashe. The boy seems to be lost in thought, and have wandered off somewhere
He's and Blair both are going trough stuff so they should talk, also Knight of Seiro's huh? Well, with the events happening in the future it would be a dangerous job and I doubt Blair would turncoat unless Edelgarde does something super bad specifically to her or someone close to her... But who know's maybe being a double agent would be rewarding.

>>5068485
>B): Speak with Ashe. The boy seems to be lost in thought, and have wandered off somewhere

>>5068485
>A): Speak with Leopold. You’d like to know more about his history, and you have questions about potentially joining the Knights of Seiros after graduation

>>5068485
>B): Speak with Ashe. The boy seems to be lost in thought, and have wandered off somewhere

>>5068485
>A): Speak with Leopold. You’d like to know more about his history, and you have questions about potentially joining the Knights of Seiros after graduation

>>5068485
>B): Speak with Ashe. The boy seems to be lost in thought, and have wandered off somewhere

>>5068485
>>B): Speak with Ashe. The boy seems to be lost in thought, and have wandered off somewhere

>>5068485
>>C): Go check in on Annette. Mercedes and Felix both carried her off to be healed

>>5068485
>>A): Speak with Leopold. You’d like to know more about his history, and you have questions about potentially joining the Knights of Seiros after graduation

>>5068485
>B): Speak with Ashe. The boy seems to be lost in thought, and have wandered off somewhere

I wonder if we were right to kill Santiago in his stead, and I want to find out.

>>5068485
>>B): Speak with Ashe.

>>5068485
>B): Speak with Ashe. The boy seems to be lost in thought, and have wandered off somewhere
1g for your thoughts...

>>5068485
>>A): Speak with Leopold. You’d like to know more about his history, and you have questions about potentially joining the Knights of Seiros after graduation

>>5068485
>B): Speak with Ashe. The boy seems to be lost in thought, and have wandered off somewhere

>>5068485
>>A): Speak with Leopold. You’d like to know more about his history, and you have questions about potentially joining the Knights of Seiros after graduation

>>5068485
>A): Speak with Leopold. You’d like to know more about his history, and you have questions about potentially joining the Knights of Seiros after graduation
Now there's an interesting concept. I doubt 'father' would be very happy about it, but it wouldn't exactly be a betrayal and being honored and scouted by Rhea is arguably more prestigious than the future Emperor. Also sets up for some fun interactions after the end of the year at the academy, Blair's brother among them.

So here's an idea, what if we do train up to be a Knight of Seiros and once the betrayal happens we join up with the Church... But not really, I say we become a double agent, we join the Knights and work for them and wait for the perfect moment to take them down.
Of course this would need Blair to convincingly act like she's not a double agent and also for her to actually think this is something she wants to do, she's pragmatic but is she this conniving? Hard to say but it's an option.

>>5070660
Blair seems too straightforward for such dastardy, but who knows.

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>>5068485
The march back to Garreg Mach is made slower by the multitude of Western Church soldiers and officials that the Knights of Seiros have taken as prisoner. None of them put up much resistance in their captive state, and they each look as though they’re expecting some sort of harsh punishment that’s awaiting them. The scene makes you a bit sad, and you hope that, despite everything that happened, the Archbishop sees fit to show at least some of the soldiers some mercy. They don’t seem the same type as Fritz, and you hope the woman that left such a strong impression on you can see that for herself.

During the trek, you spot Ashe, walking alone in the back. The boy has been quiet ever since the mission was completed, and he quickly sulked off somewhere before you could speak with him. As you approach him, you find him deep in a book, as per usual, though his choice of reading material seems somewhat different.

>“Hey, Ashe!” You call out. “What sort of book are you reading?”

“Blair.” The boy looks up with a sad smile. “It’s good to see you.” He holds the book up to you, which upon closer inspection, you notice isn’t a novel, but appears to be a log of some sort. “This was found among Santiago’s personal belongings. Someone gave them to me. They have to do with Lonato.”

>“Someone?” You ask.

Ashe nods. “A man. I haven’t the faintest idea who he was, I ran into him when I went to take a walk to clear my head. He claimed he was a confidant of Santiago’s. I was ready to bring him in, but then he gave me this, and well, sure enough, it’s Lonato’s handwriting. It appears to be a diary of some sorts. It even mentions me and my siblings quite often.”

>“What happened to this man?” You ask, worrying about what would happen if someone saw Ashe consorting with someone from the Western Church.

“I don’t know.” The boy trails off. “I opened the book to inspect it, and when I looked, the man was gone.” Ashe sighs. “I don’t know what that was about, but I can at least confirm, this is genuine.”

>“Well…did you learn anything?”

“I haven’t finished reading it. And I have the feeling that once I do, I may not like what I come across.” Ashe says. “But I have resolved on one thing. When we get back to the monastery, I’m going to formally resign from my position in the Blue Lions, and formally request a transfer to the Black Eagles.”

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>>5071042
>“Ashe!” You say, surprise evident in your voce. “A-are you sure? What about your classmates?”

Ashe smiles. “I doubt they’ll mind too much. The year is almost over anyway. Besides, I think it’s for the best. You and Professor Byleth have already helped me out so much this year, and I think there’s a lot I can learn from being in the class that won the Battle of the Eagle and the Lion! So, think I can go ahead and join your unit?”

>You beam. “Well…I’ll have to see…I like to run a pretty tight ship you know? I don’t just accept anyone!”

Ashe replies playfully. “Hey, come on! I can pull my weight. Just give me the word, chief, I’ll take care of whatever you need!”

>“Well, fine, but I’m not going to take it easy on you just because we’re friends!”

You spend the entire return trip with Ashe, talking, laughing, and strategizing potential unit formations. You’re secretly ecstatic that the boy will be joining you but play it cool.

When you return to Garreg Mach, you’re stopped by Catherine.

“Blair! Hold up! I have something for you. A gift from the Archbishop.” Across Catherine’s back, you see a white spear slung. She unstraps the weapon and presents it to you.

>“W-what is this? I can’t accept-“

“I won’t take no for an answer, Blair.” The woman forces the weapon into your hands. “This is a Blessed Lance. It’s not just a pretty little ceremonial weapon. It carries healing properties with it, and it’s an effective weapon against any sort of Demonic Beasts you may encounter. The Archbishop wants you to have it, as a token of appreciation for all that you did at Brionac.”

>You Receive a Blessed Lance!

You arrive back to Garreg Mach only a few days before you’re to head back out again. A mysterious illness has taken over Remire Village, and you and the Black Eagles will be sent to investigate the cause. You sigh. It would be nice to take a break for once.

>A): Go Fishing
>B): Take a walk in the Greenhouse
>C): Head to the Mess Hall and treat yourself to something nice
>D): Meditate in the Chapel

>>5071048
>>A): Go Fishing

FISH FEAR US

Also holy shit Ashe is going to regret that transfer more than likely, I feel terrible for the poor kid.

Blair better make him happy, tough times coming.

>>5071048
>>A): Go Fishing
Wew Ashe. Looks like both our routes are set for now.

>>5071048
>>A): Go Fishing
Ashe is so fucking cute I can't wait to kiss him, also yay he joined Black Eagles without us asking him to do so, nice.

>>5071048
>C): Head to the Mess Hall and treat yourself to something nice

>>5071048
>B): Take a walk in the Greenhouse

>>5071048
>>C): Head to the Mess Hall and treat yourself to something nice

>>5071048
Blair is truly a collector of fine lances now, lol. She's a walking armory
Blessed Lances are unfortunately very very heavy, at 14 Wt, and not all that strong at 7 Mt. A specialist weapon for sure
>C): Head to the Mess Hall and treat yourself to something nice
A talk with someone unknown! I think Blair
>>5071057
His siblings are all that bind him to Faerghus now, and they can be moved. Blair is by far his closest friend in the world. Why would he regret it?

>>5071893
Id changed, I'm the guy you replied to

I guess it depends if we end up on Silver Snow or Crimson Flower. SS hell be fine, CF hell end up in mortal combat with quite a few friends.

The invitation from Leopold tells me Blair might end up a Seiros Knight, so maybe it will be fine.

>>5071048
>A): Go Fishing
As long as no one interrupts, it can be pretty meditative as well. Something to do while chewing on developments regarding Blair's position.

>>5071894
I honestly feel it's building up pretty nicely to a knight of seiros path for Blair, which I'm all for. Can't shake the feeling there's a lot of Edelgard fans in the quest though. If we do end up in a SS situation, I hope we'll get to interact with Ferdinand before that. He's always struck me as someone who's not exactly jumping at the chance to pick a side when the big reveal happens, something I think Blair likely will share.

>>5071946
I'm war crimes anon and I agree. Honestly love Blair's development and don't see her going CT at this point. It's not up to me, but I want her to happy.

I dislike Edelgarde but in this situation I would stick with her, unless Byleth joins the Church then we are gonna have some problems, but I still like my idea of making Blair a double agent, don't know how that would work but I find it very interesting.

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Writin'

>>5072035
Why she munch?

It was truly a shame that Blair was not in the waifu tournament.

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>>5071048
You’ll be marching off to Remire Village soon, and frankly, from what you’ve heard so far, this may be the mission you’ve looked forward to the least. It’s one thing to battle against bandits, rebels or other miscreants that are causing trouble in the world, but a potential plague? You’d consider that to be far out of your wheelhouse. Your muscles are still somewhat sore from Brionac, and you figure a little bit of relaxation couldn’t hurt. You decide to spend the day fishing.

Paying a merchant for some bait, you find a nice spot by the pier where an umbrella has been set up to provide shade. You take a seat, cast your line out into the clear blue water, and then wait.

As you lie back, waiting for the fish to jump, you close your eyes and drift off a bit. Your mind wanders off, back to when you were younger, and at the Count’s court. A memory you haven’t thought of in a long time.

“Left! Right! Left! Right! Now watch the overhead!” The man-at-arms yells. Before you can respond appropriately, you are thoroughly bonked on the head, knocking you flat on your ass and seeing stars.

“Hahahahahahaha!” You hear the raucous laughter of Rex from somewhere far off. With your head currently spinning, it’s hard to tell the direction it’s coming from.

The man-at-arms, Wedge, sighs, and extends a hand towards you. “Let’s call it a day, Blair.”

>“N-no, I wanna…keep going!”

“Listen to Wedge, girl!” Rex yells. He has a wolf’s grin on his face, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. He rubs them dry before continuing. “I don’t believe you’re cut out for this lifestyle. Better to stick with your dolls for now, until you grow old enough to wield a sewing needle without hurting yourself.”

You stagger to your feet and face Rex. Snarling, you want to scream at the bastard, but you know better. He’s the Count’s heir, and you’re just some peasant orphan girl taken in by his good grace. Even someone with as little noble sense as you knows better. You feel tears welling up behind your eyes as you stare at the bully, when you notice someone walking up behind him.

“Honestly, Rex, is that necessary?” Count Rusalka asks.

Rex snorts. “Is any of this necessary? This girl is no warrior. Did you adopt her merely so that you could get some sort of enjoyment from watching Wedge bash around a child?”

The count sighs. “For your information, this was Blair’s idea. And I intend to fully support her. Isn’t that right, Blair?”

You’re afraid if you answer out loud, Rex will hear you crying and make fun of you again, so you just vigorously nod.

“Is that so?” Rex asks, laughing again. “Tell me then, Blair. Why is it that you wish to become a Knight?”

>A): To make sure I can protect those close to me.
>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in
>C): To rise-up and become strong
>D): To protect myself against the world
>E): To serve my nation
>F): Write-in

>>5072137
>>A): To make sure I can protect those close to me.
>>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in

>>5072137
>>A): To make sure I can protect those close to me.

Forgive me, but I think I like Rex.

>>5072137
>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in
>D): To protect myself against the world
Thank the Count and to make sure we don't share our fathers faith, of course not going to battle would make sure that doesn't happen but you can't call staying inside a mansion doing nothing a good life.

>>5072137
>>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in
>>D): To protect myself against the world

>>5072137
>>5072150
Support.

>>5072137
>D): To protect myself against the world
>E): To serve my nation

>>5072137
>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in
>C): To rise-up and become strong

>>5072150
Support

>>5072137
>A): To make sure I can protect those close to me.
>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in
Seems in line with how we've developed Blairs character thus far.

I don't want a Knight of Seiros Blair. The story and her character is much more interesting if she's loyal to Edelgard than if she jumps ship, and I don't think she has an especially strong relationship with the Church specifically or any Church characters. SS would suffer from the same problems as in the original game, losing characters and getting replacements you might not like as much
Of course, Blair's relationship with the Empire isn't unbreakably strong...but it is stronger, and where her loyalty should default IMO.
>>5072137
>>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in
>>D): To protect myself against the world
>>E): To serve my nation
Protection, I feel like, entered Blair's mind as a reaction to Hubert and as a result of her interactions with Bernadetta/Ashe. Her earliest motivations were mostly oriented towards representing the Count and keeping herself out of trouble, I feel.
I'd like a bit of 'serve my nation', as that's what her father passed away doing, in the wars against Brigid, and I think a child would want to pick that up and continue it, as a way to stay connected to her father?

>>5072157
>>5072786
You know what? I'm gonna add E to my choice as well due to your reasoning.

>>5072137
>>5072786
+1

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No update until Sunday as I'll be travelling without a laptop the next two days. See you then!

>>5072842
Thanks for mentioning it.

>>5072137
>A): To make sure I can protect those close to me.
>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in
>E): To serve my nation

>>5072799
>>5072841
choosing 3 is probably a bit...wishy-washy of Blair. I did so anyway because I don't really expect all three to make it in to her final statement, so throw your votes behind mine with that in mind
Blair is already quite prone to indecision when anons have control over her speaking voice, a la teacher-choosing so for me I intend it as more of an approval vote, saying 'I am okay with these three options winning' rather than 'I want all three of these'

>>5072137
>A): To make sure I can protect those close to me.
>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in
I'm not sure who she'd have at this point that she'd consider close, but these two feel the most fitting.
I also feel she may very well not buy into the whole 'fight for my country' speel wholesale since it's wars took her actual father from her.On a separate note, I feel like the internal moral dilemma that await is severely underestimated. Blair will be asked to either go against her regent, or kill many of those she holds dear. Personally, I feel like she leans more towards the personal loyalty over the national one.

>>5072842
Take care boss

>>5072137
>A): To make sure I can protect those close to me.
>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in
Personally not a fan of Edelgard and her ideals, so I'd rather Blair not get too patriotic. After all, wasn't it her country that took her father by sending him to war?

How come heavy armour isn’t a more common investment for… everyone involved?
At least half of the danger on the battlefield is people stabbing each other. We tend to get stabbed and wounded a lot across the torso and arms, so as long as we don’t overburden our Pegasus with a few kilograms of metal, wouldn’t it be a good idea to put 3-4 levels in Heavy Armour and wear a hauberk or half plate or contemporary equivalent?
And doesn’t that kind of whole true for everyone who’s planning to get shot at frequently?
Or is there just game mechanics I’m missing?

*hold

>>5072786
+1

>>5073847
in game terms, heavy armor mostly represents really really heavy armor, the unrealistic kind that fully covers you and in real life would prevent you from walking entirely. character portraits of most characters in war period tend to include armor, whether or not they are in an 'armored' class, so theoretically that kind of lighter armor that you're suggesting is already part of a character's battle tack, and is represented partly by their defense stat.
the 6 levels of Heavy Armor that would be required for Blair to get any benefit (Weight -3 at C- iirc) would essentially just be strength training, I guess.

>>5073980
It does look like a little much, though accounting for the fact that someone of our Crest contemporaries seem to have superhuman strength, not impossible.

Probably not good for the Pegasus though…. Perhaps people in this universe are just generally very strong, to explain how despite presumably wearing some manner of armour, we keep getting punctured in the upper torso and arms by the likes of swords and arrows?

……unless the academy doesn’t properly armour their students, which considering that they seem to include nobility and actual royalty that they send into open combat, seems spectacularly stupid.

Once we meet the qualifications for the end game classes people are taking about, why shouldn’t we focus on armour and authority then?

Wait.
To use a relic weapon, therefore Sylvain must have a crest.
If he has a crest, and is presumably a warrior noble just like his friends Ingrid and Felix, he should be capable of similar feats of strength of speed. He’s also not an idiot, and though maybe rather private and with a seemingly grim backstory, seems like a generally decent person who would have friends who could help him (who we know for certain are very good at fighting, though are also slightly aggressive.)

And yet if we engaged Ingrid, she’d thrash us! But when we fought Sylvain, he went down *quick*. I know we had better gear, but I’m pretty sure Ingrid didn’t need better gear to be able to crack us over her knee. Is he just bad at fighting? Doesn’t practice enough?

*Some, and.
I need to actually edit this stuff before I post. :(

>>5072137
>A): To make sure I can protect those close to me.
>B): To pay-back the Count for taking me in

I need to wait five minutes until I post. This isn’t discord, and it looks really weird in hindsight when I split what could have been two posts over four.

>>5074108
I went back to the last thread to check and the reason why we beat Sylvains ass was because we had better speed and thus double attacked him, but Ingrid was higher level and also faster then us so she would have double attacked us, also Sylvain was 2 levels lower then Ingrid so I yeah I guess Sylvain didn't practice enough.

>>5074096
>Once we meet the qualifications for the end game classes people are taking about, why shouldn’t we focus on armour and authority then?
Class qualifications are only part of the reason to invest in skills. Higher Lance skills, beyond the required A for Falcoknight for example, would eventually lead to higher crit rates (and in the game, skills called Lance Prowess and Lancefaire which would also make the character much more offensively potent, but which we haven't seen any sign of being modeled in the quest); higher levels of Flying skill in the game give a skill called Alert Stance and eventually at maxed out Flying a way to nullify the Pegasus weakness to arrows. If Blair does start using her magic, as loosely planned via the Dark Flier class, then very high Reason would benefit her there too, as she can increase her range with her magic
personally I think if Blair finds herself struggling with attack speed, or if she fails to get strength and speed at level ups, then heavy armor wouldn't be a bad place to invest in at all, to get Weight -3. double attacking happens at a difference of 4 attack speed after all. going from 1 to 4 more attack speed is a big difference. but for now at least she's one of the faster and stronger characters around...maybe Blair should pre-emptively get Weight -3, to prepare for when crest users get their stat boosts that Tree mentioned...
>>5074108
ingrid also just had very very good growths, frighteningly high stats even for her level. enemy Pegasus Knights are kind of famous for this in FE...they have extremely good growths compared to other classes. and Ingrid is canonically the only student who uses the enemy Pegasus Knight growths while outside of Byleth's house.

>>5072842
I am now very aware how different our timezones are as my sunday has now ended. Godspeed QM I pretty much never play fanfic quests but this one grabbed me from the start.

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>>5072842
You glare at Rex. You want to cry, unsure whether it’s mostly from him teasing you relentlessly, or from the savage blow to the head you just took. Either way, it would do you no good to show weakness here, so you muster up the resolve to hold back your tears, before answering.

>“I want to get strong so that I can protect the people I care about! L-like the Count!” You yell back.

A silence follows as Wedge, Rex, and Count Rusalka all stare at you, before it’s interrupted by Rex’s roaring laughter once more.

“Hahahahaha! You can hardly keep that thick skull of yours safe from Wedge’s training blade! How do you expect to keep anyone else from harm’s way?” Rex says.

You feel sadness welling up again. You were hoping your answer would shut that blowhard up, but it appears that you were mistaken.

“You’ll never get stronger if you’re fixated on the wellbeing of others.” Rex continues. “You’ll only find yourself held back. You’ll be distracted, burdened, even. A true warrior should find satisfaction and meaning in the fight alone. In becoming the strongest that they can be, and seeing their body and soul reach its utmost peak. Give up this folly, girl. Focus on more feminine pursuits, and perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to marry well and sire children of your own.”

You feel as though you’re about to cry again when the Count steps in, placing a hand on your shoulder.

“That’s enough, Rex. I won’t have you belittling Blair over her goals. If you find you have nothing constructive to add, perhaps you should depart the conversation and spare us all your musings.” Count Rusalka says. He squeezes your arm reassuringly before continuing. “Forgive my son. He’s a great warrior, tis true, but unfortunately, he doesn’t know how to talk to people. At least not without embarrassing me.”

Rex snorts, and walks away, presumably to harass someone else.

The Count gets on one knee so that he’s at eye level with you. “I owe your father a great life debt, Blair. One that I am unlikely to ever be able to repay. As such, I want to make sure that I do right by you and raise you to lead a happy and fulfilling life in his place. So then, tell me, is this truly what you want?”

You nod firmly, rubbing the tears out of your eyes.

The Count smiles. “Then it is as I said. I will support you in your endeavors. Pay Rex no mind. Fighting to protect those close to you is a noble and worthy cause. In time, you may very well fight to protect the citizens of this country. If such a day does come, I’ll watch you with pride.”

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>>5075371
The Count’s words of encouragement lift your spirits, and you find yourself determined to prove Rex wrong. “Thank you, my lord. I won’t let you down, this I swear!”

The Count tussles your hair. “Come, all this training must have famished you. Let’s see what’s for dinner tonight, shall we?”

Your mind comes back to present day reality as your fishing line tugs on the other end. You reel it in after a brief fight to find you’ve captured a decent sized trout. You hold the flailing fish out in front of you, studying it for a moment, before showing mercy and tossing it back into the water.

That memory of yours was four years ago, and a lot has changed since then. At the very least, judging by your last interaction with him, Rex seems to think you’re not completely wasting your time here. For the first time since coming to Garreg Mach, you feel somewhat nostalgic, and even a bit homesick.

You snap your mind back to reality. You’ll be heading to Remire Village soon, and you have a squad to lead, now with the addition of Ashe and Kate. Is there any shopping you need to get done before then?

>Current Gold: 800g
>Items Available for Purchase:
Killer Lance: 3500g
Iron Axe: 300g
Hand Axe: 450g
Steel Sword: 650g
Silver Sword: 3000g
Vulnerary(x3): 100g
Iron Shield: (+2 Def, -2 SPD): 700g
Silver Shield: (+4 DEF, -2 SPD): 2000g
Strength/Magic/Speed/Defense Rings: (3000g each)


>Items Available to Sell: Silver Lance (1000g), Flame Lance (2000g), Blessed Lance (1500g), Iron Sword+ (250g), Javelin (225g) Vulnerary(x5) (25g each)

Choose any combination of the following:
>A) Select something to buy.
>B) Select something to sell.
>C) Do nothing.

>>5075373
>>C) Do nothing.
I think Blair had better save up for a rainy day or for a ring. not sure which one but I'm inclined to speed

>>5075373
>C) Do nothing.

I figure we keep saving, have plenty of vulns for one. Those rings do seem appetizing.


Also that flashback has me on CF again. Though I realize there is pain on that path. The count seems like a real one. Man this is getting complicated. Really good stuff op!

>>5075373
>>C) Do nothing.

>>5075373
>>C) Do nothing.

>>5075373
>C) Do nothing.

>>5075386
>The count seems like a real one
Unfortunately I believe the Count is already dead and has been replaced with one of Those Who Slither in The Dark. This flashback almost cemented this for me. If you look back at the correspondence we've shared with him over the year we've spent here he's not been overly interested in our actual growth, only in telling us to serve Edelgard faithfully. In this flashback he's very supportive and sincere, wanting us to become the best we can be. If I recall Blair was a little sad that he wasn't as supportive as he used to be, and even mentions the Count becoming more withdrawn just a few years ago. That's probably when they pulled the deadly switcheroo if it did happen.

>>5075939
:(

>>5075939
>>5076015
That seems likely to me, yeah. Sadly the game was never finished. There's a lot of plotlines like this that just don't get resolved.

>>5075373
>C) Do nothing.
That silver shield looks pretty juicy though.
And man, the Empire lost a pretty nice lord it seems. Something tells me Blair won't be very happy when/if she finds out.

>>5075373
>>C) Do nothing.

>>5076052
>There's a lot of plotlines like this that just don't get resolved.
Well that’s something a quest can remedy

>>5075373

I don’t know how the economy works but we should sell the redundant lances for a ring

>>5076262
The only Lance that's kind of redundant is the Javelin, if we're willing to accept a higher usage rate of the Flame Lance. The Flame and Blessed Lances are specialist tools without which Blair might not be able to fight specific enemy types effectively, and the Silver Lance is of course her general-purpose Lance.
Though...she does have 6 items now so maybe she's out of inventory space? The Blessed Lance is the most specific Lance, as its stats are kind of ass, so it's really only usable against demons, or in moments when Blair needs to heal herself and Vulneraries won't cut it alone
The Sword is also an option to sell, but has some use in the world that she's up against someone who might have Lancebreaker?? But it still just is kind of weaksauce at this point and Blair will probably replace it with magic if she gets into Dark Flier

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>>5075373
You decide that while a few certain items have been catching your eye, you’re fine with your current equipment. Your funds are still low, and it would be best to just save your gold for the time being. As you’re walking back to your dorm, you run into a familiar face who stops you.

“Blair!” Says Monica, cheerfully. “Good to see you’re back! How was your little trip?”

>“O-oh, hello, Monica. The mission ended in success, thank you for asking.”

“Well, that’s soooo nice for you!” Monica says, the tone strange in her voice. She gets a little closer to you. “I heard you told Edelgard you didn’t want me in your unit?”

>Uh oh. You bow your head. “Forgive me, Monica. But I did not know the first thing of your abilities. I’m still relatively new to being an officer, and I felt I may not adequately be able to lead a stranger at this point in the year. I believe that Hubert may be better suited towards bringing you up to speed.”

Monica frowns. “Perhaps you’ll get to see a close-up of my abilities soon then. Maybe then you’ll regret not bringing me along.”

>You didn’t necessarily like her tone of voice. “Pardon?”

Monica smiles. “Oh nothing, your loss. See you on the march to Remire!” The girl hops along, out of your way.

Maybe Corrine was right. That girl is a tad weird. While you feel somewhat bad about not taking her along, you meant what you said. You suspect that a few missions with Hubert will have her straightened out in no time. You head back to your dorm and retire for the night.

The next morning, you wake up bright and early in order to march out to Remire Village, located in the Empire’s territory. Double checking your equipment and gear, you find all is in tip-top order, before heading out.

“Wow, two missions back-to-back? I hope you’re not overdoing it, Blair.” Chimes in Dorothea as you both head towards the gates of Garreg Mach.

>You sigh. “I probably am. But I suppose that’s why I’m here at the monastery in the first place. What better way to get stronger than hands on experience?”

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>>5076341
You find your squad chatting with each other and waiting for you. Martha and Xavier are doing their usual bickering, much to the shock of Ashe and Kate, who are now witnessing their antics for the first time.

“I should get to be Blair’s lieutenant!” Martha cries. “You’re way too stuffy to lead these new recruits! I, on the other hand, can whip them into shape!”

Xavier sighs. “Blair doesn’t need a lieutenant, least of all an overexcited dunce such as yourself.”

“Who’re you calling a dunce, cueball?!”

>“Please, not so early in the morning.” You grumble, getting in the middle of the two. “Save it for the mission.”

“So…these are your squad mates, huh?” Ashe says.

“Loud.” Says Kate, flatly.

>“Our squad mates.” You remind Ashe. You turn back to the bickering duo. “Please stop embarrassing me in front of our new friends.”

“Apologies, Blair.” Xavier says.

“Sorry, Chief.” Martha adds.

The march to Remire Village is expected to take a few days. From what you’ve recently heard, the situation has taken a drastic turn for the worst. What started as rumors of a plague have turned into reports that the villagers have taken to fits of extreme violence. They’ve begun turning on each other or anyone that gets near the village. The place has become a certified hellhole. And you’re expected to rush over there and fix things somehow.

You groan. You thought that peace would return now with the Western Church defeated, but it appears as though some new manner of danger is on the horizon.

Well, no use worrying about things outside of your control. For now, maybe you can steer your unit’s conversation into a more productive direction.

>A): You have some new faces. Maybe everyone should say something about themselves?
>B): Ask your squad what their opinions on recent events are
>C): Don’t bother interfering. Let them talk about whatever they wish.
>D): Write-in

>>5076350
>>A): You have some new faces. Maybe everyone should say something about themselves?

>>5076350
>B): Ask your squad what their opinions on recent events are.

>>5076350
>>A): You have some new faces. Maybe everyone should say something about themselves?
Unit cohesion is important! Though, Blair's squad is rather split in composition, with two fliers, two mages, and an archer. I suppose it's a skirmishing/scouting type unit?

>>5076350
>>A): You have some new faces. Maybe everyone should say something about themselves?

You know everyone loves an icebreaker

>>5076350
>A): You have some new faces. Maybe everyone should say something about themselves?

>>5076350
>B): Ask your squad what their opinions on recent events are
I’d love to hear the opinions of fellow genericos