The night before the emperor arrives to give You your mission briefing, You are walking around the monastery when You come across Chris standing alone. You decide to approach her.
Chris: Ah-! H-Hello, Professor. How are you doing this fine evening?
You ask her what she is doing out so late.
Chris: N-Nothing… O-Okay, I'm thinking about tomorrow. My father is going to be here… Just thinking about it makes me sick.
You ask what her father is like.
Chris: I already told you at the beginning of the month not to get caught up in anything that he tells you. He's been known to manipulate a lot of people. He's come off as a great ruler of Adrestia who has done a lot for the nobles, but… There's more to it than that. I'm not looking forward to seeing him.
You tell her You would like more details.
Chris: I… Um… Professor, I don't mean to offend, but I don't think I can do that right now. I don't want to anger him further. He hates me enough as it is. Besides, it's getting late, perhaps we should both go to bed.
Seraphine: She's definitely dodging the question. Press a bit harder!
You follow Seraphine's instructions and ask again.
Chris: I'm sorry. I need to keep this to myself, at least until the end of the mission. I don't want your opinions to be influenced by me just because I don't get along with him very well. I should probably let you form your own opinion on him anyways. It's late enough as it is.
Seraphine: Isn't she insistent on not saying anything?
Chris: Goodnight, Professor.
Chris walks away, and Seraphine appears at your side.
Seraphine: The more people talk about this emperor, the more afraid I get. He can't really be that bad, right…? Then again, if his own child is so scared of him… I don't know. I have a bad feeling about all of this.
You nod your agreement before returning to your room. It has gotten rather late, and You have a big day ahead of You. Seraphine follows You, and You both fall asleep soon after in preparation for the day to come.
The next morning, You and the students do not meet in the Golden Deer homeroom, but rather, outside of Aisa's room on the second floor. Chris is with your group.
Chris: Well… Here we are. We're about to get our orders from the emperor of Adrestia about our next goal.
Jill: You look rather lightheaded…
Chris: It's not a big deal.
Raithius: I want to know what he's got up his sleeve already.
Novalee: I don't mean to be rude, but… I don't know how this is going to go.
Adeline: All I've heard about the emperor are complaints.
William: I haven't ever met him myself, nor have I met somebody with his amount of power, but I doubt he's a kind man.
Sofia: I heard that he eats babies.
Lev: That's crazy… People don't eat babies… Right?
Chris: He doesn't eat babies. He eats the hopes and dreams of everyone he comes into contact with.
Cedric: You truly aren't giving us a good impression of him.
Wolfgang: I'm curious about how he'll be…
Chris: The answer is unpleasant. Incredibly unpleasant.
Jill: Let's go and see him now.
Lev: B-But what if-
Novalee: There won't be babies stuck between his teeth.
Adeline: What a relief…
William: I seem to recall Ms. Hepius worked for him at one point.
Cedric: Perhaps we could ask him at a later point. He asked us for help, and he must have a reason for asking us to do it as opposed to his guards.
Sofia: I don't know why he did that, but I already don't like it.
Chris: Whatever it is, don't get swept into his words. If he offers you anything, deny it. No matter what. If he says he can offer you money for your services, turn him down. Don't accept any offers of his.
Raithius: And what does that mean?
Chris: Just trust me on this, okay?
Seraphine: I don't even know this man, but I already think I want to punch him.
Sofia: Come on. He's not going to want to wait for us for much longer.
The students enter the room alongside Reese. You take up the rear. Inside the room, You see Aisa speaking with the emperor, Hendrix von Faixnoye. He is a tall man with black hair and brown eyes. He bears no resemblance to his daughter.
Aisa: Good morning, students. It's a pleasure to see you. I take it you've already heard that you'll be taking your mission today from the Adrestian leader.
Hendrix: Greetings.
Chris: Father… It's nice to see you again.
Hendrix: …
Aisa: Why don't you go on and give them their mission?
Hendrix: Of course… One lord within my territory has acted out against me. Lord Thaddeus Bazler is his name. He sent mercenaries to attack a Crest scholar two months ago. Your class was involved with that mission.
Chris: You had worked with her at one point, yes?
Hendrix: I'd like you to eliminate this lord and any of his remaining soldiers. Such dangers to the Empire cannot be allowed to live.
Jill: Is there anything else we should know about him?
Hendrix: He has been attempting to overthrow Faixnoye rule for quite some time, though I never imagined he'd make such strides against the family directly.
Chris: Did he attack you directly?
Hendrix: Quiet, girl. Did I give you permission to speak?
Chris: …
Seraphine: Intense much…? Yikes.
Hendrix: You are to defeat him once and for all. Do not leave a single soldier alive. Those who wish ill against the royal family deserve nothing short of death.
Wolfgang: We heard in the past that a Crest scholar by the name of Evenor Hepius was once your partner in research. Is this true?
Hendrix: Yes, it is. She was researching Crests at my request until twelve years ago. I had no further need of her, and so I let her go.
Novalee: No further need of her…? Hm… How odd.
Chris: Father, is there anything else you need of us?
Hendrix: What did I say about speaking out of line?!
Chris: M-My bad…
Cedric: Perhaps the time has come for us to take care of him. It's a noble's duty to defeat those who have become corrupt, after all.
Hendrix: Yes. Return to me once your mission is complete.
Seraphine: I can't wait to leave. He's so irritating to be around… What's his deal? How rude can someone be?
You ask Hendrix if he needs anything else.
Hendrix: No…
He looks at You for a moment longer, his eyes narrowing.
Hendrix: You… Who are you?
You explain that You are a professor for the Officers Academy.
Hendrix: I see… Leave at once. You have business to take care of.
You start to leave with most of the students, but You see Chris is staying behind to speak with Hendrix for a moment longer. You hang back to see how it goes.
Chris: Father, please listen-
Hendrix: I have nothing to say to you. You disobeyed me, and you will live with the consequences.
Chris: I don't even have a chance to prove that I'm loyal to you?
Hendrix: You deserve no chances. You have harmed the Faixnoye family greatly, and I will not be forgiving you for it.
Chris: Father, just let me-
Hendrix: Leave.
Chris: Please, I want to say sorr-
Hendrix: Go!
Aisa: Perhaps it is best if you go and carry out your mission for the month. There is no time to speak now.
Chris: I… I understand…
Chris looks at him for a moment longer before walking away, brushing past You as she goes.
Seraphine: You should talk to her for a second. She looks pretty upset.
You close the door behind yourself as You go before tapping her on the shoulder.
Chris: H-Huh? Oh, sorry, Professor. You shouldn't have had to see that.
You ask if Hendrix is always like that.
Chris: I guess you could say that… We don't get along all that well, as I'm sure you could tell. Let's just say that I made a horrible mistake before coming here, and he didn't exactly take it well.
Seraphine: What could she have possibly done to make him that mad…? Do I even want to know?
Chris: My father has set me up with a man for an arranged marriage. He figured it was the perfect chance to expand our influence… He always pushed me to grow closer to my future partner, Arthur. I didn't want to. I spoke of my frustrations with Polly, and my father mistook it for me cheating on Arthur. It was nothing of the sort, but… He thought he had seen enough.
Seraphine: Why am I not surprised he jumped to conclusions like that?
Chris: I guess he hasn't gotten over that grudge. It's fine. If he doesn't want to talk to me, then that's his problem.
Seraphine: Somehow, I think there's more to it than just that.
You tell Chris You are happy to be there for her if she needs it.
Chris: I do appreciate it, Professor… Perhaps we should go on with the mission. I'll deal with this later.
Seraphine: She has a point… I'm not eager to move on from this serious subject either, but… I guess we don't have any other options.
Chris: If you'll excuse me, I… I cannot stay here. You have a mission to take care of, but… F-Forget it. Goodbye, Professor.
Chris leaves, though You can see tears glistening in her eyes.
Seraphine: I don't think I like the emperor at all after that conversation… Gods above, what an unpleasant man.
You leave the room silently, thinking about the emperor. Hendrix hasn't given You a strong first impression, but You cannot call him out on it. That would be a recipe for disaster given his status as the leader of Adrestia. Instead, You remain quiet and keep in mind to stay away from him.
A few hours later, You and the students arrive in Bazler territory to deal with the lord responsible for such a rebellion.
Jill: I did some research on this Lord Bazler character. There aren't many people who appreciate him.
Sofia: Do share your findings with us, Professor.
Jill: A lot of nobles know about his horrid behavior regardless of where they live. This is a rumor at the moment, so don't take it at face value, but there are theories that he's the leader of an infamous human trafficking ring.
Wolfgang: Truly…? If you can believe it, I've heard that about the lord from my territory, Lord Columbus…
Cedric: What a monster. That goes against everything the nobility stands for. We need to defend the people, not harm them.
Raithius: I'll take this chance to tell you all about what I've found out on the matter. He's been taking people for this as long as anyone can remember, but the emperor hasn't stood up to him. Emperor Hendrix owes a debt to Lord Bazler, and he won't go back on it no matter what the situation is.
Adeline: I've heard that a lot of the hostages are from Brigid or Dagda… Those are territories outside of the continent. They attempted to start a war with the empire back in the day, though we're all at peace now.
Lev: I want to be sick...
William: It appears we've almost arrived.
Raithius: It's time for us to get in there then. Anybody have any last things to say?
Novalee: If he really has been taking people to manipulate as part of his trafficking ring, he's going to deserve everything that comes to him. We need to do this for the people he's hurt.
Adeline: How awful he is.
Sofia: There has to be a way we can get him in trouble, right? I mean, a rebellion is a big deal, but smuggling people for his own gains is worse. He's not going to want to hold back. The emperor has to understand that, regardless of what debts he may need to fulfill.
Wolfgang: We won't know until the time comes, I suppose.
William: I'm sick of all this standing around. Come on. Let's just do it.
Novalee: It appears the waiting period is up.
Thaddeus Bazler appears on the horizon, mounted on a brown horse. His troops surround him. They've taken up a defensive position outside the territory's mansion.
Bazler: Welcome, students of the Officers Academy!
Raithius: Lord Bazler.
Bazler: The heir of Leicester? What brings you here?
Raithius: Rumors of your rebellion. I've got orders to defeat you once and for all.
Bazler: I see… If that's the way it must be, perhaps we'll just have to go along with that…
William: There go our chances of diplomacy…
Sofia: I don't think he deserves diplomacy at this point. He's far past the point of no return, and he deserves to suffer.
Lev: I want to know why you went for Ms. Hepius.
Bazler: Crests are valuable, kid. They're power in its purest form. That Crest scholar has the key to giving and removing Crests freely…
Cedric: You can't be serious!
Wolfgang: She can give people Crests?!
Bazler: She's a traitor and a scoundrel… She brought it on herself.
Adeline: What is that supposed to mean?
Novalee: I don't think he'll be giving us an answer.
Wolfgang: Perish, monster!
Bazler: Well, don't you look nice… If you need somewhere to go after the school year-
Wolfgang casts a light spell at Bazler.
Wolfgang: Quiet already, scoundrel!
Bazler: Feisty… Fine. If that's how this has to be. Men! To battle!
Raithius: I've had enough of listening to this guy talk.
Jill: Students! It's time to fight!
There are multiple types of soldiers seen around the battlefield. There are many soldiers wearing black armor, showing they are part of the group Malice. There are other soldiers wearing ragged clothing and using weapons that are barely held together. All fighters from the second group are underaged boys and girls.
Raithius: If we needed proof of the trafficking, we've found it.
Novalee: Judging by their appearances, they seem to be from Brigid or Dagda, though there are some from Albinea dropped in as well. I doubt they're doing this willingly.
Adeline: We have to save them.
William: What monster would go so far?
Lev: Look at how young they all are…
Wolfgang: Everybody, avoid the soldiers who aren't in black armor! They're the slaves Bazler has been trafficking!
Cedric: They look so ill…
Sofia: I can't wait to kill him for this…
Seraphine: Are all nobles like this? They're really coming off as unpleasant and awful, you know…
The battle properly begins. The Golden Deer are already showing signs of growth, having learned to slash freely through the enemy. The group keeps the youthful soldiers not in black safe to the best of their abilities. If one of your units speaks with a youth, the youth will change to green and start trying to escape.
If You speak to one of the youths, this dialogue plays out.
Youth: You're here to save me?! Thank you so much! I'll leave now!
Seraphine: There's one down…
If Raithius speaks to one of the youths, this dialogue plays out.
Raithius: You're not from around here, are you?
Youth: Yes…
Raithius: Get away from this place. I'll save you.
Youth: Thank you so much!
If Novalee speaks to one of the youths, this dialogue plays out.
Novalee: You're a hostage… Get as far away from this land as you can. We'll handle Bazler.
Youth: Thank you! I-I'll get right out of here!
If Sofia speaks to one of the youths, this dialogue plays out.
Sofia: See? I'm putting my weapon down. I'm going to help you out. Run away. Bazler won't be able to chase you.
Youth: Thank you, kind lady!
If Wolfgang speaks to one of the youths, this dialogue plays out.
Wolfgang: What sort of man would do this to innocent people… I'm going to save you. Please, leave this place behind.
Youth: Alright! I'll go now!
If Cedric speaks to one of the youths, this dialogue plays out.
Cedric: I don't know who he thinks he is… Run. Now.
Youth: Thank you so much…!
If William speaks to one of the youths, this dialogue plays out.
William: I'm not here to defeat you. Please, leave.
Youth: Thank you!
If Adeline speaks to one of the youths, this dialogue plays out.
Adeline: I'm sorry you had to go through this. I want you to run.
Youth: I-I will!
If Lev speaks to one of the youths, this dialogue plays out.
Lev: I-I truly don't understand the whims of nobles, wanting to harm people who didn't do anything wrong… Please, escape…
Youth: Thank you...
If Jill speaks to one of the youths, this dialogue plays out.
Jill: I've had enough of the way that man treats people like you. Please, find a better life out there.
Youth: I-I will…!
If all the youths escape, You will receive one item for each stat at the end of this fight. For every two youths killed, one item will be taken away.
If You initiate combat against Bazler, this dialogue plays out.
Bazler: Well, what do we have here? A teacher from the school? Pathetic… You do look familiar though… Hmph. It matters not. Goodnight, Professor!
If Raithius initiates combat against Bazler, this dialogue plays out.
Raithius: I don't think I've been this fired up in a long time. I know I'm going to enjoy this.
Bazler: You act like you know what you're doing… How pathetic. You'll fall before me!
Raithius: Not if I take you out first!
If Novalee initiates combat against Bazler, this dialogue plays out.
Bazler: You have the Crest of Goneril… I see. You're the bastard that Josephine keeps going on about.
Novalee: I am not under any obligation to speak to you.
Bazler: If you want to keep being like that, then fine. You'll just have to deal with the consequences. She wasn't able to put you down, so I'll just have to!
If William initiates combat against Bazler, this dialogue plays out.
William: You said that Ms. Hepius can give and take Crests as she pleases.
Bazler: I see you were listening.
William: How could I not listen to something like that?
Bazler: Keep the sass to yourself. I'm sick of this. Goodbye, pathetic child.
If Wolfgang initiates combat against Bazler, this dialogue plays out.
Bazler: You look familiar… I see. You look like Lord Columbus.
Wolfgang: L-Lord Columbus? What does he have to do with anything?
Bazler: His Canis Mafia helps me out greatly, as I'm sure you're aware… You must be… Oh, never mind. That doesn't matter. I hope he can forgive me for killing you!
Wolfgang: You won't be killing anyone today!
When Bazler is defeated, this dialogue plays out.
Bazler: Ugh… You're… Terrible… Stains…
After the battle, the group stands before Bazler.
Bazler: You're all stains… Terrors to Adrestia…
Raithius: What made you do this? Why did you start the rebellion?
Bazler: The emperor is a fool… He pretends to be in power, keeping everyone under his thumb, but it's never enough for him…
Raithius: That's… That's all you have to say for yourself?!
Bazler: He deserves this all… Everything that's coming to him! The Faixnoye line has destroyed Adrestia for far too long!
Raithius: If you won't give us the truth, then fine. Goodbye, Bazler.
Bazler: I wouldn't be so sure.
Bazler claps his hands, and a small group of ambush troops appears from the trees. He gets to his feet and runs away. The Golden Deer struggle with the ambush troops for a few minutes as Bazler disappears off into the distance. Once their lord is gone, the troops leave, and the territory is abandoned.
Seraphine: We have to go after him!
William: We have to go after him! Come on!
Novalee: For now, we need to let him go. We have other things to take care of at the moment. Going after him now would put us at a disadvantage. We don't know how many troops he has.
Adeline: Plus, we need to free the hostages.
Cedric: Who knows how long they've been here?
Lev: Nobody knows how long this was going on, and he still got away with it…
Wolfgang: Just the thought makes me sick.
Sofia: Everybody in the empire is going to be trying to find him now. On top of that, the church wants him dead. He'll be taken care of without a doubt.
Novalee: Not even the emperor can continue to protect him with the knowledge that he tried to start a rebellion.
Jill: He won't be getting away scot-free.
Raithius: Let's get to work. These people aren't going to free themselves.
The rest of the group walks away to get to work. Seraphine appears before You.
Seraphine: Thaddeus Bazler… What a monstrous pile of trash. He was keeping so many young people hostage here without a shred of regret.
You think of how he never showed signs of caring for what he had done.
Seraphine: He wanted us all to die, and he was willing to sacrifice innocent, malnourished children to reach that end… Disgusting.
A youth appears in front of You before You have a chance to reply.
Youth: Thank you for all you did for us today… Here. Take this.
You receive all the stat items that You earned from the battle.
Youth: Goodbye. Thank you again.
The youth walks away.
Seraphine: So hurt, and yet they still tried to do something for us… They really all did deserve better.
A few hours later, the group arrives back at the monastery. In the primary chamber where Aisa regularly stays, there are four people. These three are Aisa, Roy, Chris, and Hendrix. They were not talking when You entered, instead merely standing in the silence and waiting for You to return. Chris still seems upset, but she is hiding the signs better now, though she refuses to look at her father. When You appear, Aisa looks up.
Aisa: Ah… Greetings, Professor. I see that you have returned from your mission.
Roy: What happened to Lord Bazler?
Hendrix: I hope you killed him. Any people who stand up against the empire deserve nothing short of death.
Lev: I'm sorry…
Jill: He escaped, but we do have evidence of what he has done.
Novalee: We found paperwork to show that he had been running a human trafficking ring with other nobles on the continent. Brigid, Dagda, and Albinea were the homes of most of the hostages.
Cedric: After we find him, he will be prosecuted immediately. He cannot be allowed to escape for his crimes against the common people.
Hendrix: I don't care about that right now! He acted against the empire, and he cannot be allowed to live!
Chris: I-I'm sorry it went like this, Father… I promise you, I'll-
Hendrix: Quiet! You didn't even come close to the battlefield, girl!
Chris: …
Wolfgang: He admitted to being the one who sent mercenaries to attack the Crest scholar Evenor Hepius a few months ago.
Adeline: He claimed that she knew how to distribute Crests at will.
William: That can't be real, right?
Raithius: If she spent so many years digging into the basic facts behind Crests, she could have cracked the code.
Sofia: If it's true… That could change the face of history.
Aisa: I see… Church troops will make a move to arrest Lord Bazler as soon as possible.
Roy: Thank you for your work, students. You may return to your classroom now.
The students all leave the room with Reese. Chris stays behind, and You do as well.
Hendrix: I must return to Adrestia now.
Chris: Father, I-
Hendrix: Don't speak to me. You didn't even grace the field of battle. I am very disappointed.
Chris: I… I understand…
Hendrix: Farewell.
Hendrix leaves.
Chris: Um… I'll be on my way as well…
Chris leaves.
Aisa: Thank you for your help, Professor. You have done a lot for the church on this day.
Roy: We will be working with the people you freed from Bazler's territory to find better lives for all those taken.
Aisa: I had heard rumors of what he was doing, but I didn't realize it was so expansive…
Roy: He has been doing such for twenty-five years, according to Nesreen. She relayed all the information your troops found on the field to us.
Seraphine: Twenty-five years?!
Aisa: There was much harm done by his lust for power… We won't be able to do much for the people who have lived with this for their whole lives.
Roy: His father, the previous Lord Bazler, was involved in this as well. It has a fifty-year history in total.
Seraphine: I can't believe nobody tried to stop him… What's the point of the nobility system if it means some people are ruled over without a say? I mean, nobles are supposed to protect their territory, but they aren't doing a good job if they let somebody get away with this.
Aisa: He had contact with a noble in Leicester, and as far as we are aware, he was tied with the previous king of Faerghus somehow. The connection is unclear…
Roy: We'll be looking into this Leicester noble, Lord Wenlock Columbus, in case he merits further investigation.
Aisa: For now, please go on about your business.
You nod and leave the room.
Seraphine: The emperor is a lot worse than we thought… For one, he mistreats his daughter. On top of that, he let Bazler get away with this until it directly inconvenienced him. Both sides are awful, but I see why somebody would want to rebel against him.
You nod your agreement.
Seraphine: Let's just get to the classroom.
When You arrive at the classroom, the students are all standing together with Jill.
Jill: That was our biggest fight thus far. What can I even say about what happened that hasn't already been said?
Lev: I'm exhausted…
Sofia: I need to think about all of this.
Cedric: Nobles have a reputation among common people because of men like him. Some are so incredibly selfish… It's disgusting.
William: Overthrowing nobles wouldn't be possible for a small group to take care of, at least as far as I can tell.
Adeline: This is awful.
Wolfgang: Who would want to do this? It's absolutely disgusting.
Novalee: I don't even know how many people we saved today… But even so, no matter what we did, it won't help them forget about what happened.
Sofia: And he got away with it.
Lev: He has to be found, right?
Cedric: The church will make sure he's caught.
Adeline: I'm going to bed. Goodnight, everyone.
Wolfgang: Nobles are… Never mind. See you later.
Novalee: What he did was disgusting.
William: I'm going to bed… I need to think about all this.
The students all head out with Jill. The only other person in the classroom is Raithius. You ask her what is on her mind.
Raithius: Well… We found something out there today. There was a lot of paperwork with Lord Bazler, but he wasn't the only person involved.
Seraphine: Maybe he's going to tell us about that Leicester lord.
Raithius: Lord Wenlock Columbus of Columbus territory was involved with this as well. Lord Columbus is not a good man. No, that's putting it lightly. He's one of the most hated men in both Leicester and the whole continent because of what he's done in the past. You see… He leads an infamous mafia.
Seraphine: A mafia? What is that supposed to mean?
You ask her Seraphine's question.
Raithius: He helped Lord Bazler and King Franz to smuggle Albineans across the continent. Albinea is a colony of Faerghus, by the way. They've been at war since Albinea wants its independence. Lord Columbus has been involved in this for as long as he's been in charge of his territory, which is about twenty years.
Seraphine: I'd love to know more about this man…
Raithius: He's a horrible man. He runs the Canis Mafia and is known for his extortion of people in his territory. He has everybody under his thumb just to feed his sick desires.
Seraphine: Are any nobles on this continent good people?!
Raithius: I found a document talking about Lord Columbus' involvement in this whole thing. He's been working with Lord Bazler ever since his territory was established all those years ago. In other words, he's somebody that we need to be investigating. Somebody involved with Lord Bazler right now is suspicious. If Lord Bazler started a rebellion, Lord Columbus could as well.
Seraphine: That makes sense…
Raithius: Lord Columbus isn't somebody you want to involve yourself with… I'm afraid I can't give you many more details than that given the situation we're in right now, but I doubt that we'll be leaving him alone this whole year… I'll tell you if I find out anything else about him. Promise… Ah, I guess I kind of rambled there.
You assure her he is fine.
Raithius: Thanks for this, Professor. I'm going to head to bed, and you should too. Goodnight, Professor.
Raithius leaves the classroom quickly.
Seraphine: What a disgusting man… If he's really involved with Bazler, he's got to be horrible. You know, if what Raithius told us wasn't bad enough.
You nod your agreement.
Seraphine: I'm starting to wonder if any good nobles exist… Either way, it's not something I can answer today. Let's go to bed.
You start back to your room. When You arrive, Seraphine doesn't say anything about the events of the day. She goes to sleep without so much as a goodnight, which is abnormal for her. Given the events of the day, You suspect that for the second month in a row, Seraphine is questioning the way F ódlan is run given the questionable state of the class system. You do not comment on it and go to sleep silently, though it takes You quite some time to sleep. Questions dance through your mind about the continent, its values, and the people who make it run. You hold doubts about Fódlan, but You do not voice them and let sleep claim You...
Digimon is perfect
-Digital