On the day of the mission, You wake up and move towards the cardinals' room as Seraphine speaks to You.

Seraphine: I think I'm feeling a bit better about all of this… Do you think you're ready for this mission?

You nod.

Seraphine: I'm glad you are… I still have a terrible feeling about all of this. I want to think I'm just being paranoid, but we won't know for sure until after the attack on the stronghold has come to a close.

You say that You are sure it will be fine.

Seraphine: I'll trust your judgement there then… Let's go on and see the rest of the team.

You walk into the cardinals' room as Seraphine falls silent.

Raithius: Hey there, Professor. We're ready to head out.

Wolfgang: We're not even hanging around here for a briefing beforehand.

Cedric: The strategy is just going to be to attack… They won't be able to hide in there defensively.

Jill: The space was not built to be used in a standoff, so that certainly works in our favor…

Sofia: I'm not complaining in the slightest, and I don't think that any of you should be either.

William: I suppose that all we can really do at this point is march in there and see what's waiting for us.

Lev: I'm hoping that it ends well, but I guess we won't know until it actually happens…

Adeline: Let's focus on the mission for the time being. The outcome will only arrive faster if we take care of the ones behind this.

Novalee: I agree. Golden Deer, let's march.

You move to the front gates of the monastery as Seraphine speaks once again.

Seraphine: They're getting right down to business, huh? I can't say that I'm surprised… We've really come to be a strong group of fighters over time, and if anyone knows how to take out a stronghold, it's got to be us. I hope that we're able to find out something new after the fight though…

You say that You hope for the same.

Seraphine: All this talk about the true leader of the Alliance is still bothering me… I don't know what it means, and judging by the fact that nobody else has brought it up, they aren't aware either.

You say that You will just have to figure out by actions rather than words.

Seraphine: Solid point… Now, let's get going.

The journey to the stronghold in Leicester seems to drag on due to your anticipation, but You and the rest of the Golden Deer do eventually arrive at the specified location.

Raithius: Well, here we are… It's good to see that the place is ready to be attacked.

Cedric: I agree… Let's get ready to strike. We don't have a moment to lose.

Jill: The gates are wide open, and I doubt that they're going to be able to close themselves in before we make the first move.

Adeline: From there, we can storm right into the building and figure out whatever they're hiding in there.

Lev: I can only imagine that it's something important, but I can't say that I have any ideas on what it is.

William: I'm sure we'll figure it out soon enough. For now, I think I'm more than ready for this.

Sofia: Me too. They've been causing too many problems for far too long, and this is the least they deserve.

Wolfgang: It seems that all we're really waiting on is the command to charge in.

Novalee: Raithius, it's your decision. Go on and command us, fearless leader.

Raithius: I'd be more than happy to. Golden Deer, we march!

You and the rest of the Golden Deer make your way up to the building. There are a few troops outside, but they are relatively easy to take care of. Raithius gestures for everyone to follow him into the building proper, and You are more than happy to follow such instructions.

Raithius: Alright… We're making more progress now.

Novalee: Look at the other side of the space… There's someone standing there.

Cedric: It appears to be a man wearing a mask… Something about him sticks out from the rest of the soldiers.

Lev: I think it's fair to say that he's the commander of this outpost…

Wolfgang: In that case, it seems that we have our target. We'll have to take him out with the rest of these chumps.

William: His mask is so ornate… I doubt it was bought by someone with limited funds.

Jill: We may have gotten through the guards, but we'll still have to be careful from here.

Sofia: I'm ready to take on whatever they have to throw at us.

Adeline: I feel the same way. Raithius, just give us the signal.

Raithius: Golden Deer, we march!

The battle begins afterwards. You and the rest of the Golden Deer start the fight at the entrance of the building surrounded by many enemies working with Malice. They are scattered about and respawn rather often, but You manage to charge through them in spite of this. After a while, the reinforcements begin to slow down, and your group sets its sights on the leader at the back of the building. He has not moved nor spoken since the battle began, something that You must admit seems rather suspicious.

If You initiate combat with the masked man, the following dialogue plays out.

?: You have made a mistake in coming here… Such an error will prove fatal. Prepare yourself or taste the fury of my blade!

If Raithius initiates combat with the masked man, the following dialogue plays out.

Raithius: I don't know who the hell you are, but you're standing in my way. If you wish to keep your life, I suggest stepping aside.

?: You don't even recognize me? How sad.

Raithius: I don't know what you're talking about. How about you quit speaking in riddles and just get on with the fight already? You know, unless you're a coward.

?: ...You signed this death warrant. I had been hoping not to come to blows with you, but it seems I have no choice.

If Wolfgang initiates combat with the masked man, the following dialogue plays out.

?: Child of Columbus… Do you have any idea what horrors you have brought upon this world?

Wolfgang: I'm not here to debate the morality of my existence with you. I'm here to finish a mission.

?: You have the blood of a monster running through your veins.

Wolfgang: You act as if I don't already know that.

?: I will kill you where you stand for the sins your bloodline has committed!

If Novalee initiates combat with the masked man, the following dialogue plays out.

Novalee: You've been causing many problems within the Alliance… You shouldn't be surprised that it came to this eventually.

?: I'm doing what I must in order to reclaim my rightful place on the throne.

Novalee: Such a position belongs to one man and one man only, and I'm afraid to say that it isn't you.

?: You don't understand what you're implying… But it matters not. I'll show you the true power of someone on my level, and you'll understand your folly at last.

If anyone else initiates combat with the masked man, the following dialogue plays out.

?: If you had wished to keep your life, you shouldn't have come here… Still, it was your mistake, and I'm going to show you how much of a fool you were to make it!

When the masked man is defeated, the following dialogue plays out.

?: You believe that this is victory…? In all honesty, this is nothing more than bitter defeat for you… Pathetic…

After the battle ends, You stand with the rest of the Golden Deer around the masked man. You have him cornered against a wall. His mask has fallen to the floor, but the rest of his head is still hidden by a black hood that makes him seem to blend in with the darkness.

Raithius: It's over for you. Surrender at once or face the consequences.

Raithius takes a step forward, and his shoe crushes the mask into pieces.

?: It's bold of you to say such… You have no idea who you're dealing with. Don't tell me that you've forgotten me.

Raithius: I don't know what you're-

The man looks up slowly, a mad grin on his features. His hood falls away, and familiar blue hair is shown for the world to see. He looks oddly similar to Raithius, and your stomach twists with nerves.

Jill: That face… I recognize you! You're-

Cedric: Archduke Julius Origo… The former leader of the Alliance who was long thought dead.

Sofia: You can't be serious… But he was declared dead years ago! How is he-

Julius: There are many ways for one to escape the eyes of the curious… And I have managed to do just that in the name of this moment.

Novalee: Explain yourself at once! If you are truly the leader of the Alliance, then why would you stoop so low to harm your own citizens?!

Julius: They betrayed me years ago, and it's high time they felt the same agony they inflicted onto me! You have no idea what has taken place, and you would do best to quit pretending you understand!

Lev: You shouldn't be here… You should be-

Julius: Dead? Hmph… I would have died due to the treachery of Wenlock Columbus if not for my own quick thinking. I earned my place to be here unlike the sheep of this nation who do not understand true leadership.

William: You've been attacking your own son all this time, and you don't have a thing to say about all of that?!

Adeline: You… I don't understand you in the slightest, and yet, I don't believe I want to. You disgust me.

Julius: I've stayed here for long enough. There's more for me to take care of, and I've spoken to you for far too long. Farewell.

Julius presses his hand against a brick in the stone behind him. The wall shifts, and a passageway appears. Julius passes through and disappears from sight as the wall moves once again to close the path behind him. You watch with wide eyes.

Wolfgang: Hey, get back here! Come on, there has to be some way for us to go after him!

Raithius: I… I can't believe this is happening…

Novalee: Raithius… I don't know what to say… I'm so sorry that it had to end like this.

Raithius:

Jill: What are you going to do from here? We have to take another step as soon as possible.

Adeline: I don't think we should push him right now… He's just found out something really shocking, and I bet that he needs a bit of space…

William: I… I guess that we should start to look around this place… We don't know what he could have in those tunnels waiting for us as a trap.

Lev: As much as I hate to admit it… You're right. We can't follow him if we can't get the mechanism to work anyways.

Sofia: We've learned who the leader of Malice is, but… What does this mean for the future? I was so sure that he was gone.

Novalee: You weren't the only one… We even discussed it when we were students all that time ago.

Cedric: I remember that… We heard all about how he died, and soon afterwards, everything began to fall apart…

Wolfgang: He went missing and was declared dead. Soon enough, the Stomm family perished… I don't know what he was saying when he blamed Wenlock Columbus though.

Raithius: I… I'm going to need a minute. I have some thinking to do.

You nod your understanding, and the rest of the Golden Deer fall silent, looking to each other in worry. A few seconds later, the rest of the group retreats, and You go to follow them.

Raithius: Professor, could you stay for a moment longer?

You nod and turn to face him.

Raithius: Sorry, I… I would regularly ask Nova to stay behind with me, but she's got to lead the rest of the Golden Deer. She knows what to do in situations like this, and… I guess I just sort of want your advice right now.

You ask if there is anything he needs.

Raithius: To talk about all of this… Listen, if I'm being honest here… I sort of suspected something like this for a while. Hearing about the 'true leader of the Alliance' set off some alarm bells in my head, but I didn't want to acknowledge them. I thought that if I pretended nothing was wrong, the idea of my father being behind this couldn't hurt me, and yet… Here we are.

You watch him silently and wait for him to continue.

Raithius: I still can't believe that it's happening though… Even if I had an inkling of the truth, that didn't prepare me for seeing my father alive again after I thought him dead for so long. It didn't get me ready to see such endless hatred in his eyes as he lashed out at the people I've come to call family. It's not right for anyone to go through that… Sofia, Novalee, and soon enough, Adeline… Fighting family isn't an easy thing to do even if you remove the factor of his presumed death. It's a nasty trial of war, and I hate that it has to happen this way.

You tell him that he isn't going through this alone.

Raithius: Yes, I know that… And it's exactly why I have to do all of this. The others have given up so much in the name of seeing Leicester find peace. I've fought for so long alongside the Golden Deer. We've all come to hang onto each other for support, and… Regardless of blood ties, that man cannot be called my family any longer. You and the Golden Deer have been there for me through thick and thin. You're the ones that I want to surround myself with.

You thank him for such words.

Raithius: That's just the truth, Professor… They're working in the name of peace, and I'm not going to back down because the idea of fighting the man who was once my father disgusts me. The hate that he holds for the people he should be protecting is not natural. Even if he was once the leader of Leicester, that matters little now. If all he wants is for this land to burn, then his fate is sealed. We'll have to oppose him, and I'm going to continue leading the Golden Deer into battle regardless of who our foe is.

You tell Raithius that You are proud of him.

Raithius: I'm merely expressing the truth of my emotions… This is how I would act in the face of any other foe, and I'm not going to let nostalgia twisted by time's hand hold me back now. Leicester needs me… They need me… You need me. I'm going to keep fighting regardless of how things get. That was a promise I took on as soon as this war began, and I'm going to see it through no matter what.

Raithius removes the circlet he wears from his head and looks at it.

Raithius: This was something my father gave me, but… I'm not going to toss it aside. Wearing this is going to be my act of defiance. I deserve to show my opinion on this whole subject, and I believe that the best thing I can do for myself is honor the past while still pressing on in its name. Much has changed, and I am going to fight for the sake of returning the peace we lived in for so many years. My father may have changed, but I have as well… From this day forth, this circlet is not a sign of a man who fell from grace, but rather, the crowning feature of a ruler fighting for the sake of his people. My father cannot take that away from me no matter how hard he tries.

Raithius undergoes a class change from Blade Lord to Blade Master at this time.

Raithius: Thank you for standing by me all this time, Professor… Will you continue to walk this path with me into the future?

You nod.

Raithius: I had a feeling you would say something of that nature… I know that we never truly had the chance to swear you in as a member of my personal force, so allow me to do such now.

Raithius removes his sword from its sheath, and You bow before him. He taps the weapon on both of your shoulders, and You feel an unexpected power surge through you. Your class changes from Enlightened One to Godly Instrument.

Raithius: Thank you again, Professor… Let's go back to the monastery. We have a lot to plan for with this mission finished.

You watch as Raithius leaves, and You stand in the room alone for a moment. Seraphine speaks to You.

Seraphine: You feel it, don't you…? This new power, it's… It's incredible! I feel so much stronger than ever before… Almost as if…

Seraphine manifests before You, but something about her is different. She is glittering with green just like usual, but she seems solid compared to her previous transparent state. You reach out your hand to touch her cheek and find yourself cupping warm skin rather than passing through her entirely.

Seraphine: I… I'm actually here…! I don't know how this is happening, but… I'm going to put this to use.

You nod your understanding as Seraphine takes your hand in her own.

Seraphine: You've been fighting for all this time, and… If I can make myself real, I'm going to do the same now too. It's the least that I can do after all this time I've been dormant in your mind.

You say that Seraphine should not feel pressured to do such.

Seraphine: Don't worry about me at all. I know what I'm doing.

You nod as Seraphine pulls away from You.

Seraphine: This won't be easy to deal with, but nothing in life truly is… I'll have to thank Raithius for this chance.

Seraphine disappears, and You hear her voice in your mind when she speaks again.

Seraphine: We should go back to the monastery now. I'm sure that the rest of the group is waiting for us just like before.

You nod, and You begin the journey back to the monastery. It lasts quite some time, but when You get back, You do not make your way to the cardinals' room as You usually would. The rest of the Golden Deer have instead moved to their old classroom in the Officers Academy, and You decide to follow them. When You arrive, all of them are there but Raithius, who walks in shortly afterwards.

Raithius: I didn't realize we would all be hanging out down here today.

Novalee: We're here to talk to you, Raithius.

Raithius: About what?

Jill: Everything that's happened… We know that it's had an effect on you.

Cedric: You aren't dealing with this alone. I know it isn't easy, but you have all of us here.

William: We've been standing with each other for five years now, and that's not about to change.

Wolfgang: Exactly. Facing off against your father is scary, and I'm not trying to say that it will be easy, but… We're here to ease your burden.

Raithius:

Sofia: You don't have to put up a mask for us. We understand that it's hard.

Adeline: The Golden Deer don't have to be only soldiers. We can be a support system too.

Lev: You've been awfully quiet… Is something the matter?

Raithius: I just… I don't know what I would do without all of you.

Sofia: You… You're crying. I don't think I've ever seen you cry before.

Raithius: Because I know where I belong… That man might be my father, but he is not part of my family.

Lev: Then… Who are you thinking of as family?

Raithius: All of you. What else could describe the merry band of misfits we've pulled together here?

Novalee: And this band of misfits is going to support you until the bitter end.

Cedric: You aren't going to be facing off against your father alone as long as we're around.

Jill: I don't think I've ever taught a class quite like you all… And that's truly something incredible.

Adeline: We're all going to be able to lean on each other in the months to come.

William: It's the least we can do for our incredible leader.

Wolfgang: Come here, all of you! I think there's only one thing that can honor this occasion!

The Golden Deer embrace one another, and You join them soon afterwards. You can feel their love through the contact, and a smile appears on your features. You can tell Seraphine is overjoyed at the action as well.

Raithius: Gods, you guys really do know how to make me all mushy…

Novalee: It's what we all do best.

Sofia: You admitted that we're your family, so you're going to have to deal with this a lot more in the future.

Cedric: I didn't expect to find family through the Officers Academy, but… I don't think I've ever been happier.

Lev: We're a perfect group for each other, it seems.

Adeline: It's why we're going to stick together through thick and thin…

William: No matter what, the Golden Deer will always be here together.

Jill: What do you say that we all go to get some rest now? We've been through a lot today.

Wolfgang: I can get behind that for sure. Today was draining physically and emotionally.

Raithius: In that case, I'll see you all when the next strategy meeting starts. Sleep well… And, guys… Thank you.

The Golden Deer leave, and You watch them with a fond smile as Seraphine appears beside You.

Seraphine: A family… We haven't ever had one of those, and I'm oddly glad that this is the one we wound up with. It's not perfect, but… I don't think that matters. In the grand scheme of things, what is perfection anyways? At the very least… We're perfect for each other, and I think that's the important thing.

You nod and make your way back to your room.

Seraphine: Soon… Soon, the war will end, and when it does, our family will truly be happy. I want to fight for that… And I know you do too.

You agree as You sit down on your bed.

Seraphine: Sleep well, Professor… We've still got a long battle ahead of us, and we had best be ready. Until tomorrow.

Seraphine cups your face in her hands and presses her forehead against yours. You are both silent at first before Seraphine disappears, and You find yourself missing her warmth as soon as she vanishes. Even if she has only been able to appear physically for a short period of time, You feel as if You have been around her in such a way for your entire life.

You lay down as sleep comes to claim You. Between the Golden Deer and Seraphine, You are happier than You have been in a long time, and your chest blooms with a sense of newfound warmth. When You fall asleep, You rest well, and a smile remains on your lips long into the night…


Plot twist!

-Digital