At the beginning of the next moon, You wake up and hear Seraphine's voice in the back of your head.
Seraphine: I hope that at least something has been figured out… It's been a few days since our last mission, so there's been a bit of time for everyone to try and see what exactly is going on here.
You make your way to the cardinals' room, and You find Magnolia standing inside alone. You greet her.
Magnolia: Good morning, Professor… Pardon me for seeming a bit distracted. I'm trying to figure out the last little piece of this puzzle…
You ask her if there would be a way for you to help.
Magnolia: In all honesty, I have no idea. It feels like the answer is on the tip of my tongue… Ah! I think I got it!
The rest of the group arrives.
Luciana: I did my best to gather everyone so that we could discuss our recent findings and bounce around ideas… It's good to know that you were here since you weren't in your room, Professor.
Reese: You sure do look excited, Magnolia. Is there something in particular that you think we should know about?
Magnolia: As a matter of fact, yes. I think I know why the old map of the Kingdom was found among the documents in the area. You're going to want to hear about this.
Nora: Don't hold back then. Go on and tell us what you think is so important.
Magnolia: I'm sure that some of you are aware of the existence of House Dragoste. It was a noble territory within the Kingdom for many years, but it fell about twenty-five or so years ago.
Kyle: That's true… My parents came from that house, though they never spoke about the past. They wanted nothing to do with noble society after leaving it behind.
Falon: I think I understand what you're trying to get at here, Magnolia… You think that Malice was involved with House Dragoste somehow.
Magnolia: That's my current theory. I remember hearing from Kyle when we first met that his parents passed away in mysterious circumstances. You never knew who was responsible for the killings.
Illona: You think that Malice was somehow involved with this… But why would they want to kill people who left behind noble society?
Aestlyn: There's been a lot of tension within the Kingdom in the past three or so decades… When the previous king was still in power, he was trying to suppress rebellions in Albinea.
Cassia: Some nobles agreed with his actions while others opposed, and a third group chose to remain neutral.
Karim: We discovered while out on the mission that the houses that supported Albinean independence in the past few years were targets of Malice.
Magnolia: House Dragoste just so happened to support Albinea before the lord and lady departed from noble society. They had enough of what was happening and decided to leave. They were killed under mysterious circumstances years later when they were finally found because of their previous support of Albinea. That's what I believe at the moment, anyways.
Reese: Somehow, all of that ties in with what's happening right now. What are your theories regarding that?
Magnolia: I'm under the impression that there are two different parts of Malice that currently hold a grudge against parts of the Kingdom. First off, there are those who wish to target the houses that have remained loyal to the Kingdom itself, those being houses Faren, Chevalier, de la Brache, and Berniere. Houses Goneril and Schweighen are a bit more problematic and have sided with Malice, so they want to lash out against those who are involved with following my lead and rule.
Falon: That would make sense… Many of them sided with Malice because they wanted to make a bid for power, believing that Malice would win the war.
Magnolia: Exactly. Within the houses that have turned against us, there is much enmity towards those who previously stood by Albinea. House Goneril, for example, was always staunchly opposed to it. House Berniere was much the same way, and House de la Brache is so recent that they haven't taken a particular stance one way or the other. They would want to take out those who they thought were interfering with Faerghus colonization in other territories, thus expanding their reach.
Luciana: I can't imagine how anyone can simply sit by and be so passively cruel towards others…
Magnolia: As for the other group… I believe that the other group is something different entirely. I'm sure that you remember our previous encounter with Albinean people when Malice first came to light five years ago… I think that the rule of my father combined with the war effort between Faerghus and Albania has them set on revenge. Even though it isn't a perfect alliance, they've teamed up with Faerghus to try and destroy the kingdom after the war ravaged their homeland.
Illona: I see… There are countless players on the field here, and that was why you brought up the idea of there being multiple factions when we were last discussing this.
Magnolia: Precisely. The documents that we uncovered lead us to one crucial fact, and I think that it has to do with those who have allied themselves with Albinea. The first out of these two groups wishes to destroy the houses Faren and Chevalier for their firm alliance with my opposition to war with Albinea. These traitorous houses were also likely responsible for the deaths of the previous lord and lady of House Dragoste, and I believe that the documents we uncovered are proof that they're going to try and strike soon to carry out the remainder of their mission.
Karim: If that's the case, then we're just going to have to stop them before they can do anything like that.
Nora: Given that you were able to glean so much information from all of these papers, I'm willing to hazard a guess that we know where they're going to be gathering.
Magnolia: Exactly. I've found the point where they'll likely be assembling in a few weeks' time, assuming that the timeline that we uncovered is accurate. We're going to strike then and eliminate them.
Cassia: It seems to me that we have our mission for the month then… We're going to be eliminating assassins that are trying to destroy the stability of the Kingdom.
Aestlyn: It's good to know that we have all of this information gathered in advance… We'll do everything that we can to prepare for this.
Kyle: I'm sure that we'll be fine. We've been able to handle ourselves thus far, and this will certainly make it easier for us to lash out in the future if we don't have these pesky assassins breathing down our necks constantly.
Magnolia: I'm glad that we all understand our next objective. I'd like you all to prepare for the mission at hand, and we'll reunite soon enough to discuss what's next. I'm counting on you. Everyone's dismissed.
You watch as the members of the group leave the room, but You stay behind and comment on how Magnolia's deductive skills are impressive.
Magnolia: Thank you, Professor. It's all built out of necessity. I do what I have to for the sake of the Kingdom.
You nod your understanding and leave the room. Seraphine speaks to You.
Seraphine: There's still something going on with her, but I suppose that's just part of the daily routine at this point… It's unfortunate, but what can we do about it? Let's just focus on making our rounds of the monastery for now, okay?
You nod your agreement and return to your room. You move to the Officers Academy to start your rounds of the monastery. There, You find Cassia standing in the courtyard.
Cassia: I don't want you to misunderstand what was said during our previous meeting. My parents are supporting Faerghus in this war, but it's hardly a true alliance. They're remaining as neutral as possible so that they can switch sides if it seems that we might lose. They're deceptive and manipulative, and they'll backstab us as soon as they get the chance.
You move to the training hall next. Inside, You encounter Kaeta and Yuliya, who are sharing a conversation.
Kaeta: I heard from others around the monastery that our mission this month involves the war with Albinea… Are you doing alright?
Yuliya: I'm doing just peachy. After all, who wouldn't like to hear that your country being allowed to exist is nothing more than a political opinion to these nobles?
Kaeta: You sure are particularly prickly today… I'll leave you in peace if that's what you want.
Yuliya: I have a lot to think about right now, so I'd appreciate that.
Kaeta: Ugh… This situation is nasty.
You head to the bottom row of dorms. You find Kyle standing by himself.
Kyle: I don't know what I expected regarding my parents' deaths… I don't remember much about them, but they wanted people to be happy. That much I'm sure of. And then… They died for that wish. I hope they're proud of what I'm doing now to uphold that legacy…
Further down the row, You encounter Callisto.
Callisto: Lots of things have been happening in the Empire these days, you know. It's not exactly being advertised, but I heard that a resistance force is brewing. There are people down there who are raising all sorts of hell. The phony on the throne won't know what hit him.
You find William between the final dorm in the row and the greenhouse.
William: Tensions with outside nations have always been strong for the three nations on our continent. The previous king of Faerghus incited war with Albinea and pushed through native Sreng territory. The previous emperor of Adrestia was all too glad to fight with Brigid and Dagda to put them in their place. Almyra and Leicester don't exactly get along either… In a way, this seems par for the course at this point.
You move to the second floor of dorms. There, You encounter Zelhira.
Zelhira: My father has been sending me updates about what's been happening in Adrestian territory. An unknown rogue has been rising through the ranks and creating an army. They're a small but elite force, but nobody knows who their leader is… I wonder if we'll ever figure out who's responsible for it all.
You also find Aestlyn in the area.
Aestlyn: My family perished in the past five years, but… I somehow doubt that it was involved with recent events regarding Albinea. They were with the king when it came to the war against Albinea. They wanted to assert the dominance of the Kingdom for better or worse… I disagree with their policies, but I don't think that had to do with their deaths…
You move back downstairs and head into the greenhouse. There, You find Wolfgang.
Wolfgang: I've been in contact with an informant of mine, a friend named Calypso. She says that both Leicester and Adrestia have been seeing major shifts lately. I doubt that Malice is going to have power there forever. It seems like a strong presence in Adrestia, but that's not going to last, and when it does fall apart, we'll be ready to jump on the opportunity and reclaim control.
You head to the fishing hole next. You find Cedric standing on the edge of the dock.
Cedric: When we arrived at the Malice underground area, we didn't find any other people… I hope that this isn't a sign that there have been more recent experiments since we were last investigating such a matter. I would hate to hear of anyone coming to harm in such a way…
You also find Nora in the area of the fishing hole.
Nora: All of these political issues involving nobles… I just don't get it. How is it that nobles can be so clueless that they just go about life thinking about how others don't deserve basic decency? Albinea and Faerghus are only at war because one of them has a pride issue, and it isn't Albinea.
You move to the dining hall. You cross paths with Karim.
Karim: My house has always been in support of Albinea. It didn't exactly win us any points with the previous king, but it's not like we particularly cared. Given our Duscur heritage, it would be hypocritical of us to not support an outside nation. Besides, we knew where Faerghus didn't belong… I just wish Franz Josefa knew that too.
You also find Falon in the area.
Falon: My mother was born in House Chevalier while my father was of House Goneril. They met because my father was sent to investigate those who were allied with Albinea, but they fell in love after my father realized the ways of his house had been wrong. He… He's gone now, but I want to keep fighting for Albinea in his name. I know that it's what he would have wanted for me.
You also find Adeline in the dining hall.
Adeline: All three of the nations have been practically overrun with Malice supporters by this point… I suppose they think that's the easiest way to find strength. It's upsetting, to say the least. Then again, I guess it does sort out the people who we shouldn't be associating with along the way…
You cross paths with Piers as well.
Piers: All of the issues involving relations with Albinea are nauseating. I feel like we should be aware by now that the previous king is responsible for this because of his egotistical nature. Then again, I suppose it's difficult to get everything under control given the circumstances, but if anything, this just shows us again what we already knew: the previous king was a nightmare.
Finally, You find Adrian in the dining hall.
Adrian: The man who we encountered during the last mission… I hope that we'll be able to find him again before he can stir up any further trouble. I don't want anybody to get hurt because he got away. If he's truly as important as we believe though, then it's just a matter of time before we see him again…
You move to the area outside the sauna near the dining hall. There, You find Nesreen.
Nesreen: The experimentation involving Crests is not a new issue. It's been around for quite some time, and the reappearance of Drake de la Brache just confirms it. The next time that he shows his face, we're going to defeat him. That much I can promise you with complete confidence.
You make your way to the marketplace. There, You find Herwig.
Herwig: Times are rough within the Empire. The rumors of a rebellion brewing are nice to hear about, but I fear that they aren't as promising as we need them to be. The current group in power won't go down easily, and if the resistance force wants to come close to toppling them, they'll have to act quickly with everything they have.
You also find Reese in the marketplace.
Reese: All of this is nothing short of exhausting… I hate that we're being forced to put up with both the experimentation and old assassins at the same time. There's a lot of pressure on us at the moment, and we have to abandon our search for Drake de la Brache in order to complete our next mission. It's unfortunate, to put it nicely, though I have a few other choice words I would prefer to use.
You make your way to the stables. There, You find Miriam.
Miriam: I have the sneaking suspicion that we're going to have to be particularly careful from here on out… The assassins we're dealing with have been in operation for a long time, and they were able to avoid detection for many years. We'll have to proceed with caution and ensure that we don't sustain too many damages.
You navigate to the gardens outside of the reception hall next. You cross paths with Jill there.
Jill: House Goneril straddles the border between Faerghus and Leicester, so it has territories in both. The house is divided into two parts as a result… Neither one of them are particularly pleasant. Novalee is from House Goneril, and I can promise you that she didn't have a pleasant experience there. In a way, them not supporting Albinean independence is just the cherry on top of the disgusting cake.
You also find Taiyin in the region.
Taiyin: I don't think that anybody appreciates the garden area of the monastery enough. I mean, it's a bit out of the way, yes, but it's still nice to see… I might have to start coming by here a bit more often to try and find some peace. Given what's been happening as of late, heaven knows that I'm going to need it.
In the knights' hall, You find Rodain standing alone.
Rodain: It seems like everything just started happening at once, you know? Between the return of the experimentation and everything that was found in the tunnels, we have a lot of information to work with. I don't know if I would exactly call that a good thing, but we're just going to have to live with it, I suppose.
You also cross paths with Wynne.
Wynne: Lots of rumors have been going around lately about what's been happening in the Empire. There's all sorts of gossip even if there's nothing conclusive yet, and there are many people who think that a mercenary is starting a rebellion against the current emperor. Imagine how great that would be.
You move to the graveyard, and You find Hegias there.
Hegias: I believe that the man from last month was involved with Evenor's experimentation efforts. It wouldn't surprise me if he somehow learned all of this from her. As much as I hate to say it, I think that she was the one who spearheaded all of this while working under the previous emperor… How awful…
You go to the entrance hall next. Inside, You find Grey.
Grey: I really don't know what I'm going to be doing about all of this new information… There are a few people in Abyss who came because they were running from the experimentation, and all of them are really stressed out. It feels like none of us can catch a break right now, you know? It just never ends.
You also cross paths with Tuncay.
Tuncay: A while back, I started hearing whispers about a mage in the Empire. with lots of power who could take down monsters on her own. All sorts of beasts have started prowling the land as of late, but this mage could apparently take them all out no problem. I wonder if they're involved with the resistance brewing in Adrestia… It's certainly possible.
You move north to the reception hall. Inside, You find Aquillus.
Aquillus: The idea that there are multiple different forces of fighters within Malice makes a lot of sense, you know. Some of the teams that we encountered just seemed so radically different that you almost had to wonder how there was even a connection, but this makes sense… I wonder where the different lines are drawn…
You also find Lev.
Lev: I hate the idea that the experimentation has been going on throughout all of this… I guess I sort of suspected it, but I didn't want it to be true. After all, it would be so easy to take advantage of those who have been suffering due to the war to pull this off in secret… It's nothing short of despicable.
Lastly, You cross paths with Saias.
Saias: The recent news has made Abyss so chaotic… We have people there who were forced on the run because of the war with Albinea and the experimentation involving Crests, and it seems like everything is in an uproar. I just had to get away from it, even if it was only for a little while… It's a mess.
You move to the cathedral, and You find Illona inside.
Illona: My uncle and I haven't exactly seen eye to eye in a long time… He wanted me to hide my Brigid heritage for the sake of the family name, and he was the one who… Yeah. It took me a long time to realize that what was happening wasn't okay, and to know now that he's hurting other people… It's sickening.
You see Sofia in the cathedral as well.
Sofia: I can tell that something is bothering Illona… She's been acting so jittery ever since we went down to the tunnels during the last mission. I hope that she's going to be alright… The last thing that I want is for her to be upset about all of this. Then again, I wouldn't be able to blame her if she was…
You move down to Abyss next. You go to the library first and find Magnus inside.
Magnus: Albinea and Faerghus have had a long history of disagreement. When Faerghus troops first touched down in Albinea, they immediately began to claim the land as their own without consideration for the locals… They were being foolish if you ask me. They weren't there first, and they should have simply accepted such a fact rather than throwing a prolonged tantrum over it.
You also find Tsubasa in the library.
Tsubasa: I had a sneaking suspicion that the experimentation was still going on, but I didn't want to believe that it was the case. I don't think that anybody really wants to believe that something like this is still happening, after all. We'll just have to stay on our toes to make sure it doesn't continue in the future.
You cross paths with Ernst when You move to Burrow Street.
Ernst: The experimentation continuing after all this time is certainly unfortunate… That means that we probably know what Evenor Hepius is doing, wherever she is right now… I wonder if we'll be able to draw her out of hiding somehow. Heaven knows that we need to take care of this issue sooner or later.
You find Ansel there as well.
Ansel: Lots of people came over here from Albinea after the war started. They figured it would be more peaceful in Leicester or Adrestia since Faerghus would never wage war on one of those nations. Oh, how poorly such assumptions have aged… Look at us now. The world's gone to hell, and there's nothing we can do about it aside from continuing to fight until we all die! Perfect world, isn't it?
Finally, You investigate Chrysalis Row and find Gabriel.
Gabriel: If there really is a resistance force mounting within the Empire, they had better decide to target Bazler. He's managed to reclaim his position of power since he was last encountered five years ago, and I doubt that he's going to be backing down until someone shoves him into his place. It's what he deserves.
You move up to the second floor of the monastery, and You head to the library. There, You find Derric and Niko sharing a conversation.
Niko: You know, if we hadn't come back here, I would have said that we should work with the resistance forces mounting in the Empire.
Derric: As of now, they're nothing more than rumors. I don't think that we should get too caught up in them.
Niko: Perhaps not, but it's a fighting chance for Adrestia. If you ask me, that's all the reassurance that I need.
Derric: It would be nice to have the current emperor off the throne… He shouldn't even be there in the first place.
Niko: And if all goes according to plan, then he won't be for too much longer.
Derric: Here's to hoping for that then.
You move to the commons' room next and find Florence alone inside.
Florence: I wonder what Magnolia is going to do about the rebellion brewing within the Empire. There's not much information right now, but this has to lead to something great. Maybe we'll finally be able to take the country back… In the name of those who have fallen, we have to at least try. That's my take on it, anyways.
Lastly, You enter the cardinals' room and find Magnolia and Luciana.
Luciana: I remember the days when my mother was still alive, and House Arellan was very firm in its opposition to Albinean independence.
Magnolia: That's right. Your mother always wanted to kiss up to my father, didn't she? It was practically her livelihood.
Luciana: That's certainly one way of putting it… But I wouldn't call it incorrect in the slightest.
Magnolia: ...Times have changed so much since then. I'm queen now, and your house has fallen.
Luciana: I can assure you that there is no place I would rather be than here, Magnolia. My mother was the one in charge, and I believe I'm doing much more here than I ever would have had the potential to do as the heir to House Arellan.
Magnolia: I'll trust your judgement there… Now, let's keep drawing up the plans for the coming month's mission.
Luciana: Of course.
With your rounds of the monastery finished, You head to your room, and Seraphine speaks to You.
Seraphine: I hope that we're able to intercept these assassins before anything too bad happens… I really don't want this to go south. We didn't exactly discuss it when we were with the others, but if we fail this… If we mess up this mission, we could be placing Karim and Falon's families in danger. Who knows what could happen if their houses fall to Malice?
You say that You intend to do everything You can to succeed.
Seraphine: I had a feeling you'd say that… And I trust you to follow through with it. If anybody can pull this off, it's you and the students. You're capable of doing many great things, and I feel like you've shown as much many times before. All you have to do now is actually pull it off, though I suppose that's far easier said than done when push comes to shove… But there's nothing we can do about it now. We should try to get some rest so that we're ready when things start to happen again.
You nod your agreement and get ready for bed. You wonder if the mission ahead will end in success as You have been hoping, and your thoughts once again return to Magnolia. You hope that You will be able to help her out of her rut of sorts sooner rather than later, and You find yourself longing to learn what has been bothering her for so long. You hope that You will be able to stop your foes, and You pray with everything You have that you will be able to save those who have been placed in danger as sleep overtakes You fully…
Update time!
-Digital