I don't know why Macuil and Indech didn't get a part in the main story. I mean, I do, it's because Crimson Flower was rushed through production and a level with them both on your side would be too easy, but still.

Rhea hadn't spoken to Macuil in several centuries, and she wasn't looking forward to it. Steeling herself, she approached the cave where the Wind Caller had taken up residence.

"WHO DARES—oh. Seiros."

"It has been a long time, Macuil," Rhea said.

"So it has," Macuil agreed. "Why are you here, Seiros? What is it that you want?"

"Can I not just visit my nephew because I want to see him?" Rhea asked.

"If that were the case, you would have done so before," Macuil said. "You want something, Seiros. Just tell me what it is so I can refuse."

"Several things have happened in your absence," Rhea told him. "For one thing, I recently had a child."

"A child?" Macuil asked disbelievingly. "You finally decided to settle down?"

"The pregnancy was an unplanned blessing," Rhea admitted. "Though I do hope to retire as Archbishop soon."

"Is that so?" Macuil asked. "So, you came because you want me to be involved in your child's life? Is that what you want?"

"After you advocated for the deaths of children? Hardly," Rhea told him. "There is something else. We are at war again."

"Ah, there is the ulterior motive," Macuil said. "I have no interest in being involved in human affairs, Seiros. I told you before."

"Under normal circumstances, I would not try to involve you," Rhea promised. "But I have no choice. The Agarthans have returned. And somehow, they found a way to bring Nemesis back to life."

"No. That's impossible," Macuil said. "You must be mistaken."

"I only wish I was," Rhea said, drawing back her hair to reveal her shortened ear. "I fought him recently, and he took a piece of my ear. It was Nemesis, I am sure of it. I must win this war, Macuil. Not just for my sake, but for my daughter's."

Macuil seemed to think it over. "If I take part in this war, I have no desire to be caught up in the affairs of your Church. Will you agree to that?"

"There is one thing I wish for you to do, but I doubt you would object," Rhea offered. "The Church will soon change its stance on Crests. Instead of blessings given by the Goddess, I intend to claim that they were weapons created for the War of Heroes, and that the doctrine of Crests as given by the Goddess was made to prop up the nobility. I would like you to endorse this claim."

"I would be willing to do so," Macuil agreed. "Is there anything else?"

"One more thing," Rhea told him. "The descendants of the Ten Elites are on our side. I need you not to try to make them your enemies."

"Have you lost your mind?" Macuil demanded. "Do you not remember what the Ten Elites did? And you willingly allied with their accursed spawn?"

"I swear they can be trusted," Rhea promised. "A descendant of Blaiddyd and a descendant of Lamine even fought Nemesis alongside me in defense of my daughter. I would have died had they not fought with me."

"You trust far too easily," Macuil said. "Very well. I will aid you. If only to ensure the descendants of the Elites do not betray your trust." He then paused awkwardly.

"Is something wrong?"

"I have no clothes," Macuil confessed.

Rhea smiled slightly. "Of course." She tossed a bag containing clothing into his cave.

In Enbarr, Byleth was in his room reading a text on reason magic, when he heard a knock at the door. He expected a student to answer, but when he opened the door, he saw a girl who wasn't in his class. A brief moment of memory-searching later, he recognized her as a member of Yuri's gang. "Can I talk to you?"

Byleth's suspicions were raised, and he briefly considered telling her to meet him somewhere else and have one of his students guard Leraye. But he decided against it; after all, if this stranger was the enemy, he could protect her just fine. "Come right in."

"Try not to wake the baby," he said quietly, placing himself between the girl and Leraye's crib.

"Of course," the girl agreed. "Before I begin, I want to make it clear that I did not come here with malicious intent. I need your help.

"I can't go to the Emperor or the Archbishop with this. They wouldn't help me. But you have compassion for people like me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have comforted my father as he was dying, or left graves for him and my sister."

Byleth quickly realized what she was talking about. "Show me your real face."

"As you wish." The girl seemed to vanish for just a moment, before reappearing with chalk-white skin and red hair and eyes. "My name is Adara. Kronya was my sister, and Odesse was my father. Don't worry, I'm not here for revenge. You were just defending yourself.

"I served under the woman you probably know as Cornelia Arnim until a few years ago, when her cruelty became too much for me to overlook. I helped one of her test subjects escape, then faked my death while pretending to pursue her. I eventually made my way to Abyss, and found other expatriates."

"How did you trick the device that teleports Agarthan corpses away?" Byleth asked.

"It doesn't work underwater," Adara told him. "I submerged myself in a river and removed it."

"Clever."

"Maybe," Adara said. "But I deserted so fast that I left Kronya behind. I shouldn't have left her behind. I should have waited and found a way to bring her with me. If I had found a way to get her away from Thales, she would still be alive. We might even have been able to convince Father to join us." The regret on Adara's face was as plain as day. "They didn't even know I was still alive. Maybe Kronya volunteered to infiltrate Garreg Mach to avenge me somehow. I should have saved them!"

"I'm sorry," Byleth said. It was true. Kronya had been a sadistic murderer, and Odesse had been a deranged fanatic. But in the end, they had been drafted into someone else's war as tools to be used and then discarded. They had both been able to see it, but only when it was too late. For that, Byleth truly did pity them.

"My people have done terrible things," Adara admitted. "But I don't want them all to die, and I'm scared that might happen if you don't convince the Emperor and the Archbishop to be merciful. Thales and his inner circle have to die. But I know the rest of us can be better if you give us a chance. Please."

"I will," Byleth promised.

"Thank you," Adara said.

Next week, we'll check in to see what the Lions and the Deer are up to.