Class – we are once again having a midnight lecture.
For that I sincerely apologize, and will make every effort to ensure that they do not become habitual. I will endeavor to keep this brief.
In service of that end, allow me to begin with an anecdote:
Unlike the peoples of Fodlan – Almyrans do not surrender.
Like the peoples of Fodlan, however – Almyrans do employ mercenaries.
Manpower is not a font that springs eternal.
Lieutenant zu Sion, who you have all met – once told me that maxim of Srengian warfare.
As a former mercenary, I can assure you that – at times, when advantageous – mercenaries will surrender to an overwhelming enemy force. As future rulers, please remember that mercenary companies will only fight to the death in battles they believe they can win and profit from.
Coincidentally, few battles on Fodlan's Throat are ever like that.
While serving as chief adjutant in my father's company, I have personally accepted parleys offering capitulation by mercenaries hailing from the following nations:
1. Albinea – one freelance privateer crew offered terms at half-strength. Ship destroyed.
2, Morfis – mortar team surrendered with all hands in surprise attack. Equipment seized.
3. Dagda – infiltration team surrendered at 40% strength following assassination of CO & NCOs.
And, most importantly for today's lesson:
4. Brigid – raiding party surrendered with all hands after defeat of CO in single combat.
This fight was conducted by a Brigidian in my father's employ at the time – as I was still unfamiliar with the language and customs of Petra's people. With all that said – I would add that Brigidians fighting in the service of Almyra is quite rare. The circumstances which led to their service were in fact accidental.
Namely, their inexperienced navigator had mistaken the Wadi Barrani in that country for the Airmid in Fodlan.
The Almyrans made no effort to correct the crew's errant pathfinding, and secretly put them to work against Leicester instead.
The Brigidians are an honorable people. Chiefly, they despise deception.
The Brigidians also do not surrender from a position of strength – one must subdue their leader first – in single combat, or in the heat of battle.
If sufficiently impressed with the mettle of their opponent – and convinced of their own eventual defeat – the soldiery of Brigid will usually seek terms.
These terms are not offered under a white flag – but by unarmed torch-bearers.
The torches in question are the equivalent to Fodlan's customary banner of truce.
These are the basic principles of parley with the Brigidians.
Today, thanks to Petra – we can study more advanced topics.
As a reminder, Petra is the Crown Princess of Brigid.
This is similar to Edelgard's position as Crown Princess of Adrestia, but with one key difference:
Petra is respected by her vassals.
…I will not be taking questions or comments until the lecture has concluded.
Due to this respect, we may be able to negotiate with the renegade raiding party's leader in a more proactive manner.
With this in mind – let us recall their objectives from the letter issued by Petra's grandfather, the current Client-King of Brigid:
1. The looting of the countryside, namely the Duchy of Varley and Gronder to subsidize the cost of their voyage.
2. An attack on the Varley Manor to free their enslaved family taken during the Brigid-Dagda war.
These are goals that, because of recent events – actually align with ours.
Due to Bernadetta's imprisonment by her father, an attack by the Brigidians would be the perfect distraction to utilize in affecting her rescue from the manor.
While the Brigidians engage with the Bow Knights of Varley, an extraction team could infiltrate and exfiltrate our classmate.
Lady Rusalka, an envoy from the court in Enbarr, also ensures us that Lord Arundel – the Regent of the Empire, would be willing to look the other way if Duke Varley found himself a casualty due to these events.
Duchess Varley, Bernadetta's imprisoned mother – is the Regent's preferred choice for the ruler of Varley. Rusalka has added two conditions to this, however – first that the Duchy's slik plantation must not be physically destroyed. Additionally, the castle town must remain unmolested by looters.
I suspect that these stipulations are economic in nature – and I must count myself unfamiliar with economics as a discipline.
That said – I do have a rough understanding of the high wages one must pay to soldiers in a mercenary company - especially when they are free men and women.
Working alongside them as collaborators will be an expensive affair.
To affect Rusalka's second condition, we will likely need to raise a significant ransom as protection money. To that end, I am apparently in possession of a trust fund of some size currently located in a Derdriu banking house.
I will require one of you students to affect a transfer of those finances when this operation has concluded. Normally I would do it myself – but I will be offering myself as a war prize to the Brigidians following Bernie's rescue. Such deals often require flesh as collateral.
As Petra could explain in more detail – among the people of Brigid, it is customary to offer one's body into the service of a warlord as a form of repayment. Four Brigidians in my father's company are serving similar terms of service.
…I am not taking questions until the lecture is over.
It is almost over.
This would naturally end my employment at the monastery, and as your professor.
Understand that I do this of my own free will, and I do it because I swore a solemn vow.
At the start of this semester, I assured you all that you would not come to harm.
I vowed to protect you all for as long as I was able.
Bernadetta has been taken captive.
Bernadetta will be rescued – by any means necessary.
I keep my promises.
The lecture is over.
I am willing to take questions at this time.