At the end of the moon, You begin to prepare for the battle ahead, and Seraphine manifests beside You.
Seraphine: Gronder Field… It's still so strange to me to think that we're going to be back there after all this time. I never imagined we would end up in a place like that again.
You nod your agreement.
Seraphine: It's ironic, isn't it? This is the closest we're going to get to a full reunion with the rest of the group who lived at the monastery five years ago, and we're right back to the same field where we fought in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion… Who would have thought?
You open your mouth to respond, but You are interrupted by knocking at your door. Seraphine falls silent as You ask who it is.
Janae: It's me. I'm so sorry to interrupt you this morning, but…
You open the door for Janae as Seraphine melts back into your mind. Janae looks at You anxiously, her eyes overflowing with nerves.
Janae: The monastery is under attack again.
Seraphine: Is it Samiya? It has to be, right?
You ask if Samiya is responsible for the strike.
Janae: No, not Samiya… It's the emperor himself.
Your eyes go wide.
Janae: Everyone else is already off preparing to face the onslaught, but there are so many more of them than we could have ever imagined… I wish there was something I could do to help you, but…
You shake your head and say that You will take to the battlefield as soon as You can.
Janae: Please… Do what you can to stay safe out there, alright? I need you to come back to me when the battle is over.
You nod your understanding before leaving your room and running towards the front of the monastery.
Seraphine: I suppose the months upon months of silence from Argades really were leading up to something… I didn't think he was going to launch another attack on the monastery, but here he is. We're just going to have to fend him off again…
You notice that she is hesitating, and You ask what is wrong.
Seraphine: I hope this battle doesn't cost us the monastery or the lives of any of our allies… That was how it ended last time, and while we're stronger now than we were before, I can't help but be worried… Though we won't be able to say for sure how all of this ends until after we've begun the battle to begin with… Unfortunate, isn't it?
You arrive at the front of the monastery soon afterwards, and the rest of the Church of Seiros' main members are gathered together and looking out over the hoard of attackers.
Cordelia: No matter how I think about it, I can't find a way to make sense of any of this… Why would Argades attack now of all times?
Herwig: He could have very easily heard that we were heading to Gronder and decided to fend us off before we could cross the border.
Reese: If that was his plan, then he could have gotten rid of us after we arrived. He would have had us boxed in if he gave it a bit more time, but he chose not to.
Niko: This invading force is even larger than the one Samiya brought to fight us before… We'll need to be careful and plan everything out as far in advance as we can.
Nesreen: If you ask me, we're not going to be able to cut a way through the battlefield this time without a bit of outside help.
Roy: In other words, we're going to have to stall for time and wait until our allies from Faerghus and Leicester show up to offer us a bit of extra support.
Adrian: What other choice do we have? There's no way we're going to be able to hold off an army that massive for long.
Aisa: Still, we owe it to ourselves to try. The battle will not be easily won, but we must do all that we can to keep the monastery secure until our reinforcements arrive.
Cordelia: We can ask questions about why this attack is taking place after we've managed to push back the Empire's forces. For now, we need to survive above all else.
Roy: Don't put yourselves into unnecessary danger. We can't afford any losses, and we need all of you alive for your own sakes as well.
Aisa: Proceed with as much caution as you can, everyone. We must not lose this battle no matter what. To arms, everyone!
You look out over the monastery grounds that extend before You, a frown on your face.
Seraphine: Back here again… I had been hoping this wouldn't come to pass again so soon, but I suppose Samiya just doesn't want to give us a break if she can at all avoid it. That would be too easy for her… We still need to do everything we can to keep pushing back. I hope you're ready for this fight, Professor… It's going to be a tough one.
You nod your understanding as You brandish your blade and prepare for the battle at hand. There are countless soldiers from the Empire swarming into the monastery's gates, and You have no idea how You and the rest of your allies will be able to fend them off. You will simply need to hold out long enough for your reinforcements to arrive and strike the enemy from behind, but that already seems to be much easier said than done. No matter what, You must be ready for a long fight, and You do your best to prepare your mind and body for what is to come.
At the start of the second turn, the following dialogue plays out.
Reese: Gods above, how are there so many of them?
Herwig: This invasion really is bigger than the one that toppled the monastery five years ago…
Niko: We can't give up hope now! Help is still on the way!
Derric: We're so close. We just need a little bit more time.
Adrian: Niko and Derric are right. We can't surrender when reinforcements will be here soon.
Nesreen: Just focus all of your attention on the battle at hand. That'll make it easier.
Piers: That's much easier said than done, you know.
Wynne: I'm inclined to agree with Piers here. There are so many of them…
Yuliya: Then stop complaining and get ready to put all of them to the sword.
Kaeta: If all goes according to plan, they'll be here in less than an hour.
Miriam: Assuming we can keep all of these soldiers at bay for that long.
Rodain: We have no other choice. We failed five years ago, but we won't fail this time.
Jill: Enough talk. We can't get distracted with so much on the line.
Cordelia: Hold your positions, everyone! We can't afford to falter now!
Roy: Lady Aisa, what else do you think we should do?
Aisa: Simply do your best to hold the monastery and your lives… That is all we can do to maintain some semblance of the upper hand right now.
Cordelia: Understood.
At the start of the fifth turn, the following dialogue plays out. Raithius and the Golden Deer appear from the back of the map. Note: all dialogue not said by Raithius and Novalee only plays out if the specific character was not added to the party before the war began. Conrad and Calypso are also present with them, and their dialogue plays out no matter what as well.
Raithius: I didn't think we would pass through the area only to find ourselves in the middle of an invasion… At least we were able to make it in time.
Novalee: Argades is leading the opposing Malice forces in a powerful attack… But I don't see the man himself anywhere on the battlefield.
Raithius: It's fine. We're just going to have to push through the enemy soldiers and make sure they're taken care of once and for all.
Wolfgang: Hey there, everybody! You seem to be having a bit of trouble here, so let us lend you a quick hand!
Sofia: Garreg Mach… Man, it sure has been a while since I saw this place.
Conrad: The monastery is just as impressive as I heard it was… The enemies are new though.
Adeline: I don't why Malice thought storming this place would be a good idea, but we're here to make sure nothing bad happens.
Calypso: There are so many enemies… We'll have to give our all to this fight if we want to break through.
William: We have to make sure that our friends inside of the monastery aren't hurt!
Lev: They could certainly use the reinforcements as soon as possible.
Cedric: My lance is ready for whatever needs to be done.
Raithius: I'm glad that we've come to the same conclusion. Now, let's show these Malice soldiers why you should never cross the Alliance!
Raithius' team joins the fight as allied units, though they are out of your control. Their assistance helps to cut down on the numerous reinforcements, but there are still far too many foes for your team to manage without issues.
At the start of turn seven, Magnolia appears at the top right of the map along with Luciana and any Blue Lions who have not been recruited. Note: all dialogue not said by Magnolia or Luciana only plays out if the specific character was not added to the party before the war began.
Magnolia: I didn't think we would be running into combat so soon before we reached Gronder… Though I doubt that battle will be happening at all now.
Luciana: Either way, we must continue pressing onwards to save our allies within the monastery.
Nora: Garreg Mach… It's been far too long since I was last here.
Aestlyn: I'm glad to see that you're all safe.
Kyle: This reminds me of the Battle of Garreg Mach, but we're going to succeed now where we failed before.
Illona: I didn't think I would ever be coming back here…
Falon: It's a relief to see this place still standing…
Cassia: If the enemy needs to be exterminated, we'll fight with you.
Karim: They aren't going to get away with this!
Magnolia: Soldiers of Faerghus, the time is now! We must reclaim Garreg Mach!
Magnolia's team aids You and the Church of Seiros soon afterwards. Despite the help of them and the others in the area, it seems as if there is still something missing that would make this battle much simpler for all parties involved.
At the start of turn seven, the following dialogue plays out as Eli, Quinn, and the Ashen Wolves appear at the bottom of the map. Note: this dialogue only appears if Cindered Shadows has been completed. Note: all dialogue not said by Eli or Quinn only plays out if the specific character was not added to the party before the war began.
Eli: Garreg Mach is in a state of chaos… I'm glad that we arrived when we did.
Quinn: I pray that nothing has happened to Abyss in our absence…
Grey: The fight already seems pretty damn intense.
Taiyin: I hope nobody's gotten hurt…
Saias: We'll do what we can to lift the weight on your shoulders!
Ansel: Let's see what this battle brings…!
Tsubasa: This is bound to be an interesting experience.
Gabriel: I was looking forward to coming back home, but I suppose this fight has to take priority.
Magnus: They're all fools for crossing me, and I'll have to show them with brute force!
Ernst: It seems we have no choice but to fight.
Eli: I can't see who the commander is yet… It doesn't matter. We have to fight first and foremost, and I'm not going to back down no matter what comes next!
The battle continues, and the Ashen Wolves continue towards your party, breaking through the enemy lines that separate your two groups. You cannot help but feel relief at seeing even more old faces brought back to the monastery after all this time, and just like that, everyone has been united once more.
At the start of turn nine, the Black Eagles appear at the bottom right corner of the map. Chris and Polly lead them, and the unrecruited Black Eagles are accompanied by two figures: Liram and Morgana. Note: all dialogue not said by Chris, Polly, Liram, or Morgana only plays out if the specific character was not added to the party before the war began.
Chris: Alright… Now that their leader has been taken care of, it's time for us to charge through and defeat the rest of Argades' forces.
Polly: This is their attempt at a desperate final charge, it seems.
Morgana: There are fighters on the other side… I think it's the Knights of Seiros.
Liram: In that case, we'll just have to break through to them.
Zelhira: I heard that the Knights of Seiros had taken up residence inside Garreg Mach…
Aquillus: We have to do what we can to save them from the invaders.
Hegias: They're counting on us to make sure that they're safe.
Callisto: I don't know who they think they are, but they aren't getting away with this.
Florence: I hope they like tasting the other end of my lance!
Tuncay: There has to be a weakness in the enemy lines for us to take advantage of.
Cordelia: Wait… That can't be… You're still alive? I could have sworn that you were…
Aisa: Goddess above…
Roy: I believe we may have finally figured out who was behind the rebellion in the Empire… It was none other than the princess after she fell from grace.
Raithius: Go on and color me surprised about that.
Magnolia: I never would have imagined that you…
Chris: We can discuss this later. There's too much at stake right now, and I don't want to waste any time.
Aisa: We must discuss this at length once the fight is over. I imagine we have much to talk about, and I cannot allow you to depart before explaining.
Chris: I wouldn't dream of it. For now though, the battle awaits.
You focus on getting through the remainder of the battle. The enemy reinforcements continue to come in waves for quite some time, but You manage to navigate the battlefield with ease at some points, giving You the chance to speak with a few members of the other groups that You have missed.
If you speak with Raithius, the following dialogue plays out.
Raithius: Would you look at that? I didn't think I was going to see you again until after we reached Gronder, though that's not going to happen anymore, so I suppose this will have to suffice. It's great to be able to fight alongside you again, Professor. The same with the other members of the church and knights. Now, let's get down to business and show these Empire forces just what we're made of! The world is counting on it!
If you speak with Novalee, the following dialogue plays out.
Novalee: We're back together just like years before… I didn't think that the circumstances of our reunion would be so similar to the time when we were divided in the first place, but I suppose that we don't exactly have much of a say in the matter. Let's simply take care of the battle before it grows to be out of hand. There are too many enemies on the field as it is. Consider my power yours. Lead us to victory, Professor.
If you speak with Magnolia, the following dialogue plays out.
Magnolia: I can't believe that you're actually here… Luciana mentioned it after the last battle, but I wasn't sure if I could really make myself believe it. So much time has passed since we last saw one another, and… I'm glad to finally have you at our sides once more. None of this is what we expected, I know, but it's nice to be back here again. I imagine you're just as strong of a fighter as you were five years ago too. With that said, go on and show me what you can do. I would be more than happy to return the favor.
If you speak with Luciana, the following dialogue plays out.
Luciana: I'm glad that we were able to reunite once again. It was a pleasure fighting with you in Schweighen lands, and I intend to continue battling at your side until we've followed this conflict through to the end. Lady Magnolia is counting on your assistance, and I can certainly see why she trusts you so much. For the time being though, we should focus on the fight. It's best not to get distracted.
If you speak with Eli, the following dialogue plays out.
Eli: I'm sorry that it took us so long to see each other once again. I wound up being incredibly busy taking care of business outside of Abyss, you see… Still, now that I'm finished with everything else, I'm free to stand by your side on the battlefield once again. I'm going to be counting on you, and I'm hoping that you'll be able to rely on me just the same.
If you speak with Chris, the following dialogue plays out.
Chris: It's good to see you, Professor. It's been far too long since we last met. I've been rather busy as of late, but now that everything has been taken care of, I'm going to be fighting alongside you and the archbishop for the time being. Please try to stay safe for the rest of the battle. None of us want anything to happen to you. If you need help, feel free to call for me. I'm at your service.
After fifteen turns come and go, the battle ends as the Imperial forces begin to retreat.
Roy: At long last… I'm glad we were able to outlast them.
Cordelia: We wouldn't have without our friends over there.
Aisa: It was certainly a stroke of luck on our end… And now that the battle is over, I imagine we all have a lot to talk about.
You watch as the Empire's forces run from the battlefield, and You walk with Aisa, Roy, and Cordelia towards the cardinals' room alongside Raithius, Novalee, Magnolia, Luciana, Eli, Quinn, Chris, and Polly. Seraphine's voice echoes in your mind on the way there.
Seraphine: I can't believe it… They're all alive and here… I never thought that we would ever find ourselves at the heart of a reunion on this scale, and yet… Here we are. We're going to have to take advantage of this… And we'll need to pick up a few answers along the way.
You nod your agreement as her voice comes to a halt. You arrive at your destination from there. Note: Eli and Quinn's dialogue only plays out if Cindered Shadows has been completed.
Magnolia: After five long years, all of us are back together again… It's just like how things were before the war began.
Raithius: And just like before the war, I have a few questions to ask. First and foremost… Lady Aisa, you're still alive?
Aisa: I am. My place here has remained a closely guarded secret so as to prevent large-scale attacks on the church, but I have been leading the fighters here alongside Captain Torryn and Roy.
Cordelia: We had been hoping to explain all of that to you when we crossed paths at Gronder, but it seems as if that wasn't meant to be.
Magnolia: Luciana told me that you were still alive after the battle in Schweighen territory. Still, it's nice to be able to see you again in person after all this time.
Luciana: I agree. Now that all of us are here together, I believe we will be able to mount a much stronger attack against the Empire.
Chris: Actually, you're not going to need to worry about that as much as you thought.
Roy: What are you talking about? Argades was the one behind the attack today, and we need to do what we can to eliminate him.
Polly: But you didn't see him at all during the battle, did you?
Eli: I was wondering about it during the fight, but I didn't have the chance to mention it… I didn't see Argades at all while we were fighting.
Chris: The reason for his absence is that he's dead.
Cordelia: You can't possibly be serious.
Quinn: Dead? But he was the one leading the invading force to begin with.
Chris: I'm sure you were wondering why the attack took place at the monastery to begin with. You were heading to Gronder Field.
Roy: How did you know that was our plan?
Polly: We've been keeping up to date with your plans whenever we've had the time.
Chris: We were planning on rendezvousing with you there, but Argades realized what we were up to, so we decided to head for the monastery. When we arrived, the Empire's forces were so caught up in attacking all of you that we were able to lead a sneak attack from behind and get rid of the emperor. Argades is dead as of a few hours ago.
Novalee: You certainly didn't waste any time in getting down to business then…
Raithius: So I won't mince words either. I thought you died five years ago.
Chris: Argades was the one who told everyone that, and he let his confidence get the better of him. He thought I was dead, but I spent the last few years in hiding while I tried to figure out how to fight back against him. I was able to find a solution, and now, he's no longer in control of the Empire.
Cordelia: It sounds to me like our initial plan to march south is going to have to change a bit then.
Polly: There are still a few dangerous people of note within the Empire, and we'll need to eliminate them before we can do much more. Still, having Argades off the throne is a great first step.
Aisa: Samiya… I have no doubt she is still waiting within the Empire for us to come after her and stop her once and for all.
Luciana: Samiya… Judging by the context, I can only imagine you mean to refer to a Malice general, but I'm afraid we haven't heard of anyone by that name.
Magnolia: Given how much we've been fighting over the last five years, I would have expected us to have heard that name at least once or twice if it was truly so important.
Aisa: Samiya… She is the mastermind behind all of Malice. The circumstances are somewhat complex, but she has been alive since the days of the goddess herself. She seeks vengeance against the world now, and that is why she began this war to begin with. Everyone that we have fought against up to this point was an associate of hers.
Eli: Gods above… I never would have imagined there would be someone like that out there.
Quinn: Someone must have brought all of it together, and I suppose we have our explanation as to who it was after all this time.
Novalee: Thank you for the information. Where do you believe we'll be able to find her? With the emperor gone, she must be our next target.
Aisa: I suspect she is somewhere within the Empire. I do not know where she is specifically, but we are bound to find her with time. All we must do is put our energy into searching for her, and she will no doubt resurface with time.
Chris: In that case, we can get right to searching now that Argades is gone. There's no reason for any of us to avoid the Empire now that he's dead.
Raithius: I still can't believe you really did that. You just killed him here today?
Chris: That's what I said before, yes. He shouldn't have underestimated me five years ago, and now, he's dead. It's as simple as that.
Magnolia: All of us were preparing for a large campaign south to try and claim Enbarr and defeat him… Though I suppose that still wouldn't have stopped all of this as long as this Samiya woman would have been at large after all of that.
Polly: We've been leading the rebellion in the Empire for the last few months to try and take a stand against Argades, and it seems as if we've finally accomplished our goals after all this time… You know, if you say that Argades' death is a major victory even though the war isn't going to be ending that easily.
Luciana: If you don't mind my asking, what else is it that we should turn our attention towards now that we have won this battle and successfully pushed the Empire back?
Cordelia: Beyond Samiya and the remnants of the Malice forces across the continent, we need to try and find Evenor. She's still roaming the continent, and we need to do everything in our power to stop her as soon as possible.
Roy: You're right. She can't get away with all that she's done in the past, and we can stop her if we pull our resources and fighting strength together.
Novalee: I suppose that decides it then. As soon as we have the chance to march out again, we're going to try and find Evenor.
Quinn: I somehow doubt it's going to be as easy as we make it sound… Evenor always seems to find a way to slip out of our reach whenever we get close to her.
Eli: Still, stopping her is our only option. After everything she's done… We owe it to her victims to try and reduce the damage she can do in the future.
Cordelia: We can begin strategizing for our next charge into Empire territory soon enough. Until then, we should try to put the monastery back together after that attack.
Roy: You know what I think? I think I'm really sick of having to clean up the monastery again and again. First, it was the Battle of Garreg Mach. After that, it was Samiya. Now, we have to clean up everything Argades' last attack left behind.
Magnolia: At least all of us are back together now, and that should make it much easier for us to clean the monastery once again.
Raithius: Magnolia's got a point. You're not in this alone anymore, and I think that's the best thing today gave us… You know, aside from the death of the emperor.
Cordelia: It's ironic in a way, isn't it? This war started because of the death of the previous emperor, and now, we're finding new hope because his heir passed away as well.
Chris: At least we're going to be able to keep the continent from falling apart now that they're both gone. It's going to take a long time for Adrestia to recover from the damage both of them left behind, but it's a step in the right direction.
Eli: For the moment, we should try to think of our next steps in a bit more detail. We have a lot to take care of here before we can set out for the next battle, after all.
Roy: Back to cleaning duty for all of us then… Let all of your forces feel at home here. We're more than happy to have all of you here, and I want you to feel comfortable as long as we're using the monastery as our base.
Magnolia: It's been so long since all of us were back here together… I don't even know what to think of it all, honestly.
Raithius: I honestly thought we would never have the chance for a full class reunion again after what happened in the Battle of Garreg Mach five years ago, but fate has certainly smiled down upon us today.
Chris: Fate or no, we should get to work. I'll speak with those under my command and see if any of them have heard any rumors about Evenor potentially being in the Empire. If you two were able to take care of the lingering enemy forces within the Kingdom and Alliance, chances are Evenor has decided to make the Empire her base of operations. It's not going to be easy to drag her out of wherever she's hiding, but we don't have much of a choice here.
Cordelia: I'll be looking forward to hearing more from you on the matter. I'll tell the Knights of Seiros to try and learn as much as they can as well.
Aisa: It seems we have a plan for the time being… There is still much we do not understand about the next few steps of the war, but at least we are back together at long last. We should take this as the blessing that it is.
You nod your agreement and turn to leave the cardinals' room with the other members of the group. As You retreat to the monastery's lower floor to try and do what You can to resolve the lingering chaos of the battle, You hear Seraphine's voice in your mind.
Seraphine: It still doesn't feel real… I was so sure that some of them were gone, and yet, I jumped to conclusions, it seems. We're all back together again, and we're fighting on the same side of this war.
You nod your agreement, hesitating before continuing to walk.
Seraphine: I know exactly what you're thinking now though… Since we know that everyone from five years ago is alive, we can finally reach out for the answers we've been missing up to this point. The truth didn't fall along with the monastery five years ago as we initially thought.
You pause soon afterwards, feeling a pair of eyes on You. Your focus shifts to a nearby corner, and You see Janae watching You from behind it.
Janae: M-My apologies… I didn't mean to intrude, but… I need to talk to you.
You nod and say that You suspect You already know what she wants to ask You about.
Janae: Yes… I imagine you do. The Imperial princess is alive, and that means… We can talk to her.
You nod your agreement, saying You would like to speak with her as well.
Janae: Good… I imagine we have much to discuss.
You walk with Janae to the main part of the monastery, soon finding that Chris has settled down in the monastery since the meeting has ended. She is staring up at the statue of the goddess silently, and You call out to her.
Chris: Professor… I had a feeling you would come to find me here.
You hesitate before asking her if You can talk about something important.
Chris: Of course.
Janae: I… I would like to speak with you as well.
Chris: I didn't realize you were here… I'm glad to see it though. I was worried you would never be able to return to your normal life again after what happened five years ago.
Janae: Evenor would never be able to keep me down forever. I would never let her.
Chris: Good… You deserve that much.
You say that You would like to know everything she has heard about her past as the princess of the Empire.
Chris: …You've already figured out that there's more to the story then. I should have expected as much. Why else would you two of all people come to talk to me so soon after we reunited?
You ask what she knows on the matter.
Chris: …First and foremost, I am not the heir to the Adrestian throne as far as blood is concerned. I never was. Hendrix found me and decided to use me as his successor even though we have little blood in common.
You ask how she is related to him.
Chris: The Faixnoye line has been lacking in Crests for quite some time. Generations ago, before the Crest experimentation revolution took place to infuse science with Crest magic, the best way to find someone with a Crest was to simply have more children. Those who did not hold Crests were tossed aside, and their descendents lived on in the grief left behind. Generations passed, and that dormant blood with a dormant Crest found its way to me. Hendrix found out that I had one, and he kidnapped me to take the place of his heir. Since he was so secretive, nobody could ever call him out on it. All they knew was that he had found someone to take his place.
You nod your understanding slowly but surely.
Janae: Then… I was right. You never were at the Imperial palace when I still lived there.
Chris: No. By the time I arrived, Hendrix had thrown out all of his children and consorts since he believed he had no further use for them. I appeared after the fact, and I've been the one set to sit on the throne ever since.
You question her as to what she knows about Argades.
Chris: He was one of the actual children of the previous emperor. He managed to escape the experimentation, and he went on to say his rightful place was on the throne. Nobody else lived with royal blood as far as he was aware, and I'm willing to assume Evenor told him I was an impostor. The two of them have been working together for a long time, after all. She was no doubt the one who communicated it all to him, and he took advantage of any chance he could get to attack and claim his rightful place on the throne.
Janae: As far as he was aware, he was the only one with royal blood… You know of someone else who has it.
Chris: I do, and I'm confident you do as well. After all… I'm the false Crescent, aren't I? The real one was your child, and the real one…
Chris turns to look at You.
Chris: Is right here with us now.
Your eyes go wide as You say that she knew.
Chris: I didn't always know. It wasn't until the last five years that I started digging and uncovered the truth. Hindsight helped me to figure out that you must have been the real Crescent that I replaced all that time ago. After all, Janae was the mother of the heir, and she looked at you in a way she looked at no other. As ridiculous as it may have sounded, you had to be her child, and I could feel it the more I tried to learn more.
Janae: When I first met you… I didn't know what to do. It felt wrong for me to speak with you extensively since I knew the truth of who you truly were… No, who you truly were not.
Chris: In those first few days… I was sure you had to be my mother. I didn't quite understand what I was getting into at the time, but I thought you had to be the one. As it turns out, I was wrong. My mother has been dead for a long time, and my wishful thinking could never change that.
Janae: She must have given birth to you outside of the palace, yes? That's the only explanation that makes sense if you say you were kidnapped and made to become the heir.
Chris: That's correct. She died trying to keep me out of Hendrix's hands, but it all fell short in the end. He was always determined to press on with brazen violence, and he killed her in the name of taking me. Now though… I suppose justice has beens served. He's gone, and that's all there is to it.
You look to Chris carefully, starting to put the pieces together behind her nonchalant tone.
Seraphine: You don't think she…
Janae: …You were the one who killed him, weren't you?
Chris: That's certainly a bold statement… Something that must stay a secret until the end of all our lives. Argades claimed it as a shot in the dark, a reason to attack when there were no hostilities previously. He didn't know the truth, but he took any opportunity he could get to declare war. He simply didn't realize just how accurate he could have been.
Janae: It makes sense… Nobody would quite know his cruelty the way his own child would.
Chris: I was never his child… And I'll never consider him my father. He gave me a roof over my head for ten years, but he did nothing for me. I hope he rests well in hell, because that's the only afterlife he's ever going to be seeing for everything he's done.
You say that You are glad to be able to talk to her again this way.
Chris: Yes… It's nice to finally have the opportunity to speak with you again. It was rather odd, I must say… Hearing what I was sure was the truth of your history after what I assumed was your death. Then again, I have little room to talk in terms of the truth of the Battle of Garreg Mach. Everyone has thought I was dead for the last five years.
You smile and confess that You are happy she did not perish in that fateful fight.
Chris: Thank you, Professor… I appreciate it. Now, we can fight alongside one another to end the war Argades started all that time ago and finally bring peace to Fódlan once more.
You vow to fight for peace as well.
Chris: Good… I wouldn't have it any other way.
The next few hours pass in a haze of You working to clean up the monastery with the rest of your allies given the aftermath of the attack. Once it has all been finished, You return to your room, and Seraphine manifests before You upon your arrival.
Seraphine: At long last… We understand it all.
You nod and say that You never anticipated this would be how the truth of your past came to light.
Seraphine: Me neither… But I still think we should try to talk to Evenor about this if we can. I don't know how much she's going to be willing to give up since we're fighting on opposite sides in this war, but it would still be worth trying.
You say that You hope she still holds some semblance of emotion towards You that can be used to persuade her to open up.
Seraphine: I feel the same way, but I have no idea if that will actually be the case in the end. None of us will know until the time comes to face off against her in combat…
You say that You are ready to face her no matter what happens next.
Seraphine: I'm glad we agree on that, not that I expected anything else. If bringing about the end of this war means fighting against her, so be it. She made her decision, and we've made hours. Our choice is going to lead to the truth of our past as well, and if she decides to hide it from us… Well, we'll figure something else out the same way we always have.
You nod your agreement.
Seraphine: For now… I think we should try to get some rest. Today was exhausting, and I need a break from thinking about the war effort.
You say that You feel the same way, and You settle down for the night soon afterwards.
Seraphine: Goodnight, Professor.
You smile to Seraphine as she retreats back into your mind, closing your eyes after the fact. Your mind is still racing with thoughts of all that has happened throughout the course of the day, but You know that You will find a way to be alright regardless. At long last, the truth of your history has come to light, and Evenor will fill in the missing pieces when You see her again. You do not want to fight her, but as long as the choice has already been made, You will not object. The end of the war is waiting, and if it must come with Evenor's death, You will act as the reaper's agent to bring about peace for all in Fódlan…
alternative is so long what in the world
-Digital