The following day, Chrom, Ophelia, Gaius, and the four Arch Surg officers prepared to enter The Saltworks itself. Hundreds of people waited to be able to enter the city's main gate, and more were always entering the line. Pheros wasn't kidding when she said it would take hours to enter. The Grimleal only admitted a few people every few minutes.

Ophelia stood by herself as Chrom talked Pheros and Farber. She tried to stand by Chrom's side and follow the conversations at first, but she became distracted as a raven of all things flew overhead and perched on the roof of the inn the group had come out of. Ophelia stared solemnly, knowing full well where it came from, and she wondered if it was really there at all until Gaius walked up. "I'm… I'm sorry about your grandfather, Blondie. Still, it was kind of beautiful when he died. No corpse or anything. Just ravens. Beautiful… and also weird. Very weird."

Ophelia pulled out the tomes for Huginn and Muninn. "He wanted me to have these?"

"He did. He said you knew what they were?"

Ophelia nodded. "He told me he created two ravens as manifestations of his power when it became too much for his body to handle." Ophelia smiled to herself, but it was a quiet, disheartened smile. "This is the kind of forbidden magic I hoped he'd be able to teach me, ever since I first saw him. I should be happy… but I also just wanted a grandfather. To get to know him."

Gaius rubbed the back of his neck, trying to figure out how to cheer Ophelia up. He could at least try to change the conversation. "So how do those work exactly?"

"Well using the tomes summons a raven. I can then absorb their power. If I use the tome again, the ravens will be recreated from my body." Ophelia looked back to the raven. "Maybe that's one of them now?"

"So those ravens will follow you as long as you have the tomes?" Ophelia shrugged, and Gaius smiled to her. "Then I guess… in a way… he's still with you. Even in the end he was still thinking about you, Blondie."

Ophelia seemed to cheer up slightly. "I guess you're right. In a way, he'll always be with us. I still don't understand how he saved me, though. You said something about a time reversal curse? Dark healing?"

Gaius shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm just saying what he told us when he did it. Hell I was married to a dark mage and I still don't understand them."

"It's just that I've seen him use dark healing and that time reversal curse. He always used other people for dark healing, and he literally reversed thirty years worth of desertification in an instant after he absorbed both ravens. I don't think he had to sacrifice himself."

"You're wondering why he didn't just murder some Grimmie?"

Ophelia paused. That was what she was getting at, but she didn't like the idea of it. "I guess he could have… but that doesn't seem very heroic. I don't like the idea of him hunting down some soldier to sacrifice, even if it is a Grimleal soldier."

"That's just it, Ophelia. I'm sure he knew you and Chrom wouldn't have wanted him to do that. Junior has had problems understanding other people's feelings his entire life, but he did want you to look up to him. Rather than sacrifice someone involuntarily and have you live in fear of him, he chose to sacrifice himself to prove that he really did care about you. You would be scared of him if he did something like that, wouldn't you? He knew that, and he didn't want you to fear him. To fear dark magic."

"... you're right. That would be upsetting. Still, if he had done that… I'd still have a grandfather."

"Well it was his decision. He loved you, Ophelia, and he loved your father and grandmother. Just know that."

Ophelia looked back to the raven and smiled. "I love you too, grandfather. I'm glad I met you, even if we weren't together very long."

The raven just cawed, voided its bowels, and took to the air. As Ophelia herself had once said, it wasn't any different from a regular bird. Ophelia and Gaius turned back as Chrom and the Arch Surg returned. Pheros had several official looking documents in her hand, and she handed papers to Chrom and Gaius. "Alright, we're ready to move."

Gaius took the paper and scanned it. "Forged documents?"

"As I said to Chrom, the Grimleal monitors traffic in and out of major cities. We're not getting in without valid traveling papers."

Gaius looked over his document more carefully. It identified him as "Guire" and listed his occupation as stable boy. "Aw hell no! This is degrading!"

"What else are you going to do?"

"Chrom may have been a hermit for the past twenty years, but I have valid traveling papers. I don't need yours."

"Are you sure they're still on you? Are you sure they weren't taken along with your other weapons and goggles when you were brought to Fort Morgan?"

Gaius remembered everything the Arch Surg had stolen from him. He only got his arquebus back. "Damn it! What kind of name is Guire anyways?!"

Chrom looked over his own forged document. It identified him as "Chuck", and claimed that he worked for something called the West Valmese Trading Company. It also listed Pheros as his wife, and Ophelia as his daughter. "Huh?! We're a m-married couple?!"

"Oh grow up. All you have to do is stand next to me."

"Why is Ophelia our daughter?!"

"Ophelia represents a problem. We had documents for Henry, but not her. We can't just make new ones out of thin air. However, my papers identify me as a representative of a Grimleal trading company. I can justify bringing associates with me for business purposes."

Ophelia frowned. "But why am I your daughter?!"

"I can't bring business associates with me if they don't have traveling papers themselves, but perhaps I can justify bringing a close family member like, for example, a daughter if my trade required me to move around frequently. We made the necessary alterations to the existing documents last night. Be careful not to smudge that ink, by the way. The Grimleal only uses one kind of ink for these types of documents, and it wasn't easy to steal." Pheros looked Chrom up and down. "Besides, if we were together, she looks like she could have come from us. Doesn't she?"

Chrom became flustered. "I-I don't think that's appropriate!"

"Oh, my mistake. I thought we were all adults here. Apparently I was wrong."

Algol walked up to Pheros. Behind him, Farber and Cervantes began to walk away. "We're heading out."

"And we're following you?" Chrom asked. Pheros shook her head.

"No. We're not traveling as a group. We will not do anything that risks attracting attention. We'll enter the line at different times. Algol, Cervantes, and Farber will go by themselves. You too, 'Guire'. You and Ophelia will go with me, but only because we're supposed to be a family. We'll split up as soon as we enter the city."

"How will we get to the safehouse if you can't lead us there?"

"You'll have to make it yourselves. We cannot risk attracting attention to the safehouse by moving as a group. That's how we've always done it." Pheros motioned for Gaius and Ophelia to get closer. "The outer areas of city are heavily urbanized. Buildings are tightly packed. Usually you'll see rows of six buildings at a time. Make your way to the city's eastern district."

"How do we know where that is?"

"The city is divided into four districts, so just make your way to the right of the southern gate, the one we're entering, until the signs literally say eastern district. An idiot could do it. Follow the main roads until you reach a statue of the Emperor."

Chrom's eyes widened. "Gangrel?!"

"Yes. Your old friend. It's called Imperial Square, and a marble statue about three meters tall can be found right in the middle of the street. To the left of this statue, when facing it, you'll see a lot of businesses. Rows of them. Each row has a unique color on the doors of each business. When you get to a row of entirely red doors, our safehouse will be the third building from the left. It's called 'Throb'."

Gaius squinted. "What the hell kind of name is Throb?"

"I didn't pick it. Does everyone have all that? No one will be able to tell you again once we go our separate ways." The three nodded. "Alright. You three can meet up again at the safehouse. We'll likely already be inside."

Gaius thought about it. "So we can just walk in? There won't be any security?"

"Of course not. When you get inside, and this is very important, you'll need to find an employee. Tell him or her this exact phrase. 'We're looking for backroom entertainment.'"

"What kind of statement is that?" Gaius said in disgust. "Is there anything about the Arch Surg that isn't ridiculous?"

"Well we can't go with an obvious statement. What were you expecting? 'Ey, where the insurrectionists at?' The employee will take you to a hidden hallway. You'll be asked for a password. Remember it, because they will not be happy if you don't know it. The password is 'Molasses'."

Chrom nodded. "Got it."

Pheros turned to see Cervantes and Farber had already left to enter the city. "Alright. Let's get going. One last thing. The Grimleal does not allow any weapons in the city. No exceptions."

Ophelia looked alarmed, and she drew the Parallel Falchion. "They'll take this!"

"Don't worry, Blondie." Gaius responded. "These big cities will register your weapons, but you can get them back when you leave."

"But we can't give them the Falchion!"

Pheros thought about it. "I was assuming they'd think of it as a replica from Shepherd's Folly, but that Grimleal soldier, Wolcroft, did tell us that they took the Falchion you left behind there seriously. Hmm." Pheros turned to Algol, who was about to leave himself. "Algol!"

"Huh?"

Pheros rather callously seized the sword from Ophelia and handed it to the former cultist. "Change of plans. You're staying here. We can't risk registering this with the city authorities."

"Hey!" Ophelia turned to her great uncle. "Chrom!"

Pheros gave Chrom a very casual look, as if she expected him to understand. He did, and he couldn't see a way around it. "I think she's right, Ophelia. We can't take that with us.'

"But-" Ophelia seemed hurt and frustrated that Chrom didn't take her side. Chrom remembered that Ophelia hadn't seen the Arch Surg officers since the battle at the homestead, and she had no reason to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Algol smiled as he held the Falchion up by the blade. The divine weapon was only sharp in the hands of a descendant of the Hero King, and in Algol's hands it was little more than a club. "Well look at that. Never thought I'd hold this baby. Heh, Algol's moving up in life."

Ophelia glared at him. "It's not yours!"

"It ain't yours either, witch. I recall it belongs to a certain blue haired lass."

Pheros stepped closer to him. "That's enough, Algol!"

Algol gave a thuggish smile and used the Falchion to scratch his back. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of it."

Ophelia groaned, visibly recoiling at the sight of her sword going up and down Algol's bare back. Pheros just gave her comrade an annoyed look, but she didn't seem to want to argue any further. "Now what exactly do you two have on you?"

Chrom drew the Carrot Axe with one hand and the Thundergrypp with the other. "Just these. I also have spare powder and shot for the pistol. Will they take that?"

"They'll definitely take your weapons, but the supplies should be fine by themselves. What about you?" Ophelia drew a surprisingly large number of items from her robe. She pulled out the tomes for Huginn and Muninn, a fire tome, a thunder tome, her Missiletainn tome, the wooden replica of Owain's Missiletainn that Henry left for her, several diamonds and other gems, vulneraries, and several small books that didn't look like tomes. She also pulled out a simple brown rag, but it was very familiar to Chrom. Pheros looked over the items. Though her stoic look didn't disappear, even she was surprised on how much Ophelia was carrying. "The tomes will all have to be registered. Same with the vulneraries. Everything else should be fine, but try to hide those gems. Some Grimleal officials have sticky fingers."

Gaius smiled to himself. "The people who make laws use their power for their own benefit? Why I'd never."

Algol walked over. The menace he normally had in his voice was gone, replaced by an almost childlike excitement. "Those books. Is that Captain Grimleal?"

Ophelia perked up. "You know Captain Grimleal?!"

"By the Fell Dragon, it's only my favorite book!"

Chrom did a double take between the two. "Huh?"

Pheros sighed. "About twenty years ago the Grimleal invented something they call the printing press. It allows you to mass produce written works. No longer does every book need to be written by hand. For the most part they've used it to create state sanctioned propaganda. Captain Grimleal is a fictional character they created to appeal to children. To teach them government approved values. To brainwash them, basically."

Chrom glanced over to Ophelia, who had a grin on her face as she picked up one of the booklets. "Is this true, Ophelia? Why do you have these stories?"

"It's true. Captain Grimleal was created as propaganda. I could tell even when I was a little girl." Her expression saddened. "I've always loved to read, Chrom, but books were rare when I was growing up. My mother couldn't afford any. Books were very expensive when every single one was handwritten. Then they invented the printing press, and then they started making these stories. I remember when they came out with Captain Grimleal. They gave them out for free. It gave me something to read. I still have a soft spot for these stories. They were part of my childhood." Ophelia gave Chrom a determined look. "It's not like they brainwashed me! The Grimleal took away my mother. No matter what these stories tell me to think about the Grimleal, that will always be true. I know they're evil."

Algol picked up one of Ophelia's booklets and flipped through it. "Issue #141! Ha! I love this one!"

Ophelia gave him a confused look. "But he fights the Arch Surg in that one?"

Algol shrugged. "I can't actually read. Validar didn't teach me. I like the picture it comes with though. The Arch Surg officer he's punching looks just like Pheros!"

Pheros gritted her teeth. "These stories are for children. I can therefore see why they appeal to Algol, but why do you like them, Ophelia? I thought you'd be smarter than this."

"Hey! I know some of the original issues were pretty obvious propaganda. I mean he fights the Shepherds in the very first one, and the picture on the front even shows him punching Robin in the face."

"Huh?!" Chrom exclaimed. Ophelia continued.

"But the writers have a lot more freedom now. They've turned him into a nuanced character. He tackles a lot of complex social issues in the newer ones." Ophelia picked up another booklet and handed it to Chrom. "Like this one. It's all about women in the workplace."

Chrom took the booklet and opened it. A picture printed on the front page depicted Captain Grimleal himself. He was a tall, muscular man with a tight suit, so tight that it seemed painted on. The Mark of Grima was emblazoned on his chest. The man's face was largely covered by a mask, but his eyes and lower jaw were visible, and the man gave a cheery smile. His only weapon was a large shield, the Mark of Grima also visible on it. Chrom then turned a few pages and read several paragraphs of Captain Grimleal arguing about how women had the right to breastfeed in the workplace. "Well… that certainly is… something."

Ophelia collected her Captain Grimleal booklets and gems. "Well… I guess we all have silly little things we like." Ophelia was about to reach for the brown rag she'd taken out, but Chrom stopped her. "Hmm?"

"Ophelia… is that-"

Ophelia slowly nodded. "Cordelia's blindfold. When she died I… I took it." Her voice cracked. "I just… wanted something to remember her by. I'm sorry. This must be hard for you."

Chrom took it in his own hand and shivered. "I… oh gods."

"I'm sorry, Chrom. Maybe it was wrong of me."

Chrom wanted to reassure Ophelia that it wasn't, but the emotions the blindfold brought back overwhelmed him, and he couldn't bring himself to speak. He could only stand in place and tremble as memories of the woman it memorialized filled his head. The two stood in silence for several seconds until Pheros called to them. Ophelia turned and walked forward before Chrom could return the blindfold, so he put it in his own pocket. "We'll be entering the line now. Remember, Chrom. We're married, you help me in my trade, and your name is Chuck."

Ophelia giggled. "Heh, Chuck."

"Your name also needs to change, Ophelia. The document lists you as 'Eudes'. Remember it. We're your parents, and you have to move around with us when the West Valmese Trading Company sends us on business trips."

"Eudes? I… I kind of like that. It feels very… choseny."

Chrom frowned, a part of him hoping Ophelia would get an embarrassing name too. "Why do I get a name like Chuck?!"

"Now, now, dear." Pheros said. Her face was completely serious, but Chrom knew Pheros well enough by now to know a dry remark was coming his way. "I know you dislike these business trips, but let's not fight in front of our daughter."

"This is going to be a long wait."

Pheros turned to leave, but she stopped briefly. "One more thing. My name on the document is Fels. They might get suspicious if you call me by the name of a long dead Valmese general. Understand?"

"Of course, my darling wife."

It took over two hours for "Chuck", "Fels", and "Eudes" to make their way to The Saltworks' southern entrance. Chuck was able to occupy himself for a time by staring at the complicated engineering of the city's fortifications, and he occasionally had Fels remind him of what he was to do once he got in or tell him bits of information about their fake identities and marriage, but the wait was mostly filled with nigh unbearable boredom. Chuck barely had enough room to move his elbows with all the people around him, and he moved forward only every few minutes. Chuck and "his daughter" occasionally made small talk, but Fels shushed them whenever they spoke of anything that could connect them to their true identities. The two were only able to talk about inane things, like the weather or The Saltworks itself, and Eudes eventually grew silent from boredom. She even started to telekinetically fiddle with small rocks on the ground without really thinking about it, and Chuck had to nudge her to stop before anyone noticed.

For all that, Chuck didn't breathe a sigh of relief when he finally reached the Grimleal security checkpoint. Multiple arquebus armed soldiers stood guard as the line reached the checkpoint. The only way through was to go through a small booth, big enough to hold only two or three people. A single inspector was inside, separated from the visitors by a glass panel. A halberd armed soldier stood just outside the booth, and people only entered when he gave them permission.

Fels turned and nodded towards "her family" as the group reached the booth. There was only one person in front of them now, a middle aged blonde woman. Chuck recalled that she seemed perfectly normal when they entered the line, but the wait had turned her irritable and sour. She stepped inside the booth, and Chuck and the others stopped as the halberd armed soldier stepped in front of them. "Finally." The woman spat as she took out her traveling documents. "I've been waiting all damn day."

A scrawny, overworked inspector inside the booth ran his hands through his thinning hair as he looked over the papers. "Welcome to The Saltworks, ma'am. What brings you to our glorious city today?"

"Is says all that on the papers!"

"They make me say that, ma'am." The inspector responded in a unenthusiastic tone. He slid the documents closer to himself through a slot in the glass and carefully compared them to several papers and open books he had on his desk. "Alright. Everything seems to be in order… wait. You're coming from Ylisstol?"

"Yes. What's it to you?"

"Do you have your additional medical records?"

"My what?!"

The inspector sighed, as he knew an argument was coming. "There was a polio outbreak in the suburbs of Ylisstol two weeks ago. All visitors from Ylisstol are now required to bring an up to date medical history with them, and it has to come from a certified doctor. No family physicians. No healing magic. None of that."

Chuck turned to Fels. "What's polio?"

"Poliomyelitis is a disease known to cause muscle weakness, deformities, and paralysis. The Grimleal officially discovered it a few years ago, but it's probably been with humanity for thousands of years. It used to be an endemic disease, but now outbreaks occur every summer in major cities. One consequence of the globalization caused by the unification of humanity and the growth of the trading companies is an increased number of disease outbreaks. They seem to discover new ones every year."

"Gods."

The woman glared at the inspector. "I've been traveling for months! I left long before this outbreak happened!"

"Ma'am, two weeks ago is when the outbreak was known. It's possible that infections started before that."

"You think I'm sick?"

"I'm just following regulations."

"This is horse dung! How could I have known about this when this change happened after I left?!"

"I know this must be difficult, ma'am, but I need you to not raise your voice. Now I can have you scheduled for a medical evaluation, but you'll need to stay outside of the city until then."

"I know how this bureaucracy is! That'll take days! This is ridiculous!"

"Ma'am-"

"Just let me through!"

"I can't do that."

"I'm not leaving this booth!"

"Ma'am-"

"I waited in line for two hours. I am not leaving because of something I couldn't possibly have seen coming!"

"Ma'am, if you don't calm down I'll have to refuse service."

"Just let me through, kid!"

Fels looked uneasily at Chuck. "This isn't going to end well. Watch what happens, my beloved husband. This is what will happen to us if you don't get this right."

The woman continued to argue until the inspector finally ran out of patience. With a pull of a lever underneath the inspector's desk, metal grating came down over the entrance to the booth. The woman exploded at this point, yelling and pounding on the glass, but she was interrupted as an armored soldier entered the booth from the other side. The soldier didn't ask the woman to calm down. He didn't ask her to surrender to him. He simply drew a club and bashed the woman in the head, sending the hapless traveler to the ground. He then grabbed her leg and threw her out of the booth. Two soldiers grabbed the woman and hauled her off, her body limp in their hands, and the first soldier looked to the inspector. "Reopen the booth." The inspector nodded and turned a crank on the wall until the grating went back up completely. Chuck looked over as the soldiers took the woman away until they were out of sight. She'd technically gotten what she wanted, as the soldiers were taking her into the city, but her destination was probably nowhere anyone would want to be. He was a little shaken by the situation, but Fels grabbed his arm and tugged him forward.

"Next!" The inspector finally called. Fels turned to the soldier outside.

"The three of us are together."

"Come on through." The soldier waved them forward, and Fels entered the booth and took out her documents. Chuck and Eudes squeezed in together, but there wasn't a lot of room for them. Chuck at least tried to have his back to his grandniece so that his chest wasn't shoved into hers, but even turning around was uncomfortable in the cramped conditions. Fels didn't seem to mind, though she did glare at her husband as he accidentally elbowed her, causing her to stumble into the glass.

"Gah! Damn it, dear!" Fels took a deep breath and presented the documents. The inspector took them and spoke to Fels without looking away from the papers.

"Welcome back to The Saltworks, Fels. It's been a few months since we've seen each other. What brings you to our glorious city today?"

"It's been too long, Inspector Ditkovich. Just here on another business trip. You know how the trading companies are. This time is a little different, as you can see."

"Ah, this is your family then?"

"Yes. This is my husband, Chuck, and my daughter, Eudes."

"Well." Ditkovich looked to Eudes. "You look just like your mother."

"What?!"

Fels glared at her daughter. "Yes. Just like your mother."

"Now why haven't you brought your family here before?"

"Well… Chuck here was a stay at home father for our little girl, but times are tough. I got Chuck here an internship, and our daughter is finally picking up the family trade. Isn't that right, Chuck?"

"Uh… sure."

"That's very selfless of you, Fels. Most people use their jobs to get away from their families." Ditkovich turned to Chuck. "Having a real job isn't easy is it?"

"Oh I wouldn't speak directly to Chuck much." Fels leaned in. "He's a little slow."

"Huh?!" Chuck exclaimed. Ditkovich nodded.

"How did you meet exactly?"

"Oh, Chuck here was in a support group for drug addicts. I was his councilor at the time-"

This had not been part of the story Chuck had been told, and his pride got to him. "Pheros!"

Fels froze. "Uh, honey? That name isn't appropriate here!"

"What did he just call you?"

"Well… the two of us… we're big fans of the Shepherds. Yeah, that's it. We even took a trip to Shepherd's Folly not that long ago. His nickname for me is Pheros, after the Valmese General the Shepherds ruthlessly slaughtered. I call him… Stahl."

"Stahl?!"

"Well he thinks of himself as Chrom, but that's a little ridiculous don't you think?"

Ditkovich perked up. "You like the Shepherds?! I love them! They make for a great story. So Chrom is your favorite?"

"Uh… you could say that."

"Psh. Boring. I like Lucina better. She kicked ass and took names. Then she travelled back in time and gave those names to the ancestors of the people whose asses she kicked."

"Uh… I don't know how to respond to that. You like the Shepherds? But you're with the Grimleal."

Ditkovich shrugged. "It's just a job. I mean you're with a Grimleal trading company and you like them."

"True."

"I don't know. Things were simpler back then. I mean a group of only a few dozen men and women bringing down entire armies? It's a badass story. Anyone could be a hero. I joined the Grimleal military because I wanted to go on adventures, but now I'm stuck in this booth all day. Well… anyways, let's get back to business. I see you have documents here for you and your husband, Fels… wait. Where are the young lady's documents?"

Fels took a deep breath. This would be the difficult part. "You see, I wasn't given a lot of notice on this trip, and we had to take our daughter along unexpectedly."

"You said she was an employee of the trading company? She should have her own traveling documents."

"She was taken in very recently, and she's still in an internship. She also wasn't sent on this trip. I had to take her because we couldn't get any accommodations for her. My employment allows me to bring along business associates. Surely that can be stretched to include her. I couldn't just leave my daughter behind."

"Fels-"

"I've been coming to this city a long time, Ditkovich. I've always followed procedure." She faked a laugh. "I mean, do you think I'm trying to sneak her in to the Arch Surg or something ridiculous like that?"

"That's not funny to me, Fels. They're always lecturing me to watch for Arch Surg activity. Damned insurrectionists."

"Those damned innies, heh."

The inspector thought about it. "... alright. I can let her through."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Fels straightened herself. "Thank you, Ditkovich-"

"But! But, but, she needs to submit to a security screening."

Eudes shifted around uncomfortably. "What does that entail?"

"You'll face a pat-down."

"W-what was that?"

"We're going to feel you up to see if you're carrying anything illegal." Ditkovich replied bluntly. Eudes moaned, but Fels glared at her.

"Of course she'll submit. We thank you for your understanding, Inspector Ditkovich."

The three passed through the booth and were lead towards an additional security checkpoint. It was there that Chuck was made to register his weapons. The Grimleal seized the Carrot Axe and Thundergrypp, and Chuck was made to fill out forms detailing the weapons. He audibly groaned at having to write down "Carrot Axe", but he got a smile from Eudes when she noticed he'd been using the name she gave to his pistol the entire time. Eudes herself had to register each and every one of her tomes and vulneraries. At the very least the Grimleal didn't make her register the wooden replica of Missiletainn Henry had given her, and she was able to keep it. The three were made to remove their shoes, and Fels additionally had to remove the heavy plating on her outfit. All three of them were then given a brief pat-down, but Eudes was then moved off to the side for a more extensive one.

"Father?" Eudes whimpered as an elderly male employee pulled her to the side. Chuck looked to Fels, but she silently implored him to accept it.

"I… I don't see a way around it, Ophel… err, Eudes."

The man put on a glove and turned to Eudes, speaking in a monotone voice. "Having a nice day so far, young lady?"

"No!"

"Well, that makes two of us. Anyways, my name is Border Control Agent Sallow. I will be performing a security screening on you today. It involves extensive physical contact." Eudes groaned, but Sallow continued. "Now I will be slowly running my right hand alongside various points on your body. I will be touching your 'special areas', which we identify as your breasts, rear, and groin." Sallow turned his hand and pointed to the back of it. "Now I will be using the back of my hand when touching your special areas, and I will be using the front of my hand when touching the rest of you. Any questions?"

"Is this really necessary?"

"I'm sorry, young lady, but your special areas must be touched in the name of national security."

Chuck couldn't stay silent anymore. "Is there… could we at least have a female agent do this?!"

"Is that really necessary, sir? I can check, but I can't guarantee we have one available."

Fels elbowed him. "Come on, Chuck. Grimleal border control is lazy and poorly managed. It could literally take them an hour to get a female agent."

"Then…" Chuck looked into Eudes' eyes, and he nodded to her. "I want a security screening too!"

"Huh?!"

Sallow briefly showed actual emotion. "You want a pat-down, sir?!"

"At least you won't have to do this alone, Eudes."

Eudes managed a small smile. "Thank you… I suppose."

And so father and daughter, or rather great uncle and grandniece, stood side by side as bored elderly male border control agents felt them up. It certainly wasn't what Chuck had in mind when he thought about what he'd have to do to fight the Grimleal. After what felt like an hour, though it was probably only fifteen minutes or so, the two were released. The group collected their shoes, and Fels took the time to put her plating back on. After passing through several more soldiers, the three were finally free to enter The Saltworks itself.

It dawned on Chrom as he stepped into the street that he'd never been to a major city since the fall of the Shepherds. The largest settlement he'd been to was Nowi Falls, but that was a small town compared to The Saltworks. Buildings stretched for as far as the eye can see, and Chrom also noticed that the city's walls seemed to stretch into the horizon. The city streets were filled with bustle, and people were crammed shoulder to shoulder as they walked. Buildings were packed very close together, such that you couldn't even squeeze between them. Even Ylisstol had never been this busy in Chrom's time.

Beyond that, Chrom couldn't look without seeing a reminder of who built the city. Grimleal banners hung from the inside of the inner wall's towers, and posters could be found all over the place. One depicted a Pacification Unit with her hand outstretched, the text reading "This woman is your friend. Report all suspicious activity to her." Another depicted Gangrel himself, and Chrom's blood boiled at the sight. It read "The Emperor is watching." Another poster depicted a smiling Grimleal soldier, the text reading "Use less so our boys get more. Rationing gives you your fair share." Yet another poster showed a ship breaking in half, the text reading "Somebody leaked information to the enemy. The Arch Surg pieces together bits of careless talk." There were dozens more posters visible to Chrom, and they all said something different. Looking towards the nearest street, Chrom could see no less than three different Pacification Unit squads marching in formation, the people giving them a wide berth as they passed. As soon as one squad disappeared from his view, another came in. Chrom looked back to the walls to see Grimleal soldiers patrolling on top of them, looking down on the city. He couldn't look in any direction without seeing a reminder of what the world had become. As if she knew how he was feeling, Pheros stepped forward. "Welcome to the new world order, Chrom. The Grimleal hopes you enjoy your stay."

"Gods…"

"Come on. Let's get moving."

"We're headed to the safehouse then?"

"Yes, though remember we'll make our way separately. Do you remember where we're going?"

"Throb." Chrom frowned at saying it out loud. "What kind of name is that anyways?"

"It's an… adult entertainment center."

"Huh?"

"An adult entertainment center."

Chrom blushed. "W-what? Why there?!"

"It's worked pretty well for us so far. Grimleal hasn't found it yet. Now let's go."

Pheros insisted that Chrom or Ophelia disperse into the city first, as if she didn't trust them to not go together if she left them alone. With a reassuring smile from Chrom, Ophelia ventured into the city. Pheros waited about fifteen minutes before she decided to leave. With a final reminder of what he was to do, Pheros disappeared into the crowds herself, leaving Chrom alone. Pheros had asked him to wait fifteen minutes, but he grew uncomfortable as the Pacification Unit patrols occasionally glanced over to him. He waited only five minutes before a Pacification Unit lieutenant staring at him for more than a few seconds caused him to power walk away.

Chrom couldn't say he enjoyed being pressed against people as he made his way through the city, but he had to give credit to The Grimleal. The Saltworks was remarkably well planned. Signs made it clear what part of the city he was in and where he was going, and the streets connected all the important parts of the city efficiently. Chrom made his way through the city just as Pheros instructed until he came across a heavily urbanized area in the eastern district of the city filled with small businesses. After wandering past several rows of buildings, all of them largely identical in design, he came across a row of about six businesses with painted red doors. Remembering Pheros' words, he looked at the third building from the left to see a rather rundown looking business patronized largely by women, its name visible on a sign hanging over the door. "Throb." Chrom noticed Gaius and Ophelia hadn't arrived yet, so he took to waiting in the street. In truth, the thought of going anywhere near the place filled Chrom with embarrassment, and he especially didn't want to be there by himself.

Chrom was still awkwardly pacing around in the street when he turned at the sound of armored footsteps in the distance. He expected to see yet another Pacification Unit patrol, but the handful of Grimleal soldiers marching down the street now were more heavily armored than normal. Five men were making their way toward Chrom. Three in the back wore less armor than their comrades, but they were still equipped with metal helmets, cuirasses, and plating on their arms and legs. Arquebuses were strapped to their backs, and each one carried a halberd in their arms. The next Grimleal soldier, marching in front of the first three but behind the lead man, wore very distinctive armor Chrom had never seen before. The man's chest was also covered by a cuirass, but this one depicted an anatomically correct human male chest with modeled muscles, navel, and even nipples. Emblazoned on the pectorals was a Mark of Grima, molded into the armor itself. Golden trimming lined the abdominals and sides of the cuirass, and the bottom flared out with golden segmented plates. The man's shoulders were also covered with segmented metal plating, and the rest of his arms were covered by bracers and gauntlets. Unlike most modern plate armor, the man's upper legs were covered only by a tunic, almost like the skirts Pegasus Knights were known for, but reinforced with leather straps studded with metal plating. The man's shins featured metal plating, and armored sandals covered his feet. This man's chest was not unique in its decoration, as each metal plate on the his body displayed some kind of engraving. Many depicted scenes of battles, but Chrom couldn't make out the details. The man's actual face was covered by a mask, itself depicting a detailed human face in a blank expression, that seemed to come down from a metal helmet featuring cheek guards and an armored crest on the top. The man had a firearm and short sword on his hip, and a large square shield and javelins hung on his back.

The lead Grimleal soldier's appearance was more familiar to Chrom, but that didn't make the sight any less unnerving. Though plate armor had existed since before the Hero King's time, the expense made a full set of it rare even in modern times. Even with the Grimleal's wealth, most soldiers had to make do with a few pieces of armor. The man standing in front of Chrom now though wore one of the largest sets Chrom had ever seen. It would have given even the knights of Ylisse a run for their money. Not a single centimeter of this man's skin could be seen through his armor. The man's chest was a solid piece of metal, reinforced with metal studs for good measure, featuring the Mark of Grima on the bottom. The top of the chest plate was even further reinforced with two sheets of steel, and a metal protrusion flared outwards and up to the man's neck to ward off strikes. The man's shoulders featured large metal pauldrons with swordbreakers, and the rest of his arms were similarly armored. Unlike his companion, heavy plating protected all of the man's legs, but it was hard to see past a purple tunic. The man seemed to be wearing it under the armor, and it flowed out from underneath his chest plating and covered his legs down to his knees. Leather straps, padded with metal, came down over the man's groin from a belt around his waist, and segmented plates came down over the tunic to add additional protection to his hips. The man's head was protected by a close helm, but the visor was unusual. Designed to provide as much protection as possible, the visor had no single opening to allow the man to see. Instead about a dozen small holes were punched into it. In an amazing display of craftsmanship, each hole seemed to be a Mark of Grima. It couldn't have given the man a good view of his surroundings, but he seemed to make his way down the street with little difficulty. The right side of the man's armor, starting from his visor and going down to his chest plate, was painted the same purple color as his tunic. The left side was painted a bright red. Compared to his armor, the man's weapon was much simpler. Besides a carbine slung on the back of his waist, the man wielded only a poleaxe. Wrapping around the grip, making the weapon easier to hold, was the only decoration it featured, and the weapon's condition made it clear that it was used frequently.

Chrom didn't mean to stare at the strangely equipped soldiers, but it was hard not to look as they marched, almost jogged down the street. Somewhat amazed that men so heavily armored could even move so quickly, Chrom also noticed that they didn't slow down as they approached crowds of people. Virtually everyone gave them plenty of room, but one young woman was too busy inspecting the wares of a nearby fruit stand to see them. Rather than take two seconds to walk around, the armored man in front simply walked into her. The woman was almost knocked over, and the Grimleal soldier turned suddenly as if his helmet really did obscure her from his vision. "Aw! What in tarnation!" Rather than apologize, or even continue walking, the man put the shaft of his weapon to the woman's back and forced her to the ground. "Do you not see me WALKING HERE?!"

Chrom didn't consciously want to start a fight with the Grimleal, and he didn't even have a weapon, but everything he was wouldn't allow him to simply ignore something like that. Acting automatically, he stepped forward and shouted at the man. "Hey!"

The man brought his head up. "What the hell? What the gods-damned, mother fornicating hell?! Who said that?!" The man turned to Chrom. "You there, boy?! You say that?!"

Chrom wasn't thrilled at anyone calling him "boy", especially a man almost certainly younger than him. Deciding it was too late to back down, Chrom took a deep breath and stood tall. "You could have seriously hurt her! Surely such an armored man should be more careful when moving. Pacification Units are meant to protect the people aren't they?"

"Did you just call me a Pacifier?!"

The man in the face mask looked up to his companion and spoke a foreign language. "Trebuie sa ne grabim." He implored, as if he knew what was about to happen. The lead soldier responded by thrusting his poleaxe into the man's chest.

"Ține asta. I ain't taking this lying down." The soldier began to approach Chrom. He started slowly backing away, but the man didn't slow down. Chrom finally decided to stand his ground, but the man still wouldn't stop. When he reached Chrom, he simply took to shoving him back repeatedly until he had Chrom against the wall of the Arch Surg safehouse. "Pushing women down hurts them?! Why, I never knew that! Oh teach me more about physics, Mr. Science Man. Hell, let's put your theory to the test!" The man grabbed Chrom and threw him into the wall before seizing his throat in his armored gauntlet. "Oh I liketa put a bullet in that scraggly head of yours, but lucky for you I'm in a good mood, so I'll just teach you a lesson you can put to use in the future. I am not a Pacifier! Know what I am?! Huh?! BOY?! HUH?!" Chrom was completely unable to speak, and he struggled just to breathe. He instinctively began punching and kicking the man, but he couldn't manage to even move him. "I'll tell you what I am. I'm judge, jury, and executioner! I'm a necessary evil, boi. Sent to do the Grimleal's business. Now your tax money might have paid for this here armor, but that don't mean that business involves you! Now get the hell back to whatever sorry arsed hole you crawled out of, or I might could just beat you into next week!" The soldier brought Chrom's head into his own helmet, causing blood to gush from his nose, then threw Chrom to the ground and kicked him almost a meter backwards, leaving him unable to do anything but lie in the street and groan in pain for about thirty seconds. All Chrom could do was look back to the soldier. Apparently savagely assaulting him wasn't enough to ease the man's rage. If anything he was worse now, as he started furiously punching the building beside him. "I ain't get no damned respect no more! Damned badlands peasants! The sun done baked their brains if they think they can treat a Grimleal Enforcer this way! AAARRGH!"

The other man tried pushing his comrade away. "Ți-am spus să continui." He succeeded in moving his friend as the poleaxe armed Enforcer degenerated into mindless yelling and mumbling, and Chrom finally rose to his feet as the five soldiers left. He'd never taken a beating like that in his life without fighting back, but there was nothing he could do to the Grimleal in the middle of a crowded city like this. Chrom slowly brought himself back to his feet, but his mood improved as a familiar voice called to him.

"Blue!" Chrom turned and smiled as Gaius and Ophelia approached, proving that they'd made it through the city safely. Gaius had a worried expression, and he helped Chrom stand up fully. "Do you know who that was?!"

Chrom remembered what the man had said in between attacks. "A Grimleal Enforcer?"

"Yes! They're the people Gangrel sends when he really wants someone dead, and they're not known for being friendly. He could have killed you!"

Ophelia stepped forward. "You have to be more careful than that, Chrom. I've been to large Grimleal cities like this before. You have to keep your head down."

"I'm sorry." Chrom noticed that Gaius had three lollipop sticks in his mouth, and he now had a sack slung across his back. "Did you… did you stop for candy on the way here?!"

Gaius crunched down on one of his lollipops and tossed the stick into the street. Rather than finish the other two, he unwrapped a fourth and began sucking on it. "Mmph. I haven't had candy since the good ol' Able Sierra took us to that damned fort! I was having withdrawals." Chrom glared at him, so he placed the sack down and opened it. Gaius had spare gunpowder and shot in his sack, but it was otherwise as filled with sweets as the sack he carried around thirty years prior was. "Want some?"

"No!"

Ophelia looked at it. "Could… could I have some?"

"Why you certainly may." Ophelia happily took a handful, but Gaius winced. "Woah! Not the whole sack! This has to last me!"

"I just took a handful. You have so much!"

"... fine. Just hurry up." Gaius glanced up to the nearby building. "The third building to the left. I guess this is the place. What kind of name for a business is Throb?!"

Chrom awkwardly ran his hand down the back of his neck. "Did Pheros not tell you what this place was?"

"No. Do you know?"

"It's a… uh… it's an… adult… entertainment place?"

Gaius thought about it. "Nope. That's not enough. Follow up question, are there or are there not half naked people in there?"

"I-I don't feel comfortable talking about this!"

"Oh come on, Blue. Don't be such a teenager about it. You can't be that much of a prude, else Lucina and Brady would never have existed."

"Alright, alright. It's a place where gentlemen who are… in need of female companionship might go to… see women wearing less." Chrom's voice trailed off with embarrassment as he finished the sentence, but Gaius perked up.

"Hell yeah! Candy and babes! Finally we're speaking my language."

Ophelia shared Chrom's discomfort, though hers seemed to come from disgust. "Huh?! Why is the Arch Surg in a skeevy place like that?"

"Who cares? Things are finally looking up for us. Maybe I'll even get myself a private dance, heh."

Ophelia glared at Gaius, who seemed lost in a fantasy of some kind. "I can't believe you! Places like that just encourage men to objectify women. A hero shouldn't squander their choseness with such vices!"

"Psh. Whatever, Captain Save a Harlot. Let's just get inside already."

Chrom groaned. Having Ophelia and Gaius with him did little to ease the embarrassment of going inside, but he didn't see a way around it. He'd be lost in the city if he didn't meet up with Pheros again. "Let's just get this over with." Chrom waited as Gaius and Ophelia entered, but he felt someone staring at him as he tried to enter himself. He looked back to see the woman the Enforcer had attacked smiling.

"Uh… hey. For what it's worth… thank you for sticking up for me."

Chrom smiled back. "You don't have to live in fear of them."

The woman's smile faded. "You haven't been here long have you?"

Chrom watched as she walked away, and he looked over to see Grimleal banners hanging from the city's walls in the distance. Happy to get away from the horrifying sight, Chrom entered the building.

Sure enough, "Throb" referred to a place of adult entertainment, but it didn't exactly appeal to Gaius. Scantily clad young men entertained groups of excitable women, and Chrom turned to see Gaius' disappointment was palpable. "Aw man! It's a place for chicks!"

Chrom looked around. "Huh. I guess we did just assume it would be a gentlemen's club."

"I can never get a damn break!" Gaius looked over to see Ophelia staring intently and blushing. Annoyed at the hypocrisy, he lightly slapped her upside the head.

"I-I wasn't staring!" She responded almost reflexively.

An employee approached the group with a cheery look. "Welcome to Throb. Were you two looking to find entertainment for the young lady, or… were you here for yourselves?"

"Hell. No." Gaius didn't say anything else, and Chrom nudged him.

"They told you what to say right?"

"Yes… but I don't want to say it now."

"You have to say it."

"It, it sounds weird here. With the context and everything."

"Just say it."

"You say it!"

"Fine." Chrom approached the man. "We're looking for backroom entertainment." Chrom paused. "Okay, yeah. That is a little uncomfortable to say out loud here."

The man's expression instantly became more serious. "Where did you hear that?!"

"Don't ask where we heard it!" Gaius snapped. "Just take us to the Valmese dipwads."

The man looked around nervously. "Alright. Just move casually."

The man lead the three to a hallway hidden away from the rest of the building, past a rather intimidating man standing guard, and finally to a door at the end. The man knocked four times on the heavy metal, and a slit just big enough for someone to look out of opened. "What's the password?"

The first man opened his coat slightly, revealing a small knife. It was more than Gaius, Chrom, and Ophelia had on them at the moment. "You'd better know the password."

Chrom couldn't quite recall what he was supposed to say, and the man staring at him didn't help. "Um… a mole's ass?"

"... close enough." The door slid open, and Chrom, Gaius, and Ophelia walked past the guard and down a winding staircase leading underground. Chrom expected a shelter of some kind, but the Arch Surg actually had a rather elaborate set up hidden underneath the business. The main room was large enough to comfortably hold two dozen people, and multiple doors to side rooms could be seen. Tables were set up around the center of the room, and the safehouse even had its own kitchen towards the back. Sure enough, Farber and Cervantes could be seen playing cards at one of the tables, and Pheros occupied herself with paperwork on another.

"Well, you actually made it." She said without looking up.

"Welcome to our little slice of heaven." Cervantes added. "Come on. Sit down. Have a beer. Make yourselves comfortable… until we're ready to drag your arses somewhere else."

Gaius looked around. "So you guys are right under the Grimmies' noses. Huh. First question, why is your glorious revolution holed up in a strip joint?"

"We have safehouses in businesses all over the city, including but not limited to 'strip joints'." Pheros replied. Cervantes nodded.

"This is our largest one. The manager here lets us use the whole basement."

Gaius gave a smirk. "Perks for being such a loyal customer, Pheros? I'm sure you get lonely working so much."

Pheros rolled her eyes. "I have no desire to waste my time with such things."

Cervantes snickered. "Ha! Good one! Actually, Farber here is the manager's favorite customer. Ain't that right?"

Gaius looked to him. "But… the strippers here are all guys?"

Cervantes had meant to mock his comrade, but Farber simply shrugged as he looked over his cards. "What I do with my free time is little of your concern."

Chrom looked to Pheros. "Does the manager know what you really do here?"

"Oh he does, and he approves of it. Arch Surg's good for business." Chrom turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice to see two men coming out of a side door. The first man was a tall dark skinned man with a bald head and a thin goatee. He wore a leather jacket and pants, and multiple piercings adorned his nose and ears. The man speaking was fair skinned, with a flat face and a square jaw. He wore clothing unlike anything Chrom had ever seen before. He almost looked out of time. His hat, covering all of his hair, was rigid with a brim that extended outwards. His suit featured a dress shirt and a coat, but it wasn't quite like the fashion nobles had worn in Chrom's time. A strange and seemingly pointless article of clothing came down from around his neck, and it seemed tied in place. His coat also had stripes running down it. Notably, the edges of the man's coat were dark red, and the rest of his clothing was a light pink color. The man blew smoke from a lit cigar as he stepped forward, and his eyes darted to Chrom, Gaius, and Ophelia as a smile grew on his face. "Grimmies want a world where the same people control all the wealth, but I like a little diversity in the market. Keeps prices healthy."

Pheros nodded to the man. "That's the manager there. Roy-Earle. We have a partnership."

Gaius chuckled. "You have to buddy up with the managers of strip clubs?"

"He owns multiple businesses, and we use them to launder funds for the Arch Surg. We also hide our safehouses in them."

Roy-Earle smiled. "You could say I'm something of a revolutionary, but I much prefer to think of myself as a merchant."

Gaius squinted. "And what do you sell?"

"Anything you need."

Chrom looked at him suspiciously. "You're a criminal?"

Roy-Earle took his cigar and waved it around in the air in an exaggerated motion. "You wound me, sir. I only have the interests of the people in mind. Sometimes the people want a service, so you give it to them with establishments like this one. Sometimes the people want product, so you, err, source it for them. See I can read how the world is going. Feudalism is dead. The world's not about bloodlines and lineage anymore. It's about capital. It's like… capital… ism. Hmm. Is that even a word? Anyways, there's nothing wrong with a little free enterprise. The people get what they want, and men with the vision to make it happen make money. The only ones left upset are the lawmakers in the Grimmie politburo."

Gaius turned to Chrom. "You say that with such contempt. The world has changed, Exalt. You can't look down on criminals anymore. Technically, you're a criminal for resisting the Grimleal. Crime is just another way to get by." Gaius turned to Roy-Earle. "Of course I'm not sure about this clown, with his 200 gold cigar and his 2,000 gold suit. I mean what man wears a bright pink suit?"

Roy-Earle took the jabs in stride. "Heh, it's actually more of a salmon, but of course a hard working man like you probably doesn't have time to follow the latest fashion trends. Not easy being a stable boy, was it?"

"What?!"

"Ain't that what it says on your papers?"

"How do you know that?"

"Now who do you think got those for you?"

Ophelia had been following the conversation, and she frowned in confusion. "What's a salmon?"

"Oh just a fish that used to swim in the streams before the world went to piss."

Gaius still felt the need to insult the man. "But what the hell kind of name is Throb?"

"You see, all these taverns and brothels have repetitive names. They're all named adjective animal. They all have names like The Red Dragon, or The Spiky Wyvern. In the future, all the hippenist happenist places will have single names. 'Throb' is avant-garde."

"Ridiculous."

Roy-Earle looked annoyed for an instant, but he hid it behind a cheesy grin. "Well why don't you let me worry about names. I wouldn't want you to burn out that pretty head of yours thinking." He turned to his associate, who stood silently watching Chrom, Gaius, and Ophelia. "Come on, Malc. We got work to do."

Malc seemed to silently snarl to himself, and he walked towards Chrom and Gaius. The two gave him a wide area, but Ophelia had been behind Chrom, and she didn't see him. Malc brushed past her, and he turned to look at Ophelia in anger. "Watch it, wench."

Chrom's uneasiness around the man was replaced with fury as he spoke to Ophelia. "Don't talk to her that way!" Malc turned to Chrom, pulled out an arquebus from his coat, and thrusted it into his stomach. Chrom tensed up, but he didn't let himself show fear. He glanced down to the arquebus to see that it notably had most of its barrel sawn off, and it was now very short. "How… how did you get that in the city?"

"Don't fucking ask where the FUCKING gun came from!" Malc snapped, his voice unhinged. Everyone in the room stood at edge, but no one could do anything without weapons of their own. Roy-Earle eventually managed another exaggerated smile, and he slowly put his hand on Malc's gun and lowered it.

"Wow! Wow. Wow. Let's all just simmer down now. Heh, come on, Malc. Put the gun down. What'd I tell you about that temper of yours?"

Malc lowered his weapon, but he continued to glare at Chrom. He calmed down somewhat, and his voice was more smooth, but he was still angry. "Listen to me, boy. The Arch Surg ain't gonna ride your cock because you're from some inbred family. Archangel cares about money, and you ain't makin' no money for nobody."

Chrom stared Malc down as he slowly put away his gun and walked away. Roy-Earle gave a nervous laugh. "Heh, well you'll have to forgive my associate. I don't keep him around for his manners. Let me make it up to you. How about a free round of drinks at the bar upstairs?"

Gaius groaned. "Oh boy. Getting drunk with a bunch of half naked men. Sounds like fun." He said dryly. Roy-Earle shrugged.

"Sounds like a good time to me. Maybe I'll just have to find some other way to apologize. It'd be nice to see your smiling faces again. My card." Roy-Earle gave Chrom a small rigid piece of paper. It simply had his name on it alongside a symbol. The emblem looked vaguely like the claw marks of a wild animal, and it was blood red. Chrom raised his eyebrow at Roy-Earle, but he just smiled. "If you ever want something other people don't want you to have, just give me a holler."

"Uh… how would I find you?"

"We find you." With a tip of his hat, Roy-Earle started to walk out of the safehouse. "Malc! What did I say about talking to potential customers that way?!"

"What a strange man."

Gaius looked over the card himself. "Uh oh. I recognize that symbol, Blue. Red Syndicate."

Ophelia perked up. "Now that sounds like a name of fate and destiny! Perhaps this Red Syndicate is fitting to grace the pages of the Chosen Heroine's story."

"Knock it off, Blondie. The Syndicate isn't a joke."

Chrom glanced back to the card. "What is that?"

"Organized crime for the new world order." Pheros explained as she stepped up. "They're supposedly the largest network of criminal enterprises in the world. The Arch Surg has a working partnership with them. Without them we couldn't manage to acquire the supplies we need to fight a war. All the money in the world isn't worth anything if your enemy owns all the businesses. All the resources. The Grimleal doesn't exactly sell to us. We need black market channels."

"What kind of crime are we talking about?"

Gaius smiled. "Settle down there, Exalt. They're not like the brigands and pirates you fought thirty years ago. They make their money quietly. Hell, I've only heard whispers of them myself. Apparently they're lead by a man named Nero, though he doesn't sound real to me."

"Why are they so powerful?"

"You see, Blue, there will always be crime. You can't stop it. You can only… mold it. In the old Halidom of Ylisse you mostly just had petty thieves, like yours truly. The worst you'd see were bandits. With the Grimleal's attempt to control the whole world, organized crime has had to toughen. The result is the largest criminal group this world has ever seen. The more you try to tighten your grasp, the more things slip through your fingers."

Ophelia crossed her arms. "They sound dangerous to me."

"Heh, well you're not really on the right side of the law yourself, Blondie. "You're a criminal just for fighting back against the Grimleal. The people who make the laws are corrupt. They care about themselves. It's always been that way. Always will."

Chrom noticed a strange seriousness to Gaius, but he decided it was harmless. "So how did that man sneak a weapon into the city. Why couldn't we?"

"I have no idea. Those men were Red Syndicate, not Arch Surg. They don't tell us more than they have to. They have a knack for hiding from the Grimleal authorities, but you three do not. It's probably not a coincidence that Grimleal Inquisitors were at Shepherd's Folly just a day after we were there, nor is it a coincidence that Wolcroft and her soldiers appeared in the small town we stayed at. They're hunting for us as we speak, so we need to get moving as soon as possible. Stay here in our safehouse for the rest of the day, and we'll move tomorrow. You'll finally meet Archangel, Chrom, and she can help you make sense of everything the world has become."

Gaius gave Chrom a worried look. "You really do want to go with them, don't you? To see their crazy leader? To walk into that gaping maw?"

"Gaius… I've been told she knows me. I want to know who she is for myself. Besides, The Arch Surg will just send men like Keith to hunt us down if we don't go ourselves. They won't treat us like Pheros has been treating us."

"Do you really think Pheros would allow you to leave? You think she isn't following orders?"

Pheros scowled. "I'm standing right here. I won't force you to come with us. You can leave at any time, but where will you go? Back to your small town? You'd let Cordelia die for nothing?"

Gaius shot his finger in her face. "Stay out of his head!"

"I'm simply stating objective facts."

Gaius looked like he wanted to argue, but he suppressed his anger. "I want to talk to you in private, Chrom. Away from them. For now though, I'm getting the hell out of here."

Pheros watched as he departed. "And where are you going?"

"To find a place like this but, you know, with women."

Ophelia frowned. "You're a pig!"

"What I am is lonely, but I can fix that."

Pheros shook her head. "Assuming you don't have such atavistic desires to satisfy, you can stay here for now, Chrom. We have a bedroom you can sleep in."

Chrom stared at Pheros as she returned to her paperwork until she finally looked up. "Pheros… we can leave if we want. Can't we?"

Pheros briefly seemed to actually be hurt by the comment, but her stoic look quickly returned. "I know we didn't get off on a good start, but surely you realize I have respect for you. I'm not forcing you to do anything." She gave a sly smile. "Of course, where would you go if you left?"

Ophelia gave Chrom a worried look. "Didn't Gaius say something about walking into the gaping maw? What if we're in it already?"

"We'll be fine, Ophelia. Let's just… let's just get some rest."