***SPOILERS AHEAD, MAKE SURE YOU'VE READ THE MOST RECENT CHAPTER BEFORE CONTINUING***

I don't want to lose these again, so I've decided to organize the Investigations done in this chapter. I will update investigations here and will date each update in the title, so feel free to stop back with each update to see a new report. If there's a specific person you would like to see an investigation for that hasn't been investigated yet, feel free to make a request in a review or PM.

You will also see Daunte's name absent from this list. That is because the hero is generally not investigated.

Edit: For simplicity's sake the ages listed in the profiles are the ages the characters were at when they joined the Liberation Army. And if they joined prior to Daunte joining the Army then the ages listed when they were counted as a Star of Destiny.

2. Tengou Star

Sloan

Secret #1

Name: Sloan Faakhir

Age: 37

From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea

Position: Former Sheikh of the northwestern forces

Secret #2

You might think from his previous position that Sloan came from a life of privilege, but he's actually the son of a merchant in the capital. This is still a very respectable position, but not as respected as a priest. But his skills with a sword were always amazing, and he was hailed as a prodigy at the age of eight, and his family worked hard to give him a good life. All of his accolades and his promotions were all earned with hard work, and even now he works hard at what he does.

Secret #3

You already know this, but Sloan is Tidur's estranged husband. They've actually been married since they were teenagers. Tidur is the daughter of a cleric so her rank is naturally higher than Sloan's, but when she was thirteen she was betrothed to much older cleric. Sloan saved her from this arranged marriage by challenging the man to a duel and beating him. Their marriage was a happy one, but after Sloan gained the Black/Conqueror Rune their relationship deteriorated and Tidur left him for their daughters Esther and Ciana's safety. Even now that we know that he was possessed by a Rune and now that he's back to normal, their relationship is still very tense. Hopefully things work out for them.

Secret #4

Sloan seems to be really good with children. He's been helping Jantu teach some pointers to younger recruits, and when he has some free time he's taken Esther out for walks and even got Ciana and her started on horseback riding. The contrast is truly stunning between the man we see now, and the monster he was while under the control of that Black/Conqueror Rune. Being unknowingly exposed to such awful power has completely ruined his life and forced him to commit heinous crimes. I know you have forgiven him, but I hope the tragedy that has befallen everyone from this damned rune gives you greater incentive to win this war and reform the country.

3. Tenki Star

Caesar

Secret #1

Name: Caesar Silverberg

Age: 19

From: Gregminster, Toran Republic

Position: Liberation Army Chief Strategist

Secret #2

Caesar hails from the famous Silverberg family and is a hero of the Second Fire Bringer War. His grandfather was Leon Silverberg, a hero of the Gate Rune Wars and an antagonist of the Dunan Unification War, and his father was renowned military strategist George Silverberg. Though the Silverbergs are strategists, Caesar had a first cousin once removed named Odessa. Odessa was a warrior and Tir McDohl's predecessor as Toran's Liberation Army leader. From the information I have gathered, most of Caesar's family is dead, included his parents and grandfather. His only family is his older brother, Albert.

Secret #3

Caesar spends a significant amount of time sleeping, and he sleeps in odd areas. Don't get me wrong, he works hard, but just the other day I found him behind the northwest building, twisted up in a strange position but he was comfortably asleep. He appeared to have picked up odd sleeping habits from his youth that he maintained even while as a student in Harmonia. He was quite gifted academically but only if he applies himself or has passion. Without effort or passion he doesn't bother.

Secret #4

Caesar fought on opposing sides as his brother during the Second Fire Bringer War. He was disturbed that Albert helped orchestrate genocide and aided and abetted in a plot that would have led to the destruction of the world, only to end the war considerably better off than he had before the war had even started. Indeed, Albert Silverberg currently lives in Zelant in a high government position under the country's dictatorship. Caesar was bothered greatly by how much his brother benefited from ruining lives, and thus has fully dedicated himself to be Albert's antithesis. Despite being a foreigner to Nagarea, Caesar will anything within reason to ensure the victory of the Liberation Army. I believe we are lucky to have him.

4. Tenkan Star

Leknaat

Secret #1

Name: Leknaat

Age: ?

From: Village of the Gate Rune Clan

Position: Seer, Keeper of the Tablet of Stars

Secret #2

Lady Leknaat is truly an enigma. Her name is confirmed to have been linked to five wars in the past, but she may have been involved in other wars. This is the first recorded instance of her actively participating in a war, though; previously she was mentioned in passing or in an advisory role. But this is the first time she has been acknowledge as one of the 108 Stars of Destiny. That's quite amazing, isn't it?

Secret #3 (Pre-Chapter Ten)

She has lived a long life. I don't know how old she is, but Sierra may possibly be even older than her. What is known however is that Lady Leknaat and her sister Windy split the Gate Rune in half and each took a half to protect the True Rune from falling into the hands of the Harmonian Army. Lady Leknaat lost her sight in the attack from the Holy Kingdom, but she appears to have come to peace with the tragedy inflicted upon her people. Her sister, however…Lady Leknaat once stated that Windy became very embittered by what happened to them, and they ended up becoming estranged because Lady Leknaat had become deeply disturbed by the changes in her sister. Lady Leknaat has not seen her sister since the end of the Gate Rune War, but will not say if her sister is alive or dead.

Secret #3 (Post-Chapter Ten)

She has lived a long life. I don't know how old she is, but Sierra may possibly be even older than her. What is known however is that Lady Leknaat and her sister Windy split the Gate Rune in half and each took a half to protect the True Rune from falling into the hands of the Harmonian Army. Lady Leknaat lost her sight in the attack from the Holy Kingdom, but she appears to have come to peace with the tragedy inflicted upon her people. Her sister, however…Lady Leknaat once stated that Windy became very embittered by what happened to them, and they ended up becoming estranged because Lady Leknaat had become deeply disturbed by the changes in her sister. The fact that Windy has been revealed as the Matron—someone who has caused so much pain and chaos here in Nagarea—has been hard for Lady Leknaat. I imagine that this is not the way she wanted to reunite with her sister again.

Secret #4

Lady Leknaat is in possession of many Tablet of Stars. I do not know where she keeps all of them, but whenever a war comes up that involves the 108 Stars of Destiny she will bring a Tablet of Stars linked to that war and present it to the appropriate army, and usually someone will oversee the Tablet. I remember during the Falenan Civil War it was a woman named Zerase—very powerful sorceress but not very approachable. During both the Gate Rune War and Dunan Unification Wars the Tablet was overseen by Luc, who was the source of conflict for the Second Fire Bringer War. Ted oversaw the Tablet during the Islands Federation War, but the Tablet was more or less secluded off during the Second Fire Bringer War.

…Can you find imagine many of these Tablets Lady Leknaat has? How many have been filled…and how many still need to be filled? It's both fascinating and terrifying.

5. Tenyu Star

Viola

6. Tenyu Star

Yuber

Secret #1

Name: Yuber

Age: ?

From: the World of Emptiness

Position: Liberation Army soldier

Secret #2

He's not a good man…or a man, even. He doesn't eat or sleep. I've not seen any good information about him. He's fought for people with ill intentions in the past and he's responsible for many deaths over the years. As you are aware, the summoning ceremony for Yuber requires a human sacrifice but you were able to utilize your True Rune to summon him and bind him to your blood. He does not care for the motives of the people who make a contract with him, just so long as he can cause chaos and kill. But he will follow the rules of the contract so long as the contractor is victorious in their pursuits.

…As you can surmise, almost all of them have been failures.

Secret #3

Yuber's longest known contract was that to Lady Leknaat's sister, Windy. It is believed she summoned him as part of her quest to find the Soul Eater Rune, with the contract becoming null and void when Toran's Liberation Army won the Gate Rune War. From this information we can surmise that his contract to Windy lasted for several hundred years, but Yuber appears to not like talking about Windy. I asked him about any memories he could recall of serving Windy and he reacted quite angrily.

Secret #4

Yuber claims to be from the World of Emptiness, the realm of monsters and where the soul goes immediately after death. A monster wearing a man's skin, as he freely admitted to us. But why does he have the appearance of a human man? As he is a creature of chaos, would it not fit him better to have a more monstrous form? And he is capable of feeling emotions such as anger. So this would mean he is capable of other emotions well, right? Like guilt, or love? And what are the Black Knights? What is their purpose? I ask this because I have found no information about them. I apologize for the limited info.

7. Tenmou Star

Eamon

Secret #1

Name: Eamon Hiere

Age: 32

From: Uaminifu, Nagarea

Position: Lieutenant in Nagarea's Liberation Army, formally mayor of Uaminifu

Secret #2

Eamon grew up in a luxurious lifestyle as his father was a Cleric. From everything I've seen his father was fair and compassionate, and Eamon frequently went out with his father to help the poor. Tragically both of Eamon's parents were assassinated by the terrorist group New Dawn just for the fact that he was a Cleric and not because he had done something wrong, and Eamon's mother was collateral damage. Eamon entered politics in memory of his parents, fully committed to the zealotry commonly found in Uaminifu, and unsurprisingly he was hostile to the Liberation Army because of his prior experience with New Dawn. Despite the zealotry he once had, Eamon treated Princess Archana well in the brief time she was held hostage in his city, and overall he is living to emulate his father's fairness and compassion.

Secret #3

Eamon loves dogs. He treats Sharon's baby dragons no differently than he would treat puppies. He also gets along with Jantu pretty well. I have heard that when he was a child his family dog had a litter of twelve puppies, and he raised and trained all of them! Unfortunately it was not feasible for the family to have thirteen dogs and so he was allowed to only keep one dog and give the rest away. What's sadder is that the one he did end up keeping tragically passed away less than a year later after his neighbor foolishly gave the pup sliced onions as a snack. As an added note, never give onions to dogs as they are very toxic to them.

Secret #4

Eamon was in an arranged marriage a little over a decade ago, but the engagement was called off when his fiancée's sister was arrested for blasphemy. Per Original Sin the entire family was arrested and then later executed. Eamon was not close to his fiancée but he's carried guilt for a long time for not doing anything to save her. I can't imagine what he could have done without incurring the wrath of the Theocracy himself, though given the zealotry he once possessed I'm actually a little surprised he did not immediately dismiss his fiancée for her "sin". Part of why he hasn't gotten married yet is because he doesn't want to risk facing anything so tragic again. Perhaps that will change when we win?

8. Teni Star

Pesmerga

Secret #1

Name: Pesmerga

Age: ?

From: ?

Position: Liberation Army soldier

Secret #2

Pesmerga is quite mysterious. He is not as vocal as Yuber is but he also appears to never eat nor sleep. They both wear similar armor and are called Black Knights, but they appear to not be able to stand each other. Pesmerga has been hunting Yuber for a very long time, and he fought in both the Gate Rune War and Dunan Unification War just to meet Yuber. Funny how the first opportunity he does meet Yuber it's when they're fighting on the same side.

Secret #3

Pesmerga doesn't appear to possess a True Rune like Yuber does, but he's still lived for a long time. How this is possible I don't know, but he might be from the World of Emptiness like Yuber was. If this is the case Pesmerga may also be a "monster wearing a man's skin" as Yuber claims himself to be. Monsters are not entirely immortal though, so how is it that Pesmerga maintains his longevity? I have asked Pesmerga myself but he simply walked away from me.

Secret #4

Okay, I wasn't entirely correct when I said Pesmerga doesn't eat. Apparently he participated in cooking competitions during the Dunan Unification War (that sounds like fun!) and he ate the food and judged it fairly. He had a particular fondness for foods that had negative affects on the mind, such as ones that induced Panic or Fury. So he is capable of eating food, but no one here at HQ has seen him eat. But unfortunately, this has created more questions and I feel at this point it's best we let this go. Sorry.

9. Tenei Star

Sierra

Secret #1

Name: Sierra Mikain-Latkje

Age: ?

From: Blue Moon Village

Position: Liberation Army soldier, former coven mistress of Blue Moon Village

Secret #2

For a vampire she likes to keep to herself and not bother with people. Though she can go out into sunlight it tires her and so she prefers to sleep during the day. She's also very controlled with her feeding and she take care not to feed on Liberation Army allies and she doesn't kill the person or animal she feeds on. She has a very short temper though. She caught me following her and screamed at me for a half-hour.

Secret #3

As the wielder of the Moon Rune she was turned into a vampire long ago. From what I've gathered, Sierra hid herself in a dark forest so that she wouldn't hurt anyone with her vampirism, however she ended up connecting with many lost souls who entered the forest to take their own lives. Showing pity to them, Sierra turned these people in vampires, and their numbers grew to such a degree that she founded the Blue Moon Village for her new vampire companions. They lived peaceful lives in the village until the villainous Neclord stole the Moon Rune and ran off, causing all of the vampire to go mad from not being in proximity to the True Rune and turning them into bloodsucking beasts. Only Sierra did not go mad, as she was the one chosen by the Rune, but she could not save her companions from their madness. She was forced to hunt them down and kill them all. What a terrible thing to happen, but she was apparently traveling with Nash when she met her final vampire comrade in combat and he helped Sierra stop him. What a strange way for love to form.

Secret #4

Despite her vampirism and wielding the Moon Rune, she's very responsible with her powers. She refuses to utilize the full power the Rune (which can create zombie armies) and unsurprisingly she is not quick to turn people into vampires anymore. While I'm sure immortality appeals to a lot of people, this type of immortality seems very lonesome and almost like a curse. At least she has her husband by her side, right? Right?

10. Tenki Star

Allise

Secret #1

Name: Allise

Age: 22

From: Kõrkus, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army Lieutenant

Secret #2

She's had an eventful and tragic life. I know you have spoken with her about her past so I will start with a simple recap of what she has already told you. Allise's father was a runemaster, and he used a secret technique to attach a Pale Gate Rune to her forehead so that Sheikh Keha Hale could not use it to destroy a town. Allise's parents were executed for treason and Allise was sentenced to the Dark Chasm under Original Sin, but she spent most of her time in the Dark Chasm with runemasters who tried to remove the Pale Gate Rune. Whatever technique her father used has not yet been broken and no one has been able to remove the Rune from her forehead. Not even Jeane has been able to remove this simple Rune. The Sheikh then made the decision to marry Allise against her will to utilize her as a weapon. It did not work.

Secret #3

I will spare you the details but Allise had a very unpleasant marriage to Sheikh Keha Hale. It was very traumatic for her to be married to the man who killed her parents and he mistreated her terribly. I have come to discover that there are domestic violence laws on the books in Nagarea, and per the laws a convicted abuser is publicly flogged with the number of blows determined by the level of abuse they inflicted. However I am also aware that the domestic violence laws are rarely enforced in Nagarea, and no one would dream of publicly flogging a Sheikh, so Allise and even Tidur suffered in silence. After years of a miserable marriage Allise snuck to Mlkwt Alsmwat to get a divorce, which Farzin Masood granted on a technicality. After she fled the capital she was "kidnapped" by Gunther, when in actuality he saved her life. She has faithfully served in the Liberation Army ever since.

She may not say it, but she is in fact grateful to Gunther for saving her. As for the extent of her feelings for him, well…not even I could gather information on what she feels.

Secret #4

This is quite surprising. Allise loves spicy food. Yasaka made curry the other day with an ingredient he called a "ghost pepper", and a few people fainted when they ate the curry. Not even Mihr could handle the heat of this pepper! Allise however didn't even become flushed in the face and ate the whole thing in one sitting. I do not know how she could sustain such heat, but she did so effortlessly.

11. Tenfu Star

Surya

Secret #1

Name: Surya Falenas

Age: 17

From: Sol-Falena, Falena

Position: member of the Queen's Knights (currently on-leave)

Secret #2

Surya is the son of the Commander and First Lieutenant of the Queen's Knights, Freyjadour and Lyon. While they got married not long after the Falenan Civil War, Surya was born eleven years after the war. They have trained him from an early age in the art of combat and diplomacy. While technically the oldest Prince of the Falenas royal family, Falena is a Queendom and so Surya is not in line for the throne. Which suits him just fine.

Secret #3

Surya appears to be perfect content with the lot he has in life. He has no aspirations to become Commander of the Queen's Knights, and the Lord Commander is not grooming him for command. Regardless he has had to endure accusations of nepotism because he was allowed to join the Queen's Knights at the age of sixteen. There are many in the populous who believe that sixteen is far too young to allow to join such a prestigious unit, and they believe he only got the position because of his parents. Isn't it curious that people believe such things, when Prince Freyjadour himself took command of the Queen's Knights as a teenager? But this sort of gossip has not deterred Surya. It only makes him want to work harder.

Secret #4

This may surprise you, but Surya considers you to be his best friend. Even more so than Mokuren, if you can believe that. Mokuren however is okay with this and even actively encourages your friendship. Just the other day we overheard Surya talking with Mokuren about some sort of adventure he wants to go on with you after the war is over. It seems he really missed you during the time you guys were apart. It looks like, even after the war, you'll be quite busy.

12. Tenman Star

Israfil

Secret #1

Name: Israfil Raulbel

Age: 27

From: Sable, Falena

Position: Captain of the Sable Defense Corps (currently on-leave)

Secret #2

Israfil serves under his father, Lord General Dinn, in the town of Sable's Defense Force in Falena. Despite his father's position, Israfil earned his rank with hard work, as you have undoubtedly seen in battle. Interestingly, his last name of Raulbel is not from Dinn, but from Dinn's wife, the lady Salisha. As he was born a commoner, Dinn didn't have a given surname. When he married Lady Salisha he adopted her last name as his own.

Secret #3

Can you believe that Israfil is the oldest of seven brothers? Seven! Most of them have scattered to the winds across Falena, taking up various military positions in Sol-Falena, Etrise, Doraat, and the like. There's a rumor going around that the youngest brother doesn't want to follow in his father and brothers' footsteps of fighting and is planning on going to Lunas to serve the Oracle there.

Secret #4

You probably already know this, but Israfil has been in love with Princess Archana since he was a young lad. But did you know that when Archana's husband Lord Darrick died of poisoning, that Israfil stood vigil by his body all night? Apparently Darrick's father was too emotionally distraught to go through with it, so Israfil volunteered to do it in his place. And he didn't even do it to curry favor with the Falenan royal family—he honestly did it because it was the right thing to do. It's very sad though that Israfil has not moved on from his feelings, considering Lady Archana has still not let go of her loss despite the end of her mourning period drawing to an end. I wish them both the best of luck.

13. Tenko Star

Gunther

Secret #1

Name: Gunther

Age: 26

From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army Lieutenant

Secret #2

With his skills with a sword, you would think Gunther came from a family of swordsmen but on the contrary, his parents were scholars. Not only were they scholars they were also pacifists. They had always wanted Gunther to follow in their footsteps but Gunther was not inclined towards scholasticism and preferred combat. This put him at odds with his parents frequently and when he made it clear that he wouldn't attend the Holy School for scholasticism they threw him out. Unfortunately not long after his parents were convicted under blasphemy laws for speaking negatively about the High Clerics, and Gunther was likewise convicted under Original Sin. Gunther fled the capital though before he could be arrested. Though he doesn't ever talk about his parents, he did love them deeply and misses them every day.

Secret #3

Gunther has an extensive criminal record with the Theocracy. In addition to his Original Sin conviction, his arrest record includes assault, grand theft, blasphemy, adultery, election fraud, and, um, jaywalking. He's been cited for jaywalking 44 times in five cities. Uaminifu has the honor of having the highest number of citations for him. I have to wonder if he doesn't like the city with how flagrantly he's broken the law there. The arrest that led to him joining the Liberation Army is quite stunning, to say the least. Bearyl Lutis saved him and spirited him away from Uaminifu, and Gunther was in his debt as a result. However, Bearyl Lutis did not have a lot of respect for him because his criminal activities and mistreated Gunther. Gunther put up with it and even now remains a valuable asset to the Liberation Army.

Secret #4

I found…love letters hidden away in Gunther's room. A literal pile of love letters in a chest in unsealed envelopes. I thought that they were for all the women he flirts with, but the name written on every single envelope was Allise's name. I freely admit I read one of them my Lord, and I must say it was one of the most sincere declarations of love I have ever read. Gunther has a flirtatious personality and he seems to have many…acquaintances, but the language he used in the letter was that of pure love. I know this is surprising, but it seems for all intents and purposes he sincerely loves Allise. …Should I deliver one of them?

14. Tensyo Star

Leto

15. Tenritsu Star

Soturi

Secret #1

Name: Soturi

Age: 21

From: Yashuna Village, Falena

Position: bodyguard to Prince Freyr, member of the Queen's Knights (currently on-leave)

Secret #2

A child prodigy with a sword, Soturi was headhunted by Prince Freyjadour himself when the young man was fourteen for an apprenticeship into the Queen's Knights. Always cool under pressure and never panicking during a crisis, Soturi became a full-fledged Knight not even a year into his apprenticeship. Within two years both the Commander of the Queen's Knights and Prince Consort Shoon were training him to be the personal bodyguard to Prince Freyr, and he finally graduated from this special training with the approval of Queen Lymsleia herself and was made Prince Freyr's bodyguard two years ago. Thus far they have gotten along very well, though Prince Freyr sometimes gets annoyed with Soturi's seriousness.

Secret #3

The injury that Soturi received trying to prevent the Prince's kidnapping is technically a career-ending injury. Soturi is right-handed and he nearly lost his whole right arm in the ambush. With amazing perseverance and daily physical therapy he has regained mobility in his right hand, but it will never be as strong as it was before. Soturi however would not accept an early retirement and completely changed his fighting style focusing on his left hand to maintain his position. His accuracy has suffered slightly but his determination greatly impressed Her Majesty and he was allowed to continue being the Prince's bodyguard. Freyr for his part feels extreme guilt over what happened to Soturi, but Soturi feels his guilt is ridiculous as everything that happened was part of his job.

Secret #4

Soturi is engaged to a nice young lady from Lordlake named Elina. They first met when they were children when Elina's family traveled to Yashuna Village to heal her father's back, and they have had a sweet courtship for the past couple of years. Both are very introverted though, and sometimes when they are together they don't even share a conversation and just sit in silence sipping tea. But Elina stayed by Soturi's side during his entire recovery, rehabilitation, and physical therapy. She also gave him unconditional support when he made the decision to return to the Queen's Knights and join the Liberation Army. They are expected to wed once this war is over.

16. Tensyo Star

Barō

17. Tenan Star

Roen

Secret #1

Name: Roen

Age: 17

From: Kõrkus, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army soldier, former Dark Chasm prisoner

Secret #2

As you already know, Roen is one of your best friends. He was sentenced to the Dark Chasm a year before you were, convicted under Original Sin for the Kõrkus Massacre. Over a hundred people lost their lives that day, when Roen's father utilized the power of a Rage Rune to set fire to a Chapel. Roen's father had been part of a radical liberation group called New Dawn, who did not shy away from collateral damage so long as their message got out. New Dawn was crushed into oblivion two years ago, but unfortunately their actions have caused many in Nagarea to believe the Liberation Army is no better.

Secret #3 (Pre-Liberation of the Dark Chasm)

Roen is deeply religious and believed he needed to be punished for what his father did. He still believes he needs to be punished, and part of him feels guilty he is out free when the other children of the Dark Chasm are not free. Despite your telling him the truth about Original Sin, he is convinced of his guilt and feels he must atone. He reminds me strongly of people that I know personally. Speaking from experience I can tell you that simply telling him he's not guilty won't help him. You must give him his full support and don't make him feel worthless or guilty. With time, he should feel right enough with himself to forgive himself.

Secret #3 (Post-Liberation of the Dark Chasm)

Roen is deeply religious and believed he needed to be punished for what his father did. He still believes he needs to be punished, and because he feels he didn't suffer as much as other children did in the Dark Chasm he carries a lot of guilt. Despite your telling him the truth about Original Sin, he is convinced of his guilt and feels he must atone. He reminds me strongly of people that I know personally. Speaking from experience I can tell you that simply telling him he's not guilty won't help him. You must give him his full support and don't make him feel worthless or guilty. With time, he should feel right enough with himself to forgive himself.

Secret #4

Roen has grown fond of the Dragon Horse's from Falena. He's a little embarrassed to admit it because of how the Nagarean Faith teaches that they are demonic, but apparently he'd asked Prince Surya in his letter to send him a Dragon Horse egg. Or at least that's what I overheard from Caesar and Gizli when they were reassembling his letter. They got a good laugh out of it because Prince Surya had to refuse him. Next time you go to Falena, why not take Roen with you? I'm sure he would enjoy seeing the Dragon Horse's again.

18. Tenyu Star

Freyr

Secret #1

Name: Freyr Falenas

Age: 14

From: Sol-Falena, Falena

Position: trainee for the Queen's Knights (currently on-leave)

Secret #2

Freyr is the only son of Queen Lymsleia and Prince Consort Shoon, and the twin brother of Crown Princess Farrin. Like his cousin Surya, Freyr is not eligible for the throne of Falena because of his gender. However this doesn't bother him in the slightest and the love he receives from his parents is no different than the love they give both Farrin and Signe. Shoon and Prince Freyjadour started training him in combat at an early age but his style evolved differently from his father and uncle. He aspires to eventually become the Commander of Farrin's Queen's Knights, something that his father and uncle are aware of and have been supportive of him pursuing.

Secret #3 (Pre-Chapter Five)

Freyr has made a lot of great friendships here in the Liberation Army with soldiers his own age. I saw Freyr giving advice to Lanny the other day about talking to girls, which doesn't surprise me because of how many women are in Freyr's family. He's also close to Surya and likes to see him more as an older brother than a cousin. You probably noticed that Freyr did not come with a Queen's Knight, and it appears something terrible had happened to his bodyguard when he was kidnapped to Nagarea. Even now it's something he doesn't like to talk about.

Secret #3 (Post-Chapter Five)

Freyr has made a lot of great friendships here in the Liberation Army with soldiers his own age. I saw Freyr giving advice to Lanny the other day about talking to girls, which doesn't surprise me because of how many women are in Freyr's family. He's also close to Surya and likes to see him more as an older brother than a cousin. Ever since Soturi arrived he's seems to be less tense and sad, though he's become very overly protective of his bodyguard. Soturi had almost died trying to protect him when he was kidnapped and Freyr is determined that this will never happen again.

Secret #4

I'm afraid I have some bad news for you, my Lord. Freyr has a considerable amount of respect for you, but he does not approve of Farrin's public declaration of marriage with you. And despite the teasing from the Queen and Miakis, the Crown Princess is apparently quite serious about marrying you when she comes of age. In fact, when Soturi arrived he had a few, um, letters with him that the Princess had written to you. He brought them unwillingly, but Freyr took them and possibly destroyed them. Mokuren was mad but Surya found the whole thing amusing. I hope that it doesn't offend you that Freyr doesn't accept you as his future brother-in-law. (The sentence ended with the drawing of a smiley face)

19. Tenku Star

Lorik

Secret #1

Name: Lorik Varra

Age: 31

From: Agameru, Nagarea

Position: Lieutenant in Nagarea's Liberation Army, formally mayor of Agameru

Secret #2

Lorik's lineage is very old. The Varra family is recorded as being amongst the first families to convert to the Nagarist religion, and there are at least six Varras listed among the casualties from the great battle in the Red Tundra eons ago. Agameru was founded by the Varra family and they have been the mayors of this hamlet since the foundation of the Theocracy. You can probably see from this why the people of Agameru are so fiercely loyal to Lorik and have stood by him through every trauma and tragedy they've been through. Lorik himself considers the people of Agameru as an extension of his own family and would do anything for them.

Secret #3

Lorik initially joined the Liberation Army under Bearyl Lutis because, as Agameru was located in the northwest, they were ruled by Sheikh Faakhir and began to suffer under him. Lorik had filed multiple complaints from the capital that went unheeded, and the last messenger that was sent returned to Agameru with only his head, with a letter signed from Sloan Faakhir to stop what they were doing. Lorik retaliated by joining the Liberation Army, but left after it became clear that Lutis saw both Lorik and his people as disposable. You certainly know what happened after that, but thankfully his rejoining of the Liberation Army under you was much better.

Secret #4

So I found several pages of sheet music the other day, with incredibly sappy lyrics. It appears that Lorik has songwriting as a hobby but most of the songs he's written are love ballads. I thought I heard Kakyoku singing one of the songs the other day, and it sounded good. I also discovered that it's a BAD idea to ask Lorik who the songs are about. I made the mistake of asking if Tala was the subject of the songs and he actually chased after me yelling at the top of his voice! That's quite an extreme reaction, isn't it?

20. Tensoku Star

Nash

Secret #1

Name: Nash Latkje

Age: 40 (?)

From: Harmonia

Position: Harmonian Spy, Liberation Army soldier

Secret #2

Well, he's an…interesting fellow. He is a spy from Harmonia and he's spying on us, but he freely admitted to us that he was a spy. I don't know how he can report to Harmonia all the way from here, but it wouldn't surprise me if he has somehow found a way to submit reports to them. He participated in the Second Fire Bringer War and it sounds like he worked behind the scenes during the Dunan Unification War. He met Sierra during the latter, but they got married after the war. Very interesting. It also sounds like when he's not working he lives with his mom, sister, and Sierra. He almost sounds like a family guy, but it seems strange to classify him as such.

Secret #3

Doesn't it seem odd that Nash doesn't…look his age? I know the aging process is different from person to person, but though Nash is 40 he looks like he's in his mid 20s. I mean, since he married a vampire logically he would be a vampire, but vampires cannot be far from the Moon Rune or else they will go mad. But Nash doesn't seem to take Sierra everywhere he goes for his missions. Is he a vampire but can tolerate being away from the Moon Rune? Or is there something else going on?

Secret #4

Well this is very odd. I just witnessed a conversation between Barō and Nash where the name "Zaj Quilous" came up. That's the name of the person Barō is looking for, right? The moment Barō mentioned that name though, Nash's face sort of twisted up and he suddenly became very angry. He ended the conversation right then and there but I distinctly heard Nash tell Barō to never mention that name to him again. Whoever this Zaj Quilous is, he appears to be bad news. But is he really here in Nagarea? Are we going to meet him? And what will happen when Nash meets him?

21. Teni Star

Georg

Secret #1

Name: Georg Prime

Age: 51

From: ?

Position: Liberation Army soldier

Secret #2

Your quintessential folk hero! But seriously, Sir Georg has had quite a full and extensive history. One of the Six Generals of the Scarlet Moon Empire, leader of the Ebony Knights in the Grasslands, a member of the Queen's Knights in Falena, and a solider of the Dunan Army during the Dunan Unification War. His heroics are known to all the corners of the world, and even at his age he is sought after for mercenary companies, royal armies, or even common adventurers for his skills in battle. He continues to be in high demand.

Secret #3

For some reason, Sir Georg covered his left eye during his time in Falena and acted as though he were blind in that eye. I had suspected that he wasn't truly blind in that eye because his depth perception both in and out of combat did not appear to be hindered. Apparently he took the blindfold off for Prince Frejyadour before he left Falena, and the prince wasn't happy about the deception. But I think the prince was less happy about Sir Georg leaving the country. Alas, they have yet to remove his arrest warrant and so he cannot return to Falena until they do so. Prince Surya intends to speak to Queen Lymsleia though after this war is over so that Georg can finally return to Falena.

Secret #4

For a gruff old man (laugh) Sir Georg is exceptionally fond of cheesecake. He seems to like sweets in general though and eats them frequently with meals. Shou witnessed him put away a whole vanilla cake in one sitting after he ate his supper! I suppose the sugar energizes him, and with how active he is he can burn off the sweets very easily.

22. Tensatsu Star

Jantu

Secret #1

Name: Jantu

Age: 37

From: Two River, Dunan Republic

Position: Liberation Army Combat Trainer

Secret #2

Jantu came to Nagarea all the way from the Dunan Republic four years ago out of curiosity. As there are no native Kobolds in Nagarea, Jantu caused quite a stir when he arrived. The reactions varied from fascination to fear, and he wound up in trouble multiple times. But as he's demonstrated himself to being a very capable fighter, he's always been able to get himself out of trouble.

Secret #3

Jantu fought alongside the Kobolds of Two River during the Dunan Unification War. Ever since he was young he's looked up to Lord Ridley of Two River, and has tried to follow his example. The three races that occupy Two River—the Kobolds, humans, and Wingers—have a tumultuous history, but thanks to the efforts of Dunan Army leader, Lord Riou, relations between the three races improved considerably. This is probably why Jantu feels no apprehension or animosity towards the humans that surround him.

Secret #4

Did you know Jantu is a fan of chocolate? I…don't quite understand how this is so, particularly since I had heard that chocolate is a toxin to Kobolds. But Jantu is often seen snacking on chocolate bars imported from Kanakan. His body must have exceptional endurance to it, or his metabolism might process chocolate differently than it would for other Kobolds. I would still recommend that someone speak to him about his chocolate intake though. Toxin or not, that much chocolate is not good for anyone's teeth.

23. Tenbi Star

Silvano

Secret #1

Name: Silvano Shana Ques Laviankaana Falenas

Age: 23

From: Lukiae Ende Towayo, Toran Republic

Position: Lord Consort to Princess Kaylani Falenas

Secret #2

The son of Chief Kirkis and his wife Sylvina, Silvano was raised in a home of love but also during a tumultuous time as his home village was still being rebuilt and the last surviving Toran Elves were slowly returning to the forest. During the Gate Rune War the sacred tree that house 800 elves was destroyed by the Burning Mirror and the Toran Elves were almost completely wiped out. Raised in an environment of protecting the last surviving elves and protecting their newly sprouted sacred tree instilled a strong sense of justice in Silvano, and he is incredibly protective of the people he cares about. He is the type to charge first into danger and to leave danger last, if it means protecting his comrades or loved ones.

Secret #3 (Pre-Chapter Five)

As you are aware, Silvano met Princess Kaylani when she visited the Toran Republic as Falena's Ambassador. The two fell in love during her visit, but when she returned to Falena he did not initially follow. They tried a long-distance relationship but the time apart and great distance between them proved very painful for the both of them, and maintaining their relationship seemed impossible given their different obligations in their home countries. Ultimately Silvano, who was to be the next Chief of Lukiae Ende Towayo, made the decision to forfeit his claim and move to the Southern Continent to be with Princess Kaylani. Kirkis and Sylvina both fully supported his decision and gave him their blessing, and Silvano married the Princess not long after he came to Falena. But he does not regret his decision and is very happy with his wife and his son.

Secret #3 (Post-Chapter Five)

As you are aware, Silvano met Princess Kaylani when she visited the Toran Republic as Falena's Ambassador. The two fell in love during her visit, but when she returned to Falena he did not initially follow. They tried a long-distance relationship but the time apart and great distance between them proved very painful for the both of them, and maintaining their relationship seemed impossible given their different obligations in their home countries. Ultimately Silvano, who was to be the next Chief of Lukiae Ende Towayo, made the decision to forfeit his claim and move to the Southern Continent to be with Princess Kaylani. Kirkis and Sylvina both fully supported his decision and gave him their blessing, and Silvano married the Princess not long after he came to Falena. But he does not regret his decision and is very happy with his wife and his son.

Silvano's parents however did appreciate his visit when you went to Toran. They love the time they spend with their son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Perhaps you ought to bring all three of them with you again if you happen to go back to Toran?

Secret #4

Silvano has developed a close friendship with Israfil. Before the Falenan royals were kidnapped, the two men had never shared a conversation with each other. After traveling across Nagarea together however in search of the royals they have formed a camaraderie. They've done a few hunting trips with Prince Surya and frequently spar together, even though they have different skills. Silvano seems aware of Israfil's longstanding feelings for his sister-in-law, Princess Archana, but he doesn't push unwanted conversations because Israfil clearly doesn't want to talk about it. Instead they just talk about hunting. It's quite boring, honestly.

24. Tenkyu Star

Dylan

25. Tentai Star

Lysander

26. Tenjyu Star

Varnaz

Secret #1

Name: Varnaz Behzadi

Age: 30

From: Tenaga, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army Lieutenant

Secret #2

Varnaz's family was once a very affluential family in Nagarea. Both of his parents were reputable Clerics and his older sister Bara married a Cleric herself. Varnaz actually met Bearyl Lutis through his parents when Bearyl was still a Cleric, but they were barely acquaintances as Varnaz had chosen to become a soldier in the Holy Army. They didn't speak again until several years later, when Bearyl was defrocked and restarted the Liberation Army, and Varnaz was arrested under Original Sin. Bearyl himself led an attack on the transport that was escorting Varnaz, and upon rescuing Varnaz they tried to save the rest of Varnaz's family in the capital. Tragically, they arrived during the executions, and though only Bara was still alive she still died of shock from the 'cleansing' she endured. Bearyl himself administered last rites to Bara, and it was from that moment that Varnaz pledged himself to Bearyl and quickly became his best friend.

Secret #3

As you see from his title, Varnaz was demoted from the position of Lieutenant-General to simply Lieutenant. But we know that it wasn't you who demoted him; rather, Varnaz demoted himself. Having the Lieutenant-General position awarded him more authority and respect than the other lieutenants, however Varnaz felt that he was undeserving of the rank he once had because he allowed Bearyl Lutis to get away with too much. He was deeply saddened to lose his friendship with Bearyl, but he was also saddened to find out that someone he considered his best friend saw so little value in him. His loyalty to you is different than the loyalty he had to Bearyl, but his performance and attitude now are significantly better than they were before.

Secret #4

So you know how I said that Bearyl Lutis was Varnaz's best friend? Well in actuality, Bearyl was Varnaz's only friend. Varnaz ended several friendships with people who saw Bearyl in anything but a positive light, and as a result he has been largely friendless since you became Commander. He's been trying to build new friendships though, but has gone about it the wrong way. Such as joining random conversations or randomly giving advice to people. Varnaz however has such a domineering presence that he ends up scaring people or irritating them. Just the other day he snapped at Dr. Clara, but when I talked with him about it he was confused because he thought he was simply answering a question. Maybe you can give him some help with this?

27. Tenken Star

Sanji

28. Tenhei Star

Ruggiero

29. Tenzai Star

Gertrude

30. Tenson Star

Arisoto

31. Tenpai Star

Bax

32. Tenrou Star

Sásta

33. Tensui Star

Áthas

34. Tenbou Star

Nigel

35. Tenkoku Star

Thea

36. Tenkou Star

Adalgiso

Secret #1

Name: Adalgiso

Age: 62

From: Farna, Nagarea

Position: Second-in-command to Sloan Faakhir

Secret #2

Adalgiso is the grandson of a former High Cleric, so even though no other kin ever attained such high social status, his family was still regarded with a high level of respect. He's very popular among infantry units because of his willingness to fight on the front lines and because of the fact he cares about his recruits. Varnaz said that not even Bearyl Lutis ever had anything bad to say about him.

Secret #3

Despite his family's high status, Adalgiso abandoned his surname. This is because of the Plague of Farna. as you already know. His wife, his children, even his grandchildren—they all succumbed to this tragic epidemic. Not surprisingly the memory of his family was very painful for him and so he found it easier to not have his family name at all. Adalgiso seems to have come to terms with their deaths, but even now I sometimes find him staring off into space with a sad look on his face.

Secret #4

Adalgiso's loyalty to Sloan is unwavering. Even when Sloan was overtaken by the Black/Conqueror Rune, Adalgiso never abandoned him. After digging into this deeper, I found out why. When Adalgiso lost his family, he tried to commit suicide. Not only did Sloan prevent him from going through with it, but he also helped Adalgiso put his life back together. If not for Sloan, then Adalgiso surely would be dead or in a terrible state of mind right now, and so Adalgiso is eternally grateful to Sloan for his care. He sees Sloan as an honorary son, and Esther and Ciana as honorary granddaughters. It's very touching.

37. Chikai Star

Peader

38. Chisatsu Star

Virgil

39. Chiyu Star

Kin

Secret #1

Name: Kin

Age: 28

From: K'alak'i Patieba, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army Trading Post Owner

Secret #2

Kin's family has been in the trading business since before the Great Earthquake. His ancestor is on record as being the last known Nagarean to have entered Armes under peaceful terms. Kin has dreamed of being a traveling trader like his ancestors have, but obviously has had little opportunity to travel due to the isolationism of Nagarea, and of course the Falenan-Nagarean land border being impassable due to the Earthquake. Perhaps that will change now?

Secret #3

I found this amongst Kin's notes when he was out of his shop:

"Rice to Tenaga. Rice to K'alak'l Patieba. Rice to Doraat. Rice to Lordlake—"

Those are cities in Falena! Kin is trading to Falena? Most impressive! Although, why is he only trading rice?

Secret #4

Ah, so I found out some more info about his fixation with rice. For a period when he was a child business was really bad and his family almost starved to death. Rice would be the only thing he could eat every day for over a year. You would think he would despise rice in his later years, but he eats it with every meal and he puts forth greater effort to make sure that it's trading well than his other resources.

…While this is noble, perhaps he should also promote other products if he wants to earn more money. Maybe you can talk to him about that?

40. Chiketsu Star

Jeane

Secret #1

Name: Jeane

Age: ?

From: ?

Position: Liberation Army Runemistress

Secret #2

Jeane? Ah yes, I remember her from the Falenan Civil War. She's done something different with her hair though, but she looks largely the same as back then. Very mysterious woman.

Secret #3

Ah, this is…strange. I thought I saw Jeane leaving HQ to go somewhere, but when I started following her suddenly I woke up on a patch of grass near the southwest building. I don't remember what happened after I walked through the gates. Is Jeane responsible?

Secret #4

We are at a loss. None of my detectives has been able to find anything about her. The most I can gather is that she is in historical books for five past wars and she has maintained her power and beauty. I think it's best we leave this alone.

41. Chiyu Star

Oisin

42. Chii Star

Fred

43. Chiei Star

Rico

44. Chiki Star

Keiran

Secret #1

Name: Keiran Umed

Age: 24

From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea

Position: Former Sheikh of the northeastern provinces

Secret #2

Keiran is from the upper crust of Nagarean society, and he inherited his title of Sheikh from his father. But he is a very capable warrior and doesn't hesitate to fight on the front lines with his men. He's always held a very moderate perspective about the Nagarean faith, but for his own job and personal security he had to pretend to be just as radicalized as his colleagues. He also has a personal code of conduct and honor, which is why he refused to take Princess Kaylani hostage.

Secret #3

He looks like a laid-back elitist, but his swordsmanship is amazing. Did you know that Keiran and Mihr had a duel several years ago that lasted for six hours and went to a draw? People have heard of this and keep asking them to do a rematch, but both parties have refused. The other day he had a duel with Jantu though and Jantu did defeat him, but Keiran seemed to be holding himself back. I think he was trying to humble himself before the Army as repentance for everything he'd done to the Army when he was a Sheikh. People have been slow to warm up to him, but he's such a likeable guy that nobody can stay mad at him for very long.

Secret #4

Keiran was part of an arranged marriage for most of his life, but a few years ago he formally broke off the engagement. He told his betrothed that he could not marry her because he didn't love her, but he also paid back the dowry her family had bestowed upon him when the engagement had been officiated. Most elitist marriages in Nagarean society are arranged marriages, but Keiran did not want to subject his future wife to a potentially unhappy marriage. Though there are also rumors that Keiran ended the engagement because he's already fallen in love...

45. Chimou Star

Mihr

Secret #1

Name: Mihr

Age: 25

From: Warrior's Village, Toran Republic

Position: Second-in-Command to Keiran Umed

Secret #2

The Warrior's Village has a reputation for building incredible fighters. They have a coming-of-age tradition where young men have to go on a "journey of manhood" to become a true warrior. This is the reason that Mihr came to Nagarea, as part of his "reckless youth pride". When Mihr first met Keiran, the latter was attempting to arrest him for being a "heretic". They fought in a duel for six hours but it only came to a draw. In awe of his fighting prowess, Keiran offered him a position on his squad, and Mihr rapidly rose in the ranks to become his second-in-command. With this ascension, Mihr has more or less completed his journey.

Secret #3

It's a tradition amongst men of the Warrior Village that when they complete their "journey of manhood" they are allowed to officially name their weapon. It's such a big deal within this village that men generally name their weapon after their most beloved person. You've probably already noticed, but Mihr has also named his weapon. It's a very peculiar name though, "Nariek". I asked him if Nariek is anyone that we know and though he said yes, he would give me no further details.

Secret #4

Did you know that Mihr is one of Mooney's best customers? You would never guess it by looking at him, but Mihr is very fond of the figurines Mooney has created. He's already collected all the warriors that hail from the Warrior's Village, such as Hix, Tengaar, Mathias, and of course Flik, but he's also collecting more. Mooney told me he's spent almost 100,000 bits on his figurines. I guess everyone has a secret hobby.

46. Chibun Star

Mooney

47. Chisei Star

Gizli

Secret #1

Name: Gizli

Age: 59

From: Zinnia, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army's Forgery Expert and Appraiser

Secret #2

This woman is…something. She's loud, abrasive, and has incredibly low patience. Sorry, but I wasn't able to find out anything about her. She refused to sit down and talk to me. Then she started throwing things at me when I didn't leave fast enough. You're our leader, can you go and talk to her and tell her that this behavior is highly inappropriate?

Secret #3

Why did you send me back to her again? Well, whatever. She's a heavy smoker. Dr. Clara has been on her case for the last couple of years about it, but Gizli ignores her for the most part. Much like how she ignores everyone unless they wanted forged documents or to get an appraisal. I don't like doing this, just save your money and please do not send me after her again.

Secret #4

Wow, okay. She actually talked to me this time. Did you know she was once married? Well it's easy to see that with her solid veil, but her husband was one of the best forgers around. He taught Gizli everything he knew. They were married for almost thirty years and she deeply loved him. She kept talking about how much she regretted that they didn't have children. Forgery is a crime though, and though it's a universal crime the penalty here in Nagarea was pretty severe. Both Gizli and her husband were arrested, but her husband sacrificed himself so that she could escape. She met up with the Liberation Army while literally fleeing from Holy Army forces. Gunther and Varnaz saved her, and that's how she joined your Army. I guess she wasn't so bad after all.

48. Chikatsu Star

Brennus

49. Chitou Star

May

50. Chikyou Star

Bright

51. Chian Star

Lanny

Secret #1

Name: Lanny

Age: 14

From: Tenaga, Nagarea

Position: Squire First-Class in Nagarea's Liberation Army, formally Squire First-Class to Keiran Umed

Secret #2

Lanny's family are vassals in Tenaga, and by the caste system are lower than indentured servants. Because of this he was doomed to having an extremely low rank when he joined the Theocratic Army, despite his natural skill with a sword. Keiran however saw potential in him despite his very low rank and thus Lanny has been privilege and treatment as though he were among the noble class. Because of this, Lanny is fiercely loyal to Keiran and will follow him wherever he goes.

Secret #3

Lanny doesn't have any friends his age because of his low social rank, and because his peers his age were jealous of him because they though he had gotten preferential treatment from Keiran. Older peers mercilessly teased him, and still do so, and though they mean no harm Lanny unfortunately takes it personally. The other day I heard Keiran express relief that the Liberation Army has young people Lanny's age in it, as it will give him the chance to actually make friends.

Secret #4

Lanny seems to have developed a…crush on Desiree. Whenever he hears that she's about to dance—even if it's just a rumor—he drops whatever it is he's doing an runs to the theatre to watch her dance. I've seen him watch her dancing and every time he looks like he's in a trance. I think some people around here get a kick out of seeing him so flustered, considering he's generally very stoic and serious. Predictably his older peers have teased him for it, but Desiree for her part seems oblivious to his crush. Which I suppose is a good thing because Lanny does NOT want her to find out about it.

52. Chiziku Star

Farzin

Secret #1

Name: Farzin Masood

Age: 44

From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army soldier, former Cleric

Secret #2

Farzin was the first Cleric in his family. Isn't that nice? Well, not necessarily. Farzin's dad was a sculptor but also incredibly lazy. He made one magnificent sculptor of Nagar once (which is in the main square of Mlkwt Alsmwat), but that ended up being the first and last time he finished a project. After that he received commissions for other sculptures, but once he started the projects he would never finish them. The family was constantly poor because they had no money (as they would have to give it back when he abandoned projects) and nothing ever motivated Farzin's dad to get a day job or try to apply himself to his work. When Farzin became a Cleric his parents hounded him for cash constantly, and his father humiliated him by using Farzin's name to get yet another commission and then eventually abandoned it and he ended up in prison for a few years for fraud. Good thing this all happened before Original Sin became law, huh?

Secret #3

As you know, Farzin made the bulk of his money by handing out quickie divorces in the capital. Traditionally when a couple wishes to divorce they have to petition the High Clerics to be granted their divorce. Farzin however found a loophole in the law and was able to grant legitimate divorces to people who didn't want to petition the High Clerics. Allise was one such person. He was eventually found out however and was defrocked, but one good thing that came from being defrocked was that after his hearing he overheard the planned massacre on Uaminifu and hurried to warn the Liberation Army about it. During his travels he met up with Shou and they traveled together until they found you. Shou didn't say much about their trip other than that Farzin likes to talk a lot.

Secret #4

Farzin has an extremely low opinion of marriage. Well this was pretty obvious with how eager he was to take up the divorce trade, but truthfully it was because of his parent's toxic marriage that he despises it so. He feels that his parents were completely incompatible and enablers of each other's negative traits and so he has no desire to marry himself. Fact is that he seems wholly uninterested in relationships in general, as his devotion continue towards the Nagarist faith even while he himself is technically no longer a Cleric. But he seems perfectly content sitting by himself reading the Scriptures for hours on end.

53. Chikai Star

Mokuren

Secret #1

Name: Mokuren

Age: 17

From: Rainfall, Falena

Position: Bodyguard to Prince Surya

Secret #2

Mokuren has a very eccentric nature that tends to put other people off. But for the most part it appears to just be a façade for people to deliberately underestimate her and to remain taken off-guard by her. She is in fact a very capable bodyguard to Surya and has saved his life on numerous occasions.

Secret #3

As you have been informed, Mokuren comes from the Barows family, which was once a prominent noble family in Falena. However, the reputation of the family was tarnished because of their treasonous actions that led to the loss of numerous lives. Mokuren's father Euram was one such individual, and to redeem himself he pledged his firstborn child to live in the service of the Falenan royal family. Mokuren was this child, and after Euram insisted on the family taking his child Queen Lymsleia gave Mokuren to baby Surya to serve as his playmate and bodyguard. The rest is history.

Secret #4

Though Surya is a member of Falena's Queen's Knights, Mokuren is not an official member. She definitely has the skill for it, and it's not a matter of sexism that excludes her from the Knights. From what it looks like, there has been some resistance from the citizens of Falena of allowing someone from the Barows family to serve on the Queen's Knights. It's a shame that Mokuren's career advancement has been stunted due to the sins of her father, but she doesn't seem to mind.

54. Chisa Star

Liron

55. Chiyu Star

Gusoku

Secret #1

Name: Gusoku

Age: 36

From: Tenaga, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army Armorer

Secret #2

Nagarea is well renowned for healing items but the armor business appears to also be very competitive as well. Gosuku's family were late bloomers in Tenaga, as his grandfather was the one who started the business, but he was in fact the fifth armor shop to have been set up in Tenaga. As you can imagine the competition between the fives stores was extremely heavy. The competitiveness escalated into physical violence in the streets and Keiran's grandfather had to personally intervene as employees from different shops were being attacked and killed. By the end of it Gusoku's family curried the most favor with the Sheikh, and by the time Gusoku was born his family's shop was the sole armor shop in Tenaga.

Secret #3

Gusoku is a natural genius when it comes to owning a business. Not only did he know the Merchant's Pledge by heart (even after the Theocracy kept adding lines to it seemingly at random) but he could do inventory entirely from memory. Nāṭaka has nothing but praises for Gusoku when it comes to plays because he not only memorizes his own lines, but the lines of everyone in the play. He seems to get a lot of enjoyment from working, so it's best to keep him busy.

Secret #4

Hey, I found a letter at his shop when he was out. It's quite interesting. I'll transcribe a few lines:

"I believe you when you say that you love me, and I hope that you will believe me when I say that I love you, too. But now is not the time for us to be together."

That was a note written to Gusoku in lovely handwriting. Is Gusoku in a secret relationship?

56. Chirei Star

Yulin

Secret #1

Name: Dr. Yulin

Age: 52

From: Tenaga, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army's Chief Doctor

Secret #2

Dr. Yulin is a brillint physician and surgeon. For years he was respected in the medical community for his skills and despite his low rank on the caste system even the elites respected his skills. You probably know this, but Dr. Yulin volunteered for his position as the doctor of the Dark Chasm, because he had heard rumors about the deplorable conditions of the labor mine and wanted to do what he could to help the children. The fact that so many children have died under his care has caused him incredible guilt.

Secret #3

Dr. Yulin doesn't seem to understand the concept of 'after hours' or 'day off'. He's always in the infirmary working. I don't know when he goes to sleep. Dr. Clara is constantly reprimanding him for overworking, and just the other day she summoned Jantu to force him to go to bed. It was pretty funny, but she had a point. Dr. Yulin works way too hard. Maybe he'll take a break if you tell him to?

Secret #4

Did you know Dr. Yulin has a son? He's a cleric in the capital. Unfortunately Dr. Yulin's son stopped talking to him after Dr. Yulin took his position in the Dark Chasm, and when Dr. Yulin joined our army his son publicly renounced any kinship to him. It was probably in order to save himself from getting punished under Original Sin, but it was still devastating to Dr. Yulin. I think he gets along with you so well because you remind him of his son.

57. Chijyu Star

Clara

Secret #1

Name: Dr. Clara

Age: 21

From: Farna, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army Secondary Doctor

Secret #2

Despite her young age, Dr. Clara is a very gifted doctor passionate about her work. She decided to study medicine after surviving the Plague of Farna, which took the life of her older brother. Clara studied at the University of Žiak to get her doctorate, but unfortunately she could not advance very far despite her high scores. The year she was supposed to graduate she was told she told she had failed, however she found out they didn't want to pass her because of her low caste rank, and because of the fact that her higher-ranking classmates did not qualify for graduation. Clara broke into the main offices and stole her diploma.

Secret #3

Dr. Clara was already disillusioned with the Theocracy when she was denied graduation, so when she first started hearing the rumors about the truth about the Plague of Farna she immediately believed them. This unfortunately is what got her into trouble with the government because she was asking a LOT of questions openly. That, and she was freely practicing as a doctor "unlicensed" (even though University of Žiak had her diploma ready anyway). Luckily for Clara, her arresting officer was a soldier whose wife she had previously saved when she dislocated her pelvis, so he let her escape custody. Not too long afterwards she found the Liberation Army, and Bearyl Lutis was more than happy to have her.

Secret #4

You've probably seen how much Dr. Clara idolizes Dr. Yulin, but she also has very little patience for how little the older doctor takes care of himself. Just the other day she was tying him to a bed screaming at him to sleep. Well, in general she has very little patience for anyone who doesn't take care of herself, but she herself doesn't take care of herself. I've rarely seen her leave the infirmary even for meals, and I've never seen her socialize outside of her work. She has plenty of admirers, though.

58. Chibi Star

Futch

59. Chikyu Star

Felicity

Secret # 1

Name: Felicity

Age: 17

From: Farna, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army soldier, former Dark Chasm prisoner

Secret #2

Felicity is one of you best friends with whom you met during your time in the Dark Chasm. In that wretched place she stood out from other children because of her optimism in the fact of the horrendous abuse you all suffered. This tended to get her into trouble a lot, because the guards didn't take kindly to seeing smiles and laughter, which Felicity frequently displayed. But it didn't stop her from behaving this way, somewhat in defiance of them.

Secret #3

This is no secret, but Felicity survived the Plague of Farna. Twelve years ago the town was struck by a plague that had been created by the Theocracy to exterminate the elves of Nagarea, but the plague accidentally spread to Farna. Eight thousand people died of the Plague, including Felicity's mother. She witnessed many horrors in that city, and this may have been why she wasn't so fazed by her experience in the Dark Chasm. I would strongly recommend talking with her about her experience sometime. It's not an easy subject for her, but she seems more relaxed when she gets it off her chest.

Secret #4

This may surprise you, but Felicity has become disillusioned with the Nagarean faith. Her father was convicted under Original Sin for adultery; he had an affair with the wife of a cleric. This is part of the reason he made many business trips to Mlkwt Alsmwat. As per the laws of Original Sin, both guilty parties should be punished. However, only Felicity's family was punished and the cheating wife was not. Felicity has expressed a lot of anger over this, because she feels it isn't fair that her family was singled out for punishment. It's probably because of this why she was so enthusiastic about joining the Liberation Army.

60. Chibaku Star

River

61. Chizen Star

Eresh

62. Chikou Star

Masaru

63. Chikyou Star

Shou

Secret #1

Name: Shou

Age: 26

From: Somewhere in Falena

Position: Liberation Army Detective

Secret #2

As you know Shou is the son of my two wards, Shigure and Sagiri. Shigure was brainwashed by Nether Gate to never show emotions, and Sagiri was brainwashed by Nether Gate to never stop smiling, but when they came together their emotions stabilized. As such I wasn't at all surprised to see them eventually fall in love and get married. Fuyo once told me that childbirth was the first time Sagiri lost her smile, and Shigure cried for the first time when he first held Shou, and so we are deeply thankful to Shou for giving us many gifts. He was babied quite a bit, but that seemed to embarrass him even at an early age and so he didn't grow up spoiled (despite our best efforts).

Secret #3

[There appears to have been a paragraph here, but whatever was written was completely scratched out. There is something written underneath]

DO NOT ASK WHAT OBORO WROTE ABOVE. IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

Secret #4

Ah, I must apologize for Shou. He found the last report and scribbled out what I had written about him. It was harmless really, just an observation about him that we thought was adorable. Well hopefully this gets to you before Shou finds it. Don't tell anyone, but the Oboro detectives have collectively decided that Shou will become the new leader once this war is done. He has proven himself worthy, but also Shigure, Sagiri, Crow—well, everyone, really—have no interest in taking the position. We're going to surprise him with this, isn't that wonderful?

64. Chihi Star

Tidur

Secret #1

Name: Tidur Faakhir

Age: 36

From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army's Innkeeper

Secret #2

As you know, she runs the inn for the headquarters. Despite coming from a life of privilege, being the daughter of a cleric in the capital, Tidur seems to be a very capable businesswoman. She's pretty lucky in that regard though, as she was disowned by her family when she chose to marry Sloan. But that doesn't seemed to have bothered her any, and she was content with her life with Sloan, Esther, and Ciana. Everything changed though three years ago, and she fled Sloan with her daughters. Even now there seems to be a lingering sadness in her that doesn't go away, even when she appears to be happy.

Secret #3

When Tidur was younger, her father betrothed her to an old family friend—a cleric who was over thirty years older than her. She didn't want to marry the man, but her parents were insistent. She even tried to get a hearing in the Grand Citadel to nullify the betrothal, but she was unsuccessful. Luckily for Tidur, Sloan heard about her plight and challenged her betrothed to a duel for Tidur's hand. Despite being a fourteen-year-old boy facing a trained warrior, Sloan bested him. By Nagarean law that gave him the right to Tidur's hand, but her parents did not want her marrying someone lower on the caste than her. But Tidur didn't care, and eloped with Sloan regardless.

Secret #4 (Pre-Chapter Nine)

Tidur tends to keep to herself other than when taking care of Esther and Ciana, but she loves helping May tend to the garden. She seems to really enjoy the task, and has tried to get her daughters to join her, but Esther prefers to work on her windows and Ciana prefers to play. She doesn't like to talk about her…marriage to Sloan Faakhir. When she fled she petitioned for a divorce in the capital, but her request was denied. She ultimately settled on being estranged from Sloan, and he was content to not come after her. For now.

Secret #4 (Post-Chapter Nine)

Tidur tends to keep to herself other than when taking care of Esther and Ciana, but she loves helping May tend to the garden. She seems to really enjoy the task, and has tried to get her daughters to join her, but Esther prefers to work on her windows and Ciana prefers to play. Just the other day, I saw her gardening alone and I spotted Sloan watching her. He looked like he wanted to help her, or even talk to her, but he couldn't gather up the nerve. You would think that these two would naturally come together after his spell was broken, but Tidur…whatever had happened between them when Sloan was possessed has made her very hesitant to be around him. I do wish them the best.

65. Chisou Star

Hero

66. Chikou Star

Eliasen

67. Chimei Star

Priscilla

Secret #1

Name: Priscilla

Age: 30

From: Razril, Islands Nation Federation

Position: Liberation Army soldier

Secret #2

You met Priscilla after she was sentenced to death for adultery, but she's had a pretty...colorful life. She met her former lover while out fishing and she accidentally sailed into Nagarean waters. The two hit it off relatively quickly though, and instead of going back home when given the chance she decided to come to Nagarea to be with her lover. You saw the house he set her up in in Baltas, correct? It seems the man really went out of his way to take care of her, but that was pretty brazen of him to bring his mistress into the same town his wife and children were in.

Secret #3

Priscilla's certainly no pushover with a sword. That's because she use to serve in the Islands Nation Federation Navy. She joined when she was a teenager but retired after serving a decade. Then she spent most of her time doing freelance mercenary work and fishing. You would never guess all of this with her seemingly delicate appearance, but it certainly works to her advantage.

Secret #4

You know this, but Priscilla was arrested because her lover's wife found out about their relationship and filed a complaint with the Grand Citadel. In order to save his own hide the man blamed everything on Priscilla, which was pretty easy as she was a foreigner, and so only Priscilla was charged. Priscilla is unapologetically nonchalant about the whole thing, but I believe she did love the man and was hurt by the betrayal. Hopefully next time though she uses sound judgment when choosing a partner.

68. Chisin Star

Trofim

69. Chitai Star

Indigo

70. Chiman Star

Vien

71. Chisui Star

Blaise

72. Chisyu Star

Zander

73. Chiin Star

Desiree

74. Chii Star

Sharon

75. Chiri Star

Esther

76. Chisyun Star

James

77. Chiraku Star

Kakyoku

78. Chitatsu Star

Viki

Secret #1

Name: Viki

Age: ?

From: ?

Position: Liberation Army's Teleportation Mistress

Secret #2

What a strange girl. I remember her from the Falenan Civil War and she looks largely the same as she did then, which was almost thirty years ago. What's stranger is that when I mentioned the War to her she spoke of it as if it had happened yesterday. When I checked a textbook of past wars I saw her name come up frequently. I had thought that maybe she had an ancestor with the same name, but this has caused me to second-guess it.

Secret #3

Viki has an uncanny ability to sleep while standing up, and she can teleport anyone at random around her, sometimes with just a sneeze. Her Blinking Rune is quite unlike anything I've ever seen, but when I asked her if it was a True Rune she seemed confused by the question. I mean there is no other Rune like this in the world, so logically it would be a True Rune, right?

Secret #4

Umeko managed to sneak up on her while she was asleep and checked her collar for a tag. Our goal was to see if her clothes were a specific brand that we could associate with a specific country. Umeko however said that her collar had a number printed onto it. 1-9-9-5. This doesn't help us much though because what does this number mean? Is it the price of her dress? Is it a year? And what is this "Waffu" she keep mumbling in her sleep about?

79. Chisoku Star

Reis

80. Chichin Star

Luciano

81. Chikei Star

Xi An

82. Chima Star

Suna

83. Chiyou Star

Quasim

84. Chiyu Star

Oboro

Secret #1

Name: [REDACTED]

Age: [REDACTED]

From: [REDACTED]

Position: Liberation Army Lead Detective

Secret #2

[REDACTED]

Secret #3

[REDACTED]

Secret #4

Ah, I apologize for my poor attempt at humor from the previous entries. I will issue you a refund for my personal Investigation. Oh, did you know I utilize mice to help with my investigations? I train them myself, though they always seem to prefer to sleep with Shou. Shou has hated this since he was a child though (laugh).

…I'm afraid that there isn't much to say about me other than I'm a foul person who is responsible for the deaths of countless people. I do not want to burden you with my secrets, so they're best left alone.

85. Chifuku Star

Chinmaya

86. Chihi Star

La'Ahad

87. Chiku Star

Zuzanna

88. Chiko Star

Baldemar

89. Chizen Star

Umeko

90. Chitan Star

Nian

91. Chikaku Star

Evarr

92. Chisyu Star

Arin

Secret #1

Name: Arin

Age: 9

From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army soldier (?)

Secret #2

You requested me to investigate your little brother? How very strange. I can't imagine I would be able to shed any light on Arin that you don't already know. Well, he absolutely adores you. He's rather wise beyond his years, and seems to have more self-awareness than most adults do. But I'm sure you already know all this.

Secret #3

I listed his birthplace as Mlkwt Alsmwat, but that's technically not correct. It seems your mother gave birth to him on the road while your family was fleeing Mlkwt Alsmwat. He was born premature too, and everyone was concerned that he wouldn't make it. But your parents refused to give up on him and he eventually got better. This is accurate, correct?

Secret #4

Because of his imprisonment he's never learned how to read. Oh, but that hasn't stopped him from trying. Just the other day I found him trying to read a large dictionary! Thankfully our new headquarters has a library, but make sure he doesn't push himself too hard.

He also likes ice cream. Sorry if this report sounds lackluster (especially since you spent money on it), but I honestly don't know what else I can tell you about your little brother that you don't already know.

93. Chizou Star

Yasaka

94. Chihei Star

Tamara

95. Chison Star

Ichirou

Secret #1

Name: Ichirou

Age: 10

From: Zinnia, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army's Vault Master

Secret #2

Ichirou comes from a long line of Vault Masters! …No, I am not joking. Ichirou's family had minded the food vaults in Zinnia for over 100 years. It was a position his family was very proud of, and Ichirou was in apprenticeship at a very young age to follow in the tradition of his family. Quite tragically however, his family lost everything two years ago because of the machinations of Sheikh Sloan Faakhir. During the Sheikh's inspection in Zinnia an irregularity was reported in the vault's inventory, which led to an immediate accusation on Ichirou's father of theft. Without initiating arrest, the Sheikh summarily executed Ichirou's father on the spot. By the end of the visit the "theft" was discovered to be nothing more than a clerical error, but Sheikh Faakhir ordered the arrest of Ichirou's family under Original Sin regardless. The Liberation Army was able to rescue Ichirou before the child was sent to the Dark Chasm and he has been with the Army ever since.

Secret #3

Ichirou is very independent for his age. Despite saving Ichirou, Bearyl Lutis more or less left the child to his own devices and he didn't take measures to make sure that he would be okay as a child in the Army. Luckily others in the Army took Ichirou under their wing, such as Jantu and Allise. As a result however Ichirou doesn't take many days off and has to be told multiple times to have a break. The other day I saw Freyr, Lanny, and a couple of other chidlren dragging Ichirou out of the vault to go fishing. He does enjoy playing with Arin though, and I've often found them in the figurines room. While it's good that people continue to look out for him, he is still a child and he should not be left alone after the war. I would recommend making provisions for him so that this does not happen.

Secret #4

I found a book of practical jokes that appears to be in Ichirou's handwriting. Hundreds of one-liners joke were crammed into this book. The jokes are not crude or mean-spirited thankfully, but some are very dry. The other day Ichirou was reciting the jokes as an opening act before a production of Beauty and the Beast, and unfortunately he did not do well. The audience however was very kind to him and laughed and cheered for him when he was finished. Luckily for Ichirou the play proved to be a disaster and he went onstage afterwards to quell the crowd and they responded more positively to him. With a little more polish, he has the potential of being an excellent comedic performer.

…On an unrelated note, I would recommend that you tell Nāṭaka to not cast Yuber in a romantic role moving forward. Or any role for that matter.

96. Chido Star

Öt

97. Chisatsu Star

Dahlia

98. Chiaku Star

Tala

Secret #1

Name: Tala

Age: 20

From: Agameru, Nagarea

Position: bodyguard to Lorik Varra

Secret #2

Tala comes from a warrior lineage. Everyone in her family knew how to fight and served in the defense of Agameru. Tala however wasn't intended to be Lorik's bodyguard. Her older brother Denali served as Lorik's bodyguard for several years, during which time Tala was away from home training in the High Peak Mountains with her uncle. Not long after Tala's eighteenth birthday however, there was a horrifying assassination attempt on Lorik. Lorik obviously survived but his parents were killed, as were Tala's parents and Denali died shielding Lorik with his body. Being the last living child, Tala returned to Agameru to take her brother's place. She doesn't resent Lorik though for her brother or parent's deaths and is instead very protective of Lorik's life. To Tala, every day that Lorik lives proves that her family did not die in vain.

Secret #3

This is very tragic. Tala lost the remainder of her family in the massacre committed by Sheikh Sloan Faakhir, including the uncle who trained her. Tala has never publicly shed a tear about the loss of her family and no matter the circumstance she wears a stoic expression and had incredible inner strength. I have seen Dr. Yulin try to speak to her about her feelings but she refuses to talk about it any immediately shuts down any discussion about it. But she is not entirely unmoving, as the other day I did in fact witness her crying in private and Lorik was holding her. I'm glad to see that even in a time of tragedy that neither of them are alone.

Secret #4

I had read your reports about your trips to the Grasslands and it occurred to me that Tala's attire has greater similarity to Karaya than Nagarea. I did some research and discovered that Tala's great-grandparents were in fact formerly of the Karaya Clan. They had fled the Grasslands during the First Fire Bringer War with twenty other Grasslanders. The group had decided to flee the Northern Continent entirely because they thought that Harmonia was going to take over the entire continent and they didn't want to be under Harmonian rule. It was an incredibly harrowing trip across the seas, so much so that when they finally arrived at the Northern Wharf only Tala's great-grandparents were alive. The Varra family found them first and offered them refuge. Though Tala was born in Nagarea, it appears she clings to the Karayan culture she never knew. Maybe you should take her with you next time you go to the Grasslands?

99. Chisyu Star

Yaman

100. Chisu Star

Nāṭaka

101. Chiin Star

Parvati

102. Chikei Star

Bohai

103. Chisou Star

Clover

104. Chiretsu Star

Pamukkale

105. Chiken Star

Ciana

106. Chimou Star

Templeton

Secret #1

Name: Templeton

Age: 31

From: Kanakan

Position: Liberation Army Mapmaker

Secret #2

Templeton was a child prodigy, becoming a master phonologist at the age of 7! He served as a member of the 108 Stars of Destiny during the Gate Rune War and Dunan Unification War and he was a valuable asset to both armies. Though originally from Kanakan, Templeton seems to be a Toran at heart and has made frequent trips back to the Toran Republic the last few years to stay at the lake castle that Toran's Liberation Army had called home during the war. He obviously has very fond memories of the place.

Secret #3

Templeton has traveled to many countries fulfilling his lifelong dream of mapping out every feature of the known world. He came to Nagarea because the only known maps of Nagarea that exist in other countries only detailed the Northern Wharf. He unfortunately arrived in Nagarea during the civil unrest and the Theocracy were less than welcoming to him. As you know, he was on the run secretly mapping out Nagarea until you met him.

Secret #4

Templeton left Kanakan at an early age but of course he still has the stigma of being a heavy drinker, as most people from Kanakan do. Gertrude does not help with this stereotype unfortunately, and poor Templeton has been forced into drinking contests with Gertrude from time to time. But his focus is on his maps and he's made a few trips to the Red Tundra to try and continue mapping out the region. It's been difficult for him to travel because of how dangerous the Red Tundra is, but personally I think he's just trying to get away from Gertrude.

107. Chizoku Star

Rafe

108. Chikou Star

Cairoh

Secret #1

Name: Cairoh

Age: 43

From: Mlkwt Alsmwat, Nagarea

Position: Liberation Army Item Shop Owner

Secret #2

Cairoh once ran a very successful item shop in the capital, but he lost his merchant license when he couldn't remember every part of the Merchant's Pledge. It's no wonder though considering when he first got his license the Pledge had only twenty parts, and by the time he lost his license the Pledge had risen to seventy-eight parts! So until he joined the Liberation Army he peddled his wares illegally with a merchant's cart and freely did business with the Liberation Army.

Secret #3

Cairoh loves sweets. I've seen him put away a whole cake in one sitting. He also has a bit of an obsession with strawberries and has spent a considerable amount of bits to buy them weekly. He always makes sure to keep a bowl at his counter full of strawberries. Quite surprising, as he doesn't seem like the type to eat sweets.

Secret #4

Did you know that Cairoh's great-grandfather served in the Cabinet of High Clerics? That means that at one point Cairoh's family was amongst the preeminent families in all of Nagarea! Sadly his great-grandfather was defrocked and "earned the wrath of Nagar" when he broke the drinking laws and made a public spectacle of himself while drunk. Thankfully Original Sin was not a law at this point so only the great-grandfather was punished, but Cairoh's family lost their wealth and status even before he was born. And quite unfortunately, his family has been running nothing but bad luck since.