Lucina glanced around cautiously as she pushed her way through the dense, crowded streets of the Feroxi capital. After arriving in the city and asking around, she was able to discern where exactly she was, and though she didn't end up in Ylisse, she supposed that she was close enough.
I wonder where everyone else is, the princess thought as she made her way towards the large fortress at the center of the city. The building supposedly housed the current Great Khan, though she did not know which one of them would presently be residing there. The last Khan in her time had been Khan Basilio, and both he and his counterpart, Khan Flavia, had been killed during Grima's Awakening. Even in her timeline where they were a lot older, the Khans were still widely known as two of the fiercest fighters on the continent. However, even they met their ends at the hands of the Inner Circle.
Lucina's mood immediately soured as she thought of the four Grimleal zealots who made up the group known as the Inner Circle. My top priority must be to defeat them before they can pose a significant threat… However, since I am already in Regna Ferox, I should take this opportunity to warn the Khan of the events to come. It also would not hurt to have a leader of one of the continent's most powerful nations as my ally.
The blue princess eventually made it to the gates of the fortress, and to her pleasant surprise, the drawbridge and gates were already wide open. Throngs of people came in and out like a rapidly-flowing river. Good. This means that I will not have to explain my situation to the guards just to get into the castle.
Lucina blended into the crowd and walked into the fortress, and once she entered, she found herself in a large reception room. The hall was filled to the brim with merchants, soldiers, mercenaries, and regular peasants alike, and food, drink, and music were plentiful. She looked around uncomfortably as she tried to locate one of the guards to help her get an audience with the Khan, though it was difficult to tell who was actually on duty because even the soldiers were partaking in the festivities.
She eventually located a woman who appeared to be a castle guard. The soldier was dressed in armor and clutched a lance in one hand, her other hand holding a chicken leg which she was currently in the process of vigorously tearing into.
"Excuse me," Lucina interrupted, "but could you possibly lead me to the Khan? I have something of the utmost importance which I need to tell him… Er, or her."
The soldier gave her a strange look, and Lucina prepared to explain herself. However, before the princess could say a word, the guard pointed towards the center of the room with her half-eaten chicken leg. Lucina looked over to where the soldier was gesturing and saw a tall, muscular, dark-skinned, bald man laughing raucously as he downed a pint of ale. He was surrounded by a group composed mostly of soldiers and mercenaries, though there were some peasants among them as well.
"Thank you," Lucina told the guard before setting off in the direction of whom she assumed was Khan Basilio. She was a bit put off by how the Khan seemed to have no problem milling about with the common people without any sort of security detail, but she knew things were done very differently in Regna Ferox.
When she got nearer to the Khan, she tried to get his attention. "Excuse me…"
Her voice, however, was lost among a round of booming laughter that broke out after one of the soldiers finished telling a joke. The Khan himself led the chortling, his deep, resounding laugh drowning out any chance of Lucina being heard.
Lucina sighed as she prepared herself. "Excuse me!"
Her yell finally got the attention of the group, and they all turned to face her. She felt a bit embarrassed at having to call out like that, but she pushed it down and donned a serious expression.
"Khan Basilio. I must speak with you in private."
The Khan stared at her in surprise for a moment, then bellowed out a laugh. "Haha! Sorry, girl, but if you want me in private, you'll have to get in line! But tell you what, since you're a pretty one, I'll move you up a few spots, how about that? I'm sure we can get to know each other sometime tonight if I'm quick about things! Hah!"
The rest of his group joined him in his laughter, and Lucina's face flushed red as she clenched her fists. "That is not what I meant!"
After a few seconds, the laughter died down, but Basilio still wore a jolly smile. "I know, I know. I was just teasing you. To be serious, however, I don't have the time nor the desire to see some mercenary who shows up out of the blue in private. If you have something to say, say it here and now."
"My information is very sensitive. It could harm the fate of the world if the wrong ears were to hear it," Lucina protested.
"Oho, the fate of the world, is it?" Basilio repeated, obviously not taking her seriously. He then glanced down to her side, where Falchion rested. "That's quite the sword you have there. Are you skilled with it? How much for your services?"
"I am not some common mercenary," Lucina replied, offended.
Basilio sighed. "That's a shame. By the way you act and dress, you look to be some sort of clueless foreigner to me. Tell me, do you know why the city and the Khan's Palace are so lively today?"
"No… But what does that have to do with -"
"It's because the Tournament of the Khans is coming up in a few days," Basilio interrupted. "Do you know what that is?"
Lucina nodded hesitantly. As a princess, she had some knowledge about how the politics of her neighboring nations worked.
"Good, then I don't have to waste my breath explaining it. As you know, we khans are always looking for capable fighters to participate on our behalf. If you fight for me, I may be willing to hear what you have to say."
Lucina considered her options. She could desperately use the help of Regna Ferox in this strange time where she was completely alone and knew nobody, and she was also fairly confident in her martial skills. The combatants in the Tournament of the Khans did not fight to the death anyway, so she decided she had nothing to lose.
"... I will do it, in that case."
"Hah! Good. However, there is still one important thing: I don't actually know how good you are. You look like you can handle yourself in a fight, and there's something about you that I like, but even so, I can't just have a random girl fighting for my title as Khan… Lon'qu!"
A dark-haired man with cold, harsh eyes responded to the Khan's call as he separated himself from the crowd. A long, sharp sword hung at his side, and he glared at Lucina as he approached.
The blue-haired princess' eyes widened. Lon'qu…! He was so quiet that I did not notice him before…
Basilio muttered something to one of the men beside him, and, after running off and coming back a few minutes later, he returned with a pair of blunted swords. Before she fully recovered from the shock of the situation, Lucina found herself facing off against Lon'qu, a tourney sword thrust in her hands.
"If you want to fight for me, you have to defeat my previous champion, Lon'qu," Basilio told her. "Or put up a good fight, at the very least!"
The crowd around them had drawn back, giving the two combatants some room. Lon'qu let out a sigh before dropping into his stance, his sword held parallel to the ground.
Lucina swallowed nervously as she too got into her fighting stance. Calm down… Lon'qu is a fearsome fighter, but I have honed my skills on death's edge for my entire life. This version of Lon'qu should also be much less experienced, so I hold the advantage.
"All right!" Basilio shouted. "Begin!"
As soon as the Khan had finished, Lon'qu was off like fireworks, rushing towards Lucina with the trained grace of a true master of the blade. Lucina blocked his initial thrust, then ducked under his lateral slash. She returned with her own thrust at Lon'qu's stomach, but the Feroxi leapt back, avoiding the blow.
"Hmph," Lon'qu grunted as he sized her up, looking for an opening. "You are quite skilled."
"As are you," she replied before going on the offensive herself.
The princess slashed diagonally with all her strength, a move her father was fond of using. Lon'qu slunk under the blow, but the unlike her father or most other swordsmen that used that strike, Lucina was light and fast. The edge of her blade caught Lon'qu on his left shoulder, throwing the quiet swordsman off balance. Lucina took this opportunity to thrust forward with both hands, and Lon'qu barely managed to lift his sword to block the blow.
However, since he was already wobbling, Lon'qu could not withstand the strength behind Lucina's second strike, and he fell to the ground. Before the Feroxi could get to his feet, Lucina pointed her blade at his throat, finishing the fight.
The room, which had grown mostly silent during the fight, burst into cheering and applause upon the conclusion of the match.
"Ahaha! Well done," Basilio congratulated. "Consider yourself hired, girl. What's your name?"
Lucina panicked for a brief second, unsure of whether she should give her real name or some sort of alias. Since she had to give a quick answer to avoid looking suspicious, she simply blurted out whatever came to mind first.
"Marth."
"Marth, eh? Well, that was some fine swordsmanship. Flavia is going to wet herself in fear when she sees the team I've assembled this year!"
Lucina then turned to Lon'qu, who was still on the ground. A deep scowl was present on his face as he sat up. Lucina held out a hand to him, but that only caused the swordsman to frown even more and flinch away.
The princess drew her hand back. "Oh, right… I forgot about your fear of women."
Lon'qu looked up at her, surprise tinting his normally cold eyes. "... What?"
Lucina mentally slapped herself. "Er, nothing." How could I be so careless? Has the adrenaline from the fight made my brain go soft?
Luckily for her, Lon'qu chose to ignore her comment for the most part, instead getting to his feet and just shooting her an apprehensive glare.
Lucina turned her gaze towards the crowd, most of whom had gone back to doing whatever it is that they were doing before the duel. Basilio was back to joking around with another group of soldiers, though this time they were discussing Lon'qu getting knocked onto his arse, a topic of conversation the swordsman didn't seem to appreciate.
Well, I suppose the one good thing that came out of this was that I was able to gain a little bit of the Khan's trust… Though I do not know if fighting Lon'qu was the right thing to do. What if meeting me prevents him from joining the Shepherds?
Lucina shook her head, trying to rid herself of her doubts. No, it does not matter. My sole reason for being here is to prevent the resurrection of Grima, so there is no use in worrying about things I cannot control. Besides, the true test has yet to come.
Her mind played back the scene of the Grimleal known as Death stabbing her father through the heart, and Lucina reached for Falchion, tightening her fist around its hilt as if to glean some strength from the sword.
One thing is for certain: I cannot let father die. Not now, not ever.
Robin let out a low groan from atop his horse as he rode at the head of the column. Chrom shook his head disapprovingly from beside the Plegian priest.
"You really shouldn't have drank so much. I told you we would be marching the next day, didn't I?"
Robin frowned, because he knew it was true. After Chrom had introduced Robin to the rest of the Shepherds, the prince had the idea of taking everyone out to the local tavern. Since Chrom had so graciously offered to pay the tab, Robin took full advantage of the situation, drinking himself into a stupor. Unfortunately, he was paying for it now three times over.
"You look like you're about to throw up," Lissa pointed out worriedly as she rode up beside her brother and his tactician. "Do you need me to heal you or something?"
"Can your staff cure hangovers? If not, then there's nothing you can do, I'm afraid…"
"I can hex your headache away," Tharja offered from behind Robin.
Robin grimaced. "Uh, no. You remember what happened the last time you tried that?"
Tharja scowled. "I've refined my spell since then, of course. Besides, your face was only purple for a day at most."
"Okay then," Chrom said as he raised an eyebrow. "You two sure seem to have had some… interesting experiences."
"You don't know the half of it," Robin replied as he yawned, squinting his eyes in the bright sunlight. "How much longer till we get there?"
"If you bothered to listen to the messenger the Exalt sent, you would know that it will take us four days at minimum to reach Regna Ferox," Frederick answered as he rode up to them, handing Robin a distasteful look as he did so.
"I did hear the messenger, but I was hoping that he was wrong," Robin groaned. "Well, wake me when it's time to set up camp. I'm going to sleep…"
"You'll fall off your horse," Chrom stated.
"Then feel free to leave me behind… Gods, does it have to be so bright today?"
Frederick sighed. "Prince Chrom, I am afraid that this man's degeneracy will begin to rub off on you. Best keep your distance from now on."
"Rude…" Robin muttered as he yawned again. "I could really use a deep drink right now. It's the only way I can deal with your constant nagging, Frederick."
"Case in point," the blue-armored knight noted. He then turned his head towards the front of the column as the sound of hooves approached.
A knight in green armor came riding towards the group, his messy, light-brown hair dancing in the wind. "Guys! I spotted something strange ahead!"
"Hm…? Oh, Stahl, you're back," Robin observed belatedly. The tactician had sent Stahl a bit ahead of the column as an outrider after Emmeryn's messenger had warned them of the increasing bandit attacks in the area. "What did you see?"
"It's just as you said, Robin. There were faint prints in the dirt, and the forestry around the trail was slightly trampled in that area. You said that means an ambush, right?"
Robin nodded as he tried to sober up. "Yeah, unfortunately. Bandits and highwaymen like to hide and scout their prey before attacking, so it's only natural that they would choose to stake out somewhere where they could still observe the people passing by. This area of the road is a prime spot for ambushes since it's so woody and enclosed."
"So it appears you at least paid attention to the map I showed you," Frederick granted. "What do you we do now? Simply pass them by?"
"I guess. Since we're heavily armed and if we make it look like we're prepared for a bandit attack while we pass by that area, then they probably won't bother us. They didn't attack Stahl since he doesn't have much of value on him and he has a weapon, so I doubt they would take their chances with all of us."
"But what about those who pass by after us?" Chrom pointed out. "We need to eliminate those bandits so they don't harass the travelers who can't defend themselves."
Robin frowned. "I thought we were on a tight schedule to get to Regna Ferox? Didn't the Exalt tell us that this message needed to reach the Khan as soon as possible? Besides, fighting bandits seems like a lot of work…"
"Oh, come on. What good are the Shepherds if we can't even defeat one measly bandit group? You can come up with some sort of plan to take them out, right, Robin? You did figure out how to spot and avoid them, after all."
"... If I have to," Robin reluctantly replied as he slumped in his saddle.
"Good!" Chrom grinned. "Let's get going, then! We'll repeat our heroics at the village once more!"
Robin sighed to himself. Yeah, but I don't really want to fight these bandits… Especially not after what I noticed about them in the village.
Nevertheless, the Plegian priest soldiered on, following Chrom as the Ylissean prince rode at the head of the column beside Frederick and Stahl. They continued on for a couple more minutes before Stahl informed them that they were approaching the area where the bandits were hidden. Robin had Chrom halt the column as the tactician began making his preparations.
Since Robin's soldiers had gone back to Plegia when he joined the Shepherds, their group now consisted solely of Chrom's Shepherds. The Exalt had wanted to send an armed escort with Chrom, but the prince refused, saying that the soldiers were needed elsewhere in order to protect the rest of the country from the attacks. That meant that Robin just had the thirteen of them to work with (fourteen when he remembered that Kellam existed), so he hoped that the band of bandits didn't outnumber them by too much.
"Stahl, dismount and take Sully and Frederick with you through the forest. Ambush the ambushers from behind," Robin ordered. "The rest of us will pass through the area, and while the bandits are distracted and watching us, you three will strike. Once the fighting starts and their attention shifts to you, the rest of us will attack from the front, essentially crushing them in a double-ambush pincer movement."
Stahl nodded, getting off his horse and leading Frederick and Sully into the bushes as the rest of the Shepherds rode onwards. Based on what Chrom had told him, Robin knew that those three were possibly the strongest fighters the Shepherds had to offer, so they would be fine on their own. All three knights had gone through training in the Ylissean Royal Mounted Knights Corps, so they were no pushovers.
"What if the bandits decide attack us instead of just watching?" Chrom asked as they continued down the path.
"I doubt it. Remember what I said earlier? They've got no reason to risk their lives assaulting our heavily-armed group."
Chrom nodded, and they eventually reached the area Stahl had told them about. Robin glanced around suspiciously, searching for any anomalies. For a moment, everything seemed normal, but after a few seconds, rustling noises began emerging from the bushes on the sides of the path.
Could Stahl have already reached them so quickly? No, that isn't possible… Damn it!
"Form up!" Robin called out. "Enemy ambush!"
The remaining Shepherds formed a circle with Robin, Tharja, Virion, Lissa, Maribelle, Ricken, and Miriel at the center. To the surprise of the group, the bandits began leaping out of the trees, preparing to attack.
"What a pain in the ass," Robin muttered tiredly as the bandits closed in on them. "Hold the perimeter! Mages and Virion, take out any archers or long-ranged fighters you see. Sumia, try to use that pegasus to get airborne if you have the room. Everybody else, good luck!"
The fighting soon broke out, and Robin fired a couple lazy black magic spells from where he sat on his horse, safely in the center. Chrom and Vaike fought enthusiastically, tearing through the bandits with ease and almost breaking formation because of how eager they were. Sumia did eventually manage to get into the air, but as she was fairly new to pegasus riding, she struggled to reign in her mount as she flew above the battlefield. Fortunately, the bandits were unable to break through Robin's formation, as any time they got close, a stray arrow or one of Tharja's spells put an end to their attempt. Lissa and Maribelle worked diligently, healing anyone who had so much as a scratch on them. After a minute or so, they were joined by Stahl, Frederick, and Sully, and the bandits were wiped out shortly thereafter.
When the fighting had concluded, Frederick strode up to Robin, wearing an annoyed expression on his face.
"I thought you said that they would not attack, Priest."
Robin shrugged. "I guess I was wrong… Not that it matters in the end, right?"
"You endangered Prince Chrom, you imbecile. The next time -"
"Frederick," Chrom interrupted. "What's done is done, and it's true that nobody got seriously injured. Robin's tactics helped us defeat them quite easily, even after their unexpected assault."
Frederick sighed in defeat. "... I suppose."
"There is one thing," Robin started. "These bandits… They might not be ordinary brigands."
"What do you mean?" Chrom asked.
"Look at their weapons. Some of them are also wearing armor. We saw this back at the village, too, and on top of that, why has there suddenly been an influx in bandit attacks, all at the same time?"
Frederick frowned. "Are you saying that these brigands are coordinating with each other somehow?"
Robin nodded. "And they're being funded by a third party as well. There's no other way that this many bandits would be able to procure such supplies and launch coordinated attacks all over Ylisse like this. Also, there's clearly a bigger reason why the Exalt sent us to Regna Ferox to ask for troops and to renew Ylisse's alliance with them. We wouldn't be on this sort of diplomatic mission if bandit attacks were all that we were worried about."
"But who would do this?" Chrom asked as he grit his teeth. "Ylisse does not have many enemies… Do we?"
"It must be Plegia," Frederick spat. "They still hold a grudge for the wars of the previous exalt, and that bastard, King Gangrel, is the only one bold enough to attempt this."
"I agree," Robin said. "It doesn't make sense for it to be anyone else."
"Plegia," Chrom repeated. "But Robin… Aren't you from Plegia?"
Robin laughed dryly. "My only allegiance is to the Church of Grima, which just happens to be headquartered in Plegia. I couldn't care less about King Gangrel or what the rest of those idiots decide to do."
Chrom smiled. "Glad to hear it. Then we can still count on you from now on…?"
"Sure," Robin replied breezily. "As long as you keep paying for my drinks, I'll fight for you."
Chrom chuckled. "All right, I'll treat you to another round as soon as we get to Regna Ferox."
Chrom grunted as he pulled his sword free from the chest of a brigand. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand as he surveyed his Shepherds, the ground around the group littered with blood and the corpses of defeated bandits.
"Looks like that was the last of them," Robin observed from where he sat on top of the body of a charred bandit. The tactician's sinister-looking coat was draped around his shoulders, lazily hanging on.
Chrom sighed as he looked towards the horizon, where he could see a sprawling metropolis. The Feroxi capital was less than a day's march away from their position, and yet bandits were still attacking. This was their fourth encounter with them since they set out, and though Chrom was glad to have the extra fighting experience, the constant attacks were beginning to get tiresome.
Frederick walked up beside Chrom and the tactician, his blue armor splattered with blood but otherwise damage-free. "What I would like to know is why these fiends are still attacking with impunity so close to the capital. Do the Feroxi not believe in patrols?"
Robin stretched as he got up. "I really need a drink… And a woman or two for good measure."
Frederick shot him a look and was about to say something, but he was interrupted by an unknown voice.
"Ha! You're in Regna Ferox, boy. I doubt you could handle either one in this country."
Chrom turned around to see a dark-skinned woman with blonde hair and red armor approaching. Along with her came a retinue of soldiers clad in red armor, though there were also a handful of mercenaries dressed in furs accompanying the party.
The prince narrowed his eyes. There's no way we can take that many soldiers, especially not after just having fought those brigands. "Who are you?"
"Oh?" the woman said, an amused glint in her eyes as she looked Chrom up and down. "Isn't it proper princely etiquette to introduce yourself before asking for another's name?"
"You know who I am?" Chrom asked, a bit surprised. "And to hell with etiquette, by the way. I never cared for it."
The woman laughed. "To hell with etiquette indeed! Such constraints only hold us back, truth be told. I am Khan Flavia, Prince Chrom. A pleasure to meet you."
"Khan…?" Chrom repeated dumbly. "You're… You're the Khan?"
"Yes. What, were you not expecting a woman?"
"N-no, I didn't mean to imply anything," Chrom quickly corrected. He actually was aware that one of the current khans was female. "I was just surprised to see you out here, that's all. I heard that the Tournament of the Khans was coming up soon, so I just thought you would already be in the city."
Flavia grinned sheepishly. "Yes, well… I suppose I am running a bit late. However, I am glad that you brought the tournament up. How would you and your group like to fight for me?"
"... Huh?" Chrom had learned all about how these tournaments worked during his studies, but he hadn't expected Flavia to ask him of all people to fight for her, especially not so bluntly.
"Oh, don't look so surprised. I watched you all fight off those bandits, and I have to say, I'm impressed. That boy in the coat and you make quite the pair, in fact; one of you barks orders and comes up with the strategy, while the other is first on the frontlines, fearlessly leading his troops. I've never thought to form a fighting force with two leaders, but your group seems to do it very well."
"Ah, thank you," Chrom replied, swelling a bit at the praise. He was glad to see his Shepherds recognized for their talents, especially by someone as important as the khan. "Still, you actually want us to fight for you in the tournament?"
"I'll pay you," Flavia offered, "though you are a prince, so I suppose you'd have no need of my money… Your renown will increase significantly if you win, though."
"I'll take the money," Robin offered.
"How about this," Chrom began, ignoring his tactician's comment. "We were sent here to ask for military assistance, so if we win and make you Great Khan, you could help us with that."
"What do you need military assistance for?" Flavia wondered.
Chrom took the opportunity to explain the situation to her, even throwing in the speculation about Plegia.
"I see," the Khan said as Chrom finished. "In all honesty, Regna Ferox has been having this same sort of bandit problem, though it has been concentrated mostly around the roads that Ylissean traders are known to use. One of the reasons why I was delayed was because we encountered a bandit troop on our way here, in fact… And you're saying Plegia is behind all this?"
"We think so," Chrom answered.
"That does seem to make sense based on what you've told me and what I've seen for myself… All right, if we win this tournament, I will do all I can to stop these raids. You can count on my help."
Chrom nodded. "Thank you… Now, let's get out of here. If I see one more brigand, I'm going to go insane."
"Finally!" Robin cheered as he downed a tankard of ale. He quickly regretted it as the fierce alcohol burned down his throat. Stahl sat next to him, only pausing his feast for a brief moment to look upon the tactician's plight, then quickly turning back to stuffing his face.
The Shepherds had made it into the city without any further incidents, and with Khan Flavia's help, they managed to secure prime quarters in the fortress. They were now in the fortress' main tavern, and since they hadn't eaten anything except for wild game and bland rations in days, they were glad to have the opportunity to gorge themselves on real food. Robin in particular was happy to be back in the embrace of his dear friend alcohol, even if that embrace was a bit rough.
"You look like you're struggling," Chrom observed as he took a seat next to Robin.
Robin swallowed with a grimace. "By Grima, the Khan wasn't joking when she said this was strong."
Chrom chuckled. "I'm sure you'll get used to it."
"So, I take it this isn't your first time in Regna Ferox?"
"No, I've visited multiple times before, usually with my father," Chrom said as he took a small sip of his own cup. "This is my first time in a while, though."
"I see… So, are the women here really as harsh as this ale? I don't want to have my cock crushed or something."
Chrom rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide his smile. "I wouldn't know, Robin. I was never allowed to indulge in that kind of stuff."
Robin leaned back in his seat. "I suppose I'll just have to 'indulge' enough for the both of us, then… Stahl, your next order of business is to find me directions to the best whorehouse in town."
The cavalier ignored him, too busy cramming some sort of sandwich into his mouth. Chrom raised an eyebrow at the priest.
"I know Flavia called you one of the leaders of the Shepherds, but I'm revoking your authority off the battlefield. Sorry."
Robin frowned. "Love is a battlefield, Chrom."
"Since when has finding a whore for the night been considered love?"
"Oh, let's not get into the details."
Chrom stared at Robin, his deep blue eyes clouded with thought. The tactician regarded him warily.
"Uh… Is there something on my face?"
"No, I was just wondering about you. Why did you decide to join the Shepherds? I'm glad to have you, of course, but you don't seem to have any interest in anything except drinking and whoring. However, if that were really all there was to you, I doubt you would have taken my offer."
Robin hid his gaze behind his tankard as he raised it to his lips. "Who knows…"
"Trying to be mysterious, are we?" Chrom said with a smile. "Fine, keep your secrets. As long as you're helping us, you can do whatever else you like. I also have to admit, the way you carry yourself on a battlefield is impressive. I've never seen anyone so calm in the face of danger, not even Frederick… I don't mean this as an insult, but it's almost like you're looking at a chess board rather than a battlefield, and that everyone and everything are just pieces to play."
The priest took another sip. "Well, I wouldn't put it quite like that, but… You're remarkably perceptive, Chrom."
The blue-haired prince laughed. "Really? I suppose that's a good thing, considering I don't have many talents outside of fighting."
"Hmm… I don't usually tell people this, but I guess I am able to be so calm because I don't really think life itself is that important," Robin said, growing a bit more serious and confirming Chrom's suspicions. "Really, does the human soul have any intrinsic value? What makes me or you important? Because our titles say we are?"
Chrom shrugged. "I guess that's how it works, though I can see how that could pose a problem if you don't put much stock into the opinions of others or humans in general."
"That's the thing… I just don't feel connected to anything. Why should I love this world? Why should I think life is precious? I drink and I whore and I do all these other things so that I can experience pleasure, in the hopes that these feelings will make me want to live, but for what? Why should I force myself to find things that make life worth living? Shouldn't those things come naturally?"
Robin paused, sensing that he had said too much. He had never shared those thoughts with anyone out loud before, and now he had just spilled them to a man he had only known for a few weeks. There was something about Chrom that made Robin want to trust him, but he didn't mean to spill this much.
"... I see what you're saying, Robin," Chrom finally said. "And you do bring up some valid points. However, you sound like you're giving up before you've even started. We're about the same age, so it feels weird saying this to you, but… You've got your whole life ahead of you. I'm sure that eventually, you'll find something that makes life precious. You may not realize it at first, but soon you'll see that you couldn't live without that feeling, and you'll want to treasure and protect it."
Chrom stood up, downing the last of his drink. He grinned at Robin. "Besides, the Shepherds' tale has just begun! We'll start by winning this tournament, but soon enough, we'll have the whole world in our hands! So start planning our strategy, all right?"
The prince then walked off, leaving Robin alone with his thoughts. He turned to see that Stahl was fast asleep after having gorged himself on half the tavern's menu.
I guess Chrom is right. It's too early to give up on the world right now. Valis… You sent me here to find my reason for protecting this world, and so I'll do my best to figure it out.
The tactician smiled, a determined look flashing through his brown eyes as he ordered another round.
I'm sure that I'll find what I'm looking for eventually… But until then, I suppose another drink couldn't hurt.