At the beginning of the next moon, You arise from your bed and begin to prepare to meet with the rest of the Ashen Wolves. Seraphine speaks to You along the way.
Seraphine: I know we weren't able to find anything last moon, but I'm still hoping we're going to end up lucky enough to track something down this time. We've been waiting for long enough. At this point, I feel like the goddess owes us that much.
You nod your agreement as You reach for your sword.
Seraphine: I hope the universe at large agrees with that sentiment… It's difficult to say for certain these days.
You say that You hope for the same as You walk to the cardinals' room as You have at the start of every other month since returning to the monastery. The Ashen Wolves are waiting there with Cyrus and Druilla as per usual. You ask them if anything new has come to light.
Eli: Ah, Professor. It's nice to see you… Though I'm afraid we haven't run into anything of note yet.
You frown though You inwardly think about how this is what You expected to hear.
Ernst: We do have a bit of good news though. It might not be any new information, but it is something we've been aware of for a while.
Grey: Yeah. It's finally time for us to meet up with the rest of the allies we've gathered so we can plan for the future..
Gabriel: The Alliance and Kingdom armies are supposed to head in our direction within the next few weeks.
Ansel: And if all goes according to plan, we'll have the Knights of Seiros on our side soon too. They're planning on coming here as well.
Taiyin: I can't believe the time is finally almost here… We've been struggling for so long, and this doesn't even feel real now.
Quinn: But it's most certainly real, and I'm looking forward to enjoying it as much as possible once they arrive.
Saias: Preparing for the charge into the Empire isn't going to be easy though… This is going to be the start of a long and bitter struggle.
Tsubasa: Maybe so, but it's a step in the right direction after how long we've been left on our own. I'm willing to take it given the circumstances.
Magnus: We can work together to come up with something that will give us a way forward. That's what I care about most.
Cyrus: I think we should be careful until they arrive here though… We invaded the Empire during the last mission, and I don't know what that's going to mean for us.
Druilla: I would think Argades is too kind to not invade while we're focused on other things, but if anything, that just makes it feel more likely.
Magnus: I unfortunately agree. The man is stubborn as can be, and if he decides that we stepped on his toes, he's going to come here.
Saias: We can at least take solace in the fact that the rumors say the rebellion is marching on the capital now. Maybe that will distract him enough for us to get away with it.
Taiyin: I want to think it's going to be that easy to get away with our attack last moon, but I don't know if I can actually make myself believe it.
Gabriel: The rebellion has been successful up to this point… Maybe that will end up counting for something here.
Cyrus: I certainly hope so. I don't want to have to worry about another fight to defend the monastery.
Grey: You're not the only one who doesn't want to think about that… The last time was irritating enough as it was.
Quinn: We shouldn't linger on it too much. We need to make preparations for our allies to arrive here first and foremost.
Ernst: We can turn a bit of attention to defending the monastery on the side. Our main goal should be welcoming our guests here.
Druilla: That's something I can get behind. We shouldn't entirely ignore the possibility of being attacked here, but we should focus on the future above all else.
Ansel: I would like to think the Empire's army is too smart to attack us while the capital is under attack…
Eli: But it feels like there's not much of a way to say for certain given where we currently stand. I hate that I have to agree with that.
Tsubasa: We can let the rebellion in the Empire take care of their business then. For now, I have spies and informants out searching for Evenor and Belenio.
Eli: That's a good call. I doubt we'll be able to find Tagusol until we can track those two down anyway.
Quinn: We're certainly pursuing a lot of people right now… I don't know what else I expected, but it's still unfortunate.
Eli: We can fight them off when the time comes for us to worry about that. In the meantime, we should prepare to receive our allies. You know what you need to do, everyone. Let's get to work.
You watch as the rest of the Ashen Wolves leave the room, leaving You with Eli and Quinn. Once everyone else is gone, You turn to Eli with a small frown on your face. You say that You would like to speak with him for a moment.
Eli: I can already assume what you're going to ask me about, but go ahead.
You ask if there has been any new information regarding the search for Aisa.
Eli: I'm afraid not. Nobody in the village we fought in yesterday seemed to know anything about her being there. I doubt they would lie about something so crucial.
Quinn: But if you really saw her, then that has massive implications for both the war and our future efforts here at the monastery.
Eli: The Knights of Seiros have been trying to find her for years now. I feared briefly they were trying to find someone who had long since passed, but… If you saw her after that last battle, then that means there's still hope for her to be alive after all this time.
You say that You are confident it was her You saw.
Eli: Then we'll have to crack down on searching for her. I don't know how much success we'll find, but we need to try it, at the very least.
You nod and say that You are glad to hear that.
Quinn: Of course. We may not be able to focus much on Lady Aisa right now when there's so much else for us to contend with, but we'll do what we can to search for her when the time comes.
You thank her and say that You would be happy to help with the search when the proper time comes.
Quinn: We'll tell you when the time comes to seek her out.
You nod once again.
Eli: In the meantime, we need to prepare for our allies to arrive here at the monastery. There's a lot for us to face when they reach us, so we need to be ready.
You tell them that You will go and help with the preparations to receive your allies' armies.
Eli: Thank you, Professor. Your help is appreciated as always.
You retreat from the cardinals' room with a small smile on your face, and You return to your room. Seraphine speaks to You along the way.
Seraphine: I'm confident that the woman we saw was Aisa… But she looked so different from how we remember her. I don't ever think we saw those scars on her back, and the short hair is definitely new… But now that I think about it, that would make a lot of sense…
You nod and say that no body was ever found after Aisa's supposed death.
Seraphine: Exactly. If there was no body, then she could have just disappeared or left behind a chunk of her hair to make it seem like she had perished. If nobody could find her, then they would probably believe that she was really gone, and no one would be able to question it. Without any proof of her being alive, then everyone would just think she was gone… Aside from those who had worked with her in the church, that is.
You decide to gather more information about Aisa's assumed death from five years ago while You are exploring the monastery.
Seraphine: Sounds like a plan. Let's get to it.
You head to the Officers Academy first, and You see Aestlyn in the courtyard there.
Aestlyn: I can't believe you thought you saw Aisa after that last battle… I never would have imagined we would run into her in a place like that… But I guess it's better to find her there than nowhere at all, right? I just wish she had shown her face sooner… It would have made things a lot easier for us.
You find Nora in the Blue Lions' classroom.
Nora: I think all of us are keeping one eye on the Empire at this point. We technically invaded their territory for that last battle, and I don't want the emperor to strike at us for it. Knowing his temper, he very well could… And that's one of the most terrifying things that could happen at this point.
You go to the training hall. You see Lev standing outside the entrance.
Lev: It's annoying how close we keep coming to finding the truth only for it to slip away right when we go in for the kill… First it was Belenio, and now it's Evenor. I just want something to go our way for once. Is that too much to ask?
Inside the training hall, You find Yuliya.
Yuliya: If Lady Aisa really is still out there, she's been doing a damn good job of keeping herself hidden… And it drives me up the wall. She could have her position as archbishop back if she would just come here, so why is she running? I don't have any fondness for the church, but I know how important it is even so. She's acting irresponsibly if you ask me. I just want to know why she isn't here…
You also speak with Derric here.
Derric: I spoke with Captain Torryn a lot after Lady Aisa's supposed death… All that was found at the scene was her hair. It had been mostly cut off and left on the ground. That's not a body though, so we started searching… But we still haven't found anything of note. Not until this last battle, that is.
After leaving the training hall, You move in the direction of the dorms. You encounter Cedric along the way.
Cedric: I think all of us are on overdrive right now trying to make sure the Empire doesn't decide to strike while we're at our most vulnerable… I don't want anything bad to happen while we're busy with other things. We're desperate to find the others who have gone missing since the war started, and we really can't deal with another attack right now… I don't know if we'll ever be able to deal with it, as a matter of fact.
Outside the lower floor of dorms, You speak with Florence.
Florence: I have to wonder just how successful that attack on the Empire's capital was… It was our distraction and justification during our last battle, but we haven't heard anything back yet. Maybe it's still going. Who can say for sure? We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose.
You also find Falon here.
Falon: It bothers me how close we came to finding Evenor only for her to slip away at the last moment… Why can't we just get somewhere on time for once? I suppose it makes sense that she would find a way to escape after how many years she spent on the run, but… It's still bad for us.
You go to the second floor of dorms, and You speak with Adeline in the hallway.
Adeline: The longer the war rages on, the worse I feel. It's like the weight is trying to suffocate me, but all I can do is stand there. I don't know what to do about it… I guess that's all the more reason to fight for the sake of ending this, but that's so much easier said than done. It's exhausting.
You find Aquillus in his room as well.
Aquillus: I can only hope the attack on the Imperial capital was successful. If the rebellion manages to get rid of Argades without us needing to get involved, that would make our lives much easier. I know we can't count on it, but it would still be nice. The sooner he's out of the picture, the better off all of us will be.
You return to the main level of the monastery and enter the green house. Inside, You speak with Adrian.
Adrian: After what you saw during that last battle, I've been thinking a lot about Lady Aisa… I somehow doubt a woman like her would die so easily. She has to still be out there even after the Battle of Garreg Mach. As for where she is or what she's doing, I'm afraid I don't know, but… She's alive. I'm sure of it.
You also find Karim in the greenhouse.
Karim: Magnolia and Raithius are coming to join us before the end of the moon. I don't think I can even begin to say how relieving that is. Once they get here, we won't need to fear retaliation from the Empire as much. It'll still be an intimidating thought, but it'll be better, and I'm willing to take that as a victory.
Your next destination is the fishing hole. You see William there.
William: I've been wondering what would happen if Aisa really was there after that last battle… We really have no idea if that's true, right? She could have been there, but it could have been someone else too. We really have no idea, and I have to wonder if we'll ever know.
You also speak with Kaeta here.
Kaeta: Captain Torryn is planning on meeting up with us soon too. I'm not entirely sure on the details, but it seems like she's been coming closer to the truth about finding out where Lady Aisa is now… I'm hoping we can look forward to finding her soon, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I just wish I was more patient in times like these.
You find Nesreen on your way up to the dining hall.
Nesreen: I wish I could have been there when you thought you saw Lady Aisa… If I'm being honest, I don't know if me being with you would have made a difference, but I… I don't know. I guess I just wish I had been given the chance to see her. It's been so long.
You make your way into the dining hall. You find Rodain inside.
Rodain: I don't want to think we'll need to worry about the Empire attacking us, but it worries me that we could come close to that… I'm glad everyone is trying to throw up the walls for the sake of keeping us safe, but I wish it wasn't necessary at all. Just the thought gives me a bit of a headache.
You also speak with Wolfgang here.
Wolfgang: One of my old friends, Calypso, is coming here with Raithius to help us out with the war effort. It'll be nice to see her again. I'm sure you'll like her. She's been a great help to me, and… I've missed her a lot. I can't wait to introduce you two to one another.
You find Callisto in the dining hall as well.
Callisto: I wonder what's going on in the Imperial capital… I know we're going to figure out what happened there with time, but right now, just sitting around and waiting is driving me up a wall. If the rebellion is fighting against the Empire, then we need to hear about it. Maybe we could side with them when the rest of our allies get here. That would make all of our lives much easier, wouldn't you say?
Last but not least, You approach Kyle.
Kyle: I wish I could keep myself calm while we're waiting to meet up with our allies… Right now, all I can think about is how we failed our last mission. The Empire could knock on our door at any moment, and we wouldn't know until it's too late. Just thinking about it makes me so anxious…
You leave the dining hall and make for the marketplace. There, You run into Illona.
Illona: It's so obnoxious that we came so close to finding Evenor only to fall short at the last minute… We could have finally ended this nightmare when we ran into her, but then that just… Didn't happen. I didn't realize I got my hopes up until it was too late for me to stop myself from being optimistic. It stinks.
You also speak with Hegias here.
Hegias: We came so close… I was hoping I would get the chance to talk to Evenor and finally put all of this to rest so I could stop thinking about it, but I guess that was a bit too optimistic. I came so close to seeing her again, and I… I don't know how I can find peace as long as she's still out there. I need to talk to her for the sake of my own peace of mind. I have to.
You find Wynne near one of the stalls as well.
Wynne: I'm up here to pick up supplies before going back down to Abyss. Everyone there has been working hard to cover up the holes left behind by that last attack, and it's amazing just how quickly they jumped into fixing everything. I wish it wasn't necessary, but we're doing a good job with solving these problems even so.
You go to the stables next. You see Miriam here.
Miriam: The anxiety in the air is palpable… Everyone is afraid whether they want to admit it or not. I can't say I'm surprised to hear that either. So much is going on these days, and if the Empire is planning an attack, we'll have even more on our plates. I've been going on scouting missions to see if there are any Imperial soldiers coming our way. I've seen nothing so far, but it's still a threat in the air all of us can feel.
You also find Saias in the stables.
Saias: I've been trying to speak with all the informants I can about where they think we can find our enemies and allies. I don't know if it's going to help us since it's just repeating information we already knew, but it helps to ease my anxieties, and I'll take anything that will make me feel better in that regard.
You move to the knights' hall next. There, You encounter Cassia.
Cassia: Once we meet up with the other armies from the Kingdom and Alliance, we'll be setting our sights on the Empire. It shouldn't be as difficult to charge through Adrestia as it would have been under other circumstances. The rebellion has cleared out most of the obstacles that would stand in our way now. We certainly owe them a lot whether we realize it or not.
Your next destination is the entrance hall. You see Cyrus there.
Cyrus: I have to wonder what's going through Evenor's head when she ran away from the last battle… She knew she was under attack, and she thought running was the best course of action if she wanted to live to see another day. I don't know where we're going to take that next… Hopefully, it'll give us information about where to find Tagusol or Belenio. I don't know if she would want to talk to us about that though. We'll need to see.
You also find Tuncay here.
Tuncay: The idea that the archbishop was there during our last battle keeps catching me off guard when I think about it. I never would have thought we would run into her there of all places… Maybe she was trying to track our enemies the same way we were. Maybe she's trying to help us out in her own way… Who can say for sure?
You make your way into the reception hall from there. Inside, You see Sofia.
Sofia: I'm looking forward to seeing Raithius and Novalee again after all this time. It's been a while since I was able to speak with them, and it'll be nice to talk to them about everything that happened. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but it's still exciting.
You encounter Piers in the reception hall as well.
Piers: Lady Aisa… I never would have thought we would run into her in a random Imperial village of all places. I would have expected her to avoid Adrestia like the plague because of how dangerous it is there. Maybe she has different intentions from what we expected… It's an interesting thought, isn't it?
On the bridge to the cathedral, You speak with Zelhira.
Zelhira: My adoptive father hasn't said much of anything to me in letters recently… I'm starting to get worried about him. I know he's involved with the attack on Enbarr, but it still scares me to think he could be in danger as we speak. I know he can handle himself when push comes to shove, but… I can't stop thinking about how easily everything can go wrong with someone like Argades involved. It absolutely terrifies me.
Inside the cathedral, You find Ansel.
Ansel: I wish I could say I don't think the Empire is going to retaliate, but I know it's not going to be that simple. They're planning on coming back here. I'm certain they won't let us get away with this so easily. I don't know what Argades wants to do specifically, but it won't be good for us, I'm certain.
Lastly, You speak with Gabriel.
Gabriel: I have to wonder if Evenor knew we were coming… She may have suspected we were going to try and chase her and decided to run quickly before we could get there. She knows people are trying to follow her, and she doesn't want to be found. She's fully aware of what's waiting for her. That's why she's running.
You make your way down to Abyss now that your exploration of the monastery's main floor has concluded. You see Ernst in the library soon after arriving.
Ernst: A lot of the writings in the Abyss library are books that were banned by the church at some point. Most of the bans are incredibly old and long before Lady Aisa's time as the archbishop. It seems the previous archbishops didn't hold back with banning readings they didn't like, though I can't say why.
You also find Magnus there.
Magnus: We're getting closer to finding the truth behind Evenor and Belenio. We have to be. I've been trying to read anything I can that I think might get us closer, but it's hard to grasp the truth about people who have gone out of their way so many times to keep themselves hidden. To say it's frustrating is an understatement.
You go to the Wilting Rose Inn and see Grey.
Grey: I've been making rounds through Abyss to see if I can find any traces of enemy forces trying to break through. I really don't want anyone to try and attack down here again, so I'm going to do what I can to defend the people living here. They've suffered enough, and I won't put them through that again.
You run into Jill while on Burrow Street.
Jill: The people in Abyss are trying to hide it, but I know they're stressed about everything that's going on. The idea of retaliation from the Empire scares them, especially after the recent battle. It's exhausting to see all of this worry… I know they can't help it, but it worries me a lot.
You find Herwig on Chrysalis Row.
Herwig: I don't know what to expect from Argades at this point. Many of his pillars of support have crumbled since we saw him five years ago, and he doesn't have the same army he once did. I wonder if he's going to fold under the weight of the rebellion… It wouldn't surprise me if he did, but he's unpredictable. We won't know for sure until we see it.
You find Tsubasa outside the Pagan Altar's room.
Tsubasa: I can't stop thinking about what Evenor could be doing right now. She could be experimenting on people as we speak, and we would have no idea until it was too late… Just thinking about that makes me feel sick. I hate her with everything I am, and I doubt anyone would disagree with that.
You speak with Druilla inside the Pagan Altar's room.
Druilla: Standing here has me thinking about the past… Agarthans have many gods in their culture, and none of them are Fódlan's goddess. This deity here isn't one of ours either. Given how hated we are, that makes sense, but… I have to wonder if that religion will be forgotten by the end of this war. It's a dark thing to think, isn't it?
You go to the second floor of the monastery from there, and You speak with Reese in his office.
Reese: I'm exhausted… The longer this war rages on, the more tired I seem to get. It's beyond draining just thinking about how much is going on around us. I hope we can end the war as soon as possible just for the sake of letting everyone rest… I know we need it more than any of us wants to admit out loud.
You find Niko in the library.
Niko: I keep looking out the window outside the library just to make sure the horizon is clear. I don't want to think we could be attacked here at the monastery, but I know it's still a possibility. We need to be on our toes no matter what. It's tiring, but it's the price we pay by being here and fighting at all.
You speak with Taiyin in the library as well.
Taiyin: I have to wonder if Belenio is going to team up with Argades to attack the monastery… I feel like that's jumping to a lot of conclusions, but I'm still afraid of it. I'm absolutely terrified, as a matter of fact. The waiting is torture… I can't decide if I want the attack to get over with or if I want to put it off, and just thinking about that makes me feel nauseous.
Your final destination of the day is the cardinals' room, and You find Eli and Quinn there.
Eli: I wish there was a way I could soothe everyone's fears… They're scared of what's coming, and I can't blame them at all.
Quinn: The possibility of the monastery being attacked is terrifying. Every day brings us closer to meeting with our allies, and everyone knows that to be our salvation.
Eli: We need their help as soon as possible. If we can survive a little bit longer, we'll be alright, but… I don't know. I'm afraid.
Quinn: We'll fight with everything we have if they try to attack us. I promise.
Eli: I know… It's unfortunate we need to think about this at all.
Quinn: It is… But we need to be strong until our allies arrive. That's our main priority.
Eli: No matter how difficult it is, we have to try.
With your rounds of the monastery finished for the day, You return to your room. Seraphine speaks to You once You arrive.
Seraphine: Everyone is worried about Evenor and Belenio… We don't know where either one of them is, and that's beyond concerning.
You nod and say that everyone is worried about Argades as well.
Seraphine: And that's what I fear the most… It scares me to think he could attack the monastery again. We had the force of the Knights of Seiros at our backs last time, and he still destroyed us all without even blinking.
You tell her that You have grown stronger since You fought against him last time, and You will not let him win if he does attack.
Seraphine: It scares me, but… I hope you're right. I don't know if we'll be able to win this battle, but I'm going to hope we can. That's all I can do at this point.
You nod and settle down for the night and say that You will do everything You can to stop those who You are fighting against.
Seraphine: I know… And I'll do everything I can too. I promise.
You lay down for the night and think about everyone who has escaped You in the past. Evenor, Belenio, and Aisa are all so close, but You still cannot quite find them. You try to avoid thinking about Argades, on the other hand, knowing that will only bring You stress. You dream of what it would be like to see those missing people again, but You are never quite able to grasp those who You have come so close to in the past…
update time
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