CHAPTER 9 :

TREASON

The Daein army makes its next move out of Fort Rigwald. As Pelleas' men left the fortress, the Frelian army gained control of the place. And the departure of Lord Pelleas meant that his troops had to pack before reinforcements arrive. Pelleas asks Vika, "Can you spot how long would it take to the Frelian army to get here?" Vika answers that it would take them three hours to get here. Better pack all the supplies we can. Lord Pelleas then told everyone in this area that they leave this place tomorrow.

The packing process was painful, but, at the same moment, a spy with some bruises returned to Pelleas, bearing an hastily-written intelligence report. And that intelligence report was all about Grado's next move. Pelleas himself expected to fight Lord Duessel's army, but only if he made his advance. However, in Grado Keep, Vigarde has a meeting with Valter and Lyon in the throne room. They seem to plan a course of action concerning Lord Duessel.

Vigarde begins to talk to Valter. "Your orders", he says.

Valter says, at this moment, "I'm ready, Your Majesty. In your service, I'm prepared to do…"

Vigarde reports that Duessel has left for Bethroen. According to his intelligence reports, the Daein army is to pass through that city. Valter is to take a regiment and follow him.

Valter mechanically replies, "Understood. When I arrive, I will put my men at his disposal."

Vigarde admonishes him, "You will not. Strike Duessel down, for he is a traitor. He abandoned his country and sided with Daein. The punishment for treason is death."

Valter, puzzled, "B-but… General Duessel is a traitor? That's not possible! There must be a mistake…" Vigarde sighs. Valter continues, "No… I didn't mean that you were mistaken, Majesty."

Vigarde answers, "Valter, you have your orders. You will execute Duessel."

Valter made his speech. "Your Majesty, I have a question for you. When Your Majesty saw fit to make me a general, you shared with me some words of wisdom. I remember the moment quite clearly. You told me that the role of an imperial general was that of the shield, not the blade. We are here to protect our citizens, you said – not to threaten our neighbors. I have never forgotten your words. I have held them to my body. They govern my very action as a general. Your Majesty, that sentiment is still alive, and…" Vigarde cut in the middle of Valter's speech and finished by ordering to Valter to go.

The Daein army, under the command of Pelleas, marched southward for a week, not knowing that Grado troops are waiting for them. Their fears are assuaged because, it seems, most of the Grado armies are mobilized against the Laguz League's forces and Vigarde considers his worst enemy not to be Daein but the Laguz League (a coalition, led by Jehanna, that comprises the following countries: Gallia, Kilvas, Crimea, Carcino and Phoenicis). As they approach Bethroen…a Pegasus Knight flies up to Pelleas himself, as she is the messenger.

The Pegasus Knight reports, "Please wait, Lord Pelleas. On behalf of the United Nations, I have a message from Frelia. There has been an uprising in Carcino. Pablo is leading a horde of renegade soldiers and Grado supports the rebellion."

Pelleas asks, "In Carcino… Any word of Eirika or Elincia? Are they safe?"

The Pegasus Knight answers that the last word we had was that the Laguz League's forces were heading to assist Prince Innes in the Teraz Plateau. She has not heard of them since.

Pelleas admonishes the Pegasus Knight, "Blast. The U.N. General Assembly sent Eirika to Rausten thinking it would be the safest mission. If I could, I would pull out of here and look for her but…"

Eurytos called Lord Pelleas back to order. Pelleas sermonned, "I know, I know. I must not let the emotions guide my actions. If Carcino has allied itself with Grado, then defeating Grado is our best bet. We proceed as planned. Tell the Laguz League that we proceed as planned."

Vika mechanically states, "Understood."

Pelleas makes a wish. "Be careful, Eirika."

The ground shakes below the positions they held. Some men were destabilized while other people had to get back on their horses that fell sideways.

Amelia asks, "Was that an earthquake? I think it passed."

Pelleas answers, "I've heard that such tremors happened quite often in Grado. Apparently, they're usually weak and they cause little damage, if any."

Bethroen. A severe thunderstorm constrained Valter to avoid flying and to remain in the makeshift camp his men pitched outside the walls. He goes out to rejoin Duessel's army, assembled at the other side of the city. However, with weather as crummy as it is at the time, he is to cross the city afoot. When he finally arrived at the docks, both generals got to meet in an abandoned warehouse, to avoid being seen by the foolish civilians still outside in the storm.

A puzzled Duessel asks, "I do not understand… Why this course of action? What is the emperor thinking?"

Valter then admonishes General Duessel.

Duessel asks again, "Is that you, Valter? Are you assisting me in this… duty?"

Valter answers, "Yes. Daein's army will be coming soon by the north. We're just waiting for the order to engage them."

Duessel said, "Lord Pelleas leads the enemy forces, isn't he?"

Valter replies, "That is correct. Lord Pelleas, one of the Peers of Daein.

Duessel spouts out, "Bah." Valter then says to Duessel that Daein is his enemy. "General, please give the order to attack.", Valter pleads.

Duessel refused. "No. Order all units to hold. Do not initiate the attack. I must speak with Pelleas first.", he angrily said.

Valter said, "So it's true. You plan to betray the empire and ally yourself with the enemy."

Duessel, angry, asked, "What?"

Valter solemnly told him, "General Duessel, you stand accused of treason of the highest order. Lay down your weapons, and follow my commands. If you fail to do so, if you resist in any way, I will execute you on the spot."

A Berserker reports to General Valter that he just found a wounded sub-human on the street nearby. "Sub-humans. They deserve nothing but death! I'll kill that one personally.", Valter thought.

Valter goes out to the central plaza of Bethroen where said laguz is brought by his personal guards. Duessel uses that diversion to get out of the city and meet with Pelleas in the outskirts of the city, on a muddy terrain, where the Daein army pitched camp, despite the heavy rain nearby.

Pelleas calls out, "Duessel!"

Duessel asks, in surprise, "Is that you, Lord Pelleas?"

Pelleas asks Duessel, "Why are these Grado men after you? What's going on? Wait, we can talk later. We've got to carry you to safety first." He pleaded, "Come with us, Duessel."

Duessel answers, "I am General Duessel, the Obsidian, of the Imperial Three… This name and my service to His Majesty have been my life's blood. As of this moment, it is all gone. I have no reason to continue."

Pelleas sermons him, "Enough of this rubbish! The Grado of today mistreats laguz at every corner! I will not let you die before all the laguz of Grado are secured and freed!"

Duessel admonishes Lord Pelleas. Pelleas says that he knows about the emperor's madness. "How will your death serve Grado? Who will it help? What of this country's future with the laguz? Its people? Its future?", he asks.

Duessel, despite his treason, states, "I understand. This old fool's life is yours."

By that time, Duessel came back into the city, ordered his men to pack up and leave and, as Bethroen's streets are rather tight, it was a royal pain to get all of them out before Valter's men were done with the laguz hunt. However, they made it in the nick of time.

Duessel hastens his troops, "Quickly, before we are discovered!"

Valter did not even have time to pour out arrows or boiling oil that he receives another messenger out for him. And, with the weather, it's definitely not a flying messenger. It's a courier on horseback, but he is not in brown armor, it means that it's not Daein's Express Mail Service. It must be a knight or someone within Grado.

Valter, curious, asked, "What's this?" He reads the parchment. "I am to be deployed in Jehanna? The upstart Laguz League broke through Caellach's ranks?", he wondered.

Beran told Valter that Daein is no longer his concern. His Majesty says that holding his positions in Jehanna is his primary concern. Not that Caellach is untrustworthy, it's just that the Laguz League is a greater threat than Daein. Valter told everyone in the camp, "I'm leaving. I can't leave poor Eirika lonely in Carcino. You're in command here for the duration of the conflict."

Beran, in a burst of anger, shouts, "Do you regard Begnion so lowly that Grado is not worthy of battling the Daein army? Do you regard the Begnion military as innately inferior to Grado in terms of quality? I, Sir Beran, served the Begnion Senate for twenty years. I know better than this!"

Like all Begnion Paladins, Beran wields two weapons. His primary weapon is the sword, and he also wields bows. Such "Paladins" in the Grado Army usually do not wield plate armor, unlike their Begnion counterparts. Valter has a few Rangers in his service, and they match the description Beran gives of Grado bow-wielding Paladins. Also, Grado cavalry bowmen never had the choice of their second weapon; their sword-wielding Mercenaries could use an Hero Crest, Master Seal or veterancy to undertake either an Heroicization or a Ranging and their secondary weapon, if they chose the latter, was the bow; Archers, with an Orion's Bolt instead of an Hero Crest, can either Snipe or Range. If they Ranged, then they could fight hand-to-hand. But Beran himself, with a few Halberdiers wielding Greatlances, positions himself at the docks so much as to block access to the sea. He awaits the visit of a special Grado guest that came by the docks.

Cormag makes his report. "I found General Duessel! And Lord Pelleas as well!"

Beran gives his orders. "We must capture General Duessel at all costs! Go out and capture him, if you can!"

Vika just shifts into a big crow in order to tease these Grado archers; her speed is sufficient to avoid the arrows of the enemy while flying above the walls of the port city. And she could report back to her allies under her humanoid form. What she saw in the narrow streets of the city was nowhere near what she knew of the Grado army, or what Pelleas knew of it, for that matter. Halberdiers? These Halberdiers wielding Greatlances? No doubt about it, Begnion definitely sent an army of its own to assist Grado.

Vika reports, "My Lord, I also report that their leader is a Bow-wielding Paladin with plate armor."

Pelleas warned Lord Duessel, "I'm afraid that Begnion is also here!"

Duessel asked, "Why would Vigarde make his country fight alongside Begnion?" He explained, "Ever since Vigarde blockaded Begnion commerce from and to Grado, with the aid of Phoenicis, I always believed Begnion to be an enemy of Grado! Vigarde really has become mad. Vigarde treated laguz with care before the whole thing began!"

The Daein army has to change its tactics. As they knew it, the Grado army threw (unpromotable?) Soldiers on the first line and it was quickly overrun by their own promotable Soldiers and Archers. But Begnion knew better how to use Soldiers and Halberdiers; for them, they're best used to protect the flanks of more vulnerable units, such as magic-users and archers. Cavalry formed the first line and dismounted Knights were just behind cavalry, as they thought it was best to use the heavily armoured infantry as defensive meatshields.

But Begnion does not defend their strongholds like they battle on the open field. King Ike (when he still was a mercenary at the apostle's employ) raided Castle Tanas in search for laguz slaves. Castle Tanas would rather have a few knights on the third line than on the first line. However, Beran never served under Senator Oliver, having served under Senator Hetzel instead. Basically, they station mages in sandwich between their own physical-damage-dealing men and another line of soldiers. Beran orders the gates to be wide open and thrust all the people from the Daein army in the city. An Halberdier reported to Undead Kasatai that enemy troops have entered the city.

Undead Kasatai suspected, "They're moving already? Such recklessness! Don't they suspect a trap? I can't believe they have fallen for it."

Beran says that Daein follows a general called Pelleas and, perhaps he follows no procedure. Perhaps he follows his instinct. Then, Undead Kasatai states that he doesn't know if he's brave or simply reckless. Simply unbelievable…

Beran gave his orders, "Close the gates and seal their escape route. This contest will be decided here. Even undead, you must continue to trust me without question."

However, on the top of the walls, Archers stand ready to shoot arrows at the Daein army. And to drop boiling oil. But, from the very moment anyone mentions dropping boiling oil on the Daein soldiers… Undead Kasatai ordered to drop the boiling oil on the army trapped in the city.

It was not even boiling oil; the liquid looked more like if the soldiers washed their armors and flags with that water and put soap in it. Therefore it was harmless to either side. The Swordmaster realizes something has gone awry with the "boiling" oil: it wasn't even boiling. He orders another cauldron of true boiling oil to be prepared.

Undead Kasatai admonished the soldiers responsible for the boiling oil, "I said boiling oil, not foaming oil!"

Pelleas targeted the General responsible for the boiling oil with his magic. Hit by the magic, the boiling oil exploded, bringing the Swordmaster and a section of the wall to be blasted away. This prompted the cavalry to fight not Pelleas' group but Duessel's. Because Beran has no reason to go after Pelleas in the first place.

At the same moment, in the outskirts of Serafew, Joshua, a red-haired Swordmaster meets a blond-haired Cleric near the anti-noise wall of the southern part of the town. He thinks of the Cleric as a beautiful woman, whom he must woo for romantic purposes.

Joshua turns to Natasha. He says, "Well, well, there is the Coinus Maximus in town. Perfect. I feel this is the way to go in order to earn some gold. Say, this is a Cleric? It is! And a gorgeous one at that."

Natasha runs past Joshua. "Something amiss, Sister? You look flustered", he continued. "Pardon me", Natasha replied.

Joshua continues, "No, pardon me! I never meant to startle you. May I offer my apologies…"

Natasha ends the conversation by saying, "It was my fault. I must get going."

But then, far away from Pelleas and his gang, Vigarde's new envoy and General Glen's younger brother comes to the then captain of the Serafew Border Guard with orders from Vigarde himself. These men are grouped in a park northeast of the Coinus Maximus, the arena of the town. It appears that

Kimaarsi begins his report to Saar, "Vigarde changed the command of the Serafew Border Guard. For the failure of averting a treason, you're simply demoted. At least, Vigarde's forgiveness was granted to you. I am the new commander of the Serafew Border Guard. Also, I bring new orders from His Majesty. Rumor has it that the Daein army is making its way to Grado. You are to find its commander and to place him/her in custody immediately."

Saar mechanically says, "Yes, sir!"

Kimaarsi continues, "One more thing: a traitor to the empire has fled Grado Keep. We have received reports that she is hiding here in Serafew. I don't care if we have to tear this town apart. Find the turncoat!"

Saar asks a vital question, "If she resists, do we have permission to execute her?"

Kimaarsi answered that such a permission is granted. The commotion begins when Natasha successfully gets past the anti-noise wall. A small number of men catch up to her on the road leading to the Za'ha Woods (and ironically, to the location of Calill's men) near a residential district outside the anti-noise wall. Two quaint houses lie near the spot where she was caught.

Saar ordered his beorc soldiers, "Don't let her escape! Catch her! She went that way!"

An Halberdier approached Natasha. "Traitor Natasha! Surrender peacefully. Come quietly, and you will have the chance to explain yourself in front of His Majesty." he shouted.

Natasha also shouted, "Wait, please. Listen to me!"

Saar ordered his men to take her away.

Natasha continued to shout, "No! You must believe me! The Emperor is not himself!"

Calill, in the distance, wondered, "That cleric is a traitor to the throne of Grado? What madness is this?"

Having barely escaped the grasp of Grado and the Begnion Senate, Natasha comes to the camp of the Daein army, not realizing that their allies would launch a raid on the town (and hopefully capture crucial prisoners along with the city). However, the Daein force is at risk of detection…

Calill turns to Natasha. She asked the cleric, "Are you all right?"

Natasha replied by another question, "Who are you?"

Calill answered that she was from Crimea. "Why are those Grado men after you?", she asked.

Natasha replied, "You're from Crimea? Oh! I must tell you something… it's about Grado!" Lute told her that the western gate is undermanned. This is the weak spot to exploit to capture the whole place… Then, Calill spouted the battle cry of the Daein army in Magvel, "FOR LAGUZ RIGHTS! FOR DAEIN!"

At the same moment, in the Coinus Maximus, Joshua gets out of the arena's contestants room. Two arena guards carry him out of the place, but only one of them demands explanations from him.

Joshua, despite his bad luck, said to himself, "So much for my dreams of making my fortune here…First the girl and now the gold… It really isn't my lucky day."

A Grado Soldier intercepted him. "You there! Mercenary! What are you doing in the arena? Get back to the staging area now!", he asked in an angry tone.

Joshua suggested, "Why don't we both hit the arena? It would be good training, if you're risking your life anyway, you may as well try to earn some gold."

A Begnion-issued Halberdier threatens Joshua, "I'm reporting you to the captain! You'll be lucky if he just docks your pay! Don't forget: you can be replaced at any time, you filthy sellsword!"

On the other side of the anti-noise wall, Colm and Neimi stray away from the main group and come knocking at the door of one of two houses near the wall. The house itself seems nondescript, but there is someone inside to open the door up. Here is what the person inside have to say to the Renais duet:

Colm, curious about the melodies emanating from the area, "I heard some galdrar by here! Who's there?"

Tethys began her speech, "Oh, hello. Did you come to see me dance? I'm sorry, but I just finished a few moments ago. Oh, by the way...Would you be interested in one of these items? A wealthy patron left me a sizeable chest of gifts after watching my performance. You can sell one for gold if you'd like or use them to improve your skills. I simply cannot carry all of this by myself, so please, take one. Wealth is useless if you can't use it to bring happiness to others, right? Thanks for dropping by. Perhaps we'll meet again someday."

She gives a Dragonshield to the duet. It's not an ordinary shield: used by the right people, it can make their defenses more resilient to physical damage. Once this magical item has been used, it vanishes.

Colm, puzzled, asked, "A Dragonshield? A chest filled with gifts, and that chest contains objects instead of gold? No doubt about it, only Tibarn would do that."

Tethys replied, "The Hawk King? I'm afraid he flew away to the northeast. We can talk about him later."

Pelleas' men got to the central plaza of Bethroen, at the crossroads of two paved roads that lead to bridges. The first bridge leads to the mainland and the second bridge, to the city hall, where Beran has fled. On the main platform in the middle of the plaza, he finds… a living laguz still in its humanoid form. "Oh no, Vika", he thought, as he sees the black wings of the laguz hanging out of the rope as the laguz is in position to be hanged. He rushes at the execution area, where Vika's body is.

Pelleas asked, "Vika? Grado got your tongue? I'm here to free you!"

A nervous Grado Archer fires an arrow at Vika but, in his nervosity, his aim gets bad and his arrow instead hits the rope above her. And so her body falls to the ground. At that very moment, she transformed into a crow again, so she could eat the eyes of the Archer out. And cut his bowstring. However, she wasn't supposed to be just hanged, but also to be subject to the shots of a "firing squad" of twenty-two archers.

Would Grado use that many archers to execute a bird-tribe laguz? Or is this the exclusive method of Begnion? That, no one knows, but the other twenty-one archers were called up elsewhere. Instead, Vika would strike down at a red-armored Halberdier armed with a Silver Greatlance, but, since the Greatlance is so heavy, he couldn't maneuver with it fast enough to even hit the crow. Said crow used its talons to scratch the helmet and pierce his eyes so he couldn't see anything.

Vika warned Lord Pelleas, "The commander is just ahead!"

Beran said, "The Obsidian Duessel… Lord Pelleas, General of Daein… Two incredible trophies. Who could ask for more?"

Pelleas realizes that Beran is no Izuka; he doesn't resist magic as much. He tells himself that's perfectly normal for Paladins with no magical training. As Pelleas corners him, he changes weapons. But the time he took to do so was enough for Pelleas to cast a Verrine spell (he wields the Verrine in part because he didn't feel so confident about Vika's magical ability). And Beran then used his sword to try to break the surrounding maneuvers Pelleas employed. Duessel, however, was on Beran's other side.

As Duessel was the main objective of the Grado and the Begnion men posted in this city, Beran brought most of his attention on duelling the Grado Obsidian (a.k.a. Duessel). He almost totally neglects the Druid from Daein; this proved to be a near fatal mistake when the second spell hits him... Franz uses this diversion to lance Beran in the back and kill him.

Beran, with his dying gasp, uttered, "Too strong…"

The remaining Begnion troops then flee using the remaining ships docked in the port, even if, in their minds, they think that General Valter is out for them. While they escaped, something eerie happened to Pelleas: he goes through a second promotion process. The end result is extremely uncommon. From a second-tier Druid, he becomes a third-tier Archdruid, now even more powerful than before.

Instead of using Hero Crests, Ocean Seals, or other like-minded promotion objects, people who wish to promote from second-tier to third-tier have to use a Master Crown or to have twice the veterancy needed to get from a first-tier class to a second-tier class.

Pelleas demands, "Speak to me, Duessel. I want to put an end to this war. I'm sure you feel the same way."

Duessel emotionally answered, "As you know, the emperor was once a man of compassion. He loathed war, and he worked to build peace between the nations. Then… one day all changed."

Pelleas had other questions in store. "But why? Why did he change? What happened?", he asked.

Duessel told that he wished he knew. "But if you're looking for a likely cause, I have one. This all seems to have begun when Prince Lyon and the mages created a strange gemstone they referred to as the Dark Stone.", he continues.

A surprised Pelleas asks, "The Dark Stone?"

Duessel answers, "That's how the clerics and the Prince called it. I'm just a soldier. I don't know anything about magic, but they claim it is even more powerful than the Sacred Stones."

Vika finally said that she saw it all. However, she explains that the Dark Stone is still in the capital and its power can tarnish even the purest of souls with its corruption. "It's because of what I know about the Dark Stone that I am hounded by Grado", she concludes.

Brigands come to the anti-noise wall but they weren't enough to threaten the main group. Lute, Ross, Colm and Neimi, being the children, are left to defend the anti-noise wall. Also, as they are protected by an anti-noise wall, they do not even suspect anything. Not even that Tethys dances while singing the galdr of vigor so they can restore their energy. And that Natasha come to them.

The Brigand team leader motivated his men, "Come, lads! We'll steal our way through this pathetic town!"

At this very moment, the people behind the wall begin to attack. Lute, using her calculating brain and lightning-quick wits, fires her Fire spell at the brigand leader, who gets third-degree burns because of the spell. Ross finishes him off while Neimi shoots an arrow at the second Brigand. A well-placed arrow at that; it gave Colm enough time to steal a Vulnerary in a leather pouch. Natasha gets nearer to Joshua.

Natasha asks to Joshua, "You're that man I met… Are you here to capture me? You have been hired to silence me."

Joshua answers, "Grado is paying the bill. They want you dead… Don't feel bad, it's not personal."

Natasha pleads Joshua, "Wait! It doesn't matter what happens to me, but you must listen! The emperor of Grado has changed. He is not the man he once was. The other nations must be warned before he extinguishes all light from the land."

Joshua replies to these pleas that he may not care about Grado or its Emperor, for he is a mercenary. She may be right or she may lie, he doesn't care either way.

Natasha says, "But that's…"

Joshua asked a question to the Cleric, "Tell me, do you like to gamble?"

Natasha, furious, "What?"

Joshua then states that gambling is what he lives for. "I'll have a little wager with you. If you win, I believe you all the way.", he said.

Natasha shouts that she was Tails. Joshua continues, "I'm heads and you're tails. Here we go!"

Joshua tosses a coin and it falls on the tails. Therefore, Joshua joins the Daein army. Even so, he makes for the house just south of the western gate and opens the door.

The first man begins telling his story. "In my youth, I was a knight of some renown. I've even crossed the blade with one of Grado's finest generals. I'm an old man now… I began to worry… What if I die without passing on my techniques? I decided to write down what I have learned in a book. I have it here. You seem like a strong warrior. I'd be honoured if you take it.", he says.

By that time, though, the four children also entered a house of their own, past the central gate, lockpicked by Colm. Once they entered the house, the occupant tells them the following:

The second man makes a speech about life in Serafew since Grado began the war. "Life has been harder in Serafew since the occupation force took over here. Serafew's got Renais citizens as well as Grado, but it has been hardest on us. They've singled out families from Renais for the worst atrocities. Please, traveller, take this knife. It's a Kard. It'll cut through even the strongest armor. Take it and strike down that blackheart, Saar."

The battles of the day in the Coinus Maximus led the remaining citizens of Serafew and even people from the villages beyond, both Renais and Grado, to take seats in the arena, while the U.N. contestants are still getting ready. However, the Grado contestants are nothing more but their own commanders. They seem to have made the duels "Might vs. Magic" types, because they pit magic-users versus heavily armoured units.

The announcer, a person with no combat role, announces that the first match of the day featured Artur Monk, a Monk, vs. Saar Blackheart, the sub-commander of the Serafew Border Guard.

Saar taunted Artur, "Death is too good for you!"

With Kimaarsi in the VIP open-area lounge, he watches Artur as he casted Light spells on Saar, who moves so slowly that he couldn't even dodge the cylinder of light. His foe threw a Javelin instead, but Saar didn't count on the Monk's ability to dodge, which was higher than that of another Knight.

The crowd itself, as a whole, favored Artur because they felt that, should the U.N.-issued contestants win, the whole region would be freed by the bad influence and oppression of Grado. With the cries of the crowd, he casted another spell, whose outcome blinded the Knight almost to death. Because Saar couldn't see anything, he cannot throw his Javelin and his foe's third spell killed him.

Saar, with his final words, uttered, "Glory… to… His Majesty."

The lifeless body is put into a coffin, with a Grado flag on top of it, and Artur got to be promoted to Bishop, with a special ability that gives him the edge against monsters. Kimaarsi itself got off the VIP open-area lounge, got his armor on and took his throwing Spear to bear, in front of a crowd that expected a victory of their home-raised prodigy. In the "away" contestants' room, Lute gets prepared for the big duel that decides of the fate of the town. She warmed her brain up beforehand… now it was time to warm her body up.

The Halberdier who was the staff officer of Daein asks Lute, "You know of him?"

Lute answers that he was believed killed by the Greil Mercenaries but Senator Riev saved him. "He is simply no match for me. There is no one better than me, after all!", she continues.

It is time for Lute to actually kill the one who defended the room that Oliver somehow forgot when the Greil Mercenaries inspected Castle Tanas before Ike was dubbed into nobility. With her fabulous power, the time for her has come to use an Elfire spell. After all, she knew that her brains and agility would do better than the sheer strength of Kimaarsi. It is simple: her speed is enough to run circles around the General and when she is sure to be at the back, she fires her second spell. End result: she undertakes her promotion, but she isn't quite sure of what to pick.

For Tellius mages, this is pretty straightforward: you go as a Sage with staff ability. For Magvel mages, it's another issue: one has to choose between mobility on non-desert locales or mobility on desert locales (Mage Knights have a greater mobility on non-desert terrain but they are hampered by desert). And she prefers to travel light, as such, she chooses to remain afoot. Natasha goes up to the group in the contestants' room.

The Halberdier asks, "You're from Grado?"

Natasha answers, "Yes. My name is Natasha. I was a servant of the people at Grado's Imperial Temple."

A curious Calill asks, "Then why the trouble with the soldiers? Could you tell us your story?"

Natasha nods. "Of course. A few days past, my mentor was arrested without warning. They executed him. They said he was a traitor. But those were false accusations. The emperor killed him – a holy man – to keep him silent.", she tells to the people in the room.

Artur, in shock and awe, "Keep him silent?"

Natasha continues by saying, "My mentor said, with his final breath, that the emperor plans to destroy the Sacred Stones."

Lute asks her, "The Sacred Stones? Destroy them?"

Natasha thus ends her story, "As you know, the Sacred Stones drove back the power of evil long ago. There is one in my homeland, Grado, and one in Renais…" Lute adds that the Sacred Stone of Renais has been destroyed when the Grado Army raided the Royal Temple.

Tethys interrupts the non-seid magic-users. "A moment please. Are you, per chance, General Calill of Daein?", she asks. Calill answers that she is the person Tethys is looking for.

Tethys, on behalf of the Serafew citizens, says, "Thank goodness you're safe! I can't tell you how happy I am. And please accept my gratitude for driving off Kimaarsi and Saar. These men treated the laguz with much contempt and brutality…" Colm adds that Tibarn spent such happy times with Lyon when he last visited Grado. She makes the claim that Tibarn flew off to Hamill Canyon to assist the Phoenician army in its fight against Grado a few hours ago. Anyway, as Daein is an ally of the Laguz League, Phoenicis gives the Daein army a Master Crown!