You know what I just recently realized frustrates me about the ideological conflict in the Fódlan games?

Throughout both games, Rhea never gets a chance to present her side of the argument. She's never given the opportunity to present reasons for why she thinks Edelgard's vision for Fódlan's future won't have the positive results Edelgard is hoping for. She goes mad on Crimson Flower, she gets locked in a cell in the other three routes in the first game until after Edelgard is dead, and she's a complete non-presence in Three Hopes until the final mission of each route. I guess she sort of gets to make a few comments on it at the end of Golden Wildfire, but it's not in an environment conducive to her making a genuine case to the player, and her points are so poorly made that it seems less like the writers are trying to have her make a genuine argument and more that they're trying to convince the player that Claude was right to join Edelgard, that Rhea can't be reasoned with and has to be overthrown, which is especially insulting when the rest of her characterization and history says the exact opposite.

And that's just not a good way to write an ideological conflict. Even if Rhea is written as being in the wrong, she should at least be allowed to articulate why she can't support Edelgard's vision for Fódlan. It's not like Edelgard gets any real pushback from Claude or Dimitri beyond "your ideas are good, but this is not the right way to implement them." I have to wonder whether it's because the writers couldn't think of any legitimate challenge to Edelgard's ideas, or because said ideas don't hold up to scrutiny, and the writers have to leave them unchallenged or else no one would take Edelgard's side.

I still love Three Houses, but IntSys fumbled the main ideological conflict so badly that it's maddening.

Also, as someone with family in Georgia, fuck Alejandro Mayorkas. I really didn't want to bring politics here, but not only is $750 for every victim of the hurricane (many of which were denied even that when they applied for it) already an insult, but FEMA is actively preventing rescue operations while they themselves drag their feet and try to help as little as possible. Just like with Maui and East Palestine.

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled program. Short chapter this time, but I promise the next one will be action-packed. Well, as much as I can before it starts to get repetitive, at least.


Eleven days after Dimitri's team investigated Grant Bartels, Bartels was brought before Emperor Lycaon. The knight smiled when he saw the Emperor. "Ah, Your Excellency. I believe there has been a misunderstanding. Perhaps you can resolve it."

"I don't believe in passing judgment without allowing the accused to speak in his defense," Lycaon said. "By all means, tell me what happened."

"Of course, Your Excellency," Bartels said. "Varley's men claimed that I was 'wasting the lives of my men' because I was willing to do what it takes to achieve victory, and he wasn't."

Lycaon raised an eyebrow. "Please, elaborate."

"Varley's overly-cautious tactics have cost the northern front the initiative against the Elites," Bartels said smugly. "I simply did what was necessary to achieve victory. And if it cost the lives of a few footmen, what of it? They can be replaced."

"I understand," Lycaon said.

"Thank you, sire, I'll—" Bartels started, but Lycaon cut him off. "I understand that you're an arrogant blowhard with no regard for the lives of your men, sustainability, or your commander's authority. The only thing you care for is your own personal glory. Scum like you have no place in my army."

"Scum?" Bartels shrieked. He tried to walk up to Lycaon, but was quickly restrained.

"I had hoped to show mercy on behalf of your father and brother," Lycaon said. "But I see now that it would be a mistake. As Emperor of Adrestia, I sentence you to die. Take him to the gallows."

"You can't do this!" Bartels shouted. "I'm your army's greatest hero! You can't do this!"


"Something on your mind?" Zelda heard Edelgard ask.

"Just...thinking about how Lycaon dealt with Bartels," Zelda answered. "He was an arrogant fool who had no business leading an army, but did Lycaon have to kill him?"

"He did," Edelgard confirmed. "Bartels was disobeying orders, and was wasting his men's lives. Lycaon had to make an example of him, or else the rest of his men would start to wonder what they could get away with. And before long, Lycaon loses control of Adrestia, and Nemesis crushes them all."

"But why?" Zelda asked. "Nemesis is a threat to all of them, and Lycaon's leadership is protecting them from disaster! Why wouldn't they listen to him?"

Edelgard frowned. "Zelda, please don't take this as a sign of contempt, but your father trained you to be a priestess when he should have trained you to be a queen.

"You may not realize this because you had the good fortune of growing up in a time when the regional rulers in Hyrule were close friends and understood the threat Calamity Ganon posed. But in forty-nine out of fifty cases, even when people are working together for a goal that benefits them all, there will always be those trying to be the one who benefits the most. And many of them will risk everything their allies are working toward to ensure it. Lycaon needs those people to fear him, or they'll destroy Adrestia out of shortsighted greed."

"But is ruling by fear really the only way to rule?" Zelda asked. "Can a ruler truly not rule without being feared?"

"I'm afraid not," Edelgard told her. "And that doesn't mean you can't still love your people, or that they can't love you. You just have to be ready to do what's best for them as a whole, even if some of them don't like it."