Right completely forgot to add friends to actions. Alright changing my vote
[X] Plan Focus Self: This Time With Children
-[X] Focus on yourself. There is no need to stress yourself over something you have little control on. If Naga has plans for you and the Fire Emblem, you're sure things will become clearer in due time. The best thing you can do is make sure you'll be ready by then. [+1 free action for this turn only]
-[X] Ten thousand swings
--[X] Add: Owain
-[X] The bonds of yesterday: It has been a long time since you've had all your friends in one place. You've all grown older. So many things have happened since you all saw each other last, so many things keep happening... and yet that's no excuse to let bonds that have worn thin wear thinner. Though your carefree days have ended you can still enjoy each other's company, even if for only a moment.
--[X] Present: Everyone, hopefully.
-[X] Avengers, assemble!
--[X] Present: Kjelle, Severa, Nah, Owain, Noire, Inigo, Cynthia.
--[X] Focus: Inigo - With the addition of Inigo, there are now four of you on the path of swords. You should help him along and get his bearings, maybe you'll learn something as well.
-[X] A time of secrets
--[X] Add: Yarne
-[X] In mankind's darkest hour
-[X] A blade to save the world
--[X] Summon: Marth
-[X] A family by choice
--[X] Present: Owain, Cynthia, Nah, Morgan
--[X] Focus: Nah
Right, so the main problem with not going to the front is I'll bet very soon, if not this turn necessarily, death rolls are going to start happening in the background. We have limited time with our teachers and we need to take advantage of them while they're alive still. Say'ri and Cherche are the two biggest issues here as she's the single most compatible sword master to our personal sword style we have left to learn from and get advice from and Cherche is one of very, very few who can teach us to fight along Cu.
That and general battle experience under safe-as-we're-ever-going-to-get conditions. And those conditions will only go downhill over time.
It's my primary worry as well, there's a lot of opportunity cost this turn and that doesn't make it any easier.
[] Plan: To Seek The Truth
-[] Learn more about it's disappearance (Visit on the frontlines)
--[] One with the blade
--[] Eyes in the sky
--[] Dark arts for dark times
-[] A time of secrets
--[] Add: Yarne
-[] Avengers, assemble!
--[] Present: Kjelle, Severa, Nah, Owain, Noire, Inigo, Cynthia.
--[] Focus: Inigo - With the addition of Inigo, there are now four of you on the path of swords. You should help him along and get his bearings, maybe you'll learn something as well.
Perhaps? The War Council is important, but so is the Regency Council. We're just really limited for actions. I suppose I could just go ham on frontline actions but eesh, there's just a lot we need to do and not a lot of actions to do them with.
[] Learn more about its disappearance. That night may have been one of Ylisse's biggest tragedy, yet you know little about it. It was never your father's favourite topic, for obvious reasons. Still, you can ask around to the Shepherds in order to get a few missing pieces of the puzzle. [will automatically use one action for the option Visit on the frontlines. Physical actions provide better result for this turn only] -[] Ten thousand swings: Lon'qu taught you most of what there is to know about the chon'sin style, with nothing but the most advanced techniques eluding you still. But in order to master it, there is no secret: swing, and swing again. Repetition is key, insists your mentor. -[] One with the blade: now that Say'ri is back, you don't want to let little things such as her being sent on the frontlines get in the way of her teaching you more. Needs visit on the frontlines. -[] Avengers, assemble!: with no less than five people invited to your training sessions with Kjelle and Severa, things are bound to become lively. Hopefully this won't spiral down into utter chaos. -[] A time of secrets: with Mother only occasionally able to attend, and two dukes out of four called away by other duties, the Regency Council is bound to operate on a new dynamic. What it will be, only time will tell. -[] In the thick of it: with Virion and his staff joining the front, the only way to still attend the war councils is to follow. With the war entering a new phase, it might be more important than ever. Needs visit on the frontlines. -[] In mankind's darkest hour: Ylisse is now fighting its third war in fifteen years, and lost two beloved Exalts in the same period. The population is understandably weary and worried. You don't pretend you could change that all by yourself, but maybe having the crown princess walking down the streets of Ylisstol would be a relief for some - and a nightmare for your guards, but you think it might be worth it.
[] Special - slack off: given the circumstances, you can't help but disagree with some of your tutors over what you really should be focusing on.
-[] Introduction to Military Tactics (LOCKED)
--[] Write your teacher a note, or tell him in person if you have time, that you are going to be sitting in on the war council as you have in the past, just that you have a bit less time to squeeze everything in because you are going to the front now.
[] Write-in: Go to Economy lessons
-[] Make it very clear to you teacher that you he is cutting into time you could be spending helping your sister with her grief and if he can not show he can competently teach you then he will not teach you.
I was thinking something more like this. Our country needs the morale, especially with the hit they'll take when the Risen start mauling us. War Council really is a good substitute for the tactics lessons, but the teacher is, if not great, at least competent, hence my attempt with explaining ourself to him. (It's even true since just going to the front takes up an action).
Our Economy teacher is trying to kiss our ass and pissing us off for it, but we'll have negative rumors if we just drop it, so instead we let him hang himself after a warning. Seriously if our tone isn't basically putting a knife to his throat with those words then I'd be surprised. He'll either shape up or he won't either way it's kind of hard to complain in the face of "He was a complete incompetent who took my time away from helping my grieving sister. Say something about me not going to his lessons anymore, I dare you."
(Considering the context I would assume Ten Thousand Swings is performed on the front, which means our only actions in the capital are Avengers, Darkest Hour, and the Regency Council. The latter two of which anyone without a head up their ass would know is basically a duty we can't really duck and the first we are spending time with her to some degree, so yes, what I wrote above is also true in it's own way).
And yes, Lucina should be angry about that, so she is, cause Family is important.
The only thing I couldn't fit in with this was Cu and Henry, but everything there is kind of really important, so idk. TTS could be dropped again, but then we're dropping it again. And it's one of those important ones too I think.
My only issue is taking Ten Thousand Swings at the same time as One With the Blade. Unlike One With the Blade, Ten Thousand Swings doesn't feel time dependent or a loss of opportunity if we don't take it. Are we hoping for a synergy bonus of some kind there?
My only issue is taking Ten Thousand Swings at the same time as One With the Blade. Unlike One With the Blade, Ten Thousand Swings doesn't feel time dependent or a loss of opportunity if we don't take it. Are we hoping for a synergy bonus of some kind there?
Yes. I'm actually expecting Say'ri might just inform us we need to do the same action very soon anyway. And the only reason I don't say this turn is because she might be coaching us through live battles right now, which is all the more reason to take TTS really because having all of our movements as ingrained in our body as possible will only make us that much safer on the battlefield.
If we are going to battle we should really try to do that first/during the same turn.
Alright I can support it, I'll put it into format then.
[X] Plan: Of Truth and Duty - AKA SAB called and thought differently
-[X] Special - slack off
--[X] Introduction to Military Tactics (LOCKED)
---[X] Write your teacher a note, or tell him in person if you have time, that you are going to be sitting in on the war council as you have in the past, just that you have a bit less time to squeeze everything in because you are going to the front now.
-[X] Write-in: Go to Economy lessons
--[X] Make it very clear to you teacher that you he is cutting into time you could be spending helping your sister with her grief and if he can not show he can competently teach you then he will not teach you.
-[X] Learn more about it's disappearance (Visit on the frontlines)
--[X] One with the blade
--[X] Ten thousand swings
--[X] In the thick of it
-[X] A time of secrets
--[X] Add: Yarne
-[X] Avengers, assemble!
--[X] Present: Kjelle, Severa, Nah, Owain, Noire, Inigo, Cynthia.
--[X] Focus: Inigo - With the addition of Inigo, there are now four of you on the path of swords. You should help him along and get his bearings, maybe you'll learn something as well.
-[X] In mankind's darkest hour
Pretty sure we can bring someone on a tour around the city but I don't know who that someone could be.
[X] Plan: Of Truth and Duty - AKA SAB called and thought differently
-[X] Special - slack off
--[X] Introduction to Military Tactics (LOCKED)
---[X] Write your teacher a note, or tell him in person if you have time, that you are going to be sitting in on the war council as you have in the past, just that you have a bit less time to squeeze everything in because you are going to the front now.
-[X] Write-in: Go to Economy lessons
--[X] Make it very clear to you teacher that you he is cutting into time you could be spending helping your sister with her grief and if he can not show he can competently teach you then he will not teach you.
-[X] Learn more about it's disappearance (Visit on the frontlines)
--[X] One with the blade
--[X] Ten thousand swings
--[X] In the thick of it
-[X] A time of secrets
--[X] Add: Yarne
-[X] Avengers, assemble!
--[X] Present: Kjelle, Severa, Nah, Owain, Noire, Inigo, Cynthia.
--[X] Focus: Inigo - With the addition of Inigo, there are now four of you on the path of swords. You should help him along and get his bearings, maybe you'll learn something as well.
-[X] In mankind's darkest hour
I won't stop you from submitting votes, but Macros should get the chance to chime in on whether the write-in bits are okay. I guess I should put my vote down too.
[X] Shadowangelbeta
... Wait a second.
[X] Plan: Of Truth and Duty - AKA SAB called and thought differently
To speak plainly, Nyx's plan isn't a bad one either. It gets the ones we need (Darkest Hour, Avengers, Family, Regency Council) and still focuses on some of the good things (Falchion, Ten Thousand) on top of doing the Yesterday gathering.
Really Nyx's plan is in some ways much better than mine. It's more socially focused which is important, especially for Lucina. Mine is more for those who, like me, worry about the ticking clock we have with some of our teachers as well as being more martial focused this turn to take advantage of the boost. Objectively mine might very well be an outright bad call if the physical boost isn't worth the extra action. I trust Macros enough that it would be, scaling in how much better it would be with the number of physical training actions we would take.
Regardless there are just too many things we need to get around to doing, not enough time to do them. Depending on what's available or what crops up next turn we may have a few actions we don't have to worry about spending.
I won't stop you from submitting votes, but Macros should get the chance to chime in on whether the write-in bits are okay. I guess I should put my vote down too.
[X] Plan: Of Truth and Duty - AKA SAB called and thought differently
-[X] Special - slack off
--[X] Introduction to Military Tactics (LOCKED)
---[X] Write your teacher a note, or tell him in person if you have time, that you are going to be sitting in on the war council as you have in the past, just that you have a bit less time to squeeze everything in because you are going to the front now.
-[X] Write-in: Go to Economy lessons
--[X] Make it very clear to you teacher that you he is cutting into time you could be spending helping your sister with her grief and if he can not show he can competently teach you then he will not teach you.
-[X] Learn more about it's disappearance (Visit on the frontlines)
--[X] One with the blade
--[X] Ten thousand swings
--[X] In the thick of it
-[X] A time of secrets
--[X] Add: Yarne
-[X] Avengers, assemble!
--[X] Present: Kjelle, Severa, Nah, Owain, Noire, Inigo, Cynthia.
--[X] Focus: Inigo - With the addition of Inigo, there are now four of you on the path of swords. You should help him along and get his bearings, maybe you'll learn something as well.
-[X] In mankind's darkest hour
[X] Learn more about its disappearance
In the end, you decide that learning more about the Fire Emblem itself would be pointless as long as you don't know where it is. And by learning about its theft, you hope to find out the motives anyway.
The obvious person to interrogate first is Aunt Lissa. You remember Father mentioning she was in the palace that night, and you doubt she'd have forgotten such dramatic events so easily. Though the memories are clearly unpleasant for her, she still answers you the best she can. Unfortunately, she cannot tell you much. Most of the assassins managed to get away after killing Emmeryn and injuring Chrom, with the Fire Emblem nowhere to be found. At the time, they had suspected the item to have been brought to the Mad King Gangrel - she recalls a border incident where he made a specific demand for the artefact in order to appease the tensions between the two ocuntries - but after he was killed and Plegia Castle occupied, the Fire Emblem was nowhere to be found.
As for why Plegia wanted the Fire Emblem, Lissa can only guess. She does remember that it played a role in Grima's defeat a thousand years ago, so maybe it was a way to make sure it couldn't be used in that capacity again? You guess it is plausible, but the implications are terrifying - there would be no need for it unless Grima was slated to return. Still you refuse to jump to conclusions. There might be something else behind its disappearance.
"Hmm. Well if you want to learn more, maybe you could ask Gaius."
You blink. Gaius? What does he have to do with this story? Aunt Lissa awkwardly deflects your question.
"Weeeeell, he had a... colourful past. He really should be the one to tell you about it though. But I guess since he's at the border right now, you'll have to wait for the next time he's back in Ylisstol."
You stay silent.
"I mean, it's the only solution unless - oh no."
You stay silent.
"... please don't tell Sumia I was the one to give you the idea."
***
When you announce Mother your desire to visit the frontlines, you expect having to argue for your case. Instead she seems to have expected it, simply asking you your reasons. Truth be told, talking to Gaius is only part of it. Staying stuck in Ylisstol as people fight and die for Ylisse feels wrong. You are still too young to join in the fight, but at the very least, you need to see the situation with your own eyes. Mother doesn't object, though you can tell she doesn't like the idea of you being so close from Plegian forces one bit. All she asks is to wait the beginning of winter before making the move, at a season where both armies should be less active, and to have some time to try to divert Plegian attention. As you watch her beginning to plan for your travel, you're struck by a realization.
During this last year, Mother had rarely been on your mind. You were grateful for the comfort she provided in a time of grief, and felt fear each time she went out with the pegasus knights on the front, but you never really stopped to consider how she was feeling. Your own grief and trying to help Cynthia kept you busy enough. Still, as you watch her now, you realize how much she has changed.
You know better than most the weight of expectation. You're still in training, but you can already feel the pressure your future role as Exalt will ask of you. At the very least, it was a role you knew from the start that would end up entrusted to you, if maybe not quite that soon. But what then of Sumia, second daughter of a minor noble house, who now found herself queen-regent of Ylisse despite the odds? You know she did her best to support Father when he was still alive, learning about politics and trade and diplomacy despite having no natural inclination toward those, just so she could be of help to him. And now it has come to this.
You cannot help but ask. "I thought... I thought you'd be against it."
You're answered by a tired sigh. "I don't like it, but I understand" Sumia says. "I wish I could just protect you, that I could end this war before you ever have to fight in it. But I know some wishes don't come true."Her tone grows wistful. "I was blessed with a wonderful husband. I am still blessed with two incredible daughters. Asking for more would be greedy, I think. I'll just keep doing my best, and hope it makes a difference. And I know you're doing that too, so I'll try to help when I can."
You were always told you took a lot more from Father, and that is an assessment you never disagreed with. Yet as you watch Mother push aside her own grief and worries day after day, in order to support both Ylisse and her family, you realize you might have inherited something from her after all.
On an impulse, you throw yourself in her arms, and allow yourself to be a twelve year old again. The people of Ylisse need an Exalt, not a child. But you don't need a mask in front of Mother. And while the sudden embrace surprises her, it is readily returned. And while the last year made her more silent, more sad... her warmth and her smile is still the same. After all that happened, it's a comforting fact.
***
[X] History, Laws and Politics of Ylisse (LOCKED)
[X] Diplomacy lessons (LOCKED)
[X] Studies on the state of the Realm (LOCKED)
Your departure for the western border is still in a few weeks, meaning your lessons with Maribelle are still on the table. And apparently the noblewoman has decided that if you're going to leave for a time, it just means she has to up the pace to compensate. Still, since that episode with Noire and Tharja, you feel like the two of you are closer. You have always respected her of course, and you think she was already happy with you as a student, but now there's a certain complicity between the two of you that wasn't there before.
She tells you that Noire did come to visit her a few times to get some pointers, or simply ask questions she didn't want to bother her mother with. Maribelle is a bit worried about Noire's health - and doesn't hide her distrust for dark magic in general - but so far nothing really bad happened, as far as she can tell, and she managed to get Brady on board to regularly check on her now that Libra is away. Though she does wonder about those 'fits of temper' that crops up sometimes.
In return you talk to her about your experiences while attending the regency councils. She's not unaware of the specifics of course; apparently Aunt Lissa often seek her advices, and with her own father being a part of it, she tends to have all the details. Still she seems interested in your own opinion, and is definitely supportive of you attending when you can.
Also she doesn't seem that fond of the various dukes beside her father, but you wonder if it could just be a family rivalry thing.
Maribelle also tells you that starting next year, she's thinking of modifying the format of her lessons. Now that she believes you have a solid foundation in most topics expected of a ruler, it might be possible to turn the three classes she gives you into a single broader one. In an ideal world, that's the opposite of what should be done, but given the urgency of the times - and your occasional propensity to sometimes make your own, she wryly adds - it might be a better idea to lighten up your load when it comes to your timetable. It's not like you'd use the extra time to slack off anyway.
That, you think, could definitely be useful.
Skill: Geography raised to C+
Skill: Etiquette raised to C-
[X] Introduction to Military Tactics (LOCKED)
-[X] Write your teacher a note, or tell him in person if you have time, that you are going to be sitting in on the war council as you have in the past, just that you have a bit less time to squeeze everything in because you are going to the front now.
Maribelle isn't wrong, time is something you often lacks off. And you know that you'd make little progress with just a few weeks in your slow-paced military studies, before they'd be inevitably cut short once you leave. Sir Duncan quickly surrenders to your arguments that given the circumstances, you'll be better served attending Virion's meetings, and promises to use the time to prepare more material for you to study afterwards.
[X] Economy and Trade of Ylisse (LOCKED)
-[X] Make it very clear to you teacher that you he is cutting into time you could be spending helping your sister with her grief and if he can not show he can competently teach you then he will not teach you.
The conciliatory approach isn't always the most appropriate however.
You decide to give Lord Harrowmont a second chance. However, this time you make your displeasure at his previous attempts of flattery obvious. Maybe you are getting used to high standards when it comes to your tutors, but given the circumstances, you can no longer afford to be patient with incompetence. The man turns white at your words, but seems to comply, simply covering Ylisse's internal market without superfluous comments. You probably didn't make a friend, but that wasn't what you needed in the first place.
Skill: Economics raised to D-
[X] Avengers, assemble!
-[X] Present: Kjelle, Severa, Nah, Owain, Noire, Inigo, Cynthia.
--[X] Focus: Inigo - With the addition of Inigo, there are now four of you on the path of swords. You should help him along and get his bearings, maybe you'll learn something as well.
You eventually managed to convince Severa and Kjelle to let everyone interested come. Which means your next session will be a lot more crowded than usual. You expect things might get a bit chaotic at first, but hopefully nothing to bad, surely?
You quickly begin to wonder that maybe you've done a terrible mistake.
"Ahah! Your spirit is commendable, fiery maiden, but know that the great Owain Dark won't be so easily vanquished!"
"Oh my gawd shutupshutupshutup!"
Well okay sure. You knew putting Owain and Severa together would not be easy at first. What was really worrying you now though was that despite the constant bickering, name-calling and even occasional hair-pulling... they were maybe the only ones getting something done. Probably because Severa was now ready to rip your cousin's head off, which in turn made him double down on the theatrics, making for a rather intense sparring session.
Meanwhile, your sister and Kjelle had... troubles.
"For Naga's sake! How?! How do you trip on thin air?! And what's with this way to hold a spear? It's not a magic wand!"
"I know that, you meanie! And it's just those boots, I'm not used to them yet! There's no need to shout!"
On one hand, Kjelle was the only one in your group who could help Cynthia with a spear. On the other hand, she wasn't the most patient toward beginners. At the very least the fact that your sister didn't take the verbal abuse lying down showed she was in good spirits?
Then you had Noire and Nah. The general idea was to have the archer aim at the manakete, making one work on their accuracy while the other would train her flight and dodging skills. The only problem was that Noire was rather intimidated by being faced by a live dragon, making even nocking an arrow a challenge, up until frustration took over, which wasn't much better because at that point, she just threw the bow at a bemused Nah's face. So yeah, that was a work in progress.
You'll get on that later. For now, you wanted to focus on Inigo. You were probably the most qualified of the group to help him and it was an occasion to engage with him after that long time away from each other. He seems a little intimidated, but Severa had been right: there's a certain eagerness when it comes to learning sword-craft. He simply needs to relax a bit. When you tell him just that, he offers a shy smile.
"I know. Dad always tell me to show more confidence. It's just... it's not easy, you know?"
You can imagine. For now, you'll take what you can get and evaluate his level. Your first assessment is promising. He doesn't seem to have a fixed style yet - you notice he has a basic understanding of Chon'sin style, you recognize a couple of moves that Owain uses, and he has some notions of a more academic school of fighting - probably something used by the knights of Rosanne? Nonetheless, he doesn't seem to have really committed to one yet. In terms of physicality, you can tell he might benefit from a few work-outs; there's little power behind his strikes, and he seems to tire easily. That being said, he is rather fast, and his footwork is excellent. Yeah, you think you can work with that.
It's also nice to reconnect a bit. While still shy, he seems to make more of an effort to get out of his shell than four years ago. He is rather enthusiastic when you get him to talk about his life in Rosanne, and confess a love for novels. When you bring up his old passion for dancing though, he closes up once again, visibly embarrassed. Ah. Too soon then. Well, there's no need to rush.
Chaos! Chaos everywhere!
It'll get better. Probably.
Relations with Inigo improved
Option unlocked: Teamwork makes the dream work
[X] Ten thousand swings
On the other hand, your training sessions with Lon'qu go a lot better. With Say'ri's lessons fresh in your mind, and seemingly a good deal of energy to burn through, you tackle your lessons with enthusiasm. By this point, flowing from one stance through another is almost second nature to you. Soaring dragon follows roots of the mountain, before ending with eight step lotus. You tirelessly practice the strikes Lon'qu taught you, while he's watching with a critical eye. That he doesn't make any comment is a point of pride: if you're at a point where he doesn't find flaws to correct, clearly you're doing something right.
"Hm. I don't think I have much left to teach you."
The admission takes you by surprise. You're happy with your progression, but surely there's more to it? Your master simply shrugs.
"Training helps, but it can't replace real-life experience. You know the steps, you know the strikes. Now what matters is remembering them in the midst of battle."
You suppose that makes sense. Still...
"Maybe there's one last thing" he grunts. "Not sure how to go about it though." You wait patiently as he explains. "I was born in Chon'sin, but most of my teenage years were in Ferox. It's something no-one explained to me, I had to figure it out on my own after watching others in the arena."
That would certainly explain his rougher and more pragmatic approach to the Chon'sin style. If he had to learn most of it from scratch, he had to pick up what worked for him and what did not on the fly. That he managed to reach a level where he could be considered one of the best swordsman on both continents was a testament to his resourcefulness, though you could see how it'd make teaching you more difficult.
"No choice then. Come at me."
You don't even discuss it. "Should I stick with Chon'sin style, or-"
"Use whatever you feel like. In a fight, only the result matters."
How very much like him. You can't quite suppress the grin on your face. Testing yourself against your teacher is something you had been looking forward. You don't expect to win, but you're determined to give a good showing. The two of you grab a training sword, and without a word the match begins.
Lon'qu is incredibly polished. He might have taught you everything he knew, but his swordsmanship was refined by dozens of battles, making it as natural as breathing to him. Also, he is blindingly fast, having you outclassed by a decent margin in that department. And you were hardly slow! Combine that with his greater size and reach, and you're in for a world of troubles. To make matter worse, he is clearly quite familiar with your own royal style, seamlessly adapting to the variations in your swordplay. Swords B+ vs Swords A+. Dexterity B+ vs Dexterity A-. The ultimate test.
Still, as you grit your teeth against his onslaught, you do your best to leverage the few advantages you have over him. It's clear that you're a bit stronger than him, and while fighting in three wars gave a wealth of experience, the various battles left their mark on the veteran. If you manage to turn this in a contest of endurance, then you might be able to prevail. You focus on defending, parrying the strikes you can't dodge while trying to maintain your blades locked to slow his constant barrage, pushing back every time you can to break his momentum. And for a minute, your plan seems to work, as you feel Lon'qu slowing down. Strength B+ vs Strength B-. Endurance B vs Endurance C+. Challenging your limits.
And suddenly his blade is everywhere. Technique activated: Astra. A storm has come.
You're flat on the ground before realizing what happened, your hard breaths echoing those of your master. You hurt everywhere. Did he hit you in the stomach? The shoulder? The leg? Probably all of the above, and more.
"What was that?" you manage between two gaps.
"Don't know the name. Just saw it once, so I decided to reproduce it. What do you think?"
You stay silent for a moment before getting back on your feet. "Show me again."
By the end of it, you're covered in bruises, but you don't feel like you've made too much progress. after seeing it a couple of times, you managed to understand that the technique relied upon five consecutive strikes, with barely a hairbreadth between each other, the first attack opening up your guard and leaving you exposed to the following blows. Yet even after being on the receiving end of it a couple more times, you can't quite figure how to perform it. There's no warning in Lon'qu's posture, no telltale sign to look out for and that you could try to replicate. Just him suddenly unleashing an attack too fast for the eye to follow, and you ending up on the ground as a result. The best you can manage is to doge the first strike and block the second, which still leaves you at the mercy of the next three.
Lon'qu seems to notice your frustration. "Once you're on the border, find Say'ri. Maybe she can help."
You nod. That had been your intention all along, but now you had an extra motivation to do so. Still, as you replay the previous bouts against Lon'qu in your head, trying to understand what you have been missing, you don't notice the strange glance directed at you.
"You're a scary kid, you know that?" That snaps you out of your thoughts. "Didn't think someone could reach that level of skill this fast. And you hit almost as hard as your father. For a moment I thought you were going to break my bad arm once again."
His tone is as dry as ever, but you can hear the approval in his voice. The realisation that you pushed your mentor to his limits is... heartening. Thanks to him, to Say'ri, to Father, you've come far enough that getting to their level is no longer a simple childish dream, but a goal that seems to be within reach. And you don't intend to stop.
"Okay. One more time then!"
"Tss. Give me a break."
Characteristic: Strength raised to A-
Skill: Swords raised to A-
Skill: Chon'sin style raised to B-
Trait: Twin Path of the Blade became Two Worlds, One Blade.
[X] A time of secrets
-[X] Add: Yarne
Most of your free time, however, is spent among the regency council. With two members missing for the foreseeable future, and Mother only occasionally able to attend, the room almost feels empty. The amount of work to do, however, remains the same. While Ylisse as a whole hasn't suffered too much from the war yet, the western provinces are in a sorry state. And should more men be needed in the army, there might be worries for the next harvests. In that respect being able to call upon allied nations has been a pretty big relief.
However after a few days, you begin to notice a certain tension in those meetings that didn't seem to be there before. At first you simply chalk it up to the ongoing war - who wouldn't be tense in that kind of situation - but after a while you can't shake the feeling that there might be more to it. Aunt Lissa seems to be in a perpetually fool mood these days, and Dukes Lurelin and Arnelle seem pretty dissatisfied themselves, though they do a good job of hiding it. Minor disagreements, that would hardly matter under normal circumstances, seem to multiply.
Yarne, of all people, is the one to give you a clue on what could be going on. Your taguel friend is now a common sight around you when you go to these meetings, his presence hardly noticed by the others due to his withdrawn nature. And as such, it appears the adults might sometime overlook his presence when yours is sure to garner some attention. Apparently, he witnessed a pretty big fight between Aunt Lissa and Duchess Arnelle over the opportunity to open negotiations with Plegia.
On an intellectual level, it makes sense to you. This war wasn't one Ylisse wanted, Plegia doesn't seem to have a clear objective, and with the two armies in a stalemate right now, any chance to end it should at least be explored.
But that voice of reason is drowned by your instinctive disgust at the idea of having to sit down and talk with those who murdered your father.
Also, Yarne tells you he saw Arnelle and Lurelin in pretty intense talks both before and after the councils. That isn't abnormal in itself, but if there's a rift growing between them on one side and Aunt Lissa on the other, this might spell real trouble down the line. Until now, you remained an attentive observer, but now you wonder if maybe you should try to throw your weight in the balance? You're not sure it'd work though, and it might even make things worse.
You remember Father expressing frustration at having to engage in politics since he became Exalt; you think you're beginning to get it now.
Nothing for now.
Option unlocked: when there's smoke...
[X] In mankind's darkest hour
In contrast, your new plan to walk down the streets of Ylisstol is almost relaxing in its simplicity; with a single guard serving as escort - a necessary concession - you are allowed to meet the local citizens, this time not while hiding like you did with Gaius a long time ago, but in your quality as princess of Ylisse. You listen to their worries and their fears for the future first-hand. More than one already lost a loved one in this war, or even in the previous ones, which is something you can unfortunately relate to. Yet almost all of them seem to trust you. More than once, you hear them singing the praises of your late aunt or your father. Even your mother is mentioned, her recent battles on the border giving hope that despite the ruinous battle at Plegia Castle, Ylisse can still prevail in this war. And as far as they are concerned, your actions already proved you would follow in their footsteps.
It is both humbling and terrifying. They are all counting on you; you cannot afford to betray their trust.
Morale in Ylisstol seems to be improving a little.
Option unlocked: Whispers of the crowd
Random event: secret admirer - redux?
As the planned day for your departure grows closer, there seems to be a shadow following your footsteps. At first you think it might be Yarne back at his old antics, but you are disabused of that notion when you catch a glimpse of blonde, almost white haired head diving behind a pillar as you turn around.
"... Morgan?"
No answer. You're pretty sure you heard a 'eep' though. And now you're not sure what to do. It's not the first time you have to deal with an overly skittish person, but contrary to Yarne who was (is?) basically scared of everyone, Morgan seemed only timid toward you, as far as you could tell, which might make an attempt at direct interaction difficult. Then again she's apparently following you now, which means... something? Maybe you should go through Nah instead? Still, you admit you are rather curious about Robin's youngest daughter...
[] Go talk to Morgan directly. I mean, she's right there... [] Let her move at her own pace. If she's truly seeking you out, she'll probably work through her own timidity in time. [] Find Nah for advice. She's probably the one who knows her sister the best. [] Write-in
*Looks at Darkest hour and Random Event* *Looks at all the other sections* I honestly couldn't tell. *blinks innocently*
Not sure what to do with Morgan actually. Lucina can be pretty straightforward, but in the same breath kind of knows to go find help if she's in a "Wat du?" situation. The one thing she wouldn't do is leave it though, not as it is anyway.
Hmmm... well isn't this interesting. Morgan is still a relative unknown so a direct confrontation might not be best at this moment. On the other hand Lucina is leaving for the front soonish and Morgan probably knows that, and from the sounds of it, partly why she's following us in the first place.
Hmm...
As much as handling it herself is Lucina's thing, the fact that Morgan is seemingly only skittish around her is somewhat important. Unlike Yarne who was actively engaging with us despite his nature, Morgan is trying to keep out of our way and relatively out of sight.
The Nah option is pretty safe me thinks but perhaps there's a way for us to get closer to her without us scaring her off?
The issue is that Lucina has the bearing of an Exalt, and that is intimidating for a child regardless of how smart Morgan is. Perhaps the reason Morgan is following Lucina around is that she admires her father, and wants to surpass him as a tactician? This probably involves becoming the tactician for Ylisse.
I'm tempted to pull a Morgan and use a pitfall trap/steal a book/bash our head-wait not that last one.
In regards to the conflict with the Dukes and Lissa, our best bet is probably Maribelle. A consummate diplomat, heir to a Duke, and Lissa's best friend. She's likely to be able to understand both sides and perhaps come to some sort of compromise.
I mean it's not like negotiations would get anywhere anyway, we know any messenger is just going to be killed, but I can't particularly want to side with them even ignoring that piece of information.
Only one of the Duke's here has any real legitimate say on the course of the war as far as I'm concerned and that's the economist lady. Both because she's actually on an open front of war, she's the one to the south facing naval opposition, and because she's also the one keeping track of the money flow for most of the country and would have the best idea of how badly taxed our nation is by the war. The other guy is nice and cozy way off the battle-front.
I hope we can solve it with diplomacy but there's something about having them be picked up and held over their twelve year old sovereign's head and being told to shut up that's immensely satisfying.
Lucina: 'Don't throw the idiots out the window, Don't throw the idiots out the window, Don't throw the idiots out the window'
Hrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrngggggg Naga, I'm trying figure out how to save the halidom but my council's skulls are dummy thicc and I have to resist throwing them out the window.
