File: Blair_Happy.png (776 KB, 1200x1200)

776 KB PNG

>>5880793
“…the Knights of Seiros have already donated a generous amount of gold our way…though I fear we won’t have much time for recruitment.”

As Corrine started off the staff meeting droning on about the company’s current standing and logistics, you found that you were having a remarkably difficult time concentrating. It wasn’t that what she was saying was uninteresting. On the contrary, it was all pertinent information that you needed to be aware of. Lately though, your mind had been racing with the thought of everything you had left to do. You hadn’t seen Charles d’Rusalka in over five years. And now, you were readying to march upon his domain, spear in hand, and demand he answer for himself. And even after things came to blows with your adoptive father, which was more than likely to happen, you’d still have to contend with Benedict in Zanado. You adjust your butt in the firm seat you were resting in, hoping to gain some sort of comfort, but failing. To say you were feeling anxious and strung out was an understatement.

“So, we have only 70 men left to us?” Uriel asks Corrine. The captains of the Blackwings, as well as some of its key figures, had assembled in a room in Damian’s manse for an all-hands staff meeting. By now, they’d all been made aware of Seteth and Byleth’s request.

“That’s correct.” Corrine says. “Obviously, we’d lost some men during the fighting here. But beyond that, we’ve had several resignations.”

>“No surprise there.” You chime in. You figure it best to add to the conversation before Corrine discovers your wandering mind and reprimands you for it. “The war is over, and several of those mercenaries are quite a bit richer for their service in the company. I can’t blame them for wanting to get out while they can. Let them enjoy their well-earned peace. I carry no hard feelings towards them.”

“Bah!” Rocks curses, slamming a fist on the table. “Peace is all well and good…but how’s a killin’ man like me supposed to make a living?! Even some of my loyal Purple Axe Knights have thrown down their blades for plowshares! It’s a crying shame when good soldiers turn into farmers!”

“Mercenary work is about to dry up in a big way.” Clay shrugs. “It’s the natural ebb and flow of the profession. And it’s the sort of job many try to get out of as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Particularly when some of them have seen horrors beyond what they might have ever fathomed.”

“Though I don’t share the…enthusiasm of my esteemed colleague here.” Eleanor says, turning her nose up towards the great knight. “The Frosted Shrikes are undergoing the same challenge. Seeing as I have no intention of retiring away to some idyllic cottage to raise pups, I’d prefer to stick with you.”

File: Blackwings Insignia.png (34 KB, 1000x800)

34 KB PNG

>>5880795
“We’re happy to have the both of you.” Corrine says. “Frankly, you aren’t just wanted, you’re needed. Rusalka isn’t a major military power in the Empire, but they’re well-armed thanks to their abundance of ore. I’d wager they still have several hundred soldiers standing by, guarding the castle. Even though the individual skill level of our fighters is likely higher than theirs, it’s still not a battle I feel comfortable fighting head-on. Particularly when we still have Zanado and whatever remains of the Orthodox Church ahead of us.”

“Will the Knights of Seiros lend us any aid?” Ingrid asks.

“10 paladins.” Corrine says flatly. “That brings us up to 80. They’ll hardly make a difference.”

>“Perhaps we might seek aid from that rebel group we encountered in Ostia Village?” You recall the young Captain Eustass and his men. A rebel group had formed in Rusalka, led by one of the Count’s former soldiers, Gerald. Supposedly, they were taking arms against the Count in retaliation for the inhumane conditions they’d been forced to suffer working in the mines. Though they seemed inexperienced, they’d certainly be one way to bolster your numbers.

“You can’t be serious.” Ava scoffs. “They were basically children. What help could they provide us other than as meat shields?”

“As I recall, Blair, those rebels seemed to have mixed opinions about you.” Ingrid warns. “I would also be curious about the true intentions of their leader. Though he may claim to wish to free the commonfolk from those mines, he must also be aware of the position of power he’s now in. Should he succeed in overthrowing the Count, he might view having another d’Rusalka around as a problem.”

“I’m all for attempting negotiation with these rebel forces.” Damain suggests. “Meat shields or not, they possess manpower that we desperately need. Plus, I’m sure we can teach them a thing or two before the fighting starts. Still, if diplomacy with them fails, we may just end up with another enemy on our plate.”

“It’s your call, Blair.” Corrine sighs. “It would be helpful if we had more information, but it seems we’re walking into unknown territory here. Whatever’s going on in Rusalka, there’s a tight lid on it. I’ve been unable to find anyone here in Enbarr that knows details about the situation. That includes both the Count, as well as the castle.”

>A): We’ll meet with these rebels before we attack the castle.
>B): Numbers disadvantage or not, we’re the superior fighting force. We’ll head straight for the castle and find a way to assail it.

>>5880797
>A): We’ll meet with these rebels before we attack the castle.
I think these are the same rebels we met, unless I'm misunderstanding something.

>>5880797
>A): We’ll meet with these rebels before we attack the castle.

>>5880797
>A): We’ll meet with these rebels before we attack the castle.

>>5880797
>A): We’ll meet with these rebels before we attack the castle.
This is the penultimate thread. I feel sad.

>>5881077
>This is the penultimate thread. I feel sad.
I know how you feel. It was a great run.

>>5880797
>A): We'll meet with these rebels before we attack the castle.

Our skill won't matter if the enemy can keep throwing bodies at us until we roll over and die.

File: Leopold von Deltz.png (89 KB, 395x396)

89 KB PNG

>>5880797
>“If we’re short on information, then even more reason we should try dealing with these rebels diplomatically. If they’re willing to work with us, we’ll gain insight into what’s been happening in Rusalka these last few years. We may even learn something that will aid us in the coming battle.” Laying siege to Castle Rusalka would be an incredibly difficult task. Even if you somehow managed to conjure the amount of siege equipment that would be necessary for such a task, the castle was well-entrenched in rocky, hilly terrain. The way you saw it, you needed as many friends as you could get.

“Very well, you’re the boss.” Corrine says. “We leave tomorrow. Everyone gather your things and say farewell to Enbarr. If we’re lucky, then perhaps once word reaches Rusalka that the Empress has been defeated, they’ll lay down their weapons. The worst of the fighting may even be behind us.”

Somehow you were not as optimistic.

>Received 5000g!

The next day, the Blackwings ready themselves to depart Enbarr, with Rusalka as their next destination. From what you were told, the Knights of Seiros under Byleth would be leaving shortly after. Seteth was true to his word. He wanted to ensure the attack against the Agarthans was swift and decisive, leaving them no time to flee and hide in the shadows once more. You wait at the gates of the city, where you’re to rendezvous with the 10 Knights of Seiros that were promised. At the head of the group of veteran paladins is none other than Leopold von Deltz himself.

“Blair.” He grins your way. “Lord Seteth saw fit after all to have me accompany you on your mission. It’s hard to believe I’ll be the one following your lead out there this time. It’s almost enough to make me proud. I understand we’re to stop at Rusalka before Zanado?”

>“I hope that won’t be a problem, sir.”

“Of course not. I’d very much like to see the place you call home. Besides, I’d also like to see what the famed “Witch” is like when she’s commanding on the battlefield.” Leopold smirks smugly. “I hope you won’t disappoint, Blair.”

“That goes double for you, Sir Leopold.” Uriel interjects, pulling his horse up to join you. “I see that your haughty attitude hasn’t changed much since your academy days. I look forward to observing all that you’ve learned since leaving my tutelage.”

“Ah, L-Lord Uriel…I’d forgotten you were here.” Leopold mutters. You’ve never seen your mentor looking so cowed before. Or ever, really. He clears his throat. “Of course, sir. It will be my pleasure to demonstrate all that you’ve taught me.”

“Very good.” Uriel smiles. “It seems that we have three generations of education between us. I pity the enemy that finds themselves on the end of our spears.”

>Leopold joins the party.

File: Snowcap Village.jpg (197 KB, 1024x1024)

197 KB JPG

>>5881600
With the addition of the Knights of Seiros to your party, the Blackwings begin making their way towards Rusalka. Due to your destruction of the Ostian and Sutri bridges, the company is forced to go around the Morgaine Ravine rather than fly over it, adding several days to your travel time. Along the way, you encounter roving bands of Adrestian citizenry and soldiers, yet none think to stand in your way or attack you. Word of Edelgard’s death has evidently travelled fast, and the refugees and stragglers you pass by are more than happy to give your group a wide berth rather than cause trouble. Though you worry that Byleth’s group will reach their destination before you do, you’re able to make good time on your journey. After several days of marching, you arrive on the outskirts of a small village in northern Rusalka.

“Where do you expect to find the rebels anyway?” Ashe asks you.

>“Don’t know. I can’t imagine they have a large sign up somewhere outside their hideout. We’ll have to ask around.”

You recall the village ahead of you being called Snowcap. It was a small, quaint little burg, comprised of perhaps less than a hundred people in total. Whenever soldiers or merchants from Rusalka were required to travel, they’d often use the bridges across the Morgaine Ravine. As such, the people of Snowcap were not used to seeing large groups of armed strangers knocking at their doorstep. The looks you and the Blackwings receive upon your arrival range from anger, to confusion, to downright terror.

“C-can I help you, sirs?” A man dressed in peasant garb addresses you.

>“Is this Snowcap Village?”

“T-that’s correct.” The man answers shakily. Unsurprisingly, he must assume that he’s currently speaking with bandits here to rob him. “May I ask who you are?”

>“Just mercenaries, passing through. Tell me, how are things in Rusalka? I’d heard talks of a rebellion?”

“Everything’s f-fine.” The man answers in a way that makes you think he’s trying to convince himself. “Sorry to disappoint, but…there aint much mercenary work to be found here. We’re a peaceful folk. You must have misheard. Sorry if you had to come all this way…” It appears the entire village has stopped what they were doing to singularly watch you and this man’s conversation. You were beginning to suspect that it wasn’t just your presence alone that had these poor people nervous.

>A): Ask the man about the ongoing rebellion you’d heard of. (LCK+CHRM: 70% to succeed)
>B): Offer the man some gold in exchange for information.
>C): Reveal to the man your identity as Blair d’Rusalka and ask that he tell you what he knows of the rebellion.
>D): Write-in

>>5881602
>>A): Ask the man about the ongoing rebellion you’d heard of. (LCK+CHRM: 70% to succeed)

>>5881602
>B): Offer the man some gold in exchange for information.
Not like we're getting another shopping opportunity

>>5881602
>>B): Offer the man some gold in exchange for information.
We are so fucking back

>>5881602
>A): Ask the man about the ongoing rebellion you’d heard of. (LCK+CHRM: 70% to succeed)

I LOVE GAMBLING

>>5881602
>A): Ask the man about the ongoing rebellion you’d heard of. (LCK+CHRM: 70% to succeed)

>>5881602
>B): Offer the man some gold in exchange for information.

>>5881602
>B): Offer the man some gold in exchange for information.
Let's be professional about this.

>>5881602
>A): Ask the man about the ongoing rebellion you’d heard of. (LCK+CHRM: 70% to succeed)

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5882112
Rollan' for tie breaker. 1 is A, 2 is B.

Rolled 5 (1d100)

A wins, Rollan. Needs to be 1-70 for success.

File: a53.jpg (189 KB, 1125x1390)

189 KB JPG

>>5882425
Gambling pays off brothers

>>5882425
Praise Sothis, that didn't blow up in our faces.

>>5882444
Need this with FE characters just like the mercenaries one.

File: Jim.png (9 KB, 180x148)

9 KB PNG

>>5881602
You couldn’t fault these villagers for losing their nerves around you. Snowcap was the sort of place thar hardly received any visitors, and yet here you were at the head of an armed band of warriors. He was likely hoping that playing dumb regarding your question would cause you to simply move on and bother someone else. You attempt your inquiry again, hoping this time to ease his concerns regarding your intentions.

>“I apologize if my sudden appearance has caused any distress.” You bow your head towards the gentleman before you. “I am a native of Rusalka, returning to my home now that the war has concluded. I understand that your village is far removed from what goes on in the rest of the country. Please know that I mean neither you nor your neighbors harm. I simply wish to understand what sort of fate has befallen Rusalka since my departure. Please, if you do have any information at all that you can share, it would be extremely helpful.”

The man stares at you through squinted eyes, as if wondering whether to believe you or not. Some of his neighbors gather enough backbone to stand behind him, either trying to make sure everything was okay, or just hoping to listen closer. Finally, he opens his mouth.

“You’re really from Rusalka?” He asks in disbelief. “Which village?”

>“Magnesia. A small fishing hamlet by the southern coast.”

“And your…friends?” He gestures towards the Blackwings, who were standing a healthy distance behind you. “You’re all going to Magnesia?”

>You shrug your shoulders. “They wanted to see where I grew up?”

The man sighs, massaging his temples. While he likely still didn’t trust you, he seemed to warm up enough to the point he was willing to be more open. “Aye…there’s a rebellion brewing alright. I take it you came here to choose a side and grab yourself a nice piece of the pie? Figures. War is over and you mercenaries are already looking for the next big fight.”

>“I assure you it’s nothing of the sort. We have plenty of gold to satisfy our needs. I simply have a desire to see my homeland emerge from whatever darkness has grasped it.”

“If that’s the case, I hope you’ll be taking up arms against that rotten Count.” The man says, spitting on the ground.

“Jim!” One of the villagers standing behind him protests. “You don’t know who these people are! You can’t say something like that!”

“Ahh, shut it.” Jim waves off his neighbor’s concern. “She’s the real deal. I can see it in her eyes. Besides, only someone born here would know about a backwater fishing hole like Magnesia. No offense, of course ma’am.”

>“None taken.” You hardly ever thought about the place of your birth. Truthfully, there was no reason to. There wasn’t much waiting for you back there. After your father died, you left that life behind to live in the castle. “It sounds as though you’ve chosen a side?”

File: Akzeriuth.jpg (213 KB, 800x450)

213 KB JPG

>>5882491
“I haven’t chosen anything.” Jim corrects you. “Snowcap is well out of the way of both the rebels and the Rusalkan Guard. Makes no difference to me who comes out on top so long as we’re left alone. But I’ve heard stories about what that bastard Charles has been up to, and none of it is any good. Seems the Rusalkan Guard has grown accustomed to taking people away from their homes and forcing them to work in that awful Akzeriuth Mine. Many of the folks that go in there don’t even come back out alive. You ask me, he should be the one that loses.”

>“Yes…I’d heard something to that effect. This isn’t the first time this has happened though. I thought the Count had come to terms with the rebels five years ago?”

“Empty promises.” Jim says darkly. “All they did was execute the last rebel leader, Douglas. Once the heat died down, they picked up right where they left off. It’s been like this for several years until one of the soldiers in the Count’s employ got fed up with it all. He took a few men from the castle and started a small rebel group that over time, ended up swelling with members. Nowadays, there’s no shortage of people that want the Count dead.”

>“Are the rebels that numerous?”

Jim nods. “They weren’t always, but recently their numbers have increased considerably.” He smiles mischievously. “Believe it or not…that bastard Count’s son died during the war. You know the one, Rex d’Rusalka. Seems a lot of people were under the impression killing the Count would just cause his son to come down and burn everything down. But with Rex gone, folks are growing a lot bolder. There’s even talk of a full-blown attack on the castle!”

>“Ahh…I see.” You weren’t sure how to process that. “Would you happen to know where I could find these rebels? If possible, I’d very much like to have a word with their leader.”

“Planning on signing up with them?” Jim asks. “You folks certainly look tough. I’m sure they’d be happy to have you. Plenty of loot you’ll probably be able to win as well. Head down to the mountain range south of here. Chances are they’ll find you before you find them. Just don’t tell them Jim sent you. We don’t want any trouble here.”

>“Of course, you have nothing to fear. Thank you for your help, Jim. We’ll be leaving now.” You turn your back to leave when the man suddenly calls back out for you.

“Excuse me, ma’am!” He shouts from behind. “You said you were mercenaries, right? Ones that fought in the war? Out of curiosity…which side did you fight on?”

>A): We fought for the Empire of course.
>B): We fought for the Knights of Seiros.
>C): Do not answer the question. You got everything you came here for.
>D): Write-in

>>5882495
>B): We fought for the Knights of Seiros.
Tempted to say 'whichever side payed the most'.

>>5882495
>D): Write-in
>I'll admit, we fought against the Empire. It wasn't an easy decision, but we guessed which way the wind would blow and rode it, even when it looked like the wrong move. That's how we survived.

It's a very mercenary-sounding thing to say, while still giving the guy SOMETHING to go on. Plus, we did fight for pretty much everyone BUT the Empire. We were there with Faerghus in its dying days, and turned back an Almyran invasion for Leicester before that.

>>5882495
>C): Do not answer the question. You got everything you came here for.

>>5882495
>C): Do not answer the question. You got everything you came here for.

>>5882495
>C): Do not answer the question. You got everything you came here for.

>>5882495
>D): We fought for those against the Empire, that is all.
As the other guy said, we fought for almost everyone but the empire.

>>5882495
>>5882506
I'll change my vote to support
>D): We fought for those against the Empire, that is all.

>>5882495
>D): We fought for the highest bidder

>>5882495
>D): Write-in
>I killed Rex d'Rusalka

File: mercenary stare.png (1.21 MB, 1182x1064)

1.21 MB PNG

>>5882903
+1, based and mercenary-pilled
And while blair is the most ideologically-driven mercenary ever, I bet she can still channel the stare

>>5882495
>>5883107
Woops, didn't link

Almost missed this. Glad to see that you're back, Tree-- hope your Christmas and New Year were good!

>We're down to 70 Blackwings, and 10 Paladins

Damn. I'm glad that our guys survived and got out while the going was good, but to think that we're down to little over a third of our forces...

>Leopold being cowed at the appearance of Uriel

10/10. To think that we have the mentor of our mentor in our employ. Can't wait to see Leopold's stats.

>>5882495
While I'd certainly like to say that we fought for the highest bidder, we didn't actually fight for Claude during Grinder Field, and instead fought for the bankrupt Kingdom. So instead I'll say...

>>5882521
Backing this.

Either the guy will shit his pants and not say anything (for fear of stirring up trouble with the well-armed mercenaries in front of him), or he will approve. In either case, I doubt it will really affect things-- this guy seems too focused on his desire for peace and quiet for his village that he won't really do much.

File: Ashe Ubert.png (98 KB, 444x444)

98 KB PNG

>>5882495
You stop in your tracks as Jim calls out to you, wishing to know which side you fought for during the war. You could lie and say it was for the Empire. Perhaps that was the answer he was hoping to hear, being an Adrestian citizen. But you saw no reason to do so. You turned against your homeland and fought the Empire for five long years. You were proud of that fact, and you saw no reason to pretend otherwise. You turn around and answer Jim’s question.

>“I fought for the highest bidder.” You shrug your shoulders nonchalantly. “Against the Empire.”

Jim’s jaw drops in awe. For a second you believe the man ready to either run away or chastise you, but instead, he smiles widely. “You’re her, aren’t you? The Witch…the one that came from Rusalka! You’re here to put a stop to the Count’s mad ambitions!” Jim laughs heartily. Though he claimed to not have chosen a side in this civil war, it was clear that he had a favorite he wanted to win. “Ol’ Charles doesn’t stand a chance if you and your band of cutthroats are here! Give them hell and avenge all those folks they’ve harmed!”

You turn your back to leave once more. From behind, you’re able to hear the whispered excitement and frenzy as your identity spreads around. Your reputation had travelled more than you could have imagined if even the remote residents of Snowcap had heard of you. Frankly, you didn’t care if people knew who you were or not. But at least this way, maybe your deeds and renown might give the rebels and Rusalkan Guard pause if they thought to stand in your way. If they feared Rex enough to stall their blades, they might fear you even more.

Following Jim’s directions, you head south towards the more mountainous region of Rusalka. Ordinarily, this sort of rough terrain would be made further difficult to travel by the copious amount of snow that would typically fall here. But as luck would have it, it was summer, and you have no such difficulties to contend with. Along the way, you expect to run into Rusalkan patrols, but end up encountering none. If what that man said was true, and the rebels really were planning an assault on the castle, it was likely that all guardsmen had been pulled there to wait in defense.

“You said the place you’re from was called Magnesia?” Ashe asks from beside you, curiosity evident in his tone.

>“That’s right. It was a small fishing village on the coast. A grey and dreary place, and utterly boring to top it off. I lived there alone with my father until he was called away to the war. Afterwards, I was looked after by some of the elders in the village until the Count came to spirit me away.”

“Maybe we can stop by after we get back from Zanado.” Ashe suggests. “I’m sure they’d be thrilled to see you.”

>“Why?” You ask. “I just said it was nothing special.”

“Still, it’s your home. I wouldn’t mind seeing it for myself, is all.”

File: Campfire.jpg (103 KB, 1280x720)

103 KB JPG

>>5883154
After another day of marching, you arrive at the mountain range that Jim spoke of. Even you had never been to this part of Rusalka before. Treacherously steep mountains encircle a large, green valley. Up above are multiple dark crevices in the rocks, some of which are large enough for a human to fit through. Your first thought was that you were in the perfect position to be ambushed. Still, Jim said these rebels would likely find you before you found them. Rather than both exerting effort as well as putting them on alert by searching through the mountains, you decide to camp here for the night, confident your encounter will come soon thereafter.

“So, this is your home.” Ingrid muses from across the fire. By now, night had fallen, and many of your comrades were readying themselves for sleep. “It reminds me a bit of Faerghus. Mountains and hills, with remote villages interspliced here and there. It’s no wonder you took such a liking to our country.”

>“We aren’t a terribly interesting county.” You admit. “There are hardly any cities here like you’d see in the rest of Adrestia. No arts or culture or anything even close to resembling Enbarr. All anyone ever seemed to really care about was mining ore and fish. Hardly anyone carried particularly high aspirations. Still, the folk here are good people. And hard workers at that, who simply wish to live a good, quiet life.”

“It makes sense you’re such a good fisher then!” Diana adds. “If that was all you had to do to pass time, it’d be only natural!”

>“By the Goddess what I wouldn’t do to go fishing.” You sigh. “So peaceful and quiet. No one trying to kill you. Well, except for the sharks. But they’re pretty rare.”

“Sharks?” Scratch asks next to you.

>“Sharks, tigerfish…eels. The ocean around here can be quite dangerous. I once saw a grown man dragged right from the shore. He’d have been a goner if my father hadn’t jumped in to save him.” You smile, recalling how cool he had looked at the time. And how surprisingly tasty the shark had been.

“Maybe Rusalka and Faerghus are a bit more different than I thought…” Ingrid mutters.

“Well, hard lands breed hard people.” Scratch muses. “Ain’t no surprise you came out the way you did when you had-” The bandit stops mid-sentence. Her eyes seem to be transfixed on something directly ahead of the two of you, hiding in the nearby brush. Even in this level of darkness, you knew well that it wasn’t one of your band.

>“That didn’t take long.” You mutter under your breath.

“There’s a blade in his hand.” Scratch whispers. Given her former profession, you had faith in her night vision. “Might mean trouble. Want me to deal with it?”

Whoever it was, they were lying still, watching your band.

>A): Continue to chat amongst yourselves and see what they do.
>B): Send Scratch to deal with the intruder.
>C): Deal with it yourself. (DEX+SPD: 79% chance to succeed).

Hah, it's easy to forget that Blair and the Blackwings have a very fearsome reputation in the Empire, despite being a nominally 'good' faction that hunts down the closest thing that could be considered an unequivocal 'evil' group.

>>5883155
I'd honestly invite the guy over to the fire to try and see who are what faction he's aligned with, but failing that...

>B): Send Scratch to deal with the intruder.

Try not to kill the guy, mmkay, Scratch? Need to know who he is, for who he's working for, why he's following us.

File: snake eyes votes in a quest.png (244 KB, 649x688)

244 KB PNG

>>5883155
>C): Deal with it yourself. (DEX+SPD: 79% chance to succeed).
I LOVE GAMBLING

>>5883155
>B): Send Scratch to deal with the intruder.

>>5883155
>>C): Deal with it yourself. (DEX+SPD: 79% chance to succeed).

>>5883155
>>C): Deal with it yourself. (DEX+SPD: 79% chance to succeed).
The addiction is too strong for me.

>>5883155
>A): Continue to chat amongst yourselves and see what they do.
Never interrupt your enemy while they're making a mistake.

>>5883155
>C): Deal with it yourself. (DEX+SPD: 79% chance to succeed).

>>5883155
>C): Deal with it yourself. (DEX+SPD: 79% chance to succeed).

File: 1702702345526388.png (21 KB, 201x167)

21 KB PNG

Rolled 18 (1d100)

C wins, rollan. 1-79 to succeed.

>>5883957
I mean, I'm glad it worked, but we really need to stop taking these risks.

>>5883957
Blair keeps on cooking
>>5883990
That's coward talk

>>5883990
NEVER STOP GAMBLING

File: Rebel Spy.png (11 KB, 200x165)

11 KB PNG

>>5883155
If you sent Scratch to deal with this midnight visitor, there was a fairly good chance she’d wind up killing the man. Not wanting to get off on the wrong foot with the rebels you came to court, you figure it might be better if you handle things yourself. You stand up, feigning exhaustion by yawning and stretching exaggeratedly. Stepping away from your companions and your campfire, you begin walking in the direction of your tent. On the way there, you make sure to never so much as take a glance at the brush until you reach the halfway point. Stopping dead in your tracks, you turn deftly and full-speed sprint towards the intruder.

Your eyes acclimate to the darkness as you draw closer, and you can now make out the figure hiding, who has jumped back startled. They fall onto their behind, and before they can get up, you’ve wrapped your arms around their waist and tackled them out of the brush back into the ground. The intruder goes down like a rag doll, breath taken out of their body, while Scratch and the others surround you both.

“S-stop! I yield!” The man cries out. Much like the rebels you saw at Ostia, he’s young. Hardly old enough to be called a man.

“Up we go.” Scratch pulls you back to your feet, all while keeping a foot planted on the spy’s chest. “Peeping on a couple of ladies in the dead of darkness, were you? You’d better reveal who you are quickly. If you’re nothing but a pervert, I’ll have to leave you with your skull cracked open.”

“I-I’m not a pervert!” The man says, trying his best to regain his breath. “And you should be the ones revealing your identities! This is our territory, and you don’t look like you’re with the Rusalkan Guard, so who are you?!” By now, all the shouting and commotion has awakened much of the camp, who are being roused from their light sleep to see what’s going on.

>“An astute observation. We are not, in fact, the Rusalkan Guard. We’re the Blackwings. Mercenaries. And truth be told, I already know who you are. We seek an audience with your leader, Gerald. I imagine he may already be expecting us.”

“Y-you’re Blair?” He says from underneath Scratch’s foot. “Y-yeah…Eustass has said he’d run into you…I guess you came back after all. Well…at least you’re not the Guard. Fine…I’ll take you to Gerald, just…tell her to get off me!”

“Worm.” Scratch taunts the spy, before letting off him.

“You’re a brazen one.” The spy says, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. “We’ve been watching your group for hours. Thought you were the enemy at first. That you would just walk in here and wait us out…I’ve got to say, all the stories I heard were true. You and your company are as hard as they come. Our base of operation is just up ahead. There’s a trail that leads up above into the mountain. We use a cave there as our hideout. Gerald is already aware of your presence. I’ll take you to him now.”

File: Captain Gerald.png (14 KB, 240x206)

14 KB PNG

>>5884203
You mobilize the company and begin following the lead of the confirmed rebel. You had a feeling that one of the crevices you saw earlier would lead to a larger cave that these people would be using as a hideout, and your intuition turns out to be true. The spy leads you through a narrow, hidden path that anyone passing by would likely overlook. After several minutes traversing the rough terrain, you’re led to a large fissure on the other side of the mountain. There, several armed soldiers appear to have been waiting for your arrival. At the head of them is a dour-looking man you’d met once before.

“Blair d’Rusalka.” Gerald says. The man still wears the armor of the Rusalkan Guard, but well-earned nicks and scratches dot the plating. He appears to be chewing something, thinking long and hard as the rest of the Blackwings come into his field of vision. “We meet again. Gotta say…I didn’t expect you’d ever show your face around here again.”

>“Captain Gerald.” You nod. “Or is it Commander Gerald now? I’m glad to see that you’re well. Though your words leave me a bit lost. Rusalka is my home. Why would I not return?”

“I’d heard you’d become a rather well-known mercenary during the war.” Gerald says. “One that was intimate with many of the lords and ladies of the realm. It wouldn’t have surprised me if you’d want to put this ‘backwater’ place behind you, given your desertion. But don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see that you’ve returned. Truth be told, now that you’re here, I’m even feeling rather…optimistic. And that’s something I haven’t felt in a very, very long time. Are the rumors true? You were the one that did Rex in?”

>“They are.” You nod. “And I’ve heard a bit about you as well. You’re leading a rebellion now. I seem to recall you having some rather harsh words about Douglas when he did the same.”

“That bastard is probably laughing at me in the afterlife as we speak.” Gerald scowls. “Aye, I made it no secret I was that man’s enemy. But if I’d known things would get this bad with the Count, I’d have thrown in my spear with him all those years ago. Only we wouldn’t have stopped short.”

>“I have plenty of questions for you.”

“Be my guest.” Gerald remarks. “I have to thank you for bailing my buddies out at Ostia. As well as not slitting that one’s throat.” He points towards the spy you’d caught, who was glaring rudely at Scratch. “Go ahead and ask away.”

>A): What’s been going on with the Count?
>B): Tell me about the situation at Akzeriuth.
>C): I hear you’re planning an attack on the castle.
>D): If you depose the Count, who will rule Rusalka?
>E): Write-in

>>5884203
Lucky spy. Huh? Who said that?
>>5884207
>A.

>>5884207
>>A): What’s been going on with the Count?

>>5884207
>A): What’s been going on with the Count?

>>5883990
I love gambling

>>5884207
>>A): What’s been going on with the Count?
>>B): Tell me about the situation at Akzeriuth.

>>5884207
>A): What’s been going on with the Count?
>B): Tell me about the situation at Akzeriuth.

>>5884207
We already know about the Count, and now that we're here the attack on the castle is happening regardless of his plans. Akzeriuth is probably still operational, the war was only over for what, two weeks?

>E): How many troops you got and what kind of troops?
>E): Will we be hitting the mine or the castle first?
>D): If you depose the Count, who will rule Rusalka?

>>5884515
+1

>>5884207
Gonna +1 >>5884515 here. We know dad's a snake, we know it's revolution time, we gotta figure out how we're using the forces and the time we've got. Especially if we want to get this done before Cleobulus throws the Zombie Lions at us or whatever they have planned.

>>5884207
>>5884515
Yeah sure I'll change my vote to support this.

Combo of A and this write-in >>5884515
Writan

File: Hoff.jpg (10 KB, 200x188)

10 KB JPG

>>5884207
>“I’ve heard plenty enough about what my father has been up to in my absence. You’re the only person I’ve spoken to that was present in the castle to see it for yourself though. So, tell me, has the Count completely turned his heart cold?”

“Truth be told…I saw very little of Charles these last few years.” Gerald says. He gestures to his men to lower their weapons, and you can see signs of relief cross their faces. “After your departure, he became much more reclusive, staying within his study and relaying all his orders through Chancellor Hoff. Most people wishing to have an audience with the Count would have to go through Hoff and Wedge first. And the two of them have become exceptionally good at stonewalling any concerns. Still, I don’t believe they’ve usurped power. They’re not the type. I think their orders really are coming from high-up.”

>“Hoff and Wedge still serve the Count, then.” You figured as much. Hoff was a seasoned politician who knew everything there was to know about Rusalka. As for Wedge, he was the castle’s man-at-arms, and the man who taught you how to hold a spear. While not as strong as Rex, and aging in years, he would still be an experienced combatant and commander. “How many men does he have under his command?”

“At least 500.” Gerald replies. “More than 300 of those men are stationed at the castle, dissuading any potential attacks. The rest are at Akzeriuth. That place has become more than just a mine. They’re using it as a prison camp for dissidents and captured rebels. If we want to attack the castle, we’ll have to liberate Akzeriuth first.”

>“How many men do you have?”

“Right now, about 200, with another 300 captured in Akzeriuth. But…” Gerald trails off. He gets closer as if to fend off any intruding ears from his side. “Well, maybe you’ve garnered your own opinions on them. They’re pups. Only a select few of us have any real combat experience from the Rusalkan Guard. The rest are all youngsters with stars in their eyes, thinking this is their great big chance to shine. Against the Count’s men, they’d be slaughtered, no question.”

You figured as much. The rebels you’d encountered at Ostia were hardly impressive.

>“So…the plan is to take Akzeriuth, free the men there and arm them, and then march on the castle?”

“That would be ideal.” Gerald says. “You aren’t the only mercenary group to arrive in Rusalka recently though. In addition to the Count’s men stationed at Akzeriuth, he’s also acquired the services of another company to bolster his forces. My sources don’t recognize the banner, but they tell me they look exceptionally skilled. This mercenary commander has taken over the operation at Akzeriuth, and seems to be keeping them sharply drilled.”

File: Royal Academy of Sorcery.jpg (126 KB, 1000x563)

126 KB JPG

>>5884864
An unknown mercenary company assisting the Count at Akzeriuth. Another headache to deal with.

>“Assuming you were able to take over Akzeriuth and even arm the miners there, what then? You know as well as I do the Castle is well-entrenched. Neither your men nor I possess anything in the way of siege equipment.”

“The answer to that question lies at Akzeriuth.” Gerald smiles smugly. “All of the Empire was relying on Rusalka to supply the ore for their war machine, and new methods were required to ensure that flow was both steady and in great quantity. Eventually, Hoff hired some bookworm from the Fhirdiad School of Sorcery to work at Akzeriuth. He developed some sort of new powder that is…extremely volatile. I’ve seen that contraption of his blow chunks of ore the size of boulders to pebbles. No matter how durable the Castle walls are, they won’t stand a chance. We take Akzeriuth, and then take that man, or if need be, just his powder.”

>“Interesting. If it works half as well as you say, it’ll be of great help. Even if we can just use it to lure the castle’s defenders out, I’ll feel much better in a field battle than a siege. You should know though that I’m here on orders of the Knights of Seiros. We’ll free those trapped in Akzeriuth, but afterwards, we’re to destroy the mine and shut it for good.”

“Be my guest.” Gerald says. “Plenty of other mines. You won’t find a fucking soul in Rusalka that would hold it against you.”

>“One last question. Say all this works. We knock down the castle’s walls, take out the defenders, and capture or kill the Count. What then? Who picks up the pieces and rules?”

Gerald smirks, unhooking a flask from his belt and taking a swig, before offering it to you. “Good question, and one in which the answer has only just recently changed. Originally, I wasn’t intending on killing Charles. Doing so would only invite the rest of Adrestia onto our ass. I’d just wanted to remove Hoff and Wedge, and then ‘gently’ suggest the Count alter his course of rule.”

>“Turning him into a puppet.”

“Correct. But the Empire lost the war. Things are going to change all over Adrestia. There’s even talks that there may not be an Empire anymore. That we may all split up and turn into individual territories. The way things are shaping up, I don’t think we’ll need to keep Charles around.”

>“What are you suggesting?”

“Well…we have a few options in front of us. And we should probably settle on them now rather than later. The first is that we kill Charles and settle on something new. A reputable merchant or minor noble, or even an affluent local warrior who the people can rally behind.”

>“Someone like you?”

File: Blair_Contemplative.png (777 KB, 1200x1200)

777 KB PNG

>>5884866
Gerald shrugs. “If the people desire it, then I’ll happily step into the role. The second option is you. Now that we know there’s another d’Rusalka hanging about, adopted or not, it would be a simple thing for you to assume Charles’ seat. It may take some work convincing people to place their trust in another d’Rusalka…particularly one who just recently destroyed the Ostia and Sutri bridges…” You detect a hint of annoyance in the man’s voice. “But I’m sure that the people will warm up to you in time provided the right concessions.”

>“We could always ask the Archbishop and the Knights of Seiros to intervene and select a suitable candidate as well.”

Gerald’s face twists into displeasure. “I enjoy that option the least. This is a Rusalkan matter and should be dealt with Rusalkan hands. I’d rather not have a bunch of sissy foreign clerics in dresses coming here and ordering us around.”

>“You sound as though you have your own preference.”

“Can you blame me?” Gerald says. “But I’m aware I’m in no position to haggle too much. Without the aid of the Blackwings, the rebellion is doomed to fail. Likewise, without our help, you might as well just take your company and get out of here. You’ll never take the castle alone. We need each other, but as it stands, I have more to lose than you do. So better we get this decision out of the way now.”

You ponder Gerald’s words. This was an incredibly important decision would have lasting ramifications. Not just during the battle to come, but on Rusalka’s future, as well as the course your life would play out.

>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka.
>B): I defer to your judgment. After Charles is deposed, we’ll leave it to the people to decide on a non d’Rusalka leader.
>C): We should defer to the Church of Seiros. They’ll know better than anyone what to do.
>D): There exists a fourth option. Inform Gerald of Winona’s child.
>E): Write-in

>>5884869
>>E): Write-in
Inform Gerald of Winona's child, and offer to step in as regent.

>>5884869
>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka
Our rightful place

File: castle.jpg (31 KB, 750x736)

31 KB JPG

>>5884869
>>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka.
Actually fuck it. Time to be selfish. "Mercenary forever" might be a good ending for someone battle-crazed, but for our girl it was mostly about snakes, no? Well, the war has ended, and the dubstep city is currently being stormed by the most OP woman in existence, so it's all gonna be over soon.

Here it is, our own castle, our own county, ripe for the taking. Not a good time to turn on modesty.
And if Blair starts longing for battle again we could always put a regent in charge, reveal Winona’s child, and fly away to fight some more.

You guys think there's a better ending for blair than this kind of retirement? If yes please inform me of your vision.

>>5884869
>>5884886
Fuck it, changing my vote, ignore this.

>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka.

We earned our comfy castle and happy ending.

>>5884869
>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka.
And when Winona's kid comes about, we can help raise them. Train them. Make them the successor even our own children could never hope to be. In so doing, Aunt Blair can even, in her own way, carry on Edelgard's ideal. Merit, and not descent, will rule Rusalka.

Is it hilariously ironic that our most qualified successor will be our niece/nephew who's almost guaranteed to have a Crest and who might hypothetically be born with two? Yes, and I'm imagining the Emperor rolling in her grave half-laughing and half-sobbing at said irony.

>>5884869
>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka.

I feel like if we had blood reconstruction done, the bad ending would be that Blair's kids would end up super fucked up. Maybe that's what's going to happen to Winona.

>>5884869
We can't pick D because the kid hasn't even been fucking born yet, but he could be one in the future if they are raised right.
>E): Let the people decide who their new ruler is on their own, if I am picked then I'll step up, if I am not then that's fine by me.
Democratism or whatever

It would be funny if Rex's kid gets two Crests but is nothing like his dad and actually grows up to be a normal and kind person with no health problems, they just dominate whenever they have sparring sessions but they don't like fighting so they instead focus on like, idk, raising wyverns because those are cool and not because all the pegasus rejected him and horses are for girls anyways.

>>5884869
>>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka.

>An unknown mercenary company assisting the Count at Akzeriuth. Another headache to deal with.

Oh boy, time to see Balbatos again. I wonder if Rocks can get the final hit on him.

At any rate, looking at the options... if we don't pick A (or C), we're not getting the seat of the county. The rebels will appreciate Blair for helping liberate them, but to many, we're a feared warlord, traitor to the crown, and kinslayer. The fact that we only just recently destroyed the two bridges linking Rusalka to the outside world certainly doesn't help our case.

Even so... we're still one of the best choices for Countess. We're an experienced warrior, tactician, and administrator from our year at Garreg Mach, and our five years of running a mercenary company. We also know about the Agarthans, and we're still sitting on top of a pretty important source of Agarthium-- if any splinter factions exist out there, we need to be able to protect this place. Lastly... we did promise Anemone and her people a home here one day. I say it's worth trying to make it a good place for them.

Not to mention that we really do have this place's best interests at heart. It's Blair's home in spite of it all.

>>5884869
>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka.

They're not going to like it, at least at first. But we'll treat them right, and they'll come around eventually, I hope. Becoming Countess or Regent sounds fine.

I do expect this to be a largely temporary measure, though. If Winona and her child come to take up the seat of the county, it'd be theirs by right (though honestly, without an emperor to enforce such rules, it's entirely possible that we can just deny the claim). I do wonder if her kid would eventually take after her dad and just... take it by force instead, though. Here's hoping that if Winona drops by, we can temper some of her kid's warmongering attitude.

>>5885056
Tree did mention that the bad ending did involve taking the Blood Reconstruction Surgery. Maybe Blair would be barren. Maybe the kid(s) would be born with a Crest. Maybe would die a painful death later in her life.

Or yeah, the kid could be fucked up later on. I hope the best for Winona's kid, honestly, but I would be very surprised if they turned out 100% fine while sporting a Crest or two.

>>5885096
Honestly, with the raw athleticism of Rex, the calculated cunning of Winona, and up to two Crests, this eugenics baby is Fire Emblem Protagonist / Antagonist tier. I wonder if they'll hold a grudge against Blair (or her children) for killing their father.

It would be really funny for them to become a soft-spoken, pacifistic kid though. Crisis adverted in the best possible way.

>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka

>>5884869
>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka.

>>5884869
>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka.
We deserve it on behalf of all Blackwings and our future children.

>>5884869
>A): I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka.

File: Adrestian Empire.jpg (97 KB, 750x1000)

97 KB JPG

>>5884869
You truly believed there was no one more qualified to lead Rusalka than you. You couldn’t trust that anyone else who would assume the throne would have the country’s best interest at heart. Gerald does not lie when he says it will take plenty of hard work to get the people to trust you. You’d made enemies on all sides of this conflict. Quashing Douglas’ first rebellion, turning traitor against the crown, and destroying the two bridges were just a few of the ways you’d inflicted damage upon Rusalka. And it’s quite possible that you’d still inflict more harm before this was over. But in your mind, those were just more reasons why it had to be you. You had to be the one to fix things. There was no other option.

>“I will step in and become the Countess of Rusalka. It’s a far easier solution than finding someone else. I trust you’ll brook no objection?”

Gerald sighs, taking another swig of his flask. If the man had held any ambition of being the one to lead Rusalka after all was said and done, he appears to be stifling it. “I already said I’m in no position to haggle. Personally, I’ve had enough of d’Rusalkas for one lifetime. But I suppose you’re not as bad as Charles or Rex. Hell, you’re not even a real one.”

>“Rest assured; I have no reason to lead this country the same way that Charles has. Nor do I plan to claim the throne to suit my petty ambition. Whether the people of this country accept it or not, Rusalka is my home. And I’ll do everything in my power to see that she flourishes. The war is over, and we will no longer be beholden to the rest of Adrestia to supply weapons of war. Of that you have my word.”

“Pretty words.” Gerald snorts. “But you’ll have more than just me to convince. And we’ll need to actually take the throne before you can start planning on what to do with it. Let’s turn our attention now to Akzeriuth. I’ve told you what our numbers look like. What of yours?”

>“In total, we’re about 80 strong. But each one of my men is an experienced veteran that’s fought in numerous battles during the war. Against enemies you’d hardly believe. You said Akzeriuth has only about 150 or so troops stationed there. Lend me some of your veterans, and I promise you we’ll have that prison camp liberated in no time.”

“The Rusalkan Guard there are strong.” Gerald warns. “Though they hardly have as much experience as your band, their gear and weapons are top of the line. Not to mention most of them appear to be fanatically loyal to the Count. Despite everything that’s gone on, he’s always treated his soldiers and their families well.”

File: Agarthium.jpg (6 KB, 225x224)

6 KB JPG

>>5885951
>“Gear or not, we’ve faced down far worse and come out on top. If they wish to throw down their spears and join ranks, I’ll be happy to have them. But if they’re as loyal to the Count as you say, I won’t hesitate to deal with them.”

“And the mercenaries?” Gerald asks.

>“The Blackwings are the strongest mercenary company in all Fodlan.” You boast. “I fear no other company.”

Gerald studies you closely, as if looking at you for the first time. “You’ve grown since I last saw you. No longer the unsure little girl I remember skulking through the castle. It suits you. Very well. I’ll lend you those soldiers from the Rusalkan Guard who defected with me. With them on your side, your numbers should be about even. Akzeriuth is well-guarded, but it’s nothing like the castle. You should have no problem knocking down whatever passes for walls there. Slay the mercenary leader, and make sure you find the scholar from the Royal Academy of Sorcery. Without him or his powder, we’ll have no way of breaching the castle walls.”

>“Gather your men, and we’ll head to Akzeriuth tomorrow.”

“One last thing.” Gerald says. “As I told you, many of my own are still wet behind the ears. I’d say more than half of them have never even been in a real fight. It would do them much good to receive some instruction from someone in your band. I don’t suppose you would be able to spare someone to play the part? While you’re dealing with Akzeriuth, my rookies can stay behind and hopefully pick up something from your man.”

Surely you could spare one man to train Gerald’s rebels. The hardest battle would be at the one at castle, and it would be good if they were in at least some shape for it.

>Who will you leave behind?
>A): Sebastian
>B): Uriel
>C): Leopold
>D): Write-in

>>5885954
>C): Leopold

Looks like we do have stats for Leopold.
>Leopold
>Lv 43 Paladin
HP: 60
STR: 34
DEX: 39
SPD: 37
LCK: 33
DEF: 30
RES: 25
Weapon: Brave Lance (+10 DMG and attacks twice)
Skill: Sol
He's kind of similar to Clay since they both attack twice and have self-healing. Compared to Clay, Leopold's faster and is technically magically tankier while also dealing physical damage instead of magical. But he has noticeably less STR. Targeting RES is also usually better most of the time and Clay's Crest is obviously better than Sol. Though he's still a decent unit overall when we compare him to the other Blackwings.

>>5885954
>C): Leopold
I kind of want to keep Leopold with us, but Sebastian will be more useful in battle tanking hits and we're basically running in blind, so it would be nice to have Uriel around in case we need Slayer.

>>5885954
>C): Leopold

> Experienced Teacher
> Already have lots of Cavalry


Seems fine and well. We can show off to him in the final assault.

>>5885954
>C): Leopold

Hey, if he can drill Blair, a 'literally who' tier NPC into a Fire Emblem Protagonist, maybe he can teach the rebels how to hold a spear the right way. Honestly not expecting any miracles in such a short timeframe, but he's already in charge of teaching the Knights of Seiros trainees too, so it works out.

>>5885954
>C): Leopold
*Be A Man starts playing*

He can give them a good training montage all right. Probably was doing the same thing back at GM. Though he'll def have some words for us dragging him all the way out here just to stick him with a bunch of snot nosed brats again kek

>>5885954
>B): Uriel

>>5885954
>A): Sebastian
I know this isn't mechanically optimal, but the Uriel/Leopold/Blair master-student chain must not be broken.

>>5885954
>A): Sebastian

File: Howard.png (12 KB, 200x170)

12 KB PNG

>>5885954
>“You want someone to help train your men? Very well. I know the perfect person. He’s certified by the Officer’s Academy itself. He was even my own personal instructor. I guarantee you he’ll whip those greenhorns into shape in no time.” Though you’re sure Leopold would much rather be out with you busting skulls open, you doubted he’d mind. The man was a natural teacher. He was surely the one best suited for the job.

“He sounds promising.” Gerald nods. “Then we’re settled. I’ll inform my veterans that they’ll be temporarily under your command tomorrow. Best of luck, Blair. This is but the first step in securing a free Rusalka.”

The next day, 25 rebels arrive at the foot of your camp. Each of them is clad in durable and well-worn plate that is standard amongst the heavy infantry of the Rusalkan forces. You recognize their kind from your time in the castle and know full-well that these men and women before you are seasoned veterans. For a brief moment in your life, you expected that you would command a company composed of warriors just like this after graduating from the academy. It was a great irony that now you’d be leading them against Rusalka.

“Lady Blair, at your service.” The lead rebel offers you a curt and professional salute. Though you’d never been introduced, you recall seeing him at the castle on more than one occasion. “Seargent Howard, at your service.”

>“At ease, soldier. No need to refer to me as a lady here. Commander will do just fine.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, my lady.” Howard replies. “I’ve been informed you’re to be the countess once the castle is liberated. I would show you the proper respect befitting your rank.”

>“I appreciate that, but I’m not the countess just yet. Are your men ready to move.”

“Aye, they are. These are the best the rebellion has to offer. Though each one was hand-picked and trained by Wedge himself, they could not bear to see what had befallen their country. They’re ready to use what they learned now against him and his forces for the good of the realm.”

>“Glad to hear it. What can I expect at Akzeriuth?”

“Information is scant, but from what we’ve gathered, many of the soldiers stationed at Akzeriuth are of a lower quality than those found at the castle.” Howard says. “Wedge would rather commit his best soldiers to defending the castle and the Count. Instead, he has supplemented the forces at the mine with a mercenary company that only recently arrived. He’s supposedly even passed over command of the facility to their commander. They’ll be the ones to watch out for.”

>“If we take out this mercenary commander first, do you think the rest will surrender?”

“Perhaps.” Howard says, unsurely. “If given great enough cause to fear us more than they’d fear reprisal from Wedge.”

File: Order of the Blood Knights.jpg (82 KB, 1024x1024)

82 KB JPG

>>5886619
You learned all the basics of combat from Wedge. From how to hold a spear and shield, to how to block, dodge and parry. The fundamentals of your fighting style were built on the things you’d learned training under him at the castle. But you knew well enough that Wedge could be a terrifying man. While not quite on the level of scary as Rex, Wedge commanded great respect amongst his subordinates. Respect which you always suspected was built more on fear than love. Perhaps not the best way to go about commanding loyalty, but an effective way, nonetheless.

With everyone ready, the Blackwings and their rebel allies set out from their camp in the direction of Akzeriuth. From what you’re told by Howard along the way, Akzeriuth has greatly increased in size since the last time you were here. Thanks to the addition of this so-called “blasting powder”, the miners were able to discover and clear out additional tunnels where the “black ore” could be found. Production had almost tripled overnight, and further hands were needed. The scholar who’d come up with the blasting powder was named Erwin. A brilliant man, although supposedly one with very poor social skills. There was a good chance you’d have to use force to bring him over to your side.

After two days of marching, you find yourselves on a hill overlooking Akzeriuth. Howard was not exaggerating. The outside of the mine has seemingly doubled in size over the years. Rusalkan soldiers dot the camps, patrolling the area and performing their patrols dutifully. Several miners haul off large carts full of rocks and ore that you can only assume is Agarthium. You can plainly see that the men down below look haggard and worn out. Across the way, you can see a makeshift prison. Those inside appear to be in an even worse state. Several are emaciated, while others are left to lie on the ground, unable able to move. At the top of the highest point in the camp flies a flag. A black dragon inside a red moon.

>“Where have I seen that insignia before?”

“The Order of the Blood Knights.” Corrine says dryly. “Guess they found employment after all. I don’t suppose you think they’re worth talking to? They are mercenaries after all. Perhaps you can find reason with Balbatos.”

You get the feeling even Corrine doesn’t believe that. You recall that man being quite the eccentric character, to put it nicely. There wasn’t a mercenary alive, not even you, that wasn’t willing to break a contract when needed. But failing to get the man to stand down would certainly lose you the element of surprise were things to come to blows.

>A): Parley with Balbatos.
>B): What’s occurring down there is barbaric. We’ll attack and waste no more time.

>>5886622
>A): Parley with Balbatos.
Simply agree to payout / honor his contract upon ascendance, promise further work if need be.

>>5886622
>>B): What’s occurring down there is barbaric. We’ll attack and waste no more time.

Was this the guy we passed on way back when and essentially said we made a mistake? Either way fuck it let's ball.

>>5886622
>B): What’s occurring down there is barbaric. We’ll attack and waste no more time.

Balbatos hates our guts for hiring the Purple Axe Knights instead of the Order of the Blood Knights. Even if he's the kind of mercenary to go back on his word and contract to his master, he would probably still hold a big enough grudge to fight us instead of giving up.

>>5886622
>B): What's occurring down there is barbaric. We'll attack and waste no more time.

If this is what the guy's up to, how many war crimes would he have done on our side? By the Goddess, I'm gladder than ever that we took Rocks.

>>5886622
>B): What’s occurring down there is barbaric. We’ll attack and waste no more time.

>>5886622
>>B): What’s occurring down there is barbaric. We’ll attack and waste no more time.
I have astrong feeling edgy boy cannot be bought out. Noy bt Blair that's for sure.
On the funny side of things, he has a 30% chance to kill himself with his own attack IIRC

>>5886687
a strong*, Not by*
Dear lord, I didn't expect that fucking up one finger will ruin my typing this much.

>>5886622
>A): Parley with Balbatos.
Giving him a better offer would probably be enough unless he's still seething over Rocks being chosen. But if we do fight him, Blair outclasses him at this point unless he's also been grinding levels.

>>5886622
>A): Parley with Balbatos.

>>5886622
>B): What’s occurring down there is barbaric. We’ll attack and waste no more time.

>>5886622
>B): What’s occurring down there is barbaric. We’ll attack and waste no more time.

>>5886622
>A): Parley with Balbatos

Had a dream that Balbatos basically destroyed everyone in pitched combat via multiple crits, leaving me furious that we didn't take the iron rune. Man, that Kate fight really must have fucked with my head.

>>5887332
This is a revelation from the Goddess. Soon, you too shall ascend.

File: Balbatos Unfortunate.png (37 KB, 200x152)

37 KB PNG

>>5887332
It was revealed to you in a dream.

>>5886622
>>B): What’s occurring down there is barbaric. We’ll attack and waste no more time.
He's not the forgiving sort, I feel.

>>5887453
The experience of reading it in the dream was so vivid that the second I woke up, I got on my computer to update the thread to see the update results, only to be confused that the update never happened. I can only hope that I'm a false prophet.

File: Rocks.png (13 KB, 200x167)

13 KB PNG

>>5886622
You didn’t get the impression that Balbatos was putting on an act when you’d met. The man seemed to be genuine in his bloodlust. It wouldn’t surprise you if he was the type to care nothing for gold, working as a mercenary solely to satisfy his desires for violence. There was no use in trying to negotiate with someone like that. It would be better if him and his company served as an example of what you were capable of.

>“Ready the men for battle.” You say to Corrine. “We haven’t been noticed yet. There’s no point in giving up that advantage. We’ll wipe them out before they can even retaliate.”

The orders spread through the ranks of the Blackwings quickly. Moments before your charge is to begin, you meet with Winona. She’d been relegated to riding in one of your wagons, under heavy supervision from your men. From what she had told you, she’d still had a few months left before she gave birth to her child. While you had no intentions of putting a pregnant woman on the frontlines, Winona had made it clear that she would not be averse to helping you as needed.

“It’s funny.” Winona greets you with a smile. “Rex and I had intended to return to Rusalka after the war and do this ourselves. The Hellwings against the Rusalkan Guard. I spent many a night planning for such a battle to occur. To think I’d be seeing that battle through with you though. How can I assist you, Commander?”

>“I’d very much like to pick your brain apart when time allows.” You admit. “Any strategy you can share when we assault the castle would be helpful. But for now, would we be able to count on your siege magic? The same Boltings that harried us at Enbarr?”

“I believe I can manage that.” Winona nods.

The battle does not begin in earnest until twin Boltings from you and Winona crash down upon the enemy. Aiming for the soldiers outside of the prison camp, you watch as the twin bolts of thunder sail over the hill and send the Rusalkan Guard scrambling for cover. Your own Bolting manages to scatter the enemy formation and inflict minor casualties, but Winona’s Crest empowered spell dwarfs yours. Several heavily clad Rusalkan soldiers are sent flying through the air following her attack. Those that manage to stand their ground are fried alive within their armor. Before you can follow up with a second strike, Winona has already beaten you to it. Her second Bolting slams into a sniper’s nest, engulfing both the tower and its inhabitants in flames.

The Rusalkan Guard is left scrambling following the surprise attack, but they are given little time to recuperate. The ground beneath them begins to tremble as Rocks leads the Purple Axe Knights in a downward cavalry charge. Several guardsmen turn their tails and begin to run, with their braver comrades screaming at them to take formation.

File: Balbatos.png (13 KB, 200x152)

13 KB PNG

>>5887733
In the end though, both are trampled underfoot by the onslaught of heavy cavalry. Though those in the Rusalkan Guard prefer fighting in heavy armor themselves, it does them little good against Rocks and his men. The Purple Axe Knights cut a huge swath in the Guard’s numbers, plowing right through their soldiers, and never stopping. Those unfortunate guards that were left standing outside the camp have now been cut in half, right down the middle. Some try and regroup, while others make to flee into the camp. However, the rest of the Blackwings soon fall upon them.

“Ranged units!” Ashe commands. “Fire!”

A swarm of arrows begins falling upon the survivors. Though less effective due to the heavy armor the guardsmen wear, it manages to slow them down long enough for Damian and Yara to take their position. The two mage captains then lead their men in assaulting the enemy infantry with more spells. Those who were caught in their attacks find themselves either burned alive by Damian’s flames or crushed to death by Yara’s dark magic. Another Crest-infused Bolting from Winona crashes into the last remaining pile of guards, finishing them off for good.

In just a few short minutes, you estimate that at least 60 guardsmen had been killed. Not even one of them had managed to retreat into the safety of Akzeriuth.

“More soldiers are pouring out of the prison camp!” Corrine reports. “Looks like it’s the cavalry too! It must be the Blood Knights.”

>“Get Sebastian out front! Have him in the lead with our rebel infantry! Don’t let those enemy paladins run amok!” The Blood Knights as you recalled mostly consisted of light cavalry and paladins. Faster than Rocks’ own horsemen but packing less of a punch. Both them and the Rusalkan Guard may have been caught unaware but are now quickly responding in kind. At the head of the group, you see a knight clad in heavy black armor, atop an ebon steed. An ornate helmet with a green plume obscures his face, but you recognize the man as Balbatos. In his hands though is something you hadn’t seen in a while though. An Agarthan scythe.

“Blair!” Ingrid says next to you. “We should use this opportunity to fly into the camp. We need to find Erwin before he escapes. Maybe we can even free some prisoners while we’re at it.”

>A): Lead your flying units inside the camp. Search for the scholar, Erwin, and begin freeing prisoners.
>B): Assist your men outside with fighting the Order of the Blood Knights and Rusalkan Guard.

>Balbatos
>Level 40 Paladin
HP: 52
STR: 37
DEX: 35
SPD: 38
LUK: 20
DEF: 29
RES: 20
Weapon: Crescent Scythe++ (+15 DMG, 15% Crit)
Skill: Bloodlust (15% increased chance to crit)

File: sweating_hubert.jpg (68 KB, 600x708)

68 KB JPG

>>5887332
Surely you wouldn't be that unlucky...

>>5887735
>B): Assist your men outside with fighting the Order of the Blood Knights and Rusalkan Guard.
We know where they are going, they won't be that hard to chase down.

>>5887735
>A): Lead your flying units inside the camp. Search for the scholar, Erwin, and begin freeing prisoners.

>>5887545
I know that feel. I swear I find myself dreaming of this quest sometimes-- it's just so ingrained in my daily habits at this point.

>Crescent Scythe++ (+15 DMG, 15% Crit)
I see Balbatos has wisely swapped out his Devil Sword in exchange for a new toy. Combined with his Personal Skill, he can actually land crits relatively frequently. Assuming, of course, he doesn't go up against someone with huge LCK like Ashe or something.

>>5887735
>A): Lead your flying units inside the camp. Search for the scholar, Erwin, and begin freeing prisoners.

Our infantry, cavalry, archer, and mage divisions can handle the Order of the Blood Knights. By attacking their backline with our flying divisions, the enemies will be forced into dealing with an assault on multiple sides. Plus, getting our hands on the researcher was pretty important.

>>5887735
>A): Lead your flying units inside the camp. Search for the scholar, Erwin, and begin freeing prisoners.
If we do choose to fight Balbatos ourselves, Blair does one-round him with Thunder.
But finding the scholar is more important since attacking the castle is going to be more difficult than this. Sebastian and Rocks can handle Balbatos themselves. Sebastian's DEF is high enough that Balbatos doesn't even hurt him kek

>>5887735
>A): Lead your flying units inside the camp. Search for the scholar, Erwin, and begin freeing prisoners.

Doesn't Sebastian just tear Balbatos to shreds?

>>5887735
>B): Assist your men outside with fighting the Order of the Blood Knights and Rusalkan Guard.

>>5887735
>B): Assist your men outside with fighting the Order of the Blood Knights and Rusalkan Guard.

>>5887735
>A): Lead your flying units inside the camp. Search for the scholar, Erwin, and begin freeing prisoners.

>>5887735
>>A): Lead your flying units inside the camp. Search for the scholar, Erwin, and begin freeing prisoners.

>>5887735
>A): Lead your flying units inside the camp. Search for the scholar, Erwin, and begin freeing prisoners.

>>5887735
>A): Lead your flying units inside the camp. Search for the scholar, Erwin, and begin freeing prisoners.

The revolution will not be televised, we haven't stolen that tech from the Agarthans yet.

>>5887735
>B): Assist your men outside with fighting the Order of the Blood Knights and Rusalkan Guard.

File: Ingrid with Luin.png (487 KB, 1684x1920)

487 KB PNG

>>5887735
You decide to leave Balbatos and his company for the rest of the Blackwings. Finding and securing Erwin took top priority. Leading your winged division, you fly from the hill you were stationed on, over the ongoing battle, and towards the direction of Akzeriuth. If the Rusalkan Guard has any archers at all, they seem to be more focused on dealing with the Blackwings out front rather than you. You and the others are left unmolested, and you’re able to fly directly over the prison camp and land on the inside.

You hardly face any resistance at all as you arrive in the middle of the Akzeriuth prison camp. Several soldiers attempt to rush your position but find themselves quickly outmatched. Anemone guts one such soldier with a quick slash of her scythe, before her pegasus nearly kicks another’s head almost clean off. Ava plants several arrows into oncoming enemies, while Ingrid activates her Crest against another wave of incoming soldiers. The earth beneath her foes erupts in a torrent of flames, charring them to the bone.

“Over here!” A prisoner screams from behind pitched stakes. “Set us free!”

Acting accordingly, you slash Gungnir across the barricades trapping the prisoners. While some of them seem wary to enjoy their newfound freedom, others eagerly flood out of the gates, looking for weapons so that they may join the battle.

>“I seek the scholar, Erwin!” You announce to the scrambling freed men. “Where is he?!”

“I saw that gutless bastard fleeing into the mine!” Someone yells.

Wasting no time, you and your soldiers begin cutting your way through to the entrance of the Akzeriuth tunnels. Those in the Rusalkan Guard brave enough to throw themselves in your path don’t last long. Ingrid takes point, slashing Luin in every direction and sending guardsmen flying. The threat of being effortlessly slaughtered by a Hero’s Relic is enough to deter the enemy, and many of them scramble to avoid your path. You quickly reach the tunnel entrance, which has also been expanded since the last time you were here. You can make out several miners inside the mouth of the tunnel, each of whom seem to be paralyzed where they stand. They’re watching the actions of a rather overweight, erratic man, who is shouting and waving his arms left and right. Surrounding him are several unmarked barrels that you don’t recognize.

“S-stay back! Don’t touch me!” The man yells. He wears fine mage robes and sports a neatly groomed moustache. With how out of place he looks, you must imagine that this is none other than Erwin himself.

File: Erwin.png (14 KB, 200x168)

14 KB PNG

>>5889353
“I’m not going to die here!” Erwin shrieks. “I-if any one of you even tries to lay a hand on me…I’ll do it!”

The men within the mine recoil and take several steps back, seemingly unsure of whether to retreat further into the mine or to risk their luck and move passed Erwin.

>“Are you Erwin?”

Having not noticed you, the mage yelps and jumps several inches into the air. Turning around, he points an accusatory finger towards you. “S-stay back! I’m warning you! I’ll do it!”

You weren’t entirely sure what “it” was, but you could sense that he was ready to use some sort of magic. If the way those miners were staring at the barrels was any indication, you had a grim feeling that you might be seeing a demonstration of this blasting powder for yourself.

>“…Erwin.” You hold your hands out in a gesture of peace. “I mean you no harm. Let’s not do anything too hasty...I can’t imagine you want to… explode now, no?”

“Of course not!” The mage sobs. “B-but it’s better than being torn to shreds by you or these…savages! I won’t let them torture me for their sick pleasure! I’ll die by my own hands first!”

>“Don’t do anything foolish!” You plead. “I hear you’re the one who invented this blasting powder! I came here to ask for your help!”

“L-liar!” Erwin shouts. “You’re going to punish me! I know who you are, Witch! You’re a demon! You’ll skin me alive then boil me in your cauldron! Going with you is a fate worse than death! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

>A): “I did not come here to harm you. I am to be the Countess of Rusalka, and I promise that you’ll be fully protected under my watch.” (CHA+LCK Roll: 70% chance to succeed)
>B): Without making any sudden movements, toss the man your bag of gold and offer him employment. (-5000g)
>C): Subtly signal to Ava to shoot Erwin.

>>5889354
>A): “I did not come here to harm you. I am to be the Countess of Rusalka, and I promise that you’ll be fully protected under my watch.” (CHA+LCK Roll: 70% chance to succeed)

90% OF GAMBLERS QUIT BEFORE THEY HIT IT BIG. NEVER STOP GAMBLING.

>>5889354
>>B): Without making any sudden movements, toss the man your bag of gold and offer him employment. (-5000g)
We have the money, spend the money.

Isn't the 5000G all of our money? I'm fine with if it's Blair's personal funds, but less so if it's the company treasury. We need to be able to pay the men, after all.

>>5889354
>B): Without making any sudden movements, toss the man your bag of gold and offer him employment. (-5000g)

I'll probably switch to A if it turns out this is the company treasury, but it's acceptable losses if it's just Blair's stash. I don't know if I want to lose any companions to a 30%.

>>5889354
>B): Without making any sudden movements, toss the man your bag of gold and offer him employment. (-5000g)
We can't make storming the castle any harder than it is, and this is the second to last map anyway.

>>5889354
>A): “I did not come here to harm you. I am to be the Countess of Rusalka, and I promise that you’ll be fully protected under my watch.” (CHA+LCK Roll: 70% chance to succeed)

>>5889354
>B): Without making any sudden movements, toss the man your bag of gold and offer him employment. (-5000g)

Thou shalt not put Sothis thy Goddess, to the test.

>>5889354
>>B): Without making any sudden movements, toss the man your bag of gold and offer him employment. (-5000g)

>>5889354
>A): “I did not come here to harm you. I am to be the Countess of Rusalka, and I promise that you’ll be fully protected under my watch.” (CHA+LCK Roll: 70% chance to succeed)

>>5889354
>A): “I did not come here to harm you. I am to be the Countess of Rusalka, and I promise that you’ll be fully protected under my watch.” (CHA+LCK Roll: 70% chance to succeed)

>>5889354
>>A): “I did not come here to harm you. I am to be the Countess of Rusalka, and I promise that you’ll be fully protected under my watch.” (CHA+LCK Roll: 70% chance to succeed)
Why gamble cash when we can gamble our very lives?

Also whenever you write Ingrid battling I just imagine her playing Fire Emblem Warriors by slashing whole squads in one attack while everyone else is doing more classical 1v1s.

>>5889354
>B): Without making any sudden movements, toss the man your bag of gold and offer him employment. (-5000g)

B wins, writing.

>>5890112
Everyone lacks passion for gambling

>>5890243
Anons didn't realize we were about to get a crit.

File: Sebastian - General (Axe (...).jpg (13 KB, 249x205)

13 KB JPG

>>5889354
You hoped that becoming Countess of Rusalka would finally allow you to shed this “Witch” reputation once and for all. Erwin had clearly gone mad, and you weren’t sure there was anything you could say to him that would make the mage see reason. And while killing him would save several lives, Erwin was arguably more important to seizing the castle than the rebel prisoners were. Instead, you hope that a monetary gesture will help the man to see reason. Without making any sudden movements that might startle him, you reach for your pouch containing all your gold and raise it above your head.

>“There’s five-thousand gold pieces in here.” You announce to Erwin. Some of the men who were busy cowering in the mouth of the mine open their eyes wide. That was likely more gold than any of them would see in a lifetime. “It’s yours, Erwin! Payment for your continued services! There can be more where that came from, as well as my further protection! If you just…walk away from the blasting powder!”

Erwin looks conflicted, wondering whether he should believe you. He looks left and right, eyeing any potential areas of escape. It’s only when you open the pouch and reveal the glittering metal inside that he sighs and places his hands up, surrendering himself to you.

>-5000g

“V-very well. I’ll come with you. J-just please don’t hurt me! I’m a man of science, you know?!”

Ava and Diana restrain Erwin, taking him into custody. The rest of your unit works on freeing the rest of the trapped miners, many of whom join their comrades outside. The battle ends shortly thereafter. When you rejoin the others, you find that the Order of the Blood Knights has been vanquished. The mercenary company now lies in tatters, with the corpses of armored cavaliers and horses littering the ground. Among them is the crumpled form of Balbatos. Sebastian approaches you, holding in his hands the Agarthan Scythe the enemy mercenary captain had been wielding.

“Commander.” Sebastian salutes you. “The enemy has been routed. Our losses were kept to an extreme minimum. The men fought well.”

>“Did Balbatos give you any trouble?”

“Nothing we could not handle. That fiend seemed to revel in violence but found himself lacking when up against an opponent that could fight back. Working together, Rocks and I had no trouble breaking him.”

“Heh, to think that might have been me!” Rocks laughs boisterously, pointing at Balbatos’ corpse. “Good thing you chose the Purple Axe Knights, Blair! We won’t let you down!”

>“Excellent work, both of you. The scholar has been secured, and the prisoners freed. Many of them are in a poor state and will require medical attention. I want Kayla and Elizabeth to tend to the worst of them. Once they deal with preliminary care, we’ll seal Akzeriuth for good and make our way back to the rebel base.”

File: Crescent Sickle.jpg (35 KB, 820x533)

35 KB JPG

>>5890960
“There’s just one other thing we need deal with, Commander.” Sebastian says. He points off towards a distant corner of the battlefield. There, several Blackwings have surrounded what looks like a medium-size group of Rusalkan Guards, each of whom are sitting on the ground with their hands behind their heads. “We managed to capture a few soldiers belonging to the enemy. Though they’ve laid down their weapons, they’ve made it clear that they are still loyal soldiers of the Count. I don’t think we’ll be convincing them to join arms with us.”

>“…Perhaps I should try speaking with them first.”

Sebastian and Rocks join you as you make your way towards where the Rusalkan Guard is being held prisoner. Howard and his rebels seem to be the ones holding them in captivity. The Count’s loyalists have been forced to sit in a line, keeping their heads bowed to the ground. You count at least 30 of them. Their expressions vary from resignation to anger, each of them stewing in their defeat. They had not imagined that defeat and death could find them as quickly and suddenly as it had today.

>“Hail!” You announce yourself to the group. “I am Blair d’Rusalka! I have returned home to-“

“Shut it, bitch!” One of the guardsmen screams shrilly. “We know who you are, traitor! Just kill us and be done with it!” The captured soldier is quickly silenced by a smack from the blunt end of a rebel’s spear.

“If you’re here to recruit us, you’re wasting our time and yours.” Another guard says. “We’re not like these fair-weather fools here. We all pledged our loyalty to the Count, and we intend to keep it. I’d die before ever serving you, usurper.”

“Well, you heard em!” Rocks says. “They wanna die, let’s oblige em!”

“My Countess…” Howard says, approaching you and speaking softly. “I recognize many of these men. They’re a stubborn bunch, that much is true. But I fear killing them after they surrendered may be a step too far.”

“What, you want us to take them prisoner?” Rocks snorts. “We ain’t got the luxury of that. And if you’re suggesting we just let them go, chances are they’ll just go running back to the Count.”

“…I know how foolish it sounds.” Howard admits. “But perhaps a show of clemency is what we need. You’ve already demonstrated your strength by conquering Akzeriuth in quick order. A show of mercy now may demonstrate to your soon-to-be subjects that you are a humane leader. One cut of different cloth than the Count.”

“…Letting them go may make conquering the castle harder.” Sebastian warns.

>A): We already have our work cut out for us. If they wish to die in service of the Count, they may do so now.
>B): These men have disarmed and surrendered. Slaying them would be a grave crime. I won’t start my reign this way.
>C): Write-in

>>5890965
>>B): These men have disarmed and surrendered. Slaying them would be a grave crime. I won’t start my reign this way.

>>5890965
>B): These men have disarmed and surrendered. Slaying them would be a grave crime. I won’t start my reign this way.

If we weren't shooting for the Countess ending, I might've went for A, but all things considered, even if this would increase the difficulty of the castle assault, it'll make things easier when Blair eventually takes up the seat of the county.

>>5890965
>A): We already have our work cut out for us. If they wish to die in service of the Count, they may do so now.

>>5890965
>A): We already have our work cut out for us. If they wish to die in service of the Count, they may do so now.
BLOODY BLAIR'S REIGN BEGINS TODAY

>>5890965
>B): These men have disarmed and surrendered. Slaying them would be a grave crime. I won’t start my reign this way.

>>5890965
>B): These men have disarmed and surrendered. Slaying them would be a grave crime. I won’t start my reign this way.

>B): These men have disarmed and surrendered. Slaying them would be a grave crime. I won’t start my reign this way.

>>5890965
>A): We already have our work cut out for us. If they wish to die in service of the Count, they may do so now.

>>5890965
>B): These men have disarmed and surrendered. Slaying them would be a grave crime. I won't start my reign this way.

Let's not war-crime our own soon-to-be-subjects.

>>5890965
>>B): These men have disarmed and surrendered. Slaying them would be a grave crime. I won’t start my reign this way.

Blair just said she wants to shed that witchly reputation.

>>5890965
>B): These men have disarmed and surrendered. Slaying them would be a grave crime. I won’t start my reign this way

>>5890965
>B): These men have disarmed and surrendered. Slaying them would be a grave crime. I won’t start my reign this way.

>>5890965
>A): We already have our work cut out for us. If they wish to die in service of the Count, they may do so now.

File: 1624839169521.jpg (54 KB, 538x373)

54 KB JPG

B wins, writing.

Blair always plays nice and never commits war crimes.

>>5891521
>Blair always plays nice and never commits war crimes.
yet

>>5890965
>Whether you liked it or not, these men were your subjects too. And while killing them might have been the easier option to take, you wouldn’t go down that route. If you wanted any hope of shedding your reputation as a Witch, then you’d have to find solutions that didn’t involve resorting to violence. “Make sure these men are disarmed, and then send them on their way. They’ve surrendered and bowed out of this fight. They’ve suffered enough. Let them go.”

“Thank you, my lady.” Howard breathes a sigh of relief.

“Pft, whatever.” Rocks shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly. “Let them go running back to their Count. Next time we fight them, I’ll make sure to finish the job.”

You watch as the rebels release the restraints of their prisoners. Some of the guardsmen stand up warily, eyeing you and the others suspiciously, before running off. A few of his comrades follow his example, running away without sparing you so much as a word. Others curse your name, spitting accusations of betrayal and evil. Only one of them stands to face you. A short lad with dirt on his face, far younger than you. He wordlessly mouths a ‘thank you’ in your direction, before running off to join the others. You watch the Rusalkan loyalists until they escape your field of vision.

Those that you freed from Akzeriuth let out a large cheer as you return to the mining camp. Though many of them are completely depleted after their forced labor, they still find the energy to crowd you enthusiastically.

“Lady Blair!”

“Hail the Countess of Rusalka!”

“Death to the Bloody Count!”

Sebastian and his men are forced to keep the miners back, lest they overrun you. If any of them had any reservations about you before, your actions here have won them over to your side. The applause and reception that you receive is overwhelming. Once the injured are taken care of and ready to travel, you’ll be marching at the head of an army hundreds strong to regroup with the rest of the rebels.

“Everyone that was in the mine has now come above ground.” Corrine reports to you. Behind her are two Blackwings, each of whom are holding one of Erwin’s arms. The mage is pale and looks as though he may be prone to sickness any minute now. “We’re now ready to collapse the entrance. Our new ‘friend’ here says he can help with that.”

“T-thank you for sparing my life, my lady.” Erwin stammers out. “I apologize for my prior outburst. It seems that I briefly lost my composure…hehe.” He offers you an awkward weak smile. “I let rumors cloud my judgment. I would be VERY honored to assist the Countess of Rusalka with whatever it is she needs. I can be most useful, yes!”

>>5891586
>“Those men back there seemed really eager to rip you apart. Any idea why?” You ask Erwin.

“M-minor misunderstandings, I’m sure.” Erwin bows his head. “With their newfound freedom, they were just eager to break anything in front of them I’m sure.”

“Since he doesn’t seem keen on telling you the truth…” Corrine interrupts. “Seems like there have been more than a few incidents of miners falling victim to this man’s blasting powder. He’s safe under our watch, but if we take our eyes off him for even a second, he’s likely to have his innards removed courtesy of a prisoner’s shank.”


“B-but it was a misunderstanding! Truly!” Erwin squeals. “They just didn’t understand how the powder worked is all! It’s highly flammable, and the radius of its explosion is far greater than they could have imagined! I tried to warn them they should stand farther back, but they didn’t listen!”

>“This blasting powder of yours. How does it work?”

“W-well it’s an original concoction I came up with at the Academy of Sorcery.” Erwin recoils as if you might hit him. There’s some charcoal, as well saltpetre, and a specific type of sulfur that can only be found in Ailell, the Valley of Torment. You mix them all together in a container, and then set it alight. Preferably from afar with fire magic. The result is a rather…violent and large explosion that rips through anything in its path.”

>“Could this powder be used to knock down castle walls?”

“I-I’m sure it can!” Erwin says assuredly. “Assuming you had a way to launch it at the walls, it should have no issue destroy simple stonework.”

“We found several barrels of this stuff within the camp. We’re getting ready to transfer them over to our carts. I’ve instructed the men to be VERY careful, of course.” Corrine stresses. Her eyes scan an area of the camp that seemed to be reserved for ore that had been brought up from Akzeriuth. There were at least eight carts full of minerals the color of black ink. Agarthium. “We also found that. It looks like they were preparing for another shipment. What should we do with that stuff?”

>A): Toss it all in the mine. We’ll have nothing to do with that evil.
>B): Secure it somewhere safely. Perhaps Eulalia might be able to make something with it of use.

>>5891589
>A): Toss it all in the mine. We’ll have nothing to do with that evil.
Maybe my Fire Emblem ignorance is showing but I'd rather get rid of it instead of keeping or discarding it to the mines, but I don't know how to destroy it safely.

>>5891589
>B): Secure it somewhere safely. Perhaps Eulalia might be able to make something with it of use.

Even then we got a bunch of new soldiers who may or may not have equipment. We now have a ton of ore to turn into equipment.

>>5891589
>B): Secure it somewhere safely. Perhaps Eulalia might be able to make something with it of use.

We had to give up Kronya's Dagger for Eulalia to make a countermeasure to the Titanus, right? Maybe with these, she'd be able to make more of those-- as long as she doesn't turn it into nuclear payload, anyway. Granted, getting rid of it is likely the morally correct thing to do.

>>5891589
>B): Secure it somewhere safely. Perhaps Eulalia might be able to make something with it of use.
This seems best, who knows if someone sneaks in to mine these again.

>>5891589
>>5891616
I'll change my vote to
>C): Destroy it by other means, it is an evil that we must get rid of.

>>5891589
>>B): Secure it somewhere safely. Perhaps Eulalia might be able to make something with it of use.

>>5891589
>>B): Secure it somewhere safely. Perhaps Eulalia might be able to make something with it of use.

>>5891589
>C): Destroy it by other means, it is an evil that we must get rid of.

>>5891589
>B): Secure it somewhere safely. Perhaps Eulalia might be able to make something with it of use.
In and of itself, I doubt it'd cause much harm to keep... And it's definitely got many uses.

>>5891521
Yeah, besides that bridge with a bunch of civvies that she blew up

>>5891589
>B): Secure it somewhere safely. Perhaps Eulalia might be able to make something with it of use.

>>5891589
Erwin is funny, I like him.
>>B): Secure it somewhere safely. Perhaps Eulalia might be able to make something with it of use.
What's the harm in keeping magic metal around? It's not evil by itself, as far as I understand it. Surely it has non-fucked up uses for peace times?

>>5891945
That was Ingrid so it doesn't count

File: blair did nothing wrong.png (1.1 MB, 1024x800)

1.1 MB PNG

>>5892005
True. Plus she was only following orders

>>5891589
>A): Toss it all in the mines. We'll have nothing to do with that evil.

CAST IT INTO THE FIRE! DESTROY IT!

>>5892014
>''Your honor, they were working for underground dwelling sub-humans, I did no wrong.''

>>5892014
lel. B wins, writing.

>>5892014
Winners can't be war criminals anyway

>>5892127
It says so in the history books!

File: Tower of Flame.jpg (89 KB, 423x432)

89 KB JPG

>>5891589
>“Secure the Agarthium. Keep it under tight lockdown. Only Anemone or Eulalia should be allowed anywhere near it. Have Eulalia fashion whatever she can from that stockpile that will help us. Including weapons and armor if possible.” Like it or not, you knew anything made from Agarthium would be of exceptional quality. You had two more battles left to win, and you would make use of every advantage you could. So long as the ore didn’t fall into the hands of Shambhala, which was currently being dealt with by the Professor, things should be okay.

“Very well.” Corrine says. She pushes Erwin forward with one hand, sending the mage stumbling onto the ground. “Why don’t you show us a demonstration of what your little powder can do then? We’re ready to seal Akzeriuth shut.”

“Y-yes ma’am!” Erwin waddles away, leading you and the others towards the mouth of the mine. Several barrels of the blasting powder already sit there, waiting to be used. After ensuring that the camp has been evacuated, you watch from atop Beathan high in the sky as Erwin examines the barrels, making sure they’re ready to go. He then begins running for his life as fast as his little legs can carry him, giving you a signal once he’s made it a sufficient distance. According to what he said, a single spark would be enough to trigger the powder. It was time to see just how strong this invention of his was. Conjuring a small fireball in your hand, you lob it down into the barrels below.

What follows is a massive explosion that threatens to knock you off your steed onto the ground below. A large fireball engulfs the prison camp and causes a total collapse of the mining structure within. Everything down below is incinerated in a tower of flames high enough to nearly reach you. Several smaller explosions follow the first titanic one, and you quickly decide that staying here and observing the situation may be hazardous to your health. You turn Beathan around and escape, the sounds of several more explosions and collapsing buildings echoing behind you. The blasting powder certainly worked, but if you weren’t careful, you’d likely destroy the entire castle. You’d have to figure something out.

With the additional baggage you now carry, it takes several days extra to reach the rebel base. Gerald had claimed that there would be 300 men in fighting shape held captive at Akzeriuth. But according to Mary and Kayla, the numbers painted a much grimmer picture. At least half of those men had been worn down by the intensive forced labor they suffered. They were in no condition to run off to battle. Another third of those men had decided to use their newfound freedom to return home instead. In all likelihood, you’d probably only netted yourself less than 100 additional soldiers.

File: Castle Rusalka.jpg (70 KB, 728x486)

70 KB JPG

>>5892335
Still, any additional manpower would be helpful. And with Erwin and his blasting powder secured, as well as some extra Agarthium, you were willing to write-off Akzeriuth as a huge success. You report as much back to Gerald once you return. Upon seeing him, you get the feeling that he didn’t expect you to be quite so successful. When he learns that the Blackwings suffered almost zero casualties, he seems hardly able to believe it.

“And the enemy mercenaries?” Gerald asks, incredulously.

>“Defeated to a man. They won’t be bothering us any further. There were some Rusalkan Guard who’d surrendered but were unwilling to join forces. I decided to let them go.”

“Not quite the decision I would have made.” Gerald says. “Those men feel as though they owe the Count for taking care of their families. Many of them will likely return to the castle to assist with bolstering its defenses. Still…” He trails off. “I had no idea your company was so…efficient. Even if they do return to the castle, I can’t imagine it will hardly matter. Not with you and the blasting powder on our side.” He chuckles darkly, before playfully offering you a round of applause. “Well then, no time to waste. Let’s plan our assault on the castle.”

>“Agreed. We should press the advantage while we can. Are your men ready to go?”

“Aye. That’s a good teacher you left us. Sir Leopold managed to teach them the proper point of the spear to stab the enemy with. I don’t expect any of them to run away once the fighting starts. Hell, at this point they’re probably more scared of Leopold than the enemy. We can be ready to move in a day or two."

>You nod. “Yep, sounds like they’re ready alright. I’ll begin devising some plans to assault the castle.”

That night, you begin making preparations to lead the siege on Castle Rusalka. Numerically, both sides stand to be about even. The biggest problem you face will be breaching the walls. While the blasting powder should be enough to punch a hole for your men to charge through, it’s a feat easier said than done. The castle is situated atop a large hill, with forest and terrain directly below it that would slow down any besieging army. You’d need to somehow carry the powder up the hill without triggering an explosion, and while being shot at by enemy snipers atop the walls.

Feeling as though you’re in need of some outside thinking, you decide to consult some of your members as to what they think the best course of action might be.

>A): Winona had mentioned planning to attack Rusalka with the Hellwings. Perhaps she has advice to offer.
>B): Your enemy is not just the castle’s defenders, but the Agarthans inside. Anemone and Eulalia might be able to assist.
>C): Caleb had somehow become your company’s engineer overnight. Perhaps he could think of a way to use the Blasting Powder effectively.

>>5892337
>>C): Caleb had somehow become your company’s engineer overnight. Perhaps he could think of a way to use the Blasting Powder effectively.

>>5892337
>>C): Caleb had somehow become your company’s engineer overnight. Perhaps he could think of a way to use the Blasting Powder effectively.
I feel we should pick this so we use the blasting powder effectively, like that shit is way stronger then I imagined so we need to be careful with it.

>>5892337
>C): Caleb had somehow become your company’s engineer overnight. Perhaps he could think of a way to use the Blasting Powder effectively.
kaboom

>But according to Mary and Kayla
Mary is with us? I thought she was technically captain of the Church of Seiros' Pegasus Wings.

>>5892337
>C): Caleb had somehow become your company’s engineer overnight. Perhaps he could think of a way to use the Blasting Powder effectively.

More Caleb screentime is nice. Besides, I expected TNT or C4, maybe, not A-Rank Fire Magic. I wonder how this stacks up against the Count's Valflame.

>>5892467
>Mary is with us? I thought she was technically captain of the Church of Seiros' Pegasus Wings.
Whoops that should be Elizabeth.

>>5892594
Ahh, that makes more sense, gotcha.

>>5892337
>C): Caleb had somehow become your company’s engineer overnight. Perhaps he could think of a way to use the Blasting Powder effectively.

>>5892337
>C): Caleb had somehow become your company's engineer overnight. Perhaps he could think of a way to use the Blasting Powder effectively.

We must bring the boom.

>>5892337
>C): Caleb had somehow become your company’s engineer overnight. Perhaps he could think of a way to use the Blasting Powder effectively.

>>5892337
>>A): Winona had mentioned planning to attack Rusalka with the Hellwings. Perhaps she has advice to offer.

>>5892337
>C): Caleb had somehow become your company’s engineer overnight. Perhaps he could think of a way to use the Blasting Powder effectively.

File: Milly.jpg (6 KB, 200x168)

6 KB JPG

>>5892337
You find Caleb outside, lying in a hammock connected to a pair of trees. Eyes closed, he seems to be enjoying the breeze and outdoor air without a care in the world, as if a siege was not approaching. With him are Milly and Theo, who appear to be hard at work focusing on their own respective activities. Theo practices maintaining his balance, standing on a barrel while holding several more stacked on his shoulders. Milly is focused on juggling a trio of knives at a breakneck speed. At some point, the trio must have fallen back into their circus routines.

“Oh, Blair!” Milly exclaims jovially. She takes her eyes off the daggers she juggles, while somehow still managing to keep the routine going. “I didn’t see you there! Hi!”

>“I-is that safe?”

“Of course! These are my juggling daggers.”

>“They look the same as all your others?”

“I don’t coat these ones in poison.”

Theo jumps off his spinning barrel, taking a knee and letting the others on his shoulder gently roll to the ground. Those barrels look familiar, but you don’t get a chance to ask. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Theo stands upright and faces you. “Don’t worry, Blair. Milly’s routine always kills it with the crowd during our performances. And as for me, I’ve been getting back into my old strongman stuff! We’re going to be a hit when we have our first comeback show. The famed Killer Trio! Come see the heroes of the war dazzle and amaze!”

>“It wasn’t the crowd I was worried about. And you’re getting back into circus work? Why?”

“What else are we going to do.” Caleb drones lazily from his hammock. “Won’t really be anymore people to shoot after we get back from Zanado. Might as well make sure the old circus routine is still fresh and ready.”

>“Well, why aren’t you practicing?”

“I’m a marksman. I’ve been practicing this entire damn war.” Caleb yawns. “I shoot apples off kid’s heads. It’s a played-out trick, but it always gets the crowd roaring.”

>“I came to ask your advice regarding the blasting powder. I take it you saw what it did back at Akzeriuth?”

“Uhh…yeah.” Milly says.

“Pretty sure the whole damn Empire saw it.” Caleb says. “If we’re not careful with that stuff we’re liable to blow ourselves up.”

>“Any ideas then? We need to somehow get it up the hills surrounding the castle, all while being shot at by the snipers on the walls. You’ve become our company’s engineer. I don’t suppose you could build us some sort of…catapult or something? Like your ballista?”

“Not a chance.” Caleb says. “I hear there’s a forest surrounding the castle. An old one too. Trying to shoot uphill through all those damn things would never work. Even if we somehow managed to hit the wall, we’d still need to find a way to light it.”

File: Caleb - Bow Knight.jpg (7 KB, 200x164)

7 KB JPG

>>5893570
>“Well, is there anything you can do?”

Caleb swings silently, lost in thought. He says nothing, and for a while the only sounds you hear are Milly’s daggers swooshing through the air, and Theo grunting as he squats a barrel. Finally, he offers his idea.

“The way I see it, we don’t need to keep that powder stuff in a barrel. Something smaller should work just as well. All we need to do is punch a few holes in the walls. That’s far easier than blasting the earth looking for new mining tunnels. It’ll also tone down the explosion to a fraction of what we saw at Akzeriuth. We won’t have to worry about collapsing the damn castle atop us. If you get that Erwin feller over here to mix his concoction, I might be able to craft something compact enough to hold it all together. Something easy to throw.” He smiles mischievously. “In fact, with our little improvised explosive, I think you might be able to take down the walls all on your own.”

>“What do you mean?”

“You still got that Delphi Shield?” Caleb asks. “You won’t have to worry about taking a fatal stray arrow. We’ll have you fly up to the castle and toss the powder onto the walls. And then, do your thing. Toss a fireball down and watch the whole thing go up.”

>“You can really make something like that?!”

“Of course! It’s just a tiny little box. Something light and easy to throw that will keep everything mixed inside. It would be a piece of cake. Provided we started right away.”

“Wow…tossing down explosions from the sky.” Milly whistles, eyes focused on her daggers. “War sure has changed…”

“Aye, I don’t like this stuff one bit.” Theo sets his barrel down on the ground, slapping the top of it. “Wish we could just get this done with our blades like always. Too bad those cowards are too content to sit in their castle hiding.”

>“Is that…” Your eyes narrow as you examine the barrels Theo has been using closer, but another thought gets to you first. “One second. My Delphi Shield would protect me from arrows…but let’s say they also has mages up on those walls. Mages that could cast fire. And let’s say one of them hits me while I’m carrying all that powder?”

“…They’d be picking up pieces of Blair all over the Empire for years.” Caleb admits.

“Kaboom.” Theo mutters.

“Just dodge it.” Milly adds helpfully.

“Hey, you wanted an idea.” Caleb stretches back into his hammock. “That’s the best I can do on short notice.”

>A): It’s the best plan we have. Find Erwin and get started.
>B): This seems too dangerous, even for me.

File: marth.png (450 KB, 680x383)

450 KB PNG

>>5893573
>A): It's the best plan we have. Find Erwin and get started.

It's not a risk I like, but it's better than not taking it. If we don't do this, we just spent 5000 gold for nothing.

We've got multiple pegasus knights, wouldn't it be possible to tie a barrel between three or four of them and lift it up high enough that arrows won't reach, then release it and let it fall on the wall? If the powder is as volatile as it is the impact would be enough to set it off, no? If not a burning lanter can be attached to the barrel, which would shatter on impact and ingnite the powder.

>>5893573
And thus Blair and Caleb have started the art of just bombing the enemy, worlds first grenades are here.
...Also is Theo pumping iron with the super explosion powder in it?

>>5893573
>>A): It’s the best plan we have. Find Erwin and get started.

We spent 5000g for a fucking reason and I am getting a return on my investment dammit.

>>5893573
>A): It’s the best plan we have. Find Erwin and get started.
Oh right forgot to vote, but yeah this is risky but that makes it good

>>5893573
>A): It’s the best plan we have. Find Erwin and get started.

>>5893573
>A): It’s the best plan we have. Find Erwin and get started.

>>5893573
>A): It’s the best plan we have. Find Erwin and get started.

>>5893573
>>A): It’s the best plan we have. Find Erwin and get started.

>>5893573
>A): It’s the best plan we have. Find Erwin and get started.

>>5893573
>>A): It’s the best plan we have. Find Erwin and get started.

>>5893573
We're gonna
a) get insta-killed by our own pipe bomb in the sky after getting hit by a fireball
b) blow up half of the castle we're trying to take for ourselves
Yes, we paid 5k gold and now you all REALLY want to get that money's worth, but come on
>B): This seems too dangerous, even for me.
Just send a rogue in the night to plant the bomb, then hit it from the distance

>>5893573
>B): This seems too dangerous, even for me.

>>5893573
>>B): This seems too dangerous, even for me.

File: 1625600572135.png (67 KB, 400x400)

67 KB PNG

>>5893573
Caleb’s plan seemed completely insane, but you didn’t doubt it would work. That was provided you managed to avoid any accidental discharges while up in the sky. You didn’t enjoy the idea of lugging around all those explosives, particularly after seeing what they could do. But you would be able to safeguard the lives of your men this way. And besides, it was as Milly said. All you had to do was dodge any fireballs that came your way. A piece of cake. You give Caleb the order to work together with Erwin to make something you can throw. The two of them would have to work while on the move though. You planned to waste no time marching on Rusalka.

>“You really think these men won’t turn tail and run?” You ask Leopold. The two of you march at the head of the rebel army. While you can’t say much for these rebel’s discipline before, you can see that Leopold has clearly had an effect on them. They march in step rather than the organized mob you had expected.

“Of course not.” Leopold chides. “If they do they’ll have to deal with me. Most of them may not be real soldiers, but they’ll play the part just fine. Truth is I’ve trained even greener men for the Knights of Seiros. You can’t choose the army you march to war with, but you can accentuate its strengths. And they’ll serve as a fine support to the real backbone of our army.”

>“I suppose I should just be grateful there’s anyone willing to fight for me. Especially ones that I’m not paying.” You sigh.

“The people of this county may not love you yet.” Leopold says. “But they see in you a suitable alternative to the current Count. The situation here has gotten bad enough that they’re willing to stake their life on the mere chance that you might treat them better than he. Don’t let them down.”

When the sight of the castle first enters your eyes, you feel a certain sense of dread in the pit of your stomach. You had so many memories within those walls. There was once so much promise there for you. And now you return at the head of an army, with an ample amount of blood certain to be shed. Battles were easy enough. At this point, fighting had become second nature to you. But this one felt extremely different. And at the end of it all lay a meeting with Charles d’Rusalka. You weren’t sure which of these you dreaded more.

“They’ve got the walls up there manned tight.” Gerald says. “You can see them milling about even from this distance. Figures. Hope this plan of yours works.”

>“It’ll work, don’t you worry about that. Have the men set up camp. Today we’ll rest. I want Caleb and Erwin to have more time making those explosives. Tomorrow at dawn, we’ll move out and begin the attack.”

File: Alena.png (13 KB, 150x142)

13 KB PNG

>>5894633
As the rebel army begins setting up camp, you take the time to walk around, getting plenty of facetime with your newfound soldiers. If they were going to be risking their lives to fight for you, the least you could do was introduce yourself. You didn’t want to be some faceless leader that passed on their orders from up above. Better that you see your subjects’ faces and they yours. You spend much of the afternoon greeting the eager rebels and taking the time to speak with them.

“My lady!” One young man calls out to you. “Is it true that you once stopped a horde of invading Almyran wyverns!”

>“I did.” You smile reassuringly. “Compared to those fiends, Wedge and his men are but kittens.”

“Lady Blair! Is it true you’re from Magnesia?!” A wide-eyed female rebel asks you. “I’ve always wanted to go fishing there!”

>“You’ll have to find me after the battle is over then. I’d be happy to share with you all the best spots.”

You spend several hours like this, hoping to raise morale amongst the rebel soldiers. As night begins to fall, you can make out lights and activity up ahead by the castle. They’d already noticed you were here and were likely making their own preparations for tomorrow’s battle. How much did Wedge know about you? Did he have anything prepared to counter you? You had only a scant amount of intel to go on, but you knew Wedge well. He’d spare no expense to see any enemy of the count destroyed.

“Excited for your reunion?” Anemone asks you as you make your way back to the tent.

>“So excited I could scream.”

“The last time I was here, it was to try and kill the Count.” She reminisces. “If only I’d been successful. We could have bypassed this trip altogether. Too bad that scowling knight had to interfere.”

>“Do you have any advice?”

“I’ve heard all about this crazy plan of yours.” Anemone says. “I’m not exactly adept with anima magic, but I can at least manage a few sparks. The enemy should have a much harder time targeting either of us if we work together.”

>You nod. “I’ll certainly feel a lot more confident if you’re up there with me. What do you make of all this?”

“I sense something horrible in there.” Anemone says, gesturing up above towards the castle. “Call it Agarthan Intuition. It’s the same sort of feeling I had back in Ordelia.”

>“Is it a Sage?”

“Perhaps.” Anemone shrugs. “Or something worse. But I didn’t sense it the last time I was here. The night I tried to kill the Count. Whatever it is, it’s new.”

“Lady Blair!” A soldier comes running up to you and Anemone, out of breath. “The castle has sent a party down below! They wish to offer a parley!”

>A): Round up a guard for me and take me to them.
>B): Send them back to their castle. The time for words is over.

>>5894635
>A): Round up a guard for me and take me to them.
What is the worst that could happen.

>>5894635
>A): Round up a guard for me and take me to them.

Let it be known that negotiations were attempted, before we come to blows.

>>5894635
>A): Round up a guard for me and take me to them.

This is a trap, but the snakes won't expect us to trap them in their own trap. We will outsmart their outsmarting.

>>5894635
>>B): Send them back to their castle. The time for words is over.

>>5894635
>A): Round up a guard for me and take me to them.

>>5894635
>>A): Round up a guard for me and take me to them

>>5894635
>A): Round up a guard for me and take me to them.

>>5894635
>A): Round up a guard for me and take me to them.

>>5894635
>>A): Round up a guard for me and take me to them.

>>5894635
>A): Round up a guard for me and take me to them.
Let's hear them out even if I have a bad feeling about it

>>5894635
>B): Send them back to their castle. The time for words is over.

>>5894635
>B): Send them back to their castle. The time for words is over.

File: Wedge.png (13 KB, 200x164)

13 KB PNG

>>5894635
Though night has already fallen, you’re able to muster up a small guard consisting of Ashe, Corrine, Diana, Ingrid, Scratch and Sebastian. You walk in front of the group, following the lead of the soldier who’d alerted you about the parley. In the forest that surrounds Castle Rusalka is a small clearing. You recall often coming here as a child when you needed to escape the rigors of martial training, or just when you wanted to be alone. True to the soldier’s words, a group of Rusalkan Guard stand in the clearing waiting for you. And at the front of them is none other than the enemy commander and your first martial instructor, Wedge.

Your two groups stand-off, facing off against each other for some time. Once things grow sufficiently awkward, it is you that opens your mouth first to speak.

>“Wedge.”

“Blair.”

Another pregnant pause. Though Wedge was likely pushing well into his 40s, he didn’t seem like he’d lost a step. His armor was neat and polished. His stance was tall and straight. And his glare could still pierce right through your soul. You could tell he was currently judging every facet of your being, as if seeking some sort of vulnerability that would grant him victory. The man was a professional through and through.

“I find it hard to believe that you would dare show your face here girl.” Wedge says suddenly. “It was one thing to betray the Count after all that he’d done for you. How he took you from the gutter and cared for you like his own child. But to now turn your blade against him? Any vestiges of the sweet and shy little girl I took under my wing must be long gone. Replaced by this…Witch.”

>“…The Count has betrayed his own people. People he was supposed to safeguard and-“

“The Count fulfilled his responsibility to Emperor and country.” Wedge interrupts you. “He did what was required of him because he was the only one that could. Even when it was difficult, he never faltered in his duty. That you were unable to learn from his example is your own failing.”

It was no use. You knew well that Wedge was fanatically loyal to Charles d’Rusalka. If Hoff was his right hand, Wedge was his left. There would be no convincing him of anything. You recall Anemone once confirming to you that Wedge was not an Agarthan. Did that mean he served the Count truly believing he was human? If so, a part of you pitied the man. To have such earnest loyalty wasted was a grave shame.

>“I did not come here to be insulted, Wedge. Nor did I come here to reminisce. You were the one that offered this parley. Tell me, what is it that you want? If you wish to surrender before we attack, know that no harm will come to you and your men. This can still end peacefully.”

Wedge’s lip turns upward in a sneer of contempt. “They taught you some find jokes in that academy of yours.”

>>5895658
Wedge stares you down, as if bracing himself for the words he is about to speak. “You’re right about one thing. This can still end peacefully. And with no lives lost on either side. That is, if you’re able to put aside your bloodlust and ambition for a few moments and meet with Lord Charles. Alone. He requests an audience with you.”

>Your blood runs cold. The Count wanted to speak with you alone? “Why does he not come and meet me here himself?”

“I will not let the Count leave the safety of the castle walls.” Wedge says sternly. “Particularly when surrounded by so many enemies who wish to see him dead. That is why you came here, is it not? Lord Charles still believes this can end peacefully. That the two of you might be able to come to an arrangement. Unlike myself, he has not given up hope that you are still…redeemable.” Wedge growls. “But the choice is yours. Either meet him in the castle or meet me in battle.”

>“...And what guarantee do I have that this is not a trap? Do you truly believe the enemy commander would just walk into your stronghold alone?”

“Unlike you, I still understand the concept of honor.” Wedge says. “You were a guest of Castle Rusalka. And you still are, according to the Count’s wishes. You are welcome to come and go as you please without harassment. That courtesy will only end when you turn your blade against the castle.”

>“You speak as though you’re confident you’ll win this battle.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Wedge sneers. “I taught you how to use that spear you now turn towards us. I know your strengths, and I know your weaknesses. I’ve seen you at your most vulnerable. Don’t let your wins during the war delude you to that fact. I know full well how to defeat you. And no amount of blasting powder that sniveling little mage brings you will change that.”

Though you don’t show it on your face, you find Wedge’s taunts alarming. Did he already figure out you planned to use the blasting powder to take down the castle walls? You knew he was trying to get to you. To play games with your head and create self-doubt. Even if he knew about the blasting powder, could he do anything to stop it?

“Make your decision, Blair.” Wedge says. “I need to know if I should finish preparing for this battle or not.”

>A): I will meet with the Count alone in the castle.
>B): I refuse. I’ll come find the Count after I tear down these walls.
>C): I will meet with the Count, provided I can bring one of my men. (LCK+CHARM: 70% to succeed) (Choose a Blackwing to accompany you)

>>5895666
>C): I will meet with the Count, provided I can bring one of my men. (LCK+CHARM: 70% to succeed) (Choose a Blackwing to accompany you)

Anemone?

>“The Count fulfilled his responsibility to Emperor and country.” Wedge interrupts you. “He did what was required of him because he was the only one that could. Even when it was difficult, he never faltered in his duty.
So he would stand down if ordered to do so by whomever sits on the thrown next, even if they were installed? I doubt it.

>>5895666
>>B): I refuse. I’ll come find the Count after I tear down these walls.

Tough one. We are talking about the Count who promised to only execute Douglas before closing the Akzeriuth Mine, before executing the entire band of rebel leaders himself, and sending everyone back to work on that cursed mine the very next day, so I don't actually trust going in alone.

Then again... he *was* strangely sympathetic to Blair all these years, and it's possible he's still got enough of that sympathy to at least talk with us. This may be the only opportunity to find out more about the Count and of Anarcharsis before the battle starts.

There's also the matter of whatever pinged Anemone's 'Agarthan Intuition'-- whether it's another sanctuary for the Forbidden Spell of Zahras, or it's actually Cleobulus, her Titanus, and/or Zombie Blue Lions showing up... this may also be a way to learn more about what they're planning and counteract it.

Of course, if this is a trap, then this will likely mean the death of Blair and whoever came in with her-- or they manage to escape after several rolls and possibly the death of her companion... Decisions, decisions.

>>5895666
>C): I will meet with the Count, provided I can bring one of my men. (LCK+CHARM: 70% to succeed) (Choose a Blackwing to accompany you)
>Anemone

It's risky, and I'm willing to bet on this here, if only because Anemone's knowledge about Agarthan workings will be crucial to figuring out what's going on inside the castle before the fighting starts. Of course, if we fail the roll and Wedge tells us to fuck off, then that's fine too-- we can just proceed with the siege as normal. Admittedly, part of me is just interested in seeing what the hell is going on with the Count though.

>>5895666
>C): I will meet with the Count, provided I can bring one of my men. (LCK+CHARM: 70% to succeed) (Choose a Blackwing to accompany you)
Ashe. Hey, pops, uh, meet the boyfriend...

He'd wanna be there for her. Though so would Corrine...

>>5895666
>C): I will meet with the Count, provided I can bring one of my men. (LCK+CHARM: 70% to succeed) (Choose a Blackwing to accompany you)
Ashe

>>5895666
>C): I will meet with the Count, provided I can bring one of my men. (LCK+CHARM: 70% to succeed) (Choose a Blackwing to accompany you)
>Anemone

This feels like the most interesting choice, and Anemone is an important pick due to the various spells like Zahras, etc. Plus, I really want to hear Anarchasis' side of things. Still, I wish we could take two people, I want Ashe to come as well.

>>5895666
>C): I will meet with the Count, provided I can bring one of my men. (LCK+CHARM: 70% to succeed) (Choose a Blackwing to accompany you)
>Anemone
Bringing Anemone instead of someone like Ashe might elicit a more negative response from the Count, but I doubt that this is a trap meant to kill us. Whenever the topic is brought up, the Count does seem to genuinely care about Blair.

>>5895666
>C): I will meet with the Count, provided I can bring one of my men. (LCK+CHARM: 70% to succeed) (Choose a Blackwing to accompany you)
Ashe. Hi Dad, meet my wife (male)

>>5895666
>C): I will meet with the Count, provided I can bring one of my men. (LCK+CHARM: 70% to succeed) (Choose a Blackwing to accompany you)
>Anemone
At least this way she gets to scope out th castle.

>>5895666
>B): I refuse. I’ll come find the Count after I tear down these walls.

>>5895666
>C): I will meet with the Count, provided I can bring one of my men. (LCK+CHARM: 70% to succeed) (Choose a Blackwing to accompany you)
Anemone for sure. No Agarthan bullshit on her watch.

Rolled 53 (1d100)

Rollan' 1-70 to succeed

>>5896525
Gambling pays

File: Ashe Ubert.png (1.06 MB, 1000x1198)

1.06 MB PNG

>>5895666
>“I’m happy to meet with the Count.” You declare, addressing Wedge. “Him and I have much to discuss. But if you won’t give me any assurance of safety other than your alleged honor, then I want at least one of my men accompanying me inside the castle.”

“Hmph.” Wedge snorts. “Even if this was a trap, do you really believe one soldier would be enough to keep you safe?”

>“Of course. Don’t underestimate the Blackwings, Wedge. Rex did, and he and his company were vanquished by our hand. You may be as merciless as he was, but you aren’t nearly as skilled. Consider yourself lucky that all I ask for is one man. Whether I see the Count now or after I defeat you makes no difference to me.”

Wedge broods over your words for a moment. For the first time today, he offers you a genuine smirk. “There really is no trace of the young Blair I once knew, is there? How saddening. At least I know now that I can fight you without holding anything back. Fine, you may bring one of your soldiers with you. Is he amongst you now?”

>“No. Ashe, please return to the camp and bring Alena here.”

“Blair.” Ashe protests. “Do you truly intend to walk in there? At least let me-“

>“Ashe.” You say coldly to your lover. “Alena. Now.”

He gives you a sympathetic look before dashing off. You knew he meant well, but you were walking into what could very well be a nest of Agarthans, which included a potential Sage or even something worse. Anemone’s ability to identify her own kind would be a great help. She was also one of the strongest fighters you had available to you. There were very few other candidates in your mind that you felt safe having at your side in this moment. You wait for several minutes, with neither you nor Wedge saying a word to each other. If he was not lying to you, perhaps there actually was a small chance you could avoid battle today. You’d like that very much. You had no reason to kill Wedge or any of these soldiers. Your only business was with your adoptive father.

“Blair.” Anemone says, joining the parley. “I’m ready.”

“This is the soldier you choose?” Wedge asks, eyes narrowing as he studies Anemone closely.

>“It is.”

“…Have I not seen you somewhere before?” Wedge asks Anemone. That wasn’t good. Did he recognize her from her assassination attempt on the Count? It was due to his interference that Anemone failed in her mission to identify whether the Count was an Agarthan or not. She had been unable to defeat Wedge before the rest of the castle guards arrived on the scene, forcing her to make an escape.

“You must have me mistaken, sir knight.” Anemone says calmly. “We’ve never met before.”

Wedge clenches his jaw, as if wishing to protest the matter further. Before he can have further time to do so though, you intervene.

>“Enough chatter, let’s go.”

File: Young Blair.jpg (5 KB, 200x168)

5 KB JPG

>>5896688
Wedge and his guard escort you and Anemone up the hill towards Castle Rusalka. As you approach the castle’s massive walls, you can make out men atop the battlements. There are swarms of them. Archers mostly, but some spearmen too, as well as unarmed soldiers that are likely mages. Hundreds of eyes fall squarely on you. You stare up at them, managing to even recognize a few of the faces that gaze back down at you. Though they remain silent at first, it does not take long for the castle’s defenders to let their true feelings show.

“Traitor!”

“Deceitful bitch!”

“Backstabbing whore!”

A deluge of boos and jeers rain down upon you as hundreds of soldiers throw every insult they can in your direction. Not since you faced down the Almyrans at Fodlan’s Locket have you experienced such mountainous hate in your direction. No, this dwarfs even that day. These men truly and utterly despise you. The gates to the castle courtyard open, and you are led inside, where even more heckling awaits you.

“You killed my brother! You killed him!”

“Get out of Rusalka! Go!”

“Payback’s coming, Blair!”

It is only thanks to the efforts of Wedge and his personal guard that you are not swarmed by a mob of angry soldiers right there. His experienced heavy infantry are more composed than the regular troops, and you cut a tide through the mob to stand before the very gates of the castle’s interior.

“The Count awaits you in his study.” Wedge says. His voice carries audibly over all the insults.

>“Are you not going to escort me there?”

“No. Have you forgotten your way around the castle already?” Wedge snorts. “Should you fail to come to your senses in there, inform the guards posted here that you’re ready to be escorted back. Now go.”

You and Anemone are hastily hurried inside the castle. All the noise outside is instantly drowned out as Wedge closes the sturdy doors behind you with a loud bang. You’re engulfed in sudden silence as you find yourself once more standing within the halls of Castle Rusalka.

>“Did Wedge recognize you?” You ask Anemone once you are sure it was just the two of you. Inside the castle, there were no signs of life. No servants, no guardsmen, nothing. It was as if the two of you were the only ones inhabiting the massive estate.

“He’s a sharp one.” Anemone whispers back. “My face was obscured that night, and yet he was immediately suspicious. Who can say?”

The two of you walk through the halls of the castle, with only the sounds of your footsteps following you. The Count’s study was located at the bottom level of the castle. It was a large room filled to the brim with tomes and records. Rather than the throne room, this was where he’d often hole himself, pouring over documents and governing over Rusalka. Before heading down there, you make a quick stop first. You go up the grand steps of the castle, stopping in front of a familiar room. Your own.

File: Spoiler Image (9 KB, 199x186)

9 KB JPG

>>5896694
“…Is now really the time for a nap?” Anemone chides you. Stepping inside, she closes the door behind her. Your room was exactly as you remembered it the last time you were here. There were no signs of dust, suggesting that even though it hadn’t been occupied for several years, it was still routinely cleaned. As if you might stop by any day and reclaim it.

You open one of the drawers in your wardrobe. It was full of clothes, all of which you doubted you fit in anymore. But that wasn’t what you were here for. Reaching underneath several of the dresses inside, you retrieve an item you’d accidentally left behind before you journeyed for the Officer’s Academy.

>Obtained Elixir x1

“This place seems deserted.” You say, examining the contents of the bottle. Good thing these didn’t expire. “Even with the war, I’d expect some of the castle staff to have stayed behind. And yet someone is still clearly cleaning up the place. Are we the only ones here?”

“…No.” Anemone says, toying with the quilt on your bed. “There are others. But they’re doing a good job of staying out of sight.”

>“That thing you sensed earlier. Is it still here?”

“I can feel it worse than ever, though I still can’t tell what it is. You should know that Eulalia finished her work on that ‘thing’. It lies in the hands of your ballistician. Should our worst fears come to pass, pray that he is a good shot.”

“Good.” You sigh, pocketing the Elixir. “Let’s introduce you to dad then.”

Exiting the room, you make your way down the steps and into the lowest level of Castle Rusalka. The cellar was a strange place for a count to make his office in, but you supposed Charles was a man that valued his privacy. You pass by the dungeons, which were currently empty and held no prisoners. Despite what Anemone had suggested earlier, you were still unable to sense any sign of life within these walls. Going through the wine cellar, and then the castle’s storage area, you find yourself in a tight hallway, with a door at the very end. The study lay just in reach. Every step you take further jostles your nerves, but you do not falter. Grabbing the doorknob, you twist and enter alongside Anemone.

The office was just as you remembered. Books and documents were scattered all over the vast room in a large mess. All the way against the wall was a desk, where a man sat, scribbling over documents. Only when he looked up did you realize it was not whom you expected.

“Hello, Blair.” Minister Hoff says with a smile. “So good to see you again, my dear.”

>“…Hoff. Where is the Count?”

“Zanado.” Hoff says with a smile. “Where else would he be? Come, sit, and let us chat like old friends.”

Anemone bristles behind you, whispering sharply into your ears.

“Agarthan!”

>A): It’s a trap. Attack Hoff while you can.
>B): Sit and speak with the man.
>C): Attempt to leave.

>>5896695
>B): Sit and speak with the man.
What could go wrong?

>>5896695
>C): Attempt to leave.

>>5896695
>>B): Sit and speak with the man.

>>5896695
>B): Sit and speak with the man.

Huh. Did Blair ever know Hoff, or was he an Agarthan the whole time? Or perhaps, when Anarchsis left for Zanado, this Agarthan took Hoff's place?

>>5896695
>B): Sit and speak with the man.

>>5896695
>B): Sit and speak with the man.

If I remember correctly, Rex identified Hoff as an Agarthan all the way back at the end of Part 1. It's quite possible that like the Count, he's just been replaced for quite a long time.