0. I speak the truth, I would swear my life on it! Duke Aegir has become that horrible man's puppet, [cdb]dancing in the palm of his hand.
1. And his stewardship? Naught but a farce to pacify [cdb]the masses.
2. Thales and his ilk are the ones who truly hold the [cdb]reins of this Empire!
3. You mean the mages we saw at Arianrhod. So Duke Aegir's under their control, too...
4. Yes. And what's more, though you may find it difficult [cdb]to accept...
5. Thales and the former Lord Arundel are one and the [cdb]same! I overheard as much cross his own lips.
6. Then it's as we feared. And what of Edelgard?
7. Her Majesty? I cannot explain what has befallen her.
8. She does as Duke Aegir bids her, and nothing more. Though of course, Thales is the one whispering those [cdb]orders to him from the shadows.
9. She follows his every word, issuing his orders in [cdb]her name.
10. Now, surely I have shared secrets enough to earn my [cdb]salvation?
11. That will require formal deliberation. You may await [cdb]your verdict from the inside of your cell.
12. What?! No, wait, there's more! Please, I beg of you!
13. How much of Fenja's prattling do you believe?
14. Certainly not all of it. But a great deal of what she [cdb]said rings true.
15. Lord Arundel's contributions to the church must have [cdb]ceased because he was no longer Lord Arundel— [cdb]but Thales instead.
16. It's almost identical to how the librarian, Tomas, [cdb]was replaced by that dark mage.
17. At the time the donations stopped, Lord Arundel was [cdb]living in Faerghus, having fled from the Empire.
18. So Cornelia may have been the one who arranged [cdb]to have Lord Arundel replaced.
19. They were both deeply involved in the Tragedy of Duscur.
20. But to what end? Why would the Empire abduct [cdb]the queen consort?
21. There is no way of knowing those answers now. Not until we defeat Thales and launch a full [cdb]investigation into his activities.
22. What I can say is, everything would be different if not [cdb]for those mages.
23. My father, his knights, the citizens of Duscur... None would have met the fate that befell them.
24. ...
25. No doubt they had a reason for what they did— [cdb]a sense of justice that rationalized their savagery, [cdb]even if to no one but themselves.
26. But we have the right to seek our own justice for [cdb]those actions in the way we see fit—by the sword.
27. We will prevail, Your Majesty. And we will finally [cdb]avenge the dead.
28. Once Thales is gone, we will finally be able to put all [cdb]this behind us...and look toward a new future.
29. Indeed. We will have no satisfaction while these [cdb]demons still draw breath.
30. If we ever hope to greet those we've lost with our [cdb]heads held high, we must settle this here and now.
31. Then we are all in agreement. Let us go.