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Is this true, Lady Rhea?
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It is. Edelgard told me as much before she left to deal with the upheaval in Enbarr.
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Regent Volkhard von Arundel was colluding with Tomas and his fellow knaves.
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For many years, Lord Arundel was a pious adherent to the church and its teachings. Until one day, his contributions abruptly ceased.
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Speaking of it now, I realize such a sudden change ought to have raised suspicion.
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Just like Tomas, he became an entirely different person almost overnight.
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We had a similar occurrence in Faerghus as well. Do you know of the court mage Cornelia?
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The one who cured the plague, yes? So she, too...
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Indeed. I have reason to believe she conspired with Lord Arundel to murder my father.
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I had assumed them to be agents of the Empire, striving to sow discord within our lands.
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Yet back at Arianrhod, the emperor herself was assaulted by a dark mage who we can assume is in league with Tomas.
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Whoever these people are, they clearly have their own objectives in this conflict.
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As for the man who appeared—Thales, was it? It seemed as though the emperor recognized him.
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Yes. She also claimed this Thales was the one responsible for my father's death.
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I find it difficult to take a bitter enemy's assertion as fact...but the pieces do fit.
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Sorry, am I interrupting? It's been a while, Dimitri. Rhea.
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That it has, Claude. I'm sorry you had to come all the way to Fhirdiad for this.
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That makes two of us. I can think of plenty of better places for a meeting than this chilly old capital of yours.
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Of course, I'm the one who asked to stop by in the first place. Thanks for seeing me, Dimitri.
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The Empire's sure been busy lately. An uprising over here, a siege over there—you'd think they'd get tired of causing so much chaos.
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But now they're looking to cross the Airmid and do the exact same in Alliance territory.
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And I doubt it'll be long before we start getting hit with some serious losses.
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Which brings me to my point. What say we partner up, and use our combined strength to bring the Empire down?
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I am grateful to hear such a suggestion, Claude.
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Hardened as our soldiers may be, even the combined force of the Kingdom and the Knights of Seiros pales in comparison to the staggering might of Adrestia.
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If we ever hope to take their capital, we'll need to splinter their army between east and west.
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And as Enbarr lies in the southernmost reaches of the Empire, carving a path to it will not be an easy task.
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I could get behind scattering their troops, but they've got a bear of a man in Count Bergliez defending their eastern flank.
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Passing through Hevring territory in the west won't be smooth sailing, either. The Oghma Mountains aren't exactly what I'd call welcoming.
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You're right. Any attempt at head-on assault will leave our forces depleted and exhausted before we even reach the capital.
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But hey, you're in luck—I have a plan. A way we can target Enbarr without so much hassle.
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All we have to do is claim one vital stronghold, and their sway in Fódlan will shrink dramatically. Any ideas what it is?
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Garreg Mach.
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Hey, you really know your stuff, Dimitri.
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Garreg Mach is sacred to us. Reclaiming it would provide a significant boost to morale.
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But how do you propose we strike at such a well-fortified location?
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We'll draw the Imperial army out to our respective front lines, then launch a pincer attack on the old monastery from both the east and the west.
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It's not the fanciest plan in the world, but it's all we've got right now.
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Then allow me to suggest an idea of my own. I believe we should approach by way of Ailell.
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The valley is not closely guarded by the enemy, and its narrow paths negate any numerical advantage they may hold over us.
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If all three of us dispatch our best warriors, then I am certain we can retake Garreg Mach.
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The Valley of Torment, huh? You're a better tactician than I gave you credit for, Rhea. How about this...
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First we create a diversion by sending separate forces to the east and west and making it look like we aim for their capital. That'll split their focus.
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Then when the time's right, we shift our attention to Garreg Mach—sending an army through the Valley of Torment to reclaim it.
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The issue then becomes how to hold our ground on both the eastern and western fronts.
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The west does not concern me on its own, but we will have Count Bergliez to contend with in the east.
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The trick is engaging the enemy as little as possible. And don't worry, I've got a few surprises up my sleeve if we need them.
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The Knights of Seiros may be few in number, but they are all the more agile for it. They will act separately, providing reinforcements wherever necessary.
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Thank you, Lady Rhea. The support is much appreciated.
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Tell me, Dimitri. Are you gonna stay buddied up with the Central Church once this war is over?
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My people still seek their guidance. So long as that is the case, I will continue to offer them shelter.
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Meaning, what? You'd toss them out on the street if nobody needed them anymore?
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I doubt such a day would ever dawn. Territories may change, but people's hearts will always be stubborn things.
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Even if we started our own church like the Empire has, there's no guarantee our citizens would accept it in any timely manner—or at all.
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Let me ask you, Claude. How long do you plan to maintain this partnership with the Kingdom?
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I hope we can keep this beautiful thing going for many years, long beyond the trouncing we're about to hand the Empire.
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That glint in your eyes says otherwise. But I'm glad to accept you as an ally, for the time being at least.
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Come on, you can't seriously be doubting me already! Learn to trust a little, Dimitri.
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And speaking of trust, I trust you'll be throwing a big feast tonight to celebrate the occasion? I can't wait to taste that old-fashioned Faerghus hospitality!