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Hm...
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You're in better spirits than I expected. You look at least two shades less pale than you did after the battle at Fort Merceus.
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Oh, but Your Majesty does enjoy telling it like it is! Would it be the end of you to show a little compassion?
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No. Then you would just be pitying me. I do not know which is worse.
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Regardless, I am well. Thank you for noticing. Ask of me what you will, and I shall see it done.
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I don't need anything from you, Ferdinand—or at least not in that way.
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Just give me your usual effort, and that should be enough to get us through the upcoming battle.
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You can count on me. Point me at a foe, and I will dispatch them with all haste.
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I cannot afford to die now, or my page in the history books will end in a most horrid fashion.
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"Plagued by the guilt of striking down his father, Ferdinand welcomed the cold embrace of death on the battlefield." Or some such hogwash.
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Yes, I killed my father—and I would be a liar if I said it did not wound me nearly beyond reckoning.
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But I will not hate myself for it. It was the correct choice. I did the right thing.
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Well, don't feel too bad. Imagine what they would write about me if we lose this war.
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"Despite her futile attempts to wrest power from the prime minister, the emperor's people turned against her and her life ended in abject failure. The end."
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I know exactly what the world would say of me, which is why I have no intention of losing.
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I will not permit such a thing to happen.
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If ever my life were to be weighed against yours, I would gladly perish in ignominy if it meant keeping you alive and well.
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Heh.
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What? Did I say something amusing?
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No, it's just... You're so strong. So proud.
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If all the world's nobles were like you, there would be no need to dismantle the aristocracy.
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That's all. I know it's a futile thought.
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Nothing is futile! Though even I must admit it seems to be so, given the circumstances.
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Still, you vastly underestimate the potential of the aristocracy.
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For generations, our ancestors worked hand in hand, sharing knowledge and wisdom to administer our great land and ensure it was well-protected.
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They acquired knowledge of the region and developed good policies to rule it. And in doing so, they earned the trust of the people.
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We cannot throw away everything they have built. It would be folly.
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Of course not. What do you take me for?
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I'm dismantling the aristocracy, not their legacy. The commonfolk will take up the torch and carry on.
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Do you believe they are ready? No matter how gifted they may be, they are only commoners. In order to replace the nobility, they need to be educated...
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Wait a moment. I see your plan now.
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You intend to establish a school, one that is not merely for nobles and wealthy merchant children like the Officers Academy once was.
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A school where anyone can enroll, regardless of wealth or standing, and get an education rivaling that of any noble!
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Ferdinand?
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I cannot begin to guess where that idea sprung from, but this is exactly why I need you beside me as we shape the future of Adrestia.
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You mean to say that you did not actually... So I was... Well, it is nice to be needed.