0. A report, Your Majesty. The Imperial army marches [cdb]on western Faerghus.
1. Just when we'd brought peace back to the area, too. We should get ready to provide aid at once.
2. Rodrigue has already been dispatched to Mateus [cdb]along with all the soldiers I can currently spare.
3. And I've sent Annette and Gustave to the baron's [cdb]side—though if it's for better or worse is yet to [cdb]be seen.
4. I don't doubt we'd all ride to the rescue if we could, [cdb]but that's clearly not possible given the situation.
5. Agreed. Now that Claude's joined up with the enemy, [cdb]we can't risk doing anything foolish.
6. If we move our soldiers even a breath away from the [cdb]northeast, the Alliance will be all over us.
7. All we can do now is divide our forces to keep the [cdb]enemy in check and meet their attacks as they come.
8. We never should've let this happen in the first place, [cdb]but who could've seen the Empire and Alliance [cdb]forming such a union?
9. Boar. Are you seriously going to just stand by and [cdb]watch? They'll overrun us if we don't stem the tide.
10. Though it smacks of desperation, I'm told the western [cdb]front has enlisted the services of Jeralt's Mercenaries.
11. They're the same band that carried the battle at Magdred Way, so I hope we can make good use of [cdb]them again.
12. Is this really the plan? Burn through mercenaries [cdb]while we hole up here?
13. Do try not to be so grim—the Empire has pushed [cdb]rapid reforms on the land over these last few years.
14. Not everyone was happy to have such changes thrust [cdb]upon them, and that includes their new "friends" in [cdb]the Alliance.
15. The Empire is leaning over the Kingdom with such [cdb]greed that they might yet trip over their own feet.
16. Do you think there will be revolts?
17. I'm certainly not going to plan my strategy around it, [cdb]but there have been whispers, yes.
18. The old ways must die—with that I agree. But shove [cdb]that down the people's throats, and you risk breaking [cdb]the very land you're trying to rule.
19. Yes, we've grappled for years with the aftermath of [cdb]trying to enact reform...
20. Change is a painful process, but rushed change will [cdb]set the region to rot from the inside out.
21. I wonder why they're so intent on doing this the [cdb]quick and dirty way.
22. It's difficult to say. Perhaps were things different, [cdb]we might have found some common ground— [cdb]some harmonious way forward.
23. But I've lost too many I care about to this war. Ashe and Ingrid chief among them.
24. But I've lost too many I care about to this war. Ingrid chief among them.
25. ...
26. When I think about what they fought for—what they [cdb]died for—there can be no turning back.