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