A Better Way

link Arval volume_up
Hmm. Perhaps you've forgotten by now, but think back to the battle at Ailell.

link Arval volume_up
Amidst that blazing battlefield was a man named Myson assisting Fleche. Do you remember him?

link Arval volume_up
I have to say, your companions don't seem particularly concerned about the true nature of your powers...

link Arval volume_up
But have you yourself forgotten as well? About Tomas, and what you witnessed at the monastery three years ago?

link Claude volume_up
Is everyone here? There's something I'd like to discuss with you all.

link Lorenz volume_up
Fhirdiad is already in our sights. What exactly is there for us to talk about now?

link Nader volume_up
Don't tell me you're calling off the attack?

link Claude volume_up
No, of course not. This is actually something I've been mulling over for a while now.

link Claude volume_up
Let's say we win the next battle, and manage to get the Kingdom to surrender. What's next for Fódlan?

link Claude volume_up
We don't have the power to rule the Kingdom, nor any interest in doing so.

link Holst volume_up
I imagine we'd work out some sort of joint governance plan with the Empire, then negotiate the rest from there.

link Holst volume_up
Although, given the difference in power between us and the Empire, most of the Kingdom's territory would likely go to them.

link Claude volume_up
Exactly. And what would Edelgard's next project be? Leicester. Making us a vassal of the Empire.

link Claude volume_up
The Empire takes control of us, and Fódlan's one big, happy family again. I don't think that would come as a shock to anyone.

link Hilda volume_up
So what are we going to do about it?

link Claude volume_up
We yank out the root of this conflict ourselves. We'll bring the war to an end on our own terms.

link Lorenz volume_up
And by root, I assume you are referring to the Central Church?

link Claude volume_up
I am. They're the one and only reason we're cooperating with the Empire, right?

link Claude volume_up
The church wields their authority like some sort of righteous cudgel. The problem is, said authority was never theirs to begin with. They need to be stopped.

link Claude volume_up
That's the Empire's entire moral argument for this war.

link Claude volume_up
If they were to continue fighting after the church is eliminated, it would be nothing more than blatant aggression.

link Holst volume_up
But is it even possible to destroy the Central Church without conquering Faerghus?

link Claude volume_up
That's why we're going straight for the capital. Dimitri's going to answer that question for us.

link Arval volume_up
Interesting. And what will he decide, hm?

link Claude volume_up
Exactly.

link Lorenz volume_up
But the king of Faerghus made a commitment to the Central Church when he granted them sanctuary.

link Lorenz volume_up
Decisions of that nature are not so lightly reversed.

link Claude volume_up
Of that, I have no doubt. But if he refuses, this senseless war will only continue.

link Claude volume_up
The Kingdom's lands will be ravaged, its people hurt or killed. I know Dimitri doesn't want that. And neither do we.

link Marianne volume_up
Ending this war with as few sacrifices as possible is something we should all be able to agree on.

link Lysithea volume_up
And if you do the math and weigh which option involves the fewest casualties, the answer is quite obvious.

link Ignatz volume_up
I see your point. It does sound like it would be worth trying to convince him.

link Holst volume_up
But would they do something so dishonorable? Faerghus places a high value on chivalry, after all.

link Hilda volume_up
I don't know, but it's not going to matter unless we can actually get in a position to ask.

link Claude volume_up
Hilda's right. We'll have to deal with this after the next battle, and that's assuming we can defeat Dimitri and his army.

link Claude volume_up
As always, I'm counting on you all to get us there.