link Sylvain volume_up
You're really eyeballing that giant stack of documents there, Ashe. Let me see what you've got...
link Sylvain volume_up
Records of military drills, archives of city taxes... You know, if you're searching for a particular needle in this load of hay, I can help you out.
link Ashe volume_up
Oh, I'm not looking for anything specific. I just thought they'd be good to study.
link Sylvain volume_up
You're going to study all this?
link Ashe volume_up
Yeah. With the academy closed, I haven't had a chance to focus on learning lately.
link Ashe volume_up
So I thought I could give my brain a nice workout by reading old records and archives.
link Sylvain volume_up
Hey, good for you, taking the initiative!
link Sylvain volume_up
If it weren't for all this fighting, you and me would be living the schoolboy's dream right about now.
link Ashe volume_up
Right? We could be training together, taking classes on history and magic...
link Sylvain volume_up
And when the Ethereal Moon comes, we'd go dancing with all the girls at the ball!
link Ashe volume_up
That's...not quite what I had in mind.
link Sylvain volume_up
So. Are those records actually helping you?
link Ashe volume_up
Yeah! The ones on old military drills are especially interesting. It's fun just looking at them.
link Sylvain volume_up
Just looking, huh? You might want to read a little deeper, there.
link Sylvain volume_up
I mean, take this one for example: It talks about how the three northern houses held a joint exercise in 1166.
link Sylvain volume_up
And apparently they did so in the middle of a raging blizzard.
link Sylvain volume_up
It was so bad that some of their soldiers died, but they went ahead and did it anyway. Any idea why?
link Ashe volume_up
Drills in the snow in 1166... Oh! Were they trying to prepare for a confrontation with Sreng?
link Sylvain volume_up
Nailed it. They were training for the northern conquest they carried out a few years later.
link Sylvain volume_up
In other words, they'd already decided to try and take the north by 1166.
link Sylvain volume_up
So if you look at the other drills during that time, you might be able to piece together what the late king was thinking.
link Ashe volume_up
Interesting. You know, another document did mention an exercise conducted in Gwenhwyvar...
link Sylvain volume_up
Because they'd already predicted that Sreng forces would cross the mountains, which meant battling in harsh desert terrain.
link Ashe volume_up
And that's why they were forbidden from using horses during that drill!
link Ashe volume_up
It's amazing how you really start to see the bigger picture when you dig into details like that.
link Sylvain volume_up
And that's why keeping records is so important. Anyway, I've probably bothered you long enough.
link Ashe volume_up
No, wait! Teach me more! I mean, if you have time.
link Sylvain volume_up
Uh, if you really wanna learn, you're better off asking an actual professor type. I'm just... You know. Sylvain.
link Ashe volume_up
No, you're a great teacher! And I can always ask them things when we're in the capital, but they won't be around when we're on the march.
link Ashe volume_up
I just want to learn more so I don't embarrass the other knights. Please?
link Sylvain volume_up
Nooo, not the puppy dog eyes! Oh, fine. I'll help. But don't expect too much.