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Hey, Rodrigue. Looking for something specific?
link Rodrigue volume_up
I am—it's a book called Cichol's General Treatise on Mercenaries. I was hoping to brush up a bit.
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Hmm, sounds familiar. Pretty sure I skimmed through it back at the academy.
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Are you gonna use it for the next campaign or something?
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Ah, well... Perhaps.
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Uhh, Rodrigue? Is everything OK? You're not really the kinda guy to skirt around answers like that.
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If I may. Do you remember when we faced Jeralt and his mercenaries in battle?
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How could I forget? Things got pretty intense out there.
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Indeed they did. And that battle is the reason they opted to join our cause.
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Honestly, I was kinda lost in the heat of it all. Hard to remember much outside of a few fuzzy details.
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I can hardly blame you, given the intensity of the clash. That you survived at all is a minor miracle.
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One mistake is all it would've taken for us to suffer a crushing defeat. Thankfully, we managed to seize the initiative ourselves and emerge victorious.
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Had we not, our main camp would surely have fallen. I expect I too would've lost my life in the fray.
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Yeah, it felt like there was danger lurking around every corner. Almost like I was walking on thin ice, never sure when it was gonna crack beneath me.
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It frustrated me to no end—both as a warrior and a commander—to see such foresight, such clever strategies emerging from the other side.
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Without the wisdom of our predecessors, I would never have been able to assess the situation. Hence why I again find myself here seeking knowledge.
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You never fail to impress me, Rodrigue. All those years of experience, and you still have the drive to sit down and study tactics in your time off.
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I merely despise the idea of defeat, nothing more. I lack the cunning of the margrave.
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And unlike Lambert, I lack the overwhelming courage necessary to turn the tide of battle on my own.
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Which is why I must learn as many strategies as I can. It's the only way I can prevail over those both wiser and braver than I.
link Shez volume_up
Y'know, you've said before that you and Felix don't have a whole lot in common.
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But I'm not so sure that's true. Neither of you miss a single chance to improve yourselves.
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Guess the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. That goes for Dimitri, Sylvain, and yeah, even Felix.
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Guess the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. That goes for Dimitri, and Felix too.
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As for you, Rodrigue...I think all that hard-earned knowledge is exactly what makes you the incredible commander you are.
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Hah. I'll spare you the humility and just accept the compliment. Thank you.
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I bet you could even beat the margrave or the former king if you took 'em on now.
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I wouldn't be so sure. Both of them were far beyond my reach in their prime.
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And the margrave aside, I could never hope to meet Lambert as equals. I'd struggle for an eternity without ever growing close to his might.
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I guess you can't exactly catch up to someone when they're gone.
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Perhaps not. But that's exactly why we must continue learning—to never stop reaching for those who seem beyond our grasp.
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Gotcha. Then I'm just gonna have to follow in your footsteps.
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I'll catch up to you before you know it, Rodrigue. Just don't go dying on me before I get the chance.
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Is that so? Then I suppose I'll have to work even harder to give you a proper challenge.
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Oh yeah, you were looking for Cichol's Treatise, right? Lemme go ask if anyone knows where it is.
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Will I really make it home next winter?