Tempest of Swords and Shields

If the Alliance falls, then the Kingdom will... There's no time to waste.

If we hesitate, we risk losing the initiative.

I do think we should let the troops rest, though... We must maintain morale, Professor.

And let's make sure this matter stays between us. If it gets out, I'll struggle to forgive even you.

Claude von Riegan. What an interesting character.

Underneath that compassionate exterior, he was always cold and calculating.

Ordinary fools run headlong into combat, without even considering the possibility of defeat.

But to consider one's chances, and to prepare for plans to go awry—that takes real intelligence.

I have to say, I am impressed beyond words.

The majority is with us. This conflict will end soon. I am so moved by the Alliance nobles' decision.

That is true nobility! Acting in accordance with the people's needs and wishes.

As war drags on, those living near the front lines inevitably get the worst of it.

We will not see such a peaceful resolution in Faerghus, I am afraid, as it is ruled by the royal family, not a council of nobles.

I've been exploring the Holy Mausoleum. It's quite interesting in there.

There is a mechanism I believe would allow us passage into the Holy Tomb, but I'm unclear on how to activate it.

My research hasn't turned up much. It may come down to asking the archbishop for details.

Indeed. We'll see if it's worth the trouble.

Did you meet my father in Derdriu?

I guess he'll be responsible for controlling the Riegan territory and maintaining popular support.

Not really sure what all that means though...

War isn't kind to you if you're a recluse.

By the time you realize what's going on, you're already under attack.

And if you're off by yourself, you can get killed with no one ever even finding out.

Got me out of my room at least! That's good, right?

The Leicester Alliance is no more. Three hundred years of history...gone and done.

They write operas about events like this, you know.

The Kingdom always is cold. I have hatred for the cold.

Brigid is not cold. We have no Cold Spirit.

Does the goddess of Fódlan give protection from the cold? I am wishing I knew how to ask her...

Hmph. My father is holding Arianrhod secure.

Our next battle will be there, against him, or in Fhirdiad, which the king is protecting.

Derdriu's fallen. The Alliance nobles have surrendered to the Empire.

We made it through with as few losses as possible. Not bad, all things considered...

But I doubt it'll be so easy to deal with Faerghus.

First Leicester and next Faerghus? Ah, that'll be really tough.

Look, Professor... Fighting Faerghus? Isn't there some way we can come to an understanding?

Truthfully, I hate the idea of planning to kill people I used to be so close with.

I guess everybody feels that way though.

Oh, Claude. I'm so relieved that he managed to make it out alive.

You'll be fighting the Kingdom next, right? Then the church?

Isn't there some way we can do this without fighting Dimitri and Lady Rhea? I suppose not...

Oh, Claude. It's too late now, but it's such a shame...

You'll be fighting the Kingdom next, right? Then the church?

I guess Edelgard won't hesitate to cut Dimitri and Lady Rhea down...

We may be witnessing a key moment in history.

Hundreds of years from now, your name and Edelgard's will be written in the history books, Professor!

I wonder who will decide whether we did the right thing or not...

Well, it won't be us, anyway. Probably the people of a future era.

While the battle with the Alliance is over, we still need to stay vigilant.

Both the church and the Kingdom are not to be taken lightly. I have the feeling we'll draw their attention soon.

Weapon prep and training are of the utmost importance now more than ever.

It seems all that praise of Claude's ingenuity was largely unfounded.

A truly clever man would have realized defeat was inevitable and surrendered.

Or, failing that, he could have rallied the Alliance nobles to secure a real fighting chance.

I regret not telling him so. But I suppose a man like him will not remain hidden for long.

It seems all that praise of Claude's ingenuity was largely unfounded.

A truly clever man would have realized defeat was inevitable and surrendered.

Or, failing that, he could have rallied the Alliance nobles to secure a real fighting chance.

I regret missing my only opportunity to tell him so.

I'm no noble, so it won't make much difference to me...

But it hasn't really hit me yet that the Alliance is finished.

I wonder where Claude is now. What he's getting up to...

I'm no noble, so it won't make much difference to me...

But it hasn't really hit me yet that the Alliance is finished.

It hasn't even hit me that Claude is dead either.

I half think he might have faked it so he can jump out and surprise us. That's the kinda thing he'd do.

To think, I saw the end of the Leicester Alliance with my own eyes.

I witnessed a turning point in the history of my homeland. I'm not sure how to express my feelings right now.

So that posterity can remember our triumph.

The battle ended without House Ordelia getting involved.

Although...I've no desire to continue on with my family, so from here on out, it's up to Edelgard.

I have Claude to thank.

Ultimately, this ended without the Alliance being entirely consumed by this war. It's all thanks to Claude.

I have Claude to thank.

Before the battle, he considered my precarious position and told me it wouldn't matter if we fell to the Empire.

So when you invited me, I accepted without hesitation.

Ultimately, this ended without the Alliance being entirely consumed by this war. It's all thanks to Claude.

I wonder...

Was there really no way to end it without fighting Claude?

I suppose the only thing I can do for him now is pray...

That he may live the rest of his life in happiness.

I wonder...

Was there really no way to end it without fighting Claude?

I suppose the only thing I can do for him now is pray...

That he may rest in peace.

The worst part about going into battle is knowing you might have a friend fighting for the other side.

You were a mercenary, Professor. Were you always prepared for that?

Fighting old friends—there's nothing worse. My hands shake just thinking about it.

I'm glad Claude didn't die. Does that make me soft?

The worst part about going into battle is knowing you might have a friend fighting for the other side.

You were a mercenary, Professor. Were you always prepared for that?

Fighting old friends—there's nothing worse. My hands shake just thinking about it.

I didn't want Claude to die. Does that make me soft?

No... At the very least, I think not. There are other, lesser Crests to research.

Yet I am a human first and a scholar second. For now, I grieve the fallen and pray for those still living.

Claude...lost in battle. My goodness. Do you suppose this means the end of House Riegan?

While the Crest of von Riegan is not terribly rare...

The long lineage of the von Riegan family will be broken.

It seems Claude has disappeared... Do you suppose this means the end of House Riegan?

While the Crest of von Riegan is not terribly rare...

The long lineage of the von Riegan family will be broken.

While the Crest of von Riegan is not terribly rare...

The long lineage of the von Riegan family will be broken.

You know as well as I do, the day's coming that we'll have to fight the archbishop and her knights.

We've got some strong fighters here, sure. But even with all our training, I don't know if we can win.

I just don't see how any of us can compete with the archbishop, say, turning into a monster.

You know as well as I do, the day's coming that we'll have to fight the archbishop and her knights.

We've got some strong fighters here, sure. But even with all our training, I don't know if we can win.

I just don't see how any of us can compete with the archbishop, say, turning into a monster.

I've lived at Garreg Mach Monastery for a few decades now.

Still, the other day I got myself all turned around! There are so many secret rooms and hidden passages.

Maybe I'll take the time to properly search the place.

Care to join me? I expect it'd take a whole day.

You're too soft. I'm talking about Claude.

Our emperor mercilessly cuts down all those who stand in her way...

But perhaps she is more tolerant of those who know their place.

Our emperor mercilessly cuts down all those who stand in her way...

Even the "Master Tactician."

Finally, the Kingdom... After that, we'll battle the church.

I volunteered for monastery guard duty. It was more for my family than anything.

But now, from the bottom of my heart, I want to see Her Majesty ruling this land.

Even if it costs me my life, I will protect Garreg Mach!

I just wanted to help out my brother, Randolph, so I aspired to be a soldier.

My brother puts his life on the line to fight, so I'll put everything I have into it too.

Eventually the enemy will attack, and when they do, we'll defend this place to the bitter end!

Your next opponents will be the Kingdom's army and the Knights of Seiros. Both fearsome foes.

Put the mobility of my troops to good use, and let us protect the Kingdom's western battle front.

When this month has ended, I'll depart. I pray that you have good luck in battle.

Greetings, Professor! Nothing to report!

You may already know this, but the Kingdom and the Alliance were once a single entity.

The leaders of the Alliance, House Riegan, are actually a branch of the Blaiddyd royal family.

In a way, it's just a battle of the part of the Blaiddyd family tree that rose in rebellion against the Empire...

Things we can't obtain here are likely obtainable by way of the underground.

Are you unfamiliar with Garreg Mach's underground? The place is an absolute paradise for those who can't stay above ground.

Those Abyssian idiots. All they ever do is cause trouble.

We'd best purge the entire underbelly of Garreg Mach.

Doesn't seem to be much unrest in the former Alliance territories, perhaps thanks to Count Bergliez' strength.

That said, General Randolph is the head of one of the branches of House Bergliez.

It was once difficult for someone from a branch family to get ahead in life. But under Her Majesty...

Anyone who accomplishes great deeds during the war will see more success than they could have ever imagined!

The main body of the Imperial army is moving to the western region of the former Alliance territory to attack the Kingdom.

The time when victory or defeat will be decided between us and the Kingdom is close at hand.

It goes without saying but Garreg Mach is the most important sacred place to the Church of Seiros.

The Knights of Seiros will try to get this place back by any means necessary.

I don't think they're going to stay in the Kingdom capital forever. We should stay vigilant.

General Ladislava is really popular among the citizens of the Empire.

If I remember correctly, the emperor herself has recognized her genius and made her a general.

Despite her considerable talent, she never puts on airs. And she's beautiful too.

She's even known as the Scarlet Warrior.

King Dimitri of Faerghus possesses superhuman strength...

I heard he can lift a horse with a single hand! I wonder if it's true...

They call Lord Rodrigue, who's defending Arianrhod, the Shield of Faerghus.

He used to be on friendly terms with Dimitri's father, the former king. There's no chance that he'll surrender to us.

You must know this already... The former Faerghus territory used to belong to the Empire.

The Battle of Tailtean, where Nemesis was defeated, put Faerghus under the Empire's control.

Centuries later, a revolution sprung up in Faerghus, and through the mediation of the church, the Kingdom gained independence.

The ringleader of the revolt became the first king, Loog von Blaiddyd.

The Blaiddyds, the royal family of Faerghus, are directly descended from Loog, who was also known as the King of Lions.

If you look at it from the point of view of the Empire, the Kingdom is just a bunch of traitors.

Randolph has a big appetite. It does a heart good to see him. And he's handsome too.

Compared to him, Hubert is... Heh, forget I said anything.

I'm impressed by how quickly toppling Derdriu brought the Alliance into the fold.

Ideally we'd crush the Kingdom with ease...but something tells me it'll be...complicated.

You'd better sharpen your focus to a fine point. Though I'm sure you already know that.

The Alliance may be finished, but House Albrecht managed to come out unscathed.

It's all thanks to my little bro. He's a great guy. I'm sure he'll do well under the Empire.

The world may have changed, but I haven't. I have no interest in playing the noble game. I'd rather just keep doing my thing.

The swiftness of the Alliance's withdrawal on seeing that they had no hope of victory was unsurprising.

Given their complete lack of solidarity, there could really have been no other outcome.

What's important is that one of the forces arrayed against us has fallen. Our victory draws nearer!

We're fighting people we used to know from the Officers Academy.

Guess that's the kind of thing that happens in war, but...still. It's pretty twisted.

It makes me feel so... Oof. Maybe I'll just try not to think about it.

Neither the emperor nor the Empire have my allegiance.

It is all simply part of the agreement. There is no other reason for me to be here.

Hey, Professor. How's it going? Making lots of coin?

I'd love to catch up, but I'm super busy right now. Working. For money. You understand.

Hey, Professor. How's it going? Making lots of coin?

I'd love to catch up, but I'm super busy right now. Working. For money. You understand.

The Alliance is just...gone. It's hard to believe.

The merchants of Derdriu all have nerves of steel. I'm sure they'll be up and running again in no time.

There's unrest everywhere these days. All of my fellow merchants seem to be endangered.

I hope things go back to normal soon. People need more to smile about, aside from my great deals.

Abyss? You're interested in that place, are you?

Ancient sprawling remains deep below Garreg Mach... That's Abyss.

Some folks have made their home there. Obviously they all have their reasons and tales to tell.

But only the most enterprising merchant would venture near it. My advice? Avoid going there yourself.

Hey, you. Listen up. I've got something to report.

The Alliance is a thing of the past now. Times are changing fast these days. It's hard to keep up, even for me!

I wonder if Abyss is on the verge of change too. Change leads to uncertainty, and uncertainty leads to...change? I dunno. I'm just a guard.

Got a wager for ya. My friend says there's twice as many women in Abyss as men. You think he's right?

Good eye. You win. Here, have a little something.

No way. You got eyes? Take a look around.

...

That damn prince. Seems my role here is at an end.

No matter. Should another chance present itself, I'll take a less subtle route...

Please, you can't tell anyone you saw me here. I'm in hiding from the army.

I couldn't stand the war. The violence. I had to get away... But now that I've deserted, I can't go home.

Justice, ambition—what does any of that matter if you're dead? I just want to live. Is that so wrong?

Ah, I see. So you are Jeralt's child. You so resemble your mother.

I've been gone from the monastery for some time now because... Well, it matters not.

Might I...ask a favor of you?

Do you mind terribly picking up some fresh flowers to place upon your mother's grave?

I am certain she'd be deeply moved to receive a gift from you.

Thank you so much. This is just the type of flower she once loved so dearly.

I can rest easy now.

I must be off. Take especially good care of yourself, won't you?

Please, look after Jeralt. She'd have wanted that.