>>5659116Your conversation with Sebastian leaves you with much to think about. Returning to your tent and unable to sleep, you begin sorting through your belongings. Within your trunk of knick-knacks, trinkets, and other items of personal importance, you find a curious item that you’d forgotten about. It was a small, green bottle with containing some indistinct liquid. Milly had brewed it once for some members of the company, claiming that it was an old family recipe. It smelled terrible though, so you hid the bottle behind your back rather than hurt the girl’s feelings. Theo had drunk some of the brew though and swore that it increased his strength almost ten-fold. For a short while, at least. You shrug. Maybe it’s worth the try.
>Strength Tonic obtained! (+7 DMG for 1 turn)The next day, you’re awoken early by Corrine. It seems Rodrigue has moved up the scheduled meeting to discuss the plans for Gronder. Dressing yourself as quick as you can, you exit the tent and follow your lieutenant to the camp’s command room. When you arrive, you find Dimitri sitting in the center of the room, Dedue at his side. The other familiar faces are there as well, including Sylvain, Rodrigue, and Gilbert. Additionally, there are a few other fresh faces present.
"Blair! It really is you!” Annette cries gleefully.
“Blair, it’s good to see you again!” Ingrid says with a warm smile. “I’m looking forward to finally getting a chance to fly together on the same side.”
Annette and Ingrid, like the others, have aged gracefully. Annette has become a full-grown woman, while Ingrid is the picturesque image of a noble pegasus knight. Seeing the two of them together and thriving fills you with hope that you stand a chance at Gronder.
>“Thank you for having me, both of you. We have much to catch up on.” Indeed, you did, but now was not the time. From the mood you were reading in the room, things were about to heat up fast.“Now that we’re all here, how about you start.” Felix says, motioning towards Rodrigue. You notice quite a bit of coldness in how Felix refers to his father. The two certainly make a strange family.
Rodrigue clears his throat. “Lady Ingrid has returned to us with news from her scouting expedition. The Empire has arrived at Gronder Field and has begun preparations to fortify the area for the battle.”
Sylvain shrugs. “Not exactly comforting, but that’s not much of a surprise. They were closer to Gronder than we were. Not to mention they aren’t hampered by the same logistical issues that we’ve been dealing with. This was always going to be a defensive battle for them.”
Rodrigue nods. “Our estimate of their number is still somewhere around 10,000, with the potential possibility for reinforcements. Now, please direct your attention to this map here. It’s a tad old but should still serve as a good frame of reference for the battlefield.”
