>>5740938>>5741156"Even if I don't believe in myself, there are people who are sure of my victory. Failing their faith will only add more to the pile of corpses, thank you all." You proudly proclaim as you remember the ones who are no longer with you. Merlina, Barnham, Gallahad, both of your fathers, Sivir...they each believed in you and suffered for it, yet here you are tarnishing their memories by doubting yourself. Could you get any lower? You have no choice but to soldier on, lest you hate yourself even more. You owe it to them to put an end to this nightmare.
However, you are still very afraid. Not of what will happen to yourself, but of the few who still give you a reason to open your eyes and see the cruelty of the world you are stuck in.
"But please... keep yourself safe, Mother. You're the only family member who didn't die by my hand..."
"Don't sell yourself short, Vlad. This is the most support the Santanas have ever had, and I have dodged plenty of encounters with death before. Griffith is lucky I'm not the one with magical astral powers, or else I would have erased him from existence long before the old king could meet him." She gives you one more hug and encourages you to finally move along with your duties.
Finally meeting Silat and his muscular bodyguards and a hooded old man, you tilt your head when seeing the blond, Midlandian blonde teenager sticking out like a sore thumb amidst the crowd. Who salutes you the moment you open your mouth.
"At ease. Who is the hooded figure you have with you?"
"Never would I expect to be serving you, Lord Vlad. Yet desperate situations require desperate truces." Daiba, Ganishka's powerful sorcerer, had unexpectedly joined forces with Rickert and the Bakiraka after the emperor's demise."
"Now that's an unexpected sight, how did you end up here?"
"Daiba was hiding himself in the streets of Falconia as a regular worker. The girls you sent as moles were quite useful in locating him, so we went through the effort of bringing him along with them back to Ilos. Best not risk us harming your allies if we get there." Silat explained.
"When we get there." Rickert corrected him.
"I'm aware of Daiba's powers, we've fought briefly on the coast."
"Briefly? No need to play up your capabilities, young man. That was the fight of our lives!" Daiba stretches with the loud snapping of his joints. "Though you do not look any worse for wear..."
"Rakshas tried to kill us after I struck Griffith, and though Daiba managed to help us fend off against him... He took Erica away."
>So you actually hit Griffith? Good job! That's more than what I've done...>What can you tell me about Rakshas?>How is Falconia compared to Ilos?>You are all more welcome in the ring of Ilos. Be it Kushan, Tudorian or even apostle, we have no prejudice against the strong of will.>Given how we've fought before, it's only natural for me to doubtful of your loyalty.>Write-in. 