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  1. Hey, Teach! Hold on a minute, OK? I'm gonna\nhave this cleared up in no time.
  2. What are you doing?
  3. Need some help?
  4. I came across a fascinating book about poisons,\nand so I wanted to try mixing one up myself.
  5. Nah, that's OK. I'll be finished soon. I'm just in the\nmiddle of mixing up a new poison.
  6. Aaand...done!
  7. What do you think of that, Teach? A colorless,\nodorless poison! Say...care to test it out for me?
  8. Sure.
  9. What does it do?
  10. Whoa, really?! Heh, actually, I was just kidding.\nIf you drink this, in two days' time you'll have\nterrible, um...let's call it stomach trouble.
  11. In two days' time you'll have a terrible case of...\nlet's call it stomach trouble. It's a peaceful poison,\nso you'll live, but you'll certainly be inconvenienced.
  12. I hear your silent question, Teach. Why the delay?\nThat's so it can be used even if you don't have access\nto the target when you need the poison to take effect.
  13. Um, naturally, I have no immediate plans for\nthis stuff! I suppose I just felt like broadening\nthe ol' horizons a bit.
  14. When devising schemes, it's best to have as many\noptions at your disposal as possible. Expanding those\noptions is kind of a hobby for me.
  15. Why such a dangerous hobby?
  16. Well, I grew up in an environment where it was\nnecessary to think that way.
  17. It's like I told you before, I wasn't born into a life\nof luxury.
  18.  
  19. Ever since I was a child, I've always been seen as...\ndifferent from those around me. An outsider of sorts.
  20. I've been resented and hated. There have even been\nattempts on my life. I don't believe I've earned such\ntreatment, but that's how it goes for people like me.
  21. I don't think of you as an outsider.
  22. Thanks, Teach. You know, in many ways I'm just a\nnormal person like everyone else. But in the right\nenvironment, anyone could be seen as an outsider.
  23. It can become...overwhelming. That's why\nI kept running. Kept fighting.
  24. As a kid I spent a lot of time licking my wounds and\ncoming up with schemes, trying to keep my nose out\nof trouble while plotting against my enemies.
  25. My parents always told me I wouldn't grow stronger\nif I didn't learn to fight my own battles.
  26. And so, in the end, I did. And I grew up to be as\nindependent and self-reliant as my parents always\nwished for me to be. Lucky me, right?
  27. You've been through a lot.
  28. You grew up well.
  29. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, it must\nbe you. Eh, Teach? I get the feeling you know\nwhat it's like to be an outsider.
  30. The moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew you\nweren't like everyone else. People don't care for\nfolks like that... You'd do well to watch your back.
  31. On the bright side, that's also part of the reason\nthat I find you so interesting.
  32.  
  33. Hey, Teach. Do you believe in gods?
  34. I don't necessarily mean the goddess of the\nSeiros religion. Just...gods in general.
  35. Do you believe that incredible beings who control\nthe fates of all really exist?
  36. I do.
  37. I do not.
  38. Huh. That's not the answer I was expecting.\nThough, honestly, I've recently become a bit\nof a believer myself.
  39. Yeah, I didn't think so. I never used to believe\nin that sort of thing either.
  40. I've always hated the idea of praying to a god.\nAfter all, you can only really rely on yourself.
  41. I still believe that. You can't win a war by leaving\nyour fate in the hands of a god.
  42. Only tangible facts can really decide a war.\nWhich side has the most troops, the best tactics,\nthe better organization and planning.
  43. Of course, miracles can happen. And by that, I mean\nthings that are completely outside of your control.
  44. Things that only seem to add up if you believe\nin the concept of fate...
  45. Things like...well, like meeting you, for example.
  46. What do you mean?
  47. You just seem sort of...impossible.\nI think everyone would agree with that.
  48. You can wield the Sword of the Creator, you're a\ntactical genius, and you have this strange ability to\nearn the trust of anyone you cross paths with.
  49. Before I met you, I never imagined that it was\npossible for someone like you to exist.
  50. And yet, now that I know you, your presence in\nmy life has quickly become invaluable.
  51. In fact, it's hard to imagine making my dreams\ncome true without your help.
  52. Because of that, I can't believe for a second that our\nmeeting was just a coincidence. That means it must\nhave been fate.
  53. Maybe it was a miracle. Or maybe some god\nempathized with me and my dreams.
  54. Some god?
  55. Again, I don't mean the goddess of Fódlan.\nThough... I suppose it may be hard for you\nto grasp what I'm talking about.
  56. People all over the world have different ideas about\nwho or what the gods are, right? Even in distant\nlands across the ocean or over the mountains...
  57. They have gods who see the world as a whole,\nwho don't care about Fódlan's borders...
  58. Who don't meddle in our affairs. Who don't\ngrant life or take it away.
  59. And maybe, sometimes, they'll make a miracle\nhappen. A god like that... That's the sort of god\nI think I could believe in.
  60. I don't understand.
  61. I think I understand.
  62. Well, it doesn't really matter. Maybe gods like that\nonly exist in my own head.
  63. Careful, Teach! You'll anger the followers of Seiros\nif you say things like that.
  64. I'm just speaking my mind, that's all. I think people\nshould be free to believe in whatever gods they want.
  65. If a person believes in a god and that god becomes\na support system for them, that's a good thing.\nThat's what a god should be.
  66. Anyway... Maybe I've overstepped a bit.
  67. It doesn't matter.
  68. You have.
  69. I knew you'd understand.
  70. Sheesh, no need to take offense!\nI just thought you might understand\nhow I feel.
  71. In any case, let's keep this conversation between\nthe two of us, yeah?
  72.  
  73. Oh, hey there. What are you doing up at this hour?
  74. I couldn't sleep.
  75. I could ask you the same question.
  76. Is that right? I guess the more you have to\nthink about, the harder it is to fall asleep.
  77. My brain's just...busy. Thoughts keep going around\nand around in there, and meanwhile my eyes are\nwide open.
  78. At times like this, I like to gaze up at the stars to\nclear my head. I've been that way since I was a kid.
  79. Looking up at the big, starry sky makes my dreams\nfeel small...which makes it feel like I can actually\nmake them come true.
  80. I didn't believe in gods when I was a kid.\nMaybe that's because the night sky took\ntheir place for me.
  81. Hey, Teach... Will you talk with me a while?
  82. I bet you've figured this out, but I wasn't born\nin Fódlan.
  83. Where I come from, the people of Fódlan\nare looked down on as cowards.
  84. Technically, that cowardice runs in my veins.\nOn my mother's side, anyway.
  85. That's why the people who were around me when\nI was growing up thought of me as an outsider.
  86. But I don't believe the people of Fódlan are cowards.\nThat kind of perspective is just based on ignorance.
  87. The person from Fódlan who I know best is\nmy mother.
  88. She fell in love with a man from the wrong side of\nthe border and had the guts to leave home to pursue\nthat love.
  89. I always threw that in the faces of anyone who tried\nto make a fool of me. My mother is proof the people\nof Fódlan aren't all cowards.
  90. Just saying that doesn't achieve anything, though.\nI need to destroy the prejudices that have taken\nroot in my homeland.
  91. That's why I came here, to see Fódlan with my own\neyes. I thought I might be able to find a new\nperspective that could help me change things.
  92. And what did I find? That the people here view\nanyone who's an outsider as a beast of sorts.
  93. I was shocked. Even though our cultures and beliefs\nare completely different, our two lands have that\nmuch in common.
  94. That's when I realized the only way to change things\nis to bring the whole world together and start anew.
  95. That's the dream I've been working toward since\nI first entered the Officers Academy five years ago.
  96. To unify the Alliance, and then all of Fódlan, and to\nbring a new set of values to this new land of mine...
  97. After that, I'd expand that vision to the rest of\nthe world. Break down the walls and let a new\nperspective come rushing in! Start all over!
  98. Do you think that's just a crazy pipe dream?\nOr a brilliant ambition?
  99. Can you make that pipe dream come true?
  100. Can you rise to the challenge of that ambition?
  101. Not too long ago, I would have said that it was too\nmuch for me to accomplish on my own.
  102. But that's not how I feel anymore. And that's because\nI have you on my side now.
  103. Lately, I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I\nwouldn't have made it this far without you.
  104. You and me, Teach. We can go anywhere.\nDo anything.
  105. I hope that you always walk in step with me...
  106. At least until the day comes when we can look out\nat the peaceful world we've built. Together.
  107.  
  108. Oh. Hey, Teach. What brings you to the\nGoddess Tower?
  109. You know what, never mind. The answer is as clear\nas day. You couldn't bear the ball anymore and\nsimply had to escape.
  110. I wouldn't say that...
  111. I just needed a break.
  112. There's nothing wrong with admitting you're not\ncomfortable in a noisy crowd.
  113. Really, I get it. I'm the same way.
  114. I don't believe it.
  115. Ha! See right through me, do you? But I really do\nmean it. Parties aren't for me.
  116. Music and fun are all well and good, but those\ndances the nobles do are...something else.
  117. I was never really taught to do that sort of thing.\nMy upbringing was...lacking in certain ways.
  118. Even though you're from a noble family?
  119. Even though you're heir to the Alliance?
  120. Even so. I may have secured a fancy new title,\nbut who I am on the inside... Well, status alone\ncan't change that.
  121. That's a bit of an aside, though. Say, Teach...\nhave you heard the legends about this tower?
  122. They say if a man and a woman pray for the\nsame thing here, on this night, the goddess\nwill grant their wish without fail.
  123. Why tonight?
  124. Who knows? Maybe it has something to do\nwith celebrating the anniversary of the\nmonastery's completion.
  125. Maybe the goddess comes down from above on this\nnight and this night alone to celebrate with us.\nEven goddesses like to party, right?
  126. The truth is that it's just a legend the students\nhere like to tell. It's not based on any real facts.
  127. But I suppose it would be a waste to pass up a chance\nof having our wish granted. What do you say, Teach?\nCare to try?
  128. What would we pray for?
  129. Hm... Let's see... How about we pray for our\nambitions to come true?
  130. You don't exactly seem like the selfish type,\nbut even you must have an ambition or two.
  131. I do.
  132. I do not.
  133. More of a hope...
  134. That's what I thought. It's the same for everyone.
  135. Even if you're not aware of it, I'm sure there's\nsomething your heart of hearts wishes for.
  136. No one is ever completely satisfied. Everyone has\nsomething they long for. Otherwise, what's the point\nof it all?
  137. Of course, same goes for me. Without even realizing\nit, I found myself holding tight to some pretty\nbig ambitions.
  138. If you would... I would love for you to share in\nthose ambitions with me, Teach.
  139. But all that aside, let's get started. Let's pray to\nthe goddess before she tuckers out for the evening.\nOK... Here goes.
  140. Oh, divine Goddess! Hear our prayers! We beseech\nyou and your radiance! Please, grant us that which\nwe seek!
  141. Huh.
  142. I think that should do it. The goddess'll make\nour dreams come true now, yeah?
  143. I wonder.
  144. At any rate, we've done all we can. Whether we\nactually believe our dreams will come true or not\nis up to us.
  145. I suppose we should head back soon. I'm sure\neveryone is looking for you.
  146. Just promise to spare a dance for me. OK, Teach?\nI swear, so long as it's not one of those goofy noble\ndances, I am a treasure on the dance floor!
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