Abyssal Light/Yuri: Ashen Valiant

Yuri: Ashen Valiant - C

Yuri	...Well, you certainly are an odd one. Why would a princess like yourself be so eager to hear about Abyss?
As royalty, no matter how shadowed my life became, I could always step back into the light... Unlike some. I suppose you would call them dwellers of the underground, far removed from the light of day. I believe I should learn more about their perspective—that I should try to understand the world they live in. Not only as a member of the Nifl royal family, but as a human being.		Fjorm
Yuri	All right... I’ll tell you. But I gonna warn you, it’s hardly a pleasant story. After hearing it, you might start to see all the gray in that pure, righteous world of yours.
I am prepared for that. Averting my eyes from such truths would cast a far darker shadow upon my heart.		Fjorm
Yuri	Heh, looks like my impression of you was right on the mark. You really are an odd one, Princess. That said, it’d probably be best to treat all this as the ramblings of a scoundrel. Take it with a grain of salt.
Yuri	...And, well, that’s about it. Abyss is where those different people all gather and live, shoulder to shoulder. It’s not like we’re living in that hole because we like it, though. We’ve all got our own circumstances.
... Thank you, Yuri. Even after hearing your explanation, I cannot imagine what it must be like to—		Fjorm
Yuri	Don’t get the wrong idea, Princess. Sure, it’s far from a happy story, but that’s no reason to feel sorry for me. Even in Abyss, there are plenty of people who live their lives with pride and still have hope for the future.
I-I’m sorry. It was foolish of me to presume you must all be unhappy. No one should decide that for you.		Fjorm
Yuri	Perhaps not, but others can certainly decide the circumstances we find ourselves in. I may have ended up in the Ashen Wolf House, but I originally planned to join the Blue Lion House.
Huh? The Blue Lion House? But that’s the house Prince Dimitri leads...		Fjorm
Yuri	One and the same. If I had stayed there, my fate might have been quite different, I suppose. But which path would have led to a brighter future? Honestly, even I have no idea.
Um, Yuri, if you don’t mind... Why did you...end up going to Abyss in the first place?		Fjorm

Yuri: Ashen Valiant - B

Yuri	The reason I came to Abyss, huh... Unfortunately, that’s not really a topic I can tell people much about.
...		Fjorm
Yuri	...Ugh, fine. But you’re getting the abridged version. Back when I was still in the Blue Lion House, I had a...disagreement with someone from the church. Just as I was about to be executed, Aelfric saved me. Said there were some “extenuating circumstances.”
Aelfric... He’s the monk who came to the Kingdom of Askr with you and the others, right?		Fjorm
Yuri	That’s him. Aelfric is the one who established the Ashen Wolf House. Guess that makes him our benefactor. Anyway, if Aelfric hadn’t been there, I probably would’ve been executed by the church.
Was it really that serious of a...disagreement?		Fjorm
Yuri	I may be a scoundrel, but you’ll find that even scoundrels have their pride. I couldn’t just throw that away—not even if it meant never being able to live under the sun again. That’s all. And hey, the people of Abyss accepted me without even a hint of prejudice. So, I made a decision. I told myself that I’d fight to protect those people.
...So that’s what happened.		Fjorm
Yuri	... All right, that’s enough. I know you’re there, OK? Though I gotta say, never took you for the eavesdropping type.
...		Dimitri
Fjorm	Prince Dimitri!

Yuri: Ashen Valiant - A

Dimitri	I apologize. It was not my intention to eavesdrop, but...
Of course. I know you better than that, at least.		Yuri
Dimitri	The last time I saw you was when we met beneath the monastery. I never imagined we’d meet again like this.
Yeah, sorry about all that. Living in Abyss doesn’t leave you with many ways to pass the time. Even if all I was doing was trying to keep things entertaining... I did point my sword at the Imperial princess, the Kingdom’s prince, and the future leader of the Alliance.		Yuri
Dimitri	Well, we never imagined there could be such a place so far underground...
And it’s even more impossible to imagine anyone was living down there, huh? Honestly, that’s pretty fair.		Yuri
Dimitri	...After we pulled out of Abyss, the Professor told me many things. That it is overseen by Aelfric, and how he has made it a home for those who have nowhere else to go...
...		Yuri
Dimitri	I once heard about a student who was meant to be enrolled in the Blue Lions House, but was expelled. Perhaps, had things gone differently, I might have studied alongside you...
Considering my personality, I probably would have been chased out sooner or later anyway.		Yuri
Fjorm	Um, well...since we’re in Askr, your prior circumstances no longer have to tie you down. The two of you could even study in the same house now!
Well, Princess Fjorm, with all due respect... As it is now, I cannot imagine that Yuri would be welcomed into the Blue Lion House.		Dimitri
Yuri	...

Yuri: Ashen Valiant - S

Fjorm	Huh? What do you mean, Prince Dimitri?
The professor told me more than just how the people of Abyss lived. I also learned about the Ashen Wolf House...and how you all protected those forced into hiding down there.		Dimitri
Yuri	...
But Abyss is also a place of learning, where you all gained experience and strove to improve yourselves. You are all living proudly already, as students of the Ashen Wolf House. The Ashen Wolf House is by no means inferior to any on the surface.		Dimitri
Yuri	...I’ll let them all know you said that. You’re right—we don’t need the rank of another house. The Ashen Wolf House is already where we belong.
Well, that being said... I’m sure the professor would still love to recruit you all into one of the other houses.		Dimitri
Yuri	Yeah, I’m sure the professor would try to talk us into it. And who knows, maybe it’d even work.
Above ground or below, there are opportunities to learn everywhere... What’s important is not the place itself, but rather what you can learn from the people around you.		Fjorm
Yuri	Well said, Princess Fjorm. You summed it up nicely.
I–I apologize... I didn’t mean to speak out of turn!		Fjorm
Oh, that reminds me! I have one more question for you, Yuri... Does your skin look so beautiful because you’ve lived in Abyss for so long?		Fjorm
Yuri	Uh... No. Pretty sure being in Abyss has nothing to do with it. If I had to give a reason, I’d say I was simply born with this youthful beauty.
Youthful beauty... Wait, aren’t you older than me?		Dimitri
Yuri	My, what a perfect time for me to take a little stroll. If you need me, I’ll be out enjoying some sunlight!
Yuri, wait! ...He certainly left in a hurry.		Fjorm
Dimitri	... The Blue Lion House, the Black Eagle House, the Golden Deer House, and... the Ashen Wolf House. It appears members of all four houses have gathered here in Askr.
I’m sure Prince Alfonse is quite relieved, seeing as how he now has more allies he can rely on.		Fjorm
Dimitri	The students of the Ashen Wolf House... Even here, they are continuing to learn and improve. I must learn from their example and apply myself just as diligently.
That sounds wonderful! I’m also trying to make the most of this opportunity, in much the same way. There are so many things I do not know, but I will take it one day at a time and always give it my all.		Fjorm

Scenario
← Hilda		Balthus →
Abyssal Light
Constance	Yuri	Balthus	Hapi

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