Hope's Flame/Arlen: Mage of Khadein

Arlen: Mage of Khadein - C

Arlen	Hmph. Even in this new world, I remain hounded by Merric. Fate insists on toying with me... What’s more, Prince Alfonse and Princess Sharena were all too quick to beg for my aid... What a farce. If they think I plan to lift a finger to help them, much less that oaf Merric, they will be sorely disappointed. Why would I? This place is already showing to be no different than the academy in Khadein. I was not there to fraternize with my fellow students. I was there to learn how to surpass them! To that end, I suppose I should make the best of this little field trip and glean all I can from Askr’s resources. How fortunate that this world is said to harbor a great many texts across countless subjects. Once that trove of knowledge has become my own, Master Wendell will have no choice but to... Hm...
Arlen	It appears simply locating the library is its own trial. This blasted castle is nothing but hallways... How am I supposed to find my way when every corridor seems to multiply?
Hello there! Might you be Arlen, of the Heroes recently summoned from Archanea? The look on your face tells me you may be in need of some directions. I would be happy to help!		Fjorm
Arlen	Ah, Princess...Fjorm, was it? Very well. I intend to visit the castle library.
The library? It will be on the far side of the main courtyard. I can show you the way if you’d like.		Fjorm
Arlen	No, that will not be necessary. My thanks for the information.

Arlen: Mage of Khadein - B

Arlen	Askr’s famed castle library... So the stories were no mere rumors. This place is astounding. I had no doubt that its collection would be superior to my academy’s, but this is beyond my expectation. There are magical texts here that I have never even heard of, much less read. There must be something hidden in these pages that will allow me to regain my footing over Merric... Master Wendell, you will soon know beyond all doubt who is meant to succeed you!
Hm...		Niime
Arlen	Odd... I don’t recall seeing anyone here when I arrived, and yet it feels as though I’m being watched...
Arlen	Combing through these tomes all day is exhausting. I should return to the barracks for some rest. But first...you there! Slithering around in the darkness. Reveal yourselves!
My, my... You discovered us so easily. What a promising young man.		Cornelia
Kronya	And here I thought we were good at the whole “spying” thing. Guess not!
Aren’t you a colorful duo. Now state your business or leave.		Arlen
Kronya	I’d cool off if I were you. If we were trying to ruin your day, we’d have done it by now.
Do pardon the clumsy introduction. I assure you we are respectable members of the Order of Heroes. I am Cornelia, court mage of Fódlan’s Holy Kingdom of Faerghus.		Cornelia
Kronya	Name’s Kronya! You could call me Cornelia’s bodyguard.
Forgive our imprudence, but we were deliberating how we might broach a sensitive subject with you... Kronya and I would be honored to serve you, Lord Arlen, esteemed mage of Archanea.		Cornelia
Arlen	We have never met, and yet you claim to know me?
Why, of course! Your magical talent is such that even we have heard tales of your exploits. We have also heard a curious rumor that you hunger for greater power...		Cornelia
Arlen	Enough. What is it you want?
If it is the strength to crush your rival that you seek, my dear, we would be all too happy to oblige. Our home of Fódlan is rich with magic the likes of which you could only dream of. I have no doubt that you would find these spells exceedingly useful.		Cornelia
Arlen	Hmph. Honeyed words. And how exactly do you benefit from this?
Hah! Your candor is most endearing, my lord. I shall speak plainly. We will grant you this power on the condition that we be allowed to document the outcome.		Cornelia
Arlen	And you expect me to believe your claims with no proof?
What I expect is your reply within the week, but I am not unreasonable. Consider this a small sample. If you agree to our terms, you will be gifted power rivaling Asclepius...		Cornelia
Arlen	That staff emanates such potent magical energy... And yet, I get the feeling this is but a sliver of its power.
Astute as ever, Lord Arlen. Now that you’ve had a taste, I hope we will be seeing you again.		Cornelia
Kronya	Got it? For your sake, you’d better not keep us waiting!
W-wait... Wait, I said!		Arlen
Curses... They’ve fled. This Askr field trip has become intriguing indeed...		Arlen

Arlen: Mage of Khadein - A

Arlen	Cornelia and Kronya... All that talk and yet I remain unaware of their true motives. What they want in return for offering me such grand power seems far too simple. Although... I cannot deny the sheer magical might I felt in that staff. With that kind of strength, securing my place as Master Wendell’s successor would be simple...
Spare a moment for your elder, boy?		Niime
Arlen	What? Are you speaking to me?
Something plugging up your ears? I don’t see any other boys traipsing around the place.		Niime
Arlen	Listen here, you— Augh...
Oh, please, I’m not that scary-looking, am I? Even though the years haven’t exactly been kind to old Niime...		Niime
Arlen	No, I... My apologies. It was not your appearance, but your...power that caught me off guard.
Hm. Your ears may be full of cotton, but at least your magical sense is alive and kicking. You were so engrossed in flipping through tomes the other day that you didn’t even notice me. But do you know what I noticed? Your eyes grew colder the more you read. I can’t help but wonder... Are you really desperate enough for power that you would pursue it at any cost?		Niime
Arlen	I regret that you caught me in such an...unflattering position.
Listen, boy, and listen well. I’m going to give you free advice: destructive power doesn’t discriminate. Only the skill of the user determines whether it’s you or your enemy who ends up in the dirt.		Niime
Arlen	Of course. Incredible strength can be a double-edged sword.
Just learning to harness such magic requires dedicated time and effort. To display any semblance of skill, well...that takes even longer. Those who try to circumvent this process with shortcuts all end up the same. Sooner or later their hubris catches up with them...and consumes them from the inside out.		Niime
Arlen	So this ominous lecture is your way of warning me that I am headed to my own ruin.
An impatient cook may get burned, but an impatient mage will suffer far worse a fate. Don’t let yourself be seduced by shortcuts to power. You’ll only dig yourself into a darker, deeper hole. And with that, old Niime has said her piece. Best of luck, boy.		Niime
Arlen	What a strange woman... She reminds me of Master Wendell in a way...perhaps in the weight of her words. She must be quite the renowned mage in her world. Shortcuts to power... Hm.

Arlen: Mage of Khadein - S

Kronya	You think mister magic’s gonna take the bait, Cornelia? Made him a pretty tempting offer.
Indeed. We shouldn’t assume, but let us hope everything goes according to plan. He presents such an exploitable union of exceptional magical ability and unbridled thirst for power. It’s a shame he lacks a Crest, but he should still make a fine test subject regardless. Hahaha!		Cornelia
Kronya	Speaking of which, why don’t we do a little embellishing with this experiment? Say... We drive him mad until he bleeds the Order of Heroes like the stuck pigs they are!
My, my, Kronya. Your mood is fouler than usual today.		Cornelia
Kronya	I’m just bored! And this place makes my skin crawl. I can’t tell if these “Heroes” are humans or beasts underneath their shiny exteriors. I despise them. So why don’t we use our test subject to kill them and be done with it?
Well, you may get your wish sooner than you think. Compose yourself, now—our prey approaches.		Cornelia
Arlen	So this is where you were. You two seem oddly fond of skulking around dark places.
Ah, Lord Arlen! What an absolute pleasure to see you again. We were just on our way to visit. And yet, here you are, visiting us instead. May we interpret this as an acceptance of our offer?		Cornelia
Arlen	...
Trying to make us beg? Quit wasting time and say yes already. You know you want to.		Kronya
Arlen	On the contrary, I came to tell you that I will not be complicit in your schemes, whatever they are.
Well! I must be hearing things. That sounded an awful lot like “no” to me. Don’t you think, Cornelia?		Kronya
Cornelia	Now, now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Would you care to explain?
It doesn’t take a genius to see that even the Order of Heroes has snakes in their midst. You may claim to be dedicated to the cause, but your words mean nothing. If I were to accept any kind of power from you, I’d be betraying Master Wendell’s teachings. I have come this far honoring those teaching, and I do not intend to stop now. His instruction has often been harsh, but I am a better person and mage because of it. It is true that my master’s way will take longer, but I’ve made my choice about how I wish to attain power.		Arlen
Cornelia	Hmph. We only made our offer because we saw how hopelessly stuck in a rut you were.
Oh, spare me. I don’t have a second more to waste on vipers like you. Get out of my sight.		Arlen
Cornelia	Strong words from such a paltry mage. Let’s hope you don’t come to regret them, “Lord” Arlen.
Ugh, what a sniveling little man. I’m going to enjoy thinking up the perfect way to end you.		Kronya
Arlen	For all their blustering, I remain yet unscathed while they retreat once more to the shadows... They failed to account for the fact that using their power to achieve my goals would be a hollow victory. I do not deny a burning desire to best Merric, but when I do, it will be with my own strength. Impatience has bested many a mage. I cannot let it overtake me. Master Wendell, I will continue down the path you have laid for me and become ever stronger. Once I have reached the pinnacle, I will be a mage capable of leading Khadein in your steed. I swear it!

Scenario
← Merric		Hardin →
Hope's Flame
Arlen	Yuliya	Merric	Caeda

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