Strength in Service/Noah: Mercenary-Errant

Noah: Mercenary-Errant - C

Noah	Excuse me, is the castle’s armory over this way?
Yes. Go to the end of the hallway and take a right. You will see guards stationed in front of the door.		Eir
Noah	Good. I still haven’t figured my way around here yet. Farewell, then.
Oh, might this be yours? I found it on the floor.		Eir
Noah	Yes...that is mine. Thank you. I suppose I’d better introduce myself. I am Noah, of the Ilian mercenaries.
I am Eir, princess of the realm of the dead—no, of Ymir, the realm of life.		Eir
Noah	Princess Eir... Please forgive me for acting so brazenly earlier.
There is no need for such formality. We are comrades who fight as equals in the Order of Heroes.		Eir
Noah	An honor of which I am not worthy. Before I came to this world, I was but one soldier for the Lycian League.
Oh... Roy and Lilina were also from the Lycian League if I recall. I hope this isn’t intrusive to ask, but what was it that you dropped earlier?		Eir
Noah	Oh, this is a letter. Well... I suppose it would be more accurate to call it a blank piece of paper.
A blank letter... You intend to write it, then.		Eir
Noah	... I have no plans to do so. At the moment I can think of no one to write to, and... I believe it is best that way. Now then, I must be on my way. Good day, Princess Eir.
A blank letter addressed to no one...		Eir

Noah: Mercenary-Errant - B

Eir	The enemy has me far outnumbered. If I cannot escape...
Princess Eir! Allow me to lend my aid.		Noah
Eir	Noah? I did not expect to see you on this battlefield.
I will clear a path for you. Follow behind me.		Noah
Eir	I appreciate your bravery, but with this much opposition...
Look at the enemy’s eastern flank. Their armor is pristine and their formation inconsistent. They must be new recruits. We have the best chance of getting through if we strike there.		Noah
Eir	Understood. I am with you.
Eir	I owe you my life. Your prompt observations earlier were correct.
One must quickly develop the ability to make such observations if they wish to survive in my line of work. Also, there is no need to thank me. Fighting is...my vocation.		Noah
Eir	You’ve known many struggles yet more dire than the ones in Askr, haven’t you?
Indeed... The battles I face with the Order of Heroes are more tolerable in some ways. Here, mercenaries are not forced to fight their comrades-in-arms at the flip of a coin.		Noah
Eir	Was that not the case in your homeland?
In Elibe, if your employer differs from another mercenary’s, you are foes on the battlefield. A comrade with whom you shared a meal may turn their sword on you the next day. It was not uncommon.		Noah
Eir	It sounds like a painful way to live...
The aristocrats who employed us said things such as: “Ilian mercenaries survive by peddling death,” or... “They are carrion crows sustained by the blood of corpses.”		Noah
Eir	...
Please excuse me for prattling on about such a grim topic. I am sure you are exhausted from the fight. My weapon needs some repairs, so I will be on my way.		Noah
Eir	Surviving by peddling death... Living with its shadow constantly hovering over your shoulder... Eventually, that way of life will eat away at your very heart...

Noah: Mercenary-Errant - A

Eir	May I ask you more about that letter you dropped earlier? What is its intended purpose?
It is...something like a will.		Noah
Eir	I see... A final letter entrusted to the living...
There are pegasus riders among the Ilian mercenaries who do not take part in battles. It is their responsibility to deliver the letters of those who fall in combat. The letters go to family, lovers, close friends, or even those to whom the fallen is indebted...		Noah
Eir	...
I do not want to send a letter to anyone. What remains after reading such a thing is naught but the grief of losing someone precious. I do not wish to inflict such pain on someone...		Noah
Eir	So that is why your letter is blank. This is how you have come to terms with your own death.
...		Noah
Eir	Death is inevitable. It is never far from anyone’s side. And that is especially true for groups like the Ilian mercenaries who have to be prepared to die at any time. Spending your days uncertain of when death’s cruel hand will come to wrest life away from you... It can be excruciating. So, to you, carrying that empty letter is proof that you yet live. One might say that it is like a soul.
I hadn’t thought of it that way, but... That may not be far from the truth. When this letter is lost, it will mean that my life has been lost as well...		Noah

Noah: Mercenary-Errant - S

Noah	This letter may be meaningless now anyway since I’m so far from Elibe. If I were to die here, I don’t imagine that the messengers of Ilia would be able to collect my letter.
You need not worry. Prince Alfonse, Princess Sharena, Commander Anna, the summoner... They will put the full weight of their support behind you so that you do not fall. You have my support too.		Eir
Noah	Princess Eir...
While you are here, you do not need to peddle death to survive. On the contrary, you can use your mercenary experience to save the lives of others.		Eir
Noah	I doubt that I am worthy to do such a thing as someone who has survived by killing so many...
I do not believe those you save will question whether or not you were worthy to do so.		Eir
Noah	Then you’re saying I should prove my worth through positive actions... I see. I suppose that’s one way for a mercenary to live. I will accept the role Prince Alfonse has tasked me with while in Askr. To fight as a Hero, not as a crow sustained by the blood of the dead.
I pray that your letter does not leave your side while you are with us.		Eir
Noah	I will take this blank letter back with me the day I return home and think no more on it otherwise. As a Hero, I shall apply every ounce of strength in my body to the battles ahead so I may live another day... This I swear upon my own heart.

Scenario
← Dorothy		Thea →
Strength in Service
Fir	Saul	Dorothy	Noah

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