open | an alenroux press release

[sterngaze]

[A couple weeks after the conclusion of the Exalt Oracle trial, a communion message goes out to all Kenos’s shard-bearers — at a brisk mid-morning hour for Springstar residents, and evening for those night owls in Highstorm. Surely an agreeable enough time for all, yes? The voice will be familiar enough to anyone who listened in on the ambassador talk a Kenos month ago; it’s Liem, mayor of Alenroux Meridian’s resident straight man.]

Greetings, everyone. I have some updates to share regarding efforts to make Alenroux fully and safely inhabitable, which I hope you will be pleased to hear.

Last month, prior to the events surrounding the Oracle, a contingent of Springstar military overseen by several shard-bearers launched a multi-pronged expedition north into Alenroux’s forests, in order to locate the source of the monsters that continue to infest the woods. While I’m sure those of you who frequent Alenroux will have noticed that the flow of especially dangerous, augmented creatures mostly died off after the dismantling of Aetós’s underground facility, we have not been able to expunge the general monster population from the forest despite ongoing efforts, so this was an attempt to remedy that.

These expeditionary forces succeeded in locating three separate cornerstones and portals that were previously disgorging monsters. At this time we think it likely that they were connected to the timestream in some way that allowed creatures from other worlds to come through, but the portals themselves proved extremely hazardous to life attempting to breach from this side. All three have now been destroyed, and while we cannot say with certainty that there are no further portals out there, we are optimistic that this will allow the danger to those living in Alenroux to be further reduced by the joint forces still stationed there.

If you have further questions, you may direct them to me, or to Hayame, Akua Sahelian, Keitaro Miura, Gray, Byleth Eisner, Link, Kim Dokja, or Dee. [He means D.]

Comments

[wolfish]

[ She— she's telling him?

There's the briefest hint of puzzlement before it's swept aside. ]

I'm sure he'd be pleased to hear it. He's a very earnest sort, I'm sure you've noticed.

[ Though it surprised him to learn just how much so, in their time here. ]

So you organized that effort?

meridians only

[warmare]

[She praised everyone in the team after they got out of the forest! ... In her own way. It is not proper to be so effusive to the person in question. It's cloying.

So anyway,]

Not entirely. General Zaman organized the efforts, under the auspices of the Tribune.

Myself, Liem Talbott, and Dextera were then chosen to assemble teams and lead three expeditions into the wood.

[wolfish]

[ Clever Hayame, she figured out how to verify which side he harmonized with for certain.

Assuming Yuri has no way of knowing how she directed her thoughts— ]

So you determined who to bring along then... Sounds like you were successful, so thank you for your hard work.

[warmare]

[She can be clever!!!]

Yes, that was left to us.

[... So she'll take the praise.]

- You are welcome.

private

[wolfish]

[ SHE GOT 'EM

...And Yuri doesn't even know it, but she already thinks she's sharp. ]

Just to make certain, you're back in fighting form, yeah?

[ This he directs to her and only her. She's a fighter after all. ]

Not to linger on the matter, just wanted to be sure I hadn't overlooked anything.

[warmare]

[... fighting form.]

The wounds that you healed have all been unmade properly.

No hint remains of them.

You must be very skilled.

[wolfish]

I've had practice, but it's been some time since I'd been the best — or more accurately — the only option, in a more serious case.

[ And so, though he knows himself to be capable, he still couldn't help wondering. Hayame had seemed well-mended at the time, but even so...

He remembers how she seemed to expect death then. A fragment of a name. An attempt at leaving a message to relay. How long has it been since he was the healer present in such a case?

Aside Balthus being dramatic, anyway. ]

So I'm pleased to hear all's well there.

[ And with that, he supposes he ought not belabor the subject. ]

...Anyhow, I'll let Byleth know he earned high marks for you.

[warmare]

I prefer not to use healers of magic.

[... That was probably obvious.]

But you were there. So I suppose things became as they are.

[She will try not to need it again. ... The idea that she could have been found by someone else, that she would have been useless, lost-]

If that is what you wish to do. That is your prerogative.

[wolfish]

[ Surely, she told him with the knowledge and intent that he'd tell Byleth... They may not have the word tsundere, but they know what the type looks like.

Thank you for your service, Felix. ]

Indeed. Were circumstances different, I could have employed other methods. It's useful knowing both...more to work with.

[ That, and there are people who aren't comfortable with healers back home. Typically as a result of a bad experience, but still. ]

Actually, I ought to see what the library's got to say about it. They've documented so many advances Fódlan doesn't have.

[warmare]

If you find something useful, I assume it best to tell Meridian at large.

[She is illiterate herself so… she’ll just bluff that she knows how good the library is.]

[wolfish]

[ The silence is lengthy.

But then: ]

It's merely a matter of personal interest on my part.

[warmare]

[That silence.]

How selfish that sounds.

[wolfish]

I won't deny that I am. I'll take what I can get, when it comes to keeping my people alive.

[ Very selfish indeed. ]

But I also expect what I find novel or useful could be well-known to others. It's also readily accessible, so the chances that such communications would be deemed bothersome are high.

[ One day she'll tell him she's illiterate...one day. ]

[warmare]

[Hhhh.]

If you expect it may be novel or useful, you should share it.

Not all of us have the time to play scholar when we have more martial duties to attend to.

[wolfish]

It would be better to bring a book to you, wouldn't it? Often there are diagrams involved, and not everyone's at the same place in their knowledge.

[warmare]

Do you think I have time to read when I ought to be patrolling or training the Legionary's archers?

[wolfish]

...So you have time for me to read to you instead?

[ Is he getting that right? ]

[warmare]

No, I have time for you to summarize.

[She only listens to Liem read The Order of Numbers, because... she'd needed something to tie them together, before he had called her a friend.

... But she supposes she will not be listening to that anymore.]

[wolfish]

You can't summarize medical procedures.

[ Hayame what if someone tried to mend your boo-boos based only on summarized methods??? ]

[warmare]

Here I thought you'd look for more than just medical procedures.

[... though she feels like summaries should still be enough, come on]

[wolfish]

If it were, say, about our circumstances here, of course I'd share with the class. No exciting tidbits there just yet.

[ Give him a little credit, Hayame. ]

But do you really want to hear about innovations in long-distance communications? Email? I've been reading up on dragons, but Cid's more knowledgeable about them than I am.

[warmare]

[What, she's just checking!!!]

No, I do not want to.

Call me if you find something useful about this place or how to get back to our own worlds.

[wolfish]

[ So that does interest her. He'll note it. ]

You'll be on my list of people to alert.