#if the main game didn't depict Aesfrost as a land a lot and where are its problems

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Third Run with the Liberty Route!

All those talks about Supreme Leader/Supreme Ruler of Norzelia reminds me of something...

Benedict, my goodness.

In every other path, it is the person who “lost” the duel who asks to be killed or says they’ll follow without discussing, but here?

Roland, as usual, asks for Serenor to kill him and Benedict just goes “do it if he’s alive there’s a chance your claim won’t be legitimate”, my god.

I had the insight (bcs I messed with this vote during the first run) but damn if this is super cold, especially since Benedict’s plans always, always involve getting rid of Roland, putting him in danger or ruining people of Glenbrook (never Wolffort) while those brave people will, for some reason, accuse the Royal Family.

“Cordelia is already under our control” Guy you just told Serenor she’s his sister, now she’s something to be controlled ?? After kicking her brother out because he was a possible threat to Serenor’s accession to the throne, Benedict thinks Cordelia is harmless?

Gustadolv thought so, and if things happened the way they planned, Avlora would have turned against him so... Of course, we ally with Cordelia’s beloved husband (to be, even if that wedding was already consummated) and before the “talks” Benedict confesses to Anna he wants to create a perfect world where Serenor will be the Supreme Ruler of Norzelia.

Mmh, I love this.

Ensue the “talks” where Gustadolv notes how Serenor is just Benedict’s sock puppet (almost like... Frani and Regna were to Patriatte? Except Benedict doesn’t do it for his own financial gain, but because both Simon and Regna cockblocked him, I don’t know which is more pathetic).

Gustadolv apparently accepts the fact Serenor will rule over the future Norzelia where salt will be free so everyone will have access to it and the world is going to enter the modern age... while no one notes that Gustadolv, this Gustadolf who hates to lose, will act as a loyal lapdog?

Lol

At least Benedict fully buys the “liberty” mindset, if the people will regulate the salt, no one will control it and there’ll be no Hyzante left - so everyone will get access to salt, right?

Double lol, Gustadolv knows it’s impossible, because this is what happens in Aesfrost, and look, there’s still salt sold in the black market and poor people dying in the streets.

Frederica has a heartfelt talk with him, where she doesn’t regret offing Erika and Thalas (GODS) because sacrifices had to be made, and she says she will obviously follow the ideals of her husband -

Like wait a second, Frederica, the Frederica who stops when they’re dead, tells them goodbye, in a route wondered if there was any other way, now thinks she doesn’t regret it ? Early game Frederica would have hated it, and regretted killing her family because despite everything, she hates killing people and causing suffering.

But now, apparently she adopts the “liberty” mindset where you can do everything to reach your goal, except hurt Rozellians. Gustadolv states with Hyzante gone the Rozellians will be freed, to which Frederica agrees - I find it hilarious, really, knowing how this route ends.

AFAIR, from all three routes, it’s the only outcome where the non concerned part of the trio is upset (we don’t know what happens to Benedict at the end of Roland’s ending, but since Serenor is nominally in charge of Wolffort and still alive, he shouldn’t be super pissed, it’s just back to day one).

Then comes the nonsense with the letter from “Roland”, to which Anna, Benedict’s trusted aide, for the first time, is shocked by his ploys - but Serenor comes to his rescue, saying they already slaughtered 4 babies so what’s 1 more (we are already in this mess so let’s continue).

Kuddos to Benedict being a perfect scheming “advisor”, he apparently made a mold (?) of Roland’s ring... the second Roland gave him his ring. Meaning, he always thought a situation could arise where he would need to usurp Roland’s identity/signature, also meaning, Benedict always wanted to put him under the bus.

This route is fun, I swear.

Now, time for Decimal to decimate Ayxame who made the grave sin of, uh, defending his borders against us, when we are betraying him because Benedict wants Serenor to rule over the world, after we got rid of Clarus.

And then, Enigma will cease to be.

Edit -

The title of the final chapter is very fitting, since both Gustadolv and Ayxame noticed it, Serenor isn’t doing things on his own volition, he always defers to Benedict so, who is the puppet dancing? Hyzanteses? Serenor? The Hierophant?

Benedict, the “let’s make a plan and know everything about X before charging in” wants to rush against the puppet who vaporised people by snapping her fingers, gods this route is a mess.

Decimal’s convo with his “successor” made me sad though, because yes, the Hierophant is naught but a tool without any will, and it makes Benedict and several character’s convos completely miss the mark, accusing this thing of having propagated the Goddess’s creed - this automaton cannot be older than Laila, and is younger than Decimal so...

But all is well that ends well - the truth about the automaton is revealed to ruin Hyzante (Benedict also swap his battle line with “let’s conquer Hyzante” instead of “let’s free Norzelia” which reminds me of a certain route in a certain game) and Hyzante falls to Glenbrook, under King Serenor.

Epilogue Benedict finally confesses he never gave a shit about Norzelia nor its people (not even the Wolfforts!!) because he wanted to get revenge at the world (Simon, Regna and himself) for not being able to fuck protect Destra - if she was used as a tool, then he will take revenge by making her son the supreme ruler for Norzelia -

Which raises all sorts of “uh...” implications, since, well, mothers are non-existent in this game (bar a certain someone) but was Destra really unhappy with Simon? We don’t know what happened with Regna, were they really “in luf” or was it just a one strike encounter? Erador and the entire Wolffort people seem to hold Simon and Destra in high regards, meaning she was at least well treated during her time as Simon’s wife.

Compared to Frederica and Orlea’s situation... Serenor was raised as the son of a Lord and the Heir of one of the major Houses on the continent - we don’t know a thing about Roland’s mom (was she a noble from the Patriate side or, idk, a noble from Landroy/Silvio’s lands?) but Benedict raging at the situation, and at Simon for, uh, accepting it??? - like dude, what would you have done? Let Destra be killed by Patriate’n’co ? Thrown her on the streets? Gave her to Mc Random so Serenor would grow up as a peasant?? By taking Destra as his wife, apparently treating her well, and naming her son his heir, Simon acted in her - and Serenor’s- best interests !

But since it’s about the woman he simped for, I suppose any decision would have sucked because Destra didn’t end up with him.

Anyhow, Benedict after his confession, wants to give up his life for using Serenor as a pawn, but Serenor refuses, using his mother’s words (per Benedict) and this is fitting, in a way, because there’s no way in hell Serenor’s going to accept this mess Benedict put him in without Benedict’s support.

Serenor also confessed not giving a fuck about Norzelia, but wanting to feel worthy of the Wolffort name, his father’s admiration, his friends’s too (well about Roland...) and ...

Well, this route is the most selfish one, in a sense. No one gives a crap about randoms, even if Benedict tries to sugarcoat it with “Norzelia will be free and everyone will get equal access to salt”.

Frederica is burnt by the Rozellian treatment, if they commit a crime they will pay, regardless of circumstances (who is Rudolph?) just like Aesfrost and yes, some people are going to lose in an ultimate “muhritocracy” but Benedict and Serenor dgaf, true to the Aesfrostian mindset.

For Frederica who stopped giving a fuck about the world and its people, to hyperfocus on Rozellians, it’s harsh.

Just as her mellow reply, calling Serenor (but I noted from the JP voices, even if the script doesn’t mention it) Your Majesty/Highness and not Serenor anymore (a far cry from “my husband” in her own path!!).

Roland gives food and assistance to people living in Wolffort territores, we see everyone, young randoms, women, old people, old Hyzantese, even Rozellians... From his route, we know Roland always puts the well-being of the people over everything else (his own, the world and, ultimately, the few “necessary sacrifices”) so of course this route would lead to his rebellion. People from Serenor’s old lands are suffering, people in the city (salt merchants and aristocrats) are thriving (why salt merchants are thriving if salt doesn’t cost anything anymore??) and randoms are suffering, just like your ole Glenbrook, or worst, Aesfrost.

Desperate people turn to desperate means, and who pops up at the end to lead all those people away? Idore himself.

Does the people know what Idore did with his false oracle?

Idk, but if the intel comes from Serenor “Roland left or he didn’t but he totes wrote a letter to people saying he’ll rebel against me and it wasn’t a strategical ploy no sir” and Gustadolv, idk who’s going to believe them, especially since Hyzante was “conquered” by Glenbrook, and Laila, the only surviving saint saying she accepts the alliance/subjugation is totally not reminiscent of Cordelia’s situation, when she accepted Aesfrost’s domination.

Not so unsurprinsigly, I can see why this ending is supported by some people in a certain fandom, the similarities are jarring, but Square didn’t back down because it needed to sell waifu merch and put the player on a pedestal.