Leonidas

Leonidas: What is our status?
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: Sir, our troops have finished supplying food and water to the villages of Alberia.
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: Further, plans proceed apace on the reparations for lost homes and fields.
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: We've also secured funding sources for the solatia due the people. All that remains now is distribution.
Leonidas: And how do our defenses fare?
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: Reinforcement proceeds without issue, Your Highness. As instructed, we have deployed troops to key locations. All are prepared to mobilize.
Leonidas: Good.
Leonidas's Army Soldier 1: Your Highness, please pardon the intrusion. It is time for the public hearing.
Leonidas: Right. I'll be there anon.

Leonidas's Army Soldier 1: His Majesty Leonidas certainly has... changed.
Leonidas's Army Soldier 2: You can say that again. He used to be totally heedless of other people.

Citizen 1: Praise be to him for courting the opinions of the people firsthand. Truly, I am grateful.
Citizen 2: Indeed. I was uneasy at first; to him, power was first and last in all matters back when he governed Valkaheim.
Citizen 3: What circumstances could have brought on his sudden change, I wonder.

Luca: Hm... Why DID he change so suddenly?
Notte: You mean Leonidas? Yeah, he's become a pretty stand-up guy lately. Talk about a heel turn.
Ranzal: Guy prolly got tired of gettin' his butt handed to him in his feud with Euden.
Ranzal: He was so cold-blooded before, it woulda given a lizard a run for its rupies. Guess he grew a heart.
Elisanne: If I'm not mistaken, his goal was a world unfettered by the yoke of dragons.
Cleo: Correct. Could he have abandoned that cause?
Chelle: Goodness. Do you think my dear brother Leonidas is so mercurial a man?
Notte: I mean, he changed his tune faster than a conductor with a caffeine buzz. Are you saying there's something more to it?
Chelle: Not at all. In fact, I would assert that he is the same man you've always known.
Luca: No way, lady. It's night and day. He's acting like an actual good ruler now.
Chelle: It is unwise to judge a person's character by the mask they wear on the surface.
Euden: My brother believes that might makes right, and he would do anything to uphold that view. That's who he really is.
Chelle: In other words, what has changed are his means—not the ideals at his core.
Notte: So you think that becoming a nice guy is part of some strategy he cooked up to make his freaky dreams come true?
Cleo: Meaning that his aim is, as ever, to dismantle the dragons' hegemony over our world?
Ranzal: He had some pretty serious beef with Euden. You sayin' that hostility is still there?
Chelle: Who can say, my dears?
Notte: Oh, c'mon, give us a straight answer!
Chelle: I am not the master of my brother's thoughts. He is difficult to understand— a man with profound depth.
Chelle: But what I can say is this: without him, we would be unable to depart southern Grastaea and travel north as we have been.
Chelle: Rather than casting the eye of suspicion upon him, oughn't we be grateful instead?
Cleo: I suppose you're right...
Luca: But even if his goal hasn't changed, it's still a mystery as to WHY he switched up his methods.
Luca: Do we have any other clues, aside from how he lost to Euden?
Euden: Nothing springs to mind. Chelle, any ideas?
Chelle: I have nothing, I'm afraid. But I do believe he was spurred on by a catalyst of sorts.
Chelle: I suspect that the world may be shifting in ways and places unknown to us.

Leonidas: It is your turn, Ilia.
Ilia: I'm thinking. Don't rush me.
Mordecai: Leonidas, why did you make that move?
Leonidas: If I divulged that, the move itself would lose its value.
Ilia: Ha ha. It's clear you're after something. I just struggle to see what that all-important something may be.
Ilia: Now that I think of it...are you aware that similar sentiment has been echoing through the streets of late?
Leonidas: Go on.
Ilia: They say His Majesty Prince Leonidas has suddenly changed. The people are all guessing at what you might be thinking.
Ilia: They know that the great first scion of Alberia must have something in the back of his mind that drives him forward.
Ilia: But there are none who know the truth of it. None besides the two of us, of course.
Leonidas: What are you insinuating?
Ilia: I swear, if eyes were daggers, yours would've cut me to shreds by now. ...I'm just saying I'm happy, that's all.
Ilia: Happy that you accepted us and our sudden appearance.
Ilia: And that you believed my tale.
Ilia: Anyway, that's enough of that. It's time to attack.
Leonidas: Don't you think you're being reckless?
Ilia: I won't know 'til I try. Even a stray shot can blast open a locked door. You just have to be ready to step through.
Ilia: I mean, think back to that fateful night.
Ilia: My recklessness got me exactly where I needed to be: rubbing elbows with you.

Leonidas: Hrgh!
Leonidas: (Pain sears my flesh like spreading fire...)
Leonidas: (This wound stands as proof of my brother's victory.)
Leonidas: My brother, of all people...

Leonidas: (He and I have been completely unalike since we were but mewling babes.)
Leonidas: (I am fundamentally unable to understand the way he thinks and acts.)
Leonidas: (I thought him soft. He burdens himself with the welfare of others. Relies on them. I believed it was the pinnacle of stupidity.)
Leonidas: (And yet who should emerge victorious from our bitter struggle? Not I, but him.)
Leonidas: (In victory lies verity. Which means I must acknowledge that Euden was right.)

Leonidas: But I will not give in. I will not submit to draconic tyranny!
Leonidas: (Defeated or not, my objective remains the same. Whatever method I must resort to, I WILL dismantle their reign.)
Leonidas: ...Ngh?!
Mysterious Girl: Whoops! Zigged when I should've zagged!
Mysterious Man: *sigh*
Soldier 1: Who goes there?
Mysterious Girl: Wait! We're not up to no good, promise!
Mysterious Man: I am not sure this particular entrance lends you much credibility.
Mysterious Girl: Aha ha... Guess not.
Soldier 2: Prince Leonidas! Who are these people?!
Mysterious Girl: Welp. So much for diplomacy. Take a nap, fella.
Mysterious Girl: Yah!
Soldier 2: Urgh!
Leonidas: Why, you...
Mysterious Girl: Don't worry. He's not dead—just taking a little snooze. I got him with a special tranquilizer caster of mine.
Mysterious Man: Ah?!
Mysterious Girl: That was close... He just grazed us.
Mysterious Man: I suspect that was intentional.
Mysterious Girl: But hey, where'd he get that caster? They shouldn't be widespread in this era.
Leonidas: "This era," you say? Who ARE you? From whence do you come?
Leonidas: Tell me your aims, your origins; all of it. Or I assure you my next shot will not miss its mark.
Mysterious Girl: *whistle* Guy's covered in wounds, but he's got spunk to spare, huh?
Mysterious Girl: Spilling suits me just fine. You'll want to sit down for this one, though.
Mysterious Girl: I'll tell you about the true history we saw...down to the very last detail.

Ilia: Maaan, what a night. Talk about a heart-pounding run-in!
Mordecai: And yet you didn't think to ask your passenger if he was prone to arrhythmia. Your reckless driving got us into quite a serious mess.
Ilia: You'll never understand the need for speed, Mordecai. NEED. FOR. SPEED!
Leonidas: Focus on the board. My turn is over. You're up.
Ilia: Yeah, yeah. Now, take a look. That move you called "reckless" is slowly but surely getting me somewhere.
Ilia: I've spread across the board. The real game starts now.
Leonidas: Hmph.
Ilia: Just like what we did that night, these sorts of crazy plans can be surprisingly effective.
Leonidas: You are a fool, and your heedlessness will be your ruin one day.
Ilia: D'awww, are you worried about me? Don't worry. It'll be fine.
Ilia: For better or worse, I have the Holywyrm Elysium backing me up.
Ilia: Okay, your move.
Leonidas: Yes, very well.
Leonidas: (The Holywyrm Elysium...)

Leonidas: That night, the girl who suddenly appeared before me spoke of a heretofore unknown reality.
Leonidas: Why had this young woman, an alchemist, come to be revered as the Goddess?
Leonidas: The story of how the Other was summoned. The truth about the Holywyrm Elysium.
Leonidas: Ilia told me everything about the world of a thousand years ago.
Leonidas: Yet even as she spoke of the past, she focused pointedly on the future.
Leonidas: Something about the powerful light glimmering in her eyes reminded me of Euden.

Leonidas: Where is the Holywyrm now?
Ilia: I couldn't tell you.
Leonidas: You are pactbound, yet you know nothing of your pactwyrm?
Ilia: My pactwyrm is the HOLYWYRM. It's a totally different story than the dragons you've got here.
Ilia: Wherever Elysium is, it's not far from this world. It's faint...but I can feel it.
Ilia: And that's why we came to this world.
Ilia: I'm sure this world—standing as it is on the cusp of transcending order—would be very...inconvenient for Elysium.
Leonidas: Hmph. We have no need of the dragons' "order" and their unseen rule.
Leonidas: I would take it all to the flame. Until nothing is left.
Ilia: Whoa, you had a move like that up your sleeve? Way to crank the intensity right to eleven!
Ilia: I had you pegged as a pretty reserved player, but I guess you were just building up to this the whole time, huh?
Leonidas: Proper preparation before the decisive clash is fundamental.
Mordecai: ...And does that apply to the fight with Elysium as well?
Leonidas: Naturally. The pieces are already in motion on that particular front.
Ilia: So advancing your rule of southern Grastaea is in service to that, huh? But this is you we're talking about.
Ilia: You're not planning on stopping there, are you?
Ilia: I suspect that from your perspective, southern Grastaea is too small a board...
Ilia: The final cobblestone on your bloody footpath... I'm guessing it's nothing short of total world domination.
Leonidas: ...You read my moves well. I commend you.
Ilia: Are we talking about chess here? Or...?
Leonidas: Both.

Leonidas: Right now, there are three great powers in southern Grastaea.
Leonidas: One, the Kingdom of Alberia. Two, the Kingdom of New Alberia, founded by my brother. And finally, the Dyrenell Empire.
Leonidas: First, from here in Valkaheim, I will rebuild the Kingdom of Alberia.
Leonidas: I have also been entrusted with the administration of New Alberia while my brother is away.
Leonidas: Dyrenell, for its part, has been weakened ever since the Other's disappearance.
Leonidas: Evidently, Emile has become the emperor, but...he is no threat. For the time being, we should be safe to simply observe.
Leonidas: The activities of the north and the Ilian Church pose some complications, but we will deal with them swiftly in turn.

Mordecai: So you've already worked out a means to capture the whole southern Grastaean board.
Ilia: You think it'll all go that smoothly?
Leonidas: I know not. But I needn't worry.
Leonidas: There is a distinct pleasure in wresting control back from a plan gone awry and crushing your interloper without mercy.
Ilia: Yeesh. You are one seriously nasty guy.
Ilia: But you don't scare me! Time to attack again!
Leonidas: I suspected you would do that...which is why I molded the situation on the board accordingly.
Ilia: Wait, what?!
Leonidas: Checkmate.
Mordecai: Oho. I didn't realize you had that move available. Splendid, Leonidas.
Ilia: Baaaaah! I lost AGAIN! Why the heck can't I win even one game?!
Ilia: I might not look like much, but I'm a genius, you know! At least, that's what everyone always used to tell me!
Mordecai: Ilia, you're only embarrassing yourself more...
Ilia: Ugh, this is so annoying. When did you see your path to winning the game, anyway?
Leonidas: From the very start, obviously.
Ilia: *sigh* I've gotta hand it to you. Guess that's why you're a famous conqueror.
Ilia: I'm relieved you're on our side. From the bottom of my heart.

Ilia: Hey, have you heard the word on the street about all the unrest lately?
Leonidas: In this town, you mean?
Ilia: Guess that's a yes, then. So what, you're just gonna pretend like nothing's happening?
Ilia: Valkaheim's no longer a strong-eat- the-weak kind of place, and all the former top dogs are starting to bark super loud. You're really okay with that?
Mordecai: But why are they agitated? Surely the policies which protect the strong have not changed.
Mordecai: All it means is that the weak can live in peace. Why would their "betters" be upset?
Ilia: Great question, Mordecai. As for the answer...
Leonidas: Because people are foolish creatures.
Ilia: Ding ding. Valkaheim is now a haven for the weak as well as the strong. And those at the top don't like that.
Mordecai: But why? That which they stand to gain remains unchanged.
Ilia: They don't like knowing that anyone other than themselves gets to feel good.
Ilia: They want to tread upon the unfortunate and stand cackling at the top of the heap. That's the kind of place this used to be. It attracted folks who believed that ethos.
Ilia: Then all of a sudden, that changed. And folks not entirely convinced by the new direction are raising their voices.
Mordecai: I don't understand at all.
Ilia: People can at times be incomprehensibly foolish.
Ilia: So, Leonidas, what's the glorious ruler of those foolish people going to do about it?
Leonidas: You will know shortly.
Ilia: I mean, I brought word to you precisely because the situation's already gotten as bad as it has. You can't keep burying your head in the sand here.
Leonidas: Do not attempt to give me orders.
Mordecai: He left. What could he be thinking?
Ilia: Who knows. But if he's not going to do anything right now...
Ilia: Valkaheim'll be up in flames before long.
Ilia: (What are you scheming, Leonidas? What could your true intentions be?)

Ruffian 1: This is Valkaheim—a place where the strong eat the weak!
Ruffian 1: And if our lord has suddenly lost his teeth, then WE'LL dine in his stead!
Ruffian 2: The weak have no place here. Strength is everything!
Ruffian 2: The only people who deserve to be happy here are the ones with the power!
Mordecai: So it's begun.
Mordecai: Lots of people rallying around the idea of "strength." They certainly look the part.
Ilia: Isn't it about time you told us what you're plotting, Leonidas?
Ilia: They're gonna march on us before long. We need a game plan, and fast.
Leonidas: This is Valkaheim. As they say, power is everything here.
Leonidas: Words will not avail us on fools. Thus, I will speak the only language they know... until I make them comprehend by force.
Leonidas: I have also called some of my brother's troops. It will not take long to suppress them.
Leonidas: I will crush them utterly, and teach you all the pleasure of a well-earned victory.
Ilia: Your methods in reality are just as disturbing as they are in chess.
Ilia: ...Well, he says we can hit them with everything we've got. Let's do this, Mordecai.
Mordecai: Understood.
Leonidas: I will etch the reality of our hierarchy into their very flesh and bone!

Mordecai: Take this!
Ilia: Have a taste of this!
Leonidas: Let the ember become a blaze! Go, Mars!
Leonidas: Hmph. A trifle.
Ruffian 1: Ahhh! It's gonna set us on fire!
Ruffian 2: What the hell kind of weapon's that lady shooting us with?!
Ruffian 3: The reinforcements from New Alberia are super tough, too...
Ruffian 4: They're too strong!
Ruffian 4: EEEK!
Gala Leonidas: Now answer me! What does it mean to be strong?
Ruffian 4: T-to have lots of troops at your disposal?
Gala Leonidas: Wrong. That is no more than mere muscle!
Gala Leonidas: True strength is the power to guide the weak! To wield authority in the name of those who cannot fight for themselves!
Ruffian 1: No way... That's not the kind of place this was ever supposed to be!
Gala Leonidas: True. For I was once like you. I believed that with strength alone, I could achieve my dreams.
Gala Leonidas: But I was mistaken. My brother, who has something I lack, helped me understand.
Gala Leonidas: There is no inherent folly in being strong. But power alone does not make dreams reality.
Gala Leonidas: Your neighbors are not your enemy. Channel all of your strength into enriching the lives of your fellows!
Gala Leonidas: Use your strength, your intellect, and all your capabilities to shepherd the weak!
Gala Leonidas: Depending on your actions henceforth, I will give you what you want, whether it be wealth or status alike.
Gala Leonidas: This is the new rule of Valkaheim!
Gala Leonidas: Under normal circumstances, I would have already sentenced you rebels to death. But this time only, I will overlook your actions.
Gala Leonidas: Know that my mercy is a one-time gift. Your lives have been spared. Do with them as you will. That is all.
Ruffian 1: Use the strength that I cultivated to rise up for someone else?
Ruffian 1: I thought my strength wasn't good for anything but fighting. Is he saying there are even broader applications?
Ruffian 4: But we ourselves don't have to do anything different, yeah?
Ruffian 4: We're still usin' our fists, we're just usin' them to protect the weak. Is that it?
Ruffian 2: The weak just moseyed through life all carefree, and it really got under my skin.
Ruffian 2: But you're saying that from now on, it's exactly BECAUSE those people exist that we can rise up in the world?
Ruffian 3: I like that! Let's DO it!
Ruffian 1: Agreed. Prince Leonidas saved my life, so it makes sense that I should use it in service to him!
Ruffian 3: Long live Prince Leonidas!

Ilia: Well, color me impressed. Can't believe that was your aim all along.
Ilia: Gather up all the rebels in one fell swoop, spare their lives, and get them indebted to you. Bing, bam, done.
Ilia: And by requesting relief from the seventh scion's forces, you minimized the damage done to the city.
Ilia: I was a little worried how things were gonna play out, but I couldn't come up with a more efficient method if I tried. And I'm an ALCHEMIST! I invent stuff!
Ilia: That was one heck of a turnabout. Actually, no—just like in chess, you saw it coming. Right from the very beginning.
Leonidas: Naturally.
Mordecai: Leonidas is so cool...
Ilia: Daring though it was, the outcome was perfect. Almost annoyingly so.
Mordecai: If only I could be like him.
Ilia: Uh, please no. I can't even imagine what a headache it would be having a partner who's as tricky to read as that guy.
Ilia: Still, it makes you wonder what kind of person the seventh scion is if he brought someone as fearsome as Leonidas to heel.

Ilia: A system in which the strong lead the weak... The so-called "New Way of Valkaheim" spread quickly throughout the continent.
Ilia: A system where strength could be used to the benefit of all was a good match for southern Grastaea at present.
Ilia: The weak who tire of war and seek leadership, and the powerful who would take the mantle of shepherds...
Ilia: Leonidas created a society in which both groups could live in symbiotic harmony.
Ilia: Government has begun to function not only in large cities, but in small towns and villages as well.
Ilia: Bit by steady bit, war-torn southern Grastaea began to show signs of recovery.

Mordecai: What are you reading, Leonidas?
Leonidas: Correspondence from Hinomoto. Why?
Ilia: That's the island nation to the east, right? I didn't take you for a man of diplomacy.
Leonidas: We are still in the preparatory stages. Using my brother's messenger, I am establishing a line of communication.
Ilia: Hrm. So the seventh scion's pretty good at statecrafty stuff, huh?
Leonidas: No. He has little interest in politics. But he is hopelessly addicted to helping people.
Mordecai: So you guys are like oil and water, then.
Leonidas: Aptly put. Though we were raised in the same palace, at some point our paths diverged.
Leonidas: (Maybe it was back then...)

Leonidas: ......
Alberian Noble 1: Young Leonidas has been standing there for quite some time now.
Alberian Noble 2: One hardly need wonder why. Given this is his final farewell to his mother, I imagine it is difficult to leave the spot.
Alberian Noble 1: And the poor queen. To think she left to offer succor to a village ravaged by heavy rains only to be caught up in a tornado.
Alberian Noble 2: Honestly, these dragons! One would hardly think a torrent of rain would NEED be followed on by a powerful tornado, and yet, they saw fit to make it so.
Alberian Noble 1: Aye, it is known the dragons who govern nature bring forth blessing and misfortune in equal measure.
Alberian Noble 2: But to think such a fate might befall the queen of a nation so intrinsically tied to the blood of those very dragons...
Leonidas: ......

Ilia: Leonidas?
Leonidas: It's nothing.
Leonidas: More to the point, you have asked after my brother a great deal. Has your curiosity gotten the better of you?
Ilia: I guess. I'd just like to know what kind of guy he is, given that he defeated you.
Mordecai: Though of course you're very cool yourself, Leonidas!
Leonidas: ...What?
Ilia: Sorry, my boy here can be too straightforward for his own good.
Ilia: Anyway, Leonidas. We've appreciated everything you've done for us, but it's about time we were on our way.
Leonidas: ...I see.
Ilia: You taught me a lot about this era and helped me prepare for my journey.
Ilia: And since I've left preparations to defeat Elysium to you, in all your excellence...
Ilia: We're going to try and chase after the dragon itself.
Leonidas: Hm? I thought its location was unknown to you.
Ilia: It is, for now. But if I follow the trail of Elysium from a thousand years ago, I should be able to catch up.
Ilia: I hit the books to see what happened in our world after we left it.
Ilia: Meene, the faerie who raised me as my mother and went on to become the Goddess Ilia... I'm going to pursue her and Elysium's footsteps.
Leonidas: A faerie, you say? So you head north.
Ilia: Yep. Apparently, that's where the land of the faeries lies. I think we'll head there first in search of clues.
Leonidas: I see. You may well come face-to-face with my younger brother, then.
Ilia: Yup. I'm looking forward to it. Anyway, see you around, green eyes.
Mordecai: Thank you, Leonidas. Until we meet again.
Leonidas: Each makes for their dreams...
Leonidas: (One that she may be freed from a fate ongoing...)
Leonidas: (The other that he may unearth the truth...)
Leonidas: (And I, so that I may free this world from the invisible shackles that bind it.)
Leonidas: I am no longer a powerless man who stands inert.
Leonidas: For myself, and for the world, I will march onward to fulfill my ambitions.
Leonidas: And I look forward to the day when our paths intersect once more...my brother.

Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: Prince Leonidas. Here are the status reports on all the territories in Alberia.
Leonidas: Hand them here.
Leonidas: ...Excellent. All is proceeding apace.
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: Indeed. A sense of ease is washing over the people. It almost feels as if the war looming over us until now was but a bad dream.
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: We couldn't have done it without your brilliant political insight. Thanks to you, Alberia has averted a true crisis.
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: Given the strides we've made, now might be a good time to think about taking a rest, sir. Perhaps a vacation is in order?
Leonidas: No need. I don't have the luxury of resting.
Leonidas: We have only just avoided the worst possible outcome. Restoring Alberia to its former glory will be far more laborious a task.
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: But Your Excellency... You've been working tirelessly for so long. I fear for your health.
Leonidas: Cease. The subject is tabled indefini—
Leonidas's Subordinate A: A thousand pardons, Your Excellency. A messenger from the Halidom has come to see you.
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: From the Halidom, you say? I don't recall us arranging such a visit.
Leonidas: Did the messenger identify himself?
Leonidas's Subordinate A: Yes, sir! He called himself Xander, sir!

Xander: Well, well! If it isn't the arrogant Alberian upstart. I haven't seen you since that soirée!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: Wha—how dare you speak to His Excellency Leonidas in such a way!
Leonidas: Pay it no mind. You'll only give yourself a headache if you obsess over every daft utterance that escapes this cur's lips.
Leonidas: So the biggest mouth in the North has come to me once more. You're just as irritating as ever.
Leonidas: How far you've fallen from grace—I hear you're now a lowly general in my little brother's army.
Xander: How misinformed you are. I'm no common foot soldier. I've merely made the young prince my vassal, you see!
Leonidas: Your japes grow wearisome. But enough of that. What have you come here for?
Xander: I'm so glad you asked! Duty has led me here, you see...
Xander: ...to regale you with tales of my most glorious vacation!
Leonidas's Group: ......
Leonidas: Go home. I haven't the time to indulge your braggadocio. Now if you'll excuse me, I have matters that require attention.
Xander: Playing the busy card, eh? How utterly unlike you. In the short time we've been apart, you've grown awfully small-minded.
Leonidas: Excuse me...?
Xander: When I heard you had cast aside your pride in favor of guiding the people, I was truly impressed.
Xander: But now I see you're working yourself to death like a lowly pack mule—one who would spurn the pleasures of summer without a second thought!
Leonidas: Oh, I've thought about it. I've simply decided that now is no time to relax.
Xander: Now who's being "wearisome"? Haven't you considered how you might be worrying those who serve you?
Xander: What sort of ruler causes his vassals undue concern?!
Xander: He who would call himself king must always keep an open mind. Otherwise, none will follow him!
Xander: And so! You should read my vacation diary and learn to embrace some latitude.
Leonidas: *sigh* You are incorrigible. Of COURSE that was your ultimate goal.
Leonidas: I'll say it once more, and never again: I have no interest in your ridiculous summer dia—
Leonidas: Hold. Am I reading this right...?
Xander: Pretty fantastic, eh? You must be awfully jealous of what a great vacation I had!
Leonidas: I see. So that's what this was all about.
Leonidas: Fine. Just this once, I'll take your advice.
Xander: Heh. I knew you'd see reason.
Xander: No need to thank me, by the way. It is a king's duty to help his vassals, their stubborn older brothers included.
Xander: But this is as far as I'll meddle. The rest is up to you, Leonidas.
Leonidas: Just you wait and see, Xander.
Leonidas: I'll show you how a REAL ruler goes on vacation!

Summer Leonidas: It has been some time indeed since I last set foot upon these sands...
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Well, this is a relief. It's about time His Excellency took a break.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: That's for sure. Still...
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Still?
Leonidas's Subordinate C: Er... Well, I'm having a hard time picturing how His Excellency would even SPEND a vacation.
Leonidas's Subordinate B: That's...a fair point, actually.
Summer Leonidas: Now that we're here, there's only one true way to enjoy a vacation. All of you, come with me.
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Yes, sir!
Leonidas's Subordinate C: *gulp* So begins His Excellency Leonidas's vacation. Who knows what lies in store?

Summer Leonidas: First, we need some nourishment. Let us visit the nearest beach cafe.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: Isn't that a bit of a dive?! For someone of your standing, I mean?
Summer Leonidas: When at the beach, eat like the beach-goers do, I say.
Summer Leonidas: Now, let's see if their curry can live up to my standards.
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Oh, geez... This could turn ugly real fast.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: Agreed. His Excellency adores curry more than anything. If they bring him something that falls below his expectations...
Leonidas's Subordinate B: At best, the owner will get a firm scolding. At worst, the beach will be shut down for good!
Leonidas's Subordinate C: Let's hope their recipe is up to snuff...

Summer Leonidas: Hello. Is the owner in?
Beach Hut Owner: Yes, of course! Come right on— Prince Leonidas?!
Summer Leonidas: I would like curry. Your best, if you would.
Beach Hut Owner: Yes, sir! Right away, sir! I'll get right on it!

Beach Hut Owner: Here you are, Your Excellency!
Summer Leonidas: Hm. You have my thanks.
Summer Leonidas: ......
Beach Hut Owner: *nervous fidgeting*
Leonidas's Subordinate C: (Well? Does their cuisine reign supreme? Or is their gastronomy a catastrophe?!)
Summer Leonidas: Not bad. But your preparation needs work if you hope to satisfy me.
Leonidas's Subordinate B: (Oh, geez... This joint—no, this whole beach is done for!)
Summer Leonidas: Owner.
Beach Hut Owner: I beg your forgiveness, Your Excellency! Please, have mercy!
Summer Leonidas: I'd like to borrow your kitchen, if I may.
Beach Hut Owner: Huh? Oh, er... By all means.

Summer Leonidas: Here. The trick is in the secret ingredient: a nut paste.
Beach Hut Owner: Wait, really? You can use that in curry?
Summer Leonidas: Indeed. The slight sweetness of the nuts will give the roux an even richer flavor.
Beach Hut Owner: I see! I've learned something new today!
Summer Leonidas: ...And that's how you make the perfect curry. I take it you wrote that all down?
Beach Hut Owner: Yes, of course! Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I'd get culinary advice from Prince Leonidas himself. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Summer Leonidas: Your thanks are not necessary. The strong are meant to guide the weak.
Summer Leonidas: After this, you should share the recipe for this curry with the other surrounding huts and make it a specialty of this beach.
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Not only did he keep his cool—he even went out of his way to teach the owner proper curry-making techniques...
Leonidas's Subordinate C: His Excellency is being so much nicer than usual. I wonder why.
Summer Leonidas: For the record, I can hear you.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: A thousand pardons, Your Excellency! I was just... You know...!
Summer Leonidas: I do not mean to admonish you. After all, my behavior is indeed outside the norm.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: But...why, sir?
Summer Leonidas: Because this is my personal time.
Summer Leonidas: I am not here as a noble. I am here as a simple gourmand, and I wished to give the owner some advice on how to improve.
Summer Leonidas: Now, then. I've satisfied my hunger, so perhaps I shall see how the water feels.

Beach Caretaker: Hold it, you! Swimming is strictly off-limits right n—
Beach Caretaker: PRINCE LEONIDAS?! I beg your pardon for my most ungracious behavior, Your Highness!
Summer Leonidas: I took no offense. More importantly, why is swimming presently prohibited?
Beach Caretaker: Well, for the past few days, the waves have gotten particularly violent with no sign of settling down.
Beach Caretaker: As the caretaker here, I judged the danger too great. Though it pained me, I had to do something in the name of public safety.
Summer Leonidas: Hm... Duly noted. I suppose that takes swimming off the table, then.
Beach Caretaker: Yes. Thank you for understanding. Now, I must ask that you turn ba—
Summer Leonidas: That won't be necessary.
Beach Caretaker: Huh? B-but you just agreed that swimming is not an option.
Summer Leonidas: Indeed. Swimming is not.
Summer Leonidas: But we humans need not yield to the laws of nature. There are more ways to enjoy the sea than with a breaststroke or a doggy paddle.
Summer Leonidas: For instance, if we were to make use of a certain tool...

Summer Leonidas: As I thought. This weather is perfect for surfing.
Summer Leonidas: Conquering larger waves like this makes the challenge all the more worth it!

Beach Caretaker: Incredible! Only someone as amazing as Prince Leonidas could ride the waves so magnificently!
Leonidas's Subordinate B: While that is most impressive... Do you see his expression?
Leonidas's Subordinate C: That's the first time I've ever seen him look so content.

Leonidas's Subordinate C: He really is acting different. I had no idea he was capable of letting loose like that.
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Things are so calm now, and he's been able to relax on a proper vacation at last.
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Finally, he can get the rest his mind and body have so deserved.

Summer Leonidas: Ah... Such lovely weather.
Summer Leonidas: I think I shall spend some time sunbathing and reading. The rest of you can relax however you please.
Subordinates: Yes, sir!

Leonidas's Subordinate A: How is the Prince doing?
Leonidas's Subordinate B: All is well, Captain. He's just been tanning on the beach.
Summer Leonidas: ......
Leonidas's Subordinate C: He's been enjoying his time off to the fullest. When I crept over to check on him, I found that he was sleeping soundly.
Leonidas's Subordinate B: His Excellency is NAPPING?! Like a regular person?!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: It's no wonder why—he's been busier than ever. He put on a tough face, but it seems like he really was exhausted.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: The sun will be setting soon. You all go prepare for dinner.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: This is a perfect opportunity to knock his royal socks off with a dish so good, it'll make this trip his most memorable ever.
Subordinates: Yes, sir!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: "A perfect opportunity" indeed. Heh heh heh...
Leonidas's Subordinate A: Prince he may be, but Leonidas is only human. He couldn't fight off his fatigue, and now he's left himself wide open.

Summer Leonidas: ......
Leonidas's Subordinate A: (He really is sleeping, just like they said. If I strike now—!)
Summer Leonidas: Mmngh...
Leonidas's Subordinate A: (Drat! Of all the times!)
Summer Leonidas: Hm? What is it? Did you need something, Captain?
Leonidas's Subordinate A: No, sir! Er... It's just, the sun was setting, so I was coming to wake you!
Summer Leonidas: Hm. Is it that time already? I suppose we should return to our lodgings.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: Yes, Your Excellency!

Summer Leonidas: I appreciate all of your hard work in attending to me during this vacation. As thanks, I've decided to hold a banquet this evening.
Leonidas's Subordinate B: For US, Your Excellency?! We are beyond honored!
Summer Leonidas: Use this time to rejuvenate yourselves after several days' hard work. Now, begin the preparations!

Leonidas's Subordinate B: What a relief! I can't wait for tonight!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: A banquet, eh? I can work with that...
Leonidas's Subordinate C: I hope you'll join us for the fun too, Captain! ...Huh? Where'd he go?
Leonidas's Subordinate B: That's odd. He was here just a moment ago.

Leonidas's Subordinate A: I bring news. Tonight, Leonidas will be throwing a banquet for his entourage at their lodgings.
Ruffian A: You serious, Boss?! Man, talk about a lucky break!
Ruffian A: The guards'll be completely lax during the banquet. If we seize that window of opportunity...
Ruffian A: We can kill Leonidas!
Ruffian B: Hell yeah! And once he's outta the picture, we'll take over Valkaheim!
Ruffian B: Who gives a crap about leading the weak?! We're going back to the days of the strong taking all they can get!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: That's the spirit, men. Tonight, we kill Leonidas!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: That blackguard and his retinue have at last let their guards down.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: I knew we'd have a shot during this vacation. I'd been waiting for the perfect opportunity...and it's finally here!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: (The old Leonidas would never have exposed himself like this.)
Leonidas's Subordinate A: (Valkaheim used to be all about the survival of the fittest. He used to embody that! He never would have shown this kind of weakness!)
Leonidas's Subordinate A: (But then he lost to his brother. And with that, he lost his power. His ideals. Everything! The conqueror I so admired is dead and gone!)
Leonidas's Subordinate A: (The only reason I stuck around in his military was so I could cut him down when he least expected it!)
Leonidas's Subordinate A: Let's rid ourselves of the coward Leonidas and take back the great nation of Valkaheim ourselves!
Ruffians: YEAH!!!

Ruffian C: So that's where Leonidas is staying.
Ruffian A: All right. We'll wait here. Once everyone's gotten all settled in, our boss'll come out and give us the signal.
Ruffians: Got it!

Summer Leonidas: It would seem preparations are complete. Let the feasting begin!

Leonidas's Subordinate B: Ha ha ha! This is a blast and a half. C'mon, you guys! Party hardy!
Leonidas's Subordinate C: MAN, I'm stuffed. Couldn't eat another bite if my life depended on it.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: (Heh heh... This is good. These guys don't suspect a thing.)
Leonidas's Subordinate A: (And how is our royal apostate doing?)
Summer Leonidas: The banquet has only just begun, but I've had my fill. Men, feel free to linger and enjoy yourselves to your hearts' content.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: Understood, sir!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: (He's going back to his room alone!)
Summer Leonidas: ......

Ruffian A: Oh! The boss man's out!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: Now's our chance! The guards are all distracted, and Leonidas has retired alone!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: You guys handle the soldiers. I'll take care of Leonidas!
Ruffians: You got it, Boss!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: This is it... Chaaarge!

Leonidas's Subordinate A: Attack! Those soldiers are nothing now that they're dis—
Leonidas's Subordinate C: Not so fast, Captain!
Leonidas's Subordinate B: So it had to come to this... How truly regrettable.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: What?! Why are you all—
 ???: s it not obvious? You walked into my trap with frankly embarrassing aplomb.
Summer Leonidas: I knew you were a traitor, Captain.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: No... What gave me away?!
Summer Leonidas: If you draw your sword by your sleeping master, he's bound to notice.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: Wait... Don't tell me you were only pretending to sleep!
Summer Leonidas: Hmph. Rather slow to realize, this one.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: But if you knew... Why didn't you take me in right then and there?!
Summer Leonidas: I only let you run free because I'd realized you were not acting alone.
Summer Leonidas: The banquet was nothing but a pretense for luring you and your little friends out so I could catch you all in one fell swoop.
Leonidas's Subordinate A: That's... That's ridiculous!
Summer Leonidas: While you left to speak with your group, I ordered the rest of the soldiers to pretend they were distracted by the banquet.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: We're ready for anything you throw our way! You won't be getting past us!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: Grrrgh...
Summer Leonidas: You were an upstanding subordinate. At least, until my brother defeated me.
Summer Leonidas: Thus do I offer a sliver of mercy. If you surrender, I'll allow you to escape with your lives. However, if you resist, I shall give no quarter.
Ruffian B: Hey, Boss? I don't think we're gettin' outta this one...
Ruffian C: I don't wanna die!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: Dammit... I thought you'd gone soft, but your fangs are as sharp as ever!
Leonidas's Subordinate A: So WHY, then?! If you're still this strong, why won't you rule with an iron fist the way you used to?!
Summer Leonidas: If you can't figure that out for yourself, you have no right to call yourself my subordinate.
Summer Leonidas: Soldiers, seize those traitors!
Subordinates: Yes, sir!

Leonidas's Subordinate B: To think there really were people after Prince Leonidas's head, just as he predicted...
Leonidas's Subordinate C: And what's worse, the Captain was the one pulling all the strings! When His Excellency first told us, I couldn't believe my ears.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: If I may ask, sir: when did you realize there was someone coming after you?
Summer Leonidas: I think it should be quite obvious.
Summer Leonidas: I knew from the very start.

Leonidas: I'll say it once more, and never again: I have no interest in your ridiculous summer dia—
Leonidas: Hold. Am I reading this right...?

Xander: Pretty fantastic, eh? You must be awfully jealous of what a great vacation I had!
Leonidas: I see. So that's what this was all about.
Leonidas: (I can only surmise that this letter is referring to the Captain. Now it's all beginning to make sense.)
Leonidas: (Ever since what happened with my brother, he's been acting quite suspicious. It seems this is the cause.)
Leonidas: Fine. Just this once, I'll take your advice.

Summer Leonidas: It was at that moment that I devised this plan to draw out these conspirators.
Summer Leonidas: If I made them think I was lost in some sort of summertime reverie, I knew they would jump at the chance to attack me as soon as the moment was right.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: M-my word... So it wasn't just the banquet. The whole vacation was part of your plan!
Leonidas's Subordinate B: You truly are a genius! Your foresight is rivaled by none!
Summer Leonidas: But of course.
Summer Leonidas: (You see this, Xander? This is how I handle things!)

Summer Leonidas: We've completed all objectives. Begin the withdrawal.
Subordinates: Yes, sir!

Leonidas's Subordinate B: Man, Prince Leonidas really is incredible. I never suspected this whole vacation was part of some larger plan.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: You can say that again. Just goes to show how superior he is to us average Joes.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: Y'know, watching him have so much fun in the sun, I genuinely started to feel like I could relate to the guy. Guess I was hasty.
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Oh, you mean when he was making curry at that beach hut and surfing and stuff?
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Yeah. I suppose it was all a ruse—all to make the enemy come out of hiding...
Leonidas's Subordinate C: It's such a shame. I really was hoping His Excellency could take some "me time."
Summer Leonidas: You seem to be laboring under a misunderstanding. I did in fact do just that.
Subordinates: You...did?!
Leonidas's Subordinate C: Then you really were enjoying yourself?
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Are you telling me you lured your enemies into a trap and had yourself a vacation at the same time?!
Summer Leonidas: Indeed. It was just what I needed to unwind.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: Truly, never has there been a greater master of killing two birds with one stone.
Summer Leonidas: Hm... No, that's not quite accurate.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: It's not? Then...?
Summer Leonidas: You'll see soon enough.
Subordinates: ...?
Summer Leonidas: We're going back to Valkaheim now. Keep up.
Subordinates: Yes, Your Excellency!

Beach Hut Owner: Come one, come all! This beach is the only place you can try Prince Leonidas's secret curry recipe!
Tourist A: His Excellency devised this? Why, it's marvelous!
Tourist B: *munch* *munch* More, please! I want seconds. No, thirds!

Surfer A: Dude! I'd heard the buzz, but the real deal is so much sweeter. These waves are one seriously wild ride!
Surfer B: You can say that again. I sure am glad we came all the way out here!
Beach Caretaker: Welcome, welcome! I take it seasoned surfers like yourselves are interested in a more challenging spot? I'll lead the way!
Surfer A: Suh-weeet. Let's do it!

Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: The local economy has improved significantly. All those new specialties have drawn tourists from all reaches of the land.
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: And where people go, money follows. The restaurants and lodgings on the way to the beach and its surrounding areas are profiting from its success as well.
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: Ultimately, we can surmise that revenue for that region will be twice—no, three times that of the previous year.
Leonidas: Understood. Thank you for the report.
Leonidas's Subordinate C: Hey, did you hear that?
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Yeah... All the stuff Prince Leonidas did wound up giving the whole area around the beach a serious shot in the arm!
Leonidas's Subordinate B: Now I understand why he said he wasn't taking out two birds with one stone...
Leonidas's Subordinate B: He was going for THREE!
Leonidas's Subordinate B: He was dealing with the seditionists, revitalizing the local economy, and having a fun vacation all at once!
Leonidas's Subordinate C: He's a man among men! All hail Prince Leonidas!
Leonidas's Subordinate C: That really seals the deal. I'll follow him for as long as I live!
Leonidas's Subordinate B: As will I. With him at the helm, this kingdom's future is bright!
Leonidas's Army Staff Officer: It would appear morale is at an all-time high, Your Excellency.
Leonidas: I wouldn't have it any other way. They are MY subordinates, after all.
Leonidas: And my subordinates must be ever at the ready to assist in my path to conquest.