Edelgard & Ferdinand A

Edelgard
Hello, Ferdinand. You seem to be in a good mood.

Ferdinand
What is that supposed to mean?!

Ferdinand
Perhaps you expected me to hold a grudge against you after our duel. In fact, I have moved on.

Edelgard
Have you now? Well, I'm glad to hear it.

Ferdinand
I took it hard at the time, I will confess.

Ferdinand
I always thought that I equaled you in skill, or even surpassed you. But you showed me that I do not come close to matching your talents.

Ferdinand
Yet a true noble does not give up in the face of defeat.

Ferdinand
I will continue my training, and one day I will be an elite warrior. That is the path I must take, as a noble and a man of honor.

Edelgard
You really are in a good mood. Your determination is admirable.

Ferdinand
Yes. One day, I will surpass your abilities, and I will defeat you in combat.

Edelgard
Ferdinand... There's something I've been meaning to say to you for a while now.

Edelgard
Honestly, I couldn't care less that you are of noble birth.

Edelgard
Your fierce determination doesn't come from your bloodline. It's your own doing.

Edelgard
The reason I value you and want to be friends with you is because of who you are, not who your family is.

Ferdinand
Hm. I have something I would like to say to you too.

Ferdinand
Certainly, we must recognize the commonfolk who strive for greatness and attain it.

Ferdinand
But for those of us born into nobility, things are more complicated.

Ferdinand
From birth, nobles must excel. If we do not, we will be forced out of our houses.

Ferdinand
This environment breeds superior individuals, and they, in turn, recreate the rigorous environment for their own children.

Ferdinand
Without that cycle, there would be no political elite guiding the world towards prosperity.

Edelgard
Heh, so you're saying that the kind of world I'm striving to create is wrong?

Ferdinand
I would not go so far as to say your way is "wrong." Just that another way might be better.

Ferdinand
If you insist upon undoing the nobility, then we must build something in its place.

Ferdinand
We can provide free education for all, and then select the highest-performing students for more intensive training and tutoring.

Ferdinand
I truly believe that people are products of their environment.

Edelgard
Finding a way to educate the people... Interesting.

Edelgard
I'm impressed by how much thought you've given this.

Edelgard
No matter what shape the world takes, I'm sure I'll always need people like you by my side.

Edelgard
People with strong principles who will argue with me and force me to consider ideas that are contrary to my own.

Ferdinand
Yes, exactly! Finally, Edelgard, you appreciate how important I am to your cause!

Edelgard
I've always thought of you as a valued friend, Ferdinand. That's nothing new.

Ferdinand
Edelgard... I have to tell you something. I think now is the right time.

Ferdinand
Do you know what my ancestor Derick von Aegir said after your ancestor defeated him?

Ferdinand
He said, "You are an Imperial beauty! Please accept me as your husb—"

Edelgard
Halt, Ferdinand! There's a time and a place for everything...but that time is not now.