August taps his foot and considers for a moment.

“Kormanser is correct. If we have any advantage at all, it is in both magic and mobility. We have skilled mages and a summoner in our ranks, as well as a spell-blade and geomancer. That, I warrant, will prove invaluable. I myself can take to the skies, in addition to my friend’s flying allies. And a flair for dissimulation, should things come to that, might give us the element of surprise we need. Why, come to think of it, Lady Chara, you even have a passing resemblance to the princess, do you not?”

“You see, we are of diverse talents. But the question remains—where is the princess now? Any plan will hinge on that detail.”