It is tradition that a small ceremony has to be observed before the annual battle at Gronder Field. This sacrament is enacted by the Archbishop Rhea, and is attended by all participating in the commemorative battle of Eagle and Lion. Surprisingly, in spite of the unclear nature of the observance, Rhea's inferences are mostly poignant and exact; she thus appears to make sense of a confusing, and esoteric flash. The ceremony shall go accordingly: Seteth upon instruction will release an eagle. Rhea should then examine the trajectory of it's flight and (at the moment of observation) infer important information concerning the future of Seiros and Fodlan all together. Admittedly, it is a bit disconcerting that a bird may presage our collective fate— how does Rhea prepare for such a momentous task? I readied myself to scrutinize Rhea's observance. What exactly is she looking at? Will she analyze all of the perceptible facets of the eagle's movement and compound it with her own qualia? Will she use magic to analyze the indirect happenings that help occasion flight, such as the speed and directionality of wind? Is it possible that this ceremony is an act of harmless credulity, observed by credulous people subservient to tradition and faith? Tradition is itself a credulous act, because it ascertains whichever event is annualized will be identically executed each year. This assertion ignores all that is contingent, it ignores the chance encounter that impacts the ceremonial the same as a scripted speech or a tune played by nervous trumpeteers. It feels like everything is special. What I mean by that is things only reappear aesthetically, even though it is the nature of the Goddess herself to sew difference between us, so as only to reveal it was all one big amalgamation the entire time. I learned that from Sothis. I think Edelgard is sympathetic of my ideology, because she too has expressed a feeling of collectivity amongst all things. It is this feeling that leads her to protect so fiercely, even in these times of (relative) peace. I have to keep her close, her and Jeralt are the only ones I can trust, because even though Rhea is a reliable ally I cannot trust her or her motives.