"The Gods of Rome are not dead," said Lancer. "Distant, perhaps. They were so in my time - withdrawn to the stars and planets, waiting for us to rediscover the rituals that might summon them. But instead I have found here a kingdom of Epicurians who do not even attempt to win their favour - though neither, I suppose, do they anger them. A curious bargain for the world to have made."

She snaps her book closed and turns it over in her hands; the colour shifts to a deep and warlike red, expanding three times in size. She opens it and places it on the stump of a fallen tree, revealing a page of maps. "There are two sources of mana I can identify on the board, both controlled by our foes. The first is a Sunshard, the catalyst for this ritual. The second is the temple shrine that even now will be fortified by Archer and, I expect, Berserker. However, my Master presents a unique opportunity for us to acquire a third. As a Princess -"
"A princess," corrected Aeglesia.
"That's what I said," said Lancer, irritated. "A Princess -"
"I'm not a [i]Princess[/i]," insisted the centurion girl. "I'm only a princess."
"Please," said Lancer, touching her head. "What?"
"If I was a Princess we wouldn't even need the plan, we'd have already succeeded," said Aeglesia.
"Am I having a stroke?" said Lancer.
"It's very simple!" said Aeglesia. "I'm a princess, which lets me fight Princesses, and if I win I'll get to become a Princess and they'll be demoted to princess. And when I'm a Princess I'll have all the mana we need!"
"... Perhaps you are right, varangian," said Lancer. "Perhaps the Gods are dead."
"Anyway, the only one nearby is Princess Jezara," said Aeglesia. "I mean, Princess Qiu is also nearby, but she's the strongest and I don't think we could fight her. But with your help we can probably beat Jezera!"
"The nature of this conflict means we will only win the prize without friction if the victory clearly belongs to my Master and not either of us," said Lancer. "Our roles in this battle will be to lend her all the indirect support we can manage - sharing our arsenals, disorienting and goading the enemy, manipulating wind and weather. Success will secure our strength for the remainder of the campaign."