But lest you condemn me as ignorant or a loner for making such a statement, I should remind you that there is only one Iudex of Fontaine in this world.
Maybe in another few centuries, archaeologists will find books filled with pure fiction, mistake them for rare historical records, and draw all kinds of conclusions from them. Perhaps by then the truth of the past will be consumed as entertaining fiction.
I know that adepti suffer heartache just as I do, but I cannot know Xiao's future. Will Xiao be ravaged by the unending war he wages and be plunged into despair? Or, will he meet someone who understands his sacrifice and can shine a ray of light into his dark world...
For to overcome is to move forward,not to wallow endlessly in the past. Pity that my former travel companion,for all their year of rumination,lacks Collei's clarity on this. Or perhaps some situations are simply too complex to be resolved by good intentions & honest effort alone.
It's a good idea to avoid unnecessary battles, but for Wriothesley, turning the tables on someone and throwing down can be quite the cool and refreshing experience.
These Black Serpent Knights have lost their intellect. But perhaps, in whatever remains of their minds, they are still protecting the people of Khaenri'ah.
If you're curious to know more, try buying her some deep-fried snacks and get her talking about popular novels and shows. I think you'll find what she has to say less intimidating than her stern gaze might suggest.
She is a god with no love left for her people, nor do they have any left for her. Her followers hope only to be on her side when the day of her rebellion against the divine comes at last.