The following happened in the Royal Palace of Evilonia, in the year 1005 AE, shortly before Winter turned 13 years old.

---

Misandria: I swear, I'm getting tired of all of these damned Dragon Masters and their Magic!

Misandria: Can someone here remind me why exactly it is that we can't train our forces to use Dracomancy?"

Mars Flamehand: We've tried to teach our Mages Dracomancy, Your Highness, but it seems that it must be some secret that the Akushinese learned from the Dragons themselves…

Misandria: What?! Don't tell me you're listening to the lies of the enemy now, too?!

Misandria: Adaman's Fist slew all of the Dragons and their kin millions of years ago! Are you questioning the Book of Adaman?!

Mars: No, but it didn't say that some Dragonkin may not have perished.

Mars: I mean, there are still crocodilians and turtles, and there's also the Lizardmen…

Aries Bloodletter: Perhaps it's hereditary. If we can get some of the Akushinese to join our side, then perhaps they can use their Dragon Magic against the others.

Mars: I'm afraid that won't work.

Mars: It seems that it isn't hereditary, as we have some Akushinese converts to Adamantism who have already defected, and they can't seem to use Dracomancy either.

Winter: Aren't Dragon Masters a type of priest, and not just spellcasters?

Winter: Remember: The Akushinese practice a form of Draconism, so it stands to reason that that might have something to do with their ability to use Dracomancy.

Winter: You're far better at Metalomancy than any of the Akushinese are, right Mom?

Misandria: Yes, that's true…

Misandria: …But are you saying it's impossible for an Adamantist to use Dracomancy, then?

Winter: Perhaps. Then again, it's also possible they'd just need to learn it directly from someone who already has mastered it.

Winter: On that note, I have an idea.

Misandria: What is it?

Winter: Perhaps some sort of cultural exchange is in order.

Winter: If I were to spend some time in Akushina, perhaps I could learn the secret of Dracomancy. And if we brought an Akushinese Dragon Master or Dragon Knight here in exchange, perhaps we could learn something about it from them as well.

Misandria: Hmm… an intriguing idea…

Misandria: Perhaps you could go to Akushina, seeing as how you're interested in Dragons and such anyway.

Misandria: And as much as I hate saying it, perhaps you being an Evelynist might enable you to be able to learn it, as well.

Misandria: It's up to you though.

Seth Schadenfreude: I'd strongly advise against this ridiculous idea, Your Highness.

Seth: The Akushinese may be able to get information out of her if she goes there, or even brainwash her into becoming a spy.

Seth: For that matter, she's already an Evelynist, so how do we know she's not already working for them?

Misandria: Shut up, Schadenfreude! Nobody asked you!

Misandria: I have no idea why the hell my mother made you of all people the Secretary of War when you've never even been in one.

Misandria: Like I said before, it's up to you, Winter.

Winter: Yes, I'd very much like to go.

Winter: Also, I was thinking that perhaps Prince Tatsu could be the one to take my place here in the palace

Aries: Would they really be willing to trust us enough to allow Prince Tatsu to stay here? I mean, he's one of their strongest warriors…

Misandria: Yes, but Winter is one of ours. Plus, my husband has some friends in Velnir who can pull a few strings to get the talks started.

Misandria: According to our intel, neither the Velnirese nor the Akushinese want to continue fighting, and anything they think may help bring an end to this war will be appealing to them.

Misandria: Even if it means a temporary truce, I'm still willing to go forward with this, since it might just turn the tables in our favor.

Misandria: Anyway, let me call Andrew and tell him about it.

Misandia (Telepathy): What do you think about sending Winter to Akushina, in an attempt to learn the secrets of their Dracomancy?

Andrew (Telepathy): You mean some kind of foreign exchange program?

Misandria (Telepathy): Yes, a royal one. Winter spends time over there, and Tatsu spends time here.

Andrew (Telepathy): Well, I think they'd like the idea, given that they know very little about our family.

Andrew (Telepathy): …I'm OK with it myself, if that's what you're asking.

Misandria (Telepathy): Yes, I was.

Misandria (Telepathy): I may not like your opposition to the war, nor your misguided religious beliefs, but you're still her father, and also my husband.

Misandria (Telepathy): …You deserve to have a say in this decision just like I do.

Andrew (Telepathy): You're a kind woman, Misandria, and a far better person than you realize.

Andrew (Telepathy): Even though my beliefs are different than yours, and I'll never fight in your war, I've always admired your faith, and I'm glad that I married you.

Andrew (Telepathy): …You probably really are the "Valkyrie", if there is such a thing.

Misandria (Telepathy): Sigh… You always find ways to compliment me, don't you?

Misandria (Telepathy): We're both Paladins, regardless of our different faiths, and all Paladins at least have their honor, don't we?

Misandria (Telepathy): Some of these spineless cowards around me that call themselves Adamantists seem to have no concept of honor, though.

Misandria (Telepathy): …Part of me just wants to slaughter them all, frankly, and rid the world of their menace.

Misandria (Telepathy): …But I can't do that, because that would go against my own code of honor.

Misandria (Telepathy): And of course, they are willing to use their wealth to help supply my military, so they're not completely useless…

Misandria (Telepathy): I'd trust you or my daughters over them any day, though.

Misandria (Telepathy): Anyway, you can arrange for this exchange with the Akushinese, right?

Andrew (Telepathy): Yes, it can be arranged.

Misandria (Telepathy): Good.

Misandria (Telepathy): …I love you.

Andrew (Telepathy): And I love you too, my Queen.

Preparations began for Winter to visit the royal family of Akushina, with whom she would spend 1 year, while Prince Tatsu of Akushina would spend the same year with the Evilonian royal family.

Upon her arrival in the Akushinese Royal Palace, she was greated by the empress herself.

Ino Akusho: Welcome to my queendom, Princess Winter of Evilonia.

Ino Akusho: Tell me, why did you wish to come here, right into the jaws of your mortal enemy?

Winter: I seek the Truth.

Ino: …The truth? What “truth” exactly is it that you seek, Princess?"

Winter: The Truth of all things.

Winter: The truth about my kingdom's history, the truth about my mother's lineage, and the truth about the Union of the Snake. I wish to know it all.

Winter: Through doing some research into our history in the Royal Library, I found a number of anomalies and inconsistencies with what seems to be believed by most of Evilonia's population, and what's taught in the schools there.

Winter: It seems there's a massive cover-up, perhaps even some sort of conspiracy.

Ino: So you're a conspiracy theorist, then?

Winter: Yes, but I'm not content to merely theorize about these things, and I wish to learn the truth, so that I know what must be done about it all.

Ino: I see…

Ino: Well, Truthseeker, if you wish to know the truth so badly, you've come to the right place. You won't like what I'm about to tell you, though…

Winter: Regardless of what the nature of the truth is, I seek it without fear or hesitation.

Winter: …Deluding myself about the true nature of things accomplishes nothing.

Ino: Very well…

Ino: First, let me say that everything you read in those old books in the Royal Library was correct. You are not “Princess Winter Adamantia of Evilonia”, but rather “Princess Winter Evelynia of Evelynia”.

Ino: As for the true nature of your lineage, Queen Malva Evelynia, your nation's “founding queen”, is the one who changed the name of your nation to Evilonia, and dissolved the pact that her ancestors had maintained with Megami—the Goddess you Westerners refer to as “Evelyn”— for thousands of years.

Ino: Tell me: Do you know the true nature of the “War God Pact” that she made with Adamant?

Winter: No, but I have my suspicions about it.

Ino: I see…

Ino: Tell me this then: Do you know who your mother's father was?

Winter: According to our history books, the queens of Evilonia are capable of having children without marrying anyone, and that is one of the blessings that Adaman bestowed upon the royal bloodline.

Ino: Well, that's actually surprisingly accurate.

Ino: The “War God Pact” stipulates that every firstborn child of the Evilonian royal family will be female, and must marry Adaman himself upon reaching adulthood.

Ino: The goal of this was to gradually “breed out” the humanity of the Evilonian royal bloodline, until a 2nd war gid came into being.

Ino: Your mother Misandria not only believes herself to be the Valkyrie, but also this 2nd war god that the War God Pact was devised to bring into existence.