Neinheart

StoryNPC

Neinheart (Neinheart Von Rubistein)
CurrentAngryYoung"Future"
Title	Tactician
Hometown	Rien
Current Residence	Ereve
Gender	Male
Race	Human
Family	Lilin (younger sister) Tru (distant cousin)
Affiliations	Maple Alliance Empress Cygnus Cygnus Knights The Adversary
Minions	Cygnus Knights
Enemies	Black Mage Black Wings Gerand Darmoor High Flora
Status	Alive
Name (Other Servers)
KoreaMS	나인하트 (Neinheart) 나인하트 폰 루비스타인 (Neinheart Von Rubistein)
JapanMS	ナインハート (Neinheart) ナインハート・フォン・ ルビスタイン (Neinheart Von Rubistein)
ChinaMS	南哈特 (Neinheart)
TaiwanMS	那因哈特 (Neinheart) 那因哈特‧波恩‧魯賓斯坦 (Neinheart Von Rubistein)
MapleSEA	Nineheart Nineheart Von Rubinstein
Voice Actors
GlobalMS	Tony Azzolino
KoreaMS	Hosan Lee Jihoon Choi (Cygnus Returns video)
JapanMS	Chiharu Sawashiro

World Archive

“The chief tactician of Her Majesty Cygnus, Empress of Maple World, and the leader of the Cygnus Knights.
He's incredibly busy, handling everything from gathering info across Maple World to maintaining the Knights and keeping Ereve flying steady. Because of all that, a lot of Knights say it's hard to approach him, even when they need to report something. It probably doesn't help that he's known for his sharp tongue.
But I don't mind. I finally have a chance to talk to him myself, and I'm not going to pass that up!
Still, just the thought of walking up to Neinheart makes me tremble a little...”

― Chronicler Q

Neinheart Von Rubistein is the tactician and advisor of Empress Cygnus and the Maple Alliance. As the Empress' strategist, Neinheart directs the Cygnus Knights and the members of the Alliance on missions to gather intel and combat the Black Mage, and later Gerand Darmoor.

Story

The Rien Clan

Neinheart was a member of the Rien Clan alongside his younger sister, Lilin. For many years, the Rien Clan passed down stories of the legendary Heroes who had sealed away the Black Mage, believing that the lost hero, Aran, who remained frozen on the island, would one day awaken. Over the centuries, the Rien Clan continued passing down the prophecy of the Heroes' return, though many slowly began to lose faith. One by one, the clan began to leave Rien until only Neinheart and Lilin remained. Eventually, even Neinheart lost faith in the prophecy and decided that he would rather take fate into his own hands by finding the lost descendant of Empress Aria, who could then become the next ruler of Maple World. However, Lilin and Neinheart got into an argument over his decision, and when Lilin refused to abandon Rien and her faith in Aran's return, Neinheart left her behind.

Empress in Training

After a long and difficult search, Neinheart succeeded in finding the descendent of Aria's niece, a young girl named Cygnus. He brought her before the Senate of Ereve, hoping that they would recognize her as the heir to Ereve. Cygnus explained that though she was unsure whether she was part of the Empress' bloodline, her departed mother had told her that their ancestors had come from Ereve. Despite Cygnus' uncertain tone and bearing, the Senators immediately knew the truth about her ancestry, as the natural elegance of an Empress could not be hidden. The elders then gave Neinheart one year to prepare her for her responsibilities as Empress, after which they would give their decision. In order to help prepare Cygnus for her evaluation, Neinheart summoned a wandering warrior who owed Neinheart a life debt. Though the warrior was reluctant to help, upon seeing how young and innocent Cygnus was, they believed that they had no choice but to stay.

During the spring, Neinheart focused on teaching Cygnus about the common sense and knowledge needed to become Empress, for which he sent the warrior to meet a dragon named Nix in Minar Forest. In exchange for eliminating some of the monsters in the forest, Nix gave the warrior a book that had been handed down since Empress Aria's time, as well as a monocle for Neinheart, jokingly claiming that as a fellow bookworm, Neinheart would need it. With the book, Neinheart began teaching Cygnus about the principle of ruling, not dominating, which came from exerting a ruler's absolute authority only when all their subjects consented. Over the months, the warrior watched Cygnus grow in insight, occasionally even surpassing the elders with her wisdom. Nevertheless, the warrior couldn't help but note that Cygnus was still quite young.

In the summer, Neinheart decided to focus in improving Cygnus' charm and elegance. He sent the warrior to Kimu, who decided to make her a new dress. He explained that Ereve had always used special materials for the Empress' dress, as simple fabric and dye couldn't express her mystical and graceful nature. In order to collect the materials, the warrior traveled to Aqua Road and collected white, green, and black pearls, which Kimu used to make a magnificent new dress for Cygnus. Though Cygnus continued learning and growing, she unexpectedly fell ill in the autumn. Neinheart sent the warrior to meet with Kiridu, who instructed them to obtain medicine from Mr. Do in Mu Lung. Mr. Do was surprised that an envoy of Ereve was searching for children's medicine, as there were no children in Ereve. The warrior managed to change the subject and convinced Mr. Do to help. After the warrior obtained the necessary ingredients, Mr. Do made the medicine, which the warrior brought back to Ereve.

Upon taking the medicine, Cygnus immediately felt better, to which Neinheart told her that they would spend the rest of the season on her recovery, as taking care of herself was also a crucial skill as an Empress. Cygnus then confessed that she was having doubts on her ability to become Empress, noting that if the Empress' bloodline hadn't been cut short, she would be living a normal life, though everything had changed when Neinheart had found her. Though she knew that it was something that she had to face, she wondered whether someone as weak as her could take on Maple World's destiny, as even thinking about it made her feel helpless. She then apologized for pulling the warrior and Neinheart down when everyone was working so hard for her, as she knew that she didn't have a choice on the matter when she was the last of her bloodline.

However, Neinheart replied that she didn't have to become Empress if she didn't want to. He explained that he was speaking from his heart when he said that he believed that everyone had the right to choose their own destiny. He told Cygnus that in his hometown of Rien, a prophecy had been handed down to their clan about a hero returning to fight against the Black Mage. However, the prophecy had never come true, and many of the Rien Clan had left one by one, leaving only himself and his sister. He recalled how Lilin had believed that he was simply running away like everyone else, though Neinheart had insisted that he was merely finding another way, as he had strongly believed that he could trace the Empress' descendants through research.

Though he had asked her to come with him, Lilin had refused, claiming that she didn't need him, as she would wait for the true hero, Aran. After Neinheart had left, she had shouted that she would never call him brother again. Neinheart told Cygnus that though he had left Rien and Lilin behind, he didn't regret it at all, as he had chosen her, not the hero. He explained that everyone needed to make their own destiny, as no one could force the other, even by putting a grand reason like 'saving the world' on it. He claimed that he had rejected the prophecy and had chosen another path, and that if Cygnus chose not to be Empress, he would simply find another path, as he sought the end of the Black Mage, which was his choice, and no one else's. He then left Cygnus to ponder his words.

Over the next few months, the warrior noted that Cygnus was often sick, and that it always took her a long time to recover. Meanwhile, in Edelstein, Black Wings henchmen reported to Orchid that an envoy of Ereve had sought out children's medicine. In the winter, Neinheart noted that the final season was upon them before Cygnus' evaluation. He told the warrior that he wished them to find the Flower of Fate, which was often a knight's token of loyalty to his lady in romantic stories, as he believed that it would empower Cygnus with strong will. The warrior obtained the flower in the mountains of El Nath and presented it to Cygnus, who was touched by the gesture. At the end of the year, Cygnus was brought before the elders, who questioned her about her lessons. They asked Cygnus whether she was ready to shoulder the burdens of being the Empress, warning her that not only would her health deteriorate while absorbing the power of Shinsoo, but that there would also be many assassination attempts on her life, not to mention the constant struggle of having the entire world depend on her leadership.

Before Cygnus could respond, word arrived that the Black Wings had invaded Ereve, as the kingdom's borders were weak without an Empress to use Shinsoo's power. Cygnus resolved to take on the responsibility of being the Empress and accepted Shinsoo's power, declaring that it was a choice that only she could make. With her leadership, the wandering warrior and the army of Ereve successfully repelled the Black Wings' invasion and Cygnus was crowned the next Empress of Maple World. With word of her victory spreading, Maple World grew aware that a new Empress had been crowned, and that she had successfully demonstrated her strength by defending Ereve in crisis. With their debt repaid, the warrior took their leave and returned back to a life of adventure. Meanwhile, Cygnus hoped to grow their forces in order to defend Maple World against the Black Wings and the Black Mage's return.

Search for the Knight of Light

After having struggled to repel the Black Wings' invasion, Cygnus realized that Ereve lacked the military strength needed to protect Maple World. To remedy this, her first act as Empress was to create the Cygnus Knights, an order of knights that would defend the people of Maple World from the Black Wings and other threats. As they slowly began to raise their forces, Neinheart told Cygnus that according to historical records, there existed a guardian stone known as Shinsoo's Teardrop, whose power had once protected Ereve. Neinheart believed that obtaining the jewel would help strengthen her legitimacy as Empress. However, he noted that its whereabouts were unknown, as its guardian, the Knight of Light, had been missing for many years. Neinheart explained that the Knight of Light reportedly held some connection to Shinsoo's power, and that tracking down the Knight would allow them to recover the jewel in the process. In order to find the Knight of Light, Neinheart and Cygnus began searching the remote corners of Maple World.

During their investigation, Neinheart and Cygnus were separated in a remote forest, when Cygnus was suddenly attacked by a pack of wild dogs. However, Cygnus was soon rescued by a young boy named Mihile, who defeated the entire pack and went to check on the girl. Noticing that her leg was injured, he offered to take her back to his house for first-aid. As the two came in contact, however, Mihile's Soul Shield immediately lit up. Suddenly, Neinheart rushed to the scene and asked Cygnus whether she was okay. Mihile was surprised to hear that Neinheart was calling her an Empress, as he didn't expect the ruler of Maple World to be a little girl around his age. Cygnus reassured Neinheart that she was alright, after which he thanked Mihile for his timely intervention. Cygnus then told Neinheart that she believed that Mihile was the Knight of Light whom they had been searching for, as she had felt the power of light emanating from him when they had made contact, which she noted was the same energy as Shinsoo. Neinheart then formally introduced Cygnus and himself, and Mihile did the same.

Mihile then asked what they were doing in such a remote area, far from any towns. Neinheart replied by asking whether Mihile had ever heard of the Knight of Light and judged from the boy's reaction that he had. He revealed that they were searching for the Knight of Light, the protector of the Empress, as the Knight of Light had been absent for quite some time. Mihile was surprised, as his father had never mentioned that the Knight of Light defended the Empress. Neinheart then asked Mihile to come with them to Ereve, where he would explain more details and begin Mihile's training to awaken the Knight of Light's power. Mihile was conflicted and asked for some time to make a decision. Cygnus told him that she could feel the power of light within him and hoped that they could unlock it together, though she added that she would respect his choice either way. Mihile realized that following Cygnus would lead him closer to awakening the Soul Shield, but he also recalled how his father had told him to stay home. Nevertheless, he was sure that Cygnus held the key to awakening his power and told himself that if his father had known that envoys of Ereve had come, then he certainly would have given his permission. He decided to write a letter to his father explaining where he had gone, after which he followed Neinheart and Cygnus to Ereve.

As Mihile stared in awe at the new sights before him, Neinheart told him not to stare at the Piyos, explaining that it was impolite. He then explained that the Piyos were the native race of Ereve. Mihile and the Piyos exchanged greetings, after which Neinheart told them that Mihile was the Knight of Light, and that he would be training to awaken his powers. A Piyo elder took a close look at him and noticed that he seemed very familiar. She then asked Mihile whether his father was Chromile. Mihile replied that his father's name wasn't Chromile, to which the elder explained that Chromile had been the last Knight of Light, and that he had a single son who would have been Mihile's age by now. Neinheart pointed out that the Knight of Light was not a hereditary title, to which the elder apologized for her mistake and wished Mihile well on his mission. The three then made their way to Shinsoo, whom Neinheart explained had been the protector of Ereve since the time of the first Empress, with her power being manifested through all the Empresses of old. He then told Mihile that protecting Ereve was their current goal by forming the Cygnus Knights, as historically, the Knight of Light had been the only guard for the Empress, with the title passing down over generations. Mihile was unsettled by how much his father hadn't told him and he began to wonder why, as all he had been told was that the Knight of Light was the only one capable of extracting the jewel within the Soul Shield, not that they were sworn to defend the Empress.

Neinheart then went on to explain that the Knight of Light had a second, secret mission, which was to protect Shinsoo's Teardrop, a gem said to have great power. Though the exact nature of the power was unknown, Neinheart explained that it was undoubtable that the gemstone had great influence in protecting Ereve. He added that even before Cygnus had become Empress, generations of Knights of Light had continued protecting the gem over the centuries. He then told Mihile that despite him having the power of light, he had not yet awakened, and he would likely not do so by training alone, as the Knight of Light's power manifested while serving the Empress. Mihile agreed and proceeded to undergo the same test that all Cygnus Knights applicants went through, after which he became an official Cygnus Knight. Mihile then began to gather his thoughts, realizing that the Knight of Light's purpose was to guard the Empress, not to wield great power as his father had told him, with even the jewel within the Soul Shield functioning as a guardian power for Ereve, not for granting wishes. He then wondered whether he would be able to both protect Cygnus and make his father's wish come true, though he decided that for now, he would keep on training so that he could fulfill his father's dream. Neinheart soon decided to tell Mihile about the last Knight of Light, Chromile. He explained that Chromile's name had appeared the most during his research into the Knight of Light, as he had been an example of a perfect knight and a role model to others. However, a mysterious assailant had killed him, along with his wife and son, because of a grudge that they had carried against Chromile. Neinheart then showed Mihile a photo of Chromile and his family, which Mihile found vaguely familiar, recognizing that he looked just like Chromile.

Atan's Siege

Soon after, Neinheart told Mihile that one of Empress Aria's keepsakes had gotten lost in Perion while being transported, and so he sent Mihile to recover it. Meanwhile, Atan - Mihile's father - learned that Mihile had gone to Ereve. Furious, Atan stormed Ereve and fought through the Cygnus Knights, claiming that he had come to take back something that belonged to him. Soon after, Mihile returned to Ereve and learned from Kidan that an assailant was after the Empress. He rushed to the Empress' Resting Spot, where he found a lone Neinheart standing between a hooded Atan and Cygnus. Atan asked Cygnus and Neinheart what they were trying to do by taking Mihile, and whether they were planning to use the jewel within the Soul Shield to make a wish for Ereve to return its former glory. Cygnus was surprised that Atan believed that Shinsoo's Teardrop was capable of granting wishes and assured him that they had no such designs, as all she wanted was to awaken the Knight of Light, whose duty was to protect the Empress, Ereve, and Maple World. However, Atan merely pointed his blade at her and demanded to know where Mihile was. As Atan swung his blade, Mihile rushed between them and raised the Soul Shield, which gleamed with a brilliant light. It deflected Atan's sword, throwing off his hood and revealing his face, though the Soul Shield broke in the process. Mihile was shocked to see his father, but Atan merely smiled warmly and congratulated Mihile for awakening his power. He then told Mihile to use his new power and extract Shinsoo's Teardrop from within the Soul Shield so that he could wish upon it to revive his brother, just as they had been dreaming for years. However, Mihile angrily confronted him about all the people he had hurt during his siege on Ereve.

An irritated Atan asked Mihile how he could care about the lives of strangers over his own brother. Reminding Mihile about the reason why he had become a Knight of Light in the first place, Atan asked him to extract the jewel, claiming that he was very proud of him. When Mihile hesitated, however, Atan expressed his disappointment in Mihile, claiming that he had always trusted Mihile to see their mission through before wondering what the people of Ereve had done to him. Though Cygnus and Neinheart urged Mihile not to hand the jewel over, Atan successfully convinced Mihile to reluctantly extract Shinsoo's Teardrop from within the Soul Shield. As Neinheart attempted to stop him, Atan slashed him with his sword, causing Neinheart to collapse in pain. Atan then attempted to use Shinsoo's Teardrop to revive his son, though the jewel - which was a Seal Stone - refused to heed his wish, as the Seal Stones could only grant the wish of a population, not an individual. Upon realizing that he had failed, a furious Atan revealed that Mihile was not his biological son, as Mihile had always believed. Instead, Mihile had been the son of Chromile, whom Atan had kidnapped after killing Mihile's parents, in order to trick Mihile into extracting Shinsoo's Teardrop so that he could revive his true biological son, whom Mihile had mistakenly been led to believe was his brother. Having told his story, a defeated Atan told Mihile that he had wasted decades of his life and had spilled gallons of blood over a useless rock.

The Piyo elder called Atan a monster, but Neinheart replied that Atan was even lower than that, having murdered an innocent family and kidnapped their child. However, Atan replied that the blame lay not with him, but the one who had made up the story of Shinsoo's Teardrop being able to grant wishes. Atan looked around and noticed Kidan, calling him a poor head of security whose entire force couldn't even stop one person, and Neinheart, whom he called a bookworm who could barely lift a book. However, he claimed that the blame lay with none but Cygnus. Though he acknowledged that she herself had not started the story, he nevertheless believed that she should have known, and that it was time to harvest the seeds that her ancestors had sown. He then added that if she believed it to be unfair, then she could blame her ancestors when she met them in the afterlife. Mihile quickly came between Atan and Cygnus, dueling his adoptive father and defeating him once and for all. Though conflicted on what he should do after losing his family, Mihile decided to give Shinsoo's Teardrop back to the Empress and accepted his destiny as her Knight of Light.

The Chief Knights

As Mihile traveled the world to grow stronger, the Cygnus Knights' numbers continued to grow, with four promising Knights - Oz, Irena, Eckhart, and Hawkeye - rising through the ranks. Cygnus and Neinheart called Mihile back to Ereve, as they wanted to introduce him to his new peers. Cygnus then gave the Knights her first order, which was for them to spend time and grow acquainted. Neinheart and Cygnus then took their leave so that the five Knights could talk freely. After they all introduced each other, they turned back to Neinheart, who had been watching them intently from a distance. Neinheart then explained that they had been summoned not only to get to know each other, but also because the Cygnus Knights had received reports of anomalies in Sleepywood. He told the Knights that the Drakes and their subspecies had gone feral, with the cave creatures having expanded their territory all the way to the swamp. As the Victoria Guard could barely hold the monsters back, Neinheart feared that other parts of Victoria Island would be in danger, and so he ordered the five Knights to take care of the five subspecies of Drakes. In Sleepywood, the Knights successfully quelled the monster attack and discovered that the Drakes had begun acting restlessly due to a strange toxin. Back in Ereve, the five Knights reported their success to Neinheart and noted their concerns about the Drakes' abnormal behavior. Neinheart suspected that the Drakes' behavior was related to a related incident in Henesys, in which the Golems had started behaving erratically too. Mihile then presented the strange scale to Neinheart and explained that it seemed to have poison powder. Neinheart grew thoughtful and noted that it warranted its own investigation before congratulating the Knights on their successful mission.

Soon after, the Black Wings - having tested their new hallucinogen on the Drakes and Golems - spread the toxin to Ereve in order to make the Knights go berserk. Mihile quickly received an emergency telegram from Neinheart, who ordered all knights to return to Ereve immediately. Mihile rushed to Ereve and met with Neinheart and the other senior Knights. Neinheart explained that several Cygnus Knights had inexplicably begun to turn on each other, as though they had been bewitched. Hawkeye noted that it seemed as though someone wanted to cause a division amongst them, causing Eckhart to wonder whether the perpetrators were spies. Neinheart told them that he believed otherwise, adding that Shinsoo was doing what she could to keep the rest of the knights pacified. Mihile then asked him where Cygnus was, to which Neinheart regrettably replied that he had lost sight of her. He then tasked the Knights with defeating the wayward knights and rescuing the Empress. Mihile was able to rescue Cygnus and escorted her back to the others, who were relieved to see her safe. Neinheart noted that the same thing which had happened to the Drakes had happened to the Knights, concluding that the same person had been responsible for both. He added that only the Black Wings would attack them so brazenly, but nevertheless, he expressed his relief that the crisis was over. With the situation resolved, Neinheart and Cygnus announced that they were planning to name the five Chief Knights that would lead each division of the Cygnus Knights. Cygnus then appointed each knight and blessed them with the power of an elemental spirit.

The Black Witch

As the Cygnus Knights grew stronger, a Resistance began growing in Edelstein. Over time, the Resistance grew in numbers and soon decided that it was time to take back their city. They reached out to the Cygnus Knights, proposing a joint operation to remove the Black Wings from power. However, the Cygnus Knights soon learned that the Black Wings were once again plotting to assassinate the Empress. A veteran knight named Dunamis was sent to infiltrate the Black Wings' base in Edelstein, where he discovered the mastermind of the plot: a high-ranking officer of the Black Wings named Eleanor the Black Witch. Although he couldn't finish her off, Dunamis took a black scale from her that she was carrying and returned to Ereve. Unsatisfied with his failure to capture her, Dunamis went back to Edelstein against Neinheart's counsel in order to defeat the Black Witch. However, Eleanor lured him into a trap and captured him. To rescue Dunamis, Neinheart dispatched a second Knight. The Knight was able to rescue Dunamis, who thanked them and explained that he had almost captured Eleanor when she had trapped him. He told them that he was confused about why she had gone easy on him the first time, even allowing him to bring back the black scale to Ereve. They decided to investigate and went deeper into the mine before entering Eleanor's room. Inside, they found her secret plans and were horrified to learn that the black scale was part of a spell that she was planning to cast. They fought their way out of the mine and returned to Ereve.

Upon arriving, they were shocked to find that the entirety of Ereve had lost its color. At the Empress' Resting Spot, they found Cygnus, Neinheart, Shinsoo, and all the Chief Knights turned to stone. Eleanor then appeared and explained that Shinsoo's power prevented any curse from befalling Ereve, but a resident of Ereve could inadvertently bring it inside the borders, which was why she had allowed Dunamis to take the black scale with him. The Knight then defeated Eleanor, causing her to retreat and break the spell. Though the Black Witch had been defeated, they realized that Eleanor's true plan had been to prevent the Cygnus Knights from aiding the Resistance. As a result, the Resistance had gone into battle expecting reinforcements that never arrived. The failed attack resulted in heavy casualties, and the Resistance was forced underground once again. Believing that the Cygnus Knights had betrayed them by going back on their word, the Resistance vowed that they would take back their city alone, and this event sparked heavy animosity between the two organizations.

Hunt for the Seal Stones

After Aran awakened in Rien, she began training to recover her lost skills and memories with the help of Lilin and Tru, a distant cousin of Lilin and Neinheart who worked as an information broker in Lith Harbor. Aran began working with Tru in order to learn about the purpose of the Black Wings' activities on Victoria Island. In Perion, Aran helped 10 Boogies defeat Francis the Puppeteer, with 10 Boogies learning that Francis was using his puppets to control the monsters of Victoria Island. 10 Boogies then asked Aran to deliver her research report to Neinheart, as she was unable to leave her post. In Ereve, Neinheart was surprised to see Aran arriving with 10 Boogies' report, wondering why a stranger had come in her place. Though he thanked Aran for delivering the report, he politely asked her to leave, as Ereve was closed to anyone who was not seeking to become a Cygnus Knight. Aran asked Neinheart who the Cygnus Knights were, to which he bemusedly asked whether she had really done a favor for 10 Boogies without even knowing who the Knights were. He then explained that the Knights had been formed by Empress Cygnus before asking her to leave him to his work.

During Aran's investigation on the Black Wings, Evan arrived on Ereve in order to learn where the Cygnus Knights obtained their mounts, as he wished to learn how to ride Mir. In Ereve, Neinheart demanded that Evan state his name, job, and purpose, as Ereve was a restricted area. Evan was confused, as he had seen many people entering and leaving Ereve. Neinheart explained that they were Cygnus Knights and ordered Evan to leave immediately. Evan persistently asked how Ereve made their mounts, but Neinheart once again asked Evan for his name, job, and purpose. Evan introduced himself as a Dragon Master, which intrigued Neinheart enough that he resolved to look into what a Dragon Master was. He then told Evan that they outsourced production of saddles to Kenta in the Aquarium. With that, Neinheart insisted that they leave at once.

Soon after, Aran learned that the Black Wings were attempting to steal the Seal Stones hidden across Maple World. After learning that the Black Wings were targeting the Seal Stone of Ereve, she traveled to Ereve and met with Neinheart, who was surprised that Aran knew about Shinsoo's Teardrop. Nevertheless, he told Aran to leave, as not only was Ereve closed to foreigners, but he also didn't trust that Aran wasn't one of the Black Wings herself. Shortly after, the Black Wings conducted an operation to try to steal the Seal Stone of Ereve. Baroq Master of Disguise, used his powers to disguise himself and infiltrate the island, but thanks to Aran's timely warning, Neinheart was prepared and mobilized the Cygnus Knights, who forced Baroq to retreat. Soon after, Neinheart asked Aran to come to Ereve. There, he thanked Aran and explained that her warning had allowed the Cygnus Knights to stop the Black Wings from taking Shinsoo's Teardrop. He explained that he had initially mistrusted Aran because of her strange aura, and because the letter had been so realistic that he had suspicions about her. However, after thoroughly investigating her, he explained that there was no need to doubt her, adding that he could now understand, to some extent, the feelings of ‘that child' who had waited for her, though he quickly dismissed his words as him merely talking to himself.

Meeting Mercedes

After the Black Wings began targeting Elluel, Mercedes decided to request for help from the Cygnus Knights at the recommendation of Athena Pierce, who wrote a letter of introduction to Cygnus so that she knew to expect Mercedes. Sure enough, Neinheart greeted Mercedes as royalty and led her to the Empress, who agreed to send a detachment of guards to Elluel. After their meeting, Neinheart told Mercedes that he could only spare a few knights, but assured her that they would be sufficient. Mercedes asked Neinheart whether Cygnus would be alright, as the young girl was shouldering a huge burden. Neinheart promised that Cygnus was wise beyond her years, despite her youth, and that he, Shinsoo, and the Cygnus Knights were doing everything in their power to support her. Still, Mercedes felt uneasy in her mind about the Black Wings and the return of the Black Mage, wondering whether Cygnus, a frail little girl, would have the strength to lead the people in the event of a full-scale war. Nevertheless, she returned to Henesys and told Athena Pierce about the successful negotiations. Despite the Cygnus Knights' efforts, the Black Wings continued to assault Elluel, even going as far as to kidnap an elf child in order to bait Mercedes. After Mercedes resolved the situation, Neinheart reached out the Mercedes and apologized on behalf of the Cygnus Knights for having allowed Moonie to be kidnapped.

Hilla's Return

In order to destabilize Cygnus' legitimacy as the Empress, Hilla posed as a noblewoman and publicly made a claim that she was the true heir to Ereve. With Shinsoo away for unknown reasons, an emergency conference was held in Ereve, where Hilla would testify for her right to the throne. Phantom, who had been largely underground since waking up from the ice, decided to publicly reveal himself for the first time in order to defend Aria's heir. Together with his butler, Gaston, they devised a plan to reveal Hilla's treachery and save Empress Cygnus. On the day of the conference, the Lumiere anchored itself directly above the Knight's Chamber while Phantom infiltrated Ereve, which was on high security because of the number of high-profile world leaders gathered in one place. He then disguised himself in a robe and talked his way through the inner security. Hilla then appeared before the royal court and Neinheart began questioning her about her claims. In the crowd, Phantom hid himself and listened to the Senators discussing Hilla's apparent ownership of Skaia, the treasure of Ereve.

Hilla began explaining the legend of Skaia, which was said to hold many powers, with one being that it glowed only in the hands of one descended from the Empress' bloodline. Irena countered that there were no historical records of Skaia's powers, but Hilla replied that the people of Ereve were the only ones in Maple World who had seen pictures of the gem, and so she claimed that their own knowledge of Skaia's appearance would allow them to see that her gem was real. Hawkeye responded by saying that jewels could easily be forged, but Hilla countered by telling him that as he hadn't been alive centuries ago, his opinion on the validity of the gem was of no importance. Hilla then argued that the reason why Cygnus was so frail was because she was being overpowered by Shinsoo's strength, as only a true Empress could handle Shinsoo's power, insinuating that Cygnus had been stealing Shinsoo's power for herself. Cygnus agreed that she was too weak to handle Shinsoo's power and admitted that she had been frail ever since childhood.

Shaken by Hilla's argument, she began to doubt herself and told Neinheart that that she couldn't ask the people of Maple World to fight on her behalf if she truly didn't have any real authority or qualifications. Hilla then proposed a test to determine the true Empress and demonstrated that Skaia glowed in her hands. She then challenged Cygnus to see if it would glow in hers as well. When Skaia failed to glow in Cygnus' hands, the Chief Knights reassured her that the legitimacy of the jewel itself was dubious, and that Shinsoo would reveal the truth when she returned. Neinheart added that Hilla could also be scheming to place doubt on her position. Hilla lauded Cygnus for her wisdom, despite her young age, but urged her to make the right decision and cede the throne. Just then, Phantom appeared from the balcony and halted the proceedings. He then began to systematically counter Hilla's arguments one by one before revealing that her Skaia was a fake. After driving Hilla away, Phantom vanished in a flash of cards, leaving the real Skaia in Cygnus' hands.

A New Knight

A descendant of the Noblesse - an ancient order of warriors who once carried out the will of Shinsoo - arrived in Ereve in the hope of becoming a Cygnus Knight. During their training, Neinheart arrived and urgently reported that Baroq the Master of Disguise had infiltrated Ereve and stolen an important treasure. The Noblesse offered to help, and though Neinheart noted that they were not a trained knight, he nevertheless allowed them to join the search party, though he warned them not to engage Baroq. The Noblesse soon encountered Mihile during their search and quickly deduced from his behavior that he was Baroq in disguise. After defeating him, they recovered the missing treasure and brought it to Neinheart. Neinheart congratulated the Noblesse for passing the mock training, explaining that it had been the final part of the examination. He added that the exercise had been based on an actual situation, in which Baroq truly had invaded Ereve and attempted to steal Shinsoo's Teardrop. The Noblesse expressed their surprise that they had been able to defeat the mock Baroq, to which Neinheart clarified that they would surely have been killed if they had been facing the real one. He emphasized that their decision to face Baroq alone despite being told not to engage in combat directly impacted their fellow knights and the Empress, which was why it was important that they remember that they didn't have to do everything by themselves.

He then sent them to meet with Cygnus, who would determine whether or not they had passed. Cygnus formally introduced herself after their brief meeting in the pavilion, and the Noblesse apologized for their behavior during the mock exam. Though Cygnus noted that Neinheart had been right to ask them to retreat in the mock training, the Noblesse had also demonstrated a knightly quality in marching towards their destiny with conviction. Because of this, Cygnus decided to formally recognize the Noblesse as a Cygnus Knight. The Noblesse, now a Cygnus Knight, met with the five Chief Knights and chose their path. After learning new skills, they returned to Neinheart, who explained that the Cygnus Knights were investigating the Black Wings, and so he assigned them their first mission, which was to go to Victoria Island and investigate the actions of Francis the Puppeteer. He instructed them to seek out an informant named Roca, who would tell them more about the Black Wings. After learning that Francis was attempting to invade Victoria Island once again by controlling its monsters with puppets, the Knight returned to Ereve with a mission report. Neinheart was pleased that they had been able to defeat Francis with ease, informing them that Francis was the lowest-ranking Black Wings officer, and that the others would be much more difficult to defeat, as each of them had bizarre and powerful abilities. The Knight asked him why the Black Wings were trying to resurrect the Black Mage, to which Neinheart told them that the Black Wings believed that the Black Mage would allow them to rule the world, though Neinheart dismissed them as fools who were wasting their talents.

Nevertheless, he warned the Knight not to underestimate the Black Wings' power, explaining that they had taken over the land of Edelstein. He told the Knight that Edelstein had once been prosperous in the mining industry before the Black Wings had taken over. As the Cygnus Knights were unsure about the Black Wings' motives, he told the Knight that he was sending them in to investigate. The Knight was eager to have been assigned the mission, as they hoped that their actions would make a difference to the people of Edelstein. However, Neinheart told them that he needed to explain something important before they were dispatched. He told the Knight that there was a Resistance against the Black Wings, but that they were not allied with the Cygnus Knights. When the Knight asked why that was, Neinheart told them that they would learn the answer themselves on the mission. He also emphasized that they should expect no support from both the Resistance and the citizens of Edelstein. With that, he sent them to rendezvous with 10 Boogies in the outskirts of the town.

After completing their mission, they returned to Ereve and met with Neinheart. When the Knight told Neinheart of how the Resistance had reacted to the Cygnus Knights, he explained that part of a Cygnus Knight's job was to learn how to deal with animosity, adding that part of what it meant to serve their land meant facing and accepting its people's anger and resentment. The Knight protested that it hadn't even been their fault, as the Black Wings had hindered them and blocked off communications. Neinheart told them that the day would come when the Resistance would come to see the truth about the Cygnus Knights, though he added that the Knights would need to learn to accept the Resistance's anger until then, especially because it had been the Cygnus Knights' fault for not having foreseen the Black Wings' sabotage in advance. He then told them that they should not be afraid of being criticized, as a flower could not bloom without dirt. The Knight noted how philosophical it sounded, to which Neinheart laughed that he and Mihile would spend long nights discussing philosophy, while Hawkeye merely called it hogwash. He then asked the Knight to deliver their report to the Empress, after which the Knight continued training in Maple World.

Soon after, they were contacted once again by Neinheart, who noted that they seemed to have made a name for themselves during their travels. He called them back to Ereve, where he asked whether they would be willing to try becoming an Advanced Knight, explaining that he wanted someone as strong as them to be an example to other Cygnus Knights about how strong they could become. He also added that as their enemies were growing stronger, it was imperative that they grow stronger as well. Neinheart sent the Knight to meet with their Chief Knight, who agreed that they had become stronger. However, they explained that while their Official Knighthood exam had tested their strength, their Advanced Knighthood exam would test their faith. They explained that a Knight's faith was revealed when facing inner darkness, and so they sent the Knight to the Third Drill Hall, where the Knight faced their inner darkness in the form of a dark shadow. They then reported back to their Chief Knight, who was pleased and sent them to meet the Empress. Cygnus was impressed by their growth and unlocked greater power within them before promoting them to Advanced Knight.

The Ancient Book

Soon after, Neinheart reached out to them again and noted that they had grown much stronger. He explained that he had an urgent secret mission that he normally would have only trusted a Chief Knight to undertake, but as all the Chief Knights were away on missions, he had decided to entrust it to the Knight on their Chief Knight's recommendation. He asked them to retrieve a special book from Wiz the Librarian at Helios Library, emphasizing that it was highly important. After the Knight - with the help of the Resistance - stopped the Black Wings from taking the book, they brought the book back to Neinheart, who who congratulated them on their successful mission. He thanked them for recovering the book, explaining that it was extremely important and could never fall into the hands of the Black Mage or his followers. The Knight asked what was written in the book, as Wiz had mentioned that it was in a strange language. Neinheart told them that all he knew that it was a research journal on ancient powers.

He explained that long ago, the Ancient Gods had ruled Maple World with their own laws. Though it was unknown who had written the book, nor how or why it had been written, it was clear that it had been written about powers that no longer existed in Maple World, meaning that it had to have been written countless ages ago. He explained that seemingly by chance, the book had resurfaced in Helios Library, as though someone had put a bookmark into that moment. He explained that he had sent the Cygnus Knights to obtain the book, not because they sought the ancient power for themselves, but because they wanted to keep it out of the Black Wings' hands. He also added that their relationship with the Resistance was less than ideal, and so he hoped to arrange a place to talk with them as soon as possible. Neinheart then sent the Knight to speak with Cygnus, who asked them about their experience with the Resistance during the mission. The Knight confessed that they and the Resistance hadn't been able to get past their differences, though Cygnus remained optimistic that reconciliation was possible. She also reminded the Knight that they were not alone and wished them well on their journey to grow stronger.

Meeting Kaiser

As Kaiser trained in Maple World, the Cygnus Knights began growing curious about his relationship with Magnus. At Neinheart's request, 10 Boogies met with Kaiser, who introduced herself and noted that word about his activities had reached the Cygnus Knights, for which she invited him to the Henesys Game Park for a conversation. Kaiser wondered what such a powerful force in Maple World wanted with him, and so he agreed to meet them. There, he encountered several armed soldiers and began suspecting that he had been led into a trap. Just then, Neinheart arrive with 10 Boogies and apologized for greeting him in such a manner before assuring Kaiser that they meant him no harm. He then told Kaiser that he had built quite a reputation in a short amount of time, and though the Cygnus Knights were grateful for all his help, they wanted to receive clarification about a certain matter, explaining that Kaiser resembled a dangerous enemy of theirs. At Kaiser's confusion, Neinheart explained that the Cygnus Knights had been formed to fight the Black Mage, who had several Commanders that served him, including Magnus. A shocked Kaiser asked whether Magnus was also in Maple World, to which Neinheart noted that Kaiser's surprise led him to believe that he wasn't affiliated with Magnus. However, he asked Kaiser what he meant by 'too', as he made it seem like Magnus was not from their world.

In order to discuss the matter further, Neinheart asked Kaiser to come to Ereve and speak with the Empress. Believing that the Cygnus Knights could make powerful allies for the Nova, Kaiser agreed and traveled with them to Ereve, where he told Cygnus and the others about Grandis and the Nova. Cygnus noted that she had only ever heard rumors of another world, but never its name or any other details about it. She explained that she had originally thought that Magnus was just another Commander, though she noted that him being from another world raised many questions, such as why he had come to Maple World centuries ago. Kaiser replied that though he didn't know Magnus' purpose, he could confirm that Gerand Darmoor had sent him there. Cygnus recognized Darmoor as the warmonger from the stories about Grandis and noted that he was said to have conquered much of Kaiser's world already.

Neinheart then added that what worried him even more was that they knew nothing about his world, though it seemed as though Magnus knew much about theirs. Realizing that they couldn't ignore the danger that he posed, Neinheart noted that the Cygnus Knights and the Nova had a common enemy in Magnus. He added that while it may be too early for an alliance, they could nevertheless establish a cordial relationship for the time being, such that each could help the other understand their world. After Kaiser agreed, Neinheart wrote a letter and asked him to serve as liaison by delivering it to the Nova Council. Kaiser delivered the letter to Beldar, who believed that the Cygnus Knights' terms were reasonable. He noted that he hadn't expected Magnus to go to Maple World and wondered whether he may have treated the injuries that he had sustained at the hands of the former Kaiser there. After hearing Kaiser's opinion of the Knights, Beldar approved the union and appointed Kaiser as the Nova's official liaison with them.

Clearing Olive's Name

After an Explorer named Olive was accused of stealing the Seal Stone of Victoria Island, Olive decided to find the true culprit in order to clear her name. After learning that Baroq the Master of Disguise had shapeshifted into her in order to steal the jewel, Olive traveled to Ereve in order to learn more about him. There, an Explorer discovered Olive, as well as a fellow Explorer named Rondo, who captured Olive and dragged her away. As he took her, Olive begged the Explorer to ask Neinheart about the Master of Disguise. Upon questioning Neinheart, the Explorer learned that he had once met the Master of Disguise, who seemed to have a penchant for precious jewels. Neinheart then made a copy of the Cygnus Knights' notes on the Master of Disguise and gave the document to the Explorer, who brought it to Athena Pierce.

Birth of an Alliance

As her doubts began growing about whether she could lead the fight against the Black Mage's forces, Cygnus called Mihile and asked him to return to Ereve. There, she told him that the Cygnus Knights had grown in strength, enough so that their next battle may be against the Black Mage's dark army. Though she acknowledged that her Knights and her people deserved an Empress at the height of her confidence, she confessed that she had her doubts. Mihile reminded of her words, that they were stronger when together as one, and suggested that they join forces with others outside Ereve. Surprised at his suggestion, Cygnus noted that she had a responsibility to her people, and that their well-being rested on her shoulders. She then wondered whether calling on others to ease that burden was prudence or indolence. Mihile told her that though he was no expert on the ethics of rulership, he promised that he would always follow her, no matter her decision. Cygnus thanked him and called his faith the foundation beneath her.

Soon after, the Cygnus Knight was contacted by Neinheart, who explained that the Empress was on the brink of making an important decision. Before she did, however, she wanted the counsel of each of her knights, and so all the Cygnus Knights had been ordered to return to Ereve immediately. The Knight reported to Cygnus, who thanked them for returning to see her. She told them she was afraid that despite everything that they had done, the Black Wings continued to remain a threat, with rumors stating that the Wing Master, one of the Black Mage's Commanders, had returned. Cygnus asked the Knight to collect reports from her informants about the state of Maple World. After collecting both reports, the Knight returned to Cygnus and told her what both informants had explained. Cygnus thanked them and explained that the Black Mage's Shadow had attacked Maple Island while the Knight had been away. She told them that she had sent the Cygnus Knights alone to stop the shadow, explaining that she had believed that it was their role to help those in need by themselves. However, she explained that she had come to realize that they needed allies, which would be a difficult task to accomplish. Nevertheless, she asked them to tell Neinheart that she had made up her mind about creating an alliance.

Neinheart thanked them for bringing Cygnus' decision and asked them to help arrange the First Continental Conference. He explained that they would need to invite the Explorers, the Resistance, and the Heroes. Though there was no single leader of the Explorers, he told the Knight that Athena Pierce was highly respected amongst the community. As she had personally lived through the tyranny of the Black Mage, Neinheart hoped that she would understand the need for the alliance. Regarding the Resistance, he explained that Claudine led the movement, though he was unsure of whether the Resistance would accept the invitation. In regard to the Heroes, he explained that they had faced the Black Mage centuries ago, and though they were merely individuals, they represented far more than that, which would bring legitimacy to the alliance. Neinheart then told the Knight to meet with the Resistance, while others would invite Athena and the Heroes. Neinheart emphasized the importance of the mission and explained that he was entrusting it to them because of their ties to the Resistance.

Soon after, Cygnus asked Neinheart to arrange a royal meeting between herself and Mercedes, as she wished to hear Mercedes' counsel as not only a fellow royal, but also as someone who had once faced the Black Mage. At the meeting, Cygnus asked Mercedes for her counsel, not only as a fellow royal, but also as someone who had once faced the Black Mage. She told Mercedes that she had been recently plagued by nightmares, and that she had come to realize that the Cygnus Knights couldn't defeat the Black Mage alone. However, she also realized that they would be unstoppable if the rest of Maple World stood alongside them. Because of this, she was planning on creating a worldwide alliance and asked Mercedes for her opinion. Mercedes confessed that it would be difficult to accomplish if the people of Maple World couldn't look past their differences. However, she told Cygnus that despite it being difficult, it was what Maple World needed. She explained that centuries ago, she had been forced to watch Maple World fall to ruin because its people couldn't look past their own selfish desires. In the present day, however, she believed that Cygnus could bring about a new era of strength to defeat the Black Mage, and so she supported Cygnus' decision. Cygnus thanked Mercedes for her insight and invited her to the upcoming conference that she was planning to host.

After receiving unanimous confirmations, the First Continental Conference took place and the Maple Alliance was officially created.

Soon after, Neinheart summoned several members of the Nova - Kaiser, Angelic Buster, and Cadena - to Ereve, where Cygnus thanked them for coming before introducing herself. She asked them whether they knew about the Black Mage and explained that he was an evil Transcendent who had tried to destroy the world long ago until he had been sealed away by several brave Heroes. However, Cygnus revealed that the Black Mage's seal had been broken, and with the Cygnus Knights unable to handle the threat themselves, she had hoped to form a worldwide Alliance against him. Upon hearing this, the Nova heroes agreed to lend their support and officially joined the Maple Alliance.

Some time later, Neinheart contacted Illium and his friends and explained that he had heard about them from his sister, Lilin, who had mentioned how they had been helping people around Maple World, and how they had even helped her with the problem in Riena Strait. He then asked if they would be interested in meeting him in Ereve. After Illium arrived in Ereve, Neinheart told him that the Empress wanted to meet him. Cygnus then greeted Illium and explained that she wanted to recruit him into the Maple Alliance. Illium was surprised by her request, as he was from another dimension and wondered what he could do for Maple World. He also felt that it was unwise to fight for a different world, rather than for the Verdant Flora. Cygnus responded that she had heard from Kaiser that the people of Grandis were fighting against Gerand Darmoor. Illium told her that Darmoor was responsible for massacring his people, and that he was the sworn enemy of the Verdant Flora. Cygnus then asked if he knew that Magnus, the Nova traitor and a follower of Darmoor, had served as a Commander of the Black Mage. Illium was surprised to learn that Darmoor's reach had extended even to Maple World. Cygnus told him that both Darmoor and the Black Mage were evil beings who threatened the peace of both Grandis and Maple World, and that they needed to be stopped. She added that in exchange for his support, the Alliance would fight alongside him to liberate Grandis as well. Illium told her that he needed to discuss it with his friends first, and that he would give his answer soon. After getting their approval, Illium returned to Ereve and told Cygnus that they would join her. Cygnus was pleased by their decision and officially welcomed them into the Alliance.

Over time, several other heroes who had come to Maple World from other worlds - Shade, Kinesis, Ark, Hoyoung, Adele, Kain, Lara - traveled to Ereve in order to meet with Neinheart and Cygnus, who formally welcomed him into the Alliance.

Some time later, Athena Pierce reached out to Khali and suggested that she join the Maple Alliance. Khali traveled to Ereve and met with Neinheart, who greeted her and explained that Empress Cygnus wanted to invite her to the Alliance after hearing about her achievements. He told her that he had heard from Fenelle that though she was a High Flora, she wasn't allied with Darmoor. As she had her reasons for turning her back on the High Flora, and since she was working to protect Maple World, Neinheart explained that he had decided to trust her and invite her to the Alliance. Khali then spoke with Cygnus, who greeted her and explained that Maple World and Grandis were influencing one another, and that it might even be meaningless to distinguish between the two dimensions at this point. She then asked Khali to lend her strength to aid Maple World, to which Khali explained that though she wanted to help, she couldn't, as she had a bigger goal. Cygnus told Khali that she had heard about her situation from Fenelle and explained that the fact that she had lost her power and had left her hometown meant that her enemy must be powerful. She noted that if Khali faced them alone, then she might end up repeating what had happened. Cygnus then promised that the Alliance would aid Khali when the time came if Khali would help them in return. After considering it, Khali accepted and was officially welcomed into the Alliance.

As Alpha and Beta explored Maple World, Neinheart contacted them after hearing rumors of their activities. Neinheart invited the twins to Ereve, where he introduced them to Empress Cygnus and explained that she had created the Maple Alliance to stand against the Black Mage. He added that the Nova had also joined their alliance, with warriors from across Grandis lending support to their efforts on Maple World. He then requested for Alpha and Beta to join the Alliance and gave them time to discuss it amongst themselves. Alpha was dubious about joining the Alliance, telling Beta that the two of them could defeat the Black Mage, even without the Alliance's help. However, Beta noted that since they all had a common enemy, it would be better for them to work together. Alpha replied that he didn't want to be tied down, to which Beta noted that many people had joined the Alliance, and that their lives would be at risk if the Alliance failed to defeat the Black Mage, leaving the two of them alone in a world swarming with monsters. Reluctantly, Alpha agreed with Beta's point and met with Empress Cygnus, who thanked them for their support and welcomed them into the Alliance.

Azwan Investigation

Following the formation of the Alliance, Neinheart summoned an Alliance member in order to assign them their first official mission. He explained that though they might be wondering whether it was too early for the Alliance to begin undertaking missions so soon after its formation, the war against the Black Mage was just beginning, and that they needed to prepare immediately. He explained that amongst the Black Mage's forces, the Commanders were those with the greatest power, and that the Alliance was tracking their movements. As the Commanders were formidable and dangerous, with the possibility of there being even more new Commanders in the future, Neinheart asked the Alliance member to lend their strength to the Alliance's investigation, as he believed that only someone as strong as them could handle any unexpected situations that may arise. After giving them a report on the known Commanders, Neinheart told the Alliance member that he expected a great deal from them, as they were one of the strongest members of the Alliance.

He then began explaining that the lost city of Azwan had recently reappeared. He revealed that Azwan was the hometown of Hilla, who was said to have destroyed Azwan and offered it to the Black Mage after she had become a Commander. Because of this, he believed that there may be clues about Hilla in the lost city, for which he tasked the Alliance member with their first mission to assist the Cygnus Knights with their investigation of Azwan. After the Alliance member finished their investigation and learned that Hilla was spreading fake Elixirs of Everlasting youth, they reported back to Neinheart, who was disturbed to know that his suspicions about Hilla being active in Maple World had been confirmed, though he nevertheless thanked the Alliance member for their help. He told them that the Alliance would continue their investigation, and he they would call upon them when they were next needed, though he asked them to share any new information about the Black Mage that they uncovered in the meantime.

Black Mage's Laboratory

After the Alliance member discovered the Black Mage's laboratory deep beneath Magatia, they decided to notify the Maple Alliance and traveled to Ereve, where they met with Neinheart. Neinheart noted that he had heard rumors about Magatia being built upon on the Black Mage's research, though he added that if the story was true, it explained why the alchemists were trying to hide the truth. He then wondered whether Dr. De Lang would be happy to know that he had achieved his dream after having lost his memory, though he added that his honor would at least be restored now that Phyllia knew the truth. He added that though Magatia had only borrowed the theory of the Black Mage's research, the Alliance would nevertheless resolve to keep a closer eye on the alchemists, after which he thanked the Alliance member for their help. Soon after, Neinheart reached out to Kaiser and told him that the Alliance had discovered the Black Mage's laboratory in Magatia. Neinheart explained that the Alliance had found several interesting documents, and though he had already sent copies to the Nova, he wanted to show one particular document to Kaiser directly, which contained information about the Transcendents.

The Empress' Nightmare

Neinheart contacted the Cygnus Knight and noted that they had grown very strong, with few Cygnus Knights being able to match their strength. He told them that rumors had been circulating that Cygnus and the Knights had betrayed Maple World and joined the Black Mage. Though he believed it to be absurd, he acknowledged that rumors grew stronger as more people talked about them, regardless of how ridiculous they were. He also noted that since the rumors originated from the Gate to the Future, it was possible that someone had confused a hypothetical future with reality. He asked them to investigate the rumors, but as the Temple of Time was dangerous, he told them that they would work alongside their Chief Knight. He then sent them to meet with Della, one of their informants. At the Temple of Time, the Knight and their Chief Knight met with Della, who told them that the rumors about the Cygnus Knights betraying Maple World in the future were true, with Cygnus being known as the Axle of Evil. However, she explained that a strange black fog was coming out of the Gate to the Future, preventing both her and the Temple Keepers from entering. The Chief Knight decided that they would need to look into it themselves and asked Della about the fog. She explained that the fog pushed people away the further they entered, preventing them from catching anything more than a glimpse of the future. The Knight and their Chief Knight arrived at the Gate to the Future, where they discovered the thick black fog emanating from beyond the door. The Knight felt as though something was calling to them, and so they entered through the door and arrived in Future Ereve, where they encountered Future Cygnus and her corrupted Chief Knights. Suddenly, the Knight began to feel an unnatural drowsiness overtaking them and lost consciousness.

They soon awoke back at the Temple of Time to the sight of their Chief Knight attempting to wake them up. Suddenly, the black fog formed tendrils of darkness that attempted to grab at the Knight. Their Chief Knight immediately pushed them aside, but the tendrils instead ensnared the Chief Knight and dragged them into the Gate to the Future. The Knight rushed in after them, but they were soon engulfed by the same unnatural sense of drowsiness. As they felt their consciousness fade away, the Knight heard Cygnus' voice calling out to them and reminding them of who they were. The Knight was able to remain awake and found themselves in a dreamscape, where they discovered a Wightmare placing their Chief Knight into an enchanted sleep. The Knight quickly defeated the Wightmare and took their Chief Knight back to the Temple of Time. The Chief Knight awoke and thanked them for their help, explaining that the Wightmare had been trying to brainwash them by planting images into their mind. Suddenly, Della rushed over to them and explained that there was an emergency in Ereve, as the Empress had fallen.

The Knight and the Chief Knight rushed back to Ereve, where they found that the black fog had engulfed the island. They found Neinheart and the others huddled around an unconscious Cygnus and asked what had happened. Neinheart explained that the black fog had suddenly appeared, causing Cygnus to pass out right after. He noted that the black fog was no simple attack, as it had been able to bypass both Ereve's barrier and Shinsoo's protection. Kinu, one of the Piyo training instructors, noted that Cygnus had fallen into an enchanted sleep, which the Knight realized was just like what had happened to themselves. Oz noted that Cygnus' power was fading, and that she was in grave danger, since she had not yet fully accepted Shinsoo's power. As the Chief Knights argued about what to do, Shinsoo sensed that the Knight had learned something significant in the Gate to the Future and asked them to share it with the others. After the Knight explained how they had been ensnared by the black fog, Neinheart realized that since Cygnus' power and that of the Cygnus Knights were intertwined, the Knight being affected by the black fog may have inadvertently resulted in Cygnus experiencing the same. Neinheart told the Knight that just as they had saved their Chief Knight, they now needed to save Cygnus within her dreamscape as well. Through the grace of Shinsoo, Neinheart sent the Knight into Cygnus' dreamscape, where they found her staring at her corrupted self through a mirror. Suddenly, Future Cygnus shattered the mirror, knocking the real Cygnus out, and emerged through the other side. The Knight immediately fought Future Cygnus and defeated her, sending both the real Cygnus and themselves back into the real world. Around them, the black fog dissipated as Cygnus awoke from her nightmare.

Some time after the incident, Neinheart thanked the Knight for their valiant efforts and noted that based on everything that he and their Chief Knight had observed, the Knight had risen to become the epitome of a Cygnus Knight, both in power and valor. He then explained that Oz had discovered that the power of the black fog had been entirely foreign, after which he asked the Knight whether they had found any clues while fighting the Wightmare and Future Cygnus. The Knight told him that they were certain that the mastermind wasn't a Black Wings member, as the Wightmare's clothes had the pattern of a butterfly, not the Black Wings' symbol. Neinheart realized that they were likely facing a new enemy and resolved to look into them. He also told them that with the black fog having lifted from the Gate to the Future, he was planning on sending a full-scale investigation to investigate the rumors. He then told the Knight that Cygnus had something important to tell them. The Knight went to meet Cygnus, who noted that they had grown stronger while holding true to their beliefs, never once losing their heart while protecting the weak. Because of their valor, Cygnus promoted them to Chief Knight. Soon after, their Chief Knight congratulated them for their promotion and added that they expected great things from the Knight.

Siege of Heliseum

Having increased their strength since repelling Magnus' invasion of Pantheon, the Nova began their operation to retake Heliseum. With Edea appointed as the Supreme Commander of the Nova army and Piston as her second-in-command, their forces were able to push into Heliseum and establish the Heliseum Reclamation HQ. As the battle began, Kaiser was summoned back to Pantheon by Beldar, who told him that the Nova had finally begun the operation to retake Heliseum. Though he admitted that Magnus was a formidable foe, he explained that they couldn't put it off any longer, as they needed to recover the Outrigger, a holy relic given to the Nova by their Ancient Gods. In order to gather allies, Beldar asked Kaiser to deliver a letter to the Cygnus Knights in Ereve. In Ereve, Kaiser delivered the letter to Neinheart, who told him that the Alliance needed to hold a conference to discuss the matter. At the conference, Claudine and Athena Pierce were informed by Neinheart about the Nova. Athena noted that though she knew about Grandis, it was strange to work with people from an entirely different world. Claudine pointed out that if the Nova were asking for help in defeating Magnus, a former Commander, it was inevitable that the Alliance would want to aid them.

Neinheart agreed and added that he felt uneasy about the fact that Magnus knew about Maple World, even though they knew almost nothing about Grandis. He explained that it may even be a good opportunity to gather information about Gerand Darmoor. Though the Alliance remained in agreement to send help, Claudine pointed out that it would be difficult to mobilize a large number of troops, to which Neinheart explained that he wasn't planning to, as it would be too difficult to send a large force to another world. He also noted that the Nova themselves wouldn't want many troops from a foreign power in their homeland when trust hadn't yet been fully established. Because of this, Neinheart explained that he would send only volunteers and the Alliance's most elite soldiers to assist the Nova in their operation. Kaiser then returned back to Pantheon and informed Beldar about the Alliance's plan to reinforce the Nova.

Soon after, Neinheart reached out to an Alliance member and explained that he was contacting them in regards to an important Alliance matter. He asked them whether they had heard rumors about another world and revealed that they were true. The Alliance member traveled to Ereve, where Neinheart told them that according to various records and verified data, there were indeed other worlds besides Maple World, and that one of them was a world called Grandis. He explained that amongst the people of Grandis, a race called the Nova had already established good relations with the Alliance, as both the Nova and the Alliance had a common enemy in Magnus, a traitorous Nova who had once been a Commander of the Black Mage. He told the Alliance member that though the Alliance had been preoccupied with matters concerning Maple World, it was clear that there were grave threats from other worlds that they were facing, which was why they were working with the Nova to learn more about them. He then asked the Alliance member whether they would be willing to take on a new mission to help the Nova gather information in their mission to retake Heliseum from Magnus. He revealed that he had specially chosen them for the mission, as they had already demonstrated great courage and strength throughout their service to the Alliance. The Alliance member accepted Neinheart's request and used the Interdimensional Portal to travel to the Great Temple in Pantheon, where they met with Fenelle.

After retaking Heliseum, Edea decided that the Nova would officially join the Maple Alliance, for which she traveled to Ereve in order to finalize the details. There, she spoke with the Alliance leaders - including Neinheart - who were pleased with having new allies. Though Claudine was wary about committing to a fight against another enemy when the threat of the Black Mage still remained, Edea noted that she had learned that their two worlds were connected, and that the enemies of one world were the enemies of the other. Cygnus welcomed Edea and hoped that their alliance would make them all stronger.

Root Abyss and the Tower of Oz

Word soon reached the Alliance that a previously uncharted area in Sleepywood had appeared. Neinheart summoned an Alliance member and asked them to investigate. The Alliance member traveled to Root Abyss and learned that Alicia was being held by four Seal Guardians. The Alliance member decided to return to Ereve in order to let Neinheart know what they had discovered. Neinheart was pleased to know that the World Tree had been located, but he was less happy to learn about the Seal Guardians. He decided to mobilize the Alliance against the Seal Guardians in order to free the World Tree.

During the Alliance's mission to defeat the Seal Guardians, the Alliance discovered the existence of an underwater tower in the northern reaches of Maple World, where they had also discovered Alicia's soul. Curious about why Alicia's soul would be there, Neinheart dispatched an Alliance member to investigate. The Alliance member learned that Alicia had created the Tower of Oz long ago in order to keep the monsters of Maple World safe from the Black Mage's invasion, and that her guardians had been corrupted by his dark energies. The Alliance then worked to save the Tower of Oz, as well as to defeat the Seal Guardians of Root Abyss, after which they brought Alicia back to Ereve, where she was absorbed inside the gemstone on Shinsoo's forehead for her safety.

Cygnus Awakens

Neinheart reached out to the Cygnus Knight about a special assignment to serve as part of the security detail to protect Empress Cygnus at the upcoming Alliance meeting, which was to be the first Alliance meeting held outside Ereve. Neinheart explained that he had agreed to the change in location because Cygnus needed to learn more about Maple World, which couldn't happen if she always remained in Ereve. However, he told the Knight that he refused to compromise her safety and reminded them that security needed to be iron-clad, which he could only entrust to the six Chief Knights. Soon after, the Knight met Cygnus and her court at the Station to Ereve in the Six Path Crossway. Just as they were about to start heading to the Alliance meeting, an injured Kiku arrived at the station and explained that Ereve was under attack, and that though Shinsoo was fighting off the invaders, the situation was looking grim. Neinheart asked Kiku who had attacked Ereve, to which he explained that it was an unknown man with grey skin and purple hair. Cygnus immediately decided that she would return along with the rest of the Chief Knights, as their forces would otherwise be split between protecting her and reinforcing Shinsoo.

Neinheart agreed with her, explaining that there was a chance that the attack on Ereve could be a ruse to draw them away from Cygnus. He decided that it would be best for them to all return to Ereve together, adding that he would postpone the Alliance meeting as well. As they prepared to debark, Neinheart began wondering what the enemy's goal could be in attacking Ereve. As they prepared to return to Ereve, the Knight wondered to themselves whether the enemy was after Cygnus or if they were after Shinsoo and the World Tree. The Knights soon arrived in Ereve, only to find the entire island in ruins. For an instant, they saw Damien smirking in front of Shinsoo's body before he teleported away with Alicia. The Knights rushed ahead and found Shinsoo lying motionless, causing Cygnus to burst into tears and cry over Shinsoo's body. Suddenly, a surge of power welled up inside her, causing a large water barrier to envelop around herself and Shinsoo. Mihile rushed forward in an attempt to save the Empress, but found that his attacks did nothing. Neinheart was shocked at the sight of Cygnus constructing a barrier with her own power, and not with Shinsoo's, which he had believed to be impossible. Within the water barrier, Cygnus experienced an awakening and a transformation. With her new powers, she touched Shinsoo's body and restored vitality to the divine beast.

Over the next few months, the Knights rebuilt Ereve after Damien's attack. Soon after, Neinheart spoke with the Knight and explained that though he didn't know much about Cygnus' new powers, her awakening had resulted in her growing much stronger than before, which, in turn, made the Cygnus Knights stronger, as they drew their strength from her. He told them that though Shinsoo would be able to tell them more, the divine bird had left Ereve for unknown reasons. He added that Cygnus was still despondent over Shinsoo's leaving, as Shinsoo was Cygnus' guiding star, just as Cygnus was to the Knights. He then asked the Knight to speak with Cygnus in order to help make her feel better. After speaking to Cygnus, the Knight was called to Leafre by Shinsoo, who revealed that long ago, she had been tasked with protecting Cygnus' bloodline, which was destined to one day give rise to a new Transcendent. However, the shock of seeing Shinsoo nearly dead had prematurely triggered Cygnus' latent abilities, causing her to prematurely awaken as a Transcendent-in-waiting. Hoping to do something to help Cygnus, the Knight returned to Neinheart and told him about their conversation with Shinsoo. Neinheart was surprised to learn that Cygnus held the power of a Transcendent-in-waiting and asked the Knight to keep it between themselves. He added that there was much that they didn't know about Shinsoo, and so he hoped to avoid wild speculation. He also added that their enemies wouldn't give them the luxury of time, and that between the Black Wings, the Commanders, and the Black Mage himself, the Alliance needed to be as strong as possible. However, he noted that the Knight was living proof of how strong they could become and asked them to stay the course.

Some time later, Neinheart called an Alliance member to Ereve, where they noted that the whole place looked different. Neinheart told the Alliance member about Damien's attack, and how he had taken the World Tree after killing Shinsoo. He also revealed how Cygnus had prematurely awakened as a Transcendent-in-waiting, granting her the use of some Transcendent powers without being fully awakened as one, while Shinsoo had left Ereve to find a way to help her. Neinheart explained that he had initially been planning to keep the knowledge secret, though he admitted that he knew that he couldn't keep it secret forever, which was why he had chosen to share it first with them. He then added that despite how unexpected it all was, they couldn't stop their work, as their priority was defeating their enemy as soon as possible.

Regaining Lost Memories

While exploring the Temple of Time, the player's memories get drained by Dodo, for which the Memory Keeper tells them to return to where their adventure began. Cygnus Knights will need to return to Ereve and talk to Neinheart, who's surprised that they want to reminisce about good memories. Neinheart explains that he doesn't know if there even are any good memories between them, though he recalls the first time that they came to Ereve. He tells us that we were merely an aspirant knight who was so sure that we'd defeat the Black Mage, which he found awkward to hear at the time. He then supposes that it counts as a memory of sort. Similarly, Mihile will need to seek out Neinheart, who tells him that he remembers when they first met in the remote forest. He adds that Mihile seemed rather pathetic and supposes that it could be considered a fond memory of sorts.

Gate to the Future

Neinheart contacted an Alliance member and explained that he was assigning them a mission. He noted that they must have already heard the rumors about the Black Mage's minions attacking the Temple of Time, adding that the Cygnus Knights had already completed an investigation, which had answered certain questions, but not the main ones. He then asked the Alliance member to go to the Temple of Time and speak with the Temple Keeper about the attack. After investigating the Henesys Ruins in the Gate to the Future, the Alliance member reported everything that they had encountered to Neinheart, who told them that the Cygnus Knights were already aware about the rumors of the Cygnus Knights being corrupted, as the Empress had been inflicted with a similar nightmare some time ago. He apologized for not telling them before, but he explained that he had sent them to investigate because he had believed the story to be nothing more than a fabrication, though he had been surprised to know that such a future truly did exist within the Gate to the Future. Neinheart then asked the Alliance member whether they had found anything else in the Gate to the Future, adding that even something small would be helpful. The Alliance member presented a Dream Fragment which they had obtained in the Gate to the Future to Neinheart, who wondered whether it was related to Cygnus' nightmare, or whether it could even be a clue about the events of the Gate to the Future. He explained that his investigation had been halted due to a lack of leads, but with the Dream Fragment, he believed that they could uncover the full story, for which he asked the Alliance member to keep investigating.

Following their report to Neinheart, the Alliance member returned back to the Gate to the Future in order to continue their investigation. After helping the people of Future Henesys defeat the corrupted Empress and her allies, the Alliance member returned back to Ereve and reported back to Neinheart about how they had defeated Future Cygnus, as well as what Shinsoo had told them. Neinheart was impressed by their bravery and thanked them for their investigation. He also explained that he had been researching the Dream Master, and that he had learned something shocking. He revealed that several towns had been inflicted by a nightmare, and that many townspeople had begun fighting after seeing the nightmare. He noted that it felt as though the Dream Master had been practicing before carrying out this latest plot, as the Alliance would have crumbled if news of the Empress' corruption in the future had spread. He then told the Alliance member that thanks to their investigation, they could be sure that it was nothing more than a dream. Because of this, he explained that he planned to reveal the truth to the Alliance, adding that if they remained cautious and continued not to be fooled by any more false futures, they might be able to learn more about the Dream Master. He added that it was because of them that he could be confident that the future had not yet been written, thanking them for all their support.

Return of Kritias

Neinheart contacted an Alliance member and explained that a kingdom had suddenly appeared near Leafre, where a castle was floating upside down in the kingdom's sky. He asked them to investigate the area in order to determine what kind of place it was and why it had suddenly appeared. The Alliance member soon returned with a history book from Kritias and explained that the people of the kingdom seemed to be from centuries ago. Neinheart was intrigued that the textbook seemed new, though its contents were centuries out of date. He explained that nearly all references to the war against the Black Mage had been destroyed, including all records of Kritias. He told them that he could only recall one mention of Kritias in Ereve's library, which had simply stated that the Black Mage had removed Kritias from existence in order to make an example out of it. Neinheart then gave them a copy of the history of Maple World to bring back to Kritias and asked them to continue investigating what the Black Mage wanted with Kritias.

The Alliance member soon discovered that the Black Mage had created a large pentacle with the floating kingdom for unknown reasons and returned back to Neinheart. The Alliance member explained the situation to Neinheart, who was surprised to learn the truth about the Black Mage's plans for Kritias. Believing that the Black Mage planned to use the pentacle as a weapon against Maple World, Neinheart resolved to mobilize the Alliance in order to prevent it from being completed. He then asked the Alliance member to investigate more about the pentacle. After completing their investigation, the Alliance member returned back to Ereve and informed Neinheart about what they had learned. Just like the Alliance member, Neinheart was surprised to learn that Hekaton had been responsible for Kritias' fall, and that he had done it all in the pursuit of eternal life. Based on all the information the Alliance member had gathered, Neinheart suspected that Subject No. 618 had been the Black Mage's target. He decided to keep the information secret, as he believed that since the worst had already happened, and with it appearing difficult to find Hekaton's location, it would be better for them to focus on the current situation and hope that they someday learn the truth.

Twilight Perion

After the Cygnus Knights' investigation into the Gate to the Future, the Resistance sent a scout to explore the future, in which they learned that the Cygnus Knights would betray Maple World. At an Alliance conference, Claudine furiously reported the results of the Resistance's investigation, to which Cygnus asked Claudine to calm down, explaining that the future which they had witnessed was nothing more than a fabrication created by the Black Mage. Neinheart agreed, adding that he would never have led the Knights into such an obvious trap. However, Claudine retorted that Neinheart was only saying that now with the benefit of hindsight, adding that his arrogance wouldn't save them from what could be. Neinheart then demanded to know whether she truly trusted the enemy's illusion over her own allies. Athena Pierce attempted to keep the peace, reminding them that they couldn't allow the enemy to divide them, and entreated them to stop fighting.

Following their investigation, the Alliance held an emergency conference, which was attended by the top leaders of the Alliance, as well as the Alliance member who had first entered the Gate to the Future. As Athena Pierce began the meeting, Claudine impatiently noted that the proceedings were taking forever, and that so many had not attended. As she wondered whether theirs could truly be called a proper meeting, Neinheart testily replied that everyone had their own work to do, and that it wasn't as easy to gather all the warriors of Maple World in one place as she believed. Claudine retorted that it was the duty of the Alliance to carry out the impossible, as otherwise, there was no point to their existence at all. Neinheart replied that Claudine was talking without thinking, reminding her that the Alliance had been created through the hard work of many people vowing to defeat the Black Mage, to which Claudine sarcastically asked him whether she was actually hearing a lecture about promises from the Cygnus Knights. Athena Pierce then cut in and urged them both to stop their wasteful debate. Cygnus agreed and added that the purpose of the Alliance was to protect the future of Maple World, with internal bickering being inappropriate for their mission. She then explained that the reason why they had gathered was to discuss the grave events happening as of late – nightmares of the ruined future plaguing the people of Maple World.

Lady Syl noted that the Alliance had already proven that such a future was merely an illusion, which Neinheart confirmed, though Claudine pointedly added that the possibility wasn't completely zero. Mihile angrily demanded to know how dare Claudine could insinuate that they would be involved, to which Belle asked Mihile what he planned to do about it. Athena once again ordered everyone to stop fighting, while Claudine added that she simply meant that they needed to keep all possibilities in mind. The Alliance member then noted to themselves that it would take some time before the Alliance could start working together properly. Athena explained that the situation was quite serious, for while she had already warned the people of Henesys about the false rumors at Neinheart's behest, she had never thought that she herself would experience such dreams. Neinheart added that the situation was much different from when rumors were merely circulating, as the false future within the Gate to the Future was actually flowing into the dreams of Maple World's people. Grendel the Really Old wondered whether such a thing was even possible, as that kind of dream control would be next-to-impossible for even the most highly-trained magician, which made him wonder how powerful their enemy really was. Cygnus then explained that it wasn't just Henesys that was being affected, as the nightmare was spreading like a plague. Athena noted that while the enemy's purpose in spreading the nightmares throughout Maple World was unknown, they couldn't just stand by and do nothing. She added that Perion, in particular, had an unusual atmosphere, surprising Claudine, who believed that it would have been Henesys. Athena explained that the people of Henesys had already been prepared for the nightmares involving their ruined town, but the people of Perion had been having entirely different nightmares altogether.

Evan asked Athena what measures the Alliance was taking to remedy the situation, to which Athena explained that the Silent Crusade had already begun taking measures, though she feared that it wouldn't be enough. Neinheart added that the Grendel - who was an expert on magic - was joining together with the Cygnus Knights, Claudine, and Athena Pierce to investigate the matter, adding that it was the least that they could do to justify the Alliance's existence. He then turned to the Alliance member and explained that the Alliance was still planning to continue investigating the Gate to the Future, and that he hoped that the Alliance member would continue lending their support. As the meeting concluded, Athena asked the Alliance member to speak with her about their mission, explaining that she hoped that in the meantime, the other Alliance leaders would take care of their respective regions and calm their citizens. After the meeting ended, the Alliance member spoke with Athena, who told them that their first order of business was to calm their citizens from the nightmares plaguing them, and that Perion, especially, was their top priority. After ascertaining the truth about Twilight Perion, in which the Resistance had betrayed the Alliance to join the Black Mage, the Alliance member met with Neinheart, Athena, Neinheart, Claudine, and Grendel at the Magic Library, where they learned that people all across Maple World had begun exhibiting serious symptoms of dream addiction, which left them unable to discern dreams from reality. Athena explained that the people were repeatedly declaring that there was no future for them as long as the Empress still lived, and that they were convinced that the Resistance had betrayed them, as well as that the Alliance couldn't be trusted.

Neinheart added that he had been concerned about such a phenomenon, and that he had been hoping that proving that the nightmare wasn't real would prevent such symptoms from manifesting. Athena reassured Neinheart that it was likely because of his efforts that the symptoms had been delayed until now, though Claudine pointed out that the situation had reached a point that they could no longer stop it Grendel explained that dreams were the realm of the subconsciousness, and that no matter how actively one tried to reject it, the subconsciousness could become an effective tool in steering one's conscious mind. He noted that by being inflicted with the same nightmare over and over again, many who didn't possess strong mental fortitude could be hypnotized into believing things such as the Empress being evil or the Resistance being traitors. Neinheart asked whether there was a cure for dream addiction, to which Grendel explained that the only cure was Lucid Matter, which could only be harvested in dreams. Athena then asked the Alliance member to return to the Gate to the Future, to which they immediately agreed. Grendel told the Alliance member that he would instruct them on how to harvest Lucid Matter, though he asked the other Alliance leaders to try and calm their people in the meantime. The Alliance member then harvested Lucid Matter and soon discovered the memories of the Dream Master, revealing that she was a young girl who had been recruited by the Black Mage.

After the Alliance member severed the dream's reach, an Alliance conference was held, in which Neinheart – and a reluctant Claudine – both admitted that it was fortunate that the Alliance had been able to successfully save Maple World, with Cygnus noting that their people could finally stop believing in the false future and suffering from nightmares. She added that she believed that she would have good dreams that night, thanking the Alliance member for all their help. However, Neinheart noted that though the incident had been resolved, there was still the matter of the Dream Master, whom they could conclude was a new Commander of the Black Mage. He added that despite the Alliance forming and growing stronger, the Black Mage was also steadily gaining strength by recruiting new Commanders on top of his old ones. He added that the Alliance would continue looking into the identity of the new Commander and thanked the Alliance member for helping them with their initial investigation.

Black Heaven

Black Heaven Investigation

As part of a mission to spy on the Black Wings, 10 Boogies was dispatched to Edelstein in order to infiltrate the Verne Mine. When she didn't return, however, Neinheart organized a rescue operation led by one of their most reliable Alliance members, who flew in an airship to Edelstein with three Piyo siblings, Dolphi, Gupi, and Lepi, rescuing 10 Boogies and returning back to Ereve. The next day, the group was escorted by Neinheart, who congratulated them on the successful mission and explained that 10 Boogies had uncovered vital information about the Black Wings' plan. At the Conference Pavilion, the Alliance member and Neinheart met with Cygnus and Athena Pierce in order to go over what 10 Boogies had unearthed. Athena confirmed to the Alliance member that while the news was classified, the Black Mage had indeed returned. When they asked why the Black Mage hadn't made his move yet, Athena told them that it was the Alliance's theory that the Black Mage hadn't fully regained his powers.As the Black Wings had been created to revive the Black Mage, she emphasized the importance of defeating them in order to delay the Black Mage's rise to power.

Neinheart then explained that in the past, the Alliance had been able to interfere with the Black Wings' smaller operations. However, the Black Wings had recently begun to use codes in order to communicate through the Edelstein newspapers. 10 Boogies had managed to solve Gelimer's latest message that said 'Black Heaven is ready.' Cygnus wondered what Black Heaven could be, to which Neinheart explained that there was only one person who would know. Neinheart then arranged a meeting with the Resistance at the Secret Plaza in order to see Orchid, who was still in a coma after being attacked by the Evolution System. Inside her memories, the Alliance member witnessed Gelimer getting Orchid's approval to build Black Heaven, a giant airship with the power to destroy Maple World. Upon reporting back to the Alliance, Neinheart and Claudine both agreed that they needed a robust defensive plan. However, Cygnus disagreed and told them that it was their chance to show Maple World that the Alliance could protect them. She then proposed that the Alliance meet Black Heaven in air combat.

Attack on the Lumiere

In preparation for the battle, hundreds of Alliance members boarded the Lumiere, which took off and headed to intercept Black Heaven. As the Lumiere set sail, the Alliance member ran into Athena Pierce, who told them that Neinheart was looking for them on the main deck. At the deck, they met with Cygnus, who told them that Neinheart had warned her earlier about Baroq the Master of Disguise, who would likely be up to his old tricks in order to cause chaos. She explained that Neinheart had also recommended that they play along and try to get him to slip up. Having not seen Neinheart since then, Cygnus asked the Alliance member to check up on him. While searching for Neinheart, the Alliance member encountered Neinheart standing over a wounded doppelgänger of himself, along with several unconscious Cygnus Knights. The Alliance member immediately recognized that the standing Neinheart was the fake one, as the real Neinheart couldn't win a straight fight on his own. Realizing that he had been caught, Baroq immediately transformed back into himself and engaged the Alliance member, who managed to defeat him. However, Baroq then transformed himself into Cygnus in an effort to prevent them from hitting him. As they struggled to decide whether to hit the fake Cygnus, Hiver teleported behind them and knocked them out before tying them and Neinheart to a barrel.

After they awoke, the Alliance member worked with Neinheart to break the barrel and hurried to warn the rest of the Alliance. With the battle commencing, the Alliance discovered that Francis had infiltrated the airship in order to rescue Orchid. After getting captured, Francis demanded that they release Orchid, claiming that she was helpless after her powers had been stolen by Lotus, and attempted to trade the blueprints for Black Heaven in exchange for her release. Neinheart accepted the offer and took the blueprints, though he told Francis that he could only see Orchid after the war was over. He then ordered Francis to be detained. Throughout the night, the Alliance leadership developed a strategy to combat Black Heaven. With the blueprints they had obtained from Francis, Neinheart was able to identify two critical weaknesses in Black Heaven: first, its massive size would inevitably create blind spots to attack; second, it only had one centralized power source. Neinheart was curious to find out what exactly could be powering such a large airship. With those two weaknesses in mind, he devised a plan to infiltrate Black Heaven and destroy the power source.

However, the Alliance's plan to infiltrate Black Heaven failed, with Checky, Brighton, and Belle shot down by Gelimer. At the Pilothouse, the Alliance member and Claudine returned to Neinheart and Cygnus. Though Claudine wished to continue searching for her allies, Neinheart gently told her that it was unlikely that anyone could have survived such a fall. Nevertheless, he left the choice to save her allies to Claudine, who ultimately realized that she couldn't afford to sacrifice any more of the Resistance. Because of this, she decided that she would commit her forces to stop Black Heaven and save Edelstein, trusting that her friends were strong enough to survive and return. She then asked Neinheart what his plan was, to which Neinheart explained that their plan was still to infiltrate Black Heaven. However, he noted that based on their first failed attempt, it seemed that Black Heaven had defenses that weren't covered in the blueprints, which meant that they would need someone who knew the airship well. Because of this, Neinheart and the others visited Francis in his cell in order to interrogate him further about Black Heaven and its design.

In the prison, they found Francis' cell on fire, with a Resistance soldier explaining that Francis' escape attempt had caused the fire. Francis begged the Alliance to save him from the fire, to which Neinheart and Claudine told him that they would help him in exchange for information, noting that such a small fire didn't pose any immediate danger at all. Francis reluctantly agreed and explained that Black Heaven was being controlled by Lotus, who had been turned into a Xenoroid by Gelimer. Lotus' own powers, along with the other half of the Wing Master powers that he had stolen from Orchid, allowed him to effortlessly maintain control over Black Heaven, which was like an extension of his body. Because of this, there were no weaknesses or blind spots anywhere in the ship. However, he also revealed that there were no troops stationed aboard Black Heaven, as they were being summoned from somewhere else. After interrogating Francis, the Alliance decided to let him loose from his burning cell. Immediately, however, Francis disappeared and set out to rescue Orchid. Knowing what his target was, Claudine decided to deploy additional troops to guard Orchid in Edelstein. Cygnus then realized that if the troops aboard Black Heaven were being teleported, it meant that there was a way to infiltrate Black Heaven. Claudine noted that though she wasn't too sure, it was possible that the androids were being teleported from Edelstein's Scrapyard, for which Neinheart dispatched the Alliance member to investigate the area.

Infiltrating Black Heaven

Meanwhile, Black Heaven continued assailing the Lumiere with substantial damage. Just as Neinheart asked a demoralized Cygnus whether to press on or turn back, they all looked up to see a signal flare launched by the Alliance member, who had successfully infiltrated Black Heaven through the Scrapyard and given them an opening. The Alliance then mounted an assault upon Black Heaven, with the Alliance member soon rendezvousing with Pilot Irvin and Neinheart, who had plotted the most direct route to the core. The group continued traversing through the labyrinth of Black Heaven and eventually ran into Orchid and Francis. The Alliance was shocked to see Orchid, whom they had believed was still in a coma. Likewise, Orchid was furious to see the Alliance member, to which Francis asked her whether she knew them. Orchid angrily claimed that she recognized them as the one who had looked inside her mind. Neinheart and Claudine were both confused by Orchid's extreme reaction, causing them to wonder what it was that the Alliance member had seen. Though the Alliance member tried to explain that they had merely seen her memories, Orchid refused to believe them and angrily ordered Francis to fight them on her behalf, as she had no powers left. Neinheart attempted to keep the peace when Gelimer appeared on a monitor and showed Lotus to Orchid in order to rub in the fact that her brother was now his puppet. Lotus, detecting the intruders, manifested a Pulverizer to drop down onto the elevator, scattering the group on different levels. Eventually, Neinheart and his team rescued the Alliance member, who had been left behind by Orchid to waves of Xenoroids after Francis had rescued her.

As they chased after Orchid and Francis, Neinheart began to wonder what Black Heaven had been built so largely for, as it didn't hold the android army, which was being teleported as needed from the Scrapyard. As they arrived near the core, Neinheart's question was answered when they found that thousands of large bombs were being stored in the area, guarded by Xenoroids modeled after Xenon and Beryl. As they proceeded deeper into Black Heaven, the Alliance member, Neinheart, Claudine, and Athena Pierce fought past the Xenoroids that attacked them. Claudine and Athena also used their whip and arrows, respectively, in order to bring down several platforms that had been raised up, which was cutting off their route forward. Deeper into the ship, the group noticed that strange green gas was permeating the further in they went, requiring them to wear gas masks. They soon found themselves in Gelimer's lab, where a dying Admiral Martini begged them to stop Gelimer and his mad plans. He explained that he had been dying from an incurable illness, and that Gelimer had offered a solution. However, he told them that he now saw that Irvin had been right to leave. As Martini passed away from the toxic fumes, Neinheart noted that Gelimer must be quite ruthless to backstab an ally.

The group then began searching Gelimer's lab and obtained several research notes on the Seal Stones, Lotus, and the bombs aboard Black Heaven, which contained a chemical agent called Retoxin that could turn humans into obedient puppets, all of whom would be controlled in a hive mind by Lotus. They then found a map that listed the targets that Black Heaven would bomb and realized that Gelimer's goal was bombardment, rather than invasion. Neinheart realized that Cygnus had been right to make the Alliance meet Black Heaven in the air, rather than form a ground defense like they had originally planned, as she had experienced a vision of the future, in which she had seen a giant whose head had blocked the sun and whose foot had crushed entire towns. However, she had also foreseen shining birds charging at the giant, whose bright lights wiped it away. Neinheart then told the Alliance member and Athena Pierce to stop Gelimer while he returned with Claudine in order to formulate a plan.

Aftermath of the Battle

After the Alliance member defeated Gelimer and Lotus, they were brought back to the Lumiere by Orchid and Athena after inadvertently getting poisoned by Retoxin during the battle. Just as the Alliance began mourning for the Alliance member, Cygnus declared that they would be fine, pulling out the Seal Stone of Ereve. Cygnus explained that though no power was strong enough to bring back the dead, there was still hope for the Alliance member, who was still breathing. Neinheart cautiously asked Cygnus if she understood what it meant to use the Seal Stone of Ereve, which was the final Seal Stone in existence. Cygnus affirmed that she knew that its destruction would remove the final limitation on the Black Mage's power. However, she reminded them all that Freud had created the Seal Stones in order to help them protect what was most precious to the people and asked whether they all valued the Seal Stone more than the Alliance member. With the full support of the Alliance, Cygnus used the final Seal Stone in order to save the Alliance member. Unbeknown to them all, however, the Seal Stone recognized the Alliance member as one who represented the will of the people, causing it to choose them as its Vessel and turn them into an Adversary.

In the aftermath of the battle, the Alliance member spoke with the leaders of the Alliance as they returned back to Ereve. They met with Neinheart, who told them that he was glad that they were safe. The Alliance member began pointing out that he didn't look happy, to which Neinheart cut in and told them that his expression was his happy face. However, he then reminded them that the Seal Stone had been final restraint on the Black Mage's powers, and that its destruction meant that the Black Mage was completely free, meaning that the final battle for Maple World was drawing near. The Alliance member began to apologize, to which Neinheart told them not to be sorry, as after thinking about it, he agreed with the Empress' decision. He told them that they could no longer rely on seals and barriers, as they needed to settle things once and for all, for which the Alliance needed them. The Alliance member joked that it sounded like he was planning to keep ordering them around, to which Neinheart merely laughed.

Heroes of Maple

After Evan's encounter with Damien on Turtle Island, he traveled to Ereve and met with Cygnus, Neinheart, Claudine, and Athena Pierce. After being informed about the situation, Neinheart noted that Damien's plans not only included attacking Ereve and kidnapping the World Tree, but also going after Freud's memories stored in Afrien's mark of the Spirit Pact. He explained that it was likely that a full-scale war may break out against the demons, to which Athena wondered what the Commanders could be planning, as it hadn't been that long since Black Heaven. Neinheart replied that there wasn't enough time to prepare for the threat that they faced, as the demon army was already moving into Maple World as they spoke. After a pause, Cygnus offered her condolences to Evan and Mir for Afrien's death, apologizing for not being able to do more to prevent it. Evan bitterly noted that his weakness was the reason for Afrien's death, believing that he may have been able to prevent it if his connection to Mir as a Dragon Master had been stronger, which would have allowed him to detect Afrien's pain sooner. However, he told Cygnus that he knew that it was no time to blame himself, vowing that he would no longer allow anyone else to sacrifice themselves. He explained that Freud had instructed him to reunite the Heroes, and that he planned on doing just that in order to learn Damien and the Black Mage's true purpose. He then asked Cygnus to mobilize the Alliance to face the demon army while the Heroes carried out their mission.

Neinheart asked Evan whether it would be possible for them to succeed with just the Heroes, who had all been weakened from the Black Mage's curse. He also noted that since Damien already knew about Freud's memories, it was possible that he was baiting the Heroes into isolating themselves and working alone. Evan replied that it was precisely the reason why he had come to Ereve, as he already knew that they had no hope of succeeding without the Alliance. After considering it, Neinheart admitted that it would be more effective for a small, elite team to gather information, rather than a large-scale operation. He then asked the Empress for her decision, to which Cygnus told him that the Alliance would defend Maple World from the demon army while Evan and the other Heroes gathered more information. With their strategy finalized, Neinheart gave Evan the location of the Heroes, as well as a small airship piloted by a guide named Kiriru. After the Heroes were reunited and deduced that Shade was their old comrade, Neinheart provided them Shade's last known location in El Nath. Meanwhile, the Alliance began to mobilize in response to Damien and the demon army's imminent attack. As Cygnus and Neinheart oversaw preparations, Athena Pierce rushed to Ereve and warned them that the demons had already begun their attack. Though Neinheart believed that they could handle the demons, Cygnus suddenly felt the power of the Transcendent of Life fluctuating with Maple World's vitality. She asked Athena whether there was anything else to report, to which Athena replied that Maple World's trees were beginning to wither away. Suddenly, the sky grew dark as the World Tree began growing from within Root Abyss and towered over Sleepywood, with Damien absorbing Maple World's life energy after stealing Alicia's powers.

Several days after the Heroes defeated Damien, Neinheart and Cygnus traveled to the Sanctum of Abraxas with the Alliance, where Cygnus noted that she had learned a lot about the Ancient Gods, the Overseers, and the Transcendents by reading the history of Maple World inscribed in the ruins, adding that the information would undoubtedly prove useful in the future. Neinheart noted that the Heroes had played a pivotal role in the conflict, to which Cygnus agreed, adding that despite the Alliance's efforts, victory wouldn't have been possible without the Heroes' help. She noted that the Heroes who had saved Maple World in the past had saved their world once again. After a moment, however, she recalled how Neinheart hadn't believed in the Heroes, which made her wonder whether seeing them in action had felt different for him than it had for her. Neinheart admitted that initially, he had believed the Heroes to be merely legends, and that those who waited for them were afraid to take responsibility for their own lives, to which Cygnus noted that it was why he had decided to become her tactician. Neinheart explained that his aim had been to create a force equal to the Heroes if they wouldn't come back, and though his initial position hadn't changed, he admitted that he had come to realize that no matter how much time passed, it would always remain a fact that the world needed heroes. The two then gazed upon a new mural depicting the six Heroes saving the World Tree.

Arcane River Expedition

Chains of Darkness

After the Adversary entered the Arcane River, they sent a letter detailing everything they had learned in the Vanishing Journey, which was received by Starling, who was investigating the Gate of the Present on behalf of the Silent Crusade. After reading through the letter, Starling met with Bastille, Cygnus, and Neinheart in Ereve, where Starling reported that though they couldn't confirm how the Adversary had sent it, the letter had definitely been written in their handwriting. Bastille then reported that the Silent Crusade had confirmed that an enormous amount of Erda was being sucked through the Gate of the Present, and that the Memory Keeper had confirmed that the Black Mage had created a world called the Arcane River beyond the door. Just as Neinheart declared that the Alliance needed to come up with a plan, enormous chains began falling from the sky, latching onto Ereve. Though Neinheart wondered whether it was an attack, Starling noted that it didn't seem as though whatever was happening was already over. Just then, 10 Boogies rushed to the scene and reported that the massive chains had also fallen down upon Henesys and other regions of Victoria Island. Realizing that they needed more information, Neinheart asked Bastille and Starling to get the status of the various regions of Maple World. Both Starling and Cygnus realized that the chains had something to do with the Arcane River, and that the Black Mage was making his move. Cygnus then ordered Neinheart to mobilize the Alliance into the Arcane River at once, to which Neinheart agreed, adding that it was fortunate that the Adversary had already gone ahead, as he believed that they had an important role to play in the battle ahead.

Expedition Preparations

Soon after, Cygnus, Neinheart, Athena Pierce, and Claudine watched as Edea arrived with a strange young boy with light-blue skin and a magician staff. Neinheart welcomed Edea, though he asked her to get straight to the point, as the situation had gotten quite urgent. Edea reported that she had been investigating a way to deal attacks to monsters born from a density of high-grade Erdas. She revealed that the Nova had found no way of imprinting the power of Erda upon a person, and that though they may find the answer by scouring Grandis, such an initiative would take too long for the Alliance's mission. However, she revealed that the magician whom she had brought, Melange, had helped developed another way by imprinting a disintegration spell upon an external substance other than a person, thereby temporarily breaking down the magical Erda barrier around monsters in the Arcane River. Edea noted that despite Melange's appearance, he was the disciple of an extremely famous magician in Grandis, and that his skills were certified as remarkable. She then presented a special blue ore that she and Melange had developed together, revealing that the disintegration spell imprinted upon it would help the user deal normal damage to the Erdas of the Arcane River.

However, Edea noted that there were three main drawbacks to the technique which they had developed. She explained that firstly, the disintegration spell would be less effective than if the power of Erdas had been imprinted onto a body, such as the Adversary, though she added that a sufficiently powerful person would be able to overcome that drawback with enough strength through physical training. She revealed that the main issue was that the ore which they were using was incredibly rare, as the Nova had only been able to find ten with all their resources. Finally, she added that the third drawback was that the spell wasn't permanent, and that the ore needed to be replaced periodically. Edea explained that with their limited resources, they would only be able to move a small team of soldiers into the Arcane River, rather than being able to mobilize all their forces. Neinheart noted that a small team was better than nothing, though it would prove to be an obstacle when it came to an enemy as strong as the Black Mage. He asked Edea how there could be such a limited number of ore available on Grandis, to which Edea explained that the Nova had closed their borders and trading lanes for quite some time before opening them recently.

Just then, Claudine asked to examine the mineral, and upon seeing, she revealed that its sheen had made her certain that it was Rue Ore, found in the Verne Mine. She explained that Rue Ore was an Edelstein specialty, and that the Black Wings had taken over their town specifically for the Rue Ore, which held a great amount of energy and could be used for a versatile number of purposes. With the mineral being extremely common in Edelstein, Claudine explained that the Resistance could provide an ample amount of it from the Verne Mine so that the Alliance could mobilize. Cygnus thanked Claudine earnestly, to which Claudine smiled and replied that it was only natural to help an ally. Athena Pierce then offered to solicit the help of Grendel the Really Old and the Magician Association so that they could help the Nova imprint the disintegration spell upon the ore. As Neinheart and Cygnus thanked Edea for her help, Edea replied that it was nothing, as the Alliance had already helped the Nova retake Heliseum in their time of need. Cygnus then noted that the Alliance would finally be able to enter the Arcane River, with Edea wondering what kind of world a fallen Transcendent like the Black Mage had created, and for what purpose, though Melange remained oddly silent as she spoke.

Shortly after, the Adversary sent another letter detailing the events on Yum Yum Island, for which Cygnus and Neinheart arranged a meeting in Ereve with Claudine, Edea, and Grendel the Really Old. Neinheart finished describing the Erda experiments on Yum Yum Island to the others, with Edea noting that she had no idea what the true intentions behind the experiments could be. Neinheart reported to Cygnus that the Alliance had no record of any of the Black Mage's Commanders or followers having such powers, making him believe that it could be a new enemy working for the Black Mage. However, Cygnus replied that they couldn't do anything about identifying the unknown enemy, and that all they could do was to send the Alliance into the Arcane River as soon as possible in order to help the Adversary. Neinheart then asked Grendel about the status of enchanting the Rue Ore, to which Grendel reported that the first imprinting had just been done, adding that it was quite fascinating magic.

However, Grendel added that only three such stones had been finished, and that it would still take some time for the entire Alliance to mobilize. Neinheart replied that it would be enough, as the advance party's goal was reconnaissance and communication, as well as creating a gateway for the rest of the Alliance to follow. He then introduced Ollie of the Thunder Breakers, explaining that she was a talented member of the Cygnus Knights whom he wished to recommend as a reconnaissance scout. After Ollie introduced herself, Claudine presented Shubert, a Blaster and communications expert, explaining that Neinheart could leave communications to the Resistance, as they had quite a bit of experience in the area. Finally, Edea explained that though she wished to join the advance party herself in order to create a gateway, her duties in Pantheon meant that she would need to send someone else in her place. Because of this, she presented Melange to go in her stead, noting that his work with imprinting magic onto the Rue Ore spoke to his skills. Cygnus then thanked the trio for volunteering for the expedition, noting that they would soon catch up to the Adversary and open the path to the Black Mage at long last.

The Black Mage's Prophecies

Hoping to learn more about the Black Mage's true motives, Neinheart dispatched Eckhart to the Black Mage's laboratory in Magatia. There, Eckhart noted that there didn't seem to be anything left, with Neinheart replying to him over the comms to explain that almost everything there had already been recovered by the Alliance in previous missions. However, with the Black Mage having created the Arcane River as part of his endgame, Neinheart explained that he had dispatched Eckhart in order to find any clues that he could, as the Black Mage's laboratory was the only place where they may be able to learn about his true intentions. Eckhart asked Neinheart about the Adversary's status, to which Neinheart replied that they had just received another letter, and that the Alliance needed to continue doing what they had to do. However, he added that he would cease investigating the Black Mage's laboratory if they didn't find anything, as the current investigation was merely his last-ditch hope that the sharp eyes of a Chief Knight would find something that they had overlooked. Eckhart noted that finding something with no clues to go on was impossible, though just as he spoke, he had an idea.

To Neinheart's shock, Eckhart destroyed the altar in the laboratory, revealing that the clue they were missing was that if they had found everything that they could see, they needed to look for something that they couldn't see. Though Neinheart chided Eckhart for his recklessness, Eckhart told Neinheart that there was no harm done, as he had just revealed a secret passageway behind the altar. As he walked through the darkness, Eckhart noted that the passageway ran quite deep, especially given that the laboratory itself had already been deep underground. Soon enough, Eckhart arrived at a hidden lake deep within the underground caverns. Looking down, he was surprised to find entire bookshelves underground, with pages floating beneath the surface of the water. Eckhart wondered whether the books were records left behind by the Black Mage, just as he noticed a lamp nearby.

Upon turning on the lamp, a starry image of Kao riding the Flame Bird in the Vanishing Journey was projected into the air, with Eckhart realizing that the lamp had been enchanted by the Black Mage, though not for offensive or defensive purposes. Activating the lamp a second time, Eckhart saw an image of Tana chained in Kritias. Though he had no idea what he was seeing, Eckhart began to wonder whether he was viewing events which had been recorded from history. However, he noted that something seemed off, and so he turned on the lamp one more time to view an image of the giant in Limina looming over the Arcane River. Eckhart then began suspecting that, rather than the records being historical events, they were instead something else. With the lamp no longer functioning, Eckhart decided that they would instead need to gather the paper records under the lake in order to analyze. From these records, Neinheart began piecing together events which had happened in Maple World's histories and discovered that they were prophecies, some of which foretold events yet to come.

Final Preparations

With all of Maple World rallying together, the Alliance began constructing a massive fleet at the Outpost, with the White Spear being the Empress' flagship, modeled in the shape of a spear to symbolize the Alliance carving their own destiny. As preparations began finishing, Claudine arrived in Ereve, where she was surprised to see flashing lights in the distance. She then met with Neinheart, who asked her whether something was wrong. Claudine explained that she had come to report that construction of the fleet was nearly complete. However, she noted that the Empress was absent and asked Neinheart about the light which she had just seen. Neinheart explained that Cygnus was currently training, revealing that she had been working to gain control over the new abilities which she had gained upon awakening as a Transcendent-in-waiting, as she had believed that they would be needed during the fight against the Black Mage.

Claudine was shocked that Neinheart was planning to send Cygnus into battle, reminding him that she was a civilian with no combat training and a frail body. However, Neinheart revealed that it had been Cygnus' own decision to go into battle herself. He reassured Claudine that he himself would have argued against letting Cygnus go into battle if he had thought that the risk outweighed the benefits. However, he explained that he had seen Cygnus' abilities first-hand, and that he was convinced that they would be crucial in the fight ahead. He then added that it was the Empress' decision, and that he would stand by that decision, adding that the Cygnus Knights would fulfill their responsibility to keep the Empress safe in the battle. Claudine replied that if that was indeed the Empress' decision, there was nothing that anyone could do about it. However, she noted that the Resistance had no intention of hiding behind a young girl on the battlefield, as they had been waiting for the moment to fight the Black Mage for a long time. She then told Neinheart that the Resistance would do their very best during the battle as well.

Esfera

After Ollie and her party met with the Adversary in Morass, they traveled to Esfera, where the advance party connected with Neinheart at HQ, whose voice was distorted from the barely functioning communication system. Nevertheless, the Adversary noted to themselves that it felt surreal to hear Neinheart's voice so far from Maple World. After Ollie reported the situation, Neinheart managed to tell them to protect Tana and stop Will's ritual, just as communications fizzled out.

After Ollie was poisoned by Will and a portal to the White Sun appeared, Neinheart contacted the base camp and, through the static, warned the Adversary not to fall into Will's trap and explained that reinforcements were coming soon. Upon hearing from Neinheart that the Adversary's survival was paramount, however, the Adversary recalled what Will had said about Ollie being a sacrificial pawn, causing them to ask Neinheart whether he was the one who had ordered Ollie to protect them. At Neinheart's silence, the Adversary declared that they would go in themselves and told Neinheart not to stop them. Though Neinheart's signal began cutting out, he warned the Adversary that there was still a way and asked them not to hesitate when the time to choose came, just as the signal cut out.

After the Adversary struggled to repel Will's spiders after their choice to spare Tana, a dimensional portal appeared in Mirror World, with Neinheart arriving with the Chief Knights and the Resistance leaders in order to finish off the spiders. Neinheart revealed that Shubert had fixed long-range communications, and that Melange had opened a gateway for the Alliance to enter, just as he had planned. Melange then reported that Will had fled into the innermost part of Mirror World, to which Neinheart suggested that they quickly evacuate before the White Sun fused with the Black Moon. Soon after, the Adversary met with Neinheart, who noted that they seemed downcast and asked whether they still blamed themselves for not being able to stop the ritual. He assured the Adversary that none of them could have anticipated that the Black Mage would have such a plan, though the Adversary replied that they had been unable to do anything but watch the ritual unfold in the end. Neinheart told the Adversary not to blame themselves, noting that just knowing what the Black Mage was planning was already a huge advantage. He then told the Adversary to take heart, as the real final battle was about to begin.

Sellas

Some time after the fusion of the Black Moon and White Sun, Neinheart contacted the Adversary and told them that the Alliance was running an urgent, special operation before advancing on Tenebris. On the way to the base camp, they ran into Shubert, who explained that he was preparing to return back to Edelstein, as the operation in Esfera was now over. Shubert then led them to the base camp, where Neinheart and Ollie told the Adversary that they were planning a recovery operation for a shiny, unknown object that Tana had dropped while Ollie had pulled her out of the Origin Sea. As it belonged to the Transcendent of Light, Neinheart believed that it had some significance, and so he wanted to recover it in case it would help them in the fight against the Black Mage. Neinheart asked Shubert if he would reconsider helping them, but Shubert told them that he had experienced enough of the sea. However, he was unhappy to know that Ollie was joining the expedition, as she had barely recovered from Will's attack. Neinheart then led them to the Jellyfish, a submarine that Shubert had once been stationed on, which had been recovered by the Resistance. The Adversary was surprised that they needed a submarine, as they had been able to go on foot in the Morass at the bottom of the Arcane River. Neinheart explained that the environment in the Origin Sea was changing, which necessitated a submarine. Unexpectedly, Shubert agreed to pilot the Jellyfish. Neinheart was pleased by his change of heart and gave him command of the mission, as he was a veteran of Edelstein's diving unit.

As they dove into the waters of Sellas, the team was surprised at how clean the waters were, unlike what Ollie had experienced while pulling up Tana. Over the comms, Neinheart explained that the sea had been murky because of Tana, and that the waters were now clear because she had been extracted some time ago. He then explained that they had installed a sonar system that was calibrated to search for high-energy points before the group set off for their mission, allowing them to recover what Tana had dropped: her anti-magic necklace given to her centuries ago by Jean. Back at the surface, Neinheart determined that the jewel on the necklace had been broken from a larger piece. He realized that Tana had cherished it so preciously that she had taken it with her, even as she had wandered without her memory. Based on that alone, he believed that it had significance enough that the Alliance would continue to investigate it. He noted that the necklace was glowing brightly and speculated that if it was emitting light in response to its owner, then there was hope that they would one day be able to reach her.

Moonbridge

Expedition for the Final Battle

With the fusion of the Black Moon and White Sun, a storm zone was created over the Arcane River that grew stronger with each passing day, eventually making its way to the Esfera base camp. Knowing that the time had come, Neinheart ordered all Alliance forces in Esfera to return to Ereve in order to prepare for the final battle against the Black Mage. The Adversary accompanied Neinheart across the storm zone by airship, where Neinheart explained that he was taking them to the Outpost, which was the center of the Alliance's preparations for the final battle. He told the Adversary that not long after they had departed for the Arcane River, immense chains with an ominous aura had begun to appear across Maple World, pulling their world closer into the Arcane River. Neinheart explained that it was a sign that the dimensional collapse had reached critical levels, but just as he was about to continue, large purple meteors began falling from the storm zone, with Neinheart realizing that the strange creatures which were invading Maple World had found them. The attack quickly destroyed the airships, causing the Adversary and Neinheart to plummet to the ground. Upon awakening in Ereve, Neinheart noted that it was fortunate that they had gotten close enough already before the airships had been destroyed. The Adversary then looked around in awe at the massive chains which had fallen from the sky, with Neinheart warning them not to get too close. Just as he spoke, several Wandering Soot Glare monsters were summoned and began to attack. Together, the Adversary and Neinheart fought through the monsters, with Neinheart using a heavy book to whack the monsters away, joking that he couldn't be the one who always got hit.

After defeating them, the pair encountered Kiriko, Kizan, and Kidan patrolling the area. They reported that the Soot monsters, which had begun appearing around Maple World, were appearing with greater frequency each day, with more and more chains falling from the sky. However, they also noted that the Adversary's return to Maple World must signify that the final battle was coming. Neinheart then asked them whether they had seen Ollie, Shubert, and Melange, tasking the scouts with informing the trio to meet at the Outpost. After the scouts left, Neinheart told the Adversary that the Arcane River had been created from the collision of worlds, and that dimensional collapse had reached critical levels, which had resulted in the chains and monsters appearing. As all of existence would cease to be if the Black Mage succeeded, he emphasized that even with the Alliance preparing countermeasures, it was imperative that they stop the Black Mage once and for all before his new destiny was completed. At the Adversary's confusion, Neinheart began leading them on foot towards the Outpost as he explained. As they walked, the Adversary noted that they couldn't see any people in Ereve, with the Cygnus Knights gone and only the Piyo scouts remaining. Neinheart explained that everyone had gone to the Outpost to prepare for the final battle, and that he had left behind only the minimum number of troops to defend Ereve. He told the Adversary that when they had gone into the Arcane River, he hadn't simply sat idly by, and that he had done everything in his power to learn more about the Black Mage and his goals.

As they arrived at the Conference Pavilion, Neinheart explained that after he had resolved to look deeper into the Black Mage's past following the Black Heaven incident, Eckhart had recovered an important clue from the Black Mage's laboratory in Magatia. He then presented the Scroll of Destiny to the Adversary and revealed that inside the laboratory, Eckhart had discovered writings that suggested that the Black Mage had been able to predict events before they happened, as he had foreseen not only the creation of the Adversary, but also the birth of the Arcane River and the fusion of the Black Moon with the White Sun. He then showed the Adversary the final prophecy written on the scroll:

They who cross the breath of twilight and turn towards the sun,

on broken wings will be crushed and undone by despair.

A light whose brilliant glory is lost

will face the soul of the world whilst steeped in mire and rot.

A crimson tear will spawn a giant that swallows hearts,

and when determination is swallowed by the deepest dark,

a new destiny will be written, a destiny apart.

Neinheart explained that he had been able to interpret most of the other prophecies in the scroll based on what the Alliance knew of the Black Mage, but he added that the final prophecy which he had just shown them was still unclear. He also added that he was uneasy about the prophesied new destiny, as a destiny written by the Black Mage could only end in disaster. However, he explained that the Alliance had already begun preparing for it, adding that thanks to the Adversary's paper boat, their warning had given him enough time to begin researching the Black Mage in the first place. He revealed that the Cygnus Knights had sent letters to summon the leaders of the Alliance, who had all agreed to make a final stand against the Black Mage, though he added that the Empress had been uneasy about the decision. He explained that Cygnus had the power to see the future as well, and that she had been plagued by nightmares every day about the Alliance falling in battle ever since the massive chains had begun appearing across Maple World. He added that Cygnus' nightmares had been very similar to the Black Mage's final prophecy, and that no one had been sure whether it had been because of stress or her ability to see the future. Fearing that she would be leading her people into a destruction that she would be too weak to protect them from, Cygnus had sought out Shinsoo at her refuge in Leafre. There, Shinsoo had noted that a dark shadow had fallen, blotting out the brilliant light. Neinheart explained that Cygnus had confided her nightmares and worries that she kept buried deep within to Shinsoo, who had given Cygnus the power and courage to protect the Alliance.

After finishing recounting the story, Neinheart told the Adversary that Shinsoo had also revealed that the determination of countless warriors would become their strength to fight in the coming battle. He explained that after Cygnus had returned with a shield imbued with Shinsoo's divine power, Shinsoo had fallen back into slumber at her refuge in Leafre. With her resolve having been strengthened by Shinsoo's counsel, Neinheart revealed that Cygnus had sent letters to all members of the Alliance, announcing the great expedition into the Arcane River. He added that since that time, everything had gone exactly as prophesized, though he admitted that it had helped them get a timeframe of when exactly the full-scale battle would take place. As he spoke, the pair arrived at the Sky Ferry, where they began flying towards the Outpost on airship. At the Outpost, a large floating island in its own right, Neinheart explained that it was the center of the Alliance's operation, and the place where its commanders would unite the determination of its warriors. He then showed them the White Spear, explaining that the massive airship would serve as the Alliance's flagship, modeled into a spear to symbolize their will to carve out their own destiny, and large enough to shield their allies, embodying the Empress' will perfectly.

As they landed, Neinheart explained that warriors from all over were still gathering at the Outpost, including the Nova and the Guardians of Time. Just then, two Cygnus Knights arrived to greet them, with Neinheart ordering them to let the Empress know about their arrival. At the center of the Outpost, the Adversary noted a brazier with a brilliant blue flame, which Neinheart explained was a divine flame created from the determination of countless warriors. He noted that just as Shinsoo had said, that fierce determination would become the strength to overcome the darkness that they faced. Neinheart then told the Adversary that it wouldn't be a bad idea to speak to the warriors of the Alliance now that they had returned back to Maple World. He pointed out Athena Pierce in the distance and explained that she had been handling the various monster attacks across Maple World, noting that the worlds were facing disturbances from the dimensional collapse. Believing that the return of the Alliance's ace would boost morale, Neinheart asked the Adversary to speak with the soldiers in order to help motivate them as the final battle approached.

After speaking with the Alliance soldiers, the Adversary returned back to Neinheart, who escorted them to meet Empress Cygnus, dressed in full battle armor and carrying an ornately-crafted sword. She thanked the Adversary for their instrumental role in pushing forward through the Arcane River, revealing that they had paved the way for the Guardians of Time to investigate the area, which had set the stage for discovering the Black Mage's prophecy and all their countermeasures, including the White Spear itself. However, Cygnus added that the Adversary themselves were the greatest symbol of hope for the Alliance and asked them to lend their strength once again. She noted that the final battle was far more dangerous than anything they had ever fought, for which she would not force them to fight, though the Adversary readily accepted her request. Cygnus thanked them for their bravery and told them that she would engrave their determination deep inside her heart. At Cygnus' command, Neinheart took the Adversary aside so that Athena could brief them on the situation. As they waited, Neinheart began to summarize the Adversary's journey through the Arcane River, and how they had bested Commanders Lucid, Arkarium, and Will in their travels. After summarizing, however, Neinheart pointed out how Will had called them an Adversary, revealing that they had found one more writing in the Black Mage's laboratory that stated: “Only the Adversary can counter immortality's fate with the strength of a Seal Stone.” Though Neinheart admitted that he didn't want to immediately trust it, given who had written it, he felt that they needed something to believe in while waging war against a god.

Just then, Athena Pierce arrived, with the Adversary greeting her and asking whether she would be coming with them. Athena explained that Maple World was suffering from critical dimensional collapse, and that she needed to remain behind and manage the situation, as there would be no world to get back to otherwise even if they defeated the Black Mage. Neinheart told the Adversary that regional leaders like Athena were remaining behind to keep Maple World safe as the rest of the Alliance fought the Black Mage. He then told the Adversary that what he wanted to discuss with them and Athena was determination, noting how the Flame of Determination was emitting special power as the determination of warriors gathered. He explained that the determination which Shinsoo had spoken of wasn't simply a metaphor, and that the Alliance had concluded that it, alongside the Seal Stone and the Adversary, were the three elements to secure their victory. Because of this, he asked Athena and the other regional leaders to remain behind and keep that flame alive. After Athena agreed, Neinheart asked her to take care of things on Maple World while the Alliance prepared to embark on their mission.

Son after, Neinheart met with Claudine, who asked whether the time to embark had arrived. Neinheart confirmed her suspicions and gave her an emblem of the Alliance, to which she noted that they were all once again setting off into battle together for the Alliance. She added that though Edelstein had been liberated, a dark curtain still covered the world, and that their freedom was not yet complete as long as the Black Mage still lived. She then told Neinheart that though they had once been enemies, they were now part of the same Alliance which had overcome many hardships together. Brighton then noted that an expedition that transcended dimensions was quite exciting and asked Belle whether she agreed. Belle reminded him that they weren't going to a picnic and told him to be more serious, to which Brighton replied that being lax was better than quaking in their boots. Neinheart laughed and noted that they were still the same, jokingly likening them to a pair of cockroaches. Belle quickly grew furious, while Brighton laughed awkwardly, with Checky attempting to calm Belle down. Neinheart then assured her that he was joking before asking the Resistance leaders to take care during the battle.

Giant Monster Gloom

Cygnus then announced that it was time to launch all Alliance ships to Tenebris. Before they launched, however, Neinheart told the Adversary that he had something to give them. He presented them Tana's necklace which they had recovered in Sellas, explaining that it would be helpful for them to keep it with them, as it was an item which had once belonged to the Transcendent of Light. With that, Cygnus commanded the Alliance fleet to take off, with hundreds of smaller ships launching alongside the White Spear, including the Lumiere and the Nautilus, heading straight into a large portal that would take them into the Arcane River. Several hours later, Neinheart reported that they were passing over the Esfera base camp, which had vanished without a trace. He told the Adversary that they would soon be arriving at Moonbridge, which was the Alliance's name for the path that had bridged Esfera with the Black Moon, before it had become the Black Sun. As they entered Moonbridge, Kyrin reported that the Nautilus had encountered heavy turbulence ahead, with monsters emerging from the thick fog to attack the fleet. Just then, Edea and Claudine reported that powerful monsters had just attacked the Nova and Resistance fleets as well. Disturbed by the turbulence behind the fog and the monster attack, Neinheart asked the Adversary to handle the incoming enemies first and obtain samples from them. The Adversary returned with Wicked Soul Remains, which Edea began analyzing.

As she did, the Adversary reported that there seemed to be no shortage of monsters, which seemed to be coming out of the fog. Just then, Kyrin reported that a thick wall of fog was blocking the fleet's path, with Cygnus realizing that it was the source of turbulence. Neinheart realized that it would be difficult to pierce through, while Claudine added that she was certain that the monsters were being created from behind it. Edea soon finished her analysis and revealed that a dark entity within the fog was crafting the monsters from pure Erda. Neinheart asked whether it was coming from Tenebris, to which Edea replied that it was difficult to say without piercing through the fog. Claudine suggested focusing their firepower on a single point, to which Neinheart replied that the White Spear's cannon was currently charging up, though the monsters were swarming around it, making it difficult to get a clear shot. Kyrin explained that she had learned that the monsters were being drawn to strong energy, which was likely why they were swarming around the cannon. In order to handle the threat, Neinheart proposed scattering the fleet and having each ship generate enough power to draw the monsters towards them, thereby clearing a path for the White Spear's cannon to pierce through the fog.

Claudine decided to lead the charge, claiming that disruption and baiting was the Resistance's specialty. With the Nova taking the rear, Neinheart asked the Adversary to protect the Resistance ships as they drew in the monsters. The Adversary met with the Resistance leaders, who explained that Checky was planning to set off detonations to draw in the enemy. Together, they worked to set off the charges and finish off the drawing throng of monsters. Soon enough, Neinheart reported to Cygnus that their line of fire had been secured. On Cygnus' command, the White Spear fired its cannon and created a large hole in the fog, allowing the Alliance fleet to push through. As the Alliance began celebrating taking their first step towards Tenebris, Cygnus thanked the Adversary for their help, though she warned that they didn't know what dangers awaited them on the other side of the fog.

Soon after, Neinheart noted that the Nova ships were reporting an emergency, for which the Adversary was dispatched to investigate. Arriving at the Nova fleet, the Adversary saw immense chains wrapping tightly around the ships. They rushed aboard, where they found one Nova soldier barely conscious amidst his unconscious comrades. At his request, the Adversary destroyed the chains, feeling the presence of a powerful soul as they did. Realizing that something was wrong, the Adversary reported back to Edea and met with the Alliance leaders remotely. With all the Alliance leaders reporting that their soldiers were seeing chains and thousands of eyes, as well as losing their will to fight, Neinheart noted that they needed to find a way to respond to the threat. Edea replied that all the enemies were emitting strong thoughts, which meant that it had to be linked to the Black Mage. Neinheart realized that they needed to get closer to Tenebris in order to find the source, but just as he spoke, the Giant Monster Gloom emerged from the fog and loomed ominously in the distance. Edea noted that Gloom had been created from the malevolent thoughts of the Black Mage, which were strong enough to sweep any ordinary person away. Because of this, she explained that the ominous aura and feelings of despair were spreading from the monsters being created by Gloom with those malevolent thoughts. She noted that they would likely need to reach Gloom's core in order to destroy it, though she warned that it would be difficult to reach it. The Adversary immediately volunteered to reach the core, for which Neinheart ordered the fleet to regroup.

Cygnus then declared that the White Spear would take point and lead the charge, replying to a surprised Neinheart that it was the very reason why the flagship had been made. On her command, the Alliance fleet began to regroup as the soldiers fought through the incoming wave of monsters for the Adversary to get closer to Gloom. Though Cygnus herself led the charge to boost morale, Neinheart reported that the front lines were falling as the Alliance soldiers began succumbing to the despair of the Black Mage's powerful thoughts. Refusing to let her allies give up, Cygnus used Shinsoo's bracelet to create a powerful shield of light in order to defend them from the onslaught. Emboldened by Cygnus' leadership, the Alliance soldiers pushed on behind her, with Cygnus noting to herself that her allies had protected her with bruised hands like hers were now, and that it was now her turn to protect them. From the distance, the Adversary saw the brilliant light from the White Spear and felt as though Cygnus was calling to them to keep pushing forward. After the Alliance defeated Gloom, the Adversary met with Cygnus and Neinheart, who reported that they would take a short break before resuming the operation to head towards Tenebris. Just he spoke, however, a Cygnus Knight reported in that an explosion had taken place while transporting the core fragment, and that Ollie had gone missing.

Labyrinth of Suffering

Soon after Gloom's defeat, the Adversary was summoned to the deck of the White Spear, where a Cygnus Knight reported that the operation to advance on Tenebris was about to take place, adding that Ollie had also been rescued. The Adversary rushed to meet Ollie and the other Alliance leaders gathered on the deck, where Neinheart explained that a small scout ship near the explosion had managed to find her. Claudine asked Ollie if she was alright, noting that she must have been exposed to the Black Mage's thoughts inside the core during the explosion. Neinheart told Claudine that their examinations had found no lingering effects, though he added that Ollie had something important to say. Ollie then revealed that she had seen a memory of the White Mage at the moment when he had awakened as the Transcendent of Light, in which he had expressed his hatred towards the will of the world for leaving their world incomplete. Though Claudine and Edea were disturbed to know that the Black Mage wasn't merely a madman out to destroy the world, Cygnus asked them to focus, as they were fighting to ensure their survival. Neinheart agreed, reminding them that the Black Mage's means were ruinous, regardless of how noble his ideals were. Ollie then told them that the final thought that she had felt from the Black Mage had been his goal to build the Path to Genesis.

Just then, an Alliance soldier reported that they were about to reach Tenebris. Cygnus then ordered the Alliance leaders to prepare for battle, as well as telling Ollie to get some rest. She then asked Neinheart to give his strategy recommendation to minimize casualties, to which Neinheart told her that the Adversary would serve as the vanguard of the Alliance and forge their path through the darkness as they reached the heart of Tenebris. However, Cygnus told Neinheart that the White Spear would be the vanguard and instead asked the Adversary to provide cover from the rear until the entire Alliance fleet reached Tenebris. Neinheart protested, telling Cygnus that it was too dangerous for her to lead the charge from the front lines. However, Cygnus retorted that she couldn't afford to hide behind others, as no one would trust her to lead them otherwise. She explained that everyone in the Alliance had placed their trust in her to be their leader, and that it was her responsibility to do so, for which she asked Neinheart and the Adversary to trust in her. Neinheart reluctantly agreed to Cygnus' plan and told the Adversary to watch their flank. After the Adversary left, Cygnus confided to Neinheart that she had sensed a darkness hanging over the Adversary, which was the real reason why she had wanted them to stay back. Recalling the Black Mage's prophecy, “A light whose brilliant glory is lost will face the soul of the world whilst steeped in mire and rot,” Cygnus felt a terrible sense of dread over what would happen to the Adversary.

After the Alliance successfully cleared a path to Tenebris, Neinheart contacted Grendel at the Outpost and reported that the White Spear had successfully taken out the monsters, and that a search party would be sent to the labyrinth soon. However, he explained that he wanted to confirm a theory with Grendel and hoped that he was incorrect. Neinheart explained that according to his research, three elements were needed for the Genesis Ritual: first, the ultimate light held by Tana, which granted the power of creation; second, the ultimate darkness held by the Black Mage, which granted the power of destruction; finally, enough high-purity Erda to fill an ocean, satisfied by the Arcane River. He told Grendel that the Arcane River was a flow of Erda generated by the convergence of three worlds, with the overwhelming excess caused by the absence of Transcendents from the sealing of Rhinne and the Black Mage.

Neinheart was troubled that the implication of this meant that the Black Mage had deliberately chosen to be sealed by the Heroes in order to achieve his goal. Grendel then finished what Neinheart was thinking and explained that the Black Mage's goal hundreds of years ago hadn't been to destroy the world, but rather, to gather Commanders and minions in order to draw out the Heroes, who would ultimately seal him away. However, Neinheart was still frustrated that there were a few key pieces missing from the whole puzzle. He pointed out the incident with the Demon and Arkarium, just before the Black Mage had been sealed, and how there had been a possibility that Arkarium might not have been jealous of the Demon enough to have destroyed Leafre, meaning that the Demon wouldn't have sent the letter to the Heroes. He added that when Ollie had witnessed the Black Mage's memories, she had said that the incident had been set off by the trivial matter of the Black Mage praising the Demon while ignoring Arkarium, triggering the whole chain of events that had led to his sealing with only a few words. Grendel was disturbed by Neinheart's implications and told him that they were in the final stages of analyzing the core fragment, which would soon reveal more of the Black Mage's secrets.

Limina

After Orchid teleported the Adversary back to the White Spear, they soon ran into Neinheart, who was relieved that they were safe. Pointing out an enormous giant made of Erda in the distance, Neinheart explained that the next part of the prophecy, “A crimson tear will spawn a giant that swallows hearts,” had come to pass, with the giant serving as the Black Mage's declaration that he had become a god. Neinheart then ordered all Alliance forces to clear a path for the Adversary to return to the Genesis Crux. He then turned to Edea and Kyrin and finished relaying his orders to them, warning them that their job wouldn't be easy. After the pair left to carry out their mission, Neinheart wondered to himself whether sending their allies to their possible deaths was a necessary risk. He then turned to the Adversary and explained that he wanted to tell them more about the Black Mage's true goals. Neinheart began by telling them that the Black Mage's ideal world was one without Transcendents. In order to achieve this, he had not only defeated Rhinne, Alicia, and Tana, but he had kept the first two from passing on their powers while absorbing the latter. Neinheart then expressed his intrigue that the Black Mage had managed to do so under the most unfavorable conditions.

Bound by the laws of the Overseers that even he could not break, the Black Mage was unable to battle the other Transcendents directly, which was why he had recruited the Commanders to aid him. However, the Commanders had their own agendas, and so the Black Mage had needed to manage them carefully in order to ensure that they wouldn't turn against him to advance their own goals. In order to do so, he had needed to convince the Commanders that their goals aligned with his, while simultaneously hiding his true intentions from them. The Adversary then recalled how Damien had planned to betray the Black Mage by stealing Alicia's powers, while the Heroes had stood against him. Though none of the parties involved had supported his goals, the Black Mage had still been able to emerge victorious. Neinheart then recalled what the Black Mage had told Cygnus in her nightmares: “Your fate is sealed.” Though he had initially believed that the Black Mage had merely been boasting, Neinheart had come to realize that the Black Mage was speaking literally, referring to the Path of Destiny. Neinheart told the Adversary that Grendel's analysis of the core fragment would soon be completed, allowing them to find the missing element in the puzzle.

Just then, an Alliance soldier reported that one of the Resistance ships needed immediate reinforcements. As the Adversary headed over to help them, Neinheart contacted the ship and told Belle to take point on the assault. Belle grew furious at Neinheart's orders, as not only was their ship damaged, but Neinheart was also keeping the White Spear and its escorts out of firing range. As she and the other Resistance leaders began demanding to speak with Cygnus, Claudine arrived and told them that they needed to follow orders in order to win the battle. Neinheart thanked her and explained that reinforcements would soon arrive. The Resistance leaders were outraged to find a single one-man ship arriving until they realized that the Adversary was aboard. After the Adversary defeated the Black Mage and scattered into Erda, Neinheart watched in earnest as ten minutes passed since the giant had fallen silent. Suddenly, Cygnus reported that the Genesis Crux had been destroyed, causing the soldiers to begin cheering. However, she struggled with how to break the news that the Adversary had been destroyed. Just as Neinheart began to mourn the loss of the Adversary, however, Claudine suddenly saw something shooting out of the giant's heart. Suddenly, Cygnus and the others were shocked to find that all the soldiers who had been scattered into Erda had suddenly been restored to life. As the Adversary returned back into the material world, they heard the White Mage's final words congratulating them for their victory in having escaped the destiny that he had set for them and finding a new path. He told them that the future was now in their hands, adding that though he didn't know what kind of enemies they would face next, he trusted them to face it. He then asked them once again to keep persevering, and that he would give his blessings for the future that they would create.

After getting some much-needed rest, the Adversary soon returned back to the Outpost, where Cygnus greeted them and asked if they had gotten some rest after defeating the Black Mage, to which the Adversary replied that it had been ages since they had been able to sleep as well as they had. Neinheart then told the Adversary that he had several things to report, with the first being that Orchid had disappeared after the battle. He explained that he had attempted to ask Guwaru about her whereabouts, though Guwaru had refused to cooperate. Neinheart added that the Alliance was continuing to track her down, and that though she had helped the Alliance during the Arcane River and Tenebris expeditions, they could not ignore all her past crimes. Nevertheless, he admitted that they would have to think about how to handle her if she had truly changed her ways. He then added that there were others waiting to meet them, causing the Adversary to worry whether there was another threat. Just then, several other leaders of the Alliance arrived, causing the Adversary to realize that Neinheart had merely been joking.

Aftermath

Cygnus Knights

In Ereve, Empress Cygnus addressed her Knights and thanked them all for their bravery. She then asked if they were willing to continue following her in the fight against evil, which garnered a rallying cry for Cygnus. Neinheart personally thanked the Cygnus Knight for their dedication and asked if they would continue doing what was required for the sake of the Empress, to which the Knight told Neinheart that just as always, they would always trust and follow the Empress. Cygnus then thanked them for their service, addressing them as the sixth Chief Knight.

Mihile

In Ereve, Empress Cygnus addressed her Knights and thanked them all for their bravery, noting that they had all played their parts admirably in their order of knights, which had been founded to face the Black Mage. She added that amongst them, Mihile had played the most important role in the most dangerous place, and that without him or the Cygnus Knights, Ereve would not bask in the warm sunlight that now fell upon them. She then asked if they were willing to continue following her and Mihile in the fight against evil, which garnered a rallying cry for them both. Neinheart personally thanked Mihile for his dedication and asked if he would continue doing what was required for the sake of the Empress, to which Mihile told Neinheart that just as always, he would always trust and follow the Empress. Cygnus then thanked him for their service, addressing them as the eternal leader of the Cygnus Knights.

Phantom

The same evening that the Heroes had met at Freud's house, Phantom decided to stop by Ereve. There, he watched as Neinheart found Cygnus wandering around the grounds alone. Neinheart asked Cygnus if she wasn't enjoying the celebrations, but Cygnus told him that she was happier than she had been in a long time. However, the sacrifices and lives lost during the war were weighing heavily on her mind, and so she felt that it wasn't right to celebrate. At the same time, she knew that she couldn't mourn their losses that night, and that she instead needed to put on a brave face for her people, who needed to celebrate. Neinheart smiled and acknowledged her wisdom, after which Cygnus told him that it was time to return to the party. As they left, Phantom noted that he was glad to see what a strong leader she had become, after which he returned to the Lumiere.

Glory Guard

Soon after the battle of Tenebris, the Adversary met with Neinheart and immediately recognized that he wasn't looking well. Neinheart told them that he had been completely overwhelmed, and that Ereve's funds were low because of the war effort, meaning that there was hardly anything left for rebuilding Maple World. Though he was at a loss for how to make up the deficit, he explained that Cygnus had an idea for how to do so. At the conference table, Cygnus greeted them and explained that rather than using armies, she planned to create a small, elite team composed of the Alliance's most talented people and asked if they would be willing to be part of the Glory Guard, which the Adversary accepted without hesitation.

Genesis Weapon

Mysterious Weapon

Soon after the battle of Tenebris, Neinheart reached out to the Adversary and thanked them once again for defeating the Black Mage and bringing peace to Maple World. However, he explained that even though the Black Mage was now dead, there were several questions that still remained. He told the Adversary that they had discovered something several days ago, and that the entire Alliance had come together in order to investigate it. However, as the Alliance was experiencing certain problems that they couldn't overcome on their own, he asked the Adversary whether they would help in the investigation efforts. After the Adversary agreed, Neinheart asked them to travel to Limina in order to defeat an afterimage of the Black Mage, which had appeared in the area.

After defeating the Black Mage's afterimage, the Adversary traveled to Ereve, where they found Neinheart and Grendel awaiting them. Noting that the Adversary had defeated the Black Mage's afterimage, Neinheart explained that it served as further proof of their strength, which meant that they were ready to see what the Alliance had discovered. He showed the Adversary a chest dripping with dark energy, explaining that after the Black Mage's death, Alliance members investigating the area had discovered some type of weapon inside the giant's heart. Believing that the Black Mage had left it behind, the Alliance members had taken it back to Ereve, where Grendel had locked it away. Grendel told the Adversary that he had inspected the weapon in every possible way that he could, and that his investigation had led him to conclude that it contained incredible potential. He explained that it was called the Genesis Weapon, which contained the powers of creation and destruction that the Black Mage had wielded.

Neinheart told the shocked Adversary that the Alliance believed that the weapon had the power to face an even greater enemy, and that they hoped to take advantage of it as the catalyst that the Alliance needed in order to become stronger and defend their world against the coming threat. Grendel explained that in order to control something that strong, the wielder would need to become that much more powerful, as otherwise, they could never hope to wield such a weapon. As only someone with the ability to control that power could wield the Genesis Weapon, Grendel told the Adversary that they were the first person that the Alliance had thought of. He then opened the chest and invited the Adversary to inspect the weapon. The Adversary was surprised to find that the Genesis Weapon looked identical to their own. Neinheart explained that he believed that the Black Mage had intended to leave the weapon behind specifically for them. However, he added that they needed to be cautious, as it was still a weapon created by the Black Mage. He explained that he had asked them to defeat the Black Mage's afterimage as a test in order to ensure that they wouldn't lose control of the weapon's power. Grendel added that there was one final test, though it would be administered by the Genesis Weapon itself. As the weapon was sealed with a mysterious strength, he explained that the Adversary would need to remove the seal in order to unlock its full potential.

Liberating the Genesis Weapon

Neinheart told the Adversary that both he and Grendel suspected that the key to unlocking the seal had to lie with the Black Mage and his Commanders, though he warned that they could be certain that anything to do with the Black Mage and his Commanders wouldn't be easy. He then allowed the Adversary to think on whether they were willing to embark on such a dangerous mission, as they had already saved the world and defeated a god, meaning that the decision was theirs alone whether to return to the difficult path. After considering it, the Adversary agreed to unseal the Genesis Weapon and claim the power within. Neinheart explained that according to Grendel, they could imbue the Genesis Weapon with Traces of Darkness by defeating afterimages of the Commanders. He told the Adversary that the Black Mage had given his Commanders power from the Traces of Darkness, and that the traces would appear in the place of the Commanders' afterimages as soon as they disappeared. The Adversary then traveled to the Lion King's Castle, where they defeated Von Leon's afterimage. The Adversary then returned back to Ereve, where Grendel greeted them and noted that they had successfully managed to imbue the Genesis Weapon with the Trace of Darkness inside Von Leon's afterimage. After examining the weapon, however, Grendel explained that there was still a missing element. He speculated that they would likely need part of the Black Mage's power in order to unleash the weapon's strength. Neinheart realized that the Adversary would likely need to face another Commander's afterimage once again, and so he the Adversary traveled to the Dimensional Schism and obtained another Trace of Darkness from within Arkarium's afterimage.

After defeating Arkarium's afterimage, the Trace of Darkness inside him was imbued into the weapon, which the Adversary brought back to Ereve. There, Grendel extracted the magical power from within the Trace of Darkness and transferred it inside the Genesis Weapon. Immediately after the power transfer, everyone nearby experienced a vision of Arkarium from shortly after the World Tree incident, in which he restored his human form after Damien had nearly killed him, after which the Black Mage ordered him to escort Tana through the Arcane River. Neinheart realized that according to the memory, Arkarium had needed his staff in order to fully restore his powers after having barely survived his battle with Damien. Grendel realized that the staff's power had likely been similar to that of the Black Mage, adding that the combination of the Commander's power and the Black Mage's power must have been quite potent. He then realized that it served as confirmation that in order to fully unseal the Genesis Weapon, they would need part of the Black Mage's power through his afterimages, as well as those of his Commanders.

The Adversary then traveled to Tyrant's Castle in Heliseum, where they defeated Magnus' afterimage and obtained a Trace of Darkness from inside him, which was absorbed into the Genesis Weapon. After the Adversary returned back to Ereve, Grendel began infusing the Trace of Darkness's power into the weapon, resulting in one of Magnus' memories flowing into their minds. They witnessed the memory of Hilla confronting Magnus during the Dimension Invasion crisis, in which Magnus had told Hilla that the Black Mage's will was quite different from the one whom he served. Next, the Adversary traveled to the Scrapyard and defeated Lotus' afterimage, from whom they obtained a Trace of Darkness. After the Trace of Darkness was absorbed into the Genesis Weapon, the Adversary returned back to Ereve, where Grendel noted that it had accumulated considerable power, and that it seemed like the first stage of that power was ready to be awakened. After he unlocked the first restraint on the weapon, the Adversary found that the weapon held the ability to use a portion of the Black Mage's Transcendent powers of destruction, allowing them to summon the Tanadian Ruin.

Neinheart then told the Adversary that the next afterimage that they would need to face would be Damien's, from whom they would need to obtain the Trace of Darkness. The Adversary then traveled to the Dark World Tree and defeated Damien's afterimage. After the Genesis Weapon absorbed the Trace of Darkness, the Adversary returned back to Ereve, where Grendel infused the Black Mage's power into the weapon. As his power was transferred into the weapon, everyone was able to see one of Damien's memories, in which they witnessed his first meeting with Von Leon. In the memory, Von Leon had learned that Damien saw him as a kindred spirit, as both of them had lost loved ones and had chosen the path of corruption. However, Von Leon had merely told Damien that some things were impossible, even for the Black Mage, and that even if Damien were to bring his mother back to life, his tainted soul wasn't fit to be anywhere near her. Next, the Adversary traveled to Esfera and faced Will's afterimage. After absorbing the Trace of Darkness inside Will's afterimage into the Genesis Weapon, the Adversary returned back to Ereve, where Grendel infused the power of the Black Mage into the weapon. As the power transfer occurred, a memory from Will's past flooded into the minds of everyone nearby, allowing them to learn how Will had become a Commander after the Black Mage's unsealing, as well as the fact that while he had become the Black Mage's sole confidante. After the events of Mirror World, the Black Mage had told Will that he had wanted something more than just the creation of a new world.

The Adversary then traveled to Lachelein and faced Lucid's afterimage, from whom they obtained another Trace of Darkness that the Genesis Weapon absorbed into itself. After Grendel transferred the Black Mage's power into the Genesis Weapon, everyone was able to see a memory of Lucid after the Adversary defeated her in Lachelein. They learned that within the darkness of her mind, Lucid had desperately attempted to reach the Black Mage's subconsciousness in order to reach him one last time. In the brief instant that she had entered his mind, Lucid had stumbled across a memory filled with pain, sadness, relief, and unbridled hatred. With only one Commander left to face, the Adversary faced Verus Hilla's afterimage, from whom they obtained the final Trace of Darkness, which was imbued into the Genesis Weapon. After the Adversary returned back to Ereve, Grendel imbued the Genesis Weapon with the entirety of its power. He then fully broke the seal on the weapon, unlocking its full potential and allowing the Adversary to use a portion of the Black Mage's Transcendent powers of creation, with which they could summon the Aeonian Rise.

The Black Mage's Goal

Neinheart congratulated the Adversary for fully awakening the power of the Genesis Weapon, explaining that he now understood why the Black Mage might have left such a weapon behind. He told the Adversary that while they had been fighting the afterimages of the Black Mage and his Commanders, the Alliance had been doing follow-up investigations regarding the memories that they had seen of the Commanders, adding that he was certain that those memories were the very reason why the Black Mage had left the Genesis Weapon with them. He explained that there were four things that he had concluded from the memories. First, the Black Mage had desired for something more than Genesis. Second, Lucid had sensed great animosity from within the Black Mage's subconsciousness towards someone. Third, there were some things that were impossible, even for the Black Mage himself. Finally, the Black Mage's will was quite different from the one whom Magnus served.

Neinheart told the Adversary that the Alliance believed that the Black Mage's desire for something greater than Genesis had stemmed from the animosity that he held towards some unknown being, and that he had trusted the Adversary with fulfilling what he couldn't. Grendel noted that while the Black Mage might be gone, his plans hadn't completely failed yet. Neinheart added that what had transpired made sense, as someone as big the Black Mage wouldn't have simply disappeared without leaving something behind. He noted that on top of that, disappearing without having fulfilled his purpose would have been an even more undesirable ending for him. The Adversary was surprised to know that the Black Mage's designs had extended so far, to which Neinheart told them that the Alliance would keep investigating in the meantime, as all they had to go on was speculation. As none of them knew of the Black Mage's true intentions, Neinheart told the Adversary that he would contact them once he had more information, adding that they should also let him know if they discover anything else.

Convergence

Some time after the defeat of the Black Mage, Neinheart summoned the Adversary to the Outpost, where he told them that the Alliance had found Will unconscious in the Origin Sea shortly after the Black Mage's death. As Will had been the only Commander to know about and fully approve of the Black Mage's goals, the Alliance had secretly relocated him to Maple World in order to interrogate him. Though he had only recently regained consciousness, Will had appeared to be unexpectedly cooperative, to the point that Neinheart was growing suspicious. He asked the Adversary if they would be willing to visit Will, where Grendel the Really Old was questioning him. After the Adversary agreed, Neinheart escorted them from the Outpost to Ereve, where the Adversary pointed out the risk of keeping Will so close to the Empress. Neinheart reassured them that Ereve was the most secure place in Maple World, though he added that it troubled him to keep such a great enemy there. However, he was confident that Will would be instrumental in helping them plan future battles. The Adversary asked what other battles there could be, to which Neinheart told them about Melange, who had disappeared shortly after the defeat of the Black Mage. He then gave them a letter from Edea, which had been sent shortly after Melange had first joined the Arcane River expedition. Edea had written that she had finished investigating Melange, as per Neinheart's request, and that though she normally considered Neinheart distrusting his allies to be ridiculous, she believed that his suspicions were right in Melange's case.

She explained that Melange had initially claimed to be the disciple of a great magician, though she had later learned that he had been expelled for practicing forbidden magic. Furthermore, not only was Melange both highly skilled in several branches of magic and extraordinarily powerful, but he also had great knowledge about the Transcendents, far greater than that of the Alliance's allies in Grandis. Neinheart told the Adversary that because of Melange's unusually vast knowledge, he hadn't been able to afford risking losing Melange's trust by taking him into custody, and so he had settled for keeping an eye on him. However, Melange had easily managed to escape the guards that Neinheart had sent to escort him to Ereve after the battle of Tenebris, and his whereabouts and plans remained a mystery. When the Adversary learned that Neinheart planned to go after Melange, they asked if it would be safe to leave Will with fewer guards. Neinheart reassured them that as Will's powers had been tied to the Black Mage, he wouldn't pose a risk, especially with a Chief Knight assigned to his cell to keep him under constant surveillance.

Suddenly, the ground began to quake as the Adversary headed to the prison with Neinheart. There, they found Oz fighting Soot monsters, which she claimed had come from inside the prison. After helping her defeat them, they rushed inside and found Hawkeye fighting several more monsters. The Adversary quickly took care of them, after which Hawkeye reported that Will had done something to Grendel, causing him to vanish. Just then, an Alliance soldier arrived and reported that he had brought Grendel's apprentices, Elwin and Lily. Elwin and Lily explained that when Grendel had first touched the core fragment from Gloom, he had seen the countless futures that led to despair, which had caused him to start sympathizing with the Black Mage about his dream of creating a world without such pain. Because of that, Grendel had gone to see Will, who had recognized that Grendel had touched the core. He had noted that Grendel must have felt what he himself had felt, though he had then corrected himself, explaining that Grendel must only feel regret and despair now that the Black Mage was gone. After interrogating Will and receiving a second core, Neinheart asked Elwin to create a dimensional gate to follow Grendel and told the Adversary to accompany Elwin and Lily.

Soon after the convergence of Maple World and Grandis, Neinheart met with Mercedes in Lachelein, where a comatose Lucid had been recovered by the Alliance after she had been abandoned by the Black Mage. Though Neinheart attempted to take custody of Lucid, Mercedes protested and argued that as the elven sovereign, she would decide the fate of Lucid herself. Neinheart asked Mercedes whether she meant to take Lucid to Elluel, which Mercedes confirmed, explaining that Lucid was in unstable condition, and that she would keep Lucid safe until the girl regained consciousness. However, Neinheart replied that keeping an eye on Lucid with Elluel's small forces was out of the question, as there was no telling how much damage Lucid would cause if she managed to escape. Mercedes then vowed that she would stop Lucid herself again if it came down to that, once again requesting to have custody of Lucid until she regained consciousness. Neinheart told Mercedes that she knows better than anyone else that she was being completely unreasonable, noting that she wasn't acting like her usual self.

He then asked if something had happened to her while she had been rescuing Lucid, to which Mercedes explained that Lucid had been calling her name, adding that Lucid had been waiting for her to come save her for so long, crying alone in absolute darkness, where she couldn't see or hear anyone. She told Neinheart that she fully understood that Lucid deserved to be punished for her evildoings, but speaking not as a queen, but as Lucid's friend, she explained that she didn't want to make Lucid suffer anymore. Neinheart noted that Mercedes was presenting him with a difficult decision, but though he acknowledged that he fully understood how she felt, he added that he was still not at liberty to release someone who had once served as the Black Mage's right-hand. Just then, an Alliance soldier arrived and gave Neinheart a message from the Empress. Neinheart then told Mercedes that Cygnus had declared that Lucid's fate would be left to Elluel. He then breathed a sigh of relief, adding that he wouldn't have had the nerve to deny the request of someone who had saved the world anyways. However, he asked Mercedes that she thoroughly interrogate Lucid once she regained consciousness, to which Mercedes gave Neinheart her word.

Cernium

Stranger From Across the Sea

Soon after the Sol Erda crisis, Neinheart contacted the Adversary and informed them that a visitor had crossed the forgotten sea in order to meet the Alliance after the convergence of Maple World and Grandis. The Adversary was surprised to hear this, as it hadn't been long at all since the two worlds had become one. Neinheart agreed and noted that it was almost as if they had been waiting for it to happen. He revealed that the visitor had wanted to speak to them, and that he had arranged an Alliance conference at the Outpost. The Alliance traveled to Ereve, where Neinheart began escorting them to the Outpost. On the way there, Neinheart explained that the visitor's name was Carlisle, and that he was the prince of a holy land that stood on the other end of the forgotten sea. He also noted that he had heard that the seas of Grandis were quite rough, to which the Adversary noted that they still couldn't believe that he had made the journey so soon after the fusion of their worlds, as he must have been preparing for some time. Neinheart explained that Carlisle had mentioned that he had a friend who was well-versed in theology and history, and that his friend had not only known about the absence of Maple World's Transcendents, but he had also predicted that the two worlds would soon merge into one. The Adversary noted that Carlisle's friend was quite impressive, and that it seemed as though he had more information about the Transcendents than the Alliance did. They then asked Neinheart why Carlisle had sought them out specifically, to which Neinheart told them that it would be better if they heard it for themselves, adding that they had just about arrived.

At the Alliance meeting, Neinheart escorted Carlisle, who had crossed the forgotten sea in order to meet the Alliance. Carlisle reassured them that it wouldn't come to that if they helped him. He told them that Darmoor was waging war against all of Grandis, and that though his army was formidable, resistance fighters had forced him to spread his resources thin. Because of this, Carlisle believed that Darmoor was far from capable of crossing the forgotten sea to Maple World. Claudine was furious and demanded to know what kind of leader would abandon their allies just to save themselves. However, Cygnus told Claudine to calm down and reminded her that they couldn't force everyone to join their fight. Neinheart concurred and added that they would be no better than the enemy if they were to ignore a request for help. However, Claudine and Edea both protested that the Alliance wasn't prepared to fight in such a way, to which Neinheart told them that it was an opportunity to build a friendship with Cernium, which would not forget their aid. Carlisle agreed and told them that as a holy land, Cernium was frequented by countless pilgrims, whose patronage had made the land quite wealthy. He explained that in exchange for the Alliance's aid, Cernium would reward them handsomely. Though she conceded that it was a generous offer, Claudine pointed out that it wouldn't do them much good if they didn't survive the battle. Just then, an Alliance soldier arrived with urgent news for Cygnus, who adjourned the meeting and told everyone to consider what had been discussed in order to work out a plan the next day. Several days later, an Alliance expedition was approved to Cernium, with Neinheart and Cygnus traveling to the border between worlds in order to see the Glory Guard off, which was composed of the Adversary, Edea, Hawkeye, and Checky. Neinheart reminded the Adversary that above all else, their primary goal was to learn more about the Ancient Gods' power. As neither the Resistance nor the Cygnus Knights were in a fit state to run additional missions, Neinheart explained that Pantheon would serve as the Alliance's staging ground for reinforcements, with Edea taking command of the Glory Guard. Neinheart also told the Adversary that though Edea was a level-headed tactician, her deep resentment of the High Flora could hinder her objectivity, and so he asked them to ensure that she remained rational when engaging with the Flora.

Mission Disaster

Soon after, the Glory Guard returned to Maple World and the Alliance held a meeting to cover the shocking events that had transpired at Cernium. Edea explained that she had tried to protect the Adversary, though Mitra's power had badly injured everyone after Seren had been possessed by him thanks to Darmoor. Edea also confessed that things could have been far worse if Seren hadn't been able to take control of her body back. Neinheart was surprised that the holy sword of Mitra could have broken so easily, to which Edea echoed Darmoor's words that only a god could challenge another god, and that Adversary and the Seal Stone were matched in power with Mitra and Azor, which was likely what Darmoor had intended all along. When Cygnus asked what had happened to Seren, Edea explained that Seren had left Cernium in order to fix Azor. She explained that after the Adversary had broken the holy sword, the city was in an uproar, and that it had been a miracle that they had been able to leave without getting hurt. Neinheart then summarized that they had learned nothing of the Ancient Gods, the alliance with Cernium had failed, and the Adversary had lost the power of the Seal Stone. Edea agreed that it was a disaster, but she explained that there was no way that they could have known that Aaron was Gerand Darmoor. Claudine asked why Darmoor had not only allowed the Adversary and the other Alliance members to escape, but had also restored the library using the power of time. Athena Pierce supposed that it meant that he didn't consider the Alliance a threat anymore, to which Edea added that he was a Transcendent, and that there was no way to know what he was thinking. However, she noted that everything had seemed too well-coordinated for it to have merely been a move against the Alliance or even the Adversary. She also added that even though it may have been an act, she couldn't help but think that it had something to do with what he had told her when they had first met, which was that he hated the High Flora more than anyone else, despite being born as one.

Hotel Arcus

A few months after the events of Cernium, Cosim infiltrated Ereve and revealed to Neinheart that some of the answers that the Alliance sought about the Ancient Gods could be found amidst the deserts of Grandis, after which he disappeared. Several days later, Neinheart led Belle and the Adversary to a decrepit train station somewhere in the deserts of Grandis, explaining what had happened with Cosim along the way. Neinheart told the Adversary that he had no notion of what exactly they were intended to discover, adding that he highly doubted that such a decrepit desert train station was even still in operation. Just then, the Adversary noticed a sign that pointed to Hotel Arcus. After considering it, Neinheart decided that they should investigate the hotel, as they had a responsibility to investigate any lead, no matter how unpromising. They soon arrived at the hotel, where they found a robot who introduced himself as Captain Archelon. As he poured them a drink, Irena revealed that she had already arrived at the hotel and told them that they were late. Just then, a boy named Rusty appeared after hearing the noise and introduced himself as the hotel manager and mechanic, asking what had brought them all the way out to the desert. Neinheart explained that they were investigating traces of an Ancient God, but Rusty told him that he hadn't heard about anything like that before. Realizing that Cosim's tip was likely a dead end, Neinheart decided to find the nearest Alliance base to get a transport back. However, Rusty warned that a sandstorm was coming and recommended that they stay indoors. Deciding that it would be best for them to rest, Neinheart booked four rooms for himself and the others. The next day, however, the Adversary and the others found a note from Neinheart, which explained that he was heading back to the Outpost, as their fastest airship only had room for one, and that he was entrusting them with finding information on the Ancient Gods.

Karote

Alliance Report

Soon after the expedition to Hotel Arcus, Neinheart summoned the Adversary to Ereve in order to give them a new mission. He explained that the Chief Knights had just returned from their reconnaissance missions, and that he planned to explain everything during the debriefing. Upon arriving in Ereve, the Adversary was greeted by Neinheart, who explained that the Cygnus Knights had recently been undertaking reconnaissance missions led by the Chief Knights. Between the merging of Maple World and Grandis, the imminent threat of the High Flora army, and the destruction of the Seal Stone, Neinheart emphasized that the situation was precarious, and that while the primary duty of the Cygnus Knights was to protect the Empress, they could not ignore their obligations to the world at large. When the Adversary asked why only the Cygnus Knights had been undertaking missions, Neinheart explained that while the Alliance was helping wherever possible, it was getting difficult to politically justify their operations. As the Alliance had been formed to fight the Black Mage, his death meant that the purpose of the Alliance had been fulfilled. The Adversary was shocked that the Alliance was on the verge of dissolving and asked if the other factions were still contributing to missions. Neinheart told them that the Alliance was still providing support, but without the threat of the Black Mage hanging over their heads, he felt that it was unfair to ask them to invest everything into the cause. He explained that the Cygnus Knights had always carried out the Empress' will, and that world peace continued to be her primary concern. However, he explained they could not force others to join in the fight, as every nation would naturally put its own people first. The Adversary noted that it was perhaps time for a new coalition to carry on the spirit of the Maple Alliance, to which Neinheart agreed and added that many others shared his sentiment.

After rendezvousing with the Chief Knights, Neinheart began the debriefing. Hawkeye first reported that the Thunder Breakers had been following news of Havoc, the Apostle of Lightning. Though they had no confirmation of whether he was dead or alive, Hawkeye explained that he believed that Havoc had to be alive, since they hadn't found his body after his defeat at Seren's hands. Though they were investigating with the support of Prince Carlisle, Hawkeye reported that it was difficult to gather news in Cernium because of the chaos in the city. Eckhart reported next, explaining that the Night Walkers had confirmed that the High Flora army was expanding, and that there were reported sightings of High Flora scouts having crossed the forgotten sea to Maple World. After a few skirmishes, Eckhart had also learned that the Specters, the primary force that made up their army, were different from normal soldiers because of their unnatural recovery rate. Eckhart added that he had a bad feeling about the Specters, and so he would be away from Ereve for some time in order to investigate further. Neinheart then explained that he had asked Oz to investigate something that the Alliance had previously overlooked, having hastily attributed it to be the work of the Black Mage during the war. He added that recent developments had led him to reassess that determination, which was why he had ordered the investigation of Yum Yum Island. Oz told the Adversary that she had looked into it, and that all the clues pointed straight back to Grandis, just as Neinheart had suspected. She explained that though she hadn't found many solid leads, there had been an eyewitness amongst their allies in Grandis who had met the responsible party, whose help had allowed them to fill in the dots.

Oz then explained that the suspect's name was Kaling. Though she appeared to be an Anima to the untrained eye, who or what she really was remained a mystery. Oz also reported that it was unknown whether Kaling was affiliated with Darmoor or if she was another threat, adding that the Blaze Wizards would keep investigating. Mihile then reported that the Dawn Warriors had successfully escorted Grendel from the facility in Ereve that he had escaped from and placed him under custody in a secure location, and that they were still working to locate Will. Neinheart lamented that trust in the Alliance's prisons were at an all-time low, as well as the fact that they couldn't rely on Grendel's counsel anymore. Irena then reported that the Wind Archers had been coordinating with their informants and told the Adversary that one of their sources, Rusty, had told her about a story circulating amongst the Seekers, which spoke of a tower that hid something that even the gods feared. In order to investigate the rumors, Irena, Neinheart, Belle, and the Adversary traveled to the train station at Arcus. There, Neinheart and Irena recounted the legend of Karote, the Unending Tower to Belle and the Adversary, explaining that it was a self-building tower that hadn't stopped growing since it had first been created.

The tower took over a lifespan to build and the day of its completion would reveal to the world a secret that even the gods feared. When the Adversary asked why the tower built itself endlessly, Neinheart explained that when the tower reached a certain height, a force from above would blast it apart, as though it would not permit the tower to build itself any higher. Irena added that even though it had merely been a popular legend amongst the Seekers, the fusion of Maple World and Grandis had resulted in the tower resurfacing, with an eyewitness even having seen the tower with their own eyes. Irena then told the others that the eyewitness was currently staying in Hotel Arcus. The Adversary recalled the part of the story that mentioned how the tower's completion would reveal something that even the gods feared, causing them to wonder whether it could be a clue about the Godsphere, which they knew as the Seal Stone. Neinheart told the Adversary that it was something that he was hoping for as well, as they had learned by now that legends reflected hints of truth. Just then, Rusty arrived with Toogi and Archelon and escorted them to the hotel. At the hotel, Rusty told them that a Seeker named Nicky had been exploring Karote, and that the completion of the tower was his family's dream. On the second floor, the Glory Guard met with Nicky and began to ask him about Karote.

Climbing the Tower

The Adversary asked Nicky if it was true that his family's goal was to see the completion of the tower. Nicky told them that it was specifically his father's dream, and that his father had been keeping his eye out for Karote even before it had resurfaced. He added that he hadn't understood his father's obsession with it until he had visited Karote himself, which had made him wonder where exactly it was growing towards, as well as what sort of power had the ability to reduce it to rubble. He added that the day that Karote completed itself would be when they would finally have a real blast. Seeing that the Adversary was curious, he offered to lead the Glory Guard to Karote. Neinheart began to explain that they hadn't come prepared for a large journey, just as Archelon appeared and showed them the Arcus Gate, which could take them anywhere across Grandis if they had a destination. Neinheart noted that it seemed to be similar to the Interdimensional Portal, but whereas the Interdimensional Portal had been created when a Transcendent utilized another Transcendent's powers, he believed that the Arcus Gate had been created by the power of the Ancient Gods. With Nicky able to chart their destination, Neinheart was hopeful that they would find something that would help them face a Transcendent. Before they left, however, Archelon told the Adversary that he had something important to say. He explained that Karote had been built after his original body had fallen into slumber and before his consciousness had awakened in his robot body. He told the Adversary that the intermittent time in which he had been inactive was when the line between good and evil had vanished. He warned them to be careful, as he feared that what awaited them was more difficult than what a human heart could handle.

Nicky, Irena, Belle, Neinheart, and the Adversary then used the portal and arrived at the entrance to Karote, which stood nearly complete. Nicky realized that they had arrived at the wrong time, as the tower had grown too high. Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck and caused the tower to crumble to pieces. Neinheart realized that they could be certain that the power which wanted to keep the tower from growing was still active even now. They went inside the ruins to investigate and found an unscathed statue, which they realized had been mentioned by the Seekers. Neinheart asked Nicky if there was anything special about the statue, but when Nicky told him that there wasn't, Neinheart asked the Adversary for their perspective and told them to look closely. Irena and Belle noted that it seemed to be an ordinary stone statue. However, as the Adversary touched it, the statue glowed and teleported the Adversary to a subspace where tower fragments floated around a large beam of light. Suddenly, toad-like Corallite Guardian robots approached the Adversary and recognized them as a Vessel who had come through the gateway. After a pause, they concluded that the Adversary was a failure and declared that defective Vessels were subject to disposal before attacking. After defeating them, the Adversary approached the statue and touched it, which glowed and teleported them again.

As they were transported, the Adversary experienced a vision of the man from the statue being deemed a failure of a Vessel by the toad robots. The man demanded to know why he had been deemed a failure, claiming that the 'old geezers' must have gone mad from all the time that they had shut themselves within their laboratory. As the Corallite Guardians threw him off the edge of the laboratory in the sky, the man recalled how the specter of death had always been near him, whether it had come from drugs injected into his blood, the makeshift instruments that had cut away at his flesh, or even a living person. However, he had always been sure that he would have survived it because he had believed himself to be the one. He then fell into the ocean, and with his body having been replaced with metal from the experiments, he sunk deeper to the bottom of the ocean. Though he was sure that he would never see the sun again, he had still discovered a ray of light that came from an enormous anglerfish. The Adversary then returned back to the tower and found the others standing on the rebuilt floor, where the statue of the man had changed its pose and a large mural of the anglerfish now decorated the wall. Nicky excitedly told the Adversary that even though only ten minutes had passed since they had touched the statue, the tower had rebuilt itself at a remarkable speed, to the point that it had rebuilt several floors, which normally would have taken weeks. Nicky supposed that the Adversary had a special power, which had caused Karote to accelerate its completion. After the Adversary explained where they had gone, Irena pointed out the anglerfish in the mural. Once again, something stirred in the Adversary's memories and they explained that the anglerfish somehow felt familiar. Nicky told the Adversary that they must have been remembering the anglerfish carved at the entrance of Karote.

They then climbed to the next floor and found a statue of the same man placing bricks atop each other. Neinheart speculated that Karote itself was a large artifact, which he defined as a machine or device powered by magic. He explained that the creator of the tower had known that Karote would fall apart, and so he had created a mechanism so that those whom he deemed worthy could quickly ascend to the top with the statues. The Adversary then realized that they had likely witnessed the creator's memories in the subspace, causing Neinheart to wonder what would have caused the creator to do such a thing. He began regretting that they couldn't use Grendel's wisdom, as he himself was nowhere near as knowledgeable about magic. However, he noted that the monsters who had attacked the Adversary were likely guardians, and that the robots calling them a 'Vessel' and the statue only reacting to them could only be because of one reason. The Adversary realized that it was because they had once been an Adversary, though they pointed out that the Seal Stone within them had been destroyed. Neinheart admitted that the thought had crossed his mind and promised to contemplate it some more.

The Adversary then touched the statue and was transported back to the subspace, where they encountered rabbit-like Olivine Guardians, which recognized that they had found a Vessel powerful enough to defeat a Guardian. However, they noted that Vessels who had come from the gateway were to be considered defective and began to attack. The Adversary recognized that the Olivine Guardians were more powerful than the Corallite Guardians, though they managed to defeat the robots nevertheless. After defeating all the Guardians, the statue of the man appeared, and upon touching it, the Adversary witnessed more of the creator's memories. Using the light of the anglerfish, the man began to build Karote from the bottom of the ocean in order to reach the surface. He continued working tirelessly for years without pause, as the elders' experiments had given him infinite stamina. When he finally reached land after centuries, the sight of the rising sun led him to realize that he wasn't a failure. He concluded that the elders had merely been afraid that they had created an Adversary who was stronger than them. The Adversary then returned back to the tower and found the others standing around a new statue and a new mural that depicted Karote emerging from the ocean in the sunrise. The Adversary told them about the shocking revelation that they had learned from the creator's memories and noted that Neinheart wasn't surprised. Neinheart told them that the clues had always been there, and that the Adversary themselves had seen the results firsthand in Cernium with the experiment to transform Gilmore into a special Specter, which would have allowed him to trick the holy sword Azor into believing that he was the Chosen One. He then summarized that the creator had built Karote in order to escape the sea, and that he hadn't stopped building, even after reaching the surface.

Belle noted that the fact that there was a large laboratory in the sky meant that the experiments to create an Adversary hadn't been a singular occurrence with the creator and wondered who could have conducted the experiments and what their purpose might have been. The Adversary then recalled how Archelon had told them that when the tower had been built, the line between good and evil had vanished. Irena wondered whether his words had been referring to the experiments, causing Neinheart to speculate that there had to be clues left behind to investigate. Neinheart then asked Nicky why his father had been looking forward to the completion of the tower. Nicky explained that his father didn't talk much about his plans because he knew that the world ridiculed geniuses and he didn't even trust his own children not to follow suit. He explained that unlike his genius father, he was merely a Seeker and a disappointment in his father's eyes, and that his only goal was to see the completed tower and what had been destroying it. As Belle and Irena began to console him, Nicky snapped at them not to treat him like a child, though he quickly realized that it wasn't the time to get angry when they were almost at the top of the tower, with the attack from the sky possibly coming at any minute. The group then ascended to one of the top levels and found a statue of the creator falling. Upon touching the statue, the Adversary was transported back to the subspace, where they encountered wolf-like Diamond Guardians. As they began fighting the Guardians, they noted that not only did the robots seem to be getting stronger, but they also seemed more intelligent. Sure enough, one of the Guardians registered that the Vessel that stood before them was not a failure, but rather, they were the Vessel of an Adversary.

It then wondered whether it was possible for an Adversary to exist that hadn't been created through experimentation, after which it ordered the other Guardians to cease their assault and open the door. After the Guardians disappeared, the Adversary touched the statue and experienced more of the creator's memories. Having completed Karote, the creator hoped to return to the door of the laboratory, which would only open for a true Vessel. Though he knew that he wasn't complete yet, he was certain that he could pass through the door, as he believed himself to be a true Vessel. He hoped to enter through the door, after which he was certain that he would be able to become an Adversary. Just as he built Karote to the top, however, Guardian Kalos appeared and launched an attack that reduced Karote, which had taken countless years to build, to ashes in an instant. As the creator fell once again, Kalos told him that the door would never open to the unworthy. Having sunk to the bottom of the ocean once again, the creator realized that he didn't need to open the door himself, but rather, he simply needed a true Vessel to do it for him. He then directly addressed the Adversary from his memories and told them that he needed someone just like them. The Adversary was then sent back to Karote and found that it had been completed at last, and that it hadn't been immediately destroyed like it normally would be upon completion. After they explained the situation to the others, Neinheart realized that the creator had been using the tower in order to reach the laboratory in the sky, and that the Guardian had been responsible for destroying Karote.

Guardian Kalos

Belle realized that the only reason why the Guardian had allowed for the tower to finally be completed was because the Adversary, a worthy Vessel, had come at last. However, Neinheart found it strange that the creator, who had been confident that they were a worthy Vessel for the Adversary and stronger than the ones who had created him, had been deemed a failure, with even Karote itself remaining unfinished until the Adversary had appeared. He realized that the creator was a defective Vessel, and that he had manipulated them into helping him reach the laboratory. He warned the Adversary that it would be dangerous to investigate further, as the creator, whom he believed wasn't a normal person, may soon appear and become a threat. Just as he recommended that they retreat, Nicky grew frustrated and decided to climb to the top himself. The Glory Guard decided to go after him and found themselves higher than the clouds. In the sky, they found a citadel floating in the sky, which they recognized as the laboratory. Belle was shocked at the kind of technology that could hide something so enormous in the sky, as well as its power source, fuel, and why no one had encountered it until now. Just then, Nicky told them that there was someone waiting to meet them. Suddenly, Guardian Kalos appeared in a flash of lightning and told them that he had wondered who had completed Karote, which he called the blasphemous tower. The Adversary immediately recognized that Kalos was a machine similar to the other Guardians that they had encountered in the subspace. Realizing that they had survived the Guardians, Kalos recognized them as a true Vessel of an Adversary. He explained that he didn't attack those who were worthy and revealed that the ones who had created him had also created the Guardians in order to identify a true Vessel. However, Kalos wondered how the Adversary could have encountered the Guardians in Karote, as they could not function outside the bounds of their domain.

The Adversary asked what he meant by 'their domain', to which Kalos explained that he and the other Guardians had been tasked with protecting the laboratory of his creators, who had long since turned their gaze from it. He told them that the elders had been afraid that one not committed to the cause would steal the Vessels, because of which, the Guardians were only permitted to function within the laboratory, and that they would grow as still as statues outside its boundaries. He explained that over the many years, countless Guardians had gone missing, making him suspect that someone had lured them away and reprogrammed them in order to attack those who entered the subspaces so that they could determine whether those people were true Vessels. However, he added that none of it changed his duty, which was to open the door for a worthy Vessel. He permitted the Adversary to pass, though he ordained that the others – Nicky, in particular – may not. He explained that Nicky's body had been created with the technology of the laboratory, and that though he had been fooled for a moment, seeing him alongside a true Vessel had made him realize that Nicky was a fraud, though a well-made one. He explained that he was not permitted to attack if it would risk harming a worthy Vessel, and so he ordered Nicky to leave immediately. Frustrated, Nicky claimed that his father would be disappointed after finding out that Kalos had seen through his schemes, especially when he had spent so much time recreating Nicky's body with technology from the laboratory. Upon being confronted by Neinheart, Nicky revealed that his father was both the creator of Karote and a defective Vessel. He then revealed himself as T-Boy, whom they immediately recognized as a member of the Angler family from the Alliance reports that detailed the events of Reverse City. They also recalled that his sister, Senya, had been responsible for trying to buy Hotel Arcus, causing them to wonder whether her true goal had been to lead the Adversary to Karote, as she had given up her schemes too easily.

Nicky then approached Kalos and told him that he was sharp to have noticed that he was built from technology from the laboratory, but he then claimed that Kalos had been blind to everything else, mockingly asking whether Kalos understood why his father had built him with the technology of Odium. He then began hacking into Kalos, who recognized that T-Boy was using the power of the elders. T-Boy explained that his father had rebuilt him using the technology of Odium, and so the power of the elders, whom he called the 'old geezers', flowed through him as a result. When the Adversary asked who the creators were, T-Boy mocked them for their lack of knowledge, despite being the hero of the Alliance, and told them that only one of them would leave Karote alive. He invited them to challenge him, claiming that it would be the ultimate thrill to see which of them would win. Neinheart immediately realized that the situation was dire and suggested that they retreat, as T-Boy wasn't an enemy whom they could defeat with no preparation. When Belle protested that they couldn't allow T-Boy to escape and carry out his plans, Neinheart reminded her that their opponent was the sentinel of the very laboratory that had created artificial Adversaries. He pointed out that the odds that they were facing were just like what they had experienced at Tenebris, when they had faced a threat almost indistinguishable from a god that only the Adversary could face.

Though Belle and Irena conceded that Neinheart was right, they reminded the Adversary that they had nevertheless been able to defeat the Black Mage back then, adding that it hadn't been because of the Seal Stone, but because of their determination and the full support of all their allies standing together. Neinheart acknowledged their point, but he reminded them of the lesson that they had learned in Cernium when Darmoor had explained to them that only a god had the power to challenge other gods. Suddenly, Kalos prepared to launch an attack, though they noted that his mind was still resisting T-Boy's control. The Adversary realized that now was their only opportunity to free Kalos from T-Boy and stood with the rest of the Glory Guard in order to defeat him. After a fierce battle, the Adversary managed to defeat Kalos, allowing him to break free from T-Boy's control. Neinheart congratulated them for their victory, though he noted that the outcome may have been much different had Kalos not been fighting against T-Boy's programming the whole time. Suddenly, Karote began falling apart as a result of the damage that it had sustained from the battle, causing everyone to fall from the sky. However, the Adversary, Neinheart, Belle, and Irena were rescued by Cosim, leaving Nicky to fall to the bottom.

Arteria

Invasion of Ereve

After the Glory Guard set out for Odium, leading them to Shangri-La, the High Flora invaded Maple World, leaving Neinheart and the Cygnus Knights to spread their forces across the world in order to keep the citizens safe. After the Glory Guard returned, Oz contacted Neinheart in order to report that they had arrived back. She informed him that they had heard the news about the High Flora invasion and asked whether the Empress was safe. Neinheart noted that she seemed to be caught up on what was currently happening and asked her to return to Ereve immediately with the Adversary. As they prepared to head out, Gaon asked whether he could accompany them, as the situation seemed quite serious, to which Oz agreed, explaining that she had just been about to ask him the same thing. Together, the three of them traveled to Ereve, where they found Neinheart and Cygnus at the new command center overseeing the battle with a holographic projection of the city. The pair greeted the Glory Guard, though Neinheart was confused upon seeing Gaon. Oz introduced Gaon as a resident of Shangri-La and handed Neinheart a report that she explained contained more details. Neinheart briefly skimmed through the report, including the details on the World Heart, and noted that they seemed to have had their hands full during their mission, especially the Adversary, who had gained a new power. He then told the Adversary that they would speak more on the matter later before turning to Gaon and welcoming him to Maple World. As Oz and the Adversary had placed their trust in him, Neinheart explained that the Alliance would welcome him as a friend, though he added that now was not the time for pleasantries.

Oz asked Neinheart what was happening in Maple World, to which Neinheart explained that, as they knew by now, Maple World was under attack from the High Flora army, and that the Cygnus Knights were doing everything that they could in order to stop their advance. When the Adversary asked what the situation was like, Neinheart explained that the Knights had been able to hold their defenses in each region, with the Explorers working together with the Knights in order to defend Victoria Island, and with the Resistance protecting Edelstein. He also explained that the Knights were working to minimize casualties in other regions, while Ereve was raising a defensive barrier around the newly-constructed command center. When the Adversary asked about the barrier, Neinheart told them that he had created it for just such a situation, in which the Chief Knights were away on various missions and unable to protect the Empress. He explained that four barrier stones had been placed in the north, south, east, and west regions of Ereve, with the barrier being created from all four activated stones. However, Neinheart told the Adversary that he hadn't anticipated that they would need to use it so soon, to which Cygnus added that they couldn't afford to be negligent simply because their allies were on the move, as they had no idea when the enemy would attack again. She then asked Oz and the Adversary to enter the battlefield, apologizing for asking it of them so soon after they had just returned. Oz immediately obliged, noting that it was her duty, before asking where she should go. Neinheart ordered her to take charge of the Blaze Wizard squad outside and team up with Irena.

After Oz headed out for her assignment, Neinheart asked the Adversary to join Eckhart at the most dangerous battlefield, at the border between Maple World and Grandis, adding that they would be a great help by joining him. He explained that they could head for the Sky Ferry once they were ready, where Kiriru would prepare a ship for them to depart. He then asked Gaon what he wished to do, explaining that remaining in Ereve would be the safest thing to do if he wished to avoid danger. However, Gaon replied that he would join the Adversary on the battlefield, as he wished to repay them for their help in Shangri-La. Neinheart then noted that he was one of the Four Symbols who protected Shangri-La, and that according to Oz's report, he was a person of considerable strength. After he entrusted the mission to them, the Adversary and Gaon headed to the Sky Ferry, where Kiriru greeted them and explained that he had been waiting. Just then, however, Arteria appeared in the sky, causing them all to look up in shock at the massive battleship, which unleashed a powerful laser that decimated the shield around Ereve. Neinheart immediately contacted the Adversary and explained that with the shield down, a large number of enemy soldiers were descending onto Ereve. Cygnus added that though Irena and Oz were keeping them at bay, they didn't have enough manpower to repel them. The Adversary asked Neinheart where they ought to go, to which Neinheart explained that the situation was changing so quickly that he hadn't received any reports on the current status. Because of this, he asked them to head to the Supply Point and meet with Kidan, who would guide them on where to go next.

The two then traveled to the Supply Point, dodging the heavy bombardment raining down from Arteria's cannons. There, Kidan asked them to support Irena and her Wind Archer unit, which was fighting on the northern battlefield nearby. The pair then rendezvoused with Irena before reporting to Neinheart that they had arrived on the scene. Neinheart explained that the barrier surrounding Ereve had been destroyed, and that the enemy had invaded the island. He told them that the situation was dire, as their main forces in Ereve consisted only of Irena, Oz, and the Adversary, with Oz explaining that both Mihile and Hawkeye were in Grandis, and Eckhart - who was still fighting at the frontlines - likely wouldn't be returning from his battle for some time. Oz then explained that something was bothering her, as it felt like too much of a coincidence that the High Flora would launch such a massive attack on Ereve when almost all the Chief Knights were away. Neinheart agreed and realized that the enemy had made a feint attack, with the High Flora soldiers being bait to split up the Cygnus Knights' forces and reduce Ereve's manpower, causing the Adversary to realize that it meant that Ereve had been the High Flora's objective from the beginning. Cygnus asked Neinheart what the statuses of all the Knights sent elsewhere were, to which he explained that he had received a report that most of the Flora soldiers had been defeated. However, Cygnus realized that as long as the enemy hadn't been completely wiped out, they couldn't risk recalling the Knights back to Ereve and leaving the rest of Maple World undefended. Though Irena protested that it would leave her in danger, Cygnus replied that it was only for a short time until the Knights could be recalled, adding that if they could withstand the High Flora invasion, it would their victory.

Neinheart then realized that once their forces returned, they would be able to launch an attack on Arteria and seize the battleship. He decided that they would follow Cygnus' orders, emphasizing that in the meantime, they needed to be prepared to make any sacrifice necessary to hold their ground. The Adversary asked Neinheart what they should do first, to which he explained that the enemy barrage had stopped temporarily after their initial attack, which meant that they needed to repair the barrier around Ereve before the bombardment resumed. As all four barrier stones had been deactivated, and with the High Flora likely having figured out the barrier's structure, Neinheart realized that the enemy would likely have been stationed around all four stones. He then dispatched Irena to take back the northern and western barrier stones, while Oz handled the southern and eastern areas. He also asked the Adversary to help Irena first, and to reinforce Oz right after.

Empress Kidnapped

Soon after, Neinheart contacted the Adversary through the radio and explained that as the enemy's paths were growing narrower, they were concentrating their forces into the remaining unfortified regions. He then asked them to reactivate the western barrier stone as fast as possible before reinforcing Oz in the east. Meanwhile, Oz and her forces pushed through the enemy line in the east, where she began preparing to reactivate the stone, hoping that it would give Irena and the Adversary enough support to push through with reinforcements. As she began preparing to activate the stone, a Cygnus Knight urged Oz to get out of the way, as the enemy was preparing to bombard them. However, Oz refused to move, believing that she could reactivate the barrier stone before the bombardment, emphasizing that it was critical that she succeed for everyone's safety. Just as she was about to finish activating the barrier stone, however, the enemy bombarded the area, shattering the stone, killing many Knights, and critically wounding Oz, though the Adversary arrived to reinforce her before the High Flora could defeat her. While Gaon held off the enemy, Oz contacted Neinheart, who asked her whether she was alright before explaining that he had already sent the Adversary to join her. The Adversary reported in and told him that they had already joined with Oz, and that Irena would follow as soon as she reactivated the western barrier stone. In pain, Oz weakly told Neinheart that she hadn't been able to protect the eastern barrier stone, and that they needed a change of plans, as their frontlines had been thrown in disarray by the enemy.

Upon hearing how weak Oz' voice was, Cygnus realized that she was badly hurt, though Oz reassured the Empress that she was fine. Neinheart asked Oz not to push herself and added that Irena had just reactivated the western barrier stone, and that she would soon arrive. However, Oz replied that they wouldn't be able to hold out, as the Flora soldiers were flooding in. Though disturbed by their precarious situation, Cygnus told the Adversary that she was glad that they were by Oz's side and asked them to protect her, despite how hopeless the situation seemed. At the command center, Neinheart and Cygnus desperately attempted to contact the Adversary, Irena, and Oz, but found that none of them were replying. Though Cygnus feared that something terrible had happened to them in the massive wave of ice magic that had just been unleashed, Neinheart reassured her that they would be fine, as the Adversary and the others had survived such dire odds before. Suddenly, Reina arrived and used her powers to freeze all the Cygnus Knights guarding the Empress and Neinheart. Reina noted that it was unfortunate for Cygnus, as the Adversary and their allies' lives were about to be snuffed out like candles in the wind. Recognizing Reina as the commander of the High Flora invasion, Neinheart demanded to know what her objective was, just as Reina teleported in front of Cygnus and used her ice cane to slash her. Turning back to Neinheart, Reina replied that her objective ought to be obvious from her having come all the way to Ereve, explaining that she had come for only one thing – his Empress. Neinheart immediately raised his book and attempted to attack Reina, who quickly cut down Neinheart as well before telling him that he was in her way.

As Neinheart collapsed painfully on the floor, Cygnus cried out in shock. Critically wounded, Neinheart weakly told Cygnus to escape. However, Cygnus replied that she couldn't do so when she was the Empress, as she could never make a choice to abandon someone just to save herself. She explained that standing alongside everyone on the battlefield was the sole reason why she could lead everyone as their Empress. Impressed with Cygnus' bravery, Reina noted that she could understand how Cygnus had been able to lead the Alliance, despite her young age, adding that Cygnus was a leader who truly deserved the loyalty that her soldiers had for her. However, she then added that such a story could only be true in a world at peace, as it had no place in a world ravaged by war like Grandis. Despite her painful wounds, Cygnus asked Reina what she wanted from her, adding that the Alliance wouldn't surrender and wouldn't lose, even if she were killed, for the people who loved their world would remain, even after her death. Reina commended Cygnus for her courage in standing up to her, as her decision not to run was a good answer, though she warned that it was a foolish decision, and one that Cygnus would forever regret. Taking out the draining crystal that Darmoor had given her, Reina used its divine power on Cygnus, unleashing a wave of frost throughout the area before kidnapping Cygnus.

Soon after, the Adversary and Gaon arrived at the command center to find the Cygnus Knights encased in ice and Neinheart critically injured. Nevertheless, Neinheart – in a panicked frenzy – told them that the enemy had kidnapped the Empress, and that they needed to save her. As he struggled to stand, the Adversary asked Neinheart to calm down, pointing out that he was badly injured. However, Neinheart dismissed their concerns and told them he needed to order Oz to rescue Cygnus, though he quickly realized that with Oz injured, he would need to send Irena instead. However, he then quickly changed his mind yet again and noted that with Irena likely injured as well, he needed to find other forces to form a rescue party. In a daze of anxiety and dread from losing Cygnus, Neinheart struggled to think of what to do and berated himself for his sluggishness in finding a solution until the Adversary snapped Neinheart out of his stupor and told him to get a hold of himself. Regaining his senses, Neinheart apologized for losing his composure and agreed that they needed to remain calm. He noted that their first priority was to save the Knights, as there was no hope of saving the Empress without them. Just as he began turning to Gaon in order to ask him to help the Adversary, Neinheart suddenly stopped upon hearing a sound in the distance.

Shinsoo's Return

At the battlefield, Shinsoo arrived with Eckhart and his Night Walkers to reinforce Ereve. Shinsoo then traveled to the command post and landed in front of Neinheart, noting that they were in a difficult moment. Neinheart apologized for being unable to protect the Empress, though Shinsoo told him not to blame himself, as no one could have predicted such a situation. She then told Neinheart that what was more important was what they needed to do next. Neinheart agreed and explained that the enemy commander must have returned to their battleship after kidnapping the Empress. Shinsoo noted that she could feel Cygnus' presence from within Arteria, to which Neinheart added that if kidnapping her was their only objective, the battleship would likely leave right away. Suddenly, Gaon pointed out that, just as Neinheart had said, Arteria was indeed beginning to move. Shocked, Neinheart asked Shinsoo in a panic whether she would be able to stop the ship, to which Shinsoo used her power to freeze Arteria in place, though she warned that she would only be able to hold the battleship in place temporarily. Neinheart then began to make a plan for their counterattack and asked the Adversary to handle infiltrating the battleship. He then asked Gaon to accompany the Adversary, apologizing for throwing him into one treacherous situation after another when they had only just met, though Gaon replied that he would gladly lend his aid. Neinheart noted that with Shinsoo's help, the Knights around Ereve would be able to join them as well. Eckhart then arrived and volunteered to join them, adding that Irena and Oz were both safe due to Shinsoo's timely intervention.

He explained that with the enemy commander withdrawing, morale had returned to the Knights, and that while there were quite a few enemies left, they were simply a pack of mercenaries with no leader, meaning that they would soon fall. Because of this, he told Neinheart that though it may take time, there was no danger of the tides turning back on them, which meant that the other Chief Knights would be fine without him. Neinheart then approved the mission and ordered them to use small airships to reach Arteria and save the Empress, adding that it was imperative that they succeed, no matter how many sacrifices it would take. Eckhart noted that it wouldn't be an easy mission, as they were heading straight into the heart of enemy territory. Before they could leave, however, Shinsoo stopped them and addressed the Adversary. Shinsoo told them that they would need more power in order to save the Empress, and that they ought to be able to take her power in their current state.

Suddenly, the World Heart began glowing and absorbing Shinsoo's power. As Shinsoo left the task of saving the Empress to them, the Adversary expressed their shock at the fact that the World Heart was absorbing Shinsoo's energy, causing them to realize the truth. Shinsoo explained that though her power would not be able to turn every situation around, it would still be enough to save them from peril. Upon witnessing the World Heart's abilities first-hand, Neinheart realized that based on what Oz had written about the World Heart having the ability to absorb the power of higher beings, it meant that Shinsoo was an Ancient God. Gaon noted that despite Shinsoo being an Ancient God, she had a warm enough heart to sacrifice her own power to protect what was most precious to her. Nevertheless, Eckhart noted that Shinsoo being an Ancient God changed nothing, as Shinsoo was just Shinsoo, which was all that he needed to know. Neinheart then asked the Adversary to lend their aid once again by saving the Empress. Together, the Alliance was able to board Arteria, where Reina had stolen Cygnus' powers in her draining crystal. During the battle, Cygnus had sacrificed herself to protect the Adversary, causing her to be critically injured.

Aftermath of the Invasion

Soon after the battle, the Adversary met with Neinheart, who asked them whether they were doing okay. He explained that though Cygnus hadn't yet regained consciousness, he believed that she would soon recover. He noted that it was fortunate that Claudine had been present, as her emergency treatment had helped them avoid the worst. He explained that as per the Chief Knights' request, they had placed Cygnus by Shinsoo's side at her refuge in Leafre, as Shinsoo's powers would help the Empress recover her strength better than anything else. He told the Adversary that following the battle, most of the Flora soldiers invading Maple World had been wiped out, as they had merely been bait for the enemy's true goal. Though there were a few remaining, Neinheart hoped to capture them in order to gain intel from them, rather than kill them, believing that it would be easy to interrogate the soldiers, most of whom were merely common mercenaries with little loyalty to the High Flora.

He explained that from the information that they had already gathered through interrogation, they had learned that Reina was a God of the High Flora, as well as an Apostle of Darmoor. He noted that she seemed to be the lord of a snowy region – one of the six High Flora territories – and that she had only recently gained the position and title from a Syaman with the previous lord. However, he added that as the information had come from mere mercenaries, they couldn't be sure of its true authenticity. He also told the Adversary that Arteria had been completely quarantined, and that there were still several soldiers inside, despite the interior being flooded with poison gas from a Vision Bomb and damaged from multiple explosions. Though he had considered destroying it by attacking it from the outside, he had ultimately decided to leave it intact in order to capture and interrogate the High Flora soldiers still inside, adding that they may need to call on the Adversary for help in gathering information soon. Having caught the Adversary up on the situation, Neinheart suggested that they visit the Empress and offered to take them to Shinsoo's refuge.

The Armory's Vision Bombs

Soon after the battle, Irena and the Adversary began investigating the poison gas and learned that it had come from a Vision Bomb, which surprised Neinheart. He explained that he hadn't originally considered that the Vision Bomb and leaking gas would be related, and that he hadn't expected to see that they were one and the same. He added that it was well-known that some members of the Shadowdealers had sold the secret of Vision Bomb technology to the High Flora, though he hadn't thought that he would see it aboard Arteria. He revealed that it was Mr. Hazard of the Shadowdealers who had given Vision Bombs to the High Flora, and that he doubted that Mr. Hazard's affiliation for poison was a coincidence. Irena asked Neinheart whether he intended to track down Mr. Hazard, to which Neinheart explained that there was likely no way that he could, as all news about him had disappeared after he had been handed over to the Shadowdealer High Council. However, he added that given how many weapons were in the possession of the High Flora, it was highly likely that it was an entire branch of the Shadowdealers – not simply Mr. Hazard – who were working with the High Flora, and that investigating them may yield a lead about Hazard. He resolved to investigate the Vision Bombs himself and asked Irena to handle removing the bombs from Arteria. He then thanked Irena and the Adversary for their help, though he added that there was much more information aboard the battleship that was yet to be uncovered.

The Soldier Who Didn't Escape

During the investigation of Arteria, the Adversary and a Cygnus Knight encountered a Flora mercenary who had killed the Knight's friend. After learning that the Flora mercenaries had been conscripted against their will, with their families being held hostage, the Knight quelled his desire to avenge his friend and brought the mercenary peacefully into custody. Soon after, the Adversary checked in with Neinheart and learned that the Knight had indeed safely escorted the mercenary back to Ereve, where they had learned a great deal of information from him. He thanked the Adversary for reminding the Knight about their policy, as the Knight had told him that he didn't know what he would have done with the mercenary if the Adversary hadn't been there.

Mihile's Return

Soon after the battle, Mihile returned to Ereve and reported to Neinheart that the Dawn Warriors had been tracking Will, and that they had found a clue regarding his location. He added that he had returned back early after being told that something major had happened, and that he had left the task of recapturing Will to his unit, which would likely be capturing Will fairly soon. He then asked Neinheart where the Empress was, as he hadn't seen her since coming back. After a pause, Neinheart asked Mihile not to be shocked, and to listen. He explained that the Empress had been mortally wounded by an enemy Apostle, and though the Adversary had saved her life, she was currently asleep in a coma. A dumbfounded Mihile asked Neinheart to repeat what he had just said before asking when Cygnus would wake up again, adding that she surely had to be waking up soon. Neinheart gently replied that he didn't know yet, as Shinsoo had mentioned that it would be a very long sleep.

The Need for Change

Some time after the battle, Claudine called the Adversary and told them that Neinheart was looking for them, adding that it was important. The Adversary met with Neinheart, who explained that all the Chief Knights had returned from their missions, and that he had finished speaking to them about their opinions on the war. He told the Adversary that he wished to speak with them about it and asked them to accompany him on a walk. As they walked through the forest, Neinheart asked the Adversary for their opinion on why they had lost the battle. The Adversary replied that just as he had said before, the Alliance had been caught off-guard by the enemy's attack. Neinheart agree and noted that it was perhaps the first time that he had ever been caught off-guard in such a way before. He explained that the Empress, as always, had moved to protect all of Maple World when it had fallen under attack, moving troops and even the Chief Knights out of Ereve in order to help other regions. He added that though they had perhaps made too many complacent judgements, there was one critical detail that everyone had overlooked, which was that the fundamental difference in strength between the Alliance and the enemy was not military size. He explained that the enemy had moved as though it had known all about the Alliance, which may have made their defeat inevitable. He told the Adversary that the real difference between them and the enemy was the amount of information held, as the enemy had been able to predict all their actions after knowing everything about them. The Adversary realized that that was why Neinheart had grown so obsessed with learning everything that they could about the High Flora, to which he replied that though it may be too late to catch up, he still couldn't stay still and give up on trying, as the Alliance would continue to evolve and eventually catch up to the High Flora.

The Adversary suddenly asked Neinheart whether he was feeling okay, as he didn't look very good. Neinheart explained that he was still processing the shock of losing Cygnus, with him being unable to do anything about it. He told the Adversary that one thing that Reina had said kept going around in his head, which was her claim that Cygnus' story only fit in a world at peace like Maple World, and that it had no place in a world filled with endless war like Grandis. He explained that they had been dealing with Darmoor just as they had with the Black Mage, treating the enemy as one single evil, without any other complications, as even many of the Commanders themselves had been working against the Black Mage the whole time. In contrast, Gerand Darmoor had many different factions, including the Apostles, all moving together meticulously and systematically. He explained that as proof of that, he had a report from Eckhart, who had been facing the Specters at the border between worlds, which the Adversary recalled from the Alliance meeting before their mission to Odium. Neinheart revealed that several soldiers from Eckhart's unit had gone missing, causing the Adversary to wonder whether the enemy had been extracting information from them. Neinheart explained that according to the Flora mercenaries whom they had interrogated, the captured Alliance soldiers had been brought to Aboris, the High Flora capital. He added that it was certain that Ypsilon, an Apostle of Darmoor, had used his power to extract in order to extract the memories from the Alliance soldiers. Neinheart explained that whereas the enemy knew all about them, they had almost no information about the High Flora at all.

He added that they couldn't keep fighting the enemy as they were currently, as they needed to work closely with each other and cover each other's weaknesses. The Adversary was impressed and noted that Neinheart had changed, to which Neinheart explained that he had to change, as the Alliance had been losing because they hadn't been changing at all. The Adversary asked Neinheart what their future strategy was, adding that they were worried, as the Cygnus Knights drew their power from the Empress. Neinheart admitted that the power of the Knights and Ereve were linked to the Empress, and that the Cygnus Knights had gotten weaker since the Empress had fallen asleep. However, he explained that their weakness was not crippling, as the root of the Cygnus Knights' power was the divine power of Shinsoo, not the Transcendent powers of the Empress.

With both the Empress and Shinsoo alive, he believed that they were safe, and that Ereve – which floated in the sky because of Shinsoo's power – would not fall, adding that he had been temporarily worried that they would need to evacuate. He told the Adversary that Ereve could continue to serve as a major base for the Alliance, though he admitted that they were facing the worst crisis in the Alliance's history with the damage to their forces and the loss of their leader. However, he added that there was a silver lining to it all, which was that in the face of the High Flora attack throughout Maple World, there was an opportunity to unite the people once again to serve a common goal. He explained that it was because of the Empress' commitment to protecting all of Maple World by scattering their troops that had given them such an opportunity. He added that though there was no one set policy or strategy for the future, he explained that they would need to change in order to defeat the High Flora. He then apologized to the Adversary for constantly relying on them, noting that if the Alliance had continued to grow and change like them, their current situation may never have happened. He added that though he was currently lacking as a strategist, he asked that they stay with him as they moved ahead.

The Dark Sea

Following the battle with Arteria, Edea arranged a meeting with Neinheart, Brighton, and the Adversary. Edea told them that she had been worried after hearing about the battle, regretting that she had been unable to help during the attack. Neinheart told her that she didn't need to be sorry, as the attack had come as a surprise to them all, and that she had also been busy with other matters. Brighton asked whether that was the reason she had summoned them, to which Edea began explaining that after the mission to Cernium, she had begun researching the power of the Ancient Gods, which she believed to be crucial in the fight against Gerand Darmoor. However, she noted that it hadn't been easy to uncover the power of the gods. She explained that through her research, she had confirmed that the Ancient Gods had been born from the creation of the universe itself, and that their numbers were said to be in the hundreds. Despite this, however, Edea told them that it had been difficult to confirm which gods had awoken from their long slumber, though she speculated that there were far fewer awakened gods compared to how many gods there were in total, adding that even the traces of those gods had disappeared very quickly. Edea proposed that it simply took a long time for the gods to reawaken, though she believed that something felt strangely off. Neinheart agreed, noting that the gods' presence in the world wasn't as great as one would have expected of beings who wielded such great power. Because of this, Edea proposed that they instead focus on tracking the power of the gods, rather than information about them. She explained that it was rather difficult to pinpoint where the power of the gods had manifested, for which she had instead changed focus to tracking any events that power could have caused. Neinheart noted that such a method was effective, as there would undoubtedly be certain events that would have taken place in areas where the reawakened gods existed, no matter how much the gods tried to hide their power.

Having finished her research, Edea explained that she had pinpointed one place in particular: the Dark Sea, which existed in southern Grandis. She noted that the Dark Sea, also known as the Silent Sea, was a place where many unpleasant incidents had occurred since ancient times, with ships and airships often mysteriously disappearing. Edea explained that it was possible that those strange incidents could have been caused by the power of an Ancient God, which was why she had gone to the Dark Sea herself to investigate. There, she had discovered an enormous barrier around a structure that led deep below the sea. When Neinheart asked whether the structure had recently appeared, Edea explained that the structure had likely been there for a long time, with nobody noticing it because of how that region was avoided. Brighton asked whether Edea wanted them to investigate the structure, which Edea confirmed, adding that since it was related to the Ancient Gods, she wanted to request the Alliance's support on the mission. However, she also added that she had also wanted to request the Alliance's support because there was one more person crucial to the mission's success. She explained that the barrier's magic was quite complex and beyond her understanding, which was why she wanted to request the help of Grendel the Really Old, who was an expert on ancient magic. Though a surprised Brighton pointed out that Grendel was in Alliance custody, Edea replied that they desperately needed his help. Neinheart reminded her that Grendel had unilaterally made the decision to use the Black Mage's core and that he had destroyed the dimensional barrier while under its influence. Having deemed him a danger, the Alliance had taken Grendel into custody because of his actions, though Neinheart added that Grendel himself had agreed with their decision, and that he hadn't shown any unusual signs since his arrest. He admitted that he himself couldn't make any certain judgments about Grendel, for while he had been responsible for the Convergence incident, he was also one of the heroes who had led the Alliance in the fight against the Black Mage. Because of this, he believed that it would be better for them to put Grendel's actions to the side for a moment and focus instead on their investigation.

Though Brighton agreed that he, too, wanted to trust Grendel, he also pointed out that just because Grendel hadn't exhibited any strange signs, it didn't mean that there wasn't anything still wrong. Neinheart then clarified that he didn't intend to let Grendel loose without any oversight, as he planned to have him under heavy restraints with a magician keeping a close watch on him, for which he asked Brighton to take on that task. Though Brighton remained unconvinced, Neinheart promised him that the Alliance's strongest member would also be there to keep an eye on Grendel. He then turned to the Adversary and asked them whether they would be willing to monitor Grendel and help Edea with the Dark Sea investigation. After the Adversary agreed, Brighton decided to prepare the magical restraints, sighing that he hadn't had time to rest at all since returning from Shangri-La. Soon after, Neinheart informed the Adversary that Grendel had agreed to lend his aid after being briefed about the situation. He added that he didn't think that Grendel was under the influence of dark thoughts, as the Convergence incident hadn't been done with malicious intent, though he nevertheless asked the Adversary to keep a close watch on Grendel during the mission. Brighton and the Adversary then escorted Grendel to the airship, where Edea told them that the Dark Sea wasn't too far from Ereve, as even a small airship could take them there quickly. Though Brighton worried about the Dark Sea's reputation for causing airships to go missing, Edea assured him that she would use her magic to conceal the ship, adding that it was the reason why she had wanted to keep the investigation team so small. Neinheart then hoped that the investigation would yield results, adding that it may also prove to be a good opportunity for the Adversary to truly witness the power of the World Heart.

After the mission to the Dark Sea, the Glory Guard briefed Neinheart on the mission. Though Neinheart was pleased with the outcome of the mission, he nevertheless lamented that they had been unable to learn Malefic Star's true identity in the end. However, he noted that from everything she had said, it seemed as though she was nothing more than a clone of her true body. Because of this, Neinheart resolved to look into Ancient Gods who could use illusion magic in order to learn who she really was. In the meantime, however, he explained that an emergency Alliance meeting would soon take place in order to discuss the aftermath of the Arteria invasion and their next move. Having gotten no rest in quite some time, Edea and Brighton decided to lie down until the meeting. Grendel then told the others that he would return to his cell once again, having been satisfied with seeing the power of the Ancient Gods first-hand. As he headed back to the prison, he noted that studying the power of the gods would be quite interesting, causing Neinheart to stir uncomfortably before asking the Adversary whether they had noticed anything strange about Grendel during the mission. When the Adversary reported that nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Neinheart remained silent for a moment before thanking the Adversary and telling them that he would see them at the meeting.

Carcion

The Missing Empress

Soon after the mission to the Dark Sea, Neinheart called the Adversary and explained that he was contacting them because Ereve had more or less finished recovering from the High Flora's attack. He added that Ereve was still in an unstable state, but with the Empress out of commission, he believed that it would be best that they organize an Alliance conference in order to plan out their next move. He explained that other than the Cygnus Knights and the Resistance, the other members of the Alliance across Maple World and Grandis had also agreed to meet, though he added that they wouldn't be able to proceed without the Adversary's attendance. He told the Adversary that he felt as though the Alliance was making them shoulder too much, though he noted that they now possessed a much greater status than just being the Adversary. He began saying that there was only one choice for who could lead the Alliance with the Empress asleep, but he stopped himself before he could finish and asked the Adversary to forget what he had just said, adding that he was being hasty by stating his own opinion as that of the Alliance. He then asked the Adversary to meet them at the command center, where the Alliance conference would take place. The Adversary arrived at the command center, where they were surprised to find that Gaon had also been invited. Gaon explained that Neinheart had invited him to attend the conference, to which Neinheart explained that Gaon had been extremely helpful during the last battle, and that, as the Alliance's tactician, he couldn't allow someone so talented to pass him by. He noted that though Gaon had been invited as a guest to the conference, he hoped to formally induct Gaon into the Alliance soon. With all the major leaders of the Alliance having arrived, Neinheart decided to begin the meeting. Neinheart first began by giving an update on Cygnus' status, explaining that though her condition had stabilized, she appeared to show no signs of waking anytime soon. He then added sadly that Cygnus was sleeping with a peaceful expression on her face, as though she would wake up at any moment and call his name.

He explained that when he saw her in such a state, he was reminded of when she would sleep at Shinsoo's side as a young girl, noting that since she hadn't been able to rest at all since her powers awakened, it was the first time in a long time that she would be able to rest so deeply. Neinheart then caught himself and apologized for his emotional tangent, explaining that his point was that the Empress was out of commission, and that it was his job, as tactician, to guide the Alliance in such a time. He then introduced the Alliance to Gaon, explaining that as he had detailed in the Alliance report, Gaon had come to Maple World after helping the Adversary defeat Kaling, and that he had aided the Alliance during Reina's attack. Gaon greeted the Alliance leaders and explained that he was a black tortoise Anima, and that he would do everything in his power to help Maple World. Edea was surprised to hear that Gaon was a black tortoise Anima, which were one of the strongest amongst the Anima subspecies that possessed special powers. Neinheart then continued and summarized Reina's attack on Ereve, which had pushed the Alliance to the brink in the face of the High Flora's superior strength and technology. He noted that thanks to the combined efforts of the Alliance, the worst-case situation had been averted with the successful rescue of Cygnus from Arteria. However, he added that Cygnus' powers had been stolen, forcing her into an indefinite slumber, with Shinsoo following suit after giving her powers to the Adversary.

He explained that without a leader, the Alliance had little chance of defeating Darmoor. He also noted that Reina's attack had proven that the High Flora were no longer a threat in just Grandis, but Maple World as well, emphasizing that though the Black Mage had been defeated, their battle against a fallen Transcendent was not over yet. He then reminded the Alliance leaders that the Empress was a Transcendent-in-waiting, and that the purpose of the High Flora invasion was to obtain that power. He noted that the crystal which had absorbed Cygnus' Transcendent powers was proof that Darmoor had been planning the invasion for a long time, as he doubted that such an object could be created on such short notice. In summary, he explained that the battle had been a complete loss for the Alliance, for despite being aware of the nature of their enemy, they had been resting on their laurels, simply because they had erroneously believed that their world was not in danger anymore, adding that as the Alliance's tactician, he was deeply ashamed. However, he explained that they couldn't continue as they had before, adding that there were three things that the Alliance needed to do: first, to recover Empress Cygnus' stolen powers; second, to determine the reason why Darmoor had been after the powers of a Transcendent; and finally, to take the initiative once they learned Darmoor's true goal. The Alliance leaders were surprised to hear that Neinheart intended to attack Darmoor first, with Claudine and Edea noting that it was quite a bold strategy compared to his usual standards.

Neinheart clarified by explaining that he didn't mean to suggest that the Alliance would attack Darmoor, but rather, they would go after what Darmoor was really after and obtain it first. Edea asked Neinheart whether he meant to say that Darmoor's objective was something beyond Cygnus' Transcendent powers, which Neinheart confirmed, adding that Edea must have some idea about it as well, given that she was part of the Alliance mission to Cernium, where they had first begun to gain an understanding of Darmoor's actions. He pointed out that Darmoor – disguised as Aaron – had spent quite some time researching the Ancient Gods in the Cernium Royal Library. He also noted that in Arcus, Darmoor had confirmed the power of the Ancient Gods by using the Angler Company, while in Odium and Shangri-La, he had used Kaling to obtain the World Heart, which had the ability to steal the powers of the Ancient Gods. A surprised Edea realized that Neinheart was suggesting that Darmoor's goal was to obtain the power of the Ancient Gods, to which Neinheart replied that he understood her concerns, as there were certain things that still didn't fully make sense, such as why Darmoor had used the power of time to restore the burnt library in Cernium, which had given vital information to the enemy.

However, he explained that it was undeniable that Darmoor had taken an interest in the power of higher beings, and that he had now obtained the power of a Transcendent, adding that it was no ordinary occurrence that a fallen Transcendent would be gathering such power. He added that for now, there was nothing that they could do but protect the power of the Ancient Gods from falling into Darmoor's hands. He then asked the Adversary to present the World Heart, which they took out and showed to the Alliance. Claudine asked the Adversary whether it was true that the World Heart could absorb the power of the Ancient Gods, which the Adversary confirmed, explaining that it currently held a portion of Darmoor's Transcendent powers within Kaling, as well as the power that Shinsoo had given them. Neinheart added on that the World Heart was the only thing that could stand up to Darmoor, and that if Darmoor truly intended to gather the power of the Ancient Gods, then restoring the World Heart was in the same vein as his objectives. Claudine noted that it was clear that the Alliance needed to secure the power of the Ancient Gods as soon as possible, which Neinheart agreed with, though he added that they were severely lacking in information regarding the gods. He also pointed out that they needed to determine the movements of the High Flora army before mobilizing the Alliance, as they didn't have many forces who were capable of moving out at the moment.

Gaon's Story

As he continued talking, Gaon suddenly began shifting uncomfortably, as though there was something that he wanted to say. Nevertheless, Neinheart continued on by explaining that many of the Alliance's communication lines had been severed, and that despite this, their main priority was to strengthen Ereve's barrier and continue gathering intel. Gaon quietly attempted to interrupt Neinheart, who continued speaking and asked Edea to gather information from her contacts in Grandis. He also asked Irena to contact Rusty in Hotel Arcus in order to see whether he had any new information to share. Gaon again attempted to quietly interrupt, though Neinheart once again didn't hear him and began asking Claudine to mobilize the Resistance. Gaon then spoke up and loudly told everyone that there was something that he needed to share. Just as everyone turned to look at him, the tip of Gaon's spear lit up with a magical blue light, emitting a stream of glowing water. A surprised Neinheart noted that the stream of glowing water seemed to be a compass of some sort, as it was pointing towards Grandis. Gaon explained that the spear was what he had just been about to explain. He then revealed that the jewel embedded into his spear had been given to him by an old friend, an Ancient God named Keira, who had placed her divine blessing upon it. Neinheart was confused by how Gaon could have been friends with an Ancient God when he had been chosen by the will of the world to seal the gods away. After hesitating for a moment, Gaon told them that in order to explain, he needed to tell them a story from the time from before he had been chosen as one of the Four Symbols. Gaon began by explaining that during the beginning of the Ancient War, the black tortoise Anima had been swept away in the flames of war, resulting in his entire species going extinct, leaving his as the last survivor.

Following the end of his species, Gaon had traveled the world, saving those who had been caught in the chaos that the Ancient Gods had wrought in order to prevent anyone else from dying needlessly. He explained that one day, he had sustained a grave injury, and though the black tortoise Anima had the power to heal themselves, they needed a source of pure water in order to do so. However, as there were few sources of pure water amidst the carnage of war, he had instead wandered the world with his dying body, eventually stumbling by chance across the place where his spear pointed towards now: Carcion, the Cradle of Life. He explained that Keira had been ruling over Carcion, and that she had found him heavily injured on the beach. When Keira had offered to treat his injuries, he had been surprised that an Ancient God would ever help someone, to which Keira had told him that she pitied him for having been caught in a war waged between foolish gods. She had explained that she was different from the rest of those fools, after which she had healed him and allowed him to remain in Carcion. Gaon explained that Keira had been a staunch opponent of the Ancient War, and because of this, she had taken him in as a victim of a war that she hated. Eventually, Gaon had been chosen by the will of the world as one of the Four Symbols, which meant that he would need to leave Carcion. Keira had then promised him that in order to end the age of chaos, she would fall into a deep slumber. As a symbol of their friendship, she had also placed a portion of her divine power into his spear. Neinheart noted that the researchers of Odium had been chosen to destroy the Ancient Gods and wondered how they would have allowed him to defend Odium when he held the same power that they sought to eradicate. Gaon explained that Keira's blessing had faded away by the time that he had reached Odium, which he believed was because Keira had already sealed herself away into a deep slumber.

The Adversary then realized that the fact that Gaon's spear had started glowing meant that Keira must have opened her eyes once again. Edea added that the light from the spear was likely a sign that Keira was calling to him, possibly because something had happened to her. The Adversary noted that Neinheart was right about the High Flora being after the power of the Ancient Gods, as they likely must have invaded Carcion, just as they had invaded Ereve. Neinheart lamented that the Alliance was, once again, one step behind, as it was possible that Darmoor had already stolen Keira's power. Gaon then apologized to Neinheart for leaving so suddenly after being invited to the conference, but he explained that he needed to hurry to Carcion at once. Neinheart asked the Adversary to accompany Gaon, which the Adversary immediately agreed to, noting that just as Gaon had helped them, it was now their turn to help him.

Mission to Carcion

With few forces capable of moving out, Neinheart asked Eckhart to accompany them on their mission. Edea then explained that the Nova would not be able to send their people, as most of them were busy reinforcing the barrier around Pantheon and Heliseum. Realizing that they would need to ask the Resistance for help, Neinheart requested that Belle join the mission, believing that her quick movements would complement Eckhart. However, Claudine volunteered herself for the mission instead, explaining that there was something that she needed to confirm. She also added that they would need a doctor on board. She admitted that she understood what it meant for the representative of the Resistance to abandon her post at such a time, but she explained that it was in precisely such a time that the leaders of the Alliance needed to step forward, just as the Empress had. She added that she wanted to see for herself exactly what kind of enemy they were facing, as well as what they needed to do in order to stand up to them. The other Resistance instructors accepted her reasoning and wished her luck on the mission.

Soon after, Neinheart finished preparations for the mission and arranged for a high-speed ship for the Glory Guard to take. He then met with the Adversary and told them that they had determined Carcion's location by using the light being emitted from Gaon's spear. He noted that there didn't seem to be any Flora battleships on the way there, though he warned them to take care, as they had no idea what the state of Carcion was at the moment. He speculated that just as one of the Apostles had led the attack on Ereve, it was highly likely that another Apostle would be overseeing the attack on Carcion. He also reminded the Adversary that the Alliance's goal was not simply to protect the power of the Ancient Gods, but to take that power and make the Adversary stronger. He reminded them that though Shinsoo may have graciously bestowed her power upon them willingly, they shouldn't assume that the other gods would ever join forces with an Adversary, no matter how difficult it would be to face off against a Transcendent. However, he added that they didn't necessarily need to fight every single god that they encountered. Upon seeing the Adversary's confused expression, he explained that they were the only one who could come up with the right solution, and that he hoped that they would be able to find that solution on their mission. With that, the Adversary and the Glory Guard prepared to head for Carcion.

The Place Where the World Starts Again

After the mission to Carcion, the Glory Guard returned to Ereve, where they introduced Keira to Neinheart. Neinheart greeted Keira and told her that he had heard that she didn't intend to stay with the Alliance for long. Keira explained that she planned to leave as soon as she regained enough of her powers, as even without them, she was still a target in the eyes of Darmoor, which would endanger the Alliance if she were to remain. Neinheart told her that nevertheless, she was welcome to stay in Ereve for as long as she liked, and that he would even ask that she stay as long as possible, as he had much to ask her. Keira thanked him for his hospitality and agreed to do whatever she could in order to help them. Neinheart then spoke to the Adversary, who told them about everything that happened in Carcion. Neinheart noted that their mission had confirmed that Darmoor was indeed gathering power from higher beings, namely Transcendents and Ancient Gods. He added that while Keira's powers may have been taken away, they had been able to protect her physical body. However, the Adversary pointed out that their position hadn't changed, as they still needed a plan for their next move. Neinheart explained that in regard to that, he had been able to contact Carlisle while they had been away in Carcion, and that Carlisle had something important to say.

With the open communication channel, the Adversary connected with Carlisle, who told them that he had heard about their encounter with two of Darmoor's Apostles. He explained that stories about their actions had reached Cernium as well, and that there were many who wished to meet them. He noted that it must be difficult for them to visit Cernium anytime soon, though he hoped to invite them whenever they could come. Neinheart replied that it was something that they ought to discuss in the future, as it was important that the Alliance maintain its relations with the cities of Grandis. Carlisle then explained that it wasn't simply Maple World and Carcion that had been attacked by the High Flora, as numerous such operations had been carried out all through Grandis, with their target being the Ancient Gods awakening from their slumber. He told them that with nothing left of the Ancient Gods, Cernium had been safe from the attacks, which had allowed them to gather information from across Grandis. He explained that the ones who had carried out the attacks were the Apostles of Darmoor, who had finally begun leading the Flora army directly, rather than remaining in the shadows like they had for so long. Neinheart noted that it seemed to be a declaration of war, to which Carlisle emphasized that they needed to prepare a counterattack immediately. He told the Adversary that just as they had seen first-hand, the Apostles were using crystals to absorb the power of higher beings, and that Darmoor's target was only the power of the Ancient Gods, not the gods themselves. At his words, the Adversary wondered to themselves whether the crystal was a type of Godsphere as well. Carlisle also explained that during the recent attacks, Darmoor had managed to secure the powers of many Ancient Gods already.

Neinheart realized that given the speed of the enemy's movements, the High Flora must have been planning their attacks for a long time, which also meant that it was unlikely that an attack of such magnitude would happen again so quickly. As the Alliance couldn't hope to fend off the enemy's simultaneous attacks in so many different places simply through rearranging their defenses, he declared that they needed to create an environment where such attacks could not occur. He explained that the High Flora used overwhelming numbers to plan coordinated strikes, which meant that the Alliance needed to raise its numbers and spread its influence across Grandis. The Adversary asked Neinheart whether he was proposing to form a new alliance, to which he replied that it was his desired end result, though for now, they needed to gather as many allies as possible. Carlisle explained that the reason why the High Flora had been able to control Grandis was because there was no force of resistance against them, aside from the small armies of individual cities, which could barely defend themselves. However, as a result of the High Flora's recent attack, forces were mobilizing against the Flora army, and that amongst them was a military group which had long since been shrouded in rumors.

He explained that it was an organization that opposed the High Flora in the darkness, known to many as the saviors of Grandis who pointed their blades at the bloodied throne, the usurpers of freedom: the Primacy. The Adversary asked Carlisle where the Primacy was now, to which he explained that Seren had provided them a clue in her latest message. The Adversary read through the message from Seren, who had written that she had found a way to restore the holy sword Azor, and that she had also found the ones who had the power to oppose Darmoor, whose strength they needed to borrow. She had also asked Carlisle to send her message to the Adversary, and to request that they cross the continent and meet her at 'the place where the world starts again'. Carlisle explained that Seren couldn't leave any more details in the message for the sake of security, though he added that she was looking for the Adversary. Neinheart noted that while it was possible that the people whom Seren had met weren't the Primacy at all, they had no choice but to follow every lead that they had. Carlisle explained that his people were still investigating what 'the place where the world starts again' referred to, though he assured them that he would follow-up with any new information that he found.

After the call ended, Neinheart told the Adversary that their next move was to gather enough forces to face the High Flora while the enemy was busy reorganizing for the next attack, as well as to find a way to wake Cygnus up again. He also told the Adversary to remain vigilant, as he had heard from Eckhart how they were having trouble controlling the World Heart. He added that he didn't have any helpful advice for them, but he encouraged them to keep following their own path. The Adversary then admitted that there was something else that they were wondering about, which was that Havoc – despite having been able to kill them easily – had deliberately spared their life, which made them believe that Darmoor still needed them alive. Neinheart assured them that the Alliance would keep looking into Darmoor's motives, and that he would contact them once they finished deciphering Seren's message.

Carcion Investigation

Soon after the mission to Carcion, Neinheart contacted the Adversary and explained that the Specters from the High Flora invasion were still running rampant in Carcion, and that the Alliance had begun investigating them. He told the Adversary that according to Eckhart, the behavior of the Specters in Carcion was different from the ones that the Alliance had encountered before. Neinheart explained that due to the strength of the Specters, the Alliance had been struggling in their investigation, with the Anima of Carcion facing similar difficulties. In order to help gather intelligence, Neinheart asked the Adversary to aid in the Specter investigation. The Adversary traveled to Carcion, where they spoke with a hologram of Neinheart, who told them that some of the Specters were carrying an infectious agent inside crystals. As the samples which the Adversary had obtained during the mission to Carcion weren't adequate for analysis, Neinheart asked them to obtain intact, unused samples, adding that they should speak with Hinya and Duhan for more information. The Adversary then spoke with Hinya, who explained that even though the High Flora army had left, many of the Specters still remained, polluting Carcion with the infectious agent that they carried. As the Specters traveled in large groups, the Anima had been unable to fight them without sustaining heavy losses, and so Hinya asked the Adversary to lend their strength by defeating the Specters in the sea caverns and obtaining the crystals containing the infectious agent.

The Adversary gathered the infectious agent and returned back to Hinya, who noted that given how easily they had defeated the Specters, the fact that Limbo had given them such trouble meant that Limbo must be quite powerful as well. Upon seeing the Adversary's expression, Hinya asked them what was wrong, worried that they had gotten injured in the battle. However, the Adversary explained that while they had been fighting the Specters, something had happened to the World Heart. Hinya wondered whether it had reacted to the infectious agent and offered to deliver the crystals to the Alliance on the Adversary's behalf so that they wouldn't need to hold onto them any longer. Soon after the Adversary handed the crystals to Hinya, Neinheart contacted them and asked whether they were okay, as Hinya had told him about how the infectious agent had affected the World Heart. The Adversary clarified by explaining that the World Heart had been rebelling against the energy of the Specters, even though it hadn't reacted to Specter energy during the mission. Neinheart realized that the World Heart's rebelling could be seen as a sort of rejection reaction, and that the reason why it was reacting now was because the World Heart had gotten much stronger. Though he admitted that it may just be circumstantial, Neinheart noted that from what he had observed, it seemed as though the World Heart's ability to sense power was increasing as it got stronger.

He then added that they needed more evidence to determine whether the World Heart's reaction to Specter energy was simply a testament to its growth, or whether there was indeed some sort of relationship between Specter energy and the Godspheres. He then asked the Adversary to take on a new mission related to such research, explaining that the elders' laboratory in the rainforest had been left intact, as the High Flora army had left in quite a hurry. He explained that the Alliance investigation team hadn't been able to find a way inside, though he asked the Adversary to try again with an Odium key card which Gaon had given him before leaving with Keira. He explained that since Odium had been a facility built by the elders, it was possible that its key card might be compatible with the new facility built by the traitorous elders. The Adversary then entered the laboratory with the key card, which they used to access the data within the computer. They first began by accessing data about the Anima research log, most of which was corrupted and unreadable. However, one intact portion detailed the results of the elders' seventh test subject experiment, which revealed three different stages to the experiment.

The Adversary learned that both the absorption rejection reaction experiment and the energy bonding reaction experiment had both failed, while the results of the infectious agent infection experiment were corrupted in the system. The Adversary also found records of the elders' Specter research log, which detailed how different reactions occurred based on the type of soul. From the various test subjects gathered, the elders had been able to confirm the existence of a 'special soul'. The elders had also noted that the total amount of energy known as the Source was greater than expected, which they had concluded to be due to the influence of the Odium study. At the end of the report, the elders had noted that with all the other test subjects being failures, the probability of creating Adversaries was significantly low. After gathering all the data they could in the laboratory, the Adversary returned back to the sanctuary and reported their findings to Neinheart, who was unsurprised to know that most of the important data had already been destroyed. However, he was surprised to know that the elders were researching Specters while working for the High Flora, noting that the biological experiments, the Specter experiments, and the Adversary experiments may all be related. Based on this understanding, Neinheart concluded that the Alliance needed to restart their investigation on Specters from the very beginning so that they didn't miss a single clue. As the Alliance had little information about the Specters, he explained that he would ask Edea for any details that the Nova had about them. The Adversary also noted that they might also be able to ask the elders in Shangri-La about the research that the traitorous elders were performing. Neinheart agreed and told the Adversary that they could speak more about it once the Alliance finished its investigation.

Tallahart

The Place Where the World Starts Again

Soon after the mission to Carcion, Neinheart summoned the Adversary to Ereve in order to brief them on the movements of the High Flora army. He explained that Hawkeye – originally tasked with locating Havoc after the battle of Cernium – had instead switched focus to monitoring the Flora army after Havoc had revealed himself at Carcion. The Adversary then traveled to Ereve, where they met with Neinheart and a hologram of Hawkeye. Hawkeye reported that he had been hoping to deduce Darmoor's location by tracking Havoc's movements after his disappearance in Cernium, though the Apostles had soon launched their widespread attack first, resulting in the invasion of Ereve and the battle in Carcion. As Neinheart had feared that the Alliance would suffer a crippling defeat due to their lack of information, Hawkeye explained that Neinheart had tasked him with assessing the damage from their prior battles and determining where the Apostles had stolen the power of the Ancient Gods from. Hawkeye then pointed out a region in the center of Grandis, where he had discovered traces of the High Flora army, despite them having left that region almost completely alone. Neinheart noted that it seemed suspicious that the High Flora had not moved to attack the region like the others, which made him suspect that they were exploring the area instead. Hawkeye explained that while there was little information available about the area, they needed to exercise great caution, as the center of the continent where that area was located brushed the heart of the High Flora nation. Neinheart agreed and decided to authorize an investigation into the region and the High Flora's purpose there, for which he tasked Hawkeye with gathering information from the Seekers in Hotel Arcus.

Though the Adversary wished to check on Archelon's safety after the Apostles' raids on the Ancient Gods, Neinheart asked Hawkeye to handle the investigation alone, as he needed to discuss an update on Seren's last message with the Adversary regarding ‘the place where the world starts again'. After Hawkeye left to visit Arcus, Neinheart instructed the Adversary to meet with Carlisle at a top-secret meeting place at the outskirts of Cernium. After speaking with Carlisle, the Adversary contacted Neinheart and informed him about what they had learned about Tallahart being 'the place where the world starts again'. Neinheart then tasked them with rendezvousing with Hawkeye in Hotel Arcus, which was close to the ruins of Tallahart. After learning more about Tallahart in Hotel Arcus, the Adversary and Hawkeye reported to Neinheart, who, believing that there was little more they could do by chasing rumors, approved an expedition to Tallahart, though he added that he couldn't send any more troops besides them just yet, as the mission needed to be conducted discreetly to avoid drawing the attention of the High Flora.

After the end of the mission to Tallahart, Neinheart arrived at Tallahart with reinforcements to bring the Glory Guard back to Ereve. There, the Adversary and Hawkeye finished their report, with Neinheart noting with pleasure that the mission had been a great success for the Alliance, having acquired a significant amount of divine power and making contact with the Primacy. However, both he and Hawkeye agreed that Baldrix and Veronica's actions had seemed highly suspicious throughout the mission, as it seemed that while they had initially come to Tallahart with the intention of taking the power of the Ancient Gods, their purpose appeared to have abruptly changed midway. The Adversary then recalled how the High Flora had reached the first seal before leaving the other paths completely unguarded, making them wonder whether something had happened at the first seal to change their objectives. Nevertheless, Neinheart noted that they couldn't form any proper conclusion with only circumstantial evidence. He also noted that the great culling that Baldrix had spoken of worried him, as he could scarcely even begin to imagine the scale of such an initiative. He then told the Adversary that he had heard that they had given Luce's power to Noctis and allowed her to go free, to which the Adversary replied that they didn't believe that it would harm the Alliance, promising to stop Noctis herself if she became a threat. Though Neinheart admitted that they had made the right decision, he cautioned them to remember that their choices affected the entire Alliance. With that, he decided to end the briefing, adding that he would soon be calling a conference with the Alliance.

Secrets of the Knights

Following the mission to Tallahart, Neinheart contacted the Adversary remotely and told them that the Alliance was currently focused on investigating the power of the gods in Tallahart, as well as finding traces left behind by the Knights of the Einherjar. Though the investigation had been delayed because of the angry spirits of the gods, he revealed that they had recently detected Flora magic at the outskirts of the city, for which he asked the Adversary to fight through the monsters and investigate before a Chief Knight arrived to reinforce them. After fighting past the monsters, the Adversary discovered an injured Knight of the Einherjar, whom they quickly tied up before contacting Neinheart. Neinheart was pleased to hear that they had captured a Knight of the Einherjar, believing that they could learn important information about Darmoor from a member of the God-King's royal guard. He then asked them to hand over the knight to Eckhart, who would escort the knight for interrogation in Ereve. Soon after Eckhart brought the knight to Ereve, the Adversary contacted Neinheart, who told them that despite Eckhart's interrogation tactics, they hadn't learned much useful information about Darmoor from the knight. Nevertheless, he added that they had gotten some interesting information about the Knights of the Einherjar, which he began detailing to the Adversary. He first revealed that the Alliance had little information about the knighthood outside of rumors circulating around Grandis and certain information provided to them by Adele. He explained that from the interrogation, they had learned that the current Knights of the Einherjar were an entirely different organization from the original knighthood, which had once been the God-King's personal guard. Despite sharing the same name, the new order had been formed by Darmoor some time after an incident which had resulted in the disbandment of the original order.

Neinheart explained that the current Knights of the Einherjar were an elite team that served directly under Darmoor, and that their members were selected from the most distinguished High Priests of the Flora: Priests with exceptional magical mastery within their caste. He explained that it wasn't surprising that Darmoor would have kept the original name of the knights, as monarchs often appropriated the legacy of their predecessors in order to further cement the legitimacy of their rule. Though many knights of the old order had been killed alongside the former God-King during 'the incident', there had been several survivors, including Veronica and Adele. However, he revealed that with the exception of Adele, Veronica was the only survivor left, as the surviving knights had mysteriously disappeared one by one in the time between the disbanding of the old order and the formation of the new knighthood. He added that the disappeared survivors were officially marked as missing, rather than deceased, which meant that their bodies had never been recovered, almost as though the perpetrator had gone to great lengths to hide something about the knights they had attacked. He then revealed that there were rumors that Veronica had disappeared for some time after the Knights of the Einherjar had been disbanded, resurfacing around the time that the new order had been created, which was also when she had been severely punished. Though the reason for it was unknown, Neinheart explained that they could confirm that Veronica had indeed been punished, with rumors amongst the High Priests stating that it was because she had rushed into a mission which had not been assigned to her and failed it. However, he added that they only had rumors and whispers, as though the High Priests were attempting to cover up the incident. Nevertheless, he noted that Veronica had disappeared for some time after her punishment, and that she had returned to serve as the Vice Captain of the Knights of the Einherjar after its reformation.

The Adversary then asked about Baldrix, to which Neinheart explained that he hadn't gotten much information about Baldrix from the captured knight, who had appeared terrified of him. However, Neinheart revealed that Baldrix had been working as a close confidante of Darmoor since the time he had been a prince, though no one knew what Baldrix had looked like in the past. Because of Baldrix's talent, many in the past had once believed him to be a prime candidate to serve as Captain of the old Knights of Einherjar. Though Baldrix could be confirmed to be a pure-blooded High Flora, his existence was kept secret by the other High Flora, which was the last of the information that the Alliance had been able to gather from the captured knight. The Adversary then asked whether the Alliance had learned anything more about the great culling which Baldrix had mentioned, to which Neinheart explained that they had no further information about the culling, the Apostles, or even Darmoor himself, as the knight hadn't been aware about anything useful pertaining to those topics. However, Neinheart explained that there would be large-scale movement of the Flora army before such a thing were to occur, pointing out the Apostles gathering during the Morning Star Banquet. He revealed that according to the captured knight, the order for the Apostles to gather had been issued long before the banquet itself. As the order had been issued by Darmoor himself, Neinheart believed that important information had been conveyed to the Apostles for their next move, causing him to wonder whether they had received new instructions about the great culling. Neinheart explained that from the information they had, it was likely that the great culling would be carried out by most, if not all the Apostles. He noted that while tracking the Apostles' movements had been difficult in the past, there would be unmistakable signs if so many powerful figures were to move simultaneously, for which he assured the Adversary that the Alliance would be able to detect when the cull would begin before it transpired.

Neinheart then told the Adversary that they had learned something interesting about Gerand Darmoor's magical aura spreading across Grandis. He noted that until now, the only thing they had known about it was that it seemed to only affect those above a certain threshold of strength. However, he revealed that after investigating the power of the gods in Tallahart, the Alliance had concluded that the purpose of the magical aura had been to weaken the Ancient Gods, adding that it had been particularly potent in areas where the power of the gods had been strong, such as Tallahart and Carcion. He added that it was perhaps for that reason that Darmoor's forces had been able to easily steal the power of the gods, who were weakened and vulnerable when they had just been waking up. However, Neinheart reassured the Adversary that things weren't hopeless, as the Alliance had gained new strength through Sacred Power, adding that the Grand Sacred Symbol that the Adversary had gained, which had been infused with the power of the Ancient Gods, would help make the Alliance even stronger. Because of this, Neinheart asked the Adversary to make it a priority to continue strengthening the power of the Sacred Symbols. He then explained that the Alliance would continue their interrogation and track down the Knights of the Einherjar, promising to reveal any more information when they discovered something useful.

Jupiter's Call

After the Adversary learned from Gob that an Ancient God named Jupiter was attempting to unite the remaining gods against Gerand Darmoor, they reported what they learned to Neinheart. Neinheart was shocked to learn about the alliance of Ancient Gods opposing Darmoor and realized that their presence was a major variable, as there was no telling how they would affect the Alliance, even if they were Darmoor's enemies. He then resolved to investigate the alliance of gods with Carlisle before noting that the Adversary ought to also consider making a deal with Gob to become allies, similar to his deal with the Primacy, as Gob's knowledge and status as a reliable Ancient God would make him an indispensable ally. With access to the Primacy hideout, Neinheart told the Adversary that he would arrange for another meeting in the future before promising to contact them with new information soon.

Story (FriendStory)

Neinheart's counterpart in Friends World is the class president of Shinsoo International School.

Cygnus and the New Kid

After Elwin inadvertently opened a portal between Maple World and Friends World, a traveler from Maple World agreed to switch places with a transfer student who had stumbled into Maple World and wished to explore their new surroundings. In Shinsoo International School, the traveler met with Cygnus, who quickly grew infatuated by them. Soon after their arrival at school, Cygnus gushed to Neinheart about the transfer student she had met, whom she called the 'new student of fate'. Meanwhile, a bully whom the traveler had defeated earlier overheard Cygnus gushing over the traveler. As he was also a transfer student, he assumed that he was the one whom she was talking about. After being scolded by Dean Stan about their fight with the bully, the traveler was given Neinheart, the class president's, number, and was told to call him in order to have him set them straight. However, when they called Neinheart, the class president, he immediately hung up on them. On the second call, he picked up and apologized, as he believed that all unknown numbers were scam calls. He asked the traveler to meet him at the library, where he told them that he knew about everything that happened in the school and warned them to stay away from Cygnus. As punishment for their fight, he assigned them cleaning duties on the upper floors. As the traveler began cleaning, several other students offered to help in exchange for not being beaten up in the future. The traveler soon reported back to Neinheart, who told them that he knew that they had used the other students to clean up on their behalf and warned the traveler that they were now on his list.

The next day, after school, Cygnus met with Neinheart and told him that she had overheard a rumor that she had kissed someone with crazy hair, whom she interpreted to be the traveler, though she was confused why anyone would describe the traveler as having crazy hair. Neinheart promised to investigate the matter and called the traveler, asking them to meet him at the school roof. There, they found Neinheart with Irena, Hawkeye, Mihile, Eckhart, and Oz. Neinheart explained the rumor to them and said that though they all agreed that the rumor referred to the bully, he doubted that the bully was clever enough to have started it, which made him suspect that someone was trying to discredit Cygnus. Neinheart asked the traveler to obtain the bully's student records, telling them that they needed to covertly obtain them, since the records were off-limits to students. They went to the Staff Room, where Elwin met them and explained that Motes had appeared and swept away the student records. The traveler defeated the Motes and obtained the records, which they took to Neinheart. Neinheart learned that the bully was Areda's son and he explained how, one year ago, Areda had met with Cygnus and had learned that not only had Cygnus built Shinsoo International School right next to another school, but she had also bought the bus system to ensure that the students could commute in order to prevent her school from being torn down.

After leaving the meeting, Areda had cursed Cygnus for her intervention, as she had wanted the school to be demolished for her plans. To get revenge, she had resolved to have Cygnus marry her son in order to gain control of Shinsoo Corporation. However, Neinheart had witnessed her tirade after the meeting and had learned about her plans, though he hadn't told Cygnus about it because of how ridiculous it was. However, now that Areda was making her move, Neinheart decided that he had no choice but to tell Cygnus. The group then went to her office, but they were surprised to find that she wasn't there. The traveler called Cygnus, who told them that she was out getting a latte. She told them that she would meet them later and hung up, as her phone was dying. Believing her to be in danger, Neinheart ordered everyone to search for Cygnus. After the traveler exposed Areda, police officer Athena Pierce came to see Neinheart and Cygnus and reported that her investigation had revealed that Areda had been trying to take over the school. She told them that she had found deeds and investor contracts at Areda's home, as well as several slashed photos of Cygnus, and that she had learned that Areda had been trying to build a shopping mall in place of the school.

Orchid and the Stalker

Neinheart called the traveler and asked them to meet him in Cygnus' office. There, he told them that a stalker had placed a threatening letter on Orchid's desk. The traveler recognized Orchid as being with the Black Wings and Neinheart confirmed that she was indeed signed by Black Wings Entertainment. Though he conceded that she had a terrible attitude, he nevertheless asked them to recover the letter. After obtaining it, they brought it back and everyone agreed that it was clearly a threatening letter. Oz asked them to find a fingerprinting kit in the science lab, where they encountered Elwin in dog form. Elwin told them that they would need Aluminum Dust and a Brush, which they could obtain from the Motes. With all the pieces of the kit obtained, Oz told them to give her time to find the culprit. The traveler went back to the first-year classroom, where they told Francis about the threatening letter that Orchid had received. Francis, who had written the letter as a confession of love, was shocked to hear that the ink had been smeared, making it appear as though it was a stalker letter. Realizing that everyone believed him to be a psychopathic criminal, Francis passed out from fear. Soon after, Neinheart called the traveler and congratulated them on sweating Francis out. They returned to the office, where they found Francis surrounded by Neinheart and the club captains. Francis told them that his nervousness made his palms sweaty, which had smeared the ink, and proved that he hadn't meant to threaten Orchid by showing an old draft of the letter. Everyone present agreed that the original letter was cringeworthy, but not stalker material, and agreed to help him woo Orchid.

Hilla and Magnus Sittin' in a Tree

Two students were flirting with each other when Hilla the nurse and Magnus the PE Teacher arrived to stop them, as dating wasn't allowed at school, and took each to their respective offices. Soon after, Hawkeye and Mihile were discussing what had happened between Hilla and Magnus with the traveler and Neinheart. Hawkeye brought them and Francis to the school rooftop, where he declared that they were now the Shinsoo School Players Club, and that they needed to hook up Hilla and Magnus so that they wouldn't interfere with dating at the school. Hawkeye then asked the traveler to find out what Magnus and Hilla thought of each other. The traveler learned that Magnus couldn't stand Hilla because of her temper, and that Hilla had no opinion on Magnus. They returned to the school rooftop, where everyone reported that Magnus and Hilla would frequently argue. Hawkeye then suggested changing the environment around them in order to subliminally make them fall for each other by spreading photos and rumors online. After taking out-of-context shots of the two, the traveler pinned the photos at the front gate, hallways, and staff lounge. Neinheart then suggested starting subtle rumors of the two, such as them both getting sick at the same time. However, Hawkeye took it too literally and asked the traveler to collect Flu Virus bottles from the infirmary. After collecting the bottles, they mixed the virus into Hilla's mug and Magnus' water bottle. Soon after, both Magnus and Hilla were spotted with flu symptoms in the hallways and the rumors began flying. However, Neinheart told them that they needed Magnus and Hilla to take action themselves.

Francis suggested an online tool that he had found, which took the first two letters of one's name, converted them into numbers, and found the difference. He explained that there was a match if the difference was the same as the difference between one's age and their crush's age. Hawkeye decided to humor Francis and asked the traveler to get chalk, which they obtained from the Motes. They then drew the math problem on all the chalkboards across the school. Neinheart told them that it was common for people to fall in love during times of crisis and suggested that they get Magnus to the infirmary. The traveler went to the front gates and borrowed soccer balls from Velderoth to kick at Magnus, but Magnus proved too strong for them. The traveler fled the scene before Magnus could spot them, after which Francis called and asked what had happened. Upon learning that they had failed, Francis asked them to come to the science lab, where he gave them a chemical to give to Magnus to drink. They then tricked Magnus into drinking the chemical by telling him that it was a power drink, after which Magnus immediately fell unconscious. They took him to Hilla before locking the infirmary door and cutting off the power supply. Neinheart then looked through the surveillance camera, where they saw Hilla tenderly caring for Magnus.

The next day, Neinheart told them that they needed to get a love confession by organizing a private location, romantic music, and a special event. The traveler discovered Fountain Park and let the others know that it was the perfect place. They then tricked Magnus and Hilla into coming by telling them that a teachers' outing was happening. There, they began playing romantic music, which finally prompted Magnus and Hilla to kiss. Just then, however, Arkarium arrived and confronted the pair, asking if the rumors about them dating were true. Hilla and Magnus immediately began to insult each other while denying it before storming off. Arkarium then began wallowing in his misery about being single, inadvertently summoning a Born Single Troublemaker, born from eternal loneliness. While the others tracked down Magnus and Hilla, the traveler quickly defeated the Troublemaker and brought Arkarium back to his senses. Soon after, everyone returned and reported that Hilla and Magnus had discovered them. Though they had failed to set them up, everyone admitted that it had been a fun effort before leaving. A few days later, however, Hilla and Magnus still found themselves thinking about the other.

Cassandra's Tales of Totally Shocking Stuff

Neinheart called the traveler and asked them if they believed in ghosts. He explained that he didn't, but he added that a strange rumor had been going around, and so he asked them to come to Cygnus' office. There, Neinheart explained that Cassandra had been spreading rumors about ghosts and asked them to talk to her about it. Upon arriving in the classroom, Cassandra told them that she felt a strange aura coming from them and declared that they weren't from this world. She then laughed and explained that she was only joking before asking if they had come to hear a scary story. As she never repeated the same story twice, she told them to ask Oz about her most recent one, as Oz had heard the whole thing. Oz told them about the ghost of the music room and asked them to investigate what was really going on. They went to the music room, where they met Elwin in dog form, who told them that it was probably the Motes. The traveler then found suspicious recorders and piano music on the Motes. They returned to Oz and told her that it was just a prank, which she was relieved to hear. Soon after, Neinheart arrived and told Cassandra to stop spreading false stories, showing her the recordings in order to disprove her words. Irritated, Cassandra swore to make Neinheart eat his words. That night, Neinheart found that the lights didn't work and the bookshelves were moving on their own, toppling right onto him. The next day, Cygnus called the traveler and told them about what had happened to Neinheart. They both went to the infirmary, where Hilla told them that his only injuries were a stubbed toe from when a book had hit it. Neinheart suspected that Cassandra was behind the incident and asked the traveler to investigate in his place, eventually leading the player to learn that the incidents were being caused by a fervent fan of Cassandra, who had been attempting to avenge Cassandra's honor.

An alternate ending to this storyline can be triggered through replaying this chapter of FriendStory. While walking to the infirmary, the player runs into Lilin, who asks them where the infirmary is. The player can choose to ignore her or offer to walk her there. If the player offers to walk her there, she'll decline and asks them to just tell her where it is. After the player tells her, she asks if them know the student president, Neinheart, and whether they're a friend of his. The player tells her that they're friends with Neinheart, although admitting that he'd probably say differently. She then tells the player not to mention that she was here, after which she storms off. At the end of the chapter, Cygnus will meet with Neinheart in the infirmary, where she asks him why he's still wearing his bandages when he's fully healed. Just then, Lilin will arrive. Neinheart is glad to see his sister, although Lilin shuts down his attempts at being friendly and explains that she only came to see if his foot is healed yet.

Neinheart tells her that it should be better soon before asking why she's here so early, sternly adding that he hopes that she didn't skip class. Lilin retorts that she's not here to talk about herself, as she's just here to check on him. She adds that he's had his bandages forever and tells him that he should go back to the doctor. Cygnus then hesitantly interrupts and introduces herself, to which Lilin replies that she knows who she is and calls Cygnus “Miss Shinsoo-moneybags-whatever”. Neinheart tells Lilin to mind herself, to which Lilin will tell her brother to mind himself, adding that she's not the one crushing on Cygnus. Neinheart will be shocked, and even Lilin is surprised that she let it slip, as it seems like she hadn't meant to. She then awkwardly decides to leave, hesitantly adding that it's nice that he has lots of friends now. After she leaves, Cygnus expresses her surprise at Lilin's personality, to which Neinheart explains that they've never gotten along. Cygnus then realizes that Neinheart had been wearing his bandages on purpose, to which Neinheart explains that Lilin wouldn't want to see him unless he had lied about still being injured. Nevertheless, Cygnus notes that Neinheart is grinning and asks him why. Neinheart replies that it's because it's been a while since Lilin had called him her brother.

Students in Crisis

Neinheart called the traveler and asked them to come to the office immediately, too lost for words. There, they were shocked to find that Hawkeye had turned into a squid. Neinheart explained that yesterday, a girl had rejected Hawkeye after she had explained that ever since she had met the new student teacher, she had found him so attractive that every other boy looked like a squid in comparison. After Hawkeye had gone to see the student teacher, he had returned to them as a squid. As 911 refused to take him seriously, Neinheart decided that they needed to investigate the student teacher themselves. He gave the traveler a lesson plan and asked them to deliver it to the student teacher, hoping that it would give them an opening to learn more. The traveler went to the staff room and gave the lesson plan to the student teacher - the White Mage - who wondered whether they had met before. After returning back to the office, Neinheart determined that the traveler was the only person who could resist the White Mage's charm and tasked them with keeping an eye on him, as well as to figure out how to reverse the squid transformation.

Over the course of the White Mage's time at the school, the female students grew infatuated with him, causing the boys to turn into squids. Soon after, Dean Stan announced that the White Mage would be holding one-on-one mentoring. In Cygnus' office, Neinheart told the traveler that the new trend had been to get a one-day date pass with the White Mage, who was considering opening a slot on the weekends for his mentoring sessions. He then tasked the traveler with obtaining the weekend pass in order to destroy it, hoping that it would stop the craze that was taking over the school. The traveler went to the third-floor classroom and ran into Ephenia, who was organizing a competition to get the weekend pass, having hired a man in a dog suit named Kemdi, who administered a quiz for the pass. The traveler successfully answered the most questions correctly, infuriating Ephenia. Neinheart then arrived amidst the confusion and tore the pass into several pieces, claiming that it should still be good for each person. As everyone rushed to cash it in with the White Mage, Dean Stan arrived and mandated that there would be no dating between students and teachers.

Soon after the White Mage's final day at the school, Neinheart heard back from the White Mage's university regarding his credentials, with the university claiming that there was no such student who had ever been enrolled there. Furthermore, Neinheart also found that all the goodbye letters and flowers that the students had given to the White Mage had been thrown in the trash.

Damien and the Spirit of Rock

In Cygnus' office, Boogie ran into Neinheart, whom she asked whether it was too late to sign up for the upcoming contest at the festival, though her timidity made it hard for him to understand her. Neinheart then brought her the necessary forms in order to sign up. That night, Boogie went to the music room, having forgotten her sheet notes, where she encountered Damien and his band practicing, as well as trashing her song after having found her sheet notes. The next day, the traveler encountered several fans of Damien on the way to school. Neinheart then called the traveler and explained that there was a disease going on around school. On their way to school, the traveler ran into Elwin in dog form and discussed the strange people whom they had met on the street. Elwin suspected that the new transfer student had something to do with the strange trends. In Cygnus' office, Neinheart told everyone that the disease of rock and roll had infected the school after Damien had transferred in. Just then, Cygnus and Mihile appeared in full rock aesthetic, which proved Neinheart's point. Hawkeye then suggested that they make their own band in order to beat Damien, though Irena was less than enthusiastic about the plan. Exasperated, Neinheart asked the traveler to find Damien in order to learn about his goals, culminating in the students challenging Damien to a battle of the bands.

The next day, Damien met with Neinheart and asked him about the order of appearance for the bands in the contest. After he left, Neinheart told the traveler that Damien would routinely transfer to schools and dominate the music scene for a month before moving on. In order to get enough money for a private practice room, Neinheart helped the students look for part-time jobs. During the battle of the bands, Irena performed the song written by Boogie, allowing their band to defeat Damien's. A few days later, Cygnus asked Neinheart if he had a version of Boogie's song that had been sung by Boogie herself. Neinheart told her that there was a sample track that Boogie had submitted with her registration. While searching for it, Cygnus realized that Boogie had submitted it after the deadline, though Neinheart amusedly denied knowing about it before admitting that there were things more important than rules, such as making memories.

False Future (Gate to the Future)

In the illusory future created by Lucid in the Gate to the Future, Cygnus - deeply worried about the threat of the Black Mage – attempted to seek out the World Tree, who had disappeared long ago, believing that she would be able to help them face the Black Mage. However, when Cygnus and her Knights finally discovered the World Tree, they learned too late that it had all been a trap set by the Black Mage. As a result, Cygnus' soul was stolen by the Black Mage, who turned her into his puppet. Having lost its divine power, Ereve crashed onto Victoria Island, with Cygnus leading her fallen Knights - who had been corrupted through their connection with a fallen Shinsoo - against Maple World. Neinheart, as the only person who had not been affected by the corruption, attempted to convince Cygnus to put an end to her madness, for which he was imprisoned in the Secret Grove. During the Alliance's investigation of the Gate to the Future, an Alliance member found Neinheart trapped in his cage and defeated the Knights guarding it. Neinheart immediately recognized the Alliance member's face and realized that they were a member of the old Maple Alliance. He noted that he had never expected to see them in such a place, adding that they really hadn't changed at all.

When the Alliance member asked what had happened to Cygnus, Neinheart explained that after the Empress had fallen into the Black Mage's trap and been corrupted, he had tried and failed to stop her. He told the Alliance member that after Cygnus and her Knights had destroyed everything, he had barely survived with his own life. He then asked the Alliance member what the situation outside Ereve was, relieved to know that there were still survivors, which meant that there was still hope. He explained that though he had thought that he had survived only by luck, it seemed as though his life still had some meaning. He then revealed that after the Empress had been corrupted, the Cygnus Knights had lost their reason, becoming totally obedient to her commands. He explained that it was likely because Shinsoo – whose power the Cygnus Knights derived theirs from – had been corrupted through her bond with the Empress, warping her power into one that took away the free will of the Knights. Neinheart then told the Alliance member that the only way to save Maple World was to kill the Empress, though they would first need to defeat the many Advanced Knights guarding her. He asked the Alliance member to defeat the Advanced Knights, noting that if they were truly the same person that he remembered, they would be able to find a way.

After thinning out the Advanced Knights, the traveler reported back to Neinheart, who was relieved to hear the news, explaining that security around Cygnus' chamber would be laxer now. However, Neinheart explained that in order to enter her chamber, they would need to first pass through the Cygnus Garden, which was inaccessible without a key, though he admitted that had no idea where the key could be. He then asked the Alliance member to first check if the garden was locked, and to consult with the people of Henesys if they might know anything about the key's whereabouts. He explained that in the meantime, he would remain in his prison, as security would grow tighter if he were to escape. He also added that there was nothing that he, as someone who failed to stop the Empress, could do to change the situation. He apologized for burdening them with such a favor, though he begged them to stop Cygnus once and for all.

Gallery

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  NPC Sprite of Neinheart (Maple Castle Event)
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  NPC Sprite of Neinheart (2014 Thanksgiving Feast Event)
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  NPC Sprite of Neinheart (Water Wars Event)
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  Concept Art of Neinheart
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of a young Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of a young Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of a young Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of a young Neinheart (2022 - present)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2014 - 2022)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2014 - 2022)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2014 - 2022)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (2014 - 2022)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (FriendStory)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (FriendStory)
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  NPC Portrait of Neinheart (FriendStory)
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  Neinheartroid
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  Hanging with Neinheart Chair
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  World Archive Illustration of Neinheart

Videos

메이플특공대 - 보름달 도깨비 야시장

Maple on the Scene (parody of VJ's on the Scene) - Full Moon Goblin Night Market / Nineheart (Empress Cygnus' adviser): If you give Goblin Coins to Kkaebi (Gobiln Merchant), he'll randomly level you up. Totally profitable!

Trivia

• Neinheartroid and Hanging with Neinheart Chair are modeled after Neinheart.
• Neinheart is afraid of heights, which is mentioned in the Black Heaven blockbuster.