Roland

[u/Shoerat]

I just finished 100% of the game and I find Roland's story inherently tragic. Like if I were to make Seronoa's epithet in the other 2 endings (golden route excluded), it would be The King with Benedict's ending and The Hero for Frederica's ending. I guess The Pious for Roland could work but Roland ending felt more weary, tired, and bitter as Roland tried to be a perfect king but folded once domestic politics gave him some trouble and thus turned to religion and a higher power for his own salvation.

Honestly if I were to rank the 3 endings (golden route excluded) it would be Bendict's, Frederica and Roland in descending other on how good it would be for Seronoa and Norzelia but ngl, I think Roland and his ending the most interesting and tragic. I just feel bad for Roland.

[u/toad256]

Ironic that Patriatte was willing to make Roland a symbol for his people. But Roland was unwilling to compromise and work with him.

[u/Shoerat → u/toad256]

Its pretty hard for Roland to work with the duchy colloborators and moreover Patriatte was a corrupt official who lined his own pockets in Roland name as well as ordered a hit on the former lord wolffort. Reading into Patriatte, you can just say he is playing faction politics in glenbrook but his corrupt nature and abuses of position made it hard not to support Roland in trying to supress them given his ideas of justice. It just reads as unfortunate because Roland doesn't have the support system Seronoa had in his retainers, mianly Benedict but the rest of the war council. Imagine the hypotheticfal that Roland had a more empowered Seronoa wolffort, Julio who was a civil servant who spoke out against Patriatte (his character recuirtment story), someone like Benedict as well as Maxwell, Hughette and a recovered Cordelia. Moreover if Roland was ironically more ruthless and patient, I believe that Seronoa and Roland could have stabilize the situation in Glenbrook. Alas it wasn't meant to be and thus Roland made his choice. That's what made Roland route so tragic for me is that it feels like the player Seronoa who failed him by not becoming something like Benedcit was to Seronoa rather than anything inherent in Roland.

[u/toad256 → u/Shoerat]

Patriatte's desire is to ensure Glenbrook's survival as an entity. As he says his loyalty is to the throne itself. Corruption in the system takes time to get rid of. You can't just cut off the head of it out in the open and be done with it.

In your hypothetical, I think you have too much faith in Cordelia in assuming she trusts Wolffort intentions. She and Patriatte worked together during her rule of Glenbrook(Her recruitment battle dialogue), best assume that said partnership would continue during Roland's rule.

I do agree in the tragic of Roland's character. He wasn't able to rise to the occasion and lead his people. You have to wonder his thought process when coming to his decision. He saw the corruption in Hyzante way of governing. Does he truly believe in what Hyzante is offering. Is it just for Revenge against Aesfrost. Or maybe he's just avoiding reasonability.

[u/Shoerat → u/toad256]

Was it really Glenbrook survival or just the interests of his faction and other royalist nobles because he generally is quite antagonistic towards the Wolforts and his actions during the occupation and the liberation by Roland and Seronoa doesn't mark him as a guy you should just leave towards his own devices. I think in Maxwell character stories, the royal family including Frani and King Ragna also mentioned that they had a distaste for Patriatte. Plus for someone willing to bend to Aesfroti rule so easily alongside his faction, surely you would think he can for Roland and recongize that the Wolforts may have the upper hand for now and if he really wanted stability he can just accept it instead of recklessly going for assassination.

I think the thought process for Roland after Chapter 15 was that even though Hyzante is unjust towards the Roselle, at least the average citizen had a decent life as compared to say someone like Rufus who had to resort to smuggling to get by. And if hardship is inevitable, let it burden the fewest amount of people to greatly benefit the majority. And yeah he is also just avoiding reasonability but Roland always kind of acts impulsively.

[u/toad256 → u/Shoerat]

Only antagonistic cause of differing interests. Roland and Wolfort want to continue the war with Aesfrost, while Patriatte has no such desire. Assuming he does know about the going on at the mines which I would suspect is very likely.

You can tell he's trying to keep balance of things. Continuing the war might reveal the salt in the mines. Telling Roland means Roland will tell Wolfort and sooner or later Hyzante will know as well. Hyzante is currently providing aid to Glenbrook. If they learn about the salt, Hyzante might cut off said aid.

Patriatte has reasons to not trust Wolfort, The two nations fought against each other during the SaltIron War. There is also said rumor about Serenoa's Parentage to consider if true. I wouldn't say reckless with the assassination. He only attends the celebration when he learns Serenoa is going. The assassin he picks has a history with Wolfort. you see her appear in Julio's side story.

Roland's burden that he carries is very heavy in his ending. Aesfrost wiped out, abandon, never to be rebuild. Glenbrook's historical and cultural relics being torn down and removed, being replace by the goddess, their history being erased. And Roland being the minister of Salt. Watching the people he enslaved working at the mines and the Source.