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[Editor’s Note: The following article was written in the spring of 756, mere weeks before the infamous peace signing that resulted in the assassination of King Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII and the annexation of Insomnia by the Niflheim Empire. Much has changed in the decade since that tragedy, but miraculously both author and subject survived the ecological disaster known as the Long Night and an update has been included at the end of this article to reflect the subject’s new normal.]
You’d be forgiven for not taking the prince’s royal advisor for an athlete on sight; his lanky physique doesn’t exactly scream bodybuilder, and he himself will admit sports were never at the forefront of his mind. “I didn’t start taking martial arts seriously until I was a teenager,” he says. “My family has a long history of service to the Crown, though it’s always been in an intellectual capacity rather than a physical one.”
But looks can be deceiving.
You’re still more likely to find Ignis Scientia in front of an oven rather than inside a gymnasium (cooking is a skill he’s become proficient at in recent years), but he manages to carve out time six days a week at the Citadel’s training facility to hone his craft alongside the enlisted men and women of the Kingsglaive and the sworn shields of House Amicitia. Unlike the latter, who for generations have perfected the art of the broadsword, the 22-year-old prefers lightweight melee weapons that rely more on speed and dexterity rather than sheer brawn. “Daggers are inarguably easier to wield,” he explains, “and a polearm can be as punishing as any greatsword in the right hands.”
While anyone talented enough with a lance can call themselves an expert, the highest calling of any pupil studying the polearm is the rank of Dragoon—those skilled acrobats capable of harnessing the power of flight, something Insomnia is unfortunately in short supply of. In fact, there hasn’t been an officially recognized Dragoon east of the Cygillan since the Conqueror wielded his famous halberd to unite the continent of Lucis. Those teachings have largely faded from memory as subsequent kings began favoring one-handed weapons, but not all hope is lost—there’s a rumor the Empire of Niflheim counts a commodore trained in the old aerialist traditions among its ranks. With a peace treaty set to be signed between the houses of Lucis Caelum and Aldercapt just around the corner, might there be a Dragoon instructor in this lancer’s future? “I won’t hold my breath,” he says with a laugh.
Regardless of weapon, the success of armed combat hinges on the physical prowess of the individual. This is a principle the young Scientia is keenly aware of, which is why he has developed a personal fitness regimen painstakingly crafted to capitalize on his most prominent abilities and with his preferred armaments in mind. Core strength, flexibility, and endurance are at the heart of his workouts; it’s not unusual to spot a bespectacled figure out on a jog or holding a yoga pose in the earliest hours of the morning somewhere on palace grounds. Above all, a good diet is paramount to fueling a schedule as intense as his—one that includes chamberlain duties, all day meetings, and playing chauffeur to a certain crown prince—which is where his newfound culinary skills have come in handy. “Protein helps to regulate a healthy metabolism, so I’ve come up with a few recipes where lean protein takes center stage. A fair amount of nutrients are lost in the cooking process, so I also try to incorporate as many vegetables as I can to compensate.” He places a noticeable emphasis on the latter half of this statement, as if appealing to some anonymous legume detractor. “You can never have too many vegetables.”
And what of those aforementioned armaments? Just how well does the strategist stand up to his more physically imposing colleagues? Lengthy appendages and a slender build might look somewhat gangly on his six-foot-tall frame, but the combination of a long reach unencumbered by high mass makes him surprisingly effective with daggers in close-quarters combat. Likewise, one doesn’t need an obscenity of muscles to wield a polearm to its fullest potential—only limbs long enough to apply the right amount of leverage. About the only thing decidedly not sleight are his quadriceps; whilst usually covered by a pair of designer trousers, anyone within a hundred yards of him during a workout can easily make out the shape of fast twitch muscles that allow him to sprint, pivot, and leap into a back handspring without hardly breaking a sweat. So breathtaking is his speed at times that one is left to wonder if perhaps he isn’t imbued with the same warping ability as his employers.
But why would a son of House Scientia, whose very name evokes images of academics and scholars, take on such a physically demanding role? Why forge himself into the likeness of Prince Noctis’ bodyguard when his skills might be better tempered elsewhere? It’s a reasonable question, though one without a clear-cut answer. Some would point to how much the landscape has shifted since the Old Wall fell, both literally and figuratively; recruitment numbers into the Kingsglaive are down, so a counselor moonlighting as a security detail isn’t wholly out of the ordinary. The master tactician also has a strong personal connection to the heir apparent, having been reared alongside him as an adopted brother from the age of six. Even his forbears didn’t have the kind of immediate access to the monarchy that Scientia does, and that proximity almost certainly comes with a level of protectiveness that is impossible to understate.
What, then, does the man himself say? Is it simply a sign of changing times where royal retainers are expected to wear many hats? Or do the reasons he’s committed to staying in peak physical condition stem from something far more personal? Inquiring minds might be slightly disappointed with his answer, though his wit proves to be as sharp as his daggers: “Someone’s got to keep Noct on his toes.”
*****
[September 768 Update: The world spent a harrowing ten years holding its collective breath as it waited for the True King’s return, and none worked quite so hard to prepare for his arrival as the original subject of this article, Ignis Scientia. Once expected to sit beside His Majesty as Hand of the King, destiny had other plans for the former Crownsguard, and he now spends his days in Insomnia helping to restore the crown city to its former glory. IQ caught up with him recently to discuss disability, Dragoons, and staying fit throughout a decade of darkness.]
Insomnia Quarterly: It’s been over a decade since we last spoke. Where to even begin?
Ignis Scientia: Where indeed?
IQ: I suppose we could start with the obvious. How are you doing these days? At the risk of sounding indelicate, you’ve had to make a few… lifestyle adjustments, shall we say.
IS: As well as can be expected. I’m certainly not the only one who’s had to adapt with the times.
IQ: You tragically lost your eyesight during the Hydraean catastrophe in 756, yet by all accounts you were back in action not six months later. How were you able to develop the fortitude needed to overcome such an obstacle?
IS: Healing begins in the mind. It took a while, but once I accepted what had happened to me—really, truly understood the reality of it—I began to view my struggles as difficult hurdles rather than unscalable walls. The impossible became merely improbable, and so on until I had regained confidence in myself and my old abilities.
IQ: No need for modesty—you were able to take down Red Giants single handedly without the use of your eyes. Any advice for someone like me who can barely touch their toes?
IS: Yoga helps. (Laughs.)
IQ: Speaking of old adversaries, it’s my understanding you did eventually meet the Imperial commodore who was rumored to be a Dragoon.
IS: Correct. Aranea Highwind, though she didn’t stay with the Empire for very long.
IQ: Did you pick up any tips from her after all?
IS: She did school me in a few aerialist drills, but her skill and finesse with a lance is unparalleled. Certainly far greater than anything I could’ve hoped to achieve—though I did learn the all-important High Jump.
IQ: You spent a great deal of time touring Lucis before heading to Altissia. Did you find it hard to stay fit on the road?
IS: On the contrary, I was in better shape on the road than I ever was prior to leaving Crown City. The sheer amount of traveling we did by foot was incalculable, and much of our provisions came from living off the land. (Smiles wistfully.) It was a more carefree time, to be sure.
IQ: So your fitness regimen at that time could be partially attributed to a nomadic lifestyle. Were you able to maintain that level of stamina throughout the Long Night?
IS: Absolutely. You get very good at distance running when petrol is heavily rationed.
IQ: You mentioned yoga earlier—how did that fit into the equation?
IS: Yoga was indispensable to me, especially while I was on the road.
IQ: What makes you say that?
IS: With the company I traveled with, my sanity would never have survived as far as Hammerhead without it. (Smirk.)