"I'll look at my calendar to save the date. It'll be an honor to go. I'll be damned in this life if I can't see a grand parade in person when I have the chance, even if it's not from my country, ha! I can guarantee that I'm not a barbarian. In our country, we believe a barbarian is defined by the ideals they hold, not the genetics they were born with. You can be a physically horrific being and we'll respect you as one of our own if you're smart. On the other hand, if you're the most attractive and physically flawless being in the universe but you embrace primitive and barbaric beliefs, no sane Ryccian could ever accept you"

"For your benefit as a diplomat, allow me to comment on how Ryccians typically see you. There are three types of people you'll come across: some think that you're the worst kind of barbarian there is: xenophobic genociders that deserve no respect. You'll find that the nationalists and the ultrapacifists hate you for it. Others see you as barbarians not because you chose to, but because the blood-filled history you lived through transformed your society in order to adapt to your surroundings. These folks think that your kind needs enlightenment from our country so you don't repeat the same mistakes the Old Empire did, since the Stoinian Kingdom and the Early Old Empire actually have a similar origin story. They also see you as going into an imperialistic conquest spree in the future if you're not 'educated'. Some internationalists are in this camp, believing that we have to 'civilize' this sector as the 'only light in a sea of darkness' or so they put it, but isolationists can think like this too"

"Finally, another group shares the belief that you were forced to be the way that you are by your tragic history, but they refuse to label you as barbarians. They think that, through an exchange of ideas between nations, we can learn from each other and further the peace in the sector. They won't compromise on the xenophobia, but they'll tolerate you and they'll accept your martial culture as valid, even if they don't like it personally. It's rare, if not impossible to find someone who will embrace the Stoinian way in this corner of the sector, but it is what it is. Which one am I? I'll leave that one for you to decide"

"Regardless, getting a hang on politics is good. The more you can sweettalk your way around the pacifists and the opportunists from obstructing the military's work, the better"