After some trigger pointing and a good bit of groveling, Apple and I convince Shu to join my team.
We head back to North Window (now xyzzy castle, naturally), Shu just spits out a plan that will of course 100% work to take down the Highland army that is on their way to get me. The incoming battle is one big confusing mess in my opinion as I control one dude and everyone else just goes at warp speed. I fight the boss over and over to no real success, start to lose my forces until they suddenly decide they've lost and retreat. Yay! I've won!
This castle is *huge*. It is so easy to get lost at this point just walking through random doors. In fact, when I first rested here, I didn't even know I was sleeping in the castle and had no idea where I was. The place went from a mess to cleaned up without any effort on my part! Anyway, I'm going to have to learn this place as I'm going to be spending a lot of time here. There's a graveyard and an outdoors area and a ship place and probably 12 other things! Much bigger than the S1 analog for sure.
I take advantage of my newfound home to go recruiting: Tai Ho with some gambling, Richmond with his coin hax, Yoshiko to join up with Freed, and Amada after a quick battle. I need some teleportation so bad. I swing by my base with my new guys and Amada is in my party so he's my boat guy.. so I reset, swap in Tai Ho and redo the scene. We're off to Two Rivers or whatever it's called: me, Nanami, Freed, Yoshiko, Rina and Amada, with Filcher and Tai Ho apparently as guides. Maybe they'll re-party me once I get there.