Ilia Barcai

Ilia Barcai (イリア・バルカイ, Iria Barukai) is a major character in Genso Suikoden Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki. Ilia is a compassionate herbalist and the daughter of Mayor Aaron Barcai of Schradt.

Appearance
Ilia is regarded as a very attractive young woman. Myra and Luseri had little doubt about her ability to marry a good man when the time came. Amory was even afraid to approach her, such was her attractiveness.

She has shoulder length blonde hair and brown eyes. Wearing a white dress and purple shawl, she is always seen carrying a bag of herbalist ingredients. She also wears black leggings and brown boots.

Personality
Ilia had a warm, empathetic personality. As she was the oldest of the Therbe Village children, she often felt responsible for the hero and Myra especially. She could also be oblivious. She seemingly had no idea of Nido's feelings for her.

Ilia was also extremely found of featherfolk, often losing control of herself due to their cuteness. She became especially good friends with Meamei and Mui during the HIY 300 Teras Pharma conflict. She was fond of all featherfolk, however.

Keeping up her cheerful exterior was important to Ilia, even as she wrestled with the actions of her father and segments of the Schradt population turning on her. She tried very hard to understand his motives. She also recognized that without his help, she too could have been someone lost to hate. In the end, she came to the conclusion that his actions were his own, but that the Yggdrasilian Throne had laid the path he eventually walked on.

History
"There's no way I could be the only one left behind. I'm the oldest one here, you know?"

- Ilia Barcai

Ilia Barcai was the adopted daughter of Aaron Barcai, future mayor of Schradt. Originally from Martylion, she was staying with relatives in Fairpeak when Martylion was razed to the ground by the Holy Imperial Army. As one of the few survivors of the tragedy, she was adopted by Aaron and the two moved to Schradt.

Five years later, at 12 years old, Ilia would move to Therbe Village for herbalist training. There, she would become good friends with Hagar Biarki, the hero, Myra, and Gino. Due to the close distance between Schradt and Therbe, father and daughter would remain close over the years. As such, she was popular in both towns.

With the appearance of the Teras Pharma in HIY 300, Ilia would accompany her friends to Schradt to inform her father of the situation. She would be surprised by his decision to not act on the threat and was perturbed that he had been missing from his office in recent days.

Following this, she would travel with her friends, and Ducas, to the Holy City of Thaksis to report on the Teras Pharma directly to Holy Emperor Renefarious XIII. Before they were able to return, however, Ionia would come under attack from the nascent Vermilion Axe and Ilia would be hit with the reveal that the leader of this force was her father.

Reeling from this, Ilia would journey with the company in pursuit of Aaron, hoping to get answers for why he would give into revenge while raising her to forsake such feelings. Rochelle inferred that Ilia was adopted for the optics of Aaron raising a Martylion orphan, but Aaron himself indicated he simply did not want Ilia to go down the same path as him.

Although extremely torn by her father's actions, Ilia was convinced that he needed to be stopped, even if it meant killing him herself. In the end, she would confront Aaron at the House of Wisdom, where Aaron revealed the depths of the conspiracy that ensnared him, the Vermilion Axe, and even the Teras Pharma.

Allowing himself to be devoured by the Teras Pharma, Aaron would encourage Ilia and the hero to expose the truth behind the Yggdrasilian Throne's actions. Ilia would continue to fight alongside the company for the remainder of the conflict and after the defeat of Renefarious would journey alongside the hero, a vital presence among the migrants as she helped the injured and fatigued.