Many things to discuss in this cutscene, but the thing that had me sitting upright like an alerting dog was this. Noah's lived his role as defector (which he is in reality - he joined the people who destroyed his own country), as the loyal hound of the Empire, for so many years at this point and here we see one of the reasons why.
Gramis' astute question about why he never followed Basch when he fled touches a nerve; Noah ties it up as Basch being an 'enemy of the Empire', but that first betrayal by his very twin - leaving their country, their mother behind, leaving his twin brother - that's the thing that Noah's stewed in for all those years. Honing his hatred, magnified by the death of their mother while Basch was gone. Magnified by the mistrust he likely faces from archadian citizens every day.
Gramis asks the same question Noah's likely been fighting against since he turned to the Empire. Would he follow his brother and flee to Dalmasca? This is for another post, but Gramis would know well the type of man who would kill his brother, wouldn't he!!
And from my own sickos perspective, I'm honing in on that line from Noah: 'I follow his every move'. The implications of this! How does he follow Basch's move? Has he got informant in Dalmasca who were reporting to him? I can imagine it perfectly - Gabranth sitting behind his big Judge Magister desk, receiving his latest batch of Basch Reports. Waiting til later to read them maybe, seeing insult in every mundane activity Basch is seen doing. Stoking those fires of hatred and anger and loss that have been burning in him since Basch abandoned them. Ough
