Toggle Background Color
-Seaport City of Ruan-
This is the first time I've had the chance to walk through here like this...
(Guess I'll try heading to the mayor's mansion later.)
Lechter didn't make it seem too urgent.
It's so nice to see this town so lively... It really has changed in atmosphere since then...
Isn't that...a casino?!
He better not be!
What are you doing here?! We're students! Gambling is expressly forbidden!
I know.
I mean, I'm the Student Council president! Of course I know!
*ching ching ching* *clackity*
Yes! Come to Papa!
...
(I find myself doubting how he could be more by the minute... Maybe I should ask the dean next time I see him so I can make sure this isn't some kind of elaborate ruse...)
*TONG* *TONG*
(That sounds like the bridge coming down.)
(Finally! I can go visit the mayor now.)
I'll be leaving now. I need to go and take care of your work for you. You stay right where you are!
Right...
Hmm... Right... Just a liiittle bit more...
Are you even paying attention!
Just stay here! Please!
I'm a student of Jenis Royal Academy here on Student Council business. Would it be possible for me to meet with Mayor Dalmore?
Butler Dario: I'm afraid not. He's currently not in, you see. If your business isn't urgent, might I recommend coming back another day?
Voice: I'll be happy to hear what you have to say.
So you're a student of Jenis Royal Academy, are you?
That's correct, sir.
I've come to deliver an envelope from the Student Council to the mayor.
Kloe handed over the envelope to the steward.
Ah, I see. It's the list of all the academy's students for the current year.
As you know, students generally live in dorms...and obviously, there are large numbers of them coming and going year after year. It makes keeping track of all the residents of the region that much easier when the school submits a list of students like this.
Oh, that's interesting... I wasn't aware of that.
Haha. To tell you the truth, I was once a student of the academy. Not just any student, either. I was part of the Student Council as well!
Jenis' council is a fine organization.
They're proud as they are nobleminded, with a true dedication to carrying out their duties and bettering the academy they serve and belong to.
I-I see...
(It's hard to believe that was ever the case looking at the current Student Council...)
The experience I gained there continues to be valuable to me to this very day. I'm sure the same will be true for you in your adult life, too, so do continue to work as part of it the best you can.
Th-Thank you... I will. (I'm not actually a member, though...)
Well, if you will excuse me. I wouldn't want to keep you any longer.
Oh, it was no trouble. If I can do anything else to help you in the future, by all means stop by.
I might be able to help.
Thank you very much.
Umm... Excuse me... You wouldn't happen to know where the student who was sitting here has gone, would you? I'm trying to find him.
Spiridon: Ah, you must mean Master Lechter.
('Master' Lechter?)
Spiridon: A young lady came to collect him not long ago. She did punch him before they departed, however.
(Thank Aidios for Lucy.)
I'm so sorry for the trouble he's caused you. On behalf of the students of the academy, I hope you won't think ill of us for the actions of one of our students...
Our Student Council president, no less. I really do apologize.
Spiridon: Oh, on the contrary! Master Lechter is a valued customer of ours. Incidentally, should you happen to have the chance to speak to him... we've placed the coins from the game he was in the middle of in his pool as usual. If you could let him know that, it would be greatly appreciated.
A-All right, then...
I can't believe he's even an active gambler...
He's so far gone, I'm not sure how to begin trying to get him to turn over a new leaf...
-Looking Up at the Sky-
Oh, are you lost?
I'm just trying to find something!
Like what?
...!
Umm...
I can help you look if you'd like.
Y-You don't have to do that...but if you reeeally wanna...
It's a red stone. It's really, really pretty. I'm sure I dropped it somewhere around here, but I can't find it.
A red stone, right?
Y-Yeah... I don't get why I haven't found it already...
Kloe found a pretty red stone.
Excuse me... This wouldn't happen to be what you're looking for, would it?
Th-That's it...!
Kloe handed the boy the stone.
Phew! I'm glad we were able to find it.
Y-Yeah...
...I-I'm... I'm Clem. And...umm...th...nks...
A-Anyway, bye!
A-Are you all right?
I-I'm okay...
I'll escort you back home.
I can get home on my own! I'm not some dumb kid, you know!
I know, but you see, I'm a little lost myself. I was hoping that I might be able to ask your family for directions.
So while you might not need my help, would you be willing to let me go with you?
Huh?
O-Oh, then I guess I could. Sure.
...This way!
Heehee. I'm coming, I'm coming.
(His house is this way, though? I guess he must be from Manoria...)
-A Cat Relaxing in the Sun-
Hmm? What's wrong?
Well...
The place he led me to was Mercia Orphanage.
It was somewhere I knew well. Somewhere that was very important to me.
That was also exactly why I knew I shouldn't be here. Because I was so weak willed that I knew I would rely on everyone here and stop living by myself.
I say that, but this was the first place I wanted to see as soon as I arrived in Ruan. Oh, how badly I wanted to run straight here!
But I knew I couldn't.
I swore when I joined the academy to walk with my own two feet, and I would do anything to avoid the places that would make my resolve buckle.
What's up with you? Why'd you go quiet?
You want me to introduce you to the matron?
O-Oh. I'm sorry...
(I'm a little stronger than I was before, right? I've gotten used to life at the academy... I've made friends there. I've resumed practicing my swordsmanship, I've gained stamina through chasing Lechter around...)
(Maybe I'm ready to come back here. Maybe I'm strong enough now. Maybe I can finally walk back inside here with my head held high and not immediately give in to the weakness in my heart...)
C'mon, you're scaring me! You're not sick or nothin', are you?
I'm fine.
Would you mind showing me inside?
S-Sure! This way!
Keep up, or I'll leave you behind!
Everyone else has long--
Goodness...
Is that you, Kloe? You've grown so much, haven't you?
Matron, I...
It's you... It's really you!
-Cradle Where Feelings Rest-
I-I... I...
Oh, dear. I see you still look exactly the same when you're crying.
W-Well, I...I...
Wha...? Wh-What's going on here?
Heehee...
I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hug you out of nowhere. Before I knew it, I... I was just so happy to see you again...
Oh, that's no reason for you to apologize.
It's lovely to see you again, Kloe.
You, too! *sniffle*
Oh, look at you. You're still the same darling young lady I've always known after all, aren't you?
I'm glad you finally came back, too, Clem. But I wish you wouldn't run away like that.
I-I just went to look for something, that's all!
Umm... If you don't mind me asking, Matron...where is Joseph?
... You haven't heard the news, then?
I'm afraid he's no longer with us. He passed away about four years ago.
... He...passed away?
One day, he went out shopping in Ruan and was caught up in an accident.
...
...I'm... I'm so sorry...
Sweetie, why are you apologizing?
I... I had no idea... If I hadn't been acting so stubbornly...
If I hadn't convinced myself I shouldn't come, even though I love it here...
If I'd just been more honest with myself... If I'd just come here from the beginning...!
Child's Voice: Ahahaha! Is somebody here?
...?
Where have you been all this time?!
What're you crying for?
U-Umm...
These are the children I'm looking after at the moment.
Everyone, say hello to our visitor.
Children: Okay!
I'm Mary!
...Huh? What's going on?
Hiya!
Come on, Polly! You gotta say hello!
...
Kloe? The Mercia Orphanage you love is right here, you know.
...
So it is!
Maybe we should all have some tea? Now seems as good a time as any.
Will you give me a hand making it, Kloe?
Of course!
From that day forward, I stopped avoiding the orphanage. I made a habit of going there whenever the opportunity presented itself.
I buckled. Exactly the way I thought I would.
I was the same weak little girl I always was, forever craving the warmth of the orphanage and forever wanting to be surrounded by the lovely matron and the children.
When I was there, the world felt bathed in happiness and smiling faces.
Because I never knew my mother and father, all my memories of this place were the only ones I had of my childhood...
For me, the orphanage I could visit now was exactly the same as the one I fondly remembered from back then.
When I was there, I could be at peace; I could keep deceiving myself for as long as I needed to.
Yet when I was there, I knew.
I knew my heart wasn't as pure as I wanted to think it was. My garden, beautiful as it was, remained enclosed.
One month later...
-Under the Moonlight-
It's so easy to lose track of time when I'm at the orphanage. I'd better hurry back to the dorm.
Jill must have gone to sleep already.
*CLICK*
Good eeeeeevening, my dear.
H-Hello...
Umm... What are you standing there for? Especially with the lights off...
Oh, I was just feeling so lonely without my beloved Kloe around to keep me company that I opted to turn the lights off and sulk. You're never around on our days off lately. I don't know where you're always going, but you sure seem to love it there.
Where've you been, anyway?
I'm sorry for being out so late... I didn't mean to break curfew, but it just happened.
Eh, no big deal. The teachers don't suspect a thing! I took care of that. That might not be the case forever if it keeps happening, though. They might notice at some point.
Y-Yes... I suppose you're right.
I'll try and make sure to return earlier in the future.
(Matron Theresa might start getting annoyed if I keep staying out so late, too...)
...So?
...Hmm?
You didn't answer, by the way. Where HAVE you been going? I knooow...
It's a boy, isn't it?
N-No way! It isn't!
I've just been going to...an acquaintance's house.
An acquaintance's house, huh? Oho... And what relationship do you have with this 'acquaintance,' dare I ask?
U-Umm...
It's a place called Mercia Orphanage. I owe a lot to the matron there, so since I live in the region now, I've been able to go visit more often than I could before.
An orphanage? Oh, hold up! That's the place between here and Manoria, right?
Aww, phooey... I was hoping it was gonna be somewhere a little more scandalous.
I should've known with you.
-Silence-
...What do you mean?
Well, your answer's such a 'good girl' answer. Spending your days off helping the poor little orphans and all.
...
You're a true model student, aren't you? I'm impressed!
...P-P...
Poor little orphans?! Don't you dare call them that!
Wha...?
-Primal Grounds-
What right do you have to talk about them like they're objects of pity?! And I am not a 'good girl'!
Excuse me!
*SLAM*
I-I didn't think I'd ever see her like that...
...I've done it again, haven't I? Me and my big mouth...
I'm not some kind of model student or 'good girl' like she thinks I am... That's not why I'm always going to the orphanage!
Ricky: I decided to have a nap after class was over, and before I knew it, the sun was down. So here I am, having my dinner. Being a student isn't so bad. Like, how many places can you think of that'll give you good food that's actually AFFORDABLE?
Deborah: We're open till late, though, so I hope she'll come down here if she's feeling hungry. That goes for you, too. Maybe it's just me, but you're looking a little blue. We're open until late if you're feeling hungry. Sometimes a good meal is just what you need to cheer right back up.
Are you still working? It's awfully late...
I was, yes... It took me a bit longer than I'd expected to finish everything. I'm almost done, though, so I'll head back soon.
O-Oh. That's good...
Is something wrong, Kloe? You seem kind of down.
No... I'm all right.
Well, if you say so...
It's past curfew, though. You should probably start heading back to your room.
I suppose...
(That's the last place I want to be right now...)
(...What's wrong with me? My heart just won't stop pounding... Why am I acting like this...?)
*knock, knock*
Hans: Y-Yeah. That you, Jill? Hold on. I'll open the door.
Did something happen?
...Not really.
Your face tells me that's a big, ol' lie.
Come on in. I'm by myself at the moment, anyway.
Don't try any funny business, okay?
As if I would. Now get your butt inside.
...Something to do with Kloe, right?
*sigh* Can't keep anything from you, can I?
Have you ever fought with her before?
Not yet, no. She's the type to just apologize before offering her opinion on anything, so we've got nothing to fight about, really.
You asking because you have?
...Yeah. ...I really hate myself sometimes, Hans. I just can't seem to stop myself from blurting out insensitive stuff even when I don't mean it... She was really angry, too.
Angry? Kloe?!
Man, I can't even imagine that... I wish I could've seen it.
Can you be serious, Hans?
I am! I am!
Ugh... I just...
I'm just not sure how to face her now.
So I don't wanna go back to my room tonight.
Can I sleep here?
Proposal denied. You're sleeping in your own room, and that's final.
I don't know what you said, but I'm sure she'll forgive you if you apologize.
I dunno...
(Even if I do try and apologize, there's every chance she'll ignore me...)
(It wouldn't be the first time she's lost a friend over something like this.)
(All delaying going back is going to do is postpone the inevitable, but I can hardly blame her for being scared...)
Jill: Zzz...
How are you already asleep?!
W-Wow... Y-You're sure back late today!
Umm... You see, there's a perfectly good reason why Jill is here...
I tried to say that she should go back to her own room, but wouldn't you know it! She wouldn't listen! Then... Then...
How this situation arose is of no consequence.
We will be sleeping outside tonight.
YOU KNOW HOW SHENANIGANS INCITE MY SKIN CONDITION HANS
(I can't even tell if he believed me or not...)
Meanwhile, Kloe is up to twelve sighs a minute.
Please don't stand behind me like that.
It's creepy.
Hahaha. Someone's in a bad mood.
...I always wished I could have a 'normal' life like everyone else. An ordinary family, ordinary friends... But wishing for those things just doesn't get you them, and no matter how hard I try, nothing seems to work out. I just can't seem to make any progress...
...I get'cha.
You were so frustrated, you ended up lashing out against a friend who's kinda on the dense side.
That's not what happened at all. I'm not you. I might be annoyed at her, but Jill is still very important to me.
But...
But I'm not wrong, either!
I'm not going there because I pity the children or because I'm a good girl... The children there are wonderful. They don't need pity!
I'm going there because I enjoy being there, and because it's important to me! I don't need to be made out to be some kind of saint for going somewhere I like!
Because I'm not. That's not who I am! I just... I just wanted to be family! (Why does nothing work out how I want it to...? No matter how much I want friends and family, I just can't get them. Are they destined to forever be out of my reach?)
You're spillin' all the beans tonight, huh?
...What about you?
Is there anything in the world that you take seriously?! Just one thing where you refuse to compromise?!
You know, you can be preeetty scary when you start shouting.
...Forget it. *sigh*...
Shouting at you isn't going to solve anything.
So?
You still don't know why you're mad, right?
You're not even listening to me, are you? I just told you why! It's because, well... It's because I'm not going there out of pity.
That's not why I'm going there at all! It's because it's genuinely important to me, and because...
*sigh* Now we're just going around in circles. Sorry, but this is boring as sin.
I'm trying to have a serious discussion with you! You can't walk away in the middle of it!
Listen. All I'm gonna say is, get yourself a clear answer to my question.
These things are like a knotted-up rope--if you don't untangle the heart of the problem, you'll just get more and more wrapped up in yourself.
...What does that even mean?
...
Oh, who am I even kidding? He's probably just trying to bully me.
(...No, he's not. He seems like he never takes anything seriously, but in reality, he does.)
You still don't know why you're mad, right?
These things are like a knotted-up rope--if you don't untangle the heart of the problem, you'll just get more and more wrapped up in yourself.
...He's right... Why am I so angry about this...?
What's got me so worked up? ...Why?
Deep down, I knew all along what I was doing.
All that time, I'd been pretending not to notice the truth, but I had known since the very beginning.
And to avoid facing that fact, I kept desperately clinging on to everything I could, telling myself I was right over and over again... Trying to convince myself it was true.
Maybe it was because I was afraid that if I accepted it, I was going to lose everything.
That was why my heart was so restless.