Chapter 8: To the place where I fought against the Sword Demon

It was a warm day in early February when Ren arrived at the Imperial Military Academy. He had contacted the Academy in advance and made an appointment to meet with Klonoa in the morning on this day.

“Thank you for today,” 

Ren said as soon as he arrived at the principal’s office.

He was not wearing his uniform but rather casual attire because he had other plans after this.

“You’re welcome, Ren-kun! Please have a seat over here!”

“Sorry for the short notice and for taking your time.”

“No worries. I wanted to suggest this to you, Ren-kun, so it’s all good.”

Ren accepted Klonoa’s invitation and sat down on the sofa, while she took a seat across from him.

Her hair, glossy and similar to golden threads, was as vibrant as ever. Klonoa, known as one of the world’s greatest magician, possessed a beauty that combined elegance and charm despite her adult demeanor.

She looked at Ren with a friendly smile.

“So, without further ado…”

However, that smile disappeared as soon as Ren started talking.

“Huh…?” She let out a dejected and bewildered voice, her smile tensed, and she asked Ren with an indescribable expression.

“Um… Are you already trying to get to the main topic?”

“Well, since you took the trouble of giving me your time.,” 

“No, no! It’s fine, really! Come on! You became the Sword Saint, didn’t you!?”

Klonoa wanted to talk about that. She knew she could talk about it after the winter break, but she had been impatient and wanted to discuss it with Ren as soon as possible.

So, back to the main topic.

However, Klonoa also wanted to hear about Ren getting stronger. Seeing that Ren maintained his usual pace, unchanged from before the winter break, she commented, 

“Haha, maybe that’s just how you are, Ren-kun.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Ren-kun, even though you became a Sword Saint, you haven’t really changed at all. It surprised me a bit.”

“Oh, is that what you were talking about?”

It’s not that he wasn’t happy about it. When he fought the Divine Messenger of the water god and became a Sword Saint, he felt a sense of accomplishment. But he quickly regained his composure.

“There’s still a long way to go.”

The ultimate goal was still far away: the Sword King. While he felt a sense of accomplishment and joy in becoming a Sword Saint, thinking about the path ahead made his heart race.

Upon hearing his response, Klonoa said with a gentle smile,

 “I see. It’s more like you after all, Ren-kun.”

Today’s main topic was related to Ren’s request for Klonoa’s time. It was about the Sacred Relic of the Water Goddess that he had discussed with Ragna.

Ren was walking outside with Klonoa by his side. She was wearing a robe she often wore when going outside. She was in a good mood, walking with a light step through the winter capital.

Beside her, Ren looked up at the early spring sky.

“It’s almost graduation day, isn’t it?”

“Yeah… This year, too, many kids will be leaving the nest.”

Klonoa seemed disappointed, but also happy.

After four years at this school, it was impossible not to celebrate the graduation of the students who had worked so hard until the end.

Soon, flowers would bloom in the academy’s garden and along the city streets, announcing the arrival of spring.

And even though she was unusually busy during this time of year, she had taken a break from work, perhaps because Ren had come to consult with her.

Walking outside, Ren and Klonoa headed towards the Imperial Capital’s airship dock. Since the airship dock in the Imperial Capital was smaller in scale compared to Elendil’s Hanging Garden, most people chose to head to the Hanging Garden. Therefore, this place was not as crowded.

After a short flight through the sky, they arrived at the airship dock near Roses Caitus. In this area, makeshift facilities for pilgrims who had visited during the recent Lion King Festival were still standing. The appearance of the place hadn’t changed since Ren and Licia visited to hear the choir sing.

After passing through the gangway and descending to the ground, Ren and Klonoa walked towards Roses Caitus without worrying about the surrounding pilgrims.

Currently, this area was under strict security managed by Leomel and the Elven Church. Knights, soldiers, and priests were present on bridges and other locations. Ordinary pilgrims could only approach the bridge, and from there, they could offer prayers to the unsealed Roses Caitus.

“I was told to come back, so it’s perfect timing,” 

“I appreciate you accommodating me.”

“No problem at all. It’s your consultation, Ren-kun. Leave it all to your big sister.”

Klonoa worked at the Silver Saint Palace, the headquarters of the Elven Church in the holy land. 

Even now, she occasionally received requests from the country to check on the situation at Roses Caitus.

 Today, she confronted the guards about entering Roses Caitas.

“It’s Klonoa Hyland-sama!”

A Leomel knight called out to her and she said “That’s right”

“Could it be you’re the rumored sword saint?”

The knight asked Ren a question.

Before Ren could respond, Klonoa answered.

“That’s right. And can he come along with me?”

“Understood. We’ve already confirmed his identity here, so there should be no problem. However…”

“What’s the matter?” 

“He’s not serving as Highland-sama’s escort, is he?”

Klonoa Highland is one of the world’s greatest magicians.

No matter how much Ren has become a Sword Saint in the art of hard swordsmanship, there was no reason for him to serve as a guardian to someone as skilled as Klonoa.

“No, no. I wanted him to come along, that’s all.”

“Oh, I- I see…”

“Well, but if I give that reason, I might get scolded, so let’s just say he’s an escort. Is that okay?”

“That’s not a problem. We’ve been instructed to comply with Highland-sama’s wishes, so it’s fine.”

In normal circumstances, a knight wouldn’t be able to push personal matters, but the person in question was Klonoa. While she showed a mischievous side, the knight couldn’t help but wonder if she had some ulterior motive.

Even though there wasn’t the same overwhelming presence as when he had seen the Sword King in person, he couldn’t afford to divulge unnecessary information.

“Please proceed,” 

This was Ren’s second time heading to the plaza with the statue of the goddess in the center of Roses Caitus. While it was his first time taking the formal route through this mountain path, considering that the seal had finally been broken, it was essentially a new experience for almost anyone.

Ren felt a sense of relief when he could see the outside after turning around.

As they walked, Ren thought about how during the Lion King Festival, he had been trapped inside, effectively being within the confines of the seal. Back then, he couldn’t see anything beyond the seal, let alone the outside of Roses Caitus. Now, having Klonoa by his side provided a sense of security.

“Everything looks quite ruined here,” 

Klonoa observed as she gazed upon the devastation in Roses Caitas.

Due to the aftermath of Ren and Licia’s battle against the Sword demon, various parts of the mountain had cracked, causing significant changes in the terrain. It wasn’t this bad when they were wandering through the area.

Klonoa, who was walking ahead of Ren, stopped and turned around.

“Are you okay? Are you pushing yourself too hard?” 

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah. Ren-kun and Licia-chan went through something really tough here, so I was worried you might not be feeling well. It’s not good to push yourself too hard, okay?”

“Thank you. I’m actually fine. Well, I do have some thoughts about the battles here and the Elven Church…”

There was no hint of false emotion in Ren’s wry smile. 

Klonoa empathized with Ren’s feelings.

“But still, it seems like there’s nobody here,” 

“Maybe they’re busy dealing with the Demon Lord’s cult?” 

“Oh, right, I heard about that,” 

She had heard about it from Kaito during their journey on the Guardian Knight heading to Eupheim. It seemed that the Elven Church had been actively fighting against the Demon king’s cult lately.

(Maybe it’s because they’re determined to protect their honor or something)

Since the liberation of Roses Caitas, the plaza that used to house the statues of the gods, which had been sealed along with the Sword demon, had almost completely collapsed. There were still large holes leading to underground rivers and subterranean lakes. The statues had been mostly destroyed and were unrecognizable.

Ren hadn’t forgotten the purpose of his visit to this painful place. He walked with Klonoa, searching for the statue of the Water Goddess on the remaining platforms.

There were no knights of Leomel or priests of the Elven Church here. Only Ren and Klonoa were present. Their voices and the faint sound of them kicking small debris were the only things echoing in the desolation.

“When I used to come here frequently, there were always people around, but it’s been months since then,” 

Klonoa pulled out her staff from her robe and waved it in the air. An image that shimmered in gold light appeared in the air.

“This is what the statue of the Water Goddess used to look like.”

“Oh, that’s very clear… But…”

As Ren navigated the difficult terrain, he spoke.

“It’s pretty much obvious.”

“You got it, didn’t you? Yes, that’s the goddess’ statue you’re looking for. ……”

Klonoa chuckled cutely as she walked beside him.

“It’s amazing. There’s nothing left, isn’t there?”

It was surprisingly less tragic to open up and say that, to begin with, Ren came here with the feeling that if it worked, it would be about the same. It was about something Ragna said, that if he had the power to use it to repair the key. He had barely managed to discern the pattern on the statue’s clothing.

What did Ren find?

He barely understood the pattern of the clothes.

What Ren witnessed was the complete wreckage of the statue of the Water Goddess. The statue was undoubtedly massive; he estimated its height would have been around thirty meters when it was intact. Judging by the remnants he could see in the gaping hole, only the sculpted parts of the feet and clothing remained.

So Ren quickly realized…

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