Claire's Episode

Is this the place...

Welcome.

Claire...

Swordbringer...?

What brings you here? Could it be another new scheme of the Tiamat Church?

Nothing like that. I came for meditation.

Meditation?

Yeah. I heard you can find inner peace here.

Honestly, I'm tired of it all. I regret the days when I was excited about the adventure in this world...

Maybe it was the wrong choice picking my party members... Dealing with Elizabeth, Bedivere, and Morgana's issues makes me feel like I just want to give up.

But I can't stop, so... I have no choice but to take care of my mental state and keep going. Please help me, Claire.

It seems like there are a lot of reasons behind all this.

Adventure inherently comes with risks.

There are various types of risks... The fatigue you're feeling is no different from a kind of danger.

Maybe you're right.

I always have to clean up after others, deal with troublemakers, surrounded by beautiful women but no time to relax...

It's no wonder I'm tired. But the biggest cause of my exhaustion is...

I've become numb to the sensation of harming someone, cutting down enemies again and again.

In other words, it could be considered a form of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Can meditation solve this?

Meditation is not a method for curing something. It prepares you to be ready for curing.

If you truly dedicate yourself to meditation... your heart will feel lighter.

It's not about curing, but healing. That's enough for me.

Please, Claire.

Understood. Then follow my instructions.

First, close your eyes.

Okay...

Take three deep breaths. Slowly exhale... inhale... from deep within your belly...

Huff, haah... Hoo... Haah...

Now, think of the things you hate.

The Imperial army... And the Tiamat Church... The monsters...! Huh! Morgana!!

Let's pretend I didn't hear that last one.

Now, one by one, imagine each target falling before your sword. The Imperial army... One... The Imperial army... Two...

Imperial army... Three... Imperial army... Four... Imperial army... All... out...

...Huh!?

Wait! This is how you fall asleep!

Heh... You caught me. The plan was actually to make you sleep for a bit.

Why?

Because you're just exhausted. With all the training, missions, and sleeping outdoors, it's only natural to feel this way.

You know me well...

Yes... I know what it feels like to be so overwhelmed that you wish you were dead.

...Let's talk after you've had a good rest. Now, let's start over for a proper sleep, shall we?

I was born into a cursed fate.

I was one of the infants used as test subjects for the heretics' human experiments.

Hmm... The Tiamat Church was trying to breed test subjects like that to form combat units.

That's right.

But I was a failure. I was treated as an experiment until I died, left to die in the wilderness...

Left to die...Oh my.

It was almost as if they abandoned me to die... but I survived. I managed to make it back to a village.

But...

The child who returned to the village, covered in all kinds of negative energy, was not welcomed with comfort but became an object of avoidance.

The village didn't rise in anger? If they lacked the strength, they should have informed the nearby lord to bring justice.

The village and its surrounding area had already fallen under the control of the heretics.

I... planned to hide with my parents. Perhaps if that event hadn't occurred, that's how things would have turned out.

That event?

A goblin horde attacked the village.

Goblins? Not orcs, but goblins? It's rare for goblins to raid a village.

It was the curse the heretics placed on me. The corrupted energy of Tiamat attracted the goblins.

That was part of their experiment.

...So what happened?

My parents... they died that day...

I wish I had died then, too...

Your powers awakened, didn't they?

Okay...

At that moment, when I thought about burning all the goblins and every heretic on this land in hatred, a revelation came to me.

In exchange for that, I lost my eyes and became a battle nun.

...That's a painful past.

I didn't either. It was just... an overwhelming curse that erased the misfortune that had fallen on me.

I didn't know you had such a past. You've been through a lot.

It's thanks to Esmeralda and the others. And... also because of you, Swordbringer.

But it's not over yet. Until we destroy the Tiamat Church and eradicate all the heretics...!

...Right.

So, how are you now, Swordbringer?

Hm? What do you mean?

Aren't you feeling much more at peace than before?

Huh? Now that you mention it, I do feel calmer. I thought I was going to die, but now I'm more at ease.

I'm glad to hear the meditation helped.

Uh... Yeah, I guess so...

I don't think I did much meditation, but... anyway, thanks, Claire.

Claire, I'm here. You're still alone.

Swordbringer... Is your heart still burdened today?

No, not anymore. I came because something you said kept bothering me.

Something I said?

You said you wished you were dead. Looking at you now, it seems like you're stuck here most of the time, except when you're fighting.

Is it because of the grudge?

...Of course.

Their voices... their prayers... that place, filled with horrific human experiments, the smell of blood and chemicals... it's still hard to forget.

The reason I'm still alive is solely for revenge against the heretics...!

I understand your feelings. If someone were responsible for killing my parents and ruining my life, I couldn't forgive them either.

But this is a long battle. Simply giving in to rage and treating yourself harshly won't make them fall.

What do you mean?

I mean you need to take better care of yourself.

To properly finish things when the opportunity comes... you can't just hold onto hatred.

But I... I can't do anything. The only thing I'm good at is fighting...

No one cares about someone like me. Neither do I.

But you're talking to me right now, aren't you?

Well, that's because you're Swordbringer...

Then let me be the shade where you can rest for a while. You wouldn't refuse that, right?

Okay...

Good, now that I have your agreement, shall we begin?

Begin? What do you mean by that?

If we just sit here and meditate, your strength will dull. Let's go train, Claire.

...Alright.

Swordbringer... it feels unusually noisy here. Did we come to the downtown?

Yes.

Didn't you say we should train?

This is training too, Claire. I'm planning to train you on the joys of everyday life for the time being.

...I appreciate the thought, but...

Just trust me. This training is necessary.

...I'm not sure, but I'll rely on you for now, Swordbringer.

It's quite noisy here...

Of course. We're about to go on a date.

D-Date...?

Don't think too much about it. It doesn't mean anything big. But don't you think it'll be more helpful for self-reflection than just sitting and meditating?

Why? Isn't a date supposed to be fun? I don't think I can spend my days so extravagantly...

Don't worry. I'm not trying to change your mind or disturb you. I just want you to trust me and follow along for now.

Hmm... I understand, Swordbringer.

Swordbringer, what's this food? It's very cold.

It's ice cream. Haven't you had it before? Try it, it's delicious.

...There's a constant sound of laughter over there. Is something interesting happening?

A mouse is avoiding obstacles and escaping a maze. Looks like they've trained it.

They're not using the mouse for experiments, are they?

Not at all. Whether it's enjoying itself or not, the mouse is just roaming around eating something tasty.

As long as there's no malice in the method and the reward is clear, it's more like a partnership than a master-servant relationship.

Partnership?

It means being managed. At least that mouse won't be eaten by a cat, so you don't have to worry.

Ah... I see.

I've been judging the world through my own narrow perspective. The biggest fear for the mouse would probably be a cat.

Haha, don't be too hard on yourself.

Oh! They're selling an interesting eye patch. I think it would look good on you, Claire.

An interesting eye patch?

It has funny eyes on it. If you wear it, it'll look like your eyes are open even when you're sleeping.

I-I can't wear something like that.

But... I'm curious...

I'll do my best to explain it to you so you can understand. Feel free to ask if you're curious about anything.

Thank you, Swordbringer.

...But why are you doing all this for me? Honestly, I don't understand what any of this means.

Well... Claire.

What will you do once you've taken your revenge?

Hmm... I haven't really thought about that yet.

Will you continue to be alone? Or are you planning to really die? That's something you shouldn't do, not for yourself, and not for Esmeralda or the others either.

...

Today's outing is preparation for that moment. I...

Happiness...

Do I... deserve it? Someone who always brings bad luck...?

Of course you do.

Th-That's... hard, Swordbringer.

I can't be with people. If my cursed fate causes others to suffer or die again... I...

Fate? You can change it.

...But how?

The Tiamat Church ruined your life from the start, right?

So if you end up taking down the Tiamat, doesn't that mean your bad luck would end at that point?

...!

We'll defeat Tiamat and all those heretics who follow them. Me, my comrades... and you...!

Swordbringer...

If you understand, then start getting along properly. I'll escort you as much as you need, so just trust me and follow me, okay?

...Okay!