"Don't run. You're going to get hurt."
The brother that was chasing the other in their game of tag along the wharf stopped. The road, paved with shabby wooden planks, had come to an end right as he was about to enter the beach.
"There might be sharp rocks, so be careful."
Of the two siblings, the older brother turned his head towards the source of the voice. A young girl was sitting with her knees bent on the slanted seawall.
Her light-yellow hair was hanging down from the morning dew.
The sun started to rise. Looking at her face, which was being lit up by the sunrise, he could see a gentle smile on it.
She looked like she was around the same age as them, but she looked oddly mature. The boy stared blankly at her face, then nodded his head and ran down to the shore while holding his sibling's hand tightly.
Although they were the same age, the girl felt as if she were taking care of a younger sibling. That was why she couldn't help but tell them that.
"...."
Eventually, the girl—Adele—took in the scent of the hyacinth blooming down on the beach. She gently plucked it as she put it into one side of her hair.
And looking at the wharf, which had been busy since dawn, she once again breathed in the salty morning air.
It was the land of merchants, Oldek.
Oldek was the largest commercial city within the Empire, with dozens of boats setting sail every single day.
And the kids from the largest orphanage there, Deldros Orphanage, were growing up much faster compared to their peers.
After all, they didn't have any parents to protect them. They were forced to quickly become people that could do their own share.
For most of the children, they were put to work as soon as they could move their bodies around.
They started by doing tasks like carrying around bags, fetching water, simple cleaning, washing hand towels, and other such things… And as they got older, they would start to take care of gathering food, washing clothes, and the children with good handicraft skills were made to do carpentry.
That was because, in a brutal society without one's parents to protect them, they quickly needed to be able to take care of themselves. Even if it was a bit harsh, it couldn't be helped. That was the policy of Deldros Orphanage.
An orphanage wasn't a place to protect those children. Rather, it was a place for them to survive in that difficult world, all on their own.
Perhaps it was because of the atmosphere in the city of Oldek.
Adele, who looked quite young, thought as much as she sat down quietly and felt the sea breeze.
Even though it was still early in the morning and the sun was only just starting to rise, the wharf was already full of workers loading their boats.
Merchants used abacuses as they passed through the bustling crowd. Captains quickly checked through their stock. Workers raised their voices as they negotiated transportation and insurance contracts.
People started to work before the sun even woke up.
In the bustling commercial city, the two highest valued traits were hard work and diligence.
"You were over here, Miss Adele."
Suddenly, she saw a man walking towards her with his hands behind his back on the other side of the seawall.
His suit, which fit him perfectly, already looked to be quite worn out. He had the appearance of a reverent clergyman.
"Did you hear the news?"
"The news about you being dispatched to the Holy Father's Building? I heard that you were evaluated to become a bishop."
Adele swung her legs in the air with a smile on her face.
"Congratulations. You're going to become an extremely high ranked person. High Priest Verdio!"
Deldros Orphanage was a religious facility that was operated through the support of the Telos Religious Group.
In particular, since it was the largest orphanage throughout the empire, a high priest was sent to act as the general manager of the place before becoming a bishop.
High Priest Verdio walked along the seawall until he was right behind Adele.
The appearance of the young girl was that of a poor orphan. A dirty skirt and a blouse with frayed sleeves. Her hair, which was tied together with an old piece of string, was quite frizzy.
However, Adele had a strange elegance about her. Despite her young age, worn clothes, and shabby accessories, that elegance around her didn't fade. It was difficult to fully explain with words.
"Saint Elnir, who blessed the Holy Father's Building, has gone after seven years of service. That happened last year."
Adele had already anticipated what Verdio would say, but she continued to listen without saying anything.
"But in order to pray towards our God Telos, the ongoing tradition of a Sainthood must continue. The fact that there hasn't been anyone with Holy Power close to the Saint is the biggest current concern for the Holy Father's Building these days. So, Miss Adele…"
"High Priest Verdio… I think you think much too highly of me. Really…"
Adele swept the leaves of a cosmos that she held in her hand as she kicked her legs around.
"Seeing the future isn't something that I can do because I want to. It really only happens occasionally, out of the blue. Even if it's because of Holy Power, how could I call it my own when I can't even control it as I please?"
"Miss Adele. None of that is important."
Verdio stood next to her with his hand behind his back, looking out at the bustling wharf. It was a familiar view for Verdio.
The reason why the high-ranking clergies of Holy Father's Building had sent him to Oldek was obvious. It was because his temperament when it came to work was similar to that of a merchant. In fact, it was extremely easy for Verdio to adapt to the culture of Oldek.
"The important thing is… that you were born with extraordinary abilities. To be able to see the future and break the providences of the world that were created by our God Telos—especially the providence of time. As far as I know, the only thing capable of that is Celestial Magic, which harnesses the power of the stars."
"Celestial Magic. I don't even know if I'm capable of such an amazing thing."
"Wouldn't you say that you were able to cast it by borrowing the power of Holy Magic? The fact that you are capable of such a feat without anyone ever having taught you is extraordinary in itself."
Verdio's red hair was bound into a ponytail, fluttering in the wind.
"You are the perfect vessel, one that deserves to be honored as the Saint. And it's a great honor to be the first to discover the ideal vessel for the Saint within the Telos Religious Group."
"..."
"Let's head to the Holy Father's Building together. If you prove your skills to the Holy Father, you can be appointed as the next Saint immediately, Miss Adele."
She wasn't a person that should just rot away in a corner of the Oldek Orphanage forever. Verdio was certain of that.
Adele quickly raised her head to look at him as she smiled once more. She then took out the lute that she was carrying on her shoulder. She held the lute in her arms like a young girl.
She then plucked the strings a few times as she shook her head, trying to find the rhythm. Verdio had heard the news recently that she was trying to learn the lute, but she still wasn't all that great at it yet.
"Being able to see the future is more useless than you think, High Priest."
"No one thinks as such."
"That's not true~ The changing of one's flow in the future is surprisingly much more trivial than you would think. Even though a lot of things will take place, at the end of it all the flow will maintain itself."
The sound of an inexperienced lute player spread throughout the bustling coast.
Adele saw many futures. A scene would suddenly show itself before her eyes, without any rules or foreshadowing.
The same went for the future of the children that gathered at Oldek Orphanage, who no longer had parents. Adele's eyes often saw the futures of the children that lived there with her.
Even if she didn't know their names or personality… The future of those children, which looked fragmented, were all different.
A wandering warrior that hunts down bounties while walking through the streets of Kohelton's Lawless Zone. A magician that became a merchant, holding much power and wealth within the Elte Company despite her young age.
She saw a few children with bright futures ahead of them, but Adele had no way of knowing if those futures would truly come to pass.
"In a future that has many roads spreading far and wide, how useful is it to only be able to see a single route in a stream that holds countless paths? Surprisingly, one's future can drastically change even with the most insignificant choices."
"…Is that so?"
"That's the way it works. Though, there are still many things that I don't know about it. Hehe."
As the girl played the lute, looking out at the shore, she saw one of the siblings that had just run past.
A few boys were running around, playing tag. After running around for quite a while, he suddenly looked down at the ground.
There was a large, sharp stone right there on the floor. Due to the inertia of his moving body, he had almost tripped and fallen onto it. After being lucky enough to be able to avoid the stone, he started to run again.
Without falling, the two boys ran along the sea slowly, going farther away from her.
"Still, about the Holy Father Building… I'm sure it must be a much quieter and more comfortable place to stay in than this noisy area…"
Adele looked at him with a smile on her face. Watching the sea, which glittered with the reflection of the soft sunlight, she could feel her heart relaxing.
Then, all of a sudden, she saw something that she was never able to see before… She had a feeling that she could see a glimpse of 'her own future.'
***
"Saint Clarice, you look a little unwell. Are you feeling okay?"
There was already a commotion all around her.
It was the day of the Joint Combat Practice, near the entrance of Glockt Hall.
Clarice sat across from Ed with a wooden table between them. For some time now, she was a bit out of her mind. That was only natural.
She was looking all over Ed's face and had even touched his body to check if he had any injuries. Because of the outburst from the students, which was only getting louder, she felt like her eyes were going to overflow with tears.
She couldn't stay still. So, when Ed had reached out his arm and asked her a question… She quickly grabbed ahold of it.
"…Saint?"
From Ed's point of view, the situation was a bolt out of the blue. However, Clarice completely disregarded Ed's reaction as she quickly dragged him away.
"We have to run…!"
"What…?"
"We… We need to run…!"
Clarice was already overwhelmed after going through so much in such a short amount of time.
However, even in that overwhelming incident she experienced, there was still a memorable and shocking scene.
The appearance of the Holy Blue Dragon, which covered the entire sky above the island. The scales that rained down, killing countless students. Ed's reaction, as if he had realized something. The collapsing Ophelis Hall. And… Ed's body, which had died in her arms while protecting her.
Memories that passed like a panorama had crept into Clarice's mind.
Once the Joint Combat Practice finished, a shadow of destruction would fall upon Acken Island.
It wasn't a dream. It definitely had taken place in real life. She didn't know why, but for some reason, she had returned to the past.
Before the disaster struck… The best thing to do was to run away as far as possible. That was a natural and reasonable response.
"We… Can't do anything… We just… Need to run away…!"
Clarice had tears welling up in her eyes as she grabbed Ed's arm, running towards the carriage. Yennekar—who was sitting next to them—as well as all the students around them that were watching, turned to stone.
Grabbing onto Ed's arm in broad daylight and suddenly saying that they needed to run away… No one would ever think that the situation was normal. But as mentioned before, the Saint's mental state wasn't normal anymore, either.
"Saint…? Saint…!"
Ed was pulled along by his arm towards the carriage by the Saint. It was something that he couldn't recklessly break away from.
Clarice then instructed the soldiers to push him into the carriage. With Ed's back being pushed, he had no choice but to get on the Saint's luxurious carriage.
After Clarice got on board with him, she quickly ordered the horseman to rush straight to Mexes Bridge immediately.
"Excuse me? Saint, right now… You need to go to Trix Hall to meet with the Holy Father…"
"I'll take responsibility for everything… Just rush over to Mexes Bridge as fast as you can…!"
Right now, as the Holy Blue Dragon had yet to appear, there shouldn't be a crowd gathered at Mexes Bridge.
The first thing that came to mind was the Holy Father and the Archbishop. Since they were on Acken Island, it was obvious that they would also get caught up in the dragon's attack.
However, right now Clarice had no idea where they were. She waited quite a while at Trix Hall before she came back to the past, but in the end they had never showed up.
A single minute, even a single second was precious. It would be much too difficult to find the both of them, convince them of what was to come, make them cancel all of their plans, and then finally escape with them from Acken Island. She was certain that the dragon would show itself before she could even find them.
Clarice's teeth chattered as a cold sweat broke out across her skin like crazy. Since she was the Saint, she wanted to secure the safety of the Holy Father and Archbishop first, but… In the end, she clenched her teeth as she directed the carriage to head straight towards Mexes Bridge.
Now… The right thing to do would be to save the people that she could. She couldn't waste her fortune of being brought back to the past by trying to figure out where the Holy Father and the Archbishop were.
In the carriage was the driver that had protected the horse for the Saint up to the very end, as well as the escort knights that died to protect the Saint.
And right there, sitting across from Clarice… Ed Rothstaylor, who had been crushed by the rubble while protecting the Saint until the very end.
Right now, these were the only people that Clarice could reach out to. She wanted to save even one more person if she could, but she wouldn't be able to save every single person at the school. At most, the carriage could only fit a few people.
That was why… she had no choice but to first save the people that meant something to her.
She felt as if she were weighing a person's life by her own heart. That awful feeling of guilt crawled up her back, but… She didn't stop the wagon.
That gigantic dragon wasn't something that could be stopped with human power. Being unable to overcome her guilt and staying still on Acken Island doing nothing would lead to nothing more than a dog's death.
"Saint… If you do this, things will be difficult."
Inside the swaying carriage, Ed tried to dissuade Clarice.
"Saint, aren't you supposed to head towards Trix Hall right now? I also have to go to the Joint Combat Practice, so if you do this, the both of us will be…"
"Once the Joint Combat Practice finishes…"
Whether he would believe her or not.
To be honest, Clarice continued to speak without even thinking in the slightest that he would believe her.
"A massive dragon will descend over Acken Island. And then… It will kill us all."
"…What?"
It didn't matter if he treated her like a psychopath. She just wanted to tell him the truth.
"I… nearly died once already… but I was brought back to the past."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I… I also don't know… but…"
Clarice clasped Ed's hands as she wept.
"You saved me once. And… Something… You seemed to have figured something out… But before passing it onto me… the… The rubble had…"
Once again, fear began to well up inside her body. Clarice clenched her teeth as she tried to hold back the tears that were welling up.
Clarice barely finished speaking as she clenched Ed's hand tightly, steeling herself.
"It had collapsed… Instead of me… you died… so… no matter what happens… you told me to ask you for help… Of course, now you don't know what I'm talking about… But still…"
"No, Saint… Just… What…"
Using one's common sense, it would be difficult to ask anyone to believe such a sudden story. So, if she looked at it from his perspective, it made enough sense.
A Saint from the Religious Group suddenly showed up, dragging him by his arm and shoving him into a carriage, then claiming that she had gone back in time.
But for Clarice, it was only the truth.
"Suddenly saying something like that … How am I supposed to react…?"
"I know it's hard to believe… but… The only person that I can rely on is you…"
While everything was falling into chaos, Ed was the only one that seemed to have realized something. The truth behind it all.
And he was the person that protected the Saint up until the very end.
"But still… For me…"
"Please… Please, believe me… Really… I really saw a dragon appear…! All the students dying, watching you protect me until the very end… With my two eyes… I clearly saw it all…"
The scenes from back then resurfaced as trauma, continuing to haunt Clarice's mind. Even though he could see the sincerity in her tears, it was still all too sudden.
Clarice rubbed her eyes again and again as she wiped away her tears… It was then that she remembered Ed's last words.
"Saint… For now… I think it would be better to stop the carriage and talk."
"One… Five…"
Ed tried to calm Clarice down with a troubled expression on his face, but Clarice didn't care about it as she continued talking.
"One, Five… Five, Zero, Zero, One, Six, Zero… Right… One, Five. Five, Zero, Zero, One, Six, Zero…!"
"What…? All of a sudden… What are you doing?"
"Before you died, you told me to tell you this… One, Five. Five, Zero, Zero, One, Six, Zero…!"
"What… Is that a number? Just what is that supposed to…?"
All of a sudden, a strange feeling of familiarity left Ed speechless.
It was… A number that was not remembered by Ed Rothstaylor.
Rather, it was one that came from before he crossed a distant world to live the life of an excommunicated aristocrat.
Perhaps the reason the first two numbers were separated from the rest was because before Ed died, he had also said it like that.
When his thoughts finally reached that point, a familiar array of numbers suddenly came to mind in an instant.
15-500160.
That was… a memory that came from before he arrived in that world… It was his military number.
Ed's expression hardened in an instant. That information… No one could have told her other than himself.
Of course, Ed had never given such information to Saint Clarice before.
And yet, the sequence of numbers that she said were so accurate that… he had to give credibility to what the Saint was saying.
Keeek.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped. The horseman opened his window as he gave his report.
"Saint… People from the other side of Mexes Bridge came to do an inspection. They said that trade goods from the Elte Company are currently crossing over the bridge. Things are quite chaotic because of the wagons holding the merchandise as well as all the mercenary escorts, so they're asking you to wait for a while."
"N-Now…?"
"Yes. It seems that a lot of protocols ended up being delayed because the Holy Father himself passed by the bridge. Since it's hard to clear all the wagons in front of us right away, we may have to wait quite a while…"
"Just break through."
Ed, who was sitting on the other side, opened the window to speak to the driver.
"…What?"
"We will take responsibility for everything. Since the situation is urgent, just break through as quickly as you can."
"Th-Then… The school will end up saying something…"
"I told you to not worry about that. Or is it not possible because there isn't enough space to pass through…?"
The driver hesitated as he looked towards Mexes Bridge.
The Elte Company's trading wagons were piled up, the mercenaries lined up on both sides.
It wasn't that there wasn't any space on the outskirts of the bridge—rather, the size of the carriages and the way the mercenaries were lined up were all different. It didn't look like it was going to be easy to weave through all of them. Of course, that only applied to most horsemen.
"…This is my twenty-second year as a horseman. If you can bear a bit of shaking… It might be an exaggeration to say as much, but I can even travel over the entire ocean."
"Great."
Ed closed both windows on each side of where the Saint was sitting.
He then sat back down, still dumbfounded by the present situation. However, he spoke with a serious expression on his face. His attitude was completely different from before.
"Tell me about what happened again. Slowly. Don't miss a single thing."
Looking at his appearance again, it looked as if he had gathered thousands of troops on his side… Clarice sniffed as she swallowed her breath.
"I… I…"
Kwadatang!
At that moment, the carriage began to shake violently. It was the aftermath of running away from the inspection.
As the horseman shouted, cracking his whip, the carriage swerved to and fro and narrowly passed by the crowd of people and wagons. Some of the mercenaries were startled, falling over. The outer walls of the wagons and the carriage rubbed against each other, resulting in some scratches. It was an extremely dangerous action to take.
It was impressive to witness the carriage, which wasn't easy to change directions with, act so flexibly—quickly changing its path repeatedly. Of course, the reason for all the shaking was because of the passengers that were inside.
"Kyaaaaaaaghk…!"
Ed reflexively grabbed the windowsill as he tried to catch his balance. Clarice, on the other hand, couldn't handle the shaking and fell straight into Ed's arms.
"Arghh…."
Ed grabbed ahold of Clarice, holding onto her tightly so that she wouldn't bounce around any further. Her petite body meant that he had to hold onto her tightly to keep her from flying out of her seat at the slightest of shakes.
"Ahh… Argh…"
As she was held in Ed's arms, Clarice's heart began to pound quickly.
Ed only held onto her to stop her from getting hurt. However, Clarice had already experienced a life-or-death crisis before, and had been in a situation where her back was pushed up against the corner multiple times.
Ed's sturdy body and the rising temperature gave her a strange sense of safety. She had completely given herself up to his arms.
"Saint. There's no time."
"Ah, yes…"
Then, as if she suddenly remembered the urgency of the situation, Clarice quickly swallowed her breath and forced herself to regain composure.
***
As they finally rushed through and made it off of the crowded Mexes Bridge, the carriage was no longer in a great condition.
The marble railings of Mexes Bridge were scratched, the wagons holding trade goods were scratched and the phoenix-patterned statues on both sides fell off, and the wheels of the carriage had rattled against the outer wall several times.
Nevertheless, the wagon still continued, not slowing down. That was because he was ordered to keep pace even after passing over Mexes Bridge.
After escaping Acken Island, there was nothing but empty plains for quite a while. You would need to ride the carriage for quite some time before you would even see the entrance of the Great Forest of Kranfell. Only after passing through would you be able to see Zahul's Frontier Territory. There was still a long way to go before they could find someone to ask for help.
"If even Ophelis Hall ends up collapsing, there really won't be a safe location in the entirety of Acken Island. It was the smart decision to choose to run away, no matter what."
Ed was able to accurately grasp the situation after hearing Clarice's explanation, even though her voice trembled as she told the entire story.
"And… If you really did come back in time… It was most likely because of Celestial Magic."
"Celestial… Magic…?"
"Since you're also a student in the magic department, I'm sure you also heard about it in your first-year classes."
Clarice nodded her head, still in Ed's arms. Although the carriage's shaking had become bearable to some extent, Clarice was still being held tightly in Ed's arm—as if she were a newborn baby.
It wasn't the time to worry about the small things, so Ed didn't pay any attention to her.
"The only existing magic theory about interfering with time is Celestial Magic. However… A level of magic that allows someone to change time at such a massive scale… At the very least, it's not something that could be done through a human's magic power."
"I-Is that so…?"
"That's why it's difficult to say that only Celestial Magic was used. If someone had created an external source of magic power on a massive scale, or if they could use power granted by a God as a divine power… the story would be different. However, in the former case a long period of preparation and a massive scale of magically engineered items would be required. In the latter case, a huge amount of divine power would end up being consumed."
"Divine Power…"
"Yes… Sacred Magic. It's not something that just anyone could use."
The Knight Templars of the Telos Religious Group and the high-ranking clergies were the only ones that would be able to use Sacred Magic to wield such a magic power efficiency.
However, experimenting by combining it with Celestial Magic was completely forbidden.
In the first place, Celestial Magic was so vast and wide and had yet to be researched properly. Plus, time-based magic was considered taboo, so it would be difficult for clergies to gain access to it.
Even many expert magicians considered Celestial Magic to be an incomprehensible realm of magic. There was no way that a clergy that was isolated from the rest of the world would attempt to combine Sacred Magic with Celestial Magic.
"It seems highly likely that a high-ranking clergyman was involved in it."
"Is that so…? Then…"
Just before Ophelis Hall collapsed, what Ed had agonized over while looking at the magic circle up in the sky… she was now starting to understand.
Even though the situation was turning chaotic and dire, Ed had continued to carefully analyze the cause of the situation.
"I don't know why they would attempt something so difficult, but for now I am grateful that we were given the chance to survive."
"I have to make the most of this chance… For now… If we go to Zahul's Frontier Territory and explain the situation, asking for help, a report will be sent over to the imperial family. With that… But even then, I'm still not even sure they will be able to stop that massive dragon."
"We should still try anything we can. By the way, Saint… I think I'm starting to sweat."
After Ed spoke, Clarice's shoulders began to tremble as she blushed. As she got a grip of herself, she realized that she had pushed herself deep into Ed's arms—as if she were digging a hole—clutching his shirt tightly.
She couldn't help it. There was an unknown sense of relief she felt from being by his side, since he was always able to maintain his composure despite the situation.
Thanks to his calm appearance, she was able to maintain herself up to that point. Normally, a girl of her age would have just sat on the floor and cried, unable to overcome her confusion.
"J-Just a bit more…"
Clarice spoke as she pushed herself closer, deeper into Ed's arms. At the very least, she wanted to stay like that while the carriage continued to move.
"Th-Then… Do as you wish…"
Clarice started to feel another sense of relief as she looked at Ed lowering his arm… She wanted to get drunk on that peacefulness forever. However, at that moment—
Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahk!
A roar broke out in the sky.
The sound brought up a memory that made her skin crawl.
They had already traveled quite far from Acken Island. Not just Mexes Bridge—even Right Mountain could barely be seen off in the distance.
However, that giant dragon… It was still large enough to overwhelm the entire island. The majesty of that massive dragon could clearly be felt, even after running so far away.
Rather, being able to see it so far away brought on a new sense of just how massive it really was. A massive dragon that could blow away the entirety of Silveria Academy with just one kick.
"Beeck…!"
A nightmare-like memory rose in her, but she had succeeded in escaping that time. Remembering that fact, she tried to go back into Ed's arms, seeking that peacefulness and safety that was once there…
Kagagagagakak!
Whoooooosh!
A feeling of magic power surrounded her entire body.
That… It was the feeling of the Saint's 'Holy Blessing' that surrounded her body being activated.
Holy Blessing would protect Saint Clarice from any hostile attacks, unless it was a natural disaster or an accident… Clarice was conditionally protected from any attack that held the intention of harming her.
In other words, there was a large-scale attack on the carriage. The sound of the outer walls of the wagon being smashed and the sound of shattering was all too familiar.
Kwagakang!
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaghk!"
It was safe to say that there was almost no concept of an attack's range with the Holy Blue Dragon.
The scales that rained down from the Holy Blue Dragon, the size of which covered the entirety of Acken Island… No matter how far they rode in the carriage through the plains, it was impossible to escape its range.
Rummmmmble! Boom!
However, the further away they were, the more density and power of the attack dropped.
Compared to when she was attacked directly, it was much more relaxed. The protection of Holy Blessing was also at a much weaker level.
However, the carriage wasn't able to bear it. One wheel was crushed by the impact and another wheel diagonal of it had fallen off. Eventually, it collapsed.
"Ugh. Kyaaaaaaghk!"
After much shaking and turning, the Saint's carriage had reached its end.
Inside the wagon, which had fallen on its side in the dirt, dust rose up… The Saint, who was in Ed's arms, was barely able to open her eyes.
"Are you okay, Saint?"
"Y-Yes… I'm fine…"
After saying that, she looked up at Ed, still in his arms as she swallowed her breath. Ed was bleeding from his head. He had already been hit by a few of the scales.
Kwaaaaaaaang! Kwaaaaaaaaaang!
Kwakang! Kagagagakar!
The sound of the battle taking place on Acken Island off in the distance reverberated throughout the plains.
The magic of the Holy Blue Dragon and the counterattack by the magicians ended up lighting up the entire sky like fireworks.
Meanwhile Ed, who was wounded… got up from inside the fallen carriage. Fortunately, his wound wasn't fatal.
"E-Ed…!"
"I'm fine. Since I was holding you in my arms, it seems that my vitals and internal organs ended up being protected by your Holy Blessing."
He didn't look fine at all.
His neck and stomach were in good condition thanks to holding onto the Saint. However, one of his arms was covered in blood, and his thigh had been pierced, the wound quite visible. However, Ed clenched his teeth as he stood up, pushing open the doors of the carriage that faced the sky.
He then pushed the Saint out of the carriage… before he came out himself, grinding his teeth.
"Heuk. Heuk…"
"Ahh, ahhhhh…"
The horses had been decapitated.
And knights and the horseman, as well… With them not even being protected by the outer walls of the carriage, they had been hit by the scales directly. As fatal wounds covered their bodies, the carriage had fallen and rolled on the dirt for quite some time.
The corpses of the horseman and the knights lay there on the road, where the carriage had rolled over… It was difficult to look at.
"Saint… Once we cross through this forest… We will reach Zahul's Frontier Territory."
Ed tore his collar as he tied his wounds, forcing himself to stand up as he spoke.
"We have to… Continue moving."
Clarice then grabbed ahold of her trembling heart, barely managing to stand up.
Then, while supporting Ed, who was in terrible shape… They staggered across the plains.
Behind them, the battle between the Holy Blue Dragon and the magicians continued.
-x-X-x-
The only thing they could do was run away. It had already been several hours since they made the decision to flee.
Ed and Clarice entered into the Great Forest of Kranfell without any delay.
If they could just arrive in Zahul's Frontier Territory and ask for help, the two of them just might be able to save some lives.
Grasping onto that hope, they continued their way through the forest.
Ed was already bleeding heavily. Since he was stumbling quite a bit, it was difficult for her to walk as well.
Still, Clarice clenched her teeth as she mustered the little strength she had to support him.
Boom! BooomBoooooom!
The sound of destruction reverberated from Acken Island.
It had to have already been several kilometers from them already, but the sound was still clearly heard. Compared to the image of the dragon that covered the entire sky above Acken Island, seeing it on the horizon at a distance, she had a new appreciation of just how massive it was.
"At least… we are out of its range… So… if we can just bear with it for a few days, we can make it to Zahul's Frontier Territory… Hang it there a bit more… Ed…"
Even as she shed tears, Clarice didn't let go of the strength in her body.
However, as the Saint she had lived her entire life inside of the Holy Father's Building. When it came to muscles and physical strength, she was much weaker than other girls her age.
With her slender and pale arms, there was no way that she could support Ed's sturdy body the entire journey. With her trembling body, she continued to move forward… But Ed's body, which was slowly starting to feel heavier, slowed Clarice down.
"Keu… Ugh… Heuk…"
Clarice shed tears and clenched her teeth as she helped Ed, who was slowly losing his balance. She gathered a bit of magic power to cast Sacred Magic on Ed's wounds, but she wasn't able to cover his entire body by herself.
As she clenched her teeth, walking through the forest while covered in blood, she kept repeating the same words as if she were possessed by a ghost.
"It's alright. It's alright. Just a bit more. Zahul's Frontier Territory is right in front of us. So… Just hold on for a little longer…"
Ed's wounds were quite serious, despite him pretending they weren't. The excruciating pain from the wounds had to be hard for him to bear.
However, Ed only clenched his teeth tightly as he tried to endure the pain, trying not to make a single noise to express his discomfort. That mental strength alone was enough to leave someone in complete awe.
Clarice constantly gathered magic power to press down on his wounds, trying to minimize the bleeding… but the physical wound itself was something she couldn't heal. Removing the entirety of the wound was something that only high-ranking Sacred Magic Magicians of the Holy Father's Building could do.
She could imitate it somewhat, but it was obvious that in doing so, her magic efficiency would be awful. Unable to take care of even half of the fatal wound across Ed's body, she would only end up exhausting herself. It was as difficult as saving the life of a person on the brink of death.
"Why…? Why can't I do anything…? Why can't I do anything…? Ugh… Ha…"
Clenching her teeth, trying while holding back her tears, Clarice led Ed through the forest. The Holy Blue Dragon's roar was still echoing through the sky.
As the Saint, her Holy Power and corresponding magic power was excellent, but she couldn't use it properly. In the first place, the reason she had come to Silvenia was to learn how to use the magic power that flowed through her body.
In the end, the only thing she had was the Holy Blessing that wrapped itself around her body. It was only a blessing that protected her death in nearly all circumstances.
However, it wasn't enough to protect Ed.
"This blessing… Wasted on me… If it was someone else… Anyone…"
She looked at Ed as she had such thoughts, the words repeating ing her head over and over. However, as a blessing that was already engraved on her body, it was impossible to pass on to someone else.
Watching Ed's blood flow out, little by little… Clarice clenched her teeth as she continued to move forward.
"This isn't the time… This time… We can survive this time… I have to…"
Roooooooooooooooooooooor!
The Holy Blue Dragon's roar echoed through the sky once more. The moment she heard it, Clarice had a gut feeling.
It was coming.
Those scales that rained down, covering the entire sky. The terrifying attack that evenly pierced anyone within its range. It was going to cover the entire area once again.
They had already traveled quite far away from it, but with just one or two attacks, Ed would end up losing his life.
"No… Never… It can't happen…"
Clarice put Ed down on the floor as tears streamed down her cheek. Even if they were to hide behind some form of cover to minimize the attack, it still wasn't possible to completely block it. If that was the case, she had no choice but to protect Ed using the Holy Blessing that surrounded her.
Then, an attack of scales came rushing down once more.
Clarice tried to block Ed's body in whatever way she could with her small frame, but she wasn't able to completely cover his body in such a short amount of time.
She wept while hugging onto Ed's body, trying to cover him as much as possible as he lay on the floor. Still, a mass attack of scales pierced his body without mercy.
"Keheuk!"
Was it a fatal blow that pierced his collarbone? Ed spewed out red blood… As he looked up at Clarice with haggard eyes.
"No… Ed… Just a little… just a little further, and…"
There, in the forest where only the leaves rustled from the strong wind.
Behind Ed's body, which lay on the dirt floor…. A puddle of blood began to pool. Seeing the bright red blood on her own hands, Clarice trembled.
"Ed… Ed…"
It was the second time she saw his face as he lost his life.
Still, she couldn't ever get used to seeing it.
No matter how many times she witnessed the death of someone special to her, she could never get used to it.
Like a curse, it imprinted itself in her chest like a wound, constantly bringing her pain.
Was it right to let him go like that?
Ed had tried to help Clarice up to the moment he died. This time, Clarice was the one that tried to save Ed, but… as if her fate were cursed, things didn't work out.
"Ed… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
As she hugged the dying Ed, Clarice burst into tears.
"I'm… Really sorry… I couldn't help you… I couldn't do anything… Even though you helped me… I just keep letting you die… But… I haven't done anything for you… I just rely on you… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Ugh… Ughhh…"
And like that… Ed had to meet his death.
However, it wasn't immediate.
Wipe.
At the touch of his hand wiping away her tears, Clarice listened carefully as she got a grip on herself.
Ed, whose hand was covered in blood, was wiping away Clarcie's tears with his last bit of strength.
"There's no need… To be sorry… Don't cry over nothing…"
Hearing those words from Ed made tears flow endlessly from Clarice's eyes.
"It's okay… Don't be sad, and don't be frustrated…"
"…Ed…"
"And… I'll help you… I will definitely… help you, so… don't cry… and… don't get… frustrated…"
Thud.
In the end…. Ed's hand fell onto the floor as he ran out of strength. Without even closing his eyes, he looked up at the sky with that empty gaze of his.
Clarice held Ed in her arms for a while as she cried. A massive light started to shine behind her as she burst into tears.
Eventually, when she looked up at the sky, she saw the same magic circle that she had seen back at Ophelis Hall.
Unlike when she saw it from inside, she could now see its enormous shape at a glance. Inside the magic circle there seemed to be the shape of stars giving off a bluish Holy Power that beautifully filled the sky.
Soon after, a pure white light enveloped the entire world. And with that, Clarice lost consciousness.
***
"Saint. You said you had something to talk about… What is this about…?"
The light began to shine on the world.
There was no longer the sound of the roar of the Holy Blue Dragon cutting through the sky. And Ed was no longer completely covered in blood.
With his book closed and placed on the table, he sat looking at her with a puzzled expression on his face.
She had seen his death twice.
Holding the debris of Ophelis Hall as he protected her, he ended up dying in her arms.
Despite doing whatever she could to protect him, in the end he was attacked by the Holy Blue Dragon and died.
Either way, the image of him being covered in blood remained vivid in her memory. And looking at his completely fine face now, that image overlapped.
Grasp!
"Eh… Uhmm…?! S-Saint… Wh-What are you doing…?!"
Ignoring Yennekar's reaction—the girl's cheeks turning red in surprise—the Saint hugged Ed tightly at once.
After holding him in her arms, that feeling of reliability and safety that she felt back in the carriage filled her heart.
"Saint…?"
When Ed called out to her with a puzzled look on his face, Clarice didn't answer. Instead, she stood there with her face buried in his arms. Tears were pouring down her cheeks, but she didn't care.
The sound of gossip filled the area around them. That couldn't be helped. However, Clarice didn't seem to mind it one bit.
After that, things passed by in a flash.
Clarice grasped Ed's wrist tightly as she put Ed inside the carriage, once again fleeing the island. This time, the escape route was different. Instead of heading to the plains, where there was no cover, she decided to head along the Eastern Rocky Mountains, even if it meant it was a bit out of the way.
However, despite the seasoned horseman's crazy speed, they were unable to reach the rocky mountains before they were attacked by the Holy Blue Dragon once more.
Thanks to Clarice's protection, Ed wasn't fatally wounded that time—instead, he ended up slowly dying of excessive bleeding before they reached the mountains. It was excessively traumatic for her to watch as the light faded from his eyes as he died.
***
"Saint. You said you had something to talk about… What is this about…?"
When she came back again, she held Ed's hand as she went towards the beach. Rather than being hit by the scales while crossing the plains, she decided it might be much safer to flee underground.
Ed knew of two places they could escape to. One was the coastal cave on the west coast of the island, and the other was the secret laboratory used by Professor Glast.
Of the two, they chose to take cover in the cave out on the west coast, but the cave ended up collapsing from an earthquake that took place when the Holy Blue Dragon descended. Clarice was nearly crushed to death by a falling rock, but Ed had rushed in to protect her, taking the brunt of the rocks himself. Ed had his entire lower half crushed as he clenched his teeth, screaming in pain. In the end, however, he only wiped away her tears and never blamed Clarice as he passed away.
***
"One, Five… Five, Zero, Zero, One, Six, Zero… One, Five. Five, Zero, Zero, One, Six, Zero…!"
The Saint's goal had now changed. She had to save Ed's life. No matter what happened, she was determined to save Ed Rothstaylor, the man that stood by her side until the very end.
The next time, they took cover in Glast's Soul Library. Blocking the top in case the ceiling collapsed, they cast several layers of supporting magic. They were able to survive the earthquake caused by the Holy Blue Dragon's arrival and were even able to survive the scale attack. Clarice wept in tears of joy.
However, the ground that took the attacks of the Holy Blue Dragon's magic power roared over and over again… Ultimately, it was unable to withstand it with support magic alone and collapsed.
In the pouring dirt, Ed covered Clarice's body with his own and gathered as much magic power as he could to support the ground as much as possible, all so that Clarice wouldn't be injured. He did that until the moment he died.
Amidst the crumbling earth, Ed once again died while protecting Clarice.
Even though everything was restored when time rewound, the scars left on Clarice's body remained. The reason for that was unknown.
That was why, above all else, protecting Clarice was Ed's top priority—resulting in Ed dying over and over again.
Clarice could never get used to his death.
Every time he died, she had to suffer from a pain that felt like her heart was tearing into pieces. As it kept repeating over and over again, Clarice never got frustrated, clenching her teeth as she continued to try again.
If she got frustrated and gave up… There would be no one to save Ed, the one that died over and over again to protect her.
Ed continued to help Clarice over and over again, without even knowing the full story behind it all. At some point, Clarice could no longer give up on his life.
***
"Saint. You said you had something to talk about… What is this about…?"
The blood on her face was gone and her eyes started to clear up… Still looking at his face, she was somehow able to clench her teeth and gather her strength. As he closed the book and stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, she went over to hug him tightly … Only then was she able to catch her breath.
She couldn't even remember how many times it'd been.
Clarice stood on the roof of Trix Hall as she left Ed behind to watch the moment the Holy Blue Dragon descended.
This time, she tried to observe the magic circle up in the sky. However, she couldn't really pinpoint where the source of it originated. After confirming that fact, she looked down at the ruined Acken Island, which was completely stained in blood.
***
"Saint. You said you had something to talk about… What is this about…?"
After that, she then tried to look for any kind of escape route or place to hide. She tried dozens of times, but there wasn't a single place on Acken Island where they would be safe from the Holy Blue Dragon, Velbrok. Every time she failed, Ed died for Clarice.
That was why Clarice couldn't give up.
"One, Five… Five, Zero, Zero, One, Six, Zero…"
Suddenly, after saying that… Clarice had nothing more to say.
Upon hearing Clarice recite his military number accurately, Ed's eyes widened. Looking at his face, the countless memories Clarice had of him dying for her started to corrode her body like cancerous cells.
The images of Ed dying for her countless times, over and over again, continued to overlap endlessly… Not once was she able to save Ed.
She tried everything she could, but against the Blue Dragon Velbrok, who wielded incredible strength… It was impossible to escape… or hide… She couldn't figure out a way to overcome this situation at all.
She also hadn't been able to figure out why time kept reverting.
A high-ranking clergyman was supposed to be involved, but no matter how many times she wandered around the school in that short period of time, she could never find the Holy Father or the Archbishop.
Their majestic carriage was parked in a carriage storage next to Mexes Bridge. The only testimony she was able to gather from their horseman was that he had led their closest aides into the education district.
The massive magic circle that appeared every time she went back in time… It was so large that it was impossible to pinpoint exactly where it was cast. Surely it was somewhere in the education district… But she couldn't pinpoint the exact spot.
The day of the Joint Combat Practice… Constantly repeating, again and again… It was starting to corrode her mind ferociously.
In the first place, after doing so much, shouldn't she just stop relying on Ed?
Since it was so painful to watch his death and it was reaching a point where she couldn't bear it any longer, maybe it would be better to leave him alone and find her own way.
Even though she thought as such, losing the only person in the entire world that could understand her situation… that was more terrifying.
Could she really stay sane with that fear of being left alone? Another type of fear started to eat away at Clarice's heart.
Clarice, who had become completely exhausted… was unable to say anything else after reciting Ed's military number.
"Saint…?"
Ed just sat there, staring at her.
"Saint… People from the other side of Mexes Bridge came to do an inspection. They said that right now, trade goods from the Elte Company are currently crossing over the bridge. Things are quite chaotic because of the wagons holding merchandise, as well as all of the mercenary escorts, so they're asking you to wait for a while."
Suddenly, she heard the horseman's words. Only then did Clarice understand her current situation.
So… After dragging Ed along and putting him in the carriage, she had ordered the horseman to take them to Mexes Bridge.
As Clarice sat still with sunken eyes, Ed got up to instruct the horseman to do his best to break through the crowd.
The horseman nodded as he drove through the wagons from the Elte Company that filled Mexes Bridge.
Ed held on tightly to Clarice's body, which was swaying back and forth inside the carriage.
Looking at Clarice's body closely… There were all sorts of small scratches on her. Although time returned back, for some reason the wounds on Clarice's body didn't go away.
At first, it was only Ed's handprint on her wrist. However, the more she repeated it, the more the number of scratches across her body started to climb.
Looking at that… Ed suddenly instructed the horseman to stop the carriage.
"...?"
Clarice looked up at Ed with empty eyes.
"Let's get off, Saint."
"…What?"
"Please take a break."
Wasn't the situation dire?
The meaning behind Ed's words… Clarice couldn't understand it.
"…I… I know a few people we can turn to for help."
-x-X-x-
The commercial and education districts at Silvenia Academy were full of all sorts of facilities. But among them, if you were to choose the one that was the most common, it would be 'the square.'
The central square in the education district, the student square, the eastern square, the commercial district's main square, the squares for each dormitory, the market street's square, and the entrance square.
From grand, massive squares to simple and small squares. The reason the space was so common throughout the campus was to ensure that students had as many places to rest as possible.
As if taking advantage of that, there were quite a lot of students that sat out in the square—as if they were performing photosynthesis—and enjoyed the scent of late spring. Even the faculty and staff, merchants from the commercial district, and outsiders enjoyed the peaceful day as they walked through the squares.
The entrance square was like the face of the school, which you saw as soon as you passed over Mexes bridge and passed through the main gates of Silvenia.
Ed and Clarice crossed over the middle of the square. Ed was holding onto Clarice's hand as if he were dragging her along. Naturally, everyone's eyes were gathered towards him.
"Ed. Right now… We shouldn't… Be doing this…!"
The two knights that were guarding Clarice were in an awkward situation as they tried to dissuade Ed. They weren't allowed to use any force, as the moment they drew their swords, Clarice grew as angry as a fire.
Since they couldn't use any force, they had to stand still while watching Clarice look uncomfortable.
At the moment, the job the two knights had was to take Clarice to Trix Hall. They didn't know Ed's intentions, but at least for now he was stopping her from driving the carriage out of the school… Because of that, they decided to watch the situation for the time being.
Though, that didn't mean Ed was doing anything all that grand or special.
He had dragged Clarice out and sat her down at a sunny wooden table next to a tree, near the road. He then put down the drinks he had bought from the student snack bar as he sat across from her, wiping his face a few times.
The situation was sudden and bewildering for Ed, too. The information he had on him right now was limited.
Clarice suddenly claimed that she had repeatedly gone back in time. All of a sudden, she called out his military number from that past… saying that once the Joint Combat Practice ended the Holy Blue Dragon would resurrect and destroy Acken Island.
Since she did that much, he had no choice but to believe that everything the Saint was saying was true.
Needless to say, Clarice's behavior was very strange. Suddenly finding Ed in front of Glockt Hall, grabbing his arm, and pushing him into the carriage, then heading out of the school and claiming they needed to run away.
Unless she hurt her head, she wouldn't be neglecting her duties and acting eccentric like that.
"Right now… there's no time for us to rest, Ed. At this rate… you will die again… This time, we have to cross the bridge and run away along the shoreline… If we head straight towards the mainland, running alongside the coast, we might be able to find a sturdier and more remote hideout… Though, the chances are slim… Still, if there's at least something like a coastal cave, then…"
"Saint."
As Ed called out her title softly, Clarice swallowed her breath as if she had come to her senses. Ed then spoke.
"Please calm down. First, how about you take a deep breath?"
"There's no time for that…! Now… I don't want to watch you die any longer… It's so painful… every time… watching you die protecting me… I just… want to stop seeing you die… So, we have to quickly get going… Once it starts, Mexes Bridge will be blocked…! So, if we don't go now…"
"It's going to be alright."
"It's not going to be alright…! If you don't move now, then you're going to die painfully…! And… It's going to be terrible…! I don't want it to happen either…! This time… Ed… It'd be great if you can survive…"
"I told you that it will be alright."
After saying all she had to say, Clarice's eyes flickered as if the light behind them had returned.
Then she looked towards Ed.
He wasn't moving one bit. In fact, he stood completely still, saying that it would be alright… Only then did Clarice get a grip of herself.
"…Ed…"
From the moment she met with Ed in front of Glockt Hall, until the end of the Joint Combat Practice.
How many times had she struggled to find a solution in that short amount of time?
It would be hard to understand from Ed's point of view. He could only infer what it was like from the scratches on the Saint's body.
"I… Don't know anymore…"
Clarice lowered her head as tears flowed again. At that point, her tear glands were drying up. However, her emotions were relentless as they continued to shake her composure.
"I did everything I could think of. I've tried to forcefully drag you away, run away like this, hide here and there. I tried everything… I really did… I've tried every miniscule hope and subtle possibility there was, but nothing ever worked… Not a single thing…"
Clarice spoke as she wiped away her tears.
Students passed the square, watching the strange sight from afar as they whispered to each other. The soldiers guarding her also had no idea what type of situation it was, so they couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat while worrying about such an awkward situation.
Ed, who was looking at the frustrated Saint… quietly stood up before sitting down next to her. He grabbed her arm as he took out some ointment that he had bought from the snack shop, then swished it around.
"Ed?"
"First off, the Saint's body is unconditionally always with the highest priority. It would be a major incident if your wounds weren't to heal."
By the time Ed had brought Clarice to the square, he had already finished thinking it through.
From Ed's point of view, the information he had was certainly minimal. Though, he was at least able to grasp the situation to some extent.
First off, it was a strange sight to see all of those scratches on the Saint's body. There was no way that the Saint, who had dressed up to see the Holy Father, would go to Trix Hall with her body in such a condition.
"The Holy Blessing that you wear is a power that should protect your body from any attacks that are hostile to you or meant to 'harm you.' I also heard that you, as someone that has received a blessing from the God Telos, are resistant to all kinds of Sacred Magic."
Archbishop Verdio, who was always able to read another's heart like a mind-reader. It was said that he used a Sacred Magic that allowed him to look through another's thoughts, but that was also the reason it didn't work against the Saint.
Those that became the Saint became resistant to all types of Sacred Magic. In the first place, when using the Sacred Magic of the religious group, the act of trying to harm the Saint—who was at the top of the group—was an impossible act.
"Then… Do you know the meaning behind your wounds…?"
"These wounds… Their meaning…?"
Now the Saint was caught up in a dead end.
She had tried any means she could, but had become frustrated at the fact that she could never escape from The Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok.
If that was the case, then the only thing Ed had to do was teach the Saint a new path to take.
"In the first place, the phenomenon of time being rewound is something that must have been created through Holy Magic. That's why, as someone that has received the Holy Blessing, you have never lost your memories. It's also why the wounds on your body aren't rewound."
"..."
"Ultimately, if you're trying to find the culprit behind this incident, you could say that it's someone within the religious group that is capable of using Sacred Magic.
"That's… true, but…"
It wasn't that Clarice didn't consider that possibility.
In the first place, the person that had recognized the magic circle in the sky, realizing that it was one made of Sacred Magic and Celestial Magic, was Ed.
However, no matter how hard she searched she could never find the Holy Father or the Archbishop. The same went for the Magic Circle that rose up from the alleyways in the education district. Even if she went there a hundred times, she would only see the students running in fear.
Maybe if she were to search through every building, room, and corner in Silvenia… But if she were to do that during the short amount of time before the Joint Combat Practice ended… She couldn't even guess just how many times she'd have to endure that hell. Silvenia Academy was much too massive.
Plus, if the two of them had decided to hide, then there was a high chance the Saint would unnecessarily wear herself out, unable to find them for hundreds of days. If that really was the case, then it was another dead end.
"That's… true… The Holy Father and Archbishop must have entered Silvenia through Mexes Bridge, so the path they took has to be limited to around the surrounding area."
"Yes, that's right. However, seeing as you can't easily find him, there's a high chance he may have disguised himself, used magic to hide his actions, or taken a path that is unknown to others. For now, the place where the Holy Father's carriage stopped… It would be easier to investigate from the carriage storage near the front gate."
"Then, why would he do such things to hide his actions from others?"
"Looking at it, wouldn't there be a definite reason?"
After all the talking, Clarice's wounds were now covered in the ointment.
Ed gently patted her arm before he tossed the rest of the ointment onto the table.
When Clarice came to her senses, her trembling voice had subsided, and her tears were gone.
Then she realized it. The fact that Ed had noticed that Clarice was stuck at a dead end and was on the verge of collapsing.
It was like someone banging their head on the wall after they were trapped at a dead end over and over again.
"Do you see a new direction to take now?"
Ed was making a guess to some extent.
If Clarice really was repeating that moment in time, it would be that empty storyline that remained unknown in Act 3 of
It had to be a part of the original storyline.
However, unlike the previous events, Ed didn't know the full truth behind it.
However, he did know the results.
The Primordial Swordsman sealed Genesis, the Holy Blue Dragon. And the Great Sage of Silveria maintained the seal.
Breaking the seal, which was a massive magic circle underneath Acken Island, wouldn't be an easy task to do—even for an Archmage. No, most people didn't even know of the seal's existence in the first place.
In
The Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok was the very final boss.
It shouldn't have appeared yet, and even if it did there wasn't a way to stop it.
In fact, it was only defeated in the very final part of the storyline of the game. So, if the Saint were to subdue it or even manage to kill it here, that wouldn't match the storyline.
So… that meant there was only one possibility left. Preventing the resurrection from happening in the first place. Going back in time, to a point where it never even happened.
That was why there was only one suggestion Ed wanted to make to the Saint.
"Running away isn't the answer. You have to find the root cause of the problem and get rid of it."
He understood. It was a mythical dragon that ripped the island in half and tore a hole through the sky. It was a monster that could turn the entire island into hell with just a few attacks.
Should a regular person encounter such a monster, the only thing they would think of would be running away. All humans were the same in the face of a great disaster.
But right now, it wouldn't work if that was all she did. He had to remind her of that.
"Even if we succeed in escaping, if time were to rewind again… wouldn't things just go back to the way they were…? So, what would be the point of that?"
"I know that… But… I don't know what to do… The only thing I can do… is run away…"
"Calm down, get a firm grip on yourself. You're too exhausted right now. Saint, you've done a good job doing this much so far."
Clarice looked exhausted. As Ed patted her back, he spoke softly.
Clarice swallowed her breath as she fell back into his arms.
From Ed's point of view, it was extremely embarrassing. From the point of view of the people and escorts watching them, it was a ridiculous thing to witness. However, Ed slowly scratched his hair, trying to hide his embarrassment as much as he could.
"In the first place, how many times has time rewound?"
"I don't know… I was definitely counting at first, but… After doing it more than ten times, I just… forgot…"
"You've gone through a lot."
Clarice sniffled as she buried her head in Ed's chest, standing still for a while.
***
There were people that you could turn to for help. Ed definitely said that.
Clarice wondered about the situation—just how helpful would the people she could ask for help be…? But Ed had already given her some meaningful words already.
"Listen well, Saint. In the end, the main goal is to find the Holy Father and the Archbishop. Once you find them both, before you can make any further progress, you'll have to figure out the truth behind the time rewinding Sacred Magic. That's because right now, in this school, they are the only two that are capable of using such a level of Sacred Magic."
Clarice wrapped her left arm around Ed's right tightly, holding him close. It looked as if she were afraid that Ed would disappear.
From Ed's point of view, the skinship was much too close. However, considering the mental hardship the Saint was going through, he couldn't push her away.
"I've tried looking for them a few times… However, I've never heard anything about the Holy Father or Archbishop. How are the actions of such high-ranking people so hidden? There should have been many eyes and ears focused on them."
The gazes of the people around them were getting heavier. The sight of Saint Clarice holding onto Ed was one that was difficult to determine if it were a dream or reality.
For Clarice, he was a classmate that had saved her life countless times, dying in the process. But for the other students, it looked like they had only become close in a single day. Though, that was actually the case… So, Ed was having a hard time.
Ed headed to the student center in a cold sweat.
The place Ed was walking to was Nail Hall, the place where the first and second year students were having their Joint Combat Practice.
"Saint… You have to slowly start letting go of me… It's fine when we're outside, but… In the arena, where all the students are gathered, we won't be able to enter like this…"
Ed tried to persuade her, but Clarice shook her head with a sad expression on her face.
In the first place, Clarice and Ed's relationship would go back to how it was in the beginning after things were resolved. From Clarice's point of view, she wanted to indulge herself and stay close to him for the time being.
She had to get ahold of herself and become strong. But for now, while she had the time, she couldn't help but want to stick close to Ed.
Once the Joint Combat Practice was over, he would somehow die trying to protect Clarice again.
"....."
Ed swept his hand over his face one time, then he hardened his heart and stepped through the arena door of Nail Hall.
Clang! Boooom!
Whoosh, Hwaaaaaak!
Act 3, Chapter 5. The Joint Combat Practice was in full swing. In the arena, Wade and Taylee were exchanging blows.
Wade swung his sword to try and defend against Taylee's sword attack in some way, but Taylee, who was steadily getting stronger, didn't let him.
Though Wade's defense wasn't all that bad, eventually Taylee decided to use the beginner Swordmaster's Skill, and Wade lost his will to fight as he dropped his sword.
Ed could easily predict what was going to happen afterwards.
The next opponent would probably be the top student of the Alchemy Department, Claude.
He would pressure Taylee using all sorts of hallucinogenic reagents and beginner magics, though he would ultimately be defeated.
Unable to overcome his competitive desires, he would end up drinking a forbidden reagent. Those events were still taking place just as Ed had expected.
However, Ed's goal wasn't to watch the duels.
As Nail Hall was relatively large, that also meant there was a large number of spectators there. Since they were by the door, which was only slightly open, they didn't attract much attention. Only a few students, who were also near the entrance, were looking towards them. But when they saw the Saint clinging onto Ed, unwilling to let go, they were in shock and their jaws dropped.
Either way, time would rewind. Ed convinced himself of that as he gritted his teeth and ignored their gazes.
He walked through the group of students that were busy watching the duel before finally finding a student that was watching in the opposite corner with her back against the wall. A girl wearing a dark red school uniform overcoat and a robe. A second-year student and one in A class, at that. She was someone that probably already had a lot of fighting experience.
Ed stood next to her as he looked up at the arena stage, speaking quietly.
"Sell me some information."
In response to his voice, the girl raised her eyes for a moment with a strange look of surprise.
In the first place, Ed wasn't someone that would have normally been there. He should have been at Glockt Hall in his own combat practice. There wasn't any reason for him to suddenly appear at Nail Hall, where the first and second years were dueling.
"Oh my."
However, the girl didn't ask for details. She simply continued to look at the arena stage while standing next to him, playing with her reddish-brown braid.
"It's nice to see you here. Is this a new way for me to make money?"
"Well, I'm not sure."
That girl—Lortel Kehelland—always smiled like a fox.
Even though he showed up so suddenly, she didn't panic. That thorough rationality of hers never disappeared, regardless of what unusual events took place.
The young merchant, who only worked in the dark, looked rather feeble. However, if you were to look into the truth, you would learn she had the entirety of Silvenia's commercial district in her pocket… She was one that held strength under the water.
All the information that went through the commercial district went through the Elte Company.
And all the information that went through the Elte Company went through the ears of the deputy director of the business, Lortel Kehelland.
'Saint… People from the other side of Mexes Bridge came to do an inspection now. They said that right now, trade goods from the Elte Company are currently crossing over the bridge. Things are quite chaotic because of the wagons holding merchandise, as well as all the mercenary escorts, so they're asking you to wait for a while.'
When they came back to the Student Hall from Mexes Bridge, Ed saw the Elte Company's distribution procession taking place over the bridge. Considering how crowded it was, it wasn't something that would be finished in just an hour or two.
In the first place, didn't they say that the Holy Father and the Archbishop had also come through Mexes Bridge? The reason the procession was delayed was probably because they had to stop work on the road as the two distinguished guests passed the bridge.
That meant… The numerous merchants from the Elte Company must have seen the Holy Father travel with their own two eyes.
Not only that, but the staff that worked at the carriage storage, who must have been in charge of the Holy Father's carriage as well, were also members of the commercial district. So, no matter where they went in the commercial district, they shouldn't have been able to avoid the eyes of the merchants.
The entirety of the commercial district was Lortel Kehelland's. As long as she was alive, not even a single gold coin rolling on the floor could escape her watch.
That was why he had asked her directly. There was no way to find out which way the Holy Father had gone faster than asking her.
So… Ed was willing to give Lortel whatever she asked for. After all, time would be rewound.
"I have someone I need to find urgently. We need to find them before the Joint Combat Practice finishes, at least. I'll give you however much money you ask for."
"What…? It's a bit sudden, but…"
Lortel turned, looking away from the arena as she slowly stood up and turned her head towards Ed.
Although it was a rather sudden request, she still looked quite relaxed. Yes, Lortel Kehelland had a strong volition that was capable of maintaining her composure in any given situation, but…
"…Huh?"
Seeing the Saint hold onto Ed's arm tightly while looking at him with that bright look in her eyes… She couldn't help but lose her breath.
Even after wiping her eyes and looking at her again, it really was the same Saint Clarice that was at the top and respected by all the followers of the Telos Religious Group.
"...?????"
No matter how cool-headed she was or great her insight was, it was still difficult for her to ever predict such a sight.
Ed knew that fact, too, as he wiped his face a few times… He waited a bit for Lortel to process the situation that was taking place right before her eyes.
-x-X-x-