Clockwork Lovers — Chapter 14

HELLO.

I AM ROCHE BEAR.

THIS ROCHE BEAR GREETS THE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS.

R-ROCHE BEAR?

THE ROCHE BEAR IS THE ANIMAL THAT SYMBOLIZES ROCHE NOIR.

C-CUTE...

SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, THE ANCESTORS OF THIS LAND HAVE CONSIDERED BEARS TO BE SACRED BEINGS.

AMONG THE MYTHS THAT THE CHILDREN OF ROCHE NOIR LIKE,

THERE IS A STORY ABOUT WURSEN, A LAZY GOD WHO CRITICIZED HUMANS FOR BEING FULL OF GREED

AND ONLY CONSUMED THE OFFERINGS ON THE ALTAR,

WHO WAS PUNISHED BY THE SUN GOD AND TURNED INTO A BEAR.

TO RETURN TO HIS ORIGINAL FORM, HE HAD TO LISTEN TO THE STORIES OF A THOUSAND HUMANS.

BUT WHENEVER PEOPLE ENCOUNTERED THE GOD WHO HAD TURNED INTO A BEAR AT THE TEMPLE,

THEY WERE TOO BUSY RUNNING AWAY IN TERROR.

SO THE GOD CAME UP WITH A TRICK.

TO GET RID OF PEOPLE'S FEARS,

HE LAID DOWN HIS AUTHORITY, DRESSED HIMSELF IN FLOWERS AND LEAVES, AND DANCED

TO WIN THEIR FAVOR.

SO... WAS THAT GOD ABLE TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE'S STORIES?

YES.

HE LISTENED CLOSELY TO THE STORIES OF EACH AND EVERY PERSON.

THE GOD CRIED AND LAUGHED WITH THEM, SOMETIMES FEELING ANGRY,

AND FELT THE FLEETING NATURE OF HUMAN TIME AND THEIR FIERCE STRUGGLES IN LIFE.

AND SO, WHEN THE THOUSANDTH STORY ENDED,

HE BROKE FREE FROM HIS ARROGANCE ALONG WITH THE CURSE,

AND WAS REBORN AS A TRUE GOD WHO KNEW HOW TO LOVE FRAGILE BEINGS.

...HOWEVER,

IF YOU ACTUALLY SEE A BEAR IN REAL LIFE, YOU MUST RUN AWAY.

YES!

THEN, PRINCESS,

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE TEA TIME WITH ROCHE BEAR?

IN A SECRET PLACE.

I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A FOREST LIKE THIS BEHIND THE CASTLE.

It's incredibly dense.

I FEEL EXCITED 3AND THRILLED FOR SOME REASON.

IT FEELS LIKE I'M GOING ON AN ADVENTURE INTO A FAIRYTALE WORLD.

A DOOR...?

IN FAIRYTALES, IF YOU OPEN A DOOR LIKE THAT, THERE'S ANOTHER WORLD...

LET'S KEEP THESE CHILDISH IMAGINATIONS A SECRET UNTIL I DIE AND REINCARNATE ABOUT TWENTY TIMES...

TO THINK THERE WAS A PLACE LIKE THIS DEEP IN THE FOREST...

...ROCHE BEAR

PROBABLY CAN'T DRINK TEA...

IT'S BOTHERING ME SO MUCH... IT'S JUST GOING TO GET ALL OVER HIS FUR...

IT'S JUST GOING TO GET ALL OVER HIS FUR...

PRINCESS,

HAVE YOU HAD ANY INCONVENIENCES SINCE COMING TO ASHFELL* CASTLE?

*the name of the palace in roche noir.

NO...

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW WELL CECIA AND MARIANNE TAKE CARE OF ME.

DO YOU EVER FEEL SCARED AT NIGHT,

OR GET LONELY, OR FEEL SAD?

AT NIGHT...

THE STARS SHINE BRIGHTLY IN THE SKY, SO IT FEELS LIKE I HAVE MANY FRIENDS.

WAS HE WORRIED BECAUSE I CRIED?

DID THAT GUY WITH THE GOAT BEARD

HARASS YOU, PRINCESS?

AH...

...HE SHOWED UP AS ROCHE BEAR BECAUSE HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TODAY.

NO, HE DIDN'T...

WE JUST HAD A SLIGHT ARGUMENT,

AND IT PASSED WITHOUT MUCH OF AN ISSUE.

PRINCESS,

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT "SPIRITUALISM"?

YES, I KNOW ABOUT IT.

IT IS THE IDEOLOGY THAT INSTEAD OF BLINDLY...

TRUSTING THE SCRIPTURES WORD FOR WORD, ONE MUST FIGURE OUT THEIR TRUE MEANING

BASED ON THE READER'S FAITH, CONSCIENCE, AND REASON.

THAT IS CORRECT.

SPIRITUALISTS HAVE CONSIDERED THE SCRIPTURES NOT MERELY AS SOMETHING TO BELIEVE AND FOLLOW,

BUT AS SOMETHING TO ENDLESSLY QUESTION AND REFLECT UPON.

SPIRITUALISM WAS A DAZZLING COMBINATION OF INTELLECT AND FAITH,

AND THE GREATEST SCHOLARS OF THE TIME GATHERED TO LEAD A LEAP FORWARD IN THE STAGNANT THEOLOGY.

HOWEVER, SPIRITUALISM GRADUALLY BEGAN TO CORRUPT.

WITH THE ARROGANT LOGIC THAT IF INTERPRETATION IS THE ESSENCE, THEN THE ORIGINAL TEXT DOESN'T MATTER,

THEY CROSSED THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CANON AND BEGAN SECRETLY SPREADING APOCRYPHA AND FORBIDDEN TOMES.

FURTHERMORE, UNLIKE THEIR INITIAL INTENTIONS, INSTEAD OF EXPLORING FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES,

THE INTERPRETATIONS OF SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS BEGAN TO TAKE CENTER STAGE.

AS IF THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH, THEY WERE EVEN CAUGHT AT THE SCENE OF PRACTICING

HEATHEN ALCHEMY, WHICH IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN IN THE RAENE RELIGION,

AND EVENTUALLY, LAST FALL,

THE LEADER OF THE SECRET SPIRITUALIST SOCIETY, THE "SHADOW VOW,"

WAS EXECUTED ON CHARGES OF HERESY.

PRINCESS...?

DID YOU BRING ME ALL THE WAY HERE JUST TO SAY THAT?

INNOCENTLY WEARING A BEAR MASK,

TELLING ME A FAIRYTALE-LIKE STORY,

AND BRINGING ME TO SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE,

YOU ARE SUSPECTING ME OF BEING A HERETIC.

...PRINCESS,

I SWEAR I AM NOT.

...I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN DECEIVED.

YOU COULD HAVE JUST ASKED ME RIGHT THEN AND THERE.

WHY I MENTIONED A FORBIDDEN TOME IN FRONT OF SIR THEORIX.

I NEVER...

MEANT TO DECEIVE YOU.

I JUST...

THOUGHT THAT IF I HAD TO BRING UP A HEAVY TOPIC,

YOU WOULD NEED A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE, PRINCESS.

BECAUSE YOU RAN AWAY YESTERDAY.

...PARDON?

YESTERDAY AT SUNSET IN THE WINDMILL VILLAGE,

YOU RAN AWAY FROM ME, PRINCESS.

BECAUSE YOU HATED BEING WITH ME...

WHAT?

WHAT IS THIS MAN TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW?

IS IT BECAUSE I WENT TO THE PAVILION?

NO!

I-I DIDN'T RUN AWAY BECAUSE I HATE YOU, YOUR GRACE...!

WHERE ON EARTH DID THE FESTIVAL ROCHE BEAR COSTUME GO?

I WILL BE BORROWING THIS FOR A BIT, ISOLDE.

YOU STARTLED ME.

THE BONUS CUTTOON <LOVERS OF THE N-CUT> CONTINUES BELOW.

LOVERS OF THE N-CUT

WHERE ARE YOU GOING WEARING THAT?

I AM GOING TO MEET THE PRINCESS.

And why is the ratio different only for you?

WHY THE PRINCESS?

BECAUSE ALL THE CHILDREN OF ROCHE NOIR LIKE ROCHE BEAR.

WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE PRINCESS?

THEN YOU SHOULD JUST WEAR THE HEAD AND GO.

THAT TAIL ON THE ROCHE BEAR IS FATAL, SO...

I GUESS YOU COULD SAY IT DISQUALIFIES HIM AS A GRAND DUKE OF THE NORTH...