The Answer of the Lotus Leaves and Forest

The Answer of the Lotus Leaves and Forest is a World Quest in Simulanka.
It is unlocked after completing The Forest and the Princess and The Lotus Leaf and the Champion.
==Steps==
# Talk to Princess Cimest
# Go to the Cave of Eerie Murmurs
# Try to open the "door"
# Continue onward through the Cave of Eerie Murmurs
# Try to complete the trial in the Cave of Eerie Murmurs
# Leave the Cave of Eerie Murmurs
# Talk to Faurobert
==Dialogue==
;(Upon obtaining quest)
:Paimon: Come to think of it, Princess Cimest asked us to come meet her again after some time had passed, so we could... Set forth in search of the kingdom's future...
:Paimon: Paimon wonders if she's found a hero that the relic would acknowledge yet... Let's go pay her a visit.
;(Approach Cimest)
:Cimest: ...So we're all completely stumped.
: How come you're all here?
: Looks like I'm here now too.
:Faurobert: Oh, it's you! Such a relief that you've come...
:Cimest: Thank you for coming, my honorable Paladin. We seem to have run into a rather peculiar problem...
:Paimon: Peculiar problem? Oh no, don't tell Paimon that the relic hasn't acknowledged Mr. Faurobert either?
:Faurobert: If the problem was only that I hadn't been acknowledged as Guardian, that would actually be simpler...
:Cimest: How to put this... Mr. Faurobert is indeed the champion jumper — that much is indisputable.
:Cimest: But the trial he passed was Rainsong Pond's jumping contest, and when he was acknowledged as champion, it was a committee that declared him so.
:Faurobert: It is true that Her Highness resides in a tall tower, and that in this kingdom does indeed have its own series of arduous trials...
:Faurobert: But she clearly isn't trapped, much less needs me to jump up and rescue her.
:Faurobert: And those trials... No matter how good I was at jumping, I'd never be able to pass them... They just aren't designed for paper frogs.
: On paper, you seem like the perfect candidate...
: ...But the details just didn't work out.
:Saborn: What are we to do...? If we can't complete our "calling"...
:Paimon: You keep talking about this "calling" of yours, and Mr. Faurobert mentioned it too...
:Paimon: What exactly is it? If you haven't found the Guardian and princess you're looking for, why don't you just keep looking? Even if you don't find them right this instant, it's not like this place is gonna vanish into thin air...
:Saborn: Our kingdom exists for its "calling"... It is also the only way we can save it.
:Horellou: Likewise, the residents of Rainsong Pond have sacrificed so much, and are continuing to sacrifice, for that princess who's nowhere to be found.
:Horellou: Generation after generation of champions have quietly aged away, all memory of their deeds fading away into oblivion...
:Cimest: Mr. Horellou has spoken of these brave ones before. Weighed down by the burden of unrealized ambition, they are left with no other choice but to end their days in obscurity. Such a fate is crueler than the fall of a kingdom.
:Faurobert: ...
:Horellou: Faurobert, we talked about this before. You said you were going to reconsider, and now...
: We must have faith in our champion.
: Our champion will not back down.
:Faurobert: If I were perched on a lotus leaf and suddenly found myself drifting away with the current, I would do my best to make sure it didn't capsize in the middle of the river.
:Faurobert: Now that I carry the Lotus Head Bangle, I will not... I cannot shirk my duty. This has nothing to do with courage, Mr. Horellou, just duty.
:Paimon: Hehe, Paimon knew our lotus leaf rafting experience wasn't a complete waste of time!
: Spoken like a true champion!
:Faurobert: ...B—But if I do end up going overboard, you'll have to call for Estampe! He'd definitely be better at this than I am!
:Faurobert: *sigh* He's the real champion when it comes down to it, so why have I ended up being the one on the lotus leaf...
:Paimon: Haha... Looks like we still have to go rafting a few more times...
:Cimest: Ha, you sure are one unique champion. No matter how hard you try, you're always convinced you're going to fail.
:Cimest: You really needn't worry. After all, not only did you come here entirely of your own accord, but you had the courage to shoulder a great responsibility.
:Cimest: You were brave enough to make a choice and boldly follow through with it. At least in my eyes, you're no less than any flying squirrel.
:Faurobert: Your Highness... Thank you for your praise, and for your trust. Besides, I'm already on this lotus leaf, so I can't get off now anyway.
:Cimest: Hahaha! Well anyway, now that we have the backing of so many strong fighters, I think it's high time we headed into the Cave of Eerie Murmurs to see what lurks in its depths.
:Cimest: Saborn, Souffache... There's no use trying to stop me. After all, when have you ever succeeded in holding me back?
:Cimest: Come on, lighten up! This is the last clue we need to save the kingdom.
:Saborn: B—But... Not a single princess that's gone into the Cave of Eerie Murmurs has ever come back out again!
:Cimest: If there's nothing in the Cave of Eerie Murmurs, what does it matter whether I return or not?
:Cimest: But on the other hand, if there really is a clue to the salvation of the kingdom in there, then even if I were to be trapped inside... That wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?
:Paimon: Wh—What kind of place is this Cave of Eerie Murmurs anyway? And why does Your Highness sound so serious?
:Cimest: Oh, it's nothing out of the ordinary. Simply put, it's where those princesses of past kingdoms searched for the "answer."
:Cimest: But even until the day their kingdoms vanished utterly, those princesses were never seen again.
:Paimon: Huh? By "never seen again," surely you don't mean...
: The cave swallowed them alive!?
: They disappeared too?
:Cimest: There isn't a single flying squirrel that knows. But we'll find out soon enough.
:Cimest: To be safe, I'll bring the relic along with us. Who knows, it might just come in handy.
:Cimest: Alright everyone, let's go. Given that one of you is an expert flyer, and the other a champion jumper, I trust you'll both be able to keep up with me?
:Paimon: Whoa, Her Highness has flown off already! Let's catch up, !
;(Talk to Saborn or Souffache, optional)
:Saborn: Honorable Guardian, what can I do for you?
: About the kingdoms that failed to fulfill their calling...
:Souffache: You... Alright. Since the Princess herself has acknowledged you as the "Paladin of Breezes and Bells," it is only right that I tell you about such matters.
:Souffache: Prior to the current era of the Kingdom of Breezes and Bells, this land has known many kingdoms.
:Souffache: Just like us, their "calling" was to find a "Guardian of the Kingdom" who would be acknowledged by the relic.
:Saborn: But these kingdoms, which were established to fulfill a "calling," declined and vanished before they could fulfill it.
:Saborn: Not a single one of them managed to find a Guardian who could save the whole kingdom.
: ...Vanished?
:Paimon: So... If you can't fulfill this "calling" of yours, something bad will happen?
:Saborn: That is correct. In some cases, the subjects of the kingdom suddenly lost their voices, while in others, the kingdom's water supply dried up overnight...
:Saborn: Having lost their "future," all of these kingdoms eventually faded into oblivion.
:Souffache: If we cannot fulfill our "calling"... this will be our fate too.
:Souffache: ...In any case, I wish you good luck, Paladin.
;(Talk to Horellou, optional)
:Horellou: Oh! Pleasure to meet you, hahaha! It seems you're a popular one indeed — even Her Highness Princess Cimest knows of you!
: About the "price" paid by Rainsong Pond...
::Horellou: Oh... Such a heavy topic. Well, seeing as you've asked, it would be rude not to give you an answer.
::Paimon: Oh, but... Everything seems fine over at Rainsong Pond? You all look so happy to be jumping around and taking part in the contest...
::Horellou: In one sense, that is so. The waters of Rainsong Pond have never dried up, and the contest has never been interrupted.
::Horellou: Each committee working tirelessly away, and each contestant training constantly, doing everything they can to be up to the task of saving the princess someday.
::Horellou: But all those paper frogs, endlessly laboring... They are the "price" that Rainsong Pond has paid.
::Horellou: From the moment we are born, our "calling" is to practice jumping and save the princess... Every aspect of life at Rainsong Pond revolves around this.
::Horellou: Innumerable paper frogs have sat on Rainsong Pond's committee, and countless champions have been chosen... But all this time, we've never managed to find our princess.
::Horellou: Generation upon generation of frustrated champions have thus aged away, not knowing how to fulfill the "calling" that they so cherished...
::Horellou: All they can do is watch helplessly as their once powerful legs grow weak and their fine webbed feet gradually wither away.
::Horellou: Ha... And worst of all, because our champions keep aging, we must constantly train new ones to ensure that we have the strongest paper frogs ready at all times should the princess suddenly appear.
::Horellou: So Rainsong Pond's contest continues without any sign of an ending. Yet now, none remember the names of those champions who — though they too once cherished the calling — ended up aging away in helpless impotence.
::Horellou: As Princess Cimest put it, weighed down by the burden of unrealized ambition, they are left with no other choice but to end their days in obscurity. Such a fate is crueler than the fall of a kingdom.
::Horellou: But that's enough about all that! The atmosphere's suddenly feeling rather heavy. Let us place our trust in Faurobert and Princess Cimest — I'm sure they'll be able to do something about it.
: Wait, where's Estampe?
::Horellou: Oh, that good fellow? He said he was going for a stroll to get some fresh air. Perhaps he's practicing his diving as we speak.
::Horellou: *sigh* If only Estampe could share some of his relaxed mindset with Faurobert. Even a fifth of it would do...
: See you.
::Horellou: Alright, please take care. I'll be waiting here for you all to return.
----
;(Approach the cave)
:Paimon: Didn't the princess take us to the Cave of Eerie Murmurs before?
: Paimon's sure she heard a strange voice while we were there.
:Faurobert: Uhm, just to let you guys know... Us paper frogs aren't very good at jumping in caves...
:Paimon: Don't worry, Mr. Faurobert! Paimon might've just been hearing things...
:???: "...I am a voice, but a voice is not life..."
:???: "...Interaction is only born of contradictions, and only interaction is dialogue..."
:Paimon: There it is again!
:Cimest: Do not fear, these voices will not harm us. They are simply lamenting their own past.
: Lamenting the past...
: Are these the princesses' voices?
:Cimest: To be precise, both princesses and princes. What they have in common is... They are all voices from fallen kingdoms.
:Cimest: They came in search of answers, but found nothing. All they could do was stay and lament their fate in vain.
: You know this place well.
: You must have come here many times before.
:Cimest: You show great intuition, as one would expect of a Paladin. That is correct, I have come here often since my accession.
:Cimest: After all, compared to all those princesses and princes from the past, there's nothing special about me at all.
:Cimest: It was wishful thinking indeed for me to have imagined that a miracle might suddenly happen and that I'd find our true Guardian just like that.
:Cimest: But for the sake of my kingdom, I had to keep searching for a way to fulfill my "calling." I could not simply stand by and watch it fade away.
:Cimest: So I looked everywhere, but found nothing. Finally, though, I narrowed down my search to the Cave of Eerie Murmurs.
:Cimest: But because this cave has never been thoroughly investigated, and so as not to drive Saborn and Souffache sick with worry or cause their voices to go hoarse, I have never entered the Cave of Eerie Murmurs itself...
:Cimest: Now, for the future of the kingdom, and all our aged champions, I have no choice but to go in.
:Faurobert: ...
:Paimon: Don't be afraid, Your Highness! Not only do you have the super strong and the champion jumper Mr. Faurobert to back you up, but also the, uhh... seasoned floater Paimon too!
:Paimon: No matter what happens, we'll make sure you stay safe! Right, ? Mr. Faurobert?
: At your service, Your Highness.
: Leave it all to me!
:Faurobert: W—We've... uh... G—Got your back? I think? I mean... We've hopefully got your back? Seriously, caves really aren't designed for jumping in...
:Cimest: It's alright, Mr. Champion. We still have plenty of time to prepare.
:Cimest: After all... We need to figure out how to get into this cave first.
;(After the cutscene)
: Faurobert: Perhaps this... might come in handy.
;(Interact with Cimest)
: Faurobert: That should get those waterspouts to come down a bit.
: Drop Waterspout
;(Complete the Flying Squirrels' Aerial Adventure puzzle)
:Cimest: The door... opened?
:Cimest: Then come, everyone. Let us enter.
;(Enter the door)
:Paimon: It's so chilly around here... Such a strange vibe...
:Paimon: Paimon's just glad we haven't seen anything weird...
:Cimest: ...Wait a sec, what's that carved on the wall over there?
:Cimest: It looks like... a story?
: What's it about?
:Cimest: "...After setting up the trial herself, the princess awaited her Guardian within the kingdom..."
:Cimest: I think I recall this story from the kingdom's records.
:Cimest: In the legend, it is said that despite the passing of much time, still there came no sign of a Guardian, and it seemed that the kingdom's resources would soon run dry. The princess, whose name was Ceoya, therefore made a decision...
:Cimest: She let the kingdom's people fall into a deep slumber and sealed off all its land except the tower, where she alone remained to await the coming of the Guardian...
: What became of this princess?
:Cimest: The Guardian that she awaited never came. In the end, she is said to have come to the Cave of Eerie Murmurs alone, then vanished from the world without a trace...
:Cimest: It is true that this princess showed great courage, but I cannot say that I agree with her approach.
:Cimest: As I see it, by deciding to simply wait there while her people slept in blissful ignorance, she consigned her kingdom to an unknown fate.
:Cimest: Instead, she should have taken the initiative by calling upon her people to unite as one, seeking out this Guardian together.
:Cimest: ...If she had done this, even if all their efforts had turned out to be in vain, at least she would have known that she'd done all she could.
:Cimest: Heh, it's just as the last line of the story says: "Stories follow rules, unfolding in cyclical patterns, but each should follow its own course."
: Your Highness, it hasn't come to that yet...
:Paimon: Yeah, c'mon, there's still hope! And who knows, there might be some important clues left for us to find!
:Cimest: Forgive me, I seem to have gotten a little carried away... Anyway, let's keep searching.
:Cimest: Looking around, it seems like we haven't completed the trials in the Cave of Eerie Murmurs yet...
;(After the cutscene)
:Paimon: Being in the Cave of Eerie Murmurs feels completely different from how Paimon imagined it.
:Cimest: Stay on your guard, everyone. Let's proceed slowly.
;(Read the text on the eastern wall in the nearby pit, optional)
:Blurry Words: "... a system for saying goodbye. It's so glaringly obvious..."
;(Read the text on the western wall in the nearby pit, optional)
:Blurry Words: "... irritating thing is that it is both reasonable and obvious..."
;(Approach the next carving)
:Faurobert: Lotus leaves and dewdrops, what the... Why has this story been carved on the wall?
: What is it?
:Faurobert: Someone's carved a story here that goes: "Once upon a time, there was a paper frog who wished he had a pair of wings."
:Faurobert: "He prayed to the goddess, who told him that if he could jump higher than all the other frogs, he would have his wings..."
:Paimon: Wait a sec... If he could already jump higher than all the other frogs, why would he need wings?
: Maybe it's just hyperbole.
:Faurobert: No... This champion's name is actually recorded in the committee's register.
:Faurobert: This paper frog, whose name was Cibrelus, once won the championship seven times in a row. No frog was his equal.
:Faurobert: His symbol was a pair of wings made of lotus leaves, so they dubbed him "Winged Cibrelus."
:Paimon: Seven times in a row... P—Paimon heard you won the championship many times in a row too, Mr. Faurobert...
:Faurobert: Me? Yes, I've won it seven times, and Estampe six.
:Faurobert: But I'd be no match for this champion! Back in those days, they had to figure it all out themselves, without any experience to go on.
:Faurobert: If my generation of frogs have jumped higher than others, it is merely by jumping up from the shoulders of giants...
:Paimon: There he goes again, putting himself down as usual...
: So what happened to that champion?
:Faurobert: This I do not know... According to the committee's records, in the last jumping contest he ever took part in, Cibrelus came second.
: Second? So that means...
:Faurobert: Indeed it does. Given that he no longer felt up to the task of rescuing the princess, Cibrelus... announced his retirement there and then.
:Faurobert: He told his friend that the jumping contest no longer held any meaning for him, and that unless he rediscovered its meaning someday, he would never again compete.
:Faurobert: From that day forth, not once was his name ever again mentioned in the records of Rainsong Pond.
:Cimest: ...So just like those princes and princesses, there was a point in time after which this champion simply vanished from the world.
:Faurobert: That's right. *sigh* All in all, this story really doesn't seem like a promising omen...
:Cimest: Hold on a minute... The last line of this story is also: "Stories follow rules, unfolding in cyclical patterns, but each should follow its own course."
:Cimest: Why does this line keep reappearing...
: We'd better complete the rest of the trials first.
:Cimest: Yes, you're right. Let's focus on the puzzle before us.
:Cimest: I wonder where it will lead us in the end...
:Paimon: ...What's all this in here?
:Cimest: Looks like this cave has no intention of just giving us the answers, but rather plans on testing us instead...
:Faurobert: Hmm... The road to success is never straight, huh?
: Another trial... Let's do this.
: I'm a bit tired... I'll leave this one to you!
::Cimest: I am truly sorry to put you through all this, my Paladin. But this is the last step... Please, lend us your strength.
::Paimon: Paimon's so exhausted she feels like she can barely float...
::Paimon: But seeing as it's Her Highness asking, let's give it all we've got, .
:Cimest: Thank you! Then let's... go take a look at this final trial!
;(After the cutscene)
: Faurobert: Ugh, what should we do...
;(Raise the Waterspout after hitting Flower's Awakening Fury)
:Faurobert: Phew... That should do it! I hope Princess Cimest will be able to fly a bit more easily.
;(After completing the challenge)
:Cimest: Looks like we make a great team, Mr. Champion and my honorable Paladin.
:Faurobert: I'm just glad I didn't drag you all down...
;(Open the chest)
:Faurobert: Huh? When did these candles light up? Weird...
:Paimon: Yay! That must mean we've passed this trial, huh? Hehe, that all went pretty smoothly.
: Who's of trials now? That's right, this .
: Well, practice makes perfect...
:Faurobert: You're in such good shape! *sigh* If only I was as talented as you are...
:Faurobert: Huh? Did you hear that?
:???: "Stories follow rules, unfolding in cyclical patterns, but each should follow its own course."
:???: "Once upon a time, there was a paper frog who wished he had a pair of wings."
:???: "He prayed to the goddess, who told him that if he could jump higher than all the other frogs, he would have his wings..."
:???: "Long ago, there was a princess who personally set up a trial in the kingdom..."
:???: "She waited, and waited, and waited. O Guardian, where art thou..."
:Paimon: Eek! The paper's talking!
: In this world...
: ...That's not really that weird.
:: Another paper frog, just like me. Another useless champion, squandered years, and a pair of worthless, withered wings...
:Faurobert: W—Wait, surely you can't be...
:Aged Manuscript: I am an evaporated dewdrop, a pair of wings too weak for flight. The name "Cibrelus" is no longer one I am fit to bear.
:Cimest: It is a great honor to meet you, Your Highness Princess Ceoya.
:: It is an honor to meet you too, Your Highness. You, yet another stranger, another princess...
:Paimon: So... Paimon's guessing they're the champion and princess mentioned in the story on the wall?
: They just look like two manuscripts...
:Cimest: It is an honor to meet you both. You have resided in this cave for a long time now, so you should know why we are here.
:Cimest: Your Highness, have you found the answer you were looking for? Where is the Guardian we are looking for?
:Faurobert: Great champion! Where is the princess that us paper frogs are supposed to save?
:Aged Manuscript: ...You should go back. There are no answers here, only question after question.
:Aged Manuscript: No river awaits, and the lotus leaves do not exist for us. The pond has never seen victory's laurel, nor a princess.
:Aged Manuscript: "Stories follow rules, unfolding in cyclical patterns"... Such a futile expectation. When will the cycle end...
:Exhausted Manuscript: Keep waiting, keep waiting. There are no answers here, only question after question.
:Exhausted Manuscript: The pen that wrote these words has not alighted back upon the page, yet the ink of fate has long dried up. Neither the Guardian nor the period that marks the end shall appear. Thus it has always been. Until now.
:Exhausted Manuscript: "...But each should follow its own course." This is destiny's inexplicable hope. When will the path ahead reveal itself...
:Paimon: What are they talking about? Paimon doesn't get it...
: Whatever it is, it doesn't sound too promising...
: They might as well have said nothing.
:Paimon: Huh? But why...
:Faurobert: "No river awaits, and the lotus leaves do not exist for us." That makes it sound like Rainsong Pond is already...
:Cimest: "Neither the Guardian nor the period that marks the end shall appear."
:Cimest: ...
:Cimest: Anyway, we shouldn't jump to conclusions too soon. We haven't even completed the trial yet.
:Faurobert: ...Alright. Giving up before the contest has even ended seems like bad etiquette indeed.
: Let's take care of the trials first.
:Paimon: Yeah, let's stay positive! Maybe there'll be a pleasant surprise waiting for us!
;(Approach Cimest after passing the trial)
:Paimon: Well, seems like we've passed all the trials, right?
: We've passed the trials...
: ...But nothing seems to have happened.
:Cimest: ...I brought the relic, but it hasn't reacted at all.
:Faurobert: Are we really meant to just keep waiting here? But... What exactly are we waiting for?
:Paimon: It's not like some kind of god's gonna suddenly swoop down and tell us what to do, is it?
:Exhausted Manuscript: What we are willing to do... is wait. All we can do... is wait.
:Aged Manuscript: Meaning lies in waiting; the future lies unknown.
:Paimon: When did they appear? And insisting that we wait like that... What are we even waiting for!?
:Cimest: Perhaps they do not know either. Which is why...
: They've been "waiting" all this time.
: So long that they turned into manuscripts.
:Aged Manuscript: We are echoes with nowhere to return, existences that do not exist, unfinished chapters of blank paper... As are you.
:Exhausted Manuscript: Together, let us go back to where we belong. Stories follow rules, unfolding in cyclical patterns... Each follows its own course.
:Paimon: Hey, you... piles of rotten paper! Why do you just keep telling us to wait!?
: Your Highness...
: Waiting will get us nowhere.
:Cimest: Pfft... Hahahaha! So that's it... I knew I wasn't in the wrong place.
:Cimest: Your Highness Princess Ceoya, I have my answer. To the rest of you — it is time for us to part ways.
:Cimest: Thank you all, for everything you have done. Now it is clear to me that the answer lies not in the Cave of Eerie Murmurs.
:Cimest: When I first arrived, I was afraid I would have to pay a heavy price to find a way to save the kingdom here.
:Cimest: In the end, the Cave of Eerie Murmurs holds nothing more than a pile of old manuscripts deceiving themselves by waiting. It is a great relief to know that hope still lies elsewhere.
:Exhausted Manuscript: ...The future lies unknown; meaning lies in waiting!
:Cimest: No, Your Highness. Meaning lies in the unknown.
:Cimest: Waiting leads only to waiting. I most certainly will not save the kingdom using such a method.
:Cimest: If the Guardian does not come, I will go in search of them. If I cannot find them in my kingdom, I will search the rest of the world instead.
:Cimest: If they are not to be found in this world, then I shall keep searching beyond it... Even if my kingdom is destined to fall, I wish to witness its final moments, when its ending is written.
:Exhausted Manuscript: Such blindness, such impetuosity, such... frivolity!
:Aged Manuscript: Such ignorance, such superficiality, such... impatience!
:Cimest: Say what you will, but as you yourselves just put it: "Stories follow rules, unfolding in cyclical patterns, but each should follow its own course."
:Cimest: If your path lies here in endless waiting, then mine lies instead on the road ahead.
:Faurobert: Umm, c—can I say something? Uh... If you were to deem it acceptable, I would like to go along with Your Highness too...
: Wow, someone seems pretty motivated all of a sudden!
:Faurobert: After all... If I could help Your Highness find your Guardian, that could also be interpreted as "saving the princess."
:Faurobert: I am the champion of Rainsong Pond. Even if I do it for Rainsong Pond, I must continue to fulfill my duty...
:Cimest: If you are willing to help, then on behalf of the entire Kingdom of Breezes and Bells, I thank you.
:Faurobert: That is most alright! I will, of course, still have to ask the committee's opinion, especially Horellou and Estampe. As you know, I always seem to cause trouble...
: We believe in you.
: Our champion of champions.
:Paimon: Great! So what's ne...
:Paimon: Huh? Your Highness! Th—The relic next to you... It's lighting up!
:;(The relic lights up and begins to float up)
:;(The player begins to fly after it)
:Paimon: You started flying just like th... Huh? How come the relic's suddenly lit up?
:Cimest: So that's what "each should follow its own course" meant...
:Paimon: Her Highness seems to have figured something out... that Paimon hasn't...
:Faurobert: It sounds to me like it's saying we first need to find a lotus leaf of our own, then drift along on it downriver...
:Faurobert: *sigh* But has the owner of this relic ever considered what would happen if we fell into the water en route...?
:Cimest: We'd just have to climb back out again and prove our courage by overcoming adversity, just like you did in the past.
:Faurobert: D—Did I? Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but I believe all I proved was that I'm not made for competing...
:Surprised Flying Squirrel: Her Highness! It's Her Highness! Hello—
:Cheerful Flying Squirrel: Look, Her Highness is flying along with a bunch of people... and frogs. Do you think she's found the Guardian?
:Loud Flying Squirrel: Look, look! Our relic is shining up ahead! Our Guardian is coming!
:Cheerful Flying Squirrel: That's wonderful news! We can finally fly around without having to worry!
:Voice That No Longer Sounds Weary: Hope lies ahead, our future lies outside... Meaning lies beyond the end of the sentence.
:Voice That No Longer Sounds Weary: Courage lies in dialogue, survival in returning, meaning in seeking...
:Cheerful Paper Frog: Hey! Isn't that our champion? Hey, Faurobert!
:Joyful Paper Frog: Faurobert is flying! He's incredible!
:Joyful Paper Frog: Look over here, Mr. Champion! Give us a wave with your champion feet!
:Cheerful Paper Frog: Hahahaha, the good fellow's blushing! Let's not embarrass him any longer. Bon voyage, Faurobert!
:Voice That No Longer Sounds Weary: Oh, so that's what happens. Fascinating...
:Voice That No Longer Sounds Weary: "Stories follow rules, unfolding in cyclical patterns, but each should follow its own course."
:Voice That No Longer Sounds Weary: Farewell, may all of you find your own way forward. Farewell...
;(Approach Faurobert and Cimest)
:Faurobert: Oh, my leg... Is it still on the ground? I can barely feel it anymore.
: All four of your feet are still firmly on the ground, Mr. Champion.
: And they're in better condition than any of us are...
:Cimest: ...Those princesses from the past, they seem to have left too. I hope that they'll never return to the Cave of Eerie Murmurs.
:Paimon: Hehe, seems our trip to the Cave of Eerie Murmurs wasn't for nothing after all. With the relic lit up, there's hope for Your Highness's kingdom again.
:Cimest: That is indeed so. The fact that the relic has lit up means that it has found a "Guardian" worthy of acknowledgment.
:Cimest: It seems the "Guardian" that the relic was looking for was not a valiant warrior in the usual sense.
:Cimest: A true "Guardian" who is worthy of acknowledgment is one who always follows their heart; someone who pushes forward relentlessly, in spite of their fear.
:Cimest: It turns out that this relic, which we'd been treating like the problem, was actually the answer all along.
: Those manuscripts that were waiting in the cave...
:Cimest: They've been waiting for their path to appear... Waiting all this time.
:Cimest: But waiting leads only to more waiting. Hehe, no one can find the solution to a problem simply by searching within the problem itself.
:Cimest: Like... You wouldn't be able to pick a leaf from a tree if you were standing on the leaf itself.
:Paimon: Uhh... Sounds complicated. Paimon's feeling dizzy now...
:Paimon: Anyway, none of them were acknowledged by the relic as Guardians. Your Highness and Mr. Faurobert were though!
:Paimon: So now the relic has lit up and we've found our Guardian, doesn't that mean that the problem's solved, Your Highness?
:Cimest: Well, you could say that. But I still haven't managed to figure out exactly why it lit up. Looks like Saborn and Souffache will be doing some more research for me.
:Paimon: Oh, and now that the Guardian's been chosen, doesn't that mean that the relic's trial has lost its meaning too?
: It'd be a shame to tear it all down.
: I'd still like to have another go or two.
:Cimest: No, I will keep the trial in place. But it will now be used to "train" Guardians rather than to "choose" them.
:Cimest: If every flying squirrel were to become a Guardian someday, then no matter what difficulties the Kingdom of Breezes and Bells faced, we could overcome them together.
:Cimest: Hahaha, I've been wanting to do this for a long, long time. Just a pity that the relic refused to light up sooner, and that Saborn and Souffache stood in my way...
:Cimest: Now that I've been acknowledged by the relic, I shall do whatever I wish.
: That's why you're the princess, Your Highness!
:Paimon: Nonono, Her Highness's title should now be... Guardian Princess of the Kingdom of Breezes and Bells!
:Faurobert: So, umm... Your Highness, would it be alright if I, uhh, took part in the "training" in your kingdom?
: But you're already the champion!
: You're really up for anything now, huh...
:Faurobert: No, no... Didn't you hear that sound just now? That voice that was speaking?
:Faurobert: "...This is a trial that you must face, to serve Princess Cimest and fulfill your calling..."
: Nope.
: Whose voice was it?
:Faurobert: It was the same as the voice of the manuscript that claimed to be Cibrelus in the Cave of Eerie Murmurs!
:Faurobert: Surely the great champion himself doesn't actually believe that I can fulfill Rainsong Pond's calling?
:Faurobert: But Princess Cimest doesn't need me to save her. If anything, I'm the one who needs her help...
: So you told him you could do it?
:Faurobert: Huh? N—No, I didn't! Or rather, he had no intention of hearing my opinion anyway... But seeing as it's for the calling of Rainsong Pond, what choice do I have...
:Cimest: You're saying you would like to undergo the trial? Then of course you're welcome to! I couldn't be more delighted to hear that the champion of Rainsong Pond is willing to serve in my kingdom.
:Cimest: Besides, I had plans to travel far away in the future, and I was actually just about to invite you to come along with me.
:Cimest: After all, there are bound to be places in this world where the wind doesn't blow. When that time comes, we'll have to rely on those champion legs of yours.
:Faurobert: Really? Th—Then I'll... try my best not to make any mistakes, though I've never tried jumping with anyone riding on my back before...
:Cimest: Then you'll have to train harder from now on. And to the two of you... Thank you for all the help you've given me and my kingdom.
:Cimest: Though there are still so many mysteries yet to be solved... Why did we need to find a Guardian, and why would a kingdom fall into decay by itself? And why would Rainsong Pond have such a calling...
:Cimest: But at least the kingdom has been saved, so now I have more time to contemplate these questions.
:;(If the player has not completed )
:::Cimest: Sometimes, I can't help but think... That it would be best if this world really did have a "goddess" who wrote all the stories about us. That way, perhaps I would have a chance to ask her in person.
:::Faurobert: But, Your Highness... Even if that goddess existed... Why would she write a story for us, but not an ending?
:::Faurobert: First those poor souls in the cave, and now us. *sigh* We've all been through so much...
:::Cimest: If that goddess did exist, I too would like to ask her. But regardless of whether or not she does, at least we learned that line.
:::Cimest: "Stories follow rules, unfolding in cyclical patterns, but each should follow its own course."
:::Cimest: ...There are far too many matters on which I must deliberate more deeply. My loyal Paladin, please take these gifts as a token of my gratitude... These were the only treasures I brought with me.
:::Cimest: If you have time, please come back to visit the Kingdom of Breezes and Bells again. I believe that... You may have some questions for me.
:::Cimest: But first, I must... Rest well, and think hard.
:;(If the player has completed )
:::Paimon: Um... , don't you think that those manuscripts in the Cave of Eerie Murmurs seemed to be related to a story we heard before?
::: That legend that Nilou told us about...
::: The Goddess of Fate who used ink to compose her stories...
:::Cimest: D—Do you know something about all this?
:::Paimon: Well, it's a long and complicated... Well, actually, it's not that long or complicated a story...
:::
:::Cimest: So basically, everything we've been through... is a story written by the Goddess of Fate.
:::Faurobert: Alright... Now we've really become characters in a story. But seeing as that Goddess wrote us in, why didn't she give us an ending?
:::Faurobert: First those poor souls in the cave, and now us. *sigh* We've all been through so much...
:::Cimest: So that must mean it was also the Goddess of Fate who came up with that line: "Stories follow rules, unfolding in cyclical patterns, but each should follow its own course."
:::Cimest: ...I need some time to think about these matters more deeply. My loyal Paladin, please take these gifts as a token of my gratitude... These were the only treasures I brought with me.
:::Cimest: If you have time, please come back to visit the Kingdom of Breezes and Bells again. I believe that... You may have some questions for me.
:::Cimest: But first, I must... Rest well, and think hard.
;(Quest ends)
===Post-Quest Dialogue===
;(Talk to Cimest, Saborn, or Souffache at the Kingdom of Breezes and Bells)
:Cimest: You Excellencies. I welcome you on behalf of the Kingdom of Breezes and Bells.
: What will you do next?
:Cimest: Hmm... Well, first, I shall announce to all the people that the relic has passed judgment.
:Cimest: And that the Guardian... will be Mr. Faurobert, who has come here from afar.
:Paimon: Huh!? Why would you do that?
:Cimest: Trying to explain everything we've been through would be far too complicated.
:Cimest: Besides, it would take too long for them to grasp the concept of me being both a princess and a Guardian at the same time.
:Cimest: When the time is right, I will make a detailed record of all that happened and then inform my people in writing.
:Cimest: But until then, I will still preside over all the affairs of the kingdom as its "Princess."
:Cimest: Once those "trial grounds" have been officially converted into "training grounds," I will set off.
: Set off?
: What are you going to do?
:Faurobert: Your Highness, do you still remember... Who the relic actually lit up for back in the cave?
:Cimest: Hmm? Who it... actually lit up for?
:Faurobert: Yes, as we were both next to it at the time. Of course, Your Highness fully deserves to be acknowledged, but I on the other hand... I...
: You're a champion who's been acknowledged by a champion.
:Paimon: Exactly, and that champion came specifically to ask for your help! How could you possibly still think you're unworthy?
:Faurobert: *sigh* Maybe it's simply that you shine so brightly, Your Highness, that everyone was mistaken...
:Cimest: Pfft... Well then, Mr. Champion, would you be willing to undergo another trial?
:Cimest: I, Princess Cimest of the Kingdom of Breezes and Bells, shall personally bear witness to your deeds with this relic.
:Faurobert: Of course! I do, I do, I do!
: Hold your horses...
: My ears... It burns!
:Paimon: He gets so excited whenever he hears the princess's name. Hehe, Faurobert...
:Faurobert: Don't get me wrong! I—I'm doing this to fulfill the calling of Rainsong Pond! All that training I did, it was all to save... Uhh, I mean, protect Her Highness.
:Faurobert: And it's such an important task, so naturally I must ensure that it all goes without a hitch...
: Are you willing to travel together with Her Highness?
:Faurobert: I—I am...
:Cimest: Hehe, that's good to hear. Well then, Mr. "Champion" Faurobert, are you ready for my trial?
:Faurobert: I am, Your Highness! Whenever you're ready, I'm ready!
:Paimon: Whoa! The relic's lit up again, and it's super bright this time!
;(Talk to Faurobert or Estampe, optional)
:Faurobert: Estampe! Where have you been!?
:Estampe: Uhh, actually, I was strolling about the area, and had a go at that trial. It was fun, but I had to adopt a slightly different approach to pass it.
:Estampe: Mr. Horellou has filled me in on everything that has happened to you. Not bad, Mr. Guardian. Turns out you're pretty talented after all, eh?
:Faurobert: Y—Y—You... If you'd been standing next to me, I'd have pushed you off, I tell you! I'd have pushed you off ten times if I had the chance!
:Estampe: Hence why I decided to take part in the trial instead. Faurobert, my friend, I always believed you could do it. And look... You did it!
:Horellou: Hahaha, you're jolly good fellows, the both of you. Today is an auspicious day for our pond!
:Horellou: Finally, we have a true champion. Though Mr. Faurobert hasn't saved a princess yet, I believe that his chance will come.
:Faurobert: *sigh* But I really didn't do anything, Mr. Horellou, other than standing by and watching as Her Highness did all the heavy lifting...
:Horellou: Isn't that even better? Surely you didn't want the princess to be in danger?
:Faurobert: I... Uh...
:Horellou: Ahh, that's quite enough, Mr. Faurobert. You were entrusted to fulfill the calling by Cibrelus himself!
:Faurobert: Oh, pish posh! I'm not even sure if it was Cibrelus! After all, I've only ever heard of him, never heard him speak!
:Estampe: And you even accepted the princess's trial. You're a champion if ever there was one.
:Faurobert: Can we just... Not talk about this for now? Please...
:Horellou: Anyway, to sum up — the future of Rainsong Pond is now in your capable hands!
:Horellou: Now, we can simply enjoy jumping for jumping's own sake! When I get back, I'll suggest to the committee that we make "fun" the focus going forward!
:Estampe: That sounds like a proposal I'd be willing to get behind. On that note, let's head back.
:Faurobert: Hey, don't leave me here!
;(Talk to Cimest, Saborn, or Souffache again, optional)
:Saborn: Both you and that paper frog were acknowledged as Guardians, Your Highness!?
:Souffache: Unbelievable, unheard of! There is simply no precedent for this!
:Saborn: And you'll have to make changes to the trial too... No, don't do this, Your Highness!
:Souffache: You can't simply overhaul such an ancient tradition on a whim, Your Highness!
:Cimest: Alright, alright, keep your voices down. My ears are starting to hurt...
:Cimest: It's all been decided already. Now, given that I am both a princess and a Guardian who has been acknowledged by the relic, you're in even less of a position to stop me.
:Saborn: But, Your Highness...
:Cimest: The both of you may relax. I'll host a ceremony to train up hosts of reliable flying squirrels to defend the kingdom.
:Cimest: Only after that will I leave the kingdom.
:Souffache: Your Highness, we... *sigh* You...
:Cimest: Don't worry, you two. I can take care of myself.
:Cimest: As the princess, in the end it is I who shall face the wild winds of the world on my own.
:Saborn: ...As you wish, Your Highness.
==Video Guides==
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
pt-br:A Resposta Está na Folha de Lótus e na Floresta
ru:Ответ листьев лотоса и леса