Clara the Cleric/Story

## Dungeon Link (Before After Heroes)

In Dungeon Link, Clara the Cleric was part of the Hero Party which also included other companions such as Princess Lilith, Hero Erina, Bard Ringo and so on, the party of heroes defeated the Demon King and the Demon Gods, then ventured into Heaven to defeat the God of Magic, Vellenus, in order to prevent him from causing the apocalypse.

## Old Diary (0 A.H.)

After the events of Dungeon Link, Kaden and the Hero Party for an unknown reason decided to burn the World Tree to the ground, thus severing the connection between the realm of Heaven and the Human Realm, causing humanity to no longer have access to Holy Powers which originated from the Gods of Heaven.

Before Clara left the realm of Heaven, Prometheia, the Goddess which Clara followed, endowed Clara with Holy Power, and sent Clara on her way back to the Human Realm along with the rest of the Hero Party. Queen Lili, who was a member of the Hero Party as well, held a grand festival within the Kingdom of Kanterbury, for celebrating both the victory of the Heroes and the Kanterbury Kingdom being reborn, it was during the festival that every member of the Hero Party made a promise to one another, that one century from now, they'd come back to Kanterbury and see each other once more.

Clara saw the endowment of Holy Power upon her body by Goddess Prometheia to be reflective of Prometheia's wishes for Clara to heal all those who are suffering due to the absence of Holy Power, and so she turned down Hero Kaden's offer for her to travel with him on his mission to search for the Sword of Light, which was required to slay the alpha of a Great Evil in the distant future as foretold by the Gods' prophecy, and decided to travel by herself across the continent in search for all those who require her assistance as the last user of Holy Power.

Clara first prioritized the villages scattered about the outskirts of the Kanterbury Kingdom's border, as those villages are far away from the capital, and therefore lack both resources and assistance. Things were looking especially dire for these villages due to the fact that people used to rely on Holy Power to always heal and protect them, and since Holy Power was no longer available, the wounded and the sick would not receive timely treatment for their ailments.

Kaden, after realizing that Clara intended to travel all by herself across the entire continent in search of people who would need her help, immediately offered to abandon his own mission to help her in this endeavor instead, but Clara immediately turned down the idea, reminding Kaden that it would pain her if her mission forced Kaden to abandon his own mission.

The next morning, Kaden and Clara, both met each other once more at the gates of the capital city and shared some parting words, Kaden then gave Clara an amulet that would function as a beacon which can be activated by Holy Power, he hoped that Clara would activate the beacon whenever and wherever she needed him and continued by saying that he would rush to her aid immediately from anywhere in the world.

Clara teased Kaden, and then they both started walking away from each other, but she couldn't handle the thought of seeing Kaden again only after a century has passed, she stopped in her tracks and turned around to try and gaze at Kaden's image from the back, but she saw that Kaden had also turned around to look in her direction as well. They smiled at one another for a final time in a century, and both went on their own respective journeys.

## Old Sheet Music (0 A.H. ~ 2 A.H.)

During one of her visits to an unnamed village in the outskirts, she administered first aid to all the villagers within the village, but then told the villagers that those who she assisted will require continuous treatment to fully recover, and decided that she'd leave the duty of further treatment to the next healers who would pass by this town, since she had to depart for other villages in the outskirts which also hosted many villagers who needs her assistance.

However, the villagers within that village cursed her and accused her of lying to them just so she could leave the village, the villagers accused Clara of being a foolish woman who simply wanted to be called a Saintess, and that she was going back on her own words when she said that the healing of those suffering within the village was her responsibility.

The villagers continued by saying that every other healer who've passed through the village had all told them the same thing, that they could no longer use their Holy Power and that they should find somebody else for treatment. They continued to curse Clara for not staying in the village to help them, then began to ponder how Clara was the only one left who could use the Holy Power.

But before they could finish, Bard Ringo of the Hero Party suddenly interjected into the conversation, he entered the town and gave the villagers a giant backpack, filled with high quality herbal medicine and healing potions from the capital, all paid for by Queen Lili and completely free for the villagers to take. The villagers all clamored forth and started taking the supplies from the backpack, allowing for Ringo and Clara to sneakily leave the town.

Ringo and Clara fled to a nearby forest where they discussed about the situation, which they had just escaped from, and Ringo could see that Clara was visibly shaken by the comments that the villagers said to her, so he reassured her that she wasn't a bad person, and not to think about the events that transpired within the village.

Ringo then continued to chat with Clara in the forest, giving her encouragement by cheering her up and also trying to restore the mood by retelling stories from their adventure in Demon World and Heaven. Both of them enjoyed the conversation and they continued to recount their old days, feeling as if it all happened yesterday as the day eventually turned to night, and they set up camp within the forest.

Ringo was telling Clara a story about his worries about maintaining his relationship with Vampire Queen Isabella, when he suddenly spotted arrows being raised at Clara from a distance, he lunged at Clara to throw both of their bodies out of the way and Clara was in shock as she suddenly saw arrows piercing through the air where she was just sitting.

By the time both Clara and Ringo regained their composure, hooded figures, all armed with various different types of weapons, had surrounded them, then one of the villagers exclaimed that they needed to kill the witch to restore the world's Holy Power, as she stole all of it for herself. Seeing that there's no room for negotiations, Ringo prepared himself to take down the entire group, with Clara assisting in retaliating too.

After ordeal was over, Ringo and Clara emerged victorious, but as they inspected the bodies of the hooded figures who attacked them, Ringo realized the identities of these figures and advised Clara to not confirm their identity. Clara decided to look within the hoods of these figures despite Ringo's warning, and to her shock and horror, she found that the hooded figures were the villagers that she had assisted and healed, she couldn't believe that they were the ones that attacked her.

After this, a rumor started to circulate amongst the people, there was a party of heroes who could use the Holy Power, and that's because the party stole the world's Holy Power for themselves. In order to restore the world's Holy Power and return to the old ways of life, Cleric Clara must be killed. From then on, Clara was no longer a Saintess, instead, she was a witch, who coveted the world's Holy Power.

People started cursing her name, and many organizations called for a witch hunt. To ensure Clara's safety and also seek guidance from the Queen of Kanterbury, Queen Lili, Ringo accompanied Clara for a few days' journey, setting off for the capital of the Kanterbury Kingdom while acting as Clara's bodyguard for the duration of the trip.

## Old Stenography (0 A.H. ~ 2 A.H.)

Queen Lili welcomed Clara and Ringo into the Kanterbury Castle and was relieved at their safe arrival after hearing news of the people branding Clara as a witch, Ringo tried to cheer up Clara once more by remarking that he really felt as if he was Clara's bodyguard for the duration of the trip despite him not being as capable as Kaden, but Clara's eyes seemed distance and her expression was equally as sorrowful.

Queen Lili then proceeded to reassure Clara by reminding her that with the disappearance of Holy Power, human society was bound to be chaotic at the beginning, furthermore, the Kingdom had been trying it's best to increase medical facilities and distribute medical supplies in hopes of eventually replacing the previous role that Holy Power had in human society.

Queen Lili also sternly reminded that since the current society is in such a precarious and unstable state, for Clara to do anything with Holy Power might result in a catastrophe amongst the people. To which Clara responded by saying that she understood the reason, but she couldn't help but feel guilty for not using Prometheia's powers to help all those she can.

Clara believed that Holy Power disappearing is a great trial for all of humanity, and Prometheia endowing Clara with Holy Power is a reflection of her wishes to save as many people as she can from this trial. Queen Lili understood Clara's concerns and guilt, so she assured Clara that if the opportunity comes up, she will help Clara assist humanity as much as she could. Ringo then also chimed in and said that he'd stay in the capital for a while too, and he will do street performances to help spread the word on the good deeds of the heroes.

Clara stayed with Queen Lili for a while, during this time, she realized that there were a lot of ways Clara would still help people without Holy Power, visiting disaster sites with the Queen, distributing supplies, helping marginalized groups, and so on. But despite distracting herself by assisting the Queen in such endeavors, her thoughts continued to grow more and more complicated, and she continued to be scared by all those she helped.

Clara could feel it from almost everyone around her, those eyes that hungered for Holy Power, those eyes that resented the scorched World Tree, those eyes that searched for a target to unleash their fury. She could also feel guilt from her own heart, she began asking herself, "Couldn't I be saving more people?", "Wouldn't I be running away from the trial that Prometheia gave me?", "Is this really all I can do?".

One day, Queen Lili guided Clara down a mysterious path leading under the Kanterbury Castle, as she entered an unknown chamber, her eyes began to wonder. The floors and walls were made of cold metal, there were glowing screens with symbols upon them which she has never seen before, and there were also tubes with different types of entities within them.

Queen Lili then explained to Clara that this room hosts those who are hibernating in wait of the final battle in the distant future, as foretold by the prophecy of the Gods, they had voluntarily given up themselves within the facility since they would face many trials and dangers existing in society of the current age, due to the people not accepting them.

She then requested for Clara to use Prometheia's powers to bless all those who are resting in the hypersleep pods, on behalf of these resting warriors, to which Clara obliged.

Within the chamber, Clara could unleash the Holy Power without any need for restraint, and she granted them all with the blessings of Prometheia, so that they may rest more easily. Suddenly, a Guardian member ran into the room, he claimed that it was an emergency, Bard Ringo had been attacked by an unidentified mob during one of his performances in the central plaza, they had managed to repel the attackers, but Ringo was in critical condition.

Before Queen Lili could even process what the Guardian member had just told her, Clara ran out of the facility in the plaza's direction without a second thought, with Lili shouting at Clara to calm down from behind her.

Clara ran out into the central plaza of the Kingdom and pushed through the crowds, even running past the Guardians who were keeping people away from Ringo, and there, she saw Ringo lying on the ground, a fresh puddle of blood around his body. Clara stood there for a few seconds, looking at Ringo, horrified. She then heard the Queen's shouting voice from the crowd, and at the same time, Ringo looked up at Clara from the ground, and forced a weak smile at her, both of them seemingly saying "No," to her.

In that instance, Clara pondered to herself, "Is this really the world we live in?", "A world where saving someone's life is forbidden?", as she kneeled down onto the ground and in that instance, unleashed the full power of Pometheia's Holy Power onto Ringo in front of thousands of people.

The people, upon seeing Clara's body glow with the full might of Holy Power, were all shocked, but their expressions immediately twisted into that of anger and jealousy. The crowd of people exclaimed, "Holy power... it's holy power...", "No way! Healing a wound like that instantly?!", "With that amount of holy power, my kid could've lived...", "That's right, that witch is hogging all of the world's holy power!"

"There is a witch... in Kanterbury Kingdom!"

After the ordeal was over, Clara and Ringo were safely escorted back to Kanterbury Castle and once again had an audience with Queen Lili, the rumor that Kanterbury now harbored a witch who stole the world's Holy Power quickly spread to neighboring Kingdoms as well, with riots from unidentified cults and the people of Kanterbury becoming more and more rampant while neighboring Kingdoms started sending letters threatening the Queen of Kanterbury to get rid of the witch.

Clara had fully given up hope in the people at this point, and she was contemplating just disappearing from the Kingdom itself, with Ringo fiercely objecting against that idea and Queen Lili reminding Clara that she is the last link between humanity and Prometheia, telling her that she must not abandon that responsibility.

Clara then requested for Queen Lili to allow her to fall asleep within a hypersleep pod in the facility under the castle as well, an idea which Ringo immediately displayed shock and fierce objection over. Queen Lili stayed silent, but ultimately accepted Clara's request to enter the hypersleep pod since the people of the current era would not accept her.

As Clara's consciousness slowly faded into a deep slumber within the hypersleep pod, she felt a sense of liberation wash over her, as she was no longer a saintess nor a witch. In the final moment, she thought about the face of a precious memory she had buried deep beneath her consciousness this entire time, Hero Kaden, and how she longs to see him for one last time, as she activated the beacon which Kaden had given her when they parted ways at the gates of the capital.

## Old Disc (0 A.H. ~ 82 A.H.)

Kaden bursts into the audience chamber of Kanterbury Castle, he then questions what Queen Lili had done to Clara for her to be in the hypersleep pod, Queen Lili then calmly explained to Kaden that Clara entering the pod was out of her own volition, to Kaden's disbelief, Kaden tried to argue against Queen Lili's claims and believes that Queen Lili had done something to Clara, but Queen Lili then revealed that while Kaden was away on his quest, Clara was accused of being a witch by the people of Kanterbury.

Kaden feels guilty for Clara's current predicament and started to ponder whether he could've done anything to change the situation had he been there to help Clara in her time of need, but Queen Lili once again assured him that he couldn't have done much and that he shouldn't be blaming himself for Clara's fate, while also reminding him that Clara wouldn't have wanted him to raise his sword against the people either way. Kaden apologizes for bursting into the audience chamber and leaves in a hurry.

Clara was resting within the hypersleep pod when Kaden suddenly appeared in front of the pod she was residing in, Clara felt the presence of Kaden and felt comforted by his warm aura, a confident yet shaken figure, that's the Kaden she has always known.

Kaden then started talking to Clara about his regrets regarding her fate and lamenting over what he could've done to stop it, and that he never managed to tell her something, but then he cuts himself off and remembers that Clara wouldn't want him to be miserable over her nor would ever want to see him in this state, so Kaden decides to tell Clara about his adventures in finding the sword, the people he has met and the companions helping him, then with a bittersweet goodbye, promising that he'd return here someday with the Sword of Light, he left the chamber.

On Kaden's second visit, Clara felt that Kaden had the same aura as he did before he embarked upon his quest, but also felt slight hesitation in his stature.

On Kaden's third visit, He looked visibly more tired, but Clara thought nothing of it as Kaden had always overcome all of his problems before, and that he'd push through this time too.

On Kaden's fourth and final visit, Kaden looked completely disheveled and had bags under his eyes, he sounded miserable and started by saying that he kept looking for the truth of the world, but he kept failing over and over and over again. Before he left, he told Clara that he was going to "Do it for the world." and left without a proper farewell. At that moment, Clara began to stir from within the hypersleep pod, she wanted to wake up, she wanted to be by Kaden's side now, but she couldn't move her body.

A long time after Kaden's last visit, Clara began to ponder Kaden's fate, but then she suddenly saw a horned figure from behind the liquids and glass of the hypersleep pod, could it be...? Suddenly, she saw the figure approach further, and it's revealed that the figure was simply a staff with the marking of the Chosen One's Cult, as she heard a voice call from behind the glass, "I've found you, my Saintess!".

"Suspending hypersleep in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."

## Expedition Area 4 Curios Collection

After Clara was released from the hypersleep pod, she was kidnapped by Veronica, the arch-priestess of the Cult of the Chosen One.

Veronica took her back to the Chosen One's Church, located in the Desert of Madness, where she was hidden behind a small closet underneath the church, she was put into a wheelchair and strapped into it.

Veronica then used Paimon Fragment I, though it was unknown how she located it, to torture Clara by repeatedly stabbing into Clara's body using the fragment. The Demon God's body fragment disintegrated all cells it came into contact to, giving its victims a burning feeling.

Clara was tortured daily by Veronica, but Clara never died, this was due to Clara's Holy Power rapidly healing her body each time she was stabbed by Veronica, but at the same time, due to Veronica's torture frequency, Clara lost body mass that she couldn't heal back in time, and thus resulting in her current child-like appearance, at the same time, Veronica also took advantage of Clara's disorientated mental state to cast brainwashing spells on her to make Clara think she's Veronica's own sister.

The Hero and the Goddess, those two who had previously been her greatest light, she yelled and cried for them to save her, but her prayers and wishes were simply met with silence. As the days dragged on, her prayers began to turn into curses for her current fate, and within the closet stained with blood and tears, the Chosen One's Saintess raised her head amongst despair and resignation.

"Thank you, sister arch-priestess, which heretic are we going to hang today?"