Jerome

Jerome

Title	Prince of Ristonia
Hometown	Ristonia
Current Residence	Ristonia -> ?
Gender	Male
Race	Human
Affiliations	Adele Boo The Uprising Ristonia
Minions	Uprising members
Enemies	Cedric Veronica High Flora
Status	Alive
Name (Other Servers)
KoreaMS	제롬 (Jerome)
JapanMS	ジェロム (Jerome)
ChinaMS	杰罗姆 (Jerome)
TaiwanMS	傑隆 (Jerome)
MapleSEA	Jerome
Voice Actors
GlobalMS	Alan Lee^[1]^[2]
KoreaMS	Myoungjun Kim^[3]

Jerome is the lost prince of Ristonia and the founder of the Uprising. 'Jerome' is a nickname used by himself and his allies, as Jerome claims that his full name is quite long.

Story

Prince of Ristonia

Jerome was the prince of Ristonia and the only child of the royal family. At a young age, Jerome's father - the king of Ristonia - passed away. Without a strong ruler on the throne, the greedy nobles of Ristonia seized control of the city, ousting the royal family and leaving Jerome on the streets. With Count Cedric - a low-ranking noble - ascending to power, Jerome dreamed of someday taking back Ristonia in the name of the people and reclaiming his father's throne. While on the streets, Jerome came across an amorphous blob creature, whom he named Boo after the sound that it made. Over the next ten years, Jerome founded the Uprising: a revolution created to overthrow the corrupt nobles of Ristonia. As the leader of the Uprising, Jerome and his allies conducted missions to steal from the nobles and return that wealth their proper owners.

The Legendary Knight

One day, during his work for the Uprising, Jerome was pursued by the Count's guards. As he found himself surrounded, Jerome denounced the guards' honor, claiming that their only allegiance was to the highest bidder. Just as the guards advanced on him, he made a desperate wish for help to the statue of a goddess at the fountain square. In the darkness of the Void, Adelaide - a Knight of the Einherjar who had been sealed away centuries ago - heard Jerome's voice ring out as a golden light shined through, shattering Adelaide's chains and freeing her from the Void. Adelaide appeared before Jerome, who marveled that she was just like the knights from the old stories. When he asked her to save him, Adelaide claimed that she didn't know him, as he wasn't in the few memories that she had left. Just as the guards were about to attack, however, Adelaide heard a voice from the goddess statue proclaim that her calling was to protect the crown and urged her to pull forth her blade. She then recalled her ability to wield swords from the Aether, after which she defeated the guards before escaping with Jerome. As they hid, Adelaide heard the guards refer to Jerome as a petty thief, yelling out that it would be better for him to turn himself in and pay for his sins. When Adelaide confronted him, Jerome stammered that she hadn't heard his side of the story yet. He added that he couldn't afford to get caught and told her that she would also get arrested with him if they surrendered. She conceded that the guards would consider her to be his accomplice, and that it wouldn't do to get caught while her memories were in a haze. Jerome told her to split up once he created a diversion and asked her to meet him at the fountain on the bell's fifth toll.

After they escaped, Adelaide hid in a deserted plaza and recalled that the goddess statue at the fountain had a voice which seemed to know her, just as she felt old power flowing into her. As she wanted answers immediately, Adelaide decided to go after Jerome instead of waiting for the designated time. She found him attempting to break into a building when he suddenly lost his footing. As he began falling, Adelaide shot a rope attached to an aether blade onto the building, allowing Jerome to grab onto it as he fell. She then watched him climb into the building through the window and quickly leave. Jerome was surprised to see her and defended his actions by explaining that he was returning a stolen item to its rightful owner. Suddenly, they heard a voice from the building marveling at the return of their family heirloom. Jerome explained that the family heirloom had been stolen by corrupt nobles. He then asked if Adelaide would serve as his knight in order to help him return the rule of justice to Ristonia. Adelaide told him that she didn't have time to get involved in other people's business, as she needed to discover who she was and why she had ended up in Ristonia. Jerome offered to help her find her memories, explaining that she could help him drive out the corrupt nobles while she traveled around the city to look for clues about her past.

He told her that it had been nearly a decade since the nobles had filled the power vacuum after the king's death, with the royal family having collapsed soon after. While the nobles lived in opulence, they exploited the citizens by not only raising taxes but also by slashing wages and protections for laborers. However, Jerome explained that their city had a story about how a legendary knight could make their lord into a king, believing that she could help him restore Ristonia to its rightful state. Though Adelaide protested at his insistence that she would serve him, Jerome took her lack of denial as agreement. They disguised themselves in robes and began to retreat to his base. On the way, Adelaide began to explain what was left of her memories. Jerome was surprised at how little they had to go on, but he promised that he would ask his friends to look into it, as they were masters of investigation. Adelaide then agreed to help him, but only until she regained her memories. Jerome asked how she could be so cold, as she had the power to save an entire kingdom. He then remembered that he had meant to give her something and bestowed a knight's token, a necklace which he explained was a family heirloom, and told her that she could sell it for a handsome price if she decided that she couldn't trust him. He then realized that he had never asked for her name. When Adelaide told him her name, Jerome replied that it was too long to shout out in the middle of an emergency, and so he decided to call her Adele against her protests. He also told her that since his name was also long, she could call him Jerome for short.

At the fountain, he swore that he would use her power to save Ristonia. Adele then decided to play along until she got her bearings. After swearing their oath, Jerome welcomed her to Ristonia, Grandis' capital of art and culture. He then led her to the hideout of the Uprising, which he explained was a revolution that he had created in order to overthrow the corrupt nobles. There, one of the revolutionaries told Jerome that someone had been tearing down their fliers that denounced the nobles. Jerome told them not to worry, as they now had the support of a legendary knight. Adele was less than impressed by their small rag-tag militia, but she decided to entertain Jerome nevertheless. Jerome explained that his goal was to become the king of Ristonia and restore the kingdom to its former glory. He aimed to do so by eliminating the greedy nobles who plagued the people, Count Cedric in particular. He told Adele that before the royal family had collapsed, Cedric had been a low-ranking royal who had quickly risen to become the most powerful of the nobles in the absence of the royal family. As he was telling his story, Adele saw a flash of light and began to warn him of a possible attack. Jerome looked up to see a small creature floating about and laughed, explaining that the creature was named Boo, and that he had the power to transform into different kinds of objects. He then raised a toast to Adele joining their ranks.

Investigating the Count

The next day, Jerome found that Adele had been standing all night at the fountain square. She then saw two men beginning to play the bass and violin and decided to investigate, believing that they were wielding weapons. Jerome laughed at the fact that she had never seen an instrument before and told her that she would have the chance to get used to modern life by helping him with his missions, explaining that the musicians could help them get information about Count Cedric. At Adele's confusion, Jerome told her that it was said that if one wanted to hear about the latest gossip, they only needed to listen to the music on the streets. Adele watched as Jerome went to speak with the musicians for a few moments before returning. He told her that the musicians had lost their motivation because they hadn't been getting any tips, likely because the people walking the streets had been taxed dry, and so Adele defeated Town Square Pot monsters in order to collect Ristonian Silvers, which she used to pay the musicians. After tipping the musicians, they played a song that revealed Count Cedric's obsession with the royal arts festival. Jerome told Adele that the festival was an event where artwork from all across Grandis was exhibited, with the highlight of the festival being the artwork presented by the Ristonia royal family. Jerome wondered why Cedric was so obsessed with the festival while his kingdom collapsed around him, speculating that there could be some ulterior motive beyond just showing off. After learning all that they could from the musicians, Jerome decided to look through the newspapers. As he struggled to explain newspapers to Adele, she allowed him to continue, even though she knew what they were, as she found his flustered gesticulations entertaining. Jerome noticed her laughing and asked her what she was laughing at, to which Adele lied and told him that she had a tickle in her throat. Though Jerome didn't believe her, he told her that whatever the reason, it was nice to hear her laugh.

After Adele collected the Ristonian Dispatch from the Monstrous News Machines, Jerome was disappointed to see that it was filled with unflinchingly positive propaganda for the Count. However, Jerome noticed that there was an advertisement about an old painting, and though it didn't reveal the author's identity, it had a peculiar description of the painting. Jerome noted that it only described the back side of the painting, meaning that the person who had placed the advertisement didn't know what the front looked like. He also realized that the address given for inquiries was Cedric's old residence, which he speculated was to ensure that the general public couldn't trace the advertisement back to him. Jerome found it suspicious that someone in Cedric's position should feel the need to cover up something as mundane as buying a painting, and so he decided to visit some acquaintances whom he believed might know more about the painting. As he wanted to go alone, he asked Boo to show Adele around the city in the meantime. Soon after, Adele and Boo returned to the hideout, where Jerome introduced her to his colleagues, Brook and Laddie. He told her that they were experts in acquiring information, and so he had asked them to look into her past. Based on the information that she had provided about her memories, they concluded that her memories could only be about the Flora Civil War, which had happened centuries ago. While they continued to look through old manuscripts about the war, they also learned about the painting that Cedric was looking for. They explained that the painting was being stored in the basement of an antiques store, and that they had also found a way inside. However, they told Adele that she and Jerome would need to investigate the painting that very evening, as it was scheduled for sale the next morning. Jerome told Adele that he knew that some of their actions might not sit right with her, but he assured her that it was all for saving their kingdom, as he could never forgive himself for not doing everything in his power to save Ristonia. He then asked if she would still be willing to break into the shop with him, to which Adele accepted.

That night, they broke into the basement and found the painting that Cedric was after, which appeared as though it had been ripped by hand from a larger work. Jerome suspected that Cedric intended to reunite it with the rest of the work, which was likely why his advertisement didn't mention anything on the front of the painting, as he may not have even known what was on it. Jerome realized that they wouldn't be able to learn any more until the painting was reassembled, and so he placed a tracking device on the back of the canvas. As Jerome moved to put the painting back in its frame, he sneezed from the dust and fell backwards, causing a sword to fall down. Adele found the sword to be oddly familiar and recognized it as a practice sword. She was then flooded with a memory of her youth, in which she recalled sparring with a girl. As Adele reached out to help the girl up, their sword instructor chastised her for showing empathy towards her opponent. As the girl got up with tears in her eyes, she told Adele not to be a show-off, venom dripping from her words. Adele then heard Jerome trying to wake her up. He asked her if she was alright, as she was clutching the training sword tightly. After Adele told Jerome about the memory that she had remembered, Jerome suggested that they return to the hideout, as they had learned all they could.

Infiltrating Cedric's Residence

A few days later, a hooded Jerome met a hooded Adele in front of the fountain, where he told her that he hadn't had any luck browsing the antique shop or the royal archives for any objects that might help Adele regain her memory. Despite their lack of fortune, Adele could still feel that there was energy somewhere in Ristonia that matched that of the training sword, and so she was certain that it was hidden somewhere nearby. Jerome then realized that they hadn't yet checked Cedric's residence and believed that a relic of the Flora Civil War might be in his extravagant collection. They returned to the hideout, where Brook and Laddie greeted them and reported that they had finished their investigation. They explained that the tracking device, which Jerome had placed on the painting, seemed to be indicating that it was in Cedric's residence. Laddie added that all the advertisements for the paintings had disappeared from the local papers, likely meaning that Cedric had found all the pieces that he was after. Laddie then told them that Cedric's residence had once been an outbuilding of the royal palace, where the king used to store his cherished artworks, sculptures, and other baubles. It was also rumored that the king had constructed a secret treasure vault somewhere inside the outbuilding. Regarding infiltrating the residence, Brook told them that a known secret passage located on the west side of the square was said to lead to the residence, though no one had ever been able to get it open. Based on their intelligence, Jerome formulated a plan of infiltration. He told Adele that they would enter through the secret passageway, as there was no other way to get in without raising an alarm with the tight security. Though Brook was hesitant, as the passageway had never been opened before, Jerome was adamant, claiming that it would ensure that the Count would never expect it. He told them that he, Adele, and Boo would infiltrate the residence, while Brook and Laddie would have a special assignment.

Jerome, Boo, and Adele then headed over to a manhole near the Western Square, where they struggled in vain to open it. They soon noticed an inscription written on the cover: “The knights pledge to their liege their final breath, only at that last gasp is their watch ended. Only thence are they carried beyond by the waters of dusk.” Jerome quickly realized that it was a riddle referring to the fountain with the knights' statue, but he realized that they had missed their chance, as it had already turned on and off earlier. However, Adele thought that it was unlikely that the passage would only open at a specific time and noticed that below the inscription was a raised illustration of the female knight from the fountain, with her spear looking as though it could be rotated. Adele turned the spear towards the direction of dusk, causing the manhole to open. The trio then climbed down the passageway and soon found another passage covered in moss. Adele climbed up alone and threw down a rope for Jerome. They continued on to find a space filled with Torchlighter monsters. They ducked into another passageway to avoid the monsters and soon reached an abandoned corridor, where Jerome noted that they were directly below Cedric's residence. He suspected that the secret passageways had been built for the royal family and their servants long ago, and suspected that the entrance to the outbuilding had to be nearby. After some searching, they came across three doors covered in brambles. Adele thought about cutting the brambles with her swords, but feared that the debris might hit Jerome, and so she gathered embers from the Torchlighter monsters in the previous passageway and used them to burn down the brambles. Jerome tried the middle door first and found that it was locked and that it had two keyholes.

They then entered the door on the left, where they found several old chests. Inside the chests were bats that Adele cut down, after which they discovered the first key. They then entered the door on the right, where they discovered more chests. As Jerome and Adele split up to look for clues, Adele opened a chest and discovered an old glove, the same kind worn by knights of the royal family. Upon touching it, she was consumed by a memory of her hunting down and executing a former Knight of the Einherjar, whom she had accused of abusing his station as a knight and dishonoring the God-King. As Adele had put her blade to the traitor's throat, the knight had seen Veronica nearby and had pleaded with her for mercy, claiming that they were friends. However, Veronica had merely told him that the decision wasn't up to her, but rather, it was the platoon leader's duty to mete out judgment. With no hesitation, emotion, or thought of mercy, Adele had swiftly brought down her sword and killed the traitor. Veronica had noted that Adele had coldly passed judgment without a second thought, but Adele had told her that she had merely fulfilled her duty as a knight, with no thought of vengeance. Meanwhile, Jerome found the key and came over to Adele, who was standing frozen in thought. She was shocked by the memory and the realization that she had carried out an order to kill someone. Though she knew that she had been carrying out justice, she still felt a strange sense of guilt about telling Jerome what she had seen, and so she refrained from mentioning it. Jerome told her that he had found the key and asked her if she was alright, but Adele dismissed his concerns and told him that even if she wasn't, she wouldn't allow it to get in the way of her mission. They then returned to the corridor and used the two keys to open the middle door, which led to a treasure room filled with gold, jewels, and even the king's crown.

Suddenly, the ground rumbled as the door sealed itself shut. Jerome noticed that a nearby hatch was the only way out, but realized that it was locked. After searching the treasure room, he picked up the crown and read the inscription on it: “Those who would seek the crown must learn to sacrifice the few for the many. Art thou worthy of the throne?” He told Adele that based on what he had read about the royal family, the hatch was a revolving door designed to let a single person through and never open again. Adele thought that since Boo could transform into an object, Jerome could slip outside with Boo, leaving her to use her full power in order to tear down the door. Jerome told Adele that if he wanted to become the king, he would need to sacrifice for the greater good. However, he refused to go along with the choice laid out before him, claiming that a king led, not followed. He then placed several jewels in the hatch, keeping it stuck halfway, allowing the trio to escape together. Adele was impressed and began considering that Jerome was indeed a worthy heir to the crown. After going through the hatch, they found themselves inside the Count's residence. Because of the high security, Jerome instructed Boo to sneak past the servants by taking the form of random objects along the way in order to get to the other side of the house and cause a distraction. With Boo's aid, they were able to make it to the Count's study, where they hid behind the curtains and lay in wait. There, they overheard Simon telling Cedric that based on the restored painting, a key was needed to awaken the Ancient God.

Cedric mused that there wasn't much time left until the arts festival, but he hoped that it would give them an opportunity, as he believed that there would likely be a High Flora officer in attendance. He instructed Simon to continue searching for the key in the meantime. Simon asked if his plan was wise, as according to the painting's interpretation, meddling with the power of the Ancient Gods would bring about a great calamity in Ristonia, the kind that would destroy the entire kingdom. Cedric dismissed his concerns, claiming that he was only handing the key to the High Flora, and whether they chose to awaken the Ancient God was none of his business. He vowed that he would do whatever it took to secure his standing, as he could never survive living as a peasant. Adele wondered who the Ancient God could be and why they were awakening them if it meant Ristonia's doom. Suddenly, Boo transformed back into his usual form, unable to hold his disguise any longer. Simon and Cedric immediately discovered them and called for security. Jerome gave Brook the emergency signal, and moments later, flares were sent up from a nearby building. Adele immediately grabbed Jerome and jumped out the window to the opposite rooftop. Jerome, flustered at being carried bridal-style by Adele, told her to put him down. At his insistence, Adele put him down, but ordered him to stay behind her at all times. Adele then fought her way past the guards, escorting Jerome safely to a faraway rooftop. Suddenly, she felt faint and passed out, as though she had returned to the Void.

Some time later, she awoke on a boat with Jerome, who explained that he had snuck past the guards while carrying her and sailed away. Adele was dazed, wondering if her time in Ristonia had been an illusion and whether she was still trapped in the Void. Jerome asked Adele what she was thinking and told her that she sometimes seemed as though she were a thousand miles away, as though he and everything else weren't real. However, he insisted that he was real and told her that though he knew that it was hard for her to have awoken centuries after her time, he would still be there for her and added that she was always free to make a home in Ristonia. He then laughed and asked if he was being too sentimental, though he assured her that though she carried a large weight on her shoulders, she was not alone. His words caused Adele to smile for the first time since they had met, and Jerome told her that he hoped that she would have more to smile about in the future.

The Arts Festival

A few days later, Brook and Laddie returned to the hideout and told Jerome that they had been unable to find the key. However, they did find a strange article in the newspaper about the arts festival, in which Cedric had revealed in an interview that he had discovered a work that would reveal shocking secrets from the kingdom's past. Knowing that Cedric planned to sell the key, Jerome vowed to stop him. Brook and Laddie told them that they had managed to obtain a pair of invitations to the festival and explained that it was a masquerade ball. On the day of the arts festival, Jerome, Boo, and Adele made their way to Cedric's residence. Adele was feeling distracted by her earlier vision of the Void, terrified at the thought of her reality being stripped away at any time. However, she forced herself to focus, telling herself that after their mission, her duty as a knight would end, and she and Jerome would go their separate ways. Just then, Boo flew away on his own. Jerome explained that Boo usually did whatever he wanted and told Adele that he needed to meet up with Brook and Laddie in order to ensure that the preparations were complete. He handed Adele a mask and told her to enjoy herself in the meantime. She then realized that the masquerade was about to start and went to wait for Jerome in the ballroom.

Soon after, a masked Jerome approached her and asked for a dance, explaining that they needed to blend in. Though Adele told him that she didn't dance, Jerome laughed that he would teach her and pulled her to the dance floor. Seeing Jerome dressed up made Adele admit to herself that he was rather dashing, and that it was hard to believe that he was the same naive boy whom she had been following around. As they danced, Jerome told Adele that he had been meaning to tell her something about his family. Just then, Adele was pulled away by a masked Veronica. Though Adele was unable to remember her, Veronica clearly made it known that she remembered Adele, mocking her for her memory troubles from her imprisonment in the Void. Adele demanded to know who she was, but Veronica told her that it wouldn't be fun to simply give away the answer. Adele threatened her, claiming that she could strike her down in an instant, but Veronica merely mocked Adele for always thinking with her sword, asking if she really planned to attack her in front of a crowd. She told Adele that there was no point in fighting with her in her weakened state, and that the next time they met, she wanted Adele to have recovered her full strength. With that, she vanished into the crowd.

Just then, Cedric announced that the exhibit presentation would begin momentarily. Jerome told Adele that when the lights went out, they needed to grab the key and escape. Brook and Laddie cut the lights, and Jerome rushed to the stage in order to grab the key. However, he realized that behind the curtain wasn't a key, but a painting of his father, the last king of Ristonia. Worried about the lack of signal, Adele decided to pull Jerome out. Suddenly, the Count's guards surrounded the two and put metal shackles on their wrists. After Cedric told the guards to take them away, the lights came back on, and Cedric revealed the painting, explaining that it depicted the folly of the late royal family, which he claimed had driven the kingdom to financial ruin. Back in the Count's room, the guards tied up Jerome and Adele before leaving. Adele asked Jerome why he hadn't told her about his true identity, to which Jerome explained that it would have complicated matters and that it wasn't a title that he was proud of either. He apologized for dragging her into his mess and told her to escape when the first opportunity presented itself, even if it meant leaving him behind. Just then, Cedric and Simon arrived. Cedric told Adele that he was freeing her from Jerome's clutches, but Adele told him that she would never serve as his knight. Irritated, Cedric had Simon take Jerome away. Meanwhile, Boo snuck past the guards and arrived to free Adele by turning himself into a key. Adele then broke through the window and climbed out of the Count's residence. Adele followed Boo on the trail to Jerome when Boo suddenly stopped at the fountain. Adele then heard a voice coming from the goddess statue, telling her to rekindle the flames of her oath.

Defeating Count Cedric

Meanwhile at the old keep, Cedric was attempting to obtain the key to awakening the Ancient God. Realizing that it could only be activated by one with direct royal lineage, he forced Jerome to open the grate that hid the key. Back in the town, Adele met up with Brook, Laddie, and the rest of the Uprising. They told Adele that the Count had taken Jerome to the old keep, and Adele immediately rushed to free him. Along with Boo, she fought her way up the tower past the guards. As Cedric approached Jerome to execute him, Jerome silently pleaded for Adele to rescue him, just as he had first wished at the fountain. Sure enough, Adele reached the belltower, where she declared that she had come to fulfill her oath to her liege, Jerome, the last prince and rightful heir of Ristonia. Cedric dragged Jerome to the top of the spire, leaving Simon to deal with Adele. After a surprisingly longer battle than expected, Adele managed to defeat Simon and rushed after Cedric. On the ground, the Uprising succeeded in defeating Cedric's guards. Just as Adele advanced on Cedric, she felt the Void pulling at her once again, causing her to collapse. Cedric was impressed by Simon for having weakened a legendary knight and told her that once he delivered the key to the High Flora, his throne would be safe at last. He then threw Jerome over the edge of the spire and walked away. With the last of her strength, Adele jumped after Jerome and grabbed onto him, barely floating in midair with her burnt wings. Jerome told Adele that even though he had told her to save herself, he was glad that she had come back for him. Suddenly, fireworks began to burst in midair. Jerome laughed at Adele, who thought that they were under attack, and explained what they were. Looking at Jerome's smile, Adele realized that she had never used to smile before she had met him, and she felt that being with him gave her hope that even someone like herself was worthy of happiness.

Some time later, Adele and Jerome arrived at the fountain square, where they found a newly-built monument. Jerome explained that it was called “The Heroes of the People”, funded by the people of Ristonia after hearing how the Uprising had stood up to the Count. Adele asked what had happened to the real key, to which Jerome explained that he had pickpocketed Cedric while he had been talking. He told her that he planned to take the key far away from Ristonia in order to keep it out of the wrong hands, adding that they could say their goodbyes after the Uprising's celebration. Back at the hideout, Jerome's comrades reported that they had successfully redistributed the riches of the nobles who had deserted the town. Brook and Laddie asked Jerome to take them with him, but Jerome told them that they needed to stay behind and lead the Uprising in his absence. He then asked them to give Adele the results of their investigation. After absorbing the information that she had read, Adele told Jerome that she planned to head to Maple World in order to seek more information about her past. Jerome was sad that they wouldn't see more of each other, but he told her that he was going on his mission alone because his time with her had taught him that he needed to learn how to fend for himself if he hoped to ascend the throne. He also told her that Brook and Laddie had connections both within and beyond Ristonia that would help her in her search for her lost memories. He asked her to keep the knight's token that he had given her, telling her that he would ask her to serve as his knight when he was ready to be king.

A Lost Memory

While exploring the Temple of Time, Adele's memories were drained by Dodo. After being told by the Memory Keeper to return to where her adventure began, Adele recalled that her adventures had begun when she had heard Jerome's voice calling out to her from the Void. She wondered whether he had returned to the hideout and decided to call Brook. Brook picked up and put Jerome on the phone, who asked her why she had reached out. Adele told him that she had been thinking about the day that they had met, to which Jerome asked her whether they really had to talk about something so cringey. Adele asked him whether it was an unpleasant memory for him, to which Jerome clarified that he simply got embarrassed when he though back on how immature he used to be back then. He explained that he had done something to get the guards on his case that day, after which he had made his wish and she had appeared like magic. He told Adele that upon seeing her, it had felt as though the whole square had disappeared, which was how he had known. He then quickly clarified that he had meant to say that it was when he known that she was the legendary knight. Adele replied that she had thought him to be a bratty kid, and that it had been hard to believe that she would become his knight. She then noted to herself that the more she worked alongside him, the more she could see why it was that the Uprising followed Jerome. She realized that he wanted the best for Ristonia from the bottom of his heart, and that he would make a fine king someday. She then asked him how his royal education was coming along, to which Jerome told her that it was going well, and that he had Boo to cheer him on for when it became difficult. He added that he owed it to her to make the most of it, since she had saved his life. He then told her to take care before ending the call.

Black Heaven

Feeling homesick before battle against Black Heaven, Adele let Jerome know that she was returning to Ristonia, as she was feeling unsure of herself. Back at the Uprising hideout, Jerome told her that the Alliance was lucky to have her on their side, and that he trusted that whatever Adele decided was the right choice. Hearing Jerome's voice and the lively chatter at the hideout lifted Adele's spirits. Jerome told her that if she ever needed help, he was always available for her. Adele thanked him, she but told him that she didn't want him getting involved, since it wasn't his battle to fight. However, she told him that speaking to him had given her strength and told everyone to take care. As she left, she vowed to herself that she would return safely, as she was still honor-bound to protect Jerome once he became king.

Confronting Veronica

As Adele continued regaining her powers, she grew more confused and wondered why she had been called to take up her blade after having spent so long in the Void. She decided to return to the goddess statue in Ristonia for answers, but the statue remained silent. Suddenly, she saw a paper airplane sailing down to her and opened it to find a letter that asked her to meet atop the tallest spire at the bell's sixth toll. There, she encountered Veronica and several High Flora soldiers. Veronica reminded Adele that at the masquerade ball, she had promised that they would meet again. Now that Adele recognized her and had returned to full strength, Veronica invited her to face off again. Suddenly, Adele found herself being dragged back into the Void, where she felt the magic that had carved her soul into a hundred and seven pieces. There, she found the 108th sliver of her soul, which told Adele that it was her fate to stay in the Void for eternity as punishment for having failed their lord. Adele then raised her blades and fought the phantom, but no matter how many times she defeated it, the other Adele told her that her imprisonment was the only way to atone. Adele told the phantom that she couldn't stay, as she had made an important promise.

However, the Void began wiping away her memories and she soon discovered that she couldn't recall what that promise was. As she collapsed on the ground, the pendant that Jerome had given her clattered on the floor. Seeing the pendant, Adele was able to recall memories of Jerome and the oath that they had sworn together. Suddenly, the fountain's voice rang through the darkness and triggered another of Adele's hidden memories, allowing her to recall that it was Veronica, not herself, who had betrayed the God-King. She then used all her strength to pull herself out of the Void. Veronica was shocked and angered that Adele had freed herself and used her magic to deflect Adele's blades. Laughing that Adele was still no match for her, she declared that her business was over. Just then, Jerome arrived, and Veronica told him to look after Adele before vanishing. Adele and Jerome then went to the fountain, where she told him the full truth behind the death of the God-King. Adele warned Jerome that Darmoor was committed to unearthing the ancient power that Jerome's key unlocked and asked him to be careful. They then parted ways, leaving Adele to wonder whether she had unearthed all the memories because of the mysterious statue. She then sensed that its light had awakened a new power within her, granting her greater strength.

Aftermath

After the battle against the Black Mage, Adele returned to Ristonia in order to see Jerome, but she was disappointed to find that he wasn't at the hideout. However, Brook and Laddie welcomed Adele and told her that they had heard the news about her role in fighting the Black Mage. They then gave her a letter that they had been meaning to give her, though they hadn't been able to deliver it without knowing where she was. Adele briefly wondered whether it was a trick from Veronica, but after opening it, she found that it was from Jerome. Jerome had written that he had been following the news about her, and that people everywhere were talking about her. He asked if she remembered how she had saved him at the spire and told her that it was the first time that he had ever seen her smile. He had vowed that day that he would keep her smiling by his side, but he knew that she would be in danger if he was always so weak that she needed to protect him. Because of that, he had decided that he would become a strong king whom no one would challenge.

He reminded her about the key that they had found that could awaken an Ancient God and supposed that it hid an amazing secret, considering how highly sought after it was by the High Flora. Because of this, he revealed that he was searching for a new ally, and that he was following rumors of a new faction opposing the High Flora at the outskirts of Grandis. Jerome jokingly mentioned that he might even be able to make them his new subordinates if he was lucky, adding that though he still wasn't sure what the key unlocked, he laughed that it might unlock a power that could save the whole world. Until then, he asked Adele to take care of herself, reminding her that she was his only knight. Adele was glad to know that Jerome was safe, though she wished that she could have seen him. To her surprise, Boo manifested before her and Adele asked Brook and Laddie when they had received the letter. They told her that they had received it ten minutes ago at the fountain square, where someone had given it to one of their members. She immediately rushed to the fountain, but found no one there. Suddenly, the fountain began glowing and Adele heard the voice of the goddess statue telling her to unburden herself of the past and to ignite the flames of her oath for her new liege, as deeper darkness was approaching. Just then, Jerome was led to the fountain by Boo. Startled to see Adele there, he told Boo that he didn't want to present himself to her until he became stronger. He then hoped that Adele would wait for him until then. Though he tried to slip away unseen, Adele watched him leave and silently promised to wait for him as well.

Meeting the Primacy

Following the battle of Tenebris, Jerome began wandering Grandis in an attempt to find the Primacy. Some time after the Morning Star Banquet, Jerome successfully made contact with the Primacy and arranged a meeting with Iker and Khafdi, claiming that he had crucial information about the Apostles. In order to legitimize his credentials, Jerome claimed to be a great monarch, prompting Iker and Khafdi to agree to meet him. During the mission to Geardock, however, Ailene and Kelly learned that both Iker and Khafdi had been wounded during the meeting, though Jerome and his condition remained unknown.