Clément Dubois
| NPC | Enemy |
Clément Dubois is an NPC in Arknights. He is a major supporting character in Hortus de Escapismo.
Background[edit]
A middle-aged Elafian man of Gaulish descent who hails from Iberia, noted for his frail physical condition, Clément is one of the inhabitants of Sanctilaminium Ambrosii where he acts as a humble gardener, and one of the monastery's caretakers. Little is known about his background other than his family having to flee their ancestral homeland out of embarrassment and destitution, with Clément himself not possessing any specific country citizenship. He and his family used to live in a stranded coastal city in Iberia which was abandoned after the Profound Silence devastated the country, albeit under poor life conditions. At one instance, during a famine that was affecting the city, the Dubois were forced to kill their neighbor next door. Clément eventually sought shelter in the Ambrosii, where he would live for more than a decade.[1]
Being a gardener, Clément has a particular fondness for a certain species of flower that grows in the Ambrosii. Indeed, by the third year after the monastery anchored in the wastes, a Catastrophe destroyed the nearby woodlands, and the sandstorms eroded the few already-poor fields inside the monastery, so Clément proposed the idea of renovating and repurposing the sacrarium into a floral greenhouse. According to the monastery residents' accounts, Clément has an habit of constantly apologizing for anything he does or happens, be it for himself or for others, while always showing his sincerity and punctuality whenever someone quarreled, fell to illness, or passed away, despite not being able to help.[1]
He also has a good relationship with Gerald, to whom he owes him after he and his partner Eileen rescued him from a group of bandits after the later insisted.[2]
Story[edit]
Hortus de Escapismo[edit]
Clément was one of the first to encounter Federico's group when they arrived at the Sanctilaminium Ambrosii. He was initially wary of them, as he expected that Laterano would send people to put charges on them for defying Iberia's orders decades ago.[3] Later, Abbot Stefano suddenly tells him that they would be hosting the sermon today, and requests that he ring the bell.[4] Along the way, he wanted to take a detour and place flowers on Eileen's grave with Gerald, but the latter tells him off, stating he shouldn't follow him.[2]
Regardless, Clément heads up to the sacrarium to pick some flowers. He notes that they have bloomed earlier than usual and are going to wither soon. He pours out his sorrow and grief to Arturia; the growing rift between the monastery's Sarkaz and Sankta residents, the sudden "fall" of Fortuna, and the harsh winters they have had to endure. In response, Arturia plays him a melody, affecting him with her ego liberation Arts and prompting the despondent man to finally take action. Having lost all hope in humanity, he plants a firebomb that would set fire to the sacrarium. While leaving, he runs into Federico and Lemuen. He attempts to dissuade Federico from investigating the sacrarium, but to no avail. The trap triggers and the flames quickly envelop the sacrarium, destroying the holy statue and burning the flower garden.[5]
No one suspects Clément of starting the fire. Later that night, him and Gerald receive intel that Lateran troops have surrounded the monastery. To prevent the situation from escalating, Gerald instructs Clément to offer his head and dagger to the Lateran envoys. He delivers Gerald's last words to Federico: a confession of his crimes and a request to spare the Sarkaz.[6] The next day, he heads up to the sacrarium in search of any flowers that survived. Federico points him to one surviving flower, but Clément says that it is damaged, and therefore "already beyond repair."[7]
Clément's nihilistic views drive him to commit even more drastic actions. During Abbot Stefano's final sermon, Clément heads up to the sacrarium, where he plans to detonate incendiary bombs that would destroy the entire monastery. He is confronted by Federico and confesses, plainly saying that their life at the monastery was always doomed to fall into disarray. Whether or not Federico's group came here, he wishes to destroy everything before it all goes past the point of no redemption. Contrary to his expectations, Federico does not kill him, merely destroying his lighter.[8]
In one last desperate attempt, he consumes the Seaborn-contaminated bread that he had stolen. He had hoped that perhaps assimilating with We Many would provide him with an answer. However, his strong desire for death causes the Seaborn cells to reject him and it poisons him instead. In his last moments, he curses Laterano and its faith, calling it a sham:[9]
| “ | Lateran... Our Paradise is a lie. Your faith is hollow. Any friendship, faith, hope, future... it's all gone. No one can really be saved... No one... no one can truly find redemption... | ” |