Amakawa Haruto, a twenty year old university student, loses his life when the bus he is on gets into an accident. As his consciousness begins to fade, his one regret is not telling his childhood friend, Miharu, how he felt. She'd disappeared after their high school entrance ceremony

As a reward for saving the kidnapped Princess Flora, Rio has been enrolled in the primary school branch of the Beltrum Royal Academy. However, the students at the academy are mostly the children of royalty and the nobility, and they do not welcome the orphaned Rio. With so many scornful gazes turned toward him, there is one person who worries for him—Celia, a girl of twelve who is nonetheless, at her young age, the lecturer in charge of the primary school

Five years have passed since Rio enrolled in the Royal Academy. The graduation examination, the outdoor practicum, is quickly approaching. Celia listens with mixed feelings as Rio talks of his plans to go to his parents' homeland, the Yagumo region, after he graduates

After bidding farewell to Celia, Rio has left the kingdom of Beltrum and arrived in the market town of Amande in the neighboring kingdom of Galarc. The food stalls near the castle gates sell dishes called "pasta" and "manjuu," leading Rio think that the person who developed the them, Liselotte, might have memories of living in Japan, like he does. After leaving the town and entering the forest, Rio comes across a young girl collapsed in his path

Rio and Latifa have entered a forest in the Wilderness. While she's sleeping, they're surrounded by a band of what appear to be demi-humans. The girls reveal themselves to be People of the Spirits

It's been over a year since Rio began living in the village, and now the day of the Grand Spirit Festival has arrived. With the blessing of the great tree spirit Dryas, Rio is recognized as a sworn friend to the People of the Spirits. That night, while everyone is having fun and feasting, Rio tells Latifa that he intends to leave the village

Rio has left the village of the People of the Spirits and headed for his parents' homeland, Yaugumo. Unable to find any information on them, Rio searches and encounters the head of a small village in the Karasuki Kingdom, Yuba. When Rio tells Yuba the names of his parents, she's shocked—she and Rio have a profound connection

Rio and the others have traveled to the royal capital of the Kingdom of Karasuki with the village's annual tribute as guards. With their duties fulfilled, Rio and Sayo head into the castle town. They enjoy a meal and are doing some shopping when wandering warriors attempt to abduct a young girl

Having once again firmed his resolve to avenge his mother, Rio tells Yuba that he intends to return to the Strahl region. But prior to that journey, he passes peaceful, happy days in the village, keeping his royal heritage a secret from everyone but his cousin Ruri. Spring arrives, and after learning of Rio's eventual departure, Sayo returns home and collapses in tears

Rio returns home to the village of the People of the Spirits. The next day, he wakes to find an unknown, beautiful, naked girl beside him.?! Latifa and the others peek into the room and chaos ensues, but it turns out that the girl is Rio's bond spirit

Rio is shocked when he learns of Celia's marriage of convenience to Charles Arbor. The wedding is closing in quickly. It's to be held the next day

The moment the carriage carrying Celia arrives at the great temple where the wedding is being held, a dark figure darts toward her, threading nimbly through the crowd. The figure who so easily overpowers the knights acting as guards in order to steal Celia away is Rio. In the face of Rio's straight-forward emotions, asking Celia once again what her will in the matter is, she finally speaks her true feelings