Ansem the Wise's Story, Ienzo's Story, and Vexen's Story: Kingdom Hearts Series Character Files translations

The Kingdom Hearts Series Character Files has received more story translations. These translations are courtesy of @petalscythe!

For those unaware, the Kingdom Hearts Series Character Files features over 200 characters from the entirety of the series thus far, with several short stories from Tomoco Kanemaki (the writer of the Kingdom Hearts light novels).

You can purchase the book for ¥3,080 (approx. $28.03) from the Square Enix e-Store directly or from AitaiKuji, who deliver official and exclusive Japanese pop culture items!

We have covered translations for:

Translations for Ansem the Wise's story "A Peculiar Ansem Report", Ienzo's story "Memories of Childhood", and Vexen's story "Flowers for Intelligence" can be viewed below!

Quote

Ansem the Wise's Story

A Peculiar Ansem Report

My efforts these many years have come to fruition, with the world I govern having become a paradise worthy of being called "Radiant Garden."

How long has it been since I first penned that report? It was such a long time ago, yet it feels like it was only yesterday. And now, I find myself back in Radiant Garden, researching alongside my apprentices once again. I would never have thought this future possible.

I long thought that everything happened due to my own error. But I now see that that was only my pride speaking. I came to despise my own apprentices. Because of that, I took on the name “Darkness in Zero” and swore an oath of revenge upon them. I had no intention of letting my heart be consumed by the darkness gnawing away at it, but perhaps even that arrogance belonged to the darkness.

Now, I live out my days peacefully. However, I know that people—that entire worlds—can easily be swallowed by darkness. I now understand that darkness can lurk anywhere. Anyone could succumb to it. However, even in the deepest darkness, one cannot lose sight of that radiant light. Yes, just the same as this most radiant of gardens returned to its own former glory.

I don’t know if the world can yet forgive a fool such as myself, but I will use what remains of my life for atonement. Nothing more, nothing less.

Quote

Ienzo's Story

Memories of Childhood

How many memories remain from my childhood, I wonder. When I think about hearts and memories, my thoughts always wander there. My memories from when I was very young are terribly vague.

“Ienzo, where are you? Answer me.”

I remember well, Even searching for me with his slightly shrill voice. Ansem the Wise was busy, so often it was Even who looked after me. I would get scolded for going on walks by myself all the time, but I think that came from a place of love. When it came to my studies, I would also be severely reprimanded any time I made simple mistakes in my calculations. At those times, it was Ansem who was kind to me. He would often buy me sea salt ice cream. That sweet-yet-salty ice cream was Ansem’s favourite, so I too would end up eating it quite often.

That reminds me, I have a feeling Even would often get angry with Ansem for that. He would say Ansem was spoiling me too much. Thinking back on it, he may have just been using me as an excuse to have ice cream.

Even now, the memories of my time in those radiant gardens are vividly clear. For this reason, my betrayal could never be excused. But that was a lie.

Now, for the sole purpose of atonement—I live on.

Quote

Vexen's Story

Flowers for Intelligence

What do you think it means to be truly wise?

By continuing to make these dolls, I had hoped I would come to comprehend the heart. I did—or rather, I should say I understood the things that I would never be able to comprehend about hearts. Moreover, I continued to contemplate what it means to be wise. One cannot consider intelligence a separate matter from the heart. For example, say you implanted a brain of advanced intellect in a wild animal. After its intelligence increased, would that animal feel the same things that it felt before? Or would those feelings differ, as one might expect? If intelligence does indeed change the way one feels about the world, then would it not follow that the heart and mind are intimately related? Increasingly, these are the conclusions I arrive at.

We were able to put hearts in our replicas. If we wanted to, we could also elevate their intellectual faculties by any amount. However, my presumption is that being wise is something different entirely. Or rather, I should say that is something I only came to understand once I saw the Keyblade Hero for myself. Or maybe this is still just another attempt of mine to understand it.

Sometimes, the Keyblade Hero takes seemingly foolish actions. But is that foolishness truly at odds with wisdom? I did not think it likely. In terms of sheer results, those foolish actions may in fact have led to the most ideal outcome. If that is the case, then I have started to think that perhaps being wise is a deceitful concept, and it is the fools who are truly the wise among us.

When it comes down to it, I cannot understand wiseness for the same reasons that I cannot understand hearts. It may be something that cannot be reduced to numbers and charts. This is the conclusion I have derived as a scientist.

Setting that aside, of the original 13, I have chosen to be the most foolish of all. In practice, I suppose I was not the one who made that choice, but I agreed to it, so there is no functional difference. I arrived at my conclusion, that the most foolish person of all is actually the wisest, thanks to the Keyblade Hero. If I told the person himself my hypothesis, I’m sure he and his friends would be angry, but it would be the simple truth.

Unfortunately, I was wrong all along. The wisdom I thought I had cultivated was, at best, idiocy. I thought I was trying to be wise so I could be useful to someone, but I lost sight of that goal somewhere along the way. Before I knew it, all I had chased after was intelligence—my scientific findings were all I cared about. I can only say that I was clearly just foolish. Thus, given my theory, I could be considered the most foolish of all. But no, the most foolish of people wrap all the way around to become the wisest—and I could only dream of being so wise.

And now, thanks to the one who appears to be little more than a dunce, the wise man’s plans will fall to ruin.

For that purpose, I, right now, live on.

That is my atonement.

Men like us—in the pursuit of science, we sometimes make terrible mistakes. Lose sight of our mission to help people. But now I can help someone with my research. Now, I can atone.

“Yes! Demyx time!” the fool exclaimed.

There is no one more important than him. This is perfectly suited for him, after all.

Yes, that is the marker of a wise person. Be honest about yourself and don’t lose sight of who you are. I cannot afford to dwell on the past.

Even now, I don’t mind warming the bench. As long as my will is there, all his clever plans will be no match for the fool in front of me. I’m sure of it.

I pray that our plan to outwit the wise man actually works.

It’s all for forgiveness.