Ballad of the Dreaming Pilot | Chapter 1

[healingbonds]

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???: I hear the < Great Catastrophe > brought about a lot of damage this year. But that’s got nothing to do with me. Time to get to work.
....!? What the hell? Where’d it go!?
You’ve got to be kidding me.... My ship disappeared....!

✦✧☾✧✦

Murr: Watch closely! This guy’s gonna fall off the carriage right after this!
There he goes! Were you surprised?

Chloe: Uh, well. I might’ve been if you hadn’t told us, Murr?

Rustica: How kind of you to prepare us for a surprise, Murr.

Hearing cheerful voices from the common area, I drop by to see the Western wizards all gathered.
Chloe and Rustica sit on the sofa, laughing and yelling at something on the wall, and Murr butts in every now and then with commentary.

Akira: What are you all watching together?

Chloe: Ah, Sir Sage!

Murr: Wanna join us, Sir Sage?

I look to the wall: there’s a faint image of a fancy town and its residents as they go about their daily lives.

Akira: Woah, it’s like a movie....!

Rustica: Was there something similar in your world, Sir Sage?

Akira: Yes. There was a machine that would project images onto the wall.

Murr: That’s interesting! Just like this mirror of past days!

Akira: Huh. So it’s called the mirror of past days. What’s... What’s this image?

Shylock: This is an image of a festival that took place in Western Country, as observed by this little rock.
The mirror of past days is a magical science tool; when you place a recording object into the mirror and cast a spell, it reflects the object’s memories onto the wall. Murr invented it.

Shylock explains, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.
He isn’t fond of magical science; that’s why he was watching at Murr and the others from a slight distance.

Chloe: It’s great how we get to watch these memories together! Hey Murr, how did you invent this thing?

Murr: Umm, I turned myself upside down and just kept sleeping!

Chloe: U-upside down....?

Rustica: That’s amazing. If I sleep upside down, maybe I too can come up with brilliant inventions like Murr.

Shylock: That’s enough nonsense, Murr. What are you going to do if they start sleeping while hanging in midair?

Akira: Was he joking? I almost believed him for a second.....

Shylock: If Murr actually remembered how he created the object, his answer would’ve been slightly more sincere. He must not remember anything.

Akira: Does that mean he can’t invent things like this anymore? So we can’t record new images of you, Shylock....?

Shylock: If Murr has forgotten, then it’s highly unlikely. Please gaze at the present me instead of my past, Sir Sage.

Rustica: Huh? It’s not showing anything now.

Murr: You’re right! Looks like it’s broken! Wonder if I can fix it?

(Footsteps)

That’s when the Central wizards enter the common area. Everyone high-fives Cain so that he can see us.

Akira: Welcome back, everyone. You were investigating a remote forest in Central Country, right? How was it?

Shylock: Welcome back. What sort of investigation was it?

Chloe: What’s wrong? Everyone looks tired.....

Arthur: ...We received a terrifying report a few days ago.
It detailed something peering through the clouds and unleashing a bright light; in the next moment, the whole forest had been burned to the ground.
We went to see if the report was true, and.... It turns out the situation was just as bad as we were told.

Akira: Oh no....

I’m in shock. We did receive a report.
But plenty of reports delivered to the magic headquarters turn out to be falsehoods and exaggerated rumors.
I had asked the Central wizards to investigate the remote forest because we knew few people lived in the area.

Cain: Unfortunately, it wasn’t just a rumor. The silver lining is that nobody was harmed because it occurred a fair distance from the city.

Chloe: So what exactly was going on?

Arthur: We don’t know for sure. But we received some important information from a witness.
They saw a giant shadow through the cracks of the clouds. And....
On that shadow was the crest of Western Country.

Akira: (The crest of Western Country...?)

Breaking the awkward silence that befalls us in that moment, Murr pokes his face out next to Oz.

Murr: It burned the whole forest to the ground? That’s some power! Just like Oz’s thunder!

Riquet: It wasn’t Oz. Because Oz doesn’t bear the crest of Western Country. Look!

Oz: Don’t tug my arm.

Murr: So it wasn’t Oz? Then maybe it was a weapon invented on Langrenus island?

Riquet: Langrenus Island? Where is that.... I’ve never heard of it before.

Chloe: It’s my first time hearing that name too.

Chloe and Riquet are the only ones unfamiliar with the island.

Cain & Arthur: Langrenus Island....

Shylock: ........

Cain and Arthur’s expressions stiffen, and Shylock’s sharp eyes reflect complete disdain.

Akira: Do you three know what that island is like?

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