healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2022-11-22 12:54 pm
healingbonds) wrote2022-11-22 12:54 pm
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Prelude to the Festival and Desire | Chapter 3
Chapter 2 << | index | >> Chapter 4
Shylock lifts his pipe to his lips and breathes out a cloud of smoke. The decorative butterfly on the pipe begins to glow and flap its wings.
It dances through the air, and, like a lantern illuminating the darkness, sprinkles Shylock’s hands with an array of rainbow sparkles.
Shylock unfurls an old map, and the butterfly lands on a single spot.
Shylock: According to Sir Snow and Sir White, the ancient temple should be here.... Around the City of Wealth.
Nero: The City of Wealth? Isn’t that the capital of Western Country?
Shylock: Indeed. It’s the most populous municipality in Western Country.
The original spirits are not fond of humans. In order to carry out our ritual, we’ll need to keep humans from entering the festival grounds.
It will be quite troublesome keeping people out in such a bustling city.
Rustica: Are we going to where this butterfly landed? I’ve visited before.
Chloe: Really?
Rustica: Yes; it’s the Heavenly Imperial Palace of the Western royal family. I think Lord Antonio, His Majesty’s cousin, is the current master of the palace.
Akira: He’s the Western King’s cousin? Then isn’t he a really important man....?
Rustica: Don’t worry. He was an adorable four-year-old boy when I met him just a few years ago. He was very friendly, despite knowing me to be a wizard.
Chloe: Even if you met him right before we started traveling together, I guess he’d still be about ten years old? That’s great; it should be easy to talk to a cute little boy!
Rustica: I agree. He was delighted when I showed him my magic. He said he wanted to be a wizard when he grew up.
Chloe: That’s a relief! Then let’s ask our little Count Antonio to vacate the palace just until we can wrap up the festival!
I’m sure it’ll all work out, Sir Sage!
Akira: You’re right!
✦✧☾✧✦
(Woosh)
Shino: So this is the Heavenly Imperial Palace?
Palace worker: Aaagh....! A wizard came in through the window.....!
(Footsteps)
Heathcliff: I-I apologize for startling you..... Ah.... He ran away......
Chloe: Woah....! What a fancy room....! Everyone is all dressed up....!
Akira: This reminds me of those European royal palaces.... The walls, the floors, and even the ceiling are covered with fine decorations.....
Shino: What a palace..... That chandelier alone looks like it’s worth a fortune. Can I bring it home?
Nero: Sure, just make sure they don’t catch you.
Faust: Absolutely not. Nero, you reckless man......
Nero: I’m kidding, okay? Looks like we’re in a casino. Everyone’s playing cards and roulettes.
Shino: What’s a casino?
Murr: It’s where you go to gamble! I love casinos!
Heathcliff: Are you sure it was all right for us to pay a visit without providing any advance notice....? He is a relative of the King.....
Chloe: It’s fine! He knows Rustica, and he’s a little boy who’s fond of wizards!
Nero: I can’t say I feel too welcomed, though.... Everyone’s scowling at us.
Shylock: Why don’t we begin by paying our respects to the Lord of the house. The salon looks to be that way; let’s go.
✦✧☾✧✦
As we head to the salon, we hear delighted cheers and thunderous applause.
Chloe: Sounds like a party. I wonder if they’re celebrating something....?
Noble: Lord Antonio! Congratulations on your sixtieth birthday!
Noble: Happy birthday! Let us offer our blessings to Lord Antonio’s mana stone mines, which will bring prosperity to Western Country for a thousand years to come!
Antonio: Hohoho! Wizards are relics of the past! The future will be built by magical science!
And Western Country shall become the most powerful nation in the world! Let us toast to our eternal glory!
Nobles: Cheers!
Chloe: ......... Sixtieth.....?
Rustica: Huh?
Chloe: Don’t "huh" me.....! Where’s little ten-year-old Antonio!? He’s calling wizards "relics of the past"!
Rustica: Sorry, sorry. When you’ve lived a long life, the flow of time tends to get away from you.
Akira: Huh!? Wait, does that mean.....
Rustica laughs, and shrugs quizzically.
Rustica: It appears that Count Antonio is an elderly man who has long forgotten how he once admired wizards.
Akira: Huuuh!?
While my blood pressure skyrockets, the Western wizards are having the time of their lives.
Murr: Ahaha! That’s so funny!
Shylock: Oh my, that’s hilarious. You mistook a few years for a few decades.
Rustica: Ahaha, my apologies.
Chloe: I-I don’t think we should just be laughing this off!?
Chloe, who has more common sense than the rest of them, goes pale.
That’s when a few guards come running up to us.
(Footsteps)
Guard: There they are! Intruders!
Chapter 2 << | index | >> Chapter 4
Shylock lifts his pipe to his lips and breathes out a cloud of smoke. The decorative butterfly on the pipe begins to glow and flap its wings.
It dances through the air, and, like a lantern illuminating the darkness, sprinkles Shylock’s hands with an array of rainbow sparkles.
Shylock unfurls an old map, and the butterfly lands on a single spot.
Shylock: According to Sir Snow and Sir White, the ancient temple should be here.... Around the City of Wealth.
Nero: The City of Wealth? Isn’t that the capital of Western Country?
Shylock: Indeed. It’s the most populous municipality in Western Country.
The original spirits are not fond of humans. In order to carry out our ritual, we’ll need to keep humans from entering the festival grounds.
It will be quite troublesome keeping people out in such a bustling city.
Rustica: Are we going to where this butterfly landed? I’ve visited before.
Chloe: Really?
Rustica: Yes; it’s the Heavenly Imperial Palace of the Western royal family. I think Lord Antonio, His Majesty’s cousin, is the current master of the palace.
Akira: He’s the Western King’s cousin? Then isn’t he a really important man....?
Rustica: Don’t worry. He was an adorable four-year-old boy when I met him just a few years ago. He was very friendly, despite knowing me to be a wizard.
Chloe: Even if you met him right before we started traveling together, I guess he’d still be about ten years old? That’s great; it should be easy to talk to a cute little boy!
Rustica: I agree. He was delighted when I showed him my magic. He said he wanted to be a wizard when he grew up.
Chloe: That’s a relief! Then let’s ask our little Count Antonio to vacate the palace just until we can wrap up the festival!
I’m sure it’ll all work out, Sir Sage!
Akira: You’re right!
✦✧☾✧✦
(Woosh)
Shino: So this is the Heavenly Imperial Palace?
Palace worker: Aaagh....! A wizard came in through the window.....!
(Footsteps)
Heathcliff: I-I apologize for startling you..... Ah.... He ran away......
Chloe: Woah....! What a fancy room....! Everyone is all dressed up....!
Akira: This reminds me of those European royal palaces.... The walls, the floors, and even the ceiling are covered with fine decorations.....
Shino: What a palace..... That chandelier alone looks like it’s worth a fortune. Can I bring it home?
Nero: Sure, just make sure they don’t catch you.
Faust: Absolutely not. Nero, you reckless man......
Nero: I’m kidding, okay? Looks like we’re in a casino. Everyone’s playing cards and roulettes.
Shino: What’s a casino?
Murr: It’s where you go to gamble! I love casinos!
Heathcliff: Are you sure it was all right for us to pay a visit without providing any advance notice....? He is a relative of the King.....
Chloe: It’s fine! He knows Rustica, and he’s a little boy who’s fond of wizards!
Nero: I can’t say I feel too welcomed, though.... Everyone’s scowling at us.
Shylock: Why don’t we begin by paying our respects to the Lord of the house. The salon looks to be that way; let’s go.
✦✧☾✧✦
As we head to the salon, we hear delighted cheers and thunderous applause.
Chloe: Sounds like a party. I wonder if they’re celebrating something....?
Noble: Lord Antonio! Congratulations on your sixtieth birthday!
Noble: Happy birthday! Let us offer our blessings to Lord Antonio’s mana stone mines, which will bring prosperity to Western Country for a thousand years to come!
Antonio: Hohoho! Wizards are relics of the past! The future will be built by magical science!
And Western Country shall become the most powerful nation in the world! Let us toast to our eternal glory!
Nobles: Cheers!
Chloe: ......... Sixtieth.....?
Rustica: Huh?
Chloe: Don’t "huh" me.....! Where’s little ten-year-old Antonio!? He’s calling wizards "relics of the past"!
Rustica: Sorry, sorry. When you’ve lived a long life, the flow of time tends to get away from you.
Akira: Huh!? Wait, does that mean.....
Rustica laughs, and shrugs quizzically.
Rustica: It appears that Count Antonio is an elderly man who has long forgotten how he once admired wizards.
Akira: Huuuh!?
While my blood pressure skyrockets, the Western wizards are having the time of their lives.
Murr: Ahaha! That’s so funny!
Shylock: Oh my, that’s hilarious. You mistook a few years for a few decades.
Rustica: Ahaha, my apologies.
Chloe: I-I don’t think we should just be laughing this off!?
Chloe, who has more common sense than the rest of them, goes pale.
That’s when a few guards come running up to us.
(Footsteps)
Guard: There they are! Intruders!
Chapter 2 << | index | >> Chapter 4