healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2020-06-11 07:24 pm
healingbonds) wrote2020-06-11 07:24 pm
Prelude to the Festival and Justice | Chapter 4
Chapter 3 << | index | >> Chapter 5
Riquet: No matter what danger lies ahead, we should forge forward without fear since God has bestowed us with special powers.
I’m not afraid of danger, and I’m not just going to leave matters to Oz. I didn’t want to say this, but...... Figaro, I think what you said was a little irresponsible.
Mitile: Riquet......
Figaro: That might be true. I’m a lazy scaredy-cat, after all.
Riquet: ......I’ve had enough. Let’s go, Cain.
Riquet turns his back on us, and makes his way towards the ruins. Cain follows after him, waving at the Southern wizards.
Cain: Don’t worry about it. It’s reassuring to have reliable comrades guarding our backs. We’ll be going, then.
Rutile: Take care!
Mitile: Ah...... Please come back if it gets dangerous!
Riquet: I won’t come back!
Cain: Hey, Riquet. Right, we’ll catch you later!
Akira: Wait! I’m coming too!
Startled, I break into a run. At that moment, I feel a tug at my arm, and nearly fall forward.
Akira: Woah.....!
Figaro: Sir Sage, hold up.
Akira: Figaro...... I’m going with the Central wizards. They might need me for something......
Figaro: Hmm...... Got it. Well, I won’t stop you, but say this to Oz first: "Tell me the whole situation."
Akira: The whole situation?
Figaro: That’s right. Ask him when no one else is around. "Don’t play dumb. Are you going to let the Sage die?"
Akira: Die..... Am I going to die!?
Figaro: Of course not. You’ll be fine as long as Oz is there. But you need to be forceful, or else that blockhead probably won’t open his mouth.
Akira: The whole situation...... What do you mean by that? Does Oz have something to do with this city?
Figaro: I can’t tell you; try asking Oz. Sorry for sending you off into danger, Sir Sage.
Akira: So it is dangerous.....?
Figaro: Mesa is a cursed city, after all.
He gazes at the ruins of Mesa with a fearless, sharp expression uncharacteristic of the normally mild-mannered Figaro. Behind him, the Southern wizards come running.
(Footsteps)
Rutile: Dr. Figaro, what are you two talking about? If Sir Sage is going, we should also......
Mitile: Yeah! Riquet might be thinking that we’re cowards...... But I’m hardworking, and I’m not scared!
Lennox: Dr. Figaro. At the very least, I should go......
Figaro: It’s fine. We can leave it to Oz and Sir Sage. Well then, Sir Sage, take care.
Akira: Y-Yes.
(Am I really going to face death? I don’t want that......)
(I’m supposed to ask Oz about the situation first......Oh! I can see everyone up ahead.)
Riquet: Hmm? I hear footsteps running up to us...... Is it Mitile?
Arthur: Sir Sage...... Are you coming along as well?
Cain: You could have just waited for us back there. Are you okay?
Akira: ........Yes..... Uh, um, Oz.
I call out Oz’s name while trying to catch my breath. Wordlessly, Oz turns around.
Akira: I have something I’d like to ask you about. Just the two of us, if possible.
Oz: Why?
Akira: Figaro said it’s better to ask you without everyone around......
Oz: ............
Oz’s brows furrow together into a troubled expression.
However, feeling the gazes of Arthur and the others on him, Oz raises his face with a start.
Oz: The rest of you go on ahead.
Arthur: Do you have something to say to Sir Sage without us around?
Cain: What is it?
Riquet: We don’t mind if you talk in front of us.
Oz: ............
With guileless innocence, the other Central wizards pepper Oz with a barrage of questions. It is rare to see Oz shrink back like this.
Oz: ......It’s fine, just go on ahead. We’ll catch up soon.
The three of them look at each other, and obediently go on ahead. Oz lowers his eyes with a sigh of relief, looking down at me.
Oz: Well, what did Figaro say?
Akira: He told me to ask you about the whole situation in advance. And also this: "Are you going to let the Sage die?"
Oz shakes his head, disheartened.
Oz: I won’t let you die.
Akira: That’s a relief...... What did he mean by the whole situation? Is it something you can’t say in front of everyone else?
Oz presses his lips together with a bitter expression. He speaks quietly, looking over the remains of the bleached-white ruins spread out under the blue skies.
Oz: I destroyed it.
Akira: Eh?
Oz: I destroyed the city of Mesa.
Akira: Eh......!?
I am bewildered; Oz simply looks at me without saying anything.
It was Oz who destroyed the city...... I can’t bring myself to believe such a shocking tale right away, but Oz wouldn’t lie.
My heart thumps loudly in my chest. I feel my fingertips turning cold and my breathing getting shallow, as scenes of the tremendous magic that Oz performed earlier flash through my mind.
The strongest, most fearsome wizard in the world; the cruel and ruthless demon king.
I don’t want to think of him that way— the man standing in front of me with such peaceful eyes.
Akira: ......Why did you destroy Mesa?
Oz: I have no intention of telling you.
Akira: Y-you’ll make Arthur sad. He believes in you, you know.
(Wind rustling)
Oz narrows his eyes, as a strong wind whips around him. The gesture distorts his face with pain.
Oz: He is the prince of Central Country. He should never have admired me in the first place.
Akira: But......
Oz: This, too, is fate. The souls of Mesa’s people are still wandering out here. Once they find me, they will probably take their resentment out on me.
Oz casts his gaze around him. Faint, wavering presences flicker and sway around him like hazy mirages.
It feels like the shadows—as indistinct as illusions—are calling out Oz’s name, their voices filled with violent rage and dark hatred.
(Murmuring dark shadows gathering)
???: ......Oz......
Chapter 3 << | index | >> Chapter 5
Riquet: No matter what danger lies ahead, we should forge forward without fear since God has bestowed us with special powers.
I’m not afraid of danger, and I’m not just going to leave matters to Oz. I didn’t want to say this, but...... Figaro, I think what you said was a little irresponsible.
Mitile: Riquet......
Figaro: That might be true. I’m a lazy scaredy-cat, after all.
Riquet: ......I’ve had enough. Let’s go, Cain.
Riquet turns his back on us, and makes his way towards the ruins. Cain follows after him, waving at the Southern wizards.
Cain: Don’t worry about it. It’s reassuring to have reliable comrades guarding our backs. We’ll be going, then.
Rutile: Take care!
Mitile: Ah...... Please come back if it gets dangerous!
Riquet: I won’t come back!
Cain: Hey, Riquet. Right, we’ll catch you later!
Akira: Wait! I’m coming too!
Startled, I break into a run. At that moment, I feel a tug at my arm, and nearly fall forward.
Akira: Woah.....!
Figaro: Sir Sage, hold up.
Akira: Figaro...... I’m going with the Central wizards. They might need me for something......
Figaro: Hmm...... Got it. Well, I won’t stop you, but say this to Oz first: "Tell me the whole situation."
Akira: The whole situation?
Figaro: That’s right. Ask him when no one else is around. "Don’t play dumb. Are you going to let the Sage die?"
Akira: Die..... Am I going to die!?
Figaro: Of course not. You’ll be fine as long as Oz is there. But you need to be forceful, or else that blockhead probably won’t open his mouth.
Akira: The whole situation...... What do you mean by that? Does Oz have something to do with this city?
Figaro: I can’t tell you; try asking Oz. Sorry for sending you off into danger, Sir Sage.
Akira: So it is dangerous.....?
Figaro: Mesa is a cursed city, after all.
He gazes at the ruins of Mesa with a fearless, sharp expression uncharacteristic of the normally mild-mannered Figaro. Behind him, the Southern wizards come running.
(Footsteps)
Rutile: Dr. Figaro, what are you two talking about? If Sir Sage is going, we should also......
Mitile: Yeah! Riquet might be thinking that we’re cowards...... But I’m hardworking, and I’m not scared!
Lennox: Dr. Figaro. At the very least, I should go......
Figaro: It’s fine. We can leave it to Oz and Sir Sage. Well then, Sir Sage, take care.
Akira: Y-Yes.
(Am I really going to face death? I don’t want that......)
(I’m supposed to ask Oz about the situation first......Oh! I can see everyone up ahead.)
Riquet: Hmm? I hear footsteps running up to us...... Is it Mitile?
Arthur: Sir Sage...... Are you coming along as well?
Cain: You could have just waited for us back there. Are you okay?
Akira: ........Yes..... Uh, um, Oz.
I call out Oz’s name while trying to catch my breath. Wordlessly, Oz turns around.
Akira: I have something I’d like to ask you about. Just the two of us, if possible.
Oz: Why?
Akira: Figaro said it’s better to ask you without everyone around......
Oz: ............
Oz’s brows furrow together into a troubled expression.
However, feeling the gazes of Arthur and the others on him, Oz raises his face with a start.
Oz: The rest of you go on ahead.
Arthur: Do you have something to say to Sir Sage without us around?
Cain: What is it?
Riquet: We don’t mind if you talk in front of us.
Oz: ............
With guileless innocence, the other Central wizards pepper Oz with a barrage of questions. It is rare to see Oz shrink back like this.
Oz: ......It’s fine, just go on ahead. We’ll catch up soon.
The three of them look at each other, and obediently go on ahead. Oz lowers his eyes with a sigh of relief, looking down at me.
Oz: Well, what did Figaro say?
Akira: He told me to ask you about the whole situation in advance. And also this: "Are you going to let the Sage die?"
Oz shakes his head, disheartened.
Oz: I won’t let you die.
Akira: That’s a relief...... What did he mean by the whole situation? Is it something you can’t say in front of everyone else?
Oz presses his lips together with a bitter expression. He speaks quietly, looking over the remains of the bleached-white ruins spread out under the blue skies.
Oz: I destroyed it.
Akira: Eh?
Oz: I destroyed the city of Mesa.
Akira: Eh......!?
I am bewildered; Oz simply looks at me without saying anything.
It was Oz who destroyed the city...... I can’t bring myself to believe such a shocking tale right away, but Oz wouldn’t lie.
My heart thumps loudly in my chest. I feel my fingertips turning cold and my breathing getting shallow, as scenes of the tremendous magic that Oz performed earlier flash through my mind.
The strongest, most fearsome wizard in the world; the cruel and ruthless demon king.
I don’t want to think of him that way— the man standing in front of me with such peaceful eyes.
Akira: ......Why did you destroy Mesa?
Oz: I have no intention of telling you.
Akira: Y-you’ll make Arthur sad. He believes in you, you know.
(Wind rustling)
Oz narrows his eyes, as a strong wind whips around him. The gesture distorts his face with pain.
Oz: He is the prince of Central Country. He should never have admired me in the first place.
Akira: But......
Oz: This, too, is fate. The souls of Mesa’s people are still wandering out here. Once they find me, they will probably take their resentment out on me.
Oz casts his gaze around him. Faint, wavering presences flicker and sway around him like hazy mirages.
It feels like the shadows—as indistinct as illusions—are calling out Oz’s name, their voices filled with violent rage and dark hatred.
(Murmuring dark shadows gathering)
???: ......Oz......
Chapter 3 << | index | >> Chapter 5