healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2020-06-23 04:46 pm
healingbonds) wrote2020-06-23 04:46 pm
Entry tags:
Etude of the Solitary Bandit | Chapter 2
Chapter 1 << | index | >> Chapter 3
A few days later, I visit Bradley’s room, carrying a pot of chilled herb tea and snacks to go along with it.
(Knock knock)
✦✧☾✧✦
It isn’t Bradley who answers the door, but Snow and White.
Snow: My, if it isn’t you, Sage.
White: You’ve come at a good time. We’re just having a tea party with Bradley.
Bradley: I’m not just hosting a tea party because I want to. It’s because these geezers brought over such geezer-like refreshments. You’d normally have booze at a time like this.
Bradley grumbles in complaint, and peers at my hands, raising his eyebrows further.
Bradley: What? Tea from you too?
Akira: S, Sorry... Should I go ask Shylock for alcohol instead?
Bradley: It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s not like I don’t have any in my room.
At that remark, my gaze travels around the room and I catch sight of the bottles of alcohol in the corner.
Akira: (Oh...... It’s the bottle from before......)
Snow: Bradley, thanks for intervening the other day. While we’re at it, we have a favour to ask of you.
Bradley: I refuse. You’re just going to ask me to look after those two, aren’t you? No matter how many lives I have, they won’t be enough.
White: I know we’re asking a lot, but...pretty please?
Akira: Um...... it’s a request from me as well. I don’t mean to force something dangerous on you, but if you can give me some advice when I’m troubled......
Bradley waves a hand, sinking his teeth into the snacks that I brought over.
Bradley: Nope, no way. In the first place, there’s no way for Northern wizards to live under the same roof.
We’ve hung out on a whim before, but we’re basically natural enemies.
We just haven’t clashed until now because Northern Country is so wide.
Listen, the rules in the North are: Don’t go near Oz’s castle. Don’t do bad things near a village that’s under the twins’ protection.
If the elusive Mithra tums up before you, back away with a smile, then run away as fast as your legs can carry you.
Don’t meet Owen’s eyes even if he talks to you.
Akira: And you, Bradley?
Bradley: If you hear his name, tremble in fear and go to sleep. Ahaha! Cool, right?
Bradley laughs good humouredly, tosses the snack in his hand with his thumb, and catches it with his mouth.
Bradley: Anyway, Mithra and Owen aren’t guys that you can just live with. They’re both on edge right now — Owen, because of that youngster.
Akira: That youngster?
Bradley makes a face by pulling down one eye with his finger, pointing to one of his own eyeballs.
Bradley: The guy with the gold eye. Owen likes to harass people, so he stole that youngster’s eyeball as a prank.
But now that guy is going around saying things like "let’s get along for now and live together." No wonder Owen is so irritable.
Akira: Is that how it is.....
Bradley: Mithra’s the same. I hear that the Southern siblings are Tiretta’s sons? Who wants to see the sons of their rival in love?
Akira: Eh, did Mithra really see him as a rival in love?
Bradley: Didn’t he? He was always hanging around that witch.
Snow: We don’t know much about Tiretta. However, this year, many wizards with past connections were brought together. Even Arthur and Figaro were summoned.
White: What about you, Bradley? Do you have any acquaintances amongst the new wizards?
Bradley looks at the twins sideways, and downs the cold herb tea in one gulp.
Bradley: Not this again. I said I didn’t have anyone who was close to me.
Snow: Is that so? If there is someone close to you, then he must be a comrade from your bandit days.
White: Even if there were, you wouldn’t tell us, won’t you? You’re not a man who would sell out his friends.
Akira: (Ah...... So that’s how it is...... Even if there’s someone he knows from his bandit days here, he wouldn’t tell us.)
(After all, it might end up sending that person to prison......)
Bradley: That’s not it. Those underlings didn’t even come to my rescue — I'll take them down with me anytime.
Snow: Northern wizards are self-centered: they hate working in groups, and they have no consideration for others. But you’re different.
White: In the North, you managed to keep a group of wizards in line; you have the talent it takes to bring people together. It’s an exceptional skill for someone who was born in the North.
Bradley: Hmph. Flattery isn’t going to work on me.
Snow: Plus, you’re super handsome.
White: Super strong, too.
Bradley: Heheh......Oh, come on.
Chapter 1 << | index | >> Chapter 3
A few days later, I visit Bradley’s room, carrying a pot of chilled herb tea and snacks to go along with it.
(Knock knock)
✦✧☾✧✦
It isn’t Bradley who answers the door, but Snow and White.
Snow: My, if it isn’t you, Sage.
White: You’ve come at a good time. We’re just having a tea party with Bradley.
Bradley: I’m not just hosting a tea party because I want to. It’s because these geezers brought over such geezer-like refreshments. You’d normally have booze at a time like this.
Bradley grumbles in complaint, and peers at my hands, raising his eyebrows further.
Bradley: What? Tea from you too?
Akira: S, Sorry... Should I go ask Shylock for alcohol instead?
Bradley: It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s not like I don’t have any in my room.
At that remark, my gaze travels around the room and I catch sight of the bottles of alcohol in the corner.
Akira: (Oh...... It’s the bottle from before......)
Snow: Bradley, thanks for intervening the other day. While we’re at it, we have a favour to ask of you.
Bradley: I refuse. You’re just going to ask me to look after those two, aren’t you? No matter how many lives I have, they won’t be enough.
White: I know we’re asking a lot, but...pretty please?
Akira: Um...... it’s a request from me as well. I don’t mean to force something dangerous on you, but if you can give me some advice when I’m troubled......
Bradley waves a hand, sinking his teeth into the snacks that I brought over.
Bradley: Nope, no way. In the first place, there’s no way for Northern wizards to live under the same roof.
We’ve hung out on a whim before, but we’re basically natural enemies.
We just haven’t clashed until now because Northern Country is so wide.
Listen, the rules in the North are: Don’t go near Oz’s castle. Don’t do bad things near a village that’s under the twins’ protection.
If the elusive Mithra tums up before you, back away with a smile, then run away as fast as your legs can carry you.
Don’t meet Owen’s eyes even if he talks to you.
Akira: And you, Bradley?
Bradley: If you hear his name, tremble in fear and go to sleep. Ahaha! Cool, right?
Bradley laughs good humouredly, tosses the snack in his hand with his thumb, and catches it with his mouth.
Bradley: Anyway, Mithra and Owen aren’t guys that you can just live with. They’re both on edge right now — Owen, because of that youngster.
Akira: That youngster?
Bradley makes a face by pulling down one eye with his finger, pointing to one of his own eyeballs.
Bradley: The guy with the gold eye. Owen likes to harass people, so he stole that youngster’s eyeball as a prank.
But now that guy is going around saying things like "let’s get along for now and live together." No wonder Owen is so irritable.
Akira: Is that how it is.....
Bradley: Mithra’s the same. I hear that the Southern siblings are Tiretta’s sons? Who wants to see the sons of their rival in love?
Akira: Eh, did Mithra really see him as a rival in love?
Bradley: Didn’t he? He was always hanging around that witch.
Snow: We don’t know much about Tiretta. However, this year, many wizards with past connections were brought together. Even Arthur and Figaro were summoned.
White: What about you, Bradley? Do you have any acquaintances amongst the new wizards?
Bradley looks at the twins sideways, and downs the cold herb tea in one gulp.
Bradley: Not this again. I said I didn’t have anyone who was close to me.
Snow: Is that so? If there is someone close to you, then he must be a comrade from your bandit days.
White: Even if there were, you wouldn’t tell us, won’t you? You’re not a man who would sell out his friends.
Akira: (Ah...... So that’s how it is...... Even if there’s someone he knows from his bandit days here, he wouldn’t tell us.)
(After all, it might end up sending that person to prison......)
Bradley: That’s not it. Those underlings didn’t even come to my rescue — I'll take them down with me anytime.
Snow: Northern wizards are self-centered: they hate working in groups, and they have no consideration for others. But you’re different.
White: In the North, you managed to keep a group of wizards in line; you have the talent it takes to bring people together. It’s an exceptional skill for someone who was born in the North.
Bradley: Hmph. Flattery isn’t going to work on me.
Snow: Plus, you’re super handsome.
White: Super strong, too.
Bradley: Heheh......Oh, come on.
Chapter 1 << | index | >> Chapter 3