healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2020-06-27 12:03 am
healingbonds) wrote2020-06-27 12:03 am
Entry tags:
- .mahoyaku,
- .main story,
- .translation,
- bradley,
- cain,
- faust,
- heathcliff,
- mithra,
- murr,
- owen,
- oz,
- shylock,
- snow,
- white
Main Story | Chapter 2 | The Sage's Manual
MahoYaku Masterpost & Translator's Notes
Chapter 1 << | index | >> Chapter 3
Chapter 2: The Sage's Manual
2.1 Ravages of the Catastrophe
2.2 Flame of Life
2.3 The Sage's Power
2.4 An Unbelievable Reality
2.5 Faint Traces of Unease
2.6 All On Your Own
2.7 A Japanese Manual
2.8 Yearning for the Moon
2.1 Ravages of the Catastrophe
Oz: ............
Snow: Oz.
White: Hey, Oz.
Oz: Snow. White.
Snow: How is Faust doing?
White: Can we save him?
Snow: You’re the strongest wizard amongst all of us.
White: If you can’t save him, no one else can.
Oz: My magic hasn’t returned yet. They’re suppressing his pain with herbs for now.
If you have any parting words, go tell him now.
Snow: You’re so cold......
White: This is so sad......
Oz: ............ If the Sage makes it in time, or......
Snow: Oh? It’s the Northern wizards.
White: Hey. Where are you all going?
Mithra: We’ve played our part.
Snow: Mithra. Your comrade is on the brink of death.
Mithra: Huh...... Is that so.
White: What an unconcerned reply.
Snow: You’re an even colder man than Oz.
Mithra: I’m free now that I’ve fulfilled my role. It’s up to me to decide where I want to go.
White: You too, Owen?
Owen: Fufu...... The world almost ended, you say?
Everyone must be crying their eyes out from loss and terror. I have to go and see for myself.
It’s going to be so much fun.
White: As always, you’re a bad boy.
Owen: Haha...... Are you going to punish me? The scary, scary twin teachers of the North.
Snow: Even if we smack you on the bottom, your nature won’t change.
White: You really won’t change.
Owen: I’m glad we’re on the same page. Well then.
(Footsteps)
White: There he goes...... Hmm? What’s wrong, Mithra?
Mithra: Nothing. Owen just beat me to it......
White: Did you miss your chance to walk away?
Snow: You might be impudent, but you’re still a charming child.
Mithra: Huh. Thanks.
Bradley: ......Taking my chance now......
Snow: Hold on, Bradley!
Bradley: Got caught! ......Ugh!
White: You don’t get to walk away freely.
Snow: You’re a prisoner, after all.
We have to return you to your cell.
White: Prisoners should stay put behind bars.
Bradley: Fuck! Let go, you geezers!
Snow: We’re not geezers~.
White: Yeah, we aren’t geezers~.
Bradley: Stop pretending to be kids, you fucking geezers!
Snow & White: Tee hee!
Mithra: Oz.
Oz: ............
Mithra: You call yourself the strongest wizard in the world, yet you were as useless as an infant in the face of the < Great Catastrophe > this time.
Oz: .........It’s not like I call myself that.
Mithra: I’ll overthrow you someday, and claim the title of the world’s strongest wizard for myself.
Please prepare yourself for that day.
Oz: If you hadn’t been summoned as a Sage’s wizard, I would’ve killed you by now.
Mithra: ...........
Oz: Leave.
Mithra: See you another time, then.
(Footsteps)
Oz: ............
White: So Mithra left as well......
Snow: Oz. Mithra left you with a parting shot.
White: You weren’t paying attention, so he used you to stage his exit.
Oz: ......Enough.
Snow: Where are you going?
Oz: I’m going to Faust.
Snow: That’s right, how sad......
White: How very sad......
Bradley: ......Faust...... Is there nothing we can do for that Eastern curseworker?
Snow: Without the Sage here......
White: There’s nothing we can do if the Sage isn’t here.....
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2.2 Flame of Life
Faust: ......hh, ......hh......
White: Faust.
Snow: Have you any desires?
Faust: ......hh, ......haa...... Desires......? I have none......
Bradley: Don’t hold back, Eastern curseworker. You don’t have to play all selfless even in your final moments.
Faust: ............
Bradley: I’ve never really liked the Eastern wizards, they’re all so gloomy and depressing — you especially since you work in curses, but......
You’re an idiot, risking your life like that for your comrades — but I don’t hate idiots like you.
White: Bradley......
Snow: You’re a good boy, Bradley.
Bradley: Shut up! Don’t call me a good boy. I'm a Northern wizard — the kind that strikes fear into crying children — and the boss of the strongest, most vicious gang of bandits there's ever been.
Snow: Does anything come to mind, Faust?
White: You heard Bradley. Don’t hold back.
Faust: ............ No.....
Those frivolous humans will find a way to destroy themselves without me having to lift a finger......
......Serves them right...... It’s what they deserve......
Heheheh...... Hahahahaha......
Bradley: ............ Yeah, he really is gloomy and depressing......
Snow: Shh, keep quiet.
White: Looking back on Faust’s life, it’s no surprise that his hatred for humans runs so deep......
Faust: ............
......This interminable life will finally come to an end......
Oz: ......Faust......
Faust: ......I’ll finally be released...... God, I pray you grant me freedom......
Oz: ............
............?
Bradley: What’s wrong, Oz?
Oz: ......I sense the Sage’s presence......
✦✧☾✧✦
Murr: We’ve arrived!
Akira: ......Uuugh......
Murr: Hmm? Sir Sage?
Shylock: Oh my, Sir Sage. Are you quite all right? Are you dizzy from the journey?
Akira: I......, I’m fine.......
Cain: You fly so recklessly, Murr. Here, give me your hand, Sir Sage. This way!
Heathcliff: Mr. Faust......!
✦✧☾✧✦
(Door opens)
Akira: ............!
I open the door to find a young man lying in a bed, quietly surrounded by a group of people.
The young man, who Heathcliff called Mr. Faust, has a bloodless face that looks as pale as wax.
Poisonous-looking fumes rise from beneath the layers of bandages wrapped around his body, throwing off the occasional spark.
My breath catches: the situation was even more dire than I imagined.
Snow: Is it the Sage!?
White: The Sage has arrived!
Bradley: This guy is the Sage? Are you for real?
Oz: ............
I stiffen nervously under the scrutiny of so many people.
In particular, the man standing in the middle of the group has a terrifying presence about him; his gaze alone could freeze someone where they stand.
His eyes, like a merciless blizzard, hold no warmth in them.
But the moment he catches sight of me, that cold and terrifying gaze softens into an expression of relief.
As if he had been waiting for me.
Oz: ......You made it in time......
Shylock: How is Faust holding up? Is he still alive?
Faust: ......Unfortunately so......
Shylock: What a relief. We lost exactly ten wizards in this battle against the < Great Catastrophe >.
I personally find eleven an unwieldy final count. Faust.
Heathcliff: Mr. Faust......!
Heathcliff clings to the side of the bed, peering into the face of the injured man.
The man — Faust — opens his eyes slightly.
Faust: ......Heathcliff......?
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2.3 The Sage's Power
Heathcliff: It's all right now! The Sage has come! He'll save you!
Faust: .....Are you hurt anywhere......?
Heathcliff: ......Um, ......No......
Faust: .....I see......
For a moment, I think I catch a glimpse of Faust's lips turning upwards into a smile.
Faust: ......Thank goodn......
But before his smile can fully form, Faust’s movements slacken, then stop.
His fingers, which were about to clasp Heathcliff’s hand, fall limply to the bed.
(Rustle)
Faust lays there unmoving, his eyes still wide open and staring.
Heathcliff: Mr. Faust......! No, please don’t die!
Snow: This is bad! He’s not breathing!
White: Hurry, Sage!
Oz: Sage.
The man with the terrifying gaze murmurs to me in a voice as quiet as the dark of the night.
Oz: Your hand.
He stretches out a hand to me.
Oz: My name is Oz. I am a Central wizard. Lend me your strength.
Akira: ............
I hesitate, and then place my palm over Oz’s hand.
The moment Oz’s cold fingertips close over my hand, a small wind blows across the room.
(Woosh)
Akira: Woah......!
The mysterious wind grows stronger, flowing and whirling through our hair and clothes.
A white light radiates from Oz’s body, starting from the center of our clasped hands.
Oz chants a curious string of words.
Oz: << Vox Nox >>
Akira: ............!
In that moment, the faint light shines brilliantly, and disappears into Faust’s body.
Snow: We did it!
White: We really did!
Heathcliff: The fumes from Mr. Faust’s body are vanishing!
Cain: Let’s call his name! Faust, Faust......!
Shylock: Pull yourself together, Faust.
Murr: Wake up, Faust! It’s too early to fall asleep just yet!
Bradley: Open your eyes! Eastern curseworker!
Oz: ............
Faust: ............
......h, hh......
Faust’s eyelids — previously wide open and unmoving — close tightly.
His body is wracked with pain, as if time has rewound.
Faust: ......How cruel...... I thought I would finally get to die......
It seems like we’ve managed to save him. As I breathe out in relief, the room erupts into cheers.
Cain: He regained consciousness! Thank goodness......!
Murr: Congratulations!
Shylock: My my, what a relief.
Bradley: Haha. You’re a tough one.
Heathcliff: Mr. Faust...... I’m so glad...... ......Sniff, sniffle......
Snow: That was really close.
White: What a relief. That was truly nerve-wracking.
Oz: ............
Oz releases my hand before I even realize it.
The twins approach me, as I feel drained from exhaustion.
Snow: You worked hard, Sage.
White: It's thanks to you that Faust was saved.
I shake my head limply.
Akira: I didn't do anything...... All I did was stand here. But if I could help, then I’m glad.
Heathcliff: That's not true.
Heathcliff turns around to look at me.
He gazes at me steadily, his eyes still faintly blurred with tears.
Heathcliff: Sir Sage...... You chose to listen to us instead of the minister of Central Country. ......And you came along with us.
That's why Mr. Faust was saved. Thank you...... I'm grateful from the bottom of my heart.
Heathcliff gives me a reserved smile.
It is an awkward, but warm smile; I feel Heathcliff's gratitude.
I breathe a sigh of relief, and smile back at him.
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2.4 An Unbelievable Reality
Faust loses consciousness once again, falling into a deep sleep this time.
Things seem to be settling down when I catch the movement of a shadow: Oz is wordlessly turning to leave the room.
Snow: Oz.
White: Where are you going?
Oz: I've fulfilled my duty.
Cain: Hang on. Shouldn't we discuss what to do for the battle against the < Great Catastrophe > next year?
No one could have predicted the damage that we suffered this time. I want us to be prepared for when the < Great Catastrophe > attacks next year, so we don't have to go through the same tragedy.
We need your strength, Oz.
Oz: I refuse.
Cain: Don't be so cold...... Aren't we both Central wizards?
I know that you don't get close to other people. But if we don’t want to lose to the same enemy twice, we should develop our battle strategy by getting to know each other's strengths.
Oz: Young wizards like to gather in groups. There is no meaning to working together.
Only those who can survive should survive. If you don't want to be eliminated, then acquire the strength it takes to survive on your own.
Cain: ......I don't think that way. There are comrades that we wouldn't have lost if only we had joined forces.
Oz: You’re dreaming.
Cain: ............
Oz: You cannot change destiny.
Cain doesn’t say anything more.
Everyone watches Oz's retreating figure wordlessly, as if they're afraid of something.
(Door closes)
After Oz leaves, the twins start to murmur.
Snow: My, my. What a thing to say...... Even though he’s the one who changed destiny with brute force.
Cain: Huh?
White: Don't worry about it, we're just musing aloud. I think there’s a point in what you said, Cain.
Snow: I agree. We expected nothing less from the man who commanded the knights in Central Country.
Cain: Thanks. But we won’t get anywhere until we get Oz on our side. He’s the one most suited to keeping all of us in line.
Bradley: .....I’ll pass.
Cain: Why?
Bradley: You're asking why? Who would go against Oz's orders? He'd crush you like a tomato if you even dared to defy him.
Cain: That’s why he’s perfect for the role. Mithra, Owen, even a prisoner like you — all of you listen to Oz, right?
Heathcliff: Mithra...... Owen...... Those two are scary......
Shylock: If you're looking for someone who's powerful enough to subdue the two of them with magic, then it'd have to be Oz.
Bradley: What do you have to say, you geezers.
Snow: Ohoho. We've already retired, after all.
White: Let the elderly retire from the fighting.
Bradley: You only bring up your age when it's convenient for you......
Akira: (It seems like everyone wants Oz to lend them his strength.)
(Even so......)
I look slowly around the room. As the situation settles down, the anxiety that I had been pushing away rears its head.
Akira: (What on earth is happening......? I don’t think I’m being filmed, not anymore...... And it doesn’t feel like I’m dreaming......)
I slap my own cheeks with all my strength, thinking that it might wake me up.
(Slap)
Akira: Ouch......
Heathcliff: Sir Sage!?
Bradley: Why are you hitting yourself!?
Akira: ......This really isn't a dream......
Snow: The previous sage pinched his own cheeks too.
Akira: The previous sage......?
White: That's right: the sage who came before you.
Snow: I'll show you something nice.
White: Come with us.
Akira: ......But......
Snow: You don't have to be scared. Here, I'll hold your hand.
White: You must be feeling helpless.
Akira: Ah...... Thank you......
Snow and White each take one of my hands, and lead me out of the room.
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2.5 Faint Traces of Unease
Akira: Um, Mister Snow, Mister White......
Snow: You don’t have to speak so formally to us — that’s the kind of position that the Sage has.
Akira: Well then...... Snow, White. Where are you taking me?
White: To where the sage’s manuals are.
✦✧☾✧✦
Snow and White bring me to a library filled with countless books.
I’m overwhelmed by the sheer weight of history and knowledge contained in the room.
Akira: ......This is......
Snow: These are all the sages’ books.
Akira: All of it......?
White: That’s right. They’re writings left behind by sages who come to this world from another world.
Snow: This is the manual written by the previous sage.
White: It’s written in a language that we can’t read. Can you read it?
I grow nervous as they hand me a heavy, splendid-looking book.
I flip open the first page, my heart beating fast.
What greets me on the page is — Japanese.
(Flips page)
"October 30. I still haven’t woken up from this Halloween dream. It’s a fun dream, so I guess this is fine."
"November 3. The witches are cute. We held a parade. It feels great to be the center of attention."
"November 10. This dream is going on for way too long. Don’t tell me this isn’t a dream?"
"How do I get back to Japan? I want to go back to Tokyo...... I want to eat ramen and oden and curry......"
Akira: (......This is......)
(So this really isn’t a dream......?)
(Flips page)
I flip to the next page in a hurry as my agitation continues to spike.
Following the diary-like entries, I reach a line, written in a shaky hand, that crushes my heart.
"It’s no use. I can’t go back."
"I have to stay here for the rest of my life."
"I’ve been tricked by the wizards."
(Tricked?)
I turn pale and look towards the twins.
Snow: Hmm?
White: Hmm~?
Snow: What’s wrong?
White: So you can’t read it?
I’m terrified and lost for words as they approach me with smiles on their faces.
Akira: ("I can’t go back"? "I’ve been tricked by the wizards"?)
(Will that happen to me too....?)
The twins look at each other, then back at me, smiling brightly.
Snow: What’s wrong? You’re making such a childlike face.
White: If you’re a child, then we’ll become adults.
Snow & White: On the count of three......
The twins chant in unison, their hands clasped together.
Then, they start to rise and grow taller, like bamboo shoots on a rainy day.
They look down at me, in the form of slender young men.
Snow: Here, Sage.
White: Shall I pat your head?
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2.6 All On Your Own
Snow and White might have taken on adult forms in order to comfort me.
Until moments ago, a part of me had been enjoying this strange world of magic.
But the moment I discover that I can’t go back, the shock of seeing the twins turn into adults becomes too much for me to handle......
(Slump)
And I sink to the ground.
Snow: Sage!?
White: What’s wrong!?
Akira: Ah....... But you’re.... children......
Snow: Changing form is child’s play.
White: Did we startle you too much?
I furrow my brows, and ask the question I’m scared of voicing aloud.
Akira: ......Have you been tricking me......?
Snow and White smile curiously.
Snow: We’re not. Our true forms are those of children.
White: Wizards live for a long time. Once we reach the height of our powers, our bodies simply stop aging.
Snow: But it feels good to change into adults occasionally.
White: What do you think? I’d say we’re a rather handsome pair.
As if sensing my distress, Snow and White each take a seat next to me, gripping my hands wordlessly.
Snow: Apologies, Sage. We’re twins; we aren’t familiar with loneliness.
White: We held your hands, thinking you might be feeling helpless, but we cannot truly comprehend the loneliness you feel.
Snow: Poor child...... You must want to go home.
White: We don’t know how to return you to your world either. I’m sorry that we can’t be of any help.
I can feel the warmth in their comforting words, and in their gazes.
I’m reminded of the faces of my family and friends, and warmth wells up in my chest.
The two of them tighten their grip on my hands.
Snow: Let’s stay like this, until your heart calms down.
White: We’re twins, so we aren’t familiar with loneliness. But we encountered it for the first time when we lost each other.
Akira: ......Lost each other?
Snow: White is dead. He’s no longer of this world — he’s a ghost.
I look at White in disbelief.
White continues smiling at me, the weight of his hand on mine still so tangible. And yet......
White: That’s right. I’m no longer alive. Snow simply tied my soul to his to preserve this afterimage of me.
Snow: That loneliness was more than I alone could bear. You’re an incredible child: you’re all on your own, yet you do not react by hurting others.
White: You must be lonely, and scared. And yet you still saved Faust. Let me thank you once again.
I press my mouth into a firm line.
I don’t want to doubt their kind voices. I gently disentangle our clasped hands and reopen the book, hoping that I’ve misread something.
I turn to the page after "I’ve been tricked by the wizards."
(Flip)
Written there is — "It was a misunderstanding."
Akira: You’re so misleading......!
Snow: Wh-what’s wrong?
White: Is there something strange written in it?
"Turns out they weren’t trying to trick me. I just got depressed and became suspicious. Sorry to all the wizards. Seriously, my bad!"
Akira: (The previous sage...... He seems like a pretty laid-back guy)
Um...... What kind of person was he, the previous sage who wrote this book?
Snow: He was a dark-haired man who was clever and fond of talking.
White: He called himself a rii-man1. If I recall, he was searching for something called "overtime pay" back in his own world.
1) A Japanese "salaryman," essentially a white-collar office worker. We’ve chosen to keep the previous sage’s Japanese terminology in Japanese, as he would have been teaching this slang to people completely unfamiliar with it as well.
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2.7 A Japanese Manual
Snow: It seemed to be a rare treasure that was hard to obtain in the previous sage’s guild.
White: He was very taken with my name. He even said that he wished his guild’s practices could be as squeaky clean as my name sounds2.
Akira: (.......Did he work at some exploitative company?)
"I’ve been searching all over for a way to get home, but I have yet to come across any solutions, so I made this manual for whoever comes after me."
"At my company, my previous supervisor quit and left without transitioning his job over properly, so I deeply understand the importance of having a manual."
"I can only write in Japanese, so I’m sorry about that. This is probably the first manual written in Japanese so far."
"I found one that seemed to be written in ancient Japanese, but the only word I could read was ‘season,’ so I put it away. It’s the scrolls on the top shelf."
"By the way, the sage’s manual written by the sage before me is definitely in Arabic no matter how I look at it, but I couldn’t read it either, so that was the end of that. "
"I always left the English e-mails to my juniors at work, so that was it for the English manuals too."
"The English manuals are collected on the shelves in the western end of the library, and shelved in the middle section. For your reference."
After that, the manual becomes a mix of diary-like entries and more manual-like entries.
As I flip through the pages, the words "Good news!!!" decorated with a huge flower mark leap out at me.
"How to return to my previous world"
"Arthur, the prince of Central Country, said he’d help me look for a way home. He’s a good kid. Kinda like a baby brother. Cute, too."
Akira: ......Prince Arthur......
Snow: Do you know Arthur?
Akira: Oh, oh no...... The previous sage wrote about him in this book. Do the two of you know him?
White: We know him very well. Arthur is a good-natured child. He was rather concerned about the previous sage.
Akira: H-how do I meet Prince Arthur?
Snow and White look at each other with a smile.
Snow: Arthur is the prince of Central Country. If you had gone along with the minister, you would have met him immediately.
White: How was the minister? Was he angry that you came to the magic headquarters?
Akira: He was......
Snow & White: We thought as much.
Akira: Also...... Murr turned him into a mouse.
Snow: Ohoho. He must be pretty infuriated.
White: Though we do not fear the wrath of mere humans.
I laugh at their pleased faces.
And convey my thanks to them once more.
Akira: Thank you for staying by my side. I was slightly shaken...... I’m sorry for behaving so rudely.
Snow: There, there. The most important thing here is for you to feel at ease.
White: We’ve only just met, and you’ve only just arrived in this world. It’s natural for you to be incredibly anxious.
Akira: Well...... I want to return to my own world. That’s why I want to meet Prince Arthur.
Snow and White smile at me sadly.
Snow: Is that so...... We had hoped you would stay, but......
White: Of course you yearn for your family and friends. We’ll try to arrange for you to meet Arthur.
Akira: Thank you......
Snow: You can try asking Cain, since he’s from the same country as Arthur. He’s a knight of Central Country.
White: Surely even Cain must be worn out by today’s events, so let’s give him tonight to get some rest. Ask him tomorrow.
Akira: Ask Cain...... I got it.
Snow: You should rest up as well. We'll show you to the sage’s room.
Akira: Thank you. Can I take this book with me?
White: The sage’s manual? It belongs to the sage, so of course.
✦✧☾✧✦
Snow: This is the room that the previous sage used.
White: It’s still slightly messy, but feel free to tidy it up as you please. Rest up.
Akira: I see...... Thank you.
Snow: Good night.
White: Good night.
Akira: Good night.
(Door closes)
Akira: ............
Left on my own, I take a look around the room. It has a well lived-in air, with traces of its past owner scattered here and there.
Unable to fall asleep, I lay open the sage’s manual on the bed.
2) In Japan, a "white" corporation treats its workers well, while a "black" corporation has them do things like uncompensated overtime. While we kept other Japanese slang and terminology, this one just did not sound great as is in English
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2.8 Yearning for the Moon
(Flip)
I find a sense of comfort in reading the words of someone who once faced the same situation that I now find myself in.
It would take a considerable amount of time for me to look through the entire manual.
(Flip)
So, I open up the page with Arthur’s name which mentions how to return home, and start reading intently.
"When I asked Prince Arthur, he got the palace chefs to make me something close to ramen. It was so good, I cried a little."
"Prince Arthur brought me good news. Apparently a long time ago there were people who could travel back and forth between their own worlds and this one."
"Prince Arthur is so easy to get along with. Life at the magic headquarters would be so much more enjoyable if he were one of the wizards here."
"But Oz would probably never allow it. He always disappears somewhere when Arthur comes to visit, and never ever shows his face."
Akira: ............
Do Oz and Prince Arthur not get along......?
I feel drowsiness wash over me as I continue to read, so I close the manual.
So there were people who could travel between my world and this world. That knowledge alone brings me relief.
The fragrance of herbs wafts over from the corner of the room, and a gentle breeze stirs outside the window.
Moonlight, almost blindingly bright, floods into the room.
Akira: This world’s moon is so huge......
It looks like it might almost fall to the ground......
Before long, I fall asleep.
✦✧☾✧✦
Murr: Sigh..... Even though we finally met — I’m sad we have to say goodbye so soon.
Goodbye, my radiant beloved.....
Shylock: Murr.
You are the only person who would pine for the < Great Catastrophe > with such longing.
Murr: Shylock.
Shylock: Wasn’t the calamity that just befell us entirely your doing?
—The heretic wizard Murr, who fell in love with the < Great Catastrophe >?
Murr: ............
Shylock: You yearned for the < Great Catastrophe > so desperately that your soul shattered to pieces. Yet you have learned nothing, and continue to pine for the moon.
Murr: I can’t help it! I love shiny things.
Shylock: ...Even if those shiny things are tied to the calamity that will end this world?
Perhaps the moon approached this world with greater force than in prior years because you yearned so desperately for it.
If the moon truly came to meet you — then perhaps we can save the world if we erase you from it.
...And if I disclose this information to the other wizards, perhaps they will press for your execution.
Murr: You really like using the same words over and over again. Are you a fan of "perhaps"?
Shylock: Is that sarcasm?
Murr: What’s sarcasm? Is that a kind of breakfast food?
Shylock: I don’t dislike what a stray cat you’ve become, but I do miss the man you used to be — the great philosopher Murr.
Your ideas were the most progressive in the world, while your knowledge, the most ancient. You were so intelligent and noble that I even envied you.
Murr: Hey, anyway, look up at the moon! Isn’t it beautiful?
Shylock: You must stop yearning for the moon.
Murr: Ah, you’re so beautiful....
Shylock: If you do — your shattered soul may become whole again.
Oh, dear genius of the ages. Do not be taken away by the moon.
Murr: Oh, my dearest, horrifying Catastrophe. Do come meet me again.
I will love you for all eternity.
Shylock: ....Fufu. I suppose my attempts at persuasion were nothing but a waste of time.
Murr: I like waste too!
Shylock: My goodness; if nothing else, that silver tongue of yours hasn’t changed. Oh loathsome Murr.
Murr: Ahahaha!
Shylock: ....I wonder what will happen, come tomorrow?
What sorts of wizards will come to replace the comrades we have lost.....?
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Chapter 1 << | index | >> Chapter 3
Chapter 1 << | index | >> Chapter 3
Chapter 2: The Sage's Manual
2.1 Ravages of the Catastrophe
2.2 Flame of Life
2.3 The Sage's Power
2.4 An Unbelievable Reality
2.5 Faint Traces of Unease
2.6 All On Your Own
2.7 A Japanese Manual
2.8 Yearning for the Moon
2.1 Ravages of the Catastrophe
Oz: ............
Snow: Oz.
White: Hey, Oz.
Oz: Snow. White.
Snow: How is Faust doing?
White: Can we save him?
Snow: You’re the strongest wizard amongst all of us.
White: If you can’t save him, no one else can.
Oz: My magic hasn’t returned yet. They’re suppressing his pain with herbs for now.
If you have any parting words, go tell him now.
Snow: You’re so cold......
White: This is so sad......
Oz: ............ If the Sage makes it in time, or......
Snow: Oh? It’s the Northern wizards.
White: Hey. Where are you all going?
Mithra: We’ve played our part.
Snow: Mithra. Your comrade is on the brink of death.
Mithra: Huh...... Is that so.
White: What an unconcerned reply.
Snow: You’re an even colder man than Oz.
Mithra: I’m free now that I’ve fulfilled my role. It’s up to me to decide where I want to go.
White: You too, Owen?
Owen: Fufu...... The world almost ended, you say?
Everyone must be crying their eyes out from loss and terror. I have to go and see for myself.
It’s going to be so much fun.
White: As always, you’re a bad boy.
Owen: Haha...... Are you going to punish me? The scary, scary twin teachers of the North.
Snow: Even if we smack you on the bottom, your nature won’t change.
White: You really won’t change.
Owen: I’m glad we’re on the same page. Well then.
(Footsteps)
White: There he goes...... Hmm? What’s wrong, Mithra?
Mithra: Nothing. Owen just beat me to it......
White: Did you miss your chance to walk away?
Snow: You might be impudent, but you’re still a charming child.
Mithra: Huh. Thanks.
Bradley: ......Taking my chance now......
Snow: Hold on, Bradley!
Bradley: Got caught! ......Ugh!
White: You don’t get to walk away freely.
Snow: You’re a prisoner, after all.
We have to return you to your cell.
White: Prisoners should stay put behind bars.
Bradley: Fuck! Let go, you geezers!
Snow: We’re not geezers~.
White: Yeah, we aren’t geezers~.
Bradley: Stop pretending to be kids, you fucking geezers!
Snow & White: Tee hee!
Mithra: Oz.
Oz: ............
Mithra: You call yourself the strongest wizard in the world, yet you were as useless as an infant in the face of the < Great Catastrophe > this time.
Oz: .........It’s not like I call myself that.
Mithra: I’ll overthrow you someday, and claim the title of the world’s strongest wizard for myself.
Please prepare yourself for that day.
Oz: If you hadn’t been summoned as a Sage’s wizard, I would’ve killed you by now.
Mithra: ...........
Oz: Leave.
Mithra: See you another time, then.
(Footsteps)
Oz: ............
White: So Mithra left as well......
Snow: Oz. Mithra left you with a parting shot.
White: You weren’t paying attention, so he used you to stage his exit.
Oz: ......Enough.
Snow: Where are you going?
Oz: I’m going to Faust.
Snow: That’s right, how sad......
White: How very sad......
Bradley: ......Faust...... Is there nothing we can do for that Eastern curseworker?
Snow: Without the Sage here......
White: There’s nothing we can do if the Sage isn’t here.....
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2.2 Flame of Life
Faust: ......hh, ......hh......
White: Faust.
Snow: Have you any desires?
Faust: ......hh, ......haa...... Desires......? I have none......
Bradley: Don’t hold back, Eastern curseworker. You don’t have to play all selfless even in your final moments.
Faust: ............
Bradley: I’ve never really liked the Eastern wizards, they’re all so gloomy and depressing — you especially since you work in curses, but......
You’re an idiot, risking your life like that for your comrades — but I don’t hate idiots like you.
White: Bradley......
Snow: You’re a good boy, Bradley.
Bradley: Shut up! Don’t call me a good boy. I'm a Northern wizard — the kind that strikes fear into crying children — and the boss of the strongest, most vicious gang of bandits there's ever been.
Snow: Does anything come to mind, Faust?
White: You heard Bradley. Don’t hold back.
Faust: ............ No.....
Those frivolous humans will find a way to destroy themselves without me having to lift a finger......
......Serves them right...... It’s what they deserve......
Heheheh...... Hahahahaha......
Bradley: ............ Yeah, he really is gloomy and depressing......
Snow: Shh, keep quiet.
White: Looking back on Faust’s life, it’s no surprise that his hatred for humans runs so deep......
Faust: ............
......This interminable life will finally come to an end......
Oz: ......Faust......
Faust: ......I’ll finally be released...... God, I pray you grant me freedom......
Oz: ............
............?
Bradley: What’s wrong, Oz?
Oz: ......I sense the Sage’s presence......
✦✧☾✧✦
Murr: We’ve arrived!
Akira: ......Uuugh......
Murr: Hmm? Sir Sage?
Shylock: Oh my, Sir Sage. Are you quite all right? Are you dizzy from the journey?
Akira: I......, I’m fine.......
Cain: You fly so recklessly, Murr. Here, give me your hand, Sir Sage. This way!
Heathcliff: Mr. Faust......!
✦✧☾✧✦
(Door opens)
Akira: ............!
I open the door to find a young man lying in a bed, quietly surrounded by a group of people.
The young man, who Heathcliff called Mr. Faust, has a bloodless face that looks as pale as wax.
Poisonous-looking fumes rise from beneath the layers of bandages wrapped around his body, throwing off the occasional spark.
My breath catches: the situation was even more dire than I imagined.
Snow: Is it the Sage!?
White: The Sage has arrived!
Bradley: This guy is the Sage? Are you for real?
Oz: ............
I stiffen nervously under the scrutiny of so many people.
In particular, the man standing in the middle of the group has a terrifying presence about him; his gaze alone could freeze someone where they stand.
His eyes, like a merciless blizzard, hold no warmth in them.
But the moment he catches sight of me, that cold and terrifying gaze softens into an expression of relief.
As if he had been waiting for me.
Oz: ......You made it in time......
Shylock: How is Faust holding up? Is he still alive?
Faust: ......Unfortunately so......
Shylock: What a relief. We lost exactly ten wizards in this battle against the < Great Catastrophe >.
I personally find eleven an unwieldy final count. Faust.
Heathcliff: Mr. Faust......!
Heathcliff clings to the side of the bed, peering into the face of the injured man.
The man — Faust — opens his eyes slightly.
Faust: ......Heathcliff......?
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2.3 The Sage's Power
Heathcliff: It's all right now! The Sage has come! He'll save you!
Faust: .....Are you hurt anywhere......?
Heathcliff: ......Um, ......No......
Faust: .....I see......
For a moment, I think I catch a glimpse of Faust's lips turning upwards into a smile.
Faust: ......Thank goodn......
But before his smile can fully form, Faust’s movements slacken, then stop.
His fingers, which were about to clasp Heathcliff’s hand, fall limply to the bed.
(Rustle)
Faust lays there unmoving, his eyes still wide open and staring.
Heathcliff: Mr. Faust......! No, please don’t die!
Snow: This is bad! He’s not breathing!
White: Hurry, Sage!
Oz: Sage.
The man with the terrifying gaze murmurs to me in a voice as quiet as the dark of the night.
Oz: Your hand.
He stretches out a hand to me.
Oz: My name is Oz. I am a Central wizard. Lend me your strength.
Akira: ............
I hesitate, and then place my palm over Oz’s hand.
The moment Oz’s cold fingertips close over my hand, a small wind blows across the room.
(Woosh)
Akira: Woah......!
The mysterious wind grows stronger, flowing and whirling through our hair and clothes.
A white light radiates from Oz’s body, starting from the center of our clasped hands.
Oz chants a curious string of words.
Oz: << Vox Nox >>
Akira: ............!
In that moment, the faint light shines brilliantly, and disappears into Faust’s body.
Snow: We did it!
White: We really did!
Heathcliff: The fumes from Mr. Faust’s body are vanishing!
Cain: Let’s call his name! Faust, Faust......!
Shylock: Pull yourself together, Faust.
Murr: Wake up, Faust! It’s too early to fall asleep just yet!
Bradley: Open your eyes! Eastern curseworker!
Oz: ............
Faust: ............
......h, hh......
Faust’s eyelids — previously wide open and unmoving — close tightly.
His body is wracked with pain, as if time has rewound.
Faust: ......How cruel...... I thought I would finally get to die......
It seems like we’ve managed to save him. As I breathe out in relief, the room erupts into cheers.
Cain: He regained consciousness! Thank goodness......!
Murr: Congratulations!
Shylock: My my, what a relief.
Bradley: Haha. You’re a tough one.
Heathcliff: Mr. Faust...... I’m so glad...... ......Sniff, sniffle......
Snow: That was really close.
White: What a relief. That was truly nerve-wracking.
Oz: ............
Oz releases my hand before I even realize it.
The twins approach me, as I feel drained from exhaustion.
Snow: You worked hard, Sage.
White: It's thanks to you that Faust was saved.
I shake my head limply.
Akira: I didn't do anything...... All I did was stand here. But if I could help, then I’m glad.
Heathcliff: That's not true.
Heathcliff turns around to look at me.
He gazes at me steadily, his eyes still faintly blurred with tears.
Heathcliff: Sir Sage...... You chose to listen to us instead of the minister of Central Country. ......And you came along with us.
That's why Mr. Faust was saved. Thank you...... I'm grateful from the bottom of my heart.
Heathcliff gives me a reserved smile.
It is an awkward, but warm smile; I feel Heathcliff's gratitude.
I breathe a sigh of relief, and smile back at him.
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2.4 An Unbelievable Reality
Faust loses consciousness once again, falling into a deep sleep this time.
Things seem to be settling down when I catch the movement of a shadow: Oz is wordlessly turning to leave the room.
Snow: Oz.
White: Where are you going?
Oz: I've fulfilled my duty.
Cain: Hang on. Shouldn't we discuss what to do for the battle against the < Great Catastrophe > next year?
No one could have predicted the damage that we suffered this time. I want us to be prepared for when the < Great Catastrophe > attacks next year, so we don't have to go through the same tragedy.
We need your strength, Oz.
Oz: I refuse.
Cain: Don't be so cold...... Aren't we both Central wizards?
I know that you don't get close to other people. But if we don’t want to lose to the same enemy twice, we should develop our battle strategy by getting to know each other's strengths.
Oz: Young wizards like to gather in groups. There is no meaning to working together.
Only those who can survive should survive. If you don't want to be eliminated, then acquire the strength it takes to survive on your own.
Cain: ......I don't think that way. There are comrades that we wouldn't have lost if only we had joined forces.
Oz: You’re dreaming.
Cain: ............
Oz: You cannot change destiny.
Cain doesn’t say anything more.
Everyone watches Oz's retreating figure wordlessly, as if they're afraid of something.
(Door closes)
After Oz leaves, the twins start to murmur.
Snow: My, my. What a thing to say...... Even though he’s the one who changed destiny with brute force.
Cain: Huh?
White: Don't worry about it, we're just musing aloud. I think there’s a point in what you said, Cain.
Snow: I agree. We expected nothing less from the man who commanded the knights in Central Country.
Cain: Thanks. But we won’t get anywhere until we get Oz on our side. He’s the one most suited to keeping all of us in line.
Bradley: .....I’ll pass.
Cain: Why?
Bradley: You're asking why? Who would go against Oz's orders? He'd crush you like a tomato if you even dared to defy him.
Cain: That’s why he’s perfect for the role. Mithra, Owen, even a prisoner like you — all of you listen to Oz, right?
Heathcliff: Mithra...... Owen...... Those two are scary......
Shylock: If you're looking for someone who's powerful enough to subdue the two of them with magic, then it'd have to be Oz.
Bradley: What do you have to say, you geezers.
Snow: Ohoho. We've already retired, after all.
White: Let the elderly retire from the fighting.
Bradley: You only bring up your age when it's convenient for you......
Akira: (It seems like everyone wants Oz to lend them his strength.)
(Even so......)
I look slowly around the room. As the situation settles down, the anxiety that I had been pushing away rears its head.
Akira: (What on earth is happening......? I don’t think I’m being filmed, not anymore...... And it doesn’t feel like I’m dreaming......)
I slap my own cheeks with all my strength, thinking that it might wake me up.
(Slap)
Akira: Ouch......
Heathcliff: Sir Sage!?
Bradley: Why are you hitting yourself!?
Akira: ......This really isn't a dream......
Snow: The previous sage pinched his own cheeks too.
Akira: The previous sage......?
White: That's right: the sage who came before you.
Snow: I'll show you something nice.
White: Come with us.
Akira: ......But......
Snow: You don't have to be scared. Here, I'll hold your hand.
White: You must be feeling helpless.
Akira: Ah...... Thank you......
Snow and White each take one of my hands, and lead me out of the room.
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2.5 Faint Traces of Unease
Akira: Um, Mister Snow, Mister White......
Snow: You don’t have to speak so formally to us — that’s the kind of position that the Sage has.
Akira: Well then...... Snow, White. Where are you taking me?
White: To where the sage’s manuals are.
✦✧☾✧✦
Snow and White bring me to a library filled with countless books.
I’m overwhelmed by the sheer weight of history and knowledge contained in the room.
Akira: ......This is......
Snow: These are all the sages’ books.
Akira: All of it......?
White: That’s right. They’re writings left behind by sages who come to this world from another world.
Snow: This is the manual written by the previous sage.
White: It’s written in a language that we can’t read. Can you read it?
I grow nervous as they hand me a heavy, splendid-looking book.
I flip open the first page, my heart beating fast.
What greets me on the page is — Japanese.
(Flips page)
"October 30. I still haven’t woken up from this Halloween dream. It’s a fun dream, so I guess this is fine."
"November 3. The witches are cute. We held a parade. It feels great to be the center of attention."
"November 10. This dream is going on for way too long. Don’t tell me this isn’t a dream?"
"How do I get back to Japan? I want to go back to Tokyo...... I want to eat ramen and oden and curry......"
Akira: (......This is......)
(So this really isn’t a dream......?)
(Flips page)
I flip to the next page in a hurry as my agitation continues to spike.
Following the diary-like entries, I reach a line, written in a shaky hand, that crushes my heart.
"It’s no use. I can’t go back."
"I have to stay here for the rest of my life."
"I’ve been tricked by the wizards."
(Tricked?)
I turn pale and look towards the twins.
Snow: Hmm?
White: Hmm~?
Snow: What’s wrong?
White: So you can’t read it?
I’m terrified and lost for words as they approach me with smiles on their faces.
Akira: ("I can’t go back"? "I’ve been tricked by the wizards"?)
(Will that happen to me too....?)
The twins look at each other, then back at me, smiling brightly.
Snow: What’s wrong? You’re making such a childlike face.
White: If you’re a child, then we’ll become adults.
Snow & White: On the count of three......
The twins chant in unison, their hands clasped together.
Then, they start to rise and grow taller, like bamboo shoots on a rainy day.
They look down at me, in the form of slender young men.
Snow: Here, Sage.
White: Shall I pat your head?
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2.6 All On Your Own
Snow and White might have taken on adult forms in order to comfort me.
Until moments ago, a part of me had been enjoying this strange world of magic.
But the moment I discover that I can’t go back, the shock of seeing the twins turn into adults becomes too much for me to handle......
(Slump)
And I sink to the ground.
Snow: Sage!?
White: What’s wrong!?
Akira: Ah....... But you’re.... children......
Snow: Changing form is child’s play.
White: Did we startle you too much?
I furrow my brows, and ask the question I’m scared of voicing aloud.
Akira: ......Have you been tricking me......?
Snow and White smile curiously.
Snow: We’re not. Our true forms are those of children.
White: Wizards live for a long time. Once we reach the height of our powers, our bodies simply stop aging.
Snow: But it feels good to change into adults occasionally.
White: What do you think? I’d say we’re a rather handsome pair.
As if sensing my distress, Snow and White each take a seat next to me, gripping my hands wordlessly.
Snow: Apologies, Sage. We’re twins; we aren’t familiar with loneliness.
White: We held your hands, thinking you might be feeling helpless, but we cannot truly comprehend the loneliness you feel.
Snow: Poor child...... You must want to go home.
White: We don’t know how to return you to your world either. I’m sorry that we can’t be of any help.
I can feel the warmth in their comforting words, and in their gazes.
I’m reminded of the faces of my family and friends, and warmth wells up in my chest.
The two of them tighten their grip on my hands.
Snow: Let’s stay like this, until your heart calms down.
White: We’re twins, so we aren’t familiar with loneliness. But we encountered it for the first time when we lost each other.
Akira: ......Lost each other?
Snow: White is dead. He’s no longer of this world — he’s a ghost.
I look at White in disbelief.
White continues smiling at me, the weight of his hand on mine still so tangible. And yet......
White: That’s right. I’m no longer alive. Snow simply tied my soul to his to preserve this afterimage of me.
Snow: That loneliness was more than I alone could bear. You’re an incredible child: you’re all on your own, yet you do not react by hurting others.
White: You must be lonely, and scared. And yet you still saved Faust. Let me thank you once again.
I press my mouth into a firm line.
I don’t want to doubt their kind voices. I gently disentangle our clasped hands and reopen the book, hoping that I’ve misread something.
I turn to the page after "I’ve been tricked by the wizards."
(Flip)
Written there is — "It was a misunderstanding."
Akira: You’re so misleading......!
Snow: Wh-what’s wrong?
White: Is there something strange written in it?
"Turns out they weren’t trying to trick me. I just got depressed and became suspicious. Sorry to all the wizards. Seriously, my bad!"
Akira: (The previous sage...... He seems like a pretty laid-back guy)
Um...... What kind of person was he, the previous sage who wrote this book?
Snow: He was a dark-haired man who was clever and fond of talking.
White: He called himself a rii-man1. If I recall, he was searching for something called "overtime pay" back in his own world.
1) A Japanese "salaryman," essentially a white-collar office worker. We’ve chosen to keep the previous sage’s Japanese terminology in Japanese, as he would have been teaching this slang to people completely unfamiliar with it as well.
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2.7 A Japanese Manual
Snow: It seemed to be a rare treasure that was hard to obtain in the previous sage’s guild.
White: He was very taken with my name. He even said that he wished his guild’s practices could be as squeaky clean as my name sounds2.
Akira: (.......Did he work at some exploitative company?)
"I’ve been searching all over for a way to get home, but I have yet to come across any solutions, so I made this manual for whoever comes after me."
"At my company, my previous supervisor quit and left without transitioning his job over properly, so I deeply understand the importance of having a manual."
"I can only write in Japanese, so I’m sorry about that. This is probably the first manual written in Japanese so far."
"I found one that seemed to be written in ancient Japanese, but the only word I could read was ‘season,’ so I put it away. It’s the scrolls on the top shelf."
"By the way, the sage’s manual written by the sage before me is definitely in Arabic no matter how I look at it, but I couldn’t read it either, so that was the end of that. "
"I always left the English e-mails to my juniors at work, so that was it for the English manuals too."
"The English manuals are collected on the shelves in the western end of the library, and shelved in the middle section. For your reference."
After that, the manual becomes a mix of diary-like entries and more manual-like entries.
As I flip through the pages, the words "Good news!!!" decorated with a huge flower mark leap out at me.
"How to return to my previous world"
"Arthur, the prince of Central Country, said he’d help me look for a way home. He’s a good kid. Kinda like a baby brother. Cute, too."
Akira: ......Prince Arthur......
Snow: Do you know Arthur?
Akira: Oh, oh no...... The previous sage wrote about him in this book. Do the two of you know him?
White: We know him very well. Arthur is a good-natured child. He was rather concerned about the previous sage.
Akira: H-how do I meet Prince Arthur?
Snow and White look at each other with a smile.
Snow: Arthur is the prince of Central Country. If you had gone along with the minister, you would have met him immediately.
White: How was the minister? Was he angry that you came to the magic headquarters?
Akira: He was......
Snow & White: We thought as much.
Akira: Also...... Murr turned him into a mouse.
Snow: Ohoho. He must be pretty infuriated.
White: Though we do not fear the wrath of mere humans.
I laugh at their pleased faces.
And convey my thanks to them once more.
Akira: Thank you for staying by my side. I was slightly shaken...... I’m sorry for behaving so rudely.
Snow: There, there. The most important thing here is for you to feel at ease.
White: We’ve only just met, and you’ve only just arrived in this world. It’s natural for you to be incredibly anxious.
Akira: Well...... I want to return to my own world. That’s why I want to meet Prince Arthur.
Snow and White smile at me sadly.
Snow: Is that so...... We had hoped you would stay, but......
White: Of course you yearn for your family and friends. We’ll try to arrange for you to meet Arthur.
Akira: Thank you......
Snow: You can try asking Cain, since he’s from the same country as Arthur. He’s a knight of Central Country.
White: Surely even Cain must be worn out by today’s events, so let’s give him tonight to get some rest. Ask him tomorrow.
Akira: Ask Cain...... I got it.
Snow: You should rest up as well. We'll show you to the sage’s room.
Akira: Thank you. Can I take this book with me?
White: The sage’s manual? It belongs to the sage, so of course.
✦✧☾✧✦
Snow: This is the room that the previous sage used.
White: It’s still slightly messy, but feel free to tidy it up as you please. Rest up.
Akira: I see...... Thank you.
Snow: Good night.
White: Good night.
Akira: Good night.
(Door closes)
Akira: ............
Left on my own, I take a look around the room. It has a well lived-in air, with traces of its past owner scattered here and there.
Unable to fall asleep, I lay open the sage’s manual on the bed.
2) In Japan, a "white" corporation treats its workers well, while a "black" corporation has them do things like uncompensated overtime. While we kept other Japanese slang and terminology, this one just did not sound great as is in English
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2.8 Yearning for the Moon
(Flip)
I find a sense of comfort in reading the words of someone who once faced the same situation that I now find myself in.
It would take a considerable amount of time for me to look through the entire manual.
(Flip)
So, I open up the page with Arthur’s name which mentions how to return home, and start reading intently.
"When I asked Prince Arthur, he got the palace chefs to make me something close to ramen. It was so good, I cried a little."
"Prince Arthur brought me good news. Apparently a long time ago there were people who could travel back and forth between their own worlds and this one."
"Prince Arthur is so easy to get along with. Life at the magic headquarters would be so much more enjoyable if he were one of the wizards here."
"But Oz would probably never allow it. He always disappears somewhere when Arthur comes to visit, and never ever shows his face."
Akira: ............
Do Oz and Prince Arthur not get along......?
I feel drowsiness wash over me as I continue to read, so I close the manual.
So there were people who could travel between my world and this world. That knowledge alone brings me relief.
The fragrance of herbs wafts over from the corner of the room, and a gentle breeze stirs outside the window.
Moonlight, almost blindingly bright, floods into the room.
Akira: This world’s moon is so huge......
It looks like it might almost fall to the ground......
Before long, I fall asleep.
✦✧☾✧✦
Murr: Sigh..... Even though we finally met — I’m sad we have to say goodbye so soon.
Goodbye, my radiant beloved.....
Shylock: Murr.
You are the only person who would pine for the < Great Catastrophe > with such longing.
Murr: Shylock.
Shylock: Wasn’t the calamity that just befell us entirely your doing?
—The heretic wizard Murr, who fell in love with the < Great Catastrophe >?
Murr: ............
Shylock: You yearned for the < Great Catastrophe > so desperately that your soul shattered to pieces. Yet you have learned nothing, and continue to pine for the moon.
Murr: I can’t help it! I love shiny things.
Shylock: ...Even if those shiny things are tied to the calamity that will end this world?
Perhaps the moon approached this world with greater force than in prior years because you yearned so desperately for it.
If the moon truly came to meet you — then perhaps we can save the world if we erase you from it.
...And if I disclose this information to the other wizards, perhaps they will press for your execution.
Murr: You really like using the same words over and over again. Are you a fan of "perhaps"?
Shylock: Is that sarcasm?
Murr: What’s sarcasm? Is that a kind of breakfast food?
Shylock: I don’t dislike what a stray cat you’ve become, but I do miss the man you used to be — the great philosopher Murr.
Your ideas were the most progressive in the world, while your knowledge, the most ancient. You were so intelligent and noble that I even envied you.
Murr: Hey, anyway, look up at the moon! Isn’t it beautiful?
Shylock: You must stop yearning for the moon.
Murr: Ah, you’re so beautiful....
Shylock: If you do — your shattered soul may become whole again.
Oh, dear genius of the ages. Do not be taken away by the moon.
Murr: Oh, my dearest, horrifying Catastrophe. Do come meet me again.
I will love you for all eternity.
Shylock: ....Fufu. I suppose my attempts at persuasion were nothing but a waste of time.
Murr: I like waste too!
Shylock: My goodness; if nothing else, that silver tongue of yours hasn’t changed. Oh loathsome Murr.
Murr: Ahahaha!
Shylock: ....I wonder what will happen, come tomorrow?
What sorts of wizards will come to replace the comrades we have lost.....?
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