Part 93: Chapter L-14: A New Way Forward

Part L-14: A New Way Forward


The Twins’ Final Stretch

No, I haven’t. I’ve checked it multiple times. I’m sure! This means we can finally take the S Rank exam! We’ve made it, Lydie!

Phew. It took long enough! One difficult task after another.

Yeah, you said it. But each difficulty has only made us stronger! Let’s take all that momentum and pass the S Rank exam!

Yes! To Mireille, at once!



You’ve got the rep and you’ve got the skills. I’m ready to let you take the S Rank exam. Are you ready for the challenge of becoming the greatest atelier in the kingdom?

Yes!

Bring it on!

Very well. This is the last time we’ll be going through this together, isn’t it…! Ah, sorry, no time to get emotional. This is just work! I have to see it through. In which case, here we go! These are the S Rank exam conditions!



What? We can just make whatever we want?

Yes, that’s right. You can bring me anything, just so long as it’s the best possible quality. I want to see the culmination of everything you can do. All your skill and heart poured into a single item.

Understood! That’s what we’ll bring you! We’ll apply everything we’ve learned so far to achieve this!

Hehe, good! This is your final challenge, twins. Do your very best.

We will! Now, Sue, home, to brainstorm…

Some very busy days later…


The Twins’ Goals



Of course we are. We’re also just really busy at the moment.

That’s a good thing, but what brought this on?

We want to become the greatest atelier in the kingdom, after all… And after that we’re aiming to become alchemists who can help everyone!

So we need to hone our alchemy as much as we can… We want Mom to see us make it, before she vanishes completely…

Ah!



Hey, I know! A game! Let’s play a game, Firis! Yes?

Sure thing! I’m not going to lose to you, either!

Afterwards…



Not at all. We enjoyed it too. Come again anytime!

Thanks! One thing, though. Don’t push yourselves too hard!

There she… Huh… I don’t think we’re pushing ourselves too hard. Maybe that’s what it looks like from the outside.

Yeah. I just really don’t want to lose Mom again.

Phew. I think we should take a break tonight, though.

Not a bad idea. Good night, Sue.



Yawn… Our best, our very best… I can’t think of that special something that’ll really show off our very best!

Me neither! Hmm… Maybe we should visit Teach for her input?

Sure, why not? Let’s go!


Sophie’s Scheme

…That’s my thinking on it. This is what I want to make. There isn’t much time left, though, so I’d like to ask for your help. What do you think?

You can count me in. I’m happy to try and help them.

Thanks! Let’s start by thinking of some recipes.



Ah! I’ll see you later, Ilmeria, anyway!

…She said “ah”, didn’t she. Sophie just said “ah”. And bolted as soon as we made our presence known… That’s suspicious!

Hey, don’t read too much into things. Sophie’s an adult, she has her own stuff to deal with.

Is that all it is? I guess we’ll let it slide, for now.

…And now we’re not getting another word out of Ilmeria. Who next… should we move on to Alt’s place?

Let’s! We can’t go wrong asking him about all this!



Haha, I can’t beat you, I know. I’ll help! I want to protect their future, too, you know.

Hahaha, excellent. Thanks for this, Alt.



Hello, girls. Have you ever heard of knocking?

Ah, sorry. The door was ajar, so…

Then someone should have closed it properly. I should have noticed that, too, though.

Hahaha, sorry!

Enough about doors! What’s going on between you two?

…Excuse me?



Ooh, this is like a romance comic! I sense a mature and thrilling development ahead!

…Now. While these silly sisters are lost in their own little world. Run for it!

Okay! See you later!



Ah! The love between two a few years apart… It’s so moving! I’m so moved!

Is it wrong? No! But is it right? The beauty of love, to overcome all barriers between them!

Man, how am I going to snap them out of this…? You owe me big time for this one, Sophie! …Ahem! Girls! They’re planning something big at the tent… You don’t want to miss out, do you? Off you go now!



Miss Sophie! About our little plan, look at this.

Hmm, it looks like it’s going well. How about you, Plachta?

I’m making good progress too. Being able to synthesize for myself helps too.

Good. At this rate, then…

At this rate? What?



Hello! Go on, what were you talking about?

Ah, at this rate, we’ll be able to make a giant Puni Jelly!

T-That’s right! Puni Jelly bigger than this atelier! I can hardly wait!

…Ahem. They are joking. We’re making plans to expand this atelier. Having gathered materials from so many places, we’re running out of space!

That’s all? I thought for sure you were planning something more than that. Something crafty!

C-Crafty? Sue, you’re getting carried away again.

…Thanks, Plachta. You saved us.



Okay…

Let’s go home, Sue!



Yes, definitely. I don’t think it’s anything bad, but I’d still like to know what it is!

Me too. I guess we just have to ask her…



Hahaha, sorry girls. I’m not very good at this kind of thing.

Sophie! Firis! What are you doing here?

Well, just like you said, we’ve been planning something…

That’s right. Now that we’ve made some progress, we’ve come to see you about it. Before that, though, we want to ask your feelings. To make sure we’re doing the right thing. …Tell me, girls. You don’t want to say goodbye to Honnete, do you?

Tell us what you are really feeling. That’s what we need to know.

What do you think?!



I know. Sorry for even asking. After my grandma died… I was alone, until I met Plachta. I know what it’s like to lose your family. You’ve just been reunited with her, too. You don’t want to lose her again now! That’s just too cruel…

There’s nothing we can do, though. She’s vanishing, and that’s just the way it is.

So we wanted to show her the best we can do, before that happens. Our best possible alchemy.

That’s very impressive, girls. You’re working hard, positively, toward something. In which case, feel like working just a bit harder?

Excuse me?

Have you ever felt that alchemy just seems like a dream? I remember what it was like for me in Ertona, for all those years before I met Miss Sophie… I thought I would never get to leave my home, but here I am now, traveling the world thanks to alchemy. Alchemy is the power of dreams, making the impossible possible. That’s what I believe.

Alchemy has the power to make everyone happy, too. It can make everyone in the world happy!



Recipe of Hope received.

It’s a recipe? For the “Pastels of Unity”?

Yes. This item should be able to secure Honnete in this world. If you use these pastels, she won’t have to disappear.

Making them will be incredibly hard, but still… Do you want to give it a try?

…

…



Yes! “Don’t give up before you even try!” Why had we just given up? Why had we just resigned ourselves to a tragic fate?

We’ve already seen alchemy overcome so much firsthand! …Sophie! Firis! Please, let us make this item!

No matter how hard it may be, we will do it!

Hehe, I know you so well now. I knew that’s what you’d say.

Right then! Let the mission “Stop Honnete from Vanishing” start at once!

Yes!

First, you need all the materials. And those materials have to be made, too! This will be tough!

We have Plachta, Alt and Ilmeria working on recipes for the items that will serve as the materials.

Miss Sophie and I are working on the main recipe, but we need a little more time. Will you go and see the others first, please? We’ll finish this while you do that!

This mission will be a success! We’ll see you soon!

…Wow. Those two are something else. They knew exactly how we were feeling.

Yeah. They even made us this recipe. Do you think we can be like them, someday?

I don’t know, but we can try! Which means, right now…

We need to make the Pastels of Unity! Come on then, let’s do this!



Learned Pastels of Unity recipe.

Sue, this recipe is for…

I know, but still… you can’t make me enjoy reading…



So we’ll need these four materials to synthesize the Pastels of Unity.

And Ilmeria, Alt and Plachta are working the recipes for three of them… let’s see them at once!