Part 52: Chapter 8-5: Rock and Reminiscence

Part 8-5: Rock and Reminiscence


The Scheme on Soleil Street

Yes, all ready. What about you?

Hehehe! Everything is ready!

Good! Now we can proceed to the final stage!

Excellent. I’m so looking forward to this!



You said it! Like fireworks and gunpowder!

…What can we do, Sue? I think we just saw something pretty crazy! I mean… Hagel and Pamela! The two of them together are more dangerous than a cauldron about to explode!



Well said. We didn’t see a thing. We don’t know a thing. Nope! Nothing! This never happened! We weren’t here! We were… in the garden!


Her Virtues and Flaw(s)

Good. I know it will work out. Just do your best!



Oh, that was love-related advice.

L-Love-related? Liane, have you started a new line of work?

No, silly. I’m just running my shop, as usual. Lots of people have been coming to ask for my advice recently. I’m not sure why.

I guess maybe because you’re so in control, and do such a good job running your business!

You’re cheerful and easy to talk to, as well. I bet that’s part of it!



What was that?

Ah, no, it’s nothing!

Anyway, it’s how you always give sound and cheerful advice. That’s why people come to you. Hehe. Just one of your many virtues, Liane!

I see. I guess I should be happy, then. …Thank you for listening to me. Here’s a little reward. I made them myself. I hope you like them.

Uwah! Delicious looking cookies! Thank you, Liane!

Hehe! We love you too, Liane!

Ah, how cute you are! Please come again anytime. I’m looking forward to it already!

Mmm… Liane sure makes incredible sweets!

She sure does! Psst… nice save there, Lydie! Anyway, now that we’re here, let’s drop into the tent…

Sure thing. …Oh? Hey, let’s sit back and watch for a bit…

Hey, Ilmeria, how are your folks doing?

Ah, not too bad. They keep saying they want to come by… it’s a little annoying.


The Atelier They Ran



Wah! That was a nasty thing to just come out and say. Why do you have to pick on me like that?

Hahaha, the two of you are such good friends. I bet having a best friend is great…

Hehe. Having friends you can rely on is important. That’s some advice from your teacher.

Teacher? That reminds me, I haven’t heard the details, but you two are Ilmeria’s students? Haha!

S-She’s laughing at us! Is there something wrong with that?

Nope, exactly the opposite. If Ilmeria is teaching you, you’re sure to become incredible alchemists.

You bet. They’re the students of the greatest genius super-wonderful alchemist of our times!

Hearing that puts a lot of pressure on us… We’ll do our best to meet your expectations…

Thank you. At least try to avoid becoming like Firis, always getting jobs wrong!

What? She’s done that?

We used to have an atelier together. Once, she mixed up bombs and gunpowder. Wow, it was bad.

I’m more surprised to hear you had an atelier together, actually!

Me too! Why don’t you still work together?

Oh… That’s…



Lydie, Sue. Help me make it. You’re not going to leave all the work to your teacher, are you?

Of course not! We’re coming!



Later…

Mmm, that tea hit the spot! Still though, Sue…

Yeah. Ilmeria cut us off pretty fast at the end, there. You want to get to the bottom of this, right?

You know me too well. Let’s drop by her atelier on our way home.

Oh…

Ilmeria? Not really sure how to say this…


Firis’ Conscience

Yes. We really want to know why you stopped running an atelier together.

It’s nothing too major, believe me. You know how she likes to travel, right?

Yes. It’s always been her dream, hasn’t it?

That’s right, all the way back to when she was little. Even when we had our atelier, I would see her looking sadly out of the window. So I told her that she should go and travel. That’s all.

I see. So you went your separate ways.

That’s right. I don’t want to travel, I want to run an atelier. Taking travel away from Firis would be like clipping a bird’s wings, so this is fine by me. …You stay out of this, though, girls. That’s an order from your teacher.

Alright. Thank you for telling us.



Sue? Do you want to feel the full power of my wrath? You’ll be ashes in seconds, of course!

Uwah! I was joking, just a silly joke! Hahaha!



Huh… A-Anyway, thanks for that, Ilmeria!

Maybe we shouldn’t press this matter any further, Sue. It sounds like Firis’ problem to deal with…

Fine… Hm? Lydie, do you hear something from the direction of the castle?

Oh? Yes. Something positively cacophonous…


Concert! At The Castle

Raaaah!

Hehehe! You over there, come and watch too!

What’s this? Isn’t that…



Come on! Are you having a good time?

Yeah!

If you aren’t, I’ll have to punish you!

I want to be punished!

What is this? Someone, please, I need an explanation!

Here comes our first song!

We’re going to sing with all our hearts! Listen with all of yours! This song is called…



That was incredible! I’m so pumped!

Yeah! When the big guy dived into the crowd, though, I thought I was going to get squashed!

Hohoho! I was hoping that young lady would take a stage dive!

So this is what they were planning…

Yeah. A totally bizarre concert, right in front of the castle. Even crazier than I imagined!



Anyway… wanna slip behind the crowd and drop by the castle?

Sure thing… Oh? Look what we have here…


Their Perfect Older Sisters

Haaah…



Yeah right. I was just reminded of my sister’s superiority once again.

What do you mean?

She’s better than me in everything, and she has the right to take the throne. But she still wants me to take it! Could I even rule better than she can? No way! At least, I don’t think so. When I think about things like that, I sigh, and my will to take the throne just fades even more.

I see. So even you think about stuff like this, Mathias…

You bet I do. Having the near-perfect sister isn’t as great as it might sound!



Huh?



Yeah. Keep your head up, Mathias. I’m supporting you, as someone who shares your pain.

Haha, thanks. That means a lot.

His side? Sharing his pain? What are you talking about?

Hehe. You don’t need to worry about it, Lydie.

Yeah, you don’t need to worry at all. Hah, I bet that’s nice!

Excuse me…?

Thanks for this, Mathias. Anyway, Lydie, let’s go home. We’ve got some work to do.

Eh? Right, we do. Later, Mathias.

The next day…

Hey, Sue, remember the concert yesterday? Some perverted old man wanted Pamela to crowd surf… and that got me thinking of something to ask her. But I know you-

Sure. No problem. We can go right away!


Defense Mechanism



Will you become Head Sister, and lead this church into an even better future?

H-Head Sister? I wonder what Pamela will do?

Thank you for the offer, but I can’t accept…

Why? I know you’re perfect for this!

No, I don’t agree. I’m sure you can do a much better job, Grace! Look at Chloe, at Ines. Everyone holds you in such high regard! So please, you should remain the Head Sister. Alright?

I see… In which case, very well. I won’t say anything more about it. But you’ll still let me consult with you on the direction the church should take, of course?

Of course! You can leave that to me, no problem!

So she turned it down… but that was so cool!

Yeah! It really got me! I guess those 300 years make all the difference!

What? 300 years? Lydie, what are you talking about?

Excuse me? What are YOU talking about? Remember, she told us herself? Pamela’s a ghost…



Sue, don’t tell me… You’ve erased your own memory? …Human defense mechanisms at work. Honestly, I guess Sue is better off this way!

Hey, Lydie, want to collect some materials in the paintings?

Eh? Ah, sure!

Ah, twins! Perfect timing! I just found something really great in this drawer!

S-Something great? What is it?

Hehehe! Take a look!


The Marriage Certificate

That’s right! Mathias made this when we were kids!

You said something great, didn’t you?

You know what he’s like now, of course, but back then he was so cute! Kind, smart, and obedient. The perfect little brother. Ah, this takes me back!

I can’t really picture Mathias like that… Uwah, I don’t even want to try!

He said he wanted to make me happy, but of course as brother and sister we can’t really get married! So he promised that he’d become a fine king, and make all people happy, rather than just me. …I’m still hoping he’s up to the challenge, to be honest.

Mireille…

Ah, but don’t tell him about this. He’ll get all carried away again if he hears this.

Hahaha, that’s true. It will just be our secret, then!



Hehe, right!