Part 17: Chapter 4-3: Respite...?

Respite…?


Mysterious Souvenirs

We’re definitely not slacking off! We already increased our rank to G!

Heh, sounds like you are working hard. I recently just went up to rank B myself.

B Rank! Ilmeria, I’m stunned. We’ll never catch up with you, will we?

Never say never, but I am your teacher, after all. I need to stay ahead of my students!

We’ll catch you one day, you’ll see! We’re going to be the greatest in the kingdom, after all!

Good. That’s the spirit. Keep that goal in your minds! Anyway, now that I’m here, anything you want to ask? Synthesizing, or anything else, fire away.

Ah, there is one thing. Do you know what this material is?



Inside a Mysterious Painting, actually. You know about them, Ilmeria, don’t you?

Yes, Mireille filled me in. I was too busy to help her out myself, though. Still, if you found these inside of a painting, they could contain all sorts of incredible powers. You’d better not rush into using them. Just keep them safe, for now.

I guess you’re right. We wouldn’t want to cause a massive explosion or anything, would we!

It might blow our atelier clean away! I’ll just put them back in storage, for now.

I think that’s the best decision. If there’s nothing else, then, I’ll be on my way. If you need me, come and see me anytime! Bye-bye, girls!

Ilmeria leaves.

A material that even teacher has never seen before? These paintings really are incredible!

They are! And I’ve thought of items that will help us gather even more valuable materials from them!

Such as?

Let’s start with a water bag!

You mean a…



Hmm… we’ll need a lot of leather. And quite a bit of oil. And some thread and metal.



This should scoop a fair bit of water for the time being!


Portable REDACTED

Oh, you’ve finally made that portable toile…

It’s a bag for carrying water! A bag to collect water from outside! Come on. At some point, you must have wanted to collect water, but had nothing to put it in, right? We use a lot of water in alchemy, too. So I thought this might be useful.

Hmm, OK. And in an emergency it can also serve as a toile…



Guwah!

Honestly! I hate your lack of delicacy, Sue! Seriously!

Ah! I’ve upset the wrong firebrand now, hehe.

You know what… let’s make an insect net next!

A… a what?


Insect Net
Components don’t matter for the Insect Net’s performance, so I’m omitting its synthesis.

Yes! We made an Insect Net! Now we can go and catch all sorts of bugs and insects!

Tell me, why did you make one of those? What’s the point in catching some dirty bugs?

What’s the point? Some of them can be nasty, but some of them are quite charming!

No way. All those legs, all that flying around, so hard and horrible and glistening and ugh! Most of all, there’s just too many of then! Gah, just thinking about them makes my skin crawl! In any case, I don’t think we need that item! Not at all! I vote we throw it away!

Oh, Sue. On your shoulder, there’s a…



Sue runs away.

Hehe, I was just kidding. We made this net, though, so we’re definitely going to use it!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Get it off, off, off, off!
Just for the record, for those not watching along: you can, in fact, have Sue catch bugs. She’ll even piss and moan the entire time, which adds to the charm.

The next day…


An Alchemy Exam

What is it, Dad? You’ve got a very serious look on your face.

Did you eat something bad? There’s some medicine in the cabinet over there…

That’s not it! I’ve something to tell you. I’ve had a super genius synthesis idea! However, I need a load of materials to realize it. It’s not going to be easy to collect them all. Yet it would be a waste to never let this idea see the light of day! You know what that means, right?

No! I mean, yes, I know what it means, but no! We’re not going out to collect your materials!

This kind of thing never ends well. I think you’d better leave it well alone.

How did I raise two such rude girls! This idea is all for your sakes!

Then out with it!

Let me ask. Have you ever wished we had more space in the atelier?

Sure, I’ve thought that. What? You’re going to do something with our storage?

Yes, that’s it exactly! I’m going to make your wish come true!

One of Dad’s ideas that actually sounds appealing? Very well, then. Just this once…

Hehe, I thought that’s what you’d say. Here’s your list, then!



What’s going on here? It’s just like a promotion test!

Hahah! I used my artistic skills to make it as close to the real thing as I could!



Hahahaha! In any case, my dear girls, I entrust the collection of these materials to you!

So Dad needs a lot of Ingots for whatever it is he says will be good for us.

Good thing we have a ton of em. We-


Pranks and Phobia

That’s hardly a bug! It’s tiny. Come on, then, hold still.

Lydie walks to the door.

There you are! Free to go!

Phew, it’s gone. Talk about an invader! A criminal in the house!

Hahaha. You really do hate bugs, don’t you Sue? When did that start, though? When you were a kid I remember you holding them with no fuss…

You want to know? Do you? Well, it was when I was seven…

Ah, you’re just going to tell the story?

I got up to some real nasty mischief, and so Mom put me on a timeout in the store shed. She even warned me about the ghosts in there! I was tearing up before she even closed the door! Then, in the dark, I started hearing something. It was like they were crawling all over me!

Uwah. I remember that. You were screaming your head off!

That’s right! I couldn’t do anything else! If I moved I thought I’d start crushing them! That’s when I started to hate bugs. Just thinking about them gives me goosebumps…

I see. You’ve earned some sympathy from me, then.

Glad to hear it! Mom could be pretty strict, couldn’t she? I was just playing around!

Yes? And what exactly did you do?



So much for sympathy. That would upset anyone… Which means your bug phobia is your own fault! If a bug comes close to you again, I’m not going to sweep it away!

Aaaah, no, that’s mean! Please, help me! I won’t survive without you, Lydie! Lydie! Please, Lydie! Sis, come on!

…Just kidding! Anyway, we should have enough Ingots for Dad. Let’s see what he’s got planned.

Y-Yes, Lydie! Anything to get my mind off of bugs!


A Fatherly Act
Yes, for the record, Roger’s “exams” also require you to max out a gauge. Is it required to unlock the True Ending? I don’t know, and I ain’t risking skimping on them.
Anyway, for this one, the maximum gauge condition is giving Roger 10 Ingots.

Hahaha, great work! I will now present the evaluation from your dear father!


This screen indicates you aced Roger’s “test.”

Alright! Now we just have to leave it to Dad…

So you say, but… I can’t help but feel nothing good will come out of leaving it to Dad.

Some time later…

There! All done!



Can’t you tell? It’s a container!

Yes, we can see that much… What I’m asking is, why did you make it?

What? This is what you wanted. More containers means more storage room, right?

Only one thing makes sense here. We were fools for expecting anything more from you.

I can’t believe it… All that time gathering materials! All those materials! Wasted!

What exactly were you expecting, then? I guess I failed to explain myself. Ah, another screw up!

Enough, dummy-daddy! You’ve earned that name again today!

Well, anyway. It’s done now, so just try to make the best of it. After all, look how many I’ve made! Hahaha, we’ll never run out of storage space again!



W-We don’t need this many. You’ve actually made less room! We only need one!

What? After I worked so hard on all of these? That’s harsh!



You know what? I guess he isn’t wrong that we’ll never run out of storage space, ever.

After disposing of all the excess containers…


A Break Gone Awry

Sure, okay. Where do you want to go?

Let’s go to Soleil Street!


Music: Bright Girl (Lydie & Suelle Ver.)

Hey, Sue… that old man down that alleyway like he’s in a bind.

Gah, I can’t believe this! I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off her, for even a moment!

Let’s go see what’s got him down! Hey. What’s going on. Are you in trouble?

Huh? Ah, kind of… I’ve been separated from my daughter. I’d like to search for her, but we only just arrived here. I’ve no idea where to start.

That’s terrible! We’ll help you find her, right Sue?

Yes, you can count on us! We know this city like the backs of our hands, after all!

Wow, thank you… That would be a big help. Sorry, I didn’t tell you my name yet… I’m Fritz. And you two are?



Oh! I’m Lydie, and this is my sister Sue.

Nice to meet you. Hey, Mr. Fritz. What’s your daughter’s name, then?

Ah, of course. Her name is Drossel. She has black hair and endless energy. If you see a girl bouncing around full of life, that’s probably her.

Hahaha, that actually sounds pretty easy to find! We’ll look around!



She obviously wasn’t on Soleil Street, and it doesn’t look like she’s on Lune Street either.

The bridge between Lune and Soleil is a great place to spot someone out all over the city! Let’s try there!



Still no sign of her.

Let’s head toward the beach. We didn’t check there yet.

Hmm, I have to say… we’re not having much luck are we?

Too soon, Lydie…



Gah, I wanted to share this with Dad! Where’d he go?

Black hair! Endless energy! Bouncing around!

That’s her! Excuse me?

Hello! Do you need something?

Well, sorry if we’ve got this wrong, but are you Drossel?

Yep. That’s me. Who are you?



I’m Sue and this is Lydie. Cute sisters from this city!

Ahem… We were searching for you, on Mr. Fritz’s request.

Ah, I se! My dad is getting all worried about me again. It seems I have a little bit of a problem myself… Sometimes I get separated from him.

It’s alright. At least we found you. Mr. Fritz is waiting on Soleil Street. Come on, we’ll show you the way…

Soleil Street, right? Thank you! See you later!



She ran off! And Soleil Street isn’t that way!

I have a real bad feeling about this… Let’s go and tell Mr. Fritz we saw her, anyway.

The twins return to Soleil Street.


The Puppeteers Reunited

And seeing as she isn’t here with you… She isn’t back yet?

Hmm. I think I know what’s going on… Sorry for all the trouble.

No, not at all. We should have dragged her here by the hand, shouldn’t we…



Could that be classified as some kind of special ability?

It has been hard on me, too. Sometimes she just vanishes, like mist… Hmm, there’s no other choice. I’ll just have to search for her again…



Hahah! Victory! I’ve proven myself again!

Drossel! W-Why are you coming out of that person’s house?

What? I was just walking along and ended up here…

Walking along where?!

You can’t expect her to answer that… This is pure Drossel.

Please, don’t just accept it!

Anyway, this is great. Now we can start our performances!

Performances? Do you belong to a circus?

Haha, no. Puppet shows, actually! We’re travelling puppet performers. Although I tend to be focused on writing the scripts.

Wow, puppeteers! I’ve never seen a puppet show before. Hey, can you show us?

Hahaha! So you like the idea? Wonderful! That’s wonderful!

Eh? Mr. Fritz? …He sounded a bit too enthusiastic there…

I’d love to put one on for you right away, but we aren’t ready yet. It will have to be another time.

Sure, that’s fine too. Any time you are ready, just let us know!

Great! We’ll definitely put on a show as soon as we can, so look forward to it!



What?! This is our house?!

Ahem… So, you two, please come and see us any time.

Any time! That’s when you’re welcome!

Great, thanks! We’ll be sure to take you up on that offer! See you later!

Mr. Fritz had a bit of an odd moment there, didn’t he? I hope we don’t have to worry about anything…

Anyway, leisure! Instead of hunting for Drossel! It’s been a while since we’ve been to the church, right? Let’s go see what’s up there!


Goblet of Ire

Uwah! I’m sorry!

W-What’s going on here?

Hey, girls. Ines broke a goblet used in our services.

I’m sorry. My hand just slipped!

Just? You need to be more responsible!

I think that’s enough, Chloe. No need to be so hard on her! Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. No need to get vindictive!

Sister Pamela… But…!

Hehe, it’s all right. Lydie and Sue here will make us another goblet, won’t you girls?

That’s right! We can whip up one of those in… hold on, us?

Why are you pushing this on us?



Ah, those sparkling eyes! That’s a low blow!

Fine! Fine! We’ll make this goblet, if we must! So please, Chloe, don’t make things any harder on Ines.

Fine, I won’t. If that’s what all of you think. Looks like you’re off the hook, Ines.

That’s right!

All right! Please go ahead and make the goblet!

Hehe!

I know we have that Goblet to make, but I think Sister Grace wants us for something too!

Right, that sorts out the drinks. Next, some sweets…


Services for a Social

Well, I’m getting ready for a church gathering. We have some new participants as well. I’m very busy!

Hey, that sounds lovely! We’ve just been too busy ourselves to take part recently.

Hey. What’s that “church gathering” she’s talking about?

You’ve been helping without knowing that? It’s an open church event held by the Head Sister. Anyone is free to come and we do all sorts of things like games and readings.

Wow, that sounds great!

Hey, Sister Grace. What are you going to be doing this time?

An origami class, actually. I’ll be teaching the class, so I’ve been brushing up myself!

Let me see the book… Uwah! There are all sorts of techniques in here! A rabbit, a crab, even a puni!

Wow! That’s some serious folding you’ve got planned, Sister Grace!

Of course. I’m responsible for making sure everyone has fun, after all. However, there is one issue… I’m having trouble getting enough paper together.

Or, to put it another way, someone completely forgot to order any paper at all!

Uwah, I said I’m sorry!

I think I see what happened. Hahah, Sister Grace! You can leave that part to us!

Hey, good idea! We can synthesize as much paper as you need!

That would be great, but are you sure? This is for origami, so it needs to be good quality paper.

Hey, what is this? You don’t think we can do it? Our alchemy skills are getting better every day!

That’s right! We’ll show you exactly what we can do, Sister Grace!

Hehe, if you’re willing to go that far, very well. I will leave this in your hands. Bring as much of the most beautiful paper you can make. Thank you!

The twins go home.

We got dragged into more stuff… anyway! For a goblet, the old one was made of Ertona Crystal…

But we can’t get that here! There’s only one place in the world that has Ertona Crystals, and that’s Ertona!

Bah! Guess we’ll have to put that one on hold, then. Hope they can get by without a goblet for a while. Anyway, for paper…



Good thing we have so many high-quality plants! And we just need some water and neutralizer, and we’re set!



Good quality, and many components… I get the feeling that using this Darkshroom as a catalyst will let us do all of these ingredients justice!



The spots from the catalyst really made this paper fibrous!



That’s four pieces of Zettel! We should probably prepare more, since I get the feeling Grace will need plenty for an origami social.

Alright!

The next day…


The Sister’s Stewardship

Here you are, Sister Grace. This is the paper you asked for!

Thank you so much. The quality is quite remarkable, too! Did you really make all this?

Yep, we sure did! We made it together!

Then I’m very impressed. This is a massive step up from that watery medicine you used to make…

Talk about conflicting feelings! It’s like we’re being praised, but also learning something very unflattering…

Hahaha… Was it really that bad? Anyway, I guess you can hold the church gathering now!

Yes. That’s everything we need. Now I have to do my part! More people coming each time is great, but it also means I have to step up my game! Just how much fun can I help everyone have? As the organizer of this event, that’s where I need to show my skills!

Ah, you’re on fire! A true entertainer!

No, she’s a nun…

Which reminds me… I thought the idea of the church gatherings was to bring in more worshippers?

Yes, I think she mentioned something like that. A while ago now, though… Has she forgotten?



Do we maybe need to rethink our priorities a little?

Uwah! No, not at all! The church is open to all. If it is bringing joy to many people, I am sure God is happy with that.

Wow, nice recovery.

I am impressed.

Flawless dodge, as always.

Hohoho! I have preparations to make, farewell.

Sister Grace leaves.

Hmm… Sister Grace can be a little strange, but that’s why I love her!

Me too!

Anyway… it’s been a while and we’ve done plenty. It feels like the reputation of our atelier has increased a lot. Maybe we can take the next exam?

I was thinking the same thing. Let’s go and ask Mireille about it!