Atelier Lydie & Suelle Part #65 - Chapter 10-1: Family Secrets

Part 65: Chapter 10-1: Family Secrets

Part 10-1: Family Secrets

The Secret Between Their Parents

Honnete…

Hello, Roger. What is it? You’ve missed me already?

Yes, that’s part of it! But there’s also something I want to ask you… Honnete, be honest. You’re pushing yourself a bit too hard, aren’t you?

Hahaha… I knew I couldn’t fool you, Roger. My beloved husband. I don’t know why, but sometimes… just sometimes, if I don’t concentrate, I feel myself fading…

Hold on! I know what that sounds like.

Me too. I don’t have long left.

What about the girls? Should I tell them?

No need. When the time comes, I’ll tell them. Keep it a secret until then. We’ve only just gotten each other back… I want them to be happy for as long as possible.

Yes, you might be right. …I’m so sorry, Honnete.

There’s no need for you to apologize, my darling. Ah, why don’t we take a walk in the flowers? We can talk all about our girls.

I figured you’d say that, which is why I brought this wine! Where to start…

A Successful Synthesis

Sue! The tea’s almost ready!

You’d better hurry up, Lydie! Or else you’ll miss out on Dad in action!

Hahaha! Take a look at this!

Yep. The shaking in my hands has been getting better. Not perfect, but I’m back in action!

Hahaha, that’s great, Dad! The A Rank exam conditions have arrived, too.

Great! Now we can all aim to become the greatest atelier in the kingdom together! And this’ll help plenty… our subsidy of 6000 Coll!

First, I think I got a lead for something amazing! It’s a stone derived from a Dragon Bloodstone.

Sounds great! So you’ll need that… plus a Rainbow Corundum, some gunpowder, and some elixirs?

Yes. Now…

Uwah… those are some wicked powerful components! …Hey, I think I got a good lead for what we can use this in!

Harmonium… the ultimate metal! …

Yup! …Ngh…

Hunger and Usury(?)

No …We could try boiling some canvas? It’s white, it might even taste like sugar toast…

Don’t be silly. Although I’m so hungry, I almost can’t feel anything…

It can’t be helped. All Dad does is buy art supplies…

Lucia? Sorry, but could you come back some other time? We don’t have the energy to deal with you today…

Hah! Are you sure you should be treating me like that? I am here bringing you food, after all!

What?! Really? You’ve got food?! Real food?

Yes. Uncle asked me to bring you both something to eat.

If he was going to do that, he could have just not spent the money in the first place!

Hahaha. Thank you, Lucia. Now we don’t have to whittle down an easel to eat it.

I-Is that how bad things were getting…? Go ahead, then. Eat your fill.

Mmm… Munch, munch…

Sluuuuuurp…

Uwah, I’m stuffed! I couldn’t eat another bite!

I’m alive again! And full to the brim! I don’t know what would have happened without you, Lucia!

Hehe, I know, right? Well, then…

You want us to pay you…? Hey! I wasn’t told about that part of all of this!

Hah! I never said it was a free meal, did I? My dream for the future is to be rich! So rich that I never have to work again! That’s why I never let a single coin slip through my fingers. So hurry up and pay me!

Uwah… You saved our lives, so there’s not much we can say. Put it on our tab?

That’s the best we can do. We can’t afford to touch our atelier fund… Heh…

Ohohoho! I’m only joking! Just a joke! I felt so sorry for you, and I’m not going to take money. I’ll leave the rest of the food here. Bye-bye!

…She’s so weird! But it doesn’t change the fact that she really did save us.

What? Lucia just came by with some food. Dad, did you forget you asked her to bring us some?

Lucia? I asked her for a loan, sure, but she shot me down real quick.

Hmm. Maybe Lucia was actually using her head for once, then!

It looks like it. Thank you, Lucia… Anyway, Sue, our bellies are full… so time to make the Harmonium!

No kidding… they don’t call this the ultimate metal for nothing! Still, though…

There we go!

The Green Gremlin's Hypothesis

You too! Hehe, this turned out pretty good.

Hmm, not bad. Work worthy of my rivals.

…Ugh. Can you not creep up on us like that? You almost gave me a heart attack!

I didn’t creep anywhere! I announced myself, you two just didn’t hear me.

Hahaha. Is this a social call, Lucia? Just looking to relax a little?

Yes. The atmosphere in this near-abandoned atelier is perfect for taking a break!

Huh. I guess, seeing as you’re here, I’ll fix some tea for you.

I want it nice and hot with lots of sugar!

Alright, Lady Lucia… okay, like this?

Thank you for that! I’ll come again soon, hehe!

Hmm. Now that she’s out the door and out of earshot… Miss Lydie. I have formulated an interesting hypothesis.

Is that so, Professor Sue! And what great hypothesis might this be?

Lucia comes over quite a lot, doesn’t she? Regardless of whether we are working or not… In other words, Lucia must have a lot of free time!

Hah! I think you’ve realized something that maybe we weren’t meant to realize? While Borthayre looks like they have loads of customers, they actually don’t have much work?

I’m only considering possibilities here. They do have lots of money, don’t they?

Then I’m even more jealous! But we don’t know the truth, do we?

Hmm, you’re right. …Ah, I know! All we have to do is find out!

What? Find out, how?

I just had a great idea for a recipe. This, and this… take a look.

What is this? It says “Replacement Medicine”?

Let’s just make it. We can test it after that!

Okay! Let’s get-

Roger’s Resumed Experiments

Oh… What is it this time?

Wow, that was easier than I was expecting? In fact, you’ve gotten me a bit worried now!

Nothing to worry about, I promise. We’ve just given up on resisting your foolishness.

I-Is that so… I feel conflicted about that, too. Moving on! How about a potion that makes you taller?

That sounds surprisingly reasonable… but no, not coming from you. Have to keep our guard up!

Ahem. You have a merchant you’re friendly with, right? What’s her name? Something corny?

A merchant? You mean Corneria?

Yes, her. I’ve heard rumors that she has a bit of an issue with her height. She’s helped you both out, so I’d like to help resolve her complex, if I can.

Our self-obsessed, selfish mad scientist of a father, who’s wasted almost his entire life… is now working to help others! Sue, we need to push the boat out tonight! Let’s celebrate!

I’m not sure I like where this is heading… Don’t make me cry again, girls, please! A-Anyway! Here’s your list!

To prove I’m not mad… I mean, to repay kind Corneria, go and do your very best!

Sure, sure. But first, Lydie…

Right! We’ve… other matters to attend to.

This seems simple enough to make… and there we go!

Lucia’s Secrets

We made the medicine you thought up, Sue. Is this really going to work?

Ah, you’re still suspicious! Don’t worry, I thought up this recipe. Let’s give it a try. Each of us will take a sip, okay?

Uwah! This stuff stinks. Are you sure it’s okay to drink it?

Sure. Here, look… uwah! It doesn’t taste that great, but it’s drinkable.

Uwah, fine, fine. Ah, it isn’t… too… bad?

Hehe, it worked! A potion that swaps the minds of the two people who drink it!

What?! You made something so potent?

That’s right. Ah, the effects are about to wear off.

Yes. Now, if we use this and swap with Lucia…

I see! We’ll be able to find out right away if Lucia is really busy or not!

That’s it! Let’s go and expose the truth!

It’s nothing scary. Nothing scary at all. Just take a sip of this medicine…

Wh-what is it, all of a sudden? This is too creepy. No way I’m going to drink that!

Well, in that case… Lydie, plan B!

Roger! You brought this on yourself, Lucia!

H-hey! Let me go! Gah, I can’t move…

It’s all good, all good. It may be a little smelly, but not harmful at all.

Like I can believe that! It definitely smells like something very harmful!

Geh, don’t be a baby. We even tried it ourselves.

Yep, yep. Nothing to worry about, just drink it up!

G-gah… Ugh! Cough… It tastes even worse than it stinks…!

Alright! So now I drink this… gulp… Ugh, it does taste pretty bad…

Hehehe. Okay, Lydie. I’ll leave it to you and begin my research!

Understood. Okay, come on, Su-el-le. Let’s go back home.

…W-Wait a second. What is going on?! You can’t just do this!

… Alright. Now that all the noisy ones are gone, let’s get started. I’ll find out just how much you play around…

… ugh, what’s with this list of jobs? It’s too long! Especially compared with us… Hm? There’s something written on the edges… “Finish the job early and go hand out with the twins”? “Check if the twins had enough to eat”… “Ask if they have any problems with their synthesis”… “Make sure they are not too lonely with Auntie gone”… This… I didn’t know she felt like this at all. She went out of her way to come and see us!

Welcome back, Sue! So, how was it?!

Oh… You know… I rifled through her schedule book. She really does have as much work as the long lines outside her atelier imply. And she had notes on the edges concerning us. Worrying about if we were hungry… if we were having issues with synthesis… if we were lonely without Mom. She really does care a lot about us…

…Really? …Huh. And all this time we didn’t treat her well at all…

Yeah… and she even made time for us even though she’s so busy. We should try being nicer to her from now on. …Well, that’s all good and all, but there’s something else…

Hm? What is it?

…When we changed bodies, I sort of realized that, she’s kind of much… bigger than she looks.

Oh? You’ve got my interest now. Tell me all the details…

Lucia has attained the skill Unattainable Object?

Unattainable Object? - Restore a small amount of MP each turn.

A new Combination Art for Lydie and Lucia “Avars Order” is unlocked.