Part 124: Quiz Tournament (Nanjo's Question)

BGM: Stuffed Toy

"Hohohohohohoho, that's correct."
"The last line said you could make a grand 'desert' out of sabara. Not dessert...!"
"I figured out a trick in Japanese and English! Am I awesome? Am I awesome?!"
"You're so smart, Ange-chan! You deserve a pat on the head...!"
"Haha, I like it when you do that."
"Just change a single letter, and even mackerel can make a fine desert. Are you starting to see how omnipotent mackerel is?"
"The day I'm forced to serve a joke like that for dessert, I imagine heads will roll..."
"I wouldn't like it either. I like ice cream for dessert."
"Ahahahahahaha, of course. By the way, we shouldn't be worried, should we? What about tonight's dessert?"
"Ohohohohoho... I can hardly wait to surprise everyone with the mackerel fruit parfait waiting there in the kitchen!"
"Nooooooo!!"

Everyone burst out laughing. For some time after that, I was tormented by the terrifying image of a parfait neatly topped with mackerel bits...

"What a shame... I tried so hard to stop Ange-sama from getting that prize, but she solved my best riddle like it was nothing."

Though she said that, Kumasawa smiled. A gold-colored medal glittered in her wrinkly hand. Ange took it.

"Well then, that's all for our puzzles."
"Please keep up the pace, get more and more medals, and win that splendid prize from the Master!"
"Okay! Thank you. I'll keep it up...! We did it, Aunt Eva!"
"Eheheh! Let's keep it up!"



Kumasawa's puzzle in Japanese:



"The cook was in trouble. Dinner had been fully prepared, except for desert, but he had no ingredients left but mackerel (saba).

Then, the cook had a flash of inspiration. By adding one hiragana, he could turn mackerel into a dessert (dezaato).

What kana was it?

A. a
B. ka
C. ku
D. ro

The answer is 'ku', because 'saba' then becomes 'sabaku', Japanese for desert. the loanword 'dezaato' can mean both dessert and desert, so the the same pun is used. This is probably the puzzle that suffered the most from localization - the mixed 'dessert' and 'desert' in the description is confusing, and the English version doesn't really work if you assume Kumasawa is telling it out loud.



BGM: White Shadow

"...With each passing family conference, one can feel the growth of those youngsters. After just a few years more, Ange-sama will surely learn of love, of makeup, and will eventually grow to become a true lady."
"Very true... If she grows normally with the passing time, that is..."

A cruel fate... forces the chick called Ange into a lonely future. If an egg isn't warmed, it won't hatch. The egg she is now will not be warmed by anyone, and it will not hatch...

"Inside that frozen egg, will Ange-sama have no choice but to face that isolated future...?"
"...An egg's shell can always be broken from the inside. Even if a cold shell is very, very hard, that doesn't mean it cannot be broken."
"Does Ange-sama have the strength to do that?"
"Is she capable of achieving that or not...? I hear that question is what this final game is all about."
"Perhaps we should have sent her a clearer message. If the egg cannot be warmed, could we not at least strike it from the outside to make it easier to crack?"
"If a chick without the power to break its own shell is forced outside of the egg, it won't be able to withstand the cold winds. Ange-sama will have to find that power and resilience herself."
"...But, can we not somehow explain that power and resilience to her?"
"Words cannot be given. They can only be accepted. No matter what we try to give Ange-sama, it will be meaningless unless she accepts it."
"...You are right. No matter what we try to tell Ange-sama, it won't matter unless she listens."
"Hohohoho... We can do nothing but watch over her. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink."
"We can do nothing... but pray that Ange-sama chooses a better future for herself."
"If Ange-sama does not abandon herself to anger for the sole purpose of distracting herself from her resignation and sadness... If she can just be honest about that one, single wish that she truly desires more than anything else... Then you can be certain that she will make her greatest wish come true."
"It is ironic. Since the very beginning, she has been denying that greatest wish of hers herself."
"Laughter brings happiness. Tears bring misfortune. Those who believe will be saved. People have the power to create their own futures by the strength of their emotions."
"I wish we could just let her hear those words..."
"Battler-sama is very strict. He's hoping that Ange will realize it by her own power alone... and is not permitting even words of this nature to be told to her."
"...It seems we can do nothing but watch over her."
"And so, let us pray, at least. Pray that she grasps the world she desires most with her own hands."



BGM: Cage

"Yeah. I'll have to face everyone sooner or later. Right, Aunt Eva?!"
"Right! Come on, let's have a puzzle. We'll solve it in a flash!"
"Hahahaha. I see, I see. Then it seems I must make it a good one."
"Genji. You should give her one as well. A tough one."
"As you wish. In that case, a tough one it shall be..."

Whoa. I'd hoped that Genji-san would give me a simple puzzle, but now he's saying it'll be tough. Scary. But I'll beat both of them. I can't let myself get scared.

"Then let us start with mine. I am a doctor, so how about an ambulance puzzle?"



Eva's Hint

"5"
"10"
"15"
"20"
"25"