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shivalriesChapter 4: The Magic Picture Book
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[Leo Kingdom - Town]
Pawn: Koton koton♪ Koto koto koton♪
Bishop: Kakkon kakkon☆ Kakkon kakkon☆
Yuu: I’ve never seen this place before. Is that castle… built on top of the water?
Uhh, what were we doing again? I don’t think I’m understanding this situation right now…?
Merc: D-Don’t look at me! There are monsters lining up for a parade? Weren’t we supposed to be at the recruitment house…?
Yuu: Yeah, we were reading that picture book that was on the table. But after that, my memory’s hazy.
Merc: I remember you started to read it aloud. And before we knew it, we were here.
Yuu: Well, for now, let’s take a walk around town. There might be others like us here.
Merc: That’d be A-ok with me~! It doesn’t seem like they’re attacking anyone, but just in case, let’s be careful of those monsters as we go!
[Leo Kingdom - Bar]
Izumi: What the hell?! Sooo annoying! Why did I have to be the one paddling the gondola?
Arashi: Well, we didn’t have a gondolier? But isn’t it great that you had such a precious experience, Izumi-chan?♪
Izumi: Excuse me? You’re the one who does muscle training in track and field.
I didn’t know how to steer it, and thanks to that I’m all exhausted now. And on top of that, we still can’t find Ousama.
Tsukasa: We haven’t seen a single person here. I was surprised to find even the town streets are filled with those chess pieces creatures.
Ritsu: But they seemed like they were having a fun time, right~? The town’s all busy with the parade♪
Izumi: I have absolutely no idea what they’re thinking. I get tired trying to talk with them. It’s just like being thrown around by Ousama.
Tsukasa: Speaking of which, they seemed very attached to you, Sena-senpai. Fufu, in any case, we can finally breathe a bit♪ It seems there aren’t any of those “chess pieces” here.
Arashi: Yeah, that’s true. Well, I don’t think those little ones would be using a bar, anyway.
Fufu, it kinda feels like we’re adults now☆ I’m surprised you weren’t against coming in here, Tsukasa-chan, since you’re so serious.
Tsukasa: Of course, none of us can drink alcohol. But it doesn’t seem there is anywhere else we can settle down.
I do have my reservations, but we did not have the leisure to discuss.
Ritsu: I wonder what alcohol tastes like~? Is it tastier than human blood, I wonder♪ Mm, I want some of Maa-kun’s now☆
Tsukasa: With that outfit, you do look like a real vampire. Please don’t talk about wanting blood so easily.
Ritsu: Chomp♪
Tsukasa: Hyeeee?! No, please stop, don’t drink my blood~!
Ritsu: Fufu, just kidding♪ I was just messing with you a little. I like how you react, Suu-chan.
Tsukasa: W-What on earth are you thinking?! Suddenly biting someone else’s neck?! It didn’t hurt, but you scared me!
Ritsu: But I was just pretending to bite, you know? Sorry if I scared you. There, there♪
Tsukasa: Ghh?! Don’t treat me like a child!
Izumi: Hey you two, you’re getting loud, you know? It’s not the time to play around in a place like this.
Arashi: Fufu, I agree☆ For now, let’s discuss what we should do from here♪
Tsukasa: Y-Yes, I apologize for the noise. Certainly, it is just as you say.
Arashi: Well, we can just use this place as a base to discuss how to get back to Yumenosaki, once we meet up with Ousama.
Izumi: Yeah. So we have to go find Ousama somehow.
Tsukasa: There is one thing I’m wondering about. Why is there a bar in this town?
Ritsu: What’s this all of a sudden, Suu-chan? Of course it’s because someone built it here♪
Izumi: But there aren’t any customers to use it. I haven’t even seen an owner yet. Kuma-kun, are you saying you know something about this?
Ritsu: You know, even if I did~ there’s no town as strange as this anywhere in the world.
I was just thinking I’d seen it somewhere before. Thinking back, it’s the scenery in a picture book I got from Ecchan☆ [1]
Izumi: Mm, I’m not really getting what you’re talking about. By “picture book”, you mean that thing Ousama was looking at so intently?
Ritsu: Yup, that’s the one♪ I see~ I guess none of you knew, huh?
Just as I was having a nap in the garden terrace, I happened to see Ousama receive a picture book.
Ousama was really happy about it. He called it a magic picture book or something because it sparked his inspiration. I also took a little peek at it then.
Arashi: It seemed like he could come up with all sorts of fantasies looking at that book, huh? Either way, his songs were definitely progressing.
Izumi: Hmph, so what’s the deal…? All you said was this place looks exactly like the book, though?
Don’t say things like you’re still half-asleep, Kuma-kun. Have you not woken up yet?
Ritsu: Fufu, I am half-asleep, yes♪ I’m inside the world of the picture book, after all.
Hey, Suu-chan. Is this what a midday dream is like…?
Tsukasa: Daydream… A fantastic experience, like dreaming at high noon.
Ritsu: I feel so aware of everything, so I didn’t notice I’m still dreaming♪
Tsukasa: You say you have consciousness in a dream? This is most likely a lucid dream, then.
Ritsu: Is that so? Well, whatever works♪
Tsukasa: However, I would like to clear up one misunderstanding – this isn’t your dream, Ritsu-senpai.
Ritsu: But I’m the only suspect here. I’m the only one who knows about the picture book.
Tsukasa: Um, what are you doing on the floor…? Do you intend to sleep even more, really?!
Ritsu: Mm~ good night♪ It’s a pain to wait until I wake up, right?
Yaaawn♪ I’m going down to a deeper level of dreaming~☆
Tsukasa: W-Wait! Ritsu-senpai, please wake up!!
Ritsu: Zzz…♪
Izumi: Hey, what’s this supposed to be? Kuma-kun said he thinks this is a product of his dreams, couldn’t bother waiting until he woke up, and fell asleep?
Tsukasa: Y-Yes. I believe this is correct.
Izumi: Oh, come on! He’s so unbelievable, shitty brat!
Arashi: Ufufu♪ But it’s not unreasonable for Ritsu-chan to think it’s all a dream. I can barely believe this is reality myself♪
Izumi: I don’t get it. By going to sleep once, he thinks everything will solve itself? Nothing’s ever that easy.
(What the hell is that other idiot up to, anyway? He made sacrifices to protect us, right? Coming back just to go missing again…)
Arashi: Oh, Tsukasa-chan? Where are you going?
Tsukasa: I will go look for Leader for a bit longer. In the meantime, please rest, both of you.
I will not trouble my seniors with my selfish decisions. I am sorry, but please wait here for a while.
Izumi: Give it up, Kasa-kun. If you go out searching without a plan, you’ll just tire yourself out.
Tsukasa: But, this situation will not progress if I stay here. I will come back when I find a clue!
Arashi: He left running, huh. Even though he used to treat Ousama like his enemy. It’s so cute how he can’t sit still♪
He’s growing wonderfully as a member of Knights, but with a personality like that, it’s too much fun to tease him. He gets sulky if you treat him like a kid, though.
Fufu, what do you think, Izumi-chan? Will you go searching with Tsukasa-chan?
Izumi: I’m done for the day. Like I said, it’ll just tire us out.
If you’re worried about him being alone, Naru-kun, then go chase after him.
Arashi: Yeah, I’m planning on it. It’s boring just waiting here, after all☆ We’re not at the age where we can enjoy alcohol, anyway♪
I wonder if we’ll come to places like this when we’re older. Well, I’d like to go alone with Kunugi-sensei, though, ufufu☆
But maybe we’ll all come here together as Knights someday? I don’t really want to imagine it, but I ended up wondering what Ousama would be like drunk.
Izumi: Haa, don’t bother. He’s already enough of a handful as it is.
If he gets drunk, he’d be completely uncontrollable. We should just keep it at tea parties.
Well… I might want to see it at least once…?
Fufu…♪
---
[1] Note this isn't Eichi he's referring to! It's a Merc Storia character, who you'll see in later chapters.
---
< Chapter 3: The Brilliant Knights || Merc Storia Masterlist || Chapter 5: A Lovely Bride >
---
[Leo Kingdom - Town]
Pawn: Koton koton♪ Koto koto koton♪
Bishop: Kakkon kakkon☆ Kakkon kakkon☆
Yuu: I’ve never seen this place before. Is that castle… built on top of the water?
Uhh, what were we doing again? I don’t think I’m understanding this situation right now…?
Merc: D-Don’t look at me! There are monsters lining up for a parade? Weren’t we supposed to be at the recruitment house…?
Yuu: Yeah, we were reading that picture book that was on the table. But after that, my memory’s hazy.
Merc: I remember you started to read it aloud. And before we knew it, we were here.
Yuu: Well, for now, let’s take a walk around town. There might be others like us here.
Merc: That’d be A-ok with me~! It doesn’t seem like they’re attacking anyone, but just in case, let’s be careful of those monsters as we go!
[Leo Kingdom - Bar]
Izumi: What the hell?! Sooo annoying! Why did I have to be the one paddling the gondola?
Arashi: Well, we didn’t have a gondolier? But isn’t it great that you had such a precious experience, Izumi-chan?♪
Izumi: Excuse me? You’re the one who does muscle training in track and field.
I didn’t know how to steer it, and thanks to that I’m all exhausted now. And on top of that, we still can’t find Ousama.
Tsukasa: We haven’t seen a single person here. I was surprised to find even the town streets are filled with those chess pieces creatures.
Ritsu: But they seemed like they were having a fun time, right~? The town’s all busy with the parade♪
Izumi: I have absolutely no idea what they’re thinking. I get tired trying to talk with them. It’s just like being thrown around by Ousama.
Tsukasa: Speaking of which, they seemed very attached to you, Sena-senpai. Fufu, in any case, we can finally breathe a bit♪ It seems there aren’t any of those “chess pieces” here.
Arashi: Yeah, that’s true. Well, I don’t think those little ones would be using a bar, anyway.
Fufu, it kinda feels like we’re adults now☆ I’m surprised you weren’t against coming in here, Tsukasa-chan, since you’re so serious.
Tsukasa: Of course, none of us can drink alcohol. But it doesn’t seem there is anywhere else we can settle down.
I do have my reservations, but we did not have the leisure to discuss.
Ritsu: I wonder what alcohol tastes like~? Is it tastier than human blood, I wonder♪ Mm, I want some of Maa-kun’s now☆
Tsukasa: With that outfit, you do look like a real vampire. Please don’t talk about wanting blood so easily.
Ritsu: Chomp♪
Tsukasa: Hyeeee?! No, please stop, don’t drink my blood~!
Ritsu: Fufu, just kidding♪ I was just messing with you a little. I like how you react, Suu-chan.
Tsukasa: W-What on earth are you thinking?! Suddenly biting someone else’s neck?! It didn’t hurt, but you scared me!
Ritsu: But I was just pretending to bite, you know? Sorry if I scared you. There, there♪
Tsukasa: Ghh?! Don’t treat me like a child!
Izumi: Hey you two, you’re getting loud, you know? It’s not the time to play around in a place like this.
Arashi: Fufu, I agree☆ For now, let’s discuss what we should do from here♪
Tsukasa: Y-Yes, I apologize for the noise. Certainly, it is just as you say.
Arashi: Well, we can just use this place as a base to discuss how to get back to Yumenosaki, once we meet up with Ousama.
Izumi: Yeah. So we have to go find Ousama somehow.
Tsukasa: There is one thing I’m wondering about. Why is there a bar in this town?
Ritsu: What’s this all of a sudden, Suu-chan? Of course it’s because someone built it here♪
Izumi: But there aren’t any customers to use it. I haven’t even seen an owner yet. Kuma-kun, are you saying you know something about this?
Ritsu: You know, even if I did~ there’s no town as strange as this anywhere in the world.
I was just thinking I’d seen it somewhere before. Thinking back, it’s the scenery in a picture book I got from Ecchan☆ [1]
Izumi: Mm, I’m not really getting what you’re talking about. By “picture book”, you mean that thing Ousama was looking at so intently?
Ritsu: Yup, that’s the one♪ I see~ I guess none of you knew, huh?
Just as I was having a nap in the garden terrace, I happened to see Ousama receive a picture book.
Ousama was really happy about it. He called it a magic picture book or something because it sparked his inspiration. I also took a little peek at it then.
Arashi: It seemed like he could come up with all sorts of fantasies looking at that book, huh? Either way, his songs were definitely progressing.
Izumi: Hmph, so what’s the deal…? All you said was this place looks exactly like the book, though?
Don’t say things like you’re still half-asleep, Kuma-kun. Have you not woken up yet?
Ritsu: Fufu, I am half-asleep, yes♪ I’m inside the world of the picture book, after all.
Hey, Suu-chan. Is this what a midday dream is like…?
Tsukasa: Daydream… A fantastic experience, like dreaming at high noon.
Ritsu: I feel so aware of everything, so I didn’t notice I’m still dreaming♪
Tsukasa: You say you have consciousness in a dream? This is most likely a lucid dream, then.
Ritsu: Is that so? Well, whatever works♪
Tsukasa: However, I would like to clear up one misunderstanding – this isn’t your dream, Ritsu-senpai.
Ritsu: But I’m the only suspect here. I’m the only one who knows about the picture book.
Tsukasa: Um, what are you doing on the floor…? Do you intend to sleep even more, really?!
Ritsu: Mm~ good night♪ It’s a pain to wait until I wake up, right?
Yaaawn♪ I’m going down to a deeper level of dreaming~☆
Tsukasa: W-Wait! Ritsu-senpai, please wake up!!
Ritsu: Zzz…♪
Izumi: Hey, what’s this supposed to be? Kuma-kun said he thinks this is a product of his dreams, couldn’t bother waiting until he woke up, and fell asleep?
Tsukasa: Y-Yes. I believe this is correct.
Izumi: Oh, come on! He’s so unbelievable, shitty brat!
Arashi: Ufufu♪ But it’s not unreasonable for Ritsu-chan to think it’s all a dream. I can barely believe this is reality myself♪
Izumi: I don’t get it. By going to sleep once, he thinks everything will solve itself? Nothing’s ever that easy.
(What the hell is that other idiot up to, anyway? He made sacrifices to protect us, right? Coming back just to go missing again…)
Arashi: Oh, Tsukasa-chan? Where are you going?
Tsukasa: I will go look for Leader for a bit longer. In the meantime, please rest, both of you.
I will not trouble my seniors with my selfish decisions. I am sorry, but please wait here for a while.
Izumi: Give it up, Kasa-kun. If you go out searching without a plan, you’ll just tire yourself out.
Tsukasa: But, this situation will not progress if I stay here. I will come back when I find a clue!
Arashi: He left running, huh. Even though he used to treat Ousama like his enemy. It’s so cute how he can’t sit still♪
He’s growing wonderfully as a member of Knights, but with a personality like that, it’s too much fun to tease him. He gets sulky if you treat him like a kid, though.
Fufu, what do you think, Izumi-chan? Will you go searching with Tsukasa-chan?
Izumi: I’m done for the day. Like I said, it’ll just tire us out.
If you’re worried about him being alone, Naru-kun, then go chase after him.
Arashi: Yeah, I’m planning on it. It’s boring just waiting here, after all☆ We’re not at the age where we can enjoy alcohol, anyway♪
I wonder if we’ll come to places like this when we’re older. Well, I’d like to go alone with Kunugi-sensei, though, ufufu☆
But maybe we’ll all come here together as Knights someday? I don’t really want to imagine it, but I ended up wondering what Ousama would be like drunk.
Izumi: Haa, don’t bother. He’s already enough of a handful as it is.
If he gets drunk, he’d be completely uncontrollable. We should just keep it at tea parties.
Well… I might want to see it at least once…?
Fufu…♪
---
[1] Note this isn't Eichi he's referring to! It's a Merc Storia character, who you'll see in later chapters.
---
< Chapter 3: The Brilliant Knights || Merc Storia Masterlist || Chapter 5: A Lovely Bride >
