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shivalriesChapter 10: The Tale of the Dream-Blooming Knights
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[Location – Unknown]
Tsukasa: Leader! The Fairy Knight is getting away!
Leo: Hmm? No, it looks like there’s something over there.
Ritsu: Mm… It kinda looks like a cocoon.
Yuu: But it’s gigantic for a cocoon. And it looks like there’s a faint light coming out of it…?
Harriet: No, it probably really is one. I may have misunderstood.
Izumi: That butterfly was trying to keep us from approaching it…? Hmm, seems like it was protecting that cocoon.
Arashi: Harriet-chan? What’s this all about?
Harriet: I thought it was the Fairy Knight’s power that had lured you all into the midday dream.
But I was wrong. The one that was using the “Heart-Reflecting Mirror” as its nest was this cocoon.
Leo: Wahaha♪ So he really was protecting something!☆
Yuu: Um, Harriet-san…? So this means… this is the cocoon’s world?
Harriet: That seems to be the case. The one feeding off Leo Tsukinaga’s imagination was, in fact, the cocoon. Fairy Knight is nothing more than a warrior that protects it.
Leo: Wahahaha♪ I guess he was going to watch over it until it grew its wings.
Heeey! We’re not gonna interfere with you guys, okay?
Izumi: Whoa! Don’t start yelling out of nowhere.
Leo: I’ll help you~! Hey, you need inspiration, right?!
Arashi: Ah, wait, stop!! Don’t go over there by yourself!!
Fairy Knight: Kyu…!
Leo: Wah?! Don’t wave your weapon at me! I told you, I’m not gonna get in your way!
Relax. I’m not mad or anything. I mean, it’s true that I wasn’t making any progress with composing, yeah~?
But to be honest, that doesn’t matter. Whatever you try to do, it really isn’t that bad.
Everything that happened here is my fault. It’s because was a coward and ended up causing trouble for everyone.
Wahahaha! I’m actually pretty thankful! You gave me a chance to move on.
Despite being the King of Knights again, I still remained this conceited naked king.
You helped me realize that. That’s why I want to help you guys out too.
Don’t worry about me, okay~? I can bring up as much inspiration as you like♪
As long as I’m with Sena and the others, there’s no way it’ll run dry, wahahaha☆
Don’t be shy, rely on me. Helping you guys out will be enough for me, alright?
Fairy Knight: Kyu!
Tsukasa: Oh, the cocoon…? Leader, step away!
Leo: Mumu? What, you wanna fight again?! Stop, you blockhead!
Harriet: No, no need to worry. It appears to have just been a matter of time.
Izumi: Uhyah?! W-What was that? That surprised me.
Merc: The cocoon started glowing…? Ah, it grew wings?!
Leo: Wahaha☆ What a big butterfly!
Tsukasa: Marvelous…☆ What elegant rainbow scales♪
Harriet: The birth of Fairy Knight. The fragment of a dream, nurtured inside the cocoon, is now in full bloom.
This is my first time seeing such a thing. How mysterious. Perhaps this is the effect of using the imagination of Leo Tsukinaga as nutrients.
Leo: Fufu, you’re such a poet, Harry~☆ Though not as good as Ruka-tan♪
With its dreams fulfilled, it grew into what it was meant to be. I want us to be like that too, someday.
Yuu: But even so, is it really the same kind of monster? It kinda looks different from Fairy Knight…?
Merc: They really don’t look alike, do they? Myufufu, it looks more like a princess~!
Arashi: Oh, how wonderful♪ That would make her a Fairy Princess, right?☆
Ritsu: A knight and a princess, huh? Hmm, that is a possibility~♪
Izumi: All this time, it was nourishing its dreams of flying into the sky.
Leo: And this guy stayed close and protected that princess. He really is a splendid knight, wahahaha♪
Arashi: Ufufu♪ The knight’s starting to go, too, off to escort his princess…☆
I’d love to take Kunugi-sensei’s hand and have a stroll into the sky~♪
Izumi: What’s this all about, Naru-kun? That’s creepy, are you crazy or something?
Ritsu: Yaaawn♪ My eyelids are getting heavy.
Oh~? Look, the knight and princess have already flown up so high.
Tsukasa: How very elegant♪ I never thought I would experience something like this.
If I were ever to come here again, I would love to see it with Oneesama.
Izumi: So? What are we gonna do now?
Leo: Hmm?
Oh, Sena. It’s not often you ask me for direction.
Izumi: Is that so. But anything goes, you know? You’re our king here.
You’ve already decided what we’re doing from now on, right~?
Leo: We’re going back, back to our own kingdom.
To the home you protected for me. To the place Knights was meant to be.
Yuu: So, if Fairy Knight already left, what happens to this place…?
Harriet: It will disappear before long. The one who originally summoned you all here has left now.
I’m sorry to cause so much trouble. I suppose you will all finally awaken soon
Leo: In other words, it’s about time for this to end. Thanks for being here for us, Harry~, Merc, and that other thingy.
Yuu: My name is Yuu! What the hell is “that other thingy”?!
Leo: Wahahaha☆ Don’t sweat the details, sorcerer♪
Yuu: I’m a Soother! It’s not sorcery, it’s healing magic!
Tsukasa: I apologize, Yuu-san. Leader is not good at remembering names.
It took him quite a while to remember even my name, even though I’m in Knights.
Leo: Ahh, yeah… I see, uhh…?
Tsukasa: Tsukasa! Tsukasa Suou! Are you doing this on purpose? It’s on purpose, right?! You called me Suo~ just now, you know?!
Leo: Ah, of course I remember…?! You react too quickly! Just give me a minute, okay?! Don’t butt in while I’m trying to summon your name up from memory.
Tsukasa: W-What?! Why are you assuming I’m getting mad for no reason~?! Wait, doesn’t that mean you actually forgot again?!
Ritsu: Yuu and Merc, right? I wasn’t really able to talk with you guys, but yeah, I’ve got your names down♪
Arashi: Things were hectic after we got to the palace, after all. I wanted Merc to teach me how to polish up my feminine charms.
Merc: Myu?! I-I don’t know if I’d be any help, though?! I’ll brush up for next time we see each other!
Izumi: Fufu♪ Give it up, Naru-kun. The bride looks pretty flustered.
Leo: Wahahaha☆ What, so you knew about it, too, Sena? Look, isn’t she such a charming little bride?
Merc: Myuuu?! Don’t tease me, you two~!
Harriet: Hey. Could I have a moment?
Leo: Mm? What’s up, Harry~?
Harriet: Time is up. This place will soon be shut.
Leo: You sure are abrupt as always?! I thought picture book writers were supposed to be good at introductions and intonations and stuff?
Harriet: Fufu, you are right, I’ll keep that in mind. But actually, there is one thing I wanted to tell you all.
Ritsu: Hmm? To all of us…?
Harriet: The end of the book is the end of the dream. Once the book is closed, all that is left is the ever-present reality.
Just like those picture books you read as children. Eventually, they are covered with dust, their contents long forgotten.
Arashi: So, Harriet… does that mean we will forget everything that happened here?
Harriet: Yes, but even so, the fact that you were in the cocoon’s world will never waver.
Even if you were to lose your memories of it, the brilliance you touched here is engraved in your hearts.
That brilliance will not be lost with time; rather, it will surely bring bountiful blessings to your hearts.
Leo: Hey, Harry~! I don’t get what you’re saying at all.
Tsukasa: Why so blunt all of a sudden?! Why not try actually thinking about what she’s trying to say!
Leo: But I’m glad we met! Without the help of that picture book, I might’ve been stuck in place.
I was looking away from my current life. Always putting myself down, calling myself the naked king, you know~?
I am the King of Knights! No longer will I rule the Kingdom of Conceit!
Next time, I’ll invite you to our stage…! To the world of Knights☆
So if you like, come visit us. And bring Merc and Yuu too♪
Harriet: Yes, I shall. I will remember your wishes.
Now, King of Knights... I want to touch more of that light held within you.
I am a creature of the night. I am an author of picture books, who roams the land to learn of love.
Let us meet again. That is, if we ever have the chance.
[Recruitment House]
Harriet: With this, I wonder… Have I gotten closer to understanding what this person felt?
Yuu: Zzz… Mnnn.
Harriet: Good night. That is what he said as he laid blankets over another.
Fufu, how curious. Just from mimicking his actions, I feel the hole inside of me filling up with a warm light.
How do you feel right now?
Yuu: Mnn… Zzz…
Harriet: Now, where shall I go next? The last world was as transient as it was brilliant, and altogether beautiful.
Oh, I’ve forgotten. I haven’t decided on a title for the book yet.
A story of a certain group of knights, beckoned into the dream of a cocoon. How about, “The Knights on the Chessboard and the Afternoon Nap in the Cocoon World”?
Goodbye. Thank you for this brilliant dream.
---
< Chapter 9: The Cocoon World || Merc Storia Masterlist
---
[Location – Unknown]
Tsukasa: Leader! The Fairy Knight is getting away!
Leo: Hmm? No, it looks like there’s something over there.
Ritsu: Mm… It kinda looks like a cocoon.
Yuu: But it’s gigantic for a cocoon. And it looks like there’s a faint light coming out of it…?
Harriet: No, it probably really is one. I may have misunderstood.
Izumi: That butterfly was trying to keep us from approaching it…? Hmm, seems like it was protecting that cocoon.
Arashi: Harriet-chan? What’s this all about?
Harriet: I thought it was the Fairy Knight’s power that had lured you all into the midday dream.
But I was wrong. The one that was using the “Heart-Reflecting Mirror” as its nest was this cocoon.
Leo: Wahaha♪ So he really was protecting something!☆
Yuu: Um, Harriet-san…? So this means… this is the cocoon’s world?
Harriet: That seems to be the case. The one feeding off Leo Tsukinaga’s imagination was, in fact, the cocoon. Fairy Knight is nothing more than a warrior that protects it.
Leo: Wahahaha♪ I guess he was going to watch over it until it grew its wings.
Heeey! We’re not gonna interfere with you guys, okay?
Izumi: Whoa! Don’t start yelling out of nowhere.
Leo: I’ll help you~! Hey, you need inspiration, right?!
Arashi: Ah, wait, stop!! Don’t go over there by yourself!!
Fairy Knight: Kyu…!
Leo: Wah?! Don’t wave your weapon at me! I told you, I’m not gonna get in your way!
Relax. I’m not mad or anything. I mean, it’s true that I wasn’t making any progress with composing, yeah~?
But to be honest, that doesn’t matter. Whatever you try to do, it really isn’t that bad.
Everything that happened here is my fault. It’s because was a coward and ended up causing trouble for everyone.
Wahahaha! I’m actually pretty thankful! You gave me a chance to move on.
Despite being the King of Knights again, I still remained this conceited naked king.
You helped me realize that. That’s why I want to help you guys out too.
Don’t worry about me, okay~? I can bring up as much inspiration as you like♪
As long as I’m with Sena and the others, there’s no way it’ll run dry, wahahaha☆
Don’t be shy, rely on me. Helping you guys out will be enough for me, alright?
Fairy Knight: Kyu!
Tsukasa: Oh, the cocoon…? Leader, step away!
Leo: Mumu? What, you wanna fight again?! Stop, you blockhead!
Harriet: No, no need to worry. It appears to have just been a matter of time.
Izumi: Uhyah?! W-What was that? That surprised me.
Merc: The cocoon started glowing…? Ah, it grew wings?!
Leo: Wahaha☆ What a big butterfly!
Tsukasa: Marvelous…☆ What elegant rainbow scales♪
Harriet: The birth of Fairy Knight. The fragment of a dream, nurtured inside the cocoon, is now in full bloom.
This is my first time seeing such a thing. How mysterious. Perhaps this is the effect of using the imagination of Leo Tsukinaga as nutrients.
Leo: Fufu, you’re such a poet, Harry~☆ Though not as good as Ruka-tan♪
With its dreams fulfilled, it grew into what it was meant to be. I want us to be like that too, someday.
Yuu: But even so, is it really the same kind of monster? It kinda looks different from Fairy Knight…?
Merc: They really don’t look alike, do they? Myufufu, it looks more like a princess~!
Arashi: Oh, how wonderful♪ That would make her a Fairy Princess, right?☆
Ritsu: A knight and a princess, huh? Hmm, that is a possibility~♪
Izumi: All this time, it was nourishing its dreams of flying into the sky.
Leo: And this guy stayed close and protected that princess. He really is a splendid knight, wahahaha♪
Arashi: Ufufu♪ The knight’s starting to go, too, off to escort his princess…☆
I’d love to take Kunugi-sensei’s hand and have a stroll into the sky~♪
Izumi: What’s this all about, Naru-kun? That’s creepy, are you crazy or something?
Ritsu: Yaaawn♪ My eyelids are getting heavy.
Oh~? Look, the knight and princess have already flown up so high.
Tsukasa: How very elegant♪ I never thought I would experience something like this.
If I were ever to come here again, I would love to see it with Oneesama.
Izumi: So? What are we gonna do now?
Leo: Hmm?
Oh, Sena. It’s not often you ask me for direction.
Izumi: Is that so. But anything goes, you know? You’re our king here.
You’ve already decided what we’re doing from now on, right~?
Leo: We’re going back, back to our own kingdom.
To the home you protected for me. To the place Knights was meant to be.
Yuu: So, if Fairy Knight already left, what happens to this place…?
Harriet: It will disappear before long. The one who originally summoned you all here has left now.
I’m sorry to cause so much trouble. I suppose you will all finally awaken soon
Leo: In other words, it’s about time for this to end. Thanks for being here for us, Harry~, Merc, and that other thingy.
Yuu: My name is Yuu! What the hell is “that other thingy”?!
Leo: Wahahaha☆ Don’t sweat the details, sorcerer♪
Yuu: I’m a Soother! It’s not sorcery, it’s healing magic!
Tsukasa: I apologize, Yuu-san. Leader is not good at remembering names.
It took him quite a while to remember even my name, even though I’m in Knights.
Leo: Ahh, yeah… I see, uhh…?
Tsukasa: Tsukasa! Tsukasa Suou! Are you doing this on purpose? It’s on purpose, right?! You called me Suo~ just now, you know?!
Leo: Ah, of course I remember…?! You react too quickly! Just give me a minute, okay?! Don’t butt in while I’m trying to summon your name up from memory.
Tsukasa: W-What?! Why are you assuming I’m getting mad for no reason~?! Wait, doesn’t that mean you actually forgot again?!
Ritsu: Yuu and Merc, right? I wasn’t really able to talk with you guys, but yeah, I’ve got your names down♪
Arashi: Things were hectic after we got to the palace, after all. I wanted Merc to teach me how to polish up my feminine charms.
Merc: Myu?! I-I don’t know if I’d be any help, though?! I’ll brush up for next time we see each other!
Izumi: Fufu♪ Give it up, Naru-kun. The bride looks pretty flustered.
Leo: Wahahaha☆ What, so you knew about it, too, Sena? Look, isn’t she such a charming little bride?
Merc: Myuuu?! Don’t tease me, you two~!
Harriet: Hey. Could I have a moment?
Leo: Mm? What’s up, Harry~?
Harriet: Time is up. This place will soon be shut.
Leo: You sure are abrupt as always?! I thought picture book writers were supposed to be good at introductions and intonations and stuff?
Harriet: Fufu, you are right, I’ll keep that in mind. But actually, there is one thing I wanted to tell you all.
Ritsu: Hmm? To all of us…?
Harriet: The end of the book is the end of the dream. Once the book is closed, all that is left is the ever-present reality.
Just like those picture books you read as children. Eventually, they are covered with dust, their contents long forgotten.
Arashi: So, Harriet… does that mean we will forget everything that happened here?
Harriet: Yes, but even so, the fact that you were in the cocoon’s world will never waver.
Even if you were to lose your memories of it, the brilliance you touched here is engraved in your hearts.
That brilliance will not be lost with time; rather, it will surely bring bountiful blessings to your hearts.
Leo: Hey, Harry~! I don’t get what you’re saying at all.
Tsukasa: Why so blunt all of a sudden?! Why not try actually thinking about what she’s trying to say!
Leo: But I’m glad we met! Without the help of that picture book, I might’ve been stuck in place.
I was looking away from my current life. Always putting myself down, calling myself the naked king, you know~?
I am the King of Knights! No longer will I rule the Kingdom of Conceit!
Next time, I’ll invite you to our stage…! To the world of Knights☆
So if you like, come visit us. And bring Merc and Yuu too♪
Harriet: Yes, I shall. I will remember your wishes.
Now, King of Knights... I want to touch more of that light held within you.
I am a creature of the night. I am an author of picture books, who roams the land to learn of love.
Let us meet again. That is, if we ever have the chance.
[Recruitment House]
Harriet: With this, I wonder… Have I gotten closer to understanding what this person felt?
Yuu: Zzz… Mnnn.
Harriet: Good night. That is what he said as he laid blankets over another.
Fufu, how curious. Just from mimicking his actions, I feel the hole inside of me filling up with a warm light.
How do you feel right now?
Yuu: Mnn… Zzz…
Harriet: Now, where shall I go next? The last world was as transient as it was brilliant, and altogether beautiful.
Oh, I’ve forgotten. I haven’t decided on a title for the book yet.
A story of a certain group of knights, beckoned into the dream of a cocoon. How about, “The Knights on the Chessboard and the Afternoon Nap in the Cocoon World”?
Goodbye. Thank you for this brilliant dream.
---
< Chapter 9: The Cocoon World || Merc Storia Masterlist
