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yumemory[Location: Manor lounge, morning]
Shino: ...Sorry, Mitile. I used it up.
Mitile: Ah, please don’t worry about it!
Mitile: Besides, I also like Mister Nero's lemon pie, so I'm happy your wish came true!
Mitile smiled brightly at Shino. And Shino, despite feeling a bit guilty, smiled back at him.
Then a sharp voice interrupted their exchange.
Owen: That was stupid. If that stone can really grant wishes, it should have been used to cure our curious afflictions.
Owen: You wasted a big chance. How nice life must be for you guys who don't suffer from the calamity’s effects.
Mitile: Ah...
Mitile: I-I’m sorry, I didn’t...
Mitile flushed as if he'd been doused with cold water after being hit by the sudden realization, and shriveled up in shame.
Shino: Hey, Owenー
But Faust cut Shino off before he could speak up in Mitile’s defense.
Faust: There’s no need to apologize. Even if it can truly grant wishes, it was Mitile’s stone to begin with.
Faust: He can wish for whatever he wants.
Owen: Putting up a front now, aren’t we? I’m sure your affliction is pretty bad, too.
Owen: You Eastern wizards are gloomy and meek, so it’s impossible to know what you’re thinking. For all we know, you might be secretly resenting Mitile.
Faust: Quiet.
Faust: This stone doesn’t have the power to grant wishes in the first place. It just gives a bit of good luck.
Owen: But Shino got what he wished for.
Faust: It’s a coincidence.
Owen: Coincidence? You speak like a wizard pretending to be a human.
Nero: Wizards who pretend to be human can come up with better excuses, y’know.
Rustica: How interesting. Then the wish-granting stone that pretends to give a bit of good luck is coincidentally losing its shine.
Owen: Wait, so it really grants wishes?
Shino: I’m confused now…
Nero: Hey, Sage. Sorry, but can I get some context here?
Akira: Actually, a stall owner gave us something that turned out to be a stone that’s said to have the power to grant wishes…
Nero: For real? Givin’ you a wish-granting stone for free… What a generous stall owner.
Upon overhearing our conversation, Owen’s eyes gleamed.
Owen: Tell me where that stall is. I’ll take all the stones it has for myself.
Rustica: Would you like to go there as well, Owen? It’s a wonderful stall located in the Central capital.
Owen: The Central capital? Now, why didn’t you say that sooner? Show me the way.
Faust: It was a shady street stall selling various magical items. Considering how frightened the owner looked earlier, it wouldn't be strange if he’s closed his stall already.
Owen: Utterly useless, all of you...
Owen looked irritated. He was more aggressive than usual, perhaps because he found something that could be his ticket out of his affliction.
The other wizards, who were used to seeing Owen refuse to do anything, gave him a curious look.
Rustica: You seem quite enthusiastic about this, Owen. I do not recall ever hearing about your curious affliction. May we know what it is?
Owen looked away.
Owen: ...It’s not about me.
Owen: I just want to help my poor fellow Northern wizards, who are living miserably because of their afflictions. That’s all.
Owen: Mithra can’t sleep, and Bradley always sneezes himself to who knows where. Can’t I feel sympathy for my friends?
Faust: Sympathy? Who, you?
Akira: (Owen, you’re digging your own grave with that excuse…)
The only ones who seemed delighted by his unnatural excuse were Snow and White.
Snow: Oh, how honorable.
White: What a wonderful bond of friendship.
Owen: Well, we’ve known each other for a long time. I should at least lend a hand when they need it.
Snow and White: Our dear Owen is such a good, thoughtful boy~!
Owen: Oh, shut up.
Owen: Now where do I find these stardew gems? I’ll look for them myself, if none of you are going to be useful.
Snow and White smiled brightly and answered in unison:
Snow and White: We do not know.
Owen: Huh?
White: We are aware of its existence, but nothing more. Unfortunately, we do not have information regarding its origin.
Snow: We never needed such gems, for we’re powerful enough to grant our wishes with our own powers.
Owen: ...So many of you in this room, and not a single one of you can give me an answer that’s worth my time?
Owen’s mood worsened. Before the situation became more dangerous, Rustica spoke up:
Rustica: You wanted to know where the stardew gems came from, yes?
Rustica: In that case, we might be able to obtain a lead.
Faust turned his attention towards Rustica, looking like there was something else he wanted to say.
Faust: ...How exactly?
Rustica: Follow me.
ーーー
[Location: Shylock’s bar, day]
Rustica led all of us to Shylock’s bar.
Shylock, who was tending to wine glasses, smiled in surprise.
Shylock: Oh my, what could have brought you all here?
Akira: Sorry for intruding while you’re still getting the bar ready, Shylock.
Nero: Dunno how I ended up here, but are y’all sure it’s okay to be in a bar in broad daylight?
Faust: Don’t tell me this “lead” you speak of is us relying on alcohol. We have children with us.
Rustica: Though that is a very charming idea, what we will actually be relying on is Murr’s wisdom.
Faust: Murr? But I don’t see him around…
Rustica: Shylock, do you still have the Mirror of the Past that Murr repaired a few days ago?
Shylock: I do, unfortunately, despite the number of times I told him my bar is not his storage room.
Mitile: The Mirror of the Past…
Shylock: This is one of Murr’s inventions. It’s a magical science tool that allows its user to watch an object’s memory as a projected transmission.
I once saw how the Mirror of the Past works. The Western wizards watched a little pebble’s memory of the townscapes like it was a movie.
It got broken back then, but it seems like Murr already fixed it.
Snow: Oh.
White: A device to watch an object’s past, I see.
Owen: So that nutcase knows how to be useful once in a while. He usually behaves like a mad animal.
Shylock: Fufu, I cannot agree more.
Shino: I get it. So we’ll use this tool to see where the stardew gem came from?
Rustica: It’s best to ask the gem itself for its origin, after all.
Nero: But Murr’s not here, though?
Akira: Yeah, it might not be a good idea to use the tool without the owner’s permission…
Shylock smiled.
Shylock: I can assure you that you can use it as you please.
Shylock: The one who was so heated in mending this device, and then losing interest and discarding it once its functionality was restored, is none other than Murr himself.
Faust: Well, if the person in charge says so…
Shylock: In charge of what, exactly?
Faust: The tool?
Nero: Uh, Murr?
Shylock: I humbly refuse.
Akira: (Which one did he refuse….)
Shino: Whatever, let’s just get on with it.
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