CHAPTER 3 - Campeggio of the Sleepless Night

[yumemory]

[Location: Dining area, morning]

Akira: Ah. No, it’s nothing.

Akira: (I have to be careful... Not everyone knows Bradley has gone missing.)

Shino: You sure you’re okay?

Heathcliff: You don't look well... Please take it easy today.

Akira: Thank you, but I’ll be fine.

I managed to put on a smile for these two worried people in front of me.

Shino: If you’re having trouble sleeping, you should come with us.

Akira: Come with you… to where?

Shino: To the Southern country. I was just talking to Heath earlier about making a dream-eating ring.

Akira: A dream-eating...

Murr: ...Ring!

Akira: !?

As I tilted my head at the unfamiliar words, an upside-down Murr suddenly appeared in front of me.

Shino and Heathcliff: Murr!

He did a somersault, and then sat down on the chair next to me like a cat.

Murr: Do you want a dream-eating ring too, Master Sage?

Akira: Y-You surprised me… Murr, do you know what a dream-eating ring is?

Murr: Yup! It's an old Southern charm made of special materials and spun into a ring.

Murr: It’s said that if you hang it on your wall, the dream-eating ring will gobble up your nightmares while you sleep!

Heathcliff: We also learned about it from Murr.

Shino: If you feed your nightmares to that ring, then you'll be able to sleep better, right?

Akira: Ohh, so it's a charm for a good night's sleep.

Akira: Wait, does that mean you're having trouble sleeping, too...?

Shino: It's not for us. It's for Faust.

Heathcliff: Master Faust seems to be having trouble sleeping sometimes.

Heathcliff: So we thought he'd be able to sleep better if we could make that charm for him.

Shino: You better keep this a secret from Faust. We'll surprise him with it. He'll feel more grateful that way.

Akira: Ahaha. Faust will be delighted about it.

Shino: Right? He’ll be so delighted he’ll cry.

Heathcliff: I don't think he'll cry...? But I hope it can be of some help.

The fearless Shino and the usually reserved Heathcliff both seemed very enthusiastic about this.

I couldn’t help but smile at their compassion and adoration for Faust.

Heathcliff: The materials used to make these dream-eating rings are said to be rare and can only be found on a small island near the border between South and East.

Heathcliff: I asked Murr what kind of materials we needed exactly, but he refused to tell me, saying we would have to wait until we arrived there.

Shino: I'm getting impatient. I heard it's a long trip from here, but I can't wait to get to the island and find out.

Murr: It's a super duper fun and exciting island! I'm sure it can make even the Master Sage’s worries disappear.

Murr: So why don't you come and enjoy a vacation with us there?

For a moment, I wasn't sure how to respond.

I was genuinely happy to receive an invitation from them. However, the sorrow I was feeling in my chest made me hesitate to nod.

Akira: (I don't know if I should be having fun at a time like this. Not when none of us knows where Bradley is right now…)

Murr: Master Sage, say ‘ahh’.

Akira: …..!? 

Murr, who sat beside me, suddenly scooped a spoonful of soup and fed it into my mouth.

Murr: Whether you spend your life smiling or in low spirits, it doesn't change the fact that you only have one of it to live, y’know?

Murr: Besides, to worry about one’s safety is to question one’s strength. A Northern wizard might find that pretty insulting!

Akira: (...He has a point.)

Bradley is strong and dependable. No matter where his strange affliction brings him, he always finds his way back here to the manor.

All I could do at the moment was trust Snow and the others that Bradley was alive, and that we should wait for him to come back safely.

Akira: ...You’re right. Then, I want to go to that remote island in the South too!

Murr: Yay!!

Heathcliff: It’s a pleasure to travel with you, Master Sage.

Shino: Alright. That makes you the fourth member of the Heathcliff Squad.

Heathcliff: Huh!? Where did that name come from!?

Shino: I have it prepared, in case we need it.

Heathcliff: We'll definitely never need it! Besides, since we're going with the Master Sage, I think Akira Squad is more fitting...

Akira: What? No, no. This trip is your and everyone's idea, so I think Heathcliff Squad is better.

Shino: You hear that? That’s what our Sage said.

Heathcliff: Master Sage, not you too…!

Murr: Hey, is it just the four of us in the Heathcliff Squad? Or are we recruiting more people?

Shino: The more comrades we have, the better. Let's talk to the other guys.

Heathcliff: If that's the case, then let's invite the Southern wizards. We'll be going to an island in the South, after all.

Shino: All right. We'll be recruiting more members for the Heathcliff Squad. Murr, Sage. Get ready to go.

Heathcliff: I told you to drop that name!

 

[Location: Kitchen, morning]

Nero: ……...Yawn...

Faust: Didn’t sleep well?

Nero: Woah!

Nero: Phew, it’s just you, Teach. You scared me.

Faust: All I did was walk in here like a normal person...

Nero: What can I get— Ah, you’re here for coffee.

Faust: If you’d like, then would you… Nevermind. It’s not something I should offer to a sleep-deprived person.

Nero: It’s not like I’m sleep-deprived...

Nero: Just had a bad dream, that's all. Dreamed about the past and stuff.

Faust: ...So you had a nightmare.

Nero: Well, somethin’ like that.

Nero: Guess you could say it’s a dream that left a more bitter taste than coffee.

Faust: ……...I use an incense that relaxes my mind when it’s smelled. I can share it with you, if you want...

Figaro: Hello, Nero. ...Ah, you're here, too, Faust?

Nero: Huh, Figaro?

Faust: ...Sorry, I just remembered I had something to take care of. I'll bring the incense to your room later. See you.

(Faust leaves)

Nero: H-Hey.

Figaro: And he's gone. Oh, well, it's not like he needs to know why I'm here, anyway.

Nero: Sigh...

Figaro: I need you to do me a favor. Don't worry, it's not anything bad. It's good news for you people who are having nightmares, actually.

 

[Location: Elevator, morning]

A few days passed, and it was finally the day of our trip to the island.

Shino: Is everybody here?

Heathcliff: Yes, it seems like it.

Figaro: Have you got everything packed?

Rutile and Mitile: We’re all set!

Lennox: It looks like we'll be able to leave earlier than we planned.

Akira: Everyone gathered earlier than expected.

Murr: I was here first! I've been waiting since before dawn!

Nero: So you slept here?

The group of wizards who were about to go on a long journey gathered in front of the elevator in excitement.

...And Nero was unexpectedly a part of this group.

TL: yumemory | Proofread: Alle

< Previous  |  Index  |  Next >