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yumemory[Location: Figaro’s clinic, morning]
The friction between the normally peaceful and cooperative Southern wizards spread a cold tension over us.
Their feelings, too, could be fierce and uncompromisable, like when Mitile so resolutely rejected Figaro’s plan.
Akira: (I wonder if Mitile’s okay...)
WIthout thinking, I turned my head towards the door. His face was painted with sorrow when he left, so I wonder how he’s doing now.
Akira: ...Sorry. I think I'll go check up on Mitile and the others.
Nero: I’ll go with ya, then.
Akira: Thank you, Nero.
I was also concerned about Figaro and Lennox, but the two of us decided to look for our other companions.
[Location: Outside Figaro’s clinic, morning]
We found Mitile sitting in the shade of a tree some distance away from the clinic. Rutile was snuggling up to him, while Shino and Heathcliff were telling him a few words to cheer him up.
Mitile: Was I being selfish? I just... really don’t want to lose the clinic...
Shino: You weren't. That clinic is your future workplace. He can’t take it down without your permission.
Heathcliff: He’s right...
Heathcliff: If I was told that Blanchett Castle needed to be vacated without being consulted, I'd also feel shocked and hurt about that decision.
Shino: I’m not gonna let that happen. Even if it’s Lord Blanchett himself who makes the order, I’d protest it at the cost of my life.
Heathcliff: It’s just a metaphor! Don’t go risking your life for it! But, Mitile... It’s what you’re feeling right now, isn’t it?
Mitile: ............
Akira: Um...
Rutile: Oh, Master Sage. You’re here.
Heathcliff: Nero, too.
Shino: How about the others?
Nero: Ah... Well, they’re still discussing things.
Akira: ...Mitile, are you feeling a little better now?
Mitile looked up at me and nodded. His bright green eyes were red and wet. Perhaps he’d cried, or perhaps he was holding back from crying. I couldn’t tell.
Rutile gently held him by his shoulders. These brothers, who are always so cheerful, both looked disheartened as, together, they endured the same pain.
Mitile: I don’t know what the circumstances or the details are. The only thing I heard earlier was that he wanted to give up the clinic.
Mitile: And maybe Doctor Figaro is right. Maybe this is the right thing to do for everyone's sake.
Mitile: But even so... I still can’t find it in my heart to agree with him.
Mitile sniffled.
Mitile: Maybe I’d understand better if it had to be done because we already tried everything and realized that we really have no other choice...
Mitile: But to think that getting rid of this place would be our first option... If there is even one possibility of a different approach, then I’d want us to try that first.
Mitile: I... I want to protect that place... I want to protect Doctor Figaro’s clinic...
Mitile: I hope he’ll let me do that...
Akira: Mitile...
Shino and Heathcliff: ............
Rutile: Mitile, I feel the same way. That place is full of memories of our tears and laughter, after all.
Mitile: ...Brother.
Mitile squeezed his knees in loneliness as Rutile hugged him.
Nero stroked Mitile's head, as if trying to substitute for Figaro.
Nero: Maybe Figaro just wants to protect everyone ‘ere as much as y’all do.
Nero: And that might be why this whole thing is so tough.
Nero looked at the landscape around us and breathed out. The wind blew weakly, causing small ripples on the surface of the lake.
The Southern Country was considered a hard place to live in because of its abundant nature and how difficult it is to cultivate it. This town must have gone through a lot of hardships before it settled down and became a habitable place like this.
Akira: (...Ah.)
When I turned my eyes towards the clinic, I found a small flower bed.
There were no flowers, but there were a few adorable plates on it. It was probably the names of the flowers written on them.
Heathcliff: Master Sage? ...Ah. I didn't know about the flower bed over there.
Heathcliff: Though there don’t seem to be any flowers in it...
Mitile: We made that a long time ago, actually.
Akira: Really?
Rutile: Yes. Mister Leno helped with carrying the soil and planting the seeds.
Mitile’s and Rutile's faces lit up a bit, and it felt like seeing a small ray of light coming from between the clouds.
Mitile: We don't know if we didn't water it enough, or if we used the wrong type of soil, but the flowers withered right away...
Mitile: Doctor Figaro left it as it was so we can grow flowers in them again someday.
Shino: Hmm.
Nero: So that’s why the plates are still there.
Rutile: Those were written by Mitile. He’d just learned how to write at the time, so he really wanted to write all of them on his own.
Heathcliff: Ahaha. You were really young when you made those.
Mitile: Well, I’ve been a patient in Doctor Figaro’s clinic frequently ever since I was young.
Mitile: A few times in the past, when my fever wouldn’t go down or when my condition wasn't stable, I had to stay there for a while.
Akira: So you’ve spent time away from home there before?
Mitile: Yes. Only a few times, though.
Rutile: It was hard to get treatment at home, so he had to stay there and receive treatment directly from Doctor Figaro.
Mitile: But it’s not all bad—there were lots of fun memories, too!
Mitile: We pretended to be travellers and even had sleepovers in the clinic with my brother.
Rutile: We used to do it a lot when we were kids. On the day of the sleepover, we would all cook dinner together and take tests of courage at night...
Rutile: There was even a time when Doctor Figaro played as a ghost and scared Mitile so much that he made him cry.
Mitile: But it was really scary! I opened the cabinet and found Doctor Figaro's head floating in it...
Heathcliff: T-That’s scary...
Nero: He was real into it, huh.
Rutile: Doctor Figaro got super panicked that time, didn’t he? He kept apologizing and trying his best to convince you that he wasn’t a real ghost until you stopped crying.
Mitile: Mister Leno also smiled to comfort me, but his face scared me so much that I only ended up crying more.
Akira: Haha. I can imagine that. So Lennox participated in the test of courage too, huh?
Mitile: Yes! He also joined our sleepovers when he didn't have any herding work to do.
Mitile and Rutile went on sharing many more of the memories they’ve made in Figaro's clinic.
Everyone could tell how much they cherished them just by witnessing their bright expressions as they spoke.
These are memories of the times when they cried, laughed, and were watched over by someone special to them. Looking back on them now, all of them can be considered as brilliant memories to be treasured forever.
Mitile: I have so many memories of the clinic that I feel like I don't have enough time to talk about all of them.
Mitile: That’s why it's a really important and irreplaceable place to us.
Figaro: Ahhh, that did happen, didn’t it? I really miss that time.
Mitile: Doctor Figaro!
Rutile: When did you...
TL: yumemory | Proofread: Alle
