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yumemory[Location: Figaro's clinic, evening]
Heathcliff: Ah, it’s a sketchbook.
Rutile: Yup. We spent a lot of time drawing in this when we were young.
Mitile: We drew lots of things, didn’t we? Mountains, lakes, fish, butterflies. Drawings of Doctor Figaro and Mister Leno are here too, of course.
Shino: Is this a fish?
Rutile: Nope! That’s Doctor Figaro.
Heathcliff: Huh? But I thought this one over here was your drawing of him...
Rutile: That’s a dancing flower!
Shino and Heathcliff: .........?
Mitile: My brother doesn't draw things as he sees them. He draws whatever he feels in his heart, so his stuff might seem unique...
Mitile: I'm not sure how they’re able to do it, but Doctor Figaro and Mister Leno can correctly guess his drawings at times.
Shino: Really? Sounds deep.
Heathcliff: Ahaha. Maybe they're able to do it because they've been with the two of you for a long time.
Figaro: I applied some medicine and healing magic, so you should be fine soon. Are you sure you’re not hurt anywhere?
Lennox: Yes. Thank you very much.
Figaro: That acid was definitely lethal. Even if you only got grazed, it must have still hurt a lot.
Lennox: That's why it was better that I took the blow. It would've been worse if it hit Mitile instead.
Figaro: Yeah, I really appreciate it.
Figaro: ......It was your stubbornness that helped me today. Those kids would be in tears right now if it wasn’t for you.
Lennox: I could say the same to you. I would have regretted it for the rest of my life if anything bad had happened to them.
Lennox: Earlier, I behaved impudently because I failed to understand your concerns. I’d like to apologize for that.
Figaro: Stop that. If anything similar happens again, tell me what you think and don’t hold back, just like what you did today.
Figaro: Let’s not stop fighting in the future. And let’s do it fondly, alright?
Akira: ...It seems like things have finally settled down.
Faust: Yeah.
Nero: Looks like it.
Lennox’s injury was taken care of, and he and Figaro made up. The three of us looked at each other and nodded, finally free of worry.
Both Nero and Faust let out a sigh of relief before taking a sip of their fruit wine. Looking at them reminded me of just how worrisome and gentle at heart the Eastern wizards always are.
Akira: I’m really grateful for the Eastern wizards’ support today.
Faust: Well, I just so happened to have a bit of free time.
Nero: I’m glad everything worked out fine in the end. Mitile’s even recovered after gettin’ sick so recently.
Nero: And ah, Teach... Sorry for leaving you on yer own with those two with the air like that.
Faust: Sigh... Imagine being in my shoes at the time.
Akira: (It was probably upsetting for him...)
Figaro: Who are you talking about?
Nero: Woah.
Faust: Don’t just suddenly stand behind us like that.
Akira: Figaro, Lennox. I’m glad the treatment went well. Please sit here, if you'd like.
Lennox: Thank you so much.
Figaro: Then I'll gladly sit next to you, Master Sage.
Figaro: So, what are you guys talking about?
Akira: U-Um... I was talking about how glad I am that the Eastern wizards came with us...
Lennox: We feel the same.
Lennox: Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to do this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Figaro: You’re so stiff.
Lennox: I am?
Nero: Yeah, real still. You’re not holdin’ a speech for a ceremony, y’know?
Figaro: We’re all your fellow Sage’s wizards, so, “Thank you everyone, let’s help each other again in the future~!” sounds better, don’t you think?
Faust: I’m not really sure about that one either...
Lennox: Thank you very much. Lord Figaro and… everyone, for helping us protect a place that’s very important to us.
Lennox: But it was surprising, I think. I thought Lord Faust would be more in line with Lord Figaro.
Akira: Huh? Really?
Faust: You're not wrong. If it was my own dwelling, I also would have chosen to use it as a medium.
Faust: But at that moment, I felt sort of like I understood what everyone was trying to say. It would’ve been rude for an outsider like me to interfere.
Nero: Yeah, it’s real great that y’all Southern wizards were able to do somethin’ about it.
Everyone peacefully talked with each other in a light-hearted manner.
There was mud on our cheeks and clothes, and our hair was sticking up with sweat. But their shoulders were relaxed, and the thorny atmosphere I felt before our departure was nowhere to be found.
It made me think of a few things, including Figaro, who had spent a long time nurturing this landscape by cultivating it with other people.
Akira: (...I’m sure everyone just wanted to protect the same things.)
I wondered if Figaro had always watched over the Southern Country like that.
Cutting things little by little for the sake of protecting everyone...
Even if it meant sacrificing what was important to him.
Mitile: Doctor Figaro! Mister Leno!
Figaro and Lennox: Hm?
Mitile: Right now we're looking at this sketchbook my brother owned when we were kids, and he says this is the drawing he likes the most.
Mitile: Can you guess what it is? Master Sage and everyone else, feel free to give your answers too!
Mitile then held up the sketchbook for everyone to see. There was a vivid and unique drawing in the center of the page.
Akira: ...T-That is...
Nero: ...What’s that? Twisted vegetables?
Faust: Isn’t that a magical creature?
Figaro and Lennox: ............A napping dog?
Rutile: Correct!
Shino and Heathcliff: They actually guessed it?!
Akira: Both of them got it?!
Nero: How did you figure it out?
Lennox: Back then, Rutile and Mitile used to play with a dog that came around here...
Figaro: Yup, yup. And we kinda just guessed it?
Shino: Then, how about this one?
Heathcliff: And this one?
We placed the sketchbook on the table and started guessing the drawings.
After that, Mitile's sketchbook and more of their old items were laid out, and we spent a long time talking over their past.
Figaro: Master Sage, your glass is empty. Wanna have the same juice I’m having?
Akira: Sure, thank you so much. ...Wait, huh? You’re not drinking tonight, Figaro?
Figaro: Yeah. I don’t wanna get drunk tonight.
Voices and laughter surrounded us, and I noticed that Figaro looked so much happier.
I could tell it wasn’t just Mitile and the others who felt relieved that the clinic was saved.
Because for this wizard, this small place could be one of the many branches of a big tree where he could rest his wings.
Akira: (I’m glad to know this place isn’t going anywhere…)
The sound of laughter never stopped, and a night full of fun went on.
Nero took out the after-dinner dessert out of the oven, something that Shino requested, right around when the party was just getting started.
Nero: Here, the lemon pie’s all ready… huh.
Mitile and Rutile: ...Zzzz...
Shino and Heathcliff: ...Zzzz...
The four of them accidentally fell asleep while waiting for Nero to finish with the lemon pie.
They were propped up on the table, breathing peacefully in their sleep.
Figaro: They finally fell asleep.
Lennox: They must have been very tired.
Faust: That's no surprise. They were digging for almost half a day.
I wondered what kind of dreams they were having. Their sleeping faces looked as peaceful as a newborn child’s.
Nero: But these guys get along awful well, don’t they? Look at ‘em, all sleeping in a similar position like that.
Akira: Ahaha. I wonder how they’ll react when they wake up.
Faust: I'm sure some of them will get upset that none of us woke them up.
Figaro: Children who fall asleep would always pout when they woke up. They just want to play more.
Nero: And they’re sure gonna miss out on this fresh-baked lemon pie.
Lennox: I’m sure Mitile will be disappointed. Shino will feel bitter.
The sleeping breaths of these four people sounded like some kind of faraway music. The adults, on the other hand, laughed softly and carefully so as to not wake them up.
Akira: A new memory has just been made here.
Nero: Yeah, I definitely won’t forget what happened today.
Faust: These kids got so exhausted that they couldn't fight off their sleepiness.
Lennox: Now this place is important not only to us Southern wizards, but also to everyone.
Figaro: ...Yeah. I think so, too.
The night flew leisurely into the next morning. There might come a time when we’ll laugh as we look back on this day.
When that day comes, I want to talk about it as if I’m showing off my treasures, one by one.
So that these precious treasures would create new precious memories, together with the people I cherish.
TL: yumemory | Proofread: Alle
