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yumemory[Location: Talbott Castle, hallway]
Mitile: Mister Mithra, you’re taking out your magical tool already?
Mithra: I can kill the werewolf faster this way. I shall end it on sight.
Mitile: Y-You can’t! We might bump into someone who isn’t the werewolf.
Mitile: Like Mister Murr’s friend, who sent him that party invitation. Maybe it’s better to wait and see—
Mithra: You’ll be dying quite soon if you keep entertaining such ideas, you know.
Mithra: Now, go busy yourself with thoughts of how to keep that weak self of yours safe.
Mitile: ...Nnh…
Riquet: Goodness gracious, Northern wizards and their tactless words… Mitile, I agree with you, so please cheer up.
Riquet: Oh, right. Trick or treat!
Mitile: Huh? W-What is that?
Riquet: I’ve heard it from Murr before. It’s a spell relating to the tradition of Halloween, passed from generation to generation in the Master Sage’s world.
Riquet: Chant the spell on the day of Halloween and one shall receive sweets in return, along with the permission to pull a prank. But I must say, the latter is a rather unlawful act.
Mitile: We can do that? The Master Sage’s world is full of generous people!
Riquet: I’ll teach you, Mitile. Master Sage will be surprised.
Mitile: Um, what was it again? Trick…
Mithra: Trick or treat!
Mithra: There, I chanted the spell. Now where are the sweets I’m supposed to get?
Mitile, Riquet: Huh!?
Figaro: Oh, dear. I see they have one very large child among them.
Arthur: But the three of them seem truly in sync, don’t they?
Figaro: …Do they?
Arthur: In any case… I sense a strange magical presence from somewhere, Lord Figaro.
Arthur: It’s likely that the werewolf is still within this estate.
Figaro: Well, as you can see, Mithra is very much ready for combat, so I don’t think there’s much to worry about there.
Figaro: ...A werewolf that appeared because of the influence of the Great Calamity, huh.
(Rustling)
Arthur, Figaro: ………
Riquet: Prince Arthur?
Mitile: Is there something wrong, Doctor Figaro? You stopped walking all of a sudden.
Arthur: I may have heard a sound from behind this door.
Mithra: Shall I destroy the entire room?
Mitile: N-No, we don’t need to do that!
Arthur: Someone might be hiding inside. Let’s have a look.
(The wizards open the door)
???: Stay away!!!
Arthur, Figaro: !?
Riquet: A bundle of fabric is approaching us!
Mithra: Do you really think a piece of cloth will give you adequate cover? Come out and show yourself.
Girl: Kya…!
Mitile: ...A girl? Ah, wait, she’s not human…
Girl: Who are you!? I-I’m not scared! I’m a witch, just so you know!
Girl: If any of you dare lay your filthy hands on me, I will… uh… I will turn you into reusable tableware!
Mithra: What does she mean by reusable tableware?
Figaro: Like a platter?
Riquet: It would cause us a lot of trouble if we were turned into platters. Do calm your heart, for there is nothing to fear.
Riquet: We are the Sage’s wizards. We came here in response to the request that reported sightings of a werewolf.
Girl: …The Sage’s wizards? From the Magic Manor?
Arthur: Indeed. Kindly forgive us for approaching you so abruptly. You must be…?
Girl: ...I’m Gwen. I’m the eldest daughter of the Talbott family, and the younger sister of the lord of the estate.
Girl: I’m a witch and my brother is a wizard, but we don’t possess particularly great powers.
Mitile: Miss Gwen, was it the werewolf’s attack that drove you to hide here?
Gwen: No, no, that’s not it!
Gwen: I hid because I had been told that reinforcements would come to exterminate the werewolf. I couldn’t believe that there are plans to finish him off… How barbaric!
Arthur: ...Do you not wish for the werewolf to be exterminated?
Gwen: Of course I don’t! I would like you gentlemen to save him instead.
Gwen: You came here as the Sage’s wizards to fulfill my request, right?
Gwen: Then please… Please save him from his misery!
(Sound of a wolf howling)
Mitile: …!
Riquet: That howl…
Figaro: It’s coming from the main hall.
[Location: Talbott Castle, hall]
We all rushed to the hall as soon as the howling reached our ears.
Arthur: That’s…
Rutile: What a huge wolf!
In the center of the hall was a golden wolf.
But it wasn’t just any wolf—it was unbelievably huge, and its golden fur gave off an intimidating look similar to a lion.
Akira: (Is that the werewolf?!)
Mitile: Ah!
Suddenly, the wolf dashed forward—and his target seemed to be Murr.
Arthur: Murr, watch out!
Murr: Whoops!
Murr hopped into the air and playfully dodged the wolf.
Bradley:《 Adnopotensum 》
Rutile: 《 Ortonik Setomaouge 》
Bradley and Rutile, from Murr’s side, immediately cast a binding spell.
Werewolf: ...Grrgh…!
And the wolf, now bound, struggled to break free.
The Sage’s wizards brought out their magical weapons, armed at the ready to attack as a group.
Gwen: Wait!
But a young lady with long, disheveled blonde hair, her figure clad in a red dress, jumped out in front of them.
Gwen: Stop, don’t kill him! He’s not a werewolf!
John: Enough, Gwen! He’s beyond saving!
Gwen: I won’t let you kill him! Let go of me, Brother. I said let go of me! Get off!
John: …Ow! Stop biting me! That’s enough!
John: We have no choice. You know I wouldn’t do this if we had other options… But you and I both know it’s too late.
Gwen: ...Hic…
Gwen began weeping, holding onto John, who offered his support.
Her mournful cries resounded through the hall, followed by a low growl from the wolf.
The bound werewolf glared at us, a growl emanating from the back of its throat as it stared at us with sharp golden eyes.
It looked much more like a werewolf than a mere wolf, and we could easily tell from its sharp claws and fangs that it was responsible for the scars inflicted upon this castle.
John: ...This is all his fault. If it wasn’t for Murr Hart…
Rutile, Mitile, Riquet, Figaro: ...Huh?
Bradley, Arthur, Mithra: Murr Hart?
Murr: Oh? Oh?
Akira: (W-What does he mean?)
With the werewolf now restrained, we decided to take this as a chance to gather more information from the Talbott siblings.
John held Gwen, whose eyes were swollen from crying. Pale and thin faces with golden hair and eyes: a brother and a sister who looked very much alike, just like matching dolls.
John began to speak, his expression pained with sorrow.
John: That werewolf… is the second son of the Talbott family… He’s our brother.
Everyone: …!
John: The three of us were born as wizards and a witch, and we have been living in this mansion for a very long time.
John: Neither my sister nor I had much interest in academics, but my brother had always been smart and dedicated. His efforts eventually bore fruit, and he became a renowned scholar.
According to him, their brother was an outstanding scholar. A favorite among their clan, rumored to be almost on equal footing as the person regarded as the wisest man of the century, Murr Hart.
John: Then, one day, he dropped by a bar in the Town of Nectar. That was when it all began.
Akira: A bar in the Town of Nectar… Was it Shylock’s?
Figaro: It’s a certain someone’s favorite place, after all.
John glared at Murr.
John: That’s right. It was at that bar when my brother met Murr Hart, and exchanged arguments.
John: But I was told their conversation only lasted for three minutes before Murr told him that he was not amusing enough for him.
John continued to say that Murr then lost interest and ignored his brother, no matter how much he called out to him.
Arthur: Murr, is that true?
Rutile: He said you had an argument with their brother a long time ago…
Murr: I don't recall!
John: Y-You don’t remember?! You scum!
Akira: J-Just to clarify, this is Murr you’re looking at right now, but he's also… different….
Riquet: Murr has very few memories of his past.
Bradley: His soul got all shattered ‘n shit after he got too close to the moon, so he ain’t that respectable scholar you knew back then. Now he’s just some guy with a few too many screws loose.
Mithra: Don’t all Western wizards have a few too many screws loose, though?
John: What did you just say?! How utterly oafish of you!
Gwen: My goodness, Brother. Could you please stop getting so worked up?
Gwen: Apologies. He’s a very uptight person for a Western wizard, so that kind of remark isn’t really to his liking.
