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yumemory[Location: Talbott Castle, hall]
It was later that night after the party ended.
Larry briefly disappeared into the depths of the castle and returned with an object in his mouth, approached and beckoned Murr to give him his hand.
Akira: That’s…
Murr: The moonwolf crystal!
A piece of red stone glittered on Murr’s palm, and he held it happily.
Murr: Thanks, Larry!
Instead of nodding, the wolf let out a long, loud howl.
He then turned his back to us, and dashed out of the castle.
Rutile: Ah…
The golden wolf sprinted away under the night sky, shining like the moon on land.
That moon ran further and further from the castle, and soon it disappeared into the darkness, out of sight.
John and Gwen: …Hic…
The moment Larry was out of our sights, John and Gwen, who had been happily smiling the entire evening, finally burst into tears.
Unlike yesterday, it was John who held onto Gwen for support as he wept, covering his face.
John: …Larry… Hic… Gwen, Larry is…
Gwen: …Sob… It’s okay, Brother. It’s okay…
They said the three of them have been together for a long time, and that they were a very close set of siblings.
That was why the two of them finally chose to congratulate him on the new life he wanted…
...And prepare themselves to live with the pain of his absence for many, many years to come.
Rutile: ......This is good, isn’t it? It was what Mister Larry wanted.
Rutile: This is good… It should be, but…
Akira: Rutile…
Rutile’s shoulders dropped, as if he himself had lost someone tonight.
Perhaps he thought of those he lost after seeing the Talbott siblings bid farewell to their family.
He thought of his parents, whom he had already said goodbye to, and his little brother, whom he doesn’t ever want to lose.
Arthur: Don’t worry, Rutile. It’s not a permanent farewell.
Arthur: Even if we leave each other, and even if our appearances change, we will always be connected in our hearts.
Riquet: I agree… And in a book I read the other day, it said that flowers bloom after a sorrowful downpour.
Riquet: So, um… Please cheer up, Rutile. I’ll give you all the sweets I received.
Mitile: Brother.
Mitile squeezed Rutile’s hands, as if to tell him he wasn’t going anywhere.
Mitile: We’ll always be with you. Even if you get sad or lonely, we’ll always be together.
Rutile: …Everyone…
Mithra: Did you like the wolf that much? You sure have strange interests.
Mithra: If you want to keep a pet wolf, then I’ll just catch one or two for you. Or how about more than ten of them?
Rutile: ...Pft. Hahaha! Jeez, Mister Mithra, you got it wrong.
Rutile: But still, thank you, for cheering me up.
Murr: Hmmmm?
While Arthur and the others were talking to John and Gwen, Murr was busy inspecting the moonwolf crystal, holding it up to the sky as if showing it to the moon.
Akira: Murr, are you sure it’s okay to touch that? Doesn’t it contain a curse, it could be really dangerous…
Murr: It’s okay.
Murr: This gemstone doesn’t live up to its name... It has absolutely nothing to do with the moon.
Rutile: Huh, really? Then what about the rumors that it gives away the moon’s powers?
Murr: I’m not feeling that kind of power from it right now. But Larry also didn’t feel anything by simply possessing it.
Murr: Maybe that miracle occurred for a price, and only then will we finally be able to understand the moon’s language.
Murr: Larry may or may not have heard the moon speak to him. And I don’t think I’ll ever know the answer unless I become a wolf myself, too.
Murr: Well, sounds like a plan!
Murr’s intelligent and analyzing gaze at the moonwolf crystal quickly shifted into innocence.
The Murr of the past would have kept his distance from such behavior, but the current Murr has a curiosity and impulse that will prevail over anything else—so he placed the crystal in front of his open mouth, and…
Rutile: Mister Murr, wait!
Bradley:《 Adnopotensum 》！
Murr: !
Before Rutile and I could stop him, a gunshot shattered the stone that Murr was holding.
Murr: Ahh! You’re so mean! My moonwolf crystal!
Bradley: Shut up. Ya still gotta pay for almost forkin' over a fake durin’ our chess match.
Unbothered, Bradley put his gun on his shoulder, placing one leg on top of the other with a smirk on his face.
Bradley: It’ll be pretty inconvenient if a Sage’s wizard as old as you turned into a useless wolf.
Bradley: And that’d mean there’d be a notch fewer people in the manor gutsy enough to gamble with me.
Bradley: I’m sure ye’ll understand the moon’s language on yer own someday, without cheatin’ yer way there with that thing.
Bradley: You could still keep up yer research even with that fucked-up head o’ yers, right, Mister Wise Man of The Century?
Murr: Wait, maybe you’re right?
Murr stared at the scattered pieces of the moonwolf crystal, blinking like a startled cat, before an indifferent smile appeared on his face.
Murr: Well all righty then!
Akira: I-It’s all right…?
Rutile: What a relief… I would’ve stopped Mister Murr too, if Mister Bradley hadn’t come to shoot the moonwolf crystal.
Rutile: Mister Murr, your wish is yours to have. If you wish to become a wolf, then we should be in no position to stop you, but…
Rutile: If possible, I’d like for you to stay as you are. I want us to talk more and do many more things together.
I nodded at Rutile’s words that’s spoken with a gentle voice.
Akira: I feel the same. While I do think a wolf Murr would be nice… I still wouldn’t want you to swallow that stone.
Akira: You’re a dear friend of mine, Murr. That’s why, even if this sounds selfish, I’d like to stop you from turning into a wolf.
Rutile: Yes. And not only that, Mister Shylock would be sad too. You two are very good friends, aren’t you?
Rutile: Chloe and Mister Rustica as well. They would surely feel sad if they could no longer chat and drink tea with you as usual.
Murr: ……Hmm, you’re right~ This’ll give Shylock a HUGE surprise!
Rutile and Akira: Huh?
Without pausing for a moment, Murr picked up the scattered pieces of the stone and tossed all of them into his mouth.
Bradley: What the fuck?!
We panicked seeing how he swallowed the stone pieces, but Murr only turned to us with a grin and said:
Murr: Trick or treat!
Rutile and Akira: !?
Murr: Ahaha, you all fell for it! That was a prank!
Akira: W-Wait… What part of everything you did just now was the prank?
Murr: Hmm, who knows?
He smiled teasingly, very much like we often see him do. Seeing innocence that contains no hint of malice made all of us laugh.
Rutile: That really surprised me! Mister Murr, you’re really good at surprising people!
Bradley: Sigh… I ain’t dealin’ with this bullshit. We’ve done our job ‘ere, so can we get home now?
Akira: You’re right. Murr, it’s time to return to the manor.
Murr: Okieee dokie! I’ll pull more pranks on you when we get back, Master Sage!
From the window, I saw the thin outline of the moon faintly shining in the sky. I can’t help but wonder if that man who loves the moon so much he turned into a wolf is currently running under the same moonlight.
Some things might not have changed at all, even when they appear different, just like the moon in its different phases.
If he could finally hear the moon’s voice, and if by the whims of the new moon, he gets to hold a pen once more…
...I wonder if a mysterious invitation that wanders the night sky will once again make its way to a certain wise man.
