posseoir

~ EPISODE ONE ~

Pochacco.  Figaro, Lord Sage! It’s good to see you again~!

Akira.  I couldn’t agree more!

Figaro.  Reuniting like this....perhaps miracles aren't so bad.

One day, Pochacco and his friends gained the ability to use magic and came to our world to play. Delighted to see each other again, we decided to enjoy a leisurely chat 

Akira.  Pochacco,  I’ll set your tea over here.

Pochacco.  Thank you!  …Heave-ho,  heave-ho!!

Stretching out his short arms and legs, Pochacco tried his best to reach for the tea on the table.

Akira.  …Oh, I guess the table is a bit tall for you. Shall I hand it to you directly?

Figaro.  Pochacco, come sit on my lap.

Pochacco.  Hooray! Thank you, Figaro!

Figaro.  ….Hm?

As Figaro picked Pochacco up, his eyes widened.

Figaro.  That's surprising. You’re this light? Feels like I'm lifting a stuffed animal.

Pochacco.  Really?

Figaro.  Yup.  Even as a newborn, Mitile was heavier. But, considering your body’s size, I suppose it makes sense.

Akira.  Come to think of it  …  what is your height and weight, Pochacco?

Pochacco.  My height is the equivalent of four cups of my favorite banana ice cream! As for my weight, it’s about as much as three ghost carrots from the fields of Airy Town♪

The fanciful way of answering made me smile.

Akira.  S-So cute….

Pochacco.  Figaro?

Figaro.  Let’s see….  Since Dr. Figaro stands at 183cm tall, that’d be about five nougat yams♪

Akira.  ( He’s lying… )

Figaro's reply made Pochacco tilt his head.

Pochacco.  Nougat yam? I’ve never heard of those before.

Akira.  It's a vegetable from this world;  it can be used to make sweets.

Pochacco.  Wo~wie! That sounds delicious! I wanna try♪

Figaro.  If memory serves, they’re grown by a farmer in the City of Clouds. We could find some in the kitchen, but I’m curious about what they’ve grown in my absence.

~ EPISODE TWO ~

( Southern Country, City of Clouds )

Resident.  My, my? Is that you, Dr. Figaro? It’s been a while!!

Upon arrival, Figaro's appearance was greeted with a rush of people.

Resident.  I really want to thank you for examining my child. Their condition has greatly improved…

Figaro.  That’s good news. While it may no longer be necessary, I’ll give you something to minimize any future fevers.

Resident.  It helps. I feel I can rest a little easier. Having a doctor around really takes a load off. By the way, what brings you back here today? Running an errand?

Figaro.  Something like that.  A friend from afar wanted to try something  …  this child here.

Pochacco.  Hi there~!

Figaro.  He has an interest in nougat yams, so I brought him along to sample a few.

Resident.  Oh! I have some at home that are freshly picked; I’d be happy to share.

Pochacco.  I wonder what it’ll taste like? I’m getting super excited~!

With a curious gaze, he looks at the delicacies brought back.

Pochacco.  Hmm~ so these are the yams. They look similar to what’s in my world! And Figaro’s the equivalent of five of these! So big, yet so light~

Resident.  Equivalent of….?

Akira.  Oh…uhm, well….

Figaro.  Aha, don’t worry about it.

Resident.  Actually, I just made some sweet potatoes with these. Care to try some?

Pochacco.  Sweet potatoes? I’d love to! Delicious~♪

Akira.  It’s really sweet in taste;  try as much as you like!

Figaro.  Nougat can be cooked in a variety of ways, but sweet potatoes are especially exquisite.

Resident.  I'm glad. If your friends are happy, doctor, then this was worthwhile. I have plenty, so feel free to take some home and  share them with Mitile, Rutile, and Lennox.

Pochacco.  May I share it with my friends too? It’s so yummy that I want everyone to try!

Resident.  You’re adorable! Of course; please bring however many you’d like.

Pochacco.  Thank you so much~!

Akira.  Isn’t that great, Pochacco?

Pochacco.  Yes! I feel happy after eating good food♪ My dream is to eat a full bowl of banana ice cream; but, I can confidently say these sweet potatoes are extra delicious!

Figaro.  A belly filled with ice cream? What a good dream.

Pochacco.  Ehehe. What do you dream of Figaro?

Figaro.  Well  …  I’d say creating a world where wizards and humans can live peacefully.

Pochacco.  I see! I admire this town, where wizards like Figaro and Mitile, and even the humans live together with smiles on their faces! It's kind of like Puroland.

Akira.  Puroland?

Pochacco.  I’ve got lots of friends there and we get along well!

Akira.  I see  …  I guess that’d be true.

In the South, this way of life is what’s normal. The same cannot be said for other countries.

Akira.  ( I hope it can be like Puroland, someday. )

Figaro.  Is that so… Puroland is a place filled with happiness, right? Someday, it’d be nice to visit.

~ EPISODE THREE ~

( Puroland )

After a journey through the City of Clouds and the Magic Manor, Pochacco brought us to Puroland. While walking along, Pochacco was approached by many friends.

Friend.  Pocha~! It’s been a long time! We should go skateboarding sometime soon!

Pochacco.  Of course! We’ll play together sometime!

Akira.  You’ve so many friends.

Pochacco.  I’m just like Figaro♪

Figaro.  Me?

Akira.  Aha, you were surrounded just like this in the City of Clouds.

Pochacco.  Everyone loves you!

Figaro.  It kind of tickles me to be told by someone as popular as you, Pochacco.

Pochacco.  There’s still people I want the both of you to meet. I’m sure meeting Figaro and Lord Sage would make them extra happy!

Pochacco took us by the hand and led us to where his friends gathered.

Pochacco.  Allow me to introduce my friends:  Lord Sage and Figaro!

Akira.  It’s nice to meet you;  I’m the sage.

Figaro.  Figaro. Nice to meet you.

Friend.  Wow~ you’re Pochacco’s friends? Greetings. Welcome to Puroland♪

Akira.   ….Pochacco’s friend’s are all so cute!!

Figaro.  Thanks for the welcome. I brought you all a little something today; please, take it as a token of our friendship.

Figaro pulled out some sweet potatoes.

Pochacco.  These were really good. Let’s eat ‘til our bellies are full~♪

Friend.  Hooray! This looks delicious~!

Pochacco’s friend happily bites down.

Akira.  Looks like everyone’s eating well.

Pochacco.  Mhm♪ Mitile and the others also looked happy. Their beaming expressions are etched in my memory even now. Eating yummy food with your friends is always a way to bring up the mood!

Figaro.  Mhm, I agree.

With a nod, Figaro looked out at the view of Puroland, where a smile spreads across his face.

Figaro.  Perhaps this place is closer to the world I'm dreaming of. Now, I just have to see how I can make it come true. Pochacco, will you show me around?

Pochacco.  It would be my pleasure!

At Figaro's smile, Pochacco answered with one of his own. I have seen so many smiles today, and I am sure there will be more to come. That thought brings a sweet yet happy feeling to my heart.

~CE: MORE THAN SWEET POTATOES~

Akira.  Is that you Figaro?

Figaro.  Morning. Come to get something to eat?

Akira.  I was thirsty, so I thought I'd make a cup of tea. More importantly, you have a very large container. What's in it?

Figaro.  Take a look.

Akira.  .... Nougat?!

Figaro.  I went to deliver something in town earlier. In return, the people gave me a small box to take back with me. Initially, it was a small box....but everyone brought their own and filled it up, so the container got bigger and bigger.

Akira. Haha, I see. Still, with this many, it looks like we can make a lot of sweet potatoes. We might not be able to eat them all, even if everyone in the magic house came together.

Figaro.  Given the abundance of ingredients, why not try something other than sweet potatos? Pochacco's favorite was banana ice cream, but nougat ice cream might not be so bad.

Akira.  That sounds good. I know ice cream can made with sweet potatoes in my world...I think it'd be fun to try.

Figaro.  We should ask Nero to help us make it. To get the best flavor, we'll be experimenting with different formulas....

Akira.  You look like you're having fun.

Figaro.  Oh, you could tell? I imagined how Pochacco would react if I fed it to him the next time he came over.

Akira.  I'm sure it'd be a big hit; I'm looking forward to this!

~TRANSLATION MASTERLIST~

On that day, I was assisting Figaro with his medical work and came to the Swamp of Pestilence.

Figaro: You're a real life-saver, sage. Thanks to you, I wrapped up earlier than planned and had time to see some other patients. Thanks for accompanying me all the way out here; hope you didn't get too tired from the heat and humidity.

Akira: Well, it was my choice to follow along; I'm the one who should be thanking you for being so accommodating. Watching Figaro work is, admittedly, kind of fun.

Figaro: You really are modest, aren't you? Allow me to show you around, as a show of gratitude. We've come all this way, so, let's take some time and relax.

Akira: That sounds nice. Then, if it wouldn't be a bother, I'd love to!

As we walk along the waterfront...

Swamp Resident: Oh, Dr. Figaro. Around for your regular checkups? Many thanks for all your help.

Figaro:  Yup, everyone is looking as good as ever.

Swamp Resident:  Greetings, Dr. Figaro! I harvested some delicious fruits,  take as many as you'd like.

Figaro:  You have my thanks.  Remind me to stop by later, alright?

Swamp Child:  Dr. Figaro!  Lookie, lookie!  The leg you looked at last time is all better now!

Figaro:  It's good to see you run around again. Just don't go doing anything reckless.

Akira:  To be approached by everyone we meet, you're really loved,  Figaro.

Figaro:  Haha, and I'm grateful for it. However, I'd like to talk a bit more with you as well. Hey, sage, I know a great place where we can be alone.

(Scene Change)

Akira:  Wow! I didn't know canoeing could feel so good!

Figaro:  I'm glad you're having fun. At least here, it's just the two of us, and we can spend some quality time together. It's also way cooler on the water than by the shore.

The surface of the water is beautiful as it glistens and bounces in the light. The surroundings are lush and green and the flowers vibrantly colorful. The canoe moves slowly, thanks to Figaro's magic.

Akira:  Not having to worry about paddling feels like a luxury.

Figaro:  Rowing can be a source of enjoyment, though. But it's physically exhausting. After all the hard work we've done today, I thought I'd take the easy way out.

Akira:  Haha, I'm fine, though. This kind of humidity is something I'm familiar with.   

As we continue along the water's surface, enjoying the beautiful scenery, we come upon a tree which looks as if a large marble hung from it.

Figaro: Oh, it's a marine tree.

Akira: If I recall correctly, this is a specialty here. Those dangling, round things are fruits, right?

Figaro: You know of them already?

Akira: When I was here before, Rutile told me all about them! You can even drink the juice; it was really sweet and refreshing!

Figaro: That's right. Then, today, I'll treat you to a special version by yours truly.

With a wave of finger, a snow-covered breeze brings the fruit over. The berries, like large translucent marbles, were dropped into my hand.

Akira: Woah! So cold ... did you freeze it?

Figaro: Good guess. Try taking a bite.

Akira: Alright, then... ?! This is delicious!? Oh, wow, it's like sherbet!

Figaro: Ahaha, glad you approve. Only those familiar with magic can eat them in this manner; we should pick a few to surprise Mitile and the others.

Akira: That sounds like a wonderful idea!

As we savored the frozen sea berries, our eyes wandered back to the flowing waterfront. Then, I spotted a single bud of a flower, majestically rising from the water's edge.

Akira: Oh, Figaro. Over there. I don't think I've ever seen a flower with these colors.

Figaro: Hmm? Flower?

Akira: Look, it's right there. See? It's still in the bud, but the petals are a bluish gray.

Figaro: That's—

Akira: It's beautiful, isn't it? Kind of reminds me of your hair color.

Figaro: ...Sage?

Akira: I wonder what it will look like when it blooms. Do you know, Figaro?

The colors look mature, fitting with the calming tones I associate Figaro with. When I looked up and over at him excitedly, Figaro seemed to be thinking about something with a hand on his chin.

Akira: ...Figaro?

Figaro: ...Ah, no. Sorry, it's nothing. This is known as a "double flower." When the buds open, the petals overlap in several layers, and are known to look quite beautiful.

Akira: I see! I really hope I can see them in bloom, next time.

Figaro: .....

We returned to the village, yet, before we returned home, Figaro instructed me to wait a while and disappeared.

Akira: (I wonder if something's happened. Figaro hasn't come back yet ... walking around shouldn't be a problem, right?)

During my walk, I find where Figaro had run off. He's speaking with a villager and I can see that he's holding something in his hands.

Akira: (Huh...? Isn't that the bud we saw earlier?)

Figaro: This plant shouldn't be here. It's probably an effect of the Calamity's influence; never thought it would show up here, though. If you see this flower, burn it down from a safe distance or send a request to the sage manor.

Akira: ....Eh?....

Akira: (...burn it down? The flower?)

The conversation proved unexpected and puzzling. Then, Figaro's eyes met mine. No sooner does Figaro open his mouth does the person in front of him bow his head.

Swamp Resident: I understand. Thank you for getting rid of the poisonous flower, Dr. Figaro!

Akira: ....!?

Figaro walks over to me with a bittersweet smile as he waves off the departing resident.

Akira: Uhm, Figaro...is that flower really...

Figaro: Ha-ha ... guess the truth is out. This flower has poisonous pollen. As a bud, it's harmless; but, when it blooms, it spills into the air. So, I can't afford to leave it there.

Akira: I see. I didn't know they were so dangerous...

Akira: (And we have to burn them down....even though they're beautiful.)

As I was lamenting my disappointment, Figaro surprisingly offered me the bud he'd been holding.

Figaro: Well, I had hoped to present this a bit more smoothly—this is for you, sage. Don't worry about the poison.

Akira: ...eh, for me? Thank you ... oh, it feels really strange.

Figaro: There's a spell on it to prevent it from blooming. Because of this, they may look different from fresh flowers.

According to him, these buds will never open ... but will remain beautiful for a long while without the fear of withering.

Figaro: Truth is, I intended to burn it right away. But you called it beautiful...even said it reminded you of my hair. I couldn't bring myself to show you such a sight. At the very least, I wanted to preserve their memory. I'm sorry I can't show you them in bloom, sage.

With lowered brows, Figaro smiles apologetically.

Akira: (I see...because of my excitement and wish for them to grow, Figaro's—)

Akira: Please don't apologize. It is dangerous, but I'm just grateful you left it like this. Besides, more than anything, I'm really glad my words left such an impact. Thank you, Figaro. I will treasure your gift!

Figaro: ...Haha. You really are modest. Well, it's about time we head home; I'm sure everyone's wondering where we've been.

Akira: Yes sir!

Figaro takes out his broom and we take off into the night sky. And so, our time in Southern Country comes to a close. Feeling the wind beneath our feet, I hold a bud of the same color as the hair that swayed in front of me close to my heart.
 

Akira: Figaro, thanks for taking me canoeing the other day! You had us paddling by magic, last time, but it would be fun to actually paddle together.

Figaro: I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Though, as for paddling together....

Akira: ...Oh, sorry. That is physically challenging, and Figaro's lived a long time...

Figaro: Hang on now, what is it you're trying to say? I may not be young, but I can handle a canoe. It's just that there's a rumor surrounding the one we took.

Akira: A rumor?

Figaro: Yup. They say if two people row together, they become incompatible.

Akira: (Huh...I think there's a similar legend back home. Something like: if a couple were to ride this together, they'd break up.)

Akira: I'd rather not be on bad terms with you, so....

Figaro: Ahaha! Ah, you're a fun one. There's no curse attached to it or anything The canoe is just more difficult to paddle than others because of its peculiar shape. Therefore, it's easy to get into trouble, such as "It's your fault that I can't change direction!," or something like that.

Akira: Oh, so that's what you mean ... two people who row together become incompatible.

Figaro: Mhm. But, when you think about it, I doubt the two of us will have such issue. —Care to have some fun together?

Akira: Yes! Let's row together, next time!

~TRANSLATION MASTERLIST~

Figaro.  Take a look, sage. Did you notice the grass around here has different colors? It's used to make candy.

Akira.  Huh, grass for candy…. Dr. Dolce's forest has more wondrous treasure than I imagined.

Strolling around the forest with Figaro, I take a second look around. 
Apparently, there are lots of unusual and exquisite plants here.

Akira.  ( Feels as if I’ve wandered into a candy maze with no escape… )

Figaro.  I’ve considered giving some of it to Rutile and Mitile. You won’t find this kind of thing down South.

Akira.  That’s a good idea! It is colorful and pretty, something I think they’d both enjoy.

Figaro.  Then this one is a candidate. Any other suggestions?

Akira.  Hmm, something that would please them both…

At Figaro's prompting, my gaze strayed to a forest brimming with curiosities. Trees with dangling candies, a fountain spouting out in seven different colors, stones made of jelly... and Nero staring into the sky.

** I got many results for the name of this bombtastic delicacy:  bomstine, bombstine, bombsteine, bombastine and went with the one I felt was the funnest to say out loud .  I am also not 100% certain if it’s a fruit or a nut due the kanji being used;  however,  seeing as they were frightened of the debris flying around,  figured it was a safe assumption to be a fruit protected by a hard-shell.

~ TRANSLATION MASTERLIST ~

Liam. A blessing here…. Sure, I'd be happy to help.

Lennox. Thank you. That means a lot to me, Liam.

Liam. I should be the one thanking you. To be able to teach someone who cares so much about my master how to make knives …. I'm going to have to put a lot of effort into it so that my master won't laugh at me for still being a novice from the grave.

Figaro. We'll lend a hand, too. Let's give everyone waiting outside a holler.

Thus, we set about making our talisman knives.

Lennox. …I did it.

After several hours of instruction from Liam, we finally succeeded in completing Lenox's knife with the help of the wizards waiting outside. Light shining into the workshop reflected off the carefully polished tips of the blades.

Liam. That's a beautiful knife. Hard to believe this is your first time making one of these.

Lennox. It’s thanks to you and everyone else who helped.

Lennox raises his knife and narrows his eyes dazedly.

His sharp, confident profile was covered in a bead of sweat, and he was smiling brightly.

Lennox.  <Forsettao Meiuvat!>

Shino.  <Matztzāh Sudipas!>

Lennox and Shino were largely responsible for moving the heavy debris.

Nero.  <Adnodus Omnis!>

While Nero magically aligned the walls, Heathcliff meticulously filled in the gaps with a solvent made of stone particles. Faust assigned work that best suited each of their qualities. He gives instructions, lending a helping hand with magic himself.

Faust.  Liam, were there stairs here? A section of the railing was left.

Liam.  That's right. It led to a storeroom in the attic.

Faust.  The impact from the roof collapsing caused the west side of the workshop to tilt. I guess the ground may have been loose to begin with; but I am sure Ethan would have taken some countermeasures. Let's repair it by making use of the original foundation. Leno, see if you can find out what the foundation looked like before it was damaged.

Lennox.  Understood.

Faust.  Shino! We're going to lift the roof with our magic.

Liam. He had been sick for a long time now. Not long after the Great Calamity, just like that, he…

Akira. That’s…

Liam. The last time I saw him, when he was still able to get up, he was writing a letter to someone. I think that's the one you’ve got there. But, he had very little magic remaining in him, at the time. With all the disasters that happened, I guess it didn't reach you successfully.

Liam bowed apologetically. His disciplined and sincere personality comes through in his demeanor.

Liam. On behalf of my teacher, I apologize.

You came all this way to visit, but unfortunately it was a wasted trip.

Lennox. No apology necessary. Had I known Ethan was in town, I would have come sooner.

Allow me, at least, to mourn him. Where is his tomb?

Liam. This way. I'm sure he’ll be pleased to know you came.

Liam leads us to a small grave adjacent to the workshop. Freshly picked flowers were placed on the headstone. He probably remembers his teacher in this way every day.

Liam. When I turn to stone, bury me near this workshop. …That was my teacher's dying wish. There was no other place for him except here. He always said that: this is the only place I can belong.

Lennox. …That’s a testament to its importance. Both you and this shop.

Akira. The day of Faust’s…

A bitterness spreads through my heart. Faust had once served as the right-hand man of Alec, the first king of the Central Kingdom, during the time of the Revolutionary Army. He devoted himself to changing the world so that humans and wizards could coexist in harmony, but what awaited him was a cruel fate.

Lennox. ...As a result of that incident, the Revolutionary Army lost many of its comrades and we became scattered. The last time I saw Ethan was before his departure from the army.... He was hurt, angered, mourning, and cursing the betrayal of mankind.

Akira. ….

Before long, the king of Central had been replaced. Lennox heard a rumor during his travels. A blacksmith wizard was said to be casting curses on people in the Central Kingdom.

Lennox. That blacksmith, they say, masquerades as a human and graciously takes on the task of servicing weapons of people he's never met. However, this is only a convenience. Under the guise of maintaining the weapon, the wizard casts a curse on the weapon's owner. When I heard that rumor…the first who came to mind was Ethan.

Akira. …Eh?

The Fantasia of a Craftsman Reaching the Days of Old

Faust.  Alright. Let's take a break.

Shino.  Already? We were just getting to the best part.

Mitile.  I’d like to keep going too! Would that be alright, Dr. Figaro?

Figaro.  Ha ha. You're working hard, Mitile, but don't overdo it. Part of training is to rest your body.

Rutile.  That's right, Mitile. 

Come join me for a cup of tea beneath the shade. It’s herbal with a dash of honey.

Mitile.  Herbal tea with honey......! T-Then I'm going to take a quick break.

On that day, I was observing the joint training of the Southern and Eastern wizards. Excluding Nero, who was running late, the seven of them were hard at work. The most enthusiastic of the bunch was Mitile. He had been an admirer of Shino's young but strong magic power for some time. Being so close in age, they are probably influenced by one another in a positive way.