[Log-in story] With You Until The Wake Of Dawn ①
Appearing Characters: Arthur, Cain, Riquet, Oz, Central Country
Arthur: Happy anniversary, Master Sage!
Arthur: Your brilliant guidance throughout the past year has made it possible for us to celebrate this joyous occasion.
Arthur: Every day spent by your side is my pride and joy.
Cain: Happy anniversary, Master Sage!
Cain: Your unwavering trust in us means more than you can imagine.
Cain: It’s what has kept us going all this time. And will continue to do so for the hardships to come.
Riquet: Happy anniversary, Master Sage.
Riquet: You gave us hope in times of despair, and it’s thanks to you that we can celebrate all the good that we’ve done.
Riquet: I’ll always remember the kindness and courage you’ve given me.
Oz: You’ve come a long way since the day we met.
Oz: I shall continue to serve you.
Cain: Wo~w, now that’s a real killer-line!
Riquet: Right!
Arthur: It’s not something just anyone can say, but I want to give it a try, too.
Arthur: …You’ve come a long way since the day we met.
Cain: …You’ve come a long way since the day we met.
Riquet: …You’ve come a long way since the day we met.
Oz: …
Oz: Let us return to the main topic, if you will.
Arthur: My apologies!
Arthur: Since it’s our anniversary, I’d like to take a trip down memory lane with you.
Arthur: We’ve reminisced over plenty of our most memorable encounters and incidents, so…
Arthur: This time around, I suggest we take the occasion to talk about something we wouldn’t normally bring up, however trivial it may be.
Cain: Hoho, we’ve got tons of those together, don’t we, Akira?
Riquet: So do we!
Oz: …
Cain: Oz? You there?
Oz: …I am listening.
Riquet: Then give us a sign.
Arthur: You must’ve been terribly deep in thought! How wonderful!
Arthur: We’ll save the best for last then, Master Oz. If there are no objections, I’ll go first.
Arthur: Not too long ago, the Master Sage complimented my nails.
Arthur: The chamberlain at the royal palace is adamant on trimming them for me, but I find it hard to stand still for such a long period of time…
Arthur: Ever since, though, I’ve been paying close attention to the procedure and eventually got the Master Sage to let me trim their nails!
Arthur: Not to brag, but I might be a full-fledged manicurist now.
Cain: Certainly a great skill to have!
Cain: And I bet Akira was real thrilled to have you do that for them.
Riquet: How wonderful! It’s never even occurred to me to trim my nails.
Riquet: Your diligence and attention to detail are as inspiring as always, Your Highness. Your nails are looking spick-and-span even today.
Cain: Sure are!
Arthur: Ahaha, you’re all too kind.
Oz: …
Arthur: Ah, here, Master Oz.
Oz: They look good.
Riquet: Now then, I’ll go next.
Riquet: A few days ago, I asked the Master Sage to teach me how to write in their native alphabet.
Riquet: Imagine my surprise when they told me they use not one, but three writing systems! They’re called ‘hiragana’, ‘katakana’ and ‘kanji’.
Cain: What do they need all that for?
Riquet: Apparently, it’s because you need all three to properly express things. I was in awe!
Riquet: But also really intimidated… Learning one way to write is already hard enough, so three sounds impossible!
Oz: It’s certainly not easily achievable. Perhaps only a select few in the Sage’s world are capable of this.
Arthur: I’ve seen the Master Sage write in their language before.
Arthur: It’s a fascinating mix of elegant curves and confident strokes.
Cain: Hmm, could it be a social thing? You know, one class of people use this one, and the rest use the others?
Cain: Like if you’re a noble, a knight or a commoner?
Riquet: Then perhaps there’s a distinction between how you would communicate with God, others, and yourself?
Arthur: Perhaps they’re used to distinguish between sound, meaning and something in-between?
Riquet: How would you make the distinction, Oz?
Oz: …One for friends, foes and self.
Cain: Makes sense to have words exclusive to those you consider close! It must be the greatest feeling in the world to know with certainty when you’ve gone from an enemy to an ally.
Oz: …Of when you’ve conquered them?
Cain: Close enough! Made a friend was what I was looking for. I guess it’s my turn to talk now.
Cain: On our way back from our last mission, Akira and I passed by my hometown. And, of course, we couldn’t miss the river that’s been a big part of my childhood.
Cain: Telling Akira all kinds of stories got me feeling really nostalgic, so…
Cain: We went in for a swim.
Cain: It felt strange, but in a good way. Like bringing a piece of the present into the past.
Arthur: Inviting someone to experience your hometown can be a very intimate moment indeed.
Riquet: Mhm, it’s fun to revisit all your favourite places and make new memories with someone you love.
Oz: …
Oz: The Sage has been to my castle before.
Cain: That’s great! Is that the memory you wanted to share?
Oz: …Yes, however…
Oz: …
Oz: The Sage also came to my room a few days ago.
Oz: They were talking, and I was listening. When they finished, I had no further comments.
Oz: With nothing left to say, the Sage seemed troubled. They were fidgeting and looking around nervously.
Oz: The room gradually fell silent.
Oz: Then, their gaze settled upon the fireplace, and slowly, they seemed to return to a state of calm.
Oz: Eventually, they fell asleep. I could only watch over them.
Oz: …
Oz: It felt nice. That moment we shared.
Arthur: …Wow…!
Arthur: That does sound like a very calm and peaceful time.
Arthur: I’d love to do that together sometime as well.
Riquet: Me too! But…
Riquet: Oz, you need to work on your storytelling. You talk so slowly, I felt like I was going to fall asleep just like the Master Sage.
Arthur: Lord Oz’s voice can be very calming.
Cain: I knew you had your soft spots, Oz.
Oz: …I do.
Riquet: Is today also going to become one such fond memory for you, Oz?
Oz: No.
Riquet: You’re supposed to say yes! Read the room!
Oz: …You’ve come a long way.
Cain: Even you thought that line was cool, huh.
Arthur: I hope we’ll make many more little, but precious memories together with the Master Sage from now on.
Cain: Yep, we’ve got the whole future ahead of us.
Riquet: Let’s spend lots and lots of time together!
Oz: Sage.
Oz: May we remember these times with you forevermore.










