The Dreamweaver Guild, where top-notch meisters gather to create supreme works of art dedicated to the royal family.
Following the philosophy of: “We are the ones who make the king a king.” The craftsmen of Dreamweaver were, as always, caught up in their busy routines. Well, all except...
EMMA : Canaan.
CANAAN : Hm?
EMMA : Um, is it okay if I talk to you about our work soon?
CANAAN : Hm~
CANAAN : Can I finish this cupcake first?
EMMA : ...Alright, I'll come back later.
After a few tens of minutes, I returned to Canaan.
EMMA : (Cupcake consumed, tea finished... alright…)
EMMA : Canaan, so as I was saying: The next commission...
CANAAN : Hm~
CANAAN : Can’t that wait for another time?
EMMA : Huh!?
CANAAN : Sorry, Emma. I promise I'll listen when I feel like it.
CANAAN : How about another cup of tea? Would you like some, too?
EMMA : No, I'm fine, thank you.
With graceful movements, Canaan tilted the teapot while smiling elegantly.
His demeanor and expression were so refined that they reminded one of royalty.
EMMA : (I can't let myself get distracted! I need to discuss work!)
EMMA : Um, Canaan, when exactly would “another time” be?
CANAAN : Well, let's see. It might be an hour from now, a day, or maybe even a week?
CANAAN : In any case, when I feel like it♪
EMMA : Wah!?
Canaan, had earned a reputation as somewhat of a paragon among other meisters due to his incredible skill and high class sensibilities. However, in reality, he proved to be immovably capricious.
EMMA : I have a deadline to meet, so I'd appreciate it if you could decide sooner!
CANAAN : Yell all you want, I'm still not feeling motivated.
EMMA : If there's anything you need, just tell me.
CANAAN : Anything?
EMMA : Yes.
CANAAN : Hmmm. How about you joining me over here?
EMMA : Umm...?
CANAAN : There we go.
EMMA : Huh!?
Before I knew it, Canaan was prodding at my cheek with his finger.
CANAAN : Wow, your cheeks are so squishy.
EMMA : Um...?
CANAAN : I've been curious about these squishy cushions that so corrupt humanity... So this is what they feel like? Hehe.
CANAAN : It's nice♪
Canaan seemed thoroughly enthralled by the touch of my cheek, and his hand didn't show any sign of letting go. On the contrary, he started to gently push and pull my cheek based on what seemed to be pure whim.
EMMA : Please, Canaan.
CANAAN : Don't move, not yet.
CANAAN : You did say "anything," right?
EMMA : Ugh...
CANAAN : Ahaha, that's right. Just be a good girl like that, Emma. Hehe.
EMMA : You don't have to laugh like that...
CANAAN : Well, it's amusing.
CANAAN : You can shake me off if you want. You're quite serious, aren't you?
EMMA : Because it’s the only way I can get you to listen to me.
CANAAN : And that's why I said I'll listen when I feel like it.
EMMA : But we don't know when that will be, and that's the problem!
CANAAN : Alright, I'm satisfied.
As he released my cheek, Canaan reclined on the sofa and started reading a magazine.
Finally free, I felt relieved, but...
EMMA : You can't just lie down! Please let me talk about our work.
CANAAN : Oh, sorry~ Your squishy cheeks are clearly starting to corrupt even me.
EMMA : What!?
CANAAN : Hehe, it can’t be helped. Go ahead.
CANAAN : Oh, but first, have another cupcake♪
Like a free-spirited and carefree cat, Canaan seemed content to toy with me for the rest of the day.
That boy introduced himself as Velvet and he made me a proposal I couldn't refuse…
VELVET : There's an engineer in Woodman, part of the guild there. He's good. He might be able to forge you a new arm.
VELVET : Of course, that's easier said than done, but… If you're serious about being a musician, then I think it's worth a shot.
━
HEATH : Here we are… Over The Rainbow…
The certainty radiating from the boy was almost too much to bear, and before long I'd dragged my heavy body all the way there…
HEATH : (I doubt I'll ever be able to play like I used to… Even with a prosthetic arm…)
HEATH : (What's the point of even coming here… I can't play what I want either way…)
Still, I couldn't give up on what little hope he'd given me so I braced myself, and headed up the apartment.
━
Waiting for me there was… A tall, young man, with a surprisingly handsome face, almost as if it had been crafted by hand.
????? : ….Hello.
HEATH : H-Hi, I uhh…
????? : Allow me to confirm. Are you Heath?
HEATH : Yeah, I'm Heath… And you are?
????? : Lord Velvet told me what happened. I am Towa, the Puppeteer.
HEATH : …Huh!? So it's you…
Velvet had given me his name.
He was my one hope. The one Velvet believed could save me.
And now that he was in front of me… I couldn't help feeling anxious, nauseous… Like I'd been holding my breath for far too long...
HEATH : Towa, I'm... I want to be able to make people smile again.
TOWA : Apologies, Master Heath. I do not understand what you mean.
HEATH : Oh, uhh… Sorry. I'm not good at this… I mean, umm…
HEATH : Assuming we went ahead with the procedure, I was, uh, wondering if I… If I'd ever be able to play the piano again…
TOWA : That I do not know. This is experimental technology. First, we would have to fit the prosthetic. We'll have no way of knowing until we do some tests.
TOWA : For what it's worth, the prosthetic I've manufactured is capable of understanding one's willl, and will move according to the user.
TOWA : Through rehabilitation and continued improvements to the technology, we should be able to bring the prosthetic closer in function to that of a real arm.
TOWA : So, to that, the one thing I can say at this point with absolute certainty, is that this will not be a half-hearted effort.
HEATH : I… I was prepared for such but… This is going to be a long road, isn't it?
A prosthetic hand that can move in tandem with the wearer… When I first heard about it, it sounded like some farfetched dream.
It's amazing technology but it's still experimental… That's exactly why I worry that this might just might just be a huge waste of time.
HEATH : (But… But I have no choice. I have to take my chances with this…)
HEATH : Please take good care of me, Towa.
I bowed my head toward Towa, dipping even further down than when I'd finish a concert set at a competition.
TOWA : Please raise your head, Master Heath. I've not yet done anything to deserve your gratitude.
TOWA : I will do my best to be of service to you.
HEATH : …Th-Thank you!
And thus, I took my first step toward rediscovering the meaning of my life...
LINK'S BROTHER : WOW!! That's amazing! This car is sooo fast!!
LINK : Right? I made it with Lewis.
After they split me and Lewis up, I modified the car exactly like I said I would, and my brother took it for a test drive outside the house.
LINK : (Yeah, it's faster, but…)
LINK : (If only Lewis was here, we'd have made it even faster. )
My dad's a servant working in Lewis's mansion. Lewis and I were huge tech buffs and we hit it off as soon as we met, but…
But Lewis's parents didn't like us playing together.
It had been a week since then, and I still hadn't found a chance to talk to Lewis.
LINK : (Ugh… I wanna talk to Lewis…)
LINK : (Next time, I wanna find a way to make it change direction…)
Lewis is smart, well educated. I learned a lot whenever we'd talk. But most of all, he was just fun to be around.
I adored him.
LINK : (They told me I wasn't allowed to send a letter or call him on the phone… As if a letter would ever be enough…)
Face to face, we'd talk about everything together.
That's how it had always been. We're we got all our best ideas from…
LINK : (We need to find another way… Some way we can talk freely even when we're apart… I wonder if I could make it…)
━
A month or so passed and Lewis and I were finally reunited. Not that his parents gave him permission. We'd secretly exchange letters and meet up without them knowing.
LEWIS : Hey Link, I got something for you today. You said you were wanting to read this, right…?
LINK : No way!? That's not the book on Ortega Theory, is it? For me!? Really!? I'm so happy, Lewis!!
LEWIS : Haha, you look so excited! I'm glad I bought it.
LEWIS : If there's anything you don't understand, you can always come to me, so please keep studying.
LEWIS : I want to talk to you more about machines.
LEWIS : Someday you and I are going to create something that will change the world!
LINK : Yes!
━
Five years passed in the blink of an eye. And I turned 14…
HOUSE CHEF : Oh, hey, Link! Can I borrow you a minute? The oven's been acting up all morning.
LINK : Yes! I'll be right there!
By now I worked at the mansion with my dad, helping him around the house. It was a good way to make a living.
LINK : Hmm… Seems there was a break in the circuit causing it to cut out. I replaced it with a new one, so it should work again.
HOUSE CHEF : Oh, you fixed it already? Thank you very much. You're really good at this kind of thing, aren't you~?
HOUSE CHEF : Self-taught, right? I heard you won a prize in some contest.
LINK : Yeah! It was a contest for local inventors! I made a machine that could amplify sound or minimize noise!
HOUSE CHEF : Well, I don't know about all that. You and Mr. Lewis are one of a kind to the average person.
LINK : Ah-Hah, no, I'm still a novice compared to Lewis.
HOUSE CHEF : I heard Lewis is doing incredibly well in school right now.
Lewis had went to a highly prestigious engineering school. Many famous mechanics had graduated from there. And Lewis was top of his class.
I needed to work harder, too.
I studied every day, in between jobs. I wanted to hone my skills so that I could be on the same level as Lewis.
"Someday you and I are going to create something that will change the world!"
And so… The two of us started our days together. …Those days were really tough… The thing that bothered me most was that he didn't talk much. Didn't even say hello...
He opened his mouth on average once a day or so. And when the work day was over, he'd be the first one to leave long before anyone else. He was getting on in age and always had this angry look on his face.
LAGOON : Uhh, excuse me. I'm sorry, but how do I fix this?
Even when I asked for advice, he'd just… Move his hands in total silence.
LAGOON : Um…
MR. BALDO : I'm working on it.
LAGOON : …I suppose I just watch and learn , I guess..
He was always like that with everyone. And shunned by the technicians around him as a result.
I understood how they felt, more than anyone. But not once did I ever think to leave. Becuase I knew he had skills that were second to none. And the technology to match…
Everything I know, I learned from watching and imitating him. I was trying my best every day, and before I knew it, several months had passed.
LAGOON : Hey, I just finished up this inspection, would you mind giving it a final check?
MR. BALDO : ………..
He used to always say that everything was either "fine" or "not fine". With him, it could only be "no problem" or "no good". But today was different…
MR. BALDO : ...Nice job…
I bet in that moment I was grinning like such an idiot. But I was just so happy to finally get praise from my mentor.
By then, my own shell was starting to crack. It was no longer a struggle to work with him. In fact, it was actually really fun. I was enjoying it.
Then one day after work... Instead of going home early as per usual, he instead called out to me.
MR. BALDO : Come on, follow me!
When I gave chase, what followed really opened my eyes.
LAGOON : …What… What is this…?
Inside of a large garage, sitting atop the hill… Lay the visage of an iron boat with feathered wings…
I had no idea what I was looking at. Overwhelmed as I was by the power of a machine I'd never seen before in my life.
MR. BALDO : "A ship that runs the sky" It's a flying ship!
LAGOON : Huh?! You mean this thing actually flies!?
MR. BALDO : It will fly…
LAGOON : Wow, seriously!? I mean, when did you even make this!?
MR. BALDO : After work.
LAGOON : Ha ha. I guess this is the reason you always went home so early.
I heard all about his late nights, working on the design and developing boats of all manner of size and specification, night in, night out….
MR. BALDO : It will take a little longer to complete, however…
I was more excited than ever. So excited to see such newfound technology, I couldn't sit still.
How could I? Even ground vehicles were still in their infancy. Who would ever think of taking them to the sky?
Well, maybe some of them did. But to actually try their hand, taking on such a reckless challenge armed with nothing but blind faith?
No one would have even dared do such a thing…
...No one, that was, except for this bigoted old man…
YMIR'S BROTHER : Okay, Ymir, let's take a look at the next question.
YMIR : Hmm… There are three children holding a balloon in each hand. How many balloons are there?
YMIR : So three children plus two hands equals… 5? 5 balloons?
YMIR'S BROTHER : Mm, that's close, very close. Each kid has two balloons, right? So if there are three kids…
YMIR : Kay, then let's count them together… Oh, 6? 6 ballons!
YMIR'S BROTHER : There we go! Good job, Ymir!
I never learned much in class, and to be frank, I was an idiot. My brother would always have to teach me in a very simple, easy to understand manner.
Compared to my older brother I was a failure so my parents would always spoil him and ignore me completely.
But my brother was different. He was so patient and kind, always taking care of me and watching as I grew up.
YMIR : You scored the highest on the test again, whoa!!
YMIR'S BROTHER : Oh? Uhh… Yeah, I guess so. It's nothing. Just a coincidence. Thanks, Ymir.
My brother was always so modest; Completely incapable of taking a compliment.
But I… Even on his days off, even late into the night, I knew, I saw it… How he worked harder than anyone else. There was no coincidence about it.
Thinking back to when I was a kid, I was selfish and naïve, taking up all his time.
Every day, after I'd finished my homework, we'd play together. Every single day.
FEMALE : Oh, my gosh! You're soooo cute! And you take such good care of your baby brother, too!
On sunny days, my brother and I would always go to the park and our neighbors absolutely adored us.
YMIR : Hey, hey, big bro. Let's go on the swing!
YMIR'S BROTHER : Mm~? The swings sound fun, but first let's try and go upside down again on the monkey bars. You were so close the other day, weren't you?
YMIR : Oh, no!
YMIR'S BROTHER : Do you have any idea how cool you'll be if you do?
YMIR : Wahh? R-Really?
YMIR'S BROTHER : But, of course, you'd be a hero at your school.
YMIR : …Okay, big bro! I'm in! Show me how to do it!
Looking back, my brother was always very good with me. That day, before he pushed me on the swing, he had me climbing the monkey bars.
YMIR'S BROTHER : That's it! …You got it, Ymir! Just a little more momentum and you'll be able to go all the way around!
YMIR : Yes! I did it!
With the support of my brother, and more than a few pointers, I found myself going upside down on the monkey bars before I knew it.
It seemed my brother was not only a good student, but also an excellent athlete. I couldn't help but wonder what exactly I was missing.
How could he be both a learned scholar and military athlete. Shouldering the burden of the family name, following in the footsteps of our father.
He had the trust of everyone around him. We were always so proud of him. And even still, he took time out of his day to take care of me. A serious, kind, proud older brother.
YMIR : Hey, bro! Bro! I did it! I went all the way around! Now let's play on the swing!
YMIR'S BROTHER : Hahaha! Okay, okay! I'm coming! Let's see who can go higher!
YMIR : Okay! I won't lose!
Whenever I got to spend time with my brother we had so much fun. As far as I was concerned, he was the teacher I respected more than anyone else, and the friend who understood me the most...
Under the cover of night, a horse-drawn carriage was driving through the desolate hills. The men in the back of the wagon wear black suits decorated with red embroidery of women on their upper arms.
MAN IN SUIT 1 : This new product is even more suspicious than the last.
MAN IN SUIT 2 : Seems to be another donation from the organization.
MAN IN SUIT 1 : Another one? Aw man, they're all over the place these days, aren't they? I don't know what Mam thinks she's doing.
MAN IN SUIT 2 : I dunno...But best thing to do is lay low and do as we're told―Hmm?
MAN IN SUIT 1 : Someone's attacking!? Where are they coming from!? Fight back!
MAN IN SUIT 2 : I know! Don't let them damage the product!
ASSAILANT 1 : Ooh! That bag! I'm gonna take it all!!
ASSAILANT 2 : Dude, this is bad. The bullet hit the bag―
After the shooting eventually ceased - only a black fog was left in an otherwise silent void.
*FLASHBACK*
GUI : We need to learn more about these guns...Are they being distributed through black market channels? If so, who are the people in charge of those channels?
EST : They are an illegal organization called the Bloody Lady, with its roots in the land of pleasure, Graveland.
*FLASHBACK END*
EMMA : ―Everyone. I just received some information from Lannes. About the Bloody Lady and the Primus Club.
CROW : Primus Club? Isn't that a big casino guild?
EMMA : Yep. I heard it's run by the boss of the Bloody Lady.
The Bloody Lady is one of the many underground families recognized in the Graveland. It was known to be the most powerful of them all, until the death of the Boss ten years ago. Since then, the dead Boss' wife has taken over and it has struggled for supremacy.
Primus Club is a casino opened by the dead boss. Under the same name, it is also registered with the federation as a guild.
KAI : A casino run by an underworld boss? That's so shady. Is such a thing even allowed to be registered with the federation?
GRANDFLAIR : I hear that there are many guilds that are under the control of powerful underground organizations. The federation probably figures it's better to keep control over them than to just let them get into trouble.
EMMA : Yes. I know it's not exactly right, but it's more peaceful that way.
GUI : Sounds like a lot of work...
KAI : It doesn't really sit right with me...
EMMA : Usually it's fine, but if the Black Fairies are involved, it's a different story. The federation wants me to expose the real situation. That's what they asked me to do.
NOAH : ...You're adding a lot of work to my life.
CROW : Well, anyway. We can't leave it alone so long as there are guns involved.
EMMA : Okay, so, Intel says that there are members of the Bloody Lady in the Primus Club, but I haven't been able to find out who they are.
SION : Why don't you let the chairman or someone higher up in the chain of command do the job?
EMMA : Well, it's difficult. Even Intel seems to be having a hard time with it. And whenever I've tried to probe them for info, they dodge my attempts easily.
EST : I suppose it is difficult for the federation to get information, considering they don't want to get too involved.
NOAH : They're so unreliable.
CROW : A criminal underworld. If those guys really have those guns, we're in trouble.
EST : "Using black fairies to crush millions of human dreams," what Nanashi said is becoming a reality.
EMMA : ....We absolutely have to stop this.
GRANDFLAIR : But we should be very careful about how we go about it, because if we attack too carelessly, we will inevitably be beaten back.
EMMA : (...It could be horrific if we are too complacent.)
CROW : ... Hey, guys. What's with all the noise outside?
EMMA : What?
? ? : Come on! You little bastard! Pay up!
? ? : Wait, wait, wait! Let's talk about this calmly. There's a very good explanation for this... ah!
CROW & ITSUKI & GRANDFLAIR : ................
EMMA : That voice...Does it sound familiar?
GRANDFLAIR : Hopefully it's all in our imagination... Anyway, let's head out.
MAN WEARING APRON : You've been on the run so long, I finally caught you! You've got some nerve trying to dine and dash at my restaurant!
ROUGE : Hey! I told you! I'll pay you someday, I promise!
CROW : I knew it was Rouge!
ITSUKI : Yes, hi Rouge!
GRANDFLAIR : .....I do not recognize him.
EMMA : Gran. I know how you feel, but you can't escape reality.
KAI : Is that guy laying on the ground an acquaintance of yours?
NOAH : Nah, he's just a piece of trash. Let's get rid of him like we would any other trash.
ROUGE : Hey guys, nice to see you! You guys rushed to my rescue!
EMMA : What are you doing here?
ROUGE : I was just finishing up with some business then I was gonna catch up with you guys. But... If you don't do something, I'll end up in the slammer~!
CROW : Sorry, Rouge. We're a little busy.
ITSUKI : Yeah, we don't have time for Rouge.
ROUGE : What's going on? If you're in a situation where you need help, why don't you take my hand? I mean, take my hand! Please help me!
EMMA : Hey guys, why don't we all just talk this out? Rouge is part of the Moon Wanderers too. I think we should help him out.
ROUGE : Emma, my angel!!!
EMMA : It is not too late to hand you over to the shopkeeper, you know.
ROUGE : Okay, just help me up already!
ROUGE : Hmm...I see. A black fairy gun, the Bloody Lady, and those Primus scrubs.
EMMA : Mr. Rouge?
ROUGE : I might be able to help you with that.
