Rhapsody of the Burning Love for the Seaside Town ~West & South~ | Chapter Six

[odorekijin]

[West, inside the Town of Nectar]

Chloe: Murr?

He offered no reply. His eyes were glittering with excitement, chasing the strange and unknown before him.

Rustica: It looks like Murr is deep in his own world.

Shylock: Shall we have him come back to ours then?

Murr felt around and examined the burnt remains, then bounced back up.

Murr: No doubt about it, there are traces of mana stones that have been consumed as fuel for the fire.

This is the work of a Magical Science weapon!

Akira: Excuse me…!?

Chloe: Magical Science… Are you sure?

Murr: Extra sure!

Rustica: If Murr says so, that can only be true.

Murr is the father of Magical Science armament. No one knows better about them than him.

Akira: If the fire was caused by that kind of weapon, then the culprit would be...

They all looked at each other in silence. No wizards use Magical Science weapons.

Shylock: ...Their suspicions towards humans trying to expel wizards may not be too far from the truth.

Chloe: That can’t be...

Gloom washed over me, and so it did to Chloe, frowning.

Is the culprit a human, or a wizard? Whichever answer it may be, this city will face an equally desolate outcome.

Afterwards, we checked several of the burned areas: all of them exhibited similar traces of Magical Science.

——
[Sky]

Taking their broomsticks, the Western wizards and I rode from one site to another. As we traveled through the sky, I took another look at the area.

It's a beautiful, refined city. The rows of sophisticated buildings seem to dress the lands in all its finery.

Akira: (...But with all these tall buildings, it’s no wonder we can't really see the ocean...)

As if reading my mind, Shylock turned around.

Shylock: There were once many wizards who loved the scenery of this city.

But as the days go on, this place has progressively adapted with the flow of time.

Some left, lamenting the past, while others remained, embracing this ever-changing metropolis.

Akira: What about you, Shylock...?

The breeze intimately brushed his hair.

Shylock: I told you the story of that eccentric customer the other day, remember?

His impatience to be part of this city’s seascape caused him to fall into both categories; it was impossible for him to pick a side.

And I, too, feel the same.

At that, Shylock chuckled.

Shylock: That man... Whenever Tubal visited the bar, he would passionately express to us how wonderful the view of the sea was from there.

 

Shylock: I sometimes wonder… I wonder what he would say, with his eyes as innocent as a child, if he saw what this city turned out to be.

Would he be deeply saddened by the drastic change? Or would he still call it beautiful, and yearn for it with the same intensity?

I couldn’t decipher whether Shylock’s smile translated what his heart felt, or if he was yet again veiling his emotions, like he did with his anger.

Rutile: Over here, everyone!

Mitile: Master Sage!

We glanced at where the voices were coming from, and saw the Southern wizards flying our way.

Figaro: Nice timing, we were on our way back from gathering testimonies.

Akira: Thanks for the work, did you manage to get anything out of it?

Lennox: We did. Some of the wizards had interesting information on the matter.

A majority affirmed spotting a mysterious person wandering the streets.

Chloe: A mysterious person...?

Rutile: Most of the wizards around here know each other, but no one seems to recognize them.

Those who witnessed them said that they were sneaking in the shadows, and acting suspiciously.

Murr: Hmmm, maybe they just like dark and murky places?

Figaro: Maybe one of the humans stayed behind. They didn’t want to be thrown out of town, and pretended to be a wizard all along, who knows.

Chloe: It’s possible...

It would have been all over downtown, though. If there’s only a single human left, the wizards probably didn’t even notice.

Mitile: They said that that person was often near the beach.

Akira: The beach...

(I wonder if this is where Shylock poured away the cocktails...)

Shylock noticed my gaze, and our eyes met. He quietly smiled.

Shylock: ...Shall we go, Master Sage?

——
[Beach]

 

Following the testimonies’ descriptions, Shylock led us to the beach in question.

Dusk had already fallen. I couldn’t help but marvel at the scenery before my eyes.

Chloe & Mitile: Wow…!

Rutile: What a gorgeous view...

Figaro: Well I’ll be, this is stunning.

The setting sun shimmered over the surface of the water. The seashore looked as if it was taken straight out of a movie.

Shylock: …

 

While the wizards stood amazed, Shylock gazed at the sea.

The look in his eyes was more quizzical than nostalgic.

Shylock: ...So Tubal’s stones, which were supposed to be lying under the sea, have finally gone missing.

Akira: What…?

Shylock: Any hint of them is gone.

Akira: What… But why?

Shylock: They must have been found by the humans groundbreaking the beach, and consequently gathered one by one.

Even so, there must have been a few left until a while ago, but even those are gone...

His long eyelashes slowly cast down his gaze.

Shylock: They knew of his wish to be one with the sea; none of the wizards would have touched those stones...

His voice came out as a sigh, but blended all sorts of emotions.

Grief, frustration, pain, irritation; all seemed to fit, yet none were enough.

Lennox: Everyone, come have a look at this.

Lennox beckoned us over to his discovery. Fresh footprints were dispersed in the sand.

Rustica: It seems like someone was here not so long ago.

Figaro: The footprints are awfully scattered, as if they got away in a hurry.

Chloe: But why would they run away… Maybe it’s because we’re here?

Murr: That's weird! There are only wizards in this town, so it's only natural to come across your fellow.

Mitile: That’s true… A wizard wouldn’t need to run away.

Shylock: Only if they’re a wizard, that is.

From his own words, Shylock dropped his gaze. The disorganised footprints poked further away in the sand.

Lennox: ...Let's go after them.

——————

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