★ chapter one
★ chapter two
★ chapter three
★ episode
★ home line

“Let Me Hear Your Voice”

chapter one

[Western Country—Bar Bennett]

Akira: Are you closing up the bar for today already, Shylock?

I stopped by Bar Bennett that night—the turned off lights on the door sign instantly prompted my question.

Shylock: Indeed, and I just happen to be done with tidying up. Besides, I had more than enough entertainment for tonight.

Consider the bar now reserved for your own exclusive use, Master Sage. Make yourself comfortable, and enjoy your time.

Murr: Yeah! Get comfy! We’ll be here until morning!

Akira: Wah! You spooked me…!

Shylock: By all means, pay no mind to that stray cat.

Akira: Ahaha… By the way, Murr, what’s that thing you’ve got in your hand? Looks like some kind of medicinal herb to me.

Murr: Those are “Animal Mints”! I won a game against an old pops sitting next to me earlier, and he just gave them to me in place of a prize!

Akira: “Animal Mints”?

Shylock: Once consumed, this mint trades your voice for that of an animal.

However, it is impossible to guess the animal one shall become until they try it first.

Murr: I had not seen one of those in a good century!

Akira: A century...! I assume it’s a fairly rare item then?

Murr: Hm-hm! It’s always exciting to see wizards from various countries waltz into this bar with curious and unusual stuff!

Akira: (The global reach of this bar, wow…)

In the same instant, I caught a sudden flash across Murr’s gaze.

Murr: Did it pique your interest too, Master Sage?

Akira: Eh?

Murr: Hmm, I wonder what kind of animal you would be, Master Sage. A goat’s bleat would be fun to hear from you!

Murr: Open wide! Let me feed you Animal Mints!

Akira: Wa-wait a second, please! Are those really safe to eat!?

Shylock: Well, there is only one way to find out. Shall I make a mojito with those mints, if that suits you better?

I must admit that I am quite eager to hear the kind of transformation our Master Sage’s lovely voice will bear.

Murr: Me too! Me too! Both Master Sage and Shylock, speaking in the tongue of the goats! I want to hear it!

Shylock: Fufu, thank you for your enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, I have no interest in speaking their language—a regular mojito will suffice me for a toast.

Akira: …In that case, can you make an Animal Mint Mojito for me, along with Murr’s?

Shylock: My, my, Master Sage, are you certain of that decision?

Akira: Yes, it’s a rare opportunity for me after all.

The curiosity subdued my slight apprehension—besides, I won’t come across such an opportunity ever again.

chapter two

[Western Country—Bar Bennett]

Shylock: Pardon me for the wait: here is your Animal Mint Mojito.

Akira: Wow, that smells nice.

Shylock: I have cast a spell on the ice to prevent it from melting, thus allowing you to enjoy your drinks until its very last drop.

Do not worry, Master Sage, your own drink is non-alcoholic.

Murr: Come on, let’s toast!《 Eanul Rambul 》

Akira: Wah!? Murr, firing fireworks indoors is…!

Murr: Ahaha! Cheeers!

After our extravagant toast, we drank away at our custom-made mojito: a single sip coated my palate with a refreshing flavour.

The Animal Mint in itself tasted like any other mint: without any quirky aftertaste, the mojito was surprisingly easy to drink.

Shylock: How do you find your drink, Master Sage?

Akira: Meooow! Meow-meow!

(Hm? I wanted to say “It’s delicious”, but my voice… It’s…)

Murr: Bwak! Cluck-cluck-cluck!

Akira: !?

Shylock: Fufu, the effects seem to be working wonders on you both already.

That being said, it appears that our Master Sage’s voice took that of a cat rather than a goat’s. Quite an unforeseen turn of event, don’t you think, Mister Chicken?

Murr: Cluck-cluck!

Akira: (This is...)

This was just as Shylock had previously described: our voices had undeniably metamorphosed into animal sounds.

Murr: Bwak, cluck-cluck-cluck, coo!

Akira: Meow-meow? Meow-meow meooow??

Shylock: Oh dear, you are such an adorable, precious little kitten. I’m almost tempted to tame you.

Murr: Cluck-coo—! Cluck-cluck!

Shylock: Indeed. However, I do not believe that would quite do…

Akira: (Why does it feel like we’re actually having some sort of conversation...?)

In the meantime, Shylock began putting away the emptied glasses.

Akira: (Ah, let me help you.)

Meow meow.

Addressing him in cat-tongue, Shylock considered me for a moment before offering me a sweet smile:

Shylock: In that case, could you give me that glass?

Akira: (Amazing, he understood me!)

Shylock: Murr, you could offer us some help as well.

Encouraged to join in on the cleaning, Murr pointed at Shylock’s mojito on the table.

Akira: (Hm? It doesn’t look like Shylock drank much—actually, I don't think he even took a sip out of it...)

Shylock: Thank you, but I have no need to finish my glass just yet, Murr.

Akira: …?

chapter three

[Western Country—Bar Bennett]

Shylock: Your assistance was much appreciated, Master Sage.

This evening must have been quite exhausting, was it not? Help yourself to this other drink I have concocted, it should alleviate the fatigue.

Akira: Thank you, I will!

Huh? My voice, it’s…

Shylock: The effects of the Animal Mint seem to have worn off at last.

Akira: Aaah~ Aa~aah~ …It’s really back! I’m not meowing anymore!

Shylock: Fufu, how wonderful.

However, I would not have been against cherishing the wonders of this kitten voice of yours for a little while longer…

With his bewitching gaze on me, I couldn’t help but feel sheepishly nervous.

Akira: Ahaha… Now that I think about it, I kind of wish I took the opportunity to talk to cats in that voice.

Shylock: Indeed, you could have established a tangible conversation with one of our feline friends.

Regardless, if the Animal Mint and its provider contributed to your fun, even for a bit, then they served their purpose.

Murr: (Snoring) ...

Our aforementioned “provider”, Murr, was sleeping soundly on the couch.

Akira: You’re amazing Shylock, really: even though Murr sounded like a chicken, you still managed to maintain some sort of conversation between the two of you.

Shylock: That I did, but that is solely because Murr’s chicken-linguo was a guise.

At the snap of his fingers, the glass from a few moments ago, still full and intact, floated back in Shylock’s hand.

Shylock: The ruling lord of the couch you see there set off fireworks for our toast earlier, yes?

Well, that was just a distraction to secretly substitute his mojito with mine.

Akira: What!?

Wait, that means Murr drank the regular mojito, and the one you have here is actually the Animal Mint one?

Shylock: Precisely. It is a pesky trick that also took into account whether or not I would uncover his mischief.

Akira: (I was completely blind to it... So wait, that means Murr put on the chicken-act the whole time too!)

Shylock: He must have found enjoyment in how I would unravel his trick: would I choose to drink or refrain from doing so upon discovering that he had switched our glasses?

Good grief, quite the vicious kind of hen, don’t you think?

Akira: So... Why did you decide to not drink that mojito, Shylock?

Shylock: …Fufu, do you have any speculation on the matter, Master Sager?

Akira: Huh?

Shylock: Cheers to you.

Akira: Ah-! Shylock…!

A second later, and Shylock had drained the glass in one gulp.

The index on his own lips hushed my obvious surprise as he stole a quick glance at a couch-sleeping Murr.

Akira: …Are you… keeping it a secret from Murr?

Shylock: …

Shylock assented with a smile—soon enough, and before my eyes only, he allowed a quiet sound to escape his parted lips.

episode story

“His Greatest Mischief”

[Manor’s Dining Hall]

Shylock: There you go, Master Sage, your non-alcoholic cocktail.

Akira: Thank you. Oh, it has such a clear green colour! Is it made with mint?

Shylock: Indeed, but do not fret, it is just your ordinary mint—none of the kind that Murr used for his naughty trick the other day.

Akira: Ahaha, that mint really was something. That’s not a memory I’m easily going to forget.

Has Murr pulled any pranks that impacted you in the same way, Shylock?

Shylock: Let me think...

He got too close to the Great Calamity, shattered his soul and became this unpredictable stray cat as a result.

Shylock: …If I truly had to pick, that has to be the greatest mischief he ever performed.

Akira: Right… I’m only familiar with the current Murr, but it’s true that he wasn’t like this at all before.

Wait, but I heard that you were the one who educated Murr into the person we now know...

Shylock: You are most certainly right. The education I have provided him with is probably my greatest mischief, from his point of view.

Akira: I-I guess... I find the tricks Western wizards pull insanely over the top.

Shylock: Fufu, do you think so? Speaking of, I would love to someday pull such an impactful trick on you as well, Master Sage.

Akira: Excuse me?

Shylock: Of course, I would require Murr’s help…

Akira: Wha... Seriously...!?

(I feel like our conversation segued into an unexpectedly risky territory…!)

home Line

“My hometown’s seaside has been greatly altered by the power of Magical Science. I wish you could have witnessed its majestic landscape for yourself, Master Sage, but alas...”