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odorekijinchapter one
[Wizards’ Manor—First Floor]
A few days before Bradley’s birthday, I was walking down the hallway, absently looking at the curious little box in my hands that I had borrowed from Rustica.
Akira: (So this “Orgel of Respite” thing is a magic tool… Looks like a music box to me.)
This coffret was a gift from one of Rustica’s past admirers, said to open a mysterious pocket space for wizards to find respite and alleviate any burdens that may weigh on their hearts.
The story goes that one may open its doors by wishing, from the depths of their heart, for the recipient to luxuriate in an idyllic place tailored for them.
Akira: (I want to invite Bradley there for his birthday, but I don’t know if it’ll feel special enough for the occasion…)
???: Aha-HAHAH!
Akira: …! Hang on, I know that laugh…
[Wizards’ Manor—Lounge]
Nero: Pfft, come on, quit laughin’ for a sec ‘n put your card down.
Bradley: Haha, gimme a minute at least, man— Aaah, my sides hurt… Hm?
Well well, look who we’ve got ‘ere. Dun’ just stand there, Sage, come on in.
Nero: Wh– SAGE!?
From where I stood, I could only see Bradley lounging on the sofa facing the entrance.
Nero slowly looked over his shoulder, his eyes three times bigger than usual.
Akira: I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I heard Bradley laughing from the hallway, and one thing leading to another… Here I am!
I don’t think I’ve actually heard you laugh that hard before. What happened?
Bradley: Haha, listen to this: Nero actua―YOWCH!?
Akira: !?
Bradley suddenly jolted from his seat, instantly shooting daggers at Nero sitting across from him.
Bradley: I was pullin’ yer leg, bastard! D’ya think I’m stupid? I wasn’t gonna tell the lad the whole truth, they’re too young fer that! Ack, my foot… Didn’t needa stomp on it with all y’got…
Nero: Dunno what you’re talkin’ about.
Akira: (I… I don’t really get what’s going on, but I feel like I’m being babied…)
Erm, anyway, I see you were playing, uh… Cards?
Nero: Right. Brad– I mean, Bradley was bored to death, ‘n he made it my business to hang out with him.
Bradley: Hah, dun’ give me that shit. Ya were down for a few rounds, no questions asked, so dun’ act like ya got dragged into this.
Sage, you gotta back me up on this one ‘n wish me all the best: if I beat the guy, we’ll celebrate my victory with meat on the table tonight.
Akira: I certainly wouldn’t be against some meat for dinner! But what if you lose…?
Nero: I guess I can include some meat into tonight’s menu for you, but he’s gonna have to chow down a whole platter of vegetables on the side.
Bradley: Hah, in yer dreams. I’m gonna commit lovers’ suicide with meat one of these days. Ain’t a single leaf or green enterin’ my body in this lifetime.
Akira: …Heh.
Bradley: Sage? Whatcha laughin’ for?
Akira: Sorry, it’s nothing. You just remind me of a little boy throwing a tantrum over vegetables, it’s kind of cute…
Bradley: Hah?
Nero: Pfft–!
Bradley: You better not seriously be talkin’ ‘bout me.
Nero: Who else here still leaves their greens behind as a six-hundred-year-old guy, hm? Can’t be blamin’ our Sage for statin’ the obvious.
Akira: That’s not what I think of you most of the time, it’s just what came to me on the spot… Ah, but I don’t mean it in a bad way! It’s a compliment!
Bradley: Is it really, though?
Like a kaleidoscope reflecting an array of colours, Bradley’s expressions were never twice the same, easily shifting from joy to irritation, surprise to perplexity.
The mental image made me crack a smile once again.
Akira: (All these little details about him—how expressive a person he is, his love for meat, his hatred of vegetables…)
(It’s in moments like these that I realise how easy it is to talk and get along with him, regardless of the country he’s from or the centuries that separate us.)
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chapter two
[Wizards’ Manor—Bradley’s Bedroom]
That same night, I visited Bradley’s room with two objectives in mind.
Akira: Good evening, Bradley… Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you were tending to your gun.
Bradley: Dun’ worry, I can do it later. Didja need me for somethin’?
Akira: I just came to give this back to you. You forgot it in the lounge, you know, um… Earlier…
Bradley: …
Bradley’s eyebrows furrowed when I handed him a playing card.
Their earlier game had lasted until sunset. In an unexpected turn of events, and despite all odds being in Bradley’s favour, Nero had won.
Akira: (I’ve never seen Bradley lose before; it’s pretty exciting to meet that side of him...)
Bradley: I still dun’ buy it. Ain’t no way he managed to turn the whole game ‘round with the hands he had. The bastard sure knows how ta cheat now, enough t’ beat me at my own game right under my nose…
Bradley grumbled to himself, reaching for the glass that was already sitting on his table.
He tipped the glass between his thin lips, draining the amber liquid in one gulp.
Akira: That colour… That’s whisky, I presume? Do you drink that often?
Bradley: Hm? ...Yeah, sort of; I go for wine most of the time. This bad boy though…
It’s a goodie fo’ sure. I like the versatility, switchin’ up the taste with whatever mood I’m in that day, y’know?
Akira: …I, uh… Uh-huh…?
Bradley: Haha, dun’ try too hard, I know that went over yer head.
With a chuckling smile, Bradley summoned a large ice ball into his glass with a light snap of his fingers.
Then, he poured some whisky with acute precision and gently stirred with a muddler.
Bradley: …Let the ice slowly work its magic, ‘n just like that, your whisky ‘s got a whole new range of flavours.
Whenever I make one of those, it’s like time stops ‘n I get to drink every second of it. This bad boy’s the best company to kick back ‘n relax.
Rifle gun still in his other hand, Bradley took another sip.
That’s it; that’s all he did, yet something in his demeanour pried a short sigh from my lips.
Akira: (His masculine and mature aura is so cool, how does he do it…)
(Though both are charming in their own way, this is vastly different from how he behaved earlier today…)
Bradley: You can dilute the whisky with a few drops of water if yer havin’ dinner, it’s pretty good.
If you wanna take in the full punch of the spices though, I’d say to have it neat, which means—
Hey, you listenin’?
Akira: …! Y-Yes, of course I am! You just looked so… picturesque, I think I got a little star-struck…
Bradley: … Oh yeah?
Amused, Bradley tilted his head on his propped hand.
Bradley: Keep your eyes on me but dun’ let yerself get distracted next time, aight?
Akira: N-Noted! Thank you, Boss…!
(...Shoot, I almost forgot I had something else to ask.)
…Um, Boss, I actually visited you with something else in mind…
Bradley: Which is…?
Akira: Your birthday is coming up soon, so I was thinking—
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chapter three
[Wizards’ Manor—Bradley’s Bedroom]
Bradley’s birthday was finally upon us.
I met him in his room, already donning the outfit Chloe gifted him for the occasion.
Bradley: What’s it called again? “Orgel of Respite,” yeah? Well, I can't wait to see whatcha got in store for me. Hope ya honed yer hosting skills.
Akira: Of course! I’ll do my best to be up to the task, just leave it to me!
I placed the coffret on the table, promptly closing my eyes to focus on my role.
I called to mind my rekindled feelings towards Bradley’s charms, guiding them to this mysterious place…
From the depths of my heart, I murmured my wish.
Akira: (May this mature, wild, yet amiable soul be granted an idyllic place for him to luxuriate and find respite…)
The box slowly creaked open, a dancing doll that looked just like Bradley spinning to life.
―A faint music rose from within, light gradually enveloping the room in a blinding veil.
[Orgel of Respite—Flower Garden]
The hazy curtain began to lift, opening to a peaceful ambiance, and from somewhere unseen a sophisticated melody weaved itself in the cool darkness.
Akira: (So this is Bradley’s “Orgel of Respite,” shaped after him…)
Bradley: Well well… Pretty good music taste they’ve got around here.
Akira: You can dance or sing along if you want. Don’t count on me to join you, though; all I can do is clap along…
Bradley: We’ll get to that later. I wanna let my host flaunt what they’ve got prepared for me first.
Akira: Ahah, I’ll take your word for it then. Please, follow me…
I showed Bradley to his table, spreading before him all the goods I had brought along in a basket.
Bradley: Woah, salami, dry-cured ham, fried chicken… Damn, ya didn’t skimp on the meat.
Akira: You ate plenty of vegetables the other day, so I thought I could indulge you with something you love on this special day. But that’s not all…
I retrieved a glass from the basket, already chilled by a large ice ball inside, then a bottle of whisky which I placed in front of Bradley.
Carefully, I poured the liquid amber, gently diffusing the alcohol’s aroma with a few swirls of the muddler.
Akira: Here you go, I think this drink lends itself perfectly to the occasion. Is it to your taste…?
Bradley: …Yeah. It’s perfect.
Bradley raised his glass in praise, shades of gold catching the light.
Bradely: Ya sure know yer way ‘round bartendin’ fer someone that doesn’t drink. Didja learn that last time you came to my room?
Akira: Yep! See, I’m not “too young” to figure out what an “adult” like you finds relaxing!
Bradley: Hah, ya got guts tryna get back at me.
Fair enough, I was wrong: looks like you ain’t no kiddo that needs their ears t’ be covered anymore.
With just a sentence, I felt like he had acknowledged me—for a brief instant, we stood on equal footing.
Perhaps he didn’t really mean it; perhaps that’s his way of poking fun at me for today, but…
His words made my heart leap and, to me, that was enough.
Bradley: …Uh, Sage? What’s that on the chicken?
Akira: Hm? Is there something wro—
Bradley: BOO!
Akira: Eek!?
Bradley: Haha! You cute li’l twit, always fallin’ for the simplest tricks.
Akira: You… That’s payback for last time I called you a cute little boy, isn’t it!?
Bradley: Heh, I dunno, you tell me.
Bradley languidly sipped his drink. Despite his sly composure, the mischievous grin plastered on his lips was full of impish delight.
His smile was a hint of the soothing mirth to come.
But before the festivities began, I had one last message to deliver:
Akira: Happy birthday, Bradley!
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episode story
“A Chaotic Dance Party?”
[Wizard’s Manor—Bradley’s Room]
Akira: About your birthday party the other day, uh, how do I put it nicely… That was… something.
Snow and White told me: “Bradley and Mithra started fighting over the buffet, so we reconciled them with a simple spell!”
That’s their version of the story, though…
Bradley: “Reconcile” my ass, the damn geezers stuck our hands together.
You should be dancin’ at a party this, dun’ go at each other’s throat that, ugh, always lecturin’ us...
An’ then they hit us with the “you shall remain bound hand in hand until you dance together~” bullshit? Buncha twisted scumbags… See what I gotta deal with?
Akira: Ahaha…
Bradley: Didja see how Mithra threw me left ‘n right? Crazy bastard got me sick to my stomach, thought I’d throw up ‘till I died.
If it hadn’t been me, pretty sure his “dancin’ style” woulda ripped his partner to shreds.
Akira: I mean, no one is going to deny how audacious that performance was… But your reckless dynamism was actually impressive to watch!
Bradley: …I guess it sounds nicer when it comes from you—Owen though, with that nasty smug all over his face, ugh… I just know he was goin’ to town with it.
The sick jerk ‘s not gonna let us live that one down for the next five centuries.
Akira: I can already see it… He certainly looked like he was having a blast watching you two dance.
Truth be told, I won’t forget that rare demonstration for the next fifty years either…
Bradley: Ugh, yer as bad as the others… But I’d rather take you dancin’ than end up with any rotten bastard from the North.
Next time we’ve got a party like that, I’m keepin’ you close in case I need a dance partner.
home line
“Swanky suit, good music, ‘n the finest booze on tap… Dun’ hafta be born in the West to know shit’s too good not to be enjoyed.
…Here, take my hand, Master Sage. Gotta do whatever the man of the hour says, remember? So, shall we dance?”
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