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odorekijin“Sharing a Feast of Memories”
chapter one
[Central Country—Village]
From time immemorial, a rite native to Central country has been passed down to appease wandering souls, now known as a “Requiem Mass.”
Some time during one such ceremony, our banquet began...
Among the uproar of laughter and bubbling chats, Bradley, Cain and I licked our lips and plates clean with a satisfied sigh:
Bradley: Damn, that hits the spot! Gotta say, I’m impressed: the cookin’ an’ the spices are perfect.
Cain: For the meat, yeah, but you didn’t even touch your vegetables… They’re in season and real fresh, I’m sure you’d like ‘em if you tried!
Bradley: These? Dun’ worry, our Sage gon’ take care of ‘em.
Sage, gimme yer plate. Heard these are fresh an’ stuff, all you’d want from yer veggies.
Akira: Thanks, you didn’t have to serve m– Wait, stop-stop-stop…! Don’t dump everything on my plate!?
Perhaps catching sight of the green heap I had been served, an elderly woman approached us:
Old Woman: My, oh my, does youth bring hearty appetites. Don’t be shy, boy; help yourself.
All vegetables on this table were harvested at dawn. They’re fresh as morning dew.
Bradley: ...Yeah, and?
Old Woman: Why, they are most delicious, of course. Here, give me your plate: a little bit of this, some more of that… Oh, and these too. They will do you good.
The more she talked, the taller the pile of vegetables on Bradley’s plate grew.
Bradley: … …
Akira: (Uh oh… His furrow is digging deeper by the second…!)
Cain: Thanks, ma’am, but uh… My friend ‘here isn’t going to eat all that; I don’t mind taking some of his share tho―
Bradley: (Sighs) …An’ here goes the same ol’ spiel: dun’ eat this, dun’ eat that—y’all are tuned to the same damn song.
Sorry gran’, but I’d rather eat meat over any kinda salad. Don’tcha have some hidden somewhere?
Old Woman: Why didn’t you tell me right away, dear; of course we do. Let me fetch it for you, and remember: you’re in no rush, so chew your food well, yes?
Bradley: Yeah, yeah, I know, stop beating ‘round the bush an’ bring me the goodies—tell you what, double that up. I wan’ as much meat on that plate as that salad you made.
＊＊＊
Cain & Akira: … …
Bradley: Haha, now that’s what I call a feast!
While Bradley was happily stuffing his cheeks with meat, Cain and I forked in turn the salad cast aside.
Cain: I’m surprised by how well you handled that situation though, man. You were practically givin’ her a death stare when she served you.
With that nasty scowl on you, I thought you’d lash out at her.
Bradley: That would change no nothin’ with ‘em dodderin’ folks, ‘part from wastin’ my breath tryna snap back. Besides…
There’s sum’n about her chimmin’ into our business that brought me back.
Akira: You felt… Nostalgic? About what?
Bradley's gaze turned to the lady who had served him: she was going around the villagers with a bowl full of vegetables.
Cain: …I think I get him: back then, Bradley got along surprisingly well with the previous southern fellas.
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chapter two
[Central Country—Village]
Bradley: ...Hah, yeah, guess that’s part of it.
We weren’t exactly close; they just liked to stick their noses in other’s business, ‘specially mine.
Akira: Our late southerners… I’ve heard so much about them. From the stories I’ve been told, they were already pretty old when they were summoned, but they were as kind as they were generous.
Bradley: Pish, they were a buncha busybody who’d wrap any scamp in cotton wool. They mighta been weak, but I tell ya, they knew their way 'round a kitchen like no one else: anythin’ they’d cook was a finger-lickin’ delish.
Cain: Man, do I remember their ‘Rollito de Pollo,’ a real treat. They’d cook all sorts of southern specialties for us.
Our gatherings at the Manor almost looked like a king’s feast with the amount of food we had lined up.
Akira: So you’re telling me that, all this time, Bradley has had nothing but meat to eat?
Bradley: Duh? You think they serve three course meals in the slammer? Lemme indulge when I can, man.
The night the Calamity strikes is my only chance at freedom. If I dun’ show up, I dunno when I’ll get to eat meat again—hell, ain’t no tellin’ if I’ll even be around to chow down on some.
Cain: Bradley never had an empty plate when the southern folks were still around: they’d always serve him more as soon as he was done, a bit like that lady earlier.
Akira: That’s so sweet, I wish I had been there to see that. It’s strange, but listening to you two makes me feel like I’ve known them all my life.
Bradley: I bet they woulda loved ya. It’s, just…
If only that damn battle didn’t turn ‘em all to stone…
Cain: … …
Their fond reminiscence, with a murmur, twisted Cain’s features like he had bitten into something sour.
Unable to muster words of comfort, I surrendered to the silence that weighed on our tongues.
Cain: Is that… Music? Ah, that must be Rustica!
We instinctively searched for the light notes of the harpsichord.
Near the altar, a few villagers stepped to the rhythm of Rustica’s performance.
Akira: They seem to be having fun… Right, we must turn this reception into a buzzing gathering to draw the attention of the maiden’s soul.
Cain: …M’alright, guess I’ll tag along with the rest of the folks: that’ll be my excuse to walk off all the stuff we ate.
We’re here as our Sage's wizard to settle this case, an’ getting the party going is the least we can do to finish the job!
Akira: Cain… Haha, have fun then! I'll be playing my part to support you from over here!
Sending Cain off, I shoveled the rest of the salad down.
Once I cleaned off the plate, I timidly turned to Bradley, my voice barely hinting at a sentence:
Akira: Um, Bradley…
Bradley: Keep yer quibbles if it’s about them greens, I didn’t grow ‘em.
Akira: Ahaha… That was more than I could chew for sure, but they were really good. You’re free from my complaints for now.
Anyway, err… You said that lady brought back a few memories earlier, but that it was only “part” of your sudden nostalgia.
So, you know… I was wondering if there was something more to it…
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chapter three
[Central Country—Village]
Bradley: ...You could say there is.
She reminded me of my family. Sum’ of my sibs would always be on my back, findin’ every excuse to nag me—an’ they wouldn’t let go of the damn habit, even with age.
...It feels like forever ago now.
Bradley took one of the glasses set on the table, signaling an end to his recollection.
Bubbles seethed at the contact of his lips on the brim, as if each pop could rekindle long-buried memories.
Akira: (Out of all his brothers and sisters, only Bradley was born a wizard…)
His siblings grew up together, aged together, and Bradley alone had to watch his kin pass away one after the other—for his life courses on a different path than that of his family.
Akira: …Your brothers and sisters, they… Perhaps they’re still watching over you, somewhere in this world.
Bradley: …Hah?
His voice spiked as though caught with his defences down, but the wine-red of his stare shot back.
I straightened up:
Akira: I, I’m sorry, I should have kept that to myself.
In my world, some say that those who passed away watch over the people they loved from beyond the skies, so, um...
I thought it would be nice if that was the case for you too.
Bradley: … …Hmph, haha.
If you're right—if they’re really out there—they must be tearin’ me a new one as we speak.
A genuine laugh escaped him before chugging the rest of his drink.
Suddenly, Bradley grabbed my wrist.
Akira: (...Wuh?)
He then stood up, the brusque motion pulling me along.
Akira: …!? What’s gotten into you?
Bradley: Nothin’. The grub was perfect, the hooch was top-notch, what else can a man ask for? That’s right, a dance—an’ yer comin’ with me.
Akira: Pardon!?
Bradley: Y’said we needed to paint the town red to draw that maiden’s soul out, yeah? Take it as your way to put yer money where your mouth is.
Akira: B-But not like that…! You know I’m a far cry from Cain’s dancing!
Bradley: Less talkin’, Sage: loosen up an’ show me the moves. Nooow... Spin!
Akira: Wai, wait, too fast…!
Bradley: Haha, try to follow my lead!
Bradley’s booming laugh soared, catching me stumbling over my feet.
Akira: (What the… He looks… Chipper than usual, somehow...?)
Be it drunkenness or a sudden whim—I didn’t need to understand nor reason with Bradley’s mirth, as long as I could bask in the contagious joy blooming from him, my hand clasped in his.
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episode story
“A Mirror of Her Son”
[Wizards’ Manor–Dinning Hall]
Akira: Woah, our lunch looks delicious! …Heh, as it does everyday, really. Mmmh, what should I get first...
Bradley: Keep it up an’ I’ll be lickin’ these plates clean before you make up yer mind.
Akira: H-Hey…! What about the others! Hmph, well in that case I’ll start with the salad.
…Somehow, this reminds me of the banquet we had after the requiem ceremony in that village. There was this older lady who served you a whole plate of salad too…
I think I even saw you chatting with her after that… Do you remember what you two talked about?
Bradley: I sure do. She told me all about her late son.
The guy loved meat, an’ apparently that’s what sent ‘im to an early grave. She got worried fo’ me seein’ all the stuff I was gobblin’ up.
She kept checkin’ back an’ forth to catch when my dish ‘d be empty to plate up a whole stack o’ vegetable fo’ me.
Akira: I didn't expect a simple heap of salad to hold this deep a story…
Bradley: Had to reassure her, y’know? I’ve been alive an’ kickin’ with that kinda lifestyle for six hundred years. That ain’t what’s gunna bring me to my knees.
I told her she didn’t hafta waste her time worryin’ about a big guy like me. She’d make better use of it keepin’ her son in her thoughts.
Akira: That’s so sweet, you looked out for her in your own way… Hey, hang on a minute! Did you just inhale every single meat on this table!?
Bradley: Heh, sure did make short work of it.
I still got room fo’ more though. I’ll see what else we have in the kitchen.
Akira: With all these vegetables left!?
…I’m starting to understand what that lady was getting at…
voice line
“Leadin’ a pack is second nature t’me, even my own blood-siblings became my henchmen. I can tell you all about what it’s like to be the boss ‘round over a few drinks in my room, if you wanna—but you’ll hafta supply the goodies an’ booze to pair.”
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