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Faltering Dreams, or What The Lago Foretold - Episode 10
тна last episode | Episode 10
Villager P: If it ain’t the men of the hour! How about some fine liquor? We made these right here in our village breweries! You can't get this anywhere else, so drink up!
Faust & Bradley: Oh, I’ll have a glass…
Bradley: Hey, look, it’s the curse specialist drinkin' with me today. That's rare, so how about a toast to mark the occasion?
Faust: …… Well, sure, but I don't do that well with rowdy drinking crowds. If I'm going to drink, I'd rather do it surrounded by peace and quiet…
Bradley: Oi, Nero! Come over here 'n grab yourself a drink.
Nero: Woah, don't go draggin' me around.
Chloe: M-May I join in?
Mithra: If you're hoarding all the good wine to yourself, then I would like you to invite me to drink too.
Arthur: Chloe! I spotted some really tasty-looking gratin, so I brought some over.
Chloe: Wow, thanks a bunch! It looks delicious, and also smells great~!
Mithra: By the way, who's next in line to have me read their future? I'll use meat divination for him.
Arthur & Chloe: Meat divination!?
Bradley: My man, we've had enough divining for one day. Here, you can have some of my vegetables, as a treat.
I heard the sounds of laughter ringing out from every corner of the village.
I’d spent some time gazing at the little leaf sitting in my palm. It was the leaf Arthur had given me earlier.
For these villagers, leaf divination was an integral part of their lives.
They sent their wishes floating along the lake’s surface on any given occasion.
Unfortunately, those wishes became warped into an amalgamation of curses under the influence of the < Great Calamity >.
Akira: (I'm glad life is back to normal for these villagers…)
Snow: Despite that terrible ordeal they just went through, the villagers are back to their cheerful and merry selves.
White: It's almost as if their grief and sorrow from earlier had simply been a lie.
Akira: What brings you here, Snow and White?
Snow: For better or worse, the locals are gullible people. Don't you agree, Kenja?
Prompted by the question, I thought back to how the villagers had acted.
Snow and White had a point. The villagers had simply accepted the bleak future as-is, and it grieved them horribly. When they saw the bright future, they wholly believed it as well and celebrated joyously.
Akira: You're right… Gullible might be the appropriate word to describe them.
Snow: Back then, they'd naively accepted what that 'oracle' had shown them on the lake's surface.
Akira: By that oracle, you mean… the one that had divined the future of this village? If I remember correctly, neither you nor White were the oracle.
Snow: You remembered correctly. As it happens, we have met that 'oracle' in passing.
Akira: You did!?
White: By met, it's more like we chased that 'oracle' out of this village. We beat 'em up, in fact.
Akira: You did whaaaat!?
Didn't the villagers welcome that oracle's presence to their village?
Snow: Umu, they did so with big smiles and open arms. All of them had so truly believed in the truth of what they had seen, you see.
News of that 'oracle's' handiwork had reached our ears then. It was then that White and I decided to see for ourselves what sort of grand oracle this person was. So we sought out this village.
White: Alas, the so-called grand oracle was nothing but a grand sham.
Akira: No way… But the oracle showed visions of the future in the lake, so the oracle must have actually divined something from the lake, right?
If it wasn’t a real oracle, then how could—
I didn't finish my sentence, as I was struck by a sudden realisation.
In this world, the fantastic and impossible often happened, and I knew for myself people who could make those things come true.
Snow: I see you've realised too. That 'oracle' was merely a wizard.
He was of no great magical prowess, but what he could do was conjure illusions. So he did that, conjuring illusions showing scenes to his advantage, and he made use of the villagers to his own gain.
White: The villagers didn't notice a single thing.
Akira: So that was what happened…
So… Snow, White, did you chase that wizard out of this village for the good of the villagers?
I dared hope for a heartwarming end to this saga.
However, all I got was the twins immediately shaking their heads.
Snow: Not at all! We were very much incensed by a con artist daring to call himself an oracle.
White: Indeed, we were! He not only had no ability to divine, he didn't _try_ to divine anything, nor did he even have the intention of doing so! And he made himself out to be quite the big deal, too.
Akira: (This turned out to be a more emotionally-driven decision than I'd expected…)
Snow: In conclusion, what was shown on the lake's surface long ago was no future — those were merely illusions.
But those illusions were what supported the villagers and kept them going till today. Without it, that old wasteland would never have developed into the prosperous village standing before us now.
That wizard's divination was nothing but a lie.
It was nothing like the twins' prophecies that could never miss.
But if the forefathers of this village hadn’t believed in that future, if they had instead fallen into despair, they would not have laid the foundation to this village.
Snow: Dear Kenja, we come to know of the future through our divination.
White: Sometimes, we choose to share what we See with others.
Snow: But what someone else chooses to do with that knowledge is entirely up to them.
Akira: So they have the freedom to decide…
Snow: We have seen people who succumbed to despair upon learning what was in store for them. We have also seen people who took the readings in stride and overcame the hurdles.
Of course, there are people who have attempted to defy fate itself…
There are many paths one might choose to reach the unchangeable, absolute future.
Today, that represented the villagers, Arthur, and Mithra…
But surely, what Snow said also described the countless people whose futures the twins had peered into and prophesied for, for two millennia and counting…
Snow spoke slowly and quietly, but each syllable rang like an invocation of the many millennia and countless futures the twins had foreseen.
Snow: Let there be fools who are unable to rise up from their despair when the future is dark. And let there be fools who struggle against the invisible shackles that bind them to an inescapable fate.
We shall love all of them equally.
In the past, the present, and the future, we shall always watch over these souls, for we are the ones that have Seen all that there is to See.
Their faces were filled with benevolent love. The two of them smiled a little smile at me.
I heard a familiar little voice just then—
Rita: Snow sama—!
Snow: Oya, look who we have here! It's little Rita, and you’re her friend, Margo.
Margo: Yeah! Thank you for making the lake pretty again. Mom said everything’s good now, and we don't have to leave the village anymore.
Rita: That means Rita and Margo can stay together!
Snow: Truly? That is indeed good news.
Rita: Snow sama, this is from Rita.
Rita held out a piece of paper to Snow.
On it was a drawing of two boys happily dancing on a lake's surface.
Snow: Oh, is this myself and White?
Rita: Yup! When you two were doing the divination thing, everything looked really pretty. So Rita drew it!
Thank you so much for divining the future for the village… and for Rita too!
The little girls soon left, waving good-bye to us as they did.
As they left, they were smiling brilliantly.
Akira: …… Congratulations, Snow, all your predictions were exactly right.
Snow: Ohoho. Naturally. We are oracles who, if we choose to make a hundred predictions, would be correct a hundred times.
But I must say, it is most heartwarming to know that these two girls did not have to part ways.
Isn't that true, dear White?
Snow wore a teasing smile as he looked at White, in a way that left much unsaid, but White certainly understood the unspoken parts too.
White: So, what did you divine in my absence?
Snow: Hm, hmmm…… Let me see. Perhaps I could take my time to regale you with what transpired.
Having been caught out, Snow smiled sheepishly.
A gently cool breeze blew our way from the waterside.
It brought along with it an evening chill that lightly brushed past the warmth of my skin.
Strangely enough, I did not feel cold.
Perhaps it was because, deep within my heart, I felt that a heartwarming future awaited me.
Villager P: If it ain’t the men of the hour! How about some fine liquor? We made these right here in our village breweries! You can't get this anywhere else, so drink up!
Faust & Bradley: Oh, I’ll have a glass…
Bradley: Hey, look, it’s the curse specialist drinkin' with me today. That's rare, so how about a toast to mark the occasion?
Faust: …… Well, sure, but I don't do that well with rowdy drinking crowds. If I'm going to drink, I'd rather do it surrounded by peace and quiet…
Bradley: Oi, Nero! Come over here 'n grab yourself a drink.
Nero: Woah, don't go draggin' me around.
Chloe: M-May I join in?
Mithra: If you're hoarding all the good wine to yourself, then I would like you to invite me to drink too.
Arthur: Chloe! I spotted some really tasty-looking gratin, so I brought some over.
Chloe: Wow, thanks a bunch! It looks delicious, and also smells great~!
Mithra: By the way, who's next in line to have me read their future? I'll use meat divination for him.
Arthur & Chloe: Meat divination!?
Bradley: My man, we've had enough divining for one day. Here, you can have some of my vegetables, as a treat.
I heard the sounds of laughter ringing out from every corner of the village.
I’d spent some time gazing at the little leaf sitting in my palm. It was the leaf Arthur had given me earlier.
For these villagers, leaf divination was an integral part of their lives.
They sent their wishes floating along the lake’s surface on any given occasion.
Unfortunately, those wishes became warped into an amalgamation of curses under the influence of the < Great Calamity >.
Akira: (I'm glad life is back to normal for these villagers…)
Snow: Despite that terrible ordeal they just went through, the villagers are back to their cheerful and merry selves.
White: It's almost as if their grief and sorrow from earlier had simply been a lie.
Akira: What brings you here, Snow and White?
Snow: For better or worse, the locals are gullible people. Don't you agree, Kenja?
Prompted by the question, I thought back to how the villagers had acted.
Snow and White had a point. The villagers had simply accepted the bleak future as-is, and it grieved them horribly. When they saw the bright future, they wholly believed it as well and celebrated joyously.
Akira: You're right… Gullible might be the appropriate word to describe them.
Snow: Back then, they'd naively accepted what that 'oracle' had shown them on the lake's surface.
Akira: By that oracle, you mean… the one that had divined the future of this village? If I remember correctly, neither you nor White were the oracle.
Snow: You remembered correctly. As it happens, we have met that 'oracle' in passing.
Akira: You did!?
White: By met, it's more like we chased that 'oracle' out of this village. We beat 'em up, in fact.
Akira: You did whaaaat!?
Didn't the villagers welcome that oracle's presence to their village?
Snow: Umu, they did so with big smiles and open arms. All of them had so truly believed in the truth of what they had seen, you see.
News of that 'oracle's' handiwork had reached our ears then. It was then that White and I decided to see for ourselves what sort of grand oracle this person was. So we sought out this village.
White: Alas, the so-called grand oracle was nothing but a grand sham.
Akira: No way… But the oracle showed visions of the future in the lake, so the oracle must have actually divined something from the lake, right?
If it wasn’t a real oracle, then how could—
I didn't finish my sentence, as I was struck by a sudden realisation.
In this world, the fantastic and impossible often happened, and I knew for myself people who could make those things come true.
Snow: I see you've realised too. That 'oracle' was merely a wizard.
He was of no great magical prowess, but what he could do was conjure illusions. So he did that, conjuring illusions showing scenes to his advantage, and he made use of the villagers to his own gain.
White: The villagers didn't notice a single thing.
Akira: So that was what happened…
So… Snow, White, did you chase that wizard out of this village for the good of the villagers?
I dared hope for a heartwarming end to this saga.
However, all I got was the twins immediately shaking their heads.
Snow: Not at all! We were very much incensed by a con artist daring to call himself an oracle.
White: Indeed, we were! He not only had no ability to divine, he didn't _try_ to divine anything, nor did he even have the intention of doing so! And he made himself out to be quite the big deal, too.
Akira: (This turned out to be a more emotionally-driven decision than I'd expected…)
Snow: In conclusion, what was shown on the lake's surface long ago was no future — those were merely illusions.
But those illusions were what supported the villagers and kept them going till today. Without it, that old wasteland would never have developed into the prosperous village standing before us now.
That wizard's divination was nothing but a lie.
It was nothing like the twins' prophecies that could never miss.
But if the forefathers of this village hadn’t believed in that future, if they had instead fallen into despair, they would not have laid the foundation to this village.
Snow: Dear Kenja, we come to know of the future through our divination.
White: Sometimes, we choose to share what we See with others.
Snow: But what someone else chooses to do with that knowledge is entirely up to them.
Akira: So they have the freedom to decide…
Snow: We have seen people who succumbed to despair upon learning what was in store for them. We have also seen people who took the readings in stride and overcame the hurdles.
Of course, there are people who have attempted to defy fate itself…
There are many paths one might choose to reach the unchangeable, absolute future.
Today, that represented the villagers, Arthur, and Mithra…
But surely, what Snow said also described the countless people whose futures the twins had peered into and prophesied for, for two millennia and counting…
Snow spoke slowly and quietly, but each syllable rang like an invocation of the many millennia and countless futures the twins had foreseen.
Snow: Let there be fools who are unable to rise up from their despair when the future is dark. And let there be fools who struggle against the invisible shackles that bind them to an inescapable fate.
We shall love all of them equally.
In the past, the present, and the future, we shall always watch over these souls, for we are the ones that have Seen all that there is to See.
Their faces were filled with benevolent love. The two of them smiled a little smile at me.
I heard a familiar little voice just then—
Rita: Snow sama—!
Snow: Oya, look who we have here! It's little Rita, and you’re her friend, Margo.
Margo: Yeah! Thank you for making the lake pretty again. Mom said everything’s good now, and we don't have to leave the village anymore.
Rita: That means Rita and Margo can stay together!
Snow: Truly? That is indeed good news.
Rita: Snow sama, this is from Rita.
Rita held out a piece of paper to Snow.
On it was a drawing of two boys happily dancing on a lake's surface.
Snow: Oh, is this myself and White?
Rita: Yup! When you two were doing the divination thing, everything looked really pretty. So Rita drew it!
Thank you so much for divining the future for the village… and for Rita too!
The little girls soon left, waving good-bye to us as they did.
As they left, they were smiling brilliantly.
Akira: …… Congratulations, Snow, all your predictions were exactly right.
Snow: Ohoho. Naturally. We are oracles who, if we choose to make a hundred predictions, would be correct a hundred times.
But I must say, it is most heartwarming to know that these two girls did not have to part ways.
Isn't that true, dear White?
Snow wore a teasing smile as he looked at White, in a way that left much unsaid, but White certainly understood the unspoken parts too.
White: So, what did you divine in my absence?
Snow: Hm, hmmm…… Let me see. Perhaps I could take my time to regale you with what transpired.
Having been caught out, Snow smiled sheepishly.
A gently cool breeze blew our way from the waterside.
It brought along with it an evening chill that lightly brushed past the warmth of my skin.
Strangely enough, I did not feel cold.
Perhaps it was because, deep within my heart, I felt that a heartwarming future awaited me.