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The Cuore of Truth Brings Good Fortune - Episode 5
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Mithra & Owen: Never mind, we'll stay here.
Murr: Time to explore! Time to explore! Can we go anywhere and everywhere in this mansion? Even the rooms we aren’t supposed to?
Ernest: Umm, it's fine if it's part of the investigation process, but please, keep it to rooms I can take responsibility for...
The rest of the wizards filed out of the room after Ernest and Murr.
Figaro: .........
Only Figaro remained. Now alone, he gazed upon the wall of protective amulets.
Akira: ... Figaro, is something up with the amulets?
Figaro: Oh, no, nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking what a collection this is. There's amulets for warding off evil spirits, general protection, business prosperity, repelling the evil eye...
These charms aren’t religious symbols of any particular god… but this is a zealot’s collection. It feels like the merchant built a shrine – it’s a place for him to pray that misfortune would never befall him.
Like Figaro, I too looked at the wall of amulets.
He had a point. No one would amass enough items to fill an entire wall, not unless they were devoted to praying or wishing for something.
Akira: ... Speaking of which, you said that the legend about kikii isn’t true, the one about how seeing a black kikii is a bad omen.
Figaro: Yeah. We got distracted partway through. Here's the thing, kikii are rare magical creatures that change colours under highly specific conditions. There’s no more to it than that
The legend where it brings good luck or bad luck is no different from when we told you 'someone is in love with you if the colour of this plate changes’.
Figaro spoke calmly and quietly. He picked up a statue that Mithra had touched earlier, the one made in the image of a kneeling man.
Figaro: Kikii are rare, beautiful, and look divine. So it's no surprise they became the subject of superstition, and the subject of reverence for those who desired good luck.
Akira: Reverence?
Figaro: Yes. Apparently, there are people amongst the rich and affluent who worship white, luck-bringing kikii as living deities.
As for Elmo, what it's been through is anyone's guess... Still, considering its attitude, it's possible that Elmo was also once treated as a deity.
Figaro, with a little statue of a person praying in his open palm, looked no different from usual.
I wondered to myself what Figaro had experienced.
I'd heard that millennia ago, wizards too were treated like living deities.
Figaro returned the statue to the shelf where it belonged. He glanced back at me.
Figaro: Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go take a look around the mansion? It’d be nice if I get a chance to treat Elmo too.
If nothing else, Ernest’s concern for Elmo’s well-being is probably real.
Akira: (... ‘If nothing else?’)
There was something off about the way Figaro phrased his sentence. But before I could think any harder, Arthur peeked his head into the room.
Arthur: Figaro sama, Kenja sama! So you two are still back here. Everyone's set off to investigate the mansion.
Akira: Ah... Sorry about that! We'll get moving too!
We split up and did a round of the mansion's interior, and then we regrouped in the same room we started.
Arthur: We've had a good look at the entire mansion. It's clear that nothing else in this mansion was touched by the Calamity, save for Elmo.
If I had to, I would say that I sense a strange presence coming from the nearby woods, but I can't say if it has any relation to the strange voices in the mansion...
Figaro: What about you, Ernest? Did you find Elmo?
Ernest: I called and called, but Elmo didn't come to me. Maybe it knows that it'll be brought in for treatment the moment it shows up...
Looking downcast, Ernest refilled his cup with more tea. It was the same blend from before.
Owen: Hey, are you seriously serving the same biscuits as earlier? Haven't you got some variety?
Ernest: I apologise for being a poor host... My money's all been spent on Elmo's medicine.
Shylock: The tea and biscuits are perfectly delicious. I’d say I’m satisfied by your hospitality.
Riquet: Perhaps Elmo will show up if it smells sweets? We could place a dish of these down wherever it likes to rest.
Bradley: Only kids like you would show up to laid-out dishes of sweets. You've got crumbs on your face, by the way.
Figaro: Ah, it might not be a bad idea to search for Elmo at his usual spots. Ernest, have you any suggestions as to where?
Ernest: Uhhh... I don't usually enter rooms I don't use...
Elmo always wanders around as it pleases. It's almost like it knows the place better than I do.
Murr: It's more master of the household than you are, Ernest! Full of confidence! Full of pomp!
Arthur: Speaking of masters, what was the proprietor like?
From the decor, he seems like someone who has far more interest in good luck and protection charms than the average person. It’s certainly unusual.
Ernest: Umm, he's a merchant. It's ... part of being a businessman, I guess? Gathering charms and lucky items, I mean. I'm not a merchant, so I wouldn’t know...
Akira: Oh, you're not a merchant yourself. I'd simply assumed you were in the same line of business as your relative.
Ernest: No, I... was a lowly herbalist. All I did was give others herbs to treat their colds. I'm not capable of anything greater.
Riquet: 'Was'? What about now?
Ernest smiled, bitterly. He stared at the contents of his cup.
Ernest: That's right, I was one. My home village was destroyed by the Calamity, and most of the villagers moved away.
A herbalist cannot treat people if there are no people left to treat, so I had no choice but to leave the village as well... Well, now I'm in search of a new job.
Akira: I’m sorry to hear that...
Arthur: Too many people have lost their jobs from the effects of the calamity... I’ve been working with legislators to draft plans to address the issue, but...
Ernest: With legislators?
Arthur: Ah, er, I mean, I hope the legislators address the issue! Anyway, this job as a caretaker must have been like a lifeline for you.
Ernest: Y-Yeah, it is. But it's not a job I can do forever, so it'd be nice if I could secure something more permanent soon...
Ernest gripped his cup tightly. He had seemed downcast earlier, but right now, something about the distant look in his eyes seemed uneasy.
Murr watched him for a while, and then he smiled, like a cat.
Murr: I knew it, Ernest! You suck at lying! I think it's for your own good if you went somewhere else before you're found out!
Akira: Huh?
Riquet: What lie...?
Shylock: Murr.
Ernest: N-No way. I... Not at all...
Murr: Look at yourself! Your eyes are all shifty! I also think it's for your own good if you didn't sit down at a gambling table, okay?
Ernest had broken into a cold sweat, and he started hyperventilating. He stared up at Murr, who was rolling about upside-down in mid-air, like a jester.
Perhaps tired of the entire farce, Bradley and Owen sighed.
Bradley: C'mon, did you seriously think you could pull a fast one on us with that sort of acting?
[ No BGM ]
Owen: It was a lie, wasn’t it? Saying you’re the relative of the owner and all.
Arthur & Riquet: Huh?
Mithra: Was that the case?
Ernest: ...... (gulp)
Ernest grew paler by the second.
For some reason, I wasn't too surprised at this revelation.
His faltering words, his evasive smiles, the way he didn't seem to know the place he was apparently a caretaker for…
[ BGM starts ]
Akira: (I see... He's a good person, but I kept feeling like there was something off about him all this time, and it's because he was lying to us.)
I glanced at Figaro, as I recalled what he had said right before we set out to investigate the mansion.
'If nothing else, Ernest’s concern for Elmo’s well-being is probably real.'
Akira: (So Figaro already had it all figured out back then...)
Ernest’s face was alternating between losing all colour and every single shade of red.
Patiently, Figaro looked into Ernest’s eyes.
Figaro: ... We understand that there’s reasons as to why you’re doing this, so you can talk to us openly about it.
I used magic to track your previous movements. I know that you only use this room and the kitchen, and you haven’t entered most rooms in this mansion.
Breaking and entering is a crime worth hiding, but other than that, you’ve done your best to be honest with us, right?
Figaro spoke with a deep and calming voice. It was the voice of someone who knew how to correct and guide people.
Ernest gradually lifted his head as Figaro spoke. He took a great, heaving breath.
And then he started talking about his situation, bit by bit.
Ernest: As I'd said earlier, I left my village behind in search of a job. But it didn't work out at all. There were too many people who were just like me.
I travelled around and made ends meet by selling herbs I found, but eventually, I found myself without coin...
[ Flashback ]
[ Mansion of Lucky Items - Exterior ]
Ernest: I didn't manage to find a job today either. I guess there’s only the capital city left now... But I'm all out of money...
... This is the last of the biscuits I brought from home too. I only took a nibble each meal but...
Ernest: (It's cold... I don't remember the last time I slept under a roof. I don't remember the last time I've had a warm meal either...)
(... Once I've eaten my last biscuit... I’m out of work, out of food, out of a place to live… This might be it for me…)
[ Ernest hears rustling. ]
Ernest: Wh-Who are you!? If it's money you want, I... I'll have you know I haven't a single coin on me...!
???: Kyuu...
Episode 6 ⭢
Mithra & Owen: Never mind, we'll stay here.
Murr: Time to explore! Time to explore! Can we go anywhere and everywhere in this mansion? Even the rooms we aren’t supposed to?
Ernest: Umm, it's fine if it's part of the investigation process, but please, keep it to rooms I can take responsibility for...
The rest of the wizards filed out of the room after Ernest and Murr.
Figaro: .........
Only Figaro remained. Now alone, he gazed upon the wall of protective amulets.
Akira: ... Figaro, is something up with the amulets?
Figaro: Oh, no, nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking what a collection this is. There's amulets for warding off evil spirits, general protection, business prosperity, repelling the evil eye...
These charms aren’t religious symbols of any particular god… but this is a zealot’s collection. It feels like the merchant built a shrine – it’s a place for him to pray that misfortune would never befall him.
Like Figaro, I too looked at the wall of amulets.
He had a point. No one would amass enough items to fill an entire wall, not unless they were devoted to praying or wishing for something.
Akira: ... Speaking of which, you said that the legend about kikii isn’t true, the one about how seeing a black kikii is a bad omen.
Figaro: Yeah. We got distracted partway through. Here's the thing, kikii are rare magical creatures that change colours under highly specific conditions. There’s no more to it than that
The legend where it brings good luck or bad luck is no different from when we told you 'someone is in love with you if the colour of this plate changes’.
Figaro spoke calmly and quietly. He picked up a statue that Mithra had touched earlier, the one made in the image of a kneeling man.
Figaro: Kikii are rare, beautiful, and look divine. So it's no surprise they became the subject of superstition, and the subject of reverence for those who desired good luck.
Akira: Reverence?
Figaro: Yes. Apparently, there are people amongst the rich and affluent who worship white, luck-bringing kikii as living deities.
As for Elmo, what it's been through is anyone's guess... Still, considering its attitude, it's possible that Elmo was also once treated as a deity.
Figaro, with a little statue of a person praying in his open palm, looked no different from usual.
I wondered to myself what Figaro had experienced.
I'd heard that millennia ago, wizards too were treated like living deities.
Figaro returned the statue to the shelf where it belonged. He glanced back at me.
Figaro: Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go take a look around the mansion? It’d be nice if I get a chance to treat Elmo too.
If nothing else, Ernest’s concern for Elmo’s well-being is probably real.
Akira: (... ‘If nothing else?’)
There was something off about the way Figaro phrased his sentence. But before I could think any harder, Arthur peeked his head into the room.
Arthur: Figaro sama, Kenja sama! So you two are still back here. Everyone's set off to investigate the mansion.
Akira: Ah... Sorry about that! We'll get moving too!
We split up and did a round of the mansion's interior, and then we regrouped in the same room we started.
Arthur: We've had a good look at the entire mansion. It's clear that nothing else in this mansion was touched by the Calamity, save for Elmo.
If I had to, I would say that I sense a strange presence coming from the nearby woods, but I can't say if it has any relation to the strange voices in the mansion...
Figaro: What about you, Ernest? Did you find Elmo?
Ernest: I called and called, but Elmo didn't come to me. Maybe it knows that it'll be brought in for treatment the moment it shows up...
Looking downcast, Ernest refilled his cup with more tea. It was the same blend from before.
Owen: Hey, are you seriously serving the same biscuits as earlier? Haven't you got some variety?
Ernest: I apologise for being a poor host... My money's all been spent on Elmo's medicine.
Shylock: The tea and biscuits are perfectly delicious. I’d say I’m satisfied by your hospitality.
Riquet: Perhaps Elmo will show up if it smells sweets? We could place a dish of these down wherever it likes to rest.
Bradley: Only kids like you would show up to laid-out dishes of sweets. You've got crumbs on your face, by the way.
Figaro: Ah, it might not be a bad idea to search for Elmo at his usual spots. Ernest, have you any suggestions as to where?
Ernest: Uhhh... I don't usually enter rooms I don't use...
Elmo always wanders around as it pleases. It's almost like it knows the place better than I do.
Murr: It's more master of the household than you are, Ernest! Full of confidence! Full of pomp!
Arthur: Speaking of masters, what was the proprietor like?
From the decor, he seems like someone who has far more interest in good luck and protection charms than the average person. It’s certainly unusual.
Ernest: Umm, he's a merchant. It's ... part of being a businessman, I guess? Gathering charms and lucky items, I mean. I'm not a merchant, so I wouldn’t know...
Akira: Oh, you're not a merchant yourself. I'd simply assumed you were in the same line of business as your relative.
Ernest: No, I... was a lowly herbalist. All I did was give others herbs to treat their colds. I'm not capable of anything greater.
Riquet: 'Was'? What about now?
Ernest smiled, bitterly. He stared at the contents of his cup.
Ernest: That's right, I was one. My home village was destroyed by the Calamity, and most of the villagers moved away.
A herbalist cannot treat people if there are no people left to treat, so I had no choice but to leave the village as well... Well, now I'm in search of a new job.
Akira: I’m sorry to hear that...
Arthur: Too many people have lost their jobs from the effects of the calamity... I’ve been working with legislators to draft plans to address the issue, but...
Ernest: With legislators?
Arthur: Ah, er, I mean, I hope the legislators address the issue! Anyway, this job as a caretaker must have been like a lifeline for you.
Ernest: Y-Yeah, it is. But it's not a job I can do forever, so it'd be nice if I could secure something more permanent soon...
Ernest gripped his cup tightly. He had seemed downcast earlier, but right now, something about the distant look in his eyes seemed uneasy.
Murr watched him for a while, and then he smiled, like a cat.
Murr: I knew it, Ernest! You suck at lying! I think it's for your own good if you went somewhere else before you're found out!
Akira: Huh?
Riquet: What lie...?
Shylock: Murr.
Ernest: N-No way. I... Not at all...
Murr: Look at yourself! Your eyes are all shifty! I also think it's for your own good if you didn't sit down at a gambling table, okay?
Ernest had broken into a cold sweat, and he started hyperventilating. He stared up at Murr, who was rolling about upside-down in mid-air, like a jester.
Perhaps tired of the entire farce, Bradley and Owen sighed.
Bradley: C'mon, did you seriously think you could pull a fast one on us with that sort of acting?
[ No BGM ]
Owen: It was a lie, wasn’t it? Saying you’re the relative of the owner and all.
Arthur & Riquet: Huh?
Mithra: Was that the case?
Ernest: ...... (gulp)
Ernest grew paler by the second.
For some reason, I wasn't too surprised at this revelation.
His faltering words, his evasive smiles, the way he didn't seem to know the place he was apparently a caretaker for…
[ BGM starts ]
Akira: (I see... He's a good person, but I kept feeling like there was something off about him all this time, and it's because he was lying to us.)
I glanced at Figaro, as I recalled what he had said right before we set out to investigate the mansion.
'If nothing else, Ernest’s concern for Elmo’s well-being is probably real.'
Akira: (So Figaro already had it all figured out back then...)
Ernest’s face was alternating between losing all colour and every single shade of red.
Patiently, Figaro looked into Ernest’s eyes.
Figaro: ... We understand that there’s reasons as to why you’re doing this, so you can talk to us openly about it.
I used magic to track your previous movements. I know that you only use this room and the kitchen, and you haven’t entered most rooms in this mansion.
Breaking and entering is a crime worth hiding, but other than that, you’ve done your best to be honest with us, right?
Figaro spoke with a deep and calming voice. It was the voice of someone who knew how to correct and guide people.
Ernest gradually lifted his head as Figaro spoke. He took a great, heaving breath.
And then he started talking about his situation, bit by bit.
Ernest: As I'd said earlier, I left my village behind in search of a job. But it didn't work out at all. There were too many people who were just like me.
I travelled around and made ends meet by selling herbs I found, but eventually, I found myself without coin...
[ Flashback ]
[ Mansion of Lucky Items - Exterior ]
Ernest: I didn't manage to find a job today either. I guess there’s only the capital city left now... But I'm all out of money...
... This is the last of the biscuits I brought from home too. I only took a nibble each meal but...
Ernest: (It's cold... I don't remember the last time I slept under a roof. I don't remember the last time I've had a warm meal either...)
(... Once I've eaten my last biscuit... I’m out of work, out of food, out of a place to live… This might be it for me…)
[ Ernest hears rustling. ]
Ernest: Wh-Who are you!? If it's money you want, I... I'll have you know I haven't a single coin on me...!
???: Kyuu...
Episode 6 ⭢