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Falling in Love with the Captive Noce - Episode 1
Episode 1 | next episode ⭢
[ Northern Country - Open Plains ]
[ Flashback ]
Bradley: You're one of 'em obstinate ones too huh, Mia?
Back to kill me again?
Mia: And if I said that you were right?
You are my prey. This time, I shall seize your last breath with my very own hands.
Bradley: Hey, now, we don’t have to lose our tempers here. It just so happens that I’ve got something real good with me right now.
I think you'd want to eat this thing as much as my mana stone.
Mia: Let’s see it then.
Bradley: Check this out.
Mia: ... You dare mock me?
You're trying to gift me some fruit off a tree? What do you take me for?
Bradley: Now, now, hold your horses. From what my cook's told me, this fruit here is apparently some rare delicacy.
There's no such thing as fancy desserts up here in Northern Country, but this — this don't taste half bad at all.
You like sweet things, don't you?
Mia: ......!
.........
... I do.
Bradley: Glad to hear it. It was all mixed up with the rest of the treasures we stole. A nice thing like this would only go to waste among my men.
I believe this thing is called—
[ Present time ]
Mia: ... Bradley...
I wonder how long it's been since you left the great plains of the North...
...... Hmph, how infuriating. Just thinking back on that moment makes my blood boil.
...... Ah...
Bradley... If our paths cross again, just once more...
Then I shall personally—
Bradley: ... A-CHOO!!
[ No BGM ]
[ Bradley appears. ]
Mia: ......!
Bradley: Tch, I got sent flyin' again. This damn injury of mine.
...... Hm?
You're…
[ Magical Manor - Cafeteria ]
[ BGM starts ]
Akira: ... He's not here today either…
Saccie and I glanced around the daylit cafeteria. We slumped our shoulders in unison.
There was Rustica, elegantly sipping his morning tea.
And there was Mithra, stuffing his face with mouthfuls of meat.
Mitile was there too, enjoying his cup of delicious corn soup, but he wasn't the person I was looking for either.
Mitile: Kenja sama, may I ask who you're looking for?
Akira: Mitile...
Actually... I'm worried about Bradley. I haven't seen him around recently.
He hasn’t been assigned to any requests, and I was hoping that I’d finally see him around today...
Mitile: You too? I've been worried about him too!
I dropped by his room a few times, but no luck there. I didn't see any sign of Bradley san. I wonder what's up.
... Actually, I've been hoping for a chance to thank him for giving me some advice on magic. I forgot to thank him back then...
Akira: (How sweet of you, Mitile, to want to thank someone even though the moment’s already passed.)
Mitile: Initially, I thought he'd simply been sent somewhere from a bad sneeze, but it's been so long since I've seen him around that...
Oh, Rustica san, what about you? Have you seen Bradley san recently?
Rustica: Unfortunately, I have not.
And yourself, Mithra? Have you seen Bradley at all?
Mithra: Now that you mention it, I haven't sensed his presence around in quite a while.
Akira: ... I see…
Akira: (Sure, Bradley's a strong wizard, but I'm still worried about him. It's simply been too long since we've last heard from him.)
(I wish we had a reliable way of finding him... Maybe I should ask Snow and the others.)
It was then that a gentle fragrance tickled my nostrils.
I lifted my downcast gaze, and there Nero was, offering me a steaming hot beverage.
Nero: Kenja san, how 'bout you drink some hot milk and take a break for a bit?
Akira: Oh, Nero! Thank you so much!
Nero: Anytime.
And... I think that guy everyone’s worried about will be just fine. It takes more than a stiff breeze to kill a guy like him.
's not like this time's gonna be like that one time he was dropped into a pit of bubbling magma.
Nero stole a glance at Mithra.
Then, he placed the plate he had in his other hand down in front of Mithra. It was full of freshly-roasted meat.
Mithra: Oh, did that happen? That guy you're talking about must have been in a pinch.
Mithra spoke as if it didn't concern him. He took large bites out of his meat. It was surreal to watch, because even though Mithra ate with such savagery, it somehow looked like art.
Mitile: Oh, come on...! Mithra san, you were the reason he ended up in that situation.
When you were taking down a magical beast, you shoved both the beast and Bradley san into your space-crossing door.
Rustica: Oh, was that how it happened? That’s our mighty Mithra, who fights with such savagery.
Mithra: Oh, so that’s how it happened? I have zero impression of what transpired though.
Akira: (Zero, zilch, nada... for real...)
Nero: ... Well, I get why you're worried. I'm not sayin' you’ve got to stop feeling that way or anything, but man...
You're gonna wear yourself out if you don’t take a break from all that worrying every now and then. Maybe a warm drink could help.
Mitile: Yeah. Kenja sama, we can always count on you to be kind and considerate, no matter what.
But it's Bradley san we're talking about, right? He's always fine no matter where he's sneezed himself off to. I'm sure it'll be the same this time around too, and he'll be back just fine!
Akira: Nero... Mitile...
You're both right. It is Bradley, so everything's going to be just fine!
I felt my spirits lift a little. I was about to sit at one of the empty seats to drink my milk, when—
Rustica: Kenja sama, why not a change of pace? Please, sit next to me.
With a cheerful smile, Rustica drew up the chair next to him. I sat in it, and his smile widened.
Rustica: My dear Kenja sama, so kind and considerate. I can’t help but wonder how much pain and unease your heart has endured over the wellbeing of our missing comrade.
May this lift your spirits, even if it is only a small thing.
Rustica: « amorest viesse »
At the sound of Rustica's spell-word, a faint glow appeared by my hand. Once it dissipated, there was a little box.
In it was a set of beautiful truffle chocolates.
They were a rich, luscious brown and engraved with lines that reminded me of pink topaz — like a snowflake, six-pronged and magnificent in bloom.
Akira: Wow...! What a stylishly-designed chocolate!
Mitile: Yeah! It looks just like a gemstone in a treasure chest. I could stare at this all day long.
Nero: Hey, wait a sec, don't tell me that's...
A Benedetta fruit?
Rustica: That's our Nero. So you have heard of the Fruit of Victory too.
Alas, this is not the real thing. This is merely chocolate made to replicate it.
I must apologise for getting your hopes up.
Nero: Nah, it's on me, I just blurted that out without even thinking.
I ought to know that there ain't no way Benedetta fruits would show up in a place like this.
Mitile: ... Um, is the Benedetta fruit really super rare? It's my first time hearing of it.
Its other name that Rustica san mentioned, the Fruit of Victory, has a really nice ring to it too! It sounds cool!
Does eating this fruit make you grow stronger?
Nero: Haha, it's not gonna do anything fancy like that. At the end of the day, it really is just some fruit off a tree.
Rustica: The Benedetta fruit came to be known as The Fruit of Victory due to the guardian of the Benedetta tree.
Akira: Wait, why would a naturally-growing tree have a guardian?
Nero: Good question. I believe the Benedetta tree excretes sap, and that happens to be its guardian's favourite food. These vicious fiends made nests around these trees.
That's why, even if someone’s lucky enough to come by a Benedetta fruit, they might not be able to harvest it because these fiends attack on sight.
And to top it all off, the Benedetta tree is native to and only grows in Northern Country, so it's actually extremely rare.
Rustica: Although the fruit is delectable, the reason it has captured the imaginations of so many is because it is infamously difficult to obtain.
And so, its other name spread far and wide — that this is the fruit that only those who defeated a terrifying fiend can have a taste of… Hence, the Fruit of Victory. Or at least, that's how the saying goes.
Mithra: ... (eating) Oh, huh. It tastes like just another sickeningly sweet confection.
Mitile: What! Mithra san! That's not the fruit in question, that's chocolate!
Rustica: Ahaha. With that, shall we partake in these as dessert now that we’ve eaten?
All while we await Bradley's return, of course. Chatting with each other is a wonderful way to pass time.
Akira: Right...! Thank you, Rustica. I think I'll have my chocolate with the milk Nero gave me.
I figured I should take Rustica and Nero’s reassuring advice to heart. I took one of the shining, lustrous chocolates and was about to pop it into my mouth when…
Figaro: — And that is why, I shall have to politely decline.
Snow: What an ingrate you are, Figaro chan! You're our only hope when Oz is away on a mission~!
Mitile: Those voices... Don't they belong to Figaro sensei and Snow sama?
Nero: Sounds like they're worked up about something.
The two wizards entered the cafeteria whilst trading words. From the sounds of it, Snow had asked for Figaro's help with something.
Akira: Good morning, you two. What's wrong?
Snow: Oh, Kenja. Won't you hear me out?
Snow handed me a piece of paper.
Snow: It's a request letter asking for a fiend to be subjugated. There's a creature that's been rampaging about in the plains to the north of the Town of Ice.
It looks like a giant snake, and it seems like it's proven itself to be quite the formidable opponent. As such, I would prefer the Northern Wizards take up this request.
But Bradley's missing, isn't he? So I asked Figaro to go in his place.
Mithra: Oh, is that so. Do your best, Replacement Bradley.
Figaro: I didn't agree to anything yet. By the way, you're going as the star of the show.
Mitile: Um... Even if Bradley san's not around, we still have Mithra san and Owen san. They're really strong too, aren't they?
It doesn't matter how strong and fearsome the fiend is, they won't lose.
So, why Figaro sensei? ... Figaro sensei's a Southern Wizard, isn't he?
Snow: Well, you see, that Mithra chan and Owen chan you mentioned happen to be rowdy little rascals.
The moment they know someone's skipped out, they'll claim that it's unfair to them and immediately take their leave...
And even if we herd them all the way there, they might just ignore the fiend we're supposed to subjugate and start a fight with each other at any moment. If that happens, the Town of Ice won't escape unscathed.
It's times like these that we need to call upon your sensei, who's great at turning the tide to his advantage! To be completely frank, we want to have it easy!
Figaro: ... And that's how I got asked to join this whole shebang. Figaro sensei's sure in a pickle right now.
Mithra: All of a sudden, I don't feel like going anymore.
Mitile: I-I see...? In other words, Figaro sensei will support the twins sensei?
Snow: Yes, that's right! Usually, we have Bradley chan deftly handling that aspect of things though.
Oh, that boy. We do wonder what’s taking him so long to return. Once Oz is back, perhaps we shall have him search for Bradley.
[ Clunk. ]
It was at that moment that a dull noise echoed throughout the cafeteria.
Rustica: ... Oya? It sounds like someone's knocking on glass.
Mitile: Maybe something struck the windows...? ... I'll be right back.
[ Mitile runs over to the windows. ]
Mitile: ... This is…
Mitile glanced back at us. In his hand was a small cork plug, the sort used as a wine stopper.
Episode 2 ⭢
[ Northern Country - Open Plains ]
[ Flashback ]
Bradley: You're one of 'em obstinate ones too huh, Mia?
Back to kill me again?
Mia: And if I said that you were right?
You are my prey. This time, I shall seize your last breath with my very own hands.
Bradley: Hey, now, we don’t have to lose our tempers here. It just so happens that I’ve got something real good with me right now.
I think you'd want to eat this thing as much as my mana stone.
Mia: Let’s see it then.
Bradley: Check this out.
Mia: ... You dare mock me?
You're trying to gift me some fruit off a tree? What do you take me for?
Bradley: Now, now, hold your horses. From what my cook's told me, this fruit here is apparently some rare delicacy.
There's no such thing as fancy desserts up here in Northern Country, but this — this don't taste half bad at all.
You like sweet things, don't you?
Mia: ......!
.........
... I do.
Bradley: Glad to hear it. It was all mixed up with the rest of the treasures we stole. A nice thing like this would only go to waste among my men.
I believe this thing is called—
[ Present time ]
Mia: ... Bradley...
I wonder how long it's been since you left the great plains of the North...
...... Hmph, how infuriating. Just thinking back on that moment makes my blood boil.
...... Ah...
Bradley... If our paths cross again, just once more...
Then I shall personally—
Bradley: ... A-CHOO!!
[ No BGM ]
[ Bradley appears. ]
Mia: ......!
Bradley: Tch, I got sent flyin' again. This damn injury of mine.
...... Hm?
You're…
[ Magical Manor - Cafeteria ]
[ BGM starts ]
Akira: ... He's not here today either…
Saccie and I glanced around the daylit cafeteria. We slumped our shoulders in unison.
There was Rustica, elegantly sipping his morning tea.
And there was Mithra, stuffing his face with mouthfuls of meat.
Mitile was there too, enjoying his cup of delicious corn soup, but he wasn't the person I was looking for either.
Mitile: Kenja sama, may I ask who you're looking for?
Akira: Mitile...
Actually... I'm worried about Bradley. I haven't seen him around recently.
He hasn’t been assigned to any requests, and I was hoping that I’d finally see him around today...
Mitile: You too? I've been worried about him too!
I dropped by his room a few times, but no luck there. I didn't see any sign of Bradley san. I wonder what's up.
... Actually, I've been hoping for a chance to thank him for giving me some advice on magic. I forgot to thank him back then...
Akira: (How sweet of you, Mitile, to want to thank someone even though the moment’s already passed.)
Mitile: Initially, I thought he'd simply been sent somewhere from a bad sneeze, but it's been so long since I've seen him around that...
Oh, Rustica san, what about you? Have you seen Bradley san recently?
Rustica: Unfortunately, I have not.
And yourself, Mithra? Have you seen Bradley at all?
Mithra: Now that you mention it, I haven't sensed his presence around in quite a while.
Akira: ... I see…
Akira: (Sure, Bradley's a strong wizard, but I'm still worried about him. It's simply been too long since we've last heard from him.)
(I wish we had a reliable way of finding him... Maybe I should ask Snow and the others.)
It was then that a gentle fragrance tickled my nostrils.
I lifted my downcast gaze, and there Nero was, offering me a steaming hot beverage.
Nero: Kenja san, how 'bout you drink some hot milk and take a break for a bit?
Akira: Oh, Nero! Thank you so much!
Nero: Anytime.
And... I think that guy everyone’s worried about will be just fine. It takes more than a stiff breeze to kill a guy like him.
's not like this time's gonna be like that one time he was dropped into a pit of bubbling magma.
Nero stole a glance at Mithra.
Then, he placed the plate he had in his other hand down in front of Mithra. It was full of freshly-roasted meat.
Mithra: Oh, did that happen? That guy you're talking about must have been in a pinch.
Mithra spoke as if it didn't concern him. He took large bites out of his meat. It was surreal to watch, because even though Mithra ate with such savagery, it somehow looked like art.
Mitile: Oh, come on...! Mithra san, you were the reason he ended up in that situation.
When you were taking down a magical beast, you shoved both the beast and Bradley san into your space-crossing door.
Rustica: Oh, was that how it happened? That’s our mighty Mithra, who fights with such savagery.
Mithra: Oh, so that’s how it happened? I have zero impression of what transpired though.
Akira: (Zero, zilch, nada... for real...)
Nero: ... Well, I get why you're worried. I'm not sayin' you’ve got to stop feeling that way or anything, but man...
You're gonna wear yourself out if you don’t take a break from all that worrying every now and then. Maybe a warm drink could help.
Mitile: Yeah. Kenja sama, we can always count on you to be kind and considerate, no matter what.
But it's Bradley san we're talking about, right? He's always fine no matter where he's sneezed himself off to. I'm sure it'll be the same this time around too, and he'll be back just fine!
Akira: Nero... Mitile...
You're both right. It is Bradley, so everything's going to be just fine!
I felt my spirits lift a little. I was about to sit at one of the empty seats to drink my milk, when—
Rustica: Kenja sama, why not a change of pace? Please, sit next to me.
With a cheerful smile, Rustica drew up the chair next to him. I sat in it, and his smile widened.
Rustica: My dear Kenja sama, so kind and considerate. I can’t help but wonder how much pain and unease your heart has endured over the wellbeing of our missing comrade.
May this lift your spirits, even if it is only a small thing.
Rustica: « amorest viesse »
At the sound of Rustica's spell-word, a faint glow appeared by my hand. Once it dissipated, there was a little box.
In it was a set of beautiful truffle chocolates.
They were a rich, luscious brown and engraved with lines that reminded me of pink topaz — like a snowflake, six-pronged and magnificent in bloom.
Akira: Wow...! What a stylishly-designed chocolate!
Mitile: Yeah! It looks just like a gemstone in a treasure chest. I could stare at this all day long.
Nero: Hey, wait a sec, don't tell me that's...
A Benedetta fruit?
Rustica: That's our Nero. So you have heard of the Fruit of Victory too.
Alas, this is not the real thing. This is merely chocolate made to replicate it.
I must apologise for getting your hopes up.
Nero: Nah, it's on me, I just blurted that out without even thinking.
I ought to know that there ain't no way Benedetta fruits would show up in a place like this.
Mitile: ... Um, is the Benedetta fruit really super rare? It's my first time hearing of it.
Its other name that Rustica san mentioned, the Fruit of Victory, has a really nice ring to it too! It sounds cool!
Does eating this fruit make you grow stronger?
Nero: Haha, it's not gonna do anything fancy like that. At the end of the day, it really is just some fruit off a tree.
Rustica: The Benedetta fruit came to be known as The Fruit of Victory due to the guardian of the Benedetta tree.
Akira: Wait, why would a naturally-growing tree have a guardian?
Nero: Good question. I believe the Benedetta tree excretes sap, and that happens to be its guardian's favourite food. These vicious fiends made nests around these trees.
That's why, even if someone’s lucky enough to come by a Benedetta fruit, they might not be able to harvest it because these fiends attack on sight.
And to top it all off, the Benedetta tree is native to and only grows in Northern Country, so it's actually extremely rare.
Rustica: Although the fruit is delectable, the reason it has captured the imaginations of so many is because it is infamously difficult to obtain.
And so, its other name spread far and wide — that this is the fruit that only those who defeated a terrifying fiend can have a taste of… Hence, the Fruit of Victory. Or at least, that's how the saying goes.
Mithra: ... (eating) Oh, huh. It tastes like just another sickeningly sweet confection.
Mitile: What! Mithra san! That's not the fruit in question, that's chocolate!
Rustica: Ahaha. With that, shall we partake in these as dessert now that we’ve eaten?
All while we await Bradley's return, of course. Chatting with each other is a wonderful way to pass time.
Akira: Right...! Thank you, Rustica. I think I'll have my chocolate with the milk Nero gave me.
I figured I should take Rustica and Nero’s reassuring advice to heart. I took one of the shining, lustrous chocolates and was about to pop it into my mouth when…
Figaro: — And that is why, I shall have to politely decline.
Snow: What an ingrate you are, Figaro chan! You're our only hope when Oz is away on a mission~!
Mitile: Those voices... Don't they belong to Figaro sensei and Snow sama?
Nero: Sounds like they're worked up about something.
The two wizards entered the cafeteria whilst trading words. From the sounds of it, Snow had asked for Figaro's help with something.
Akira: Good morning, you two. What's wrong?
Snow: Oh, Kenja. Won't you hear me out?
Snow handed me a piece of paper.
Snow: It's a request letter asking for a fiend to be subjugated. There's a creature that's been rampaging about in the plains to the north of the Town of Ice.
It looks like a giant snake, and it seems like it's proven itself to be quite the formidable opponent. As such, I would prefer the Northern Wizards take up this request.
But Bradley's missing, isn't he? So I asked Figaro to go in his place.
Mithra: Oh, is that so. Do your best, Replacement Bradley.
Figaro: I didn't agree to anything yet. By the way, you're going as the star of the show.
Mitile: Um... Even if Bradley san's not around, we still have Mithra san and Owen san. They're really strong too, aren't they?
It doesn't matter how strong and fearsome the fiend is, they won't lose.
So, why Figaro sensei? ... Figaro sensei's a Southern Wizard, isn't he?
Snow: Well, you see, that Mithra chan and Owen chan you mentioned happen to be rowdy little rascals.
The moment they know someone's skipped out, they'll claim that it's unfair to them and immediately take their leave...
And even if we herd them all the way there, they might just ignore the fiend we're supposed to subjugate and start a fight with each other at any moment. If that happens, the Town of Ice won't escape unscathed.
It's times like these that we need to call upon your sensei, who's great at turning the tide to his advantage! To be completely frank, we want to have it easy!
Figaro: ... And that's how I got asked to join this whole shebang. Figaro sensei's sure in a pickle right now.
Mithra: All of a sudden, I don't feel like going anymore.
Mitile: I-I see...? In other words, Figaro sensei will support the twins sensei?
Snow: Yes, that's right! Usually, we have Bradley chan deftly handling that aspect of things though.
Oh, that boy. We do wonder what’s taking him so long to return. Once Oz is back, perhaps we shall have him search for Bradley.
[ Clunk. ]
It was at that moment that a dull noise echoed throughout the cafeteria.
Rustica: ... Oya? It sounds like someone's knocking on glass.
Mitile: Maybe something struck the windows...? ... I'll be right back.
[ Mitile runs over to the windows. ]
Mitile: ... This is…
Mitile glanced back at us. In his hand was a small cork plug, the sort used as a wine stopper.
Episode 2 ⭢