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At Mount Guren, Where the Beloved Child Plays - Episode 10
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Mithra’s slender fingers lightly stroked the crystal skull.
It was like he was about to throw away a toy he’d once played with a long time ago, the way his fingertips travelled with the slightest hint of regret.
But then, Mithra blinked languidly, and then he smiled an indomitable smile.
[ Mithra CG ]
Mithra: I’ve kept you waiting for over a thousand years.
But playtime’s over now.
Mithra: « arsim »
[ Rumble… ]
The magma swelled and rose into the sky in the form of a giant hand.
It seized the djalgr’s large torso in its searing grip.
In one swift motion, it dragged the fiend down into the mouth of the crater.
[ No BGM ]
The djalgr shrieked in the throes of death as it gradually sank into the waiting pool of magma.
Eventually, its outstretched claws shattered into beautiful stone fragments.
Mithra: See? I told you I’d defeat the djalgr.
What a shame you’re not around to witness this, Tiletta.
Mithra turned on his heels, kicked off the edge of the crater, and took off in flight.
Before long, silence returned to the sea of magma.
As if there had been no magnificent clash of might just moments ago, the magma’s surface peacefully glistened red.
[ Mount Guren ]
[ Event BGM ]
Akira: Mithra, welcome back—!
Mithra: Oh, yeah, I’m back.
Chloe: What a relief, you’re back safe!
From the skies that had now returned to their usual blue, Mithra landed, joining us in the foothills.
All of us gathered around him, like he was a hero that had just made his triumphant return.
The animals that we’d sheltered within the barrier were all safe and sound. They too swarmed him, dashing up to his feet, or scrambling up his body to squeeze onto his shoulders.
Owen: Chloe kept going on and on about how worried he was, you know.
We could all see that brute drowning in the magma, but he still kept on worrying anyhow.
Chloe: Well, I mean…! He was so close to the crater, so it was like he might’ve been swallowed up by the heat and magma himself just by being there.
That you two are able to fight in a place like that sure reminds me how truly strong you are…
Owen & Mithra: Well, duh.
Cain: That sure was a fierce battle! It’s something I won’t forget about for a long time.
Murr: I bet you panicked for a bit there when it became a challenge to even use magic! I mean, my heart’s still racing from that experience!
Rustica: It was like trying your very best to scream at the top of your lungs, but the only noise that came out was a mere whisper.
Mithra: It makes your skin itch, doesn’t it? Well, even without that last-minute intervention from Oz, I’d have managed to do something anyway.
Oz: You were fighting an uphill battle.
Mithra: I was not.
Oz: You were. If it were up to me, I’d have ended matters without the land falling into disarray.
Mithra: Are you implying that you stepped aside for me?
Oz: If the spirits were not acting in resistance, it would have been much easier to sense Tiletta’s magic.
Mithra: What? I won’t lose sight of my prey just because of something as trivial as that.
Oz: No, that’s not…
Mithra: You get under my skin……
I will continue to grow stronger.
Someday, I will make you kneel before me like how I made that fiend yield.
Snow: There, there, Mithra. That’s enough from you, alright?
For a moment back there, I was starting to wonder how things would end up. How are you feeling now?
Mithra: Eh, not bad. I think I had a good workout.
Compared to before, I definitely feel like I’ve been reborn.
Chloe: Oh… Mithra. Your hem’s frayed.
« suispisiva voitingoc »
Alright, we’re all good now!
Mithra: … You’re right, it’s better if it’s there.
Chloe: Huh?
Mithra: The earring. It matches the outfit too.
[ Chloe blushes. ]
Chloe: …!
Ehehe. Thanks, Mithra!
Murr: What’s this here? Isn’t this a fragment of mana stone from the djalgr?
It rolled out from the hem of your outfit, Mithra!
Mithra: Oh, you’re right. I guess it’s some horn shrapnel or whatever that caught onto my clothes while I was fighting.
There was this moment where its horn broke apart with a loud snap.
Rustica: It’s so nice that you still have a fragment left in the end. It seems there remains a part of your friend that was not devoured by the magma.
Mithra: My friend?
Rustica: That’s right. You talked about your memories with it, and we had the opportunity to watch you play with it.
Isn’t that djalgr a long lost friend of yours?
Rustica cheerfully asked his question, as simply as one might talk about how lovely the weather was today.
Mithra blinked in confusion. Next to him, Owen laughed until his shoulders shook.
Owen: Haha, isn’t that great? Perfect for a beast like you.
Murr: Hear, hear! Even without a common tongue, even if both parties look nothing alike, we could become friends with anyone and anything.
As for you, Mithra, and the djalgr you played with — it looked like the both of you were having fun!
Oz & Snow: Is that so…?
Rustica: Even Murr has observed and concurred. A Northern friendship is the most intense and thrilling of all.
Cain: That said, what about the Calamity’s influence? Is it gone from the mana stone?
Snow: Well, the entire thing’s gone and sank into the depths of the magma by now.
Mithra’s free to bring it back, throw it away, or even eat it — it’s his to do with as he pleases.
Having said that, it’s rare for you to completely forget about an opponent that you couldn’t defeat.
Murr: Even if you forgot about everything else, you’d think you would remember this one at least!
Mithra: I mean, I’d tried asking Tiletta about it too. But her answer was always, ‘Maybe next time.’
I did wonder what was nagging at my memory, so I visited this place time and time again, but I couldn’t remember a thing. I always ended up just relaxing here before heading back.
Now that you mention it, I suppose Tiletta also eventually forgot about this. She is a haphazard woman like that, after all.
Snow: She knows full well that fiend’s trouble too. What a free-spirited duo, this teacher and student.
Chloe: I guess that means there’s some part of Mithra and Tiletta that resemble each other.
Owen: Well, maybe, I guess. By the way, Mithra, let me have a look at that mana stone.
Mithra: No. (pops it into his mouth)
Akira: Ah.
Murr: He ate it right after he said that!
Owen: Oh, what. I wanted to steal it for myself.
Mithra: It was my prey. There’s no way I’d hand it over to you.
Watching a wizard eat a mana stone was very strange.
There was no chewing or swallowing involved. It simply assimilated into the body.
Akira: (The djalgr cloaked in Tiletta’s magic, the stone it turned into…)
(It’s the ‘forgotten thing’ that Mithra left behind in this place.)
(It took a long, long time before Mithra finally realised what it was that he’d forgotten. But today, Mithra has claimed its stone for himself. I’m glad.)
Murr: What did the djalgr’s stone taste like?
Mithra: Nothing in particular. Mana stones don’t taste like anything.
Moreover, it was a tiny fragment. It doesn’t really hit me like, ‘Oh, I’ve eaten a stone,’ or anything like that, but…
It feels like I’ve ‘nailed it.’
Soot covered the mature contours of his face and nose, but it didn’t stop Mithra’s expression from lighting up cheerfully.
He looked like he’d played to his heart’s content, without any thought towards the dirt and grime, having fun like a carefree boy.
And now that he was relaxed, his stomach growled.
Akira: Ahaha, someone’s hungry.
Mithra: Yeah… I ate a mana stone, and that makes me hungrier than usual.
Speaking of which, what happened to the barbecue? There’s no sign of it.
Chloe: Wait, you’re right…!?
Snow: When I left, I had Oz and the others getting the barbecue going. I hope the ingredients are still intact…
Owen: There’s still marshmallows left, because I’ve held onto them all this while. I’m not sharing though.
Cain: Okay, that’s not a barbecue, that’s just you having a solo marshmallow party.
We’d brought real nice cuts of meat all the way out here too. Hope they weren’t crushed by volcanic rock or something.
Rustica: Oh, we have charcoal for Mithra.
Mithra: For me?
Oz: It’s potato charcoal. I charred it on a slab of lava rock.
Mithra: Hmm… I suppose I see fit to eat this.
Murr: I saw shrimpy things in that spring over there.
I wanna coat them in spices and grill ’em until they’re nice and crisp!
Rustica: That means we’ll need a new slab of lava rock. Oz sama, would you mind fetching us one?
You were very good at picking out the perfect slab of flat rock for an open grill.
Oz: Very well…
Snow: Alright, second time’s the charm! Let’s start our vacation for real this time!
Excitedly, everyone set out.
I was about to follow after the group when I felt Mithra tug at my sleeve.
Akira: Mithra?
Mithra: Oh. You look like yourself again.
Just earlier, you had a weird face on that was all pathetic, like you’d gone weak in the knees, remember?
Akira: That… that’s because…
Mithra’s words brought to mind the scene from earlier:
The ground, rumbling and roaring underneath us. The hot air rising from the fountain of magma, threatening to choke the breath out of me.
The feeling of my eardrums quivering, nearly ripping open from the cacophony that arose from Mithra’s magic striking the djalgr and causing it to shriek in pain.
Akira: (Honestly, I was really worried.)
(Mithra had been smashed against that rock wall, and when I saw him bleeding openly like that, it was an unbearable sight…)
But I knew that Mithra, as he was right now, did not want to hear any of that.
Mithra: Kenja sama. I was cool, right?
Mithra’s tall frame shifted as he bent over slightly to take a good look at my face.
His eyes urged me to answer. He was like a boy, who had made a very special memory one fine summer day.
His gaze seemed to say to me: ‘Hey, on this bright sunny day, I managed to reunite with my friend, who I hadn’t played with enough the last time we met.’
It felt like, if I were verbally told all of this, there would be a lilt of excitement to his voice.
Akira: … Absolutely. You were very cool!
Mithra: (soft, proud laugh) I knew it.
I smiled as I answered him, and Mithra looked pleased with himself.
And then he straightened up and yawned.
Mithra: … (yawn) Okay, Kenja sama, please give me your hand…
Akira: Ah…! Does it feel like you can fall asleep now? I’ll gladly hold your hand!
You’ve fought so hard, so you must be tired out, and if I try my best, you’ll probably be able to fall asleep…
Mithra: ………
Mithra fell silent, as if contemplating something. However, after he closed his eyes, his long and thick eyelashes fluttered. He shook his head.
Mithra: … You know what, never mind. I’ll sleep after we get back.
Today, please come to my room without that familiar the twins gave you.
It feels like tonight’s the night for me to have a good night's sleep.
Mithra’s slender fingers lightly stroked the crystal skull.
It was like he was about to throw away a toy he’d once played with a long time ago, the way his fingertips travelled with the slightest hint of regret.
But then, Mithra blinked languidly, and then he smiled an indomitable smile.
[ Mithra CG ]
Mithra: I’ve kept you waiting for over a thousand years.
But playtime’s over now.
Mithra: « arsim »
[ Rumble… ]
The magma swelled and rose into the sky in the form of a giant hand.
It seized the djalgr’s large torso in its searing grip.
In one swift motion, it dragged the fiend down into the mouth of the crater.
[ No BGM ]
The djalgr shrieked in the throes of death as it gradually sank into the waiting pool of magma.
Eventually, its outstretched claws shattered into beautiful stone fragments.
Mithra: See? I told you I’d defeat the djalgr.
What a shame you’re not around to witness this, Tiletta.
Mithra turned on his heels, kicked off the edge of the crater, and took off in flight.
Before long, silence returned to the sea of magma.
As if there had been no magnificent clash of might just moments ago, the magma’s surface peacefully glistened red.
[ Mount Guren ]
[ Event BGM ]
Akira: Mithra, welcome back—!
Mithra: Oh, yeah, I’m back.
Chloe: What a relief, you’re back safe!
From the skies that had now returned to their usual blue, Mithra landed, joining us in the foothills.
All of us gathered around him, like he was a hero that had just made his triumphant return.
The animals that we’d sheltered within the barrier were all safe and sound. They too swarmed him, dashing up to his feet, or scrambling up his body to squeeze onto his shoulders.
Owen: Chloe kept going on and on about how worried he was, you know.
We could all see that brute drowning in the magma, but he still kept on worrying anyhow.
Chloe: Well, I mean…! He was so close to the crater, so it was like he might’ve been swallowed up by the heat and magma himself just by being there.
That you two are able to fight in a place like that sure reminds me how truly strong you are…
Owen & Mithra: Well, duh.
Cain: That sure was a fierce battle! It’s something I won’t forget about for a long time.
Murr: I bet you panicked for a bit there when it became a challenge to even use magic! I mean, my heart’s still racing from that experience!
Rustica: It was like trying your very best to scream at the top of your lungs, but the only noise that came out was a mere whisper.
Mithra: It makes your skin itch, doesn’t it? Well, even without that last-minute intervention from Oz, I’d have managed to do something anyway.
Oz: You were fighting an uphill battle.
Mithra: I was not.
Oz: You were. If it were up to me, I’d have ended matters without the land falling into disarray.
Mithra: Are you implying that you stepped aside for me?
Oz: If the spirits were not acting in resistance, it would have been much easier to sense Tiletta’s magic.
Mithra: What? I won’t lose sight of my prey just because of something as trivial as that.
Oz: No, that’s not…
Mithra: You get under my skin……
I will continue to grow stronger.
Someday, I will make you kneel before me like how I made that fiend yield.
Snow: There, there, Mithra. That’s enough from you, alright?
For a moment back there, I was starting to wonder how things would end up. How are you feeling now?
Mithra: Eh, not bad. I think I had a good workout.
Compared to before, I definitely feel like I’ve been reborn.
Chloe: Oh… Mithra. Your hem’s frayed.
« suispisiva voitingoc »
Alright, we’re all good now!
Mithra: … You’re right, it’s better if it’s there.
Chloe: Huh?
Mithra: The earring. It matches the outfit too.
[ Chloe blushes. ]
Chloe: …!
Ehehe. Thanks, Mithra!
Murr: What’s this here? Isn’t this a fragment of mana stone from the djalgr?
It rolled out from the hem of your outfit, Mithra!
Mithra: Oh, you’re right. I guess it’s some horn shrapnel or whatever that caught onto my clothes while I was fighting.
There was this moment where its horn broke apart with a loud snap.
Rustica: It’s so nice that you still have a fragment left in the end. It seems there remains a part of your friend that was not devoured by the magma.
Mithra: My friend?
Rustica: That’s right. You talked about your memories with it, and we had the opportunity to watch you play with it.
Isn’t that djalgr a long lost friend of yours?
Rustica cheerfully asked his question, as simply as one might talk about how lovely the weather was today.
Mithra blinked in confusion. Next to him, Owen laughed until his shoulders shook.
Owen: Haha, isn’t that great? Perfect for a beast like you.
Murr: Hear, hear! Even without a common tongue, even if both parties look nothing alike, we could become friends with anyone and anything.
As for you, Mithra, and the djalgr you played with — it looked like the both of you were having fun!
Oz & Snow: Is that so…?
Rustica: Even Murr has observed and concurred. A Northern friendship is the most intense and thrilling of all.
Cain: That said, what about the Calamity’s influence? Is it gone from the mana stone?
Snow: Well, the entire thing’s gone and sank into the depths of the magma by now.
Mithra’s free to bring it back, throw it away, or even eat it — it’s his to do with as he pleases.
Having said that, it’s rare for you to completely forget about an opponent that you couldn’t defeat.
Murr: Even if you forgot about everything else, you’d think you would remember this one at least!
Mithra: I mean, I’d tried asking Tiletta about it too. But her answer was always, ‘Maybe next time.’
I did wonder what was nagging at my memory, so I visited this place time and time again, but I couldn’t remember a thing. I always ended up just relaxing here before heading back.
Now that you mention it, I suppose Tiletta also eventually forgot about this. She is a haphazard woman like that, after all.
Snow: She knows full well that fiend’s trouble too. What a free-spirited duo, this teacher and student.
Chloe: I guess that means there’s some part of Mithra and Tiletta that resemble each other.
Owen: Well, maybe, I guess. By the way, Mithra, let me have a look at that mana stone.
Mithra: No. (pops it into his mouth)
Akira: Ah.
Murr: He ate it right after he said that!
Owen: Oh, what. I wanted to steal it for myself.
Mithra: It was my prey. There’s no way I’d hand it over to you.
Watching a wizard eat a mana stone was very strange.
There was no chewing or swallowing involved. It simply assimilated into the body.
Akira: (The djalgr cloaked in Tiletta’s magic, the stone it turned into…)
(It’s the ‘forgotten thing’ that Mithra left behind in this place.)
(It took a long, long time before Mithra finally realised what it was that he’d forgotten. But today, Mithra has claimed its stone for himself. I’m glad.)
Murr: What did the djalgr’s stone taste like?
Mithra: Nothing in particular. Mana stones don’t taste like anything.
Moreover, it was a tiny fragment. It doesn’t really hit me like, ‘Oh, I’ve eaten a stone,’ or anything like that, but…
It feels like I’ve ‘nailed it.’
Soot covered the mature contours of his face and nose, but it didn’t stop Mithra’s expression from lighting up cheerfully.
He looked like he’d played to his heart’s content, without any thought towards the dirt and grime, having fun like a carefree boy.
And now that he was relaxed, his stomach growled.
Akira: Ahaha, someone’s hungry.
Mithra: Yeah… I ate a mana stone, and that makes me hungrier than usual.
Speaking of which, what happened to the barbecue? There’s no sign of it.
Chloe: Wait, you’re right…!?
Snow: When I left, I had Oz and the others getting the barbecue going. I hope the ingredients are still intact…
Owen: There’s still marshmallows left, because I’ve held onto them all this while. I’m not sharing though.
Cain: Okay, that’s not a barbecue, that’s just you having a solo marshmallow party.
We’d brought real nice cuts of meat all the way out here too. Hope they weren’t crushed by volcanic rock or something.
Rustica: Oh, we have charcoal for Mithra.
Mithra: For me?
Oz: It’s potato charcoal. I charred it on a slab of lava rock.
Mithra: Hmm… I suppose I see fit to eat this.
Murr: I saw shrimpy things in that spring over there.
I wanna coat them in spices and grill ’em until they’re nice and crisp!
Rustica: That means we’ll need a new slab of lava rock. Oz sama, would you mind fetching us one?
You were very good at picking out the perfect slab of flat rock for an open grill.
Oz: Very well…
Snow: Alright, second time’s the charm! Let’s start our vacation for real this time!
Excitedly, everyone set out.
I was about to follow after the group when I felt Mithra tug at my sleeve.
Akira: Mithra?
Mithra: Oh. You look like yourself again.
Just earlier, you had a weird face on that was all pathetic, like you’d gone weak in the knees, remember?
Akira: That… that’s because…
Mithra’s words brought to mind the scene from earlier:
The ground, rumbling and roaring underneath us. The hot air rising from the fountain of magma, threatening to choke the breath out of me.
The feeling of my eardrums quivering, nearly ripping open from the cacophony that arose from Mithra’s magic striking the djalgr and causing it to shriek in pain.
Akira: (Honestly, I was really worried.)
(Mithra had been smashed against that rock wall, and when I saw him bleeding openly like that, it was an unbearable sight…)
But I knew that Mithra, as he was right now, did not want to hear any of that.
Mithra: Kenja sama. I was cool, right?
Mithra’s tall frame shifted as he bent over slightly to take a good look at my face.
His eyes urged me to answer. He was like a boy, who had made a very special memory one fine summer day.
His gaze seemed to say to me: ‘Hey, on this bright sunny day, I managed to reunite with my friend, who I hadn’t played with enough the last time we met.’
It felt like, if I were verbally told all of this, there would be a lilt of excitement to his voice.
Akira: … Absolutely. You were very cool!
Mithra: (soft, proud laugh) I knew it.
I smiled as I answered him, and Mithra looked pleased with himself.
And then he straightened up and yawned.
Mithra: … (yawn) Okay, Kenja sama, please give me your hand…
Akira: Ah…! Does it feel like you can fall asleep now? I’ll gladly hold your hand!
You’ve fought so hard, so you must be tired out, and if I try my best, you’ll probably be able to fall asleep…
Mithra: ………
Mithra fell silent, as if contemplating something. However, after he closed his eyes, his long and thick eyelashes fluttered. He shook his head.
Mithra: … You know what, never mind. I’ll sleep after we get back.
Today, please come to my room without that familiar the twins gave you.
It feels like tonight’s the night for me to have a good night's sleep.