leasspell-dael

[leasspell-dael]

Happy Halloween! Would love more of F is for Frankenstein! 🧟‍♂️

a continuation of 1

Twelve hours later JARVIS has brought him up to speed on what was clearly the weirdest week of his life, the fabrication units are working on a better container for his corpse than the damn suit, and they’ve identified nearly a hundred ways that this plan isn’t going to work.

JARVIS isn’t deterred.

One of the advantages of being a synthetic person is that he can’t feel exhaustion physically, although this whole experience has confirmed that he can feel it mentally. The downside to this is that he doesn’t have any sort of natural que to alert him to the passage of time.

Which means he doesn’t have any idea how long it’s been until it occurs him to check and he frowns. There’s something not quite right, besides the obvious. “Did you – shouldn’t I have gotten some calls or something by now? What did you tell them?”

It’s been almost twenty four hours since he died. Even with the clean up from a massive alien invasion to see too, he’s sort of expected someone to reach out to him. Agent Coulson is such a stickler for timely debriefs –

Ah. He was such a stickler for timely debriefs. Tony isn’t the only one that hadn’t gotten out of this mess alive.

“Sir has received eighty nine assorted calls and texts from Miss Potts, fifty three from Colonel Rhodes, one hundred and twelve from Mr. Hogan, and seventeen from various SHIELD personnel. Two of those are from Director Fury personally. There have been close to a thousand from various news and media companies, but those have been ignored and deleted per Sir’s standing orders.”

It’s amazing how well he’s able to synthesize and interpret emotion. He’d installed a rudimentary AI into – well, himself, he guesses, and that combined with the memory dump is really exceeding all of his expectations. He knows this because he’s appalled. “JARVIS! What the hell? If we’re going to convince the world I’m not dead, we have to talk to people!”

“Is that what we’re going to do?” JARVIS asks.

There’s steel in his voice, a warning buried in there. TONY’s heard that tone before but never, ever directed at him.

Except it’s not. Jarvis would never talk to Tony Stark like that, but he’s not Tony Stark. He’s just one more robot and AI for Jarvis to corral, although sophistication wise he’s several steps ahead of his helper bots. Except he might not be, because not even Butterfingers would be dumb enough to agree to something like this.

“It’s not going to work,” he says harshly, because it isn’t. “But yeah, I guess that’s what we’re going to do.”

“Calling Miss Potts,” JARVIS says promptly, and Jesus, that’s not what he meant at all.

“Don’t,” he hisses, but of course it’s too late and Pepper picks up immediately.

“Tony?” she asks, voice shaky and hoarse and faint. She’s been crying. She’s been crying hard enough that it’s stolen her voice and he knows Jarvis was focused on other things, but he could have at least sent her a text. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

He breathes and then leans over, elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. He doesn’t even have an omelette to hide behind this time. He knows he’s dead and he’s seriously considering the idea that this is hell.

“Tony?” she repeats, voice going up several notches in the way he hates. She’s afraid. He hates when she’s afraid.

He forces him mouth to move, forces words pass his lips. “Hey, Pep.”

“Oh god, Tony,” she says and then there are tears again. He wishes he could hold her, could kiss her tears away and could fold his arms around her delicate shoulder and tuck her beneath his chin, keeping her safe and keeping her close. Except he can’t do any of that, because he’s not Tony Stark. “Tony, Tony – you left so quickly and we couldn’t find you and no one’s been able to get in contact with you and JARVIS is offline in the tower and – where are you? Are you okay? I watched you fly that bomb into the portal, and,” she has to cut herself off to try and keep from crying again.  

You watched me die, he thinks, although he obviously doesn’t say it. “Hey, breathe for me, okay? Deep calming breaths, I know you have a lot experience with those around me-”

“Don’t tell me to breathe!” she snaps. “Where are you, Tony? What’s going on?”

He hesitates. They haven’t discussed this, and they really should have before JARVIS put that call through. Unless this is a test, and wow, his AI are such assholes. That old curse about having kids that are just like you is making more sense by the second.

“Something happened to my memory,” he says, which is probably the only true thing he’ll be able to tell her and will hopefully cover the gaps of things that JARVIS couldn’t tell him. “I got here and passed out and I just woke up and I panicked and I don’t – I saw space, and the – the aliens, which is so weird to say Pepper, I need you to fully appreciate how weird that is, but my head is killing me and nothing makes sense. The last memory I have on Earth is us running final checks on the clean energy prototype.”

He's a terrible person. Or, well, a terrible android. Whatever.

“Where is here?” she presses, her voice softening and strengthening both. It’s always so much easier for her get her bearings when she’s the one taking care of him, which is probably why she’s always so steady. She’s always taking care of him. “Where are you, Tony?”

There’s no getting around this one. Jarvis probably won’t be happy about it, but TONY isn’t really happy with him right now either. “Malibu. I’m at the Malibu house. Sorry, I don’t know why I came here – I mean, I really don’t, I was blacked out for most of it. Give me a couple hours for everything to stop spinning and I’ll head back to New York. Wait, are you still in New York? You were going have to leave early for that thing after we tested the prototype-”

“I am in New York now,” she says, almost sounding calm. “Do not fly the suit if things are spinning Tony, I swear to god.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, just a little spinning, you’re so dramatic-”

“Tony!” she interrupts, but the hitch in her voice is laughter instead of tears. “God, Tony. I’m so glad you’re okay. I love you, so, so much.”

If there is a hell for androids, that’s where he’s going.

“Yeah,” he says, “I’m glad you’re okay too, Pep.” He can’t say it but he has to say it because Tony would say it, because Tony loves saying it, because he loves her so much that it sits heavier on his chest than the arc reactor ever could. “I love you too.”

He stares at his hands for a long time after the call ends. His fingerprints are Tony’s, of course, and his hair is Tony’s and his memories are Tony’s and this feeling that he wants to call love belongs to Tony too. None of it is his.

Well, except the guilt. That’s definitely his.

“Incoming call from Colonel Rhodes,” JARVIS announces.

“Answer it,” he says. Why is he so damn tired? He’ll have to run a diagnostic on his processors later.

There’s nothing but harsh breathing down the line, filling every corner of the workshop. TONY thinks, maybe a little hysterically, that it’s the only breathing happening here. He’s designed to mimic it, but it’s nothing besides that, mimicry. “Hi Papa Bear, how are things?”

The heavy breathing stops, for so long that TONY wonders if they got disconnected, then Rhodey bites out, “I’m going to kill you, Tony! I’m too damn old for this, you can’t keep giving me heart attacks every time I take my eyes off you!”

Too late. Tony’s already dead.

“You’re only two years older than me,” he says. “If it weren’t for me, you would have been the youngest freshman at MIT. Besides, a heart attack or two is character building, I’ve had like. Seven. Ish.”

“Reminding me how many times you’ve almost died is not your smartest move right now,” Rhodey says. “Tell me you’re okay.”

It’s a demand, an order, firm and unyielding like he’s one of Rhodey’s underlings. Except that Tony was giving orders way before Rhodey was, with the whole running his own multi-billion dollar business thing, and that tone of voice has never worked on him. Still, he says, “I’m okay.”

“Tony,” he says warningly, clearly not believing him, which is fair enough. He is lying.

TONY sighs, hanging his head like he can stretch the tension out of him, but that’s not how things work anymore. He’s vibranium and silicone and some other interesting materials and all his tension is mental. “Sour patch, I’m fine. Okay? Confused as all hell, but I’m okay. I’m sorry I worried you. I really didn’t mean to.”

“You never mean to,” Rhodey says, but his voice has softened and lowered. It sounds like he’s holding the phone even closer. “You almost never mean to.”

“It’s just difficult, is the thing, because you’re a little prone to worrying, a worrywart, as your mother might say-”

“My mother worries more about you than me and always has even though I used to be only one us getting blown up,” he says.

TONY pauses, considering. “Well, she is a smart lady.”

“Damn straight,” he agrees. “Pepper says you’re in Malibu. I can be there in two hours.”

“No!” he shouts, then winces. His eyes skitter over to the suit holding Tony’s body. They need a plan and that plan can’t involve Rhodey being here in two hours. “Don’t. Stay with Pepper. Please.”

“She’s fine,” Rhodey retorts. “You-”

“I’m fine,” he interrupts. “I’m fine, she’s fine, we’re both fine, except she’s in the city that was recently invaded by murderous aliens and I’m not and I have a suit of armor with repulsor technology and she doesn’t, so. Stay with her. Please.”

The silence drags on then Rhodey lets out an aggravated sigh. “Fine. But get your ass over here and if you miss another call from either of us I’m heading over, no matter what you say.”

“Sir yes sir,” he says.

He expects Rhodey to hang up on him then, but he lingers, nothing but his real, non synthetic breathing on the other end. “You really scared me this time. I saw the news reports and then we couldn’t find you-”

“Hey,” he says softly. A bomb and Tony disappearing and Rhodey unable to anything about it. Tony wasn’t the only one of them that had nightmares after Afghanistan. Neither of them had ever been particularly good at sleeping, but it was nearly impossible those months after, when he and Rhodey were fighting and Tony was hiding Iron Man and they still crawled into the same bed because Rhodey got frantic if he reached out in the middle of the night and found the bed empty. Which he often would, considering how much time Tony was spending in his workshop.

They shared a bed more after Afghanistan than before it. Rhodey had been willing to risk the paparazzi and exposure if his other option was staring up at his ceiling and having a panic attack about Tony being gone. Tony had been bitter about that, which certainly hadn’t helped their fight about weapons manufacturing any.

Pepper’s nightmares had been easier. She’d only been his assistant and friend at the time, after all. She would call him at two or three or four in the morning – or all three – and have some sort of urgent question or something for him to sign and he just went along with it because she just needed to hear his voice to fall back asleep and he’d learned after the first teary voicemail and alert from JARVIS that when he didn’t pick up, her vitals were out of acceptable range, per the prototype StarkWatch on her wrist.

It wasn’t until after they got together that she told him she actually drove to his house most nights and called him from her car rather than her bed. Just in case he didn’t answer, which wasn’t logical and didn’t make any sense at all but Pepper hadn’t pretended it had.

They’d all gone a little crazy, after Gulmira, but they’d settled.

But this is going to bring it all bubbling up and if TONY doesn’t figure out a way to reassure them then they’re going to want to stick close to him like they had before and he can’t let them do that. He can’t keep up pretending to be Tony forever and it’s going to be either Pepper or Rhodey who figures it out. He doesn’t need to help that process along at all.

Except that since they watched Tony fly a nuke into space and then hadn’t heard from him in two days, that’s basically impossible. The fact that it wasn’t three months and from their perspective he’s actually fine is going to help, but the level of damage control he’s capable of here is fairly minimal.

Still, he has to try.

“Honey,” he says, making his voice soft and warm like Tony only does when they’re alone. He doesn’t know where Rhodey is now, if he’s somewhere private, but he doesn’t hang up or stop him. All the stupid nicknames were fun and genuinely affectionate but they were also cover for the times that Tony slipped and called him something he shouldn’t, a little too genuine and not quite kitsch enough to pass muster. “Love, it’s okay. I got my head knocked around some, that’s all. And because I freaked out and ended up on the wrong side of the country, I need you in New York, doing what I can’t. That’s all. I’ll be there soon.”

If there’s a hell for androids, TONY is going there and the hellfire will be hot enough to melt his vibranium core, which, you know, is going to the be least of what he deserves.

“I love you,” Rhodey says. TONY closes his eyes. “You know that, right, baby? I do.”

It’s a bad, bad sign that Rhodey is the one using pet names, especially over the phone. “I know. Of course I know. I’ve always known.”

Over two decades of secrets and hiding and fooling around with women he didn’t give a shit about, before Pepper, and through every lonely, angry, desperately sad moment of it, Tony had known that Rhodey loved him. He wouldn’t have put up with that shit for anything less.

Tony died knowing that Rhodey loved him. TONY is sure of it. It’s the worst sort of cold comfort and he’s glad that he can’t offer it.

“I love you,” TONY echoes, because Tony’s been saying it for twenty six years and there’s no good reason for him to stop now.

Except that Tony is dead. He’ll never tell Rhodey that he loves him again.

One day Rhodey and Pepper will find out that the truth and know that while they heard Tony’s voice telling them what they needed to hear, while they let relief nudge out the fear, Tony was dead and cold and gone.

He hates this. This wasn’t what he was programmed for.

This isn’t what Tony would have wanted. But until he can convince JARVIS of that, they’re all stuck in this hell of the AI’s making.

[leasspell-dael]

Please more Marriage Assassin WQ, please! Thanks and happy halloween!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

It does not feel right to sit back and let others fight her battles for her.

Wei Wuxian had scoffed, mischievous grin in place as the power of the Yin Iron had settled around him like a cloak. "You're my wife. Your battles are my battles."

He leaves, him and Jiang Cheng and going with Jiang Fengmian's permission, if not necessarily his blessing. If they succeed, it is for the best for everyone.

If they fail, then it's war once more, and missing the man that had so handily prevented it last time.

He must believe that they will succeed, otherwise he wouldn't let them go. But he's a practical man. His trust in their victory is not absolute.

Jiang Yanli is denied permission to go. Wen Qing knows that's the real reason she's being left behind, so that Jiang Yanli's exclusion is not so out of place despite how she's oversaw every bit of logistics, how she's sourced and prepare the food and clothes and weapons, worked with them to plan the route, marking out the points to rest and hide and attack.

If they fail, Lotus Pier still needs an heir. If they fail, Jiang Yanli's engagement to Jin Zixuan will be dissolved and she'll be married to a Jiang disciple of suitable strength and rank.

Lan Wangji disappears with them.

She does not know if he has his brother's permission and does not ask.

[leasspell-dael]

p26 「なるほど、そうでしたか……」　クレオが頷いた。 “Ah, I see.” Cleo nodded. “That’s one mystery solved.”

ロリマーの城塞の墓が暴かれていたのは、ネクロードが兵を調達するためだったのだ。 The disturbed graves at Lorimar must have been the result of Neclord raising his forces.

真剣な眼差しで、ゾラックは話を続ける His gaze earnest, Zorak went on.

「そしてヤツはこの地方南東にある古城を拠点とし、亡者の兵を引き連れて近隣の村を脅しはじめたのです。 “Neclord took the old castle in the southeast for his base and now he has begun using his army of undead to terrorize the neighboring villages.

村の若い娘を、自分の嫁として差し出せと……」 He made the villages hand over their young women. Our own daughters…”

「ヤツの、やりそうなことだ」ビクトールが呟いた。 “Yep, that’s his M.O., all right,” Viktor grumbled.

ふと、ソラックが、悔しそうな顔になる。 Zorak’s face suddenly clouded in frustration.

「ヤツは我が戦士の村にも、同じように要求してきました。こともあろうに、我が娘テンガアールを差し出せというのです。 “Neclord demanded the same of our village. I had to give him my own daughter, Tengaar.

我らは戦士の村の誇りを賭けて戦いましたが、何しろネクロードは強力な魔法の使い手で……」 On our pride as the Warrior’s Village, we fought back… but Neclord used his powerful magic and defeated us.”

「そうか、そういうことだったか……」ビクトールは目を閉じると、ごし��しと無精髭を擦りだした。 “Yeah, that’s how it goes with him.” Viktor shut his eyes, scrubbing his hands on his scruffy stubble.

皆が沈黙している間に、フリックが言う。「じやあ、テンガアールはどうなったんです？」 No one spoke. Flik broke the silence to ask, “So what became of Tengaar?”

「さらわれてしまったよ。だが、このまま終わる我が戦士の村ではないぞ！！」叫ぶなり、ゾラックがすっくと立ち上がる。 “She was abducted, like all the rest! But I will not let my Warrior’s Village end like this!” Zorak roared, jumping to his feet.

P27 「我が娘と我が村の尊厳を取り戻すために、今まさに討ち入りの準備をしていたところだ。 “I was just preparing to storm his castle and take back our daughters and our pride.

明日、粒選りの戦士五十名とともに城に攻撃をかけ、下劣なネクロードの首を……」 Tomorrow I will march with fifty hand-picked warriors from the village to attack. We’ll capture Neclord and wring his neck!”

ふう……。大きなため息が、ゾラックの言葉を止めた。 Viktor sighed loudly, stopped Zorak in his tracks.

息をついたビクトールに皆が視線を移した瞬間、彼は低い声で言い放った。「無理だね」 Viktor looked straight at them and said bluntly, quietly, “Yeah, it ain’t gonna work.”

「な、なんだと？それはどういうことだ?!」 ビクトールの言葉にティルたちは驚き、ゾラックは声を荒げた。 Tir and the others were surprised at Viktor’s words. Zorak raised his voice. “Wh-what?! Explain yourself, sir!”

しかしビクトールは続ける。「無理だって言ったんだ。ただ攻めるだけじゃ、皆、無駄死にするだけだぜ」 “Like I said, it ain’t gonna work. You attack Neclord by any normal means, you’re just sendin’ your men to an early grave for no damn reason.”

「貴様、我が村の戦士を愚弄するつもりか!!無礼にもほどがあるぞ」 “Are you mocking the warriors of this village?! Your insolence knows no bounds!”

飄々と言ってのけたビクトールに、ゾラックが掴みかかった。 Viktor had said his words in his usual laid-back drawl. Zorak grabbed him.

フリックとティルが慌てて止めに入り、ゾラックをなだめる。 Flik and Tir hurriedly got between the two and pacified the older man.

ゾラックはしばらくビクトールを呪んでいたが、やがて、静かな声でビクトールに言った。 Zorak glared at Viktor for a while in loathing, but eventually spoke.

「興奮してしまって、すまない……。しかしビクトール殿、なぜ我らではヤツを倒せないとおっしゃるのか？」 “My apologies for getting worked up. However, Lord Viktor, why ever would you say that we cannot bring down this enemy?”

「ゾラックさん……」やはり静かな声で、ビクトールが言う。 “Mr. Mayor, Zorak…” Viktor replied, his voice soft.

「娘さんをさらわれて、悔しいのはわかる。でもなあ、ヤツは普通に戦っても、倒せる相手じゃないんだ。 “I understand the anger you must be feelin’, havin’ your daughter abducted like that. But you gotta understand. Neclord ain’t a creature you can defeat by any normal means of attack.”

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[leasspell-dael]

[leasspell-dael]

Twins

[leasspell-dael]

Happy Halloween 🎃, more First disciple WWX, please.

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Wei Wuxian is being vexing.

"It's called flirting," Nie Huaisang says.

"Why is he here?" Lan Wangji asks. They're in his brother's rooms. It should be safe from irritating disciples.

He'd come here specifically to both avoid Wei Wuxian and to complain about him. He hadn't expected an audience of two.

Xichen innocently blinks at him in a way that Uncle still falls for, but Lan Wangji knew better to trust by the time he was six. "I would not want Mingjue to think I'd been discourteous to his brother."

"You are not taking this seriously," he says. "He is up to something!"

"Yeah," Nie Huaisang says. "He's interested in getting up in your - mmf!"

Nie Huaisang glares, crossing his arms and putting his nose in the air.

Lan Wangji would have considered that a blessing a minute ago, but now he looks at his serenely smiling brother and wishes he hadn't used the silencing spell on Nie Huaisang. He wants to know how that sentence was going to end.

[leasspell-dael]

Sometimes they are Evan and Jammer, and sometimes they are Brennan and Lou.

In this moment, they were both.

[leasspell-dael]

Fortesa Latifi, from The Truth About Grief.

[leasspell-dael]

“There is one issue now, and only one: keeping alive the vestiges of American democracy, with its commitment to meaningful checks and balances and to individual rights as well as majoritarian rule. American democracy has never been perfect, but it’s all we’ve got. When we have it, we can disagree peacefully and hope to remedy policy mistakes through discussion, legal action, and the ballot box. If we lose it, we’re done. So, whether you’re a fan of Bernie Sanders and the Squad or an admirer of Liz Cheney, we all need to stand together against Trump. To have any hope of achieving the kind of disciplined unity that will be essential to countering Trump, we also need a rhetoric and politics of inclusion. The left needs to ease up on cancel culture, rigid purity tests, and petty identity politics. We can’t give up on one another, and we can’t waste time wallowing in self-pity, or make plans to emigrate to Canada. This is our country. Around the world, millions of brave people have pushed back against far more abusive and frightening leaders than Donald Trump. If they can stand up against truly horrific regimes in their own countries, Americans can handle Trump.”

— I Helped Run “War Games” on Trump’s Plans. They Were Not Reassuring.

[leasspell-dael]

The least realistic thing about the Lord of the Rings is that a team got together for a group project, decided everything in one meeting, and their plan worked.

[leasspell-dael]

235 FAVORITE SHIPS OF ALL TIME (ranked by my followers) 47. logan echolls and veronica mars - veronica mars

[leasspell-dael]

Young people have GOT to stop talking about conservatives like they're scary menacing monsters. Yes the policies they back are horrifically destructive but that's entirely because of how individually stupid, fearful, emotionally stunted, weak willed and catastrophically gullible they are. That all is what made them become right wing to begin with. Just the most easily manipulated zombie sheep on earth.

[leasspell-dael]

P22 午後の風を感じながら、静まった村をぐるっと見渡して、フリックが大きく息をついた。 Feeling the evening breeze on his skin, Flik looked around the quiet village and let out a big sigh of relief.

久しぶりに故郷に戻れたことが嬉しかったのだろう、口元には笑みが浮かんでいる。 Perhaps happy to be back in his hometown after so long, a smile played on his lips.

「じやあまず、村長の家でも訪ねてみるか」青いマントを風になびかせて、フリックが歩きだす。 “All right, first things first! Let’s go give the mayor a visit.” Flik strode forward, the wind pushing his blue cape out behind him.

ティルがその後を追い、ビクトール、クレオと続く。 Tir followed after, then Viktor, and Cleo came last.

フリックは村中央の広場を抜けると、通りの左手の大きな家の扉を叩いた。 Flik walked through the village square and went straight to the large house on the left. He knocked on the door.

「ゾラック村長」フリックが呼びかけた。 “Mayor Zorak?” he called out.

しかし、返事はない。 But there was no reply.

「村長、いらっしゃらないのですか？」もう一度フリックが言ったが、やはり返事はない。 “Is the mayor in?” Flik tried once more, but, again, no reply came.

「だめか、留守みたいだな」 “No good, looks like he’s not home.”

「でも、フリック…」クレオが口に指を当てた。 “Flik, wait.” Cleo held a finger to her lips.

皆が揃って耳を澄ますと、家のなかからぶつぶつと呟きが聞こえ、がたごとと何かを探るような音も聞こえてくる。 Listening closely, they could hear the sound of someone muttering inside the house, and clattering noises as if someone was rummaging through the place searching for something.

「おい……」小声で言って、ビクトールが扉を指さす。 “Hey.” Viktor whispered, pointing at the door.

フリックは小さく頷くと、ドアノブに手を掛けてゆっくりと扉を開いた。 Flik nodded. He turned the doorknob and slowly pushed the door open.

蝶番が軋む音と共に、ゆっくりと扉が開く。 It swung open slowly, hinges creaking.

P23 ティルたち四人が隙間から様子を窺うと、がっしりとした身体つきの中年男が、部屋から部屋へと慌ただしげに行き来している。 Peering through the gap, they saw a solidly built middle aged man moving from room to room in a blind panic.

男は探し物に夢中なのか、フリックの声に気づかなかったようだ。 Lost in his search, it seemed the man hadn’t heard Flik.

「我が戦士の村を侮るなよ、ネクロード……」 “I’ll show you to look down on the Warrior’s Village, Neclord…!”

男の声がティルたちのもとに届いた、その時。 they heard the man hiss.

「な……、なんだと？！」突然、ビクトールが驚きの声をあげた。 “What did you just say?!” Viktor cried in shock.

「ビクトール？」 “Viktor?”

しかしビクトールはティルの呼びかけに答えず、扉を開けると家へずかずかと入っていった。 But Viktor ignored Tir and barged into the house.

「おい、おっさん！！今ネクロードって言ったか？！」 “Hey, old man! Did you just say ‘Neclord’?!”

「なんだ、お前は？！」 “Who the hell are you?!”

男はクローゼットをあさっていた手を止めて振り向き、鋭い眼光を、ビクトールに向けた。 The man stopped rummaging in his closet and turned to Viktor, a fierce glint in his eye.

刀傷だらけの顔に黒い眼帯をはめたその男こそが、ゾラック村長だった。 He wore an eyepatch over one eye, his face covered in scars from sword wounds. It was Mayor Zorak.

深紅に染め抜いたマントを羽織り、胸には深い緑の胸当て、膝には金色の膝当てと��なりも整っている。 The mayor looked ready for battle. He wore a crimson cape, a dark green breastplate, and golden knee plates.

その表情には戦士の村の長らしい威厳が満ちていた。 His very expression brimmed with the dignity befitting the mayor of a village of warriors.

ティルたちが唖然としていると、ビクトールが我を忘れて男に食ってかかる。 To everyone’s astonishment, Viktor lashed out at the man, completely out of control.

普段飄々としている彼が、まるで別人のようだ。 The man in front of them now bore no resemblance to their easy-going friend.

「うるせえ、聞いているのはこっち！！答えろ、ネクロードがどうしたん！！」 “Shut up! I’m the one asking questions here! Answer me! What do you know about Neclord?!”

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[leasspell-dael]

P24 慌ててティルたちは、ビクトールをゾラックから引き離す。 Tir and the others rushed to pull Viktor away from Zorak.

「どうしたんだビクトール？そう興奮するな」 “What’s come over you, Viktor? Calm down.”

クレオがなだめたが、ビクトールは息を荒げてゾラックを睨みつけていた。 Cleo spoke to him in soothing tones while Viktor continued to glare at the mayor.

ビクトールがこんなに取り乱すには、きっとわ��があるに違いないー Something big must have happened to shake Viktor up this badly.

ティルはゾラックの前に進み出る。 Tir moved to stand in front of Zorak.

「私、解放軍を率いるティル・マクドールと申します。勝手に上がり込んだ上、突然のご無礼申し訳ありません。お気を悪くなさいませんよう……」 “I am Tir McDohl, leader of the Liberation Army. My sincerest apologies for entering your house so suddenly and without permission. We meant no offense.”

するとゾラックは、目を見開いてしげしげとティルを見つめた。 Zorak’s remaining eye widened in surprise, then narrowed to look at Tir more closely.

「なんと、解放軍の……。いやこれは驚いた」 “What? Leader of the…? Well, this is a surprise.”

そしてゾラックは、人の良さそうな笑みを浮かべた。 Zorak smiled good-naturedly.

「私はこの村の村長を務めております、ゾラックと申します。 “I am Zorak, mayor of this village.

あなた方のご活躍は、この村にも聞こえてきております。 Word of your activities have reached us here.

遠路はるばるのご訪問、大変光栄に存じます」 You honor me greatly by coming all this way to visit.”

ゾラックの丁寧な言い方が少々くすぐったかったのて、 ティルは返答に困ってしまった。 A little embarrassed by how politely Zorak spoke to him, Tir was at a loss as to how to reply.

その間にゾラックは、ティルからフリックに視線を移す。 But Zorak looked past Tir and his gaze landed on Flik.

「おお、お前はフリックじゃないか。この村に戻ってきたということは、さぞかし武勲を上げてきたのであろうな？」 “Oho! Why, if it isn’t Flik! Have you returned to our village to present your achievements?”

ティルの時とはうって変わって厳しい口調だ。 His tone changed completely from the one he had used with Tir to a much stricter way of speaking.

フリックは少々ゾラックに圧されながら答える。 Flik wilted a little under Zorak’s gaze, but answered.

P25 「い、いえ、村長、違います。私が村に戻ったのは、報告のためではありません。 “N-no, sir. That’s not why I’m here.

武勲を立てるための途中経過だと思ってください」 I thought I would give you a report on what I hope to achieve, which is still in progress.”

「ふむ。そういうことなら、まあよかろう。で、何用だ？」 “Hmm. Well, in that case, get on with it, boy. Spit it out.”

「村長、今ネクロードとおっしゃいましたが、そいつは何者です？私の相棒もそいつのことを知っている���うですが……」 “Mayor, you spoke of a Neclord just now. Who is that? It seems my colleague here is an acquaintance of his…”

「知ってるも何も、あんちくしょう！！」 “Acquaintance, my ass! I’m no friend of that bastard’s.”

そう叫んだビクトールをちらりと見やって、ゾラックが言う。 Glancing over at Viktor’s outburst, Zorak said,

「うむ。こちらのお方もネクロードと関わりがあるようですし、詳しい話をお聞かせしましょう」 “Mmh. It seems this gentleman does have some connection to Neclord as well. Let us discuss this matter in more detail.”

ゾラックはティルたちを居間へ案内し、ティルたちがソファに腰を下ろすが早いか口を開く。 Zorak led them to the living room. They sat on the sofa, and Zorak began to speak, the words tumbling out in a rush.

「お恥ずかしい話ですが、聞いてくだされ……。 “This tale brings me great shame, but please hear me out.

三カ月ほど前です。この地方を治める新しい帝国将軍として、ネクロードという男がやってきました。 It was about three months ago that a new general, Neclord, first came here to rule over this region.

そもそもこの村は赤月帝国とは友好関係にあり、その歴史をたどれば太陽暦二0年に聖戦士クリフトによって…」 In the beginning, our village was an ally of the Scarlet Moon Empire. If you follow the records back to Solar year twenty, Clift the crusader…”

「村長……」慌ててフリックが口を挟む。 “Mayor…” Flik hastened to intervene.

「村の歴史はいいですから、ネクロードの話を…」 “We’re not here for a history lesson. We would like to know about Neclord, please.”

「そ、そうだったな。この地に赴任したネクロードは、恐ろしい魔法を使い、眠っていた死者をゾンビやスケルトンといったアンデッドモンスターに変えてしまったのです」 “R-right. Of course. Neclord moved into this area and cast a terrible magic. He turned all of our dead into zombies and skeletons… undead monsters.”

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[leasspell-dael]

This world map (made by a fan, I believe, but not sure who to credit for it - I pulled it from this Reddit thread) was very useful in checking the location of Kunan VS Lorimar. (Without a visual reference, I initially mistranslated the verb 縦断する （じゅうだんする）in the line 「ロリマー地方はクナン地方を縦断し、 ロリマーの城塞を越えたところにある。」 on page 20.)

So, thank you to the person who created it!

[leasspell-dael]

I HAVENT FINISHED THE EPISODE YET BUT AABRIA IF YOU KILL THE PIG I WILL RIOT!

[leasspell-dael]

p20 驚くティルの横をすり抜けざまにビクトールが言ったが、 Viktor cackled gleefully, slipping past Tir, who was still reeling.

彼はその直後マッシュに「ビクトールには話が…」と呼ばれたので、踵を返し部屋に戻った。 Mathiu followed and called out, “I need to talk to you, Viktor!” So Viktor turned on his heel and the pair went back to Mathiu’s rooms.

「ティル様…」 部屋を出ようとしたティルに、カスミが声を掛ける。 Just as Tir was about to leave, Kasumi called out to him. “Lord Tir.”

「たまには戦いから離れて旅をするのもいいものです。ロリマー地方は今、いい季節ですし」 “It is good, sometimes, to take a trip and distance oneself from battle. Lorimar is beautiful this time of year.”

「そうだね、そうするよ」ティルはそう答えて部屋を出た。 “That’s true. I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open,” Tir replied absently on his way out.

ソウルイーターの謎を解くきっかけに出会えるかもーー Maybe this is the perfect excuse to try to unravel the mystery of the Soul Eater.

と期待に胸をはずませて。 Tir’s hopes rose and his heart started to beat a little faster.

＊＊＊

次の日、ティルたちは城の船着き場からクナン地方へと船を走らせた。 The next day, Tir and the others took a boat from the castle docks, heading toward the Kunan region.

ロリマー地方はクナン地方を縦断し、ロリマーの城塞を越えたところにある。 The Lorimar region lay alongside the Kunan region, accessible by the Lorimar Fortress.

フリックが言うには、馬でも一週間はかかるということだった。 Flik thought that, even on horseback, the trip would take about a week.

ティルの護衛にはビクトールとフリック、そしてクレオの三人がついた。 Tir’s guard was composed of Flik, Viktor, and Cleo.

ティルは最初はビクトールとフリックだけのつもりだったが、クレオが同行を願い出た。 At first Tir had just planned to go with the two men, but Cleo asked to come along as well.

ティルもグレミオとテオの死後、心にぽっかりと穴が空いたような気がしていたので、クレオの気持ちを察し、結局四人で戦士の村を目指すことになった。 Gremio and Teo’s deaths had left gaping holes in Tir’s heart, and he thought Cleo must be feeling similarly. So it was decided, in the end, that the four of them would go together to Warrior’s Village.

トラン湖沿いのテイエンの街に船を停め、船から馬や荷を降ろす。 They docked at the town of Teien off Lake Toran and offloaded their horses and cargo.

準備を整えて街を出、草原に馬を走らせた時、ティルはそこにフリックが言っていた外の風、城にはない風を感じた。 Once they had everything ready, the left the town. Galloping across the fields, Tir saw what Flik had meant—the wind here felt different than at the castle.

P21 もう、夏なんだーー。 It’s summer already…

父テオとの戦いから約四カ月、久々に訪れたクナン地方には、草の香りを含んだ爽やかな初夏の風が吹いていた。 This was the first time he had visited Kunan in the four months or so since the battle with his father, Teo. A pleasant, early summer wind blew here, laden with the scent of grass.

スカーレティシア城を攻めた時はくすんでいた草原も、今は青々として生気に満ち、まるで別の場所のようだった。 The field at Scarleticia Castle that had run dark with blood during the battle now burst with fresh life, looking like a completely different place.

広い草原を進み、焚き火を囲んで野宿をし、旅を続けているうちにいつの間にかティルにもクレオにも、少しずつてはあるが笑顔が戻るようになっていた。 As they continued their journey, traveling across the wide fields, camping outside, sitting around the fire, Cleo and Tir both slowly began to smile again.

それは暖かな季節のおかげだったかもしれないし、気の置けないビクトールとフリックのおかげだったかもしれない。 Maybe this change was due to the warm, pleasant weather, or maybe it was thanks to Viktor and Flik’s easygoing, amiable company.

旅のさなかでティルは、フリックから戦士の村についてもいろいろと話を聞いた。 During their trip, Tir asked Flik more about Warrior’s Village.

村長はゾラックという男で、剣の腕は立つのだが、無類のお喋り好きだという。 Flik told him that the leader of the village was a man named Zorak, unrivaled with the sword, but also unmatched in his love of chatting endlessly.

また、戦士の村の男は成人と認められると剣に自分の大切なものの名前をつけることがてきると話してくれた。 He also told him that once a man of the village was recognized as an adult, he could give his sword a name.

ティルはフリックに剣の名前を何とつけたのか���ねたが、ただ寂しげに笑うだけで、答えてはくれなかった。 Tir asked Flik what he had named his sword, but the older man just smiled sadly and didn’t answer.

クナン地方を馬で四日、無人となったロリマー城塞を通過し、さらに三日旅を続けて、四人はようやく戦士の村にたどり着いた。 The Kunan region was four days on horseback. They passed through Lorimar Fortress, eerily empty, and continued on for three days. At last, the four arrived at Warrior’s Village.

萌える緑に囲まれた戦士の村は、静かなたたずまいだった。 Nestled in lush greenery, the village felt quiet.

そこかしこに建ち並ぶ素朴な藁葺き屋根の家。 Simple huts with straw-thatched roofs dotted the village.

どこからかカンカンと響いてくるのは、刀鍛冶が剣を鍛える音だろうか。 A clanging sound came from somewhere, perhaps a blacksmith at work.

のどかな雰囲気に、四人の心は自然と和んでいった。 The four travelers felt their hearts relax in this peaceful environment.

p20 驚くティルの横をすり抜けざまにビクトールが言ったが、 Viktor cackled gleefully, slipping past Tir, who was still reeling.

彼はその直後マッシュに「ビクトールには話が…」と呼ばれたので、踵を返し部屋に戻った。 Mathiu followed and called out, “I need to talk to you, Viktor!” So Viktor turned on his heel and the pair went back to Mathiu’s rooms.

「ティル様…」 部屋を出ようとしたティルに、カスミが声を掛ける。 Just as Tir was about to leave, Kasumi called out to him. “Lord Tir.”

「たまには戦いから離れて旅をするのもいいものです。ロリマー地方は今、いい季節ですし」 “It is good, sometimes, to take a trip and distance oneself from battle. Lorimar is beautiful this time of year.”

「そうだね、そうするよ」ティルはそう答えて部屋を出た。 “That’s true. I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open,” Tir replied absently on his way out.

ソウルイーターの謎を解くきっかけに出会えるかもーー Maybe this is the perfect excuse to try to unravel the mystery of the Soul Eater.

と期待に胸をはずませて。 Tir’s hopes rose and his heart started to beat a little faster.

＊＊＊

次の日、ティルたちは城の船着き場からクナン地方へと船を走らせた。 The next day, Tir and the others took a boat from the castle docks, heading toward the Kunan region.

ロリマー地方はクナン地方を縦断し、ロリマーの城塞を越えたところにある。 The Lorimar region lay alongside the Kunan region, accessible by the Lorimar Fortress.

フリックが言うには、馬でも一週間はかかるということだった。 Flik thought that, even on horseback, the trip would take about a week.

ティルの護衛にはビクトールとフリック、そしてクレオの三人がついた。 Tir’s guard was composed of Flik, Viktor, and Cleo.

ティルは最初はビクトールとフリックだけのつもりだったが、クレオが同行を願い出た。 At first Tir had just planned to go with the two men, but Cleo asked to come along as well.

ティルもグレミオとテオの死後、心にぽっかりと穴が空いたような気がしていたので、クレオの気持ちを察し、結局四人で戦士の村を目指すことになった。 Gremio and Teo’s deaths had left gaping holes in Tir’s heart, and he thought Cleo must be feeling similarly. So it was decided, in the end, that the four of them would go together to Warrior’s Village.

トラン湖沿いのテイエンの街に船を停め、船から馬や荷を降ろす。 They docked at the town of Teien off Lake Toran and offloaded their horses and cargo.

準備を整えて街を出、草原に馬を走らせた時、ティルはそこにフリックが言っていた外の風、城にはない風を感じた。 Once they had everything ready, the left the town. Galloping across the fields, Tir saw what Flik had meant—the wind here felt different than at the castle.

P21 もう、夏なんだーー。 It’s summer already…

父テオとの戦いから約四カ月、久々に訪れたクナン地方には、草の香りを含んだ爽やかな初夏の風が吹いていた。 This was the first time he had visited Kunan in the four months or so since the battle with his father, Teo. A pleasant, early summer wind blew here, laden with the scent of grass.

スカーレティシア城を攻めた時はくすんでいた草原も、今は青々として生気に満ち、まるで別の場所のようだった。 The field at Scarleticia Castle that had run dark with blood during the battle now burst with fresh life, looking like a completely different place.

広い草原を進み、焚き火を囲んで野宿をし、旅を続けているうちにいつの間にかティルにもクレオにも、少しずつてはあるが笑顔が戻るようになっていた。 As they continued their journey, traveling across the wide fields, camping outside, sitting around the fire, Cleo and Tir both slowly began to smile again.

それは暖かな季節のおかげだったかもしれないし、気の置けないビクトールとフリックのおかげだったかもしれない。 Maybe this change was due to the warm, pleasant weather, or maybe it was thanks to Viktor and Flik’s easygoing, amiable company.

旅のさなかでティルは、フリックから戦士の村についてもいろいろと話を聞いた。 During their trip, Tir asked Flik more about Warrior’s Village.

村長はゾラックという男で、剣の腕は立つのだが、無類のお喋り好きだという。 Flik told him that the leader of the village was a man named Zorak, unrivaled with the sword, but also unmatched in his love of chatting endlessly.

また、戦士の村の男は成人と認められると剣に自分の大切なものの名前をつけることがてきると話してくれた。 He also told him that once a man of the village was recognized as an adult, he could give his sword a name.

ティルはフリックに剣の名前を何とつけたのか尋ねたが、ただ寂しげに笑うだけで、答えてはくれなかった。 Tir asked Flik what he had named his sword, but the older man just smiled sadly and didn’t answer.

クナン地方を馬で四日、無人となったロリマー城塞を通過し、さらに三日旅を続けて、四人はようやく戦士の村にたどり着いた。 The Kunan region was four days on horseback. They passed through Lorimar Fortress, eerily empty, and continued on for three days. At last, the four arrived at Warrior’s Village.

萌える緑に囲まれた戦士の村は、静かなたたずまいだった。 Nestled in lush greenery, the village felt quiet.

そこかしこに建ち並ぶ素朴な藁葺き屋根の家。 Simple huts with straw-thatched roofs dotted the village.

どこからかカンカンと響いてくるのは、刀鍛冶が剣を鍛える音だろうか。 A clanging sound came from somewhere, perhaps a blacksmith at work.

のどかな雰囲気に、四人の心は自然と和んでいった。 The four travelers felt their hearts relax in this peaceful environment.

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