#I laugh so much at Rustica and White's answers

[mirikitakato]

[Translation] Murr 5th Anniversary SSR Card: Here, the magic that connects hearts and Card Episode: Something I can tell you because it's now

I recommend you reading Murr's Affection Story first since this one is a continuation of that.

Characters: Murr, Shylock, Rustica, White, Akira.

Episode 1: Holding Your Hand And That Day

I heard a really lively commotion when I went out to the courtyard with the Sage's Manual.

Murr, Rustica, and White were chatting over teacups.

Akira: ….Uhm, Hello, you seem to be having fun. Are you having a tea party?

Murr: That’s right! We’re the “left-behind trio.”

White: I was left behind by Snow who went on a mission…

Rustica: And I was left behind by Chloe who went on a mission…

Murr: And I was left behind by the moonlit night!

Akira: I see. So, it's a gathering like that.

Rustica: Are you taking a walk, Sage? If you like, we can bring you a chair as the fourth member.

Akira: Ahaha, thank you. I’m currently interviewing the wizards. Since I've been spending more time with everyone, I wanted to rewrite the information in the Sage's Manual and add new things.

White: Ah, that.

Rustica: I had my interview the other day.

Akira: Murr, would you like to... have an interview now?

Murr: An interview sounds fun! I want to ask you too!

Akira: Eh? No, I was going to ask you, Murr...

Murr: The theme is about me now and me in the past! So, let's start with Rustica!

Rustica: About Murr now and Murr in the past, huh? Well... I've never met Murr before his soul was shattered, but I respected him as the most knowledgeable man of the century.

Murr: You’ve really never met me? Since we both live long, maybe we met once but just forgot?

Rustica: I wonder...

Rustica pondered for a while, then looked up as if he had realized something.

Rustica: ………Ah, I remember. Indeed, I met someone who seemed like you in a dream. You were holding hands with a Spectre Fish and dancing a waltz on a giant Ultramarine Lemon.

Akira: (Like a dream people had when they got a high fever...)

Murr: That's a nice dream! Let's cook my past self into meunière along with the Spectre Fish too!

Rustica: Ahaha. I also respect the current Murr who delights us with such playful words.

Murr: Yay, I got praised! Then, next is White!

White: Are you serious? Ask me of all people... You fearless bastard. Both now and in the past, you've been a spiteful person who recklessly stirs people's hearts. ...However, you might have become cuter compared to the past.

Murr: Is this what being cute is? Meow meow!

Murr pretended to be a cat and lay down on White's lap. In no time at all, he started snoring.

Akira: Eh, he fell asleep...!?

White: Hey! Wake up! That's Snow's special seat!

Rustica: Is he having a good dream? Maybe he's dancing a waltz with the Spectre Fish.

White: Ha... What a free and self-centered guy. It's one thing that hasn't changed from the past.

Episode 2

Akira: (Well, I guess the interview got sidetracked. I'll have to ask Murr again later.) (He wasn’t in the room, so maybe he's here…)

Shylock: Welcome, Sage.

Murr: We meet again!

Murr, seated on a chair, was having his hair combed by Shylock.

Murr: While I was asleep, White gave me a haircut that looks like cat ears! Meow!

Akira: While I was away because Cook Robin called me, such mischief happened...

Shylock: I could have left it like that for today, but it got pretty messy as he played around, so I'm tidying it up.

Murr: Shylock's grooming feels so good!

Murr was in a great mood. If he were a cat, he would probably be purring.

Shylock: Were you looking for Murr, Sage?

Akira: Yes. Something came up earlier, so I couldn't interview him...

When I told Shylock about what happened at the tea party, he nodded amusedly.

Shylock: I see. So that's how it was. It's nostalgic, though. You came to the bar before, wanting to interview Murr.

Akira: Right, I did. That time, a fragment of Murr escaped...

Shylock: He was one step ahead of me. I expected him to run away, but I didn't expect him to use such a method.

Murr: Huh? There was a fragment of me like that?

Shylock: Yes. He tricked the Sage and disappeared. How despicable he is, right?

Despite his words, Shylock laughed happily.

Murr: Hmm… Hey, Shylock, Shylock. Do you like the me who ran away, or the me now, more?

Shylock: Shh.

Before Murr could finish his sentence, Shylock placed his index finger on Murr's lips.

Shylock: You can ask me that later. Right now, we're talking about your interview with the Sage.

Murr: That's right! I also have something I want to ask the Sage! Let's go, Sage!

Akira: Go where?

Murr grinned.

Murr: For a flying stroll! Let's talk alone!

[Change scene]

Murr: Isn't it nice?

Akira: ...

Murr: Ahaha, Sage, you're frozen! Are you excited? Nervous?

Akira: B-both... I've never been in a situation like this, standing on a broom...

I looked down at my feet fearfully. Instead of sitting down as usual, I was standing on the broom at Murr's invitation.

Murr: Don't look down, see.

Murr pulled me closer to him.

Akira: Whoa! (O-oh, I'm falling...!)

Murr: Isn't it more like a stroll than riding a broom?

Murr, who had been smiling innocently, fixed his gaze on the sky.

Murr: ... Ah, there's Riglyn!

Episode 3

Akira: Riglyn?

Murr: The bird that flies before the sun sets! Wait, wait!

Suddenly, the broom sped up sharply, and I instinctively clung to Murr.

Akira: Whoa!

Murr: Huh? While chasing after it, we ended up coming to the City of Glory.

Akira: Whew, whoa... Really, we’ve come this far...

The canal was dyed in the colors of twilight. Suddenly, I noticed a boat running along it.

Akira: Ah...

Murr: What’s wrong?

Akira: Previously, when I came to this city at the request of a fragment of you, I was tricked and... completely fooled. I remember you escaped on a boat like this, in a twilight just like now.

Murr: Do you hate me for tricking you? Do you resent me?

Akira: I don't hate or resent you. It’s just...Right, if I find you again, I'll definitely catch you, that's how I feel.

Murr: Then let's go catch the me who ran away!

Akira: Eh? Wait...!

Murr grabbed my hand and jumped off the broom towards a boat passing under the bridge.

Boatman: Whoa!? What are you two doing? Suddenly getting on like that...! Akira: I-I'm sorry. I'll pay you properly later... ...Hey, Murr. Are you really going to catch the fragment of yourself?

Murr: Yeah! But I'm tough, so. You might not find me that easily! But even if I can't be found, I'm satisfied! Because I got to see this view with the Sage!

Murr pointed, and looking behind the boat, I saw a dazzling orange path shimmering on the water surface, created by the burning sunset.

I gasped at the beautiful scene, as if it were a painting or a jewel.

Akira: ...Beautiful...

Murr: Ahaha! Your eyes are sparkling just as much as the water, Sage!

Murr tilted his head and peered at me, who was gazing at the water surface. Curiosity sparkled in his emerald eyes.

Murr: Interview with the Sage! I'm determined to catch the old me... the fragment of me, but what about the current me? What do you think of me?

When asked like that, the image of the boat that had sailed away under a beautiful sunset like today came to mind. The fragment of Murr had left me alone. But now, I'm on a boat. With him, who took my hand and said, "Let's go together."

I looked into Murr's eyes and opened my mouth.

Akira: ...I love you!

Murr: Yay!

Murr fired fireworks as if popping a cracker. Several large flowers bloomed in the twilight sky, as if to pierce a hole in it.

Akira: (In the end, I ended up being the one being interviewed...) (I want to write down this moment, Murr's smiling face right in front of me, in the Sage's Manual.)

I looked up at the vivid sky with a smile.

Card Episode: Something I can tell you because it's now

Akira: Murr, thank you for the fun time the other day! It's not exactly a re-interview...but is there anything you can tell me now?

Murr: Yes! I increased the number of cats in the Sage's room!

Akira: Cats...what do you mean?

Murr: Right after the Magic Manor burned down and was rebuilt, I saw that you didn't seem very energetic, so it was a surprise from me! I drew cats in various places in the room, like under the table or behind the books on the bookshelf!

Akira: ……………………! Come to think of it, a little while ago, when I moved a book, I found a cat doodle and wondered what it was... At that time, I felt warm and fuzzy because it was so cute. Thank you for the wonderful surprise!

Murr: You’re welcome!

Akira: Huh…? But how did you draw them without me noticing? When I'm away, I usually lock the room...

Murr: Since you record so many of our memories, you should know! Click, clack!

Akira: ……………………? That gesture of opening a lock... Ah... Could it be... The magical key that can open any door? You showed me that before, right?

Murr: Exactly! Next time, I'll draw more cats!

-- Homescreen Voiceline--

“Humans don’t trust wizards, so they want promises. Then, what should we ask for to trust humans? If it was the Sage, I wonder what would you give us?”

(If you have Murr's card I recommend hearing and seeing his live2D, because the facial expressions, the gestures, everything looks very much like the old Murr)

[inviberu]

music box

Confessing was no easy thing, especially for someone like Heath who could barely take a compliment without his cheeks burning red. When someone suggested he should give a gift instead, the gears inside his head started to turn. The most beautiful gift of all is one that comes from the bottom of one's heart—the question is: what was it?

Heath didn't know how to express his feelings without getting too many butterflies in his stomach to the point that he has to bend over to calm himself down or without tripping over his words and forgetting everything he planned to say. His cheeks would flare up and he would tear his gaze away from your figure as he told himself inside his head: "Not today, maybe not tomorrow either…."

Faust could barely stand the way Heath kept on backing out at the last minute during his decisions to finally confess his feelings. Faust pushed up his glasses and crossed his arms with a stern look on his face as he sighed. Heath sat up straighter, hoping that Faust wasn't about to scold him about something related to missions, unaware that Faust called him to his room to talk about more… personal matters instead of their line of work.

"I know there's a lot of stuff going on inside your head, but you shouldn't let it affect you when you're doing missions." Every word that came from Faust's lips was a lie to disguise his genuine concern for his student—roundabout, as a lot of Eastern folk are. Upon seeing Heath's face contort into one of slight panic, Faust immediately followed up with a question: "What is it that's bothering you anyway?"

Another lie. Faust already knew well what the source of Heath's worries is but he'd rather have Heath be unaware of the fact that he's been paying attention to him. Heath glanced down, a light hue of pink dusting his cheeks and Faust could already tell what this was about even if he hadn't known about Heath's countless attempts to confess to you before.

"Faust-sensei… do you know how to confess to someone?" Heath's unexpected question caught Faust off guard, his eyes widening in surprise before letting out a small cough after regaining his composure.

"C-Confess?" Faust tried his best to play dumb. "Like those love confessions?"

Heath nodded slowly, "I've been trying to confess to someone for a while now but… I keep on getting scared at the last minute. It's like the fear of being rejected suddenly walking up behind me and grabbing my shoulder."

"... You're a wonderful young man, Heath. I doubt there's anyone out there that would reject you" Faust closed his eyes as he tipped his hat slightly, trying his best to reassure him.

"Plus, you'll never know the answer unless you go for it." Faust chuckled, a smile forming on his face. Heath's eyes twinkled all of a sudden and felt his enthusiasm bounce back up as he grabbed Faust's hands into his own—Faust's expression slowly turning to one of discomfort.

"Then… Can you help me?" Heath asked hopefully.

"Me…?" Faust exclaimed, his glasses almost dropping down.

"W-Well only if you want to! I wouldn't dare force you to help me against your wishes..."

"I suppose I can try… I can't guarantee anything, of course." Faust agreed reluctantly and Heath beamed, his smile widening in happiness as he said his thanks to the Eastern teacher. "Well, first of all, if you find yourself unable to speak in front of them… don't you think there's a better alternative rather than confessing in person?"

After all this time, Heath had always tried to confess to you upfront and had never bothered to consider any other options until Faust brought it up. Heath wanted to curl up and bury himself six feet under at the sudden realization, feeling as if all this time spent was just used for needless worrying.

"Like a letter of sorts?" Heath asked carefully. Faust shook his head and merely answered his question vaguely.

"Something that comes from the heart." He pointed towards Heath's heart. "You're good at craftsmanship, aren't you? Why not make good use of that?"

A few days had already passed since Faust made that remark—living inside Heath's brain with no signs of leaving soon. A letter would've been easier but after taking it into more consideration, as well as Faust’s words, he decided to give it more thought. What was another alternative? A gift instead of a letter, perhaps? Heath ruffled his hair, deep in thought as he sat on one of the cushioned seats inside the lounge.

“Heathcliff?” A voice called out, snapping Heath out of his daze and adjusted his vision to the person in front of him—the northern wizard, White. Curiously, he asked, “is there something troubling you? Won’t you allow this old man to help if so?”

“Sir White… it’s nothing important, I appreciate the offer though.” Heath shook his head, trying to brush off White’s offer as politely as he could. White merely crossed his arms, nodding his head before a smug and knowing smile took over his face—as if he already knew what was troubling Heath without having him say anything.

“Ohoho… it’s about the matters of the heart, is it not?” Bullseye. Heath felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest, unable to hide the surprise evident in his expression. White didn’t wait for an answer, for he already knew he struck gold—he let out a laugh. “It’s written all over your face! A young man falling victim to love… is what your expression is saying.”

Heath covered his face by instinct, horrified at the newfound information that it was written all over his face. He wished he could keep a poker face like Lennox, perhaps that way he wouldn't be so easy to read—unaware that was precisely one of his charming points.

“Haha… is it that obvious?” Heath muttered weakly, burying his face into his palms and White only chuckled at the cute display. “Sir White, do you know of any good gifts fit for a confession?”

White rubbed his chin, deep in thought. A fitting gift for a love confession—one would normally think of something like flowers or sweets as if it was valentine's day, that was the textbook answer, though when White glanced at Heath and remembered his knack for machinery and the likes, he suddenly remembered of that one era that had a specific trend.

“It's a bit old fashioned but back in the day, music boxes were the trend. Why not make one with music that reminds you of your beloved? Wouldn't that be perfect for someone like you?” White beamed, smiling as if he gave a groundbreaking piece of advice. Heath’s eyes widened ever so slightly with his mouth agape as he thought about his words; music boxes were indeed old fashioned as you wouldn't see it normally these days.

“Me…? Make a music box?” He has never tried it before, especially not for a special someone, though he was confident he's able to make one if he tried.

“Ohoho, you’re good with machinery, are you not? Why not put those skills to use to make a heartfelt gift?” White nodded enthusiastically. Heath couldn't help but get lost in his thoughts, already trying to figure out how he was going to construct one—it seems like the young master has already figured out which gift he should give.

Heath spent his days holed up inside his room by his desk, materials sprawled all over with chunks of wood littered around after he had carved the finest wood he could get his hands on after returning to the East for a short while. A focused look adorning his face as he drowned out the noises surrounding him, immersed in his craft.

Countless music sheets were crumpled and thrown to the bin at the side which was overflowing with scrapped pieces—music pieces. Heath was no expert like Rustica when it came to music composition, he had left his seat several times to consult the Western Wizard in order to make sure the music wasn't disappointing and was able to convey his feelings, somehow.

He planned to leave the box and a note anonymously, though he already suspected it wasn't going to be very discreet as he started carving the box with the same carving he engraved into Shino’s magic tool. One look at it and you would be able to guess who did the carving, for it was named Blanchett for a reason.

He added the finishing touches, blowing the small particles of dust away that remained in the corners before opening the box as a sweet, soft melody started to play—its gears turning as it played music flawlessly. Heath smiled at the music box he created, proud. He put all of his feelings of adoration for you inside one box, only revealing itself if you decide to open it, akin to Pandora's box.

As if reciting his last prayer, he clutched it tightly as he muttered his spell under his breath before standing up and deciding to leave it by your doorstep—this time, he'll let you know of his feelings.

As he arrived at your doorstep, he quietly wished that you weren't inside your room because that would make things complicated as Heath already felt like he was doing something scandalous. His cheeks burned red as he quickly dropped the music box as well as a small note before knocking once and scurrying off back to his room where he could finally put his mind to rest.

You opened the door, greeted by no one but a mysterious box and a small note that didn't indicate whoever sent it to you for there was no name. Without much hesitation, you picked it and inspected it—the intricate design catching you off guard as you recognized it as the same one present in Shino’s magical tool. And the one who made it was none other than Heath himself, that only meant one thing—Heath was behind this mysterious set-up. You felt your chest bubble up in excitement, an uncontrollable smile forming in your face as you felt giddy.

You opened the note, it read: For you have captured my heart, I offer this gift to you.

You felt your heart leap at the words you read, scanning it once again to make sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you, cheeks heating up as you realized what this meant. You quickly opened the box, not expecting a few blue butterflies to come out and fly around you as a soft melody played from it—a music box Heath made just for you. You could feel his magic from the box, did he imbue his magic? You suspected as much.

The longer you listened to the music, the more you felt like running to his room to tell him you felt the same way. There wasn't a single thing stopping you from doing so. With a determined look on your face, you started heading towards his room. Fortunately, you saw him walking in the hall, it seems like he hasn't arrived in his room yet.

You took the opportunity to jump at him, his arms instinctively wrapping themselves around you, panic was written all over his face when he realized it was you who threw themselves at him. With the proximity between the two of you, you placed a chaste kiss on the tip of his nose. His heart felt like it was about to explode.

“W-What are you doing!?” He grabbed you by the shoulders and tried to push you away in an attempt to calm his racing heart. You smirked as you felt like teasing him more, though the huge smile on your face was unfitting as you told him:

“You could've told me in person… but, I like you too, silly!”