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amorest-viesse · 1 month ago

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[Magic Connecting Our Hearts, Here & Now] - Owen SSR Card Story Translation

Ft. Akira, Heathcliff, Chloe, Cain

Closing the Gap Little by Little - Chapter 1

[Courtyard]

Akira: Owen! I finally found you!

Owen: What do you want? Did you wake up and decide to be an annoyance today?

Akira: I was just wondering if you were free right now. There’s some stuff I want to ask you.

Akira: Since it’s been a while since our last interview, I thought I’d do another one for the Sage’s Book.

Owen: I have nothing to say to you. Never have, never will.

Akira: I- It doesn’t have to be serious. We can talk about anything you want, like the sweets you’ve been into for example…

*footsteps*

Heathcliff: Oh, Master Sage. I see Owen’s here as well.

Chloe: Are you guys going on a walk too? The weather feels soo nice today, right?

Owen: ...And two more annoyances show up.

Akira: Good afternoon Heath, Chloe. I was just in the middle of asking Owen for an interview.

Chloe: Oh right! What are you gonna talk about, Owen? I wanna know more about you too.

Heathcliff: C- Chloe. We probably shouldn’t interrupt them, so let’s get going…

Owen: You’d like to know more about me? And why is that? So you can gauge my weaknesses and use them against me?

Owen: And even if you aren’t planning to do that, I bet you’ll blab about it to everyone else, and get me killed either way.

Owen: Then what? Will you take responsibility for that?

Chloe: I—

Heathcliff: Um…

Akira: O- Owen. I’m sure Chloe didn’t mean it like that, so you don’t have to snap at him…

Owen: Aware or not, that’s what he’s asking for. Remember that the next time you want to get to know someone.

Chloe: I- I’m sorry… Still, I feel like we have gotten closer than before.

Chloe: That’s why, I won’t give up on trying to be your friend.

Owen: Excuse me…? Us? Friends?

Chloe: Yes! That’s why you talk to me and wear the clothes I give you, right?

Chloe: What do you two think?

Heathcliff: You’re asking me!? I mean… You do have a point…

Heathcliff: At first, I was scared of Owen and didn’t know what to think of him… Even now he can be pretty mean…

Heathcliff: However, I also think he’s strong, experienced, and reliable. If it’s possible to improve our relationship, I’d probably be open to it…

Akira: I feel the same… That’s why I want to talk with you more, and if there's anything you don't want to talk about, we can avoid that too.

Akira: Still, if we’re already working together, then I want to do things that make you happy and avoid the things that won’t…

Akira: Besides, I want to leave as much as I can for the next Sage once I return to my world, so they won't have to start from scratch with you.

Owen: …How utterly abhorrent. I don’t see what all the fuss is, but I’d watch what I say if I were you.

Owen: <<Cur Memini>>

Heathcliff: Ah… He’s gone.

Chloe: Did I go too far!? I’m sorry, Master Sage.

Akira: It’s alright, Chloe. It didn’t seem like he was angry…

Akira: (If this was before, Owen probably would’ve been a lot meaner)

Akira: (When I think of it that way, hasn’t he softened quite a bit…?)

Closing the Gap Little by Little - Chapter 2

[Outside the Manor]

Akira: Alright, it’s time for Owen’s interview take two. I hope I can find him…

*rustling*

Cain: ! Akira! Look out!

*running*

Akira: …Cain!?

Cain suddenly burst out of the thicket and grabbed my arm.

As he swung me behind him, a gust of wind blasted through us.

Owen: Getting careless, are we? Your defense is riddled with holes.

Owen: <<Cur Memini>>

Cain: Gah…!

Akira: W- what’s going on…!?)

Floating in the sky on his broom, Owen fired a volley of ice pellets at us. Still protecting me, Cain managed to dodge it.

Akira: C- Cut it out you two…! What if someone gets hurt because of your fighting!?

Owen: Aw, I wouldn’t call this fighting. I’d say it’s more of a collaboration with yours truly.

Owen: I’m just helping Sir Knight out, so he can take his eyeball back that much faster.

Cain: Yeah right… Aren’t you just here to mock me while I’m training?

Cain: Anyways, let’s call a truce! If we keep going, Akira’s gonna get hurt.

Owen: Fine then, I’ll just have to take them too.

Akira: Wah…!

Owen suddenly grabbed my hand and yanked me onto his broom like pulling vegetables from a garden.

Cain: Hey, whoa!

As Cain reached for me, Owen batted him away with magic.

With a faint smile on his lips, he looked down at Cain.

Owen: What’s wrong, Sir Knight? If you’re upset, why don’t you hit me with everything you’ve got?

Cain: …

Keeping his eyes steady on Owen, Cain sheathed his weapon.

Cain: A knight should never swing his sword in a moment of anger.

Cain: If I want to become worthy of my spell, I’ll make sure to beat you fair and square someday.

Cain: However, I’m done for today. Let Akira go.

Owen: …Oh?

Blinking his mismatched eyes, Owen crossed his legs with a somewhat impressed look on his face.

Owen: If you keep putting things off, it’ll be centuries before you’re ready. The reason you can’t react quickly with magic is because you only train your body.

Owen: You need to be more comfortable with using magic in battle.

Akira: (...It’s almost as if Owen’s giving him a lesson)

Akira: (That’s probably not what he’s thinking though…)

I snuck a quick glimpse at his face.

As always, his ice cold beauty looked so delicate, one would think he’d shatter with a touch…

Akira: (When I first met everyone, Owen was so frigid, especially towards Cain)

Akira: (He was the same towards Chloe and Heath too, but it seems like his relationships are changing little by little…)

Closing the Gap Little by Little - Chapter 3

[Hallway]

Akira: Alright, today’s the day…!

Akira: I’ve brought a ton of Owen’s favorite sweets with me, so surely he’ll be open for a little conversation!

Akira: Are you in there, Owen? It’s me, Akira.

*enters Owen room*

Owen: …Master Sage?

Akira: Owen! I’m so glad you’re here. Um, I brought you a gift. Do you mind if we eat these together?

Akira: I’d also love it if we could talk just for a tee~nsy weensy bit?

Owen: A gift…? Can I really have these?

Akira: (Oh boy…)

A soft voice. An innocent expression. The childish aura cast upon the grown-up features of his face. As Owen endearingly tilted his head, I sucked in my breath.

This was his other personality, the childlike one that had emerged as a result of the <<Great Calamity>>.

Akira: …Of course, feel free to help yourself. I brought them for you, after all.

Akira: The chocolates are especially sweet and delicious.

Owen: Chocolate…

Owen’s eyes quickly lit up. Taking a single piece of chocolate from my hands, he slowly and carefully ate it.

Owen: …It’s so yummy! Can I have another one?

With an angelic smile, he asked me the question in earnest.

It reminded me of the last interview I held with him.

Akira: Owen, there was something I once told your other self…

Akira: If you ever want someone to do something for you, all you have to do is smile like you’re doing now.

Akira: I think you could get anyone to listen to you, to lend you a hand.

Owen: Smile…?

Akira: Umm, like this. Chee—se..

*Owen switches back*

Owen: …? What are you doing…?

Akira: !?

Like waves receding from the shore, Owen’s smile vanished. The gentle look in his eyes had once again hardened to ice and his eyebrows furrowed with suspicion.

Akira: W- Welcome back, Owen.

Akira: I came to your room for an interview, but your other self opened the door…

Owen: Ugh… He has the worst timing.

Owen: Well? What did you talk about with not-me?

Akira: Umm…

Owen: Spit it out.

Akira: …I told him that if he ever wanted anything, all he’d have to do is smile. I’d gladly help him with whatever if so.

Owen: Heh… So you still haven’t dropped that?

Owen: I can get what I want just fine without your advice.

Owen tore the basket from my hand and flipped it upside down, dumping all the sweets across his table.

Then, with a devilishly beautiful smile, he dangled the empty basket towards me as if playing a trick.

Owen: Aw, looks like we’re all out of candy. Why don’t you go fetch me some more?

Akira: But they’re right the—

Owen: The quicker you come back, the quicker we can have our little chat.

The haughty smirk on his face wasn’t exactly the smile I had envisioned.

However, the satisfaction it radiated felt perfectly in tune with his personality.

Akira: (There’s still a lot I don’t understand about Owen…)

Akira: (But it does feel like we’re closer than before… probably?)

Akira: …Okay, fine. But you have to talk to me afterwards!

The Things I Can Only Say Now - Card Episode

[Courtyard]

Owen: Well, don’t you look busy, Master Sage.

Akira: Oh, Owen.

Owen: Are you still working on those pointless interviews?

Owen: I doubt us wizards have truly changed in the meager amount of time we’ve spent together.

Akira: Even if it doesn’t seem like you guys have changed… I still think that things are slightly different now from how they started.

Akira: When you get to know someone, you’re able to talk about things that you can’t with anyone else. With that in mind, is there anything you'd like to share with me, Owen?

Owen: Don’t think this makes us friends by any means, but… I could give you a couple tips on how to really twist a knife in the wound.

Owen: You start by observing people, seeking their deepest insecurities, and identifying the things they hate most.

Akira: I- I’m not sure how useful this will be, so I think I’ll pass…

Owen: While it’s always a solid plan to tighten the noose within conversation, it’s never a bad idea to prepare a couple of their worst fears beforehand.

Owen: For example, I hate washing. [1]

Akira: I… What?

Owen: That candy from your world.

Akira: …Oh! Did you mean wagashi?

Akira: I remember telling you about dango and youkan before. We have a lot of soft and squishy sweets. [2]

Owen: Exactly. Now that I’ve generously given you my secrets, you should try them out on me.

Owen: Strike me with the squishiest, most sickening sweets you have.

Akira: (He… just wants to eat wagashi doesn’t he?)

Akira: (What a convoluted way to go about it. Welp, I suppose that’s Owen for you.)

Home Screen Voice Line

“Making a promise is just about the most reckless thing I could possibly do. Caring about others will only make you weaker. …What would happen if I did forge those bonds someday? Hah… Don’t be ridiculous.”

Translator's Notes

[1] In the original text, Owen says he hates gashi (餓死) or starving to death. He, of course, meant wagashi or traditional Japanese sweets, but given his backstory, I thought the starvation reference was relevant.

[2] Dango are glutinous rice balls covered with a sweet glaze whereas youkan is a thick red-bean jelly cake.