Chapter 114, History Speaks

Translator: Barnnn

 

History came in many forms. Chronicles of war and conquest, fiction crafted by victors, monument to the follies of fools…

If one had to categorize what stood now before Hal and Ize, it was that last definition that fit best.

 

“Ize, I can’t. I’m done. Let’s get out of here. Right now,” Hal whispered, his face pale with dread.

“You can’t just leave me behind!” Ize cried. “We promised, didn’t we? We always run away together!”

“…Yeah. That’s right. We did. Wherever we go, we go together.”

“Hal!”

“Ize!”

“Be quiet. You’re in a public space.”

 

Thwack!

 

Karate chops fell on their heads, delivered by none other than Fieda.

 

“Ow!” Hal winced, rubbing the top of his head. “He’s been hitting harder lately…”

“I thought so too!” Ize said, dramatically nursing her own scalp. “He doesn’t hold back anymore. Just goes straight to violence. That’s a slippery slope, Fieda! Violence changes people — it pulls them into darkness, makes them rely on strength alone, until they forget what really matters. Just look at Hal!”

“Why am I the example!?”

“Thou who hast surrendered thy soul to shadow… Even the very walls here cry out in warning!”

“Make it stoooooop!”

“I said be quiet!”

 

Thwack!

 

“”Ow!””

 

The trio had arrived in the Capital two weeks ago. Today, they were visiting a museum — one Fieda had been eager to see for some time. Ize and Hal had expected something impressive…

 

…But they hadn’t expected THIS.

 

The Museum of Heroes and Sages was less a shrine to greatness than a monument to infamy. It displayed items once owned by Sages, featured their personal writings — including highly questionable poetry and literature — and showcased both their inventions and misinventions. It was, in essence, a proud and public archive of every humiliating mistake ever made by a Hero or a Sage.

 

And it HURT.

Every step, every exhibit — Hal felt the sting in his soul.

The moment they entered, Hal had come face to face with a supervillain replica mask on display. His entire body slumped in despair. It was a pose so perfect in its despondence it could’ve been an emoji.

 

“Tú eres mi flor… me… marchi…?” Ize read aloud from one of the Sages’ so-called poems.

“Marchitaré?”

“So the last part is… ‘I will wither,’ right?”

“Yeah — oh, I think I’ve got the whole thing now. A rough translation would be — ‘You are my flower. But I can’t be your sunshine, for I too am a flower. And without you, I will wither away, sweetheart…’ Ugh,” Hal sighed. “What the hell is this idiot on about!?”

“Ah, I see, I see… This is actually kind of educational — helps me brush up my Spanish!”

“Don’t you dare learn from this!”

 

Ize had taken to reading the Sages’ “Poems of the Heart” aloud, and Hal, against his better judgment, helped translate them. Every line seemed more self-indulgent than the last — soaked in melodrama and hopeless romanticism. He could practically feel his stomach turning.

 

“Ooh, what about this one?” Ize continued cheerfully. “‘¡¡¡QUE EL MUNDO CONOZCA LA DESTRUCCIÓN!!!’ Heh, it’s even in all caps.”

“Stop making me translate out loud. This is torture.”

“Aw, you noticed?”

“You little–!”

 

Chop!

 

Hal dropped a firm karate chop onto Ize’s crown, imitating Fieda’s move from earlier.

 

“Hmm, this is actually pretty entertaining,” Ize mused, unfazed. “Oh, the next exhibit is about clothing! Miss Elene was raving about this part.”

“Maybe seeing something beautiful will help cleanse the trauma,” Hal muttered.

“Hal! Hal! I know this one!” Ize pointed excitedly at an exhibit. “This is that thing! The Man’s Romance!”

“WHAT IN THE FLYING FU–”

 

The “Man’s Romance Series” was exactly what it sounded like: a parade of mannequins modeling the results of… suspiciously specific fashion experiments. Hal collapsed, head in hands.

 

“Looks like this ‘boyfriend shirt’ was the number one in the popularity vote,” Ize said, squinting at the description. “Funny, though — why is it called ‘boyfriend’ when it’s on a female mannequin? And the apron display is… Wait. Hal, why are the mannequins naked under the aprons? Ohhh, the floral print is a fan favorite. Got it.”

“Please stop…”

“Third place is… huh. Looks kind of like the type of school swimsuit they discontinued when I was a toddler…? The yellow hat reminds me of what I had to wear to elementary school, too.”

“These people are MONSTERS! Perverts, all of them!”

 

Hal clenched his fists, trembling with the urge to smash the floor — only to wipe at the tears stinging his eyes instead. For a moment, he thought he might be bleeding from the soul. But no — his knuckles were still clean.

 

“I’m… not sure I want to know WHY Miss Elene recommended this exhibit so highly,” he groaned.

 

No one answered him. Fieda’s face was glowing, elated to have finally visited his long-awaited destination. Ize had enjoyed herself well enough. Hal, meanwhile, looked like the last shred of his sanity had been neatly pinned to one of the exhibits.

 

◆

 

Some time later, the trio exited the museum.

 

“Sorry,” Fieda said after a while. “That took longer than I expected.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ize said, smiling. “It was fun. We got to see Earth’s stuff from all over — so many different times, so many different cultures. It’s like we were traveling through time and space.”

“…You know, that’s a good way to look at it,” Hal admitted. “Definitely worth the time. There were a few parts we didn’t really get to explore, so if you ever want to come back — just say so.”

“I… might,” Fieda said softly. “Maybe one more time before we leave town.”

 

Hal and Ize turned to him, their smiles curving like twin crescent moons.

 

[Dad’s a shy one,] Ize thought fondly.

 

Once, twice, a hundred times — it wouldn’t matter. If Fieda wanted to come again, they’d be there with him.

They hadn’t made it to one particular section — the one that reminded Ize and Hal of their homeland. Maybe next time.

As they walked away, Ize cast one last glance back at the museum.

Someday, if she kept coming back… maybe then, she’d finally be ready to take that one extra step.

 

◆

 

Their main reason for visiting the Capital had been sightseeing — but Hal had a second goal: finding something in one of the magical tool shops to help beat the summer heat.

They’d already picked up a fan, but the city’s magical tool shops were treasure troves of curiosities. Even after that first purchase, Hal found himself visiting more than a few of them just for fun.

One of Ize and Hal’s favorites was a cozy little shop called “The Ark’s Dove.”

 

“Welcome, dearies! Oh my, the whole gang’s here today,” trilled the shopkeeper as they entered.

“Hello, Miss Paula,” Hal said with a grin.

“Why hello, sweetheart,” the woman replied warmly.

 

Paula, the elderly proprietress with a habit of stretching out the ends of her words, gave them a cheerful wave as Fieda and Hal stepped inside. Ize was the last to enter, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She didn’t bother with a proper greeting — just looked up at Paula like a puppy seeing its favorite treat.

 

“What’s for lunch today!?” she asked, practically bouncing on her toes.

Paula chuckled. “Ize, honey, how many times do I have to tell you? This is a ‘magical tool’ shop.”

“Yes, and I’m helping with your durability tests for the rice cooker!” Ize said, saluting with exaggerated seriousness.

Paula rolled her eyes, smiling. “Well, I’ve got some dried fish, miso soup made with that Orc meat someone gave me the other day, and some pickled veggies. Nothing fancy, I’m afraid.”

“Hmm?” Hal sniffed the air and tilted his head.

“What is it, Hal?” asked Ize.

“There’s a smell I don’t usually notice. Oil?”

“Now that you mention it…” Fieda replied, sniffing too.

“…I made sweet potato tempura,” Paula admitted.

“Seriously!? That’s amazing!” Hal’s face lit up.

“You’re amazing, Hal!” Ize cried.

“You two…” Fieda muttered, shaking his head.

 

◆

 

They hadn’t discovered this shop while browsing for magical tools, but through a trade company contact during their exploration of the Capital’s commercial district. Hal had taken to appraising everything he saw, chatting with staff about anything that caught his interest. Tea leaves for Ize, alcohol for Fieda, snacks for himself — they still had plenty of sweets from Fuyuya, but the allure of limited regional specialties was hard to resist.

 

“Hal,” said Ize, pointing ahead, “that section over there has vegetables. See anything unusual?”

“Not really… wait, hold on.” Hal’s eyes widened.

“What is it?”

“Ize! I might’ve found it!” Hal called out, dashing toward the back of the vegetable display.

“What’s going on?” Fieda asked.

“Looks like he found something good,” Ize replied, trotting after Hal with a curious smile.

 

Past the rows of produce, several hefty barrels sat stacked at the back. One in particular had caught Hal’s attention. He stood beside it now, waving the others over with barely contained glee.

 

“Ize, look! It’s rice! Actual rice!”

“What!?” Ize gasped, racing the last few steps and peering into the barrel. “Oh… it’s brown?”

“Yeah, brown rice — they all look like this before they’re polished yet.”

“So this is what rice looks like,” Fieda murmured.

Hal’s voice softened. “Man, I’m so happy. We can finally eat something besides pre-cooked convenience store rice again.”

“Freshly cooked rice… that’s the dream,” said Ize, eyes sparkling.

“So… how do we cook it?” Fieda asked.

 

That innocent, practical question froze both Ize and Hal where they stood. In an instant, they glanced at each other, their expressions stiffening like ice.

They realized it at the same time: neither of them knew how to cook rice.

 

“Ha–Hal?” Ize stammered.

“I–Ize…?” Hal echoed.

“…You aren’t serious, are you?” Fieda said, eyebrows raised.

“Well, uh… it starts with ‘slow at first,’ right? What was it again?”

“Isn’t that for camping?”

“Wait, wouldn’t it still work in a pot?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never cooked rice in a pot. How much water do you even use?”

“I think it’s… to the back of your hand?”

 

Every line ended with a question.

They had finally found rice, the real thing. But it now sat before them like some unreachable prize. Shoulders slumped, they stared down at the barrel in mutual despair.

 

“How do you NOT know? …How did you even eat it before?” Fieda asked.

“There was a tool — a rice cooker. You just put in water and pushed a button,” Hal replied.

“Ah. That explains it.”

 

Just then, a store clerk approached them.

 

“Looking for something in particular?” he asked politely.

“Well, we were looking for rice, and we found it,” Hal said, scratching his head.

“Problem is, none of us know how to cook it,” Fieda added.

“Ah, yes. It can be a bit tricky to prepare properly,” the clerk said, nodding in understanding.

“Right!? That’s what I’m saying!” Hal replied, half-laughing, half-ready to cry.

 

Clutching at the last shred of hope, Ize turned to the clerk.

 

“You wouldn’t happen to sell rice cookers here, would you?”

“A rice cooker…? I’m afraid I’ve never heard of such a device. We only carry this rice because a few customers from the Adoghan Republic like to buy it.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Hal said, nodding. “When you’re far from home, sometimes you just want a taste of something familiar.”

Ize brightened suddenly. “Then could you introduce us to someone from Adoghan who might be willing to teach us how to cook it?”

“Hmm… Let me see what I can do.”

 

The clerk turned and walked back toward the front of the store. Hal gave Ize a nudge with his elbow.

 

“Smooth thinking, Ize.”

“It’s thanks to Miss Odelya,” she replied. “When you don’t know something, ask. Better that than choking down burnt rice or… Mysterious Hodgepodge X.”

“Please, anything but that,” Fieda groaned, getting a grin from Hal.

 

The clerk soon returned, holding a colorful flyer.

 

“I think this lady might be able to help.”

 

He handed the paper to them. Fieda took it and read the shop’s name aloud.

 

“The Ark’s Dove… A magical tool shop?”

“Yes,” the clerk confirmed. “The shopkeeper is originally from the Adoghan Republic and visits here often. She’s quite knowledgeable about magical tools as well. You may be able to ask her for advice on both fronts.”

“That’s perfect! We’ll head there right away,” Fieda said.

“Hold on,” Hal interjected. “If we’re going to ask a favor, we should bring a gift. Do you happen to know what the owner likes?”

“Certainly. Right this way.”

 

As they followed the clerk toward the produce section, Ize spoke softly, eyes still forward.

 

“A gift for a greeting… how grown-up of him.”

“Giving a boost to the helpful clerk’s sales and making a good impression on someone you’re about to meet — very grown-up,” Fieda agreed.

 

They left the shop shortly after, carrying a slightly extravagant box of premium Adoghan fruits the clerk had recommended. With that, the three of them made their way to The Ark’s Dove.