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flowerinyourcare · 2 years

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Reminiscence of the Unfinished Wine - Chapter 2

🍷 September seasonal permanent event; banner characters Shylock, Murr, Bradley; 2022/09/11 - 2022/09/19 JST 🍷 special thanks to keyk for the raws, and rusty for catching a couple errors!

Chapter 2

[Location: Manor bar, night]

Rutile: Are you saying you took that without permission? That won't do! You have to go back and pay properly.

Bradley: Payin' the price would make me a pretty shitty bandit, though, wouldn'it? Here, tell ya what. Y'all can keep the empty bottle.

Bradley tossed the bottle over the bar, and Shylock gracefully caught it in a swirl of his pipe's smoke. Furrowing his brows, he quietly examined the label.

Shylock: The date inscribed here… This is certainly this year's wine.

Shylock: The harvest festival seems to be proceeding apace, and production delays or mishaps are not to blame for the wine's absence..

Nero: Ya think he just, uh, forgot to send it?

Shylock: It's difficult to imagine. For as long as this arrangement has stood, Bacchus has never failed to send his wine for my review, even as the years marched steadily onwards.

Shylock: Even in the throes of illness, at a time when he was on the verge of turning to stone, he still made sure to send me a letter - one wherein he passionately described his confidence in that year's work.

Shylock honestly seemed to be at a loss as to why he hadn't heard a word from Bacchus. As he explained the situation, I tilted my head in thought.

Akira: (If it's really such an important exchange… then why hasn't Bacchus sent any wine this year?)

Shylock: …That said, waiting for wine that will never arrive is no way to find the truth of the matter.

Shylock: Tomorrow I shall go pay a visit to Bacchus myself. For this would be a most troubling, abrupt way for a long-standing tradition to come to an end.

Murr: You're not goin' anywhere without meeeee!

Boing! Murr leapt up and stood on one of the barstools along the counter.

Murr: Did you even hear a word our buddy Brad said? The town where Bacchus lives is having their grape harvest festival!

Murr: It'll be super duper fun! During the festival, along with tons of high-class wine, there'll be tasty grape treats and even grape-stomping events! C'mon, let's all go together!

Rutile: Wow, a grape harvest festival sounds like so much fun…!

Akira: Erm… but is it really okay? Shylock, this errand is important to you, and I wouldn't want us to interfere.

Shylock: Of course, you are more than welcome to accompany me. You referred to it as an "errand", but I feel that it's closer to meeting up with a dear friend.

Shylock: The festival will only get more exciting with an energetic, bustling crowd - and, most importantly, I would be truly happy if you all came along.

As though beckoning to our very hearts, Shylock's impossibly enticing smile had Rutile and I nodding excitedly.

Akira: Thank you very much, Shylock. If that's the case, then I would love to go to the harvest festival…!

Rutile: Count me in too, please! Mr. Faust, Mr. Nero, will you two be joining us?

Faust: I can't say I'm not tempted by Bacchus wine, but considering it's a wine festival in Western country… It sounds like it'll be rather hectic. Er, lively.

Nero: Yeah, but it's not every day ya get the chance to taste real-deal Bacchus wine…

Faust & Nero: Hmmmm…

Akira: (They both look so deeply conflicted…)

Arthur: Can we really do grape stomping too? I feel as though I've read about the tradition before. I think it was something to do with stepping on grapes while singing…

Murr: Yeah, I've done it myself! I don't remember any of the songs we sang, but I remember jumping and stomping and squishing up the grapes aaaall night!

Arthur: As expected, the well-traveled Murr has had an impressive variety of experiences. So when you step on the grapes, are you barefoot?

Murr: Naturally! And then the soles of your feet get all purpley wine-stained! It feels like I'm turning into one of the grapes!

Arthur: That sounds amazing! I used to enjoy making mud footprints when I was a child, but I have yet to experience making wine footprints.

Arthur: Master Oz, I would be very happy if you were to join us. It sounds like a unique, exciting experience that doesn't come about very often.

Oz: If you wish to go, you can go on your own.

Shylock: If I may add, there is a Bacchus wine cellar in the town. Over time, countless rare and delectable wines have accumulated in Bacchus's own archives. In that way, along with enjoying fine wines, you may revel in the sublime time you spend making your choice.

Arthur: Oh, and Master Oz…

Arthur: I'm not old enough to drink wine yet, but… I would really like it if you would help choose a wine for me to drink when I grow up.

Oz: ……

Oz: Okay.

Whether they were attracted by the promise of wine, excited by the thrill of a festival, or just being tugged along by the momentum of the group -- the number of people in our party steadily increased.

Then, Murr suddenly focused back on Bradley, as if remembering something.

Murr: By the way, Brad -- how's this year's Bacchus wine?

Brad: Oh, ya want my opinion? I really think it was --

Shylock: --Shh.

Shylock pressed one finger against his own mouth, his lips parted as though they still carried the taste of something sweet. His deep red eyes, the color of late-summer fruit at the height of ripeness, narrowed teasingly.

Shylock: For the moment, please keep your answer secured in your heart. We have yet to see if my tongue reaches the same conclusion.

Bradley: …….

For an intense moment, their gazes intertwined. Then, after a silence as meaningful as if they were sharing an unspoken secret, Shylock let his fingers slowly drift away from his lips.

Seeing this, the corner of Bradley's mouth pulled into a grin.

Bradley: Interesting. Guess I'll be goin' with ya tomorrow.

Bradley: I look' forward to hearin' yer thoughts on this one, barkeep.

The next day.

After a scenic broom ride from the Western elevator tower, we arrived at our destination in the countryside.

[Location: Western wine town, daytime]

Akira: Wow… the air smells amazing.

Oz: Yes. Because of the grapes.

The town was small and rural. Quaint brick buildings were clustered cozily together, and lush vineyards stretched out in every direction.

The main street was lined with shops, and decorative grape vines twisted up the walls and over roofs. The atmosphere radiated simplicity and pleasantness, and the aroma of sweet grapes filled the air.

Akira: Ah, and these matching outfits are perfect, too.

Shylock: These garments are in the traditional style of this area's harvest festival. We Western wizards prepared them to help immerse everyone in the thriving festive spirit.

Rutile: Thank you very much, Mr. Shylock. The vibrant colors are so enchanting!

Murr: Around here, adults and kids alike wear burgundy shades for grape harvest festivals. 'Cuz then if you spill wine or get splattered by the flying grapes, the clothes won't show the stain!

Nero: Uh, can ya run that by me again?

Faust: Flying grapes?

Bradley: At ragers like this, once yer drunk off yer ass, folks always start peltin' eachother with grapes. Mr. Barkeep was tellin' me about it yesterday.

Bradley: Squishin' up the runty fruit after the harvest is apparently s'posed to make for a killer crop next year. Some kinda superstition.

Bradley: But I guess, bein' shitfaced 'n all, they can't tell if the grapes are bein' thrown or if they're flyin' on their own.

Arthur: Ahaha!

Rutile: That sounds like a blast!

Just like Bradley said, the town was bustling with preparations for the harvest season.

Residents were all working hard, doing things like putting up flyers, hefting around casks of wine, and so on.

Akira: (It's chaotic and lively, like pre-festival activities in my world… It kind of creates its own unique sense of excitement, doesn't it?)

Just then, an older gentleman crossed the street before us, carrying a heavy-looking tray of glassware.

Before I even thought to offer him assistance, he stumbled, and the precariously tray of glasses tipped over. Akira: Oh --!

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10

#mhyktl #mhyk tl #mahoyaku #promise of wizard #mahoutsukai no yakusoku #// shylock #// event #i was up till 5am last night working on this pray for me #on to chapter 3~~~~~#mahoyaku tl #mahoyaku translation #also since i did the bulk of this at 5am and proofread it on like 5 hrs of sleep. lmk if theres egregious typos teehee

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