Episode 5: A Talk Between Princesses

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Scene: On the trail up Gastros Mountain.

Yuuki and the others arrived at the cave that Ruu found.

Ruu
Anne, look at this! This is the cave that I found!

Anne
Wow! You're right! Great job, Ruu!

Ruu
Ehehe, I can do good stuff sometimes!

Pecorine
Oh, this is definitely the one! This cave goes all the way to the summit! Let's go inside right away!

Scene: Inside the cave.

Ruu
Wow... This cave sure is big, huh?

Great
... Careful. I can feel something murderous nearby...

Gigas
Roaaaar!

Kokkoro
So there are Gigases in here as well. Master! Be careful!

Yuuki
1. Protect Kokkoro.
2. Protect Ruu.

Option 1.

Kokkoro
Ah, Master! Thank you for helping me.

Kokkoro
I feel fortunate to receive your protection.

Option 2.

Ruu
Waaaaah! Don't eat me, I'm not tasty!

Ruu
Wait, you protected me!? Wow, thank you!

End of branches.

Pecorine
I'll handle this one! Eh! Haah! Hiyaaah!

Gigas
Roaaaar!

The Gigas falls.

Grea
... Incredible. I've been thinking this for a while, but Pecorine really is strong...

Anne
She really is! And isn't there something elegant about her, too? It's like I'm watching a master of etiquette.

Pecorine
Do you think so? I'm nothing special, though!

Kyaru
About that, do they have classes on etiquette at Manaria?

Anne
Ah, they didn't teach etiquette at the academy, they taught it in the palace. Everyone had to learn manners.

Kokkoro
Palace? Manners...? Lady Anne, are you somebody of high status?

Ruu
Of course! Anne is the princess of Manaria Kingdom!

Kyaru
Huh... You called her a princess, but I wouldn't have been able to tell just from her mannerisms or her words.

Anne
Ah, you don't need to worry about that at all! Just treat me normally, just as you have up until now!

Kyaru
I can do that, sure, but you're still a princess, Anne... Just that alone carries some amount of grace...

Anne
Hmm... But of the two of us, Pecorine is the one who has more, right?

Pecorine
My! What are you saying, Anne? All I have is a curiosity towards fine dining!

Anne
Is that right? I mean, Pecorine, surely you're the princess of some country somewhere, right?

Pecorine
Oh, no, no matter what country I'm in, I'm just Pecorine with the rumbling stomach!

Pecorine
Oh, also! What kind of things do princesses do? Do you always have guards escorting you from morning 'til night?

Anne
Well, it's not like he's there all day and night, but I do have a guard named Owen.

Anne
He's a pretty reliable person, but... He does exaggerate sometimes, and he gets carried away sometimes, too. And when we go on excursions, he always makes these strange snacks...

Pecorine
A guard who makes you snacks!? I'm so jealous! How nice...

Anne
Ahaha! If Owen was your guard, Pecorine, I think he'd whip you up some monster cuisine whenever you wanted!

Kyaru
But having your own guard sounds kind of annoying. Doesn't it ever feel stuffy?

Anne
Hmm, well, I know that it's standard for the royal family, but... I don't just want to be protected! That's how I feel sometimes.

Grea
That's why you left the palace and came to Manaria Magical Academy.

Anne
Ehehe... Yeah. I didn't want to be just some frail princess -- I wanted to be someone who could fight to protect her friends.

Pecorine
I understand that. What a wonderful thought!

Pecorine
(If I can become a princess like that, too, then this country will surely...)

Kokkoro
Lady Pecorine? Is something the matter?

Pecorine
Ah, no, I was just thinking, I'd like to hear more about Manaria!

Anne
Really!? I'm happy that you're interested! It'd be so much fun if you could visit Manaria sometime...

Grea
Yes, certainly. Though, there are some slight dangers...

Anne
Dangers? You mean, like, a portal to an alternate world suddenly appearing, and monsters pouring out of there to lay waste to the academy...?

Grea
And then, a supposedly sealed-away fallen angel suddenly returning to life and launching forbidden magic left and right...?

Kyaru
That's scary! Those count as "slight" dangers!?

Ruu
These are just everyday events at the academy! And we've taken care of all of those things, so everything's okay now!

Kyaru
That's not really the problem, but okay...

Anne
What else... Yeah! Manaria Magical Academy has an ancient magical library, too.

Grea
There are all sorts of spell books, including so-called "forbidden tomes," which do cause problems from time to time...

Kokkoro
That sounds rather fearsome... What exactly happens?

Anne
For instance, when the librarian went on a rampage and had to be sealed... I remember that Hanna felt a lot of responsibility for that time.

Anne
Ah, Hanna is the student body president at Manaria Magical Academy, a serious girl who really has it together.

Anne
Owen and Hanna are probably worrying about me right now...

Grea
... I think so. Certainly...

Ruu
Umm... I suddenly feel this ache in my chest. Why's that...?

Anne
Ruu... That means we've got to defeat the Gigases and return to Mysterchia to see everyone again!

Kyaru
Mysterchia, huh...

Kyaru
Well, I don't understand any of this business about the rift of light or the world collapsing, but... It really might exist, huh. This Mysterchia place.

Pecorine
Kyaru, you're really being skeptical! I don't see any room for doubt in Anne and her friends' stories!

Kyaru
Come on, an alternate world? That's already a ridiculous story.

Kyaru
But... In Gourmet Palace, ridiculous stories happen on a regular basis, so even I've gotten used to them...

Kyaru
And the most ridiculous one of all is this space cadet of an amnesiac, who somehow manages to keep living this way! What's with this, a mysterious figure who always goes out of his way to help others?

Kokkoro
Lady Kyaru. Master has a very kind heart, so many people reach out to him.

Kokkoro
That is one of Master's virtues...

Kokkoro
Huh? Did you hear something just now?

Gigas
Roaaaar!

Anne
Ah, that Gigas...!

Ruu
Is that the Gigas we couldn't beat earlier!?

Kyaru
Ruu! This time, you and I will draw the Gigas's attention together. Work with me to create an opening that Pecorine and Anne can use to attack!

Ruu
Kyaru...! Okay, I'll try!

Grea
Then, Kokkoro and I will halt the enemy's movements. Let's go, Kokkoro!

Kokkoro
Understood! Master, please lend us your power!

Ruu
Whoaaaa! I feel like I can do it! Attack!!

Gigas
Roaaaar!

Kyaru
Good, Ruu! Keep running just like that! I'll draw it towards a different direction! Take this!

Grea
Kokkoro, follow me! Haaah!

Kokkoro
Lady Grea, excellent work! I'm going, too! Yahh!

Gigas
Roaaaar!

Anne
Everyone, leave the rest to us! Spirits of the past! Heed my call!

Pecorine
I'll go with you! Haah!

Gigas
Roaaaar!

The Gigas falls.

Ruu
W-We did it! Victory!

Grea
What amazing teamwork... It was as though we were perfectly in sync...!

Anne
Yeah! All of our powers came together! All right, let's carry this feeling all the way to the summit!

Yuuki and company, having defeated the powerful Gigas, continued towards the mountaintop.