[V6C6] Thank You So, So Much
Translated by Jodas 6: Secrets of the Wedge TowerAs Wren listened to Tia’s story all the way to its conclusion, he scrunched his pretty boy face into a frown and groaned.
“…So in the end, who are these Kai and Witch people?”
“No clue!”
“Couldn’t you at least ask them!? …I feel like I’ve already said that before.”
Wren grumbled even more at Tia’s energetic response.
Sevil pulled both of their shoulders closer in and muttered “Indeed.”
“While I cannot ascertain the intentions of each party, I feel we have a grasp on what occurred.”
“That right there! That’s what makes me nervous! I can’t tell what any of the people in Tia’s story wanted! Heck, I can’t even tell what they were trying to do!”
Tia had that sense as well.
Headmaster Möbius, Assistant Headmaster Miriam, That girl — Fiene.
Kai and the Witch, as well.
What every single one of them were trying to do was a complete mystery to her. Every last one!
Tia had just assumed that she wasn’t able to understand because she was a Monster, but looking at Wren’s expression, it seemed like these people were just as confounding to human eyes as well.
“Piroro… I wonder what everyone was doing…?”
“Seriously, what were they thinking…?”
While Tia and Wren grumbled, Sevil muttered quietly.
“This is purely my intuition, however… I do not get the impression that any of the individuals appearing in Tia’s story are moving under the constraints of an organization. Each and every one of them feels to be moving according to their own personal convictions.”
Sevil looked up at the three spires looming before them, narrowing her eyes into a harsh glare.
“I feel as if I can understand what Headmaster Möbius was hoping to achieve.”
Headmaster Möbius. The silver-haired man with the sword who cut Tia’s flight feathers.
Why did that man capture Tia? — Sevil voiced an answer to that question.
“Headmaster Möbius wanted to grant the wishes of the one known as Fiene. I can sense a clear personal motivation in his actions. This is something that, as the Headmaster of the Wedge Tower, and as a man who stands above others, is improper and unbecoming of his station.”
A man who stands above others — that word carried all the more weight considering that she was a member of the Imperial Family.
As Sevil criticized Headmaster Möbius, her face showed no hints of fear.
Instead, she showed the courage and audacity of one prepared to face off against an immense foe.
“Tia, I shall offer you two propositions.” “…Propositions?”
Tia nervously repeated the word back to her, to which Sevil nodded once, then continued.
“Proposals for what you will do from here. First, you could sneak out of the Wedge Tower and go meet up with this Kai character. In doing so, you could interrogate him to learn the true reason why he sent you to the Wedge Tower.”
Knowing full well that Tia had been captured by humans of the Wedge Tower, Kai made Tia take a human form and sent her back to the Wedge Tower.
That much was almost certain at this point.
However, Tia wasn’t terribly interested in the reason why he did that.
Tia certainly held no affection for Kai, but neither did she resent him.
“Second, you can remain at the Wedge Tower and investigate as much as you can. About the girl named Fiene who trapped you, and about Headmaster Möbius.”
What would be the point of investigating any of that stuff?
Tia had no interest in those humans’ goals or thoughts either.
(…I don’t even want to try to understand those people.)
Tia groaned “pevuvuvuvu…” with a grim expression. Sevil responded with a smirk.
“Headmaster Möbius is the highest authority at the Wedge Tower. If you got a hold of his weakness, then perhaps you may be able to continue learning flight magic without worrying about being exposed. I’m sure we could get him to divert some funds to the development of the Magical Flying Device as well.”
“Piyo! I like that!”
“You’re okay with that!?”
Tia’s eyes gleamed while Wren shouted, making a mess of his pretty boy face.
“You’re not gonna say anything about ‘let’s blow open their evil schemes!’ or some kinda… you know… something else?”
“Piyo. The only reason I came to the Wedge Tower was to find a way to fly. That was always, always, my number one goal.”
“I see… So you’re that kind of person…”
So long as she was searching for a means of flying, she had no choice but to rely on the Wedge Tower.
If the leader of that Wedge Tower was a dangerous person who once captured her, then all they had to do was to make sure those guys couldn’t pose a threat to Tia again. As she was now, she had the means to do so.
Tia stuck her hand in the pocket of her clothes and grasped the small bottle with candies in it.
As long as she had these candies, she could sing a Harpy’s mana-infused songs, even if for only a short time. That included songs that manipulated humans’ minds.
—Hey, sing for me, little birdie.
The innocent smile and sweet voice of a young girl clung to her mind.
(I’ll sing for you, just like you asked. I’ll sing a song filled with malice, just for you guys.)
There was no collar holding her back now.
Seated on the bench, with his shoulder squeezed by Sevil, Wren let out a silent sigh of relief.
(…Honestly, Sevil’s suggestion saved us.)
The moment he saw the hatred Tia directed towards Headmaster Möbius, Wren was really, really scared.
Was Tia about to kill Möbius? Would Möbius end up killing Tia? Wren didn’t want to see either outcome.
Therefore, he was in awe at Sevil’s ability to direct Tia’s attention away from ‘revenge against humans’ and towards ‘learning how to fly.’
Sevil spoke as she looked up at the three spires — White Smoke, Golden Needle, and Water Bubble — that made up the bulk of the Wedge Tower.
“Well, then. If you are going to investigate into Headmaster Möbius, allow me to take part.”
“Peu… Are you sure?”
Sevil had nothing to gain by cooperating with Tia.
Tia likely knew that as well.
Yet, in response, Sevil’s answer was simple.
“I don’t mind.”
Saying that, Sevil gave her a wink.
It was just like her to always step in and take the burden off of Tia or Wren’s shoulders.
“When I see injustice occurring an an organization to which I belong, then it is only natural for me to correct that injustice, no? It is my duty, for I am an Apprentice Mage of the Wedge Tower! — You too, pretty boy!”
“I guess it can’t be helped…”
While he outwardly gave a ‘good grief’ attitude, Wren was secretly relieved that Sevil wrapped him up in this.
After all, he would be completely at a loss if she told him not to get involved.
(Knowing that the powers that be at the Wedge Tower held Tia prisoner… You can’t just tell me to keep living here like nothing changed!)
That said, what was Headmaster Möbius’ objective? Why would he do such a thing? Who in the world was this Fiene girl? — He could never be satisfied without knowing the answers to questions like that.
Looking at the two humans who have shown their clear intent to cooperate with her, Tia let out a single sigh that sounded like “pefu.”
“Sevil, Wren, thank you…”
Tia spoke in an uncharacteristically slurred voice.
For whatever reason, she made a face like she wasn’t fully satisfied with the words she just said.
Tia made an unusual “Mmmgghh…” grumbling noise and looked at Wren.
“It’s the first time I’ve felt a ‘thank you so, so, much’ feeling, but… What do humans say when one ‘thank you’ isn’t enough?”
Wren and Sevil both inadvertently let out a laugh.
All of a sudden, the tense atmosphere melted away.
“That’ll do just fine!”
“Indeed. That is an acceptable way of putting it, Tia.”
“I see. Then… Thank you so, so much!”
All three of them looked at each other and smiled.
Then, Sevil pulled their shoulders in closer. A little ways away, someone who looked like a gardener was walking past.
Tia’s amber eyes darted around. And, while it was subtle, Tia’s ears moved as well.
“…It’s okay. They’re gone. I don’t think they heard us talking.”
At times like this, Tia’s hearing came in handy. They could talk without anyone listening in on their conversation.
Sevil nodded. “Good.” Then, she continued.
“Now, do you have any brilliant ideas for us, pretty boy?”
“The key to all of this is definitely that Fiene girl.”
“I agree. We should secure that girl and bring her out during negotiations with Headmaster Möbius.”
“Piyopp!”
Most likely, Headmaster Möbius’ deepest secret is that girl named Fiene.
Wren suspected that Fiene was a secret child of either Headmaster Möbius or Assistant Headmaster Miriam. Perhaps she was the daughter of both of them.
As far as he could tell from Tia’s story, Fiene was in her early teens. It wasn’t an impossible proposition.
Thinking along those lines, Wren cautiously spoke up.
“According to Tia’s story, Headmaster Möbius went in and out of this Fiene girl’s room quite frequently, didn’t he?”
He looked to Tia for confirmation, and Tia nodded vigorously.
Wren continued.
“…Then that means it would be reasonable to assume the place where Tia was held captive had to be somewhere in the Wedge Tower’s campus. Or, at least, somewhere nearby.”
“Then, we need to investigate where and how Headmaster Möbius and Assistant Headmaster Miriam get to that place… Wren, are you up to the task?”
Wren was a little surprised by Sevil’s words.
Usually, Sevil wanted to be the first to move.
She must have detected something from Wren’s expression of Surprise, as Sevil lowered her tone of voice and asked him:
“What do you think will happen if I start investigating?”
Wren immediately knew the answer.
“They would think that a member of the Imperial Family was investigating the Wedge Tower… People are going to make a big deal of it in all the wrong ways.”
“You are precisely correct.”
If they got too close to the Headmaster, there was a chance that Tia’s identity could be exposed, and Sevil would draw too much attention.
Therefore, this was something only Wren could do.
It didn’t feel bad, knowing that people were relying on him for something only he could do.
“Alright, I guess it’s up to me then. Leave it to me, I’m a pretty boy, after all!”