Pièce of the Singing Garden of Delusions Chapter 10

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Chapter 10

Mitile: I’ll come too! Mr. Leno, Shino, let’s…

Nero: Let him go. He’s a sickening bastard, but he’s still a human.

There’s no need to sully your hands over someone like him.

Mitile: But, he’s still a bad person! He hurt both Mister Liebe and Miss Iris…!

Nero: Any proof of his wrongdoings burnt to ashes with the flames. 

Won’t be easy to get him in a cage without any of that. 

And the people here won’t take kindly to what a wizard has to say. They might make us out to be the bad guys.

Faust: …You’re not wrong. I still want to stick it to him though.

Nero: Nonetheless, you guys don’t have any reason to pain yourselves over scum like that no more. 

Iris, you too…though I know there’s a lot you can’t put behind ya. 

People like that get what’s coming to them in due time. Even if we leave him be, he won’t be dying a peaceful death. 

Iris: …You have a point. I can only hope so.

Shino & Mitile: …

Lennox: …I understand. If that’s what you want, Iris.

Owen: Ahaha. You got dumped before you could dump him.

What will you do now? Will you keep on singing in this ashen dump?

He smiled teasingly at her. He must be glaring daggers into her face right now.

Iris: Even if I do, you’re not allowed to come here again.

Owen: No. I do what I want.

Anyways, that Lying Pierrot really was an idiot,

tormenting himself and obsessing over a song like that.

Rustica: I imagine that was because he had love within him.

To the words Owen threw out, Rustica picked up gently like an object he dropped.

His deep azure eyes gazed forth resolutely, and with a chuckle he continued to talk to Owen.

Rustica: When you burned that script Owen, he told you “Thank you”. I believe those were his true feelings.

Because that way, he would never have to hurt Iris. 

Iris: Me…?

Rustica: No matter how beautiful a mana stone is, a human cannot digest it. And if you were to ingest it, it may hurt your throat.

And in turn, lose your singing because of that…I’m sure Liebe himself knew of that danger.

His feelings of wanting to be eaten as a memento, and his feelings of not wanting to hurt you…

Although he troubled himself between these two feelings, I’m confident that deep down inside he wanted to pick the latter.

The tin doll no longer moved.

Liebe always spoke to this unresponsive doll, the same way Iris always spoke to the silent him.

“Iris, Iris”

“You are very, very dear to me.”

Iris: I thought of you dearly too, you know…

Like a lost child, Iris hung her head low. Her black curls wavered softly.

The friend she lost, the shard he entrusted to her, will both never come back.

Shino: Uhm, so well…”cheer up” is what I’d like to say but…

Chloe: Of course you won’t be able to accept it so soon. You’ve been through so much pain and hardship…

But I don’t think your feelings never got across to Liebe. 

His world was small, and the people there only ever said mean things, so when you came in and treated him kindly…he didn’t know how to respond.

Akira: …I agree, Chloe. The memories of you two that I saw in my dream were so warm and peaceful.

I could tell how much you cared about him from the tone of your voice and words…

That’s why he wanted to save you.

Mitile: Yeah…if only you two could have talked more…

Lennox: …La la la~

A deep voice started singing.

Lennox: “The lying pierrot is a popular fellow  Able to get a laugh out of anyone”

“Dance for me  Sing for me  This entire world is nonsense anyway”

“The world I dreamed with you  This daydream”

It sang funny lyrics that made you want to dance.

They were the first half of “Let Us Meet On Walpurgis Night”.

Compared to the others, when Lennox sang it, it felt like someone was gently patting my back.

Lennox: …Without asking about how you felt, Liebe tried to destroy the entire theatre for you.

You can say that was his ego at work. But the feelings that he sealed off inside him were deep enough to have an influence even after his death. 

He didn’t do it out of despair. He did it because he wished for your freedom and happiness from the bottom of his heart.

His calm voice echoed throughout the burned down theatre, like rain droplets soaking into the dry earth.

In this deserted and abandoned theatre, his warm words touched our hearts.

Lennox: It’s not my place to be saying this…but please don’t think of him loving you and betting his entire life on saving you as unfortunate.

It was because you were there, that hope began to shine on his days in this garden. Loving you brought him happiness. 

So please live on for his sake. Don’t lose all your hope. 

Faust: …With Owen having eaten his mana stone, his obsessions have disappeared, along with what was left of his spirit in the doll and the madness his song brought. 

If you lose yourself to agony however and continue to sing, then that song will likely begin to bear its own curse. 

You won’t let the bond you weaved with him haunt you like that though, will you?

Hearing the pair’s words, Iris looked to the ground.

Behind those glasses of Faust’s, I saw his eyelashes slowly flutter.

Faust: …You don’t need to taint your memories too. You can still cherish your days with him and find warmth in them as you always have been.

Iris: …You’re right. That song…my memories with the Pierrot and Liebe…I need to love them both…

She once more cuddled the doll in her arms, having worked out her emotions.

After a big sniff, she turns to Owen again. 

Iris: I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I do think you went about things in a horrible way, but I also let my feelings get to me and oversaid a few things.

And well…thanks.

If it weren't for you, I would’ve never known about Liebe’s true feelings and his pain.

I feel that would’ve been the real tragedy.

Owen: Don’t give me your thanks, you’ll gross me out.

You and him are off in the heads. I burn the things you find important and you both thank me for it?

Old Gentleman: Ahh, aah! You’re still here! I’m so sorry for interrupting you.

A slightly hoarse voice called out to us. When I turned around there was a dapper old man standing.

Chloe: Huh? Aren’t you the sir from this afternoon…

Rustica: Ah, lovely to see you again. Do you perhaps need something?

It was the old gentleman from earlier who hit it off quite well with Rustica through discussing Iris’ singing.

Old Gentleman: I’m looking for Miss Iris, an actress here, do you know where…oh! There you are, my lady!

Iris: Uh…that’s me. What do you need?

Old Gentleman: I came as soon as I heard that the theatre had burned down. It’s a relief you’re alright.

This is our first time talking. Oh, what an honour it is. I always come to hear you sing. 

The song you sing is truly a wonderful one. When the Lying Pierrot left this world, you don’t know how overjoyed I was to hear that you took on his performances!

Iris: You know the Pierrot…?

Old Gentleman: Oh yes, indeed I do. So the truth is, I’m the head of a castle in the region…

The old man turned out to be an aristocrat in the area, who managed numerous theatres.

He kept being modest and spoke about them as small businesses, but of the theatres named, Rustica and Chloe had been to or were widely known.

Old Gentleman: I heard from the children outside that the theatre troupe has been disbanded.

I actually plan on starting up a small theatre near the Town of Foam.

Miss Iris, if you would so please, would you sing that song there as well? Of course, along with the children left behind in this troupe. 

Iris: …!

Mitile: This is great, Miss Iris!

Chloe: You can keep on singing!

She had a baffled look on her face, but when the old man respectfully gave out his hand for a shake, she made up her mind and took it.

Her vivid, iris-coloured eyes shining brightly.

Iris: You bet I will…! I’m gonna sing to my heart's content!

Owen: Phooey. This place was so nice. It was like a box full of broken toys.

Iris and the old man went outside to gather the children.

Owen looked bored as he scanned the burnt wreckage of the theatre.

Akira: It was nice, and yet…

Nero: You went and burned it down yourself. You cooked it way past well-done…

Shino: I mean, him doing whatever he likes ‘til he’s satisfied isn’t anything new. 

Chloe: Hey, I’ve been wondering, but why wasn’t that elderly man influenced by the song?

He was completely sane when we met him in the afternoon show.

Akira: Right…he did mention coming to see the performance often, so he continued to go even after the anomaly started occurring…

Faust: Maybe it’s because he actually respected the Lying Pierrot and Iris.

That song was made for the Pierrot to take revenge on those who treated him like dirt and to save Iris. 

Lennox: So to those who respected the song, they were unaffected.

A show where those who laugh at clowns become the clown themselves…the irony played out well.

Chloe: I get it…

Akira: I’m not sure if I’m saying this right, but…that was pretty pierrot-like of him.

Rustica: Though Liebe may have held bitter feelings towards the stage, his spirit and considerations were that of a trueborn entertainer.

I raise my glass to such a gifted actor.

Shino: I only heard bits of the story here and there, but Owen, you are really good at singing.

Mitile: I’m surprised too! I didn’t know you could sing like that.

Chloe: Riiight! His singing is so charming!
Today was especially amazing though. So cool, so sexy, it gave me goosebumps…! Just remembering it makes my heart beat!

Akira: Don’t forget about your improv acting! It was so exciting to see!

You acted so naturally it was like there was already a script to it. I couldn’t help but put myself into the audience’s position and watch you guys!

Rustica: I trusted that you guys would catch on. And just as I thought, my Smiling friends followed along after me. 

Lennox: We ended up stopping our play midway, but how would it end?

Rustica: The festival continues all night. After that, the Pierrot finds more and more friends.

With Chloe, Shino, Mitile, Lennox, Nero, Faust, and the Master Sage, we all start to sing together. And we each have our own solo parts!

Nero: There was gonna be solo parts to this?

Faust: I cannot sing like you do. 

Lennox: But you can dance, Lord Faust. How about making it a dance solo?

Mitile: I wanna see Mister Faust dance!

Shino: Me too. So Faust’s solo is gonna be a dance.

Faust: What will happen to the song?

Rustica: Ah, we can ask Owen about that.

Owen: Don’t decide for me! I won’t sing for you.

Chloe: I know, what if you danced with Faust? You’re good at dancing too, Owen!

Rustica: A splendid idea, Chloe. Perhaps Owen’s dogs would join in too.

Owen: I am NOT dancing or singing. Also, that isn’t even a solo anymore. 

Akira: (...Kinda hard to believe this place was in flames just a while ago.)

The empty remains of the theatre felt like a dream just woken from. 

I can still see the figure of Owen singing and dancing amongst the billowing flames when I close my eyes.

That was the image that the Lying Pierrot must have been dreaming of.

Until his very last moments, that was the picture he was painting inside his head.

All while wishing for the happiness of the one he loved, as he acted out a tragedy.

Akira: (Like how he and Iris met, there was some happiness to be found within that garden…)

That song of ruin was born here, after all.

This theatre was meant to be destroyed, and it was. 

After ten years of time, by a whimsical wizard’s hands, in a play of love and loathing.

It was an end befitting for the Garden of Delusions. This ruthless yet beautiful wreckage. 

END

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