Children Reward the Showers of Love Chapter 6

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Chapter 6

Arthur: …Lord Oz…and Shylock…

Owen: Party poopers. You’re already back.

Shylock: Owen. So you came as well.

Owen: Yup. But I’ll be leaving now. I’ve finished what I came for.

Bye bye, little Prince. Enjoy what time you have left.

Shylock & Oz: …

Shylock: …Prince Arthur. Has Owen told you something?

Arthur: …

This child…will soon lose their life, for us…

Shylock: …

Oz: Arthur…

Arthur: …Lord Oz, I am no longer that little child you knew who is so easily moved to tears.

I have the capability to accept this child’s fate and say goodbye.

…No, not just this child. No matter what fate has in store…

Oz: …

…Arthur…

Arthur: Lord Oz. Your ‘Arthur’ is growing up faster than you think. 

You don’t realize it, so to you I’m still that young and inexperienced Arthur…

To stay silent about this, knowing that I’ll only ever be someone you have to protect,

…makes me feel lonely.

Oz: …No. I…

I……

Arthur: …

…My apologies. I need to cool my head. 

Sif. I’m sorry, but I’m going to take a walk.

Shylock: Prince Arthur…

Oz: …

Shylock: Please wait, Prince Arthur.

Arthur: Shylock…

Shylock: I’m terribly sorry, for keeping this from you.

Arthur: Please don’t apologize. Lord Oz made you keep quiet. 

Shylock: …I felt that prolonging the news was wrong, but I still waited on Lord Oz to tell you himself.

I should have told you sooner.

In the end, trying to keep you away from the terrible truth has only resulted in hurting you more.

Arthur: …Thank you. I made you worry for me.

Sif…or the siofra. Are their deaths inevitable?

It saddens me, but I must accept it. 

Shylock: Yes. I know you have that strength in you.

Lord Oz is aware of this as well. However…

Arthur: …

It’s not just this time. There’s going to be more like this, meetings, and farewells…

Happiness, sadness, all of it. I want to share them with Lord Oz. 

But…I don’t think he wants that.

Shylock: …

Arthur: I wonder if from now on, I’ll be the only one left in the dark…

Shylock: In this entire world, you are the one person who knows him best.

And Lord Oz loves you. 

Arthur: Shylock…

Shylock: Perhaps now is the time you should tell him how you feel, and open his heart using yours. 

Arthur: Me, open his heart…?

Shylock: Indeed. Even I have clashed and soured relations with an old friend, many times. 

Again and again, I’d say I’d cut ties with them after a fight. 

But we’d still remain friends as if nothing happened. …Do you know why?

Arthur: Because one of you would compromise?

Shylock: Nope. They were so persistent that I’d run out of patience. 

Arthur: That’s surprising…I see you as so strong-willed, so it’s hard to imagine you giving in to someone else.

Perhaps that’s why they call this old friend of yours…one of the greatest minds in history.

Shylock: …It is of great annoyance, but that person does know every inch about me. 

What I’m attracted to, disgusted, scared, stimulated by, what moves my heart. 

That’s why I always end up forgiving him.

Arthur: …

Shylock: Your bond with Lord Oz is nothing erratic like ours.

Especially Lord Oz, stern as he is, he hides a pure heart much like the snowfields of North.

And no one is more fond of that view than you. 

So please, do not fear. All will be fine.

Arthur: …

I…I don’t know if I can open his heart without offending or hurting him though…

Shylock: I know you can. This is something that only you can do.

Arthur: Heh…I hope that’s true.

Then I will try telling him my feelings. And hear his words out without running away.

We’ll keep talking until we understand each other…

Shylock: Yes, that will do. Shall we return to Sif then?

Arthur: Yeah, let’s. Thanks, Shylock.

…

I’m still sad we have to say goodbye though…

Losing your life in exchange for granting a wish…

Shylock: …

By the time I finished writing in the Sage’s journal, the sun was nearly setting. 

Akira: (It’s gotten late. I wonder if Oz has returned yet.)

I left my room, and was headed for Mitile’s room when on my shoulder Sakitty turned its head, sensing someone. 

Oz: Sage.

Akira: Ah, Oz. Come to pick us up?

Great timing. I just finished what I needed to do–

Oz: …

Akira: Oz?

What’s wrong? You seem…

Oz: It’s nothing.

Akira: But…

It didn’t look like nothing.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I could somehow tell on that usually emotionless face of his that he was unhappy about something. 

Akira: (What happened? Does it have to do with Arthur…?)

Oz: …

Akira: Uhm…Oz. Would you like to talk with me in my room…?

I opened the door that I just closed, and invited Oz into my room.

Face to face with an Oz who won’t meet my eyes, I honestly tell him what’s been on my mind.

Akira: Did something happen at the church ruins?

Oz: …

He stayed silent, neither confirming or denying.

His eyebrows crinkled, and after a long pause, his lips finally moved.

Oz: There is something I must tell you.

Akira: Of course. What is it?

Oz: It is about that fairy.

They can grant a wish for the one they acknowledge as their parent.

However, there is a price for that.

Their own life.

I swallowed my breath at the unexpected revelation. 

And thought of the person who was the most attached to Sif.

Akira: Arthur…is he aware of this?

Oz: He just found out. From Owen.

The siofra live life with their fates set in stone. Of course, even they are aware of it themselves. 

There is nothing we can do about it.

He stopped his words there. His face slightly darkened. 

Oz: …But it will still hurt him. 

Akira: …

Oz: That’s why I avoided telling him the truth.

I thought that he might put on a brave front, while his heart would shed tears…

And that it was still too early for him to accept the truth.

Akira: Oz…

The setting sun’s last light casted long shadows in my room.

The unsettling sky stuck between day and night reminded me of Oz’s heart. 

Just as the colours of the sky gradually changed, his heart was lost and wandering.

Oz: But perhaps I was wrong.

Perhaps I could have told him sooner.

Perhaps it would have been better if I said something to him, when he found out the truth…

The chance to know that is now lost to time.

The dignified red eyes I knew were now dull and tightly shut. 

Dark shadows hid his face. 

Oz: …I might have been afraid.

A sea of regret washed over my heart and drowned it.

Oz is the world’s strongest wizard.

He could bend the world to his will, grant any wish. That’s how powerful he is.

Yet his heart still hurts to see his loved ones in pain.

Akira: (It’s not that Oz just didn’t want to make Arthur sad…)

(Oz himself didn’t want to see him like that.)

There was also Arthur’s prophecy. They might’ve overlapped in his head and made the situation harder for him to face. 

I think I’ve found out the source of what’s been worrying me the past few days.

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