Ch. 1: The Suspicious Prince
Kingdom of Oz in the Land of the Rainbow, Month of Brilliance…-
Beneath a hill illuminated in the evening sun, a prince who had just awoken rubbed his eyes.
??: “Ugh…”
OO: “Are you all right? What’s your name…?”
??: “…!”
For a second, his shoulders quivered as if he had no self-confidence and he stole a glance at me, then he thumped his back and puffed out his chest.
Leonie: “I…I’m the intimidating Lord of Sinva, Leonie…!”
OO: “Nice to meet you Leonie, I’m OO.”
I gave a simple introduction and held out my hand.
But Leonie shied away from it.
OO: “…Leonie?”
Leonie: “…!?”
His face both red and pale, he crossed his fingers in front of himself and kept avoiding looking at my face.
(Why won’t he look me in the eye?)
Curious, I peered into his face and…
Leonie: “Uwaaaa!?”
OO: “Ah. Sorry, was that rude of me?”
Suddenly, Leonie jumped back and judged the distance between us as I asked my innocent question.
Leonie: “…i-it’s nothing! You just got so close all of a sudden. Ah, but don’t tell anyone about this! Got it? …you do, right?”
OO: “…? Sure…”
His face got bright red and he turned away as he spoke, but I nodded anyway.
(Is he…embarrassed?)
I tilted my head, comparing his timid and somewhat strained manner with his gaudy clothing.
Ch. 2: Town of Sinva
After awakening Leonie on a hill tinged in crimson…
I was a little curious about his timid manner, and we had come to the town of Sinva.
I suspected it was because it was twilight, but the town was crowded with people returning home after work and school.
Leonie: “…nn?”
At that time, Leonie closed his eyes and his nose twitched.
OO: “What’s that sweet smell…?”
I looked among the stalls lined up in the eaves of the street corner and saw a delicious-looking crepe shop.
Leonie: “…”
Though he shook his head, Leonie’s eyes were glued to the crepe stand.
(Is he hungry?)
OO: “Should we buy some?”
Leonie: “Wha!? Ah, no way, there’s no way I’d like sweet things! I’m intimidating…”
What he said sounded a lot like what he had said when he had woken up…
Villager 1: “Ah, it’s Prince Leonie! Prince Leonie has returned!”
Villager 2: “My, how wonderful!”
Leonie: “W-wha-!?”
In an instant, the townsfolk had swarmed Leonie.
But Leonie’s eyes went wide as he hid behind me clutching the bottom of my blouse as I stood there confused.
Leonie: “……!”
Leonie’s eyes darted back and forth as he squirmed and…
OO: “What’s wrong? Everyone seems so glad that you’re safe.”
Leonie: “!? Of course they are! I’m the prince here after all!”
He spoke pridefully when…
Boy: “Yay, it’s Prince Leonie~! Ah, come back Lucky!”
Dog: “Grrr, bark! Bark bark!”
Leonie: “Uwa!?”
Suddenly, a child following after a barking dog came flying out of the crowd, and Leonie dodged away.
OO: “I’m glad. It looks like everyone’s been waiting for you to return Leonie.”
Villager 2: “Yes, we’re so thankful! Right, Prince Leonie?”
Villager 1: “You’ve been gone for so long, we were so worried.”
Leonie: “…oh…”
Leonie: “A-alright…sorry for worrying you. Everything‘ll be fine now that I’m back! … probably.”
The end of his sentence sounded a little forlorn, and the gathered people smiled.
OO: “Everyone seems to really love you Leonie.”
Villager 2: “Of course, because at times like this Prince Leonie is so cute.”
Leonie: “S-shut up! Don’t call me cute!”
The townsfolk laughed pleasantly as Leonie snapped at them.
But within that warm circle of people…
Leonie: “…damnit…if I just had courage…”
I was the only one who heard as Leonie mumbled to himself.
Ch. 3: The Castle's Rumor
Just after entering the bustling town of Sinva, Leonie, who had just woken up, was surrounded by people.
Leonie: “…damnit…if I only had courage…”
Within that group, I was the only one who heard his quiet muttering…
Without knowing what he had said, the people around us started gossiping.
Villager 1: “Now that I think about it, I heard a ghost moved into the castle while Prince Leonie was gone…”
Leonie: “What!? G-g-g-ghost!? In the castle…”
While I watched, his face turned pale.
OO: “A ghost…how scary…”
The eerie story made my shoulders shake a little.
And then…
Leonie: “W-what? Are you afraid of g-ghosts?”
OO: “Aren’t you Leonie?”
Leonie: “O-of course not! I can handle a ghost or two…”
OO: “Leonie, are you alright?”
He was so obviously afraid that I asked out of concern.
Leonie: “W-what do you mean, of course I’m not scared! I can handle something as insignificant as a ghost…”
But at that time, a loud sound rang out behind us.
Leonie: “Eeeeeee!?”
In that moment, Leonie jumped up and looked over his shoulder.
Shopkeeper: “Ah, sorry. I dropped something.”
It looked as if the shopkeeper of an antique stand had broken a dish.
Leonie: “Oh…don’t scare me like that!”
While scratching his sweating forehead, Leonie tightly clutched his stomach.
(He really doesn’t look alright…)
As the sun was slowly disappearing over the western sky, the main street dimmed and the lights started to come on.
Villager 2: “Ah, oh dear. I have to get home.”
One by one, the people left, and the two of us were left alone.
Leonie looked in the direction of the castle and his shoulders shook.
Leonie: “Damn it…damn it!! What am I supposed to do about a ghost…I’m not very good with ghost stories…”
A warm breeze ran over our feet.
His head down, Leonie crossed his arms and began to fidget.
Leonie: “If I could just find my courage…like before, I could do anything!”
(Find courage? I wonder what he means?)
OO: “Is it alright to not go back to the castle?”
Leonie: “…”
OO: “If we don’t go soon, it’ll get dark and…”
Leonie: “Let’s go right now!”
OO: “Y-yeah.”
OO: “When you say ‘find courage,’ did something happen to it?”
Leonie: “That’s…”
He hesitated, and his eyes wandered.
(Does he not want to talk about it?)
Leonie cleared his throat and took a step towards the castle.
But that foot was shaking ever so slightly.
OO: “If you’re scared, do you want me to go with you?”
Leonie: “I-I’m n-n-n-not scared! It’s just…look, if the ghost turns out to be a little animal or something, I’d feel bad about kicking it out. So I…”
Leonie’s fingers confusedly grasped for mine…
The hand that gently touched mine was sweating, telling me how afraid he was deep down.
OO: “You can do it Leonie.”
Leonie: “Y-yeah…”
He tightened his grasp on my hand.
Was it fear that made my heart start to beat a little faster or…
We hurried off to the castle before the night could come.
Ch. 4: Lost Courage
We passed through the castle town, and by the time we had reached the castle, evening was just settling in.
However, there was still a tiny sliver of sun left in the sky.
Leonie: “I-it’s fine, see!? There’s nothing here, see?”
OO: “Y-yeah…”
Leonie hadn’t once left my side.
He was clutching my hand with both of his…
(Well, this castle is kind of eerie…is no one here? I wonder about spending a night here with Leonie…)
I felt an uneasiness deep in my heart…
Next to me, I watched Leonie’s profile as he cowered into himself, and he raised his eyes.
Leonie: “…Ooo…if I just hadn’t lost my courage…this’d be nothing…”
He murmured to himself, not talking to anyone in particular…
OO: “…”
(I wonder what he meant just now.)
Curious about what he’d said, I stared at him…
Leonie: “H-hey! Why are you quiet all of a sudden? Say something.
OO: “Eh? Ah sorry, I was just wondering about what you said earlier.”
OO: “What did you mean earlier?”
——————–
Leonie: “…damnit…if I just hadn’t lost my courage…”
——————–
(Now that I think about it, he said something similar when we were with the townsfolk…)
Leonie: “…”
OO: “Leonie, will you tell me?”
Leonie kept quiet and I asked again.
Several seconds passed, then Leonie looked down as he finally began to speak.
Leonie: “Do you know the guy who rules over the Land of the Rainbow, Oswald?”
OO: “Oswald…?”
At my vague answer, he continued his story from that point.
Leonie: “I lost the courage that Oswald gave me…because of that, I’ve become a coward. That’s why, if I could just find that courage again, I could do anything…!”
His voice, always seeming to lack confidence, had grown loud.
OO: “How do you lose courage?”
Leonie: “I’m sure…I dropped it somewhere when I was attacked by the Dream Eaters, but where?”
(He didn’t really answer me again…)
OO: “I didn’t think courage was something that could be dropped…”
Leonie: “That’s not true…! If it’s something I can get, obviously I can drop it, right!? That’s why I want to see Oswald and have him give me courage again. If I can get that, I can do anything…! Everyone here has always judged me so, I’m sure…”
Suddenly, as if enduring something, Leonie clenched his fist.
Leonie: “Yeah, if I had courage, I could do anything! Right!?”
OO: “…”
His eyes were imploring as he asked me the question.
(I don’t know how to tell him, but I feel like he’s mistaken…)
Leonie: “…am I wrong?”
OO: “Leonie, I…”
Leonie looked incredibly desolate as I started to speak.
A strange sound echoed down the hallway.
Leonie: “Aaah!?”
OO: “…!”
Leonie leapt behind me.
OO: “What was that!? Wait here, I’ll go check.”
Leonie: “W…wait! Don’t leave me alone!!”
With his voice coming from right behind me, I ran off to where the sound had come from.
Our footsteps echoed loudly in the wyrd twilight castle.
Ch. 5: A Weird Toy Soldier
Within the castle that had started going dark, I ran off in the direction of the sound…
Leonie: “W…wait! Don’t leave me alone!!”
With a dreadfully forced expression, Leonie ran behind me.
OO: “Leonie, why are you coming after me?”
Leonie: “Of course I’m coming!! I-I can’t just let you go off alone! D-don’t go leaving me behind!”
OO: “Y-yeah…sorry.”
He spoke frantically and I nodded without thinking.
Leonie’s complexion was already ghastly pale.
(Leonie’s really scared…)
OO: “All right, Leonie, you stay behind me.”
Leonie: “Y-yeah! D-d-don’t you dare let go of my hand!”
OO: “Okay.”
Leonie’s large hand grasped mine.
(Is something…off…?)
Feeling a little doubtful, I firmly squeezed his hand back.
As if swallowing my fear, I reached out to the door of a room, the room that the strange noise had come from a moment ago.
The door opened with a creek and…
Toy Soldier: “…!!”
OO: “What!?”
In the moment I opened the door, a strange mechanical doll rushed at us.
OO: “Look out Leonie!”
Dodging the toy soldier’s strike, I turned and looked for Leonie.
Leonie: “Ah, aa…aa…”
Leonie, overcome with fear, had fallen on his backside.
But…
Leonie: “Aaaaaaaaa–!!”
OO: “Hey…hey, wait! Leonie!!”
OO: “Leonie, are you alright!?”
I was worried because he was so timid, so I avoided the toy soldier’s attack and turned to Leonie.
Leonie: “I-I’m f-f-f-f-fine…agh, to hell with this!!”
OO: “Eh!? W-wait, Leonie!!”
He suddenly ran off, leaving me behind.
OO: “But…!”
Toy Soldier: “…”
The strange toy soldier approached me, expressionless.
(W-what should I do…!?)
I frantically racked my brain and looked around, grabbing a nearby candlestick and throwing it at the toy soldier.
At the moment it flinched…
OO: “Leonie! Don’t leave me!”
Chasing after him, I too ran off into the darkness.