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 Welcome to Rokkenjima. The Golden Witch extends her heartfelt greetings. First, please put yourself at ease. There is nothing too difficult to think about. Accept entirely, silently, the events to happen. That is all that is asked of you. The difficulty is standard. Shall we first take the easy road?  BGM: Rose The elderly physician lets out a sigh as he removes the stethoscope. In the gloomy study where dust and a sickly-sweet stench mingle, two elderly men can be seen. In the corner of this vast room, called a study, there is an expensive-looking bed, a man undergoing a medical examination, and the physician conducting it. And there appears to be a servant watching over this scene.   "...Kinzo-san. ...The reason your body appears to be doing well is due to the medicine's effects. However, if you keep drinking such strong spirits, the medicine will become meaningless. ...Trust my judgement. Refrain from drinking." "I thank you, though only for the sentiment. My friend. ...Genji. Another glass. Water it down slightly. That way Nanjo can save face." After eyeing both the master who demanded the alcohol and the attending physician who forbade it, Genji, the old butler, silently gives a slight nod and obeys his master's orders faithfully. The attending physician, Nanjo, once more lets out a deep sigh as he watches the butler busy himself alongside the liquor cabinet... There was a smell filling up the room. That sweet, poisonous aroma that melts the heart, and inexorably, the soul... is the aroma of that venomous green liquor the master couldn't bring himself to part from.  "...Nanjo. You are my close friend, and I've known you for quite a long time. I am deeply grateful that you have helped me to live a long life until today." "I have done nothing. ...After all, you never listen to my advice as your physician." "Hahahaha... Just like how you never listen when I warn you about a mistaken chess move you're about to make. It seems we are even." "...Master." "Thank you. ...I wouldn't die if I ran out of your medicine, but I would die if I ran out of this."Disregarding Nanjo, who has his face set in a resigned expression, Kinzo takes the glass Genji is presenting to him. There are probably very few people who would associate the venomous color, which filled the glass, with alcohol.  Nanjo once again lets out a sigh of resignation. Then, he finally speaks, gazing at Kinzo swirling the glass.  "...You don't have much time." "...What precisely do you mean by that?" "...Let us illustrate it with the chess game here. You have very nearly achieved checkmate...but you have not yet cornered my king." The white king has already been castled and cornered, and even an amateur could see that the match will be decided before much longer. Both of them made a few moves every time Nanjo came to give a medical examination. With that in mind, Nanjo was claiming that Kinzo would probably fall into his eternal sleep before this game could be concluded. These words are less the words of a physician's than they are the words of an old friend. "...Were you a normal patient, I would recommend that you write a will at this point." "...And what is a will, Nanjo? Handwritten instructions to the vultures on how to devour and scatter my corpse?" "No, not at all. ...A will is something where you leave your intentions behind. It does not only exist to split up the inheritance." "Hoh. ...What would I write about apart from the division of the inheritance?" "...Your regrets. Your unfinished matters. What you want to be passed down,what you want to convey. ...Anything is fine."  After ranting up until that point, Kinzo suddenly lets his shoulders fall. His face is feeble, as though something that possessed him has left. "...But still, I am reluctant. I will leave nothing, but there is one single thing I cannot leave as I die..." "...You would do well to write it down. Of course, it would be good if you could finish it as you still live. However, if that fails to come about, the ones you leave behind will take over. If it were me, I am certain that I would leave something so that those regrets can be settled. ...That would be a will."As Nanjo tries to gently pat Kinzo's shoulder, a suddenly enraged Kinzo bats away his hand. "It's useless, useless, useless!! It must be while I live, because if I die, my soul will be instantly devoured by the demon of the contract, will be erased, will disappear, for all time! I won't have peace in the world beyond death! That's why everything must be done while I'm alive!! That's why I have no need for a will or any such thing!! If I had time to write such things... if I had time!!"  Video: Opening  Let's Play Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Episode 1: Legend of the Golden Witch Prof here. When I add in my own commentary, it'll be in italics. You may notice that the character designs look significantly worse in the opening video. That's because Umineko's spritework has been done three times - once by Ryukishi himself, once for the PS3 remake, and once for the Steam rerelease. Everyone has their own preferences (I actually do have a soft spot for the old art's absurd mittenhands and huge facial expressions), but for this LP I'm using the original PC version of the game with the PS3 resources patched in. This means higher-quality sprites, better background art, and voice acting for when I record videos. So, with no further ado, let's get this show on the road.   BGM: Doorway of Summer I'm the only one scratching my head, marveling at progress. Before, it was by boat. In the past, we'd been forced to sway and rock the whole half-day trip to reach Niijima. Times sure have gotten handier. However, I've never gotten on such a tiny plane. I've already flown in a huge jumbo jet, but it's my first experience in such a small one... I wonder if it'll shake. They say that smaller boats shake more, so I guess it's probably the same for an airplane... Aaah, just spare me.   "Sorry, sorry. It's not like when you were small. It's been six years since then. You're not a kid anymore. Hahahahahah." "Tch, so you can smoke and drink? No interest in smoking, but I'd like to try booze, heeheehee! If you got your Dad's genes, you should be able to drink like a fish, huh?" "In my case, I mostly have to drink for my job, rather than drinking because I like it. Doing business in Japan without drinking is difficult work." "Ihihihi! That's right! That's why I usually don't skip out on practicing for the future!" "Tha, that's not good, Battler-kun, aren't you still a minor? Drinking carries the possibility of having a bad effect on the growth of minors..., um, never mind." "If this is as tall as I get, I'd say that's eno~ugh! Actually, if I shortened a bit instead, it'd be easier to find clothes!"I puff my chest out proudly. Until I got my growth spurt, my height was just above average for my class. But, faster than you could say it, I got even bigger, and now I'm over 1m 80cm (5ft 11in). I guess that's also thanks to the nonstop muscle training I did, and the suspicious drugs for reinforcing muscle strength I ordered. I shot 10cm over George-aniki, and I never dreamed that someday I'd be able look down at people. ...Aah, I guess my relatives are all gonna go "Battler-chan, you got so big!" Ergh, it's so freakin' embarrassing, I just want everyone to let go of it already. In any case, my name is Battler... well, it's pretty drat weird, don't you think?  Any time you see green text in a screenshot, that means there's some kind of weird Japanese language dickery going on that's hard to translate. Click on the screenshot to pop up an explanation! My name is written 右代宮 戦人. Can you read it? My last name is 'Ushiromiya'. That part's alright. The problem is my first name... 戦人 is made up of the characters for 'fight' and 'person' and it's pronounced 'Battler'. Incredible. Also incredible are the parents who stuck that name on me, and the public official who accepted it... They are all at the top of my must-kill list.  George's name is one of the closer ones to being legit - the proper pronunciation for his name kanji could be construed as 'jouji'. He's five years older than me, so he's probably turning 23 this year. Since the Ushiromiya cousins consist of two boys and two girls, he was always Aniki when we played together. And because of those memories, I still call him that today.   "Nah, nothing like that. For a man, the body goes with the guts!" "Exactly! Battler-kun's got it! Men compete with their guts! Ya must never forget yer constant discipline. And, if ya wait vigilantly fer yer chance, ya'll make it blossom with a bang! Me, I never imagindd that I'd become the company president I am today... Yep, to think that I started out penniless and ruined...!" As you've no doubt picked up, the translation for this game uses all the usual anime honorifics, and it'd be more trouble than it's worth to edit them all back out, but I draw the line at oji-san/oba-san. I'll be replacing them in my own text with uncle/aunt. Is that flashy and suspicious Kansai dialect real? Because he's actually from Kanto. But anyhow, in the business world, impressions are super important, and with different people he speaks differently, as if acting to impress 'em... And of course, in front of real Kansai people he gets all embarrassed and switches back to standard Japanese. I don't really get it, but he sure is an interesting character.  "His only flaw is that he's quick to brag. You can stop it now. I'm sure Battler's getting tired of it. Right?" "That's not true, hihihi! But isn't it nice, though? I think that as a man, having tales of valor to tell is awesome. Because someone like me doesn't have anything like that to tell." "Oh, really? I'd imagine a man with your looks would have girls crying left and right. I can't believe that you have nothing at all to brag about." "I, I, I, you, you, you're joking, right?! There's no way any weird stories like that have happened! Actually, I kinda want to be introduced to some instead!" "Oh, but you must have some stories. ...*giggle*, you must tell them to your aunt later. Because George has absolutely none of those kind of stories. Heheheh..." Ah well, George-aniki's family's interesting and fun, and they seem to get along fine, after all... drat, big difference from my family.  ] "You shouldn't talk like that about your own father. Still, this isn't the first time he's taken forever in the bathroom." "Yeah, the guy's always been that way. I wish he'd stop going to the can with a magazine. I wonder what magazines he takes and what he does with them! Ihihi!" "Oh, you don't need to worry about that at all. Since we've been together, I haven't let him do that sort of thing by himself." "Hihihi! Oooh, I'll have to get the juicy details later! Sounds like Dad has his balls in an iron grip." "You know what happens if you don't get a proper grip, right?" "No kidding. You're the only one who can hold the reigns on that old bastard, Kyrie-san. Even as his son, I'll give them over gladly." "Heh, leave it to me. Isn't it my speciality?" My real mom died six years ago. After her passing, my father remarried with Kyrie-san. It's understandable for someone my age. Even now, I can't call his second wife 'Mom'. And, I guess she doesn't want to call this massive, unrelated stepson 'son'.We don't act like brats to each other. We wouldn't gain anything by fighting. So for the same reason, we just don't play at being family either. That being the case, she's more like a friendly neighbor to me, and by comparison, I guess we've gotten pretty close. Instead of feeling bad about it by forcing ourselves, we gain a degree of comfort from treating each other in a simpler way. Since Kyrie-san's also an unusually frank person, we make it work well somehow. And, when I started badmouthing Dad, who'd already left the can, the man himself came back, drying his hands with a handkerchief.   "You've been talking trash about me with mom again, haven't you? Why are you so unenthusiastic about the respect you owe your father, hmm?" "Owowow, owowowowow! Dammit, that hurts! You can stretch my ear all you want, I'm not gonna be able to fly ya know. That hurts!!" "C'mon now. Up up, down down, left right, left right. Now try saying 'Father, please excuse me for saying such disrespectful things'." "Like hell I will! Go find yourself some members-only store if you want it that much! Gyaah, let gooooo!!" By the way, I didn't get just my height from him. My terrible name too. Dad's name is 右代宮留弗夫. Can you read it? Come on, it's just 留弗夫. You read it as 'Rudolf'. Ahaha, I'm sure he resents Grandfather pretty strongly for giving him that name. But that's no reason to slap me with that bizarre naming tradition. A bit sketchier than George's name, Rudolf's could concievably be read as 'rudofu'. After the old bastard finished having his fun pinching and pulling my ear, aunt Eva grabbed his. "Hey, Rudolf? Isn't that child abuse?" "Gyaah, that hurts, Aneki..."This scene is a perfect example of how a mischievous younger brother always gets punished by his older sister, no matter how hulking he is. "Eva nee-san, please leave it at that. I'll make sure to stretch out his other ear later on. "My, I'm sorry. I should leave you a piece to pull on. Rudolf? Be sure to get lots and lots of punishment afterwards from Kyrie-san, alright?" "You're one to talk, Aneki, after abusing your little brother. Hideyoshi nii-san, I'd like to thank you very much for picking her up. If it wasn't for your leniency, she'd still be unsold in the store. As her younger brother, I apologize." "...Hmm~?! Who are you calling 'unsold'?"After taking 2...3 steps to close the gap between them, Eva unleashes a high reverse roundhouse kick, still looking as charming as ever, and stopping a centimeter away from Dad's nose. She started out with Tai-chi-chuan, maybe for her figure, and then got interested in the Chinese martial arts. After that, she went through karate, tae kwon do, capoeira... and what is it she's learning now, again? ...Well anyway, they say a woman's weapons are in her lower body, and that's literally true for Eva.  "Rudo-lf? Did you know that a direct blow to the side of the head would knock you out in one hit? Not so long ago, my partner messed up during an exhibition and started blowing bubbles, you see?" "...Haaa, no, that's alright. I'm also sorry about her funny walk."Dad, not batting an eyelid, shrugs and smiles bitterly at uncle Hideyoshi.  "Wait a sec, Kyrie, you've got to think about the troubles the new kid would have. I'm surprised Geroge-kun grew up so well after being born from this evil sister of mine. What an awesome kid. Share some of that with my dumbass son, would you." "It's nothing of the sort. There was nothing wrong with the way Eva nee-san raised George-kun, so he turned out as a good and gentle kid. Isn't that right, Nee-san." "My my, I wonder, ufufufu, I do wonder...! Our George is still undependable. Ah, but more importantly, how's your little Ange-chan? I heard she was vomiting?" "Oh, that's right! I was expectin' I could see her face, after so long. Is she alright?" "She always catches a cold when the seasons change. She's very frail... The truth is that I wanted to bring her, but my family will take care of her this time." "I think that's a wise move. She'll get better faster by not bathing in the rotten air at the head house. A child's sickness is more important than an adult's convenience, right?" "I know of some great medicine fer vomitin' colds! When we get back home, I'll send some to you right away, so use it!" "Thank you very much, Hideyoshi nii-san. I'm always in your debt..."...After the conversation suddenly turned in that direction, there was no way we kids would get to jump in. For now, I'm just happy that aunt Eva properly avenged me on Dad's pinching my ear. "Are we still waiting for the weather?"George-aniki points at the counter. The unchanging 'checking weather' sign is stuck next to the departure times for the flight we're scheduled to board. According to Aniki, it seems like a smaller plane is more subject to the winds and the weather, and depending on that, it looks like it's really common for the flight's departure to be influenced big-time. ...Wait a sec, it isn't really gonna shake, right...? I mean from down here, you just see the cloudy weather and you can't feel the wind... Well, maybe it'll be different once the plane is in the sky.  "A typhoon again? ...It's inevitable, with the yearly family conference in October. I wish he'd choose a better season." "I agree. I've always hoped it could be done during the Obon festival. In fact, Rudolf, shouldn't we try proposing that to Father and Nii-san at this family conference?" "...Very funny. Why don't you do it yourself? Our brother would never listen to anything I suggested." "No way. It doesn't really bother me that much in October. What if you propose it, since you say you can't stand typhoons, Rudolf? I'm just saying..." "I only said that typhoons always come around this time of year. You're the one who wanted it during Obon, right?" "Well, you said so last year, Rudolf! That if it were around Obon it'd be easier to fit in your schedule!" "Oh no I didn't." "Oh yes you did. I wouldn't forget you saying that!" "No I didn't, Aneki, you're the one saying that all the time!" "Didn't you know? Stopping a strike a hair's breadth away is a very high class technique." "Sheesh, women your age shouldn't spread their legs like that!"When I see Dad and aunt Eva arguing, all I can see is a brat's quarrel...  "Even though they normally behave like fathers and mothers, in these family conferences, when they meet their old siblings, they turn into children again." "And on the other hand, you can analyze it all calmly and look like the grown-up. ...When I grow up, I don't want to become like the old bastard. In this case, I want to become an intellectual like Aniki." "Like me? Oh, I still have a long way to go. I still lack social experience, as well as sociability, and courage. ...I think that you already have quite a lot of those. And so, when you become an adult, I'm sure you'll outstrip me fast enough."George-aniki scratched his head laughing, as if to hide his embarrassment. Of course, he's just being humble. Aniki entered a university and uncle Hideyoshi's company as an apprentice at the same time, and studied both academics and how to become a business emperor in parallel. Then, right after graduating, he got into uncle Hideyoshi's company as an aide, and as he devoted himself zealously to his work, he piled up lots of social experience. He even has a great dream of eventually becoming independent and making his own castle. Aniki is a real paragon of a man, sparing no effort as he strives towards that. It's no exaggeration to say that I really respect him.  I've got no dreams for the future! I wanna rake in money in a cool and fun, all-smiles way, but it's not like that kind of thing happens. ...When Aniki was my age, he was already carrying a fine objective and studying to get there, so I guess I can't compare at all. The old bastard says stuff like: "You're coming over as an apprentice in my company? Then you start by cleaning the toilets." Dammit, I'm not gonna be taken care of by the old bastard. I'll clear my life's path myself! ...If only willpower could make you an adult. Maybe I should go on one of those self-searching journey things that are all the rage now? ...Well, it's not like I could mooch off my parents for that kind of money... Right then, uncle Hideyoshi shouted really loudly. He'ss basically a really nice person, but his big problem is controlling the volume of his voice. He's greeting aunt Rosa, who came late.  BGM: HANE  "Rosa-san, it's good to see you again. It's good to see you too, Maria-chan." "It's been too long, Kyrie nee-san, Hideyoshi nii-san. ...And, oh my, Battler-kun?! You're so big now...!" "Ah, come on, hahaha... It's embarrassing hearing that every time I meet someone today...!" "Oh, Rosa. You're late. If the plane was following the timetable, you'd have barely been on time, you know...?" "I'm sorry. The trains weren't running well. What's this, we're waiting on the weather again?" "Oh, don't complain. Compared to being shaken around for six hours on a boat, I'd rather have only thirty minutes on a plane. Even if we're kept waiting an hour, it's still much faster." "Maria-chan's also gotten biiig!! So, how tall's Maria-chan now?" "Uu-! So, how tall am I now?!"Maria-chan parrots uncle Hideyoshi's question to her mother. I guess she doesn't even remember her own height. She's probably right in the middle of a growth spurt, so her height must change every month. In another few years, she'll look like a lady at the first glance, most likely.  "Well, let me see..., how much did we measure you at the other day? In any case, you're growing little by little. Aren't you now?" "Uu-!" "She grew much more than last year, in my opinion. Let's see, she turned nine years old this year, didn't she?" "Nine years old. Uu-." "That's right, you're nine years old. Looks like you're high spirits too, Maria-chan! Up you... ng... you've gotten a bit too heavy to play airplane with..." "Ouch, George-aniki, what a rude thing to say to a lady. Here, I'll do it, up ya gooo~." "...Uu-."When I went to lift her up instead of Aniki, Maria stiffened her body as if to reject it, staring suspiciously at my face... Ah, that's right. When I met Maria before, it was six years ago and she was only three. There's no reason for her to remember my face.  "I guess it's no use. The last time she met Battler, she was only three. You don't keep memories at that age."Apart from me, she must know everyone's face because she meets them every year, but I haven't had contact with the Ushiromiya family for about six years now. So, it's kinda normal that I'm not in the memories of this nine year old girl. Even I just barely remember her being a three year old crybaby. "Maria. He's Battler onii-chan. Rudolf nii-san's son. ...Understand?" "...The brother's son is... the brother is the son...?? Uu!!"She probably uses that 'uu-' sound to fill in the blanks when she can't understand a complicated explanation. I guess that explanation had been a bit confusing. "Maria-chan. This is Battler-kun. He's your cousin, like me." "...Like George onii-chan? ...Battler? Cousin? ...Uu-." "That's right. You got it."This kind of thing makes me think that Aniki's really awesome, or that he's a real grown-up. For someone who isn't married, he's just too perfect at dealing with kids. I'm sure that he'll be an indulgent father in the future. "...Battler onii-chan?"Maria looks straight at me, her expression asking if it's OK to call me that way. "Yep, that's me, Battler. Nice to meet you, Maria!" "Uu-! Battler!" "Hey, Maria! You shouldn't call him like that, call him Battler onii-chan...!" "That's alright, aunt Rosa. I don't sweat the small stuff. Hey, Maria! We don't need honorifics, right?!" "Battler Battler Battleeerrr! Uu-uu-!" "That's right, Maria Maria Mariaaa! Uu-uu-!!"We horsed around for a while to make up for the six year gap in our friendship. To her, I'm probably still nothing more than a huge Nii-chan she's meeting for the first time, but that should be fine if we slowly get used to each other. But I'm surprised. She's the same as my memories of her from six years ago. Yeah, people just don't change so much. I'm sorta happy she's still the pure, innocent girl I remember.   ...Actually, when you think about it, all the names in my family have a touch of foreign-ness. You gotta wonder what Grandfather's tastes are, exactly. Because of him, even us grandchildren get screwed. Is that habit of his 'cause he was pissed with his normal, Japanese-ish name? Anyway, there's one thing about aunt Rosa that's a relief compared to the other family members. The old bastard and aunt Eva have this weird streak that makes them tease and mock people, but even though she's got the same blood, aunt Rosa doesn't do that. Between all her siblings, she's the one with the most common sense. Like uncle Hideyoshi, she's a kind aunt who'll always be on the kids' side. ...On the other hand, perhaps because she has a strict way of raising kids, she's not as generous as uncle Hideyoshi with her allowance.  As though it was waiting to see us off, there's a broadcast in the lobby. "Our apologies for the wait. Boarding will now commence for flight 201 to Niijima. We ask that the passengers please form two lines in front of the counter, behind the white line." "Rosa, you still haven't gone through boarding procedures, so hurry up." "Oh no...! Maria, come on!" "Uu-!" We'll undergo a metal inspection before going to the runway. It doesn't have the grandness of the planes that make international flights, but while it is a small machine, it's still a plane. We are body-checked by a staff member holding a metal detector. When everybody lined up is checked to be clear, we leave to the runway guided by the staff member.  The procession stops in front of the entrance to the airplane. The staff employee who guided us turns around and speaks while looking at the list.  "I'm first! Right here! ...Oh, Eva, d'you have a candy? I've been lookin' all over for some, but I can't find any.""Ushiromiya Eva-sama."  "They're in the handbag. I'll get one once we're inside the plane."I've heard that candies are a good way to protect the ears from hurting because of variations in atmospheric pressure when landing or taking off. That's probably what they're talking about. "...It'd be nice if I got a window seat!" "Hahaha, don't worry. There aren't any other kinds of seats."Like George-aniki says, it looks there're only two lines of seats. So, this is what a small plane is like... It isn't really going to shake, is it? "Ushiromiya George-sama."  "Here. Don't worry, Battler-kun. It won't shake too much.""Ushiromiya Battler-sama." "A-Aniki, how much is 'not too much'?! Even if I fall from a boat, I'm fine, I can swim, but if I fall from a frickin' plane, it's the end! But of course, there's a parachute in the seat, right? Wait, there isn't?!""Ushiromiya Rudolf-sama." "Come on, Battler, quit being a wuss and get in." "Ow! Dad! Don't push me! There's no parachute!""Ushiromiya Kyrie-sama." "Alright, stop this nonsense. Let's move along, now." "Ouch! Kyrie! Stop pushing! This blockhead isn't moving!""Ushiromiya Maria-sama." "Uu-! Move move!""Ushiromiya Rosa-sama."  "Hey, Maria! Be quiet, now..."  BGM: Ride On       
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Oct 31, 2016 |
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Sep 14, 2016 13:45
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There's pretty much no way to please everyone when it comes to sprite selection, yeah. Original flavor's weaknesses are pretty obvious (although it probably has the best facial expressions of any version), and the Steam sprites look all right on some characters, but some of the others look a bit too much like Rodyle's avatar. PS3 seemed like a nice compromise, plus I like being actually able to tell what's going on in the backgrounds for once.
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Sep 14, 2016 15:56
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whitehelm posted:Did you consider the full PS3 port? They password protected it so people would buy the game but you can find it out via googling really easily. I had written it off because of the password protection issue (it seems a bit silly now that the steam version exists), but it's something to think about. I'll be sticking with this version for what I've already got written up, but I may switch versions later on if it's a significant step up.
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Sep 14, 2016 16:50
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Item Getter posted:I was just wondering why the title says WHEN THEY CRY 3? Is it just something like there were 2 Higurashi games and this is #3 despite being not really related? Exactly that. The series goes Higurashi, Higurashi Kai, Umineko, Umineko Chiru.
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Sep 14, 2016 17:24
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Mraagvpeine posted:Do you need to know anything about the previous Higurashi games to fully enjoy this game? There are a couple esoteric nods to Higurashi and some thematic connections, but that's about it. The story is totally separate.
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Sep 14, 2016 18:24
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Dire Wombat posted:Nobody likes the anime by comparison with the VN. I don't know that it's even the fault of the studio, since the story's form is unusually important and any adaptation would run into awkward problems. The manga adaptation is actually very good. I plan to do some scene comparison posts at some point down the line.
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Sep 14, 2016 22:57
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AweStriker posted:This is going to be a mostly meaningless nitpick but after stating that you draw the line at oji-san/oba-san and that you'd replace those with uncle/aunt X, there's a couple places where... you didn't. They have been rightly purged. As for the concerns about whether or not I have the stamina for this: I've been storing up LP energy for the past six months with no outlet, and my first LP on this site was over 200 posts of Steins;Gate. So, I mean, maybe.
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Sep 15, 2016 02:08
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Neopie posted:As a side note, I know HIGURASHI had to have a lot of it's OST changed when released on steam, since it was a fuckton of doujin artists, is that also true for Umineko? To my knowledge, the music is unchanged on the Steam port. The translation is very similar, but a bit more polished, and it does tackle my big obvious pet peeve with the Witch Hunt version. 
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Sep 15, 2016 15:36
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John Lee posted:That being said: ProfessorProf, what's your opinion on me posting a Polsy link to the PS3 opening? I prefer it, but it has some confusing flashes to events that show the... surprising directions Umineko can go in. I don't consider it spoilers, and I think it might even enhance the experience, but I wanted to get your opinion first. Hmm... I was planning to link it eventually, along with the Chiru PS3 OP (definitely don't post that yet), but I think it's fine. Go ahead, give us something to talk about to push over to page 2 for tomorrow's update.
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Sep 15, 2016 22:00
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little_firebird posted:Are you planning on showing the original EP openings before the new prettier (?) sprites came out? Those tend to show things strictly chapter related. Unless I'm confused about something, that's what I linked in the update itself.
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Sep 15, 2016 23:08
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alcharagia posted:gently caress. you don't even understand how hard i'm having to restrain myself from posting the ending theme to the anime, because it is art, the best part of the anime, and should be displayed in museums Why restrain yourself? The anime was terrible, but the OP and Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 01:47 on Sep 16, 2016 |
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Sep 16, 2016 01:37
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Yeah go with that link instead. This one looks safe, but for general linking going forward - always put youtubes in polsy links. People have a nasty habit of discussing endgame spoilers in the comments even for Umineko-related music.
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Sep 16, 2016 01:42
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Eh, I figure if it's good enough for the anime and the game, it's good enough for me.
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Sep 16, 2016 02:48
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 BGM: Doorway of Summer   "I don't know why, but this guy hates any vehicle. He always babbles that it's going to crash or sink. You're a disgrace of a man, you are." "...Shaddup. It's only to be expected, with all that shaking... It was my first time on a small plane like that, so I just got a little stressed, that's all..." "You call that uproar 'a little stressed'? Heheheh, if I ever travel overseas with you, things will surely be quite lively. Would you like to go to Egypt with your aunt? I'm sure you could handle 14 hours on a plane, right?" "Ahhahaha! That's a good plan. Battler-kun, go get some training from Eva nee-san. Still, it's so hilarious! Ahhahahaha!" "Wah-hahaha, now now, everyone's got their strong and their weak points. It's bad to laugh at 'em. Wah-hahaha...!" "D, Dad, you're laughing too. Hey, Maria-chan, stop laughing already." "Stop laughing already? Uu-!"Dammit, dammit! Is being scared of planes really so bad? Everyone obviously thinks I'm a great big oaf now... Tch!  Since it's a neighboring island, it's not that great a distance. By boat, it's a leisurely 30 minutes to the island. After going to the pier where the boat to the island is anchored, we saw a silhouette waving its hand.  BGM: Towering Cloud in Summer "Ah, Jessica-chan, it's been a year since I saw you! You've gotten taller again, haven't you?" "Kyah-haha, don't gimme that, it's embarrassing when you say that every year!" "...H-hey, Aniki, you've gotta be kidding me. That's really Jessica?!" "Wait a sec, George nii-san... This big guy...is Battler?!"  And then there's this. For what it's worth this particular side of Battler gets sidelined pretty early on. Until then, I guess you get to watch Battler try to get to second base with his cousin.  "Don't screw around with me, I'm a blushing flower of 18! Just like hair grows out, so'll other stuff! You think I got boobs just so you can go and rub 'em, loser!? And what about you, Battler? You got all ridiculously big only physically!! Did you get a little stronger?" "Don't screw with me, I'll show you how much training I've piled up since back then!!" "You're pissing me off!! I'll beat you at your own game!" She's Dad's older brother's daughter. That older brother is in fact the oldest son of the Ushiromiya family, so for now, it means Jessica is the direct heir of the Ushiromiya family. Because I'm the same age as her, and because we've always had boy-girl squabbles, since long ago, when we got together at the family conferences, we brawled together while still keeping a playful relationship. Jessica grew quickly, and the truth is, in terms of size and physical strength, I always lost to her. So, when we scuffled as a contest of strength, it usually went Jessica's way. Even though I clearly understand that I'm bigger now, I still feel like I can't win against Jessica with my strength. "...Woh...ah...! What the, wha, you're getting serious...! Owowow..." "Hey hey hey, this is nothin'! Jessica, you've gotten weak." "Sh-shaddup. I'm a woman, so there's no way I could beat a man with physical strength forever, right?!" "Weeelll, that's certainly true! The meat I put on my arms all went to your chest. It looks like it'd be a pretty even test of strength between my arms and your boobs, don't you think?!" "I told you, my boobs aren't for you to feel up!! Besides, how 'bout you? Did your cute lil' elephant-san get a bit bigger to go with the rest of you?!" "Stop it, idiot! Nooo, you perv! I'll be ruined for marriage! Don't touch my crooootch!" "D, don't say stuff people are gonna misinterpret!!" And I guess it's even more true for Jessica. She sure didn't think she'd lose to me. Because she lost so easily, she must be shocked at all the growth I've had these six years past. ...Six years, was it? Once more, I realize the blank that all this time means. "Crap... total defeat. It's like I'm no match for you anymore." "That's not true. Even Battler-kun must have his weaknesses. Right, Maria-chan?" "Uu-! Faaall, faaall!!" "Shh, cut it out Maria~, let's keep that a secret, okay?" "Fall? What the hell's that?" "Heheh! Sorry, but there's no chance Jessica'll be able to see that weakness of mine now! After all, the nightmare plane trip is already over and done with! Only thing left is the nice, quiet splashing of the boat trip. I never thought I'd start loving that piece-a-junk boat this much. Ihihi!" "Hu-h???? George nii-san, is there something wrong with his head?" "You'll understand soon. Very soon."At the time, I didn't understand what Aniki meant by that big smile...  BGM: Sea "Battler-kun, you remember? Look, it's Kumasawa-san, the servant." "How could I forget Kumasawa baa-chan! Anyway, you haven't aged a bit in these past six years. Wait, you haven't gotten younger, have you~?" "Hoh-hoh-ho! Lately, my skin has been getting all smooth and silky! And look, hasn't my chest gotten even bigger as well? ...Want to try rubbing it?" "V-very funny! My breast rubbing is strictly limited to bouncy girls!" "Even I had some bouncy ones in my youth, you know~? Now, now, please feel free to have a go!" "Hyoo, gimme a break! It's girls I'm looking for! Not grannies!"The jokes I'd cracked about Jessica were being used against me. Come to think of it, Kumasawa has always been the type to tease people. "Kumasawa-san, stop that now. People with one foot in the coffin shouldn't jump around." "To sport with the young is the best rejuvenation medicine. Hoh-hoh-ho!" "It's rare for Kumasawa-san to come pick us up. Now, I do wonder why? Whenever you're entrusted with something to do, your lumbago always kicks in. *snicker*." "Hoh-hoh-ho, Eva-sama, you are harsh as usual. I found myself with some urgent purchases to make, and while I was at it, I thought I would come welcome you all. Although, it does give a bad impression if the one waiting to greet you is a decrepit old woman. Hoh-hoh-ho...!"Aunt Eva spoke sarcastically, but Kumasawa baa-chan's years of experience are nothing to sneeze at. She showed that she was capable of smoothly and coolly letting that comment slide. Well, it feels weird to say it, but as a servant, old Kumawasawa-chan may be past her prime. She might behave as if she's doing well, but between the headache and the lumbago, her body is falling apart. To tell the truth, the very fact that she's still working is already impressive... How old is she this year again? She must be pushing eighty at least. It's incredible thata she's still able to act so brightly. "You just seem to get more and more lively. Oh, that's right, here you are. It's the tea I told you about before. Look, I bought you some. Please do try it later on."Aunt Rosa takes the bag with the present in it out from her suitcase. To think that she remembered the promise that she had apparently made last year and faithfully bought it. This kind of conscientiousness is just like aunt Rosa. She's the kind of person who won't forget or break a promise. Whether or not Kumasawa baa-chan remembered the promise, she seemed deeply touched by the fact that someone would bring a gift to a simple servant like her.  It seems like her only flaw is a tendency to slack off. I hear she tries to get away from heavy or troublesome work by playing up her chronic diseases... In Kumasawa baa-chan's case, maybe we should call that a laid back craftiness rather than a tendency to slack off. ...Though it probably doesn't help her in the eyes of those paying her salary. Ah well, even if she's pretty flaky when it comes to work, I don't dislike her. I guess that's probably because of her cheerfulness and her constant smile. "Haaa, seein' ya lookin' lively as always is the best! How's yur back doin' then?" "Even with the medicine, it's not getting one whit better. According to the doctor, nothing can be done for this one. It's what's called an incurable disease, hoh-hoh-ho!" "At any rate, Jessica-chan's only gotten prettier. Good thing she looks like Natsuhi nee-san." "R, really...? Personally, I don't think we look alike at all... I mean, I don't even want to look like my parents. 'Cause I got zero respect for 'em." "Now, you shouldn't say such things. *giggle*, even though there are quite a few people who don't want to look like their parents in our family." "Ah, that's me!" "You idiot, don't you start looking like me. Your nose looking like mine already pisses me off." "What are you talking about? You're surprisingly alike, you and your father." "Come on, you can't be serious... Just how am I like Dad?" "You're his copy in arrogance and self-importance. Father's blood is especially strong in you and Nii-san. Wouldn't you say, Rosa?" "Oh, absolutely. Krauss nii-san and Rudolf nii-san are almost unbelievably like Dad." "Alright, alright already, why am I the only one under fire from the girls? Hideyoshi nii-san, please help me out." "My my, Rudolf-kun, yer always popular with the ladies. I'm jealous! Wah-hah-hah-ha!" "Hoh-hoh-ho! As usual, you're popular enough to make me jealous. Well then, everyone, shall we head over to the boat? Come now, Maria-chan, let's get on the boat together, alright? "Get on the boat together. Uu-! Everyone gets on together. Uu-!" "Hell yeah, this time around I'm not gonna be scared. I'm used to being shaken by the waves. With that piece-a-junk fishing boat, I'm less afraid of the shaking than the engine breaking down and the boat drifting off." "Oh yes, Battler-kun, I forgot to tell you. That fishing boat was completely decrepit so it was taken out of use a few years back. Now we get taken to the island in another boat." "Ohhh, right. It's Battler's first time in the new boat! It's super comfy! And frickin' fast! It can go at crazy high speeds!" "Ohhh... That means less trip time, right? That sounds great! Anyway, even if it's only a bit better than an airplane, as long as we get just a little less time exposed to the danger of sinking, that's really just awesomely great~." "...Uu-. Is Battler going to faaall faaall again?" "That's only on airplanes. Everything's fine now!" "Anyway, it's the captain's pride and joy, and it's a kinda modded high-speed boat. Seems he tinkers with big parts of it. He was bragging about how he attached four-base high efficiency propellers to it so that he could break 40 knots or something like that. I just remember how he's always bragging." "Me too, I remember since we're told about it every year. The captain says that since he lost a speed contest with a foreign fishing boat a long time ago, he became obsessed with modding. He says that at the time, even though it was only in a fishing boat, his opponent could go at over 30 knots." "To fulfill his thirst for a revenge match, he created an awesome whole new super high-speed modded boat. I'm sure you'll just love it, Battler." BGM: HANE  "Battler-kun, you shouldn't lean over the railing too much. You might fall." "Uu- Uu-!! Faaall, faaall!!" "Daaaaammiiiiit, so this is why you were all grinning before!"So this is the super high-speed boat that the captain started modding, oh yeah, it just can't be compared with the other piece-a-junk boat.  "Uu-uu-uu-!! Fall fall faaall!!" "If I fall I'm in the ocean, I'll drown... a parachute... no, wait, where's the buoy?! Gimme a life jackeeeet!!" "Waah-hah-hah-hah-ha! What's up, Battler, what's with that kinda attitude, waah-hah-hah-hah-ha!" "Jessica-chan, Maria-chan, it's not nice to tease. Battler-kun, if you're scared, then just don't come out on the deck. I think that if you stay inside the boat, you'll be a bit less afraid." "Heheh, that's a no thank-you, Aniki! Shipwreck victims are always the ones inside the boat. The survivors are usually those on the deck during the accident. That's why I'm here!! But, it's shaking!! I'm gonna faaall!! Whooooaaaaaahhh!!" "Shake faaall!! Uu-uu-uu-!!" "Maria, I told you to behave yourself! ...But Battler-kun, it looks like you really can't handle it... I'll go tell the captain to slow down for you." "Whooooa, aunt Rosa, thank yooooouuuuu! I confirm that safe, slow driving is the thing, even on the seaaaaa!!" "*cackle*! Don't do that, Rosa. Ordeals are necessary to the young. Right, Battler-kun? If it's only this, you can easily conquer it, right? Otherwise, you won't be able to go to Egypt with your aunt!" "Whooooa, aunt Eva, you're meeeeeeeeaaaan! Ooh noooo, I'm gonna faaaaaall!! Life jackeeeet, parachuuuute?!! Whoooooooaaaaaaahh...!!! N-no, okay, turn it over and think that way!! What's the enemy aiming for?! He wants to make me afraid like this?! If that's what he's aiming for, he's soft, I'm not gonna be scaaaaaaaared!! But stooopp iiit, I'm gonna faaaaaaall!!!" BGM: Sea "...Haa... This speed is a bit better...earlier, I didn't even feel alive..."The max speed I can tolerate seems to be considerably slow. But that earlier was abnormal... The whole boat was shaking! Sliding and leaping on the ocean's surface! Instead of a boat, I felt like I was riding on a flying fish... Jessica was still guffawing at me as I leaned against the railing, tired and disheartened. "I lost in that strength contest earlier, but I'm glad to know I'm no worse off where it really counts. But seriously, hahahahahah!" "Dammit... go ahead and laugh. One of these days, I'm gonna find your weakness and I'll get back at you, and then your boobs will be mine to squish..." "Ahahaha, well, we'll see about that if you ever do find it, okay?! Waah-hah-hah-ha!" "Uu-. Battler, all weak." "Yeah, Battler, all weak... I want to die on land, not in the ocean or the sky..."Maria was patting my back, so I tapped her head in return. Her expression is blank as usual, but I understand that she wants to console me.  Judging from Kumasawa-san's big grin, our parents inside the boat are probably right in the middle of yucking it up over my big fuss. Dammit, I'm so embarrassed I don't want to face any of them... If I don't start on some other topic, I get the feeling I'm gonna be the butt of jokes for who knows how long, so let's pick a nice, safe topic of conversation. "...Hey, Jessica. How are uncle Krauss and aunt Natsuhi doing?" "My old man and my mom? Unfortunately, they're fine. Though every other word out of their mouths is 'study, study', which pisses me off. I'm so jealous, since it doesn't look like uncle Hideyoshi or uncle Rudolf say those kind of things." "Hahaha, oh no. When I was slacking off during exams, I was always getting told 'exams, exams'. I thought it was annoying, but now I'm grateful." "Hah, I knew it, George-aniki can be human too... By the way, my family is tight-fisted about praises. Haven't gotten a single one! Oh well, even if I got one I wouldn't listen, hihihi!" "Battler-san, you still cannot return to your home?" "...Well, I kinda go back now and then. I'm still leaving lots of clothes and stuff at the previous house." "...Uu-? Battler has two houses?" "Hm... hmmm. Something like that." "Why? Why two houses? Uu-? Uu-?"Only Maria, who can't really grasp the situation, voices her naive question. But even though they know, everyone glances at me and doesn't answer.  "Maria! Look, you can see the harbor now...! Look, over there! Can you see it?!" "Uu-! Saw the harbor, saw the harbor!"It seems Jessica intends to gently redirect the situation... Sheesh. It's not something I'd like to say, but being strangely trod around as a taboo makes me feel bad. ...I don't mind that much myself anymore.  Don't get me wrong, it's not like I ran away from home. The pig-headed one at fault is my dad. ...I don't mind that much about Kyrie-san. It's a big deal that she holds the old bastard's reins and that she can ride him out well... But just the betrayal that the old bastard inflicted on my Mom... Sorry, but I'm still scrambled up about it inside. "*Ahem*. We'll be getting there soon."George-aniki is trying to divert the conversation by clearing his throat. "...Please forgive my indiscretion. It seems this old woman has said too much already. If I have hurt your feelings-" "Heheh! I don't mind it and no one's feelings are hurt. Don't worry, Kumasawa baa-chan."After Kumasawa-san said those tactless words she looked like she was regretful, but I stood up and tried to pass it off lightly so that I didn't have anyone trying to console me in some weird way. After that, I have a taste of some soda and go over to Maria and Jessica, who are gazing at the silhouette of the island. "Uu-! Battler, saw the island, saw the island! There there there! Uu-uu-uu-!" "Where is it...oh, I see it now. Even after six years, the island hasn't changed a bit." The island's name is Rokkenjima. Included in the Izu archipelago, it's a small island about 10km around. Just because it's called "The Izu Seven", lots of people misunderstand it as there being seven islands, but that's not true. There are actually more than seven. Rokkenjima is also one of the meager islands that couldn't even get included among the seven main ones. That notwithstanding, there are probably very few people who know about this island, because only the people of the Ushiromiya family come to this island. In other words, it has no ties whatsoever to outsiders or tourists. Therefore, you're never gonna find this island's name in a travel brochure. Rokkenjima is in its entirety an estate possessed by the Ushiromiya head house. So, only the Ushiromiya family lives there, and only people connected to the Ushiromiya family come and go. There's only a harbor and a mansion. The island is for the greater part left as uncultivated forest. Such a waste, when it could be made into a nice golf course. But, when one considers that the shore in its entirety is a private beach, I guess that makes it pretty luxurious.  I was living a commoner's life at my grandparents' home these six years, so I had completely forgotten, but the old bastard's house sure is awesome, and I think it feels like every single thing there is a gaudy display of wealthy tastes. Come to think of it, George-aniki, Jessica, Maria, and of course I, sorta turn into wealthy, high-class gentlemen and ladies. Needless to say, none of us feel that way at all. I don't see myself as being rich, and George-aniki, who is quite spartan, doesn't depend on anyone. Jessica doesn't need money, so she's always grumbling about how she wants to move to the city, and Maria's still a kid who has no interest whatsoever in money. ...Is that still gaudiness? Looking at it from the perspective of people in poverty who can't pay the bills, we must seem like we've been blessed with a lot. Explaining more here would be too much, so I'll stop. Well, it's the same as not being able to choose the parents you're born from. I didn't ask to be born in a rich family. And I guess it's also a mistake to envy that. Whatever you do isn't estimated at its proper value, and people talk all the time and are sour because you're rich, so it's a lot to put up with... While I was immersed in this kind of sentimentalism, Maria started to make noise while leaning over the railing.   Video: MisfortuneHave a quick look at the general flow of the game, plus a first glipse at the voice cast! So far: Battler: Daisuke Ono Maria: Yui Horie George: Kenichi Suzumura Jessica: Marina Inoue Kumasawa: Hideyuki Umezu  "Uu-uu-! Gone gone! Uu-uu-uu-uu-!!"Maria is clamoring 'gone, gone'. Solely from her words, you'd think she dropped something, but as she goes 'gone, gone' over and over, she points over the ocean. "What's wrong? What's gone? I'll look for it too if you want. What is it? ...?" However, since my last memory of the scenery is from six years ago, I managed to notice before Aniki, who comes here every year. "...Huh...? ...If I remember correctly, wasn't there a Torii or something on top of a small crag around here? ...That's right, it was definitely there. I remember it well, since as we get closer to the island, it's the first thing to greet us, like a landmark." "Maybe they were washed away by the waves or something? It was a small crag, it probably got brittle because of its exposure." "I think so too. It probably disappeared during the summer. Whatever." "Or perhaps a huge lightning bolt fell one evening and smashed the shrine... The fisherman whisper that having a thunderbolt fall upon our honored tutelary God would be a certain sign of misfortune. Lightning begone, lightning begone..."Kumasawa-san impishly smiles as if teasing us, and makes a gesture rubbing both hands, mocking the Shinto gesture for prayer. However, Maria seems to be believing it, and screwing her face up seriously, she stares fixedly over the ocean to where the crag can be thought to be, where the tutelary God is enshrined. "...A sign...of misfortune... Uu-." "Enough, Kumasawa-san. Maria isn't old enough to understand this kind of joke." "It's alright, Maria-chan. It's just a coincidence. Nothing scary's gonna happen."George-aniki puts a hand on Maria's shoulder to calm her down, but Maria's sharp-eyed expression doesn't budge.  Maria repeats that word feverishly. Apparently, repeating a single word over and over is a habit that Maria's had for a long time. However, since the word she's saying is literally 'misfortune', it's kinda creepy. "Hey now, Maria. If you say it over and over like that, misfortune will really end up happening, you know?"I tap Maria's other shoulder. And then, Maria whips her head around, stares at my face, and unblinking speaks.  BGM: Hour of Darkness Thinking to relieve the tension in the air, I answer light-heartedly. Then, Maria stabs her finger upwards, arm raised high, and points to the heavens. Looking up, the sky was cloudy as usual, but it had gotten a great deal more leaden than in the morning. I see, she was saying a typhoon's drawing near... We're gonna have to spend a night on the island, but if during that time things don't go well, I'm not gonna be able to go to school on Monday. Well, I guess that's a perfect excuse to be absent. "...Uu-..."...It looks like she's sensing some kind of misfortune in this cloudy sky. She's been muttering that non-stop for a while now. Maria's at an age where girls tend to be very sensitive. Supposedly, girls who have a strong sense for the supernatural or who would make good mediums often start to kick up at just around Maria's age. For all we know, this could be her child-like sensitivity. "It's alright, Maria-chan. The weather might get worse around tonight, but tomorrow it'll clear up and become a pretty blue sky." "Uu-. Pretty blue sky... Uu-..." "That's right, by tomorrow it'll be a pretty blue sky. There's no rain that doesn't end, no clouds that don't clear." "Uu-... Rain that doesn't end... Clouds that don't clear... Uu-..." "I know the typhoon's coming, but soon it'll go away! It's alright, Maria." "...Uu-... Uu-!! Uu-uu-uu-!! Uu-uu-uu-!!"Maria starts yelling her 'Uu-uu-'. It looks like she's losing her temper since what she wants to say to us isn't getting communicated at all. What in the world is Maria trying so desperately to warn us about? We don't understand, and we can't help but feel a vague sense of misfortune... ...I hear that everyone can feel the supernatural, but that it weakens with age. In that case, Maria, being the most juvenile of us all, still possesses that perception of something that we lost because we got older... I wonder if that something is giving her a warning. Then, Kumasawa-san quietly opens her mouth.  Just as Kumasawa-san tried to begin some story, Jessica flatly interrupted her. Even from Jessica, it was extremely blunt. Out of simple curiosity I wanted to press her to continue, but judging by Jessica's look when she interrupted the story, it's easy to imagine that its contents would stir up Maria's anxiety even more. Even if I insisted, I'm sure it wouldn't be a story to make the heart all bright and cheery. "...Hoh hoh hoh, I do apologize about that... The wind here is hard to bear for the elderly, so if you would excuse me for now..."When those that like to gossip are told not to talk, there's no reason for them to be in that place. When Kumasawa-san finally realized that she'd poked her nose in too far, she went back inside the boat.  BGM: Towering Cloud in Summer Since he'd shown up partway through, he completely failed to notice the complicated atmosphere that hung about the scene, so he refreshingly and unwittingly swept that atmosphere aside. "It looks like we're gettin' there! Right, just a li'l more! Since today we went all leisure-like, it took summat more time. Ya know whose fault that is! Wah hah hah hah ha!" "Aww, uncle Hideyoshi, gimme a break already... hahaha!" "Ahaha, please, say more to him. Honestly, because of Battler, it's takin' forever~!" "...Uu-."Maria probably doesn't think anyone's gonna hear her out. She's looking down with a fretful face. As she does, George-aniki crouches down to meet her eyes, and kindly speaks. "Maria-chan. There's nothing to be afraid of. Because we're all together. There's nothing to be afraid of if we're together. Go ahead and say it." "...Uu-... There's nothing to be afraid of...if we're together..." "Yes. There's nothing to be afraid of if we're together." "...Uu-." "That's right, exactly what George-aniki said. If we're all together, there'll absolutely never be anything at all to be afraid of. Right, Jessica?" "Yeah, no doubt about that. What George nii-san said will always be true, Maria." "...Uu-. George onii-chan always true." "Yes. I don't lie. So trust me. There's nothing to be afraid of if we're all together." "Uu-. George onii-chan doesn't lie. I trust you. There's nothing to be afraid of if we're all together... Uu-, not afraid!"Maria jumps into George-aniki's arms and clings to him tightly. As soon as Aniki caresses her, she jumps away. Her facial expression, in a 180 degree change, has gone back to normal. She'd turned back into the Maria from before. "Uu-. There's nothing to be afraid anymore, because we're together... Uu-uu-." "Yeah, that's it. You look all better now. You're strong, that's awesome!" "...Uu-! Maria, awesome!" "Whass up, what happened? Maria-chan, didja get seasick? Hm?" "Hahaha, well, something like that. We'll be arriving soon."The harbor was already drawing near. 
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Oct 31, 2016 |
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Sep 16, 2016 13:45
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I've updated the top of the thread with all character profiles available so far. As a side note, my backlog is currently sitting at 8 updates, and I have a lot of free time coming up this weekend. If I break 10, you may see some bonus updates outside the usual posting schedule.
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Sep 16, 2016 13:49
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Hating Maria in EP1 is an almost universal experience, yeah.
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Sep 17, 2016 02:23
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If you get the Steam version, it doesn't have voice acting at all (although there's at least an alpha of a patch to put it back in).
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Sep 17, 2016 23:02
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 October 4th, 1986, 10:30 AM  It looked like we'd docked at the harbor. The boat's staff came out and jumped to the pier while holding the mooring rope. There was a largely built man in a tuxedo greeting us with a warm smiling face. ...I didn't know his face, but judging by his clothes, I guessed that he was a servant of the Ushiromiya family head house.  BGM: Novelette "Aw, that's sweet of you! Mr. Useless here got all scared. Then we had to slow down. It was seriously annoying!" "S, Shut up... someday, when the shoe's on the other foot, you'll remember this... ugghh."At this rate, the word would get spread around the entire family and I was gonna be the big conversation piece at tonight's dinner. Even under normal circumstances it'd be easy for me to be on everyone's lips because it's been six years, but now I'd given 'em an even juicier topic...! Dammit, why does the Ushiromiya head house have to live on this isolated island! In the meantime, the boat finished its mooring. A small plank was lowered to get off the boat. One by one, our parents came out.  "Battler-kun, isn't this your first time meeting Gohda-san? If I'm not mistaken, you weren't working here six years ago, right?" "Indeed. Therefore, I shall present myself to him. I am pleased to meet you, Battler-sama." "...I'm pretty secure about my height, but you're huge... This is definitely our first meeting. If I'd ever met a big guy like you, I'd never forget it...! It's a pleasure. I'm Battler." "I do apologize for the wait. I have been working for the Ushiromiya head house since the year before last. I am Gohda (郷田), your servant. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. If there is anything you can think to request, please ask me anytime." "Gohda-san, it's been some time." "George-sama, it has been a while that we have not seen each other. Please, allow me to assist you." "As usual, ya're a reception pro... If ya ever get bothered with this job, call me anytime, 'kay? I'd hire ya anytime!" "You do me too much honor. Please allow me to assist you, Hideyoshi-sama."Gohda-san then helped with everyone's disembarkment and greeted them. His behaviour and presentation were polished and, how could you say it, just like a professional. Completely breaking with his tough-looking outside, he was very graceful. Since he possessed that overbearing quality common in large men, I'd thought he'd be a scary person, but he was surprisingly polite the whole time. He said that he had worked on the island for two years, but there was no doubt that he had worked in the same kind of job before. After everybody disembarked, the mooring rope was untied and the boat started to steer away from the harbor. It was probably returning to its home port of Niijima. The captain waved his hand in farewell. Maria conscientiously waved her hand back.  "Seagulls? The birds?"It's true that whenever I come to this island, the seagulls always meet us with their lively 'nyaa nyaa' cries. And because of that, whenever I hear the cries of the seagulls in any other place, I get the feeling that I'm coming to a family conference. Rokkenjima, except for the small part where those of the Ushiromiya head house live, had apparently been turning into a wild bird's paradise after being left untouched. The whole wharf looked like it was turning into a huge seagull colony, and this island always was full of seagulls. Since those seagulls didn't come to greet us, I felt a bit lonely. "What's wrong, Battler-kun?" "Oh, aunt Rosa. Nah, it's nothing really, I was just sayin' that since I can't hear the seagulls, it feels a bit lonely." "My, now that you say so, it's true. Even though they're always so lively, today there isn't one to be seen." "...Uu-? Why no seagulls?" "Hmmm, maybe it's because the seagulls are having a gathering somewhere too? Maria, did you want to see the seagulls?" "Uu-, wanted to." "The hell, don't say disturbing stuff like that! You'll get Maria all confused!!" "Uu-uu-uu-! Jessica onee-chan made them into yakitori, made them into yakitori! Uu-!!" "I did not, I did not! Why the hell would I do something like that?!" "That's right, that's right~, Jessica made 'em into yakitori! Skin n' meatballs, liver 'n onio~on!" "Swim in meat dolls! Liver n' oniooon!! Uu-uu-uu-! Ahaha, ahaha! Kyakkya, kyakkya!"As I made fun of Jessica, Maria tagged along looking like she was having fun. Ooh, so she's a person who goes with other people's moods! Alrighty then, from today on I'll make you my number one follower! As I smiled at her, she beamed, looking overjoyed and possibly happy with my modest solidarity. "That's not it, Maria-chan. It seems that wild birds are attuned to changes in the weather and atmospheric pressure. It looks like the weather will get worse around tonight. It's possible they hurried back to their nests." "...Uu-. Not yakitori? Jessica onee-chan didn't make them into yakitori?" "I did not, I did not!! I said, I wouldn't do stuff like that! Alright, Battler, you admit right now that you lied!" "Battler-kun. Maria-chan is a naive girl, so she takes even jokes seriously. You should choose your jokes more carefully."...George-aniki gently scolded me. Even though I outstripped Aniki in height, Aniki was of course Aniki. There was no choice but to obediently apologize. "H-hey, my bad, my bad... Maria, that just now was a joke. It's just today the seagulls are all quiet in their nests." "...Battler lie? George onii-chan true?"Despite her having all that fun, she really was tricked...? Her pure eyes seemed to blame me... Maybe I went a little overboard with her after all. "Yeeaah, that's right, that's right. What George-aniki said is true. The weather is bad so they probably went home for today. It doesn't mean they're gone, does it?" "That's right. Tomorrow, when the weather gets better, I'm sure they'll come back and let us hear their 'Myaa myaa' cries." "Uu-. They're waiting for the weather to get better to come back. Waiting for tomorrow. Waiting for the weather to get better. Uu-uu-!"Maria was in a lighter mood, and was looking forward to tomorrow when the seagulls would come back and fill the skies.  "George-kun is amazing at taking care of kids. And you're not working in child-care?" "Yeah, George nii-san, looks like it's what you were born to do. Personally, I see you doing that rather than doing business in some company president's office." "Oh, no. Child-care is a fine job. But it's not a job where merely liking children is enough." "You're truly modest, George-kun. But Battler-kun is also quite good with children! Earlier, even if it was just for a time, Maria seemed to be having a lot of fun. Keep on playing with her like you did just now. Just choose the jokes carefully though, alright? *giggle*."Aunt Rosa winked at me, giggling a little. A real mother, I thought to myself, who's happy that Maria looks like she's having fun.  "Alright, alright, we're coming."The old bastard was waving his hand for us to hurry up. But yeah, we needed to get moving. It's not like it'd be too late to have the same discussion after we got our luggage in our rooms. "Now then everyone, I shall lead you towards the guesthouse where you will be staying. Please, this way."Gohda-san called to everyone and started leading us. Kumasawa-san brought up the rear.  I'd guess the path was made twisting so that the slope wouldn't be felt too much, but personally, I'd have been happier if they'd had the guts to make some stairs in a straight line. No doubt they made the path twisting on purpose, to put on airs of distance and importance... Before long, we saw garden-style stone steps. Aaah, from here on, I have some memories. Go up these, and... At the top of the stone steps, we saw a beautiful guesthouse.  BGM: Hope  "Aren't the flowers less lively this year? It must be because the summer wasn't warm enough." "I also believe that is so. When one compares with last year's blooming, it is a pity that this year's is a bit inferior."Even so, it was a delightful rose garden. I remembered that every year before six years previously, huge amounts of roses had greeted me... This rose garden was the first thing that greeted the people who came to Rokkenjima. Even our parents, who came every year, couldn't help but let their wonder slip out. And moreover, it looked like a 'powered-up' version of the garden from six years ago that was in my memories. "It's amazing whenever you see it. It would be truly wonderful to have such a rose garden in one's home." "Oh no you don't, who'd take care of it? With roses, between the bugs and diseases, it'd be hell!" "That's right. Kyrie nee-san seems the type who'll take care of a rose each and every day so that no insect'll come near, right?" "Huh? I don't have a clue what you're talking about." "That's right. In this case, the rose goes after the insects like some nasty carnivorous plant." "...Oh, so that's what you mean. Honestly, Rosa, gimme a break with that today, wouldn't you? I've completely done away that sort of thing, right?" "I do wonder. Rudolf nii-san is a womanizer on the genetic level...!" "That's alright, Rosa-san. If a rose gives me too much trouble, I'll snip it right at the root." "Hoh-hoh-hoh-ho... such frightening talk this is." "Guys who're popular with the ladies are always forced to live dangerously. I sure hope I turn out a bit prettier in my next life!" "Hideyoshi nii-san, I keep telling you, it's not like I'm popular with the ladies. And you, Kyrie, cut it out with the weird talk. Hasn't my rose withered already?" "Hey, Maria-chan, come see here. The roses here are especially magnificent." "Hmmm, smells pretty sweet. Look, this matches my elegance perfectly." "Hey, cut it out! Maria's gonna imitate you and get hurt with the thorns!"She yelled at me as I leaned in to smell the rose's scent with an exaggerated gesture. 'No way' I thought, but when I turned around Maria was imitating my every gesture, making George-aniki smile broadly. "Hey now, Maria-chan, be careful. Rose thorns can hurt." "...Uu-? ...George onii-chan. Only this rose is strange. Uu-." "Strange? What's wrong?" It's not like there was a specific reason. If there are healthy roses, then there will be withering roses. That's all there was to it, but even though all the rest were healthy, one wasn't, and that seemed to greatly preoccupy Maria. It must have made her feel lonely. "Only this rose isn't healthy, how sad huh...?" "...Uu-. The others are all healthy, only this one's sad." "Well, that's because they all bloom and wither. Rather than withering one step ahead, I guess you could say that it blossomed faster than all the other roses." "Yeah, that's right. I think that it just bloomed to its max, fulfilled its duty and just went to rest. You shouldn't get so worked up about it." "...Uu-."It seemed that Maria's pure sensitivity was making her feel some emotional pain for the rose that withered alone. Even though she understood the logic of it, her sadness seemed indelible. "Then, Maria-chan, why don't we look after this rose until we leave?" "Uu-?"George-aniki straightened up and felt around in his pocket. What he took out was the wrapping paper of the candy that Maria had eaten in the plane. He twisted it into a thin string, and gently tied it to that rose as a sort of marker. "Heeey, that's pretty cute!" "This is a marker for this rose here. Afterwards, come give it some water. I think Mr. Rose is sure to be happy." "...Uu-! Come to give it water!" "After all this trouble, it'd be nice if we gave Mr. Rose here a name. If we do, I think Mr. Rose'll be happy, and Maria-chan's mind'll surely be soothed." "Name...? Name...Uu-...uu-..."Maria started wracking her brains with her arms crossed, though still wearing her usual sullen face. At least she appeared to have been completely pulled out of her sorrow. Just as can be expected from Aniki.  "Now this garden, was it just as mag-nificent when y'all were kids?" "From the time I left the House onwards, it started to really become something. Before that, the garden was simpler, but I'm still attached to that one though. Nii-san fiddled with it too much, with his slightly bad taste. It was better the way it was before." "Eva, you've gotta think positive! Let the past go, ya hafta admire the prettiness of this garden now. That way, your heart'll be at peace." "I didn't mean it like that... I was just saying that I wanted you to see this garden the way it was before too." "Now then, everyone, if you please. I shall be guiding you to the rooms now."Gohda-san called to everyone to ask if we were ready, but our hearts had been completely stolen away by the rose garden after a year of absence, and we didn't lend him an ear. Since we weren't a travel group, it wasn't like we had a strict schedule to follow. Besides, since our parents were visiting their old home, full of nostalgia, it wasn't like they had to let themselves be urged on by anyone or anything. Understanding the situation, Gohda-san continued to wait, smiling widely, until our parents got tired of the roses and told him to guide us to the rooms... "My...! Heeey! If it ain't Kanon-kun! It's been so long, how ya doin'?!"Uncle Hideyoshi suddenly shouted. In the direction he was waving at, there was a slender boy.  BGM: White Shadow  "...Good afternoon."...I figured he was probably younger than me. I realized by the general atmosphere surrounding him that he was a servant too. He answered uncle Hideyoshi's greeting, but he seemed unsociable deep down. It was a greeting that lacked feeling. When Gohda-san noticed that our interest had shifted towards him, he went to the boy's side and introduced him to us. "Battler-sama, I shall introduce you. He is one of the servants who serve the Ushiromiya head house. Kanon-san, greet our guest." "...I'm pleased to meet you. I am the servant... Kanon (嘉音)."Yep, my first impression wasn't wrong, he gave the feeling that he was unsociable, and a bit of a poor speaker. Compared to Gohda-san, who was extraordinarily polished as a servant, no matter what he did, he gave off a feeling of inexperience typical of his age. When Gohda-san urged him in a whisper to give a bit more of an introduction, the boy named Kanon only cast his eyes downwards. "Kanon-san. Could you perhaps give them a little more as a greeting...?" "...No. Because we... are furniture."It seemed that he wasn't refusing to greet us out of spite, but rather, he gave the impression that he had no choice but stay silent, not knowing what to add to his greeting.  "Ok then, nice to meet you. I'm Battler! I'm 18, how old are you?" "..."A silence, as if appraising whether it was a question that must be answered or not. But here again, Jessica plowed ahead. "Um, uhh...! If I remember correctly, he's two years younger than us so,...sixteen, right?" "...Yes, that is correct."It looked like if given a choice, he would have preferred not to tell us his age. Him not wanting to tell his age was probably because he thought he would be looked down upon for it. I remember that when I was around his age, I hated being asked how old I was by adults. I see, sixteen huh? That's gotta be a delicate time. In that case, I asked something I shouldn't have. "Heh he~, I'm glad you're about our age! Just be cool and call me Battler! And I'll call you Kanon!" "...Thank you very much. But just the sentiment is sufficient, Battler-sama."Jessica looked all downcast for some reason. She seemed to think that my impression of Kanon was worsening because of his rejection. Well, that girl Jessica probably couldn't understand the fretful male heart at this age. As his elder, even by just two years, who would lead him into adolescence, I took it upon myself to understand that. "Kanon-san, could you perhaps be a little more courteous? A smiling face is also the duty of a servant." "...I apologize. I shall make an effort." "Hoh-hoh-ho... Gohda-san, Kanon-kun is trying his best, isn't he?"It looked like he had already been well warned about his discourtesy. And apparently he hadn't improved a bit. Gohda-san kept his business-smile, but let a small sigh of resignation escape. "...Well then, I still have work to do... If you'll excuse me."It looked like Kanon himself was uncomfortable with remaining silent here any longer. After another perfunctory bow, he turned on his heels and started pushing the wheelbarrow again.  "What have you done... now now, quickly clean it up...!"Since Gohda-san was one to harp on the fact that presenting a clumsy appearance in front of guests is a servant's shame, he urged him along in a low voice. Kanon-kun, who probably understood quite well without being told, wordlessly reloaded the wheelbarrow with the fallen objects. He seemed to be fine with the light-looking gardening tools, shovels and such, but he looked like he was having trouble getting his arms around and lifting up some sacks of fertilizer. "Are you alright? You're so careless. Here." "Milady, you will dirty your garments. Please, leave it to us."Gohda-san took the shovel that Jessica had picked up with an elegant gesture. At his back was the figure of Kanon-kun having trouble with the sacks of fertilizer. "...Uu-. You'll dirty your garments?" "Don't worry, the ones I'm wearing aren't that elegant. Besides, I hate guys who make the waitress pick up the fork they dropped at a restaurant."I lifted up the other bags that had fallen. Of course, they weren't light, but for me it was a piece of cake. Kanon-kun turned his surprised eyes towards me. It was the face of one who would never have thought to receive help from a guest. "...B-Battler-sama... That's sufficient... I'll take care of everything, so..." "Don't you worry! I may not look it, but I've got it where it counts! Heheh!"Since Kanon-kun looked like he hadn't yet gone through his growth spurt, he was stuck with a sorta weak body. I guessed that this kind of weight was too much for him. "It's quite heavy, isn't it. It's natural that it would be difficult for you. Kanon-kun, don't worry about it." "Ok, my time to shine. This makes up for the boat part from before, right?" "Ha! As if your antics earlier could be written off just by this! Ah-hah-hah-ha! Later, I'm gonna tell Kanon-kun too just how funny you were, Battler!" "Faaall faaall!! Uu-uu-uu-!!!"As they did this, I piled all the stuff back into the wheelbarrow.  Letting such a disgraceful thing be seen by the guests who were supposed to be made welcome...must have been hideously embarrassing as a servant. Pressed by Gohda to hurry up and exit, Kanon-kun left. "You're too harsh on him, Gohda-san. Wouldn't it have been better if you'd helped him, instead of being a bully?" "...That had not occurred to me. I deeply, deeply implore your forgiveness."Without even a twitch in his smile, Gohda-san apologized elegantly. "Kanon-kun has a ton a things he's good at too. It's just that bein' young works against him all the time. It's a cryin' shame." "It's a prickly age. You be nice to him. Close-mouthed servants are just fine. Right, Kumasawa-san?" "Hoh-hoh-hoh-ho, Rudolf-sama, you truly are harsh! There is no servant as silent as I, of course!"Everyone smiled wryly at that shameless lie. Even she herself didn't believe that, not in her wildest dreams. She said that to loosen us all up. Yeah, that's the kind of character Kumasawa baa-chan used to be. The mood that had stiffened a little was cleared up in a twinkling, thanks to Kumasawa-san's cheerful smile. "I'd like to put down the luggage soon. Gohda-san, how are we to split up for our rooms?" "It shall be the same as the previous year. I shall guide you. Please, this way."We headed towards a trim, elegantly simple guesthouse. This was gonna be our temporary quarters for a night.  In his mind, he kept going over his previous mistake. Battler, big and strong, had picked up the sacks in front of him, the sacks he couldn't lift himself, as if they were feathers. It was extremely difficult for an outside observer to guess what emotions that favor had stirred up in Kanon. But as far as you could tell by watching him hang his head from behind, there was something that he just couldn't let go. ...Muttered words escaped his lips. But those words he murmured were so soft that they didn't reach even his own ears.  Kanon hung his head, slightly biting his lower lip...  The brand-new western-style guesthouse that stood overlooking the rose garden had a magnificent design carefully done in harmony with the garden. "Correct! It was built the year before last. And after that, they made us sleep over here. "Hehe, this place's more fun than that junky old mansion you knew. I wish my room was over here!" "Uu-! Maria wants one too! Waaant!"...I guess you could say my house was also upper-class, but I thought it was completely ordinary compared to the head house. The display of wealth was shocking, as was the fact that they would build this kind of awesome guesthouse for guests who come over like once a year. "Eva-sama, Hideyoshi-sama. Please, do make use of this room. Rudolf-sama, Kyrie-sama, please make use of this room here." "Ah yes, it's pleasant how pretty and elegant this place is. Western style truly is wonderful." "If it's just two or three days, western-style's fine I reckon, but if it's for a longer stay, then it's gotta be Japanese-style for sure! Japanese people are just meant to rest on tatami mats." "...Haha, they've been fighting over making our new house Japanese-style or western-style. Mom still holds a grudge about Dad having the construction started as Japanese-style, and they bicker all the time about it." "I'm really jealous, George nii-san. Your parents get along well, don't they? Mine are so frosty. But even so, they're right with each other when it comes to my grades."All the rooms seemed to be two-person. I was grateful, because since things turned out like this, I wasn't gonna be forced to share the same room with the old bastard, under the pretext that we were family. I figure those two wouldn't be able to enjoy themselves with someone like me around, ihihi. "What's that creepy smile all about? You're thinking about something dirty, aren't you." "Ihihihi~! Something diiirrrty? Of cooouuurse not! Do please...enjoy your staaay~!" "Ow, owowowow! That hurts, you old bastard!"Once again, Dad pulled my ears from behind. "Cut the crap. I'm getting a stomachache, and I'm not in the mood for this. You're the guest of honor this time around. You play as nice as possible with Dad and Aniki and the rest. At the very least, pay attention to what you say in front of Dad, got it? Because wisecracks don't go too well with him. Jessica-chan, what's the head of our family's mood been lately?" "...Hmm... Same as last year, I guess. Considering they say he's got three months left, he's as stubborn, grumpy, and irritable as ever." "Meaning, this year he's in his usual bad mood. And as usual, the only one who's able to take care of him is Genji-san?" "It seems that the Master will only open his heart to Genji-san. Lately, us small people cannot even get an audience..." "He's shut himself up in his study again, probably doing nothing but that weird black magic of his. What he does for a hobby is his own drat business, but when he starts stinking up the house, it really gets on my nerves... And I wish he'd never come out of that study again. Heheheh!" "You shouldn't talk like that about the elderly. We're all indebted to him, since he rebuilt the Ushiromiya Family, and a little gratitude wouldn't hurt." "Hm... well... sorry."After being rebuked by George-aniki, Jessica had no choice but to take back her thoughtless remark.  Dad had said he was getting a stomachache earlier, but I guess that was what all the adults who came here today were actually feeling. No doubt they were jealous of us, the grandchildren, just playing and laughing without a care. From the stories Dad told me, the Head of the Family was a violent man who rained blows on his sons with his own fists and even beat his daughters mercilessly with a wooden sword. If he was such a hard-rear end with his kids, why wasn't he the same with their names? Because of that, it's a pain even for us grandkids. Well, I'm not the least unsettled by his terrifying image. I don't have many memories of meeting him over the years, but I remember Grandpa, his face always full of menacing thunder-clouds, always making his surroundings shrink away with a sharp look. I remember that the room's atmosphere got so tense whenever he was around, you couldn't even breathe. What my dad said right now about me being the guest of honor now carries a little more oomph for me. "...Six years ago I was in grade school, but, as one would expect, I'm a high-schooler now. If I act up, things'll probably get serious... Ooo, scary." "He does look frightening, but he's not completely terrifying. He's definitely never unfair. He's just very direct and not a pretty talker, that's all." "But George nii-san, you've been the family darling since like forever because of your awesome grades, right? Grandfather treats us completely different! Like me, I've gotten slapped with a wooden sword. On my rear end, my rear end! On my maidenly, innocent rear end!" "Well, you're the heiress of the head house, Jessica-chan. Grandfather is giving you special attention. You have to realize that his strictness shows how much he's expecting of you." "Oh, come on. Seriously, I could just turn the succession over to you, George nii-san. It's a bit of a heavy burden for me to carry."I think I already said it before, but Jessica was the daughter who would inherit the head house. As cousins of a branch of the family, the pressure on our shoulders was probably different. "...Uu-? Jessica onee-chan, heavy? If Maria holds it, will it get lighter?" "Hm? Ahahahaha, thanks. It's alright, it's not gonna get pushed on you, Maria. I'm gonna bear that cross until my grave. Don't worry."She was grateful for Maria's innocent consideration, but it seemed that anxiety for the future she couldn't clear away remained on Jessica's face. Were we the same? If it was a high-schooler near an examination, nobody'd be able to hide their anxiety for the future. "Maria, come here. Mom and Maria will be in this room." "Battler-kun, you will be with me in this room here." "Uu-! Maria likes here best too! Here is better than being together with Mom! Uu-uu-!" "Okay, you like it here better too, Maria! Alright, this room is George's and mine, but we'll specially allow you to come in and out! Keep it a secret from your mom, right?" "Uu-! Secret!"Her mother, aunt Rosa, was right behind us, but Maria still answered, striking the air with her fists clenched tight. After our parents put the luggage in the rooms, they gathered again in the corridor.  "Anyway, it's gonna be high noon soon. Better let the kids unwind here. Besides, if worse comes to worst, this might be the last chance they get to play outdoors. "Uu-! Maria will go too!" "Maria, you house-sit for Mommy, okay? You behave yourself and wait here." "...Uu-."Telling Maria to take house-sit was a pretty lame excuse for leaving her behind. George-aniki soon realized it and gave a clear reply for all of us. "Well, we'll accept your offer and house-sit. We have lots of stories to tell each other, after a year." "That's nice. And Battler-kun has six years' worth, doesn't he?" "Yeah, yeah. I'll take care of the house like a good boy." "Kumasawa-san, I'm gonna stay here too! We'll leave the rest to the adults and us kids'll break rank, hehehe!" "That's nice, hoh-hoh-ho. I'll report it to Madam..." "Then, everyone, I will be guiding you to the mansion. Please, this way." "...Since George isn't a child anymore, and is getting to be an adult, wouldn't it be better if he came with us?" "If we make 'im come, only poor George will be outta place. Interactin' with his cousins is also important. 'kay, bye then!" As we gathered in the cousins' room assigned to us, George-aniki asked us to excuse him for a second. He rushed over to Kumasawa-san, who was following behind the disappearing adults, and seemed to be asking her something. He soon finished his business and came back. "What's up, Aniki?" "Ah, nothing. I just wanted to ask something." "Uu-! Tell Maria too! Tell Maria too!" "...Hm~? Hmhuhuhuhu. What could it be that George nii-san asks Kumasawa-san and doesn't ask me, I wonder~? Ah, I don't have a clue~!" "No, it's a misunderstanding...! I'm not sure what Jessica-chan is misunderstanding but...!"Aniki was getting pretty tongue-tied. It's almost as though he had a guilty conscience and he was putty in Jessica's hands... Why? Something only Jessica knows and I don't is no fun at all! "Well, Maria, it seems only us two are out of the loop, right~? What is this all about, now? I want to know, hmm~?!" "Uu-! Battler and Maria want to know too! Battler and Maria want to know too!" ""Uu-uu-uu-uu-!!!""I fooled around while "Uu~"ing together with Maria. "No, I'm telling you... it's no big deal, ahahaha..." "Li~ar! You suck at lying, now confess! Maria, you tickle his right side, I'll tickle his left!" "Uu-! Maria right side, Battler left! Uu-!" I think that when you're a high-schooler you try not to act like a kitten anymore, but in spite of that, I missed this kind of fun. A warm kind of fun. "Haahahahaha, George nii-san, what were you asking Kumasawa-san? Hmm~? Well, I've got a good guess. It's been a year since you last came to the head house. During that time, some servants retired while new ones came over...and you wanted to say hi, right?" "...Uu-? Greet, Maria will greet too!" "What the hell, that's not anything to feel guilty about, Aniki... Hmm~~m? That's not it?? Maria, don't be fooled, what are you hiding, Aniki? More torture!! Uworyaaa!!" "They're probably busy with cleaning or lunch arrangements. It's alright, we'll go and greet them properly afterwards. Shannon's reception will sure be better than Gohda's nosy one, right? Heehehe!"
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 02:16 on Oct 31, 2016 |
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Sep 18, 2016 14:02
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Bonus update from overflowing backlog! General advance apology for the first couple pages, before there's a lot to talk about. There's inevitably gonna be multiple updates on each page, and it'll make loading them a pain.
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Sep 18, 2016 14:04
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So, I had no idea the PS3 Port Patch was as big of a leap from the old version as it is.  Considering different ways to proceed:
Thoughts, thread?
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Sep 18, 2016 15:38
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Carpator Diei posted:I believe that's Battler talking in the middle. At least that would make more sense with the following text, and the sentences also don't match Maria's way of speakuuing. Good catch, fixed. As for the format change, upon looking at the opinions of the thread, for now I think I will continue with the current version.
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Sep 18, 2016 19:13
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 Trying to talk about Umineko around unspoiled folks
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Sep 18, 2016 19:21
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 BGM: Rose "Oh, right. Here. A present for you, Natsuhi nee-san." "...Thank you very much. I'm always receiving gifts from you. Is this black tea?" "It's herb tea with peppermint and lemon balm. It's a blend from a well-known store and is supposed to be good for headaches. I thought it might help you too."Rosa was always a conscientious woman. Probably because she was the youngest of four siblings and much younger than the other three, she managed to grow up without harboring the venomosity of her brothers and sisters. Her consideration made Natsuhi soften her expression for just a moment, but it wasn't enough to make her let down her guard, which was constructed around her long-held anxiety. "That reminds me, you were always saying you get those headaches. Pull yourself together. Jessica-chan will have her exams this year, won't she? Isn't that a turning point in her life? Are you that unreliable as a mother? Besides, Natsuhi nee-san, you're three years younger than me. Can't you pull yourself together?" "...I apologize. I was born with this discomfort."Eva sometimes fails to choose her words carefully, but even though she hid it with a smile, her comments aimed at Natsuhi contained shards of obvious malice. Of course, that didn't escape Natsuhi. She frantically contained her urge to grimace, and pretended to ignore Eva. "Our Battler-kun will have his exams this year too, right? Rudolf-san, shouldn't you be a little concerned too? For the sake of your own son, get serious to the point of getting headaches like Natsuhi nee-san." "If I say anything, he automatically goes against it. So what should I say? Should I say the opposite, that it's okay for him to mess around? That's probably the only thing he'd obediently listen to me say. In your family, Hideyoshi nii-san, didn't George do really well on his exams? Please, teach me the secret to controlling children." "Hmm, well... Maybe it was 'cause I told him exactly what he should study for! Study, on its own, don't mean nothin'. That's right, studyin's a kind of trainin' where you look up what you don't know yerself, and learn from it! If ya can't do that, you can't be useful to society! I'm not talkin' 'bout math or writin'. It's learning how to study and learn more!" "...That's splendid. It would be nice if our Jessica could understand that, though. As it is now, she doesn't at all, but as the heiress of the Ushiromiya family," "Do you really have to force her into becoming the successor? Women have to find their own happiness. Parents shouldn't be deciding that for their children, right?" "Hold yer horses, Eva. Each family has its way to raise their children. You shouldn't be pushy." "I'm sorry. Natsuhi nee-san, don't take it the wrong way." "..." "Still, this black tea has a really lovely aroma. Let's drink it at once. In Japan, surely you can't buy something like Leopold's black tea anywhere but Ginza, right?" "Kyrie nee-san, how knowledgeable of you. It really was worth buying."Kyrie and Rosa stood up from their seats and made as if to prepare the black tea. Natsuhi forstalled them. "...Thank you, both. Let us save that for later. One of our people will soon be coming to bring some tea, so please relax." "Leave it for later, you two. Let's enjoy our 'welcome drink'."Rudolf gave a subtle signal with his eyes for them to sit down again. Kyrie and Rosa understood instantly and obediently returned to their seats. The guests had already been greeted, so it was time for some tea to be prepared for them. ...That tea was late and having the guests talk about making some themselves was an embarrassment for the host. Natsuhi bit her lower lip, frustrated with the ineptitude of the servants who were taking too long to bring the tea. Seeing her face, Eva, without hesitation, started to giggle. Of course, Shannon had no way of knowing what was taking place in the parlor. She came pushing a dish cart piled with tea cups. For no apparent reason, Natsuhi gave her a pained look, and Shannon couldn't help but flinch without knowing what she had done wrong.  "Oh, Shannon-chan, it's been a while! Ya juss' keep getting purtier and purtier!" "...Oh... um... thanks..." "Leave the chatting for after you've set the table. The tea will get cold." "...I... I apologize, Madam."She apologized like a small frightened animal, and, bumping against the serving cart, made a jarring racket as she dropped several tea spoons. Her clumsiness made Natsuhi's expression even harsher, which made Shannon in turn quail even more. "It's alright, Natsuhi nee-san. It's just one kind of greeting, no big deal. We've already been made to wait for so long, the tea must be cold. Heheheh." "It... it's alright... It's not cold yet..." "...Shannon, finish setting the table, quickly." "I, I'm sorry, Madam..."It was obvious that Natsuhi was getting irritated. The ineptitude that delayed the tea, the clumsiness of the servant, everything pointed to the incompetence of Natsuhi's everyday guidance, making her lose face. As the person in charge of the Ushiromiya head house's kitchen, allowing that clumsiness to be exposed today of all days was surely nothing less than total humiliation. "Lay off, Natsuhi nee-san. Don't you think it's a little harsh to bully Shannon-chan when she's trying her best?" "I'm not bullying anyone...!" "What a nice smell. May I ask you the brand of this tea?" "...Umm... I'm, I'm terribly sorry... I'll find out for you later..." "Whaat's this? Shannon-chan, don't you even know what you're pouring us? Come now, you mustn't serve something so suspicious to guests. We'll need a silver spoon at the very least before we can drink this. "...I, I'm sorry... I'll go get one immediately..." "Shannon-chan? Do you know what silver spoons are used for? Or why they have to be silver? Do you know why?" "...No... umm..."Eva's eyes played over Shannon, who was setting the table, as a catty smile floated onto her face. Eva's expression as she watched was charming in an impish sort of way. However, the words being spun from her lips held within them the keenness of a razor. Shannon tried with all her might to avoid Eva's gaze, which continued to stare at her. Grasping that Shannon was hard-pressed for an answer, Rosa promptly gave some timely help. "They say that if silver is touched by poison, it dims. *giggle*, you've learned something, right, Shannon-chan?" "Haha, Aneki doesn't need any silver cutlery. With just one lick of her poisonous tongue, even a silver plate would go pitch black." "Wa-hah-hah-ha! Since I get to hear that poison-tongue every day, I must be poison-proof by now! I don't pay it much mind, but poor souls without resistance are in for a stormy ride! Wah-hah-hah-ha!" "My, how cruel. I only gave Shannon-chan a bit of information about tea, didn't I? *giggle*."Everyone followed the lead set by Hideyoshi's horselaugh and smiled, though sourly. Only Natsuhi didn't join in, but for the time being, the conversation inside the parlor could now be mistaken for a lively and friendly chat. Kyrie apologized to Shannon in a low voice for not being able to help as she finally finished setting the tea table and tried to leave. Shannon gave a light bow and made a hasty retreat... Shannon cast her eyes downwards, pushing the cart down the corridor. The pitiful air around her made it obvious that she had borne the brunt of some bullying.   "Madam and Eva-sama can go to hell... But the even worse coward is that guy."Kanon glared hatefully in the opposite direction of the parlor.  There was no way that a showoff like Gohda would ever hand over a flamboyant job like carting the tea to the guests in the first place. He had ended up wasting time preparing the tea a second time. So, knowing that he wouldn't be able to make it on time, he pushed the task of setting the table on Shannon, who happened to be passing by. ...One could say that cutting corners like this was an especially despicable kind of cowardice.  "...It's alright, Kanon-kun, thank you. I really don't mind..." "..."Kanon's silence vividly showed that Shannon's words weren't coming from her heart.  "...Thank you. Even if you're the only one who understands, I feel better." "...You bottle things up too much, Nee-san. You should be less hard on yourself for once." "Yeah... Thanks."Suddenly, they both felt someone's presence and whirled around. A middle-aged man stood there. It was Genji, the head servant.  "Y, yes. If you'll excuse me..." "..."Shannon humbly obeyed and promptly made to push the cart and leave. However, Kanon appealed to Genji in silence, bearing something in his eyes that he could not express in words.  "...What is it? Did something happen...?" "...Sha... Shannon didn't do anything wrong. But even so, they..." "Stop it, Kanon-kun... If you'll excuse me. I'll return to work immediately. Kanon-kun, you too, go back to your post. Please." "...If you say so, Nee-san." "...If that is all, then go." "...Yes. If you'll excuse me."From the shadows in the hallway, an old woman wearing an apron watched over them. It was Kumasawa...  Until Gohda-san was taken in by the Ushiromiya head house, I heard he worked for a fabulous hotel somewhere. I think the manner of work he learned there was quite something. It's just that... Gohda-san is the newest servant here. He must have a lot of pride accumulated from his previous posts. Because Shannon-san and Kanon-kun are his seniors here at the mansion, and yet are inexperienced and have gone through much less in life than he has, he picks on them at every chance he gets... And also, although it's terrible, they are hated by Madam Natsuhi too... Of course, in terms of experience, Madam has been in the family much longer. It's only that... they are just not allowed to sympathize with her. The master is also a truly cruel person... He probably did not realize his own trifling whims passed so much of an inferiority complex to his wife... Naturally, Madam's inner thoughts fully acknowledge that there's no reason to treat those two so harshly... ...However, the heart has reasons that reason knows not...   October 4th, 1986, 12:00 PM  BGM: Doorway of Summer Anyway, there are both girls and guys here. Plus, we've got people over a wide spread of ages: adult, high school, and elementary school. Even though everyone was only telling his or her personal story, the other three were listening attentively. "I think I'm finally getting used to all this. Jessica and Maria have grown more than I could've imagined in the past six years. To be honest, I was feeling a bit uncomfortable, but talking like this, I guess that on the inside, nothing's really changed since back then." "I agree. Battler, even after six years you haven't changed a bit. Even though your body's gotten gigantic, you're still a kid inside." "Uu-! Maria's a kid too! Maria's a kid too!" "Well, even you aren't gonna be a kid forever, are you Maria? I mean, you're growing from being a kid to a cute young lady, aren'tcha? And when that happens, that flat-as-a-board chest'll be on Jessica's level, huh~? When that happens, let me rub it, OK? Promise!!" "Uu-! Let you rub it! Promise! Uu-!" "N-no, Maria-chan! You can't make that kind of promise, that's bad, bad, bad!" "Uu-? Maria promised, so let him rub it! Maria'll keep her promise! Definitely keep it, uu-!!" "...Mariaa, you're a really earnest, good girl... The guy you marry's gonna be really lucky." "Just a... getting back on topic here, you're not gonna be keeping that promise! Maria, that promise never happened! Never!" "Uu-. Promise is cancelled? Uu-..." "As I thought, without Battler-kun in our little quartet, it just didn't feel like all the cousins were here. These six years have been kinda lonely." "...That's true. We weren't able to goof off like this. Still, we did have have some pretty constructive conversations, don'tcha think? Stuff about preparing for our future, exam-taking, or finding jobs." "Oo~ooh, I'm sorr-rry! Now that I'm here, there's just this stupid babbling~!" "But, Maria's having fun this year. Uu- uu-!" "That's true. I agree, this year's the most fun."Maria's sincere words probably spoke for everyone. When George-aniki stroked Maria's head, she giggled like a happy kitten...  "Shannon, come in! You remember Battler, don'tcha?!"Jessica stood up from the bed and opened the door. There stood a servant girl who was definitely about our age.  "...Ah...! Jessica had me surprised, but, Shannon-chan! You too, you've gotten to be a completely beautiful woman, haven't you!" "Y-...your words are too good for me, I'm flattered..." "Bu~ut, food on this island must be reeeally nutritional, hmmmm? What are you eating, where are you training, to get boobs that big?~!! Let me feel them a bit and see whether yours or Jessica's are bigger, oka~ay?!" In this kinda scene, where I get closer and closer, there's an eight-or-nine out of ten chance I'll get slapped or clobbered, right? This is a Battler-sama original technique which'll lead to a gag like that and break the ice! ...W-well, that means, with the remaining one-out-of-ten chance, being able to touch'em makes me a pretty lucky guy, eh? Ihihyahyahya, its not like I'm expecting that'll happen, rrrriii~iight?! At that point, my hands were less than a centimeter away from Shannon-chan's boobs, but... the counterstrike was yet to come. She blushed and lowered her head in embarrassment when she realized what was going on, but with both hands well-manneredly together in front of her, she didn't try to resist violently, or cover her breasts. ...Whoawhoaaa, well this is unexpected!! C-c'mon, you gotta smack me or something, I'm seriously gonna touch'em if this goes oooonnnn?!  "Guaaaah, ooooowww, thank you Jessicaaaaaaa~!!" "W-w-why the hell are you thanking me?! ???" "No, no, my bad, Shannon-chan. Looks like I got a little too absorbed in your hypnotic chest... So now we can see that if I get too close I degenerate into a big pervert after all. Seriously, you've got to resist!" "...P-perhaps, but... you are... an important guest, Battler-sama..." "Now look here, a pervert's a pervert whether he's a guest or not! Ten centimeters around a girl's chest is like an Air Defense Identification Range. If someone trespasses within two centimeters, that's already an invasion of airspace and you can immediately give me a slap, like a high-alert takeoff!" "...I-I couldn't do such a thing...! We are... that is, furniture and..."Of course she didn't want her breasts touched, but... if a guest so desired, she intended to sacrifice her own needs in response anyway. A girl like this needs some urgent protection...! "...I-in these days, to think that there's a dedicated and virtuous girl like this... Getting... giddy again!... But, no! NooOoo!! I'm coming at her with a perverted face again! Someone trip me!! No~oo, pervert! Without your word, I can't settle down! Please, I beg you, smack me! Like this, smack! Hit meeee~!!" "I...I cannot obey your request. Because I'm furniture. But... if it's an order, I'll obey you. Because that is my duty." "Ahaha, then I'll make it an order. The next time Battler-kun tries to touch your breasts, counterattack with a slap. Alright?" "...Y-yes. I'll do as you wish. From now on, please allow me to do so. Battler-sama, please accept this..."Shannon-chan announced this while bowing elegantly to me. Her facial expression was radiant. I gave her a thumbs-up to signal that it was OK with me. "Six years ago, you might've been mistaken for a servant's daughter who lent a hand at your parent's work, but now you're a full-fledged adult servant. How many years has it been?" "Yes, I've had the pleasure of serving this household for ten years." Maybe it's like a servant's 'professional name' or something. If so, I can kind of understand why that Kanon-kun's name sounds the way it does. She's a long-term servant who's served here since she was six years old. Since her body had changed radically, she didn't match my memories, but I got acquainted with her six years ago. It looked like she was just as shy she had been in the past, but I got the feeling that the charm befitting a girl her age came naturally to her. Especially her breasts, her breasts. "That kid we met earlier, Kanon-kun, is her little brother." "...He's not exactly my little brother... Still, he loves me like a big sister. He didn't cause you any trouble, did he?" "Haha! He's the same as always. It's such a shame that he doesn't act just a bit more sociable." "...It seems Kanon-kun has caused trouble,...I apologize..." "He didn't cause any trouble at all! As a fellow man, I understand how moody you can get at that age. It's no surprise that he's unsociable!" "Uu-! Maria gets called that all the time too! Gets called unsociable! Like Kanon! Uu-!" "*giggle* Maria-sama is not unsociable at all." "Uu-? It was nice to be like him... Uu-." "Umm, you said the meal was ready, right?" "Ah, Yes! I'm sorry! ...The preparations for your meal have been carried out, so I shall be accompanying everyone to the mansion."Shannon bowed again formally and returned to her "duty mode". We realized that if we made her stick around for any more light conversation, it would actually make it harder for her to do her job. We got up off our butts to avoid interfering with her work any further. "Then, shall we go to the mansion? Everyone's probably hungry, right?" "Yeah. I'm really looking forward to Gohda-san's food. That guy, seems he was a chef at this famous hotel, so he's super good at cooking!" "Ooooh! I'm looking forward to it!! Let's go Maria! We're gonna stuff ourselves like pigs!!" "Uu-! Stuff ourselves like pigs!" "No, no! You just can't take everything Battler-kun says seriously, OK? Because it's all jokes. Alright, let's go."Under Shannon-chan's guidance we headed towards the mansion. Met once again by the magnificent rose garden, we continued onward as it came into view... the intimidating mansion of the Ushiromiya Head Family.   "...Battler-sama, we have not met in a long while."As our eyes met, he saluted us with a composed voice. He didn't give quite as refined a bow as Gohda's, but even so, and even though it felt rustic, it was a bow that had feeling. "Genji-san, it really has been a while! You look well." "Thank you, I have been quite well...Battler-sama, you have become a splendid young man. You have grown to resemble the Master in his youth." "I'm looking like Grandfather? I guess that means that Grandfather was pretty popular when he was young, Ihihi!" "...From here on, I shall take Shannon's place and accompany you. Please, come this way."Shannon-chan bowed deeply and saw us off. Leaving the entrance hall, we headed to the dining room under Genji-san's guidance. Genji-san, just like Kumasawa-san, stood in stark contrast to us young people who had grown beyond recognition over the last six years. His figure was exactly the same as in my memories of six years ago. It seemed like time had stopped since the last we met. Genji-san was a silent and diligent person. He was like Grandfather's close aide or caregiver... in fact, you could even go so far as to say he was Grandfather's right-hand man. Actually, it seems that he was by Grandfather's side more than my late Grandmother was. According to Jessica, Grandfather trusted him more than any of his blood relatives. But I wonder how long he's served. I've never heard the details, but I'm pretty sure he's been here since the beginning, when this mansion was constructed... That is to say, he had dedicated half of his life to serving here. In other words, he's both trustworthy and faithful. As we cut through the open-ceilinged hall behind Genji-san, I found something I had no memory of from six years ago.  BGM: Sukashiyuri It was an awfully big portrait hung right in front of the stairs that rose to the second floor. Without thinking, I stopped walking, under its spell... Since I'd suddenly stopped, Maria, who was following behind me, ran into my back. "Uu-?" "...Aah, sorry. Hey, Jessica. Did that picture used to be there?"I pointed at the big portrait that caught the eye, hanging in the hall. Everyone else stopped too. "...Aah, Right. When you last came here, that hadn't been hung yet, had it? When was it again..." "I think, If my memory doesn't fail me, I think it was around the year before last." "...You are correct. In April of the year before last, as it had been arranged, the Master ordered an artist to paint it and it was put on display over there." "Grandfather did that? So, he went out of his way to have it drawn..."The portrait was appropriate for this western style mansion, and that woman wearing an elegant dress gave off a sense of refinement. I couldn't have guessed her age, but judging by her obvious strength of will and the sharpness in her eyes, she radiated youth. It was a different feeling than the composed mood of middle-aged women that are often in famous pictures. If this woman had normal black hair, I might have thought it was a portrait of my long-deceased Grandmother in her prime. However, the woman in the portrait had beautiful blonde hair and didn't look Japanese at all. "So... Who is she then, this woman?"To that naive question, Maria, as though trying to prove that she knew it herself, answered me with authority.  "...Beatrice. She's the witch. Didn't you ever hear about her, long ago?" "The witch... you mean, of this island?" The vast and empty forest had no lamplight, phones or people passing through at all. To understand how dangerous it is, you needed to throw off all your street smarts from the city. Anyway, if by any chance you fell down a hole in the depths of the forest and sprained your ankle, you could cry or scream, but no one would come save you. If it got dark, the forest, where there were no streetlights, was wrapped up in complete darkness. Also, since it didn't have any guideposts, it would be easy to get confused and lost, losing your sense of direction inside the dark forest. Nowadays, most people see a forest as a peaceful place, but to the people of the bygone eras, before the light of civilization drove out the night, forests were as geographically separated from civilization as the ocean. Like an ocean above the ground. Just like how fishermen who go out into the ocean are threatened despite their technical knowledge... Hunters who go out to the forest have technical knowledge as well, yet are also in danger. If children go play in that dangerous forest, something terrible might happen. Someone's parents must have thought so. .Maybe my Grandmother, or possibly anybody else other than Grandfather might have said that. Or maybe it's been handed down in this island from long, long ago. There's a terrible witch in the forest, so you must not go in. Thus, Rokkenjima's ghost story was born. That is the legend of the witch of Rokkenjima. That's why, if we say 'witch' in this island, we're referring to the master of the vast and savage forest. Which reminds me, when I was little and stayed at this mansion, in the eerie nights where the wind and rain struck the windows, I got terrified by a story that the witch of the forest was roaming around searching for a sacrifice...  ...When Aniki told me and I searched my memory, I was sure I remembered hearing a name like that when I was little. "...Right. Still, I completely forgot that the witch of that legend had an elegant name like Beatrice. Since us grandchildren didn't believe Grandfather, he went out of his way to have her depicted in this painting?" "...It's the witch from Grandfather's delusions. Ever since he had this picture hanged, he's been blurring the line between reality and illusion. To us, it's no more than the witch from his imagination, but... to Grandfather, she's a being that 'exists' on this island. That's why he says he had that picture painted. So that we'd understand. And I'm sorry, but she just doesn't exist." "...Milady. To the Master, this is an important portrait. I beg of you, do not say such a thing in front of him." "...I get it. You don't need to beg."Jessica turned away, after glaring a second at the portrait.  "...Let's go. We're making everyone wait in the dining room." "Uu-! Hungry!"...Only a small portion of this island was controlled by the Ushiromiya family. All of the wild remainder... was the witch Beatrice's domain. One could say that she was the being who actually ruled over Rokkenjima. That slightly unsettling feeling of misfortune that I had felt when I learned the Tutelary God's shrine had been struck by lightning on the boat trip revived within me a bit. At that time, Kumasawa-san had tried to tell an ominous story about Rokkenjima and had been stopped by Jessica. ...I didn't know what she had tried to tell us about this island.  "Battler! Uu-, slo-ow!"When I looked around, everyone was already heading towards the dining room. I hurriedly chased after them... We walked up to the huge double doors that led to the dining room. Genji-san knocked. "...I have brought the children. If you will excuse me..."The door was opened and we were invited inside. Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 02:31 on Oct 31, 2016 |
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Sep 19, 2016 14:14
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whitehelm posted:Plus we're going to get the dialog box in Chiru anyway I haven't looked into patching Chiru yet, does the basic Umitweak stuff add the dialog box for that one? If not, I'm not sure where this assumption is coming from. Regarding the updated translation, for the LP that's not really significant unless I can find a full text dump of the updated script. Or if it's easy to just extract the script text from the patch, I haven't really tried.
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Sep 19, 2016 16:29
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Huh. Something to look into, I guess, while we're still in EP1.
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Sep 19, 2016 20:37
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e: Never mind!
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 13:45 on Sep 20, 2016 |
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Sep 20, 2016 13:40
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 BGM: Novelette "You're late, brats. Hurry up and take a seat."The old bastard pressed us to sit. Only the places where we would sit were empty at the long table, which only made us feel our tardiness all the more. The seat at the head of the table, called the Incipient's Chair, was for the most highly ranked, reserved for Grandfather. It was still empty. He was probably planning to come in last to ham it up. The seating order, looking at the Incipient's Chair at the head of the table, went from left to right with the lower ranking seats progressing in rows of two further away from it. So, on the left-hand side of the first row, closest to the Incipient's Chair, was where uncle Krauss, ranked at number two, should have sat. It looked like he hadn't arrived yet, so that seat was empty.   Going like this, you might think that the next ones to come would be their husbands and wives, but... It's weird, but the next left-hand seat in the third row, meaning number six, was Jessica's seat. Opposite her was George-aniki. Then, next to Jessica, was me, And opposite me was Maria. Then, finally, next to me on the left-hand side of the fifth row was number ten, aunt Natsuhi. Opposite her was uncle Hideyoshi. Next to aunt Natsuhi, in the sixth row and in the final seat on the left-hand side, was Kyrie-san. The seat opposite to Kyrie-san was empty even though everything had been set out. According to this ranking system, that spot was the seat where aunt Rosa's husband should be sitting. Even though he wasn't supposed to be coming, his place was made up. These kind of ranking orders usually recognize the status of the spouse, but the Ushiromiya family had an original kind of ranking. Maybe it's a leftover of male chauvinism. If the system is predicated on the idea that a woman's womb is just a borrowed thing, then the children of direct descent would have a much higher ranking, and the grandchildren would come next. Meaning that the spouses, with no blood ties, are considered the last in line. It's terrible, but according to that ranking order, Grandmother, when she was alive, would have been in a position even lower than mine. In their youth they obey their father; after they get married, their husband; after aging, their children. There's the old saying, 'Women, whether in their past, present, or future, have no home'. Long ago, when I was still incapable of figuring all this out, I'd thought it was so great that we could all chat, with the adult siblings in their group and us cousins in ours. However, now that I can reexamine the seating order after growing up a bit, it stirs up some very complicated feelings in me... Aunt Natsuhi, married to the eldest son of the family and number two in managing the house, sat to my right, which meant that she was two steps lower than me in the ranking order. It was difficult to guess what was going inside her head. That's why I made a small apologetic gesture before sitting down.   "Boys will be boys, no? How tall are you?" "I guess about 180 cm? Ah, please, whenever you feel like it, feel free to say 'Stop stuffing yourself!'" "Huh? ...Aah, *giggle*, I'm sorry."Natsuhi, after a moment, gave a small laugh, but it seemed she couldn't quite figure out what she was supposed to be laughing at.  She never got into our kids' circle, and she always looked difficult to get along with. And it didn't help that she gave the impression that she was at odds with the other parents. The fact is that having barely ever exchanged words, I hesitated a lot about how to approach her, and I ended up empty-handed. The silverware had been tidily set up on the table, but the meal itself hadn't been brought in. In essence, until the man at the head of the table had taken his seat, the meal wouldn't start. So, as long as Grandfather, the highest ranked, didn't come, lunch would be indefinitely on hold. Not even the appetizers would come. So, while our parents withstood their hunger, the silence of the dining room would still wait for Grandfather to come. It's just that the Grandfather I remembered, when we ate together like this, always showed up at the right time. He was supposed to be the kind of person that would never be so late that he'd keep everyone waiting, even though they were all present. "Grandfather's pretty late. As far as I can remember, he was always strict about staying on time. "Well, that might've been true six years ago, but it hasn't been that way lately. Seriously, he's off in his own little world so often that he doesn't even show up at family meals. I figured that he'd at least stick around for today's meal... Still, I feel more relaxed and happier without him." "...Jessica!"After being scolded by her mother, Jessica faced the other way, sticking her tongue out. No way around it. Nothing to do but wait for the host to arrive. When I glanced at the clock, I saw that it was almost 12:20...  Video: Master of the HouseIf the last video made you question listening to this game's voice cast, at least give this one a try first. Kinzo: Mugihito Genji: Masato Funaki Krauss: Jurota Kosugi Nanjo: Akihiko Ishizumi The clock showed noon, but he didn't even attempt to get up. Putting his spectacles on, he piled up one by one beside him old-fashioned books with elaborately designed bindings, and immersed himself in their reading. It definitely didn't look like it was for his leisure; on the contrary, he exuded impatience, crisis, as though every minute, every second were precious. The inside of the sealed room, where dense dust danced, stagnated, steeped in the suspicious stench of smelly medicine. Somehow, sweet, heavy. For anyone with an good nose, the first thing they'd do after entering would be to open a window and ventilate the room. The knocking against the study door had been going on for a while. A voice calling 'Father' sometimes mingled with the knocks. As Kinzo heaved a deep sigh, he snapped the old book he had in his hands shut and slammed it on the table. Then, he yelled at Krauss who was still knocking on the door.  "...Father. Isn't today the annual family conference? Everyone's gathered down there. Please come out." Krauss called out to his father through the door. Kinzo always shut himself up in the study and hated it when even his family entered the room. For that reason, Krauss had no choice but to call out thus from the corridor...  ...Before the door, Krauss, Nanjo and Genji kept waiting for the master of the house, who would not come out.  He himself hadn't really believed his father would answer his calls. However, as it was the duty of the eldest son, he had formally made the request.   "Shut up, be silent!!! Do you admonish me, Nanjo?!! I do not call for you lot, I said to call for Genji!! Now call for him immediately! Time is short, the apostles are already readying their trumpets! Why do you not understand, you foolish sheep!!"Kinzo slammed the old, heavy book on the table over and over. The racket obviously indicated his highest displeasure. He put his spectacles down and flew up from his chair. He spread his arms wide open, as if to sing to a packed opera house, as if appealing to someone, and yelled. "Why?! Why is there always something in my way?! I would throw it all away, I would offer up everything, and there is only one thing I ask in repayment!!   "...I have no idea what he's yelling. I guess he's finally gone nuts." "Krauss-san... Isn't that a bit harsh, to your birth father..." "My father is already dead. All that's here is a phantom of what Father once was. At any rate, as long as he has no intention of coming out, there's nothing we can do." "...Kinzo-san."Choking coughs continued to pour from the study...  "I'm going back downstairs. It would be a waste to let that lunch Gohda's so proud of get any colder. It's one of the few things we can look forward to... in this family. Hmph."Krauss spun on his heels. He looked at his wristwatch, mumbling and acting as though he had wasted time doing something he knew would be in vain. "Genji-san. Father is calling for you. Keep him company." "...Certainly." "Doctor Nanjo. Let's go eat. If we stay here any longer, even our sense of taste will go insane from this sweet smell."Without waiting for Nanjo, Krauss went downstairs. Genji urged Nanjo to go and eat. Nanjo looked first to Krauss's back as he disappeared down the stairs, then to the study door, and he let out a deep sigh. "...Sorry, Genji-san. Please." "Yes, Please leave it to me." "If possible, don't give him alcohol. It's too powerful a habit." "Is Genji not here yet?!!! Who dares keep Genji from coming?!! Aah, Genji, where are you, call for Genji!!!" "Now, please leave it to me." "...*nods* Sorry."Nanjo gave a small duck of his head and descended the stairs... Genji saw him off, and knocked at the study door. "...Master. It is Genji." "Yes. I am alone."Kinzo returned to his seat in the study and pressed an old-style switch on the table. After a small delay, the heavy sound of the door unlocking could be heard. Kinzo believed that his family might try to break in his study. Perhaps someone once opened the window for some air and scattered important documents and other stuff? Is that what made him so nasty? Now, Kinzo had placed a secure lock in his own room, making it so that without his permission nobody could enter, and locking himself in the dungeon he'd created. Genji, who he trusted the most, was relatively free to enter the room, but that was also not absolute. If Kinzo was in a bad mood, even he wouldn't be able to enter. Anyone else would be limited to holding a conversation through the door, not even seeing his face. And most of the time, they wouldn't even get a real conversation. However, that didn't become a big problem for the family, because going to the trouble of speaking to the aged Head, who was impossible to please, completely immersed in his odd research, and always locked up in his hideaway, just wasn't worth the effort. They were happy that he didn't come out of his study and, putting him in the hands of the servants, they themselves also tried to avoid him.  "Genji, my usual. I'm busy." "...Yes."Genji headed to a corner of the study. There, a suspicious-looking bottle boasting a venomous color was displayed. It was actually liquor, but, considering that it was placed in this suspicious-looking room, one begins to doubt whether it isn't actually some kind of ghastly poison. Inside the study, the mysterious collection of books that Kinzo had gathered had grown into a mountain. They were bizarre ancient or banned books, all of them either forbidden, cursed, or sealed.  There were many mysterious objects, like a candle suspiciously melted and molded into a strange shape, which probably had something to do with black magic. The constellations drawn on a certain celestial globe contained quite a few dots that a person who knows the night sky well would tilt their head at. The illustrations inscribed in old, casually opened books were all full of religious, or possibly demonic, grotesque arcana, as well as the weird shapes of various magical circles. And above all, the sweet, poisonous smell that filled the room profoundly assaulted those who entered for the first time in their sense of sight and smell, then all their senses, making them lose their grip on reality... Inside that study, Genji, with his well trained hand, prepared Kinzo's usual drink. If you didn't know that the ominous dark green liquid that filled the complexly designed bottle was liquor, you really wouldn't want to put it in your mouth. He poured a small quantity of the spirits into the glass. After placing a cube of sugar in a strangely shaped spoon, he then poured water from a pitcher over it. Strangely, when the transparent water was poured, the dark green liquid turned a cloudy white. It was a strange optical illusion, as though the water had caused a chemical reaction and made the drink become even more unrecognizable as liquor. It improved the original flavor Kinzo liked and adjusted the taste. There was no recipe. Its success was measured only by Kinzo's mood swing when he drank it, and he had learned how to make it only after many decades. Genji placed the glass in the tray, and faced Kinzo. Kinzo was now gazing out the window. "...Here, Master." "Thank you..."Kinzo, now unrecognizable as the man who was shouting, screaming and yelling just before, regained his composure. In that man's back dwelt a dignity and intelligence made plain simply by how he tilted his glass and gazed down at the scenery beyond the window. Genji, in order to allow Kinzo to set down his glass any time, motionlessly waited behind and to Kinzo's left, as though he were a living sideboard. Thereupon, while Kinzo looked out the window, he stuck out only the glass. There was just a mouthful remaining. It was not a gesture intended to set it upon the tray, as Genji expected, but was an motion to hand the glass over to Genji. "...Drink it. My friend." "...That is more than I deserve." "No need for ceremony between us. Drink it. My friend." "...Thank you."Genji respectfully received the glass and inclined it a little to taste its contents. After that, he agitated it. "I attempted to imitate your concoction, but no matter how I try I cannot replicate the taste... The way you make it is pure relish." "...Thank you very much. It is the fruit of your guidance, Master." "Hmph..."Kinzo smiled at his loyal subject who refused to put aside rank even when asked to. However, he was not making fun of him; it was relaxed, like a smile at a close friend's unriddable bad habit.  "...Until now, you have served me exceedingly well. My sons call me eccentric. The servants that were once many, all of them, retired in their growing fear of me. Only you, even now, serve me." "...That is more than I deserve." "...I do not have much time left to live. My sons are vultures, lazily waiting for my inheritance to fall into their hands." "..." "That fool Krauss squanders money like water, throws away two gold coins to obtain one. With that, he deludes himself in saying he earned money!! Eva is a slave to money, thinking of me as a hen or whatnot!! As if when I die, she'll even use my carcass to make broth!!"  Why, why is the Ushiromiya blood so incompetent!?!? Is there anyone worthy to inherit the glory I built?! Aah, of course, I know, this is also Beatrice's curse, I know it!! ...Aah, Golden Witch, is this the revenge you planned for me?" After howling, Kinzo choked once again. Genji set the tray and the glass down and patted his master's back... his facial expression did not change. ...It was always like this. "...*cough*... Hmhm. Thank you, my friend." "..."The outburst, like his previous agitation, had calmed, and Kinzo regained his composure again. His change of stance was like seeing two different people, a wild Kinzo and a composed Kinzo, living together inside one body. "Therefore... I have decided. I cannot stand spending my dimmed, remaining years procrastinating thus. In this body, if I have a coin to bet in the end, it seems I'll entrust it to the roulette of the demons. The power of magic is always settled with a gamble. Like visiting a shrine at the Hour of the Ox in ancient Japanese sorcery, to nail a curse doll to a tree. The magic power dwells in incurring the risk that it will be seen within the seven days the curse takes. The more dangerous the risk created, the stronger the magic power created will be." "That is because Moses, instead of betting on incalculable odds in the Roulette of those with power, managed to spectacularly draw to himself the single miracle carved within the eyes of many. That power that can triumph over astronomical odds!! Yes, magical power is that fortune through which miracles are grasped!! To obtain this mighty magic power, one must face the risk of despair!! Those who possess no magical power call that desperation rather than a bet!" Kinzo looked up to the sky outside the window. He spread his arms as if appealing to someone up in the skies.  ...His nonsensical yells segued into a scream...and then into a wail. Kinzo folded over onto the bed, and tore it with both hands. Genji had no choice but to wordlessly watch over his master's lament...  "Certainly. I shall begin today's luncheon." "...Doctor Nanjo, is Father's condition that bad? It would have been nice if he at least showed his face, right?" "Rather than his physical condition, it's his mood... And for that, there is no medicine I can prescribe." "Hey hey, 'mood', you say? Not that again. We come to see how he's doing, making time in our schedules in this drat busy season of autumn. And now that-" "Hmph, don't complain, Rudolf. I managed to see how he's doing. Do you want to take my place, and try to persuade our ill-humored Father to come join us?" "...Are you kidding?"Rudolf shrugged. Apparently, even though Rudolf seemed to resent the way his father did whatever he pleased... he'd rather avoid seeing his father's face if he could help it. "Does it seem like his mood will improve before dinner? Krauss nii-san?" "I have no idea. You can try and ask Father directly. Although, I think his mood will improve faster if we don't bother him." "The only one who can get Grandfather better is Genji-san. It sucks though, making the servants deal with your own parent's bad mood." "Jessica. Don't speak out of turn."She'd planned for her complaint to be heard only by her cousins, but it had reached even Krauss's ears. Scolded, Jessica scowled and turned away, sulking. "...His disease can't be that bad, can it, with that kinda temper? I mean, if he's not healthy, and his mood is bad, at least it's proof he's still hanging on." "It's because Grandfather has especially strong willpower. But, it doesn't mean that his body will always follow that. Since last year, they keep saying that he has three months left. If the initial diagnosis was correct, Grandfather has been prolonging his life by willpower alone. It should be a cause for concern."
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Oct 31, 2016 |
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Sep 20, 2016 13:45
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Personally, my favorite part of this scene is Kinzo's "They're not DOLLS they're ACTION FIGURES" attitude re: his grimoire collection.
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Sep 20, 2016 20:42
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Fixed.
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Sep 20, 2016 21:47
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Five posts to the end of the page, which already has two updates on it... time to do a little commentary, I guess.
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Sep 21, 2016 13:32
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While it lays a lot of important groundwork for the amazing parts to follow, Episode 1 is definitely the weakest part of Umineko - which is a shame, because it's the part you see first. As I'm sure you've noticed, it suffers from a far-too-slow opening before the fun starts.
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Sep 21, 2016 13:33
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It also has the least awesome music, and also the most frustrating soundtrack to work with while writing the LP, mainly due to the deluge of subdued violin tracks. What am I listening to? Rose? Steady Pace? Novelette? Time to listen to half the soundtrack to figure it out so I can link it. The music quality picks up significantly when - spoilers! - people start dying.
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Sep 21, 2016 13:34
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If you're at all confused about the structure of the cast so far, here's an Ushiromiya family tree breakdown I made a while back:
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Sep 21, 2016 13:36
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One more? One more post oughta do it.
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Sep 21, 2016 13:36
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 October 4th, 1986, 1:30 PM  BGM: Doorway of Summer However, because the sons and siblings had been lent a great fortune, in the Ushiromiya family, which considers only those that achieve success in business adults, it literally was a conference. How much of the fortune was invested? What kind of business was conducted? How much was earned? As a result, how much of the fortune borrowed from the main family can be repaid? Or, possibly, how much will be borrowed for future business ventures? What lessons have they learned, and what could they learn from their mistakes? It seems that topics like these had been discussed very seriously in the past. My dad called it a bed of nails. Apparently, it used to be a very serious family meeting, bathed in harsh and angry voices. Even on a good year, it was common for someone to get slapped. However, that had become a thing of the past. Now, with everyone pursuing their own business ventures and achieving success, it was a normal yearly get-together. Even so, hearing about Grandfather's condition caused a significant amount of stress, so while to us grandchildren it was nothing more than a simple meeting, to our parents it was still a real stomachache. I guess that since the ringleader was absent for various reasons, today's lunch was even more delicious. The phrase 'while the demon is not around, everyone can relax' comes to mind. Well then, let's introduce Jessica's father, whose face I hadn't seen for six years. The man sitting to my father's left was his older brother and the father of Jessica, uncle 蔵臼.  Just like with aunt Natsuhi, I didn't have many memories of speaking with uncle Krauss. He had never been one to talk to children, and I felt like he was always talking with the adults, just like aunt Natsuhi. From my father's gossip, it seems that he was a pretty spiteful and unreasonable person. If what my father said is true, he used to be very domineering as the oldest sibling, and was hated by aunt Eva, aunt Rosa, and the rest of the family. Huh? It looks like he's having a friendly chat with the rest of the family, doesn't it? Oh, well. Even if their relationship was bad when they were children, sometimes when people grow up and go their separate ways, their relationship changes. That's probably what this was. After all, they all had children of about the same age. By sharing the same family environment, they probably profited by exchanging opinions. Maybe because of that, a short while ago the circle of parents began to discuss the exams Jessica and I were taking. Jessica, in order to escape the discussion of exams with my father sitting on her left, purposefully faced right while firing off a rapid series of comments, so as not to show any weaknesses. Moving on, let's look at the end opposite from Krauss and the others. In the very last seat at the table, an old gentleman with a sturdy physique sat facing Kyrie-san. This was my first time meeting him.  He had known Grandfather since the very beginning when the mansion was first constructed on this island, and had built up a relationship over several decades. I thought that he might be Grandfather's companion in his suspicious hobbies, but, surprisingly, it seems that he is Grandfather's chess partner... I see. That kind of hobby seems very like our Grandfather with his love of western style. You could probably say that he was the only person who could enter Rokkenjima and was neither a family member nor a servant. He gave an impression of a calm old gentleman as he listened to Kyrie and the other women's conversation. After staying by our short-tempered Grandfather's side for so long, his big heart was nothing to laugh at. Still, even if he was the head physician, having anyone outside the Ushiromiya family attend the family conference was a little odd. I imagined that because Grandfather's condition had grown much worse, it may have become one of the major topics of discussion. George was just saying it, too. Reports that Grandfather's remaining life was very short had been appearing continuously since around a year ago. It was a nasty story, but Grandfather was an extremely rich man. At the time of his death, his wealth would suddenly be released, along with our parents' stomach acid, and would probably lead to ulcers. With this kind of thing, the greater the share, the more trouble would be caused. This would probably also be included in the family conference. Oh well, it's not like it had anything to do with us children. Finally, even though he was absent, let me introduce our Grandfather.  As you can probably guess from the topics that have been raised, he was a frightening person with an extremely short temper. Because I was one of the grandchildren and hadn't met the family since elementary school, I had no memory of being beaten, but it seems that our parents were raised with an iron fist. That earlier conversation between my father and uncle Krauss about who should go try to convince Grandfather to come out seems oddly funny if we take this into account. In order to tell Grandfather's story, you have to first go back and recount that episode that occurred before the Showa era (1926-1989). Until the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taishou (1912-1926) eras, the Ushiromiya family was great and prosperous. They owned several spinning mills, so while they just laughed heartily every day, the money kept rolling in, making them very wealthy.  BGM: Rose Even so, during the Great Kanto earthquake in the year Taisho 12 (1923), the mansion owned by the Ushiromiya family in Odawara was flattened. The spinning mills in Tokyo were all burned down in a huge fire, and the Ushiromiya family lost most of its wealth and family members in an instant. It then became a matter of who in the main family would become the heir, and it seemed as though no one except the branch family, which included Kinzo, was left. Kinzo himself later said that it was such good luck, it was as though fate itself had been turned upside-down. With that, Grandfather's normal life did a 180. He was entrusted with reviving the wealth that the dying Ushiromiya family had almost completely lost. Naturally, just because he had been entrusted with this task didn't mean he could accomplish it. It seems that the surrounding people weren't really expecting much. However, from this point on, Grandfather began displaying his extraordinary talent and good luck. Grandfather used all of the family funds and everything from the hair on his head to his toenails as collateral to borrow a massive amount of money, created a gigantic supply of funds and soon revived the family's business. It was like tumbling down a hill on a bike without any brakes. And then, jumping onto a neighboring bike, and then another one! Just like some crazy street performance. Probably, anyone would have thought that Grandfather had no business ability. Even so, with an unbelievable amount of good luck and miracles, with coincidences piling up and every chance taken advantage of, before anyone knew it, he began to make connections with the occupying forces. At that time, McArthur and the GHQ were in charge. Grandfather, in a twinkle of the eye, began succeeding in business under the protection of the occupying forces, quickly becoming very rich. At this point, it was no longer luck but information that won the day. He must have made some seriously thick connections with the occupying forces... Grandfather knew beforehand about emergency demands that would be made for the Korean War. No, on the contrary, he must have foreseen these special procurements from the very beginning and started eating into his businesses. As we read in the history books, all of Japan made a large profit off of the emergency demands for the Korean War, but in actuality that didn't happen. Only a very limited number of the super rich played the money game and made an easy profit. Most of the citizens remained poor. In other words, Grandfather was an extremely lucky member of this group of winners. This all happened... during the year Showa 25 (1950), I think. And, since the year following the Great Kanto Earthquake was Taisho 13 (1924)... That means Grandfather was able to revive the near-dead Ushiromiya family in only about 20 years to a level even higher than it had been before. With that, you'd think that he would revive the main family in Odawara, but for some reason, he went and did something as crazy as buying an entire small island in the Izu archipelago.  After the war there were prevention measures against food shortages, and, furthermore, having the sponsorship of the GHQ meant that nobody could oppose him. It seems that Tokyo Metropolis had almost no money at the time and offered this land. Later, Tokyo made difficulties by telling Kinzo to return the land, but the pushy GHQ intervened. Anyway, it seems as though under the table bribes worked perfectly. In the end, the city gave up in frustration. Grandfather, with considerable skill and blessed with good luck, managed to weather the stormy seas of that period, obtaining a vast fortune and his own island. Of course, it wasn't all luck. He was skilled with English, and this was cultivated by his western obsession. Using this as a weapon, he was able to take a bite out of the GHQ. A mansion was immediately built on the island. That would be this mansion. Grandfather, with his western style, made this once uninhabited island, Rokkenjima, a canvas upon which he could realize his dreams to his heart's content. With the western mansion that he had always imagined, overflowing with emotion, to the beautiful garden where various roses had been planted, and a private beach where nobody other than himself would ever be permitted to leave a footprint. ...If a boy could have this much, it would be a dream come true. After that, making good use of his huge fortune, he became a large stock holder in the extremely stable iron and steel industry and was able to live an easy and comfortable life just using the dividends. Well, he's just that incredible. This kind of person usually has the ability to foresee and predict the future, or at least that is how they are portrayed. Grandfather denies all of that, repeatedly saying that he was simply blessed with extraordinary luck... Anyway, even a lord like that, with all of his dreams made real, can't help but grow increasingly odd when locked up alone on an island.  Did his love of black magic begin way back when he became fascinated with everything western, or, possibly, did his miraculous stretch of good luck which allowed him to revive the family cause him to feel a mysterious power in himself? At some point, Grandfather began to make the research of black magic his life's work. He filled his study up with suspicious books, chemicals, and magical items as he became increasingly bizarre. I heard that, as a successful man, he had the right to decide how he wanted to live the rest of his life, and those surrounding him warmly watched over him, but... That's definitely a lie. They probably were just driven away, thinking 'that's disgusting, I don't want to get involved.' Well, that agitated period was like a big gamble, with both opportunities and risks. Let's say Grandfather was born in this time period. He would've had no opportunities and would probably have advanced like a chess piece from mandatory education to college at a leisurely pace, never becoming more than an average salary man. If that happened, he'd probably have sat somewhere, happily talking behind his boss's back. No, no. Not in a mansion's dining hall. More like a table at some bar. If that were the case, I'm sure that this would be a more comfortable family conference.  BGM: Novelette "I'm already convinced by the sashimi salad! Gohda-san is an excellent chef! Plus, these fish were caught in the adjacent seas, weren't they?! They're totally different from sashimi you get at the supermarket!" "Hey, quit it Battler. Your upbringing will be exposed."Everyone let out a big laugh. drat it, you say that even though you love those cheap pubs. "Hahahaha. Depending on the situation with my job, I also have eaten at many odd places, but compared to all of those, this is an excellent dish. Gohda-san probably also learned a lot that way." "Well, I don't know too much about it. At the famous hotel where he used to work, employee politics got pretty complicated and everyone split into factions. In the middle of all that, he was apparently forced to retire. Then, by chance, Mom sent out job offers for a servant."Gohda lowered the empty plate and, without losing his smile, began to recount his own uneven past.  "That is because among all of the applicants, you were the most talented. The decision was not based on personal feelings, but purely objective, so there is no need to thank me."...Oh man, why does aunt Natsuhi always have to speak so frankly. If only she spoke more gently, she might give off a different impression. Shannon-chan and Kumasawa-san entered from the hallway with a serving cart. "Please excuse us." "Now then, let us move on to today's dessert."Gohda-san and the others laid out the beautifully adorned dessert. I guess it's true when they say you have another stomach for dessert. I'd thought that being fed all that delicious food had totally filled me up, but as soon as I laid eyes on the dessert, my stomach started yelling 'More!' I don't know much about desserts, but this looked really good. A white pudding-like substance was garnished with two shades of red sauce, and elegant rose petals adorned the dish. With such magnificent food distributed in front of everybody, it was time for the chef to extol the virtues of his creation. However, Maria, who was completely indifferent to this strict rule, got excited by this beautiful and delicious looking dessert and jumped into the fray as soon as it was placed before her. Aunt Rosa scolded her, calling it bad manners, but George responded by saying 'Now, now, it's alright.' "Uu-?! This part's sour! This part's sour! Battler, this one's no good! Uu-!"Maria exclaimed as she sampled the two colored sauces. "What, some are good and some bad? Alright, I'll give it a go~! Mmmmm?!"Apparently the sauce was a blend of sweet and sour. Despite it being bad manners, I also stuck my little finger in and licked it. Whoa, half of it was sour enough to make you pucker up. If it were yellow, I'd have suspected lemon, but I couldn't guess what kind of sourness would be red. I decided to ask Shannon, who was putting away the serving cart behind us.  Maybe she was just setting the table and doesn't really know. Man, she's at a total loss... did I ask something wrong? Or did they use something that we'd be better off not knowing about? While aunt Natsuhi acted as though she had a headache, Kumasawa-san, who was setting the table at the opposite seat, began to laugh with a 'Hoh-hoh-ho'. "What ingredients do you think we made it out of? Hoh-hoh-ho, it'll shock you..." "Huh? I, I don't have a clue. Wait a sec, Kumasawa baa-san, that laugh's pretty creepy. So, what is it?!" "Don't tell anyone, alright? Let me borrow your ears."Kumasawa-san leaned across from the other side of the table. I leaned forward too when she asked me to listen. Their interest caught, Jessica, George-aniki, and, of course, Maria also put their ears closer. "Uu-. What? Wha-t? Quickly-! Quickly-!" """HAAAaaahh, mackerel?!?!""" "That's crazy," we all thought, horrified. Only Maria accepted it, nodding with an 'uh-huh'. "Uu-? Mackerels are sour? If you squeeze them, this comes out!"""...ha, Wahahahahaha...!"" When Maria started clamoring that mackerel were sour, the adults were unable to contain their laughter. Only aunt Rosa, her face red, told Maria that mackerel is sour only once prepared, in a small voice.  "Kumasawa baa-chan, you sure haven't changed...! You know Maria's gonna believe now, right?" "Hoh-hoh-ho, it's just a joke, right? Now, Gohda will tell us what the sauce's true nature is, won't he?"Gohda looked a little put off about his masterpiece being laughed at in such a strange way, but after clearing his throat once, he introduced the dessert to us. "Well then, allow me to introduce tonight's dessert. Based on the rose garden that everyone seemed to enjoy so much today, I finished this panna cotta in a rose garden style. The rose petals scattered across were selected just now from that rose garden. The sauce is a combination of two reds, strawberry and rose hips. Please enjoy this mixture of the strawberry's sweetness and the rose hip's sourness. Furthermore, the rose petals are merely decoration, so please avoid them while you eat. With that said, please, enjoy."...Ha... Man, I almost want to applaud before eating. Just like with medicine, reading the instructions seems to work better than just drinking it. As Gohda-san elaborated on the details of this dessert, it started to feel even more appetizing. Seriously, should you call him subtle or just talented? The dessert was probably planned from the beginning, but taking the hint when we all stopped in front of the rose garden earlier today, he displayed an incredible and timely awareness by just adding a few rose petals from that garden. This combination of sweet and sour was also exquisite. If it was just sweet, you'd just get used to it and bored halfway through. But if you reached the sour sauce at that point, you'd get a really vivid taste. And then, once you returned to the sweet sauce, all of the sourness in your mouth would be replaced with an enjoyable sweetness. I'm sure everyone else felt the same way. Every time Gohda-san passed by one of the seats, someone praised the taste and his creation. "How is it, Madam?" "Splendid, as always. It is worthy of entertaining our guests." "I am most grateful for your words. ...Madam, did you know? I have heard that rose hip has the ability to cure headaches. I thought that Madam especially would appreciate it, so I had it specially prepared." "Is that so? Thank you." "See, didn't I tell you, Natsuhi nee-san? Rose hip works on headaches." "So it seems. At least it would be nice if that were the case." "Haa-! Gohda-san, I love ya! Hey, later, why don't you tell me how they're treating you! If you've got any problems with it, just lift a finger and I'll give you whatever salary you want! Having your talent monopolized by this small island is sacrilege to humanity's cooking culture! Wouldn't you be willing to display your talent to all of the guests at my company?" "Hahaha, Hideyoshi-san. Are you trying to recruit our Gohda? how troubling. We better start treating Gohda better or he'll get snatched away." "*giggle* Yes, you really should. If you don't, he'll be lured away and you'll be stuck with three meals a day of Kumasawa-style mackerel cooking, won't you?" "Hoh-hoh-ho, that's harsh. It seems someone's holding a grudge against me." Kumasawa-san often claimed that mackerel had a precious nutritional value that could do things such as prevent aging and make people smarter. It seemed that while it couldn't stop the outward signs of aging, it helped prevent aging on the inside. Since she was still healthy enough to tell these kinds of jokes at her age, that benefit must be the real thing. "Hoh-hoh-ho... In that case, if you'll excuse me... Prepare yourself for tonight's dinner! I'll be cooking plenty of mackerel dishes for you to eat, so look forward to it!" "Wahahaha, we sure will. I want to get all dressed up for tonight's mackerel!" "That sounds wonderful. I wonder if any delicious Japanese sake will be included." "Really, is that so? How about some of our famous Rokkenjima mackerel liquor...""""Wahahahahahaha!!!""" Kumasawa-san, together with Shannon-chan, bowed and pushed the serving cart away. Amusingly, Gohda-san, who looked just as though his stock had been stolen from him, explained very seriously that tonight's dinner would actually be calf steak.  "Hoh-hoh-ho, I haven't done a~nything that requires thanks."Kumasawa may have played dumb, but she had obviously understood and saved Shannon in the nick of time. Back when Battler had asked for the details of the dessert, Shannon had unfortunately hesitated. There may have been several ways to dodge the question, but all of them would have been tricky. Shannon, who hesitated when hard pressed for a response, was always suffering because of this small weakness. If only Shannon, like Gohda, had a little of the craftiness needed to skillfully shake off a mistake, her days would be a little more comfortable. As far being able to flawlessly handle her work, this weakness was especially unfortunate. Naturally, those whose knew of Shannon's meek nature and her inability to gloss over a mistake and deceive people would understand this. Therefore, Kumasawa came to her aid without hesitation. "I just heard from Genji-san that there was a change in the afternoon shifts. I believe Shannon-san was given a break until this evening. Hoh-hoh-ho, I'm jealous." "Huh... ah, I'm sorry. I haven't checked the list of shifts yet." "Ah, yes. I was thinking I might start cooking some mackerel in the oven. If you don't mind, I would be happy if you would help out a bit before your break." "Ah, yes...! I would be delighted to help."To Shannon, Kumasawa was like a mother among the servants.  BGM: Steady Pace Maria insisted that she also wanted to drink the black tea, but was rejected by the old bastard, who told the children to go play outside. "Battler-kun, why don't we all go for a walk outside?" "It's alright if you just go to look at the roses. But keep a close eye on the weather. The sky's still clear, but the weather report kept talkin' about rain." "Uu-! Maria wants the beach, wants the beach!!" "Aw, isn't that great? Playing on a sandy beach isn't something that you get to do often, is it?" "Really? Alright, let's all go to the sandy beach then!" "Uu-! Let's go, let's go!" "Maria, be careful not to get your clothes wet. Your shoes, too." "Uu-! Won't get wet!" "*giggle*, that obedience is so cute. Battler-kun, make sure you keep an eye out for Maria-chan, okay?" "Great, leave it to me!" "Haaah, isn't your obedience to Kyrie's request just as cute? ...Why don't you also listen to me obediently for a change?" "Heh! Hell no! Let's go everyone, c'mon!"The children flew out of the parlor. They were replaced by Genji, who pushed a serving cart in and prepared the black tea. The parlor was filled with a sublime aroma which entertained everyone while they waited to appease their thirst...  "That's true~. Jessica-chan really has been raised to be cute. hasn't she? This is also the fruit of your training, isn't it, Natsuhi nee-san?" "...Thank you."Natsuhi answered coldly. With that, the conversation halted, and the parlor became silent. Possibly because he couldn't stand it anymore, Hideyoshi broke the silence with an exaggerated gesture. "Still, they sure do grow fast. ...I've always thought of them as children, but they've been gettin' huge right before my eyes and, before I knew it, they've joined the group of adults. Battler-kun, for example, is beyond recognition!" "His body has gotten much bigger, but he is still a child. Well, my husband is also still a child." "I wonder where the border between child and adult is. I still don't feel as though I've grown up." "Hmph, isn't that pitiful. That's not something the mother of a child should say." "That's right. We're not children anymore. We are all adults. So I want to stop this sentimental talk and move on to a more intellectual discussion." "We have all intended to have an intellectual discussion for some time now, haven't we? ...It seems that your sarcasm is poorly timed. Just as it used to be." "...'Just as it used to be,' is it? My, my. I wish I could wrap those words up and send them to this room a few decades ago. Right, Rosa?" "..."Rosa smiled with an uncertain face. Whether she agreed or disagreed, she knew that she would earn the displeasure of her brother or her sister. It was a bit of worldly wisdom she had needed to learn as the youngest sibling.  BGM: At Death's Door  "Last year, his life expectancy was estimated at about three months. Which means that you could say that it's already minus nine months now, couldn't you? I guess this means that it could come at any time now." "The family head is still in good health. Raising such an inappropriate topic while the sun is still bright...I can't help but doubt your true intentions, Rudolf-san." "Still, Natsuhi-san. If we don't discuss this until somethin' happens, it'll be too late. He's still healthy now, so we must figure out something while we still have some time left over. It's the same as financial etiquette." "It seems as though everyone is concerned about Father. ...Doctor Nanjo. Could we hear the details from you? It seems as though they are also hoping for that." "...*cough*."Nanjo, standing by the window and staring out at the rose garden, let out a single cough when he realized that he was being called. "...Doctor Nanjo. ...How is Father's condition?" "Well, first off... Because my estimate last year that he had only three months to live has not borne out, allow me to start with that revision." "No need to explain. You're saying that measuring remaining life is only a prediction, not a promise, right?" "...That is correct. Because of that, while I will accept everyone's repeated questions, I can by no means confirm when he will pass away. A human's life is supported by their body and their mind. If the body is weak, the situation becomes more dangerous, but if the mind is strong enough to compensate for that weakness, the lull in one's condition can be preserved." "So you're saying that even if his body is weak, his mind is still firm and spirited." "...Kyrie, sorry, but please stay quiet for a while." "...Sorry." "That is correct. Kinzo-san's body is being overwhelmed by the demon of ill health. Furthermore, to continue having a taste for that kind of strong liquor is very, very..." "So drinking is reason why he's teetering on the edge. Is his long life also the liquor's fault? Sounds like Father, the heavy drinker." "Well then, Doctor, I know you can't give anything more than a prediction... but what do you think about Father's chances of living until this day next year...?"  "Ah, Natsuhi-san, forgive her! Eva, couldn'try and choose your words a little more carefully, okay?" "I'm sorry. I was just so concerned over Father's condition. *giggle*." "Is that so? I hadn't realized." "Doctor Nanjo, please tell us. For the sake of the beautiful family love of a daughter worried about her father's lifespan."Krauss laughed sarcastically, and Eva, smiling sweetly, returned an identical chuckle. "...You ask whether he will still be healthy next year, but as a doctor, it is very hard to say. Because while I do think this lull in his condition will continue for a while, if he suffers some kind of fit, there may be nothing we can do. Anyways, Rokkenjima is a solitary island. It is not as though an ambulance can quickly jump in to save him. Normally, I would want to have him hospitalized in a large hospital on the mainland, but..." "Father stated that he does not want his noble research interrupted. It seems he holds a grudge over the way we tried to force him out last year. Apparently, he strongly suspects that he'll be shut away in some hospital if he goes outside. And that's how things are now." "Has Doctor Nanjo been examining him?" "Father trusts Doctor Nanjo. It seems he can be examined when in a good mood..." "I can examine his condition, but if I try to recommend medicine or hospitalization, he refuses to listen. I've really only been able to look." "It's true that there are people that hate doctors... Still, what a hassle!"Nanjo sighed deeply. The purpose of an examination was to determine what medical treatment was appropriate. Receiving an examination and then not following the advice given made the whole thing pointless...  "I understand Doctor Nanjo's opinion. What do you think, Krauss nii-san?" "...Hmph. To be perfectly honest, I have to disagree with Doctor Nanjo. I find it truly difficult think of Father as a person so sick that he has only three months to live. His yell is as healthy as ever, and I still get the chills at the thought of his fists raining down on me. Pushing the care of your father solely on the shoulders of the eldest sibling is far from fair." "Hahhaha. In the next world, get born after me..." "Alright, let's return to our discussion. In that case, according to the impartial and neutral doctor's opinion, it wouldn't be odd for him to go any time. Sorry, Aniki, but I'd rather trust the opinion of a specialist. With that, I believe the discussion of Father's fortune is no longer a premature topic." "Father's personal funds probably reach as far as several ten billion yen, right? But, it's not as though all of that is neatly gathered as ready cash. It's not as simple as neatly cutting a birthday cake with a knife." "...Aneki's metaphor is interesting, isn't it? That's right, sometimes strawberries or chocolates are placed on top of the cake, making it hard to cleanly divide it into equal parts. Taking that into consideration, I think it's important to first discuss how best to stick the knife in, don't you...?" "I truly don't understand everyone. Even while the head is still alive, you're discussing the matter in loud voices as though he were already dead." "Come now, don't you see how important this is? After all, when the time comes, the inheritance of his fortune must be carried out immediately, right? Moreover, the glorious Ushiromiya house's wealth is vast. Don't you understand that a careful discussion is necessary beforehand? Because there's a huge difference between this family's resources and your family's wealth." "...How rude. The family I was born to has nothing to do with this."As Natsuhi resentfully responded in a low voice, the already dark atmosphere grew even more hostile... "Give it a rest, Eva... Natsuhi-san, forgive us! Pardon her rudeness."Hideyoshi, tried to smooth things over by glancing at both with a forced smile, but it only resulted in making the hostility between Eva and Natsuhi even more intense... Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 02:35 on Oct 31, 2016 |
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 After the doctor had exited and his footsteps had disappeared into the distance, Krauss recrossed his legs. "In other words, what you all have to say is something like this. Father's remaining life is short. You want to quickly enter into a practical conference concerning the distribution of the inheritance... Why are you so eager, I wonder? Certainly, as you say, estimating and distributing the Ushiromiya family's wealth is no simple task. In that case, shouldn't we carefully and deliberately calculate? It seems to me that you are all impatient to split up the cake tonight. That's true, isn't it Rosa? Is something making you impatient?" "...We are not impatient. However, a decision between the siblings is essential. It doesn't matter when, but if the day when Father's condition worsens is approaching, discussing the matter beforehand isn't what I would call impatience..."Rosa shot a glance at Eva and Rudolf. As the youngest daughter in the family, being cross-examined by the eldest was harsh. "...Oh? Is that your true opinion? I didn't expect that the most honest and pure-hearted of the siblings would say something like that. I wonder if those two told you to say that...?" "..." "Quit it, Aniki. Rosa is also our sibling. She has a fair right to Father's inheritance. It's obvious she would be interested, right? After all, Father will definitely die, and that's not something that'll happen in the distant future. On the contrary, Aniki, you are far too relaxed. It seems almost as though you would like nothing better than to turn the discussion away from the distribution of the inheritance." "...What do you mean by that? Are you trying to accuse my husband of something?" "C, calm down Natsuhi-san. Listen to what we have to say..." "Nii-san, I hear these are very good times nowadays. That's right, on the one hand, since last year the rise of the yen has led to an unprecedented boom in prosperity. It seems that it's no longer a dream that the dollar will reach 100 yen. Also, the ruling party says that it will establish health resort maintenance law by next year. At this moment, resort development companies across Japan are running about trying to gather as much capital as they can." "You sure are knowledgeable. Soon, Japan will see an unprecedented boom. Just like when Father revived the Ushiromiya family. Another case like the Korean war demands. The people of Japan have gotten into in a frenzy trying to realize vast economic growth and become the most prosperous people in the world, glorifying the spring of our society. Private spending has increased, and institutions that can profit from that can make easy money in this era. The people's needs are not three kinds of electrical appliances. Places to ski, to golf, public pools. Resort hotels and theme parks!" "Krauss-san, your foresight isn't something to be trifled with. When I heard that several years earlier, I thought it was ridiculous. However, when I heard about the G5 nations' Plaza Accord, that changed. The yen became increasingly strong, and the price of land will soon skyrocket, I believe. The day that Japan becomes the economic center of the world isn't far off. You have a very forward looking view. At least there can be no debate about that." "I feel the same as Hideyoshi-san. Aniki, you can read into the next decade of history. That keen sense surely came from Father. It's incredible... However, unlike Father, there have been cases where the timing of your predictions have been mistaken, haven't there?" "Nii-san, believing that Japan will definitely face an economic boom, you have been planning resorts everywhere. And almost all of them continue to fail. While I'm sure that the era you predicted is arriving, it seems that you misread the timing of that boom." "...You were too early. And then you hurriedly tried to sell everything off, and as a result opened the wound even further. If your nose was really so reliable and you predicted the coming of a boom, then there should be no reason for you to sell off your property. Is this proof that you don't trust your own ability?" "...How rude! Are you trying to insult my husband?"Natsuhi's forehead creased as she rose from the sofa. Eva, paying this no heed, stared at Krauss with a confident smile. Krauss, who also maintained his confident appearance, told Natsuhi to sit down. "Please stop, Natsuhi. My little sister has always talked that way. ...Calm yourself a little. Your headache will get worse." "Proof that you have no talent is also right here. After all, Nii-san, weren't you all excited about turning this island into a resort? Building a wonderful resort hotel, beautifully maintaining the garden. I'm just an amateur and don't pretend to understand, but you must have used a significant amount of money, right?" "Then, what are you trying to say! My husband's business has nothing to do with you!" "Actually, that's not true, Natsuhi-san. Rokkenjima is not Aniki's. It is Father's. Of course, the hotel that was constructed is Aniki's, right? If you like, you can charge us lodging fees tonight. Right, Rosa?" "...Well, hmm. If what I have on hand will suffice." "If I can make it into a resort, this island's financial worth will rise. It is true that expenses have piled up, but we can hope to have a large harvest in the future. When that happens, it should prove to be beneficial to all of you as well." "I understand that. If the value of this island rises, that will increase our shares when we distribute the inheritance. Of course, I won't ask you to divide the island and the mansion into four equal parts. But that's only if the matter can be settled by calculating its financial worth." "If you understand that much, what about my business makes you so dissatisfied?" "We aren't dissatisfied, we're uneasy. In the first place, Aniki, when do you plan to open that hotel? Left this way, you won't get anything out of it except our grubby hand prints, right?" "That's right. It's an important tool for your business, isn't it? Surely you can't keep it locked up until the moment you open it for business, right? Buildings go bad if you don't use them and air them out every once in a while. Even so, it's a bit extravagant for a guesthouse that we only use once a year. Right, Rosa?" "...That's right. If it is that wonderful, I'm sure that it will become quite popular once you open it." "Oh...The hotel that you mentioned earlier is actually the guesthouse, isn't it..." "It's splendid. Just as Rosa said, if you were to open it, I'm sure it would become popular." "Nii-san, it's just like all of your enterprises. Your attention and planning are both fabulous. Then, it always becomes unable to maintain itself partway, and ends without being able to collect any profit." "It was brilliant of Aniki to spot that this island, when used only as a place to live, was a waste. I think that turning it into a resort which could use things like marine sports, fishing, or honeymoons to attract customers was a pretty good plan. If I were the oldest son, I'm sure I would be puzzling over what kind of profit I could get out of this island." "But, two full years have passed since you finished building, right? After two years, you still haven't had the opportunity to open it? Where is the managing company you entrusted it to?" "...Impertinence! That is not my husband's fault! There has just been some trouble with the company that my husband contracted with. No matter how you look at it, we are victims here!" "And yet... This company that Krauss-san hired... I haven't heard many good rumors about it." "Just spit it out. Did you think that rumors about nonpayment, embezzlement, and projects that disintegrated mid-way wouldn't reach my ears? I've been collecting evidence." "I don't know what kind of evidence you found, but it's all baseless! As new members in the sightseeing business, it is necessary to lay the groundwork with various people. It is also important to discuss how trustworthy the other party is. This is nothing more than taking some time to meet that end!" "...I'll accept that, in my rashness, the hotel was completed too early. However, we are not paying maintenance costs. It's a slow and vital strategic arrangement." "Liar. I'll bet you want to sell it but can't. There's no reason for anyone to buy such an extravagant hotel on an isolated island without any established sightseeing routes. What happened to the financing that you collected for this project?" "Even if you aren't incurring maintenance costs, the borrowed money that you can't return is steadily swelling. Sorry, Krauss nii-san. I investigated the development plan for this island a little. Honestly, I have also heard nothing good." "Hideyoshi-san. I'm sure that only looking at the current financial condition could lead you to that impression. However, that is a prior investment. I have no choice but to admit that my prediction was mistaken, and that up until now, several liabilities have been created." "However, the times have finally caught up with me. I will soon regain everything that I have lost up to this point. No, actually, all of the investments I have made until now will finally return to my possession. That's right, just like throwing away a small fry which then becomes a salmon, they will come back even bigger than before." "I'll accept that. Starting soon, the resort business will probably see an unprecedented boom... Whether it'll be enough to bury all of your liabilities is... However, Krauss nii-san. After all your miserable and repeated failures in the past, who in the world would supply you with funds? It would have to be a massive amount of funds. Enough funds to cover your massive debt, right?" "...What are you trying to say, Hideyoshi-san?" "Ahh, Natsuhi-san, please don't get angry! We also investigated that. We investigated to see if anyone loaned Krauss nii-san, who has continued to lose so much, a large enough investment to support him recently." "...And the result, there is none. There is no backer. Turning things around during a time of weakness is the iron rule of the money roulette. Aniki's was a well known time of weakness in this neighborhood. Surely this era seems set to welcome an economic boom, but when we asked who, with respect to Aniki's failures, would find him worthy of funding, there was no one." "Then what...? Where did you raise that money from? ...That's the question, now." "...Ho. Isn't this an interesting story. And?" "D, dear! How long do you plan to ignore these abusive remarks!!" "Sit down, Natsuhi-san. Let me say it directly. Aniki has been diverting Father's private funds for his own business. There is almost no doubt. If we made some mistake, please, feel free to explain it for us." "They aren't abusive, they're right on the mark, aren't they? I'm sure he'd like to make his business succeed so that he can recover his losses, but his debt is actually growing! He's just trying to cover up the failure of one gamble by making an even bigger one. If he had funds close at hand, it's only logical that he'd try to use them! Let me say it clearly. Nii-san, what you are doing is embezzlement. You're betraying our father. You know that we'll the the courts settle it after this is all over, right? Do you think that kind of person has any right to assume the position as successor to the Ushiromiya head house?" "Y-, you can't say that... s, saying that he's betraying the head isn't something that can be easily overlooked!! You have no right to straddle the threshold of the glorious Ushiromiya family!! Leave this place immediately!! All right?! Get out!!"Natsuhi, who had already reached the limits of her anger, shouted at Eva in a rage. She then pointed alternately at Eva and the hallway, indicating that she should leave. Eva took out a folding fan and fanned herself with it, glaring maliciously at Natsuhi as though silently daring her to repeat what she'd said. However, her mouth was still smiling, curved in the shape of a crescent moon. In that unpleasant silence, Rosa gulped.  "I'm speaking to the extremely impolite sister of my husband!! As the person in charge of the main family's kitchen, I cannot overlook any more of this!!" "In charge of the kitchen? Huhuhu, hahahaha, ahhahahahaha!! Shut up, you maid servant!"Eva folded the fan with a snap and rose powerfully. Compared to the elegance and playful behavior she had shown until just now, she was unimaginably aggressive. "How foolish. Bow down!! Before Eva of the Ushiromiya family! There were a hundred ways Natsuhi wanted to respond. However, her anger and sorrow crushed her throat, and not one of them managed to make it to her mouth. The anger which had lost any place to go became a single hot tear which slowly dripped down... "Whaaat? If you have something to say, please, say it now. Come on."Eva faced her with a provocative gaze. However, Natsuhi's fist was shaking; she trembled all over, unable to do anything... Krauss quietly broke that powder-keg tension.  "D, dear, don't you understand what they're saying about you?! These people are baselessly calling you a traitor to Father!! They are making light of the fact that we protect the glory of the Ushiromiya family and in order to receive that glory from Father, we have been purely spending our days expending every effort. They trample all of that underfoot; what a painful rambling!!! You are you. Why don't you talk back! Since you won't talk back, I have, but for a while you have been relying completely on me!! Are you telling me to go cool my head and come back?! It's a-lways me!!" "Even though I have always seriously considered this family's affairs, you've...!! WhaaaAAaaAaaaa, whaaaaaAAAAAAA!!!"Natsuhi was already unable to hide her tears. She flew from the room in that state. After that, all that remained was an somewhat embarrassed mood about the parlor... When the sound of footsteps grew distant and silence returned, Krauss shrugged his shoulders slightly. "...I apologize for my wife. She has always been bad at controlling her emotions. It's hard even for me right now." "If she's been managed like that, it must worry Nii-san to no end, huh? *giggle*giggle*...!" Natsuhi flew into her room and bent over the bed, lamenting... Those heartwrenching sobs reached Kumasawa in the hallway...  There is a deep enmity between her and and Eva-sama. Explaining their relationship would be very tiresome for a woman such as myself... The Ushiromiya family held blood in high regard, but if someone married outside the family, they were normally removed from the family hierarchy. Thus, under normal circumstances, Eva-sama should have been removed when she married Hideyoshi-sama. However... this was not anyone's fault. Madam definitely bore no guilt. There's no way to say it other than calling it a whim of god. Krauss-sama and Natsuhi-sama were not blessed with children for some time. Anyways, this was the male dominant Ushiromiya family. A wife was just a tool to create a heir. If that wife could not fulfill her only duty, she would not be treated as a human. It is painful to remember how much the Master tortured Madam during that time... During that time, Eva-sama and Hideyoshi-sama's wedding was discussed. Eva-sama was sly. Taking advantage of Madam's inability to become pregnant, she gained the favor of the Master. She inspired him to allow her to marry and give birth to a successor herself, making sure to avoid transferring her name out of the Ushiromiya register. There was a vast difference in the Ushiromiya hierarchy between Madam, who married into the Ushiromiya family and was treated like an outsider, and Eva-sama, who was related to the family by blood and whose husband took on the Ushiromiya name. And beyond that, Eva-sama was the first to give birth to a boy... As for how much weaker Madam's position was compared to Eva-sama, I believe you could see for yourself... I'm sure Madam is tormented by the thought that if only she had gotten pregnant earlier, the Master wouldn't have accepted Eva-sama's request to keep her last name after marriage, and Eva-sama wouldn't have been permitted to act as arrogantly as she had today... However, that was not Madam's fault... All of the blame lies with god's whims and the stork that delivered Jessica late... Even so, Madam won't allow herself to see things this way... She probably can't help but cry bitter tears at her inability to carry out the duties expected of a wife... 
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Sep 21, 2016 13:40
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I imagine the 'typo' slipped through because Ryukishi didn't want to mention Disney by name in his game, just in case.
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Sep 21, 2016 20:50
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 October 4th, 1986, 1:30 PM  BGM: Hope As we did, we once again saw that witch's portrait. However, the word 'saw' is probably not the best word to describe that experience. It was more like our eyes were drawn to it. That woman's eyes, with their sage-like glamor, definitely had the power to make those who viewed it stand rooted to the spot.  Back when he had asked what this picture was, the first person to tell him it was Beatrice had been Maria. Therefore, when Battler showed signs of doubt, Maria must have felt that Battler didn't have faith in her. Of course, that's not what Battler meant. Maria ran up to the portrait and began banging on a plate hanging below it. Maybe the title of the portrait was written there. Maria, trying to prove that she wasn't lying, obstinately continued to hit the plate. "Ah-, sorry 'bout that, it's not like I doubt anything you said, Maria." "Uu-! Battler believe it! Uu-!"When he patted Maria's head and apologized, she seemed to accept it, sticking out her chest and proudly uu-uu-ing.  BGM: Rose The plate did have the title of the portrait written on it, but it was much too big to contain only that. Beneath the title, what looked like an long epitaph was also written. If you just skimmed over it, several unnerving words would jump out at you. "Incredible, isn't it? Grandfather had that written. Pretty deep, huh?" "Uu-! Maria knows! The place where the gold is hidden!" "...Wait, is it that story about the Ushiromiya family's hidden gold? There's another thing that I remember from long ago... Wait, Aniki, is that for real?" "Grandfather had this written, but he never said anything about this picture or the epitaph... Even so, amongst the family, it is often whispered that it points to the location of Grandfather's hidden gold, and that he will relinquish the inheritance and the gold to the person who solves the riddle." "Uu-! Maria heard that too, Maria heard that too! Lots and lots of gold!" "...Well, something like that. Something like 10 tons of gold bars. I think it's a fake, though." "Still, if you read this all the way through, it almost seems real." Grandfather succeeded the Ushiromiya family after it had been destroyed in the Great Kanto earthquake and, by successfully riding the stormy seas after the war, managed to accumulate great wealth. That much of the story everyone knows. However, from here on, the strange part of the story begins. Part of it is closely tied to Grandfather's black magic hobby, so its credibility is extremely low, but... Well, wait until the end before you doubt or make fun of it. After the war, Grandfather correctly predicted what the future would hold and won in a huge gamble, accumulating a vast store of wealth, but there is a mysterious legend about how he gained the funds in the first place. Grandfather came from the branch family and had no connections in the business world or the financial world. Even though he later built connections with the occupying forces, in the beginning he was supposedly a nameless person who had not yet gained anyone's trust. Money can only be gathered based on trust. There's no way anyone would lend money to an untrustworthy person. How did Grandfather, whose trustworthiness was zero, manage to obtain the large amount of funds in the first place? It is said that, when asked that question, Grandfather answered like this...  Grandfather then went on and on about how he continued to research alchemy and techniques for summoning demons in order to become a great magician... And the entity summoned as the result of the demon-calling ceremony was the Golden Witch Beatrice. He then said that he made a contract where, in exchange for his own soul, he would receive fortune and honor. The witch then granted Grandfather 10 tons of gold. Grandfather used this gold as collateral to prepare a vast quantity of funds, and then used that to multiply his wealth by several times and revive the Ushiromiya family... It seems that this story was so old that our parents had already been told it when they were still children. Therefore, while our parents were still young, they explored this island in various ways, believing that the gold that Grandfather had received from the witch might be hidden somewhere. However, since there was the danger of them getting lost in the abandoned forest, Grandmother began to spread the story that the witch lived in the forest and that approaching it was forbidden.  "We sure were idiots, weren't we? After all, Grandfather used that to build up the funds that he finally bought this island with, right? That means he must have had the gold before coming to this island. There's no reason the gold itself should be on the island." "That's not necessarily so. Maybe the gold was hidden on the island from the beginning and he bought the whole island just to make sure it was all his. There was a whole 10 tons of it, right? It seems more realistic that he would try to secure the place where it was hidden rather than try to move it all." "This epitaph was written two years ago. And since Grandfather wrote it himself... I see, this does make the Legend of the Gold more believable. The funds that revived the Ushiromiya family which he calls the witch's gold weighed 10 tons... And that's sleeping somewhere, ready to be turned over to whoever can solve Grandfather's riddle. Maybe that's why he did it? Haa, I guess that sounds like Grandfather's style or something... Ihihi! If it's true, that's pretty incredible."The epitaph carved into the plate was very mysterious, with something like a poem or a song written on it. That paragraph was incredibly disturbing, filled with the signs of Grandfather's black magic hobby, and its contents were in bad taste, but it could definitely be viewed as a puzzle which, if solved, could lead to the place where the gold was hidden. "Whether that's what he intended or not, I can't even imagine what his true motive was. All I can say is, this shady epitaph was displayed here so that everyone in the family could see it. By doing so, he could hint at the existence of the gold while still avoiding telling where the hiding place is. That caused our parents' imagination to run wild and call it equal to Grandfather's level of genius..." "...Sounds just like my dad, so greedy that he takes something like this so seriously. Even though he laughs at Grandfather's black magic hobby, he'll still believe this story about the hidden gold. It just sounds so good." "...Well, it's certainly not a realistic story. At that time, when Grandfather was still nameless without any connections, there was no way anyone would just lend him a massive quantity of gold bars for free. Because of that, it's not unthinkable that Grandfather would call his sponsor a witch." "Yeah, but, it's 10 tons. 10 tons! If you traded that for money, how much would that come to? Anyway, it'd have to be a ridiculous amount, right?!" "...It would be a ridiculous amount. They say that the total amount of gold mined by humankind since the dawn of history is at most 100,000 tons. That 1/10,000 of all of the gold humankind has obtained throughout history should belong to just one person is just insane... And that all of that was collected in one place and that there was a witch who could just 'poof' lend it to Grandfather. That would be no ordinary person." "As for me, I think that that number '10 tons' sounds totally fake. In the first place, has anyone other than Grandfather ever even seen it? And even if some generous witch lent him some actual gold, couldn't that 10 be right but actually be mistaken from 10 kilograms? Even 10 kilograms would be a pretty incredible sum, right?" "Uu-... 10 kilograms of gold is how much?"Maria, who wasn't following the story and felt like she was being spoken to in riddles, finally found a place where she could ask us a question. A question which I also wanted to know right then. Whether I hear 10 kilograms or 10 tons, I know that it's an incredible amount, but I couldn't guess exactly how incredible each one is. George-aniki folded his arms and tried to remember the market price of gold. "...Well. Gold is also affected by speculation. Its price can also change depending on its purity and the trustworthiness of the foundry. You would also need to pay a commission to turn it into money. Still, it is definitely a precious metal, and some people estimate that if gold mining continues at its current rate, within half of a century, humankind will have mined all of it...Just guessing haphazardly, For one kilogram, I think maybe a price of 2 million yen." "WHAAaa... I know I just randomly said that 10 kilograms would be a humble amount... but even that would be worth 20 million yen, wouldn't it!?" "Uu-? Maria weighs 28 kilograms." "...Which means that if we had Maria-chan's weight in gold, we could estimate its worth at over 50 million yen." "That's just unbelievable... How much would 10 tons be then? 10 kilograms is 20,000,000 times 1000, so... umm... That's it! 20 billion yen?! What the hell!"How much is 20 billion yen actually worth? ...We can only measure it relative to our own pocketbooks.  ...So 100 times this sum is an unbelievable amount of money. If you work from age 20 to age 60, that's 40 years of work... so it's equal to 4000 years of work wages. It's like you worked every day starting from the Jomon period and finally accumulated this much money. "...Uu-. Is 20 billion yen huge...?" "Yeah, it's huge. Maria, you could buy more of that shortcake you love than you could eat in a lifetime." "...However, while that might be possible with 20 billion yen in cash, I don't think it would be very realistic to have that much in gold bars all in one place. Just as I said, gold is extremely heavy, and it is not very convenient for purchasing assets. With highly valued stocks and bonds or really expensive precious gems, it wouldn't be unthinkable though. You often hear of people who, in the period of confusion during the war, often traded their wealth for precious gems so that they could carry it around with them... But you don't usually hear stories of people exchanging their wealth for gold." "Of course it's heavy, but internationally it's the most trusted and stable. Doesn't that mean something? With bonds, for example, if the country is destroyed they're just scraps of paper." "You can also look at it that way... but even one 10 kilogram ingot is pretty heavy to carry around. Haven't you heard? A 50 kilogram person can't carry a 50 kilogram bag over their shoulder. With that many gold bars, the amount of labor and risk for one person would be hard to calculate." "So what you're saying is, while a stack of banknotes worth 20 billion yen would be annoying, 20 billion yen in gold would be such a big mountain that practically it would be kinda pointless." "That's right. Although the Legend of the Gold does have a pretty interesting ring to it, just the part about the 10 tons of gold makes it pretty much impossible..." "If you think about it logically like that, it sounds obviously fake. Haha, kind of brings you back down to reality." "Anyways, that's Grandfather for you. Spreading exaggerated rumors about financing from some kind rich person by calling it 10 tons of gold received from a witch, probably figuratively. Even the number '10 tons' feels pretty symbolic." "You mean like his gratitude for the money he borrowed was worth 10 tons of gold, or something?" "Hehehe, maybe some rich man's leisured wife generously granted it to Grandfather. And maybe then he started calling this person a witch?" ...Furthermore, Grandfather later used that money to build a vast amount of wealth. Someone with such a great ability to judge people might also fittingly be called a witch. Also, since she went to the trouble of lending all that money, she might also have enthusiastically guided how it was spent. The decision to unexpectedly get involved with the occupying forces and profit from the Korean War demands might have been inspired in Grandfather by the witch. If you put those together, saying that he received wealth and honor from the witch might actually make sense. "I see. So, in other words, this witch granted the funds necessary to revive the Ushiromiya family and Grandfather owed her big time. If that's the case, Grandfather, with his feelings of gratitude, had that huge painting drawn and displayed... I get it. It's not that strange a story." "What if this person looked like an old witch-like granny? If that's true, I can definitely understand why Grandfather tried to pretty her up when he had the painting drawn. Hahahahaha, I'll bet if we ever did meet this person, she wouldn't be nearly this pretty!" "Hahahaha, that's possible. The name Beatrice sounds pretty western, and if you think about how everyone in our family has western-style names, maybe even the name Beatrice is the result of Grandfather trying to rearrange some Japanese person's name to make it sound western." "I get it, I get it. That means that this pretty girl doesn't exist outside the picture. Guess that means I won't be able to rub those elegant breasts~, ihihi! In the first place, isn't a witch a little weird? Like you could find something like that anywhere on earth."As I made fun of the witch, laughing, I was trying to separate myself from the kid I was six years ago who was afraid of the witch of the forest. At that time, Maria tugged on my sleeve. The strength with which she did was filled with a little unhappiness.  "Witches exist! Witches exist! Uu-uu-uu-!!!" "Well sure, they do exist... if you turn the TV on and watch anime or something." "Exi-st!! Witches exi-st!! Uu-uu-uu-!!!"I started getting impatient, not knowing why Maria was jumping on me like this. Then, Jessica tapped me on the shoulder and told me in a small voice. "Dumbass, you're smashing a kid's dream. Maria really believes that things like witches and Beatrice exist." "Come to think of it, Maria-chan, in social studies at your school, when you were asked to write what you wanted to be when you grew up, you wrote 'a witch', didn't you?"Maria nodded seriously. Tears started to run from the corners of her eyes. ...I see. To a girl who wants to become a witch in the future, the existence of Beatrice was proof that witches do exist in this world, and was therefore an image that she yearned after and admired. "Exi-st! Exi-st! Witches exi-st!! But Battler still doesn't believe! Uu-uu-uu-!!!" "It's alright. They exist, witches. Onii-chan believes it."George-aniki kneeled down and held Maria's head. Watching this, Jessica poked my side.  "...Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make fun of your dreams. I apologize. Beatrice does exist. Even now she's living in the forest, and comes every night to the mansion to peek in and see what everyone's doing... So you shouldn't go into the forest. At night, you mustn't stare into the dark forest. You might be seen by the witch of the forest, Beatrice. After all, Grandmother said so." "Uu-... Really? Battler really believes?" "Yep. I believe. Sorry for doubting it. C'mon, let's make up."I stuck out my hand and Maria grabbed it with her tiny hand, and we made up. Maria didn't grumble any more than that, so George-aniki and Jessica were relieved.  BGM: Moonlit Night "Ah, Shannon. Well, this is the first time Battler has seen Beatrice's portrait. He was just fascinated by it." "That's right, it is fascinating. Beatrice-sama is truly beautiful. I am sure that she captivated the Master." "Ahahahaha. In addition to the patron theory, there's also a theory that she was Grandfather's first love. Either way, although it's been several decades since he met her, even now she holds a special place in his heart... Which must mean that he is still captivated by her." "Sheesh. That must have made Grandmother pretty jealous, right?" "I'm not really sure, but that might actually be true. Apparently Grandmother believed that he was cheating on her with some blonde-haired person." "Ah, I apologize. I was told by Kumasawa-san to bring them to everyone." "What is it, I wonder? ...Ooh, excellent! Cookies." "Uu-! Want to eat cookies! Want to eat cookies! Uu-!" "Please, eat as much as you would like... But, umm..." "Maria, why don't we eat someplace other than here? Let's put the cookies in a bento and have a picnic." "Uu-! Have a picnic, have a picnic!! If we can eat cookies, let's go!" "That's right, let's go get some fresh air. We shouldn't grab food right in front of the witch." "That's right, didn't we say that we wanted to go down to the beach in the first place? Let's go, let's go." "Shannon-chan. Sorry, but could I ask you to get us a blanket to sit on and some flasks of tea." "Right...! Certainly."Shannon-chan received her instructions and gracefully bowed before retracing her steps. We headed for the beach on our own. Everyone headed for the entrance in a group. ...Feeling as though that witch was staring down at our backs, I turned around once more.  "Nope, I believe. That way is more imaginative! The golden witch Beatrice gave Grandfather 10 tons of gold! And that gold might be sleeping around somewhere. And besides, didn't Grandfather write that strange epitaph as though challenging us to find it if we can? I think that kind of romantic story is way better." "20 billion yen worth of go-ld! Hehe, even if we split it up between the four of us, that's still a ridiculous amount of money!" "5 billion yen for each of us...Incredible! With that kind of money, any business would prosper. No wait, we could live our whole lives fabulously without working at all." "Uu-uu-! Not 5 billion yen, cookie, cookie!!" "Wahahaha, Maria would take cookies over money. Still, 5 billion yen, that's like a dream!" BGM: Corridor of the Sands of Purgatory "...The story about a witch who gave him the gold and so forth, we obviously don't believe. However, there's no mistake about the gold." "The fact that Father obtained gold bars from an unknown source can be confirmed in several ways. We heard that, before the president of the Marusoo company died, Father showed him a large amount of gold somewhere. Father used that claim to prove that that there were 10 tons worth." "That's just the nonsense of a senile old man. Along with Father, he was just fabricating a story. You can't take it seriously." "If that gold didn't exist, he wouldn't have been able to gather so much funding! Before the president died, he was a person with such a sincere personality that he gathered the respect from many in the business world. He couldn't have become a partner in such a fraud!" "Aniki, the president of Marusoo definitely saw it. 10 tons of it, clearly with his own eyes. Even more, Father let the president take one ingot at random and have it examined. The results of the examination showed that the 10 kilogram ingot was 99.99 percent pure. He said that the Ushiromiya family crest, the One-winged Eagle, was carved into it." "Almost instantly, the Ushiromiya Legend of the Gold spread amongst the fixers of the business world. Gold from an unknown foundry has a poor rate of conversion into money. Thinking that it was a chance for decisive profits, they accepted it as collateral, and as a result Father was able to receive a giant loan..." "Isn't there a limit to how ridiculous you can get? How old are you people? Are you still taking that nursery tale you heard as a kid seriously? Where is the proof that this 10 tons worth of gold even exists? Isn't it just the lies of Father and those who were closest to him?" "...Of course it's just a story. But still, Aniki. The amount of money that Father raised required a suitable quantity of collateral. Even if the gold was just a rumor, that he must have shown them a treasure of comparable worth is an unmistakable truth." "It was just an illusion of money created by our penniless father. He made it seem that non-existent gold actually existed and fooled his sponsors. It was probably the gamble of a lifetime. Fortunately, his use of those funds proved successful. If the Korean war demands hadn't come and the Ushiromiya family had not been restored, Father would probably have been hounded after as the crook of the century." "In that case, are you saying that the gold never existed, and that Father made it all up?" "Of course. Therefore, after he was sufficiently successful, the illusion of gold became inconvenient. So Father made up that absurd story about the witch and black magic and made the whole thing seem less believable. In other words, he revealed that the illusion of gold was fabricated. If he says that he received the gold from a witch, no one would believe that it exists at all, right? He possibly said it for all of your sakes. Nevertheless, some stupid offspring wanting to divide up this non-existent gold with the rest of the inheritance have appeared. Rosa, don't tell me that even you believe this kind of a fabrication...?" "...I can't prove whether or not Father really has the gold. However, as one of father's four children, I just want to claim my rightful share." "Ho... It looks like even Rosa's started to say it. All right, maybe this is what you all want to say: that I am trying to keep all of the gold to myself..." "Nii-san, the fact is that you've obtained a massive amount of funding. If we rule out the possibility that you have been embezzling Father's personal funds, then there's only one possibility left, right?" "Aniki, maybe you have already found the 10 tons of gold bars. It sure looks that way to us." "Ridiculous. Something like that never existed in the first place." "Then explain yourself. Embezzlement of Father's assets or Father's hidden gold. How could you have gathered so much funding if you didn't use one of these?" "I also have many friends in the political world and the financial world. I have done nothing more than gain their assistance. And as to that, I have no responsibility to explain it to you. You understand, don't you? There are some topics that can't be talked about." "...If you insist on it, that's all right. But Aniki, Father doesn't have long. Nobody can ensure that he will live to see this day next year. When Father dies, the inheritance will be passed on. We will all set up impartial lawyers and accountants to inspect Father's financial and political status." "If, at that time, the fact that our brother has unjustly interfered with Father's money comes to light... you understand, right?" "I don't have a clue what you're talking about. You're starting to make me feel as indignant as my wife was." "...Father's gold is definitely one of Father's assets! I understand that it's money that you can't reveal openly, but the four siblings should have an equal right to it." "In short, even though you are our brother, we will have your financial situation investigated to determine whether or not you are hoarding the gold." "Isn't this a good opportunity. Prove the existence of this backup from friends and acquaintances that you mentioned. That way we can sportingly apologize for foolishly doubting you. Right, Rosa?" "...That's right. Krauss nii-san, you are the one who's avoiding the topic. If you were guiltless, you could just prove that you were in the right. Yet you aren't even trying to respond." "However, Aniki, we still have to consider your position here. As Father's representative, you're probably bearing a larger share of the burden than we are. It wouldn't be fair for the rest of us, who have been living terribly relaxed lives until now, were to complain without taking that into account." "...Ho. Until just now I've been busy being spoken ill of and being flattered. Please get to the point." "Consultation? Ho." "...When the inheritance is distributed, you will be rewarded for your years of hard work taking care of Dad by an agreement that is generous in your favor." "Don't misunderstand us, Nii-san. It's not like we are saying that we will abandon our rights. It's just that when we claim what we deserve, it wouldn't be bad if we allow a generous understanding from your position. That's what we mean." "In other words, if you'll accept our conditions, at the time of the division of the inheritance, we won't mind leaving the investigation of Father's financial status to you, Krauss nii-san." If, as they claimed, Krauss was actually embezzling money, Krauss would be able to hide that fact. Besides that, it would also be possible for him to control the distribution of the inheritance in a manner favorable to himself. Krauss, also realizing that this sounded to good to be true, couldn't help but feel doubt. He had to worry about what kind of collateral they had to make this kind of a compromise... "...Hoh. After mistrusting me completely, you now say that you're willing to restore your confidence in me as the eldest sibling? And what are you asking for?" "Just what we deserve as siblings. You aren't the kind of person who would steal Father's property. However, there is no patron financing you. Considering all that, there is a certain explanation that would satisfy the rest of us." "...Nii-san, you found 10 tons of gold and used that as collateral to gather some funding. Yes, just like Father did in the past, right?" "If that's the case, there won't be any funny bits in Father's finances. You've always been a good son, lookin' after Father. Why would we mistrust a person like that?" "...You're being so roundabout I can barely understand you. Say it more clearly and practically." "Our second condition: Regarding the gold, take each sibling's portion and pay it to us." "How foolish. With the non-existant 20 billion yen of gold, that would be 5 billion yen per person. Are you telling me to pay a total of 15 billion yen? Ridiculous!" "Keep listening 'til the end! We know that much money can't just appear. We're not asking you to make an impossible deal! Of course, regardin' the portions of the gold, we plan to reward you sufficiently for your hard work until now in our calculations." "Our third condition: The portion of the gold to the one bearing the title of successor to the Ushiromiya main family will be 50%. The remainder will be split fairly between the siblings. Of course, this also includes you, Krauss nii-san." "Of the 20 billion, 12.5 billion will go to Aniki, 2.5 billion will go to Eva nee-san, 2.5 billion will go to me, and 2.5 will go to Rosa." "...That portion makes me so grateful I could cry. So you're saying, for the sake of the gold that doesn't exist, I must pay you 7.5 billion." "What's wrong? Nii-san, your share is five times the size of ours. That's such a good condition, I'd be jumping for joy. Uhuhuhuhuhu..." "Our fourth condition: The divided gold will be included when the inheritance is distributed at the time of Father's death. However, as a deposit, 10% of our portions will be paid to us promptly. The payment must be made before March of next year." "What do you think, Krauss nii-san? This is an ideal chance for you to restore the trust you need to run Father's assets, isn't it?! Of course, it might be impossible to get a whole 7.5 billion before Father dies. However, you can't say that you couldn't manage a deposit of 750 million, right?" "Paying 700 million in half a year might be slightly bothersome, but Aniki, who has many friends in the political and business spheres, should be able to manage it." "Normally, I'd hope to receive the 7.5 billion right now, all at once. But out of concern for you, I'll show my sincerity by asking for only 1/10 of that for the time being. It's alright to let the remaining 9/10 carry over until the distribution of the inheritance. Right? With 1/10 to show sincerity, even you would notice it." "...So my right to investigate the status of Father's assets is being sold to me for 750 million. Heh, heheheh. Isn't that great? You all sure have grown. I never thought you all would become capable of offering a deal to me." "Nii-san, If you accept these, the rest of us siblings will leave the investigation of Father's assets to you. However, the results of that invesigation will be subject to protest... It's only natural, right? We'd be sad if you adjusted our portion of 7.5 billion downwards." "As a general rule, we wouldn't complain. As long as you do it neatly, it's fine. As long as you don't do anything significantly obvious, we don't plan to aggravate anything. We just want the inheritance quickly. We don't want it to get all drawn out and led astray." "...In the case of a complaint, who would do the second investigation?" "...It's alright if it is you. This will probably be the first and last opportunity for the siblings to discuss this. I believe that it won't come to that." "Heheh, *cackle*cackle*! Rosa really can talk sometimes." "I'm sorry, but the conditions still continue. Our fifth condition: This decision must take precedence over Father's will. Later on, we don't want some will to appear and make this decision completely useless." "...You are quite scrupulous. Then let me ask, if the gold really were found, what would you do?" "As long as you settle this matter with the corresponding payment, the rest of us 'really' don't care whether the gold appears or not. You can think of our share as an advance payment." "*giggle*, it's alright to dream. You plan to turn this island into a resort, right? During construction, you might stumble upon the gold by chance."Eva let out a high-pitched laugh. Krauss watched without even flinching. "...Let me add a 7th condition before I accept. In the situation that any sibling other than myself finds the gold, they will immediately turn it over to me." "Yes, yes. Of course, we'll hold onto it for you. *giggle*!"It was a play on words. The others, who were forcing Krauss to pay money for some nonexistent gold, would of course not ensure Krauss's portion if they actually found the gold. From the beginning, this deal had been nothing more than a threat directed at Krauss. While the truth might be different, the possibility that Krauss was embezzling his father's assets was extremely high. When at last Kinzo faced death and the inheritance would be distributed, surely some unpleasant facts would be established. That situation would likely be a fatal wound to Krauss. They had snatched up that weak point and, under the veil of compromise, were threatening their brother to try and wring out a huge sum of money.  Krauss, noticing that Eva, sure of her victory, could not hide her smile, relaxedly let out a gloating laugh as he spoke. "Hahaha. Isn't that a great story? ...I also have felt a deep pain in my heart at my estrangement from the rest of you. If by accepting these conditions, the relationship between the siblings could once again become friendly, I would be quite pleased. I'll join in on this with pleasure. Be happy, Rosa. The deal is concluded." "..."Rosa's expression dimmed. When her brother started talking like this, the conversation would never change for the better. Eva was also sensitive enough to realize this. Therefore, even though Krauss had obediently accepted the deal, she was unable to wipe away her feeling of insecurity. "...My, how obedient. That's not like you, Nii-san." "That's harsh. You think I have an ulterior motive? Of course there isn't one. Just the same as all of you."'Just the same as all of you'. It felt as though only that part was emphasized. The color of Rudolf's face darkened. He heard it as 'I have an idea at the same level as yours'. That gave him a sense of urgency. Trying to bring this near-finished discussion to a conclusion, he rushed to wrap it up. "...Then we are good. So, Aniki. Would you mind signing here? This is a written contract containing the discussion we have been having. There's one for each person. Everyone will sign for the same contents."Rudolf took four written contracts out of his breast pocket that had the details of their deal written on them. "The seventh condition that Krauss nii-san proposed will, of course, be added from now on. Don't worry." "Aniki, will you use a pen?"Rudolf took a fountain pen out of his breast pocket and offered it to Krauss. Krauss made as if to accept it, but then, with a small laugh, drew back his hand without taking it and spoke.  When Krauss said that one sentence... All of the siblings felt as though something annoying was creeping up their backs at the same time. "...Tha-, that won't do. We've already decided, haven't we? Quietly sign it." "Eva, why are you so impatient. Of course I will sign. I'll promise that your share of the gold will be 7.5 billion yen. I also promise that, when Father's inheritance is distributed, I will cleanly and neatly liquidate it... However, in one part, there is a point that I cannot compromise on no matter what." "...What are you talking about. What point don't you like...?" "The part about promptly paying 1/10 of each portion, 750 million yen. As you pointed out, my political and financial status is not prosperous. While I can ensure that I will definitely collect on various future investments, at this time I have no choice but to admit that I am very poor. In short, I have absolutely no money that I can move around right now. I am incompetent, and my business skills and senses are dull. Since I am as weak as you all have said, I have no power to move 750 million in just half of a year." "Tha-, that can't be true. Are you trying to deceive us with such a careless trick?" "At the time of the division of the inheritance, I will liquidate everything at once. Remove the condition that I quickly pay you 1/10. That is the only condition under which I will sign." "...Krauss nii-san, no matter what, that 1/10 is a number to measure your sincerity, isn't it? In that case, there's no spare margin in the deal. If you would at least grudgingly accept that for the time being, then at least 1/10 good faith can be spread around as a huge service to everyone. After having that explained, to reject it would cause our mutual trusting relationship to fall into the shadows, wouldn't it...?"Hideyoshi had a humble expression on his face and was rubbing his hands together, but his eyes were not calm at all. Krauss had already seen through the shadow in the depths of those eyes. "...Hmph. Why are you all so hurried? Or are you possibly afraid of something? Rosa, won't you tell at least me? Secretly, without telling the rest of the siblings." "...It, it's not like I..." "Quit it, Aniki. All we're asking is whether you're going to sign or not. Just forget about making any strange deals or anything suspicious." "...Hoh? So I have no margin for negotiation. Do you claim that my position is so weak that we are not in an even relationship...?"
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Oct 31, 2016 |
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Sep 22, 2016 13:38
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