Cain 2022 Summer SSR "Telling the Oasis' Night Wind A Story"

[centralgoldstar]

Card story: Turning the Pages of a Beloved Story

Akira: Cain, you’re going to show me around town? Thank you so much! We’re just done with our mission yet you still accompany me.

Cain: I’m more than happy to spend time with you, Master Sage. Well then, there’re many places I’d like to show you! It’d be great if you take a liking to them.

As he said that, Cain took me to see the vendors of local products, which boasted the finest products even by the standards of Seth’s Paradise.

Show owner: Welcome, welcome! We have the necklace of Seth! And here’s the legendary sword that defeated the Great Serpent!

Akira: Eh, you have something like that here too?

Cain: Ahaha, of course they aren’t the real things. You know, Seth is viewed as a symbol of this town, so such wares are on offer here. Look, earrings and bracelets, toy swords, souvenirs with motif of the lake, even dye materials too.

Akira: The variety of goods being on sale here is truly astounding. Oh, there’re books over there! This book has a really ornate cover. This is a young man and, uhm, a snake? It’s unique to have embroidery on a book’s cover like this.

Cain: Oh, that’s….!

Cain’s eyes went round in surprise. Just as I noticed that, he broke out in carefree giggles.

Cain: Oh, this brings me back! This is a picture book that tells the legend of Seth. The book I read as a kid was the same as this one.

Akira: Oh, really?! Looks like you loved it enough to remember it by heart.

Cain: Yeah. I left the book at home, so it’s been quite a while since I read it. Perhaps I have some kind of fateful connection with this book. I’ll buy it as souvenir.

Akira: That sounds nice! And I’ll buy the dye materials we saw back there.

[A moment later]

Cain: It’s all thanks to you noticing the book that we have a nice shopping trip. Thank you.

Akira: It’s me who should thank you. This all started with you showing me around after all.

Child holding a toy sword: I! Am! The Heroic Wizard Seth!

As we looked in the direction of the cheerful voices, we saw a group of children playing not far from the shop.

Child wearing a short cape: The terrible Great Serpent has come to rob the golden Sacred Chalice! You’ll receive your judgment!

???: Ha-ha-ha, you want to take on me with such child’s play?!

Akira: (Seth is really the idol of the children. The voice just now feels really familiar though)  

Chloe: Leave if you know what’s good for you, Wizard Seth!

Akira: Chloe?!

[High-five sound]

Chloe: Master Sage, Cain! Are you going shopping?

Cain: Yeah. And you, Chloe? Are you playing with the children?

Chloe: I am. The children invited me to join them when I was looking for Rustica, then I got carried away by the game.

Child holding a toy sword: Why don’t you play the Seth game with us too?

Akira: This can be a nice memory of our travel. Cain, shall we play with them a bit if you don’t mind?

Cain: Sure! First of all, I’ll high five our friends here. Yay!

[High five sound]

The children: Yay!

Cain: The swords and short capes really suit you. Are you all playing Seth?

Child holding a toy sword: That’s right. Big brother, you seem to be the strongest here. Why don’t you play the Great Serpent? Your friend can be us Seth’s companion.

Cain: Eh, the Great Serpent? I.. see…

Akira: (Cain is afraid of snakes. I wonder if he’s fine with that.)

Cain: I’ve an idea! Master Sage, Chloe, will you give me a hand?

Cain waved us to his side and whispered his plan to us. The three of us nodded at each other and Cain turned to the children again.

Cain: I am the Great Serpent in disguise. Foolish warrior Seth, have you come here to vanquish me?

Cain: Gladius procella.

[Whirlwind of sand effect]

Child holding a toy sword: W- what is that?! A snake has formed from the sand!

Child wearing a short cape: I- it’s huge.

Cain: Is your courage only that much?

Akira: (Wow, Cain really goes all out in playing the villain. Well then, the next step of our plan is…)

Akira: Everyone, don’t give up! Fight on!

Chloe: Everything will be alright if we work together! We have each other after all!

Child holding a toy sword: Let’s go! Everyone!

Child wearing a short cape: Yeah!

The children: I am the heroic child Chosen by God. I’ll press forward with my sword in my hand! Sacred Chalice, please grant us strength! Forward!

[Running sound]

Cain: -

Being in step with the children, who slashed at the sand snake, Cain recited his spell under his breath with the slightest movement of his lips.

Child holding a toy sword: Yay! The Great Serpent has dissolved into pieces!

Cain: Urgh! Now that I’ve seen your courage with my own eyes, you’re… certainly… great… heroes.

As Cain dropped down onto the ground with a thud, the children looked at each other and broke out in a big hurray.

Chloe: Ahaha, everyone is so excited. It’s just as Cain said.

Akira: The more you played the villain, the more scary it was. My heart was thumping all the way until you fell on the ground. You’re really great at playing the villain, Cain!

As I offered my hand to Cain, who was still sitting on the ground, the gaze he gave the children was so gentle that I stopped without thinking.  

Cain: …Oh, sorry. I was remembering about the time when I was a kid.

Akira: When you were a child?

Child holding a toy sword: Oh it’s time for lunch.

Child wearing a short cape: Thank you for playing with us! Bye bye!

As we sent off the children and looked at their little backs, Cain looked at us and smiled the smile that had become so familiar to me.

Cain: Thanks for helping me out with my idea. It was thanks to your support that the children made the breakthrough.

Akira: I didn’t do much. It’s because you gave it your own playing the villain that the children wanted to win and gave their best.

Chloe: Definitely. You were so convincing that my heart was thumping!

Cain: I’d like to say ‘that’s great’, but I was just taking a leaf from my old man. He used to play along with my games when I was a kid. His villain acting skill was awesome, so it was genuinely scary. Thanks to that, it was really fun when he dropped down on the ground with all his might. I still remember that clearly. So I did it like him. Haha, how nostalgic.

Afterwards, Chloe found Rustica, so the two of us wandered the town together. At the end of the day trip, Cain took me to a place where we could watch the famous lake.

Akira: Wow, this place is so beautiful. Thanks to you and everyone doing your best that I can enjoy the lake like this.

Cain: Thanks for the warm words. I too am happy that we were able to protect the lake of the Seth legend.

Cain: The thing is, I take you here to give something to you.

What he handed out to me was a book. The embroidery of the young man and the snake glittered as it reflected the sunlight.

Akira: This is the picture book about Seth! Did you buy it for yourself?

Cain: Ah no, this is for you. You certainly know the truth about Seth already, but even so, that’s not all there is. I’d like you to know “Seth the Hero” that the children and the child that I was so admire. Will you accept this?

Akira: Certainly. Please tell me about “Seth the Hero” who is still in your heart and everyone else’s too.

Cain: Thanks, Akira. If you don’t mind, I’ll read the words that you don’t understand for you. My acting skill from back there wasn’t too shabby, right? “Foolish warrior Seth, have you come here to vanquish me?”

Akira: Ahaha! That was indeed some fine acting.

[Page turning sound]

Cain: My favorite scene is here. “Please grant me strength, O Divine Chalice! So that I can protect everyone with my own hands!”

Cain turned the pages and read out the lines melodiously. On his face was an innocent smile that displayed vividly his beloved childhood memories.

 

Card episode: The Garnish for Two Glasses of Toast

Akira: Good morning, Cain. Thank you for showing me around Seth’s Paradise the other day. It was fun to visit many places in town.

Cain: That’s great. I too had fun watching how delighted you were, Master Sage.

Akira: That reminds me, the glass you are holding is so richly decorated it’s really eye-catching. The drink inside it too. What an unusual, beautiful color. Not quite green, not quite blue. Is it some kind of special alcohol?

Cain: Ah no. Actually this is just water.

Akira: Eh? It’s water?

Cain: Yeah. I was surprised the first time I saw this too. This glass is a local product called “Seth’s Toast”. Apparently a spell was cast on it so that whatever liquid poured into it will turn into the color of the lake in Seth’s Paradise.

Akira: Oh, that’s why it has such a beautiful color. It’s like the water of everyday life has become a delicious drinks.

Cain: Yes, exactly that! It really feels better than usual. Do you want to give it a try too? I still have another glass like this.

Akira: Definitely! Thank you!