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MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 4

2012-11-27T15:48:19Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 4 */

== '''Chapter 4''' ==
'''Summary'''

''(This is a summary of chapter 4, novel 3. The full translation of the chapter will be posted when it's done.)''

''The opening scene is that of Anissina using Gunter as the guinea pig for her latest invention, the washing-machine-kun. Of course poor Gunter has had better days. She eventually admitted that the design was faulty.''

''In the next scene, we see Yuuri and Gwendal spending the night in the dessert after escaping from the border city. After dinner, Yuuri was dozing off. He woke up to find Gwendal fumbling at his waist, which led to a confusion in which Yuuri accused Gwen of doubting his gender, then of making the same sexual advance toward him as his brother Wolfram, before eventually realized that it was the dolphin key chain that attracted Gwendal, and nothing else. He then gave the key chain to Gwen, which massively softened Gwen up. He took advantage of that and asked the million questions he was dying to ask. Gwen was unhappy, but he still answered:''

"Maryoku is a power belong to the mazokus only. It is a property of the soul you are born with. Only someone with the soul of a mazoku can possess maryoku. Houryoku on the other hand is a technique that humans can acquire by swearing oaths to the gods, and seeking after this force. In addition to having innate talent or swearing oaths to gods, you can acquire houryoku through training or spiritual exercises. The houseki stones supplement or substitute the skill of a houryoku user, to some extend. Even people without talent can use houseki stone to wield houryoku. Because so far houseki stones were found in only a few regions, they are sold at a very high price. The reason you only could see that sandbear is probably because a houryoku user has put a concealment spell over the trap, which seemed to have no effect on you. Perhaps you were born immune to such things."

''Gwen then assured Yuuri that Conrad and Wolfram would have easily escaped from the sandbear's trap. The scene ends with Yuuri dozing off again and Gwendal showing his soft side (translated by <ins>kannnichtfranz</ins>)''

The exhaustion and coldness eventually became unbearable. As I pulled my knees up and rolled into a ball, the sandman was already there waiting for me. Who would have guessed I could fall asleep so easily in the middle of the Arizona desert? I'd developed a really thick skin. But after all, I wasn't alone -- if I was, I'd have been crazy with panic.

"Hey!"

"What is it?" I murmured.

"Come closer, so that we lose less body heat to the surroundings."

We scooted closer together. The chain between us clanked heavily.

"Hey!"

"What is it this time?"

"Do you like animals? Rabbits, or cats, for example?" asked Gwendal.

"Rabbits are okay... and cats... well, I prefer lions to cats... especially white ones..."

More specifically, the white lion "Leo" was the mascot of the Seibu Lions. After that conversation, there was only one possible thing I could dream about that night: baseball.

''In the last scene, Gwendal and Yuuri reached the capital after walking through the dessert (Yuuri had scared their horse off the previous night). They went to a church thinking they would ask a priest to remove the chain for them (it was made with houseki powder, so Gwendal couldn't remove it himself). They walked in on a wedding ceremony and were asked to give blessings to the prospective couple. Yuuri's nonsensical babbling led to the bride's change of mind. She decided to cancel the wedding to stay true to her heart-felt love instead. The three then fled from the church together.''
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_5|Chapter 5]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 4

2012-11-27T15:46:54Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 4 */

== '''Chapter 4''' ==
'''Summary'''

''(This is a summary of chapter 4, novel 3. The full translation of the chapter will be posted when it's done.)''

''The opening scene is that of Anissina using Gunter as the guinea pig for her latest invention, the washing-machine-kun. Of course poor Gunter has had better days. She eventually admitted that the design was faulty.''

''In the next scene, we see Yuuri and Gwendal spending the night in the dessert after escaping from the border city. After dinner, Yuuri was dozing off. He woke up to find Gwendal fumbling at his waist, which led to a confusion in which Yuuri accused Gwen of doubting his gender, then of making the same sexual advance toward him as his brother Wolfram, before eventually realized that it was the dolphin key chain that attracted Gwendal, and nothing else. He then gave the key chain to Gwen, which massively softened Gwen up. He took advantage of that and asked the million questions he was dying to ask. Gwen was unhappy, but he still answered:''

"Maryoku is a power belong to the mazokus only. It is a property of the soul you are born with. Only someone with the soul of a mazoku can possess maryoku. Houryoku on the other hand is a technique that humans can acquire by swearing oaths to the gods, and seeking after this force. In addition to having innate talent or swearing oaths to gods, you can acquire houryoku through training or spiritual exercises. The houseki stones supplement or substitute the skill of a houryoku user, to some extend. Even people without talent can use houseki stone to wield houryoku. Because so far houseki stones were found in only a few regions, they are sold at a very high price. The reason you only could see that sandbear is probably because a houryoku user has put a concealment spell over the trap, which seemed to have no effect on you. Perhaps you were born immune to such things."

''Gwen then assured Yuuri that Conrad and Wolfram would have easily escaped from the sandbear's trap. The scene ends with Yuuri dozing off again and Gwendal showing his soft side (translated by <ins>kannnichtfranz</ins>)''

The exhaustion and coldness eventually became unbearable. As I pulled my knees up and rolled into a ball, the sandman was already there waiting for me. Who would have guessed I could fall asleep so easily in the middle of the Arizona desert? I'd developed a really thick skin. But after all, I wasn't alone -- if I was, I'd have been crazy with panic.
"Hey!"
"What is it?" I murmured.
"Come closer, so that we lose less body heat to the surroundings."
We scooted closer together. The chain between us clanked heavily.
"Hey!"
"What is it this time?"
"Do you like animals? Rabbits, or cats, for example?" asked Gwendal.
"Rabbits are okay... and cats... well, I prefer lions to cats... especially white ones..."
More specifically, the white lion "Leo" was the mascot of the Seibu Lions. After that conversation, there was only one possible thing I could dream about that night: baseball.

''In the last scene, Gwendal and Yuuri reached the capital after walking through the dessert (Yuuri had scared their horse off the previous night). They went to a church thinking they would ask a priest to remove the chain for them (it was made with houseki powder, so Gwendal couldn't remove it himself). They walked in on a wedding ceremony and were asked to give blessings to the prospective couple. Yuuri's nonsensical babbling led to the bride's change of mind. She decided to cancel the wedding to stay true to her heart-felt love instead. The three then fled from the church together.''
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_5|Chapter 5]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 4

2012-11-27T15:45:52Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 4 */

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-25T20:09:48Z

LRenne:

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_3#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_3#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_3#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_3#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_3#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_3#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_3#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_3#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_3#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_3#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_4#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_5#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_5#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_5#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_5#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_5#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_5#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_5#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_6#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_6#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_6#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_6#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_6#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_6#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_6#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_8#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_8#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_9#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_10#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter_10#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]
== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume01:Afterword#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Volume08:Chapter 2

2012-01-24T03:49:51Z

LRenne:

"Wait a minute!"

Stefan Van Baren, the elegant gentleman with short brown hair mixed with silver streaks, who also went by the nickname Fanfan, uttered a cry of surprise uncharacteristic for him.

"Mr. Sizemore, are you the one everyone calls “The sea monster,” the terror on the sea that all sailors are afraid of?"

"Oh, you embarrasse me. But in fact, in Shin Makoku’s Navy, there are only two men who bear the name of Sizemore. My younger brother and myself."

He was called "sea monster" mostly because of his hair, or the lack of it, but of course he could not mention that. Although Sizemore was a bear of a man, he was shy and could easily become embarrassed. He fleetingly ran his hand over his head. Sadly, all he could feel was the bare skin.

Friendship between a man and a man usually arises in unexpected circumstances.

Although one was an international businessman across all oceans, the other belonged to a race that had been an old enemy of the humans. It was natural to feel guarded against each other. However, that feeling had already disappeared.

"Then my family is in your debt," said Fanfan. "In the last war, a transport fleet was accidentally sunk by a Shimaron warship while crossing the international waters. It was an accident, but there were many civilian casualties. The Shimaron warship did not fulfill their obligation of rescuing the civilians... It was unbelievable. Even my grandmother would have been among the victims, but she was rescued by your ship. Later on, her nickname "unsinkable Fanfan" spread far and wide. Our family van Baren had indeed become invincible in the harsh competition among all marine transporters. My grandmother’s name is Vancil van Baren. She is the wife of Jefferson van Baren."

Sizemore rummaged through old memories.

"Ah, yes, I remember the lady. What a coincidence, it’s a small world after all."

"After you complete your mission, you must visit us. My grandmother would be very pleased."

"She is doing well? I am glad to hear that."

"Every day she would complain that she had to carry on her life as an old woman. But from my impression after listening to your story countless times, Mr. Sizemore, you have not changed one bit. Even your hair style is still the same. Is this the norm for seafarers?"

"Umm ---"

Friendship between a man and a man would also fall apart when they start paying attention to appearance.

While the competition was reaching its climax, Sizemore, Fanfan, Dacascos, and the quiet Chevalier were on their way to steal the forbidden box "The End of the Wind" from the temple adjacent to the arena. It was truly a reckless plan.

Lady Cecilie von Spitzweg, the Former Queen of Shin Makoku, and Flynn Gilbert, the wife of the late Lord of Caloria, Norman Gilbert, stayed behind and waited in the VIP area, leaving the men alone to discuss their problems with their wives and children to their hearts’ content. That’s what one would expect.

"Oh, my Cecilie. She is so wonderful, she's like a love goddess," purred Fanfan.

Yet for some unknown reason, Fanfan was praising Lady Cherie. Moreover, she was not a goddess, but a demon.

Young and having roughly the same build, Chevalier and Dacascos were carrying the wooden box covered with a green cloth to disguise it as a container of cold drinks. It was supposed to be the substitution for the forbidden box. One was the ultimate weapon of utmost brutality "The End of the Wind," the other was a plain and simple wooden box made by laymen during a boat trip.

The more one thought about it, the more dangerous the plan seemed to be.

The scalp of the faint-hearted Dacascos had become all dry because of nervousness, but the rest of them looked very calm, especially Fanfan. He was not a soldier accustomed to dangerous situations, but a businessman accustomed to a carefree life, yet he did not show the slightest trace of tension, and he even kept talking non-stop about his "beautiful love."

Then Lady Cherie, the love hunter, truly deserved all the praises for successfully capturing this brave and handy man.

"In my whole life, I've never met a lady so pure and beautiful, full of wisdom and the most tender love. She shows me what true love really is, a feeling I had never had before! I regret I hadn’t met her earlier, but still, I am truly the luckiest person in the world!"

But he would be the fourth luckiest person in Lady Cherie’s life.

"I heard that the women of the demon race are all very beautiful, but I believe she is the most beautiful of all. Even though I keep telling her so, she always feels there are women who are more beautiful than she is. To hear such humble words coming out of her lips, red like rose buds, I could not help but touch them. How in the world could there be such a pure heart? She is truly a lady with eternal youth and boundless modesty who knows not arrogance."

Fanfan praises went out of control. Sizemore felt as if a rash was spreading over his right side. Modesty? Madame Cherie?

"I also heard about another lady in your country who is as famous as Cecilie. It seems people use many alias for her because she is both feared and respected. The Red Devil, Shin Makoku’s Nightmare, Poison Lady Anissina. There must be a large number of men who succumbed to her charms."

Dacascos’ eyes teared up instinctively.

She was truly a devil, literally the same as her alias.

"I heard she has exceptional knowledge of literature and a very strong yearning for independence. What a lucky guy, who can win her hand in marriage."

Married to Lady Anissina von Kabernikoff? Maybe it was just the result of his own fear, but Dacascos thought His Excellency Gwendal, who had been bound to Lady Anissina since childhood, was very unfortunate. As for Sizemore, who had not had a taste of the Red Devil’s terror, he merely said: "Really?"

"The third lady... unfortunately has died quite young, long time ago. They say that instead of her, the three most beautiful demons in the kingdom now include a certain lady named Günter. Do you know about her? Well, no matter how beautiful she may be, surely she can’t compare to my spring breeze, my golden fairy. Moreover, it seems that this lady Günter is very eccentric. They say she has shaved her hair and entered a temple, and has strange behaviors such as wearing mask in public."

Alas, His Excellency Günter’s legend had spread to foreign countries! Dacascos could no longer stop his tears from overflowing. Maybe it was because of the dust inside the temple, but now even his nose was running.

"The deceased lady was said to be very close to one of Cecilie's sons," said Fanfan.

A strong admiration surged inside the two demon soldiers. It was unbelievable that Lady Cherie had told her lover about her past. She could still win the heart of one of the few richest businessmen in Shimaron, despite the fact that she was the mother of three sons. She totally owned up to her alias, the Hunter of Love.

Dacascos did not know about the relationship between a son of the former queen and one of the three top beauties of the Demon Empire, so he decided to hold his tongue. The elder and higher ranked Sizemore however was more familiar with the former princes. He had even interacted with the third son, the blond ex-prince, a few days ago. But he had no idea which one among the three had a close relationship with Lady Julia Susannah von Wincott.

"If I remember correctly, Lady Julia Susannah was engaged to His Excellency Adalbert von Granz. Who could have spread rumors about her and one of the ex-princes?"

"Oh, really? But there might be some truth in the rumors. My lovely fairy, the mother herself, told me that her second son, Lord Conrad, was to marry Lady Julia Susannah after the war ended."

"What? Lord Weller and Lady Julia Susannah were in a relationship?"

Lord Weller had always been popular with the ladies, whether as a brave and confident soldier before and during the war, or the sober man after it. It was true that his popularity with the ladies was enviable, but Sizemore would never have thought of him as someone who was capable of stealing the love of another man.

"Lord Weller and Lady Julia Susannah... Ah, really, we can’t judge a book by its cover..."

"It’s not a well known fact in your country? A marriage between these two would have made history. It doesn’t happen everyday for two big names to join together in marriage."

"Oh... ahh..."

God, what a keen interest Fanfan had with gossip from a foreign country. Sizemore couldn’t understand that. Of course the intimate details of other people’s love lives are exciting, but discussing their private life is so indecent and impolite.

"When I heard his name, I understood right away. Surely you know his father, Dan Hiri Weller?" Asked Fanfan.

"The first Lord of Ruttenberg,” said Sizemore.

"His position in his country might not be that of a king, but for the people from this area, he has become a legend."

"Really, he was certainly very popular with the ladies."

Fanfan glanced at the older demon, with a look as if to enlighten him.

"No, this is not about his love life. Dan Hiri Weller, the son of Glenn Gordon Weller, was a descendant of the three famous kings of the continent. It has been recorded in history. The two signs were also tattooed on his arms. After his expulsion from Shimaron, the officials announced that his royal bloodline was extinct. There were of course rumors that he had had a child oversea and had returned to the kingdom undetected. No one could verify the credibility of the rumors, but since he was a threat to the royal family of Big Shimaron, they have always been on the look out for his whereabouts."

"Lord Weller’s father carried the royal bloodline of the kings of Shimaron? Did Madame Cherie know this?"

"Well, it is possible that Cecilie had no knowledge. Dan Hiri Weller would not have revealed his true identity carelessly. His forefathers were forced to change their names and only managed to survive as prisoners. Weller is only part of the original family name. But the fact is that this legendary man has fathered a child with a demon, and if this child had married Lady Julia Susannah, a descendant of the Wincott, then ... "

"Then what?"

Sizemore swallowed, imagining terrible things to happen. Maybe the oceans would turn red, maybe the sea water would boil over in the blink of an eye. In any situation, his first thought would always be about the sea.

“Countries would be shaken.”

“You mean the oceans?”

Fanfan, putting on his “irresistible” smile that had proved to be invincible in business negotiations, casually responded:

“The oceans? Don’t they always shake...”

At that very moment, the deafening roar from the arena below interrupted their conversation. They had no idea the very person they were talking about, Lord Conrad Weller, had entered the arena as the third competitor from the enemy’s camp, much less that he was going to fight his own Lord, the one he once swore to serve, or that the match had been halted.

"In ancient times the Wincott family had ruled over the southern tip of this continent. Up until the battle against the Creator Gods, Wincott rulers were known to be beloved and respected by the people. If a descendant of the Wincott and one who carries the bloodline of the three kings had joined in marriage, and if a child had been born from this union, then for all the underground anti-Shimaron forces, he would be their ultimate hope, the ideal leader they were waiting for. Just imagining that much, I already feel excited. Wouldn’t it be great?"

If Lord Conrad Weller and Lady Julia Susannah had got married, their offspring would become the leader of the anti-Shimaron forces?

For someone who could only think of the different states of the oceans, whether it would be calm or stormy, Sizemore had long since stopped following the story. Perhaps Fanfan took his silence as agreement, as he cheerfully continued:

"Moreover, beside being extraordinary in all other aspects, the child would undoubtedly be a true beauty as well, seeing that the parents would be the grandson of the most handsome man of the continent, Glenn Gordon Weller, and one of the three top beauties of the Demon Empire.”

“Wait...”

Dacascos, carrying the box behind them, hesitantly asked:

“Could you be mistaking our three most powerful demon ladies as three top beauties?”

The prisoner of love however did not hear these words, as he had moved on to discuss the next beauty.

“Speaking of beauty, I heard that the sense of beauty of the demons have been completely changed from the ground up by their new head of state. I would really like to see that person for myself once."

"Probably our majesty is now fighting in the arena right below us."

"Really? She must be a truly brave queen. But I’m sure she still can’t compare to my Cecilie, loving and soft spoken like a little golden birdie."

Sizemore felt like scratching his right side until it bled. Dacascos, meanwhile, immediately memorized all of these beautiful words so that he could use them to flatter his wife later. “Your lovely voice sounds like thousands of crickets and beetles...”

After they ascended two narrow stairs, the group reached the top floor, forbidden to all outsiders. Along the way they had bribed three guards with a bottle of wine and four soldiers with money.

"It seems this is but a storage room. Is the box really here?" wondered Dacascos.

“It can’t be. The room isn’t even well guarded. We need to continue, and be prepared to fight." said Fanfan.

Sizemore wrinkled his nose while sniffing the musty air.

"But we're already at the top. I don’t think there is a stair to go further up."

"No, no. Not upward. Look, here! "

Fanfan was at a corner pointing to a small door at the end of the aisle. It looked just like a simple door in a common house, but there were five guards standing in front of it. That was an obvious hint, so to speak.

"From there, a staircase leads down again, because the Treasury is in the basement,” said Fanfan. “In that room they store all kinds of rare treasures, a collection of precious treasures from all over the world.”

Sizemore groaned loudly. Climbing all the way to the top floor, only to go back down to the basement? That would not happen to him at sea.

Suddenly a clanking noise rang loudly as if a huge metal bucket had fallen to the ground.

“Your Majesty!”

"Yuuri!”

"Shibuya!"

Thank you for calling my name in every way possible.

I turned back to look at our rest area. An iron fence had fallen down right in front of our bench and my teammates suddenly found themselves behind bars, completely separated from the arena. Holding the thick iron bars, all three of them were shouting:

“Why are we the only team locked up?"

One of the referee put his arms on his hips, to appear more imposing.

"To prevent you from forcing your way into the arena."

"But that's not fair! If so, then the other team should also be..."

No one was rushing over from the other team. After all, there was only one soldier in the rest area of the Big Shimaron’s team, who looked gloomy for having lost earlier. On our side, in contrast, my teammates were shaking the iron bars with all their might and shouted out loud.

"Your Majesty! Do not try anything foolish, please come back!"

"That’s right, Yuuri! Don’t be stupid!"

"Shibuya, don’t try any nonsense!"

"You are being rude now! You’re talking as if I am really stupid... Woa! Woa!"

Suddenly the ground beneath my feet trembled. A circular stage the size of a sumo ring started rising from the ground. Staying with me on that stage were Adalbert and the referee with a thick beard, who were both a few feet away from me. Meanwhile Conrad had missed it by only one step, even though he was standing right next to me. He tried to grip the edge of the stage to jump up and almost made it, but the other referee grasped his uniform and pulled him back.

"Let go!" yelled Conrad.

"No way. The appeal of the second fighter was justified. In this match, the second competitor from Big Shimaron will compete against the third competitor from Caloria. To protect our prestige, we must follow the rules."

“But if His Majesty has to fight against that guy, he won’t be merely injured...”

Turning away from the expressionless referee, Conrad looked at me desperately. Meanwhile, the stage had already risen to a height above his head.

"He will kill you... Yuuri, give me your hand."

"The match lasts until one of the fighters is incapacitated. Even if one of them loses his life during the match, that does not go against the rules."

How very comforting!

It was true that the American footballer was indeed a powerful enemy. But at least there was one advantage in fighting him as compared to fighting Conrad: I wouldn’t hesitate to use all my strength to hit him between his legs.

"Well, here we go!" I cried. "My left foot is ready to kick!"

"How brave, yet it looks a little forced."

"It doesn’t matter if I win or not. At least I will be able to hurt you. After all, even you have the same weakness that all men have."

"Yes, except that..."

Adalbert put his hand on his crotch and knocked firmly with his fist. It sounded as if he had knocked on wood.

"One of my principles, my boy. Never enter a fight without wearing protective gear."

"Whaaat?"

Down the drain it went, my beautiful plan!

From behind the bars, Murata was shouting at me at the top of his lungs. This behavior was so different from his usual calmness that I suddenly felt uneasy.

“Shibuyaaa! That's enough, give up! It is too risky."

For someone who had only fought in video games and who had had only a few hours of kendo practice during gym classes, my strength surely fell far behind that of this muscular fighter. He looked like the wrestler Big Show, while I looked like a wooden stick. If he hit me, it would be an instant knock-out. Moreover, if I only put a careless foot beyond the edge, I would fall from the stage, and game would be over for me as well. I glanced sideways to check. Indeed the stage was now as high as a 3-story building.

What would be the end of me? Would I die under Adalbert’s weapon? Or would I fall to my death?

"Mr. Referee, I must speak with you urgently,” I said.

"Yes?"

"Err..."

Given the current situation, I’d like to withdraw. The words had come to the tip of my tongue but couldn’t come out, as I saw the disbelieving expression on Adalbert’s face.

"What's going on, Caloria’s representative? You want to end the game in such a boring way? I thought you were a man, that’s why I proposed a fair and square showdown. But if you prefer to act like a timid little girl and chicken out, oh, that would be so disappointing."

His words angered me, and I almost retorted with equally insulting language. No, no, no! I should not play into his hands. He only wanted me to lose my temper, so he could spoil my plan.

It was true that I was the representative from Caloria, but as Normal Gilbert, I have fulfilled all my obligations to the people. They would understand and would be happy to welcome me back. I would be able to face the children who had cheerfully sent me off and tell them that we had tried our best. Losing the final battle would be truly regrettable, but I could still hold my head high and say we had put in all our effort. However, could I really withdraw now?

"Yuuri, don’t worry," Wolfram called out to me. "I won’t call you wimp if you give up!"

"Shibuya, listen to your fiance!" Screamed Murata. "No one will blame you, I promise! When we get back to Japan, I’ll treat you to rice with grilled pork ribs! So give it up! You have fought enough!"

Really, had I? Had I tried my utmost in this match?

Facing this question, I could only answer it myself. Until now I had not actually fought at all, let alone given it my best. I allowed myself to be defeated before I even lifted a finger. Could I do that? Did I want to end it that way?

“Mr. Referee, I’d like to ask...”

Mr. Thick Beard patiently waited for me to finish. It was actually very simple, I just needed to say that one sentence. Given the current situation, I’d like to withdraw. And I did say something, but as I listened to myself, it sounded like a conversation during a morning inspection.

"What did you use to shave?"

“Huh? I used the razor given in the common military rations."

I slowly stood up from the kneeling position. The snow-bearing wind blowing in my face had become considerably colder.

Adalbert twisted his lips scornfully.

"Well, what now? You changed your mind?"

"I did not change my mind. I only mentally prepared myself."

If I didn’t put all my effort into this match, I wouldn’t be able to look the children in the eyes.

“A man, regardless of the outcome, must face his challenges head on. Ah, of course the same holds true for women too.”

The fruits of Lady von Karbelnikov’s indoctrination manifested themselves even here.

"And it’s not certain yet that I will lose to you! Anything can happen in the fighting ring. Nothing is impossible. Isn’t there a saying that goes "There is strength inside weakness"...”

"Shibuya, that is not wrestling, that is Judo!"

Too bad, there were already flaws in my arguments.

The audience began to roar. They did not care about Conrad’s concerns or those of the Caloria’s team. The atmosphere was so heated that the snow melted in the air before it touched the ground.

Adalbert von Granz lowered the mighty sword from his shoulder. In light of the torches around us, the long and thick blade flashed menacingly. To put myself into the mood, I swung my metal bat back and forth. I felt slightly more confident in my weapon. Meanwhile Conrad desperately tried to talk to me from below.

"Your Majesty, please don’t be reckless. Your bat has no chance against his sword!"

"You're the last one who should give me advice! You better get your own problems straightened out first!"

The audience suddenly held their breath all at once. For a brief moment, a dead silence fell upon the whole stadium. Adalbert charged forward with lightning speed and swung with his mighty sword at me. Instinctively, my body jerked to the left. A strong gust of wind swept past my right cheek. I knew I had escaped his blade by the skin of my teeth.

I lost my balance and had to kneel one knee on the ground. I grasped the bat with both hands and raised it over my head just in time to block Adalbert’s strike from above.

It was a miracle that I survived the attack, but all my fingers went numb immediately. The impact force spreading from my wrists to my elbows and shoulders was so strong, I felt as if all my joints were dislocated. Following the ear-splitting sound of metal hitting on metal, a slightly burning smell filled my nostrils.

"Lucky as ever," said Adalbert smiling smugly.

"So you say," I replied.

Adalbert came closer to look at me. Unlike Nigel Weisz Maxine’s emotionless eyes, his blue eyes were full of delight. Was he pleased to have the chance to eliminate me with his own sword?

"If you could never return to your country... how would the demons feel? Wouldn’t it be a terrible shame for them if their young king is killed on human land?"

Cold sweat ran down my spine. Now I could clearly see his true intention. He wanted nothing more than for me to die, because he wanted to see the Demon Empire sinking into the chaos after my death. That was the reason he joined Big Shimaron’s army and served under the human king.

“I would not let you have your way!”

With all my strength I pushed his sword aside. I took a large step back and suddenly felt no support under my feet. So dangerous! I almost forgot that the stage was at a lofty height.

"Careful, boy! Neither of us would want the fight to have such an unspectacular end."

"You’re only saying so, but I know you want nothing more than for me to fall to my death. After all no one wants to dirty their hands."

One of my friends called out to me that I should not let him provoke me. What else could I do? It was after all the only strategy I had. I wanted to think of something to talk about, to distract him from attacking me. Maybe I could discuss his dinner menu to spoil his concentration? I wasn’t sure if it would work on someone who was not a baseball player, but you wouldn’t know unless you try!

"Anyway, what did you have for dinner yesterday?"

"Probably meat."

While asking, I quickly advanced, taking the initiative to attack first. But as expected, he easily thwarted my blow, turning the offense into a strength contest.

"Damn! You had even better food than us!"

"You are only a young king, who told you to go on an expedition to this land?! If you are willing to stay back in your nice and warm room in your castle, you could have filled your stomach with whatever fancy meal or finest wine you wish!"

Murata anxiously shouted to me, slightly raising his voice at the end.

"Look, Shibuya! Right, right! No, the other right!”

No way, I wouldn’t be able to follow your instructions, else it would have been best for you to control the situation yourself.

At that time, the referee’s figure entered my field of vision. Although he was at the same dangerous height, he could still nimbly jump around and dodge the attacks between the competitors. He really deserved his rank as an international referee. He was great, just like his beard. However, as I was distracted, I lost sight of my opponent's sword for a split second. In the next moment, I could only see the silver shiny blade striking straight toward my chest.

I could almost hear four voices gasping, although they were far away from me.

"Oh, no!"

Luckily, at that very moment, the stage started shaking, and as I lost my balance, I fell down on my knee. The silver blade completed the arc right in front of my nose. I strained my calves and leaped to my feet immediately, but this time the stage did not stop shaking.

We were completely surrounded by the brown heads of the spectators cheering and shaking their fists. When I looked around, I found that the whole stadium was slowly moving.

"Why is the stadium turning around?"

However, it was not the stadium that was revolving, but the stage we were on. Our circular stage was revolving at the speed of a clock’s second hand. What was going on?! The stage was already high and dangerous, now you made it revolve too?

It was the final battle, yet it was no more than a cheap show. The audience certainly had their fun, as they could now observe the fight from all angles. But the high and spinning stage was making me dizzy. Fortunately, even Adalbert was frowning and knelt down without saying a word. When our eyes met, he clucked his tongue and, using his weapon as a prop, quietly scrambled to his feet again. Apparently, his legs also felt shaky.

"Now now, you don’t look too good," I taunted him.

"Aren’t you the same?"

Well, tough luck! I was accustomed to dizziness caused by rotations. Two years ago when I joined the baseball team, almost every day we had to complete a strange exercise: holding the baseball bat vertically on the ground, leaning the forehead against the handle, turning around ten times, then immediately step forward. One would be so dizzy it was difficult to walk straight. Until now I still had no idea if that exercise benefited us in any way. Could it be simply a joke by the seniors?

"Leaning the forehead on the bat, rotating around ten times, and still able to hit the target, that’s something only I could do!"

I was boasting about something no one else present could understand.

I struck the metal bat at the legs of my opponent, and he fell. My first goal today. Leaning on his hands he tried to bounce back. Now I only needed to smack my weapon down on him, and the battle would be decided. Only two and a half steps forward and a hard hit on his head, then it would all be over, and I would win! Maybe some of his brain would splatter a bit, but it would be easy enough to change my clothes - so that should be fine. That is the problem with using bat as weapon, there is no middle ground to negotiate. I should have listened to Wolfram’s advice and chosen a sword. If only I could point my sword at him, I might be able to force him to surrender.

Even though all those thoughts were rushing through my head, in that split of second, I simply took my stance in front of Adalbert, preparing to swing my bat. Just one strike and it would be over with. No, I did not need to smash his skull, I only needed to stop at the right time to knock him out, and the referee would still declare me the winner. I only needed to stop at the right time...

"Ouch!"

Adalbert had noticed my hesitation and, with his free foot, kicked me with all his might at my fingers. I screamed under my breath, and lurched forward. Adalbert quickly grabbed me by my neck and I felt cold metal pressed against my throat.

[[File:MaruMAnovel8051.jpg|400px|thumb]]
"Thanks, kid. You saved me the trouble of chasing after you in this whole revolving shop."

"Ah... Ouch! "

"Does that hurt, huh? You're bleeding even, you poor thing!" Adalbert said sarcastically.

All the muscles in my body tensed up. The blade was just under my chin. How would it feel to have your throat slit open? Which death would be more pleasant? A severed carotid artery or a severed windpipe?

I dropped my weapon and tried to pry free with my hands. But I had no chance against his strength. His grip around my neck was so tight even the force of fifty cars combined wouldn’t be enough to free me.

At this time I could feel the body temperature of the man behind me, while in front of me, only freezing wind and snow were striking at my face. Although I found myself in such a state of emergency, the only thought in my mind was that the difference in temperature would cause me to catch a cold. I suddenly felt nothing under my feet. Adalbert had dragged me to the edge of our stage and dangled me there.

"I could just let you go," he threatened.

Earlier I was still trying to kick with my free legs. But upon hearing his threat, I immediately stopped struggling. My throat was so dry and burning hot that I could not make any sound.

The stage continued to rotate. Slowly our rest area came into my view. Wolf, Murata and Yozak kept clutching the bars and shouting. However, because of a rustling sound in my ears, I could not catch what my comrades were trying to tell me.

There it was again, the uncomfortable ringing in the ears. It was not new to me. My experience told me that my awareness would continue to wane and I would start to hear the comforting voice of a woman. And then I would be invincible. Just a little more, a little bit more...

"Your Majesty!"

That was Conrad. His voice sounded unusually desperate.

"I beseech you, please surrender right now! He could really do it! Adalbert could take your life!"

If I could speak or stop my magic powers, I would have done so. But the situation had gone beyond my control, and soon that person would start whispering in my ears, waking up unknown forces in my body. Maybe something would happen, and our situation would be reversed.

But for a long time, nothing happened.

"He is almost incapable of fighting," Adalbert murmured softly. Probably he thought I could no longer hear him.

If at this moment I fell to my demise, what would become of everyone’s effort so far? Would it all be for naught? I would neither be able to make a request on Caloria’s behalf, nor reclaim the evil box. It was the end. Here was the end.

I looked up to heaven and tried to squeeze a sound out of my throat. My voice was so hoarse it was not even a decent word. Nevertheless, I cried out to the countless falling white lights, even though I could not say whether they were snowflakes or stars.

Come on, I need my power! Now, now, now is the time! Here! I must win this fight!

Still no woman's voice whispering. Desperate, I looked down and saw a pair of eyes that were as black as mine: Murata’s. Aware of my eye contact, Murata briefly said "no" and quickly covered his face.

"No, Shibuya," he muttered. "Do not do it. It's too dangerous."

Dangerous for whom?! For me? Or for the people in the stadium?

Suddenly I was sucked into a vortex of darkness. Darkness quickly spread out, shrouding everything around, as if to swallow the whole world. A biting cold wind kept blasting me on my face, my chest and my legs. And then my body felt as if I was plunged down a pitch-black tunnel at an unbearable speed.

It was different than the usual lazy white mist I had encountered previously. And there was no music.
<noinclude>

''(Translated by [[User:LRenne|LRenne]], betaed by [[User:Tati-ai|Tati-ai]]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_8:Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume08:Chapter 1

2012-01-24T03:49:28Z

LRenne:

Conrad smiled pleasantly. He just stood there while I clutched his lapel.

"It’s been a long time, Your Majesty."

"Please go away from him," standing a few steps behind us, Yozak said in a low voice. "He's the third competitor."

"Why are you wearing those clothes? What are you doing here?" The yellow-white uniform did not suit him at all.

"This has always been my country," Conrad said casually as if it was an irrelevant matter. Narrowing his eyes, brown with silver speckles, he added. "My ancestors once ruled over this land."

"Ancestors? Rulers? You're talking as if they used to be the kings or presidents of this land."

"Sort of."

"But..."

I could never remember historical facts. I felt dizzy. To avoid toppling over, I pressed my right hand against my forehead. I could feel the heat of my body through the layer of snow and mud covering my palm.

"But isn't your home on the other side of the ocean?" I asked. "Aren't you from the Demon Empire, just like me? Why did you come here? And why are you fighting for the other team?"

"My deepest apologies. Circumstances have changed a little."

I had been terribly worried about his disappearance, and now he suddenly showed up right front of me as my enemy. I did not know what horrible circumstances could have caused this, and I would never accept that vague answer as an explanation.

"Circumstances? What circumstances? Aren’t you going to explain them to me? Explain them to me now!"

"You also have a lot to explain to me," Conrad said, his fingers moving toward my wrist.

Right at that moment, Yozak put his arms around my waist and chest and pulled me backward at breakneck-speed.

"Stop! Wait! Hey!"

Yozak's rough treatment confused me for a moment, I couldn’t decide who was friend or foe. Lord Weller forced a smile, and shifted his gaze alternately between me and his friend.

"What does the mask in your hand mean?" He asked. "And why do you fight for Caloria? Aren't you meddling a little too much in other people's affairs?"

"Don't mind what I'm doing. Rather you should explain to me why you are wearing these flashy clothes. You look totally stupid in it, you know that? You should take them off! Right now!"

My blood pressure soared, adrenaline bubbled over, and against my will my legs began to shake. I could not help it. Even though I kept repeating to myself "Calm down!" over and over again like a mantra, as I always did when the game became tense, it still didn't help.

"Your Majesty! Come back," Yozak told me. "We should go back and discuss this with His Eminence. Do you want to risk us being disqualified?"

Still holding me, he tried to drag me to our bench. As for the referees, since they did not know what was going on between us, they must be thinking we were acting very aggressively.

"Yozak," said Conrad. "This is entirely your fault."

The hand holding me shook lightly.

"You have been attending to His Majesty, how could you let him get into such danger?"

"Oh, I'm so so sorry about that," Yozak sarcastically dragged out his words. "If our captain was with us, His Majesty surely would have had a much safer journey. But unfortunately, unfortunately, he decided to be irresponsible and suddenly disappeared."

"I had really expected that we wouldn’t need to engage in a third match, if you had put all your effort into the match with Adalbert."

Conrad hinted that Yozak should have defeated Adalbert. Did it mean that the enemy camp wasn’t aware of the situation regarding Flynn and Maxine? It didn’t sound like he was just testing the waters either.

"What does this little game mean exactly?" asked Conrad.

"That was only because I..."

"Your Majesty, there is no need to speak to this guy," interrupted Yozak. "He is our enemy."

"But Conrad can't be our enemy," I cried with bewilderment.

Conrad ignored my reaction and suddenly raised his voice. "Will Caloria’s fighters withdraw from the final match?"

It was intended for the referees.

"If you intend to enter the third match, please step up immediately. If not, please prove yourselves gracious losers, and accept your defeat."

His words were so provoking I found it hard to keep control of my temper. I had to swallow several times in an effort to calm myself. No matter what, exploding here would not get me anywhere. I desperately tried to speak in a soft tone.

"If I win, will you take that uniform off?" I asked Conrad. "And come back to us?"

Conrad touched the white trim of his collar with his left hand. Seeing that my question had gotten a reaction from him, I felt somewhat more confident.

"If I win, you will return to my side!? Right!? Please don’t join those traitors… will you come back to me!?"

"Well..."

Lord Weller shook his head slowly.

"You are not necessarily the best leader."

My vision began to flicker, as if I were viewing scenes from a very low quality videotape.

With trembling fingers, Cecilie readjusted her grip on the binoculars to keep it steady and looked at the scene below her again.

The same figure reflected in her shining green eyes.

"What does that mean...?"

She gave the binoculars to the new friend next to her.

"What happened?”

From the tall VIP seats behind the glass windows, Flynn Gilbert looked through the binoculars and saw Yuuri being pulled back on the gray dirty snow toward their rest area. And the one pulling him was none other than Yozak, with a mystifying expression on his face.

Flynn slightly raised the binoculars and focused at the center of the arena. She saw the third man from the opposing team standing next to the slightly puzzled looking referees.

If his appearance was at all an indication of his character, he seemed at first glance a kind and calm fellow. But his expression could be nothing more than a deliberately made up facade. Behind his unfathomable disguise, he could be hiding terrible secrets. Flynn had gained this sharp sense of intuition from her knowledge of soldiers. Because of her father’s military-related profession, from an early age Flynn had seen countless soldiers. She could not only recognize the strength of a fighter, but also sense his hidden secrets. The most incomprehensible ones for her were those who, even though not warriors, had formidable power.

Like him.

She shook her short silver hair, as if to shake off a name that had suddenly reappeared in her mind. She readjusted the grip around the binoculars and looked at the fighter from the opposing side again.

His posture was perfect. The way he moved his arms showed that he was accustomed to using weapons. He was slightly taller than average, with a body of a well-trained soldier. Although he looked about 20 or so, his hand, leisurely gripping the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist, showed no sign of tension, even at the beginning of the match. He had light brown hair and eyes. Apart from his short haircut, he looked just like a typical Shimaron citizen, at least more so than the blond soldier. The other man who earlier accompanied Maxine looked strikingly different from the other Shimaron soldiers.

"Who is that man? Do you know him?" asked Flynn.

"He is my son," Lady Cecilie replied.

What?

For a moment Flynn thought she could detect a trace of sorrow in Cecilie's voice. But Lady Cherie immediately regained her calm and noble composure.

"He is the best swordsman in our country. He has sworn allegiance to our new king, and his loyalty is deeper than any other. Why he is here fighting for the enemy… more so against his beloved king… is beyond me. If this is our Original King’s wish… he is putting that child through too much suffering."

"He is... your son?"

Flynn's eyes turned back on the beautiful aristocratic lady sitting next to her. She seemed far too young to have an already grown up son.

"Yes, he’s Conrad, my second son."

And her second child at that! Had she married very young? Or maybe she looked much younger than her actual age?

The rumor was probably true then. Flynn had heard that demons had a much longer life expectancy than humans. She must be an aristocrat from the empire of the demons, the enemy of the human race. Not only Cherie, but also the Captain and his friends, as well as his blond fiancé who inherited his mother’s looks, they were all demons. Even Dacascos and Sizemore, who had been nothing but respectful to her.

In hindsight, everything made perfect sense. The Captain for example, could not be human. Someone with such terrible power could never be an ordinary person. Yes, he must be a demon. She just hadn’t been willing to admit it.

But then, could the young man waiting in the middle of the arena also be a demon?

Flynn couldn’t bear not knowing. She made up her mind to find out.

"Compared to Lord Wolfram, this gentleman is a bit - how shall I say - he does not resemble you very much," she said cautiously.

"His father was a human, a traveling swordsman who was exiled from his home. His name was Dan Hille Weller, and..."

"Dan Hille?" Flynn squeaked. "Are you saying that, that your son... is the son of Dan Hille Weller?"

"Yes, that’s right. Lord Conrad Weller is my son."

No wonder he looked like a Shimaron soldier. His father belonged to the family who originally established this region, whose name could still be found in the history books.

Flynn Gilbert pressed her fingers against her lips. Her fingers felt much colder as the blood in her body suddenly drained to her feet. Names swirled through her brain in a muddle.

From the bottom of her heart, she hoped what she had done would never be revealed, not before her own death.

After Yozak dragged me back, I struck against the wall and screamed out my frustration. My mind was in a complete daze and I could hardly control myself.

"Damn, what is it? Why is he acting this way?" I yelled.

Our high spirits from earlier were gone. Instead, a stifling atmosphere came upon our group and threatened to overwhelm us. Suddenly there was a deafening clatter. A bucket had tipped over. I finally found a suitable target to vent my anger. I kicked the bucket until it was totally dented.

"He was brainwashed! He was manipulated! That's the only explanation! After all, the handsome American footballer was there with him!"

"Yuuri..."

"He's an expert when it comes to messing around with other people's heads. What was it called again? Soul searching? Exactly! He has actually searched and..."

"Yuuri! Stop harassing the bucket. I can’t concentrate," Wolfram grumbled. He was sitting on the bench with his eyes slightly closed and his arms folded. His fingers fidgeted slightly as he sank deep in thought.

Like a wild animal in a cage, I marched back and forth restlessly.

"It’s obvious, he is being manipulated. He would never betray me otherwise."

Murata desperately tried to smooth out the wrinkles between his eyebrows.

"As far as I can judge the situation, it does not look like Conrad is being manipulated," he said finally. "And haven't you said he has lost his left arm?"

Murata was right.

This Conrad who was in front of us just now had both of his arms. His hand was warm when I had touched it. It had not felt like a prosthesis.

But I still remembered clearly what happened on that horrible day.

I could still hear the ominous sound of flesh smashing on the ground, as Conrad lost his arm. The fingers were slightly curved, as if trying to grasp something. No drop of blood though. Could it be the arm that fell on the floor that day a prosthesis instead?

At that time, even though all I could see was his silhouette against the light, I did notice there was nothing where his left arm was.

"I also believe he lost his left arm," Wolfram confirmed. "I've seen it with my own eyes. I still have the button on his sleeve."

He put his hand in the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out the button. Its original milk-white color was blackened by soot and extreme heat. My hand trembled as I reached out for it.

"I remember this… It's the button on his shirt sleeve, isn't it?" I asked.

"That's right."

Murata thought.

"If so, Lord Weller's left arm must still be in the castle, right? We’ve also seen his arm when we were in Small Shimaron. But the Conrad who appears here clearly has both arms. Where were we fooled?"

"Fooled?"

"There are only the following possibilities. One: from the beginning his arm was a prosthesis. Two: his arm has grown back."

"Regenerating arms? Is Conrad a mutant?"

After a long time walking around, Murata finally came to lean against the wall next to the door. He raised his finger in a motion to push up his glasses, only he wasn’t wearing any glasses.

"Or three: the man over there is not the real Lord Weller."

"You’re saying that’s an impostor? No, that's impossible. You said you have seen him even before you were born, then you should be able to recognize him. He's the real one, Murata. You can bet on it."

"How can you be so sure?"

What a silly question!

"There is absolutely no way I could mistake Conrad for someone else."

Wolfram's jaw muscles moved almost imperceptibly.

"I agree. That guy is my brother."

Brother? Did he just say "brother"?

Although he is normally very composed, sometimes he would say things so surprising that I almost get a heart attack.

"Then I'm even more confused as to why he has sided with our enemy. It’s true he’s half-human, but he has sworn to live his life as a demon and stay loyal to the demon tribe. He is also not the type who betrays his demonic origins out of personal grudge like Adalbert. Even though he had to bear much injustice twenty years ago, there is no reason why he would suddenly turn hostile to Yuri now. But the biggest mystery is what has happened to his arm."

"Exactly. His arm was cut off by the soldiers from Big Shimaron. The same people who shot at Gunter. Even if this is the land where his father came from, the land of his ancestors, given what has happened, it’s difficult to believe he would serve Big Shimaron. The only possibility is that he has been brainwashed and manipulated!"

The emotional turmoil of seeing him again had turned into rage.

"I’ll wake him up!"

I gripped the weapon I had chosen and began to climb into the arena again, but my knees were shaking.

"I’ll bring him back to his senses!"

Wolfram grabbed my arm.

"No, Yuri. You know very well that you can't win against him in a fight. He is unlikely to harm you, but who knows... if he indeed can’t control his own actions... You definitely need to stay here. It's too dangerous."

"Too dangerous? Does it matter?! If he’s forced to obey them, shouldn’t we free him? If Conrad is in fact manipulated, I must put an end to that at once! He's..."

"I doubt he is actually manipulated..." said Yozak, who had been silent until now. "I've looked him straight in the eyes and I’ve spoken to him. I didn’t feel that he is not his own master. Ah, I’m sorry Your Majesty! It’s just my personal opinion…"

Yozak sounded like he was apologizing to me. Perhaps he thought I was angry, or maybe I looked like I was about to cry. But I tried hard to remain in control.

"You mean he has betrayed us intentionally and voluntarily?"

"That’s not what I meant."

"How can you say such a terrible thing? You are brothers in arms, comrades in life and death, who trust each other unconditionally! Didn't you even say you would absolutely serve under his command again?"

Of course, these two things were unrelated.

If I was in danger, then even if the enemy was his own family or friend, Yozak would draw his sword without hesitation, because it was his duty. Yozak Gurrier’s allegiance was not towards Lord Weller, but towards the 27th Demon King of the Empire of the Demons. He must foremost protect his king and obey his orders.

And the king was no one else but me.

Just as the people had obligations toward their king, the king also had responsibilities towards his subjects.

I had my own responsibilities.

"I don’t believe I can’t win him back!"

I must bring him back to our side. He had sworn to live his life as a demon, not because of his blood, but his faith in the demon tribe.

"I must have faith!"

Murata turned to Yozak again.

"Since you were childhood playmates, I will trust your intuition."

Yozak put his hand on the ax on his side and stroked the handle.

"No matter how I look at it, it didn't seem to me like he was controlled by someone else."

"Right," said Murata. "I’d feel better if that were the case... Shame, really! If only I had a mortar with pestle and sesame seeds now!"

"What, what? You’ll use sesame seeds to perform magic?"

"No, not magic. Just that I find it easier to calm my mind and concentrate when I grind things like sesame seeds."

I couldn’t help imagining the venerable Sage grinding a great variety of ingredients into powder in order to eliminate distractions.

"Well, concentration is most important, right?"

Really, I could not understand the way geniuses do things. Anyway, it shouldn’t be a problem that he had no mortar and pestle now, right?

"I think we should trust Yozak's assessment. After all, among the four of us, he knows Conrad the best. And if his will is indeed not tampered with, he will not take your life. You will be injured somewhat, but it wouldn't be serious. So, we can take our chance and let our king represent us in our next match."

Murata looked over my shoulder at my opponent.

"Anyway, no matter what we say, you won't give up on him until you have tried your best, right, Shibuya?"

"Absolutely correct, Sir," I said, turned my back to my friends who had resigned themselves, and stomped off.

Conrad received me with the same smile in the middle of the arena. What? Even though we aren’t on the same side.

"You really don't make it easy for me. So you have no intentions of withdrawing from the match?"

"Absolutely not. I’m determined to bring you back to your senses."

"Oh, my goodness."

Conrad glanced over my equipment. It didn't look very threatening, but it was the king of baseball bats.

"If you hit hard, that club could split my skull," he said.

"That's right. And if you drive me into a corner, I will not shy away from using all my force to hit you between your legs. That's just a little warning."

Conrad briefly lifted his eyebrows as if he had experienced such attacks before. But his usual expression returned immediately.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," he said.

"I know! But I don’t need that. Let’s get it over with here and now... What?"

His comment made me so surprised I was in doubt if I had heard him correctly. I couldn’t help lifting my head up and asked:

"What did you just say?"

"You didn’t hear me? I said I would go easy on you."

He would go easy on me, he would go easy on me… these words kept swirling in my mind. Before a decisive battle, who would assure leniency to their enemy? Shouldn’t he have said the typical line "Don’t expect any mercy from me"?

Right now the opponent in front of me was my own trusted guardian, who had been by my side through life and death. I had been worried about him, I had cried for him, but I had never thought that when we met again, he would be wearing our enemy’s uniform, and we would be fighting against each other. Indifferent to our special connection and the deep trust that we had shared, the gong was now sounding the start of a brutal match between us.

"You’re not going to put all your efforts into this fight?"

"How could I? I can’t just let you get hurt, I wouldn’t be able to go home if I did, but I can’t let you win either. After all, I’m here representing Big Shimaron."

I felt like a big idiot for holding on to the hope that he would come back to my side. At the same time, my eagerness was pitiable. In any case, these feelings reminded me once more that Lord Weller had become my enemy.

He, wearing the yellow and white uniform, was the representative of Big Shimaron. I, with the silver mask of Morgan Gilbert in my hand, was the representative from Caloria.

And yet I missed him so much?

"At least you’re still alive…"

Looking up, I corrected my grip on the weapon. It was very much similar to a baseball bat, and my hands had adjusted perfectly to the handle.

"In any case, I am glad to see you alive and well," I said softly.

"Your Majesty..."

"Do not call me Your Majesty. It’s you who gave me my name!"

I heard that familiar “That is true,” but it was interrupted by a loud belligerent voice shouting at us.

"Hold on! Cancel this match immediately!"

Even though I wasn’t familiar with the rules of this competition, I had never thought someone would ask the referees to cancel the match right before it started.

From the enemy’s bench, a muscular man with a huge sword stepped out and walked toward us. The light from the torches around the arena reflected on his shiny steel weapon menacingly.

"Adalbert!"

With bright blonde hair, turquoise eyes, high and beak nose, and of course, cleft chin, Adalbert von Grantz looked like a handsome American footballer. He hated the demons and wanted nothing more than for the empire of the demons to collapse. With a malicious smile on his face, he slowly approached us. With every step he took, the audience's excitement rose. The winner of the second round had come back. The crowd raised their fists to the sky and stomped their feet wildly.

"I object to this match! This isn’t a one-on-one competition. It’s a tournament!" Adalbert shouted, and the audience roared in response.

Adalbert turned toward the referees.

"If it’s a tournament, then the winner of the second round has the right to compete against the third competitor from the other team, right?"

The two referees nodded.

"That’s right, the winner of the second round has the right to compete again in the next match."

Wait a minute! The winner of the second round was not Yozak, but Adalbert. And the third competitor from the other team was none other than myself! Damn! I would have to fight against Adalbert? Well, that was one problem we hadn’t expected!
<noinclude>

''(Translated by [[User:LRenne|LRenne]], betaed by [[User:Tati-ai|Tati-ai]]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume08:Prologue

2012-01-24T03:48:54Z

LRenne:

I simply cannot understand this.

Why would our omniscient and almighty Original King choose such a wimp, this Yuuri, to be our King? He behaves not a bit like a nobleman. He has done no glorious deed on the battlefield. He neither finds kingly words to win his people's respect and admiration, nor carries an awe-inspiring appearance.

Instead, he plays ball with civilian children and hangs out in the stable and the kitchen, everywhere.

He does just what he wants, and I wonder why that is not an eyesore for my older brother and the other Lords.

Personally, I think he doesn't have what it takes to fulfill the role of the Demon King. He has neither the sharp mind nor the experience to rule such a vast empire and command the whole demon tribe. He is still very young and immature, like a baby.

Just yesterday, someone expressed doubts about him as a king: "Wouldn't it be better for someone from the family of the previous queen to ascend to the throne?"

I tried to explain to this man that our King is wimpy and that was why we must give him our full support. The man probably did not understand me, for he replied oddly puzzled, "If Your Excellency say so..." and left.

Strange. As I said, I just cannot understand this... Yuuri! How many times do I have to tell you that you should not go to the city unaccompanied!
<noinclude>

''(Translated by [[User:LRenne|LRenne]], betaed by [[User:Tati-ai|Tati-ai]]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume 01

2012-01-23T19:50:16Z

LRenne:

'''You Are The Maoh From Today On!'''

Tomo Takabayashi

Kadokawa Teen's Ruby Novels


Novel Illustrations / Matsumoto Temari


== '''Novel Illustrations''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume01_Illustrations}}
== Character Introduction ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Character_Introduction}}
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== '''Prologue''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Prologue}}
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== '''Chapter 1''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1}}
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== '''Chapter 2''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2}}
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== '''Chapter 3''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3}}
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== '''Chapter 4''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4}}
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== '''Chapter 5''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5}}
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== '''Chapter 6''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6}}
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== '''Chapter 7''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_7}}
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== '''Chapter 8''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8}}
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== '''Chapter 9''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_9}}
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== '''Chapter 10''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_10}}
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== '''Afterword''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Afterword}}
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== Translation Credit ==
Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.
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MA Series:Registration Page

2012-01-23T19:48:31Z

LRenne: /* Volume 03 */

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

*"First Come, First Served": please register your intended chapters here.

*The maximum number of chapters you are recommended to work on is no more then half of any given volume.

*Maximum number of Translators per volume is two.

*This is not some Binding Contract of "I must do the work I put down here". Choices put down here are negotiable between translators (including their own selves who signed up for it).
<noinclude>
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</noinclude>
==Ma Series==

===Volume 01===
*Prologue - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 1 - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 2 - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 3 - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 4 - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 5 - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 6 - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 7 - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 8 - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 9 - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 10 - [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria] - '''Completed'''

===Volume 02===
Translated by Asphodel's Haven.

===Volume 03===
*Prologue - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 1 - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 2 - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 3 - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 4 -
*Chapter 5 - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 6 - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 7 - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 8 - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 9 - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 10 - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 11 - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 12 - '''Completed'''

===Volume 04===
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Chapter 9
*Chapter 10
*Chapter 11

===Short Story 1: Heika to Ma no Tsuku TOSA Nikki!?===
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3

===Volume 05===
Translated by Kannnichtfranz on Livejournal.

===Volume 06===
Translation ongoing by Kannnichtfranz on Livejournal.

===Volume 07===
Translated by vivarina.

===Volume 08===
Translation ongoing by [[user:LRenne|LRenne]]
*Prologue - [[User:LRenne|Lrenne]] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 1 - [[User:LRenne|Lrenne]] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 2 - [[User:LRenne|Lrenne]] - '''Completed'''
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8

===Side Story 1 - Ojousama to wa Kari no Sugata!===
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8

===Volume 09===
Translation ongoing by macimoci on Livejournal.

===Short Story 2 - Musoko wa Ma no Tsuku Jiyuugyou!===
*Chater 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3

===Volume 10===

*Prologue ''Translated''
*Chapter 1 [[User:ClavelSangrante|ClavelSangrante]]
*Chapter 2 [[User:ClavelSangrante|ClavelSangrante]]
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Short Story

===Volume 11===

Translation of Chapter 8 by pyrrhic_victoly on LiveJournal.
*Prologue [[user:Tati-ai|Tati-ai]]
*Chapter 1 [[user:Tati-ai|Tati-ai]]
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chpater 8

===Volume 12===
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Chapter 9
*Chapter 10
(I don´t really know how many chapters it has)

===Volume 13===
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Chapter 9
*Chapter 10
(I don´t really know how many chapters it has)

===Short Stories Volume 3 - Kyo Kara MAou!?===
Translation ongoing by pyrrhic_victoly on LiveJournal
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4

===Volume 14===
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Chapter 9
*Chapter 10
(I don´t really know how many chapters it has)

===Volume 15===
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Afterword

===Short Stories Volume 4 - Shin MA Koku Yori Ai wo Komete===
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7

===Volume 16===
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Afterword
*Short Story 1
*Short Story 2

===Volume 17===
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Chapter 9
*Chapter 10
*Chapter 11

<noinclude>
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</noinclude>

Maru-MA

2012-01-23T19:46:10Z

LRenne: /* Translators */

{{Warning:ATP}}

[[Image:KKM1Cover.jpg|300px|thumb|Kyou Kara MA no Tsuku Jiyuugyou!! Cover]]

The MA Series (㋮シリーズ) is a light novel series written by Takabayashio Tomo and illustrated by Matsumoto Temari. It's published by Kadokawa Shoten.

== Story Synopsis ==
Yuri Shibuya was living a pretty normal life. That changed the day he was dunked into a toilet after an attempt to save a classmate from a gang of bullies. Instead of just getting a good soaking, he's pulled in. The next thing he knows, he's in a world that vaguely resembles medieval Europe. If that's not odd enough, he's told that he is to be the next Maoh, just because he has black hair and black eyes. The Maoh is the King of the Mazoku, who are coexisting not-so-peacefully with the humans in this world. Much to his subject's dismay, he's totally different from the rulers they're accustomed to. He's kind, considerate, a believer in justice, and not willing to use violence to solve conflicts. Not exactly someone they want running a country on the very brink of war. Now, Yuri has to deal with trying to become a good Maoh, while at the same time attempting to adapt to this land's customs and culture, all in a world where the tension between the humans and Mazoku is reaching its peak.

== Translation ==

=== [[MA Series:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[MA Series:Registration Page|register]] for chapters they want to work on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

== Updates ==
*'''22 January 2012''' - Volume 1, Full Text uploaded.
*'''21 January 2012''' - Volume 8, Prologue + Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 added.
* '''21 January 2012''' - Novel 3 Full text uploaded.
* '''18 January 2012''' - Teaser Project started!

== Kyou Kara Maou Series ==

[[File:KKM1Cover.jpg|thumb]]
=== Volume 1 - Kyou Kara MA no Tsuku Jiyuugyou!! [[MaruMA:Volume 01 Full Text|(Full text)]] ===
:[[MaruMA:Volume01_Illustrations|Novel Illustations]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Character_Introduction|Character Introduction]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5|Chapter 5]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6|Chapter 6]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_7|Chapter 7]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8|Chapter 8]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_9|Chapter 9]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_10|Chapter 10]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_1:Afterword|Afterword]]

[[File:Novel02cover.jpg|thumb]]

=== Volume 2 - Kondo wa MA no Tsuku Saishuu Heiki! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume02_Illustrations|Novel Illustations]]

*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Afterword

[[File:KKM3Cover.jpg|thumb]]

=== Volume 3 - Konya wa MA no Tsuku Daidassou!! [[MaruMA:Volume 03 Full Text|(Full text)]] ===
:[[MaruMA:Volume 03 Illustrations|Novel Illustations]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_5|Chapter 5]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_6|Chapter 6]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_7|Chapter 7]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_8|Chapter 8]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_9|Chapter 9]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_10|Chapter 10]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_11|Chapter 11]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_12|Chapter 12]]

[[File:KKM4Cover.jpg|thumb]]

=== Volume 4 - Ashita wa MA no Tsuku Kaze ga Fuku! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume04_Illustrations|Novel Illustations]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume 04 Prologue|Prologue]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Afterword

[[File:KKMgaiden1cover.jpg|thumb]]
=== Short Stories Volume 1 - Kakka to MA no Tsuku TOSA Nikki!? ===
*[[MaruMA:Gaiden01_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8

[[File:KKM5Cover.jpg|thumb]]

=== Volume 5 - Kitto MA no Tsuku Hi ga Noboru! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume05_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
Translation completely done by Kannichtfranz.
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Chapter 9
*Chapter 10

[[File:KKM6Cover.jpg|thumb]]

=== Volume 6 - Itsuka MA no Tsuku Yugurenai! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume06_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
Translation by Kannichtfranz.
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8

[[File:KKM89Cover.jpg|thumb]]
=== Volume 7 - Ten ni MA no Tsuku Yuki ga Mau! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume07_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
Translation completely done by vivarina.
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8

[[File:KKM8Cover.jpg|thumb]]
=== Volume 8 - Chi ni wa MA no Tsuku Hoshi ga Furu! ===
:[[MaruMA:Volume08_Illustrations|Novel Illustations]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_8:Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_8:Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume_8:Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Afterword

=== Side Story 1 - Ojousama to wa Kari no Sugata! ===
*[[MaruMA:SideStory01_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Afterword

=== Short Stories Volume 2 - Musuko wa MA no Tsuku Jiyuugyou!? ===
*[[MaruMA:Gaiden2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3

=== Volume 9 - Mezase MA no Tsuku Umi no Hate! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume09_Illustrations|Novel Illustations]]
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Afterword

=== Volume 10 - Kore ga MA no Tsuku Daiippo! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume10_Illustrations|Novel Illustations]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume 10 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[MaruMA:Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Short Story

=== Volume 11 - Yagate MA no Tsuku Uta ni Naru! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume11_Illustrations|Novel Illustations]]
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Afterword

=== Volume 12 - Takara wa MA no Tsuku Tsuchi no Naka! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume12_Illustrations|Novel Illustations]]
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Afterword

=== Volume 13 - Hako wa MA no Tsuku Mizu no Soko! ===
=== Short Stories Volume 3 - Kyo Kara MAou!? ===
=== Volume 14 - Suna wa Ma no Tsuku Michi no Saki! ===
[[File:Maru-MA Novela 15 004.jpg|thumb]]
=== Volume 15 - Kokyouhe MA no Tsuku Kaji wo Tore! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume15_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Afterword

[[File:Maru-MA Gaiden 5 002.jpg|thumb]]

=== Short Stories Volume 4 - Shin MA Koku Yori Ai wo Komete ===
*[[MaruMA:Gaiden5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7

[[File:Maru-MA, Novela 16 002.jpg|thumb]]
=== Volume 16 - Mae wa MA no Tsuku Tetsuogoushi! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume16_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Prologue
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8

=== Volume 17 - Ushiro wa MA no Tsuku Ishi no Kabe!! ===
*[[MaruMA:Volume17_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4
*Chapter 5
*Chapter 6
*Chapter 7
*Chapter 8
*Chapter 9
*Chapter 10
*Chapter 11

=== Special "ドキッ☆男だらけの深夜便"===
*[[MaruMA:VolumeAnissinaSpecial_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1 "世界の国から毒女"
*CD Drama "Ｄの世界"

== Staff ==
Project Administrator:

Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===
'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[user:Stellarroze|stellarroze]]
:*[[user:LRenne|LRenne]]
:*[[user:Tati-ai|Tati-ai]]
:*[[user:ClavelSangrante|ClavelSangrante]]
'''INACTIVE'''
:*Emeryl ([http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria])
:*[http://kannnichtfranz.livejournal.com/ kannnichtfranz]
:*Dannita

=== Editors ===

:*[[user:Kira0802|Kira0802]]

== Series Overview ==

[[Category:Teasers]]

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 12

2012-01-23T19:41:01Z

LRenne:

"Yuri, I never would have thought that you are capable of such a bold initiative," Wolfram said in surprise after I decided to knock on his door.

The delicate pretty boy did not know what to make of the whole thing. He tilted his head to one side and, his lips slightly open, waiting in silence for an explanation.

"I just want you to have a bath with me. If you feel embarrassed, you can keep your swim trunks on," I said.

"If it’s just the two of us then there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, but... "

"Then let's go! I'm in a hurry! A towel and a pair of trunks would be enough!"

In a corner of his room, Wolfram was busy digging for some strange object. Was he looking for a rubber duck to take with us?

I pulled the broadly grinning Wolfram, and head towards the familiar royal bathroom.

[[File:MaruMAnovel3207.jpg|400px|thumb]]
The private bath of His Majesty the Demon King was luxurious - the huge cream-colored pool could have easily held the world swimming championship. It was so hot in this country but there was no public swimming pool. I really wished I could share this bathroom to everyone.

The sexy queen Lady Cherie and the menservants who normally asked to wash my back were not there today, but the water still poured steadily out of the five taps shaped like lion heads. I could finally swim however I wanted to.

"One and two and hop!"

I held my nose and jumped into the pool still wearing my uniform. For a brief moment, I dived and almost touched the bottom, but I immediately came back up to the surface.

"What are you doing?" Wolfram asked, dumbfounded.

I flopped on the edge of the pool, water dripping from my hair and shirt.

"Can you push me into the pool?"

"What?"

"Come on now," I grumbled.

"What kind of foreplay is this?"

Wolfram pushed me into the water, but I immediately resurfaced.

"I don't understand," I muttered. "Hey, what are you doing?! Did I tell you to jump in too?!"

Wolfram emerged again, his blond hair totally soaked. The image was like the scene of an angel bathing. Luckily he had kept his clothes on, just like me. With two strokes, he swam over to me.

"Are you completely crazy? You did not need to jump in. I only wanted you to push me."

He wrapped his pale arms around my neck.

"Damn it, let me go!"

"Didn’t you want to try a totally new way of foreplay?"

"Foreplay? What are you talking about?! What crazy perverted thoughts do you have in your mind?!"

I was completely desperate, yet my partner shamelessly indulged in his own pervert fantasies! I hung my head and swallowed my burgeoning anger. In another attempt, I put my feet firmly on the bathtub floor, and slowly stretched my knees. There was still no suction pulling me into the depths.

"I can't go home," I quietly said.

"Aren’t you already home?"

"That’s not what I mean. It’s true that I’ve come back from Suveria to Shin Makoku, but now I want to go back to my home!"

Like a small child, I flapped both my arms around, hitting the water surface furiously. In order to avoid the splash hitting his face, Wolfram stood up and took a small step back.

"I can’t go back, to my home, to earth, to Japan!" I cried angrily. "I thought it would be just like last time, I could return through the bathroom again. But no matter what I did, nothing happened at all! I thought if I was forced into a corner, I would enter the star journey to escape from danger… But even when you pushed me into the water, still nothing happened."

"What?"

"Wolf… why is that grimace?"

Numerous creases gathered above his nose and between his eyebrows. The ex-prince lifted his chin and pulled his shoulders back.

"You used me for this small thing?"

"It’s not a small thing! This is incredibly important for me, don't you understand that much?"

"You are now the king of this country, you can’t run around anymore! You've got to stay here. Yuri, your home is this castle! And that’s forever!"

Every time this bishounen scolded me, I would feel the numerous wounds his words caused. As hard as it was to accept, Wolfram was probably right. My diving attempts were pointless. But what other choice did I have? I had never thought that I could never see Japan again.

"But it has always been like that so far. If I successfully completed the mission, I would be able to go back again. This time I have found the Magic Flute, and brought my double back safe and sound. The mission was successful. Why am I still stuck here, dammit! Could it be because the game was stuck at this point? If I couldn’t return to Japan and remained in Shin Makoku forever, what would happen to me?

"You would carry on your role and your life as the Maou, what else?"

Yes, true, I was the king. I had taken up this office and made my oath in front of everyone.

"But I still didn't expected to have to stay here forever. How would I know if the Lions won the champion or not? I can never go to a baseball game again!"

"Then found your own baseball team here. You've said that you wanted to make this game a national sport."

"But I'm still not good enough at the game!"

The soaked clothes weighed heavily on my body. Nevertheless, I did not sink into the depths.

"What about my team, my school, my friends? If I don’t come out of the dolphin pool, Murata would suffer a blow and blame it all on himself."

Perhaps this was it. Perhaps the Yuri Shibuya from modern Japan had died in an accident during the dolphin show? And that was why I could not go back?

"Oh no, what am I going to do now? How should I explain to my family… No, probably I would not be able to utter a thing. Moreover my wife…"

"You have a wife?"

"Don’t pick at my words! I meant my brother. I have my family, my parents and my brother, and suddenly I can’t meet them again. Isn’t it a bit too much?"

"You're unbelievably dim-witted," Wolfram groaned and brushed his wet bang back from his forehead.

His seemingly arrogant green eyes stared at me fiercely. He really does have an angel’s face, but his words draw blood with each syllable.

"You belong to this world. You cannot escape, your soul is at home here."

"No one told me so."

Even I could hear the tremble in my voice.

"Don't say you didn't known what you were in for."

I had no answer to that. I had taken things too easy.

If the silence continued, I might do something stupid. So I decided to try again. I dived in hot water and repeatedly pushed myself against the bottom floor. I stayed under the water as long as I could and desperately looked for a possible opening in vain.

I couldn’t abandon my resolve, I had to calm down. Hadn’t the commentator in the last baseball game said “a crisis point is a turning point”? Even when forced into a situation with no escape in sight, I must stay calm and collected. If I didn’t carefully analyze the surrounding, I would never find the way to break out of the deadlock.

But no matter how hard I tried, the strange whirlpool from before refused to appear.

"Hey," Wolfram called, and fished me out of the water.

I had completely forgotten to breathe.

Well, that was it then. I had to accept reality. Never again Japan. No more baseball. Never home again. The king got stuck in real deep shit.
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 11

2012-01-23T19:40:45Z

LRenne:

I was reputedly accountable for the destruction of the exorcist-stone excavation sites, and for the avalanche that shook the mines shut. But given my average body size, how could I have demolished a stone mountain? With a bulldozer?

I had tried to wrestle this information out of both Conrad and Wolfram, but both of them just retreated into a deep silence. Probably, I had pulled off another totally embarrassing display of magic in front of everyone. My God, I hope it didn’t involve a striptease.

We wanted to set out before Svererra's army could mobilize against us. The troop heading back towards the sand dunes at the border was twice as big as it had been on the prior journey.

Some of the women had decided to risk an escape attempt with us; they wanted to start new lives. Most of our soldiers marched on foot, since it was decided that the horses should be assigned to the women. The king himself traveled comfortably, naturally, which did not please me at all.

"I have a guilty conscience, riding in this silly carriage," I said to Conrad.

"That's not a carriage; it's a sleigh, Your Majesty. A horse-drawn sleigh."

Fine, whatever, then Nicola, Wolfram, and I were sitting in a horse-drawn sleigh, which didn't make it any better at all. It felt like a luxury trip on the Orient Express. At first, they'd also thundered at Gwendal to ride in the sleigh, but since he, unlike me, knew how to assert himself, he was now riding upright in his saddle. And that too with two broken ribs.

As if that weren't enough, I had to lay down across two seats, my head softly cushioned on the thigh of Lord Bielefeld!

"Does my pillow have to be a man's lap, of all things?!" I wailed.

"Every time you do some huge magic, you sleep for two to three days," declared Wolfram, unmoved. "This time you only slept two hours. And after such a formidable performance, too. Please be so kind as to stay right where you are. You need your rest."

"All right, all right! But why the heck does it have to be with you as my pillow?!"

"Doesn't it make you happy?"

"Do I look like I'm happy?!"

"Oh, you two are truly one heart and one soul," sighed Nicola with shining eyes.

When she found out that we hadn't been able to locate Hube, she'd cried very intensely again. But her mood improved quickly when we offered her the opportunity to live in her lover's homeland. Nicola was a refreshingly positive thinker, brimming with optimism. Her smile was getting brighter all the time, and you couldn't help laughing along with her.

"Yuuri, which of the two are you actually in love with? The older or the younger brother?" she asked.

"In love...? Neither, of course!"

"You're not? But then why did you elope?"

"I never eloped!" I groaned.

Conrad, who had ridden up next to us, pushed the sleigh's curtain open from the outside. "We'll be arriving soon at the border city.Your Majesty? Oh, there you are! I didn't see you down there at first."

"Conrad, help me! Please let me ride normally, just let me ride behind you on your horse!"

"Unfortunately I can't grant your request, Your Majesty. After all, you're classified as injured."

"But I'm feeling sick from riding in here. I need to breathe some fresh air, so please get me out of here!"

Finally Conrad arranged it so that I was able to get off the sleigh. I took my place behind him. The morning sun was so dazzling that it was hard to even look forward. I clung to Conrad's hips and used him as a shield against the sun. In the shadow of his back, the journey passed in a rhythmic sway. I gradually became sleepy. Voices drifted quietly and pleasantly past my ears.

"Gwendal scolded me," Conrad said out of the blue.

"Scolded?What for?"

"Because of your hands."

My hands? But why? My left hand was free again, and it caused me no problems. The handcuffs had only left me with a light abrasion. Gwendal, on the other hand, didn't get off so lightly. Because of his strong magical abilities, the exorcist-handcuffs really affected him. The wounds weren't dangerous, but his skin was pretty well burned, and his jailbreak had left him with two broken ribs. His entire body was covered in wounds, actually. In his place, I'd have been a wailing pile of misery.

"Why, what's wrong with my hands?" I asked.

"He has probably noticed the calluses on your right hand, when he touched it. At first, he was pleased; he thought they were the result of daily sword training. Until he realized that they weren't normal sword calluses."

"Sword calluses?" I grumbled. "Where would I get sword calluses? The only thing I swing is a baseball bat."

Every evening, one hundred practice swings! Recently, I'd even traded up to a wooden bat.

For someone who'd quit the team in middle school, that wasn't a bad accomplishment!

"He accused me of doing a bad job of teaching you," Conrad continued. "The correct way to hold a sword is the first thing every beginner must learn."

"But why should that be a problem? Just tell him it's not your fault."

"You try telling him that."

Well, yeah, when you put it that way. Like I, just a kid, was going to convince the great Gwendal to change his opinions. It'll never happen!

"You two seem to be understanding each other better now."

"You think so? I'm not so sure."

I gazed toward the older brother, who'd ridden pretty far ahead of us. He sat steadily with perfect posture on the horse. No one would ever have guessed that he was injured. The guy was pretty determined, you had to give him that.

"Well, I no longer think Gwendal hates me, anyway."

"But I've been telling you that the whole time, Yuuri! It is not remotely possible for my brother to not like you."

Well, our first meeting was disastrous. And our personalities aren't that easy to reconcile, either. No one could expect me to just accept that as fact.

"Who knows, maybe my stock took a nose-dive," I said. "It's because I absolutely had to get my own pigheaded way that Gwendal ended up with all those wounds."

It had been important to Conrad to convince me that Gwendal was really a stand-up guy. So it was only fair to bring him up to date. My opinion of the oldest brother had changed. If I were to get along with Gwendal better in the future, then Conrad was surely the one who would be most pleased by it.

"It's always a good thing, when you can get to know someone better. And our adventure was perfect for that. Now I know that even Gwendal has his weaknesses and can become emotional. He can even laugh -- even if it's not very often."

Conrad sullenly muttered something to himself.

"What was that?" I pressed.

He turned around to face me. "I said, dammit, now you're a step ahead of me." Then he smiled again as always.

"Nonsense. You two are brothers, you've had much more time to get to know each other. You should try talking one night out under the stars, that would definitely work."

When Conrad looked back, his face darkened. In the distance he'd noticed clouds of sand rising up.

"We are being pursued. That was fast."

Conrad gave orders to some of the soldiers at the head of the troop, then he tried to deliver me back to the sleigh.

"If they shoot with arrows, the cover could save your life," he tried to persuade me.

"Then it would be better to let as many of the women as possible take shelter on the sleigh!"

"When are you finally going to understand what this is all about? How often do I need to repeat it? Your Majesty's life is the top priority."

"But..."

I didn't get any further, because I suddenly spotted something very unpleasant. Further in front of us, I saw a cute figure wriggling around in the sand dunes. Its arms were spread out, and waving up and down, like a drowning person grasping out with their last strength. What a masterly achievement of stagecraft! However, we already had enough experience from our previous journey to know that this animal really wasn't about to drown in the sand.

"There's a sandbear over there again," I moaned.

"Where, Your Majesty?!"

Just like in our previous encounter, no one but me could see the bear. Gwendal had said that it was probably a trap that the exorcist-magicians laid over the area.

The situation became quite tricky. We couldn't turn back, because we'd run right into the arms of the soldiers from Svererra. We also were afraid the women would panic, if they realized how much danger we were in.

In front of us, a murderous panda, behind us, an Iroquois army. We stood under red alert.

"If we could at least delay those soldiers chasing us," said Conrad with agitation in his voice, and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. My hand went instinctively to my hip as well, but there was naturally no sword there. But there was something else -- the flute. I grasped at it.

Could this object actually be good for something? I doubted it, but it was worth a try.

Attention please! Here the Master Flautist!Taaaaaaaaaaaaaae!

The first note sounded like an old woman screaming, and every face turned towards me. The sand dunes remained hot and dry; there was no sign of rain.

But what kind of wimp throws in the towel after his very first strike? I faced the challenge again and tried a piece I had practiced many times before: the famous song "The brown bottle," the one almost all elementary and middle school students in Japan could play. I had received full mark for this piece in my music class. The soldiers gave me a little courtesy applause.

I was unstoppable. I played the anthem of the Seibu Lions, the anthem of the new club, then the anthem of the baseball team, followed by the theme song of "Kimba - The White Lion."

Everyone around me was busy taking the battle formation in preparation for the attack. The audience of my inept solo concert was getting thinner and thinner. My bag of tricks was exhausted. Now I had only a very short piece I knew by heart until the last note.

"Ryan...?« Conrad suddenly muttered in surprise.

A great human shadow was running towards us from the direction of the sandbear.

Ryan? I've heard this name before. Ryan, who was that again?While racking my brain trying to remember the name, I played the Tsutomu-Ito march. I could hear some rumbling sound mixed in the music from below.

"Drat!"

My stomach had protested loudly. Embarrassing, embarrassing, as if I could only think about food.

"A thunderstorm!" shouted someone, and an upheaval erupted.

"That was just my stomach, sorry!"

The yellow sand was turning gray. The sun that had scorched my neck disappeared. When I looked up, the sky was covered by black clouds. The first drops splashed on my face. Shortly afterward, the rain already became a downpour. Thunder roared and lightning crisscrossed the sky. That was a true-storm!

"Ryan took less than five days to tame the wild sandbear?" cried our tutor, his eyebrows shot up in an exaggerated way.

He had wrapped the Magic Flute in a cloth to protect it from fingerprints. If Gunther had known that it had been buried in a tomb instead of a corpse, he would probably be whining all over the castle halls.

"Yes, I was surprised too," replied Conrad.

"And so was I," I confirmed.

The downpour had caught the enemy troops by surprise. This gave us the necessary time to follow Ryan's lead to the hide-out built by the tamed sandbear. The rain beat down on Suveria's sand dunes as if the eternal sunshine had become but a dream. The rest of our trip was pretty pleasant and uneventful.

When I finally arrived at the royal capital, we found Gunther completely frightened for some unknown reasons. Apparently a cruel demon had abused the poor fellow as a Guinea pig. Since we took the shortcut route to the Royal Palace instead of traveling through the Kavernikov area, that I did not get to know Lady Anissina, the terror of all men. Well, thank to my luck!

As we could not find out the whereabouts of Gegenhuber, Nicola kept alternating between crying and laughing. Fortunately, his family accepted her as their daughter-in-law and provided a home for herself and her child. Since Huber, their heir, hadn't returned for almost twenty years, the Grieselas were very happy to have a new family member. And the child would even be named after me!

I was also surprised to find out that Gunter's taste in clothes had changed radically. He now had his iron-gray hair tied neatly at the back of his head, and while he still wore his narrow, elegant glasses, he was not wrapped in a creamy white monk's robes as usual, but sporting an exact copy of my T-shirts.

"As an emotional attachment to Your Majesty, to come closer to you, I have taken the liberty to have this garment prepared. Even if we are apart, our hearts remain one. I can always be with you! Isn't that fantastic?"

"Um, to be honest... Isn't your shirt too tight? "

Gunter had imitated not only the design but also the size of my shirt. The fabric on his chest and shoulders was tightly stretched. One wrong move and you could clearly see his navel. In addition, the letter >E< printed on the front was upside down.

Murata Ken always said my fashion sense was the worst. Imagine the consequences if this sort of fashion spread all over the country!

"Your Majesty, I am impressed!" Gunter sang his song of praise. "Although you played The Magic Flute for the first time, you have already mastered it, by all measures. Even in the musical field, you are blessed with an exceptional talent!"

"Almost all children in Japan can do that."

"What a fine music lesson!"

Yes, exactly.

Gwendal had gone to see the Grisela's as Nicola's sponsor. In his name, I was presented with a knitted stuffed animal about 30 centimeters long. Maybe it was a thank-you gift for the dolphin keychain.

"Aw, what a cute white pig!" I said.

Conrad tried to suppress his smile.

"Your Majesty, actually I believe that what you've got there is a white lion."

"Oh! "Oh! But then where is its mane? Or maybe it's a female? Then I'll name it Leonie."

By no stretch of the imagination did Leonie look like a white lion. But after all, it's the thought that counts.
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_10|Chapter 10]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_12|Chapter 12]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 10

2012-01-23T19:40:27Z

LRenne:

In the meantime, the melodies of "The blue Danube" by Johann Strauss kept playing in my head. And it was not the full-scale version performed by an orchestra, but the cheap version the like of a call center’s hold tone.

The scorching sun earlier had burnt my skin had now become milder. Even if I slept out in the open with no sun protection, I wouldn't suffer from a sunburn. By night fall, the temperature dropped rapidly. The cool gentle breeze caressed my skin and brought me back to consciousness.

Vaguely feeling like being rocked back and forth, I woke up to find myself lying on Tricolor’s rocking chair. Still sleep-deprived, I carefully forced open my eyelids, stuck as if being glued. My eyes were dry and sore.

"What ..." I mumbled.

The first thing that I could see was thick golden strands shimmering in the moonlight. Before I had time to appreciate this beautiful sight, someone was already yelling at me.

"Why do you always do this?"

"Wolf?"

"What?"

"Wa...Water..."

That didn't seem to be the response he expected. His eyebrows squished together in anger. He grabbed my head and pushed my face into the water basin nearby.

"Drown in it!"

I drank. Water went inside me not only through my mouth but also through my nose and ears.

"Ouch... Stop it! I'm drowning, I'm really drowning here. Please forgive me!"

"Do you know how worried I was about you?"

Angering a bishounen, even if one was not at fault, would result in painful consequences. At the same time, I felt tremendous guilt since it was indeed my own impulsive action that caused trouble to everyone.

"Wolfram, what are you doing here? Where is Conrad? And what about Gwendal!? We must get him out, or he'll be executed!"

"My brother has already managed to break out of prison. Now you kindly answer me. Do you even know how worried I was about you?"

Even though I perfectly knew that we were both guys, being pursued by such a beautiful boy like him still caused my heart to skip a few beats. At times like this, the most effective solution was to avoid looking at his face and keep chanting "He is 82 years old" like a mantra.

I shift my gaze away from Wolfram to the darkening surrounding. I could see neither the women nor their slave-driving guards. Since I had slept the whole time, I could not explain how they had been released, by which miracle. I must have done something horrible and frightened everyone. That was why they looked so pale, wasn't it? I must have scared the hell out of them...

"Yes, yes, I know you've been worried. I was worried myself. I know exactly how you felt."

"You sure can talk the talk! Now sit still, I'll get something for you to eat."

After throwing in my face a cloth that smelled like sun, he stomped off noisily toward the hut that used to be Tricolor's office. Yes, food sounded like a good idea. I could not even remember when I had my last meal. As a punishment, we had not been given any breakfast.

What had become of my poor roommates, who were also punished for my mistake? Where was Norika, the leader, or Martha and her half-dead baby? How long had I slept?

I got up and slowly walked down the steps. Somewhere in the direction of the graves, I saw a small flame flickering. Although cold sweat ran down my back at the thought that it could be a ghost or a walking fire, I was inevitably drawn there. The fluctuating light moved now and then, sometimes lowered down to the ground.

As I got closer, I saw shadows of human beings reflected in the dark. At least that was somebody, not a walking fire. But who would wander in a cemetery at night? There could only be two possibilities: someone visiting a grave or the dead resurrected.

"Hey, you over there! Do you happen to be zombies? If so, no problem! I would not do anything to harm you! Nice to meet you."

"Is it you, Your Majesty?"

A zombie wouldn't be able to ask me that question. Thank God, it was only Conrad, holding a torch in his hand. He lit up the ground for someone who was digging furiously.

"Mrs. Norika, is that you? Why are you digging here in the middle of the night?"

"I'm looking for something."

Conrad shrugged his shoulders and smiled, as if that were the most normal thing in the world. He raised the torch into the air. Now I could see things around us.

"This will the last one," Conrad spoke to Norika.

The mounds of earth, which as I remembered used to be in neat rows, had all been dug up but one. In a different situation, this would have been considered grave desecration, a serious crime.

I squatted down to help the woman who was working like a demon.

"Never mind," Norika stopped me. "It is my child after all. I want to find him myself."

"Your child?"

Norika lifted her face up a little bit and smiled faintly as she looked into my eyes. Damn, where were my contact lenses when I needed them?

"Thank you for saving Martha's baby. And thank you for giving these guys a lesson."

So there! I had apparently struck again. My guardian, who must have witnessed everything, said nothing as usual. His face had the same calm and composed expression, except the corner of his lips lifted a little bit.

"Your real name is not Mabo, is it?" asked Norika.

"No.But weren't you afraid of me? Everyone I've met so far was shocked when they saw my black eyes."

"Why should I be afraid?"

She touched my cheek with her fingers, still covered in sand and dirt. She smiled, lines forming on her tan wheat-colored face around her eyes.

"Let me look at you closely. Would you mind bringing the torch a little closer please? Wow, really, your eyes are of a deep, clear black. I've never seen such beautiful eyes. My husband said he had once seen a beautiful old portrait of the revered Sage in the Royal Castle.He even told me several times that the noble and intellectual Sage had a pair of black eyes, just like yours, and shiny smooth hair of the same color."

"Who was he?"

"He was a demon, same as you two."

A soldier with a familiar face approached to report to Conrad. After receiving a short answer, he returned to his post.

Norika set out to work again, pushing soil aside with bare hands.

"I'll fetch a spade," I said.

"No, it’s okay. I want to dig him up with my hands. With these hands I want to find my beloved son whom I have given birth to.They told me he was a stillborn. They didn't even let me see his face. I gave up. Maybe he could still be saved, like Martha's baby. There’s nothing I can do about that though, it's been ten years. But I've sworn that if one day I could get out of here, I would not leave without my child, under any circumstances. Even if all that's left of him is a bone, or a strand of hair."

Probably she had fallen in love with a demon, just like Nicola. Unfortunately for her, someone must have found out and she ended up being persecuted and forced to work like a slave in this place. However, the fault actually did not lie with these women, but with those who harbored discrimination and deep-rooted prejudice.

"I wish Yozak had been just as lucky."

Conrad looked up to the sky for a moment.

"Countless women and children have been imprisoned in this place. They all shared the same fate. Some have even laid down to rest here forever. Although they are not related to me, but seeing how they were treated, I wish they would be freed."

"Then, have they all been freed?"

"I would say so. The living, and the dead, too. The problem is that the guards have all fled away, so probably their reinforcements will arrive very soon."

The torch was held such that light fell on Norika's hands but Conrad's face was hidden in the dark.

"Yet you seem to be very happy."

"You can tell that from my voice?"

"No, not your voice."

I did not need to see his face to know its expression.

"I'd like to leave this place tonight to gain some ground on them." Conrad brought us back to reality. "Gwendal and his men are already busy preparing for departure. You should also start getting ready, Your Majesty."

"But what has become of all the women?" I asked.

Norikas fingertips touched something. She cried out softly and continued digging.

"They have gone through terrible things. They were chained together and sent into narrow, hot pits. I do not know how valuable the exorcist's stones are, but these women have been exploited shamefully. Can they still return to their families?"

"We have opened the prison's gates. At least for now, they are free to do as they wish. That's all we can do from our side. Now it is entirely up to them how they want to lead their lives in the future. If they return to their homes, it is possible that they will be captured and enslaved again. Perhaps they can seek help from their families and other sympathetic people and escape the dark fate. Anyway, the decision lies with the women themselves, not with us. However, there is one thing ... "

It was very unusual for Conrad not to come out immediately with what he had to say. After shifting his weight from one foot to another a few times, he put on a serious expression.

Although he already knew my answer, he got a kick out of keeping me hanging in suspense.

"There were about forty women who had been in a relationship with demons. And all of them want to go to their husbands’ homeland."

"We'll take them with us of course!" I cried. "After all, we have Madame Cherie and her support for the pursue of free love! I will definitely not allow anyone to maltreat these women, ever. They'll come with us, that's the King's wish!"

"Gunther isn't here, I'll take over his role for a moment, Your Majesty: Sometimes you must first think about your decision. This is what Gunther would say. However, my personal opinion is that in some cases, it is best to follow your instincts."

"Then we'll follow them!"

Wolfram called out to me from a distance. Apparently he had found something for me to eat. When he saw that I was together with Conrad, he immediately started walking over.

Suddenly I heard a muffled sob that scared me stiff. After all, I was standing in a cemetery, who could be weeping here at the middle of the night? It was neither a ghost nor a zombie, but the mother who had been searching for her child, Norika.

"I cannot find him...There was no bones, no hair, absolutely no trace of his existence."

"Ten years is a long time," I said.

I wanted to comfort her, but could only come up with trite things. How many year would it take for a body to return to dust? Through which channel would a soul go to heaven? With no deep knowledge in science, biology or religion, I did not know what to say.

I put my hand into the deep hole that Norika had dug. The heat of the day was gone and the earth felt so cold that I could almost feel a shiver running down my spine. With a click, my fingernails hit something hard.

"What can it be?"

I pulled it out. The object was long and narrow. There were small bumps along its length. For a bone, it felt too smooth.

"I've found it too," Norika said. "But that's not my son. It's just a simple pipe. Probably a part of... "

A pipe ...?!

A part of something?!

"Impossible!" I cried.

Unbelievable! Could it be? Here in this place? Without maze and treasure map?

From my chest pocket, I took out a dark brown pipe slightly thicker than a thump. It was the pipe Nicola had given us. When I was sent to the labor camp, the guards had thoroughly examined my belongings, but no one confiscated it because it did not look like a weapon. The pipe I had with me was about 10 cm long, with three holes on one side and one on the other. The other pipe I just dug up actually consisted of two parts. They were still covered in mud, but one was clearly round and short while the other had a sort of triangular shape.

"This... this beige contrasts with the dark brown..."

I tried a few random combinations, and finally manage to put the three parts together. It was the Magic Flute!

[[File:MaruMAnovel3189.jpg|400px|thumb]]
The Magic Flute was the precious treasure of the demon tribe, could it be such an ordinary flute? But even though it looked ordinary, it might produce heavenly sounds. Instruments should not be judged by appearance, and there was only one way to tell. I wiped my dirty hands on my clothes. Then I took a deep breath ...

Tatüüü!

"With all respect, Your Majesty! You hold the instrument in your hands for the first time and you could already elicit a nice tune," Conrad said appreciatively. "Isn't there a Japanese saying that goes 'peaches take three years, persimmons take eight'...?"

In this situation, would that mean I'd get good results after 3 years of practice, and become proficient in eight?

"I have the feeling it's not the first time I play an instrument like this, as if I've seen it before," I said.

"Something like a deja-vu?"

"No, not really."

If this object was truly the Magic Flute, then all the boring music lessons I had taken at school would not be for nothing. That year we had been required to take a music course and participate in a contest. Half of my classmates had thought it was useless since we would not need this skill in the future. But who could have predicted the future? Sorry I didn’t take you seriously, music teacher!

"Where did you find the other part?" asked Conrad.

"Nicola gave it to me. Nicola and her boyfriend Gegenhuber found the flute... Ah, I see now!"

The past events flashed through my mind like movie scenes. How we ran through the capital of Suveria. The bride who wanted to marry a man she did not love to save Huber. The bride in snow-white wedding dress entering the chapel. The priest, who caught the bouquet. Okay, no useful details there ...

A bald-headed man, who had introduced himself as a supporter of the demons, and his ten-year-old grandson, who grew too slowly. His mother, after being taken away for violating the marriage laws, had given birth to a child. Ten years ago, a demon who looked exactly like Gwendal had brought a new born baby to the grandfather.

"It was Huber! All threads lead back to Gegenhuber," I cried.

Meanwhile Wolfram was approaching us. When he heard the name of his relative, his mood sank through the floor.

"What about Huber?" He asked.

"He had hidden these parts here! In the fresh grave of a baby! The baby was separated from the mother immediately after birth, but Huber dug him up again!"

The mother, who did not understand half of my statements, absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hair.

"Norika! Your child is still alive! I think we can help you find him!"

"My son is still alive?"

"Yes. What is your father's name?"

Though I already knew her answer.

"Shas."

"I knew it! He is slightly cripple, right?And your father ... he informed on you? "

Norika slowly shook her head and said no with a smile and tears in her eyes.

"It was the owner of a fruit shop who sold me to the authorities. I foolishly trusted her."

Wasn't it wonderful? Now she could return to her family. I would make it happen, I guaranteed!

"But where has Gegenhuber gone after all?" Wolfram changed the topic.

"Well, I'd also like to know," I sighed.
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_9|Chapter 9]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_11|Chapter 11]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 9

2012-01-23T19:40:10Z

LRenne:

Including those on the other side of the gate, the number of guards easily exceeded two hundred. In all likelihood, it was but a women's camp housing inmates who had violated the marriage laws.

"But why would they need such a strong defense?" wondered Conrad.

Crouching and sliding down the slope, he returned to his taciturn younger brother. Wolfram was leaning against a plant, frowning, his arms folded on his chest.

There were presumably a large amount of exorcists-stones in the area. These stones caused great pain to those who possessed strong magical power. Since Wolfram had earlier complained about headaches, Conrad himself was uncertain whether he could count on him in battle.

"You should better decide now if you can bear it or not," he turned to Wolfram. "I will not be able to cover you in battle."

"Who do you think I am? I can perfectly handle it myself!"

"Good to know."

Conrad had sent six men to help Gwendal break out of prison. He only had as few as fifteen men left to deal with two hundred guards. There was only one tactic to handle such an overpowering force: they had to raid the camp and cause as big a chaos as possible.

"Wolf ..."

"What? You're getting on my nerves!"

"You're leaning on a cactus."

Wolfram yelped and covered his mouth with both hands. Twenty to thirty thick spikes had pierced through his clothes.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner, dammit!"

"I thought you knew."

Despite the tense situation, a wry smile slipped upon Conrad's face. The figure in front of him, with folded arms and frown lines on his forehead, suddenly reminded him of his older brother.

"Are you still torturing yourself with that matter?" Asked Conrad.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't pretend, now. You know what I mean. The matter regarding His Majesty and Gwen."

"That's not what I'm thinking about at all!"

"Actually you don’t need to worry. You know they don't get along well. If you do not trust His Majesty a little more, one day he will really have enough of you."

"But I'm not worried!"

"That’s fine then."

"Why do you understand him so well?" Wolfram asked quietly.

"Our King? I already knew and liked him, even before he was born, so to speak."

As he did not say more, Wolfram had to be content.

"But, why do we have to make matter worse to help this woman? Why do we have to care about such a person?" he grumbled.

"Nicola has given us information."

Without that piece of information, they might have never figured out the whereabouts of Yuri and Gwendal. Even if they could eventually, it would have taken much more time. After she had done them a big favor, they couldn’t refuse her request to be taken to the Great Demon Empire.

A soldier’s horse snorted peacefully and wagged his tail to chase insects away.

"Still! She is Gegenhuber's mistress! Had it not been for him, you would have long since become Lord of Wincott's Manor!"

"It's not important."

"And what about Julia's death? Is it also unimportant?"

"Wolfram ..."

At that moment, it occurred to Conrad that right after his birth, this brother of his, who looked exactly like their mother, had let no one but him hold him in his arms. Since then Conrad had been the one who took care of Wolfram each and everyday. Until the little boy learned that his second oldest brother was half-human. Thereafter, the immaculate Gwendal became Wolfram's object of admiration and reverence.

Conrad shook his sword scabbard forcefully to rid it off the fine sand grains.

"That was a long time ago," he said. "Everything was a long time ago. Even if Huber had not caused things to unfold the way they did, Julia and I... I just can't explain why he has fallen in love with a girl like Nicola."

Gegenhuber was in fact an outspoken hater of human race.

"Well, after all it was possible with you."

"Don't change the subject!" Snapped Wolfram. "Have you forgiven Huber's crime? Is that why you agree to take his wife to our country and ..."

"No, that's not the reason."

Yuri would not have wanted otherwise. Although he had not heard from him personally, Conrad was convinced. Yuri would gladly take the women who loved the demons to his country.

Lord Weller let his thin sword slide back into the scabbard. He squinted his eyes to look at the faraway horizon behind the fence.

"I just want to fulfill the wishes of His Majesty," he said.

The setting sun became redder, the shadows longer. If they hadn’t needed the protection of darkness, Conrad would have liked to start the raid immediately.

"Let's discuss our tactics again. I know it's dangerous to move forward in groups of three, but we don't have any other choice... What happened over there?"

An incoming message suddenly caused a commotion among the guards who posted outside the gate. Since the rock they were hiding behind provided a large enough cover, Conrad did not think that they had been discovered.

He could hear screams and explosions from the other side of the high fence. The soldiers who had been standing outside the fence rushed inside one after the other.

"Something has happened. Maybe a disturbance or a riot. I just hope that His Majesty is not in danger."

"It's impossible..."

Wolfram pressed his left hand against his forehead, knelt down on the ground and lowered his head.

"A strong magic ... in a place full of exorcism forces ... That's impossible ... "

"You feel something?"

"A magical force... strong and awful ... not to say nasty. Wait, I have felt something like this before..."

A nightmarish doomsday scenario flashed through Conrad and Wolfram's minds. They both recalled Yuuri's uproar on the pirate ship.

"Is it something to do with His Majesty..."

"Yes, that's him."

To sneak secretly into the camp, Conrad and Wolfram robbed uniforms from a couple of wandering soldiers. The rest was a breeze: no one stood in their way, they were able to infiltrate undetected.

They ran to the other side of the low rock hill, in the direction where the screams and the furious roar came from.

"It is indeed..." Wolfram murmured dumbfounded. The sleeves of his uniform were too long for him.

Numerous mounds of earth, large and small, were scattered all over the area. Although there were no tombstones or flowers, these seemed to be graves.

His Majesty was standing in front of the graves, legs slightly apart, chest thrust out. He looked weary, but he had not suffered from any major injuries.

Conrad let out a sigh of relief. Wolfram looked as if he would have liked to run toward Yuuri and pull him into his arms. But to rashly interfere with Yuuri in this condition could bring more harm than good. Conrad couldn’t help thinking that he looked as majestic as his title.

He had seen a similar sparkle in Yuri's eyes before.

"Hey, something just flew out of his eyes," called Wolfram.

"Those must be his contact lenses."

Without the colored contacts, both Yuri's eyes were jet black. Now that he had entered his Maou’s mode, there was nothing they could do but sit down and watch his performance.

The terrified women were all paralyzed. The soldiers and the guards tried to find the best way to attack, but Yuri's defense seemed quite solid.

A mild tremor started, as if at any moment, a dragon would rise from the depths of the earth. At first they felt a swaying under their feet, then the vibration continued until it reached the core of their bodies.

"These women had unselfishly sacrificed themselves in the name of love! They boldly devoted themselves to their lovers! But instead of admiration, they earned violence! The authority punished them in heartless and inhuman way!"

[[File:MaruManovel3175.jpg|400px|thumb]]
Yuri spoke as if he was on the stage. He acted like an actor from one of his favorite old-time historical series.

"Both parties were involved in the intimate relationship between men and women. Nevertheless, only the weak has to bear all the blame!"

The tremors stopped - but only for a moment.

"No one can judge two lovers! Separate them? Make them swear to part from each other? These are the outdated deeds from the days of the geisha! No one in the world has the right to condemn them."

"Oh, His Majesty seems to have expanded his repertoire," Conrad muttered calmly.

Master Tricolor was standing behind Yuuri, eyes wide open in disbelief. He was so surprised by the transformation of his son's ‘horse’ that he even forgot to stroke his red beard.

"Violence, oppression, and misery prevail in this facility. Deprived of human dignity, the women had to bear even the utmost injustice: Their babies being buried alive! What a cruel tyranny! Even the devils from hell would be appalled at these actions!"

Yuri raised his right arm to the sky and swung it down theatrically. His index finger pointed directly at Togrikol. He gave a brief yelp and fell to the ground.

"It is not my intention to destroy and to take life, but ... I have no choice, I will smite thee with my sword!"

There was only one catch: there was no sword in sight.

Then came an eerie rattle sound. All eyes turned toward the graves at once. The faint-hearted fainted, even braver men shrieked.

In the sunset, brown arms with curved fingers, like the claws of birds of prey, shot up from the graves and stroke with a reckless vengeance.

First one, then two, and finally, innumerable arms broke out of the graves, followed by bodies that rose out of the ground up to the chest or the hip.

Even Wolfram, who had been through a lot, stopped in mid air at the sight.

"They...They are corpses. Zombies. "

"The sentence should be executed!"

The bodies spread their arms and rocked back and forth like seaweed.

It was a creepy sight. Everywhere people were scrambling on top of each other, screaming and wailing. At Yuri's feet, the word: "Justice" was drawn in the sand.

"No, they are not corpses," said Conrad. "Even if they looks the same, these are not human arms. It's all just sand and earth. They are but clay figures. "

"Clay figures! But what do we do now ...? They made such a mess. I've never seen such a nasty magic before!"

"So you say every time."

The clay-zombies who had performed the seaweed-dance of the dead souls had melted and merged together, taking the shape of a giant human about the size of a Godzilla. As the giant made one step forward, people scattered frantically in all directions. All were afraid of being crushed to death under its feet.

"Amazing! His Majesty has mastered the special-effects in the making of monster movies."

"Co. ..Co. ..Conrad, now is not the right time for praises!"

Even though children would usually love monster movies, the son of the head jailer was so frightened that he had soiled his pants.

"Arms forward, then sideways! Now comes the exercise for arms and legs! "

For some reason, Yuri's commands sounded like an aerobics teacher's instructions.

Every time the clay giant moved according to the instructions, it demolished a part of the mine. The mine openings were smashed beyond recognition, dust and dirt rising everywhere.

Togrikol, stricken by immeasurable horror, crawled away trying to escape.

"A devil! A spawn of hell!"

"You dare calling me a spawn of hell? Do you not recognize this noble face?"

When Yuri said that with the voice of the Invincibles, the soldiers and the majority of the women threw themselves to the ground, even though they had no idea which kind of god he was.

"How can we stop him just now?" Conrad asked casually.

"Do not ask me," Wolfram said coldly.

Suddenly the crowd broke apart to make way for a military horse coming through, galloping and snorting violently. As it went past the legs of the clay giant, its rider jumped out of the saddle toward Yuri. Without hesitation, the man came up to him and grabbed his collar with his left hand.

"Gwendal?" cried Wolfram, but Lord von Voltaire, covered with wounds all over, did not hear him.

"What is ... the point... of that ...?!" Gwendal yelled at Yuri. "Haven’t you done enough? Do you want people to die? Answer me!"

"Who are you ...?"

"Listen, Yuuri! You must stop this right now. Return the monster to dust!"

Gwendal shook Yuuri back and forth violently, bringing some senses back to him.

"You selflessly put yourself in danger to stop me! What a daring courage! Given your brave heart, for now... I'll retreat."

Yuri then collapsed to the ground, unconsciously.
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_8|Chapter 8]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_10|Chapter 10]]
|-
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 8

2012-01-23T19:39:48Z

LRenne:

At this time of the day, the shops that still had lights on were mostly pubs and brothels.

Since Yuuri was summoned to the Empire of the Demons, Conrad had come to stay in the royal palace. But during the recent decade, he had had numerous opportunities to travel to foreign countries.

The capital of Suveria was large, but at night the streets were deserted. The bars were bursting with drunken soldiers, but there were no young women in the brothels. Perhaps there weren't enough customers, since all the men were faithful to their wives and only prudish romantic relationships were allowed?

"I don't feel well," Wolfram murmured after trotting in silence next to Conrad for a long time. "This city is full of elements that obey the exorcism. And the number of exorcists themselves is huge."

Since he was not sure if their aimless wandering would be fruitful, Conrad said: "I have no spark of magic in me, so I feel nothing. But if you can't stand it anymore, you can rest in a hostel..."

"Oh, shut up."

As long as Wolfram had enough strength to make insolent retorts, he would not collapse yet, Conrad thought. Given his headstrong younger brother, he sighed and gave up trying to urge him to return.

Since the mining of exorcist-stones was encouraged, the climate of this country had become strange. Although the region had always been suffered from drought, the rainy season used to bring enough rainfall. But those days were over. The crops withered in the fields and the cattle died - the amount of food domestically produced had reached the lowest point and the country was no longer self-sufficient. Instead, the rare exorcist stones were now traded for food in the international market. High-quality stones were sold at horrendous prices, while those of inferior quality were squandered at dumping prices in the domestic market.

Only the privileged wealthy class was able to further increase their wealth, while the majority of people suffered from hunger and thirst. The fact that no one had died from famine so far was probably because at least one member from each family toiled in the mines. It was believed that high-quality exorcist stones could only be excavated by women and children.

After they passed by a brothel without seeing any women, Conrad asked about his other half-brother's strength.

"Would Gwendal be able to use his magic in this city where so many elements obey the exorcism?"

"My brother would still be a great warrior without his magical power. But yeah, I know very few who would still have full command of their magic in a territory so hostile to the demons. Our mother would be able to do so."

His emerald-green eyes darkened, his handsome eyebrows drew together. It was not often that Wolfram hesitated.

"And perhaps Julia Susannah too. I can think of no one else."

"That does not sound good," said Conrad, but he tried not to look too worried.

They walked toward a two-storey building around the corner. As soon as they left the main street and turned into a small alley, they were immediately swallowed in darkness. There were no streetlights. Without the lights from the houses and shops, their eyes could rely only on the dim light from the moon and the stars.

"I just hope that at least one of our troops finds His Majesty," Conrad said.

"We were supposed to meet in the capital, that was settled. I can't imagine that they would not wait for us. I’m sure we owe it again to Yuuri's thick skull that they aren’t staying at a hostel. It seems the whole thing was mistaken for a pleasure trip."

And that too from your mouth, Wolfram, Conrad thought and he could only manage to suppress a laugh.

As they were passing by the back side of a brothel, a slender shadow darted out from a stone staircase into the street. Since neither had the time to step aside, they inevitably collided.

This person was bigger than a child. Judging from the body, it could very well be a boy.

"Oh, excuse me."

"Yuuri, is that you?”

Conrad was shocked at the name coming out of his lips. This person, from the depths of his memories, did not even bear a close resemblance to Yuuri.

"How could this be Yuuri?" Wolfram exclaimed with an irritated voice. "Do you have tomatoes on your eyes or what? Yuuri is a lot more gentle and elegant. Moreover, this is a girl - even if she is flat as a board."

"You know Yuuri?" The girl said in amazement.

[[File:MaruManovel3145.jpg|400px|thumb]]
She took the scarf covering her head down, and stared at the others in the moonlight. She looked alternately at Conrad and Wolfram, and finally her eyes rested on the blond, pretty boy.

"You're a demon, right? You have an extremely beautiful face. Are you friends of Yuuri?"

Conrad hesitated, but Wolfram snorted irritably: "Friends? This must be a joke! Yuuri is my betrothed."

"Really?" Cried the girl.

She was perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old. Without concealing her feelings, her large eyes wandered back and forth uncontrollably under long and dark lashes.

"That would mean that ... that you’re ... So then you'd be..." she stammered.

"What?" Wolfram said impatiently.

"Then you are the younger brother, whose fiancé has run off with your own elder brother?"

"What are you saying?"

In an instant, Wolfram's face had turned visibly red even in the pale moonlight. At the same time, steam seemed to be rising from his head.

"Conrad, what does that mean?" He yelled. "My brother and Yuuri! This cannot be true! I knew it! He’s a wimpy cheater! "

"Wolfram, calm down. It is certainly not what it looks like."

"But yes, the two are surely a couple," the girl said. "I’ve seen them with my own eyes. The poor guys were on the run. They were chained together with handcuffs."

"Chained together?"

It had to be boiling water inside Wolfram's head.

"Please don’t be angry with them. They seemed very happy to be together. They even picked matching fake names for themselves."

"There must be a good reason for this," Conrad tried to mitigate the situation.

"That I don't know. But Yuuri and this tall cousin of Huber's get along very well. Please, can’t you forgive them and rescue them? I would have liked to help them, but I could barely escape myself. I thought maybe I could gain some time if I hide in a place where there are many young women. So I went to this brothel. But you know what? There is no woman here at all! Only young men! I'm seriously worried about what will become of our country!"

The Lord Betrothed has gone completely out of his mind with fury and was by then torturing an innocent garbage can with his feet. Conrad decided to let Wolfram vent his rage. He turned around and put a hand on the shoulder of the girl who was about to break out in tears.

"Do you know where His Majes ... I mean, Yuuri and his companion had gone?"

"At least I can tell you where they were taken. I would have shared the same fate. They would have to stand trial. And if they do not formally swear that they will forever part ways, then ...”

She nervously rubbed her palms on her clothes that did not fit her very well.

"... Then one of them will be thrown into the camp."

The sound of a large and heavy piece of luggage thrown on the floor penetrated my ears, and I slowly came back to consciousness. My arms and legs didn't seem to belong to me. Even if I wanted, I did not have the strength to lift them.

It took me some time to figure out that the piece of luggage was myself. Above me I heard voices. Based on the conversation they were sharing, I had the impression that they weren't particularly bright people.

"Man, look at that, ey. That's not a girl, ey! Isn't it totally crazy to bring a boy here? He can still dig no exorcist-stones, ey."

"Don't you stop to think, ey. It fits. Man, we do what we say. They put the bigger one into prison. Since there is but one camp for the women, they had no choice but to put the kid here, ey. Otherwise, the two guys would be back together again."

If I understood correctly, Gwendal and I were not together anymore. As promised, the white Iroquois had taken the chains off of us, but apparently we had jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. Gwendal was in prison, and I could not even move yet.

"It has recently become very common in the capital, ey."

"So it has become."

"Yeah man, so it has become, ey."

I heard the loud crash of a door brutally flung open. My spine landed on the ground. At last I could feel something, even if it was searing pain. I opened my mouth trying to speak and tried hard to pull open my clamped eyelids.

"Ah... Ouch... "

Many pairs of feet approached trampling on the wooden floor. In my vision, blurred as if covered by a thin veil, I saw pale sky through a small ceiling window: a new day had dawned. Suddenly a face shoved into my sight, right above me - then another and another and another and another.

"Look how young! Are his skin and cheeks as soft as they look? Oh shame, unfortunately they aren't."

Those women touched me in all imaginable places - it was both pleasing and embarrassing at the same time.

"If the boy landed here in the camp with us, that means he is also ..."

"Enough now, girls! It will be morning soon. Let him rest a bit," said an authoritative voice.

They quickly prepared an additional sleeping place in the hall. The lady ordered four women to move over there. I could only see her face dimly, but given the way she commanded the women, she was probably the leader of this group.

The bed was more like a cot with a thin blanket on top. It was as comfortable as a park bench.

"Uh, excuse me? What type of facility do we have here?" I asked as politely as possible.

"This hole is where they dispose of the women who have rebelled against the gods and the community, and have lost everything. They say that even sinners like us can still be of benefit, by digging exorcist-stones," the boss said sarcastically, but once again her voice took on a caring tone. "But why is a boy like you in such a place?"

"I was falsely accused of running away."

"You ran away? Martha, who is sleeping over there, did the same thing."

The boss looked at the bed next to us. In the dim light, I could see a girl with dull blond hair rolled-up in her sleep. Her back turned toward me, I could see the curve of her back under the plain old dress.

"This girl had an affair with her married employer. They had planned to flee to the neighboring country, but her lover did not show up at the appointed place. He had got cold feet and withdrawn."

Even if Martha could overhear our conversation, she didn't show it. She lay still like a fetus, her knees pulled up to her chest.

"This guy is probably still leading a peaceful and comfortable life in the city. Even Martha's newborn child has been taken away. Since then, she no longer says a word," the boss said with a sigh.

Given what usually shown in historical movies, she seemed very young to be the leader of a group of prisoners.

"But if they have planned to run away together, both must be punished!"

"Wrong. It's always the woman's fault, for she has seduced the man. And since the guy has sworn that he was tricked and he didn't want to have anything to do with such a woman, he was set free. Your partner has been thrown into prison?"

"Apparently, yes."

"That means until the end he did not abandon you.You are to be envied, being loved so much."

I couldn't help having goose bumps all over. But this is definitely not the way things happened!

With the daylight, the room gradually became brighter, and I could see what it looked like. Five bunk beds stood against the left and the right walls, leaving only a narrow passage in between. The room was cramped, dark and grim - similar to the prison from which the young Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke has broken out.

The woman, who talked to me, had shockingly skinny hands and legs, with knuckles bulging out. She looked over thirty, but probably she was much younger. She was not exactly a beautiful woman, but her eyes shone with a strong will, and they gave the impression of strength and self-confidence.

Outside, a trumpet blared. My roommates, who had slept till now, immediately sprang from their beds. With incredible speed, they slipped into their work clothes. If they had been in a late-night TV show, they could have won a tight competition for 10,000 yen.

"What's your name?" the boss asked me, while she tied her shoe laces.

Who was I again? Oh yes!

"Mabo! My name is Mabo!"

"I'm Norika. Well then, Mabo! The jailer will be here soon. If you're not ready by then, there won't be breakfast."

I managed to sit up. My muscles and joints hurt as if I had played a double-header game the previous day. If I did not do some stretching, my body would have to bear unpleasant consequences the whole day.

"Stand up!"

As typically shown in American movies, a prison guard opened the door, a club dangling on his hip. His eyes immediately fell on me because I still had not been able to stand up straight.

"Collective punishment!" He shouted, and disappeared again.

Angry voices and sighs filled the room. It was clear that they would have to start the day on an empty stomach.

"What was that? Was that my fault? I'm sorry, please forgive me," I shouted to everyone in the room.

"It's okay. After all, you had no idea. Things never go well on the first day," Norika laughed feebly, trying to comfort me.

Still, I felt guilty. No one would get breakfast, it was not healthy at all.

I tried to make my aching muscles move so that I could at least make it to the roll call.

"Why did they put me here in the women's quarter?" I asked.

"Where else? There are only women camps around here."

"Oh."

I followed the women out.

Endless dry land spread out in front of me, with nothing in sight but a rocky mountain, sand, and some withered trees. A miniature Ayers Rock. The facility itself housed six cabins with a total of over one hundred inmates.

The bare rock surface was riddled with numerous holes. The women formed lines and climbed into the shafts one by one without saying a word to each other. Everything went quietly and in order. The workers were all skinny, dirty and exhausted. They were bound together with chains around their hips.

Not another chain, I thought.

The sun already shone very strong. Sweat immediately poured out from every pore on my skin. It was impossible to see how the mine was designed, but it couldn't be very comfortable inside.

This was clearly forced labor!

Just because they fell in love with someone they were not supposed to be in love with, they were forced to be slave laborers. What was going on with this country?

I was instructed not to enter the mine. Along with four or five other male convicts, I was to haul heavy bags under the blazing sun. The women dug up mountains of spotted stones, among which there were shiny gold pebbles now and then. Everything was pulled out of the mine on carts. In a square area outside, older women sorted the output into piles of comparably sized stones and filled linen pouches with those. These pouches were then packed more carefully into bags, which we carried to the warehouse.

This was a mine of exorcists-stones.

The other men were all bearded, burly guys. Since I had no desire to be plagued by nightmares for three nights, I avoided them. I imagined the circumstances that brought them here.

At any moment, the guards were ready to pound down on the prisoners with their sticks, sometimes even with shovels and hoes. After having towed a few bags, I began to believe that this horrific and surreal scene could be just a bad dream. In the middle of a summer holiday in the 21st century, I was torn away from the Sea World in Saitama, Japan, and thrown into a forced labor camp. And it might not be for just one day. In the end I might have to drag these heavy bags of shit at the foot of this mini Ayers Rock for all eternity. Perhaps I would never be able to get out of here again.

Or maybe it was all just a dream! I might be in fact taking a nap on the floor at my home in Japan, and something like a beast was sitting on my chest, which caused me this nightmare. I tried pinching, cutting and kicking myself to wake up, but it didn't help. The damned dream went on and on and on.

A small corner of my soul trusted that someone would come to my rescue. I only needed to grit my teeth for a little while longer. I was certain Conrad would eventually show up and save me. I kept looking out for him with each trip to and from the mine.

But how about Gwendal? The dungeon was definitely no picnic either.

My ears turned red with shame for my own selfishness. I'm fine, Conrad. Please save your brother first. I can stick it out for at least another week. I could imagine that I was in a super tough training camp for professional baseball players. I had to consider this whole thing as nothing more than a hard basic training, although I could not get rid of the feeling that I was building some unnecessary muscle groups here. I struggled with bags after bags full of stones that pierced into my shoulder, staggering toward the warehouse, a construction much more splendid than our quarter. I would have been much more useful if I had had a bath and breakfast.

After the lunch break, for which we got only a tiny ration of water, a guard grabbed my collar and dragged me to a hut. The sun glared down relentlessly through the sky.

"Is this the new boy we got today?" Asked a voice.

The funny man who just spoke to us sat in a rocking chair on a wooden porch, sipping a glass of red liquid, as if he was enjoying his holiday. His hair, eyebrows and beard were of different colors. I immediately gave him the nickname Tricolor.

"Yes, that's the boy, Master Togrikol."

Hey, I had almost hit the mark!

Togrikol's small son sat on his knees. The boy looked about six years old. Unlike his father, he had ordinary brown hair and eyebrows. Of course he hadn't got a beard yet.

"Who's that?" I muttered gruffly.

The heat and the empty stomach had made me throw all my manners to the wind and even ignore the possibility that this man could be an important person.

Tricolor-Junior, who had clung to the knee of his father, raised his little voice like a child star in a musical show.

"My father is an important man, he will find in this mine the best exorcists-stone in the world!"

"For all I care," I said, "he should kindly climb into the shaft and dig himself."

More than ten workers nearby turned around and shot sharp glances like arrows in my direction. They probably feared another collective punishment.

Togrikol stroked his red beard, and turned to his son.

"Nello, do you want to play with this boy?"

"Yes, plaaaayyy!"

The child hopped down the steps and threw himself hard against my hip. Although he was only a small preschooler, I began to stumble and fell. All who had observed us went back to what they were doing.

But if I slacked off, I wouldn't even get dinner. I started to move back towards the square area where the women were filling up the bags. Tricolor-Junior had, however, clung to my legs so tightly that it was incredibly difficult to lift them up.

"Plaaaayyy, plaaaayyy, plaaaayyy!"

"Okay, okay! But only if you can guarantee me a dinner," I growled.

"You can have dinner at our home. Our chef cooks delicious food!"

"You guys have your own chef?"

This boy looked strong and muscular for his age, which brought back in my mind the image of a little boy, falling and crying in the small alley, Jilda. They had the same height, but Tricolor-Junior had thicker shoulders and neck. Was it just because they were born into different families that they would grow up to be so different? Clutching at my hips, Nello looked up to me with begging eyes.

"Okay, okay, all right, I'll play with you." Since his father was the chief warden, I probably wouldn’t get my head bitten off if I did not return to work.

"What do you want to play? Wait, I know! How about throwing balls?"

"No, horse!"

Instinctively I looked around but there were no horse in sight.

"How about we go to the large sand dune over there, and I’ll draw a horse for you? But you must not expect too much, I’m very bad at drawing."

"Horse!" Tricolor Junior cried again.

"Okay, okay, I’m drawing your horse now. I’ll try my best not to make it look like a giraffe… woa!"

Tricolor Junior had jumped on my back without any warning. My spine groaned under the weight of this well-fed six-year-old.

"Oh, I am supposed to be the horse? But this is a stupid game."

"Run!" Nello yelled and slapped me on the butt. It would be useless talking to such a little preschooler about human rights.

The boy squealed happily and I ran. No other choice. Strictly speaking, I crawled on all fours. I tried to convince myself that this was also a work out for certain muscle groups. At any rate I didn't make quite an elegant sight as the Black Beauty.

When we had gone for about 200 meters away, we noticed a strange scene in the shadow of the rocks. A guard was holding a bundle under his arm while another was digging into the sandy ground with a spade. In front of us were innumerable small mounds the size of basketballs.

"What are they doing there?"

"These are graves. They must be burying a baby again," said Nello, his voice showed absolutely no emotion as if he was stating a matter of fact.

"They are burying what?"

"A baby. These are their tombs. The larger ones over there are tombs of the adults."

On the graves there were neither tombstones nor flowers.

Since I had shown interest, Tricolor-Junior rose from my back and proudly explained.

"These women are bad people who don't actually deserve any grave. But because my father is great and gracious, he still has them buried when they die."

"But why are the babies here?" I asked.

"Well, women make babies, stupid."

I felt a strong desire to smack the boy across his ear, but I held back. These were certainly not his own words, but those his father taught him.

"All these women are bad, because they se...se...seduced the men. That's why they are brought here. Then they bring the babies into the world. But no one wants these babies, so they die."

"Say that to your mother."

Tricolor-Junior was a bit surprised. Still smiling, he asked:

"Say what to my mother? What I’ve just said? "

"Yes, tell her what you’ve just said. In fact, tell your teachers as well, and see what they have to say to you."

"Okay, I will. But why?"

"Because what you just said is wrong. And you may only complain about women when you have had your heart broken after your first love."

My first love was a glamorous woman with extremely beautiful legs that she liked to show off. Although she was Japanese, she had soft curly blond hair. I, an innocent preschooler, used to follow her like a stalker.

Then one day, in a public bath house, I saw her going into the men's bathroom. My first love was a man, a drag queen! Enough about this topic.

While I talked to Junior, the guard struggled with the spade. He dug a hole that was barely large enough for a rugby ball. The other put the bundle under his arm to the ground. It was a shapeless lump wrapped in a dirty cloth.

"Strange..." I muttered. I had the impression that the bundle had moved, almost imperceptibly.

Suddenly I heard the screams of women. When I looked around, I saw a group of women running towards the graves - Ms. Norika, the leader of my group, along with our roommates.

"Please wait! That's Martha's child! Four days ago he was taken away from her right after birth. She says that the child was still alive."

"Do you women really think that we would bury a living child? He neither cries nor moves. He's dead. We just want to give him a final resting place, damn it!"

Other guards came running; six of them pulled the chains on the female prisoners. One of the women let out a shrill cry, tore loose from the guards and tried to run to the grave.

"Damned woman!"

Tricolor quietly approached with several guards following behind. Stroking his beard, he looked at the prisoners, who were being beaten with batons and spades.

"What are they screaming about?" He asked.

My temples swelled briefly, but with an astonishing self-restraint, I immediately brought my emotions under control.

"She thinks that her baby was still alive, and she wants him back," one of the guards said with a greasy smile.

"Nonsense!" Tricolor laughed out loud.

Impulsive actions were never good. So far my hasty sense of justice had not brought anything good. At this moment, I must stay calm and bear with it. In any case, Conrad and Gunter were both not here to back me up. Even if Gwendal and Wolf had been here, they would have had their own problems to deal with. However, all my determination vanished as I heard what Tricolor had to say next.

"Even if that's the case, does it make a difference whether the bastard is still alive or dead?"

That was too much. My self-control was gone, never to return. I clenched my fists and bit my lip.

Last Friday evening, I saw a movie scene in which Bruce Willis, still had lots of hair on his head, single-handedly fought against a group of terrorists. My father said: "It’s very difficult to fight against an overwhelmingly large number of the enemy, and he is all alone. He can’t win."

But, didn’t he win? Fighting against the enemy all alone was surely difficult, but there was still a difference between ‘difficult’ and ‘impossible.’

"Stop!" I cried. "Of course it makes a difference! And even if the child is already dead, you ought to respect the dead a bit more! You could have at least read some prayers, and let the mother say goodbye to her child. That is how it should be done! You want to be a great chief warden? A disgrace to the title, that's you!"

"What's the problem with that new boy? Is he a preacher?"

"Hey, boy, shut your mouth up at once! Otherwise we’ll throw you into the hole!"

The greasy smile on the guard's face was gone. He rushed up to me to stuff my mouth. With the I bent my upper body to dodge him, escaped his paws and head butted Tricolor.

"You can't silence me! There are still a few more things I have to say! What is all this nonsense? You can’t clap with one hand! Why is it that you condemn the women only when they are involved in an illicit relationship? It takes two to fall in love and to make love; you can't blame it all on one!"

Now there was no turning back. I went off like a rocket.

"We must honor the equality between men and women in all situations. Besides, you are violating all basic human rights in this camp! An inspection of the UN would hold you accountable, you can bet on it!"

Togrikol glanced at me fleetingly out of the corner of his eye and turned back to look at the center of action.

The dust whirled up from the dry earth. More and more women came running, wailing and screaming. More and more guards joined in thrashing them. A small woman with disheveled hair and outstretched hands let out a shrill cry. The guards grabbed her clothes and dragged her backwards. Every time she would fall heavily to the ground, and every time she would relentlessly pick herself up, trying to move forward.

"He's alive! He's alive! I know it, she cried. "He is my child!"

It was the silent Martha, who had finally found her voice.

While his subordinates tried to bring the upheaval under control, the chief warden lifted the bundle. He obviously wanted to throw it into the grave.

Before I could convince myself that I had perhaps just become the victim of a hallucination, I already stormed off.

The bundle had moved!

Maybe the wind had just played me a prank, but in a flash of the cloth, I saw something dark red definitely moving.

"Stop!" I shouted.

The white-brown lump was thrown into the air. I saw him fall as if in slow motion, the torn cloth fluttering behind. The hole was exactly the right size, as if it had been measured. It was anxious to swallow the new inhabitant.

With all my strength I stretched out my arms, eyes firmly fixed on the bundle. The sand ruthlessly scalded my arms and elbows, but I pulled a head-sliding straight out of a textbook. My fingertips caught the bundle just in time. Quick as lightning I drew it to me and secured it.

"He moved!" I screamed.

And he did indeed! Through the thin fabric, I could even feel gentle warmth.

"He is still warm. He is not dead! This child is still alive!"

I was overwhelmed by my emotions, and could speak no more. With trembling fingers, I began to remove the wrapping cloth. The women were frozen in the air. Only Martha tearfully prayed in a croaking voice.

I sat on the floor; the warm, soft bundle lay on my knees. I anxiously lifted the last shreds off of him.

My mind froze for a moment. I was shocked, horrified and paralyzed.

"What have you done to him?" I finally asked in a hollow voice.

The baby was breathing. Even if only slightly, his narrow and dark red shriveled breast raised and lowered. Both eyes and mouth were closed, his skin was completely dry. Also, the clenched hands were not moving; the left arm was lying sideways on the belly. His right arm and his right leg were twisted unnaturally.

"What did you do to this child? How could you ...”

He was not even crying.

The mother had escaped the men and took her son into her arms. The other women were surrounded together in a circle, clubs and spades kept pounding down on them.

What barbarians!

The demon stone on my chest was burning hot on my skin, I could hardly breathe. In a corner somewhere in the depths of my skull, an electrical spark rushed through the synapses. The shock crept along my spine and, resonating with my heartbeat, exploded in my ears. The low and high-pitched ringings in my head struggled with unbearable ferocity against one another.

As in an explosion, where there was a yellow stretch of dry land, now I could see nothing but snow-white smoke. I was suddenly flooded with a euphoric bliss. One of my brain cells brought back the name of a person of unsurpassed beauty.

I will...

Who would?

What happened after that, I do not know.
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_7|Chapter 7]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_9|Chapter 9]]
|-
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 7

2012-01-23T19:39:21Z

LRenne:

If Lord von Kleist couldn't even manage this trifle, his powers were sorely lacking. No wonder one had to listen to people saying again and again these days what sissies the men of today were, along with their magic.

Lady Anissina von Karbelnikoff’s bright blue eyes flashed as they bored down on their prey. Gunter stared intently at a point on the ground and muttered softly under his breath.

"His Majesty must have already found Gegenhuber. He must have given a wonderful performance on the Magic Flute. Ahh, my beloved Majesty! How pure and classy and beautiful these songs must be. And eye-opening as well!"

And so Gunter went on singing praises of his beloved king.

"The flute calls the rain, no, the storm forward. When the fine, silky black hair of His Majesty gets wet, it becomes even darker and shines even more beautifully..."

"You said the Magic Flute would make it rain?"

As Gunter heard the voice of the demon, shivers ran down his spine.

"I also heard the name Gegenhuber? I do not like this man at all. He still holds on to this obsolete idea that love between men and demons is wrong."

The unfailingly calm way she spoke proved that she would not let herself be ruled by her anger, and that inspired boundless fear. Gunter did not dare turn around to look at her.

"How much had Susannah Julia suffered because of this man..."

When she spoke longingly of the name of their deceased friend, her voice trembled ever so slightly.

"Sending Gegenhuber on the search for the Magic Flute was one of the few decisive measures Gwendal ordered. Still, I did not expect that he would really find it."

"Anissina ...?" Lord von Kleist timidly asked.

The Red Devil had carried in an enormous green shield with a precious jade plate on top. She grabbed the retreating Gunter, dragged him to the shield and put the plate on his palm.

"Right, and now just imagine in your head that it's raining."

"If you would be kind enough, perhaps briefly explain to me first, what effect would this strange design have?"

"Don’t ask unnecessary questions. If you provide the magic, you’ll see for yourself."

Gunter had feared this. But after a sleepless night, he had already come up with an excuse for this specific situation that he now found himself in.

"But... that will not do, my dear! You could be planning to overthrow this nation and commit the high treason against His Majesty! If you want to improve your technology for this purpose, I would never assist you in any possible way. That would make me an accomplice in your plot. You must know the purpose of my life is solely for the protection of His Majesty... "

"It's a rain spell, Gunter."

"A rain spell? What a vile deed! Ah… Excuse me? Did you say a rain spell?"

Thrown completely of his track, Gunter couldn’t say another word.

"Exactly. We will no longer have to depend on the unreliable power of the Magic Flute. From now on we can use our own magic to make it rain. I have heard that our neighboring countries have been suffering from water shortages for some time. If my invention proves successful, with one blow, our demon tribe will command awe and terror all over the world! I hereby present to you the magic rain spell device, the 'Rain Frog'!"

"The 'Rain Frog'... I’m suddenly overcome by an uncontrollable appetite for insects." Was it perhaps because of the fact that the green shield and the jade plate Gunter was now balancing on his back and his head make him look like Kawako, the Japanese water spirit who has the appearance of a frog?

It was a child, not the flute, which had let out the cry.

The child’s loud cry came in from the street. Shas was the first to run out of the room. I hurriedly followed, pulling a grumpy Gwendal behind since he was still chained to me. He told the bride, still in her wedding dress, to stay inside.

"Leave my boy alone! Don’t you dare touch him!" Roared the grandfather.

Surrounded by five children, who had thrown him on the dry ground, Jilda was howling from the top of his lungs. His bag had been thrown on the street, from which some of vegetables had rolled out. Suddenly, the grandfather fell tumbling to the ground - the kids had brought him down and started fighting ruthlessly for the contents of the bag. This robbery took place openly in public under the most beautiful purple evening sky. The children were ten years old and they were all bigger than Jilda. This had clearly gone too far!

"Hey! Hey! It’s quite cowardly to rob a smaller child!"

The children picked the fruit and the bottle of water from the bag and stood up, turned around to leave. Shas crawled over to his grandson.

A boy from the group looked at me.

"Small? He's much older than us."

Damn, they were right of course. I had forgotten that Jilda was half demon.

"Even so, he's still smaller than you! Give the bag back right now and leave them alone. And apologize yourselves... "

One of the boys threw something at me.

Yes, think! Although I had never left the reserve bench, I still had more than a decade of experience as a catcher. Even without a glove, I would be able to catch the balls from the tiny tots of the Little League.

I wanted to bow my head to the front left, but I could not lift it because of the heavy chain. I tilted my head to one side instead and missed the dangerous ball in a hair’s breath. It got Gwendal behind me. Not a good idea, children!

"He just doesn’t grow," shouted a boy. "It doesn’t make any difference whether he eats or not."

There was neither sarcasm nor hatred in his voice. His tone was as if he was stating a matter-of-course fact in the world.

"And if he does not grow, he will not grow. Then he can’t become a soldier to earn his own living. Why waste food on a dwarf like that, who will eventually turn out to be no good. It's true!"

"Who has put this horrible nonsense into your head?" I exclaimed in shock. "Try saying that to your parents or anyone else! How messed up are you?! There is no need for everyone to sign up as soldier!! Don’t you have any dreams?"

"We can’t drink dreams," replied one of the boys.

"Will dreams make the cattle healthy again?" asked another, while he kicked Jilda with his thin legs. "Will dreams make the fields green again? If I can have more food by dreaming, I’d happily sleep for days at a stretch! As much as I can!"

These were his last words before he flew three yards through the air. Gwendal had resorted to the law of the jungle. He bent down and meticulously picked up the scattered coins.

"I had said that the boy can keep the change. Not you."

"To hell with your money!" the boy cursed.

Without standing up, he quickly slipped away from Gwendal. The other children slowly moved backwards to secure the escape route.

"We do not want your dirty money! I can see your chain, you are but criminals on the run! How could you be so stupid, hiding away in this old man’s house? Shall I tell you something...?!«

Darned, we forgot to hide the chain!

Shas, who could finally free his legs, picked up his grandson. Jilda was still sobbing quietly.

"The old man sold even his own daughter to the authorities for money."

"Don’t give me that crap," I shouted.

That had to be a lie! Shas was the grandfather of a half-demon child, who approved of his daughter’s marriage to a demon. After all, he had helped us.

Suddenly we could hear the footsteps of some dozen pairs of boots around us. At dusk, the lights lit up the streets from all directions and in no time we were surrounded by a group of people.

"Do not move!" a voice commanded.

"Please tell me this is not true," I moaned.

But unfortunately, we were indeed surrounded by about thirty soldiers with guns in their hands.

The grandfather dodged my eyes and turned away. He held Jilda in his arms.

What had these children said? How would one earn his living, if he couldn’t become a soldier?

Shas had no sushi hairstyle, and, on top of that, he limped. In addition, he was too old to join the Army.

"Well, yeah. He’d do everything for his grandchild, "I said.

(The rest of the chapter was translated by [info]kannnichtfranz here.)

"We were informed that fugitives were hiding here!" bellowed a soldier. "Identify yourselves! What is your crime?"

I would also have liked to know that!

A man with a double chin, who could've easily been mistaken for Johann Sebastian Bach, had asked that question in an authoritative voice. Probably he was the boss. His Bach-face was crowned by a sea urchin sushi haircut.

"Gwendal, what do we do now? Our criminal file keeps getting thicker."

"How should I know!"

"Oi, we'll have no whispering!" called the soldier. "This afternoon, a bride was kidnapped from the church, and you two match the description of the culprits."

The bride! I'd almost forgotten her. Gwendal and I were sure to figure something out, but Nicola was pregnant.

"No idea what you're talking about. We haven't seen any bride!" I said, intentionally loudly.

The food had been carted off, and the boys had all disappeared. Any curious onlookers had been chased away by the soldiers, and even Shas had retreated a few steps with Jilda in his arms.

More than anything, I just wanted to start crying, but I couldn't allow myself that. Nicola was more important.

"Have you seen a bride here anywhere?" I asked Gwendal in the hope that he would play along.

Lord von Voltaire took the stage with fierce, flashing eyes, exuding self confidence.

"It's true, we are really on the run. But as you all can see, we are just an eloped couple," he said.

"Yes, exactly!" I said and presented the back of my right hand, with the Sea World stamp.

"Why would we possibly be interested in other people's women?" Gwendal continued.

"Well said, darling! We are so in love, we only have eyes for each other. Isn't that so?"

"How right you are." The honest face that Gwendal pulled at these words was worse than creepy. I stretched as far as I could to try and put my arm around Gwendal's shoulders. The chain was too short though, it didn't quite work.

Someone kicked me in the gut, and I sank hard to my knees. "If you are hiding the bride, you will bitterly regret it!" roared the boss.

"Boss!" a younger man called over to us. He sounded like his voice was breaking with puberty, and he waddled as he carried an armful of white material. "I have the bride's dress!"

"Good, look over there, men!"

Excellent, Nicola had escaped! But without her dress. What was she wearing now as she ran through the streets? Could she be naked? Oh no, no pregnant bride would ever do something like that!

"How boring," murmured the boss to himself and snapped with his tounge. "Arrest them! But first, logistics. What are your names?"

Hm, good question, what were our names again? Nothing occurred to me. Luckily Gwendal was more successful.

"My name is Yanbo," he said.

"And my name is Mabo," I said quickly.

Yanbo and Mabo -- the droll little mascots of the weather report on TV. It'll be hot and sunny again tomorrow!

It wasn't exactly the ideal time for it, but as our well-guarded carriage rocked back and forth, I fell asleep. The stress and the extreme exhaustion had finally forced me to find some rest. Even the clattering jolts from the wooden wheels seemed as relaxing to me as the rolling of the waves at sea.

"Good show, little one!"

"Spare me your sarcasm, Gwendal," I murmured.

"I didn't say anything."

Then it must've been the plump soldier who rode with us in the small cabin. As I woke up, I found myself leaning on Gwendal's shoulder. I sat myself upright hastily. It was just as embarrassing as if I'd fallen asleep on the shoulder of a complete stranger in the subway.

"Try to get some more sleep," said Gwendal.

"I can't do that if it's just me who gets to make himself comfortable," I protested. "After all, you are also exhausted, and you'd certainly have a right to be annoyed if the person right next to you snores happily away. And anyhow, for the time being we're still considered an eloped couple. We can't let any bad feelings seem to come between us."

The older brother snorted quietly. Was that a laugh?

"I think maybe you are something of a freak."

"I am a freak? Are you trying to rile me up? Wait just a minute, if we're not careful, the guard can hear everything we say."

"Use the high language of the demons. It'll be very difficult for them to understand what we're saying then."

And just what was that, again? I had never heard of it. But it didn't matter, our guard was in the middle of a nice nap, so we could speak normally.

"Why are you always so keen to get yourself into trouble?" Gwendal stared stiffly ahead as he spoke, his scowling eyes not looking at me. "You are the king. You had the opportunity to leave all the state responsibilities to your underlings while you reveled in hedonism."

"Unfortunately I have no idea how to revel in hedonism," I replied.

"Isn't there anything that appeals to you? Riches, delicacies, women?"

Naturally I didn't have anything against those things. It's true that I'd never found myself in the possession of much money, or a gourmet kitchen, and especially girls, but surely I would like all those things. "At the moment, baseball is the most important thing to me," I said in the end.

"Then why don't you just occupy yourself with baseball?"

"I'm already doing that, have been for almost ten years."

"So, baseball is not dependent on the office of the demon king?"

"No, enthusiasm is the only thing that one needs."

"Then find a more expensive hobby."

"Why?"

Gwendal turned to face me -- I'd never seen such a clueless expression from him before. His scowling eyes had lost a tiny bit of their confidence.

"Is the role of the demon king to while away the tax money of his people? Do you really think that that's the way a demon king should behave?"

"No, but... up until now, all the demon kings that have been chosen from the ranks of the commoners have acted in that fashion."

"I didn't know that." After all, I was chosen through a public toilet, out of the clear blue sky. When I was informed that I was supposed to be the demon king, I knew absolutely nothing about the world of the demons. I hadn't been prepared, neither mentally nor spiritually.

"I'm just a baseball boy, like you find on every corner. It's impossible for me to be able to do the job as well as you could. There's nothing I can do but follow my instincts to decide what is right. Maybe I'll go down in history as a bloody beginner, a weakling, and the worst leader of all times. But what else can I do? I have only my puny sixteen years of experience to draw on."

Since the reassurance I craved never came, I lost my courage then. The carriage abruptly began to swing back and forth, and the soldier spoke some nonsense words in his sleep. Through the barred window, the sky, long since gone dark, could be seen.

"And if I do make a really backwards decision, then there are enough competent people around to stop me from doing anything too stupid." Luckily I would always have Günter, Conrad, and Wolfram, my unintentional fiancé, on my side. And let's not forget Gwendal, who would watch my every step with an eagle eye, and who loved his country more than anyone else.

"Gwendal, you'd definitely stop me, right?"

Gwendal relaxed his jaws, and a bunch of little wrinkles built up around his eyes. His smile was so peaceful and warm, like I'd never imagined possible.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Who's Yanbo? How did you come up with that name so quickly?"

"Ah... that's the name of the little one I was taking care of not long ago."

"I knew it, you do have secret children!"

"Yanbo is a bunny rabbit."

Just a second, come again?

"Did you really say 'bunny rabbit' just now?!"

Before I could get an answer, the carriage came to a halt. The door was opened, and we stepped out, flanked by guards to the left and right. If there were sunglasses and pipes, our entrance would have been perfect. Then we'd have looked just like General MacArthur in the schoolbooks of Japanese history, as he strode up the gangway. Wasn't this contingent of soldiers extremely overdone, just to accept an eloped couple into custody?

We were led into a stone building that looked just as if the first floor of the parliament building had been transported into it. At the entrance there was a sign, but as always, I couldn't read the letters.

"What is this place?" I asked Gwendal.

"The family court."

We stepped inside. In the background, music that sounded like it belonged in a horror film was playing.

"Gwendal?! What's wrong with you? You look terrible." His forehead and neck were covered in sweat, though it was relatively cool in the building.

"The power of exorcism... the entire building is full of it..." Gwendal murmured resolutely.

"What do you mean by that? I don't smell any incense, and I don't see any smoke around, either. Or does it have something to do with the weird music?"

"What music? I don't hear anything."

He could only move forwards very slowly and all hunkered over. I didn't feel bad myself, but the demon stone that lay against my chest had become hot.

"In there!" shouted a soldier, and gave me a push.

When I stumbled inside, I found myself in a sort of courtroom. It was medium-sized; about the size of a lecture hall. The walls and floor were made of highly polished, milky white stone. Four old men sat at a podium; presumably the judges. They each had just enough white hair remaining to be built into the standard Iroquois hairstyle. Although there were seats available, I didn't see one single spectator. On the other side of the wooden railing, there were neither lawyers nor witnesses.

In the middle of the room were three people, arguing with each other. Two men held a loudly crying woman by each arm and seemed to be playing tug of war with her; neither would let go. One of the man eventually fell over backwards, and apparently, the decision was met.

The puffed up guy, who had never let go of her arm, left the room. His chest was swollen with pride, and he had the woman, who'd lost consciousness from the pain and shock, slung over his shoulder.

"Just" was not exactly the right word for what went on here.

"Next!"

Since no one else was around, apparently it was our turn.

"Yanbo and Mabo!" called one of the judges. "Ohoho, two men!"

As we were shoved front and center, I realized that one of the judges was not nearly as old as I'd thought. He seemed to have dyed his hair white on purpose. His head was the only thing sticking out of his spherically-shaped clothing. It was brown from the sun and had deep laugh lines -- he looked like a Japanese good weather doll.

"Those chains look quite heavy," he said to us. "The tall one is Yanbo? You are a demon? As I see it, you don't look too well, but that's not surprising. This building is protected with the power of exorcism. For demons with magical powers, this place is far from comfortable. So, let's get this done! You two will surely be relieved to get out of those handcuffs, am I right?"

This man didn't give the impression of a judge at all. He was more like an amiable uncle who talked fast. His speech was not authoritarian, nor did he use complicated expressions to make himself seem important. Perhaps we had a chance, if we explained our circumstances honestly. A "not guilty" verdict even suddenly seemed within the realm of possibility.

"I was told you'd eloped," the friendly uncle continued. "Although I looked for a search warrant, I couldn't find any that matched you, oddly enough."

"You see, it was like this," I began, but was immediately interrupted.

"In order for us to remove the chains, you must convince me that you are really going to separate. You must swear that you will reunite with, and marry, your predetermined lawful partner, and start a family."

"Bu...but that thing about the law..law..lawful partner is n..n...not that simple," I stuttered.

"You were persecuted, and everywhere you went people pointed their fingers at you -- a life of shame. If you'd known before that all of this stood before you, you surely would have remained reasonable and not gone against the will of the Gods, not fallen into the puddle of sin of such a reprehensible relationship."

"Puddle of sin?" I repeated in disbelief.

I had a bad feeling about how fast and happily this uncle could prattle on. He didn't listen to others at all! This judge just hauled off and ranted about his world views. He openly spoke about his opinions on men and women and same sex marriages. And then finally he spoke himself out.

"How foolish your deeds were, you've had to experience for yourself," he said to us. "Here and now I want to hear from you two, how very abhorrent you find each other."

How stupid could this get? I mean, no couple would elope together if their feelings were so superficial that they'd allow themselves to be convinced to separate merely with a bit of chatter. But whatever. Getting rid of these damn handcuffs took top priority.

"You are so right," I began. "To be completely honest, I really regret it. What could I have been thinking?! I must have been crazy."

The judge gestured at me to continue with his right hand. The other three judges didn't move a muscle.

"Actually, it was clear to me from the beginning, that it would never turn out well with this guy here. We don't get along well at all. To him, I'm nothing. He always treats me like a dumb kid and is gruff with me. It's true, isn't it?"

"Mhm..." rumbled Gwendal.

It really looked like he was sick as a dog. We needed to see to it that we got out of there as soon as possible.

"When I wanted to elope with him, he was always going on about how I was just a dead weight around his neck. We can't even talk normally to each other."

If I'd done as Gwendal had demanded, and stayed out of this, we would never have gotten to this point. I would be spending my hours in that vacation home in Karbelnikoff, and enjoying the feel of the sun on my stomach at the beach. Gwendal might have found his cousin and returned with the magic flute by now. The thing at fault here was my pigheadedness!

I wanted to do what I thought was right. That's what landed us in this mess. All of my decisions had been wrong. I hadn't come one step closer to being an ideal king -- not one single millimeter. But I was an expert at making trouble for my companions. Since I'd come to this world, people were always having to pull me out of my own self-created messes, even Gwendal. And I had constantly accused him of hating me. It was high time for an apology.

"I'm so sorry, I was an idiot," I said to him.

"Not necessarily."

Gwendal's thundering bass usually shuddered through all your bones, but it had gone weak, quiet, and hard to understand. Although he was barely managing to keep to his feet, he straightened his back.

"In my eyes, you are not such a terrible king," he said.

"That is not very convincing!" said the judge. "You must hate each other enough that you never want to see each other again. That's not the impression I've got right now."

He threw an elongated, gleaming piece of steel at our feet. A clanging noise rang out.

"Pick that up!" ordered the judge.

I stopped short. Before us lay a shortsword with a blade of about twenty centimeters length. The grip, that looked like ivory, was decorating with carvings. Rust-colored flakes had been left behind in the fine grooves. That was blood!

"Pick up that blade! One of you must stab the other with it."

"W...what?" I stuttered.

"Even if it ends in death, no one here will be blamed for that. Come on! Get it behind you. You want to be free of your chains, surely!"

Of course we wanted that! But not like this!

Gwendal slumped unsteadily down to a crouch and picked up the shining blade.

"Gwendal...?" I said tentatively.

He had set one knee down to the ground. Perhaps he didn't even have the strength to stand any more. He looked up at me and pressed the sword grip into my hand.

"You're right handed?"

"Yes, but... I... I can't do this."

"You don't have to kill me straight away."

He touched his left shoulder and watched me with his scowling and cool expression.

"This spot would be relatively bearable. Come on, do it already!"

My fingers trembled pathetically.

"What's wrong?" said Gwendal with suppressed impatience and irritation. "It's not the first time you've held a sword. Do it just like last time."

Last time? But those were completely different circumstances! I'd had a much longer and mightier sword in the duel with Wolfram and with Morgif in the arena. And this time I wasn't being attacked. I just had to reach out and stab. Probably it wouldn't even bleed that heavily. Nonetheless!

"This is just crazy," I murmured. I couldn't see my way through it, to injure someone without a battle or any provocation. "We aren't even mad at each other! On the contrary, we have just barely begun to understand ourselves better. If you think that it's so easy, then you do it! Could you really stab me for no reason with this filthy weapon?"

Gwendal's mouth opened slightly as he pulled a face that said this was no more than he'd expected. In this short moment, Conrad's tortured smile was mirrored in his face. Yep, they were in fact brothers.

"No," Gwendal finally said.

"See, I told you! This whole thing is just completely sick. Absolute rubbish! We should prove our intent to separate by going at each other with a knife? This isn't the middle ages! And all of this in front of a theoretically dignified judge, who looks on smiling with happiness? You've all lost your marbles! And do you know what stinks the worst?"

I pulled Gwendal back to his feet, then turned back to the four men in the judges' seats.

"I hate it when people like you try to tell me how I should manage my own personal relationships! If I want to hate a person, I don't need any outside help to do it! And when I like a person, it's the same! I won't let anyone give me orders me about whether I should separate from someone. I won't let it happen! Yanbo and Mabo will draw no blood!"

I snatched up the ivory grip and flung the sword to the ground. At the clang of metal, all the guards in the room drew in a quick breath.

"Come on, Gwendal, we're out of here! We'll find someone else who can get these chains off of us."

"Stop! Those chains can only be removed here!" There was impatience in the judge's voice.

"What now?" Gwendal asked me, as if it were no big deal. He never even bothered looking at the judge.

I turned around and wanted to go after the short sword. The judges eyes went wide, and they laughed. Cold sweat ran down my back. I couldn't tell which of the four judges it was who spoke.

"You've made your feelings on the situation quite clear. If that is truly your position, you don't need to let yourself be swayed. It is my decision that the chains shall be removed."

"Really this time?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

But just as I began to believe in our luck, a cold pain at my neck rang through my body. My eyes went dark, and it only took a few seconds for me to lose consciousness.

"Yuuri!" I heard a voice in the distance.

For the first time, Gwendal had called my name.
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_6|Chapter 6]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_8|Chapter 8]]
|-
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 6

2012-01-23T19:39:03Z

LRenne:

Conrad and his companions noticed the faint shape of the city despite the sand storm that had recently raged over the sand dunes. Everyone felt relieved. Yuuri and Gwendal must have also stopped at this city to stock up water and to change horses. With some luck, they would be able to find both of them there. Everyone harbored the hope that they would soon see their King and their Chief Commander safe and sound again.

Conrad gathered his men in the lee of some rocks. He dismounted and prepared to explore the situation in the city himself.

"Your Excellency, but you can send one of the men out as scout," protested Boyd.

"That's right," waved Conrad. "However I'm probably the best among us all to deal with the locals. For this purpose, it’s best to blend in. It’s time I take advantage of my appearance." Boyd's face looked slightly embarrassed as Conrad went on, "You all know I understand the human well. Moreover, I myself am half human."

"Conrad!"

The voice of the handsome Ex-Prince had returned to normal, a sweet tenor tone. Although he dressed like a police officer in tropical climate, his outfits made him look like a boy scout. It would be no problem in the evening, but during the day, exposing that much skin under the scorching sun was suicidal.

"You have to let me know right away, if you should find Yuuri and my brother," Wolfram said nervously.

"I promise."

Wolfram put both hands on his hip, puffed his chest up and said with a haughty voice: "And if you do not want to join in the search for the Magic Flute, that's not a problem. You can always turn back."

"Why do you say that?"

"I know you don't want to face Gegenhuber. And if we find the Magic Flute, that guy must be near by."

Wolfram's tone towards his brother was still far from being respectful, but at least he seemed to care about Conrad's feeling. Compared to his behavior a few months ago, this was by all means a huge progress.

"Besides, Yuuri would pay more attention to me when you're not around."

"Yes, yes, I got that already."

Conrad held up his left arm to protect his eyes from the sun and walked away.

Almost all the shops in the city, the rows of houses that wriggled like an eel through the dunes, were already closed. The entrance was guarded by many soldiers. They were distinguished from all others by a very strange hairstyle. Conrad remembered the strange people he had seen during his stay in London: The hairstyle of these soldiers was actually very similar to those Englishmen, who pierced holes everywhere on their bodies and were called punks.

Conrad wondered briefly what would be the best way to approach these men.

"Damn it, if only the men of Suveria could share some of their strength with my companions," he spoke to them.

The punk-heads grinned. Conrad was pleased with the result.

"They are delicate like flowers. The sand storm is just too much for them. Are there any hotels in this city?"

"We ourselves don’t have enough water and women, but there are plenty of liquor and beds."

"Beds would be just fine. If we had to camp out tonight, I would probably wake up tomorrow morning all alone."

"That must be the case, if you have only wimps around you."

"Tell me about it. One more question though: Have you seen two strangers in the city? They have very different builds, one taller and one shorter. Do you happen to know where they stay for the night?"

"What, you know these two?" Excited, the soldier tapped his finger on a leaf of paper that his subordinate handed to him. "Surely you mean these two here. Yes, they were here. We almost arrested them, but they ran away hand in hand!"

Conrad looked skeptically at the hand-drawn pictures on the wanted poster.

"They look quite different from this drawing…"

"You are looking for them? You got to be the one cuckolded, am I right, old boy? So it’s your girlfriend or wife-to-be who ran away."

"I can't quite follow you."

"No wonder. You don’t look that bad at all, but this demon was really a first-class specimen. There's only one thing I can't comprehend still: how the hell did that chick manage to wrap one guy after another around her finger? Really, she didn't even have decent tits! Isn't that so, guys?"

A soldier with a red face nodded.

"She's flat like a board. But amazingly strong for a girl."

That must be the result of his training.

"And a dirty mouth too."

That would be the gift he had been born with.

"Boy, boy," the leader continued. "She might have been quite good-looking, but for a girl, she’s not that attractive. Tell me, what is it that you like about her?"

The conversation had taken a strange direction. Conrad was indeed looking for two people of different heights, but certainly not a couple. Or perhaps the soldiers had mistaken one of the two for a woman?

"But they couldn't have gone far. We have chained them together. Sorry, old boy, but my comrades will certainly track them down before you. After all, you'll earn a decent sum if you capture a pair of elopers. The government pays a huge reward, I’m sure you know that."

Conrad could not believe his ears: A pair of elopers chained together! How on earth would he break this news to Wolfram?

I waited and waited and still no one brought us water. Although I was in a stranger’s house, I eventually decided to go looking for water myself. The thirst was simply unbearable.

Just when I stood up from my chair, the boy called Jilda came running holding a huge fan in his hand. He seemed on the verge of tears with embarrassment.

"You do not need to bring me fan," I said. "I would just like to drink a glass of water. Maybe you could take me to the kitchen?"

"Hey, boy!"

Gwendal waved for Jilda to approach him and thrust a handful of banknotes into his hand.

"Use this to buy some alcohol, a drink without alcohol, and something for dinner. You can keep the change. Can you do this without losing the money?"

"I'm already ten," said Jilda.

He didn't look that old at all. I would have thought him to be no more than six. Or maybe he had a long life expectancy and so he developed slower than a human child? Without a trace of fear of the demon General, the boy nodded.

It was probably because of the boy’s puppy eyes that Gwendal suddenly became so unusually amiable. Since this scary blue-eyed man had a soft spot for anything cute, his heart must have softened.

Shas the bald man and I responded in surprise.

"Listen, you don't need to trouble yourself for me," I said. "It doesn't have to be mineral water. At home I drink water straight from the tap."

And Shas said in protest to Gwendal: "You are our guests. We do not accept charity!"

"The same applies to us," Gwendal replied. "We also do not want to accept charity."

"That’s why you only need to bring me some water," I tried to appease both parties. "If there's no tap water, I'll drink well water. That's okay."

"There is no water in Suveria…" Nicola said in a soft sorrowful voice.

The tears that she had shed for Huber had dried up quickly and left white streaks on her cheeks.

"There has been no rain for almost two years. Even the groundwater has slowly run dry. We have no choice but to import alcohol and fruit from other countries. There are a small ration of drinking water for everyone, but it's only enough to survive. "

"You can't get water from any neighboring countries?"

"Our country is finally independent! All others around us are enemies," cried Nicola.

Never in my life would I have expected that I would hear from this girl, who still wore her wedding dress and whose smile felt like a ray of sunshine, the word "enemy" spoken in such horror and hatred.

Meanwhile Jilda rushed out of the house.

Nicola continued: "If only it would rain! Then even poor children and their parents would have enough water to drink. The crops would grow; the cows would produce milk… Huber was searching for an object that could make it happen. He has promised that he would help us."

"Did Gegenhuber really say that he would himself use this object to help the human?"

Gwendal voice had regained its usual threatening tone.

"Yes, he did," Nicola affirmed.

"I swear I'll break his neck!"

"Why do you say such awful things? What do you have against Huber? He was the one who showed me that demons are actually good-natured. Through him I learned that when you're in love, it doesn't matter if the other is human or demon. To save Huber, I was even willing to get married to this soldier whom I have no feeling for. They promised me that they would then release Huber."

She started crying again.

Gwendal looked grim, arms folded on his chest. Despite Nicolas' desperate tears, Gwendal's composure didn't change one bit.

"Please don't worry," I tried to calm the girl. "Under no circumstances will I allow anyone to take your lover's life. I know it doesn't look that way, but I do have a little bit more authority than this guy here. By the way, even though he always says nasty things, as soon as there is something small and cute in front of him, he will become quite gentle."

"Really?" sniffed Nicola.

"Yes, really."

"Stop that nonsense immediately!" Gwendal snorted.

"He will not take my baby away?"

"Good heavens, no! Babies stay with their mothers!"

Wait, what was that? A baby? Which baby?

"You have already planned for a baby? When?"

"Quite soon. The baby is already growing inside me."

Nicolas' smile brightened up her face again.

"But please don't think anything bad of me. It is of course Huber's child," she said.

What? She wanted her bridegroom to foster the baby of another man? The world burst and shattered into pieces in me.

"This… this damned bastard!"

The color on Gwendal's face kept changing. First, it became pale, then dark red. Any moment now, the veins on his temples would be swelling and throbbing.

"Stay calm, Gwendal! Take it easy, cool down! "

"Shut up," he snapped at me. "I'm as cool as a cucumber! It does not concern me at all if this girl brings Huber's brat into this world or if the bastard himself kicked the bucket!"

I grabbed his arm. We looked like the couple in the bronze statue "The Golden Demon" I had seen in Atami.

Nicola stared at Gwendal, her mouth half opened in horror. The fingers she pressed against her lips trembled slightly.

"Gwendal, you can't frighten her like that! It is not good for the baby! Oh my God, the baby," I shouted in panic. "How are we supposed to take care of him? I have no experience with such things. What do we do now?"

"How should I know?" Gwendal roared.

That was of course a justified question. After all, men don't have babies. Except, of course, Arnie in the movie.

"You surely have one or two secret children with your mistresses, don't you? Having love affairs is hardly avoidable. Besides, you have two younger brothers. You must have been probably there when they were born."

"No," said Gwendal.

"What, no? But you're still an older brother," I replied.

"Everything is just fine. Stop making a fuss there," our host suddenly said.

Gwendal righted his fallen chair, while Shas looked thoughtfully at Nicola with a warm smile. What did he see in her, perhaps his own daughter, who also had a child with a demon? In any case, his dark face visibly brightened.

"How have you ever got into such a complicated situation?"

Nicola turned her attention to Shas.

Gwendal had finally decided to sit down again, but his fingers fidgeted on his knees as if he was operating a joystick. He always did that when he was irritated.

"I lost my parents during the civil war, so I grew up in an orphanage near Zorasia. At sixteen I was to marry into a family chosen by the Church and lead a normal life. In the village there was a mine of exorcist-stones; all the women worked there. You surely know that only women can harvest these stones."

"Why?" I quietly asked my handcuffed companion, but received no answer.

"About half a year ago, while a terrible sandstorm raged through the area, Huber came to my village. Everyone was afraid of him because he was a demon, except me. After all, it was a demon messenger who brought my fallen father’s remains back to us. Our souls have found each other quickly."

"Not to mention your body," I heard Gwendal mutter through grinding teeth next to me.

"A dark past weighed on poor Hube. Great pain in his soul had left its mark on him. He was afraid to love, but together we have overcome that fear."

"Did he tell you?" asked Gwendal.

"What do you mean?"

"Did Gegenhuber tell you what he had done in his past?"

Nicola frowned and slightly shook her head.

"No, Huber didn't say anything."

Gwendal let out another growl.

"Now calm down already! This is not good for your blood pressure," I tried to soothe the bad-tempered man. "I have an idea. Whenever you get angry, you should caress something soft and fluffy to calm yourself down."

Gwendal grabbed my head between his huge hands and squeezed.

"Arrrgggghhh!" I shouted. "Not me! I'm not fluffy!"

Nicola went on, "One day Huber told me that he was looking for a precious treasure. He had already found a part of it and hidden it in a safe place. No one could ever find it there. The missing half was rumored to be in my village. He said the treasure would be a wonderful instrument, and when the right person plays it, it would rain. So, I stole the key from the church, and we sneaked into the excavation site a couple of times. There, we found the second half of this legendary treasure."

"I can’t help thinking that this man used you," I sighed.

The girl, deeply in love, ignored my comment.

Could this instrument really be the famous Magic Flute Gegenhuber had been searching for?

"What does it look like?" asked Gwendal.

"It’s a dark brown pipe," she said.

"A pipe?" I repeated.

"Yes. And I think it has affected the place somehow. Since we removed it, there are no more exorcist-stone in that excavation site. Not the smallest speck, nothing. You could dig as much as you want, you wouldn't find anything. People from the village did not know that we were the cause; still we had no choice but to run away. Otherwise we would surely have been arrested, sooner or later."

Big tears were rolling down again from Nicolas' large and lively eyes. She was like the weather in the mountains, sudden rain, then sudden sunshine. No girl in my class let their feelings run so blatantly unchecked.

"They discovered we were an eloping couple and they distribute the arrest warrant for us all over the country. Huber wanted to take me to his homeland. He said that his Queen was very tolerant of love affairs between humans and demons. There we could be together as a couple openly in front of everyone. In my dreams, that place was paradise."

Well, I thought. Was it really? Was the empire of the demons really paradise? It still did not deserve this name, but had I helped to make it better?

You need to know, Nicola, now I am the king of your dream land. At least I try to make it a better place…

Suddenly, I wish someone would pat my back encouragingly. I wish someone would tell me that everything would be fine. I longed for the crazy praise of Conrad and Gunter - even if they were mostly thin air.

Nicolas' fine and clear voice brought me back to myself. "We wanted to bypass the capital and make our stop at another city. There too, the wells had dried up. When I saw that even the children had to suffer from the thirst, I could no longer contain myself. At a hostel, while Huber was not there, I brought this tube out, examined it, rubbed it, and tapped on it. At last, I tried to play it. But nothing happened, the rain didn't come. And unfortunately, the village elder caught me right then. He said that would be the Magic Flute of the Demon King! And since it was in my possession, I must therefore be the Demon King himself! "

"Then you tried to escape from the hostel!" I said.

"Yeah! But we were immediately captured. How do you know? "

I couldn't answer her question, but that was the only way the story of the arrested double who bolted without paying could be explained."

"Then you were almost executed," I said.

"Yeah! But the son of a prominent person in the capital had strangely taken a liking to me. They told me if I marry him, maybe they could release Huber as well. That is why I was at the wedding…"

"So you are the double!"

I jumped up. Nicola fell silent in surprise.

The surprise, however, was rather on our side. Who would have thought that the primary mission of this trip - to save the double - had already been carried out successfully? And that my double was actually a girl!

"But we don't look one bit alike, do we? Gwendal, could you see any resemblance?"

"No," he said curtly after taking a quick sharp look at both of us.

"So I said! There is absolutely nothing to mistake one of us for the other! I am a boy, Nicola is a girl. We may be about the same size, but the shoulders, upper body and the muscles give us completely different builds. "

"Hair and eye color are somewhat similar," Shas said cautiously.

But only a little! The people from Suveria were confused because they had no idea how the 27th Demon King Yuuri Shibuya really looked like. And because Nicola had the Magic Flute.

"Do you mean to say that… that I was mistaken with you?" Nicola was astonished.

"That's right! And then Gwendal and I were mistaken with you and Gegenhuber."

"What happened to the pipe?" Gwendal interrupted.

"Don't you want to know what happened to your cousin Huber?" I replied.

"You're the cousin of Huber? This is Huber's cousin?" Nicola was absolutely over the moon. Hopefully, the excitement didn't harm the baby.

"Oh, good heavens! It never occurred to me. I'm all confused now. I am very happy to make your acquaintance. My name is Nicola. I have allowed myself to enter into a serious relationship with Huber. My God, Yuuri! Do you also end up being a relative of Huber? If you are Gwendal's treasure, then… "

"I'm not his treasure!"

"What happened to Gegenhuber and the pipe?" Gwendal impatiently interrupted again.

"They should have released Huber, but I haven't seen him for the last two weeks. The pipe…"

Nicola had lost all the excitement and was again on the brim of tears, as she put her hand through the neckline of her dress.

"It's here," she said and pulled something out.

"What? This strange object?" I exclaimed in surprise.

[[File:MaruMAnovel3113.jpg|400px|thumb]]
The dark brown tube was a little thicker than a thumb. On the front there were three holes, and on the back, one hole. It was at most four inches long. If my memory did not deceive me, I had seen something very similar once before.

"Huber and I have tried to make it rain in this country, but the pipe has brought no miracle. I think a treasure of the demons would only give the demons its blessing."

'Well, do you really?"

If Nicola was right, this thing was damn stingy. Perhaps it had indeed a soul…

Nicola gave the object to Gwendal. After he examined it carefully, he put it in my chained left hand.

"What do I do with it?"

"It's yours," said Gwendal.

"But I cannot handle this thing anyway. I would feel better if you take care of it. "

"It was made just for you. It only listens to your commands. Remember Morgif?"

Morgif was the legendary sword that only the Demon King could handle. It had a weird face, from which it had spat a yellow liquid all around. It could moan pitifully and it had bit my finger before. The experience was very unpleasant.

What should I do if this treasure turned out to be just as rebellious?

"All right. I'd try my best to elicit some tune from this thing. Watch out, maybe I'll ignite even a storm!"

The size of this flute was more like an ocarina than a piccolo flute. I carefully placed my lips on one of the holes and tried to play it as I would a flute.

But wait…! But that wouldn't be an indirect kiss, would it? The idea that the lips of this cute girl had also touched this flute drove me crazy. Blood rushed to my head and my face turned red.

Fffffft

"Funny…"

Ffffffft

"Are you really sure this is a flute?" asked Nicola.

The stupid thing did not make a sound. Even the whistle of our sport teacher was more of a flute. Even the fart of my brother was more melodious. The demonstration was more painful than expected. It was fortunate that Wolfram wasn't there. Imagine the insults he would have hurled at me if he had witnessed my poor performance. But I could not allow myself to back down.

"Maybe you didn't hold the flute correctly," Gwendal said. "Try playing it from the end, not from the side."

"Lengthwise? Like this?" I mumbled, and I put the flute as a stick in my mouth.

I took a deep breath, filled my lungs with air, then blew violently into the pipe. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that to play wind instruments, I had to draw air from my abdomen.

Fffff ...

Ahhhhhhhhh!

"Damn, what was that?" I shouted out in shock.

A flute that uttered a cry of alarm when we played it? How disgusting!
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_5|Chapter 5]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_7|Chapter 7]]
|-
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 5

2012-01-23T19:38:43Z

LRenne:

Luckily his hair was short. Lord Conrad Weller thought from the depths of his soul, as he secretly observed his half-brother riding a shaky horse next to him. With each step, fine grains of sand trickled down Wolfram's blond hair which had become dull with dust.

No wonder...

When they had escaped from the sand bear’s lair through an air hole, they no longer knew whether they breathed in air or sand. Almost all had survived the quicksand adventure without a scratch. They owed this to the grace of the Original King.

A soldier from Lord von Voltaire’s squad came galloping up. Conrad recognized him as the second or third son of a merchant from the south coast. He was not exactly the type of warriors who would gain utmost honor, but he had enough talent to command a squad. Gwendal had taken him as his adjutant. Lord Weller tried to recall his name.

"I came to report to you, Your Excellency!"

"I'm listening."

"I've checked both horses and riders. Some soldiers have suffered burns from the saliva of the sand bears, but they are all minor injuries. None of them is in a critical condition. The horses, however..."

"What about the horses?"

"We now have two horses extra."

"Two more?"

The adjutant scratched his recently grown mustache awkwardly.

Boyd, thought Conrad. His name was Boyd. He was the second son of the wealthy merchant family Boyd.

"Probably the bear kept the horses in its lair as stock for later. They must have joined in with our horses when Your Excellency defeated the beast."

"All right, we should make use of them then. Let them bear a part of our loads. Move some baggage from the tired horses to the new ones."

"Yes, Sir! And there is one more thing..."

"I'm listening..."

"We have a deserter in our ranks."

Conrad frowned and involuntarily lowered his voice.

"Be careful what you say. We are not at war. We won’t treat anyone as a deserter. Let's just say the man has left the troop. And? Who is it?"

"It's Ryan from your unit. We have tried to stop him, but he would not listen. He could only stammer incoherently. He had found his fellow sufferer, and he would one day see Your Excellency again in Hildyaard. Can you understand what that's all about?"

Ryan was known as a fanatical animal lover. He probably wanted to stay with the severely injured sand bear and tame him. He would be the first one ever to tame and train a sand bear.

"Um ... No, but that's okay. There is no need to search for him. I regret that you had to give such an unpleasant report, Boyd. Send two men to the vanguard of the troop. You are now responsible for the security of the expedition."

After the soldier had ridden on to carry out the order, Conrad turned to his neighbor. The youngest brother stared frowning at the ground.

"Come, don’t be so depressed."

"Why can’t I?"

"Spit out the sand in your mouth first."

"Shut up! You don't understand! Yuri is traveling with my brother ... With my brother! "

"Yeah, and? What is the problem? Are you jealous? Since you're officially his fiancé, you should probably trust him a little more."

"You know yourself how smitten Gwendal is with everything cute! And Yuri is a damn flirty lad. He is not even aware of it himself! "

"And what do you think would..."

Conrad meant to ask how intimate those two could be for Wolfram to consider it a breach of fidelity, but he changed his mind and hastily broke off his question with a cough.

"All that trouble is because of you! I would have come out of the trap on my own. There was no need at all for you to follow me! Do you really have so little faith in my sword?"

"What nonsense," Conrad tried to pacify the fuming blond and, thanks to a century of life experience, found his refreshing smile again. "I know you're an excellent swordsman. I was only thinking about my first encounter with a sand bear. I got into trouble because I did not know his weaknesses. I wanted to show you what it takes. But would you really feel better if I had gone with the other two?"

Wolfram furrowed his brow.

"Just think. Yuri, Gwen and I, the three of us traveling together."

"Right. I’d like it even less!"

"Why haven't you guys understood this yet?! What's so hard about it? A fist is a stone, a flat hand is paper, and two fingers are scissors. The stone loses to the paper, which can be cut up by the scissors, and the scissors would break on the stone, so it loses there. Got it?"

"But a crab has scissors in its claws that would never be able to cut paper," argued the girl.

"Paper would be likely to rip if you wrapped a stone in it," observed Gwendal.

"You two are making me crazy! I've already explained it too many times, dammit!"

With the very first objection I have ever made at a wedding, I had apparently captured the heart of the young bride, so that she begged me to run away with her. The wedding guests did not interpret that to be the bride's idea -- man, would you believe it, they blamed us for forcefully abducting the bride. What complete nonsense!

Gwendal and I already were considered to be an illegally eloped pair, and had already been put in chains. Now in addition to that, kidnapping had been added to our criminal record. So actually, we had advanced up a level as criminals -- not that that was particularly flattering.

"Why me!? We haven't even done anything wrong!" I moaned.

To hide a tree, you need a forest -- to hide a man, you need a crowd. Taking this motto to heart, we ran away to the market square, and thanks to our bundle we were perceived to be customers. [T/N: Gwendal and Yuuri wrapped a blanket around their chain, so it looks like they are carrying a heavy bundle between them]

We were approached by a woman hawking some suspicious looking purple fruit, and by a child who held up a brown frog with long legs. Both objects were purported to have a Viagra-like effect. Just fantastic!

To be truly safe from our pursuers, we needed to find a quiet place to put together a plan for what we were going to do next. In the movies, when the criminals seek refuge in a church, they always find a helpful priest to hide them under a table or some other convenient furniture, but the places of worship in this country had already done poorly by us twice.

[[File:MaruMAnovel3087.jpg|400px|thumb]]
I made the following suggestion: Whoever loses at "Rock, Paper, Scissors" must decide where our hiding place should be. But we never got that far, because those two couldn't manage to comprehend the game.

"Okay, fine, we'll just forget that," I finally said, resigned. "Gwendal, you decide. Where should we hide?"

"No, you decide!"

"Dammit, don't do this to me! You get to decide! So come on, where?"

"I don't want to get an earful from you later when you don't like it! You decide!"

"You two are so cute!"

"What the heck is cute about this!" we roared at the bride together, as if from one throat.

We'd been sitting at the front of a pickle store for some time, like gang members more than anything, when a short, bald man approached us. Since he didn't have a sushi haircut, he didn't seem to be a soldier or one of our pursuers.

"Peepee?" he asked us with a rough voice that would have stood him well at the auctions in the market halls at Tsukiji.

Since I didn't have to use the toilet, I was about to decline, when Gwendal spoke up and said, "Yes, peepee."

"What? You never said that you had to..."

"Me too, peepee."

God in heaven, the bride too?! Had it built up in her during all that excitement at the church? She and Gwendal made deadly serious faces.

"Forgive me, I'm really sorry, people! Man, you could have just said something, then we could have taken a potty break long before now!"

The man indicated for us to follow him with a wiggle of his pointer finger. Since Gwendal went on ahead with long strides, I was dragged along. The girl gasped as she saw the chain that flashed out from under the blanket, but she ended up following us as well.

The man's bald head teetered back and forth as he hobbled on. Probably he had a bad leg, I thought. We made turn after turn in the labyrinth of countless narrow alleyways.

So much effort, just to find a toilet!

After we'd passed a bunch of identical looking houses, the bald man knocked on a light brown door. A child's face peeked out from behind the door -- he looked to be about six years old.

"We've got guests," said the man.

After the young boy had ushered us in, he closed the door quickly and turned the key. Then he lowered the blinds on the windows, too. We were being locked in!

On an old but sturdy-looking table, there stood an empty vase. But where in the world was the toilet?

"I'm Shas, and this is my grandson Jilda." The grandfather had a crotchety face, but Jilda looked extremely cute with his light brown, curly hair and blue eyes. The two looked absolutely nothing alike.

"One of you is without doubt a demon," said Shas. "But what does a bride want with an eloped couple?"

"So it's true after all! I knew it!" exclaimed the girl.

"No, dammit!" How often did I have to say it, to hell with it all!

"The blood of the demons also runs in your grandson," said Gwendal quietly to Shas.

"That's right. During the civil war, my only daughter fell in love with a demon who traveled from place to place as a messenger. He was a respectable, decent fellow. I would have liked to have him for a son-in-law, but then something happened to him on his travels. My daughter was sent to a labor camp, and my grandson was born there. Another demon brought me the newborn child. After that, I decided to help the demons whenever I can. There's not a lot I can do for you, but look at it as thanks for my grandson."

"I understand, that's why you said 'peepee'," Gwendal said.

"That's right! You two wanted to find a bathroom! Why haven't you gone, then? It's not healthy to hold back for so long!"

Gwendal shot me an ice cold glare. "'Peepee' is a slang term for brother."

Aha. And why didn't anyone tell me that before?

"This other demon has been here a few times since, to check on us. He even offered to take us to Jilda's father's homeland, if I should notice that Jilda is growing too much more slowly than the other children. If the demon blood in him is strong, then he can expect a long life, but also slower physical development. Because of that, he might be bullied by the other children. Despite his dignified and calm speech, this guy was a really quick thinker. He looked a little like you, actually."

I pulled at Gwendal via the chain. "Why were the demons involved if it was a civil war in this country?"

"Because of the decaying corpses," he growled in an extremely unfriendly voice, and then was silent.

"Could you be a little more explicit?"

The girl took up the explanation. "You see, it happened like this: The messengers of the demon folk brought us the remains of the soldiers that had fallen at distant borders. When I was a child, I was told that these people were devils who robbed the dead bodies. But that was wrong. Now I know that the demons are good people." The bride smiled as she reached the end of her speech, and her smile looked to be completely honest.

For the second time, I took a closer look at the girl. I discovered that she actually did look like a girl, in that everything about her was small and thin. She had a deep tan from the sun, red-brown hair and lively eyes of the same color, that were full of feeling and expression. In comparison to the female demons of the empire, she had a rather small snub nose, and large ears. She looked average through and through, and possessed not a single hint of sex appeal.

"Thanks for the explanation, um... Ms. Bride," I said.

"My name is Nicola. I'm not a bride any more," said the girl and smiled again.

She had a damn sweet smile, and something in her reminded me of a player at the shortstop position in softball. The midsummer sun and a sunvisor would look good on her.

"N-n-n-n-nice to m-m-m-meet you, Nicola, I'm Yu-yu-yu-yuuri." I could feel myself just about to fall head over heels in love with her.

"Nice to meet you too, Yu-yu-yu-yuuri."

Dammit!

Nicola tilted her head to the side like a little bird. "Won't you introduce me to your sweetheart?"

"That is not my sweetheart!"

"But of course he is, you two have eloped together. Despite all the resistance from your friends and family, and --"

"Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?! I'm engaged to his younger brother!" Oh God, had I lost it completely? My face began to burn, the veins at my temples filled with blood...

Gwendal pulled a yellowed paper from his shirt. "Near the border, we were mistaken for this couple here," he said.

In front of us lay one of those silly drawings, the unbelievable masterwork of a kindergartner who'd been allowed to run wild with his crayons for the first time.

Nicola's smile transformed immediately into shock. "That's me!" she exclaimed.

Not in this lifetime! That was Charlie Brown, nothing more! "Nonsense, that can't be you. Even if it were, then who is this other guy supposed to be?"

"That's Hube and me, one month ago."

This name rang a bell.

Gwendal slowly crossed his arms over his chest. It was accompanied by the sound of clanking metal, and my left arm was dragged upwards, too.

"Surely you don't mean Gegenhuber Griesela?" asked Gwendal.

Nicola nodded. "His hair and eye color is a little different, but at first glance you two do look alike, with your grumpy dispositions. But actually, Hube is a really dear man. Oh, my Hube..." sighed Nicola and turned her gaze down to the floor.

Then her tears rolled down her knee. They'd fallen directly out of her eyes, without touching her cheek or chin.

"I miss him so much," sobbed the girl.

"Come now, don't cry," I said, somewhat confused. "If you'd eloped with Gegenhuber, then why did you want to marry that soldier back there?"

I stretched my hand out to console Nicola, but I couldn't reach, the chain was too short.

"I'm going to break the damn fool's neck!" rumbled Gwendal with a growl in his voice.

I didn't have the courage to ask who he was talking about.
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_6|Chapter 6]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 4

2012-01-23T19:38:22Z

LRenne:

'''Summary'''

''(This is a summary of chapter 4, novel 3. The full translation of the chapter will be posted when it's done.)''

''The opening scene is that of Anissina using Gunter as the guinea pig for her latest invention, the washing-machine-kun. Of course poor Gunter has had better days. She eventually admitted that the design was faulty.''

''In the next scene, we see Yuuri and Gwendal spending the night in the dessert after escaping from the border city. After dinner, Yuuri was dozing off. He woke up to find Gwendal fumbling at his waist, which led to a confusion in which Yuuri accused Gwen of doubting his gender, then of making the same sexual advance toward him as his brother Wolfram, before eventually realized that it was the dolphin key chain that attracted Gwendal, and nothing else. He then gave the key chain to Gwen, which massively softened Gwen up. He took advantage of that and asked the million questions he was dying to ask. Gwen was unhappy, but he still answered:''

"Maryoku is a power belong to the mazokus only. It is a property of the soul you are born with. Only someone with the soul of a mazoku can possess maryoku. Houryoku on the other hand is a technique that humans can acquire by swearing oaths to the gods, and seeking after this force. In addition to having innate talent or swearing oaths to gods, you can acquire houryoku through training or spiritual exercises. The houseki stones supplement or substitute the skill of a houryoku user, to some extend. Even people without talent can use houseki stone to wield houryoku. Because so far houseki stones were found in only a few regions, they are sold at a very high price. The reason you only could see that sandbear is probably because a houryoku user has put a concealment spell over the trap, which seemed to have no effect on you. Perhaps you were born immune to such things."

''Gwen then assured Yuuri that Conrad and Wolfram would have easily escaped from the sandbear's trap. The scene ends with Yuuri dozing off again and Gwendal showing his soft side (translated by <ins>kannnichtfranz</ins>)''

The exhaustion and coldness eventually became unbearable. As I pulled my knees up and rolled into a ball, the sandman was already there waiting for me. Who would have guessed I could fall asleep so easily in the middle of the Arizona desert? I'd developed a really thick skin. But after all, I wasn't alone -- if I was, I'd have been crazy with panic.

"Hey!"

"What is it?" I murmured.

"Come closer, so that we lose less body heat to the surroundings."

We scooted closer together. The chain between us clanked heavily.

"Hey!"

"What is it this time?"

"Do you like animals? Rabbits, or cats, for example?" asked Gwendal.

"Rabbits are okay... and cats... well, I prefer lions to cats... especially white ones..."

More specifically, the white lion "Leo" was the mascot of the Seibu Lions. After that conversation, there was only one possible thing I could dream about that night: baseball.

''In the last scene, Gwendal and Yuuri reached the capital after walking through the dessert (Yuuri had scared their horse off the previous night). They went to a church thinking they would ask a priest to remove the chain for them (it was made with houseki powder, so Gwendal couldn't remove it himself). They walked in on a wedding ceremony and were asked to give blessings to the prospective couple. Yuuri's nonsensical babbling led to the bride's change of heart. She decided to cancel the wedding to stay true to her heart-felt love instead. The three then fled from the church together.''
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_5|Chapter 5]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 3

2012-01-23T19:38:06Z

LRenne:

Lord Densiam von Karbelnikoff governed the Karbelnikoff area according to the order of several successive generations of Demon Kings, the most important feudal lords in the great empire of the demons. He belonged to the Ten Noble Families, and even in his own circles he was considered an eccentric figure. Lord Densiam's talent was less in the arts of warfare but more in diplomacy and business.

Despite his jovial personality and his shrewdness, he had the deepest loyalty for his king. For the prosperity of the state finances, he deposited huge sums of tax money into the state treasury. When he found out about the presence of the 27th Demon King in his area, he wished nothing more than an audience with the king. Unfortunately he arrived too late, as Yuuri had already ridden on.

Demsian's hasty plan crumbled like a sandcastle. He had planned to have an audience with the Demon King in Karbelnikoff, outside the royal summer cottage. He had wanted to name this place “The audience hall of the Demon King" and make it accessible to the general public - for a decent tour fee. Instead he now planned to design a commemorative coin to perpetuate the visit of the Demon King. While he drew the sketch of his new plan, he bit into a Karbelnikoff pie, a regional specialty.

He had a younger sister, but their similarities were limited to the same hair and eye color. As for the differences in personalities, speech, gestures and points of view, they took second place to the three most dissimilar demon brothers of all times. Although his sister was also a demon, her comings and goings always had a quality almost divine. This woman would not spare a thought for moneymaking. She was solely interested in one thing: new uses for magic in everyday life.

Her philosophy dictated that such a practical and exciting skill as magic should not be used only for combative purposes. It would be a huge waste if magic wasn’t applied to daily life. Only then would its true value be utilized to the advantage of the demons. In order to reach her goals, she pounced on every opportunity of experiment. In her life, the most important things are: first, experiment, second, experiment, third and forth are secrets, and fifth, experiment again. The only person who knew what her third and forth most important things were was her childhood friend Lord von Voltaire.

It was on that very day that she found a new scientific challenge.

"It's very important that His Majesty’s clothes be thoroughly washed and well maintained, even if it is a shame that his invaluable smell will disappear", sighed Lord von Kleist. "The last step is particularly dangerous, because the wrinkles must be smoothed out with a hot iron. And it is not possible at all to leave this highly important task to somebody else."

"But Günter, that's the work of the laundry women. The girls will be very sad if you take their work away." Madame Cheri pointed out for his consideration.

"What are you thinking, Lady Cheri! One of my most important duties is to take care of His Majesty’s personal matters, and that includes washing and preparing his clothes."

The door was suddenly thrown open.

"Did you just mention you wanted a better way to take care of the laundry?"

Both Günter’s and Cecilie's gazes shot to the door at once. There, a small and slender woman was standing straight, her voice literally bubbling with self-confidence, and her light-blue eyes, slightly drawn up at the corners, shining with her whole willpower. The flaming red hair was tied together at the back of her head and fell long and pretty down her back. The moment they saw this intrepid beauty, the tutor turned pale, while the sex goddess clapped her hands to her chest.

"My dear Anissina!"

Lady Anissina von Karbelnikoff was Lord Gwendal's childhood playmate who had taught him how to knit. She was considered, alongside Madame Cheri, one of the three most powerful Demon women in Shin Makoku.

"Oh Anissina, it's been so long! Since you have not been visiting my son lately, I started to worry about you."

"Forgive my long absence, Your Royal former Majesty. I am delighted to see you doing so well. And Lord von Kleist…?"

"Yes, yes, I’m also fine, thank you, Lady Anissina."

"But let’s get to the point! It was fortunate that I found you here, Günter. I've been looking for Gwendal, but he seems to have left Karbelnikoff. There's something I'd like you to help with. Using my latest invention, all types of clothing can be prepared beautifully. I would like you to go with me to test the machine."

"Te…test the machine?"

"Would you be willing to? Yes? "

Willing or not, it was all up to her.

"Very well, then please take a look at my latest work, my great pride! I call it the fully-automatic magic-operated washing-machine-kun!"

With sweeping pompous gestures, Anissina presented her invention.

My decision couldn’t have been wrong! But why didn’t it make me happy, but uneasy as if I was sinking in a swamp?

We found a piebald horse that had managed to escape from danger and continued our journey for two. We had to leave the dunes behind as fast as possible.

At night, the temperature dropped significantly. For me, an untrained soldier, it was more than just another tough night. It had already been hell during the day! Because of the scorching heat, I was always on the verge of fainting. To remain conscious, I tried to carry on a non-stop conversation, but I never got much response from my traveling companion, except for a non-committal "Uh-huh" or "No" as the answers. If I asked more complex questions, Gwendal would even refuse to answer. Given this lack of communication, had we been a married couple, we would have already been separated and divorced long ago. It didn’t surprise me however… After all, in the entire Shin Makoku, he was the one who hated me the most. To him I was nobody.

Since Gwendal always seemed moody and expressionless, I couldn't guess what was in his mind. I felt ill at ease and didn't know how to behave towards him while we rode on together.

"Would you mind if I put my hips around your arms?" I blurted out. Damn, this was no first date in middle school! Put my hips around his arms! How could I make such an embarrassing mistake? Seriously, this guy was driving me out of my mind.

Meanwhile, there were thousands of questions at the tip of my tongue: Why was I the only one who can see the deadly panda? Why didn't Gwendal fall into the pit? How would Conrad, Wolfram and the others escape from the quicksand? But even if I could voice all these questions, they would remain unanswered anyway. And I had no option but to pull myself together and try hard not to fall off the horse.

"Here, take it!"

"Pardon me?"

Gwendal handed me the leather water pouch.

"It's okay. I just drank," I refused.

Even though, to be honest, I couldn't remember when that had been. However I surely had drunk more often than my companion.

During the summer baseball training, I had learned firsthand how important fluids were to the body. I could understand better than any average person the dangers of dehydration and overheating. Even so I couldn't just take all the remaining water for myself alone...

"Do I have to force it down your throat?!" growled Gwendal.

"Okay, okay! I’m drinking already!"

I hastily grabbed the leather pouch. After such a threat I would have drunk even poison. Oh! At last, could this be Gwendal's plan?! Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to get rid of me, here and now, in the middle of the dessert, without a single witness? But to do away with me, he didn't need to go through the trouble of poisoning me. It’s a 90% chance I would fall victim to the heat anyway.

And again I began to hallucinate. This time, I saw what seemed to be a mirage: a city on the other side of a whirlpool of sand. I rubbed my dry, sore eyelids but the shimmering buildings didn't disappear. Maybe the contact lenses had slipped; my sensitive eyeballs did feel a bit strange.

"I could be imagining it, but I see a town over there," I said.

Gwendal didn't utter a word, but steered the horse straight toward that direction. The closer we went, the more clearly we could see the shape of the houses. The uniform beige color of the walls was probably due to the large amount of sand mixed with the cement. The gigantic building in the town center was a solid construction with stone walls. Maybe it was a sanctuary or a government building. My brain, in a stupor from the heat, was incapable of more accurate observations.

The town was small but wide, spreading out for about a mile, very much like a strip mall in Ginza. However, there were no splendid shops here. We could only saw dusty and dirty facades one after the other. I was overcome with serious doubts as to whether one could buy anything here.

Some women walked around, and children were playing on the ground. There were a surprising number of guards stationed around the place, but not a single male civilian in sight...

"Isn't that strange for a city?" I asked, and again got no response.

When we were about to ride inside, the guard on duty stepped forward to stop us. He wore a sleeveless, simple military uniform with a long, quite heavy looking sword hanging at his hip. His tanned, bronze-colored face was twisted into a grin, and he had a bizarre hairstyle. His dark brown hair was shaved short on the sides, leaving only a circular mat of hair on the top which was dyed red. Probably this was the conventional military hairstyle here, but I couldn't help it, this brown-red mat reminded me of something... Yes, salmon and caviar sushi! That was exactly it! This hairstyle reminded me of a Gunkan - Maki in the shape of a battleship. If all the soldiers were to move in a circle, it would look like the conveyor belt in a sushi-bar.

"Horses are not allowed in the town," the soldier with the sushi-hairstyle barked at us.

Gwendal quietly got down from the horse. While acting as if he was helping me get off the saddle, he whispered in my ears telling me to hide my face.

"Are you coming from the dessert?” asked Mister Sushi-Head.

"Uh-huh", muttered Gwendal.

"Well, my respects! And no encounters with the Hinemos?"

Hinemos?! At home, in Japan, this was a leisure activity where you use paper tubes to make for example a dinosaur figure. And there was also a haiku by Yosa Buson about the sea at springtime, in which that word meant "all day long." A dinosaur that swims up and down all day long in the springtime sea? No, that didn't fit.

"No, we saw nothing", Gwendal answered in monotone.

I had no idea why, but the Sushi-Head soldiers started to laugh.

"You lucky dogs!"

"The horse needs rest. We also need water and food. Is there a hostel in this town?"

"No idea", answered the soldier.

The whole group gurgled with laughter again. Were these lunatics suicidal? Didn't they know who they were dealing with? If Gwendal shredded them to pieces, they would have only themselves to blame.

However, instead of teaching some manners to this reckless bunch, Lord Gwendal von Voltaire - the invincible demon between the demons, famous for his unparallel sangfroid - only stared at them briefly and rolled his eyes.

"Would you perhaps be kind enough to tell us where we could find a hostel in the city?” he said in such a humble tone that I thought I had misheard. "We would also appreciate it a lot if you could tell us where to find some water and food."

"Well, that depends on how much you are willing to shell out!"

Gwendal only grumbled something to himself. We left the horse and went further into town on foot.

Were there upcoming elections? Everywhere I looked, the walls were plastered with posters. The pictures were no better than children’s drawings: the faces of the candidates - a man and a woman – were more like circles with spikes on top. I could not read the sentences below the pictures.

"Stay here and don't do anything stupid," Gwendal said then disappeared into one of the shops.

I was left alone on the street. Some children were crouching on the dry ground throwing something into a circle. Their toys were full of rusted nails.

"Do you want to become carpenters when you grow up?” I asked.

"Carpenters? What nonsense! All men should become soldiers. How else would one earn his bread, riiiiight?”

The other children nodded their heads in confirmation.

"Come inside right now!" a woman raised her voice angrily. Probably she was their mother.

Could my appearance cause so much attention? My hair was dyed brown and I was still wearing my contact lenses.

"Hey, you forgot something!" I called after them, but when I picked up the toys from the painted circle, none of the boys was there anymore.

According to the G-shock watch on my right wrist, it was three o’clock in the afternoon. The temperature hadn’t dropped and sweat was running down my chin.

“Hey, boy!”

I looked around for the friendly voice.

A nice looking woman waved at me from the door of a huge building. Her extremely long eyelashes probably gave her eyes good protection against the sand.

“Isn’t it hot out there? Come into the church, you can wait for your companions here.”

Günter has always drummed into me two things: that I should never accept food or drink from a stranger, but it was okay to seek refuge in a shadowed shelter.

It was very cool inside the stone building. The sweat dried immediately on my skin as if I had stepped from the platform into an air-conditioned train. The idols of the country’s deities were hung on the walls in two long rows that reached the altar. There were about 300 such idols.

"These are all straw dolls!" I said in surprise.

Just like the 'Japanese voodoo'! A shiver ran down my back all the way from my neck. This type of idolatry was just too extreme for me.

"Don’t you pray to such gods?"

A guy with the sushi hairdo suddenly blocked my way to the door with his back. He had at least seven or eight comrades with him. This gave me a bad feeling.

"Not very often," I answered. "Maybe I pray more often to the god of baseball." Not that it had made me any better at the game.

The men closed around me, hands on their swords. Did they want to shred me into pieces inside their own church?

"As long as you keep your mouth shut we won't kill ya."

I heard noises coming from outside. Then the explosive sound of the door burst open.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" shouted Gwendal.

I made a move to run away. But somebody grabbed me roughly and pulled down my hood. They held me from behind and peered into my face.

"This is the one!"

"Wh... what do you mean?"

Thanks to the best Demon technology my disguise looked exactly like a normal human. There was not a trace of the revealing black. But why the hell would these guys want to capture me then?

At that moment, Gwendal entered the church with a surly face, held by the soldiers. He probably would not spare time to appreciate the cool temperature inside the church. Although I wasn’t sure what I had done wrong, I immediately felt the dire need to apologise to my companion.

"Even a demon warrior would find it impossible to use magic inside a church. Isn’t it so? This building was full of the power of our gods."

"What do you want? Money?"

The furrows on Gwendal's brow deepened and his lips were slightly distorted. He was clearly angry.

"Of course it's about money! But we want much more than your pocket money. If we turn you two in to the authorities in the capital we’ll collect a very fat bounty!"

Mister Sushi-Head held out a poster, the one I’d seen before.

"It is you in this drawing, am I right?"

"You think it’s us in those posters? But we aren't candidates." I exclaimed.

For a moment there was a weird silence. It was, apparently, not an electoral poster.

"Don't pretend you know nothing! These drawings look exactly like you.”

Excuse me? What do you have for your eyes, tomatoes?! This time even Gwendal was surprised. Did these guys seriously want us to believe that those bizarre portraits resembled us in any way? Two balloons with spiky hair on top - a drawing I would have made as a preschooler for Mother's Day.

''Wanted! A tall male demon with grey hair and a human girl dressed as a boy. Both have eloped together. Whoever captures them will receive a bounty of fifty thousand gold pieces.''

"Eloping?" exclaimed Gwendal indignantly. "I'm eloping... with that?!"

"What's with that disdainful tone?" I shouted. "And what is this 'eloping together' all about? Do you mean ‘eloping’ as in: "Our parents are against the marriage, let's run away together"? My god! That would be completely absurd! Do we look anything like a couple? In case you haven't noticed, we are both... "

[[File:MaruManovel3061.jpg|400px|thumb]]
Men! That was what I meant to say, but before I could finish protesting, Mister Sushi-Head forced his hand through the neck of my clothes, without my permission.

"Arghhhhh!"

"Man, the girl is as flat as a board, even if her breasts just started developing... "

Committing sexual harassment right in front of everyone, yet he showed no sign of embarrassment. And growing tits wasn’t in my future agenda at all! My chest was just as it was supposed to be. With rigorous baseball practice, a lot of batting maybe, I might build more muscles on my chest, but nothing else!

"Well, as long as she has a cute face… There’re always guys who enjoy girls that look like boys."

"I'm not a girl, you stupid asshole! Grope me between my legs, while you’re at it!"

My outbreak shocked the soldiers and they fell quiet for a moment. If Günter could hear the language unfit for a king I was using just now, he would burst into tears with disappointment. Truth be told, I sometimes thought he had a strange perception of me.

Damn it! To clear matters once and for all, I would have wanted my clothes to be torn off. There wasn’t much to show off when it came to size, but at least there was something.

Gwendal couldn’t control his ire either. He bellowed more furiously each time.

"Drop that nonsense! We aren't even remotely similar to that drawing!"

"Exactly!" I roared too. “Or is it that I resemble Charlie Brown?!"

A soldier grabbed my right arm and showed the back of my hand to Mister Sushi-Head.

During the long journey through the sand dunes my hands had become red. In the middle of the sunburn area, a faint whitish mark was still visible, which I had seen somewhere before.

"This is the proof! In our neighbour country, this is the mark for those who have eloped as lovers! Anyone who violates the marriage law will be branded on the back of the hand. You fled from there, and this proves it!” exclaimed Mister Sushi-Head.

"Wait a minute... this is the Sea World’s stamp! It says 'Free Entrance for the Day.’ Don't you know how to read?!"

Of course they couldn't read what it said, this wasn't their language. Damn special ink! This was no longer about my freedom for one day, but my freedom for the whole lifetime.

"Don’t make any foolish mistake, or I’ll break your little friend’s neck! Drop your weapon, come closer and put this on you and the girl."

It seemed the soldiers were afraid to approach a demon. They threw a short heavy-looking chain at Gwendal's feet instead. It made a muffled clanking sound of metal on metal. While Gwendal held his glare steady on the men, he stepped forward, slightly bended down towards the chain and picked it up.

Never before had I had any problem with the police. And I would never have imagined one day I would be handcuffed in a church in a foreign land. Not only was I innocent, they even got my gender wrong!

"Please don’t put it on my right arm... That’s my throwing arm." I told Gwendal.

I breathed with difficulty as one of them was holding me by my neck. Gwendal put the metal rings on my left wrist and his right one. The handcuffs snapped into place with a clicking sound that seemed to extinguish all hope. Between us now hung a thick chain about thirty centimetres long. It was so heavy my shoulder dropped right towards the ground.

Even a pig couldn’t have had such bad luck! I had to be chained to Gwendal, of all the people in the world. What a pair! It wouldn’t take more than a quick glance to tell which one was the police, which one the criminal. As the thought of crimes came to my mind, I suddenly remember the topic featured on Six O’clock News from last week: How should a woman defend herself from a stalker?

"Urgh!" the man who had been holding me all this while groaned and dropped to the floor.

I had given him a head butt and a kick to his crotch both at the same time, which caused me to bite my tongue badly. Instinctively, I reached for one of the idols, grabbed its head and held it out towards the men.

"Don't move! One single movement and I stick this nail right through the heart of your god!"

In Japanese voodoo practice, you actually use a special long and thick nail, but one can't always choose. The rusted nails the children had been playing with would have to do.

Such sacrilege! To hold a deity hostage. If I continued doing such things, maybe one day I'd manage to become a true Demon King.

However Gwendal's lightning-fast attacks were much more effective than my old Japanese ritual curse. As he kicked his extremely long legs, three men went flying through the air. A High Kick, a Round Kick and even a Flying Knee Strike! Urgh! All his kicks hit their targets with devilish perfection.

"Run!" cried Gwendal.

He didn't have to tell me twice. We ran out of the church to the bright and dusty road. Footsteps and angry voices followed us. Something sharp whizzed past my ear and struck the ground two steps in front of me.

"Wow, it barely missed me!" I yelled and sped up.

Our horse was waiting at the town entrance. Grass still hanging from his mouth, he seemed to be happy. Gwendal jumped on the horse, pulled me up by the chain and spurred him on. I didn't even have time to ask if I could wrap my hips around his arms.
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 2

2012-01-23T19:37:45Z

LRenne:

"What is this child doing here?" Lord Gwendal von Voltaire turned to his two half brothers with an obvious expression of displeasure. His hair was long and of a very dark gray color; his eyes were blue, with a permanent look of bad humor in them which no beauty could get rid of. In my opinion, Gwendal was born to be the Maou, worthier than anyone else. His deep voice was chilling to the bone.

I felt glad that my brother wasn’t like that; otherwise years ago I would have run away from home. At this point, I had to take my hat off to Wolfram. He professed deep affection for this man.

"His Majesty intends to explain that the prisoner Suveria is holding captive is a fake." Conrad cheerfully said, trying to help me out. Unfortunately, at that moment I had hooked one foot in the saddle and was hanging writhingly against the horse's belly.

"Ah! Really?" Gwendal growled. He had been waiting for us near the south border.

"Exactly!" I said hastily. "You probably already knew he was a fake, and so you thought it would be fine even if they go ahead and execute him. The only thing is, the prisoner isn’t me, I’m perfectly fine, I’ve returned and I will not allow him to be executed! So let’s get to Conansia or Cavrella or where ever the double and the Mateki are!"

"Conrad…"

"Yes?"

With the slightly raised eyebrow, Gwendal stared sharply at his brother, the one he held in high esteem as a soldier.

"Please do me a favor and take these two back to the capital!" He growled again.

"What?! Me too?!" Wolfram exclaimed indignantly.

The younger brother apparently did not think he should be treated the same way as me.

"I only obey orders from his Majesty." Conrad said smoothly.

Wow, don’t say such things so easily, else it’ll go to my head and I’ll end up believing myself all high and mighty. There is no way freshly crowned newbie Maou, and ordinary baseball kid (forever a bench-warmer) like me could be a great person.

"Okay, do whatever you want!" Gwendal grumbled, and turned his horse toward the river that ran along the border. The men in his troop followed, halting just enough to pay us respect.

I had the honor of sitting behind a stunningly beautiful young boy on the horse and looked up toward heaven. Everyone wore dresses like in the movie [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Lawrence of Arabia|Lawrence of Arabia]] -- white cloaks to protect from the scorching sun, because we were riding through endless sand dunes of a desert. Safety measures against heat strokes are crucial when travelling through even a short stretch of desert.

"Inconceivable! You may have a heat stroke!" Günter hugged me tightly while fighting back tears. Holding onto my right hand, he implored.

"It's not just the heat. A few years ago, Conashia was in a civil war. Since then the gap between rich and poor people has become large, and public safety is now in a miserable state. On the other hand, in the last two years there has been an unprecedented drought, everywhere people struggle for food. Please stay here, Your Majesty! Gwendal will take care of the magic flute! Instead, go with me, his faithful Günter, to the beach to enjoy the summer."

It was difficult to assuage Gunter’s worries, because the snot dangling from his slender nose kept distracting me. As nothing could commence before we persuaded him, I reassured Gunter that getting acquainted with one’s neighbors was the first step in friendship, and that first hand experience was important in learning diplomacy. My presentation moved Gunter into a fit of exclamations.

"That is so noble of you, Your Majesty!"

Ha, that’s 1 point to Yuuri Shibuya. Finally, I’m getting the hang of persuading Lord von Kleist.

I had dyed my hair and put on contact lenses to hide my black eyes for this trip just as I had done for the previous one.

We had reached the edge of a parched river separating Shin Makoku from the country Conashia. The river had completely dried up in what was called a "record drought." The cracked riverbed was about a kilometer wide. There was no comparison with the [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Tone River|Tone River]] near my home...

"It’d be an amazing sight, if only there was water" I said.

"During the Civil War, lots of corpses would drift and land on the river bank on our side. But as the humans were afraid of setting foot on our territory, so no one came to collect the dead. We had to take care of those ourselves." Wolfram said.

"That… wasn’t the kind of amazing sight I meant."

When we crossed the riverbed, we arrived at a simple picket fence. There were soldiers all around; their number was considerably higher than ours.

It was understandable that the borders should be well protected, but the mazokus had never invaded their neighbors, yet I found their soldiers openly hostile against us. Their spears pointed directly to us. Some standing in the back row pressed the back of their hands to their chins.

"What are they doing?" I wondered.

Wolfram clucked his tongue.

"A malicious act against the mazokus. Although humans are actually scared their pants off by the mazokus, they feel safer as a group, and they become insolent. Nasty creatures!"

"Eh, sorry bout that." I muttered.

"Stop feeling defensive! You are not human but a mazoku! Accept that already!"

Eh, sorry about that, too.

At the south of Shin Makoku was the territory of the Karbelnikoff. It was a popular vacation destination, famous for its white sand beaches and dry climate. Many tourists from the northern regions of Shin Makoku come here to quench their need for the sunny weather.

On the other side of the river, Conashia had suffered heavy losses of harvests due to the drought. But for the people of Karbelnikoff, whose main source of income was tourism, the motto was: More sun, more customers.

Lord Günter Von Christ was staying in the Maou’s resort complex, completely exhausted, as if the heat had finished him off also.

"He's gone." He sighed.

His long gray hair had lost its luster and fell all over his back in a mess, and his violet eyes were desolate and empty. With a loose lock of hair clinging to his cheek, Günter’s tragic appearance looked like that of an exhausted homemaker whose energy has been completely spent on cleaning tasks. He stared absently through the window into the sky and sea.

"Why did His Majesty leave me here all alone? Has it finally come to the day he despises his faithful Günter?"

"It is entirely possible."

Startled, von Lord Christ raised his head.

In front of him was the body of a woman, full of exuberance, wrapped in a tight summer dress, or was it just a swimsuit?

The long golden curls reaching up to her hip were gathered to generously reveal an erotic waist under the summer dress. If one could look pass this exhibition so dazzlingly sexy, her innocently smiling lips, her white skin, and her emerald green eyes hidden behind long eyelashes would remind one of her youngest son.

She did not look more than thirty years old, but in fact she had lived longer than the sisters [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Kin and Gin|Kin and Gin]], the oldest twins in Japan.

Lady Cecilie von Spitzberg was the mother of the three mazoku brothers who didn’t look one bit alike, as well as the previous mazoku queen. She was not only a sexy queen, but also a genuine certified queen, my very predecessor.

"Your Royal Highness the Former Queen! What a bold outfit...!"

"And it doesn’t look good on me, my dear Gunter? I was told that His Majesty had arrived. If I had known that I would find only you here, I would have kept my legs covered."

"Cheri-sama, I humbly ask you to refrain from these constant attempts to seduce His Majesty."

"But Günter, you’re just the same as you’ve been sniffing the clothes of His Majesty all this while."

"W... Well, that’s..."

Madame Cheri snatched the arms of a T-shirt Lord Von Christ had been holding.

"It's very rude of you to keep all the prizes for yourself. Let me hold it too….hm?"

She held the damp cotton cloth to her nose and sniffed.

"Is this really the scent of his majesty? Don’t you wonder Günter? He seems to be such a sweet person."

"That scent actually befits a young man. A distinctive aroma of ... how shall I say? ... ocean air."

Most likely, the odor is from the dolphin... not from Yuuri.

''From the hot saddle,''

''The sweat drips.''

''It is not just the sun.''

''A horse, two bodies… close together.''

No, the verse did not help much against the heat. No haiku can alleviate this exasperating heat.

We were in the middle of the desert, with nothing within sight but endless rolling sand dunes.

I tried to shift my body away from the boy sitting in front of me as much as possible so that some air could pass through between us. However, it was nothing but hot air all around us, and there was no stir even remotely resembling a breeze.

"If you slip further back, you'll fall." Wolfram said.

"I'm dying of heat!" I complained.

Wolfram was obviously enjoying the situation.

Yes, thanks. Very funny. If only it had been a girl who was sitting in front of me, then I would have had my fun. Like a charming gentleman, I would have steadied her, with the reins held in my hands. Sadly for me, the front seat was occupied by a bishounen lovelier than a girl.

Our crew, consisting of twenty men, was crossing the desert under the sun instead of the moon, and on horses bred by humans instead of camels.

The soldiers at the borders who gestured rudely at us had claimed that animals must be kept quarantined for 20 days before allowed entry into the country. Coming from a modern society in Japan, their claim made sense, but according to Wolfram and his subordinates it was merely petty faultfinding. We ended up sending back the mazoku’s horses (they have two hearts) and bought local horses at a border village near Conanshia. It would have been more convenient if they had cars for rent, but it wasn’t like I had a license anyway.

This endless sienna arid region was supposedly not as big as a true desert. Born in Boston and brought up in [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Boston and Saitama|Saitama]], even though I can tell apart artificial grass fields from the real grass fields, I had no idea what was the difference between a desert and sand dunes.

Nor had I ever been in the mini desert in [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Tottori|Tottori]], Japan.

Gwendal rode a distance away in front of us. The cloak on his back moved in a wavelike motion in the air like seaweed in a lake. I turned toward Conrad and lamented.

"Damn, why is no one else but me suffering so much from the heat?"

"It's probably because of our training." Conrad replied, looking extremely fresh and relaxed.

They didn’t even sweat that much.

That was probably expected. After all, it was easier for well-trained soldiers, assuming that they trained hard everyday under the supervision of an evil sergeant.

Like the armed forces of the Japanese self defense. They presumably traveled through forests and mountains, crossing swamps and building igloos in the snow. Maybe even stumbling everyday in forests where the trees were thick and the ground could suddenly slide. But this was more of a training routine for a Ninja.

In any case, among all travelers, I was the only one who was dying of the heat. And then I even saw hallucinations.

"Do you also see over there in the middle of the sand a small animal raising its arms?"

"What? Where? What small animal? I can’t see anything." Wolfram said.

I could see the head of an animal unknown to me sticking out from a hole about ten meters away. Bu no one would expect such an animal in the middle of the desert.

A soldier on a dark brown horse disappeared right in front of me. The gray horse Wolfram and I were riding suddenly flexed, lost his balance and sank.

"Yikes, what's happening now?!" I cried.

"A sand bear!"

A sand bear?! Everything became fuzzy around me, and the whole world turned into the color of gold and orange. Here and there helmets, or a forearm, came into my sight. We sank deeper and deeper into the smooth sand. There was no escape. We were being inevitably sucked in.

"Wh... what happens?! How can this be?!"

When I opened my mouth, sand immediately filled between my teeth. I tried to hold Wolfram back by the hem of his robe, but his arms, legs, hands and finally even his face disappeared. I could barely breathe.

What kind of animal could this be?! In my field of vision, which was becoming blurred, I could see a huge two-toned panda moved his arms up and down at the center of a whirling mass of sand.

"That's a damned panda!" I cried.

A panda in the middle of a desert. With a new variation of color too: his coat was of beige and brown. Where did you leave your bamboo?

[[File:MaruMAnovel3045.jpg|400px|thumb]]
Suddenly someone grabbed my arm firmly, freeing me from my immersion into this giant sand hour glass.

"Conrad..."

No, that could not be Conrad. My indestructible protector was supporting my legs from below with his shoulders.

When I looked up I saw Gwendal standing right on the edge of the hole. Wolfram and the other soldiers had been sucked into the vortex. I saw only a few horses’ legs and someone’s hands that I could not recognize. The sand kept swirling down the center of the vortex.

"What about Wolfram?! He fell in front of me into the sand! But he won’t die, right?!" I cried and wailed.

"If he was unlucky..." Gwendal said above me.

"Don’t worry, if he’s not suffocated he’ll find his way back to the surface." Conrad reassured me. "Your Majesty, climb up quickly!"

"But we have to go back to help! We don’t know if he has a chance against the bear!" I protested.

I tried to slide down the slope, but Gwendal held my arm tightly and would not let me go.

"You cannot help!" He reproached me.

"But I can’t just leave him like that! Then at least you go and save him, he is your brother! Go and save him instead!"

I turned to Conrad. "Hey, you can deal with that bear, can’t you? You are a sword master! Surely you can deal with a middle-stage boss character?" I appealed while being dragged up. Though it was in order to steady his feet, he avoided my eyes.

"The top priority now is your security." He looked up and panted, still trying to push upward.

"But I'm fine, so..."

"No!"

For a split second, his eyes, brown with flecks of silver, met mine. Conrad bit his lips, frowned, a scar barely noticeable on an eyebrow, and then spoke with tormented voice. He turned towards the center of the vortex.

"Your Majesty, Wolfram would agree with me immediately. He is also a grownup warrior and knows that things like this can happen. Your safety comes first!"

"But-!"

By now, there was no visible trace of the soldiers who had been swallowed by the sand vortex. Would they pass off falling into such a land hole as a matter of bad luck? Just imagining the honey blond hair and brilliant emerald green eyes, frozen with terror, hurt my chest; I couldn’t breathe. Of course twenty lives would weigh more than one, even if it was my own life that was at risk. Go and save those twenty people, rather than staying here for me. The choice is straightforward. No one should be sacrificed, even for a king!

"Conrad, I don’t want you to be someone who abandon his own brother." I finally said.

"Your Majesty... we must leave this place immediately. Everything can collapse any moment now."

I reached up and got to the solid ground. Finally the sand under my feet felt solid and stable. I turned to Conrad:

"You've said that you would only follow my orders." I said.

"Yes, but that was..."

"You said you’ll follow my catcher’s signs. Then I order you to save Wolfram. Please! I'm fine; you have no reason to worry about me. After all I still have a strong guard here."

Conrad looked surprised and shifted his eyes back and forth between me and Gwendal

"Any order?" He finally turned to Gwendal and murmured. "Okay. But you take care of him!"

"Mhmmm." Gwendal grumbled.

He was standing behind me so I could not see his face, but I thought I heard a bit of relief in his voice. Confidence grew in me that my decision could not have been wrong.

Conrad slid down the slippery slope, to rescue his brother and subordinates.

"Do you know how to find the hidden tunnel out of that beast’s den?!" Shouted Gwendal a moment later.

"No need to worry, this is the third time I have had to deal with a sand bear! See you at the capital!"

Yes, my decision was correct. It has to be.
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Chapter 1

2012-01-23T19:37:28Z

LRenne:

A date at the Sea World aquarium. With a guy. Oh, great. Why does this happen to me only?

It was summer vacation, time for the baseball. The newly formed amateur team and the Seibu Lions, of which I have been a devoted fan most of my life, took up all of my time. Until I got a call from Murata.

"She rejected me," he said moodily.

"Who? Your girlfriend?" I asked, curiously.

"No, I had planned to ask a girl to go out with me on a date to Sea World, then confess my feelings to her. So I bought pre-sale tickets, but she turned me down."

"So you confessed, and she turned you down?"

"No, I did not confess. She didn’t even want to go to Sea World with me."

"What? But that doesn’t mean she rejected you, maybe she just couldn’t join you this time."

"But I feel rejected." Murata sighed. "And I had already bought the tickets."

Although I tried to cheer him up, Murata only smiled weakly. He didn’t want to waste the tickets he had bought, but it was troublesome to return them. He was willing to give them away, but it was near the end of July, and most of our friends had already had plans.

"Well, of course that’s unfortunate."

"Don’t you want to go?"

"When is it?"

"The tickets are for the 28th."

"But that’s when we have the night game at the Seibu Dome..." I protested.

"Oh, to hell with the night game!" Murata said irritatedly, which was unusual for him. "Have you forgotten how much time I've sacrificed for your stupid baseball games? Not just the games, you dragged me along to the training sessions too. And now you choose a damned game over your good old friend, even when he has a broken heart?! Come on, it costs you nothing. I’ve already paid for tickets. Come with me, please!"

"Okay, okay, I understand, I'll go with you. But I have to say that if you’re persistent enough, she will eventually give in."

My friend looked up to the sky with an exaggerated expression.

"Shibuya Yuri Harajuku Furi, naïve as you are, you can’t possibly know how it’s like."

"Wait, Murata! How old are you after all? And this has nothing to do with Harajuku Furi at all!"

[[File:MANovel3011.jpg|400px|thumb]]
And so Murata and I, Yuri Shibuya, spent the day at the Sea World aquarium. Yes, my name is Yuri Shibuya. Yuri as in ‘advantage’ with the same kanji script as ‘interest,’ not a gentle pear or anything like that. I had spent a big part of my 15 years of life being teased for this stupid name.

As my father worked in the bank, I had thought that I had been given this name because my father was always thinking about [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Yuuri|interest rates]]. But then I found out that the blame was on a friendly young man who had shared his taxi ride with my mother, when she was on her way to the hospital to give birth to me. Even so, at least they could have chosen a different kanji for the name, which would have given it a different meaning! Well, yes, I consoled myself with the thought that my brother had got a worse deal: His name meant "victory"! Shibuya Victory, that was even a bigger laugh than my name!

Anyway, that afternoon I got stuck at the Sea World aquarium with a guy, who insisted that he was rejected by a girl, while it couldn’t be worse than a one-time refusal. And so the two of us, one boy wearing glasses and one baseball fan, went to Sea World together, surrounded by couples and parents with their children. Walking along the glass tunnel that ran right through the water, we could see the nautiluses, the fire fish, the banner fish, the Arapaima, and the sawfish swimming gracefully together with the delicious sardines and bonitos.

"If only I were with a sweet girl!" I sighed.

"Man, what is it now? You’re bitching all the time."

"Hey, I was only cursing my lonely existence, you know. Tomorrow I’ll turn sixteen, and I still have no girlfriend."

"Tomorrow is your birthday?! I had no idea. Tell me then, what do you want for your birthday? Look here, do you want a cell phone strap from the gift shop? This one is really cute, isn’t it?"

"A cell phone strap? But you know my phone is broken."

"Then it’s a good time to buy a new one. The texting function is quite convenient."

I sighed and looked at the back of my right hand. The entry stamp for the day visitors had been pressed on my skin with a special ink. If I held my hand under a scanner, the stamp glowed with a pale mark.

"I don’t need a cell phone. And I have no use for texting function."

"You don’t need a cell phone?! What is this nonsense? Everyone needs a cell phone. And that’s why everyone has indeed got one, except you. Sometimes I really think you come from another world!"

If you only knew!

It had only been three months ago that I fell through a toilet and landed in another world! Really! And I had even been declared king against my will. No kidding! I, a fifteen-year-old high school student with average looks and ordinary intelligence, was really and truly been appointed king of the mazokus!

Of course initially I thought I was dreaming. But when I woke up, hung around my neck was a pendant that someone from that world had given me. It was a stone the size of a 500 yen coin, which I wore around my neck ever since. It had silver rim and was of a blue color deeper than the sky, the color of the Seibu Lions. This charm stone reminded me every day that it had not been a dream. It was for real: I was born with the soul of a mazoku and had committed to protect Shin Makoku, the kingdom of the mazokus.

"Hurry up and take your number, Shibuya." Murata pushed me.

An employee at Sea World handed me a piece of green paper.

"Hmmm? Ah yes, thanks."

We had moved away from the exit of the aquarium and were now at the entrance to the show "Friends of the Sea." A heat wave suddenly hit us: we were in an open stadium and the summer sun was burning mercilessly above us. We walked down tiers of blue benches, looking for two empty seats. At the other side of the large water pool was the white performance stage.

"Shit, it's hot!" I complained.

"Stop whining! If you hadn’t come with me, you would be running around in your baseball uniform in the same heat."

Although I knew it was almost no use, I fanned with a piece of paper. A cool breeze brushed against my neck for a moment.

"Are there at least girls in swimsuits?"

"Why don’t you look at the stage?" Murata said.

Sure enough! There were the trainers - in bathing suits - with seals.

My thoughts wandered. Who was more majestic, the emperor penguin or me? Which formation should my team take for the practice match next week? Tilting my head to one side, I absentmindedly watched the seals performance: a seal headed a soccer ball through a basketball hoop, and a woman in a swimsuit tapped a pink drum vigorously.

"27! Number 27! Would you please come to the stage?"

On the adjacent seat, a toddler clung to the knees of his father and started to bawl.

"Hey, Shibuya!" Murata called out and prodded me with his elbow. "Number 27! That's you!"

"Sorry, what am I?"

"The visitor with the number 27! May I ask you to come on stage?"

"Go on, go on! Hurry up, otherwise they will think you’re not here at all."

I glanced at the piece of paper in my hand. It had indeed number 27 printed on it. With a broad smile, Murata grabbed my arm and pulled me down the stair, as if he won a lottery.

"Hey! Slow down! Not so fast!" I protested.

The trainer put a blue cap on my head and led me through an acrylic door. Then she gave me a small thing that was hanging from her fingers.

"Congratulations! These are your souvenirs, a cool dolphin cap, and a key chain with a cute little dolphin. I’ll trap it to your belt so you won’t lose it."

I was still in a daze.

Indeed, my gifts were all decorated with gray-blue dolphins. The cap had a brim shaped as the dolphin’s beak, and two black eyes on two sides. The key chain had a little dolphin dangling with his beak slightly open. It looked very cute, much nicer than the real dolphin.

"On behalf of our audience, could I ask you to shake hand with our stars today?" said the young woman smiling.

Whom am I going to shake hands with? A dolphin? No way!

Without saying a word, three people from the staff pulled me to the side of the pool.

"Wait, wait a minute! Dolphins are not really my favorite. Don’t you have a couple of whales or sea lions I could shake hands with?"

No response.

"Here we are, our friends Bando and Eiji, the bottlenose dolphins!" The trainer announced.

Two shiny gray dorsal fins came gliding through the water to the side of the pool next to us.

"Hey guys! That wasn’t a joke! I really do not get along with dolphins!"

Still no reaction.

"Hey, Murata, Murata! Please help me!"

"Shibuya, you lucky devil! I envy you!"

Then one of the two dolphins, I couldn’t tell whether he was Eiji or Bando, jumped out of the water then fell down, splashing all around. Holy shit! The beast was huge! He extended a blue-green shimmering flipper toward me, his eyes looking straight at me and his beak slightly open, showing two rows of small sharp teeth like a zipper.

"There goes my sixteenth birthday tomorrow," I muttered.

"Don’t be scared! He’s not going to bite you."

There was no way out; the staff had blocked my escape route. The dolphin was at my feet and still looked at me attentively, his flexible tail and waist muscle moving gracefully as he stood floating in the water. "Hey you, human! Let’s get this over with quickly, so I can finally have my sardines!" His eyes seemed to say to me. He opened his gaping beak and a screech filled the air "Kschaaaaaa!"

"Ahhhhh!" I also let out a small cry of terror. Hesitantly I reached out my right hand and finally touched the slippery flipper. It felt sticky and cold as ice. I felt my hand squeezed tightly.

Wait a moment! How could it be?

He was just a dolphin; he couldn’t possibly hold my hand with his flipper, could he? But then what was it that was pulling on my hand?

"Hey, let me go! Let go!" I yelled.

Just before I was pulled into the pool, I could hear the indistinctive shout of the staff and the audience, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Murata stretch his hand toward me. But the next moment, blue water engulfed me. Although the pool could not be very deep, I sank deeper and deeper into what felt like an abyss. My clothes were completely soaked and became heavy, still wrapping around my arms and legs, pulling me down. Damn it, where's the bottom of the pool?! Wait a minute. Hadn’t I been through something similar before? Twice?

"Not again!"

I was sucked backward into the depths. I swallowed a tremendous amount of water. It was really physically impossible... biologically and architecturally as well. My back ought to have hit the hard cement. Unless David Copperfield had his hands in the game. Or [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Princess Tenko|Princess Tenko]]!

"Tell me, Mama…"

"What, Yuu-chan?"

"Why are people so fond of playing with dolphins? It’s stupid."

"But they're cute! Don’t you love dolphins?"

"Well, not at all. You never know what goes on in their heads. They might shake hands with us and swim around us amicably, but what if they are secretly mocking us? What if they actually look down upon us and think to themselves “Let’s have some fun with these little humans”?"

"Ah! I got it! You can’t get along with those you can’t understand. But that’s why, for Mama, it is important that you work toward that understanding. Friendship needs time to grow and blossom. Spending time together, gazing up at the stars while talking to each other, that’s how we come to understand one another better. Do you understand what I mean, Yuu-chan?"

Friendship? With dolphins? Thanks, but no thanks.

I looked up to a blazing blue sky dappled with contrasting white shreds. Salt water burnt my eyes. Probably that meant I was floating in the ocean and not in a pool. Listlessly, my body drifted like a jellyfish, slightly rocking back and forth.

The sun was still high in the sky, blindingly bright and intense. The skin on my face and neck felt painful under the summer sun. It reminded me of the summer vacations when I was a child. I had always looked forward to going to the beach with my family; we would have a lot of watermelon, fireworks and collect piles of sea shells.

I'd become somewhat used to waking up in a completely different world, since this had happened to me for the third time in my life. So they summoned me again. Traveling through a whirlpool of water, being dragged here almost against my will, was no longer something new. But I had never expected it to happen in front of such a large audience. I had been lulled into a false sense of security.

Fortunately, I know the final destination of my journey, and I had friends there, so it was not all that bad. The story in broad strokes: the protagonist landed in a strange world of swords and magic and must perform heroic deeds. Plots like this were not at all uncommon. The only thing was that in this story I was not a hero, but the Demon King, the enemy’s last boss. It took me three months on Earth to accept the situation more calmly.

A gray triangle floated in the water and approached my right leg. It must be one of the dolphins. Poor guy, now I had accidentally dragged an innocent animal to this world. I overcame my fear and held out a hand to him to pat his shiny head. The tips of my fingers touched his forehead lightly. It felt much rougher than the dolphin’s flipper, which I had touched during the show.

"Hey, good boy! No wonder you can swim so fast. [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Ian Thorpe|Ian Thorpe]] used a swimming suit that mimics the skin of a shark."

Did someone just say shark?

Our eyes met. I found myself looking into the eyes of a shark ... A huge white shark!

I had always disliked sea creatures because you never knew what was going on in their heads. But this time it was totally different! What that animal was thinking at the time was not at all difficult to guess: dinner was served, in the form of a human! With the theme song of the movie "Jaws" as background music.

I gave a little cry and fled with a chaotic mixture of front crawl and dog paddle. Wasn’t it called freestyle? Damn. What should I do? Pretend to be dead? No, it worked with bears only. Just ignore him? No, it worked with teachers only. Damn, what was the trick with sharks again? Attack or unconditional surrender?

"Your Majesty, are you all right...? Oh no...!"

From the distance, a familiar voice pierced my ears. An overly showy luxury boat approached, moving at a breakneck speed towards me. In the boat sat the duo who were determined to make Yuri Shibuya an experienced Maou - no matter what it cost.

"How outrageous! A shark dares to approach His Majesty!" Lord Günter Von Kleist paled with anger.

He brandished the oar in his hands wildly, as if to challenge the shark to a duel. His long disheveled gray hair fell on his back; his sparkling lilac eyes were bloodshot; and the very seductive baritone voice was reduced to a hysterical falsetto. No woman could ever resist the beauty of this autocratic teacher, but when it came to me, this epitome of perfection inevitably crumbled into pieces.

Sir Weller's face, however, bore a mixture of calm serenity and a pained smile while watching the "video-clip-of-the-dismemberment" of a small child.

Conrad, how could you do this to me?! Your only baseball companion in this world was about to become fish food!

"Calm down, Günter! Use the rudder to steer closer to His Majesty, try to get close to his head, I'll pull him up."

Conrad took my arm and helped me climb up the boat, which I did with the last bit of my strength. I was drenched, breathless and my heart pounded with fear. Conrad held me steady with ease.

"I’m saved! I was almost eaten by the beast." I gasped.

"Don’t worry, Your Majesty! These animals do not attack human."

"That's a shark, Conrad! A huge white shark! And it was about to bite my right leg!"

"Sharks are vegetarians, Your Majesty. I’m sure he just wanted to play with you a bit."

Oh yeah, that’s right. Most animals in this world behaved very differently than those in ours. I had already noticed that in my last stay.

I left Conrad's arms.

"How many times have I told you not to call me Your Majesty? It was you who gave me the name Yuri."

Sir Conrad Weller was the one who took my soul - when I was still not "me" - on a journey to a strange world called Earth. And on a street in Boston, he had offered to share his taxi ride with my mother when she was going to the hospital to give birth to me, and during that ride, had suggested a name for me: Yuri.

Conrad looked like a young man about twenty years old, but his age was actually five times what he appeared to be, as with all other mazokus here.

The mazokus had long life and great beauty. As Conrad was only half mazoku, he looked a bit plainer than the full-blooded mazokus. All the other mazoku nobles, however, would form a club of "pretty boys." Yet, as their king, I was nothing more than a normal boy whose looks, build and intelligence could only be classified as mediocre. I found myself at a big disadvantage. I could only keep faith in Andersen’s fairytale of the ugly duckling and desperately hope that I would one day grow into a beautiful swan. On the other hand, maybe one day I would be able to find a girl, as in “Beauty and the Beast,” who would assure me that for mazokus, personality is more important than appearance.

"Damn, it’s so hot here!" I groaned.

Summer seemed to be at its peak even in this world. My clothes were all wet but I didn’t feel cold. Damp clothes clinging to my skin made me sweat even more. With difficulty I peeled the T-shirt off. When I reached the belt buckle of my pants, my hand scratched against the dolphin key chain. Those stupid dolphins!

Conrad looked at me closely.

"Can it be that your muscles have grown a little?"

"Not just a little! Here, look at my biceps."

I was happy and proud with the result of my fervent daily training. Conrad smiled while looking at my "muscle-of-a-baseball-player" appreciatively.

"Then I'll get you a new sword, one made for adult men."

"I don’t need a sword, Conrad."

"Well, but..."

Conrad was interrupted by a long, indefinable cry.

Günter was about to be harassed by a group of sharks. "Geez, these animals are cuddly, but really."

Vegetarian-and-cuddly-sharks. I still hadn’t got used to this sort of thing yet.

This was my third stay in this world. And this time I landed at a place completely unknown to me. The white sand and greenish blue water would have made a perfect travel brochure for the Greek Adriatic. Not far from this picturesque backdrop was the Royal House, a summer residence with the architectural style of a castle, but its structure was quite different from the two castles where I had stayed previously.

I was worried that I would have to wear my school uniform in this unbearably hot weather, but fortunately the clothes that the maid brought me were a set of two-piece upper and lower summer clothes in beige color, made of a light material that felt like linen. I put the slightly large pants on. The waistband was a little loose. The maid lowered her head with a fearful look in her eyes. Probably she was worried that she had made a mistake with the clothes and I was going to get angry with her for that.

"Never mind, I can wear a belt and everything will be all right." I tried to cheer her up.

"Your Majesty, have you lost weight? Hopefully it’s not your health that..." said the girl.

"No, don’t worry. This is just the result of my muscle training. I have even bought a body-building equipment to tone my abs."

I got it for a mere 1000 yen in a discount store! My goal was to get a six-pack abs like [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Kamen-Rider|Kamen-Rider]]. As I fumbled to pull my belt off from the wet pants, Günter entered the room and ran to the corner where I was.

"One moment, Your Majesty, I will make sure you can enjoy a pleasant temperature."

In a world of magic and swords, of course electricity or household appliances wouldn’t exist. But despite the lack of air conditioning, the further one went into this stone house, the cooler it became. Once I took off my shoes and socks and stepped on the stone floor, I felt coldness penetrating the soles of my feet.

However, before I could assure him that it wasn’t so hot, Günter had already made a gesture with his right hand. An attendant gracefully stepped forward, his hand holding a large duck by its neck. The tortured duck flapped his wings with all his might. Aha, I got the idea! And indeed, the air felt cooler, only the breeze stank of poultry, and I felt terrible for the animal.

"Please stop!" I hurriedly said. "This is an act of cruelty against animals... And it is cool enough in here anyway!"

"Oh, the compassion of His Majesty has no limits! His kind heart feels for even these insignificant creatures! This is our Majesty, the 27th Maou of our Kingdom: ‘Glory to the Mighty Shinou and his people, the mazokus! Never let it be forgotten that our people, the mazokus, have existed since the dawn of the world! Our strength, wisdom and courage have once forced even the Creator Gods to kneel! The mazokus will prosper in this kingdom for all eternity!’"

That was the lengthy name of our country. Or, in short: Shin Makoku.

While he talked, his hands moved beautifully in perfect choreography.

"Your Majesty, I have deliberately inserted a mistake. Can you tell which part of the name was incorrect?"

"Uh... Sorry, I… uh... was not paying attention." I stammered.

The beautiful man looked disappointed.

"Really, Your Majesty, I must earnestly request you to spend more time here and learn more about the country, its people, and the basics of our diplomatic relations. You should no longer return to the other world. Your Günter would like to remain by your side forever."

The situation was clearly straying from the right track. But Conrad, who had ushered out the fanning duck, beautifully and effortlessly turned it around again. He always knew how to handle tricky situations. There were many things I could learn from him, for example, how to deal with Günter. With an attitude as calm and composed as usual, he said:

"Günter, haven’t I told you already? We have no exclusive right to His Majesty. He is also very important to Earth and Japan."

If I was really that important, then why had I been a mere bench-warmer for the past three years?

"Günter! What is the meaning of this?" A voice bellowed. The thundering footsteps that were rapidly approaching sounded extremely intimidating.

"Why was my brother the only one who went to pick Yuri up?! Without informing me! I will not let you treat me like a fool! As his fiancé, I have the right..."

The one who barged in was the angel-like bishounen, Wolfram von Bielefeld. He stopped dead in the hallway upon seeing my naked torso, and seemed to be at a loss for words, his cute face flustered.

"Yuri… my God! Your face and arms ... So dark! Have you caught a terrible disease? Or a curse?"

"Are you looking for a fight?" I sulked.

In fact, my face and my arms were well-tanned, but my torso and legs were still white as snow. For baseball players, having this shirt-like tan would be considered an achievement, but when my upper body was exposed like this, it was indeed not the best look.

With the thumb and forefinger, Wolfram pinched my cheek.

"Ow-ow-aie-ooh-aie!! What do you think you're doing?"

He looking directly at Conrad and asked.

"Is he real?"

Conrad nodded.

"But if this is Yuri, who is the one my older brother went to pick up?"

"Probably an impostor."

When Wolfram mentioned his big brother, it would not be Conrad who was in front of him, but his other older brother, Lord Gwendal von Voltaire.

Conrad, Wolfram and Gwendal were half-brothers, sharing the same mother. Until recently they were Their Royal Highnesses, the mazoku princes. But when their mother the former Maou stepped down and I had to take over, the three brothers became Their Excellencies, the former princes.

Wolfram was a rival-less super bishounen, like a Vienna choir boy who had jumped straight out of a shoujo manga. He had inherited his mother’s shiny golden hair and her emerald green eyes. While his build was no better or worse than mine, the difference between our looks was as wide as the gap between heaven and earth. I imagined all artists in the world would fight over the chance to paint his portrait. If he had appeared in someone’s dream, the dreamer might even be moved to tears thinking they had seen an angel. However, he was angel-like only as long as he kept his mouth shut. Else he was just a terribly spoiled and bratty prince. As he claimed, and if one could believe his words, he was already eighty-two years old. If he was living in Japan, he would be a stubborn old man. And because of a small tiny minor cultural difference, we were engaged to each other.

Lady Cecilie von Spitzweg was the mother of the three brothers as well as the former Maou - who insisted that we call her "Cheri." Her love for men extended beyond the barrier between different species, as she happily declared. The son of her union with a human of unknown origin was the half-blooded Conrad. Maybe it was because of his human DNA that Conrad’s features were not as captivating as the other mazokus. However his face with a cheeky smile and a thin scar across one eyebrow could still be described as attractive. Had he lived in the United States, he would probably have become a model for the [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#GI Joe|GI Joe]]. No one looked as good as Conrad in a military uniform.

"Wolfram, take your hands off His Majesty at once!" Günter admonished him in an upset tone, and pulled the younger ex-prince's fingers away from my deformed cheeks. "I'll never forgive you if there should be even one small fingerprint on that beautiful face!"

I could never understand the mazokus’ standards of beauty, given that Günter seriously believed I was more beautiful than all the mazokus, including himself.

Black hair and eyes were extremely rare around here, and that rarity gave it a great value.

"What is really going on here? What impostor are you talking about? Why should I not be ‘me’?"

"While you were away, a brazen man pretended to be you and committed crimes under your name." Günter said.

"Incredible! Someone claimed to be "Yuri Shibuya”?"

"Not exactly so, Your Majesty. In Suveria, the southern country near Conashia, a criminal was caught posing as the Maou. We ignored this at first because we believed it couldn’t have been you. But now that the execution date has been announced, we all felt a bit uneasy. As long as we couldn’t say with absolute certainty whether that criminal was Your Majesty or not..."

Conrad interrupted him.

"We could not exclude the possibility that Your Majesty had come to our world outside the country and without our knowledge. We had to clarify the actual circumstances. This was also the reason why we called you back this time."

"Sure, sure...! And because of that, I fell into the pool while shaking hand with Bando, and ended up floating next to a shark in the ocean…"

"Bando? Who is Bando? Another guy?" Wolfram growled unhappily.

"I don’t know if Bando is male or female! Besides, Bando is just a dolphin."

I turned back to Conrad and Günter. "So now that I am here in front of you, I’m the proof that the other guy couldn’t have been me."

"That’s right, Your Majesty! Your wisdom always delights me."

Now that wasn’t a difficult one to figure out. With Günter slopping all over me, I badly wished I could indeed be somewhere else at that moment.

So in a foreign country, an impostor had claimed to be me, and had painted the town red. How bold! As far as I knew, only Master [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Mito Komon|Mito Komon]], the Bold Shogun, or Michael Jackson had been impersonated. For the celebrities or deities, it is inevitable that there would be cheap imitations. Then wasn’t an impostor the best way to prove that my fame had elevated?

"But, why do you want to go to look for my double? The fact that I’m here would clear all doubts, right? And why would Gwendal himself take the trouble...?" I trailed off. Suddenly I could imagine the figure of the eldest brother in front of my eyes.

"You are right. Of course, Your Majesty, we wouldn’t really care if a crazy man who impersonated you would die on the scaffold. But this ... what is the word he used?"

"Double."

"Yes, we have received information that this double is in possession of a special item that only the Maou can handle. This is an extremely precious treasure to the mazokus. It was taken out of the country two hundred years ago and has since disappeared. If this information is correct, we need to bring the treasure back, to revive our power. Twenty years ago we sent a man, a relative of Gwendal, to look for it."

"What was his name again?" Asked Conrad.

"Lord Grisela, Lord Gegenhuber Grisela."

"Ah, yes, exactly, this Huber."

Conrad tugged his ear uncomfortably. Although he was kind and pleasant by nature, even he did not seem to get along with everybody. I turned to the younger brother, trying to find out some information about this Huber.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"He is the cousin of my brother from his father’s side. An aunt from the Voltaire family has married into the Griesela family."

"Oh." I mumbled, a little bit disappointed. I was hoping for something more dramatic. "So no one else can touch this treasure? Does it bite, burn, or spit on you?"

I was vividly reminded of my encounter with the Maken Morgif, who had done all that.

"Not exactly, Your Majesty. Anyone could possibly touch this treasure. But in this world, only you can play it."

"Play it?"

"The Mateki, Your Majesty."

"The Mateki?!" Wolfram cried excitedly. "I’ve only heard the stories about it from my father. He said that the sound of the flute is fantastic! One note from the flute and the sky roars with thunders, the earth shakes, the sea rages! Allegedly, the flute has the power to conjure a formidable storm!"

As I had immediately imagined a flute with a clear sound or a piccolo, I forced myself to revise my picture of the Mateki. Maybe it was a kind of conch?

"I've always wanted to hear the sound of the Mateki. I can’t wait! I’m curious to see how well Yuri can play it." Wolfram said cheerfully.

"Playing the flute?! Me?! Are you kidding?! Get that idea right out of your head!"

Arms folded on his chest, Conrad had leaned against the wall and was listening to the conversation, as usual.

"I strongly doubt that the people of Suveria will do us a favor and show us the possessions of the executed criminal in his coffin."

"You think they would confiscate all his belongings? Wait a minute, his coffin...? Are they really going to execute my double?! What has he done?"

"If I'm not mistaken, he ran away without paying the bill."

"Death sentence for eating and running without paying the bill?!"

Wow, blow me down! My double was going to be executed for failing to pay for his food! You might not like such a person, but you can’t kill him! That would be a scandal! I had to stop that!

"We must save him, Conrad!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"We have to save my double!"
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume03:Prologue

2012-01-23T19:37:10Z

LRenne:

There, my dear [[MaruMA:Vol03:Translator's Notes#Shinou|Shinou]] from the other world, or however you’d like to name yourself. I’d say that we have raised our son just as you wish. With black hair and eyes from his Japanese DNA, he possesses a heart full of zeal, perseverance, a keen sense of justice, and the strong mind of a game leader.

It’s still a mystery to me why my wife and I had been entrusted with the heavy responsibility of raising the next Maou. Nevertheless, I am proud to say that our nurture and education have produced a masterpiece. My wife would certainly agree with me on this.

However, there’s one thing we would like to clarify from the beginning. My wife and I would never completely give our son away to you! Whatever happens, he will forever remains Yuri Shibuya, our child. And if he is mistreated in any way, we will take him back, by all means. Yuri! My boy! No one has done anything bad to you, right? If anything ever troubles your heart, remember that your father’s shoulder is always here for you to lean on. You can always talk to me about everything, as a man to a man.

But tell me, Yuri, don’t you think that lately you have become somewhat distant to your father?
<noinclude>

''(This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here]. Please do not repost elsewhere.)''
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| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Afterword

2012-01-23T19:33:36Z

LRenne:

Are you in a good mood? This is Takabayashi.

Finally, my paperback book has made it's miraculous debut. When I loitered at the corner new book display, I could only sigh. Though I haven't won a prize or name, nevertheless it's a novel with fantasy (I'm super weak at that), first person (intensely weak) and almost all beautiful people except for the main character (tearfully weak). It's making is a considerable miracle. That makes my heart throb. This book is about a senior high school student who gets flushed to another world by petty chance; it's a fast story that's a fantasy anyway you look at it. But, it's a joke.

Casually, in the middle of some idle talk, "Come to think of it, there's many stories like this. Furthermore, the main character is certainly the hero of legend, coming back to the world to save it. If the main character was bleep, at another world bleep, what would happen if he did bleep? Ah, this isn't an H story." When we chatted about such things, sitting with T-sensei and A-sensei, GEG (not geeg, but 'great editor Goto-chin') was strangely favorable.

Then I said, "talk to you again", and the main character was completed en route to the Tokyo line, on the way back home. Even though it was idle chat. In addition there were a lot of jokes. Even though I decided, "This time I'll become a serious author for sure"...


When I started putting in all the details, I was inexperienced in fantasy in any way, and it was very difficult to come up with one name. I wanted to avoid overly exaggerated fantasy-ish (?) names, but would "Hi, John!" fit in a world of swords and magic? Well, I think John is a wonderful name. John Malkovich, John Cusack and John Manjiro are the best. But it's fantasy so, I didn't think it would be easy for a girl to relate easily to naming them... the result is a painful problem, I'll tell you.

Even though I wrote down various things, such coined words don't exist in modern day Japan, a little bit feudal, and yet an equal part strange. There are a lot of strange parts when I read it again. On top of that, I can't easily say it'll be concluded. Because it's a gag! Because calling such a slapstick novel a comedy is presumptuous! Please skim it with an open mind. I aimed for Sam Raimi's direction in "Captain Supermarket"![[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C11N1|[1]]]

Whaaat, I made a gag and survived.

Nonetheless, Matsumoto Temari-san, who was in charge of the illustrations, was different than those other foolish guys and wanted to draw more beautiful characters that were sure to make the heart tremble. Excuse me, Temari-san, I made you do gag pictures. But I think many people picked up this book because of your seductive cover (girl at the sea). It would be nice if everyone all over took it to their rooms. And GEG (thats means Great Editor...), sorry I was always half asleep on the phone. I couldn't grasp most conversations for the first five minutes...


And thus everytime I was contacted with, "It's important!", somehow it became Asaka-san trying to guess right, well, I should say 'sensei'. I'm finally able to register in the same league as Asaka-sensei. There's still a difference in our game stats; it feels like a difference in the tens, where I can't even see the back of my senior, like a mop-up ace in a throwaway match, aiming at the triple crown winner, running at full speed!

I expected to make a more victorious "afterword", but it's unexpectedly quiet and collected. I wonder if it's fine for the novel's postscript to be low-key. Would young ladies check the postscript, see this and put it back on the shelf... But if you like it just a little (or feel so inclined), thank you for buying and reading it. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thanks. When you close it, if there's even a little something left in your chest, please tell me by all means.

Your words are necessary to create the "Takabayashi Tomo" of the 21rst century.

Takabayashi Tomo
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 10

2012-01-23T19:33:21Z

LRenne:

"Uuugh, I can't believe it, why did it come to this?"

As I stared at the marble corridor outside the guestroom door, I put up with my nausea.

"It couldn't be helped; it's because you declared your were absolutely going to become the king."

Conrad is grinning unlike a noble, leaning against a pillar that could reach the sky.

"Even so, the coronation... I haven't seen a coronation like the one in figure 8 of the history textbook..."

"Only one person can nominate you; the presenter, Mother."

"You talk like it's the Academy Awards."

Until a bit ago Günter was with us, too, but as usual he sang my praises and ran off to prepare the ceremony. He praised my uniform, and one more thing, the incident in the village.

"But I don't remember using so much water magic at all..."

I can't comment on a pinpoint of the downpour; when the village was extinguished it stopped like it never happened. When a group of magicians arrived from the capital city, the smoke was just going up from the smoldering trees and wheat.

I only remember Brandon myself. After that it cuts off to pure white. Even if I get grandiose praise about saving the country, it's hard to believe that I, a completely ordinary freshman, did it.


"As I explained to you, magical power is the soul's nature. Your Majesty, having the soul of the late Maoh, you obey the rules of the four elements with pleasure, without going through the trouble of taking the oath and such things."

Without anyone's consent, it seems Günter spread around my personal affairs. Conrad is a little bit more objective.

"I think a place we rested on the way to the capital is suspicious. You and I drank water then. Though I don't understand magic because I don't have it, I can't help but feel that had something to do with it."

"Don't worry about that."

It's a miracle I didn't remember it myself.

From the far side of the corridor, the blond with wavy hair comes running. The intense navy blue uniform suits him; the mazoku Prince Wolfram. With a sigh I mutter to this beautiful man, Günter.

"What with this plain design?"

"...Huh?"

I was essentially told immediately after that it was a design developed only for His Majesty, and the black clothes I originally came in suited me the most.

"There really aren't any shoulder straps or decorations? Do you seriously think it's ok for me to look poor if I'm going to become the Maoh?!"


He glances here and there without looking at my face. It might be my imagination but his usually white, smooth cheeks were a slight red.

"Appearing without any treasure, don't embarrass my older brother and me!"

Before I could open my mouth to respond, Wolfram grabbed my chest and fastened a shiny golden decoration to me.

"Hey..."

"My uncle Bielefeld gave this to me when I was a child. It doesn't have any special origin, but it suits someone who hasn't gone out on the battlefield, let alone military merit. Anyway, considering Yuuri can't even ride a horse, he's the wimpiest king in history."

"Don't call me a wimp~."

"All right, settle down."

When he says all that in unnaturally fast speech, Wolfram half-runs away. The present fastened to the left side of my chest is a gold bird with both wings spread. Conrad smugly gazes after his little brother's back.

"It seems Wolfram has taken a liking to Your Majesty."

"Eeeeeh?! That haughty Prince Whatever?!"

To escape from that topic I open the door a crack, and peeking inside I get a bad feeling again. Noble princes from here and there have gathered to this country from various places today, in addition to representing various families, and some here and there that had human-like shapes.

The flying bone race that I've befriended and their relatives, the ground bone race, like gargoyles on an American building, people with four legs that look like gray leopards, palm-sized petit-macho men that make the sound of an aburazemi[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C10N1|[1]]] (maybe a fairy), and a huge tuna lying on the soaked floor conspicuously.


"A... tuna?"

I keep reminding myself that I have to get used to it, because they were all citizens. They don't look human, no, they don't look like mazoku. I began to forget my policy speech because of too much tension.

My aspiration as the Maoh; a plan for the Japanization of Shin Makoku.

"Umm, on the dawn of my inauguration as the twenty-seventh Maoh, my ultimate goal is to switch over to pacifism and popular sovereignty.... Oeeh... Conrad, I think I'm going to hurl... I'm so stressed... My stomach hurts... I need to get to a toilet again, where's the toilet?"

"Again?"

"Not 'again', it's my stomach. My stomach!"

"We don't have time for that, Your Majesty!"

The teacher in the white, tight Chinese clothes runs by with a worried look on his face.

"It will begin sooner or later. Are you all right, Your Majesty? As I explained, after you progress down the center, when you ascend the platform the former Queen, Her Majesty Cecilie will coronate you... Of course, even if we didn't perform the ceremony, the people's loyalty to Your Majesty wouldn't waver, your form has that effect in and of itself..."


"Gah, that's enough, so tell me what to do."

"I'm relieved to hear that. You're very determined. Just seeing the promising form of Your Majesty..."

Overcome with emotion, Günter, who was entering the "old geezer" mode, passed by the expressionless man. I panicked as Gwendal lays his hand on the door.

"Wait a minute, shouldn't you go in before me?"

Not just in looks but also in personality, the eldest brother who was probably the most suitable for the role of Maoh with the same pout on his lips as usual, forced a smile. That's a big treat.

"The former Queen has been appointed the honorable role of passing the crown."

"Is that right? I thought you were still going to get me to spoil the ceremony.

Because you're opposed to me becoming the king."

"Opposed? Me?"

His dorsal muscles freeze, looking like a smile, and with one step back he takes my chin in his fingers. Ah, there's an absolute height difference. But this isn't like in basketball or volleyball, or, I'm afraid to say, baseball; being tall shouldn't be related to being a catcher or a king.

"It's outrageous that I would do something like oppose you. I sincerely wish for you to become a good king."


"By 'good' you mean..."

"A compliant, submissive, meek king."

"You just plan on having the king at your disposal?!"

From behind Günter, who has become like an overprotective mother to me, Conrad carefreely said something unrelated. Come to think of it, it feels like that.

"Which reminds me, Gwen, Anissina came over."

The man who was usually a cool sale scowled at that instant. I've never seen such a scowl since I was born. With a click of hi tongue he disappeared on the other side of the door. I was surprised; even Gwendal has a weak point.

"Well, Your Majesty, are you all right? Are you tense? Take a deep breath, breathe in and exhale."

"What and I going to do?"

Accompanied by Günter and Conrad, I advanced down the center of the hallway as I was told. Jet-black petals were spread all over. It's a bad omen. Queen Cecilie waited on the platform and I approached on the stone staircase, with shiny golden curls and a sexy crimson dress.

"You, you're beautiful, Lady Cheri."

She had a full smile.

Thank you, Your Majesty. But you don't need to fawn over me right now. Today, you're the lead actor."


We stood in our positions just like artists at a live venue. There's a small, artificial waterfall at the front of the stage, I spread my hands in the middle leaving a softball sized hole. The water falls quietly to the side, making a thin passageway.

"Well then, Your Majesty, put your right hand in the center of the waterfall, and listen to the will of Shinou."

"Huh? But isn't Shinou dead?"

"Eeh? But only people led to the hole in Shinou's shrine who are allowed to become the Maoh can put a finger in there. And if Shinou recognizes the new Maoh, he'll clasp your hand gently."

All she says about a person who should be dead is "Eeh?"?!

Lady Cheri brought her lips near my ear, only pretending to whisper.

"I was able to put my fingers in, but no one grabbed back. After I waited a bit to make it look important, I slowly took out my hand and raised it high. Like Shinou really acknowledged me. See, Your Majesty, that's not really difficult at all, is it?

From behind Günter pesters me.

"Your Majesty, hurry."

"Even if you say to..."


I stand in front of something like the Mouth of Truth, a tourist spot in Italy, with my right hand hanging in the air, hearing the sound of water cascading with a "swish" sound.

"If I lie won't it bite me?"

"No way. This is made of solid stone. It won't make and sudden moves."

That's right. When I timidly put my right hand near the dark hole, my index finger and middle finger enter together. It's cool as I expected, and the air around it is saturated with moisture. Boldly, I put my hand in up to my wrist.

"Ah, that was good, if you give it a try there's nothing to the ceremony. All that's left it to put on airs and lift up your arm..."

Huh?

My fingertips hit something. Probably the inside wall.

"Your Majesty?"

Günter peers at me worriedly.

"Huh... Uwah, wah, there's, there's..."

Something cold grips my fingers.

"So, something's, grabbed me, uwah, yah, Conrad, what's got me?!"

"Got you?!"


With frightening strength, my right arm is pulled in. Wait, hey, I'm being pulled into a man-made waterfall, so a wall should be on the other side of the water!

Am I going to be crashed into a wall and finished off?! Before that, who does this power to pull me...

"Dohwahp!"

I'm thrust into the face from the face with a shriek like a chorus member. Günter tries to grab the back of my clothes and left arm frantically. Conrad calls my name and grabs my belt. But there's a wall of water between us, and only the warped sounds reach me.

Even though there's a wall of water, the wall of stone that should be there isn't. When I'm drawn in I gasp for air... While I'm gasping I get a sense somewhere in my head. When I came to this world it was through a public Western-style toilet. My return ticket is the same mode of transportation. But this time the water is cleaner, better. I got a little bit of an upgrade; is this business class?!

After that it was just like Star Tours.


Ya...ya...ya...

What is this, a mark of absence from a sumo match? I don't know whether saying "ya" repeatedly is for yariika, yankees or yanbaru kuina.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C10N2|[2]]] Yanbaru kuina, that's awful nostalgic.

Close to my ear the "Abarenbou Shogun Theme" rings, and I awoke surprised by Kintetsu's Chance. It's nothing but my own blue cell-phone, ringing to the set timer.

"Shibuya."

"Uwah, you surprised me!"

It was the "ya" in Shibuya. After he shakes my shoulder I spring to my feet, and I noticed it was the guy in glasses that I went to junior high with that was calling my name. Who was he, aah, Ken, Murata Ken.

My nose is soaked like I was drinking water in a pool. The wet cloth is stiff, hard and heavy, and my skin was cooled by an unpleasant dampness. I narrowed both my eyes to try and shake my field of vision somehow and saw my surroundings. It was a gloomy public women's restroom, with ashen walls, a light blue door, to my back a mismatched brand of Western-styled toilet, and a paper holder that has nothing to do with it. Peering at me is Murata Ken; two or three steps away is a uniformed policeman.

"Murata Ken... You didn't run away?"

"I couldn't run away and leave behind someone who tried to help me."

The policeman asks if I'm ok. And if I wanted to take a damage report, or if I knew the assailant's names and such.


I was dumbfounded.

The night game is starting.

After that, with the soft lights in the courtyard, I recalled a night game with someone else. I recall the promise I made to a child who didn't even know how to spell 'baseball'. I recalled most of my dream.

"Murata... I had some sort of amazing dream."

"What was it?"

I shook my head quietly. I couldn't even begin to tell him, it was too long.

"Ah, I see. Well, Shibuya, I had something I wanted to ask you but..."

The moment I try to stand up, a cold gem touches my skin under the clothes. After that, a momentary flash of light draws my attention to the golden wings on the breast of m uniform. I grip the golden wings tightly in my left hand.

It, wasn't a dream?

Günter, Wolfram, Gwendal, Cheri, Brandon... Conrad.

"...Was it, really a dream?"

"Eh?"

Murata Ken reaches out an hand to me with a vague smile.

"But the belt for your pants snapped off and... Well, I didn't want to ask because it's a question about your personal hobbies but..."


Suddenly, when I look down at myself, my belt is torn off, my button has flown off, and my fly is completely open. Peeking out there was the sexy underwear all mazoku purveyors wore...

"Uhyah"

Damnit, maybe it wasn't a dream...

It's not over.

It seems this isn't the end of the game.
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
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| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_9|Chapter 9]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Afterword|Afterword]]
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 9

2012-01-23T19:33:04Z

LRenne:

The village was burning.

We departed early dawn with ten soldiers on horseback, without telling Günter we were leaving the castle. I was riding with Wolfram but it was hard to deal with his wild horse-handling over such a long distance on the first day. Nonetheless I was becoming an experienced passenger and managed to endure the rough ride somehow.

The soldiers with us were terribly beautiful. Then again, they were Wolfram's private troops. In short, does that mean they all have an honorable lineage as pure-bred Mazoku?

When I feel someone's eyes on me I look up, and seeing one flying bone person (or should I say animal?) a little behind us. Why did I say I could feel its eyes when the holes in its skull are empty?

"My older brother should have arrived there by now, so everything might already be under control. It isn't that dangerous, but since you're a wimp don't go where I can't see you."

"Don't call me a wimp."

But it was already passed noon by the time we arrived, and the village was ablaze. Houses and fields. It was a considerably hot fire; even the clouds were dyed red. The soldiers ran around to prevent the shower of flames from reaching the forest, and the villagers were all lumps together away from the fence.


Women, and children, and the elderly. Everyone is dumbfounded, standing completely still. Just one elderly woman is crying and screaming.

"It's already settling down, like you said awhile ago."

"Strangely so."

"But we can already see it. Ah, what should we do? So much is burned down! I wonder if those people are ok."

Then we turned towards the village that was dozens of meters away, to try and head out of the forest quickly.

"Ignorant in the ways of the world as usual, third son."

From behind us, where only Wolfram's subordinates should have been, came an interestingly familiar voice.

"...American football guy?!"

He's the man I met the first day when he just had three men on horses with him, Denver Broncos. Let's see, if I remember right his name was...

"Adelbert was it?"

"Oh, you have a good memory! And I thought you were an idiot."

"Well sorry for looking like an idiot."

When I was the only one talking to them I turned my head to look back, and all the beautiful soldiers on horseback seemed to be frozen in place. In fact, riding in front of me, Wolfram was stiff, not even twitching.

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1167.jpg|400px|thumb]]

Adelbert approached us slowly, speaking as he looked at Wolfram's profile.

"You're too much. Is it ok for the king to be protected by just ten men? Moreover, they're all pure-blooded mazoku, so they're all stuck in a simple human magic barrier. You should always have at least one soldier who can dispel magic at a time like this."

So does that mean, right now, that all of my allies but me are trapped in a barrier that keeps them from moving?! I can't believe, the place we're headed to is right in front of our eyes. Is this like a car running out of gas even though you can see a gas station?

"Yo, we meet again new Maoh."

"Hi."

It isn't clear if he's an enemy so I greeted him vaguely. Even though he seems to be enemies with the mazoku, if anything he was nice to me. When we first met he arbitrated between the villagers and me, and taught me the language.

Besides, his full name is Adelbert von Grats. Doesn't that sound like a mazoku name?

"...They can't move. Is that your doing?"

"Yeah, you could say that. It's a human magic barrier that I remembered studying a bit. Why are you riding behind this guy? How did you win over the youngest son, who only wags his tail for his mother and older brother?"


I don't think I've won him over. Besides that, this man was acquainted with Conrad, and from what he just said he seems to know Wolfram and Gwendal well, too. So why is he being hostile? I addressed this question.

"Are you really a mazoku?"

Adelbert cocked an eyebrow, his forehead wrinkling as he answered shortly.

"A long time ago."

"Then why are you on bad terms with Conrad? Why did you come here to interfere with us?"

"Because I hate them."

Hate?

"I hate them to death. Their ways disgust me. So I came to save you from their filthy hands. How pitiful, a sacrifice from another world, you should hurry and leave this place."

"Save... me...?"

"You were suddenly brought to another world, and coerced into being the new Maoh, right? The Maoh is the enemy of humans. This world has become corrupted and fallen into ruin because of his heinous existence. You look like a young human with good intentions to be made out to be such a monster. Well, isn't that too much? Don't you think that's cruel?"


When I first came to this world I was positive I was a human. I'm just an ordinary high school student. Not someone who possessed the soul of the Maoh, like Günter and Conrad and Lady Cheri expected. But no matter how many times I told them no one believed me.

"They need a sacrifice. They have to set up a king on the throne. A pure boy who doesn't know anything can't pose any resistance, which is good for them. All men hostile towards mazoku will be made to hate their leaders. That's the only reason for your existence."

"...I..."

Albert's words echoed in my ears as he stood right by me, making me speechless.

"You're a good human. That's why the magic barrier doesn't effect you. Right?"

"...Ah, I am a human... I'm not a mazoku... Or the Maoh...?"

"Don't listen to him!"

Wolfram's voice sounded hoarse as he shouted. The uneasiness made my shoulders tremble.

"Ah, huh, you could talk?!"

"Don't listen to that guy! He's..."

It wasn't just my shoulders, but my arms were wrapped around his waist and his entire body was trembling. As he turned his head to face forward I could see beads of perspiration forming at the nape of his neck.


"That man, he betrayed us... He'll try, to bring you, into his group, too."

"Wolfram, if it hurts then don't talk."

"Well done, third son!"

The man he just called a traitor drew a long, slender sword, and pointed the tip of the sword at the mazoku prince's throat.

"Even if you don't overwork yourself by speaking, you're at a disadvantage because you have quite a bit of magic that you aren't completely in control of. If you let your senses go more easily then you would feel happier like your subordinates."

When I turned my head to look behind us, the mazoku soldiers who were following us looked like a drunk old man staggering around and their eyes stared into space.

Because of Wolfram's high pride it looked like he would burst a blood vessel.

Adelbert added insult to injury.

"Look, the humans you hate so much are setting mazoku land on fire. Wolfram, you always said it yourself. What can humans do? They're like worms, it would be a mistake if they opposed mazoku."

"Humans?!"

I leaned forward on the horse.

We leave the forest with another kick. I can see the scenes of despair and hatred from between the crevices of the trees. From the other side of the flames, silhouettes of what appear to be arrows fly through the air. There's no close combat with swords; someone is attacking someone else.


A mother is lying on the ground, covering her child. A soldier rushes up while he's crouching, firing back with his bow.

It's war.

I couldn't believe what was happening right in front of me, so I kept muttering to myself over and over.

"This is war, war, it really is, it's real."

Perhaps on this sort of scale it could be disputed what it should be called. But, for the first time in my life I'm seeing the "real thing" and I can't think of anything but "battlefield".

"...Where and where, no, who and who? Mazoku and humans?"

An elderly person running towards the forest to take refuge, with a hunched over back, suddenly flies up. They stumble forward to fall. An arrow pierced their back. They aren't dead, but even though it's far away it catches my eye.

"Why are they shooting them, even though they're not soldiers... No matter how you look at them they can't be a soldier. That person was a villager. Shouldn't the villagers be refugees?"

The humans were setting mazoku land on fire.

But, only human children and women and elderly lived on that land.

At the beginning my voice trembled faintly. With the emotions of shock and dismay.


"Aren't they fighting their fellow men? Aren't those human soldiers attacking a village where the children who have run away live quietly?"

Wolfram spat out at Adelbert in disgust.

"You did this somehow."

"I just gave a little advice."

When I lose my balance and wobble the chestnut horse stirs lightly. The reddish brown tail swings largely left and right. The man called a traitor spoke as I watched the terrible spectacle.

"They're not disobeying the teaching of the god they believe in. Don't you know? Last year there was a record setting crop and those guys increased taxes. They collected this year using the same calculations and so there was nothing left to eat. There were only two choices; starve or get more supplies. They asked for my advice. So I told them. Their neighboring village was here in the land of the mazoku that they should hate. Their god will not be angry if they steal from people who cultivate on mazoku land, and live on mazoku soil. They won't be charged with the serious crime of stealing from their neighbors."

"But then, if they're humans, then aren't they both humans?!"

"No, they aren't the same. This village has humans who side with the mazoku. People who side with the mazoku aren't considered their fellow humans anymore."

I grip both hands until my thumbs ache, and impatiently hit my thigh.


"I don't get it!!"

"It's fine if you don't understand. At any rate, come here and I'll take you back. You're not a mazoku, you're a human, right? You're a victim taken from another world, just because you had black hair and eyes, so that they can dress you up like the Maoh and use you as a scapegoat. Once you take sides with the mazoku, we won't be comrades again."

Adelbert lends me his hand to help me jump off the left-hand side of the horse. Between him and the horse, there wasn't much space between us. Without looking this way, Wolfram whispers lowly.

"Go."

"Eh?"

"From the looks of it, they're not planning on killing you. It'll be troublesome if you get hurt trying to resist. Go with Adelbert for now."

"But, you and everyone..."

"Don't worry about us."

I take in his words. If I leave them behind, what will happen to them?

Wolfram whispers briefly again.

"Hurry and go, Yuuri!"


I slowly turned towards Adelbert on the other side; he was holding out a hand towards me.

"That's right, Wolfram. The moment you lose this guy you'll have to summon some new kid. Even if you're safe your elder brothers would blame you for losing the candidate for Maoh from right under your nose. It's always a wise choice to protect him rather than struggle and lose his life."

Wolfram only bit his lip; he whispered something quickly when I separated my arm. I'm not sure whether I heard him or not. I caught some of it.

"...I'll come for you. Definitely."

In the blink of one second I quickly accepted many feelings and information, and drew from them what action to take. No matter what the result would be, I gave my best answer for the situation.

Which would I not regret picking?

"Don't think I'll ride with you because you helped me."

I forcefully get off onto the ground and I was about to say that my lower body ached from riding a horse for a long time and I was going to stretch out. I'll look for a good rider among Adelbert's subordinates and try to ride behind him.

"I hate big macho builds like yours. They give me an inferiority complex. Even my face would lose."

"Then who will you ride with? Or can you ride by yourself?"


"By myself? No way!"

As I said the "way!" at the end I clapped the foot of my dazed ally with all my strength. Though the soldier didn't wake up, his spur struck the horse's stomach, and with a neigh the gray horse broke into a run. Lured by the first horse, the others begin running, too. Flinching, they were frozen in place and with my kick dashed off.

At once the sound of hooves filled the air all around as several horse-riders, both ally and enemy, ran off into the woods in disorder. As Wolfram's chestnut horse was swallowed up in the forest, only Adelbert and I were left.

"...Why did you do that?"

"Wolfram chose one last person. That person was me; only you didn't notice."

Ah, it's too bad that no weapons had been given to me to defend myself, the last person left.

"Yuuri, I said that I would take you away from the mazoku for your sake.

So why would you do something especially to screw with us, eh?"

"I decided at the last minute to stay with you. This attraction is like a bad dream. But, just because I'm staying with you doesn't mean I'm on your side. I don't need you on my team."

Because he's not in my plan I announce that he isn't part of my future plans.

"Hey, hey, don't do that!"

Adelbert stepped towards me with his gigantic sword hanging from both hands.


"I told you not to be afraid, I went through great pains worrying about you. I should have broken one of your arms or threatened you to kidnap you from the beginning."

"Pl, please spare my right arm because I'm right-handed."

"It doesn't really matter if it's your left arm. But, the quickest way..."

Apparently the person I chose wasn't right for this man.

"I'll just have to get rid of the Maoh."

"Eeek!"

That was a pathetic scream, even for me. But he's wielding such a huge, long sword, and I don't even have any fencing experience. Moreover, his weapon probably isn't used for practice. It's for actual combat.

"Were, weren't you trying to get me away from all the mazoku?! It's not too late for that now! You don't have to suddenly change your mind and kill me, I can leave the country even if I have to walk!"

"You've decided to support the mazoku. That makes you the enemy. If the mazoku have the power of the Maoh, your existence will become more and more troublesome!"

"But didn't you say it before?! I'm a normal human, they set me up as the Maoh because my hair and eyes happen to be black. You said I was a scapegoat summoned from another world, even though I'm a normal human!"


The sounds of the blade swing around is awfully large and heavy and resounding.

"Would Shinou play a joke like that?"

"Th, th, th, then it's all a lie?! You were just talking gibberish when you said I was a normal human?!"

"I kept telling you that figuring I could get you on our side, but..."

Adelbert set his sights on me, I needed to pad the time.

"So that's what you're really like. That's too bad."

My back hits a parched trunk. There's nowhere to run behind me. Even if I dodged him once or twice, I'd be helpless after that. This wasn't like the duel with Wolfram. He had a lot of killing ability; there was also a great difference in their level of mastery.

The shadow of the sword he's brandishing over his head falls on my forehead. I gave up and closed my eyes.

When air vibrated as if a fastball had flown by a dead branch broke with a dry crack.

Splinters fell all over my legs and arms as I crouched down. Something dry and ball-shaped fell onto my lap and I gently opened one eye.

"Bo..."

One of the bone tribe that had been following me for a long time was "broken" with Adelbert's huge sword. Did it directly hit the spinal chord? It was almost completely destroyed and scattered about. The skull was sitting on my lap, and the light brown wings were going into convulsions.


He protected me?

"Kohhi, why did you..."

"That's the first time I've seen one of the bone tribe act like that. Risking it's life to protect its master? Che, strange, I beheaded it."

"What do you mean by 'strange'?!"

As I apologized to Kohhi in my mind, I stood up tightly grasping part of him (maybe his thigh). Of course, I didn't think bone could stave off a sword. But, if I simply closed my eyes and waited to die his death would have been in vain.

"What do you know about Kohhi?!"

Well, I don't know much about him, either.

Making no effort to hide his true nature now, Adelbert, who appears to be the villain, smiles.

"You feel sympathy for this race that has no will. This Maoh is an common person."

"Shut up! My commonness is my selling point, and I promise to reduce the sales tax!"

As I poise the bone... My weapon, with about a 3% chance of it being effective, some reassuring horses draw near. It wasn't a prince on a white horse, but Sir Weller and Lord von Bielefeld's troops.


Unfortunately for him, he couldn't do anything about being outnumbered, and in addition without a horse he couldn't do anything about it even if his hostage ran away. Adelbert dispersed and disappeared before the reinforcements came. Conrad ordered several of his subordinates to chase after him, and instructed them to locate him. Never approach him more than necessary, and don't try anything even if you think you have a chance. Because their lives were in danger here.

"They probably scattered."

Other than that, we exchange an embrace that would put the foreign actors to shame, and sand was thrown at Wolfram somehow.

"I'm relieved, Yuuri. I thought it would be too late."

"I'm relieved, too. I can finally understand what it feels like when men hug each other firmly in the movies."

They were just like this. While we pat each other on the back, Conrad's voice stiffened.

"By the way, what is that hard thing hitting my back?"

"Oh, this? A bone."

"A bone. Oh, I see, it is a bone. And what was your Majesty planning on doing with it?"


"Umm, I was using it as a club."

I energetically separate our bodies. I furrow my brows.

"I can't believe it, you were planning on fighting Adelbert..."

"But I couldn't let myself be killed."

"Ah, your Majesty, did you think it was like the time with Wolfram?! He and Wolf aren't even in the same league."

"Well excuse me for not being in the same league!"

The third son dismounted from his chestnut horse, and kicked the underbrush sourly. Though the effects of the demon seal had worn off, I couldn't compliment him on his complexion.

"Are you ok, Wolfram?"

"Hnn, there's no reason for you to worry about me."

"If that's the case I'm not worried, but-"

"He's paying for his mistakes. He did as he liked and brought your Majesty here."

Even if the youngest brother was scolded, he doesn't seem to have a speck of shyness. I quickly changed the subject from what I had asked about. "Besides that, how did you get here so quickly?"

"I was too slow. I was fighting near the border across the village, but the bone tribe that followed our troops sensed its companion's predicament. As I told you, they have a peculiar ability to communicate their thoughts. They can have conversations with only their spirits if they're not far away. So, I left that place to Gwen and met Wolfram and them while galloping here..."


"That's right! What should we do about Kohhi!"

I scraped up the remains scattered around the tree roots, and placed the skull gently in the center.

"Poor Kohhi... You gave your life for me... I'm really sorry, you might have had a wife and kids."

Although its sex is still uncertain. I can at least make a simple grave, and leave flowers on the anniversary of his death and equinoctial week. I know it's bad but I begin to dig through the grass with his own thighbone.

"Ah, just a minute, your Majesty, you shouldn't bury him."

"What are you saying? We can't leave Kohhi out here to get weather-beaten!"

"Because we have a responsibility to collect him. If he's buried how will he fly again?"

"Huh?"

"So, if we put him back together properly he'll be able to fly again."

"He, he's not dead?"

"There are a lot of mysteries about how they live."

"Really? You can really put him together like a plastic model? Then you won't make into into a strange new living thing by putting weird bones in?"


"It's fine, we have expert engineers."

A professional modeler? But I'm glad. Above all I want him to live.

When we finally came back out of the forest to return to the village, Conrad earnestly gave detailed instructions as he was dealing with the enemy soldiers who failed to escape.

"Although we're approaching the end, there's still remnants of resistance. Don't stray off where I can't see, all right? Because people hit by stray arrows lose their lives."

"S, stray arrows?"

That reminds me, what happened to that elderly person who was struck by something like a stray arrow earlier? While being careful not to leave Conrad's field of vision, I headed for the corner where injured people were gathered.

The cloth raised up to ward off sparks reminded me of the aid tents at sports festivals. But it wasn't a peaceful atmosphere under the roof; there were more than twenty injured people, lying down on top of the grass. While I stand there dumbfounded, people are carried in one by one.

They aren't mazoku nor man nor villager. They shout, and groan and cry.

A pale-skinned girl restlessly moves around by herself. Günter had called them a clan with healing hands. Is she, in a word, a medic? It seems in this country both men and women go to the battlefield. They're oddly progressive on that point.


"If there's something I can do to help..."

The girl raises her face and is amazed when she sees me. She looks around Wolfram's age but she must be older than me.

"No, your Majesty! Not at all, I can do this by myself."

"But more and more are coming."

"Umm, umm, excuse me for being so unsightly in front of your Majesty. Please, your Majesty, go and give directions to the soldiers."

I shook my head; it looks like I set foot on her territory.

"You're not unsightly at all... Everyone is hurt and suffering, and I'm not the type to give orders to troops."

As a new person is carried in the medic's mood seems to change. She handed me a box that seemed to be a first-aid kit, and pointed at the man near the entrance.

"This is inexcusable but could you please use this disinfectant on the patients with minor injuries over there? You will need to wear gloves. The cloth and scissors are here. Umm, your Majesty, do you have any experience giving aid to injured soldiers..."

"None but, maybe, I don't think I'll faint."

Because I've seen wounds like a pitcher hitting a batter with the ball, or from sliding or from cleats. The female soldier's expression seemed relieved, and she went to examine the patients with serious wounds. I boldly sprinkled antiseptic solution on a man who had cut his thigh. It wasn't like a cut from cleats; the flesh was open and pink.


"That's rough luck, you got hit without any armor. But don't worry, the wound is shallow. The proof is that I can't see any bone or muscle."

My hand trembled.

"That, your Majesty, that's too good for you..."

"Too good? The medicine must sting. Hey, just a sec, how about this salve?"

The young lady bowed her head towards me. There was a yellow gel inside the kit smeared on a large gauze bandage. I don't know whether I learned it in health class or the boy scouts, but wide bandages are wrapped around the thighs. The man continued repeating that it was "too good". Next, giving it all I've got, I examine the lacerations and burns.

I'm only a relatively active person but I've gotten plenty of scratches and bruises during extracurricular activities, but even so this was a "field hospital". After I treated some patients with minor injuries, a man lying face down was next.

There was a cut diagonally across his back but thanks to his clothes there wasn't too much bleeding.

He looked like a merchant who was attacked to test out a new sword. His light brown hair hung down to his dirty collar. A silver coin on a leather strip was moved behind his neck. Is it a good luck necklace or money from a country somewhere? Without much thought I tried to grab the glittering one yen coin.


"Don't touch me."

"Eh, ah, excuse me! I wasn't going to take anything, it's just kind of pretty so..."

"Don't touch me! Are you going to kill me?! Because mazoku won't let humans live."

"I... I won't kill you..."

The man grimaced as he tried to raise his body and groaned in pain. I don't understand all of the curses he repeats at me. He didn't look this way.

"Are you human?"

"Naturally, damn it, and you're with those mazoku! Damn, if you're going to kill me hurry and do it."

"I'm not going to kill you. What, are you scared of putting disinfectant on wounds as a grown man?"

"Disinfectant? Don't lie to the good people now, a mazoku saving humans?! You mazoku kill humans, so we kill mazoku back."

Neverminding that I put the fluid on his wound.

"I'm not going to kill you, be quiet already! Proof of that is that humans live in that village, don't they? If mazoku kill humans, then why are people living there?! It's you people who went there to destroy their quiet lives."

That's right, humans attacked the village, with swords turned against humans. The arrows were shot.


Even though they were both human.

The man turned his head to look at me, and I looked down on him from where I was standing.

"It's ok to destroy that place! That village sold their souls to the mazoku, it doesn't matter if we steal from them, naturally we'd burn a village like that! Our god forgives us; he lent us power to punish the mazoku!"

Because of the pain and bleeding, his laughter became slightly hysteric.

"God has chosen humans!"

"...What kind of god is that?"

The soldier with a bandage wrapped around his head got up next to us in a swaying motion.

"...What are you... saying to his Majesty..."

There wasn't a pause. He grips his sword, aiming his sword at the neck of the shouting human.

"Da..."

"Stop!"

The sword sharply cut through the air, and dug into the soft ground. The man's head was still attached to his torso. Fortunately, the weapon had broken. The medic girl lifted the man's chin and quickly applied a wet cloth to his nose. The injured man lost his strength, and his face pressed on the grass dead tired.

"When the wounded are excited, I'm afraid we have to put them to sleep."


As if this sort of trouble happens often, she smiles without losing her cool.

"Excuse me if I offended you, but, they're always unbelievers. You there, and you, watch what you do. All patients carried into my workplace are treated equally. I won't allow you to hurt one another! Ah, your Majesty."

She looked at me as I watched, overwhelmed, and saw the gem cradled at my neck.

"Is that an offering from his Excellency Conrart?"

"Eh, yeah."

"I see."

I don't know what she remembered when she nodded her head slightly and moved on to the next wounded person.

"It suits you, very well."

I staggered back to where Conrad was before, who had been giving orders to the soldiers. Soldiers came with clothes scorched here and there, reporting of a well.

"I see, don't get too close. Dig as wide as you can into the soil to entirely enclose it."

The subordinate bowed briefly and ran off.

With his arms folded, Wolfram didn't look particularly serious.


"When big brother comes back he should have the ground swallow this village. That way the fire will be put out and it won't spread to the forest."

"And what of the villager's homes and land? And the fields they worked so hard to clear?"

"Hnn, the fires were set by humans like them, so they should resign themselves to their fate."

Humans like them.

For no reason I'm drained of strength, and I weakly squat down there.

"Your Majesty."

Conrad kneels down, gently placing a hand on my back.

"Why did they do this... They say it's because they wanted food. To me is seems like they attacked this village because mazoku that despised humans, like Wolfram and Gwendal, hated them."

Wolfram snorted as if to say he resented that.

"Why should we do something so useless? This land has been mazoku land since long ago. If it burns naturally it's a loss. Besides, if the fire reaches the forest it's not something we can restore in one or two years."

The houses blazing up with dark smoke finally crumble down miserably. The farmland that was green and gold only a few days ago was licked in flames now. Several of the domestic animal had taken refuge in the forest.


"Why would humans do this to each other..."

Conrad was interrupted by a falling spark and pulled my shoulder back.

"I can sort of understand why you mazoku are hostile towards humans. Basically, umm, I can't explain it well but, it's sort of like how killer whales and dolphins are on bad terms... But that discord is because you're born different, I think I can understand it somehow. But why would humans be opposed to each other?"

That man's hysterical laughter from earlier ran around in my head.

"Isn't it like dolphins biting one another?! What kind of god wouldn't be angry at such meaningless, cruel things?!"

Falling between mazoku and human, I can't read his feelings in his low mutter.

"Well then."

Soldiers voices of fatigue and despair rise up, as the ashes of burned wheat fly away.

It falls and piles up on the grass, dancing around again when it's scattered by hooves.

Over and over again. Until it returns to the ground again.

"Then on the world your Majesty is from, humans don't fight each other?"

"...That's..."

The blaze illuminates the figures of the riders approaching. Subdued by only three riders, the man was dragged along in a large lump of cloth, thrown out in front of us and looked at a group of villagers.


"This..."

The person in the old rags came into sight. An arrow pierced through the right shoulder of the soldier's uniform, his eyes were red from blood from his forehead. With a pale face and low voice, a peasant man muttered it was more baggage. Though I can't see any injuries, both his arms and legs seem to be twisted strangely.

Bones.

Imaging the pain, I barely manage to gulp down the vomit that's welling up.

"Clean up over there right away. Although nearly all escaped from across the border."

Even in such a serious situation, Gwendal's expression didn't change much. As always he was sullen and handsome, and with the exception of blood spatter from other people on his clothes he didn't have any traces of combat.

After he raised his eyebrows slightly at the youngest brother who had come, he began to talk to his younger brother about the situation as a soldier.

"Adelbert fed this man lies to provoke him. It's no wonder he's trained. The misshapen soldier is considerably involved. It seems there was a fire magician among them. That's why the fire is so powerful."

"There's no sign of it weakening at all. We sent a message with one of the bone tribe at noon, but a magic user hasn't arrived yet so what can we do besides hold out until then? We'll do whatever we can to protect just the forest."

"Well, without their assistance we can merely watch. Or..."


Realizing I'm a spectator myself, I bite my lip and hung my head in shame. Gracefully dismounting, Gwendal ordered a subordinate to take his over-excited horse away from the flames, and standing up straight he looked here.

"Are you going to suppress the flames roaring over this village with that commendable water magic like that one time?"

"What do you..."

Water magic like that one time? Anxiety smolders in my chest. Günter also said something about water. Something about forming an avatar with an element and pact.

Do I take responsibility for something that happened that I can't remember?

"Big brother, it seems this guy can't remember what happened."

Wolfram said it bluntly, as if it had no significance.

"You can't call that miracle anything but luck, he was only able to do it unconsciously. In other words, the Yuuri we have now not only can't handle swords or magic, he's also an amateur at riding horses."

"A miracle, that I? What kind of incredible miracle did I cause?"

Conrad is glancing at me apologetically. That glance brings to mind the eyes of the homeroom teacher in the student guidance room. You don't need to make that sort of face, because I got kicked off the team for hitting the coach. Because I did it myself, and don't regret it in the slightest. They called my mom and after she apologized to coach and the teacher in charge of that grade for the fact he got punched, and she laughed and asked. So coach, what did he do? There was a bit of a bad incident where this kid got pissed off and punched me. Yuu-chan's been like that a long time, as a child he had a strange policy type of thing, and when anything happens to contradict it it's like he blows his top. Well, when he forgets himself like that he just wants to protect those seven letters, "justice".


Among the teachers, they seemed to conclude like mother like son.

If you believe what my mom said, I'm enforcing a small-town sense of justice.

But now, even if I try to recreate it I can't remember it offhand...

"Anyhow, if he can't be useful he can at least stay out of the way."

It seems like the eldest son didn't seriously expect that.

One elderly woman is drawn out from the villagers who are gathered shoulder to shoulder. Unkempt blond hair and a stream of tears cling to her cheeks, frightened in front of the extremely beautiful nobles, particularly mazoku. A soldier gives the woman his sword, and leads her to the cowering enemy nearby. Gwendal said:

"These people burned your villages. Kill him, humiliate him, do as you like."

"What the hell?!"

He glares with an expression that says, 'You again?'. But I can't let things be. As always, it's me.

I've thrown out the conduct I've learned according to a different world.

But, that's me.

I clench my fist, and stand between the woman and injured soldier. The lone challenger of the influential mazoku.


"You can't. Isn't this guy, in short, a prisoner of war?! There are rules for how you treat a prisoner of war. It says the wounded will have the equal treatment to the girl a bit ago."

"Conrart, do something about this troublemaker."

"I can't do anything about it."

As if Gwendal was a little irritated he put a hand to his forehead.

"That would be the story if he was an average soldier, these are ringleaders."

"It's the same thing, you can't deal out capital punishment as you please even if he's a ringleader! He needs a proper lawyer, and his guilt will be decided in trial..."

I desperately try to persuade the woman who hasn't lifted the weapon. "Ma'am, don't be coaxed by such a thoughtless group. No matter how famous they are, there's still bad and good. I learned enough in compulsory education to know you can't kill prisoners as you please. Whether it's junior high history or citizen's or whatever, it's banned because it becomes capital punishment."

"I... that..."

"That woman hasn't received an education. It's troublesome if they defy the nobles, so we don't like to give the human citizens unnecessary intelligence. Compulsory education is absurd."

"There's no compulsory education~?!"

In a world of swords and magic, what's going on with people's rights?


Although it may not be an effective argument but it seems that I've avoided capital punishment for the time being as the woman stands there hesitantly. I can't be relieved as I look around the area. For example, the fireman holding a symbol bearer,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C9N1|[1]]] or going back to a basic bucket brigade. But I don't see water anywhere. Everyone is digging up soil and pouring it on.

"Why aren't they pouring water on it to extinguish it?"

I calmly ask Conrad.

"Because the well isn't close. Besides, the blaze was started by a magic user, a little bit of water won't put it out at all. A normal fire would spread too slowly because they were ordered to burn up the target; unless we have a lot of water we can't compete just using water. Gwendal is a skilled earth magic user, so he thought to pile up the dirt to isolate it but the influence it has below ground might be too large, and the forest may need to be sacrificed... All we can do is wait for a magic user who can manipulate water."

Manipulate water. Isn't that what I did? I don't remember it, that time is a blank slate.

Wolfram was standing with a hand on his hip, and asked his elder brother in a trembling voice.

"Is this attack on our land a reason for a proclamation of war?"

"...Well, it's a good enough reason."

A proclamation of war?

Those words were rarely heard in the daily life of an average fifteen year old; I kept repeating those four words over and over in my head. A proclamation of war, a proclamation of war, a proclamation of war.


A proclamation of war?

"'A proclamation of war'?! You're going to wage war because of this?! This isn't a joke by some chance?"

I was ignored.

"...Think about it from different sides, Wolfram. Not a single regular soldier joined them. If we make this attack the main reason for declaring war, they can escape by discarding just one village. We need something certain."

"Then they can do what they want to remote regions of the country while we sit back and watch quietly?"

"You guys, listen!!"

They only glance at me, without looking as if they're going to give me a serious response.

The blood is rushing to my brain at a reckless speed. If my blood vessel was cut right now I'd lose it all. While I try to choose my words calmly, my mouth is stiff, and the tip of my voice trembles.

"Do you know any defense-only policies?! Anyhow, that means just protecting yourselves! That means never fighting yourself! That modern day Japan abandoned war for pacifism, and it's even written clearly into the constitution?! Being a Japanese person born and raised in Japan, of course I oppose war, too, not just 'oppose' but 'strongly oppose'!"

I point at Conrad, my tone raises at the end of the word as I speak.

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1197.jpg|400px|thumb]]

"Humans also fight each other on Earth, didn't you tell me that a little while ago?! Ah, they do, it's not untrue at all. But at those times there's always someone trying their hardest to stop it! The majority of the world's population want peace!"

I shout out halfway out of frustration. I don't understand Wolfram's or whoever's hot tempers.

"Is that the content of your conversations?! Purposely waiting silently until you have something more certain you can start a war with?!"

"...Don't shout."

Gwendal frowned like he was suppressing a headache. But my nickname is the Turkish March.

"Discuss it, discuss it! The farmland of the citizens of your country was burned. What are you going to do about it; how can it be secured? I want to absolutely avoid fighting, can't it be neatly dealt with domestically so that we don't need to from now on? That is, solve it by discussing it."

"Don't shout, foreigner from a different world!"

"No, I'll shout, I'm allowed to shout! I'll be Japanese until I'm twenty, even if I have the soul of the Maoh, I'll be Japanese until I come of age. I think Japan is more peaceful that this country, so even if you tell me to stop I'll continue talking! I oppose war, completely oppose, I'll oppose it my whole life, even if in death I'll oppose it!"


"So you've died once?!"

"Not bloody likely!"

I did it, I thought. Calmly, Gwendal, who didn't try to treat me like anything more that a cupid-statue peeing into a fountain in a garden, was caught up in an argument with me. Now that it's come to this I won't back down.

No matter how threatening looking like the Maoh is.

"You have no interest in becoming the king, so you don't have a say about our country! I have a duty to defend Shin Makoku, and an obligation to consider our national interest. The exaggerated ethics and lukewarm methods might be fine for place you call 'Japan' that you grew up in. But this is us; mazoku have mazoku methods!"

"Then I'll change that! I'll change the Mazola ways from scratch!"

This sky isn't dirty, this land isn't poisoned, this forest isn't in disorder, this world is beautiful. But there's something strange about this world.

"You guys are beautiful and cool, but the problem is you have bad personalities! Such as discriminating against humans, dangerous customs, privileged classes and liking war. So much so that when the other party mentions pacifism it's outrageous! They're both humans, but because they live on mazoku land it's ok to attack them! Doesn't that sound stupid?! 'God lends you power to fight' , what sort of disturbing faith is that?!"

"Your Majesty."

Of the three brothers, only Conrad calls me "Your Majesty". His topaz eyes seem to pierce me by surprise.


"They're absolutely mistaken, but even so it's useless to get us roped in. Even if we're in the right, war is a mistake."

Sorry, Conrad, the March can't stop during the climax. I feel dizzy from a lack of oxygen to my head. Who are we? What group am I joining? Wasn't I a human?

"If the King says we can't go to war, would the citizens obey that?"

"Your Majesty."

I spoke deeper and deeper, and shouted the next part.

"...I will become the Maoh..."

"Yuuri?!"

"I'll become Shin Makoku's king."

If I don't give the signal the game won't start for a long time.

The fire spread to the back fence. That sound of something like a small explosion is covered by a woman's scream.

"What..."

Trying to turn around, my body is bent and I have a coughing fit. A blow to my right ribs chokes the air in my lungs.

"Don't move!"


I'm in a full nelson with my chin being held unreasonably hard. A heavy metal touches my throat and chest and someone's breath is right next to my ear.

The cowering ringleader snatched the weapon from her hands. His eyes glittered, reddened with blood, and he took rough breaths with excitement and pain. Arrows were stuck in his shoulder and legs.

"Nobody move, if you move I'll cut this guy's throat."

I tried to turn my eye just barely to the side to see the man's face.

"It's useless for you to resist, either!"

"I understand..."

Extremely timid.

"I wonder if the Great Maoh will keep his lips shut. Like us underlings."

Someone clicks their tongue. Who is it?

I'm dragging along while he's moving, and the man speaks in a voice that's partially holding in laughter.

"If you're really the Maoh, is it really this simple? For a common soldiers like myself."

"...Ch..."

"Even though I'm not going to try and take you anywhere. If you guys even try to say a fragment of a spell, I'll probably die but he'll definitely lose his life, too! Don't get any ideas about going anywhere, I'm a soldier of twenty years too."


A pain like heat runs through my neck. Maybe there's a shallow cut in the skin.

The man carefully distanced himself from the mazoku, and demands a horse, water and food rations.

"You're acting like you're dying but aren't you the brat who said you're the Maoh right in front of us? But you're no good with swords or magic, I wonder if you're really the Maoh?"

"...I... can't... help... it..."

The tip of the sword touching my throat hurts but my ribs that were punched in hurt more. Each time I breathe my eyes tear up.

"Well, either way, there aren't two people born in this world with black hair and eyes. Even if you're not the King, I need to take you along to earn a ton of money. Didn't you know? They say you can gain eternal life if you get a person with black hair and eyes, I have colleagues who'll pay a load of money for that."

I heard it. Three or six days ago. Even though I can't control my own life and death, I can become a miracle cure for others; is there such an absurd life?! I shut my eyes tightly.

I'm sorry for shouting awhile ago; I'm sorry, so please save me. With all my might I raise my eyes, but not one ally makes a move, they watch with their breath caught at a distance.

The horse is pulled over, and a small quantity of water is put in the saddle bags.

Perhaps this moment is the beginning of my last chance? It's not possible for two people to get on simultaneously, even less so a hostage with a blade pointed at him. So, is the only chance right now?


"Get on."

The man turned the sword to my back. Seems he's planning to go through from behind. Unable to tell him honestly that I can't ride alone, I timidly put my foot in the stirrup.

It was the instant I crossed my right leg over the saddle.

A small black shadow quickly approached, and the arrow in the man's leg is pulled out.

The man screams like a frog. The sword cuts the tawny brown hide, and the timid grey horse neighs in a high pitch. It lifts its front legs, throws off its "baggage", and runs in fear.

"Darnit..."

When I thought my body was floating through the air, it crashed on a different hard surface; the ground. My ribs from before ache again, and I can't breathe in oxygen without it hurting.

"...Egh..."

My fingers grasp my chest and happen to fall onto something warm.

It's blood.

I can't see anything but the shadow of Conrad's back backlit. There was a shadowy mass at his feet.

The man had doubled over and collapsed. He shed fresh, red blood.

"...Is he dead?"

"Who knows."


There's a voice under my body, and in a rush I move my hips onto the grass.

Gwendal wiped off the mud and ash on his clothes. Why is this man under me? There's no time to ask the question.

Perhaps when I was thrown off the grey horse, because I catch sight of the small pitiable person who saved me.

The flames are already approaching there. Lying upside-down, the boy doesn't move despite the heat.

"...Hey..."

Fair-headed children with good physiques stood nearby.

"Brandon"

"Yuuri, it's dangerous, let me."

Staggering, I shake off Conrad's arm and get near the flames.

This child, because of humans setting fires, because of this malicious flame that someone started, because of this cowardly flame that can't be put out...

"Brandon!"

From the side a large fire flies, and somehow Conrad mowed it down.

"Brandon?!"

The boy turns up his face and I lift him onto my knee. His eyes were barely open, and he moved his lips. He's alive!

"...Your Majesty..."

"You don't have to call me 'Your Majesty'."


"...But, you're... going to... become the king..."

"Brandon."

I'll protect this village, I'll protect you, I promise that; I promise.

Something dripped onto the boy's cheek.

"I promise."

"Will you... t... teach me, how... to pitch?"

"I promise!"

Thunder suddenly pierces my ears, seeming in synchronization with my cry.

It whispers sweet, gentle and joyful things into my ear canals.

The rain begins to beat the ground...

Until every last one of us is dripping.

It seems it was a rare downpour.
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
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|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8|Chapter 8]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_10|Chapter 10]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 8

2012-01-23T19:32:49Z

LRenne:

Someone washed my body. Someone took me to my room. Someone put me in bed. Someone covered me with my blanket.

And someone was whispering in my dream.

Baseball? If I'm playing baseball I'm the catcher. If it's soccer, umm, I'm the playmaker? Anyway, I send out the instructions to the team on their positions. It's the highest form of supervision.

A grade school student can't supervise.

Well, that's too bad. All right, Yuuri, play catcher. If you don't give the sign, the game won't start for a long time.

"...If I don't give the sign... The game won't..."

"Is he waking up?"

I could vaguely see a white ceiling. A super beautiful man with ashen hair peered at me, and as his eyes moistened it seemed like he would cry as he bit his lip with a smile.

"...Am I... dead..."

"Please don't even say something so unlucky. Everyone all over the country has prayed, worried about Your Majesty's safety."


"That's overreacting."

Gunter shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "No way!"

"It's not overreacting, you've slept for three days."

"Three days?!"

"That's right. But this morning you were sleeping as normal, and the physician said that if you recovered from you fatigue you might wake up. There's nothing wrong with your body."

"I figured as much, because I'm starving."

At any rate there weren't and gashes or burn marks that stood out from that fiery monster that knocked me over. Either it was extremely heavy-duty or someone threw in the towel.

"Truly, not only was I amazed, but Gwen and Conrart were as well when Your Majesty had mastered water magic. When did you make a pact with the element of water? The incarnation in the form of beautiful serpents was magnificent. Since when..."

"Water magic? Element, pact? What are you talking about? Oh yes, is that girl all right?! Umm, the girl that fiery wolf lunged at."

"Ah, yes, fortunately there was no threat to her life. Just before Wolfram's fire lunged at her, Gwendal covered the girl with a barrier, so in fact she was only thrown by a minor surge."


Gwendal? Ah, so I see he's a good person after all?

"Even so. I see, ah, that's a relief. I was thinking, 'What would I do if that girl got large burns because I was such a wimp, maybe it'd be my fault, would I be the one to blame?!', my blood was rushing to my head... Huh, why did I go down?"

"Go down... No, no, Your Majesty, Your Majesty never did anything like 'go down'..."

"You don't have to make me feel better. I didn't have a chance from the start. I'm sure I was absurdly scared, although I can't remember it."

When I flexed my muscles, while popping my neck, I waited to hear Conrad's familiar "I knew this would happen".

"What is Conrad up to? Work?"

"Work. Actually, a village near the border is having a conflict, and he went with Gwendal to quell it. They understood that Your Majesty condition wasn't serious, so they tore themselves away with great reluctance."

In what country do they still use phrases like "person of doubtful origin" and "tore themselves away"?

From the other side of the door that was flung open, I heard a forced cough. The demon prince, Wolfram, was standing there with a sullen face. Even though he's truly a demon prince, the only adjectives I can think for the guy who would have beaten me up severely are "devil" or "Satan". Whether you called it "Jigoku"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C8N1|[1]]] or "Hell" or "Blood", I want to give it the title of a B-movie.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C8N2|[2]]]


Gunter lowered his voice with an unusually small smile, and told me;

"Well, afterwards Wolfram received a thorough reproof from Lady Cheri."

"Eh, that mother scolded her child?"

"If he got angry, I..."

"Don't talk so much Gunter!"

The scolded third son's footsteps were loud as he approached the bed. He looked slightly away from me, and it was unnatural looking up from that angle.

"And so young partners."

Leaving behind a meaningful phrase, the aged one left the room. "Wait~, don't leave us alone~" was what I really wanted to say, but I hung my head silently, and waited to see what he did first.

"It's not over yet!"

Wolfram broke the ice bluntly.

"Huh?"

"You did a little bit, but being in that much of a trance is disgraceful. You have a long way to go to become the Maoh."


He folded his arms with his chin raised. What a stuck-up guy.

"From now on when you challenge me, come at me with your full strength! Your cheap serpents can't oppose my fire magic."

"What do you mean 'serpents'? You didn't come to apologize to me after your mother scolded you?! What's with the high and mighty attitude! You don't look like you're remorseful at all!"

"Why should I have to apologize to you?"

"Because you just changed the rules however you wanted, and used magic that I didn't know... Ah... yet..."

I finally remembered that he was defeated. At any rate I can only remember the climax well. Perhaps I hadn't been defeated, and when Gunter said I hadn't gone down it wasn't to comfort me.

"That's enough, it's a draw, a draw. Even if it's just a draw it's well-done."

"A draw?! My victory is taking a battle to the end! But, I won't be ashamed. Who was the victor was known beforehand. If I can be knocked down by the likes of you, I can't stand the thought of myself as one of the ten nobles."

"..."

The energy I had for a retort was already lost, and I did nothing but utter a sigh. Did Wolfram's mood improve, or is he giving me a praiseworthy lecture scene even though he's an enemy.


"But my sword was thrown considerably. That's the first time I've been beaten like that. Did you fence in the country you grew up in?"

"Which one? Oh, the bases loaded homerun? No, that wasn't an art like kendo. By chance I played baseball, and the grip on the sword was like a bat, so I just swung it, ah, like I usually do."

"Are 'grip' and 'bat' the names of the weapons you're used to using?"

"No no. On of the pieces of gear you use for baseball is like a stick, as well as a glove and ball, and the pitcher throws and the batter tries to hit it, and if he does the batter becomes a runner, and the catcher takes out the runner."

"As I thought, a life and death match."

"When I said 'takes out' I didn't mean it like that. It's more about fun, an excitement."

"I don't get it, what's fun about hitting a ball with a stick?"

"Aaaah, you can't understand how fun baseball is if you don't actually see it! Ah, but I can't show you by myself... Or, this country's baseball population, which is only myself, Conrad and some kids..."

"When Conrart was talking to me, it didn't sound that great."

Because the second elder brother was brought up, it looked like it worsened the third son's mood a bit.


"He's going to his favored human village."

"Eh? I heard there was a dispute or quarrel..."

The children were in a village on the national border. Brandon, Howell, Ema, and two kids i hadn't heard the names of.

"Yes, we lent some refugees our plot of land. The wheat ripened early this season, so they're an easy target for the surrounding villages. They had a large harvest last year, so they're in all the more danger this year."

I felt like my blood suddenly drew back. Without notice my blood pressure rose, and my head reeled and there was a buzzing in my ears. Even though I should have been sitting on the bed, it felt like I was going to fall down a bottomless pit.

"What, are you worried about it? That's right, you were half human."

"How much... damage, how bad will it be... It can't be so serious that people are dying and such..."

"I've never heard of a conflict where there weren't casualties... What's wrong, Yuuri, need to go to the washroom?"

"No."

My body was mainly tottering from hunger and dehydration, so it took a lot of effort to drag myself out of bed, and I looked for my shoes.

"I have to go. I have to make sure they're ok."

"Go, huh? To the border?! You want to go see Conrart's face that much?!"

"I'm worried about the kids."


His voice was anticlimactic.

"Oh, you're worried about the refugees?"

"Shut up, this has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with me! Do you plan on going out looking like that? Fix your clothes, and besides that, brush your hair, you have a horrible bedhead. Besides that do you know what time it is? At least wait until dawn breaks, until then drink something. Oh, don't eat too much, your stomach won't be able to take it."

As he rambled on and on, Wolfram called to the other side of the door. He ordered a woman different from the first girl to bring food and clothes.

"Ok."

"O, ok?"

The blond prince spoke arrogantly.

"You wanted to go? I'll give you a ride."

What's with him kindly offering me a ride even though we have such a bad relationship? Does he plan on making me fall of the horse, with an ulterior motive to take my life for sure this time? Is it really ok to ride together with this guy, or is it a trap? As I was conflicted over it for several seconds, Wolfram became more and more arrogant.


"At any rate a worthless Maoh like you can't even ride a horse by himself! I can gallop with extra luggage on my horse without any trouble, even if you seem uncertain. You're the first Maoh to be such a wimp that it can't be helped!"

"Do, don't call me a wimp!"
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_7|Chapter 7]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_9|Chapter 9]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 7

2012-01-23T19:32:26Z

LRenne:

The clear sky quickly became cloudy, but the dark clouds only extended over the courtyard. A downpour that you couldn't even breath in clapped down on the pavement. With his eyes barely open, there was a reflection of Yuuri gazing at Wolfram.

"...Your Majesty?"

Gunter's voice was trembling as he called out, but he wasn't going to turn around.

Even his voice, not even mentioning the tone, sounded like a different person.

"You refused to accept defeat, running around wildly and ignoring the rules. And then an innocent girl was dragged into it, and still you greedily want victory."

"Wh, what are you saying like some sort of actor?"

"Is this what you call a real duel?! If that's the case, I can't let people like you do whatever you want! It's not my intention to shed blood, but I have no choice, I will slice you down!"

"What?!"

Though he said "slice", Yuuri's weapon was not a sword.

"Judgement!"

It appeared at the tip of his fingers like the fire magic that Wolfram used. It was two serpents that had fangs and were the same blue as the pouring rain.

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1153.jpg|400px|thumb]]

"What is this, how, that isn't a very king-like figure."

"More importantly than that, when did His Majesty make an oath with the element of water? Besides, it's virtually impossible to manipulate particles without saying the commands. How is His Majesty doing that even though no one taught him..."

As both people in Yuuri's group expressed their own thoughts, Gwendal muttered so lowly that neither of them would be able to hear it.

"I see, so it seems his soul is authentic."

"Justice" was faintly written on the translucent, glittering side of the serpents. It was really out of place. Without error it coiled around its Mazoku quarry. Wolfram let out a scream that was unlike himself, as he resisted and tried to shake it off. Every time he created flames at his fingertips, the downpour would squelch them. This was evidence that a water user had an advantage over a fire user. Victory or defeat of an embodied element was decided by the owner's status and ability.

"Get this thing off me! How the hell could you do this, so suddenly... You, who are you really?!"

"Who am I? Did you forget my other face?"

It was completely like a historical play.

"You, who selfishly snatched away an innocent life, I absolutely won't allow it!"


"Guh..."

More and more the serpents ("Justice number 1" and "Justice number 2") tightened around Wolfram trying to punish him when a soldier called out joyfully.

"He~y! She's recovered consciousness, she's not in any danger."

The girl was in the man's arms, with her eyes open as she recovered. She let out a small grown with a hand to her face.

"...I...why..."

Yuuri and Wolfram saw that. Wolfram wasn't about to make excuses. If he was going to kill him, then kill him. For a brat who only had some good looks being conquered was humiliating, and he would rather die like a military man than kneel and beg for his life.

However, the water serpents that were even wrapping around his neck evaporated and vanished rapidly. Out of strength, he sat down. Even Yuuri's radiant eyes weren't that of a normal person as he glared, and he pointed at Wolfram, declaring,

"Wolfram, undergo a great reformation after this! Even the lord has mercy."

"M... Mercy?"

Calling himself the lord, he gave a loud splash as he hit the muddy water.
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6|Chapter 6]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8|Chapter 8]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 6

2012-01-23T19:32:08Z

LRenne:

It was a bird that flew across.

There was no pollution in the morning air as I yawned as large as I could. When I opened the window to breathe in the fresh air, there were sapphire birds with long orange tail feathers, flying right by the balcony. They were beautiful, but squawked, "Engiwaru!"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C6N1|[1]]] in a horrid voice.

For breakfast it seemed everyone ate on their own. I packed away the bread and cheese that was brought to my room without much thought. Meals were the only time jocks would take quantity over quality. Rather than the top class malt bread,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C6N2|[2]]] they'd go for the all-you-can-eat one-hundred yen sweet bread. So the rare steak I had last night didn't really help fuel me.

After I ate enough for three people, Gunter looked like he was pale and worn-out. His hair and clothes were proper, but it's he had bloodshot eyes with dark circles under them. While pouring milk in a fourth cup of black tea, I raised my right hand in greeting.

"Good morning, Your Majesty. Most importantly, you seem to be in high spirits."

"You don't seem very well. You look like you didn't get enough sleep."

"Yes. I was thinking over today's... duel until sunrise. However, I wasn't able to come up with a good idea..."


"I thought about it for awhile, too."

After I thought over it as hard as I could, there was nothing better than the strategy I finally came up with. If I'm still defeated, then there's no way I could win; you could say it's my ultimate weapon.

"Is Conrad up? I want to borrow something."

"He got up early this morning to go out of town for supplies. He should be back about noon. But what do you plan on doing, Your Majesty? Wolfram is more slender than his older brothers, but he is good with a sword. He inherited fire magic from mother's side of the family, and he's this country's most prominent fire magic user. If you challenge him carelessly..."

Gunter sounded more sorrowful than the actual person involved as he choked on his words.

"You say that so seriously. But yesterday you told me people rarely die."

"I said that, I certainly said that but..."

"I don't plan on using swords or magic. I can't win with them. It's tactics, tactics."

"Then what sort of weaponry will you use..."

Just that instant the sun came directly overhead, and a horn signaled that it was noon. I took this opportunity to fiddle with the dial on my G-shock to match it to the time. After I played with it for a while Gunter hurried me out of the room. I had borrowed what I needed from Conrad, who had returned from town.


When we went out to the courtyard the number of guards had been reduced to a minimum, and the windows facing the centered were closed to keep it a private match. Madam Cheri waved at me with a smile from a VIP seat on the balcony. Gwendal was leaning against the wall with his arms folded and my opponent, Wolfram, reclined smugly on a chair.

He's a thin-skinned guy, so he must be irritated his that his opponent hadn't shown up. My first strategy was to make him lose concentration from being irritated. You could call it the "We've been waiting for you, Musashi"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C6N3|[3]]] strategy. It was pretty cheap.

"I've been imagining you begging for forgiveness while I pound you into the ground. I entertained myself thinking of that while I was waiting."

He wasn't very irritated. Operation Miyamoto Musashi was a grand failure.

"You think you can just decide that I'd lose? Maybe my grappling skills will finally wake up after fifteen years."

How is getting irritated going to help? Calm down, calm down.

I drew a circle in wax around the stone pavement, and I started preparing. Wolfram's expression changed.

"Why are you taking off your clothes?!"


"What are you talking about? You have to strip, too."

"Me?!"

"That's right. Because the uniform sumo wrestlers wear is their bare skin."

I had borrowed some new underwear from Conrad for that.

The common people wear trunks, while the rich people or nobles generally wear panties with ties on the side. As a gung-ho noble, Wolfram would almost positively be wearing the panties. I don't want to see him in his underwear, but he has a figure that looks like it'd come off easily during the match. If that happens then the match is mine. You're immediately defeated if it falls off. There is a rule for that.

"Sumo wrestling is a super heavy-weight sport, where man versus man in loin clothes, each trying to knock their opponent down. If they take a step outside of the arena, or anything other than the bottom of their feet touch the ground then they lose. It's a traditional and honorable sport!"

"Loin clothes? Arena?"

In my group, Gunter looked bewildered. Only Conrad understood, "Ah, Japanese sumo wrestling?". It's likely he knows a little from America.

"Come on, hurry and strip."

"Man versus man, trying to knock each other down almost na, na, naked?!"

"Right. With bouncing bodies, and sweat scattering."

"Stop screwing around! You expect to challenge me to such a savage and lewd match?!"


"Lewd?! How can you say something so rude about Japan's national sport? It's much better than killing someone."

Madam Cheri waved largely at me from the balcony.

"I love this game~!"

She threw a passionate kiss.

"...I guess it can't be helped, then, you can keep your clothes on. Hurry and get in the circle."

Did Wolfram think this was the same as the standard boxing ring? He came in looking all important like a procession of sumo wrestlers. Except it would be like only the grand champion was announced, and I tossed my jacket out of the ring. "I explained it the best I could, although you probably don't get it... Well, that horn awhile ago was the signal to begin, wasn't it? Ok, we just have one shot, like on Gachinko,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C6N4|[4]]] Sir... Wolfram."

I was completely hesitant. I can't just call him by his last name.

Hastily, directions are sent to the watchtower and a loud "Begin" is announced.

From the start I take a low position, and with a quick forward movement I struck Wolfram's waist while he was unprepared for a lunge. Instead of a loin cloth I took hold of his belt. It was an instant victory. There wasn't even a battle.

"Uryah!"

"...Che."

Although I didn't plan on taking out his legs, my opponent tumbled over facing up.

"...Huh?"


Not understanding what just happened, the pretty boy tumbled back stupidly with his mouth half open, staring up at the sky above. Just yesterday that's how I felt. How pitiful. Completely forgetting his hatred and hostility while in his daze, Wolfram looked more like an angel deceived by a demon than a noble of a Mazoku family. But nothing would get solved while I was sympathizing. I slowly started to feel excited. Could it really be true that I won? According to the sumo wrestling rules, nothing but the soles of the feet are supposed to touch the ground... To say nothing of his entire body touching the ground.

"That's it! So I won?! I won!"

If I asked a sumo referee fan, "You win!"

"I won I won I won I won! Yay!"

"Your Majesty! It was a splendid battle."

Gunter was already moved to tears and, losing his composure, he clung onto me.

"I told you I had a winning strategy! You just have to use your head, and think smart!"

"This duel that was born out of Your Majesty's profound benevolence, without a drop of blood shed on either side, will be a moving tale for ages to come among the Mazoku."

"People will talk about it more because it's a funny story than a moving tale."

"I hope this settles everything."

The only person who seemed calm was Conrad, who murmured something while offering a hand to his fallen brother. In a flash his white skin flushed red, and the loser of the match swiped away his brother's hand.


"What kind of idiotic victory is that!"

"Wolfram."

"How can victory be decided with a game from another world!"

I feel stupid that I ever felt sorry for him. He really didn't learn his lesson. The humiliation fueled his anger, and seemed to burn up the fact that he'd been defeated.

"Listen, you! You plan on becoming this country's king?! Then win using this country's methods! If you're the Maoh, you should have a Mazoku duel!"

"Wait a minute. You said before that I could use whatever method I liked. You're just mad because you lost. Don't be such a poor loser. That's not very manly, is it?"

"Shut up! Someone, bring my sword."

A soldier ran up. In a flurry I retorted in a high voice.

"Hey hey hey, wait, wait a minute! Seriously, wait. If we use real swords won't we die?! Don't start taking this seriously after you lost!"

"Then you weren't serious in that crappy match we just had?"

"Don't call it crappy!"

Bit by bit it started to sound like the stand-up comedy act of a married couple. Gunter tried to mediate.

"Wolfram, isn't this a condition of your own suggestion? I can't ignore such selfish demands."


"Then what are you going to do? Are you going to fight in his stead? Is the man who calls himself the new Maoh going to use his subordinate to fight a one-on-one match?"

While I was thinking how this bastard had a comeback for everything, the logical part of my brain was having a strange premonition that I didn't have before. I have no idea where such wisdom was coming from; the right or left side of my brain. Without even noticing... the way I was looking at my surroundings had gradually changed; my senses weren't clear. Without taking my eyes off my opponent, I asked Conrad next to me.

"If I become the Maoh, ah, by some chance, I mean. By chance. If that happens, will that guy be my ally?"

"Of course."

Conrad nodded deeply. He wasn't just saying it because he was his little brother.

"And what kind of person is he? Would he betray me because he hated or resented me?"

"No."

"Then, for larger causes, he's the type who would even cooperate with someone he hated?"

"If we're talking about Wolfram, then no matter how much he hated someone, I think he would compromise for the sake of Mazoku in the end. He has pride as a Mazoku. And he wants to keep Mazoku at the top of this world. So even if it was someone he hated, if he believed in the cause, he would probably follow them."


"I see."

"And may I add one more thing? About Gwen. He loves this country more than anyone. He's more serious than I am. But he has nothing but love and devotion towards Mazoku and Shin Makoku."

He seems to be suppressing a throbbing wound.

"...That's the problem."

If I'm to believe what he said, Wolfram is an ally. Even if we're on opposing sides in this match, somehow we'll be on the same team. My calculations and emotions were in union.

"I get it. Give me a practice sword. If I have to do this to make him feel better, then I have no choice but to settle this quickly."

The only way to fix his wounded pride was to fight with real swords.

"Honestly, I'm an amateur with swords so I can't win. But even if I lose this time, it'll still be a draw. I didn't have good odds to begin with, so even if we draw I still did good, didn't I?"

If we can call a truce with a draw, there shouldn't be any quarrels in my team.

"I thought this would happen."


Conrad took a sword and buckler he had set against the wall, and after he handed them over to me he called for Gunter. At that time the elder replaced the weapons on the other side with ones used for practice, with some wise words.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. You can see it's incredibly strong because of its large size, but there isn't a blade. If it hits you in the head it'll crush it a bit, but it can't pierce your heart."

"But if my skull caves in I think I'll be on my way to Heaven..."

Conrad unfastened two of his buttons and pulled out a strap hanging around his neck.

It was about the size of a 500 yen coin, with a silver border around a circular gem "Your Majesty, take this."

It was a dark blue; darker than the sky.

"It's Lions blue."

"My... friend gave it to me. I hear it's a charm for protection, but this morning I was searching around town. This is a demon gem, so it shouldn't work for anyone but someone who has Maryoku. Whether it's fortune or defense or offence, it should be useful for something."

"You're giving it to me?"

"Yes."

The tutor cleared his throat forcefully and interrupted.

"Be careful when you accept things. The act of receiving a gift is to accept that person's loyalty, even if Your Majesty doesn't want it. I don't mind for myself and Conrart, but you shouldn't try to increase the number of your loyal servants without knowing it."


"So you're saying not to accept things carelessly? What's with that? It sounds like elections."

The stone part of it was a little warm when I put it on my chest. Rather than something miraculous, it's more like when the toilet seat is still warm from the previous person who sat on it. I stood up on the hard, gray earth, with the sword in my right hand and buckler in my left that I'd held for the first time last night.

Wolfram didn't have a buckler, but was hoisting his sword with both hands, aiming for me like Ichiro[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C6N5|[5]]] in the batter's box.

"I wonder if that's really a practice sword..."

It was more like a giant��frozen swordfish[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C6N6|[6]]] than a sword. That or a frozen salted-salmon. Swinging around that sort of thing alone would knock a ball out of the stadium. I feel like I'm chickening out before we've even started.

"I, I planned on giving up as soon as possible, but if I can't talk after taking a hit from that, please throw in the towel quickly."

"Give up? The towel?"

Conrad answered suddenly like an American.

"Ok, Yuuri."

"Are you ready, foreigner!"


They sent me there without my permission, and now they're calling me a 'foreigner'?

"My name is Shibuya Yuuri. If you want you can use 'Lord', I don't mind."

"Don't screw with me!"

The match suddenly started. Wolfram came at me with a huge swing, aiming to strike me down with that salted salmon. In an instant I move myself under it and hold up the buckler overhead at the center of my body in order to reflect it. The impact felt like it had been hit by a metal ball, and the pounding passed through my whole body. The outfielders are shouting at me frantically.

"Your Majesty, avoid it, avoid it! It'll be dangerous if you receive a direct hit!"

"Stop giving me so much advice, Gunter. If I wasn't used to it my arm would have been broken in one hit. It may be instinct, but Your Majesty's judgement is correct."

It wasn't rational judgement, just years of habit. Anyway, I was told even if you have to take a direct blow, or jump on top of it, absolutely never let the ball pass. In short, it was my job to get the ball.

Even before I sent it back, another swing came. And again, straight from above. It's impossible for the buckler to absorb all of it. My left arm and elbow and shoulder are getting numb. Continuing on the right side, from above again. "What's wrong? What are you holding a sword for?! You're just leaving your right hand hanging uselessly! Or are you frozen with fear?"

"Shut up."


Calm down, don't rush, Shibuya Yuuri.

In front of me a massive iron weapon was coming. It was glistening in the afternoon sun, with silver lines etched across it. Stay calm, my arm hurts, keep my balance, bring down my center of gravity, I can't blink, there's no time, tilt forward, switch to offense when there's a chance, if you say kendo it's about the face, face, body, sweat is getting in my eyes, face, face, body, soaked.

I'm not chicken. But, when something is coming at your face it's scary. When they're holding it up, and you already... You've already caught a ball thrown by a pro player. Are you still scared of playing on a junior team?

The breeze from that day.

There's no ceiling above.

I'm not scared anymore.

"Your speed isn't that scary."

"What did you say?!"

Resolutely, I tossed aside my raised buckler, and my opponent pulled down his stance. With that chance I grabbed the hilt of my sword with both hands, putting it in front of me to protect myself.

"Ah, he threw away his buckler. Ah, I can't look, Conrart. Hurry and throw in the toaru,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C6N7|[7]]] or bedpan!"

"Not yet. Your Majesty is reading Wolfram's rhythm. The foundation of his attack is exemplary, but is always predictable. Look, he just barely stops with his sword. Besides, I didn't bring a towel."


"Right."

I can read where he's aiming at next since Conrad pointed it out. But it didn't have anything to do with his foundation or being exemplary. Rather it was understanding my opponent's personality.

His meal sequence has been decided. There's never any change in it. It's the same rhythm as before. You can read pitches that never change before long, and the pitcher will get eaten, This is the same.

The metal crashed against each other in front of my face. Even though sparks were flying I clenched my teeth. My small finger on the end of the grip became numb from the light vibrations.

"...If I was your coach, you wouldn't be a starting member because your timing is always the same! Such a dull pitcher is..."

If you get attacked from the side it would take longer to compose oneself than if you got hit from the front. I jerked my right leg and shoulder at the same time, and brought down my sword forty-five degrees for a square position.

The take back, my opponent synchronized, and I stepped forward with my left leg. I put more strength into my thumb as his bat, I mean, blade hit my blade. I never drew back my hips, but I didn't rush to tilt forward either; my body's axis is fixed in place.

"...Damnit!"


A swing through!

It was the high-pitched clang of metal bats that I was used to hearing. The base of my arms hurt intensely. The impact gradually became a shiver, and spread through my ribs and hips like Morse code.

Wolfram's giant weapon flies through the air, sticking in the ground with a echoing murmur.

"...Hyahou~."

It feels like a homerun has been hit, with bases loaded, to turn the game around, but from a distance it was a second fly ball. Either way, my opponent was unarmed now, and I awkwardly try to find a compromise for a ceasefire.

"...I'm worn out already, so if it's ok with you, maybe we could call it a draw for today... Uwah!"

I jumped back in shock. Pale-faced, Wolfram had something the shape of a basketball in his right hand, with only his middle finger out a bit, and orange fire ball rested on it.

"Wolfram!"

Gunter cried out.

"His Majesty hasn't been taught Majutsu yet! Don't start using fire magic because you were defeated!"

"I'm not defeated!"

"Th, that's why I said we could call it a draw."


"It's not a draw, either. We're continuing until one of us can't fight."

His beautiful face was twisted with anger, and the Mazoku prince thrust out his right hand.

Gunter shouted some sort of incantation, but there was only a small explosion high in the sky. For a normal person like me I couldn't imagine the process, but it was probably a clash back and forth.

"Gwendal! Why are you intruding?! If we don't stop Wolf, His Majesty will..."

"You're the one who is intruding. This is a chance to see if we made an error. If he's truly the Maoh, he shouldn't be able to be defeated by someone like Wolfram."

"But His Majesty hasn't made a pledge with an element yet..."

"Magical power is..."

Gwendal separates himself from the wall, turning around, as he interrupted Gunter. As usual he had a sullen, beautiful face.

"Magical power is the nature of one's soul. It's not something that can be obtained by learning or wanting it. If that is the true Maoh, even if he hasn't undertaken the oath or teachings, shouldn't all the elements want to follow him? They would kneel before such a noble soul."

I wasn't in a position to be listening to the conversation of the outfielders. I should be the true Maoh, I mean, even if there's some slight possibility that I am, my confidence that I could win a match of flaming dodgeball was...

"Everything made of flames, obey the Mazoku who slaughters the creator!"

I wonder if I'll be able to use that phrase if I remember it in the future. I don't have time for that right now. I started running. Run away, get away! Surely there'd be a chance for a counterattack, so for now I need to get somewhere where the fire balls won't get me, I need to run as far as possible even if that means just one more step!


"Read my will and obey!"

I accidentally plunged forward and fell down. But the fireball that had gotten even bigger grazed over my head and hit the wall. The unique and horrible odor of burnt hair irritated my sense of smell.

I'm going to be killed. If one of those things hit me I'm going to die!

Why? Why me? I decided to go along with them until the END mark, so why must he surprise attack me with unscientific balls of flame?!

Conrad pulled out his sword, and Gwendal pointed the silver tip of his sword at him.

"Gwen, undo the barrier. If you don't, I'll stop Wolfram even if it means cutting you down."

"Cutting me down? I wonder how true that is, Conrart."

"It's entirely true."

Wolfram seemed to be entirely serious, too. This time it wasn't a ball of flame. With a small bend of his middle finger, the air began to tremble. This tips of his fingers became red like blood, and that colored swelled and suddenly became a beast the size of a wolf. But it was still fire.

"What is that?"


With a cruel smile Wolfram let loose the ferocious beast.

What is this? If I can't win with sumo wrestling or swords, what can I win with?! If the last match will decide everything, what were those previous ones for?! The beast went the distance I had so frantically run to in three steps, and I stood, simply watching. I couldn't move. Even if I could move, where would I go? It could catch up to me with those four legs. I was thinking, "This can't be happening" even more than being scared, and my mouth was hanging open absent-mindedly.

The moment it was going to attack me with its front claws I ducked my head in a flash. It was so close that it jumped right over me, and with the power of its leap it couldn't stop. Normally it would hit a wall.

Unfortunately, there was a corridor that way, with a person running across with short steps. I twisted my neck painfully and tried to shout at her to watch out. Seeing her, I'm sure she's the one who brought my change of clothes yesterday.

"Watch out!"

"...Chi!"

We were all too late. Me, and Gunter, and Conrad.

The blazing beast kept lunging straight ahead, and without a scream the girl was flipped. At the same time the wolf disappeared. It knocked down the wrong target.

"...This is..."

The nearby guards rushed over, confused. A sharp pain in the right side of my chest felt like one of my ribs broke. It became painful to breathe, as my heart beat in a low bass.


"This is your victory?!"

A hot sensation began spreading from inside my body that wasn't quite from my hips or stomach. It ran through to the end of my nerves, and triggered an alarm in the back of my head.

"Involving a girl who had nothing to do with this, this is..."

Pure white smoke played in front of me.

I don't know whether or not it exists.

Someone whispered lowly inside of my ear.

Finally...

Finally, what?

And with that, my conscious...
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5|Chapter 5]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_7|Chapter 7]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 5

2012-01-23T19:31:52Z

LRenne:

I'm about to cry.

I can't believe this. How could this happen? If you slap someone it's a marriage proposal, and if you pick up a knife it's a duel?! According to my common sense, it's either red roses for marriage or gloves for a duel. Just because I didn't know this country's customs, I'm standing at the crossroads of life and death.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!"

Even if I rolled around on the bed I wouldn't fall off because of how wide it was. So wide it almost made me feel lonely. Only now, at the age of fifteen, do I understand why girls keep stuffed animals with them.

"What am I going to do? How am I going to get out of this one?!"

I compose myself, trying to think over the pinch I was in. I try to think back to any other crisis I've gotten into that's worse than this... But I can't think of anything.

"There isn't anything! Nothing this cruddy has ever happened to me before! Things like duels aren't normal!" Calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down. What'll I do if I'm beat up before I even face the enemy?

Awhile back Gunter was teaching me about it while suffering from a runny nose and watery eyes. The custom of winning by killing your opponent had died out hundreds of years ago. Duels these days were only a question of pride, and people rarely lost their lives.


Yes. Rarely.

Meaning that there were exceptions.

I thoughtlessly squeezed the pillow between my legs, and groaned loudly, "What am I going to do?" As if in answer to my question, there was a knock on the door.

"Your Majesty."

"What?"

Conrad came in carrying various things.

"Great. Your Majesty hasn't gone to sleep yet. What are you holding between your legs?"

"Ah? Oh, this? It just made me feel calm. I don't think I can go to sleep."

"Is that so? I thought as much, so I brought these. Come on, Your Majesty. Practice, practice."

"Practice?"

He brought a leather 'tray' and 'pole'; when I grabbed the tray it turned out to be a buckler, and when he pulled out the 'pole' out of its scabbard it turned out to be a practice sword.

"Please hold the sword in your dominant hand. Yes, like that. This is a one-handed sword. And hold the buckler on your left-hand side. Try swinging it. How is that? Tell me if it's too heavy. I did my best to choose the shortest type of women's sword for you."


It was a little heavy for just one hand when I swung it. It was a simple weapon; a dull silver color. Holding the hilt reminded me of something very familiar.

"The grip is like a baseball bat. But the weight more like the ones the pros use, or a metal bat."

"Is that so? I hadn't noticed. It is like a bat."

It had already been a long time since I had played baseball. A long time since I'd felt the ball, or bat, or mask or mitt.

"The grip on this brings back fond memories. It'll be about a year now."

"Why did you quit?"

"Eh?"

"Baseball."

As he asked that question with folded arms, he also had a cheerful smile. I placed the sword on my lap and fell back on the bed, looking up.

How nostalgic. I wasn't mad anymore, but the memory was a little painful.

"...Awhile back I flipped out and hit the coach, so I was kicked out immediately,"

"And that's the reason you left the team? I wasn't asking why you quit the team. I was asking why you quit baseball."


"Why I quit... baseball. Even I can't explain that."

"Then maybe you haven't quit yet?"

"Huh?"

"I mean that you're not done yet."

Like Santa Claus or some sort of magician, Conrad held out a ball in the palm of his hand. The skin had turned yellow from being used a long time, with worn out red seams.

"A ball! Hey, what a breakthrough! The hardballs of this country look just like Japan's!"

"Shall we give it a go? To see if it feels the same throwing it."

The courtyard was surrounded by buildings in every direction and soft rays of light were pouring into it from all the windows. There's a moon in the sky, and a yellow semi-circle around a torch above the ground.

The only spectators were guards at strategic points. But.

"Looks like a nighter."

"Nighter? Oh, you mean a night game."


"This country has a word for a night game? Do people here play baseball at night?"

"They don't. There's very few people who play baseball... Only myself and some children who are interested in it..."

Conrad passed me his own personal glove. Just as I had thought, it was a glove. Not a mitt. I muttered, "Oh well, can't do anything about that" as I adjusted my index finger on the outside, trying to grip the rough, tawny leather. The model was a bit old, but it was almost brand new and made for an infielder. I usually used the model type Zett, but this didn't seem like Mizuno or Descente. Of course this was a different world, so there shouldn't be any brand names that I know. But this familiar-looking boomerang mark is...

"No way... Nike..."

From about 10 meters away, Conrad was waving largely at me.

"Your Majesty, let's take it slow."

I held the glove up by my tilted head, and snapped the glove shut as I caught the hardball. Leather ramming into leather had a special feel to it. There was a shock to the middle of the hand, and an ache that slowly circulated down to the elbow.

"So this is hardball."

That's right. But it was emotional. Until now I'd been playing softball.

I grabbed the ball with my right hand, and it was unexpectedly smooth. When I looked closely there was a faded line that looked like something had been written there. Naturally, I couldn't read the Mazoku letters, but looked like he had childishly written his name on the ball. I pulled my arm back, and lightly tossed the ball back. Because it wasn't as far as I thought, it made a good sound when he caught it.


There was a big difference in temperature between day and night. Even though it was 'Spring' I could still see my breath. It was like a scene in the "Field of Dreams". After warming up, I figured out that Conrad was having fun and asked him,

"Should I try squatting a bit?"

"Squatting?"

"Yeah, umm, walk about half a dozen paces away. Good, that's fine. Now throw it here."

"That's quite far, Your Majesty~."

"It's ok, I'm already in high school! Look, just throw a straight pitch, right down the center!"

I squatted down and focused on the soles of my feet. The ball came with intense force, but I caught it at knee level between my legs. The weight and speed were more than I expected because he had such bad form.

"Who taught you how to throw like that?"

I threw the ball back and was surprised by his bad form and even the position of his fingers.

"Your speed is good, but where, and who the hell taught you to throw totally wrong like that?"


"No one taught me. I watched baseball games on my own, and got a feel for it. I couldn't see how to hold or throw it very well watching from a distance."

"If you say there were games, then you had practice, too? Then there has to be a coach and students, too. Fine, you should hold the ball with three fingers along of the seam."

"I see... Hmm, can you really throw a ball well like this?"

"Isn't it obvious?! If you have a tight grip on the ball it'll be hard to let it go. When you mentioned games, where were they? I thought this country didn't have anything like a stadium? Do people go out Fridays nights for beer, and watch the Giants[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C5N1|[1]]] play night games?"

"The Giants were a National League so I didn't know them very well... But, Your Majesty, there is no baseball in this country. The games I mentioned weren't in this country."

I stuck my glove in my armpit and played with the played in Conrad's hand, showing him how to hold it as he hesitantly answered. Look, this is a four-seam ball,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C5N2|[2]]] because the intersecting stitching can make it look like a rising fastball.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C5N3|[3]]] I'm not really listening because I'm more focused on showing him how to do it right.

"Are you moving your body weight when you wind up? Otherwise your pivot foot won't be firm. This time keep your eye on the target. Don't look away from my mitt. And you take short strides. I can't show you how to do that, you just have to keep practicing until you find the best spot for you. Your follow-through is strangely large..."

Somehow I enjoyed explaining that. When I held his hand and shoulders and moved him around, it reminded me of my childhood and gave me a warm feeling inside.


"...I wonder if this is what it was like."

"What is?"

"I was just wondering if this is what it was like. When I was being taught I was about ten or so, and there was a one-day baseball class being taught by professional players. Back then I hated playing catcher, and I don't know if my father had a connection or won a lottery draw but we met up at the venue."

I wasn't especially big, nor mature. I was my father who decided what position I'd take when I was a grade-schooler, and I was scared of fast balls and runners. I had a mask, of course, but I was still scared when things were coming at my face. For a catcher[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C5N4|[4]]] he was a slender professional player, and I admitted to him frankly.

For a catcher to face a trim professional player; I hung my head and told him frankly.

"If I said I was scared, I'd seem inept, right? But that man made me squat down, and he squat down behind me himself. After he positioned my mitt he called out to the pitcher."

The pitcher was over 180cm. He raised up his foot, with a ball inside his blue glove, and threw it through the air with his long fingers. If I think about it now, I'm sure that lob was a super slow pitch. But I stayed in place without moving or blinking, and the brand new ball flew into my mitt.


"And, my teacher asked me over my shoulder. Were you scared? But from now on I had already..."

"You've already caught a ball thrown by a pro player. Are you still scared of playing on a junior team?"

As I looked at Conrad's hand, I remembered the breeze from that day. There still wasn't a roof.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C5N5|[5]]] The sunlight directly hit my cap. "...I could never forget that feeling."

"So would you say you were touched by your coach's warmth?"

"No, not like that! Not at all! I decided to make him my role model on my own. Besides that one time I never got to talk to him, and I wasn't able to get his autograph!"

"But Your Majesty... you're a fan of the coach's team."

"Isn't that obvious?! For awhile I had the team's song on my cell-phone, I watched all the relays to the end, checked the FM station on the weekends, and was even in the fan club and went to the stadium. I've been saving news articles for four years, and collecting videos... What team are you a fan of? Does the team here have a name?"

Conrad crossed his arms with a meaningful expression.

"The Boston Red Sox."

"The Red Sox?! The big shots! Orellano, Wolcott, Clark, and Rhodes from Kintetsu!"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C5N6|[6]]]

"Who? I don't know him."


"From the Pacific league... On my world, he's a former player for the Red Sox. I guess it's possible the teams on this world would even have the same names. The Tigers and Giants have teams in Japan and America. Which is completely chaotic, with a pair of the Cubs and a set of the Giants, even though they're entirely different nationalities..."

"That's because the Giants are a National League, isn't it?"

"Can they have the same name in the League? Besides that, Boston is the name of a place on Earth... That shouldn't be here..."

When I think about it, this man is unusual. We have too much in common. Gripping the ball, I took a long, hard look at Conrad's face. I unconsciously grip the ball dangerously tight, until my index finger started to cramp.

"Gunter didn't understand any of this stuff, but you seem to know all about it. Like merry-go-rounds, and my father... And to top it off, the Red Sox.... What's the meaning of this? Just awhile ago you said this country didn't have baseball. Then, where is this? Which humans in what country like baseball? Where are the Boston Red Sox?"

It's just not...

"Where else are they besides Massachusetts, in America, on Earth?!"

It's just not possible.

Conrad spread both his arms with the glove still on, and shook his head 'No'.

"Nowhere. They aren't anywhere besides Massachusetts, in America, on Earth."


"Then how do you know about them?"

"Been there."

"When you say "been there", who went where?"

"I've been to Boston."

To Boston?

"Not just Boston. I've been to different places. Washington, Staten Island, New Hampshire, Orlando, Quebec, Edinburgh, Wales, Dusseldorf, Cherbourg... While I was protecting Your Majesty's soul I saw the world you grew up in."

It's a chapter from Lonely Planet,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C5N7|[7]]] for a visitor to Earth.

"Seventeen years ago, in your previous life, your soul became pure white because you healed wounds. While protecting you, I visited your birthplace, the United States of America. That's how I came to love baseball, and I came back after I made sure the soul of our future Maoh was safely born. Your Majesty's mother was strong woman. Even when she was about to give birth, she told off the taxi driver."

"It can't be... You're the man who gave me my name?!"

"I didn't think she would actually use it..."

Then my being teased for the passed fifteen years as "Shibuya Yuuri Harajuku Furi" is 20% his fault? The rest of it was because of the kanji characters my parents picked out.

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1129.jpg|400px|thumb]]

"If that's true, then you first met me when I was still in my mother's stomach?"

"That's correct."

Is it ok for such a strange story to exist? It seems like he hasn't changed much from fifteen years ago when he met my mother. The man who named me was smiling right in front of me. And he keeps calling me "Your Majesty".

"I've been waiting for fifteen years..."

He took off his glove and held it under his armpit, wrapping his hand over mine on the ball.

"For the day I could meet Your Majesty in person."

The conversation in the left half of my brain wanted to tell him "Thanks" or "Thank you, on my mother's behalf", or some other standard answer. But when he was facing me with such a human expression, the right side of my brain won no matter how much I fought it, and I already forgot all those other phrases.

"...Don't call me "Your Majesty". You're the one who named me."

"Yuuri."

That's right, because you gave me my name! Even so, to hide my embarrassment I had to keep speaking in a higher voice than usual. I felt a little touched, because it was unlike me to be so emotional.


"Besides, don't talk like we're brothers who have been separated their whole lives! We basically just met yesterday, I've only heard about you before from that one cab ride. Well, if you had written your name on your luggage or something back then my mother probably would have remembered that, too. But look."

I held out the ball.

"It looks like the owner wrote their name on their baseball stuff."

"...That's not my name."

What?

"I was just trying to take home a glove that I had bought for myself, when I got the ball at the stadium. I didn't ask for anything, but a young man on the visiting team asked if I wanted him to sign it and took it suddenly..."

"Wh,wh,wh,wh,wh, what?! You have a great ball signed by a Major Leaguer and you're using it to play catch with me?! Who?! Who signed it?!"

The text was so faded that even if I knew the English I wouldn't have been able to make it out. What am I going to do if it's one of the gods of Major League baseball?

"What do you mean? Who's more famous than Your Majesty?"

"Are, are, are you serious?! I was an alternate for three years so I couldn't even think about going to Koshien, well, nevermind Koshien, even professionals can't compare to the major leagues... And, baseball has barely even spread around this world yet!"


"I wouldn't say 'has barely even'. It's just me and a few kids."

"What you mean is, right now I'm far beyond the top player? Is that the correct starting line-up for the game? I'm the "Ichiro" of Shin Makoku? But I play catcher so I should say I'd be the successor of Itoh?"

"Even better. In Your Majesty's case, you would certainly be a player, as well as the coach, the manager, the referee, and the owner. If it's a team managed by the government, the king would own it of course."

"The king?! The king, huh? Maybe it would be ok to be the Maoh."

Conrad looked directly at me, and his amber eyes narrowed as he said,

"I'm glad, Your Majesty. I'm glad you feel better; if only a little."

I'm not feeling better, Conrad. But I couldn't think of anything to say.

"Yeah, but if I'm king, doesn't that mean I can make baseball the national sport? We could build a Shibuya Yuuri Commemoration Stadium or have the first Shibuya Tournament!"

Something crossed my mind.
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
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| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6|Chapter 6]]
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 4

2012-01-23T19:31:34Z

LRenne:

Is this really a banquet?

As I stepped up to the round, opal table, I felt my limbs stiffen from the tension. "This looks more like an military discussion than a dinner party"

The eldest son and the third son were in the room, and both were wearing what seemed like their usual uniforms. Since Conrad is that way, it must mean that full dress for those brothers is being in uniform. Each uniform has the same design but different colors. Gwendal was viridian without a speck of dirt, and Wolfram was a deep navy blue. There are many varying colors for each post. It's easy to tell the difference between land, sea and air.

A man that seems to be a waiter carrying a tray bow's his head to me very deeply. But the eldest son and the third son, as they have have what seem to be champagne glasses in their hands, won't even try to greet me. Of course, I wasn't able to bear the awkward atmosphere.

"Good, good evening."

Wolfram laughed through his nose. Being scorned by a person with a nice face makes it at least three times as offensive. Conrad enters while smiling, and places his left hand on Gwendal's back.

"Your Majesty, this is my older brother Lord Gwendal von Voltaire, and over here-"


When he reaches towards the glittering blond he's swatted away as if to say "Don't touch".

"...is my little brother, Lord Wolfram von Bielefeld. Both of them were called Your Highness until the other day; now they're Your Excellency. Of course, they're several positions lower than Your Majesty, so it doesn't matter if you just address them by their names as you wish."

"Don't touch me"

Gwendal is quiet, but the young one is hysteric and yelping noisily.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch me with your human fingers?! I've never even thought of you as my older brother once!"

"Right, right, I get it so I won't pour your drink for you. Because my white cloth is different than yours it'd leave a serious stain."

Looking as if he's really used to it, the second son leaves his brothers. The pretty boy and the idler.

"I explained to you that we have different fathers. You probably noticed that only I, Sir Weller Conrart, am not one of the ten nobles. My father was a traveller of unknown origins; he was a person with no value other than his sword."

Wolfram made an irritated face. Gwendal was indifferent.

"Then, you're a half?[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N1|[1]]] Ah, why didn't you say something like half or double?[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N2|[2]]] Your mother was a Mazoku, and your father was..."

"Human. With light brown hair and eyes, and penniless."


"And he was a great man."

All at the same time everyone's eyes turned towards the entrance. The Sexy Queen who had such an amazing body that it was almost a crime smiled. It's a tight black dress that made with a lusterless material, has a cut that might reach her navel, and a slit that makes her shapely legs completely visible. She doesn't have a single accessory, as if to say, "I'm the jewel".

She's letting out even more pheromones than when she was nude.

"Mother!"

"Mother?!"

After all, if any of the three called her that, that would make her the mother of three people. Is it ok for the mother of people who are almost one-hundred to only look about thirty?

"Thirty... About fifty... one-hundred and fifty... She's about one-hundred and fifty years old?"

That is, awhile ago I got excited about a woman who is about one-hundred and fifty years old. Her golden curls stretch out elegantly.

"It's been a long time, Conrart. It's only been awhile since I've seen you, but you're looking more and more like the handsome man your father was."

"Mother, you only grow more beautiful as well."

"Oh my, you probably say that to all the girls."

This is a conversation between a mother and son?

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1095.jpg|400px|thumb]]

She hugs her sons one by one, but they barely look like mother and son except for Wolfram, and even if the eldest, Gwendal, is younger than her, she looks like a skilled older girlfriend spoiling a calm boyfriend. I secretly asked the second son.

"Is he a son brought in from the husband of a second marriage, or something like that?"

"No, I assure you, all three of us were born from that woman."

"Gwen, your forehead is wrinkling again. You won't be able to get the girls that way. Ah, Wolf! Wolf, let me get a good look at your face. Oh, you still look just like me. The men probably won't leave you alone!"

"...Mother, we just saw each other this morning. Besides, even is men liked me it wouldn't make me happy."

"Is that so? Are boys like that? I can't understand the feelings of young men these days. Aah, why couldn't I have had a girl? Boys are so rowdy and they distance themselves from their mothers so fast!"

"That's not true, I wouldn't distance myself from you, Mother!"

"Oh? Really?"

"Really!"

What an silly parent and child.

But, the queen's aim of attack is immediately directed towards me.


"Your Majesty."

"Hyah."

Her captivating body was pressed up against mine, an average body of a young fifteen year old high school student. Our faces were the same height, so close that we could have kissed. Her rose-colored lips shaped into a smile.

"We've met in the baths, didn't we, Your New Majesty?"

"That's, that's right."

"You've gotten so tense that you're stiff, you're really darling. I was thinking that it would be nice if someone like you would become the new king."

"I see." The reason I was becoming stiff is because the first 'big' of your 'big skinny big'[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N3|[3]]] is hitting my chest.

"Ne, King Yuuri. You're King Yuuri, right?"

"I see," this isn't the place to respond like an audience member of Alta.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N4|[4]]]

"Do you have a lover?"

"Hyaaah~!"

While she's making strange sexy sounds, their mother is pulled off of me. With an expression that wasn't shy or angry, Günter forced his way through.


"Please don't fall in love with the new Maoh, previous Maoh!"

"No~, really, Gunter. You sound like a cynical widow!"

"I don't care even if you resent and abuse me. Anyhow, I, if the previous Maoh and new Maoh were to be lovers... No, excuse me, I want to avoid an improper relationship such as being lovers."

"Previous Maoh? Who? This... woman is?"

Not a Sexy Queen, but she was a real queen? The lovely Mazoku in the black dress (or witch) smiled and presented her white hand to me.

"Welcome to Shin Makoku, King Yuuri. I am your predecessor, Lady Cecilie von Spitzweig. Your Majesty was summoned because I said I would step down from the throne."

"Then, this is because of you, uh, no, eh, Lady von Spitzweig Ce... umm, Cecilia? No? Li, e?"

"Call me Cheri. Che, ri. My older brother told me to reconsider it, but I'm tired of a life where I can't love freely!"

Lady Cheri, because you have that sort of motive, I had to become the new Maoh even though I'm still a minor. As her slender fingers grasped me before my eyes, I sighed. Ah, the owner these delicate white fingers, if she could hold onto power for about one hundred more years, I could be sent off to live a normal life in Japan, and when my unfortunate wife died before me, half a year later on a spring day, when I was being watched by my only son and daughter-in-law and cute grandchildren, then I could take a trip to the next world. Wait, what if this is the next world? If that's true, am I dead now...


"What's the matter, Your Majesty?"

My cheerful family planning rises and vanishes like a revolving lantern,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N5|[5]]] rises and vanishes.

What a story.

I've been invited as a guest to a certain country, my teeth chattering from the tension of being in front of a ruler and nobles, and I made a mistake in one instant and drank from what would normally be a bowl to wash your fingers. All the nobles surrounding me laughed scornfully and said, "Doesn't he have any manner", while elegantly dipping their fingers in the bowl. However, only the princess drinks the water out of the finger bowl with a cool face. It seems like she doesn't want to embarrass her guest.

Even if it's called "bowl" it's not a game of American football, so they should be hospitable! That's an anecdote of my mind that warms my heart.

If she drinks all of the water, I wonder if that means she's a kind princess.

I secretly sighed while watching water be poured into silverware nearby.

I want to stop. I feel like I can get along with Conrad, but the eldest son and the third son are hopeless. I'm not sure about Madame Cheri, but I probably shouldn't try to the point of her feigning ignorance about everything.


I arranged the tips of my fingers on both hands and prudently dipped them in the small bowl. And...

"Eh?!"

Everyone else was holding it with both hands and drank it all in one gulp! Damn, I didn't read the textbook of morality very seriously. Conrad has the waiter move back without drinking.

"You seem to know a lot about filth, cleaning yourself with sak��."

Wolfram, sitting next to me, is maliciously straightforward. So that was sak��. Then it's ok, I can't have alcohol anyway. Not to observe the law, but to preserve the height I want to be and a healthy heart, I won't smoke.

Günter is a bit away from the round table, giving instructions to the waiters. He isn't a close relative of the Maoh, so he doesn't get a seat at Shinou's dinner. Therefore, there are five people around the table. Sitting clockwise from the youngest.

The new king, myself, His Highness Wolfram, a former crown prince, His Highness Conrart, a former crown prince, His Highness Gwendal, a former crown prince, and the previous Maoh, Cecilie.

When I'm enclosed by Wolfram who hates me a lot, and the pheromone queen, I can't concentrate on eating dinner.I understand the feelings that Wolfram hates me well because until recently he was a prince and he was suddenly demoted. It wouldn't be so troublesome if they had safely stuck to the hereditary system.


Pouring a drink into a faceted glass like from Edo (probably sake again), the waiter lightly leans over and asks about something like an in-flight meal.

"Your Majesty, fish and meat... Bird, mammal, reptile or amphibian, which would you like?"

Which?! If I remember right in the old days of Yakult,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N6|[6]]] I think there was an athlete who may have eaten crocodile, but don't be surprised, this is what's called the difference in food culture. Even in Japan the viper is a popular dish. But it's really eel even though they say it's a viper.

"We, well, in that case, as a growing child, mammalian. No, wait, wait a minute. What kind of mammal is it tonight? It's not something like a fresh monkey or a newborn puppy is it?!"

A reflection of the image of the food market in China.

"It's cow." What a relief.

"The highest quality with eight stomachs and five horns."

"Five horns... Maybe something like gene manipulation, or... Uuh, well, the cow."

Hochinosu, mino, ginoa, yan...[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N7|[7]]] It's no good, I can't remember anything else about stomachs. A plate the color and smell of consomme soup and seems to be the appetizer is carried over. I took in hand what I had instead of a knife or fork. A dull, polished silver,


"...This brings back memories, a spork. Well, it is pretty rational. Totally rationally."

In elementary school, at lunch, this served two roles. For soup and hors d'oeuvre of the day.

"So, Your Majesty, what was the country you grew up in like? I wonder how it's different from our world."

The previous Maoh, Cecilie, grips my right hand tightly. At once the temperature of this male high school student who was formerly an unpopular jock goes up by 2 degrees.

"I, I don't know, there's nothing particularly odd, it's a boring world. Ah, but, this world is extremely different. We don't have people who can use magic, and we work more on improving scientifically..."

"Science! I've heard of that. It's a technology where people who don't have magic power or religious power can kill their enemies from far away, isn't it? The human countries seem to be doing that sort of research. It's terrible, the military capability to be able reach further than bows. If humans get that sort of war capability, I wonder if they'll abide by the agreement."

The third son said to his mother with cold eyes.

"I don't think they have those sort of ethics."

"Please don't say such scary things, Wolfram. If that happens, what are we going to do?"


"It's simple. We should stop suppressing our magic. When we fairly have equal war potential, we'll dispose of them because the humans will be too cocky."

"Wait wait wait, I didn't mean that kind of science! In short, well, umm, machines that will do troublesome chores like cleaning and laundry, and machines that will plow fields all at once. In short, stuff to make daily living more comfortable."

Cheri seems sweetly surprised.

"I don't think cleaning and laundry are troublesome. That's the job of the cleaning men and laundry women."

I didn't even think about how the queen lives up to now.

"So, so, instead of people in charge of cleaning or laundry, you'd have a machine."

"If that's so, the servants lose their jobs?

"If that happens, those people work at factories to build vacuum cleaners and washing machines..."

I don't really know if people can live easily.

"Ne, well then Your Majesty, how about love? What is love like between different kinds of people? After all when there's obstacles and opposition, doesn't passion just flare up more?"

I can't figure out what she means by 'different kinds'. She's probably alluding to mazoku and humans, but how should I relate that to Japanese? International marriage? People already aspire to, not even mentioning that they're free to, or a human with a chimpanzee, which rarely happens.


"At any rate, you came from a very distant world. I'm glad you're succeeding the throne. Because of that I can finally leave the castle. It's been my dream for a long time to go on a free love trip."

She's dreamy, I grip my fingers and nod my head at this and that.

"That, that's great."

Great things are brought out to the dining table. The meat of the main dish. A red meat dish that I wouldn't say is favorably rare is in front of me. In front of the previous queen is almost a whole amphibian... No, it is whole. With that sort of face, how could you be eating frogs, Madam Sexy Queen.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N8|[8]]] I tried to recite a haiku.

"You must have been anxious about whether you could do it when you suddenly found out you're a king. I was too. That day a messenger suddenly came, and it was made clear that according to Shinou Genshi Your Majesty had the soul of the next Maoh. But, Your Majesty, don't think about it too much. For the difficult things everyone around you, my brother and my sons, will help you as much as they can."

"Mother!"

Sticking a knife in his bird, Wolfram speaks in a voice that seems aggravated.

"I don't plan on working for this man! I can't agree when it's not clear if he deserves to be the new king."

"Oh, then will you succeed the throne, Wolf?"


Next he scoops up something white that seems to be potatoes, and shakes his head as he puts it on his plate.

"Of course not. Big brother is far more suited to that position than I am. If it was big brother, he would show that those cowardly humans are fools."

Subsequently he picks up a glass for wine or something like a type of alcohol.

Next to him Conrad looks like he isn't listening as he takes a bite of fish. When the youngest child says "older brother", he seems to only mean the eldest brother of few words.

"Right, Gwendal?"

He knives the chicken meat again. He seems to have decided his eating order. The previous queen tilts her head sweetly.

"But Wolfram, don't you know the consequences when the king opposes Shinou's words."

It seems like he's a god-like being and when they don't follow his words, terrible things happen. Then, in the case that I refuse to be the Maoh, will terrible things happen to this country and all its people, or to me, the newcomer?

"Of course, that means Your Majesty, too."

"Eeeh?!"

Conrad answered as if he saw through me.

"What's with that~! I never asked or wanted to be king. Then that's almost coercion."


"...As I thought."

When his spoon should definitely go towards the potatoes as the next in sequential order, Wolfram gave a sideways glance to watch my involuntary reaction towards Gwendal's murmur. Because in that short phrase, there is the sound of contempt.

"From the beginning, you never intended to be the king."

Holding his wine glass too strongly, Gwendal continues without looking this way. His blue eyes seem frozen over; nothing like a timid Japanese person.

"He may have black eyes and hair, but that doesn't matter. Because this person won't become the Maoh. He wasn't prepared from the start. Isn't that right, visitor from another world?"

"Eh... well, yeah..."

I unintentionally reply positively, and Conrad's words interrupt.

"He's only been in this country two days. His Majesty is confused. Don't you think your speculation is ill-mannered, and a bit too arrogant, Lord von Voltaire?"

"But you can't escape the reality. Shouldn't you know that better than anyone? How many sacrifices are made when a king doesn't feel like carrying out his responsibilities? Your Majesty, take my word for it, if you aren't prepared to live as a king please return to your original world immediately."


The man with the most suitable appearance for the Maoh turns to me with an icy smile for the first time.

"As a representative of Mazoku, please go away before the expectations of the people rise."

"But I..."

I want to say that I wanted to go back but stop mid-sentence, because something inside of me seems to block my throat and my voice stopped. It seems like my willpower or pride or a show of courage or something like that is being troublesome.

I face the red beef as I pull myself together. The new Maoh bashing still continued over the table.

On the opposing team, Gwen and Wolf; Cheri was neutral, and Conrad seemed to be fighting alone.

"I especially want to confirm whether he truly has the soul of the Maoh. At any rate, the visitor should return immediately. It would be wise to search for a substitute."

"He is the genuine article, Gwen, the real thing."

"How can you say that so positively?"

Even though I was could only see a rare steak, I could see Conrad's smile. I feel like I can see it. Even when I can only see the back of his head, I can still see his smile.

"I wouldn't mistake the wrong person for Yuuri."

As soon as he finishes his last word, Wolfram flares up hysterically.

"What kind of proof is that?! Just saying you wouldn't be deceived isn't adequate! He probably dyed his hair, and his eyes... He could put on colored contacts or something like that, there are tons of makeshift methods."


"Unfortunately, I can't show you evidence that would make you consent."

"Then don't declare something like that! Mainly, if by chance this guy is the owner of the Maoh's soul, after all, wasn't he raised among humans with a low social status? I can't trust our country to someone like that. It would be a blemish on the great history of the Mazoku."

"Wolfram, this isn't about what position he was born into. It's about how he lives, and how he decides to behave. But if you're going to make such a fuss over it, I'll tell you. His Majesty's soul was entrusted to the Maoh of that world, and he chose a suitable man from his subordinates. So even though His Majesty's father isn't from this world, he still has the blood of a Mazoku flowing through him."

"Ueeeh?! No way, my dad is a demon?!"

Not demon, but, Mazoku. When Japan had fallen into a great depression, bankers were called devils and demons. But, my father really was a Mazoku! How should I treat visitors in the future, as a son?

"What kind of face should I make when I see him, knowing my father is really a Mazoku."

"That should be fine, since when your father sees you, his son's really going to be the Maoh."


The second son is nonchalant. He has a point. That makes it harder.

"But Conrad, why do you know about my fath..."

"Even if his father is a Mazoku, isn't his mother still a human!"

It seemed like he wasn't going to stop attacking under any circumstances. Wolfram gulps down his glass, and because he's beautiful the way he glares this way is all the more fierce.

"You only have half the blood of a Mazoku flowing through your body. It's no wonder Conrart gets along with you, you're both "fake"! The other half of you is filthy human blood and meat, some person of doubtful origins, probably the blood of some girl with loose morals? That kind of person..."

Damnit, when I thought that it was already too late. I always regret what I do afterwards. It was because of this quick temper and flying into a rage that I stopped playing baseball after ten years. There are moments when my small-town sense of justice can't be suppressed. As a catcher, that's a fatal flaw. It's very disadvantageous in life.

Right in front of me I had slapped that beautiful face.

It was a good smack. The sound and angle were good. It was better than a one-base hit, but I how much damage it did to my opponent was immeasurable. As proof, the other party stared this way, dumbfounded. He doesn't make a counterattack. The surroundings became so still you could hear a pin drop, and Wolfram's left cheek, where I hit, was dyed red. Not just his left cheek. His right, too, and his forehead, and the whites of his eyes...

Conrad knocks over his chair as he stands up. This time his complexion is changing.


"Your Majesty, take it back, please take it back immediat..."

"No!"

Cheri slowly puts her knife on the plate. Gunter plunges forward while running.

"I don't plan on taking it back or apologizing! This guy said something he shouldn't have said, he did something he shouldn't have done! I don't care if you make fun of me and insult me! But how can you say someone else' mother, someone you haven't even met, has loose morals?! What the hell do you mean by person of doubtful origins?! That some floozy and a man had a kid?! My mother is a human; no matter how I look at her, she's human. As far as your concerned the human blood flowing in me is dirty! What do you plan on doing? What do you mean by filthy human blood? If someone talked about your mother that way, what do you think you'd do as a son?! That's right, I'm not apologizing."

My temper was always like this, non-stop objections like the Bay Stars. I had the upper hand on Gunter, and continued.

"I definitely won't take it back! He has a pretty face so I slapped him instead of punching him."

"Are you saying you definitely won't cancel it?"

I nodded my head to confirm that, and Lady Cheri clapped her hands in front of her chest.

"How wonderful, the engagement[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N9|[9]]] is complete."

Bulbs?[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N9|[9]]]

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1111.jpg|400px|thumb]]

Like the ones you plant to grow tulips?

"You see, Wolfram? Isn't it just like I said? The gentlemen can't leave someone as beautiful as you alone."

With her fingers entwined together she seems to be dancing for joy.

By gentlemen, she means... Me?!

"Because His Majesty is so cute I feel a little bit jealous. But it can't be helped, for the sake of my beloved son." "Wait a minute, settle down, well, someone calm me down. Can someone tell me what's happening? What kind of manners have I violated this time, can someone explain it to me simply?!"

My favorite tutor hangs his head, heartbroken. As if to say, "Oh no..."

"...You didn't violate any kind of etiquette. On the contrary, it's not used by nobles recently, but by an ancient refined, and traditional manner, Your Majesty just proposed."

"By proposal, you can't mean..."

"You asked for his hand in marriage."

Marriage?! In Japan a boy can't ask get married to a girl without permission if he isn't eighteen. Before that, if the type of engagement wasn't a problem, Wolfram and I weren't the opposite sex of each other.

"Ma, ma, ma, marriage?! A man and a man?! And I proposed?! When did I do that?"


"If a noble strikes the other on the left cheek with the palm of his hand, it's a request for marriage. And if the one who was struck shows their right cheek, then they've accepted the request."

"Uwah, no way! B, but, we're both men, booth meen!"

"That isn't unusual."

Damn it all, I proposed to a man who insulted my mother?! The flower of love of the famous couple doesn't bloom as a tulip or hyacinth.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N10|[10]]] Or maybe it's not a famous couple, but the birth of a royal couple?!

Gunter is sobbing. I don't want to think about whether or not they're tears of joy.

"Your, Your Majesty, this sudden proposal is leaving me speechless... No, I should be delighted. With this, Your Majesty can settle down in this country as king..."

"Won't someone please say it's strange that we're both men~!"

"How can you allow something so humiliating!"

Finally, Wolfram seemed to regain himself and shouts at me. He didn't appear to be showing his right cheek. "How can I do anything about it?! No one ever told me I had to make a fist when I punch people!"

"Shut up! This is the first time I've ever been humiliated like this!"


"Heeeh, really? You've had a really blessed life then. When I was told to wash the junior's socks, or was designated the slowest one on the team, that was really embarrassing! If you've lived for eighty years and can't forgive one mistake by another person..."

Agitated by the marriage proposal, Wolfram swept his arm across the table. Dishes and glasses fell to the floor, and a silver knife fell by my foot.

"Uwah, he, hey, that's dangerous. That's reckless. Completely reckless."

"Your Majesty, don't pick up..."

I squatted down and picked up a knife slightly covered in chicken meat.

"You picked it up."

Huh?

I look around my surroundings as I'm squatting; Conrad and Gunter seem to have sorrowful expressions with their heads hanging, and the pretty boy who dropped it in the first place has an angry, sardonic grin.

"You picked it up. Good, noontime tomorrow. The weapons of your choice. If you haven't even been on a battlefield, you're a coward who can't even ride a horse satisfactorily anyway. At least use good armor, and give me a good challenge."

"Wha, what?"


"Prepare to be torn to shreds."

After that he smiled maliciously and left after he apologized to his mother and older brother for leaving during the meal. The mostly useless tutor slumped his shoulders with a sigh.

"You propose and then immediately accept a duel. Your Majesty, I can't understand Your Majesty's mood swings."

"A duel? I was challenged? I was?!"

"Purposely dropping a knife is a silent challenge to a duel, and if you pick it up you are accepting the challenge."

"A duel?! Hey, then, suppose I get defeated, or, I probably will be defeated, but, will, will I die?! I casually pick up a knife to be nice, without even thinking about it, and that guy gets to shoot me to death?!"

With my poor imagination, a cloud of dust flutters around a Western desert as we take ten paces before we turn around and shoot each other, and I can't think of anything but the quick drawing gunman of spaghetti Westerns.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C4N11|[11]]]

The two people who are in "My Clique" try to comfort their new king, saying "It'll be all right", or "People rarely lose their lives in duels nowadays" or "You should come up with an eccentric weapon that Wolfram would never think of, to surprise him" or "Maybe if you wear a cute animal costume, it'll make him lose his fighting spirit". Gwendal and Madam Cheri watched them silently until they finished their drinks. Then they began talking.


"I knew he had no control over his emotions before... But I never expected him to be this impulsive."

"I know, I never thought he'd suddenly propose a duel."

When I calm down I instantly realize they're overlooking the marriage proposal. I am the so-called child who has returned from another world, who doesn't even know left from right. Surely I couldn't master the customs of Mazoku, moreover of aristocrats.

"But, he's not entirely to blame."

"What do you mean?"

Gwen asked in return with a side glance.

I have a bad feeling about this. The mother was hiding something when it looked like she was suppressing a giggle.

"Well, uhuhu, it's because of the aroma of my perfume in Your Majesty's hair. I left it in the bathroom with the shampoo. Surely you didn't know the effect it had when you washed your hair."

"The effect?"

"I asked a apothecarist to make it; it's something valuable that only works on Mazoku. If someone smells it and likes someone even a little bit, they'll become much more passionate."

"In short, it's something like an aphrodisiac or a love potion?"

"Oh my, what a crude way of putting it."


So if they favor someone they become more passionate. On the other hand, if they hate someone? Lowering his eyebrows slightly, Gwendal signaled a waiter to pour more sake.

"If one hated someone, they could become dangerous... It's no wonder Wolfram is in a frenzy. Mother, you should tell us those sort of things beforehand."

"Oh, why? Isn't Wolf's angry face the cutest? Is there a mother who doesn't want to see her son looking adorable?"

"...No."

"Oh, yes! How did Anissina's experiment with you go?"

"...I'm not ready to die yet..."

I listened dumbfounded as it sounded like a English radio broadcast.

Someone who hates someone else will become more dangerous. Someone who likes someone else will become more passionate. I see, so that's why Gunter was tearing up a little while ago.
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
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| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5|Chapter 5]]
|-
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 3

2012-01-23T19:31:12Z

LRenne:

There were countless lights from the shops lined up, and people bustling around busily and lively. An enormous gate opened up for us, and the guards on the other side stood at attention with serious expressions.

As his horsed moved forward by my side, Günter spoke.

"Welcome home, Your Majesty. This is your, and our country. Long live the great Shinou and his people ah we should never forget the entire world originated from the Mazoku with the power to defeat the Creator and wisdom and courage to prosper for eternity..."

Is this the national anthem?

"...kingdom, welcome to the capital"

He said the name of the country when I was thinking. Conrad whispered to me that to abbreviate, it was Shin Makoku. That's the only thing I will remember.

My impression as I entered the capital is very easy to understand by saying "huge Huis Ten Bosch".[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C3N1|[1]]] I could say that the stores and houses, and the residents, from my eyes, it looks like a foreign country. However, I no longer have any doubts that this isn't a theme park. Such an enormous, elaborate theme park couldn't exist in Japan. Even if this wasn't Japan, and even if this is somewhere overseas, where would someone have a motive to go this far to deceive one individual?


Me, who until yesterday, I was an ordinary high school student.

Me, who was told that from today on, I am the Maoh.

The only answer that remains that isn't deceiving is that this is all a dream.

"Until I wake up, I can't do anything but keep associate with people here" You can't get off a boat until it's at the harbor, and a baseball game isn't over until the ninth inning, either. I can keep company with people here until I can see the end mark.

"What are you saying? Your Majesty, well, let's go, Conrart and I will ride on both sides of you"

I see, I'll go, of course. Nine people in front, and accompanied by the remaining in the back, we progress down the main street in three lines. Citizens are on both sides of me, and they move out of the way and bow deeply to me.

"Ah, hello. Ah, umm. Ah, hi. Ah, you're so polite"

When I express my gratitude honestly one by one, the senior person in charge of education has a shocked face.

"Your Majesty... Please stop bowing your head to the citizens. Please have more dignity"

"What are you saying, the greeting is the basis of an interpersonal relationship. That's the same in any country in the world. It's a common rule to all nations"


This town looks prosperous compared to the towns we've passed through up to now.

At least, the places facing the main street.

As if I'd become an honor student, I looked down from the horse which was walking gracefully. It didn't seem like the same horse which had shaken off its master, and was feared by him as the black demon a while ago.

The spanker[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C3N2|[2]]] that was prepared for the king was born a rare jet black, black fur in Japan, called dark fur in this country. It was also heavier and stockier than the racing horses I saw in a paddocks. It is said that it possessed all disposition required to be an army horse. Even if its heart stops, it'll carry its master and keep running. That's because it has two hearts. It's pretty nifty.

Because it's easy to remember, I named it "Ao". In the olden days in Japan it was common name for a horse like "Taro" for a human. That often comes out in historical plays. The color of each person's hair and skin was truly variegated and unreal. Like I've heard, there's certainly no one with black hair. Blond hair, brown hair, silver hair, white hair, red hair, chestnut, orange (I wonder if it's dyed), purple[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C3N3|[3]]] (I wonder if it's a trendy hair dye), green (probably chlorophyl)... green?!

"Hey hey hey hey hey heeey, Günter!"

"Yes"

"There is a green person there, spaaace, space, space"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C3N4|[4]]]

"Ah, they are a family of healers. Because their blood is a little peculiar, their skin becomes pale, and they possess the unique power to increase patient's healing. Humans seemed to persecute them two thousands years ago, so they seem to have flowed to this land. We owe the current longevity of our lives to them"


"Well, well then, what about that purple haired person? That girl awhile back was like that too"

"They're a lake side tribe. There are a lot of people born with strong magic, and they're involved in the training and security of the king's capital. As you have probably noticed, Your Majesty, I also have the blood of the lake side tribe."

Violet eyes, I see.

I sighed on top of the horse.

"A horse with two hearts, skeleton frames flying in the sky, natural green and purple hair. It's not possible to come across these things in Japan. It definitely can't get any further out. Like a girl with bunny ears, or a sexy black panther girl, or a birdman with three eyes"

I couldn't help but laugh at my bewilderment from my own imagination, as Conrad winked at the person in charge of education.

"There is an unbelievable amount of races in this country. Günter and I have lived long lives, but even the scholars can't confirm the amount of people. For example, if you limit the counting to person-like individuals there's about fifty million, but if you count the flying bone race and ground bone race, aquatic races and bird races, it's impossible to have an accurate number. Furthermore, if you include the souls who live quietly in the forest and mountain areas, that means the Mazoku live in the skies, the earth, the rivers, the woods and everywhere. Your Majesty, the souls who will follow your are scattered all over this country"


A girl with golden eyes, who was obviously a member of one of those tribes, came scurrying over to the side of Ao, trying to hand me flowers. They were in a bouquet, and their multi-layered pale pink petals were slightly opened. After Günter received them and did a one round confirmation, he reluctantly presented them to me.

"These are ordinary decorative flowers. They aren't poisonous and they aren't thorny. That young girl probably wanted to pass it to Your Majesty more than to me"

"That's not true~. You seem way more popular than me~"

It's the very first time I've received flowers from a girl, so I was actually feeling pretty good about it.

Our troops marched forward without incident until we finally reached the true rampart. The gate made a heavy sound as it opened.

"...Uwah"

At that exact moment I swear I could hear the theme music stream inside my head, and the narration of Naoto Ogata.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C3N5|[5]]] World heritage, ah, world heritage, world heritage. A poem of the wonderfulness of the castle.

The white stone paving of the road continued for a distance, with flowing waterways on both sides. The water branched off in two directions, going towards the town's eastern and western sides. When I looked ahead, I could see a castle often seen in European castle stories. It wasn't the German type of old castles but the large-scale type of country houses of Great Britain; a building with the left and right symmetrical. Being oversized in both width and height, I almost wondered if it was wide-screen. Rich green mountains protected the back, and the waterway started from a tunnel inside the hillside.


"...Umm, excuse me, I don't know what I should say anymore"

"Even if you don't say anything, here is the Maoh's castle, 'Blood Pledge Castle'."

Blood Pledge? There was a group in Japanese history who had the terrible motto, "One person one kill!", but it's not a very peaceful name. Such a beautifully magnificent castle, maybe it's better not to hear the origin... Even though I don't want to hear it, the person in charge of education explains it.

"It is said that when Shinou selected this land, he promised to not let harm come to the spirit of the land. As a mark of gratitude and friendship, when someone other than the Maoh occupies this castle, the spirit of the land swore to make him atone for his crime with his blood. An oath of blood, in short, "Blood Pledge Castle", obeys only Your Majesty the King. It's impregnable, no, it's an absolutely flawless castle"

"So that doesn't mean that both the castle and the king stamped a seal with their blood, huh?"

Conrad seemed to be very happy, and pointed the central path with his chin. Soldiers were standing at attention in rows on both sides for a distance. When I pass by them they're sure to bow their heads, like a reverse-wave of a stadium. The last time I was in a situation like this was when in an attempt to take a short cut, I ran through the department store. As it had just opened, I was greeted by the store clerks' welcoming bows, who were standing in rows on both sides.

From somewhere I can hear a tune that sounds like a mix of Ravel[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C3N6|[6]]] and Elgar.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C3N7|[7]]] Maybe it's the national anthem.

"Judging from this reception, Von Spitzweig's persuasion seems to have failed"


He seemed to bite his tongue at that person's name, who is he? More than that, why does everyone in this country have something like Von or Sir attached to them at the same time? Perhaps, Von is like the "Yama" of Japanese names, with Yamada-san and Yamamoto-san and Yamakawa-san, and is representative of numerous family names? Or... I guess I looked like I wanted to ask, and Conrad explained to me. More and more as I step into the garden, sure enough, I was welcomed to Hell.

"This country is divided into this area directly controlled by the Maoh, and territories of the ten nobles who obey the Maoh. Von is attached to their surnames. In Günter's case, he governs the Kleist region of the ten nobles so he is Lord von Kleist. I added Lord because in an emergency on the battlefield he is the person proceeding me. Basically the nobles are a military rank. Men and women are the same. Those who are prepared to fight will be invited to do so when they're adults"

Huh, I just noticed that macho guy I met in the beginning seemed to have Von attached to his name.

"Lord Stoffel von Spitzweig is the former Maoh's older brother. He is a man who did as he pleased as the regent. The previous Maoh... She was the top Queen, but she declared her intention to resign and we moved immediately to summon your Majesty. But that guy tried to have her declaration of resignation withdrawn by any means. He will try to persuade your Majesty to try to protect his own position. However, he seems to have failed somehow"

Huh, Conrad's name was...


"Now he's celebrating the new king's triumphant entry into the castle, and he's probably contriving to take in your Majesty"

For the first time, an expression resembling hatred appeared on the good-natured Lord Weller. But it immediately vanished. In the short amount of time that I exchange the bouquet of flowers to my right hand. I don't know whether I'm controlling my own feelings or the words Günter added immediately after that are.

"I won't allow that man to do as he pleases anymore. I think Gwendal and Wolfram feel the same way about that"

"I hope so"

Did something happen? Although any idiot would notice, I thought so too as I rode on. My right hand holding the flowers got near the deceptively innocent Ao's ear.

"Umm, that man called Spitz or Spielberg or something..."

How many times did he get an Academy Award? I couldn't even say it was a joke. Suddenly, my horse is a black demon who lost her temper, because the trained V8 engine goes full throttle.

Even I, the rider, don't understand what she didn't like or why she started running wildly. Certainly, I only wouldn't be safe if I was shaken off. I desperately clung to the horse running quickly down the straight course, while screaming with a "yay" and a shout that doesn't make it out, I was about to be the only person who reached the front of the castle strangely early.


The soldiers who were lined up to salute me would never think that the black hurricane that passed in front of the was their new king. From behind I could hear some advice.

"Your Majesty~, the reins, pull the reins-!"

"Conrart! As I thought, that horse still didn't have enough training"

Günter's words were brief, while he pursued me after kicking his horse's stomach.

"Don't cry just from this. She was, trained reliably, but even I, did not, train her, to have, a hover fly, go into, her ear. Your Maajeesty, pull the reiins, squeeze your thiighs!"

I run wildly through the the gift shops, interfering with things such as customers and shop assistants as they cover their heads, only thinking of going every which way. Ao easily jumped over several places, continuing to press on towards the entrance of the castle. Up to now soldiers were in a long row, but suddenly Ao intruded and ran beside the line in an obstructive place, and she ran through them. Down the center of the nice middle aged, dazed men.

She jumped over them again. During the short time in the air, I imagine the worst scenario.

I fall from the horse, and as my head drops I tell Conrad and Günter that the rest is up to them. What is the rest?! Why does my head drop?!

Just a little after the closed door of the main entrance, Ao suddenly reared up. I fell! And I hurriedly grabbed not only the reins but her jet black mane, and closed my eyes as I predicted the impact. But, the pain didn't come even after I waited five seconds.


"...Stay..."

And, the second I let my mind drift I fell. I'm sorry to say that this time under me is hard, cold and expensive marble. I learned the hard way that a passive voice is important.

As I looked upward, I thought absent-mindedly.

Ao stamped a few times, then brought his face near me. She didn't seem to remember her fears as her clear eyes ask, "What are you doing, Boss?". Her lips are covered in bubbly drool.

By my shoulder is someone's foot. When I moved my gaze a little, there was a face in a high position. What a surprisingly tall person. But if I did call out to that man, he wouldn't lend a hand to help. Since I've come to this world, this is the first time I've met an obviously apathetic person. Am I really the Maoh, the master of this castle, is this really my own dream? Then, isn't it ok if I'm amused more?

"Your Majesty!"

I can hear Conrad and Günter's voices. And the sound of hooves striking the stone. The man seems to have realized something from the words of the two people. From way above me, a seemingly shocked monologue descends.


"...His Majesty... This is?"

What is "this", "this", faster than I could object the Love Theme from the Godfather was streaming through my head. I've already decided your theme song. Standing in front of me without lending his hand, as I expected, was a man I couldn't match in height no matter how many times I was reborn.

Not just height, but his face, too, I couldn't match his face.

His hair was as long as half his body, an undiluted gray that could even be called black, and only a portion was tied behind his back. He squinted with a deep blue eye, and he didn't seem happy about anything. Whether he seems sullen because the space between his eyebrows and eyes narrowed, or because he is sullen, is something I don't understand from my short life span. But his sullenness would have girls whining for sure.

While I've been called the Maoh, my face and outward appearance and position haven't caught up to high school students. At any rate, my appearance and intellect are getting there. I'm not muscular, and my voice isn't low. To make matters worse, when I played baseball I was a bench warmer for three years.

The man's interest was brightened, and he tilted his head to gaze at me. His melancholy was increasingly conspicuous.

"Your Majesty, are you hurt?!"

Conrad arrived before him, smoothly getting off the horse and meeting me halfway. Trying to pass him, a group of nice middle-aged men from that I bothered a bit ago run this way. Günter also jumped off his gray horse, shouting something. I couldn't believe that I was in the center of everyone.


"Is that the new Maoh?!"

His alto voice resounded in an offensive tone.

As for the super beautiful shape of the fourth person, even I might be able to match his physique physically. It can't be helped because characteristics like the length of the legs is a racial feature, like height and shoulder width and body weight. Since when did I become someone who only worries about body build. Maybe, because of that day when the second pitcher said, "You, since you're a small target, it'll be hard to throw a ball into you".

Even if our bodies are evenly matched, when I just glanced up, I've already been defeated. How can they be this beautiful! Because of them, his face emits an aura. Although it's likely to seem that way because of his dazzling blond hair. His looks and voice are like an older Vienna chorus boy. His white skin seems transparent, and his irises are an emerald green that make me think of the bottom of a lake, and furthermore he doesn't have a split chin. He an angel, definitely an angry angel. However, being in this place, he's also probably a beautiful Mazoku.

"Gwendal... No, big brother, is that guy planning on ushering in this human of unknown lineage as our king?!"

When he says "that guy", the super handsome boy, like in shoujo comics, glares sharply at Conrad. I heard the name Gwendal awhile ago, together with something like Wolfgang or Wolfram if I'm not mistaken. If the man with the Love Theme from the Godfather is Gwendal, then the older Vienna chorus boy is probably Wolfram?

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1071.jpg|400px|thumb]]

"I can't put my confidence in such a filthy human! Judging from appearances he doesn't seem intelligent or dignified, and a man that would be lying around in the road in that area..."

"Wolfram!"

It wasn't Gwendal, the one he called brother, but Günter suppressed his words.

"What an awful thing! If his Majesty didn't have such a large heart, you would be losing your life about now"

A large heart, me? He seems to be thinking of someone else.

"Watch your mouth, I can't allow you to speak of his Majesty in such an awful way, even if you are the crown prince! Stop speaking so unfavorably of Conrart, even for an instant, he's your older brother"

Huh.

As I'm only listening, the character correlation diagram becomes jumbled up for me. The Godfather and older Vienna chorus boy are siblings; and he said Conrad is Wolfram's older brother.

Gwendal, Conrart, Wolfram.

Three Mazoku siblings.

"...Now way?! You, you don't look alike"

"That is, inexcusable"


Conrad spoke with a smile as he walked to my side. He had an expression as if he was already used to these kind of things.

"Each of us have a different father. Well, not looking alike can't invalidate our blood relationship. Gwendal is my older brother, and Wolfram is my little brother. Perhaps they don't want to say something like that"

"You?" I asked inside my head.

Conrad, what do they think of you?

But sooner than I could ask the question, everyone's attention is turned back to me again. You are His Majesty, such are Günter's words.

"The new king, Your Majesty"

The nice middle aged men rush over. I've already gotten used to beautiful forms, so I don't mind these men's outwards appearances. Hnn, umm, oh, beautiful for their fifties, older men with dull blond hair and blue eyes. However, in their vicious military training they were taught to conceal the hidden door inside their eyes.

"I am the former queen's, Lady Cecille von Spitzweig's, older brother, Stoffel Von Spitzweig, who worked as a regent for the prosperity of this country. I sincerely welcome Your Majesty's safe arrival!"

"Umm, Lord von Spitzweig"


I spoke in a broken tone on purpose.

"Between me and your sister, who would you want to be Maoh?"

"Huh?!"

Stu~pid. If you can't respond right away, it just proves you only care about yourself.

"Hah, of course, Your Majesty the new king. The chance to choose the ruling family would be profitable for all the people of the nation. Your Majesty the new king is entirely our savior, who will create this country's future, and I hear the owner of a great soul"

"I think you're mistaken. I don't have such a great soul"

"Such modesty! That jet black hair and dark eyes! Your Majesty is certainly a Mazoku of high standing"

By the standards of this country, if you have dark hair and eyes, you're a handsome guy like them! Can I win? In short even though I'm only an average Japanese person, I have the authority of this country's seed?

That's a bit of a lie.

I only have the authority of a seed if I accomplish something.

"Where's the proof?!"

In a clearly hostile tone, he said exactly what he thought just now. The blonde that looks like an angel; Wolfram.


"What proof do we have that he's the genuine article? Until I've confirmed that, I'm not going to recognize such a kid as the Maoh!"

"Kid?! Ah, no, that is, I might not be able to tell the age of a foreigner, but I can guess. But, but that? You look like you're about the same age as me, no matter how I look at you. If you look older than you are like most American high school kids, maybe you're even younger than me"

"How old?"

Cocky, he folded his arms as the third son arrogantly asked me. It seems like this person decided it was necessary to ban honorific words.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C3N8|[8]]]

"...Fifteen... In two months I'll be 16..."

"Hmph"

"What's with this 'hmph', hmph. Then what age are you!? Such an irritating pretty boy, and you're already acting like an old man"

"I'm eighty-two"

"...Yes?"

Eighty-two? Even so he has clear skin, a full head of hair and youth.

"Yeah, right!"

You guys wants me to believe that you have more life experience than my grandfather?!


The bath of the second day was reserved for my personal use.

The stone floor of the bathroom was based on a cream color, in the Maoh's private bath the bathtub is officially seems wide enough to swim in, with water gushing out from five cow's mouths in the corner. At the edge of the first lane, while sank my body cosily, I thought of myself up to now.

What now, what will happen, Shibuya Yuuri?!

I was flushed down a toilet, spit out in a strange theme park like world, had stones thrown at me by the citizens, got called a demon, got called the Maoh, was told to kill humans, was made to ride on a horse until I about died, was greeted by everyone, brought to a castle with a scary name, was called "this is?", was told that he'd refuse to admit I was the Maoh, it was confessed that their real age was five times their appearance, and I had to go inside the castle with the scary name.

There were two-hundred and fifty-two rooms, three stories high and in one part five stories, the ceiling was impossibly high, and built tough enough that even Godzilla would have a hard time with it.

The stairs are so long you about lose your breath, there's about one-hundred and ninety people or more working in the castle, on the other side is a modest stable but an enormous barracks, with four-thousand five-hundred full-time soldiers. In another directions, Gwendal and Wolfram's personals soldiers are at a lodging right now, brought from their own territories.


For the time being I was guided to a room the size of a basketball court, a fire was in the fireplace and the floor was paved with fabric and fur. The stone wall was completely concealed by white coating, it looks like picture of Ueno my mother took when I was a grade school student. On the remaining three walls seemed to be tapestries of the national flag. Surprisingly, there's a decorative plant in the corner of the room.

"No television, no games, no minidiscs"

Before that, there's no electricity or gas, so there's also no telephone.

"...The bed... is super huge..."

The bed was, big. Even though a canopy wasn't attached, it was big enough for sure that even if a set of quintuplets became junior high school students, they could still rest together on it and be fine.

A beautiful bathhouse attendant wearing only a loincloth that barely covered his important parts offered to wash my back in the gorgeous gilded tub, which I clearly refused. Because I'm bothered by an inferiority complex.

I took a light pink liquid from a nearby bottle. It has a good aroma. Maybe this was shampoo. I roughly pour the splashing hot water from the bucket. There is no conditioner! Rather than manly, I'd say I'm acting like a sports guy.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C3N9|[9]]]


I firmly washed my body, because I was satisfied with the bath I took on the second day, I wondered at the time if I should take a long bath again. "Huh"

From the opposite side of the place I entered, the shape of a woman only wearing a bath towel appeared. Not a girl, a woman. It can't be that this is, a mixed bath?! Wait, Günter definitely said that this was a private bath. Or is the said girl supposed to service me? There's not going to be that kind of service. No, because it's just been common people until now I didn't know, but perhaps she was a queen or minister or parliamentarian. But wait, wait-! Of all places in this huge pool she's in the second lane, where even if your body isn't stretched out in a line---!

She had golden curly hair down to her hips, a super sexy woman, whose chest was submerged only one meter from me. From steam, or from tension and excitement my eyes get misty, and I can't see clearly but she's surprisingly attractive. The measurements under her towel makes blood rush to my eyes and my cheeks and lips turn a lovely shade of pink.

But she's a "woman". She's not in the same generation as a "girl".

"Oh"

"Aaaaah, I, I, I, I didn't hear this was a mixed bath"

"No~, it's fine. This bath is only for your Majesty, the Maoh. I only came in for a little bit out of habit. Don't mind me, new king, yo, ur, Ma, jes, ty"


"Uh, ah, that's a little bad, please don't come closer"

"Say, so you're the new king? How unexpected, to meet you in a place like this"

Now, my blood is rushing to my head and heart and the lower half of my body, and I couldn't make a calm decision. Danger danger danger! All the more because I've just reached puberty, it's ten times, or twenty times more dangerous!

"Ah~ah umm, young lady, no, miss, isn't it a violation of the rules to suddenly enter the bathtub without rinsing?! And besides that, with a bath towel! Don't you know it isn't good manners to put a towel in the water in a public bath?!"

My voice was almost turned inside-out. It's not possible to say it like Monomonta.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C3N10|[10]]]

"Oh my, I'm sorry. It's because it's been a very long time since I've taken a bath with men"

She said that as she gazed at me while I was unable to move.

"Damn... Cu-cute"

At that time, with a cry and a scream and a shout that didn't make it out, I left and began to run.

Why am I saying "cute", Miss Sexy, and why is Miss Pheromones in the king's bath, and besides all that, who are you Miss Sexy Queen!


I ran quickly in the form of only having a towel wrapped around my waist, and leapt into the place that I think I was told was my room, but once again there are young and cute girls there, and they raised their voices without seeming to make any words.

"What's the matter, Your Majesty!"

"What's wrong Your Majesty!"

When two people (the self-proclaimed Yuuri faction) came running in, the girl holding a lustrous black cloth trembled in the corner, and while she was made to avert her blank gaze from the new king crouching behind the gigantic bed, she murmured something lowly. My ass was exposed.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty"

"...I like girls, I like girls but if you ask me if I'd like to be seen, I'd rather not be, I'm not really that big or huge"

When he sent the maid back from the room, Conrad came over to the bed. By that time I had finally regained my composure, stabilizing and prudently wrapping the sheet around my waist again.

"Oh my, you put your behind away"

"Is there no privacy in this country?!"

"Your Majesty, as king you naturally have servants and maids. If you're surprised by each one..."

"Are they supposed to even be in my bath and my room?! Then what good does it do to hide this country's erotic books somewhere?! If I'm going to get picked up by beautiful naked women in the bathroom, where can I run away to and catch my breath?!"


"A nude woman in the bathroom? Oh..."

Conrad looked up to the sky as if to say, "My God!"

"...Come along"

"I thought this was some kind of service so I was just about to make a small request... Well, first of all, because I'm not a that great of a man, I ran away"

"I'm glad, I appreciate Your Majesty's sense of reason"

"Oh, ooh, Your Maje'y, please try this on"

The person in charge of education said that as he held a black cloth in front of his nose for awhile. His eyes had become completely teary.

"What's wrong all the sudden, hay fever?"

"E, ejuse me, I'm in an entirely different standpoint than I usually am, and I'm having trouble looking at you... You are too praiseworthy and lovely at the same time... Ah, my apologies! I said something offensive, I should know better, I, I'm flustered"

"What's wrong, Günter, this doesn't seem like you"


"If it's hay fever you should rinse out your nose, wash your nose. I makes my older brother feel better"

In the beat I intended to take off my clothes, my finger touched Günter's arm. With incredible speed he drew back to the wall. His face was red as if he had a fever. When he held up the glossy black cloth higher, it seemed to be some sort of underwear.

"They're underwear, but black, and glossy"

A thong. It can be tied on both sides. When I looked back at Conrad, he had his usual face.

"Why would a man wear a thong?!"

"Eh? It's the popular underwear for the time being"

"No way, then, that person and that person and that person are in a thong?! Even that guy making such a face was in a thong?! It can't be, you are too?"

"Ah, no, I prefer something more natural"

"Bihyaah"

When they simultaneously turned their heads, Günter was holding his nose towards the wall. Was he suffering from cedar pollen as I thought; if he sneezed I'd be certain. His eyes were also drooping heavily, how should I say this, like, he began speaking in a tone like he'd suddenly become an Italian man. Because of his incredible beauty from the start, if he was a girl I'd probably be reeled in by these.

"Please don't trouble me by talking like a stubborn old wife, Your Majesty. It's the same as if I knocked on the door to avoid seeing you take off your underwear...Che... Hah?! What did I just say?!"

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1083.jpg|400px|thumb]]

Even though he seems to present an ambiance like a crimson rose, my joke was thrust back to me.

"P, blease ejuse me! I've had, in, in, insolent thoughts!"

"If you rinse out your nose with a normal saline solution, a normal sal... Insolent, eh, what?"

"I'll go cool off my head!"

I shouted for him to rinse, not cool off, at his fleeing back, but he didn't seem to hear it. But for the time being the problem is the underwear I'm holding in my fingertips. Since I'm just a kid in the middle of break, I can only think it's a little embarrassing.

"But, well, even Japanese have a 'sumo wrestler's loincloth' traditionally"

"That's true, Your Majesty. Maybe it'll feel surprisingly good, and can meet a new you"

I don't want to meet a new me.

"At any rate, what in the world is wrong with Günter? Well, this is my next underwear. Huh"

As I'm passed clothes one after another that are very similar to my uniform, Conrad brings his face close to me.

"...Your Majesty, you smell good"

"Oh, it's probably the shampoo. There was some pink stuff in the bathroom"

Who put it there, I don't know.


For Shinou's dinner, it wasn't a convenient trick to introduce a program, nor a program where the former five-star pitcher of a professional baseball team oozes their knowledge of wine to the guests.

"Your Majesty, the king, will only be surrounded by close relatives at this noble and special dinner"

Somehow with his nose crammed with cotton, Günter is strangely guiding the tension while his chest is held high. With his hair neatly settled behind him, he's wearing an outfit that resembles priest garments, off-white white a long beautiful gold thread embroidered down the front.

"Excuse me for being late"

Conrad returned after changing his clothes in a big hurry, and caught up with short, quick steps. As far as his appearance is concerned, I decided that he was the cosplay king! - this year.

His clothes were the pure white of a navy officer, an American woman's yearning. "Ai to Seishun no Tabidachi", originally called "An Officer and a Gentleman, starring Richard Gere. The theme music that everyone has heard is the BGM, refreshingly called an all-American number one hit. Without the hat.

"For the time being this is full dress"


The surface of the mountain stretched to the other side of the window, and I saw a light at the summit. The surrounding air was already dark, and the light was stronger than the twinkling stars.

"Please look closely, that is the holy ground of the Mazoku, the light of Shinou's shrine. That is where we all come from, the resting place of the great Shinou"

Putting aside the problem of a 'Mazoku, holy ground?', I looked at the wavering flame at the summit. Would it be like the temples in Japan? When seen through the eyes of a modern day Japanese person, Shibuya Yuuri, Shinou seemed to be like a god to these people. He probably has a grave there where he left from this world.

But, I was brought here because of an oracle or the words of Shinou.

"...I don't know whether or not I'm a king"

"Your Majesty, please look over here. This corridor is also an exhibition room, decorated with the gallant figures of all of the successive generations of kings. The portrait of your predecessor and yourself are incomplete"

Continuing to wander down the corridor, the paintings are so large that you can't even stretch both arms to each side, and there are twenty pieces. All the drawings are realistic with precise details so small if could make your eyes hurt.

"It reminds me of when I went to see the Barnes Collection at Ueno"

"They're lined up on this side in order of the newest. This is the 24rth Maoh, His Majesty Von Radford Bertrand. He was called the 'Lion King' by the people and revered"

"The Lion King? I think there's a similar nickname somewhere in the world"


"This is His Majesty the twenty-third, Jeannot von Karbelnikoff, called a strict ruler. And then His Majesty the twenty-second, Arsenio von Roberski, famous as a powerful military man. His Majesty the twenty-first, Dwayne von Gyllenhaal, the belligerent king, and before him that is His Majesty Davison Henstridge the slaughterer, and Basilio von Rochefort the brutal king..."

"What's with these names gradually becoming more terrible? Isn't there someone more peaceful, like the oil magnate king or the newspaper king or a brand king?"

"Well... because we don't have oil or newspapers or brands"

"The fifteenth Maoh, Her Majesty Grisela Trantinian Yaft, the head-cutter queen. Her Majesty Brittany von Wincott, the bloodshed queen..."

I've seen the national traits of the Mazoku. Some are sitting on a chair with their hands on a dog's head, and other are leaning against a sword that's been thrust into the ground. On a horse next to a pole with the severed head of his defeated enemies, this is definitely a painting of a Maoh. There were about three woman, and a king that could only be called a boy by his size.

But, even though they had different colored hair and eyes, and each one of them were on par with each other in beauty, as we go further back in time they seem to become more and more superhuman. Well, I guess because they basically aren't human. The clothes are much thicker fantasy colors than the present day Mazoku, and they're drawn with mantels and armor.


"They look like they're from an RPG of ancient times. Ah, of course, this is a world of swords and magic after all. Your modern military uniforms make that more than clear. Oh, this person"

"He is the seventh Maoh, His Majesty Forgeas von Voltaire"

"He looks just like the guy with the Love Theme from the Godfather from a little bit ago!"

"God... You mean Gwendal? That's because this is his direct ancestor"

"Eh?! Then shouldn't that guy be the next Maoh? If his ancestor was the king, then one of his descendants should succeed him"

Günter, like a teacher, tilted his head thoughtfully and replied.

"Your Majesty, the position of the Maoh isn't inherited"

"But there's no elections? How difficult, what a pain"

"Oh, right. You've grown up in a different world for about fifteen years. Well, you'll learn little by little, there's still up to a year before you become Maoh"

"A year?! I'm supposed to stay here a year?!"

Conrad looked at me as I asked in return, and the tutor looked astonished.

"Your Majesty, you're the king of this country, you'll be spending the rest of your life here. Why would you question one year?"

This has become serious. The way things are going I'll have to repeat a class. Moreover, it's too early in May to decide to repeat the first year of high school. Now all I can do is accomplish this imposed goal quickly, and head for the goal in a beeline.


"And this is our founder, who united the Mazoku, who defeated the Creator and established Shin Makoku, the original king, His Majesty Lord Shinou. Glory be to his holy soul!"

"Huh, this one looks just like that kid. He must be one of his ancestors. Eh, his name was?"

"I can't speak his name without authority"

"You can't say his name, che, how stingy"

"Your Majesty!"

"But isn't it thanks to this guy that I was brought here and can't go back? At the word of this guy who should be dead, my soul flew here from a different world? And you can't even tell me his name, as I thought, stingy"

"I will tell you later, Your Majesty"

Conrad's voice was holding back laughter.

In the particularly large portrait, he was arranged at the front, a young man with blond hair standing with a naked sword in one hand. Just like Wolfram. But, his eyes are a bright blue like the clear surface of a lake, and somehow, somewhere something was different about him than the future generations of Mazoku. My amateur impression was, "He's proud, he's important, he feels like a natural king".


"...This person is?"

Only this picture wasn't one person. In a place a little bit behind, someone that was obviously a different race than the current kings was drawn. He has very ordinary, functional clothes, and he has no sword and no armor. Although his thin smile doesn't seem to say that he's a vassal or a retainer, either.

"He looks a little oriental, doesn't he?"

Günter was very proud as he explained about him. His respect and affection from the bottom of his heart is transmitted to me, when I don't know him either.

"The Great Mage has black hair and eyes, and he's the only person in this world who is of equal status to Shinou. If he wasn't there, we Mazoku would have been torn apart by the Creator, and we wouldn't have this land or this country but would have lived as wanderers. Before that, this world may have been destroyed"

"In a word, he's an amazing person?"

"Quite so. Moreover, he's more beautiful than anyone!"

"Huh?!"

Apparently, this group's aesthetic sense was unfathomable by Japanese. More than likely, the oriental with the calm expression was barely prepared. His intelligence seemed to win over his beauty.

"This gentleman and Your Majesty look very much alike. All the people will notice Your Majesty's absolutely noble nature and praise it!"


The cotton is about to shoot out of Lord von Kleist's nose. Ah, wait, he has a nosebleed, his nose is bleeding!

"Alike?! How?! Where to we look alike?!"

"Look, look Your Majesty, like your hair and eye color. Your Majesty resembles an amazing person, charisma, charisma!"

"But black eyes and black hair is dominant and Japanese culture!"

Other than that, he doesn't look like me or my family at all.

Curse you, Shinou. In my heart I curse at you.

Thanks to you, who should be dead, I'm quickly getting caught up in all of this. Besides that, once I have to repeat a year, I'll go to your mausoleum or whatever it is and ransack it a bit.

These cursed thoughts. Without realizing it everything is bounced back on me.

Günter seemed like he was in a drunken trance, as he recited romantic things.

"Shinou is the darkness, and the Great Mage is the light. They yearn for each other, love each other, and are born bearing each other's colors in body. In short, darkness is light, and light is darkness!"

"Shall I leave you alone, because it's getting long"

It seemed like he was used to hearing it.
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
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|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
|-
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 2

2012-01-23T19:30:53Z

LRenne:

"Your Majesty!" that man said.

With long, thick silver hair and violet eyes, his body was about 9 times the length of his head.

I couldn't dismount alone, with my butt restrained on the horse's back, and I didn't know what to answer. What would be the best answer to being called 'Your Majesty'? Moreover, he was a super beauty at the prime of manhood at around thirty!

Since I'm lacking vocabulary and my CPU is running especially slow, I can't adequately describe this man's beauty. The average high school freshman wasn't used to being around such beauties often, much less men who clearly weren't Japanese like this man standing in front of me.

I clung to Sir Weller's back for what I would say was the rest of the day, we finally arrived at a small-scale village with wooden buildings after I after I had my first grueling experience of riding horseback. There were about fifteen houses, and it might be called a neighborhood association[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N1|[1]]] more than a village. From a different direction, armed soldiers returned to the entrance one by one from the forest a little further away. The scary thing is that "Fly, skeleton!" has followed our party without fail. I would have never thought, but maybe he's the mascot character of this theme park?

If that's so then it was bad taste, well, an original innovation.

The soldiers crossed the center of the village, and when they came to a large (I would only say about 4LDK[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N2|[2]]]) house, the door opened forcefully and a man rushed out.


The moment I saw his face I gave up on saying anything. He was handsome, more handsome, super handsome, and ultra some hand, I mean, handsome.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N3|[3]]] I would say his graceful expression makes his cleverness felt. What a smart-looking incredibly beautiful person! But such a dull expression.

In addition to being beautiful, his voice was a baritone that vibrated in your stomach. Adelbert from awhile ago was also fairly handsome but, this person was so perfect that girls would faint as soon as they laid eyes on him. It wouldn't only be girls in their late twenties who would faint. Mature women, and older women... Well, ladies in general.

"Conrart, hurry and give His Majesty a hand..."

"All right. Your Majesty, lean your body this way, and please dismount slowly, very slowly"

It seemed like Sir Weller's name was Conrart. I was finally liberated from the horse, and both of my feet touched the flat ground. I still felt a little unsettled from going up and down.

"Ah, Your Majesty, above all you're safe! I, Von Kleist, have anxiously been waiting for this day when we could meet"

While he spoke in a dramatic manner, he kneeled on the ground. I stepped back, startled. When I moved suddenly my butt hurt and smacked my lips, the beautiful man's expression changed.

"Your Majesty, are you hurt somewhere?! Conrart, even though you were with him..."

"Your bottom hurts, doesn't it, Your Majesty? Because this is your first time riding a horse"


Ne, wha. I was puzzled by his sweet smile. But, the beautiful man who introduced himself as von Kleist wasn't smiling.

"First time?! They don't teach horse riding in their elementary schools? Why did Shinou send His Majesty to that sort of world..."

"This isn't the time to talk about that, Günter. Von Grats reached him ahead of me"

"Adelbert! Your Majesty, did they do anything to you?!"

"...They threw stones and came towards me with hoes and ploughs but..."

"How horrible! Those humans... But, Your Majesty... Our language, how..."

It seemed he wanted to ask how I understood their language. I limply waved my right hand, and tried not to smile.

"Not at all, you're all very skilled at Japanese. You don't have to worry so much about me understanding, or be so modest. I'm surprised by how fluently all the characters that have already appeared can speak. Awesome, bravo, viva the actor spirit! How many years have you been in Japan? Which country are you from?"

Von Kleist (family name) Günter (name) had a dubious face.

"Country... I'm, from here"

"You were born in Japan?!"

At that time, Sir Weller said something shocking.

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1031.jpg|400px|thumb]]

"Your Majesty, this isn't Japan"

"Ah, you see, I knew you weren't born in Japan, right? If that's the case then this is... huh"

What?

This isn't Japan?

Right now, did he just say this isn't Japan?

"Then, why is everyone speaking Japanese?"

"We aren't"

At this time, I carefully looked over Sir Weller from the front for the first time. He had the stature of about a nineteen or twenty year old, and unlike the villagers his garments were functional. The khaki leather belt and boots looked like they were influenced by television and movies, and seemed to be a military uniform of a country somewhere.

He has rather short dark brown hair, and eyes that were hazel with silver speckles. An old scar was left next to his eyebrow. He didn't just have scars there, but on both his hands and fingers. He placed one of those hands on my shoulder, and he purposely gazed down at me.

"This isn't Japan, Yuuri. Saying nothing of Japan, this isn't the world you were born in"

As I was being informed of something so shocking, I absentmindedly had thought about something else. Ah, I understand this man. If someone asked me to to tell them about this guy, I'd probably be able to explain him pretty well for sure.


That is to say Sir Conrart Weller seems to be like the person that the audience gives a standing ovation for when he unintentionally strikes a heroic pose in the center court of Wimbledon. But he isn't blessed like that because of his facial features. When compared to Günter and Adelbert, he is plain, and he's probably the type that could do various minor roles in Hollywood. But this person's expression is the result of the life he's lived up to now. It wasn't God's love or an artist's mold, but his own lifestyle.

That's what I would say about this guy, Conrad. I have a hunch I could tell someone that.

"Conrad... No, umm, Conrart"

"Eh? Ah, if you're used to English, Conrad is easier to pronounce. Some of my friends call me that, too"

"Have I met you somewhere before?"

After he thought for a moment, Conrad shook his head.

"No"

The man with silver hair and violet eyes was reaching a mature beauty.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N4|[4]]]

"Anyway, Your Majesty, we can't talk in a place like this. It's not a very clean place, but let's please go inside"

While he said something selfish about another person's house, Günter pushed my back. When I turned my head by chance, the residents of this village seemed to be glued to the cloudy windows of the simple wooden houses, eavesdropping on my situation.


The room had a warm heat stove, and it was a welcome environment for me since my uniform was still damp. Even though just a bit ago it was May in Japan, where I am now, what month is it here?! I can't tell if it's west or east from the dirty window, but an orange light from the setting sun is shining in.

I'm half dried from getting flushed down the toilet in the park, if it was a Japanese house here I'll quickly take a bath.

I took off my jacket that felt icky and damp, and stretch out near the fire. Günter seemed to be moved deeply by that.

"Your Majesty, do you usually wear black? How wonderful, how wonderfully suiting! Normally only people born as kings or very close to the king wear black. That noble black hair and those black eyes, certainly you are our Majesty!"

"...Even if you say that, it's just a uniform, a schoolboy's uniform... Besides, most Japanese people have black hair and black eyes when they're born..."

Though, it changes with the color of the skin according to each stage of life. Like the so-called tanned look that was popular for awhile before or Matsuzaki Shigeru. *In my case my hair had finally grown out in the middle of my third year of junior high, after[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N5|[5]]] I had been baseball team member. I was just starting to think about cutting it when summer vacation arrived.


"Uniform? Did you call this jacket a uniform? I see, this must be made by the most skilled craftsman especially for your Majesty"

They're actually mass produced in a factory. It was the most used among junior high school and high school boys country-wide in Japan. Moreover, it was a little small for my present size because I've been wearing it for three years.

"Your Majesty, you probably think that it's cold, but even though it seems that way it's spring in this country"

Conrad said that and took a position by the side of the door. He seemed to take the role of lookout, folding his arms and resting his head against the wall as his sword leaned. He closed his eyes softly.

I uselessly moved my chair as close to the fire as possible, which was connected to a table of a rough rustic make that you only find in folk craft shops in the recesses of the mountains. An unsteady lamp seemed to be in the mountain hut where an electric light would usually be hanging from the ceiling.

"...Creating minute details up to the season... What an elaborate attraction. .."

"It's not an attraction"

I was corrected by Conrad as his eyes were closed.

"Even if you tell me that, I can't believe it! Right now, inside of me, it's either o-ne, this is an elaborate money absorbing theme park attraction, two-, this is one of those surprise shows that's often on TV, three-, this will all turn out to be a dream, which is it? Well, pick one. I hope for three"


Conrad didn't answer, but in front of me Günter had a worried face, and after he muttered a word that he wasn't familiar with he turned to me.

"Teper... Surprise..? Please wait your Majesty, and explain in order. Please be calm, and please do not test me with your foreign words"

"Ok, I'm calm. So much has happened that even if you say that you're my mother, I'll just clap my hands and laugh and call it an American joke" When I raise both my hands and give up, I sit facing Günter, and he firmly leaned forward and began to talk.

"Then I will tell you. Your Majesty, eighteen years ago, your Majesty's spirit should have been born in this country. However, because of the postwar chaos at that time, or fear that your Majesty's life might have been targeted internally, Shinou decided to send your soul to another world. So, according to the instructions of Shinou, we took your Majesty's noble soul that hadn't been born yet to the Earth. Your mother and your father created your Majesty' s body, and you've grown up in that world until today. However, while you should have originally been able to grow to adulthood safely in another world, you were summoned due to a situation..."

"Wait a minute, you're being too polite for me to understand.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N6|[6]]] Can you be more conversational!"

"Please don't say such an unreasonable thing. Your Majesty is Your Majesty, we are just your vassals"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, my name is Yuuri, Shibuya Yuuri Harajuku Furi. I've called myself that for a long time. So here is the development to now?! I was really supposed to be born in this country, but for whatever reason I was born and raised in another world. But because I have things to do, I was summoned here from Japan. Did I get that all right?"


"How wonderful, you followed it. I admire your intelligence"

To my despair, Günter nodded deeply, happy from the bottom of his heart.

Narnia,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N7|[7]]] I mean, I see, this is the same old story. It's in innumerable movies, and overused in anime and manga. Even though there's a variation in quality, it's in paperbacks and juvenile literature so often that it's not possible to count anymore. It wasn't anything original. However, it's rare for a person to actually be dragged into it. Moreover, to get dragged into it from a public bathroom is extremely rare.

"And, I was pulled into a tunnel to another world from the bathroom toilet, and was dropped on that mountain path"

"That's correct. By our calculations, you should have been able to be summoned inside our borders, and inside of our capital. However, perhaps due to some excess power, you were at a human village on the outskirts of our borders. It's inexcusable, Your Majesty. Of the people distributed along the borders in case of emergency, it's good that Conrart arrived in time. This land is part of our territory, for the time being you don't have to worry. Please be at ease"

"Even if you tell me to be at ease, this probably wouldn't be an easy situation for you guys either. Are you sure I'm the person you're searching for? When you think about the population of Japan, isn't it possible you mistook me for someone else? I'm of about average looks and intelligence, and I don't have any unusual birthmarks-"


I didn't have any evidence of any special birthmarks anywhere on my body. If anything I only have a faint scar on my left elbow from when I was a kid.

"But, umm, Günter, san, I do have a scar from rubbing against the artificial grass from playing baseball on my left arm. I don't seem to have any natural marks on my body that are 'proof of being a king'..."

His intellectual appearance collapsed for a moment and became sweet. If I put it well it's like an actor answering passionately; if I put it badly it's like an owner talking about his cat.

"No, from the moment I first saw you I knew you were our Majesty, I have no doubts about it! Since you have pure and noble black hair, and clear black eyes that aren't cloudy, and you were born with such a beautiful color to your body, and furthermore, you were wearing pitch black clothes, I cannot think it's anyone except you"

Geh, he said I was beautiful. Beautiful - maybe like him.

"Besides, it's even more clear since you're skilled in our language. What Adelbert did... to you was regrettable but... he drew out Your Majesty's stored language from the depths of your soul. Every soul has accumulated memories of its various "lives" that it has lived up to then. Of course, usually that door isn't opened, and people have to learn knowledge in their new "life". However, that man opened that door, and part of your sealed memories have been drawn out forcibly. Using the way of those savage, cowardly, and dishonorable humans!"

At the rough tone of the explanation, I asked timidly.


"...That seems rather convenient"

"Not at all! Though it's good that only the part of the memory with your language skills was awakened, when I think of if unnecessary memories were revived. There isn't a person who wants to know all of his soul's travels"

There are a lot of people who want to know in Japan. From besides the door, Conrad calmly interjected.

"But about that thought, we're able to speak to his Majesty now thanks to of that man's art. It's useless to worry about it until your veins pop out, Lord Von Kleist"

"...In order to teach Your Majesty about advanced noble language, I prepared the textbooks and rulers..."

His tone seemed sad from the bottom of his heart, 8but what worried me is what the rulers were for.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N8|[8]]] If they were for underlining text, no problem.

"At any rate, his stored language is evidence that His Majesty's soul was the one in this world. My confidence has changed into conviction now" "Oh Günter... I heard that somewhere..."

Apparently, they didn't seem to have any doubts because they believed I was "their Majesty".

But, usually in this type of scenario, a main character like a hero or savior or prince or princess solves the world's problems peacefully, and it has a wonderful happy ending. A famous author once said, If the story didn't have a happy ending it wouldn't be like.

"I get it. Maybe it's impossible to believe, but in any case in order to finish this, I have to accept your offer, right? If that's the case then let's get this over with quickly, what is the mission that I was summoned for? What princess should I rescue? Where's the dragon I need to slay?"


"Dragon? A ryuu?![[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N9|[9]]] We would never slay a ryuu, their kind have been over-hunted by humans and are almost extinct, and we protect them"

So in this world, dragons are at the top of the red list.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N10|[10]]]

There were several knocks on the wooden door, and with sword in hand, Conrad cautiously opened the door narrowly. Children that were about ten years old were standing there, and they looking up at him with and grinned from ear to ear.

"Yo"

"Conrad! Will you teach us to throw, we can't aim well at all"

"And after that can you teach us how to hit, and how to finish?"

Though the parents weren't leaving their houses out of fear of the soldiers, it seemed it wasn't the same for the children. And to them, it wasn't Sir Weller or Your Excellency; they just addressed him as someone older.

"You guys, soon it's going to be pitch black. Soon we won't be able to see anything"

"It's still fine"

"It'll still be ok"

He looked in my direction worriedly, and he left the room after he bowed his head.

"...If the children like him, he must be a good guy, that person"


"Yes, he's the number one soldier of our kingdom. He's my prize pupil"

"You're a teacher, umm, Von Kleist-san"

"Please call me Günter. Of course, I am a teacher, and I'm also the advisor and assistant to your Majesty"

"If you're a teacher then can you explain this to me briefly? Günter, what am I supposed to do in this world? What kind of troublesome enemy do I have to defeat so I can go home"

"Humans"

The firewood in the heater crackled and popped.

"...Humans... Then, that is, what kind of person..."

"It's not a person, Your Majesty. We will destroy all the humans who are hostile towards our country, and burn their countries. For that reason we need a leader, so Your Majesty's power as a ruler is necessary."

Humans, destroy, and burn?

Destroy humans?!

I kicked the chair and ran to the back, fail, and fall to the ground on my back. A flustered Günter rushed over to me.

"Are you ok, Your Majesty"

"Uwah, wait! Did you say we should kill humans, Günter-san?! If that's true I'll be killed too! Because if you look at me I'm an ordinary human, no, wait, even when you say something like that, your face looks a bit human... You're a human, too"


"No matter where I look, Your Majesty is a Mazoku[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N11|[11]]] like us. No, more than that, you're a being with noble black hair that should be respected! The chosen spirit was born into your dark body, that only Mazoku kings or people close to them have. However, your hair and eyes are both black, to appear as a human with both black..."

"Is a what like us?"

"Mazoku"

No way.

"...Then, what am I the king of?"

"You are the Maoh"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N12|[12]]]

Maoh.

Father, father, look, there's a "Honyara"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N13|[13]]] over there, I'm scared.

A Hakushon Dai "Honyara"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N14|[14]]]

Formerly, Yokohama's Dai "Honyara"

Huh, Hama's Dai "Honyara", I have a feeling there's something wrong with that answer.

To start with, what is a "honyara".[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N15|[15]]]

I have a feeling they would curse, attack and kill humans, and be the boss of a terrible demon race.


Well, that is that, what am I the king of?

"Pull yourself together, You Majesty, please relax! Get a hold of yourself! You have become our hope, Your Majesty, the twenty-seventh Maoh!"

Aah~, as I thought~, he's still calling me this Maoh~. But twenty-seven is a good number~, 27~.

My shoulders were gripped and I was shaken roughly. I completely escaped reality from the residue of the shock. But this person, he said that I have to become a demon and beat humans to death. I could never do such a stupid thing, why isn't the enemy a slime or an evil sorcerer or a devil dragon or a big Maoh, and, if I'm the Maoh, then, am I the bad guy's side in this world?! Then there's a human hero or savior somewhere, and the last boss that's going to be defeated in the final dungeon is me?! Damn- If that's the case I can't end it by hitting reset two or three times, I'll fight the hero with all my power! It won't be possible for him to get to the ending if he's not level 99, I'll fight to the end or... Hey, I can't fight to the end, I'll die, I'm the last boss. When I'm in a pinch I'm usually quick-witted! I'll panic at the magic attacks of the enemy!

Aaah~ it's a lie~, someone please tell me this isn't true~!

"It's not a lie, Your Majesty! You are truly the Maoh. Congratulations, from today on you are the Maoh!"

What is there to congratulate!


Outside it was already purple, and the remaining half was orange.

Only the fire from the lamps that was shaking unreliably leaked from the windows of the houses. The children had cheerful voices, and were moving around with vague smiles.

"Your Majesty?"

"Uwah, stop it, don't call me Your Majesty"

Conrad is leaning against the wall with his arms folded. Over by 3 steps there are some square pieces of wood, and next to that the ten year old children are standing around there. Apparently, judging from the stick their holding in both hands, it seems to be a game that's somewhere in-between cricket and baseball. A piece of cloth is wound around the section of the strange, fat bat that's being gripped, there's two fielders behind the pitcher, and furthermore there isn't a catcher anywhere.

"I don't know the rules of cricket, but who alternates next after one person hits it?"

"There are no alternates, this village only has five children"

Another was in the outfield. He was only a shadow because it was evening.

When the pitcher threw the something that looked like a ball, the batter made a dramatic miss. The ball hit the wall and rolled, Conrad picked it up and threw it back, and it progressed like so.


"You've struck out three times. Howell, take the place on the first base"

"Was that baseball?"

But, why would they have baseball in this sword and magic world... The child in the outfield ran up. The five children standing have good physiques and fair hair.

"Wait, wait, if this is baseball then why isn't there a catcher? Shouldn't you squat down?"

"It's not fair if an adult joins"

"No, that's not a problem, it's not a problem. Well, let's see, who is that outfielder. What is your name?"

"Brandon"

His voice was irritatingly hoarse, he was definitely in the middle of his voice changing.

"Well then, Brandon, you be the catcher. Look, squat over there, and catch the balls when they come. Aah, there aren't any mitts or gloves?!"

"Your Majesty... No, Yuuri-sama, this is a village of refugees that flowed in from the other side of the border. The don't have a complete set of sports equipment"

The child shakes free from my hand, and looks up at me with a frightened appearance.

"Your Majesty?! Conrad, did you call this person Your Majesty?! This is the scary person mother told me about?!"


"Brandon! This person will become our country's king. He's far from a scary person, he's the one who will kindly be defending your village"

Don't tell the children something I haven't even thought about.

"King?!"

But the five children gathered... Four boys and a girl, knelt in place and covered their faces. Some of the children pressed their foreheads to the ground. I wouldn't say it looks like great respect.

"Please forgive us Your Highness, please don't chop off our heads, or burn down our houses"

"Howell, you didn't do anything wrong, so His Majesty has no reason to do such a thing. Look, Ema, raise your head"

"But the king... my father..."

As the girl recalled a painful memory, her voice rose and she cried. When several doors opened and mothers called out their names, the children all ran off towards their houses.

I picked up the ball at my feet. If the ball is this light and that was the pitcher, a mask and mitts might be unnecessary. The ball was a round leather bag softly stuffed with straw and sewn up, so it wasn't possible for the person who threw it to predict how it would curve.

"When I was their age, I used to play baseball until it got dark. And when it was night I'd have games and television, I didn't have any free time to do homework"


"Children are like that in any country"

I stepped on the board that was substituting for home base.

"Hey, Conrad"

"Yes?"

"Is it true that I'm the king? Furthermore, I'm the head Maoh scary enough to silence a crying child"

"It's true. I'm not sure whether you're the head or not, but you are genuinely His Majesty, the twenty-seventh ruler of Shin Makoku"

"Then, I'll be chopping off people's heads too"

"It's not like that! I should have said this is a village of refugees. If I remember correctly, the winter six years ago, they were oppressed because of a religious misunderstanding and all the men were executed. The women and children came to the national border seeking protection, and we lent them this land with almost no taxation on the condition that they can't extend their farmland. It's foolish king in the country of humans that they've deserted that killed their men and burned down their houses. But then..."

Conrad bit his lip, and seemed to look down regretfully.

"...I want you to remember that not all humans are like that. Well, Your Majesty, let's go inside. When it gets dark the temperature drops quickly. And Günter will lecture us"

The stars began to shine. The moon is still low. The light leaking from the windows is dim and unreliable.


There was nothing else shining. No neon signs or vending machines or convenience stores.

Where have I ended up.

"...What kind of trap have I fallen into"

"But, this is your world"

Conrad smiled as he opened the door to the private house. Without any other source of light at dusk, even the light of the indoor lamp is like a searchlight turned sideways.

"Welcome home, Your Majesty"

This is the place where your soul should be.

Ah, what different culture of food!

This thing called supper that I was given seemed like the leather of shoes that not even a dog would chew, dry bread that you could hit a nail with it even at normal temperatures, and some dried fruit that might have been better for the teeth if I licked it instead of biting it.

"This is food we carry for military use, so it's dry like this"

Günter insisted across from me, and I practiced chewing each mouthful thirty times silently. Though I was hungry to death, I wouldn't be able to swallow the dry meat if it wasn't chewed thoroughly.


The number one soldier, Conrad, seemed to be loved by the children, so it seemed like he was at Brandon's or Howell's or Ema's, or one of the other two children's whose names I didn't hear, house being treated to a meal.

"I want to go there too~"

"You can't go. The citizens of that village are human, what would you do if some man-made food hurt your body?"

"I'm a human so it's ok"

"No! How can you say that for certain when they planned such evil things? This Günter cannot let His Majesty's life be exposed to danger at all"

And then, ah, the bedding culture is different!

Of course, I believed I would be able to borrow the best bedroom in this house from the residents. Because they call me the Maoh, I seems like I should be allowed to rest my tired body on a soft futon. Though, judging from what I've seen of the world here, it might be a bed rather than a futon. However, my question was answered by Günter with a matter-of-fact face.

"Why? Hey, just a minute, why do I have a sleeping bag, when just a little while ago a soldier went into a room with a soft bed?! Well, am I really a king? Shouldn't this sleeping bag have been dried properly in the sun before that?"

"If an insurgent breaks in targeting Your Majesty's life, the soldier you saw awhile ago is a substitute for you. There is no attack from the window if you're here, and because Conrart fortified it, the entrance is safe"


"Your Majesty, tomorrow we'll be on horseback all day. Please take a long rest tonight and store your energy"

Even if he says to sleep soundly, there's not even a window in this cramped, dusty back room that I've been shut up in, spread out on this outdoor, tawny sleeping bag with barely any cotton stuffing... The floor is hard and the camping sleeping bag is made especially for tough guys. To make matters worse, it's my first experience being surrounded by handsome foreign men sleeping. Ah, sleeping like the "character of the river".[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N16|[16]]] Even the king of a king game might have more freedom.

And then, ah, what a different culture of transportation!

In front of me, with my lack of sleep, five lively chestnut horses were drawn out. The early morning has perfectly clear air, and their snorting is hot and white.

"Horses again?!"

I was wearing my stiff school uniform, which had gotten wet and dried, I reached out my hand to the giant animal timidly. I'm threatened with a "Uhihin"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N17|[17]]] and withdraw.

"But since you're Mazoku, can't you use magic freely~?"

"Magic... You mean Majutsu?"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N18|[18]]]

"Yeah, that's right, magic. Why not use it to go to the capital? Or up to the castle, you can go blistering speeds without galloping on a horse, with magic bashu~n and you can skip to the end"

Like the anywhere door,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N19|[19]]] or bamboo copter, or something convenient like that.


Günter cleared his throat unnaturally and said,

"Your Majesty, Majutsu isn't for all purposes"

"Eh? From the television that I saw, witches and wizards only have to shake a staff and anything can be done almost disregarding science"

"I don't know who wrote the play or stage drama 'Terebi', but that information is needlessly exaggerated. Majutsu is mostly useful for combat, and besides that, look, for extremely important circumstances, like summoning Your Majesty"

So television is different from reality. When I'm going to argue with him, "When you say it simply, it conserves energy"

While being rubbed by a snout, Conrad said,

"Naturally, even if I, who doesn't have a fragment of magical power, say so, it won't be persuasive. Well, Your Majesty, will you ride with me or Günter? The horse-riding experience you mentioned from yesterday..."

"I've barely even been on a merry-go-round"

"That's right, you've only had a little experience on a carousel. It'd take at least three days to reach the capital with such limited experience, so please keep riding behind me. Their burden will increase, but if we switches horses at relay stops they'll probably hold out"

"My butt hasn't even stopped hurting from yesterday yet... Eh, how would you know what a carousel is"


"Please be prepared. Today your front will probably also hurt"

The soldiers from earlier greeted them and left one by one. When I look up at the sky, it has the skeleton models the same as yesterday. Of course, they're above us. Are they still the mascot character, what was it called? Kotsumohibimaru? Mr. Calcium?

"How about Kohhi? Yahoo~, Kohhi~, thank you for carrying me yesterday. I don't know if you're the same one, there isn't much difference"

I decided his name without permission, and waved my hand quietly. Then, his jaw made a clattering sound, and he repeatedly flapped his wings vigorously. It's awfully grotesque. I instinctively asked the person in charge of education.

"Uwah, it's mad! Is it possible for it to get mad?!"

"No, it was overcome with emotion when it was addressed by His Majesty's voice. Because they don't have the concept of "individuals", if you inform one of them you inform them as a whole. Because it's easy to communicate with the entire bone tribe, it's very useful on lookouts and scouts"

A lot of those words were hard to understand, but is he saying it's one for everyone, and everyone for one?

"Well, Your Majesty, we go soon too"

Conrad held the bridle in his right hand, and held out his left hand to me to pull me up.

Only the door of one house was narrowly opened, with a frightened villager who had blond hair peeping without showing his face.

"Ah~ ah!"


Facing that direction, I called out.

"What a waste! If you practice with a slightly heavier and harder ball, you'll become more skilled! And if the bat is cut more smoothly, and if the grip is thinner it should be easier to hit, and besides that..."

And still after that, don't they need a catcher?

"You have to have a catcher, for baseball~!"

I saw his mother grab him, and she closed the door frantically.

"I visit this village every now and then"

I give him some momentum so he can pull me up.

"Through this heart-breaking experience, the children are doing their best to grow up"

"Ah"

I can't even imagine my father being killed and my house being burnt down.

Günter had a discontent look on his face, but he struck the horse's stomach as he pretended not to look.

And that was the start of my first day of hell.


According to the G-shock that continued ticking away gallantly, running six hours from morning continuously, we transferred horses at places called relay spots about two times. At the third relay spot, in a village that was much larger than the villages before, the group tethered the horses to the outside fencing and took a rest stop at Günter's signal.

"You've become very tired, haven't you? A bit ago your mutterings became incomprehensible, Your Majesty"

Because it was forced to run with Conrad's constant encouragement, I remembered the horse's name. While I was tumbling off of that hazel mare, Nokantei, I begged in a hoarse voice.

"Help me"

"Of course. When we've run halfway, I'll do it for you"

"No, right now"

"Then for the time being, let's replenish our calorie intake. In a word, lunch"

Although I should have descended to the ground, it entirely feels like riding a boat. To make matters worse, although it seemed to be the second month of spring, but the sunlight was making me miss my refrigerator.

"I don't have an appetite. The nights are cold, noon is hot, and my throat is completely parched from dust, ah"

I was presented with the object of my desire, and spontaneously reached out my hand and stopped panicking.

It looked like a shapeless glass that an amateur made on their first day in the classroom. It was filled with cold water to the edges, and frost and drops of water clung to the outside. This is definitely what I wanted now.

"...Cold water..."

"Your Majesty!"


Günter came my way at a quick pace. At any rate, he'll probably tell me not to eat or drink anything that's given to me by humans. But the girl holding out the tray of water to me is about ten year old, and her hair and eyes are violet. Everything other than that is the same color as a human, but, but...

"Are you a Mazoku?"

The girl nodded.

"Yes Your Majesty. If we can help His Majesty with the last drop that we possess, we'll be happy"

If that's true, then it's fine. She's a Mazoku, and I'm and the King of the Mazoku. I touched the glass with my fingers. As I thought, it's painfully cold. The person in charge of education says something.

"Your Majesty, please wai..."

The water disappeared from my hands, and when I looked up at my side Conrad had taken the glass and put it to his mouth. After he drank a mouthful he returned it. Shortly he only whispers "Leave a little".

When I drank and returned the glass with only a little water left, the girl seemed glad, and she bowed deeply and ran away. The cold sensation in my throat quickly spread to my chest, just like the pain you get in your forehead when you eat shaved ice, and for just an instant my feet stagger. Suddenly my head was clear, and the surrounding greenery looked more vivid.

"...It seems like I was really thirsty. Like when you get dehydrated from midsummer activities"

"Being able to give water to His Majesty will definitely be the pride of that girl's life"

The man with the nice smile said something like that. But, I know scenes like this from historical plays. Just now he tasted it for poison. For my sake, he taste tested it.


The man in charge of education approached with a seemingly shocked face.

"Your Majesty, even though I've told you not to eat anything other than what we've brought over and over"

"But isn't this a completely Mazoku village? And hey, the people living here even look like you, and there's oddly a lot of beautiful men"

"While that may be true..."

Conrad unfastened the saddle on Nokantei, and lifted up the water to her the same as a person.

"It didn't taste strange, and in case there was anything at the bottom that didn't melt, I had him leave the last mouthful. Even His Majesty isn't slow to understand, he only wanted his first drink to be cold, after that he can endure everything, the water from the water bags or portable food. "Conrart, you support the common people too much"

"So what?"

Conrad spoke with a knowing face.

"If we don't support the people, then who will? Ah, of course..."

Nokantei chewed on his hair. Happily, and lovingly.

"If it would help His Majesty, without even mentioning my shoulder, I would give my hand or chest or even my life"

"...You don't need to give your chest or life"


"Don't say that"

"Lend me your Majutsu. It's already a state of emergency for me, so use your magic to skip me there with a bafyu~n. I've had enough of horses, I'm already tired of horses"

"In regards to a bit about magic. At any rate, didn't I tell you I have no magic power? The top magic user in our country, Günter, could help you"

He raised his eyebrows. Kyah~, Günter-sama's grieving form was so cool, too.

"Your Majesty's magic is several times more powerful than mine. At any rate, even gods are frightened when they speak of the powerful of the demon king"

"Wait a minute. I'm a human so I don't have any magic power or spiritual power"

"Your, Ma, jes, ty, is, a, Ma, zo, ku!"

"But I've never seen a ghost, or hit the lotto, or seen through a girl's bikini, or has a 10 yen coin move on a Kokkuri-san..."[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N20|[20]]]

A confession. When I was in the fourth grade, I moved a ten yen coin on a Kokkuri-san myself after school. I was playing it with Nozawa, and he was so scared he cried, so I couldn't tell him I did it. I'm not sure what was misunderstood, but Günter showed a smile of admiration.

"I would guess that's an advanced ritual of a foreign country? Though I can't understand its relation to Majutsu because of my ignorance... But it's fine, Your Majesty. Magic power is the disposition of the soul. Even if you can't use it now, everything in this world will become as you desire sooner or later"


Conrad, who doesn't seem to have any magic power either, gently brushed his favorite horse's muzzle slowly.

"Even though I cannot use it, I haven't felt inconvenienced. Well, that is given a long term view on it. For the time being, though, I'm worried about you riding a horse alone"

"Alone, me?!"

Nokantei shook her head excitedly, and drops of leftover water on her nose scattered. This, me?!

"No, of course, it goes without saying that you won't be going fast. It's fine if it's only after you enter the capital. Won't it be pathetic if the citizens are disappointed? They demand a strong, sublime, absolute ruler, so you absolutely have to ride a horse alone, or it won't be an impressive entry into the castle"

"Uwah... On this one?"

"No~. The best mare has been prepared~. I've raised her beloved daughter up to today, making every effort. Without mistake she suits Your Majesty's jet black"

My dream of a noble riding a white horse has been smashed.
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
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| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 1

2012-01-23T19:30:34Z

LRenne:

If that's the case, then why did she use those kanji?!

Since junior high when old enemies, some delinquents, would always call me "Furi (Disadvantage)" during fights, I've gotten used to eluding abusive language.

"Say something Shibuya[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N1|[1]]] Yuuri[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N2|[2]]] (Advantageous)!"

"Don't you mean Harajuku[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N1|[1]]] Furi (Disadvantageous)"

I've heard that cliche 50,000 times. By the way, I was born 15 years ago. That's right, my name is Shibuya Yuuri (Advantageous). 2Not Yuuri (abundant village) nor Yuuri (gentle pear tree) but Shibuya "Yuuri (Advantageous)". The name of my brother, who is five years older than me, is Shibuya Shouri (Victory). It's written as Shouri (Victory) and reads as Shouri, and even if it looks a little like "Katsutoshi (to win, same kanji)" it's not.

With the fresh leaves of May growing thick, I was in the middle of returning home from school on my bicycle.

Up to now I've looked up to a member of the middle school baseball team, but now I also look up to another senior on the kendo team, so I was talking about becoming a member of the kendo team just five minutes ago when I rode my bicycle away from my friend. I was stepping on the pedals in a good mood, heading through a quiet park near my home, when I happened across a serious scene.


Collecting money.

That's only what the bullies who practice it call it, but it's really plain old mugging. Today of all days I knew all three of them, the assailants and the victim, from samiddle (the same middle school?), and the one in glasses who was being pushed up against the back wall of the bathrooms, Murata Ken, was in the same class as me in the second and third year of middle school.

Now wouldn’t be a bad time to leave on my bike, especially since no ones noticed me. If I pass by quickly, Murata wouldn’t ever know it was me. It’s not like he’s really my friend, and I’ve never really talked to him. Besides, even if I did seem like an ally of justice, no one is looking hopefully or gratefully this way...Ah...I slowly stopped my bicycle.

A-Ah, it’s no good...My eyes met with Murata Ken's.

"...What are you doing over there? Perhaps doing something illegal as a group?"

And so, I, Shibuya Yuuri decided to deal with two delinquents, and for what I guess is the 50,000nth time I heard "Well, is it Harajuku Furi?!". Thanks to this small-town sense of justice I was born with. Mugging people is a crime, and fighting two on one is unfair by my ethics.

"We're just "collecting money". Whatever money is in that guy's wallet, that's legitimately collecting money, right?"

Please, pull out a map and show me, in what country is this legal?


With navy blue and gray uniforms, the two high school students who had fair hair and matching contacts could have been said to have no nationality[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N3|[3]]] at all. They kicked me in the stomach and pinned me roughly against the mortar wall.

"Now look, our prey ran off because you were talking too much. Well? You're the banker's son, so shouldn't you know how valuable a customer is?!"

It's true. Oh, hell! I was going to save Murata Ken, and then he turned around and ran away at full speed. But I'm cute, I'll look around for assistance. But at 4:30 in the afternoon only grade school students are in the park.

"Why did you come save that guy? Are you friends? Or is it a secret crush?"

"Shut up! Ken is my favorite name, Tsutomu and Ken are my top favorite names."

Secretly, the teacher whom I admire is named 'Tsutomu', and my favourite actor in historical dramas is 'Matsudaira Ken'.

"Ah? It's your favorite name? Shibuya Yuuri Harajuku Furi?!"

When they started laughing I tried to gain a tactical advantage. I was drawing out my fists and kneeing them when delinquent A grabbed my hair and pulled me into the dim bathroom.

"Hey, wait... You... Ah, wasn't this marked as the ladies' bathroom!"

"Is that so? Hunn, well, that's fine. There's a lot more stalls, so we can have our privacy. That's important."


"That's right, it's for our privacy. We want to keep a secret a secret."

Delinquent B matched his tone to his actions, and he began looking for a wallet from the snatched backpack.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N4|[4]]] The blue strap was cut, causing a mobile phone to tumble out; which began ringing as soon as it hit the wall.

"...What's this ring tone, have you heard it?"

"No. Aah, what is this, it feels like I've heard it somewhere, oh, I can't remember, like someone, from television. I'd guess from a historical play?"

"About that, who makes ring tones from historical plays other than the recent ones by Mito Komon? Moreover, isn't that a professional baseball strap? I don't believe it, Shibuya Yuuri, what is this about Shibuya Yuuri?"

"Shut up! What do you know about the virtues of baseball! Ah, hey, you..."

Delinquent B began pulling out money. It was a pair of Souseki-senseis.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N5|[5]]]

"What is this?! You have to be joking, are you really a banker's son?! Your father must be hesitant to lend you money because you are, but I thought you'd have more than this. He's doesn't want to loan you money,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N6|[6]]] Shibuya-chan. "

"I'm not connected to my parent's business."

I didn't think to tell them, but I usually had about 500 yen[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N7|[7]]] in my possession. He gives me change steadily, but it's barely enough to use at a vending machine, and my savings are gone in the blink of an eye.

"Ah, ah, think of it as the bank making a special loan to Murata, two blue bills[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N8|[8]]] isn't enough. 20,000 yen at least, 20,000."


Suddenly his grip on my hair strengthened. Currently there were three light blue doors reserved in the lady's restroom. I was dragged to the center one, and kneed roughly in the back. The toilets didn't look like what I'd been told, and a Western-style toilet was in front of me.

"Hey, no way, you guys... aren't delinquents of ten years ago, so..."

"For someone who passed the entrance exams[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N9|[9]]] you're not very quick-witted, so how about we teach you not to have a smart mouth for future reference?"

Surely they won't really dunk my face in the toilet. Even if these guys were junior high school delinquents, it's the year 2000 AD, who uses such old-fashioned bullying?!

"If you get in our way, should we kill you? Next time it'll be serious."

As I feared, my rivals pushed my head towards the toilet. It seems like right now old-fashioned things are back in style.

I tried to hold up my neck, but I decided I had about 10 seconds to be prepared.

But a toilet! If I thought about a different type of face-washing vessel the function is the same. The water began to flow over my chin as it was pushed in. I tried to lift my head as a reaction, but the pressure at the back of my head didn't loosen at all. I gave up, took a deep breath, and stiffened my body.

After the toilets were modernized, there wasn't anyone who'd been dunked in the toilets. If that's true, then I should get in the Guiness Book of World Records. In other words, for just a few dozen seconds, if I closed my eyes and held my breath, even if they push me in, and even if my head is pulled... Huh?

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1013.jpg|400px|thumb]]

Either Delinquent A or Delinquent B's hand held me from above as usual. But some other force sucking me in, like there was a black hole in the middle of the toilet!

Is this a joke?! What hidden power brand name toilets have! It must be the ultimate secret of a strong cleaner! I couldn't fight it any longer, and while my head and shoulders and hips were painfully sucked in I, Shibuya Yuuri, thought with a scream.

Is it possible, this is the first time this has ever happened?!

For the first time ever, a man was flushed down a toilet?!

Hey, papa.

What is it Yuuri?

When we come to Disneyland why do we only go to the "Star Tours"?

What, you don't like the Star Tours, Yuuri?

It's not that I don't like it, I love it! But I at least already know all the lines of the "droid" that is the "pilot", how many times have we ridden it?

That's great, Yuuri! So you already remember all the lines the pilot droid has? Well then, Yuuri, just to make certain that it's correct, let's ride the Star Tours once more! Because someday when you grow up, this will definitely be useful.


That was certainly useful!

As my vision began to return faintly, I expressed my gratitude to my father after a long time. Even though he probably never predicted that his son would be flushed down a toilet over ten years ago, riding Star Tours at Disneyland in Tokyo 10 times in rapid succession was certainly useful.

After whirling down the flushing toilet, the scene I saw in that clear water was just like repeating what I had seen in my childhood. The droid shouted, and then we warped. The light became grainy and the stars were stretched into lines, and distorted, and then shrunk again into normal stars. My body was extended, distorted and then shrunk again...

Not really.

I could never really be flushed down a toilet. Besides, my body grew adequately, and I'm about the size of the average freshman.

I stretched out my arms and legs as much as possible, and triumphantly became spread eagle. The dirt road didn't go away after a long time. But the sky was nothing but blue. It was the clear blue sky of an area without things like air pollution or depletion of the O-zone layer, with clear air and blue sky. When I tilted my head, I saw green on both sides of the road. At my left hand were woods where the trees grew thick, and at my right hand was a meadow stretching in a slope with a private house. The house seemed like it was made of stone, and in the distance animals could vaguely be seen. Goats or... sheep, I guess.


Because of those bullies, my face was shoved into a toilet and I was dragged into a place that didn't seem to be habited, and I instantly panicked.

But, where is this? The scenery was entirely unlike modern Japan, and I muttered while sitting up.

"...The Alps?"

Like that girl Heidi. Even though I couldn't figure out how I got transported here.

As I quietly realized that my uniform was damp I got a seriously bad feeling. When I thought about this moisture carefully, it might be from the public bathroom. .. I'd better stop thinking so much. Water is water, there's nothing different about H2O.

From the other side of the road a young lady carrying a large luggage was walking. Both of her hands are under a wicker basket, but it falls from both hands at the same time. The sound of the fruits that were too large to be called apples tumbling onto the road rose up.

"Umm....."

I begin speaking and take a deep breath. Her eyes are staring in my direction. And mine are looking at her, too. Some words rose in my head.

A costume player (or cosplayer to abbreviate).

The length of the long skirt that seemed to be dragging on the ground. The old-fashioned triangular straps tied at her chin. Those blue eyes and dull blonde hair... A foreigner! But why was a foreigner in a long apron dress that seemed like that Heidi girl of the Alps climbing up the hill carrying luggage. As the girl dropped her basket, she pointed in this direction and began screaming something.


"Ah, umm, excuse me, I'm really sorry if I surprised you. It's just that I've been dumped at this place, you really don't need to feel like I'll harm you or threaten you..."

Her voice substituted for a siren, and one by one people ran out of the stone fairy-tale houses, quickly climbing up the slope. There were men and women and children. All the people were the same.

"...Every, everyone is cosplaying?"

No, these people definitely weren't modern day Japanese people. To begin with all of them were foreigners. If you look at us Japanese, the natural blonde hair and natural brown hair, natural blue eyes and natural split chin, I could only think they were a different race. Ten or more people gathered around holding useful farming equipment like ploughs or hoes or sickles. When the girl kept screaming, I couldn't understand the meaning as I watched her frozen.

"Wait a minute, really, please wait a minute, I was just dumped here. Umm, what's a better word for it, eh... Abandoned! I was just abandoned here! Ah... Ah, I know! I haven't solved the entire puzzle."

My brains and tongue rotated in a state of emergency. The houses didn't look like Japan and the people were cosplaying. All of the factors came together in me.

"A theme park?!"


That's right. Foreigners in cosplay, an outlandish town, if this the type of place used in two hour suspense dramas, wouldn't it have to be a theme park.

"Well, that's probably it. I'm stupid for not realizing it right away. I was abandoned in a theme park. But, even so, where is this? Is there a a place in Niigata with a Russian atmosphere? Even if that's true, that's a long way to be abandoned from where I live... Ow, ah, why is everyone in the Russian village, wait, why, rocks, and things?! Ow!"

Everyone working at the theme park must have been foreigners knowledgeable of Japanese foolishness. Nevertheless, why did they start throwing stones this way while I was frantically explaining?! Even if I didn't pay the entrance fee, throwing stones and setting up farming tools (they can be used as deadly weapons) is a bit of an over-reaction.

"Ah, umm, my wallet was taken a little while ago so I didn't pay the entrance fee, but I'll definitely do it in the future. If someone will lend me a phone, I'll do it by the end of today."

The end of today?

I'm holding my arms over my head as I avoided stones and mud, and I pretended not to see the peasants wielding giant fork-looking spades, I thought as I absentmindedly saw an infant begin to weep with a frightened face while looking at me.

The infinite blue sky? When I was arguing with the delinquents, wasn't it past 4 in the afternoon? It's possible to consider that I was unconscious for 15 hours. But no one found me during that time? Even the theme park's security? Furthermore in the May weather, my uniform was still really wet. What in the world happened to me?! My head is so full of questions it felt like it was weighed to the ground. Even though I'm receiving this unjust stoning, no one is helping me.


I heard a strong voice give orders, and I lifted up my head a lot. Thankfully, the shower of stones ceased.

"Who..."

I was going to ask who it was, but then I saw a man on horseback and my words were stopped. His costume design wasn't different than the villagers, but the brilliance and texture of his clothes were obviously of a different quality, and he dismounted from his horse with excessive action and took two steps this way.

American football, this man absolutely must play American football. His arms and chest seem that way. With dazzling hair and turquoise blue eyes, a fine, long hooked nose even though it inclines to the left a little, he seemed to be a beautiful Caucasian macho man with a split chin. Foreigner-loving Japanese girls would probably form a line asking for photographs in this place, and if necessary they would probably put money in his bikini pants.

The fault of this particular Caucasian was his huge nostrils on his triangular nose.

Secretly I think of him as 'Denver Broncos', that's the only NFL team that I know. When he tells the villagers a few words, and he kneels down and peers at me.

"...Umm... Seriously, thank you, for calming down everyone..."

His huge hands, which balanced out his figure, grabbed my head firmly.


I thought he was going to throw a 90 yard long pass like this. Furthermore he could probably get a touch down like that. But as he gripped my frontal lobes (no way) he didn't throw me, and with the power he put in his fingers I couldn't move for a minute.

"...Ow..."

As the pain hit me from five places I unintentionally raised my voice. You might call it shock more than pain. [[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N10|[10]]]I was more afraid from the shock that he would close his fingers too strongly by mistake than in pain. Finally the man separated his hands. A stream of sound flowed in at the same time. The root from my ear to my brain hurt as if water had gotten in it.

Wind, trees, cries of the animals, cries of the baby that sounded like an animal, and words.

Suddenly everyone began speaking Japanese. What, everyone can speak Japanese?! That's it, they're workers away from home (and probably taking their families) who came to Japan to work with tourists,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N11|[11]]] so they're sure to have mastered everyday conversation. If that's the case, why did they keep speaking Russian (?) until now? What rude people. The beautiful macho man laughed.

"How is that? Can you understand us now?"

"Aah, it's strange to see a foreigner speak fluent Japanese."

My tension was relieved a little bit when I understood him. At any rate, I needed to understand the situation. To make it easier for them to understand, I tried to ask in a fake foreign accent.


"And, I'm not sure how I got here, or where or what time it is... Ah, but we can find out the time from a clock... Umm...[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N12|[12]]] Excuse me, where is this? How can I get back home?"

"What"

Denver Broncos (or otherwise American football guy) put both hands on his waist and looked down at me.

"Just when this one looked good, this Maoh is just an idiot?"

Idiot?

"...How can you call an easily hurt young boy an idiot the first time you meet him"

My bad habit reared its ugly head. When I was a grade school child, my brain functions became overcharged and a red switch would flip on and off, and I'd begin speaking with terrible vigor. My fourth grade music teacher was impressed that I could ramble until I thought of something to say. She nicknamed me Turkish March. Only she called me that before or after.

"Certainly my enrollment in a prefectural high school, is not really because I surpassed the results of anyone or am someone to be jealous of. Even a child returning to his home country can be persistent, but I was in Boston for half a year after I was born. All the same, I'm not an idiot, what's with calling me an 'idiot' all of the sudden. If you look my father is an elite banker, and my brother is a student at Hitotsubashi."

I try to cover up my mediocre self by bringing up my family pride.


"By the way, my mother graduated from Ferris!"

"Fe... What? Is that a rural aristocrat somewhere?"

That was the response, and I found myself at a a loss for words. Questions of academic background weren't effective globally.

"Even so..."

Even so the actors of a theme park shouldn't call their guests 'idiots'. Basically for people who work in the service industry, customers are god. Somehow I stood up to preach about typical Japanese economic methods.

The people playing the villagers yelled abnormally.

"The demon stood up!"

"It's a genuine demon wearing black that stood up hurry and take the children inside!"

"It's already useless this village will be burned down like Kentenau twenty years ago."

"Wait this one is still young and unarmed and if you can get a person with black hair and eyes I hear you can get the power of eternal youth in the country to the west they're offering a reward."

"Ah I've heard about that too on at least one small island you could buy an eyebrow."

"Be careful even if he's unarmed this guy is a demon he should be able to use Majutsu."[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N13|[13]]]

"No Adelbert-sama is with us Adelbert-sama please protect this village please confine us with God's power so that this demon can't reach us."


What are these people saying! I can't figure out where to put punctuation marks even if they're speaking Japanese, it's not entering my head smoothly. Unconsciously I check my right wrist. It has a solid and clunky G-shock.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N14|[14]]] I don't know if it'll work, but when if I hit someone with it I might get a little power boost. Wait, how can I hit someone, wait a minute, what am I thinking! But, these guys are looking at me with hostility, and everyone has the right to defend themselves. It's a state of emergency, no, it might be called an emergency evacuation. So, self-defense should be ok? I'm completely panicking.

The villagers picked up their dangerous weapons again, sidling up with desperate looks. The guy called Adelbert didn't have farming tools or stones in his hands. Instead, he was wearing a long sword on his hip. The man that seemed to have a lot of attack power said:

"Well, settle down all of you. This guy hasn't learned anything yet. We could persuade him before it's too late..."

When my back was turned, I heard the sound of something rhythmic. The sound grew rapidly and everyone was bewildered. I figured it out by listening. The sound of hoofs. Several horses kicking the ground as they galloped, a powerful clatter like an earth tremor, the sound of hoofs.

"Yuuri!"

I looked back as my name was called. A nobleman riding a white horse, coming to save me...

"...Gah..."


It's understandable that with my first impression I finished with "gah". It wasn't just three knights or noblemen riding white horses, but when I turned my gaze towards the sky a little bit, I saw something outrageous approaching. "Something" flew up there. In fifteen years and nine months, I could never imagine something like that.

It was a skeleton, tawny brown from age, and it seemed like oil paper attached to a bamboo frame had grown into wings. Moreover it flapped like a shuttlecock, and flew in the sky as if it was natural.

If you attach wings to a skeleton, it can fly?

It is wonderful, wonderful and elaborately made. I couldn't see any piano wire, or hovering devices or propellers that would keep it afloat. I wonder how this device works.

"Get away from him, Adelbert!"

The three rescuing knights rode close to the chestnut[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N15|[15]]] with star on its forehead, and they seemed to be soldiers with their swords drawn. But then, if I call it a chestnut like the JRA[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N16|[16]]] would, the villagers won't understand. The young man seemed to be the leader, even though I couldn't see his face his voice controlled the two following people.

"Don't draw your swords at the villagers! They aren't soldiers."

"But, Your Excellency"

"Disperse!"

The three horses forced their way through the people working as villagers, neighed and reared up. I covered my mouth from the cloud of dust and coughed miserably. Inside the beige mist, there were blue and orange sparks. Followed by klunking, the sound of metal striking each other heavily, the villagers trying to escape, the confused screams and the sound of grass.


Someone grabbed my arms. Slowly the surrounding scene becomes vague.

"Von Grats Adelbert! Why did you approach our border?!"

"You're the same as ever, Sir Weller, a hero among cowards!"

Ah, I get it. It's like a rule in mock battles, that they can't fight until they introduce themselves? As I'm thinking that, my body is slowly lifted off the ground. The dust clears away from the slope, the cavalry chasing away the villagers, and the young man who jumped off his horse to face the American guy with his sword. When I thought that the ground was becoming distant, I was suddenly turned away from that place and being flown away. My arms hurt from being suspended with my body weight.

"How am I flying... You're kidding?!"

Holding both my arms and transporting me was the skeleton device that was so elaborate that I couldn't figure it out. The tawny oil-paper wings flapped, chattering and flying forward. Wasn't it just a skeleton that had wings attached to it. Even if I looked up from right under its spine it was a jawbone and skull with no expression, and dark caves in the eye part of the face looked down.

"What should I say, thanks."


Even though I was being abducted, I wanted to at least express my gratitude, and I tried with all my might. It seemed that if it lost strength for even a minute it would fall, the flying skeleton desperately flapped its wings as it clattered. Adelbert made a fleeting glance this way, and remarked as he fought with Sir Weller, who seemed to be the leader of the soldiers.

"How clever! Using kotsuhi to transport him!"

"They are loyal to us, and don't lose themselves to personal grudges."

"And how about you, Sir Weller? Woah"

From what I can see from twisting my neck and looking, Mister Brawns[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C1N17|[17]]] who was called Adelbert, barely avoids the tip of the sword of the leader called Sir Weller.

"Don't you think your skills are too good to use for those guys?"

"Unfortunately, Adelbert"

I could only see the Sir Weller's khaki back and dark brown head. Somehow I knew that he smiled that moment.

"My love isn't as single-minded as yours."

When his subordinates returned from driving away all of the villagers, and they drew their swords out at the same time. Adelbert jumped on his horse, and called out to me as I moved at the height of the trees.

"Be patient for a while, I'll come save you soon!"


"Save... Am I being kidnapped by the good guys or bad guys right now?!"

Under my eyes, the leader with brown hair stops the soldiers that are trying to chase their enemy.

"Stop, don't chase him too far!"

"He is alone. I thought we should use his disadvantage, if we can catch up to him now..."

Sir Weller (I still haven't seen his face) orders strictly. So cooool. "Right now our top priority is taking His Majesty's body to safety."

Taking His Majesty's body to safety, does this mean this has turned into like a super-kabuki show? As I was participating in the super original theme park, with the super elaborate attractions, I secretly muttered as His Majesty.

"...Can you get me down from this super well-made sky ride for the time being?"
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
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| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Prologue

2012-01-23T19:30:14Z

LRenne:

Listen, Yuu-chan.

Well, Yuu-chan, about your name, when Mama was standing on a street corner in Boston - I was worrying, "He's going to be born any minute, what should I do?", but then a super cool fencer in a taxi kindly let me ride with him, and he tried to comforted me saying "A child that gets through the summer will grow strong, so giving birth in July is a blessing. In the village I grew up in, July is called Yuuri", and because he had such a refreshingly sweet smile, I immediately decided to make it your name. So Yuu-chan, even though your Papa works at the bank and you're always grumbling about "interest rates" or "good profits", never think that you're named after "interest" or "profits"!

Right, Yuu-chan? You're Yuuri because you were born in July. Isn't it cute? Don't you feel your mama's love? You're Yuuri because you were born in July, isn't it dreamy, doesn't it seem like something beautiful from a girl's manga? Yuuri. Ah, it's wonderful, I feel sparkly.
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
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| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Character_Introduction|Character Introduction]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Character Introduction

2012-01-23T19:29:27Z

LRenne:

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1005-4.jpg|400px|thumb]]
'''Conrad'''

"Sir Weller Conrart"

The second son of the previous Maoh, and someone who understands Yuuri well. He has such an open mind that it's almost impossible to think he's a citizen of such a strange world.

'''Adelbert'''

"Adelbert von Grats"

A mysterious person who assists the humans and is hostile towards the mazoku. For some reason he's amiable (?) towards Yuuri but...

'''Yuuri'''

"Shibuya Yuuri"

A senior high school student with an unusual penchant for justice. He's 15 years old. He assumes the position of the 27nth Maoh at this time - What will he do?


'''Günter'''

"Lord Günter von Kleist"

A noble who serves Yuuri as an advisor, in other words, the person in charge of the Maoh's education. He can be a little overprotective.

'''Wolfram'''

"Lord Wolfram von Bielefeld"

The previous Maoh's third son. A beautiful boy who is just as prideful as he is selfish.

'''Gwendal'''

"Lord Gwendal von Voltaire"

The previous Maoh's eldest son. He's a level-headed, cynical and very handsome man.

'''Cheri'''

"Lady Cecilie von Spitzweig"

The 26th Maoh. She is the former Maoh because she abdicated. She has the pheromones of a sexy lady but she's truly the mother of three mazoku sons.
<noinclude>

''(Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.)''
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|-
| Back to [[MaruMA:Volume01_Illustrations|Novel Illustration]]
| Return to [[MA_Series|MA Series]]
| Forward to [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Prologue|Prologue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume01:Chapter 2

2012-01-23T19:20:44Z

LRenne:

"Your Majesty!" that man said.

With long, thick silver hair and violet eyes, his body was about 9 times the length of his head.

I couldn't dismount alone, with my butt restrained on the horse's back, and I didn't know what to answer. What would be the best answer to being called 'Your Majesty'? Moreover, he was a super beauty at the prime of manhood at around thirty!

Since I'm lacking vocabulary and my CPU is running especially slow, I can't adequately describe this man's beauty. The average high school freshman wasn't used to being around such beauties often, much less men who clearly weren't Japanese like this man standing in front of me.

I clung to Sir Weller's back for what I would say was the rest of the day, we finally arrived at a small-scale village with wooden buildings after I after I had my first grueling experience of riding horseback. There were about fifteen houses, and it might be called a neighborhood association[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N1|[1]]] more than a village. From a different direction, armed soldiers returned to the entrance one by one from the forest a little further away. The scary thing is that "Fly, skeleton!" has followed our party without fail. I would have never thought, but maybe he's the mascot character of this theme park?

If that's so then it was bad taste, well, an original innovation.

The soldiers crossed the center of the village, and when they came to a large (I would only say about 4LDK[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N2|[2]]]) house, the door opened forcefully and a man rushed out.


The moment I saw his face I gave up on saying anything. He was handsome, more handsome, super handsome, and ultra some hand, I mean, handsome.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N3|[3]]] I would say his graceful expression makes his cleverness felt. What a smart-looking incredibly beautiful person! But such a dull expression.

In addition to being beautiful, his voice was a baritone that vibrated in your stomach. Adelbert from awhile ago was also fairly handsome but, this person was so perfect that girls would faint as soon as they laid eyes on him. It wouldn't only be girls in their late twenties who would faint. Mature women, and older women... Well, ladies in general.

"Conrart, hurry and give His Majesty a hand..."

"All right. Your Majesty, lean your body this way, and please dismount slowly, very slowly"

It seemed like Sir Weller's name was Conrart. I was finally liberated from the horse, and both of my feet touched the flat ground. I still felt a little unsettled from going up and down.

"Ah, Your Majesty, above all you're safe! I, Von Kleist, have anxiously been waiting for this day when we could meet"

While he spoke in a dramatic manner, he kneeled on the ground. I stepped back, startled. When I moved suddenly my butt hurt and smacked my lips, the beautiful man's expression changed.

"Your Majesty, are you hurt somewhere?! Conrart, even though you were with him..."

"Your bottom hurts, doesn't it, Your Majesty? Because this is your first time riding a horse"


Ne, wha. I was puzzled by his sweet smile. But, the beautiful man who introduced himself as von Kleist wasn't smiling.

"First time?! They don't teach horse riding in their elementary schools? Why did Shinou send His Majesty to that sort of world..."

"This isn't the time to talk about that, Günter. Von Grats reached him ahead of me"

"Adelbert! Your Majesty, did they do anything to you?!"

"...They threw stones and came towards me with hoes and ploughs but..."

"How horrible! Those humans... But, Your Majesty... Our language, how..."

It seemed he wanted to ask how I understood their language. I limply waved my right hand, and tried not to smile.

"Not at all, you're all very skilled at Japanese. You don't have to worry so much about me understanding, or be so modest. I'm surprised by how fluently all the characters that have already appeared can speak. Awesome, bravo, viva the actor spirit! How many years have you been in Japan? Which country are you from?"

Von Kleist (family name) Günter (name) had a dubious face.

"Country... I'm, from here"

"You were born in Japan?!"

At that time, Sir Weller said something shocking.

[[Image:MaruMAnovel1031.jpg|400px|thumb]]

"Your Majesty, this isn't Japan"

"Ah, you see, I knew you weren't born in Japan, right? If that's the case then this is... huh"

What?

This isn't Japan?

Right now, did he just say this isn't Japan?

"Then, why is everyone speaking Japanese?"

"We aren't"

At this time, I carefully looked over Sir Weller from the front for the first time. He had the stature of about a nineteen or twenty year old, and unlike the villagers his garments were functional. The khaki leather belt and boots looked like they were influenced by television and movies, and seemed to be a military uniform of a country somewhere.

He has rather short dark brown hair, and eyes that were hazel with silver speckles. An old scar was left next to his eyebrow. He didn't just have scars there, but on both his hands and fingers. He placed one of those hands on my shoulder, and he purposely gazed down at me.

"This isn't Japan, Yuuri. Saying nothing of Japan, this isn't the world you were born in"

As I was being informed of something so shocking, I absentmindedly had thought about something else. Ah, I understand this man. If someone asked me to to tell them about this guy, I'd probably be able to explain him pretty well for sure.


That is to say Sir Conrart Weller seems to be like the person that the audience gives a standing ovation for when he unintentionally strikes a heroic pose in the center court of Wimbledon. But he isn't blessed like that because of his facial features. When compared to Günter and Adelbert, he is plain, and he's probably the type that could do various minor roles in Hollywood. But this person's expression is the result of the life he's lived up to now. It wasn't God's love or an artist's mold, but his own lifestyle.

That's what I would say about this guy, Conrad. I have a hunch I could tell someone that.

"Conrad... No, umm, Conrart"

"Eh? Ah, if you're used to English, Conrad is easier to pronounce. Some of my friends call me that, too"

"Have I met you somewhere before?"

After he thought for a moment, Conrad shook his head.

"No"

The man with silver hair and violet eyes was reaching a mature beauty.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N4|[4]]]

"Anyway, Your Majesty, we can't talk in a place like this. It's not a very clean place, but let's please go inside"

While he said something selfish about another person's house, Günter pushed my back. When I turned my head by chance, the residents of this village seemed to be glued to the cloudy windows of the simple wooden houses, eavesdropping on my situation.


The room had a warm heat stove, and it was a welcome environment for me since my uniform was still damp. Even though just a bit ago it was May in Japan, where I am now, what month is it here?! I can't tell if it's west or east from the dirty window, but an orange light from the setting sun is shining in.

I'm half dried from getting flushed down the toilet in the park, if it was a Japanese house here I'll quickly take a bath.

I took off my jacket that felt icky and damp, and stretch out near the fire. Günter seemed to be moved deeply by that.

"Your Majesty, do you usually wear black? How wonderful, how wonderfully suiting! Normally only people born as kings or very close to the king wear black. That noble black hair and those black eyes, certainly you are our Majesty!"

"...Even if you say that, it's just a uniform, a schoolboy's uniform... Besides, most Japanese people have black hair and black eyes when they're born..."

Though, it changes with the color of the skin according to each stage of life. Like the so-called tanned look that was popular for awhile before or Matsuzaki Shigeru. *In my case my hair had finally grown out in the middle of my third year of junior high, after[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N5|[5]]] I had been baseball team member. I was just starting to think about cutting it when summer vacation arrived.


"Uniform? Did you call this jacket a uniform? I see, this must be made by the most skilled craftsman especially for your Majesty"

They're actually mass produced in a factory. It was the most used among junior high school and high school boys country-wide in Japan. Moreover, it was a little small for my present size because I've been wearing it for three years.

"Your Majesty, you probably think that it's cold, but even though it seems that way it's spring in this country"

Conrad said that and took a position by the side of the door. He seemed to take the role of lookout, folding his arms and resting his head against the wall as his sword leaned. He closed his eyes softly.

I uselessly moved my chair as close to the fire as possible, which was connected to a table of a rough rustic make that you only find in folk craft shops in the recesses of the mountains. An unsteady lamp seemed to be in the mountain hut where an electric light would usually be hanging from the ceiling.

"...Creating minute details up to the season... What an elaborate attraction. .."

"It's not an attraction"

I was corrected by Conrad as his eyes were closed.

"Even if you tell me that, I can't believe it! Right now, inside of me, it's either o-ne, this is an elaborate money absorbing theme park attraction, two-, this is one of those surprise shows that's often on TV, three-, this will all turn out to be a dream, which is it? Well, pick one. I hope for three"


Conrad didn't answer, but in front of me Günter had a worried face, and after he muttered a word that he wasn't familiar with he turned to me.

"Teper... Surprise..? Please wait your Majesty, and explain in order. Please be calm, and please do not test me with your foreign words"

"Ok, I'm calm. So much has happened that even if you say that you're my mother, I'll just clap my hands and laugh and call it an American joke" When I raise both my hands and give up, I sit facing Günter, and he firmly leaned forward and began to talk.

"Then I will tell you. Your Majesty, eighteen years ago, your Majesty's spirit should have been born in this country. However, because of the postwar chaos at that time, or fear that your Majesty's life might have been targeted internally, Shinou decided to send your soul to another world. So, according to the instructions of Shinou, we took your Majesty's noble soul that hadn't been born yet to the Earth. Your mother and your father created your Majesty' s body, and you've grown up in that world until today. However, while you should have originally been able to grow to adulthood safely in another world, you were summoned due to a situation..."

"Wait a minute, you're being too polite for me to understand.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N6|[6]]] Can you be more conversational!"

"Please don't say such an unreasonable thing. Your Majesty is Your Majesty, we are just your vassals"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, my name is Yuuri, Shibuya Yuuri Harajuku Furi. I've called myself that for a long time. So here is the development to now?! I was really supposed to be born in this country, but for whatever reason I was born and raised in another world. But because I have things to do, I was summoned here from Japan. Did I get that all right?"


"How wonderful, you followed it. I admire your intelligence"

To my despair, Günter nodded deeply, happy from the bottom of his heart.

Narnia,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N7|[7]]] I mean, I see, this is the same old story. It's in innumerable movies, and overused in anime and manga. Even though there's a variation in quality, it's in paperbacks and juvenile literature so often that it's not possible to count anymore. It wasn't anything original. However, it's rare for a person to actually be dragged into it. Moreover, to get dragged into it from a public bathroom is extremely rare.

"And, I was pulled into a tunnel to another world from the bathroom toilet, and was dropped on that mountain path"

"That's correct. By our calculations, you should have been able to be summoned inside our borders, and inside of our capital. However, perhaps due to some excess power, you were at a human village on the outskirts of our borders. It's inexcusable, Your Majesty. Of the people distributed along the borders in case of emergency, it's good that Conrart arrived in time. This land is part of our territory, for the time being you don't have to worry. Please be at ease"

"Even if you tell me to be at ease, this probably wouldn't be an easy situation for you guys either. Are you sure I'm the person you're searching for? When you think about the population of Japan, isn't it possible you mistook me for someone else? I'm of about average looks and intelligence, and I don't have any unusual birthmarks-"


I didn't have any evidence of any special birthmarks anywhere on my body. If anything I only have a faint scar on my left elbow from when I was a kid.

"But, umm, Günter, san, I do have a scar from rubbing against the artificial grass from playing baseball on my left arm. I don't seem to have any natural marks on my body that are 'proof of being a king'..."

His intellectual appearance collapsed for a moment and became sweet. If I put it well it's like an actor answering passionately; if I put it badly it's like an owner talking about his cat.

"No, from the moment I first saw you I knew you were our Majesty, I have no doubts about it! Since you have pure and noble black hair, and clear black eyes that aren't cloudy, and you were born with such a beautiful color to your body, and furthermore, you were wearing pitch black clothes, I cannot think it's anyone except you"

Geh, he said I was beautiful. Beautiful - maybe like him.

"Besides, it's even more clear since you're skilled in our language. What Adelbert did... to you was regrettable but... he drew out Your Majesty's stored language from the depths of your soul. Every soul has accumulated memories of its various "lives" that it has lived up to then. Of course, usually that door isn't opened, and people have to learn knowledge in their new "life". However, that man opened that door, and part of your sealed memories have been drawn out forcibly. Using the way of those savage, cowardly, and dishonorable humans!"

At the rough tone of the explanation, I asked timidly.


"...That seems rather convenient"

"Not at all! Though it's good that only the part of the memory with your language skills was awakened, when I think of if unnecessary memories were revived. There isn't a person who wants to know all of his soul's travels"

There are a lot of people who want to know in Japan. From besides the door, Conrad calmly interjected.

"But about that thought, we're able to speak to his Majesty now thanks to of that man's art. It's useless to worry about it until your veins pop out, Lord Von Kleist"

"...In order to teach Your Majesty about advanced noble language, I prepared the textbooks and rulers..."

His tone seemed sad from the bottom of his heart, 8but what worried me is what the rulers were for.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N8|[8]]] If they were for underlining text, no problem.

"At any rate, his stored language is evidence that His Majesty's soul was the one in this world. My confidence has changed into conviction now" "Oh Günter... I heard that somewhere..."

Apparently, they didn't seem to have any doubts because they believed I was "their Majesty".

But, usually in this type of scenario, a main character like a hero or savior or prince or princess solves the world's problems peacefully, and it has a wonderful happy ending. A famous author once said, If the story didn't have a happy ending it wouldn't be like.

"I get it. Maybe it's impossible to believe, but in any case in order to finish this, I have to accept your offer, right? If that's the case then let's get this over with quickly, what is the mission that I was summoned for? What princess should I rescue? Where's the dragon I need to slay?"


"Dragon? A ryuu?![[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N9|[9]]] We would never slay a ryuu, their kind have been over-hunted by humans and are almost extinct, and we protect them"

So in this world, dragons are at the top of the red list.[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N10|[10]]]

There were several knocks on the wooden door, and with sword in hand, Conrad cautiously opened the door narrowly. Children that were about ten years old were standing there, and they looking up at him with and grinned from ear to ear.

"Yo"

"Conrad! Will you teach us to throw, we can't aim well at all"

"And after that can you teach us how to hit, and how to finish?"

Though the parents weren't leaving their houses out of fear of the soldiers, it seemed it wasn't the same for the children. And to them, it wasn't Sir Weller or Your Excellency; they just addressed him as someone older.

"You guys, soon it's going to be pitch black. Soon we won't be able to see anything"

"It's still fine"

"It'll still be ok"

He looked in my direction worriedly, and he left the room after he bowed his head.

"...If the children like him, he must be a good guy, that person"


"Yes, he's the number one soldier of our kingdom. He's my prize pupil"

"You're a teacher, umm, Von Kleist-san"

"Please call me Günter. Of course, I am a teacher, and I'm also the advisor and assistant to your Majesty"

"If you're a teacher then can you explain this to me briefly? Günter, what am I supposed to do in this world? What kind of troublesome enemy do I have to defeat so I can go home"

"Humans"

The firewood in the heater crackled and popped.

"...Humans... Then, that is, what kind of person..."

"It's not a person, Your Majesty. We will destroy all the humans who are hostile towards our country, and burn their countries. For that reason we need a leader, so Your Majesty's power as a ruler is necessary."

Humans, destroy, and burn?

Destroy humans?!

I kicked the chair and ran to the back, fail, and fall to the ground on my back. A flustered Günter rushed over to me.

"Are you ok, Your Majesty"

"Uwah, wait! Did you say we should kill humans, Günter-san?! If that's true I'll be killed too! Because if you look at me I'm an ordinary human, no, wait, even when you say something like that, your face looks a bit human... You're a human, too"


"No matter where I look, Your Majesty is a Mazoku[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N11|[11]]] like us. No, more than that, you're a being with noble black hair that should be respected! The chosen spirit was born into your dark body, that only Mazoku kings or people close to them have. However, your hair and eyes are both black, to appear as a human with both black..."

"Is a what like us?"

"Mazoku"

No way.

"...Then, what am I the king of?"

"You are the Maoh"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N12|[12]]]

Maoh.

Father, father, look, there's a "Honyara"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N13|[13]]] over there, I'm scared.

A Hakushon Dai "Honyara"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N14|[14]]]

Formerly, Yokohama's Dai "Honyara"

Huh, Hama's Dai "Honyara", I have a feeling there's something wrong with that answer.

To start with, what is a "honyara".[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N15|[15]]]

I have a feeling they would curse, attack and kill humans, and be the boss of a terrible demon race.


Well, that is that, what am I the king of?

"Pull yourself together, You Majesty, please relax! Get a hold of yourself! You have become our hope, Your Majesty, the twenty-seventh Maoh!"

Aah~, as I thought~, he's still calling me this Maoh~. But twenty-seven is a good number~, 27~.

My shoulders were gripped and I was shaken roughly. I completely escaped reality from the residue of the shock. But this person, he said that I have to become a demon and beat humans to death. I could never do such a stupid thing, why isn't the enemy a slime or an evil sorcerer or a devil dragon or a big Maoh, and, if I'm the Maoh, then, am I the bad guy's side in this world?! Then there's a human hero or savior somewhere, and the last boss that's going to be defeated in the final dungeon is me?! Damn- If that's the case I can't end it by hitting reset two or three times, I'll fight the hero with all my power! It won't be possible for him to get to the ending if he's not level 99, I'll fight to the end or... Hey, I can't fight to the end, I'll die, I'm the last boss. When I'm in a pinch I'm usually quick-witted! I'll panic at the magic attacks of the enemy!

Aaah~ it's a lie~, someone please tell me this isn't true~!

"It's not a lie, Your Majesty! You are truly the Maoh. Congratulations, from today on you are the Maoh!"

What is there to congratulate!


Outside it was already purple, and the remaining half was orange.

Only the fire from the lamps that was shaking unreliably leaked from the windows of the houses. The children had cheerful voices, and were moving around with vague smiles.

"Your Majesty?"

"Uwah, stop it, don't call me Your Majesty"

Conrad is leaning against the wall with his arms folded. Over by 3 steps there are some square pieces of wood, and next to that the ten year old children are standing around there. Apparently, judging from the stick their holding in both hands, it seems to be a game that's somewhere in-between cricket and baseball. A piece of cloth is wound around the section of the strange, fat bat that's being gripped, there's two fielders behind the pitcher, and furthermore there isn't a catcher anywhere.

"I don't know the rules of cricket, but who alternates next after one person hits it?"

"There are no alternates, this village only has five children"

Another was in the outfield. He was only a shadow because it was evening.

When the pitcher threw the something that looked like a ball, the batter made a dramatic miss. The ball hit the wall and rolled, Conrad picked it up and threw it back, and it progressed like so.


"You've struck out three times. Howell, take the place on the first base"

"Was that baseball?"

But, why would they have baseball in this sword and magic world... The child in the outfield ran up. The five children standing have good physiques and fair hair.

"Wait, wait, if this is baseball then why isn't there a catcher? Shouldn't you squat down?"

"It's not fair if an adult joins"

"No, that's not a problem, it's not a problem. Well, let's see, who is that outfielder. What is your name?"

"Brandon"

His voice was irritatingly hoarse, he was definitely in the middle of his voice changing.

"Well then, Brandon, you be the catcher. Look, squat over there, and catch the balls when they come. Aah, there aren't any mitts or gloves?!"

"Your Majesty... No, Yuuri-sama, this is a village of refugees that flowed in from the other side of the border. The don't have a complete set of sports equipment"

The child shakes free from my hand, and looks up at me with a frightened appearance.

"Your Majesty?! Conrad, did you call this person Your Majesty?! This is the scary person mother told me about?!"


"Brandon! This person will become our country's king. He's far from a scary person, he's the one who will kindly be defending your village"

Don't tell the children something I haven't even thought about.

"King?!"

But the five children gathered... Four boys and a girl, knelt in place and covered their faces. Some of the children pressed their foreheads to the ground. I wouldn't say it looks like great respect.

"Please forgive us Your Highness, please don't chop off our heads, or burn down our houses"

"Howell, you didn't do anything wrong, so His Majesty has no reason to do such a thing. Look, Ema, raise your head"

"But the king... my father..."

As the girl recalled a painful memory, her voice rose and she cried. When several doors opened and mothers called out their names, the children all ran off towards their houses.

I picked up the ball at my feet. If the ball is this light and that was the pitcher, a mask and mitts might be unnecessary. The ball was a round leather bag softly stuffed with straw and sewn up, so it wasn't possible for the person who threw it to predict how it would curve.

"When I was their age, I used to play baseball until it got dark. And when it was night I'd have games and television, I didn't have any free time to do homework"


"Children are like that in any country"

I stepped on the board that was substituting for home base.

"Hey, Conrad"

"Yes?"

"Is it true that I'm the king? Furthermore, I'm the head Maoh scary enough to silence a crying child"

"It's true. I'm not sure whether you're the head or not, but you are genuinely His Majesty, the twenty-seventh ruler of Shin Makoku"

"Then, I'll be chopping off people's heads too"

"It's not like that! I should have said this is a village of refugees. If I remember correctly, the winter six years ago, they were oppressed because of a religious misunderstanding and all the men were executed. The women and children came to the national border seeking protection, and we lent them this land with almost no taxation on the condition that they can't extend their farmland. It's foolish king in the country of humans that they've deserted that killed their men and burned down their houses. But then..."

Conrad bit his lip, and seemed to look down regretfully.

"...I want you to remember that not all humans are like that. Well, Your Majesty, let's go inside. When it gets dark the temperature drops quickly. And Günter will lecture us"

The stars began to shine. The moon is still low. The light leaking from the windows is dim and unreliable.


There was nothing else shining. No neon signs or vending machines or convenience stores.

Where have I ended up.

"...What kind of trap have I fallen into"

"But, this is your world"

Conrad smiled as he opened the door to the private house. Without any other source of light at dusk, even the light of the indoor lamp is like a searchlight turned sideways.

"Welcome home, Your Majesty"

This is the place where your soul should be.

Ah, what different culture of food!

This thing called supper that I was given seemed like the leather of shoes that not even a dog would chew, dry bread that you could hit a nail with it even at normal temperatures, and some dried fruit that might have been better for the teeth if I licked it instead of biting it.

"This is food we carry for military use, so it's dry like this"

Günter insisted across from me, and I practiced chewing each mouthful thirty times silently. Though I was hungry to death, I wouldn't be able to swallow the dry meat if it wasn't chewed thoroughly.


The number one soldier, Conrad, seemed to be loved by the children, so it seemed like he was at Brandon's or Howell's or Ema's, or one of the other two children's whose names I didn't hear, house being treated to a meal.

"I want to go there too~"

"You can't go. The citizens of that village are human, what would you do if some man-made food hurt your body?"

"I'm a human so it's ok"

"No! How can you say that for certain when they planned such evil things? This Günter cannot let His Majesty's life be exposed to danger at all"

And then, ah, the bedding culture is different!

Of course, I believed I would be able to borrow the best bedroom in this house from the residents. Because they call me the Maoh, I seems like I should be allowed to rest my tired body on a soft futon. Though, judging from what I've seen of the world here, it might be a bed rather than a futon. However, my question was answered by Günter with a matter-of-fact face.

"Why? Hey, just a minute, why do I have a sleeping bag, when just a little while ago a soldier went into a room with a soft bed?! Well, am I really a king? Shouldn't this sleeping bag have been dried properly in the sun before that?"

"If an insurgent breaks in targeting Your Majesty's life, the soldier you saw awhile ago is a substitute for you. There is no attack from the window if you're here, and because Conrart fortified it, the entrance is safe"


"Your Majesty, tomorrow we'll be on horseback all day. Please take a long rest tonight and store your energy"

Even if he says to sleep soundly, there's not even a window in this cramped, dusty back room that I've been shut up in, spread out on this outdoor, tawny sleeping bag with barely any cotton stuffing... The floor is hard and the camping sleeping bag is made especially for tough guys. To make matters worse, it's my first experience being surrounded by handsome foreign men sleeping. Ah, sleeping like the "character of the river".[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N16|[16]]] Even the king of a king game might have more freedom.

And then, ah, what a different culture of transportation!

In front of me, with my lack of sleep, five lively chestnut horses were drawn out. The early morning has perfectly clear air, and their snorting is hot and white.

"Horses again?!"

I was wearing my stiff school uniform, which had gotten wet and dried, I reached out my hand to the giant animal timidly. I'm threatened with a "Uhihin"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N17|[17]]] and withdraw.

"But since you're Mazoku, can't you use magic freely~?"

"Magic... You mean Majutsu?"[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N18|[18]]]

"Yeah, that's right, magic. Why not use it to go to the capital? Or up to the castle, you can go blistering speeds without galloping on a horse, with magic bashu~n and you can skip to the end"

Like the anywhere door,[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N19|[19]]] or bamboo copter, or something convenient like that.


Günter cleared his throat unnaturally and said,

"Your Majesty, Majutsu isn't for all purposes"

"Eh? From the television that I saw, witches and wizards only have to shake a staff and anything can be done almost disregarding science"

"I don't know who wrote the play or stage drama 'Terebi', but that information is needlessly exaggerated. Majutsu is mostly useful for combat, and besides that, look, for extremely important circumstances, like summoning Your Majesty"

So television is different from reality. When I'm going to argue with him, "When you say it simply, it conserves energy"

While being rubbed by a snout, Conrad said,

"Naturally, even if I, who doesn't have a fragment of magical power, say so, it won't be persuasive. Well, Your Majesty, will you ride with me or Günter? The horse-riding experience you mentioned from yesterday..."

"I've barely even been on a merry-go-round"

"That's right, you've only had a little experience on a carousel. It'd take at least three days to reach the capital with such limited experience, so please keep riding behind me. Their burden will increase, but if we switches horses at relay stops they'll probably hold out"

"My butt hasn't even stopped hurting from yesterday yet... Eh, how would you know what a carousel is"


"Please be prepared. Today your front will probably also hurt"

The soldiers from earlier greeted them and left one by one. When I look up at the sky, it has the skeleton models the same as yesterday. Of course, they're above us. Are they still the mascot character, what was it called? Kotsumohibimaru? Mr. Calcium?

"How about Kohhi? Yahoo~, Kohhi~, thank you for carrying me yesterday. I don't know if you're the same one, there isn't much difference"

I decided his name without permission, and waved my hand quietly. Then, his jaw made a clattering sound, and he repeatedly flapped his wings vigorously. It's awfully grotesque. I instinctively asked the person in charge of education.

"Uwah, it's mad! Is it possible for it to get mad?!"

"No, it was overcome with emotion when it was addressed by His Majesty's voice. Because they don't have the concept of "individuals", if you inform one of them you inform them as a whole. Because it's easy to communicate with the entire bone tribe, it's very useful on lookouts and scouts"

A lot of those words were hard to understand, but is he saying it's one for everyone, and everyone for one?

"Well, Your Majesty, we go soon too"

Conrad held the bridle in his right hand, and held out his left hand to me to pull me up.

Only the door of one house was narrowly opened, with a frightened villager who had blond hair peeping without showing his face.

"Ah~ ah!"


Facing that direction, I called out.

"What a waste! If you practice with a slightly heavier and harder ball, you'll become more skilled! And if the bat is cut more smoothly, and if the grip is thinner it should be easier to hit, and besides that..."

And still after that, don't they need a catcher?

"You have to have a catcher, for baseball~!"

I saw his mother grab him, and she closed the door frantically.

"I visit this village every now and then"

I give him some momentum so he can pull me up.

"Through this heart-breaking experience, the children are doing their best to grow up"

"Ah"

I can't even imagine my father being killed and my house being burnt down.

Günter had a discontent look on his face, but he struck the horse's stomach as he pretended not to look.

And that was the start of my first day of hell.


According to the G-shock that continued ticking away gallantly, running six hours from morning continuously, we transferred horses at places called relay spots about two times. At the third relay spot, in a village that was much larger than the villages before, the group tethered the horses to the outside fencing and took a rest stop at Günter's signal.

"You've become very tired, haven't you? A bit ago your mutterings became incomprehensible, Your Majesty"

Because it was forced to run with Conrad's constant encouragement, I remembered the horse's name. While I was tumbling off of that hazel mare, Nokantei, I begged in a hoarse voice.

"Help me"

"Of course. When we've run halfway, I'll do it for you"

"No, right now"

"Then for the time being, let's replenish our calorie intake. In a word, lunch"

Although I should have descended to the ground, it entirely feels like riding a boat. To make matters worse, although it seemed to be the second month of spring, but the sunlight was making me miss my refrigerator.

"I don't have an appetite. The nights are cold, noon is hot, and my throat is completely parched from dust, ah"

I was presented with the object of my desire, and spontaneously reached out my hand and stopped panicking.

It looked like a shapeless glass that an amateur made on their first day in the classroom. It was filled with cold water to the edges, and frost and drops of water clung to the outside. This is definitely what I wanted now.

"...Cold water..."

"Your Majesty!"


Günter came my way at a quick pace. At any rate, he'll probably tell me not to eat or drink anything that's given to me by humans. But the girl holding out the tray of water to me is about ten year old, and her hair and eyes are violet. Everything other than that is the same color as a human, but, but...

"Are you a Mazoku?"

The girl nodded.

"Yes Your Majesty. If we can help His Majesty with the last drop that we possess, we'll be happy"

If that's true, then it's fine. She's a Mazoku, and I'm and the King of the Mazoku. I touched the glass with my fingers. As I thought, it's painfully cold. The person in charge of education says something.

"Your Majesty, please wai..."

The water disappeared from my hands, and when I looked up at my side Conrad had taken the glass and put it to his mouth. After he drank a mouthful he returned it. Shortly he only whispers "Leave a little".

When I drank and returned the glass with only a little water left, the girl seemed glad, and she bowed deeply and ran away. The cold sensation in my throat quickly spread to my chest, just like the pain you get in your forehead when you eat shaved ice, and for just an instant my feet stagger. Suddenly my head was clear, and the surrounding greenery looked more vivid.

"...It seems like I was really thirsty. Like when you get dehydrated from midsummer activities"

"Being able to give water to His Majesty will definitely be the pride of that girl's life"

The man with the nice smile said something like that. But, I know scenes like this from historical plays. Just now he tasted it for poison. For my sake, he taste tested it.


The man in charge of education approached with a seemingly shocked face.

"Your Majesty, even though I've told you not to eat anything other than what we've brought over and over"

"But isn't this a completely Mazoku village? And hey, the people living here even look like you, and there's oddly a lot of beautiful men"

"While that may be true..."

Conrad unfastened the saddle on Nokantei, and lifted up the water to her the same as a person.

"It didn't taste strange, and in case there was anything at the bottom that didn't melt, I had him leave the last mouthful. Even His Majesty isn't slow to understand, he only wanted his first drink to be cold, after that he can endure everything, the water from the water bags or portable food. "Conrart, you support the common people too much"

"So what?"

Conrad spoke with a knowing face.

"If we don't support the people, then who will? Ah, of course..."

Nokantei chewed on his hair. Happily, and lovingly.

"If it would help His Majesty, without even mentioning my shoulder, I would give my hand or chest or even my life"

"...You don't need to give your chest or life"


"Don't say that"

"Lend me your Majutsu. It's already a state of emergency for me, so use your magic to skip me there with a bafyu~n. I've had enough of horses, I'm already tired of horses"

"In regards to a bit about magic. At any rate, didn't I tell you I have no magic power? The top magic user in our country, Günter, could help you"

He raised his eyebrows. Kyah~, Günter-sama's grieving form was so cool, too.

"Your Majesty's magic is several times more powerful than mine. At any rate, even gods are frightened when they speak of the powerful of the demon king"

"Wait a minute. I'm a human so I don't have any magic power or spiritual power"

"Your, Ma, jes, ty, is, a, Ma, zo, ku!"

"But I've never seen a ghost, or hit the lotto, or seen through a girl's bikini, or has a 10 yen coin move on a Kokkuri-san..."[[MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's_Notes#C2N20|[20]]]

A confession. When I was in the fourth grade, I moved a ten yen coin on a Kokkuri-san myself after school. I was playing it with Nozawa, and he was so scared he cried, so I couldn't tell him I did it. I'm not sure what was misunderstood, but Günter showed a smile of admiration.

"I would guess that's an advanced ritual of a foreign country? Though I can't understand its relation to Majutsu because of my ignorance... But it's fine, Your Majesty. Magic power is the disposition of the soul. Even if you can't use it now, everything in this world will become as you desire sooner or later"


Conrad, who doesn't seem to have any magic power either, gently brushed his favorite horse's muzzle slowly.

"Even though I cannot use it, I haven't felt inconvenienced. Well, that is given a long term view on it. For the time being, though, I'm worried about you riding a horse alone"

"Alone, me?!"

Nokantei shook her head excitedly, and drops of leftover water on her nose scattered. This, me?!

"No, of course, it goes without saying that you won't be going fast. It's fine if it's only after you enter the capital. Won't it be pathetic if the citizens are disappointed? They demand a strong, sublime, absolute ruler, so you absolutely have to ride a horse alone, or it won't be an impressive entry into the castle"

"Uwah... On this one?"

"No~. The best mare has been prepared~. I've raised her beloved daughter up to today, making every effort. Without mistake she suits Your Majesty's jet black"

My dream of a noble riding a white horse has been smashed.
<noinclude>
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</noinclude>

MaruMA:Volume 01

2012-01-23T19:18:59Z

LRenne:

'''You Are The Maoh From Today On!'''

Tomo Takabayashi

Kadokawa Teen's Ruby Novels


Novel Illustrations / Matsumoto Temari


== '''Novel Illustrations''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume01_Illustrations}}
== Character Introduction ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Character_Introduction}}
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== '''Prologue''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Prologue}}
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== '''Chapter 1''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1}}
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== '''Chapter 2''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2}}
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== '''Chapter 3''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3}}
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== '''Chapter 4''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4}}
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== '''Chapter 5''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5}}
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== '''Chapter 6''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6}}
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== '''Chapter 7''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_7}}
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== '''Chapter 8''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8}}
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== '''Chapter 9''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_9}}
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== '''Chapter 10''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_10}}
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== Translation Credit ==
Translated by Emeryl, originally posted on [http://www.sakuracities.com/yaoigames/kkmnovel1.php Onadoru Euphoria]. Re-posted with permission.
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MaruMA:Volume 03

2012-01-23T19:17:53Z

LRenne:

== '''Novel Illustrations''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_03_Illustrations}}
== '''Prologue''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Prologue}}
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== '''Chapter 1''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_1}}
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== '''Chapter 2''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_2}}
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== '''Chapter 3''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_3}}
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== '''Chapter 4''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_4}}
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== '''Chapter 5''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_5}}
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== '''Chapter 6''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_6}}
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== '''Chapter 7''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_7}}
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== '''Chapter 8''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_8}}
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== '''Chapter 9''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_9}}
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== '''Chapter 10''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_10}}
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== '''Chapter 11''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_11}}
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== '''Chapter 12''' ==
{{:MaruMA:Volume_3:Chapter_12}}
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== Translation credit ==
This translation was originally posted [http://lrenne.livejournal.com/tag/novel%203 here].

Please do not repost elsewhere.
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MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:15:12Z

LRenne: /* Afterword */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_9#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_10#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_10#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Afterword#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:14:53Z

LRenne: /* Afterword */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_9#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_10#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_10#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Afterword#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:14:33Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 10 */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_9#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_10#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_10#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:14:11Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 9 */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_9#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]
== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:13:55Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 8 */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_8#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]
== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:13:26Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 6 */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_6#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]
== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:13:05Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 5 */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_5#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]
== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:12:28Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 4 */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_4#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]
== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:12:01Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 3 */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_3#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]
== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:11:40Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 2 */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_2#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]
== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]

MaruMA:Vol01:Translator's Notes

2012-01-23T19:10:33Z

LRenne: /* Chapter 1 */

== Chapter 1 ==
# Shibuya and Harajuku are places in Japan that are relatively close to each other. You can look up information about both of these places easily. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri can be spelled with many different kanji that have different meanings. The way it is spelled means "advantageous" or "profitable", which is connected to banking. "Furi" means "Disadvantegous" or the opposite. The other spellings mean various things or may not have a direct meaning. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N2|(Return to Text)]]
#Mukokuseki, means to be 'stateless'. In other words, to have a mixed or blended look that doesn't adhere to any nationality. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Called a 'day pack', it's pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard anyone call it a 'day pack' in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Souseki-sensei - He was a prominent writer in the Meiji Era. His face is on the 1,000 yen bill, so he pulled out a pair of 1,000 yen bills (about $20 total). It would be like us saying "He pulled out a pair of Hamilton's". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Kashishiburi - "Unwillingness to lend", referring to banks. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Approximately $5. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N7|(Return to Text)]]
# "Blue bills". The 1,000 yen bills are blue. So he's referring to those again. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, you have to take an entrance exam to be accepted into a public high school. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri talks about it being like accidentally stapling yourself with a stapler. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N10|(Return to Text)]]
# By tourists, Yuuri means Japanese tourists. He believes that they're still in Japan, and that they're foreigner who have set up a tourist attraction. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N11|(Return to Text)]]
# After this, Yuuri starts to speak as if he is talking slowly or simply so that they can understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Black magic. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N13|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of watch. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N14|(Return to Text)]]
# A chestnut horse. In the original, Yuuri uses a word that is more specific to horse-racing that the average Japanese person wouldn't understand. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N15|(Return to Text)]]
# Japan Racing Association. [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says implies something to the effect of "brawns over brains". [[MaruMA:Volume_1:Chapter_1#C1N17|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 2 ==
# Tonarigumi - Neighborhood associations were established in Japan in 1944 to protect from fires and air-raids. These neighborhood groups were made of about ten to fifteen households. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N1|(Return to Text)]]
# 4LDK - 4 room apartment with Living, Dining and Kitchen area. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In the original, Yuuri says "Bikei", which is 'beauty', and then "Keibi", which is "guard". The meaning of the second word doesn't matter, he's just tripping over his words. He continues to play with the sound of words in the next sentence, but it doesn't translate well. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is saying that Günter, as he was aging, has a more mature, elegant look than someone who is younger. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N4|(Return to Text)]]
# By 'after', Yuuri means after he left the baseball team. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says that he is saying "o" too much, which is used in front of honorific words in Japanese. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri originally says, "Narunia, janakatta, naruhodo". Similar to when he said "keibi" instead of "bikei", he's mispronounced what he meant to say again to make a pun. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N7|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri would be worried that Günter would use the ruler to discipline him. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Japanese word for dragon. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N9|(Return to Text)]]
# List of endangered species. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon race [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N11|(Return to Text)]]
# Demon king [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N12|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri says "Honyara" in place of "Maoh". "Honyara" is like saying "Blankityblank", it doesn't really mean anything. This is from a typical 'poem' studied in grade school in Japan called "Maoh". The poem is originally in German and you can read more about it here. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N13|(Return to Text)]]
# "Hakushon Dai Maoh" was a television show about a genie and his daughter genie. The main genie had to give wishes when someone sneezed (hakushon = achoo) and the other when someone yawned. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N14|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri seems to have made up a word, and not even he knows what it means. He then plays with the words for a little bit. In the end it seems he equates a "honyara" with being the same thing as a "maoh". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N15|(Return to Text)]]
# �� is the kanji for river, which has three straight lines. Sleeping "like the character of the river" is like sleeping in straight lines next to each other. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N16|(Return to Text)]]
# Sound of a horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N17|(Return to Text)]]
# Majutsu is 'Black Magic'. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N18|(Return to Text)]]
# Doraemon has an "anywhere door" that can take him, well, anywhere. The "bamboo copter", usually called "take copter", is also from Doraemon and is another way the characters transport themselves. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N19|(Return to Text)]]
# Like a Ouija Board. 50 symbols are written on a piece of paper and then touch a 10 yen coin to the paper. You call on something and get answers depending on how the coin moves. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C2N20|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 3 ==
# Huis Ten Bosch means "House in the Woods". It's an area on Hario-Jima island that is influenced by Dutch designs and has many areas with their own themes. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N1|(Return to Text)]]
# The name of an 18nth century thoroughbred race-horse. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Dyeing your hair gray often gives a purple tint. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Uchuu is space, uchuujin is "space alien". Yuuri is stuttering. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Naoto Ogata is a current actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Maurice Ravel. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Edward Elgar. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N7|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japan, 'keigo' is used to be polite to people that are higher than you (student to teacher). Günter uses extreme amounts of 'keigo', which confuses Yuuri. Wolfram is very blunt with Yuuri. (Using Keigo with your friends isn't recommended, it sounds like you're distancing them. It would be like calling your close friend "Mr. Smith" instead of "John".) [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N8|(Return to Text)]]
# Yuuri is referring to the way he describes things with a lot of action. He's making fun of the way he's talking. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Famous Japanese announcer and actor. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C3N10|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 4 ==
# Haafu, or "Half", in Japanese refers to someone who is mixed race. Normally this would means along the lines of, "You're only half Japanese". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Daburu, or "Double", means someone of mixed race also. But instead of saying you're "half" of something, it instead says you have "two cultures". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N2|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "bon kyu bon" refers to a shapely woman, meaning the 'big small big' in reference to her breasts, waist and buttocks. So when Yuuri says the first one is hitting him, he means her large breasts. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Studio Alta is where the popular TV show "Waratte ittomo" is filmed in Japan. It's a variety talk show, and the studio is famous for it. Consider this similar to Yuuri saying if he was an audience member on a TV show like "Whose Line Is It Anyway" or "Montel Williams". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A lantern in Japan that has pictures all over it and revolves quickly. It could symbolize many thoughts running through someone's mind. I've also seen it called a "running horse lantern" and a "shadow picture lantern". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N5|(Return to Text)]]
# Yakult is a place. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Hochinosu is the second stomach of a cow. Mino is the first stomach. Ginoa may be the fourth stomach. Yan is a Korean way to pronounce stomach. In English they're called the "rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum", but most people probably wouldn't know these either. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N7|(Return to Text)]]
# I tried to keep it close to the original meaning, but I had to switch around words to make it fit into a "haiku" in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N8|(Return to Text)]]
# In Japanese, "kyuukon" can mean "engagement" or "bulb", as in a plant. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N9|(Return to Text)]]
# Tulip means "perfect love" in Persian mythology. Hyacinth is a story from ancient Greece about a close friendship between 'Apollo and Hyacinth'. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N10|(Return to Text)]]
# Spaghetti Western - a nickname for a sub-genre of Western films. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C4N11|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 5 ==
# Giants are the most popular team in Japan. However, there's a Giants team in Japan and a Giants team in America. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of baseball used to throw fast balls. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N2|(Return to Text)]]
# A rising fastball is a myth in baseball. It would be the opposite of a 'sinker', where, as the ball approached the plate, it would go up instead of down. It has been described as an optical illusion on the batter's part, and switching from a two-seam ball to a four-seam ball can have this effect. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N3|(Return to Text)]]
# Generally catchers are thought to be larger, and Yuuri thinks he'll be more sympathetic because he's a "skinny catcher". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N4|(Return to Text)]]
# Most baseball stadiums in Japan have domes now, because of how often it rains. Yuuri is noting that there wasn't a dome at the time he had this class. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N5|(Return to Text)]]
# There is more than one "Rhodes", so Yuuri is specifying who he means by saying where he comes from. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Originally Yuuri mentions "Chikyuu no Arukikata" meaning "How to Walk the Earth", which is a famous traveler's guide in Japan. Lonely Planet is a famous traveler's guide in English. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C5N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 6 ==
# Engiwaru means Bad Omen. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N1|(Return to Text)]]
# A type of bread that tastes like rye. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N2|(Return to Text)]]
# Musashi - A historical TV drama. Yuuri is into these. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N3|(Return to Text)]]
# A television show in Japan. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N4|(Return to Text)]]
# A famous baseball player. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N5|(Return to Text)]]
# The type of fish this is for the Japanese is a bit different than our thought of a swordfish, but the pun still works. Japanese would think of this fish. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N6|(Return to Text)]]
# Gunter is attempting to say "towel". In the original, Yuuri uses English to say "towel" and "give up", confusing the others. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C6N7|(Return to Text)]]
== Chapter 7 ==

== Chapter 8 ==
# Jigoku is the Japanese word for "Hell". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N1|(Return to Text)]]
# B-movie usually refers to "bad movies". Movies like "Killer Klownz From Outer Space" are often thought of as B-movies. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C8N2|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 9 ==
# In the Edo period, the strongest fireman carried a "matoi", a large stand with the symbol for their brigade, to show that a fire was in a building or somewhere nearby. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C9N1|(Return to Text)]]

== Chapter 10 ==
# A large brown cicada. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N1|(Return to Text)]]
# Yariika is a loligo bleekeri. Yanbaru Kuina is a gallirallus okinawae. [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C10N2|(Return to Text)]]
== Afterword ==
# "Captain Supermarket" is the Japanese title for "Army of Darkness". [[MaruMA:Volume_01_Full_Text#C11N1|(Return to Text)]]