MaruMA:Volume03: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 kannnichtfranz)

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.

(This translation was originally posted here. Please do not repost elsewhere.)

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