Away in the Painting

Kr—oo—s—!

Ngh... guh.

*Yawn*... Morning, Lava...

I've been meaning to ask, but how do you manage to sleep so well with that crossbow as a hug pillow?

Well, sleep is... important... yep~

Hnn—

Okay, let me wash my face.

I wish you could be this stoked about getting up back at Rhodes Island.

Not happening~ We're on the job right now. I don't do this on my days off~

We need to help them rebuild...

Hey, Lava...? I'm not dreaming now, am I? Who's that outside the window?

Hm?

Mommy, mommy! Hurry! We'll be late for story time!

Okay, okay. Slow down now, or you'll hurt yourself.

I'll be fine! Hurry up!

......

......

I-Is that her mother...? Her mother's okay?

Uh, maybe...?

Look at the roof over there. I could swear the eaves were damaged by Arts yesterday.

You're kidding...?

Rice cakes fresh out of the steamer! Packed with sesame filling!

Sweet rice! Come get your fermented sweet rice right here!

What's going on...?

Hmm... Everything's back to normal?

My benefactors?!

My benefactors, you remember me, do you not? Please tell me this is not a nightmare!

Slow down, what are you—

Oh, thank goodness you two remember me! Please, hear me out. When I woke up, it was as though everything that had transpired yesterday had never occurred! Everything was in perfect order!

The Ink Spirits attacked? Families devastated? None of it ever happened! Look, even Ah Jan's mother is walking around in one piece, hale and whole! Gave me quite a start, I tell you! I thought I'd come upon a ghost in broad daylight—

—Right! Have you perchance seen the wandering monk, Saga? Where is she? Is she well?

I haven't seen her yet—Oh, hello, Ah Jan.

Why, hello, Little Ah Jan~!

Hm? Who are you, Mister? How do you know my name?

My benefactors, look! This is exactly what I meant!

Hey, Ah Jan, we're here to listen to Mr. Umbrella-Boiler's stories. How come story time is over already?

Oh, I see. The storyteller is sick today. My mommy is staying to help take care of him. Most of the people who came for his stories are staying to help, too.

That's a shame.

It really is!

Ah Jan? This gentleman actually missed the session yesterday. Do you remember what the story was about?

I wasn't here yesterday. I was flying my kite with my mommy the whole day.

That's too bad, then. It looks like you're out of luck.

H-Haha... Little Ah Jan? You don't know me? You must be playing!

Who are you, Mister? Oh, you must be the one who just moved into the house down the street!

N-Never you mind. Please, go on, frolic as you do...

Hm? Okay. See you, mister!

Why are we the only ones who remember anything...?

No idea, but look at how cheerful she is. This isn't so bad.

Well... *Sigh*... That I certainly have no qualms with, but, my benefactor, are you not being a little too... calm?

Is this what the clerk meant when she said that...catching the moon in the water thing?

Anyway, I think... I have a pretty good guess where Saga is.

Oh my! This sesame soup is unlike anything I've ever tasted! Simply exquisite! Wouldst thou like some, shopkeep?

I'll pass. I'm not too fond of sweets myself. Please, don't worry about me. Just enjoy it yourself.

I see. 'Tis a shame, but pray mind not if I do—

Saga!

Whoa—

Lava, why the commotion? I well nigh spilled my sesame soup...

So... you remember who I am?

Beg pardon?

Oh... I see. That must have left you quite flabbergasted.

Master, do you know what's happened?

As I said before, I have spent many a moon inside this scroll. It can hardly be called an astute observation.

For those not originally from the scroll, suppose we all have an eye each. With four of us, and that makes four eyes.

As we fall asleep, we close our eyes. With that, there is no longer anyone gazing upon its scenery... and slowly it returns to the way it was. By the time we open our eyes and lay them upon it yet again, everything has gone back to its original shape and form.

'Tis what happens every time we awaken here. I have long grown accustomed to this anomaly.

So... we're really inside a... painting?

Hm? Have I not said as much?

Saga, is this going to affect our thought process... the way we think?

Hm, now I wonder? Naught has ever seemed particularly strange to me...?

That's just how you've always been.

Thanks to your monastery's head priest, you're no less familiar with world affairs despite your isolation from the outside world. On the contrary. Since you left Higashi, each step you've taken helped broaden your horizons, and though you may be directionless, you have never let that dampen your spirits.

When life gives you lemons, if you then proceed to make lemonade, you would of course think nothing of them.

To most people, this is nothing but a dream. The longer you're here, the easier it is to forget the things that should have been natural. The longer you're here, the more you come to accept the place as natural.

In the end, you come to know the painting, and the painting comes to know you. You have become one with the painting, never to leave again.

Oh! So this is what you meant when you had me look for Lava! My, my. How dimwitted of me.

Hey, Lava? I noticed it yesterday, but... there's no Originium here.

......

I can't imagine building a village of this size without any Originium at all. Not even villages without any kind of mobility, in the most remote parts of Yan where Catastrophes rarely happen, can get by without any.

Right...

Hold on, Dawn, what about you?

I am but a local shopkeeper.

But you remember everything that happened yesterday...

To me, yesterday is today, and today is still tomorrow.

I promised her as much, after all...

I know that I am not the real 'me,' but does it matter? That doesn't change who I am.

My apologies, but I'm afraid... you've lost me.

Out of the goodness of your hearts, you gave this village the helping hand it needed in its time of need, but... it was all futile and pointless.

Sorry for not being more forthcoming before. At the time, we still had a guest in P'o-shan. It looks like she is already gone, though.

I'm sorry you had to go through such a fright yesterday. It must have been a disaster.

Hm? That guest thou speakest of... It cannot be...?

That's all I can say, I'm afraid.

Very well. Methinks I know who it is.

Let's stop it with the riddles—Okay, let's say this is really just a painting. How did we get here?

I'm afraid I can't give you the answer to that either.

My goodness. What are we meant to do with all this secrecy?

Is that because... the people you've mentioned... are one and the same?

Excellent deduction.

Where is she?

Not here.

Who is she...?

You know her.

You mean...

Shh.

Do not speak her name, please.

......

She's not one to do something like this without cause. Actually, she usually tries to avoid trouble when she can.

I suppose you've crossed paths with her before...?

Yes... And if it's her, then it all makes sense...

This P'o-shan is the moon in the water.

Well, even if I do not ring the bell myself, there is bound to be someone else in town who would take on that responsibility. 'Tis a shame... I quite enjoy ringing bells myself.

Is this... the signal that the Ink Spirits are about to attack?

Yes, and it might have been because I told you the truth... But now that you know the residents here can't be harmed, this should be much easier than it was yesterday.

Just find somewhere to hide. You could also go east. to the Tung-shêng River. There is nothing there. It's a safe place for you to hide.

Be extra careful, though. If you go any further east past the easternmost part of the river, you will reach Mt. Hung-tung to the west of here.

The Ink Spirits should calm down before long.

So what are these monsters?

They are the brushstrokes she sprawls when she is in a bad mood. You could say they are her musings.

F-Find a place to hide? I'd rather not sit back and watch that all happen again...

You saw Little Ah Jan crying her eyes out. It was heartbreaking, I tell you...

Just remember this is all fake.

But...

What if it's not?

You have seen it with your own eyes that it is.

Still though...

Still though, I don't want to have to hear those screams again. I'm sick of it.

We just need to go west and take care of all those monsters over there, right?

Exactly! If it puts our minds at ease, why does it matter if we fish the moon in the water?

I shall go with you!

W-Wait!

Calm down~ If we just take it slow, this actually isn't all that hard~ Right, Nothing, mate?

H-Haha, I'll be sure to lend my assistance this time...

Wait! Hold on, my benefactor! You forgot your crossbow!

She has the right of it.

I just can't imagine why you have to keep these good people in here...