act16mini

I hear leaves blooping and bubbling away inside a scalding hot pot. I love that sound.

There's the static from Dad's radio too, and the oldie hawking on about sharpening your blades, and the sound of the ute's power plant as it drives... I love all that too. But I'm not gonna hear them anymore. Or, well... I won't soon enough.

Here's the fire, burning. Telling me, hey, chin up, just chin up a bit... you know, Dad's hoping you will.

Actually, I think the fire's a little weak. I'll give it a bit of air. Puffff—

Eh? What's that sound I hear...?

Lanns! Can you not dink on your bowl?

I told you to stop doing that! What if you get on someone's nerves?

I'll dink on anything I please. Can't I be the boss of my own ute? Besides, with how loud the truck stop is, nobody's gonna be pointing fingers at me!

Don't make excuses.

I'm just bored, mate...

You're making an awful lot of food today. What's the occasion anyway? I've been waiting ages, I'm starved!

I had to make some noise to get a message across to the food: 'Don't get cold now, we need to wait for Potlid to join us for our meal.'

Excuses again... You don't worry about anything, you're like a kid.

If you're that bored, come help me out in the kitchen!

Oh, but you're the six-star chef here. You're killing it in there, Potlid!

Would you stop calling me Potlid alrea—

—What's this red dish here?

Oh, that's the tomato braised cystybeast!

It's fresh from the pot. It'll blow you away!

Tomato braised cystybeast? What's with the color? Shouldn't the broth be a little more yellowy—?

Before she can finish her sentence, Alanna has already rammed her spoon into the piping-hot bowl and scooped an entire slab of cystybeast meat into her mouth.

The food burns her tongue, but Alanna gives the Potlid a thumbs-up nonetheless.

...Hm... Mmhmm...

It's perfect! That's our truck's six-star chef!

Hehe~

But the meat you brought back this time's especially fresh. I didn't have to use a lot of seasoning to make it taste good!

Really? Looks like the market man gave us the freshest on hand, knowing we're leaving. Guess it was worth buying from him for two years.

Don't say things like that, Lanns. I think he's been real good to us from the very beginning, going by what you've told me.

I'm picturing a kinda short, good-tempered man in a dirty apron. A short, fat, middle-aged man.

Yeah, nah, that's not what he looks like. When he stands in front of his shop holding a cleaver, not a single person dares to swipe even a single carrot from the market.

Haha. When you get older, I'll let you walk around town yourself.

That reminds me. When was the last time we had tomato braised cysty?

The last time...?

It was probably when we first ate together.

And you made that meal yourself!

Oh, that does feel like a long time ago. You still remember?

Of course!

You said 'cooking's just one of the things I'm good at,' but then you made an in-sane-ly sour tomato braised cystybeast.

*cough*, how was I supposed to know those tomatoes were gonna be that sour? The broth was bright and yellow. It looked so tasty.

I still remember the look on your face after you gave it a taste.

Wh-What does it matter if it helps fill our tummies? Flavor comes second! And didn't you finish all of yours?

It's not good to waste food! Besides...

Ah, let's not talk about the past. I don't want the food to get cold because you can't stop complaining.

Potlid lightly touches the bowl, and suddenly the braised meat becomes just as piping hot as when it was fresh out of the pot.

Amid the rising white steam, Alanna's expression grows stern.

Hey!

Didn't we agree not to use Arts for little things like that?

I...

But this is the fastest way to warm it up...

I'm just heating the food up. Just a quick use. It's nothing to worry about!

Whatever. It's your health, not mine.

But as soon as we get to Iron Carrot City, we need to find you a teacher who can teach you real proper casting.

Come on, tuck in. What are you waiting for?

Let me enjoy the view first.

You always look so happy when you eat. It puts a smile on my face just watching you.

Potlid takes a cloth and wipes clean the broth that's spilled over the bowl, then wipes her hands.

She takes a few thick books from the shelf and stacks them on her seat, one-by-one, before sitting on top of them.

Potlid places one arm on the table flat while her other hand props her head up, and she looks at Alanna with a smile on her face.

We're going to have to return the truck when we get to Iron Carrot City, and they'll shut the route down forever.

Yeah.

Hmm...

Think you'll miss it?

...Not really.

Warmy never gets sad.

Well, alright then.

In that case, after this route's suspended, do you still wanna stay on my truck?

After we return it to the company, they'll probably keep it around. Though I doubt it'll go to the stops we took before.

Even so, I won't let it get to me... Yeah, nuh-uh, I won't!

As long as you're right here by my side, there's nothing to be unhappy about!

Alanna reaches out to pat Potlid on the head. Her ears twitch in response.

Hehehe...

What's wrong?

Th-That kinda tickles...

Seeing the young Cautus's reaction, Alanna laughs.

Then—

Then, my wonderful, perpetually-smiley Potlid. Help me run some errands later, will ya?

Huh? But it's been so long since I've gone into town...

You'll be fine.

See, I took the safety valve off to make it go faster, and I can't have the company finding that out when they inspect the ute.

So we need a new safety valve right quick.

And we'll also need some daily necessities for a long trip. The workers said they'd bring us some, but I said no.

Hm... the guys at the motor pool know you're leaving?

Yeah, but I still have heaps of things that I need to deal with here. If I were to go, I might not be done by tomorrow morning.

Do they know you're taking me with you?

Hm, I suppose.

Anyhow, that's why I'm counting on you to take care of that. You're a young lady already anyway.

And here—

Alanna passes Potlid a paper scrap with some wobbly writing on it.

Sell those things out the front door. We should be able to get some money out of them.

As for the rest, follow the shopping list. Here's my purse. Take it with you.

I still have one last bit of work to handle.

So this is the last...

Let's divvy up the work and get this done. Divide and conquer.

Okay... let's do it!

...Then the metal crab woke up. It got to its feet, snipped twice, and carved the tower crane into pieces.

Everyone took a good look, and turns out all that reinforced concrete didn't make a dent in its shell when everything came crumbling down. Of course they dropped their shovels and blowtorches and ran for their lives.

Haha, how's that? I heard it's based on a real story, real people, uh, crab and all. This is what we're showing for tonight's open-air movie night, over at the slag heap.

Eh, no need to thank me. I've never seen you around, so you have to be new here.

Let me go more into the rules of our ball and card games here. Each factory district has different rules. You know that, right?

...I just want a sandbeast.