Ribbit, ribbit! Ribbit, ribbit!
Jump!
What are you doing, Somali?
Playin' frog!
We must hurry.
You will catch a cold if we do not secure shelter from the rain.
Okay!
Stop that! It tickles!
Walkin' in the rain! Walkin' in the rain!
The rain comes falling down and down!
Episode 9 Memories of Minor Days
Dad, look!
What's that?
A treehouse, I believe.
Shall we attempt it?
Yeah!
We appear to be the only ones here.
We should stay here for the night.
Staying here will be fun!
It appears to be a lodging for tappers.
Tappers?
This area's trees are known as candy baums.
They produce a sap with a very high sugar content.
The holes we saw in the trees are likely the result of sap extraction.
A crystallized version of the sap can be ground into a product known as baum sugar.
It is sold from stalls as a candy.
Oh, the sweet melty stuff!
Those who extract the sap are known as "tappers."
They likely lodge here during the harvest period.
Do you understand?
Yeah, I understand!
Then let us have dinner.
Yeah, let's have dinner!
The ends of the world.
Will my body hold out that long?
Dad!
Somali. You are not yet asleep?
Read me this book before I sleep!
I found it next to my bed!
One of the tappers must have left this.
It appears to contain cooking advice.
Honey mushroom milk jam.
"The gentle sweetness of cow's milk and honey mushrooms.
One spoonful will reinvigorate any exhaustion."
Sounds so good! What else does it say?
Beef stew with wicca wine.
"The stimulating aroma of rich wine will bring sighs
of contentment from the most discerning palate."
Baked horned rabbit.
Cactus thorn and pork egg drop soup.
Sandshark eastern-style pila—
I'm so hungry now.
You ate dinner recently.
Yeah, but...
I just wanna eat some food you make.
I cannot guarantee its quality.
Dad!
There's food in there!
Preserved foods.
We are borrowing their food.
I will leave money for that, as well as for our lodging expenses.
Okay!
Coarse-ground flour, baking powder, and butter.
For cow's milk, we will use a powdered version intended for travel.
For eggs, wild bird eggs gathered from the local trees.
For sugar, I will substitute baum sugar from the shelves.
What are you making with all that?
It is referred to here as "coarse flour souffle."
Is it cake?!
It may be a similar product.
I bet cake is even better at night...
Shall we begin?
I'll help!
First, we must separate the yolks from the eggs.
We add baum sugar to the yolks
and mix well.
We add half of the flour to the baking powder and mix.
We dissolve the powdered milk in water,
add the remaining flour,
and blend thoroughly.
Hey, Dad!
Are we using the rest of the eggs? Can I eat them?
The consumption of raw eggs is dangerous.
And they will be used in the recipe later.
Aww...
The next step is...
Add a small amount of baum sugar to the egg whites,
then whip until fluffy and cloud-like.
Cloud-like?
I will mix it and see.
What do you think?
It looks like a cloud!
You did a good job, Dad!
We now add this to the earlier batter,
and mix carefully, preserving the foam.
Line a mold with butter,
sprinkle it with sugar, then pour in the batter.
After baking in the oven for seven turns of the hourglass, it will be complete.
Dad?
Yes?
I'm so glad you're my dad.
Are you?
Uh-huh.
Somali.
Dad?
It is complete, Somali.
It looks so good! Can I eat it?
If you wish.
But exercise caution so you are not burned.
Okay!
How is the taste?
What is the matter?
Was an egg shell left inside?
No... it's so good, I couldn't help but cry.
An exaggerated response.
It's not exaggerated!
I'm really happy I got to eat the first thing you ever cooked!
Are you?
Yeah!
It will cool quickly.
Eat it while it remains hot.
Okay!
Dad...
Quiet.
Keep your voice down.
Excuse me.
Could we ask for shelter for the—
You...
Hold on! Is that you, Mr. Golem?
So that means...
Shizuno! Yabashira!
What a lifesaver!
Spending a night out in rain like that is a surefire way to catch a cold.
It's been such a long time, Shizuno!
I think you've grown since I last saw you, Somali.
Really?!
Oh, yeah.
You're such a big girl now.
I sure am glad to see you again!
Yeah!
We've got a bond!
Bond?
She seems to have certain opinions on that subject.
Yeah, I do!
Dad made it for me!
Hey, not bad.
It was simply a matter of following instructions.
Isn't that great? He kept his promise!
Yeah!
Say, you mind if we have some?
I do not object.
Then let's eat it together!
Yeah, let's eat!
What's the matter?
Oh, um...
I'm sleepy, so I'm going to bed now!
See you tomorrow!
What do I do?
My tooth's all wiggly...
Here!
Want one, Somali dear?
No, not right now!
You've seemed a little listless today.
R-Really?
I'm totally normal!
Is that it?
That is Bygone City?
It'd be nice to find lodging in another city,
but I hope you'll bear with us.
We need to restock, anyway.
This city has a rather savage air.
You get thieves and pickpockets everywhere here in the lawless reaches.
It's a hive of black markets full of poached and smuggled items, too.
Hardly a place for a pacifistic man of culture like myself.
Why did you come to this city, then?
I heard that the greatest practitioner from the dentician city of Chewton
was taking a trip here.
I was hoping I could learn some things from him!
Dentician?
They sort of fix toothaches...
It's a doctor who specializes in teeth, I guess.
I have read of this phenomenon.
Generally speaking, a damaged tooth would have to be pulled.
Pull my... tooth?
One, two, three!
Come on, let's go!
There it is!
That's the place!
Coming in!
How strange. No one's here.
Excuse me!
I dunno who you are, but ya better watch your step!
I hear a voice, but I see no one present.
I'm here! Right here!
Sheesh. What good's having eyes if ya don't use 'em?
The name's Sowak.
I'm hydromys clan, if it weren't obvious enough.
Dentician is a profession reserved for your clan because of its diminutive size, isn't it?
Yeah!
'Cause we gotta go inside the mouths to fix the messed-up teeth.
You go inside the mouths?
Now! You wanna hear how I work, do ya?
Absolutely!
Cheeky little kid.
Open those ears and listen close, now!
First, I secure the patient's mouth. Then I go inside!
That's an impressively vivid starting image!
Then I carefully examine the teeth from within.
If I find a cavity-ridden tooth, I shave down the damaged area!
Then I apply medicine and add a cap.
There are two kinds of caps: one made of transparent sap mixed with medicine,
and one made of silver designed to look like a tooth.
If I had to drill a big hole, I use the sturdy silver cap.
For a small hole, I use the sap cap.
But if it's in really bad shape...
I'll hafta yank it out from the root!
If I get you treated early, it probably won't be too bad.
But if it's too late, there's no other option.
So take care of your teeth, folks!
Once you lose 'em, they never grow back!
Say, is anyone hungry?
We can eat after we secure our lodging.
Aww...
Somali.
Wh-What?!
Your behavior today has shown signs of aberrance.
Has something happened?
Is it your mouth? Let me see it.
It's n-n-nothing!
Somali.
It's too late. The tooth's gonna come out!
What do I do?!
That hurt!
What's your problem, kid?
Are you all right, Somali?
You're the kid's guardian, huh?
You'd better pay us for that insult.
1,000 monee each should cover it.
I lack that amount.
You don't get how this works, do you?
Give us what you've got, then.
This is a place where might makes right, y'see.
I see. Is that how it works?
In that case...
H-Hey! What are you—
You said that might makes right here, did you not?
Hey, wai—
Damn! You wanna start something?
Just adapting to the local customs!
I can take that little one...
Step back, Somali.
Okay!
You little ru—
Better luck next time!
You'll pay for this!
Yeah, yeah.
Somali.
What is the matter?
Were you harmed?
Dad...
My tooth... came out!
What did you say?
What do I do?
The guy said... it'll never grow back...
Say, are you sure it's not a baby tooth?
A baby tooth?
Is that what's got you both in such a tizzy?
I had no knowledge of the replacement of a child's teeth.
Don't worry, now.
You've got fine dentition, and no signs of damage.
Just wait a while, and a new tooth'll grow in its place!
Oh, I know!
What is this?
A practice amongst us denticians.
Some folks like to keep the baby teeth as a memento.
You can have it.
Unfortunately, we are travelers.
It is necessary that we travel light.
Oh, really?
Then I can take the tooth—
No...
Perhaps I will take it, after all.
As a memento.
Yeah!
You see all the little holes in the disk?
That's how many teeth you have left to lose.
I can't wait to fill them all in!
Indeed.
But what's wrong with this place?
I can't find a single vacancy anywhe—
Been looking for you.
The ones who beat up that band of young fellas...
It was you guys, right?
Never a moment's peace.
Do you require something from us?
I tell you, it was quite the show!
Seems you're having trouble finding lodging for the night.
I'll give you a place to stay.
In exchange, could I ask for your help?
Please explain.
I run an inn, see.
But it becomes a real struggle during the snowcrossing.
Snowcrossing?
See? It's coming down now!
The weather's pretty extreme in this part of the world.
For a good week, snow falls like water from an overturned cistern.
We call it the snowcrossing.
Bygone's never exactly a safe place to be,
but in snowcrossing season, we get more travelers, and things get tougher.
Quarrels between travelers, thefts, deadbeats...
And so!
I'd like to ask you fine fellas to be my bodyguards.
Bodyguards?
Not for free, obviously.
I have a little place on the edge of town.
I'll let you use it as a lodging.
It's much safer than the inns in town,
and I won't charge you for the stay.
Not a bad deal, eh?
A nice little house, and well-kept, at that.
Bodyguarding really isn't my bag, though.
A promise is a promise.
Beginning tomorrow, we must work together to guard the innkeeper.
I hear you.
How is she?
Sudden cold spells tend to trigger sneezing fits in her.
Her young body seems highly susceptible to the cold of the snow.
You really know her well, huh?
Okay, the breakfast prep is done.
I'm going to get some rest in preparation for tomorrow.
Yes.
Goodnight!
Say...
I've been wondering.
Somali...
She's...
human, isn't she?
How long have you known?
From the moment we first met, I felt something was off.
Like the way her blood smelled when she was injured...
I see.
Could I ask a question?
Why is a golem like you playing father to a human girl?
It is not a thing I sought out for myself.
I believe that, simply,
on that day, long ago,
I ceased being simply the guardian of the forest,
and acquired the qualities of an individual.
As a father to protect her.
Next Time: The Infant Child and the Green Fortress