Entry 16: We’re all wizards, now stop asking questions

Chapter 1: The Subject Garden -Backyard of Eden-

This is the story of a woman. From the time she awoke she was bound by a pathology. Heavy chains all around, from her head to the tips of her toes, funeral makeup like a mirror.
Others pitied her, for she had no freedom.
 She rejoiced, for she had no freedom.
Her iron gown was impregnable. If one were to open those castle gates, would there be a maiden inside, or some devilish trap? They say that other people’s secrets are sweet as honey, so…

[I’m having trouble thinking of a good way to translate the title – it seems to imply a garden subject to another garden as a state subject to another state. “Backyard of Eden” is in English, and seems to imply something similar?]

Unknown speaker :: …normal brain wave activity confirmed. Alpha waves, beta waves, normal. The subject is awake.

Unnamed speaker :: –pai. Senpai. Can you hear me? Please stay calm, and open your eyes.

…I can here a voice – I’ve heard it somewhere before. Some vague awareness, and the outlines of things in my vision are returning to me. Stirred by this voice that sounds so concerned for me, I open my heavy eyelids –

This is the infirmary…it looks like. The old-style infirmary, which I’ve never seen in the SE.RA.PH, which no longer exists on the earth. I’m lying flat on the bed, at the side of which a girl in a white coat is watching over me. If remember….right, her name is Sakura. An AI placed in the infirmary, in charge of looking after the Masters’ health. I don’t know the circumstances here just yet, but it looks like Sakura was taking care of me. Instead of greeting her, I tell her thanks.

Sakura :: —–.

…? I wonder that that’s about. There should be a reason, since I get the feeling Sakura doesn’t make that face a lot. Maybe I have something weird stuck to my face?

[That face would be smiling.]

Sakura :: Oh, no — I’m sorry, it’s nothing. There’s nothing wrong with you, Miss Kishinami. I don’t know why, but I was somehow relieved when I heard your voice. …It must be because you were asleep longer than the others. Anyway, I’ve glad you’re awake. Your avatar’s response may be slow right now, but it should return to its previous state soon. You should able to stand up by now.

I can feel heartfelt relief and happiness from Sakura’s smile. I can’t resist smiling back. I feel like I just had a terrible nightmare, but that smile alleviates all unease I may have had.

…but. I can’t just sit here admiring Sakura’s smile forever. I have to ask where this is, and why I’ve been sleeping here.

Sakura :: That’s a natural question to have. But first let me confirm something. Miss Hakuno Kishinami. Do you know who you are?

Who I am? I hadn’t thought about that. My name is Hakuno Kishinami, I’m a student at Tsukumihara Academy — but that’s just an assumed identity. I’m one of the wizards who have infiltrated the moon in order to obtain the right to use the “Holy Grail” that can grant any wish.

[For some reason the pronunciation given for the word I’d usually translate as mage is being given as wizard here, and that’s how the voice acting is putting it too (whereas usually it’s just majutsushi), so let’s roll with it.]

Sakura :: And, a wizard is?

…I don’t know what Sakura’s getting at. Isn’t that the most basic of basics, the foundation of all this? Wizards are a special kind of hacker, people who can “dive,” infiltrating electronic networks with their souls. The body is a device that fixes the soul in place. If you can perceive the separation of the body and the soul, then it’s more than theoretically possible that you can freely modify and redirection its output. A new generation’s communication methods originated from that sort of occult-like approach. Hackers who can do this are classified as “wizards” ; people give them the name A-level hackers were once called by in the past.

Sakura :: That’s right. They’re the sole inheritors of the theories of magic in a era where magic itself has died out. Anyway — what year is this, and where are we?

It goes without saying. This is 2030 AD. Mankind’s technological progress has been frozen since 1970. It’s an era where space exploration has been abolished by the Western European plutocracy. As for where we are…I don’t know the details, but I can give a general answer.

This is the moon. To be precise, we’re inside a quasi-spiritual arithmetic logic unit, the “Moon Cell Automaton,” an artifact of an extraterrestrial culture, which was discovered within the moon. A sea above the heavens where the Holy Grail lies, dreamt of by many of Earth’s wizards. The Moon Cell Automaton has no will of its own, it’s just a giant ALU. You might call it a super computer as big as the moon. Even if you used all of the computers on the Earth at once, they wouldn’t be able to begin contend with the Moon Cell.

Within the Moon Cell is a virtual brain called SE.RA.PH, which has constructed this space and called together many wizards from all across the globe. This is one of those venues made inside SE.RA.PH, which has been made to look like a school.

The wizards who have reached the moon will compete with one another, and the last one standing will be summoned to the Moon Cell Core and granted the right to use it. That’s the Holy Grail – an omnipotent computer containing a power source equal to the sun.

Sakura :: Yes. You Masters have come to the Moon Cell to obtain the Grail. This is what we call a Holy Grail War. The Grail will not be given to the weak. You all exceed your own lives…you have no choice but to prove you are the strongest. For this purpose, the Moon Cell has given each of you a source to serve as your proxy in battle. These are?

[“You all exceed your own lives” – the meaning of this line escapes me, it may be a figure of speech I can’t identify or something.]

The ones who go into battle. They live off a wizard’s “vital source,” partners who fight with us as one in mind and body. That’s what a Servant is.

…right, I remember. After I had made it through the Moon Cell’s preliminary qualifications, became eligible to participate in the Holy Grail War and received my command seal, I made a contract with a Servant – familiars who are incarnations of heroes of the past – and became a Master…but —

Sakura :: Everything’s fine so far. S-so….This is the most important thing, so…Um, so? Miss Kishinami, do you remember any of what happened during the Grail War?

Of course I — of course — I — wait. I know that I’m a wizard, but other than that, I can’t remember anything else about Hakuno Kishinami! Why did I decide to participate in this dangerous battle in the first place!?

Sakura :: As I thought…it’s the same as the others. They could all remember who they were and everything, but couldn’t recall any of what happened in the Grail War…Please stay calm and listen to me. You are currently experiencing a memory impediment, such that you can recall nothing except that you are a Master.

A memory impediment…I don’t think it’s what she really mean at all, but in truth it’s just as Sakura says, “I am a Master” is really all I can remember. I can remember that I participated in the Holy Grail War, vaguely, but as to how the battle unfolded, who I defeated, that’s all hazy. There are only a few things I remember clearly at present.

…that until just now, I had been sent to live as a normal student, knowing nothing, in a different version of this school. All that disappeared,  swallowed by an unidentified darkness. And then…that the Servant who saved my from the predicament I was stuck in was Caster.

Sakura :: It may be rude of me to put it like this, but it seems like you’ve been reset to your original condition from the start of the Grail War. Your comatose state was unusually long, so perhaps you might really not remember anything but your own name…Hm? Speaking of which, maybe…um, Miss Kishinami? Do you know my name?

Sakura asks nervously. Maybe she’s worried that I’ve even forgotten her. Of course, her name is —

> The infirmary person
[>] Sakura Matou
> Francis Xavier

[The name Francis Xavier is kind of a Fate/Extra running joke. The protagonists were known and kind of still are known as Xavier and Xaviko in the Japanese fandom, though they now have Hakuno as their canon name. Also, don’t be a dick to Sakura, Hakuno.]

Sakura :: Yes. It’s Sakura Matou. It’s good to be properly introduced. Oh yes, no relation to Shinji Matou! My surname was borrowed from one of the Grail War’s participants selected at random, you see. Ahem. Anyway, it went quickly, but you’ve confirmed the situation for yourself. That’s really all I can do for you. …I would like to be more of a help to you, but I have no more help to give. Just like the rest of you, my memory search function has been disabled…I’m really sorry.

Sakura hangs her head apologetically, then gets up from her chair and moves to a corner of the room.
[Phone ringing!]

Sakura :: Hello, this is the infirmary. Miss Kishinami has woken up. Her body and spirit seem irregular.

Unknown speaker :: That’s good to hear. Well, it’s early for her to leave, but please give her a message asking her to come up here.

[The voice is coming from a speaker on the infirmary wall. Also I’m pretty sure this is Leo talking.]

Sakura :: Um…Miss Kishinami just woke up, so perhaps just a welcome.

Unknown speaker :: My apologies, but there is no time for that. We are presently in a race against time. Besides, if it’s her, she’ll be walking around as she pleases no matter what I say. The Hakuno Kishinami I know is the time to quietly stay put, you see. If she’s awake she’ll be moving about soon enough. Please ask her to come to the student council room once she’s done looking around her new, old school.

…Sakura’s finished her conversation with whoever that was. It sounds like they want me in the student council room, but…

Sakura :: Um…Did you hear that conversation just now?

Yeah, I answer with a nod. Though I hate to act as that person on the speaker predicted, to just stay put now that I’m awake…well, I’m in a situation I know nothing about, so I want to understand what’s going on as soon as I can.

Sakura :: …I understand. The student council room is one of the class rooms on the lefthand side of the second floor hallway. Your Servant should be waiting on standby for you in a classroom on the righthand side of the second floor. You should go show your face and check on your Servant’s stats, so you don’t forget.

She tells me, and I look at the back of my right hand. Not one command seal remains etched into my skin. A command spell gives you the right to give one order to your servant in exchange for the seal. They're the proof of a master. One who's lost them all... is... what, exactly?

Worrying about it won’t help. What's important is that even now, I can feel my contract with Caster. If I close my eyes, I can feel mana flowing from my center into Caster. It seems she's safe as well. I want to meet her as soon as I can. Let's put off going to the student council room and head straight to the classroom on the second floor.

Original translation here: https://tsukinoura.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/entry-16-were-all-wizards-now-stop-asking-questions/. Please support the original translator.