E19 - Strike While the Iron Is Hot

Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:08] ---
    "Continental Calendar"
    "Early November, 1546"
[00:14] ---
    How is that matter coming along?
[00:16] ---
    Sire, the plan is making steady progress.
[00:19] ---
    One might even...
    say it is going smoothly.
[00:23] ---
    That sounds a little evasive. Is there
    something we should be worried about?
[00:28] ---
    It may be going a bit too smoothly.
[00:32] ---
    Almost like there was
    some other will at work.
[00:36] ---
    In which case,
[00:37] ---
    it is conceivable that the outcome
    could take an unexpected turn.
[00:41] ---
    I'd like to avoid any
    unforeseen circumstances,
[00:43] ---
    but at this point, we can't
    exactly back out, either.
[00:46] ---
    No, sire.
[00:47] ---
    We can't alter the plan.
[00:49] ---
    Keep your eyes open for any changes,
    and move things forward.
[00:53] ---
    Understood.
[00:55] ---
    Your Majesty!
[00:59] ---
    What's with the rush?
[01:02] ---
    A-And Prime Minister,
    please excuse my interruption.
[01:07] ---
    So, what's the matter, Ludwin?
[01:12] ---
    A-An acquaintance of mine has
    done something outrageous!
[01:18] ---
    Something outrageous?
[01:21] ---
    "...Keep on going anyway"
[01:23] ---
    Our bond strikes deep into my left breast
[01:36] ---
    We enjoy a fleeting happiness
    after weathering one fog,
[01:41] ---
    until our vision becomes obscured again
[01:47] ---
    Bitterly betrayed, we grow
    disgusted by our destiny
[01:52] ---
    But why does the dawn still come?
[01:57] ---
    We close our eyes and try to remember
[02:02] ---
    the chance of stopping, of never meeting
[02:07] ---
    From boundless zero to infinity,
[02:13] ---
    dreaming is the heartbeat of believing
[02:19] ---
    We'll move along alone and in pairs
[02:22] ---
    Don't stay put; our small,
    though by no means helpless steps
[02:28] ---
    will open uncharted territory
    for each of us
[02:33] ---
    Realize we will never again
    let our dreams die on the vine
[02:39] ---
    The tear tracks that run down
    our cheeks are shooting stars
[02:46] ---
    We're going to grab hold of them
[02:51] ---
    "Strike While the Iron is Hot"
[03:00] ---
    So this person is a childhood
    friend of Ludwin's, right?
[03:04] ---
    Yeah, she's been called the
    Forbidden Army's mad scientist.
[03:07] ---
    The Forbidden Army's... It seems like
    I've heard of her somewhere before.
[03:13] ---
    A garage?!
[03:15] ---
    Er, nothing, never mind.
[03:18] ---
    Ludwin, what is this?
[03:21] ---
    A dungeon entrance, Your Majesty.
[03:23] ---
    Dungeon? You mean like
    a "dungeon" dungeon?
[03:26] ---
    Is it supposed to be so artificial?
[03:29] ---
    There are many different types.
    There are caves,
[03:33] ---
    the basements of fortresses,
    paved with stone,
[03:37] ---
    and even mysterious spaces
    encased by metal.
[03:40] ---
    And this is an abandoned dungeon,
[03:43] ---
    bequeathed by the royal family,
    turned into a research facility,
[03:47] ---
    and moved into by the
    eccentric Maxwell family.
[03:51] ---
    Genia? It's me, Ludwin Arcs.
[03:57] ---
    Genia, are you all right?!
[03:58] ---
    Lu, you called out and startled me,
    so I knocked some things over.
[04:04] ---
    Whew, I'm just glad there weren't any
    dangerous chemicals or anything.
[04:19] ---
    It's metal.
[04:22] ---
    What are you doing?
[04:23] ---
    Huh? The floor is glowing.
    You don't think that's strange?
[04:27] ---
    Must be magic.
[04:30] ---
    It must be because you can
    do anything with magic here
[04:33] ---
    that Liscia and the others feel less
    than bowled over by all this.
[04:40] ---
    This is the lowest level,
    where Genia's laboratory is.
[04:52] ---
    Wh-What is this place?!
[05:09] ---
    Your Majesty...
[05:10] ---
    This is Genia's laboratory.
[05:16] ---
    Okay, I'm coming now, Lu.
[05:21] ---
    Hey, Lu. Thanks for coming.
[05:25] ---
    Who are those two guys?
[05:27] ---
    H-Hey! How rude! This is His Majesty
    King Souma and Princess Liscia!
[05:33] ---
    I'm terribly sorry about this,
    Your Majesty, Princess!
[05:36] ---
    Ah, you're right.
[05:38] ---
    On closer look, I see your face all
    the time on the Gemstone Broadcasts.
[05:44] ---
    It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.
    My name is Genia Maxwell.
[05:50] ---
    Souma Kazuya, provisional king
    of the Kingdom of Elfrieden.
[05:55] ---
    This is my fiancée...
[05:56] ---
    Liscia Elfrieden.
[05:59] ---
    I am well aware! I humbly proffer you
    all good health and every happiness!
[06:05] ---
    You don't have to be so formal with us.
[06:08] ---
    We're the ones who are
    dropping in on you, after all.
[06:11] ---
    Just speak casually to us, please.
[06:14] ---
    Oh, yeah? Okay, then, you betcha.
[06:17] ---
    G-Genia!
[06:19] ---
    It's all right.
[06:20] ---
    B-But sire...
[06:21] ---
    We'll deal with the "outrage"
    business later.
[06:24] ---
    Right now, I'm more
    interested in Genia herself.
[06:30] ---
    I hate to stand out here and talk,
    so come on in. I'll make us some coffee.
[06:43] ---
    Let's start over. I am Genia Maxwell,
[06:47] ---
    researcher, scientist, and inventor.
[06:52] ---
    Oh, I suppose I'm also
    a Forbidden Army mage.
[06:56] ---
    I was with the weapons
    development division,
[06:58] ---
    but I did some things
    that got me dismissed.
[07:01] ---
    What did you do?
[07:02] ---
    She created something quite scandalous.
[07:05] ---
    You know how war tears up
    the countryside, right?
[07:08] ---
    Well I made these arrowheads loaded
    with seeds for fast-growing plants
[07:12] ---
    so that wherever there was a war,
    there would be lots of greenery.
[07:16] ---
    Tr-Tree-planting during wartime? That idea
    is a bit too far-fetched, isn't it?
[07:22] ---
    I hate to blow my own horn...
[07:26] ---
    ...but I think it was a great idea.
[07:28] ---
    But maybe I shouldn't have had
    them enchanted with light magic
[07:32] ---
    to help accelerate the plants' growth.
[07:37] ---
    I remember!
[07:39] ---
    The mad scientist of the Forbidden Army!
    That was your doing, wasn't it?
[07:44] ---
    Hmm?
[07:45] ---
    I'm not sure I want to ask,
    but what happened?
[07:49] ---
    Well, you see, before
    you were summoned here,
[07:52] ---
    a training ground and
    the laboratory attached to it
[07:55] ---
    were once swallowed up by a sea of trees.
[08:10] ---
    I never expected it to end up
    like that all at once.
[08:14] ---
    Uh-huh...
[08:16] ---
    Genia, don't get started.
[08:17] ---
    I didn't like the atmosphere
    in the development division.
[08:21] ---
    It's weird for everyone to be going
    in the same direction, isn't it?
[08:26] ---
    There should be more
    freedom of ideas, right?
[08:29] ---
    I believe that superior inventions
    are born of free ideas.
[08:35] ---
    Ludwin, you sure have your
    hands full with her, huh?
[08:37] ---
    Your Majesty!
[08:40] ---
    By the way, King, do you know what
    kind of lineage the Maxwells have?
[08:44] ---
    Oh, their house distinguished
    themselves by researching
[08:47] ---
    the artifacts that have been
    brought back from dungeons.
[08:50] ---
    Yes. My family has been conducting
    research for generations.
[08:55] ---
    And after all those years of research,
[08:57] ---
    we've started to get a vague
    glimpse of "something."
[09:01] ---
    "Something"?
[09:03] ---
    A natural law, separate from magic.
[09:07] ---
    A separate natural law?
[09:09] ---
    King, you use Gemstones a lot, right?
[09:13] ---
    Do you understand what
    sort of things those are?
[09:17] ---
    Yes, as I understand it, they are ancient
    artifacts discovered in dungeons,
[09:22] ---
    and the magic of the Sylph wind spirits,
[09:25] ---
    and the Undine water spirits are
    incorporated within them, right?
[09:29] ---
    That's how they deliver
    the picture and sound.
[09:33] ---
    There are two things wrong
    with your perception.
[09:37] ---
    Wrong?
[09:39] ---
    The first is the part where
    the magic of Sylph wind spirits,
[09:43] ---
    and that of the Undine water
    spirits are incorporated.
[09:49] ---
    But there are spirits, right?
[09:52] ---
    I-I've never seen one, myself.
    Spirits come from the world of mythology.
[09:57] ---
    So then, that doesn't
    prove their existence.
[10:02] ---
    Because of the magic in our world,
    the truth becomes harder to see.
[10:10] ---
    Everything that is mysterious
    gets categorized
[10:13] ---
    as being the power of magic or spirits.
[10:17] ---
    As a result, there are a lot
    of things nobody sees.
[10:21] ---
    The truth is like this, though--
[10:23] ---
    While researching the Gemstones
    that were found in the dungeons,
[10:27] ---
    it was discovered by accident that if you
    use water and wind magic on them,
[10:30] ---
    they took in the view
    that was around them,
[10:33] ---
    and projected it to the receivers
    that were also discovered with them.
[10:41] ---
    The business about Sylph and Undine magic
[10:44] ---
    is the thinking that maybe it's the grace
    of these spirits that makes it possible,
[10:48] ---
    and is nothing more than an afterthought.
[10:51] ---
    So you're saying that
    there aren't any spirits?
[10:54] ---
    I can't say that for certain, either.
    I mean, it's possible that there are.
[11:03] ---
    And so, the second part you have wrong...
[11:07] ---
    ...is the part where the "picture
    and sound are delivered."
[11:12] ---
    N-No, that part's not wrong, is it?
[11:16] ---
    Like I was just saying, the transmitting
    functions of the Gemstones
[11:20] ---
    were discovered by accident
    while they were being researched.
[11:24] ---
    In other words, we're only using
    the Gemstones to do broadcasts.
[11:29] ---
    Huh? So then, are you saying that's not
    what the Gemstones were meant for?
[11:36] ---
    Then what exactly are the Gemstones?
[11:39] ---
    They're what's known as "dungeon cores."
[11:42] ---
    Dungeon cores?
[11:45] ---
    Dungeon cores.
[11:48] ---
    They're said to be the most important
    things in supporting a dungeon.
[11:54] ---
    As long as they're there, ferocious
    monsters will keep appearing.
[12:00] ---
    If you destroy it or shut it down,
    the monsters stop appearing,
[12:04] ---
    and the dungeon becomes abandoned.
[12:07] ---
    Adventurers go out and explore dungeons,
[12:11] ---
    but their ultimate objective is to
    shut down the dungeon core.
[12:16] ---
    If they bring back a dungeon core,
[12:19] ---
    they are able to earn a huge amount
    of wealth and honor from the nation.
[12:23] ---
    Which means, all the things
    we call Gemstones now
[12:27] ---
    are destroyed dungeon cores,
[12:30] ---
    and we can only study them
    in their broken state right now.
[12:37] ---
    Nobody yet has ever brought back
    a working dungeon core to the surface.
[12:44] ---
    We can't have more monsters
    up here, can we?
[12:47] ---
    Okay, maybe not, but wouldn't you
    like to study one that's working
[12:52] ---
    to find out what they're supposed to be?
[12:54] ---
    Can't you restart one?
[12:57] ---
    It hasn't been possible so far.
    We don't even know how they work.
[13:04] ---
    The unknown is scary.
[13:08] ---
    Which is why people use
    magic to explain everything.
[13:12] ---
    What do you mean by that?
[13:14] ---
    People are surprisingly
    reasonable creatures.
[13:17] ---
    If we can't recognize something
    and give it an explanation, we fear it.
[13:22] ---
    So we force explanations on things if we
    have to, to try to understand them.
[13:26] ---
    I knew you'd know what I'm talking about!
[13:29] ---
    I'm glad you understand me, King.
[13:31] ---
    Hey, in the world I come from,
[13:34] ---
    we had the pursuit of "science," which
    was a different natural law from magic.
[13:39] ---
    Oh, yeah? I'd sure like to hear
    all about that sometime.
[13:45] ---
    We of the House of Maxwell call
    this study of a separate natural law
[13:49] ---
    "Over-science"
    "over-science" for convenience sake.
[13:52] ---
    "Over-science"
    Over-science?
[13:55] ---
    Which makes me an over-scientist.
[13:59] ---
    Now then, I sure would like such
    a sure-to-be sympathizing king
[14:03] ---
    to have a look at my inventions.
[14:19] ---
    This is my latest invention!
[14:23] ---
    The Little Susumu Mark V!
[14:26] ---
    That name is lame.
[14:28] ---
    You know how large-scale ships are
    propelled by wind power or sea dragons?
[14:33] ---
    Well, the Little Susumu Mark V
    alone can propel a whole ship!
[14:39] ---
    Oh, so it's a propulsion device.
[14:42] ---
    Correct! This machine, you see,
[14:45] ---
    sucks in whatever is in
    the space in front of the loop,
[14:48] ---
    then shoots it out into
    the space behind it!
[14:51] ---
    Hmm? If it sucks in what's
    in the space in front of it,
[14:54] ---
    what happens if you use it
    the way it is right now?
[14:57] ---
    Aren't you a sharp one? On land,
    it can suck in air, then shoot it out.
[15:04] ---
    Shall we try an experiment?
[15:06] ---
    Uh, Genia, just a minute!
[15:34] ---
    Your Majesty! Princess!
[15:36] ---
    Are you all right?!
[15:37] ---
    More or less.
[15:38] ---
    Still alive.
[15:41] ---
    Sorry, sorry!
[15:44] ---
    I had it pointing backwards.
[15:46] ---
    Genia! What if something had
    happened to His Majesty?!
[15:51] ---
    Now, now, we're fine. It's all right.
[15:54] ---
    I have to say, Genia,
    this is an amazing invention!
[15:57] ---
    Isn't it?
[15:58] ---
    This loop part is a special metal that
    has a modified spell engraved in it
[16:02] ---
    that allows it to channel energy.
[16:06] ---
    And so, by feeding it energy,
    you get this Little Susumu Mark V,
[16:10] ---
    a machine which takes in
    and expels magicium.
[16:13] ---
    Just one of these can do
    the work of a giant sea dragon.
[16:18] ---
    What's your source of power?
    It would have to be magic, right?
[16:22] ---
    It has one of these installed in it.
[16:26] ---
    Hmm?
[16:27] ---
    Isn't that curse ore?
[16:29] ---
    You know what it is, Liscia?
[16:32] ---
    You know what? We use magic
    to mine ores, too.
[16:36] ---
    But whenever this curse ore is nearby,
[16:39] ---
    our magic stops working for some reason.
[16:42] ---
    And if you try to force it to work...
[16:45] ---
    Ka-boom!
[16:46] ---
    It explodes? That sounds dangerous.
[16:49] ---
    If you're digging through a mine
    and you run into this ore,
[16:53] ---
    it means you can't mine anything more.
[16:56] ---
    That's why it's called curse ore--
    stone that is divinely jinxed.
[17:01] ---
    And unfortunately, there's a large vein
    of it running beneath the kingdom.
[17:06] ---
    You shouldn't sound
    so ridiculous, Princess.
[17:09] ---
    Huh?
[17:10] ---
    On the contrary, one might say
    the fact that there's so much of this
[17:14] ---
    buried beneath the kingdom shows
    that we are divinely blessed.
[17:17] ---
    Curse ore doesn't prevent us
    from using magic.
[17:21] ---
    Think about it for a minute. You can't
    use magic when near the ore,
[17:25] ---
    and if you try to use it anyway,
    it explodes.
[17:28] ---
    So then, where does the energy
    for that come from?
[17:31] ---
    Hold on a minute! Are you saying
    that curse ore absorbs magic?
[17:36] ---
    Impressive, King! That's right.
[17:39] ---
    This ore absorbs the energy of magic.
[17:43] ---
    When it exceeds its tolerance level,
    it releases that stored energy.
[17:48] ---
    Explosively so, in fact.
[17:51] ---
    I've succeeded in retrieving the magic
    energy absorbed by the curse ore.
[17:58] ---
    And, I'm using it as the power
    source for this device.
[18:02] ---
    You're what?
[18:06] ---
    This is really serious. If it's true,
    it's like a rechargeable battery.
[18:13] ---
    Genia has developed the
    technology to store energy
[18:16] ---
    here in a world that doesn't
    even have the steam engine.
[18:20] ---
    With this technology, the kingdom
    could make a giant leap forward.
[18:28] ---
    However, once it gets out that
    the power source is a cursed stone,
[18:33] ---
    it's bound to create religious
    friction in this world.
[18:38] ---
    Moreover, according to Liscia,
[18:40] ---
    there's a major vein of curse
    ore within the kingdom.
[18:44] ---
    If we don't play this right, there
    could be a war over our resources.
[18:50] ---
    In other words, not only
    could this technology
[18:52] ---
    potentially make us the greatest
    power on the continent,
[18:57] ---
    it is also potentially dangerous
    enough to destroy the country.
[19:01] ---
    Souma, what's the matter?
[19:03] ---
    Huh?
[19:04] ---
    Oh, sorry. Imagining the high risk,
    high reward of this situation
[19:08] ---
    has made me feel out of sorts.
[19:14] ---
    Genia just became as critical
    to us as Tomoe is.
[19:18] ---
    Huh?
[19:19] ---
    I'll explain in detail later.
    More immediately,
[19:22] ---
    what can we do to anchor
    Genia here in our country?
[19:26] ---
    I think that her being a member of
    the House of Maxwell would be enough.
[19:30] ---
    But if I had to say, she could
    marry someone that you trust,
[19:34] ---
    and raise a family here.
[19:36] ---
    Yeah, I guess. Do you think
    she has any feelings for Ludwin?
[19:42] ---
    Speaking as a fellow woman,
    I'd give it a 60% chance.
[19:46] ---
    You women are hard to understand.
[19:49] ---
    Then, Souma, what's your take on Ludwin?
[19:53] ---
    Oh, I'm 99% sure he likes her.
    Men are easy to read in that regard.
[20:04] ---
    Ludwin, do you like Genia?
[20:07] ---
    H-How can you ask me that
    out of the blue, Your Majesty?!
[20:10] ---
    Genia is a key figure for our kingdom.
[20:13] ---
    So I want her to be married
    to someone I can trust.
[20:18] ---
    You want me to be Lu's wife?
[20:21] ---
    Genia, would you object
    to marrying Ludwin?
[20:25] ---
    Mm-mm, I wouldn't.
[20:28] ---
    I always thought that someday
    I would settle down with somebody.
[20:33] ---
    I've also thought that you would be
    a pretty good person for that, Lu.
[20:37] ---
    Huh?! B-But Your Majesty, that would mean
    the end of the Maxwell family line!
[20:44] ---
    Then she can always go by "Maxwell-Arcs."
[20:48] ---
    Ah, and you have my word, the royal
    family will pay for the whole wedding.
[20:53] ---
    Are there any other issues to address?
[20:56] ---
    Ludwin, get your nerve up.
[20:59] ---
    R-Right!
[21:02] ---
    Would you be my wife?
[21:05] ---
    Are you sure you want me, Lu?
    I'm not exactly noblewoman material.
[21:11] ---
    I know. Even so, I want you
    at my side from now on.
[21:16] ---
    You sure have odd tastes.
[21:18] ---
    But mm-hmm, okay. I look
    forward to being with you.
[21:24] ---
    I trust that everyone is happy
    with this arrangement?
[21:27] ---
    No, Your Majesty, not yet.
[21:30] ---
    I got caught up by Genia's reaction,
    so I forgot to mention something.
[21:34] ---
    She's the one who committed
    that scandalous act.
[21:38] ---
    Oh yeah, that's right, huh? I was so
    excited by the new invention, I forgot.
[21:43] ---
    Yes...
[21:47] ---
    Ow!
[21:49] ---
    Lu, I won't have any domestic violence
    so early in our engagement.
[21:53] ---
    You idiot! Look, you and I are going
    to apologize to His Majesty together!
[21:59] ---
    I apologize for what my... fiancée...
[22:03] ---
    ...has done. There can be no excuse.
[22:04] ---
    Hey, you're hurting me, Lu!
[22:07] ---
    Uh-huh. So, what is it that she did?
[22:11] ---
    She stole dragon bones.
[22:16] ---
    Ow...
[22:29] ---
    "What are we supposed to choose?"
[22:33] ---
    Our voices imploring the future are hoarse
[22:38] ---
    We've become so afraid
    of what we could lose
[22:44] ---
    that we're just frozen in place
[22:49] ---
    How many times have we made mistakes
[22:53] ---
    because we wanted to check our "answers"?
[22:59] ---
    Before we knew it we were in love,
    we had fallen in love
[23:07] ---
    I'll hold fast to you
    in the times we're in
[23:11] ---
    We who set alight
    our finite lives to fight
[23:17] ---
    are noble and beautiful above all
[23:22] ---
    As long as we create
    as many bright tomorrows
[23:26] ---
    as the indelible wounds we suffer,
[23:31] ---
    we can be proud of all
    we've woven together