Like Cats and Dogs

Skribyld

You look like an adventurer who gets around. Mayhap you have noticed the coeurls and jackals at each other's throats of late?

• JA 最近、この辺りでクァールと狼犬の群れが、激しく争ってるんだけど、遭遇しなかったかい？ ‘Lately, packs of coeurls and wolfdogs have been fighting fiercely around here. Have you run into them?’ The pirates' hounds are not jackals here, but a dog-wolf cross from R'kontai.
• DE Bist du auch schon zwischen das Rudel Coeurl und das Rudel Wölfe geraten, die sich in dieser Gegend bis aufs Blut bekämpfen? ‘Have you also got caught between the pack of coeurls and the pack of wolves that are fighting each other tooth and nail around here?’ The German jackals are „Wolfshunde“, 'wolf-dogs', and Skribyld even speaks of wolves. In English the coeurls fight jackals.

I've never seen anything quite like it, and the bloodshed only worsens by the day. If this continues, I daresay that one of these groups will wipe out the other before long.

• DE Wenn nicht, kannst du von Glück reden. ‘If not, you can count yourself lucky.’ English: Skribyld has never seen anything like it; German: if you haven't met them, count yourself lucky.
• DE Es ist, als herrsche Krieg unter den Vierbeinern! ‘It is as if war reigned among the four-legged beasts!’ English predicts one group will soon wipe out the other; German says it is like a war among four-legged beasts.

Now, it bears mentioning that this species of coeurl isn't native to Vylbrand. By rights, they shouldn't even be here. Nay, I believe they were smuggled.

• FR Les coeurls ne sont pas natifs de Vylbrand, ils n'ont donc rien à faire dans les environs. ‘Coeurls are not native to Vylbrand, so they have no business around here.’ The title plays on contre, 'against', which is also in contrebande, 'smuggling'. The coeurls were brought to Vylbrand, where they do not belong.
• DE Vielleicht hat es damit zu tun, dass die Coeurl eigentlich nicht hierher gehören, zumindest in den Augen der Wölfe. ‘Perhaps it has to do with the coeurls not really belonging here, at least in the eyes of the wolves.’ English says by rights the coeurls shouldn't be here; German says they don't belong, at least in the wolves' eyes.

I know of a merchant who may have a hand in these dealings. Her name is R'kontai, and after some probing, I've come to believe she's somehow involved. I would question her myself, but she is like to flee at the first sight of yellow. That's where you come in.

• FR Je l'interrogerais bien moi-même, mais je sais qu'elle prendra la fuite dès qu'elle me verra. ‘I would gladly question her myself, but I know she will run off as soon as she sees me.’ English says she'd flee at the first sight of yellow; French simply says as soon as she sees him.
• DE Darüber würde ich gerne mehr herausfinden, aber als Gelbjacke fehlt mir der Zugang zu den richtigen Leuten. ‘I would like to find out more about it, but as a Yellowjacket I lack access to the right people.’ English: she would flee on seeing yellow; German: as a Yellowjacket he lacks access to the right people.
• DE Die Schmuggler würden mir niemals die Wahrheit erzählen. ‘The smugglers would never tell me the truth.’ German: smugglers would lie to a Yellowjacket. English: the named merchant would run at the sight of yellow.

I need you to speak with her and learn all you can. Take a look around─she's bound to be nearby.

R'kontai

What's this? So they've sent ye to do their dirty work? Well, ye'll never take me alive! Neveeer!

• JA ひぃぃぃっ！ ‘Eeeek!’ English ends in defiance, "ye'll never take me alive"; Japanese ends in a terrified shriek.
• DE Haben die Halsabschneider dich etwa geschickt, um mich zum Schweigen zu bringen?! ‘Did the cutthroats send you to silence me?!’ German has her fear being silenced, with no vow; English has her vow never to be taken alive.

P-Please don't hurt me. I didn't do nothin' wrong. I smuggled in the coeurls for breedin' like ye asked, but that's it! I ain't the one sendin' the jackals into a frenzy, I swear!

• JA 猟犬どもをけしかけたのは、海賊のアンタらでしょッ！ ‘The ones who set the hounds loose were you pirates, weren't they!’ English denies sending the jackals into a frenzy; Japanese accuses the listener, as a pirate, of setting the hounds loose.

Eh? The Yellowjackets sent ye, an' not no pirates? Why the hells didn't ye say so earlier!?

• FR Hein ? Ce sont les casaques jaunes qui vous envoient, pas les pirrrates ? ‘Huh? It's the Yellowjackets who sent you, not the pirates?’ R'kontai rolls her r's. The English gives her a rough dockside dialect instead. Skribyld speaks normally in both.
• DE Puh, da fällt mir ein Stein vom Herzen. ‘Phew, that takes a weight off my heart.’ English scolds, asking why this wasn't said earlier; German sighs with relief instead.

Well, ye've caught me. I'm behind the coeurls in Aleport. Those good-for-nothin' pirates had me breed jackals for 'em too. With the right trainin', they make for nasty watchdogs an' the like. But the pirates wanted more, an' that's why they asked me for the coeurls, that they did.

• FR Ces bons-à-rien de pirates m'ont également demandé d'élever des chacals pour eux. ‘Those good-for-nothing pirates also had me raise jackals for them.’ German keeps the Japanese wolfdogs, while French follows the English. No published reason was found for the English jackals.
• DE Zuerst habe ich nur Wolfshunde gezüchtet und verkauft. ‘At first I only bred and sold wolfdogs.’
• FR Bon, c'est vrrrai. ‘Well, it's true.’
• DE Das sind schlaue Tiere, sage ich dir, die mit dem richtigen Training im Kampf eingesetzt werden können. ‘They are clever animals, I tell you, that with the right training can be used in combat.’ English says trained jackals make nasty watchdogs; German says trained wolfhounds can be used in fighting.
• JA 狼犬は賢くて、訓練すれば戦力になるからね。 ‘Wolf-dogs are smart, and if you train them they become a fighting force, you see.’ English says trained jackals make nasty watchdogs; Japanese says trained wolf-dogs become a fighting force.

I smuggled 'em in, but the pirates took 'em before I could finish the job. S'pose they didn't want to wait for the breedin', but the buggers let 'em escape. Now they have jackals on the loose tryin' to get rid of the coeurls an' clean their mess.

• DE Tja, und dort kamen sich die Wolfshunde und die Coeurl wortwörtlich ins Gehege und zerfleischen sich seither gegenseitig. ‘Well, out there the wolfdogs and the coeurls literally invaded each other's turf, and they've been tearing each other apart ever since.’ The idiom means getting in each other's way. Here it is true word for word.
• DE Die Piraten züchteten die Coeurl und versuchten, sie zum Kampf abzurichten, doch einige Tiere flohen in die Wildnis. ‘The pirates bred the coeurls and tried to train them for fighting, but some animals fled into the wild.’ English says the pirates took the coeurls without waiting for breeding; German says the pirates bred them themselves.
• JA 海賊どもは、クァールを繁殖させようとしたんだけど……逃げちゃってさ、慌てて猟犬をけしかけたのよ。 ‘The pirates tried to breed the coeurls, but... they ran off, so they hurriedly set the hounds on them.’ English says the pirates didn't wait for the breeding; Japanese says the pirates tried to breed the coeurls themselves.

I'm a victim as well, ye know. Aye, they paid good coin for the animals, but now they got folk chasin' after me. Wantin' to cover their tracks, I'm sure. You hurry an' tell those Yellowjackets I ain't to blame, you hear?

• DE Die Schuld dafür schieben die Piraten mir in die Schuhe, dabei gehöre ich selbst zu den Opfern. ‘The pirates are pinning the blame for it on me, even though I am one of the victims myself.’ English: the pirates have folk chasing her to cover their tracks; German: the pirates pin the blame on her.
• JA あいつら、繁殖の失敗をアタシのせいにして！ ‘Those guys, blaming the breeding failure on me!’ English: the pirates have folk chasing her to cover their tracks; Japanese: they blame the failed breeding on her.

Skribyld

Ah, you're back. What can you tell me of R'kontai's dealings?

She claims to be a victim as well? Hmph! It was her greed that brought the coeurls to Vylbrand, and she is sorely mistaken to think the Yellowjackets will turn a blind eye. Mark my words, she will be held accountable.

• JA 無責任にもほどがあるッ！これだから商人って連中はッ！！ ‘How irresponsible can you get! That's merchants for you!’ Skribyld then apologizes for getting worked up. The English Skribyld stays calm.
• DE Sie sieht sich selbst als Opfer?! Das schlägt doch dem Bierfass den Boden aus! ‘She sees herself as a victim?! That really takes the keg!’ The usual idiom has a plain barrel and means 'that's outrageous'. The beer fits „Bierhafen“, 'Beer Harbor', the German name of Aleport.
• JA 無責任にもほどがあるッ！ ‘There's a limit to how irresponsible you can be!’ English blames her greed; Japanese condemns her irresponsibility.

At any rate, we now know why the coeurls and jackals are trying to tear each other to shreds.

The pirates have been quite careful not to leave any clues, but we've managed to capture R'kontai's assailants. They're being questioned as we speak, and it won't be long before we track down the pirates. Don't worry, friend, the Yellowjackets will see them brought to justice.

• DE Ich werde die Angaben überprüfen und an meine Vorgesetzten weiterleiten. ‘I will check the information and pass it on to my superiors.’ English says R'kontai's assailants are caught and being questioned; German says he will check her statements and inform superiors.
• JA この一件はしかるべき筋に報告して、イエロージャケットの手で海賊を検挙してみせよう。 ‘I'll report this matter to the proper authorities, and we Yellowjackets will arrest the pirates.’ English says R'kontai's assailants are already caught; Japanese says he will report the matter to the proper authorities.

In the meantime, there is still the matter of R'kontai and the beasts running amok in the fields.

I shudder to think what may happen should the jackals and coeurls continue fighting for much longer.

• DE Zum einen muss R'kontai bestraft werden. ‘On the one hand, R'kontai must be punished.’ English fears the jackals and coeurls fighting on; German names a task instead: R'kontai must be punished.
• JA クァールを仕入れた商人ル・コンタイへの対応と、野に放たれた狼犬への対処だ。 ‘Dealing with R'kontai, the merchant who brought in the coeurls, and handling the wolf-dogs released into the wild.’ English fears the jackals and coeurls fighting on; Japanese lists dealing with R'kontai and the released wolf-dogs.

I have a plan, but your assistance is essential to its success. Let me know when you are ready to begin.

R'kontai

Hmph, stubborn bugger... Well, if yer lookin' for a fight, ye've bloody found one!

• JA センセー、センセー出番ですよッ！！ ‘Sensei, Sensei, you're on!’ R'kontai, now on the run, calls her bodyguard this way. In samurai dramas, a crooked merchant calls a hired ronin with this cue.
• DE Dafür habe ich dich schließlich bezahlt! ‘That's what I paid you for, after all!’ English: she dares the listener to fight; German: she urges someone to help her, saying she paid them.