Maria's Riddle: Less than ten steps

[prof]

Well, who knows? If that's as far as you can go, maybe you should give up, right?
This one's really hard! Even mama couldn't solve it! But I solved it on my first try!
So, do you get it? How many trips does it take to get every person across?
This isn't a cheap trick or riddle, right? There's no way you can solve this straightforwardly, right?!
No, that's not true. I'm sure you'll get it, smart as you are. How many trips does it take to get every person across?



BGM: Nuigurumi

Huh? Three?! How?!
It's easy. The peasant and his wife get on the boat, then the wife gets dropped off on the other side in the first move. Then, the peassant takes the boat back across in the second move. Then, he crosses with the shepherd in the third move.



Huh? Ah...
That's right. The question just asks how many moves it would take to move each person across. The animals and luggage never had anything to do with it.
They only got it because you kept saying 'every person' over and over again, mama. Uu!
Come on. I was totally taken in. That was a mean question!
Go on, Maria. Give Ange her medal.







That's the end of our riddles. Let's play again some time, okay?
Next time, I'll have a really nasty puzzle that's even harder! Once so hard that even I can't solve it!
No way! I'm not playing with Maria any more!
Look, Ange. Your parents are waving at you, so let's go. See you later, Rosa.
Sure. Later, Ange. There aren't too many people left with puzzles for you. Keep it up until the end, and make sure you keep cheering her on, Eva.
Of course. We got all these medals by working together, right?
Yeah!





You really love Ange, don't you?
I hate her. She made fun of you and called you a stuffed animal.
I hope Ange finds happiness.
I'm sure she will. After all, look at all the people here wishing for her happiness. And now, Battler is the Game Master, and he's setting up this final game just for Ange's sake. After all this, there's no way she won't be happy.
...Still, even though everyone can bring a person happiness, only the person can grasp it for themselves.
That's right. That kid is really bad at finding Fragments of happiness. Even though we tried to teach her how, she's been covering her ears for 12 full years. This game might be much harder for Ange than Battler thinks.
...I'm sure that Ange will find happiness.
Yeah. If she really does enjoy herself at this party, that itself might be the greatest lesson we can teach her now.



At one point in time, that kid understood my white magic.
Yeah. And she understood me, too.
She even summoned all of the Seven Sisters and understood magic itself. And yet, she still can't use magic on herself.



It is easy to cast magic on other people, and believing in other people's magic is not so difficult. The hardest thing is casting magic on yourself.
Is that something Ange can do...?
She can. Even Battler managed to understand magic. Of course his little sister will be able to do the same.
You're right. There is some magic that we can only see when we're kids. There is some that only adults can understand. Right now, Ange is between the two of those.
She's lost the magic of children, and she has yet to understand the magic of adults. The most painful period in one's life.
It's so sad that she didn't have anyone close to her during that period...
That's not true. We're always by that kid's side. she just doesn't believe it.



Even if you aren't able to reach the proper end, I pray that you can at least enjoy yourself tonight...