Tegami Bachi 3

Sorry this was so long in coming, uni eats my soul x.o This is the first chapter of volume 2, and the volume 2 raw can be found in the Tegami Bachi discussion thread, in this post.

I welcome any comments, advice, or corrections you have! On page 4, all bolding and (italic explanations) are added by me to make it easier to read, so feel free to take them out for scanlation purposes if you wish. Also if someone has any idea about p18's "カプリーン" and p32's "サワンダム" I'd be really glad to hear it :) Thanks as always to haya5h1 for initial proofreading and corrections.

Blank line = new manga panel
Line break = new speech bubble within the same panel
**asterisked and purple lines are ones I'm unsure about
Anything blue is an edit / correction

----

－１－

Niche: If saying “Goodbye” will make you sad...
Niche: Then I’ll stay by your side

Niche: Niche has become
Niche: “Niche, Lag’s Dingo!”

－２－
Within all things,
What takes precedence is the "Heart".
All things are master of their own "Heart",
And their "Heart" makes them who they are... ("Amberground Scriptures", Verse 1)

－３－
"The Letter To Jiggy Pepper"
Asada Hiroyuki

－４－
This is the country of Amberground (AG), where night never turns to dawn.
Existing solely for the purpose of illuminating the capital city Akatsuki, a man-made sun faces the out-lying regions of the country and loses its brightness the further away one travels. Because of this, it only faintly illuminates the lands surrounding Akatsuki, shining like twilight in the region of Yuusari, and like the moon in the region of Yodaka.
The postal service employee (a "Letter Bee") Gauche and the young boy Lag meet in Yodaka as delivery man and "Letter".
Gauche, raising a sister wheelchair-bound due to a disease in her legs, and Lag, being delivered to a land unknown to him, whose mother was taken away by strangers. For a brief time until they reach their destination, while enduring rain and snow and fighting against Gaichuu (Armoured Insects), the two of them, both burdened with a great sadness, share a difficult journey together and become friends. After their journey is over, the two of them begin walking their separate paths. Gauche, in order to earn large sums of rin (Amberground currency) to heal his sister's illness, sets out towards Akatsuki to find new work, while Lag aims to become a Letter Bee like Gauche.
5 years later, Lag, in order to undergo the interview exam to become a Letter Bee, is finally starting his journey to Yuusari. Along the way, Lag decides to deliver Niche, a girl left behind at the train station due to insufficient postage on her delivery form, to her destination. However, at that destination, a group of scheming men try to make the girl, a rare creature, into a sideshow exhibit. Lag rushes back to save her, but Niche has already escaped and become lost in a dangerous forest, where she is attacked by Gaichuu. Lag arrives just in time to save her and manages to defeat the Gaichuu. Niche is then able to trust Lag, and so as his reassuring Dingo (a Letter Bee's partner), she sets out together with Lag on his journey...


－５－
ｎｏ　ｔｅｘｔ

－６－
"The Letter To Jiggy Pepper"
Chapter 3: "The Letter To Jiggy Pepper: Part 1"
Chapter 4: "The Letter To Jiggy Pepper: Part 2"
Chapter 5: "The Letter To Jiggy Pepper: Part 3"
Chapter 6: "BEE HIVE Post Office, Nocturne Number 13, Yuusari Central"
Chapter 7: "Raspberry Hill"

－７－
Lag: Hey... Niche...

Lag: That thing on your head... what is that?
Niche: This?

Niche: He's called "Steak"!

Lag: Ste...
Lag: Um...
Lag: That's his name...?

Lag: Ah! Is he a rare animal that followed you from "Rabusamu Wandaun"?! ... He followed Niche...?
Lag: But why do you call him "Steak"?

Niche: 'Cause he'd taste bad if you didn't cook him
Lag: You wanna eat him?!

－８－
Lag: You're joking, right...? ....this little guy... he's definitely an animal, right? He has a really sweet face!
Niche: Be careful

SFX: NU GYAAAAU
Niche: You're gonna get eaten
Lag: Hyaaaaa!!!

Lag: His... his mouth is his whole body...?
Steak SFX: nu nu nun
Niche: Lag!

....
Lag: Wow....

Lag: That's a huge bell...
Lag: I bet you can hear it ringing all the way past the bridge, in Yuusari
Lag: It's a splendid church, isn't it?

－９－
Chapter 3: "The Letter to Jiggy Pepper: Part 1

Lag and Niche are a day's journey past Rent Town.
They've finally reached Kyrie,
The last town before Bifrost, the bridge to Yuusari...

－１０－
Neri: What's your problem!! You're a Bee just like him, right?! Mokku!!
Neri: Please, just take this letter to Jiggy...!!

Neri: It's an important letter...
Neri: Written by my little brother!!

Mokku: "To Jiggy Pepper, at the Bee Hive in Yuusari"...
Mokku: You seriously think it can be delivered with just that on it?

Neri: You know there's no way I can afford that ridiculously expensive stamp...!!
Neri: If I could
Neri: I'd go bring Jiggy back here myself!!

－１１－
Mokku: Jiggy Pepper is a Bee specializing in express deliveries, and travels around from town to town
Mokku: If he has a delivery, he'll come here too, you know.
Mokku: Just wait here until then.

Mokku: Here in this
Mokku: "Dead End" town

Neri: Waiting?...
Neri: It's not just about waiting...
Neri: ....

Neri: Shit...

－１２－
Woman: Apples for sale...
Woman: Apples...

Woman: They’ve been grown in plenty of geothermal heat...
Woman: Sweet apples for sale...
Woman: Please buy them...

.....

－１３－
Lag: Um...
Lag: Excuse me...

Lag: We've been travelling...

Lag: Could you tell me what day it is?

Neri: ...
Neri: The 30th, 3pm

Lag: Thank goodness!
Lag: Thank you very much!!

Lag: Let's go, Niche!
Lag: If we cross the bridge early tomorrow morning, we manage to make it in time for the day of the interview!

－１４－
Lag: Right! We did a lot today, so let's treat ourselves to staying at an inn!
Niche: An inn?
Lag: An inn!

Neri: Hey...
Neri: Hey... you...
Neri: Just now... did you say you were gonna cross the bridge?!
Lag: Yes...
Neri: D...

Neri: Do you have a Crossing Permit to Yuusari?!
Neri: Do you?!
Lag: Ah... err... yes!
Neri: DO YOU?!

Neri: This guy... has the real thing...?

Lag: Uhh...

Neri: As...
Neri: As if that could be true...!
Neri: I bet you got one somehow on the black market, right...?

－１５－
Neri: You should just give it up now...!
Neri: If they find out it's fake, you'll get shipped off to do hard labour in the deepest Spirit Amber mine you can imagine
Lag: It... it's the real thing!

Lag: ...even though it says "Temporary" on it

Lag: I'm Lag Seeing!
Lag: I'm on my way to Yuusari for the interview test to become a Bee!
Lag: This is my friend, Niche!!
Lag: And... this is Steak
Steak: 　Nu Nu

Neri: B..
Neri: Bee...

Lag: ...what? You want me to say "Niche the Dingo"?
Lag: But I'm not a Letter Bee yet...

Neri: ........

－１６－
Neri: I'm Neri
Neri: There's only one inn in Kyrie
SFX: Za
Neri: Follow me... I'll show you the way
Lag: Th.. thank you... Neri...!

........

Lag: This is a really quiet town, isn't it...

Lag: It's the only town before the bridge Bifrost... I thought it'd be a bit livelier...

Neri: It's because there are rarely... people who can cross the bridge
Neri: If you don't have a crossing permit, this is the end of the road

－１７－
Neri: Kyrie's other name is "Dead End"...
Neri: "The Dead End Town"...

Neri: By the way.. have you got Rin? [Amberground currency]
Lag: Yeah... a little
Neri: Everything's ridiculously expensive in this town
Neri: It's 7000 rin per person at the inn
Lag: What?!

－１８－
Innkeeper: Welcome to the Cold Case Hotel!!
Innkeeper: We don't serve meals, but you're welcome to use the kitchen fire when you please! 7000 rin per person! Payment up front!

Innkeeper: Even if you have "one dog", they have to pay the human's fee to enter a room!
Innkeeper: Is it really just the two of you?!

Lag: Uh...

Lag: Yes... two...
SFX: -glance back-
SFX: puuu
カプリーン
** SFX: kapuriin [coupling?]
Lag: Just the two of us...

Innkeeper: That's a nice hat you've got there, little girl

Lag: What?! You mean we weren't found out?
Neri: Give me your bag. I'll bring it to your room.
Lag: Huh? Oh... but...
Innkeeper: Hey!
Lag: Y... Yes

－１９－
Very Fine Hat man: Boy...
Hat Man: Where are you from?

Hat Man: .....
Hat Man: Your hometown, I mean

Lag: Ah... It's Coza Bel. I was brought up in the harbour town Cambel, though...
Hat Man: Ahhhh, the southernmost town!
Lag: You know it...?!

Hat Man: Yeah, though I've never actually been there...
Hat Man: You look like you've just set out on a journey
Hat Man: And you came to this town too...

Hat Man: Yes... you must be...
Lag: This guy's really comfortable around people, isn't he?

－２０－
Hat Man: This is Harry, a bird of prey lent to me by a good friend who was worried about me travelling alone
Hat Man: We're on our way back from the exhibition tent "Rabusamu Wandaun" in Rent Town...
Lag: Rabusamu...

Hat Man: What a complete waste of time that was!
Hat Man: For some reason the rare creature exhibition was shut down!

Hat Man: Man, I would've paid anything they wanted for her too!
Hat Man: The Child of Maka!

Lag: Um... excuse me but I must be going!!
Hat Man: ?

Lag: Wow... that startled me...
Niche: Why're we running?
Lag: Why?!...

－２１－
Lag: That man... he was going to try and buy you!!
Lag: If he knew you were the "Child of Maka" I don't know what he'd do to you..! I was really worried!

Niche: Why were you worried...?
Lag: Huh?

Niche: You made Niche wear pants
Niche: And you let me lick you when you get hurt

Niche: That means Niche is absolutely
Niche: Lag's Dingo, doesn't it?

......
Lag: Niche...

Lag: Thank you... but Niche...
Lag: Erm, about the whole Dingo thing..
Lag: If I can become a Letter Bee...

－２２－
Lag: I'm thinking I'll take you to Cambel...
Lag: And have Aunt Sabrina look after you...

Niche: ...?
Niche: Lag?

Lag: Even if it's you, it's still too dangerous for a little girl to be a Dingo...
Lag: I think you'd be happy living in Cambel...

Niche: You said you'd be sad if I said goodbye!!
Lag: I would be sad...

Lag: I would be.... but a Bee's Dingo is used as a decoy for fighting Gaichuu... and they probably get injured a lot!!

Lag: I just can't make a little girl do something dangerous like that!!

－２３－
Lag: Uh...

Niche: I'd
Niche: Be
Niche: Fine!

Lag: Uh oh... wait!
Lag: Niche!!
Lag: Stop!!

Lag: Hey...
Lag: Where's Neri...?

－２４－
Lag: ?!

Lag: Y..
Lag: Your pants...?
Lag: Ni... Niche....

Niche: You're an idiot, Lag!!
Lag: Niche...

Lag: Argh...
Lag: Um...
Lag: W... wait a minute!!

－２５－
Lag: Ex--
Lag: Excuse me!!

Lag: Um...
Lag: Have you seen Neri, the kid we were wi--

Hat Man: That kid left already
Hat Man: She walked off with your bag
Lag: What?!

Lag: If you saw her going, why didn't you...
Hat Man: When you arrive in a town for the first time, you have to test it with your own "Heart".
Lag: Huh?!

Hat Man: There are those who spend their lives not thanking people for the things they receive everyday...
Hat Man: This isn't Cambel, kid
Lag: Niche?!
Lag: Where's Niche?!
Lag: M-m-my bag...
Lag: Oh no!! Inside the bag..
Hat Man: You can't just judge everything by your own standards, boy! ...You're not listening, are you?

Hat Man: That kid's hangout is the church
Hat Man: You should still be able to catch her if you go out the back way.

－２６－
Lag: Thank you very much!!
Hat Man: No problem...
Hat Man: Now there's a kid who always remembers his manners

Hat Man: Anyway... I should be getting ready to go back too...

Steak: *glance*

Niche: Listen up, Steak
Niche: Niche is really mad, so she's hungry

Niche: I'm gonna eat you, Steak
Niche: Can you do your best and cook up nicely?
Steak: *nod*

－２７－
Neri: ......
Neri: Hmph....

Neri: What's with this thing? I thought it'd be really fancy...
Neri: But it's just ordinary paper?

Neri: Just a little longer...
Neri: Nero...

Lag: Give it back!!
Lag: That’s...
Lag: Important to me!!

－２８－
Lag: Neri!!
Lag: *pant*
Lag: *pant*

Neri: You're a lot faster than you look
Neri: What is it? It's not like I took your money or anything...

Lag: My bag...
Lag: and my Crossing Permit... what're you gonna do with them, Neri?!

Neri: Don't call me Neri. Because starting today, I'm Lag..... .....

Neri: ....Seeing...!

Lag: Neri!!!

Neri: What a pain...

－２９－
Niche: sniff sniff sniff sniff
Niche: ......
SFX: sizzle sizzle
Steak: *pant* *pant*
Steak: nu nu nu...

Hat Man: Huh?

－３０－
Neri: Even if I spent my whole life working in a town like this...
Neri: I'd never get a chance to cross the bridge to Yuusari

Neri: I'm not giving up this Crossing Permit

Neri: It was a mistake for a little boy like you to stop by a town like this...

Neri: With this I'm gonna cross Bifrost and go to Yuusari!!
Neri: Hurry up and go back home to your Mama or something!!

Lag: ....
Lag: .....give it back......
Lag: I'm not going back....

Lag: I'm going to Yuusari....
Lag: To become a Letter Bee!!!

－３１－
Neri: ......

Neri: Really...
Neri: Do you know what type of job Bees do?
Neri: Look at this, Lag!!
Neri: At this beat up letter!

Neri: My little brother, Nero, who was suffering from an illness,
Neri: Wrote this letter to a certain "man", even though it weakened him even further

Neri: This letter, containing my brother's "heart", has been here for over 2 years
Neri: Bees won't have anything to do with people who can't pay the stupidly high postage fees... do you get it?

Neri: Those guys...
Neri: Are people who sell "heart" to the government!!

－３２－
Neri: Hey, everyone!!!
Neri: Listen up!!

Neri: This guy!! He's going to Yuusari to become a Bee!!
Person: ....what...?
Person: Crossing Permit...
Person: A real one...?!
Neri: He had a real Crossing Permit, so I'm taking it off his hands!!

Neri: I want to be one, you see! Just like that guy Jiggy....
Neri: I want to be a shitty "Bee"!!!

Person: Jiggy....
Person: Bee?...

Lag: .....
Lag: ....Jiggy....?

Neri: ......

－３３－
Neri: The guy who threw away his friends here to become a Bee...
Neri: The traitor...
Neri: Jiggy Pepper!!!

キリエのペッパー・サワンダム界隈のリーダー
** Neri: The leader of Kyrie's Pepper Sawandamu neighbourhood...
Neri: My little brother's hero...
Neri: His... ideal man, Jiggy...
Neri: My brother had a weak body and lost the will to live after Jiggy disappeared...

－３４－
Neri: My brother.... Nero....
Neri: Was killed because Jiggy betrayed us!!

Neri: Lag...
Neri: Thanks to you, this letter can finally be delivered...

Neri: On his sickbed...
Neri: Crying because he was so disappointed, Nero asked me...
Neri: To bring the letter to Jiggy myself!!!

－３５－
Neri: I wanted more than anything else to make him read it!!
Neri: I wanted to make him regret Nero's death!!

Neri: To regret...
Neri: Throwing us away like that...
Neri: ......

Neri: ....and if.... if he doesn't even shed one tear reading my brother's words...

Neri: I'll kill him...

Lag: ......

Lag: ...Neri...
Lag: You're...

Lag: A girl...

－３６－
Lag: !!!!

－３７－
......
Hat Man: She looks like she's worried about something.... ...just standing in front of the pants...
Steak: *wheeze* *wheeze*

－３８－
Hat Man: She flew... bare backside and all...
Hat Man: .....

Hat Man: What am I saying, she might have...!!

Hat Man: Hey, this is the 6th floor!! Butt kid!!

－３９－
Hat Man: Ohhh...
Hat Man: That's...
Hat Man: The Golden Sword...?!

Hat Man: Maka?!?!
Hat Man: Is that kid?!

Hat Man: Name of Product: Maka Girl

Hat Man: "Express Delivery. Goods Collection Request. 　Kyrie 4400" Largo Lloyd
Hat Man: Okay.... Harry

Hat Man: Deliver this message to your master,...
Hat Man: ...Jiggy Pepper!

－４０－
Lag: Neri!!...

Person: Give it here!
Person: I'm gonna cross the bridge
Person: No, it's mine!

Lag: What's wrong with this place!!...
Lag: This is...

－４１－
Lag: Dead End Town....?

－４２－
Niche

[nicchi] niche
< nicchi / niche> In Western architecture, a hollow in a wall to place things like images of the Virgin Mary or flowers. An alcove. It means "gap" or "narrow place".

--- chapter 3 end ---

This translation can be used for scanlations, but I'd really appreciate it if you let me know and included a credit to "niphredil @ MangaHelpers.com" ..thanks! ^^;