The Heir of the Golden Wheel
Selenie asked for our permission, and we naturally nodded. With that, the door opened, and one person entered the room.
Blonde hair that sparkled like gold melted down and spun into threads. Clear, shining blue eyes. And an elegant smile that somehow carried a hint of mischief.
"Hello."
She was a woman whose beauty would make anyone passing by turn their head. She greeted us politely and continued.
"I'm Rica Flutes, head of the Golden Wheel Merchant Guild."
As her name suggested, Rica was also from a noble house. Nobles engaging in commerce wasn't common, but it wasn't unheard of either.
"I'm Arden Clover."
I introduced myself in turn, and Monica stepped forward to do the same. Once everyone had introduced themselves,
Rica took a step closer, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Monica and me.
"Today's performance was truly impressive. It gave me chills."
Her tone was brimming with sincerity.
"Especially that instrument. The one you call the violin—it was eye-opening. I've traveled the continent and gained plenty of experience, but I've never seen or heard an instrument produce such beautiful tones."
It seemed she'd heard the name violin from Selenie.
Then Rica spoke again, smiling with her eyes.
"And up close, you both look even more striking than from afar."
Hmm. As a merchant, she's got a real knack for flattery!
But why was Monica suddenly narrowing her eyes at that? Was she thinking something like, 'Are that woman's eyes even normal?'?
Whatever. What was the connection between this woman and Selenie? No matter how I looked at it, Selenie wouldn't have introduced her to us just because she was the heir to a massive merchant guild.
That question was soon answered. Selenie explained it herself.
"Rica here handles recording and distributing all my performances far and wide. She'll be personally managing the distribution for this one too."
"Ah!"
Come to think of it, all the orbs containing Selenie's performance recordings were stamped with the Golden Wheel emblem. So they had exclusive distribution rights.
Right—this world even records and sells musicians' performances. The collection in my room was exactly that. Of course, only a select few musicians enjoyed such glory. Unlike on Earth, recordings here were done entirely through magic, using artifacts. So you had to be a renowned musician to even get one made, and even then, only a few at most.
Selenie? She was the exception. She probably had hundreds recorded.
Whoops. My thoughts wandered again. I refocused on Rica's words.
"You've already spoken with Lady Selenie about this, but I'd like to reconfirm your agreement."
Rica spoke with a faint smile.
"The recording orb of this performance will be exclusively handled by our guild..."
What followed was just as Selenie had explained: rough profit splits, settlement methods, and so on. Honestly, with the World Tree Branch alone, we were already overcompensated, so I'd wanted to decline. But Selenie wouldn't hear of it. Standing on the same stage meant equal rights to it, she'd insisted.
Anyway, Rica explained it all simply enough for us—who knew little about such matters—to understand.
"...and that's how it will proceed. Is that alright?"
"Yes."
"Understood."
We agreed without objection. We probably would've nodded even if the split was 99:1. We'd already received more than enough reward.
"Thank you. And the projected earnings are roughly this amount. It's not exact, so just for reference."
Well, it was just one piece performed, so it couldn't be that much...
What the hell? Is this for real?
"Th-that's got two extra zeros, doesn't it?"
Monica, thinking the same, asked Rica with wide eyes.
Rica double-checked the figure and smiled brightly.
"No, this is correct!"
At that, Monica and I exchanged glances.
Hmm. Both of us grew up in wealthy noble homes—among the richer ones, even. Yet the amount Rica showed stunned us.
Whoa. Holy crap. This is insane! Is this the life of a top star?! With this money, I could outfit a full set of every instrument in my head and still have plenty left!
No, wait. That's not the point. I nearly lost my head for a second there. I don't think I'm particularly greedy for money, but seeing such a huge sum blew my mind momentarily.
Of course, I was currently the talk of the capital. But I could guarantee I wouldn't earn this much from a single recording, even now. Fame in the capital didn't translate continent-wide.
This was possible only because Selenie's renown was immense, spreading not just through the Allied Kingdoms but to the Wealthy Isles, Underground Kingdom, and even other continents.
"Then, that's settled. But I have one more thing I'd like to ask you, Lord Arden."
"What is it?"
Hearing my name snapped me back to attention, and I looked at Rica.
She said to me,
"Would you ever consider entrusting violin production to us?"
"Pardon? The violin?"
"Yes. You may know this, but our guild also invests heavily in instrument manufacturing."
Of course I knew. The Golden Wheel seemed to deal in everything, but I was well aware they handled music-related businesses extensively. Their instruments were reliably quality and widely used. That said, they weren't top-tier.
If I had to categorize, beginner to intermediate level? High-end luxury items were usually handmade by master craftsmen, and even the next tier came from small workshops.
As if reading my mind, Rica smiled and said,
"We're not asking for exclusive rights. Our goal is mass distribution, after all."
"I see."
"Yes. Personally, I predict the violin will spread widely before long."
After saying that, she continued to me as I pondered.
"Of course, no need to decide right now. If you're open to it, I'd like to visit again and discuss further."
"Ah, yes. That sounds good."
It was too big a deal to settle on the spot. I wanted the violin to spread far and wide, but a contract was a contract.
"Then, until we meet again soon."
Rica said farewell to Monica and me once more, then to Selenie last, before leaving.
After Rica departed,
"I'll never forget today. Until our next stage together."
We bid Selenie goodbye as well. And with that, we wrapped up our business in Ramisel.
Stella looked like she might burst into tears. And how could she not? She'd just witnessed a truly eye-opening performance here today.
"Ahh..."
If anyone recognized her true identity, it would cause a huge uproar, but Stella had no time to worry about that. The stage Selenie, Arden, and Monica had presented was breathtakingly beautiful.
Since becoming the saintess of Armonia, she'd met countless musicians and seen innumerable performances. But ones that lingered so deeply in her heart could be counted on one hand.
Even more astonishing: the musician on stage had been the same one from her previous similar experience.
"Oh God..."
Stella clasped her hands and prayed right there, thanking Him for granting her this ecstatic experience. After all, even her journey to Ramisel on the far side of the continent as a saintess of the church was by His grace.
Stella came back to herself only much later.
"We must go now."
Her escort knight spoke with an anxious expression, as she'd remained rooted in place long after the performance ended. Stella gave a slight bow of apology and started walking.
But her mind replayed that performance over and over.
And then, she imagined herself joining them on that stage.
"Ah!"
Her legs nearly gave out, but luckily, only her escort knight saw.
Stella offered prayers of thanks to her god all the way back through the warp gate. She had no idea that very god had tried to witness the performance up close through His most devoted follower.