Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Balcares Academy 4
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The first piece was Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 16, with its refreshing melody.
The clear, transparent melody flowing from his fingertips signaled the start of the recital.
Soon after.
Debussy's Clair de Lune was played, calming the emotions of the pleasantly intoxicated audience.
The soft timbre spread gently, like a nighttime scene reflected on a quiet lake.
As the delicate melody continued to unfold like a painting being unrolled...
...came the Heroic Polonaise and the William Tell Overture.
Intense touches and dynamic movements.
The technique, driving toward a dramatic climax, provided an atmosphere
data-start="808" data-end="811">completely opposite to the previous two pieces.
The whirlwind of rhythm was truly on a miraculous level.
A majestic heroic epic was being reprised.
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"To think..."
"Woooow..."
Exclamations burst from the students' mouths.
It was because they felt a shiver down their spines.
But that wasn't the end.
Pachelbel's Canon.
Familiar yet calm harmonies.
A simple yet beautiful melody that soothed the heart enveloped the recital hall.
At some point, Victor Korsolin, who had taken a seat in the audience, leaned forward.
"Anton Tilberg playing the Canon himself..."
It was definitely a different feeling from when he had reproduced it just by looking at the sheet music.
He couldn't afford to miss a single moment.
He pricked his ears up.
Deep and profound afterglow.
Leaning his body into the soft and warm tranquility flowing from the keyboard, it felt as if time had stopped.
"I can't believe it."
He glanced to the side.
His assistant, Matael, was there.
She already seemed completely enthralled by Anton Tilberg's performance.
He turned his head back toward the stage.
A different piece was being played now.
A lyrical and romantic melody.
After passing through an intro that made one's heart flutter, the expression swelled and burst, driving toward a climax.
Liszt, Liebesträume No. 3.
And finally.
A passionate rhythm and a cheerful melody jumped out.
The mood of a cool summer, a seaside atmosphere.
It felt as if the boisterous laughter of merchants could be heard from somewhere.
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"That was Anton Tilberg."
When he came to his senses, the recital was already over.
A refreshing start, a diverse and rich highlight.
And a calm ending.
A perfect beginning, development, turn, and conclusion.
Victor quickly rose from his seat and started a standing ovation.
There was simply no way to quell this excitement.
Following his lead, the students gathered in the hall began to stand up one by two.
"Waaaaah!"
The world of music that Anton Tilberg had shown them.
For a moment, they were all dumbfounded by the shock.
Soon, the hall began to buzz with all kinds of cheers.
It took only a few seconds.
"Anton! Anton!"
"Woooooah!"
And then.
Amidst the waves of the audience...
...there was a girl sitting on the floor, burying her face between her knees.
Selena Winter.
"Hrk! It's so beautiful!"
Hot tears streamed down her cheeks!
For her, today's stage was not just a recital.
It was a dream.
A moment she could never forget.
A perfect imprint carved into her heart!
"Someday, I too... want to make such beautiful music..."
In the whirlpool of swirling emotions, a small smile appeared on Selena's face.
She wasn't the only one.
Similar scenes were witnessed here and there.
A few audience members, like Selena, lowered their heads and began to sob.
Perhaps today's recital had ignited a fire in their hearts.
A short time later, the Academy conducted its own survey on the career hopes of students after graduation.
An unprecedented situation occurred, where over 70% submitted that they wanted the occupation of 'performer'.
"A performer... now that's a wonderful word, isn't it, Professor?"
"Hey! You've already submitted your application to the Knight Order! Why are you suddenly making a fuss about becoming a performer!"
The dean and the faculty had to rack their heads for several days to calm the situation.
It was a sight that was hard to laugh at.
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"You've worked hard."
Erdi said.
The moment the recital ended, I returned to my room with him.
Of course, Edward and Oscar were there too.
"Do you have no further plans to stay?"
Oscar asked.
My answer was firm.
None.
I wanted to go home quickly.
Of course, I planned to stop by the magic research lab to meet the professor there before that, but it shouldn't take long.
"Dinner time is approaching. Shall I have food brought to your room?"
"No. I'll go to the dining hall."
I didn't know it then.
The fact that I had made a fatal mistake.
"Woooooah!"
"He's out!"
Damn it.
Should I go back in?
A huge crowd of people was gathered in front of the door.
They were all students.
"It was truly a moving performance!"
"After I graduate, I'll definitely visit the theater! Please remember my face!"
"Kyaaaah! Lord Anton!"
Without anyone taking the lead, they were all shouting and asking for handshakes.
Among them were a few who had subtly ignored me at the dining hall on the first day.
It's fine.
A true superstar drives both fans and antis crazy.
'Right?'
Anyway.
Only after greeting each and every one of them could I finally head to the dining hall.
I filled my stomach with a simple meal.
I've been eating here for several days now, but the food quality is quite good.
Thanks to that, I was able to have a pleasant evening.
After returning my utensils, I headed for the magic research lab.
"You're here! I was waiting for you!"
Again, this time as well, the short-haired woman greeted me.
"By the way, I saw your recital, it was wonderful! I was a little late, so I only caught the last two pieces."
"Haha. It's alright."
If her research succeeds, missing a recital won't even be a problem anymore.
'Recording technology.'
I wanted to hear the results as soon as possible.
"Have you heard of Short-Term Memory Imprint Magic?"
"No."
She began her explanation.
In simple terms, it's a type of imprint magic that makes you perfectly remember a sentence that you absolutely must not forget.
Apparently, it's used for important lectures or speeches.
It certainly sounds that way just from hearing it.
A magic that suits the Academy.
"I changed that magic circuit a bit to implement it as an artifact, and made it react to sound, then..."
Honestly, I couldn't understand most of it.
My magic knowledge isn't good enough to understand all the principles an expert talks about.
But soon.
"If I just add a button to the implemented artifact, it's done!"
She held out a small, rectangular magical tool in front of me.
Right.
I don't know the principle, but as long as it works well, that's all that matters.
For me, this is the best option.
She pressed the button.
Then, the last piece I had played at the recital, Albéniz's Cádiz, began to flow out.
The sound quality was quite good too.
It properly brought out the rich bass and the clear treble.
It was truly an amazing item.
"I recorded it as a test! What do you think?"
"...Honestly, I'm shocked. To create such a tremendous invention. Professor, you're a genius."
"Ahaha! Thank you!"
Moreover, mass production was possible.
Of course, I would have to pay an appropriate amount of sponsorship in return, but that much wasn't a problem.
"By the way, what would you like to name it?"
"Excuse me?"
"Since we made an artifact, we have to give it a name!"
This was a slightly troublesome part.
A name, huh.
"What is the Professor's name?"
"Me? It's Juber Brosia, but..."
Good.
"Let's go with Juber. Since the Professor made it, we should use the Professor's name."
I noticed that scientists usually do that.
"Hmm! If that's alright with you, then I'm fine with it!"
I wrote down the address of my mansion in the capital for her.
Since we were partners now, we needed to exchange contact periodically.
"Then, I'll be in your care!"
"Yes!"
I left the magic research lab and immediately went to Edward.
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"An item that can store sound, that's definitely amazing."
"Let's try selling it to the theater audience as a test. If the response is good, we'll increase production."
"Understood."
We decided to review the rest slowly after going to the capital.
Now that my business was done, as I was preparing to leave...
"By the way, Young Master."
Edward called out to me.
"About the piano."
"Ah, that's right. How is it now?"
"I tried my best, but it seems impossible."
"...That's troublesome."
Even if I plan to commercialize Juber, I can't just close the theater doors.
The opportunity to meet a performer directly will still be in high demand.
But.
That's only possible with a proper piano.
"It would be better to buy a new one while we're at it."
Edward agreed with my opinion.
We decided to split the cost of the purchase between the two of us.
'Still, it's a bit of a shame.'
Seeing off the piano that had been with us from the very beginning of our journey made me feel a little choked up.
I should take a look at it one last time.
It was loaded onto a cart parked next to the Academy's back gate.
"You've worked hard."
Of course, it couldn't hear my voice, but I conveyed my sincere gratitude.
"How do you plan on disposing of it?"
"Hmm. If its condition were a bit better, I might have donated it to a place that needed it, but this one is so broken it's impossible to play..."
The best option was to dismantle it and throw it away.
"No, wait."
A place that needs it?
One place comes to mind.
A place that would welcome it with applause, no matter how broken the piano is.
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"Just look at that radiant form...!"
"The soul of the Master contained in every single key!"
Edward and I watched the students making a fuss from a distance.
It was exactly the reaction I had expected.
"I'm glad we can preserve it like this."
That's right.
We decided to donate the broken piano to the Academy.
When I told the dean, he was extremely happy.
The piano was immediately displayed in the central hallway on the first floor of the student dormitory building.
"Woooah..."
"What was the intention behind the pedals being slightly tilted?"
"...Isn't it just broken?"
Seeing that everyone likes it makes me feel good.
I'm looking forward to the day I come back to the Academy in the future.
"What are you doing! Get away from there! This is a great gift bestowed upon us by the God of Music! You can't just look at it as you please!"
Maybe I shouldn't enroll.
That's something to think about.