Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Forever Any Number of Times 4
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The performance with Aria ended successfully.
Forever, as many times as it takes.
Of course, not every single thing went as smoothly as gears turning in perfect sync.
The moment the song ended and the audience looked at each other with questioning eyes...
My mouth went dry, and my heart pounded like a drum.
I even felt a chill run down my spine, which says it all.
I thought to myself, maybe this culture wasn't quite ready yet.
Sometimes, an overzealous shock therapy can backfire.
But.
Fortunately.
The situation turned around spectacularly.
No one can stop the flow of destiny.
The one who broke the uncomfortable silence was Elise.
Thanks to her leading the standing ovation, the atmosphere in the audience completely changed.
Cheers surged like a wave.
Everyone unleashed the emotions they had been holding back, sending praise to the stage.
It was the moment a song, once a commoner's pastime, was truly accepted as the Empire's culture.
I can never forget the expression on Aria's face at that moment.
Perhaps her smile was even brighter than when I first invited her to the theater to play 'Canon' for her.
And so, several performances proceeded smoothly.
Aria's popularity skyrocketed in the blink of an eye.
"I heard a truly amazing friend showed up at Rune Moon." "I've already gotten an autograph." "What?!"
I witnessed conversations like that on the streets several times.
I hadn't expected this, even myself.
'To think I'd end up creating an idol in another world.'
Of course.
She doesn't seem to be aware of it herself.
"Uncle! Where are we going?" "To the theater." "Am I singing again today?" "I hope you do. If you do well, I'll allow you to go to the market with Diana tonight."
I was also planning on giving her a bit of gold.
As an allowance.
"Go pick out some new clothes and buy some snacks." "Wow! Thank you!"
Anyway.
Once the performance was over, the next step was decided.
Jubel release.
The goal was to spread Aria's hit song, 'Forever, As Many Times As It Takes,' throughout the capital and the provinces alike.
Thanks to the sound-replicating magic developed at the Academy, we could finish everything with just a single recording.
It was incredibly simple.
Furthermore, the artifact itself had been improved, allowing for mass production.
Supply increases, price falls.
Strictly speaking, we had a monopoly on the market, so we didn't have an obligation to lower prices.
But considering the original purpose of the Jubel, this is the right way.
The production cost had gone down.
So, there was no reason not to sell it at a cheaper price.
So that more people could enjoy it.
We first produced 5000 units.
Sold out.
We produced another 5000 units.
Sold out.
"Young Master." "Yes." "We're making too much money. It's a little scary." "Don't say things you don't mean, Edward."
But I could understand how he felt.
I had never seen a pile of gold coins exceeding a thousand in this world.
Yet, I saw it this time.
It was all thanks to Aria.
There was no more time to delay.
"Aria." "Yes." "I want to officially become your patron. In the name of my family. Will you allow it?"
In fact, regardless of the outcome, I was planning on taking responsibility for her until the end.
But there's a difference between just saying it and sealing the deal.
The latter required a contract through paperwork.
And on top of that, we needed approval from the authorities, a legal procedure.
It was a sort of social declaration that the Tilberg family would take care of Aria's education and overall life.
It wasn't just for raising her.
The goal was to cultivate her as an artist.
In a way, this was similar to the entertainment business of the modern era.
Discover talented individuals and spare no effort in supporting them so they can spread their wings and fly.
It's mutually beneficial.
Of course, I couldn't decide this on my own.
First, I needed Aria's consent.
"Think about it and give me your answer." "Okay!"
I thought she would at least think about it.
She accepted the proposal as if she had been waiting for it.
That very day, I ran to my father and reported the situation.
"You want to become the patron of an orphan girl? In the name of the family?" "She's a child with exceptional talent."
I handed the Jubel to my father.
I pressed the button to play the music.
From a corner of my heart... it's still singing...
"Oh ho..." "What do you think?"
My father, for some reason, trailed off.
He was silent for quite a long time.
"The performance and the singing blend together so wonderfully. Where is the contract?" "Excuse me?" "The contract! Write the contract right now! If another family snatches up this precious resource...!" "I will not let it slip away!"
It was all smooth sailing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
We gave Aria one of the spare rooms in the mansion.
After a thorough cleaning, we brought in a few new pieces of furniture.
A bed and a table.
We laid a carpet on the floor.
'I remember her saying the orphanage didn't have proper heating.'
While we were at it, we even put in a brazier.
"Wow... it's warm."
Of course, it didn't end there.
We collected different types of Jubels and displayed them by the window.
This way, she could listen to music whenever she wanted.
It would also help with her singing practice.
The interior design was just a bonus.
Good.
After roughly tidying up and about to leave, Aria tugged on my sleeve from behind.
"Uncle." "Hmm?" "Um... I'm so happy to have a family."
Her eyes grew moist.
Family.
I suppose she could think of it that way.
I was at a loss for words for a moment, looking down at Aria.
To think this tiny being was now under my protection.
Suddenly, the weight of that responsibility felt immense.
But.
It might be okay.
This is a reward for her, who found the courage for everyone's sake.
"Yeah. You can think of us as family." "Thank you!"
I closed the door and left the room.
Then, all of a sudden.
I turned my head for a moment.
Aria was reaching out toward the Jubels placed by the window.
Very carefully.
But with eyes full of anticipation.
That sight was so warm that I couldn't help but smile.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A tumultuous week passed, and peace arrived.
For the first time in a while, the three original members gathered at the theater.
Edward and Erdi.
"Let's begin the meeting."
It was time to move on to the next step.
How much has happened since then?
It's to the point where I can't even fit it all in my head.
We held a tour in the provinces.
We commercialized the Jubel, the first phonograph in another world.
We started piano lessons for Diana.
We spread song with Aria as the centerpiece, and officially designated her as our ward.
In the meantime, my family's title was promoted, and I ended up taking on the duties of the territory as a bonus.
I have no intention of resting.
Striking while the iron is hot is our specialty.
"Young Master, please give your opinion first." "I have a few things in mind."
Two things.
First, releasing practice scores for beginners.
Think of it as the real world's Beyer and Czerny.
While teaching Diana, I realized that the piano education in this world has many flaws.
It's not easy to teach the basics using only the textbooks available on the market.
'Sorry again, Victor Korsolin.'
We need a more clear, step-by-step textbook to convey technique.
In other words, I'm planning to create a beginner's score that perfectly incorporates the know-how I gained from my lessons with Diana.
I plan to apply the knowledge from my past life and focus more on technique than on music itself.
However.
For this to be effective, there's a problem that must be solved first.
"There will certainly be a response, but the demand will be limited."
Edward said.
A precise point.
First, let's look at the piano.
Its characteristic: it's expensive.
A price commoners can't even dream of, and even for nobles, it requires a lot of consideration before opening their wallets.
That's not the end of it.
Let's say we somehow sold a score to a family that has a piano.
Some of them won't need a beginner's textbook.
You can easily infer this just by looking at the skills of those who participated in the performance competition.
Erdi and Duke Montella.
They all had above-average technique.
They probably figured it out on their own through research.
In short, they don't need to learn the basics.
To distribute a beginner's textbook focused on technique, we first need a situation where beginners are steadily flowing in.
Otherwise, it's meaningless.
It's different from when we released the scores for 'Moments Musicaux' or 'Canon'.
Strictly speaking, that was more like a gift for the connoisseurs.
Or it had the strong meaning of a souvenir.
A basic textbook is a more practical item.
The more targets, the better; a wide market is needed.
Edward is pointing that out right now.
But.
"There's one more thing."
I had planned two things from the beginning.
The first is creating a beginner's textbook.
And the other is.
"Let's make an affordable piano." "...Excuse me?"
The Jubel, the invention of the esteemed Professor Jubel Brosia.
I realized something while looking at it.
An artifact that plays sound when you press a button after storing it.
'Couldn't we twist this to feel like a digital piano?'
Of course, it would require a bit of research, but it didn't seem impossible.
We just need to reproduce the buttons in the form of a keyboard.
After aligning the artifacts in the right positions and giving them the appropriate sounds...
'That's basically a synthesizer.'
As it happens, the Jubel is being actively improved, and the theory has been established to the point where mass production is possible.
Furthermore, thanks to the profits from 'Forever, As Many Times As It Takes,' which we released with Aria, we have ample funds.
We released a limited edition with voice messages as a gacha, and it sold like crazy.
We're even printing more right now.
Anyway.
The affordable piano made this way could be sold at a much cheaper price than existing ones.
"The goal is to make it so commoners can easily buy one if they save up a little money, by removing as much of the markup as possible." "That's a good idea, but it will require a considerable amount of effort."
"You don't have to perfectly replicate the piano. Otherwise, there's no distinction."
This is, after all, an affordable model.
If there's a 50 million won piano, there should be a 100,000 won piano too.
We're aiming for the latter.
If we succeed, we can accelerate the popularization of not just music, but also instruments.
After that, we just need to distribute the beginner's textbook we prepared in advance.
A perfect plan.
Just as I was about to wrap up the meeting.
Edward spoke up.
"Will there be backlash from the nobles again this time?" "No. You don't have to worry."
Music is no longer a culture exclusive to the upper class.
We made it that way.
From the public performance to the provincial tour.
On top of that.
Just look at 'Forever, As Many Times As It Takes,' which is currently trending in the capital. It's a song sung by a commoner, Aria.
She even has the recognition of Crown Princess Elise.
Even if there are those who refuse to accept it until the end.
'What are you going to do about it?'
It's not a threat at all.
Therefore.
"We'll proceed with the schedule as planned."