Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Entry-Level Piano 1
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“What is this?”
The footsteps of people passing by the streets of the capital came to a halt in one spot.
Right in front of the theater.
“It looks like a piano?”
“A piano? Isn't it just an object mimicking a piano?”
“For a place calling itself a theater, it's only right to have at least one piano decoration.”
“Haha! That's right! You make a good point.”
At that moment.
Edward, walking out from the entrance, addressed the crowd.
“This is not a decoration. It is a product that reproduces a piano. We have named it the 'Affordable Piano.' Once again, it was manufactured through a collaboration between Sir Anton and the Academy.”
“Affordable...!”
“Anton...!”
“The Academy...!”
Each person gasped in admiration, gazing silently at the piano displayed in front of the theater.
The reasons for their surprise were varied.
“You're saying this thing actually makes a sound?”
“How much does it cost!”
In response to the crowd's clamor, Edward once again continued his explanation.
“There are slight differences compared to existing grand pianos, but the sound is perfectly reproduced. The price is ten gold coins per unit.”
“Ten gold coins!”
The only piano that had existed in the Empire until now was something you had to pay a whopping two hundred gold coins to buy.
The product Edward introduced was twenty times cheaper than that.
It would be strange not to be surprised.
The ones who showed the most interest were, as expected, the commoners.
They poked their heads out from the crowd and busily asked all sorts of questions.
“When do sales start?”
“Do you happen to take reservations?”
To all of these questions, Edward's response was one and the same.
He simply nodded his head.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Affordable Piano.
A substitute that replicated almost all of the famous piano's characteristics, except for the deadly price.
Based on Juvel's theory of recording sound and playing it back with a button, this device was met with such an enthusiastic response that the initial 200 units produced sold out in an instant.
From nobles who lacked just a bit of money to buy a piano, to commoners who had saved up their emergency funds.
The types of consumers were diverse as well.
The money earned this way was reinvested into Professor Brosia.
Sell the Affordable Piano to make money, then use that money to make more Affordable Pianos.
What was this called again?
Circulation of funds?
Perpetual motion?
Anyway.
We also released beginner textbooks at the right time.
It was truly the definitive textbook, allowing even those meeting a piano for the first time to easily and enjoyably learn the theory and technique.
As if repaying the hard work we had put in with Erdi, it sold like hotcakes.
This time, there was no recommendation from Elise, nor a signature from a performer.
It became a bestseller based on its content alone.
Furthermore.
“I heard the Academy ordered ten thousand copies of this?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Pardon?”
Wait.
They don't even have ten thousand students there.
I don't really know why they're buying so many, but it's not something I need to worry about.
If they want it, we give it to them.
Originally, to get high profits from textbooks or teaching materials, the best way is to distribute them to academies or schools.
Thanks to that, we are now making an enormous profit, the likes of which we've never touched before.
At this rate, we could probably buy the Imperial Palace.
When that thought crossed my mind, my mouth started to itch.
“Edward.”
“Yes?”
“At this rate, the Imperial Palace... ah, never mind.”
I stopped myself.
It's better to avoid making remarks that could be misunderstood.
Anyway.
I was in such a good mood that I almost started spouting nonsense without realizing it.
Of course.
It wasn't just because I had made a lot of money.
The main customer base for the Affordable Piano was the commoners.
Just a year ago, these people were far removed from music, which was the culture of the nobles.
But thanks to Juvel, they became able to feel the listener's emotions.
Following that, the popularization of instruments arrived, and now they have begun to step into a new hobby: performance.
The first goal I had originally planned had already been achieved.
‘To spread music to more people.’
I had taken a long detour, but I had finally arrived here.
So, it wasn't strange that I was overcome with emotion.
‘Good.’
Let's just keep walking this smooth, paved road from here on out.
Thinking that, I signed the confirmation order for an additional one thousand Affordable Pianos.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Western part of the Empire.
A quiet territory, a bit away from the capital.
Baron Ebner had been feeling lately that there were many petitions from his territory's residents.
And on top of that, the content was all the same.
“I want to buy a piano.”
He couldn't understand it.
A piano, isn't that an expensive item?
In fact, it was none of his business what the residents of his territory bought.
As long as it wasn't anything dangerous.
However, according to the law that goods brought in from the outside must be taxed, he was going through this process of checking each one individually.
But a piano.
No matter how much the lives of the territory residents have improved lately, they shouldn't be able to buy a piano without hesitation, right?
I can't even dare to think about it myself.
“Hey, Jeffrey.”
He called the butler.
“Just how are all these people planning to buy a piano?”
“I believe they are referring to the Affordable Piano created by Sir Anton of the Tilberg County household.”
“Affordable Piano?”
“I hear it's a very reasonable price compared to the existing ones. Ten gold coins...”
“What!”
Ten gold coins!
It wasn't exactly cheap, but considering the item was a piano, it was far too cheap.
“Are you sure it's a real piano? Not just an object that mimics the shape?”
“From what I've heard, it even reproduces the sound perfectly. A collaboration with the Academy...”
“Bring one in at once!”
A short while later.
A single box arrived at his mansion.
When he opened it, there was indeed a piano inside.
The size was a bit small, but from the keys to the pedals.
It was quite accurately realized in every corner.
“It's the real deal.”
In fact, he didn't know how to play the piano.
The reason he had the butler order it anyway was simple.
Before granting the residents' petitions, he wanted to check the actual product with his own eyes.
“It looks safe, and it seems to work well.”
He thought it was definitely acceptable at this level.
He gathered all the petitions stacked on the table.
He flipped through them one by one and stamped his seal.
And a short while later.
Dozens of pianos began to be delivered within the Baron Ebner territory.
“Here, practice with this. I bought a textbook from the capital.”
“Wow.”
A father watches his daughter's happy expression and breaks into a satisfied smile.
“Dad, could you buy me a piano for my birthday?”
“Of course!”
A grandfather nods his head with a kindly expression at his grandson's request.
Now, the commoners were having such conversations without a second thought.
Anton Tilberg's name was always mentioned at the end of their sentences.
“To think I'd live to see the day I could buy a piano for my grandson.”
“Isn't that the truth. It's all thanks to Sir Anton.”
Anton Tilberg.
The artist who led the popularization of music?
That expression alone was not enough.
“I heard that at the next territory festival, Simus's daughter is going to perform.”
“I'm looking forward to it.”
The figure who planted new dreams in the children.
That was the evaluation Anton was receiving.
The two old men thought that the world he had created might, at its end, be a completely different era.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Imperial Palace.
“Oh ho... Oh ho ra...”
A young girl was sitting in front of a piano set up in the banquet hall.
Elise Flovitz.
In her hands was Anton's beginner piano textbook.
Intrigued by the claim that even someone who had never performed in their life could learn easily, she had bought it on impulse.
‘With this, I can be like the Performer too...!’
People who enjoy music can be divided into two types.
Those who enjoy it mainly through listening.
The latter are those who start with listening and reach out to performing.
This type feels that listening alone is not enough satisfaction.
The dilemma Elise had been facing recently was similar.
‘Just listening is getting boring now...’
If only she could perform as well.
Wouldn't it be more enjoyable?
Just then, she heard the news that Anton's beginner sheet music had been released to the public.
She couldn't not buy it.
She turned the first page.
It specified the correct posture and the angle of the wrists.
Aside from that, how to press the pedals, and the ideal position when fingers touch the keys.
Since it included diagrams, it was easy to follow.
She turned the pages one by one and slowly began to practice.
‘Th-this is fun...!’
She hadn't realized it when she was only listening, but thinking about making the sound herself, it was quite enjoyable.
Even though a proper performance hadn't even come out yet.
Before she knew it, she had reached the chord section.
She pressed three keys with her left hand.
‘Oh!’
It sounded incredibly good.
To think such a beautiful sound would come out just from pressing a chord.
After that, she tried this and that.
She learned the techniques by following the curriculum in the textbook.
By the time she came to her senses, three hours had passed.
“Sister...? Aren't you going to eat...?”
Eventually, before she was caught by Therese, who had come to find her, Elise had no intention of moving away from the piano.
“Therese! This is so, so much fun!”
“Ah.”
“Do you want to hear?”
“No...”
“I'll play for you! Sit here!”
“Yes.”
Once again, Therese was caught, unable to move a muscle.
Elise immediately began to play a few chords and a melody.
It was a very simple chord, and a very simple melody.
‘What is this?’
A question bloomed in Therese's mind.
‘Is this music too?’
It wasn't strange for her to have that thought.
What Elise was playing was nothing more than a four-measure practice sheet.
A part created to teach how to read notes and keep the rhythm.
“How is it?”
“Ah... well...”
Therese honestly didn't know what was what, but she didn't want to disappoint her sister.
It's hard to refuse someone who's smiling at you.
“I-it seems nice.”
“Right? I'm so happy. Maybe I'll get called to perform at the theater later? Hehe.”
Therese gave up on responding.