Chapter 71
Chapter 71
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Academy Festival (6)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Arts Academy is a kind of specialized musician training institution.
From the basics to the advanced curriculum.
After a total of four years of education, one can accumulate the skill to hold a solo concert without it seeming strange at any time.
This was also the claim of its founder, Anton.
And the wish of the noble families who sent their children to the academy.
'My son might become the pianist who succeeds Lord Anton.'
While some people thought that way...
'What if he catches Lord Anton's eye and gets selected as a professor? I heard that if you have the skill, he pushes hard for you even if you're of commoner origin.'
'What do you mean, 'what if'? It's a cause for celebration.'
Having a professor from the academy emerge from one's family is as great an honor as having a knight emerge.
In any case.
Everyone couldn't get the question out of their heads: 'I wonder how much my child has grown.'
In a situation where such anticipation and curiosity had swelled to their peak, the sight of Azbella walking onto the stage was more than enough to completely stir the hearts of the audience.
Her expression was filled with confidence, and her gestures were bold.
The way she sat at the piano and raised her arms was exceptionally elegant.
It was like looking at a painting.
Among the majority of the audience who were left speechless, a few quietly gasped in admiration.
"She's clearly different from the start, isn't she? Because she's received professional training."
"An aura of that caliber isn't something one can create on their own."
For a performer, their skill is of course important, but the elements they present cannot be overlooked.
Gestures, expressions, the posture of sitting in the chair.
It all combines to be part of the emotional expression.
It was the result of consistently receiving feedback.
Moreover, Azbella's appearance had always had a slightly intellectual and graceful quality, and that synergy was maximized.
Soon, a romantic melody flowing in 2/4 time signaled the official start of the festival.
Schumann's Kinderszenen No. 1, Of Foreign Lands and Peoples.
A piece that beautifully unfolds the curiosity and awe of a child's first encounter with a new world, seen through a child's eyes.
The moment the music began, the audience's bodies leaned forward.
As if reflexively responding to its warmth.
A simple melody.
However, it contained a lyricism that was anything but simple.
The middle-aged nobolics who were quietly listening to the performance didn't find the feeling awkward.
"Ah..."
Schumann's Kinderszenen was like a musical adaptation of Saint-Exupéry's novel, The Little Prince.
Of course, there is no record of the two actually influencing each other.
For one, their eras were different.
And the backgrounds in which they were created were also different.
However, there is one definite common point.
Both were written by adults, yet they tell their stories from the perspective of a small child.
They look back on the dreams of the past and try to understand the world through that pure gaze.
Kinderszenen is composed of simple and easy structures and melodies, but the emotions embedded within it are far deeper and more solemn than one might think.
The same is true for The Little Prince.
Within its fairy-tale-like sentences, we come to realize the true value of life, philosophy, and the heavy messages the author wished to convey.
If we were to remain adults forever within this world, we would never discover the truths hidden within.
These two works tell us.
'Look at the world through the eyes of your childhood, just once.'
'Consider a small pond to be the sea.'
'Recall the emotions of a time when running through a field was the entirety of an adventure.'
And now.
In Azbella's performance, the audience felt just that.
The sounds flowing from the keys filled the theater, sending a quiet ripple to everyone.
The music of a girl who is just now taking her first steps into the world.
For her, right now, every single movement of her fingers is an adventure, and every sight captured in her eyes is a wonder.
That trembling was conveyed to the audience.
"I've felt something like this before. It was a very long time ago, though."
"...Where has our once-transparent heart gone?"
Memory fragments, once obscured by the duty or honor of the family, and the names of victory and power, came back to life.
They, too, had a time when they could enjoy themselves without a worry and see everything with pure eyes.
"This is like..."
A few middle-aged nobles who were listening to Azbella's performance nodded their heads.
Deep in their chests, a hint of freedom bloomed, releasing a faint scent.
Part of the world they had once seen, heard, and felt was being reproduced by Azbella's hands.
Just then.
The person watching the performance from a seat at the very end of the second floor, Baron Ebner, burst into a hollow laugh.
He was originally a noble from the outskirts of the capital who had invited Anton to his territory together with his subjects.
He was now fulfilling his duties as a lord, but as a child, his dream had been to be an explorer.
'What lies beyond the sea in the eastern part of the Empire?' He had been so curious that he couldn't sleep for many days.
And that wasn't all.
He had sneaked out of the house and pulled out all sorts of weeds in the forest, and was scolded by his father more than once or twice.
But it was funny.
Those curiosities didn't last long.
'Why is that?'
He had thought that when he became an adult, the world would become wider.
Instead, he had been trapped in an even narrower frame.
He occasionally missed his reckless days, when he knew neither failure nor fear.
'It feels good to remember it after so long.'
Baron Ebner closed his eyes.
Azbella's performance continued to pull out the dreams sleeping in everyone's memories one by one.
The moment the theater's air was finally filled with trembling and lingering resonance, the audience had to struggle to suppress their rising joy, feeling as if they had regained the curiosity and freedom of their childhood.
The students couldn't hide their surging emotions, feeling as if she was voicing their own feelings of just now taking their first steps into the world.
The standing ovation continued for a long time.
A performance that wasn't even two minutes long.
However, it took twice that amount of time for all the congratulations to end.
Azbella carefully rose, bowed, and disappeared behind the stage.
The next student, and the one after that, who were prepared in advance, each took their turn and played their pieces.
As if they were trying to continue the wave she had summoned.
Then, around the seventh performance...
A male student, dressed in a neat uniform, walked up to the piano, and...
"Ooh! It's my son! This kid! I knew he'd do well! So he's already grown enough to stand on stage? A genius! A genius! An artist has finally emerged from our family!"
The theater was turned upside down for a moment by a spectator who shouted out with immense pride.
"Hey! Brag about your kid at home!"
"What makes you think only your son is a genius? My daughter is just as impressive!"
It was a bit of a comedy.
And as Anton watched this from a box seat at the very back of the third floor...
'Bragging about one's children is a parent's joy.'
...he thought to himself, and glanced sideways at Aria, who was sitting next to him and snacking.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The opening ceremony ended successfully.
He went down to the waiting room.
The students who had been on stage today were still sitting there with dazed expressions, unable to believe what had just happened.
As for Erdi...
For some reason, he was perched on top of a table, sipping wine.
Is he finally relaxing his tension?
Or maybe he's drinking to relieve his tension.
"You've worked hard. You can rest now."
He'd done his part.
Since he had practically taken charge of directing the entire opening performance, he must be exhausted beyond measure right now.
"Rest? I'm finally free, so I need to have some fun."
"Ah, is that so."
At Erdi's words, the students who had been slumping in their seats sprang to their feet.
"Ooh!"
"The festival!"
Thinking about having fun seemed to give them energy.
He watched their backs as they left the theater in pairs with a satisfied expression.
Good.
The festival was planned for their sake, after all.
He hopes they enjoy it.
"Young Master, aren't you going out?"
Erdi asked.
At the academy, they had agreed to call each other Professor, but right now, titles weren't important.
He moved on.
"I need to go out and get Aria her dinner. Doesn't it seem like she's eating all day?"
"That's because she's at an age where she's growing a lot."
"Right, that makes sense."
Apparently, energy consumption spikes from around the age of 7.
'Just how much is she going to grow?'
If that small child is going to have the physique of Erin Wall about 10 years from now, it's not only hard to imagine but would be a bit of a shock.
Erin Wall was a soprano from Canada, famous for her tall height and large physique.
He shook his head to shake off his wandering thoughts.
Anyway.
"Professor, we're going to go watch too."
Azbella, smiling brightly, helped support Erdi.
It feels like their roles have been reversed.
Shouldn't Erdi be guiding Azbella?
"You're not drunk, are you?"
"As if. I won't get drunk just from drinking this."
"Don't cause any trouble."
"I'll keep that in mind."
After getting a promise out of Erdi, he also said a word to Azbella.
"You did a great job with your performance today."
"Thank you."
"Well then, I'll be off. My kid is waiting for me."
He immediately left the waiting room and headed outside.
From behind, Azbella whispered and asked Erdi.
"...Does the Professor have a child? He looks quite young."