All Music Begins and Ends with Classical
All music in this world begins with classical and ends with classical. The word itself carries the meanings of both "classic" and "traditional." It was the first music in human history to be categorized under the name of a "genre" after humanity began developing music. And that tradition has continued into the modern age, frequently sampled in all kinds of popular music.
"Classical music ended after the Romantic era."
Yet someone else denied that claim. Music without progress has no future. Since "Benpen," the greatest musician in all of human history, no composer had emerged who could create monumental classical pieces so profound that the entire world would recognize them upon hearing. The genre known as classical music today was buried in the glory of the past, endlessly regurgitating the scores left behind by previous generations with no meaningful purpose.
While a conductor's personal style or interpretation could alter the mood of a piece, the fundamental framework remained unchanged so long as the original composition was fixed. That alone placed inevitable limits on its evolution.
"The limits of classical music have yet to arrive."
But another voice argued differently. Just as popular music sampled classical pieces, the advancement of magic and digital technology had opened realms that the old composers could never have touched. The evolution of music continued without end. If one could freely perform the countless microtones once impossible to distinguish and the endless modulations they produced, then classical music—currently mired in stagnation—could take another leap forward.
Tradition and change. What emerges when they meet is a new evolution. It shatters stagnation, sparks innovation, and opens a fresh chapter in classical music.
The current era's leading figure, branded the rebel of the classical world and constantly under fire from traditionalists. Leni, conductor of the Leni Orchestra, stood before the crowd and declared with bold confidence:
The greatest orchestra of the age, acknowledged by all. The heretic who appeared after Ariadna, the legendary singer who had mastered both pop and classical to claim the summit.
O era! Tremble at my performance!
Leni Paulé, the classical world's troublemaker. One of the most famous musicians this age had ever produced.
Watching the video on his smartphone—the one where the boy spat out that arrogant, adolescent declaration—Kain let out a snort before he could stop himself.
"What a joke."
Even Pride, the most arrogant being Kain knew, had never uttered such lines out loud. It was simply too embarrassing. Setting aside whether the sentiment was genuine or not, saying something like that in front of the public required tremendous courage.
But at the same time, it was undeniably cool. It proved he possessed unshakable pride and towering self-confidence in his own work.
"He's amazing."
Apparently genuinely impressed, Arina—who had been sneaking glances at Kain's phone from the side—let out a sigh of admiration.
Kain didn't particularly dislike people like that either. They were far better than the sort who lacked any confidence, shrank back, and moved in a stifling, hesitant way. Perhaps because of that personality trait, every one of the Seven Deadly Sins had strong opinions of their own.
So Kain didn't bother contradicting her. He simply turned off the smartphone screen and looked at Arina.
"Not sleeping yet?"
"It's not even eight o'clock?"
Arina answered as if his question was absurd. Kain checked his phone again. Sure enough, it was just past 7:53 p.m.
Maybe it was because they'd done so many different things since arriving in Vivaldi. He'd been moving around so busily that he hadn't even noticed how much time had passed. The same guy who usually lay on the sofa fiddling with his phone and complained that time flew by too quickly.
"Aren't you tired?"
He changed the question. Even an Absolute like himself felt this exhausted from running around everywhere. Was she really not tired at all?
Arina gave him another look of pure disbelief.
"I didn't stay up all night like you, Uncle."
Unlike Kain—who, to make up for the phone time he couldn't use during the day while walking around with her, had taken to staring at the screen all night without sleeping—Arina went to bed before ten every night despite being on vacation.
I see.
So the difference in fatigue really did come down to proper sleep. The feeling that each day dragged on forever seemed to be the result of all those extra waking hours.
"So you should get some proper rest tonight too, Uncle. You're going to collapse from sleep deprivation at this rate."
For an Absolute, sleep wasn't a necessity—it was optional. In fact, the other Absolutes were known to never sleep at all. If he wanted, Kain could easily go the rest of his life without sleeping just like them. But Arina didn't know that. She glared at him with all the fierceness her young face could muster.
Cute.
To Kain, she looked no more threatening than a baby chick peeping angrily. It reminded him of his older sister scolding him as a child whenever he stayed up reading. She used to glare at him the exact same way, warning that he wouldn't grow tall if he didn't sleep at night. Of course, back then he'd only half-listened to her.
"It's fine. I'll have plenty of time to sleep tomorrow anyway."
And that was still true now. Kain had zero intention of listening to Arina's demands.
"You're not planning to sleep during the concert tomorrow, are you?"
Arina's eyes narrowed as if she'd read his mind.
"You can't use your phone there anyway. It's dark and loud, so you won't be able to read either."
Then what else was there to do but sleep? Arina let out a long, deep sigh at the ridiculous question Kain asked as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Other people would kill for those tickets.
If the people who had failed to get tickets heard him now, they would probably swallow their rage and cry tears of blood.
Once again, Kain looked fully prepared to stay up all night. Watching him, Arina's worry over her uncle's health only grew deeper.
Time flowed like water. Nearly two weeks had already passed since Kain and Arina arrived in Vivaldi Territory.
A long-term trip like this was something ordinary people found difficult to commit to for various reasons. Although Vivaldi was indeed a massive city, after staying nearly two weeks, a tourist could reasonably claim to have seen almost everything worth seeing.
In fact, Arina had already crossed off nearly every item on the checklist she'd prepared before the trip. All that remained was attending the Leni Orchestra concert and watching the upcoming parade.
"Haaaawn."
The taxi carrying Kain and Arina sped down the road, cutting through the heart of Vivaldi Territory. The once-unfamiliar, vibrantly colored buildings of the city now felt familiar as they whipped past the windows, almost dizzying to watch.
Kain yawned again, rubbing his eyes as he leaned back against the seat. The soft, enveloping cushion made him even sleepier.
Was it because this world was ruled by the System rather than gods? Something about it was definitely broken. If they were going to design it so Absolutes didn't need sleep, they should have done something about the yawning when bored. What was the point of eliminating the need for sleep if drowsiness still came?
Kain could overcome drowsiness easily if he felt like it, yet he didn't even try. Instead he simply blamed the world for being useless.
He turned his head toward the seat beside him. Unlike his own half-lidded, drowsy eyes, Arina's sparkled with pure anticipation. She couldn't tear her gaze away from the front of the car.
When does she plan on going home, exactly?
Honestly, he hadn't expected to stay two whole weeks. Traveling to a new place and gaining new experiences sounded nice in theory, but once you grew accustomed to a destination, the inconveniences inevitably started to show.
Humans instinctively seek familiarity. He'd thought that after a week she'd start complaining or dropping hints about returning home. That was when he'd planned to casually suggest they leave.
But Arina completely overturned his expectations. Every single day seemed new and special to her. Her eyes still shone with the same excitement as the day they arrived as she explored everywhere with boundless energy.
At this rate they were going to stay a full month. No—even that might not be enough.
Was she actually an E pretending to be an I?
He'd assumed she was an introvert because she was usually so calm. But watching her wander around outside like this, it seemed she'd just been acting like an I the whole time.
Thinking that, Kain turned back toward the window, resting his chin on his hand.
Click.
Right on cue, the sound of a camera shutter came from beside him. The noise had followed them nonstop throughout the entire trip and had become so familiar he barely noticed it anymore.
"It came out nicely."
The photo showed a man gazing at the splendid avenue outside the window with deep, melancholic eyes. In reality, it was just Kain half-asleep with his eyes open from boredom. But the picture captured none of that truth. Instead it sparked endless imagination about what kind of story this man might carry.
In short, it was an incredibly well-taken photo. It was hard to believe it had been shot on a smartphone without any editing.
Does she have talent for this too?
It definitely hadn't been this good at the start of the trip. Just how much had she improved in only two weeks? Her skill was now at the level where people might mistake her for a professional. At the very least, she was top-tier among amateurs.
She didn't even use social media, yet she had photography skills like this. What a waste of talent.
Well, as long as she's enjoying it.
She really seemed to love it. Watching Arina continue to snap photos of the scenery outside even after taking pictures of him, Kain let out a small chuckle.
The trip was still boring and tiring, but seeing her like this made him feel that at least he didn't regret bringing her. Yes. That was enough.
It was the reason he had endured all the hassle to bring Arina all the way here.
"We've arrived, sir."
While Kain and Arina each felt satisfied for their own separate reasons, the taxi that had been speeding along the road finally came to a stop.
They paid the fare and stepped out. The first thing that greeted them was a building so enormous it couldn't be taken in with a single glance. Shaped like a great bird spreading its wings wide, the pure white structure spread out grandly from a central pillar. It was artistic and unique in a way that perfectly suited the city of Vivaldi, while still radiating overwhelming majesty.
The Vivaldi Grand Concert Hall.
Mozart, Delhen, Hba, Benpen, Borzak, and many more. The undisputed greatest performance venue in the Elemental Kingdom, preserving the spirit of the nation's entire musical history from before the Romantic era onward.
Click.
Arina captured the building's beauty in a single photo, then slipped her phone into her pocket. Beaming, she grabbed Kain's hand.
"Let's go inside, Uncle."
They had left the hotel early, so there was still plenty of time before the performance. Even so, she seemed eager to explore the interior as quickly as possible. Kain let himself be pulled along by the impatient girl, chuckling softly.
"Alright, alright. Slow down a little."
Weaving through the crowd, the two of them stepped into the Vivaldi Grand Concert Hall.