Tugwi's Unexpected Appearance
Unlike the exterior painted entirely pure white, the interior of the Vivaldi Grand Concert Hall was the very pinnacle of extravagance. The whole space was adorned in gold, glittering beneath the fluorescent lights and dazzling every onlooker like brilliant sunlight pouring down.
"It's this glamorous now, but I'm told it used to be a rather plain wooden building in the past."
The old Vivaldi hadn't been such a uniquely artistic city. It was the end result of artists gathering one by one, each refusing to conform and instead endlessly expressing their own individuality. This city of Vivaldi was the perfect example of the saying that too many captains sink the ship. If that distinctive chaos hadn't been packaged as "artistic character," the city would never have become famous—the same impression Kain had felt the first time he set foot in it.
And so the Grand Concert Hall, which had stubbornly clung to simplicity amid all that splendor, had ultimately failed to resist the current of the times and been reborn as this lavish structure.
Jealousy let out a deep internal sigh as he half-listened to Karlsen's rambling. The professor was reading from a pamphlet about the history of the Vivaldi Grand Concert Hall placed near the entrance.
So it really came to this.
And of all people, stuck with this bastard. He still couldn't understand why he'd ended up coming all the way here with him to listen to some boring classical music.
Lament and regret gnawed endlessly at his heart. Yet Jealousy kept his expression perfectly composed, flashing a bright, gentle smile.
"A performance in a place like this. How impressive."
"It really is~ I'm so excited~"
Though the concert was still some time away, crowds had already gathered, buzzing with anticipation for the upcoming orchestra performance. Within that throng, the presence of an extremely gloomy man and a stunning beauty with a voluptuous figure stood out far more than expected.
"I just hope he doesn't slip up from nerves."
He could say with certainty that Professor Vivaldi wouldn't make any mistakes. It wasn't for ordinary reasons like his perfectionist personality or not wanting to inconvenience the Leni Orchestra. No—if he messed up, he'd become Karlsen's lifelong punching bag the moment they returned to the academy. The man beside him had zero tact and loved digging into other people's wounds under the guise of "just joking around."
Having spent the first semester together, Professor Vivaldi surely understood Karlsen's personality by now and would pour every ounce of his strength into delivering a flawless performance.
"Hm? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh~ It's nothing at all~"
A few days earlier, after discovering that Karlsen was more useful than expected, Jealousy had grown curious about the man's past. But when he called Pride to ask for information, the response had been absurd.
"I'm busy right now. I don't have time to waste on such trivial matters."
The call had ended abruptly. The irritation radiating from the other end left Jealousy no room to voice his own annoyance.
This bastard definitely knows something.
It concerned matters surrounding the Master. If Pride had sensed even the slightest hint of suspicion, he never would have brushed the matter aside like that. Having lived in the underworld long before the Master rose to power, Pride likely knew something about Professor Karlsen. Or perhaps he'd simply decided the information was unnecessary and shut it down outright.
In that case, Jealousy saw no need to go through the hassle of investigating personally. He had zero interest in passionately digging into this guy's background anyway.
Still, it feels like he's hiding something from me.
One more thing—Jealousy had caught a subtle emotion woven into Pride's words. A suspicious undertone, as if the man really was concealing something. It almost felt like he'd been in a hurry to hang up.
Of course, it was only Jealousy's intuition. Pride had impeccable emotional control; he wouldn't let anything slip so obviously. Maybe Jealousy was simply imagining it because he disliked the tone of that single sentence.
But why do I feel so uneasy?
It was as if some annoying problem was already right in front of him. Jealousy shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel the ominous thoughts.
Karlsen turned to him with his usual gloomy smile.
"I just received a message. They're in the middle of rehearsal, so it seems we won't be able to meet before the performance. We'll probably have to see Professor Vivaldi separately afterward."
"Is that so~"
"Yes. If we're lucky, we might even get to meet the famous Leni Faure in person."
Don't pretend you already knew. I saw you searching who Leni Faure was on your smartphone earlier.
To think I'll be trapped here even after the concert ends.
Did he really need to see the man's face? He just wanted to go home.
Thinking this, Jealousy glanced sideways. Was it coincidence? Or the manifestation of unconscious instinct?
At that exact moment, two familiar figures entered through the entrance of the Vivaldi Grand Concert Hall. The young lady's delicate, small hand gripped the Master, dragging him along helplessly.
The sight sparked an emergency idea in Jealousy's mind.
Should I drag the young lady and the Master along too?
They might get to meet Leni Faure. The young lady would obviously love it, and while the Master would hate it just as much as he did, he'd have no choice but to go along if she wanted it.
It would be annoying, but there might be some entertainment in watching the Master look utterly disgusted.
With that thought, Jealousy lifted his heels slightly, preparing to walk toward them—
"......"
He met the Master's eyes. The man was already looking in his direction, as if he'd known about his presence all along.
The Master had always been eerily perceptive about these things. Had he sensed the ominous presence?
The Master stared into Jealousy's eyes and spoke without words.
Don't.
Yes, understood.
His attempt to mess with the Master had failed in an instant. Jealousy's shoulders slumped.
"Why did you suddenly lose all your energy?"
"It's nothing~"
While receiving Karlsen's concerned words, he could only swallow his disappointment.
Audience seating began thirty minutes before the performance. The stage stood completely empty, not a single person in sight. Chairs and sheet music had been arranged beforehand according to the performers' seating chart. The murmurs of the entering audience echoed endlessly through the hall, unable to escape, bouncing off walls and ceiling like reverberating waves.
"What a shame."
Photography was prohibited inside the concert hall. Arina looked disappointed as she took out her smartphone and switched it to silent mode.
Center seats, huh.
That Pride fellow had picked quite good seats. Well, it wasn't a musical or a play. Since they'd only be listening to music anyway, what difference did side or center make? Still, the better the view the better. And seeing how perfectly the stage was visible from here, Arina looked even happier.
Now I can finally sleep.
Leaving the delighted Arina alone, Kain adjusted his posture. He settled his hips into the most comfortable position possible, rested his right elbow on the armrest, leaned at an angle, and propped his chin on his hand. He shifted once more to double-check how comfortable it was.
The total runtime of this Leni Orchestra concert, including the intermission, was roughly three hours. It was considerably longer than a typical orchestra performance. The program made it clear that the Leni concert had been prepared with serious determination—which, for Kain, simply meant three hours of guaranteed sleep.
"......"
Kain glanced sideways. Arina, completely oblivious to the suspicious movements beside her, kept her sparkling eyes fixed solely on the stage. Fortunately, those bright eyes suggested she wouldn't pay him any attention during the performance.
"Tsk."
Even so, Kain clicked his tongue with clear displeasure. Looked like sleeping was off the table after all.
"......"
Someone approached Kain's seat. Amid the murmurs created by countless people, the sound of footsteps reached his ears with unnatural clarity. The newcomer had made no attempt whatsoever to conceal their presence from him.
Eventually the footsteps stopped at the seat beside Kain, and the person sat down naturally. Kain didn't even turn his head, only shifting his eyes to identify the newcomer.
Black hair cut short in a two-block style. The man appeared roughly a head shorter than Kain. The loose-fitting clothes that hid his skinny frame looked more like attire from the Fan Empire than the Ellemental Kingdom.
"It's been a while, Death King."
Three seconds in real time. An eternity of silence. The man who had approached Kain was the one to break it first.
The words were spoken in the common language of the Fan Empire. But Kain, who had mastered every dialect, every country's language, and even ancient tongues, had no trouble understanding.
"......"
Even so, Kain blatantly ignored him. There was no need to waste breath on pointless questions like why the man was in this country.
He was, like Kain, one of the five Absolute Beings existing in this world. Here one moment, gone the next. A wanderer who could appear or disappear anywhere on the continent if he wished—the strongest of them all.
No matter how thorough this kingdom's defenses, unless the Magic Sovereign himself intervened, no one could stop this man's steps. Not a single soul. Not even the underworld that lurked in this nation's shadows.
No need to ask how he got a ticket, either.
The faint smell of blood clinging to his body answered that question plainly. Reservations had clearly not been necessary.
"Why are you here?"
Therefore the question that needed asking wasn't about the method, but the reason. Just why had this madman come here in person?
"Hearing you say that confirms it. You really are the Death King."
And this, too. The man smirked and looked around. The space between them had been isolated the instant he sat down. This was a higher application of the Inner World technique Professor Karlsen had shown a few days ago—a Simple Sub-Dimension created with such subtle mana control that even Arina sitting right beside them hadn't noticed.
"Are you that afraid? Of me going on a rampage here?"
He tapped the isolated space with his mana. Despite the light gesture, the effect was anything but. Heavy ripples spread through the mana with every movement. When Kain frowned, the man laughed as if even that was amusing and leaned back deeply into his seat.
"When I heard the rumors I couldn't believe them, but it's actually true. The Death King himself, playing nanny. Even seeing it with my own eyes, I still can't believe it."
"Shut up and tell me why you're here. Don't make me ask twice."
Who he'd heard it from and how he'd realized Kain was the Death King—asking those questions would be equally pointless. The answer was obvious.
He's openly admitting it.
That he'd joined hands with the Undying King or whatever his name was. Just as Kain had tied the church and the Immortal together by pretending ignorance, this man was openly acknowledging their alliance. As if there was no point hiding anything when both sides already knew everything.
Yes, he had always been that kind of man. Rather than scheming from the shadows, he would appear openly, pick a fight, and kill his opponent. A monster who brought storms wherever he went, staining every path he walked with blood. That was why the world called him the battle-crazed ghost "Tugwi."
"Don't growl like that. It's too obvious you're scared."
The appointed time arrived. Conductor Leni and the performers slowly ascended the stage. Applause rang out in response. But all that noise was completely cut off from the two isolated men; nothing reached them. Only a heavy, terrible silence existed, born from the slowly rising presences of the two.
"Relax. At least for today, I have no intention of fighting."
Spouting words no one would believe, the man—Tugwi—grinned.