Chapter 257: Mutation!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 257: Mutation!
"Now this is interesting. 'Unexpected'... does that mean I actually have the honor of being known by a great virtuoso like yourself?"
Muen swirled his wine glass, speaking with a half-smile.
"N-no! I don't know you at all!"
the beautiful musician’s tone grew noticeably flustered.
"What I meant was... was... that I was just surprised to be suddenly called over by a noble young master like you!"
A noble young master?
Muen raised an eyebrow and glanced at Sean, giving him a questioning look.
Sean shook his head.
After all, when coming to a place like the Lower District, Muen obviously wouldn't wear the grand, solemn formal suit he used to meet His Majesty. Before coming here, he had already changed into ordinary plain clothes.
Right now, he looked like nothing more than an unremarkable, handsome blonde man. There were naturally no traces of nobility to be found on him.
In this world, having blonde hair and money didn't automatically make one a noble.
However, Muen didn't press the point. Perhaps she was just making a wild guess. He continued to smile leisurely.
"Is that so? I see. But you say you don't know me, Miss Musician... then why do I feel like you look so familiar?"
"Fa... familiar?"
"Exactly. Your height, your temperament, the way you speak, and..."
Muen looked up, his gaze sweeping over the beautiful musician once more. His eyes made a circuit before involuntarily landing upon... those towering peaks.
"You..."
Feeling Muen’s blatant stare, the musician immediately covered her chest, her voice sharp with indignation.
"You... you pervert!"
"Ahem..."
Muen gave a dry cough, looking embarrassed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. But you've got your face covered so tightly."
Heaven be his witness, what he’d meant to say wasn't that, but rather "the overall impression she gave off."
He wasn't some lecher obsessed with beauty; he wouldn't just stare at someone's chest for no reason. He understood the basic etiquette of conversation—looking at the other person's face or eyes.
But the problem was...
Her face was obscured so thoroughly by that magic that he couldn't exactly keep staring at a clump of impenetrable mist.
The human eye naturally gravitates toward points of interest.
And so, his gaze had naturally and uncontrollably fallen upon the most prominent feature.
It moved there on its own! It’s not like my eyes were blinded by those wicked breasts!
"In... in any case, you have the wrong person. I don't know you, and I'm certainly not an acquaintance."
The musician hugged her chest tightly, seemingly unaware that from Muen’s angle, the compression only made things look more provocative. She spoke with forced ferocity.
"If you called me over just to tease me, then please excuse me. I won't stay a moment longer. The money you had the waiter bring over... I'll return every single cent to you!"
"Is that so?"
Muen sighed upon hearing this, not being overly obsessed with seeing the "beauty's" true face.
Regardless, forcing a young girl to show her face would be far too rude; he had simply been curious.
...Perhaps he really had just mistaken her for someone else.
After all, while she was similar in many ways, the person in his mind should still be at Saint Maria Academy right now. Whether it was her identity, her location, or her motives, nothing linked her to this beautiful musician playing in a restaurant late at night.
As for the Holy Light... that bit of Holy Light proved nothing. The Goddess had countless believers in this world, and many could use Holy Light. Besides, if he pulled Elizabeth out for a quick flash, it would be far more intense than what he’d just seen.
"I apologize for my rudeness just now, beautiful Miss Musician."
Muen set down his wine glass and placed a hand over his heart in a formal bow.
"There’s no need to return the money. Please believe me, I didn't call you here to tease you. I truly have a serious request."
"A... serious request?"
The musician blinked. "What is it?"
"My friend here is very fond of your music."
Muen pointed to the side.
"Today is the anniversary of his late wife's passing, so I was hoping you could play a piece specifically for him."
"Please... please, I beg you, play one more!"
Hearing Muen’s words, Sean froze for a moment before standing up with agitation, his voice filled with entreaty.
"It’s been ten years. I thought I’d forgotten her face, but your music... it let me see her clearly again. Please play it once more. I haven't seen enough. I still want to... I still want to..."
"This..."
Looking at Sean, who now had hot tears streaming from the corners of his eyes—emotions that were clearly genuine—the musician’s large eyes behind the mist couldn't help but blink.
She stole a glance at Muen, doubt rising in her heart.
This guy... did he really just want me to play for his friend?
He didn't discover something and want to expose me? He wasn't trying to hit on me?
Was I overthinking it?
"What? Are you unwilling?"
Muen looked at her with a smile. Unlike before, his clear blue eyes were devoid of any impurity.
"Well... alright then."
Sean’s sincere grief made it impossible for her to stand by and do nothing. The musician raised her violin again and said softly, "If it’s just playing a song, I can do that."
"Thank you."
Muen and Sean thanked her simultaneously, then straightened their backs to listen intently.
And so, the music rose again.
The melodious tune was like a divine voice from the heavens, seemingly capable of soothing all inner scars.
"Olia... Olia..."
Sean once again fell into the memory of his late wife.
As for Muen, perhaps due to his long-term contact with Elizabeth, he wasn't affected again by the faint Holy Light that seemed to drift out automatically, beyond the girl's control.
He rested his chin on his hand, quietly watching the performer immersed in her music.
Perhaps influenced by Sean’s sincere longing, she was clearly putting her emotions into the performance now, no longer just mechanically moving the bow.
Thus, even setting aside the Holy Light, Muen could clearly feel the music... coming to life.
The living melody displayed a power completely different from before, and even Muen found himself unconsciously entranced.
In a daze, it was as if a pure Saintess had appeared before him.
The Saintess possessed a hazy beauty, opening her wide, warm embrace toward Muen, guiding him to draw closer, closer, and...
BANG!
Suddenly, a loud crash erupted.
The music was cut short.
The vision before him vanished, and his sight returned to the dimly lit restaurant.
Sean opened his eyes blankly, seemingly not yet back to his senses, while the musician’s delicate body shivered, clearly startled.
Muen frowned, looking displeased toward the source of the noise.
"Why... why her?"
At a nearby table, a man suddenly slammed his hand down and stood up, shouting angrily.
"Why can she play a private set for them, but... but not for me?"
As he spoke, he stumbled toward Muen’s table.
His face was flushed, his steps unsteady.
This was...
A drunkard?
"Sir... please, don't do this."
The waiter who had received a large tip from Muen earlier rushed over, trying to stop the drunken man.
But the scrawny waiter clearly couldn't hold the man back; he was dragged along as the man lurched toward Muen.
Only when he was very close did the man shove the waiter aside. He pointed a finger at Muen, his expression fierce.
"Tell me... why? Is it... is it just because you’re a pretty boy? Because you’re good-looking?"
The thick stench of alcohol made Muen even more annoyed.
He was just about to push this drunken fool—who was clearly just an ordinary person—away. But perhaps due to the alcohol, before Muen could even move, the swaying man tripped over thin air and fell toward him.
Muen instinctively reached out to catch him.
But right then.
The hand the man had pointed at Muen suddenly, without any warning, began to swell violently.
Hideous muscles stacked upon each other like coiled dragons, instantly shredding his sleeve.
The skin on that arm shimmered with a metallic luster. As his five fingers curled slightly, dagger-like claws snapped out!
This was... Beastification?
Muen’s pupils shrank.
There was no fighting spirit.
There was no mana.
There wasn't even any killing intent.
It was purely a physical transformation.
Because of this, it was only when those dagger-like claws were nearly touching Muen’s chest that his long-trusted Death Warning finally, belatedly, began to scream!