episode_0020

Time flows,

The time of the decisive battle has come.

-Click.

Entering the lecture hall of the Magic Tower,

The stage was still empty.

‘Merina doesn’t seem to be here yet.’

The lecture hall wasn’t empty just because Merina hadn’t arrived.

-Murmur, murmur.

To see our confrontation,

Numerous personnel from within the Magic Tower had gathered.

“How long has it been since such an event.”

“An elf’s song! To live long enough to see something like this.”

“I heard that Lady Serena also plays music?”

“It seems there have been research achievements.”

The moment the lecture hall began to fill with murmuring voices,

-Click.

The door of the lecture hall opened, and a little kid with green hair and long ears entered.

The identity of the character was undoubtedly Merina.

She stepped into the lecture hall lightly, looked around, and then turned her head away.

“Hmph.”

A conceited snort was a bonus.

Perhaps she was displeased by the large number of humans, as a subtle annoyance was evident on her face.

I subtly approached her and spoke.

“Merina. Are you well prepared?”

“Ha! I feel like I should be asking that question?”

-We elves are always prepared.

As always, a confident attitude.

I continued to speak, not caring.

“So, what music are you thinking of playing?”

“Would you know even if I told you?”

‘This tiny little thing.’

I was getting increasingly tempted to flick her forehead because she kept being so curt,

But I endured it with superhuman patience.

‘I, as an adult, should be patient.’

“I’m just curious about what kind of feeling the music will convey.”

“Hmph. Well, it’s not like I can’t tell you.”

With her hands confidently on her hips, she said in a boastful voice.

“The song I will sing is, . It’s a song that has the power to make you feel spring just by listening to it.”

” called .”

This is quite something.

It was a bizarre coincidence.

“That’s good. I was also planning to play music related to spring.”

At my words, Merina said in a genuinely regretful voice.

“Oh dear, that’s too bad.”

“Why?”

“Because, if it’s music with a similar theme to mine. I’ll definitely be overwhelming.”

It was a statement that sounded arrogant,

But it also conveyed that much confidence.

Of course, I had no intention of backing down from this level of psychological warfare.

“Really? That’s interesting.”

“What’s interesting about that?”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“Huh?”

I stood in front of Merina and said, looking her straight in the eye.

“If it’s a similar theme, I’ll definitely win.”

-Clench!

My provocation worked,

I could even hear the sound of her teeth grinding together.

After glaring at me silently for a while, she spat out as if chewing.

“…Hmph. Just you wait.”

With those words, she turned away from me and walked away.

-Flinch.

Just in time, my teacher, who had agreed to host the event, also entered.

-Step, step.

My teacher’s expression looked quite complicated.

Honestly, I had a guilty conscience, so I remained still.

My teacher let out a deep sigh and immediately called us.

“Haa… Merina, Serena. This isn’t exactly a duel or a match, right?”

“Yes.”

“Of course.”

‘Actually, it’s a match with the prestige of humans at stake.’

I had explained it to my teacher as just a friendly recital,

But she must have roughly guessed what was going on, as she sighed repeatedly.

-Haa…

“Really, why do I have to oversee everything like this.”

Listening to my teacher’s words, I suddenly,

Remembered the duel with the princess 4 years ago.

‘She refereed back then too.’

Thinking that, I suddenly felt sorry.

‘I should treat her better in the future.’

I should send her specialty products from our territory.

In a somewhat tired voice, my teacher asked us.

“So, have you decided who will perform first?”

Before I could answer, Merina stepped forward.

“Me. I’ll go first.”

“Hmm. Serena, do you agree?”

I could roughly guess Merina’s inner thoughts.

‘I’ll impress everyone with my beautiful singing voice and make them not even interested in your performance!’

-She was probably thinking something like that.

As expected, my prediction was correct, as Merina was looking at me with a triumphant expression.

‘Do as you please.’

I was also confident, so I said to my teacher.

“Yes. I don’t mind.”

“Good. Then Merina, start performing.”

“Yes~.”

Merina walked to the center of the lecture hall.

-Pitter-patter.

Many people looked at her with expectant eyes.

“Ooh, finally an elf’s song…!”

“She’s really cute. As expected of the race of beauty.”

“I wonder what kind of song she’ll sing?”

People murmuring here and there.

Merina, who had looked around at all of them with calm eyes, finally opened her mouth and began to sing.

-♩♪♬

As she sang with a unique elven timbre,

A charm that made listeners fall into it was unleashed.

“Ooh….”

“How can such a beautiful voice exist….”

Exclamations erupted here and there at the warm melody and cozy voice.

I was also honestly a little surprised.

‘She’s really singing with just her voice, without any instruments?’

I felt like I understood a little bit why she said she didn’t need instruments.

‘If her voice is like this, she certainly wouldn’t need to create instruments.’

There was a charm that made me unknowingly fall into the song.

How much time had passed like that.

-♩♪♬…

Merina, who had finished singing until the last verse, closed her mouth.

At the same time, cheers erupted from everywhere.

“Really, it was the best song of my life!”

” called , it’s really a fitting title.”

“Ah, God. I’m glad I’m alive.”

“The best! Merina-chan!!”

It seemed like there was a strange guy mixed in there, but most of them showed reactions that were greatly impressed by the song.

In the midst of the people’s cheers, Merina looked at me.

Her face seemed to be saying this.

‘Do you now realize who you challenged?’

With a triumphant expression and arms crossed, she seemed to be convinced of her victory already.

Well, if it were a normal person, they would definitely think that a more beautiful performance than this couldn’t exist.

Of course, I am not a ‘normal person’.

I walked to the center of the lecture hall where Merina had been standing until just now.

-Step, step.

And-.

-Whirr.

I manifested a piano along with violins, cellos, violas, and a contrabass.

As many instruments appeared in the air,

People began to stir.

“Hoo… to this extent already.”

“Wasn’t it definitely only the piano that was possible before?”

“The future of the empire is bright.”

“If he had researched other magic more deeply with that talent.”

I calmly sat in front of the piano and began to concentrate.

‘It’s my first time handling so many instruments in a real battle.’

But it’s something I had to do someday anyway.

I calmly began to play.

A concerto that probably has the most familiar title on Earth.

* * *

In this match, of course, Merina had no confidence.

No confidence in losing.

‘Human music can’t be that great.’

The music Serena prepared was probably a hymn from the church?

‘Well, she said it was music related to spring, so maybe it’s not a hymn.’

But as far as she knew, human music was not very developed.

‘It’s just pathetic.’

Music is the flower of culture.

For elves, music was also something special.

It was used to express emotions,

To describe the weather,

And to sing about the beauty of music itself.

Elves’ lives and music were inseparable, so their pride was considerable.

Therefore, Serena’s statement that human music was superior to elven music was, to be honest, the same as touching Merina’s reverse scale.

‘How dare a human.’

Honestly, Merina didn’t dislike Serena that much.

To be precise, she couldn’t dislike her.

The reason was that,

If you take away the fact that she was human, Serena was a truly perfect being.

More beautiful than an elf,

She smelled better than an elf,

And she showed even more outstanding talent than an elf.

‘If only she wasn’t human.’

We could have been good friends.

Maybe I would have kept calling her older sister.

But for Merina, who already had a deep-rooted hatred of humans,

It was difficult to completely open her heart to Serena, who was human.

-Whirr.

As Serena manifested numerous instruments,

Merina snorted inwardly.

‘Hmph. She’s still relying on instruments.’

-As expected, inferior.

From the perspective of her, an elf with the best instrument called voice,

Serena’s appearance of trying to make up for her inferior parts by summoning and playing numerous instruments was only seen as trying to make up for her inferior parts.

‘Instruments are tools to build up sounds of different forms?’

What a joke.

Instruments are tools developed by imperfect humans to hide their inferiority.

‘Everyone else is already completely immersed in my song.’

In fact, the audience was still unable to escape from the lingering impression of Merina’s song.

“What do you think Serena’s performance will be like?”

“Of course, Serena will do well because it’s Serena, but still….”

“The opponent was bad. An elf’s song.”

“Well, let’s listen carefully anyway. After all, she’s practically the daughter of our Violet Magic Tower.”

‘It’s already a finished match.’

Merina, who was once again convinced of her victory from the audience’s reaction, looked at Serena with the smile of a victor.

However,

There was not a single tremor in Serena’s eyes.

Merina didn’t like that at all.

‘Tch. Pretending to be relaxed.’

And at that moment, Serena began to play.

-♩♪♬.

‘…Huh?’

Merina realized that something was wrong.