Ch.102102. Unique Constitution

After the performance ended.

The people in charge of the next performance step forward in front of the fountain. I thought it would be another piano performance, but this time they seem to be performance artists, bringing out costumes and props.

They must have been a professional performance group, as many people efficiently began their preparations. Watching them, the boy who had just been playing the piano alone seemed rather modest in comparison.

Once the performance ended, the monsters had all disappeared. The boy wiped his sweat, hurriedly gathered his sheet music, and left the stage with a hunched back.

Due to the quick stage change, the boy exited without even receiving a brief applause.

I follow behind the boy as he leaves. I thought he might be heading home, but his destination was in front of a sculpture in a nearby park.

The boy sits in front of a sculpture where some artist had drawn piano keys on a rock, and begins to play again.

[You’re working hard.]

“……”

Even though no sound could be heard since it was just a drawing of a piano, the boy continues to press down on the stone keys with his fingers.

Despite being a pianist, his hands are blistered, scraped, and bleeding. Judging by the dark stains on the keyboard drawing, he must have practiced many times while bleeding.

He is indeed working hard, as the Dark Spiritmaster said.

But is it okay for a pianist to treat his fingers so roughly?

The Dark Spiritmaster’s expression darkens as well, and she approaches with concerned eyes.

[Hey, don’t push yourself too hard.]

Perhaps he was happy that another person who could see him had appeared.

For the first time, the Dark Spiritmaster initiates conversation with someone else.

“……”

But the boy simply continues to tap the drawn keys without any response.

[You’ll hurt your fingers that way.]

The Dark Spiritmaster worries again. But just like before, the boy doesn’t answer.

[Hmm?]

At this point, the Dark Spiritmaster senses something strange. Just to be sure, she waves her hand in front of the boy’s eyes.

But the boy continues to act the same way, as if he couldn’t see anything.

[He, he can’t see me?]

The Dark Spiritmaster is bewildered.

I too furrow my brow at this peculiarity and approach the boy.

When I saw him performing at the fountain earlier, he could clearly see the monsters around him.

But now he can’t see?

It could be limited to monsters, or there might be another reason.

I approached the boy.

“…!”

Upon noticing me, the boy was startled and tried to flee hastily, but I reached out and caught his wrist.

“L-let go! I told you I don’t have money to give you yet!”

The boy twisted his body, trying desperately to escape, but I sighed and replied.

“I don’t know who you’re mistaking me for, but I’m not here to collect money from you.”

“…Huh?”

Only then did the boy properly look at me, his eyes widening before he calmed down.

“I-I see. I apologize.”

The boy bowed his head politely in apology. His appearance, from his small suit, looked quite stylish—was this pianist in debt?

“I followed you because your performance was impressive.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Despite the compliment, the boy’s expression wasn’t particularly bright. He seemed unsatisfied with his own performance.

Having no intention of dragging this out, I asked directly.

“So. Why do monsters gather when you play?”

“H-how did you know?!”

The boy looked up at me with startled eyes. I looked down at him indifferently and answered.

“I am Deus Verdi, a spiritmaster. The only Black Mage recognized by the royal family.”

“Ah, aaah! You’re that famous person everyone’s talking about!”

The commotion that spread from Greyfond must have reached this city, as he already knew about me, which made my explanation easier.

“I can eliminate those monsters if you wish.”

“N-no, don’t!”

The startled boy frantically waved his hands. He seemed so frightened of the monsters earlier, yet now he doesn’t want them eliminated?

I became even more curious about this boy.

“Explain the situation to me.”

Faced with my forceful approach, the boy seemed at a loss for words, standing awkwardly and looking nervous.

But since learning I was a person of high status, the boy had no way to escape.

“First, my name is Owen Baltani. I used to live with my grandfather… but he has passed away now.”

“Hmm.”

“Actually, my grandfather was also a pianist. But… he was a rather unique pianist. Usually no one believes this, but…”

Owen glances at me cautiously.

As if having made up his mind, he clenches his fists and answers.

“Since you’ve seen those monsters yourself, I can tell you that my grandfather was a performer who helped release the grudges of the city’s monsters through his music.”

“…Release their grudges?”

[Ohhh?]

This was an unexpected statement.

But both the Dark Spiritmaster and I reacted with interest rather than disbelief.

“Yes, that’s right. When they heard my grandfather’s piano playing, the monsters would naturally feel satisfied and disappear.”

“……”

“But the problem came after my grandfather passed away. No matter how hard I try to release the monsters’ grudges…”

“It doesn’t work, you mean?”

“Exactly!”

So the monsters in the city increased, and the spirits frightened by these monsters approached people and caused harm.

The causal relationship was neatly completed.

This also explained why ghosts suddenly appeared at the well-run Leon Hotel.

It was quite an interesting situation, but wouldn’t it be better to eliminate them in this case?

“Y-you’re planning to forcibly kill them, aren’t you, Spiritmaster?”

“Yes, no matter how pitiful the monsters are, the living are suffering because of them.”

If they were human souls, it might be different. But I had no intention of concerning myself with entities that were closer to manifestations of ideas or beliefs.

Coldly speaking, to me they were similar to objects created by humans.

The only difference was that they possessed will. In modern terms, they were like robots with self-awareness, and I didn’t consider them human.

“But I don’t want that! I-I want to satisfy them with my performance and see them off properly.”

Seeing how monsters gathered for the piano, they clearly seemed to desire that too.

But Owen’s skill didn’t seem sufficient to make them disappear.

“But because of those monsters, other dead beings are trembling in fear and harming the living. That’s why I came to this city.”

“Ah…”

The boy sighs, with a surprised expression, as if he hadn’t known that far. Seeing this as an opportunity, I ask him about something that had been bothering me.

“You can see all the monsters, right?”

“Yes… that’s correct. I can see them all.”

“But you can’t see the dead?”

“……”

He can see monsters but not the souls of the dead?

I wondered if this was even possible. But the boy gave a rather unexpected answer.

“I-I can. I can see all dead people too.”

And yet, he couldn’t see the Dark Spiritmaster. Once again, the Dark Spiritmaster moved around in front of the boy, but he still showed no reaction.

The fidgeting boy, unable to withstand my scrutinizing gaze, adds more information.

“But… I can only see them when I’m playing the piano. Normally, I can’t see monsters or dead people at all.”

“Hmm?”

[Wow, that’s really unusual?]

It was truly a peculiar situation.

I asked him to play the piano again to see if such a thing was really possible, but…

“S-street performers can only perform at designated times and only certain people are allowed. If I want to play the piano again, it will have to be tomorrow at noon.”

So that’s why the next performers were lined up waiting for their turn.

“Then will you be performing at the fountain again tomorrow?”

“No. Tomorrow I’ll be performing at 1 PM on the rooftop of Purucheni, one of the city’s tourist attractions.”

“Hmm.”

He was certainly a unique boy.

He couldn’t see anything spiritual normally, but could only see during piano performances?

I thought it might not just be something special about the boy, but that his grandfather might have had a special power too.

The fact that monsters could be satisfied and disappear on their own was also intriguing.

“Very well, I’ll visit that place tomorrow.”

That’s why I intended to observe the boy a bit more.

* * *

The next day.

Since there was a restaurant on the first floor of the hotel where meals could be had, I ate a simple meal there.

The hostess was quite skilled at cooking, so it was a very satisfying mealtime.

I let Illuania rest, as she had driven the carriage all day yesterday and followed Findenai to the church.

I assigned the Dark Spiritmaster to stay with Owen just in case.

In the end, Findenai and I went out to the streets together.

What was somewhat unexpected was that Findenai was wearing neither her nun’s habit nor her maid uniform, but ordinary clothes.

After tying her hair in a ponytail, she wore a plain white shirt and black pants, but seeing Findenai like this felt so strange that my expression stiffened slightly.

“Where did you get those?”

“I thought I couldn’t wear the nun’s habit anymore, so I bought this on the way.”

Findenai places her hands on her hips. Looking at her like this, she appeared to be neither the leader of a resistance nor a maid trying to torment her master, but simply a mysterious beauty.

“What? Want me to wear the maid uniform? Do you miss seeing me in it?”

“Enough, just come along.”

“You never say anything nice.”

Grumbling, Findenai glances around casually. Then, with snake-like flexibility, she naturally links her arm with mine.

I felt such revulsion that goosebumps rose all over my body, and I immediately tried to pull my hand away, but it was already firmly caught in her grip.

“What are you doing?”

As I forcibly pulled back, Findenai answered with strangely emotional eyes.

“I was just curious what it feels like to walk like this.”

“……”

“Other people all get to try this once, but I’ve never done anything like this. I was just curious.”

Findenai quickly unlinked our arms and made a strange expression as she opened and closed the hand that had been entwined with mine.

“It’s an odd sensation.”

“……”

“Ah, I was just trying it out. I don’t get why people cling and suck and bite so desperately for this expensive thing.”

“Sigh.”

Remembering that she was a woman who had been running away to survive since childhood and fighting for freedom, I started to feel uncomfortable about having been so cold to her.

“I won’t do anything, but…”

So I said something uncharacteristic of me.

“I won’t object if you want to walk thinking that way.”

“Hmm?”

Findenai, not expecting such an answer, gapes before laughing playfully.

“Then can I call you Deus?”

“Don’t push it.”

An expression of disgust formed on my face, but Findenai answered as if she had a steel plate for a face.

“Tsk, maybe I should have called you ‘oppa’ instead.”

“Sigh.”

This won’t do.

“I need to use the restroom for a moment.”

I feel nauseous and need to throw up a little.