Ch.102Highlight (4)

While Marie was grumbling with her face buried in her hands, the Lirus Orchestra was just about to finish their preparations.

The neatly dressed orchestra members climbed onto the stage one by one to get ready, and the audience area gradually filled with people, creating a sea of humanity.

Soon after, not only the VIP seats exclusively reserved for nobles but also the temporary viewing areas created below them began to fill with tourists.

Children who came with their parents, elderly couples, adventurers, and even other races.

People of all ages, genders, and races gathered to watch the performance. Were these people fans of the Biography of Xenon, or had they come to see the Lirus Orchestra’s performance?

Perhaps both. For me, it was incredibly gratifying.

Moreover, the crowd that gathered was much larger than I had anticipated, making the decision to designate the plains itself as the stage a good move.

If it had been a building instead of the plains, some people would have missed the performance, but from what I could see now, there was no such concern.

‘To think this is really a fan art concept performance…’

Although one would normally have to pay an enormous price to hear the Lirus Orchestra perform, as I mentioned before, they and other artists had declared in advance that they would accept sponsorships.

Not only that, but they also earned a lot of goodwill by announcing that all sponsorships received from the exhibition would be donated for the development of the cultural sector, showing a truly magnanimous attitude.

‘For those people, honor is probably more important than money.’

I had seen it in my previous life. When people become economically affluent, they naturally crave honor more.

Since they composed this performance as a fan art concept anyway, donating the sponsorship money to the cultural sector would bring them greater honor, so it’s a good choice.

“Should I just go wearing this? If I had known, I would have brought other clothes… No. This idiot probably didn’t even think about it.”

What is she saying?

I glanced at Marie, who was still grumbling. She was covering her face with her hands, perhaps trying to cool down her flushed cheeks.

Naturally, I couldn’t help but wonder about this. I wondered if there was some other meaning in what I had said earlier.

But no matter how much I searched through the etiquette I had learned at home, I hadn’t said anything that could cause misunderstanding. All I had suggested was having a cup of coffee in the bedroom and chatting a bit.

‘I’ll find out when the festival is over.’

Let’s focus on the performance now. If I let my mind wander elsewhere, I might not be able to concentrate.

While I was thinking for a moment, the performance preparations seemed to be almost complete, with all the performers seated in their places. I carefully examined the Lirus Orchestra, which would soon deliver beautiful melodies.

Indeed, proving they were the best in the world, their scale was not at all inferior compared to the orchestras I had seen in my previous life. They were incomparable to the band that had come for the freshman event.

And as I felt during the freshman event, places where people live are all similar, and the instruments were very similar to those I had often seen in my previous life.

For example, string instruments like violins, wind instruments like flutes, and finally percussion instruments. There were many similarities compared to my previous life.

Boom!

While I was looking at each instrument one by one, a performer positioned at the back of the stage struck a drum forcefully with a stick. Despite the stage being open on all sides due to its nature, a thunderous resonance shook the entire stage.

As the thunder-like sound enveloped the stage, the bustling audience instantly fell silent. All that remained was the lingering resonance of the drum.

Even Marie, who had been muttering to herself beside me, raised her head abruptly. I marveled at how a single drum could produce such a thunderous sound as I looked ahead.

As the surroundings suddenly quieted down, a man standing in the center of the stage turned around to face the audience. It was Lirus, the conductor who had just been announcing in a resonant voice.

Holding a baton in one hand, he looked around at the audience, cleared his throat, and shouted loudly.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I am Lirus, composer and conductor of the Lirus Orchestra! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Lirus shouted in a resonant voice, enunciating each word clearly, just as he had done earlier. His voice spread throughout the stage, perhaps amplified by mana.

In response to his courteous greeting, I and all the spectators welcomed Lirus with thunderous applause.

As the applause gradually subsided, Lirus opened his mouth with a bright expression.

“I consider it an honor to be able to perform for you all. As you all know, the performance I’m about to show you was composed with inspiration from the Biography of Xenon. Some of you might be here just to see my performance, but I believe most of you are here because you love the Biography of Xenon.”

As his lengthy explanation continued, I listened quietly, wondering if this was always done before performances, and glanced to either side.

Marie, who seemed to have calmed down, was now focusing on the performance, and so was Cecilly. Since Marie would know more about the Lirus Orchestra than Cecilly, who had only lived in Helium, I casually asked her.

“Marie.”

“Uh, yes?”

When I called her, Marie jumped in surprise and looked at me. I faced her and asked about what I was curious about.

“Do they always explain like this before performing? I’ve never seen a performance before.”

“Ah, no. Usually, they just start the performance right away.”

“Really?”

“Um… Issac?”

“Yes?”

“Can I… hold your hand?”

She asked me in a timid voice. I looked at Marie, whose face had turned as red as a ripe persimmon from embarrassment, and held her hand.

It’s not a big deal, just holding hands. Marie smiled sweetly when I held her hand and squeezed it.

I have a feeling she’ll be holding my hand throughout the performance. I don’t mind, since I like it.

“The name of the piece I’ll be showing you is ‘Life (人生)’. I believe you’ll understand what scene inspired me to compose this and why I gave it such a name.”

“Life…”

Cecilly, sitting on my right, murmured softly. She seemed completely absorbed in Lirus’s explanation.

Previously, Lirus had mentioned that he was inspired by Sackran’s final moments. So the piece he was about to show would reveal Sackran’s life, and the life of the demon race.

I expect it will generally have a dark atmosphere. It might be unfair to the demon race, but darkness suits them well.

“Finally, before we begin the performance, there’s one thing I’d like to let you all know. The Lirus Orchestra’s performance will merely be a taste of what’s to come. The real performance will be shown later with the Matrix Troupe.”

“Huh?”

“What does that mean?”

Just as I was anticipating what the atmosphere of the performance would be like, Lirus made a statement that was enough to confuse the audience. This caused the audience to stir.

I was equally surprised. The scale of the orchestra visible now was already impressive, yet this was just a taste. How amazing would the collaboration with the Matrix Troupe be?

As the audience stirred, Lirus continued with a gentle smile, as if he had fully anticipated this reaction.

“Ah. Of course, when I say it’s just a taste, that doesn’t mean the performance time will be short. We’ll show you everything we have to show. Hahaha.”

“…”

“Now, let’s begin the performance. I hope you all enjoy it with a pleasant heart.”

After the lengthy explanation, there were finally signs that the performance was about to begin. I held Marie’s hand tightly, focused my eyes, and opened my ears.

In this world, without magic, there’s no recording function, so hearing this would be a one-time…

Snap!

Suddenly, there was a sound of fingers snapping from Cecilly’s direction. I looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Cecilly seemed to know I would look and smiled at me. Then she explained what she had done.

“It’s a recording magic. I can listen to any music I want, anytime, anywhere. However, since it records based on what I hear, only I can listen to it.”

“…”

As expected of a cheat race along with elves. I chuckled and looked toward the stage.

Lirus was politely bowing again as his explanation ended. Thunderous applause followed, and Lirus turned around to face his orchestra.

As I entered viewing mode, the applause gradually subsided, and soon a serene silence settled. The lighting that had illuminated the audience through special devices also went out, plunging everything into pitch darkness.

Light only illuminated the orchestra on stage. My expectations swelled, and I squeezed Marie’s hand more firmly.

And then…

Woong-

Led by the cello’s heavy and dark melody, the performance of ‘Life’ began.

As he had said, expressing the life of the demon race, it was a solemn, dark piece centered around string instruments. The drum sounds that resonated intermittently struck the heartstrings and even evoked a sense of pathos.

This somber piece continued for about 10 minutes, but at some point, it changed to a melody that felt urgent. If the beginning part revealed the dark origin of the demon race, this urgency might express the inner struggle they face throughout their lives.

The moment they let their guard down, they are consumed by desire and become the demons they so desperately reject. Even if they suppress it through restraint, the fact remains that they must fight their inner demon every day.

Like the beastmen whose very existence is a struggle, the demon race is born with a destiny to fight against themselves for their entire lives.

‘I need, need a recording…’

The more I listened to the piece, the stronger my urge to record it grew. It’s partly because the piece perfectly matches my taste, but mostly because it was composed with inspiration from the Biography of Xenon.

In my previous life, I used to save BGMs or OSTs I liked on my phone, and I wanted to do the same with the Lirus Orchestra’s performance. But it’s truly regrettable that I can’t.

In the end, there were only two options: to remember it so as not to forget, or to invite the Lirus Orchestra to our territory again.

Given the limitations of my memory, which often forgets things without records, the former is almost impossible, leaving essentially only the latter.

‘I wish they would compose other pieces too…’

While I was thinking about irrelevant things, the performance entered its climax. The urgent music gradually faded and returned to the melancholic atmosphere centered around string instruments, like at the beginning.

Although it seemed no different from the beginning, I thought this was more fitting.

The demon race is closest to darkness, but paradoxically, they crave light and are more human than anyone. However, their lives contain tragedies beyond measure.

And just as they are born with a tragic fate, most meet an unfortunate end. Sadly, that’s reality, and it’s probably why the overall atmosphere of the piece is gloomy.

If it had been about another race, especially humans, rather than the demon race, it might not have been expressible through music. And if it hadn’t been the Lirus Orchestra, they might not have even thought of composing about the life of the demon race.

‘I wonder what Cecilly is thinking?’

As a human, I’m just appreciating it, but for Cecilly, who is a demon, this piece would be more deeply moving. So I turned my head to check her expression.

“…Sniff.”

“…”

“Sniff… Hic…”

Her crimson eyes were filled with moisture, and that moisture flowed down her cheeks, leaving tracks. She kept wiping them with her hands, but the tears didn’t stop and continued to fall drop by drop.

I blankly watched her. Cecilly was crying.

It was a side of her I had never seen before, completely different from her usual playful self.

Fortunately, she wasn’t wearing much makeup, so her appearance didn’t become unsightly, but it was still enough to shock me.

‘What… what’s going on…’

Thinking “surely not,” I turned to Marie, but she too was sobbing while watching the performance, though not shedding tears like Cecilly. Looking around quickly, I saw that everyone else had either moist eyes or was sniffling.

It meant that only I was calmly appreciating the performance. I was utterly confused about whether it was the medieval era’s sensitivity or if I was the only one with a dried-up sensibility.

‘The piece is definitely good… but is it something to cry over?’

It’s probably mostly due to the influence of my previous life. After pondering how to react, I just entered appreciation mode.

Forcing tears here would seem even stranger.

Screech…

After some time had passed, the performance ended with a soaring violin note.

As the term “taste” suggested, it seemed deliberately cut off, as if there was definitely something more. The reason was not just the music but also the presence of a “choir” beside the orchestra.

The choir had been sitting quietly without uttering a word from the beginning to the end of the performance. The Lirus Orchestra wouldn’t have seated them for no reason; there must be a purpose.

Clap clap clap clap clap!!

But that thought was brief, as the lighting brightened and thunderous applause erupted, indicating that the performance was over. It was such tremendous applause that it startled me for a moment.

Marie didn’t clap as she was holding my hand, but she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, while Cecilly roughly wiped her flowing tears and clapped enthusiastically.

I stared at Cecilly’s profile, which was beginning to show tear tracks, and rummaged through my pocket to pull out a handkerchief. Of course, it was a new handkerchief, not the one I had given to Adelia.

“Noona. Here.”

“Sniff… Huh?”

When I called her, Cecilly turned her head toward me. Her red eyes, moistened by tears and now more intensely crimson, looked directly at me.

I silently handed her the handkerchief. Marie was also wiping away tears, but Cecilly’s were flowing freely, so she seemed to need it more.

“Ah… th-thank you…”

When I showed her the handkerchief, Cecilly blushed as if embarrassed. She took the handkerchief from my hand and began wiping her tears.

There were still marks left from the many tears she had shed, but they seemed like they would disappear soon.

“You seem to have been deeply moved.”

“Well, since I’m a demon… the dark atmosphere and everything, it was such a sad performance. Sniff.”

I never imagined Cecilly would have this side to her. I looked at her with a fresh perspective as she answered with a sobbing voice.

People are indeed unpredictable. Both Adelia and Cecilly, who seemed far from tears, actually cried more.

“What about Issac? How did you find it?”

“Just… it was a good piece. I wish I could remember it forever…”

Boom!!

Before I could finish my answer, a huge vibration resonated from the front. It was a massive vibration that seemed to shake not just the audience seats but the entire plains.

The applause that had filled the stage instantly subsided with the vibration, and not just me but everyone shifted their gaze toward the source of the vibration.

Eventually, something black was spotted behind the Lirus Orchestra, toward the center of the plains. Appropriately, the lighting illuminated that area, allowing for a more detailed view.

And it was… a person. A person lying face down on the ground, writhing.

Someone of unknown identity had intruded onto the stage.

“Ugh… Aaaaargh…”

The person lying face down on the ground began to scream in agony. I could only blink my eyes at the situation that was difficult to comprehend.

Not just me, but others felt the same. The audience members were hesitant to step forward in the face of this unexpected situation.

‘What, what is this?’

Crack! Crunch!

While everyone was too shocked to move, something strange happened to that person. With disturbing sounds, wings began to protrude from his back.

These wings were not like those of ordinary birds but were more like bat wings, with no fur, just a membrane. In other words, they resembled the wings of a “demon” that I had only seen in literature.

“Aaaaargh!!!”

“Shit. What the hell is that?”

As the strange person revealed demon wings on his back and let out a scream, I couldn’t help but curse. I felt with my whole body that something had gone terribly wrong and quickly tried to get up from my seat.

But there was a hand that stopped me, and it was Cecilly, who had been wiping her tears with the handkerchief. She grabbed my wrist and opened her mouth as if to say not to worry.

“You don’t need to worry. It’s nothing.”

“No-nothing?! That’s…!”

“That person isn’t a demon.”

“De… What?”

As Cecilly said those words, some kind of change occurred in the man who was turning into a demon.

Swoosh!

“Aaaaargh..! Kugh!”

From the darkness behind the lighting illuminating him, a large scythe suddenly appeared and grabbed his neck as if to snatch it.

Naturally, the figure of the man turning into a demon disappeared behind the lighting, and no one was standing within the circle illuminated by the light. Only pitch-black darkness lay beside it.

As I blinked and stared with a dazed mind, an aged voice resonated throughout the stage.

-Morpheus… grant this poor soul rest…

Morpheus is one of the gods appearing in the Biography of Xenon. He is based on Mora, a god who actually exists in this world, and is a god worshipped by the demons in the Biography of Xenon.

Only then could I understand. The appearance of the man turning into a demon, and the appearance of the large scythe that snatched his neck.

The large scythe is the main weapon of “Sackran,” the greatest scene-stealer in the Biography of Xenon.

‘…All of that was staged?’

That’s quite a trailer.