I made my way to Amelia’s greenroom backstage, where the monsters’ muffled cheers could still be heard all the way from the main hall.
“Thank you very much!” I exclaimed the moment I stepped inside, bowing from my waist at a near right angle.
“Your Majesty...” Amelia slowly stood from her seat where she’d been catching her breath and returned the gesture, though her bow was a lot more graceful than mine. “I am the one who should be thanking you for preparing this stage for me. I never imagined I could perform for so many people and even monsters.”
“That’s always been my goal.”
“Yes... It certainly has. I really...” Amelia trailed off, her voice dissipating like a wisp.
She was probably about to express her gratitude, but then why the hesitation? Regardless, Amelia had a soft and relaxed expression on her face...like she was really happy and satisfied. That was all I needed.
“Please get some rest,” I told her. “After that stunning performance, I’m sure the elven maids will be especially motivated to look after you. Feel free to ask them for anything you need.”
“Thank you... What are your plans after this, Your Majesty?”
“Well...” I hesitated.
“It’s not like you to hold back when it comes to magic,” Lardon said. “Why not just ask for her cooperation, like you usually would?”
“Amelia’s tired. We don’t have to do it now,” I grumbled. Lardon was right—it wasn’t like me to hold back. But how could I be so shameless as to ask this of Amelia now?
And speaking of things that weren’t like usual...
“Were you...talking with the divine dragon?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.” I slowly nodded.
Lardon frequently piped in while I conversed with others. The citizens of our country and our associates, like Bruno for example, would normally just back off until we were done talking. But Amelia wasn’t from here, so her cutting in took me by surprise.
“Does she desire something of me?” Amelia asked.
“No, not her... It’s actually me, but...” I trailed off, much like Amelia had earlier but for a different reason entirely. Still, it seemed she heard the bulk of my statement.
“You desire something of me, Your Majesty? Please, ask away.”
“But...”
“I would like to be of help to you.”
“See? The girl says so too. Refraining any more is no longer consideration—just self-righteousness, no?”
“Urgh...” Lardon might have been right. Giving up, I turned to Amelia. “The truth is, my mana was amplified while I listened to you sing.”
“My song...boosted your mana?”
“An ordinary person wouldn’t understand,” Lardon chided. “Explain how an aria works first.”
That completely slipped my mind. Amelia wasn’t familiar with magic, so she wouldn’t understand what I was talking about without a brief explanation.
“You can cast a spell as is or chant an aria beforehand,” I began. “The latter allows you to amplify your mana for stronger spells. Er... Think of it as the difference between a standing jump and a run with an approach.”
“Ah, I see. It sounds similar to how we clear our throats before singing.”
“Uh... I guess so?” It did sound similar, but I couldn’t give her a confident answer when I knew next to nothing about singing. “Anyway, Lardon told me that my mana was amplified while I was listening to you sing. It had the same effect as an aria.”
“Oh my...”
“So, er... I want to try casting a spell with an aria and while listening to you sing, so I was thinking of asking you after you’ve gotten some rest, but Lardon...” I trailed off nervously. “She insists I do it now. She knows I can’t stand not knowing when it comes to magic...”
That wasn’t exactly what she’d said, of course, but that was pretty much what she’d meant.
Once she thought I was done talking, Amelia nodded with a solemn expression. “It would be my honor, Your Majesty. If I can be of any help to your magic endeavors, then by all means.”
“Huh... Really? Aren’t you tired...?”
“The thought of singing for you takes all my exhaustion away.”
“Does it...?”
“Mind over matter,” Lardon supplied. “A common phenomenon among humans.”
Oh, that made sense. I’d only ever heard of it before, but if Lardon was right—which she probably was—now I was also going to see it happen up close. In that case...
“Very well, then. Please lend me a hand,” I said, bowing deeply to Amelia.
“Of course!” Amelia’s voice was bright and chipper, not a hint of fatigue underneath it.
Some time later, the venue was finally vacated. Invigorated by Amelia’s performance, the monsters had swiftly returned to the city to hold an after-party in celebration, leaving the venue completely silent. Regardless, the heat from their cheers and excitement lingered in the air, prickling my skin and lifting my spirits.
Amelia and I stood side by side on the stage.
“For starters... Magic Missile, forty-one rounds!”
Forgoing an aria, I unleashed magic missiles toward the center of the venue. Arrows of mana rained down on one specific point, causing a loud explosion.
I turned to Amelia. “The number of spells I can cast at once will increase along with my mana. At base, I can multicast forty-one spells. With an aria, it’s ninety-seven—no, a bit over a hundred.”
“Then, with my song, you could easily surpass a hundred,” Amelia surmised. “I understand. In that case, allow me to sing for you.”
“Thank you.”
Amelia walked over to her zither. Just as she had during her concert, she brushed her fingers over the strings and began to play a tune. After a brief overture, her silky voice filled the air, mingling with the harmonious notes and producing a most mesmerizing melody. With the magical sound enhancement I’d installed into this venue, my ears were blessed by the best music to have ever existed.
Her splendorous performance deeply moved me. But this time, I made sure to keep my wits about me. This was an experiment, after all, and Amelia had gone out of her way to help.
I looked inward and found exactly what Lardon had described—my mana was amplified the same way as when I chanted an aria. Now, it was time to put it to the test. I never could have brought myself to do this during the concert earlier, but now I had no need to hold back.
I held my right hand out and chanted, “Magic Missile, ninety-seven rounds!”
From my palm came nearly a hundred magic missiles, once again converging into the same spot as earlier.
“Ohh!” My eyes sparkled in excitement. I hadn’t chanted an aria, but I managed the same number as if I had, all thanks to Amelia’s song.
Naturally, the experiment wasn’t over just yet. After seeing this, who wouldn’t want to try using it along with an aria?
“Amelia Emilia Claudia...”
I chanted an aria as Amelia’s song continued to fill the air. My mana swelled, my spirit was lifted...and I felt myself surpass my limit as easily as hopping over a roadside pebble.
A hundred and one... A hundred and three... A hundred and nine...!
I counted my rising mana under my breath as I grasped my new, rising limit. Finally...
“Magic Missile, 199 rounds!”