Once we were all in our places, the conductor stepped forward. Being on a circular stage meant we had spectators on all sides. Not only that—we had a pretty good turnout. Some of those seats were sort of like VIP seats, and since this was a school for nobles, those seats were naturally occupied by the royal family.
The conductor turned to face the royals and bowed. After a moment, we did the same. Then the conductor turned to us, their back now to the royals.
Now, let’s get started.
Our opening song was the famous dragon one. The first-year teams managed its distinctive opening, which was followed by the fourth and fifth-years doing the main melody. The second and third-years managed the harmony, and the sixth-years handled the rhythm. Every sound flowed throughout the venue as one.
The picture accompanying this piece of course featured a dragon. It was an armored hero standing before a large scaly beast. It wasn’t half bad.
Partway through the performance, I sensed something odd, but didn’t pay it any mind. If there were any clear threats to us, someone from the academy would dispose of them. I had to focus on the performance.
Even what resembled cheap-sounding electronic notes carried a real weight when you had so many people playing in unison. Thanks to our great composition work, we seamlessly transitioned from one song to the next. We played the third and fourth pieces, then looped back to the dragon one. Then, once that one was over but the sound still lingered in the air, we began the awaited music box piece.
This was also a game song—forgive the blatant plagiarism. But maybe it was better that we had a slightly somber melody to wrap things up. Like with the dragon song, I’d had the game in mind when making my suggestion to the art crew.
There was a girl standing on a beach, facing away from the audience. As the music progressed, she slowly turned toward the camera, revealing an unforgettable smile. The ocean was clear and blue, the sky seemed to go on forever. It was an odd picture, one that was sort of lonely despite its bright colors. At the end, it zoomed in on the girl’s face and faded to sepia.
We played the final note in unison with the fading illustration. After a few seconds, the conductor turned and bowed to the royals again. Once the rest of us performers had done the same, the audience erupted with applause. I saw boys crying with their arms around each other’s shoulders, and some girls smiling and exchanging compliments.
Finally, we turned to the audience and bowed, then lined up and left the stage. Making an exit like this was also my idea. In Ozeria, walking in lines like this wasn’t common in schools and other places. I’d heard you hardly saw it outside of parades put on by the knights.
So I suggested that we try it, since it looks nice to spectators. Some of them had their doubts, but I’d picked about ten people to give it a try, and the older students quickly took a liking to it. They spent some time using spells to order students around like pieces on a game board while debating what would look best.
The applause continued until we all left the stage, which told me this had been a success. While we had walked like this last year, it probably hadn’t looked as nice at the time with our smaller class.
But that’s enough about orderly walking methods. I was glad to see the more important performance was well received.
When I reconvened with my group, I got my first reactions from Colny and Sheila.
“That was wonderful! A magic concert!”
“Who was it who thought that up?”
Ahh, you’re overwhelming me! It’s too much!
“Calm down, both of you. I’m sure it was you, Lera, wasn’t it? But I must say, that was spectacular the way you entered and exited the stage.”
Thank you, Thand. And I guess there’s no point trying to hide it.
“As I recall, last year’s illusory magic was Lera’s idea. It’s hard to imagine Jian coming up with something intricate like that.”
Jian... That’s Bear’s name.
I always called him Bear, so I wasn’t always sure what to do when I heard his real name. And what a harsh remark from Thand. Granted, it was true, so I couldn’t really dispute. This was Bear we were talking about.
We had performed in our uniforms, so there was no need to change this time around. I had simply left the arena and headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Just like the year prior, there were plenty of stalls set up. Except after that kidnapping incident, they became stricter about authorizing vendors. Shouldn’t they have always been strict? Everyone here was from a noble family.
The swarm of customers made it hard to approach the row of stalls. Nobles were never one to pass on rare things, and this was supposedly their one chance to enjoy the normal flavors the common people enjoyed. I even saw a few people approaching stalls after giving in to their child’s ceaseless begging (or at least, using that as a pretense).
Looking in the direction of the stalls extending from the front gate, Sheila let out a sigh. “I’ve always wanted to walk down there at least once, but it’s never been feasible.”
Oh, do I see a business opportunity?
“Sheila, what if we were to set up stalls at the hunting festival?”
“Tell me more, Lera.”
Hook, line, and sinker.
“Do you know of the stalls set up in the square outside the Mystic Forest? But they have to shut down during the course of the festival, right? I think we have them as a special attraction on the middle day.”
“I see. That’s an interesting idea.”
“It might also be worth inviting vendors from the royal capital.”
I had heard of hawkers that traveled the land going from one event to another. If they went to so many places, maybe they’d come to Peylon? The stalls in Peylon were pretty static. Colny, Ville, and I had long since tried all they had to offer. When returning from the forest on an empty stomach, those aromas were hard to ignore. Nothing wrong with a little snack. Except Sheebis would scold me later.