Whether the Diva's name truly carried that much weight, Lambert was simply far too well known among the neighbors on this street, or these artistic types just had absolutely nothing better to do...
By the time the group arrived at the small park on that street, nearly a hundred people had already gathered. More trickled in from every direction in scattered groups, and some even carried musical instruments.
After asking around, Altaïr and the others learned that small performances, recitals, and even casual rehearsals were an everyday occurrence in this park.
The park formed a funnel of concentric rings around a circular open space several hundred square meters in area. It had actually been built to the standards of a small open-air theater.
From the ease with which Lambert found her way around, it was clear she had spent a great deal of time here growing up.
The more people arrived, the stiffer Chia's expression became.
After all, he was the one who had caused this entire situation. Right now, only one thought filled his mind: How can there be so many idle people in a major city? Damn it, don't any of you have work?!
He was not worried that the crowd might leave disappointed. He was worried that Lambert would embarrass herself in public and take revenge on him afterward.
Knowing Lambert's temperament, she probably cared little about what a crowd of strangers thought. This time, however, her parents and childhood friends were here as well.
What if she held a grudge, waited until he was answering nature's call during some Hunt, then suddenly blasted a "BZZZ" at him before saying, "Oops, sorry, missed~"?
That was precisely why he was even more nervous than Lambert.
More and more people took seats along the terraced rows of the small open-air theater, and it gradually began to look as though every seat would be filled.
Listening to the conversations around him, Altaïr realized that only a small fraction of the crowd had come specifically for Lambert, or rather, for the rumors about a "third Diva." Most of those people were Lambert's neighbors or her parents' colleagues in the music world.
The rest were passersby who had noticed the gathering in the park and stopped to see what all the fuss was about.
As the garbled rumors spread, many people even came to believe that the Wyverian Diva herself had arrived to sing. In barely half an hour, that story drew even more fans to the park.
More time passed. By now, not only were the seats full, but even the aisles between the rows were nearly packed.
Just as Altaïr was wondering how to bring the situation to a close with as little disappointment as possible, the sight of a newly arrived group froze his face in sheer bewilderment.
At its head was a tall, slender woman draped in a pale, moon-white classical robe, with a hood over her head. It was none other than the Wyverian Diva, a figure almost everyone knew.
Beside her walked a young Diva in a matching robe, her delicate features breathtakingly beautiful.
And several... Hunters?
Several burly, rough-looking Hunters strode openly beside the Divas, parting the crowd and escorting them into the small open-air theater.
The arrival of the two Divas naturally caused a stir, but the Hunters kept the crowd under control and prevented any greater chaos.
What was going on?
Altaïr was still staring in astonishment when the Wyverian Diva he knew headed straight toward them, surrounded by Hunters.
"You... Why are you here?" Altaïr did not even have time to choose his words, and the impolite question simply slipped out.
A faint smile graced the Wyverian Diva's face, but she said nothing.
The young Diva walking beside her chuckled and explained, "After leaving Elder Hall, we went to the People's Tavern. Some Hunters invited us to sing a few songs there.
"Then we heard that Ms. Lambert was preparing to sing here, and the Lady Diva wanted to come and watch.
"I'm looking forward to it too."
"News travels fast, meow..." Sajji muttered under his breath.
Truth be told, the vast majority of the crowd had never imagined that they would actually see the legendary Diva. Her mere appearance in this little park was already cause for delight and surprise.
Some of the bolder spectators braved the Hunters' warning looks and asked the Divas to take the stage for a few songs.
The Wyverian Diva gently shook her head and declined.
This was Lambert's stage, her first public performance. The Wyverian Diva had come to hear Lambert's vibrant voice, not to steal the spotlight.
The Diva's presence filled the musicians in the audience with newfound confidence in the coming performance.
When Jill had first gone from door to door proclaiming that the Lady Diva had officially recognized Lambert as the third Diva and that Lambert was about to sing in the little park, most people had come expecting a bit of fun. Few had truly believed the claim.
After all, Lambert had grown up before their eyes. Her cello playing was undeniably outstanding, and one could say that she had perfectly inherited her parents' musical talent. As for her singing voice, however...
Hahahaha.
But so what? Similar performances took place in the little park several times every day, and no one charged admission. If Lambert sang well, everyone would applaud and cheer. If she sang badly, everyone would laugh it off. It was no great concern.
They had not seen that gloomy child in years. It would be nice simply to see her again after so long.
That was what everyone had thought, until the Lady Diva arrived and publicly expressed her anticipation for Lambert's performance.
That gesture all but confirmed Lambert's status as the "third Diva," and the audience's expectations soared with it.
When Lambert stepped onto the stage in her Hunter armor, an enormous Hunting Horn resting on her shoulder, the expectant audience fell silent in astonishment.
This "third Diva" looked just a "little" different from what they had imagined.
Nor was her appearance the problem. The Lady Diva herself was not a striking beauty. Objectively speaking, Lambert's features were quite refined despite her habitually gloomy air. If she tidied her hair and stood straight, she could easily be called beautiful.
But was a Diva not supposed to sing? Why had a Hunter taken the stage?
"Whoo-whoo!"
"You can do it! Girl with the flute!"
Just as silence fell over the crowd, the Hunters who had volunteered to escort the Lady Diva began whistling and cheering.
They had no real interest in a "third Diva's concert." They had simply tagged along without shame because the Lady Diva wanted to come and see what all the fuss was about.
The instant they heard that the third Diva was a Hunter, however, they perked up.
When Lambert politely declined the orchestra's accompaniment and said she had brought her own "musical instrument," the Hunters' cheers and jeers grew even louder.
Exactly! What was so entertaining about those soft, delicate instruments? A Hunting Horn! Bring out the Hunting Horn!
Since this was not a professional concert, there was naturally no host.
Amid the Hunters' heckling and the bewildered stares of the rest of the audience, Lambert stepped onto the stage, pulled out a bottle of Dash Juice, and downed it.
A single song would not be enough for something billed as a concert. Playing the Hunting Horn continuously was exhausting, and stamina was not her strong suit, so she needed to prepare in advance.
Resisting the urge to throw the empty bottle aside, Lambert tucked it into her pocket and cleared her throat. "Ahem... First song: 'Moonquake'!"
Before anyone else could react, the Wyverian Diva in the front row began to clap softly.
Applause was contagious, especially when led by the legendary Diva. The audience burst into applause, and the Hunters seated beside her clapped with particular fervor.
"CLANG!"
One savage swing of Lambert's Hunting Horn drowned out the applause with a thunderous crash, followed immediately by a frenzy of wildly unconventional notes.
Then came a roar that could scarcely be called singing, blasting through everyone's eardrums.
"LIFE! UNCHAINED!!!"
The performance seemed to punch the entire audience at once, leaving every face frozen in pure, unguarded bewilderment. Many people instinctively looked toward the Diva in the front row.
Yet the legendary Diva's eyes were closed in serene enjoyment. Her chin bobbed with the intense rhythm; she was clearly already immersed in the performance.
At that moment, the same thought occurred to most of the audience, including Lambert's parents.
Is this avant-garde art? Am I behind the times? Am I hopelessly old-fashioned?
A small portion of the crowd reacted differently, including Jill, who looked every inch the "good girl," and the rough, boisterous Hunters.
They stared fixedly at Lambert as she headbanged onstage, swinging and slamming her Hunting Horn while roaring herself hoarse. A strange light kindled deep in their eyes.