Hearts and Errors (2)
"Hmm."
Armand looked suspicious, and Yorahan hastily turned his head.
"Yeah, eat. We should."
It was a fish with no name.
Of course it was a species familiar to the Flame folk, but Armand didn't bother to name it.
She was probably feeling the flavor-magic that fire brings, but she offered no judgment.
After their modest meal, the two of them stared blankly into the dying campfire.
"What do you want to do?" Armand asked.
"You said you wanted to change the world. Do you mean civilize the Flame folk and make them fight?"
"Fight…"
Yorahan rested his chin on his knees again.
"I don't think violence can change anything. Many thinkers try to find peace through war. In a way they're right. But in the end it only applies to their own kingdom, their own city, their own family. From the perspective of the whole, their logic is no different from saying you sacrifice half to save half."
"So what?"
Trusting Yorahan now, Armand let the words she'd kept inside slip out.
"That's just how people live. How are we any different? To eat, you have to kill something else."
Yorahan asked, "Do you want to fight?"
"The Flame folk suffered a lot of persecution. Humans treated us like livestock just because we're passive. To be honest… I might be angrier at Flame folk who aren't human. Power that can't protect anything is pathetic."
"That's not true." When Armand lifted her head, there was conviction in Yorahan's eyes.
"Being able to share hearts is a blessing. I think humanity's future depends on the Flame folk. That's why I stayed in the village."
Is that so?
Armand fell quiet in thought, and Yorahan went on.
"You can't change anything with the logic of force. Humans are afraid—afraid of being eaten by someone stronger. If people could understand each other like the Flame folk do, that fear would vanish and true peace would come. The strong ones are you."
Armand smiled.
"Yeah, you might be right." Their gazes met briefly, and Yorahan gathered his courage and spoke.
"Um…"
"But—"
When he added that sudden caveat, Yorahan seemed to choke.
"Hrk! Hrk!"
Armand pressed a hand to his chest as if to steady him.
"I know your heart." He didn't open his mouth, only his heart beat hard.
"This time I'll show you mine."
Yorahan still said nothing, but Armand could tell from his heartbeat.
'Small-world communion.'
When their minds connected again, Yorahan felt the whole harmony.
"Ah."
He thought perhaps the reason he had been born was for this very moment.
It was an emotion beyond even the word love—so complete that even if he vanished then and there, he would have no regrets.
"Let's become one."
Having already shared everything, there was no need for pretense; the two achieved an integration beyond concepts.
'A heart larger than the universe.'
That realization would later become the core datum that enabled Yorahan to reach a godlike state.
The performers from each nation were in the middle of their final rehearsal for the 10 p.m. show.
El Kiana and Maya, who would take the finale, finished the song with a decent harmony.
Though Maya had taken the climactic part, El Kiana was a pro, too.
Panier said, "You pass for now."
Knowing how strict a producer he was, the musicians let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Reina of the Ozent family, who played the piano, collapsed onto the bench as if exhausted.
'This is hell. Pure hell,' Panier muttered.
"Of course, passing means I expect the main performance to be better than the rehearsal. Don't relax."
"Yep."
Reina scrambled upright and replied.
"Excuse me."
When the door opened and someone entered, the performers looked up in disbelief.
"Maya? Kaiden?"
Now that he'd become king of Kesia, Panier hurried over.
"Your Majesty."
"Sorry I didn't announce myself," Fermi said.
He really hadn't. If a monarch moved, there should have been notice through aides.
"What brings you here…?"
"Passing by and heard the music. It sounded nice. May I watch for a bit?"
Fermi said it casually.
'Sel Buster can't be stopped.'
At least, not yet.
According to the latest Apocalypse update, humanity still faced annihilation.
'Maya and Kaiden and…'
There were as many as three people in the rehearsal room who could be clues to that vast disaster.
"Long time no see. How've you been?"
Fermi raised a hand as he approached, and Maya hastily bowed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Call me by my name—we're classmates. By the way, how've you been lately? Has anyone been—"
Kaiden cut in.
"What do you want with Maya? Tell me."
Having once been part of the Golden Wheel, Fermi wouldn't approach without a reason.
'And most of those reasons… are for his own gain.'
Fermi smiled, looking between Kaiden and Maya.
"So you're Maya's manager now? Still, you've done well. You must be her most successful fan."
"Say what you came to say and go."
"I want to be alone with Maya. If you accept my offer, you'll become much more famous."
Because of the Arachne hospitality incident, the performers were sensitive about sponsors.
"How about it, Maya? Is this a good time?"
"Um, well…"
When Maya glanced to Panier for a cue, Fermi delivered a reality check.
"Have some respect for my dignity. I'm the king of a nation participating in the crusade— I can't be turned down."
At that moment everyone realized.
'Right—he's a king, even if he's from another country. Refuse him here and you ruin your life.'
Kaiden bit his lip.
'He's as petty as ever. But I can't step in now. If I stop him here… who knows what will happen to Maya's career?'
Even with that resolve, the moment Fermi moved toward Maya, Kaiden's right hand acted on its own.
'Damn it! No!'
The performers went pale as a fist flew toward the king's jaw.
"Oh! Danger."
But as if he'd expected it, Fermi leaned back and easily dodged the blow.
Kaiden gripped his right hand.
"I-I…"
Fermi watched Kaiden's fluster for a moment, then his eyes grew cold.
'An outburst.'
Even when Maya's career was on the line, Kaiden couldn't control his right hand.
'This should be enough for now.'
Fermi smirked and stepped back.
"I was joking. You're touchy. It was just a little shoulder contact between celebrities."
Then he turned to Maya.
"Sorry for the scare. I'm a fan, too. I'm looking forward to the finale."
Still terrified of a sponsorship offer, Maya didn't quite relax.
"Weren't you going to say something?"
"I was joking. Who would touch you?"
Someone wanted to add that Shirone wouldn't stand idly by, but they held back, mindful of Kaiden's glare.
Fermi wiped the smile from his face as if nothing had happened and turned to Panier.
"May I have a word?"
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty." Panier, who had given the performers free time, led Fermi into his room.
"Would you like some tea?"
It had been a while since he'd hosted someone of high rank; Panier hovered awkwardly.
"That won't be necessary. Please, sit."
At that moment Maya's voice floated in.
"The part changed. El Kiana will be disappointed."
It was a detail you'd only know if you paid attention; Panier narrowed his eyes.
'Not an ordinary person. Even before he became king, he was a power in Kesia.'
Fermi asked, "Is it a matter of skill, or something else?"
If Maya was a keyword for the future, he needed to learn as much as possible about any changes in her.
'Results are the sum of all causes.' Panier said, "As a producer I evaluate many performers. But I've learned there's no perfect standard for judging a person."
"Oh."
"Humans can barely take care of themselves. I'm no different. When I judge someone, I look at how much they tried—their effort." He paused. "Of course it's not a precise standard, especially in the arts. But after thinking it through…"
Panier's expression turned bitter.
"Still, that's the closest to the truth."
The truth.
The spotlight of the performance would fall on Maya.
'Perhaps this is a decisive hint about Sel Buster. But the pieces still don't fit.'
"First, I apologize for coming without notice. It's something I insisted on hearing in person."
Information about future events couldn't be shared with anyone.
"Yes. Please tell me."
"Are you familiar with someone named Robe Lanstin?"
"Huh?"
It was an unexpected question.
"How did Your Majesty come to know Lanstin?"
Why wouldn't he know?
The Guitar Man of the Magic Seven had been famous not among stage performers but among mages.
"I don't know him personally. I heard he was with Panier's company. Do you still have contact?"
"I see."
Many years had passed, but Robe Lanstin remained an unforgettable name.
"He was a big part of my life once. But I don't know where he is now. Dead or alive."
"To cut to the chase—he's alive."
Is that so?
'So he's alive. Still can't leave that path, still living that way?'
Panier asked, "Your Majesty, what do you think an artist is?"
"Huh."
It wasn't a question a layman could answer.
"Is there even a single definition? They're all the same job in a sense. Nothing particularly noble. What I mean is, no matter how successful someone is, I wouldn't tell them to just 'go be an artist.' A musician is someone who makes a living with music." Fermi caught the subtle distinction and asked, "Then what is an artist?"
"It's a life."
Panier said, "Those bastards whose whole life is art. No matter what the world says, they live as they please. Sometimes a great artist appears, but more often than not they're the sort who die in the streets."
Panier's gaze grew distant.
"Robe Lanstin… lived a life closer to art than anyone I know."