Chapter 68

I will now translate the provided text into English:

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My next goal, to learn sacred magic, requires me to go to the church.

However, even though it was two years ago, there's a high chance that I, who was once banned, will be turned away if I go alone.

In situations like this, it's best to go with someone who has connections to the church.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, I have someone in mind.

—The Fourth Princess, Saria di Salam.

She is the one among the royal family who has the closest ties with the church.

It's not that she is particularly devout, but Saria possesses exceptional musical talent.

She is skilled in the flute, harp, trombone, violin, castanets, and many other instruments. She is especially gifted at the piano, and has been playing music at the church since she was young.

Therefore, the church often relies on her, and her performances are held during the Eucharist.

And conveniently, tomorrow happens to be the church's Eucharist.

If I go with Saria, the church people won't be able to turn me away so easily.

Yes, it's a perfect plan.

"...But, Saria-nee-san has a bit of a difficult personality, you know."

"Hmm, it's rare for you to comment on someone's personality, Lloyd-sama. What kind of person is she?"

"To put it simply, she's the type who gets so focused that she doesn't notice anything else. She plays an instrument whenever she has free time, and she doesn't care if others find it noisy. She won't come even if you call her for a meal. She absolutely won't do anything she doesn't want to do... that's the kind of very self-centered person she is."

"...Lloyd-sama, are you talking about yourself?"

Grimo said this with a somewhat exasperated tone.

What is he talking about?

Does he think I look like such an uncouth person? What a rude guy.

In any case, to learn sacred magic, I have no choice.

I decided to go see Saria.

As mentioned, Saria is always playing music, so it's rare to see her, but I can easily find her location.

Just follow the sound of the music, and there she will be.

"But the castle is huge. There are many sounds, and if she's playing indoors, you won't hear it, right?"

"Don't worry, I can hear it if I concentrate."

By focusing my magic, I can block my body's magic and release it only in specific parts, making those parts stronger.

The part covered by strong magic becomes more powerful.

In other words, if I cover my arm, my arm strength increases; if I cover my leg, my leg strength increases; if I cover my ear, my hearing improves.

I focused my magic on my ears and concentrated.

Then, not only the sound of the wind and the chirping of birds, but also the voices of the maids and the cleaning sounds from a distance became audible.

Ah, there's Ren being scolded by Silfa over there.

Amidst the various sounds—Plon♪—a bouncing sound was heard.

"—I heard it. That way."

"Huh? Huh? What did you hear?"

Grimo didn't hear it, but the direction of the sound was undoubtedly the building to the north of the castle.

As I approached the white building, the sound became clearer.

"Oh, I can hear it too now. Hmm, what a wonderful sound."

"Really, Grimo can appreciate music?"

"Back in the demon world, I used to enjoy music quite a bit. Musicians are quite popular, you know. Hehehe."

"...You're surprisingly versatile, aren't you?"

Moreover, all the things you do don't seem very demonic.

You have a surprisingly human touch... Anyway, I entered the building.

Inside, the walls were soundproofed, so the sound was quite loud.

"The sound is coming from below."

"Yes, that door, I think."

Looking down, I saw a large iron door at the bottom of a spiral staircase.

I went down the stairs and opened the door, which creaked ominously.

In a room scattered with instruments, a woman was playing the piano.

She had short black hair and a blank expression, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had a slender body.

She wore a short skirt for easy movement and a loose jacket with a hood that could be pulled up to cover her face.

This woman, who could easily be mistaken for an ordinary person, is the Fourth Princess, Saria di Salam.

Saria continued to play the piano without even glancing at me.

"Hey, aren't you going to say something?"

Grimo said this as I just stood there watching her.

"Yeah, it would be a distraction to speak while she's so focused."

I wouldn't like it if someone spoke to me while I was researching magic, either.

Of course, I don't show it on my face.

Since I'm the one asking for a favor, I'll wait quietly until she finishes.

"Fortunately, there's always something to do."

Focusing my magic, I still need more practice.

I closed my eyes and began to block my body's magic.

If I release it in a narrow area, I should be able to achieve even higher output.

Just the tip of my finger, release the magic... Ugh, it's quite difficult.

But I need to concentrate, concentrate.

After the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, as quickly and smoothly as possible...

As I immersed myself, the sounds I had been hearing gradually faded away, and it became quiet.

For a while, I devoted myself to my practice.

"...L-Lloyd-sama!"

A voice reached me.

Slowly opening my eyes, I felt a tingling sensation in my palm, and Grimo was shouting.

"Lloyd-sama! You finally opened your eyes! I called you many times!"

"...What is it, Grimo? When someone is concentrating—"

"Saria-nee-san has been looking at you."

Following his words, I raised my gaze to see Saria, who was sitting at the piano, staring at me.

Ah, right, I was waiting for Saria to finish playing. I completely forgot.

"Hey, Saria-nee-san, it's been a while."

When I spoke, Saria seemed to think for a moment before speaking.

"...I remember. You're Rodeo, right? My brother."

"It's Lloyd."

"Is that so?"

Saria didn't seem to care that she had gotten my name wrong.

"Does this person not remember her brother's name...?"

"We've only met a few times."

I'm not very good at remembering names either.

I'm not trying to criticize her.

"So, what do you want from me?"

Saria, who was staring at me, is known for being difficult and uninterested in others.

It's counterproductive to try to smooth things over with someone like her.

I decided to be straightforward and get to the point.

"Saria-nee-san, you're going to the church to perform tomorrow, right? Actually, I want you to take me with you."

"Sure."

"...Huh? Yeah, I guess. I went too far, didn't I? But first, let me explain—wait, what?"

"Sure, come along."

Saria answered with a blank expression.

"Ah, thank you, Saria-nee-san!"

"Don't worry about it."

Saria turned her head away.

I see, she's not interested and is telling me to do as I please.

It's a bit anticlimactic, but I'm grateful.

"Lloyd... I'm starting to remember. A few years ago, when I went to the library to look for sheet music, you were reading magic books alone. You were so focused that you didn't even notice me sitting next to you. I remember thinking that you were impressive, even though you were younger than me. And that hasn't changed. In fact, it's even better—yes, this is a good opportunity. Lloyd seems to have developed an interest in music, so I'll make him a musician. This child has talent. The faint light I saw from your fingertips just now is the 'Hand of Light,' which only top-tier composers occasionally show. It's a bit late to start music, but you should easily overcome that handicap. There are almost no musicians in this area who can match me, and it's been boring. If Lloyd develops his musical skills and we perform together, we should create something unprecedented... Hehe, I'm getting excited."

Saria muttered to herself, her mouth twisting in a somewhat unsettling way.

I don't quite understand, but at least I've cleared the first hurdle.