Chapter 85

Entering the shop, I tried to confirm if it was really Alice, but the people of the town, entranced by her singing, had gathered at the entrance like moths to a light.

Just a glimpse was enough to see that the shop was packed.

In such a situation, most people would think, "We can't get in."

"Please wait a moment, I'll arrange a seat for you."

It seemed Zoe had the same thought, as she reached into her pocket, took out some money, and was about to arrange a seat.

"Wait."

"Master?"

"There's no need to do that."

"But..."

Ignoring Zoe, I pushed through the crowd and moved forward.

I ducked under the entrance and stepped over the threshold.

Once inside, it was even clearer—completely packed, not a single seat available.

Almost immediately after we entered, a waiter approached with an apologetic look.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but as you can see, all the seats are taken..."

"I see."

Nodding, I was about to turn back when another waiter rushed over from the back and whispered something to the first waiter.

After nodding a few times, the waiter turned to me with a business smile.

"Sir, it seems another customer is just leaving. We can seat you right away."

"Understood. Thank you."

Nodding, the waiters retreated into the shop.

Noticing Zoe's puzzled expression, I turned to her and explained in a low voice.

"It's a staged coincidence. If they set this up, they wouldn't let me not have a seat, right?"

"I see... As expected, Master. I didn't think that far."

I smiled at Zoe and turned back to look at the shop, enveloped in Alice's singing.

"Hmm?"

"Is something wrong?"

Zoe asked, puzzled.

I hesitated for a moment on how to respond.

Just a glance, and I spotted a few people.

Clearly not there for the music, their eyes were on the stage, but their attention was on me—three of them.

I sensed three people who had infiltrated to monitor me.

However, I couldn't tell Zoe that directly.

Sometimes, the most effective way to deceive is to tell the truth.

Considering this, I chose my words carefully and said to Zoe,

"Convenient that a seat just opened up."

I directed my gaze to the seat that had just "opened."

Noticing the people observing me, I thought for a moment.

To deceive, I wouldn't lie.

"A good seat just happened to be available."

This time, I spoke in a normal tone.

Zoe's eyes widened in surprise for a moment.

Her reaction was the complete opposite of my previous statement, and she seemed confused.

But she quickly understood and was startled.

Her face didn't move, and she didn't say anything unnecessary, but I could see her eyes dart around for a moment.

She had grown a lot since becoming my maid.

"It's because you're Master."

"Right."

We exchanged some casual words and waited.

After a while, a waiter led us to our seats.

It was at the very back of the shop, slightly elevated, and right in the center, with a perfect view of the stage.

Clearly, it was the best seat in the house.

I smirked to myself.

It was too obvious to be a coincidence.

I didn't point this out and took my seat.

Zoe stood by my side, serving me.

I listened to Alice's singing.

She had improved even more.

To excel in the arts, a few elements are necessary.

First, consistency.

Second, a clear goal.

Lastly, no worries about the future.

Alice had the first two from the start.

I removed all her worries, including those about her mother.

As a result, Alice improved rapidly—each time I met her, she was better.

Her singing captivated almost everyone in and outside the shop.

The only ones not entranced were the people monitoring me.

Music has a "wave."

Riding that wave, the audience swayed to the music.

Snap!

One of the strings on Alice's harp, her trademark, snapped.

The shop buzzed, and the audience was jolted back to reality.

The buzz grew louder, and Alice looked troubled on stage.

Her delicate fingers glided over the remaining strings.

The broken string was the most important, and even gliding her fingers over the others, the missing note was obvious.

Repairs would take time, and the performance would have to be canceled.

—That would be a waste.

I called for Fwawa.

Fwawa, who had been in my bracelet, materialized in response to my thoughts.

She transformed into a long flute.

I held it and gently placed it to my lips.

The makeshift flute produced the intended sound.

For a moment, the shop buzzed.

Alice looked puzzled—then recognized me and was surprised.

I played the flute, urging her with the melody.

Alice understood and placed her hands on the harp again.

She improvised, avoiding the broken string, and sang.

I filled in the missing notes with my flute.

"Wow..."

Zoe, standing beside me, let out a gasp of admiration.

The audience, initially confused, soon became engrossed in the music as they had been before.

When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

Zoe was also clapping.

"Amazing, Master!"

"Right."

The performance wasn't mine but Bahamut's.

I subtly let Bahamut possess me, moving my fingers and lips as he would.

Just like reproducing combat techniques, I simulated and replicated the movements Bahamut knew.

It worked well.

The performance couldn't continue indefinitely with the emergency fix, and it was announced that the performance was over.

As the audience left the shop,

"Was there anyone else?"

"What do you mean?"

I silently raised my hand and pointed to three men still sitting in a daze.

Then, in a low voice,

"Those are the ones monitoring us."

"Really?"

"I infused the music with magic. Those with hostile or harmful intentions react more strongly and remain dazed for longer."

"Can you really do that!?"

"Yes. Incidentally, it can also be used to kill."

"Really!?"

"By overexciting someone, their blood pressure can rise, causing a stroke."

"Oh..."

Zoe is smart.

She didn't ask, "Can you really do that?"

She understood that everything has two sides, and if one is possible, the opposite is also possible.

So she simply said,

"Master, you're amazing."

☆

"Stop messing around!"

Inside the guild, two young men faced each other.

The shorter man, enraged by the report, smashed an expensive teacup on the floor.

The taller man remained calm, sipping his tea thoughtfully.

They were the son of the guild's leader and the son of the number two, the true masterminds behind the increasing smuggling and tax evasion since they took charge.

"Cal down. Getting angry here won't solve anything."

"How can I stay calm! 'The songstress who never accepted any invitations was invited and will stay in this town for a while'! Bullshit!!"

The shorter man, even more enraged, kicked the table, flipping it over dramatically.

The other, more composed man, remained calm and thoughtful.

"It's not a bad thing. She took the bait."

"Once she takes the bait, she should leave quickly! With him here, we can't smuggle. A day without smuggling means a loss of 100,000!"

"..."

The composed man's brow furrowed slightly.

His partner had a point.

They had temporarily halted the salt smuggling to deal with the man sent by the emperor to investigate.

The smuggling business had grown to the point where it now generated over 100,000 liens a day.

With that man here, they were losing 100,000 liens a day.

"I can't take it anymore! I'm going to kill him!"

"Killing a man sent by the emperor is rash."

"I don't care! We can buy off anyone with money. Do you think we bribe the third and tenth princes for nothing?"

"..."

The composed man thought for a moment and nodded quietly.