Ragunna, Freedom Square.
The air after the light rain was moist and refreshing. The warm afternoon sunlight sprinkled onto the ground. Passersby stopped to form a semicircle, enjoying the Troupe of Fools' touring performance.
"One more song! One more song!"
Amid enthusiastic shouts, Shell Credits rained down like droplets onto the high stage set up in front of the troupe, continuously collected by Roccia riding on Pero using a magnet.
"Haha, since everyone is so enthusiastic, then we'll sing one more song — Sailor. Everyone, sing along with me."
Captain Brant gave a thumbs-up to the troupe members behind him. Under the cooperative performance of the troupe, the lively prelude began.
Not far away, Noah and Phrolova, who had just disembarked from the ship, were drawn over by the commotion.
"Let's go take a look."
The two walked closer. Through the dense crowd, they immediately saw the Troupe of Fools performing energetically on the high stage.
Brant led the singing with a microphone in hand. The troupe members playing various instruments performed with full effort, surrounded by a group of enthusiastic audience members singing along.
The atmosphere was incredibly lively.
As the song reached its climax, everyone sang in chorus:
"He said, in the wind and rain, what is this little pain~"
"Wipe away your tears, don't be afraid, at least we still have dreams~"
"Good grief."
Watching the boiling crowd before him, Noah secretly clicked his tongue in amazement.
Ever since the Carnevale, he had left those Blue Planet songs he materialized through imagination to the Troupe of Fools.
He didn't expect the Troupe of Fools to take these songs on tour and greatly promote Blue Planet culture.
Excellent! Very spirited!
Hearing these Blue Planet songs suddenly in Solaris always gave him, a transmigrator, an indescribable sense of familiarity.
"Look!"
After one song ended, Brant on the high stage suddenly spotted Noah's figure among the audience with his sharp eyes. His eyes lit up instantly as he shouted loudly:
"Look who's here!"
Upon hearing this, Roccia and the other Troupe of Fools members all looked in the direction the captain was pointing. They immediately responded excitedly in unison:
"It's the Laureate! The Laureate is here!"
Hearing the word "Laureate," all the audience members turned their heads at once. Noah and Phrolova beside him instantly became the focus of the entire venue.
"The Laureate!"
"It really is the Laureate!"
"Haven't seen him in a long time."
Brant jumped down from the high stage. The crowd voluntarily parted to make a path for him. He took three steps in two and reached Noah, stretching out his large hand to wrap around the latter's shoulder. His words were passionate and powerful:
"It's rare to see the Laureate. Let the Laureate lead us in singing a song. What do you all say?"
"Good!" Everyone responded in unison.
"You guy..." Noah smiled and pointed at Brant. The latter moved the microphone away and grinned cheekily:
"Just once, just once."
"Fine."
Seeing Noah agree, Brant quickly brought the microphone close again and loudly livened up the atmosphere:
"Everyone, give the Laureate some applause!"
Clap clap clap clap clap clap.
Amid thunderous applause, Brant turned to look at Phrolova beside Noah. He moved the microphone away and politely extended an invitation:
"This young lady is the Laureate's friend, right? Would you like to come up on stage together?"
"Me?"
Street performances like this — she hadn't done them in a very long time.
Phrolova's fingertips unconsciously stroked the folds of her skirt. Her left foot quietly stepped back half a step. Her lowered gaze held some eagerness, yet she felt embarrassed:
"I haven't heard many of the songs you sang. I probably can't sing them."
"It's fine. Let's go up together." Noah also extended the invitation.
Having the Fractsidus Supervisor perform on the street would definitely be very entertaining.
Seeing that even Noah had personally invited her, Phrolova's heart wavered again. She nodded her head weakly and answered:
"Alright..." She then reacted and shook her head instead: "No, better not..."
Before she could finish refusing, she was interrupted:
"Come on, up on stage with me."
Soon, Brant and Noah crossed through the crowd. The latter was even pulling along a bashful Phrolova whose cheeks were gradually turning red.
A microphone was stuffed into her palm.
A powerful, surging, and upbeat music prelude began.
"Deng~ Deng deng deng deng~ Deng deng deng deng deng deng deng~"
So it was this song? Luckily, she had heard Noah sing it during the Carnevale before, so she wouldn't feel embarrassed for not knowing how to sing it now.
Although she remembered some of the lyrics, she was still a bit reserved. She held the microphone farther away and sang softly:
"The vast horizon is my love~"
Phrolova soon discovered her nervousness was unnecessary, because nearly half the audience was singing along. She tried to loosen up a bit, her voice growing louder as she gradually got into it.
...
On the other side.
A raised cane drew an elegant arc in the air. The golden bird that descended precisely struck the heads of two Vitreum Dancer Echoes, causing the originally restless Echoes to fall into slumber.
Breathing a long sigh of relief, Phoebe sincerely thanked the person beside her dressed in a women's suit:
"All the restless Echoes have quieted down. Good thing you helped, Miss Zani."
"Just some trouble I handled while on an outfield mission. It's nothing worth mentioning."
Zani straightened her originally messy tie and casually asked Phoebe:
"What happened this time? Why did the Order's public Echoes cause trouble again?"
"This... it's a long story..."
The matter started with the previous head seat, Fenrico.
Ever since Fenrico's act of sending people onto the pilgrimage ship was exposed, public sentiment in Ragunna became furious, demanding revisions to the harsh doctrines.
After several rounds of meetings, Lud deleted some unreasonable doctrines to benefit the public. One of them was opening partial permissions for public Echoes to the masses.
Shortly after the new doctrines were issued, major and minor families in Ragunna took the opportunity to conduct varying degrees of research on public Echoes.
Explaining everything from beginning to end, Phoebe said somewhat helplessly:
"Due to a small family attempting to research Vitreum Dancer Echoes, it accidentally caused other Vitreum Dancer Echoes to lose control. However, this is only one of the many problems caused after the new doctrines were released."
"So you're cleaning up the mess caused by that guy named Lud."
"Ah, Miss Zani, that kind of language is too crude."
"Just speaking from experience."
Zani pointed out a clear path for Phoebe:
"Based on my work experience, since that Lud made a mistake in his duties, you can find someone higher in position than him to handle this matter, or his competitor."
"Understood. I'm currently looking for Miss Cartethyia. Have you seen her? I don't have her contact information."
Hearing this, Zani thought for a moment and shook her head:
"I haven't seen her. Why don't you go find Noah? He's quite familiar with Cartethyia, and I just saw him performing with the troupe at Freedom Square."
...
Freedom Square.
The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style, Little Apple.... Originally planning to sing just one song and stop, the more they sang, the more people gathered. The crowd's enthusiasm was hard to refuse.
After singing seven or eight songs in high spirits, this impromptu performance finally ended amid enthusiastic applause. It had long passed mealtime.
"Haha, the Laureate's fame is still the greatest. The moment you opened your mouth, I dare say half of Ragunna was drawn over by you."
After the exhilarating performance, Brant laughed heartily as he patted Noah's shoulder and handed over an MP4:
"Here, this is yours. The songs inside have already been recorded by us. It's time to return it to its rightful owner."
"Actually, I don't really need this..."
Noah had just started to decline when he suddenly felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. Turning his head, he saw Phrolova staring straight at him with soft, glistening eyes that seemed to say three words.
I want it.
"Cough. Since you gave it to me, I won't be polite then."
Taking the item, Noah immediately handed it to Phrolova:
"Hold this for me."
After bidding farewell to the Troupe of Fools, Noah led Phrolova and jogged away, avoiding the enthusiastic crowd surrounding them at the square, heading toward Trattoria Margherita.
Walking along the street, Phrolova still seemed unable to recover from the earlier stage performance. Her face still carried a rosy, joyful color.
It had really been so long, so very long, since she last performed in front of the public.
When the enthusiastic applause entered her ears, when countless eager gazes focused on her, when the microphone was placed in her hand, Phrolova felt her long-closed heart grow hot and beat again.
She was clearly born with the talent to stand on stage, yet at some point she had stopped performing for others.
More often, she played her sorrow alone, like an injured little beast licking its wounds in a dark corner.
Today, led by Noah, she stepped back into the light and regained the feeling of performing on stage.
This feeling was like forgetting all her worries and returning to her carefree past. Relaxed and joyful.
But the biggest gain was obtaining something she had always wanted but never gotten — and it was personally given to her by Noah.
"Today, I'm very happy."
"Really?" Noah glanced sideways and met Phrolova's slightly bright eyes.
His original intention was to watch Phrolova make a fool of herself. Later on, he got so into singing that he forgot about it.
However... Phrolova seemed to get more and more into it as she sang.
"Big brother, buy a flower!"
On the commercial street, a little girl carrying a flower basket gently tugged Noah's sleeve and earnestly persuaded:
"Buy a flower for big sister. One only costs five Shell Credits."
Buy a flower for Phrolova? Forget it. Noah secretly twitched the corner of his mouth.
"Not buying."
"Just buy one. It's the last one. After I sell it, I can get off work."
The little girl persisted. She raised the flower basket. Noah casually tossed a handful of Shell Credits into it.
"Little brat, go play by yourself."
"Thank you, big brother." The little girl happily took out the last flower from the basket and attentively handed it to Phrolova:
"Big sister, this flower is for you."
"Thank you."
The corners of Phrolova's lips curved into a faint smile as she accepted the flower.
Could this count as him giving it to her?
Mm... of course it counts, right?
Thinking of this, Phrolova felt shy in her heart. She lowered her head to smell the flower's fragrance. The tips of her ears turned a light pink, and her eyes held hidden joy.
The gentle breeze playfully tousled her soft long hair. The flowing strands were like soft silk, like rippling spring willows, forming a momentary poem with her delicate and beautiful face.
For some reason, four words surfaced in Noah's heart — both moved and regretful:
What a fine lady.